***
Karen and Kirsten, the lead flight attendant, handed the people out the front passenger loading doors. Four big HRT shooters came up a stair ladder and into the first class cabin.
"First class secure, stairwell secure!" one shouted.
"Where's the air marshal?" another said.
"Right here," Karen said.
The senior FBI agent looked at the small blond woman, her dress stained with blood and urine, deep lines drawn in her white face. "You're the marshal?" he said.
"You goddamn right she is, motherfucker," Stacy Bagley said from behind him.
***
"Get everybody off that airplane now!" Bob Tallbert said. "There's unsecured explosives onboard. I want everybody off, I don't care if they've almost got the fire contained. I don't want anyone within 100 yards of that aircraft except for fire personnel! Get them clear, now!"
"What about the crime scene, boss?" said the voice of Assault 2 Alpha in Tallbert's earpiece.
"We'll worry about the crime scene once we've got the souls clear, 2 Alpha. I want the live ones first."
"Roger that, boss. 2 Alpha clear."
***
Stacy Bagley limped across the grassy median to where Joan Slyce sat, a medic hovering over her. Beside her, a sheet covered Donald Gene's body. Stacy said, "How you making it, friend girl?"
"I'm making it, Stacy. Have you seen Charley?"
"He's coming. He was the last out. He was throwing passengers out the door till the HRT threw him out."
"Karen and the boys?"
"Over there," Stacy gestured.
"Anybody else make it?"
"No. They all bought it."
"Where are they?"
"The firecrew promised to get them off first. They're not going to burn. They just about got the fire out. Most of it blew out when the bomb went off."
"Yeah," Joan said.
Stacy knelt beside Donald Gene's body. She pulled the sheet away from Don's face and carefully folded it back on his chest. "Oh, look what they done to you, baby," she whispered. "Look what they done to my baby." She brushed the hair back from Don's face, rested her fingertips on his closed eyes, on his lips. She leaned and kissed his brow. "Good bye, baby," she said.
***
FRANKFURT, GERMANY:
"Guess what, buddy?" John Bolen said. "Seems somebody had your prints after all, Mr. Ahmad Ajai. Welcome to your nightmare, my friend. You get to take a ride on a C-141 Starlifter, with me and my boys to baby-sit and tune you up a little. We're going to a little place I know right outside of Williamsburg, Virginia. And my good poker buddy Mr. Eli Cohen will be going along to keep you company."
Bolen studied the impassive Ahmad Ajai.
"Charley Dey killed all your shooters, Ahmad Ajai. Every single one of them. The bomb went off, but it didn't kill anybody." Bolen didn't mention the men critically injured by the charge thrown from the aircraft.
"There will be others," Ahmad Ajai said, formally.
"Not after we get through with you. What we're going to do to you is going to make what you did to Bucknell Leigh look like a picnic. Count on that."
***
DULLES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT:
"Five marshals dead, all the rest wounded. Fourteen dead terrorists, one wounded pilot, seven injured passengers, one dead and two injured flight attendants, no other casualties," Tallbert said. He looked Charley Dey up and down appraisingly.
Colonel Young shook Charley's hand. "Welcome back, Charley. I'm sorry about Don."
"You two know each other?" Tallbert said.
"Charley taught me some things in Southeast Asia," Colonel Young said.
"Where are my people?" Charley said.
"They're OK. The medics are looking them over. We're going to need to get them all together now and start on statements, Dey. We're processing the passengers right now. It's going to be a long night," Tallbert said. He looked over his shoulder. "Here comes that asshole," he muttered.
Simon Dinkey strode right past the wounded marshals without saying a word. A television crew followed him up to the three leaders.
"Who let that TV crew through the perimeter!" Tallbert bellowed. Two of his black clad shooters stopped in front of the three television people. Simon Dinkey said, "Let them through, they're under my escort."
"Bullshit," said Tallbert. "Get them out of here!" he directed his shooters.
"Wait a minute, we're live!" the newscaster protested.
The HRTs hesitated.
"We want an interview with the team leader," said Dinkey. "I've authorized it." He looked at Dey. "Where's Harold, Dey?"
"He's dead, you stupid fuck," Charley said.
"Get out! Now! This is a crime scene, this team leader is a material witness, and we are processing it! Get out now!" Tallbert shouted.
"Dey, I..." Dinkey started.
Charley lunged for him, and it took both Tallbert and Young to stop him. One of the HRTs stepped forward and pushed the camera lens away. Dinkey went to push him back, and caught a butt stroke from the HRT MP-5.
"You touch me again, mister, you're going to jail for assaulting a federal officer," the young HRT said warmly.
"Clear this scene," Tallbert repeated. This time there was no hesitation from his agents. "That cock sucker is history," Tallbert promised, watching Dinkey being led away.
***
WASHINGTON, DC:
"Does that man work for me?" the FAA Administrator asked General Stone in the Command Center, as they watched the scene played out on CNN.
"Which one?"
"The one with the camera crew."
"Yes, sir."
"He doesn't anymore."
General Stone sighed. "Understood, sir."
***
PART FIVE
MISSION CLOSURE
In the weeks after, the full details of the massive deception operation mounted by HizbAllah came clear. After lengthy and detailed debriefing of 'Emmanuel' and Ahmad Ajai, several European logistics cells were rolled up in raids accomplished by German and French special operations teams -- assisted by quiet Americans in balaclavas, who faded away after each operation. The body of Bucknell Leigh was discovered on a trash heap in a back alley in Beirut, not far from where he was taken. He was flown back to the United States on a C-141 and buried with full honors in Arlington National Cemetery. His wife and children moved to Arizona to be near her parents.
A joint special operations team, spearheaded by SAS and Delta commandos, with air cover provided by the Israeli Air Force, raided the hijacking school in the Bekaa Valley. Those students not taken prisoner were summarily executed and the school destroyed with explosives. An extensive series of reprisal operations against HizbAllah took place, led by the Israeli Sayaret Maktal with assistance from John Bolen and DOMINANCE RAIN. A convoy in which the HizbAllah financial minister was traveling was destroyed by Israeli helicopter gunships. One of the imams was kidnapped. Two notable experts in interrogation were assassinated, one by a .300 magnum round through the chest as he sat outside his house, over 900 yards from the nearest possible rifle hide.
"I hope you saw that, Bucky," murmured Rhino McGee from within his desert pattern Ghillie suit. "God speed you."
***
In the White House Rose Garden, before the array of cameras that transmitted the picture all over the world, the surviving members of Federal Air Marshal Unit Ten stood before the President of the United States and the Secretary of Transportation to receive their commendations.
"The courage of these officers, in the face of overwhelming odds, is something which all of us who depend on these men and women -- who depend on them to protect us, to put themselves in harm's way -- that courage is something which we should stand in awe of. I stand in awe of it. I can only give these tokens which cannot ever fully represent the deep appreciation and gratitude I, and the people of the United States, have towards you, the Marshals of Unit Ten. I know that you miss your comrades, those who fell in the battle f
or Flight 107. I can assure you that their sacrifice will never be forgotten. Thank you for your service." The President hung a Medal of Freedom around each marshal's neck and shook their hands.
"While these people's bravery can never be questioned, they were doing their duty. There is one man who went above any such call of duty, a man whose courage is to be recognized today." At the end of the line, young Corporal Geordie Griffin stood proud in his Class A uniform as the president hung the Soldier's Medal around his neck, the highest award possible for bravery in peacetime. Geordie snapped a crisp salute, and the President returned it.
The formation broke up for picture taking, and each awardee had the opportunity for a picture with the President, and then with the President and the Secretary of transportation. Several news crews, CNN in the lead, pressed forward to interview the air marshals.
Charley Dey stood off to one side and watched his people bask in the lime light. Geordie Griffin came up to him and said, "Hey, Mr. Dey."
"Yeah, Geordie?"
"I'm fixing to get out off active duty here right quick. What's the chances of me getting a job with you all?"
Charley grinned. "Pretty damn good, I'd say."
***
At Arlington National Cemetery, Charley Dey stood beside the grave of Bucknell Leigh. He bowed his head and said a quiet prayer for his old friend. He touched the stone and walked away. He had to drive to a different part of the cemetery for his last visit; Donald Gene was buried there, too. Charley wasn't alone when he got there. Ilona, the flight attendant from Hungary, and Stacy Bagley stood together by the grave. The stone was simple. Donald's name, birthdate and deathdate, the SEAL budweiser and the eagle and shield of the Air Marshal badge were engraved on the stone.
"Hey, homeboy," Stacy said softly. "They did a nice job for Donald."
Charley nodded. He touched Ilona on the arm. "Hello, Ilona."
"Hello, Mr. Charley," Illona said softly. She touched her reddened eyes with her handkerchief. "I saw you on the television."
Charley nodded. "Would you two excuse me?"
"Sure, Charley," Stacy said. She took Ilona's arm. "C'mon, girlfriend."
Charley sat down on the grass. He took out one of the Philippine cigars Donald loved and lit it up. He puffed it into life and blew smoke at the headstone. He reached into his pocket and took out a small, airline sized bottle of VO, uncapped it, and poured it slowly and ceremoniously over the earth beneath the headstone. He puffed the cigar into full flame and propped it into the dirt as well.
"Sleep well, brother," Charley said softly. "Sleep well, Donald Gene."
He walked away from the stone.
Ilona visits the grave each time she comes through DC and places a single flower on the grave.
THE END
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Air Marshals Page 34
