Pandemic: The Innocents: A Post-Apocalyptic Medical Thriller Fiction Series (The Pandemic Series Book 2)

by Bobby Akart

  “Keep in mind, the number of reported ill in the United States is relatively small compared to the three hundred twenty million people who live here. The plague bacteria is not nearly as contagious as, say, the measles or the flu. It is transmitted by close contact, exchange of bodily fluids, and the like.

  “So my suggestion to the American people is this. If you or a family member appears to be symptomatic, get professional help, but above all, stay home. Do not go out in public and infect others.

  “I’m told that the first line of defense in defeating this disease is social distancing. Just as important, the contagion of fear spreads much faster than the disease itself. I’m calling on all Americans to be strong, keep to yourself, if necessary, and do not intentionally cause a panic within your families or neighborhoods.”

  Chapter 42

  Day Forty-Two

  FBI Field Office

  Denver

  In a recent Gallup poll, Colorado was ranked as one of the least religious states in the nation with only half of its respondents identifying themselves of a particular faith. In Denver, less than one-half of one percent of its citizens identified themselves as Muslims.

  For ISIS, Metro Denver was not fertile ground for new recruits into its radical views of the world except for one distinct demographic—newly released federal inmates. Since 9/11, the number of converts to Islam within the Federal Bureau of Prisons had increased substantially. According to statistics, eighty percent of inmates who found faith while in prison chose Islam. Today, thirty percent of the prison population in the United States were converts.

  In the federal system, released inmates were reintroduced into society through halfway houses. The purpose was to acclimate the inmates to society by finding them jobs, teaching them basic social interaction, and encouraging familial relationships.

  Radical Islamic terrorists recognized an opportunity to recruit these new releases into their cells by strategically placing operatives at the halfway houses as counselors and spiritual leaders. While many members of the Denver terrorist cell of ISIS had come in as refugees for years, many more were recently released inmates from the Federal Correctional Institution, FCI, in Englewood. FCI Englewood was located a few miles from Columbine and Littleton, where the largest enclosed mall in Denver was open for business.

  Hunter and Agent Taylor reviewed the dossier provided by the CIA. Special Agent in Charge Sanders entered the briefing room and cleared his throat, which grabbed everyone’s attention. The agents respected Sanders and considered it an honor to work for him.

  “Let’s put this up on the screen,” started Sanders, nodding to his assistant. “We believe this is our unsub. Meet Ali Hassan, son of Abu Ali Hassan, the head of the Fighter’s Assistance Council and the third man in the hierarchy under Abu al-Baghdadi, the ISIS Caliph.”

  A side-by-side screen appeared showing a scowling bearded man next to Hassan. Sanders continued. “The father, Abu Hassan, controls the purse strings for providing aid and housing to foreign fighters and operatives around the globe. ISIS seeks to unite the world under a single caliphate, and toward that end, Abu Ali Hassan established a vast network of satellite operations in half the nations on the planet. As a member of the Sharia Council as well, Abu Ali Hassan is considered to be a likely candidate to succeed al-Baghdadi in the event of the Caliph’s death.”

  The screen image changed to reveal a map of Western Africa. “The DTRA has placed the son, Hassan, in the Democratic Republic of Congo around the time that a biosafety lab exploded in nearby Gabon. From that point, Hassan disappeared from our intelligence agencies’ radar. Now he’s surfaced again, in America.”

  The screens switched in rapid succession. Each new image depicted a grainy, somewhat blurred image of Hassan with accompanying date and time stamps from New Mexico to California and, as of yesterday, Metro Denver.

  Sanders removed his jacket and threw it on a chair against the wall. He rolled up his sleeves and thrust his hands in his pockets. “Based upon our analysis and shared intel from the Denver PD, we believe this sucker is gonna make his move today. We have three major sporting events on tap that will attract a lot of visitors and fans to one central location.”

  Sanders nodded and a map appeared revealing Central Denver and the cluster of sports venues off Interstate 25. “Soccer, football, and baseball all in one day may be a sports fan’s dream, but it is also a terrorist’s fertile killing field, especially for the use of biological weapons. Ali Hassan is a highly educated radical terrorist whose roots run deep into the upper echelon of ISIS. He’s our guy and we need to find him.”

  The screen with the most recent facial image of Hassan appeared. Hunter and the agents studied it intently. Hunter contemplated the daunting challenge ahead of them. The population of Metropolitan Denver was nearly three million people. The three sports venues would hold a quarter million attendees alone. How do you find this needle in a haystack?

  “The Denver PD has established a temporary field headquarters at each of these venues and has beefed up their presence. Our working theory is that the attack will be biological in nature, most likely a dirty-bomb-type device. This type of device is typically associated with radiological dispersion, but any conventional explosive that produces a blast wave can be used to distribute anthrax, smallpox, and other infectious agents.”

  Hunter raised his hand. “Agent Sanders, Hassan will be using a form of the plague bacteria. His connections to Congo, Gabon, and his medical background are all pieces of an overall puzzle. Our investigation revealed the abduction and death by beheading of a young French scientist who worked at the Gabon facility you referenced earlier. This scientist was assigned the project studying the Madagascar strain of the plague bacteria.”

  “Are you saying a dirty bomb is not their weapon of choice?” asked Sanders.

  “No, it could very well be. They could also be using a spray bottle, an atomizer, or even deploy their children blowing bubbles through a Mr. Bubbles wand.”

  “Children?” asked one of the agents.

  “Yes, ISIS will deploy their children to distribute the plague bacteria without compunction,” replied Hunter.

  “That makes profiling our potential terrorists much more difficult,” said Sanders. “You must now consider women and children as well. There’s one more thing. In the field, you can’t just look for people of Middle Eastern descent. With the rise of radical Islamic converts among young African-American males, the faces of jihad can be much darker, especially in Denver.”

  The words of Agent Sanders sank in for a moment. Hunter decided to focus his efforts on finding Hassan rather than stick his hands in the hay only to get stuck with a needle.

  Chapter 43

  Day Forty-Two

  South Denver

  Agent Taylor and Hunter checked out their weapons from the FBI cache. Hunter’s Sig Sauer P320 was always on his side, and based on Sander’s suggestion, every agent in the field was armed with a fully automatic M4 rifle.

  “Let’s start with his last known location,” said Taylor as he drove Hunter to South Denver and the Denver Islamic Society. “We have plenty of eyes scouring cameras and receiving reports from the Denver PD. If something goes down at the stadiums, we’ll be in the vicinity to respond.”

  Hunter nodded as he studied Google Earth on his iPhone. On the way into the city this morning, he had a long conversation with Khan in Atlanta. Thus far, there had been no outward signs of terrorist activity. Khan found it especially odd that very few men of Middle Eastern descent, their profile suspect, appeared on security cameras being monitored twenty-four seven.

  It was Hunter who suggested they broaden their surveillance to include women and children. In his opinion, the leaders of the ISIS jihadists were gutless cowards who’d send anyone besides themselves to their death in the name of religion.

  Based upon his conversations with Mac as to how the plague bacteria could be spread in large amounts, Hunter deduced that the operatives carrying o
ut the actual attacks would surely know they were infecting themselves in the process. They were no different than a terrorist with a bomb strapped to their chest.

  Hassan was executing a well-thought-out plan. He’d entered the country across the southern border, along with a thousand other operatives who were most likely aboard the Tasallul. As part of his road trip across America, Hassan was activating his cells and distributing the plague bacteria along the way.

  Interstate 70 stretched through Denver to Kansas City, across the Midwest and then connected with every major interstate entering New York and Washington, DC. If the timing of the security footage was accurate, Hassan would stop in a major city along the way, initiate a bioterror attack using the plague bacteria in his possession, and then move on down the road, leaving the carnage in his rearview mirror.

  A lot of damage had been done already by Hassan, not only during his travels in the United States, but around the world. Hunter thought the number of deaths in America could be minimized if the borders were closed and the terrorists within were ferreted out. He respected Sanders’s decision to assist local law enforcement in surveilling high-traffic venues this weekend. Hunter’s focus was different. He had to stop the bleeding by finding Hassan before he moved on to his next target.

  Taylor traversed the streets in the neighborhood surrounding the Denver Islamic Society. Meanwhile, Hunter considered alternate sites for a terror attack. On any given Saturday in a metropolitan area, a shopping mall was a popular destination for locals and visitors alike.

  “John, tell me about the shopping malls in Denver,” said Hunter.

  “You wanna go shopping?” said Taylor inquisitively.

  “No, but at the DTRA, when discussing bioterror attacks, large shopping malls like the Mall of America in Minneapolis came to mind. What are your largest malls that might be a possible target?”

  “Yeah, we have a couple of targets that could make the list,” replied Taylor. “Two local malls have made the list of fifty largest in the country.”

  “Tell me about them,” said Hunter.

  “One is in Thornton called Larkridge. It’s roughly two million square feet, sixty stores, and a popular destination. People like to stroll through the open-air concept.”

  “It’s not fully enclosed?” asked Hunter.

  “No, it’s all open. They call it a lifestyle mall.”

  Taylor continued to drive, now working their way south toward Littleton. Hunter stared at every vehicle while he listened to his partner.

  “That rules out the second largest, which is Southlands in Aurora. Same deal. Open-air concept.”

  “Are there any older malls, maybe built twenty years ago, that are still popular?”

  Taylor slammed on the brakes to avoid a pedestrian dashing through two cars, chasing down a taxi. “Idiot! There’s Southwest Plaza Mall in Littleton. It’s probably thirty years old, over a million square feet. It’s been a mainstay in the Littleton and Columbine area for decades.”

  “Wait, Columbine? The site of the high school shooting?”

  “One and the same,” replied Taylor.

  “What about Aurora? The theater shooting?”

  “Same neck of the woods, only a little farther east,” replied Taylor. “Hunter, what are you thinking?”

  “These fools are all about symbolism and showmanship with their staged beheadings. The obvious targets are the sporting events because of the crowds. I’m not saying to rule them out, but I think we should also consider a mall location, especially one that has ties to neighborhoods that witnessed mass shootings in America.”

  Taylor pulled over and dialed Sanders. He handed the phone to Hunter, who detailed the working theory. Sanders agreed to provide two analysts to begin an immediate review of the Southwest Plaza footage. He’d also contact Denver PD to beef up their police presence in the area.

  Hunter disconnected the call and handed the phone back to Taylor. “Okay, now let’s go shopping.”

  Chapter 44

  Day Forty-Two

  Southwest Plaza

  Littleton

  After stopping at Home Depot to purchase nitrile gloves and N100 masks, Hunter and Taylor arrived at the recently renovated Southwest Plaza in Littleton. The parking lot was full of shoppers’ vehicles, as many out-of-towners stopped by here before attending the sporting events, which began in a couple of hours.

  “Let’s leave the long guns here,” said Taylor. “The nerves in this city will be raw for decades after the shootings at Columbine and the theater.”

  Hunter nodded out of courtesy. He wanted to say to his new partner that in decades, if anyone was left, they wouldn’t be talking about high school shootings. They exited the car when Taylor’s phone rang. It was Sanders, who was running point in the field office.

  “Back in the car,” instructed Taylor. Hunter joined him and Taylor fired the engine to allow the air conditioner to do its job. It was already eighty degrees in Denver.

  “Sir, let me put you on speakerphone with Hunter. Go ahead, sir.”

  “Hunter, let me commend you on some excellent detective work. Your hunch was right. After we spoke earlier, I reassigned two of our analysts to study the mall footage. We’ve located the subject vehicle in a parking garage between Penneys and Dick’s Sporting Goods on the north side of the mall.”

  “Okay, sir,” interrupted Taylor. “We’re on it.”

  “No, John, we’ve got DPD securing the vehicle and closing off the garage. SWAT is en route now. Our focus needs to be on Hassan and his operatives, who I presume are inside the mall at this point.”

  Hunter spoke up. “Sir, we should approach mall management and their security team first so we avoid stepping on each other.”

  “Exactly, Hunter. I’ve already made the contact. First, go to the second floor next to the Forever 21 store. See Sergeant Collins. We’ve sent him Hassan’s photo and he’s studying footage now. We’ve also tapped into his video surveillance system to assist.”

  “Yes, sir,” said Hunter.

  “Oh, one more thing,” started Agent Sanders. “I still firmly believe that Hassan is here as part of a larger operation. Once again, in violation of a federal court order, I’ve ordered the deployment of Stingray, our cell-site simulator. After this is over, I suspect I’ll lose my job, but I’ll do what I can to save lives in the process.”

  “I’m sorry, sir, but I’m not familiar with Stingray,” said Hunter.

  “Taylor, turn the phone over to Hunter and the two of you make your way to the mall security office. Hunter, I’ll give you the background as you walk inside.”

  Taylor looked at Hunter, giving him a thumbs-up. They exited the car and began to briskly walk toward the west end of the mall. Hunter picked up the conversation with Agent Sanders.

  “Go ahead, sir,” said Hunter. “Is Stingray comparable to the Hailstorm program attacked by the American Civil Liberties Union?”

  “Very similar,” started Agent Sanders. “Our cell towers are activated to trick nearby phones into providing location data. Using the technology created by the FBI, we can interrupt cellular service of all devices within a targeted location. We’re supposed to receive a judge’s approval to activate the device by establishing a credible threat.”

  Hunter hustled to keep up with Taylor, who was already entering the building. “This is a credible threat, sir,” said Hunter.

  “I’m glad you agree, Hunter, because I needed a field agent’s confirmation before I can get my warrant. Now, we’ll activate Stingray and monitor cell phones within the mall and the parking lots. If Hassan is using the same phone that we matched to cell tower data on or about the time his vehicle was traveling from Grand Junction to Denver, I’ll be able to tell you exactly where he’s standing.”

  “Roger that!” said Hunter as he returned the phone to Taylor.

  Inside the mall, the two men slowed their pace, being careful not to attract attention. Within minutes, they were inside the mall security office, convers
ing with Sergeant Collins.

  A member of the mall security team was fast-forwarding through footage, starting at nine that morning when the mall opened. She was focusing on the entrance adjacent to the parking garage. Hunter studied a map of the mall property, which hung on the wall behind her.

  Like most enclosed shopping malls, Southwest Plaza contained multiple anchor stores, which were located near the outside entrances. Inside, the mall was a two-story structure with a large atrium in the center, which let in natural light. The remaining smaller retailers were interspersed along the two levels, which were connected by escalators.

  “Sergeant, how many exits are there, including the big-box stores?” asked Hunter.

  “The public has access to five primary points of entry into the mall itself, and each of the major retailers has three entrances, for a total of twenty-six. Further, each of the small shops has a rear fire exit, which doubles as a delivery door.”

  “So we’re talking over a hundred exits?” asked Hunter, although he knew Sergeant Collins would confirm his math.

  “Yes.”

  “How many occupants in the mall at present?” asked Hunter.

  “Several thousand, including employees and management,” replied Collins.

  Hunter continued studying the map. There were several problems that needed to be addressed. First, he had to consider the safety of the innocent people who were going about their business in the mall, whether as shoppers or employees. However, if Hassan and his operatives were infecting the occupants of the mall with the plague bacteria through some type of airborne device, they couldn’t be allowed to leave. In addition, the mall would become one large toxic waste dump.