Enemy Among Us-A Jordan Wright Thriller

by Randy Reardon

  Aziz grinned at Benny. “Tell me about it. Did he even tell you when he would be back?”

  “He told me I needed to open the store on Monday, so here I am. Other than that, he didn’t say anything. My guess is he’ll be here when you get home from school.”

  “We’ll see.” Aziz started to walk away. “Maybe I should call my Uncle Mustafa and let him know.”

  “Hey Aziz, I know it hasn’t been easy on you or your Dad since your Mom died. Your Dad may just need some space and to get away from everything that reminds him of Mahasin. I wouldn’t give your uncle a call yet. Let’s see if he’s not back today.”

  “Okay, Benny. I’ll see you after school”

  “Alright, have a good one. Oh, and Aziz! Study hard and mind your teachers,” Benny said, imitating Akmed. For the first time Aziz broke out in a smile and then quickly held up the middle finger of his right hand with the back of his hand facing Benny.

  “It’s good to see you smile, kid!” Benny turned to unlock the store as Aziz headed down the sidewalk to school.

  An agent was following Aziz to school and another undercover agent was working in the school as a temporary custodian.

  Chapter Sixteen

  The Philadelphia Electric Company — PECO as it was known in the area — service truck parked across the street with two agents posing as utility workmen had picked up the conversation and been able to take a couple of photographs of the boy and the man he was talking with on the street.

  They had watched the boy since the previous afternoon, when he’d been dropped off in a van filled with kids his age, an older man driving. The surveillance team at the rear of the building had noticed Aziz coming outside and peering into the garage and had noticed his concern when he discovered his father’s car was gone.

  Later, during the night, they had gotten approval for the warrant to place audio and video devices in the apartment. While they knew the boy was in the apartment, the insertion team was sufficiently skilled to enter, quickly install the devices and leave. Technology had advanced to the point that all of the devices were wireless and a quick RF burst about every two weeks recharged the batteries. The apartment was old and the floors had creaked as the team moved around. They became worried they would awaken Aziz, so they did not install the full complement of equipment but, felt they had installed enough to give them both visual and audio of what was happening in the apartment.

  In the command center, everything was working well. They had picked up the audio when Aziz awoke and watched as he left his room and fixed his breakfast. It hadn’t really been anything to let Washington know about but, this conversation on the street was a different story.

  They now knew the father had indeed left suddenly without letting anyone know what he was doing. The son had been away with a group and even the employee in the store had no idea where Akmed had gone.

  They downloaded a photo of Benny back to the command center to see if it would match anything in the database. Uncle Mustafa was the new person who piqued their interest but, they hadn’t been totally set up and didn’t have the camera operational when the van had dropped the boy off. A photo of the driver would have been helpful and could have been the break they needed to figure out what was really transpiring.

  During the day, they would set up the apartment they had just secured in the building across the street from the store. This would eliminate the need to be outside on the street in a neighborhood where everyone knew everyone else. They would also have perimeter cameras set up in the rear of the store so the team now there could be redeployed.

  Chapter Seventeen

  FBI SAFE HOUSE

  “Akmed, you have shared a great deal with us. How about we take a break?”

  Jordan was pacing around the room as Max, seated at the table across from Akmed, took notes.

  “Can we get you anything? Another Coke or some water?” Jordan asked.

  “Water would be great. Could I go outside and get some air?”

  “Sure. Sure. Let me get someone to go with you. You understand, we can’t have you out there by yourself”

  Jordan went to the door and opened it enough so he could stick his head out.

  “Hey, William! You got a sec?” Jordan yelled loudly enough to be heard downstairs. After a moment, William appeared in the doorway.

  “Akmed this is William, he would be more than happy to take you outside for a walk. Wouldn’t you William?” Jordan shot William a grin.

  “At your service. I was waiting for you to get me involved,” William said sarcastically.

  “All good things in time my friend.”

  “You’ll have to excuse these two, Akmed. They are like two brothers”

  “Yes, I have brothers. We do the same thing to one another.”

  “Are these your real brothers or your brothers in Philadelphia,” Jordan quipped before thinking.

  “Yes, I should clarify. My true brothers are still in Iran, as best I know. I miss them and the camaraderie we had. We were all still living in the same area and saw each other often.”

  ”I’m sure you do.” Max interjected, shooting Jordan a look that could only be interpreted as,” Don’t be such an ass; this guy is helping us.” Dismissing Jordan from the room, Max said, “Jordan why don’t you get Akmed his water.”

  Max continued and turned to Akmed. “Thank you for everything you have shared so far, it has been helpful. We need to review the information and then we will have more questions and want to hear more in regards to the mission. William will be with you until you return to this room. If you need anything, just let him know. I’ll see you a little later.” Max got up from the table and walked out of the room and down the stairs.

  William gave Akmed the once over. “Well. Shall we head outside?” “Yes,” and Akmed walked to the door and followed William downstairs and they exited through the kitchen.

  Max headed toward the library. Jordan was already there, in a conversation with Stan.

  “I think he’s on the up and up. We could spend a lot of time back tracking through all of this information, but I believe we would find it’s all correct. I think he’s the real deal. We’ve got a highly trained operative who is raising a terrorist and he’s gotten the religion of capitalism in his blood and has decided what he was suppose to do isn’t worth doing.”

  “I don’t disagree, but I still think some validation of his story is needed. He could still be the diversion. Think about it,” Stan said. “If they truly have been planning this for over ten years, they could have easily added an element of diversion, particularly if they are getting close to executing the mission.” Stan had been listening to the entire conversation with Akmed in the library. He knew the details, but he wasn’t as convinced as Jordan. ”I don’t think we have to cross all the t’s and dot all the i’s. I think we should pull his immigration papers and we can quickly talk to the attaché in Denmark and confirm an Elizabeth Hansen works for the Danish government. That won’t take long, and we can still continue on our path. The team in Philly is settled in and thinks they had a visual on Mustafa. All the audio and video devices are functioning. I think we’ll get more out of there today when the son comes home from school and finds his dad has still not returned.”

  “There’s a problem.” Max jumped into the conversation. “The father won’t be home and the clerk in the store won’t have seen him all day. I think the boy will call his Uncle to report his absence. We should run through some scenarios about what decisions they might make in regards to carrying out their mission.”

  “I don’t get the feeling they are totally ready,” Jordan said deliberately. “I think if they were close, the boy would have panicked yesterday. I’m not sure he knows he is there for a terrorist attack.” As he spoke, Jordan was back to pacing around the room. “I think there is a safe premise, that the kids as sleepers haven’t been activated yet. I think we have to focus on Mustafa and what he might do.”

  Stan shifted his weight and moved
over toward the window. “I think you may be right. Mustafa is the unknown. We really don’t know what resources he has at his disposal. If they are close to activation, he may not want to waste time on finding out what happened to Akmed. Maybe the death of the wife will provide enough cover. We have picked up comments he has been despondent and withdrawn since her death.

  Max jumped in. “Yes, and as far as we know, he hasn’t raised any alarm with Mustafa, Aziz or any of the other parents that he’d grown tired of their mission and wanted out.”

  “We have to tag Mustafa. If we can put him under surveillance, it’ll be the key to understanding what the reaction will be and if they will continue to move forward. He may have no choice.” Stan moved back behind the desk as he was talking, “He’s not at the top. My bet is someone else is directing him. And that person we will probably never know.”

  Jordan stopped in his tracks and turned to face them both. “I think I need to get to Philly and take charge of the ground ops. We really need to get a handle on Mustafa. That’s going to be the key. Max, you can continue the debrief with Akmed. He’s totally cooperative we don’t need two of us. William can be in there. I think they’ll build a nice relationship.” He pointed out the window where William was walking with Akmed. They seemed to be in some animated conversation, as both were gesturing with their hands and laughing.

  “All right, get going. I’ll arrange a plane to get you up there.” Stan pulled out his cell and began to dial.

  Max walked over to the window and knocked, getting William’s attention. She gestured for him to bring Akmed back inside. It was time to get started on round two.

  Chapter Eighteen

  SOUTH PHILLY

  They had kept a watch on the store and Benny all day from the apartment across the street and it seemed nothing had taken place other than ordinary business. Frank Evans had arrived from D. C. on Max’s orders and had taken charge of the team. Frank was a logistical expert who could bust through red tape and get an operation up and running in record time. They had gotten the report back about Benny and the man was as clean as they come. He seemed to be nothing more than an employee and, at this juncture, nothing pointed to him being involved in the plot.

  The phone rang and one of the agents picked it up. “Okay, thanks, why don’t you change and head back here? You can come in through the back. We’re in 2-B.” Agent John Lutz a solidly built man with a face that made him look twenty-five years younger than he was, turned to Frank. “That was Miguel at the school. He’s posing as the substitute janitor. He said Aziz just left the school and is traveling alone. He is headed in this direction.”

  “Do we have anyone with him?” Frank moved toward the window and looked down the street.

  “Yes, we have an agent, keeping about a block back. We aren’t sure how extensive this network is in the neighborhood and if they have their own watchers. So, our guy’s playing it low key. He’ll probably only communicate if the boy changes direction or something happens.”

  “Good. That’s playing it smart. The boy’s our only link right now, so we can’t spook him or anyone who might be watching him.” Frank turned and spoke louder to address the half dozen agents in the apartment. “Listen up. We’ve got a strong indication this boy is a member of a cell, which is close to being activated, if it hasn’t already. We lose him, we’re back at square one. We’ve got to be smart and diligent. Let’s not overplay our hand. At this point, I would rather error on the side of caution, versus sticking our necks out in haste and losing the only asset we have. The interrogation of the father is continuing; but, so far, we have high confidence in every thing he has told us. Jordan is enroute here and should arrive by six o’clock. Let’s just keep doing our best.” There were affirmative nods around the room, as everyone returned to his work.

  About fifteen minutes later, Aziz appeared, walking down the street. He’d headed straight home.

  “Let’s look alive. Subject is heading toward the building,” the agent at the window turned and announced. “Our guy is about a block and a half back, with no signals.” The signal was to have his coat zipped and a hat on his head if Aziz had been contacted during the trip or had anyone else following him. “I’ll let you know if he goes to the store or directly to the apartment.”

  At that moment, the door opened and the agent who had been the janitor walked in. Miguel Scott looked more like a janitor than a Federal agent. Slightly balding and of thin build the overalls he now wore, seemed to fit him better than the suits he typically wore. Several of the agents acknowledged him. “Regular day at school nothing out of the ordinary. If anything, the kid is kind of a loner.”

  “He’s headed to the apartment.” Came the report from the agent following Aziz.

  Chapter Nineteen

  For Aziz, the end of school bell couldn’t ring fast enough. He didn’t really like school, and it wasn’t the work; he carried a high grade point average and was in several honors classes. But, he loathed the social aspects. None of his cousins attended his school, and they were his friends and the people he wanted to do things with every day. There were few fellow students he could tolerate, other than his lab partner in physics. Jared was smart and wasn’t caught up in all the drama that seemed to be what the other student’s lives evolved around. Aziz hated the numerous cliques and the sense that you had to belong to one. He didn’t want to be a jock, though he knew from pick up games in the neighborhood that he could play better than most of the varsity players.

  Thinking about that brought him back to his parents. He’d been thinking all day about his father. Where could his father have gone and what was he up to that would make him leave. Aziz was confused. He knew the death of his mother had been hard on his father, as it had been on him. He had Uncle Mustafa to help him and they had grown closer after his mother’s death. His father had his store.

  Aziz crossed the last street before their apartment. He really hoped his father had returned. Aziz wasn’t sure where to go first. Should he go up to the apartment, like he normally would, and drop his books off? And then go down to see his father and Benny? Or, should he go straight into the store, to see his father? He wasn’t sure what he should do. As he got in front of the store, he decided the best thing to do would be to keep to his normal routine. He went to the door of the apartment and grabbed his key from his book bag.

  Entering, everything seemed the same as it had been when he left that morning. He headed down the hall to his room and noticed the door to his father’s room was still closed. He went to his room and dropped off his bag. He went back to the door at his father’s room and slowly opened it. Fearing the worst, his father might have been in there and not able to call for help. Aziz looked around and walked to the other side of the bed, but his father was not there. He backed out and closed the door.

  Aziz went into the kitchen and grabbed a soda out of the refrigerator. He walked over to the door to the back stairway, opened it and went down to the door that would open into the store. He turned the knob, but the door was locked. This was not a good sign. If his father had returned, he would have gone through this door from the garage. Aziz found it hard to believe his father would be working and hadn’t gone up to the apartment at some time during the day. Aziz walked back upstairs to get the key, returned and opened the door.

  Benny was at the counter, helping a customer with some bolts and nuts. Aziz walked around, looking down the aisles. No sign of his father. He walked behind the counter, gave Benny a nod and walked into the back of the store. It was dark, indicating no one was back there working. So, Aziz continued to the makeshift office, but it too was dark. He turned around and headed back to the front of the store. Benny was just finishing with the customer.

  “My father still hasn’t come back?”

  “No, Aziz. I haven’t seen or heard from him. There have been several calls for him and I’ve taken messages; but, nothing out of the ordinary.”

  “I’m worried and a little scared. This isn’t l
ike him.”

  “No, it’s not. But, your dad hasn’t been himself since your mother passed away. It hit him hard. Sometimes, people deal with their grief in different ways. Your father may just need time to himself, but he didn’t know how to tell you.”

  “Maybe, but since I was gone, I don’t know how long he’s been gone. I would have thought he either would of told you more or left me a note.”

  “I don’t know what to tell you, Aziz. I’m sure he is fine” At that moment the bell hung over the front door of the store rang out, announcing the arrival of a customer. Benny turned away from Aziz and headed to the front of the counter.

  “I’m going to go upstairs,” Aziz called to Benny.

  “Okay, Aziz. I’ll come see you after I close up. Let’s have dinner together.”

  Aziz walked over to the door and headed up the stairs. What should he do?

  Chapter Twenty

  “I want to hear everyone’s assessments,” Frank called out as they finished replaying the conversation that had just taken place between Benny and Aziz.

  “The kid’s worried.” Lutz called out. “The kid’s beside himself, but Benny doesn’t seem to be overly worried. Maybe he knows more than he’s telling.”

  “If Aziz calls his uncle, that could cause a ripple effect, which we aren’t yet ready to deal with.” Philadelphia Police Detective Phil Johnson chimed in from behind his computer screen.

  “I would concur. We need to contain this between these two. I think we’ve got to figure out how to keep this from spinning out of control.” Frank interjected with his hand covering his chin. His pose of deep thought and taking in of the conversation.

  “We’ve got the father, could we have him call the son. Tell him he’s okay, but needed some time away and he’ll be back soon.” Lutz added.