by Geri Foster
Jim wasn’t a man who asked a lot of questions when he stood to make a profit of over five hundred thousand dollars. “I don’t know if they’re terrorists or not. To me they’re just money in the bank.”
“Bullshit.” Clyde shouted, spraying him with spit. “I ain’t fucking helping you with some Allah worshiping assholes who want to destroy my country.”
“You’ve done so many illegal things that you don’t know who you’ve been catering to.”
“I know damn well they ain’t terrorists.”
The door swung open and the Albanian and two of his goons stood staring at them. “I’ve decided to be generous. Give me my weapons back or the money.”
Jim pointed to the dead kid on the floor. “Why’d you have to go and kill the kid? He didn’t know nothing.”
“Collateral damage,” Gashi snarled. “He threatened to call the police and kept saying the only guns you had were in the case.”
Clyde shook his head. “The kid didn’t know about our deal. He just helped out around here.” Clyde pulled out two pearled handled guns and fired off six shots before Jim could move.
Stunned, Jim looked down at the dead Albanians and shook his head in disbelief. “Holy shit. What was that all about?”
Next thing he knew, the double barrels were pointed at him. “You’re just as dead if you plan to sell those guns to terrorists, Jim. I may not be the best guy in the world, and I’ve done some bad shit, but I ain’t hurting my country.”
“Dammit man, Gashi’s dead so we can both be rich.” Jim grinned and clapped his hands. He hadn’t felt this good in days. “We’ll split it fifty/fifty. How does five hundred thousand dollars sound to you?”
“Like I’m selling out my country, and I ain’t.”
Jim liked Clyde. They’d been friends a long time, but this was his ticket out. His new life in Florida. He turned away. “Whatever you say Clyde. I can understand the way you feel.”
“Good,” Clyde said, holstering his guns. “I ain’t no traitor.”
Jim swung around and shot Clyde twice in the chest. He staggered backwards against a stack of ammo before slowly sliding down to the floor. There he sat, arms limp, with his legs spread out in front of him. Even as the dying man’s chin met his chest, his eyes remained wide in shock and disappointment.
“I’m sorry, Clyde. I really am, but I need that money and I’ll sell my soul to get it.”
As he stepped over the bodies, anxious to get out of the room, his cell phone rang. “Hello,” he realized he was shouting and lowered his voice. He took a breath, wondering how in hell he could unload a truck full of weapons. “This is Jim. If you want to reserve range time, I’m closed today.”
“No,” a man replied in a calm, cultured tone. “I’m contacting you about the weapons you are holding for my partner.”
Jim’s heart nearly jumped out of his chest. It was his lucky day after all.
Haley had just taken a sip of her coffee when Garrett jumped from the booth and grabbed her by the hand. “We’ve got company.”
She followed him to the back of the restaurant where the restrooms were. She didn’t notice an exit sign. He pulled her along behind him as they ducked and ran along the fry grill to the front side of the building. She tried to see what he saw, but she couldn’t. They were moving too fast and he kept telling her to keep her head down.
He hit the door with all his strength and dashed to the rear of the pancake house. “I don’t want anyone in the restaurant hurt. The last thing we need is a mass shooting this early in the morning.”
“Maybe they’ll leave if they go inside and don’t see us.”
“Those guys know if our car is here, then so are we.” He pulled his gun. “I can’t let them get inside. Too many innocent people in there.” He turned to face her. “You stay right here and wait. Do not move.”
He left, inching is way toward the front. She worried they’d see him and open fire. She couldn’t stay here and watch him get shot. She had to do something.
She stayed back but followed him cautiously. She kept out of sight and took her time. Besides, the bad guys were on the other side of the restaurant.
Garrett flattened himself against the building and glanced behind him. Eyes narrowed, he motioned with his left hand for her to go back. She squatted down and held her fingers to her lips, letting him know she didn’t intend to go any further.
Just as the men turned away from their car to enter the building, Garrett stepped out with his gun drawn and waved them to the side of the building. They complied, looking angry he’d captured them so easily.
Garrett moved them away from the customers and motioned for them to sit on the ground. She moved closer but kept a safe distance. Neither obeyed. Instead they pointed their guns and threatened to kill him if he didn’t turn her over to them.
“She’s not going anywhere. And put those guns away before you get killed.”
When neither made a move to do what he’d instructed, Garrett pistol whipped one on the side of the head and kicked the other in the balls, effectively eliminating the threat. Garrett swiftly plucked two zip ties out of his back pocket and had them handcuffed before she could even reach him.
“I told you to stay put,” Garrett snapped, shoving the two men against the side of the building.
She couldn’t talk her way out of this, so she went for broke. “I was going to help you.”
Bent over, he glared up at her. “Really?”
She looked away, unable to meet his incredulous glower. “One never knows.”
Thankfully, Harrington and Grey pulled up before he could reply and helped Garrett load the prisoners in the back seat of their car. Hoping to avoid attention, Garrett leaned down and looked at the men he’d just captured.
“What are you doing here?”
“She will die because she can identify us.”
“Why,” she asked. “I didn’t do anything.”
“Nagi commands it. He fears you’ll ruin his plan.”
“What plan?” Garrett demanded. “What are you men up to?” He pointed his finger at the two prisoners. “I know the airport was a distraction. Megaza Nagi is not that sloppy.”
The bearded one stuck out his bottom lip. “We’ll say no more.”
“Good, I’m sure the FBI will get the information they want.”
“No, they won’t. No one knows what Nagi has planned and El Hashem only told him who to contact.”
The other man kicked him hard enough for him to yelp, then glared at him to be quiet.
Garrett nodded to Harrington and Grey and they drove away, leaving them in the parking lot. “Do you think our food is cold?” She rubbed her stomach. “I’m hungry.”
He took her by the arm and headed toward the door. “Dammit Haley, you need to learn to follow directions. When I tell you to stay put, you do just that. What if they’d gotten the drop on me? They were sent to take you back or take you out, and it didn’t appear they’d have given either a second thought.”
They went back inside the restaurant and their waitress met them at the door. “I sent your food back because I thought you’d left.” Heading for the kitchen she called over her shoulder, “I’ll tell them you’re back and to rush your order.”
“Sorry about that,” Haley smiled sheepishly. “We had a...slight emergency.”
They nodded to fellow diners and headed back to their still unoccupied booth. The nice lady who’d waited on them immediately joined them with two fresh cups of coffee and a smile. “Your food will be right out.”
True to her word, in a matter of minutes they both had breakfast sitting in front of them. Haley stared at her plate. “I wonder how she did that?”
“What?” he asked around a mouthful of food.
“Got our order ready so fast.”
He swallowed. “They probably never threw it away and just microwaved it.”
“They wouldn’t do that, Garrett. This is freshly cooked.”
He shrugged. �
��Then I don’t know. Maybe it belongs to someone else.”
“Maybe they just want to get rid of us before there’s more trouble.”
“I don’t think that many people were watching. Doesn’t matter. Hurry up and eat, we need to get on the road. Besides, I don’t want to chance they called their little friends.”
She chewed her food and shook her head. “They weren’t the smartest bulbs in the bunch.”
He looked up at her quizzically. “What do you mean?”
She took a sip of coffee. “Well, El Hashem and Nagi are probably brilliant. They’re the ringleaders. Those two and the other five are just flunkies. They don’t know much of anything except to do what they’re told.”
“Harrington believes El Hashem is dead.”
She put her fork down. “That’s probably true. When someone gets shot in the stomach, it usually doesn’t take long for them to become septic. That’s if internal bleeding, or other damage to other organs doesn’t get you first.”
“You think that happened?”
“From the little I could see, and what I could smell,” she wrinkled her nose, “the bullet ripped open a bowel. That shit, pardon the pun, poisons the body.” She picked up her glass of water and took a long swallow. “Once that infection spreads through your system, there isn’t much anyone can do.”
“So, Harrington is probably right. I wonder where the body is. Muslims have rituals for burying their dead. They can’t just leave him around some shabby apartment to rot.”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. From what I understood they didn’t know anyone here in the States. I don’t even know what they were waiting for. Why didn’t they leave the country as soon as they could?” She leaned across and placed her palm on his hand. “They weren’t in any hurry except for El Hashem to get medical care.
“Let’s get to Washington so we can find out what’s going on.”
Preston and El Hashem both hated the United States. The two of them planned every minute thing down to who breathed when. He did not like this man, Nagi, and would rather kill the pretentious asshole than work with him.
The man was a stranger, he hadn’t a clue where he stood. Was he just a crazy zealot who wanted to do anything to hurt America, or was he driven by a purpose like El Hashem?
Worse, Preston was unsure how much Nagi knew. Had El Hashem lived long enough to explain everything to the man he’d chosen to bring with him on this mission? He had little choice, so Preston figured he would play things close to the vest and trust this man as much as El Hashem had.
“Tell me, Mr. Nagi, how well did you know El Hashem? He and I were good friends.”
“I’ve known him since we were children. I know his family very well and assisted his brother Amid with the bombing in Jordan.”
Preston was impressed. That blast killed twenty-six military personnel who had no business being in the Middle East. “So he trusted you enough to share his vision?”
Nagi licked his lips and Preston had his answer. He knew nothing. Preston debated whether or not to kill him now so he couldn’t talk to anyone.
“I cautioned El Hashem not to discuss his plans with anyone,” Nagi replied with a careless shrug, “including me. I didn’t think it wise for any one of us to know too much. There is always a chance a captured man might confess to spare himself and I knew this was too important.”
Nagi’s words made sense, and if true it’d been the right thing to do. He’d worried for nothing. He was relieved the only one who really knew what they’d planned was dead. Not one of the others knew anything they could go to the authorities with.
Not even Nagi.
Preston realized Nagi was aware he could be killed for no other reason than to keep his secret safe. He took a few minutes to mull it over and Preston decided to trust Nagi. He didn’t have to like him but he could work with him, and that’s all he needed.
“The man I spoke to on the phone earlier is supplying us with all the weapons we’ll need.”
“He has them already?”
“Yes, two of my men are already on their way and will meet us there to load the weapons. We can stash them in one of my warehouses until we need them.”
Nagi nodded his head, resolving to remain patient. He realized their uneasy partnership was on a need-to-know basis. “Do not forget El Hashem’s men will eagerly help. We can pick them up as well if you think it wise.”
“Where are they?”
“Not far from here. Turn left up there and I’ll give directions to your driver. They are good men and wish nothing more than to help with our mission.”
“Do they have transportation?”
“Yes. You should also be aware I sent two of them to kill the doctor we kidnapped to treat El Hashem. She was unable to save him.”
“Kill her?” Preston shouted, shoving away from the seat. “We must keep her alive. Dead she is of no use to us.”
“I don’t understand. She’s a doctor, yes, but she’s a woman and El Hashem considered her mere presence an insult. He was foolish to not let her help him.”
Preston slapped him hard enough to send him tumbling against the vehicle’s door. Nagi righted himself and wiped the blood from his lower lip.
Preston stared straight ahead, his expression cold and detached. Meeting Nagi’s furious gaze, he roared, “You will not speak that way about my brother.”
Nagi’s eyes widened at Preston’s slip and he nodded knowingly. Preston winced inwardly. He wished no one to know Zareeb El Hashem was his half- brother. They shared the same father and the same hatred for the United States. And it was their father’s desire to destroy these American infidels that fueled both brothers’ wish to curry Allah’s favor. Their fervent wish for revenge was the reason Zareeb lay dead, a martyr for their cause. Preston took no small solace in the knowledge Nagi would soon be joining his brother in Paradise.
Frank Hamilton arrived at the White House before lunch and two Secret Service agents immediately escorted him to the Commander in Chief. Walking the familiar hallway to the Oval Office, Frank took a few seconds to reminisce about the numerous times he’d been in that exact spot. His good friend approached with his hand outstretched.
“Welcome, Frank.” President Davis engulfed his hand in a firm shake. “I’m always glad to see you, but it’s rarely under the best conditions.”
“It doesn’t seem fair, does it?”
Davis shook his head. “No, we need to meet on a golf course more often.”
“Then you get mad when I beat you.”
President Davis laughed and slapped him on the back. “Not every time.”
Frank nodded. “Almost.”
“Braggart.”
“Just stating the facts.”
Jack Stewart stood, he and Frank shook hands. Frank knew the director of the FBI and had a great deal of respect for the man and the job he did. “How have you been,” Stewart’s grim expression belied the friendly inquiry. “I hate to say it, but it’s never good when you come to town.”
Frank nodded ruefully. “Let’s hope that isn’t the case this time.”
President Davis rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s not sounding promising. There’s a lot of chatter that something’s about to happen.” Straightening his jacket, the president looked out at the rose garden. “I need to inform you that the Ambassador to Israel, Reuven Feldstein, is arriving at three o’clock this afternoon.”
Frank sank onto the couch opposite the FBI Director when the President leaned against the front of his desk. The Ambassador was El Hashem’s sworn enemy. They’d clashed on several occasions and the results were never pretty. “That does complicate things, but we’ll deal with it. You know, his arrival and the bombing at the Baltimore airport are probably not a coincidence. I’ll continue to check my sources until I figure out what’s going on.”
“Is Dr. Kingston okay?” The FBI director asked.
Frank nodded. “Yes, Garrett has her safely in his custody. They’re on their way here. I
’m fairly certain that whatever their target, it’s close to the White House.” He glanced over at the President. “At least that’s the chatter.”
“That’s what we’re hearing, too,” Stewart nodded. “My agents are certain there’s a credible threat, they just haven’t been able to get specifics. However, the agencies are ensuring Secret Service, the FBI, Homeland, ATF and the locals all have their ears to the ground.”
“Sounds like our army on American soil has things well in hand. There isn’t much we can do besides keep beating the bushes until more intel shakes free,” Davis replied. “Is Garrett on the way?”
Frank hadn’t been listening. With things progressing so quickly, his thoughts were on his agents and their next moves. “Yes, he should be here soon, and Tony is already here. He’s contacting Brody should we need him.”
“Brody’s on his own now, right?” The President asked.
“Yes. Since Kate has been made Assistant Director of the CIA, he’s relocating here and starting his own agency.”
“Things change,” the president said sadly.
Frank smiled. “My agents are the best in the world. I’m proud to have been able to work with them as long as I have. I’ve always known all of them will move on when they’re ready.” He stood and paced. “I won’t hold any of my guys back.”
“No,” Stewart said. “You’re not that kind of man, Frank.”
All heads turned when Garrett and Haley walked through the door. Frank chuckled. “Well, you two certainly look worse for wear.”
“Gee, thanks boss.” Garrett replied with a grin. “The important thing is that we’re here.”
Frank walked over and hugged Haley, then held her out in front of him. “Are you all right?”
“Considering everything that’s happened in the last forty- eight hours, I’m about as good as can be expected.”
Frank turned to Garrett. “What have you learned?”
He faced the FBI agent. “Besides Zareeb El Hashem, there were seven other men in the building where Haley was being held. From what Haley’s said, one of them is Megaza Nagi.” He paused a moment to let that little tidbit sink in, noting how the three men stiffened. “They must have another safe house, but I don’t have any idea where that might be. Harrington and Grey have two of them in custody. One has already said more than he should, so hopefully they’ll get him to crack.”
