A few minutes later, Worthington and Kintrell filed into the conference room to find Dixon waiting for them.
“What’s he doing here?” said Dixon, pointing his finger at Kintrell.
“Better listen to what he has to say, Agent Dixon,” said Worthington.
Kintrell then related all he had learned to Dixon, who didn’t bother to hide his skepticism.
“So, you picked up this guy who is suspected to be knee deep in this conspiracy and believe what he tells you?” said Dixon.
“What part of his story don’t you believe?” said Kintrell.
“Why should we believe any of it?”
“Okay, I’ve done my duty. I’m out of here,” said Kintrell
After Kintrell left, Dixon turned to Worthington, “That guy has a Superman complex, he needs to be the hero. That’s why he’s no longer the lead investigator on this case. Believe me, you can take whatever he says with a grain of salt.”
“All due respect, Agent Dixon, if what he’s uncovered is true and I raid that complex in the early hours, my men will get shredded. Do you have any idea what a mini gun can do to body armor—what twenty or thirty men in a fortified position can do to an attacking force, if they think that force has been sent to kill them? I’m going to suggest we stand down and think this through. You can order me to assault that compound, but you’re going to have to put it in writing noting my objections.”
“Don’t play that game with me!” Dixon said.
Worthington shook his head. “One other thing, Kintrell and I went through the Academy together and he didn’t strike me as the type of person you’re describing.”
Chapter 17
Kintrell and Alvarez huddled, Kintrell apprising her of what had transpired with Dixon and Worthington.
“Do you think Worthington will go ahead with the raid?” asked Alvarez.
“Worthington is a good man. He’ll follow orders, but he’ll make his misgivings known.”
“Tom, this thing with you and Dixon, It’s … counterproductive.”
“Yeah, Lanny, I know, he just gets my juices flowing.”
“That’s probably his intent,” replied Alvarez.
Kintrell’s phone rang. It was Worthington. “What’s up T.J.?”
“Tom, I need some ideas. Can you meet me down at the motor pool?”
“Sure, I’ll bring my partner with me. She occasionally comes up with a good idea.”
Alvarez whacked him on the shoulder with the file she was holding.
A few minutes later they met up with Worthington.
“No matter how you slice it, we’re going to have to breach that compound sooner or later,” said Worthington.
“Let’s grab a couple coffees and sit down somewhere. I’m going to call a guy that’s been working with us. He’s a hard-charging deviant, much like yourself, T.J.,” said Kintrell.
Kintrell placed a call to Stryker and fortunately, Stryker was still at the Roundhouse, close by. “I can be there in ten minutes,” said Stryker.
“I’ll clear you through security and have a cup of coffee ready for you. How do you take it?”
“Reverse Oreo,” said Stryker.
“Huh?”
“Black with two sugars.”
“Remind me to recommend you for some sensitivity training,” said Kintrell.
“Been there, done that,” said Stryker.
Kintrell chuckled as he disconnected the call.
The four of them were assembled in the small starkly furnished conference room. Stryker was brought up to speed on the latest developments.
Stryker said, “If the raid is postponed and nothing has happened by 6:00 AM, these fruitcakes are going to be tired and a little irritable. They probably didn’t all bring their own vehicles for fear of alerting the supposed banditos of a larger presence. So, let’s assume they at least doubled up or maybe even tripled up. That would mean a maximum of ten vehicles. They would have to hide six or seven of them, assuming who’s ever running this outfit has an IQ north of a kumquat’s. Once they’re all assembled at the compound, they’ll drive those six or seven vehicles back out of the compound with a couple vehicles to follow them and take the drivers back to the compound, once the vehicles are safely out of sight. In the morning, after they realize that nothing is going to happen, they’ll probably empty the compound out leaving just a few men behind. We conceal two men near the entrance of the dirt road that leads to the compound. They’ll be in position to monitor not only which way the vehicles go, but also license plate numbers. We coordinate with the state cops to set up road-blocks in both directions, a mile or so from the dirt road with men in the woods near the roadblocks, in case they decide to shoot it out. Once they’re in the bag, we approach the compound and demand the rest of them to surrender. If the staties are with us, it may convince them that we’re not bloodthirsty caballeros intent on ending their stay on the planet.”
Worthington said, “Kintrell was right about you, Stryker, you’re slightly smarter than the average jarhead.”
“Thank you, Agent Worthington, and thank your sister for me, for last night,” said Stryker.
Alvarez said, “Let’s look for holes in the plan.”
They spent the better part of an hour massaging the plan.
“If it comes down to it, we’ll use the MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle) to protect my men from mines or IEDs as they breach the gate. We’ll also have a drone up to give us tactical info in real time. Better not use a helicopter on the off chance you’re wrong about these guys, and they are the actual killers and have the Stingers,” said Worthington.
“One other thing, I think it would be a good idea if no one outside of this room knew of our plans,” said Kintrell.
“You think there’s a leak in the Bureau?” asked Worthington.
Kintrell looked at Alvarez. “We’re almost sure of it. No one outside the Bureau knew we were going to hit that compound, yet they knew we were coming,” said Alvarez.
“I don’t see how I can get around not telling Dixon. He’s heading up this investigation,” said Worthington.
“You’re right,” said Kintrell.
“Why don’t we all go see him and impress upon him the need for secrecy, letting it be known that we’re the only people that are privy to the plan, so, if there is a leak, it would have to be one of us,” said Alvarez.
After thinking it over and not being able to come up with anything better, they reluctantly agreed. Worthington called Dixon and set up the meet in the main conference room, advising Dixon to come alone.
Upon entering the conference room, they found Dixon seated at the head of the table with another agent seated to his right. Worthington raised his arms as if to say, what the hell.
Dixon said, “this is Agent Sheady, my assistant.”
“Agent Dixon, I specifically mentioned that we wanted to talk to you, and you alone,” said Worthington.
Agent Dixon, his face scarlet, said, “Need I remind you, Agent Worthington, that I am in charge of this investigation?”
“But I’m in charge of the raid on the compound, and therefore responsible for the security of the operation and the safety of my men,” said Worthington.
Dixon thought it over and said, “Very well, Agent Sheady, please excuse us.”
Sheady shot Kintrell and Worthington a nasty look before leaving the room.
Dixon then eyed Stryker and said, “What the hell is he doing here?”
Stryker put his hands up. To Kintrell, he said, “You know where to find me.”
Dixon to Kintrell: “I told you before, only FBI personnel are to be a part of this investigation.”
Before Kintrell could respond, Worthington said, “Agent Dixon, we have a lot of ground to cover and not much time if we’re going to get this operation going. This is what we came up with.”
“So, you still think this is some wild ass conspiracy to frame these guys, Agent Kintrell?” said Dixon.
“I do,�
�� said Kintrell.
Worthington then laid out the plan in detail for Dixon.
When he had finished, Dixon, a far-away look in his eyes, said, “Let’s assume that there is a leak here. For total mission security you’re going to have to sequester your men and collect their cell phones till the operation is over. They’ll have ear buds for communication, so that won’t be a problem. I’ll talk directly to the Jersey State police, impressing them with the absolute need for secrecy. Good plan, by the way, Agent Worthington.”
“Thanks, but Stryker was the one who came up with it,” said Worthington.
Dixon raised his eyebrows at this as Kintrell tried to suppress a grin.
“We’ll get the posse rolling by 3:00 AM, which should put us in position no later than 5:00 AM. Hopefully, the State police will have enough time to get set up with the roadblocks. They’ll need some cover story to tell the locals that they stop,” said Agent Worthington.
“In the past they’ve set up random roadblocks to check registration and insurance info,” said Alvarez.
“That’s good, Agent Alvarez, I’ll mention it to the colonel,” said Dixon.
After the meeting adjourned, Kintrell and Alvarez made their way back to their offices. Kintrell asked if Alvarez had made any headway in her search through the names of the special ops guys who were forced out or left under unusual circumstances.
“I’ve pretty much eliminated the majority of them as suspects but there are nine I’m still looking at.”
“Anything special?” asked Kintrell.
“Well, one of them is Roddy. He’s got the qualifications: expert marksman, familiarity with explosives, and according to his dossier, fearless and absolutely quiet in the field. Three of them have fallen off the map. I’ve put traces on them but I’m coming up empty. The last two are in law enforcement in the D.C. area.”
“Why can’t you clear those two?’
“They’re not leaving any digital footprints. No credit cards, no bank affiliations that I can find, and both of them left the service at the same time. Their personnel files have been heavily redacted by the Department of Defense and I can’t get any traction trying to get the information. I’m being stonewalled. I haven’t talked to their superiors because I didn’t want them alerted of our interest. They both live in the Bethesda, Maryland area,” said Alvarez.
Kintrell thought for a moment. “I might know someone who can help us. I’ll give him a call after the raid.”
Chapter 18
The posse got rolling on time. They stopped and pulled off the road into a small clearing at 4:42 AM. The spotters got into position. Worthington was in touch with the State police who were waiting five miles away. The State police contingent consisted of five patrol cars, two men per vehicle, each with body armor and an AR-15 or twelve- gauge shotgun. Four of the vehicles would be blockers. Once set up, the noses of the vehicles would be approximately one foot apart, pointing inward to prevent smash- throughs. The men in the fifth vehicle were held in reserve. They each carried AR-15s capable of automatic fire.
Kintrell and Alvarez were parked a few miles away behind a deserted building on Route 206. They would head for the compound once the gate was breached.
***
At 6:30 AM Weimar called his men together. “Looks like we been stood up and we haven’t heard anything from our mystery caller. Somebody’s fuckin’ with us for reasons I can’t figure. Any ideas?”
“The only thing that stands out is Wyatt. Where the fuck is he? You said you called him, right, and he answered, he knew what was going on,” said Augie Winton.
“Yeah, funny thing is, right after I tole him, he said ‘kay, I’ll be there’ and before I could say anything else, he said ‘gotta go’ and hung up,” said Weimar.
“Maybe the fucker’s jest a damn coward,” said another of the men.
“Hmm, durn peculiar is what it is,” said Weimar.
“Let’s wait for another half hour or so then youse can go get your vehicles and do what you gotta do. Keep in touch if anything weird pops up,” added Weimar.
***
At 7:15 AM three vehicles left the compound, having stored their weapons in the shed. Each vehicle held five men. They left the dirt road and turned on to county road 542, two turning left, the other right. The spotters relayed the information to their FBI teammates as well as the state troopers. The driver in the SUV that turned right spotted the roadblock in the distance. A car was waiting at the roadblock with a trooper bent over talking to the driver of the vehicle. The trooper smiled at the driver then waved him through.
The driver of the SUV said, “I guess this qualifies as weird.”
One of the men in the back of the SUV said, “I think I recognize that trooper that just waved that car through.”
The driver said, “If we turn around that will look suspicious and they’ll think whatever they’re looking for, is us.”
The troopers noticed the SUV stopped a quarter mile away. One of the troopers contacted Worthington and asked what they should do. Worthington thought about it for a few seconds. “Sit tight, if you make a move, they’ll just scurry on back to the compound. If they think it through, they should realize that you’re not South American bandits and hopefully continue onto the roadblock. You got your story straight now?”
“That’s a roger.”
The driver of the SUV tried to get through to Weimar but was unsuccessful, cellular use having been blocked by the FBI. He asked the men in the car how many were armed. Three of them were carrying 9mm pistols.
“Okay, I’m going to pull up to the checkpoint and see what’s going on.”
As the SUV pulled up to the roadblock the trooper raised his hand to stop them. He then approached the driver side with his hand on his holstered weapon. The driver lowered his window and asked what was going on.
The trooper looked over the occupants of the SUV and told the driver that three men had broken into a house in Hammonton to rob it. They killed the owner of the house and pistol whipped his wife. One of the perps was black and the other two, either white or Hispanic, all of them in their early twenties.
“You boys see anybody matching that description?” asked the trooper.
“No, sir, goddamn criminals is takin’ over this country,” said the driver.
The trooper waved them through. “You boys have a nice day.”
“Thank you, Officer,” said the driver, muttering dumb shit under his breath.
The trooper alerted the FBI strike team by prearranged signal, “Happy hour.”
Half a mile from the roadblock the driver of the SUV was still checking his rearview mirror when a huge vehicle pulled out of the woods and stopped in front of him. He was able to stop just short of the truck. As he did so another vehicle pulled in behind him blocking any escape. Then armed men swarmed out of the woods wearing SWAT tactical gear, weapons raised.
The driver, seeing his position as hopeless lowered his window and put both hands outside the window. The FBI surrounded the vehicle, ordering the men out with their hands interlaced over their heads. The men were then ordered to assume the position on the side of the vehicle to be frisked. Weapons were recovered from three. They were then ordered to kneel and their hands were zip tied. Three of the men were forced into the back of an unmarked FBI car while the other two were put in the back of another.
The driver, after saying he wanted a lawyer, was ignored.
***
A similar operation was happening at the other location with one exception. After the strike team was made aware that two vehicles were approaching, they decided to let one go. As the first SUV went through and passed the team hidden in the woods, an unmarked sedan entered the road and followed the SUV from a safe distance. The troopers held up the second SUV by slowly examining the registration and insurance papers of the vehicle. After a lag of six or seven minutes the second SUV was waved through where it was stopped a half mile away. The men arrested offered no resistance. Ten men w
ere now in custody with five more soon to follow. The unmarked car saw the first SUV pull in behind a vacant building. The agent alerted the state troopers who then converged on the building and managed to corral all of the suspects except one, who foolishly ran out onto the highway and promptly became the hood ornament of an old Chevy pick-up, that was tooling along about forty-five miles per hour.
***
Worthington gave the go signal and the MRAP was brought up. The MRAP led a convoy consisting of four other vehicles down the dirt road. Upon reaching the gate, the MRAP accelerated and tore its way through the chain link gate, then took up a position directly in front of what appeared to be the main door of the biggest building. The four other vehicles made their way around the main building, the men pouring out of the vehicles taking positions behind the vehicles, out of the line of possible fire. A few of the men scurried behind the MRAP.
Worthington on the loudspeaker: “You men in the building, this is the FBI. We have warrants to search the compound. Come out with your hands up.”
***
Weimar and four other men were at the windows.
“What the fuck, Nate, they don’t look like any spic cartel gang,” this from Ollie Newsome.
“Let’s see what they want,” said Weimar.
He cracked the window. “What da fuck you want?”
“Like I said, we have warrants to search the premises. We would prefer to do this peacefully but if you resist, our orders are to proceed with extreme prejudice,” said Worthington.
“What the fuck does that mean, Nate, extreme prejudice?” said Ollie.
“It kinda means they can do whatever the fuck they want to, including killing us I guess,” replied Weimar.
“We could strike a blow for freedom here,” said Weimar.
“Fuck that, Nate, I ain’t dyin’ to strike any blows. What they gonna find? So, we sell a little meth, so what. If we get any time at all, it ain’t gonna be long. Besides they ain’t no meth here now, and even if they found the lab, they’d have to prove it was our’n,” said Ollie.
Termination Limits: Tom Kintrell Book 1 (Tom Kintrell Thriller Series) Page 10
