Chapter 481

One thing I had failed to take into consideration was that all the other five leaders were as dedicated to the cause as Saif was. In fact, they were more dedicated and determined to further the cause and dying.

Baltimore was the first to be hit. The SWAT team assembly point was the closest to the learning center. Ramming the cars out the way only served to give them the warning they were wanting.

The first SWAT team members through the door were met with a hail of gunfire, many of them going down while returning fire. Stun grenades were thrown by the team that came in the rear doors creating enough confusion that more SWAT teams got in.

Moments later several suicide vests were detonated obliterating most of the terrorists. In the process more SWAT members went down. Those that didn’t vented their rage on any terrorists that were alive with bullets.

The process was repeated at West Lafayette, Gainesville, Lexington and Raleigh. The suicide vests killed and injured both the SWAT teams and terrorist. The SWAT teams administered cold hard revenge.

Columbia was a different story. Saif lived up to my expectations; I had said he was not the suicidal type. At the first sound of the cars being moved by the MRAPS he gave orders then ran for the back of the building.

He was met in the hall by the FBI team that recognized him and hesitated putting a bullet in him, allowing him to surrender.

With automatic weapons and explosions going off in the front of the building, it was a miracle they let him surrender at all.

I had been too busy listening to all the radio reports and video from the teams and had not watched the events at NJ. When I did, I saw my men carrying out computers and searching the place while walking among the bodies.

I did not know if Rafi Quastri was dead or alive. I saw Howie placing charges and incendiaries around the building, one by a mass of pipes and also in the electrical room. I realized that he was going to disable the sprinkler system and alarm system to allow the incendiaries to do their thing.

I killed the screen. I had recorded the film and could look at it later. Howie was going to make sure terrorists would never again use the building.

By midnight things had started to settle down enough that I started receiving numbers.

At Baltimore there were six agents dead, ten in critical condition another ten with various injuries. Terrorist dead numbered twenty-four.

At Lexington there were four agents dead, fifteen in critical condition with another nine with various injuries, terrorists dead numbered twenty-six with two critical. Apparently agents there needed to spend more time on the target range.

At West Lafayette there were five agents dead, twelve in critical and another twelve with lesser injuries. Terrorists dead was twenty-four.

At Gainesville there were six agents dead, eleven in critical and another ten with lesser injuries. Terrorists dead were twenty-six.

At Raleigh there were five agents dead, nine in critical and another fourteen with lesser injuries. Terrorists dead was twenty-two.

At Columbia there were four agents dead, two more from the Columbia PD SWAT team, eight in critical and twelve more with lesser injuries. The terrorists dead were twenty-six. I included Saif in the dead count because he was soon going to join the dead after questioning.

Saif was on his way to the jail at Camp Smith. The agent in charge had followed my instruction when they captured him alive. They had bagged him, cuffed him and gotten him away from there. Only two people knew he was captured. Lorrie had a King Air standing by at the airport just in case.

Rafi Quastri, his number one assistant and most of the OPS team were on the way back from NJ in another plane. Those left there were going to clean up the houses and drive back tomorrow with the rest of the equipment.

Shortly after midnight the President and Troy came in; we went over the numbers. We had a very long talk and then we talked about a press conference.

“Mr. President, I have ordered a complete news blackout until I get a total handle on the sites and see the condition of injured tomorrow morning,” I said.

“I still want all the security for the games to remain in effect just to be sure,” I added.

“Shouldn’t this put an end to the threat to the games?” the President asked.

“Yes, but there is always a chance until we know for sure that all of the vest are accounted for and that could take days. We have spent a lot of money and time to get everything set up; let’s use it and then campfire what the weaknesses are and the changes to be made,” I replied.

“This is not the end of it, there were at least 200 individuals who we believe came in through the tanker connection. We do not know how many have come across the border with the drug connection. Was that a new operation? I think not!” I said.

We settled on 1000 for a news conference.

I sent the rest of the team home; they all lived in the area, most of them would be home in thirty minutes.

“Are you going home?” the President asked.

“No, by time I got into bed I would have come back. I will just sleep in the chair or on the floor,” I replied.

“There is no one in the Lincoln bedroom, you can sleep there. The laundry can clean your clothes overnight,” the President said.

“That sounds OK,” I replied.

I sent a text to the girls. I figured they were still up, and called the command center for one last time. Just the duty person was working now.

Then I followed the President into the residential portion of the White House. I was going out to the Suburban to get my go bag. I was stopped by an agent who asked where I was going.

“Give me your keys and I will get it for you,” he said.

I followed a maid to the kitchen where I refilled my mug and helped myself to a couple pastries. I filled out the breakfast sheet before following her to the Lincoln Bedroom.

“Put your dirty clothes in the bag and put it outside the door. In the morning they will be on a cart by the door,” she said.

The agent handed me my go bag before I closed the door to shower and call it a night, but not before taking a few pictures with my phone and sending them to the girls.

My phone alarm woke me at 0600 and as promised my clothes were on a rack outside the door.