Tyson’s Corner is located in Fairfax County, Virginia, just off the west side of the Capital Beltway, southwest of McLean, Virginia. Liberty Crossing is a modern complex recently built there, which houses the U. S. National Counter-Terrorism Center. In the Operations Center on the second floor, FBI Supervisory Special Agent Randall Osborn pushed back from his desk and stood up. “That’s enough for me today.” He flexed his arms out to his sides and stretched.
“Mike,” he looked over to the next desk, “I’d like to have you go with me in the morning to meet Dr. Grant, all right?”
“Sure. Be glad to.” Special Agent Michael Borns was one of seven FBI Special Agents assigned to the FBI Counter-Terrorism Unit that worked with the Center. Under the office of the National Director of Intelligence, 16 different government agencies combined their intelligence efforts to help protect the country from foreign and domestic terrorists.
“Good. Get us a car from the pool. A nice one. Not a limo, but a nice one. Then you can pick me up in the morning, okay?”
“Okay, boss. What time do you want me there?”
“Pick me up at six. That’ll give us time for breakfast and to talk about the day before we drive up to Baltimore. We’ll meet the rest of the guys up there.”
“Six o’clock. You got it.”
“Remember, Grant is bringing his fiancé with him. Her name is Dr. Sheryl Hauser. A pediatrician.” He made a face. “I had to offer a bribe to get him here. We’re putting them up in the hotel there for a couple nights.”
He waved his hand, as if dismissing the thought. “She’ll go shopping while we meet with him and the others. Bill over here,” he turned to the desk on the other side of him, “reserved a rental car for her at the airport. Right, Bill?”
The man nodded his head once. “All ready to go, boss.”
He knew they all loved to tease him about being team leader since he had been promoted four months ago. He let it go, realizing it would only get worse if he made a big deal of it. Actually, he was proud of how well the team functioned, working so closely together day after day. Each member had several years of field experience and readily contributed to each assignment, regardless of whether dangerous or menial. Perhaps their teasing was a way of dealing with the pressure, who knew? At any rate, he was proud of the team and happy to be their leader.
“And Jimmie ... ” he raised his hand in the air, then pointed to a man sitting at a desk in the next row over, “Jimmie over there, our youngest team member, has prepared maps and driving directions for Miss Hauser to go shopping for wedding rings. Right, Jimmie?”
The man shook his head yes and stood up. “I have a packet of information all ready to go for her, boss. Everything but prices.” He did a mock bow, acknowledging the recognition. “What? No applause? Please.” He bowed again and everyone clapped.
“Evelyn?” Osborn raised up on his tiptoes to look at the tall blonde sitting at the end desk down from Jimmie.
She smiled, waiting.
“The Secret Service? They’ll be there?”
“Yes, sir. Nine o’clock sharp at the hotel.” She stood up. She was tall, about 5’ 11”. She never told anyone her weight, but it was not a concern to anyone but her. Osborn thought she had the figure of a Playboy model, and the looks of one as well. And everyone on the team knew that this tough cookie would not permit any of them to touch her other than in their dreams. So no one ever tried.
She glanced around the room at her fellow teammates. “They’ll probably be late. They usually are when they’re not with the President. But then, they’re always late then, too. So,” she shrugged, “they’ll probably be late.”
Osborn grinned. “Okay.” He also looked around at each team member. “Everyone have a good night. I’ll meet you all there at the hotel at nine tomorrow morning.”
Virk set his luggage down and extended his right hand. “Hammad, thank you for coming, but you did not have to meet me at the airport.”
Malik replied, “I know. I wanted to. I want to talk about what is happening before we get into the city. You just have the two bags?”
“Yes, that’s all. But I can manage them. It is all right. Please do not be concerned. Where do you want to talk?”
He motioned to the side. “When you fly from one city to another in America, you don’t have to clear customs, so let’s just sit down over here, by ourselves.”
They moved to a row of seats by a back wall along a terminal concourse. It was quiet. No one walked anywhere close to them.
“What is it, Hammad?”
“Tell me, what did you think of New York?”
Virk nodded. “I now know why America will lose its future. I knew they were all infidels, but I did not know how bad it is here. Crazy people walk the streets. They’re everywhere. Oh, I saw a few people who were not as bad ─ some businessmen and a few women who were dressed decent, by Western standards of course. I saw the same thing in Kabul. Near the University, the young people dress like they do in the west. The women have no covering. They wear short, tight clothing that shows their bodies. They color their faces and paint their fingernails. Then they stumble around in awkward shoes. Why do they do that? It makes no sense.”
“I know, Fazil.” Smiling, he continued. “It doesn’t make any sense.” His face changed to show he was serious. “But the Western world is rich, has technology, and they enjoy endless toys. They are all absorbed with themselves. They seek only their own pleasure and do not even try to understand the rest of the world.” With a smirk, he added, “You are right. It will be their undoing.”
“Hammad, some of the women barely conceal themselves. They walk down the street that way. Is that what a streetwalker is?”
“No. The women you saw show their bodies to draw attention or to get sex. A streetwalker is a prostitute who charges you for sex.”
“I think I met one.” He paused, glanced away then back. “A tall black woman wearing only part of an orange dress. But I did not understand her. She asked if I wanted to go around the world with her.” He shook his head. “I told her I did not have time.”
Malik laughed. “Fazil, she was asking if you wanted to have both oral sex and intercourse.”
“I’m glad I didn’t have time.”
“Yes, me too.” Malik shifted his weight on the uncomfortable chair. “Fazil, you did excellent work in New York. That gave us a good look at this Dr. Grant.”
“That is my job.”
“Yes. And it continues here.” Malik looked around. “Ali called the airline and got the flight information for Grant.”
“They gave it to him?”
Malik smiled. “He pretended to be Grant. He told them his travel secretary was to make arrangements, and he just wanted to confirm that everything was ready. They gave him the flight information. And they said there were two tickets. He’s bringing someone with him.”
“Yes. The student assistant at Columbia thought he may be taking his new fiancé on a trip.”
“Then it is true. It could be good. That might keep a man in love distracted, no?”
“Yes, true. But we are not after him. If he does work for the American government, he will be trying to stop the same people we are.”
“However, Fazil,” Malik held up a finger, “he might lead us to them and make our job easier.”
“I should have thought of that.”
Again, Malik nodded. “Now, Fazil, I have a job for you. You see those big boards over there with the airplane information? They tell you all about each flight, when it is scheduled to arrive, if it is on time, and which airport gate it will use.”
“Okay. Yes, I see that.”
“Here is the information about Grant’s flight.” He handed him a piece of paper folded in half.
Virk opened the note and read the information. “All right.”
“You saw him on television. Do you think you could recognize him in person?”
He nodded. “Yes, I can. It would not be a problem.”
“Excellent. I want you to be here tomorrow and watch for him. I want to know when he is here. I also want you to follow him to see where he goes.”
“I will do that.”
“Good. It is important that you are not seen. We do not want him to know he is being followed. Understand?”
“Yes, sir.”
“I want to know who he meets and where he goes. You can reach me on this cell phone.”
“A cell phone? I thought we were not to talk on cell phones.”
“It will be all right to use this one. It cannot be traced very easily.”
He handed Virk a prepaid cell. “Be brief. Just tell me the information. Do not discuss anything unless I ask. Is that clear?”
“Yes, sir. I will do that.”
“Try to read this little book about the phone. I want you to take a picture of his woman so we all can see it. But, again, do not be obvious. If the time comes to surprise this Dr. Grant, we will do so. Until then, we do not want either of them to know you are there.”
“Are you all packed, sweetheart?” Holding the phone to his ear, Stephen anticipated a wonderful weekend for the two of them. “I know I have business to start with, but that won’t last all day. I’m really looking forward to dinner and our evening together tomorrow night.”
“Me, too, Stephen.” He could just imagine the gleam in Sheryl’s eyes. He could tell she was smiling.
“Stephen, there is a nice restaurant in the hotel, isn’t there?”
“Sure is. The hotel is a four star. It has several restaurants there in-house, including a fine dining restaurant featuring French food.”
“Sounds delightful. Now I know just what to look for while I’m out shopping.”
“What’s that?”
“A beautiful, sexy cocktail dress. Probably black, but—well, we’ll see. I have something special in mind. You’ll like it, believe me. And you don’t even have to wear a tux, just a nice suit and tie. But not the one you wear all day. It should be a fresh one, just for tomorrow night.”
“Okay. I can do that. I’m getting ready to pack now. Let’s not take too much, okay? I don’t want to go broke tipping the bellman.”
“Well ... all right. I’ll limit my bags to what one car can hold.”
“Yeah,” he laughed. “You do that. I’ll meet you at your place about 6:30. We’ll take a cab to the airport.”
Before starting to lay out his clothes for the trip, he had decided to relax with a glass of California Cabernet and call Sheryl. He enjoyed hearing her voice. They talked each evening now, sharing the day’s events and expressing their love.
“I’ll be sure that you’re all set with everything you need tomorrow before I leave you. Do you want to go to the hotel first, or just shop till you drop, then find the hotel to recover?”
“I think I’ll go shopping right from the airport. I’m eager to see a bunch of ring choices. I’m going to be choosy, you know. Then I have to find just the right dress.”
“Sure you’re up to it? Wandering around in a strange city all by yourself. There’s a lot of guys out there that will be ready to help you, to give you a lift, to buy you a drink, to ─ do whatever they can.”
She put her head back and laughed loudly. “I guess I’ll just have to fight them all off. It’ll be hard, but I think I can manage.”
“I sure hope so. But then, you’ve had a little practice at that, haven’t you?”
“Watch it, buddy. I’m not wearing your brand yet. If you’d get that ring on my finger fast, I wouldn’t have to evade all those men. Without a ring, they’ll all be crowding around me, you know.”
“Don’t I know it. I know how lucky I am, Sheryl. You don’t have to candy coat it.”
“All right. Just so you know. Oh, Stephen. Speaking of rings ─ what should I be looking for? Anything special?”
“I don’t know, my darling. Do you want a big solitaire or something more fashionable?”
“Oh, that was put nicely.” She was smiling. “As I think about it, perhaps one large solitaire ─shall we say ten carats, or five? Or perhaps you just want a gazillion small chips glistening all over the platinum ring?”
“I think little carats are fine. I was thinking more along the lines of some twinkle, not a whole galaxy.”
“Well, I like the whole galaxy, but ─ I suppose I could settle for just part of the Milky Way.” She laughed again, playfully. “Seriously, what should I look for?”
“My most wonderful sweetheart, I would settle for whatever comes in the box of Cracker Jacks.”
“Oooh. You’re going to be sorry.”
“Gold,” he said firmly. “White or yellow, I don’t care. You choose.”
“And what if I like a colored diamond?”
“Sheryl, my dear, our love is pure ─ and clear. But if you want to add some color, then add it to the list. I just get to review the options before we choose. Okay?”
“Spoiled sport.”
He broke into laughter. He loved her sense of humor. It made her that much more attractive. “Let’s just make it a lot of fun. You find some you like, I’ll narrow the list, then we can choose together. It’ll be easy, just like choosing Chinese takeout for dinner.”
“Yeah, sure. Just don’t forget the soy sauce.”
“Okay, my darling.” He felt warm all over, thrilled with the love they shared. “I love you, Sheryl. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Good night, Stephen. I love you, too. Just keep thinking about tomorrow. It will be a night you will never forget.”
He sipped the hot tea, “Ahh,” and leaned back in his chair. Like most Pakistanis, Kamran Khan enjoyed his tea. He found it relaxing and energizing at the same time. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the moment. Quiet, peaceful, he felt in touch with the blessings of nature all around him that Allah had provided.
Tariq, Umara, and Rana had gathered with Khan in the large living room of the home on Cedar Garden Road just outside Baltimore. It felt very open with a tall ceiling and light colored walls. Sunlight flooded the room. Along with the light gray carpet, it gave them a feeling of warmth and comfort.
Khan set his tea cup down on the small table beside his chair. “It has been long enough.” He looked at Saleem, then Tariq and Umara. His dark, penetrating eyes appeared soft. “We know Leena will not be coming back.” He bowed his head. “It is unfortunate that she must have died.” He looked up at the others. “Otherwise she would have been here.”
Using his thumb and forefinger, Khan stroked the sides of his bare, pointed chin. All the men had shaved off their beards and cut their hair before leaving Pakistan. It would help them blend in with the American crowd and not draw attention to themselves.
Reaching for his tea cup, Khan wore a sad smile. “I will miss her.”
Turning back to the others, he proclaimed, “She was a good soldier. She died in service to Allah.” Khan stared at them a moment, then shouted, “Allahu akbar!”
“Allahu!” the others replied in unison.
Silence filled the room as they sat there, remembering.
“We should continue with our plan,” Khan announced. “We are here for a purpose.” His mood seemed to change. He smiled. “The American conference for their Homeland Security starts Monday. We must be ready.”
Everyone clapped their hands and cheered. “We will be!” Umara shouted.
“So,” Khan said. “Everyone agrees. We continue.”
Lowering his head, Khan studied the floor for a moment, then raised his head to look at the others. “As I said earlier, I want to be closer to the conference when the time comes. I will get a hotel room for us near the convention center and let you all know where it is. We will be moving everything there. It will be easier for us.”
He continued. “Tariq, you rented a storage unit to hold our equipment. Is our stuff still there, ready to go?”
“Yes, Kamran. We still have to cut the plastic pipe and make the bombs, but everything else is ready. I rented an end unit next to the gate, so it will be easy to load our things. The storage area has a chain link fence around it. People can see through that fence, so I put everything in boxes. I will have to get a small truck or maybe a large pickup to have only one load.”
“Good. You and Umara get our things tomorrow and take them to the hotel. I’ll let you know where. Call Rana when you get there, and he will help you bring everything into the hotel room.”
Saleem nodded.
“After I check into the hotel, I will walk around examining the convention center access points and other things. You and Umara wait there with Rana until I return. Then we can finish our plans.”
Umara asked, “Do you really think all this is going to work?”
“Of course,” Khan replied. “We just have to work out some details. We will review everything in total later.” He pointed. “Tariq now works there. He will get us into the center. We will hide and wait until the proper time, then we will join the crowd.”
He nodded enthusiastically, looked each one of them in the eye, then lowered his voice a little. “There will be three guest speakers for the conference Wednesday afternoon. The place will be filled with American dignitaries and community leaders. There will also be many people from the media. Television and radio will be broadcasting live.”
He took a breath, and his eyes glazed over. He continued talking, staring into the distance. “Three special Americans, in their eyes, will talk to everyone. The Secretary of Homeland Security, the Secretary of State, and the President of the United States. When the President stands to give his speech, he will have no idea that it will be his very last speech ever.”
A wide grin spread across his face. “This will be a perfect opportunity for us. All three of them will be on the stage at the same time, and we will kill them all.”