Author Archives: Barry Kelly

Jack told Shadow to heel and headed up slope to get above the wrecked truck. He glanced over his shoulder before entering the thicker bush and saw the helicopter speeding off to the East. Putting Lou’s condition out of his mind, he concentrated on moving unseen to the truck. There was a chance one or more of the killers were in ambush nearby. He didn’t believe the chopper had set down more than a couple of hundred yards from the damaged truck. Moving quickly but quietly, he and Shadow moved through the scrub pine growth. Either a past fire or logging operation had cleared the slope of the taller pines and deciduous hardwoods. The footing was soft, making it easier to move at night without making noise. The temperature was dropping. He was dressed for the weather and had enough gear in his 40-pound pack to easily survive the cold climate for a few days.

By his dead reckoning, Jack was sure he was very near the truck. An east to west wind carried the distinct smell of gasoline. He stopped, put his hand on Shadow and crept down the slope. He saw the gravel road first and then saw the truck. Settling down with Shadow curled against him, they watched the truck. Jack expected that one person wounded or not would be left behind to slow pursuit.

After 15 minutes, he smelled tobacco smoke. Shadow looked up at him as if to say, what took you so long? Jack couldn’t believe a professional would do something as dumb as smoking in an ambush site, unless he was dying and needed the nicotine. Well, we can’t wait any longer and,leaving his rifle and pack concealed, gave Shadow the hand signal to follow.

Using the excellent cover of the pine growth, Jack and Shadow moved closer to the truck. Jack now had a clear view of the front of the Chevrolet pickup truck. Its gray color blended in with the surrounding edge of the forest. His SOCOM automatic was now in his hand. Watching the windshield from 25 feet, he saw the ember of a cigarette. Jack swung up the SOCOM, fired three times and, keeping low, charged the truck. Reaching up from his position below the door, he ripped the door open and pulled the man slumped against the door out of the truck. Turning the man face down Jack felt for his carotid pulse. Finding none, he rolled the man over. The cab interior lights came on with the opening of the door. This was no Arab. This guy looked American all the way. His wallet held only a few hundred in cash and a driver’s license that was probably false. Jack’s three shots caught him in the chest. The windshield showed a tight pattern. He had another wound in the abdomen that had to be from shots fired from the helicopter. His companions knew he would not live to talk. He might be able to slow pursuit.

Making a final check with one eye closed to preserve his night vision, Jack found a cell phone on the floor. He put it in his pocket and motioned to Shadow who followed him back to where his pack and rifle were temporarily cached. Going back to the truck, Jack opened the passenger door and motioned for Shadow to check out the scent. Shadow knew the drill. He had hours of tracking training five years ago that Jack kept current with games for finding people and objects. Shadow found a pair of black leather gloves on the floor under the passenger seat. He spent almost a minute nosing the gloves before jumping out of the cab and waiting for Jack to tell him to start tracking.

Jack pulled Shadow’s leash out of his pocket and motioned for Shadow to come over and get his leash snapped on. Jack knew Shadow wanted to run loose on the trail but tracking two snipers was different. They would see the dog as their main problem and set up for a long shot to kill the free-ranging tracking dog before his handler could get in position to cover the dog. While that wasn’t a problem at night, it would be when the sun came up. It was better anyway to work a tracker on a leash at night. Shadow would help Jack keep to the same trail as the snipers.

After the first hour they came to a small mountain stream with steep banks. After watching Shadow for a few minutes and listening to the forest sounds, Jack was sure the snipers were not close by and shielding his flashlight he examined the stream bank. Sure enough, Shadow was right on the trail. He could see the marks in the steep bank where they crossed the stream. In a few places, their boots sank into the soft mud along the stream. Water was still seeping into the boot indentations. Jack judged they were less than 30 minutes ahead. After studying and measuring the boot prints for a few more minutes, Jack rubbed the Bouvier’s head and said, “Okay, big guy, let’s go.” Shadow scrambled up the bank, tracking the snipers.

So far Jack had learned quite a bit about his prey. They must be using a light, for it was too dark to follow the narrow game trail they were using without some illumination. The trail led almost due west. One man was much heavier than the other. The lighter man with the smaller boot was leading. Using his mute flashlight sparingly, Jack had seen by the length of the strides that they were hurrying. Good, that would wear them out and, with luck, maybe a sprained ankle. They didn’t appear to be woodsmen but might have some tactical smarts. Like doubling back to check the back trail and set an ambush. They didn’t know a trained tracker dog was on their trail. Jack knew Shadow would alert him to any ambush. The snipers were moving west and downwind. Jack doubted Shadow even needed the scent from the trail. They were close and getting closer each hour.

The dead man’s cell phone that Jack found in the truck vibrated in his pocket. When the vibration stopped, he snapped his fingers, and Shadow stopped and sat down. Jack checked the phone. The screen told him he had voice mail. He tapped the voice mail icon and tapped again for the message. Putting the phone to his ear, he heard a foreign voice saying, “You have a tracker dog and an American sniper on your trail.”

Jack turned the phone off and thought, the plot is thickening fast. How could anyone know Shadow and I are following these killers? Only one way. There has to be a leak close to Frank and his organization. No wonder the Professor is so hard to pin down. I don’t want to risk using my cell to call Frank. I don’t want anyone to know just yet there is a mole lurking around. The good news is the bad guys we’re tracking didn’t get this message, so we still have the advantage. I’m sure they feel they have at least a six- or seven-hour head start on any pursuit. Wish I knew where they’re going. Their steady pace tells me they have a destination. Pulling into this park was not a random turn. The question now is, will they bed down on the trail or keep moving in the dark. Checking his own iPhone, Jack noted he had climbed 800 feet since the start of the chase. We’re still going up. The trail will probably get steeper and more dangerous to travel at night. Question, are these guys on home turf and do they know this little used trail? They must have a map.

There is a little moonlight filtering through. I can make out the trail. Okay, Shadow, let’s take a break, drink some water, eat and then pick up the pace.

It was mid-morning lunch before Storm and Kelly finished marking up the probable targets and the best sniper positions for five. Targets were limited to bridges and other rush hour traffic backup points. Jack grabbed the marked up topographical maps and called the Leesburg Airport to tell the pilots to get the helicopter ready for a flight over the western beltway. Westbound traffic was light, and Jack, Lou, Kathy and Shadow were airborne in the Bell 429 an hour and twenty minutes later. The side panels carried the logo of Global Surveys.

With marked up coordinates and the onboard GPS system, it was not difficult to check the proposed sites, photograph the positions and send the results to Frank before they landed. Once they were back at the airport, Jack called Frank and said, “If you agree, our team will react to any attack on the American Legion Memorial Bridge on Route 495. If there is an attack there, I believe it will come from the Maryland side. The ground is higher and escape routes are numerous.”

“Good, I’ll take care of covering the rest. The release of the pictures of the Professor and Hasani may delay the next attack. We still have to cover as many targets as we can today and tomorrow. You’ve been a great help in designing a reaction plan.”

At four o’clock Jack told Kathy and Lou to check their weapons. He wanted to be on station over the target area at 4:15. Jack had a strong feeling that the Professor would give the go ahead for at least a limited attack to keep building terror.

When they arrived over Route 495 near the American Legion Memorial Bridge, the weather was ideal for aerial surveillance. Three to five miles of wind from the west, visibility was good, with little or no haze over the bridge. Jack thought, this is ideal for the sniper. There were several places where a sniper could set up with dozens of traffic targets. The inner traffic loop of Route 495 was already slowing across the bridge. The cliché of shooting fish in a barrel must have been describing a situation like this. Jack knew the chance of spotting an experienced sniper from a cruising helicopter was almost nil. But after the sniper started shooting targets, then they had a chance to spot the movement during the escape. Hit targets may give some insights into the sniper’s firing position. Jack didn’t believe there would be more than one shooter unless the sniper and his spotter had to defend themselves.

Then the spotter would take on the closer targets. He also doubted that the sniper would try for targets beyond 500 yards.

It was now 5:00 and the light was beginning to fade slightly. Jack alerted Kathy and Lou that the shooter couldn’t wait much longer. He used the intercom to speak to the pilot to ask him to swing over the bridge to the Maryland side and hover over the high ground he pointed out. They were just crossing the bridge when a car on the bridge slammed into the cement bridge barrier. Then, a second and a third jumped lanes and crashed into cars moving from Virginia into Maryland. A massive traffic accident was occurring under them. The police radios they were monitoring reported shots fired and an officer down. Jack was looking for any sign of the shooting position when Lou said, “A white pickup truck just pulled off to the side of the beltway below us. I bet it’s a getaway ride.”

Jack told the pilot not to lose the truck. He used the chopper’s secure radio to call Frank who came on line instantly. Jack told him what was happening and to get out a bulletin on the truck, a white Chevrolet Silverado on the inner loop of the Beltway just over the Bridge on the Maryland side. He also told Frank they would be in pursuit and he would call in as soon as he had anything.

Kathy said, “Two people just got in the truck and it’s pulling out.”

Jack said, “Sam, did you get that?”

“Yeah, I did. What do you want me to do?”

“Follow that truck wherever it goes. Go up a thousand feet, so we can see more. I may want you to go down quickly, if I decide we’re going to be shooting. Be ready to land on short notice. There are at least two highly skilled shooters in that truck who will shoot at us without even thinking about it. One of the shooters will have a heavy caliber weapon that can knock holes in us from several thousand feet. So don’t give them anything. As it gets darker go down low enough so we don’t lose the truck. The shooting was timed so the darkness will help them escape.”

Lou said, “I think they are headed for 270 West to Frederick and merging with the torrent of traffic coming out of Washington. State Police road blocks will be hard to manage. When they think a police search is coming, they’ll split. Probably leaving the driver to create a diversion to help their escape.”

Jack said, “Lou, I think you’ve got it. There already is one diversion. First responders will still be going to the bridge as fast as they can. Not everyone will believe we’re following the bridge shooters. We have no real evidence for the law and order world. We saw no one shooting and we saw no guns. Only a pickup truck pulling over, and two people getting in. We can’t be sure they were the men. So most, if not all, of the police will be focused on the bridge area and not on our truck. There may not be many road blocks and that may help us get these snipers.”

Kathy said, “You know, I don’t think they know we’re following them.”

Jack said, “They may be just playing it cool. Here we are west of Frederick into the rolling hills and mountains that extend into Pennsylvania. Where are they going?”

Sam, the pilot, said, “They’re slowing down. I think they’re looking for something. Look! They’re pulling off. My map shows an extensive state park below us. If they get loose in those mountains on foot, we’ll never find them from the air. It’s too dark now, and I can only spend another hour searching for heat signatures before heading back to refuel.”

“Take us down to 200 feet. We’re going to stop that truck. Lou, Kathy, get ready for some shooting. We only have bolt action counter-sniper rifles, so we need aimed fire. Concentrate on the cab. Sam, if the truck stops, take evasive action. They’ll come out shooting. If they start shooting find a nearby place and put down. Shadow and I will get out. Kathy call in and report. I have enough in my pack for three days. I’ll carry the radio and my cell.”

Jack secured Shadow’s leash to a seat belt, so he wouldn’t be thrown out the open doors by any violent maneuvers. The truck was maintaining a 50 mph speed on a gravel road, throwing up a tail of dust. The first few rifle shots hit the cab, and the truck lurched off the road into scrub pine trees. Two of the occupants ran out, sought cover on the edge of the forest and opened fire. The low-flying helicopter was an easy target for experienced shooters. Several rounds pierced the thin skin of the chopper before Sam could take evasive action and get out of the line of fire.

Kathy yelled, “Lou’s been hit! Looks bad!”

“Sam, is the bird okay?”

“Yeah! Nothing I can see wrong.”

“Good, get down now to jumping distance.”

Jack was shrugging into his pack and getting Shadow’s leash loose.

“When Shadow and I get out, get Lou back to Frederick. Kathy, you know what to do. Call the nearest competent emergency for gunshot wounds and do what you can with the onboard first aid kit. It doesn’t look like a pumping chest wound. I have to go now. I’ll be in touch. Don’t worry! Come on, Shadow, let’s go to work!”

Sam kept just above the tree line until they were out of range. Kathy took his kevlar vest off and cut up the center of Lou’s jersey. The vest did not stop the bullet. The entry wound was high on the right side of his chest. There was no exit wound. She hooked up a bag of plasma, gave Lou a shot of morphine, and stuffed the wound with bandages. While she was doing this, she called Frank, who told her to get Lou to Frederick Memorial. He would call ahead. They had a helicopter pad and a good reputation for emergency care.

Sam broke in and said, “We’re losing fuel fast. I think we can make Frederick, but we have no time to waste. Make sure the pad lights are on. I’m tapping into the air control system and declaring an emergency. We can’t deal with any delays.”

Kathy said, “Frank, here are the coordinates where Jack and Shadow got out. Jack asked that reaction teams stop at the wrecked truck and do not try to pursue. Jack doesn’t want the friendly fire problem. He’ll get them. Shadow can track at night. The terrorists will not be able to rest. Monitor the area for cell phone or push-to-talk radio. I’m sure they will try to contact the Professor or vice versa. Tell the emergency care people, Lou is barely conscious. I’ve got the bleeding from the wound under control. He is having increasing difficulty breathing and some bleeding from the mouth.”

Sam said, “There’s the pad. Buckle up. We are going in hard! Fuel is gone! Hope fire crew is standing by. I’m cutting all power! Hang on!”

When Kathy awoke, Sam was sitting by her bed. He had a large bandage on his head. Kathy sat up and said, “How’s Lou?”

“He’s still in surgery. That’s all I know. You’re in bed because we hit hard, and you cracked your head on something. I did, too. The doctors said we could both leave when we felt okay. Minor concussion, they said. My head hurts like hell, mostly from the stitches. You should rest before trying to get up. Lou’s daughter will be here very soon. The head surgical nurse swore she would come to this room with news about Lou as soon as she can.”

“Damn it, my head’s okay! It’s Jack I’m worried about. He’s out there hunting down three skilled killers, and he acted like he was going for a hike with his dog!”

“Ma’am, I wouldn’t worry too much about your man. I’ve seen many tough men but Jack is the coolest and toughest of all of them. He thinks he has the strongest hand. I think so, too. I wouldn’t want him and that huge dog on my trail.”

“Maybe so. We’ve been living with this kind of stress for two straight years. I’m beginning to doubt my ability to continue. The worst is the waiting. People you love are doing incredible, dangerous things. And as good as they are, they don’t always come back. We lost my best friend in a firefight last year. She gave her life to save Jack. Now she isn’t there to help.”

The Professor was just recovering from the shock of losing Ali. Hasani had done the right thing. He couldn’t afford the CIA interrogating one of his people. Ali knew too much. An hour later he saw his picture and Hasani’s on a news alert. How did they get a picture of Hasani? No one should know he was here. His entry into the country was perfect. Hasani lived his cover and never made mistakes. He was vigilant and carefully checked the details.

They could change their appearances somewhat but extensive disguises were difficult to wear constantly. He knew a safe place was required to make each change from one appearance to another. No, they would have to avoid close up exposures to people. One of Hasani’s people would have to be their public face to buy supplies. Now they needed two more vehicles. They might have to steal the cars and trucks they needed and the license plates. Only the numbers on the license plates made individual vehicles of the mass brands identifiable.

He had no choice, multiple attacks had to be put on hold. Martyrdom was always a concept. Now it was real. His attack plans had to change. He would never get back to Pakistan. Tomorrow was the beginning of the last phase of his Jihad. He had to remember the purpose of terrorism is to terrorize. Terror was effective when it affected the common man. People expected terrorism to focus on embassies, airports, security infrastructure, landmark buildings and national treasures. They do not expect they will be involved, nor their property, nor their families. We must continue to pit Americans against each other and foster a lack of faith in their government. This will be a long struggle but one that is worth our treasure and lives. Hasani will be pleased that martyrdom is near. He never felt more alive than right now. Publication of their pictures complicated his plan. Just to keep the security forces scrambling, tomorrow the planned attack on the American Legion Memorial Bridge would go as planned. The attack team would not include Hasani. He needed Hasani with him to modify their plans.

Returning, Jack and Lou found the rest of the team busy planning a mission. They had seen the news, including the report of a man killed by gunfire after being hit by an SUV. Jack called Frank, who came on the line after a couple of minutes. He said, “Jack, the guy killed on the Parkway was one of the shooters. He was carrying a handgun and a spotter scope. No identity documents. We have several 911 reports of this man being shot after being hit by a car. He was hit twice in the head from very close range. Obviously, a case of making sure he didn’t talk. The same reports said the killer jumped into a white pickup truck on the westbound lane. We have an APB out. I suspect they’ve already dumped the truck, probably in some big parking area. That’s part of the Professor’s M.O. Police are now searching all the parking areas between McLean and the Beltway. We should have the truck in an hour or so. Do you have anything?”

“Not much. Ten shots and ten hits from four to five hundred yards. Nearly exactly 10 seconds apart. Some of the targets were moving, maybe 20 mph. First shot was a head shot. Only a sniper with Hasani’s skills would take a head shot from that distance when he didn’t have to. The shooter was definitely Hasani. He never left any wounded behind. He always had them killed or he did it himself. He made a mistake, not realizing it is suicidal to cross the Parkway on foot when the traffic is moving fast and close. On the day or days he did his casing, the traffic could have been less dangerous. I have two suggestions. Circulate the Professor and Hasani’s pictures. Second, they will need to replace the truck. Canvass for anyone buying a used pickup, panel truck or van and paying cash. Unless they steal a vehicle, they have to pay cash. Oh, one more. I know you have people checking all the relevant cameras, but please tell us if anyone gets a hit.

“They’ll attack somewhere tomorrow. The same target should not be ruled out. If I provide some coordinates, can you have police or military counter-sniper teams in place? Tell them to set up only in the designated area and not to change positions. We don’t want to lose people to friendly fire.”

“Okay. I’ll take care of it.”

Jack rejoined the group. TV monitors covering major news channels were back to back with talking heads discussing who could be responsible, what could the motives be and what could the authorities do to make the roads and bridges safe for commuters.

Jack said, “I’m sure we’ll have another attack tomorrow. We need a list of probable targets now. Let’s cut the search area down with some common sense factors. I’ll start. The sniper’s target has to be worthwhile. Assume the target is the transportation infrastructure. Heavy predictable traffic, potential to cause major tie ups and spread terror. There must be an escape route the authorities cannot shut off with a quick road block. Drop offs and pickups require coordination and luck. Hasani would sooner have a place to park his transportation. Transportation could be one or two motorcycles. Okay. Give me some help.”

Lou said, “The targets will be random. He doesn’t have to search or wait for a designated target. Rush hour in this area is several hours long. He is not forced to meet a time schedule, so the sniper has an advantage. He can pick any few minutes to attack any of dozens if not hundreds of targets, while we have to cover targets 24/7.”

Storm said, “Keep it coming, this is good stuff and I’m getting it all down. I think the coordination link with this sniper has to be a cell phone. Therefore, all the areas we pick should be monitored for cell calls that match any intercepts from today’s attack. I suspect the cells they use are buy-and-throw units. Did they buy them all in advance or as they need them? Jack, your friends might check into their data banks.”

“Noted.”

Kathy said, “There are too many targets to protect. Even with a lot of help, they cannot all be covered. My suggestion is that we cover a few, say three or four with on-ground teams and the rest we cover from the air. Two helicopters with counter-sniper teams in the air during time of greatest threat. As soon as we get the first report of an attack in progress, the nearest bird heads to the attacked scene and drops the team astride the most probable escape route. Other assets swarm to the same area to set up roadblocks and deploy more search teams.”

As Kathy finished explaining her approach, a news alert showed up on the monitors. Clear pictures of the Professor and Hasani were shown as persons wanted for the sniper attacks. The men were described as committed Jihadists and were armed and dangerous. Do not attempt to apprehend. Call the authorities on the following hotline number.

Jack said, “Great, that should help smoke them out. Kathy, I like your idea. Storm, you and Lou pick an area for our helicopter to cover. Lou, you and I and Kathy will make up one team. I’ll see if I can arrange for a few more. I’ll need to tell them what area we are covering. Also we will need call signs and a cell or radio link to Storm and Kelly who will man this room. Kelly, don’t look so disappointed. You need some long-gun training first. I’ll try to work it in next week. Okay, everybody, you know what to do. Let’s move.”

Hasani called for pickup when he and Ali started up the wooded, sharply inclined slope. He knew they could be in position on the side of the westbound lanes in 12 minutes. Traffic would be heavy on the eastbound lanes. No matter they would get across. He didn’t think the police would have stopped commuter traffic. The capitalist minions had to get to work. They didn’t even know they were in the midst of a war zone. Next time they might be the targets.

Hasani was pushing Ali. Ali was breathing heavily and asked to take a one minute rest. Hasani refused and pushed on. He should have known men like Ali don’t keep themselves in good condition unless someone makes them. He had been so busy getting ready for the Professor’s war, he neglected his men. Now it was too late. Using his immense strength and stamina, he surged past Ali and grabbed his jacket and pulled Ali up the ridge. In a few places he had to use a convenient tree trunk to get them up to the edge of the Parkway. He could hear cars moving swiftly down the Parkway toward the major river crossings into DC. Pulling himself up, he saw the cars were moving at least 50 mph and nearly bumper to bumper. He thought these are crazy people to be rushing to their boring godless life’s work.

The white pickup had already pulled off the road and was impatiently waiting. The driver was waving his arm at them as Hasani, still dragging Ali, appeared on the edge of the eastbound lanes. Only the lanes of fast moving traffic with no breaks were between them and their escape.

At last Hasani saw a break in the traffic. Reaching back to grab Ali, he said, “Be quick. This is our chance.” The break came and Hasani dashed into the break, almost dragging Ali. Crossing the second lane of rapidly braking cars, Ali slipped from Hasani’s grasp and sprawled on the pavement. Hasani looked back, saw there was no chance of dragging Ali off the Parkway, and leapt off the pavement into the grass strip between east- and westbound traffic. He heard the sickening thud of a swerving SUV hit Ali who was trying to scramble to Hasani and safety. Ali was dragged nearly ten yards before his body rolled off the roadway. Hasani left his heavy pack by the road and raced to Ali. He saw that Ali still lived but was terribly mangled by the heavy SUV. Without hesitating, he pulled his Browning 9mm and shot Ali twice in the head. Then picking up Ali’s rifle, he ran back, snatched up his pack and darted through the sparse traffic on the westbound lane. As the pickup merged back into traffic, Hasani promised to give thanks for Ali’s support and his early martyrdom.

He told Asad, the driver, to get off the Parkway at the McLean exit and drive thorough McLean to the Tysons Corner shopping center. He knew he was seen getting into the white pickup after shooting Ali. In the day of everyone with a cell, reports of accidents and crimes flowed into 911. The pickup truck had to be dumped in the parking lot of the shopping center. He would call for a car from his other team members. He hoped he wouldn’t have to abandon his favorite sniping rifle. True to his reputation. Ten shots, ten hits. With that rifle and God’s will, he could not miss.