Barry Kelly | Facts and Fictions

Frank called the moment they unlocked the door to the motel room. Kathy answered her cell. She started to brief Frank but he cut in and said, “I’ve been informed by the surveillance team. They are now sitting on the two shooters who left the scene. We’ve deployed a capture team and should have them under interrogation by tonight or tomorrow morning. That’s not why I called. The Professor’s Passat was just located in the parking lot at the Richmond Airport. A forensics team will soon be on it. I gave instructions that nothing else be done until you get there. I don’t have anyone else who can put themselves in the head of the enemy as well as you can, or as quickly. The investigative job you did in Myrtle Beach still has my staff scratching their heads. The know-it-all you had to deal with at the hotel fiasco is no longer with us. Go to Richmond as soon as you can. Use your police badge. Call me direct, if you run into any trouble. The contact instructions you will need for the forensics team are being downloaded now. Put Jack on. I need to talk to him.”

Jack took the iPhone from Kathy and said, “Go, I’m here.”

Frank replied, “I need Kathy in Richmond as fast as she can get there. And I need you and the rest of your team up here by tomorrow afternoon. I’m convinced that the Professor stopped in Richmond for a travel break and to change cars. He is on his way here. I know him, and this is where he can do the most damage. Early in the Iraq war, he ran several al Qaeda sniper teams. He was very good at it. We deployed a number of teams to wipe them out. You didn’t know it, but I now know you were part of this operation as a Marine Corps Officer. The record tells me that you were a highly skilled sniper and were very effective in counter-sniper operations.

“I’m convinced the Professor is planning such a campaign in the Washington area. Last year we almost caught an al Qaeda operative, known as Al Hasani. He is an exceptional sniper. He slipped through the Minneapolis Airport before we could get deployed. No question that he was there. The facial recognition software identified him. I’ve seen the pictures. There is no doubt. He will be casing set-up areas for sniper operations. I need you to also pick areas you think he might use. Your whole team will be needed.”

“Got it! I’ll need some equipment. We can all stay at my house in McLean. It has just recently been rebuilt, everything but the landscaping. I’ll call you when we get in. I remember that guy. I missed him once. It’s good to have a second chance.”

Jack knew the conversation was over but waited a second for the dial tone, Frank’s signature good-bye.

Kelly drove Kathy to the Myrtle Beach Airport for a timely route to Richmond. Storm and Lou drove back to Charleston to pick up the clothes they would need and to check out of the hotel. Shadow stayed with Jack. He would be going to Washington in the back of the Cadillac SRX. His own first class compartment. Two hours later Jack, Kelly and Shadow were on the road. Kelly was driving. Jack said, “I hope Kathy didn’t teach you how to drive her style.”

“No, I’m not as good as she is but I’ve been practicing, especially high speed passing while checking my six. She also showed me how to pick and use a good pace car. Let the pace car get the ticket is her mantra.”

“No more, please. I’m already terrified. I’m going to try to sleep. Wake me when you need a break.”

Kelly could hear both Shadow and Jack were in a deep sleep. Driving in the tunnel of her lights, she thought, I’ve never felt more alive and at peace with myself than I am right now. I’ll bet my mother felt like this. How else could anyone do what she did for so long? I wish I knew more about her. I know Kathy and Jack know more than they’ve told me. I’m sure they’ll tell me more when they feel the time is right. I feel closer to them than anyone I ever knew, except maybe Anita. Too bad I didn’t know sooner. Someday I want to trace her last mission. I think Jack and Kathy owe me that much. I wonder why they aren’t married. It’s easy to see they are very much in love. I don’t know Kathy well enough to ask her. I know Jack was married once. Maybe they’re afraid the ritual and commitments of a marriage will damage what they have. I know Jack does not have a wandering eye. A girl can tell when a man sees her stark naked, and there’s not even a glimmer of want in his eye. If I didn’t know better, I’d be doubting my own sex appeal. This career doesn’t leave much opportunity to find a companion. But if my mother could find a relationship in this life, I can.

At 3:30 Jack’s cell awakened. Lou’s voice said he saw two men at a high point on the bank overlooking the parking lot using binoculars. They were checking the entire lot but seemed to focus on the northwest corner. No cars were headed to that position, and no one was walking near the Explorer. Lou’s voice got more urgent as he said, “Jack, I see movement in the Explorer and the two guys are coming down the bank toward the Explorer. The driver’s side door is opening. The bait is awake. Storm has the video running. The two men have split up and are approaching the Explorer from both sides. Your perp is out of the car but hanging on the door. He’s seen the two men. He’s got a gun.”

Hanging on every word, they heard three distinct gun shots, then two more. Lou said, “The perp fired first and put the guy closest to him down. The other one fired twice at Hankins. Hankins is down. The only one standing is now right over both of them. My God! He’s tapped them both in the head from close range and is now running down the parking lot toward the main entrance.”

“Lou, you and Storm try to get a good description of the car he gets into. That’s more important than getting good images. Can you see plate numbers at your range?”

Storm said, “I’m watching him through good optics. I can see plates. He’s getting into a late model blue Ford, four-door sedan. One other man in the car driving. They’re headed out the main gate to Route 544. Plate number is BBC 497 South Carolina plates.”

Kathy was relaying the information to the CIA surveillance teams as she got Storm’s report, including that shots had been fired and the bait and one attacker were down and presumed dead.

Lou, holding his position, said, “I see no evidence of any police or local security. A guy parking his new car 30 yards away saw the bodies and got his cell out. He’s still talking into it. It’s time for us to leave. You especially, before the entrances are locked down.”

Kathy didn’t need any encouragement. Her rental was already headed out the main entrance. The surveillance team, deployed along 544 west, checked in and said they had the target car. The make, color and plates matched the description.

Storm called in and said she and Lou were headed south on Route 17 to Georgetown and would see them there.

Kelly said, “Where’d Hankins get a gun?” Jack replied, “A little bit of staging on my part. I put Hankins’ loaded .38 in his lap, figuring the fact he had a gun would make it look less staged. I didn’t think he would regain consciousness that soon. Sometimes little touches work better than planned.”

Kelly said, “Will I ever think like that?”

Kathy said, “I’m just beginning to follow Jack’s thinking. Maybe in ten more years. I don’t know about you. You are already in a crash course and, I think, doing very well. Jack may not agree, but the process goes something like this. Don’t close out a plan. Always stay with it and add things that improve it. Think what the plan will look like to your enemy as it unfolds. Do not make decisions until you have to. There is no rule that early decisions are a good thing. Knowing when not to make a decision is important. You will never have enough information to make a perfect decision. People, like Jack, with great operational minds, have a feel when to make decisions irrespective of the information on hand. There now, I’m sure I’ve added immensely to your education in the Brandon School.”

“I think I’m sorry I asked.”

All five members of the Brandon team were in Jack’s motel room. Lou and Storm had just arrived. While they were eating a late carry-in lunch, Jack brought them all up to date. The mission was to capture one of the expected al Qaeda team they expected to kill or kidnap Hankins. Kelly briefed them on the layout of the garage apartment where Hankins was living. He was now securely tied to his bed.

Lou asked, “What do we do with Hankins?”

“Good question. We don’t want him. The Feds don’t want him and I don’t think al Qaeda wants him. My first concern is that nobody in this room gets killed or injured. By now I believe even our newest member, Kelly, realizes it is much easier to kill than capture. Capturing a Jihadist is not going to be easy. Better to let them have Hankins than to risk one of us getting killed. According to Kathy’s interrogation of Hankins, the recontact plan calls for Hankins to be in the extreme northwest corner of the Walmart parking lot at the junction of Route 17 and Route 544 in Horry County. We need a plan to get him there like a staked-out goat in a tiger hunt. The people coming for him will be pros. They will reconnoiter the scene before committing. Their attack will be fast and deadly. I really don’t have a plan to capture one of them alive. These people will not surrender and we cannot get into a shoot-out, especially in a public place. The only thing I can think of is to hit one with a long-range shot and then prevent their carrying off or killing the wounded person, and I don’t like it. Too many opportunities for things to get out of control. Comments?”

Lou said, “My comment is, I don’t like the scenario. It puts us in a constant reaction mode. How about we stake out the scene and take the first opportunity to grab one of them before they attack. They won’t be checking out the place in force. One or two will be deployed as scouts. The scout or scouts will seek out the best observation spots and check out the overall area from there. We pick the likely spots in advance and set up our ambush. Leave your perp to deal with al Qaeda on his own.”

Kathy said, “I like the approach. It keeps us in the driver’s seat. Worst case, except for one of us getting killed, is that we get nothing and the bad guys get Hankins. Good riddance. It also gives us the option of doing nothing and following one of them to a place where the odds are definitely in our favor.”

Jack was silent for a long moment and then said, “The truth is that we don’t have the resources for this or the authority to endanger a number of innocent bystanders. There is also the problem of the Professor learning we know something of his operation. I don’t think the Feds would like that at this point. My plan is to set up video coverage of the recontact scene and see if they will provide the surveillance coverage to follow the people that pick up or kill Hankins. Kathy, please deal with your Fed friends. You speak their language. Lou, check out the scene and pick the most likely observation posts. Storm, please select and set up the equipment needed to get coverage of the northwest corner of the parking lot. Lou will help you after he picks out the most likely observation points. Kathy, Kelly and I will move Hankins into position two hours before the recontact schedule of 5:00 PM. Remember, it will be getting dark by 6:00 PM. Okay, let’s go.”

Jack waited until Kathy talked with Frank, who gave his okay and said he would have two surveillance teams in place. The teams would depend upon them for car descriptions, direction of movement and a departure alert. Jack and Kathy went in one car to within a block of Hankins’ apartment. Jack entered the apartment first, Kathy and Kelly followed at three-minute intervals. Jack stepped inside the side door to the garage with his SOCOM pistol in his hand, round chambered and safety off. He moved silently across the garage floor and up the staircase. Hankins was still tightly wrapped on the bed. Tape over his mouth and eyes. Jack checked the small apartment, put the SOCOM under his belt in the small of his back. Taking ear plugs from his pocket, he forced them into Hankins’ ears. He no longer needed to speak, see or hear. Kelly and Kathy arrived and they began prepping Hankins. Jack pulled the tape from his mouth, jerked him to a sitting position and jammed the neck of a bottle of blended whiskey into his mouth. By the time they got over half of the fifth into him, Hankins passed out and reeked of Four Roses.

The three of them carried Hankins down the stairs and into the passenger seat of his own Ford Explorer. Jack could have easily carried him down over his shoulder but didn’t want to take the risk of Hankins throwing up and drowning in his own vomit. It was too soon for him to die. Everyone wore latex gloves and there was no reason to wipe down the apartment or Hankins’ car. Jack drove the Explorer. Kelly and Kathy with Shadow followed in their own car. With all the duct tape removed and the residue scrubbed off, Hankins looked like a sleeping passenger, held in position by the seatbelt.

It was only a 30-minute drive from Georgetown to the Walmart at the junction of routes 17 and 544. Jack noted where Kathy parked and temporarily parked nearby. He gave Hankins two sleeping pills and forced another several swallows of Four Roses down his throat. Then he drove to the nearly vacant northwest corner of the parking lot. He shifted Hankins to a position behind the wheel and left the nearly empty whiskey bottle on the seat. As a last measure, Jack put the loaded .38 revolver Kelly found in Hankins’ chest of drawers in his lap to convince al Qaeda the passed-out Hankins wasn’t part of a setup. He had been in the northwest corner of the lot for less than three minutes.

The lot was filling up with after-work shoppers. On the way back to where Kathy and Kelly were waiting, Jack checked in with Lou on his cell. Lou told him he hadn’t seen any sign of anyone lingering in the observation points he located. He and Storm had a good view of the Hankins car from a less obvious surveillance post and the telescopic camera lens was sighted in. Storm was ready to video the site when the people coming for Hankins were seen.

Jack said, “Great! I’m going to wait here until you spot them. We’ll give them scheduled time plus an hour before we move Hankins.”

Jack climbed in the back seat with Shadow and brought Kathy and Kelly up to date. When he finished, he said, “We might as well relax a bit. We could be here for two or three more hours. With Lou’s experience on the street with the Bureau, he’s not going to miss anything. My main worry is that alcohol and sleeping pills affect people differently. It’s possible Hankins will surface too soon.”

The Professor was enjoying his drive north up Route I-95. It had been years since he had cruised American highways as a graduate student. Even now, he was still impressed by the extent of the national highway system. The Americans are certainly the Romans of our time. They are a formidable enemy. The sheer size of the land mass and the technical know-how of their population present great problems to any would-be conqueror. To defeat them, we must make them defeat themselves. Their own political leaders are already preaching class warfare. I believe that kind of rhetoric is our strongest ally. Rome fell apart from internal strife, so will America. I can only pray I live long enough to see it happen. I’ve devoted my life to destroying the American Empire.

Keeping within the speed limit and carefully following all traffic signs, he was now within 5 miles of the primary Richmond exit. He could not afford even a routine police check of his documentation. He had some familiarity with Richmond from the past. He liked the City and had read extensively about Richmond as the capital of the Confederacy. It was past time to change cars and this was an ideal place. His plan was simple. Drive to the Richmond Airport, park in a lot, and take a taxi to the Jefferson Hotel on West Franklin Street. He liked the Jefferson and had stayed there many years ago. There was no chance anyone would recognize him now. At least one night in luxury would be good. He had perfect alias documentation that would pass close inspection. After getting a good rest, the Professor planned to visit one of Richmond’s used car lots and buy a two- or three-year-old car for cash.

The next morning when he checked out of the Jefferson, paying cash, he was almost sorry to be leaving. After all the hiding and hard living he had endured the past decade, there was something to be said for luxury and tranquility. He was a committed Islamic Jihadist but he could feel the allure of Western culture. This was indeed the land of the Great Satan, if even he had to resist the pull of western decadence. When he got to his destination, he promised to spend more time in prayer and meditation.

Now, he had to focus his attention on buying a used car in a way that would not leave a paper trail. The Professor took a taxi from the hotel to a used car lot he selected from the newspaper ads at the hotel. His selection advertised a number of late model cars and trucks. He had been using luxury cars. It was now time for a change. He got out of the taxi at a restaurant a block from his destination. When the taxi was out of sight, he shouldered his light carry-on bag and walked to the car lot.

He was immediately approached by a salesman who asked, “May I help you?”

The Professor, using his New England accent, said, “I’m interested in looking at a pickup truck in good condition I could use on my small farm.” When asked about his price range, he said, “I’ll pay cash and want to pay no more than $20,000.”

When the salesman looked surprised that he was going to pay cash, the Professor told him, “I deal in land sales and just collected my share of a mid-sized deal and don’t want to run the money through my account and my wife’s lawyers. Is that a problem?”

“Not at all, and I think I have just what you are looking for. I can bring it up or you can walk through the lot with me.”

“I’ll walk with you in case I see something else I like, and I’m in a bit of a hurry to get on the road.”

Forty-five minutes later, the Professor had handed over $21,000 and signed a stack of documents that made him owner of a white 2006 Ford F-150 4×4 XLT with 41,032 miles on the odometer. Where he was going, the F-150 would blend into the surroundings and the 4×4 capability might prove useful. If, in some way, the authorities had managed to pick up his trail, this change in vehicles will throw them off. It would take an outstanding bit of police work to make the connection between his Passat left at the airport and the Ford truck with dealer plates.

An hour later he pulled into a rest stop and made a phone call to a number in Baltimore that would be bounced to Falls Church and which instructed one of the many al Qaeda support workers to post a personal note on an obscure Facebook page. Al Hasani would see the comment and know what to do. He was perhaps the best sniper the Professor had ever seen in all his days of Jihad. Hasani had been very hard to convince he must travel to America and wait for the signal to begin his own war against Americans.

Checking into his complicated communications system that included the social media, three web pages and two blogs, the Professor learned that Hankins had placed a personal ad precisely as called for in his recontact plan. He made another call, ordering the death of Hankins, the rug merchant he never trusted, especially since he was the only person to escape the fire that destroyed two well-planned car bomb attacks. He knew the odds against the explosives causing a fire were minimal. Several dedicated Jihadists were killed in the fire. He wanted Hankins to pay for his failure.

By the time Kelly returned to the crime scene, Jack and Kathy were quietly talking in the garage. Kelly joined them and Jack told her that they were going to interrogate Hankins, who they now knew was using the alias Huxley. His apartment had to be made to look as if he just left. His car would be gone and with any luck the police wouldn’t even be called. Whoever owned the apartment would put a rental sign up and that would be the end of the story of Mr. Hankins, alias Huxley. Jack said, “Okay, crew, let’s get to work. Put on latex gloves and wipe down the areas you think or know you touched. All signs of Kelly’s friend must disappear. Kelly, you take charge of doing the upstairs. Take your time. I’ll need at least 30 minutes with our killer of young women.”

After Kelly went upstairs, Jack and Kathy set to work improvising a water-boarding interrogation capability. It didn’t take much, a towel, bucket of water, an incline board of some kind and restraints. Jack searched the garage and found a six-foot-long 2×8 that once was part of a rather well-built workbench. In ten minutes they were ready to use the killer’s duct tape to firmly fasten him to the 2×8. With one end resting on the back cargo space of the Explorer, Jack was ready. He said, “Kathy, you handle the questions and I’ll motivate him.”

Together they carried a trussed up Hankins to the back of his Explorer and taped him to the plank Jack found. His mouth and eyes were taped. Jack leaned down close to Hankins and said, “This will be very unpleasant. I don’t care if it kills you. When you get a question, answer fully and correctly. Any lies will be punished immediately. I’m taking the tape off your mouth. Any screaming or shouting will get you taped up and the questioning period will be over. Cooperation is good. Resisting is bad. Understand?”

Hankins nodded and Jack ripped the tape off his mouth. Kathy moved in close and asked him to describe his training in the al Qaeda camps. Hankins hesitated and Jack put a dry towel over his face and said, “Breathe now. It will get harder.”

Hankins jerked as Jack slowly saturated the towel with cold water. He was soon struggling to breathe. Jack added more water. Waited another 20 seconds and took the towel off his face. Hankins gasped for air. Kathy gave him a minute and asked the same question again. Hankins said nothing for the next 5 seconds and Jack put the towel over his face again and said, “When the question is asked, you begin answering immediately. No thinking. No answer, no breathing. Understand?”

Hankins nodded several times. Kathy asked the same question again. He immediately began to talk. Jack recorded it all on his iPhone. The interrogation lasted an hour. Jack had to use more persuasion only one more time when Kathy asked how Hankins communicated with his al Qaeda control, what was the recontact plan, and what encryption system was used.

Kathy said, “Okay! I’m done here.”

Jack drew her off to one side and said, “Get Kelly out of here. Check and see if she’s done upstairs. If getting rid of this killer gets nasty, I don’t want Kelly mixed up in this mess. She needs a little protection from some parts of our work for now.”

“Agreed, but what are you going to do with him?”

“I’m working on it. The problem is getting rid of the body. It’s possible that Frank may be willing to take him for further interrogation or for use as bait. But, we must not leave a trail back to us. When you and Kelly leave, I’ll call Frank and see what he has to say. Does Hankins’ laptop have his killing pictures on it?”

“I haven’t checked it yet. We do have the photos I copied off his flash drives. I could put them back on his machine and backdate the download.”

“Do that. If Frank agrees, I’ll make sure Captain Shorer gets the pictures of the young women this creep killed. I keep forgetting all the illicit skills you learned at the CIA, or was it UNC?”

“Actually, both.”

Jack finished re-taping Hankins’ mouth as Kathy and Kelly left the garage to go back to the motel and check out. Jack went upstairs for a final check and to call Frank on his cell. He was put straight through. Jack said, “We have Hankins and have interrogated him. Kathy got some interesting stuff. If you’re ready, I’ll download the audio now.”

It took Frank a few minutes to scan the tape. Then he said, “Yes, we can use this, especially the encryption data. Our Afghan field guys can use the info on the camps and his training in Peshawar. I don’t want Hankins. But, it’s worth a try to use his recontact method. The Professor might respond by sending someone to checkout Hankins. Picking up whoever he sends may help us find the Professor. Your team is now big enough to dangle Hankins and see who bites. Work up a plan and tell me what you think. The only alternative is to make him disappear today.”

“All right. I don’t think the Professor will send one person. I’ll bet he sends a team of shooters to get rid of Hankins. I don’t think he has a place in his scheme for him.”

“You may be right. Give it a try. There is no real downside. Unless he takes Hankins alive and interrogates him, he won’t be sure we were involved. I believe he has so much at stake, he will continue with his plans.”

Jack was going to comment but found he was now listening to a dial tone. He grinned, that guy is certainly consistent. He never says good-bye. Sure doesn’t waste words.

He dialed Kathy and when she picked up, Jack said, “Frank wants us to dangle this guy by activating his recontact plan and see who shows up. I’m willing to try it for a day or two, period. We’ll need Lou and Storm. Please send for them. See if they can arrive today. Kelly can arrange for their lodging.”

“Okay, but you know this is going to be a mess. Keeping the perp captive for that time is going to be a witch.”

“If it gets too hard, I’ll get rid of him. For now I don’t want to leave him alone. I’ll take the first four-hour watch. Tell Kelly to get some rest. She’s on next. I’d like to get the personal ad in the Myrtle Beach Chronicle in time for tomorrow’s edition. Can we do that?”

“Yes, I’ll get right on it. That means we have to be ready to deliver him to the recontact site.”

“Have Lou and Storm in our room when I get there, and we can put a plan together.”

“Got it. I’ll pick up some food. Want your usual?”

“Yes! If you can find a good Reuben and pick up two cheeseburgers for Shadow, hold the vegetables and ketchup. He needs a treat for being so good cooped up in my car. See you soon.”