Terror Royal -- Part 1

By : MarcHolt
Views : 282

Ahmed squatted on the floor of the cave, shivering in the pre-dawn darkness. It had been a long night, but he felt elated. The meeting had gone well with Osama. He laughed as he watched the millions of stars overhead. The West thought Osama bin Laden was dead. They would soon learn how wrong they were.

That morning, he joined the four other brothers in his group and began the trek down from the mountains. By late afternoon they were camped in a small valley just 20 kliks from the Pakistan border. Tomorrow they would travel to Peshawar, and then to Islamabad where they would receive their final orders.

They had spent the last three months preparing for their mission. Ahmed was group leader. He would coordinate and make all the arrangements. Ali, Mousuf, Malik, and Rouf would carry out the mission and then ascend to heaven for their reward. Ahmed envied them, but Osama had made him swear he would not martyr himself. He had skills the jihad would need again.

After evening prayers they curled up in their blankets and slept soundly. There was no need to post sentries here on the frontier. They woke before dawn, said their prayers facing Mecca and then continued down the mountains.

The bus trip to Islamabad was uneventful. They stayed three nights in a small mosque on the outskirts of the city near Millat Town. The mosque was packed each night after people heard about their arrival. They wanted to be near the brave fighters. Ahmed felt uncomfortable amidst all these people. He was used to the wide-open spaces and wild country. But he endured and answered their questions politely. He knew they felt a little holier by being close to his group. Very few of these people would be sending their sons to die as martyrs, despite their claims to piety. He didn’t despise them, but he felt they were not worthy to enter the kingdom of heaven as he and his brothers would soon be. Inshallah.

*******************

A few miles away in a quiet suburb with almond trees lining the streets, and high walls around the big houses, Bob O’Reilly met before breakfast with his team of electronic eavesdropping experts to discuss the situation. One of his informants had brought the news to him immediately Ahmed and his team arrived. The problem was, Bob didn’t have any way of listening in on the mosque where Ahmed was staying.

Bob was ostensibly Station Communications Chief in the US Islamabad embassy. In reality, he was CIA station chief. He came from a staunch Republican middle class family in Iowa. He believed he was there to serve his country and keep it safe from any further attacks like the 9/11 debacle. He often wore jeans and t-shirt around the office, but when he ventured outside he usually donned Pakistani dress. With his black Irish skin and hair and dark brown eyes he easily passed as a Pakistani.

Ever since 1979 when Islamic militants stormed the embassy and the staff had almost been killed, the CIA had moved its most sensitive operations away to safe locations around the city. Anyone watching the house would see only an ordinary Pakistani family living there. The CIA paid them to live there and act normally.

The Americans had excavated below the house and housed their equipment and personnel there. The communications dishes and aerials were all mounted on a false top floor with an open roof. From the street, and indeed from the air, it looked like a normal house. But the roof was really a cloth disguise. All the CIA staff stayed hidden below ground, only leaving in one of a number of enclosed vans disguised to look like they were from delivery or service companies.

The arrival of Ahmed and his team posed a serious concern. Bob needed to know what Ahmed was planning, but he had no way of eavesdropping. He chose Khalid Jones, an American born of a Pakistani mother and an American father. Khalid’s mother had fled to America with her family in the 1950’s soon after partition. Although he had been born in America, Khalid spoke fluent Urdu, Dari, and Pashtu. He could meld into a crowd without detection.

“I need you to go up to Millat Town and find out what Ahmed plans to do. We know he is a Mujahideen leader operating out of Afghanistan. But he has never traveled here before. Keep tabs on him and let me know if you find out anything.”

Khalid nodded and left to get ready for his mission.

Bob turned to the others and asked them to monitor the frequencies the Afghan insurgents used to communicate. With that, Bob left the safe house to go into town to talk to Lieutenant General Nadul Raja, the head of Islamabad’s Inter-Service Intelligence directorate. The ISI is one of the most secretive and effective intelligence services in the world. Bob had spent months ever since his posting to Islamabad developing a cordial relationship with Raja. If anyone would know what Ahmed was planning Raja would be the man. He had tentacles into all the mujahideen groups.

Bob was ushered into Raja’s office. Compared to many high-ranking military offices in Pakistan, Raja’s office was Spartan. The wooden floor was well polished, but the only picture on the wall was one of the President of the country. Raja’s desk was plain metal with a notebook and not much else on it. Only one uncomfortable office chair was available for visitors. Raja gestured to it when Bob came in and continued working on his notebook. After a few minutes he grunted and closed the lid before looking up.

“What can I do for you Bob?”

“No need to tell you the latest news Raja. You know why I am here.” He said smiling at his friend.

“Indeed I do.” Raja said in his smooth Sandhurst accent. “It seems our friend Ahmed al-Hari has arrived in town with his band of merry mayhem makers, does it not?”

Bob nodded, waiting. He knew the best way to get any information from Raja was to wait for him to offer it.

“My men tell me Ahmed is planning a trip to Bangkok.”

Bob raised an eyebrow. This was news. “Do you have any idea what they intend to do there?”

Raja stared at him for a few seconds before replying. “You don’t know?”

Bob stared back without speaking.

Raja smiled. Both men knew each other well enough not to need words all the time.

“My sources tell me he is planning an attack on a high ranking person, but so far I haven’t been able to find out who. The attack is linked to the Islamic uprising down south. You might be able to find out more about that from your Thailand brothers. But an attack like that could seriously destabilize the country and the region.”

“I agree. We can’t afford to let that happen Raja. That would definitely encourage the radicals in Malaysia and Indonesia. We could end up with a ring of fire stretching right across the Middle East and South East Asia. Please let me know if you find out anything else. I sent a man to the mosque in Millat Town early this morning, but I doubt he will find out much. He can keep an eye on Ahmed and tell us if he makes a move. Meanwhile, I will see what else I can learn from my end.”

With that, Bob and Raja shook hands. Bob left and headed back to the safe house. Raja picked up the phone when he left and called a number.

A voice at the other end grunted. Raja said one word in Urdu.

Raja put the phone down and shook his head. It was regrettable about Khalid, but too much was at stake now. He reflected on the strange relationship between the CIA and ISI. During the Afghan war against the Russians the alliance had been useful. But events had reshaped the world since then. Although Pakistan was an American ally, it was also an Islamic country. The Pakistani government was walking a tightrope between keeping the US aid that was supporting the military regime, and keeping the Islamic radicals in check.

*******************

Saleem al Azra looked like a rat. Born with a long slim face, pointed ears, and furtive eyes he was called ‘rat’ from early childhood. Whether this had had any effect on what he eventually became, he had certainly lived up to his name. He was a master at slithering into dark places to stick his sharp dagger between the ribs of those his masters wanted killed. The Rat worked for ISI, but sometimes he also freelanced if the price was right.

Today, the Rat slipped out of ISI headquarters dressed in non-descript clothes, dusty looking. He was what he wanted to look like. He jumped on a bus going north and got off at Millat Town. He walked almost a mile to the mosque where Ahmed was staying and stood outside with the crowd.

He knew what his quarry looked like from the files Raja had shown him. The Rat scanned the crowd searching faces. Thirty minutes later he decided to go into the mosque. It was difficult to get in. So many people crowded the doors that he had to push and squeeze until he managed to slip in.

Just then the muzzien called the faithful to prayer. He would have to hurry.

*******************

Khalid spotted the ISI man they called the Rat from his upstairs vantage point. The Rat was scanning the faces around him, but he hadn’t looked up yet. Khalid knew about the Rat’s reputation. He didn’t want to be seen by the man. He could be trouble. He moved to the back of the crowd as the muzzien started his call.

Khalid edged down the stairs towards the back of the building. There was a side door there he could easily slip out of without being seen. He would have to hurry. He couldn’t leave while prayers were underway.

He was just about to turn the last corner before the bottom of the stairs when a shadow lunged at him out of the darkness below. Khalid moved quickly, drawing out his knife and retreating up the stairs a little. The shadow followed him up. Khalid stood still watching.

As the shadow moved again Khalid kicked out, hitting the man in the head. Khalid followed the man as he tumbled down the stairs and plunged his knife into the body before it had time to recover. There was a grunt and then the body went limp. Khalid peered through the gloom. It was the Rat. He was not surprised. The Rat must have seen him when he moved to get away. He knew he would have to be very careful making his way back to base.

Moving swiftly, Khalid slipped out of the side door and hurried into the streets surrounding the mosque where he met up with his driver. They raced back downtown.

*******************

Back in the safe house he reported immediately to Bob.

“It looks like Ahmed is going to Bangkok, Bob.”

“Yes, I know. I just finished talking to Raja. But did you find out anything else? Raja was not giving me any more information.”

“They are targeting one of the royal family there.”

“What! Who?” Bob exclaimed. “But that is madness. They will stir up a huge storm.”

Khalid had no answer. That was all he had been able to find out before the Rat turned up.

Bob nodded and thanked Khalid for his efforts. He looked down at the papers on his desk as he dismissed his colleague.

“There’s one more thing Bob. I was followed to the mosque. The Rat. He tried to kill me. He’s dead.”

Bob’s head jerked up.

“When did he arrive?”

“About one hour ago. I spotted him as he arrived. I was upstairs so I thought he didn’t see me. But as I tried to sneak out he came at me on the stairs. I had no choice. I had to kill him quietly. I left his body there.”

“You did the right thing. Leave it with me. If there is any trouble from this I will handle it.”

Khalid nodded and left to get cleaned up.

Bob sat there quiet for a few minutes, the thoughts flying through his head. No outsider had known Khalid was going to the mosque except Raja. One hour after Bob told Raja, one of his ISI agents appears at the mosque to kill Khalid. This was not looking good.

He wrote a signal for the CIA station chief in Bangkok and sent it. Then he went to get a coffee.

*******************

The imam was hysterical. Blasphemy! Sacrilege! A believer killed in his own mosque, he cried over and over again. People were weeping and tearing their clothes. Armed guards were stationed at the entrances looking nervous.

Ahmed looked on from his room in the compound pondering what to do. Was this murder associated with his mission? Should they leave now? He didn’t know. He went inside and shut the door, pulled out his mobile phone, and made a call.

Raja saw who was calling his mobile and excused himself from the meeting he was chairing. He went outside the room and pressed the call button.

“Brother, you know who I am.”

“I do.”

“A terrible thing. Come quickly!”

The phone went dead. Raja looked at it a moment. Then he put it back in his pocket as he strode purposefully up the corridor, calling out to his assistant to tell the driver to pick him up. By the time he reached the front of the building his car was waiting. He climbed in the back seat and told the driver where to go.

*******************

“He’s just left the compound. I’m following.”

Bob acknowledged the call and turned back to the room. “Keep a close watch on things.” He told his crew. “Dave, you and Richard change into mufti and get up there as fast as you can. Be very careful, but keep a close watch. Let me know when Raja reaches the mosque. I want to know what Ahmed’s next move is. If he leaves town, stick with him. And remember, our Pakistani agent Malik will be there to. Watch each other’s backs.”

The duo nodded and left quickly.

Bob sat down at his communications console and watched the video feed from Malik’s helmet camera as he followed Raja. He was one of the Pakistani agents Bob employed full time. The camera had a built-in compass that showed they were heading north. It shouldn’t be long now.

He switched on the second team feed. They were just getting in the car they kept at a small garage the CIA owned up the road. They were dressed like locals. The dashboard camera swiveled as Richard pointed it towards the front of the car. The audio came on.

“The figs are being delivered to market.”

“Please hurry, my customers are waiting.”

*******************

As Raja arrived at the mosque Malik pulled off the road 100 meters away and parked his motorbike. Then he walked to the mosque behind a group of men going to pray.

He walked inside but did not see Raja at first. He walked around the mosque to one of the side corridors. He spotted Raja just before he slipped into a room. Malik went outside the mosque and waited for the other team to arrive.

He chose a small coffee shop nearby and ordered. He sipped his coffee slowly. It wasn’t long before his colleagues arrived on foot. Like him, they had parked their car away from the mosque and walked in. They sat at a table next to him without speaking.

Malik finished his coffee and left. Dave and Richard sat and waited.

Thirty minutes later Raja left the mosque. Soon after, Ahmed and his team drove from behind the mosque and headed downtown. Dave and Richard walked swiftly to their car and followed a safe distance behind.

They drove through the northern suburbs, past Iqbal Stadium and in to the old city through the Qaisery Gate. Dave and Richard parked their car outside the old city and hurried across the road. Ahmed’s car had dropped him off just inside the gate. The streets were too narrow for cars.

Dave called in their location to Bob. He told them to keep Ahmed in sight but not to get too close. He was sending a Pakistani agent to take over, someone who would blend in with the old city.

Ten minutes later, Mussad arrived and relieved the pair. Dave and Richard walked over to their car and drove back to the safe house. On the way, Dave started laughing.

“Why are you laughing, Dave?”

“I was just remembering the first time I was introduced to Mussad. One of the guys asked him what his name meant. He told them it meant unfettered camel. Ever since then I think of him as the fetid camel because he has such bad BO.”

*******************

The next few days were uneventful. Bob rotated his Pakistani agents watching Ahmed. They all reported that Ahmed and his crew stayed close to the small hotel they were staying in.

Finally, on the fourth day a car arrived to pick them up. As they loaded their bags into the car the agent on watch, Faysil, called Bob. Dave and Richard had been on standby. Bob sent them to the old town to pick up the trail when Ahmed emerged.

They arrived at the Qaisery Gate just as Ahmed’s car exited. Dave drove behind their car and followed them to the airport. It looked like the crew was heading for Bangkok.