CROSSFIRE: Ex-CIA JON BRADLEY Thriller Series (TERROR BLOODLINE Book 1) (2 page)

New York City - 2006

FBI Counterterrorism Division

Saturday - 2.30 AM

The striking urgency of their mission was the reason for their meeting in the early hours of the morning.

Ex-CIA, Jonathan Bradley, aged 44 years, an FBI appointee in the capacity of
Supervisory Special Agent
, was the last person to enter the room.

He noticed the look of impatience on the face of Steve Turner -
SAC
, the
Special Agent-in-Charge
, who surpassed him both in authority and rank.  Turner was a couple of years older to him and with a prepossessing appearance. He was good-looking, intelligent and well-built like someone who exercised frequently, and carried himself with an air of authority.

    The other two FBI agents,
SSA
-
Senior Special Agent
,
Allan Banks, and
SA
-
Special Agent
, William King, in their late and early thirties respectively, also looking physically fit and alert to their tasks, seemed unconcerned. They were close working associates of Jon in this particular operation.

All present were mindful of Bradley's recent personal calamity following the recent brutal assault and rape of his long-standing lady friend, Samantha Clarke – one of the Assistant District Attorneys in the NYPD’s Justice Department. Her alleged abuser was still at large.

All, however, realized the importance of this meeting despite deprivation of sleep and personal problems.

Bradley and his FBI team had been in the midst of closing down on a recently detected Islamist-Jihadist terrorist cell of suicide-bombers, clandestinely operating from the New York City suburbs.

FBI’s investigations revealed that the Jihadists belonged to the feared Shi’ite extremist
Hezbollah
group.

   Four radicalized Arab-Americans; three Lebanese and one Saudi formed the terror-cell, supposedly of suicide bombers.

   Hezbollah Islamic militants forcibly occupied southern Lebanon, and were exporting foreign terrorism against the Western, Asian and African countries via the active sponsorship of th
e
Shia’ Iranian and Syrian governments, and other rogue mid-eastern countries, whilst purportedly fighting the Palestinian cause.

An elusive former Lebanese diplomat turned Hezbollah protagonist, under the façade of many businesses-fronts, one of which was an international arms trade, was suspected to be the mastermind behind the sleeper Islamic-Jihadist cells operating in a number of countries. 

He was allegedly responsible for arming the extremists to carry out terror acts in Indonesia, Philippines and Africa against American and Western people, and their interests there. 

Jon had vague suspicions about who, this particular rogue arms trader overseeing the New York Jihadist cell, might be. He was beginning to believe that they might have crossed paths during his CIA tenure in Beirut.

FBI’s investigations so far had revealed that the terror-cell clandestinely operating from Yonkers in the New City suburbs had plans to carry out two simultaneous, spectacular suicide missions. 

They would first seize the two Jewish synagogues in the Manhattan and Bronx districts on the same day and at the same time, then create a hostage-like situation, blockading the two premises.

Their modus operandi was to draw public attention by initially killing a couple of hostages, provoking an encounter with the law-enforcement authorities, finally murdering the hostages and suffering martyrdom.

Despite efforts by the Jihadist’s cell to maintain extreme secrecy, it was not to be so.

It was not long before Bradley’s Counterterrorism operatives with the help of the informants and the NYPD soon discovered the existence of the Hezbollah's Jihadist cell in Yonkers.

Steven Turner, who had been working with Jonathan for a couple of years now in the N.Y.'s Counterterrorism unit, had suggested to the Director of FBI, through his superiors, that Jonathan Bradley be given the charge of this investigation. 

Bradley had the necessary expertise, having worked as a CIA Cover Agent in Beirut and the middle-east region, thus being knowledgeable about the Hezbollah, Hamas and other militant and Jihadist groups operating from Lebanon. 

His first step was to place those known and suspected sympathizers of Islamic causes, and the Muslim clerics advocating fundamentalism, under electronic and visual surveillance.

The NYPD and the FBI informant agents were put under increased pressure even threatened with imprisonment for whatever offenses they had committed or were accused of.  They were to intensify their interaction with the underground groups expounding radical political views, particularly among the middle-eastern Arab communities.

Soon reports of strong rumors began to filter in that a terror plot by Al Qaeda or an Islamic extremist group was being planned for execution in the New York City. Reports from other intelligence agencies had also picked up similar strands, although no specific details of the plot or plots were available.

After weeks of investigation and patient wait, there finally appeared a break. 

FBI Special Agent, William King, who handled a deep-cover informant living among the N.Y. City Lebanese community reported on Youssef Hariri, a 21 year old, born in America, and a college undergraduate.

Youssef was the son of the landlord owning a block of suburban duplex houses in Yonkers, the inner suburbs of the New York City.  

He grew up loving the freedom of the American lifestyle, developing a weakness for young blonde women and patronizing the vibrant nightlife. His father, Ismael Hariri, was a devout Muslim. His son, Youssef, was the diametrical opposite of him, and never a candidate for radicalization.

Very soon, Youssef’s inability to maintain his acquired colorful lifestyle which, besides indulging in wanton sex and gambling, led him to become a victim of the FBI's coerced recruitment program.   

By then, Youssef had become estranged from his father and lived away from him.

In short, the FBI's deep cover man turned over Youssef to his Control, the Special Agent, William King, and thus Youssef became the legal informant of the FBI.

Over the time, Youssef began to spy on the activities of his Lebanese community in Yonkers, and other areas of the N.Y. City, either directly or through source
s
developed, while he continued to enjoy his self-indulgent lifestyle.

One Saturday afternoon. Youssef was having his lunch at the Arabic restaurant frequented by his mid-eastern fraternity.

He was joined at the table by one his Lebanese friends, Ahmed, who was a neighbor of his father in Yonkers.

During the course of their conversation, Ahmed mentioned that his father had rented out a detached house to a group of Arab men, who appeared to be visiting the New York City. 

This meant nothing unusual to Youssef for people rented houses and left after a while.  But, when Youssef’s friend said, “For people on a visit to keep pretty much to themselves and stay indoors most of the time… that appears odd to me.”

“How long have they been staying there?” Youssef was wondering if there was something of interest for him here.

“I’ve seen them reside in the house for over a month now,” pausing to add, “Come to think of it, I am meeting you here after quite a while too.”

His friend was looking at him sheepishly, “What have you been up to,
ya
Youssef?  You still live with that American blonde woman, Rita or something, after the last one…? “

“Nothing like that,
ya
Ahmed.  I get around.  You know how it is?” Youssef interrupted him. 

His interest had been spiked by his friend’s comment about his father’s new tenants, and he wanted to know more.  “How’s my father doing?”

“You ought to visit him sometimes,
ya
Youssef. Patch up whatever your differences with him. He is your father after all, and he is getting older.”

“Guess, you are right,
ya
Ahmed.  I must make amends.”

Then Youssef Hariri tried to veer the subject towards the new arrivals. “Have you spoken to these new tenants?  What news do they bring from Lebanon?” 

“Only to wave at and say hello.  As you’d know, we are not exactly your next-door neighbors.  And, I don’t yet know whether they have come directly from Lebanon.

“But, I see that they do have visitors turning up at the house now and then, who may be taking them out sight-seeing the city or even visiting some relatives.

“Perhaps, when you call on your father, you can make their acquaintance, that is, if they are still there,” Ahmed ended with a smug. Then looking at his watch, “Oh, I ought to be going. Don’t want to be late for my afternoon shift.”

“Ma'a Salama, ya
Ahmed.

Goodbye.  See you around.”

“Ma'a Salama, ya
Youssef.

“Fi Amanillah, ya
Ahmed.” May Allah protect you.”

Youssef understood well that his father condemned his son’s superfluous lifestyle and would never make amends unless and until Youssef made a complete reversal to a life of a devout Muslim.  An almost impossible thing for him, considering the extent of his involvement in the extracurricular activities that he happened to be involved at this point of time.

There was something about his father’s new tenants that nagged him.  At the same time, Youssef did not want to be the source of any more trouble for his father, should the tenants turn out to be some undesirable elements.

On the other hand, not every Arab visitor or immigrant to the USA is deemed a potential threat.

Informants were duty-bound to report if they came across or heard about any new arrivals in the suspected communities.

Finally, Youssef saw no harm in making his report to his boss, William King.  The latter met with Jon Bradley and it was decided to place Hariri’s new tenants under active surveillance.

***

"An hour ago, two teams of the Mossad’s
Kidon
(ultra-secret assassination unit) operatives, including a female, raided the Islamic-Jihadist cell. There was a firefight.  They left behind two bodies of the alleged terrorists and another of the landlord." Steve narrated to them as a matter of fact.

The others present were surprised though not shocked.  They had all along suspected that the Israel’s Mossad agents were aware of the Hezbollah Jihadist cell's presence in Yonkers. 

However, since it was known among the intelligence agencies that the FBI was actively involved in the case, they had not expected the Mossad operatives to act prematurely on their own.

On an afterthought, Jon said, "I don't think they were able to lay their hands on the mastermind.  According to our surveillance, the Lebanese businessman was never seen visiting the place nor anywhere around."

"The landline was wiretapped and the house was bugged," Allan Banks came in. "William personally supervised the operation when on a Friday the occupants were all away at the Anjuman Mosque for the obligatory prayer service.

“It's possible that they suspected the house being bugged because except for normal conversations no incriminatory talk, whatsoever, was heard concerning their terror plot, both over the phone and inside the premises. 

“Obviously, they will have used the

cellphones or public phones to communicate with their counterparts elsewhere.”

"As I understand, informant Abdullah was the only outside source to get close to them. The old man did odd jobs for the tenants living in the block,” Agent King stated.

“Was he able to pick up any specific information about them?" asked Steve Turner.

"His last report was vague, something about seeing some drawings and pictures lying about in the living room, which he could not describe.  Abdullah is not English literate.

“At another time, Abdullah and another man were helping to unload the delivery of some wooden boxes into the tenant’s house. He happened to overhear a gist of a conversation in lowered tones, between two of the alleged terrorists, speaking in Arabic outside the house, before they noticed his presence and stopped talking. They appeared to be speaking about guns,” explained William.

    Steven shrugged, getting ready to leave the conference room. "Well, we will have time to check on that later.

    “Anyway, the Mossad operatives would have left the search for the Jihadist's weapons and other evidence, if any, to us. They would not have had the time for a thorough search of the premises.

    “Incidentally, Judge Rothenberg, signed the Search Warrants of
possible cause
for both the locations.”

He rose to his feet, "The NYPD officers and our agents are already at the crime scene and have cordoned off the area.

“Let’s get there before the media are all over the place,” Turner concluded, as he strode towards the door.