Interdiction - W.Addison Gast (great novels TXT) 📗

I35. do we have a present fix on this suspect vehicle?” Asked the pilot.
“Standby one angel while I set up the channel for cross communications with Texas State command in Austin.”
“Austin—tie in your pursuit vehicle with our airborne tactical, call name Angel on 137.45”
The driver’s voice from the police car came in loud and clear.
“We have contact with the suspect vehicle and closing. Request backup before we engage.”
Trooper Helen Madre’s worst nightmare came into focus as they approached the Tahoe that was doing almost 95 miles per hour. She could see a figure in the rear of the vehicle holding something that looked like a pipe on his shoulder and he was rolling down the rear window of the Tahoe.
“Trooper in pursuit. This is agent Charlene MCBean of the FBI. Do not attempt to engage the Tahoe. I repeat DO NOT engage the Tahoe. There were heavy weapons involved in the attack last night and we believe this vehicle also has a M60 on board. Do you copy? “
The response word was simultaneously uttered by both occupants of the pursuit car but only Trooper Helen Madre’s transmission was heard by all on the channel.
“SHIT……..”
The puff of white smoke left the rear of the Tahoe and made a direct trail leading to the cruisers front grill. The special made interceptor sedan made a sudden jerk to the right and the engine quit immediately. The sedan stopped in the center of the highway and both officers bolted from the vehicle and ran for the cover of a ditch.
“Jesus Bill, that damn thing didn’t explode. You ok? Asked officer Madre of her partner.
“Yeah, I’m alright but look at that thing. Its stuck in the front of the grill like a broomstick. If that had exploded,…..”
The words were not completed when the explosion blew the sedan completely apart and into a huge ball of fire.
“Son of a,….”
“Command, you copy? We took fire from the suspect vehicle and we are no longer in pursuit. “ Madre was trying to use her remote radio. The transmission was weak but heard by Angel who was just coming over them at 2,500 feet.
“You ok down there? We just observed a huge fireball from your location .We have the Tahoe in sight and will follow. They are exiting on exit 191 highway 306 heading to Canyon Lake.” Angel dropped down to 1500 feet behind the Tahoe. At this distance, he was in the target range of both the m60 and the RPG but the pilot was hoping the suspects had not thought to look in the sky above them for anyone following.
“Angel we have you in contact. We are behind you turning onto 306 from Common ave. DJ was dialing Danny and Penny as Charlene turned on all the code three emergency lights on the vehicle. The road was filled with boaters heading for the lake. If there was not a boat behind the pickup on the road, it was loaded with toobs and inflatable rafts and coolers.
In the Tahoe, Badra was keeping her hands on the wheel and dodging oncoming cars and pickups as they raced east on the highway to the popular lake community.
“Haydar. Listen to me. In a short distance from here, we will come to a bridge where the river goes beneath and on down into the town. There will be a lot of people here in the water. A good target. I will get out of this car and inject the chemical into the river from the bridge. You take over this car and continue on for only about five hundred yards where the river again loops and comes back under that bridge. You will dump the second container here into that part of the river. I will hold off the infidels chasing us with the m60 automatic. You take the RPG and the three remaining loads and kill as many of the infidel as possible. If you can get lost in the crowd so much the better. You will live to attack the devil Americans again . Allah is Great. Allah is God.”
“Get away from them Badra!! Kill as many as you can then get lost in the crowd and meet me in Austin!! “Screamed Haydar.
As Badra looked over at Haydar surprised at his last statement she sideswiped a large pickup and trailer carrying a pontoon boat. The Tahoe came back to the road and suddenly right in front of them as they rounded a curve was the bridge and the river.
The area was in gridlock. A stoplight at the other side of the bridge was holding traffic from proceeding smoothly on eastward toward the second crossing. Toobers and party animals were turning into a parking lot by the river park where they could launch their flotation gear but they were blocking the road also. The left lane was open because the oncoming traffic was stopped at the light at the top of the hill. Badra turned out into the left lane and was about to enter the bridge when a round came through the back window and into the seat. A second round came into the left side of the Tahoe. It was coming from the black SUV screaming down on them from the roadside with lights flashing.
“Go! Praise Allah. She screamed as she exited the car with the X437 canister in one hand and the m60 in the other. Haydar quickly moved over to the driver’s side and crammed the Tahoe in gear leaving Badra in the middle of the bridge. She turned the m60 at the oncoming black SUV and fired. She then grabbed the x437 and was about to throw it over the side into the water when she discovered to her horror the bridge had a tall wire fence to keep people from throwing trash into the Guadalupe. She could not possibly throw the canister over the top into the river. She would run to the end of the bridge and throw it in from there. The SUV was now on the edge of the bridge and both DJ and McBean were firing at the figure running to the other end. Both had a clear field of fire because on the first shots, people began running into the river park for cover.
DJ jumped from the SUV and gave the figure standing with its raised arm and the green can in her hand a full clip from his Glock. The figure twisted, stumbled and fell only inches away from the bridge approach.
“I’ll take care of this. Get the sonofabitch in the Tahoe before he gets to the other crossing.
Charlene sped off with lights on code three and could see the rear end of the Tahoe. Angel was now right over the Tahoe. It was like a solid stream of fire that came down from the black Bell Huey raining bullets into the vehicle. The Tahoe swerved, left the road and tore through a fence that was by the river. The Tahoe ripped through camping sites hitting several people in the process and then attempted to leave the park and get back on the road but came to a dry creek that led down to the river. Haydar could not stop. The Tahoe plunged down into the creek bed and rolled .All Charlene could see was the four tires up in the air turning as the plume of white smoke coming from the Tahoe suddenly ignited and became a fireball engulfing the trees and bushes next to the river. It was difficult making progress through the campsite where Haydar had hit so many people that were sitting at tables, eating and sunning themselves. By the time she made it through the campsite and to the scene where the Tahoe had rolled. The area was full of people trying to put out the fire in the trees and bushes. The hot dry weather made it impossible to get close to the Tahoe. It was too hot. The vegetation all around it was on fire. All she could do was stay clear and hope that Angel could see anyone leaving the site like Haydar. Her main concern was the second canister. Where was it?
Angel went into hover over the accident site and with his loudspeaker on full blast, told the crowd that it was a toxic spill and to stay away and out of the water until it was tested. Angel was joined soon by three additional National Guard Heilos from Lackland to secure the area.
There was no sign of Haydar and the site tested clean. When the fire had been extinguished, the canister was found intact lying under the passenger’s seat where it evidently rolled during the high speed chase. It would have been impossible for Haydar to drive the vehicle and recover the canister and at the same time return fire at DJ and agent McBean.
Charlene returned to the bridge where she had left DJ to find him watching the coroner load Badra’s body into the van.
“Innocent looking isn’t it? DJ was pointing at the small green canister with the glass fluid level indicator on the side. Sitting in the HAZZMAT van.
“Unless you know what is inside I guess DJ. Charlene replied.
“Do we have a vehicle that is not shot up so much we can’t get back to the armory?”
“This one will make it. We might get a ticket for the broken windshield but it still runs well”. Smiled McBean
“We have an all-points out on the last terrorist. That would be the one called Engineer or Haydar. He is the one I really wanted to corner. He won’t get far. Too bad the green goo didn’t break and spill all over him when that Tahoe rolled.”
“God DJ you have a perverse side of your personality I have never seen to now.”
“I hate to loose. This psycho is out wondering around in my backyard, my homeland wanting to kill Americans and I intend to make his life miserable. “
The SUV pulled onto 306 and headed back toward the armory.
Earlier you said there was quite a story on the Dean. We have some time between here and the armory where I fully intend on finding out from our guests where this Haydar may be headed.”
“Penny has the story. We need for you to check in with her anyway DJ. Give her a call.”
Penny and Dan were in the same cubical working on a different problem when DJ called.
“I’ll have my after action report into you by 0900 tomorrow but for now, give me this story about Wilkins and my Dad. My curious hormones are peaking.”
“Really? Is Agent McBean there with you DJ?”
DJ looked over at Charlene who had the radio on speaker so they could both hear the story.
“I’m here Penny. Go ahead.” Charlene looked over and smiled at DJ
“ok. Here is what I turned up.” Penny started the story.
You are right in the fact that his government service goes back to the Carter admin. But there is more. Back in the 60’s there was a group of SEALS that put together a unit and called themselves RED CELL. This was with the full knowledge of the State Department but they kept it away from most of the Admirals in NAVSYSCOM. The reason was that the unit was to test the base security of all of the major commands. The base commanders knew very little of this and when their base security commands were breached, it went on their records of command as a big negative. Needless to say, the unit was not very popular and they evidently had an attitude to begin with. The commander of