CHAPTER 28
The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and also to love our enemies;
probably because they are generally the same people. -G.K. Chesterton
Toby met Trey at headquarters where a helicopter was waiting on the roof’s new helipad to take them to Charleston, West Virginia. Once inside the chopper, they put on headphones that blocked out the engine and wind noise so that they could communicate with one another.
“This is so strange,” Toby said. “I can’t believe the terrorists are finally trapped. I was actually beginning to think that they didn’t exist. I hope they don’t get away.”
“They won’t,” Trey said confidently. “Drake says that they are completely surrounded in an old mining section of West Virginia and there is no way that they can escape.”
“Maybe they can’t escape, but they might not be that easy to find either,” Toby replied. “I have spent a lot of time hiking in West Virginia and there are still nearly 2,000 coal mines in operation and thousands of others abandoned. I think there are mines in every county of the state except maybe two or three.”
“Well, it could be a challenge then,” said Trey.
“How do we know for sure that the terrorists are there?” Sullivan asked. “Has anyone actually seen them?”
“Apparently there have been at least nine separate sightings of three men resembling the ones in the photos called into several different law enforcement agencies as well as the hotline,” Trey answered. “And the West Virginia State patrol found a stolen and abandoned SUV containing several bags of fertilizer and other bomb-making supplies on a dirt road in Boone County. The FBI is preparing to impound it and take it to Quantico. Based on the locations and times of the sightings and the current location of the car, more than 500 local, state and federal law enforcement personnel are being divided into 25 teams of 20 men each and given designated areas to search. Our job is to help oversee the operation and make sure they get anything from the Bureau that they need.”
“I see,” Sullivan said. “I sure hope these guys are captured alive so we can get some intelligence from them regarding their sources of funding and training. I doubt very seriously that these three planned and executed all of these bombings on their own, and if we don’t find out who actually planned the attacks, there will almost certainly be more in the future. You can count on it.”
“I think you’re right,” Trey agreed. “As much as I personally would like to see them dead, they can help us a whole lot more if they are alive, and besides, killing them is not what Christ would want us to do.”
In less than an hour the helicopter landed in a private airfield just outside of Charleston in the heart of West Virginia coal country. Giordano was there to greet them.
“Good to see you guys,” he said. “I think we really have them this time. There is no way they can escape. We’ve got the perimeter covered from the air and on land. It’s just a matter of time.”
“What can we do to assist?” Trey asked. “Drake said to make sure that the people involved in the search have everything they need.”
“I know,” Giordano replied. “I talked to him, too, and I’ve told the local folks that cost is no object. We want these guys bad.”
“I hope you’ve also told them to do everything possible to capture them rather than kill them, because they can tell us a whole lot more alive than dead,” Toby interjected.
“Of course,” Giordano replied. “That’s exactly what Drake told me. The only condition under which these men should be killed is if there is no other way to prevent more innocent people from being killed or injured.”
Trey and Toby hopped into the middle seat of a large SUV powered by the latest hydrogen fuel cells technology.
“Look at the space in this thing,” Toby said as he and his partner sat down in the middle row. “It’s amazing how much more passenger and hauling room there is when the engine is about the size of a briefcase.”
“Yea, and it really moves, too,” the driver responded.
“I understand that these are probably the future of transportation,” Toby said, “but they haven’t come along as fast as people thought they would 15 or so years ago. I read somewhere that the scientists and engineers still haven’t overcome all of the challenges of hydrogen storage, cost, durability and infrastructure development. Until they solve those problems, most cars are still going to use gasoline-electric hybrid engines.”
“Until every last drop of oil is gone.” Trey added. “Then you’ll have to get rid of that gas-guzzler of yours.”
“I’m sure I’ll have to part with it long before then,” Sullivan said. “Late 20th century Jags were never the most reliable of cars and they didn’t make that many of this model, so parts are getting almost impossible to find. But when it’s running well, there is nothing to compare with the feeling you get driving it on the back roads in Virginia and West Virginia- particularly with the top down on a pretty spring or fall day.”
Changing the subject, Trey asked, “Where are we headed now?”
“We’re going into Boone County where the SUV was found,” Giordano responded. “The local folks think that the three terrorists are most likely hiding in one of the abandoned mines in Boone or Fayette County. There are probably a few hundred old mines in that area.”
After driving on Highway 119 to Madison and then following narrower and narrower roads past towns called Uneeda, Jeffrey and Bob White into the heart of Boone County, the three agents and their driver arrived at the end of a dirt road where several law enforcement cars were parked. It was from here that the search for the three terrorists was being coordinated.
“Any news?” Giordano asked a big man with a clean-shaven head and a large belly hanging over a belt that was having difficulty keeping his West Virginia State Patrol uniform pants from falling off.
“Naw, nothing yet,” he responded. “We’ve heard from 22 of the groups and should hear from the other three in a few minutes. They’ve all got GPS electronic maps that have most of the old mines located on them, so it shouldn’t take too long to search everything in both counties.”
“Anything you need from us?” Giordano asked.
“Can’t think of anything,” the state patrolman responded, “unless you can make this rain go away.” Then he added, “Except to keep the copters and spy planes circling around just to make sure that these Muslims don’t get away, particularly now that it is getting dark.”
“The aircraft aren’t going anywhere,” Giordano assured the man. “They’ll be up there day and night tracking every warm-blooded thing on the ground.”
Once again, Toby began to feel like a fifth wheel. Although he was now at ground zero of the investigation, he had no useful purpose as far as he could tell. Giordano had obviously arrived much earlier and the entire investigation was well under way and, seemingly, completely under control. All that Sullivan and Rawlings could do was wait.
Several hours passed with no news and, since it was now midnight, it was unlikely that anything- or anybody- would be discovered until dawn broke and the searches could continue. Giordano suggested to Toby and Trey that they all get some rest, even if it was just to close their eyes for a little while in the car.
Having slept very late that morning and taken a nap after breakfast, Toby found that he was not at all tired and chose to pass the time talking to some of the local sheriffs, police and state patrol officials. He could tell from his conversations that they understood quite well the gravity of the situation and the likelihood that whoever captured or killed the terrorists would be an instant celebrity. More than fame, however, what these local law enforcement people clearly wanted was justice. They loved their state, their country and their Christian religion, and they wanted to make sure that justice was done for the sake of all of the innocent people who were killed by these Islamic fanatics.
Toby was curious, too, about when and where the first leads were received. He was surprised to learn that the phone calls reporting the sightings had come into several different offices all within an hour’s time beginning around 10 o’clock that morning. He was curious why it was not until 2 p.m. that he learned of the situation.
Finally, around 4 a.m., Sullivan joined Trey in the roomy SUV and caught a couple hours sleep, waking when it was almost dawn. When the sun finally did make its appearance, it cast a golden glow and created a rainbow over the green, hilly terrain- quite a contrast from the gloomy, rainy weather of the day before. More than one of the local officers claimed that the rainbow was a sure sign from God that this would be the day that the terrorists would be captured.
“This is a sign, for sure,” said Billy Johns, the bald, overweight patrolman. “It is a sign from the Lord that we will find those Muslims today. I don’t have any doubts about it.”
Lacking anything more pressing to do at that particular moment, Trey and Toby asked the driver to take them to the nearest fast-food restaurant, where they loaded-up with several bags of biscuits filled with various combinations of sausage, ham, bacon and eggs- each wrapped in paper printed with the words: “Warning- eating high fat and high cholesterol foods may cause serious health problems.”
“I can’t remember when the last time I had one of these was,” Toby said to Trey as they got back into the car to head back to the search area in the woods.
“I know I haven’t had one in at least 15 years,” Trey said. “Even before the government required the warning labels, everyone knew that they were no good for you, and no one should consciously defile the temple that is his body.”
“Right, but now that Uncle Sam has become Father Sam, Doctor Sam and Environmental Sam, the government makes sure that we all know what is best for us,” Sullivan said with his tongue firmly planted in his cheek.
“So you don’t think that the government has a responsibility to protect its citizens?” Trey asked his partner.
“I can’t believe that you’re going to drag me into another one of these discussions,” Toby responded. “I don’t mind the government helping educate people about health and environmental issues and helping take care of people who have no ability to take care of themselves, such as people born with serious physical limitations,” Toby explained, “but I am afraid we are on the verge of trading all of our individual liberty for security. That bothers me.”
“Why does it scare you so much that a nation based on Christian values is putting those values into practice?” Trey asked. “Isn’t it abote time that we tried to create a society that truly demonstrates in every way possible that it values every human life? Don’t we have an obligation to protect all life, whether that life is unborn, born with defects that make it physically or mentally impossible to earn a decent living, or critically ill and in need of extraordinary measures to keep it alive? Isn’t this what Christ told us to do?”
“Christ said a lot of things to his followers,” Toby responded. “And quite frankly, I don’t claim to know exactly what He meant in the context of His time or our time. I do not believe, however, that He ever said or meant that the only just way for people to govern themselves was to establish a government that codified what the majority of people think He meant.”
“What do you mean by that?” Trey asked.
“It’s simple,” Toby said. “You and others who support the current government believe that government should reflect what Christ said. Is that right?”
“Well, yes,” Rawlings answered. “We certainly don’t want government enacting laws that violate what Christ said.”
“But how do you know that you are interpreting what Christ said correctly?” Sullivan continued. “How do you know, for example, that Christ wants accident victims who are in a vegetative state to be kept alive with a ventilator and feeding tube, rather than be allowed to die a natural death? And how do you know that Christ wants government to provide food and housing to people in need, rather than letting individuals take care of them? And how do we know for certain that Christ really cares what type of health care system a country has? Frankly, as I’ve said before, I don’t see much difference between the so-called Christian society some people want in this country and the Marxist society that the Soviet Union tried unsuccessfully to create.”
“And as I’ve said before,” Trey responded, “the two are complete opposites. Communism was the antithesis of Christianity. It was a godless form of government, whereas we are striving to establish a God-centered government. I don’t understand why you can’t see the difference.”
“Probably because the end results are so similar,” Toby answered. “In both cases, the individual becomes nothing and the state everything.”
“You’re exaggerating, Sullivan, and you know it,” Rawlings answered. “People in this country are free to do pretty much what they wish as long as they don’t hurt other people.”
“And,” Toby responded, “as long as they help other people with their tax dollars and allow people of the favored religion to determine what constitutes right and wrong for the entire society.”
“Do you want one of these biscuits?” Trey asked, realizing that no one would ever win the argument.
“You bet,” Toby answered. “I’ll take one with country ham, and since there is no way that Jesus would want you to defile your temple with such horrible food, can I have the one we got for you?”
“No you can’t,” Rawlings answered, “I prayed abote it and Jesus said it was okay as long as I just had one.”
“How convenient,” Toby said as they arrived back at the search headquarters. “Anything happen while we were gone?” he asked Giordano as Trey handed the bags of biscuits to one of the slimmer law enforcement personnel, hoping that he would make sure they were distributed to everyone who wanted one before they got to Billy Johns.
“Nope. All of the groups have reported in and said that they have started their searches again,” Giordano answered. “I think we’ll hear something pretty soon.”
“Why so?” Sullivan asked as he took the final bite of his salty country ham biscuit.
“Just a hunch,” Tony answered.
---
Several hours passed with no word. Lunch was brought in from a local barbecue joint, but before anyone had an opportunity to sample the pulled pork sandwiches, Brunswick stew and French fries, Billy called out, “We’ve got something! Group 19 over in Fayette County says they have found tracks leading to an abandoned mine.”
Immediately, Giordano called Toby and Trey and they all jumped into the SUV. “Take us here,” Giordano told the driver as he pointed to a GPS map showing the general location of Group 19.
Within 20 minutes, the three agents, along with a phalanx of local law enforcement personnel, were walking quietly through the woods toward the GPS location of Group 19. Twenty minutes later they spotted the search group, led by Lieutenant Adam Baldwin.
“We think they are over there,” Baldwin told the newly arrived legion of law enforcement personnel as he pointed toward a mine that appeared to have been abandoned for quite some time. “We found recent shoe tracks and what appears to be traces of fertilizer. That’s why we are so far away. Knowing how them Muslims operate, they could have the place booby-trapped, and they don’t mind blowing themselves up as long as they kill some of us.”
“That was smart,” Giordano said. “Make sure that everyone stays well back, and wait until all of the backup units have arrived and sealed off every possible avenue of escape. We don’t want any more lives lost to these madmen. Who has the map of this mine?”
“I do,” Baldwin answered. “I’ve already called the Bureau of Mines and they assure me that there are no other exits. The only other entrance was closed permanently a decade or two ago. This is the only way in or out.”
“Rawlings and Sullivan, you stay here,” Giordano said, making it clear who was in charge of the operation. “I’m going to take a look around to make sure that there are no possible routes of escape.”
“You shouldn’t go out there alone,” Toby said as he checked the rifle he had been given by Giordano to make sure it was properly loaded. “Trey and I will go with you.”
“No,” Tony said firmly. “You two need to stay here to help direct an assault on the mine if one is needed. I can certainly handle the scouting on my own.”
“That’s crazy, Tony,” said Trey. “You should never go into a potential ambush situation alone.”
“Don’t worry about me,” Giordano answered. “I’m confident that I will be fine. You can do more good here.”
Neither Toby nor Trey could understand Giordano’s stubborn insistence on going to the mine alone, but they did what they were told and settled down with several other law enforcement personnel to make certain that anyone hiding in the abandoned mine did not have an opportunity to leave.
Thirty minutes passed, and then an hour. Nothing. No movement. No sign of any terrorists- or of Tony Giordano. Then suddenly, it appeared that something moved near the mine. A few seconds later a shot rang out, and then another and another. No one could see who was firing, but there was little doubt at whom they were firing. The first bullet hit a good 20 yards away from Toby and his group. The next one hit closer, and the next one closer still, although all landed in the trees at least ten feet above their heads. No one seemed to know whether they should return fire or just hunker down and wait for the mine’s occupants to get tired and give themselves up.
About this time, Giordano returned and ordered everyone to fall back so that they would be well out of the reach of the terrorists’ weapons.
“We want to capture them if at all possible,” he said. “Let’s fall back so that we are out of harm’s way.”
The entire group dropped back and waited. An hour passed and then another, and another. It was almost dark. Portable flood lights were brought in and focused on the mine and the area around it.
Toby was getting ready to tell Trey that they had better get prepared for a long night when he heard what sounded to him like someone reading in Arabic, or perhaps praying. Then silence. And then all hell broke loose. There was an enormous explosion that seemed to occur deep down inside the earth. The ground beneath them shook and a cloud of dirt and coal dust engulfed the entire area. When the dust settled, Toby, Trey, Giordano and all of the other law enforcement personnel cautiously stood up to see what had happened. It did not take long to recognize that the explosion had occurred in the mine. All that was left was a pile of rocks and other debris.
Almost instinctively, several of the law enforcement personnel headed toward the mine, but Giordano urged them to stop.
“Hold up,” he said. “It would be just like these people to blow themselves up in order to entice us to investigate and then have another bomb timed to go off about the time we arrived. Or, the first explosion might trigger secondary explosions of gases that have accumulated in the years since the mine was closed. I think everyone should move back even further. I’ll contact our bomb and forensics experts and get them out here immediately.”
The entire group of law enforcement officials, including Sullivan and Rawlings, took Giordano’s advice and moved back another 100 yards from the mine entrance. Their move came just in time, because less than a moment after they arrived in their new location, an even more powerful explosion than the first sent pieces of debris flying high in the air, with much of it landing where they had previously been.
“We’re sure lucky that we were as far back as we were,” Trey said after the shock of the second explosion subsided.
“That’s for sure,” Toby agreed. “I guess we have Tony Giordano to thank for that. It was as if he had a sixth sense about what was going to happen.”