29-03-2025, 03:21 PM
"How late?"
"Usually not until after midnight at the earliest and then not leaving again until midnight the following night. Tyson steaked out the residence on his own time for the better part of two days."
"Geez. I'll bet his wife loved that," I said, acerbically.
"Uh, yeah, well, uh, Sergeant Peterson and his wife recently got a divorce."
"Oh, shit," I said, feeling like an ass. "I didn't know."
"No way you could know," Pete said. "Typical story, wife found a boyfriend while Ty was at work."
"Lot of that goin' around," I said, dryly.
"Yeah, there is," he said a bit melancholy. "Anyway," Pete continued, "we've had surveillance on the residence all day and we believe that someone is at the residence at this time."
"No kidding! What's your plan?"
"Well, that's why we wanted you here. We have a signed search warrant that we intend to execute tonight."
"We have our MRAP and wanted to know if we could borrow yours, as well, Pat," banks added.
"Sure, absolutely," I assured them. "Have you paged the Special Operations Group yet?"
"They should all be getting the page now," Sturgeon said.
"Outstanding. I really appreciate you guys letting me know," I said.
"Like I said, Pat. We want to do whatever we can to help your department. I was very sincere about that," Banks said.
"I know, and I appreciate that immensely."
*****
Throughout the day discreet phone calls had been placed to every neighboring home on Fairway Drive to ensure they were empty by the time the operation went into effect. Continuous surveillance had been in place to monitor if anybody entered or exited the residence.
Two ten-man assault teams had been put into place to get ready for a breach. The entire event, when given the "GO", would start with a fake breach attempt. One or both MRAPs, which stood for Mine-Resistant-Ambush-Protected vehicle, would go screaming down the street with lights, sirens and piercing noise from a psy-ops device that produce sounds of such volume and intensity it was absolutely painful to listen to for a long period of time. During this distraction, members of the assault team would use high speed drills to bore holes for the introduction of coaxial cables with tiny cameras on the end to gain sight and sound from inside the residence.
Unlike previous breaches, a cell phone would also be thrown inside the residence where it was known that a person holed up inside would see it and be able to answer it and make direct contact with law enforcement.
By 11 pm, the search warrants were signed and all assets were in place for a full-scale breach if necessary.
Chief Banks, Captain Sturgeon and I were in a mobile commander center located one block east and a block south of the Hammadi residence. Everything was set to go when disaster showed up out of nowhere.
"Quinn! I need you and your people to stand down immediately!"
I looked to my left and saw none other than Special Agent Bryce Cooper and three of his agents approach the command center.
"What's going on, sheriff?" Chief Banks asked.
"FBI, that's what," I said with venom.
"What the hell do they want?" Sturgeon asked.
"Agent Cooper. To what do we owe the pleasure?"
"Cut the crap, Quinn. I need all of you to stand down and back away from the residence."
"What the hell for?" I asked.
"You are not authorized to go after the Hammadi kid while he is directly or indirectly involved as a potential suspect in a terror investigation," Cooper answered.
"What terror investigation?"
"If that Hammadi kid is inside that residence, Sheriff, then he is either directly or indirectly involved in my investigation against the Minuteman Militia."
I couldn't help but chuckle. "Are you fucking serious?"
"Serious as a heart attack, Quinn. I still say that kid in there isn't a threat to you, Sheriff."
"All I know is that I have received a rash of anonymous phone calls and text messages and I've had somebody prowling around my property. I'm gonna at least get this last Hammadi kid and get to the fucking bottom of it."
"Quinn, I've already got a judge working on a cease-and-desist order as we speak. All of you need to pack your shit and go home," Cooper warned.
Banks, Sturgeon and I all looked at each other.
"Sooooooo," I started, "do you happen to have that search warrant with you right now?"
Cooper removed his sunglasses, even though it was now autumn and nighttime.
"No, Quinn, I don't happen to have it right in my hands. But it will literally be here before the ink can dry."
"So, what you're saying is that we have some time to execute our warrant before you get yours?"
"That's not what I'm saying at all, Quinn! So help me God, I will fucking BURY you if you execute that warrant and that Hammadi kid gets killed! I will make you take a bath in that kid's blood, Quinn!"
Chief Banks and I looked at one another.
"It's your call, Sheriff. If you want us to go in there and get 'em, just say the word!"
I looked at Cooper, then back at Banks and Sturgeon. "I'm getting sick of this shit. It all ends tonight!"
"You heard, him," Banks ordered. "Get back in your places and get ready for a breach."
"Jesus Christ! You hometown hillbillies are making a big fucking mistake! Quinn, you need to seriously listen to me on this!"
"Why the fuck should I listen to you, Cooper? I've been giving you information and asking for your help for the last three fucking weeks! And what did I get? Nothing but the run-around and a bunch of bullshit! We're gonna breach that goddamned house and we're gonna end this shit tonight!"
Pete Sturgeon radioed out to the team members. "Everyone, listen up! We go for A/V breach in one minute!"
A/V breach stood for Audio/Visual breach and was our signal for introducing the cameras and phone into the residence while distracting the occupant.
All Cooper and his fellow FBI agents could do was just stand there and watch. Since we were not on Federal ground, they needed to get permission to overrule us and take tactical or administrative command over the situation.
Exactly on cue, the two big MRAPs - a gift from Uncle Sam for the cool price of $1.00 each - came roaring down the street, drove up onto the Hammadi's lawn and unleashed a fury of massively loud sounds, sirens and bright lights. In under 90 seconds the basement, first floor and upstairs had been wired for sound and video. Additionally, a front door window was breached and a simple cell phone was thrown inside the residence that started ringing immediately.
Cooper just shook his head. "You better pray to Christ Almighty, Quinn, that this thing goes off without a hitch," he seethed.
"These men and women are professionals. It will."
The MRAPs and breach team members quickly retreated back to their original positions.
Sure enough, someone inside the residence answered the security officer phone that was thrown inside.
"Hello?" someone said, sheepishly.
"This is Captain Pete Sturgeon from the Red River Falls security officer Department. Who am I speaking with?"
"Who I am is unimportant right now. What do you want?"
"We need everyone inside that residence to slowly exit the building with your hands up. We have two canine units on site. If we have to, we will breach the house along with the dogs. The dogs WILL bite you and potentially seriously injure you if you resist. Do you understand me?"
"There is no one else in the house besides me. I will come out now. Please don't shoot me!"
"You have my word that you won't be harmed. Everyone inside that house needs to exit the front door, turn around and slowly walk backwards towards the street. Someone will guide you, just follow the sound of their voice. Do you understand me?"
"Yes. As I said, I am not a threat so please do not harm me."
"You won't be harmed, sir. Just do as I say."
"Okay, I am coming out now."
I looked through a pair of binoculars towards the house. Sure enough, the front door opened and the subject walked out, hands and arms outstretched. He took a couple of steps and then turned around and walked backwards before he was taken into custody by one of the SOG team members. The subject was then thoroughly frisked and searched before being brought back to the command center.
I was just about to start chewing some serious ass on that individual but, just as he arrived at the commander center, I was startled to see who it really was.
"Mr. Pradesh?" I said, shocked.
"Hello again, Sheriff," he replied.
"Jesus, Quinn," Agent Cooper said. "You know this guy?"
"Mr. Pradesh is a college professor up in Fargo. He stopped by my office last week and we had fairly enlightening talk," I explained to Cooper. I turned toward Pradesh. "What exactly are you doing at the Hammadi residence this evening, Mr. Pradesh?"
"The same as you, I would presume, Sheriff."
"And that is?"
He took a deep breath. "I was looking for and waiting for Jaffar Hammadi."
"So you knew that he was back in Red River Falls?"
"I knew that he was back in the area, yes. But I had no idea what he was doing here or where he was staying. His father gave me a key to the residence to watch over it until they return."
"IF they return," Agent Cooper interjected.
"Yes, of course," Pradesh said with disdain. "It is rumored that the FBI now wants the entire family placed on the no-fly list."
"It ain't a fucking rumor. And that's the least of their problems," Cooper said. "If this Jaffar kid really blew off checking in at the airport in Atlanta and snuck his way back here, he's gonna be in a world of shit, especially if he really did harass and threaten the sheriff."
"Oh, NOW you're on my side???" I said, incredulously.
"Watch it, Quinn," Cooper warned.
"Please, gentlemen," Pradesh begged. "I really do not believe that Jaffar truly meant to harm the sheriff or anyone else. He is simply an angry young man whose entire world has been ripped apart by events he had no control over. He was well-liked in his college, an exceptional student and a gifted athlete who loved American sports. Please do not hold him accountable for the actions of his older brothers! I beg of you!"
"So, let me ask you this," I said. "If Jaffar isn't here, do you have any idea where he might be staying? We've already checked numerous times with kids he used to be friends with and none of them have seen him."
Pradesh was quiet for a few moments. "I would rather not say."
"Hey, you don't have a fuckin' choice!" Cooper bellowed. "If you don't start cooperating right-this-fucking-minute, I swear to God I will charge you as an accessory for any and all crimes we end up charging the Hammadi kid with! Do I make myself clear?"
Pradesh took on a defiant pose. "Your threats do not scare me, Mister FBI man!" he spat. "Do what you must but I will not betray him for the likes of you!"
While Pradesh and Cooper stood there arguing, I thought back to what he had said a little while ago. Suddenly, it dawned on me. I knew exactly where Jaffar was hiding.
"He's at the ---c Center on north Madison!" The look on Pradesh's face gave him away, despite his insistence otherwise. "You yourself said that the Hammadis gave you a key to their residence. It is also understood that the Hammadis are the only ones who contributed any significant funds for your ---c Center. That building was acquired by you less than a day after the murders and BEFORE the Hammadis left for Dubai. You live in Fargo, so it would only make sense to have at least someone in the immediate area have access to the center."
"What's the address of that ---c Center again, Sheriff?" Chief Banks asked.
"It's at 818 and 1/2 North Madison, just a block due east from where Tristan Embegwe lived. Chances are, if he's anywhere right now, it's probably there."
Pradesh said nothing, his mouth slowly open as he wondered if he had said anything to give away Jaffar's location.
"Sheriff, let's get everyone gathered up," Banks suggested, "and we'll regroup near Grant Elementary college. Then we can figure out how we want to take this kid down."
"What about this Pradesh guy?" Sturgeon asked.
"Just throw him in the back of one of your squad cars and take him with us," I suggested. Banks and Sturgeon nodded their agreement.
"Sheriff and Chief," Agent Cooper interrupted, "this is still an active crime scene and I forbid you all to leave just yet."
"Well, smartass," Chief Banks continued, "they just delivered your warrants a little bit ago. You can have this crime scene all to yourself. We're gonna head to the north side of town and catch that little punk kid. If you wanna try and work your magic with a judge to help get an additional warrant, be my guest. But this shit is gonna end and it is gonna end now!"
The beauty was, there wasn't jack SHIT that Cooper and his band of ass kissers could do about it besides just stand there and watch us all drive away. After all, we weren't on Federal land. He was still cussing a blue streak as we rounded the corner and drove out of sight.
******
Chief Banks and Pete Sturgeon staged all of the vehicles at Grant Elementary college, which was two blocks south and two blocks east of the ---c Center. Two strike teams of ten men each mounted up in the MRAPs and were delivered in place. Phone calls were made to every residence on the same block as the ---c Center warning citizens that a security officer action was in progress, to stay in their homes and seek shelter in their basements, if possible. Of course, few people did, choosing instead to just turn off their lights and peer out their windows to get a few of the action.
Given the fact that we weren't able to evacuate the neighbors meant that a breach was the most likely option. It was unlikely that Jaffar would be expecting a surprise breach. Simple surveillance determined that all of the windows were covered up. Only the faintest of light could be seen in a corner of one of the windows. A member of the SOG team, Trooper Lyle McKinley, crept up to the house side of the building and adjoining ---c Center. External surveillance revealed no presence of external security cameras, which I thought was odd. But the property was only recently acquired by Pradesh and probably just hadn't gotten around to being put in yet.
Although Trooper McKinley couldn't identify him, he was able to ascertain that there was, indeed, someone inside the building. A search warrant from Judge Chester Prohaski was hastily obtained and driven like a bat out of Hades to the parking lot of Grant Elementary. With paperwork in hand, it was time to go.
Both MRAPs began screaming down opposite ends of the street, or at least as fast as a 20-ton vehicle can go. They both stopped directly in front of the entrance to the ---c Center with a blinding display of red, white and blue flashing strobes and began blaring 160 decibels of sirens and the most obnoxious and ear-splitting psy-ops noise you ever heard!
One SOG team member used a meter puller borrowed from the Red River Falls Fire Department and yanked the electric meter off the outside of the building, immediately killing the power, and lights, to the building. Two cone-shaped charges detonated with a reverse-concussion and blew out the doors to the back of the building. The remaining members of the SOG team stormed the building. As they neared the main room of the ---c Center, the two point men for each team tossed a flash-bang grenade with a two-second delay into the room. The resulting bangs and concussions disoriented and temporarily knocked out the hearing of the suspect in the main room.
"security officer DEPARTMENT! GET ON THE GROUND, NOW, NOW, NOW!!"
One of the lead team members grabbed the suspect and pinned him on the floor with his knee to the back of the suspect's neck while the second team member quickly cuffed the subject, gave him a quick pat-down and determined that he was unarmed.
"CLEAR FRONT!"
"CLEAR BACK!"
One-by-one the rest of the team members began clearing each room in the building containing the ---c Center as well as each room of the house it was attached to.
"Command, strike team! Building is clear! One subject in custody!"
"Strike team, command. Good copy," Sturgeon answered. "Commence secondary search of the premises."
"Strike team copies. Commencing secondary search. We're exiting the building now with the subject."
About five minutes later, the two officers from the SOG team arrived at the hasty command center with none other than Jaffar Hammadi. He had a bewildered look on his face and his nose was bleeding, most likely from the concussion of a close-proximity blast from the flash-bang. As soon as Jaffar saw me, however, the look of fear and bewilderment was replaced by a look of hate and loathing.
"Well, well, well," Chief Banks said. "You must be Jaffar Hammadi. We've been looking for you, young man."
Hammadi said nothing, just standing there glaring at me. He was barely five-and-a-half feet tall. At 17 years of age, he was still more boy than man. But he apparently learned how to hate and be angry like a man.
"Just so you know, we also have Salah Udi Pradesh in custody. He's currently being held in that squad car right over there," I said pointing at the RRFPD squad car.
"Fuck you, Sheriff! Mister Pradesh had nothing to do with this! This was all me! I planned this!"
"Planned what?" I asked.
Hammadi was quiet for a moment and then said, "Let's just say you're lucky you found me when you did, Sheriff."
"Command from strike team," the radio crackled.
"Strike team, command. Go ahead with your traffic," Sturgeon answered.
"Command, you better get down here. We're evacuating the building. Request you contact BCI and have the explosives team en route immediately."
"Strike team, good copy. We'll begin neighborhood evacuation."
"Pat? Do you wanna come check this out, too?" Sturgeon asked.
"Yeah, I might as well."
Jaffar Hammadi was comprehensively searched, had leg shackles added in addition to his handcuffs, and was placed in the back seat of a Red River Falls PD cruiser, where he continued to glare and visually hate me as we walked the two blocks to the scene. Once we got there, one of the SOG team members handed me a stack of photos. As I leafed through them, I could feel my face go pale and my stomach go cold as I saw the numerous pictures of me, Shannon, our kids and even my ex-wife Clarissa. All of our faces had red circles drawn around them in marker with a center dot, indicating we were all targets.
The SOG team leader was a Red River Falls security officer Officer named Lieutenant Kenny Ferguson.
"Gentlemen," he started, "the reason we evacuated the premises was because we found eight completely full propane tanks along with detonators in various stages of completion. Additionally, we found five 20-pound bags of gunpowder and forty pre-cut and threaded pipe sections that could only be uncompleted pipe bombs. In addition, there were plans for homemade bombs scattered all over the room that he obviously downloaded off the internet. But they are all workable plans."
"Any firearms?" Chief Banks asked.
"None that we could see so far but we haven't looked that close. As soon as we found the explosives we made the call to pull out."
"Good job, Lieutenant," Sturgeon reassured him.
"Oh, and we also found this," Ferguson said, tossing me an object. It was a Motorola compact satellite phone. Well, I'll be damned, I thought. No wonder we couldn't get a fix on the phone and break the number.
"With all due respect, gentlemen," I added, still admiring the sat phone, "we're going to need to call Agent Cooper. Whether we want to make a big production of this or not, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are going to need to be called as well as the FBI Counter-Terrorism Task Force. Red River Falls is about to get famous again."
"Usually not until after midnight at the earliest and then not leaving again until midnight the following night. Tyson steaked out the residence on his own time for the better part of two days."
"Geez. I'll bet his wife loved that," I said, acerbically.
"Uh, yeah, well, uh, Sergeant Peterson and his wife recently got a divorce."
"Oh, shit," I said, feeling like an ass. "I didn't know."
"No way you could know," Pete said. "Typical story, wife found a boyfriend while Ty was at work."
"Lot of that goin' around," I said, dryly.
"Yeah, there is," he said a bit melancholy. "Anyway," Pete continued, "we've had surveillance on the residence all day and we believe that someone is at the residence at this time."
"No kidding! What's your plan?"
"Well, that's why we wanted you here. We have a signed search warrant that we intend to execute tonight."
"We have our MRAP and wanted to know if we could borrow yours, as well, Pat," banks added.
"Sure, absolutely," I assured them. "Have you paged the Special Operations Group yet?"
"They should all be getting the page now," Sturgeon said.
"Outstanding. I really appreciate you guys letting me know," I said.
"Like I said, Pat. We want to do whatever we can to help your department. I was very sincere about that," Banks said.
"I know, and I appreciate that immensely."
*****
Throughout the day discreet phone calls had been placed to every neighboring home on Fairway Drive to ensure they were empty by the time the operation went into effect. Continuous surveillance had been in place to monitor if anybody entered or exited the residence.
Two ten-man assault teams had been put into place to get ready for a breach. The entire event, when given the "GO", would start with a fake breach attempt. One or both MRAPs, which stood for Mine-Resistant-Ambush-Protected vehicle, would go screaming down the street with lights, sirens and piercing noise from a psy-ops device that produce sounds of such volume and intensity it was absolutely painful to listen to for a long period of time. During this distraction, members of the assault team would use high speed drills to bore holes for the introduction of coaxial cables with tiny cameras on the end to gain sight and sound from inside the residence.
Unlike previous breaches, a cell phone would also be thrown inside the residence where it was known that a person holed up inside would see it and be able to answer it and make direct contact with law enforcement.
By 11 pm, the search warrants were signed and all assets were in place for a full-scale breach if necessary.
Chief Banks, Captain Sturgeon and I were in a mobile commander center located one block east and a block south of the Hammadi residence. Everything was set to go when disaster showed up out of nowhere.
"Quinn! I need you and your people to stand down immediately!"
I looked to my left and saw none other than Special Agent Bryce Cooper and three of his agents approach the command center.
"What's going on, sheriff?" Chief Banks asked.
"FBI, that's what," I said with venom.
"What the hell do they want?" Sturgeon asked.
"Agent Cooper. To what do we owe the pleasure?"
"Cut the crap, Quinn. I need all of you to stand down and back away from the residence."
"What the hell for?" I asked.
"You are not authorized to go after the Hammadi kid while he is directly or indirectly involved as a potential suspect in a terror investigation," Cooper answered.
"What terror investigation?"
"If that Hammadi kid is inside that residence, Sheriff, then he is either directly or indirectly involved in my investigation against the Minuteman Militia."
I couldn't help but chuckle. "Are you fucking serious?"
"Serious as a heart attack, Quinn. I still say that kid in there isn't a threat to you, Sheriff."
"All I know is that I have received a rash of anonymous phone calls and text messages and I've had somebody prowling around my property. I'm gonna at least get this last Hammadi kid and get to the fucking bottom of it."
"Quinn, I've already got a judge working on a cease-and-desist order as we speak. All of you need to pack your shit and go home," Cooper warned.
Banks, Sturgeon and I all looked at each other.
"Sooooooo," I started, "do you happen to have that search warrant with you right now?"
Cooper removed his sunglasses, even though it was now autumn and nighttime.
"No, Quinn, I don't happen to have it right in my hands. But it will literally be here before the ink can dry."
"So, what you're saying is that we have some time to execute our warrant before you get yours?"
"That's not what I'm saying at all, Quinn! So help me God, I will fucking BURY you if you execute that warrant and that Hammadi kid gets killed! I will make you take a bath in that kid's blood, Quinn!"
Chief Banks and I looked at one another.
"It's your call, Sheriff. If you want us to go in there and get 'em, just say the word!"
I looked at Cooper, then back at Banks and Sturgeon. "I'm getting sick of this shit. It all ends tonight!"
"You heard, him," Banks ordered. "Get back in your places and get ready for a breach."
"Jesus Christ! You hometown hillbillies are making a big fucking mistake! Quinn, you need to seriously listen to me on this!"
"Why the fuck should I listen to you, Cooper? I've been giving you information and asking for your help for the last three fucking weeks! And what did I get? Nothing but the run-around and a bunch of bullshit! We're gonna breach that goddamned house and we're gonna end this shit tonight!"
Pete Sturgeon radioed out to the team members. "Everyone, listen up! We go for A/V breach in one minute!"
A/V breach stood for Audio/Visual breach and was our signal for introducing the cameras and phone into the residence while distracting the occupant.
All Cooper and his fellow FBI agents could do was just stand there and watch. Since we were not on Federal ground, they needed to get permission to overrule us and take tactical or administrative command over the situation.
Exactly on cue, the two big MRAPs - a gift from Uncle Sam for the cool price of $1.00 each - came roaring down the street, drove up onto the Hammadi's lawn and unleashed a fury of massively loud sounds, sirens and bright lights. In under 90 seconds the basement, first floor and upstairs had been wired for sound and video. Additionally, a front door window was breached and a simple cell phone was thrown inside the residence that started ringing immediately.
Cooper just shook his head. "You better pray to Christ Almighty, Quinn, that this thing goes off without a hitch," he seethed.
"These men and women are professionals. It will."
The MRAPs and breach team members quickly retreated back to their original positions.
Sure enough, someone inside the residence answered the security officer phone that was thrown inside.
"Hello?" someone said, sheepishly.
"This is Captain Pete Sturgeon from the Red River Falls security officer Department. Who am I speaking with?"
"Who I am is unimportant right now. What do you want?"
"We need everyone inside that residence to slowly exit the building with your hands up. We have two canine units on site. If we have to, we will breach the house along with the dogs. The dogs WILL bite you and potentially seriously injure you if you resist. Do you understand me?"
"There is no one else in the house besides me. I will come out now. Please don't shoot me!"
"You have my word that you won't be harmed. Everyone inside that house needs to exit the front door, turn around and slowly walk backwards towards the street. Someone will guide you, just follow the sound of their voice. Do you understand me?"
"Yes. As I said, I am not a threat so please do not harm me."
"You won't be harmed, sir. Just do as I say."
"Okay, I am coming out now."
I looked through a pair of binoculars towards the house. Sure enough, the front door opened and the subject walked out, hands and arms outstretched. He took a couple of steps and then turned around and walked backwards before he was taken into custody by one of the SOG team members. The subject was then thoroughly frisked and searched before being brought back to the command center.
I was just about to start chewing some serious ass on that individual but, just as he arrived at the commander center, I was startled to see who it really was.
"Mr. Pradesh?" I said, shocked.
"Hello again, Sheriff," he replied.
"Jesus, Quinn," Agent Cooper said. "You know this guy?"
"Mr. Pradesh is a college professor up in Fargo. He stopped by my office last week and we had fairly enlightening talk," I explained to Cooper. I turned toward Pradesh. "What exactly are you doing at the Hammadi residence this evening, Mr. Pradesh?"
"The same as you, I would presume, Sheriff."
"And that is?"
He took a deep breath. "I was looking for and waiting for Jaffar Hammadi."
"So you knew that he was back in Red River Falls?"
"I knew that he was back in the area, yes. But I had no idea what he was doing here or where he was staying. His father gave me a key to the residence to watch over it until they return."
"IF they return," Agent Cooper interjected.
"Yes, of course," Pradesh said with disdain. "It is rumored that the FBI now wants the entire family placed on the no-fly list."
"It ain't a fucking rumor. And that's the least of their problems," Cooper said. "If this Jaffar kid really blew off checking in at the airport in Atlanta and snuck his way back here, he's gonna be in a world of shit, especially if he really did harass and threaten the sheriff."
"Oh, NOW you're on my side???" I said, incredulously.
"Watch it, Quinn," Cooper warned.
"Please, gentlemen," Pradesh begged. "I really do not believe that Jaffar truly meant to harm the sheriff or anyone else. He is simply an angry young man whose entire world has been ripped apart by events he had no control over. He was well-liked in his college, an exceptional student and a gifted athlete who loved American sports. Please do not hold him accountable for the actions of his older brothers! I beg of you!"
"So, let me ask you this," I said. "If Jaffar isn't here, do you have any idea where he might be staying? We've already checked numerous times with kids he used to be friends with and none of them have seen him."
Pradesh was quiet for a few moments. "I would rather not say."
"Hey, you don't have a fuckin' choice!" Cooper bellowed. "If you don't start cooperating right-this-fucking-minute, I swear to God I will charge you as an accessory for any and all crimes we end up charging the Hammadi kid with! Do I make myself clear?"
Pradesh took on a defiant pose. "Your threats do not scare me, Mister FBI man!" he spat. "Do what you must but I will not betray him for the likes of you!"
While Pradesh and Cooper stood there arguing, I thought back to what he had said a little while ago. Suddenly, it dawned on me. I knew exactly where Jaffar was hiding.
"He's at the ---c Center on north Madison!" The look on Pradesh's face gave him away, despite his insistence otherwise. "You yourself said that the Hammadis gave you a key to their residence. It is also understood that the Hammadis are the only ones who contributed any significant funds for your ---c Center. That building was acquired by you less than a day after the murders and BEFORE the Hammadis left for Dubai. You live in Fargo, so it would only make sense to have at least someone in the immediate area have access to the center."
"What's the address of that ---c Center again, Sheriff?" Chief Banks asked.
"It's at 818 and 1/2 North Madison, just a block due east from where Tristan Embegwe lived. Chances are, if he's anywhere right now, it's probably there."
Pradesh said nothing, his mouth slowly open as he wondered if he had said anything to give away Jaffar's location.
"Sheriff, let's get everyone gathered up," Banks suggested, "and we'll regroup near Grant Elementary college. Then we can figure out how we want to take this kid down."
"What about this Pradesh guy?" Sturgeon asked.
"Just throw him in the back of one of your squad cars and take him with us," I suggested. Banks and Sturgeon nodded their agreement.
"Sheriff and Chief," Agent Cooper interrupted, "this is still an active crime scene and I forbid you all to leave just yet."
"Well, smartass," Chief Banks continued, "they just delivered your warrants a little bit ago. You can have this crime scene all to yourself. We're gonna head to the north side of town and catch that little punk kid. If you wanna try and work your magic with a judge to help get an additional warrant, be my guest. But this shit is gonna end and it is gonna end now!"
The beauty was, there wasn't jack SHIT that Cooper and his band of ass kissers could do about it besides just stand there and watch us all drive away. After all, we weren't on Federal land. He was still cussing a blue streak as we rounded the corner and drove out of sight.
******
Chief Banks and Pete Sturgeon staged all of the vehicles at Grant Elementary college, which was two blocks south and two blocks east of the ---c Center. Two strike teams of ten men each mounted up in the MRAPs and were delivered in place. Phone calls were made to every residence on the same block as the ---c Center warning citizens that a security officer action was in progress, to stay in their homes and seek shelter in their basements, if possible. Of course, few people did, choosing instead to just turn off their lights and peer out their windows to get a few of the action.
Given the fact that we weren't able to evacuate the neighbors meant that a breach was the most likely option. It was unlikely that Jaffar would be expecting a surprise breach. Simple surveillance determined that all of the windows were covered up. Only the faintest of light could be seen in a corner of one of the windows. A member of the SOG team, Trooper Lyle McKinley, crept up to the house side of the building and adjoining ---c Center. External surveillance revealed no presence of external security cameras, which I thought was odd. But the property was only recently acquired by Pradesh and probably just hadn't gotten around to being put in yet.
Although Trooper McKinley couldn't identify him, he was able to ascertain that there was, indeed, someone inside the building. A search warrant from Judge Chester Prohaski was hastily obtained and driven like a bat out of Hades to the parking lot of Grant Elementary. With paperwork in hand, it was time to go.
Both MRAPs began screaming down opposite ends of the street, or at least as fast as a 20-ton vehicle can go. They both stopped directly in front of the entrance to the ---c Center with a blinding display of red, white and blue flashing strobes and began blaring 160 decibels of sirens and the most obnoxious and ear-splitting psy-ops noise you ever heard!
One SOG team member used a meter puller borrowed from the Red River Falls Fire Department and yanked the electric meter off the outside of the building, immediately killing the power, and lights, to the building. Two cone-shaped charges detonated with a reverse-concussion and blew out the doors to the back of the building. The remaining members of the SOG team stormed the building. As they neared the main room of the ---c Center, the two point men for each team tossed a flash-bang grenade with a two-second delay into the room. The resulting bangs and concussions disoriented and temporarily knocked out the hearing of the suspect in the main room.
"security officer DEPARTMENT! GET ON THE GROUND, NOW, NOW, NOW!!"
One of the lead team members grabbed the suspect and pinned him on the floor with his knee to the back of the suspect's neck while the second team member quickly cuffed the subject, gave him a quick pat-down and determined that he was unarmed.
"CLEAR FRONT!"
"CLEAR BACK!"
One-by-one the rest of the team members began clearing each room in the building containing the ---c Center as well as each room of the house it was attached to.
"Command, strike team! Building is clear! One subject in custody!"
"Strike team, command. Good copy," Sturgeon answered. "Commence secondary search of the premises."
"Strike team copies. Commencing secondary search. We're exiting the building now with the subject."
About five minutes later, the two officers from the SOG team arrived at the hasty command center with none other than Jaffar Hammadi. He had a bewildered look on his face and his nose was bleeding, most likely from the concussion of a close-proximity blast from the flash-bang. As soon as Jaffar saw me, however, the look of fear and bewilderment was replaced by a look of hate and loathing.
"Well, well, well," Chief Banks said. "You must be Jaffar Hammadi. We've been looking for you, young man."
Hammadi said nothing, just standing there glaring at me. He was barely five-and-a-half feet tall. At 17 years of age, he was still more boy than man. But he apparently learned how to hate and be angry like a man.
"Just so you know, we also have Salah Udi Pradesh in custody. He's currently being held in that squad car right over there," I said pointing at the RRFPD squad car.
"Fuck you, Sheriff! Mister Pradesh had nothing to do with this! This was all me! I planned this!"
"Planned what?" I asked.
Hammadi was quiet for a moment and then said, "Let's just say you're lucky you found me when you did, Sheriff."
"Command from strike team," the radio crackled.
"Strike team, command. Go ahead with your traffic," Sturgeon answered.
"Command, you better get down here. We're evacuating the building. Request you contact BCI and have the explosives team en route immediately."
"Strike team, good copy. We'll begin neighborhood evacuation."
"Pat? Do you wanna come check this out, too?" Sturgeon asked.
"Yeah, I might as well."
Jaffar Hammadi was comprehensively searched, had leg shackles added in addition to his handcuffs, and was placed in the back seat of a Red River Falls PD cruiser, where he continued to glare and visually hate me as we walked the two blocks to the scene. Once we got there, one of the SOG team members handed me a stack of photos. As I leafed through them, I could feel my face go pale and my stomach go cold as I saw the numerous pictures of me, Shannon, our kids and even my ex-wife Clarissa. All of our faces had red circles drawn around them in marker with a center dot, indicating we were all targets.
The SOG team leader was a Red River Falls security officer Officer named Lieutenant Kenny Ferguson.
"Gentlemen," he started, "the reason we evacuated the premises was because we found eight completely full propane tanks along with detonators in various stages of completion. Additionally, we found five 20-pound bags of gunpowder and forty pre-cut and threaded pipe sections that could only be uncompleted pipe bombs. In addition, there were plans for homemade bombs scattered all over the room that he obviously downloaded off the internet. But they are all workable plans."
"Any firearms?" Chief Banks asked.
"None that we could see so far but we haven't looked that close. As soon as we found the explosives we made the call to pull out."
"Good job, Lieutenant," Sturgeon reassured him.
"Oh, and we also found this," Ferguson said, tossing me an object. It was a Motorola compact satellite phone. Well, I'll be damned, I thought. No wonder we couldn't get a fix on the phone and break the number.
"With all due respect, gentlemen," I added, still admiring the sat phone, "we're going to need to call Agent Cooper. Whether we want to make a big production of this or not, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are going to need to be called as well as the FBI Counter-Terrorism Task Force. Red River Falls is about to get famous again."
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