<Aston, turn on their armor settings, quickly. Send in as many people as we need and retrieve those prisoners and anyone with them. Next, trace all communications from that police station that had to do with those prisoners. I want to know who is the pipeline from that place and where those communications went. Who ordered the transfers?>
<Your timing was impeccable. Seconds after the armor was activated. The troops around them opened fire on the prisoners. Where do we put them?>
<How about that lake in Yukon Territory. The one we found with no occupants and miles and miles from anybody. That would do as a temporary site along with about four of those lock up containers. We can set our people to interrogating them.>
<Andy, another problem. While scanning that police building for the information you are after, I discovered a big bomb in the basement and it is due to go off in five minutes. The thing is covered in more of those nanites. I have been frying them but I am pretty sure I do not have them all. >
<Pat and I are on it.> <Excuse us, we will be back in a few minutes. There is an emergency at the police station. We will meet you in the garage shortly.> <Pat, we need to power up for what I have in mind, here have a look.> he opened his mind to her to show what he was up to. In doing so he gave them both a quantum leap in their telekinetic capability. They went to the geosynchronous orbit and absorbed the energy they felt would be needed. They then returned to the police station, surrounded the explosives and nanites in a force bubble. They teleported with the force bubble to the moon where they maintained the bubble until the explosion occurred destroying everything within the bubble.
They returned to the parking garage below the Prime Minister's office and Andy described what had occurred. <We need a secure location to question all in the police station and maybe the best place is the station itself. The place looks like a fortress. This thing is quickly getting out of hand. We also need to find the source for those tracking nanites. Lets find out who was not at the police station who should have been. Who was there but left before the bomb was due to go off? There are a few too many coincidences here. Someone is trying to cover their tracks.>
<Aston, let's get at least 20 of our people there to support a lock down. Nobody in or out until we are done.>
<Done, they are in place. Everybody is itching to join the exercise.>
It occurs to me that the police station is a good place to start. We need to lock it down. We may want a military effort to do that. Also check to see if we have any more bombs to worry about including police and personal vehicles. Colonel, we need a secure lock up for these prisoners and the six who tried to take them out.>
"Yes, we are working with too little information. We need to change that."
The four outlined a plan for the next few minutes and then Andy and Pat teleported Adam and Moshe to the lobby of the station.
<Aston, tag everyone in the building, truth setting only.>
<Done.>
"Everyone listen up. I am Colonel Moshe Eppstein. I have been appointed by the prime minister to investigate a matter of national security involving this station. We hope to have the station back in normal operation in about an hour, but from this minute on, nothing else takes priority. The only ones who may enter until then are officers and staff that were out of the building temporarily and are now returning. Who is the officer in charge please?"
An officer responded, "That would be Major Roesberg."
"Where is Major Roesberg now?"
"We do not know sir, he left the building about 30 minutes ago without explanation."
"Sergeant, is it normal practice for the officer in charge to leave the building during his duty time?"
"No sir, in fact it is contrary to standard operating procedures."
<Aston, can you find him?>
<I have been searching for him. Got him. He is at gun point with two individuals. I have tagged him and activated settings no harm and armor.>
<Tag the other two with the no harm setting. Please dispatch three Solarans to bring them in. Send a fourth to search the location where they were found to bring in anything pertinent to this investigation.>
A few seconds later the three were delivered to the Police station lobby. Colonel Eppstein commanded, "Three chairs and restraints please." He then spoke to the desk sergeant, "Sergeant, are there any detainees in your cells at present?"
"No sir, we are empty."
"Ok, I want everyone in the building here in this lobby right away. Your phone lines have all been transferred to another station for handling. Sergeant, is there anyone else that should be here, who is not?"
"No sir. We couldn't find Captain Keller when Major Roesberg left so Lieutenant Rosen assumed command. But other than the terrorist attempt earlier today, it has been exceptionally quiet."
"Now, you are for the most part, trained law enforcement officers here and understand the risks you take everyday in your line of work. At the time we locked this building down, the Solarans detected a bomb in the basement of this building with about 100 pounds of C-4. I think most of you are aware of what that much explosive would have done in a building with this configuration. The walls would have been left standing but the interior along with anything within the walls would have been destroyed. Sergeant, please arrange for recording equipment in this room if you please. I am going to ask Major Roesberg a number of questions that the Solarans assure me will be answered truthfully and then we will see where that takes us. What the rest of you hear in this room, stays in this room. No leaks. Understood?"
A number of the officers and staff nodded. The Colonel stated crossly, "I want to hear that you understand."
All responded, "Yes sir."
When the recording equipment was ready, Colonel Eppstein said, "Major Roesberg, you will answer my questions with these officers present as witness to your statements. Understood."
"Yes sir."
"Earlier today, six persons representing themselves to be Mossad agents arrived here to take eight terrorists into custody. You approved that action, is that correct?"
"Yes sir."
"Were those individuals in fact from Mossad?"
"No sir, they were not."
"Who then were they?"
"They were representatives of a terrorist organization based in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia under Hadi Mustafa."
"Can you name them."
"No I cannot."
"Do you know what was their intent?"
"Yes, they were here to clean up loose ends by terminating the failed suicide bombers. They are also building a trap for the Solarans by trying to determine where they come from and then attack at their homes."
"Why would you allow this?"
"Because they kidnapped my wife and daughter and said they would slowly torture and then kill them if I did not do as they wanted."
"Were the bombers in Nice and Stuttgard related to the incident here earlier today?"
"Yes they were."
"Where are they building the tracking devices they are using?"
"I do not know."
"Were you aware that there was a bomb in this building set to kill all of your fellow officers?"
"Yes I was."
The shock in the room was palpable. The colonel then went around the room and asked each officer including Major Keller and each staff person there if he or she was aware of or culpable in any of the confessions of the Major. None were. Next he started on the two men brought in with the Major. He asked "Where are the Major's wife and daughter?"
"They died when the attack in Nice started."
"Why were you going to kill the Major?"
"Because he is a weakling and a loose end."
"Who is your leader?"
"He is Hadi Mustafa."
"Where is he now? Give me his precise location."
One of the men gave him an exact address.
<Andy, Pat, Moshe and Adam. I have located him and have tagged him. He has five others with him and they have also been tagged.>
<Outstanding. Let me know if they start to travel.>
The Colonel continued, "What were your orders following execution of the Major?."
"We were to assist in the termination the eight failed suicide bombers."
"What were your instructions concerning the six fake Mossad agents?"
"We were to terminate them when the suicide bombers were finished. They were private contractors that have no allegiance to our cause."
"Are there any more from your organization targeting this station?"
"No."
"Who is Husam Hassan?"
"He is an Israeli agent who has been giving our group considerable difficulty. We were trying to arrange for the Solarans to find out who he is for us."
"Sergeant, would you please put these creatures in separate cells until I can get someone over here to take them."
"Gladly Colonel."
"Now lets see what our fake Mossad agents have to say for themselves."
The six were brought in and seated in the same fashion as their predecessors. The colonel played back the taped interviews and then asked them if they had anything to say. Essentially they had nothing to add. The tags were set at location and no harm and the truth setting was turned off. Finally, the suicide bombers were brought in and again nothing substantial was added.
The Colonel called the Prime Minister and reported in full. "Moshe, I knew you were quick and efficient, but this is amazing. Thank you."
"Prime Minister, I have never had this kind of help before. I hope to work with this group again sometime. Am I correct in assuming that Major Keller can return to his station here and stay a Major?"
"Indeed. Talk to you tomorrow."
The Colonel announced, "Ok everyone. The lockdown is over. Major Keller is in charge. Shin Bet will be here shortly to take charge of all your prisoners. Remember, this is not for public disclosure. If anyone asks, you were having a readiness drill that you are not supposed to talk about. Just another day in Paradise."
Chapter 17 - Terrorist Take Down
# Jerusalem #
# Later that Day #
"Commander, might I have a chat with you before you leave?"
Mentally Andy responded, <Certainly Colonel. We might want to keep this between us so let's use mind to mind communication. That was nicely handled Colonel.>
<Commander, you know as well as I do that none of this could have been resolved as quickly as it was without your efforts. The truth setting you use on your tags is very handy.>
<But easily abused. We probably stepped on the line a few times today, but the lives saved probably warrant the use. Let me guess what you are thinking, you would like to be there for the takedown of this Hadi Mustafa, right?>
The Colonel looked surprised, <You told me that you are not reading my mind. Am I that transparent?>
Andy laughed and responded, <No, but if I were you, that is what I would want to do.>
<Well, as it happens, that is exactly what I would like, is it possible?>
<Colonel, what I am about to tell you is not for disclosure, not even to your friend the Prime Minister. Can you agree to that?>
<What you would tell me does not create conflicts with my country's national security, does it?>
<I promise you that and if there is an area of conflict I will be willing to discuss portions of disclosure to protect that interest.>
<That is fair, I agree.>
<OK, you know how careful we are to protect our identities and homes. Our Solarans are presently drawn from 12 countries and our ship is from a system 86 light years away. The protection we can give you is limited but probably more than you might expect. It is part of the tagging system we typically use for persons of interest. I am suggesting that we tag you, with settings activated on location, communication and armor. We will agree not to activate the no harm setting ever. We would also agree to not activate the truth setting without your prior approval and if it is used, for an agreed upon time if ever activated. In the operation in which you would like to accompany us, you may hear things like Solaran names or homes that we would expect that you never repeat. Is that something you can agree to?>
<That is not something that I expected to hear, but it is something I can readily agree to. I can understand why you would want some assurances to protect yourselves even though you appear to be relatively invulnerable. >
<Tell that to Major Roesberg.>
<Point taken.>
<I will also leave these features in place so that you have the use of them when this current project is completed.>
<Why would you do that?>
<Because Colonel, I see in you someone who does a tremendous service for his country and I have the sense that I can trust you. Your loyalties lying where they do make me stop from offering you the gift of becoming a Solaran, but I think that some day you may be ready for even that. When you feel that day has arrived, call on me and we will discuss what is next. Personally, I have some gifts different than most Solarans that I have come to suspect gives me the ability to determine who can be trusted and who cannot. I am getting a positive kind of reading from you. I suspect that if that changes, I will also be able to detect it.>
<What you are asking does not conflict with my responsibility or duty to my country. I will not betray your trust. >
<In that case, Aston please install the tag with the features that the Colonel has agreed to accept. Colonel, one of us will have to teleport you on an operation like this. Unfortunately we cannot offer you invisibility as part of the tag, nor can we offer the ability to teleport. >
<Aston are there any of those nano trackers active on site?>
<No, they are not, however there is a substantial supply of inactive nanites at the site. >
<Ok, Gus and Barb, take Niall and Bridget with you, power up in orbit and when I give the command, fry that lab, completely. Take your folks with you to make sure everyone is out of that lab before it is fried. Deposit them with the boss man and his five visitors. We will start in about five minutes. Ed and Jane, take Paulo and Rosa with you and power up to provide containment of the mess that Gus and Barb's crew will make of that lab. Take some others with you to retrieve any computers or records you find.>
<Got it. >
<Aston, has Mustafa and his cohorts all been tagged with settings for truth and no harm?>
<That has been done.>
<Aston, please copy all useful data you find there and then deliver all records except how to build those nano trackers to a location that Colonel Eppstein will give you. How many people are in the lab? >
<Looks like three and that appears to be the full complement.>
<Ok, tag them too. Ed when we go, your team is to take the lab crew to the boss man's meeting place. Use invisible mode.>
<Is everyone ready?>
<Ready and powered up.>
<OK Colonel, hang on to your hat. Everybody go.>
In a heartbeat, Andy, Pat and the Colonel were in the meeting room. <Good day to you gentlemen, which of you is Hadi Mustafa?>
"I am he.>
<Are these others a part of your organization?
<They are.>
<Did you order the suicides in Nice, Stuttgart and Jerusalem today."
<I did. How can you know these things?>
<I will be the one asking the questions. Are there any more such activities that you have ordered?>
<Yes there are.>
<How many, and where specifically are they and when are they due?>
<There are seven operations scheduled.> He then went on to describe locations, timing and how many people were involved.
<Give me the names and locations of your field commanders in each case as well as the clean up crews for each.>
Mustafa did as instructed. One could see he was struggling to resist the questions but could not. He was sweating profusely.
<Do any of these loca
tions have your nano trackers present.>
<No, a sufficient supply was not ready. Additional are being built now in our lab. >
<Who created these things?>
<Professor Schmidt did that for me."
"Where is Professor Schmidt now?"
<He stands there.> pointing at the Professor.
<Aston, all have been tagged with settings for location, no harm and truth, correct?>
<Correct.>
Andy turned and faced the professor and the professor was clearly becoming agitated with the attention. Finally, Andy said, <Professor, you realize do you not, that the nano technology tracking devices are harmful to most humans and are most likely to be fatal?>
<I have come to suspect that might be the case.>
<Might be?>
<Well, yes, they are fatal to many.>
<Yet professor, you continue to build them. If you were directed to build more now, how would you react?>
<Knowing they are fatal to persons exposed, I could not do it. When I try to think about it or any step in the process, I start to feel pain in my head and shortness of breath. I can feel my blood pressure going up and I feel things going black.>
<Where are the records on how to build these things?.>
<They are in my lab, on my computer.>
<Are there any backup copies of that file?>
<Only in the safe of Hadi Mustafa.>
<Mustafa open your safe and put all materials on the table there.>
After that had been done, Andy said, <Professor, please hand me the backup for your computer files.>
He handed Andy an external 5Tb hard drive. Andy placed the hard drive in a force bubble similar to the one used earlier in the day with the police station bomb. He increased the temperature inside the bubble until the hard drive had completely melted and appeared to be boiling inside the bubble. He then reversed the temperature until the former drive was cool enough to handle. <Professor, children should not play with fire. Does anyone else know how to make these things?>
<To the best of my knowledge, no. What will you do with me now, kill me?>
<No, that will not be necessary. You may leave.>
The Professor beat a hasty retreat and left.