Chapter 12: Counter Strike

Caleb followed the first wave of officers into the Mosque, with Singer close on his heels. The search warrant had already been served to the Imam of the Mosque, and he was not a happy man.

"Good afternoon, Sir," Caleb said politely, as he approached the Mullah. "I'm Caleb Connor with the Texas Attorney General's office," he continued with his hand outstretched.

"What is the meaning of this?" Mullah Khoury demanded, ignoring the outstretched hand.

"I apologize for this intrusion, but we have credible eyewitness reports that Robert Branch was in this Mosque less than thirty minutes ago," Caleb replied.

"Never heard of him," the Mullah spat. "Now, get out."

Caleb held out a picture of General Robert Branch and said, "We have a warrant for his arrest for murdering two federal officers. We will be searching the premises for him. If we think that you are trying to protect him in any way, you will be arrested as an accomplice. I would advise you to look at the picture carefully, and rethink your answer."

Mullah Khoury accepted the picture, and Caleb ensured their fingers brushed in the exchange.

He glanced at the picture before handing it back and saying, "There was a man here earlier that looked vaguely like that picture. He came for spiritual guidance, but is gone now."

"He is also known as Mullah Abdul Ali Hassan," Caleb said drily. "I doubt very much that he was here for spiritual guidance. Based on what I know about the man, he doesn't have a spiritual bone in his body. You will stay with me as we search, and answer any questions I may have. Do you understand?"

"I understand," the Mullah said stiffly.

"He's worried about something in the basement," Al pointed out.

"Yeah, I got that too," Caleb replied. Aloud he said, "Sergeant, you and five men come with me. Lieutenant, you'll take the rest to search this level and the one above. Remember the instructions," he admonished. "Be careful and respectful, but be thorough."

"Yes, Sir," the Lieutenant and Sergeant said in unison.

"Why don't you lead the way, Mullah Khoury," Caleb suggested. "You can show us around the basement. Please hurry. We don't have much time."

The quick walk through the basement was mostly uneventful, until they entered a room with a heavy table in the center. Caleb's jaw clenched in anger as images from Gabi's memory flickered through his mind.

"Take that table as evidence," Caleb ordered. "Don't touch the top. I want forensics to get DNA samples from bodily fluids that have dried to the surface. Gabriella Santiago's DNA will be the proof that she was raped here. Robert Branch's DNA will be the proof we need to charge Mullah Khoury for conspiracy and obstruction of justice."

He turned to the Mullah and demanded, "Would you like to change your story?"

"I want a lawyer," the Mullah answered.

"Okay," Caleb said with a shrug. "I won't ask you any more questions about your involvement with Branch. We already have your statement that you've never met him. We'll get you a lawyer, or let you call your own, as soon as we finish searching. We know Branch didn't leave by any of the doors. They were being watched. That means that he is either still here, or he left another way. Would you like to show me where he would hide, or how he would escape?"

The Mullah only glared at Caleb.

"Through that door? Thank you," Caleb said lightly, and proceeded through the door, the other officers following behind, wide-eyed, and guiding the Mullah.

The room was filled with chairs and tables stacked in orderly rows, with a path going through them. A couple of chairs were out of place, as if someone had stumbled into them.

Caleb continued through the room, and emerged into the underground garage.

"Well, we know he didn't drive out," Caleb mused, looking around the garage.

One of the police officers checked the only other door in the garage, and announced, "Stairs going upstairs."

"That is probably how most people get to the garage," Caleb agreed.

"As you can see, the man you seek is not here," Mullah Khoury spat.

"Isn't there any place else, here, that he could hide?" Caleb asked.

"No, there isn't," the Mullah growled.

"The release is by the cabinet," Al said, picking the information from the Mullah's mind.

A person can resist answering a question, but it is impossible to not think of the answer when the question is asked.

"How about what's behind door number three?" Caleb asked, as if he were a game show host, before walking to the cabinet and pulling the release that exposed the door.

Caleb entered, and called over his shoulder, "Sergeant, would you call ATF, please. I think we've found part of the shipment of rifles they are missing. I don't see our suspect in here. Mullah, would you like to show me the other exit from this room, just to show that your heart is in the right place?"

"There is no other exit," the Mullah answered, his voice sounding defeated.

"On the opposite wall," Al informed Caleb.

"You know, I'm getting information from him at the same time you do. You don't have to direct me for every little step," Caleb replied sarcastically.

"I know how slow you are," Al replied. "I'm just trying to speed up the process a bit."

Caleb harrumphed before he walked to the opposite wall, shaking his head, and released the door exposing the entrance to the tunnel.

He gestured to the Sergeant and said, "Arrest Mullah Khoury. The charges are obstruction of justice, accessory to murder after the fact, and whatever weapons violations ATF wants to add. I'll take three men and Singer with me. Be careful with the Mullah; we don't know his history. He might decide to be a martyr, but I doubt it. Mullah's always seem to find some other poor fool for that job," he said mockingly.

The five men emerged from the tunnel into the basement of a nondescript, ranch style house. The house was empty, but there was evidence that a vehicle had recently been in the garage. Fresh oil had dripped on the concrete floor.

"Whatever it was, it was an older model," Caleb mused, as he stood looking at the oil. "Start canvassing the neighborhood. We need to know who lives here, and what kind of vehicle left here in the last thirty minutes. I'll send some men over to help you. Maybe one of the neighbors have a security camera with a view of the street. Singer, you're with me," Caleb instructed, before turning, and running back down the tunnel.

"Mullah Khoury," Caleb called when he caught up with the handcuffed Mullah in the foyer of the Mosque. "There was another man with Mullah Hassan. Who was he, and what is his name?"

"No more questions until I have had time to debrief my client," another man in civilian clothes said, stepping between Caleb and the Mullah.

Mullah Khoury gave Caleb a look of triumph, thinking he had thwarted the lawman's questions. He wasn't aware of how easily Caleb and Al could pick the information from his mind.

"Just knowing his name doesn't help a lot," Al groused.

"Who is Aimal Saeed al-Kassem," Caleb asked, taking another step forward.

The lawyer placed a hand on Caleb's chest and yelled, "You are violating this man's constitutional rights. I will bring charges against you!"

"Mabahith ... Saudi Intelligence," Caleb muttered aloud, surprised by the revelation, and ignoring the lawyer. "Not good. Both of these two are part of this intelligence cell," he continued silently to Al.

"This could make stamping out the infestation more difficult," Al agreed. "They will be like a cancer to the human race. The extraterrestrials will have no choice but to sterilize the planet, " he continued, sounding frightened at the prospect of not finding the two men before they had a chance to spread the infection.

"Hold both of these men," Caleb ordered. "DHS will need to take custody, or the FBI since they are foreign agents."

"Branch may be using Kassem's contacts to go underground," Caleb said, glaring at the Mullah. "Both of them have been infected with a highly contagious brain disease," Caleb informed him, making the story up as he went along. "If we don't find them, that infection will spread like wild fire. It is an artificial virus, and humanity has no defense against it. Within a month, the entire world could be infected, including the country that employed you, Saudi Arabia. Where would he go?"

"I protest," the lawyer yelled.

"Got that?" Caleb asked Al, as an image and name of a ranch west of Houston was picked up from Mullah Khoury.

"Of course," Al replied. "The same place the men were taking Gabi."

"Lock these two up," Caleb ordered. "Don't let them talk to each other or to anyone else. They are both members of Saudi Intelligence. Start digging into their backgrounds for the documentation. If we can't find what we need within four hours, we'll ask the House of Saud for the information. I'm sure they'll be thrilled that their agents have been so cooperative with us."

The lawyer and the Mullah exchanged glances, and they each nodded before the lawyer said, "We would like to apply for asylum."

"Take it up with DHS," Caleb said angrily, walking towards the door. "The delay that you've already caused, could result in an epidemic that will make the middle ages' black plague seem like a mild cold."