Charlie started out the door and then turned back. “Oh, it might help
avoid confusion in the future if you let me know you’re still around.”
He touched his sidearm. “We don’t want no unfortunate accidents, you
know?” Rowe went pale at the sight of the gun.
“You hear any more noises, you come get me, okay, Mr. Rowe?”
After Charlie turned away, he broke out in a broad smile.
Rowe stood at the doorway for a minute longer, thinking intently.
Then he turned and went back into the office.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Lee Sawyer eyed the small three-story apartment building, which was
located about five miles from Dulles International Airport. Residents
enjoyed a complete fitness center, Olympic-size pool and Jacuzzi, and
huge party room. It was home to mostly young single professionals who
got up early to make the traffic-stifling trek into downtown. The
parking lot was littered with low-end Beemers, Saabs and the occasional
Porsche.
Sawyer was interested in only one of the occupants of this community.
He was not a young lawyer, marketing executive or holder of an MBA.
Sawyer briefly spoke into his walkie-talkie. Three other agents were
seated in the sedan with him. Stationed around the area were five other
teams of FBI agents. A black-clad squadron of the elite FBI Hostage
Rescue Team (HRT) was also zeroing in on Sawyer’s target. A battalion
of local authorities was backing up the federal lawmen. A lot of
innocent people were around, and great pains were being taken to ensure
that if anyone was going to get hurt, it would be only the man whom
Sawyer believed had already killed almost two hundred people.
Sawyer’s plan of attack was textbook FBI. Bring overwhelming force to a
completely unsuspecting target, force so overpowering, in a situation so
totally controlled, that resistance was useless. Controlling the
situation completely meant you could control the outcome too. Or so the
theory went.
Every agent carried a 9mm semiautomatic pistol with extra clips.
Each team of agents also had one member with an appropriately named
Franchi Law-12 semiautomatic shotgun and another member sporting a Colt
assault rifle. The HRT members all carried heavy-caliber automatic
weapons, most with electronic laser sights.
Sawyer gave the signal to move in and the teams moved forward.
In less than one minute members of the HRT had reached the door of
apartment number 321. Two other teams covered the only other possible
escape, the two back windows of the apartment that overlooked the pool
area. Snipers had already set up there, their laser sights fixed
immovably on the twin apertures. After listening intently at the door
of 321 for a few seconds, the HRT members exploded through the opening.
No gunfire disturbed the peaceful stillness of the night. Within a
minute, Sawyer received the all-clear signal. He and his men hurried up
the. stairs of the apartment building.
Sawyer was met by the leader of the HRT.
“Nest empty?” Sawyer asked.
The HRT man shook his head. “Might as well be. Someone beat us to it.”
He jerked his head in the direction of the small bedroom at the rear of
the apartment.
Sawyer walked quickly back there. A shiver hit him right between the
shoulder blades; the place was like the insides of a freezer.
The overhead light in the bedroom was on. Three HRT members looked down
at the small space between the bed and the wall.
Sawyer followed their gaze and his spirits sank.
The man was lying face down. Multiple gunshot wounds in the back and
head were plainly visible; so were the firearm and the twelve pieces of
brass that littered the floor. Sawyer, with the aid of two HRT members,
carefully lifted the body, turning it sideways before returning it
exactly to the spot where it had been before.
Sawyer rose, shaking his head. He barked into his walkie-talkie.
“Tell the state guys to get a medical examiner out here and I want the
forensics team here yesterday.”
Sawyer looked down at the body. Well, at least the guy wouldn’t be
sabotaging any more planes, although a full clip into his body didn’t
seem like nearly enough punishment for what the sonofabitch had done.