Within an hour the extra manpower had arrived to beef up security at KCC. As they came in they were given all the information that I knew and also what they should be especially aware of based on the alert. At 3:30 everything was quiet and there had been no additional bulletins.

With everything running smoothly I left for the day. Patti wanted to stay a couple more hours and that made it an easy decision.

The ride home was normal so I had the radio on to hear if there had been any attacks anywhere. I was also monitoring the KCC radio system.

There had been a bomb detonated in a parking garage in central New York at 2 PM with a lot of damage but no loss of life. They had picked the wrong time or else their timer had malfunctioned. Two o’clock was midpoint between lunch and time to go home. Most of the people were still in their offices.

There was bomb detonated in a tour bus in San Francisco. They were not as lucky there as the bus was filled with vacationers. 40 people lost their lives with many more injured at the bus stop while waiting to board.

On the international front another luggage bomb detonated at Heathrow International Airport. The luggage had exploded on the luggage carousel. There were only four deaths but heavy damage to the terminal. It brought the airport to a complete halt. The bags on the carousel had already been inspected for explosives and contraband.

Planes were evacuated and all luggages were removed for special screening. Reports were saying that it would be two days before the airport would reopen.

The fear was a new kind of explosive that would not set off detectors had been used. That would add a whole new level to all threats if it were so. In my thoughts it was more than likely an inside job. Someone associated with a terrorist organization working for security had disabled a scanner or simply over-rode the warnings to let the bomb or bombs pass through.

BWI, National, Kennedy, Philadelphia and any other airport that had direct flights from Heathrow were temporarily closed so all arriving passengers and luggage could be given an intense screening.

To me, the only way that made any sense was to find bombs that had failed to detonate with the plane carrying them over the Atlantic. What better way to shut down the aviation industry and spread world-wide fear than to blow up a dozen planes a thousand miles over the ocean in a day.

With all the new executive orders barring the use of criminal records and many items on background checks from being used against a potential new hire, along with the mad rush to force diversity into every aspect of government including security, bad things were going to happen sooner or later.

The last time that I checked on all the colleges that JBG covered, they reported all quiet. I felt good about that for the time being.

I turned off RT 301 onto Morton Airport Road. There at the circle in front of the security gate were four of our security cars and now four new members of the Rapid Response team.

They were easy to spot; they still had on jeans and other civilian pants but had on the bullet proof vest, a JBG security jacket and hat and were armed. There was a line of traffic they were working through. A lot of it was dump trucks and supply trucks for the construction project at hand.

To their credit, they were waving the trucks out of line and on their way to the back farm where Bob’s crews were working. I flipped on the light warning package then pulled out of the line and parked in back of one of the security cars.

I introduced myself to the men then helped them get the line through the check point. With all the vehicles past we had time for a conversation.

“First day on the job has turned out to be a busy one for you guys,” I replied.

“That’s for sure. By the way, I am Andy Riddick. Mr. Coles put me in charge of this checkpoint. Your team does not play around when it comes time to make command decisions. One minute we were completing testing and 20 minutes later being issued gear, cars and an assignment. Now that is fast.”

“Have there been many construction trucks by here?” I asked.

“A lot, we logged in all of them as they came in and left. There were close to a hundred I would say, I can count them if you like,” Andy replied.

“No, that’s ok; I’m going to ride back there in a few minutes to see the progress made today. They are building one of the training modules for you guys to use back there,” I replied.

I was just about to climb into the Suburban when my cell phone rang with Eric’s ring tone.

“The cell from the Washington Islamic learning center went active about 40 minutes ago – the one we think was used to communicate with the mall attacks. Normally it would not be noteworthy as many times as it has been on and off but with everything else going on today we gave it a second look,” Eric said then continued.

“Surveillance reports that the center has been unusually busy, both in visitors and vehicles. A convoy of three Dodge vans is heading your way; they are in traffic at the toll booth. JBG was mentioned in deciphered messages. That is all we know and all I can tell you at the moment,” Eric said.

“OK, thanks – I will take it from here,” I said as I ended the conversation.

“Andy, take the cars and make a maze using both lanes of the road. Manually open and close the security gate for anyone coming in – trouble may be coming,” I shouted to him.

I called Marcy, “Put me on a conference call with all management teams NOW!”

“Take a car and block the driveway going to the house and then have the RRT team make a maze with the security cars for anyone trying to get into the gym. Make sure they have all the flashing lights on. Move everyone away from the north end of the gym and the office unless they absolutely have to be there. At the first sign of trouble run to the south end.”

Then I called the tower, “Do you have any planes coming in the next 45 minutes? If you do use the east/west runway – do not use the north/south runway.”

As an afterthought I called Lorrie who I knew was at the terminal, “How quickly can you get a chopper in the air?” I asked.

“Let me page the pilots, then I can tell you for sure,” Lorrie replied.

I returned my thoughts to the maze that Andy had put together. The cars had been parked at a right angle to the road. Anyone coming in or leaving had to go left and then right around the 4 cars.

I answered my cell again

“Ten minutes or less, what do you want them to do?” Lorrie said.

“Fly from Morton Lane to the Bay Bridge and keep making the loop. We are looking for three Dodge vans traveling together. Communicate on the security radio channel,” I replied.

I took the Suburban past the cars and parked it in the center of Morton Lane facing RT301. I opened the lock box and removed my M16 and a couple of loaded 20 round clips for it. I walked towards the group of guys. Before I got to them one of the Bell 407s flew overhead and banked hard left over 301 and out of sight because of the trees.

When I reached the guys we had a brain-storming session and I picked at their sandbox experiences while we waited between cars coming to the terminal building.

I answered Eric’s ring on the cell, “They have cleared the bay bridge and picked up a car in the rest area. They are moving east with the car a mile ahead of the 3 Dodge vans. The car is a silver Toyota. I’ll call you back,” Eric said as the line went dead.

“JBG 407 security chopper 1, new update, the three vans now has a sliver Toyota with them – it may be a mile ahead of the vans,” I yelled into the radio.

“10-4 BJ, Security Chopper 1 responding,”

With our repeater system all JBG security sites including Patti at KCC – if she had her radio on – could hear the transmissions.

I could hear the tower giving the chopper other aircraft positions as they were responding to me. Apparently there were two people in the chopper.

The guys and I quickly checked out any car that came to the check point. I did not want a line of cars in the way if the car or vans turned into Morton Road.

“The silver Toyota has turned into Summers Lane; the vans have slowed about ¾ of a mile behind. Repeat the Toyota has turned into Summers Lane, Security Chopper 1 reporting.”

Edit by Alfmeister