Seeing the two DHS officials silenced by the rebuke, Jack had already roughly guessed the reason. It was nothing more than a trivial matter of vying for credit, or of course, the superficial explanation could be the fear of leaks.
It seemed that this "AM" was quite respected within DHS. Now that things had come to this, Jack could only console himself from another perspective.
The DHS (Department of Homeland Security) was a new department established after 9/11. It reorganized departments such as the Secret Service and the Customs and Border Protection Service, which were formerly part of the IRS, as well as the National Infrastructure Protection Center and the National Domestic Readiness Office, which were once part of the FBI.
Compared to the FBI, the DHS's responsibilities were more administrative, and there was more cooperation than competition between the two sides. Moreover, with Joey Reacher present, there was no need to overly embarrass the other party.
"If the other party is accustomed to using bearer bonds, then the transaction must be done in person. We don't know why 'AM' went to Denver, but his purpose in coming to New York is undoubtedly to exchange money for goods.
Given this ghost's usual caution, he obviously won't risk using those aliases of 'AM' again. This also means he'll need time to acquire a new identity, so time is on our side now."
Jack made a well-reasoned smoothover, and the expressions on both sides eased slightly.
Technically speaking, the DHS representative was Joey Reacher, the FBI representative was Jack, the former 110 Special Investigations Unit was a big man, and with Danny Reagan representing the NYPD in a minor capacity, they were basically a family behind closed doors.
After nearly an hour of intelligence gathering, everyone present had a grim expression. A $65 million arms deal, and 650 weapons, at $100,000 each, was a bit of a head-scratcher.
This wasn't the military purchasing toilet seats, so even if there were some rumors, it wouldn't be an exaggeration. However, they searched through the "New Era Technology" military product catalog and couldn't find any weapons or equipment that might be related.
"Could it be a weapon currently under development or in trial production?" Jubal asked, rubbing his brow as he closed the DHS document.
Agent Omar Karim's expression was also dismal. "We lack relevant information. As per your request, we haven't mobilized too many personnel. We're only retrieving existing data. Trying to get information on their new weapons development might alert the Pentagon."
Alerting the Department of Defense wouldn't be a big deal, but exposing the DHS would be enough to drive someone to safety, potentially even affecting the subsequent illegal transaction.
The FBI and DHS might not mind letting the big fish off the hook; after all, no one knows whether it's a giant octopus or Cthulhu lurking beneath the surface.
But if they disrupted the deal, turning the arrest into a potential thwart of a terrorist operation, that would be undesirable.
No matter how many adjectives were added to the front, it couldn't change the frustrating outcome of a major accomplishment being reduced to a minor one, ultimately leading to nothing and a wasted effort.
"So the key now is how to get more intelligence without resorting to official means, right?" Reacher, who had barely smiled when he saw his brother, now smiled slightly.
"Yes, at least we need to find out what weapons they're dealing in." Based on their discussion on the way here, Jack had probably guessed his intention and offered a timely sidekick.
"But the problem is, if we use hacking, with the strength of a defense company's firewall, it would take a long time to breach it, not to mention the fact that they're likely using physical isolation."
Reacher's face flashed a sinister grin. "Then saddle the horses and let's go cowboy."
—
"Repeat the mission," Reacher said.
Now, dressed in thrift store clothes, black ski masks, and leather gloves, the special investigators transformed into street thugs in a matter of seconds.
"The computer room," Negley and Dixon said in unison.
"The Director of Operations' office," O'Donnell replied.
"I'll take care of the rest," Reacher said, looking at Jack.
"Drive to meet them." Jack rolled his eyes silently, having never expected to play a supporting role in such a mission.
Danny, the NYPD, seemed even more excited than the reserve robbers. "The patrol officer is my brother James. He'll try to buy time, but you only have 15 minutes at most."
Jubal looked at the gang with a mixture of amusement and annoyance. After working with Jack for so long, he felt his heart was getting stronger.
An FBI agent helping a retired veteran impersonate a robber to rob a company. Crucially, this one wasn't undercover, and there was no telling how that part would be included in the final report.
This was Reacher's idea. Since everyone was worried about the official presence being exposed and the case fizzling out, it was natural for this group of riffraff to take the lead.
A direct raid on New Age Technology's headquarters and the seizure of all the data—such a direct and brutal action wouldn't lead anyone to associate the FBI or DHS with anything, and would likely further inflame them.
By drawing the mastermind's attention to the special investigators, they might even reveal more clues.
At 1 a.m., a battle-damaged Hyundai SUV parked on the curb outside New Age Technology's parking lot. The men inside checked their watches and lowered their ski masks.
Without further ado, Jack turned the car around, stepped on the accelerator, and slammed the SUV into the parking lot's gate. With
a soft thud, the fragile gate snapped in two. Jack eased off the accelerator and quickly turned the steering wheel, sending the SUV spinning through the empty lot, tracing a graceful arc before coming to a stop.
Shifting into reverse, he hit the accelerator again, sending the SUV careening towards the office building's lobby.
"Attention!" With his warning, the tires that had been deflated beforehand easily crossed the two low steps, broke through the glass curtain wall, and lay across the spacious lobby.
Following the crisp sound of shattering glass, an unsettling alarm sounded.
Everyone in the car got out, each holding a Benelli M4 shotgun. The two security guards on duty at the lobby front desk had just recovered from this sudden scene and subconsciously wanted to draw their guns, but one of them was hit by a 12-gauge Huppert-Sock bean bag bullet.
Jack took two steps forward, hit one of the men's chin with the butt of his gun, and then kicked the other man unconscious.
Reacher and the others didn't even look over here. According to the goals they had set before, some rushed to the elevator to go upstairs, and some ran directly to the stairwell to the machine room in the basement.
(End of this chapter)