The Richard Steele Series Order

E.J. ROBB1

STEELE

TRAP

A Richard Steele Novel

E.J. Robb

E.J. ROBB1

The Richard Steele Series Order

Steele Trap

To Be Released:

Steele Away

Steele Armor

Steele Valor

Steele Judgment

Power of Steele

Heart of Steele

Hard as Steele

Knight of Steele

Days of Steele

This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

“Steele Trap,” by E.J. Robb. ISBN 978-1-62137-677-4 (Softcover) 978-1-62137-678-1 (eBook).

Library of Congress Control Number on file with publisher.

Published 2015 by Virtualbookworm.com Publishing Inc., P.O. Box 9949, College Station, TX 77842, US. 2015, E.J. Robb. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of E.J. Robb.

E.J. ROBB1

Dedication

This book is dedicated to Robert Alan Rambacher and the adventures we shared

1970-2014.

E.J. ROBB1

FOREWORD

Every nation that has ever existed believes it has the absolute right to defend itself. If attacked, a nation’s right to defend transitions to an obligation to protect. The besieged nation will fight to protect its boundaries, its way of life, and its citizens. This has been true throughout history, from the Spartans who defended Greece against the Persians tothe Allies who defended Europe from the Axis and The United States who attackedthe Japanese after Pearl Harbor.

In like manner, when the United States was attacked on September 11, 2001, the country defended itself–military strength was used to neutralize enemy bases and troops, economic pressure severely limit enemy’s access to resources, and the development of domestic strategies to identify threats proactively thus preventing them from ever becoming a reality. One of these proactive initiativeswas the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, whose primary goal was, and remains, the prevention of terrorist attacks on U.S. soil.

Less than two weeks after the 9/11 attacks on the Pentagon, World Trade Center and the hijacking and ultimate crash of United Airlines Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, President Bush named Governor Tom Ridge the Director of the Office of Homeland Security. Several months later, President Bush proposed, and received approval for the creation of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and toemphasize its importance the Presidentelevated the DHSto a cabinet-level position. In June 2002, the newly formed DHS began the process of assembling a diverse group of government agencies for the express purpose of protecting our nation, its citizens and its interests. This mission was set forth by Congress and federal policy, further solidifying the department’s importance to our national security.

The Homeland Security Act of 2002 began the process of creating a legislative framework for the DHS. Under the Act, twenty-two different federal departments, including the Transportation Security Agency, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, FEMA, the Secret Service and the U.S. Coast Guard were unified under one all-encompassing authority. Tom Ridge was nominated and approved as the first Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. His responsibilities included forging better inter-departmental cooperation and creating strategies for protection that included such far-reaching goals as domestic nuclear protection, border control and cyberspace security.

Since 9/11,a myriadof laws have been enacted to help the DHS fulfill its mandate. The Patriot Act is one of the best known of these laws,in large part because of the latitude it affords the DHS, a unique approach never previously attempted by the U.S. government. There aremany other laws, including dozens of executive orders, all with the same end goal – keep America safe.

Early in his tenure,Secretary Tom Ridge realized the DHS would need a network of agents, operating behind the scenes and conducting dangerous covert missions, to remove threats to U.S. security and enable the rest of society to live the American dream. Fortunately, Secretary Ridge convinced President Bush to create and fund such a department while 9/11 was still part of the collective American consciousness.

Many thought the CIA would have been a logical choice; they are, by federal law, prohibited from operating on U.S. soil. Instead, the CIA was tasked with providing direction and advice to the DHS on how to structure a domestic version of the CIA’s Clandestine Service.

This select group of covert agents within the DHS is called the Office of Special Investigations—OSI for short. The Section Chief in charge of the OSI is located in Washington, D.C., and reports directly to the Secretary of Homeland Security. The Section Chief is supported by three Special Agents in Charge, each of whom manages a region.The Eastern Seaboard Region is headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, with branch offices in New York, Charlotte and Orlando. The West Coast Regional Office is headquartered in Portland, Oregon, with branches in Los Angeles, Albuquerque and Denver. Finally, the Midwest Regional Office is headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, with branches in Chicago, Dallas and Cleveland.

Many of the dedicated men and women spread throughout the OSI are transplants from other agencies. There are former CIA agents, Border Patrol officers, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, Secret Service agents, and even some former FBI. Some of the newer agents are ex-militarySpecial Forces.

OSI agents, given the latitude granted by the Patriot Act, can transcend the inter-departmental boundaries that exist within DHS. This is especially valuable for working internal investigations which they do since the OSIfunctions as the Internal Affairs Division for all of the agencies within the DHS.

Another group of agents, all of whom work under contract, fall under the exclusive controlof the OSI Section Chief. Thecontract agents are known as KYTES, an acronym for Keep Your Teams Exit Secure. If something goes awry on an assignment, the string tying KYTES to the OSI is cut.This eliminates any ties to the government and, therefore, any potential political backlash. In essence, KYTES are expendable, an attribute that makes them extremely valuable to the OSI, but also, on occasion, more volatile and dangerous.

Relative to the rest of DHS, the OSI is small,the budget and accounting for their operations not much more than a blip in the radar of DHS expenditures. This approach, tried-and-true on Capitol Hill, makes congressional oversight difficult. Most Americans, indeed, most of our elected officials, are totally unaware of the existence of the OSI, which makes it considerably easier to achieve their goals.

TheOSI is not a secret ‘off the books’ organization; however, their missions, for the most part, are highly classified. Agents accepted into the OSI combine a desire to protect America and her interests with a diligence to see each mission through to completion. The obscurity of the organization, combined with the die-hard attitude of its agents, allow them to focus on one objective and one objective only—do whatever it takes to defend the United States of America.

A significant amount of the OSI’s resources are spent proactively, seeking out potential threats to national security well before any damage is done. They are a preemptive strike force charged with identifying threats and neutralizing them, using whatever means necessary.

Had OSI agents been on the job in 2000 and 2001, they may have discovered a group of middle-eastern men taking flying lessons, yet seemingly dispassionate about the landing aspect.Similarly, DHS regulations that exist today would have eliminated the ability to bring weapons on to the plane or gain access to the cockpit.

President Clinton also recognized certain shortcomings in the new agency and mandatedthe centralization of allintelligence agency data in order to help identify potential threats to the nation’s security. Due to the sheer volume of data, this effort is still underway, many years after the mandate. Currently, the DHS’scentral filing system only includes data from criminal investigations.

In conjunction with the DHS’s goal of improving domestic cyber security,they were also tasked with developing a computer system that would be accessible to anyfederal, and in the future state or local, law enforcement agencies. Due to limited resources both projects have been delayed well beyond the originally anticipated completion date. It will take time and money to fully realize the vision of disparate entities working together, with the same information, in a coordinated fashion.

While most of us are content to sit home, taking in a ballgame on TV, curling up with a good book or engaging in otherwise safe and enjoyable activities, the OSI is working 24/7 to ensure we can continue in this fashion, blissfully unaware of the dangers within our borders. This is one of those stories.

E.J. ROBB1

PROLOGUE

It’s late Mayin Kansas andalready quite warm. But St. Christopher Catholic Church in Shawnee, Kansas, a relatively new church with the benefit air conditioning, offered a cool respite from the unexpected heat. Eight penitents patiently waited for their turn in the confessional.They prepare to unload the burden of their sins, large or small, and receive their due penance, usually a prescribed number Our Fathers and Hail Marys.

Upon completing their penance, the sinner would theoretically receive forgiveness for all confessed transgressions. An older woman exited the confessional and a man who looked to be in his late thirties or early forties, one most women would probably describe as ruggedly handsome, was ready to take her place. Holding the door politely for the woman, he entered the confessional as she left.

Upon entering the confessional, the man spoke to the priest through the curtain separating them, a modest yet effective guarantee of anonymity. He beganhis confession in the traditional manner, “In the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. Bless me Father, for I have sinned. My last confession was thirty years ago.” However, this confession was going to be anything but traditional.

Since a long time had elapsed since the penitent’s last confession the priest suspected he had slipped away from the church for some reason or another. Many times, something like divorcewould causea person to shun their faith, but it could have been something as serious as sexual abuse by a trusted priest that ultimately caused him to leave. Sadly, hearing confessions, he had heard more than his share of those stories.

The priest waited for the man to begin reciting his litany of sins, usually consisting of behaviors like lying, stealing, and taking God’s name in vain and, often, infidelity. This confession, however, was nothing like what the priest was expecting. So far the penitent had remained silent.

“Go ahead, my son. Tell me what’s on your mind,” encouraged the priest.“It’s all right; God already knows what you’ve done. I’m here to help get you receive God’s grace and forgiveness.” Having been at this for the better part of twenty five years, the priest sensed a tormented soul on the other side of the curtain.

“Well, Father, to start with, I’ve killed nearly twenty people.” He paused, expecting a response from the priest following this horrific revelation.

When none came, he continued, “I’m here because I don’t want to go to hell when I die, and I’m afraid that may happen tomorrow.”

The pronouncement was made as though the penitent was discussing the weather, with no detectable quiver in his voice or emotion of any kind, and the priest wondered if he had misreadthe extent of theman’s burden.

“I see,” was all the startled priest could think of to say, doing his best not to let his own voice betray his shock.

“What other sins do you have to confess?” The question elicited a slight chuckle from the penitent.

“That’s not enough? Okay, I haven’t been to church for most of the last thirty years, committed adultery and probably broken just about every one of the other commandments. I’m sure you get the picture, just assume I haven’t been a very good Catholic or we could be here a while.”

“My son, this is an unusual instance, and I think it would be better if we could discuss your confession face to face. Are you open to that?” The priest hadnever had a confession of this magnitude and he wasn’t willing to just dole out some penitential prayers and offer forgiveness. Not without understanding a bit more about the nature of the man’s sins and whether or not he was truly sorry for committing them.

“Tell you what.If I survive until the weekend, I’ll come back and we’ll talk. Deal?”

The man asked, only half-jokingly, “Can I get some sort of conditional forgiveness, in case I can’t get back here to see you because I’m dead?”

“The Holy Mother Church doesn’t have anything like that. God will forgive you,but only if your intentions are good and you truly repent for your sins.”

“Isn’t the road to hell paved with good intentions? Believe it or not, it was my good intentions that caused me to kill people in the first place.” The penitent was ready to leave, but offered a last-minute bit of advice to the priest.

“Father, do me a favor and don’t go anywhere near the Performing Arts Center downtown tonight. It won’t be safe. Trust me on this, okay?” A hesitation, in case the priest had anything to add, and then the penitent exited the confessional.

The priest heard the creak of the confessional door opening and the click of the latch as it closed. In spite of the sins he’d just heard, he felt sorry for the man and hoped they did indeed have an opportunity to chat in the future. Then he said a silent prayer for the man’s safety.

Outside the churchthe man thought of that poor priest trying to determine the right number of Hail Marys and Our Fathers for his penance. In a weird way, he found it amusing.

The man walked to his car, his destination – the Performing Arts Center, to attend tonight’s invitation-only concert. It was a black tie affair. All the local dignitaries would be there.

It was a black tie affair he needed to get a move-on because he needed to pick up his rented tuxedo in time to make a few modifications. However, if the six men with the bomb made an appearance, as he was expecting, his preparations would be meaninglesshis,chances of success were at best fifty-fifty .These odds were not encouraging.No matter, he would honor his commitment.

In his car driving toward downtown he reflected on how things had changed since the beginning of May. Over the last thirty days his life had been turned upside down and inside out. The next twenty-four hours were going to be, well, interesting.

He was responsible for several killings and there were several more to come. It was going to be very enlightening to see what happened tonight…

E.J. ROBB1

ONE

IT was early may in Kansas City, Missourijust south of downtownis where theCountry Club Plaza is located. It isone of the most picturesque locations in the nation. The Plaza, as nicknamed by the locals, was founded by J. C. Nichols in 1923. Upscale shopping, carriage rides, five-star restaurants and fountains highlight this beautifully preserved historic area. In fact, Kansas City is known as the City of Fountains due to the forty-plus water fonts dotting The Plaza landscape.

Only a few square blocks in size, The Plaza was the perfect place for shoppers to meander from store to store as they window shopped. It was not a laid out like a mall, but rather the shops were all period-preserved storefronts from the twenties and thirties. This dedication to historical accuracy preserved The Plaza’s rustic charm and broadened the attraction of the area beyond just the ‘artsy types’.

On the south end of The Plaza, just past Brush Creek, there are several luxury hotels, all within walking distance of the world famous Nelson Atkins Art Museum. One of them, the InterContinental caters to an upscale crowd, attracting people of means from all parts of the country and even tourists visiting from abroad.

Only two blocks west of the main shopping area it affords easy access to The Plaza proper but was secluded enough to avoid all the hustle and bustle of the crowds.

In that very hotel at this moment an impeccably mannered doorman hustled to open the door for a well-dressed older man, sporting a shock of white hair and a crook cane, as he exitedthe hotel’s plush main lobby. The doorman inquired, “May I call you a cab, sir?”

“No, thank you,” the man replies.“It’s nice out, I think I’ll walk. The exercise will do me good.” The older man smiled and nodded slightly toward the doorman, indicating his appreciation of the offer. Mr. Gabriel always made a point of being remembered asgracious and polite.