Rainbow Member Profile #1 "Thermite"
01-Dec-2016 14:34 CDT
Back up against the wall, goggles on, exothermic charge on the wall, the sound of its heat seers through the reinforced metal.
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.
The sound stopped, that meant two more seconds before the wall blew.
Boom!
I turned the corner and shot through the hole in the wall at the three terrorists, then walked into the room carefully and picked up the hostage.
"Mission accomplished."
The door opened and three people walked into the room, the one in front clapping.
"Well done, I must admit I doubted your gadget's ability to burst through a wall that thick." The man walked over to the hole in the wall rubbing his finger across the edge, "Clean breach, well done Trace, how did you make it?"
"When you mix fuel, metal oxide and metal powder in just the right way, it burns at 2000 degrees Celsius. Hot enough to cut through nearly any barrier known to man. Throw some C4 into the mix, and you've got one h* of a combination." He replied.
"We'll definitely be using this in the field," one man said.
"Who will be using it?" I asked.
"You, of course." The man that had clapped said.
"Good because I don't like other people doing my job."
"I don't think I can trust anybody else to do it properly. They are about to serve lunch in the cafeteria, if you are hungry you can go now."
"I'm good," I said as I exited the room.
"I will schedule your trip to Rainbow headquarters," the man said.
I had recently been recruited into Rainbow. I joined the Marines after high school, serving two tours in Iraq. After my discharge, I used my GI Bill money to put myself through college at Texas AM and earned a Bachelor Degree of Science in Chemistry. I then joined the FBI. After four years as a field agent, I transferred to FBI SWAT. Three years later I had been surprised at my office with a visit. After that visit by a recruiter of Rainbow I had joined the organization. I thought it would be nice to get some more money to pay the bills as well help to stop bad people, which is what my passion is. Two weeks in Rainbow already and I still hadn't got any action. I headed to the locker armory to put my FBI gear away and then headed to my office. This was an FBI field office in San Antonio Texas. I liked offices almost as much as I liked blowing holes through walls. The reason for this is that work gave me the most joy, because work was getting the job done. I powered up my laptop and loaded up my email.
Junk, junk, junk, and junk, oh wait.
"Shoot," I said out loud as I accidentally deleted an FBI file report notice. Retrieving the email from my trash folder I opened it and not to my surprise it was another boring report that I had to fill out.
"Screw it, I'll finish that later."
After a boring day of work and no update from Rainbow as to when I'll be deployed into action I headed home in my Ford Mustang 2016. I pulled the key from the ignition and headed out the door of my vehicle and towards my front door. I opened the door and a loud scream could be heard, one that would frighten even the toughest men.
"Daddy!" Came the scream from my four year old daughter.
"Sunshine!" I said as my little girl hugged me.
"Shh, I just put your brother down to sleep." My wife said with a smile on her face.
"Jane, how was your day?" I asked as I normally do right when I get home.
"Our son had an attitude all day so it was tiring, but now since you're home it's wonderful."
"I do seem to brighten the mood."
"How was your day Jordan?" She asked me.
"It was good, they accepted my brimstone charge."
"Daddy daddy, guess what I can do."
"What, what?"
"She's been waiting all day to tell you."
"I can write a full sentence!"
"No," I said sarcastically.
"Yes I can, look," she said showing me her paper.
I read it aloud, "Mr. Puppy walked to the hardware store to get some treats."
"Yes, daddy just like you give Sammy treats when he's a good boy."
"Now why did Mr. Puppy go to get treats at the hardware store?"
"He was hungry."
"I don't see that on the paper? How was I supposed to know that?"
"I don't know how to spell hungry," she said giggling.
"Well you better figure out," I said tickling her.
"Okay, okay!" She said giggling.
As we finished putting our children to sleep an hour later I went to the coffee machine and started it. I looked at Jane and she had a worried look while reading a newspaper. I went up to the table and sat with her. She had worry plastered all over face.
"So you're on the field again," She said staring at me.
"I guess so, not quite yet, but soon. Don't let that sadden you," I said reassuring her.
I held her hand, she held it back. I then kissed her forehead and got back up to grab the coffee I had made prior.
"Is it a good idea for you to drink coffee that late?" Jane questioned me while I took a sip.
"I have some extra work I need to do."
"Another FBI report?"
"Another f* FBI report."
"Watch your mouth," she said as I walked out of the room to my office.
That night I didn't sleep well, another dream, far too familiar of my past. I stood there shocked, blood and dust covering my body. We had just been pinned down into a building fleeing from terrorists in Iraq. It was silent, too silent. I looked over to my friend Paul Walker, with a worried look on my face. He gave me the same look in return. There were four of our unit in this house, the last of us. Three of our unit got killed when we got ambushed by the enemy, and a fourth before we took refuge in this house. I stopped cold, I heard something. It was quiet, but it was something. A sizzling noise, like sparks. Then I saw it, behind Paul there were hot yellow lines behind him carved into the wall.
"Take cover!" I yelled.
It was too late, the breach had blown the wall behind Paul, he was dead. The terrorists quickly fired killing another one of our unit. I made it out of the building dashing over a hill. Behind me my friend Gary got shot through the head. I heard an explosion go off behind me as the house along with the terrorists were blown to bits, blood splattered everywhere. It was Paul's idea to rig a claymore to the front door. Me and Gary had jumped through the window so we didn't trigger it. I woke up sweaty, almost feeling the blood, dry mouth, sand, and aching in my bones. My time as a marine was not something easily forgettable.
I woke up that Wednesday morning and got ready for work, kissed my wife and daughter goodbye, and left. At work that day I was approached by my friend. At around 11:00 am I was watching the news with my friend Jeff and what had come on shook me. A shooting at San Bernardino was happening. I felt helpless hearing about it.
If only I was near San Bernardino I could help stop the shooter.
Without FBI help by 3:16 PM the Police had killed the shooters in a shootout. On the news was shown the dead bodies of the shooters, Syed Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik. So now the FBI investigations would begin, which was not my field.
The next day I got a call from Daniels an investigator for the FBI who was also part of Rainbow.
"Hello Trace, I have something I'd like you to be apart of."
"What is it? I replied.
"Today a man named Marquez called 911 telling them that he wanted to kill himself. When they asked him why he responded, 'I don't know. My neighbor. He did the San Bernardino shooting. They can trace all the guns back to me.' Shortly afterward Marquez was admitted to the emergency room at UCLA-Harbor Medical Center, and referred to the psychiatric ward. Tomorrow I am going to investigate him in the form of an interview and I'd like you to be there."
"I'll be delighted to attend, but why do you want me to be there?"
"To see a criminal, up close, hearing their words, their reasoning. It's quite the opportunity when you get to investigate someone. Oh and by the way I wasn't asking if you'd like to, I was telling you, you have to."
"Since when are you in a position to give me orders Daniels?"
"Um," he stuttered, "Ron told me to call you."
"I see," I replied smiling.
"I'll see you tomorrow Trace, I'll be at your office when you go to work."
After some complicated explaining about how I was taking a flight to California the next day, I was ready. Daniels was at work the next day just like he said. He had a flight ticket in his hand and motioned for me to grab it. In a few hours we were on the plane headed for Los Angeles International Airport. We got a hotel that Daniels had booked the day before and then we headed for the medical center where Marquez was. After showing the woman at the front desk our identities she led us to the psychiatric ward where Marquez was being held. Within a few minutes Daniels and I were sitting in front of Marquez.
"Marquez, by what I've heard I understand that you have sold weapons to the two terrorists who shot up San Bernardino?""
"Yes," he replied.
"Now how did that go?"
"So I bought the weapons you see, and then Farook reimbursed me for them."
"And why did you sell them these weapons."
"For money of course," he chuckled.
"Did you have any idea of what they were going to use these rifles for?"
"Yes."
"And what was that?"
"It's not important."
"Son, you're already in custody, so I suggest you spill it."
"For an attack."
"What kind of attack?"
"One at a community college, and one on drivers at 91 freeway."
"What college?"
"Riverside City College."
"I don't recall any attacks at those two locations."
"I bailed out and distanced myself from Farook."
"What made you want to kill people?"
"As a teenager, me and Farook were friends and he encouraged me to embrace this radical extremist view of Islam. We felt it was our duty to kill non believers."
"Is that how you really felt?"
"Not completely, he was mentally unstable, so filled with hate."
"I see."
"This summer I wanted to retrieve the assault rifles back since I legally owned them, and because I didn't trust Farook with them."
"But I see you didn't get them in time."
"I put it off, I knew I shouldn't have."
"They used those assault rifles to kill innocent people."
"I know."
"Where were you when it happened?"
"I was at work, listen I know I did it and I'm sorry, I didn't want this to happen I regret it."
"Son, the law is the law, because you are sorry and willing to give us information is great, but depending on what the court decides you'll most likely still be paying your crimes.
"I know."
The interview lasted about an hour and a half longer getting deeper into vigorous details. After the interview I thought for a while about the criminal.
This kid just throws away his future, for what, just a little money?
The desperation and greed of mankind for money can lead anyone to do things, even if those things are illegal. However despite this thought, I had another. Where was Rainbow during that terror attack? No where. I started to wonder as to if there was a way for rainbow to respond faster to threats. Or if there was a way and they had just not come in time. Besides all this one more thought buzzed through my mind.
I cannot f* wait to get back into the action.
