Between rum punches and working on their tans, the duo disbursed funds to several investment accounts in the United States. After a five-day vacation on Grand Cayman, Scott and Jackie made arrangements to pay for their new corporate jet. When the transaction was verified, they departed the island paradise for Gulfstream 100 initial training at FlightSafety International located at the Greater Philadelphia/Wilmington Learning Center, New Castle, Delaware. There they received their type ratings and were qualified to fly as PIC (pilot in command) in the Gulfstream 100. Afterward, they returned to Washington, caught up on their mail and phone messages, and then left the following evening for Dallas/Fort Worth.
A midsize jet with an IFR (instrument flight rules) range of 2,950 nautical miles/3,400 statute miles, the Gulfstream 100 is capable of flying nonstop from New York to Los Angeles, or San Francisco to Honolulu, with ample fuel reserves.
They considered a number of jets, but only the Gulfstream 100 met their primary criteria: safety, speed, range, payload, and low operating cost. With an Mmo (maximum Mach) of.875, the corporate jet could cover a lot of territory in a short period of time.
Normally unflappable, Scott's anxiety was growing by the minute. "What do you think?" he asked Jackie. "Want to head to the airport and watch our new plane arrive?"
"Actually, Fve been ready since sunrise," Jackie conceded, reaching for her handbag. "Let s get this celebration under way."
"Ditto." Scott signaled their waitress and handed her a credit card. He looked at Jackie and smiled. "Why don't you take us to California, and I'll take the helm to Hawaii?"
"Deal." She returned the smile. "Diplomacy. You're showing steady improvement."
"I aim to please."
Scott waited for his credit card, signed the tab, and then slid Jackie's chair back. "Let's go get our plane."
"On second thought" — she hesitated and caught his eye—"perhaps you should fly the first leg."
She can't be serious. "What's the catch?"
"No catch." She appraised him closely "Just thought I might christen the bar and celebrate our inaugural flight."
"Your choice."
Khaliq Farkas studied the facades of two circa 1880s buildings in the Sundance Square complex. He adjusted an air-conditioning vent in the Buick and lit another American-made cigarette. He placed a remote-control unit on the front seat next to his 9mm Smith & Wesson and waited. Considered one of the world's most dangerous and elusive terrorists, Farkas was a merciless, pathological product of a radical ideological culture, a culture that began shaping his views and beliefs when he was three years old.
Over a period of years, the forcible application of prolonged and intensive indoctrination induced a regimented sense of hatred and cruelty in the teenage Farkas. Extremist political, social, and religious beliefs were deeply ingrained in his young mind. By the time Khaliq Farkas turned sixteen, he had killed his first three infidels with a car bomb.
During the next fifteen years, Farkas and various special action cells of Hezbollah (Islamic Jihad) were responsible for numerous bombings, kidnappings, assassinations, hijackings, extortion plots, money-laundering schemes, and plane crashes.
Operating as a direct extension of Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda, Farkas had eliminated a number of Jewish religious and political leaders who had close ties to the United States. With strong encouragement and considerable financial backing from bin Laden, Farkas and an accomplice had even attempted to assassinate the U. S. president, an assault that had changed the way Air Force One operated.
With Osama bin Laden's influence greatly diminished, Saeed Shayhidi was now calling the shots and providing a continuous flow of operating funds to a handful of terrorist organizations. Farkas, the leader of the most experienced group, was poised to continue his personal jihad against the United States until "Western imperialism" and the cultural pollution of the "Great Satan" were driven from the Persian Gulf. But first the field general had another mission to accomplish, one he had dreamed about for a long time.
Scott Dalton and Jackie Sullivan had caused Farkas much anguish and professional embarrassment, having single-handedly quashed several of his terrorist attempts. Farkas knew he must eliminate the possibility of their involvement before Shayhidi s far-ranging plans were set in motion. With revenge paramount in his mind, the feared terrorist was parked only seventy yards from the couple's rental car.
Although no one in Farkas s operation was sure who the mysterious Americans worked for, they were thought to be either special operatives from the CIA or members of some hush-hush experimental military unit. There was one thing Farkas did know: the pair had to be eliminated before they caused more damage.
The American operatives had come to Saeed Shayhidi s attention through his close connections with other extremist groups, foreign and domestic spies, espionage specialists, and well-organized Southeast Asian allies, including the Chinese-based "Four Seas" Triad gang. Jackie and Scott became target number one on many of the bad guys' radarscopes, but trying to get reliable information about them proved to be difficult.
Zheng Yen-Tsung, a senior aide to a former Chinese prime minister who chaired the National People's Congress, had encountered the two operatives in China and sent a detailed description and a sketch of Sullivan and Dalton to half a dozen leaders of major terrorist organizations, including Shayhidi. The description, sketch, and reward for information about the Americans was disseminated to informants throughout the New York City, Newark, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, D. C., areas.
Zheng spelled out in graphic detail how Dalton and Sullivan had exposed a secret Chinese weapons system. Recuperating from a gunshot wound inflicted by Dalton, Zheng explained that the two operatives must be removed. Through the efforts of Zheng, the Peoples Liberation Army was offering $7.8 million for the assassination of Sullivan and Dalton.
By chance, the Iranian taxi driver who drove Scott and Jackie from a Georgetown restaurant to Reagan Airport thought he recognized the elusive couple. When he asked them which airline they were flying, Scott confirmed they were booked on American Airlines. In a pleasant manner, the driver tried to cajole the couple into revealing their destination and where they would be staying that evening. When Jackie and Scott deflected the inquiry, the driver formed a new plan.
After he dropped the Americans at the airport, the driver—"on assignment" from an Islamic group — parked his cab and jogged to the terminal building. He checked the departing flights and discovered the last American Airlines flight was scheduled to leave at 7:16 P. M. Flight number 1991 was a nonstop departure to DFW.
He immediately went to the nearest pay telephone, called his contact in Fredericksburg, Virginia, gave him the detailed information, and made arrangements to collect the reward if the couple turned out to be the operatives targeted for assassination.
When Khaliq Farkas was notified at his headquarters in Idaho, he contacted two associates living in the Dallas area. He faxed sketches of the operatives and instructed the men to meet the flight at DFW. The subordinates would confirm Scott and Jackie's identity and then follow them to wherever they were staying. Farkas ordered his men to remain vigilant until he arrived to relieve them.
Next, Farkas communicated through an intermediary with Saeed Shayhidi. He passionately lobbied for permission to assassinate the pair. Shayhidi gave his approval to proceed with the operation but stressed that it should not interfere with their primary objective. Farkas was a crucial part of their plan. Shayhidi could not risk the possibility of having him captured or killed before the operation was under way. Farkas assured his go-between the assassinations would be uncomplicated and the task would in no way interfere with the master plan. Nothing would be jeopardized by his side trip to Dallas.