Troubleshooter

Chapter 50 - Up and Down (Part 2)

Lieutenant Richards welcomed the squad leader of the rapid response team that had finally arrived. It was a menacing looking unit of twenty individuals in full tactical gear and weaponry. Additionally, ten more policemen had joined, brought in by Superintendent Gordon whom Richards had met the previous evening.

Richards looked at the group. Together with the policemen that she hadn't assigned to guard duty, she commanded over forty men and women—a nice, small army to catch one SOB. The tactical unit leader was a short, thickset man who looked as if he consisted of one-hundred percent bones, muscles, and brain. He had a thin, well-groomed mustache and was the only one of his team not hidden under a mask.

"Major Henderson at your service. I have been instructed to report to you," he said without preamble. If he was annoyed to be under the command of a mere paper-pushing Lieutenant from Military Intelligence, he didn't show it. The general had made sure that the line of command was clear from the beginning; it was Richards' job, success or failure.

Superintendent Gordon introduced himself to Henderson and then spoke to Richards. "What is the plan, Lieutenant?"

Richards stepped over to the reception desk. She directed Henderson and Gordon toward the security office in the back of the reception area where the bank of monitors showed a lot of camera angles from various floors, staircases, and halls. A nervous, computer-savvy policeman in his early twenties with lot of freckles in his face and a super-nervous security guy from the building's facility office were monitoring the important angles between the ground level and the twentieth floor, where they assumed the Asian Man was still hiding out.

Richards briefed Henderson, Gordon, and the two team leaders of the tactical unit. She gave a quick rundown of the situation and the objectives. Then she turned to a stack of floor plans that were spread out on the desk in the security office and explained the layout of the building and the camera staircase problem.

"Any ideas on how to smoke him out?" Richards finally asked her troops.

Henderson shook his head. "Let's first ensure that the groundwork is covered." He gave some quick commands to one of the team leads. "Go check the exits of the building and how they are covered by the police. All ground floor and subterranean exits. If in doubt, double-check. Take some police along to reinforce any weak position. Instruction is: if in doubt, take down." He looked at Richards. "How much violence are we allowed to cause?"

"If there are civilians around, no shooting." Richards was clear on that. "Civilians' safety has priority. We kill no voters for some plans of a flying toy. But if we corner him, get him by any means necessary. Remember, he is involved in two possible killings in the last few days, so he is extremely dangerous."

Henderson nodded to his team leader, who ran away. "If in doubt, run" was one of his standard phrases.

"My suggestion is probably as good as yours. You already started the evacuation; that's good. The less civilians we have on the premise, the better. I'll keep two men in the lobby to handle any possible violent situation."

"Makes sense," Richards confirmed.

"Team Alpha, we'll have two guys to make the climb up two of the staircases starting on the lowest floor, going up. And then, starting on, let's say, the fifteenth floor, going down. That's eight people trying to flush him out or maybe catch him directly." Henderson turned to Richards. "That will force him either to confront your men or to run to the floor into another staircase or into the open office space."

Richards nodded. "In either case, we will spot him on the surveillance CCTV."

Henderson pointed at his other team lead. "And this is where Smitty and Team Bravo come in. They position themselves in the middle. Either take the third staircase to go up or down in a hurry, or take the elevator."