The Terrorist Next Door by Sheldon Siegel Read Free Book Online Page A

built above old rail yards a block north of the Art Institute between Michigan Avenue and the lakefront. Bordered by the Prudential Building and the Aon Center, the old Main Library, and a greenbelt leading to the lake, the second Mayor Daley’s tribute to contemporary urban design was usually a serene public space where strollers lingered over ice cream cones and sipped fruit drinks as they enjoyed a respite from the harsh realities of the Loop.
    But this was no ordinary day. Except for police and emergency vehicles, Millennium Park was empty.
    Gold looked up at the helicopters as he and Battle approached the park on a gridlocked Randolph Drive. He glanced over at a young man driving a Honda. His knuckles were white from the death grip he had on the steering wheel.
    They parked the Crown Vic on the sidewalk. Gold’s lungs filled with black smoke billowing up through the ventilation shafts from the underground garage. The park was cordoned off by yellow tape. An army of cops encircled the media mob near the stage of the Jay Pritzker Music Pavilion, where the mayor was about to conduct another press briefing. Gold and Battle took a circuitous route to Columbus Drive, where fire engines, police units, and ambulances lined the west side of the street near the entrance to the garage.
    They found a stressed Maloney inside the Chicago PD’s crowded mobile command unit parked beneath the pedestrian bridge. The chief reported that one casualty had been confirmed, and at least two other people had been injured. Teams of Area 1 detectives were searching for witnesses and reviewing security videos.
    Maloney deferred to Commander Mike Rowan of the Bomb Squad, who filled in the details. “The bomb was set off in a Toyota Corolla reported stolen from the parking lot of the Blue Island Metra station on Friday. The owner is not a suspect. Security videos show the car entering the garage at five-thirty this morning. We can’t identify the driver. Trunk was filled with gas cans. Detonator was a throwaway phone serviced by U.S. Cellular. FBI says it was purchased for cash at a Best Buy in Buffalo Grove on July fourteenth.” Rowan said the initiating phone was a throwaway purchased at a K-Mart in Oak Lawn. “The initiating call was placed from downtown, but we don’t have a precise location. Verizon, T-Mobile, and U.S. Cell have shut down access to all disposable cell phones within a one hundred mile radius. We’ve made a similar request to the other carriers. We hope to have access shut down within the hour.”
    * * *
    The young man fingered the disposable cell phone as he watched the WGN website. Mojo was showing footage from the mayor’s press conference. Service to Verizon, T-Mobile, and U.S. Cellular throwaways had been cut off. The other carriers would soon follow suit. He closed his laptop and put it inside its black bag. He was tempted to send Gold another text, but he didn’t want to get cocky or make a careless mistake.
    Time to get busy .
    * * *
    Battle’s left hand rested on the steering wheel of the Crown Vic as he and Gold barreled south on Lake Shore Drive on their way to police headquarters. An exodus from downtown was underway, and traffic was heavy. Battle leaned on the horn as a Mercedes darted in front of them. “Anything more from Fong?”
    “Nothing,” Gold said.
    “New texts?”
    “None.” Gold leaned back in the passenger seat and tried to process reports from the police band and WGN-radio. The local TV and radio stations were running wall-to-wall coverage. The cable news networks were descending upon Chicago. Police were stationed at major intersections. National Guard troops were deployed at gas stations. Army reserves were standing by. Grocery stores were crowded, and people were stockpiling food, water, and gasoline. The mayor had quietly ordered the preparation of contingency plans for evacuating the city.
    Battle chewed on his toothpick. “Tell me everything you know about Al-Shahid.”
    Gold took