Blackest of Fridays

Chapter One They're Off Across the nation nearly every retailer is opening its doors before dawn even breaks on Black Friday. Huge crowds are stampeding their facilities in search of bargains and new ideas for Christmas gift giving. When the crowds enter the stores it seems as if they have a plan as where to head first, and how many of their competitive shoppers they can outdo. They look like horses released at the starting gates of a major track event. When the gates (or doors in this case) are opened, they race into the aisles the same way race horses do on a track. Each member of the terrorist team, shouldering their backpacks, proceeds to the locations they are assigned. Team one is entering a store that handles multiple lines of clothing and household goods. Their main target is to set their backpacks where the explosions will create shrapnel from metal goods and glass products. Team two is entering a children's toy store. Their objective is to place their backpacks where metal toys are displayed and in the area that dolls are located. These should be areas where many shoppers should be congregating. Team three is entering a second store with multiple lines of clothing. Their assignment is to place their packs where the greatest number of consumers seems to be at the time. One of them will deposit his pack in an area where you try on clothes. Team four is focused on an appliance store where there is everything to furnish a home with televisions, to sound systems, plus washers and dryers. When their explosions occur there will be a great deal of twisted metal to add to the body count. * * * By the time the teams enter their locations it is around 5:20 am. Each one selects a shopping cart and places their backpack underneath the carriage. They are moving towards their goals while they add items to the carts to make themselves look legitimate. Trying to maneuver around the many shoppers clogging the aisles takes time and it is vital they don't force issues to raise attention to themselves, and possibly be identified by the authorities later. It is close to 6:00 am when all four teams have placed their backpacks into areas where they will do maximum damage. The timers on the C4 explosives are set to explode at 6:30 am. They leave their shopping carts in the aisles and head out of the stores to the designated pick up area. Around 6:20 am all twelve have been retrieved by their leader. Ahmad pulls their vehicle out of the parking lot and parks the van just outside of the parking perimeter. Ahmad wants to witness the effect of their work. He needs to report to his superiors the results of their efforts. * * * Inside of the store where the third team laid one backpack nearby the women's changing area. The lady clerk, manning the dressing rooms, notices that someone left a backpack under a clothes rack. She reaches down to pick it up to see if there is any identification on it, the bag explodes in her hands. There is no one left alive within a ten foot radius of the explosion. Within moments there are eleven other explosions inside the four stores. * * * Ahmad smiles and pulls away from the curb before emergency vehicles and police arrive. Ahmad says, “No one said, Allahu Akbar did they?” The twelve reply they refrained from saying anything as they were instructed. “Good, they will not be so sure that this act of terrorism was from Islamists, or from some home grown group. That will confuse them for a while,” replies Ahmad. “We have more to accomplish today. Remember you will not speak Farsi even when we are alone. It is important that you condition yourselves to speak in English.” * * * Inside of the stores the carnage is unbelievable. There are dead bodies scattered in many directions. People are in shock, that need to be treated, and wounded who are either down on the floor or trying to regain their footings. Along with the merchandise, shelves, and racks it looks like a war zone. Managers and employees in all of the four stores are doing their best to clear shoppers who weren't injured by the bombings. The stores need to be cleared as best as possible to allow the emergency personnel to administer aid to the injured. Each person lying down would have to be checked for pulses to insure they weren't killed in the blast. One manager states, “Who is so rotten to be able to do this. Most of these people are women.” Tears are running down his cheeks as he checks the bodies to see if anyone is either unconscious, injured or dead. * * * When the EMT's arrive they radio headquarters to explain the dilemma they are facing. Emergency vehicles are being called in from adjacent communities. At the same time the EMTs arrive the local Natick, MA police cruisers arrive and the sergeant in charge just says, “Jesus H. Christ.” He calls it into main headquarters, and they too call for local community assistance as well. * * * Lieutenant John McNamara a ten year veteran on the Natick Detective force is called upstairs to the captain's office. He is placed in charge of the detail to handle the four stores. “Jack, I don't know what we're dealing with yet. There are 9-1-1 reports of bombings at four stores that opened early this morning. Pick your teams and get me a report.” John, who likes to be called Jack, requests a four man team to handle each store and is given the manpower to solve this quickly before the community panics. All off duty detectives and police officers are being called into active duty effective immediately.