Cross Down

General Grissom explains that what seemed like random fury amid a wasp-like swarm of discontent is coordinated terrorism funded by America’s enemies: “Iran, China, Russia, and some Mexican cartels” (8). Web chatter suggests an attack in DC is imminent. The president makes Grissom the chair of a task force to address the attacks. Grissom suggests that the president temporarily suspend Posse Comitatus, the rule banning the military from participating in civilian law. He further suggests the “[r]estriction of civilian movement, control and oversight of the internet to prevent the spread of misinformation and fake news” and the declaration of martial law (9).

Detective John Sampson of the DC Metro Police asks his best friend, Dr. Alex Cross, a psychoanalyst at the FBI, to chat on the way to a subterranean conference room. After taking their seats, President Kent arrives with General Grissom and his chief of staff. The president announces that they have a week to stop the recent spate of terror attacks or the US might be destroyed forever.

General Grissom’s assistant, Colonel Kendricks, passes out a summary of the attacks to date and Grissom says that in a week, a massive attack on DC will occur that is “going to make the January sixth attacks look like a junior-high dance” (19). Sampson witnessed a terror attack himself the previous day.

An NSA spokesperson explains that they swept the digital areas post-attacks and located encrypted data at several attack sites. Burners, single use tablets, and the dark web were all utilized. The director of the CIA claims that at least three sources funded the attacks through crypto traded on the dark web. Grissom adjourns the meeting, but Sampson loudly interjects. He claims that nobody asked Metro PD for their input, and nobody appears to be concerned about the safety of the citizens of Washington DC.

The room erupts in protest as Sampson continues to berate the attendees for not doing anything to protect the people of DC. Sampson suggests they activate the National Guard, alert hospitals, set up shelters, and prepare for the worst. The president asks Doris Landsdale, Director of Homeland Security, to institute some of Sampson’s requests. Alex Cross congratulates Sampson on “speaking truth to power” (25), and they leave to have dinner at Alex’s place.

At Nana Mama’s—Alex Cross’s grandmother who raised both Cross and Sampson—they have dinner, then Cross and Sampson retreat with bourbon to the porch. Cross says he knows there’s a pattern to the attacks, but he can’t pinpoint what it is yet. They agree to meet in the morning.

The narrative switches and describes the actions of terrorists preparing for their attack. Four men, Franklin, Pope, Clyde, and Leon, load an Amazon truck to prepare for the following day’s mission. Rather than delivering packages, the truck bears armored vests and submachine guns and the body of the night manager who’d discovered them. Franklin, Pope, Clyde, and Leon conduct another dry run, in preparation to attack the Metro Police Headquarters in the morning.

Sampson walks his seven-year-old daughter Willow to school, and she asks if they are safe. She says her teachers are on edge, and she’s worried. They go through metal detectors and note the presence of additional security in the halls. Willow says she dislikes her backpack, but Sampson asks her to get used to it. It is bulletproof and might save her when the shooting starts.

One of the terrorists, Pope, drives the Amazon truck in downtown DC. They exercise radio silence. At a red light, there is a knock on his window and Pope reaches for his Glock 17.

Sampson drives to Metro PD headquarters. En route, he gets a text from an old friend named Mel Carr. He calls Mel, who tells him something big is happening at Ft. Bragg. People are being sent on temporary duty assignments, and the base is on lockdown. Mel references a classified mission two years prior that he and Sampson were both on and says he needs to talk to Sampson urgently in person. He says he thinks the recent attacks are linked to their classified mission.

Pope rolls down the window and the man rapping on the glass hands him a flyer to protest Amazon’s treatment of its workers. Pope realizes the man is asking him to join a union meeting and drives away, relieved it was a false alarm.

Sampson meets Cross near the Metro PD building and they chat as they walk towards the entrance. Several cars, including an Amazon truck, are coming towards the crosswalk when Cross suggests they hustle.

Pope sees his targets, Cross and Sampson, on the crosswalk and tells his team to be ready. They open the doors and Pope hears the sound of gunfire.

Cross tells Sampson what he figured out about the attacks. He has a plan and is about to share this when an Amazon van slows, makes a wide turn and the door slides up revealing two gunmen. Sampson pushes Cross to the ground and pulls out his Glock.

Leon and Clyde get out of the van and fire at their target. Things do not go as planned. The target fires back. They know the police will swarm out of the building any second. Leon leans over a barrier to come face-to-face with Sampson’s outstretched gun. This is the last thing he sees.

Sampson kills Leon and then shoots at Clyde, wounding him. Pope pulls Clyde into the van and the vehicle speeds away. Sampson’s bullets fail to penetrate the van. When he turns around, he finds Cross lying in a puddle of his blood.

Rachel and Trudy, two paramedics, are racing towards Metro PD in their ambulance. Police wave them to the scene and Rachel parks directly in front of the victim. Sampson tells them what happened, including the weapon and rounds. The police offer an escort and jump in their squad cars to clear the way. Sampson climbs into the ambulance.

Rachel and Trudy work on Cross, who is unresponsive. His vitals drop, and he’s close to death as the police clear the street so the ambulance can get to George Washington Hospital as quickly as possible. In the back, Sampson prays and lets Cross know he’s there.

Harry Maynard, a former NSA employee, walks into a garage and finds Franklin, Clyde, and Pope, who explain that Leon was killed on the scene. Maynard gets a call from the boss, who uses a voice synthesizer. The Boss (who turns out in Part 5 to be Colonel Kendricks) is angry to learn that Alex Cross, famous for his policing skills, was the one who was shot rather than the no-name, nothing detective who was their actual target. Maynard kills the injured Clyde, and they dispose of the body.

Rachel saves Cross’s life just as they arrive at the hospital. He’s whisked inside, with Sampson right behind pulling on a surgical gown. When he turns to thank Rachel and Trudy, they’re gone.

Sampson stands in the trauma bay at the hospital keeping watch over Cross. He recalls growing up with Alex Cross in Nana Mama’s house and thinks of Cross as family. Hospital staff take Cross in for surgery.

Maynard kicks everyone out of the status meeting except Lisa, formerly military personnel and CDC security employee who now works for Maynard. She gives him an update on their training status. Maynard tasks Lisa with cleaning up a mess at GW hospital. He then asks about Stuart, another man they are working with, and Lisa says that she’s heard him on the phone. She brings Stuart towards Maynard’s office as Maynard pulls out torture tools.

At the hospital, Nana Mama arrives with Cross’s children Ali and Jannie. Bree, Cross’s wife, comes shortly after and Sampson fills them all in. Bree says Cross’s older son Damon is on his way as well. Nana Mama leads a prayer while Sampson realizes he’s missing the president’s meeting, needs to pick up Willow, will lose the investigation to the FBI, and needs to make a statement to Metro PD The surgeon comes out to deliver the news.

Maynard is frustrated that he had to kill Stuart, since they are down a man and strike day is coming. Standing in a remote stretch of Virginia woods, he surveys an impressive training ground concealed below camouflage tents. Maynard carefully selected the team of 15 men and women, all prior military or law enforcement, before him. He tells the armorer to put two live rounds in each magazine to help them train with more urgency.

The surgeon tells the family Cross is alive but in critical condition. They can see him soon but must keep the meetings upbeat.

Sampson stays at the hospital with Cross’s family, and a detective comes to take his statement, warning him that he shouldn’t have left the scene. Sampson stays in the cafeteria to comfort Ali, Cross’s youngest son.

FBI agent Ned Mahoney visits Cross in the hospital. He’s an old friend to Cross and Sampson. He is in charge of investigating Cross’s shooting. Sampson says it wasn’t random, and Mahoney agrees. The attacker whom Sampson killed revealed nothing, the weapons lacked serial numbers, and the Amazon van plates were registered to Amazon. Mahoney says Grissom’s meeting that morning was chaotic and unproductive because of the attack.

Mahoney explains that hate groups erode core institutions within the government. Half of the FBI field office was arrested for supporting extremist groups. Sampson tells Mahoney about Mel Carr’s phone call and the claim that the attacks might be linked to a mission in Afghanistan two years prior. Mahoney tells him to find Carr but warns him not to trust anyone.