The Gilded Sanctum

by Keith Veverka

  “Please, call me Lorenzo. I would say we’re on a first name basis by now, yes? You’ve done more for me than I could possibly thank you. I trust my payments are thanks enough.” Arcuri gestured to the couch. “Please sit down.”

  “Yes. Very generous,” Walker said as he cautiously settled into the leather couch.

  Arcuri sipped his drink. “Can I offer you a drink, Ryan? Some brandy perhaps?” Arcuri pointed to a liquor counter in the corner of the room next to one of the tall bookshelves. Walker had noticed it when he first entered the room, and it appeared to be a great collection.

  “No. Thank you,” Walker responded.

  “Are you sure? I have some twelve-year-old California over there. Very smooth.”

  Walker glanced again at the cabinet and smiled. “Thank you again, but no.”

  “Probably best.” Arcuri nodded, as he sat down across from Walker.

  Walker ignored the comment. Was it that obvious? Probably. How much did Arcuri know about his drinking? His past? It didn’t matter. Walker didn’t much care what Arcuri thought of him.

  Changing the subject, Walker asked, “What can I do for you, Lorenzo?”

  Arcuri settled back into the opposite couch, crossing his legs, and resting the glass on his knee. Walker could hear the ice cubes gently clink against the crystal, and then settle once again in the brown liquid. Arcuri sat still for several moments, choosing his words carefully. “You do incredible work, Ryan. Not everyone can do what you do. Perhaps not anyone.”

  “I wouldn’t go that far. It's a lot of luck really. Just knowing when to follow the right lead.”

  “Instinct?” Arcuri mused.

  “I suppose you could say that. But it's probably more experience than anything else.”

  Arcuri nodded in agreement. “Yes, experience. You certainly can’t teach that. Or is it natural ability?”

  Walker shrugged, unsure of the answer.

  Arcuri suddenly got up from the couch and approached the desk. He stood for several moments in front of the desk with his back to Walker. Finally, he put down his drink, turned, and leaned on the desk with both hands.

  “I need your experience right now, Ryan. Perhaps more than ever. This time it’s personal.” Arcuri paused for a moment, considering his next statement. “I’ll pay you a great deal for this one. I would hate to lose you, but this could be enough for you to retire from this nasty business. It could all be over for you.”

  Walker leaned forward, intrigued by Arcuri’s introduction to this new job.

  “It’s my daughter,” Arcuri said, the emotion draining the color from his face. “I haven't actually seen her in years. Her mother takes care of her, keeps her away from me, and I don’t blame her. This is no place for a young girl. Young woman now, I suppose. I do send them money and keep tabs on them of course, but being far away from all of this is the best I can hope for. I have many enemies, and the less my enemies know about my family, the better. I’m sure you understand.”

  Walker nodded in agreement, surprised by Arcuri’s acknowledgement of the danger inherent in this line of work, both for criminals and law enforcement. Although no one liked to admit the mortality of what they did, everyone knew full well that any day could be their last. Even scarier was the thought of their families being targeted and forced to pay with their lives for the wicked sins of the father.

  It was an unthinkable scenario, but too often families became the collateral damage for poor decisions and unforgivable mistakes. Walker knew this all too well, keenly aware of the guilt he felt for not seeing his own daughter in years. Not by choice, but by circumstance. Just like Arcuri, it was better this way. But in Walker’s case, it wasn’t the dangers of a criminal enterprise or the many enemies at the gates. He was his own worst enemy, and for her own good, his daughter needed to be far away from him.

  “She attends Washington Academy in Loudoun County,” Arcuri said proudly.

  “I know WA. Might just be the best private school in the country.”

  “Indeed, it is.”

  “What do you need, sir?”

  “She disappeared. Two nights ago. From the school grounds. I was notified the next morning. The school has already done a full investigation. But nothing. Not a trace. She’s simply vanished.”

  Walker sat upright. “Have you contacted the police?”

  Arcuri crossed his arms. “No. I contacted you.”

  “Lorenzo, with all due respect, I don’t think I can be of any help to you. If I’m remembering Washington Academy correctly, they have a state-of-the-art security system, a full-time campus police staff, and a security chief. If they don’t know what happened, there’s really nothing I can offer you.”

  Arcuri, as if anticipating the hesitation, moved quickly toward Walker, and sat down again. “You’re right about WA. It is state-of-the-art. The kids who attend Washington are, shall we say, the top one percent. Their families are enormously wealthy or powerful, or both. You have politicians, CEOs, and other business owners,” he said with a slight grin, referring to himself. “They are very discreet and very protective, which is why we all send our kids there. And you're right, if there was something to be found, they would have found it.”

  Walker listened intently and nodded in agreement.

  Arcuri leaned forward to make direct eye contact with Walker. “But that’s why you’re here. You’re the best. You can track down people that others can’t. You have a gift.”

  Walker shook his head, “Lorenzo, you don’t understand. The people I find for you are trying to disappear, you see? They’re trying to get off the grid, but in most cases, they’re not career criminals. They have no tradecraft, so they make mistakes, lots of mistakes, and they’re easy to track. I just follow the errors.”

  Arcuri attempted to speak, but Walker continued. “But a disappearance, or a kidnapping, I would need the resources of the local or state police or the FBI, access to records, entry to locations. I simply don’t have the support. I’m no longer…”

  Arcuri stopped him by raising his hand in the air. “Ryan, that’s exactly why I need you.” He spoke slowly. “You have the instincts. You’ll be able to see what others don't. And you’re not law enforcement any more, so that protective shield that the people at Washington Academy pride themselves on might bend a little, maybe to the point where they actually put their guard down and give you more than they were ever willing to give. They won’t fear you. You understand? You may be the only one who is able to get past their walls...literally and figuratively.”

  Walker pondered the thought for a moment, staring at the floor. Arcuri could be right. Washington Academy was indeed famous for its academic program, but also notorious for its relatively closed society — an exclusive club to which few could enter. WA did pride itself on its secretiveness, which is why the rich and powerful sent their kids there, but perhaps they would let their guard down with him, knowing they had nothing to fear from a washed-up former agent. And did they have anything to fear? Probably not. Walker looked up and shook his head again. “I don’t know.”

  Rising from his seat and walking over to his desk again, Arcuri said, “I’m actually acquainted with the dean of the school, Robert Ellis. He and my father did business together, and you would not believe the amount of money I give to that school each year beyond the tuition. I think they may have named a building or two after me by now. I do all of this for a reason of course. Because I know that one day I may need something from them. And this is one of those times.”

  “You’ve already spoken with him?” Walker asked.

  “Yes,” said Arcuri, with a smirk. “I’ve already arranged for you to visit the campus and start your own investigation into my daughter’s disappearance. The dean has agreed for you to stay on campus for three days and conduct your inquiry. He’s promised full cooperation from himself, his security team, and any students or faculty you deem of interest.

  Arcuri moved toward Walker to close the deal. “I need you, Ryan.
I need you to find my little girl. I need you to bring her back to me.”

  Walker sighed. “Lorenzo, I’ve done this for a long time. You need to contact the police or bring in the FBI. That’s the only way you’re going to get your daughter back. I'm sure you know the odds. The first couple of hours are crucial. It's been two days. Any trail that might have been there has gone cold by now. If I am able to find her, I’m afraid it’s not going to be good news.”

  Arcuri sat down again, still leaning forward. “I understand. I truly do. I know the statistics. But as you and I both know, Washington Academy is its own little world, so the idea of some lunatic or pedophile from the outside entering the campus and abducting my daughter is very unlikely. I can assure you that nothing happens at WA without those in charge knowing about it. That’s why I’ve instructed them to not contact the police or FBI. I need this to be low profile. I know the answers are there, somewhere on that campus. I just need someone to find them.”

  “But the police can bring so much more manpower to bear, Lorenzo.”

  Arcuri leaned back. “Think about what you just said. How many officers would be involved? How many news outlets would be notified? I don’t want a gaggle of volunteers traipsing through the woods calling out her name. If word of this gets out, I could have enemies at my doorstep, trying to exploit me while I’m vulnerable, pretending they have my daughter to exact some revenge.” He paused, pondering the unthinkable. “But if one of my enemies does actually have her, and I’m about to receive a ransom demand or an ultimatum, I need to be in a position of power. I need to be informed, so I can put my apparatus to work. You need to either bring me back my daughter, or help me to understand what happened, so I can better fight whatever enemy this might be.” Walker listened intently as Arcuri made his final offer. “Again, my payout will only be exceeded by my gratitude, and if you want to retire from this life, that will finally be available to you.”

  Thoughts were racing through Walker’s mind so quickly he could barely keep up. To any objective observer, his life was in shambles, and he would probably be dead from his own self-destructive behavior or an executioner’s bullet before long anyway. Was this his way out? A way back? But everything he just told Arcuri was also true. He had no resources, no support, and no ability to solve a missing persons case in three days. Would he be the newest addition to Arcuri’s list if he failed? Fine by me. That was also a way out.

  Walker stared at Arcuri, could see the sadness in his eyes, the determination in his brow. Aside from all the havoc this crime lord had wrought upon the world, Arcuri was still a father, and Walker could relate. Although he hadn’t seen his own daughter in years, if he was in the same situation, he would move heaven and earth to find her. This must have been unbearably frustrating for Arcuri. An entire empire at his disposal, which he could mobilize at a moment’s notice or take action on a whim, but he was completely helpless to find his own daughter. Walker was his only chance.

  But he had learned some sad truths in the FBI, had attempted to console too many grieving parents. Mothers and fathers weren’t supposed to lose their children. At the very least, all they could ask for — all they craved — was some kind of explanation, something which brought a small semblance of sanity back to their lives. Parents needed to know the reason why their child was no longer with them. The most Walker could hope for was that he could give Lorenzo Arcuri a reason why his daughter was gone. Give him some closure. It was the least he could do for this father.

  After several moments of silence while he struggled with his shifting thoughts, Walker reached out his hand to shake Arcuri’s. “I’ll do what I can, Lorenzo, I promise you.”

  Lorenzo was seemingly surprised by Walker’s sudden reversal, but more than happy to return the gesture, pleased with his private investigator’s tacit agreement. Arcuri grabbed his hand and shook it tightly. “Thank you, Ryan. I know you will.”

  Chapter 2

  Washington, D.C.

  Six Years Earlier

  FBI Special Agent Ryan Walker smiled at the applause. He peered out into the crowded auditorium, locating his wife and daughter seated in a row near the front. Walker sat on a small folding chair on the stage as the FBI Director recounted the great investigative work and unparalleled courage of Agent Walker.

  It was a special day for the FBI, and the main auditorium at the J. Edgar Hoover Building in NW Washington was packed with audience members. The countless television and flashing hand-held cameras in the back of the hall captured the historic moment. The sound of the clicking cameras was only overpowered by the Director’s voice, echoing through the auditorium’s speakers, as he spoke from the center of the stage at a podium emblazoned with the FBI seal.

  “Awarded for extraordinary and exceptional achievements in connection with criminal or national security cases,” the Director stated, “the FBI Medal for Meritorious Achievement is being presented today to Special Agent Ryan Walker of the Washington Field Office. As you might remember, this case did not have a high probability of success, but because of the actions of Agent Walker, we returned a child to his family.”

  The Director recounted the thrilling story for the audience, while Walker was deep in thought, remembering the ebb and flow of the case that had grabbed international headlines and captivated the country for a week. A congressman’s ten-year-old son had been abducted by a disgruntled former aide who had been fired for inappropriate behavior. Seeking revenge, the mentally unstable aide kidnapped the Congressman’s son on his way to school and demanded a $3 million ransom and safe passage out of the country, or he would kill the boy.

  The kidnapping fell under the purview of the Washington Field Office, and Walker was assigned the case. Relying on his many years of experience and some painstaking investigative techniques, he was able to track the assailant and his victim to a small hunting cabin in the Shenandoah Valley. Walker brought in the field office’s SWAT team to surround the location while they started their negotiations. After several hours of fruitless progress, the negotiations started to break down and the assailant became extremely agitated. Walker made the fateful decision for the SWAT team to breach the cabin, and in a matter of moments, they had killed the kidnapper and rescued the child.

  It was an unprecedented public success for the Bureau, which so often did its best work behind the scenes and was usually unable to tout its wins to the general public. Since Walker was instrumental in that success and with the nation’s attention still captivated by the positive outcome, the FBI wanted to bask in the glory, bringing the entire episode to a dramatic close by presenting the medal to Walker in the packed auditorium.

  As the Director finished his remarks and presented the honorary medal to Walker, the room was illuminated by camera flashes and deafened by a cacophony of camera shutters. This continued for several minutes as Walker, wearing his medal proudly, made his way to the podium for a brief speech. He relished the moment. Although never required, his many years of hard work were being rewarded, and he now felt as though he was a symbol of sorts for all the men and women who worked tirelessly every day in the Department of Justice. Walker wisely knew it would be a fleeting moment, but he would enjoy it nonetheless.

  While speaking from the podium, Walker thanked everyone involved with the case, and specifically commended the bravery and courage of his field office’s SWAT team. As he spoke, he reflected on how much the SWAT team had impressed him with their professionalism, precision, and perfect composure under stress. In his years as an agent, he had certainly interacted with the SWAT team, but he had never depended on them so completely as he had for the favorable outcome at the hunting cabin. He knew the agents, worked alongside them, but never realized the extent to which they went beyond the call of duty.

  Each of the FBI’s fifty-six field offices across the county maintained their own SWAT teams. These teams weren’t quite as prestigious as the FBI Hostage Rescue Team, the full-time SWAT team based in Quantico, Virginia, but they were as good a spe
cial weapons and tactics force as you would find anywhere in the world. These SWAT teams were composed of agents from each respective field office, who did this on a part-time basis in addition to their regular duties and would be called upon for high-risk events such as hostage rescues or barricade situations.

  As Walker looked out into the audience, finding his wife and daughter again, he was proud of what he had accomplished in his fifteen years as an agent, but decided it was time for a new challenge, a way to give back to the agency that had given him so much. He was excited for what was to come, not only to increase his own law enforcement experience, but also to undertake something he felt could make a real difference. And so, as Ryan Walker stood at that podium, thankful for what he was a part of, he decided to join the FBI’s SWAT team.

  ***

  Special Agent Walker, his wife Nicole, and seven-year-old daughter, Elise, crossed the plush interior courtyard of the Hoover building, making their exit from FBI Headquarters. After shaking lots of hands and posing for multiple pictures, the Walker family had finally gotten to leave the auditorium. The three walked together, Nicole holding Elise’s hand as they descended the steps. In her other hand, Elise swung the medal in circles by its patriotic-colored lanyard.

  “Be careful with your dad’s medal, sweetheart,” Nicole said. “He worked really hard for that.”

  Walker smiled at Nicole as he watched his daughter swing the precious piece of medal in circles. “No worries. I think I can order a replacement if it gets broken.”

  Nicole nudged her husband and smiled back. “Stop it. This is not just a piece of jewelry, honey. You did something very special. You brought that child back to his parents. You should be very proud of yourself. I’m very proud of you.”

  Walker grinned and winked at his wife. “Thanks, babe. I know it’s important. We do good work here. People don’t always realize it, but we do really good work.”

  Nicole stared at her husband for a moment and then looked forward. “I know. I never thought I would be married to a man in law enforcement. Too many sleepless nights. Waiting for that knock at the door.” Nicole shuddered. “But I always had faith in you. Faith that you would always do the right thing. Do your duty. No matter what.”