by Glen Robins
Lukas also worked out a scheme to reroute the money as soon as it landed in Collin’s account. Making it untraceable would throw off Penh and his criminal syndicate. The best, though unlikely, scenario was that Penh would get discouraged and give up, leaving Collin to live in peace and work out the next phase of his life unmolested. But Lukas knew better. He hoped his plan would buy Collin enough time to recover emotionally and regroup mentally so he could educate himself in the fine art of living like a ghost, so he could stay out of reach when Penh would inevitably strike again.
Early in November, just four months after Collin had buried his wife and three children, Lukas received a phone call from Collin’s attorney.
“The other side wants to settle—tomorrow.”
“Impossible,” said Lukas. The terms haven’t even been negotiated.”
“The terms are so generous only a fool would try to negotiate further. Who would scoff at a thirty-three-million-dollar offer?”
“I need more time. I can’t get everything into place by tomorrow. Can you push it off two or three days?”
“I seriously doubt it. Not without raising suspicions. One day, maybe.”
“Do what you can. I’ve got to get started rearranging everything.”
Rob had offered to use his boat as a meeting place since Collin had spent the weekend of the ten-year class reunion on the boat with Rob. Accordingly, Rob had planned to spend a full week driving his forty-foot yacht northward up the coast from Marina Del Rey to the San Francisco Bay. It would be a long, tough slog fighting the California current coming down from Alaska the entire trip.
Changing that plan was the first thing that came to mind when he hung up with the lawyer.
“Rob, listen. I’m contracting a trucking company to haul your boat to Petaluma. Your romantic notion of driving up the coast is off the table. You OK with that?”
“What? Why?” Rob said, his voice laced with shock and disappointment.
After explaining the situation, Rob said he would contact the company that had hauled it to California from Florida for him. Lukas offered to pay any surcharge for expedited service. “It needs to be there in two days. And so do both you and I.”
“Roger that. It would’ve been a pretty cool trip, though.”
“It’ll be even cooler having all three of us onboard heading south.”
“You’re right about that.”
****
Lukas arrived at the dock in Petaluma in a taxi, having flown in from Reagan International Airport late in the afternoon and pre-arranging a cab to get to the marina. Rob was there working out details with a crane operator to get his boat from the truck bed into the water as soon as humanly possible.
Rob shook his head as Lukas approached. “These guys are not used to doing things in such a hurry. I’ll tell you what.” He swiped sweat from his upper lip as he flexed his jaw muscles. “Do you want to know how many Benjamins I’ve had to dole out here in the past fifteen minutes just to get to this point?”
“I’ll reimburse you. I have a pretty healthy expense account for just these sorts of contingencies.”
“Must be nice. Anyway, I just got back from the FedEx office. I sent Collin a note telling him to meet me here at Graffiti at six o’clock this evening.” Rob pointed to the adjacent restaurant. “I hope we have this boat in the water by then.”
“That’s three hours from now.”
“I know, but I have the feeling they’ve never done something like this before.” He nodded his head in the general direction of a semi-truck towing a large crane on its trailer maneuvering into position between the water and the truck carrying Rob’s boat. Everything was moving slowly, and Rob was getting irritated. “See what I mean?”
“Collin and his lawyer ought to be signing the papers right about now,” Lukas said, checking his designer watch. “The lawyer was lucky to get a twenty-four-hour delay from the original plan. Looks like we just might make it.”
“I don’t know, Lukas. You’re still thinking like an optimist.” Rob shook his head again.
Lukas nodded. “I guess so. Maybe hundred-dollar bills don’t mean what they used to.”
They listened and watched as the crane operator and the two truck drivers and the marina manager all barked at each other and pointed their fingers and waved their arms.
Neither of them talked for several minutes as the men began to work out a solution and the crane operator climbed into the cab and fired up the crane’s engine.
“Progress,” exclaimed Rob.
“Think he’ll be mad?” Lukas asked.
“Mad? Why would he be mad?”
“Because of the lie I’ve been living for all these years.”
“You wouldn’t be mad, would you, if the tables were turned?”
“No, I guess not.”
“Then don’t worry about Collin. He’ll be more than happy to see you.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Onboard Rob Howell’s Boat
Seven and a half Years After Graduation From MIT
The boat was finally moored to the dock. Night was falling fast. Rob and Lukas had just managed to maneuver into the slip and tie up in time for Rob to dash over to the restaurant three minutes before Collin’s arrival.
Onboard the boat, Lukas paced through the roughly hundred-square foot parlor, the nervous energy mounting with each minute. He checked his phone to make sure Rob was in position. All that mattered now was getting Collin onboard—first, the boat; second, with the plan. Would Collin be willing to just up and leave with no preparation? How would he take the news that he was about to fall prey to a nefarious predator? Would he believe it?
Lukas sat on a leather seat next to the couch, laid his cane across his knees, and meditated. Deep breaths allowed his mind and body to relax. He was confident in both his assumptions about Pho Nam Penh and his game plan for rescuing Collin from a fate similar to the nine cases he had confirmed. What happened in the first sixty seconds of their meeting would determine the end result and how quickly that end would come.
Lukas closed his eyes and visualized what was soon to transpire, believing wholeheartedly that he was in the right and was leading Collin to a better, safer future.
In the distance, above the gurgle and sluicing of the water against the hull, he heard approaching footfalls on the faux wood dock accompanied by hushed voices. As they drew closer, Lukas grew more focused. When he heard the uneven ripping sound of the zipper on the canvas deck cover, he said a quick prayer. The sliding glass door into the salon rolled open and two figures stepped one after the other over the threshold. Lukas rose to his feet and leaned on his cane. The chatter between the two men had subsided even before they reached the back deck, so there was an eerie and awkward silence as the first man entered and squinted through the dim light.
Lukas held out his hand even before recognition fully dawned. Collin Cook, his dear friend, the one who had turned his worst moment into the starting point of true friendship, fumbled at first, then finally grasped his outstretched hand. Lukas pulled Collin toward him and embraced him, like he had Rob four months earlier. “I’m so sorry for your loss. I wish I could have been there for you, Collin. I also wish we had managed to meet under more pleasant circumstances.”
Collin looked bewildered. Lukas couldn’t blame him. It was a lot to process, but it was just the beginning. Collin would have a veritable truckload of disheartening information dumped on him over the course of the next few hours, so Lukas did his best to keep things lighthearted at first.
The three friends attempted to engage in the kind of banter that was once the hallmark of their high school relationship, but it felt forced and disingenuous, so Lukas turned the conversation to the threat at hand during the first contracted pause.
“Listen, Collin. You’re not going to like this, but now that you’ve signed the settlement papers, you are a marked man.”
Collin didn’t balk at this concept like Lukas thought he would. Instead, he squ
inted at Lukas and said, “You said you’re with the NSA now, right? So, you must know something I don’t about why these guys suddenly flip-flopped and decided to settle rather than fight me in court? I mean, who does that? Who settles for $30 million without a fight?”
“You’ve obviously thought about this.”
“Yeah, I have. Heaven knows I’ve had a lot of time lately. I haven’t really been back to work since the accident. I mean, I tried—twice. Lasted all of three days each time before my boss sent me home and said, ‘get yourself right before you come back.’ I haven’t been back for five weeks now. That’s given me a lot of time to deal with this case and think about all the ramifications.”
Rob shot Lukas a glance. Lukas twitched his eyebrows upward quickly, so Rob went ahead. “Your parents told me you were depressed. They’ve been really worried about you.”
“Oh, that’s pretty true. Somedays I never get dressed. I’ll go days between showers sometimes. I go weeks without shaving. I skip church more than I’ve ever skipped before. Yeah, I’ve been kind of a mess. I’m not afraid to admit that. Hell, you would be too if you lost your wife and kids the way I did.”
Lukas and Rob exchanged glances again. This was not what either of them expected. Collin was more rational, more “with it” than what his parents had described.
“Totally understandable, my friend,” said Lukas. “I think you seem to be holding up much better than I would have.”
Rob nodded in agreement. “Listen, buddy. There are things happening that Lukas has been keeping an eye on. He feels you’re in danger, starting the moment that money lands in your account tomorrow morning.”
Collin furrowed his brow and studied Rob first, then Lukas. Lukas held his gaze, feeling the tension in his own face while watching it grow more apparent on Collin’s.
“Yeah, we’re not messing with you, buddy. That would be a sick joke, but, unfortunately, we’re serious,” said Rob.
Lukas took up the narrative from there, explaining in detail his relationship with Pho Nam Penh and what he had done. Collin listened, wide-eyed at times, as Lukas spoke about joining Penh’s service club and working closely with him on projects aimed at helping people in Southeast Asia climb out from depths of poverty.
Periodically, Collin stopped him to ask questions and confirm his understanding. It wasn’t until Lukas explained the circumstances around Theresa’s death that Collin began to realize the gravity of his own situation. When Lukas and Rob highlighted some of the insurance settlement cases Lukas had followed, Collin took a deep breath, pointed his face at the ceiling and blew out. “I’m screwed, aren’t I?”
“Not at all,” said Rob. “We’d never let something like that happen to you, not when we have the power to stop it. Lukas here works for the freaking NSA, dude. He’s got the resources you need and can teach you all about living like a ‘ghost.’”
“Living like a ghost?” Collin repeatedly softly.
“‘Under the radar’, if you prefer,” said Lukas.
Rob leaned forward, forearms across his thighs, rubbing his hands together like he was sanding his palms smooth. “We’ve got a plan to keep you safe. It’s pretty simple but requires a lot from you. The hardest part is that it has to start right now.”
“Right now?”
“Yeah, that’s why I brought my boat up here. Basically, you’re never returning to your home. This will be your home for the next little while. After that, you’re going to have to keep moving until Penh is no longer a threat.”
Collin raised his eyebrows, a mixed look spread across his face. His expression simultaneously conveyed fear and determination, confusion and commitment. “Look, this is pretty wild stuff. I mean, I’m just an ordinary family guy who lost his family. I’m nothing special, other than I’ll have thirty million dollars first thing in the morning. I don’t know why this is happening to me. I just want to be left alone, know what I mean? I don’t want any extra attention.”
“Collin,” Rob said, looking at his feet. “It won’t last forever. I think a change of scenery will do you good. Get out of Petaluma. See the world.”
“But I have a target on my back, don’t I? Won’t that be dangerous?”
“Not as dangerous as staying around here waiting for them to come.”
Collin seemed to absorb that information. He nodded his head slowly. “There’s nothing here for me now, I’ll have plenty of money, so that won’t be an issue anymore. I guess I’m good to go. The only thing I worry about is my parents. This will be hard on them, you know?”
“I know,” said Rob. “I’ll do my best to run interference and keep them from freaking out. I know your mom won’t take your disappearing lightly, but I think I can convince her that you and I are in contact and that I know you’re alright.”
“Don’t worry about that too much,” said Lukas, tapping a laptop that sat on the coffee table between them. “I’ve set this up so you can email your parents and stay in touch with the outside world without being detected. You’ll have a secure virtual private network that will have a dynamic IP address generator.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning you’ll constantly have new IP addresses, cloaking your real location by misdirecting off random servers around the world. It’s pretty cool stuff. Our field operatives use this technology all the time.”
“So, I’m going to be a spy?”
“Not really, but you’ll have some of the cool gadgets they have.” Lukas was trying to make it sound like an adventure, knowing Collin liked adventure. He and Rob had concluded the high-level overview—the “sales pitch,” as Rob had referred to it—so he had nothing more to add at this point. During their short prep meeting, Rob had told him to stop talking at this point.
“If you say too much after you’ve discussed your solution to the client’s problem, you risk talking yourself right out of the sale,” Rob had said earlier as they watched the crane hoist the boat off the truck bed. Since he had outlined the problem and its logical solution, it was time to see if Collin would bite or if they would have to resort to the next level of salesmanship. Lukas didn’t want to have to go there. It involved more pressure, which made Lukas uncomfortable.
Lukas studied Collin’s face but couldn’t make out what he was thinking. Collin had maintained a resolute expression during the whole conversation, making it difficult for Lukas to properly assess whether he and Rob had hit the mark.
After several minutes of studying his hands, Collin clapped them together once. “You know what?” he said with a sort of resolute enthusiasm. “This sounds great. I could certainly use the distraction right now. And heaven knows Amy and I always wanted to travel the world.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Onboard Rob Howell’s Boat
Seven and a half Years After Graduation From MIT
It was shortly after midnight when Rob ignited the twin turbo diesel Caterpillar engines and let them idle as he and Collin set about the business of disembarking. Lukas watched through the salon window, glad to be underway and glad that Collin had agreed to the plan.
Once all the lines were away and fenders stowed, Collin walked the boat backwards out of the slip, holding the port side railings as he guided it. At the end of the dock, he hopped onto the swim deck on the stern, then climbed over the gunwale and up the ladder to join Rob on the bridge.
Lukas didn’t want to be left out, so he climbed the ladder, leading with his good leg, dragging the damaged one up to meet the good one, before repeating the process seven times in total. At the top of the ladder, he took two short steps to meet his friends who stood behind the control console, studying the glowing GPS map and radar. Rob was focused on steering the boat out of the marina at idle speed. Collin held an overhead handle, rotating it from side to side. Lukas noticed a wide beam of white light tracking back and forth across the black water in front of them, mirroring Collin’s movements. A wall of rocks appeared on the left, so Rob coaxed the bow to the right with a turn of the
wheel. Collin aimed the beam to the right, where another rocky outcropping of loosely organized boulders lay. Rob aimed right through the middle of the gap, turning to the left only after reaching the middle of the Petaluma River’s flow.
Heading south with the current, Rob eased the throttle up a couple notches. Lukas noticed their speed climb from four knots to eight.
“Can’t go much faster than this in the dark. You never know what’s out there. Keep scanning the water out ahead, Collin.” Rob’s voice was semi-absent as he peered out into the darkness.
There was no conversation that didn’t revolve around navigating and watching for obstacles until they reached the mouth of the river and entered the San Francisco Bay. Only then did the tension seem to ease from Rob’s posture. On the open water, Rob ramped up the speed another notch or two while Collin continued to scan the water with the spotlight. They were now at fourteen knots per hour.
“We’ve got a long ride home, guys.” Rob sat in one of the captain’s chairs and put his feet on the support shelf under the console as he leaned back. “With any luck, we should be in Huntington Beach in three days, maybe less. Tonight, we’ll get to Half Moon Bay, moor up in the harbor there and get some shut eye. In the morning, we’ll refuel, and head out at first light. Sound good?”
“Aye, aye, Captain.” Collin gave a lackadaisical salute as he scooted around the console to sit in the lounge area of the bridge. He was directly in front of Rob on a padded bench seat that faced the port side of the boat, so he could look out front or at Rob and Lukas at the console with a turn of his head. “Take a seat, Lukas.”
Lukas worked his way up and into the second captain’s chair, next to Rob, and in front of the navigation screens. Since they looked technical and intriguing, he had to spend a few moments studying them to understand what each instrument was telling him.
