Final Act

by Van Fleisher

  ***

  CHAPTER 25 – ASSAULT

  Washington, D.C. Zoe, and her team had been able to track the IMEI number to a location in a Quincy industrial complex. She assembled an assault team, and they planned to approach the facility in the early hours of the next day. Denise McBrair from the Boston field office had surveilled the facility. The gray, one-story, concrete building was one of a dozen similar structures huddled in the small complex. It had a vehicle door and pedestrian door to the front and a single pedestrian door at the rear. According to FBI records, the internal layout options ranged from small offices and storerooms to more extensive manufacturing or assembly operations, depending on the business. They would only find out once inside. Critically, too, they had no idea how many people were there.

  Zoe would be part of the team, mainly to safeguard Alek, who was their key in re-establishing the data feed. Demi, who was still off duty, asked to go along. She had undergone considerable training for breaching a facility, she was now healthy, she was bored, and she promised to wear her Kevlar vest. Zoe welcomed her presence.

  Zoe emphasized that their primary objective was to rescue Alek, unharmed, and everyone was given a photo of him. There would be a total of eight on the assault team, plus medics. Local police were setting up perimeter roadblocks to stop escapes or provide backup, as required.

  At 3:00 a.m., FBI agents used hydraulic door openers to breach the front and rear pedestrian doors simultaneously. The openers forced the door jams slightly outwards so that the doors could be opened quietly.

  When given the signal by the breach teams, the Boston FBI team at the front of the building encountered a single guard, asleep in a chair. He was quickly and quietly disarmed and secured.

  Demi and Zoe were stationed at the rear of the building and entered a darkened, narrow hallway with two doorways on the left and one directly ahead at the end. They assumed that the end doorway led to the area at the front with the vehicle access.

  The first door was open and dark, and the smell coming from within it made identification easy, but keeping Zoe’s gagging quiet, difficult. Her flashlight was unnecessary, but she gave it a quick scan. Bathroom cleanliness was not a priority here.

  They made their way down the hallway, and Zoe, in the lead, could hear snoring coming from the next room. The door was closed, and she whispered to Demi that she would open the door and turn on the lights, which she assumed would be on the wall close to the door. Demi was to follow closely and be ready to shoot.

  Zoe slowly opened the door, and hearing nothing but the snoring, reached for the light switch. She looked back and nodded to Demi and then flicked on the light. The snoring stopped and the snorer, presumably, bolted up from his chair and raised his hands in the face of two guns pointed at him.

  The room had a short return opening to the left side, so neither Demi nor Zoe could see around the corner. The guy with his hands up shouted “kill him,” and Demi rushed in. She saw someone with his back to her, aiming his gun at a third person near the back of the room. She aimed, yelled, “Drop your gun!” and fired almost simultaneously, a split second before the shooter fired. The shooter went down, but he’d gotten his shot off, so did the third man, Alek.

  Zoe ran to Alek. He’d been hit in his mid-section and was bleeding profusely. Zoe shouted to an agent to get medical help ASAP while Demi secured the other two. The one she’d shot was wounded, but not critically.

  The medics rushed Alek to Quincy Medical Center, and Zoe sent an agent to guard him. She sent a text to Vijay advising him that Alek had been shot and was en route to Quincy Medical.

  An inspection of the premises showed it was mostly empty, with six computers and associated peripherals. Zoe questioned the three prisoners, including the one who’d been patched up by the medics. They didn’t get much more than their names, so they left the scene to the technical people to look at the computers, get fingerprints, and collect evidence. Zoe and Demi went to the medical center.

  Vijay had gotten her text and was already there when they arrived. The hospital wouldn’t give him any information about Alek, but when Zoe inquired, she was advised that Alek’s condition was critical and that it would probably be a few hours before the surgeons were finished.

  Zoe suggested that they all get some sleep. She would call Vijay when there was an update on Alek’s condition.

  ***

  Zoe and Demi had checked into a local hotel to catch a few hours’ sleep, and it wasn’t until they were in their room that their professional personas melted away. They had both performed well during the attack, and they were both proud of each other. Zoe, in particular, was immensely proud of Demi for her quick response to the situation and credited Demi for preventing the shooter from getting off a better shot. Demi, in turn, was proud of Zoe’s leadership and bravery.

  Despite their shared high from a dangerous mission and their pride and love for one another, it didn’t take long for exhaustion to diminish their adrenalin levels. Within minutes they were sleeping soundly.

  In the morning, Zoe called the hospital and was told that Alek’s condition had been upgraded to serious and that the doctors would be doing some follow-up surgery later this morning. She sent a text to Vijay and then, along with Demi, went to question the prisoners.

  Only one of the three had a record, and Zoe had decided not to reveal Alek’s condition. She wanted to keep the detainees in the dark about their possible roles as murderers or accessories to murder.

  The guard who’d been quickly disarmed didn’t know anything. That was until Zoe told him that they were all being charged with kidnapping and murder. That prompt helped him remember three guys: Yuri, Stefan, and a guy from the Death Watch company. He didn’t know his name.

  The wounded prisoner confirmed that Yuri was in charge along with someone called Stefan and that a guy named Mikhail, from the watch company, had been in a couple of times. All he knew was that Alek was there to assist them in hacking some computer programs.

  The last prisoner, the one who ordered the wounded one to kill Alek, was Fedor Boyko. He was Ukrainian and served some time for armed robbery. Zoe reminded him that even the lesser of the potential charges against him would land him in prison for a very long time. Boyko confirmed that Yuri was in charge, but he didn’t know his last name; and added that another guy, Stefan, came in for a few hours most days; and that Mikhail or Mike, as he was sometimes called, had been there a couple of times.

  Boyko explained that they had been receiving a report with names and information of Final Notice Recipients that would be reviewed by Yuri and Stefan. At first, they passed the Recipient information to a guy called Vik, but recently, three other people began to get the information, too. Again, he only knew first names: Peter, Leon, and Pavel. Zoe asked how the names that were passed along to the four guys were divided, and Boyko thought it was based on the location of the Final Notice Recipients. The calls to or from the four people were made through Yuri or Stefan’s cell phones. Nobody seemed to have a last name, and Boyko wasn’t even sure if any of the first names were real. But Zoe was pretty sure that Vik’s last name was Vasin, and she hoped that Vijay could help with Mikhail or Mike.

  Zoe got one other chilling piece of information from Boyko. Yuri had given him a stern warning. “If the cops ever find this place, kill Alek.”

  ***

  Quincy Medical Center. When Zoe and Demi arrived at the hospital, Vijay was there with Jennifer. They’d been told that Alek couldn’t receive visitors, but when Zoe inquired at the desk, she was given the encouraging news that Alek’s condition had been upgraded to ‘Fair’ and that they would ask the lead surgeon to speak with Zoe and give her more details.

  Zoe and Jennifer hadn’t met before, but both knew much about each other through Vijay, and Zoe had heard some additional details about Jennifer’s attack incident and the way she’d handled it. She didn’t know that Jennifer had been in California, but she was a little surprised that she had come to the hospital.
Jennifer explained that she’d known Alek for some time and was concerned about him.

  Zoe introduced Demi, somewhat awkwardly, and hesitated slightly, as she chose the term, ‘law enforcement colleague,’ to justify Demi’s presence. Jennifer smiled warmly, but part of that smile was a result of a ‘sixth sense’ and something in Zoe’s eyes that told her that despite their 100% professional correctness, there was more there than just a professional relationship.

  Dr. Lisa Goodhouse, the surgeon leading Alek’s care, arrived and explained that Alek had come through the operations very well. Zoe was anxious to question him and have him fix the data feed, and Dr. Goodhouse gave her some satisfaction by saying that she could have fifteen minutes with him. Zoe asked if she could bring Vijay, and the doctor agreed. These fifteen minutes were more than just about Alek’s health.

  Alek was awake and very pale. Still, although he had multiple tubes connecting him to drips and machines, he welcomed them with a big smile, which lifted some of the weight off Vijay, whose first words were, “I’m really sorry I got you into this, Alek. I wished it was me they had taken.”

  Alek proved he was in good spirits by saying, with an even bigger grin, “They must have known you couldn’t have helped them.” And then he asked, “How did you find me?”

  Vijay smiled and tapped the side of Alek’s head. “Ninad and I felt that the blanket Final Notice alert was from you, and we wondered what you were thinking … or telling us, which led me to remember your chip.”

  Zoe interrupted the reunion and said, “Your doctor only gave us a few minutes with you now, and I need some information. We have the three guys who were there with you, and we know about two people called Yuri and Stefan. Can you tell me anything else about them?”

  Alek confirmed that Yuri was in charge, and Stefan was a techie who assisted, but excitedly, he said, “Mike Kalin is involved. I saw him there talking with Yuri!”

  “Kalin from VitalTech?” asked an astounded Vijay.

  “Yes. Yuri called him Mikhail once.”

  Zoe interjected, “Well, that answers that question.” She then related what Boyko had told him about Vik, Peter, Leon, and Pavel and asked if Alek knew their roles.

  Alek thought that these were the guys in the field who were managing the Final Notice Recipients. He was positive that Vik was his ‘old friend,’ Vik Vasin. He heard Yuri mention his name once, but other than first names, he knew nothing about the others.

  Zoe hesitated, but asked, “What did they threaten you with to cooperate with them?”

  Alek’s blush was very visible, especially given his lack of color, and he spoke very softly, perhaps hoping that Vijay wouldn’t hear. “They threatened to kill Jennifer and Karima unless I cooperated.”

  Vijay shuddered and said, “Please don’t mention that to Jennifer.”

  Zoe hesitated again and asked Alek, “How quickly do you think you can re-instate our data feed?”

  Dr. Goodhouse and a nurse entered the room, and the doctor declared, “Time’s up. We need to take him for another test.”

  As they were ushered out of the room, Alek said, “Bring a laptop when you come back. It will take five minutes.”

  The doctor, anticipating their question, told them to come back at 6:00 p.m.

  ***

  Zoe and Vijay returned to the lobby. Zoe wanted to go after Kalin immediately, so she asked Vijay if he would come back at 6:00 p.m. with a laptop. Vijay assured her that he would and asked what she was going to do about Kalin.

  Zoe smelled blood, “I’m going to bring him in. I think he’ll unlock some doors for us.”

  On their drive home, Vijay shared Alek’s health progress, as well as Kalin’s involvement, with Jennifer. She wasn’t surprised. Vijay didn’t tell her about the threat made to Alek.

  ***

  FBI Regional Field Office, Boston, Massachusetts. Zoe had requested agents to bring Mike Kalin and Vik Vasin in for questioning. She also asked for search warrants for Kalin’s and Vasin’s homes, Kalin’s office, and copies of their phone records. She was told that Kalin was out of the office but expected back at 3:00 p.m. Just in case either had decided to flee, she put out alerts to monitor airports in the region and to set up credit card and toll device tracking.

  In the meantime, she and other Bureau staff combed through criminal records looking for needles in a haystack: People named Peter, Pavel, or Leon with records. Pavel and Leon were the easiest, but still, there were dozens to investigate.

  ***

  CHAPTER 26 – INTRODUCING MOKI JOE HUNTER

  Albuquerque, New Mexico. (One month earlier.) “Introducing Moki Joe Hunter,” blared from the massive speakers dotted around the Isleta Amphitheater, barely competing with the screaming crowd of almost 15,000 fans. They had come to hear one of America’s top Country and Western singers and one they considered a favorite son.

  Moki Joe was an unlikely C&W star. He was the oldest son of an African American, John Hunter, and his Hopi wife, Totsi, a member of the Acoma tribe. The Acoma Pueblo is considered to be the oldest continuously inhabited community in the United States.

  John Hunter was a Viet Nam vet who finished his military career at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque. Although Hunter was originally from Detroit, he, like many others before and after him, had become seduced by the ‘Land of Enchantment’ to use New Mexico’s official motto. He met Totsi, a full-blooded Hopi, and the enchantment continued. They lived in Acomita, not far from the original tribal pueblo of Acoma, sixty miles from Albuquerque.

  After the Air Force, Hunter had found work as a mechanic, and they had a good life, raising their two boys, Moki Joe and Tocho Tom. John and Totsi had decided that their son’s names would be a combination of English and Hopi. When their first child was born, Totsi suggested Moki and John instantly thought – Moki Joe, after one of his favorite R & B singers and guitarists, Smokey Joe Robinson. By comparison, their second son’s name, Tocho Tom, sounded pretty normal.

  John Hunter loved playing his guitar, and he was able to transfer his love of the instrument and music to Moki at a very young age. Totsi explained that his name (the Moki part) in the Hopi language foretold potential as an entertainer.

  A recession and the increasing costs of raising a family forced Hunter to look for work further afield than Acomita, or even Albuquerque. Alaska was looking for oilfield workers, and the money was good, so Hunter went off to earn money, leaving Totsi and the boys at home. He was away for thirty days and then home for two weeks – just enough time for him to hear about the latest escapades of his two, spirited, teenage boys.

  Moki Joe liked his full name and that, along with his mixed ethnic heritage, made life a lot more challenging than if he was simply a “boy named Sue.” At Grants High School, Moki Joe was a good student, an excellent multi-sport athlete, and a prolific fighter. Mutter an ethnic joke or slur within earshot of Moki Joe, and you’d better be ready for a fight or a very fast sprint. The same went for anyone causing trouble for Tom. Moki Joe was fiercely protective. Boys named Moki were also said to have deep feelings of responsibility, according to Hopi legend.

  Moki Joe was somehow aware that his temper was a dark side of him, and he would try to find a quiet place to strum his guitar to bring himself back to an even and peaceful plane. Many of the lyrics that came from these self-prescribed therapy sessions would find their way into his hit songs, many years later.

  Moki Joe made it through high school and enlisted in the army in time for the Gulf War. He made it through that, too, and came home to take on whatever confronted him, which included his first marriage and child. His time in the army had polished him and made him more tolerant, but partly it was the way he carried himself that made people respect him and not want to challenge him.

  After his discharge, he made up for the lost time with his music and picked up his old guitar again. The music soon flooded back with surprising ease, and he began playing out at local events, and then bigger events – writing and singing s
ongs that came from his heart, his background, and his love for his daughter, Kaya. He had what it takes, and the ‘down-home’ audiences loved him.

  Albuquerque attracted some of the biggest C&W stars, and soon Moki Joe found himself opening for some of the best in the business. He even toured with a few before his first CD rocketed him to star status.

  Even with success, the life of a musician is grueling: travel, hotels, and many temptations. Moki Joe knew them all, and some had gotten the better of him. His marriage fell apart, he helped prove that Indians and alcohol don’t mix, he tried a wide variety of drugs and women, but the one thing he held on to and cherished was Kaya. Now, however, even that appeared tenuous.

  Kaya loved her father and was understanding about his failings, but she drew the line when it came to his support for right-wing politics. She couldn’t understand how he could turn a blind eye, and even support, the misogyny and racially unjust positions that the Republican party either endorsed or tolerated. Earlier, when Kaya was a young teen, they would argue and laugh, skewering each other’s views on issues; but for the past year, their interactions had become more acrid and even, most recently, almost non-existent. When her father sent her an autographed photo of himself and the President of the United States, she tore it into shreds and sent it back. That was their last contact, and she had refused his calls and ignored his e-mails.