The Dark Trail

by J. C. Fields

  The pilot tilted his head and gave Kruger a knowing smile. “Good to meet you, too. Have we met before?”

  “I don’t think so, why?”

  “You look familiar, that’s all.”

  “How do you know Joseph?”

  “I used to work for him, before he joined the ruling elite.”

  Nodding, Kruger said, “I’ve known him a long time. Maybe our paths crossed at some time.”

  “Maybe. He said you need to be in Washington, DC.”

  “Yes. I have a meeting with him this afternoon.”

  “I have to be there myself this afternoon. Glad I was going your way.” Barnett pointed to a small business jet sitting on the tarmac outside the hanger containing the FBO. “That’s mine.”

  Kruger asked, “What is it?”

  “HondaJet HA-420.”

  Kruger studied the small jet as they approached. The white paint on the fuselage contrasted with the red surrounding the cockpit area and the red tip on the vertical stabilizer gave it a sports car appearance. “It looks fast.”

  “She can make 422 knots at 30,000 feet and climb at 3,990 feet per minute.”

  “Is that good?”

  Barnett smiled. “I saw you drive a Mustang.”

  Kruger nodded.

  “My guess is you drive it because it’s a little more fun to drive than an SUV.”

  Another nod.

  “Well, that’s why I fly a HondaJet. It’s a little more fun to fly than a Gulfstream.”

  As they climbed the airstair leading to the interior of the Jet, Kruger said, “Joseph told me you were in a meeting. Hope I didn’t interrupt it.”

  Barnett shook his head. “No, we were finished. I was meeting with a couple of friends of yours.”

  “Really.”

  “Yeah, Sandy Knoll and Jimmie Gibbs.”

  Kruger smiled. “Hope it was a good meeting.”

  “Oh, yeah. A very good meeting.” He paused. “I’ll be landing at Dulles.”

  “That’s fine. That’s where I was originally scheduled to land. I have a car reserved.”

  “Great.” He glanced at his watch. “When were you scheduled to get there?”

  “Two-thirty.”

  Barnett laughed. “You’ll beat your original flight.”

  With a huge smile, Kruger replied, “Where’ve you been all my life?”

  Chapter 27

  Washington, DC

  Though it was originally planned for the White House, Kruger’s meeting with Joseph occurred elsewhere. Directed by a text message received upon his arrival at Dulles, he drove his rental car to an attorney’s office located close to Tysons Square.

  The law firm’s lobby screamed high-dollar legal advice and well-heeled clients. Two receptionists sat behind a long waist-high front desk composed of white polished marble on the top and front side. One of the two concentrated on a computer monitor as she spoke into a telephone headset and the other smiled when he entered the lobby.

  The smiling receptionist appeared to be in her mid-thirties and wore professionally styled business attire. When he arrived at the desk, she said, “Welcome to Kelly, Flowers and Newman. You must be Sean Kruger.”

  A little surprised at the welcome, he replied, “Yes. Apparently, I’m expected.”

  She stood. “Everyone is already in the conference room. Please follow me.”

  He followed and noticed an open office concept with numerous small conference areas for private legal consultations. Halfway down the hall, she opened a door, smiled again and walked back toward the front desk.

  The conference room held a large round table with high-back leather office chairs. Three individuals were already seated, one being Joseph. The other two individuals Kruger did not recognize.

  Joseph stood and offered his hand. “Good to see you, Sean. Let me introduce you.” He gestured toward the woman. “This is Sharon Newman. She is the managing partner here at Kelly, Flowers and Newman.”

  “It is nice to finally meet you, Agent Kruger. Some of our associates have represented individuals you apprehended. They found the evidence you gathered against their clients rather daunting to defend against.”

  Kruger blinked several times as he tried to think of something witty and intelligent to say but couldn’t. He simply smiled and said, “It’s nice to meet you too, Ms. Newman.”

  The man offered his hand. Joseph said, “Sean, this is David Wu.”

  The two shook and Wu said, “I want to thank you for identifying the individual who murdered my sister.”

  With a smile, Kruger replied, “I have a good team.”

  Wu bowed slightly.

  “Let’s all take a seat and David can explain why we requested this meeting.” Joseph returned to his seat and gave his attention to Wu.

  “I’m sure you are wondering what the heck this is all about, Agent Kruger.”

  “Yes, but I’ll assume you are going to explain, Mr. Wu.”

  “Please call me, David.”

  A nod came from Kruger.

  “You saved the life of a dear friend of mine some years back. And now, you identified the individual who took my sister from me and ended this madman’s crimes. For those two events, I can never repay you.”

  Kruger started to say something, but he noticed Joseph shaking his head slightly, so he remained quiet.

  Continuing, Wu said, “I understand because of some antiquated ruling you are now retired from the FBI.”

  “That is correct.”

  “Our country is less safe because of our politician’s short-sightedness.”

  Glancing at Joseph, Kruger again remained silent.

  “I want to remedy that situation.”

  “With all due respect, David…”

  With a smile and a raised palm, Wu continued, “Let me explain. The dear friend you saved from an assassin’s bullet some years ago was my roommate in college. We are still very close. He explained the situation you find yourself in and agrees with me. You need to carry on your life’s work, as they say, catching bad-guys.”

  Kruger chuckled but did not respond.

  Joseph spoke next. “Sean, what did you find in Monk’s cabin?”

  Looking at Joseph and then at Newman and Wu, Kruger answered, “Evidence of a larger conspiracy against our government by currently unknown individuals.”

  The National Security Adviser tilted his head. “How bad?”

  “I can’t say a lot more. We’re still sifting through the information we gathered.” He turned to Wu. “David, your sister’s murder was not random. Neither was Alan Seltzer’s.”

  “Which reinforces my decision and the reason you are here.” Wu motioned for the file sitting in front of Sharon Newman. She handed it to him, and he placed the document inside in front of the retired FBI agent. Wu said, “After consulting with the President of the United States and his National Security Advisor, I asked Sharon to draw up a contract I would like for you to review and consider.”

  “What’s in it?”

  “A proposal.”

  “Want to be more specific?”

  Wu shook his head. “You have a conference with Paul Stumpf tomorrow morning. Study the contract tonight, talk with Paul tomorrow, and then meet me at Dulles. I am returning to San Francisco in the afternoon and I would be honored if you would allow me to take you home. We can discuss the proposal on our flight.”

  With a raised eyebrow, Kruger started to ask a question, but Joseph answered before Kruger could say anything. “He has a private jet, Sean.”

  ***

  “Did you enjoy your dinner with Joseph and Mary last night?”

  Kruger sat in front of Paul Stumpf’s desk, fresh coffee mug in hand and nodded. “Yes, although I talked to Mary more than Joseph. His phone wouldn’t stop ringing.”

  Stumpf chuckled. “Comes with the territory. Did you know Joseph’s decided to stay with the president if he wins the election this fall?”

  “That’s what Mary told me. So much for the one yea
r he originally agreed to.”

  “Yes, funny how things work out.”

  “Okay, Paul, what’s this meeting about? I’m retired, remember?”

  “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”

  Taking a sip of coffee, Kruger remained silent.

  “As you know, I haven’t replaced Alan yet. The job of Deputy Director is still open.”

  More silence.

  “I want you to take the job.”

  Closing his eyes, Kruger chuckled. “You’re joking? Right?”

  “Dead serious.”

  “Paul, I’m flattered, but if you remember correctly, I am retired.”

  “You’re retired as an agent. Management status is different.”

  “No.”

  “You haven’t thought about it.”

  “I don’t have to. I’m not moving.”

  “You can commute.”

  “No.”

  With a chuckle, Stumpf placed his arms on his desk and leaned forward. “That’s what I thought you would say, but I wanted to make the offer.”

  “Thank you. I’m honored, but no.”

  “Did you read the contract David Wu drew up?”

  “Yes.”

  “And?”

  With a deep breath and a sigh, Kruger said, “I don’t know yet. I’ll have to discuss it with Stephanie before I make a decision.”

  “It keeps you in the game, Sean. Something we need right now.”

  “That’s all well and good, but where does the authority for the proposal come from?”

  “The president.”

  “What if he loses the election?”

  “He won’t. He’s too popular. A rare situation these days.”

  “So, if he wins, the proposal could go another four years?”

  “More likely eight.”

  “Didn’t think he could serve more than two terms.”

  “He can’t, but his first two years were after the death of Bryant. He can be elected twice on his own. There is a strong possibility the United States will have an effective president for ten years.”

  “Your term will be up by then.”

  Stumpf grinned. “Isn’t it wonderful?”

  Kruger responded with a sad smile.

  “Now that you are retired, what is JR going to do?”

  “He has zero chance of being bored. The recent outbreak of ransomware attacks has his company swamped. His original plan was to step back a little—those plans were interrupted.”

  The director handed Kruger a piece of paper. “I received this memo just before you got here.”

  “About?”

  “Agents Benedict Knoll and James Gibbs turned in their resignations. Were you aware they were going to do that?”

  “Yes.”

  “Do you know why?”

  “Jimmie just built a house for his family near Stockton Lake in Missouri. During his tenure with the Navy, he bounced around without a real home for years. Same thing happened after he left the service. He told me he received notice he would be transferred to the Phoenix Field Office at the end of the month. That didn’t go over too well with him.”

  “Okay, I get that. What about Knoll?”

  “Same issue. Sandy and his wife, Linda, were in the service for twenty years. They just sold their house in Dallas and are looking for a place close to Jimmie and Alexia. They, too, are tired of moving. Sandy and Linda consider Jimmie to be their third son.”

  “I forgot about the moving an agent has to expect during their early career.”

  “It can be hard on families.”

  Stumpf looked over his glasses. “Case in point?”

  With a nod, Kruger said, “I was lucky. If my mom and dad hadn’t been able to move in with Brian and me when they did, I would have done the same thing. Resign.”

  “What are Sandy and Jimmie going to do?”

  “You’ll have to ask them.”

  “But you suspect something.”

  A shrug was Kruger’s answer.

  “If you don’t take Wu’s offer, what are you going to do?”

  “Stephanie and I have been discussing the fact we haven’t taken a real vacation together since Kristin and Mikey arrived. She suggested we visit my old college roommate in South Dakota. Since neither one of us have been to that part of the United States, we thought it would be fun to show the kids Mount Rushmore and some of the other historical spots while we’re there.”

  “What about Wu’s offer?”

  “I’m going to think about it.”

  ***

  David Wu’s private plane turned out to be a Learjet 75 with seating for seven. Kruger and Wu were the only passengers. As the plane streaked down the runway at Dulles and climbed into the sky, Wu turned to Kruger and asked, “Have you had a chance to read my proposal?”

  Kruger nodded.

  “What do you think?”

  “I haven’t had a chance to discuss it with my wife yet.”

  With a nod, Wu turned silent for several moments. “But you’re interested.”

  “Yes.”

  “Good.”

  “Mr. Wu…”

  “Please call me, David.”

  “David, I just completed a career with the FBI that lasted over twenty-five years. During that time, I can count on one hand the number of long vacations I’ve taken. Actually, I can count them on two fingers. My wife and I have a trip planned and I would like to take that time to thoroughly discuss it with her.”

  “That’s a fair request.” Wu smiled mischievously. “Did I tell you I’m going to offer two friends of yours financial backing for a new endeavor they are starting?”

  “Really? That’s very generous of you.”

  “Joseph told me you made the suggestion to him during dinner last night.”

  “Urban legend.”

  Wu tilted his head and studied Kruger for a few moments. “You don’t like taking credit for your accomplishments, do you?”

  “The end results are what matters, not who gets the credit.”

  “I’ll have to remember that. Do you mind if I use that in my next board meeting?”

  With a shrug, Kruger said, “It’s the truth, you can use it however you see fit.”

  With a chuckle, Wu said, “I now see why Roy Griffin likes you so well.”

  Part Three

  Down the Rabbit Hole

  Mount Rushmore, South Dakota

  Kristin Kruger looked up at her father and said, “Daddy, can we do something more fun tomorrow?”

  Kruger looked down at his daughter, who held her mother’s hand as they walked toward the parking lot away from the observation deck. He carried her younger brother Mikey, who had fallen asleep during their time looking at the mountain.

  “I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy our trip to Mount Rushmore, Kristin.”

  “I did enjoy it, but there’s not a lot to do here except stare at a mountain with faces on it.”

  “That’s the point, Kristin. Think of all the work it took to carve those images into a mountainside.”

  She blinked a few times as she looked up. “Wouldn’t it have been easier to just take a picture of those men with a cell phone and look at those?”

  Suppressing a smile, Stephanie said, “I can see your point. What do you think, Sean?”

  He shot her a quick glance and saw the smirk on her face and knew she was baiting him to answer.

  “Well, Kristin, it would have been. But, when those images were carved into the mountain, cameras weren’t on cell phones. In fact, cell phones didn’t exist at that time.”

  “Why?”

  Looking at his daughter, Kruger smiled. “Because they hadn’t been invented yet.”

  “Okay, but why not take those men’s picture with a regular camera?”

  With a sigh, Kruger said, “Their images were carved into the mountain to honor their service to the United States.”

  “Why isn’t your picture up there, Daddy? You’ve served the United States as an FBI agen
t.”

  Hearing his wife stifle a chuckle, Kruger looked at his daughter again. “My service was different than those men on the mountainside. All of them were very important presidents. Each one of them helped shape the path of this country.”

  “Oh.” She paused for a few seconds. “Can we get something to drink? I’m thirsty.”

  Stephanie pointed to their left and said, “There’s a café over there. We can get some ice cream and something to drink.”

  Kristin bounced up and down. “Yeah—ice cream.”

  ***

  Failed college student Peter Greer parked his dirty ten-year old Toyota Corolla in the back half of the parking lot at the Mount Rushmore National Memorial. Tourists were coming and going, which would assist his ability to get where he wanted to go unnoticed. He looked toward the mountain and could just see the top of the four dead presidents’ heads above the facility’s structures. He took a deep breath and looked at the shirt lying on the passenger seat next to him. After putting it on he stepped out. As he stood beside the car, he tucked the shirt into his navy-blue Dickies work pants. He then reached into the backseat to retrieve his backpack and slung it over his shoulder. The pack was heavy with the tools he needed to carry out his plan.

  His last task before walking toward the Memorial was to place the Smokey the Bear hat on top of his head. He glanced at his image in the car’s window and nodded slightly. With this completed, he started his trek toward the Memorial’s entrance.

  ***

  After consuming ice cream and a bottle of water, Mikey, now fully awake, joined his sister in complaining about wanting to go. As they approached the parking lot, Kruger noticed a man pass them on their left. The hairs on the back of his neck tingled when he saw the face.

  He stopped, turned and watched the man walk toward the Memorial grounds. When he looked back at Stephanie and the kids, they were five feet in front of him. “Hey, Steph, I left something at the café. Take the kids to the car. I’ll be right back.”