The Rowen (A Rossler Foundation Mystery Book 7)

by JC Ryan

  A few minutes later they watched as a limousine pulled up in front of the hotel, and a handsome business man wearing a very expensive looking suit got out and went inside. They giggled as they watched Max pull at his collar. “He sure isn’t used to wearing suits, is he?” Stan commented.

  “Nope, and I get the feeling from the expression on his face he isn’t happy about it either!” Kimberley giggled.

  Max entered the hotel feeling all tied up in the fancy suit. I could have gone all year without having to put on one of these things.

  “I have reservations.”

  “Yes, sir. Your name sir?”

  “Vincent Meyers the Third.”

  “Yes, sir, I have your reservation right here. It says it’s pre-paid by MacArthur Labs and Engineering.”

  “Correct.”

  “Sign here please, sir,” the desk clerk indicated a line at the bottom of the paper.

  Max signed and impatiently waited for the key to his room. Hurry up kid; I can’t wait to get out of this monkey suit!

  “Thank you, sir.” Handing Max the key, he pointed to the elevators across the lobby, “You’re in room 336. Take the elevator to the third floor and go to the left when you step off. It will be about halfway down on the right. My apologies for not providing a porter, but with all the unrest going on in the city lately, very few people have turned up for work.

  “Thanks. Don’t worry I can carry my own bags,” Max said and headed for the elevators.

  He had his tie undone and his suit jacket laying on the foot of the bed almost before he sat his luggage down. Pulling the mirror phone out of his pocket he called Jack, “Team one in position,” he reported, knowing Kimberley and Stan were waiting at the coffee shop.

  “Great. Team two departing now.”

  While the three members of team one were getting situated, the Tectus members had taken Jack and Aaron to a safe house where a heating and air-conditioning service vehicle awaited. The two men were supplied with, and had already changed into, the uniforms of maintenance staff and put their duffels into tool boxes.

  As soon as the call from Max ended, they were in the service van and on their way.

  They pulled up behind the hotel and went in through the service door in the back.

  The housekeeping crews that had finished their room blocks were lining up and restocking their carts for the next day.

  “Hi!” Jack said. “We’re here to check your HVAC units. How do we get to the basement?”

  A woman pointed to a door on the other side of the room and mumbled, “over there.”

  “Thanks!” Jack replied.

  He and Aaron quickly disappeared through the door and down the stairs.

  “There should be an exterior door over there,” Jack told Aaron, pointing to the left. “Check it out and get those agents in here while I locate the entrance to the tunnel.”

  Aaron hurried off in the direction Jack indicated, located the door and opened it. Taking out his mirror phone he called Kimberley, “We’re in, come on over.”

  Kimberley and Stan gathered their things with natural ease and set off toward the hotel hand in hand, acting like lovers. They headed down the side of the building as if to use one of the exterior access doors, but quickly stepped aside and descended the stairs into what appeared to be a pit. At the bottom, under the overhang of a walkway, Aaron waited with the door ajar.

  They stepped through and watched as Aaron put duct tape over the latch-bolt and attached a small box to the inside of the door and another one directly across from it on the door frame.

  “What are you doing?” Kimberley whispered.

  “Making a way for Daniel and the others to get in. The tape will keep the latch from working, leaving the door open, but the handle will be locked. This is a type of magnetic lock. It’s battery operated and will only last for about six to eight hours, but will secure this door until our other two teams are in. Each team has a key that will demagnetize the locking mechanism long enough to allow them through. Doug will remove it when he comes through. Let’s go,” Aaron whispered as he finished.

  Aaron had found and opened the section of wall they spotted on the old maps and was waiting for the others when they arrived. They stepped through the wall with him onto the platform, and he pushed a small gray button in the platform-side wall causing the imitated the concrete block door to slide back into place, hiding the entrance.

  The trip from the hotel to Camp David took about 45 minutes. On arrival, Jack and Kimberley got off to check the area. Passing through an opening in the wall, they started across the basement toward the stairs to the main level.

  “Stop! Put your hands in the air,” a stern voice said from the shadows of the dimly lit room.

  They froze.

  “Who are you?” Jack asked.

  “Agent Harrison. Who are you and what are you doing here?”

  “Gary?” Kimberley asked. “Gary Harrison?”

  “How do you know me?”

  “It’s me! Kimberley Andrews.”

  “Kimberley? How did you get here?”

  “It’s a long story, how about you? The last I knew you were in the White House when Hayden attacked.”

  “I was. We escaped and came here.”

  “Um, excuse me,” Jack broke in, “can we hold the romantic talk for later and put our hands down?”

  “Depends,” Harrison said. “Who are you working for?”

  “The President,” Kimberley replied.

  “Which President?”

  “There’s only one President, political whiz kid, Daniel Rossler,” Jack snapped.

  “In that case, yes, you can put your hands down, but don’t make any sudden moves. Turn around and go back the way you came. I’ll follow you.”

  Once they were back out on the landing, Harrison told them to turn around. He recognized Kimberley immediately, but not the man with her. Inside the monorail car he also saw two more men he didn’t recognize.

  “What’s going on here? How did you know about this tunnel?”

  “President Nigel Harper told us about it,” Jack said. “How did you know about it?”

  “Several of the senior Secret Service Agents are told of the tunnels and how to access them should there be a need to evacuate the President. We are sworn to secrecy. Why would President Harper tell you about them?”

  “It’s a long story, and as I’ve said before, we don’t have time for all this talk,” Jack replied. “The late President Campbell and Vice-President Rossler used them to escape from Hayden and the White House. Kimberley and Stan were part of the team that got them out and to safety. Now let’s cut out this idle chatter and move our asses.”

  “You guys are going after Hayden?” Harrison asked. “Please count me in and tell me how I can help.”

  Jack weighed his options quickly—any reliable help that knows how to shoot straight will be welcome. “Who else is here with you?”

  “There are two staff members and one other agent. The other five staff members we managed to get back to their homes.”

  “What are your plans for the other two staff members?”

  “Agent Williams is taking them home tonight after dark.”

  “Do you know where his loyalties lie?”

  Harrison stiffened, he looked offended, “with all due respect, Mister,” he spoke tightly, “I don’t know who you are and what you know about Secret Service Agents but we have sworn to give our lives to protect the President of the United States. Hayden is not the President and we will not, I repeat not, support him.”

  “Sorry Harrison,” Jack replied. “We need someone to secure this entrance to the tunnel. If you two could work with Kimberley to do that, it would be a huge help.”

  Harrison holstered his gun and offered his hand to Jack, “you got it Mr.… ah…”

  “Jack Symonds,” he replied as they shook hands. “Welcome to the team!”

  Jack stepped aboard the monorail as Aaron closed the wall behind them.r />
  “Let’s go,” he urged.

  Chapter 53- Their first mission

  Travel time from Camp David to the platform at Raven Rock was about ten minutes, but to Jack it seemed to take forever. The fact that others at the White House knew of the tunnel system made him nervous and he was no longer sure the facility would still be abandoned. By the time they arrived, he had made his decision.

  He called Daniel and had him get the team at the Rabbit Hole to join the call.

  “Aaron, Stan, and I have arrived at RRMC. We found two Secret Service Agents at Camp David who used the tunnel system to help seven members of the White House staff escape when Hayden took over. Kimberley is with them. I have serious concerns about the security of the facility, not sure that it’s still deserted. I want to confirm that it’s secure before proceeding.”

  “Who were the agents at Camp David?” Nigel asked.

  “Harrison and Williams.”

  “Gary Harrison?”

  “Yes, he is the one I spoke with.”

  “I’ll vouch for his loyalty, and that of Williams if it is the same ‘Williams’ that is usually partnered with Gary—tall, lean guy with blond hair,” Nigel said. “If it’s them they will support you.”

  “That’s good to know; thank you, Nigel,” Jack responded. “I want to postpone Daniel’s arrival here until tomorrow night. Send in Doug and Cliff; Max, you come too. I want to search this place from top to bottom before we proceed and I can’t do it without losing precious time if it’s just the three of us. If all checks out, we’ll have Daniel brought out tomorrow night.”

  “Very well, Jack. You’re on site and calling the shots. Feel free to bring in more Tectus members if you feel you need them,” Daniel said.

  Jack paused briefly. “Hmm. Good idea, Daniel. Give me a sec.” Jack addressed Max. “Okay. Max, get in touch with Eric Winchester and Dennis McMahon. Ask them if they’re willing to join us.”

  “I’m on it, Jack,” Max replied. “Doug, Cliff, let’s meet in the basement in an hour—I’ll have Eric and Dennis with me if I can.” And with that, Max left the call.

  “Sorry for the delay, Daniel,” Jack apologized.

  “No need to apologize, Jack. You’re doing a fine job. I’m anxious to get there, but I trust your judgment.”

  “Thanks, Daniel. I’ll be in touch again soon,” Jack ended the call.

  ***

  Kerinski set the last of the spyflies in the Oval Office. Like the five spyders before them, they quickly disappeared when they were activated.

  Raj and Roy, operating the spyflies remotely, dispersed them throughout the office. A few were settled in to be eyes and ears for those at the Rabbit Hole; the majority were waiting to escape when the door opened. They would be moved to other areas of the White House to gather information.

  “Okay, Kerinski, that’s the last one,” Roy confirmed. “We’re done, thanks for the help. Mouse should be there any minute.”

  “Roger that, we’ll be on our way out in a few,” she whispered

  Kerinski and Mouse had joined Tectus at about the same time and had formed a bond of friendship that was closer than brother and sister. Kerinski’s husband of six months and Mouse’s younger brother had both been lost on a military mission gone terribly wrong.

  Kerinski sought a way to fulfill her husband’s ideals - to protect the country against enemies foreign and domestic. As far as she was concerned, the government had become a domestic enemy, and with the onset of Brideaux’s insanity, she, like many of her husband’s friends and their families, had joined Tectus to do what she could to make a difference.

  One night, while serving on shift together, Kerinski and Mouse had discovered their connection in the loss of their loved ones. They talked long into the night, sharing their grief, frustration, anger, and struggle to cope. The sharing brought a small measure of comfort and healing to each of them, and since then their bond of loyalty and friendship had grown and solidified.

  They worked well together, and Tectus acknowledged them as a top-notch team of operators. Thus, they had been chosen by the leaders to be one of the teams to work closely with the Rosslers to penetrate the White House, plant the spy hardware, and kidnap Hayden’s top men.

  Their first mission in this operation was to deploy the spyders and spyflies in the East and West Wings. Kerinski was assigned to the West Wing, and Mouse to the East Wing.

  They had completed their mission, met at the predesignated location and were returning to safe house where President Daniel Rossler and his agents awaited the ‘all clear’ from the team leader. They would accompany the Presidential party to RRMC.

  She closed the connection with Roy, and started back down the stairs, stepping into the circle of light created by Mouse’s flashlight at the bottom. They high-fived - no easy task as Kerinski was barely five feet in height and Mouse towered over her at six feet three - and headed out through the tunnel to the Blair House.

  Kerinski marveled as she followed the dim outline of Mouse’s shadow through the tunnel. The man was huge! Tall, heavily muscled, and yet he could move with the grace of a dancer and stealth of a hunting tiger. The man was amazing! His given name was Leonardo, Leo for short, but his agility, speed, and stealth had earned him the nickname ‘Mouse’ – a pun on his height – given to him by his special forces buddies. His body carried the scars of the many deployments he’d seen; he was a highly decorated and honored officer when he left the Recon Marines.

  Chapter 54- A brief message

  Rafael Martinez stared at his coffee, anger and grief washing through him like the tides of the ocean that enveloped the submarine carrying them through its murky depths. I will kill John Brideaux if it’s the last thing I do. He swore to himself for the hundredth time. I will kill him or die trying.

  Martinez was not one of the men Brideaux had entrusted with a gun; perhaps he remembered the threat Martinez had made to kill him in the council chambers when he shot and killed Martinez’s friend Ruben Weinstein.

  Nevertheless, the opportunity would come, and he would be ready for it he promised himself.

  He considered the present circumstances. There were thirteen of them and at least one hundred crew members as best he could estimate. It’s only a matter of time before we get too tired to watch them or they figure out a way to overpower us.

  He considered the possibility that some of the crew might have weapons in their quarters. He also considered that neither he nor any of the other council members were a match for trained military personnel. There would be more deaths, and God knew the world had seen enough death since Brideaux had set that Beast loose on everyone.

  Maybe if the crew was armed, his fellow council members wouldn’t fight back, and there would be no more deaths - except for John Brideaux, he promised himself again.

  A plan began to form in his mind as he headed for the control room and John Brideaux. “John,” he said, stepping into the control room. He came to a sudden stop as he marveled at the technology in the room.

  “What do you want Martinez,” Brideaux growled.

  “We can’t all stay awake indefinitely. We will need sleep to guard the crew effectively. There are only twelve of us and over one hundred of them.”

  Brideaux frowned slightly, “yes I suppose you are right. Very well. Allow six to sleep while the other six perform guard duty - twelve hours shifts. Two in the maneuvering room, two at either end of the corridor guarding the crew, one guarding the officer’s quarters, and one up here with me.”

  “There are no more quarters for our people to sleep, I assume you will be in agreement with them sleeping in the torpedo room?”

  “I don’t care,” Brideaux said irritably, “just make it happen, Martinez.”

  “Right away, John,” he said in a subservient tone as he left the room.

  Stopping at the Captain’s cabin, he looked around and then stepped inside, quietly closing the door behind him. He found a writing pad and quickly wrote a brief message on
it, tore the paper in half and repeated the message and placed both pieces of paper in his pocket before he left the room.

  He was passing the galley when he noticed that several trays of sandwiches were waiting to be taken up to the crew for their noon meal. He offered to help and then took a plate of sandwiches back to the crewmen and guards in the maneuvering room.

  Chapter 55- We must risk it

  Linkola and Siasha had been hard at work, pouring over the information to find a way of merging two identities and reviewing the results of the failed attempt. They were exhausted and had reached an impasse.

  “I’m telling you, Siasha, that couldn’t have been the cause.”

  “It’s the only thing that makes sense, Linkola; there is nothing else!” she exclaimed, slapping her hand on the table.

  “It can’t be that simple!” he shouted.

  “Look at the data, Linkola; it speaks for itself!”

  At this moment Korda arrived. He stopped mid-stride and stared at them. “Shouting and screaming won’t get you anywhere. I suggest you both take a break.”

  Siasha and Linkola glanced at each other in embarrassment.

  “Korda is right,” Linkola said. “Let’s take a break.”

  The three of them got up and went for a swim and returned refreshed after an hour.

  “Alright, Siasha, where were we?” Linkola said when they were back in the lab.

  “I was telling you that the reason for the failure of the previous experiment was that you tried to merge two B’ran - two individuals from the same race. Both had strong, warlike personalities and training; they both tried to dominate the other and ended up destroying the host body and thus themselves.”

  “It was such a horrible and violent death, Siasha. I can’t watch something like that happen again. It’s still haunting me.”

  “Then you will leave the room,” a voice said from behind them. It was Tawndo.

  “Tawndo,” Linkola begged, “think carefully about this. “If we start this procedure, there is no going back. Once started, it cannot be aborted. If it doesn’t work, it will kill you, Robert, and the host body—forever. There will be no reanimation possible.”