Carole continued her jog, prevented Walt from wandering too far, and returned home to shower and change.
“Ok, kids, let’s have a story before bedtime!”
Her lively kids settled down to hear Freddie’s Friday Freckles, yet again. Later that evening, she called Tony Harvey. A rather inebriated Tony attempted to talk sense. Carole led the one-sided conversation and arranged to call round the next day to discuss the matter.
“I can see how you’re coping!” she laughed as she finished the call.
Next day, the pair sat in his bachelor pad, deep in conversation as they attempted to identify the snitch.
“Who, apart from us, knew about Witherspoon; well, other than the super and the mayor? Who would benefit from giving information to a reporter?” Tony continued. “If we were at work, I’d call in that damn reporter and kick ass till I got results.”
“Me too,” responded Carole. “We may have to do some undercover work ourselves. I’m not for sitting around watching my career flounder. Are you up for a bit of cloak and dagger stuff? Let’s see what we can dig up from that newspaper. We can hang out in that bar frequented by the media guys. You never know what we might find out.”
“Yeah, let’s go. We’ll take your car, ok? Mine needs some attention, never seem to have time to see to it.”
“Tony, you’ve never had that car checked over in all the time I’ve known you.”
Outside, she dropped her keys. Tony, always the gentleman, stooped to retrieve them from under the sedan. He stood up, made a “keep quiet” gesture with his finger on his lips and moved his colleague out of range of the vehicle, took her arm and walked her to the safety of a nearby coffee shop.
“Your car’s been bugged. Maybe, just maybe, we’re on to our squealer. We keep this to ourselves; don’t know about you, but right now, I don’t trust too many of our co-workers. Is there a weak link in our squad?”
“Could well be. We’d best check our homes. I hate to think that anyone has invaded my privacy and listened to Ted and me and the kids.”
They abandoned the idea of visiting the bar and went back to retrieve the car. Aware that their voices could be monitored, they drove home in silence. Carole turned the music on at full volume.
“You need to clean this condo. It looks like you’ve been burgled. You live like this, Tony?”
“Never have time for chores.”
“You have plenty of time now. Get to it!”
They found nothing suspicious at either of their homes.
“Here’s the plan, Carole. We drive your sedan with the device still activated until it’s out of range, then I can have a look at it.”
Carole drove the sedan some distance with Tony lying on the floor to avoid detection. When they were sure the bug could no longer detect their position, the car came to a halt.
“Hell, do you always drive like a maniac? Every bone in my body is mashed.”
He carefully retrieved the device and studied it.
“Right then. This is a GSM bug. It can be placed in a vehicle or room, transmits like a mobile phone bug anywhere mobile network exists. They are known as infinity bugs and can be linked to other devices, other similar bugs. Where we are right now there’s no signal, so I can dismantle it carefully.”
“So you say this device here can be linked to another?”
“Yeah, as long as they are in range. As I say, we are ok out here, mobile signal is almost non-existent. It’s a good quality wire-tap, but whoever set it up set it for short range. We’ve checked our homes, so probably this is the only one… or maybe not. What about our offices?”
“Hell, yes, there could be one of those links there. We need to get into that building, Tony. Could be anywhere, but my guess is one or other of our offices.”
“And just how do you plan to do that, ma’am? Just walk in and say, ‘hey guys, I’m in search of bugging devices’?”
“Is that gizmo thing still active?”
“It will be when it’s in range… not at the moment obviously.”
“Can we use it to connect to the source?”
“Umm, leave it with me. I’ll research this.”
“Be careful, Tony, we don’t know who we’re dealing with.”
“Not yet, Carole, not yet.”
***
Kip O’Rourke sat in Harvey’s office, unaware of the bug planted there by his friend Sonny. Tony Harvey entered the room, much to O’Rourke’s shock.
“Hey, Tony, how’s it going? You supposed to be here?”
“Left my phone here when I left in a hurry, have you come across it, Kip?” he said as he rummaged in the desk drawer.
“Hey, you can’t do that…”
Harvey lifted an almost empty bottle of Scotch from a drawer.
“Well, I’ll be damned, was sure I had more in that bottle. Hey, I’ll have to watch my drinking.”
Kip reddened, knowing he’d been rumbled. Harvey, however, more concerned with other matters, said no more.
“You shouldn’t be here. I’m going for the super.”
Kip O’Rourke raced out to find his boss. Harvey quickly located a small insipid device, made an adjustment, and replaced it before heading for the exit. He spotted O’Rourke, held up his mobile phone and hollered, “Got it, Kip! I’ll be out of your face.”
In Carr’s smart kitchen, the two waited tentatively for action from the device removed from the sedan to the kitchen and linked to the one in O’Rourke’s office. Harvey, impatient for a result, rhythmically tapped the table, irritating his colleague.
“Hell, Tony, stop that… be patient.”
Several cups of coffee later, patience was rewarded when the device buzzed in to life, making Carole jump.
“Sonny,” hollered a familiar voice. “Harvey’s been back in the office; hell, what if he knows something?”
“Calm down, man, check if the bug’s still in place under the second drawer, it should pulsate if it’s still working.”
Kip O’Rourke clumsily located the device.
“Affirmative, it’s here and working fine. You should have told me you’d planted it here; how did you get into the building?”
“That’s for me to know and you to find out!” chortled the reporter.
“What about the one in her sedan? You told me about that one.”
“I’ll check it out, hold on. Crackling came through the gadget on Carr’s table, startling her yet again, but not disturbing her demeanour.
“Yeah, buddy, it’s ok, still in place, active, so no problem there. It’s still in her car; I drove past her place earlier, car’s parked in its usual place. Keep calm, Kip. My editor’s giving me a big, I mean big, bonus and you’ll get your share. Now get off this line, don’t use it unless it’s really important.”
Clicks were heard. Harvey kept his finger over his lips to warn Carole to remain silent. After a few more minutes, they grinned at each other.
“Got them! Check that recording before we become euphoric!”
Carole operated a tiny recording device that Tony had rigged up and there, for all to hear, was the conversation they had just heard.
“Got you, you assholes! Let’s go find Superintendent Benson.”
Benson, with detectives Harvey and Carr in tow, walked in to Kip’s office. On seeing them, the bent officer paled significantly, knowing that something daunting was about to happen. “Kip James O’Rourke. I’m placing you under arrest. Detective Carr, read him his Miranda.”
“My pleasure, sir.”
Simultaneously in a local newspaper office, FBI agents entered the building, arrested the editor and reporter Sonny Woods, sent staff home and closed the organization down.
“Go find other jobs,” one agent told them. “This joint won’t open for the longest time.”
Media channels reported that police had arrested three people in connection with the toppling of presidential candidate Ross S. Witherspoon, whose whereabouts were unknown.
That evening, Harve
y joined Carole and her husband, Ted, for a celebratory meal at Carr’s home.
“Uncle Tony! Uncle Tony,” screamed two excitable kids. “Do some magic tricks for us.”
Tony kept the kids amused while Carole attended to the meal and Ted to the drinks.
“Tony,” she laughed. “You need to get yourself a good woman, settle down and have some kids!”
“What! And have them upset my apple pie condo?”
Harvey excused himself to take an incoming call, then came back into the room with good news for his colleague.
“The lab have discovered that the vial containing the sedative that Clara Blake handed in came from a hospital in Chicago where a nurse, Rita Hampton, was dismissed for stealing drugs. Our guys are on to tracking her down. According to a neighbour, she moved to New York to nurse a relative. They were able to trace the vial from the batch number.”
“New York seems to be where we have to concentrate our search for Lucy,” Carr remarked.
“The mystery deepens though,” continued Harvey. “A garage owner in Wisconsin reported a possible link to the kid. Some of our colleagues there are interviewing the guy, it may be nothing…”
Chapter 27
Fate had led Zelda and Kristof to a new, somewhat terrifying stage in their lives. They arrived with some trepidation at the address given by Rita.
“We’re taking a risk coming here, Kristof; we don’t know what we’re facing.”
“It’s a risk we have to take, dragi. We must try to secure a better future. I trust our new acquaintance. I’m sure she’s sincere. We can always leave if the employment doesn’t suit us.”
When Kristof pulled the doorbell, they were admitted to a palatial house, the likes of which they had never seen before, except in films. Rita welcomed them warmly, sensed their fear and anxiety and reassured them that all would be well. Zelda was in awe of her new surroundings.
“Boss is waiting to meet you. That is how you will address your employer at all times, ‘Boss’. Come with me.”
Rita led them through the house to a room on another floor where they met Boss for the first time.
“Tell me your story in your own words. Rita has given me some details of your plight, but I’d sure like to hear it from your own lips. Boss settled in a high-backed leather chair while Kristof related events. He told of the siege of Sarajevo; the loss of family; Zelda’s miscarriage; their journey through Europe; the befriending of Donata and Marc; and their arrival in New York. He told of how luck led him to meet Rita and how his wish to seek employment led him here.
Boss listened without interruption. When Kristof, holding his wife’s hand, had finished relating their sad tale, Boss sat quietly making unnerving eye contact with the two, before commenting.
“That’s some story! I’m sure impressed by your honesty in returning Rita’s purse when you could have used the money for yourselves.”
“Zelda and I could never be anything but honest, in spite of our hardships. True, that money could have helped us, but we could never take what wasn’t ours.”
Zelda, who had been quiet throughout, overawed at the exquisite décor and her husband’s eloquence, nodded in agreement as he spoke.
Boss continued. “Yeah, I can see that. Your openness has impressed me. I would like you to work for me in whatever capacity I require. There’s good accommodation here in an apartment above the garage in the grounds. It’s small, but adequate for two people. Rita will show you around the estate and help you settle in while you familiarize yourselves with the house and gardens.”
Over the next few months the two settled to a new routine: Kristof helped outdoors in the vast gardens and greenhouses, while Zelda’s duties were mainly household chores. The hours were long and the work rewarding. They both became more robust and healthier as the weeks went on.
“Have you noticed how ill Boss looks?” asked Zelda of her husband on the rare occasion they found time to enjoy their little apartment. Her nursing skills had detected a gaunt, sickly look in her employer.
“I saw some medication when I was cleaning Boss’s room; I’m sure they are cancer drugs.”
After some months in their new surroundings, Boss sent for the couple and without preamble spoke out.
“I have had someone look into your backgrounds. I keep a strict check on all my employees. I don’t think you have been upfront with me, have you? Have you stonewalled me?”
Kristof looked bemused; Zelda tried to assimilate where Boss was leading.
“Kristof, Zelda,” Boss addressed them, “or should I say Nikol and Amila Tanovic? You have no visas to be here, have you? No official permission?”
Kristof became fearful and the colour drained from his face.
“Please, please don’t have us deported. We came to this country with only good intentions to start a new life and work hard. We can’t go back to the hell we left.”
Boss studied the anxious faces of the new employees. Zelda sobbed quietly.
“As long as you remain loyal to me and follow my instructions to the letter, then you will be perfectly safe. Betray me in any way and things will be very different.”
“We have no choice, Boss, we are grateful and owe you. You can rely on us both,” replied Kristof, his heart pounding in his chest so much so he thought he might go into cardiac arrest. He detected a harshness in Boss never perceived before; a fear came over him, a fear he had not felt for many months, a fear that he had forgotten existed. Zelda sat in stony silence, thinking their world was about to crumble.
Boss continued. “I have a special assignment for you, it’s essential you follow it exactly. A lot is riding on this being carried out without any changes being made by you to my plan.
They sat in silence, listening intently to what was being asked of them, alarm and dread filling their hearts, but they knew there was no alternative for them, save deportation. The assignment involved collecting a child, and keeping her sedated and safe. They were to drive some thousands of miles by a convoluted route mapped out for them, with no deviation to be taken, and make calls to Boss on specific dates. They were to cross many states, involving several weeks of travel and rest, to a cabin in Montana where they were to remain with their young charge until summoned to return, retracing their steps as instructed. They packed personal items and prepared for the strangest of tasks.
“Crazy,” muttered Kristof, “to drive continually, thousands of miles, just to return again! At least we can share the driving.”
“But we must do it, we can’t afford not to. To disobey would be disastrous for us. Boss said all would be revealed to us on our return.”
“What’s it all in aid of? So mysterious, so strangely odd,” said Kristof, as he turned over to attempt to sleep before venturing on an epic journey.
Chapter 28
The cabin in Montana at Yellow Bay State Park was off the beaten track and difficult to reach, the terrain putting strain on the overworked campervan, resulting in disaster when a tyre burst, leaving them stranded in deep snow. Kristof jumped down to investigate.
“This can’t be fixed in this weather; the blizzard’s fierce and light is fading fast. We will have to continue on foot as best we can.”
“How far are we from the cabin?”
“Difficult to tell in these conditions, but I don’t think it’s far, we will just have to walk.”
“Oh, no!” wailed Zelda, knowing there was no option but to trek the last stretch to safety.
Wrapped up well, the trio struggled uphill, Kristof making a path for the others to walk in his footsteps, the frightened child clinging to Zelda, putting her whole weight on her, which made the slog even more arduous. Kristof carried a backpack crammed with as much as he could carry, his steps slow and wearisome, as he led the jaded group on through the fierce storm. The path, as far as he could ascertain, veered towards a clearing where stood a welcoming sight.
“The cabin!” Kristof pointed, his tense muscles visibly relaxing.
&nbs
p; The cabin itself was comfortably set out and heated up quickly. An abundant store of dried foodstuff filled the cupboard as well as some homemade pies, which delighted the hungry travellers. As Kristof unpacked the backpack, distributing the items, hoping he had not left anything essential behind, Zelda rustled up a quick meal, after which she settled Lucy to sleep before she and her exhausted husband relaxed by the log fire with a welcome drink.
“This is some place. Everything we need is here; someone must come and replenish food and gather logs. It’s all very intriguing,” mumbled a weary Zelda.
Next day, Kristof had to call Boss. The signal from the cabin was intermittent due to weather conditions, so he had no option but to retrace his steps to the troublesome campervan to tackle the problem tyre as best he could. He carefully drove the seventeen miles or so to Polson in the hope of making the call and having the badly damaged tyre replaced. The journey was treacherous; the road was covered in ice, no highway personnel would venture out there to deal with a burst tyre, even if Boss had allowed it. Progress was slow; the damaged tyre made the journey even more dangerous, heavy snow blinded his eyes and caused him unimaginable stress as he struggled at times to keep the vehicle from slipping off the path.
Zelda and Lucy played board games, which they found in the cabin. Lucy, now aware that she had no control over her situation, had bonded with Zelda and sensed in her a warm human being who, for reasons unknown to her, could not divulge details of their marathon journey. Zelda reassured her as best she could that no harm would come to her and soon she would be told everything. “I just want to go home, Zelda. Can’t you call Mama? She must be frantic… are you holding me to ransom? My mother will pay what you ask, please call Mama.”
“If only I could, my dear, if only… we are under strict instructions and cannot deviate from them or we three could be in danger. I cannot tell you anything else, not yet.”
“You’re afraid of someone, aren’t you?”
CALL MAMA Page 12
