The Remote Traveler (The Remote Series Book 1)

by Finian Blake

  “My name is Harry Tildon. I am Station Chief for the CIA. Can I talk to Alex Chalenger?”

  “No, you can’t. He is busy with his friend’s funeral. I am his wife can I help you.” Harry decided to settle for Anna wanting to depart as soon as possible.

  “MI has two of my agents and I would like his help in releasing them.”

  “We are burying a dear friend and you are intruding.”

  “I am sorry that I intruded. It was the only way that I could contact you. I couldn’t find any phone numbers for your Inn.”

  “You pull up to the gate and announce yourself, and if you have business to conduct we will admit you.”

  “I’m sorry for the intrusion. Could I speak to you after the service?” Harry was being polite, so Anna relented.

  “Since you are not packing, you may stay for the services. We will talk to you later. Edward would you keep Mister Tildon company,” Anna asked not waiting for an answer. Harry looked at Edward.

  “How the hell did you do that? My agents still can’t use their arms.” Edward easily put on a British accent.

  “It will pass in a few more days, but I can release it if I choose.”

  “Why didn’t you?”

  “The services are beginning.” Edward waved to Nadia and Ted. “Mister Tildon will be talking to us later. Please take him to the pub after the services.” Harry tried to strike up a conversation with his two guards with no success.

  Alex started the service by placing Susan’s urn on a short column.

  “We are here to remember our friend Susan. She was not one for ceremony so we will be brief. She meant different things to different people. We will take a few moments to reflect on what she meant to each one of us.” After a short period of reflection Alex asked the minister to say a brief prayer announcing that the rest of the service would be held at the pub. The children took the ashes down to the helicopter and took off. The helicopter made a low pass over the resort. Lynn held the container out dumping the ashes into the rotor wash. The ashes dispersed over the entire property. The helicopter swung smartly back on to the pad and shut down. The occupants went directly to the pub. Nadia and Ted loaded Harry into a cart and started to drive down to the pub. When they reached the edge of the knoll Harry noticed that the entire property could be seen. All of the buildings seemed to be more than one hundred years old and all of the landscaping was mature and immaculately groomed. Ted drove the cart out to the main entrance. Harry thought that he was being escorted out. Ted pulled the cart up to the barrier.

  “There is the call box. The green button is for contacting our security center. They will ask what your business is and direct you to where you need to be. We have deliveries and visitors all the time. Let me have your keys and Nadia will drive your car down to the pub.” Harry remained silent as the cart turned around and drove to the pub followed by Nadia in Harry’s car.

  Ted and Nadia walked into the pub and escorted Harry up to Alex at the bar.

  “Have a drink Harry everything is on the house.” He looked at Nadia and Ted standing behind him.

  “You don’t need your security now.”

  “I thought that you might want to talk to the head of security to get a clear picture of what is happening.”

  “My boys said that they were kind of brutal in their interrogation.”

  Ted answered for Alex, “They were on our property uninvited, with silenced weapons.”

  Harry tried to bluff, “We have a special arrangement with MI for our agents.” Alex looked at the drinker on the other side of him.

  “Scott is that true?”

  Scott puffed up speaking with a strong Bristol accent, “The man is a bald faced liar. There has never been any such arrangement. I would also like to say that I don’t appreciate you going around me.”

  Harry continued his bluff, “Who are you sir?”

  “I am Scott Knight the head of MI. Travis my number two is at my elbow. You might answer his calls. The only reason that I don’t hold you is that we are supposed to be cooperating. Would you like to discuss the matter here over a pint or at MI in front of your boys?”

  “I believe that we will discuss it here,” Harry relented quickly.

  “Good fix a plate and we will step out to a courtyard table for a bite. I am mourning a good friend and won’t give you much more than a few minutes.” Harry did as he was told and stepped outside skipping the plate but refilling his drink.

  Nadia and Ted moved down the bar. Alex admired the perfect match that the pair made.

  “You make one hell of a team. Ted, does it make any difference that Nadia is the boss now?” Ted waited until Alex had the glass half way to his mouth, and nudged his elbow with a slop of beer hitting Alex’s shirt.

  “Who’s the boss between you and Anna?”

  “I know who the boss is. It’s Anna.” Ted laughed and handed Alex a bar towel.

  “Then you know the answer to your question.” Alex bumped Ted back.

  “So what were your intentions toward my daughter?”

  “Pure lust…” Nadia swatted them both in the back of their heads causing another spill.

  “We will see how lusty you are in Oman. Suki just turned that contract over to me. Its, one hundred ten degrees there and it’s not yet the hot part of the summer. We will be up in the hills. The Sultan wants the security force up graded for his brother, so we will be doing a full workup. Oliver and Randy will be doing the flying for Sarah’s aerial reconnaissance. We will take the Caribou and the Twin Otter.” Alex watched Harry walk up behind Nadia. He cleared his throat and waited for her to turn around.

  “I wanted to apologize for the men. If we want anything we will use the doorbell.” Nadia wanted to tell him to bugger off, but she did a lot of business in the States and could not afford to alienate somebody so powerful.

  “If you come as a friend you will always be welcome. Have a drink and we will put this behind us.” Harry had one more peace offering.

  “The request came from the NSA. It was out of the country so we were obliged to cooperate. They said that Alex was extremely dangerous. We had some bad information.” Harry looked around the room. “Your Susan must have been one hell of a woman. I’ve never seen a funeral like this.”

  “She would not have let your men off the hook so lightly. Lynn is our new Chairwoman and it was her first day.”

  “Where is she? I would like to apologize personally. Scott spoke highly of her.”

  Nadia took Harry across the room. She walked up behind, a well-dressed young woman that Harry had been staring at for the past hour. At five ten with heels on Lynn was slightly taller than Harry. She made it a point to stand as straight as she could.

  “Lynn this is Harry he has something to say to you.” Harry hated looking up to women and Lynn enjoyed looking down at him.

  “I hope that you will accept my apology for the other day,” Harry did his best to sound contrite. “My men acted stupidly. I personally assure you that it will never happen again.”

  “Apology accepted, just to show you that there are no hard feelings. I have a cottage opening up please spend the night with us.” Lynn called Susan over. Harry was amazed to see that the other woman was almost a twin to Lynn.

  “Are all of the women as tall as you?”

  Susan laughed, “This is the Amazon Inn and it has earned its name.” She whispered to Lynn. “Who has the outer cottage?”

  Lynn nodded her agreement, “Simone has it.”

  “If she is full service, tell her I will cover the action. I want Harry to have a special introduction to the Amazon.”

  Lynn moved very close and whispered in her ear. “Susan darling she is ultimate service. Simone is the best of the best. She is DGSE and as accomplished as they come.” Simone was French Moroccan and a natural beauty. Her skin was a combination of light brown and olive. With her full hips and narrow waist Simone attracted attention whenever she walked in a room. The final asset was her sea green eyes whi
ch combined with her smile never released anyone’s attention if she wanted it.

  “Harry, Susan will introduce you to your maid when your room is ready. Drink up you won’t have to drive back to London tonight.” Lynn decided that she needed allies not enemies. The outside of the cottage did not look like much.

  “How much do you get for a cottage?” Susan smiled and looked into his eyes.

  “We get 2,000 Pounds a night.”

  “$2,000 a night…!”

  “This is England the price is in pounds. Of course MI gets a discount when we use it as a safe house. If they bring their horses, the stable is part of the deal.” Harry was waiting for the punch line. “The pub is our only restaurant everything else is room service. Our chef does seven types of cuisine plus Jewish Kosher and Muslim which we have a separate kitchen for. There is no menu just pick up the phone and order.” Susan made a sour face, “I believe he even does hamburgers and fries. It all goes with the room.”

  The party wound down around one AM. Layla and Edward walked back to the guest cottage. They opened the door to find Lynn sitting on the bed. “Mom I thought that you left a long time ago.”

  Lynn sounded far away, “I did but I was lonely. Susan and I haven’t been apart for over thirty years. We worked together and played together with only a few days separation at the most.” Edward turned to Layla.

  “Layla, do you think we should teach her?”

  “It would be easy. Lynn can do it now, but she doesn’t know that she can.”

  Lynn brightened considerably, “How?”

  Layla made her comfortable on the bed. “You can’t decide that you are going to dream about Susan. What you need to do is hold an idea of her loosely in your mind or think about something that you did together. Think of your day and relax, it will settle on Susan without effort.” Layla left the room with Edward and let Lynn try on her own.

  Lynn and Susan rode up to the barn. Susan was perspiring heavily. They removed the tack and brushed the horses. When the horses were properly cared for Lynn started to walk out of the barn. Susan playfully pulled her into a vacant stall by her hair.

  “I need my cool down now.” She kissed Lynn passionately and started to remove her riding jacket. They made love with the urgency that Lynn was familiar with from their early days. The dream was not unlike any other day of riding. The only unusual thing was that there was no sound and Lynn could hear the words in her head, but not the sounds. She could smell the hay and sweat. Susan’s body was firm and supple. She appeared to be in her twenties. Lynn looked at her own body finding that she had lost forty years. They walked naked back to the house and made love once more in the shower.

  Layla and Edward heard cries from the bedroom. They ran to the door and peered in the room, finding that Lynn was in the midst of an orgasm. She hugged the pillow fiercely and thrashed around on the bed. Layla pulled the covers back and slipped into bed.

  “I want to be with her when she wakes up. She has to be warned about the danger that the dreams may become her reality.” Edward went to leave and Layla pulled him to her. “It’s a king size bed there is room for all of us.”

  Lynn awoke to find Edward and Layla curled up in each other’s arms. Lynn was refreshed and ready for the day. She felt a twinge of guilt. Edward and Layla were honeymooners and they were sharing her bed. She tried to slip out of bed quietly and Layla spoke in a whisper.

  “You can’t do this all the time.”

  Lynn apologized, “I’m sorry you two need your time.”

  “No, I meant the dreams. They could become your reality.”

  “I know Terri told me last night. She and I were on the break water when you and Edward sailed by. You and Edward really put on a show.” Layla blushed deeply. “You two stay here I need to find my other daughters.”

  Lynn had the chef fix a special breakfast for the newlyweds and joined her daughters for breakfast. She spotted her daughter Susan in the service center.

  “Susan, you two made me proud. I had every confidence in you when I turned my shares over. My dears you made some perfect calls.”

  Susan asked, “Lynn, have you heard anything from Simone?”

  “Yes she wanted another night for Harry. What do you think?”

  Her mother laughed, “Good will never hurts. Our main strength is our allies. Tom and Ted made their peace with him last night. Nadia invited Harry for a workout this morning. I don’t think that is going to happen.”

  “Why…?”

  “Susan showed him to the cottage, introducing him to Simone about eleven and Simone called about eight requesting an extra night for Harry he will be lucky to move before two.”

  “Mom, does he know that she is an extra from the French Embassy?”

  Lynn reflected, “I don’t know. MI says that she is with the DGSE.”

  “Do you think she is pumping him for information?”

  “Susan darling,” Lynn said, “I just know that she is pumping him.”

  “Evan, Pauline and Senator Mudson were sitting in the Senator’s living room watching a drama play out on TV. The press was camped out in front of his house. The Anchor on the news was talking in somber tones.

  “We still have that Lear jet apparently flying on auto pilot with no signs of life on board. The FAA reported it when the plane failed to check in with Denver Center. They scrambled two Air Force jets to check out the situation. The plane was flying at 30,000 feet. The chase planes reported that they looked in the cockpit window. The pilots seem to be unconscious and there are no signs of life from any of the four passengers.”

  “A check with the airport in LA says that there are four passengers and a crew of two. The wife of Senator George Mudson is confirmed to be on board. From what we were able to ascertain, there is enough fuel on board to fly the aircraft out over the Atlantic Ocean. The Coast Guard is sending a boat to the predicted impact point. We have a news crew outside trying to get a statement from the Senator at this time.”

  Pauline stroked George’s cheek.

  “It looks like our problem is going for a swim, both yours and ours. Are you up for election next year?”

  “Yes, my wife refused to be my campaign chairwoman. She said that she had a big surprise for me when she got back to DC.”

  “George darling, speaking of surprises, I suggest that you burn those pictures in your drawer.” The Senator ran upstairs to do just that. Pauline turned to Evan with a wicked grin on her face.

  “Evan, I had Don, Paul and Dillon on the schedule between noon and two. I think we can have lunch instead.”

  “How did you do it?”

  “I had a private contractor service the oxygen. The gauge read full and the tank was empty. They went to sleep quietly after they reached cruising altitude.”

  “How did you know that the crew would put the plane on autopilot?”

  “It was a guess the big fuel load was so that there would be a fire if it crashed on land. Right now they will be 500 to 700 miles out over the Atlantic when the jet runs out of fuel. With a drop of 30,000 feet, there won’t be any wreckage larger than a postage stamp.” Evan had to admire Pauline. She was as cold blooded as they came. She made it a point to use a Lear instead of a G-20 the aircraft was at least twenty years old. With this accident they would have the Senator in their pocket, and the resulting sympathy vote would guarantee his reelection next year. George would be the brave husband carrying on after the tragic death of his wife. Her death would be worth at least a million votes. Evan looked out the window.

  “What about his public. He looks so happy that nobody will believe him.”

  “Go out and announce that the Senator will address the press in five minutes.”

  Pauline went to the kitchen checking the contents of the refrigerator. It only took her a few seconds to find what she was looking for. When George came down the stairs she gave him the news.

  “You are going out and speak to the press.”

  “I can’t do that. I will never pu
ll it off.”

  “Yes you can.” She pulled out a bottle of Tabasco and poured some on her finger. Without warning she pushed her finger in his mouth, nose and eyes in quick succession. He screamed and tried to punch her. Pauline ducked and grabbed his arm. The blast of spice left him unable to speak. George’s eyes were red and tearing, his nose was running and his voice sounded like he was crying. She held on tightly so that he would not fall down the stairs as a surge of reporters moved to the stairs for a statement. A slew of cameras recorded the distraught Senator absolutely unable to speak.

  “Evan why don’t you take the Senator back in the house. I will talk to the reporters.” Pauline turned to the crowd.

  “As you can see Senator Mudson is completely devastated at the thought of losing his wife and political partner. She is his compass and a true love. We understand that you must have your news, but the situation is not certain. When events have concluded, we will have a statement for you. At this time, I can only say that we are praying for a good outcome.” One of the reporters decided to press.

  “The plane is out over the Atlantic and almost out of fuel!”

  “The Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard are on the job. As long as the plane is in the air we will pray for the best.” Pauline spun on her heel slamming the door. George was drying his face and his eyes were still red. “You are a sadistic bitch.”

  Pauline pushed him back in his chair, “It was a small price to pay for a million votes. The plane only has a few more minutes of fuel left.” The three settled down to watch the end. There was only one outcome possible.

  A banner streamed across the bottom of the television screen: PLANE CRASHES INTO THE ATLANTIC. The camera zoomed in on a sad sounding Anchor.

  “We have had official word that the jet carrying Senator Mudson’s wife has crashed into the Atlantic Ocean five hundred miles off of the Maryland coast. All on board are feared to be lost. A Coast Guard official says that there is little hope of finding any wreckage until morning. The plane dropped 30,000 feet into the darkness over the Atlantic. There is little hope of finding any survivors. We are hoping to get some kind of statement from the Senator this evening. Here is the footage from earlier this evening.” They showed the tearful Senator standing on his porch unable to speak. “The Senator was obviously to overcome.”