Presidential Donor

by Bill Clem

  Mark Andrews was already going through the preflight checklist and warming up the engines when Steve stuck his head in the cockpit. "Mr. Charles," he said, part question, part statement.

  "Please call me Steve."

  "I'm Mark Andrews."

  "Skip tells me you can get me to Zurich in a hurry."

  Andrews smiled. "I'll do my best."

  "How fast is that?" Steve Charles asked.

  "So far, the weather looks good. If we can run this baby flat out, we can probably get there in about seven hours."

  Steve nodded. "Have you flown one of these before?"

  "I fly Lear jets all the time, not one this nice, though. She's a real jewel, lots of bells and whistles to help fly it. Great onboard computer, too, practically flies the plane by itself." Andrews cocked his head. "If you don't mind me asking. What's the urgency?"

  Steve Charles hesitated; thinking about what Jack had told him. I'm in danger. He thought it best not to create any undue anxiety for the pilot. He needed to keep his mind on flying the plane.

  "A last minute business meeting," he finally answered. "I may expand my company over there. They have great banking laws."

  "I've heard about that," Andrews said, flipping several switches on the instrument panel. He finished the last of the flight checklist, and then radioed the tower he was ready to go. "Our flight plan has been filed. We can book."

  "Let's go, I'll ride up front with you," Steve said, as he bent down and climbed into the copilot's seat.

  After taxiing to the runway, Steve heard the tower clear them, and a second later the engines began to whine as Andrews pushed them to full throttle. Steve was pushed backward in his seat as the jet tore down the runway and lifted off. Outside, the jet's nose rotated and the ground dropped away at a dizzying rate. Before Steve had his headset on, they were already rocketing through the clouds. As the plane banked hard to the east, Steve Charles felt a wave of fear hit him.

  Jack's voice echoed faintly. They're trying to kill me! Steve stared out the window. Hold on Jack, I'm coming.

  Chapter Fifty-Six

  With the reemergence of voices outside her chalet, Eva Smorzak already had figured out what to do. "Come on," she said, as she yanked down the cord to the attic door above them. The three stepped to the side as the retractable stairway slid down from the door. She bounded up the steps with Jack right behind her. A moment later, the stairs creaked as Jonah took the first rung. He hesitated, then lunged upward at the sound of breaking glass. He plopped down on an old trunk and dust flew in every direction. Jack leaned out of the opening and jerked the stairs back up, closing the attic door.

  Now in total darkness, a panting fog hung over them in the freezing air.

  Eva was trembling. Not so much from standing motionless in the cold, but from disillusionment over what she was listening to. Below in the kitchen, the voices became painfully clear.

  "They've been here."

  "Where's Barnes?" a voice asked.

  "I don't know, he was supposed to be here," was the reply from mystery voice two. Then a third man yelled. "He's down here."

  Eva figured Barnes must be the guy she clocked with the boat oar. The voices went silent for a few minutes. Then the sound of footfalls directly below them filled Eva with panic. He's coming this way! She was sure someone was going to pull open the attic door any second and grab her. She looked down toward the door and saw a small crack where she could see out.

  A man's head was right below the door. She could almost count the hairs on his scalp he was so close. Her heart nearly came to a stop as the man leaned against the wall, his arm outstretched, drumming his fingers.

  Feeling sick to her stomach, Eva moved back, knocking over a box in the process.

  Now he's definitely going to pull the door open and find us.

  Her fear was only equaled by the blackness of the attic, and despite the fact Jack and Jonah were there, she felt alone. Someone strode down the hall, this time going the other way. Eva froze motionless in the darkness. Below, the conversation resumed. Over the sound of her pounding heart, Eva heard one of them....

  "We need to get him to a hospital."

  "You know, Barnes," a voice said. "It's bad enough you let them get away at the hospital. Now, you let them do this. You idiot!"

  "Well I--"

  "I don't even want to hear it."

  "We're wasting our time," a third voice said. "Let's get out of here."

  Eva exhaled silently when the door closed. The sound of tires on crunching snow gave her enough courage to get up. Finally!

  Jonah put his hand on her arm. "Let's make sure they're gone," he whispered.

  They sat there for another ten minutes. At last Jonah said, "I think it's safe to go now."

  Eva bent down and gave the door a shove. It screeched opened and swung down to the hall floor with a thud. She placed a cautious foot on the first step as Jonah helped steady her.

  He climbed down behind Jack and shoved the attic door closed. He looked at Eva and blew out through pursed lips. "That was close."

  Eva went and locked the door, as if it might give her more security. It was more symbolic than anything. They could get in any time they wanted.

  "Now what?" Jonah asked.

  "We need to go back to my friend's cabin," Eva said.

  "I think you're right, they'll be back." Jack said.

  Jonah brushed the attic dust off his shirt. "Let's go."

  "Now I'm really mad," Eva said, "they broke my door."

  Jack turned around. "You can bill Uncle Sam for it."

  Chapter Fifty-Seven

  FBI director Louis Halpern had just sat down to his daily stack of paperwork when his secretary buzzed him on the intercom.

  "You have a call from the President's secretary, sir, she says it's urgent."

  Expecting to hear the secretary's voice, Halpern was surprised when it turned out to be the Secretary of Defense on the other end. "Lou, we have a problem--a serious problem. We need you at the White House, now."

  He knew better than to ask over the phone. He simply replied, "I'll be right there."

  Halpern pushed the paperwork off to the side of his desk. He was glad to postpone it since it was the least favorite part of his job.

  He hoped he'd still be glad at the end of the day. He could only imagine what the terse phone call was about. He took two Tums and walked out the door.

  * * *

  In a top secret section of Graznvia hospital, in Red Square, Moscow, amid dim light and broken-down medical equipment, two respected Russian cardiologists poured over copies of the medical records just delivered to them by special courier. As they studied the records closer, both agreed, the tissue and blood type were fairly common. However, this anomaly was not one either was familiar with. Of course, their patients were all comatose and hadn't had the kind of test available to them that would reveal such an anomaly. Theirs' was only an experimental section of the hospital. Anomaly notwithstanding, their orders remained. Find a suitable donor from the available population of the hospital--no patient is exempt.

  These were direct orders from Viktor Chermonovik. The two doctors were puzzled by the orders and the language used--find a donor at any cost.

  In return they were promised a complete upgrade of all their facilities and equipment. They had no clue as to the identity of the recipient. The medical records were altered to hide his name.

  "One can only imagine, comrade," one of the doctors said. "They must be infinitely important."

  Chapter Fifty-Eight

  Eva managed to jostle a can of coffee off her counter before they'd ran out, and now she was in the tiny kitchen of the cabin fumbling with the old stainless steel pot; the kind with the metal filter and the glass ball on top. She hadn't seen one of those since she was a kid. Her mother would often brew coffee for her father in the same type of pot. She smiled at the memory as she finally got it put together and poured the grounds in the top.

  A half ho
ur later the fresh aroma filled the cabin.

  "Can that be coffee I smell?" Jonah asked.

  "Nothing but," Eva said.

  Jack took some fresh logs and restored the fire. Eva and Jonah joined him in front of it.

  "Jack, are you a coffee drinker?" Jonah asked.

  "Not usually, but under the circumstances I might just learn to be."

  "Eva leaned in closer. "You should taste Jonah's coffee in his office. It's strong enough to bring his autopsy cases back to life."

  "Come on now. You drink it." Jonah said.

  That's because I'm as hooked as you are," Eva said, heading for the kitchen.

  She came back a minute later with a big cupful for Jonah. "No cream, no sugar, just black like me." Jonah grinned.

  Eva handed Jack his cup and he took a gulp. "That's pretty good."

  Jonah looked at Eva. "He's hooked." They both laughed.

  "Did you say you have a friend at the airport that can help us, Jonah?" Jack asked.

  "Yes," his voice now taking a more serious tone. "Guy by the name of Howard Layton. Just goes by Howie. He's a good egg. He's also the main flight dispatcher for Zurich International. He can tell you what time your friend's plane will arrive. All flights are cleared through him. I know this because he tells me all the time what a pain in the ass it is to keep everything running smoothly."

  "All right then, let's figure out how we can go see him," Jack said.

  Chapter Fifty-Nine

  Warren Ritter was writing a memo when Charlie Lathbury walked in unannounced. "Charlie, I was just about to call you," Ritter said with false enthusiasm.

  "Yea, I bet you were."

  "You seem upset," Ritter said. He put his pen down as he leaned back in Bradley's leather armchair.

  "You damn right I'm upset. What the hell is going on here? You and Cogswell are supposed to handle this situation and keep us informed. I got Dr. Gregg on our back. Gwen Lloyd is calling me every hour. To make matters worse, the press is unrelenting. And all you do is sit here and not tell me anything. I don't like you, Ritter, not a bit. But since you're acting President, and I emphasize, acting, that puts me, under your orders--temporarily--hopefully. Still, I'm not about to stand by while you and Cogswell sit idly, as our President dies. Now what the hell is going on?"

  Ritter as usual, kept his cold-as-ice composure. Lathbury was of no consequence to him. When this was over he would promptly be replaced.

  Until then, Ritter would play along until the game was played out.

  "I assure you, Charlie, my concern for the President is just as great as yours. Cogswell and I are doing everything we can to bring this to a rapid conclusion."

  Lathbury lowered his voice. "Just remember, there are other people involved here. And soon, they're gonna want some results. I suggest you come up with some answers quickly. All our necks are on the line here."

  Ritter let it pass. Lathbury was already headed out the door. He didn't have time to argue with a peon. Lathbury was loyal to Lloyd, but also full of hot air. Cogswell could handle it.

  Chapter Sixty

  Jack excused himself to the bathroom, while Eva and Jonah sat on the hearth.

  "You like him, don't you? Jonah asked.

  Eva felt herself blush "Is it that obvious?"

  "Eva, how long have I known to you?"

  "I don't know, five years, maybe."

  "Five years. And in all those five years I've spent around you, don't you think I can see when you're interested in someone?" Jonah cocked his head and waited for an answer.

  "You always know my secrets, Jonah. Yes, I do like him, but I wouldn't stretch it too much. We have much more important matters than who I like."

  Eva had to admit her love life had been less than stellar since she came to Zurich. She'd been on a few dates with a fellow doctor, and had enjoyed a short fling with a ski instructor. But she'd quickly lost interest. Several other possible relationships ended the same way. Eva found them so egotistical that they never even got to know the slightest thing about her. They were totally self-absorbed. So she threw herself into her work and started to help Jonah at night instead of frequenting the ski resort clubs hoping to find Mr. Right.

  Now, though, since her fateful meeting with Jack, she began to mentally explore the possibilities of their future. He was sensitive, brave, and boyishly handsome. And on top of all that, Jack exuded a wry humor that eased her fears in this tense situation. She was beginning to realize she'd had entirely too little laughter in her life lately. Eva could tell he liked her, too. The way he looked at her, and seemed to appreciate her intelligence. She tried not to wear her feelings on her sleeve, as usual though, Jonah read her like a book.

  Yes, she liked Jack, all right--a lot. She stood and brushed her hands across the front of her pants as if trying to take out the wrinkles. She looked at Jonah with her deep-set blue eyes. "Like I said, we have more important matters right now."

  "Yea, we sure do," Jonah said.

  Did her fear show? She wanted to put her arms around Jonah and hug him like a father. Even though he treated her as an equal, a colleague, to her, he was a father figure. Especially when her vulnerability surfaced.

  Jonah gave her a long look. "We'll get through this, Eva, I promise. We'll get through it."

  When Jack came back into the room, he smiled at Eva. At that instant, she realized he must have heard the entire conversation between her and Jonah.

  She could only hope her feelings weren't in vain.

  Judging by the smile on Jack's face, they weren't.

  Chapter Sixty-One

  Having come this far, Jack suddenly felt apprehensive, wondering if he could actually pull this off. If Howie Layton, the flight dispatcher, could help them get Steve's plane in and out, without the government thugs knowing, he just might. Beyond that, Jack had run out of options.

  At the moment, the sun had jumped behind the clouds and left the air chillier than earlier as he and Jonah trudged through the wet snow toward the bus stop. Jonah shoved his hands down in his pockets. "It's not much further."

  "You think this is gonna work?" Jack asked.

  Jonah looked him in the eye. "It'd better."

  As they got closer to the main highway, Jack felt his anxiety growing. He knew the pursuers wouldn't give up that easy. He had heard the horror stories about the CIA and some of their covert activities. Being the focus of one of them was a whole different matter! One he didn't wish to contemplate.

  "There's the bus stop ahead," Jonah said.

  Jack's pulse quickened. "Finally."

  "The bus runs every fifteen-minutes to the airport from the ski areas," Jonah said.

  Jack suddenly brimmed with new hope. "Look, Jonah, talk about good timing."

  No sooner had they got to the stop, then the bus pulled up and they boarded. Jack gazed at the busload of passengers staring back at him. Jonah pulled out a couple of tokens and paid the fare.

  Jack's mind was filled with images of the CIA, Steve's arriving plane, and an end to this nightmare.

  Mostly young people with skis and suitcases filled the bus. Every seat was occupied, so Jack walked to the back. He stood beside a pretty blond coed who immediately smiled at him.

  "How's your trip?" the girl asked.

  "Fine," Jack said, surprised by her candidness.

  "Skiing's great isn't it?"

  "Oh it's unbelievable," Jack said, hardly able to keep his ordeal to himself.

  "Looks like you had a tumble," she said.

  Jack had completely forgotten about his bruised face, and for a minute didn't know what the girl meant. "Oh, that, yea, beginner's bad luck."

  Staring out the window, Jack noticed the scenery for the first time since he had left the hospital. The bus passed much of the old part of Zurich, where large castles influenced by French architecture surrounded winter gardens in full bloom. As he took in the view from the bus window he realized someone was staring at him. Jack felt his muscles go ridged. He looked around
and saw a guy who looked out of place. No skies, no suitcase, and most definitely, American clothes. Jack turned back to the window and glanced over his shoulder. He breathed a sigh of relief when the passenger got off at the next stop. Paranoid, Jack told himself, after the man left.

  A few minutes later the bus pulled up to the main airport terminal.

  The coed gathered up her things and excused herself. "Hope you have better luck with the rest of your trip," she said.

  "Yea, me too," Jack said, giving a reluctant smile. He hoped her words would be prophetic.

  Jonah met Jack as he stepped off the bus. "Howie's office is on the upper level."

  "Do you think he'll be there?" Jack asked.

  "He's always there. It's that kind of job."

  The lobby bustled with activity. People pushed and shoved in every direction lugging travel bags and ski carriers. Jonah located a row of phones next to the bathrooms. He called Howie Layton while Jack held up the wall next to him. When Jonah picked up the receiver, Jack nudged him. Something had snagged his attention.

  "What's with the crowd around the TV?"

  A knot of people had gathered around the large screen TV suspended from the ceiling in the lobby. Jonah placed the phone back in the cradle and followed Jack over to the commotion. A picture of an airliner appeared in the upper right hand corner of the screen.

  A special report was being broadcast by CNN.

  "Officials at this time are trying to determine what caused a jetliner to drop off the radar screen over the Swiss Alps, east of Zurich."

  "Jesus," Jack said. "That's right here."

  Before the report had even finished, people bolted to the nearest ticket counter in near panic. All Jack could hear were frightened travelers, inquiring about arriving flights. As he listened, he realized the ticket agents had no more information than the reporter on TV had given them.

  The report went on to say that a large explosion had been heard over Plateau Knoll, a popular ski area east of Zurich. They also mentioned unconfirmed reports of flaming debris falling to earth. The report finished with the usual promise of "more details to come".