Storm Unleashed

by Michael R. Stern

  The first batter was out. The second reached first by answering, “What was the first state to ratify the Constitution?”

  “Delaware,” said Linda Plum. Next up, Rachel asked for a single. Fritz looked out and saw the audience beginning to stand.

  “Only one Constitutional Amendment has ever been repealed. Which one?”

  Her crisp answer came quickly. “The eighteenth, Prohibition.” Matt took his spot in the batter's box. George asked the cheering crowd to sit down.

  Vince Velasquez asked, “What infrastructure project connected New York City and the Great Lakes?”

  Matt said, “The Erie Canal,” and the bases were loaded.

  Johnny Clayton came to bat. Again, Matt signaled for a home run. “What American financial asset surpassed the value of all the banks and industrial production combined in 1860?”

  This time, replacing the smile from his last at-bat, Johnny's eyes narrowed. His lips were tight. “The dollar value of slaves.”

  “Home run,” said Dr. Nesbitt. The score was 10-7. As it was when the game ended.

  Andy Slate shook hands with Ashley and joined his team's celebration. Ashley congratulated his downcast kids for a great effort. “Listen up,” he said to some teary-eyed students, “you all got us here, and we almost made it. You did a great job. An amazing one. Somebody had to lose this game. Be proud.”

  Then George awarded the trophy and said, “The year and the winning team's name, The Economists, will be engraved on this. With plenty of room for future team winners.” Cheers took over. Susan directed a group of ninth graders to hand the champions their winners' tee-shirts. She waved to Mark Witcannon, who waved back. No one was sitting, so George invited everyone to the cafeteria for snacks.

  “You almost made it, Ash,” said Fritz.

  “They did great.”

  “Now that the tournament is out of the way, I can help you with the play.”

  “Fritz, I feel bad for the kids. I should have worked longer with them.”

  “Ash, Johnny knew the right answer was The March of Dimes on that first question. But even he got the jitters. If he had answered that right, the game might have gone the other way.”

  “Let's go to the cafeteria and get out of here.”

  “You can go. I have to stay for a while. You know, thank everyone and all that. I'll meet you at my house. I still want to hear what Jane has to report.”

  Everyone wanted to talk to him. Students and teachers, the secretary of education, the special guests, and the reporters all followed him to a corner. He couldn't get away. The secretary whispered that the president would call later. Natalie introduced Fritz to some reporters, including one from a Philadelphia TV station. He spoke to Mr. Hoffmann, whose sandwiches had disappeared in minutes, and he greeted James Sapphire and the two other bankers he had brought. He thanked them for their donations. Sapphire told him he was surprised that the game was actually exciting. Mark Witcannon waited for the crowd to thin and said, “Your tournament has inspired the business council. They're all talking about other things we can do, especially when I told them how my business has increased.” The Phillies and Mr. Montgomery were surrounded. Fritz wanted to thank them, but all he could do was wave.

  As the cafeteria started to empty, George and Lois appeared in front of Fritz. Lois said, “Well done, Fritz. George has been bragging to the other principals about the increase in school spirit and student focus, too. He agreed to help them set up tournaments of their own. I'm sure he'll be talking to you about it.”

  “Lois, let me tell him,” said George. “Fritz, they were impressed by the turnout and our guests. We have a hit.”

  “Yes, George, we do.”

  Chapter 36

  HE WANTED to be home. The lightning always promised he could go again. Fritz leaned back, the bucket seat cocooning his thoughts. The tournament's over and a success. With a moment to himself, he thought about the past year as the thunder rumbled overhead. He bumped over the curb as he entered the driveway, imagining Robert E. Lee sitting on a tree stump, waving to him. I really miss him.

  “Hi, honey. I'm home.” Linda was standing at the door when he came in.

  She kissed him and said, “Hi, honey. You don't know how glad I am.” He was taken aback by the response. “Can't I be really glad you're here?” At the table, Ashley and Mary were watching them.

  “Sure, but you sound like an alarm went off.”

  “Jane called again. You tell him, Ash.”

  Jane had told him that Declercq was worrisome, and the tailor shop seemed like a set in a movie from the Cold War years. “What do you mean?”

  “Jane said she expected a fancy lobby, lots of pictures of famous clients, maybe refreshments. For the prices they charge, she didn't expect threadbare carpets and beat-up chairs. It was like they didn't want anyone there.”

  “What did the friend say?” asked Linda.

  “She was cautious with him. But she said he was very open. And very aware of our problems here. He asked the general if we had any leads on the attackers. When the general said we were still working on it, Declercq said he didn't think it was terrorists. He thought someone was trying to overthrow the government.”

  “Jane must have been really suspicious then,” Fritz said.

  “She's having his phones tapped, and she alerted the NSA. But she doesn't think he's the one. They're going back tomorrow to fit the suit. She'll try to find where they keep their customer records. They may need some hackers and maybe will go in at night.”

  “So, they want to use the portal. When?”

  “I don't know. She said the president will call you.”

  “I think Declercq is the key. He knows the tailor, and he's got the bucks and the influence. If he's not a good guy, we'll find out in short order. I bet he's already heard something. 'Overthrow the government' he said.”

  With anxiety already on the rise, when Fritz's phone rang, they jumped. “Hi, Mr. President.” After he listened for a minute, he said that Jane should just let him know when she wanted to enter the shop. The president said to expect to go the following night and that he had heard great things about the tournament.

  Fritz and Ashley went out to pick up dinner. When they returned, Natalie's car was outside. As soon as they walked in, Natalie handed Fritz another check.

  “Wow.” He passed the piece of paper around the group.

  “James talked to some of the other foundations about how you have changed the educational environment at the high school, and they all wanted to help. He said to tell you he enjoyed his visits, and he wants to talk to you.”

  “Did he say about what?”

  “A job, I think. He mentioned setting up a new non-profit to look for programs like the tournament.”

  “You'll have to think about that, Fritz,” said Linda. “It'll mean the portal would go away.”

  Her comment came like a gut punch. “We'll see if he actually calls. Thanks, Nat.” The tournament had now raised more than $200,000. Natalie asked if she could stop by the next night. She had made a list of questions for Declercq. If he was on the level, he could be very useful. He did seem to know everyone.

  * * *

  AT THE END of the day, Fritz's phone rang. The president wanted to get into the tailor shop. Jane had snooped around while the general had been trying on the suit. She felt uncomfortable pretending she was tagging along to a fitting. She'd found a card file, so it wouldn't be enough to hack their computer. They would need to go in for paper before dawn in Europe.

  “Natalie Johnston will be with us,” Fritz said.

  “Hard to keep a good reporter from asking questions. Come get me first, say 10:45?”

  NEXT AFTERNOON, AS they headed for their cars at day's end, the fields behind the school called out. Ashley angled off to the fence to watch. In the far corner, dust rose from a play at second base. The starting gun reverberated on the far right where a track meet was in progress. In front of them, boys and girls in helmets, pa
ds, and gloves ran up and down the lacrosse field.

  “I miss this stuff, Fritz.”

  “Yeah, I know. I can feel it too. Look.” Fritz squeezed his waist. “I'm getting flabby. Ash, let's go.” Fritz headed toward his car and stopped. “Let me ask you something. The president is telling us about everything that's going on. Don't you think that's strange?”

  “Not really. We're part of this, like it or not. He trusts you, for good reason. You saved his life, you never ask for anything. And maybe most important, you think about how to solve problems he's facing and tell him. You really are a terrific analyst. Jane says he talks about you all the time. He worries about you and Linda. He likes you, although that I don't understand.”

  At 10:30, Fritz put on a jacket. Linda said she was staying with TJ because Mary wanted to talk to the president. A security car would be stationed outside the house. Ashley, Natalie, and Mary piled into Fritz's SUV. Tony was talking to Jim Shaw when they arrived.

  Tony said, “Hi, Fritz.” He greeted the others, but looked at Natalie a second time and smiled.

  Fritz grabbed one handle on the generator, Tony took the other. In his classroom, Fritz explained the way the portal worked to Mary and Natalie. He called the president and a minute later, shook his hand. Mel and a stranger followed.

  “Fritz, this is Tom Andrews, Jr. He is a first-rate hacker. But a white-hat. Only for good.”

  Fritz shook hands with the surprised young man and thought how striking the resemblance was. “I'm so sorry about your father, Tom. I liked him a lot.”

  “Fritz, let's get Jane at her hotel. She has the tailor shop map.”

  A thought hit Fritz. This has become routine. He pulled the door open, and Jane and General Beech walked into New Jersey.

  “Here's the tailor shop layout,” Jane said. “We need to be exact. It will probably be pitch black. Mel's coming with us.”

  Fritz asked, “Do you have any idea how long this will take?”

  “Not for sure,” she said. “Maybe a half hour if everything goes smoothly.”

  “Okay. If you're done sooner, we'll be in Ash's classroom.” He got a buzz and the intruders were in London.

  “Jim, I want to talk to you about your friend,” the president said to the general. “Let's go sit.” The president waved everyone to follow. He told Tony and Jim Shaw to join them. “I think you all know each other. This is General Jim Beech. He's chairman of the joint chiefs, and he and Jane set up tonight's entertainment.” He introduced all those who the general had not yet met.

  “Mr. President, shouldn't we speak privately? No offense, everyone.”

  “We can count on everyone here.”

  The general shrugged. “As you know, I've known Florian since I was at NATO. We've developed a close friendship over the years. He's even offered me a job when I retire.”

  “You know that the initials FD have appeared on Koppler's and Wixted's lists. We don't know they refer to Declercq, but we have to be very careful with him.” The general leaned forward while the president explained his plan. Jane's quick return startled them. They were done. It had been too easy.

  They found what they were looking for, and Tom put a device on the USB port that was virtually undetectable. The tailors would have to throw out the computer to get rid of the connection. “I'll check the files when I get…” Tom said, “home. This is really weird. Dad couldn't say anything, but I thought something like this. I just didn't believe it.”

  Jane had found their client file cabinet and photographed every name that fit the initials. She had seen a folder label for Georg Badenhof. Natalie who had been silent, said, “Mr. President, I don't mean to be rude, but I've been doing research on some of what I've been told. I found another FD who fits the description. Powerful, rich, and influential. In our government.”

  The president's eyes narrowed. “Thank you, Natalie. That's an angle we haven't looked at. Is that on your list of questions?”

  “It is, Mr. President. Along with some for Declercq that might allow you to distinguish between the two names.”

  Fritz hooked up London, then Washington, and moments later, the locals were on their way home. In the parking lot, Natalie asked Tony if he was going anywhere near her office. He said he would be glad to give her a lift. They arranged to meet Mary and Jim for a drink at midnight.

  * * *

  SHE WAS ON HER way to a fundraiser with two campaign donors. An accident ahead brought the limo to a stop. The car started to roll. Abruptly, the rear door opened, and a man wearing a kefiyyah and robe pulled her out. The barrel of a silenced pistol was aimed at her forehead.

  * * *

  GENERAL BEECH picked up his suit. They were meeting Declercq for drinks and dinner that evening. “What took so long?” Jane asked when he got back to the hotel.

  “The pants were too tight. They fixed them on the spot. I told them I needed it for tonight. They were very accommodating.”

  “Do you like it?”

  “For $6000, I'd better like it. Do you think I can get a tax write-off as a business expense?” He grinned. “Florian is sending a car for us at 5:15. I'll meet you in the lobby.”

  As Jane dressed, she wondered what her computer contained. When she returned to London from Riverboro, she had planned to nap for a couple of hours but was fooled by a comfortable bed. A call from the general had her up and running. Now, preparing for dinner, she couldn't read the computer and put on make-up at the same time. As she was doing her eyes, her phone rang.

  “Hello, Mr. President.”

  “Jane, you have to tell General Beech not to wear the suit to dinner. Tell him to wear his uniform.”

  “What's wrong?” she asked, tensing as she spoke.

  “Jane, your feelings are scary. These tailors aren't OUR bad guys, but they are bad guys. Tom called. The suit is bugged. Pants and jacket. Tell him someone is meeting you, and he needs his uniform to ID you both. Tell him I said so. Don't say anything about the bugs. In fact, write him a note, just in case. You're coming home tonight by portal. I'll call later with the details.”

  “Yes, sir. What about Declercq? He's taking us to dinner.”

  “He's coming with you. He doesn't know it yet. Colonel Mitchell will go through the portal to pick you up. I'll call you in about three hours.”

  Chapter 37

  FRITZ LOOKED up from his computer. “We keep finding more clues. I wish we could see where they lead.”

  “And even more people know. If Koppler even hinted about the portal, someone's going to put those pieces together. Frankly, at this point, I'm glad Mary's here.” Linda sighed. “I didn't tell you, I polished up the plan presentation. I'll hand it in next week. Then, it's just classes and finals.”

  “That's great. How soon do you want to open the store?”

  “No rush. Let's get this next month behind us. I'd like to go talk to Charlie in New York. Mostly to ask if he sees any big changes coming. To me, Bicycle Habitat is the Vatican of bikes.” She smiled at the thought. “I guess that makes him the Pontiff of Pedaling. I'll have to tell him.”

  * * *

  AT 2:30, THE president entered the hallway outside Fritz's classroom.

  Fritz asked, “What's in the box, Mr. President?”

  “Nothing yet. Superman couldn't see through it, though.”

  “For the suit?”

  The president nodded and told them to put it down. The clang resonated down the hallway. Both Mel and the colonel rubbed their shoulders. The president said he didn't know yet if Declercq was a friend, but he planned to find out. He wanted Declercq to send a note to Massoud and sign it FD. “If Declercq is FD, he'll know that we know. He'll want to leave so he can make contact. If there's another FD, then it may lead us to the rest.”

  “If we're right about the murders of the rich guys, the rest must be afraid,” Fritz said.

  “Whoever's at the top of their operation is ruthless.” The president checked his watch. “Fritz, get me to London.”

 
; * * *

  CONVERSATION AT DINNER had included the president's development plan, but also the attacks on the navy, the White House, and Camp David. They touched on the strange deaths of some of the world's wealthiest businessmen. The general hinted he thought they were all connected and that the plot was unraveling. Declercq absorbed the conversation with a poker face. When the general told him a visitor was coming to talk to them, Declercq yielded to curiosity.

  “Who, Jim?”

  “Not here. We should be leaving. He's on a tight schedule.”

  “I am getting the feeling you suspect me of being involved in the matters of which we have been speaking. Do you?” His voice rasped, enough to make Jane look. He noticed. “Jim, I'm not involved. I don't know what's going on, and I can't figure out what anybody, much less me, would have to gain from killing a bunch of wealthy men and attacking your government. And how do you know those are related?”

  “Florian, we may need your help. You knew Badenhof. And I'm sure you know about Hartmann and his boat. Shall we go?”

  Declercq looked at Jane. “Your smile has deserted you, Major. I think maybe you are not what you portray. You look too sharply.”

  “Mr. Declercq, we can discuss this elsewhere. But I am an Army major, and I work with General Beech every day. Perhaps you see things that aren't there. But you see these?” She pointed to her decorations. “They are real, and I earned them all.”

  * * *

  FROM A SHOP ON Savile Row, where their conversation was heard and recorded, a message immediately flew to an office in Abu Dhabi. What nobody in the shop or Abu Dhabi knew was that the Andrews kid's tinkering meant that it also went to a computer in Maryland.

  * * *

  SITTING BY THE window, the president glanced at Big Ben and Parliament and watched the traffic on the Thames. Colonel Mitchell sat across from him. His phone buzzed. “Mr. President, this is Tom Andrews. Declercq's suit is wired. A message just went to the Emirates.”