by Alex Cage
“And you talk about persuading me,” Black continued. “There’s no way I’m letting a man who can’t even manage his household persuade me, no matter what threats you throw my way—you’re not getting me killed. When it comes to me, we’re not doing things your way. We’re going to do things my way,” Black finished with confidence and boldness, staring hard into Toben’s eyes.
12.
“OKAY, I’LL BITE,” Toben said with a slight tremble in his voice. “So tell me, Black, how would you do things?”
“For starters, you’re going to stop treating me like a suspect. That means I go and do what I want, where I want, when I want, like any other law-abiding citizen,” Black said.
“I’m not sure what my superiors would think of that,” Toben replied with a nervous chuckle.
“Are you sure what they’d think of your son associating with terrorists?”
Toben sat quiet for a moment before saying, “You have information, and have witnessed things that can help our case. So we may need you around.”
“I plan on sticking around, but for my own reasons. Think of me as a… consultant for the DHS.”
“What?” Ashley blurted.
Toben took in a deep breath before exhaling, “Fine.”
“I don’t think that’s going to end well,” Ashley muttered.
“Now, Mr. DHS consultant,” Toben mocked, “you said you have one of the dirty guns. Let me have it.”
“I don’t have it on me.”
“Where is it?”
“In my car.”
“Your car? That’s still in Treasure Island?”
“Yep.”
“Well then,” Toben said, turning his attention to Ashley and Boyar. “Agent Chapp, Agent Boyar, head back to HQ, there’s a lot of work to do. Chapp, dig up as much as you can on this Johana. I wanna know everything. Boyar, check on the results of the image you sent to the graphic artist. I wanna get to know Mr. Ty. Also—when you have the information you need on those two—make sure you put out a BOLO on them and check if there are any activities for 324 near Fantastic Galaxy or Fantastic Universe. If they’re planning another attack, we need to know exactly where and when. Look into Reeves and Guo and see what you can find out. And run this through forensics.” Toben handed Ashley the evidence bag with the detonator in it. “One other thing: check into Stokes. I wanna know more about his past and his current team, but be careful, okay?”
“Sure thing, boss,” Ashley said, standing from the table. “Let’s go, Boyar.”
Boyar finished jotting in his notepad. “What are you going to do, Jake?” he asked, standing and dropping the notepad in his pocket.
“Black and I are taking a ride over to Treasure Island to retrieve the evidence that’s in his car.”
Black shrugged. I need a ride to my car anyway, he thought.
“Okay, be careful,” Ashley said to Toben before looking at Black and adding, “See you around, Black.”
Black responded with a half-nod.
Ashley and Boyar walked towards the door, dodging a few people and tables as they exited.
“Okay, Mr. Consultant, let’s take a little trip,” Toben said.
“Whatever,” Black replied, standing up and walking out of the restaurant with Toben following behind a few paces.
The two crossed the street and entered the unmarked car. Black sat in the front passenger seat and Toben behind the wheel. The first five minutes of the drive were silent. Toben was quiet, focusing on the road, and Black wasn’t one for small talk anyway. They had already said everything they needed to say, Black figured. The car coasted half a mile across the Oakland Bay Bridge before Toben broke through the silence.
“Black, I have a question.”
“Yep.”
“You said you saw Matt exit a car that kid Ty was driving. What kind of car was it?” Toben asked, eyes on the road.
“A blue Impala.”
Toben pursed his lips and exhaled sharply.
“So did I get it right?” Black asked.
Toben glanced at Black before facing the windshield again. “What do you mean?”
“Was it the same car you saw?”
Toben laughed.
“C’mon, Toben, I know you’re not just asking me. Your son was hanging out with this kid, so I’m almost certain you’ve seen the car before.”
Toben nodded. “You’re a smart guy, Black.”
Black smiled. “So I did answer right. Good.”
“Excuse me?”
“The fact that we saw the same car further corroborates my innocence.”
“I’ve already said I believe you’re innocent.”
“What about the other car?” Black asked.
“What other car?”
“The white Honda Accord. You were interested in knowing the model of the car, and your expression when I told you it was an Accord was telling. So where did you see that car?”
Toben looked at Black then back at the road before shaking his head. “I was… out and I noticed a white Honda Accord following me.”
Black shook his head, trying to make sense of it. “Any idea why two dirty cops would be following you?” he asked.
Toben’s lips moved, but he quickly flattened them and shook his head no, staring straight ahead.
Yeah right, Black thought to himself. “Look Toben, if you know something, you should let me know now. If I find out you’re in on this—whatever this is—”
“The only thing I can tell you is I think Reeves and Guo are working with Stokes,” Toben interrupted.
“The DIA guy?”
“Yep. I saw him talking to a man in a green pickup outside of HQ yesterday. The man had a black eye. The funny thing is, I saw that same man with another guy the night before when I was followed, and he didn’t have a black eye then. I assume the two men were Reeves and Guo, and the black eye came from you.”
“That’s where I saw him, Stokes. Yesterday when I was doing a little research, I ran across Guo’s social media profile. On his page was a picture of him with Reeves and Stokes.”
“What interest do they have in following us?”
“That’s the six-million-dollar question. We know they were after me because of the bombing at Fisherman’s Wharf and maybe I witnessed something they didn’t want me to. I’m thinking they followed you because of your involvement in the investigation. It all seems to point back to these bombings.”
Toben gave Black a quick glance. “I think you’re right,” he said, “but I still don’t understand why Stokes is working with cops.”
“Dirty cops,” Black corrected. “But Stokes already had a certain amount of intel before coming into this situation. Hopefully we’ll have more after Chapp and Boyar do some digging into his background.”
Toben nodded, looking out to the road.
“You mentioned Stokes was brought into the investigation from up the chain. Who brought him in?”
“My direct supervisor. I’m guessing she got the order from her immediate supervisor.”
“Yeah, maybe.”
“I just want to find these two kids before anyone else gets hurt,” Toben commented, leaning into the turn for the Treasure Island exit.
“Me too.”
Toben jerked his head back slightly in surprise. “You’re actually interested in helping catch them,” he said, looking at Black.
“It’s the best play. I mean, I could go find Stokes, Reeves, and Guo, and make them tell me what’s going on, but, although they’re dirty, it wouldn’t go well considering they’re still law enforcement. More than likely I’d have the law after me. On the other hand, going after the bombers will be easier because law enforcement is already after them. Once I find them, it shouldn’t be difficult to get info and find out exactly what’s going on.”
Toben glanced sharply at Black before placing his eyes back on the road.
They drove another three minutes before pulling into the side parking lot of the Administration Building and stopp
ing next to Black’s car. The two stepped out of the unmarked car into the mid-morning sun. The sound of seagulls squawking, waves crashing, and wind blowing swept across Black’s ears as he walked towards his car. He unlocked the passenger side door, noticing a couple of vans and a few unmarked Crown Vics behind the barbed wire fence which surrounded the warehouse. Black reached into his glove compartment, removed the gun he had taken from Guo, and walked to Toben, who was waiting at his own car with an evidence bag in hand.
Black rested the gun inside the bag. “Your people?” he asked, pointing his thumb in the direction of the warehouse.
“No, that would be the FBI and ATF,” Toben said, placing the evidence bag into his car before closing the door and continuing. “Since Petrak was caught with the guns and explosive agent, all of his businesses and homes will more than likely be raided.”
“It’d be nice to get in there.”
“You were in there last night.”
“I wasn’t exactly given a tour of the place. There’s probably more in there that can help us find these two bombers before they can execute their next attack,” Black said, turning towards the warehouse.
“How’d you get in there anyway? You didn’t really say.”
Black looked over his shoulder. “You think you can get us in there?” he redirected.
“Ah—I’m sure I could.”
They both hopped into Toben’s car and made the two-minute drive to the warehouse building. They pulled up to the guardhouse at the front of the driveway and a man wearing an FBI vest stepped out.
Toben looked at Black. “I know him,” he said, rolling down his window as the man approached.
“Toben,” the man greeted him. “What brings you here?”
“Hi, Peterson. Hoping to take a look around for the case I’m working.”
“Yeah sure, no problem. Who’s this with you?” Peterson asked, looking at his companion.
“Orlando Black—” Black said.
“He’s a consultant for the DHS,” Toben quickly chimed in.
“Oh, well, you guys can drive down and see if you can find a place to park. You can enter in the front near the roundabout. Someone will open the gate for you.”
“Thanks, Peterson,” Toben said, rolling up the window.
“Sure thing,” Peterson acknowledged, walking back towards the guardhouse.
They drove up the driveway and parked off to the side before exiting the car and walking to the warehouse entrance. Toben flashed his ID badge to an agent at the gate, who then slid the gate open.
“Just knock on the door,” the agent instructed.
Black and Toben passed through the gate and walked to the front door of the warehouse. Toben struck the door with the back of his knuckles three times. The sound of footsteps approached from the other side before the door clicked unlocked and clanked open, exposing another agent behind it.
Toben showed the agent his badge. “Agent Toben with DH—” he started.
“I know, Peterson radioed me,” the agent said, raising his walkie-talkie. “Come on in.”
The agent led them through a plastic vinyl strip curtain doorway and onto the floor of the warehouse, where they were met with cold air and the smell of sea life. “Welcome to the party,” he said before walking off. There were maybe nine agents on the floor. They all either were looking through boxes, running around, writing something down, or talking, all wearing vest or coats marked either FBI or ATF.
“What a madhouse,” Toben commented.
“Yep, I guess you guys have been after Petrak for some time now,” Black replied.
“Yes, we have. Now where should we start?” Toben sighed, looking around the warehouse. “Where did you find the sauce?”
“That’s where you want to start?”
“Yep.”
“Back there,” Black said, pointing to the doorway at the back.
The two strolled across the busy floor and whipped through the vinyl strip curtain. Three agents were in the back room going through containers.
“I found them in that freezer there,” Black said, jabbing his thumb in that direction.
“Okay then,” Toben said, walking in the direction of the freezer. Black followed behind him. The freezer door was already slightly open, and Toben pulled it the rest of the way. They stepped inside the noisy, cold, smoky, empty freezer.
Toben hunched his shoulders. “There’s nothing here, Black.”
“I can see that. These agents probably removed everything for examination,” Black said, walking back out of the freezer.
Toben trailed behind before stepping around him and walking over to one of the agents. “Excuse me. Do you know where the content from this freezer is?” he asked.
“Yes, sir,” the agent answered, “it’s all right here.” He pointed at bins, crates, and boxes gathered on the floor.
“Did you guys find anything?” Toben asked.
“A few Glock 19s with no serial number and packaged fish.”
“That’s it?”
“That’s it.”
“Okay, thank you,” Toben ended the conversation.
By then Black was making his way back to the main floor of the warehouse.
Toben caught up to him. “Where you headed, Black?” he asked.
“To the side of the warehouse I didn’t have a chance to check out,” Black replied. “We don’t have a lot of time to waste.”
“I know, I just wanted—”
“You just wanted to confirm my story. Although you believe me, you want to cover all your bases, right?”
Toben didn’t answer.
“But anyway, what the agent said was in the freezer further substantiates my story,” Black said, walking through the main area and making a right down a hall. Toben dragged behind. There were restrooms down the hall, one on either side. Further up was an office on the right and a conference room on the left, both with glass windows. Near the end of the hall was a door to a room on the left, and at the very end of the hall another vinyl-curtained doorway. Black and Toben passed through the doorway and into a room with another large commercial walk-in freezer. There was a heavyset agent in the room, standing at a workbench, removing small blocks from a box and placing them on the workbench.
He noticed Black and Toben entering and walked over to them. “Can I help you?” he said.
Toben flashed his badge. “Agent Jake Toben with the DHS,” he said, shaking the man’s thick hand, “and this is Orlando Black, a… consultant for the DHS.”
Black shook the agent’s hand.
“We have reason to believe weapons from this facility were used in a case the DHS is currently investigating. Can you tell me what you’ve found so far here?” Toben asked.
“Sure thing,” the heavyset guy said, walking back to the workbench. “We found these blocks of plastic explosives here. There’s a couple more boxes over there.” He pointed to a stack of boxes near the freezer. “Other than that, we didn’t find much else.”
“Is that all you found?” Black asked.
The man paused for a second with a look that read, Don’t ask me, I only work here, before saying, “Oh yeah, there was this.” He placed his hand palm down on the workbench for leverage and picked up a bin from the floor. Reaching inside, he removed a device. It was a device that both Black and Toben had seen before—the same type of remote detonator Black had recovered from Ty.
Black and Toben exchanged glances.
“Okay, thank you,” Toben said to the agent.
“No problem.”
Black and Toben returned through the doorway and into the hall, Toben first. Black stopped at the door on his right. Toben continued six steps down the hall before stopping and peering over his shoulder.
“Black, are you coming?” he asked.
“I’m curious to know what’s in here,” Black replied, pointing his thumb towards the office door.
“Okay,” Toben said, shrugging his shoulders.
Black turned the k
nob and pushed the door open. Behind the door was an office. To the far right was a desk with binders and folders scattered over it. File cabinets stood at both ends of the desk.
Black crackled across the worn carpeted floor towards the desk. “Doesn’t look like this room has been searched yet,” he remarked, shifting some folders around on the desk.
“No, it doesn’t,” Toben added, as he walked to a file cabinet that was in the corner near the desk and slid the top drawer open.
Black opened one of the binders on the desk and found documentation titled Employee Contact Details. He flipped through the first page and nothing of interest caught his attention, then the second and third pages—just a bunch of words talking about employee-related policies and confidentiality. It was on the fourth page where things began to interest him. Black looked up at the sound of Toben slamming the top file cabinet drawer.
“You okay?”
“Yeah, I didn’t realize how easy these drawers slid, sorry.”
Black shook his head and continued reading the content of the binder. He saw a list of names with phone numbers and addresses next to them. It was a short list of about eighteen names. One particular name caught Black’s attention: Johana Howard. Before he could react to what he had found, the office door opened and the heavyset agent stepped inside.
“Sorry, fellas, but this room hasn’t been processed yet. You’ll have to wait until after we do our initial search,” he said, standing at the door.
Toben had a file drawer cracked open. “Sure thing,” he said, pushing the drawer closed and walking towards the door.
Black quickly memorized the phone number and address for Johana Howard. “No problem,” he agreed, closing the binder and following Toben into the hall. They walked to the main floor of the warehouse, out the front door, and to Toben’s car.
“Well, at least we now know where they got the detonators from. There wasn’t too much more to see other than that, though,” Toben commented, opening the car door.
“Yeah, maybe,” Black responded, reaching for the door handle on his side.
Toben looked at Black over the roof of the car. “What? Did you find something, Black?” he asked. He leaned over and rested his folded hands on the roof, waiting for an answer.
