Upon A Pale Horse (Bio-Thriller)

by Russell Blake

  “One a.m., not to put too fine a point on it.”

  “No better time, then, huh? Hey, it’s your dime. Shoot.”

  Jeffrey spent the next five minutes grilling Jakes on counter-surveillance, how to best evade tracking devices, how to move around without leaving a trail. By the time the investigator finished responding, neither man felt particularly talkative.

  “I’ll be back in a few days, Jakes. I appreciate this. I’ll settle up once I return,” Jeffrey assured Jakes, fatigue setting over him like a blanket.

  “Yeah. You do that. And some words of advice – the kind of book you’re thinking of writing? The heroes usually wind up dead in the real world. So you’ll want to keep the protagonist out of too much danger, or it could go badly for him.”

  “Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind.”

  Jeffrey hung up, Jakes’ words clamoring in his skull like an anvil chorus. He turned from the phones and walked slowly to the stairwell, preferring not to wait for the elevator in full view of the lobby, just in case anyone was checking – his whole perspective now changed, on alert for signs he might have missed until talking to Jakes. The man obviously knew his craft, which made Jeffrey feel even worse. What chance did he have against professionals of at least that caliber?

  He barely made it to the second floor and staggered to the elevators, winded, his breathing raspy and uneven as he waited for a car to arrive. He’d pushed it too far, and he would be lucky if he didn’t collapse while trying to slink back to his wing. It had been a stupid decision, but it was too late now, and when the elevator arrived he stepped in gratefully and leaned against the side wall.

  The nurse was away on rounds when he returned to his floor, and moments later he was back in his room and stripping off his clothes, anxious to be asleep when she next came to check on him. He pulled on the thin gown and hung up his pants and shirt, taking care to make them look untouched, and it was all he could do to get to the bed before his knees buckled and he slumped onto the thin mattress, his nocturnal adventure and the realization that he was completely and absolutely alone in the world having drained him of his slim remaining energy.

  THIRTY-ONE

  An Extension

  The following morning a different doctor entered after a perfunctory knock and approached Jeffrey’s bedside, a vocational look of concern on his face.

  “Good morning, Mr. Rutherford. Und how are you feeling today?” he asked, his accent thicker than the other physician, but still understandable, his English serviceable if rough around the edges.

  “Better. But my head still hurts.”

  “Yes, I’m sure it does. That will probably last for several days, but it’s all part of the healing process. Nothing to worry about. I’m Dr. Ostenberg, and I’m going to do a little examination on you, make sure you’re coming along, yes?”

  Jeffrey nodded and immediately regretted it, the stab of pain causing him to wince. The doctor eyed him, and then began a neurological exam that lasted five minutes and involved tapping, prodding, and squeezing. When he was done, he stepped back from the bed and regarded Jeffrey, making notes on his clipboard between glances.

  “Vell, there is no nerve damage I can detect, so it is just a matter of time. I can keep you in for observation for another day, but honestly at this point you would be just as well served at your hotel, provided you stay in bed. I would caution you not to engage in any strenuous activity for a week, at least, and to avoid flying, alcohol, aspirin, or doing anything that would put strain on your system. Beyond that, there’s nothing we can do that time won’t do by itself.”

  “I feel much better.”

  “Good. You still need to give the police a statement, but that shouldn’t take too long. They can be here within an hour of when I alert them. Do you think you’ll be up for it a little later? Maybe after breakfast?”

  “Fine. I’d just like to get this over with so I can be discharged.”

  “I’ll give them the word, and file the necessary documents so you can be released by noon.”

  The doctor droned on for a while longer, but Jeffrey was already thinking through his next move and hardly listening. He’d already heard the important part – he would be free of the hospital by lunchtime and could begin taking the steps that would move him out of harm’s way.

  The police were polite and largely uninterested in his limited recollection, which amounted to seeing and hearing nothing before waking up in the hospital, and obligingly returned his things to him in exchange for his signature in triplicate. Once they left, a hospital bureaucrat stopped in and had him sign a stack of releases and insurance forms, clucking and nodding with each chicken scratch, everything orderly and accounted for, his episode just another income-producing event for the healthcare machine.

  By the time he was free to go, he actually felt as though he would be able to make it to the hotel before throwing up. His unsteadiness proved to him that he would definitely need more rest, but he intended to use the downtime to chart out a plan, so when he made his clandestine moves, he could do so efficiently and with complete deniability. That would be the hardest part – he’d need to appear to be taking time to convalesce while in fact traveling to his targets and unraveling the puzzle he’d been stuck with.

  The only positives he could see were that his pursuers couldn’t possibly know whom he was going to try to see, nor what he had in his head. His miraculous memory wasn’t an open secret – he’d only shared his gift with a few people, his brother among them, and anyone who knew or cared was now dead.

  That didn’t seem like a big edge from where he stood, but it was the way the cards had been dealt, so he had to make the most of whatever he could get.

  At noon on the dot his doctor made a final appearance and wished him well. A sternly efficient nurse escorted him to the emergency room entrance in a wheelchair, where a taxi was waiting. He gave the driver the name of his hotel and climbed into the back seat, already feeling stronger than just a few hours earlier. As the car pulled away, Jeffrey watched in the side mirror for any other vehicles moving into traffic behind them, but then gave up when his head protested the strain. He’d have to balance his desire to learn tradecraft with the physical limitations resulting from having his brain batted around like a tennis ball.

  Once back in the hotel room he pulled the drapes closed and opened the safe, verifying his gold and cash were still there. Jakes had given him a good idea about how to deal with the watch, and he planned to follow through with it tomorrow, once he was feeling better. Even though he had the sense of a clock relentlessly ticking down on an unknown deadline, there was no point in pushing himself and winding up back in the hospital – or worse yet, further damaging his gray matter, now the sole repository of the information his brother had died to safeguard.

  Part of him wanted to go down to the business center and start researching the best way to get out of Switzerland and into the EU; once in, if he picked his crossing points with care, he would be able to travel without any restrictions or having to have his passport logged. He wasn’t sure how the scanning system worked, but his guess was that the information was collected in some sort of central archival system, which he intuited could be breached and his whereabouts tracked, pinpointing his location. But much as he yearned to begin fact-checking, he forced himself to climb into bed and close his eyes. There would be plenty of time tomorrow, and he’d be making several difficult calls that evening he wanted to be sharp for.

  Monica’s betrayal was still fresh, but he couldn’t confront her. She was undoubtedly working for the same group that had arranged for his new job – likely told to get as close to him as possible and earn his trust, so that if he knew anything or became alarmed he would confide in her. It was a good strategy. On more than one occasion he’d been sorely tempted to talk to her, but his natural instincts bred from being an attorney had stopped him – as had the recurring vision of his brother plummeting to his death.

  But now he knew of Monica’s at
tempted infiltration, and he could use that to his advantage. He’d already begun to concoct a story that would explain his forthcoming travel into France: He wanted a second opinion and had heard that the Parisian hospitals were cutting edge for head injuries. Given that his records would show that he had been both barred from flying for a week and released while still experiencing discomfort and nausea, it would make sense that he would want to ensure that he’d gotten a complete diagnosis. And he would even take it as far as getting a referral for a French neurologist and seeing him while in Paris.

  As to the rest – getting into Germany and Italy, figuring how to convince the Nazi to answer his questions, and gaining an audience with the Italian professor – he still hadn’t completely fine-tuned a plan. But he would. And it would have to be airtight, with no room for error.

  Because if he’d had any doubt that the conflict he was involved in was real, the attack outside the bank had resolved the matter. He was in a deadly game, and the first wrong move would be his last.

  Of that, he was convinced.

  Jeffrey shut his eyes with a sigh, and after a few seconds drifted into uneasy sleep, his dreams troubling: He was being chased down a dark cobblestone street by several armed figures, and they were gaining on him.

  He awoke after what seemed like seconds, his shirt soaked with sweat in spite of the cool room temperature. He struggled to identify where he was, and then remembered – Zurich, the hotel, the assault. His headache returned as if to remind him, and he squinted in the dim light at the luminescent hands of his watch. He’d been out for six hours.

  The bedside lamp illuminated with a click, and he waited while his eyes adjusted and then sat up, taking his time, wanting to avoid jarring his head any more than necessary. He slowly stood and shuffled to the bathroom, and after debating the wisdom of doing so and seeing no reason not to, removed his clothes and took a quick shower, avoiding getting his head wet. His stomach protested his having skipped lunch, and as he dried off he considered going downstairs to the restaurant, but opted for room service.

  Dinner arrived forty-five minutes later, and he took his time with the excellent steak, savoring each bite as if he’d never tasted meat before. Finished, he pushed the tray away and eyed his cell phone distrustfully, then picked it up and powered it on. He couldn’t put off the calls any longer, and dialed his office first.

  His secretary answered, and he explained the situation and said he would be following up with an email the next day. None of the partners were available, but she promised to leave a message with them detailing his misadventure and warning that he’d be out for a week. When he hung up he was confident that there had been no suspicion in her voice, and he wondered if she’d already been informed of his incident and was just playing along, then decided it was improbable. Not everyone was likely to be some kind of covert operative spying on him – she was probably what she appeared to be: a harried, overworked woman doing the best she could in a thankless job.

  The next call was harder. Monica answered on the second ring, her voice melodious as ever, no trace of guile or subterfuge. For an instant his conviction faltered, and then he forced himself to recall Jakes’ disclosure, which snapped him back on track.

  “Jeff! How’s Switzerland? Did you get my chocolate yet?” she asked, and Jeffrey bit back the angry response that was fighting to get out.

  “Switzerland kind of sucks.”

  “What? Why? Is it that cold?”

  “It’s not the weather. No, I was at the bank yesterday and I got mugged. I spent the night and most of today in the hospital.”

  “Mugged? Oh my God…are you okay? Why were you in the hospital? How badly hurt are you?”

  “I’m…I’m doing better. I took a hit to the head. Knocked me out, and the doctors said I have a pretty nasty concussion.”

  “A concussion? Are you sure you’re all right? That sounds serious,” she said, her voice all frightened concern. Jeffrey made a mental note to never forget what an accomplished actress she was. It was an Academy Award performance, no doubt.

  “I’m okay. Not great. But the doctor told me I have to take it easy for a week. No flying, nothing stressful. Basically that I should veg out.”

  “So you’re staying there for a whole week?”

  “I don’t really have much choice. But I’m...I don’t know, I didn’t get that great a feeling from the doc. Like I was just one of many he was dealing with, you know? And my head is still splitting.”

  “I think you should go back in, then. It could be something more serious. Something going wrong after the fact...”

  “No, they did a brain scan and there’s no subdural hematoma or anything like that. I don’t think I’m going to wake up and be paralyzed or anything. But I’m seriously thinking about getting a second opinion.”

  “Then do it. Don’t take any chances with your health, darling.”

  Darling. Jeffrey controlled his gag response, bitter bile rising in his throat, a pain in his stomach flaring like a wild animal trying to tear its way out.

  “I…you’re right, of course. Listen, I’m fading pretty fast. I need to hit it. I’ll call again when I’m more alert…” he said, the tightness in his voice explained away.

  “I miss you, honey. Let me know if you need me to do anything while you’re down for the count. I wish I could fly over there and take care of you. Maybe I should try to get a week off and do that?”

  That stopped him, and he quickly pulled out of his pity party and grew more alert. He couldn’t have her come to Europe. That would ruin everything, and he didn’t think he could maintain the farce in person. She might be a complete sociopath with stellar acting skills, but he wasn’t, and he’d never be able to make it fly.

  “No need. It’s only a few days more than I was planning to stay anyway. And if I get a second opinion, I’ll be busy with doctors. Besides, I was told to rest, and not to exert myself. I don’t think it would be good for my health if you were here – there’s no way I would be able to keep away from you.”

  She seemed to hesitate. “You’ll let me know how you’re doing? Call me tomorrow, promise? I’m so worried now…”

  “I will. I’ll call you as soon as I’m up and around.”

  When he terminated the call, he felt like he needed another shower to wash off the coating of lies and betrayal. Any warmth he’d felt, the last holdout to logic, was gone. She was playing him, and had been, all along. Her concern was purely manufactured, professional, as artificial as a linen rose. Everything they’d had was a charade – it had never existed, and was all an act designed for the gullible consumption of an audience of one. He felt like such an idiot. It was so obvious now, the hollow insincerity in every word as plain to see as a searchlight stabbing through the night.

  Jeffrey powered the phone off and cursed silently under his breath.

  She’d taken him for a fool. They all had. The bumbling idiot, a peacock, puffed up with self-importance that had been contrived to lure him into a trap, where a black widow with breathtaking eyes and a body crafted by demons lay in wait.

  For no reason apparent to Jeffrey, a vision of Kaycee flitted across his mind. She might have threatened him with a shotgun, but at least no one else had put her up to it.

  Sleep was a long time coming, his simmering anger fueling his restlessness, and it was several hours before he finally began snoring, his dozing fitful and unsatisfying, the night a poor refuge for him now that he knew the harsh truth.

  THIRTY-TWO

  Shaking the Tail

  Saturday, Jeffrey’s first stop was at one of Zurich’s many jewelry stores, where he traded his Rolex in a terrible deal for a Hublot on a black rubber strap that cost him his brother’s watch plus seven thousand dollars on his American Express card. Which was exactly as he wanted it – a foolish purchase for a bauble; where his surveillance committee would readily believe he’d gotten screwed by the store.

  Jeffrey had decided there was a better than good chance th
at a tracking device had been inserted into the Rolex while it had been ostensibly sitting securely in the condo safe, and he wanted to take no chances. But he couldn’t just ‘forget’ the watch along with his phone, so he needed a bit of theater to explain its disappearance. He’d already set the stage for going to Paris, so now the only thing left was to dump his phone – which he would do once in France, so it didn’t look like he was shedding his belongings all at once. For now, he’d left it at the hotel, continuing the pattern of absentmindedness he’d been cultivating.

  He found a quiet internet café near the university, logged onto a travel site, and plotted the best way to get to Frankfurt from Paris. There were numerous options, but several mentioned cursory border security in the comments, and those were the ones that drew his interest. His plan was for the trail to end in France, and for any watchers to believe that he was still the clueless young attorney seeking out additional medical attention there.

  Which brought him to neurologists. There were any number of prominent ones serving the city, and he selected two, memorizing their numbers and addresses so he could make calls later from his cell. Even with a damaged brain, he was beginning to get the hang of leading a double life – a life that Monica had to have been living for some time.

  He brushed aside the rising anger and concentrated on his errands, the last of which was to research the Italian. Within three minutes he’d read the latest article bemoaning the great man’s untimely demise – only a day after Keith’s plane had gone down. Another thread, another coincidence, another corpse. He sat back, thoughts whirling chaotically, outwardly calm but near panicked inside.

  Jeffrey finished his surfing, wiped his browsing history, and restarted the machine before rising and paying the stern woman behind the counter, who took the money and didn’t tender any change. When he walked out he was struck by a small bout of nausea and dizziness, and had to lean against the building to steady himself. He took the opportunity to scan the street, but didn’t see anything suspicious – which didn’t surprise him. Jeffrey wasn’t confident that his unskilled eye would detect experienced operatives, but he figured it was never too early to try – that had been one of Jakes’ bits of wisdom. Apparently spying was like anything else, and he would only improve with practice. Jakes had also pointed out that if he was a pathological liar it would help, and had joked that being attorney might be close enough to give him a leg up.