Off Chance: A clean action adventure novella

by Glen Robins

  Chapter Twenty

  National Security Agency Headquarters—Fort Meade, Maryland

  Seven Years After Graduation From MIT

  The stories were piling up. Nothing was one hundred percent conclusive, but Lukas had collected the details and researched the evidence of nine separate families or individuals who won large settlements. Each had a connection to a similar type company—an offshore insurer who provided secondary coverage for small-to-medium sized insurance companies. Each story ended with a tragedy. In some cases, those who received the claim money got ripped off, like Joel Houghton. Others were swindled into buying land or investment property or shares in fictious gold mines or oil wells. The most extreme cases involved a mysterious accident that killed the settlement recipient who, as it turned out, had had their bank accounts electronically plundered before the coroner’s report had even been typed. On two such occasions, millions of dollars had vanished in a puff of cyber smoke.

  Lukas’s natural curiosity led him to investigate and ask questions. Thoughts of Theresa fueled his drive and kept him going, even when it seemed that Penh was fading further into the shadows, camouflaged in an electronic web not so unlike a stargazer fish at the bottom of the sea that disappears from sight as it buries itself in the sand. Like the stargazer fish, Penh was still there, lurking. He was more dangerous now because he was nearly impossible to find.

  Lukas devised an algorithm to hunt down stories with similar elements and kept a log of the different tactics, approaches, and IP addresses used by the perpetrators in each of these cases. He knew Penh was clever and devious and determined not to get caught. He also knew his nemesis was human and would, at some point, make a critical mistake. When he did, Lukas wanted to be there to snare him in a trap of his own construction. He wanted Penh to pay for the pain he had inflicted on so many people and the havoc he had wreaked in so many lives, including his own. Justice, not revenge, was his primary goal and number one motivator.

  There were no ordinary days in Lukas’s life, but this particular Monday was unlike any other day. It started like most, however, with a brutal early morning physical therapy session. It took constant work to prevent his knee from stiffening and losing all strength. After his routine, a shower, breakfast, and a short drive to work.

  As he entered the NSA headquarters building that morning, all semblance of normality flew out the window when saw George Mahoney, the Section Chief from Boston whom he hadn’t seen for a couple of years, but with whom he maintained regular contact, standing next to the security desk. Mahoney’s face was somber, which was not unusual. He met Lukas near the door and said, “We need to talk.”

  Lukas instantly felt his stomach drop. Mahoney had bad news.

  Georgia, the gal behind the security desk, smiled and said, “Good morning, Mr. Harris,” in her usual cheery way.

  Lukas, whose new identity was Mark Harris, didn’t often see people outside of his immediate circle of colleagues. He didn’t socialize much, partly due to his need to keep a lowkey existence and partly because of his laser focus on catching Penh. He forced a half-smile and gave Georgia a sideways nod as if to say, “thank you but I’ve got to deal with this guy.” Mahoney’s presence threw him off kilter, raising a hundred questions in his mind as they traversed the tiled foyer to the bank of elevators.

  Mahoney said nothing as they rode to the third floor. He remained silent as they passed the section of cubicles where Lukas’s team sat huddled, sipping coffee, and waiting for their leader to arrive and begin the customary quarterbacking session to kickstart the day. Lukas waved at them as he walked to the end of the hall and into his office.

  Once the door was closed, Mahoney started in. “I take it you haven’t seen the news about your friend, Collin Cook.”

  Lukas cocked his head, eyes and mouth open wide. No words came out at first. He swallowed hard. “No. What’s happened? Is Collin all right?”

  “He’s all right. Well, not quite, but he’s alive and expected to recover just fine. His wife and three children were killed in an automobile accident late yesterday afternoon. He took the news pretty hard. Apparently, he was on the phone with them when it happened. Heard the whole thing, fainted, and hit his head on the coffee table. A CHP officer found him there in a pool of his own blood.”

  “Oh, no. I’ve got to—”

  “Don’t even think about it, Lukas,” interrupted Mahoney. “He thinks you’re dead, remember? Besides, that girlfriend of his was contacted by the Highway Patrol because she was the most recent contact in his phone, other than his wife.”

  “Girlfriend? What are you talking about? He was happily married and is not the type to step out.”

  “Maybe, maybe not. It appears he had had plenty of recent contact with that doctor friend of yours from high school. The one he went to Prom with.”

  “You mean Emily? Last I knew, they weren’t even on speaking terms.”

  “Yeah, well, she was, and they were speaking.”

  Lukas furrowed his brow and gave Mahoney a hard stare. “You didn’t come down here from Boston just to share this bad news. You’ve got something else to tell me, don’t you?” His hands were on his hips and both index fingers drummed on his belt. “This probably has something to do with Penh, since that’s our common link. You must think Penh is somehow involved in this.” Lukas paused and his eyes grew wide as the thought struck him. “Did he have something to do with the accident? Please tell me he didn’t kill them.”

  “No, nothing quite that bad. But I want you to keep an eye on things. It just so happens that the insurance company that covers the big rig that slammed into the Cook’s minivan is insured by a local carrier who has a secondary protection policy through one of Penh’s offshore companies. I’m telling you this because of the case files we’ve been working on. If there’s a payout to your friend, there’s a good chance he gets targeted like the others.”

  “I can’t let that happen.” Lukas’s jaw muscles flexed as the anger rose.

  “You can’t control what Penh does, but you can be ready to take action to both protect Cook and get Penh. We obviously don’t know what’s going to happen, but we can be ready just in case something does.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  National Security Agency Headquarters—Fort Meade, Maryland

  Seven and a half Years After Graduation From MIT

  For the weeks and months that followed his surprise meeting with Mahoney, Lukas worked harder and with more purpose than ever. Along with his normal duties helping to protect America’s computer network infrastructure from attacks both foreign and domestic, he kept a close eye on the goings-on with his dear friend, Collin Cook, and his legal case against the construction company that owned and operated the rock-hauling big rig whose brakes failed, leading to its careening out of control and flattening the minivan that carried Collin Cook’s family home from Lake Tahoe.

  Behind the scenes, Lukas had pulled some strings to ensure that a lawyer who was known to help keep the NSA up-to-speed with certain sensitive cases was selected to represent Collin and his interests in the litigation that followed the accident. Making that happen, however, required his breaking protocol and getting Rob Howell, the third member of Edison High’s “perfect trio,” involved. Lukas needed Rob to intervene and persuade Collin to hire a lawyer, something he was loathe to do, and to pick the one most likely to produce a successful result. Lukas trusted Rob and knew Collin did, too. Rob would never betray the trust Lukas placed in him. Collin, down and depressed as he was, would naturally lean on Rob’s analytical approach and follow his lead.

  Lukas knew the approach had to be done properly. Rob Howell was a busy man. His career as a venture capitalist and financial wizard was on fire. He was in high demand and would rebuff a random request for his time from an unknown source. Lukas had to make him comfortable but curious; needed but not hounded.

  Five months after the accident, Lukas sent Rob a FedEx envelope with a handwritten note that said, “Pleas
e meet me in Room 26114 of JW Marriott Essex House at 10:45 pm tonight. Don’t get the wrong idea, mister. This is not a sexual solicitation. Collin Cook needs your help.”

  Using the word “mister,” Lukas knew, would trigger a response in Rob. That was a word Lukas commonly used back in high school. Perhaps that amount of foreshadowing would take the edge off of Rob’s shock when he saw Lukas and realized he was not as dead as had been reported.

  The night of the arranged meeting, Lukas couldn’t help but feel a twinge of anxiety. How would Rob handle the news? Would he believe that Collin was in trouble? Would he be ready and able to help without blowing cover and exposing both Lukas and the NSA’s dragnet to snag Penh? Lukas was bending the rules and he knew it. But his over-arching mission was do bring down Penh. The easier path would be to later ask forgiveness rather than permission in advance.

  The reality of reuniting with a friend he loved like a brother made it hard for Lukas to sleep or work for the two days leading up to their reunion. He couldn’t focus on the cases on his desk, so he delegated more than he had ever done and left the office early to make the trip to New York.

  Although Rob Howell still technically lived in a swank condo in Marina Del Rey, near the Los Angeles Airport, he spent nearly half his time in New York doing business. Lukas simply picked a day he knew Rob would be there and selected a time in the middle of the week that would not interfere with his business affairs.

  A shift of scenery would be good for Lukas since he rarely ventured away from the office on Fort Meade or his well-appointed home in Elkridge, Maryland. Taking a trip up north was a welcome change of pace. However, such a venture required some tactical planning in order to minimize any chance of being detected or followed. The possibility was slim, but ever-present. He chose, therefore, to drive instead of taking the train, opting for a rental car instead of his late model Audi.

  He arrived at the hotel in Manhattan just after four o’clock in the afternoon and decided to workout first, then go for a swim. He ate a late dinner—the finest hamburger room service offered, complete with steak fries and salad. Then he waited for 10:45 to roll around. Every minute felt like an hour as the anticipation built. Would Rob accept his explanation for faking his death? Would they be able to pick up where they left off in terms of the trust and the bond? How difficult would it be to recruit Rob for the mission to help save Collin from Pho Nam Penh? Would career concerns derail Rob from taking the time to insert himself into the equation? The questions swirled as the minutes crawled by.

  Lukas was staring out the window at Central Park below, watching cars navigate through Columbus Circle when the knock came at his door. He hobbled across the room, his leg feeling stiff from the car ride and the workout, but his spirit soaring at the prospect of this long-awaited reunion.

  He threw open the door and stretched his arms wide open, dangling his cane in his left hand. Watching Rob’s jaw drop open was one of those classic moments that Lukas would love to have had on video. Rob stood there, dumbfounded, staring at Lukas for a protracted moment. It seemed like forever, but in reality, was less than five seconds. Lukas moved in, pulled Rob into his grasp, and wrapped him up in an Austrian bear hug. Rob reciprocated. When the hug ended, both had tears in their eyes.

  “Now get in here before you get me in trouble,” said Lukas in a loud whisper. “I’m supposed to be dead, remember?”

  Lukas could count on one hand the number of times he had seen Rob Howell speechless. This moment was priceless on so many levels, including the amount of time it took for him to recover.

  “Never in a million years …” Rob stammered, unable to complete the thought. As he moved passed Lukas, he stopped and pulled him in for another hug and slapped his hand on Lukas’s back over and over. “Damn, it’s great to see you.” Releasing him, Rob sized Lukas up and down. “Never seen a zombie look quite as dapper as you’re looking right now.”

  “Yeah, not bad, I guess.” Lukas surveyed his apparel. His wool-blend slacks, leather shoes, and tailored baby blue shirt were complemented nicely by the Tag Heuer watch showing from under the turned-up sleeve. “Now that you mention it, I feel pretty good, too, all things considered.”

  Lukas’s room had a small sitting area, just large enough to fit two reading chairs and a lamp. They convened there and spent the next hour catching up and sharing stories from the past few years of their lives. When the conversation turned to Collin’s situation, both men grew somber.

  “Yeah,” said Rob. “It sucks. He was just getting things together in his career. He had a job that he didn’t hate too much, was starting to make some money and get caught up. Then this happens. He’s devastated. So much so that he sometimes cuts our phone calls short.”

  “But you still have a solid connection it sounds like.”

  “Yeah. He’ll take my calls. He won’t talk much. That’s why I know he’s hurting. I really have to work at it to get him to say anything about anything, let alone to talk about how he’s feeling.” Rob stopped and looked Lukas in the eye. “Your note said something about helping Collin. What did you have in mind?”

  “I don’t know how else to say this, so I’ll get to the point. Collin could be heading for some serious trouble. It’s dangerous, and I’ll tell you why.” Lukas proceeded to lay out the entire scenario for Rob, including his history with Pho Nam Penh, including Harold Fung’s mysterious disappearance and Theresa’s murder. Then he described in detail the nine documented cases where settlement recipients met tragedy of one type or another.

  Rob was sitting forward the whole time, listening intently. When Lukas ended his narrative, he said, “I’ll do whatever it takes to help him. You know that. You’d do the same—are doing the same, I guess. I know you, and I know you have a plan, so let’s hear it.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  JW Marriott Essex House Hotel, New York City, New York

  Seven and a half Years After Graduation From MIT

  Lukas spent forty-five minutes outlining his plan and answering Rob’s questions about it. Rob offered his full cooperation and resources. “I was planning to be back in LA at the end of the week, but this idea of yours changes everything. So, I think I’ll go to the Bay Area and pay Collin a visit and see about getting him in touch with this lawyer you recommend so we can get the ball rolling. At least that way you’ll have frequent updates on the case and know what kind of progress they’re making toward settlement.”

  “Precisely. I know this guy takes seriously the attorney-client privilege, but he also values his clients’ safety and well-being. If he understands the potential risk to his client, he’ll work with me. I need that if the rest of the plan is going to work.”

  Before their reunion ended, Lukas took Rob’s phone and hooked it up to his laptop. “This,” he said, “will make your phone as secure as possible. Nothing’s a hundred percent, but this should make your emails, texts, phone conversations, and whereabouts invisible to everyone but me.” Lukas grew quiet for a moment as his fingers flew around, clicking and scrolling and typing.

  Rob raised an eyebrow at Lukas when he looked up from his work and caught Rob’s eye.

  “Trust me on this. The only thing I really care about is knowing where you are at critical times. I don’t want to know about your business or personal affairs, so I won’t be snooping.”

  “I wouldn’t care if you did. There’s nothing that’s not above-board, so snoop away if you want. Just don’t go tipping off my competitors.”

  “Ha ha. Like you have any competition,” Lukas quipped before returning to his work. “Can’t allow anyone to see the correspondence between us. I’m not saying any of this will put a target on your back, but I’m not taking any chances.”

  Lukas unplugged the phone and handed it back to Rob. “Text me when you’ve talked to Collin. Let me know how it goes, OK?”

  “Will do. You’ll hear from me Saturday.”

  “And remember,” Lukas added. “Everyone else thinks I’m dead, so don’t
go blowing my cover.”

  Rob brought his thumb and index finger together at one corner of his mouth and pulled it across to the other corner, symbolizing that his lips were sealed. “It would be ludicrous to tell folks that I had a conversation with a corpse.”

  ****

  Over the three months that followed their initial meeting and strategy session, Lukas and Rob communicated frequently, monitored Collin’s case and Collin’s mood religiously, and planned an exit for Collin from potential perils Pho Nam Penh might present.

  As the legal case against the construction company and its insurers progressed, Lukas saw many of the same signs as in the other nine cases he had studied involving Penh’s insurance companies. The most important and potentially dangerous sign was the rush to settle, especially as media coverage of the Cook family’s heartbreaking story made another round through the media channels and public sympathy began to reemerge. Following precedent, Pacific Casualty avoided the spotlight. Recovering their payouts was much easier to do if the news was not broadcasting the tragedy that preceded the settlement.

  Thus, as the attorneys for the two sides worked out a solution, Lukas and his team worked out details for Collin’s escape. With Rob’s help, Lukas secured Collin’s biometric information like height and weight, as well as photos to be used to create passports, driver’s licenses, and credit cards under assumed names. By the end, Collin had ten completely “insulated” ID’s, meaning there was no connection to his original identification or to each other. Two of them were US passports; two were Canadian, two British, one Australian, one Argentine, one German, and one French. Each had a history behind it that would have to be shared with Collin so he could play the part.