“I’m not at liberty to discuss sources right now, but the information is reliable. Remember, Wade, the NSA has access to information other people don’t have.”
“That’s unbelievable. Do they know any more about what happened?”
“Unofficially, I’m still working on that angle. As it turns out, there was a CID Army Intelligence plant in Orange Team. I don’t know why, but this CID person was there the whole time we were. He was apparently keeping an eye on Lockhart.”
“That’s interesting in itself. Why were they watching Lockhart?”
“I think the base knew more about Lockhart than they were letting on.”
“But what exactly did they suspect or know about Lockhart?”
“Perhaps Lockhart had a mental condition, or maybe he knew something about the Army they didn’t want to get out. I’m just guessing, but I know they were all over, watching Lockhart while he was in training.”
“If they suspected something, why wouldn’t they just bring him in?”
“I don’t know, but my guess is that something went wrong with Lockhart. I think he might have found out about the CID plant in his group or flipped out or just turned on everyone, including us. It makes sense that it was probably Lockhart who took the shot at me. From what I’m hearing, it sounds like he slipped out of camp the night of the incident without CID knowing where he had gone. That’s all I know right now.”
“That’s unbelievable! We’re in the middle of something serious here, and we didn’t have a clue about what was going on.”
“It almost got us all killed – starting with me. I’m still having nightmares. Listen, you didn’t hear any of this from me. I just wanted to give you that update. If you ever want to contact me, call my secure number. If I don’t answer, leave a message, and I’ll get right back to you.”
Yari proceeded to give Wade his secure number. “I’m in touch with all of our team members. Max especially sends his regards.”
Wade was at a loss for words as he processed Yari’s new information. A moment passed while Wade tried to put the pieces together in quiet thought before Yari broke the awkward silence.
“Look, I don’t mean to break this off, but I’m in the middle of a hot international incident at work right now, and I really have to go.”
“Not a problem. Please keep me posted.”
“Will do, partner. By the way, the detective handling the murder investigation is out of Atlanta. He goes by the name of Gabriel Morrison, or ‘Gabe’ for short. Fort Benning and Morrison are having a dispute over who controls Lockhart’s body.”
“Take care. We’ll talk soon, partner.”
Yari hung up the phone while Wade kept the receiver to his ear, still in shock over what he’d just heard. He stared at the blank wall across his room and tried to put together pieces of the disjointed puzzle. We’re on an Army base in the middle of a so-called normal training exercise. A Special Forces sniper fires on us, trying to kill one or more intelligence officers. The sniper goes missing and is now dead. A CID covert operative is a plant in the exercise. The base may have known about this all along. Who else is involved? How and why did Lockhart really die? Why are they fighting over the body? How does my agency know so much about the damn event? Why is Megan asking all these detailed questions about me and the event?”
His mind raced back to his debriefing at the base. The more he thought about it, the more it felt like an interrogation than a debriefing under the guise of an investigation. Wade continued to be perplexed. They did a good job of acting surprised by everything. Did Jarvis and Miller just want to find out what I knew? Was Jarvis trying to profile me during the debriefing? If so, for what purpose?
Wade kept the ever-growing list of questions to himself. He needed to find out if his friend, Louisiana detective Jake Pisano, knew this detective Gabe Morrison.
Chapter 11
Two days later, Wade was anxiously awaiting the return call from Pisano, so when the phone rang he rushed to grab it. But it wasn’t Pisano. It was Yari calling again.
“I’ve just learned more about the jurisdictional issue over who controls Lockhart’s body. The State contends he died on county property – outside of the base property. The base, on the other hand, contends Lockhart was on an undisclosed mission for the Army when he died, and therefore the body belongs to them.”
“Why is the location of the body so important?”
“It seems Gabe Morrison suspects foul play in Lockhart’s death. He wants to run further tests, including toxicology tests. If the Army gets the body, he believes evidence could disappear.”
“Really? Were you able to determine what kind of mission Lockhart was supposed to be on?”
“No. The Army’s position is that the mission was covert and irrelevant to his death. They’re insisting his death was pure and simple suicide, and they don’t want further tests run. Right now the body remains in the County’s possession, and there’s a scheduled court hearing in a couple of days.”
“You’re looking at all the communication. What do you think is going on?”
“It’s all too convenient for the Army if they get control of the body. They don’t want any tests run. Morrison thinks Lockhart may have been drugged before he died. If the body goes back to the Army, they control how the whole story comes out. There’s also another part of this that I’m still chasing.”
“What’s that?”
“The CID’s undercover agent involved goes by the name of David Mashburn. Apparently he was undercover on their team the whole time we were there. The records show he was shipped out right after training ended – on assignment to an undisclosed foreign county to do top secret covert work. They’re not at liberty to discuss his whereabouts because his mission is classified. How’s that for coincidence?”
“Very convenient.”
Both men paused to think about the new information, especially the perfect timing of David Mashburn’s disappearance.
“Good work on Mashburn. See what else you can find out about him and where he is.”
“I’m digging, partner. Will let you know as soon as I get something new.”
Within seconds of hanging up from Yari’s call, the phone rang again. This time it was Jake Pisano returning Wade’s call, asking if he knew anyone by the name of Gabriel Morrison.
Pisano replied with certainty. “In your message you asked if I know Gabe Morrison. Of course I know Gabe. Everyone in southern law enforcement knows Gabe. I worked with him on the Coletta investigation. He was one of my key liaisons with the FBI for Coletta’s operation in Atlanta. He’s very good. He knows his stuff, but he’s old school. Why do you want to know?”
“It’s a long story. I’m going to be in New Orleans to see my father. Can we meet to discuss this? I may need your help.”
“Sure. When would you like to meet?”
After discussing alternative dates, they settled on 2:00 p.m. on Thursday at the Old Grille. Same table, nothing changed.
Wade found out from his father that he’d loaned out the camp to their cousins for the month, so the swamp spirit would have someone else to entertain. He hoped the spirit didn’t mind his absence on this trip. Wade was also off the hook for repairs; his cousins would take care of those chores.
As Wade sat waiting, he mused that The Old Grille looked the same. It wasn’t long before Jake arrived, and they got right to the point, foregoing small talk.
“It’s hard to believe it’s been four years since you were on submarine duty.”
“I really lucked out that the Agency position came in just before they were going to ship us out. My unit got activated three months after I left.”
“So what brings you in contact with Gabe Morrison?”
“I don’t really know Morrison, but here’s how he’s involved.”
Wade began to tell Jake the details of the Lockhart story and what had happened at Fort Benning.
“That’s serious stuff. You may not be implicated directly, but
I would recommend that you certainly tell your side of the story to Gabe. If I were handling that case, I would want to know how your story fits in. Gabe’s a straight shooter, so you can trust him.”
“That’s pretty much how I see it. I don’t have anything to hide, except that I may be under some obligation not to reveal information that either the Army or my Agency considers classified.”
“If you want, I can give Gabe a call and set up an introduction for you.”
“That would be great. I think I’d like to meet him in person. I want to keep everything with him confidential. Right now, I don’t know who to trust at Fort Benning – or in the Agency, for that matter.”
“Stay alert to what your instincts are telling you. I believe Gabe will honor your confidentiality request. I’ll give him a heads-up.”
The New Orleans house where Wade grew up had been sold after his mother died, and his father was now getting ready to move into a condo. Wade helped his father put together a list of household items and decide what had to go before he moved.
They spoke at dinner that evening. The shrimp and crabmeat remoulade followed by stuffed flounder and a bananas Foster dessert at Monroe’s capped off a wonderful visit. He drove back to Alabama the next day, carefully checking the rear view mirror out of habit.
A message from Jake was waiting on the answering machine when he arrived home. It was already pretty late in the evening, so Wade decided to return the call the next morning.
“Hi, Jake, it’s Wade. I’m returning your call from last evening. I assume it’s about Gabe Morrison.”
“I spoke with Gabe. He would very much like to speak with you. I gave him a little background but told him it would be best coming from you. Gabe asked about you, and I told him you could be relied upon. He was fine with keeping everything confidential.”
“Thanks for the referral. I’ll give Gabe a call.”
“Keep me posted on how things turn out.”
“I sure will.”
Wade couldn’t get the Lockhart matter off his mind. The next day he placed a call to Yari for an update on the results of the Lockhart hearing.
“I read the pleadings and the judge’s order. The Army’s attorney argued that Fort Benning should have jurisdiction because they claimed Lockhart was still on a classified mission under government supervision, and therefore Lockhart’s body was still under Army jurisdiction. They also argued that there was no urgency for an autopsy since suicide was the most probable cause of death. They claim Lockhart had serious psychological problems, of the sort which often resulted in suicide.”
Yari stopped for a breath before he continued. “The Army’s pleadings were supported by a declaration from Major Jarvis in Fort Benning. The psychiatrist claimed the type of battle fatigue Lockhart suffered from produced hallucinations, and that Lockhart likely thought he was still in combat and had to defend himself against an imaginary enemy. His declaration argued that depression and those images sometimes caused soldiers to take their own lives. He also said that Lockhart was in psychological treatment, a veteran’s therapy group.”
“Countering that position, the State argued that Lockhart’s body was found on Georgia County property, outside of the base’s jurisdiction.”
“But here’s an interesting point. The State’s argument was supported by a declaration from detective Gabe Morrison that a preliminary toxicology report suggested drugs were present in Lockhart’s system at the time of death. Morrison contended that, based on his years of investigations, there was a sufficient suspicion of foul play to warrant a full autopsy and investigation. He didn’t go into detail on the evidence, but said his toxicology evidence came from a liver biopsy and blood samples taken at the scene shortly after Lockhart’s death.”
“The good news is that the judge ruled in favor of the State of Georgia. So now Gabe Morrison has jurisdiction over Lockhart’s body. The base has gone quiet after the court’s decision, and I haven’t seen or heard anything more about the autopsy.”
Wade responded. “I was able to make a connection with Morrison through a detective friend in New Orleans. I haven’t actually spoken to Morrison yet, but I wanted to ask a favor.”
“Sure. Anything I can do.”
“I want to set up a secure phone patch for a call to Morrison from Alabama. Can you arrange that?”
“Not a problem. Just call my number from a pay phone. I’ll set up the secure patch in such a way that you can be sure no one else is listening from anywhere.”
“How can you be sure?”
“Look, buddy, you’re on my turf now. I not only have access to both sides of the secure lines, but the conversation will be encrypted going both ways, using my own encryption software. The government doesn’t even have the latest version of my program yet, so no one will be able to break that encryption code. I’ve tested it on all my smartest buddies here at the NSA. Why are you so concerned about a secure line?”
“Let’s just say I’m concerned. I think this issue is much bigger than we ever thought, and somehow I feel that either Fort Benning or other intelligence agencies may be involved – including possibly my own. ”
“Really? When do you want to call Morrison?”
“I’ll call tomorrow at one o’clock my time.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
The payphone a block from the college on a shaded side street seemed like a perfect place for the call.
“Hi, Yari. I’m ready for the Morrison call.”
“Give me a minute to set it up. When you hear a dial tone, just dial.”
“Do I just feed the payphone?”
“Nope. All taken care of. You don’t need to do anything. I’ve already overridden your payphone line and taken it out of service for government security purposes. For the next two hours, this payphone can’t be used for anything but your call.”
“I didn’t know you could do that.”
Before Wade got Yari’s answer, he heard the dial tone and dialed Morrison’s number.
“Morrison here.”
“Detective Morrison, my name is Wade Hanna. I’m a friend of Jake Pisano in New Orleans. I understand you’re working on the James Lockhart case?”
“That’s correct. I was expecting your call. I’ve known Jake for quite a while and worked with him on several cases. He’s a top-notch detective.”
“He says the same thing about you.”
“What can I do for you, son?”
“I’m an intelligence officer who was involved in a training exercise at Fort Benning. Lockhart was part of those training exercises. My team was involved in a shooting incident just before Lockhart’s death. I don’t know if my involvement can help your investigation, but Jake suggested that I share with you some of the information I know about Lockhart. There may be some sensitive pieces of this information that could involve Fort Benning or my employer that might be important. I’m also concerned that I or my men don’t get dragged into this situation.”
“I see. I’d like to hear what you have to say. I can promise you now that all of our conversations will remain confidential.”
“I appreciate that. I would rather have our conversation in person, if you don’t mind.”
“Where are you located?”
“In Greenstone, Alabama.”
“There’s a small town called Manchester, Georgia, just across the Alabama state line. It’s where Highways 278 and 27 cross. On the main street there’s a great restaurant called the Red Squirrel Café. I’ve known the owners for many years. It will be safe for us to talk there. I’ll leave from Fayetteville, but it’s a much longer drive for you.”
“That’s not a problem for me, sir.”
“Good. Then let’s meet at 11:00 in the morning on Friday.”
“That works for me.”
After finishing his call with Morrison, Wade called Yari back to let him know he had a meeting set up with Morrison.
Yari had been busy in the meantime with further updates on the Lockh
art matter. “I’m doing more work on this CID guy David Mashburn. It appears this guy knows his way around the intelligence community. He spent most of his time in foreign posts, including Vietnam. He speaks several languages. He first served as a medic in Vietnam before going into Army intelligence. I don’t really remember him in our training group.”
“Interesting about Mashburn’s background. Do you remember when Lockhart confronted us that evening at dinner in the mess hall?”
“Yes.”
“Mashburn was the guy standing behind Lockhart, who got him calmed down before they decided to move to another table.”
“So that was Mashburn. Oh, yeah, I remember him now.”
That evening Wade and Megan spoke.
“How was New Orleans?”
“It was great. My father’s doing well and has gotten over his apprehension about moving to a condo. He actually likes the idea now. I saw a few old friends, and that was pretty much it.”
“Have you given any thought to your incompletes? You know I’m still in charge of getting you graduated.”
“Yeah, I spoke to my professor about the make-up exam, and got it scheduled for next week. I’m starting on my two papers and should have them finished in a week or so.”
“What else do you have planned?”
Wade was still too cautious to confide in Megan about the Lockhart matter. He wasn’t going to tell her about Morrison. The first thing that popped into his mind was his meeting at the Red Squirrel Café.
“I’m going squirrel hunting this weekend with one of my friends. I’m leaving early Friday morning and will be back late Saturday.”
“How do you hunt squirrels?”
“My friend Rich has a mountain cur hunting dog named Rufus.”
“How does a dog hunt squirrels?”
“With one sniff, Rufus can not only tell you that a squirrel is in a particular tree – he can also tell you the time the squirrel came and left. If he barks, the squirrel is still in the tree, and if he makes a high-pitched whimper, it means he left. This louder the sound, the longer he’s been out of the tree.”
Lethal Authority (Wade Hanna Series Book 2) Page 9