“Damn, this is just too much,” he mumbled as he brought his telephoto lens up to his eye and started perusing the café, looking for Jack Collins.
Jack felt exposed as he and Carl made the link with Europa. Everett kept an eye on the café’s patrons to make sure no one moseyed by for a look-see. Luckily, most of the cyber kids were their doing homework or chatting up on MySpace and none of them seemed interested in the two adults. They were stuck in at a table that faced the rear of the café, so Everett kept most of his attention focused on the people nearest the plate glass window as Jack started his conversation with the Cray computer in Nevada.
Jack typed the names they had read on the piece of paper and asked Europa for any sort of record on them. It did not take her long on the first two.
HENRY FELLOWS CARLISLE, DECEASED, 81 YEARS OF AGE, DIED 1999. FORMER CHAIRMAN OF THE FELLOWS GROUP OF COMPANIES.
“Damn! Strike one,” Jack said.
DAVIS CUNNINGHAM INGRAM, DECEASED, 90 YEARS OF AGE, DIED 2004. FORMER CEO OF INGRAM FIREARMS COMPANY, CEO INGRAM METAL FABRICATION, FORMER CHAIRMAN OF THE ADALAY SHIPYARDS IN MARYLAND.
“Strike two.”
MARTHA LYNN LAUGHLIN, 1932–? CHAIRPERSON OF LAUGHLIN LABORATORIES, FOUNDER OF DEELEY PHARMACEUTICALS.
“Okay, that’s better,” Jack said, as he copied down the information. CARMICHAEL AARON ROTHMAN, 1921–? FORMER CEO OF ROTHMAN INDUSTRIES, FORMER BOARD MEMBER GENERAL DYNAMICS CORPORATION, FORMER BOARD CHAIRPERSON LOCKHEED MARTIN AERONAUTICS.
“Whoa, that’s a couple of heavy hitters,” Everett said as he looked over Jack’s shoulder.
“They sure are. They were the last two names on the piece of paper that Keeler hid in his mouth and also the only two that are alive.”
“You think our attorney friend kept a list of his friends?”
“Or enemies. These two may be responsible for his death, and he wanted the authorities to get their names.”
“Well, we’re not in authority, but finder’s keepers, Jack,” Everett said.
Collins typed in the two bottom names and asked Europa for their current addresses.
“Virginia. So I guess we’re headed south, huh?”
“Why not? Let’s just go and ask them who in the hell they are and why their names are connected with over sixty-five deaths in the last twenty-four hours,” Jack said as he terminated the secure connection with Nevada.
“Now, this should be interesting,” Everett said as he led the way out of the café.
The man in the van had barely caught the last two names on the list and their addresses in his telephoto lens. He wrote them down and then picked up his cell phone and punched the one number as before.
“Martha Laughlin and Carmichael Rothman—mean anything to you?”
“I will pass this on to my employer.”
“I suspect they’re heading to the airport,” he said to the driver. “Follow and confirm and then we’re done here; Dahlia can have them.”
HEMPSTEAD BUILDING
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
William Tomlinson had decided to stay at the office and work on the final plans for staging the Wave operations from the sunken city where the Coalition would be protected by two miles of water and another half mile in seafloor. Ever since Caretaker had left for the night, he’d felt more at ease. He supposed that he would have to get used to the old man looking over his shoulder, but when you were used to privacy it was hard to take. As much as he needed some new rules and changes for the Coalition, he knew the value of tradition, and Caretaker was at least that.
His private phone line buzzed. He took a deep breath, tossed his pen onto the seagoing-operations plans for the Mediterranean, and picked up the phone.
“Yes.”
“I’m afraid we have a problem that was not foreseen in your plans.”
“I thought we had eliminated most of the obstructions, Dahlia.”
“I have, but the items that were missing from Keeler’s journal have turned up.”
“Okay, Dahlia, bury them. And good work, by the way. How did you uncover their whereabouts?”
“They were hiding in plain sight in Virginia. We gave them too much credit for subterfuge.”
“Live and learn. Get to them before they acquire the needed courage to do some name-dropping. Keeler’s death may have made them nervous.”
“William, we did not uncover the names.”
Tomlinson sat forward in his chair. “What?”
“The people that showed up at the warehouse in New York—it was confirmed by my source that it was they who recovered the two names and addresses. They are on their way to Virginia as we speak.”
The new chairman of the Coalition eased back in his chair.
“Salvageable. Hit these men in Virginia when they show up there. I want these pests out of the way. No, wait … I want to know when they arrive and enter one of the houses. I want to say good-bye to the two Ancients and to this … what is the man’s name?”
“Collins; Colonel Jack Collins.”
“I think it appropriate that I terminate this last threat. Very good, and I can finally say, very thorough work, Dahlia.”
Dahlia ignored Tomlinson’s snide comment.
“Now, I suppose you are off to Hawaii?”
“Yes, I leave within the hour. I will have my strike team in Virginia inform you on when to make your call. Good night, William.”
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA
It had taken just two hours to fly south to Richmond. Jack had decided to go to Carmichael Rothman’s house first, for no other reason than that Rothman was the last listed.
The countryside was beautiful as Mendenhall drove them through rural areas of large and very expensive houses. It was a full thirty minutes until they found the right address. The house was set deep in the woods and had a long concrete drive leading to it. The large iron fence coursed around the manicured lawns. There was a small building next to the thirty-foot-high gate and they could see two guards sitting inside.
“Tell me what-all you see, Lieutenants,” Jack asked Ryan and Menden-hall.
“Ah, the test continues,” Ryan said. “Well, besides the two guards, the gate is crash-proof. There are two-foot-thick steel posts descending from the gate to the cement, anchoring it firmly.”
“There is a laser-security perimeter around the entire property. They didn’t hide the power source well enough, as it can be seen coming directly out of the gatehouse to the first laser reflector. Knock out the gate-house, take the property,” Mendenhall said as he pulled into the drive and stopped.
“Very good. But you failed to notice the small building across the street. It has no business being there. No house, no drive,” Collins said as he watched the first guard come out to greet them.
“But plenty of extra guards ready to take back the gatehouse you guys just took,” Everett finished for Jack.
“Oh,” Ryan said. “How—”
“Separate power source. See the generator at the side of the building? No reason for that in a neighborhood like this. In addition, can you see the landline leading from the gatehouse to the structure across the street? This Rothman character takes his security seriously. But hey, you guys are learning the craft … almost,” Everett said, looking at Ryan.
Mendenhall rolled down his window as the well-uniformed guard approached. Jack saw that the second guard had disappeared from the window.
“Can I help you?”
“We’re here to see Carmichael Rothman,” Jack said from the backseat.
The guard shook his head. “Mr. Rothman does not accept visitors. No exceptions.”
Jack thought for a moment. “Inform Mr. Rothman we’re here to see him about the death of Jackson Keeler.”
The guard looked into the car. “I will inform the housekeeper. Please remain in the vehicle.”
The four watched the guard turn and head back into the gatehouse and saw him pick up the phone. The other guard was still nowhere to be seen.
“
We have company behind us and to the right. The large bush next to the gatehouse—the second guard, I suspect—and he has a rather large weapon trained … well, trained on the back of my head.”
“It’s that take-charge personality you have, Jack,” Everett said as he slid farther toward his door.
“Funny.”
Suddenly the large twin gates started to part. The guard reappeared and stepped to the car’s front window.
“Please keep to the paved drive until you arrive at the front porch, where you will be met by Mrs. Laughlin, a very close friend of Mr. Rothman. I have been instructed to tell you that you have only one minute to convince Mrs. Laughlin of your sincerity. If you fail, we will remove you from the property.”
The guard abruptly turned and walked back into the gatehouse. Mendenhall drove slowly through the gate.
“Lucky we have both of the people that interest us the most,” Jack said under his breath.
When they arrived at the front porch, they saw an elderly woman standing in front of the ornate and gilded front doors. She slowly made her way down to the car as it stopped. Collins stepped out of the backseat and looked at the casually dressed woman, who was short in stature. She crossed her arms over her chest and waited for Collins to speak.
“Ms. Laughlin? Martha Laughlin?”
If the woman was taken back because Jack knew her first name, she didn’t show it.
“Yes.”
“My name is Colonel Jack Collins, of the United States Army. You were informed that we’re here to see you and Mr. Rothman about the death of Jackson Keeler. I assume you have heard of this man?”
This time Jack saw the woman blink. That was all she did, but in that brief moment he saw sadness there, but not shock at the news of Keeler’s death.
“Why is the army interested in the death of an attorney, Colonel?”
“You and Mr. Rothman’s names were on a slip of paper Mr. Keeler hid in his person before he died. Do you know why he would do that?”
“Colonel, this line of questioning has no interest for me or Mr. Rothman. I do not see any reason to share information of a private nature with U.S. Army, which, as I understand it, is not tasked to do the work assigned to agencies far better equipped to deal with the matter of Mr. Keeler’s death.”
“Well, I can start with the death of thirty-six of my colleagues for doing nothing more than examining artifacts from antiquity.”
Jack once more saw the woman blink, and now she switched the weight of her body from foot to foot.
“Artifacts. The army is dealing in artifacts now? Can you explain this sudden change of direction for a branch of the armed services, Colonel? I mean, with all that’s happening in the world, I would think you would have your hands full instead of antiquing.”
Jack smiled but said nothing.
“Very well, Colonel, you have piqued my interest. You and your men can come this way.”
Jack watched the woman walk up the four steps leading to the door. He knew that she smelled something that didn’t sit right with her. That and the fact that the woman was fully clothed at four o’clock in the morning told him that there was little relaxation occurring behind these closed doors. He waved the others out of the car and followed the woman into the house.
Two white vans pulled into the drive and waited for the guard to exit the gatehouse, while another van pulled in across the street. Four men exited that van and knocked on the door. As soon as it was opened they pushed the man who had answered backward and then tossed something inside and close the door again. They heard a muffled whump and then they pulled on black hoods and entered the building. Inside there were five men in total, the one who had answered the door and four other guards who had been sleeping in bunks that lined the wall. All were gasping for air. Very carefully and silently, the guards were dispatched with one round to the head in very short order.
Across the way, the first guard out to meet the white van met a similar fate. Shot once in the forehead, he fell backward and hit the concrete. The rear doors opened and two men exited and ran into the gatehouse. One soon reappeared and held up a hand and then closed it. The second man saw the signal and started firing with his silenced MP-5 into the bush where they had observed the guard previously when the car arrived. The man was satisfied when he heard a loud grunt, and then he made sure by going to the back of the bush and firing three more rounds into the guard who had thought himself well hidden.
The elimination of Rothman’s security element was accomplished in thirty-two seconds. Then both vans, filled with fifteen heavily armed men, started making their way up the drive.
Jack, Carl, Ryan, and Mendenhall were led to a large den, where Martha Laughlin told them to take a seat at the large table in the center of the room. Then she turned and left.
Collins looked at Everett as he sat and nodded. Carl, with a blur of movement, removed his Beretta 9-millimeter and pulled the slide backward, chambering a round, and then allowed his hand to vanish beneath the table. Mendenhall did the same thing.
Soon Martha returned. She was helping a man who was fully clothed in slacks and a white shirt. He wore a dressing gown over his clothes and looked as weak as a newborn. The man, obviously Carmichael Rothman, was small in stature at only five-foot-five and he held the arm of Martha Laughlin as if he could fall at any moment. Collins looked at Everett, and Carl in turn felt silly for having his weapon out.
Jack stood and watched as Rothman was led slowly to the table. The old man did not meet any of his visitors’ eyes as he slowly sat down. Jack sat too.
Martha stood by his side for a brief moment and then sat next to him. The man finally looked up and found the man who he assumed to be in charge. It just happened to be Collins.
“Jackson Keeler was … was our friend.”
The old man said the words slowly, his eyes never leaving Jack’s face.
“Why would he and other innocent people be slaughtered like that? What was being sought that all that blood would be spilled?”
Rothman looked from Jack to Martha, who squeezed his arm in support.
“If I ask you who you work for, Colonel, would I receive truth in your answer?”
“I work for people who lost thirty-six men and women to the same murdering bunch that killed your friend, Mr. Rothman.”
“I see. That explains your interest in that regard.” He turned and accepted two pills from Ms. Laughlin and swallowed them without water. “Martha here has informed me that you said your people were examining artifacts, I believe?”
Jack did not respond. He was not in Virginia to be questioned; he was there to get his questions answered.
“Could this be the artifacts recovered from New York, an account of which I have read in the newspapers?”
The four men before them sat motionlessly.
“I’m afraid the men who are responsible for the death of so many were not just after the names of Martha and myself. They were chasing something much more valuable to them. We were just a bonus. We knew our old friend kept a journal, and we couldn’t convince him that it was dangerous, not only to himself but to others.”
“Like you two?” Jack asked.
Martha smiled and her look never wavered away from Collins.
“Yes, like us, Colonel.”
“There are people in the world, Colonel, who don’t wear their intentions on their sleeve. Very powerful men and women who …” Rothman looked at Martha for support.
“They seek power and continuity. They want the world as a whole, a nice dream of one central government, but separate races. Their willingness to attain such a utopian society has been a rather ruthless one throughout the years. These are the people responsible for the death of your men and women and our friend. As I said, they have sought to bring about their way of life for many years. They actually have an ancient precedent of that utopian society, Colonel.”
“Do you mean Atlantis?”
Martha went silent. Rothman only smiled.
/> “Colonel, you have said nothing, but told us everything,” Rothman said, patting Martha’s hand.
Collins and the three other men saw strength returning to Rothman. The pills he had taken must have been taking effect.
“I really didn’t believe you and your people existed any longer. My father told me about a wonderful organization that was in existence many, many years ago. However, he lost track of your organization just before World War Two. Do not look so shocked, Colonel. It was the mention of artifacts that gave it away. For the life of me, I can’t remember the name of your Group, though.”
Jack remained silent but he see that Everett, Mendenhall, and Ryan were having a harder time of it.
“Yes, I can now see why you angered certain people. It was your organization that conducted the raid on their storage facility, was it not? No need to answer; your statement about Atlantis is circumstantial, but makes sense.”
“You seem to be a very informed man, Mr. Rothman,” Jack said, unsmiling.
“Yes.” Again he patted Martha’s hand. “We used to be. We are old now and just want the world to go on. Colonel, we are informed because at one time, very many years ago, my father assisted President Wilson in the writing of your organization’s charter.”
“Department 5656. The funny little moniker attached to that agency slips my mind, though,” Martha said, looking at Rothman.
“What a wonderful concept, I have always thought, learning all there is to know about history and studying ways to prevent the horrid parts from happening again. Throughout our long lives and vast knowledge, your Group remained deeply hidden to the point that I did not believe it existed, even though my father said it did.” He fell silent for a moment as he went into deep thought. “Group … Group.” He smiled and slowly looked from face to face. “The Event Group!”
Ancients: An Event Group Thriller Page 21