Category Five

by Philip Donlay

  “Of course.” William paused. “Are you okay?”

  Donovan knew the question was intended to probe at several different levels. Virtually nothing occurred in Donovan’s life without William’s knowledge. William represented the only person Donovan could truly talk with at times. William had been there from the very beginning of his relationship with Lauren.

  “I’m fine,” Donovan lied.

  “I’m glad to hear that,” William nodded, but an expression of concern came over his face. “The information I was given indicated that some sort of computer theft took place. The authorities have made you their prime suspect.”

  “What? Her computer was destroyed.” Donovan’s mind whirled from the implications.

  “I’m only relaying what I’ve been told. Unfortunately, it’s going to be an issue we need to deal with.”

  “I will tell you, I don’t think the car wreck was an accident. I saw one of the brake lines. It looked to me like it had been cut.”

  “Right now the DIA is in an uproar. Seems they also have a murdered scientist who was supposed to leave Bermuda aboard a Navy ship.”

  “Lauren works for the DIA?”

  William nodded. “It was news to me too. She’s been working on some cutting-edge technology to measure hurricane intensity. I don’t know much beyond that.”

  “That would explain why she was in Bermuda.”

  “As you know, the DIA will try to throw a net around anyone they think is involved. Including you and Eco-Watch.” William sighed. “The fact of the matter is that they still haven’t forgotten that you flew an airplane full of the latest satellite communication technology into Russia. Of course, that in and of itself wasn’t the end of the world. But, here you are again at the scene of another incident. In their eyes, you and Eco-Watch are the common denominator.”

  “I had a bad feeling the Russian thing hadn’t died. You and I both know I’m not involved in any of this. It’s purely circumstantial. I guess it doesn’t matter that we helped save thirty-seven Russian sailors, the Galileo was never tampered with, and once we were fueled, we flew back to Alaska. Case closed.”

  “Obviously they couldn’t find a direct connection, but the case definitely hasn’t been closed.”

  Donovan clenched his teeth and nodded. He felt his world begin to close in on him. He unconsciously made a fist. Of all the things he’d fight to protect, Eco-Watch was at the top of the list.

  “There’s something else I need to show you. I don’t know yet if it’s related, but it couldn’t have come at a worse time.”

  Donovan took the folder that William handed him. He opened it and pulled out the contents. Clipped to the first page was a passport-sized picture of Erin Walker.

  “How do you know about her?” Donovan, startled, looked up at his mentor. “She’s why I was going to call you today. I met her yesterday afternoon. She was snooping around mother’s house.”

  “That doesn’t come as much of a surprise, I’m afraid. Just read.” William gestured for Donovan to continue.

  Donovan scanned the first page. It consisted of a short biography. Erin Walker lived in Arlington, was twenty-seven years old, unmarried, and a graduate of Georgetown’s School of Journalism. She was currently employed by The Washington Post as an investigative reporter, though she’d worked there less than a year. She’d grown up in Boston, raised by a middle class couple. Donovan flipped the sheet over. Page two was a photo of him at the house in Aldie. The next showed him driving his Porsche. Obviously, someone had been following him. He could tell the grainy photographs had been shot with a telephoto lens. The next picture was of his townhouse, followed by a photo of Lauren.

  “She took these?” Donovan couldn’t take his eyes from the pages. He felt the little hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Someone had managed to make copies of Erin’s files. Donovan glanced up and gave William a questioning look.

  “I know. It’s not something I do very often, but sometimes it’s a necessity. Keep going and you’ll know why I had this woman investigated.”

  Donovan turned to the next document and was horrified to find a copy of a DIA report. It had CLASSIFIED stamped at the top. Quickly, Donovan scanned each paragraph. He and Eco-Watch were named as possible security risks. It outlined his rescue mission to Russia. He saw not only his name, but Michael’s as well. It was almost more than he could bear. It was bad enough that the DIA was trying to link him to their problem, but Eco-Watch and Michael as well?

  “How can she have all of this? I mean, I can understand she followed me, though I always thought I was being careful. But this report from the DIA?”

  “I’m not sure. But it was obviously leaked to her, since there’s no other way for her to have those files. You said you met her last night?”

  “Yes. She set off the alarms at the country house. By accident, I came across her camera and confiscated the film. I developed it last night and discovered pictures of the grave-markers in the cemetery. I managed to get a picture of a license plate, someone who picked her up. It would be nice to know who else is involved.”

  “If she’s seen the cemetery, it’s only a matter of time before she figures out you’re not who the world thinks you are.” William slowly shook his head, a look of regret filling his eyes.

  Donovan looked down at the report in his hands. “Is this all of it? Or is there more? How much does she know?”

  “You can read the rest at your leisure. The crux of the matter right now is that she has more questions than answers. But she’s looking for a conspiracy. She thinks Eco-Watch could be a front for clandestine government operations. Then she goes on to theorize that you might be selling top secret information—hence your big house in the country and a half-million dollar sports car.”

  “She what!” Donovan slapped the papers down on his lap. “Who does this woman think she is?

  “As I said, the timing is unfortunate. If she’s tied you to the house and has seen you in your car, the logical question she must be asking is how you afford such luxuries.”

  “We both know it’s not what it appears to be.”

  “If she has a source inside the DIA, then it’s only a matter of time before she finds out about what happened in Bermuda. As we speak, I can assure you the DIA and the FBI are starting a full investigation of you and Eco-Watch.”

  Donovan’s temples throbbed.

  “We need to stop her,” William said solemnly.

  “I can’t believe this is happening,” Donovan said, reeling at the implications. “This could be the end of everything I’ve worked so hard to build. In one fell swoop it will not only destroy the life I’ve tried to have, but Eco-Watch could also cease to exist. I can’t let it happen.”

  “What would you like me to do?”

  “Nothing.” Donovan looked down at the dossier. “I think I need to read the rest of this.”

  William nodded as he rose. “I should also add that what you have there is only a small part of what Ms. Walker possesses. My source was, shall we say, interrupted as he was obtaining this for us.”

  “I just can’t believe she’s doing this. I mean, what would prompt her to start looking into my life? As far as anyone is concerned, I’m a nobody. There’s got to be a reason for her to go to all this trouble.”

  “When you discover her motivation, you’ll know how to deal with her.”

  “How much time do you think I have?” Donovan knew that discovery meant an instant change in his life. Relationships would shift overnight. It would destroy everything.

  “I have no idea. Maybe a week? Hopefully we can find out more before we have to make any major decisions.”

  “I can’t imagine anything worse than this. After all we’ve done, to be found out by a single reporter.”

  “I’d like to tell you something.” William leaned forward and put his hand on Donovan’s forearm. “You haven’t had an easy life, son, and I can’t begin to tell you how proud I am of all you’ve accomplished…But I always
feared that this day would come. My only surprise it that you managed to stay hidden for so long.”

  “I still might pull it off.” Donovan knew the words sounded hollow.

  “If anyone can, it’s you.” William gave Donovan’s arm a squeeze of encouragement. “Whatever happens, you know I’ll do everything I can. I’m here for you always.”

  “I know.” Donovan put a hand over William’s. “I’ll live. All I ask is that if I have to leave Eco-Watch, you’ll do everything you can to make sure it survives. It represents the best thing I’ve ever done.”

  “You have my word. I’ll leave you alone so you can read.” William started to leave, then stopped and turned. “Are you sure this wouldn’t be the time to explain everything to Lauren? It might be useful.”

  “I can’t,” Donovan said honestly.

  “Costa Rica was a long time ago.”

  Donovan crumbled a little inside at William’s words. “It doesn’t feel that way at times. I can still see Meredith as if it were yesterday.”

  “I won’t even pretend to understand how you must feel. I loved Meredith too. But life does go on, son. You survived the loss of Meredith. You grieved as any man would. Years later you met Lauren and she fell in love with you…and you her.”

  “Then she left,” Donovan remarked quickly. “Let’s not forget that part.”

  William reached for the door to the study. “Don’t forget the reason she left.”

  William’s soft-spoken words were like a blow to his stomach. Donovan inwardly sank at the memory. Lauren had confronted him just after he’d finally brought his mother’s remains to rest in the family cemetery. There was no way he could include Lauren in the process. It would have created far too many problems. It had been a difficult and emotional time for him as he stood at the plot and buried her once again. There had been only three other people at the tiny ceremony. A minister, William, and William’s niece Stephanie. She lived in Europe, and had flown back for the memorial. He could still remember his shock and fear as Lauren had asked him point-blank about the blond. He had no response; he’d been caught off guard at a time when his defenses were down. He wouldn’t lie to her, yet he couldn’t tell the truth. He’d stood there mute as he ran through a full range of emotions. He couldn’t explain that Stephanie was a friend, that Elizabeth was his mother. It would have led to his having to tell Lauren everything, something he wasn’t prepared to do. He could still see Lauren’s wounded expression. Her eyes were full of anger and betrayal, condemnation he did…and didn’t deserve.

  “Am I not right?” William challenged quietly.

  “Yes and no.” Donovan sighed. “But right now I have far bigger problems than my relationship with Lauren.”

  “Yes you do. All I’m suggesting is that if everything is going to be made public, she might appreciate it coming from you, instead of reading about it in the newspaper. There might be some tactical value in your being the messenger.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.” Donovan watched as the only link with his other life let himself out of the room. Alone in the study, Donovan took a moment to collect himself. He looked down at the picture of Erin Walker. Her eyes were pretty, as was her smile, but to Donovan she represented a threat to everything he held sacred. If she divulged who he was the world would once again make him its focal point. It wouldn’t take her long to start unraveling the mystery. The disturbing thought hurtled him back in time, seventeen years ago, to when Robert Huntington became Donovan Nash.

  Donovan lowered his head as the inevitable images began to assail him. Meredith Barnes had been a wild card from the very beginning. He could still remember her unruly mane of curly red hair, freckled face, and startling green eyes. She was a smallish woman with a fiery Irish temperament and deep-felt passions. Meredith always said her mission in life was a simple one—to educate and perhaps save mankind from itself. An environmental activist, Meredith cut a wide swath wherever she went. What with her rallying cries over the Brazilian rain forests, over-fishing the world’s oceans, and man’s irresponsible use of chemicals, Meredith Barnes was a force to be reckoned with. Her tireless dedication and energy made her the key spokesperson for the environmental movement the world over.

  Meredith had been invited to be the keynote speaker at a conference in San Jose, Costa Rica. The political summit of third-world environmentalists promised to be a landmark gathering. Meredith had orchestrated an historic assemblage of people who could help preserve the valuable forests in Central and South America. The night before they’d left, Donovan had asked her to marry him, and she’d said yes. Deliriously happy, they both knew they were destined to spend their lives together.

  As they’d flown to Costa Rica, they’d laughed at their rocky beginning and marveled at how intertwined they’d become since then. They’d met after a private fund-raiser, one of the many social outings Donovan attended. He’d donated money to her cause and was about to leave for the evening when she’d cornered him. In what he learned later was typical Meredith style, she tore up his check, threw the pieces defiantly up in the air. She demanded to know how, as the heir to the Huntington Oil fortune, he could sleep at night. She stood on her tip-toes and poked him in the chest as she rattled off a dozen ways his multi-national company was polluting the earth. At that moment, Meredith was the last person he thought he would have fallen in love with.

  The confrontation with her caused him to take a hard look at how Huntington Oil did business. With her as a sounding board, Huntington Oil adopted a series of measures that turned the company into a model for eco-friendly industries worldwide. In the process, he and Meredith had slowly fallen in love.

  The Costa Rican conference represented a huge opportunity to bring environmental issues to the world stage. Donovan, as one of the richest men in the world, and Meredith, one of the world’s most loved champions for ecology, brought a storm of media attention to the conference. Donovan had rented a villa in the hills above San Jose, to provide them with an oasis of calm away from the chaos of the conference itself. It was a decision that had haunted Donovan for the last eighteen years.

  They’d left the security of the conference and were headed to the villa. The initial reception had gone well and he and Meredith were reveling in their early success. As the car wound through the narrow streets, they were unaware that they were being followed. In the blink of an eye, a car blocked their path and hooded gunmen leaped out and surrounded them. Their driver was killed instantly in a hail of bullets. Donovan was slammed in the face with the butt of a rifle. His last image of Meredith was of her kicking and screaming as she was dragged from the back seat.

  The next three weeks were a living nightmare. The media turned into a feeding frenzy focused on Meredith’s kidnapping. Members of the summit fled to their home countries. Overnight the conference dissolved into mayhem as the ransom demands made the papers. Caught between the posturing governments of both Costa Rica and the United States, Donovan desperately tried to pay the ten million dollar ransom—but the bureaucrats blocked his efforts. Frantic, Donovan used his own people to try to contact the terrorists. He arranged to pay them the money, but only after he talked to Meredith, for proof that she was still alive. The phone call had come in the middle of the night. Meredith’s weak voice reached out to him in the darkness. In a rush of words, she begged him not to give in to their demands for money, for it would only serve to fuel the enemies of her work. As the phone was yanked from her hand, he heard her cry out that she loved him, then the line went dead. The next day her lifeless body was found in a muddy field. She was twenty-eight when her life ended.

  Devastated with grief, he’d taken Meredith’s body home to California. What he would never have expected was the angry reception he received. Environmentalists were outraged that billionaire Robert Huntington had allowed their matriarch to be killed. Rumors surfaced that he’d had her killed to stop her assault on the industrialized countries. The media picked up on the story and he was vilified on a global
level. So quick and complete was his guilt in the public eye, the protesters so angry, he’d been unable to attend Meredith’s funeral. Despite a press release about his efforts to save her, it only took days before he went from being one of the cultural elite, to one of the most despised men in the world. Meredith was a beacon of light for millions of people and he’d let her die.

  Ultimately, Meredith’s death forced Donovan to retreat to his one true sanctuary, his mother’s house in Virginia. He could clearly remember fighting the pain of losing Meredith, the helplessness of having his life so tragically altered. Then there were the death threats against him, as well as against his friends and colleagues. There was a call to boycott Huntington Oil. In the end, he’d finally decided drastic times called for drastic measures. Robert Huntington would die. He, along with all of his money, would cease to exist. It only took he and William a few weeks to arrange the details.

  He’d left Reno, Nevada in a Beechcraft King Air, one of several airplanes he owned and regularly piloted himself. He’d been careful to make sure there were witnesses who saw him climb aboard the plane that evening. As darkness fell, he flew westward on the normal flight plan toward Monterey. At the prearranged time, with the airplane on autopilot, he left the cockpit and moved to the back of the plane. As the seconds ticked off his watch he said a quiet goodbye to his life as Robert Huntington. At the exact moment he’d calculated, he pushed through the exit and parachuted into the night sky. He watched as the strobe lights on his airplane faded in the distance. The King Air had enough fuel to fly several hundred miles out to sea before its engines quit. As planned, he landed just south of Modesto in a plowed field. Once he’d wrapped up the parachute, he contacted William on a small two-way radio. Half an hour later William picked him up and they drove away.

  The next morning in a hotel room in Oakland, he and William watched on television as the floating debris from his King Air was discovered in the Pacific ocean. The media confirmed that billionaire Robert Huntington had perished. Speculation flew as to whether the crash was an accident, a murder, or perhaps even a suicide. So ready to embrace his death, the media never stopped to consider that he might actually be alive. Huntington Oil released a statement confirming the passing of its beloved chairman and quickly named a successor from the board of directors.