Chapter 20
Florin, John and Bob sat comfortably in the little restaurant, sipping coffee and hot chocolate. Bob was visiting with the waitress that remembered Leo. They found out that he had asked her for directions to a nearby motel in order to soak in a Jacuzzi before having to endure a fifty hour train ride on Amtrak.
They finished their breakfast and left the waitress a generous tip before leaving the café. Although the men hoped they might finally intercept Leo at the motel, none really expected to find him there. Bob had this sinking feeling that the memo from the previous evening regarding his cell phone use in Nevada, coupled with the Amtrak ticket, probably meant that Leo was actually on the train.
At the new Best Western motel, Bob swiftly identified himself as an undercover narcotics officer with the DEA and proceeded to question the young man behind the reception desk. The clerk claimed that he had seen the man in question briefly before his shift ended the previous afternoon, however he did not remember the man’s name or to which room he was assigned. Bob asked him to check all guests’ first names and see if anyone had the first name of “Leo.” No guests had registered with that first name. Bob insisted that he call the clerk that checked him in.
Finally the harried man gave in to calling the other employee at home who had checked Leo in the previous day. A tired Dennis told the clerk on the phone that the man in question was a Mr. Fullmer, but that he had expressly asked not to be disturbed. Dennis also told him not to give out the room information before clearing it with the manager, as divulging private guest information could get them caught up in a lawsuit. Dennis liked Mr. Fullmer and he really didn’t think he could have been mixed up with anything bad.
The resident manager was called by the young desk clerk. He quickly came down from his upstairs apartment and talked to Bob, who appeared official and showed him what seemed to be proper identification. The manager capitulated and provided Bob and his men with the name, room number and a programmed scan card to open the room. The staff was instructed to stay off the second floor until the agents had completed their work, and the manager asked him to please be as quiet and inconspicuous as possible as to not disturb other motel guests. Bob obliged the manager with a nod, handshake, and a pat on the shoulder and assured him no one would even know they were there.
The three men walked quietly up the half-flight of stairs to the second floor and turned down the long hallway. Bob unbuttoned his jacket to allow easy access to his 9mm side arm. The group eased their way down the hall, stopping at room 214.
John withdrew his pistol and screwed on his silencer. Bob nodded at John, and withdrew his own silencer as well and tossed the room key to Florin with a motion for him to unlock the door. Florin inserted the card key, and waited for the red lights to turn green and gently pressed down on the door handle.
The door made a squashy sound like wet tennis shoes as the rubber seal on the bottom broke the airtight vacuum between the room and the hallway. Florin stepped back, and John and Bob both entered the room with weapons drawn. John turned on the bathroom light and quickly secured the small bathroom. Bob eased around the corner of the main room aiming at the beds which appeared to be occupied. Florin waited for John to join Bob, and then flicked on the main light illuminating the entire room. Bob had his gun pointed at the nearest bed and was prepared to squeeze off a round as soon as Florin turned on the light. But, when the room lit up, it quickly became apparent that no one was in either bed. The crumpled up beds merely held a few stuffed pillows.
Florin turned around and opened the coat closet, making sure no one was hiding in the small space next to the ironing board. It, too, was clear. Bob and John searched the room, went through the garbage, looked under the beds, examined the notepad on the dresser for pen indentions, and called the front desk to see if Mr. Fullmer had placed any calls. Everything was a dead end, except for Leo’s dirty clothes, crumpled in a pile on the floor. Florin pulled a receipt from the left front pants pocket of Leo’s pants. It was a Hertz rental-car receipt for a Toyota Camry.
“Well that just confirms what we already knew. We must have just missed him at the airport. While Ervin was boarding a plane, he was renting a car.” Bob shook his head. “Damn it! All along we’ve just been a step behind him. I bet that was Leo in Nevada using his own cell phone. He probably would have had enough time to drive that far. But that still does not explain the Amtrak ticket or why he would even mention it to the waitress. Maybe he rented the car to drive over to Portland to board the train. We might find the rental car in a parking lot near Union Station. Perhaps he was using the phone on the train at the Reno stop. Who knows for sure?” He still wondered what Leo’s ultimate plan was. It disturbed him, having so many pieces of the puzzle but not being able to connect them all just yet.
Bob sent John and Florin to the Hertz lot by the airport to determine where Leo was supposed to drop the car off, and to make arrangements to be notified immediately if the car was turned in anywhere in the United States. Florin and John had entered one of the four waiting cabs outside of the motel. The cab drivers knew that guests would be checking out soon and were lined up to make a fare.
Bob finished conversing with the motel manager and thanked him for his cooperation, and asked that he be contacted on his cell phone if Mr. Fullmer happened to return to the motel. He headed back to his own motel to make a few high-level calls that would get him the necessary cooperation from law enforcement officers in to track down Leo’s car. After several calls he had assurance that law enforcement agencies in Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Idaho, Utah, and Colorado would be alerted and on the lookout for what they referred to as “the most common car on the road;” a light gold, four-door Toyota Camry. He had done all that he could, but realized finding that particular car would be nearly impossible. Still he placed a higher priority on the Utah and Nevada State Police, thinking they might be the first to encounter him. On the off chance that a State Trooper caught up to the right Camry, Leo would at least be detained until they could catch up to him.
Although Bob loved a good hunt, he was becoming much more anxious about Leo, his family, and the entire situation, as the men who sat in a cabinet office in D.C. would not approve of any mistakes or miscalculations. Too much was at risk. He knew that at his level in the B.B.U.S.A., screw-ups resulted in complete replacement, and it would not come in the fashion of a forced retirement sipping margaritas on a beach in Maui, but inevitably by disappearance.
He could feel his blood pressure rising. He contemplated his options if he could not contain the situation. Running would be fruitless. Swallowing a bullet would be a coward’s way out, but the quickest and easiest way to end it all. He figured he would either take Leo out, or die trying. No other options were now available.
Picking up the phone, he made the necessary calls to arrange the transfer of both Carl and Marcus back to D.C. at the end of the week. He knew his superiors were concerned with the Western District. He was a perfectionist and hated being scrutinized or questioned. Until recently his district was pretty flawless. Reputation was a strange thing. Reputation took years to gain and seemingly only a few minutes to lose.
The phone rang. Bob had come to dread answering the phone. Somewhat agitated, he relented and picked up the receiver.
It was just John, reporting in from the Hertz Rental Center. Leo had rented the Toyota Camry for a week, but gave no destination. He could drop it off at any Hertz center in the United States.
Bob instructed them to leave their cell number for the manger to call if and when Leo’s vehicle was turned in, and then to return to the motel. His deep fatigue was probably related to the fact that he felt that they had lost Leo’s tracks entirely. The game was over. It was time to concede that for now, at least. It was time to pack up the conference room and their personal belongings and head back to Boise.
Two hours later, they secured their weapons with the TSA Security Office, checked their bags and boarded the last plane of the
day to Boise. While waiting to board their flight, John made a quick call to Marcus and made arrangements for him to meet them at the airport.
The three companions refrained from socializing. All were lost in their own thoughts. Most men on Bob’s team were naturally competitive and hated to surrender or give up, but they all recognized that there was nothing further to be gained where they were, the trail had temporarily ended.
Chapter 21
David finally freed his hands; he removed his blindfold, and carefully ripped off the duct tape binding his hairy ankles. It was excruciating. He could not imagine women willfully waxing their bikini lines.
When he first sat up, he felt so dizzy he almost lay back down. He could see in the early daylight that the room was trashed. Blood splatters and puddles were abundant. He eased up, leaning heavily against the nearest wall. He could feel dried blood along the side of his head, behind his ear, and partly down his neck. He walked to the doorway on somewhat shaky legs. Besides the pool of dried blood at the foot of the bed, he noticed blood droplets leading out the door and down the hallway. David followed the blood trail to the guest bathroom.
He found a bloody towel crumpled on the floor, and a few splatter droplets around the sink and on the mirror. He also examined himself in the mirror to ascertain the damages he’d sustained. He had a small cut above his left ear, and the ear itself had a nasty cut that might require a few stitches. For the most part, though, he just had a visibly bruised lump stretching from his temple to the back of his left ear.
David washed his face with cold water and used a clean wash cloth out of the linen shelves next to the sink to wash off the dried blood on his head, neck and ear. After cleaning himself up he looked much better, but it hurt to breathe. He gently pulled up his T-shirt to reveal a fist-size bruise on his lower ribcage. He was sure that his ribs were at least cracked, if not broken.
He walked back into the room, examining the damages and trying to remember the chain of events that had taken place the night before. The end table to the left of his bed was smashed, and blood was smeared on the wall above it. The bedspread was still crumpled up on the floor next to the bed and end table. The remaining blankets and sheets were in disarray and splattered with blood droplets. David painfully got dressed. He had a hard time putting on shoes, so he finally resorted to wearing his slip-on shower thongs.
He walked to the front entrance, noticing a few droplets of blood here and there that stood out on the white Berber carpet. David checked the door and found it still unlocked. There appeared to be no signs of forced entry. He silently cursed himself for making it so easy for the intruders to gain access to him.
He picked up the phone, retrieved the security agency business card that Sarah had left him, and called their number to report the incident. Within minutes, four security officers were viewing David’s room and asking questions. The owner of the company showed up and called the local police. Since there was no sign of forced entry, and nothing was missing, the police felt at a bit of a loss. David was unable to even give a description of the assailants. There was no doubt that something had taken place in that room, but no one was sure exactly what had transpired. Two security officers escorted him to a minor emergency clinic a couple of miles from the house and waited for him to receive care.
David was suffering from a concussion and told not to drive. His suspicions were confirmed-he had two cracked ribs, and needed a few stitches on his left ear. After filling his prescriptions for pain pills and Ibuprofen to curtail the swelling, he was taken back to the house by the security agency officers. They assured him that they would beef up patrols to the house and each night a security officer would personally go ring the doorbell and confirm that he was okay. He thanked them for their concern and everything they had done to help.
David felt somewhat nauseous and figured it was time he had something to eat. He finished his written statement for the police report and saw the last of the police and security officers to the door. He then securely locked the front door, engaged the security alarm, and headed for the kitchen to scramble some eggs. He would spend the rest of the day relaxing in Leo’s big easy chair in front of the large screen TV.
After breakfast David felt better having something in his stomach and willed himself to tidy up the house. Afterwards he decided he would not be such an easy target again, and went to the master bedroom and retrieved Sarah’s pistol and placed it in the top dresser drawer next to his bed in the guest bedroom. He reluctantly removed and loaded two more pistols, placing one in the drawer of the built-in office desk in the oversized kitchen, and the other under the seat cushion of the couch in the living room.
He remembered Bart, and began searching the house for the family fur ball. Finally, after painfully searching most of the house, he located Bart hiding under the master bedroom king sized bed. “Well, I know for sure you’re not an attack cat!” he said. Eventually, he coaxed the animal out with a small dish of CatSip.
David was just about ready to relax in front of the TV when he remembered telling the thugs to check with Natasha, their office manager, and immediately felt compelled to call and warn her. He called the real estate office number and asked to speak to the manager. After being on hold for less than a minute a pleasant female picked up the line. “This is Natasha, office manager and acting broker, how can I assist you?”
He cleared his throat and identified himself. He explained what had happened and warned her to be extremely cautious and aware of her surroundings, and not to be alone anywhere. He suggested that she call the security agency and have them patrol by the office as well. He was sure that Leo and Sarah would not mind, and that her safety would trump any additional cost.
Natasha thanked him for the warning and concern, but reminded him that the office was good-sized and usually had about twenty realtors coming and going throughout the day. She said that she would consider calling the security agency, because the night before they did have some vandalism, as a rock had been thrown through the front door. Nothing was missing, though, and she figured it had just been some bored teenagers with nothing better to do with their time. She had already been in contact with the insurance agency and had repairmen fixing the door as she spoke to him. David sighed, shrugged his shoulders, and asked her to be extra careful anyway. She assured him she would be, and said that if she saw or heard anything suspicious she would notify the proper authorities. She thanked him again for the call and his concern and assured him she would be fine.
David had done his best to warn Natasha, but felt like Sarah must have felt trying to warn him, as it seemed to fall on somewhat deaf ears. David looked down at the cat that was now rubbing up against his pant legs. “Why didn’t you warn me last night?” The cat wandered over to the easy chair by the front windows and jumped up to the window ledge so he could look outside. David stared at the cat. “Did you try to warn me last night? Is that why you wanted in?” Bart ignored him.
David went to the kitchen and poured a glass of milk, took his pain pills, and eased down in Leo’s big easy chair to watch some TV.
Chapter 22
Minutes after leaving Miami, Chris was out like a light. He had been awake all day and finally gave in to sleep. Traykie was flirting with all the flight attendants. Little did he know that it was their job to be friendly to the passengers and help make their flight more enjoyable. He thought, as usual, that all women just adored him. One young flight attendant did; however, seem more enthusiastic than the rest as she proceeded to bring him treats, a second 7-Up, a pillow, a blanket, and headphones, and even helped him figure out what time it was in Namibia.
Sarah pretended to be sleeping while listening to “Coming to America” by Neil Diamond on her headphones. She was actually amused, watching her son pour on his charm. The young attendant was fresh-looking and very attractive with a cute smile and deep dimples. She appeared well-balanced and graceful as her slender figure glided down the aisles. Sarah approved of her son’s taste in w
omen.
A couple of the older, more mature flight attendants began teasing the younger woman, as they too noticed Traykie’s persistent come-on lines and the cute jokes he told the younger woman whenever she was near his vicinity. Prior to changing flights in Rio, Traykie actually exchanged phone numbers with the now noticeably blushing young lady. Once in the sky again, they had dinner, kidded Traykie a bit, and then relaxed to watch Lord of the Rings-Return of the King. Within a few more hours they would be landing in Pretoria, South Africa.
Leo reached Denver earlier than anticipated and knew that Doug wouldn’t be home from work yet, so he opted to spend the afternoon enjoying the Denver Museum of Natural History. Afterwards, he stopped at a gas station in Aurora near the Eastgate Mall, filled his car, and called his friend from a convenience store pay phone. He did not want to risk using his cell phone again. Doug was now home as it was well after dark. He tried to ask questions, but Leo cut him short, saying that he would be there in five minutes. Leo asked him if he had room in his garage for another vehicle. Although Doug thought Leo was being a bit ridiculous he reluctantly agreed to move his truck out of the garage and leave the door open so Leo could drive right inside.
Ervin parked his rented van in the guest parking lot in the center of the cul-de-sac, where a few other family vehicles were parked. He felt confident that the tan van would blend in with the others. He had already checked in with some of the other operatives in Denver and borrowed some surveillance equipment. His prize possession was the new high-power night, vision zoom lenses. He strapped the device on his head and felt more powerful than ever. He could now clearly see out into the dark world surrounding his van without being detected.
B.B.U.S.A. (Buying Back the United States of America) Page 13