“Yes, it makes sense. I’ve been racking my brain all day trying to make sense out of Tim’s statement. Now it makes sense. I’ll call our office manager tomorrow and have her express mail a copy of all of our closings to my grandmother’s house in Challis. It should get there the next day.”
Feeling a little more hopeful, the two men went out to eat before calling it a night.
Chapter 28
Ervin had driven the family van into Doug’s subdivision after picking the men up at the airport. He parked in the same guest parking lot not far from Doug’s house. “I never saw any movement all morning. At least not anything up until I had to leave for the airport.”
“Which house is it?” John inquired.
Ervin pointed to the house.
“So you think they are still in it right now?”
“I imagine so.”
“Well boys, you ready to get this over with?” Bob asked.
“Right now, in broad daylight?” Florin inquired.
He turned to Florin. “You think that’s a bad idea?” Florin so seldom offered anything so when he did; Bob listened as it was usually pertinent.
Florin shrugged. “Darkness would provide more cover, and we would have a better chance of not being noticed by the neighbors.” Florin was worried about being a part of this particular mission. Though he needed and wanted the money desperately, and he felt committed to his employers, he could not envision having anything to do with Leo’s death. At night, under cover of darkness, he might be able to warn Leo.
John spoke up. “It would be easier at night.”
Bob looked at the house and scanned the quiet neighborhood. “You’re probably right, Florin.”
“Shit!” Ervin blurted.
Bob reached for his gun, expecting an ambush, wildly looking around for the enemy. “What? Where?” He barked.
“His truck. It’s gone.”
“What do you mean his truck is gone?”
“Last night Doug moved his truck alongside the garage-over there by the boat-to make room for Leo’s car in the garage. It was still there when I left to pick you up, but now it’s gone.”
“That does it! We’re moving in now. We can’t let them get away again. Perhaps only one is gone. Maybe Leo is still inside. If he is, we’ll kill him and wait for Doug to come back.”
“What if they’re both gone?” Carl asked.
“Then we’ll surprise them when they get back, Carl. You, Marcus, and Florin go around back and cover the rear. We’ll come in the front. Shoot to kill if you have to, but try to be as quiet as possible. Go ahead and put on your silencers now to avoid the neighbors calling the cops. We may be able to take them without using guns. We’ll have the element of surprise and superior numbers. We’ll pick the lock on the front door. Watch out for crossfire. Remember we’ll be coming in from the front so don’t mistake us for them.” Bob took a deep steadying breath. “Any questions?”
“Let’s do it.” Ervin was anxious to get this over.
Bob gave Carl, Marcus, and Florin two minutes to get around back before he, John, and Ervin approached from the front. They walked directly up to the front door as casually as if they were visiting a relative. Bob felt the door, which was locked. He almost rang the doorbell, but hesitated, and instead pulled out his lock pick and handed it to Ervin. “You’re better at this than I am. You go ahead and pick the lock.”
Ervin was happy that Bob had such confidence in him. Bob stepped to the side of the door away from the window. Little did Ervin suspect that Bob simply did not care to be in the line of fire should Leo be inside, hear someone messing with the door, and start shooting.
The lock opened with a click. Ervin turned the handle and slowly entered the residence. John and Bob followed. Bob whispered to John to unlock the sliding patio door to let the others in.
The house seemed deserted. It had an absolute silence; no radios, no humming washing machines, sounds of a shower, or vacuum cleaners. All six men silently crept through the house, opening cupboards, looking behind shower curtains, and under beds, but the house was empty. Bob and Ervin began searching for evidence of Leo’s whereabouts while the other men kept an eye on the front and back of the house, should Doug and Leo return unexpectedly.
Bob found a note pad on the kitchen table and used a graphite pencil to gently shade over the slight indentions in the pad of paper. It was a major lead. A bill of sale for two firearms had been written from Doug to Leo. They now knew that Leo was armed with a shotgun and a .38 pistol. Bob was furious. He had been so close so many times, and now realized they had just missed him by less than an hour. He wanted Leo dead, and he wanted him dead right now. He was no longer fighting his conscience; he’d had enough. Bob picked up the telephone receiver and hit the redial button.
A masculine voice came down the line. “Colonel Stein’s office, Lieutenant Fritz speaking.”
“Lieutenant, this is Captain Cornwall. Is Major Corrigan there?” Bob improvised in a commanding voice.
“No sir, Captain.”
“Do you know when he will be in?”
“No sir, Major Corrigan just arranged for a week’s leave.”
“Lieutenant, it is very important that I deliver some documents to him personally. Do you know if he has left town yet?” Bob sounded put out, maybe as frustrated as he really felt.
“Sir, he called in this morning right before he left. He said his mother was ill and to leave a message for the Colonel that he was taking a week’s emergency leave.”
“Thank you, Lieutenant Fritz. One more thing: do you know where his mother lives, son?”
“Sir, all the Major said was that his mother was ill and he had to head to Idaho immediately.”
“Lieutenant, you have been very helpful; give my regards to Colonel Stein.”
“Yes sir, I will.”
Bob hung up the phone. “Damn it. We missed them again. They are heading back to Idaho.”
“Where in Idaho?” Ervin asked.
“I don’t know!
“I should have taken them myself last night.” Ervin lamented.
“No. You did the right thing, and they just were a minute ahead of us again. Boys, tear this place apart and find out where his parents live. Look for letters, an address book or a photo album. Carl, come take a walk with me.”
Bob and Carl walked out the front door towards the van. “Carl, I’ve had enough of this guy. All of our jobs depend on our success. Do you understand how important our mission is?”
“Yes I do. What do you need me to do?”
“Carl, I know you have firsthand experience with explosives from your Viet Nam days. I have to get this guy out in the open. Our California agency informed me that Leo’s family purchased tickets to Namibia, Africa. Leo’s mother has a business there on the coast. This guy is smart. He has become my worst nightmare. I want you to fly to headquarters this afternoon, I’ll arrange for a briefing. I want you to go to Namibia and blow up that business. Try not to kill his entire family, but I want him to understand we can reach them anywhere. I mean business; plan it so some narrowly escape.”
“Okay. Do you want any of them dead or just wounded?”
“Preferably not dead, but if it happens, so be it. They will become the bait, you see. You follow them and report to me or to headquarters and they will relay the message. Whoever survives will somehow get the message to Leo and then he will come out of hiding and try to get to them and we’ll take him out.”
“Pretty smart if you ask me.”
“Guys like that; you just have to stay one step ahead of them. We’ll finish up here within the hour and head for Idaho. I’m sure the boys will find a lead, but you will be my back-up plan. Don’t tell the others, okay?”
“As you wish. I always had a hankering to see Africa.”
When we fly back to Idaho, I’ll put you on another flight. Now don’t waste any time. You get there, get some explosives and blow that bus
iness as soon as you can, got it?”
“Yep.”
“Okay, let’s help finish up here and get on the move.”
It was Florin who located a shoebox full of letters revealing the address of Doug’s mother. Of course Florin had already met Doug and knew all too well where they had gone. He hesitated a moment, holding the box of letters while he tried to decide what to do. He peeked down the hallway at the other men who were searching for clues in the house. Florin made up his mind. He pulled out his pocketknife, bent down under the bed, sliced the carpet, then he quickly pulled up the corner and dumped the contents of the box underneath. He spread the letters around thinly as far back as he could reach to prevent them from causing a noticeable lump, then he pulled back the carpet and smoothed it the best he could.
He had crossed the line now. If the others discovered his treachery, his own life would be at stake. He moved away from the bed, letting the bedspread hang to the floor again, and he tossed the empty box back into the closet before leaving the room.
Bob and Carl walked in the front door. “Find anything, Florin?”
Florin looked up at him, shook his head, and went on poking around in the living room. Bob went back to the other men to see what they had uncovered. The house was visibly torn apart. They had found a lot of important military papers, tax reports, and his house purchase agreement, but no letters and no address book. Bob found that strangely odd and insisted that the men continue searching for a while longer. John finally came up with a lead. “Hey, check out these pictures.”
Bob examined them closely. Florin walked over close enough to see them as well. There were pictures of Doug in a bowling alley that Florin recognized, as well as a picture of Leo and Doug with Leo wearing a T-shirt that had a “Redfish Lake” logo. Several other pictures showed distinct landmarks in and around Stanley, Idaho. One even had Doug hugging a girl in front of a rustic sign that said “Sawtooth Wilderness Area.” Florin knew exactly where most of those pictures had been taken. When Bob saw the picture of a party around a fancy cake that said ‘Happy Birthday Mom’, he knew the pictures would guide him to the right Idaho town.
“Guys, we’ve got enough information. Bring the photos. Between these pictures and finding the last name of Corrigan in Idaho we will track them down. Let’s not waste any more time. With some luck we might even catch up to them before they reach their destination.” Bob hurried them out of the house and back to the van. They drove directly to the Denver airport.
Bob handed each of the men their boarding passes and told them that they had about an hour to kill before leaving. Ervin left to return the van to the airport rental center, while John and Marcus went to get a bite to eat and pick up some sandwiches for the rest of them. Florin noticed that Bob had handed Carl a different boarding pass. He and Carl shook hands and Carl walked away. When Bob stepped into the restroom, Florin sprinted after Carl. He caught up to him and casually inquired where he was going. Carl couldn’t keep all the excitement to himself, and since Florin never spoke to anyone much anyway, he told him not to tell the others, but he was heading to Africa to blow up the rest of the family. Florin walked a little ways further with Carl and shook hands, wishing him well on his travels.
That was as long as he could hold it together. Florin felt sick, knowing that his Idaho Mom was their next target and surmised that Leo’s wife and kids were probably with her. He ducked into the first bathroom he could find, trying to control his shaking hands. He splashed cold water on his pale face. He could taste the bile from his stomach lining burning at the back of his throat, he spit into the sink trying to rid himself of the taste. He had to do something, but what? He briefly contemplated running after Carl and coaxing him into a restroom to take him out before he could ever board a plane to Namibia, but knew it would never work in such a busy terminal. Besides, that wasn’t who he was. He was not an assassin. He held deep religious views and treasured life. How could he stop Carl? Could he locate his ‘Idaho mom’ and warn her? What would he say to her? Would she believe him? He was running out of time.
The five team members arrived back safely in Boise by late afternoon. They were so exhausted they couldn’t appreciate the beautiful valley with its many trees and changing leaves. Bob told them to get some rest and report back to the office in the morning.
He decided to listen to the recorded messages from Leo’s house before calling it an evening. There had only been two calls made. One was a follow-up call from a police detective regarding the previous intrusion. The other call lasted for forty seconds and was from a security agency checking on David’s well-being. He called headquarters one last time to make sure that all the arrangements for Carl were in order for his mission to Namibia. He breathed a sigh of relief knowing that his back-up plan was unfolding smoothly.
Next Bob visited with the employee that was assigned to calling all the Corrigan listings in central Idaho. The agent was posing as a long lost Army friend looking for Major Corrigan that had served with him in ‘Operation Iraqi Freedom.’ Bob felt confident that by morning they would have the name of the Idaho town where Doug’s mother lived. Once satisfied that all arrangements were made, Bob decided that he, too, could finally call it a night.
Two nights of sleep in a row made a world of difference to the way Leo felt. His reasoning powers seemed back in full force and he had a million ideas running around in his head. They had a good breakfast at the local truck stop. Leo paid for their breakfast and requested several dollars in change from the cashier. While Doug gassed the truck, he found the nearest pay phone. He called Natasha from the restaurant and was not entirely surprised to find her at the office on Sunday morning. Leo requested that she send a copy of all eight of the B.B.U.S.A. file closing documents to Leo’s grandmother’s house via express overnight mail. He asked her to give clear instructions for the delivery person to place it in the front door mail drop if his grandmother wasn’t home, or did not hear the doorbell as she was eighty-eight years old and hard of hearing. Leo expected to be there when the delivery arrived anyway, but wasn’t sure that he would feel very comfortable answering the door in case it was one of Bob’s hooligans.
He was very cautious not to give the address over the phone but rather told Natasha to get it from their Christmas list. He also asked if anyone had been around asking questions. She reassured him that everything was just fine; business was up, no problems other than some simple vandalism one night when some kids threw a rock through the glass door. He told her to keep up the good work and that he would be in contact with her in a couple of days if she needed anything. He further assured her that Sarah and the kids were having a great vacation at her father’s place and that all was well. Leo didn’t think he’d said anything that unwanted ears on a bugged phone line could use to their advantage.
Leo had figured that he would be able to reach Natasha at the office even on a Sunday morning. She was a workaholic and he never once remembered her attending church services on Sunday. She always volunteered to cover the office on weekends. Natasha turned heads. She was intelligent, capable, well educated, yet never seemed to take an interest in anyone on a personal level, and she seldom spoke of friends or family. Someday he and Sarah would undoubtedly sell the business to her.
His remaining quarters were used to call his grandmother and warn her of his arrival. She was delighted to hear his voice but reminded him that she was just leaving on her two week Alaskan cruise vacation. She told him to make himself comfortable and to stay as long he wanted, and that she’d call from the ship to let him know how she was doing. He was pleased to hear her voice and somewhat relieved that she would not be there in case Bob and his gang showed up at her house in Challis.
Doug and Leo packed up their few belongings, dropped off the room key, and got back in the truck heading for Idaho. Although Doug was highly frustrated with the computer, he immediately started working again while Leo drove.
Chapter 29
The phone rang and did
n’t stop. Joyce was still sleeping, but she could hear the noise in the distance. She was dreaming that she was calling a travel agent to purchase tickets. In the dream she was too late. Something was very urgent. She had to purchase the tickets, but the travel company was not answering the phone.
The ringing continued. Joyce stirred and finally awakened, yet she could still hear the ringing in the distance. She looked at the red glow from her electric clock. It was nearly five in the morning; she would have to get up soon anyway. She rolled out of bed, grabbed her robe and her keys and headed for the still ringing phone in her office on the other side of the courtyard.
She hurried across to the lounge door and unlocked it. As she stepped in she automatically flipped on a bright overhead light, and then rushed to her office. As she fiddled with the lock on the office door she became more concerned about the ringing phone. Perhaps it was Leo desperately trying to reach her. How long had the phone been ringing before she was even aware of it? She fumbled with the keys and tried the wrong one. She tried again. Joyce wiped her blurry eyes with her free hand, trying to clear the morning fog. The phone continued to ring. She felt desperate, still clinging to the dream of anxiously trying to get the travel agent’s office.
Finally, finding the right key, she turned the knob and flicked on the light switch at the entrance. Bright light bathed the office as completely as the absence of sound filled the space. Total silence prevailed.
Fearing she was too late, Joyce grabbed the receiver and yelled. “Hello! Hello! Is anyone there? Hello, Joyce speaking. Hello?” She reluctantly hung up the receiver. Who had called? Was it Leo? Was he in trouble? She felt awful. She wanted to cry. She sat next to the phone for the next twenty minutes, willing it to ring again. It never did. Reluctantly she returned to her quarters to shower and get dressed in preparation for another day of business. She left all the doors ajar, just in case she should hear the phone again, so she would have a clear run.
B.B.U.S.A. (Buying Back the United States of America) Page 19