Chapter 90
There was a lot of water between Cairo and the next bridge at a place called Thebes, on the Illinois side of the river below Cape Girardeau, Missouri. It would be about seven hours before the boat got there. While the real crew members were either on watch or resting, the doctor’s crew was hanging out in the galley, playing cards. Since Dennis was not a card player, he walked up the steps to the pilothouse where Frank guided the boat, and Charlie was stretched out on the padded bench along the back wall with a paperback in his hands.
"A quiet afternoon," Dennis said.
Silence.
"Wasn't so quiet back at Cairo," Frank said. "Did you see those crowds. This is insane; all those people out there, waving signs and yelling. People are nuts."
"Well, maybe not nuts, Frank. But they are hungry for something that will excite them and make them feel something good for a change."
"And that's you, I suppose?" Frank said.
"Well, not me, but what our mission stands for, yes. People are tired of having a few rich and powerful people controlling things and deciding who lives or dies. They want change."
"Yeah, I guess. But you really think this is the way to do it?"
"To bring about change? I'm afraid so Frank. Like I said earlier, we've tried other ways, but the people in control are too well protected. So people just give up and believe there is nothing they can do. We're reminding them that they can do something and can change how things work."
Silence.
"Captain," Dennis said, "you're quiet back there. I'm sure you have thoughts about this?"
Charlie raised his eyes from his book, "Bull shit!"
"What do you mean?" Dennis asked.
"I mean it’s all bullshit; this little speech you just gave and your whole goddamned mission thing you're doing. It’s nothing but bullshit; plain and simple."
"But you don't think..."
"You may be right that the rich people have too much power. And you may be right that insurance companies and things like that are nothing but sons a bitches. But what you are doing here is just as screwed-up, and just as wrong any of them are. You've got the fancy words and fancy speeches, but you’re just the same as they are; nothing but a bunch of self-serving, piss-ant, bull shit artists, plain and simple."
"I'm sorry you feel that way Captain. I really am. I think that if..."
"If you really wanted to make the changes you are talking about; there are ways of doing it. It might take time, but that's how things work. You're just like those long hair hippie sons a bitches who want everything right now and aren't willing to do the hard work needed to get things done. And you don't care about those people out there. You don't care about a damn thing but yourself. It’s bullshit; that's all it is."
Moments of quiet.
"Captain, I do understand how you feel."
"Bullshit" Charlie mumbled and stared at his book.
"No really, I think I do. And if I thought this mission was doing more harm than good, I assure you I would have nothing to do with it. In fact, I would do everything I could do to stop it."
Silence.
"And honestly," Dennis continued, "I have to admit it does bother me a bit. I mean, I'm not blind to what is happening. For example, the next place we're coming to is Thebes; a quiet little place in Illinois that's been there since 1835."
Charlie glanced up, then back to his book.
"Yes, like I said, I'm not blind to all this. It troubles me that we're going to change that little town with such a history. Did you know that the railroad bridge we're going to hit there was opened in 1905, and it’s still in use? Did you know that Abe Lincoln practiced law in Thebes, and there is a story that Dred Scott was kept in one of the jail cells there? And we're going to turn that town into a place that no one will be able to visit for fifty years; do you think that doesn’t bother me a bit?"
Dennis looked out the window as Frank steered the boat and Charlie looked at his book.
"All I think right now," Charlie said, "is that I think you need to get your ass out of my pilothouse. And that's something you don't need to spend any time thinking about."
Dennis looked at the Captain briefly, glanced at Frank, and stepped out the door and walked downstairs to watch the card game.
"Bull shit!" Charlie said.
Colonel Chambers and Commander Reyes were sitting in a helicopter passing over Scott City, Missouri on the way to Cape Girardeau. Lennie was in New Orleans, handing a sealed box containing a plastic bag to the pilot of an F.B.I. airplane ready to fly to Louisville. Agent Arturo Dasilva was on the phone hearing that action two had been completed. Agent Emily Graham was driving a new rental car, the same model as the last, up Route 3 on the way to Thebes, with the windows rolled down, singing Free Bird with Lynard Skynard on the radio.
Chapter 91
Dasilva was in his chair. It was ten minutes after four, and neither Agent Emily Graham, Colonel Chambers or Commander Reyes had joined the four o’clock meeting. Calls to each of them had gone unanswered. As he looked around the table, Dasilva also did not see Agent Lennie Ryan. The tension in his body was as noticeable as the strain in his voice, "Well, it appears some of our key members have chosen to not attend our meeting. Since they were to provide the updates we are waiting for, I see no reason to keep you from your work any further. This meeting is adjourned."
His jaw was set as he walked from the room. His tires threw gravel as he pulled out of the parking lot. Thirty minutes later he was sitting on a bar stool next to a man in a very nice suit.
"I've told you what I know," suit said. "She was on her way to Thebes; the last report said she was on Route 3 somewhere around Olive Branch."
"Somewhere near Olive Branch?" Dasilva said. "You mean you don't know where she is for sure. Is that what you're telling me?"
"Relax," suit said. "There isn't anyplace she could go; she's on Route 3. It’s fine."
"Fine," Dasilva said. "Fine? After your screw-up with her last night, don't sit there and tell me its fine."
"About last night; we thought we..."
"Save it; I'm not interested. You were to do a job out there and so far it’s not been done. And now you tell me you don't know where she is. Listen, if I need to find someone else to do this..."
"No, we'll take care of it. We'll take care of it."
"See that you do. Now, what about her father? What happened there?"
Suit stared at his drink before saying anything more.
Across town, Lennie was sitting at a small desk watching video recordings of a hallway. He had been at it for half an hour and stood to stretch his arms.
"There's about ninety-six hours of it all together." the guy sitting next to him said. "The nurse said you wanted the past four days."
"Yeah," Lennie said, "that ought to give us what we need. Have you looked at any of it yet?"
"Nope. I just pulled the tapes and put them out here. What are you looking for anyway?"
"Not sure; maybe someone going in this room right here," Lennie pointed to the door on the screen, "someone who visited the guy in that room."
"I guess you could put it on fast forward and watch for something. That might help."
"That could work," Lennie said. "But I've got people who can do this for me, and they have the ability to enhance things if they find someone we need to identify. Do you have copies of these?"
"Nope, those are the only ones."
"Ok, then, I'll take these with me and have the team go over them. If somebody went in that room, they'll find them."
"So you guys are the F.B.I. huh? For real?"
"For real, yeah."
"Cool."
"Yeah, sometimes. You got a bag for these?"
Chapter 92
The pickup spot was near Rock Springs. The fishing boat came from the Illinois side and met the Francis B. as she passed. Fifteen minutes later the device was settling itself into the mud below the historic Thebes Bridge. A hundred and fifty years ago o
r so, steamboats carrying Union Troops to the South passed under the span, but tonight the Francis B. was the only boat on the river. Dennis stood in the galley doorway, watching the sunset illuminate the old Thebes Courthouse. He had read that it was on the historical register, and he could almost see Lincoln standing on those old steps watching the boat pass by.
"Pity," Dennis said to himself.
"What was that?" Dr. Shallenger asked as he stepped outside followed by Bear; the big man.
"Oh nothing," Dennis said. "Just taking in the view."
Both men watched the shore pass for a moment.
"Doctor, do you ever have second thoughts about what we are doing; I mean about how we're doing it?"
"Second thoughts? Absolutely not." Shallenger waved a hand in the air. "What we are doing will bring about changes that must take place."
"Yes, I know. But I mean, the destruction; especially of something like this little town, it’s just sad."
"A small price to pay."
"Yes, I know. At least it’s just buildings and things; we're not doing anything that will harm people directly. Just things."
"Yes, my friend, just things."
Another moment watching the shore.
"Have a nice evening my friend," Shallenger said as he touched Dennis' shoulder and stepped back inside.
"You too," Dennis said as he turned and noticed Bear still standing inside the door.
"Purdy night," Bear said.
"It certainly is Bear." Every time Dennis looked at him, he was reminded of those big guys who played prize fighters in the old movies. He was huge, and strong, but seemed to be a bit awkward both physically and mentally. If he had to describe Bear, Dennis would say that he had a body and heart the size of a bear, and a brain the size of a child. Dennis had almost changed his mind about recruiting Bear for the role. Not that Dennis had lied to him, but he was certain that Bear didn't really understand what was going on. All Bear understood was that he had been asked to come on a boat ride, and do whatever he could do to protect his new friends. Loyalty and friendship were things that Bear understood.
"Whatcha doin’ out here Dennis?" Bear asked. "There's skeeters out here."
"Just looking at the town there. Did you know that Abraham Lincoln was there once?"
"Ain't he the guy on the penny?"
"Yeah, that's him.
"Dennis, do you think they got any more ice cream tonight? That was good."
"I bet they do Bear." Dennis glanced at the shore and then at the smiling hulk beside him, "Let's go find out."
Chapter 93
While the crowds at Thebes had been small, Cape Girardeau made up for it. The first groups appeared just after they picked up the devices, lining the shore as the boat made its way around the bend below Marquette Island. Marquette Island was not large but was surrounded by sandbars that made it look much bigger. It was in the middle of the river, with the navigation channel going to the left, and a shallower channel to the right. As the Francis B. approached, Charlie saw that the right-hand channel was filled with pleasure boats of all shapes and sizes, all being kept out of the main river by Coast Guard cruisers. As he shined his bright arc spotlight in that direction, he heard the horns and cheers all the way out here in the middle of the river.
Dennis entered the pilothouse.
"Are you feeling better this evening Captain? I really didn't intend to upset you like I did this afternoon, and I want to apologize for that."
A brief pause.
"I'm fine," Charlie said in short words. "Don't worry about it."
"Hey, that F.B.I lady that called you; Agent Graham, I think you knew her father, a James Graham?"
Charlie turned to look at Dennis, then back to the river.
"Yeah. I knew him."
"Well?"
"Yeah, I knew him pretty well. He's the guy that trained me, so I probably know him as well as anybody did."
"I'll tell you what, I really feel bad about earlier. Would it help if you gave her a call and talked with her? You told her you would you know."
"That was because I couldn't talk then."
"I know, but why don't you call her. I'm sure she's up there by the bridge to watch us go by."
"Well, I don't know."
"Tell you what. Give her a call and just talk. The one rule; no talking about the mission, or the boat. OK?"
"OK." Charlie paused. "Thanks."
Charlie reached for his phone, found the number in the list of recent calls, and pushed the button.
"Graham."
"Agent Graham? This is Charlie Graff, Captain on the Francis B."
"Captain Graff, it’s good to hear your voice. Is everything OK?"
"Fine Agent Graham, are you here at Cape?"
"Yes. I'm with the police on the bridge. I wanted to go down by the river, but the crowds are out of control."
"I see them from here; we're just coming around Marquette Island."
"Captain, do they know you are calling me? Is it safe?"
"Yes, they know. In fact, it was his idea that I call you."
"His? You mean Dennis? Why would he do that? Is there a problem?"
"Yeah him. But no, there's no problem. I think he believes it will make me feel better and that I'll be nicer to him or something."
Charlie glanced at Dennis.
"So, you're just calling to talk?"
"Yeah, I guess so. So, your dad is Jim Graham?"
"Yes, he's my dad. You know him?"
"He taught me most of what I know out here; he's the reason I got my ticket. He was a stubborn son of a bitch but he sure as hell knew his...oh, I didn't mean anything..."
"Don't worry Captain; it’s not the first time he's been called that."
"Please call me Charlie. How is your dad now anyway? Where is he?"
"And I'm Emily. Well, he's in New Orleans now."
"New Orleans? That's great."
"Well, actually he's having some problems; not so much physically, but his mind. Some issues with dementia."
"Oh, I'm really sorry to hear that. Damn. How bad is it?"
"It comes and goes. Sometimes he knows where he is and who I am, and sometimes he has no idea."
"That's a shame. He deserves better. You say you're on the bridge up there?" Charlie asked as the boat approached the span.
"Almost in the middle. It might be too high, but I'll wave."
Charlie stepped outside the pilothouse door onto the gangway.
"I see you there. Not well enough to see if you inherited your dad's good looks, but I do hope you were spared that."
"Yeah, he says I look more like mom did."
"I was really sorry to hear when she passed. We met a few times when Jim had me over to the house to help get me ready for my pilot’s exam. She made one hell of a pecan pie."
"Yes, she did Charlie.”
A brief pause as Charlie stepped back into the pilothouse.
"Charlie, tell me, is there anything we can do to bring this thing to an end here?"
"Emily, I'm afraid that's something we can't talk about tonight," Charlie said as he glanced at Dennis.
"I understand."
"Well, it’s been nice to visit with you. Say hello to your dad when you see him."
"I'll tell him, Charlie. You take care."
A brief pause.
"Charlie?"
"Yes, Emily?"
"Is Dennis there with you?"
"He's standing right here."
"Could I talk with him please?"
Charlie offered Dennis the phone, but he shook his head.
"He, um, can't do that right now Emily. I'm sorry."
"No problem Charlie. I understand. You take care of yourself, OK?"
"You do the same."
Emily stood on the high span of Cape Girardeau's Bill Emerson Bridge. She watched the stern of the Francis B. move away to the north and covered her ears to block the roar from the crowds lining both sides of the river.
"Feeling b
etter?" Dennis asked Captain Charlie Graff.
"Yes," Charlie said. Then after a brief pause added. "But I still think you and your friends down there are full of bullshit, and if I can find a way to stop what you are doing I goddamn well guarantee you I'm going to do it."
"Good night Captain," Dennis said as he stepped from the pilothouse.
Chapter 94
It was an hour’s drive from Cape Girardeau, Missouri to the next bridge at Chester, Illinois. Emily decided to get the drive out of the way tonight and sleep in before the boat passed there around five in the morning.
She was tired. She hadn't slept that well after the so-called accident. She was not taking the pain meds, so while her head was clear, it felt like someone was playing a bass drum inside. The noise at Cape Girardeau hadn't helped. She checked her phone when she got to Cape and saw a half-dozen missed calls; several of them from Dasilva. As she pulled onto I-55, she shook her head thinking there were still places in this country where you couldn’t get a cell phone signal or decent music; you know, like they have back home. She decided she would return those missed calls tomorrow morning. After all, she reasoned, it was late, and she didn't want to bother anyone like Dasilva if she didn’t have too.
She began punching buttons on the radio to find something worth listening too when she felt the vibration.
"Graham."
"Emily, it’s Lennie, can you talk?"
"Yeah, I'm in the car heading to Chester, what's keeping you up at this hour?"
"I knew you would want to know; I just got a call from your Medical Examiner up in Louisville. She said the pill we sent her is the same as the other one. Do you know what she means by that?"
There was a brief pause as Emily focused on keeping the car on the road. Her head was spinning as she thought about what had almost happened, and that whoever was responsible was still out there running around somewhere.
Disruption: A River Of Secrets And Betrayal Page 29