The Assassin's Trail

by J. C. Fields

  Kruger was concerned. “Why, what happened?”

  “Just more frustrations. I’ll tell you more when you get here.”

  The call ended ten minutes later after he told her about his schedule. Kruger was also frustrated with the pending trip to Washington, a trip he really didn’t want to make.

  ***

  They arrived fifteen minutes early for their appointment. The agency’s door was locked, so Stephanie stood by the door while Kruger paced. At exactly 8 a.m., the door opened. Terri Fischer shook both of their hands and said, “It’s nice to see you again, Mr. and Mrs. Kruger. Please come in.”

  At five feet tall, Terri Fischer was a petite woman in her late 40s. Her hair was prematurely gray, which she wore to her shoulders. Her face was narrow and her eyes an intense green. Dressed in a navy pants suit, she had the appearance of someone who took their job seriously.

  As they sat down in her office, she said, “I have exciting news for you.”

  Stephanie’s eyes grew wide, and Kruger smiled.

  Fischer continued, “A young girl, actually a teenager, from a small town south of Salina contacted us this week. She’s pregnant and, at this time, wants to give the child up for adoption.”

  Stephanie said, “What do you mean, at this time?”

  “Well, sometimes they change their mind. Sometimes the father convinces them to keep the child, and sometimes it’s the mother’s parents. Depends on the circumstance. But in this case, I believe she will give the child up.”

  Kruger cocked his head to the side. “What makes you say that?”

  Fischer sighed. “The girl doesn’t know who the father is, plus she was raised by a single mother. Their financial situation is dire. The young woman told me she personally doesn’t want her child raised like she was, poor and neglected.”

  Wiping a tear from her eye, Stephanie said, “How far along is she?”

  “She just started her third trimester. The child will be here before the end of the summer.”

  The rest of the meeting was a blur. Papers needed to be signed, emotions had to be addressed, and the expectant parents had to be cautioned about the potential for disappointment.

  It was several minutes past nine when they were back in Kruger car. He said, “You realize this could all fall apart, Stef.”

  “I know.” She was silent for a few moments. “I'm trying not to get too excited, but I can't help it. I've wanted this for a long time, Sean. I just didn't realize how much.”

  “It is kind of exciting, isn't it? Our lives will change completely, you know.”

  She nodded. “Yes, they will, and yesterday's silly meeting will be forgotten. Yes, I'm ready for a change.”

  Kruger thought about yesterday’s events and his own disappointing performance, and realized he also was ready for a change.

  “When does your plane leave today?”

  “I don't know,” he said.

  Since he was driving, Kruger handed his iPhone to her. “Check my messages, it vibrated a couple of times while we were in the meeting.”

  She read the messages and said, “Delta at one-forty p.m. Arriving Reagan at seven, one stop in Detroit. That doesn't sound too bad. At least we have time for an early lunch.”

  He nodded. “You're right, that does sound good.”

  ***

  Kruger’s plane landed on time at Reagan International. He called Clark as he walked through the terminal to find out when to expect his ride. Clark was already waiting for him in the passenger pick-up lane outside the terminal.

  As Kruger slid into the passenger seat, Clark said, “Paul’s having a meeting at his house. Alan and Charlie are already there. He wants to prepare us for the meeting with Director Wagner in the morning.”

  “What time is the meeting with Wagner?”

  Clark said, “Nine. Paul won't be with us, it’ll just be the four of us.”

  Kruger was quiet for a few moments, contemplating why Paul wouldn’t be there. “Did Paul say why?”

  Shaking his head, Clark glanced at Kruger. “No, he didn’t. He just said there was a prior commitment.”

  Kruger suddenly remembered his conversation with Seltzer. “Did Paul meet with the Attorney General this morning?”

  “I believe so. Charlie and I didn’t get in until afternoon. Someone mentioned the meeting, but nothing else. Why?”

  Kruger stared out the passenger window.” Just curious. Guess we’ll know more after we meet with Paul tonight.”

  Chapter 31

  Washington, D.C.

  Saturday morning

  Director Wagner sat behind his desk, arms flat on the surface and hands clasped with fingers intertwined. As a practiced politician, his face was a mask of neutrality. He listened quietly as Seltzer summarized the evidence discovered in Ortega’s hotel room and through Charlie Craft’s computer forensics. Kruger watched the director closely, noting a tiny sheen of perspiration developing on Wagner’s upper lip and an increased respiration rate.

  Seltzer paused at the end of his presentation. Wagner did not comment, so Seltzer continued, “Last night, military police arrested two individuals, each at separate bases. Preliminary audits of those facilities indicate inventory discrepancies with specific weapons and ordinances mentioned in the Ortega notebook.”

  Wagner stared at a spot on his desk. When he raised his head, he stared at Seltzer.

  “I was under the impression Agent Kruger was no longer involved with this case,” he finally said. “Why are we discussing his involvement, and why is this agency still investigating a closed case?”

  “Director,” Seltzer said, “Agent Kruger was doing a follow-up investigation on what was originally thought to be an unrelated case. This investigation led Agent Kruger to the suspect in St. Louis. Agent Kruger was unaware of the suspect’s involvement with Cooper until specific evidence was discovered during the lawful search of the suspect’s hotel room.”

  Smiling, Wagner shook his head.

  “Mr. Seltzer, I’ve been a politician for over two decades and my built-in BS meter is finely tuned. It just pinged. Please do not insult my intelligence with this fictitious account. You were specifically instructed to remove Agent Kruger from this investigation. Now I find these instructions were not carried out.”

  Seltzer stared at the director, not believing what he was hearing. Before he could comment, Kruger said, “Alan, I'll answer this. Director Wagner, you were misled with unsubstantiated information about this case. Agent Dollar has a history of declaring cases prematurely closed, he ignores facts, and he refuses to listen when evidence is presented that contradicts his conclusions. He’s a lazy, undisciplined FBI agent and totally unfit to be in charge of a major investigation.”

  The director stared at Kruger and cleared his throat.

  “Agent Dollar made that announcement after consulting with me,” he said.

  Kruger shook his head and chuckled. “Then you are the bigger fool for following the fool.”

  Wagner jumped from his chair, leaned forward and slapped his palms on his desk. His face had turned a bright crimson. He stared at Kruger.

  “How dare you accuse me of collusion? Consider yourself suspended, pending an internal investigation. And you, Mr. Seltzer, will consider yourself suspended for disobeying a direct order from the director. Do I make myself clear?”

  Kruger started to say something when the director’s intercom interrupted him. “Excuse me, Director, line one. It's the President.”

  Wagner's face turned ashen. He sat back down, snatched the handset from the phone, hesitated briefly, took a deep breath, and said, “Yes, Mr. President.”

  He was quiet as he listened. “Yes, sir, they’re sitting here in my office.”

  Another pause.

  “Yes sir, I have been briefed.”

  Wagner closed his eyes and covered them with his free hand.

  “Yes, sir, I will inform them after our conversation.”

  He listened for more than a minute, the per
spiration above his lips more pronounced. Even though he was sitting across the desk from the director, Kruger could hear the angry garbled voice on the other end of the call.

  “I understand, sir… My apologies… Yes, I understand.”

  Wagner stared at the top of his desk for several more moments as he listened to the President.

  Finally, he said, “I will have it on your desk within the hour.”

  Wagner returned the handset to the phone’s cradle. He looked at Seltzer and Kruger, and placed his arms once again on the desk with his fingers intertwined.

  “It appears you two have a guardian angel watching over you. I apparently resigned ten minutes ago. You are to report immediately to Acting Director Stumpf. Meanwhile, I have a letter to write.”

  Wagner turned his back to them, opened the laptop on the credenza behind him and started typing. Seltzer stood and motioned for Kruger to follow. The two left the ex-director’s office and hurried down the hall to Stumpf's office. His assistant smiled and motioned for them to go in immediately.

  Stumpf was listening on the phone. He smiled as he pointed at two chairs in front of his desk. After a minute, Stumpf said, “Yes, sir, I will handle it immediately. I appreciate your confidence.”

  He returned the handset to the phone and said, “I wish I could have been there to see Wagner's reaction. How was it?”

  Seltzer said, “Interesting. One second he’s suspending Kruger and me, and the next, he was apologizing to the President. What did you do?”

  “I merely presented Kruger's evidence to the Attorney General at breakfast yesterday. He presented it to the President this morning, who promptly fired Wagner. The President just informed me you two did him a huge favor. Wagner was a holdover from the previous administration and the President didn’t like him or trust him. But, he didn't have a solid reason to fire him—until today.”

  Kruger said, “Excuse me, Paul, but it wasn’t my evidence; it was the team's evidence. I didn't do it alone.”

  Smiling, Stumpf said, “I know, Sean, it's just a figure of speech. Your team did an excellent job on this. We already have the supply chain shut down. I’m told those individuals are cooperating and giving us details on how the C4 was obtained by Cooper.”

  “How do you want us to move forward?” Seltzer asked.

  “First, as of now, Kruger is totally in charge of the investigation. Franklin Dollar, even though he is currently unaware of it, has been demoted and transferred to the branch office in Fargo, North Dakota. Sorry about the BS we put you through, Sean. You officially have FBI resources at your disposal as of this moment.”

  “Thank you, Paul,” said Kruger. “I'm sorry if I don't jump up and down with excitement. Ortega’s in the wind and two additional conspirators are currently unidentified.”

  Stumpf nodded. “Understood. I have one more point to discuss, your pending retirement. With Wagner gone, the President has authorized changes around here, good changes. The agency will be stronger and more responsive. I need people like you and our new Deputy Director, Alan Seltzer here, working with me to make those changes.”

  Seltzer apparently had not been informed of his promotion. He said, “Thank you, Paul. Are you sure I'm the best candidate?”

  Smiling, Stumpf nodded. “Yes, Alan, you are. The President agreed with my recommendations this morning. I've been working behind the scenes preparing for this change of administration for several months.” He turned to Kruger and continued, “Sean, I know you want to stop traveling, and I don't blame you. My plans call for naming you the new Special Agent in Charge of our Kansas City office.”

  Kruger eyes grew wide. For the first time this morning, he did not possess any idea how to respond. Finally after what seemed like hours, he said, “Thank you, sir, I appreciate your confidence. But this is a decision I need to discuss with Stephanie. Besides, I have an investigation that needs to be resolved. Afterwards we can discuss it.”

  Stumpf said, “That's the reason I need you on my team Sean, good decision-making skills. I can wait.”

  “Good. In the meantime,” Kruger said, “I need to keep my team together. They’re familiar with the case, plus we’re making progress. While Charlie’s here in Washington, he needs to brief a local team before flying back. They can start accessing his information and searching for the shooter located in this area.”

  “You two handle the details. Alan, you have the authority to use whatever resources are necessary. Meanwhile, if you will excuse me, I have to undo a lot of damage caused by my predecessor.”

  Seltzer and Kruger left the office and found Charlie Craft and Ryan Clark waiting in the hall outside Stumpf's office. Charlie said, “Rumors are flying around here. Is Wagner out?”

  Seltzer nodded and said, “Let's find a conference room, and we’ll bring you both up to speed.”

  The next two hours were spent organizing how the investigation would move forward. Charlie was assigned to Kruger until further notice and relieved of all other duties. Later in the afternoon, a new task force would be assigned to the East Coast search and Charlie would review the evidence with them. Clark was given the option of staying on the team, or going back to the Alexandria Police Department. He chose to stay on the team.

  Once the meeting broke up, Clark and Charlie left, leaving Seltzer and Kruger alone for the first time.

  “I told you Paul had a plan, Sean. I didn't know all the details, but he hinted it would be big.”

  Kruger nodded. “First positive change around here for a long time.”

  “I know your plans are to retire after this is over. But Paul wanted me to assure you the traveling would be minimal if you accept the Kansas City position. Besides, you’ve spent your entire career in the field. It’s time you take a promotion.”

  Kruger looked out one of the windows in the conference room as Seltzer spoke. He was silent for several moments.

  “The offer is tempting, Alan. I have to discuss it with Stephanie before I can give you an answer. There was a reason I didn’t return immediately to Washington.”

  Seltzer nodded. “Paul told me you had something on your mind, but wouldn’t tell him.”

  “Stephanie and I had a meeting with an adoption agency yesterday morning. There’s a good chance they’ve found a child for us. Looks like it could be as early as late summer. Stephanie wants this and so do I. She deserves the opportunity to experience the joys and heartbreak of being a mother.”

  “Congratulations to you both. I’m happy for you, Sean. But that doesn’t keep you from taking the new position. In fact, it’s a great opportunity for you.”

  “I know, but I missed a lot when Brian was growing up. I don't want to repeat that mistake. Besides, it may be time for me to hang it up any way. Clark and I had Ortega.” He made a fist as he spoke. “We had him in our hands, Alan. All we had to do was arrest him, but I made the wrong call and he got away. Not sure that’s Special Agent in Charge material.”

  “Nonsense. You're still one of the best Sean. You deserve this promotion, more than anyone I know. It'll keep you in Kansas City where you can focus on local issues. You’ll have less travelling and time for your new family. It’s perfect for you.”

  Kruger was silent as he nodded. Finally he said, “Yes it is perfect, but I’m still not sure. I really need to discuss it with Stephanie.” A grim smile appeared as he stood up to leave the conference room.

  Chapter 32

  Western United States

  The sun was barely peaking over the horizon as he left Topeka, Kansas driving west. By 1 p.m., Ortega was parked outside a warehouse next to the railroad yards in Denver. The building was on the outer rim of a large industrial park, surrounded by old abandoned structures. After checking to make sure the CZ’s safety was on and there was a bullet in the chamber, he tucked it in his belt and pulled his sweatshirt down to cover the gun. The KA-BAR was strapped to his right calf, covered by his pant leg. Stepping out of the car, he scanned the dock area. Except for an old red Toyota
pickup, the place was deserted. Satisfied no one else was around, he entered the warehouse through a side door next to the loading dock.

  Except for rows of shelving stacked with crates along the far back wall, the interior was empty. His contact was in a glassed-in office area located on the west wall approximately fifteen feet from the door he had entered. The man sitting at the desk was in his mid-50s, unnaturally skinny, with wispy salt and pepper hair. His eyes squinted behind thick black-rimmed glasses and it appeared he hadn’t shaved in a week. When he saw Ortega, he frowned and stood up. He walked to the office door, unlocked it and waved Ortega in. “You’re late.”

  “Traffic,” replied Ortega.

  “Yeah, whatever. You mentioned on the phone something about new IDs. What do you need exactly?”

  “A driver’s license and passport.”

  “Any credit cards?”

  “Maybe an American Express. How much?”

  “I don't know, man. You're a hot commodity right now.”

  Ortega frowned. “What do you mean, hot commodity?”

  “You been sleeping under a rock, man? Your military ID picture’s all over the news. FBI's calling you a person of interest in two murders in New York.”

  Ortega was silent. Finally he said, “How much for the stuff?”

  “Fifty thousand, half up front, and you can have them in the morning.”

  “Seventy if you can have them in an hour.”

  The man took his glasses off and wiped the lenses with the tail of his untucked shirt. He stared at Ortega and smiled. “My, my, my... You are in a hurry, aren't you? Make it a hundred and you can come back in an hour.”

  Tilting his head, Ortega paused and narrowed his eyes. “No, I’ll wait.”

  The man shrugged. “Suit yourself. What state?”

  “Utah… Yeah, make it Utah.”

  The man started spreading the legs of a heavy duty tri-pod. He reached for a camera on his cluttered desk and secured it to the top. A wooden straight-back chair sat in front of a blank wall painted an off-white. Pointing to the chair, he said, “Sit there, I need a picture.”