by Jake Devlin
“Where – oh, yeah. The guy in the athletic T-shirt?”
“Yeah; it's called a wifebeater.”
“No, really?”
“Yup, really. They'll be having sex tonight, for sure … probably out in his pickup. At least that's how I'd write it if I were gonna.”
“And what names would you give 'em?”
“Hmm. Maybe Debbie and, and … Duane – no, no, Darryl. Yeah, that's it; Debbie and Darryl.”
“Good names, fitting. So do you have any more tips for me? Gordy and I will be celebrating in our own way tonight.”
“Let me think. I've already given you – uh-oh. Maybe later. Hi, Gordy.”
“Hi, Dallas. Can I steal Rosemary away for a dance? Ro, my dear, would you join me?”
“Sure, Gordy. Take her away.”
“I'd love to; let's go,” Rosemary said, glancing over her shoulder at Dallas as she left, mouthing the word, “Later?” Dallas nodded, then frowned as the guy she'd named Darryl headed her way.
Out on the dance floor, as she and Gordy danced one of the few slow dances the band had played all night, Rosemary whispered in his ear, “I've got a few new things to do with you tonight. Let's try to leave right after midnight, okay?”
Gordy smiled and whispered back, “Okay, hon. And I've got a few new ideas, too.”
“Mmmm.”
“Mm-hmm.”
A moment later, Gordy felt a tap on his shoulder, turned and saw two men in suits, one older and squat, one young , tall and rail-thin.
“Jake Devlin?” the older one said.
“I write under that name, yes.”
“FBI. Come with us, please.” He flashed a badge and ID card in a leather wallet.
“On New Year's Eve? Can't this wait?”
“No, sir, it cannot. Come with us now.”
“What's this about?”
“Come with us now. Quietly, please, or we'll handcuff you and drag you out.”
“Gordy?”
“Ma'am, stand back and be quiet,” the younger one said, puffing his skinny chest up and stepping between her and the two men.
“But” –
“Ma'am, do you want us to arrest you for obstruction? Stand back and be quiet.”
“Do as he says, Ro,” Gordy said. Then to the agents, he said, “I'll come with you.” He reached into his pocket, pulled out his keys and tossed them to Rosemary. “Can you get that home for me?”
“Sure. Be careful, Gordy.”
“See you in the morning, Ro.”
The agents walked him out of Slinky Joe's and into a silver SUV, which sped out of the parking lot, leaving Rosemary, Dallas and the rest of the group in stunned silence, at least until Darryl headed in Dallas' direction again.
- 73 -
December 31, 2012
11:59:59 p.m. local time
Aboard Defiance
In the Gulf of Aden
“Happy New Year, Evelyn.”
“And a Happy New Year to you, Paul.”
“And a very Happy New Year to you, Captain Zander, and to the entire crew. Cheers!”
He lifted his glass and sipped from the top-end champagne, as did “Evelyn,” the captain and the crew. “Paul” raised his glass again.
“And I want to thank all of you, ladies and gentlemen, for making this the most efficient and delightful cruises Evelyn and I have ever taken on any boat anywhere in the world. Congratulations and thank you, one and all.” He took another sip and raised the glass toward the captain.
“Captain Zander, I'm sure gathering these men and women to staff the boat wasn't easy for you, but you have picked some of the best people to support you and your core group. Congratulations and thank you to you.” A third sip and “Paul” began to sit back down, but stopped himself as the captain raised his glass.
“And to you two, Mr. and Mrs. Burnett, and to the absent JJ, on behalf of the entire crew, new and old alike, thank you for choosing the Defiance for your charter. And I hope we can make your stay onboard for the next few months as comfortable and successful as I hope you have found it for the past two months. Three cheers to you both … and to the absent JJ, who was a delight to have onboard for the time she was with us.”
“Hip-hip hooray! Hip-hip hooray! Hip-hip hooray!” the crew shouted, glasses raised. “Paul” raised his glass in return and everybody finished off their champagne.
“Refills for all, as long as you want tonight,” “Paul” shouted, smiling at each in turn.
“But not too much,” Captain Zander shouted. “We'll all need to be sharp in the morning.”
“Thank you, Captain,” “Paul” said quietly.
“And thank you, Jake,” the captain virtually whispered. “It's good to have you aboard again. And Pam, you are truly a delight.”
“Thank you, Captain, “Evelyn” whispered back.
“Good night, everybody,” Jake shouted. “Enjoy yourselves.”
He waved, as did Pam, and they left the main salon and headed to their master suite.
“Happy New Year, Pam,” Jake said, closing the door behind them. “I love you.”
“And I love you, Jake,” Pam said, kissing him passionately. “And now I'm going to show you just how much. Take out your teeth and let's get naked.”
- 74 -
January 1, 2013
1:38 a.m. local time
Bangkok, Thailand
“I swear, CB, I did not sign up for this,” Jill said, her eyes glued to the monitor. “Disgusting!”
“I agree, Jillybean, but we knew what he was when we took the job.”
“And to think taxpayer money is not only paying for us, but for all those little boys his people have been bringing him. What a corrupt, perverted sonofabitch!”
“And he keeps getting re-elected. If the voters only knew.”
“Hell, they're so blind, they'd probably keep putting him back in office even if they did.”
“You got that right, JB. You can't fix stupid.”
“Who said that, CB?”
“I think it was some comedian, one of those blue collar types. I forget his na-” --
A child's scream from the room next to theirs made them both jerk upright.
“Oh, Jesus, Carie Berry. Look at what he's doing to that poor kid.”
“God, that is disgusting.”
“Can't we do anything about it? Can't we just shoot that bastard right now?”
“Not yet. We can't blow our cover. We've got to wait for the right opportunity.”
“Shit. Fuckin' disgusting prick! I swear, Carie, when the time is right, I'm gonna cut off his fuckin' balls.”
- 75 -
January 1, 2013
3:48 a.m. local time
Fort Myers, Florida
“So where did you get these photos?” the older, squat agent asked for a third time, pointing to the two prints arrayed on the table.
“I told you, I never saw them before,” Gordy responded, turning them facedown. “They're disgusting.”
“Answer the fuckin' question, asshole,” the younger, rail-thin man yelled, slapping the back of Gordy's head, harder this time than the first. “Where did you get these photos?”
Gordy twisted his head to look up at the younger man. “Look, kid, I told you before, the first time I saw these photos was when you laid 'em out here on this table. Hit me again and my lawyers will have your hide.”
The agents glanced at each other; the younger one laughed.
“Yeah, right,” he said, slapping the back of Gordy's head even harder. “Answer the fuckin' question!”
“I told you before, I never saw them before in my life.”
“Quit lying to us, asshole! Don't you know that's a felony?”
“Lying to a federal official? Of course I do, but I'm not lying. I never saw those before.”
“You had them in your possession.”
“I did? When? When you grabbed me tonight?”
“No, asshole. When you testified before the
subcommittee.”
“Oh. You're saying I had them then?”
“Yeah, then. You gave them to the Chairman.”
“I did? No, I didn't. All I gave him was a printed copy of my testimony, which I would have read into the record if he'd let me do that before he canceled the hearing.”
“Adjourned,” the older agent said.
“What?”
“Adjourned the hearing, not canceled it.”
“Adjourned, canceled, whatever. He ended it.”
“He told us you gave them to him,” the younger one said.
“Then he's lying. Go arrest him for lying to a fed.”
“He also wants us to charge you with contempt of Congress.”
“Contempt of is very different from contempt for. Contempt of has very specific legal requirements, and none of my actions meet those. He excused me and canceled – sorry – adjourned the hearing. Why he did that, I have no idea.”
“So you are claiming that you never saw these photos before we showed them to you here and now?”
“Claiming? No. Stating unequivocally, yes. I never saw those before you laid them out on this table. Now are you going to give me a ride home or do I have to call a cab?”
“Neither, asshole,” the younger one hissed. “We can hold you indefinitely, and we're going to do just that.
“By what authority?”
“Under the Patriot Act.”
“The Patriot Act? That's for suspected terrorists.”
“And we suspect you of terrorism. Don't we, Charlie?”
The older man hemmed and hawed a moment, then said, “Yeah, we do.”
“Handcuff him again, Charlie,” the younger man said, turning away and heading out the door.
“Yes, sir.”
“Oh, we're also putting you on the No-Fly list, asshole.”
Once the younger man had closed the door behind him, Charlie said under his breath, “Dickwad; political hack,” then said to Gordy, “Please put your hands behind your back, sir,” which Gordy did. The older man put the handcuffs back on, slightly looser this time. “I'm sorry, sir. Orders are orders.”
“I understand … Charlie.”
- 76 -
January 1, 2013
9:08 a.m. local time
Bonita Springs, Florida
“I want to file a missing persons report,” Rosemary told the woman behind the bulletproof glass at the Lee County Sheriff's substation.
“How long has the person been missing, ma'am?”
“The FBI picked him up about midnight last night. He should have been back by now.”
“The FBI? Did you call them?”
“Yes, but all I got was a voicemail saying that the office was closed for the holiday and to call back tomorrow. I'm worried about him.”
“I'm sorry, but the person has to be missing for 48 hours before we can take a report, unless – how old is this person, ma'am?”
“About 67 or 68, I think.”
“Oh. Nope. If it were a child, that's different. But for an adult, we can't – is he mentally impaired?”
“No.”
“Then I'm sorry, but there's nothing we can do until the 48 hours have elapsed.”
- 77 -
January 1, 2013
11:38 a.m. local time
Aboard Defiance
In the Gulf of Aden
“They did? Great. And it'll work with any machine? And they know how to install it and work it? Good. How soon can we get it here? And Greg and Julie, of course. Super. No, keep him there and start the interrogation. Becky said there was something hinky about him, and the client can wait; I don't want to turn him back over until we're sure he won't try to sabotage something after he gets back there. Good. Thanks, Amber. And thanks for the dossier on Pam's guy. Keep all the teams digging for more, okay? Good. Keep me posted. And Happy New Year to you, too. Bye.” He hung up the satphone.
“Okay, Pam, how does that file match up with your stuff?”
“I've only scratched the surface so far, but it already makes me even more convinced that he WAS the mole. Where did you get all this intel?”
“Oh, we've got extensive files on lots of people, institutions and groups all over the world. Not as many or as deep as the FBI, NSA, CIA, MI6, Mossad, Interpol or the other intelligence agencies, but we're getting there. And we can tap into those databases almost whenever we want to.”
“Do they know about that?”
“Not always.”
“Not always?”
“Well, hardly ever. Only when we're working with them on one of their cases.”
“So what else do we have on my guy?”
“I've got Phil and Nadia scouring everything they can find, and they're good; if it's out there, they'll find it, and then they'll connect whatever dots they can. And I've got other teams digging up any info they can from whatever sources they can.”
“Quietly, right?”
“Yup, totally under the radar. He'll never know … until we're ready.”
- 78 -
January 1, 2013
9:53 a.m. local time
Bonita Springs, Florida
“I hope I didn't wake you, Dallas.”
“Uhhh, not yet. What's up?”
“Gordy hasn't come back after last night, and I don't know who else to call.”
“Did you call the FBI?”
“Yup; they've got a number in Fort Myers, but all I get is a holiday voicemail. And the sheriff's department can't take a missing person's report for 48 hours.”
“Did you check his place?”
“Yup; he's not there.”
“His car there?”
“Yup, right where I parked it. Thanks for helping me out with that.”
“No problem. Let's see. Who else” –
“I can't think of anything else or anybody else. What if they've hurt him … or worse?”
- 79 -
January 5, 2013
10:38 p.m. local time
Monnikenstraat
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
“What's going on back there at the hotel, CB?”
“Nothing at all yet. He's just sitting and drinking,” Carie replied, glancing at her monitor. “And out there?”
“They're just window-shopping for now,” Jill said, watching and videoing the interns and Secret Service men ogling the scantily clad prostitutes in the windows under the seven red awnings along this tiny street in the red light district.
“I'll tell ya, CB, some of these kids are way too young to have any sophistication, and I'm sure at least a few of 'em are gonna have major trouble tonight.”
“Not our problem; we just surveil and report.”
“For now.”
“The SS guys'll protect 'em.”
“If they're not doing it themselves.”
“Got that right.”
“More taxpayer money down the drain, CB.”
“Right; no sequester for this clown. But not our problem.”
“Sure glad we don't pay US taxes.”
“You and me both, Jillybean.”
“And tomorrow, he's off to Barcelona?”
“Yup.”
“Why's he going there?”
“He's gotta take some pics of Gaudi's buildings for his wife.”
“I don't know how she stays with him. What a bastard.”
“I'm sure she's got her reasons. He is a senator; she probably likes the power around him.”
“Wonder if she knows he's a pedo.”
“Probably. I'd think she'd have to.”
“Oh well; her problem, not ours.”
“You got it, JB. Uh-oh. Oh, Christ! The kid they're bringing in doesn't look to be more than five years old.”
“Fuckin' bastard. I'll definitely cut his balls off.”
- 80 -
January 8, 2013
11:23 a.m. local time
Aboard Defiance
In the Gulf of Aden
“How's it goin
g, Greg?”
“Fairly well, sir. We're in the final stages of calibration, should have it ready to rock 'n roll in another day or two.”
“Any problems with the rocking and rolling of the boat?”
“Sometimes yes, sometimes no. We only do our tests when it's calm. When it gets really choppy, we have to shut down the reactor.”
“Any way to hook into the boat's reactor? They both use thorium, right?”
“Yes, sir, but we haven't been able to reduce the output to what the gizmo can handle.”
“Too bad. How about the ranges?”
“Nearly twenty kilometers and an hour and a half, but I wouldn't want to try pushing this prototype any further than that.”
“Right. You can do that when we get the R&D building done. You and Julie, of course, will head up that project, if you're willing.”
“Oh, positively, sir; this is fascinating for both of us.”
“Are you happy with your stateroom and the service?”
“It's fabulous, sir; we really thank you for that. Julie's a gourmet cook herself, but Jean-Claude's skill is positively blowing her away.”
“He is phenomenal, isn't he?”
“Positively, especially his sauces.”
“Well, isn't that supposed to be the mark of a superior chef?”
“I guess so, sir; Julie's the expert there.”
“Well, Greg, just keep on as you are, and keep me posted, okay?”
“Yes, sir, Mr. Burnett; will do.”
- 81 -
January 9, 2013
3:08 p.m. local time
Bonita Beach, Florida
“Geez, Jill, the FBI is still saying they don't have him, never even picked him up.”
“But they did it right in front of all of us, Rosemary.”
“I know, I know. But they've denied that every time I've called, and I've called every day.”
“Have you talked to the top guy or gal there?”