The Plan (The Jackson Lowery Trilogy Book 1)

by Kevin P. Chavous

  Jackson Lowery spent the next several weeks trying to figure his life out. He kept his promise to his

  son, Eddie, by having him stay with him for a couple of weeks. It was the perfect antidote for a troubled period. Jackson took a leave of absence from American University. He had been completely exonerated publicly, but was unsure about standing in front of a classroom on a regular basis.

  Rather, he used his time to play tourist in his city - have seafood dinners at Sequoia's, vegan soul food dishes at Kephra's on H Street, tour for the first time the new African American museum on the Mall, people watch at Eastern Market, and listen to jazz at Blues Alley. When he took his son to the famed jazz club to see saxophonist Gerard Albright, Eddie said afterwards, “I guess having all those instruments playing was cool, but there wasn't any real beat.”

  Jackson elbowed his son on his shoulder saying, “Uh, there is a beat and the instruments playing is kinda the point.” Jackson was genuinely enjoying his time off.

  But, the scars remained from Jackson's journey. He often thought about Amy Duncan, wondering if his attraction was part of a brief infatuation born out of a middle age crisis or the real thing. He was not completely sure. He did know, however, that he missed her without really knowing her and that speculating about what might have been could be worse than knowing exactly what he was missing.

  Full of gratitude for those who helped him, Jackson sent cruise tickets to Rahim by courier, for Rahim's mom and her sister. Rahim had answered the door and after seeing what was in the envelope, he made the courier wait while he wrote a note to be given back to Jackson. The note said, “Thanks, Mr. D.A. Made my momma's day. But this is exactly why you are no longer locking peeps up. Too big a heart, man. Glad you got your payback! Sorry about your girl. Oh, and this don't mean I owe you. We still even.” He added a crooked smiley face.

  A special bond now linked Jackson, Ronnie, Jenny, and Joe Sweeney together. Each of them was trying to move on with their lives after the adventure that had united them so closely together. Ronnie fetched Rose and Ronnie, Jr. from their bunker so that they could settle back into their Marietta, Ohio home. Jenny went back to work, at least temporarily, but she was having trouble transitioning to her old nine to five job. Sweeney wanted to drop out of school, but finally acceded to his parents’ wishes, promising to get his degree from Georgetown in December, the next year. He was taking twice the load for the next two semesters to make it work.

  A few days after Eddie went back to Pam's, Jackson had dinner with Ronnie, Jenny, and Sweeney at the 1789 Restaurant. As good as it was to see each other, a heavy cloud hung over them. Their traumatic and exhilarating experience together turned on a switch that could not be turned off by reintegrating into their old lives. Sweeney, who was still full of the exuberance of youth, boldly said during dinner that they “should all start a business, work together and stop bad things from happening to people.”

  They laughed, but the seed was planted. Jackson knew at that moment the four of them would intimately be intertwined into each other's lives. He just did not know when or how it would happen, and what exactly it would entail. Later, when Jackson and Ronnie were alone, the two friends reflected on all that had happened.

  “Ronnie, I never properly thanked you for being there when I needed you. I honestly had nowhere else to turn. Thanks.”

  “Hey, man. That's what I am here for. It is what I have been trained to do. But, you know Jack, I am the one who should be thanking you.”

  “Why,” Jackson asked, seriously confused.

  “Let me tell you why. The most challenging part of my military career was when I went undercover, trying to stamp out the white supremacy cancer. I got so caught up in the us versus them mentality that when I got discharged, I immediately started working on my own hideaways, my bunkers. Just like the rich folks. Just like the supremacists. We all want to be able to separate ourselves from others and from the world around us if the water gets too hot. Going through all of this with you has shown me that you can't really hide, Jack. You really cannot disappear. Once you get to the point where you feel you have to be so separated from society, you take away from yourself the very reason you have to live. You cannot live while always looking over your shoulder.”

  Jackson mulled over his friend's words. Ronnie had grown quite a bit after their ordeal. So, had Jackson. The bond between them was now unbreakable.

  Smiling, jackson said, “Well said, Ronnie. Spoken like a true historian. In the meantime, let's not get rid of your hideaway anytime soon. At any given moment, I may need your help getting off the grid. It may be a while before everyone starts thinking like you and me.”

  EPILOGUE

  Heidelberg, Germany is a beautiful city. It is also historic. Situated in southwestern Germany on the River Neckar, a major tributary of the Rhine River, Heidelberg is known for its rich culture, beautiful vistas, and resilient people. Heidelberg's origins extend back several hundred thousands of years. Modern Heidelberg can trace its beginnings to the fifth century, when the town became an important political site for the Catholic Church.

  Since then, Heidelberg has always been influenced and sometimes overwhelmed by religious and political conflicts. In the 15th and 16th centuries, Heidelberg was a hub of activity in the era of humanism and the Reformation and the conflict between Lutheranism and Calvinism. Heidelberg University, founded in 1386 is one of Europe's oldest institutions. For centuries, thought leaders from around the world have come to the University to shop their ideas and test their intellectual prowess.

  Unlike many German cities, Heidelberg was not destroyed by air raids in World War II and therefore still has original buildings from the late Middle Ages and early Renaissance. In fact, one of those structures, the strikingly elegant and Gothic Church of the Holy Spirit located downtown in Heidelberg's marketplace area has been shared by both Catholics and Protestant for hundreds of years. After centuries of being at the center of political and military conflict, the people of Heidelberg are among the most welcoming people on the world.

  Three months after they thwarted the plan, Jackson Lowery, Ronnie Thomas, and Jenny Roberts were sitting in an outdoor cafe in the Heidelberg marketplace drinking lattes and munching on German pastries. While admiring the Church of the Holy Spirit across the square, each found themselves impressed by the friendliness of the ancient, hardy town of just over 150,000 people.

  “Have you noticed that everyone is smiling here?” Ronnie said.

  “They are awfully nice, aren't they?” Jenny said, as crumbs from her pastry dropped from her mouth.

  Ever the historian, Jackson had to put it all into perspective. “This town has been through a lot. In an odd, interesting way, all of the wars, all of the religious debates, and all of the intellectual discussions have helped the people here feel very comfortable with who they are. There is no pretense here. The people like each other. It's funny how you can feel that spirit, that energy.”

  “Thanks, professor,” Ronnie said while grinning. “But, on that one, my friend, I would have to agree with you. I remember when Rose and I were here when I was stationed in Frankfurt. It always felt different, more peaceful whenever we visited. Nice place.”

  Wiping her mouth, Jenny said, “Is it time to go, boys?”

  Jackson looked at Ronnie, tilted his head in Jenny's direction and said, “Always a woman of action.”

  The three American tourists paid their bill, noticing that the grinning young waitress waved goodbye to them as they were walking out the door. Looking at her two companions, Jenny said, “Maybe it’s a Stepford Wives thing.”

  They hopped into their rented white Peugeot, with Jenny sitting behind the wheel. Ronnie sat in the passenger seat, while Jackson sat alone in the back seat.

  “Why is it,” he asked, “that I am always the one in the back seat?”

  Ronnie responded. “Duh, you are always the one we have to hide.”

  They were headed south
west toward Offenburg and the famed Black Forest region of southern Germany. Instead of taking route 5 on the Autobahn, Jenny steered in the direction of road 36 south, the local highway the follows the Rhine River.

  The Rhine River remains one of the most vibrant and active rivers in the world. All day long, barge after barge travels up and down the river along with other cargo and tourist boats.

  “This is definitely the more scenic route,” Ronnie said, but his tone had changed. The playfulness between the three of them from earlier in the day was now gone.

  “We have about a one hour drive,” Jenny said. “Should we go over things?”

  “Yes, let me pull up my notes,” Jackson said, punching the notes app on his phone.

  __________

  Two weeks earlier, Jackson had been sitting on a bench facing the King Memorial in D.C. when Ed Harrington sat down next to him. Jackson looked around and saw four F.B.I. agents positioned, as usual, strategically near them.

  “I was surprised to get your call, Ed,” Jackson said. “This must be important.”

  “Harrington was still all business. “It is, Jackson. When do you plan to go back to teaching at AU?”

  “I don't know about that anymore. I do need to make some decisions about what the heck I am going to do with my life. Lord knows I love teaching, but I am a different man now.”

  “Look, I wanted to talk with you confidentially and it does relate to your future, so hear me out.”

  Jackson was thinking that Harrington wanted to offer him a job.

  “Oh, no! I know that the two of us are making progress, but you are now ready to offer me a job?”

  Harrington grunted. “This ain't no buddy-buddy movie yet, Jackson. And, it really isn't a job, per se. Just hear me out. That thing you went through. The evilness behind it. You and I know that there is more of it out there. Not just the white supremacy crap. There is evil in every form. Now that I am settling into this job and gotten all of the briefings, I know that there are time bombs all over. Like it or not, as some of my predecessors have told me, sometimes the best way to fight this kind of evil is outside of the government.”

  Jackson laughed. “C'mon, Ed. I am no James Bond or Jason Bourne.”

  Harrington did not laugh. “No, you are not. But you have something valuable, Jackson. You have good instincts. That is one of the reasons why I hired you all those years ago. That is what made you such a good prosecutor. You also work well outside of normal channels.”

  “What are you asking, Ed?”

  “Give me a minute. You also are a good leader. I know we have had our differences, but you have grown as a person. I saw how you handled your team, how much they respect you. You really did put them first and valued their roles. You may not know it or not, but as motley as your crew is, they are very effective. Here's the deal, Jackson. I just got this job. I do not want to be taken by surprise on my watch by the likes of what you just had to deal with. I cannot allow these hidden forces to plot major destruction while our government sleeps. I want you to work off the books with me and the rest of the intelligence community to ferret out these bad guys and stop them. I want you and your team to do what the government cannot do. And at the right time, you can decide when to call in the Calvary. I want you to work for our country.”

  Jackson leaned forward and slapped his knees with his hands. “That's a helluva thing to ask, Ed. I still don't know what it means.” He then paused, giving himself time to think. Harrington said nothing.

  “Are you talking about a salary, budget, all that?”

  “You put all of that together. Like half the people in D.C., you would set up a consulting firm with you and your crew as employees. Your main client will be a shell company funded by the government. I have talked to the heads of the CIA and secret service. The appropriate folks at the White House have also signed off on this. The intelligence folks have prepared a list of suspicious activities that they cannot break through. Once you are ready, we will go over the list and you can pick the ones you want to take a crack at. The only people who will know about this are you and me.”

  “How black ops do you expect us to be?”

  Harrington caught his drift. “I do not expect you to be assassins. Defend yourselves as needed. Uh, that also means you can use that vicious left hook of yours.” Even Harrington had to smile at the thought. “But seriously, you decide when the time is right to call us in.”

  “This is a different kind of ask, Ed. I will give it some thought and talk with the team. Give me a couple of days.”

  “Okay,” Harrington said. “That's fair. I will wait for your call. In the meantime, I have something you and your team can work on to see if this kind of thing appeals to you.”

  He looked like the cat that had just eaten the canary.

  “As part of the plea deal with General Brock, he told us that each of the conspirators had built their own bunker getaways. He doesn't know where they all are, but he suspects that the Carrs are in theirs.”

  Jackson's thoughts went straight to his conversation with Ronnie about bunkers and the article Ronnie made him read.

  Harrington then handed Jackson a sheet of paper. “The one thing that the General did tell us was that his co-conspirators shared some info with each other about the kind of layout they should each have in the event of a longtime stay. One common feature they talked about was an elevator. Here is the list of the major elevator manufacturing and installation companies in the world. Our folks have looked at the list and done what they can with it. It still is a dead end. Something tells me, however, that you and your team can get further that we did.”

  Jackson shook his head. “You remembered how much I like to tie up loose ends, didn't you?” he said.

  Harrington had a twinkle in his eye. “Yes, I did.” Harrington had a thought then said, “Usually by yourself.” The twinkle in his eye was gone. “At any rate, I know that the whereabouts of the Carrs has been bugging you. By the way, the C.I.A. also signed off on this since we presume you will be going overseas.”

  Harrington stood up and began to walk to his car. All four agents gathered around him in unison, whispering into their earpieces. Jackson called after him, “Ed?”

  Harrington stopped and turned around. “Yes?”

  “When we find the Carrs, do we bring them back?”

  This time, Harrington did smile. “Preferably. But you make the call.” He then got into his car and drove away.

  __________

  While Jenny was driving them toward the Black Forest, Jackson reflected a bit on his conversation with Ed Harrington that day at the King Memorial. He particularly thought about how Harrington had given him the power to decide the Carrs’ fate. They were almost at that point.

  Following up from his meeting with the Harrington, Jackson called his team to his Georgetown apartment for dinner and a discussion. Ronnie and Jenny both pressed him about the subject matter, but Jackson merely told them that they all needed to meet as soon as possible. Sweeney walked to Jackson's from his dormitory.

  Needless to say, they were all excited about the F.B.I. director's proposal. There were a lot of details to work out, but the direction was clear. Jackson then gave them copies of the list that he received from Harrington, explaining to them what he had been told.

  Jenny had said, “If we are now officially employed, I need to quit my job and find a place here. I need three days.” Looking at Sweeney, she said, “You are in midterms, right?”

  Sweeney nodded, saying, “They will be done this week.”

  Jenny turned back to Jackson. “Sweeney and I will get on this three days from now. Go back and get some money so we can go to work.”

  Grinning wide, Ronnie said, “I will help you prepare two budgets, partner. One to get us going on this and then a larger budget for the start of our venture.”

  As Jackson expected, Jenny and Sweeney worked their magic. Jenny was able to lay out the criteria need
ed to whittle down the elevator company search. Jackson was pretty amazed at how she came up with the variables. She assumed, for instance, that if the core white supremacists, like the Carrs were going to hide out, they would want to be in a location where whites were a majority. So, she told Sweeney to look for underground projects in Europe or Australia. She had Sweeney list the work orders in which no names were attached to the project. She told him to pay attention to projects done on behalf of a corporate entity not based where the construction was taking place. She also made sure he paid attention to the projects paid with offshore money from the Caribbean or Switzerland.

  Sweeney went to work. After a day or so of Jenny and Sweeney increasingly narrowing the variables, they had a link they liked. Stevenson Elevators’ mainline business consisted of installing elevators in the homes or small offices of the super rich. Rarely did they install an elevator traveling more than three floors. Over a year ago, Stevenson contracted to install an elevator completely underground for a shell corporation based in the Bahamas. Sweeney had viewed all of the documents associated with the contract. There was no contact person listed, nor was any phone number listed for the buyer. The main red flag that struck Jenny and Sweeney was that there was no contract price on the contract itself. However, when Sweeney tracked down Stevenson's wire deposit receipts, he found a two million dollar deposit from a Bahamas bank. Going through bank records, he was able to link the Bahamian company listed on the contract to the bank account.

  For some time thereafter, Jenny and Sweeney pored over the Stevenson files trying to ascertain a location for the construction. Jackson and Ronnie joined in the search. They could not find the location. They did see a strange notation under the note section. It said, “Digging site: gray tree, 50 north.” Ronnie was able to break the logjam. The contract was several pages long, most of it legal boilerplate. Ronnie kept asking why would they include all of the boilerplate pages when it was obviously a loosely structured deal. In looking at each of the pages, he saw a random number (only one) on every page, often in the middle of a sentence. He wrote down each of the numbers and began playing with them.