The Point Of A Gun: Thriller

by Steven W. Kohlhagen

  Not likely, pal. Certain. You’ll never know.

  Nancy frowned. Looked thoughtful. “There’s nothing about this in our report.” She turned to Tom. “Yours?”

  “No.”

  “How’d they identify Cheese, Moose?” Nancy asked.

  “Cheese?” Moose asked.

  “Cheese is what everybody called him. How was he identified, Moose?”

  “His DNA was at the scene.”

  “Not that anybody in the Bureau knows,” Nancy said.

  “Or JSOC,” Tom said. “Or NSA.”

  Everybody turned to Linda.

  “Not us, guys. Not involved.”

  They all turned to Moose.

  *

  “What did the Professor say when you approached him, Cheese?” Samms asked that evening.

  “He was noncommittal.”

  “Did he seem at all suspicious?”

  “No.”

  “Surprised to see you?”

  “Only vaguely.”

  “Even though he thought you had been dead?”

  “He didn’t say that. He said he’d heard I was dead. Like he hadn’t believed it.”

  She looked over at Tom.

  “He didn’t bite at all at our offer?” Tom asked.

  “No. He pointed out, correctly I might add, that it was silly for him to respond until he met my partners.”

  “How hard did he push to learn who else was involved?”

  “Not at all. Why would he? He knew I could hardly expect a commitment until we told him more.”

  “Did he at least seem interested?”

  “I’d say more like amused.”

  “May,” Samms turned to May curled up on the couch, “did he do anything suspicious before or after Cheese arrived?”

  “No. It was like he took it completely in stride. He was working alone. No calls. Never looked at his iPhone. He never really looked around after he first sat down.”

  “Did he see you? Notice you at all?”

  “No. I’m sure he never made me or paid me any notice at all.”

  “What did he do after Cheese left?”

  “Looked at his watch. Looked around the room more carefully this time. Then went back to his work.”

  “He took no notice of anyone in the restaurant? Of you?”

  “None whatsoever. After about twenty minutes, he gathered up his things, asked for his bill, paid and left, as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened. He didn’t make a call to anyone.”

  Samms frowned. Looked at Tom.

  “What’s wrong, Samms?” May asked. “What’s bothering you?”

  Samms leaned back in her chair. Looked again at Tom. Got a nod.

  “They know Cheese was at the hut for the killings in Colorado Springs.”

  “Who?” May said. Eyes widened. Sat up.

  “Moose first. Now the entire Rogues Task Force.”

  “How?” Cheese said. Alert now. The subject had changed.

  She explained about the revelation about the President’s secret investigator. And his discovery of Cheese.

  “I leave anything out?” turning to Tom.

  He shook his head.

  “Think, Cheese,” he said. “Was there anything in the Professor’s demeanor that suggested he knew or was involved in this?”

  Cheese stared into space. Leaned back. Hooked his fingers behind his head and closed his eyes.

  After an eternity, he leaned forward. “There’s nothing there. It was a casual conversation about terrorists in the U.S. and that the government wasn’t doing enough about it. He agreed. Said he’d think about it. When he asked how to get in touch, I said ‘I found you tonight, I’ll find you when you’ve had time to think’.”

  “And?”

  “And? And he smiled and shook my hand when I got up to leave.”

  Tom leaned back. Looked at Samms. “There are two possibilities here,” he said. “Either he’s not involved at all. In which case, maybe he’ll join us.”

  “And the second one?” Cheese said.

  “He is working for the White House. He’s the secret resource they’ve hired. The one who has identified Cheese in the hut. If he’s the secret investigator, he obviously knew of your involvement, and we just stepped in it big time. You walked into the biggest coincidence the agencies have ever seen. We just walked up to their secret investigator and asked him to join the very people he’s looking for.”

  Samms just shook her head at the thought, “Unbelievable.”

  “In either case,” Tom said, “you are going to have to disappear Cheese. The entire intelligence community is looking for you. I doubt that moustache is going to protect you much if you’re seen with Samms or me.”

  “How do we find out whether or not it was intentional?” May asked.

  “It doesn’t matter,” Samms said. “Cheese can’t ask to meet him again in either case.”

  “And if the Professor finds Cheese?” she asked.

  “If he’s that good, then it’s not casual. And he’s working for them.”

  “And he won’t be alone,” Cheese said.

  Chapter 26

  Linda Simmons and her husband were ushered into the Director’s office at CIA headquarters.

  “It seems we have an issue, Lin,” the Director said.

  “No, there’s no issue. It seems we have a situation that the White House would like to turn into an issue.”

  “General Simmons, I’d like to thank you for joining us today.”

  “My pleasure, Director. I’m always happy to come to Langley. It’s the only time I get a chance to have lunch with my wife on weekdays.”

  “Happy to be of service,” he nodded to Linda. “For both of you.”

  “General Simmons…”

  “Please call me George.”

  “Yes, of course. Can you please tell me the circumstances under which you came to know Seaman Andrew Teeter, George?”

  “Isn’t the high executioner supposed to be here for this, Director?” Linda asked.

  He looked at Linda over his bifocals. “At the moment, I’ve told the President that this is an internal CIA inquiry. If, in my judgment, it needs further review, Linda, we’ll bring Moose in. Okay?”

  “Sure. Okay.”

  “George?”

  “I’m here voluntarily, Director. Of my own free will. Out of respect for you, my wife, and your necessary relationship with each other. How would you like me to handle confidential matters?”

  The Director moved the bifocals to the top of his head and looked at the General.

  “Retired Marine Generals have secrets from the Director of the CIA?”

  “Indeed, they do. As you well know, I am not at liberty to relate to you matters involving U.S. domestic security that require Top Secret clearance.”

  “Yes, I’ve heard of such protocols. The solution, it seems, would be for you to whisper confidential matters to your wife, and then she can decide whether to share them with her boss.”

  “We can cross that bridge…”

  “When you two are done with your fun,” Linda said, “I have some other, equally urgent, matters that my boss is waiting for.”

  “You never answered my question, George.”

  “And you never answered mine.”

  “Tell me what you can about meeting Cheese, General. I’ll settle for that for now.”

  “The first time I met him was during an op in Afghanistan. He and a SEAL team were attached to our unit. It was an extraordinarily successful operation.”

  “Yes, I’m familiar with it. One of the SEALS was ours.”

  “Cheese?”

  “No. And that’s it? The two of you became buddies? Stayed in touch? The General and the Petty Officer?”

  “I wasn’t a General then.”

  “George, this would be easier, and maybe even faster, if we stayed on point rather than competing as to who can be the most literally correct in every detail.”

  “Yes, sir. I ran into Sea
man Teeter again in Iraq on another successful mission. We shared a chopper ride back, during which my admiration for his combat skills was enhanced by my surprise at his breadth of knowledge. A year later, I requested he be attached to another Iraq op. As it turned out, a somewhat less successful mission.”

  “Yes, the one in which he was killed.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Were you there?”

  “I’m sure you’ve seen the reports, sir.”

  “Actually, as you know, we aren’t formally privy to U.S. Intel.”

  “Right. Yes, I was there the day Teeter was killed.”

  “And?”

  “And I flew back to base on the helicopter with his body.”

  “And that’s the last either of you ever saw him?”

  “He was dead, sir. They took his body off the helicopter. That’s the last I saw him.”

  “Lin?”

  “I never saw him after he died, sir, if that’s what you’re asking me. Except for his picture at the Rogues Task Force meeting.”

  “That brings up another thing. Any progress in your thinking about who the traitor on the Task Force is?”

  “As I’ve told you, I think it’s Nancy and or Colonel Edwards. They both knew Petty Officer Teeter.”

  “Any idea how Cheese could have hooked up with them?”

  “My husband says he saw Cheese dead. That leaves me perplexed as to how anybody, on or off the Rogues Task Force, could have hooked up with Seaman Teeter.”

  “Maybe your husband has a secret.”

  “I have no secrets from my wife, sir.”

  She smiled at that.

  “Really, George? None? Not even, how did you put it? Not even matters involving U.S. domestic security that require Top Secret clearance? Not even those secrets.”

  “Well, except for those, of course,” laughing.

  “It’s actually not funny either way, George. And, frankly, I don’t care if the two of you have secrets from each other. Here’s where we are. We’re three reasonably bright, reasonably connected, reasonably experienced professionals. Toss the President in as a fourth. When was the last coincidence either of you found acceptable in explaining a mystery?”

  They just stared back at him.

  “I thought so. Me’n the President, too.”

  Silence.

  “Here, as you both know, is where we are. We have a group of vigilantes killing people in the United States of America. There is reason to believe one of them is a very senior U.S. intelligence officer. And there’s some evidence that that officer is a member of the very Task Force charged with finding the traitor or traitors…”

  “Intentionally so,” Linda interrupted.

  “We don’t know that for certain.”

  “I don’t, but you do.”

  Now it was the Director’s turn to stare at them in silence.

  “Are you through, Lin?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “As I was saying, now one of the vigilantes has been positively identified. And, amazingly, he has ties to three members of the Task Force. And even more amazingly, he’s been dead for years. And, by an even more amazing coincidence, the last person to see this vigilante either alive or dead, is married to one of the Task Force members.”

  “I may have been the last to see Cheese alive, sir, but I certainly wasn’t the last to see him dead.”

  “Well, now that you mention that, George, we have come to why we’re here.”

  Nobody moved.

  “Yes, sir?” General Simmons said, smiling.

  ‘You see, George, Moose and the President called me last night and told me that an investigation of all the airmen, marines, and pilots involved in returning from that mission has revealed that you’re the only person claiming to have seen Cheese dead.”

  Linda looked at her husband, then back to her boss.

  “That’s preposterous,” she said. “Our operatives reported at the time that his body was taken from the helicopter and flown to Germany, then back to the States. Precisely according to procedure.”

  “Our operatives appear to have been misinformed, Linda.”

  “By whom?”

  He looked at George. “All involved claim they never saw the body. Never saw it removed from the helicopter. Never saw it in any coffin leaving the area, Germany, or arriving in the States. And every single report was signed by one General George Simmons.”

  Chapter 27

  Nancy stared at Tom Edwards, waiting for him to answer her question about Cheese.

  They were back at the Gibson. After work. In the back corner this time. They had told the waiter they wanted to be left in peace.

  “Since I don’t believe that you would ask me what I just thought I heard you ask me,” he said, “could you please repeat the question?”

  “When did you and Cheese stop seeing each other?” she asked.

  “Stop seeing each other, how? There must be at least ten assumptions you’ve made before asking me that question, Nan.”

  “Are you questioning my motives here?”

  “I’m not questioning your motives. I know why you’re asking. You’re the third person to ask me that question this week. But you’re the only one who knows there was nothing underhanded in his and my relationship, and who would have also known if I had seen him since he left for his last tour of duty.”

  “We could be zipping through all this if you would simply answer my question.”

  Tom shook his head. “This is insane, Nancy. Is our relationship going to survive this crazy Task Force? I last saw Cheese before he went off on his last tour of duty. That’s the last time I saw him. His and my friendship would’ve survived his last tour of duty if he had. But he didn’t. There’s no mystery and I’m not the traitor.”

  “Well, you’ll be pleased to know that our friendship will survive no matter who the traitor is.”

  “Good to know.”

  Tom dabbed at the corn chips and guacamole. They each sipped their drinks in thought.

  “Who’s your current prime suspect, Nan?”

  “I know it’s not me. And whereas I’d be admiring, and a little hurt, if it were you, I sincerely doubt it now. Directly lying to me just wouldn’t be you. So that really leaves Linda.”

  “You think her husband could be involved?”

  “Sure. If Linda is involved, so is the General. You?”

  “Same answer. I know it’s not me. I’d be admiring if it were you, but I doubt it. My money’s on Linda and George. Who does the President think it is?”

  “Moose and the President are closing in on thinking it’s definitely you and me.”

  “And we each continue to claim that it isn’t both of us.”

  “So far, anyway.”

  Chapter 28

  Samms answered on the first ring. “Yes, Tom.”

  “Cheese and I are headed to El Paso.”

  “What’s there?”

  “Sand, snakes, coyotes, and cactus.”

  “And quickie divorces across the river.”

  “True enough,” he said. “But it’s the coyotes that we’re headed for. Divorces are easier in Vegas these days, anyway.”

  “Good to know. Is this about the ISIS guys May was working on?”

  “An ISIS cell in Acala is working with a couple of coyotes on a suicide mission at the El Paso airport.”

  “I’m pretty sure the Feds cleared the SIA’s from that ghost town a few years ago.”

  “SIA’s?”

  “Special Interest Aliens.”

  “Well, either May has fucked this up, the Feds missed some, or they’ve come back.”

  “An hour east of El Paso off highway ten, right?”

  “That’s it. They plan on hitting the airport tomorrow afternoon. Five sharp.”

  “Okay, you and Cheese head out. I’ll check with May and we’ll see if Homeland Security is already on this. Call May and me tonight from Acala.”

  “We’ll call, but there’s no place to s
tay in Acala. Just sand, snakes…”

  “…and coyotes. Got it, Tom. Talk to you tonight.”

  *

  May took the call just after midnight.

  “Hello? Just a sec, guys.” She turned and yelled toward the back of the house, “It’s them, Samms.”

  Samms came over to the phone.

  “Tom? Cheese? Where are you?”

  “A pretty crappy motel in southeast El Paso,” Tom said.

  “Makes the place we stayed outside of Buffalo look like the Four Seasons, May,” Cheese said.

  “Give me the address,” May said.

  He did.

  “There’s been a change in your target,” May said. “They’re not attacking the airport after all.”

  “What are they after, then?” Tom asked.

  “What direction does the window in your room face? You do have a window, right?”

  “Yes, dear,” Tom said. “Ours faces south.”

  “Cheese, what do you see out the window?”

  “Hold on, May.” He walked to the window. Called back toward the phone, “A huge natural gas facility. Maybe a mile, maybe a little more, away. Across highway ten. Smoke and possibly, but I can’t be sure, a flame coming out of huge smoke stacks. All lit up. Lights everywhere.”

  “Good job, guys,” Samms said. “You’ve found their target, Western Refining’s southeast El Paso refinery. They’re planning to destroy that very facility tomorrow at ten pm. They’re coming up from Acala and hooking up at two tomorrow afternoon with two ISIS colleagues at the Lone Star Inn. A block west of you. How cozy. You’re all together right there on Montana Avenue.”

  “Well I certainly didn’t miss the sulphur smell when we checked into the motel,” Cheese said. “Didn’t pay any attention to it, though. We were focused on staying near the airport. I didn’t give a moment’s thought as to the source of the smell. I had pretty much ruled El Paso out as my future retirement community, so didn’t much care.”

  “Any idea why they changed plans?” Tom asked.

  “Just a guess, but I think they didn’t like the suicide part.”

  “Doesn’t this make our job pretty easy, Samms? Just alert Western’s head of plant security and our job here is done.”