As they left the restaurant, the lunch crowd was just beginning to appear.
Five minutes later, they were heading into west Oakland. John took out his phone and voice dialed another number from memory.
“Felipe? This is John. ... Yeah, I’m great. You? ... Fine, look, Felipe, I need a loaner and storage. ... No, probably long term, a couple of weeks anyway. ... Yeah, I’m on my way. ... Good, see you soon.”
He stowed his phone, and Caitlin looked at him.
“A loaner?”
“Yeah, wheels. I need to get this car off the road. It’s only a matter of time before it’s spotted.”
“You’re assuming they have full police cooperation?”
“That’s the safe assumption. Even if the police don’t know what or whom, they’re cooperating with. I doubt if they’ve been told much, probably just a line about national security.”
They turned south past a line of waterfront cranes that towered above the docks like something from War of the Worlds. A few blocks down, John turned off the street in front of a warehouse. He stopped at the entrance and hit the horn briefly. The garage door retracted, and they pulled inside.
A young, dark-skinned man stood next to the door. As they passed, he hit the close button and the door shut behind them.
Another man came out of an office door. He smiled at John as they got out of the car. “John, long time, mi amigo. Carl, take his car and exchange everything with the green Taurus, then park him on level three and bring the Taurus here.”
“Shore, Felipe.”
John and Felipe shook hands briefly. As Caitlin reached them, Felipe gave her a warm smile.
“Nice. You going to introduce me, John?” Felipe asked.
“I don’t think so. You’re not likely to meet her again, and it’s better that you not have to lie about meeting her.”
Felipe grinned again. “Ignore what he’s saying, Ms. Maxwell. I don’t mind lying when it involves such a beautiful woman.”
John groaned softly.
Caitlin took Felipe’s hand and shook it briefly. “You have the advantage on me, Felipe. I don’t know you, and I can’t think of how you know me.”
“I can,” John said with a note of irritability in his voice.
“It’s Felipe McDowell, Ms. Maxwell. Come into my office. I’ll explain everything.”
She glanced questioningly at John, but he merely frowned and shook his head once.
Felipe turned and led the way through the door. His office was more spacious than Caitlin expected. The warehouse floor showed through the windows on the near wall, but the far wall was more than twenty feet away. Along the left side of the room, there was an elaborate audio-visual bank of electronics.
Felipe took a seat in front of the instruments. “John, I’m disappointed. I thought you were more careful than this.”
He tapped a key, and John’s image appeared on the screen. Under the photo, not a recent one but recent enough to show his scar, was a brief description and a list of charges.
“John, someone’s really after you. They have you guilty of everything except the Oklahoma City bombing.”
Caitlin leaned over Felipe’s shoulder and read some of the charges.
Assault on a federal officer, attempted murder, kidnapping, unlawful flight to avoid arrest, theft of classified documents, espionage, and in bold face letters, treason.
John was frowning.
“My God, John. I’m sorry,” Caitlin said as she placed a hand on his elbow.
“It’s just bullshit. It’s so damn typical of the government to use overkill when they don’t have any evidence. Don’t let it bother you,” John said.
“But she should be bothered, John, there’s more,” Felipe said and touched another key.
Caitlin’s driver’s license photo appeared and under it was a similar list of charges. Only in her case, the kidnapping charge was replaced by murder charges.
A cold shudder shook her body for a moment, and then it was gone.
“What’s this on? The news or just interdepartmental?” John asked.
Felipe shrugged. “Just interdepartmental for now. You can’t ever tell if they’ll go open or not. If they go open, there may be uncomfortable questions asked.”
“When did you find it?” John asked.
“Earlier this morning when I was doing a little browsing.”
“You have access to the police computer lines?” Caitlin asked.
“Some of them. I purchased a subscription a couple of years ago.”
“A subscription? What do you mean? Is it something like a software subscription?”
“Yeah, something like that. A disgruntled city employee didn’t like the way he was treated, something about an insurance claim that was refused. Anyway, he modified the operating system of one of the city’s computers to record any new passwords and their logins. He now taps various city records and provides, shall we say unauthorized access to these records for a fee. I’m one of his subscribers to the police department computer.”
“Oh, my God. How can he get away with this? Even the cheaper virus checkers should identify any modifications to the operating system.”
Felipe gave her a respectful stare. “Hey, I didn’t know I was talking with someone in the club.”
John chuckled. “Felipe, she’s a software expert. The only difference between the two of you is that she’s strictly on the legal end of encoding.”
“Really, well I guess that’s changed now.”
“And why is that?” Caitlin asked.
“You’re on the run, lady. The government’s after you and you’re going to need all the help you can get to stay out of jail. You ought to know that, why else would you have hired John Blalock?”
“What’s he talking about?” Caitlin asked looking at John.
“The majority of my clients that Felipe has met have been on the run from the authorities. But that doesn’t mean that I only handle people fleeing justice.”
Felipe nodded emphatically. “Yeah, I didn’t mean to imply any such thing. I’m sure that most of John’s clients are unjustly accused or at least the ones that he needs my help on.”
“But I have been unjustly accused. I didn’t do any of those things,” Caitlin protested.
“See,” Felipe said.
“This can’t be happening. I’m a law-abiding citizen. I don’t even speed. I ... I can’t take much more of this.” Her knees felt weak and her head light. A moment later, she felt John’s hand on her elbow. He helped her to a chair and sat her down.
She heard Felipe clicking his tongue. “Yeah, that’s how all the strictly law-abiding types take it. Man, John, when are the people going to wake up and smell the cappuccino? It amazes me that these people can go through their lives without ever realizing just how much power is wielded by those in control of our government. Nixon, Hoover, Clinton, hell, these people control you, lady. They and thousands of minor disciples of –”
“Give it a rest, Felipe,” John ordered.
“I ... sure John, no point in scaring the customers. Eh, Caitlin?”
“Felipe, we’re going to need some photo ID’s made,” John said.
“Sure, no problem, man. You got the players or do you need new ones?”
“I’ve got valid players. I just need the ID’s made.”
“Whatever you need. I’ll get the camera ready; you come on back when Caitlin’s feeling better.”
“We’ll need a few modifications,” John said.
“Okay, wigs all right or do you want the full treatment?”
“Wigs should do, but maybe we could add a mole or something to Caitlin’s face, something prominent enough to draw attention.”
“Eww. You’re not serious.”
“Of course I am. If your photo has been circulated, then someone’s going to recognize you. I’m sorry, but you’re too damn pretty to disguise with just a wig.”
“Ah, thanks. I think,” she said.
“You got i
t. Two wigs and a beauty mark, extra-large.”
Felipe went out the door and turned toward the rear of the warehouse.
Caitlin watched him go then looked up at John. She half expected him to be grinning in amusement at her naiveté. To her surprise, his face showed understanding even sympathy for what she was feeling.
He’s turned out odd, cold and tough on the outside, but still able to sympathize with someone in trouble.
“Are you going to be all right?” he asked.
“Do I have a choice?”
“You always have a choice. You can let it overwhelm you, drive you into a shell until you’re helpless to react with the outside world. Oh the other hand, you can get angry at the people who are doing this to you. Nothing beats back depression and anxiety like hate.”
“I already hate them. They’ve killed Scott, murdered an unfortunate cabby, and wrecked my life. I want to get even.”
“Good, that’s a healthy emotion. But even the worst general knows there are times when you have to run away in order to fight another day. This is one of those times. There’s more involved here than just the government. There’s always the possibility of being able to play one group against the other.”
“Against the government, John? I don’t see how that’s possible.”
“Everyone wants something. If you control what they want, then you can force a trade for what you want.”
“I don’t know.”
“Trust me,” he said.
“Did you hear that in a movie? No one trusts someone who says ‘trust me.’“
“Yeah, I know. It was meant to be funny.”
“Oh, an ice breaker. You’re out of practice.”
He shrugged. “Come on; let’s see if Felipe is ready for us.”
John offered her a hand. She took it, and he pulled her to her feet. For a moment, they stood still, their faces less than 6 inches apart. She stared into his eyes, and then reluctantly dropped his hand.
He led the way farther into the warehouse and through another door. There they found Felipe working with a pre-positioned camera like those at the DMV.
“It’s ready,” Felipe said.
With a wave of his hand, he called their attention to a counter, sink, mirror, and makeup lights.
“Is there anything you don’t have?” Caitlin asked.
“I don’t have a stylist or a manicurist, yet. Give me a while, I’m thinking of expanding.”
“Yeah, he’s also thinking of expanding and competing with the DMV on a legitimate basis. You know they’re privatizing everything in government these days,” John said, his voice serious.
Caitlin studied him for a second, decided he wasn’t serious after all and went to examine the wigs.
They looked real. Someone had sold their hair to make this wig. It depressed Caitlin to think there were people who needed money bad enough to sell their own hair. She picked up a short, black wig and slipped it over her head. In the mirror, her own black hair hung out from under the shorter black strains.
“That’s the Demi Moore.”
She turned Felipe watching her.
“On you, it works. You got the right skin tones and all, but you really could just cut your own hair to get the same look.”
Caitlin turned to John. “What do you think?”
“I think it won’t change your appearance enough. They’re already looking for someone with long black hair; it doesn’t take a leap of imagination to identify the same person with short black hair.”
She pulled the wig off and dropped it on the counter. “All right then, you choose for me.”
John came beside her, glanced over the display, and then selected a long, red wig with enough body to stand on its own.
“Lord, you don’t really see me like that do you?” Caitlin asked.
“Just try it on,” he said as he held it out.
Caitlin took it and turned it until she had it aligned. Peering into the mirror, she whipped it over her head and pulled it tight.
“Yeah, the Reba McIntire, good choice John.”
Caitlin ignored him and studied her reflection. “I don’t think I can pull it off. My skin is too dark.”
“Felipe will handle that. Won’t you Felipe?”
“Sure John. Have a seat Caitlin; I’ll be right with you.”
Caitlin sat on a stool in front of the makeup lights and mirror and sat down. In a minute, Felipe joined her and stared at her reflection.
He nodded to himself a couple of times, and then opened a makeup case.
Twenty minutes later, he stepped back and pronounced his work complete. Caitlin took a good look in the mirror. Her normally olive skin was lightened to the point of pinkness. Her dark eyebrows had been bleached out, and Felipe had even given her a few freckles across the bridge of her noise.
“Freckles?” John asked coming up behind her.
“I thought it gave her a look of innocence,” Felipe replied.
Caitlin saw that John had been busy also. He was now wearing a full beard that was frosted with gray.
She suppressed a grin and said, “My, don’t you look distinguished. Is that what you’re going to look like in twenty years?”
“Perhaps, assuming I live that long.”
Caitlin felt her smile slipping away.
“Let me help you with the wig,” Felipe said.
Caitlin turned back to the mirror as he removed the wig and proceeded to pin her own hair up above her neck. That done, he pulled the wig down on her head and carefully arranged it.
“There. How’s that?”
Caitlin’s reflection was now complete. She eyed it approvingly and turned from side to side to check it out. “You’re in the wrong business, Felipe.”
“Everyone has to have a hobby. Come on, time to pose.”
“Give me a second to brush this wig out,” Caitlin said while she looked through her purse for a brush.
“No. It’s gotta look like a photo ID. A really nice photo would be a dead giveaway.”
“All right, I guess it doesn’t matter anyway. It’s only temporary.”
“We hope,” John said.
“What’s that mean?”
“You never know....”
Felipe pointed toward the light colored backdrop.
“Just stand over there; this won’t take but a second.”
Caitlin stepped to where he had a small mark on the concrete floor, and then looked up at the camera. Without warning, the flash went off.
“Hey, I wasn’t ready.”
“He told you it was supposed to look like a real DMV photo,” John said.
“All right. John, your turn.”
Caitlin stepped to the side, and John took her place.
“Hey, lose the hat,” Felipe said.
“Sorry, forgot I was wearing it.”
“Yeah, you always got that hat on. But not for the photo, eh?”
John removed it and held it below his waist.
The flash lit up his face, and for just a moment, the bright light reminded Caitlin of how he had looked in the canyon with the Arizona sun beating down on him.
“You say you already have players?”
“Yeah.” John took the memory stick from his jacket and passed it to Felipe.
“This will take a few minutes,” Felipe said.
“Do you mind if I watch?” Caitlin asked.
“Of course not. Come on.”
She followed him to one of the desks where plugged the memory stick into the computer. With a few clicks of the mouse, he changed programs and called up the stored information. He divided the information between the male and female players and then copied it into another file.
“Hey John, you want passports while you’re here?”
“No, if we end up having to leave the country we’ll need completely new identities. Keep the photos on file; I’ll let you know if we need more material.”
“Sure, John. I’m going to need your signatures for the licenses. Her
e.” He handed Caitlin a pen. “Practice writing your new name a couple of times on this paper then write it once on a clean sheet. You too, John.”
Caitlin wrote out Charlotte S. Owens until she was comfortable with the appearance, and then signed the clean paper. She passed the pen to John, and he wrote out Robert A. Owens once then signed it below her signature on the other paper.
Felipe took their signatures and fed them into a scanner. With the mouse, he selected another screen and Caitlin saw her image appear above the name and address information. Another mouse stroke and the laser imager purred. Felipe took the photographic paper from the imager, cut it to shape, and then dropped it into a laminator. A minute later he examined the license, nodded approvingly, and then passed it to Caitlin. Felipe reset the equipment, and a minute later, John’s license came out.
“How good is this?” she asked.
“As good as any you’ll get from the DMV. John provided the players, so as long as their address and license numbers are correct, then the license is perfect.”
“Unless someone gets nosy enough to have the file photo transmitted to them,” John said.
“That’s right. Do you want me to insert your new photos into the computer records?”
“No, not for this set, but thanks for the offer.”
“It’s just part of the deluxe package.”
“You can really change the file photos in the state’s computer?” Caitlin asked.
“Lady, if you want to start drawing an old age pension, I can arrange it for you. But it doesn’t come cheap. The more you tamper with the system, the greater the chance someone’s watchdog program will notice the unauthorized access. Then I’d have to change my entry method.”
“I see. What’s all this going to cost me?”
“There’s no point in worrying about that now. Once we get things settled, I’ll give you a bill that itemizes everything.”
“Really? Can I use it on a tax return?”
“Sure, why not? Think of it as the cost of doing business. It’s just one more business expense.”
John checked his watch. “We’d better get moving. We’ll want to get to the airport early enough to check it out.”
“You got what you need?” Felipe asked.
“Most everything. If I need something else, I’ll give you a call.”
“Anything. Anytime. Anywhere.”
The Phoenix Egg Page 20