by JT Kalnay
The crew relaxed, settling in for the night. "If we knew where he was going things would be a lot easier,” she said.
"Yeah,” the crew echoed.
A plan started to form in the woman's mind.
Jay Calloway slept late in his rented room, finally emerging from the purportedly king sized bed that was actually more like duke-sized and heading to the bathroom around ten a.m. He showered long and luxuriously, his mind unintentionally drifting back to his shower with Maria before he forced it to stop. After his hot shower he dressed and packed and headed for the diner attached to the hotel.
"I'll have the pancakes and an English muffin and an orange juice and a diet coke please,” Jay ordered. The weary looking waitress took his order and disappeared into the kitchen. "She was friendly,” Jay said sarcastically. A few minutes later she emerged with his food.
"Thank you,” Jay said.
"You're welcome,” she answered. "You from New York?" she asked. Jay didn't expect the question.
"Well I live there,” he answered, trying not to be too friendly with this stranger.
"I thought so. You a cop?" she asked.
"No. Why would you think that?"
"I dunno. You just look like a cop.”
"No I'm not a cop.”
"Your food alright?" she asked.
"Yes.”
"Okay, let me know if you need anything.” Jay thought she said 'anything' a little peculiarly.
"Okay,” Jay answered. He felt relieved to actually be able to talk to someone in complete sentences instead of the angry, crazy clipped phrases of the city. A few minutes later the waitress wandered back over. Jay noticed she had fixed her hair a little.
"Everything okay?" she asked again, her voice holding a whole new tone.
"Fine,” Jay answered.
"You're sure you're not a cop?"
"I'm sure,” Jay said. “I was sure five minutes ago, and I’m still sure. I’m a computer geek on vacation.” He put down his knife and fork and looked at her curiously. “Why does it matter if I’m a cop?” he asked.
"You want to fuck?" the waitress asked, leaning over to show him her floppy old breasts. Jay could smell 8 hours of waitress sweat on her. "Fifty bucks,” she added, looking right into his eyes.
"No thanks, I've got to get going,” Jay answered. He couldn't believe it.
"Twenty,” she bargained.
"No, thank you, really,” Jay stammered. He took one last hit of his diet coke and made to go. He pulled a twenty from his wallet and tossed it on the table. "That ought to cover the breakfast,” he said.
"And everything else,” she said, desperate to make the sale. Jay scrambled out of the booth, paid his bill at the office and hit the road. Once safely behind the wheel a cold shiver passed through his entire body as he thought about doing it with the stinky waitress. What is it with me and waitresses?
"Ugh,” he said out loud. "Tonia where are you when I need you?" he joked with himself.
"I thought he was gonna shit,” the one man laughed.
"No doubt,” the other added. They let Jay drift a half a mile ahead of them on the interstate as they followed his steady southwestern progress.
The remaining six hours of the drive passed uneventfully for Jay and the unseen chase team. Jay stopped once for gas, and twice for more diet coke and to drain his kidneys. By the time the road started rising and twisting and lifting into the foothills of the Smokey Mountains Jay had forgotten all about the City and the tunnel and the hooker/waitress and all his secret agent games. Checking frequently in the rear view mirror he'd spotted no-one.
And so he relaxed, certain he had either imagined the whole thing, or even if he hadn’t, that he’d left them far behind…
Chapter
"Is this the head of the summit trail?" Jay Calloway asked the Smokey Mountain National Park Service Ranger.
"Yessir it is. You climbing alone?"
"Yes.”
"Oh?" the ranger asked, casting a professional eye at the tenderfoot before him. “You think that's wise?" the ranger asked.
"I'm going to stay on the trail. I told the ranger at the visitor center where I was going and when I'd be back. I think it'll be okay,” Jay explained. He felt like a teenager with power tools under the close supervision of a nervous parent. “I’m in really good shape. I’ve been training for three months just to climb this trail.”
"Watch out for bears,” the ranger cautioned.
"Bears?" Jay asked.
"Bears. They're usually pretty timid but you never know. Keep an eye out and if they come for your food, just give it to them and back away slow.”
Jay thanked the ranger and set out up the trail filled with excitement and now some nervousness. He tried to talk away the nervousness.
"I'm on vacation, it's a beautiful brisk morning in the Smokey's, my cabin is great and I'm setting out on a trek to meet my best friend, Rick Hewlett. Life is sweet,” Jay said out loud. “Bears or no bears!” As per their agreement at commencement, Rick and Jay were going to meet at 11:11 am on November 11th on the top of Clingman's Dome. At 6,643 feet it is the highest point in Tennessee and the third highest point east of the Mississippi, only a few feet lower than nearby Mt. Mitchell and Mt. Craig in neighboring North Carolina. Mt. Washington in New Hampshire checks in at 6288 feet.
"I hope he didn't forget,” Jay repeated several times. As the trail led up away from the autumn meadow, Shedding Dogwoods, Tulip Poplars, and Cedar trees glistened in the early morning dew. Jay faced a twelve mile trail that rose 5,000 feet to the summit. A thin mist hung in the air. These Smokey Mountains receive more rain than any other part of the U.S. except the Pacific Northwest. The evidence of the rainfall was everywhere.
The rocky trail continued to climb. The trees were so thick, even in November, that only rarely were there openings in the foliage wide enough to give Jay a view of the countryside. The higher he climbed, the more his breath was taken out of him by the effort of the climb and the beauty of the country and the increasing altitude.
Jay's mind drifted away from his blistering feet to his college friend.
Maybe he's on the same trail? Jay thought. He stopped and looked and listened every fifteen minutes, hoping to catch Rick's footsteps. There was no sign.
I wonder how he got to the top? Jay thought. Maybe he's hiking the Appalachian Trail or something cool like that? After another hour Jay was 3/4 of the way to the top. He sat down heavily to rest, putting his back to a tree. The temptation to close his eyes and go to sleep was nearly compelling. Only the thought of seeing his friend kept him awake.
"Are you sure he's still up ahead? He didn't turn off?" a sweating man asked.
"No I'm not sure,” an out of breath man snapped back. Both men were soaked from their climb. Months of surveillance had meant months of donuts and cigarettes. Too much sugared coffee. Too little exercise. The two men who were supposed to be tailing Jay were falling miles behind.
“I thought we were supposed to have some mountain climbers assigned for this trip?” the one added.
“Yeah, me too,” the other replied.
Who the hell are those guys? Rick Hewlett wondered. Rick had been up in the observation deck of Clingman's Dome since 5 a.m. He'd seen the sunrise. He'd watched Jay arrive. Rick had zeroed his 75X binoculars on Jay's new climbing shoes.
"He's gonna have blisters,” Rick chuckled knowingly. He'd also noticed two cars pull up after Jay and had watched as an attractive blonde woman gave orders to three out of shape men. Shortly after Jay started up the trail, two of the men had taken off after him. Whereas Jay at least had some water, a compass, a map, and some food, these men were totally unprepared for hiking.
Who the hell are those guys? Rick wondered again. He'd watched the second car as it left the parking lot. It travelled in and out of the dense forest as it wound to the top of the mountain. The car took a position where the end of the summit trail could be observed.
What the hell is going on? Rick
wondered. I thought he took the MacKenzie Lazarus job, not the damn CIA thing! Rick hesitated for a minute then decided what he had to do. Rick couldn't let Jay wander into the trap waiting for him at the top of the trail. He had to warn Jay.
Rick packed up his binoculars and slipped out of the tower unnoticed by the occupants of the parked car. Rick eased through the forest then cut back over to the trail and headed down to meet Jay.
"This could be tricky,” Rick said to himself.
Chapter
Rick Hewlett kept working cautiously down the trail. Moving quietly he heard Jay's labored breathing and heavy footsteps just around the next corner. Rick stopped, placing his finger against his lips in a shush-up position. Jay rounded the corner, his head down. He was five feet from Rick before he saw him standing there.
"Hey Rick...,” he started. Rick covered Jay's mouth so he couldn't finish his sentence.
Rick leaned near and whispered, "Follow me.”
Jay thought to open his mouth to ask a question, but Rick gave him the shush-up signal again. Rick quietly started away from the trail. Jay followed, trying to be as quiet as he could.
"Just a few more minutes,” Rick whispered. "Be extra quiet now.” The two friends went down a hundred yards to a rock outcropping that overlooked the trail.
Rick whispered, "Quiet.”
"What is it? Bears?" Jay asked.
Rick just pointed down at the trail fifty yards below. After a few minutes, the two sweating spooks came into Rick and Jay's view. Rick waited until he figured the men were out of earshot.
"Who are those guys?" Rick asked.
"I don't know,” Jay answered. "You tell me.”
"They've been following you all morning,” Rick said.
"What?” Jay couldn't believe it.
"And their buddies are waiting for you at the top.”
"What?" Jay repeated.
"You didn't know?"
"No.”
Rick looked like he was trying to decide something. "You took the job with MacKenzie Lazarus right? Not the CIA thing or the Navy thing right?" Rick asked.
"Right. But the CIA just called me last week. Why?"
"Are you in trouble or something?"
"No. Not that I know of.”
"Selling secrets to a competitor?" Rick asked.
"No.”
"Hacking government computers again?"
"No.”
Rick shook his head and pulled his friend further down the trail, questioning him as they went. A few minutes later they stopped.
"Those guys are going to make it to the top in about a half an hour and then realize they've missed you a few minutes after that. They'll probably have to walk back down looking for you. Or maybe the guys in the car will walk down. But I doubt it. We ought to have a few free minutes. I'll walk down with you most of the way but then you've got to let them find you again. Pretend like nothing happened. Maybe we can come up with a way to figure all this out,” Rick said.
"Uh... Rick?" Jay started.
"Yeah?"
"Nice to see you too," Jay said. Rick looked over at his friend. The hardness and soldier like quality went out of his face, the edge left his voice.
"I’m sorry Jay. Yeah it’s nice to see you too.” Rick put his arm around his little buddy.
"He must've cut off the trail somewhere,” the more out of breath of the two sweaty men said. “Maybe to take a leak or take a dump or something.”
"No shit Sherlock,” the woman answered
"Well what are we gonna do?" the other sweaty man asked.
"Head back down the hill to his car. We'll pick him up again down there,” the woman said. The two men who'd hiked up the trail looked beat. The woman looked them up and down, disgust showed in her face. For an instant the men thought they were going to have to hike back down the hill.
"Get in the car,” she said to them like you'd say to a lost dog you'd tracked down five miles from home in a rainstorm. “We’ll pick him up at his truck.”
"You've got to make it look like nothing happened, like you suspect nothing,” Rick said. The order giving voice was back. "Just ease on back down the trail. They've got the blue sedan at the end of the lot. Make sure they pick you up again."
"Why?"
"So we can give them the slip tomorrow like we planned okay?"
"Okay,” Jay answered. "Uh Rick?"
"Yeah?"
"This isn’t quite what we imagined at graduation is it?”
“Not exactly.”
“And, um, ah, you seem to know a lot about this cloak and dagger stuff.” It was both a statement and a question. Rick looked at his friend. He started to say one thing and then stopped.
"Oh you know me, I read all those Clancy and Le Carre books,” Rick said. “And something just didn’t seem right. Like maybe those guys were going to mug you or kidnap you or something. It just didn’t look right. It’s probably nothing. But you’d have done the same thing for me if you’d noticed someone following me and boxing me in.”
"Right,” Jay answered, not buying it.
Chapter
The four members of the surveillance team were sitting in a hotel room filled with coffee smells and cigarette smoke.
"Gentlemen, this is Special Agent Bob Williams of the Knoxville FBI. He's been loaned to us for the duration of our stay here. He knows these hills like nobody's business. He's also in great shape. He's going to help us on our tail,” the blonde agent explained.
"Hey Bob,” the group greeted him.
"Hey,” he answered.
Though he said nothing, the group collectively felt his disapproving glances.
Jay Calloway pulled his rusty old truck into the small lot at the bottom of the black diamond trail at the base of Mt. Leconte. A sign warned of the dangers of the trail. It read "For Experienced Hikers and Climbers Only.” Jay's plan was to meet Rick half way up the trail, ditch the tail and get out of Gatlinburg unseen for a few days so they could talk.
"You'll say you went camping in the back woods and got lost if anyone asks. But who is going to ask. No-one is supposed to know you are here,” Rick had explained when they'd made the plan. So Jay had his tent and sleeping bag and enough supplies for three days.
"Three or four days,” he'd told the ranger after returning from the aborted 11/11 hike. Bob Williams had overheard. As a temporary and as yet unseen member of the team he wasn't worried about being seen this morning. He was just another hiker.
Jay started up the trail alone. Rick was in position three miles ahead. Rick had picked a dry spot near the trail from where he could see the trail head and the parking lots around it. He immediately spotted the two cars that slid in after Jay. He counted five people instead of four.
Shit. Who's the new guy?
Looking through his 75X binoculars, Rick could see that the new guy was different from the other four. More ready for the hills. For some reason he looked like a local. And he looked in shape. Rick focused in tight on the stranger's boots.
"Shit. That guy could mess it all up,” Rick said.
Jay hiked the first two miles in good time, scrambling over rocks on hands and knees when necessary. The Mt. LeConte trail is much more rugged than the Clingman's Dome trail. Also, there is neither a road to the top nor a tourist trap upon arrival. This is a summit you earn.
Jay sat down for a break. As Rick had taught him, he took off his boots, took off his socks, let his feet dry out for a few minutes, and made sure the moleskin was in place over his blisters.
But Bob Williams had started out only minutes behind, and had easily been keeping pace with an unsuspecting Jay Calloway. Rick watched the parade. Jay, then Bob, then the same two who'd stumbled up the trail yesterday. The two stumblers were even farther behind today than the day before. Their gate revealed their blisters. At least today they had day pack and water. Jay's two minute blister check turned into a ten minute break.
Special Agent Bob Williams, of the Nashville office of the FBI turned a
corner and realized he'd walked right up on Jay Calloway.
Damn, Bob muttered.
"Okay. Time to move,” Jay said after a sip from his canteen. He eyed Bob Williams over the rim of his canteen and then started to put on his dry socks. Rick had made him pack six pairs of socks.
"I’m sorry. What did you say?" Bob Williams asked, trying to cover his mistake.
Jay tried to absorb this new development. There were supposed to be two agents trailing him, not one. And Rick had said they were out of shape and easy to lose. This guy looked like he could climb all day. And like he could shoot the eye out of a squirrel at fifty yards.
"Nobody. Just talking to myself,” Jay answered.
"Where you headed?" Bob asked in a friendly voice. He took a drink from his canteen, offered it to Jay. Jay refused.
"Nowhere in particular,” Jay equivocated.
"Mind if I hike along with you for a few?" Bob asked.
"Well. I'm kind of here on the mountain in November for the solitude after the big city you know?"
"Oh. Sure. Of course,” Bob answered.
He didn't really think Calloway would want company. His profile had said "loner.” Bob Williams realized he'd messed up.
I should've laid back he thought. Now I'm screwed.
"Well good luck to you then,” Bob said. He set off up the trail, quickly leaving Jay behind.
I'll just get ahead and then trail him from ahead, he’s plenty loud, and then duck off and let him pass, Bob thought as he climbed. Jay rested another few minutes then started up again. After a mile, Jay thought he heard a voice in the woods beside the trial.
Jay looked but saw no-one.
"Jay, over here,” Rick whispered louder.
"Rick. Did you see that other guy come past?"
"What guy?"
"The guy who looked like a hick, he had a brown plaid jacket on.”
"You're the first person to come up the trail,” Rick said.
"Shit. He must've gotten around behind me.”