“Colonel Townsend says to tell you it is a good thing you were right or he was going to have to whip your ass.”
“Well, I am certainly glad I was right, because I do not need an ass whipping from Colonel T. Thanks guys, we appreciate your help and tell those Marine pilots we also thank them.”
“Actually guys, we want to thank you. You just stopped a major terrorist attack. A large number of those tourists enjoying this lovely part of the world could have died. By the way, what were you doing out here today?”
TC looks at me and then he answers, “Oh, we were just doing some diving and enjoying the beautiful day.”
“Well, I’m sure glad you were here, being alert and paying attention. Thanks again. Oh, and by the way, we would appreciate it if you do not discuss this with anyone until you both can be debriefed. Someone will be in touch with you tomorrow.”
We do not go back to the dive site but move back toward Murrells Inlet. We have had enough fun and excitement for one day. TC thinks we should keep the fact that we may have found a shipwreck to ourselves. I agree with him.
Chapter 48: The Cover-up
The following morning, my phone rings at 7:00am. I am sound asleep, dreaming about Blue and I sitting in a large bowl filled with potato chips and popcorn. We are so happy.
“Mickke D, it’s Colonel Townsend. I suppose you’re up and about by now?”
“Oh, you bet Colonel T, I already did my three-mile run, had my shower, and I’m just now fixing breakfast.”
The Colonel was always a stickler for PT. Actually, I haven’t run a total of three miles since I left the Army.
“The brass from D.C. wants to meet with you and Judge Cadium around 1000 hours this morning at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center. Come to meeting room B on the second floor. I’ll call the judge and let him know.”
I suppose I have no choice but to attend, so I tell the Colonel I will be there.
I get to the convention center about 9:45 and TC is already there. He walks over and softly says, “Remember, we found nothing. I don’t trust big brother.”
I nod my head and we sit down at the table. Several high profile people are present including Under-Secretary of Homeland Security Bob Reiter and the governor of South Carolina, Melissa Craig. Colonel Townsend is also there, along with a lady introduced as Patty Cambridge, the director of South Carolina Travel and Tourism.
Mr. Reiter begins, “Judge Cadium and Mr. MacCandlish, we would like to thank you both for what you did yesterday. You both went far beyond the call of duty by risking your lives to protect Americans against a terrorist attack. We recovered one complete fifty-five gallon barrel and it was filled with ten sticks of C-4 and wrapped with about twenty pounds of nails, screws, nuts, and bolts. We estimate there could have been around five hundred barrels on board the cargo ship. If detonated on or near the beach, it would have killed or wounded hundreds, maybe thousands of tourists. In most cases you would be receiving medals and a parade for what you did yesterday but since what happened yesterday did not really happen, you can forget the medals and the parade.”
I look at TC and we are both perplexed and surprised.
Governor Craig breaks the silence, “Gentlemen, the State of South Carolina and everyone along the Grand Strand want to thank you for your bravery yesterday. However, after an all-night session on the phone with Washington, we have determined that if this attack gets out to the public the terrorists will have won. The news will shut down the tourism trade along the coast of South Carolina and probably North Carolina as well. The economy of both states will be devastated.”
Ms. Cambridge adds, “We would really appreciate it if neither one of you discuss this attack and whatever you do, no book deals. We would like both of you to sign non-disclosure agreements.”
That scenario about the book had not entered my mind, but the thought intrigues me. “So, in other words, we should just keep our mouths shut and move on?”
Mr. Reiter continues, “Yes, Mr. MacCandlish, that is correct and of course we will see to it that Judge Cadium’s boat is repaired. As far as everyone is concerned, yesterday was a joint realistic training exercise between the Marines and the Coast Guard. No one was actually ever in any danger. We will profusely apologize for not notifying the local authorities ahead of time.”
Governor Craig puts her elbows on the table and rests her chin in the palms of her hands. She looks directly at TC and me, “There is one more thing we would like to add as a token of our appreciation. Homeland Security has supplied satellite photos of your location yesterday afternoon and it almost looks as if you may have been treasure hunting. If that is correct, I am afraid you were within the three-mile limit of the United States and South Carolina. And if by chance you would have discovered something it would have belonged to us.”
I can see that TC has the same sick feeling as I do, but I also remember her saying something about a token of appreciation.
She continues, “Since you two may have found something that could benefit the State of South Carolina, we, along with Homeland Security, are willing to pay you a finder’s fee of ten million dollars and the State of South Carolina will hire you as consultants to see what you can find at the location.”
As I turn to look at TC, he is already smiling.
I turn back to the governor. “Where do we sign?”
Chapter 49: The Hearing
The Senate Sub-Committee Hearing convenes. Senator Tim Mullins of Ohio is the chairman. The sub-committee is looking into allegations from an anonymous source that Senator R. Gene Brazile has been taking bribes and kickbacks. That same anonymous source also named Gary Sherman, president of Derrick Oil, as a possible person of interest, for making illegal bribes to the senator.
Senator Mullins is a die-hard conservative Republican and he has never cared much for Senator Brazile. Mullins is sixty years old, almost bald, and a little bit on the chubby side. He wears thick lens glasses and dresses like Colombo, but don’t be fooled, he is about as dumb as a fox.
Since this is only a hearing, Senator Brazile does not have to appear but he does watch the proceedings from his office.
Gary Sherman is sitting at the witness table with his attorney, Chris White, waiting for the procedures to begin. Senator Mullins bangs his gavel to start the hearing. The senator introduces the other members of the sub-committee and begins by telling Mr. Sherman that this is not a trial but he was sworn in and is expected to tell the truth.
The senator begins, “Mr. Sherman, I do not want to waste a lot of time and the taxpayers money with a long, drawn-out hearing, so I am going to get right to the point. Are you acquainted in any way with Senator R. Gene Brazile of North Carolina?”
“Only that he is a senator from North Carolina.”
“Let me rephrase the question, Mr. Sherman. Do you personally know Senator Brazile?”
“No, senator, I do not personally know Senator Brazile.”
“Mr. Sherman, have you ever spoken on the phone to Senator Brazile?”
Gary Sherman looks directly at the senator and smiles, “No senator, I have never spoken on the phone with Senator Brazile.”
“Mr. Sherman, have you ever given money to Senator Brazile’s re-election campaign fund?”
“No, senator, I have never given any contribution, money or otherwise, to Senator Brazile.”
“Mr. Sherman, do you know that Senator Brazile is the chairman of the committee which will decide on oil and gas drilling off the coast of the Carolinas?”
“Yes, senator, I do know that.”
“And you did not try to influence or lobby the senator for a positive vote on offshore drilling?”
“No, senator, I did not.”
“Why not, Mr. Sherman? You stand to lose a lot of money if offshore drilling is voted down.”
“I believe that the government and the taxpayers are looking for energy independence and want offshore drilling. I figure it is a done deal or I would never have invested in the leases.”<
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Senator Mullins leans back in his chair, looks directly at Gary Sherman, and shakes his head, “Mr. Sherman, you should have been a politician instead of running an oil company. You have more bull crap than a Christmas turkey.”
“Thank you, senator, I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“Mr. Sherman, do you know Dean Rutland?”
“No, senator, I do not know Dean Rutland.”
“Mr. Sherman,” and this time Senator Mullins smiles while peering over the top of his glasses, “I have phone records here showing that Mr. Rutland placed several calls to you in the last six months.”
Gary Sherman leans over and speaks to his attorney and then smiles back at the senator, “Senator you asked me if I knew Dean Rutland, not if I had ever spoken to him.”
“Again, let me rephrase the question, Mr. Sherman. What is your relationship with Dean Rutland?”
“Dean Rutland called my office several times trying to get me to contribute to Senator Brazile’s re-election campaign fund. If I was not there to accept the call, as a professional courtesy, I always returned his call.”
“And did you ever contribute or give money to Mr. Rutland?”
“No, senator, I did not because I knew that would be a blatant conflict of interest since the senator is the chairman of the committee making the decisions on offshore drilling.”
“Mr. Sherman, you just keep getting better and better. Are you sure you’re not running for office somewhere?”
“No, senator, I am not. I am the type of person who likes to get things done, not just talk about them. I would make a poor politician.”
Gary Sherman’s attorney lightly touches his arm as if to say, shut up Gary, you’re moving onto thin ice.
Senator Mullins’ smile turns to a frown but he does not let Gary Sherman’s comments rattle him. He continues with his questioning, “Mr. Sherman, do you have any idea where Dean Rutland is?”
“No, senator I do not, is he missing?”
A buzzer goes off and Senator Mullins relinquishes the floor to the next senator for questions.
Gary Sherman is smiling inside because he knows very well that Dean Rutland is missing and unavailable for questioning. In fact, Gary Sherman was the anonymous caller who caused this sub-committee to meet today. He also knows that all of his transactions with Dean were in cash and there is no way to track cash. He just isn’t sure if any of the money ever got to Senator Brazile or his re-election campaign fund. He figures this hearing is the best way, other than money, to get into Senator Brazile’s back pocket. The senator will owe him big time for this.
Senator R. Gene Brazile is livid as he watches the proceedings from his office. Not only did Dean Rutland not show up one day and seemed to disappear from the face of the earth, but he is pretty sure he was taking money from Gary Sherman.
Mr. Sherman is saving the senator’s ass but he is going to want something in return at some point in time. One thing is for sure, he does not think any of Gary Sherman’s money was ever funneled to him, but he does not want anyone looking into his personal business and accidently find out about his earmark money.
He figures Dean probably kept all of the money himself and is living on a desert island somewhere in the South Pacific, probably with the senator’s secretary, Connie Smith.
They may think the senator has forgotten about them, but he has not. They are on the top of his to do list.
Chapter 50: Dean Rutland
Dean Rutland has been in the captivating, quant, historic town of Todos Santos, Mexico, for almost six weeks. He is renting a very nice oceanfront condo and plans to eventually buy a house here and retire. Todos Santos is almost an hour away from Cabo San Lucas, but worlds away from the bustle of Cabo. He vacationed here several years ago because being a big fan of the musical group, The Eagles, he wanted to visit the Hotel California, which is located in Todos Santos. The small town boasts of art galleries and courtyard cafes set along pleasant streets with traditional colonial architecture. It also provides excellent surfing and pristine beaches for sunbathing. He spent most of his previous vacation watching and dating those sun worshipers.
When things started to warm up around Senator Brazile’s office, he felt it was time to leave. He didn’t have time to sell the house and condo so he leased both properties to a rental company. All of the income will go to a numbered bank account in Peru. He owned both properties outright so he only has to make property tax payments from his Peru account.
He brought with him almost seven hundred thousand dollars and he will be receiving five thousand a month from the rental company. It doesn’t cost much to live well in Mexico. Most of the cash came from Gary Sherman at Derrick Drilling. When Gary finds out Dean has skipped town, he will not be a happy camper.
Dean wonders what happened to his on-again, off-again girlfriend Connie Smith. She just went missing one day and no one has any idea what happened to her, not even the senator. Her disappearance, along with the news that Barry Green, from SIL, had been killed by Mickke D, helped him make his decision to leave town. Too many people were dying and disappearing. Mickke D was too close to figuring out the whole thing. It was the right time to leave.
Dean is on his way to his favorite courtyard café for coffee. It is located along Ocean Drive not too far from his condo. It is a quaint little shop with fully shaded outdoor seating. As he enters the coffee shop he notices the midday air has warmed; the sun bright in a cloudless sky. It is going to be another hot day in paradise.
He orders a latte at the counter and goes outside to sit in the shade and watch the tourists go by. He always enjoyed doing the same thing in airports, but that was when he was working. Now he is just enjoying the good life.
He notices a very nice-looking woman in her mid thirties sit down at the table next to his. She is dressed in a silk blouse, khaki shorts, a large straw hat, sunglasses, and the most important feature; she is not wearing a wedding ring. She seems to be searching for something in her over-sized straw purse. She is not having much luck finding whatever she has lost.
Being the gentleman that he is, Dean gets up and asks her if there is a problem. She takes off her sunglasses and smiles. Her blue eyes are expressive and warm. She tells Dean she can’t find her car keys and she is afraid she has locked them in her car.
Again, being the gentleman that he is, Dean offers to go with her to see if indeed the keys are in her car. As they are walking, the young woman introduces herself, “Oh, how rude of me, my name is Kathy.”
“Hi, Kathy, I’m Dean, very nice to meet you.”
The car, a very shiny new Lexus, is parked in a little used alley just off the main street. Kathy walks over to the driver’s side of the car and Dean goes to the passenger side.
Kathy peers inside and smiles, “There they are, cross your fingers.”
She pulls on the door latch and Dean hears a click. “Thank goodness, I forgot to lock it.”
Actually, she hit the clicker on her second set of keys as they turned the corner into the alley. She sits down in the driver’s seat and starts the car. She removes her large straw hat and reveals short, pixie like, blonde hair. The color of her hair causes her blue eyes to appear even bluer. She pushes a button and the passenger window rolls down. Dean puts his hands on the window, leans in and smiles at her.
“Dean I really want to thank you for walking me back to my car. You are such a gentleman.”
She looks into the rear view mirror and side mirror. She opens her purse and puts her hand inside.
“Oh, no Kathy, you don’t owe me anything. It was my pleasure. Your phone number will be more than adequate payment.”
His eyes light up with anticipation but then Kathy pulls a 9mm Glock 29 with a silencer from her large purse. “Dean, I owe you much more than a phone number. Liz says to send you her love.”
Dean can see the repulsion in her eyes. The anticipation in his eyes is replaced with rushing fear, pain, desperation, and then darkness as she fires one shot.
He is dead before he hits the ground. She rolls up the passenger window and drives off.
Chapter 51: The Second Hearing
It has been almost four weeks since Gary Sherman testified before Senator Mullins’ sub-committee. He is back sitting in the same chair at the same table. Attorney Chris White is back as well and questions why his client has been called back to testify.
Senator Mullins answers his question. “We have obtained some new information and evidence, counselor. We would just like to set the record straight. Mr. Sherman, please consider yourself still under oath.”
“Of course, senator, but I think this is a complete waste of the taxpayers money.”
“I see you are still running for office Mr. Sherman.”
Gary smiles but does not respond.
“Mr. Sherman, do you still stand by your previous testimony?”
“Yes, senator, I do.”
“Mr. Sherman, did you know that Dean Rutland has been found?”
All of a sudden, Gary begins to get a sick feeling in his stomach. “No, senator I did not know that. Has he been on vacation?”
“No, Mr. Sherman, Mr. Rutland is dead. He was murdered or I guess you could say he was assassinated.”
Gary Sherman’s stomach problem starts to ease. If Dean is dead, he can’t testify against him.
“I am sorry to hear that senator, but what does that have to do with me?”
The senator smiles from over the rims of his glasses and continues, “He was found in Todos Santos, a little town about an hour from Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, with a gunshot wound to the head. The local authorities found several hundred thousand dollars in his condo and local bank accounts.”
“Sounds to me as if he planned well for his retirement,” Gary replies.
“Did any of that money come from you, Mr. Sherman?”
“I told you senator, I do not know Dean Rutland and I have never funneled any money to him or Senator Brazile.”
Senator Mullins feels like he has a big old carp on the end of his fishing pole and he is slowly reeling him to the side of the boat.
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