TWENTY-FIVE

His van looked like hundreds if not thousands of other General Motors vans in Tucson. The only recognizable feature was the airbrushed picture of a Remmington painting along both sides depicting a cowboy roping wild horses against a star studded midnight blue of the van’s original paint. Remington being the General’s favorite artist. The conglomeration of extra antennas created little speculation in a city and climate fascinated with citizen band radios and any other electronic mode of communications. Even the heavily tinted windows were a normal addition to cars and vans in the destructive power of the desert sun and heat.

It was currently parked in its third position of the day, one block from 3558 Indian Canyon Road in its five block radius of the house. The other almost identical vans were parked within this rough radius. The only difference between one van and another is the Remmington painting on the side. The airbrush artist was almost as good of an artist as Remmington himself to reproduce the paintings in such detail. No car could leave the house without one of the vans trailing behind at a safe distance. Each van contained three armed service men with one being a certified communications specialist.

Every call and conversation in the house were recorded at 3558 Indian and had been for the last thirty-six hours. Fairly routine conversations between a mother and son, daughter and father, girlfriends, two ten years old boys about Scouts and their troop master. An employee talking to his boss, making excuses for two, and half dozen calls to various tradesmen, standing by to begin working on a project as soon as David gives them the address and key.

It was life as usual at the Fox’s. That simple fact had Major Hammonds going crazy. From the preliminary investigation and his own observation in Las Vegas, David Fox and Evan Cooper were more than just best friends, they were brothers. Even sharing parents when Evan died in a car accident when he was fourteen. If Evan was going to contact anybody, it would be David Fox. Major Hammons had staked his career on this fact of life.

When it had become apparent that Valerie and Evan had left the hotel, Gil and Fran took the next available plane back to Tucson. If Gil had not been such a punctual, or so economical of a man and sat in first class, where David and Judy boarded at the very last minute. Upon arrival in Tucson, since they had carry on only, they bypassed the luggage carousels, and another chance to see David and Judy.

After dropping Fran off at her apartment, Gil called the General at home. So at ten thirty in the evening, Gil found himself seated in the General’s home office. They talked for two hours, with Gil starting with what Fran had recounted to him. Then Gil had witnessed himself with the three uninvited guests to their suite. After the discussion as to Evan’s potential, the General green lighted a short term investigation. He had a week to produce a minimum as to where Evan and Valerie were located.

Evan Cooper and Valerie Wallace were national security threats, so the gloves were off, and Major Gil Hammons would do what he thought was best for the United States.

The watch on the Fox’s residence was set up within ten hours. Gil went to Evan’s apartment. He was visibly upset when his apartment and Valerie were empty. Not just empty, but completely cleaned ready to return security deposits checks. The office manager had just been told to mail the checks, and they would be forwarded. The postal service said if the Air Force wanted the forwarding address, then they would need a warrant to find out about the post office box close to David’s mother’s house.

Men were delegated to check moving companies and storage companies. Others to check out where he and Valerie work or worked. Fran knew about Valerie and told Gil everything. Waiting for her last paycheck to be mailed. Evan’s boss, Herold Belacheck, was a first generation immigrant and understood how special the rights Americans held and just threw them away at the first sign of trouble. He would not answer any questions regarding his employees. He respected their privacy, so he did not mention the tractor trail in his loading well with both Valerie and Evan’s belongings and Valerie’s car covered at the end of the delivery well.

“Where is Mr. Cooper?”

“No idea, he said he had some personal problems he had to deal with, and I said fine, take as long as you need.”

“And you’re going to hold his job open until he gets back? Whenever that may be?”

“Absolutely, he’s a very good worker.”

“What if I were to tell you he’s not coming back,” said the Lieutenant.

“Then I would say this conversation is over. Please lease before I call the police for trespassing.”

“And that’s the best you can do?”

Harold smiled to himself as he remembered a line from one of his kids current movies, “That’ll do sir. That’ll do.”

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

Evan’s old '68 Cutlass was later found at the long term parking lot in the airport. A homing beckon was placed under the rear bumper. If he returned to the car, Major Hammons would know about it. He also knew how hard it was to truly disappear without a trace. You have to be willing to walk away from everything, absolutely everything. The almost one hundred million dollars, his best friends and his god-son. Books, clothes and all your personal possessions. Major Hammons was betting his entire future on the fact that Evan and especially Valerie walk away from everybody, everything.

He sat in the dark interior of the van. The only illumination coming from the green tinted digital readouts, and a tiny tensor light over a minuscule writing area. Now Major Hammons had time to think about what he was trying to do. The possibility that what he was doing was wrong or immoral never crossed his mind. Self doubt is not an Air Force character requirement. The only problem the Major faced was how to safely detain the couple. If Valerie could flatten a metal plate cover already, what could Evan flatten? The think tank eggheads came up with the solution, tranquilizer guns. If the conscious mind was tranquilized, then it should be able to deal with the subconscious. What happened when Evan saw the darts coming, could he deflect them? What happened when he woke up, locked up until he decided to cooperate.

“Incoming, Sir,” one of the tech operators said briskly.

“Put it on the speaker,” Major Hammons instructed.

The phone rang three more times.

“Hello,” answered a lady's voice.

“Hi Judy,” a man’s voice said. “Is David around?”

“Sure, just a minute,” and in the background she could be heard yelling through her house for David to pick up the phone. “Is everything alright?”

“Almost,” and there was the clicking sound of another receiver joining the call.

“Is everything alright?” David asked?

“Almost,” there were more clicking noises on the line.

“What’s happening?”

“We’re on the road and should get to Tucson around one or one thirty. We’ll only be there for a few minutes, before flying out.”

“Tell all the other vans to start triangulating. I want a position,” Major Hammons instructed his corporal.

“Why don’t you come to the house for the night. We’ll make plenty of room,” Judy said hopefully.

“Who the hell is with them?” Major Hammons asked rhetorically.

“We can’t stay, we have to get to the east coast asap. But I do need to get to my library. There’s some information I have to dig out.”

“What’s the problem?”

“Cindy,” and there was a brief pause while there were more clicking noises. “They have her again. I’d tell them to keep her but I don’t think it’s a match made in heaven.”

“Shit” David said softly. “Okay let’s meet at Belacheck’s. That’s where I have everything at the moment stored in a semi rig. I’ll head over to get what you want to go through and not waste a bunch of time. Is there anything else I can do for you?”

“I think that’s it… hold on, Val has a question.” The phone could be heard exchanging hands.

“Hi everyone,” Valerie said cheerfully. “I was just wondering if Fran or Gil has been snooping around asking questions.”

“Fran called once yesterday to see if I’ve talked to you recently. I told her no, you were away with Evan and I was included in the itinerary. She said thanks and I haven’t heard from her since.”

“Nothing from Gil?”

“No,” both David and Judy said at the same time.

Words were indistinguishable, then two distinct male voices in the background. Finally Evan returned to the phone, “Tell Tommy for me that I am so sorry I won’t be there for his birthday party, but he can expect a huge surprise from me later on, Okay?”

“Sure,” David said after a short pause, “He understands how busy this is keeping you right now.”

“Great, then we’ll see you at Belacheck's. Bye.”

“The line went dead and two distinct clicks signified everyone had hung up their receiver.

“Is there any way we can hear what they are saying to each other inside?”

“We can try the directional as long as the background noise isn’t too high.”

Static filled the speaker as the corporal made adjustments on his control panel. After a few minutes the static turned to voices.

“... but Tommy’s birthday isn’t for three more months. How does he know already that he’d miss his party?” Judy asked.

“He doesn’t,” answered a voice filled with frustration. “He was trying to give us a message in case someone was listening. We can expect a big surprise.”

“From Evan?”

“I don’t think so. It’s from somebody else. Probably the same person he thinks is listening now.”

“Kirkland is dead, so it would have to be McGuire.”

“There are more assholes out there than just him. He did specifically ask about a certain Major we know.”

“True and you don’t necessarily have to see him to know he’s sneaking around.”

Major Hammons purposely overlooked the sideway glances from the two corporals at the reference to his nature. The music in the background grew as if they were walking through the house. The conversation became more difficult to hear.

“If it is Gil, then he’ll…”

“I’m sorry sir but I can’t separate their voices from the radio with the equipment here.”

“That’s okay corporal. Radio the base and get enough personnel to cover Belacheck’s business around the outside. We have a time frame, so let’s get to work. Have the other two vans follow David when he leaves. You stay on sight here, and if there is another call, I want to know immediately.”