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  “I agree, Doctor. Everything will surely be cleared up by then. By the way, I asked Mel to review the names of people making inquiries about funding in the last year to see if anything stood out. The only thing he found that was out of the ordinary was a problem we had with a Peter Thurston. He’s a board member. He owns a large electronics company that does a lot of work for the defense industry. Apparently he’s been complaining about not receiving information about the Association that he feels he has a right to see. He bitched and moaned about it for a while, then apparently he just dropped it.” As an afterthought, he added, “These millionaires really piss me off. They think they are so much better than everybody else. Does the name Thurston ring a bell with you?” At first, Dr. Orwell said nothing. He was reflecting on Portman’s attitude about people with money. Then he replied, “Yes, I remember his inquiries. He was sticking his nose into things that he didn‘t need to know. A lot of the outside directors do the same thing. They are so wrapped up in their own importance. They think that because they are the chief honcho in their own companies, that they hold some sway with the Association. We don’t have to give them access to all of our operating data. If we choose, we can just call the information inaccessible and ignore their requests. That’s what we’ve done with him. I would not be concerned about Peter Thurston.”

  “Whatever you say. That’ll be one less thing to follow up on. I also asked Mel to check on your predecessor. He hasn’t located him yet, but I thought it might be worth checking up on him. Who knows, there could be a revenge factor at work here. Also, Mel tells me that Robby is still checking the computer files to assure that no viruses were planted. So far, so good. Well, I guess that’s it for now. We’re very close. I hope to be out of here by tomorrow night. You have a good night, Doctor.”

  “You too, John. I appreciate the job you’re doing. This is my first major crisis and it is comforting to know that you have things under control. Your dedication won’t go unrewarded. Be sure to stop by and see me when you get back. There are some things I want to go over with you.”

  John sat back on the bed thinking about what Orwell had just said. Who knows, maybe he would get a promotion out of this, after all. Being a Vice-President or a Senior Director wouldn’t be all that bad. He picked up the remote and flicked around for something light to amuse him until he felt sleepy, settling on a re-run of Law and Order, Criminal Intent. He was always amused by the stupid mistakes that the criminals made on the show. He gave little credit to the skills of the detectives. In his mind, the show should be labeled as a “comedy” instead of a “drama.” Maybe he would write about how to get away with murder, something he knew about firsthand.

  CHAPTER 21

  At half past six Mark’s phone rang

  “Is this Mark Matthews?”

  “Yah, you’ve got him.”

  “Mark, this is Dennis Peterson. I’m with the Cleveland Field Office of the FBI. It’s urgent that I talk with you as soon as possible. I am on my way down there from Cleveland right now. I should be in your area around eight. Will you see me?”

  “What’s this about?”

  “I’d rather not talk about it over the phone, but it’s imperative that we meet.” He repeated, “Will you see me?”

  “Well, sure, I guess. Let me give you directions. It is a little tricky.”

  “That won’t be necessary. I’ve got a GPS. It will take me right to your door. I’ll see you at eight.”

  Mark met Peterson at the door precisely at eight. He showed his credentials, which Mark recognized as authentic from his years in Washington. “Come in. Have a seat. Can I get you some coffee or something?”

  “No thanks, Mark. I had some on the way down. Please have a seat. We’ve got a lot to cover and we don’t have a lot of time.”

  Mark didn’t like the tone of his voice; after all, Peterson was a guest in his house. He sat down in a chair opposite Peterson. “You sounded so serious on the phone. What’s this all about?”

  “Mark, I’ll get right to the point. Susan Harrigan works for me at the Cleveland Field Office of the FBI. She has been working as a covert Special Agent in the Intelligence and Analysis section since she moved back east. Actually, Susan has worked as a covert Intelligence Officer for the Defense Department from her first day on the team. She was also secretly reporting to a contact in the White House.”

  It was a good thing Mark was sitting down, because his entire body suddenly weakened. “Does this have anything to do with why I can’t reach her? Has something happened to her? Is that why you’re here? She was supposed to call me last night on a project we were working on together, but she never called. I’ve been frantic worrying about her.”

  “Are you referring to obtaining the file for Thurston?”

  “Yes, but how do you know about that?” He no sooner got the question out of his mouth then the obvious answer hit.

  Dennis looked at him and smiled. “Yes, what you’re thinking is correct. Your project was part of an FBI sting assigned to Susan. Obviously, she couldn’t tell you anything about it.”

  “So she strung me along, letting me think she was working on my case, when all the time I was working on hers.” His male pride was beginning to show a little; actually, a whole lot.

  “I wouldn’t quite put it like that, Mark. Both cases are part of the same investigation. Let me explain.”

  “Okay, explain it to me, I just can’t wait to hear the whole story,” he said very sarcastically.

  Dennis took a deep breath. “Well, to start with, the Defense Department contacted Peter Thurston to enlist his help. He’s one of our biggest defense suppliers; of course you know that. More importantly, he’s on the board of the NRBA. Our target, as you might have guessed by now, is the National Rare Blood Association. We suspect them of diverting money to terrorist organizations overseas. The previous National Director of the NRBA, Dr. Cartwright tipped us off about some secret payments sent abroad, and since Thurston is a Director as well as a rare blood donor, we decided to enlist his help in accessing their records.” He stopped for a minute to let everything sink in. “It was Susan who recommended you to us because of your prior work together at the Pentagon. I agreed with her choice, but not for that reason alone, which I’ll get to later. When you two hacked the Association’s records, Susan matched the disbursements against a list of suspected organizations and came up with a list that showed over fifty million dollars in illegal payments. We’re waiting on the Justice Department for the proper subpoenas, which we expect to get around noon today. Then the NRBA is going down.”

  “Well, that all sounds like good news.” Mark was softening a bit. “So, what’s the problem, then? Where is Susan now?

  “It is good news, Mark, but unfortunately, there has been some collateral damage.”

  “What exactly do you mean by that?”

  “It’s Susan. We think she’s been abducted.”

  “What the hell do you mean, you think?”

  “She’s vanished. We found her condo unlocked, and her gun is missing from her car. Her badge, ID and purse were left behind, so it doesn’t look like a robbery. Although cash was missing from her wallet, her credit cards and driver’s license were there. No one in the neighborhood saw anything. It looks like she might have been out jogging, or maybe had just returned from jogging. We’re not certain. We did find a full glass of wine and a plate of cheese and crackers on the kitchen counter, and the TV was on. We estimate the timeline at between seven and ten last night. Since they missed her badge and ID, they probably don’t know that she’s a federal agent. Of course, I can’t be sure whether that’s a good or a bad thing.”

  Mark had a flashback to the day he spotted the gun in the trunk of Susan’s car. What if he had questioned her then? Would anything be different? He felt empty.

  “Well, if she has her gun with her, couldn’t she be out doing some investigating?”

  “That’s always possible, but she would have taken her car, shield and ID
with her,” Dennis answered.

  After a while, Mark asked, “What about that guy John Portman that visited her yesterday. He’s the NRBA Security Director. She thought that he might be trouble.”

  “I know, she told me about him too. I asked her if she wanted protection, but she said no. She thought he would do everything through the courts. Now I see she may have been mistaken. We traced him to a motel room in Hudson just minutes ago, but he had already checked out this morning about a half-hour before we got there. We’re watching the airports. We know he came into Hopkins two days ago on an open-ended ticket. If he tries to use it at any airport, we will nab him, but right now the trail is cold.”

  “So, what are you doing to find Susan?”

  “We’re doing everything we can, Mark. Portman is our best lead. We do not believe that he has returned to Denver, at least not on a commercial flight. We’re watching a number of private airports as well. We are putting together a case team up in Cleveland right now. That brings me to the second reason that Susan gave me your name. She’s been working solo for me since I recruited her. She’s been operating a very sophisticated, top secret computer center hidden behind her business office. About six months ago, Washington ordered me to start recruiting for a backup for her. They feel it is too important an operation to depend solely on one person. That’s being proven now. When I approached Susan about a backup, without hesitation she gave me your name. As it turned out, you were already on my short list of candidates. I don’t know if you realize it, Mark, but you still have some very influential friends at the Pentagon. In the last few months I’ve conducted a thorough check on you and your operation down here, and I’ve concluded that you would be the right man for the job. The Thurston Electronics assignment was sort of your introduction into the organization. I wish it was working out better.”

  Dennis removed some papers from his suit jacket and laid them on the table. “That’s a contract for you to join the FBI as a covert Special Agent/Intelligence and Analysis section. We want you to continue to operate your PI practice as a cover and work on classified assignments for us as they come along, but most the most important thing is to groom you as Susan’s backup. The FBI will back you up with a duplicate of Susan’s computer configuration. We will provide you with whatever support and training is required.” He stopped for a minute to give everything a chance to sink in. “I know this seems very unorthodox, Mark. I thought that I would have more time. But I have to ask you for your answer right now. If you say yes, I’m prepared to immediately sign you on as an Agent ‘ad tempus,’ and I’ll expect you to come back to Cleveland with me to join in the search for Susan. Eventually, you’ll have to go to Virginia to undergo seventeen or eighteen weeks of training. What do you say?”

  “If I say no, are you going to have to kill me?”

  Peterson was startled by his question. When the smile broke out on Mark’s face, he realized that he had been taken-in by one of the oldest jokes in law enforcement. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist. I’ve always been amused by that line. Of course I accept, and not just because Susan is missing. I would be very proud to become a Special Agent. I am really sorry for the way I acted before.”

  “It is very understandable under the circumstances. This has been a shock for all of us. You think you have everything covered, only to be blindsided at the last minute.”

  Mark picked up the contract, scanned it quickly and penned his signature. “Just give me a few minutes to get my gun and some computer programs. I think I’ve got some software in my office down stairs that may be of help in locating her.”

  “Well then, welcome aboard, Special Agent Matthews.” They shook hands and he said, “I’ve got a helicopter waiting for us at Wright-Pat AFB. Grab your stuff and let’s go.”

  Mark hurried down to his office. He unlocked his desk and removed a false bottom in the top side drawer. That’s where he kept his gun. His personal choice had always been the Sig Sauer P229, a semi-automatic that comes with a twelve round cartridge. He grabbed the pistol, the slide holster, six cartridges and a disc album. He selected several discs from the storage rack, placed them in the album and put everything into a gym bag. He was ready to go.

  They arrived at the Cleveland Office of the FBI around ten o’clock. As they entered the building, he took a minute to read the FBI motto: “Fidelity, Bravery, Integrity.” Mark choked up a bit. They stopped at the reception desk to pick up the temporary badge and shield that Peterson had called ahead for. Then they went by the “Major Case Room,” where several agents were already busy at work. Dennis had assigned leadership of this task force to Special Agent John Wellman, one of the three Assistant Special Agents in Charge in the Cleveland office. He was on the phone when they reached his office. He motioned for them to sit down, put down the phone and addressed Dennis, “I am sure glad you are back.”

  “Thanks, John. Let me introduce you to our new Special Agent, Mark Matthews. He’ll be working in Intelligence and Analysis. You’ll recall that he worked with Susan on the Thurston project. Mark is going to be Susan’s backup, and he’ll continue to operate as a Private Investigator down in Centerville. Right now, I’ve asked him to join us on the task force to help locate her.”

  “It’s nice meeting you, Mark. We can certainly use all the help we can get. I’ve heard a lot of good things about you. You’re a welcome addition to the team.”

  “It’s nice meeting you too, John”

  “We’re just about to have a meeting to see where we stand. I’ve commandeered the MCR for the duration.”

  The Major Case Room was now filled with at least twenty agents. Wellman went right to the podium. “Good Morning, I am John Wellman. For those of you who may not know me, I’m the new ASAC. I just transferred in from Los Angeles, so I haven’t as yet gotten the chance to get around and meet all of you personally. Please just call me John. Dennis asked me to head up this search operation. As you know, this involves one of our own, Special Agent Susan Harrigan of the Intelligence and Analysis section. She’s been missing for over sixteen hours now. We have every reason to believe that she has been abducted. Each of you is picked for this task force. Together we are going to find her.” Mark’s stomach tightened as listened to the details of her disappearance. He decided to stop beating myself up over not being there for her. Right now, he needed to do what he was trained to do to help secure her release. That’s all that mattered. He sucked it up.

  As Wellman was concluding the meeting, he asked, “What do we know about the whereabouts of John Portman?”

  An agent in the back of the room spoke up, “We are watching all surrounding airports. His ticket in from Denver was open ended. It is quite possible that he doesn’t even know we’re looking for him. We got his picture from one of the Association’s pamphlets and we’ve circulated it. I hope it’s current. As of one o’clock today, he will be on our internal ‘Most Wanted’ list.”

  “Good. Who’s working on possible hostage locations?”

  “I am, John, Special Agent Norton. So far I don’t have any strong leads. I could use some help if anyone is available.”

  Mark stood up. “Special Agent Mark Matthews, here.” It felt strange as he said it for the first time. “If you can direct me to an open computer, I can do some searches for you.”

  Norton replied, “That would sure help a lot, Mark.”

  Wellman spoke up, “Where are my manners? Everyone, this is Special Agent Mark Matthews. He just joined us today. He’s assigned to Intelligence and Analysis.” After introductions, Wellman brought the meeting to a close. “We will meet again in two hours. If anything breaks in the interim, get to Cen-Com immediately. Make sure they know how to reach you at all times. We have to be ready to move at a moment’s notice. That’s all for now. Let’s get this done.”

  Norton and Mark went to the cubicle next door. He pointed to the computer. “Will this one do?”

  “Yes, that will be perfect. I just need to be able to access my home computer
. I brought the software I’ll need with me. I’ll do a scan for any buildings that the NRBA owns or occupies within a radius of 100 miles. I will need about ten minutes to set it up and do the scan.”

  Norton turned to leave. “I’ll be back later, then. Again, thanks for the help. I was really drawing a blank with this. If you need me, you can reach me on line twenty-two.”

  “I’m glad I can help. I sure hope this stuff works.”

  Mark keyed in a set of numbers and was immediately connected to his home computer, just as though he was sitting at his desk. He felt more comfortable doing it that way, rather than spending time getting acquainted with the FBI operating system. This way, he had all the information he needed stored in his computer. Once connected, he accessed a special file that enabled him to locate real estate records based on tax receipts

  Mark’s work required that he access multiple sectors so he had set up special files to save him time with the searches. He keyed in NRBA and came up with twenty-two listings. He wondered why the National Rare Blood Association would be paying taxes on so many buildings in the Cleveland area. Could they all be real estate investments? He had to find a way to select the buildings that were occupied from those that might be vacant. There were too many variables to be too selective. What he needed was a way to cut the list down, but he couldn’t figure out exactly how to do it. He took a deep breath. It was time to approach things unemotionally, if that was at all possible. He needed to think logically. Susan’s life could very well be hanging in the balance.

  CHAPTER 22

  At exactly ten in the morning, Denver time, the NRBA home office and thirteen laboratories were raided and shut down. Simultaneously, all of their bank accounts and in-process financial transactions were frozen. Hundreds of Special Agents from all over the country swarmed into the Association’s facilities to seize computer files and records, and to begin the lengthy process of interrogating the thousands of employees. Several board members and other high-ranking officers were arrested and taken into custody. Among those questioned early and then released was Mel Tarkington, Portman’s assistant. He was warned not to leave town.