Rogers leaned back in her seat and fidgeted with a spot on the armrest, trying to appear her usual brash self. Her well-fit gray suit was wrinkled and unbuttoned in the front revealing the pale-blue blouse beneath it. Her dark hair was tightly captured behind her head, and her makeup freshly applied with the precision of a master. Though her expression was terse, she eyed her boss with appropriate respect.
“I’m just having trouble getting my head around some of this, Ann. The whole damn thing is just too much to take in. So you bugged this guy’s apartment without authorization?” Her boss sat behind his desk in a starched white shirt and dark striped tie, his black hair parted at the side, his skin indoor white. He wiped at his glasses and tried to appear relaxed, but failed at that.
“Not exactly. It was a window suction-cup transducer on the outside. We never bugged his place inside at all.”
“And this guy was talking in his sleep enough to figure out where the device was located.”
“He was talking and walking in his sleep.”
“What? He was moving around in his sleep?”
“He was plastered. The asshole had been celebrating day and night. I felt like I was wasting my time. I didn’t think we’d get anything.”
“I don’t understand why you were working alone. Where was your partner?”
“Collins got called back in for a deposition on some other part of the investigation. I was supposed to ask for a replacement, but I was so sure we were wasting our time, I didn’t want to sidetrack another agent, so I sat it out alone.”
“And you didn’t set up recording? We didn’t get any of this down?”
“Like I said, it seemed like a waste of time to bring in the tech guys and run that stuff twenty-four hours a day. The truth is, all that surveillance and you only would have gotten a few mumbled words anyway.”
“What did he say, exactly?”
“He was speaking in English and sleep-talking to someone on the phone. He gave them the garage address and then acted like he was writing down the address for the basement apartment. While I was scribbling that stuff down, he raised his voice and began giving directions to his driver, as though he was on the road making the delivery. That’s how we got the location. He was so excited I couldn’t miss it. The words ‘air conditioner’ and ‘crane’ came up a bunch of times. The guy was so drugged up I’m surprised he didn’t walk right out of his place.”
“And this all happened in a matter of minutes, you say?”
“Yeah. All those hours of surveillance and the whole thing falls in our laps in the space of a couple minutes. Sure woke me up. So, what have you done with him, anyway?”
“He’s in deep isolation. That’s another thing. He says he lost a day or two. Doesn’t remember anything.”
“Not surprising.”
“Well he sure as hell isn’t cooperating. If this were a civilian case, we’d probably be in deep. I can’t imagine sleep-talking making an adequate prosecution.”
“But he had all the right answers….”
“Yeah, yeah, and what about the Katalia thing? That was just a lucky shot, too? You bagged a most-wanted by accident?”
“I didn’t bother checking out the garage. I knew forensics would be pissed. I figured the basement apartment would be cleaned out by then. I went there just to take a look, and by sheer luck ran into our Mr. Katalia in a hurry to leave. You know the rest.”
“You know you should have called in first.”
“Well, I did as soon as I sensed something was up. But, I couldn’t take a chance on him slipping through our fingers again. I had to go in.”
“What about the alley? It took you three shots. He didn’t get a single shot off. You’re in the top four down on the range. Why three shots?”
“It was a quick exchange, kind of.”
“And the report says you gave him his rights before he dialed out?”
“Yes. I thought he was entitled to that.”
“And he said nothing?”
“Just that he wasn’t feeling well.”
“Well, this is all damn awkward with you father’s connection and all, but I don’t see anything that should raise any real flags. Have you checked in your gun and badge?”
“Yes. The clerk has them.”
“You know it’s just routine. It won’t be long. By the way, we have word that the President may want to speak to you. It will all be confidential. They don’t want your picture on the news anywhere. You’d be on every terrorist bulletin board in the world if this went public.”
“God knows.”
“The word is, that bomb would have eliminated most of D.C. for decades. They say when they’re done, they’ll know everything; where the fuel came from, where the parts came from, and who designed it. The bad guys lost some valuable resources this time, never mind the enriched uranium. But it’s damn unsettling that we just lucked out on this.”
“It wasn’t all luck. You had the right people under surveillance.”
“Yeah. I guess. Can you imagine if that thing had gone off? Can you?”
“Actually, I have a pretty good idea.”
“So, what about you? Are you handling it?”
“I have friends in Florida. I’m heading there for some time on the beach.”
“They’ll need to know where you are in case there are more questions, and I have no doubt there will be.”
“No problem. I’ll contact you from the hotel after I check in.”
The approach into Orlando was made anxious by a pounding rain. The turns seemed steeper and the landing gear extension noisy. The passenger cabin became sullen, though a certain loyalty to optimism remained. When the world was finally seen speeding by in the windows, and the thumps of touchdown signaled Earth, conversations quickly resumed.
At the gate, Cassiopia was waiting. Rogers’ embrace was longer than usual.
“Everything okay?” asked Cassiopia.
“Long story,” replied Rogers. “But never mind. Let’s go get Scott.”
The ride from the airport gave Rogers a chance to bring Cassiopia up to date on all that had happened. At the end of the dissertation, the story of Katalia left Cassiopia wide-eyed and speechless. She pulled into the driveway, put the car in park, and stared over at Rogers as though waiting for a punch line. They shared a heavy minute of silence, and then without speaking went inside.
The Professor was waiting at the front door. Rogers dropped her carry-on at the foot of the couch and hugged him.
“We watched the news. It was all true?” he asked.
“Yes. It would have been Armageddon.”
“And they’ve secured it all?”
“Yes, and they will learn everything. All because of your SCIP door.”
“But you managed to keep that out of it?”
“Yes. As long as my story holds up, you guys are not a part of it in any way.”
“I fear I shall never get over this,” the Professor remarked.
“I could say the same,” answered Rogers. “Imagine what the world would be like right now if you hadn’t invented the SCIP doorway. We had nothing to go on.”
“I think I’ll lie down for a while,” said the Professor, and he wandered away in a daze.
Cassiopia picked up Rogers’ bag. “Let’s get you checked in. Do you need something to eat?”
“What’d you got?”
“Come on. We’ll explore the fridge and the cupboard.”
Together they created huge chef salads, then regrouped in the den, where Cassiopia took a moment to wipe a spot of dried dog food off one of the Tel’s legs.
Rogers stabbed at her salad and wasted no time. “Has there been any change at all in his condition?”
“No. Nothing.”
“So if I know you, there is a devious plan ready. Am I right?”
Cassiopia took a seat next to her and tried to appear innocent. “There is indeed, such a plan, Ann.”
“And what character has been written for me??
??
“You are a professional ambulance driver.”
“I see.”
“It’s a complex chain of events that starts with me calling the resident specialist to tell him I want Scott moved to a facility in Orlando, just for a day or two for a second opinion. I’m sure that will go over like a lead balloon, so I’ve got to have everything in place to make it all look legitimate.”
“What’s that involve?”
“I have to break into the Orlando Trauma Center’s computer system and set up a phony transfer request. I’ve got a long list of all the people who work there, so it’s just a question of time before I hit on a password. Someone always uses the name of a relative or pet. When I get in, and that’s set up, I’ll fax a copy of the phony transfer request to Scott’s hospital, and have an airplane ready for the transfer. The hospital should deliver him to the airport for me after that. Then, it’s just a question of having the movie prop ambulance and medical technicians waiting at the airport to receive him. From there we bring him home. They’ll remove the feeding tube for transfer, so we can only have him for a day or two, but that should be more than enough.”
“Sounds like you’re going to get a nice fat bill out of this.”
“Which doesn’t matter much. It’s the only chance we’ve got.”
Rogers paused with a fork-full of lettuce near her mouth. “I can help greatly with the password thing.”
Cassiopia looked up hopefully.
“My office. You would not believe what the computer group can do. It scares me. You have to sign ‘until death do us part’ paperwork just to take the classes. They can get anything they want off a hard drive. They can get into just about anywhere they want to. I’ll make a call.”
“I don’t want to get you into trouble on this.”
“Hey, the President wants to see me. I’m pretty much bulletproof since the terrorist thing.”
“Wow!”
“Yeah, one good turn deserves another.” Rogers pulled out her cell phone and began texting. When she had finished, she tucked it away and smiled. “It’ll be a few hours, but they’ll send me the link, username, and password.”
Cassiopia looked back appreciatively. “We can pick up the ambulance tomorrow and park it behind the house. That way we’ll be ready when the paperwork goes through. Then I try to calm the raging Doctor when I get him on the phone. I’ll have to get the private air service ready, too.”
“Does your father know about all this yet?”
“I think he was on to us before the last Dreamland trip, but so much has happened he’s been distracted and has forgotten about it, for the time being. If we pull this off, I’m hoping when he sees Scott, he’ll understand.”
“Well, it’s a good thing we’re not going in tomorrow. I’m exhausted, but I doubt I’ll sleep tonight.”
“You lead a dynamic life, Ann.”
“Yeah, it was only exciting until I met you guys.”
In the morning, Cassiopia looked in on Rogers and found her sleeping soundly. She brewed coffee, ate pastry, and scanned the newspaper, waiting for the day to begin. Rogers appeared in the kitchen rubbing her eyes, her hair disheveled, her makeup not yet applied. She looked at Cassiopia for sympathy and let out a short laugh at the platonic stare being given her. When they had gathered themselves, they climbed in Cassiopia’s car to begin their next wily scheme.
The ambulance was easy. A short overweight, balding man sat behind a trashy desk that was under siege by rental equipment. He was grumpy bordering on rude, as though he did not believe the two women would really rent his fake ambulance. When Cassiopia pushed some of the clutter aside to make a bare spot on his desk and began counting out hundreds, his eyes suddenly lit up, and he became a charming fellow indeed.
They parked the ambulance behind the Professor’s home, luck having allowed them access without neighbors present. Rogers’ cell phone beeped text a short time later, and she held up the screen for Cassiopia to admire the web address, username, and password that were displayed there. They made a quick access to the site to print out the necessary forms for study. They filled them out with the right people’s names in the right places and made the supplemental information as boring and routine as possible. When they were satisfied, they went back into the destination hospital’s site and placed a transfer pending in the correct queue, then faxed the fake file forms to Markman’s hospital. Cassiopia had expected to jump through hoops to get Markman’s doctor on the phone, but to her surprise, he called within twenty minutes of the transfer request fax. He was not happy.
With the skill of a diplomat, she talked him down to the nearly-normal neurotic level most doctors exist at, and by the time she was finished she had convinced him he was the most celebrated neurosurgeon on earth, as well as an extremely desirable hunk of man. So persuasive was Cassiopia’s innuendos that the Doctor thanked her for the attention to his case and invited her to discuss it over dinner on her next visit. When it was over, she fell face first into the pillows of her bed and without looking up handed the cell phone to Rogers, who was laughing so hard she had to sit down.
With Markman’s delivery scheduled and the air ambulance ready to receive him, the most difficult phases of the plan were complete, or so they thought.
Chapter 29