Hi-jacked / FRW

8

Chapter 14

The three P's: Parachutes, Pleasure and Panic

9:30 AM Day 17, Annie's Office, Langley:

Annie was sitting at her desk in the now nearly empty team room. There was still some equipment left in it, but the team was scattered to jobs in other places. Some of them to the far side of the earth. It was, at least for the moment, her office. I wonder where they will assign me. This office is pretentiously big. I admit, I like it. I like the privacy. It was sure nice for the team effort, but I'm seldom involved in something like that. I wonder if Calder has had time to give it some thought? I'd like to at least have a desk, but given my experience with Lena, that might not happen. I wonder- Her thoughts were interrupted by the desk phone ringing.

She picked it up and said, "DPD, Annie Walker."

She heard Arthur say, "Annie, Sana is in DC on business related to Henry's estate liquidation. She contacted me because we know each other from the years I worked for Henry. She wants' to know if the money is dirty. I know you wanted to talk to her. She will be in the civilian conference room to talk with me in about an hour. Would you like to join us?"

"Yes. Not for the whole thing, but if you could let us meet and stay there for a few minutes to be sure she's not going to bolt, I'd really appreciate about a half hour with her one on one. Should Calder be there?"

Arthur replied, "I tried to connect her with Calder, but she won't meet with anybody unless I'm there. Apparently she trusts me because Henry was behind both our sons being killed.

10:35 AM Day 17, Civilian Conference room, Langley:

Annie paused outside the room and listened to the conversation. When, after a few minutes, Sana asked Arthur, "Do you know a Jessica Mathews?"

She made her entrance and answered, "Yes. He does."

Sana's head snapped around in her direction; her face showed recognition when she said, "Jessica?"

"Sana, my real name is Anne Catherine Walker. Please call me Annie."

Sana said, "You are using your real name now." She paused and then added, "Arthur, this is why you had me come here, isn't it? To put me in contact with ... Ms. Walker? In a controlled environment?"

"Yes, it is. I think I should leave you two alone to talk. Sana, please listen to her."

"I will, but the last time we had dealings, she framed my fiancée for Henry, and he was put in jail."

Annie said, "Yes, but he was released in a few days, and he is no longer in danger from Henry."

"Because Henry is dead, no thanks to you." Annie and Arthur said nothing. Annie could see understanding dawn on her face which Sana confirmed when she continued, "Unless you were the one that killed him-"

"I was."

"What? You? You shot Henry in that back alley in Hong Kong?"

"Yes. Sana, I was a fugitive from the MSS and Hong Kong police. I had no choice. I couldn't take him into custody and get him out of the country. He had to be stopped. I had the chance, and I shot him."

"Thank you." She apparently saw the shock of that remark on Annie's face because she said, "You look surprised?"

"I am. I killed your ex-husband, Jai's father."

"Annie, he was a monster. He was the reason my son was killed. You heard him say he planned to kill you. He threatened me; he threatened David; the news has proven conclusively he was a traitor. You did the world a favor."

"I tell myself that when I can't sleep at night sometimes. But I didn't come here to tell you that. I came here to apologize for what I had to put you through. You and David treated me more than decently. Actually, you welcomed me and gave me a job when I desperately needed one. I repaid you by ruthlessly using you for my purposes. Sana, all I can offer is that I had to stop him. There was no option I could see in real time, and in truth to this day, I don't see anything I could have done differently knowing what I knew at the time.

"I was in the dark. I'd faked my death. Everybody in the world, including my sister, thought I was dead. Only three people knew I was alive; two of them were in this country. It had to stay that way. Henry had threatened people close to me to try to control me. I had to take myself off the game board. I was desperate, operating alone, trying to take down a well-financed, highly connected adversary. You helped me when I was out of options. Thank you for that."

"You are thanking me? For helping you? I threw everything back in your face. I told you we were done. I forced you to walk away to what I was certain was your death."

"Up until then you were my only resource. Your help, which caused Henry to move money because he didn't know Goodman was dead, left the money trail we used to initially prove he was a traitor. It was a thin thread, but it worked. Without your help, I wouldn't have succeeded. I would be dead."

"In that case, you're welcome. Annie, I have to tell you I was convinced you were a dead woman walking when I sent you away and refused to help you any longer. I didn't think you had a chance. You were so over matched. I am impressed you are still alive. I was certain Henry would hunt you down and kill you."

"He certainly tried. I have to go now. But please accept my heartfelt apology for all I put you through. And, if you would allow me, I'd very much like to introduce you to Calder Michaels, my boss. He is one of the two people that knew I was alive. He helped me fake my death. He did what he could to give me a chance to succeed. He was with me in China up until the day before I got to Henry."

Sana opened her purse, searched for something, apparently found it when she brought out a tissue and blew her nose. She walked to the wastebasket and returned to her seat. She looked thoughtful for a moment then turned to Annie and said, "I know how much you value trust. Do you trust him?"

"I trusted him with my life, Sana. He didn't let me down no matter how awful it looked."

"Then yes, I'll meet with him."

As Annie stood to leave, Sana offered her hand. Annie took it and said, "Wait here. I'll send him to you. I wish you and David a long and happy life together," then walked out of the room.

# # #

2:30 PM Day 19, Camp Hillcrest, VA.

Annie saw what looked like a rental car and Arthur's Land Rover parked within what she knew was walking distance from the park. She was curious. Arthur had asked her to meet Sana and himself here. She'd thought she and Sana were done. They had parted as amicably as could be expected under the circumstances, but she didn't expect to see her ever again.

Being here was a bit unsettling. She wondered if Sana had known about the cabin and decided it wasn't worth asking. She parked beside their vehicles and walked down to where she could see them standing by the river. Their glances in her direction as she drove in confirmed they knew she was here. As she approached, Sana said, with no preamble, "Annie, forgive me for inviting Arthur, but I didn't think you would listen to me if it was just me. I needed Arthur to put this conversation in perspective."

"Sana, you've never been anything but candid with me, even when it hurt. I will definitely at least listen. Arthur?"

He said, "Annie, operatives such as you need a parachute: a plan that will allow them to go to ground, maybe for the rest of their lives. You were almost framed into that position by Henry. You managed to gain Calder's trust and dodge Henry's bullet. But, make no mistake, he was coming for you as Annie Walker; he was coming for you as Jessica Mathews. He wanted you dead. You might not be so fortunate next time. Sana wanted to give you such a parachute, but she didn't think you would accept it from her."

Annie looked in her direction and asked, "Sana?"

"I received a call from Henry's estate lawyer shortly after it was confirmed he was dead. Arthur arranged for him to receive a copy of the death certificate issued by the Chinese authorities. For reasons I'll never understand, Henry left his entire estate to me."

Annie said, "Wow."

Sana said, "That's what I thought at first. It turned out the money you were following wasn't his estate; it was stolen money. All of it. His estate was still intact in the form of an investment portfolio and land holdings that were all owned by an irrevocable trust, which also included his house and grounds. The trust was in Jai's and my names. It's origin was traceable to the year before Henry went to prison, and the portfolio hadn't been altered since. When Jai was ... killed ... the trust went to me if Henry died before I did, but I didn't even know it existed until the day before we met at Langley. The rest of Henry's estate, other than the trust, was contaminated by Lexington Global and bank accounts that were clearly suspect. Some of them are blatantly illegal. They had been used for bribes and campaign contributions with no record of the funding source.

"The short version is that after I met with Calder Michaels two days ago, I signed all of his accounts, except those owned by the irrevocable trust, over to the CIA. I kept the proceeds of the trust and have put the house on the market."

Annie was confused and, at this point, knowing Sana as well as she did, curious, so she asked, "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I want to give you the gift of a parachute as Arthur calls it. You were a good friend to Jai and a much better friend to me than I appreciated at the time, or may ever appreciate. You put your life on the line for your country and for me. I see, now, the selflessness with which you did that. I was wrong in my assessment of you. You were not over your head and over matched. Henry was over his head and over matched when he had to face you. So, I split the trust fund and kept half. I used some DC contacts that I've had for years to obtain two completely clean false identities. Each of these identities owns a offshore account that is completely legal under U.S. law. Arthur helped me make sure it is all untraceable. Neither Arthur or I have looked at the identity packages or the bank statements. We don't know the names or account numbers. Everything is contained in sealed envelopes. The two people that created them don't know you and have never met Arthur or I. They've seen your picture, of course, but they do not know your real name or that you are an Agency employee. Keep these in a safe place; do what you think you need to do make sure they are kept legitimate and current. These are your parachute should you ever need it." When she finished she nodded to Arthur. He reached under his suit coat and pulled out manila envelopes that looked like they might hold a couple of passports and some other papers.

Annie was speechless for a few seconds and then said, "Sana, I can't accept this. I-"

Arthur interjected and said, "Annie, you can't not accept it. The transfer is irreversible. There is no way to give it back to Sana. And, you are at a level in your career where the possibility you will need this to save your life and Auggie's from powerful enemies that can't be neutralized is very real. The right thing to do is accept it gracefully. All high-level operatives and former operatives have something like this. I do. Joan does. It's what Ben lives on when he's off the grid."

Annie's heart was beating like it would jump out of her chest; she looked back and forth between them. "Annie," Sana said, "David and I owe you our lives. Henry would have had David and me killed after he played with us to make sure we suffered. I know you would have saved my son if you could have. Jai clearly trusted you based on what Arthur's told me about his last day. It would make me very happy if you would just take this and walk away. You are a person I admire. I'd really like to know you better. I'd like to be your friend, but I also realize that's not possible in this life. Please accept this."

Annie looked at both Sana and Arthur, realized the inevitability of her acceptance, reached for the envelopes and said, "Thank you. Thank you very much. Jai was a good man. An honest man. He saved my life twice when I was about to be killed. I'll honor him, and you, by accepting this, keeping it viable, and using it for good. Sana, if you and or David are ever in trouble, let me know, and I'll be there."

Sana said, "Thank you." Then, clearly believers in the 'stop-when-they-say-yes' theory, she and Arthur turned and walked rapidly back toward their cars.

Annie stared after them. They stopped for about ten seconds when they reached their cars. With no contact, they separated, went to their separate vehicles and drove away. When they had vanished from sight, Annie turned the envelopes over, saw they were sealed, and the seals were unbroken. She broke the seal and carefully tore one open, tilted it and a US passport fell out into her hand. She opened it quickly. It showed her with blond hair. Then she looked at the bank statement. It had a name that matched the passport, and then she gasped. Her hand trembled for a second because it showed a balance of ... my God ... one and a half million dollars. Her gaze snapped wide eyed to the road, but their cars were long out of sight.

She quickly opened the second envelope and found a Swedish passport and matching bank statement also for one and a half million dollars.

She looked carefully at the two passports. 'To the naked eye they are perfect. I'm sure they would pass scrutiny under ultra violet light and that they were built on verifiable identities that would pass a computerized customs or border patrol checks. I need to verify that, but there would be no point if they wouldn't. She slipped them and the two bank statements back into their respective envelopes and thought about where she would put them. 'I need a second US safe house: one that's completely off the grid with a safe that couldn't be removed without a jackhammer. Needs to be in a populated part of town in a location that is more protected than the slums I usually choose. Or do I? How about this new ID just buys a piece of undeveloped property and I bury it there? That works for the US ID anyway. And it doesn't attract attention. I should have the Swedish one in Europe. I'm most likely to be able to get to it there because travel is almost as free as it is here. Easier access than in Sweden. This needs some careful thought. Meanwhile, I'll put this in the new safe I need to install in Auggie's apartment if I'm going to live there. Once my new safe house is set up, which I want to do next week, I'll move them there.'

She frowned and thought, 'I need to explore this with Auggie sooner or later. Huh? I wonder if Arthur is right and he already has set up something similar for himself. After we're married, I wonder if we should merge one of my parachutes with one of his so we can escape together. I'll play it by ear. I'm pretty sure I'll know when the time is right to bring up the subject. Meanwhile, this is my secret. And Arthur's secret.'

'Arthur's secret? Sana's secret? Arthur supposedly doesn't know the names or where they were made. Sana knows who her contacts were but hasn't seen the names. Still, they are traceable via the cobblers that made them. When I have the time, I need to obtain two more identities and transfer the money to them using a method that would result in nobody being able to follow the trail. The parachute isn't secure unless the only other two people that know about it can't track it to my new identities. I have time, but I'll get it done.'

# # #

5:30 Friday afternoon, Best Western Motel, Carlisle, PA:

Annie parked the Corvette in the shade right by the motel's front door. She walked around to meet Auggie as he exited the car and stood up. She brushed his hand; he took her arm, and she guided him into the motel to the registration desk. The lobby was deserted. The clerk came over, looked at Auggie and asked, "May I help you?"

Annie said, "Yes, we have reservations in the name of August Anderson."

The clerk looked at her in confusion and she said, "Auggie, your turn."

Suddenly the clerk realized Auggie was blind and said, "I'm sorry, I didn't realize ..."

Auggie said, "No problem. Happens all the time." He took his ID out of his wallet and handed it to her.

She said, "Not a driver's license, but it works just fine."

Registration finished, Annie had the map to the room and their card keys. She was just about to turn toward the door when she heard Rob Nickels say, "Betty Lou, almost didn't recognize you with the new hair color." She looked up and saw Rob Nickels and his girlfriend, FBI Agent Jo Bell, walking toward them.

Annie said, "Hi guys. Rob, my fiancée August Anderson. Auggie, Rob Nickels. You already know Jo."

Rob came over, took the offered hand and said, "I hear you are a car nut. Is that your '67 427 'Vette out there?"

Auggie grinned and said, "It belongs to Betty and me. She insists on driving."

Jo said, "Hi, Betty, Auggie. I love that car. You should have showed me that while I was in DC. It's gorgeous."

Annie said, "Didn't seem like the right time. You guys want to get registered?"

Jo's eyes had locked onto the diamond glistening on Annie's right hand, and she said, "That can wait until I've seen that ring up close. My word that's ... wow! That's gorgeous!"

Annie offered her hand, Jo took it and examined the ring from all sides. She said, "I love it. The platinum setting is beautiful, and the stone is set low so it will be less likely to catch, but it still somehow gets enough light to be truly eye catching." She turned to Auggie and said, "Well done, Auggie. It's perfect."

Auggie said, "Thanks. I described what I wanted to the jeweler, but she picked it out. I really didn't want to surprise her with one. She doesn't do surprises well."

Rob had moved closer, took her hand, held it up for closer inspection and said, "Wow. That sets the bar pretty high, Anderson. You did yourself and your fiancée proud. Hi-five?"

Auggie held up his hand, and Rob gave it a slap.

Jo had turned toward the clerk and said, "We have a reservation in the name of Mary Jo Bell."

Annie said to Rob, "What time is our reservation at Boiling Springs Restaurant."

"Seven. We didn't want to be rushed."

"That's great. We'll meet you here at ... six-fifteen?"

He looked toward Jo who nodded and said, "See you then. We'll drive. We have Jo's Highlander."

Auggie said, "Sounds great."

8:30 PM, Best Western Motel Parking lot:

The dinner had been a lot of fun, the food delicious, but both couples were anxious to get some alone time. Rob said, "How about we meet right here about seven in the morning? I know exactly where the Carlisle Diner is, so I'll drive, and seven is early enough that we shouldn't have too much grid lock."

Auggie replied, "Sure, that works for us. It also means we don't have to park the Corvette in a crowded parking lot. I think it's better off here."

Jo said, "Have a good sleep guys. See you in the morning."

They went their separate directions. Annie and Auggie's room was on the second floor; Jo and Rob were quite a few rooms away through a different entrance.

When they were in the room, Auggie said, "Annie, when are you going to read him in? It's just a matter of time till either Jo or I screw up and call you Annie. That won't end well, at least not right away. With them living so far away, maybe never."

Annie's shoulders slumped a bit, and she said, "I didn't want to do it in the restaurant, or the car going either way. The man was driving. Standing in the parking lot didn't seem right either. And I didn't want to invite them to our room right now. But, I haven't been thinking of anything else either. I have the non-disclosure form in my back pocket. Hopefully I don't wear it out before I show it to him."

# # #

2:33 PM Saturday, Carlisle Fair grounds:

Rob and Auggie enjoyed each other's company. They found a remarkable number of topics in common. There was the Corvette, commonalities in their education - Rob in engineering, which had a lot of math, Auggie in computer science and math. Rob seemed to be able to get Auggie to open up about himself better than most. An unexpected bonus was Auggie's interest in Rob's wrestling career at Penn State and Rob's interest in Auggie's hand-to-hand self-defense training because he'd seen Auggie's student, Betty Lou, in action. Annie was surprised by how well they communicated. When she and Jo left them for the ladies room she mentioned that to Jo, "We have two introverts who are communicating. Should we be taking notes?"

Jo looked over her shoulder at their two guys talking like they'd been friends for 30 years rather than less than 24 hours and said, "They are getting along even better than I'd hoped. I probably shouldn't be surprised. Rob got on the internet and spend several evenings researching how to interact with the blind so they aren't insulted. But, Betty Lou, when are you going to read him in? I'm getting nervous. The longer you wait, the tougher it's going to get, and that scale is measured in minutes now."

"I know. There never seems to be a good time, and when I read my sister in she threw me out of the house. I'm having such a good time, but we need to find a table, sit down and have that talk. Hopefully, you can keep him from bolting until I get it all out."

Jo smiled and replied, "I'll try, but he's such a boy scout. I love that about him, but he lives his life by a rather strict, and very good, set of core values. He gives a whole new meaning to the word integrity. I think he had one parking ticket all during his youth. The man doesn't know the meaning of rebellion. He'll do what's right every time he can figure out what that is. He told me it was the farm upbringing. Crops don't respond to spin. Either they are in the barn, or they aren't. Annie, I just love him to pieces. So please do it before we head back to the motel. I will make sure you get there if he gets pissed. I have the keys!"

Annie laughed and said, "Good thinking.

# # #

2:34 PM, Carlisle Fairgrounds:

It all blew up less than ten minutes later when the four of them had a chance encounter with Fred and Barb Abbott who, as luck would have it, addressed Annie as, "Annie Walker!" from behind. Annie turned around, and Barb gave her and Auggie a big hug and looked expectantly at Annie for an introduction to her friends.

Jo said, "Colonel Abbott?"

Rob said, "There must be some mistake."

Before Annie could stop her, Barb said, "No mistake. She may have brown hair, but I've known her as Annie Walker for 25 years. Annie, introduce us to your friends."

Rob said in a strained voice, "Jo, you know them? Betty Lou, what's going on?"

Annie said, "Rob, this is on me, not Jo. I didn't want you to find out this way, but she's right. My real name is Anne Walker not Betty Lou Tarantino. And I'm not a real FBI Agent."

Rob's reaction was a moment of confusion, then his face got all hard and red; he looked at Jo and said with hurt in his eyes and muted, but smoldering, anger in his voice, "And what is your real name? Who are you, really?" Then he turned and walked rapidly away. Not running but moving fast.

Jo turned to Annie and with panic and desperation in her voice asked, "Can I please read him in?"

Annie pulled the paper out of her pocket, handed it to her and said, "Go! Get him. Tell him. Do whatever you have to do - tell him anything you know - I'll make it okay. Go!"

Jo snatched the paper and took off at a dead run.

01/31/2014