Chapter Seventeen

Two days later, on the shores of the Mississippi River, two young Marines wearing their civvies were taking a leisurely late evening stroll. It was the next to last night of leave for Rod Parker and Shelby Connor, and the couple had somehow managed to deal with the shock of being attacked in Paradise. Here in Saint Louis, in the unofficial capital of the Mid-West, they managed to find some real peace of mind. The Grand Canyon helped, but being in a real world city also gave them some focus. They decided that, if they ever got the chance to really settle down, they would choose this city to live in.

As they made a turn towards the hotel, an official-looking black car opened up. The sentry sitting next to the driver got out, stepped to the back of the car, and swung that door open; with apparent difficulty, it seemed to the couple, until they realized the entire car was armour plated. A woman, in her fifties, stepped out.

"Lance Corporal Connor? Lieutenant Parker?"

"Yes?" asked Shelby, a little apoplectic.

"Colonel Jameson, JAG. Get in."

Not daring to ask any questions, the couple followed the orders. The government car took them about a five minute drive. When it came to a stop, Rod realized they had been driven to the main tourist attraction in Saint Louis: the Gateway Arch., or more accurately, the visitor centre.

"Excuse me, Colonel," said Shelby, "permission to speak frankly?'

"Granted," said Jameson.

"This place is closed, ma'am. Why were we driven here?"

"A top government official wanted to meet you here, after hours. The site has been secured, so there will be no interruptions. Step inside, and take either tram to the top. You will understand what this is about, when you get to the top."

"Is this related to the Honolulu file?" asked Rod.

"I can't tell you any more. Mind you, I can't force you to go up there, but the person who wishes to speak to you pulled a lot of connections to arrange this meeting. I trust you would not want to disappoint that person."

Rod and Shelby shrugged, stepped out and followed the instructions. When they stepped off the tram and headed for the observation area, they were greeted by someone who looked oddly familiar except for his dark glasses. When he took them off, the Marines recognized him instantly.

"Good evening, officers," said the man. "Will Grayson, CIA."

The two didn't need the introduction, but shook his hands anyway.

"Why did you want to meet us here, Mr. Grayson?" asked Shelby.

"I have some information related to the Honolulu investigation," said Will. "It's the same information that Roxanne Richardson has, and I think it's only fair to share it with you. It was better to do it here, because your hotel room isn't safe."

"Are you saying we're being stalked?" Rod was stunned.

"You are, and so are Ruthie and Peter," said Will. "Roxie's giving them the same lowdown right now, in a secure location in Glen Oak. Your normal station that you are returning to is not safe, at least not right now."

"Excuse me, Will, let me get this straight," said Shelby. "Are you saying the person who is doing this, or might be doing this, is a Marine?"

"Not exactly," said Will. "We had an initial new suspect that Roxanne learned about the other day, one that she pursued with the help of the 5-0 and JAG. He looked really promising. In fact, it turns out, he is a Marine, but one with a very troubled past."

"Who is he?"

"A number of years back; in fact many years ago, there was a kid in your hometown who held up a grocery store, intending to shoot the clerk. A man jumped in the way to take the bullet. He pled guilty to manslaughter and did three years in juvenile."

"Are you talking about Martin – I can't think of his last name – the guy that verbally blew off the poor man's widow the day Annie and Eric renewed their wedding vows?" Shelby knew exactly who Will was referring to; in fact he had worked part time as a tutor and once helped her with math when she was in the fifth grade.

"That's him," said Will. "After he got out several weeks later, he changed his identity. Apparently, right after that, he suddenly realized what he had done, got remorseful, and he completely changed his attitude. He made peace with Nora Chambers; in fact, being parentless and with her having no children, she took him in as a foster child."

"No way," said Shelby.

"Way," replied Will. "Like Annie's late father, Charles, Nora is a government contractor. She handles backup computer files for Veterans' Affairs. With her connections, she was able to persuade the Marines that Martin no longer posed a risk to anyone, and he enlisted. He's been posted mostly overseas, but he does return for four weeks each year to keep in touch with her."

"That's nice of him," said Rod. "So what does he have to do with this nightmare that we and Ruthie and Rod – and I guess now, George and Patty Mary have had to put up with?"

"Several weeks ago, Martin went on his annual leave. Only, he didn't go see Nora as per custom. He said he had business to take care off, but would see her soon. His last reported sighting was somewhere in London."

"So then," said Shelby, "he then finds his way back to Honolulu, just snaps, and goes back to his old routine?"

"I didn't say that," said Will. "Martin had to keep a low profile because, while he has posed as a Marine, he is not one. He works for the CIA – in fact, he's my assistant."

"Does Nora know that?"

"She does now, but we've sworn her to secrecy, even enlisting her as a paid informant. Naturally, Roxanne thought he was the perfect suspect because of his unexplained disappearance the last few weeks. But you know this better than even I do; that a spy always tries to cover his or her tracks. You would know that, because both of you have applied for jobs with the DIA, hoping to settle down and have a family and work at their field office here in Saint Louis."

"How do you know that?" asked Rod in shock.

"I'm a spy," said Will. "It's my business to know everything about everyone that I'm protecting or pursuing, even better than they know themselves."

"So Roxanne knows the truth now?"

"Of course she does, and so do Kevin and everyone else with a need to know."

"Then what, exactly, has Martin been doing?"

"He's been going after a spy who turned bad – to the other side, in fact. A year ago, we found out he had been selling secrets for years to someone fronting for a terrorist group based in North Korea and backed by that country's government. It would be simple enough just to take him out, except that after committing treason, he then went insane. He felt that his son betrayed him for no apparent reason, so he would take it out by dealing harshly with anyone remotely connected to the son. So he makes sure that his estranged wife 'mysteriously' gets cancer and dies from it. Then he targets the family that once took him in at his most desperate. Finding the family is well insulated, he goes after that family's friends."

"The boy you're talking about ... is it someone we know?" asked Shelby.

"You know him very well," said Will, "for he is now Mary Camden's ..."

"... Husband?"

"Yes," said Will. "The man Martin has been trailing is Robbie Palmer's father, Ed. He's a master of disguise, but we've been tracking him and he's here in this city, tonight. Your bags have already been collected and are waiting in a taxi back on the ground. You will be flown tonight to a secret location you will find out about when you get there, until we can deal with him in our own way. For their protection, Ruthie and Peter are being flown to a second location, and Patty Mary and my son to a third. If you need to contact them or me for any reason, call this number; and this number alone."

Will gave them a card. It did not say "CIA," of course, but rather something like "Boa Epsilon Construction Company."

"What about our posts?" asked Rod.

"Your commanding officer has been fully debriefed also, and you are on extended leave until this is settled. I must ask you, do not try to find Ed Palmer yourself. He is extremely deranged and dangerous. For that matter, if you do come across Martin, do not approach him. He's been after Ed for years and really, really wants to finish him off and does not want to be impeded in any way. This is not a man who deserves the benefit of a fair trial. He must be destroyed, and the sooner the better."

"One last thing," said Shelby. Will had been walking to the other tram, indicating the conversation was near finished. "What does Nora Chambers think of all this?"

"Well, given the fact Martin killed her husband, she doesn't exactly approve of him wanting to kill another human being," said Will. "But since Ed has killed many more and raped you, Shelby, she understands why Martin would take it so personally and want to get the job done. Again, I must ask you, please let us do our jobs – CIA, JAG, the 5-0 and the Glen Oak Police. We are at a critical juncture and once Ed realizes what we're up to, he'll be on the move again. He knows more about espionage than just about anyone in the American intelligence community. He's slipped through our fingers several times, and we can't afford to let it happen again, or let him kill again."

Shelby nodded. She shook Will's hand, as did Rod. Quietly, the couple held hands, headed for the second tram, and found the cab waiting for them to go to a specially chartered private jet. As they headed to heaven knew where, Shelby and Rod quietly prayed that The Government they had actually come to privately resent these past few weeks hadn't lost its momentum after all.