Chapter 8

Every undercover operation was different, Joe Morelli knew that. He had been doing this kind of work for years now. But this assignment had taken an unexpected turn. A new kid just showed up. A new 'recruit' brought in by his cousin. This kid was intense, he was quiet, and he did not fit in. He watched from the sidelines, never saying nor doing anything unless it involved his cousin. It was strange. Joe had a gut instinct about this kid, and he knew that it would do no good at all for him to be part of this gang. And he wanted to help him by getting him as far away from this whole mess as possible. Fortunately the opportunity came up to do just that.

The leaders of the gang had decided that they wanted to make their mark, they were intent on using technology to set them apart from the other gangs that pushed drugs and stolen goods as their sources of revenue. And they had the perfect way to do it. Usually pirated software was easy to detect, making illegal copies always looked inferior. Most counterfeiters never bothered to make their bootleg products look real; it was too hard, too complicated, and too expensive. So they sold it for what it was, cheap knockoff software. Only a handful of people were any good at reverse engineering to get to the source codes to duplicate the software, and these kids had figured out a way that they could produce some high demand software programs that not only looked like the real thing, but performed exactly as the originals. One of the gang members had already began establishing a front for their operation, working in the production line at the best software company in Trenton, Mindtech, Inc.

Fortunately for Mindtech and for the Trenton PD, disputes among the gang leadership delayed their plan from being implemented. And then when one of key leaders of the gang ended up dead, it opened the door for some 'new leadership' and that is when Joe Morelli entered the scene. After months of working with the gang, gaining confidence and respect from them, it was time to make his move. Playing the 'dirty cop' routine he so excelled in, Joe came in and assumed the leadership position. He wasn't exactly liked by the gang, but he was respected and that was enough to get the job done. They knew he was a dirty cop and that alone made them feel safe.

The reverse engineering had taken place without raising any suspicions. Now it was time to teach the kids how to produce the software. They would bring in their own materials and use the equipment at Mindtech itself. Their contact at Mindtech could let them into the production area after hours. It all seemed to be the perfect setup. And on all outward appearances it was. Joe counted on it. But something else caught Joe's attention. In the happiest of all coincidences, the security for the building where Mindtech was located was provided by RangeMan.

And while Joe didn't particularly like any of the rangemen, he respected their work and knew that they were the best at what they did. He knew that whatever their inside man would do to 'disable' the alarm it would not keep the backup system from doing its job. No matter what they would be setting off an alarm, and RangeMan would be showing up. Joe timed it out and knew that he would have between 5-6 minutes from the time the silent alarm went off until RangeMan would arrive. Joe smiled. This information would prove helpful as he devised his master plan for the evening.

The night went exactly according to plan. The gang was let into the Mindtech building, Joe, acting frustrated and upset, showed them the small light indicating that they had set off an alarm, they all filed out quickly to be gone before security showed up. Joe made sure that Tony would be that last one out. Tony was helping everyone move quickly to the door, no one would suspect that he was deliberately delaying. And when he "noticed" something out of place and ran back to fix it, they would all know that he was just trying to help, proving his dedication to the job and his 'loyalty' to the gang.

RangeMan showed up, right on cue. And the Trenton Police Department was there immediately to 'find' Tony and take him away. Joe couldn't be more pleased with the way the night played out. With his role of 'bad cop' Joe had been able to befriend Tony outside of the prying eyes of the gang. He found that his first instincts about him were right on, and he wanted to get Tony out of the gang. Together they came up with tonight's plan. However, that planning did not include Joe revealing to Tony that he was working undercover. The less Tony actually knew the better, for his own ssafety.

And they executed the plan perfectly. No one in the gang had any idea that it had not been an accident that Tony got caught. They just figured that as the new guy, he hadn't picked up the skills that the others had yet. What they didn't count on, though, was the fact that Tony had friends in high places that wanted to help him get out of this mess before it was too late. Mission accomplished!

Dark, gleaming, hardwood paneling covered opposite walls in the spacious office. Floor to ceiling shelves occupied the remaining two. In a typical attorney's office fashion, there were rows of leather bound law books filling the shelves, and very official looking certificates beautifully framed and hung on the walls. All intended to impress and yes to intimidate. But most of it was lost on Albert today.

Albert knew that he was about to be overcome by his emotions. This was proving to be harder than he had thought, realizing that his father was gone was one thin. Standing here in these offices was making it so final. Trying to hold his composure, Albert started fumbling with the contents of his pockets. It was at the moment when he felt the piece of paper that he had stuck in his pocket when he left his house earlier that morning. Immediately he knew that it was Valerie's note. Walking out of the foyer and into the hallway, he noticed a small chair at the end of the hall next to a drinking fountain. Tafter taking a long drink of cold water, Albert sat down and began to read.

My Darling Albert,

This is a very small piece of paper for me to write a big and very important message for your eyes only. Know I love you with all of my heart. Nothing that happens today will ever change the way that I feel for you. Be at peace, I am with you always.

All my Lave,

Valerie

It took all of Albert's strength to compose himself. Not because of what was about to transpire, but because of his emotions towards Valerie. He knew that she loved him, and he could feel her calming spirit with him. Albert was so happy that he discovered the note before he met face to face with the Attorney. It was exactly what he needed to calm himself down. He was now ready to face whatever it was that he had been summoned here for, in regards to his father's untimely death.

As he was ushered into the office, he stopped in his tracks, and just stared at the person standing there. It took Albert several moments before he could find his voice to say hello to Mr. Jordan. He had not seen him for years now. Their only contact had been the exchanging of letters for his dad, and from his dad. And that had been most efficiently accomplished through the mail.

"Mr. Jordan," Albert said as he extended his hand to him. Taking his hand, Mr. Jordan pulled Albert into a hug.

"It is so good to see you again Albert," his voice seemed to be filled with emotion. As he stepped back, Albert just kind of nodded at him. This was a big surprise, Albert didn't expect this at all, but he was somehow comforted with seeing him here today. The attorney was not in the office with them yet, so they spent the next few minutes catching up, asking about families, about work, and about friends in the neighborhood. Finally Albert had to ask the question that he had been wondering from the moment he walked into the office and saw him.

"Are you alright?" Albert gave Mr. Jordan a concerned look. "What are you doing here?" he asked him.

Mr. Jordan shrugged his shoulders slightly, he lifted his open hands and tilted his head a bit, as if to say 'I don't know.'

"I was instructed to invite him here," the attorney, Mr Allen, said as he entered the room. "As per the provisions in your fathers will, both of you were to be present at this reading."

Mr. Allen motioned for them to sit down in the stuffed leather chairs facing his large highly polished desk. The next few minutes were taken up by Mr. Allen organizing his paper work. He removed a leather portfolio from his briefcase. It contained several folders that he carefully removed and began arranging just so. Seemingly satisfied, he looked over the folders spread out in front of him. Finally a young lady entered the room and set a box on the corner of the desk. She nodded at Mr. Allen and left the room, closing the door behind her.

"Now then," said the attorney with a smile. He looked at both of the gentlemen seated in front of him. He took genuine pleasure in these types of meetings. No one knew what to expect, and the looks he would be getting were going to be priceless. It's what he absolutely lived for. "Shall we begin?" he asked.

Mindtech Inc. was housed downtown in one of Trenton's newer office building complexes. They had started in the basement of the home of Jared Martin, the owner and founder of the company. And even in such humble circumstances they did great business in that location, and of course they were happy with the low overhead. Jared and his two employees (who happened to be his best friends) could handle everything including production right where they were. That is until his 'marketing director' landed a huge account. Suddenly their little business experiment became a full-fledged competitive business operation and they needed to expand quickly to meet the needs of their rapidly expanding clientele base.

Just three years ago Mindtech Inc was honored as Trenton's fastest growing business. Since then, they have added many new clients and even more employees. Mr. Martin became an 'overnight' success. They had a new outlook on the new possibilities for their business. So they revamped their marketing strategies, automated their production procedures, and updated their customer service policies. When they moved into their new facility, security became a major issue for them as well, and they brought in RangeMan. Now they were so glad that they did. Jared met with a team from RangeMan the day after the break in, and he firmly believed that it was their quick response to the alarm that kept all of his files and inventory from being stolen.

Hector was on the team that met with Mr. Martin and his associates, he quietly observed the discussion. The owners didn't seem upset by the incident at all. Their internal search showed that nothing had been stolen or destroyed. A complete check of the premises and in-house inventory was conducted by RangeMan as well. Other than the door alarm, that was damaged when it was disabled, nothing else was even disturbed. It was a huge relief to Jared that the security system had worked for them and he was adamant about the fact Mindtech did not want any publicity over this. So they agreed not to press formal charges against the kid who was picked up by the police. As far as they were concerned, this had been a successful test of the security protocol and they couldn't be happier with the results.

But for the Rangemen, this was far from over. The whole thing just raised more and more questions. The involvement of Tony was top on the list. Hector had a gut feeling about it, now he would have to figure out a way to see if his theory was correct. He was going to have to talk to two of the key people in this whole situation. But that was easier said than done. One of them wasn't willing to talk to anyone. And the other had to be approached with extreme caution. Hector couldn't afford to tip his hand in any discussion with him. But he did need to talk to one or the other, and he felt it would need to happen soon.

During his visit to Mindtech, Hector noticed how young most of the employees were. So his research into the business was taking on a whole new dimension. He was back at RangeMan and had pulled the file on the Mindtech account. Everything that he saw seemed to check out. It was a standard contract, with just a few modifications to customize their security needs. One of the specifications was the back up of a silent alarm. Not very many companies opted for this, it was more expensive and complicated to install without it being detected. This one fact, in and of itself did not indicate anything out of the ordinary. It did, however, raise a question in Hector's mind. On the night of the break in the alarm had been disabled. It was only the silent alarm that alerted the security team. This was definitely out of the ordinary. It was as if someone had been expecting them, counting on them to show up.

Clearing his throat, Mr. Allen, of Horwood, Bloch, Allen, and Fenton, Attorneys at Law finally spoke. "On behalf of Derrick Albert Kloughn I have been instructed to deliver this letter." He turned to Mr. Jordan, formally addressing him as Steven R. Jordan. "This is a personal letter from Mr. Kloughn," he said simply. "You may open it and read it now if you would like."

Mr. Jordan accepted the letter and held it in his hands. He stared at it, he took a deep breath that he let out slowly, then he put the letter down on the desk in front of him. "I think I will wait for the time being," he said. He sat back in his chair, motioning for Mr. Allen to continue.

Nodding, Mr. Allen picked up another letter and handed it to Albert. "Albert D. Kloughn, you father has also instructed me to give you this letter." He kept his gaze on Albert's face. "His instructions are clear," he said firmly. "He wishes you to open your letter and read it now, before we continue."

Tenderly Albert held the letter, looking at the familiar script of his father's handwriting. Over the years he had eagerly opened these letters, ready to devour each word. But now, knowing that this was the last letter he would ever receive from him, he hesitated. Slowly he pulled open the flap that was only sealed at the very tip. Albert got the feeling that this letter had been waiting in a folder for a long time, waiting for the unpleasant occasion of his father's death before it would be seen. But as he unfolded the paper, he noticed the date at the top. This letter had been written just weeks before.

His eyes became misty as he scanned the page. Albert blinked several times to clear the tears so that he could read. Several times he needed to remind himself to breathe, he wished that Valerie was here with him, but he drew strength from the love that she had shown him this morning. After his quick scan, Albert carefully read the letter.

My dear son Albert,

If you are reading this letter, I have lost my battle with cancer. And I have left you again. I need you to know that walking away from you was the biggest mistake I ever made.

I have been battling cancer for the past two years, but nothing that I have gone through has matched the suffering that I went through living without you.

For years after I left, I was a miserable man. I couldn't function for the unbearable pain that I felt for leaving my son, for leaving you behind. I agonized over my decision. I felt unworthy to be your father. And so I had dedicated my life to one day be worthy of returning, returning back into your life. But I knew that I was fooling myself, I knew I had come to the point of no return.

It is my hope that you have found a way to forgive me, I don't even deserve to ask it of you, but my soul will never rest, without your forgiveness. I have watched in the shadows as you have grown into a fine man Albert, and I am so very proud of you. You grew up to be the kind of man I should have been.

All through the years, with every letter you wrote to me, I saw how much I was missing. You were okay without me, but I was never okay without you. I became more and more determined to become a man that you could be proud of. I needed to leave you with something that could remind you of the love I have for you. The love that I have always had for you, even though we have been separated for so long.

Everything that I have done since with my life, I have done for you. And it is important to me that you know that. Thank you for being you. Thank you for showing your strength of character in caring for your mother. Thank you for working so hard to achieve your goals. Thank you for being the kind of man who can show his feelings for his family.

And thank you Albert for guiding me through a lifetime of trials with your unwavering faith. I could never be the man that you have become. Instead I am a man filled with wistful regrets for lost opportunities.

Please accept my gift to you, it is not nearly enough to adequately express what you mean to me, but I hope that you will see it as it was intended, to let you know that you have always been a part of my world and in my heart, I have always reserved a very special place for you. Regrettably I cannot change the past, but perhaps with this small token of my love and affection, I can change the future.

I love you Albert.

D. A. Kloughn

Neither Mr. Allen nor Mr. Jordan knew of the content of the letter, but they could both guess what it would contain. They both watched as Albert read and then re-read his letter. They watched the emotions playing on his face. They could see the feelings as they came, and they both wished that there was something, anything, one could say to an individual who had just lost his father in these unique circumstances. But they both knew that there were no words to say.

Mr. Allen waited until Albert looked up at him. Then he moved the box, from its perch on the corner of the desk, to the space directly in front of Albert. "This box was to be delivered to you after you had read the letter," he continued.

Albert looked over at Mr. Jordan. Then he looked at the box. Standing, he lifted the lid off and stared at what he saw in the box. It looked startlingly familiar. In one corner was a zip-lock bag full of small items, a ticket stub from the Thunders game, a personalized pen from his office, and his father's wedding band. A stack of letters was lined up, in chronological order, in one end of the box. They were the letters that Albert had sent to his father. And neatly folded in the other corner, was a Thunder's jersey. This one was navy blue with white stripes. Albert removed it holding it up. He had nearly forgotten that his father had bought a shirt for himself their last night together. They had both worn their jerseys during the game. It had been one of the proudest moments of Albert's life, cheering on the home team with his father. Albert smiled as he realized that this jersey had been well worn, and had seen many wash cycles.

He replaced the jersey and put the top back on his father's treasure box. Mr. Allen waited until he had lowered himself back into his chair before speaking. "Albert, we have prepared a statement to be read prior to the reading of the will," he lifted a paper as he spoke. "Are you ready for us to continue?" he asked.

Albert nodded, this day had already held so many unexpected surprises, he had no clue what was to come. So he drew in a breath, and waited for Mr. Allen.

Again he cleared his voice before attempting to start reading the statement. Mr. Allen was anticipating the reaction that was to come. He loved this part more than anything else. He looked straight at Albert and with a commanding tone in his voice, he announced, "Let's proceed."