Not a fool this time…. Chapter 22
Driving to the site, they went to the gate and asked for the site manager, William Ellery, who came to the gate and escorted them to the server facility. "I am overjoyed to see you finally here. Every data center has been having problems- especially where scientific data is stored. I have gotten good reports on those sites where your security has been installed."
"We should be but two maybe two and a half hours and done." Gale said. "Then, just the usual monitoring will be needed. The layers of security should alleviate your worries."
They reached the facility and William said "When completed give me a call- number is on the board there by the phone and I will escort you out. I will be in the office for a few hours yet. We only have one shift at this facility so all is clear for you to work your magic. Give me a call if you need anything," he said as he left.
Gale looked at Walter, "You going to help?"
"No, your job, I am going to sit here and admire you." Walter replied. "I am too focused on your comment about payment after dinner- contemplating what kind of payment you plan to make."
With a big smile Gale got to work, pulled out her programmed hard drive and plugged it in and silently went through the system and loaded the security program. In two hours the job was completed and William called for the escort to the gate.
Walter held the car door for Gale then walked around the car to get in behind the wheel. "So where would you like to go for dinner? Better pick a good place as I plan on a big payment afterwards."
Gale smiled, "How about the tandoori place?"
"Sounds good. Have you given any thought on getting a car? You want a Ferrari? You have gotten quite adept to driving it since your first attempt pulling out of the garage, slipping the clutch all the way. It would be smart to have a second vehicle- certainly have the garage space."
"No, not a Ferrari. How about some American classic…. how about a Rambler?"
"Oh my, think the Ferrari would be embarrassed to be garaged with a Rambler," Walter laughed. "How about something British? A Triumph TR6 you would look good in."
"My brother had a buddy that loved British… and always was working on it and was always on about Lucas electrics…. Prince of Darkness he said." Gale laughed. "Dad had a little… think it was a '62 Buick Special convertible. Cute little car as opposed to the big tuna clippers of the day."
Walter glanced at her, "Tuna clippers? I do not get the reference."
"Ah, I forget you were not raised here in the US. The big monster American cars of the 50's and 60's. Big Buicks, Lincolns, Caddy, Impala. Big lumbering hi-way boats- tuna clippers. That missing bit of growing up with American family cars over the years- you missed a lot. That is why you prefer little European sport cars." Gale said. "You have no experience of the American joy of driving until you hit open freeway especially here in the wide open west in a big Ford Fairlane, Chevy cat-eyed Impala, or Buick Wildcat."
"I see, the typical American idea of bigger is better. How they handle on back country and mountain roads?" Walter asked glancing at the rear view.
"They handle like big tuna clippers….. is something wrong?" Gale asked.
"The same vehicle has been two sometimes three cars behind us. After that mess a few weeks back, Jessup sent me a file on situational awareness. The security chief said to take different routes to get to the usual places, get into residential areas to determine if you are being followed. Probably nothing, reading all that can make you see problems that really are not problems. Think I will make a few turns into a residential area…. for practice." Walter took a left into a residential area, sped up and made a couple more turns then pulled into a dark area along the street under a tree and shut the car down. They sat for a few minutes and a car of similar color to the car Walter had noticed following them slowly cruised by and pulled into a driveway a few houses up the street, but no one got out of the car. A few more minutes passed and another car slowly cruised the street and pulled in along the curb a few car lengths behind the Ferrari.
"Pull your seat belt tight, Gale. We going for a ride." Walter started the car, pulled out, floored it into a u-turn and took off.
Gale looking back said, "Both popped on their lights and are following, Walter."
"We shall see how good drivers they are. Will try and lose them but call Adam and tell him we be coming in hot, have the gate open. I'm afraid there will be no tandoori tonight."
Walter, keeping an eye on the gas gauge took them on the freeway then exited through residential areas, then through shopping areas. "Only bad thing about the Ferrari- noticeable… there are times when a white Toyota Camry is the car to have." Walter mumbled watching out for other drivers through the congested traffic in the area while Gale was on the phone with Adam. "Wonder if some tracking device had been put on the car….. will have to check."
"Walter, Adam said gate is open, garage is open, lights are off. If you can't lose them come on in he will manually close the gate so quicker than electronic. He has Sue setting up cameras in open spots to film whatever is following you." She looked at Walter whose jaw was set as he was focused on driving. She looked back but could not tell if any vehicles behind them were those that had been following.
"Gale, stay low in your seat, do not worry about what is behind." Walter said tersely, "I am heading for the house." When he peeled out of the congested shopping area onto side streets he glanced at the rear view and saw another car follow his route. He sped up and took the next right to see headlights making the same turn. He gassed it again and made another turn to again see headlights make the same turn. "Gale, call Adam again and tell them I can't lose them- damned car is too easy to spot. I do not want to lead them to the house- going to hit the freeway and gather a couple cops."
Gale called Adam again and told him what Walter said. "Walter, Adam said to bring them in as all is set up to film- night vision so will see drivers." She listened, "He also said if you are stopped on the road can be easily targeted… come to the house, they are ready." She could see Walter frown, he then floored the car and made the turn away from the freeway and head for home.
Walter slowed down somewhat, but was still above the posted speed limit coming into the residential area, hit the gas down the street and made the hard turn into the driveway and doused the cars lights, hit the brakes for a sliding stop and coasted into the garage. Sue hit the button for the garage door to lower and Walter got out. "Gale, stay put," he said as he went into the house through the kitchen, out the back door to go around the house in the dark to the front fence. Two cars slowly passed the gated driveway, made the turn a block up and disappeared. Walter joined Adam by the gate and both stood for a few minutes but no other car came along, no one walked by. "All looks clear," Adam said. "Let's go in the house and see what the cameras reveal."
Walter went through the garages to get Gale and both went into Adams place to view the night vision camera feed. Sue said "You recognize either of the drivers?"
"Side view mostly, but that one looked directly at the house, so we got a good shot of the one," Adam said looking at Walter, "Recognize the guy?"
"No. While driving I did not get a good enough look at the driver to even tell if this is the same guy." Walter said. "I am getting very tired of this." He headed for the garage. "I want to check over the car for a tracking device."
Gale and Sue watched him go while Adam was taking screen shots of the drivers to print. "Man-o-man, he is really pissed." Gale said. "We were headed for dinner, guess I will go make us a couple sandwiches. I can't thank you guys enough for all this tonight. We just have no idea why this is going on. We have no idea why, why now, what are the reasons, who is doing this… this is just crazy. I am so sorry we are causing so much trouble. Maybe we should find another place, this is just flat out crazy, why is anyone after us….." Gale continued to ramble as she headed through the garages to find Walter. She found him leaning against the car, he held up a device. "We were being tracked. Have no idea for how long, when this was put in the back left wheel well. Going to do a search on the device- probably find nothing but it is a starting point."
"Walter, let me make a couple sandwiches, and I want to go to bed. I want you to hold me tight. I want to forget this craziness for the night and start fresh tomorrow…. please Walter."
"I'm not hungry," Walter said, "let's take a shower and go to bed. We are safe here, the dogs are out patrolling, the gate is closed, and I will start the search tomorrow. I need to hold you close tonight, too…. I think better when holding you."
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Adam and Sue were going through the night vision camera feed to find the best captures of the two car drivers.
"Gale was really upset…. she was just rambling when she left to find Walter," Sue said. "She is really wound pretty tight- don't think she has never been in this kind of situation and isn't handling it well."
"Walter has been in such situations, but having Gale now, he isn't in the best of clear thinking emotional states, either," Adam said. "He may do something reckless- remember some of the craziness we saw on the news years ago when his Scorpion team was involved? Shooting across from one building to another on a pressurized air bottle to that wrecked helicopter, or the dive into the tar pit with an improvised suit and outdoor light sconce for a helmet? There were times he did things that made you wonder about his actually being a genius."
"Yeah, I remember seeing some of that craziness in the news- seemed more like death defying than well thought out planning…. all seemed to work, though. With Gale in the picture- no telling what he might do if he thinks it is protecting her," Sue said. "He is one of those that goes off hell bent."
Adam thought for a moment. "Think I will contact Richard tomorrow and see if Jessup can do some of his detective work magic…. with the kidnapping and now this, it's obviously a much bigger operation than a bunch of Mexican cartel losers wanting payback. We don't even know all the cases Walters team was into, just the stuff that got on the local news."
"Sure is a drag" Sue said. "They seemed like they were all set for a happy life, working for Richard, newly married, buying their first place, thinking of starting a family. This had better get straightened out fast, not sure how long Walter will hold himself together before exploding….. and it won't be pretty."
"Gotta' find out WHO is doing all this first, what's the driving force, what is the point- let's face it, if whomever wanted to kill him he could have been taken out many points along the driving tonight, certainly during the kidnap when he was in their hands- handcuffed even," Adam said. "This is making little sense, or we are looking at it very wrong."
"What if that IS the whole idea," Sue said with a frown. "Maybe HE is wanted, not to be offed but to be USED. He IS a genius, after all. Maybe THAT is the whole point."
"Holy shitski, Sue," Adam said excitedly. "That certainly does put a different angle and spin on things and fits what is going on. Will add that to the file I sent Richard with these pictures." Adam gave her a big kiss, "You one smart lady… your husband must be one damned lucky guy!"
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