The Monolith Murders (28 page)

To Fred, the positive serendipitous events she had experienced were caused by the direct hand of God. The precise collision of the galaxy of events that had to unfold to allow Maureen to avoid head-on collisions could only be due to God’s direct intervention in man’s affairs.
 

“Honey, I’ve got an idea. I know you’re exhausted. I don’t think you have to move on. I’ve concluded that there’s no way Donna could know where you are. You’ve covered your tracks well; and most importantly, Donna can’t pick up any of your mental processes from the distance where she is.”

“But how do you know where she is, and how do you know she can’t get into my mind?”
 

Fred didn’t want to divulge to Maureen that he knew the general area where Donna was, because she had just killed both AU’s security man and Dr. Anderson; and therefore, he was sure she must be in or near Sarasota. Maureen’s emotional state was much too fragile to hit her with that revelation.
 

Instead he said, “All evidence points to the fact that she’s still in the Sarasota area. As far as her ability to read your mind, Atwell once told me his ability to do that was limited to short distances. Donna has only a fraction of the powers that Atwell had, so we shouldn’t be concerned about that at all; you are much too far away for Donna to pick up on you.”

“But Fred, somehow she knew where Atwell and I were. She found him and killed him; I read about it in the newspaper. I’m sure I’m next on her list.”

“Maureen, please listen to me. She knew where Atwell was because he was easily traceable; his location wasn’t a state secret. She could easily have used information she gleaned from a home computer to track him down. I know that she took classes in prison to become familiar with a computer’s operation. He was not in hiding; he had no reason to be, the authorities were not after him. I’m sure her psychic powers had nothing to do with her ability to find him. I think her sole objective was to kill Atwell; and it’s entirely possible when she got into the area she picked up your psychic scent, so to speak.
 

“I have a plan, stay where you are, you’ll be perfectly safe there. I’ll give you a call tomorrow, and maybe we can work something out.”

“Fred, I love you so much; I so need to see you again and soon.”

Fred only had the barest outline of a plan; it still had to unfold and be given body with details. First, however, he had to get back in the good graces of Mr. Shade.
 

Chapter 43

Fred’s phone rang early the next morning. Debra was on the other end. “Fred, have you reconsidered what your answer will be to Shade?”

“Yes, I’ll be a good boy and answer all of his questions without any issues or challenges.”

“Good, let me see if I can arrange another appointment with him. I just hope that you haven’t pissed him off too much.”

In just minutes, Debra called right back. “We’ll see him this morning at 10:40 a.m. Remember, Fred, he has no sense of humor and he is without a doubt from the old school. He believes in his country without reservation. Reagan was the world’s greatest leader ever; every Democrat is a socialist as well as a communist; and there are no exceptions to his dogma whatsoever. His world is all black and white; and if you’re not white you’re black, metaphorically speaking.”
 

“Then, I guess I won’t invite him to any of my pin-the-tail on-the-donkey parties.”

“Fred, no humor please; I would bet he doesn’t even like Good Humor ice cream.”

At 10:15 a.m. she knocked on the door of Fred’s unit; it was a short walk to the main CIA building. Two agents walked closely behind them all the way to the conference room where they would meet Shade.
 

The receptionist barely looked up when the entered. Fred whispered to Debra, “We’re a bit early, aren’t we?”

“You don’t want to be late for a meeting with Shade. If one of his earlier appointments gets canceled, he wants us here so that none of his precious time will be wasted.”
 

“Seems a hell of a lot like a doctor’s office to me, with the pain and all of that.”

At 10:40 on the dot, the receptionist motioned for them to come in. This time Shade was not welcoming them at the door. He was sitting at his desk working on some papers.
 

Debra and Fred were kept standing for at least five minutes before Shade finally looked up and spoke. He looked directly at Fred. “Miss Black indicated you had a change of heart since yesterday; is that true?”

“Well, sir, I never really had a problem with anything you were asking me about; but as a detective I do tend to over analyze at times. Unfortunately, yesterday was one of those times.”

“I understand. Go over to the corner.”

What the hell comes next, Fred wondered, a dunce cap perhaps?

Shade picked up from his desk the same piece of paper that he had yesterday when he asked Fred the series of questions. He retrieved the Bible again and had Fred put his hand on it. He started the questioning process all over again.
 

Shit, Fred thought, can’t this guy just get on with it? Then Fred thought, maybe this spook can read my mind, I’d better be careful what I think. Fortunately, it was apparent that Shade could not read Fred’s mind; Shade carefully re-read the entire paper, patiently waiting for Fred’s response to each question. Only then did he move on. Finally he got to the constitutional question, and Fred replied, “Yes, sir, I will honor it and obey it without question.”
 

Shade had only one more question and Fred’s final response to it seemed to please him.
 

“Congratulations, Fred, you’re now one of us.” Shade put his hand out and Fred started to shake it; instead Shade hugged Fred long and hard. Strange, strange reaction, Fred thought. Maybe this guy is related to J. Edgar Hoover.
 

Fred turned to Shade, “Now may I ask you a couple of questions, sir?”

Fred glanced at Debra, and she was mouthing the words, “No, no, no.”

Fred plunged on. “I thought you guys always did some background checks before one could become a CIA agent.”

“That’s already been accomplished. If everything in our check had not been positive you wouldn’t be here today.”

So that’s who those guys were who were following me to the diner when I met with Debra, Fred concluded.

“I still don’t understand; if I’m an agent now, what will be my role relative to my police department’s responsibilities?”

“That will not change, nor will you receive any salary from us. You will, however, be reimbursed for any trips you take for the agency. We use the standard government per diem rates, so you’ll never get rich even though many non-government workers believe that we do. As far as assignments, your boss has agreed to grant you leave whenever we request you for an assignment; but officially, you will always remain an employee of the Sarasota Police Department.”

“Jim has a big heart,” Fred said.

As he glanced at Black she was again mouthing, “No, no, no.”
 

Not picking up on Fred’s obvious sarcasm, Shade said, “I wouldn’t know about that,”
 

“Now, Fred, we have to put you through a series of psychological tests and the like.”

“Wait a minute. I thought everything was completed when you did the background check on me and I took your oath.”

“Ms. Black, did you brief him on the operation?”

“No sir, I thought that, until he took the oath, it would be premature.”

“Oh, yes, good point.”
 

Shade continued looking directly at Debra. “In fact we should continue this sequentially. We have completed the nearby checks and the family and friends investigation. He has taken the oath, next will be the battery of psychological tests. Depending on how he does on them, we will then brief him on the operation.”

Black and Shade were talking as if Fred was not in the room.

“Wait a minute,” Fred interrupted. “How about letting me know what’s going on?”

“In due time, Fred, in due time.” Shade said.

Fred asked, “How long will I be here?”

“Most likely three weeks to a month, or even possibly more. We’re never quite sure how these things will pan out; and at this early stage, I have no way of predicting.”

* * *

A thousand miles away a brunette had just landed in Idaho. Her selection of a private flight had a purpose—she could take a weapon onboard without the usual strict security precautions that she would have experienced on a regular commercial flight.
 

The sky was darkening as she provided the false driver’s license to the Hertz employee. She held two versions of the license, one for the rental card identification which was to be thrown away after she completed her mission, and another for her permanent relocation from Sarasota. She knew if she executed the murder carefully, she would never be traced; but regardless she was still prepared to relocate somewhere outside of Florida. She was going to dispose of the rental car in some large city and take the train or bus to a city of her choice.
 

The town where she was heading was experiencing a severe recession. In an austerity effort the local officials had decided not to light every other street light in an attempt to reduce the municipal budget. This fit her plan perfectly since she definitely preferred the dark to execute her plan.
 

* * *

Fred felt he might have a bargaining chip with Shade, and he decided to use it. “I have just one request; and if you agree to it you, can give me your tests until the cows come in.”

Shade didn’t like to relinquish his need for absolute control, but he reluctantly asked, “What is it?”

“I want to bring my wife here. She’s been continuously on the road, desperately trying to avoid Donna Lang; she’s physically exhausted, and emotionally on the edge. I don’t see how I can concentrate on any test while knowing that Maureen is suffering as much as she is.”

Shade’s response surprised Fred. “I have no problem with your request. We encourage a good family relationship; that always helps our agents in their execution of duties.
 

“Miss Black, we won’t begin testing Fred until Monday. Meanwhile, have him transported to wherever he needs to go to pick up his wife; when they return, she can stay with him in his present quarters. Now, please immediately arrange for the transportation to get Fred’s wife here.”

“Great,” Fred said. “Finally, things are starting to look up.”
 

Chapter 44

That same day the CIA provided a company jet to fly directly to the Boise, Idaho airport. Fred called Maureen at her motel and provided her with the flight schedule. He told her that when she got back to Washington they would be staying in the center of the CIA compound where they would be well protected.
 

Maureen was ecstatic. “Finally!, she said. “We’ll be together again and safe. And, Fred, what are you going to be doing while I’m there?”

“Other than taking a massive number of psychological tests, I have no idea. I understand that Monday I will start on the tests. In all that should take about three days. I don’t have a clue as to what they have planned for me after that.”

“Did you get into any trouble because you had the monolith for all these years?”

“Not really. In fact I’m one of them now; I took the oath. Don’t I sound different?” he teased.
 

“Yes, I sense that you’re taller and much more mysterious.”

“I guess I’m taller because of the thick socks I recently bought. As far as being more mysterious, now that I’m part of the CIA, that’s already become part of my new persona.”

“What do they expect from you?”

“Again I have no idea, but they have made it possible for us to be together again. So whatever they want from me as a tradeoff will be well worth it.”
 

“Okay, darling, I’ll see you at the airport.”

“I can’t wait, hon. At last we’ll be together again; and this time it will be forever, I promise.”

Maureen spent a few more hours at the motel. About 6 p.m. she called the motel owner and asked if he could help her take her limited luggage to her car. He said he would come to her room in a few minutes.
 

Maureen had just finished putting the last of her clothes in the small suitcase she had purchased when she heard the knock on her door. She was in much too positive a mood to remain cautious; so she flung open the door and turned around to go to the bed to pick up her suitcase. When she turned around again, she couldn’t believe who was standing there.

* * *

 
Earlier, Fred had received a call from the pilot who had been directed to take him to Boise. “Mr. Harris, I’ve got some good news; we can leave earlier on your flight. My other scheduled flight was canceled, and Mr. Shade said to make sure I take good care of you. You must have really impressed him.”

“That’s great news. I won’t even tell my wife that I’m arriving early; I’ll just surprise her.”