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Eleanor, Chapter 8This story may contain adult content. |
| Written by mick beville | |
| Saturday, 02 August 2008 | |
Ominous rumblings of thunder could be heard as Mary parked Kevin's hire car adjacent to the swimming centre at the Jackson Business Park in Baltimore. Kevin sat on the back seat with his computer. "You want to try it before the storm hits?" he asked, referring to a trail run to test GHz frequency on the cell phone. Mary closed the driver's door behind her and walked the eighty yards or so to the other side of the road. She had arrived at the cherry tree just as the first of the hailstones bounced from the asphalt. Sheltering under the tree, she hurriedly selected the phone number for her local Domino's Pizza palace. The number rang several times before a young voice answered and asked for her order. But before she could speak, a third voice cut in. "Is that you Kevin?" Mary shouted amidst the thunder and the hail. "Who were you expecting," he asked, in a playful tone. "****... this is good stuff. I'll have to try it on my boss one day" Mary's voice was starting to hint at the excitement she could expect over the following hour. It had all come down to one final hour. She'd worked hard at blanking out the millions of things that could go wrong, to concentrate on the few things that would have to go right.
Kevin drove the car part way to meet her as she ran back through the rain.
"Holy Moses... I'm soaked. What time have we got?" she asked as she stripped off her blouse.
"Fifteen minutes should see the VW arrive" Kevin replied. "But I won't have a fix on Adam's until the storm clears."
"****... You realize what happens if the storm doesn't clear"
"Storms always clear" he replied reasuringly as he reached into the back for his jacket. She took the jacket from him. "Am I embarrassing you?"
"Not in the least."
Kevins phone chimed. "You have a text message" said Mary, looking to his phone. He ignored her prompt and continued to wipe the condensation from the inside of the windscreen. "That's better" he said, "Even with this rain we should still see all we need from right here."
"Don't change the subject." said Mary reaching to the consul for his phone. He grabbed her hand.
"It's Sally." he volenteered. "She's been texting me for two days"
"Have you replied?
"It isn't a good time."
"Well tell her that. Text her back and tell her you're tied up, and that you promise to call her in a couple of hours."
Mary reached across Kevin and turned the wiper blades on. She watched the manageress of the swimming centre and her teenage daughter as they ran across the parking lot to their car. 'They looked so vulnerable,' she thought, feeling that experience had cast her as somewhat of an expert on the different predators that trawled the shadows.
Mary had earlier researched the name and date of birth of the manageress, while Kevin copied the details from her cell phone. "How are you feeling now?" Kevin asked
"I could do with a pee," she answered, "but then I always want a pee when I'm nervous. What about you?"
"I don't suffer that way. With me it's the traditional butterflies. The rain's easing. Why don't you open the door and take a pee outside." Kevin laughed at the image as Mary hung onto the door and squat over the asphalt. "You mind if I take a picture?"
"Don't you dare" she ordered.
Suddenly the headlights of a distant car could be seen entering the Business Park.Mary quickly rearranged her clothes and got back in the car "Did you manage a pee?" he asked. "Christ I think I'm still doing it..." She laughed a nervous laugh and pulled down the visor to look at her self in the vanity mirror.
"Is it her?" Mary asked.
"We'll soon find out" he asked wiping the inside of the windscreen. They both watched as the VW went in through the security gate before heading over to park under the cherry tree as expected. "And there's Adams..." Kevin said pointing to his NAV SAT. "He's on the Parkway. I think were in business."
" ****..." replied Mary. "I don't think I'm going to be able to wait twenty minutes. My bladder wants to start again. "You'll have to be patient. Take deep breaths. We'll give him exactly fifteen minutes from when he parks up."
They both watched as he turned into the parking lot. And then, as if synchronised, their eyes followed the Taurus containing his security, as it drove the quarter mile to the end of the cul-de-sac before parking up outside the Good Year building. Mary's eyes turned back to the Maybach. She'd watched it park a dozen times, but this time it felt altogether different. "I'm shaking Kevin. Look at me? I'm ******* shaking. In fifteen minutes I'm supposed to be the cool actress on the cell phone." Kevin held her hand. "You'll be fine" he said. "Just keep taking big deep breaths. You've have the story ready?"
"Oh God...the story," she said, searching frantically for her notes.
"It's there in the console," assisted kevin.
"How long now?" she asked.
Kevin looked to his watch. "Six minutes."
She gave a heavy sigh.
"Six minutes... You'd think I could sit still for six lousy minutes, for Christ sakes.
Kevin looked to his watch again.
"You're sure he always takes twenty minutes?"
"I timed him at least a half dozen times, and like I said, he's boringly punctual."
"Select the number in the phone" said Kevin reaching onto the back seat for Mary's camera.
"Oh ****, Kevin... I don't know if I can do this" He took the phone from her and punched in 911.
"Break a leg girl," he encouraged, pushing the dial button for her.
By the time the female call taker answered the 911, Kevin was out of the car and quickly moving towards the swimming centre.
"Police, Fire Ambulance which service do you require?" "They've got my daughter... send the police" said Mary. "Quickly...Please they have my daughter. Oh god, please hurry." Mary's voice was rushed, nervous and out of breath, all of which suited the situation.
"Are you Helen Grant of 141 Myrtle Street south?"
"Yes, please hurry, I'm in the Jackson business park, behind the Good Year building." The call taker calmly continued the questions.
"Helen could you tell me your date of birth?"
"Eighth of March sixty two... Please, they have a gun, hurry... "
"Helen, officers have been dispatched. Can you tell me if you believe that anybody may be under the influence of alcohol or drugs?"
"I don't think so. They're wearing suits." Mary was crying as she continued "They said..." Mary switched off the phone. She looked at her hands and they were shaking, her whole body shook with the rush. She started taking deep breaths. "Calm down girl. You did well. Nice deep breaths"
Kevin had made his way down the side of the swimming centre and was crouched behind a low wall next to the sidewalk. Any way he tried to head towards the cherry tree, he would run a risk of being exposed. His best option for the moment was to wait for his options to improve. Worst scenario he would have to dash the thirty yards when the back door of the maybach opened. He heard the sirens on the Parkway and it would be only a matter of seconds before he was laying flat on his face behind the wall while two patrol cars sped past him on their way up the cul-de-sac.
He'd no sooner lifted his head when he saw the door of the Maybach opening. He fumbled with the camera trying to set off the flash, and in what felt like an age he finally got it to fire. He was now running across the parking lot in what felt like slow motion towards Sarah and although he made no attempt to aim the camera, he kept his index finger on the button so that every second or so the flash went off. Sarah had turned back towards Adams as if looking for his help but the back door to the Maybach was closed to her. She stood for a moment as if stunned. He thought she was going to approach him but as he aimed and flashed the camera once more, she turned and climbed into her own car, and as her reversing lights came on Kevin ran back towards the swimming centre for cover.
Inside Kevins hire car, the computer was showing Adams attempting to call his security. Mary sat back and smiled. Kevin had told her that it would work but seeing it work was something else. Out of breath Kevin was now back in the driver's seat "****... its happening" he said. "Now for the hard part; let's see if he'll buy the bullshit." Kevin punched the code on the computer and hit the enter key. Inside the Maybach the phone rang. Adams picked it up but didn't speak. "Donald Adams this is agent 112 Margaret De Rosa of the United States Secret Service. If you can hear me, would you please acknowledge your name and your location?" As Mary waited nervously for a reply, Adams pondered his situation. It was becoming clear to him that he had no idea what was going down.
"This is Donald Adams speaking"
"Sir we have your location on the NAV SAT as 125a Henderson Drive in the Jackson Business Park. Could you acknowledge?"
"Affirmative."
"Sir our department has invoked a ‘Code 52.' There are currently several incidents that are threatening national security. It is imperative that you maintain this communication and that you do not leave your vehicle." There followed a short silence. "Sir I have been instructed to ask you to exit the Business Park immediately; repeat immediately. You are to take a right onto the Parkway and await further instruction."
While the suits and uniforms played out what amounted to a comedy farce outside the Good Year building, Kevin followed Adams at a safe distance onto the Parkway, Mary was aware that Adams was familiar with the term ‘Code 52'. It was shortly after 911 that he had helped to draft the amendment that would supplement the existing powers of the Secret Service. The amendment extended the act that already covered the protection of Presidents past, present and future, to include all serving members of the Executive Council.
"Sir I have been authorized to inform you that our President is dead... And as we speak the Secretary of State is undergoing emergency surgery. It was believed to be a suicide bomb sir. The enemy at this point has not been identified and it is imperative that we take yourself and your vehicle outside the target zone"
"What is the target zone?"
"We have information that suggests that a satellite is being used to identify and track members of the executive. We have taken your personal security out of the equation purely as a precaution."
"I ask the question again. What is the target zone?"
"The target zone is any location where a target can be identified by satellite."
"Where is the Vice President?" asked Adams.
"I have been informed that he is safe, sir." There followed a few seconds silence. "Sir... we have a suspicious vehicle, a dark blue Ford sedan, estimated to be one hundred yards behind you. If you can follow my instruction, we will attempt to lose this vehicle" Adams looked to his mirror only to see headlights. "Sir, you will sight Exit 7 South in approximately three minutes. If you can stay at your current speed and move into the left lane, I would ask that you pass the off ramp by at least fifty yards to a point where you can pull onto the verge and then stop your vehicle." Adams checked his mirror and moved across to the inside lane. He checked the mirror again. The headlights had followed his manoeuvre. Exit 7 South was in sight. He looked to his speed, sixty miles an hour. He could feel the adrenaline. He looked to his mirror, the vehicle behind had moved closer. Passing the off ramp, he pulled onto the medium strip and braked heavily. Agent ‘De Rosa was right...' he told himself, as he watched the dark blue Ford speed past.
"Well done sir. The vehicle is now continuing south and should not pose a further concern."
Mary continued to direct Adams to back up along the medium strip until it was safe for him to cross the traffic lanes to the exit. And while directing him to the southern link with the Nav Sat she indicated for Kevin to take the following Exit 7 North that would after a slight detour, have them travelling ahead of Adams.
"Put your foot on it Kevin for Christ sake, he's gaining on us"
"I'm pushing the limit as it is. The last thing we need is the cops"
"We'll have to risk it," insisted Mary. "Put your foot down or he'll be on top of us. Take a right at the next lights."
As Mary continued to direct Adams, the right turn had taken her and Kevin over a mile and into an industrial area, where apart from the odd street light which had refused to die, the place appeared dark, wet and deserted. Kevin had done the run with Mary earlier that day but in poor light he was now straining to see the sign that would direct them into the container park.
"There it is, said Mary, pointing to a large white hand painted peace sign that hung lopsided from a sagging industrial chain link fence. Kevin drove thought a wide gateless opening and into large open space where the pot holes had been left full to capacity by the evenings storm. About fifty yards across the open space and towards the back of the lot, stood a large open warehouse that resembled an aeroplane hanger. Kevin started to feel the nerves as he wove around the potholes. He knew from Mary's directions that Adams was about to turn right at the lights. He also realized that he would have to park around the back of the warehouse.
"Sir... Approximately one mile on your right you will reach the entrance to a container park. A large white hand painted peace sign will mark that entrance. The transportation for yourself and your vehicle has been specially prepared against a grade three attack and several items for your comfort, should you need them, can be found inside the overhead compartment. Agents Slouwitski and Moorehouse are in situ and will take control of your transportation to the Pentagon. It is of critical importance that you do not leave your vehicle until you are secure inside your transportation. Do you have any questions before I leave you sir?"
Adams stopped the car at the entrance to the container park. He looked across towards the warehouse to see a flashing light. "I do have one question," he said. "Do you have any further news on the Secretary's condition?" There followed a few seconds silence.
"I have been authorized to tell you sir that the Secretary did not make it through." Adams paused to ponder the political ramifications of what he had just heard
"Thank you Agent De Rosa" he said. And with what could have been construed as a smile on his face, he drove through the opening and on towards the flashing light. Driving a short distance inside the warehouse Adams could see who he believed to be agents Slouwitski and Moorehouse. They were standing ceremoniously to either side of the entrance, to what in essence was a twenty foot metal shipping container with a white polystyrene lined interior. As he approached them Kevin and Mary remained poker faces. And with all the authority of traffic cops they each gestured for him to drive inside the container. They watched without taking a breath as the Maybach inch by inch entered their trap; until, and with almost a foot of its rear end still sticking out the back, the Maybach stopped... Mary looked to Kevin in horror. Copyright 2008 mick beville |
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