24
“Man, I’m so pleased to hear your voice. I really thought you were dead. I watched the news and my heart stood still. I had to take myself away out of the bar.”
Collins was talking to an old army buddy on the phone, in the early 1990’s they had been part of a marine battalion shot down in Kuwait. Soon after they crashed they were held captive by the enemy. The marines used their time wisely and were able to escape. Their Sergeant had volunteered to seek assistance in the nearest alley. The only problem being, the men didn’t know where their exact location was.
“We have to keep it a secret I’m still alive,” Collins said.
“Have you any idea who’s behind the attempt?” The man on the other side of the line asked. He already knew the answer.
“I’ll guess it’s our old friend. I can’t think of anyone else.
“Are you sure you didn’t make any more enemies throughout your life?”
“Well there could be one or two, but I don’t believe they’ll go to such an extent. Of one thing I am certain. I’ll personally double check all my personnel from now on.”
“What do you mean?”
“One of my own security guards was present during the attempt,” Collins answered.
“Who was it?” his friend wanted to know.
“Rogozihn, Victor Rogozihn, ever heard of him?”
“No the name doesn’t ring any bells. But the CIA checked him out didn’t they?”
“Yeah and they didn’t do a very good job,” Collins said.
“If and I’m saying if our old friend is behind is, he’ll be well equipped for organizing false identities.”
“And plastic surgery. What if he had plastic surgery?” Collins asked.
“You’re saying something Tobias… you’re saying something I was thinking about.”
*
His plan had worked nobody suspected what really occurred. However there was one little hiccup he had yet to deal with. But for now he had to play along with the cops.
Perhaps I can spread some rumors around?” Tobias thought. The Internet would come in handy, Wikilinks in particular, all sort of high security stuff came to light on this website. He already saw the headline of the article, THE TRUTH ABOUT SENATOR COLLIN’S MURDER, or, COLLINS ALIVE! He wondered which headline would have the most impact. Did it actually matter? All he wanted was the news spreading like wild fire and with that the number of voters would follow.
It dawned on him going public might throw some questions towards the law enforcements. They wouldn’t take a cock and bull story for an answer. Faking your own death is one thing, rising like a Phoenix is another one. As for now he had to get rid of the security personnel Dupree had organized for him.
*
“Is this some kind of joke?” Detective Garnham answered his desk phone.
“Ha, no it’s really me, Tobias. Don’t you remember me anymore? We went to Iraq together, we had a great time.”
“You’re an idiot Collins. What do you want from me?”
“Now, now not so cocky to the future president, come and visit me in the hospital. It is the same one you spent some days in.”
“Are you giving me orders? Who do you think you are?“
“Those are a lot of questions Cedric you’re obviously keen to know what I have to say and why I’m still alive. Now listen very careful, you might think nobody knows about the dirty games you’re playing. Yes! I know what has been going on.”
“You have nothing on me, you’re bluffing.”
*
Typing had never been Frank’s biggest skill, therefor he typed like many other people using his index fingers. Another handicap he encountered were the keys on his new notebook, they were twice as small as on his old laptop. For all he cared he still used his mechanical typewriter. But the times were changing rapidly and so must he.
The alleged assassination of the Senator made him consider how vulnerable he actually was. How long had it been since they’d seen each other? He couldn’t say with certainty but it must at least be 15 years. Had it really been Collins? He sounded like him, but after more than a decade, he couldn’t be sure. He needed more than what the media displayed and there was only one man he could give him the answers.
*
The minute the nurse left the room, Anika dialed the emergency number. Quickly she explained what Anthony told her. His story seemed very confusing and hard to believe.
“Where are you Miss,” The dispatcher asked.
“I’m in a clinic, Delphi it’s called. I think I’m in danger.”
“Why?”
“For making this phone call, tomorrow they’re going to put a chip in my head too,” Anika answered.
“Thanks for the call Miss I promise we’ll look into the matter. Don’t you worry,” the dispatcher said.
The man eyed his colleague and finished the call. “It’s some kind of nutcase who claims to know who killed the Senator of Illinois.”
“Nutcase or not, we still need to inform the police.”
Moments after Anika made the call she noticed a smell which didn’t belong in the room. Although weak yet, she recognized it immediately, something was burning. Was there anything burning in the room? She hadn’t been smoking and neither used a match or lighter and nobody had been in the room except for the kind nurse. Whatever was burning must be at the other side of the door. She tried to locate the bed alarm, to no avail. Calling for help she walked in the direction of the door.
The minute she opened the door an immense wave of heat engulfed her. Smoke got into her lungs, making her cough. Although she couldn’t see the fire, she could hear the crackling sound of the flames eating their way through the corridor. Again she cried out for help. There came no answer. Except for the flames she didn’t hear any other sound, the place seemed deserted. Had they abandoned her to fend for herself?
She realized there was no way for her to escape through the corridor thus she went back inside her room and closed the door tightly. In her head she calculated how much time she had before the fire would reach the room. She’d wasted precious seconds already. What am I going to do? Where is everybody? Where is David?
Tears filled her eyes. Not only was she crying out of fear, but also because of the smoke entering the room. Her breathing became shallow and heavy and the pain in her head was almost unbearable, soon she became sick. There was no more time to lose. With no way of escaping through the door Anika crawled across the room where she knew a chair stood. Picking the chair up, she threw it with all her might against the window. She never felt the chair strike her. The moment it hit the double glazed window, it rebounded against her head. She fell unconsciously on the floor.
*
It didn’t take long for Sarah to figure out which town was mentioned on the back of the postcard. She needed to borrow a car. Because there was no one in the force she could bring for back up, she was going to bring Shabty. The intelligent animal had been trained as a police dog. If it wasn’t for a bullet he’d once taken for her, he’d still be with the force. Tonight he was going to be her protector once again. However she couldn’t put him on the back of her motorbike.
When the doorbell rang she answered it with no delay. Jose stood on the doorstep, dressed in an old pair of jeans and worn out Nikes. Everything about his appearance proved he’d left his apartment in a hurry.
“What took you so long?” Sarah asked impatiently.
“I was engaged with my wife, if you know what I mean. We have a lot of time to make up,” Patting Shabty with one hand, Jose took off his sneakers with the other.
“The car keys please. How is your wife by the way?”
“Better I guess, but we’re heading for a divorce.”
“Absent-mindedly nodding, Sarah grabbed her purse from under a pile of paperwork and handed Jose a fifty dollar bill. “I hope this will cover the expenses for a taxi home. Now where is that car of yours?”
An hour before midnight, Sarah was on her way to an old farmhouse five miles north of Barstow, a ghost town in the Mojave Desert. Digging deeper into Ellis’s file and after making a few phone calls she discovered Ellis had bought the building six years ago, just a year before the research on Caryo.32 commenced.
She turned off the headlights of the car when approaching the dirt road leading up to the farm. She allowed her eyes to adjust to the moonless night and slowly drove closer to the house. The two story building was standing on its own. Some sixty yards before the house she stopped the car. Afraid to give herself away she turned off the engine.
She walked the rest few meters to the house by the light of a torch, until she came across a parked car. She stopped in her tracks, debating with herself what to do. No longer could she use the plan she’d made earlier.
She turned around to walk back to the safety of her car, when Shabty who trotted beside her started to growl.
“Very slowly please Detective,” a voice came from the house. “Take your dog by its collar and walk slowly up to me. Keep your other hand where I can see it.” The man in the doorway shone a large torch on the unfortunate visitors. There was no escaping the sea of light.
How could I have been so stupid? I should have gone to the Lieutenant, but no I had to go on my own. Like Garnham, teamwork had never been one of her strengths.
“Come on, let me put the dog in the shed,” the man said. He walked a few meters in Sarah’s direction, Shabty showed his teeth.
“Good dog,” the man said.
“Grrrrr.”
“He doesn’t like you,” Sarah said.
“Most dogs don’t, because they’re afraid of me. They can sense what’s going to happen with them.”
“I’d rather keep him with me, he doesn’t like to be on his own,” Sarah said.
“Well now ma’am, don’t be such a hassle. The boss has ordered me to put him in the shed. There’s no place for dogs in the house.” The man waved his pistol. “ You don’t want any complications, do you?”
“No.”
“Here you can see for yourself, the dog will be all right,” The man opened a double door and turned on a light. A couple of well used armchairs, and several plastic bags on top of a large matrass were placed in the middle of the floor. On the left hand side, there was a pile of stuff and five enormous wooden doors which stood on their sides against the back wall.
“What is it going to be? Do you want me to shoot your dog here and now, or do you want to pick him up later?”
“Okay,” Sarah finally gave in. With a heavy heart she commanded Shabty to sit on the matrass.
“Before we go inside the house, give me your holster.” Reluctantly Sarah unbelted her holster and handed it to the man.
“Are you there yet, Sarah? I’m sorry but I can’t offer you a chair. If you get tired you can always sit on the floor. It might be dirty though.” To her shock Sarah recognized Garnham’s voice coming from the scarily lit house. When she entered a large drawing room she located him sitting in an antique chair. His legs were crossed and he was smoking a pipe. When he blew out a puff of smoke, it reminded Sarah of her grandfather. She could vaguely see the outlines of another figure in the corner however she couldn’t see who he was. He or she seemed to be sitting on the floor.
“Have you ever been incarcerated?”
Sarah didn’t know what to make of Garnham’s question. “What do you mean?”
Ignoring her Garnham stood up and walked across the room towards the window. He looked at the person on the floor. The person didn’t move.
“There is no one around for miles, no one will hear you. By the way, it didn’t take long for you to get here. Are you surprised to find me here? What do you think I’m doing here Detective Wolters? You seemed to have solved the case from the start. Or are you beginning to change your mind? Oh and don’t think the dog will hurt me, remember, I trained him.”
“If you touch my dog,” Sarah replied.
“You’re not threatening me are you, because you’re not in a position to do so?”
Sarah’s heart was racing, her informant had been right. How could I have been so naïve?
“Who is that?” She pointed at the person on the floor.
“Don’t mind him,” Garnham said.
“That’s for me to decide.”
“And I’m telling you it’s not of your fucking business.”
“Are you keeping him prison, what did you do to him?”
“I haven’t done anything to him, yet. He invited me here. We know each other from another life time. I’d deal with him later.”
“Hm,” the figure on the floor disagreed.
Sarah made a move to reach the man, for by now she understood it could only be a man.
“Not so fast, or did you forget who’s in charge?” Garnham grabbed her by the arm.
“Au, you’re hurting me, let go of me!”
“Look who’s talking, if you could see yourself Detective. Only a woman could make a stupid mistake like you. I can do whatever I want with you and nobody will ever know,” Garnham smirked.
“You won’t get away with it,” Sarah answered. “Your DNA will be all over this place.”
“Is it now? Why are you so hostile? I want to help you, can’t you see this?” Garnham said.
“If this is your way of helping someone, I rather wouldn’t like to be here when you’re angry.”
“I have a fair idea who the person is over there,” Sarah said.
“Okay, give it a go.”
“Edgar Ellis.”
“Ha, ha, don’t let me laugh. You honestly don’t believe I’m that stupid? Don’t let him get in our way, like I said I deal with him after I’m finished with you. I regret it I couldn’t stop you from investigating both crimes, you were right, they were linked.”
Sarah’s blood ran cold. She was alone with a killer, possible a psychopath with no one to rescue her. She had to play along, do whatever he said to win time.
“So you were the one who killed Rodrigo,” Sarah said. With her eyes on fire she stared at the man she thought she knew.
“Not so fast with your judgment young lady. I did everything to prevent his death. I never wanted him to die I knew how much he meant to you and your boyfriend. Yes I knew about your affair with his father.”
“Why did you need the virus?” Sarah asked. “They hung the Senator.”
“You must be thirsty, I’m such a bad host,” Garnham said to avoid the question. “I hope you don’t mind helping yourself. There is beer in the fridge. Go ahead ladies first.” Garnham moved his weapon ordering Sarah to go in front of him. “No games.”
“I don’t want any trouble,” Sarah said, she could feel the barrel of the gun pushing against her lower back. She began to walk, taking small steps in the dark house. The last thing she wanted to do was trip. “Is there no light in this place?”
“You have many questions. Don’t you know these places are always dark and gloomy? This house was built before the invention of electricity and I like to keep it this way. I know exactly where everything is. You are my hostage, remember? You aren’t supposed to see where you are. How does it feel to be in the dark, not knowing what’s around the corner? Do you feel uncomfortable with a psychopath behind your back, the only person who can bring you out of this house alive? Let’s go up stair, the beer can wait.”
While he talked Sarah noticed a change is Garnham’s voice. There seemed to be two different personalities inside the man. Was there still hope? She felt something swaging against her leg, a rat perhaps? She shivered.
“You can hold on to the banister on your right, see I’m not as bad as you think, I even help you. They never helped me. I had to do everything myself. After everyone had left me I had to find my own way out of that Godforsaken land.” This man was looking for sympathy a far cry from the Garnham she knew.
“What are you talking about?” Sarah asked. She stopped again because after their assent the banister had come to an end
“Turn to your left,” again Garnham’s voice changed into a cold and sinister manner
“But….,” Sarah said. Moving her head she got a glimpse of her Detective. What she saw shocked her, a pair of green lights shone from his eyes. She could vaguely see the outlines of his body when he said, “built in lenses, special night vision. Turn right and walk in a straight line.”
After five steps he said, “Push against the door on your left.”
The room smelled musty. Crossing the threshold, Sarah entered a Georgian drawing room. Although a fire burned, a cold shiver travelled across her back and her hair on her arms stood up on end. Rain slashed against the windows. The wind moved the curtains through the cracks in the panes. Candles were burning in a chandelier hanging from the ceiling and in holders against the walls. For the first time since she arrived at the house Sarah could see where she was.
“Take a seat,” Garnham offered Sarah one of the antique chairs.