B.B.U.S.A. (Buying Back the United States of America) (14 page)

The freeway seemed like a blur. The setting sun was now just a distant orange glow on the western horizon and the surroundings were merging together, rapidly losing their individual shapes and hue. To Leo, everything resembled the dark grayish freeway as bushes, trees, and shrubs mingled together and disappeared into the approaching darkness. He finished his second warm No Fear energy drink, and ate another handful of jerky.

Although he had just filled up half an hour ago and used the restroom, he felt the need to stop once more. Not only was he getting too tired to drive, but he longed to call Sarah, and knew she would be anticipating his call soon.

Leo pulled into the next rest stop. It was a quarter mile off the interstate that he was now traveling on, and somewhat secluded with trees that served as a sound barrier from the constant roar of the big rigs on the freeway. He felt confident that he had lost his pursuers and suspected that they were still chasing false leads. He used the rest room, opened one of his citrus Vitamin waters, and sipped it as he reached for his cell phone to call Sarah. She should be at her father’s house by now, he reasoned. He stood outside next to his car, enjoying the fresh air as he searched through his phone’s address book and located Alex’s number. Leo hesitated making the call. He wasn’t sure if the cell phone could be traced or triangulated to reveal his approximate location. He finally decided to take the chance, as he was next to a very busy interstate freeway in a vehicle that no one knew belonged to him. He only heard it ring once before Sarah anxiously answered the phone.

“Hi, Honey, it’s me.”

“Leo! Thank God. Are you all right?”

“Yes, Darling, exhausted but I’m all right.”

“One sec, I’m taking the phone outside on the porch by the pool. Okay, I’m alone now. What happened to you? I sensed you were in danger or hurt, or both. I was so afraid all day. Are you really okay?”

“Sarah, I was in danger for a while, but not now, and I did hurt my foot but nothing very serious. I’ll be fine; I’m just very tired, as I did not sleep last night at all. Honey I need to apologize to you as well.”

“For what?”

“You were right all along and I was just too darned stubborn to realize it. From the first time you met Bob and shook his hand you had a real bad feeling about him. Now I see your gift had warned us, but I was blinded then, and of course hind sight is always 20-20.”

“Yes, I know; perhaps it would behoove you to listen to me more often. Although, to your defense I guess, my impressions at the time had more to do with his war experiences previous to us meeting him. You know my gift is a strange thing. It comes and goes, and only gives me glimpses, images, feelings, perceptions, and not always in the right order either, but yes I knew Bob had an ugly past. I too had hoped it was ancient history. I wish we had made better decisions in the beginning, but we can’t undo the choices we have already made.”

“I know Hun, but for what it’s worth, I am sorry.” He went on to tell her of the previous night’s events. She acknowledged that her gift was still accurate, and felt relief that his injury wasn’t worse. “Honey, did you get the passports in order?

“Yes I did, and I even went ahead and bought the airline tickets, but I was hoping we wouldn’t need to use them.”

“Good job, dear. I wish I could tell you otherwise, but you and the boys will need to use the tickets. I’m heading for Doug’s place and should be there by tomorrow afternoon or evening. I need my mind clear and cannot afford to worry about my family and the B.B.U.S.A. Namibia should be the safest place you can be. It’s really isolated. I’ll find an end to our current problems and come meet you there in hopefully less than a week. Mom will be ecstatic to see you and her grandsons. Honey, I’m so sorry I ever got us involved with the B.B.U.S.A. Please stay safe and keep a close eye on Chris. Traykie can help, but I worry about Chris as he is still too young to realize the danger.”

“Of course I will. Please call me and let me know what’s going on. If you can’t reach me on the cell internationally call us at Joyce’s, okay? I love you. Please be careful.”

“Yes Dear, I’ll be careful and I’ll call you as soon as I can. I love you too. Oh, can you please let me talk to Traykie for a sec?”

“Sure; I’ll go get him.”

The rest stop was nearly completely dark now. A semi-truck pulled in on the opposite side, flashing his bright lights in Leo’s direction and momentarily blinding him. He squinted, turned his head and looked away to allow his eyes time to adapt back to the near darkness.

“Dad, how’s it going?” Traykie’s up-beat, eager voice was reassuring to him, out here in the darkness so many miles away from his loved ones.

He knew he had to get his son’s full attention. “Hello Pup. I’ve been better. I need to talk to you about something very serious and I need your full attention. Are you alone and where you can focus?”

“Well, Mom and I are standing outside near the pool, but yes, I can focus. What’s going on?”

“I’m not sure how much Mom has told you, but I need you to listen like you have never listened before, okay?”

“Dad you are starting to scare me a bit. I am listening.”

“Good! What I’m about to tell you is scary. My business partner Tim Bance was murdered a few days ago by the investment company we have invested in as well. They now suspect that I know they were involved with Tim’s death. They are coming after me and probably your mother as well. That is why you left for your grandpa’s and why you are leaving the country tomorrow morning.” A long silence hung over the phone. “Are you still there, Son?”

“Yes Dad. Sorry, I was just listening like you told me to. I’m not really sure what to say, or what you want me to do now?”

“Okay, I want you to grow up right now. No more horseplay or kid goofing off stuff. Right now I need you to be a man. I need to know that before I hang up this phone tonight, I can relax knowing that you are there in my place to protect your mother and brother. I can’t be at two places at once. You have trained for years with me in martial arts and running events. Your martial arts skills are truly at black belt level. Are you taking all of this seriously, and can I truly count on you?”

“Wow Dad, black belt level, really?”

“Traykie! Is that all you heard me say?”

“No, Dad, I heard everything. Yes I’ll protect our family, and yes I’ll remain mature from this point forth and I’ll never let you down Dad. I promise!”

Leo swallowed hard to maintain his speech as he felt his voice quiver a bit. “Thank you Traykie! If for any reason you are in a situation that you have to protect Mom or Chris, do not hold back! These guys with the B.B.U.S.A. are trained adults. They probably know martial arts as well. You are probably as big as they are but I bet you are faster. Your greatest skill is your instinct. I have watched you develop over the last year or so and you no longer contemplate what move to make next, you simply respond instantaneously. That is what determines a black belt, a true master of martial arts. I need you to remain alert and vigilant of your surroundings. I’ll call you when you get to Swakopmund. I love you, Son.”

“I love you too, Dad. Don’t worry about us. Take care. Here’s Mom again.”

“Leo, what did you tell him? He turned so pale at first.”

“Sorry, Honey, I leveled with him. He needed to know, and I needed to know he would grow up and protect you and Chris. His skills are good enough to physically protect you from a physical assault or attempted kidnapping if weapons aren’t involved.”

“If you say so, but he is still only fifteen years old.”

“Yes I know Sarah, but don’t underestimate what he has learned. I’ll call you in Swakopmund. Give my regards to your dad please.

“I will.” Sarah felt her lip trembling. “I love you, Hun! Please call soon.”

“Okay. Please give the boys a big hug. Love ya!”

“I will. Bye, dear.”

He ended the call and quickly turned off his cell phone, placed it back in his pocket, and picked up his opened Vitamin Water and finished it. He walked over to the sidewalk and threw the empty bottle in the trash can. Leo looked around him, making sure that his surroundings remained safe. He got back in his car and drove about a hundred yards to the end of the parking lot, away from the lights surrounding the iron mesh-encaged vending machines and bathrooms. He backed the car in so that he could pull straight out in case of an emergency. It was a habit he’d learned during his years on fire crews.

Leo hoped he had not been too hard on his eldest son, but felt much better after talking to his family. He knew he could finally relax his guard enough now to get some rest. He let back his seat as far as it could go, opened the sunroof about an inch for ventilation, turned off the ignition, bundled up his coat as a pillow and leaned back to enjoy a few hours of much needed sleep.

“Bloody bastard!” exclaimed Bob at the news related to him by Ervin from O’Hare. “What do you mean he wasn’t even on the plane?”

“As far as I can tell he never boarded any plane! You might get John on a computer to verify it, but I’ll bet you he never used that ticket.”

“Damn it!” Bob was really annoyed. He thought Leo would have been in custody by now.

“If you don’t mind, I’ll stay here tonight and catch a plane back to Boise tomorrow?” Ervin questioned.

Bob’s agitated voice suddenly boomed. “The hell you will! You get on the first flight back to Denver. You can sleep on the plane.”

“Why do you want me in Denver?”

“The intelligence I have on Leo says that his best friend from high school lives there. I had a crazy report from the national office a couple of hours ago but I blew it off thinking you were sitting right behind him all this time. The national office sent me a memo that they triangulated his cell phone just north of Reno, Nevada. I didn’t even pay any attention to the memo. I figured it was wrong or just another one of Leo’s plans to throw us off again. Perhaps he left his cell phone laying out somewhere and it was picked up and whoever took it was using it. Now, in light of what you just told me, it could have been Leo himself. I really don’t have any idea where he is or where he is going. I thought we had best cover all bases in the event that he shows up at his best friend’s house in Denver. Can you please go set up surveillance and let us know in the off chance he actually shows up there?”

“Sure thing. I’ll catch the next flight back to Denver, set up surveillance and let you know if he makes an appearance.” Bob relayed the address to Ervin and apologized for running him ragged, and hung up the phone.

Ervin liked working alone and still felt proud that Bob trusted him to set up the surveillance on his own. He was tired, but realized how important it was to locate Leo. He still had a chance to catch up with him on his own and take him out.

While sipping his coffee, Bob paced the floor impatiently in the conference room, then walked back to the phone and dialed John’s room. He relayed the information Ervin had provided and ordered John to get on the computer and check on Leo’s credit card purchases, cell phone records, ticket information, and so forth while Florin went out to try and find Leo’s trail. “I don’t care if Florin has to sniff every truck stop, restaurant, café, gas station, or convenience store; just have him find a scent!”

With John and Florin working on their respective assignments, he decided to call Carl and Marcus in Boise on the safe line. Perhaps Leo was heading back to Boise. He hated spreading his forces so thin, but had to contain the situation before higher powers found out what was going on in his district.

“Enterprise Investments.”

“Carl, it’s me, Bob.”

“Well, Bob, it’s about time you return my messages.”

“What messages?”

“I called about three times. I didn’t want to call you on the cell, so I tried the safe line you set up, and since no one ever answered I finally gave in and called Ervin’s cell phone, but it just went straight to voice mail. I even left a message for Ervin at the motel desk.”

“That figures!” He was exasperated.

“What figures?” Carl inquired.

“That’s just how this whole damn trip has been. Ervin’s not even here with us, he’s currently near Chicago. Anyway, we have been out all night and most of the morning, all for nothing, just chasing phantoms. Never mind, what is it?”

“I thought you would like to know that Sarah and her children left this morning on a vacation.”

“What?”

“They have a house sitter now, and from looking at the suitcases they took, I figure they are planning to stay a while. I didn’t know if you wanted us to detain them or not. That’s why we were trying so hard to get a hold of you.”

“Damn it all to hell! What in blazes is Leo up to?”

“What do you mean? What happened to him?”

“He tied into Ervin and John. He nearly broke Ervin’s leg and probably fractured John’s jaw, then gave us the slip. I had Ervin supposedly following him all the way to Chicago, all on false leads apparently. I received a memo from the national office that his cell phone was used in Nevada. For all I know he may be heading back your way right now. Carl, did the home taps give you any clues as to what they were planning?”