The Cartel Affair Read online

  “Of course we can. You just call and let us know when. I love you.”

  “Love you too, Mom. See you tomorrow.”

  Travis sits back and thinks about his mom and dad. His mom is a little whisper of a thing. She stands at four feet nine inches tall. She always argues that she is five feet. Dad always kids her about that, saying that if you mash her hair down to the top of her head, she’s only four feet nine. Travis laughs as he thinks about this. This is a sore subject with his mom. His dad stands six feet and is a true southern gentleman. He speaks softly and carries a very big stick, as Travis remembers anyway. He’s worked hard all his life and taught these things to Travis. His mom is a stay-at-home mom who raised four kids. Travis is the baby of the family and sooner than later realized that he could get by with nothing, as his mom had already been through it with the others first. Hell, his mom had a better spy network than the FBI. She never had to call anyone; they called her if they thought Travis was trying anything. Travis really laughed at this thought.

  Travis calls Director Turner to make sure he can use the company jet for the visit. Director Turner assures him that’s fine. He tells Travis to take as much time as he needs. He’s definitely earned it. Travis calls and reserves the jet for first thing in the morning.

  Travis meets the jet at eight o’clock and boards and tells the pilot to head for North Carolina - Raleigh to be exact.

  The jet takes off and Travis settles in for the flight and starts thinking about home. This will be a short flight from DC to North Carolina. Travis thinks back to being in high school and his buddies. He remembers all the times he and the boys would cruise up and down main street on Saturday night. He remembers all the times they got in trouble for uncapping the headers on their cars and making way too much noise. The police would stop them and warn them to fix the problem before someone got arrested. He thinks about the girls he dated in high school. He seems to always date the cheerleaders. He smiles thinking about this. He wonders how much the town has changed. He hasn’t been home since he got out of Basic in the Marines. Last time he came home, he and Sarah had just gotten married. He remembers his dad and mom coming to get them. His mom would not let them get into the car until Travis showed her the marriage license. Travis laughs about that. His mom and dad were very strict about letting any girl stay at their house that was not family. The same was true for his brother also. His brother had served in the Army twice. Travis didn’t hold this against him though. Travis laughs remembering the times he rode his brother about the Army after he had graduated boot camp. He was looking forward to seeing his brother.

  The pilot announced the approach to Raleigh. Travis fastened his seat belt and looked out the window just in time to see the large lake stretched out beneath him. He had grown up on that lake and it held some fond memories for him. The jet touched down and Travis disembarked and went inside to phone his parents. The airport seemed even smaller than he remembers. He guessed that was because of the bigger airports he was now accustomed to.

  FORTY-NINE

  Raleigh, North Carolina

  TRAVIS WALKED OVER to the pay phone and called his parent’s home. They said they would be there in about an hour and a half. Travis hung up and walked outside to look around. He had never spent much time at the airport when he lived here. He remembered about the only time he came out here was with his friend Charles who had a Camaro that was suped-up and ran on jet fuel. Travis smiled when he thought about that car. Damn it was fast!

  Travis wandered around until it was time for his parents to get there. He walked back over to the terminal and waited. His parents arrived and Travis scooped his mom up in his arms and gave her a big old bear hug. He sat her down and walked over to his dad and gave him a big hug too. Travis loved his parents and was glad to be home again.

  The ride home was filled with his mom asking a hundred questions and Travis not having time to answer one before another came along. He laughed to himself about that.

  “Are you home on leave?”

  “No Mom, I’m not in the Marine Corps anymore. I left the Corps and went to work for the government.”

  “Which part of the government are you working for?”

  “You know I can’t tell you that. Let’s just say that I’m still working for the good guys. Everything I do for them is classified just like in the Marines.”

  “So I still won’t know where you are or what you’re doing?”

  “That’s correct. It’s not that I don’t want you to know, I just can’t tell you. I believe that I’ll be making a difference.”

  “That’s always a good thing. Just promise me that you’ll be careful.”

  I promise to be as careful as I can be. How’s that?”

  “I know you’re grown and all that, but you’re still my baby boy!”

  Travis blushes when his mom says things like that. He’s a grown man, but she can make him feel like a small boy. This brings a smile to his face. In her eyes, he will always be her little boy. Travis feels more loved in this moment than he has since Sarah and Jamie were alive.

  He knew his mom wanted to ask him about Sarah and Jamie, but she didn’t want to upset him by bringing it up. He would talk to them about it later. He knew his mom and dad were hurting just as badly as he was. He wanted to make sure they were all right also.

  They arrive at his parent’s home and everyone goes inside. His mom takes him in his old room and tells him to settle in and she will prepare them all some lunch. Travis stands in his old room and is amazed that his mom hasn’t changed a single thing since he left home.

  Travis puts his bags away and goes to find his dad. He finds him in his workshop out back.

  “So Dad, who fixes the roof for you now when you shoot at the snakes?”

  His dad laughs and tells him that his brother does. Travis has fond memories in this shop - the time that he and his dad spent out here; the projects they worked on together. This is where he taught Travis how to work on cars and how to build things.

  “So Dad, how are you and Mom doing? Really.”

  “We’re doing ok. We miss you and Sarah and Jamie something awful, but we get by with memories.”

  “I know it’s been tough on y’all. I hate that I haven’t been to see you since the funeral. Just trying to adjust and start the new job.”

  “Your Mom and I understand. We can only imagine how hard it’s been on you. It’s probably a good thing that you have a new job to concentrate on instead of dwelling on what happened. We knew you would come when the time was right.”

  “It really has helped concentrating on work and keeping my mind on something else. I think about you and Mom all the time and wonder how you’re feeling. I know how much you and Mom loved Sarah and Jamie. I can only imagine how tough it’s been on y’all.”

  “Hey you guys, lunch is ready.”

  Travis and his dad head into the house to enjoy lunch together. His dad is such a strong man, and Travis has all the respect in the world for him. His mom has laid out a small feast. That’s the southern woman in her. She has homemade chicken salad with fresh fruit and sweet tea. There are all kinds of fresh desserts as well as fresh vegetables. Travis stuffs his face like he hasn’t eaten in a month. No one can feed him like his mom. Travis looks at her.

  “Ok, let’s address the 400 pound elephant in the room. I’m sorry that I haven’t been home since the funeral. I know that you and Dad have been hurting about Sarah and Jamie. I’ve just been taking some time to process the whole thing. I’m lucky I have my new job to keep me occupied. I know you miss Sarah and Jamie and I know how much you cared for and loved them. I just wish that I could have been here for the two of you.”

  “Honey, it’s ok. We understand. You needed time to heal as well as did we. I know it’s probably hard for you to talk about it. Just know that your Dad and I are here for you. We know you’re here for us as well. I’m glad that you have something that takes your mind off of it. Your Dad and I have each other to lean on. Y
ou’re bearing all the weight by yourself. You know Daddy and I are here for you when you need us.”

  “I know, Mom. I know that y’all will always be here when I need you. You have no idea how much that thought has helped me get through all this.”

  Travis sees tears in his mom’s eyes, and he sees tears in his dad’s eyes also. This in turn brings tears to Travis’s eyes. Travis clears his throat and looks at his parents with love and admiration.

  “Ok, now that that’s out of the way, what are we going to do this afternoon?”

  “I have to go to the course and water the greens.”

  “How about if Mom and I come along and we do some fishing at the pond on number 18 fairway like we used to?”

  “That sounds like a plan.”

  “Mom, you still have that lucky safety pin that you always use to catch more fish with than me and Dad?”

  They finish lunch and Travis helps his mom clean up. They all pile into the car and head to the country club. His dad built this golf course years ago with shovels and a tractor. Travis loves this place. It seems like it’s always been home for him. His dad is the superintendent and protects this course with a vengeance. Travis grew up on this course and used to work with his dad when he got old enough. It truly was like coming home.

  “I’ll get Mom set up and ready to fish while you go start watering the greens. When you get done, join us and we’ll fish the day away.”

  Travis and his mom start fishing while his dad waters the greens. Travis doesn’t get to do much fishing because his mom keeps pulling them out faster than Travis can take them off. Travis laughs about this. He remembers his mom fishing with a brass safety pin with no bait, and she would catch more fish than he and his dad put together. She had to be the luckiest fisherman in the world. He and his dad had tried her trick and it never worked for them.

  Travis thought about his dad. He was always a hardworking man with integrity, and he was content with the simple things in life. As long as he had a roof over his family’s head and enough money, he was a happy man. He never needed the finer things in life. Just work, family and enough to get by. He had instilled these values in Travis, and Travis was happy with that.

  Travis and his mom had been fishing for a couple of hours when his dad joined them. They all just sat back and relaxed for the rest of the afternoon. Around dark they packed up and headed home for a good night’s rest.

  FIFTY

  TRAVIS RISES EARLY the next morning only to find that his dad has already gone to work, and his mom is making his breakfast. He shouldn’t be surprised. It has been this way all of his life. The phone rings and Travis’s Mom answers.

  “Hello.”

  “Is Travis there?”

  “Yes he is, hold on a minute and I’ll get him for you.”

  “Hello.”

  “Travis, this is Director Turner.”

  “What can I do for you, Director?”

  “I hate to bother you when you’re trying to relax, but I have uncovered some things you need to look at and you’re not going to like what you see.”

  “What’s it pertaining to?”

  “Your team. Or should I say, certain members of your team. I need to come see you immediately. Can you meet me at the airport?”

  “Yes, I can. What time will you be arriving?”

  “I’ll be leaving here when I hang up. Give me about three hours to get there.”

  “I’ll see you then.”

  Travis hangs up the phone and tells his mom that he needs to go to the airport to meet his boss. Something has come up. His mom understands and asks if he’ll be coming back or if he’ll have to leave. Travis tells her he’ll let her know as soon as he finds out what the problem is. Travis calls a cab and heads to the airport in Raleigh.

  Travis arrives at the airport and waits for Turner at the private jet terminal. Travis sees the jet arrive and taxi into the terminal.

  “Hello, Travis. I’m sorry that I have to bother you, but I feel you need to see this asap.”

  “That’s ok, Director. I know you wouldn’t come see me if it weren’t important. So, what have you got?”

  “Squeaker came to me with some information he dug up doing a routine scan of the comms. He found there was a call placed to Columbia from inside the Op’s Center. It matched a number that we got from tracing Joanne’s phone calls. Someone inside the Op’s Center had to have placed that call. All the lines going to the Op’s Center are dedicated. Nothing from the outside can interfere with those lines. Just the way you asked for them to be. It was really smart on your part to have Squeaker run checks on those lines without anybody else knowing.”

  “Things like this are why I had him do that without anybody’s knowledge, including yours. That pretty much clears Squeaker. Now we have to figure out who placed that call and why. It’s hard for me to believe that one of my guys would do something like this. I trust these guys with my life each and every day.”

  “I know Travis, that’s why I’m here. We don’t know who did it, and we don’t know what was said. But whatever it is can’t be good.”

  “I agree 100 percent. I have a feeling I know why and what. The why is money and greed. The what is probably getting locations to a hit team. I need to protect my family, but not sure who to bring down to do it.”

  “Don’t you worry about that. I’ll have a couple of teams come down that I know aren’t involved in any of this. We’ll secure your family. You need to figure this out and figure it out quickly. What do you have in mind?”

  “If it’s to give locations, then I’ll come back to the Op’s Center and force whoever made the call to call them again and let them know I’m back in DC. Then we’ll have who’s responsible and I’ll deal with them my way.”

  “That’s probably the best way to try and flush them out. No one knows I’m here. No one knows about the comms sweep except you, Squeaker and me. They’re probably feeling safe about being able to call whenever they need to.”

  “That’s what I’m thinking. I’ll have you contact Squeaker and have him monitor all the lines. We’ll see where the call is made from and who’s in that area at the time the call is made. I’ll need to have Walbach run financials on each member of the team and look for any offshore accounts coming back to them. This includes Squeaker too - just to be fair and safe.”

  “I’ll have him start on that as soon as we get back. I’m really sorry I had to interrupt your trip.”

  “Don’t worry about that. You did the right thing by coming. I’ll have to call my family and let them know what to expect. If I don’t, my Dad will shoot anybody hanging around the house that he doesn’t know about. I’ll be back after I make that call.”

  Travis goes to the phones and calls his mom. His dad is home for lunch, so Travis talks to him and lets him know what’s going on and what to expect. He tells his parents that he loves them, and that he’ll be in touch soon. Travis returns and meets up with Turner. They board the plane and head back to DC.

  FIFTY-ONE

  Langley Op’s Center

  TRAVIS AND THE director land in DC and head back to the Op’s Center. Travis and Turner meet with Agent Walbach and fill him in on what they need him to do. Director Turner makes a call and has two teams head out to North Carolina with instructions on what’s happening and what they need to take care of while there.

  Travis shows up at the Op’s Center and throws everybody off balance with his sudden appearance.

  “Why’s everybody so shocked to see me here?”

  “We all thought you’d be gone for a few more days.”

  “You know I can’t stay away from you guys more than a couple of days at a time.”

  Everyone laughs and the tension is broken. That’s why Travis is a good leader for this team. He makes everyone feel at ease and feel like family. Only, now one of them is no longer a part of that family.

  “Where’s Muskrat?”

  “He decided to take a couple days off while you were gone to
see his family.”

  “Ok. Squeaker, I need to see you in my office.”

  “Sure Skipper, what’s up?”

  “I’m back because of what you found during the comm sweep. When did Muskrat leave to go home?”

  “Right after you left, Skipper.”

  “Where was that call made from in the Op’s Center?”

  “It was made from the computer room.”

  “Who was in the computer room when the call was made? Do we know that?”

  “I know that Muskrat, Falcon and Merlin were all in the computer room close to the time that the call was made.”

  “Ok. I want you to monitor all channels in and out of here twenty-four seven, until we see another call made to that number. I want to know immediately when it is and where it’s made from.”

  “Roger that, Skipper.”

  “I want you to call Muskrat and let him know I’m back. I want you to monitor his home phone until he’s back in the Op’s Center. We clear on that?”

  “Roger, Skipper. We’re clear on that.”

  “Let me know when you contact him. I’ll be in my office or with Director Turner. Just so you know, I’ll be checking into each team member until we find who made that call. Thank you for the work you’ve done. I know it’s hard to suspect that someone on this team is a bad seed. It makes me sick to think about it. But we have to remain vigilant until we do. Understand?”

  “I do understand, Skipper. I’ll keep this to myself until we know for sure.”

  “Thank you, Squeaker.”

  Travis returns to his office to try to wrap his head around the idea that someone in his family of brothers could do such a thing to him or anybody else on the team. Who and where did someone get their claws into one of his team? Travis thinks about when his team had exposure to anyone that could have swayed them. He was coming up with a blank.