“I don’t want to hear a damn thing from you, Latens," Wilson said upon my return to his office. "I left you a message. We had Blake but he got away. The fingerprints in his room matched what you Feds had on file. And one more thing, how come no one in your office has ever heard of you?”
“It is a big office, Detective. Does everyone in the LAPD know your name? Besides, I asked you to keep my name out of your reports.”
“I want to see your credentials again, Special Agent Latens. Let’s make sure you really are who you claim to be, before I share any more details of my case with you.”
“Detective Wilson, don’t you have more important work to do than to chase down my credentials?”
“Let me see ‘em before you see how comfortable the inside of our jail cells can be.”
“Fine, Detective, but please after you do this, can you realize that I have shared everything with you, and you are the one not playing nice here.”
“Just hand them over, my mother was always disappointed with me because I never did learn how to play well with others.”
He asked me to sit in the hallway, where I sat for nearly two hours waiting for a response from the FBI. While sitting, I started to reflect and be concerned about what was happening with Kalani and her family. I hadn't been able to reach them since I arrived in California.
I noticed a newspaper lying on the table next to me. There was a small story about suspected mobster Kalu Kapena, who he was resting comfortably in a Honolulu hospital after a suspected stroke. The story continued how the police raided a nightclub, where six women were in custody charged with prostitution. Several kilos of heroin were discovered in a safe. It went on to say the investigation was still ongoing.
“Ok, Latens. Your friends wouldn't tell me much, other than you were on their payroll and worked in a special department. It appears you work cases alone. Here's your credentials back. You're free to go.”
“I was not aware I was in custody, Detective. I was only here to read your newspapers and drink some of the terrible coffee you have for your honored guests. Now, would you please tell me what you know about Blake?”
“Blake’s gone. It’s what I get for putting a couple of rookies in front of the motel. They didn’t have the sense to check for a backdoor. I should have knocked that door in much sooner, but I wasn't certain Blake was even in there. A judge might have released him without probable cause. I don’t think we'll be lucky enough to get another call letting us know where he might be. If you get a lead, you be sure to let me know, Latens. You promised me that you would let us bring him in.”
“Yeah sure, Wilson. I’ll keep you informed, just after I call your boss to check your credentials. Have a good day, Detective.”
When I started to train for stealing souls, I never imagined I would be chasing criminals across the globe. Nor did I ever suspect I would start a record company or share poison fish with a woman merely because I had not fathered a child. Here I was in the middle of Los Angeles, not having any idea where my subject was or what my next move should be. It was one of those days where I wanted to run off and never return, but too many were counting on me to do my job. I needed to focus.
I read Blake’s file, trying to find a common thread, other than the obvious association with Viet Nam. He surely knew he alone could not stop any wars by killing diplomats, gun makers and generals. Was he acting alone or with another? His mental health came out clean in his most recent tests before he went AWOL. To suddenly disappear and go on a killing spree didn't make sense. I kept reading the file until I fell asleep.
The next morning, I received a call from Kalani. “I’m back from the compound and I have a few weeks before my next assignment. How would you like to spend time with me?”
“I would love that, but I am not sure where I have to travel to next. I have no idea where my subject is right now, but if we can meet up once I know my destination.”
“You really suck at this don’t you, Caeles. I mean you don’t even know where your subject is in the world. Yes, Orcus was not happy with me, once he discovered that you and I were spending time together. But I did finish my task, there wasn't much he could say to me. Don’t be surprised if he gets in your ear too. He told me all about what a pain in the ass you are Caeles Novo. Should I still call you Cale or what? Or come up with a nick name for someone who tries to steal more souls from non-assigned targets than actual assignments.”
“Is this your way of attempting to convince me we should spend more time together?" I asked. "What’s going on with Kapena? What about your neighbor, did they arrest that bum yet?"
“I got back in town last night, but Kono tells me that Kapena has lost his frigging mind. They're running all kinds of tests on the jerk. I guess they don’t have one yet to look for his lost soul. See, that’s the difference between you and me Cale. When I steal from someone, I do a number on them. You please, your lady is singing like a bird in prison and your singer is still making records. My people, I turn them into mush. If you promise me a nice dinner, I might show you how to take a soul for real, because obviously you need some work."
"Whatever," I said.
"As far as Detective Kopono, no one has any evidence linking him with Kapena. I think you're right. I do think he was the person, who captured me, but I never saw his face and he was not in the room when they drugged me. I asked Orcus about Kopono, but he’s not on the list, at least not yet."
I laughed over the phone. "Well, like you said. Not being on a list has never stopped me before.
"It's best that you don’t come back to Hawaii until Kopono is arrested. Kono has heard on the streets now that Kapena has crushed pineapple for brains, there's a power struggle to take over his business. It would not surprise me if Kopono is in that fight. There were two murders on the island last week. Now, do you want to finally take me on that dinner you promised weeks ago, or do you have some poor unsuspecting grandma you need to sneak up on and steal her soul?”
“You know, I am starting to think I liked you better as a naked, mindless bimbo wrapped around a pole, but I’ll be in California a few more days if you think your ego will fit inside a jumbo jet.”
Kalani giggled. “Let’s hope you can pick a restaurant better than you can complete your tasks without having the Council confine you to the outhouse for a week, eh Champ?”
I was beginning to learn she always had to have the last word.
We spent the next week together swapping stories about Elder Orcus, the Council, the training and life in general. As much as Kalani loved her life, she felt something was still missing. Her parents had been married for more than one hundred years. Kalani had a brother, but he was killed taking a soul. She only gave the basics of the death. He died before we could take souls from a distance with a camera. In the past, we had to make actual contact with the subject. The subject was the leader of a developing nation, and when her brother got too close, a bodyguard killed her brother. It was a reminder that what we do can be dangerous. He lived in an era, where many were lost due to close contact and the evolution of firearms.
Before she left, she took a look at Blake’s file. She wanted to know if there was any connection to any of Blake’s jobs in the States during his training, before being shipped to Viet Nam. The only one where he had much contact was a three-week assignment of protecting the President during social events outside of the White House, like when he played golf, or attended State dinners. I wasn't sure I could make a connection but it was worth checking out.
It was hard to let her go, but she had a new task. Her next stop was New Zealand, to look into a politician, who was shaking down people for money in return for favors within the government. I thought if that was now meeting the criteria, we'd stay busy forever.
I headed off to Langley, Virginia, to meet with our contact within the agency. He searched through Blake’s assignments to try to discover connections between the murders. There it was on a golf log. All three murders were people who played golf on the same day
with the President. Blake was assigned as a trainee to follow along with the Secret Service in the security force. We now had our connection. I wondered why Blake would want to murder those three, and could the President be next on his list? Evan Crowe, my contact inside the CIA, who was one of us, alerted the Secret Service to be on the lookout for David Blake. He gave me the President's itinerary for the next few days. However, the President wasn't scheduled to appear in public or leave the White House.
Four days later, a United States Congressman from Illinois was executed walking from his home to his car. There were no witnesses. Washington was abuzz with the killing. All local police and federal agencies were on high alert. Crowe and I looked through all the logs, but there didn't seem to be any connection. Jim Dorsey the Congressman, who was gunned down, never played golf with the President, nor had he ever met him in private. Security around the President was tripled after the murder. If he was a target, it would be even more difficult to get near him. The only connection we could find was Dorsey was on the Armed Services Committee. Time to dig deeper.
Dorsey had an unproductive career in the House of Representatives. He hadn't presented any bills of any substance in his five years, nor had he cast any votes that went against the party lines, or were considered controversial. This was a head scratcher of a murder. Maybe there was no connection between Blake, and the other three murders. It would be a few days before I could get my eyes on the ballistics report to match a weapon.
Thankfully, a break came with a call from Kalani. “Did you find your guy yet? I'm heading back from New Zealand. My subject was so foul and corrupt, and the idiot was always in public. I got a photo of that jerk in two days. He fell over like a sack of beans. Damn, I'm so good at my job. Speak up, did you even locate your target or not?”
I could hear her giggling, but it was ok. “It seems Orcus gives you all the easy tasks," I said, "and leaves the real work for us pros. Maybe next time he will give you one where you can just trip over your subject.”
“Yeah right. Like I would ever need your help to track someone. You know what, Cale. I'm going to create a picture book and call it, “Where’s Walton, or Willie, or something and make a small fortune. It will be photos of all the exotic locations around the world with people filling up the picture and one is your target. We can give it a subtitle of where in the world is Cale Novo’s subject.”
“Keep it up, girl. One day if you ever get an assignment, where the target is not right in your lap, I will be right beside you, helping you find them, not! Besides, didn’t it take you over two years to steal from Kapena? If memory serves me, I had to rescue you and your big mouth from him. So keep it up. You might be beautiful on the outside, but underneath you have an evil quality about you, don’t you?”
“Remind me again what you do for a living my naïve, Cale. All who steal have some evil in them. Don’t you think?”
Kalani wanted to meet me in Sydney, Australia for a week, but I had to finish my task. With people being murdered every few weeks, Blake had to be found and the sooner the better.
I worked with Evan Crowe to figure out Blake’s next move. Why would someone murder a do nothing legislator from Illinois? I asked.
“Maybe we're going in the wrong direction," Evan said. "Maybe he's not trying to stop the escalation of a war, maybe he's promoting it? In reading a recent speech given by Dorsey on the House Floor, he was threatening to vote to pull funding to the military budget without more proof we had a reason to be in Viet Nam. Sources tell me the General, who was killed was recommending to the President not to install more troops without a better strategy in place. The diplomat was on his way to peace talks. I think whoever it is behind this, Blake or not, they want the fighting in Viet Nam to continue, not stop. The next target is probably someone looking to stop the fighting, not promote it. I don’t think the President is a target. He's recommending we send more troops.”
“You make a good case, Evan. If that is true, then who could be the next target?”
We attempted to narrow down a list from hundreds of potential names when Kalani gave me another call. “Hey, did you find your shooter yet? I wanted to let you know that I'm in Maui overlooking the beach in my swim suit. Maybe your subject is hiding in the bushes near my hut. Don’t you think you should come and find out?”
“I would love to, trust me, but I think we are getting close to finding this guy. After this assignment is over, we can spend more time together. And why are on Maui?”
“They put Kapena in a mental ward. The man is now certifiably whacko. Like I told you, when I remove souls from these people, I don’t mess around. I know you have that little pea shooter of a camera that barely feeds us for a moment or two, but I do it right.”
“Yeah yeah, but really, what are you are doing in Maui and why are you not at home?”
“Oahu has exploded into a major drug war. With Kapena all locked up, rumor is that Kopono is running things now. I had my uncle ride past my house a few times and Kopono has not been seen near his home for weeks. I don’t want him coming after me. I did my job with Kapena, but I'm not the police, and what has resulted from Kapena going down is not my fight. My father and mother have moved from the island as well. They moved to Tahiti. Orcus got him a job in a hospital over there as a surgeon. I'm going to hide out on Maui until my next task.”
“Ok, but if Kapena had his people everywhere in Hawaii, and Kopono really did take over, then he must have his connections too. You keep your pretty head low and out of sight. And don’t go flashing that bathing suit to any of the locals.”
"I won’t. I really only called to see if I could get you jealous. Mission accomplished, sucker.”
The girl really did learn how to push my buttons, and she loved to get the last word.
I tried staying focused on my task, but the thought of sitting on a tropical beach with Kalani was hard to resist. However, I knew contacting the Council and asking for a break would be one of the worst ideas I had in a while, and I’ve had more than my share of bad ones. Crowe and I narrowed the list to who we thought might be the top twenty-five possible targets for Blake. We also got notice that the bullet taken from the dead Congressman did not match the others. Did Blake switch weapons to put doubt in investigators minds or was it another shooter?
The next day, a message arrived for me. “I know where David Blake is, I need your help, Special Agent Latens. When you reach Los Angeles, call the number I have given you.”
I caught the first flight back to California. I thought about calling Wilson, but decided maybe it was better I waited until I knew more about the message and who left it I landed in California and made the call.
“Agent Latens, we spoke a couple of months ago. You called my home asking questions about my son. I know where he is, but you have to give me your word that you'll make sure he is brought to the proper authorities without being detained in any jail cell. I know there is a kill order for my son should he surface in the public eye. I don’t believe he would even make it out of a jail cell alive. If you can get back to me with your plan, I will tell you where to meet the two of us.”
“Mr. Blake, I am not sure I can give you those assurances, but maybe there is a way we can hold him in solitary confinement, until we get him to whoever it is you think he needs to speak with, but it seems to me he is going to jail for a very long time.”
“Agent Latens, I was in the military years ago. As you know, we all have a chain of command. My son was following orders. He is not the cold-blooded killer people think he is. Please, call someone and see if you can arrange for him to speak with the President.”
“The President? Are you kidding me? I don’t have access to the President. Even if I did, why would he consider seeing your son?”
“Make the call. Give me a number where I can contact you tomorrow at three in the afternoon. And before you think you can trace this call or give the number to anyone, it’s a pay phone, not even in the same town as my son.”
&
nbsp; “Mr. Blake, you have to give me more to go on, other than I need to contact the President. Even if I can find a contact, who can get to speak directly with him, I can’t tell him an ex-agent who went AWOL, and murdered at least four people, wants to meet with him. He would never do it.”
“He will do it. You tell him to think back on the day he played golf with those men and my son was there. Tell him to remember what they did directly after the round, not while playing. He will meet with my son.”
I had no idea how to get to the President, or what I would say. I knew I could trust Evan Crowe, but past him, I wasn't sure. I didn’t think I could even trust Detective Wilson, since I knew he really didn’t care about Blake other than slapping bracelets on him.
I called my partner inside the CIA. “What do you think, Evan? Is there anyone you can trust all the way to the President to get his attention and not have this all blow up along the way?”
“Cale, this guy is on the kill on sight list from all of our agents and the FBI. I don’t know what is going on, but there is no way they want this guy to ever see the light of day or talk with anyone, especially the President. I don’t see that happening unless you can get more information from the dad.”
I took the call from Blake’s father promptly at three as promised. “What have you got for me, Agent Latens?”
“Mr. Blake, I made the only call I could make to someone I trusted, and he said he can get word to the President, but not with the little information you gave me about some golf outing. He won’t do it. If anything were to happen to the President before or during meeting your son, everyone would lose their jobs or more. It is too high a risk. You have got to give me more.”
“Meet me in front of the Chinese place across from your hotel in two hours. I'll be wearing a fedora with a red feather. Be there or my son will be gone forever.”
I called Kalani to let her know where I was going and with whom, in case I disappeared. I knew I could trust her. She was not thrilled with my plan, but I didn’t have a choice. She was on notice to call Wilson and Crowe in four hours if I didn’t call her back by then.
I met Mr. Blake in front of the restaurant. We asked me to get into his car. We drove for twenty minutes, until he pulled over and made sure I wasn't carrying any weapons as promised. He insisted on tying my hands, or there would be no meeting. I agreed. He wanted to know why I had a camera.
“That enters the room," he said. "I can' take any chances with my son.”
We drove another ten minutes, until we arrived at a small apartment complex. I was led into Apartment 102. When we entered, I noticed a sofa and coffee table, a television, several empty pizza boxes and slender man wearing a white tee shirt and blue jeans, who stood up and greeted me.
“Hello, Agent Latens. I'm Agent David Blake. I understand you've been looking for me. My dad for some strange reason thinks you can help me. First of all, I didn’t kill that Congressman. I have no idea who it was that shot that man, but from what I saw on the news, it was an execution from a real pro. He was originally on my list, but things were changed with my orders.”
“David, look, you have to tell me what is going on here, because as you know, every Federal Agent alive has orders to shoot you on sight.”
Blake's father asked me to sit on the sofa, along with his son. We each sat.
Blake sighed. “I shot those three men, not the fourth. I shot them under orders from my boss. My mission was to kill those men. I didn’t ask why. I followed my orders. I was sent to Viet Nam to make it look like I was assigned there. I was ordered to make it seem like I deserted, but I was only doing my duty as given. One day, I was on detail with the President, after his golf game. There were six men, who met with the President in a private room. The arrangements called for at his three golf partners and three others right to meet. The three others were the Vice President, my boss and a four star general, who I didn’t recognize. After everyone left, my boss gave me the assignment to execute the three men. When I fulfilled my mission and called my boss, I knew something wasn't right. He wanted to know my exact location. The entire phone call was all very odd. I made a call to my buddy, who I trained with, and he told me I was on the kill list. I have been hiding out ever since. I am telling you, Agent Latens. I was doing my duty. I know my mission might seem morbid to you, but I was trained to kill. I didn’t like killing those people, but it was my duty. I need the President to hear my story, because he's the only one who can save me. I can leave the country, but I'd be looking over my shoulder for the rest of my life. I need the President to hear me out and make this all go away.”
“Blake I can sympathize with you, but what makes you think the President can help you? How do you know he’s not the one who gave the order to kill in the first place?”
“I would rather die, than believe the President of the United States of America ordered the execution of private citizens. I have to believe it came from someone else, who knows, maybe even the Vice President. Maybe my boss was acting alone, I don’t know, but kill me right now if my President ordered those hits.”
“I’ll see what I can do for you Blake.”
I left wondering what I could do for David Blake or if I believed any of this story. He refused to tell me the name of his boss. First, I went back to the compound.
“Council Members, I think you have it all wrong with my subject, David Blake. I ask you to search the man’s soul again. I spoke with him, and looked him right in the eye. He was doing his duty in executing those people. I do not believe we should take his soul. You have to understand a military mind. To him he was doing what he was ordered to do.”
“How dare you come before us and question our judgment, Novo. We put much thought into our decisions, and only take a soul once it's long past saving. You know this. This Council rejects your request.”
"I would like to protest," I said.
Orcus moved forward in his seat and said, “Blake has fooled you into thinking he had no choice with his command. Everyone has a choice. The man could have resigned his position. The same as you can right now. You have a choice in life. Now, if you are to remain strong with us, you will finish your duty and take his soul. We're not asking you to kill him, or turn him over to his superiors. Your mission is to remove his soul. Do what is now your duty and finish your assignment.”
I headed back to California and sat in my room for a day searching for an answer. I know he killed three innocent people. My mission should have been an easy task. However, the man truly believed he was following orders. People are killed every day in wars by others following orders. I know this wasn't really war, but I was still perplexed. In the end, I knew I had to take his soul. My only other questions would be, should I turn Blake in to the authorities or try to contact the President? I placed a call seeking advice.
“Evan, the man said he was following orders. He told me his boss ordered the executions. He wants to tell the President and hope he was not the one who ordered the deaths. If the President did, you know Blake is as good as dead. Hell, he’s likely dead no matter what happens to him now. The Council ordered me to take his soul even knowing the background of the story. Do you have any ideas? Is there any way we can get this to the President?”
“Don’t try to be the savior here, Cale. That's my advice. If the Council told you to take his soul, do it and don’t look back. I'm starting to think you're not really one of us. Any other soul stealer would do it and not think twice. I can’t risk my cover and attempt to contact the President. My mission here is vital to our kind. You know that. I gather valuable information all the time for our stealers. I'm sorry but I can’t help you on this one. People are already beginning to ask questions about you around here.”
I called Kalani, but with pretty much the same result. “You have a big heart, too big. Me, I wouldn't think twice. I'd zap that man so fast and move on to my next mission. Finish him off. Come sit on the beach with me. I promise; you won’t be disappointed if you do.”
I called Blake’s father and asked for another meeting. I told him I had news, but I couldn't offer it over the phone. He picked me up, only this time I was blindfolded. It was a longer trip, so I assumed he was moving his son around town.
“David, I spoke with the people I know, and they want your photo to prove I have actually seen you. I'm going to deliver it and see if I can arrange a meeting for you but, in case it does not work out, I obtained a new passport and a new identification for you. I have people, who can do these things. I also have some money for you. It will get you to Tahiti. There is a hospital there. You are to see a Doctor Inoke. He knows you are coming and will give you a job in the hospital. I know it is not what you want to hear, but my inside source thinks if you meet with the President you are as good as dead."
"I don't like this plan," Blake's father said. I brushed aside the old man's comments and continued.
"Give me two days to try to set up the meeting. If I can't, then you need to get out of town. Don't fly out of Los Angeles, the local police are looking for you. Have your dad take you to Colorado, or somewhere far from here. I know it’s not safe for you to travel, but it’s your best option.
“Hold on, Latens, I think you're lying to me," the younger Blake said. "This isn't making sense. You need my picture to possibly get a meeting with the President? If not, I need to go to Tahiti and work in a hospital? Why would I want to do that?”
“David, I know you were following your orders and that has significance to me. If not, I would have called the local police and they would already be outside. I need your photo. After that, you're on your own. If you don’t wait for my call, then fine. If I were you, I would leave tonight for Tahiti. I am giving you a heads up that your life is about to change, and in a weird way, I am trying to make sure you have a place to land. It’s not going to be easy for you. I don’t think the President's going to meet with you. I don’t. However, let me take your photo and see what I can do.”
I turned on extra lights to allow enough light in the room and snap. I followed my orders. I sat in the chair, my body twitching. Blake ran into the bathroom convulsing along the way. His father began yelling at me. “What did you do to my son? What was in that camera? Give me that camera, Latens.”
I got up and tried to get out the door. My body was surging with power. I was able to fight him off enough to get out the door. I made it to the parking lot where he again attempted to knock me over and snatch my camera. We were both rolling on the ground when I heard sirens in the distance. “Those sirens are for your son. I called them and they followed us.”
“Damn you, Latens, I trusted you. I'll hunt you down and kill you for this.”
“I did what was best for your son.”
He left me and ran to get his son. He was still convulsing and could barely walk, but they got in the car and drove off. Lucky for me, there were sirens in the background. I can never be sure who they were for, but not for David Blake, not on that day.
CHAPTER Fourteen