“Walking up the snow-covered driveway it was difficult to know what the reception would be. It was New Year’s morning in a Chicago suburb.
“Hello Mrs. Nesstor, my name is, Cale Novo. I'm here to return your husband to you.”
It took ten minutes standing on the frozen porch, before convincing Maria Nesstor to allow me inside their home. It took another hour before seeing Special Agent Nesstor.
“As you can see, Mr. Novo, my husband is now a vegetable. All he ever does is gaze at that television. I don’t know what happened. One day he was working in California on a job and from what the police tell me. he dropped to his knees. He hasn't been the same since. He's seen every doctor I can find, from California to the best hospitals back east, but no one knows what happened. At first, they thought he had a brain seizure or maybe a heart attack, but there is no evidence of either. Our local church leader claims he has lost his spirituality. I think you have come here for nothing. You won’t be able to help him.”
“In a way, it is a spiritual thing, Mrs. Nesstor. However, it was nothing your husband did wrong. I knew your husband before his troubles and he’s a good man. No matter what happens here today, realize he will always be a good man and loved his family.
“Thank you, Mr. Novo, but like I said, he's been seen by everyone the government could find to look at him. I don't think anything you will do here can help him.”
I asked her to give me some space to work. Nesstor’s soul was already with me since when I stopped back in Florida, I recaptured his soul from my parent’s home. I had my mom create some of the chicken soup from the recipe my grandfather passed down. My recovery time was short because of the soup. Getting past the gatekeeper was an easy chore since this time the gatekeeper took on the aura of J. Edgar Hoover. It was easy to convince Hoover the facts were on my side in Nesstor’s case. The last step was to restore the soul of Elliot Nesstor.
Despite my efforts to communicate with him, Nesstor sat in his favorite armchair, his eyes barely following me. He would speak, but the sounds he made were that of a child attempting their first sounds. It was difficult for me to know if he could understand what I was about to do. I took my fingers and gently closed his eyelids, then focused on returning his soul. I could see his wife standing in the doorway making sure I wouldn't harm him any further.
My breathing picked up. My heart pounded. Sweat seeped from my forehead. I could feel his soul lift from my body and find its way home. I opened my eyes to see him staring back at me. My body relaxed to the point where I wasn't sure I could stand easily. I was sitting on the footrest in front of Nesstor.
My hands joined with his. Elliot shook his head and blinked several times. He let go of my hands. He tried to speak, but his wife rushed back into the room to put a wet cloth against his cheeks. She slowly padded his face, as I moved to another chair on the other side of the room.
All my sensations were working at less than capacity. His wife glanced at me to ask if all was ok. “Yes, thank you. I need a moment”, I responded. She kept padding her husband's face and forehead, as I watched her husband slowly recognize that he was himself again.
Elliot reached for his wife’s hand and told her, “I love you baby. What the hell happened, can you tell me?”
He looked closer at me and mashed his eyes. “Baby, get me my gun, that man over there, he’s my prisoner and is dangerous.”
I looked back at her and shook my head. I smiled at her and him. “Once a cop always a cop, Mrs. Nesstor. I can assure you I am harmless, to you and your husband. Think about it, I didn’t need to come here and do this, so please no reason for panic on anyone’s part.”
Nesstor sat up in his chair. “Really, Honey, you can’t trust that son of a bitch. Get me my gun.”
She looked back at me again, then him, “Elliot, the man just brought you back to life, there will be no guns being swung around in my house. You know I don’t like guns, plus the kids will be home soon. I can't allow you to shoot a man, who just created a miracle right before my own eyes.”
Tears were now streaming down her face as she finally realized what happened. Her husband was again speaking normally. Elliot Nesstor reached around and pulled his wife into his lap. They sat and cried for several minutes. I could have left for my own safety, but my mission was only half-complete.
I watched as the two of them exchanged tender moments, which only made me miss my wife. I hadn't seen her in several weeks. As I sat there watching them, I knew Elliot Nesstor was a good man and ultimately I would be able to trust him with the task I would soon ask of him. I don’t think either of them even noticed me for over an hour. Their kids came home and the celebration continued. It wasn't until his oldest boy questioned who I was, did Elliot ask for the room to be cleared so he and I could speak.
“Ok, come clean, who the hell are you and what did you have to do with me being incapacitated? Then I will decide if I call the local Bureau office and have you arrested. Only this time you won’t get away.”
I decided to do as he asked. I told him the truth. I told him about me, my wife and what happened when his soul was taken. I told him about why he spotted me at crime scenes. I told him everything. When I finished, he looked at me and with a snicker said, “No really tell me the truth. If you don’t, I will have you arrested.”
“Agent Nesstor, it is all the truth. I could zap you again right now, if you reach for your weapon. Please understand; you will never arrest me. You will never find me again. Our people have hidden in the shadows for centuries. You’re a very good cop, but I’m even better at disappearing. Do your wife and children a favor, don’t call your local office, don’t reach for your gun, and do not think you can ever arrest me. Even if you did arrest me, we have so many connections; I would be released within hours and gone forever.”
He stared at me. I wondered if he was starting to believe all I told him was accurate.
“Agent Nesstor, after the FBI reinstates you and let’s hope they do, I have a case that could make your career. I can give you many of the sordid details surrounding the drug kingpin in Hawaii. However, I am sorry to report to you, he’s another cop. I have photos, names, and locations of stash houses. I have almost everything you would need to crush his network right now.”
“And why would I believe you, Mr. Soul person. What's your name again?”
“Cale, and all you have to do is have someone follow up on some of the small potato guys, I will give to you. I want the number one man behind bars. His name is Paulo Kapono. He works for the local police. I feel like I owe you. Consider this my apology for what happened to you and your family. I promise you that this case has enough clout to get you promoted.”
"Where’d you get all the intel, Soul Man?”
“All I will tell you is that I robbed the man of his soul, somehow he got it back no sooner than I stole it. He’s a bad guy, Agent Nesstor. I am really trying to help you here. You must believe me.”
We talked it over well into the evening, until he claimed a football game was about to begin and he wanted to watch it. He offered to speak with me more in the morning, but I wanted to go home. I also needed more soup that was in a canister in my car, before I was too weak to get to the car. We agreed to talk again later in the week, after he had time to reach out to his boss in Washington. He wasn't sure he would be able to get his job back. No one was going to believe the truth. He had to think about what to say.
It seemed like years since I was in California with my wife and son. Kalani was there when I arrived. She claimed to have just arrived home from an assignment in Arizona. I wanted to believe her, but I had to admit I now had my suspicions of her. I was home for a couple of days before I brought up the topic of her going to Hawaii and seeing Kapono.
“I need the truth. Tell me what you were doing in Hawaii.”
“What makes you think I was in Hawaii, my love?” Kalani said.
“Were you back in Hawaii, when your assignment was in Arizona? The Council tells me you were in Hawai
i. And did you see Paulo Kapono?”
“Cale, I have no idea why you’re asking me these questions, and I really don’t appreciate your tone. I can assure you, I haven't been anywhere near Hawaii since my soul was restored. You asked me to stay away and I have. Now can we move on from this topic?”
What was I to think? Why would the Council lie to me or why would Kalani? It was clear, someone was. I was torn in not knowing whom I could trust any longer. I searched my own mind to ask for guidance from Mikael , but none was forthcoming. I sat with my thoughts for days not knowing what was up and what was down any longer.
Later in the week, I spoke with Agent Nesstor. He was given his job back, but it would be behind a desk until the medical people would clear him to return to full duties. He informed me that he did pass along some of the information I had given to him about Kapono, and his network.
All my information was true. Nesstor's boss asked to meet with me personally, but I declined. I had no way of knowing if I would be able to walk out of the meeting without being arrested, despite being innocent. I offered more information with the agreement that I would send along a photo of my wife. If anyone saw her in the area, I wanted to be contacted immediately.
Nesstor and his boss balked about me not meeting with them in person.
"We will search you out, Novo," Nesstor said.
"I live in the shadows," Detective. I will see you long before you see me. And you don’t want me to find you first. Besides, I can be a great asset to your agency.”
They agreed to see it my way as long as my evidence continued to be credible.
After another week at home, both Kalani and I were given new assignments. Hers was close to home, but mine was back east in New York City. I packed my bags and caught the red eye that evening. It seemed like a quick assignment and I assured Kalani I'd be home within the week. I was assigned to remove the soul of a man, who owned a title company and had been arrested for stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars in escrow funds for large real estate deals.
Ryan Jaxson was arrested at the airport, while trying to flee to South America. My problem was I couldn’t get a photo or touch him. A judge declared him a flight risk and was denied bail. I would have to steal it from behind prison bars.
Mr. Jaxson denied my request to see him several times. This was going to be more difficult than I had predicted. One day while scheming on how to get inside the prison to see him, I received a call from Agent Nesstor.
“Hello, Cale. I wanted to let you know that the FBI busted the case wide open and arrested Paulo Kapono. I wanted to call you and personally thank you. However, we did run into one small problem. When the boys went in and raided the main stash house, they scooped up your wife. We have her in custody. The Director wants to meet with you in person before we release her. We can’t charge her with much and the Director is willing to look the other way since you helped us, but you must meet him in Hawaii. I can’t be there because they still won’t let me get on a darn airplane.”
“Please don’t BS me, Elliot. Do you really have her in custody and why can’t a lawyer handle this? Why does he have to meet with me personally before releasing her? Are you trying to get us both in custody?”
“It’s not a set up. The Director wants to do something to repay you for giving us one of the biggest cases we had all year. Drug Enforcement is trying to take credit since they'd been sitting on Kapono for months, but the information you gave us really led to his arrest. He wants you in Honolulu as soon as you can. If you do as he asks, he won’t process your wife.”
I had to think. Why did he really want to meet me? Kalani should be out on bail in a day. I was tempted to let her suffer for disobeying me, but I didn’t want her photo or identification in the judicial system. I would assume they ran her prints and found nothing, but I knew I had to risk meeting with the FBI director in person. We negotiated the meeting to take place in an open area, in the Sheraton Hotel on Waikiki Beach.
Two days later, I met with the Director of the FBI, Ken Richards. He wasn't the only one from his agency in the hotel, but I was assured I wouldn't be arrested. They really had nothing to charge me with, other than Nesstor finding me suspicious. Other than that, they could try to say I evaded arrest months earlier, but I had a feeling they wanted more from me.
“Mr. Novo, I have no clue who you really are, or what your story is, other than what Agent Nesstor has told me," Richards said. "I suspect there is so much more to know. We've run a background check on you using data from around the world, and we have nothing on you or your wife. We don’t even have a birth record. Why is that, Sir?”
I gave the tall thin man a long look. “Director Richards, I have told my story one too many times now. I am a disciple of a group, who removes souls from the undeserving. It has been going on for centuries and I suspect will go on for centuries more. I have committed no crimes in your land or any other. I will be pleased to help your agency in the future, like I have this time. However, if you continue to dig into my background or my wife’s, you will never see either of us again. We are very good at disappearing into thin air. I suggest you accept my terms which are, release my wife and I will continue to provide Agent Nesstor with valuable information in the future.”
“That’s just it, Mr. Novo. Where do you get your information?”
“If I told you, you would never believe me.”
“Try me. I'm an open minded man.”
I was losing my patience. I didn’t see Kalani anywhere in plain sight, but I did see enough dark suits to know it wouldn't be easy to leave without giving the man something.
“Director, if you really want the truth, I can see into your soul. I can see into the man over there, the woman with her kids, and the man with the dark glasses, who likely works for you by the door. Him. I would do another background check on if I were you.” I laughed but he didn’t seem amused.
“Oh? And why should I review Agent Tanner’s background?”
“Well, there is black, there is white in a soul and then there are shades of grey like I see in Agent Tanner. I am not saying he has committed any crimes, maybe he is depressed, or cheats on his wife, or has lost faith that the world is a beautiful place. I really don’t know. But I can tell you with certainty that he has a soul in need of repair, but not bad enough yet to remove.”
The man looked at Tanner than back at me. “I'm a very logical man, Mr. Novo, and what you're telling me, quite frankly, I don’t believe a word of it. If you want your wife released, you will tell me the truth about how you knew about Kapono and how you made Nesstor come out of that coma he was in for weeks.”
His frown annoyed me. Honest was supposed to be the best policy, this time I was willing to stretch it.
“Director Richards, my wife had followed the drug cartel here for months. I read her journal and I gave Nesstor the information contained in it. I work for a highly skilled network of people and we at times run into criminals. We have no authority to arrest them, and I never carry a weapon. I assure you, I can see into your soul. I also believe that you deep down believe me to some degree, because you are a spiritual man. You have a clean soul. I suspect even though you deal in crime on a daily basis you believe in the goodness of the world and the goodness in people. I suspect you are a family man and have a strong faith. That’s why you are going to release my wife and accept my offer, because part of you wants to believe me. As far as Elliot Nesstor, he is a good man, who was caught in a bad spot. I made sure he got his life and soul restored. I cannot prove it beyond that. I am forbidden to take souls without permission, and if I did take one now, only to prove to you that I can, my family would suffer. You can trust me enough to release my wife, or I will find another way to have my wife released. It’s now your call.”
He remained reluctant to release her, until I thought of a better plan. It was highly risky since I wouldn't know how it would affect the man, but Director Richards agreed with my idea. I think he was more curious than eager to mak
e a trip back east.
The next day, he arranged for me to meet with Ryan Jaxson in federal prison. He and Elliot Nesstor were watching from behind a glass wall. I finished my mission. Jaxson slumped in his chair. I felt woozy as several men rushed in. I think they were stunned at what they saw, and were afraid to do anything more than release me back into the streets with my wife. Both Richards and Nesstor escorted us to a cab with Richards offering a parting shot.
“Keep your wife away from Hawaii for at least a year. I still think that was done with hypnosis but then again, I'm afraid to have you try it on me. Besides, I’m not releasing you because of that. I am because Elliot Nesstor is a fine man and his wife is a fine woman. She believes you saved him and she personally asked me to help you. Consider it your one time get out of jail free card. Now take your wife and get lost.”
Kalani and I vanished into the shadows.
CHAPTER Twenty Seven