Stratagems Read online

  “This isn’t elementary school, Henry,” Kyle said.

  “Sorry. Can we stay and work if we want to?”

  “Absolutely. But if you want to go home or just get away from here for a while, it’s okay. If any one of you has any information about this, or stumbles onto something that might be important, please let me know and I’ll pass it along.” Kyle turned to Robert Preston. “I’d like you to stay.”

  Kyle had given a hint, and everyone took heed as they rose and started filing out. Rene leaned over, kissed Kyle on the cheek, then walked out with the others, Lawrence following close behind. Robert and Kyle were left alone, Robert positioning himself immediately across the table from Kyle.

  “I need a favor,” Kyle said.

  “Anything.”

  “You know that old office downstairs, just north of the network team?”

  Robert nodded. “Tim used it for a storage area until security kicked him out.”

  “Yeah, that’s the one. I think it still has a key-lock on it.”

  “Sure does,” Robert agreed.

  “I’ll get a key from Kurt. Charlie’s computer has been reloaded from the network and I want you to move it down there. I also want you to set up another computer for you to work on.”

  Robert’s interest was noticeably heightened. “Mind telling me what I’m gonna be doing?”

  “Yeah. Finding out who killed Charlie, hopefully. Don’t breathe a word of this to anyone. I have another favor.”

  Robert waited silently.

  Kyle continued. “I want to work fast. It might require some strange hours on your part. Whatever you work, I’ll authorize you to be paid for it. Hell, with all the overtime most of us have been putting in, it’ll probably go unnoticed.”

  Robert’s eagerness was apparent. “Anything else?”

  “Yeah. Get with Pam downstairs. See if she’ll get us an active network tap in there by this afternoon. Tell her I’ll buy her a Leonardo DiCaprio poster of her choice if she helps us.” Robert grinned. “Also see if she can get a telephone. When you’re working in there, forward your office phone. Do you keep your pager on all the time?”

  “Twenty-four by seven.”

  “Good,” Kyle said, “I’ll keep mine on as well. If you need me, page me. Don’t call. Just a precaution.”

  “A precaution against what?”

  “We’re dealing with the FBI and also another group who seem organized and apparently well-funded. Both groups were in our offices a long time. It could be that our phones are bugged. If I page you, try and use someone else’s phone, or the phone in the new office.”

  “Anything else?”

  “Yeah, and this one might get tricky. See if Pam will give you access rights to Charlie’s home directory on the network and production servers. If she complains, see if she’ll at least grant you read-only access. Tell her I authorized it.”

  “What are you looking for?” Robert asked, leaning forward on his elbows.

  Kyle finished the Dr. Pepper. “What they’re looking for.”

  “And what’s that?”

  “We’ll know when we find it, right?”

  Robert smiled. “Sure.”

  Kyle glanced around the room, just in case, keeping his voice low. "Hidden in the ceiling of the elevator is a floppy disk. It contains an e-mail message I intercepted from Charlie, one he sent just before his accident."

  Robert's eyes widened. "In the elevator?"

  "Yeah, long story. When no one's looking, get the disk and take it to the new office. "

  Robert nodded, appearing a bit overwhelmed.

  Kyle relaxed a bit. “Hey, you remember that old computer game called Hack?”

  “Yeah,” Robert agreed. “I played it in college some, but I liked Castle better – graphics were better.”

  “You remember how you’d be a character on the screen and you had to traverse halls, corridors, tunnels, rooms and find weapons, clues and all that stuff. There was an option in the game that would limit your field of vision to just the hall or room in front of you, not allowing you to see the entire maze?”

  “Yeah, I played it that way a few times. Makes it a lot harder to win, though.”

  “Well, that’s what this feels like. I can only see what’s right in front of me.”

  “Why not just tell the FBI?”

  Kyle passed him a wary glance, remembering dealing with the feds years back when he was someone else. “No, not yet. Maybe later. Let’s just keep this in our own backyard for now.”

  “Alright,” Robert agreed.

  “Once I have the key from Kurt, I’ll put it in my office next to my monitor. This should keep you busy for the rest of the day. I’ll be back between two and three, then explain more. Can you work late tonight?”

  “It’s like you said, I’ve been putting in overtime anyway. What if someone asks why I'm downstairs now?”

  Kyle thought for a second. “Tell them you contracted mono or something and are highly contagious, so you're being quarantined.”

  Robert laughed. “Okay. Oh, do you want me to take a collection for Beth and the kids?”

  “That’d be wonderful,” Kyle said, once again remembering Charlie and that he was actually gone.

  Robert left the conference room without another word. Kyle took the initiative and cleaned up the pizza boxes and soda cans so housekeeping wouldn’t write another complaint to the general manager. There was no need to give Tom Wells yet another excuse to come down on him. Kyle often thought Tom was afraid of him, of his quick advancement toward the top, that someday Kyle would pass him before turning 30, which was just around the corner. Kyle didn’t entertain the idea often, but now and again it popped up and was hard to ignore. Secretly he hoped it was true. He liked the idea of being a thorn in Tom’s side, but not too much of one. Tom had the authority to dismiss Kyle on a whim, so there was a fine line to be guarded.

  ____________

  Kyle arrived in Kurt’s office, Nancy warding him off, telling him Kurt was tied up and could not be disturbed. Kyle dismissed the formalities and went straight for the door, knocking once before entering unannounced. Kurt was sitting back in his chair, the phone snug against his head. Nancy followed with a sneer planted across her face, but Kurt motioned to her that it was alright. She left, passing Kyle a cold stare.

  Kurt pointed to an empty chair and Kyle filled it, trying to appear not to listen but feeling compelled nonetheless. He was on the phone with some authority, perhaps Norm from the FBI. The conversation was official and nondescript.

  Kurt quickly ended the call and turned to Kyle. “Just talkin’ to the wife.”

  “Hmm,” Kyle said, holding back a smile.

  “I’m not surprised to see you here, actually. You want to know what happened, don’t you?”

  “That’d be nice.”

  “The FBI interviewed all of your department. The interviews were taped, and Norm is going to make sure I get copies. Tom wants to gather his staff together in a couple of days to review the tapes and see if a course of action needs to be followed.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Kyle asked.

  “Hell-if-I-know. You know those guys, they look for stuff like this. Besides, it’s bonus time and they don’t want anything to threaten it. The FBI left, but reserved the right to call any one of us downtown for further questioning. Tom agreed to it, so there’s a possibility.”

  “And the drugs?” Kyle asked, taking a stick of gum from the bowl on Kurt’s desk.

  “It’s a factor, of course. They can’t rule it out.”

  “What do you think?”

  Kurt sighed, following Kyle’s lead and selecting a piece of Double Mint himself. “I know the people who work here. I can point to ten people in the building right now who are probably sitting at their desks half stoned. Charlie wasn’t one of them. I believe the narcotics were placed there by the other fellas.”

  “How ‘bout the FBI?”

  “I don’t think they’re c
onvinced. You got to remember, in almost every case they encounter, drugs show up. They weren’t surprised by this. Let me ask you something, Kyle – did you tell them everything you know?”

  Kyle thought a second, recalling the disk that was still riding up and down the elevator. “Yes, I did.” Legally and technically, it wasn’t really a lie. At the time he was questioned, he didn’t have the disk or even know the e-mail was waiting, so it was essentially the truth. He’d learned that tactic by watching the president on television.

  “What about me, Kurt? Do you think I’d be involved in drugs?”

  Kurt let out a little laugh. “What’re you talking about?”

  “Just answer.”

  Kurt became serious. “No, Kyle, I don’t believe you’d ever be involved in drugs.”

  Kyle reached in his pocket, tossing the clear baggie on Kurt’s desk. Kurt about jumped out of his seat, leaning forward and grabbing for the bag, looking at Kyle, then the bag, then back to Kyle.

  “I found it cleaning my office.”

  “I take it no one else knows about it?” Kurt asked, opening his top drawer and tossing the bag inside.

  “Whoever put it there knows. I think it was meant for the FBI to find.”

  “Why didn’t they?”

  “It fell behind a drawer, and they didn’t look there, I guess.”

  “I suppose the next question is why,” Kurt said, getting another stick of gum. “Do you have any theories?”

  Kyle pondered the question. He wondered if Kurt still thought he was holding out, that maybe he had an inkling as to why these events were taking place and he was not fessing up. Then again, Kurt had his own opinions, and maybe wanted to evaluate someone else’s before divulging them. Kyle wasn’t sure, but didn’t want to bring up the disk. It could wait.

  “Well,” Kyle said, “one of two possibilities. Either someone wants me in a lot of trouble or simply out of the way. That implies I might find out something I shouldn’t.”

  “I have another possibility,” Kurt said, lowering his voice.

  “And that would be...”

  Kurt leaned closer, keeping his voice to a whisper. “Someone figured out you’re a protected witness. I know it’s been a while, but those guys don’t forget.”

  Kyle hadn’t thought of that. Actually, life had progressed so normally that it never entered his mind. Kurt was the only other one, aside from his mother, sisters and their husbands, that knew the whole family had been placed in the program after their dad had been killed.

  “No,” Kyle said finally, “they were after Charlie. Believe me, if someone wanted me dead, I wouldn’t be sitting here.”

  Kurt pondered the idea, then let it pass without further comment. “Something else you ought to think about. It won’t be long before the FBI figures out you and your family are in the program. It’s possible they could use it against you, although I don’t believe Norm would, but who knows.”

  “What?” Kyle said, sounding cynical but trying to hold it back. “They’re going to let it slip to the people who my father used to work for that his son now lives in Albuquerque, maybe draw them a map to my house?”

  “No, I’m sure they wouldn’t do that. But the feds would have leverage on you, and they won’t hesitate to use it.”

  “How come you didn’t tell them?”

  Kurt shrugged. “You said not to, so I never have. Keep one last thing in mind.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Those imposters had authentic identification. It’s possible they’re connected somewhere along the line. If so, they could find out as well.”

  “Are you trying to scare me, Kurt?” Kyle felt his heart jump when he asked the question. It hadn’t occurred to him, but there was a possibility. The FBI had moved him, his mom and five sisters when he was 12. He worried more about them than himself. With the exception of Jacqueline, they all had families of their own. His mom, Mary, still lived with Ferne and her husband in Edgewood, on the far east side of the Sandia Mountains. His mom was old and couldn’t make it through another midnight move, much less his sisters. Their lives were too established.

  “You should consider all possibilities,” Kurt explained.

  Kyle wanted to change the subject. “What about the drugs?”

  “You’ve come forward, handed it over, informed me, that should be fine. We’ll keep it our secret for now.”

  “Can I ask a favor?”

  “If I can.”

  “I would like to move Charlie’s stuff to the old office on the first floor, the far northwest corner. I might have Robert go through it, so I’ll need a key.”

  “I don’t see a problem, at least for a little while. See Nancy for a key.”

  Kyle stood, took one last stick of gum and slipped it in his pocket. “I appreciate your help, Kurt. You don’t know what it means.”

  Kurt stood as well. “I think I do. You could’ve flushed the drugs, you know.”

  “Yeah,” Kyle agreed, “but it might be important later, and you’re about the only one I can trust.”

  “That reminds me,” Kurt said, pulling a business card from his pocket. “This is from the FBI, Norm Alexander. He said if you remember or need anything, call him, day or night.”

  Kyle took the card, slipping it next to the stick of gum. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  Kyle turned and headed for the door.

  “One more thing,” Kurt said, Kyle turning back around. “If you discover anything, let me know first.”

  “Sure, Kurt.”

  Kyle had the unpleasant task of asking Nancy for the office key. She was still fuming about his barging in, but Kyle didn’t really care. She deserved to be ruffled now and again, and he felt satisfaction that he’d been the one to do it. She slapped it in his hand and slammed the key drawer. He just smiled as he walked away.

  Kyle returned to his office, placing the key next to the monitor, exactly where he told Robert to find it. He then grabbed his helmet and backpack and left the building, feeling the afternoon sun greet his face. It was winter, but the temperature was rather mild, not at all uncommon for New Mexico.

  He slipped on his helmet and looked around the parking lot, wondering if the FBI was out there, waiting for him to ride off and then follow. They could tail him if they wanted. The way he rode his Honda Super Hawk, it would be a challenge keeping up.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Kyle’s eyes fluttered open as he craned his neck to see the clock sitting on the headboard. It was 11:42 p.m. His pager was on the dresser, beeping incessantly in the darkness, waiting for Kyle to pull himself out of bed and either turn it off or hurl it across the room.

  Kyle had returned to work after lunch, but was unable to accomplish very much, eventually resigning himself to going home, leaving Robert to work quietly in a remote corner of the company. Kyle skipped dinner altogether, drifting off to sleep in his easy chair until Sammy, his golden retriever, came along, lapping kisses on him in an effort to be fed. Kyle found the energy to lift himself from the chair, half-walked, half-stumbled into the kitchen where he poured Sammy some dry chow in his dish, then made his way into the bedroom where he collapsed on top of the cool covers. The dreams came almost instantly. A house exploding into the evening sky, as Beth had described, leaving only a charred skeleton of blackened two-by-fours when all was said and done. Then an echo of a gunshot entered his dreams, and the image of his father being killed on some cold street, all alone and away from his family. Then the federal agents standing around, each sporting a black uniform with matching dark sunglasses. Hundreds of them, surrounding Kyle, just staring at him. Then, in unison, all of their pagers going off as Kyle sat up in bed, sweating.

  He staggered across the carpet and snatched up the pager, squeezing the off button that also activated a small light displaying the number. It was Robert, still at work, still in the new room he had configured earlier that afternoon. Kyle couldn’t believe he had stayed this late, but then again, Robert was one to embrace a
challenge and had a difficult time letting go. Kyle welcomed the interruption of his troubled sleep.

  He fumbled for his cell phone, staggered into the bathroom, flipped on the light, and closed the door. If his house was bugged, the bathroom would be the safest place to make a private call. He allowed his eyes to adjust to the light before punching in the number and pressing SEND.

  Robert picked up on the first ring. “Kyle?”

  “Yeah,” Kyle said groggily, followed by a drawn-out yawn.

  “I found something.”

  Kyle’s attentiveness spiked at hearing Robert’s words. “Really?”

  “I think I know why Charlie was killed,” Robert said, his voice almost a whisper, as if someone was listening in the next room. “Can you get over here?”

  “No. I don’t want to meet at Allied. It might draw attention, plus it’s logged by security. We should meet somewhere else.”

  “Your house?” Robert offered.

  “Not a good idea,” Kyle said, thinking of the bugs he suspected were scattered about the house. “Let me see...remember where your sister worked last summer?”

  “Sure,” Robert replied.

  “Meet me there.”

  “It’s closed this time of night.”

  “I know.”

  “Ten minutes?” Robert asked.

  “Make it fifteen. I might have to go the long way.”

  “Fifteen,” Robert confirmed, and hung up.

  Kyle closed the flip-phone and stood in the bathroom, leaning against the sink, wondering when he’d next get some sleep. He could see this thing escalating way out of proportion. He had thought of going to the Press and spilling his guts, but didn’t for Beth’s sake. If they got word drugs were found in Charlie’s office, then that would be it. He was sure he would be fired an hour after the report aired, and maybe a few others if Tom Wells was in a really ‘good’ mood. He knew he would have to ride it out and wait for an opportunity to present itself.

  Sammy was half asleep in the corner and lifted his head, giving Kyle a dreary look, then rested back on his paws. Kyle crept through the kitchen and out into the garage, using a flashlight to guide his way. He walked to his motorcycle, climbed on, and clicked the gear in neutral, pushing forward. He slowly worked his way through the small door and back into the kitchen, then through the living room, down the hall and into the bedroom. He had spotted a Chevy Blazer down the street when he first came home, a dark shape sitting behind the wheel. He wasn't sure if it was the real FBI, the imposters, or someone simply spending quality time with their automobile. Either way, if they were still there, he didn't want to be seen leaving.