Stratagems Read online

  Dwight peered up at the calendar on the wall. “We only have 25 days to go, then this will all be over.”

  “Do you think the FBI will catch on?”

  “Since Metzgar didn’t get to the network, there’s a possibility. But I tend to believe all chances went down with Charlie. If they do get close, Rudy will tell us.”

  “Anything else?” Santiago asked, getting up and moving around the desk.

  “Yeah. Have Antonio bug Kyle’s house. Today.”

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Kyle sat in the same chair in the same room for the second time in three hours, once again answering questions the feds were firing at him. Yet the first time it hadn’t been the FBI at all, just a cheap imitation.

  The authentic FBI arrived at eleven and corralled his team in the same conference room, and the atmosphere was not pleasant. It was difficult going through the first round of interrogations, but by the time the second was underway everyone was punchy, on-edge and ready to lash out, even at the FBI. Kyle was no exception, but tried to control his anxiety for the benefit of his team.

  The FBI chose to conduct the questioning in the exact same telephone room, hoping it would jog the memories of those who had been grilled before by the federal imposters. There was no need to provide physical descriptions of the bogus FBI agents because the IDs used their real photos, although the photocopies did little justice to the originals. In fact, one of the FBI agents theorized the photos had been treated to prevent crisp photocopies. It was déjà vu when the FBI selected Kyle to be the first. This time, however, there was greater attendance. The phone room didn’t hold many people, but snugly accommodated Kurt Brady and Tom Wells, Allied’s president and general manager, as well as two bona fide FBI agents whose IDs looked just like the one Jason Slocum had flashed earlier, except the photos were sharp and crisp. Kurt and Tom were sitting in two chairs against the wall, away from the table, at the suggestion of the SAC, Norm Alexander, the one Kurt had called less than an hour earlier. They were also instructed to keep quiet during the questioning.

  Tom Wells was the only one dressed in a suit which wasn’t purchased off a rack. He wore a traditional white shirt adorned with a tie he once revealed cost over two-hundred dollars, something Kyle couldn’t imagine wearing himself. The Albuquerque division of Allied employed fewer than three hundred but Tom dressed as if he were the CEO of Chrysler, although Kyle was well aware that Tom’s salary supported his look and lifestyle. Tom had recently turned fifty with well-kept, pre-mature gray hair and no sign of a dark strand anywhere above his neck, in contrast to Dex whose white hair was curly and unkempt. Tom’s was cut short, straight and had a touch of gel to hold it in place at all times. Kyle didn’t care for Tom, less so as he sat across the room glaring at Kyle like he had shot Charlie himself. Although he knew Tom cared little about Charlie one way or another – his chief concern was the business, the impact of recent events on the bottom line, and most likely his own image.

  The FBI arrived in force with five agents, one more than their predecessors, Norm in control and barking orders faster than his entourage could assimilate them. Two agents were ordered to follow Dex to Charlie’s office so they could dust for prints and, basically, turn the place upside down. Another agent, a red-headed woman named Vivian Storey, was ordered to dust for prints in the conference and phone rooms before anyone entered. The other agent was Rudy Kain, who remained at Norm’s side in the phone room, peppering Kyle with questions.

  At first the questions were similar to those Kyle had already answered, but he now repeated the answers in front of more witnesses and into a tape recorder placed in the center of the table. He rehashed the objective of their consulting business and the types of customers and clients they represented. He explained the requirements of the Homeland Security Initiatives and how Charlie was deeply involved in that project and no other. Once the events were carefully reviewed to their satisfaction, they moved to inquiries regarding the phony agents – what kind of questions did they ask, did they focus on any one area, what did the one called Metzgar appear to be looking for, did they say anything that might reveal their identity?

  The next question from Rudy Kain came from left field, confusing Kyle. “What about you?”

  Kyle stared up at him, not answering right away. “What do you mean?”

  “Well,” he said, “Charlie’s wasn’t the only computer sabotaged. Yours was as well. Perhaps all of this has less to do with Charlie and more with you.”

  Kyle remained calm. He glanced over at Tom who seemed to quietly agree with Rudy’s supposition. He answered as thoughtfully as possible. “I’m in the same boat as Charlie. My entire life here has been, and is, dedicated to meeting our deadlines. I can’t imagine anything we have that anyone would want or feel threatened by.”

  “It just seems odd,” Rudy continued, “that out of all the systems, it was his and yours they targeted. Charlie’s dead, but you’re still very much alive.”

  Kyle sat up straight. “What’s your point?”

  Norm let Rudy ramble without intervention, sitting in the chair across from Kyle while Rudy stood. “Two possibilities, neither of which we can ignore. If they went to these lengths to get Charlie out of the way and penetrate this company, you might be a target as well. Perhaps a future target at that.”

  “And the other possibility?”

  “That you’re lying your ass off. That you know exactly what those men were looking for and you know why Charlie was put out of commission.”

  Kyle shot out of his chair, kicking it behind him as hard as he could. It slammed against the wall, causing Tom to jump, his eyes as wide as saucers. Norm was out of his seat in almost the same instant Kyle was, leaning close. Kyle didn’t say a word, but took in all the shocked expressions. Rudy was the only one not to budge, as if he expected Kyle’s reaction.

  Kyle took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to reach for the edge of the table and toss it against the wall. “Nice try. Everything I’ve said here today has been the truth, and I’m withholding nothing. Charlie was my best friend and I’d never put him in danger.”

  “That’s precisely my point, Kyle. Charlie was your friend, your close friend. He would probably tell you anything, and you’d do the same. If he was involved in something, then it’s a good bet you were as well. He gets killed, his house destroyed, then the next day the same people waltz in here and rip through the place. They peg both your computers at the same time. If you’re involved, you should come clean here and now.”

  Kurt stood, leaning against the wall. Kyle could tell he wasn’t a fan of Rudy Kain either, especially after the crack about strangers waltzing into his facility. Kyle warmed to the thought that at least he had one friend in the room.

  Kyle wouldn’t let Rudy get the best of him. “Maybe those bozos thought just like you. Perhaps they knew Charlie was my best friend. They definitely knew I was his manager. They could have wiped my computer because they figured Charlie told me something.”

  “Either way,” Rudy said, his lips forming a triumphant grin, “we all come to the same conclusion. You know something.”

  “I’m not going to stand here and defend myself against some silly theory you’ve conjured up just so you can look good in front of your boss. We have a term here for people like you. So, let me tell you one last time, I have no idea what Charlie could have or could know that would cause all this to happen. If I did, you’d be the first I’d tell so you could catch the bastards who did this to him and his family, and to me. Is this in any way unclear?”

  Kyle glanced over at Kurt who was thoroughly enjoying the scene. Kurt, being a direct member of Tom’s staff, was duty bound to play the political game and submit to this guy’s whims, especially with Tom only inches away, but not Kyle. Kurt vicariously supported Kyle in his defiance. Tom, on the other hand, was fuming, holding his tongue only because it was the condition Norm placed on him for witnessing the interrogations.

  Rudy remained cool, his face no
w close to Kyle’s. “Then you should face the possibility, whether you know anything or not, that they, whoever they are, believe you’re involved. That, my friend, puts you at risk. And if you’re lying, the truth will come out, one way or another.”

  There was a moment of awkward silence when a knock at the door interrupted the tension. Rudy took his seat while Norm maneuvered to the door, peeking his head into the outer conference room. Kyle heard whispers, then Norm reached for something the agent outside handed him and quickly slipped it into his coat pocket. All eyes were on him as he returned to his chair, looking over at Kyle.

  “Now tell me,” Norm said, noticeably more congenial than Rudy, “you said one of the questions asked before, from the man named Jason, I believe, was about drugs.”

  Kyle nodded, taking his seat again.

  “And what did you tell him?”

  Kyle took a deep and needed breath, relieved he wasn’t conversing with Rudy. “They asked if Charlie used or sold drugs, and I told them no, never. And that was the truth. Charlie was as clean as the Pope.”

  “How about you, Kyle?”

  “How about what?”

  “Drugs. Have you ever been involved with drugs in any manner?”

  Kyle sighed aloud, enough for all to hear. “No. No drugs. I don’t even drink.”

  Norm reached in his pocket and produced a small, clear plastic bag filled with what looked like powdered sugar, but Kyle knew it wasn’t. He’d watched enough TV in his life to recognize narcotics. “How do you explain this?”

  “You just pulled it out of your pocket, that’s how I explain it.”

  Another grin from Kurt, watching quietly in the background.

  “This was found in Charlie’s office.”

  Kyle had had enough, his sarcasm rising to the surface. “Well, let’s see. A group of men invade his house by cutting through his garage door, fill him with enough bullets to set off a metal detector, blow his house into the next block, then forge FBI IDs and search warrants and ask us a bunch of stupid questions, all to find a small package of drugs. It makes perfect sense. You’ve solved the case, in less than an hour.” Metzgar had called Kyle a smart ass, so he felt determined to live up to the title.

  Norm’s eyes shut slightly. He slowly raised his hand in the air then slammed it down flat on the table, making everyone in the room jump. “Listen sport, I wasn’t born yesterday. I know what this looks like, and I know there’s only three ways this could’ve landed in his office. The obvious is that he was hiding it there. Second, Metzgar, probably not his real name, placed it there knowing someone would show up and discover it. Third, someone else, perhaps another employee, stashed it.”

  “My money’s on Kyle,” Rudy blurted out. Kyle didn’t budge as Norm flashed Rudy a condescending glance, shutting him up.

  “If you think I’m involved, then why don’t you search my office?”

  “We are.”

  Kyle’s mouth dropped, and Rudy smiled. He figured all along they would have to show him a warrant or something, or at least have him stand there while they did it. Kyle managed only one word. “Fine.”

  “Listen to me, Kyle. I don’t think you’re involved in Charlie’s killing, I really don’t. At the same time, he trusted you, and you may know something and not even realize it. You may not believe this, but you and I are on the same side. I want to find out who killed him as much as anyone. I’m also motivated by those impersonating federal agents. Now, I want to deal with the facts at hand. Drugs were indeed found in his office. There’s a slight possibility that he needed something to get him by, especially with the strain he’s been under. I’ve seen it before. You said it yourself – you’re trying to meet deadlines.”

  “You’re right about one thing – I did know Charlie, and I can say with full confidence he’s not one of those. The drugs you found are not his.” Kyle paused, glancing around. “Look, if there are no more questions, I’d like to get out of here and back to work.”

  Norm looked at Rudy who shrugged, then turned to Kyle. “Okay, for now. We might need to call you back, however.”

  Kyle stood. “I can’t wait.”

  Norm shut the recorder off, opened the door, and Kyle walked out. He took one last look around as everyone stood. Norm called for a break and Rudy asked Kurt where a private phone could be located. Kyle wanted to yell ‘you’re already in a phone room, idiot,’ but resisted the urge.

  He turned and looked at his team, once more sitting around the large conference table looking at him, confused and noticeably irritated. Kyle’s interrogation had taken much longer than it had in the morning, and it was clear they didn’t want to go through the same thing again.

  Kyle walked over to Marie, pulled out his wallet and handed her his Visa card. “Why don’t you call in an order for six large Dion’s pizzas.”

  “For the FBI, too?”

  Kyle turned to watch the agents at the door talking quietly among themselves, then looked back to Marie. “Yeah. Maybe if we extend the first olive branch things will go easier for everyone. Take Rene with you to pick ‘em up.”

  Vivian was waiting near the door to escort him back to his office. He figured they were still ransacking it. There was nothing to hide, but he worried Metzgar had stashed something in his office as well. He was convinced it was Metzgar, because the timing was simply too convenient, and Kyle held the same regard for Metzgar as he did Rudy Kain. If ever there had been two peas in a pod, Kyle figured it had to be them.

  They reached Kyle’s office as two agents stepped out, informing Vivian that nothing out of the ordinary had been discovered. Kyle concealed his relief, fearing that if he showed any emotion whatsoever, they’d simply go back and really tear up the place. As it was, his files were disheveled, drawer’s half to three quarters open, his organization, such that it was, now in disarray. Vivian left with the two agents as Kyle settled in his seat and began putting things back in order.

  He thought about all the questions that had been thrown at him, as well as his answers. Something surfaced that he didn’t think of earlier – if Charlie had been involved in something, anything, he would surely have told Kyle. Somehow. He glanced at the phone to see if the red light was blinking, indicating waiting messages. It was clear. The only other way for Charlie to contact him was through e-mail, and he wasn’t sure if that was working either. He reached down and turned on the computer, a sense of relief washing over him as the system booted normally. Even the network login screen appeared. Will wonders never cease, he mused.

  There was a knock at the door. He looked up to catch Rudy Kain walking toward him. “Is your computer reloaded yet?”

  “Give me a break,” Kyle said.

  “Look, you might not like me, but I’m doing my job.”

  “Yeah, and I’ll bet you love it.”

  “I think we should start with any e-mail messages you may have received, then work our way through the file system.”

  “That could take hours.”

  Rudy nodded. “Could.”

  “Don’t you need a search warrant or something?”

  “I could get one, if it would make you feel better.”

  Kyle shook his head, starting up his electronic mail application. “Never mind.”

  Rudy was over his shoulder, staring at the monitor as Kyle worked the keyboard. Kyle’s headache, which had subsided in the last few minutes, was now making an encore, starting in the back of his neck. He couldn’t help but think of Metzgar.

  “Look. Doesn’t work.” Kyle pointed to the message on the screen, ‘mail server not found.’

  “What?”

  Rudy didn’t like the turn of events, which thrilled Kyle, although he tried not to show it. “I’ve been stuck in a cubby hole answering your questions while my machine was being restored. They now have to come back and set up my profile before I can access e-mail.”

  “Get ‘em up here, now.” Rudy said, his tone clearly indignant.

  “They’re at lunch. It’ll be a
t least another hour.”

  “Call whoever you need right this second.”

  Kyle stood. “You don’t understand, they won’t answer the phone this close to lunch time. If you want, we can walk down together and try to find someone.”

  “Fine,” Rudy said sharply. “You lead the way.”

  Rudy stepped aside and Kyle walked past, not looking back. They went down the hall in silence, all the way to the elevator, then Kyle turned to Rudy. “What’d you expect to find?”

  Rudy remained silent while they waited for the elevator to return, seeming to inwardly debate whether he was going to answer. “Sometimes clues are discovered in the most obvious places. If not, then at least we can rule them out.”

  The elevator opened and they both stepped in. Kyle selected the first-floor button, which was the only other floor besides the one they were on. They rode down in silence, Kyle leading Rudy through a maze of corridors after they left the elevator, combing the network team offices. Kyle walked down an aisle of cubes, peeking in each as he passed, until he stumbled on the one with the nameplate Tim Iverson sitting atop an overhead shelf. Tim was at his keyboard typing frantically when Kyle intruded.

  “Got a moment?” Kyle asked.

  Tim looked irritated. “I was just heading out for lunch.”

  Kyle turned to Rudy. “This is FBI agent Rudy Kain. A real FBI agent.”

  “Yeah,” Tim said, “I heard.”

  “He wants you to set up my e-mail so he can read through it.”

  Tim stood. “Oh, that’ll be easy.”

  He grabbed his disk case and followed Kyle out, working their way through the same maze they traveled before. All three were waiting for the elevator when Kyle turned to Rudy. “I need to stop off at the men’s room,” he said.

  “We’ll wait,” Rudy offered smugly.

  “Do you need me there?” he asked Tim, ignoring Rudy.

  “Just to log in and set up your personal folders, and tell me what options you want.”