BA Hammer Mary Ch. 05

BA HAMMER MARY CH 5

I called Cynthia Morris to tell her to be careful. She was aware. "Our lead partner is very concerned. He is aware of this company and their private army. I have a bodyguard for now, at least until we file the lawsuit. Are you taking precautions?"

"Yes. We have four or five of my military buddies that will watch over us until this is over. I will try to get Arnold to be willing to testify. That would be all we need."

Mary was getting ready to open the next week. I was having one of my army buddies drive her to and from the theater, and Kitty was watching from a distance. That is all I can do.

Brick asked me to come and see him. As soon as I was sitting down, Brick told me we had to leave. He had finally cornered Carter the night before at the charity board meeting. He has agreed to meet me and talk to me. We would have to be very careful. He gave me the address and we split up. Now I had to get rid of my "friends" somehow.

It is harder to do in New York traffic. I had to head for the suburbs so I could find the room to maneuver. After a couple of close lights, and a couple of alleys, I finally lost them. I headed back to the city where I parked my car in a parking garage and found a cab. He took me to the address. It was a small house in a rundown neighborhood. I went to the back and quietly entered the kitchen. It was quiet, but I could hear talking. In the living room was Brick and a gray-haired man who was the head agent of the FBI in the southern district of New York.

"Hammer, this is Christopher Carter. Chris, this is BA hammer." We shook hands.

"I understand you have proof that Plummer is dirty." I explained the details of Rutherford, Liz, and the diary. I explained how Plummer had threatened Mary, and how Arnold knows first hand what they had done to steal the computer program ten years ago.

"That program has made nearly a billion dollars in the last ten years, and they have a large, private army to ensure they don't lose it. We believe Plummer was the muscle as the silent partner. His share must be in the thousands, if not a million. We need to find the secret account they are paying Plummer with."

"You know how serious it is to accuse an FBI agent?" I played him the tape of Arnold laying out the details. "What are you asking for?"

I looked at Brick. Brick nodded. "We need an agent that is unknown to your office. Someone you know for sure is clean and willing to look into a fellow agent. We need a Fed to know what we know and be here to testify to what he sees and hears."

Carter looked at me and then Brick. He was silent for a few moments. "This could blow up in my face, you know that, right?"

"Yes, but, if you can save the government millions by restoring the program to the rightful owners, get an innocent girl out of prison, and solve a ten-year-old murder, not to mention busting a corrupt agent, it would seem to us to be a risk that is worth the reward."

"I will find you someone unknown to anyone on the east coast. Brick, he will present himself as a potential client from Chicago. His name will be "Bob Burger".

"He might need recording equipment." Carter agreed and left out the back.

Brick watched him leave. "We can't fuck this guy over. It's hard to find an honest Fed these days. When Burger arrives, I will call you to tell you I had to spend some time with a new client. That will let you know he is here." We left and made our way back to the city.

We needed to see their company's books. For that I needed a good computer hacker. The kind the government would like to put in jail. Fortunately for us, Brick had defended one a few years back. He has kept the guy out of prison for several years. The government finally quit trying to put him in jail, they just track whatever they can that he is doing. Brick gave me his present address (He moves a lot) and sent him a message that I was coming.

Once I was clear, I took a cab to the address. It was an old warehouse. There was a company operating in the front. I had been told to go in and ask for my package. My name was to be Zachery Tyler. When I had done that, the man led me back into the building to a rack full of packages. He grabbed the corner of the rack and pulled on it. The rack turned away from the wall to reveal a door. He opened the door and waited until I went in. I went down the stairs into a room with several computers. In the middle of them sat the man known as "Zorro".

"Brick says I must help you. Don't tell me anything about yourself or anything I don't have to know. I will find what I can, and you will forget me. I won't be here by the next time you might want to come here. Do we understand each other?"

"Most certainly. You are doing this for Brick. I am just a messenger. He needs to see the books for a large defense contractor named Computerized Defenses. He is looking for an unusual outlay."

"I know, payoffs, payouts, bribes, etc. Most people wouldn't even attempt this. Government contracts are the most secure there are."

"The ironic thing is the very program that is protecting their computers is what they stole."

"Wait, you're talking about the "grey ghost"? That program is the holy grail of protection. I have been working on that for nearly ten years. It changes like an amoeba, shifting and adapting to the changes that it faces."

"How would you like a copy of the program?"

"You have a copy of the program? I would help you with whatever you would need to lay my hands on that."

"That is what this entire thing is about. They stole it and killed the man who invented it. We are going to burn their entire house down around them. I will give you a copy of it for your help."

"Your name is what? I am known as Zorro."

"I am AB Hammer. They call me Thor." We shook hands and he said he would get started on it. He handed me a burner phone that was encrypted against anyone breaking it.

"This phone is good for a week. Throw it away after that. You send a blank text message, and I will answer." I thanked him and left.

I went to my office to let my "friends" find me, then I went to the theater to watch Mary. She can run through the entire show now. The old cast has their last show this Sunday. Mary's cast would begin the following Wednesday. I ran into Ester during a break and asked her how Mary was doing.

"She is going to be good with this. She is very nervous about something. I thought it was this, but now I'm not so sure."

"It's not. I am involved in a very dangerous case. You might see a woman around her. It is her bodyguard. Please don't draw any attention to her. You might want to get some security around here for the next couple of weeks above whatever you normally have." She looked at me for a few minutes. She finally nodded and walked off.

I found Mary in the dressing room. The old cast was still using the regular rooms. She was in a smaller room with the other new lead. She was very happy to see me. We went for a walk.

"How are you holding up?"

"I'm okay. I have the show down. I see Kitty every once in a while."

"Yes, I told Ester about her, and told her to leave her alone. This should be over in a few days." We found a quiet bench and sat down. She put her head on my shoulder and I just held her until they called her back. I then left.

Burt and I went home. We had rented an apartment next to us. Burt and Kitty had set up as a couple there. One of Ike's men was watching our building. We expected them to try and hit me soon. I think Mary would only be a last resort. Maybe kidnap her to force me to give them the dairy and program. We kept our blinds closed and Burt watched the building across the street, looking for a shooter.

My burner phone went off the next afternoon. I texted Zorro and waited for his reply. I had in my possession the copy of the grey ghost that Homer Arthur had recreated from the program. This is what I would give Zorro for his information. His text told me to come to a different address in two hours.

Burt and I followed our normal evasive routine until we had lost our friends. We then parked our car and took a cab to the address. I went in as Burt melted into the surrounding area to watch out. A man I had met in the Zorro's warehouse was there. He handed me a couple of thumb drives and I gave him mine. We were gone in two minutes. We had told the cab to wait, and we were gone. We headed downtown. We dropped the cab a couple of blocks away and walked to Brick's office. When there, he had someone copy the drives and put them in the safe.

"Brick, do you have someone you trust to review these records?" He looked at me like I had a third eye. "Sorry, dumb question."

Brick and I went over where we were, and what we needed more. Once Burger arrives, we will get him up to date. When we know the shell company Plummer is using, we will have most of what we need.

I headed back to my office to think through everything. Burt had a place out in the street someplace where he could watch my building.

When were they going to make a move on me? It had to be soon. They can tell I keep losing them to go somewhere important.

What will Carter do if we can prove Plummer has a shell company that he has been hiding money for ten years?

Can Burger find something that will make Carter move?

I was interrupted by Brick's call saying he would be out a couple of days with a client. Good, Burger is here.

The next morning, I went to Brick's office. Burger was there and we got him up to date. I asked if he had the recording equipment. He did. I wanted to record whatever people said to me. I was sure they would try and lure me into a trap. I was correct. I got a surprise call from Corey Simpson, the man who went to CD with the others.

"Mr. Hammer, can we meet. This place is falling apart. I think I can help you, but I must be careful. Their security guys are everywhere." This is it. I was curious where he would want to meet. He gave me an address and asked us to meet at 10 pm. I agreed.

Brick looked the address up and it was an old warehouse. Good place for an ambush. I asked Burger to go and look the place over. I sent one of Ike's men to drive him. We had to plan our approach. I called Kitty and warned her this would be the night they came for Mary. They needed her to have leverage. I asked Ike to send another man with the driver I had sent before so they and Kitty could stop whatever they had in mind.

Next, I went to the theater to see Mary. I waited for a break and pulled her aside. "Mary, I think this is happening tonight. I expect you to get a call telling you to do something. Ignore it. I am fine and have a team with me. You will have Kitty and two of my army buddies watching you. This will be over before you open, don't worry." I kissed her and hugged her as long as I could.

I was counting on the third bodyguard to be the surprise. They surely knew who the driver was, and they may have spotted Kitty. But the third guy is new today and I am counting on him being the ace in the hole. I had another idea. I asked Burt to find Kitty and set up a possible decoy. When they call to try and get Mary to move, if Kitty was "her" they may be able to draw them close enough to handle them. He agreed and I waited for him to return. He nodded from a distance, and I knew we were ready.

As night fell, I showed up at Brick's office. Burger was there and Ike was outside with a couple of his boys. Burt was also nearby.

"Mr. Burger, do you have the wire? I want to record everything they say. After looking the building over, Ike and Burger had decided AID would probably have at least one sniper and eight or nine of their guys in the building. The best we could do would be Ike, his two guys, Burt, and myself. That is five. Ike had found a place where his shooter could watch for the sniper. If he found him in time and took him out, we would have a chance.

The first domino to fall was Mary. She got the call that I had been shot and was at the hospital. Kitty took Mary's coat and headed to the car. As she came out of the cast entrance two men jumped her. Kitty had her gun under her coat and shot the first one as he grabbed her. Our third man was waiting at the head of the alley and dropped the second one a second later. It was over in less than a minute. Kitty called Tony's cleanup crew, and within thirty minutes there was no trace of what had happened. Kitty called me with the code for they came but failed and Mary was safe.

Now I could go without worrying about Mary. I had the wire on. We would leave it off for the first five minutes in case they used a scanner looking for a wire. If the wire was on, the scanner would pick it up. We had to wait until after the scan to turn it on, and that would be a guess. Ike had decided where he would put the shooter if it was him and picked a spot opposite that. His man was in place thirty minutes before. Now it was just up to them. I would have to walk into the building without knowing if I was going to get shot by the sniper. Kitty and Ike's driver met our team as we were assembling near the location. We now had Kitty, Burt, Burger, Ike and two of his men. Burt and Ike managed to climb to a second-floor broken window and climb out onto the I-beams of the roof structure. They had infra-red googles, and I hoped they would be able to see where their men would be in the I-beams above the meeting. We were as ready as we could be. If Ike could see them scan me, he would try and signal Burger who was manning the recorder. We really needed this record, so he was staying outside.

At ten p.m. I drove up to the side door of the warehouse. It took me back to Afghanistan waiting to step into the line of fire. I had to calm myself before I opened the door and stepped out. No shot hit me. So far so, so good. It was twenty feet to the door, the longest twenty feet I had experienced since Afghanistan. I moved through the door quickly and waited for my eyes to adjust. There were several rows of crates that almost filled the warehouse. There was a narrow area between them to walk to a clearing I could barely see. If they thought I was going to walk down that shooting gallery, they were nuts. I circled around the rows of boxes until I found another walkway and followed it carefully to the clearing. There was a man sitting on a chair in the center of the room. He was alive, but obviously nervous. It was time. I stepped into the clearing, and he saw me. He jumped up and stepped back. Plummer was standing beside me in an instant. He had his gun pointed at me.

"Okay, Hammer. Move into the center of the room very carefully." I did as he asked. "Simpson, run the scanner over him. He would just be cute enough to have a wire on him." Simpson did as he was told and did not find it. I could only hope they would now turn it on. I looked up to see if I could see where Ike and Burt were, but I couldn't see them.

"I tried to warn you, Hammer. You didn't want to get involved in this. Now you and your little wife is going to pay for it."

"Really? What are you going to do, Plummer? Kill us both? You're an FBI agent, an agent of the United States."

"Sure, and giving the government that program has saved many lives. Who says I couldn't make a little off the thing too."

"So, you made sure the NYPD didn't bother the coin case so you could steal the program."

"Yeah, Rutherford was the one that got cute after Randal took the program out of his safe. He thought a police investigation would scare us away. But my badge made sure the cops didn't interfere."

"So, you're the one that threatened the other girl."

"Sure, she was easy. Rutherford was beaten and he knew it. He hadn't counted on Binghamton having a Fed in his pocket to run cover form him. Enough talk, as soon as the little woman arrives, we will finish this business."

I looked him in the eye. I was maybe ten feet away and knew I wouldn't be able to cover that much ground before he shot me. I had to get closer. "That will be a long wait. Your boys missed and she is safe with the police." I might as well throw that in, for effect. It worked. I could tell he didn't completely believe me, but he wasn't sure.

"You're lying. But I guess I have the one I need. If you give me the diary and copy of the program, you might be able to live through the night. You might even make a little money."

"Not a chance, Plummer. You're going down for this. You, and everyone else." I saw out of the corner of my eye that Burger was moving up behind Plummer.

"Plummer, FBI, drop your gun." Plummer whirled around and started shooting. Burger dropped him with one shot. Simpson was lying on the ground, trying to get really small. The second Burger had fired, three more shots rang out. I waited to feel the impact of a bullet, but none came.

It was over. Ike dropped out of the beams onto the floor. There was one AID man still alive, and they had him. The rest, including the sniper, didn't make it. Burt and Kitty disappeared into the night, and Burger called it in to Carter. Within ten minutes, we were standing in the center of an FBI convention. It even included Carter himself.

Carter and Burger conferred for several minutes while we waited. Carter finally came over to talk to us.

"Hammer, it looks like everything you said was true. "Burger's" tape confirms everything. Plus, we have one of Aid's men here. I think I might be able to make their life a little more uncomfortable now. That guy, he was pointing at Simpson, is singing like the musicals your wife is in. I have already issued an arrest warrant for Randal Binghamton. I will need you and your men to come down to the office tomorrow morning to make a statement."

"We'll be there. Thanks for Burger, and everything you did. How are you going to spin Plummer?"

"We're thinking of have him be an agent who died in the line of fire."

"That would mean he will get his name on the wall."

"No, that won't happen. But it would mean his widow would get her benefits and his pension."

"I can live with that. If you can find the money he squirrelled away, she would be rich."

"Yeah, no. I think the government will just confiscate that. How about we keep that between ourselves?" That was the least I could do, so I agreed.

Ike, his men, and I walked out into the night. Of course, Burger never said a word about Burt or Kitty to anyone. I liked him. He was good, and right to the point. I called Tom Thomas, and as I had promised, gave him the scoop. He would be on the air before the end of the eleven o'clock news with the exclusive.

I made it to the theater to pick Mary up. I wanted to see her more than I ever had before. I needed to see her smile and feel her warmth. The final performance of the old cast had just finished, and they were getting their final bows. Mary was standing in the wings, and I surprised her by sweeping her off her feet and kissing her hard. She threw her arms around me and hung on for dear life, oblivious to the commotion in the theater.

"It's over, sweetheart, it's over. We should be able to get Liz out shortly, and she is going to be a very wealthy woman when Brick is finished with her case." We went home and celebrated for most of the night.

I called Arnold the next day to tell him what had happened. I suggested he call Cynthia Morris and volunteer to be a witness. I was pretty sure Wilma Morris would be VERY grateful to him. He was very happy and promised to call her right away.

I called Cindi to tell her to expect his call. She told me he was the final piece of the puzzle. They were now ready to file against CD, Randal Binghamton, and anyone else they could find.

My next stop was Brick's office. He was in a good mood. He had already filed the motion to release Elizabeth Besson and wanted to know if I wanted to go with him to see her. We headed straight there.