Above From Below: Part 4

Rick Steele drove away from the bar and headed toward home. There was a period during the rainy season when the locals got a break, the first time in a while, he could drive without using his wipers. He had a lot to think about. What Major Kohl shared with him about his brother’s death had his head spinning. There was something more to his death than the locals in Texas had found.

When he got home, it took him less than twenty minutes to be ready to leave again. The long-stored go-bag he kept in his closet was finally going to come in handy. He’d had it for years. Two boxes of ammo, two pistols, and six magazines. There was a week's worth of clothing, an extra pair of shoes, and 250,000 in cash. There were also two extra passports sewn into the lining. Once he made a call and let his boss know he needed to take some time off, Rick went out to his garage.

The engine on his baby roared to life. Normally, Rick wouldn’t take it out in this weather, but getting to Texas wasn’t going to happen without a ride, and the department wouldn’t approve him taking the issued Explorer with him. As Rick rolled away from the house, the lights on the poles reflected off the polished black Challenger. He had one more stop, then he could hit the highway.

Fort McClaren Military Base was quiet, except for the offices occupied by Colonel Masters. Masters had let his secretary and all of the staff go for the day. It was shortly after ten o’clock, and he sat with a few members of the committee. They had a lot to discuss.

“This Major Kohl, why won’t she play ball?” asked Senator Hood.

Colonel Masters pulled her file out and repeated what he told the Senator over the phone. Major Kohl was a legacy, following in her father’s footsteps, and about the most irritatingly righteous soldier that the Colonel had ever trained. She was good at what she did, a competent fighter, and decorated. For most things, that was fine. When the student at the observatory had to be taken care of, Major Kohl committed to finding out the truth behind the accident.

“Why?” asked the Senator. “What the hell business is it of hers?”

Colonel Masters didn’t know how to explain the major other than that she was an honest, morally righteous, ambitious woman whom they shouldn’t trifle with. When Kohl committed to something, she was as disciplined and, as the Colonel would explain, as dangerous as they come.

“Jesus,” sighed the Senator. “I don’t like this, but special services may have to deal with her the way they did the student and his professor.”

“I think it’s gotten worse,” admitted Colonel Masters. “She has already spoken with someone about the matter. And, we think this person may be connected.”

“What makes you think that?” Senator Hood asked, his face cringing from the thought.

“Well, not only is he apparently Nico Gonzalez’s half-brother, but when we run Detective Steele, his file only goes back to the beginning of his time with the police up north. We’ve tried every database, and he didn’t exist before he was a patrol officer, at least on paper.”

“Jim, what are you saying?” sighed Senator Hood.

The truth was, Colonel Masters had never seen anything like what they were discussing.

“I just don’t know.”

“What do we do?” asked the Senator.

Masters looked across the desk, shrugging his shoulders, telling the senator what he’d do if he were in the senator’s position. There were going to have to be arrangements for Major Kohl. Special services were already in the state, monitoring the observatory program in Texas. If the senator was going to issue an order to special services, he might have to call in two orders.

“So, you’re saying to have them both killed?”

“That’s how to solve a problem, sir.”