Chapter 4

We spent the next few days visiting the sites in D.C. The Smithsonian, the National Mall, and we watched some of the debates in the Senate with passes from Harvey. Jocelyn was working to schedule a trip through the major locations of C&C. First we needed to go to Chicago to see my grandparents, and then she had settled on going to Utah and finally California.

In Chicago we would have a bit of a family reunion. The Carlucci family had been unable to attend the funeral. They had contacted the St Johns and negotiated having everyone meet in Chicago. I say negotiate because Francisco and Robert Sr. had never seen eye to eye on much. For Robert Sr. and Francisco to even agree to being in the same city was a major milestone.

Over the years I've had only rare contact with my grandparents. I would see them at Christmas on rotating years, maybe Thanksgiving if they were nearby. I always went to the St. Johns by myself, it seems Robert Jr. and Joe never saw eye to eye on my custody, but both tried not to let it affect me. The Carlucci family always felt like family should: loud, warm, happy, and eating. I remember seeing my big fat Greek wedding, and hearing the line about how her family was loud, in each other's business, and eating. That's what it always felt like in grandma Angel's kitchen especially when aunty Lucy was there.

Aunty Lucy is better known to most as 'Aunty Lucia' of Aunty Lucia's family restaurants. She always smelled of cloves, garlic, anise and oregano. During my visits she would stuff me full of food all the time. She would use pasta, antipasto, bread, cookies, and her tiramasu. You know how you go to an Italian restaurant and the food is good but rarely spectacular, that's because they create their menus in a test kitchen. Aunty Lucy used only the recipes her momma taught her. They were real recipes from over the generations. Sure they weren't what most people were expecting but they were fabulous.

Almost completely opposite of the Carluccis were the St Johns. I love my grandparents and this is no disrespect for them, but they seem so stiff. Let me rephrase that, my grandmother was stiff. My grand father and great grandfather weren't as stiff. Dinner was formal, lunch was formal - even Christmas was formal. Grandpa Robert and great grandpa Robert were often sneaking me off to something fun, but mother Virginia, who is too vain to be called grandmother, was quite tight on making sure that I made appearances at her charities and other functions. She was also a stickler about the house being perfect. She almost had seizures one Christmas when I tried to rappel off the second floor balcony. Let's just say I spent a lot of time being instructed in proper house behavior.

Two days before we were scheduled to fly to Chicago, Keller stopped by the condo.

"Cameron, would you please come with me. The escrow boxes have arrived at the bank and we need to inspect them."

"Right now, We're just heading out to grab lunch with Harvey and some of the senators," I protested.

"I'm sorry Cameron but this has to be done now," Keller said with finality.

"Bugger! Alright, give me a minute to change."

"Make sure you have your weapon Cameron."

I walked down to my room, and changed out of the running suit and work out clothing. I was looking forward to being a guest of Harvey's at the senate club. I made sure to put on my shoulder rig and that I had a safe and loaded Glock 23. I pulled on one of the many lightweight blazers that had become a part of my wardrobe. Keller met me out in the living room and we took the elevator down to the street garage and got into the Suburban. Keller drove us out on to the streets of Alexandria.

"Cameron, Natasha tells me you are hesitant about being armed all the time."

"Yes I am, Keller. I don't see the reason why with you, Natasha or the rest of the security teams around I should have to carry a weapon."

"Cameron, over the years Joe, Carr and you have been threatened. Most of it was easy to prevent or stop. However, the day after the funeral we got word that Joe's accident may not have been an accident."

"What do you mean it wasn't an accident," I interrupted.

"The highway patrol haven't found any skid marks from the truck. They wrote it off as a hit and run by an impaired driver. Whatever Joe was working on has some one spooked or worried."

"So some one may be trying to get Carr and I, is that what your saying Keller?"

"It is a possibility, Cam."

"So what do I do?"

"While Carr is quite able, he and Debra are both carrying right now. The weapon you have is your last defense. Remember what I have taught you. A weapon is a weapon, a tool is just a tool, but preparation is the only sure defense. That's why we have been keeping you armed. Here you are under a lot of protection, but soon you will be traveling with just Natasha, Jocelyn, and Casper. It's not the level of protection we want but it is all that we can provide while your roving around the country without making you look like the President."

"Great, so I should be anticipating something might happen, but nobody knows where, what or when."

"Such is life, as they say, Cameron." The conversation had stopped at that point while I silently though about the news.

We arrived at the Shippers and Merchants Mutual and were met by my assigned account rep.

"Mr. St. John, I am James Abernathy, your account representative," he said while shaking my hand.

"Mr. Abernathy, please call me Cameron and this is Keller, "I said gesturing.

"Alright Cameron, Mr. Keller, if you would please come this way to the inspection room we have the manifest and the six escrow boxes for you to inspect."

We followed him through the office and down the stairs to a dock area. Arranged in two lines of three were 6 large cases that resembled huge chests. They were perhaps 2m long, a meter wide and a 1.5m deep. Covered in what looked like leather with brass bands and bossing. Mr. Abernathy led us over to a desk and laid down a sheaf of papers.

"Here is the manifest. Please look it over carefully and when you're ready please sign and date it. We will then get it notarized and discuss what you would like to do with the account."

With that Mr. Abernathy strode away leaving Keller and me alone with the boxes. "Keller what they hell are these?"

"I'm not sure. I always thought they were safety deposit boxes but this is ridiculous. Probably best if you read through the manifest and see what Joe left in them."

I started reading the manifest. Two hours later I finished, with some shock.

"Keller, if I am reading this right, these trunks contain notes, samples, and data on experiments Joe was working on. There are some other things such as trunk six has which apparently has cash, jewelry, bearer bonds and some gold. Trunk 1 contains all my parents' personal papers along with Joe's and mine. The other four are mostly filled with something called Project Achilles. Trunks 2 and 3 contain logs and project data, trunk 4 caries electronic media, and trunk five has samples. I'm not sure why this is here and not in one of the corporate security storage."

"My guess is that at least a copy is, along with another copy at his work site. I think this was simply the best location just in case something happened. It's secure, logged and neutral. It's a perfect location if he was worried about it. I suggest we have it all placed back in escrow. Then we check with both Carr and Miss Tawilliger about any information they have on this project."

"Sounds like a plan, Keller."

I picked up the phone and dialed zero.

"This is the operator, how may I help you?"

"Mr. Abernathy please?"

"One moment."

"Mr. Abernathy, how can I help you?"

"This is Cameron St John. We're done and ready to leave, please."

"I'll be right down, Cameron."

Inside 5 minutes we had the paperwork finished and new seals on the hasps of the trunks. "Mr. Abernathy, I do have a question. What are these trunks, please?"

"Well Cameron, these are reproductions of the original escrow boxes. Back when the bank first started all accounts were strictly cash. Back then that meant a lot of coins or bars of gold or silver. To accommodate that, large sea chests were used. The deposit was placed in a chest and a seal was placed on it. When the condition was right the seal was broken and the deposit removed. As I understand it there are about 40 of the original chests still sealed. Sometimes something happened to both parties and no one claimed them. They still sit in the storage vault. That is where our credit guarantee comes from. Loans are secured against valuables no one has seen in nearly two hundred years," he explained.

"So these are, like, two hundred year old recycled sea chests?" I asked.

"No, these are replicas. Over the years we have had new ones made. Each time we have another set built we make improvements. Matter of fact, I believe your company manufactured these. They're made of carbon fiber with an overlay of Kevlar in mock leather. I believe they claimed they would survive 100 lbs of TNT being detonated under them or in them."

"So everything is quite safe then, right?"

"I do believe so, Cameron."

"Thank you, Mr. Abernathy, have a good day."

"Good day, Cameron."

We drove back to the condo and I couldn't help but wonder what uncle Joe had been working on, particularly as he didn't even trust his own company to secure it totally.

"Keller, what do you think about this whole thing?"

"I'm not sure, Cam, it's hard to believe he would work on something so secret that he believed he had to hide an extra copy. It has to be something dangerous - either literally or politically. He never worked on any of the real cutting edge weapons designs; it was always significant improvements on existing work. Whatever it is, Joe was worried about it."

"Keller, the name Achilles, wasn't he a Greek warrior. I remember reading or hearing something about him in ancient world history."

"I would bet it was actually an English class. He's one of the heroes of the Trojan War. He was a son of Zeus. His mother was afraid of Hera's wrath so, as a baby, to protect him from harm, she dipped him in the river Styx by his heel. This left a weakness. He was killed during the war by a wound to that unprotected heel. Apparently that's why it's called the Achilles tendon, because if you cut it you become immobile. Its also the basis of the saying 'finding the Achilles heel'."

"Knowing Uncle Joe, that would mean its some kind of protection or the exploitation of a flaw in something. I would guess its some kind of new body armor design."

--"Possibly, Joe was always more for protection over infliction."

"Jefferson Jeffries Jr. speaking how can I help you?"

"JJ, how's it feel to be a bitch?"

"Devoe? Why are you calling here?"

"I have your pick up information along with a bit of side work for you to do."

"Ok, give it to me."

"The shipment is ready at dock 14, Cartagina, delivery in six days. The side job is that my brother needs help with a traffic ticket."

"My god, are you insane? You want me to represent Bobo in traffic court."

"No, simply call Jackie Fives and tell him to take care of it, you have the juice. If you do this it will give you a bit of credit toward your debt. If not, let's say it might hurt."

"Alright I'll call Jackie and give him a heads up. From now on though don't push too much of this bullshit on me."

"No worries, JJ, just a favor for a favor. Besides, you already paid 50 Gs of it on the Senators game last night."

"But... , I didn't bet on that game!"

"I know that, and you know that, but they don't know that. As I said, a favor for a favor"

"Alright Devoe, I'll handle it."

"Have a nice day, JJ." Click.

"Damn it. Beth, what is in Cartagina right now?"

"There is a St John cutter on trials for the Colombians due back in three weeks."

"Not soon enough, anything else?"

"Oh, the Antarctic support team is headed up. The Nova Star will be stopping in Bogotá, for refuel."

"Where are they landing after that?"

"From there it's non-stop to the Utah facility."

"Could they do a pick up if I have it waiting at the airport?"

"More Cubans?"

"Yes, along with rum and a set of books I bought from a collector down there."

"If they leave it with the site security they can make sure it gets on. How big?"

"About 200 lbs altogether."

"That's a lot of cigars, sir."

"The bottles are extra well packed and its almost 50 books. Some of the original Colombian Spanish era law books and some Portuguese law books from Brazil."

"I'm sure the Nova Star can handle it".

"Ok, I'll take my plane to Utah to meet them when they arrive."

"I'll let every one know, sir."

"Thank you Beth."

Returning to his office JJ pulls out his palm top, finds the number he needs and dials.

"Buenos"

"Esteban?"

"Si."

"Dock 14, Cartagina"

"Si."

"Delivery to C&C flight operations, Bogotá, no later than 3 p.m."

"Si."

"$250."

"No, mil."

"Alright $500."

"No, mil!"

"I will pay no more than $750."

"Si." Click.

FBI headquarters - that same time.

Esteban: Caverone.

End of recording

"Another pick up by Esteban in Cartagina," agent Smith said.

"And it's going through C&C," agent Jones replied.

"I wonder where its going, someone check and see what asset is going to stop in Bogotá in the next week," demanded agent Smith.

That evening, we were sitting around the living room enjoying our coffee, the buzzer went off and George left the room to check on it. When George returned he said, "Cameron, Keller is on his way up, he wants to speak with you in private. I took the chance and set up a coffee and brandy service in the study."

"He wants to talk to me in private, what about?"

"He didn't say, just that he did."

"Thank you George, go finish up that mound of banana cream Liv made."

George gave me a look of petulance then winked and moved back to his chair.

I got up and walked into the study. The study has that old-world feel, smelling of leather, paper and aromatic smoke. I went over to my favorite chair after pouring a cup of coffee and dosing it with sweetened condensed milk.

A few minutes later Keller strode into the room and closed the door. He turned the lock with a solid 'snick'. He about-faced and held his first finger to his lips. I nodded and watched as he pulled two items out of his jacket. One was a wand about 30 cm long and 3 cm wide. The other was what looked like a palmtop computer. Keller set the box on the desk and walked around the study waving the wand around methodically. He pulled a book out, looked in it, shook his head and then put it back. He covered the entire room, looking under tables, in lamps and at various spots on the walls. Silently, he walked back to the desk, set down the wand and picked up the box. He touched the screen a few times, pulled a cable from his pocket and connected the wand to the box. Finally he turned to me and said," Cameron there is some serious shit happening."