Back-Tracker Read online

  “Not exactly,” Jake replied. “We better get comfortable. It’s going to take a while to explain. Can you make some coffee?”

  Cheryl’s face reflected her shock when Jake finished telling them about the attempt on Zack’s life.

  “Someone pushed Zack off the road?” she asked. “Why?”

  “That I can’t tell you?” Jake said. “Have you any enemies here? Someone who might go to such lengths?”

  “None,” Zack replied with certainty.

  “I suspected as much.” Jake reached into his pocket and pulled out the slip of hotel stationary where he’d written down the information he’d memorized from the truck driver’s license immediately after back-tracking. He’d also recorded the truck license, as well as a half dozen numbers from the man’s cell phone. He read the name off the sheet, along with the name of the trucking company.

  “I’ve never heard of either of them,” Zack replied.

  “That’s what I feared,” Jake said. “Then it is likely this is somehow related to what happened in California a couple days ago.” He told them about the kidnapping that he’d managed to thwart.

  “My god!” Cheryl exclaimed. “Are they all right?”

  “They’re fine,” Jake replied. “The kidnapping effectively never took place. They’ll be flying in tomorrow morning.”

  Zack and Cheryl had yet to meet Janna, and Cheryl smiled in anticipation.

  “They’re home alone now?” Zack asked. “Is that safe?”

  Jake nodded. “I spent the whole night at home before this came up and I had to back-track. There were no further problems at home.”

  Zack was shaking his head.

  “I’m still not an expert on how this ability of yours works, but is it possible the attempt on me was a diversion to get you away from home. Maybe something happened in California while you were here this time around.”

  Jake felt a chill. He had never considered such a thing. The idea presumed a surprising knowledge of how back-tracking worked, but if someone triggered two actions properly, such a scenario would be possible. They would have to be events that depended on his actions, but it could be done. Hurriedly, he pulled out his cell and called Karin in California.

  The phone rang enough times to make him uncomfortable before the sleepy voice of his wife answered.

  “Jake, is that you? What’s wrong? What time is it?”

  “Karin, is everything okay?” he asked.

  “Yeah, everything’s fine. Why wouldn’t it be? Did you save Zack?”

  “Zack and Cheryl are here with me now.” Jake explained Zack’s concern.

  “There’s been nothing,” Karin said. “I probably won’t sleep anymore now that you’ve brought this up though.”

  “I’m sorry. Try and sleep. You and Janna have an early flight. I’m going to activate the security cameras and keep an eye on you from here. Call me when you are safely at the airport.”

  “Okay,” Karin mumbled sleepily.

  “It sounds like everything is okay there,” Jake said, annoyed with himself for not having Zack’s thought on his own.

  “Then why would someone be after Zack?” Cheryl asked.

  “I don’t know,” Jake admitted, “but like the situation at home, whoever is behind the attempts is still out there. I can have the truck driver arrested, but I am certain he won’t know anymore than the two kidnappers did. You need to be very careful until this is sorted out.”

  “I thought we were going to call you?” Susan Carlson said the next morning when Jake called her.

  “I know,” Jake replied. “I’m not at home. Something has come up. I’m in Idaho.”

  “Idaho,” Jim Laney exclaimed. “What’s in Idaho.”

  Jake explained the strange events surrounding the attempt on his friend Zack.

  “These are almost certainly related,” Carlson said. “The timing is too suspicious for it to be coincidental. Unfortunately, we haven’t learned anything from the two men.”

  “I know,” Jake said. “We had the telecomm on my last loop through this time. You told me then.”

  “You said you have information on the truck driver?” Laney asked.

  Jake read all the information he’d acquired over the phone to the two FBI agents.

  “We’ll check this out and have our Idaho office coordinate with the police to try and find this truck driver,” Carlson said. “I expect he won’t be any more helpful than the others. You don’t have any idea who might be targeting you?”

  “None,” Jake replied. “But it has to be someone linked to that action in Washington last year. That’s when a few people became aware that you had someone with unusual abilities working with you. Whoever is doing this, knows about me. He has learned who I am, and has learned what I can do, at least some of it. I had hoped we had contained the leak, but it seems not.”

  “Even if what you suspect is true, why would they do this?” Laney asked. “What can they hope to gain?”

  Jake shrugged, then added. “No idea, but I’ll bet it’ll make sense once we figure it out.”

  “You’re going to stay there?” Carlson asked.

  “For a day or two. Karin and Janna are on a plane here now. We have to leave for the airport in half an hour.”

  “We’ll call you back tonight with what we have learned,” Carlson promised.

  Carlson called back, but it was well before evening. The group had returned from the airport less than an hour earlier, and Janna was being spoiled by her new friends.

  “Jake, it’s for you,” Zack said holding out the phone. “It’s your friends in Washington.”

  “More trouble,” Carlson said when he’d identified himself. “A bomb was detonated in the mall in your old hometown. More than twenty people were badly injured. Five have died already. A note was found. It said to contact you.”

  “Damn it!” Jake swore. “What is going on?”

  “I don’t know,” Carlson said. “This one we can handle with some warning. If you can back-track to yesterday, give us a call with the information I’ll give you in a minute, we can find the bomb and prevent this event. That should still leave you free to deal with events where you are, if I understand from what you told us earlier what your schedule was. It’s getting tricky, though. Anymore of these and you won’t be able to deal with everything even given your special ability.”

  “I was just thinking the same thing,” Jake replied.

  “Oh, we haven’t located your truck driver as yet. The company he normally works for indicates he went on vacation yesterday, and isn’t expected back to work for another week. We’ll keep trying. He’s probably somewhere in town there since he would have had to follow your friend to know when and where he was going.”

  Jake was quiet as he hung up the phone. The others were looking at him, waiting to hear what he had learned. There was no point in explaining. He took a deep breath and back-tracked.

  Chapter 4

  The note arrived in the daily mail. They had spent two days in Idaho. The letter had come while they were away and had been mailed from somewhere in San Francisco. It was remarkable in several ways. The author of the short missive revealed a remarkable awareness of Jake’s ability and participation in certain events. Until the note arrived, Jake would have said with assurance that only six people in the world had that kind of knowledge, and none of them would have written what was on the paper. Then there was what it both threatened to do and what it demanded of Jake.

  Jake,

  We might as well keep this on a personal basis, don’t you think? I guess by now you have figured out that someone knows all about you. You’ve demonstrated very clearly what you can do. Three deadly events I set up, and which somehow haven’t happened, while those misfits I contracted to do the work are all in custody even though officially they haven’t committed any crimes. The FBI has requested they be held for extended questioning. It’s a waste of time. We both know that.

  Imagine what your life would be like if
I kept this up. I can wrap event on top of event, until you aren’t able to deal with everything. I’ll bet you are already a bit dizzy with the true sequence of what has happened the last few days, probably more like a week to you.

  Oh, here’s a thought. I could concentrate on your family. I know you can unravel almost anything, but that’s assuming you are still around to take action. You aren’t invulnerable. What if I were to arrange an accident for you? Then your family would be unprotected, and I could arrange anything I want to happen to them. Have you considered that? I thought not.

  Here’s the thing, you bastard. You killed my sister. Oh, you probably don’t recall doing it, but it was your fault. I didn’t know it was you until recently, but now that I do, and now that I understand what you can do, perhaps there is a solution. Remember an event in San Francisco almost two years ago. A senator was saved by a mysterious individual who stopped a couple of bombs from reaching the politician’s room. We both know that was you, don’t we? Well, other people were hurt as a result.

  Here’s the deal. I want you to correct this little mistake. If my sister lives, than this whole set of events won’t ever happen. However, if she doesn’t survive, then you and your family won’t either.

  I know you will come looking for me. I don’t have to tell you who dies if you attempt to do anything. You believe that is a clue. Good luck with that.

  Henry Ray

  Chapter 5

  “Two years!” exclaimed Carlson when Jake contacted her at the FBI with news of the note.

  “Can you even go back that far?” Jim Laney asked.

  “I don’t know,” admitted Jake, who thus far had never attempted anything greater than two months. Even that had been awful, both in terms of the effort required, but also the miserable time reliving that many weeks of his life, knowing what was to happen and not wanting to alter events in any significant way.

  “It doesn’t matter,” Carlson said. “We aren’t going to give this idiot what he wants. We have enough information to find out who this is and deal with him as we have others in the past. He clearly hasn’t thought through the implications of your abilities.”

  “Either that, or he knows far less than it appears,” Laney agreed.

  For some reason, Jake wasn’t as confident.

  “Do you recall what happened on the case he is referring to?” Jake asked. In his mind it had always been an odd one, and one that had never been completely and satisfactorily solved. For one thing, the men behind the attempt had never been found.

  “Of course,” Carlson replied. “That was back when you and I worked together far more informally. Even Jim didn’t know about you then. I was out of the country on a special dual country investigation and you couldn’t reach me, as I recall.”

  “That’s right. I don’t remember anyone being killed. I checked to be certain.”

  “A few people were hurt by flying glass from the explosion of the drone you shot, but nothing very serious. No one was killed.”

  “Then what is this guy talking about? He claims I killed his sister.”

  “We’ll have to check the records. We’ll start with his name and see what we can learn about his family. We can also see who died in San Francisco that night. Then we’ll have a better idea what he is referring to.”

  “At least we can probably count on no more attempts of your family or friends,” Laney said. “He has to give you some time to plan what to do.”

  “I’m not so sure,” Jake replied. “If he knows as much as he appears to, then he can take the fact things haven’t changed as a sign I’m not responding. I don’t think I can feel secure. I’m going to want to find a way to protect Karin and Janna.”

  “It sounds to me that he considers you a target as well,” Laney reminded him.

  “That’s just talk, at least for now. If he does anything to me, then his chance at getting what he wants done is lost. Whatever he might try, he won’t come after me until there is no other alternative.”

  “You could back-track a week or so, and make your plans then,” Carlson suggested. “You could call me and bring me current at that time.”

  “It’s a possibility, but I feel that we might miss something that he’s done in the days since then. It would be most productive to do as much as possible right now. We’ll decided once we know a little more.”

  “You might need some protection,” Carlson suggested.

  “I’ve been thinking of having Nate come down from Reno for a few days.”

  Carlson knew about Nate and how he’d helped Jake out twice before.

  “I’ve got a better idea. Jim will be in San Francisco tonight. There’s a red-eye that he can take. In the morning, I’ll have made arrangements to take your family somewhere they won’t be found. Jim will explain when he gets there.”

  “I have a large guest room he can use,” Jake said. He had worked with the younger FBI agent several times. More than Laney recalled, actually, and found him to be both trustworthy and competent.

  “Okay then,” Carlson said. “We’ll talk again in the morning. I hope to have some information by then.”

  Jake opened the desk drawer and withdrew the pistol he’d set there earlier. While he didn’t think there would be trouble, at least not so soon, he’d been caught off guard a couple of times by this whole thing. They were taking the note at face value, and he wasn’t sure that was a good idea. The only thing they knew for certain at this point was that someone knew too much about him, and had been precipitating events that he’d had to respond to. Earlier he had considered taking Karin and Janna and checking into one of the larger hotels downtown, but with Laney coming, he now felt obligated to stay put. He’d just have to stay alert, and be prepared to deal with anything unexpected.

  He walked out of the study room back into the living room where Karin sat watching the news. She noted the gun in his belt and frowned accordingly. She realized the situation warranted Jake’s carrying it, but it reminded her of actions he’d taken in the past and she’d believed were mostly behind them now.

  “What did they say?” she asked. Jake could see the worry in her eyes. Janna was asleep in a bundle of blankets off to one side. It was as if Karin didn’t want the child too far from her.

  Jake summarized the conversation. “In the morning we should know more, and when Laney gets here he can tell us what Carlson has planned.”

  Karin pushed a long lock of blond hair to one side. “I’m not sure I like being separated from you.”

  “We can decide once we know Carlson’s plan. I need to be free to move around so I can learn as much as possible before I go back and fix this. I’m certain that is the only way this will be resolved.”

  “I don’t like the fact he says he’ll come after you,” Karin says. “In the past you operated with no one knowing who you were. This is unnerving, having someone knowing about you and having a grudge against you. Did you find out who this nut’s sister is and why he thinks you had anything to do with her death?”

  “Carlson hopes to have more on that in the morning. There’s nothing we can do until then.”

  * * * *

  Jim Laney arrived just after midnight. He had been to the house once before and knew the way. He looked tired, his dark eyes heavy. Well, for him this was nearly the next day, and he hadn’t been out of his clothes since just after dawn Washington time.

  “Everything quiet?” he asked when Jake greeted him at the door.

  Jake nodded. He led Laney into the house. The FBI agent set the small rolling travel bag upright on its support and stared at Jake.

  “How’s Karin holding up?”

  “She trying to sleep. She has Janna up in the bed with her. She’s not comfortable letting her too far out of her sight.”

  “Understandable,” Laney noted.

  “Would you like a drink?”

  “Sounds wonderful,” Laney agreed. “Scotch?”

  Jake led them back toward the game room where he had a small bar. He re
trieved a bottle of Johnny Walker Blue and poured them both a shot.

  Laney had retrieved a tan envelope from his bag before they headed to the back room, and now he handed it to Jake.

  “Here’s the man we think sent you the note.”

  Jake accepted the envelope in exchange for the drink he passed to Laney. He set his own aside on the bar, and opened the envelope. Inside was an enlargement of a driver’s license.

  “You think this is the guy?”

  “There are a number of people with that name, but this guy lives in the Bay area, and was at the scene of the attempt on the Senator two years ago. That makes him the likely choice, but Carlson should know more in the morning.”

  The license showed a lanky man with unkempt hair. Even though the date of birth indicated he was only thirty-six years of age, his hair had receded to the point he had a significant bald spot in front. His eyes were dark brown and seemed to stare accusingly at Jake. The clothes the man wore were obviously cheap, and hung on the man’s thin frame carelessly, showing he cared little for his appearance. Jake looked at the name on the license. Henry Ray. The name was the same as on the note.

  “He’s a reporter,” Laney explained. “He works for a second tier newspaper in San Francisco. He was one of those on the scene when the attempt was made on the Senator, which is why we believe he’s our man. What are the odds of two people with that name, being associated with the attack? He’d been assigned to cover the conference the Democrats had planned for later in the morning for his paper in Oakland.”

  “I thought you said he worked for a San Francisco paper.”

  “He does now. Sometime last year he was able to secure a new position that brought him into the city.”

  “You’ve found no indication how this links to me?”

  “Carlson is working on it. Hopefully we’ll know more in the morning. She said she’d call at seven o’clock.”