I told him about Jill being with the company now and that she and Barbara were friends. He knew what I was getting at and I tried to make it clear that I didn’t want Jill involved with this thing at all.

  He thought for a minute and then asked me if I remember him showing me the instructions from the Director. I told him that I did, but that everything is subject to change.

  “How about the part about the agency using all available resources to stop this thing from happening. And......that no matter who is involved or who gets hurt, we keep going. Not in those words, of course, but that’s what it meant,” he said graphically.

  “Yeah, but Jill is......”

  “He stopped me, “Jill is something special to you. You told me all about it before. She could be very helpful to us in getting information, since she knows and trusts you.”

  “You mean you want her to get involved?” I asked.

  “No......but if she does......let it happen. I promise that you’ll know each step we take. We’ll watch her like a hawk and if push comes to shove, we’ll get her out before anything drastic happens to her,” he said with authority. “But I’ll have to add, we’ll get her out, if possible.”

  “Your word?” I asked.

  “You’ve got it. If this was any other case......I’d say keep her out, but this is vital and if we fail, it could mean disaster for a lot of people. We have to keep going and do the job.”

  “I know we do. We’ll get it done.” I said forcefully.

  “That’s the way I like to hear you talk. Just like the old days. They were tough too and most of the time, all of us were in danger and could have lost our lives. Remember?”

  “Every minute of it. I think about it once in a while......but I try not to dwell on the past very much.” I said.

  “I know how you must feel, Harry. Ah......if she is going to be one of the four or five to go someplace other than Paris, you can warn her to be on guard. But, at the same time, you can’t let her get too involved or it’ll scare her off completely, and she’ll quit.”

  “She already knows that I’m not just a courier and has a pretty good suspicion that something big is going on. How much can I tell her?” I asked. “I want you and I to be on the same wave length so we don’t get crossed up.”

  He said, “I don’t know......just figure out a good story and let me in on it then.”

  “Well......how about that Heinman and Mead are involved in a smuggling operation and we don’t know exactly what it is yet. That’s the truth, but she wouldn’t have any idea of the severity of it.”

  “I think she’ll buy that, but think about it a little more and then make a decision. By the way, let me know the schedule as soon as you can. I want enough time to get everything down to the last niche and have enough agents to cover it.”

  The next day I called Bill to see if anything new had developed. He had received a couple of phone calls from two different locations up the coast about drownings of young women, but none fit the pattern we were looking for. At least, the Coast Guard and Law Enforcement people were on their toes and reporting to us.

  Jerry and I had made up a cover story in case Heinman or Mead saw us together talking and the same went for Bill. The story was that the both of them were friends of mine in the land development business. I was to do some photo work for them on the side, and doing it more than just for money but as a favor.

  DESTINY TAKES A HAND

  In Washington, I went through the motions, trying to do my job for Braxton, and at the same time, be alert enough to do my other assignment. I knew Jerry and his men were doing what they had to from the time we landed. All his men were top-of-the-line agents and knew their responsibilities. The element of danger was getting to be more of a concern and the tensions were mounting everywhere. Jill and the other four or five models could be slipped out of sight in an instant by Heinman and no one would know. The night before leaving Los Angeles, I did tell her about the smuggling thing that I discussed with Jerry, and for her to be extra careful. I didn’t go any further with the explanation, remembering about Jerry and the Director’s instructions.

  The company returned to Los Angeles, along with me after five days, and I waited impatiently for the other models to return. A week went by, and finally they arrived with Heinman, the Doctor, and his nurse. But this time a new face entered the picture......MEAD. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing debarking from the plane. What the hell was going on here, I thought to myself. It was really what Jerry and the rest of us were waiting for. Once the big man gets in there with the workers, you can bet that something other than normal is happening. This particular trip must have been very special and I hoped that Jerry knew what it was.

  Knowing how the system worked for the others involved, I broke a few speed records getting to the resort. I wanted to be there when they arrived, just to watch and see if everything was alright. If all things were to go by the same plan, the girls would be at the resort for a few days before getting on the boat. The limo's arrived just like before and the girls were escorted to one of the cottages. This time, I couldn’t get near the place. They had guards everywhere and I stayed far enough back to just view the outside action. No way could I get to see Jill or any of the others close enough to talk to them. But, using my binoculars, I could see a difference with the girls expressions. I didn’t want to think it was the same as before, but it looked like it could be.

  Finally, a day later, Jerry called and wanted to see me. He looked solemn when I approached him, and was staring out over the water without saying anything for a long minute. Turning toward me, his index finger rubbing his chin, he studied my face.

  Hesitantly, he started to talk with his head looking in a different direction than at me. “Harry......I have something to tell you and it isn’t going to be good news.”

  “About Jill?” I asked.

  “Yeah, about Jill. We followed all the girls as much as we could without being detected. But, there were a few times when we couldn’t, and that’s when they were in their rooms. Then, all of a sudden, five of them were gone. Luckily, one of our men spotted them leaving just in time and contacted me. He and I followed them in two different cars, using only one at a time to stay behind their car. They ended up at a house in Chevy Chase, Maryland.”

  “Did you see anything going on there?”

  “Only when they came out a couple days later. They had to be guided to the cars, and I guess that’s when I realized they must have been drugged inside the house.”

  I remarked, “I suspected that something was wrong when I saw them going into the cottage yesterday.”

  “Well, that’s it then.”

  “Do you remember the coroner’s report saying that this particular drug wasn’t the really bad one. Not the one that has death marked on it.”

  “But, it affects their memory depending on the dosage.”

  “Maybe she’ll be alright then.”

  “I hope so, Harry. It’s going to be a long road for her and the others. The one good thing is......they’ll all come back from this cruise. It’s the next one that we want to avoid.”

  “Do you know when the boat is supposed to leave,” he asked.

  “Day after tomorrow.”

  “That doesn’t give us much time, but I think we should follow them out and see where they go and what they do.”

  “What about the Coast Guard?” I asked, then added. “Let’s use them for tracking.”

  “You’re reading my mind. Give them a call and see what you can set up. They have the equipment to do the job, with all the new technology, it should be a snap.”

  “I’m going with them and see for myself. How about you......you going to go?”

  “Of course, I’m going. Things will start happening faster now because we’re making progress and finding out things a little at a time. We have to tighten our grip soon and even squeezing Heinman a little so he’ll start getting nervous. If we put enough pressure on him, he’ll make mistakes, and the more confused he gets......the better for us.”

  “What I’m hoping for is that he’ll go to Mead with his problems and then get more and more involved himself. And when that happens, guess what, we’ll have both of them together trying to move things faster. At least, that’s what I’m expecting to happen.” I said with enthusiasm.

  “Now you’re talking my language. Meads been so laid back through out the whole thing, that he didn’t leave any trail to follow and if he did he covered up any path he walked.”

  We stopped at a restaurant with an outdoor patio and ordered lunch. Watching the people walking by on the boardwalk was kind of relaxing. Some of them seemed fully content and glad to be alive. It made me realize that what we were doing was for the better of everyone. Sometimes in this job, everything seems to be geared to the bad side of life, and then you know deep down that if you didn’t do your job, the boardwalk wouldn’t be a happy place to be. Or anywhere else, for that matter.

  “You know something, Jerry. Talking about Mead being so laid back, and confident that Heinman is doing all the right things, is really the key. Heinman is a good soldier but would make a poor General.”

  “Yeah, I came to the same conclusion. The Doctor and nurse are another matter to contend with,” he remarked.

  “Do you have any records on them?”

  “A few, but nothing written in concrete. It seems they’re inseparable and always have worked as a team.”

  “Where are they from, anyhow?”

  “The good old USA. Well......not really. They came from Switzerland originally, but now they’re US Citizens.”

  “How the hell did that happen. If anything is slightly wrong, I thought they would be deported.”

  “I agree, but the immigration authorities let them in and gave them their citizenship. Everyone screws up once in awhile. They aren’t the only ones either, and they won’t be the last.”

  “Someday, I’d hope we’ll get smart enough in this country to run them all out,” I said.

  “I’d like to see that also, but it’s not going to happen. Just like the old cliché, give us your poor, your hungry, your destitute. But now it seems they added “what the hell......give us anyone”, however, if it wasn’t for that, we wouldn’t have this job, right.”

  After a short silence, Jerry said, “By the way, did you ever find out what is in those fenced-in buildings at the resort?”

  “No. And I don’t think there is a way, unless you raid it with an army. All I found out so far, is that the girls are taken in there for a short period of time, and then back to the cottages again. That’s just one of the buildings. The other one seems to be more stealthy. I think it may be a communications system set-up. You know, like a satellite transmitting station. The antennas are in place and they are constantly moving.”

  I’ll have it checked out by our experts in the field.” he said assuredly.

  We each went our separate ways from the restaurant. It was late afternoon and all I wanted to do right then was get a shower and relax at home for the evening. I walked to the parking lot and was just getting ready to unlock my car, when two of Heinman’s men approached me from behind. I recognized them immediately from seeing them around his office. The tall, husky one said that Mr. Heinman wanted to see me. When I asked what it was all about, both said they didn’t know, but I’d find out soon enough. The shorter one, although he wasn’t really short, told me to get in their car......and being the obedient person I was, entered the back seat without asking anymore questions. I didn’t have a clue what it was all about, as I strained my mind to the breaking point. What the hell did I screw up, I thought. But then, it may just be nothing at all and he wanted to talk about my work. Arriving at Heinman’s office, the two men escorted me through the door. He was seated at his desk and reading through some papers. He looked up and glanced at his two stooges, then nodded. They departed the room, closing the door as they left. He didn’t say anything for what seemed a long time, still looking at the same papers, one page, then another. When he was finished, he neatly placed the papers on his desk.

  Motioning, he said, “Have a seat, Mr. Silver.”

  I sat down in front of his desk, and he leaned back in his chair. His elbows resting on the arms of the chair and his two index fingers at his mouth, he looked very concerned.

  “Mr. Silver......my men tell me that you were at the beach this afternoon.”

  “Yes, I was,” I answered, shrugging my shoulders.

  “What were you doing there?” he asked abruptly.

  “I was there with a friend of mine. Just passing the day.”

  “Is that all there was to it, Mr. Silver?”

  “Well, he asked me to do him a favor and take some photo’s of a few of the building he is going to do some construction on.”

  “You mean, like a client?”

  “Well......not really a client. I promised that I would do it for him. But more because of doing it as a favor to him.”

  “I thought you worked for us, Mr. Silver?”

  “Well, yes. But I didn’t think that it would cause any problems since I was going to do it on my own time.” I answered.

  “What’s the name of this person, Mr. Silver?”

  Thinking about what Jerry and I had worked out, I said, “Howard Whiley.”

  Questioning me further, he asked, “Is your salary here inadequate?”

  “No. It’s very satisfactory.”

  “Then why do you have to moon-light?”

  “It’s really just a favor, like I said.”

  “Do you have Mr. Whiley’s phone number?”

  “Why, yes,” I answered handing him the number I had written on a piece of paper.

  “You mind if I call him, Mr. Silver?”

  “No, of course not.”

  I hoped Jerry was on his toes right now, or this whole thing could become a lot more than it seemed. I had the feeling that he was suspicious, of me for some reason that I couldn’t put my finger on. He dialed Jerry’s number and asked him a few questions about what I had told him. He must have gotten the right answers, because when he hung up, he said that my story had checked out.

  “In the future, Mr. Silver, I’d appreciate you telling me before you make any commitments other than those which deal with this company.”

  “Yes, I understand,” I said in an agreeable manner.

  “I guess my men were a little overly cautious. We have to be careful in this business, Mr. Silver. Every employee is responsible for maintaining secrecy about the operations of Mr. Meads company. You know that the design enterprises we deal with and furnish models to trust that we will maintain that secrecy. We didn’t know who your friend was and my men didn’t want to take any chances, so reported it to me. Sorry for the inconvenience. Don’t think anymore about it. My men will see to it that you get to your car.”

  He buzzed them on the intercom and as I walked out the door, I couldn’t help but feel the perspiration under my arm pits, from the tension. That was close, I thought, and I didn’t want to get that close again until I was ready on my own terms. I wondered if I’d be under suspicion and followed on a regular basis now. Looking over my shoulder all the time was second nature to me anyway. In this business, you sleep with one eye open, and do all kind of weird things. Like, putting a dime, or other small object against the door frame when you close it. If you don’t see it fall when you open the door, you’d better head for the hills. Either someone is waiting inside to blow your head off or beat the hell out of you. I consider myself pretty tough, but I can’t stand much pain. Skepticism was flowing like water now and questions as to the real reasons Heinman was having me followed, was at the top of my list.

  After contacting Jerry and Bill from a pay phone, I suggested that we meet openly. I explained about being followed and had to talk to Heinman about my activities. Both agreed it would be a good idea, so I asked that we meet at the race track.

  Using the Coast Guard for tracking was going to take a little more planning now, that my heals were being stepped on. I sure as hell didn’t want to be seen boarding a ship like that. Heinman would probably arrange a disappearance act for me, and I’d end up being a meal for some happy fish.

  Jerry and Bill met me at the track and we found a table halfway up the dining lounge. We ordered a drink and a sandwich and started looking over the racing program. Bill was studying each entry, while Jerry and I closed our eyes and just pointed to one of the horse names listed. Bill went to the window first and plunked down his two bucks and picked up the ticket. Then Jerry and I did the same. I’m not into racing as a past time and this was my first time at the track. Bill, on the other hand liked to come here once in a while. We asked him which horse he had chosen, and replied it was number eight. When we inquired how he came to that conclusion, he simply said, because he had a date with his wife tonight at that time. Shrugging our shoulders, we waited for the race to begin.

  The race netted us absolutely nothing, so all three of us decided it was time to talk about the more important things of the day. We didn’t see any familiar faces close to us, so we felt safe talking. I began by reminding them that we were supposed to go aboard the Coast Guard vessel, and had to find a way to do that.

  Looking at Bill, I said, “What about using your boat.”

  “How do you mean?” he asked.

  “We’ll take your boat out to meet the Cutter. If anyone sees us leaving, they’ll think we’re going fishing or just cruising. How does that sound to you?”

  Jerry, shaking his head in the affirmative, said, “Sounds good to me. It’s up to you. Do you want to do that?” he asked Bill.

  “Damn good idea. Are you guys going to reimburse me for the gas?” he asked jokingly.

  “I’ll buy you a beer,” I said.

  “It’s a deal. Since I know the Commander, I’ll get in touch with him and make the arrangements to meet at sea.”

  “Good. Make it for tomorrow afternoon, and that will give us time to get in position for the following day.” Jerry said.