Leonard did not need to be reminded to call her. In light of the apparent urgency of her request it was exactly what he intended. He stuffed the little bag in his coat pocket. His appreciation or lack of Gabriel's unexpected company had taken a three hundred sixty-degree turn. The guy turned out to be a wealth of possible leads.
"Thanks, Gabriel. I appreciate you." He meant it.
"When you get a chance," Gabriel said, "we must finish that chess match. I left the board just as it was two months ago. You better be ready though. I've been studying that board. I plan to kick your ass and dethrone your king."
Leonard smiled. "Will do," he said, feeling sorry about Gabriel's innocence of the fact he had no idea his good friend had passed on. He felt a tinge of remorse for deceiving Gabriel, who he sensed was genuine in his feelings for Lawrence, but Leonard was on a mission and had no time to overindulge in feelings of guilt or sympathy right now. Dismissing the thought, he placed the key in the door lock.
"One thing more." Gabriel moved closer to Leonard and lowered his voice to a whisper. "You haven't said anything to your colleagues about your little discovery yet, have you?"
Leonard had no idea what the hell Gabriel was referring to and it would have made him thoroughly suspicious if Leonard pressed him for more information, so he had no choice but to play along. "No, I have not," he replied with equal secrecy. "Why do you ask?"
"Why?" repeated with a little bewilderment, "Man, you know you can't trust government types. I was contemplating that too while on sabbatical. Keep it to yourself long as you can until you can really be sure it's secure. Even then. Anyway." Gabriel started to leave. "See you around. Hope to be soon. As usual I'll keep an eye on your place while you're gone."
"Gabriel, wait."
Gabriel returned. "Yeah?"
"I… I'm a little embarrassed," Leonard said, "but… I forgot your phone number. Can you right it down and I'll be sure to place in my cell phone when I get another one, which I plan tomorrow."
"You forgot my number?" Gabriel said. "I didn't even know you memorized it. Who does that nowadays?"
"Yeah, well," Leonard said, feeling a little stupid.
Gabriel tore a piece of paper from the grocery bag. "Pen?"
Leonard knew he didn't have one but patted himself anyway out of pretense.
"Never mind," Gabriel said, reaching in his jacket pocket pulling one out. "Just wanted to see if you ever took my other advice to always carry a pen with you, absent minded professor that you be. You know that brilliant mind of yours is always working – sometimes." He smiled jovially.
Leonard smiled too. He was beginning to understand why Lawrence liked this dude, as Gabriel jotted the number on the paper and handed it to him.
"Don't lose it," Gabriel said.
"Promise," Leonard said, reflecting on Gabriel's mysterious revelation and the fact they would not be seeing the last of each other
CHAPTER 6
Kevin Hollister is the director of the Central Intelligence Agency. He is in appearance an unassuming man in his late fifties with streaks of gray in an otherwise full head of hair. His eyes are narrow and seem always to be looking into the distance, except when he is involved in a one-on-one conversation. Further investigation into the man would reveal a person of sharp wit and intelligence. For him emotion plays a limited role in the world of clandestine activity and security for the United States of America. He brings to the table a wealth of knowledge in history, geography and the political sciences to name a few and is an aficionado of the Star Wars franchise. He is a man's man of the world and patriotically dedicated to his job. Some say he borders fanatical in his zealousness. He believes not in wasting time or involving himself in petty squabbles or conversation. He sits in the back seat of a black Mercedes Benz C600 that cruises in silence on the wet black top of I-95 south. A clear Plexiglas, sound and bullet-proof partition divides him and his passenger from the middle-aged African American chauffeur. His companion seated next to him is none other than Bill Polar.
"You think we'll get his cooperation?" Hollister inquired, his voice soft but firm.
"Can't be certain," Bill said.
"Did he mention anything at all about what topic or topics may have come up in the conversation he had with his son?"
"No sir." Bill said.
"Not surprising. Which could mean something poignant was shared between them. They weren't chit-chatting about the weather. Jack's not the kind of man to chit-chat. Given the situation and relationship that's developed between he and Leonard, I'd bet he knows more than he let on about."
"I believe so too," Bill agreed.
Silence between them returned. Night blanketed the city, as both men looked out of the tinted windows onto the blackness, which if it were not for the incandescent lamps scattered along the highway, would appear to be standing still.
"He actually may have said more than he realized," Bill said, breaking the silence.
"Based on?"
"He asked me whether or not I knew of the possibly that Lawrence was murdered."
Hollister looked at Bill with a rare expression of surprise briefly flaring in his expression before he regained composure. "You think that may have been what they discussed?" Hollister asked.
"Strong possibility," Bill said.
Hollister returned his gaze out the window, retreating again into deep contemplation. "That complicates an already complicated matter," he said. "And what was your response?"
"Surprise. And denial of course."
"Of course," Hollister agreed with a slight tinge of sarcasm that was not lost on Bill. "Think he believed you?"
"He did. Sir, you think Leonard will look to avenge his brother's murder if he does find out that to be the case?"
Hollister entertained two thought dimensions: one here in the car with Bill, the other in a place known only to himself. "You tell me. You know him better than I."
Bill took in a deep breath that coincided with his thoughts. "It's been some years since I had any contact with Leonard. Knowing what I do about his psychological profile, he's capable. Violence is something he goes out of his way to avoid. It's almost devotional. But not just because he morally dislikes violence. His real opposition to it is because he's damn good at not suffering or controlling his capacity to feel guilt or remorse."
"About committing violence?" Hollister quizzed.
"About anything," Bill said. Yet, he has a deep sense of compassion."
"So your saying," Hollister surmised, "he has the ability of turning his psychosis on and off."
"Odd and unheard of as that is, sir, that's correct."
"Did the rest of them possess this ability - the brother and mother I mean?"
"During our studies of them at the time, no," Bill said. "It appeared only Leonard did. At the time."
"What does at the time imply?" Hollister wanted to know.
"Their abilities showed promise of a progressive feature. In other words, they could potentially develop an endowment that at one point wasn't displayed. So, I can't be certain if the mother now had advanced to that faculty or not."
"Jesus" Hollister appeared impressed, definitely interested and a bit frightened at the prospect. "They're potentially more dangerous than I even realized," he said. "Would love to have this Leonard on our side. You think that's possible?"
Bill pondered a beat before he said, "I'm afraid, sir, it just may be too late."
Hollister says, "This is going to get ugly,"
"Takes time, sir. Energy to build something worthwhile, but only seconds to destroy it. Remember the Titanic? To be honest with you, potentially, Leonard is potentially the iceberg that proved indestructible isn't."
Hollister did not like the sound of that at all. It was unnerving to say the least. And he was not the man that dealt lightly with threats real or potential.
"Can Jack be trusted," Hollister fished? "Where would you place his loyalty?"
"Hard to say. He's married. A family man."
"And?"
"Familiar with Shaka Zulu, sir?"
"The historic South African ruler of the Zulu people? Not completely, no. Why, is this another of your armchair parables?"
Bill completely ignored Hollister's invective. It was a story he loved telling, and he refused to be deprived of the pleasure. "During the early 1800's he was King of the Zulu nation. He was cunning, ruthless, showed little to no mercy, except when it benefited him in defeating or annihilating an enemy. Through his methods and philosophy, he built a formidable army of warriors to such an extent that for fifty years after Shaka's assassination the British could not conquer that part of Africa."
Hollister was not the least interested. "Your point is?"
"Shaka practiced separating married soldiers from unmarried ones," Bill continued. "He created separate living quarters for them because he believed a married man was a necessary evil – a weakness to an extent but a part of his army, nonetheless. Since his retirement Jack's had more time to indulge weakness."
"You had to beat around the proverbial bush to just say that?" Hollister said. "So your saying to use him to our advantage."
"Wouldn't hurt to try," responded Bill. "We're already set on that course. May as well try to salvage something out of it before the worse happens."
Hollister pondered that recommendation for some time.
"Consider this also," Hollister said. "On the other side of that equation it could give them both time that could eventually work against us. I deem it safe to assume Jack's commitment is solidified to what's left of his family and I presume also he too is aware of his son's potential."
"Very much so," Bill confirmed. "He was at the forefront in the development of the program that harnessed their abilities."