“Broken leg, hell,” retorted Morrison. “From what I understand, it was more like a severely fractured hip, a spiral break of the femur, and a dislocated shoulder, for good measure. Why, Ricky’s still packing so much iron, he’s got to carry a doctor’s prescription to get through the White House metal detector.”
“My goodness, lad,” said Hartwell. “How in the world did you manage to do all that damage?”
“Bicycle accident,” Ricky revealed. “Hit a patch of green moss on my mountain bike while crossing a creek in Big Sur State Park.”
“If it wasn’t for a curious park ranger, there’s a good chance that Ricky wouldn’t be with us today,” said Morrison. “The way your father tells it, you were riding alone in some pretty desolate terrain, and by the time the paramedics arrived, you were in shock and close to succumbing to hyperthermia.”
Vince looked at the young man with newfound respect. “Considering the damages, I’d say you’re doing remarkably well.”
“I was lucky to get through surgery in one piece,” Ricky returned. “And it doesn’t hurt to have a father who’s chief of staff at Bethesda Naval hospital. For two months, I wasn’t allowed to put any weight on my leg, which left me a virtual cripple. I had to move out of my San Francisco apartment and move in with my folks back in D. C.” where they fed and dressed me just like I was an infant again.”
“What kind of rehab program are you on?” asked Vince.
“My father’s got me walking a full hour everyday, and I’m allowed to do basic aerobics. I’ve also started working out on an exercise bike, though all in moderation.”
“Have you checked out the ship’s Gym?” Vince questioned.
Ricky’s eyes widened. “That’s where I was headed next”
Samuel Morrison looked over at the closed doors of the Boardroom and then back to Vince. “There’s no reason for both of us to have to cool our heels out here, Kellogg. If you’d like, why don’t you accompany Ricky down to the Gym? Then you can ask Liu all about that hospital visit.”
This offer sounded fine with Vince, who readily left the crowded anteroom with Ricky at his side. The youngster’s limp was more apparent as they headed for the Quarter Deck and the elevator that would take them down into the ship’s interior.
Much to their disappointment, they found the Gym locked. Vince knocked on the frosted glass door. It was finally opened by Dennis Liu’s daughter Kristin.
Vince noted how Ricky’s interest seemed to perk up the moment he set his eyes on Kristin. She looked as cute as she had back on the pier, though now her fit figure was further accentuated by a flesh-colored spandex body suit A bit hesitantly, Kristin invited them inside and apologized for her father’s reluctant decision to temporarily close the facility until all the exercise machines were up and running. It seemed that the compartment was still experiencing electrical difficulties and that their computer expert was having problems addressing them.
A quick scan of the facility on Vince’s part found no evidence of this repair effort, or the individual responsible for it. Max Kurtyka was nowhere to be found.
Dennis Liu was all smiles as he emerged from the Gym’s office and walked over to the doorway. He too apologized for the unexpected problems they were having. Vince was surprised when Ricky spoke up and offered his assistance. Ricky’s college major was in computer sciences and he was most familiar with the design of the software utilized in their equipment.
Even though Dennis Liu graciously refused this offer, Ricky informed him that if he should change his mind, they could always reach him in the ship’s Medical Office. Vince suspected that Ricky’s ulterior motive was to get a chance to know Kristin better. They were the same age, and as it turned out after Ricky mentioned the origin of his limp, had shared similar experiences.
Only the year before, Kristin had fallen off a balance beam and broken her ankle so badly, a steel implant was necessary to correct it. She too had to surrender to the care of her father. From Ricky’s eyes, Vince knew the boy had found a potential confidante.
They agreed to meet later during the captain’s cocktail party. Vince chanced to see the strange look Liu gave his daughter as she accepted the date. Was this glance simply that of an overprotective father, or did it have an ulterior meaning? Vince supposed that he’d have to be a father himself to know the answer, and he decided this would be an opportune moment to ask Liu about his recent hospital visit.
Before he could do so, Tuff stormed into the room.
The broad-shouldered security man looked relieved upon spotting Vince.
“Excuse me, Special Agent Kellogg. But could I have a word with you, sir?”
Vince followed Tuff out into the Lobby. “Sir, the ship has just received a Level-Two security alert. The warning was issued from Washington, and includes a fax sent to your attention. I was up in Radio when it arrived. It looks like we’re the object of a legitimate bomb threat!”
13
The view from the rear cabin of the Bell UH-1F Huey helicopter was a magnificent one, Thomas Kellogg thought as he peered out the open hatchway. Five-thousand feet below, a seemingly endless expanse of thick pine forest hugged this portion of the Allegheny foothills. An occasional river could be seen snaking its way through the sparsely populated woods, the sparkling waters illuminated by the late summer sun.
Thomas shifted his line of sight to refocus on the two lane highway they had been following ever since leaving Winchester, Virginia, a half hour before. Traffic was light, and as they continued following the road westward, he doubted that he had counted more than a dozen vehicles traveling this twisting, concrete artery.
Behind him Mike Galloway was perched beside the opposite hatch. Both of them were outfitted in black coveralls, with BATF emblems on the chest.
They also wore black flight helmets fitted with speakers and clip-on chin microphones. An umbilical cord connected them to the Huey’s intercom, where a channel had been reserved for their use.
“I imagine there’s some excellent fishing down there,” observed Galloway, whose amplified voice rose over the constant clattering roar of the Huey’s rotors.
Thomas repositioned his microphone in front of his lips and replied, “I bet the hunting’s good, as well. Too bad we can’t give it a try.”
“Thanks again for taking me along, Thomas. It’s refreshing to finally escape the office.”
“I’m the one who should be thanking you, Mike. I doubt that the postmaster of Winchester would have been so quick to divulge the location of our clerk’s cabin, if you weren’t there.”
“I still can’t believe that our man picks today to start his vacation,” Galloway reflected.
“I just hope it’s worth all this trouble tracking him down. Maybe he doesn’t even remember our suspect.”
“Have faith in your U. S. Postal Service, Thomas.”
“Special Agent Kellogg,” interrupted the voice of the pilot. “It looks like we’ve spotted the first turnoff up ahead.”
Thomas backed away from the hatch and headed forward to a position immediately behind the open flight deck. The Huey’s pilot was seated in the right-hand position. The former Army warrant officer wore a green flight suit, with an air atf patch on it. His copilot was similarly attired, and had a map spread out on her lap.
“I’m going to take us down to four thousand feet before beginning this next course change,” informed the pilot.
Thomas watched as he pushed down on the collective pitch stick with his left hand. The Huey descended. Thomas looked out the cockpit’s wraparound windshield. Ahead of them the highway crossed over a swift-moving river which the copilot identified.