Robert Waggoner - John - The Senior Killer

Her plan involved the FBI and as far as she was concerned the team could fit in the plan with the FBI. She worked diligently until noon and had skipped breakfast. She’d asked to you the computer to type the plan out and Billy provided her with a computer and a chair next to him. He left frequently to satisfy his nicotine habit and that gave her an opportunity to e- mails her lover. In a brief mail she told her she had no idea when she would be back home, but to not worry as she was safe and sound, but unable to call at this time.

Of course she knew a computer guy like Billy would be able to find her e-mail, but at this point she didn’t care. Just before noon she took a shower and went upstairs to find not a person around except Sujin’s sister and the old Korean lady. In perfect, accented English Earie told her the team was out on the beach and if she liked she could join them at noon at Devils Kitchen for lunch. Nancy decided some fresh air wouldn’t hurt any and asked her if she had some clothes for beach walking she could borrow. What Nancy didn’t know was that Mike had gone to town and bought her some sweats and beach shoes with a shirt that said, “Bandon by the Sea.” After changing clothes she helped carry the food and drink down to the beach.

Devils Kitchen is an old sea stack with a U shape perpendicular to the sea; a cove if you will; and with the wall to the west protecting the visitors from the relentless wind off the sea, it is a quite a nice place to have a picnic. The day was cool and clear. Only a small northwest wind was blowing. The team had a fire built out of driftwood and were sitting around in a casual looking mood as the bearers of food made their way to the fire.

Brad gave Nancy a smile and welcomed her to the area and told her he hoped her stay here would bring good memories in later times. Nancy was a little shocked and tried to smile for the first time in quite a while. All were sitting on the sand and she found a place made for her by Wendy. Some idle conversation was taking place about Mike’s farm down in Port Orford and Nancy wondered where that was. Sensing her lack of geography, Mike looked at her and said, “Port Orford is down the coast about twenty five miles from here and we have small farm east of the town. The town is mostly on the ocean bluff and if we have time, I would like to show you where we live and the town. It has a famous rock called, ‘Battle Rock’ with some strange stories whether true or false, nobody really knows.” The Korean women were taking out the famous picnic food for Koreans known as Kimbop. The contents are rice rolled up around vegetables and some meat. Then it is cut into half inch slices and dipped in a soy sauce it make a good snack. With it this time a hot spicy Kimchee Chaga soup is guaranteed to warm you up on a cold winter’s day. The soup is made up of Kimchee with lots of onions, garlic and some beef bones in addition to tofu into chunks makes a dandy dish.

By her second spoonful, Nancy was looking for some water to put out the fire. Sujin told her to take a bite of Kimbop and that would cool her mouth off. You need to alternate between the soup and the bop to keep the hot spicy soup from being too hot. Nancy waited and watched Brad eat and quickly got the hang of it.

Brad said after lunch, “Anyone for a walk on the beach?” To a person all agreed on a stroll up the beach.

Brad and Sujin were holding hands and Nancy was walking next to them when she said, “I hear congratulations are in order. I’m happy for you and wish you the best. I was married once and found out I couldn’t have children. No don’t feel sorry for me, I have a significant one with whom I love dearly and we are quite comfortable with our arrangement. I want to take this opportunity,” as she kicked some sand, “to say how sorry I am for what I said at the press conference. I’m just as guilty as my Director, but I intend to make it up to you given a chance.”

“Sujin said, “I don’t think any harm will come from it. We are well protected here and one man would have a difficult time sneaking up on us”

Brad chimed in saying, “I agree with Sujin and you are forgiven. However, we still need your help to catch this guy. You have an excellent record of organizing and implementing a well laid plan. We are counting on you to lend us a hand.” Nancy felt much better and felt some of her shield coming down. Watching Wendy and agent Jones chasing each other and running through the surf, made her feel old and out of touch with reality. Tunnel vision, she thought. She vowed to live again even if was for only a few days on the Oregon coast. In later years she had fond memories of that short time with some really fine people.

On the way back, Wendy and agent Jones were standing by the same rock they had climbed blindfolded. Brad, Sujin and Nancy walked up and saw the grins on their faces. Wendy said, “Watch this,” and agent Jones put a handkerchief around her head covering her eyes. Only this time he spun her around a time or two to disorient her and told her to get climbing. She stopped and listened and slowly turned to the sea stack. Touching the rock, she felt it all over and then satisfied with her sense of touch, climbed the rock and back down like she could see with her eyes. Agent Jones was next and he duplicated the feat and both clapped at their success, along with Brad, Sujin and Nancy who had no idea what was going on. Agent Jones asked her if she would like to try and Nancy laughed and declined telling them she had trouble climbing stairs with two eyes let alone climbing a rock blindfolded.

After the newscast Clyde sat there deep in thought. He switched the TV off and opened the laptop again. Goggle Earth came up with the map of Washington State. He stared at the screen looking at the ‘A’ towns and thought about the newscast. Have they located the clue already, he thought. Do I or don’t I follow through or should I change my plan. So much work, he thought went into making a ‘C’ for his next word of ‘Catch. ’ Maybe I will flaunt it in front of them and then I will give them a clue to the next part of my scheme. Well, he said to himself, there is no way they can catch me and come spring, Aberdeen better look out.

For Nancy the week passed quickly and Brad and team thought she had a good plan for the FBI to support the team’s plan. Brad decided to take a risk and send everyone home for the holidays. It was a gamble, but just to make sure he and Nancy put in place some retired FBI agents in each of the towns and in Arden the retired agent would stay in Colville which is just up the road from the sawmill town of Arden.

Nancy took a flight from North Bend to Portland connecting to Washington D.C. Billy stayed at the house as Brad and Sujin flew to Seoul, South Korea. Brad had his fingers crossed that nothing would happen until after the holidays and maybe not until spring. He felt in his bones John was holed up for the winter somewhere in the Cascade Mountains either in Oregon or Washington.

Brad and Sujin spent a week at her mother’s house and her mother and father were very happy to hear a baby was coming. Sujin also had a chance to meet her client about her photographer and made an appointment for next year sometime. She was vague, but the guy knew what prima donnas artist were like.

After Seoul they flew to Palm Springs to have Christmas with Brad’s parents. It was a time to relax and Brad and his father played a lot of golf with his father’s friends who were thrilled to play golf with the famous Brad Pratt. After the press conference he was a household name spread across the globe and now he was doubly cautious of a hit man looking to fatten his wallet from the bounty on his head. Rocky was flown to Palm Springs ahead of them and was excited to see them. Gwen said he spent most of his time staring at the front door waiting for them. Phillip took him for walks every day and they became attached to one another. His parents were sorry to see them leave after Christmas and Brad promised them a pup from Sandy when she had her litter. Before leaving Brad filled his father in on the details and his father looked pleased as punch when they left.