Daniel Ganninger - Icarus Investigations 01 - Flapjack (35 page)

-Chapter 68-

Galveston was up early again the next morning, and this time I startled him as I walked in our room.

“
And where have you been, young man,” he said giving me one of his judging looks.

“
No where Dad, just putting up the car,” I replied smartly.

“
I’ll bet you did,” he smirked.

“
Yeah, I have no idea what that means.”

“
You know, putting away the car,” he said motioning with his hands in a circular fashion, trying to get me to say more.

“
Yeah, that doesn’t work,” I replied again.

“
Yeah, it really doesn’t,” he said, sort of broken.  “So you were with Jane, huh?”

“
No, I was out helping stray cats, yes, of course I was with Jane.” 

“
You sly dog.  How did that happen?”  He asked.

“
You know, I’m not sure.  We had a couple of drinks and then we were tired.  I didn’t want to wake you.  There’s not much more to say than that.  How about Elizabeth?  I noticed she didn’t arrive back to Jane’s room.”

“
Same as you two, just too tired,” he replied following my lead.  “You really like her, don’t you?”

“
Yes, I really do.  I think I’m even falling in…”  Galveston stopped me midsentence with a raised finger.

“
I wouldn’t say that,” he told me.

“
And why not?”  I inquired.

“
It’s a little soon, don’t you think?  I’m just saying; when you say those words everything changes.  Maybe just give it a little time before you drop that bomb and scare her off,” he instructed me.

“
Uh huh,” was all I could respond back.  But I wanted to say it, and I would have last night, but the timing wasn’t right.  What did he know anyway?  I decide to keep my thoughts about my love life to myself.  I knew I hadn’t felt this way about someone in a long time, and I was tired of thinking I needed to play games.  Once this was over I was going to tell her, but for now we had business to deal with.

My part for the day’s events would be vital to its success.  I was in charge of sequestering Placer and Eastman before the big unveiling
.  I had bought a nice blue outfit from a hip clothier that had the name Dave on one side and Eagle Maintenance on the other.  I had decided it would be better to be slightly incognito to allow better movement about the rooms.  I set the outfit out on the bed, ready to get into character.  I went over my duties, what to say, and how to act. 

The bottom floor
convention area of the hotel was open for our operation.  Alex came into the room as we were finishing the final touches to our plan.

“
Dr. Sloan is done and it’s impressive,” he told us briefly.  “It’s going to be an eye popper.”

“
Good,” Galveston replied.  “Go ahead and tell everyone we’ll get breakfast across the street and we’ll work over any new information or concerns.  I need to check on one more thing before we go.”

Alex left to relay the message to the other group members while
Galveston dialed his phone.

“
David, do you have anything new for us.  We’re all ready here.  Your colleagues are on their way, and they’ve been briefed.”

“
Excellent job,” May said to Galveston.

“
Do you have anything about Murray?”  Galveston asked him.

“
Yeah, we can’t find him anywhere.  We know he’s in Chicago.  We were able to locate the hotel he was staying at, but he’s not there.  He checked out late at night a day ago.  He never returned his rental car to O’Hare, and he was scheduled on a flight to L.A. under the name of Horace Guildman.  He never made it there.  We have a bulletin out for the car, but nothing has come up yet.”

“
Where was he going from L.A.?”  Galveston asked.

“
Tahiti and Bora Bora, that’s what was scheduled.  I think he’s still in Chicago, though.”

“
He was trying to get out of the country.  It looks like the bait about Dr. Sloan’s death worked.  I’m sure he informed Chase about the doctor’s demise,” Galveston said.

“
I agree. We’ll continue to look for him.  He’s an important suspect in this case.  That’s all I got, let me know how the operation goes.  We’ll apprehend Chase if we can get some credible information on him.”

“
Got ya, David.  We’ll do our best,” Galveston replied, hanging up the phone, and relayed the information to me.  We needed Murray in custody to stop this thing from going further and to help the case against Chase.  He couldn’t go on hiding forever. 

B
oy, were we wrong on that one.

-Chapter 69-

Alex, Dr. Sloan, Galveston and I sat down for breakfast minus Elizabeth and Jane who had opted for some exercise instead, probably to look extra good for Eastman.  The twists and turns of this whole case and the current operation had already begun to run us down, but now we were on the final stretch. 

Alex and Dr. Sloan
had already ordered, and sat busily eating large stacks of pancakes with sides of eggs and bacon.  We quickly ordered some food so we could join in on the gorge-fest.

“
Save some for the rest of us, will ya?”  Galveston said to Alex, smiling.

He
grunted like a caveman and continued his feast.

“
Dr. Sloan, could you explain, maybe in layman’s terms, how your battery works?  I mean, during this whole time, I don’t think any of us really know how it works,” I asked the doctor as he neatly wiped egg from his face.

“
Gladly, let me see,” he stroked his chin.  “Why don’t I use my pancakes to demonstrate.”

He cut his pancakes into a rectangular shape.

“Think of these as layers of metal, a ceramic material, and a lithium alloy, with a chemical compound called barium titanate between them.  They’re stacked one on top of the other.  These layers are paper thin, and have a layer of cellulose material between each stack that acts as an insulator, minimizing voltage loss.”

He took a piece of bacon and placed it between one of the pancake stacks. 
“There is a group of nanowires that run between these layers.  A group at Stanford designed this technology for use in ultracapacitors.  I reworked the same concept into my battery design.  Think of a capacitor as a storage depot of energy.  Now an ultracapacitor is able to store a tremendous amount of energy which increases the speed of conduction.  All this is enclosed in a case and filled with a hydrochloric acid solution, very similar in viscosity to syrup.”  He poured syrup over his rectangular pancakes. 

“
It’s then energized using high voltage, which allows the ions to attach themselves onto the sheets.  Now here’s the part you gentlemen are familiar with,” he placed his fork next to his pancakes.  “There is an output circuit and it can switch from direct current to alternating current.  Instead of the current continuously flowing out, it can change and essentially trap the current.  It can propagate back to the sheets, increasing their efficiency, allowing the maximum current to be used with little resistance.  Think of it as a faucet that sucks the water back up that doesn’t need to be used.  This battery acts like any other, just more efficient with a larger amount of stored usable energy.  That’s about it.”  He peeled the pancakes back and grabbed the piece of bacon while Alex nodded his head and smiled widely, chewing on more food.

“
Brilliant,” I said, pretending to fully understand his explanation.

“
You know, Professor, we don’t even have a name for your battery.  What do you call it?”  Galveston asked.

“
You know, I haven’t even thought of it before.  Do you have any suggestions?”

“
I have one.  Electrical Amplitude Transistor,” Alex suggested.

“
Yeah, abbreviated EAT.  It’s not food you know,” Galveston quipped.  “It needs a name for what it looks like, something catchy and a little whimsical.”  Everyone thought hard for a name.

“
You like pancakes, right Dr. Sloan?”  I asked him.

“
Of course, I eat them every chance I can get,” he responded.

“
Well how about we call it
Flapjack
? I mean, you did just use your breakfast to explain it to us and it does resemble a stack of pancakes, albeit rectangular pancakes,” I said proudly.

“
You know, I like it.  I think it sums it up well without being wordy,” the doctor agreed.

“
Well that settles it then,
Flapjack
it is,” Galveston announced.

-Chapter 70-

Galveston and I spent the remainder of the day out of sight, as did Dr. Sloan.  Alex had the enormous task of setting up Dr. Sloan’s demonstration, with the help of the hotel staff.

In the hall, Alex had managed to get all the things Dr. Sloan had asked for.  There were three small cars parked side by side, two tables filled with lamps of various sizes, cellular phones, and
a multitude of Christmas lights.  Next to the table sat three computers with monitors, and at the very end sat a lone coffee pot on a small table.  Wires connected all of the items together to a rectangular box sitting in the middle of the various pieces.

Alex had made a crude sign that read,
“
Flapjack
-Sponsored by the Energy Freedom Foundation”.   The time read 4:45 P.M.  Our main guest was to arrive shortly.  Placer had arrived about an hour earlier and been lead to the room where he would do his work while Elizabeth and Jane waited for the Senator to arrive in the hotel lobby.

Alex corralled the media into the hall as quickly as he could to keep the outside lobby relatively quiet. 
As he entered the convention hall, he closed the door behind him.  My heart began to race as 4:50 hit my watch.  I looked nervously toward the stairs from the main hotel lobby, anxiously awaiting Elizabeth and Jane to appear with Eastman, and as Placer told us, a brown attaché bag that the Senator always kept by his side.   Finally, I heard the footsteps I was listening for, followed by a booming voice.  The ladies walked beside Eastman, who was already trying to impress them with his pseudo charms. He carried the bag at side, just as we had hoped. 

I walked to the door and opened it slightly.  P
lacer was pacing the room nervously, back and forth from one wall to another.

“
He’s here,” I whispered to him as I stuck my head in the door.  Placer jumped at the sound of my voice, but managed to compose himself to give me a nod of his head. 

I closed the door slightly and retreated around the corner
and to an adjacent room.  I knocked and was let in by Special Agent Avery of the San Diego FBI field office.  He was in charge of this portion of the operation.  Two other agents were huddled around a group of monitors showing the room Placer was in.  I could hear Placer breathing hard via the hidden microphones in the room.

“
You can have a seat there,” Agent Avery told me pointing to a chair next to the other men.

“
Thanks, I’m really nervous,” I told him.

“
As long as our boy does what he’s told, we’ll be alright,” he told me, motioning to Placer on the monitor.

Back in the hall, the ladies had led the Senator to the room.  Luckily he had traveled alone
, except for a brown attaché case he was carrying.  This wasn’t something he wanted an aide around for.  The women had managed to get a few drinks in him before he came down, the reason for the delay.

“
Senator, Mr. Placer is in this room.  He’s been waiting for you.  We’ll retrieve you when the presentation is ready and the media is set,” Elizabeth told him.

“
I’d rather stay with you ladies, but I guess its business first,” Eastman said trying to be charming, while giving a slight pat to Jane’s bottom.

“
Don’t worry, we’ll be back,” Jane assured him, winking, and trying to hold down her lunch.

The Senator opened the door,
went in, and Elizabeth closed the door behind him.  I saw him enter on the video monitor and noticed he had a crass air about him.  He even walked like a prick.  I hoped he wouldn’t just steamroll over Placer, but Placer surprised me immediately.  I noticed his body language change from passivity to that of dominance.  He perked up and stood taller with his hands on the back of a chair.  It was at this moment that I figured he knew he had the upper hand in their meeting.

“
I take it everything is in place?”  Eastman immediately asked Placer.

“
Of course.  The device is ready,” he lied with confidence.

“
I’m a little confused why we’re having the unveiling here in San Diego.  I thought you were going to do this in Brazil?”

“
Things change Senator.  The part we needed in order to finish the product was here, so I decided to save time and release it here.  It’s going to be produced in Brazil,” Placer told him emphatically.

“
Good, and no other problems?”  He asked.

“
None,” Placer lied again, “except one.”

“
And what would that be?”

“
It’s come to my attention that you haven’t been completely honest with me Senator, about your role in all this,” Placer stated, beginning to press him.

“
What are you talking about Tim?”

“
I know you’ve been talking to Weston Chase,” he said bluntly.  Eastman didn’t flinch.

“
Chase?  No, I haven’t been talking with Chase.  And if I had, what does that have to do with anything?”  Eastman responded coolly.

“
I’ve heard from Murray, Wallace Murray.”

“
What the hell are you talking about Tim?  I don’t know any Wallace Murray.”  Eastman continued to stay calm and didn’t let the name affect him.

“
I know that Chase is setting me up and I know you are too.”  I noticed on the monitor that Placer was becoming angry, but Eastman continued to hold his ground.

“
I don’t know what you’re talking about Tim.  Setting you up for what, exactly?”  He inquired.

“
I know you’re setting Black Bear up to fail, and you’re going to turn us in to the Feds.  Murray told me.  Just be straight with me, and tell the truth for once in your life,” Placer said emphatically.

“
Look Tim, you little jerk.  I don’t know what you’re talking about, and you better watch your mouth or I’ll call the SEC myself about your little accounting practices,” Eastman shot back, but Placer didn’t stop.

“
Ed, I want in on this.  Don’t leave me hanging out to dry here.  I’ll offer more than what Chase is giving you.  How about an off shore account with, let’s say, eight million, will that do it?  I can make it worth your while.”  Placer had changed tactics, but the Senator continued to choose his words carefully.

“
I’m not involved with Chase, and I haven’t spoken to him.”  Eastman was guarding his golden ticket well, and wouldn’t reveal his connection.

“
Sixteen million.  Eight now and eight after we start getting orders.  You can’t beat that.  It would be untraceable.  I have it sitting in Brazil right now.”

“
You don’t have access to that kind of money from Black Bear,” Eastman countered.

“
I do in my personal account.  I’m going to make that back four times over after this thing breaks.  I’ll transfer eight million right after the presentation to your off shore account.  Simple as that.”

“
And what do you want in return?”  Eastman asked.

“
I want you to get Chase off my back.  I know you can get the Feds involved in his life.  Just keep him away from us.  You’ll get your usual payment that we agreed to before.  How much did we agree to again?”  Placer asked, setting Eastman up nicely.

“
You know what we agreed, ten percent of the profits,” Eastman answered and unknowingly implicated himself.  I watched him on the monitor, and I could sense the greed bubbling to the top.

“
So if I get Chase out of the picture for whatever he is up to, and like I told you, I haven’t spoke to him, then we’ll agree on these amounts,” Eastman announced, almost licking his chops.  He had no intention of stopping Chase.  His payback from that operation was too great, but he could be eight million dollars richer in the process.  His greed had just proven to be his downfall.

“
Agreed Senator, there will be eight million in your account after the presentation,” Placer told him.

Agent Avery looked at me
, and nodded his head.

“
He just made a bad mistake,” he announced to the other men who continued to monitor the conversation. 

In one simple conversation, the Senator had implicated himself
.  He was using his position to gain profit, and on top of that, he was breaking a host of other Federal laws.  We were still missing an implication of Chase’s involvement, however, and that’s what we desperately needed.  Placer had done an excellent job, but the Senator knew there was no reason to talk about Chase further.  It was our hope that once he realized that this wasn’t an Ecomax event, and that the press was there in droves, he would sing like a canary about Chase to the FBI.  That was our hope, at least.

“
I think that’s all we’re going to get,” Special Agent Avery told me.  “Get the ladies to take them in the convention hall.”

I jumped at the instruction
, and went out into the hallway.  I found Jane and Elizabeth sitting on chairs outside the room.  I motioned for them to start phase two.  The ladies knocked on the door and opened it, telling the men that they were ready for them to enter the presentation.

They lead the men out of the room and walked them toward the front entrance of the large hall
.  Elizabeth stopped the men before they entered.

“
I’m sorry Senator, but there is a lot of media at this event.  Do you need to use the bathroom first, maybe to freshen up?”  She asked nicely, knowing the substance she had placed in the Senator’s drink earlier would increase his urge to use the bathroom.

“
How old do you think I am, honey?  I don’t need to use the john.  I didn’t drink that much,” Eastman said smirking, but feeling that he did, in fact, need to urinate quickly.

“
I insist Senator, you have a few hairs out of place and I want you to look as good as you usually do.  Plus, I don’t want to be the reason you had to leave a function with the press unexpectedly,” she said batting her eyes at him.

“
Alright darlin’.  If you insist.”  He clearly thought she was trying to get him alone.

“
The bathroom is right over there, around the corner,” she said pointing in its general direction.  He disappointedly followed her instruction but hurried to the bathroom.

I had managed to walk behind them unnoticed in my fashionable blue
repairman coveralls, and entered the bathroom before Eastman arrived.  I picked up a bucket filled with water I had left there earlier, put it down beside the urinal, and proceeded to tinker around with the chrome flushing mechanism.  The Senator entered the bathroom and saw me standing in front of them.

“
I’m sorry Sir,” I began to say, “these are out of order, you’ll have to use one of the stalls.” 

He only grunted in reply and proceeded to the nearest toilet stall.  I peeked under the door as he closed it
, and saw that he had placed the brown attaché bag on the floor.  Immediately I flushed both urinals, kicked over the bucket, and sent a torrent of water flowing over the floor and under the stall. 

“
Shit!” was all I heard from Eastman when the water splashed over the bag and his feet.

“
I’m sorry, Sir.  This leak is getting worse.  Just hold on a second. I’ll clean that up for you.” 

I grabbed a bunch of paper towels and knocked on the stall door.  He opened it up and looked at me with fury
, as the water had splashed up his pant leg.  “I’m sorry about that.  Here,” I said handing him the towels, “and let me get your bag dried off.”  I reached for the attaché and pulled it out of the stall as he began dabbing at his pant leg.

“
Get out and let me piss,” he scowled at me.

“
Yes sir, sorry, just let me get this dried up,” I tried to say to him.  He only grunted again in return.

“
I can’t believe this,” I said continuously, letting the sound hide what I was doing.  I quickly opened the case and peered inside as I dabbed at it with the towels.  Inside were a bunch of papers and a blue binder.  I scanned them quickly and found they were mostly messages and pending legislation, nothing of interest to us.  I then pulled out the blue binder and looked at the first page.  It read, “United States Energy Revitalization and Alternative Energy Act”.  “This seems promising”, I thought.  I pulled out the entire binder and stuffed it deep into the trashcan, underneath a pile of used paper towels.  I closed the case and slid it under the door on top of a fresh pile of paper towels.

“
Here you go, Sir.  Good as new,” I announced.  The door swung open, and Eastman grabbed the case and stormed out of the bathroom, grabbing another wad of towels as he left.

“
You idiot,” he said as he left, “your manager will hear about this.”  I laughed at the statement.  If you only knew, you clod, I thought.

Back in the hall
way, the Senator was still fuming, but once he caught sight of Elizabeth and Jane his demeanor changed back to charming.