The Einstein Pursuit

46

Traveling in the Payne Industries corporate jet had become routine for Payne and Jones. To them, it was just another mode of aerial transportation to be added to a long list that included bombers, cargo planes, fighter jets, helicopters and parachutes. Though they preferred the plush amenities and quiet ride of the Gulfstream G550 over the cramped quarters and roaring rotors of a Black Hawk helicopter, the trip would have been pretty much the same: Jones would fall asleep the moment the aircraft started to move, while Payne read a book or watched a movie.

It was what they referred to as SOP.

Standard Operating Procedure.

The same routine, regardless of the situation.

Sahlberg, on the other hand, was having the time of his life. To him, the spacious private jet was the height of luxury. He had always envied the extra legroom in first-class cabins, but even the roomiest commercial airliner couldn’t compete with the Gulfstream. The reclining chairs and bench seating could accommodate up to seven travelers, even on overnight trips. There was a stocked refrigerator and an array of snacks to choose from. The co-pilot was even able to adjust the satellite signal so Sahlberg could watch the Swedish news during their flight.

From Pittsburgh, they had flown west, across millions of acres of farmland, vast plains, and the staggering peaks of the Rocky Mountains. Sahlberg ignored the television screen, opting to stare out of the window at the sights below. Every so often he would mutter ‘beautiful’ or ‘breathtaking’ or something similar. It happened so frequently toward the end of the trip that Payne had to intervene, if for no other reason than his sanity.

‘When was the last time you visited La Jolla?’ he asked.

‘It’s been a few years,’ Sahlberg admitted with his nose still pressed against the glass. ‘I was always too busy with my own work in Pittsburgh to travel very often. And on the few occasions I found the time, I preferred heading back to Sweden.’

‘So much for you being our tour guide,’ Payne said.

Sahlberg laughed. ‘I can barely find my toilet in the middle of the night. I highly doubt I’ll be much use to you in California.’

‘Speaking of,’ Payne said as he pointed out the window.

As the plane descended through the cloud cover, the late afternoon sun lit up the California coastline. It truly was a sight to behold.

‘Beautiful,’ Sahlberg said, as he stared at the beaches below. Surprisingly, the plane went past the coast and out over the Pacific before it turned and headed south. ‘Not to alarm you, Jonathon, but it seems we may have overshot our mark.’

‘No,’ Jones remarked without so much as opening his eyes, ‘we’re supposed to come in over the ocean. It keeps us out of the commercial flight paths.’

‘I thought he was asleep,’ Sahlberg said.

‘He was. He is,’ Payne replied. ‘At least, most of him. He always keeps a small part of his brain awake and alert, just in case.’

‘Really? How peculiar.’

It was an ability that made Jones well suited for military life, not to mention the perfect watchdog. Payne glanced out the window to check their bearings. They were already south of Los Angeles, and he watched as the industrialized port of Long Beach gave way to the sandy beaches and opulent homes of Orange County. He sat back in his chair, knowing they would touch down shortly.

Sahlberg continued to watch as a steady stream of mansions passed underneath. The last thing he expected to see was a fleet of military helicopters headed their way.

‘Jonathon,’ he gasped, ‘you might want to see this.’

Payne stared out the window. ‘No worries, they’re just on maneuvers.’

‘Maneuvers?’

Payne nodded. ‘There’s a military base not far from here. Actually, there are a couple nearby. These guys are most likely from Camp Pendleton. Farther south is Miramar. That’s where Tom Cruise — I mean, Maverick — did his training for Top Gun.’

‘Tom who?’ Sahlberg asked.

‘Short guy, great teeth.’

Sahlberg shrugged. ‘A friend of yours?’

Payne laughed; obviously Sahlberg wasn’t familiar with the actor or the film. ‘Not really. DJ and I played him and Goose in a sweaty game of beach volleyball once. We kicked their butts, and they stopped taking our calls.’

‘That’s because Goose died,’ Jones added.

Payne nodded solemnly. ‘That’s right. He did.’

‘I’m sorry,’ Sahlberg said, missing the joke.

‘Not to worry,’ Payne assured him with a laugh. ‘We still have some close friends at both bases. In fact, we know the commanding officer at Pendleton. DJ and I fought with his son in Afghanistan. We saved his life on more than one occasion.’

‘But not Goose. No one could save Goose,’ Jones said with his eyes still closed. ‘The poor bastard. He didn’t stand a chance.’

Worried they had taken the joke too far, Payne directed Sahlberg’s attention out the window, pointing at the twin-rotor helicopters that were flying in formation below them. ‘Those are Boeing Vertol Sea Knights. They’re used to transport heavy machinery. They’re not carrying anything now, so they’ll probably redirect toward land at some point soon.’

As if on cue, the three massive helicopters broke toward the shoreline, dipping low and skimming across the water as they headed in the direction of the beach. Sahlberg watched in utter fascination as three tank-like vehicles emerged from the surf to meet them.

‘Those are 7As — amphibious assault vehicles,’ Payne said.

They watched as the Sea Knights deployed towlines and hovered just long enough for the soldiers on the ground to attach the lines to the 7As. In less than a minute, the three Sea Knights pulled back in unison, their cargo now swinging safely below. ‘They’ll head inland, drop the 7As, and swing back out here to repeat the drill.’

‘Amazing,’ Sahlberg muttered.

Payne smiled. He knew the drills were amazing to most people in the world. But to the men and women of the armed forces, they were simply doing their job.

‘We’re about to make our final approach,’ the captain informed them over the loudspeaker. ‘We’ll be on the ground in less than five.’

‘DJ, we’re here. Time to get up,’ Payne said.

‘I heard the man. There’s no need to shout,’ Jones said as he tilted his chair to an upright position. ‘By the way, those assault vehicles were 7A1s, not 7As. If you’re going to entertain our guest, at least give him the correct information.’

‘Says the guy who slept through the whole flight.’

‘You said it yourself, I never sleep.’

‘Good point.’

Due to the small size of their aircraft, they were able to bypass the heavy air traffic of San Diego International Airport, landing instead at the smaller and less congested Montgomery Field. It was a few miles north of the city center, and La Jolla was only a short cab ride to the west. As they taxied to the hangar, the captain came on the loudspeaker again.

‘The control tower has informed me that your transportation has already arrived. It is waiting for us on the tarmac.’

Payne frowned. ‘Transportation? What transportation?’

‘Did you call ahead?’ Jones asked.

‘No,’ Payne said as he glanced out the window and spotted a black town car. A burly chauffeur stood at its side. ‘The driver looks like a bear.’

Jones cursed as he unbuckled his seat belt. After a long nap, it wasn’t the response he had hoped to hear. In a flash, he lifted the cushion off the bench seat. Hidden underneath was a private arsenal. He selected a pistol and handed it to Payne. Then he chose one for himself.

‘Wait!’ Sahlberg said. ‘Don’t do anything rash! I think they’re here because of me.’

Jones nodded. ‘That’s why we’re going to shoot the bastards.’

‘No,’ he pleaded as he stepped in front of the duo. ‘You don’t understand. I let them know we were coming. They’re here to help. They’re not a threat.’

‘What do you mean?’ Payne demanded.

Sahlberg tried to explain. ‘Just because I’ve never been here doesn’t mean I don’t know people who live in the area. You have friends at Pendleton. I have friends in La Jolla. People who can help our cause.’

‘Scientists?’ Jones asked.

Sahlberg nodded. ‘Yes.’

‘Friends of Berglund?’

‘Some of them.’

‘That’s what I thought,’ Jones said as he checked his ammo. ‘Jon, I’ll head out first—’

‘Wait!’ Sahlberg shouted. ‘What are you doing? I told you I know them.’

‘Maybe,’ Payne said, ‘but you don’t know their intentions. What if they’re mixed up with Berglund and the lab in Stockholm? What if people are following them to get to you? Do you know the burly guy next to the car?’

Sahlberg shook his head.

‘Then how do you know it’s safe?’

‘I guess I don’t.’

‘You’re damn right you don’t,’ Jones said angrily. ‘We’ve been in the plane for five fucking hours, and in all that time you never said a single word about your colleagues in California or a town car at the gate. If you had, we would have had a security team search him before we even landed.’

‘Sorry, I didn’t know.’

‘Didn’t know what? That you were in danger? Is that what you were going to say? Because I find it hard to believe that a genius like you is struggling to grasp the situation.’

Sahlberg sensed that Jones was too upset to reason with, so he turned his attention to Payne. ‘Jonathon, I didn’t tell you about them because I didn’t know if they would show.’

‘Them? Who’s them?’ Payne demanded.

Sahlberg didn’t know what to say. ‘I can’t … I’m not allowed …’

‘Spit it out!’ Payne ordered. He had come to like Sahlberg quite a bit, but right now they weren’t seeing eye to eye. ‘Tell me who they are, or I’m going to shoot the driver where he stands. And if you don’t believe me, think back to the incline.’

A strained look spread across Sahlberg’s face. It was obvious he wanted to answer, but something was preventing it. ‘Jonathon, listen to me. Please listen to me.’

Payne took a deep breath. ‘What?’

‘If I asked you questions about your military career — probing questions about specific missions like that one in Afghanistan where you saved your commander’s son — would you be allowed to tell me everything?’

‘No.’

‘Why not?’

‘It’s classified.’

Sahlberg stared at him, allowing his eyes to do some of his talking. ‘Same situation here. There are certain things I can tell you, and some I can’t. Not because I don’t want to, but because I can’t. Men like you and David — you have to know what that’s like. The lies. The secrets. You can’t let people in unless you have permission to do so. Right now, I don’t have permission.’

Payne clenched his jaw and nodded.

He hated surprises. Especially when his life was on the line.

But he had been in the game long enough to recognize the truth. It didn’t mean he liked being deceived, but he believed what Sahlberg was saying.

‘When will you get permission?’ he asked.

‘Hopefully now,’ Sahlberg said as he glanced out the window. ‘You have to trust me on this. They mean us no harm. They can help us. Just let me talk to him alone.’

‘Not going to happen,’ Payne said as he jammed his gun in his waistband. ‘I’m heading out first. If I get any bad vibes, I’m getting back on the plane and we’re leaving. If everything checks out, I’ll signal and you can join me. Understood?’

Sahlberg nodded, but said nothing.

Jones stared at his best friend. ‘I’ll give you cover.’

Without waiting for a response, Jones found a hidden seam in the rug and pulled it back to reveal a trap door. Payne knew that Jones could drop to the tarmac without being seen, shielded by the rear wheels. Hidden there, he could provide cover if anything went wrong. While Jones scrambled into position, Payne stepped off the plane and made a beeline for the town car.

‘Mr Payne,’ the chauffeur announced. ‘Welcome to California. My name is Stanley. I will be your driver for the duration of your visit.’

His tone was pleasant, inviting. If he was packing a weapon, Payne could not see it.

He continued. ‘I was told there would be three passengers. Was this information incorrect?’

‘Stanley, I get the sense you’re just doing your job, which is the only reason you’re still alive. But you have to understand my position: I don’t know you or your employer.’

He smiled. He could see that Payne’s adrenalin was surging, that he was a coiled snake, ready to strike. ‘I assure you: you have nothing to fear. We’re here to help.’

‘We? Who is we?’ Payne asked forcefully.

His smile grew even wider. ‘Mattias didn’t tell you?’

‘No, he didn’t tell me! Who the hell is we?’

Just then, the tinted back window was lowered, which forced Payne to pull his gun. Had he spotted a weapon of any kind, he would have emptied his clip into the driver and the back seat while Jones did the same from his position near the plane. However, the face that appeared in the window was possibly the least-threatening one that he had ever seen.

The occupant of the car was a cheerful old man, with dark leathery skin that looked like a saddle that had been left in the sun for too long. What little hair he had was sheer white, and he combed it left to right in order to cover his scalp the best he could. He looked like a Muppet — a grinning, withered Muppet.

He spoke with a Spanish accent. ‘Don’t blame Mattias. He did what he was supposed to do. He kept our organization a secret.’

Payne lowered his weapon. ‘What organization is that?’

‘The Einstein Group.’