The Storm Maker (14 page)

       “Grateful,
Mr. Barryvk,” Sayett said, “Now I am going to hand over the phone to Mr. Tyft
who will get your men out of the jail.” Sayett handed the phone to Tyft who
picked up conversation with Barryvk..

As
Sayett walked back to the elevators, he believed Barryvk when he said that that
was the extent of his knowledge.
Black Star
would have loved nothing
more than SPASI to bump off a new competitor, especially one that dared to use
the automatic rifles brazenly. If Mr. Barryvk knew more, he would have told.

       Just
as Sayett had entered the elevator, he saw Tyft running towards him and he
extended his foot to block the elevator from closing.

       “You
are not going to believe this,” Tyft said. “Duke Ragfelvyk is on the phone
now.”

       “Let’s
talk to him,” Sayett stepped out and walked back in to Tyft’s office. Tyft had
kept the phone on the desk and Sayett picked it up while Tyft took the other
receiver.

       “Duke
here,” Duke Ragfelvyk said.

       “I
am Sayett, I came to visit you a while back,” Sayett said.

       “I
know. I remember you even from your days many years ago in Gold Harbor,” Duke
chuckled.

       “Well
what do you have for me?” Sayett asked. “In exchange, you have any small timers
you want let go, any nephew that acted reckless?”

       “I
will call in a favor in the future, Duke said. if that’s acceptable” Duke said.

“Within
reasons,” Sayett said. “Go on.”

       “Here
is what I found out. A while back some Ranxians were trying to get their hands
on some cars,” Duke said. “Those must be the cars they used for getting away
after robbing banks. Now rumors have it that there is a rich Ranxian behind it
all and he has a lumber company, or at least pretending to have such, and that
has set up the company somewhere in the southwest corner of our country.”

       “Southwest
corner?” Sayett said. “Be more specific?”

       “Sayett,
you have enough to locate them.” Duke laughed

       “Alright,”
Sayett said. “We owe you one.”

       “Alright
then,” Duke said and hung up the phone. Sayett was now delighted; Duke had
provided the crucial part of information that was missing from Barryvk’s talk.

       “It’s
almost as if they coordinated with each other,” Sayett said. He took his leave of
Tyft and headed back to the elevator.

       Sayett
entered the conference room on the eleventh floor with a big grin that did not
go unnoticed.

       “What
did Mr. Barryvk say?” Wyker had asked even before Sayett had fully entered the
room.

       “In
a bit,” Sayett said smiling, “Duke called right after him as well. Their
information is related to these patterns I was asking the juniors about.”

       “So
who is this Mr. Barryvk? And this Duke?” Slyntya asked.

       “The
two most powerful underworld bosses in the Starfire Nation,” Sayett replied,
“But because we have a low crime rate in our country, most people haven’t even
heard of them.”

       “Why
does SPASI let them continue?” she asked.

       “They
are helpful to us, in myriad of ways,” Sayett said.

       “Is
this something I am not supposed to hear about?” she asked, “as a Constellar?”

       Sayett
laughed. “Everyone at the top knows,” he said, “We run this country differently
than your old country. This is a lot more rough and tough than you are perhaps
used to.”

       “This
is known by the Constellation?” Slyntya was amazed.

       “Head
Constellars do, as well as the King, the Supreme Commander and other top
political leaders,” Sayett said. “We tolerate Black Star not because we are
lax, but because we have higher priorities. Once SPASI has less to concern
itself with foreign rivals, we will deal with our underworld. But their
contacts with foreign dons, especially in the Narducat Empire, help us out when
we want to smuggle in spies and weapons and supplies for them. Their presence
also keeps away foreign syndicates who would be bloodier and could hurt
uninvolved civilians. Black Star and Ragfelvyks bump out any foreign gangsters
that become too big and we overlook it. If we are going to have any underworld
syndicates at all; better our own. But I hope you don’t mention what I told you
in the Constellation; it will create awkwardness for us.”

       “I
won’t.” She smiled. “You know how to run your country well and I don’t intend
to get in the way.”

       “Grateful,”
Sayett said.

       Then
Sayett picked up the chalk from the table and said, “Alright, before I was
interrupted, let’s talk about the last pattern.”

       “They
committed all their robberies starting from our northeast corner moving
southwest almost in a straight line,” junior detective Lutvyk said.

       “Right
along the national road, moving southwestward chronologically as well as
geographically,” Avyk added.

       “Indeed,”
Sayett said, “That is the one pattern we don’t know what to think of. After
all, what kind of fools leave such an obvious trail.”

       “I
believe it is a false pattern to confuse us,” senior detective Ulyett said,
“They are not stupid enough to lead us down to their next robbery.”

       “Then
they must be stupid enough to think that we are stupid enough to buy such an
obvious false trap,” senior detective Wyker said. “And they did lead Sayett
into their next robbery.”

       “I
just wish they had pulled that off a day late,” Sayett said. “There would have
been thirty or forty warriors waiting for them nearby and we could have
captured at least a couple of them alive.”

       “So
you think the pattern is real then, Sayett?” Ulyett asked.

       “I
didn’t say that; it has me confused as well,” Sayett said.

       “I
say it is real,” Wyker said. “If they wanted to confuse us, they wouldn’t pick
a bait that is so obvious.”

       “We
should wait in ambush for them,” Dyktat said, “Like Sayett did last time. But
this time, all of us with SPASI guards as well.”

       “They
haven’t robbed any bank after that,” Hympat said. “Perhaps they are done.”

       “Or
are laying low now they know that we are onto them.” Gyptar said.

       “Now
let me tell all of you what Mr. Barryvk and Duke said,” Sayett said. “They
confirm that these thugs are after the Starfirian currency, also that someone
from Ranx snuck in men and rifles using smugglers, and finally, that their
headquarters is located somewhere in the far southwest of our country. That
means this geographical pattern of robberies has something to it.” He realized
he had left out a detail, “Oh yeah, and they are allegedly posing as a lumber
company.”

       “What
are we going to do about it?” Ulyett asked.

       “Leave
it alone for a while,” Sayett said. “We have more clues now. Also, let us give
Zurryvk and Lenax some time to go through the photos. Perhaps they will come up
with a breakthrough.” Sayett looked over at the corner where Lenax and Zurryvk
were leaned over the photographs and comparing them to the dead robbers photos.
Sayett threw the chalk on the table, clapped his hands to remove the dust and
went back to his seat next to Constellar Slyntya.

       Slyntya
pushed her purse aside, leaned over the table and picked up the map, “May I
take a look?” she asked.

       “Don’t
have to ask,” Sayett said with a smile.

       She
looked at the map intently for a few minutes and then pushed it back. Then she
bit her lips and said, “I don’t want to sound silly…”

       “Go
ahead,” Sayett said.

       “Something
I noticed about this last pattern…” she said.

       “Tell
us, ma’am,” Wyker said.

       “Well
it seems to me that this pattern makes sense if you are a foreigner.” She spoke
with more confidence now. “You would want to stay close to the national road,
you wouldn’t get lost.”

       “She
got it! She got it!” Wyker exclaimed and jumped up from his chair.

       She
turned to look at Sayett who was smiling and said. “She did, but she is
speaking now. Go ahead Slyntya.”

       “I
am originally from Karaln Nation,” she said, “When my husband and I used to go
for the long drives in my first two years here, I felt completely lost when we
were away from the national roads. You mentioned that these bank robbers were
from Ranx, I presume they would also easily get lost in this vast country.”

       “Great,”
Sayett said. “We are glad we have you here. None of us would have thought of
that.”

       “That’s
all I wanted to say,” she said with a smile. Every one of the detectives was
smiling at her. Men generally did that but she knew these smiles were genuine
appreciation of her insight not just her beauty.

       “We
could not have possibly thought of this,” Sayett said, “because we are
Starfirians and we have lived here all of our lives. The idea of getting lost
in our own country is at worst a minor nuisance. We can read signs. We know the
road numbering system. We can pull up to the local police station. Even in
remote parts, we can knock on any door; receive food and roof even from
strangers.”

       “Exactly,”
Ulyett said. “These Ranxians have just arrived.”

       “Now
imagine you are a Ranxian robber,” Sayett spoke to the junior detectives. “You
can’t read road signs. You probably can’t even speak Starfirian. If you make a
wrong turn, you can get lost. You can’t ask directions from the locals. You
can’t go to the police. And the radio will be broadcasting the robbery and your
descriptions. You will stand out anywhere except in the big cities and on the
national roads where there are tourists and foreign businessmen.”

       “How
come the spies get into deep, remote parts then?” Junior detective Iyatt asked.

       “The
spies are trained intensely on the country that they will be sent to,” Sayett
said. “If any of you decide to transfer to our spy department, they will train
you almost to the level of a scholar on one particular country. But we are
dealing with criminals here,” Sayett said.

       “So
that confirms that they are moving northeast to southwest,” Wyker said, “and
reaching their headquarters in the end. What now?”

       “It’s
time to find their exact location,” Sayett said. “Alright juniors. I have a
task for you. All foreign companies have to get a SPASI Investigation Report
from our Spy & Counter-Spy Department clearing them of any potential ties
to foreign spy departments. We know they are Ranxian. We know they are
somewhere in the southwest; consider Parvyk City as start of the southwest
region. We know they are pretending to be a lumber company. Go get all the
files on the companies that match that. Find me our robbers’ hideout!”

       “Yes
sir,” they all said almost in unison, got up and rushed to go down to the sixth
floor. Sayett watched them and their youthful excitement with admiration and
even certain nostalgia for his younger days. He was forty-seven now, but he had
been with SPASI since he was twenty-one and just as excited to be a detective
as these boys are now.

       While
the junior detectives returned and started reading through the files, Sayett,
Slyntya, Wyker and Ulyett took a coffee break. They stood around and talked of
matters other than their investigation. Just as Sayett finished his last sip of
coffee, he heard an argument break out between two junior detectives.

       “I
got it first,” Avyk said.

       “No
I did,” Lutvyk said, “I pointed it out first.”

       “Hey!”
Sayett said to them with a smile. “I will give both of you credit in your
files. Alright? Now tell me what have you found, just one of you.”

       Both
of them began to speak at the same time; they looked at each other and after a
few moments of stares Lutvyk let Avyk speak.

       “There
is one High Standards Timber Company owned by a Ranxian and registered more
than a year ago with the objective of ‘exporting lumber to Ranx Nation’. They
are operating out of the town of Coldwoods, which is as far southwest as you
can get before hitting the polar region,” Avyk said.

       “Bring
me the file,” Sayett said. “What does the investigation report say?”

       “No
investigation report,” Avyk said handing over the file to Sayett. “Just the
registration document.”

       Sayett
read the registration document. Wyker and Ulyett leaned over his shoulders. It
was just one page with basic information.

       “Wyker
get someone from the Trade Control Board on phone for me,” Sayett said. “Just
like a SPASI report, every foreign company has to get a Trade Report from the
Trade Control Board. Get me someone who deals with that.”

       Wyker
walked back to his seat and dialed the phone.