The Good Deed ~COMPLETE~

Chapter 27: Stick to the Plan

Trae's actions could have sealed my mother and Sue's fate. That was not the conversation I needed to be having. All I wanted was piece of mind, and knowing there was a possibility that Harvey Dunn might not even go to the seminar had my stress level soaring to new heights.

"Trae, I need you to listen to me very carefully.  Call Harvey back and apologize.  He needs to be at the seminar."

"What?  Hell no.  He wants me dead, Joe."

"Trae, listen.  Harvey isn't the one who wrote that note."

"Then who did?"

I couldn't bring myself to tell Trae it was Jacob Scholtz, really I just didn't feel like explaining.  "I don't know, but I do know it wasn't Harvey Dunn...you have to trust me on this Trae."

"I don't know Joe.  If someone wants me dead...who can I trust?  How do I know I can even trust you?"

"Trae, you can trust me.  I won't let anything happen to you."

Trae laughed, "Joe, you can't even protect your own girlfriend...how are you gonna to protect me?"

He had point I couldn't argue with.  I had to tell him he wasn't the target, but without revealing any other information..  "No one wants to kill you Trae.  That note...it was just a joke."  I lied.

"A joke?  Well it wasn't very fucking funny!"  He snapped back at me.

"Trae, I..."

"You know what Joe...go to hell." 'click'  He hung up on me.

  I needed a miracle.  If Harvey Dunn didn't show up at that seminar, The Operation was surely going to kill Sue, and my mother.  I had to reach out to Harvey, somehow.  If I could convinence him to forgive Trae, and come to the seminar, maybe I could still save my family.

I proceeded to call Ryan Wiltshire.  I thought, perhaps the FBI had the vital information I needed in order to get in contact with Harvey Dunn.

Ryan answered, "Joe.  I'm glad you called.  We need to talk."  His voice had a seriousness, I had not heard from him before.

"About what?"

"About tomorrow night."

"What about it?"

"Well, I told you the FBI would be in full force at the Convention Center, but plans have changed."

"What?  Why..."

"We had planned to have about a dozen of our agents placed as undercover security guards for the seminar, but Marcus has just informed us that Jacob Scholtz has already filled all of the security staff positions."

"So!  Can't you still get in and at least have agents in the building?"

"Well yes, some, but not as many as we had planned.  We'll still have several agents stationed outside the building in case anything goes down."

That wasn't very comforting. "So, how many will be inside with me?"

Ryan paused a moment. "Just two...Marcus and one other." 

This was not good news, but there was nothing that I could do about it. "Ryan, Mr. Wiltshire, sir...There's a problem with Harvey Dunn that I need your help with."

"Problem? What kind of problem?"

"Do you have Harvey's phone number?"

"I do.  But tell me Joe, why would you want to call him?  Haven't you been assigned to kill him?"

I didn't have the time or the patience to explain.  "I just need it, can you help me or not?"

Ryan chuckled, "You're starting to think like a true assassin Joe.  Contacting your target.  Trying to get close to him, befriend him...Earning his trust?”

“That's not why I need his number.” I snapped back at him.

“Relax Joe, I'm just teasing you. Hang on I sec. I'll get his number.”

I don't know why Ryan Whiltshire always felt the need to push my buttons. I may have been extra sensitive at that moment, but still, he was an FBI agent. All I wanted was his help, and he was acting like the whole thing was one big joke.

Ryan returned to the phone and gave me Harvey's number. I jotted the digits down on the yellow envelope that my most recent assignment was sent in. I thanked him, and quickly ended the call with Ryan. I couldn't bear to listen to anymore of his sarcastic comments.

The atmosphere of my house felt suffocating to me. Breathing was becoming difficult, and the phone call I needed to make was weighing heavily on my mind. I needed to get out of the house...take a walk and get some fresh air. I grabbed my cell phone and ripped off a small piece of the yellow envelope where I had written Harvey's phone number. I clipped Sasha's leash to her collar and proceeded to exit my house.

I allowed Sasha to lead the way. We walked a few blocks before I opened my phone...then a few more blocks before I began to dial the number. My nerves were on edge as I pressed the 'SEND' button.

December 10th, 2005 3:33pm

Harvey answered almost right away. He had a voice filled with authority. “Harvey Dunn.”

The sudden sound of his voice had me frozen. I couldn't think of what to say. Again, his strong voice spoke, “Start talking or I hang up.”

I wasn't sure what I was going to say, but I had to speak, or he would have terminated the call, “Mr. Dunn?”

“Yes?”

“My name is Joseph Wayne. I'm a friend of Tr-”

Harvey interrupted me, “I know who you are, Joe”

That was a surprise, “You do?”

“I know all about you, but the question is, why are you calling me?”

“What do you know about me?”

“I know you've gotten yourself into trouble recently. I know that Jacob Scholtz has your girlfriend...and, I know that you have been assigned to kill me.”

Shock had my tongue. I couldn't speak. How the hell did he know all of that? If he knew I was assigned to kill him, then he surely wouldn't come to the seminar, know matter what I said to him. “I-Sir,...How?” My words made no sense, but Harvey understood.

He laughed, “It's okay Joe. I know it's not personal. I've screwed up, several times. Jacob Scholtz has his reasons for wanting me dead.”

“But, how did you know?”

“Jacob isn't the only one with resources. I've been working with him for decades. I know how he thinks, and I've learned a lot from him. Certain people within his organization have grown tired of his abusive ways...I was one of the first to stand up to him. The others saw what kind of man he was, and they soon followed.  They began to work closely with me...we've been preparing for Jacobs dethroning. We're going to take him down, tomorrow night at the Convention Center.”

The first thing that came to mind was Sue's and my mother's safety. If these people Harvey told me about did in fact rise up and try to stand up to Jacob, he might do something terrible to my family. “Sir...what if something goes wrong? I'm worried about the safety of my family.”

“Joe. Nothing is going to go wrong.” He tried to reassure me.

“How can be so sure?”

“Because, Jacob may be a criminal and a murderer, but he is a man of his word. As long as you do what he wants, your family will be safe.”

“What? But, he wants me to kill you.”

“I know Joe, and that's exactly what you're going to do.”