Jackknife 11
Chapter 11 Boston to Cleveland
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True to his estimate, Cray was awake by three a.m. He started the morning exploring the sleeper. If discovered and asked why, he would claim he was looking for cameras. That would only work until he took the next step.
There were wall panels on all five sides held in place with security screws. Chances were good they wouldn’t be the break-off type if handled properly. The reasoning being there would be no stopping a pro even with the break-off heads, so why cause their own team the hassle?
The important take-away was they didn’t want these panels accessed easily. So what were they hiding? Cray guessed the overrides and other controls passed through the cab around the sleeper. He might or might not have the right tools for the removal. He would have to check later. Time was moving on.
By four a.m. Cray was changed, sipping hot coffee and chowing down on a ham sandwich while he checked the travel situation. A few trucks in view were fired up and the drivers were conducting departure checks. The weather was clear and forecast to remain so. Cray grabbed a flashlight and headed to do what checks he could.
Cray started a walk-down along one side of his truck, paying most attention to the wheels and undercarriage while casting glances into the lot. Most of the trucks within his line of sight remained cold and quiet. That could change in a heartbeat. He didn’t want to get stuck in a line trying to get on the road.
He crossed the back and came up the other side. No trouble found. He was impressed again with what a good looking rig she was. He climbed back into his seat, poured a cup of coffee and queued up his escorts on the communication console. They were slow to answer.
“Good morning Cray, what’s on your mind.”
“Ready to get this parade on the road. Are you ready to roll?”
“It is a little earlier than expected, but yes, we can depart soon.”
“Good. There are a few other drivers already getting ready to go. More will follow. I don’t want to start the day lined up from the exit.”
“O.K., we’ll see you out there.”
Cray pulled out slowly and made his way leisurely to the exit. Only a couple trucks with single trailers ahead of him. When he activated the GPS, sure enough, there was a destination for the day set already. All he had to do was tap the Yes button on screen.
Cray’s own plan was to call Marie at one of the breaks and check his luggage for a screwdriver attachment that would work on the screws in the sleeper panels. The contract was very clear about no weapons allowed, specifying knives among the weapons definition, but did not prohibit multi-tools, Swiss Army Knives without the blades.
Cray’s thoughts drifted back to the night before. The only substantial thing he remembered about espionage was it was almost always an inside job. Silver Label must have a nightmare of internal security protocols. What team gets and shares what information with whom. It was perfect place for an informant to operate. For Cray it simply meant the enemy could be from within.
It was still dark when the clock read 0530, so there was little scenery to glance at and more time to focus on the road broadly. Cray counted not less than three Chevy Suburbans in short order. One blew past, one came up close then dropped back, the third was hovering in his blind spot, if Rhea had a blind spot. The SUV was clearly seen in the dedicated camera, pacing the truck. Steady. Patient. Too polished for coincidence.
All the intrigue may have triggered Cray’s imagination, but the hovering SUV disappeared when his bumper sticker escort was in place. The communications system alerted him to a call with a nice doorbell tone. Cray clicked on receive.
“I see you guys caught up.”
“Yes, just wanted to say your driving a good pace. Nice work.”
“You see any black SUVs on your way? I saw three in short order around five-thirty.”
“We didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary. Black SUVs are popular in this area. But we’ll note your comment.”
Cray smirked. Made your security team, he thought.
As it grew lighter around six a.m. the urban landscape off the highway came into view. Focused on the road, he would miss most of the rolling hills, dense forests, and last remnants of autumn foliage. Traffic was nothing to write home about for Cray but the glimpses of the landscape did give him some ideas about a road trip for the family when this was all over.
Another thought flashed in his head about trying to visit his own younger daughter before he quashed it with reality. He was restricted from contacting her until she became a legal adult.
Traffic thickened quickly as the morning light grew stronger. The strange creature would continue to grow until it slowed on its own density, choking its own flow. Rhea would plod along, drawing more and more vitriol for being big, blocking the view, and generally in the way.
Cray would ride in comfort high above it all, hyper vigilant of the creature and all its closest moving parts, while also drifting in his thoughts of family, conspiracies, and cashing out.
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