Two Men with a Mission

By J. E. Hall

Leo Aleo is a middle-aged FBI agent who has lost his direction in life. He is sent to Taurus, New Mexico on an undercover assignment. Leo is partnered with Billy Newman, a much younger man. To Aleo, Billy represents all that is wrong with todays FBI. They are there to observe the Tonpowees, a Native American tribe involved in a land dispute with the federal government.

The FBI agents pose as father and son, with Leo claiming that he came out west for health reasons. Billy and Leo meet Chief Stillwater, the leader of the Tonpowees They attend a Native American ceremony with him during which Leo has visions from his past. He also receives a message from Stillwater about a mission. The FBI agent cannot grasp his meaning until the devastating drought the area is experiencing causes a lake near the disputed territory to evaporate. As a result the Spanish mission that has been submerged since the man-made lake was created is exposed.

Leo and Billy discover there is something with far-reaching political and economic implications in the mission. Aleo also encounters the Russian spy who killed his partner 30 years earlier. The two agents then learn that the FBI had an ulterior motive for sending them to Taurus. To further complicate matters, Agent Aleo falls in love with a local woman named Consuella Lopez. These circumstances combine to provide a new purpose in life for Leo Aleo.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Apr 2, 2007
• ISBN: 9781434317667

J. E. Hall

J.E. Hall is a native of Long Island, New York. He is a graduate of the New York Institute of Technology. His interests in politics was instrumental in shaping his first novel The Wall. Hall’s concern for the environment influenced his second novel Two Men With A Mission. His third novel, Angie of the Garden, reflects his interest in history. Bad Wine, Crappy Chocolate was inspired by the government’s inability to address the issues of our time. J.E. Hall enjoys traveling to the unspoiled places in this world. Still this author believes that a person’s most fascinating journeys are the ones taken with the mind alone. He is currently working on his fifth novel.

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© 2007 J.E. Hall. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

First published by AuthorHouse 5/21/2007

ISBN: 978-1-4259-7494-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4343-1766-7 (ebk)

Printed in the United States of America

Bloomington, Indiana

This book is printed on acid-free paper.

Contents

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Author Information

For Lenny Olsen

CHAPTER ONE

Leo Aleo drove through downtown Pittsburgh feeling like a condemned man on his way to be executed. The gray sky that was reflected in the glass office buildings around him complemented his mood. He had driven to work on this thoroughfare for three decades and observed the various storefronts as they changed with the passing years. Leo had occasionally wondered what became of the people who lost their jobs after the old establishments were replaced with new ones. Now he was forced to ponder becoming a displaced person himself.

He parked in the FBI lot and went into the tall building. Several agents said good morning as they walked by. Leo assumed that word had already leaked out about the result of the internal affairs investigation into the Garcia shooting. The coworkers who were greeting him so cordially probably knew his career was over.

Those are the breaks, Leo thought, in an attempt to be philosophical.

He reached the top floor and walked into the reception area. The receptionist smiled at him from behind the glass enclosure that surrounded her desk. She motioned for him to walk through the door.

Ted is waiting for you, she told him. That’s a new suit. I like it.

Thanks, Flo, Leo responded. I wore it just for you. Is he in a good mood today?

The Steelers won yesterday, she replied. What do you think?

I like my chances, he answered with a forced smile.

Ted Dryden was the special agent in charge of the Pittsburgh office. Leo and Ted had joined the FBI at the same time. They had initially worked together. However, Dryden, like many of Aleo’s peers, had aspired to move up to a management position. Unlike his ambitious colleagues, Leo was quite content to continue working as a field agent. As a result he eventually found himself working for his friend.

Ted Dryden was on the phone when Leo walked into his office. He always seemed to have his next appointment sent in before his call was finished. His subordinate had begun to believe that this was done to impress people with just how busy the agent in charge really was.

Leo Aleo. Ted greeted him with a grin as he hung up the phone. That’s the easiest name to remember I’ve ever heard.

You’ll be able to forget it after the goons get through with me, Leo replied with a sardonic grin.

Would I be smiling if their report didn’t come out in your favor? As of right now you can forget about the Garcia shooting. It’s officially considered to be a righteous shoot.

Ted slid the report over to Leo, who sat in the chair opposite his superior and began to read. There were too many details in the report to allow for a quick reading of the document, so Leo skipped ahead to the end. He was not interested in how they’d arrived at their conclusion. Leo Aleo was only concerned about whether he still had a career or not. The investigators determined that Agent Aleo most probably had a legitimate reason to believe his life was in danger. Therefore there would be no action taken against him.

Leo put the report down on the desk, then gave his brow a swipe with a white handkerchief.

Tony Garcia had been dealing cocaine in the Baltimore area. Leo and several other agents went undercover to make a buy from him. The operation was going smoothly until one of the bureaucrats in Washington became involved. They had become concerned that one Johnny Tomas might be considering a business arrangement with Garcia. He was the target of a much larger undercover operation, and those in the higher echelons didn’t want him arrested at that time. As a result Leo and his team were instructed to move on Garcia before the deal with Tomas could be consummated.

This was also before (in the opinion of Leo and the other agents) they were ready to make an arrest. Their intended target became suspicious. Garcia tried to run from the suburban home where he had been conducting his business. Leo saw Tony come out of the back of his house just as they arrived to arrest him. Aleo pulled his weapon and ordered him to freeze. As Tony was turning around, Agent Aleo heard someone on the radio say that Garcia was armed and dangerous. He could not identify the voice in his earpiece, however. Leo caught a glimpse of something in the drug dealer’s hand and concluded that his life was in jeopardy. He shot him. Tony Garcia died instantly.

The object in his hand was actually a flashlight. The goons, which was the word most field agents used for the internal investigators, made it clear that they had serious reservations about Leo Aleo’s decision to fire his weapon. One of the investigators had even suggested that Leo should have managed to avoid killing Garcia, regardless of his own life being in danger.

You could have fired a warning shot. Or maybe aimed for his leg, one of them had suggested.

Have you ever worked in the field? Leo asked him while barely controlling his temper.

Why, of course.

Then I’m glad it wasn’t with me, Leo responded. You always shoot to kill in that situation. If you don’t, you might not only lose your own life, but another agent’s as well.

Leo had lost a partner once. He was determined to make sure it would never happen again.

Ted Dryden watched the field agent carefully. His years of experience in these matters had enabled him to predict how his friend would react to the report. Ted saw Leo’s relief gradually turn to anger. Agent Aleo was taking umbrage at having been investigated for professional misconduct by internal affairs. He let him struggle with his emotions for a time before speaking.

This is good news, Ted finally said.

Oh, I’m sorry, Leo replied after Dryden interrupted his thoughts. I know it is. But what the hell does ‘most probably’ mean?

It means that you’re still an FBI agent, Ted pointed out. That’s really all that matters.

I guess you’re right. I’m still burned over the way those goons questioned me, though. Made me feel like a criminal. Did they ever find out who said Garcia was armed and dangerous?

No. That’s one of the reasons they used the expression ‘most probably.’ It was also because one of the investigators thought that the flashlight was too far away from Garcia’s body for him to have been carrying it at the time of the shooting, Ted told him.

How can they determine that?

I have no idea. But I think I know who told you Garcia had a gun.

Who? Leo asked.

Remember the guy that came to you with the instructions to move on him? John Anderson was his name. He followed you guys to Garcia’s house. I’ll bet he saw him running out the back at the same time you did. I think he saw the flashlight too, and thought it was a gun. I can’t prove that, of course.

Leo stood up and walked over to the window. He watched the traffic go by on the street below. A bright yellow taxi caught his eye. The FBI agent suddenly envied the apparent simplicity of the taxi driver’s occupation.

I can’t believe that no one came forward, Leo said as he sat down in the chair once more. When I started here, there was a lot of loyalty among the agents. Everyone knew each other. We used to bowl and go to ballgames together. You wouldn’t hang someone out to dry like this guy Anderson tried to do to me.

But Anderson is from Washington, Ted pointed out. You know that those boys from the Mystery Mansion are only concerned with furthering their careers. He wasn’t about to admit he mistook a flashlight for a gun. You know that as well as I do. And people just aren’t what they used to be, anyway. Having one of our own try to hang you out to dry shouldn’t surprise you, no matter where the lowlife came from. As for the goons, all they care about are the political implications of a trigger-happy agent—especially when a Chicano or other minority is killed. They won’t bother themselves about your thirty years of distinguished service. You know that, too.

You’re right. I guess I’m guilty of living in the past.

I can’t blame you for trying. When we came here, people wanted to become FBI agents because of what they believed in. But no matter where you go, or what you do, you’ll find that the people today aren’t looking to be a part of anything. They’re just here to do the job and advance their careers so they can get their share. The camaraderie you remember from the old days doesn’t enter into it anymore.

Ted had a very matter-of-fact way of analyzing any given situation. If anyone else had been so cavalier about his ordeal, Leo would have taken that person to task. In Ted’s case he knew the agent in charge would have been just as philosophical if his own career had been in jeopardy. That was the nature of his friend.

Leo remembered a predicament he and Ted had been in many years ago. They were working on an undercover operation together. The two men who were the target of the operation had discovered their true identity. They managed to get the upper hand on the two FBI agents. One of the men put a gun to Ted Dryden’s head. Ted turned to Leo and said with a smile, Oh well. Life’s a crap shoot at best. Ted said those words as though he was referring to a bet he had lost on a football game. Fortunately the two agents who were scheduled to relieve Ted and Leo showed up in time to rescue them.

Leo knew he was right—especially in regard to the people in the Mystery Mansion, which was the manner in which his boss referred to FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C. The people there were driven by political considerations. That was the reason Leo Aleo had never tried to be more than he was now. He just wanted to focus on catching the bad guy, not on trying to navigate the unpredictable waters of politics.

Look, Leo, we go back a long ways, Ted said. I know that the last several years haven’t been easy for you. You lost Anna three years ago, right?

My wife passed away five years ago, Leo corrected him.

And you had a heart attack two years ago.

You have to catch up on my personal history, boss, Leo replied with a grin. That was three years ago. It happened because I wasn’t eating right. But neither of those things has anything to do with the way I feel right now. I’m mad as hell because after thirty years of busting my butt for the bureau, I expected to be treated better.

You’re too good to let this get to you. I’ve seen people turn sour after they’ve had their feet held to the fire by Internal Affairs. Don’t let that happen to you, my friend. You have a lot of good years ahead of you. Besides, this is supposed to be a victory celebration. You won, remember. And I have an assignment that will be perfect for you. Let’s grab some lunch.

Leo and Ted joined the noontime crowd outside. As they walked down the street, a large sports utility vehicle pulled up to the curb next to them. A very petite woman stepped out of it.

Look at the size of that thing, Leo remarked after she had walked into the building next to them. What does she need it for?

I guess it’s for driving around in the wilderness, Ted stated. She must like to spend her free time in the country.

It’s so big you could use it to invade a small country, Leo observed.

It’s a sign of the United States’ prosperity.

And a sign of our gluttony as well, Leo replied.

I was going to buy you one for Christmas, Ted said. Now I’ll have to think of something else. I didn’t know you were an environmentalist.

I’m not. You don’t have to be one to know that having so many people driving around in those things means this country is using too much oil.

If someone will build them, they’ll buy them, Ted observed. And if someone will buy them, they’ll build them. I’ll get you a tie instead.

On second thought, a little gluttony never hurt anyone that I know of.

Too late, Ted replied with a smile, but nice try, though.

They went into a deli famous for its corned beef. Leo had tried to improve his diet over the last three years, but as Ted had observed, this was a victory celebration. They both ordered sandwiches featuring the specialty of the house.

The other patrons in the establishment may well have surmised that Ted Dryden was in law enforcement. He was a robust individual with an authoritative manner about him.

Leo Aleo, to the casual observer, did not seem to possess the same qualifications, however. He was a mild-mannered individual who appeared to lack the guile and energy for the job. Nonetheless, Ted and the people working with Leo knew better. They had witnessed firsthand his ability to meet any challenge that an undercover assignment might present. He had played the role of everyone from a hapless homeless person to a ruthless drug profiteer. Leo always managed to become the person needed for the situation at hand. His fellow agents knew that when the time came to close the trap on the target of an investigation, Leo Aleo could move as quickly and decisively as anyone in the field.

So what’s this great assignment you have in mind for me? Leo asked.

Have you ever been to New Mexico?

No. I’ve never been out west.

There’s a tribe of Indians living on a reservation near Taurus, New Mexico. They call themselves the Tonpowees. You may have heard of them.

Why would I have heard of them?

Because the federal government is trying to pay them 250 million dollars for fifty acres of disputed territory. And the Tonpowees are refusing to accept the offer. It’s been on the news.

Why would our government pay 250 million dollars for fifty acres of land? Is there something valuable on it, like gold?

No, Ted replied, but it used to be covered by water. Water is more valuable than gold in the Southwest.

You said there used to be water on it. Why would the government want it if it’s dry now?

The people in Washington are going on the assumption that the current drought will end eventually. That’s enough of a justification for not giving the land back to the Indians, in their opinion.

How long have the Indians been trying to get this land?

Since nineteen fifty. Until then there were Tonpowees living in Morgan Canyon, even though the government claimed it was federal property. The authorities in New Mexico were willing to look the other way while the Indians occupied their traditional homeland. Then construction began on Hope Dam. The lake that was to be created by the dam was going to submerge Morgan Canyon. The Tonpowee’s went to court to stop construction. But the dam was completed before the case was resolved. So the Indians decided there was no longer any point in pursuing the matter. Then several years ago a horrific drought began in the area. Now Morgan Canyon is becoming exposed again and the Indians are pressing their claim to it. And the government doesn’t want to be seen as being unsympathetic to Native Americans. It’s not the politically expedient thing to do, you see. So they’ve made a very generous offer.

I’d say so, Leo replied. You know, if they’re really feeling generous, I have one acre in Pittsburgh they can have for only one million dollars. Does the land really belong to the Indians?

The courts are in the process of deciding that. The government came up with a hundred-year-old document that supposedly says the Tonpowees gave the land to them. The origin of the piece of paper is in doubt, though. So the government is willing to buy the land in order to avoid a long, drawn-out legal battle.

Why would the Tonpowees turn down all that money? It doesn’t make sense.

After living for fifty-five years, you still expect people to make sense? Hell, I gave up on that idea when I was twelve. I never knew you were such an optimist, Leo. The Tonpowees apparently place more importance on tradition than they do on money. They lived on the disputed land for centuries before the white man evicted them.

What am I supposed to do out there? Leo asked.

The thinking in Washington is that the Indians might try to occupy the land after the water recedes completely. Art Fields, the agent in charge in Santa Fe, has been instructed to set up a surveillance operation. You’re going to be part of a two-man team that will watch the disputed area. You’ll also gather intelligence by talking to the locals out there.

Leo had always worked in other states since becoming involved in undercover operations. This was done to prevent Aleo from encountering anyone who knew him while he was on assignment. The Southwest would be completely different terrain for the Pennsylvania native, however. Heretofore Leo had always been sent to locations on the East Coast. In New Mexico he would be working in an alien environment.

I think it would be a nice trip for you. It will also give you a chance to unwind. Seeing Leo hesitate, Ted added, You can visit your daughter on the way back. Doesn’t Allison live in Colorado?

Yes, she does.

I don’t see how you could turn it down.

Ted Dryden always made his subordinates feel as though they had a say in which assignments they were given. Yet Leo knew from experience that he would be going to New Mexico in spite of any objection he might raise. In this case that realization wasn’t unpalatable to the FBI agent. The chance to visit Allison would make the trip worthwhile.

You’re a good salesman, he replied with a grin. What’s my cover?

Art wants to send the two of you out there as a father with his son. The son will be a writer. The father is retiring to the Southwest for health reasons.

I guess I’m the father?

I would think so, Ted answered. Look, this is an easy assignment. You don’t have to come off like some heavy bad guy. You can really be yourself. Just keep your eyes and ears open. I’ve heard that it’s pretty out there, so bring your camera.

How long will this last?

Until the bureau is certain the Tonpowees aren’t going to try anything.

That could be a long time. Why do they want someone from so far away?

There’s a manpower shortage in that area of the country at the moment. They also wanted someone with lots of experience because the guy you’ll be working with hasn’t been with the bureau for very long. And since you come from the East, your story about going out there to retire for health reasons will fit perfectly.

When do I leave?

That’s the question I wanted to hear. You’ll leave on Wednesday morning. The U.S. government is buying you lunch, Ted said with a grin as he paid the check. Don’t say they never gave you anything.

It wasn’t a 250 million dollar lunch, Leo replied in the same fashion. I can’t believe the Indians are turning the money down.

The bureau thinks most of them would accept it if not for their loyalty to their chief, Ted told him. The Tonpowees probably will accept the offer if he ever dies. But from what I understand, the old man shows no signs of being ready to leave this world.

They stepped outside and walked back to the office. The gray sky above them seemed much brighter now to Leo.

I’ll see you when I get back, he said as they parted company in front of the FBI office building.

Just don’t do anything stupid like sending me a postcard. It might blow your cover. Ted grinned. Those were always his parting words to Leo whenever he went on assignment.

Do you know how long you’ve been saying that to me?

I don’t want to know. Have a safe trip.

Leo stopped at the post office and filled out a form to have his mail held while he was away. The man behind the counter eyed Leo curiously as he did so.

You taking a long trip? he asked when Leo handed him the completed form.

I’m a salesman, he responded. I’m hoping to sell enough on this trip to retire. And that could take a very long time.

Good luck to you.

It’s all skill, my friend, he replied.

Leo stopped at the diner next. He usually ordered a steak when eating here, but considering his choice for lunch, the FBI agent ordered fish instead. He looked around at the half-full establishment and reminisced about bringing Allison here when she was a child. The owner of the diner walked over, interrupting his thoughts. Leo had known this man for years, yet he still knew only his first name.

Still going after the crooks, Leo?

Hi there, John. Yes, I’m still working for the bureau. How’s everything with you?

Can’t complain. The wife and kids are doing well. How’s your daughter?

She’s fine. I was just thinking about the times when I came here with her. Allison always said that this place had the best ice-cream sundaes in the world. I can’t believe how fast the time has gone by. That must have been twenty years ago.

John smiled at Leo. That’s the way of it, he said. They grow up before you know it. Enjoy your meal.

Back home, Leo took off his suit jacket and tie. He casually deposited them on the couch. After thumbing through the mail Aleo began to pack for his trip. He threw some short-sleeved shirts into his well-traveled suitcase. The pictures on his bureau caught his eye as he sat down on the bed. Even after five years Leo could not completely accept Anna’s passing. She would not be waiting for him when he returned from New Mexico. That thought was still incomprehensible to him. Her warm smile and soft green eyes had always greeted him at the door when he returned from an assignment. They would always be missed. The house never seemed as empty to him as it did when he returned from one of his trips.

The picture of Allison reminded him to call his daughter. Allison Aleo taught literature at the University of Colorado. From the time she was a child, his daughter had possessed a confidence that could be found in few people he had ever known. The proud father could never remember Allison being in doubt about anything. She was also among the nicest people that a person could ever hope to meet. He just wished she had accepted a teaching position closer to Pittsburgh.

Leo made the call but his daughter was not home. Remembering that she was on vacation, he left a message on her answering machine about his vindication and also told Allison he would see her soon. It could not be soon enough for her father, however.

As he looked around the bedroom, Leo Aleo felt as if all the things that had made his life worthwhile were either gone or in the process of slipping away. Anna and Leo had dedicated themselves to bringing up their daughter, though he always insisted his wife deserved most of the credit. During those years, the FBI man often found himself in another state on an undercover assignment. Anna had tended to all his daughter’s needs while he was away. Still, on further reflection—as was his habit—Leo concluded that he had been there often enough for her during the formative years. Even when he was away, Allison had never hesitated to call him when she needed her father’s help.

Allison was now a grown woman who no longer required his comfort or advice as frequently as she once did. With his daughter in Colorado and Anna having been taken from him, he felt very alone. Leo was also beginning to feel very old.

After eating a quick meal, Leo settled in for the evening. He started watching a rerun of Cheers. Aleo did not appreciate that program, but on this particular evening it made him feel nostalgic. The scenes of good friends congregating in the neighborhood bar brought back memories of the days when Leo and his coworkers would do the same. They often closed down a local tavern named McHenry’s after finishing an undercover operation. Now there were few of his contemporaries left, and the younger crowd Leo Aleo worked with these days always seemed to have plans of their own.

Well, I still have a job, so I shouldn’t be complaining, he reminded himself.

Leo walked to the window and took a wistful look at the neighborhood. The longtime resident suddenly realized that he knew few, if any, of the occupants of the houses around his own. All of the neighbors the Aleos had socialized with over the years had moved on.

I’m becoming much too morose. I really do need a vacation, Leo thought as he turned off the television.

After Anna died, Allison had frequently suggested that he move to Colorado. Maybe on this trip Leo would let his daughter persuade him to live out West. That would be something to consider after New Mexico, however. For the moment Leo still worked for Ted Dryden, and he had a job to do.

At least I’m at the beginning of something, he told the blank screen. Even if I’m at the end of everything else.

CHAPTER TWO

Leo stood with the crowd in the baggage claim area at Santa Fe Airport. His flight from Pennsylvania had been uneventful, and in spite of a slight delay, very relaxing. When the plane descended from the brilliant blue New Mexico sky, however, Leo quickly became focused on his job once more. Even though Ted had described this assignment as a vacation, he was still determined to keep his edge. Now it was time for the FBI agent to go to work.

Leo listened to the chatter among the people in the airport. Fortunately their southwestern accents did little to hinder his ability to understand these locals. He had acquired some very valuable information over the years by eavesdropping. The agent knew that being able to understand the people around him could become crucial at some point.

Hi, Pop.

The voice that came from behind him did not possess the local accent. Leo turned around and carefully observed the person who had spoken to him. He was a young man wearing tinted aviator-style glasses. The smirk on his face led Leo to initially believe the stranger was being a smart-ass. Given that his black hair was graying, not gray, he thought the stranger’s remark was inappropriate as well. Then Leo realized this man was his partner.

Hello, son, Leo replied. It was nice of you to pick me up, but I could have taken a cab.

No problem. Let me take your bag.

I can manage. Just lead the way.

The cover story created by the people in the Santa Fe office would apparently work very well. This brash young man could have been Leo’s son.

Leo followed him to his car. He sat in the passenger seat, only to discover that the red two-seater sports model was unforgiving to those with long legs. After being cramped in an airplane for several hours, Leo was especially uncomfortable now. He nevertheless managed to conceal this from the driver.

I’m Billy Newman. I’m your partner. He shook his hand.

Thanks for picking me up. I’m Leo Aleo.

So you’ve been with the bureau for thirty years. You can probably tell some interesting stories.

How did you know that?

I have friends in Administration, Billy replied. "I asked them to find out who