The Goons' Reaction

The Goons' Reaction

ON SUNDAY, the day following the insertion of the Whitewater write-up onto his website in 2005, two PIs that Hal recognized were in his view in the expansive hunting department at the Bass Pro Shop Outdoor World, where Hal was trying to find a see-through lens cap to fit a riflescope he recently purchased.

One of them was the same investigator whose photo was only the day before included on Hal's website, visible by clicking on its link contained in the write-up (at that time in 2005). The photo was taken while the PI was engaged in videotaping Hal years ago and was intentionally darkened so that only the PI himself and/or his conspirators would recognize it. The actual photo, one of a series, is quite clear and shows a tall individual, well built and athletic, with longish dark hair and a mustache, carrying a video-camera and gripping a tobacco pipe in his mouth, with and without it being lit.

But now, almost ten years later, he was very frail, slim, had gray hair and a somewhat smaller mustache. Quite interestingly, and quite sick, he was dressed exactly as was "George," the other investigator whose photo taken from the rear was also in the write-up; including shorts, the same style and color shirt, boat shoes without socks and, believe it or not, an identical "signature" cane.

There was no doubt as to the man's true identity. The only question was why he was dressed up like "George." Was it to fool Hal into thinking that he was "George"? Even he couldn't be that stupid. Or was it because he wrongly believed there were no clear photos taken of him and he wanted to make sure Hal made the connection as a means of intimidation?

Probably it was the latter. One can't be sure. George lives out of town so the use of an imposter was a more time and cost-efficient way to go, at least to the limited extent of their thinking.

But again, the situation further evidenced their organization's great lack of common sense. Years' worth of unnecessary intimidation resulted in Hal making public the very information they badly wanted to contain. And based upon that occurrence, their decision was to recommence active intimidation. How brilliant! All they needed to do was to go away, totally, and they would have gotten what the powers-that-be desired.

But a bunch of thirty-five thousand dollar a year PIs – in a good year that is – would not have gotten the extra bucks they are earning, plus the sick personal satisfaction of doing up a lone victim having no resources comparable to that of their upper level employers situated near the "Beltway."

What did Joe, the Anti Wiretap Expert, call them? - "Assholes." That seems pretty accurate. But, they were winning.

DRIVING NORTH a few days later on the then un-crowded expressway in the early-afternoon on this bright, clear day at about sixty miles per hour, another vehicle moving at high speed arrived at a position immediately adjacent to Hal’s left and remained exactly parallel to him for a while, neither passing nor slowing down. It was an all white vehicle, with totally darkened windows that cannot be seen through from the outside, and black side-view mirrors as well as a black police-style spotlight positioned on the lower-left quadrant of its windshield.

In a jolt, it shifted directly in front of Hal, maintained that position for a moment, and then jolted over to Hal’s right to be directly alongside him again but on the other side. Hal glanced at the vehicle. It seemed to be a police interceptor automobile. Unless lights or a siren were engaged from its interior there was no way to tell if it was a legitimate police unit or a privately owned vehicle of similar design.

Finally, the car moved slowly away to the rightmost lane and then drove off a nearby exit ramp without incident. Hal thought to follow but wisely decided otherwise.

Either the occupants wanted to see him up close or they wanted Hal to see his vulnerability. What took place was obviously not a common traffic configuration.

Hal didn't miss the implication about gunfire either. He knows about that subject. That's how "Gus" Boulis, the SunCruz gambling ship owner, was murdered in Florida in 2001. A car got in front of his and stopped, trapping Boulis' car while another car pulled up alongside his on the left and the occupant shot Boulis to death.

THERE WAS YET ANOTHER WHITE INTERCEPTOR CAR INCIDENT just a week later, but closer to his home on a city street near a traffic light. This time he got the license number as well as the four digit number stenciled on the rear bumper. The license number was not authentic but the vehicle was later identified as being used by a middle-aged independent protection service person and having white plastic cable-ties instead of handcuffs proudly hanging on the interior portion of the spotlight handle.

The second vehicle did not appear to be the same as the first. He was not certain. But the second vehicle was pre-positioned at an intersection that Hal was expected to cross at an approximate time while driving to a location he unwisely discussed in a telephone conversation with a friend. It was there waiting for him, parked with the motor running, at an irregular if not illegal position; at the rearmost portion of the leftmost of two left turn lanes on a wide, multi-lane roadway.

Its position allowed it to get behind a car making a left turn at the intersection from either of the two left turn lanes, as well as enabling it to move behind a car using the lanes going straight through the intersection. Hal was to make a left turn and went into the forward portion of the left lane to the right of, and well ahead of, the white car. The car jumped forward and to the right coming behind Hal’s car but Hal Had to stop quickly because the left turn arrow had just changed to red, forcing the white car to come to an unexpected sharp halt close behind Hal.

In a somewhat dangerous maneuver the white car snapped out to the straight-through lane on its right and under great power at high speed zoomed crossed the intersection. It seemed miraculous that there was no accident. There was no way that Hal, having stopped at the left turn red light, could cross the same intersection in time to get near to the speeding interceptor vehicle.