by AJ Frazer
“Strategic operations? Is that a euphemism for murdering people and destroying property? Much of the media attention Earth Ghost receives is focused on the deaths of innocents in what most people call ‘terrorist activities.’”
Zhen’s face darkened. Though it didn’t make her look any less attractive to Dominic. “Victor is not— no one at Earth Ghost is a murderer. It is unfortunate that people have been hurt in the course of some operations, but the organization goes out of its way to minimize the risk of injury to innocents. Much of what the media reports is fake news based on alternate fact farming by corporations and governments to taint Earth Ghost. The irony is that they call us eco-terrorists when it is the corporations who are the true purveyors of environmental terror and the public their knowing accomplices. The Earth is screaming at us to change and yet most people refuse to listen. Well, we’re listening, and we’re doing something about it.”
Dominic knew the fact was Earth Ghost were on terrorist watchlists, they had broken laws, destroyed property, and—inadvertently or not—killed or harmed people. They were rogues getting in the way of real industrial progress and in so doing, slowing down the financial market’s response to climate change. But saying that to a die-hard tree hugger was not constructive. Besides, Dominic didn’t want to come across as an industrial-age oaf to such a beautiful young woman full of ideals and positivity. So he steered the conversation back to Sagen.
“So what’s he like then?”
“Victor? Well, he’s intense, as you would expect. He’s also very kind. Very open. Charming, intelligent, but above all, driven. Totally. And focused on saving the Earth and humanity.”
“Why do you think he’s so driven to help people?”
“He sees the injustice, and he has chosen not to ignore it and not to simply complain about it. He’s decided to do something about it.”
“You seem very perceptive.”
“I should be. I did a double major in psychology and environmental law.” She laughed.
“Oh God, a shrink!”
She flashed those teeth again. “I’m sorry, I should have warned you.”
“No, I need to warn you. My last shrink committed himself to an asylum.”
She let out a loud, genuine laugh, the music of which made Dominic’s heart thump harder. He had to do the emotional equivalent of multitasking in order to maintain his composure and take control of the feeling this beguiling woman had just evoked in him.
He pondered another angle to extract something a little less work-related from this conversation. “So what’s your relationship with Victor?” he asked in a businesslike tone.
Zhen dropped the smile and raised her chin fractionally. “I’m not sure what you’re getting at with a question like that.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to imply anything. Is he married or with a partner?”
“Not that I’m aware of.” Zhen still seemed wary after the ill-judged shift in questioning.
“How many of you are there in Earth Ghost?” Dominic zigzagged the questions deliberately.
“Depends how you define a member. Millions support and invest in Earth Ghost around the world. Thousands are active supporters involved in research, community events, education, lobbying, and protests. Then there are hundreds who have dedicated their lives to the cause and are living and breathing the Earth Ghost philosophy.”
“Philosophy? What is the Earth Ghost philosophy?”
“Well, it’s not official as such, but we exist to save us from ourselves.”
“There’s an arrogance to that, though, isn’t there?” He couldn’t help himself; he’d heard this kind of PR sound bite, worthier-than-thou shit, too many times. He wanted to test her. Get her to say something off script. It was a passive-aggressive form of questioning but one that had delivered results with practiced and well-prepared talking heads over the years.
“Arrogance? No.” All traces of her lightness had clouded over. “Just a deep understanding of humanity, ecology, and our place on this planet.”
“Please explain,” he shot back. Polite enough to not offend; direct enough to insinuate an error. Zhen shifted on the couch, putting both feet to the ground. Dominic resisted the urge to smile. He was getting under her delightfully glowing skin.
“I don’t need to explain, Mr. Elliston,” said Zhen with a fervent glint in her eye.
Was she baiting him? Being purposefully audacious?
Zhen continued. “You know perfectly well that people are not capable of saving themselves from the changes happening to our planet. Humanity is obsessed with progress, which is a kind of fundamentalism—a religious belief that money markets will always maintain the order of things, the assumption of economic growth. Our optimism is blind. Nature’s capital is a finite resource. Once we have spent that capital, we will have no economy, no society, and no ecology. Earth Ghost has deep ecology at its heart. We respect all life in our biosphere and reject the idea that human life is more important than other organisms. To think otherwise is the real arrogance.”
Dominic nodded. This was turning into a good warm-up, a journalistic form of stretching before the main event with Victor Sagen himself. “You mentioned earlier that people invest in Earth Ghost. Interesting choice of words. Why do you call them investors?”
“We are not a charity and we are not a nonprofit. We are an organization built around a common goal, and to achieve that goal we need significant funding. We have a major finance division making investments in sustainable, Earth-friendly businesses. We have significant funding from sovereign states, businesses, and individuals who appreciate the importance of our work. They see it as an investment in their lives and the lives of their children and their children’s children.”
Dominic’s interest piqued at the words “finance division.” He leaned forward. “So, Earth Ghost is part of the capitalist economic system then?”
Zhen leaned forward, gesturing with her hand. “New economics, yes. Conventional, no. Conventional economics, as David Suzuki once said, is a form of brain damage. Conventional economists think of the ozone layer, aquifers, the topsoil, and ice caps as externalities! Externalities! Which is why economics is antihuman.”
Dominic stared at her. Intelligence, passion, and beauty combined were hard, if not impossible, to ignore.
Zhen smiled wryly before breaking the spell by checking her watch. “You will have to excuse me, Mr. Elliston. I am required elsewhere. I’m sure Victor can answer all your questions.”
“Of course. Thank you for your time and candor.” He tried to sound sincere.
He watched her leave, not to leer at her figure, but to consider the purpose of her being sent in to speak with him. She was beautiful and alluring to say the least. Perhaps he was being softened up? Her obvious intelligence and confidence was disarming and, to him, utterly intoxicating. Whatever the reason for the encounter, he had enjoyed it. He also knew a little more about Earth Ghost—the sovereign funding was of particular interest. It suggested more than one country was funding what many Western countries considered terrorism. He also learned that economics was a form of brain damage. Perhaps there was more to this pro-environmental stuff than he’d previously considered.
But he still didn’t have a read on the elusive Victor Sagen. In fact, he felt more mystified than ever.
Chapter Eight
The sound of rotor blades echoing off the surrounding hills woke Dominic before dawn the next day. The chopper did a slow flyover then landed somewhere nearby. Dominic rolled over and raised himself onto one elbow so that he could reach over to pull back the curtain to see if he could spot it. He couldn’t see it, but he could hear the engines winding down.
The clock beside his bed read 5:30 a.m. He contemplated getting up to greet Sagen, who had surely just arrived. But no, absolutely not. He wouldn’t be trotting off like a desperate lackey. He was sick and tired of having to wait obediently for his subject to be ready for him. Once upon a time, yes, but not now. Now he
was the head of a multinational news organization, one of the most trusted in the world.
With Sagen here—assuming that was him arriving on the helicopter—Dominic needed to assert himself. He’d need to sit down with Victor as an equal, a peer, if he was to get anything meaty out of him in the interview. Today he’d make his presence felt.
Pulling the covers higher over his face, he willed himself back to sleep, which came surprisingly easily.
Later that morning, a sharp knock at the door startled Dominic as he sat at the small desk writing notes. “Yes.”
“This is Erik. May I come in?”
“Yes!” Dominic snapped.
Erik stepped in and closed the door behind him.
“So, I take it that was Victor arriving this morning?” Dominic stayed seated while Erik stood before him in the doorway.
“Yes, apologies for the early hour. Victor must travel discreetly to avoid unnecessary attention.”
“He might want to rethink his use of a helicopter then.”
Erik smiled blankly. “I have spoken with Victor. He would like to meet you as soon as possible today. So I’ve scheduled some time for you this afternoon to—”
“This afternoon is not as soon as possible. Erik, I’m not wasting a whole morning here. In case you’ve forgotten I do run a sizable bloody media empire and my colleagues will be anxious for my return.”
“Yes, of course. I do apologize for the unorthodox and protracted nature of this visit.”
“Erik, either I’m not making myself clear in my instructions, or you are simply stupid. Make the interview happen this morning. Is that clear?”
“I will see what I can do with Victor’s diary.” Erik turned to leave. “I’ll come back and confirm the time.”
“Excellent,” said Dominic. “I look forward to meeting Victor imminently.”
Erik didn’t respond, just smiled awkwardly and left the room. He didn’t seem flustered by Dominic’s aggression or demand. Dominic got the impression Erik was more than just an executive assistant to Sagen. The way he held himself, his composure, the way he moved—it all suggested ex-military, albeit with more polish and manners than most of the ex-military people Dominic knew.
Twenty minutes later, Erik returned. “Victor can see you now.”
That’s more like it, thought Dominic as he picked up his notepad and went with Erik.
They left the hut and walked through the compound to one of the nondescript wooden buildings at the far end of the site. Inside was a long hallway running the length of the building with closed doors on either side. Erik led Dominic to a door midway down. He knocked once and entered without waiting for a reply.
When he was in active military service, ahead of any combat situation, Dominic would prime himself by repeating the words “loose and aggressive” over and over in his head. He was always calm when things got sketchy. Standing outside Sagen’s door, he started repeating the words in his head again. Even though he knew that aggression was never the right way to handle an interview. Strangely, the word had a calming effect on him.
Inside, the room was dim, the windows curtained with heavy drapes. Dominic strode in, making a beeline to the desk where a shadowy figure sat. Erik positioned himself between Dominic and the desk, obscuring the figure behind it.
Fed up with this circus, Dominic side-stepped Erik to get things started.
“Victor, allow me to introduce you to Dominic Elliston of Jagged Edge Media,” said Erik, overly formal.
The room was so dark that Sagen appeared in silhouette. Only table lamps lit the room with a soft golden light.
“Mr. Elliston, good to see you!” said the shadow in a mild Californian accent. He stood and moved around from behind his desk to shake hands. As he did, the lamplight illuminated his face and Dominic studied his features.
The first things Dominic noted were the ice-blue eyes staring back at him. The skin around them was weathered and worn yet the eyes themselves were like perfect crystals. Almost too perfect; they didn’t look human, more doll-like. He also noticed a grotesque scar below the right eye. It was glassy and smooth, a large patch of skin that was pulled tighter than the rest of his face; an ugly, reddish patch that dominated his whole right cheek.
“Good to meet in person.” Dominic extended his hand. He kept his tone even—not too friendly, not too formal, just sufficiently businesslike for Victor to know that he wasn’t here to waste time.
Sagen held his gaze and his grip. Dominic figured he was sizing him up, or perhaps trying to assert some macho dominance over him. Perhaps he wanted Dominic to look upon his face, to see his scar. Or, perhaps this was all part of the interview. Either way, Dominic wasn’t playing. He fractionally retracted his hand and loosened his grip while turning his shoulders to move away. Subtle enough to not seem rude, clear enough to not be ignored.
Sagen retreated behind his desk. “I must apologize for all the security measures. I know it can’t have been a pleasant journey. But necessary all the same.”
“I understand your need for secrecy,” said Dominic. “I too value my privacy. Though for me it is a luxury. For you I assume it is survival.”
Sagen paused, staring at Dominic with an unfathomable expression. “I hear you had an accident in the French Alps recently.”
How the hell does he know about that? “Just a slip.”
Sagen smirked. “The ground sliding out from under you, huh? I know all about that.” There was a long silence before Sagen put down the pen he’d been fidgeting with. “How do you want to do this?”
Dominic shrugged. “Let’s just crack on with the questions, shall we? It’s been over ten years since you last spoke directly to the media. So, why now?”
Sagen nodded slowly, with a knowing grin. “To the point. I like that. Fact is, I’m getting old, Dominic. I’m not going to be doing this for much longer. It feels like the right time to open up to the world and share some of my journey with the people who have supported Earth Ghost.”
“I don’t buy it,” Dominic shot back.
Sagen’s eyes widened marginally.
“You expect me to believe that you’re planning retirement? The American Activist? Come on, people like you and me don’t retire. Ever.” Dominic wanted to challenge Sagen and at the same time earn his trust, hence the people like you and me comment.
Sagen smirked. “Fair point. But it’s true. I feel it’s time to share more of my story with the world, so that they see why Earth Ghost is so important to humanity.”
“What exactly is it you’re aiming to achieve with Earth Ghost?”
Sagen eyed Dominic intently. “At our current rate of warming, we’re heading for temperature increases of five to six degrees in the next ten years. This will be the point when life on this planet, in its current form, becomes unsustainable. Human suffering of the past will be nothing compared to what will ensue. Starvation, pestilence, pollution, and natural disasters on an epic scale will decimate our species and many others. There is so much we need to do in order to reverse this imminent horizon. It will take more than my lifetime, and probably more than the next generation’s. Earth Ghost is an inter-generational movement. The members of today are fighting against the sins of their fathers for the hope of their children’s children. The kind of change we’re advocating is immense.”
“So, by that rationale, you’ll die a failure?” said Dominic, conscious that the interview had taken a somewhat adversarial tone already. Not what he had planned, but Sagen didn’t seem like the type to back down from a confrontation.
Sagen shrugged. “Don’t we all? The most successful people in history failed. Gandhi—failed. Mandela—failed. Einstein—failed. Lincoln—failed. I mean, name a historical figure and I’ll show you a failure. It’s what unites us all.”
“Then you’ll never know if Earth Ghost truly succeeds or not,” replied Dominic.
A pause. “I will know.”
Dominic realized that this interview was going to be tough. �
��So take me back in time. What was it that led you to found Earth Ghost? Was there a moment that defined what you would become?”
Sagen seemed to smile, but it was not a happy expression. “There is only one moment that matters.” He stared up at the ceiling. “Just one. A moment that infected me, cured me, killed me, rebirthed me. A moment that I have not spoken to anyone about in a very long time. And yet here I am, about to share it with you, a man I’ve only just met.”
Dominic wasn’t sure if he was being played here. Sagen was clearly one for theatrics, but that didn’t make him a liar or a fantasist. Dominic knew the story that came out of this interview would be a scoop for Jagged Edge but Sagen was trying his patience already.
“I created Earth Ghost out of revenge,” said Sagen.
“Revenge?” Dominic smiled. “What, like Ted Kaczynski? You know, the Unabomber.” He immediately regretted his ham-fisted attempt to create a rapport through light-hearted humor.
Sagen looked stern, like a parent about to chastise their child. “I know who Ted Kaczynski is and, no—not like him. Though he too was aggrieved by what humanity was doing to the environment. Dominic, if you’re here for shits ‘n’ giggles, then you’re wasting the time of us both.”
“I’m sorry, that was clumsy and inappropriate. Please …” Dominic beckoned Sagen to continue.
“I wasn’t always the ‘American Activist,’ as they call me—which I hate by the way—I’m just an activist, provenance is irrelevant.
“I used to be a farmer. I came from a long line of farmers. My family held some of the biggest ranch land in California for over a hundred years. I inherited a large property and was carving out a name for myself managing the ranch.
“But then ‘the moment’ happened. In the middle of a particularly hot summer, a wildfire hit the Los Padres National Forest, north of Santa Barbara. It was like nothing California—or the world for that matter—had ever seen. Dry lightning from a storm cell kicked it off out east. Have you ever seen dry lightning, Dominic?”
Dominic shook his head.
