by Van Fleisher
The question generated some laughs with Jennifer chiming in, “Like black and white, night and day, and some might say, good and bad.”
“Now, now,” Bill countered. “It’s not that bad. I’ve been a registered Republican all my life. Still am, although that’s not how I necessarily vote these days.”
Nicole added, a little louder than necessary, “Thank goodness! I jumped ship before he did. When Obama ran, I just felt it was the right thing to do, especially after W. Bush’s second term. And I felt the same way when Hilary ran – it was time for a woman.”
Jennifer looked surprised when her father didn’t comment and asked, “Dad, didn’t you vote for Hilary, too?”
Bill didn’t look at her or anyone else when he answered. “No. I thought having someone from outside the inner machinations of government would be a good thing.”
Jennifer shot back, “And how is that going?”
Vijay inadvertently saved Bill further discomfort by returning to his question about the differences between the two parties.
Bill explained that the Republicans had always stood for fiscal responsibility, small government and states’ rights, strong military, tough on crime and supporting free enterprise.
Vijay looked puzzled and said, “But the national debt is now the largest ever, the federal government is interfering with states’ rights, as we were discussing earlier, and we seem to be abandoning our historical allies, making ourselves vulnerable. Worse yet, the government seems to be committing most of the crimes.”
That drew laughs from everyone, even Bill, and Nicole commented to her daughter, “You married a smart one, alright!”
Thinking about his recent conversation with Trudi and the NRA, Vijay raised the subject that always made him uncomfortable, because of the unfortunate connection with his invention, the VT2: “Why are guns so important to the Republicans? I know it’s related to the Second Amendment, but in the 1700s, no one could have ever conceived of the weapons we have today.”
Bill shrugged and offered, “Actually, guns aren’t an issue with the Party, but they are to the NRA and a good chunk of the GOP’s constituency. It’s a political issue.”
“That confirmed Vijay’s feeling that he’d never understand the motivation behind most of the prevailing political arguments: Why did it appear that some people wanted to suppress votes, not provide healthcare and worst of all, ignore the science of climate change and environmental damage?
And then he heard, “Come on, Vijay. Keep me company outside while I have a cigarette.”
***
Boston, Massachusetts. Vik Vasin shook Charlie Tomkins’ hand and wished him luck. He had just spent almost two hours going over plans, photos, and maps, plus handling instructions for the Glock 26. The gun was easy to use, and with ten 9mm rounds, it should get the job done. And Vik was confident that Tomkins would get the job done. He loved his children too much not to.
***
Lexington, Massachusetts. Tony Longo walked Anna Petrov only partway up the path to her rambling home. He knew that her father hated him, and if he heard them at the door, there would be a scene. They embraced and enjoyed a long goodnight kiss in the moonlight and said their goodbyes. Tony wasn’t sure that Anna’s father didn’t have surveillance cameras, so the kiss was as far as it went. Besides, they had just spent two of her allotted three “date” hours in bed.
He returned to his car, and closing the door as quietly as possible, slowly turned around and drove down the long drive to the main road. A vehicle was parked at the intersection, facing out, with the trunk open. An older man seemed to be struggling with a spare tire. Tony stopped his car, got out, and went to see if he could help, in part, because there was no room for him to get around the stopped car. As he approached the man, he asked, “Need any help?”
Those turned out to be his last words as the man turned, pointed a gun at him, and pumped two rounds into his head. Tomkins looked to be sure that Tony was dead, closed his trunk, and drove off.
Another car crept up the road from a short distance away with its lights off. Engine still running, Vik Vasin got out, looked at Tony’s body, returned to his car, and drove off. Charlie had passed the test, but Vik knew that not everyone would, and that could prove to be a weakness.
***
The following morning, Charlie Tomkins retrieved an envelope from his mailbox. Enclosed was a cashier’s check for $50,000. He drove to his nearby bank branch, asked to speak with a manager, and deposited the check equally into the two saving accounts of his children. Three days later, Charlie passed away, just as his VT2 had told him he would. When a gun was discovered at his home, the police matched it to the execution of Tony Longo, son of a high-ranking Mafia Don. There didn’t appear to be a connection or motive, and a routine check of his finances didn’t raise any flags. Nobody thought about looking at his children’s accounts.
Anna Petrov was distraught, perhaps even more than one might expect, given her early pregnancy. Her father didn’t seem at all concerned about Tony’s death, but then he didn’t know about his daughter’s condition.
The Longos, however, were on a war footing, despite the conclusive evidence that Charlie Tomkins, an insurance salesman with no relationship to the Russians or any other gang, had committed the crime. They were convinced it was the Russian mafia, known as ‘Bratva,’ that had done it, but there was nothing for them to justify an attack.
Charlie Tomkins hadn’t been on the FBI’s radar because he wasn’t on the Final Notice list as having a gun. And he didn’t attract Vijay’s attention because his hormonal activity didn’t include anger or aggression when he carried out the assassination … just a spike of anxiety.
***
CHAPTER 10 – DECISIONS
Quincy, Massachusetts. Although Vik Vasin was a number of levels down the food chain in the Russian Bratva, he received word (along with a thick envelope) that a certain high-level Bratva Captain appreciated his handling of a sensitive family situation.
Vik continued to frequent Sully’s, but his interest in Alek was to ensure that he kept his mouth shut. So far, so good. Vik’s phone pinged with a message that Nick had arrived. He paid up, exited the bar, and scanned the parking lot until he saw a pair of headlights flash on and off. Getting in the car, Nick handed him a cloth bag containing a gun and ammunition.
Vik looked at the bag and asked, “What is it?”
Nick shrugged. “G26, same as before.”
“How much?”
“Two Gs, same as before.”
Vik protested, “How come so much? I can get one of these for six hundred at Bass and half that on the street.”
Nick smirked and replied sarcastically, “Yeah, but this one ain’t traceable. Guaranteed. You want to save money? Go ahead. Buy it wid your own name at Bass.”
“Don’t be a wise ass.”
“Just sayin’.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Vik replied grumpily, “I need two more. When can I get ‘em?”
Nick raised an eyebrow and asked, “You hiring an army?”
“Yeah. Somethin’ like that. When?”
“Tomorrow. Same time, same price.” Nick held his hand out. “You owe me two Gs.”
“Yeah, OK.” Vik pulled an envelope from his jacket, removed two banded packs of bills, and handed it to Nick. “Tomorrow. Same time.”
***
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Vijay was trying to spend more time at home following the attack on Jennifer. The police hadn’t been able to obtain any additional information from the recovering assailant, and they truly felt it was because he had none to give. So, the puzzling threat relating to the ‘Final Notice names’ remained just that – puzzling.
Vijay had just finalized the formatting for the new report that would be sent to Zoe, once he was satisfied with the accuracy and consistency. Depressing as it was, the Marianne Abbott case had given him new insights and hope. When he plotted her emotional and hormonal reactions, he could see a build-up of a fe
w days, from normal to peak anger and aggression, and then back to normal. He needed to run this new behavioral signature pattern across all known Final Notice killers, but so far, it was looking good.
The report included the potential psychological, behavioral markers, employment details, and GPS tracking ID. GPS would be a surprise for Zoe, and he was still kicking himself for not thinking of it earlier. The function had been built into the device from the outset as an aide to emergency responders, but he and the management team had suppressed it until it could be thoroughly tested, to avoid false alarms. After the IPO and Vijay’s departure, it stayed on the back burner, obscured, no doubt, by the high number of senior management changes taking place.
Overall, he was happy and confident. Finally, he could do something to counter-balance the Final Notice inspired deaths.
He would have been even happier with this accomplishment if he wasn’t conflicted over the legality and ethics – both from an eavesdropping, surveillance standpoint, as well as his clandestine use of VitalTech’s data. He could rationalize that the surveillance of VT2 wearers would only be used if someone was about to commit a crime, but he hadn’t found a good argument that justified his unauthorized use of VitalTech’s system. The very public revelations about social media’s sharing of personal information with tech companies rang loud and clear.
What bothered him even more deeply was that he hadn’t shared it with Jennifer, either. On the one hand, he knew that her moral compass was closely aligned with his own, but he was certain that she would have misgivings. Each time he had the moral argument with himself, in the end, he would come full circle and accept that if the dangers that Zoe had described were real, the FBI needed all the help they could get. Still, he needed to have that talk – actually, two talks.
After dinner that night, once Karima was asleep, he tackled the second talk first. It was about getting a dog. He had been enthralled by the short-legged smiling pooch, Miles, although he couldn’t picture him as a deterrent to a determined and armed intruder. Something bigger and scarier looking was required.
He shocked Jennifer at first when he said, “What do you think about getting a cuddly little companion for Kari to grow up with ... and protect you as well?”
Jennifer smiled and replied coquettishly, “I thought that’s what we’ve been doing most nights and even some mornings … but I’m not sure how much protection a baby can offer.”
Vijay laughed at his miscommunication faux pas. “And I think we should continue to try, but I was talking about a puppy.”
Now Jennifer laughed, “Ahh, the protective part! Are you still thinking about the corgi? They’re cute but not very scary.”
“I agree. Miles planted the idea, but when it comes to protecting you and Kari, I was thinking more along the lines of a rottweiler or a German shepherd. But perhaps something a bit more cuddly for her to grow up with.”
Jennifer was all in, “How about a mix? They have these doodle dogs that are a combination of a poodle and another breed?”
“Like Karima?
She laughed, “Exactly.”
Always the action man, Vijay reached over to his tablet and searched for doodles. The results had them gushing over the dozens of doodle crossbreed puppies for almost an hour, as they researched breed characteristics and breeders. Looking at the characteristics, it didn’t take long for them to agree on a shepa-doodle, a cross between a German shepherd and a standard poodle – smart, loyal, great with kids and protective of family. And there were a couple of breeders in the Boston area.
Jennifer, with a big grin on her face, said, “OK, we’ve got the cuddly protective one checked off. How about the other cuddly addition?”
But Vijay reluctantly put that activity temporarily on hold. He wanted to clear his mind of his ethical dilemma. “I’m always ready for that, but first, I need to discuss something with you, and I want your candid opinion.”
Jennifer was disappointed, but she knew that this must be very important, so she put her other desires on hold and an arm around Vijay’s shoulder to focus on what he wanted to say. “Sure, ‘V,’ what is it?”
Vijay took a deep breath and explained, in more detail than ever before, the problems that the Final Notices were causing and what the FBI was up against. Jennifer realized just how badly the Final Notice deaths had affected him. She had been aware of the historical information-sharing agreement with the FBI, but it seemed as though the situation had become much more dangerous and volatile. Memories of the recent attack swept over her, and she asked Vijay, “Would you like some more wine?” He declined, but she poured another glass for herself.
Vijay said, “If VitalTech was still my company, I would have no qualms about helping the FBI as much as possible to stop the murders. But it’s not mine, and there’s no one I can approach to get approval. Kalin and I are not exactly great friends, as you know, and J. Edward is smitten with him, as are most of the Board.”
Jennifer retorted, “That’s because you created an amazing product that people want, and they’re buying it. Plus, you and your team are making it even better.”
“Jen, that’s part of what I wanted to talk about. The team is driving healthcare advancements. But I’m focusing on something else. I’m working on extracting data that can help the FBI stop attacks before they happen.”
Jennifer was surprised and curious. “How long has that been the case?”
“Truthfully, since the very first murder. There was so much going on back then – with the beta tests and the IPO – that most of my efforts were in my head. Trying to come up with a workable application has been elusive.”
“And have you found a solution?”
“I have, and I’m close to trialing a prototype.”
Jennifer asked, “What kind of data are you looking at?” And then, smiling, she added, “Keep it simple and high level.”
“Hormonal readings like cortisol, serotonin, adrenalin.”
Jennifer interrupted, “Good, you haven’t lost me yet. So, are you saying that these readings, when applied to a Final Notice recipient, will indicate that they will commit murder?”
Vijay chuckled, appreciating his wife’s quick mind. “Yes, although it’s not quite that straightforward or definitive. It indicates that they are angry and agitated at levels similar to other recipients who have carried out shootings. Therefore, they should be considered a threat.”
“That sounds pretty 1984ish on several levels. But do you really think Kalin will approve enhanced intel to the FBI?”
“I’m not even sure he knows about the current level of info-sharing, and I don’t know how much time I have before they throw me off the Board and the team, which would end any hope of helping the FBI. And given the potential threats that Zoe has shared with me, more murders could include some very high-level people.”
“Kick you off the Board? Why do you think that would happen?”
“Kalin and I have had words, and it wouldn’t take much for him to convince J. Edward.”
“So, what can you do?”
Vijay finally got to his point. “Build a ‘back door’ into the VitalTech monitoring system so that I can continue to have access and provide Zoe and the FBI with valuable data, even if I’m kicked out.”
Jennifer was alarmed. “That would be illegal.”
“Probably, but I was going to ask Zoe to see if she could give me immunity.”
Jennifer had worked for J. Edward Konig at KKL, and it was she who brought VitalTech into play for the high-flying private equity firm. “What if I ask J. Edward? VitalTech is his company now.”
Vijay had hoped Jennifer would cheer him on, but he wasn’t surprised by her pragmatic recommendation for caution. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. He’ll ask Kalin, and then this show’s over.”
Jennifer was concerned, but she understood how important this was to Vijay, and she didn’t want to stand in his way. “Will you talk with Zoe first?”
“I will. Thanks, Jen.
I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
They headed for bed, but neither of them was entirely present. He was modeling “what if” scenarios in case it all went south and trying to decide what to do; she lay there worrying about the legality of what Vijay was considering and the threat of another attack.
***
Quincy, Massachusetts. Vik Vasin had just briefed Louie Vinzano on a plan to take out a high-level Italian mafioso. Vik smiled inwardly as he imagined the mob’s confusion about another hit on one of their people, this time from another Italian. But Louie was different than Charlie. For starters, he had twenty days left on his Final Notice. Too much time … time that he might talk. Secondly, he was more emotional than Charlie, and Vik was unsure if he could shoot someone. But this was a big hit, making it even more critical to confuse the motive and keep the other side uncertain about who did it.
