Milo Moon: It Never Happened

by Derek Haines

  ‘I’m not at liberty to say.’

  ‘I see. Look, thank you for your call, Mrs Carruthers. If there’s any news, my office will be in contact. Good day.’

  Françoise then picked up her phone and called Klaus Henniger.

  ‘Listen. I just had a call from Agnes Carruthers. All in a tizz about getting Mueller released. She’s panicking for some reason. I think someone or something has spooked her. She was going on about powerful people wanting Mueller released.’

  ‘My reading of it would be more that some powerful people may want Mueller dead.’

  ‘And that hopefully won’t happen while we have him in custody.’

  ‘Yes, exactly m’am.’

  ‘Right. Keep me updated.’

  When she hung up the phone she heard Patrick entering his office.

  ‘Patrick!’

  ‘Yes m’am,’ he said, almost running into her office.

  ‘This president stuff really doesn’t stop. Would you mind getting me the coffee I’ve been trying to make for over an hour.’

  ‘Certainly, Françoise.’

  ‘Oh and Patrick.’

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘No sugar. I’m too sweet as it is.’

  ‘No one would believe that Madam President,’ he said with a smile.

  ‘Good.’

  Françoise checked her email. Mostly routine except for one from the State Department in Washington confirming that the Secretary was ready to sign off on the banking probe and landing rights. She knew this meant the Rendition agreement. She flagged the email to attend to later.

  ‘It’s the Chancellor on line two, Françoise.’

  ‘Thanks Patrick.’

  ‘Good morning, Chancellor.’

  ‘Good morning, Madam President. Congratulations on you appointment, and please extend my condolences to Mr. Staheli’s family if you can.’

  ‘Thank you. I certainly will.’

  ‘Look, I know your just settling in, but there’s a sensitive issue we need to clarify.’

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘In my discussions with Mr. Staheli, we came to, how can I say this? An arrangement, regarding the head of this program under CERN.’

  ‘Yes Chancellor. I have his notes. I’ve already started on the bi-laterals with your minister.’

  ‘I’m aware of the progress there, but Mueller is part of the agreement too you know.’

  ‘Yes. I’ve read the notes regarding this issue.’

  ‘So, where is Mueller now?’

  ‘We have him in custody.’

  ‘May I ask what plans you have for him?’

  ‘We’re trying to discover more about Dr. Mueller. We’ve got a number of outstanding issues we would like clarified. We’ve got reason to believe he may have been involved in aiding the escape of the two patients we have.’

  ‘A mysterious man it would seem?’

  ‘Yes. We’ve got a few mysteries on our plate at the moment,’ Françoise said, with a light inflection.

  ‘Well, my concern is what you do with him after you’ve solved your mysteries.’

  ‘Right. A disappearing act I believe, from Staheli’s notes.’

  ‘Well, something like that. The last thing we both need is a mad German doctor reigniting the issues from Nuremberg.’

  ‘I understand Chancellor. However, as yet I haven’t had time to consider a viable solution. I only read the notes yesterday in fact.’

  ‘How long are you going to hold him?’

  ‘To be honest, I’m not sure. We’ve had unconfirmed information that there may be a threat to Dr. Mueller. It seems he has made a few enemies, so we may extend this to protective custody at some point.’

  ‘But you can’t keep him in the longer term.’

  ‘No. That’s correct. At most, probably a few weeks.’

  ‘And then?’

  ‘Normally it would lead to deportation, but I understand why you don’t want him back. So, we’ll have to find a different approach.’

  ‘If it helps, I have received an offer of cooperation on this issue from the Russian Foreign Minister.’

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘They may be willing to take him.’

  ‘But legally we can’t just hand him over to Russia.’

  ‘No. That’s correct. But he could be listed by Interpol.’

  ‘Yes, and?’

  ‘The US might take an interest then, and consider using their Rendition process.’

  ‘But Switzerland is not a party to the US Rendition process.’

  ‘No, not yet.’

  ‘Chancellor, I believe I understand you.’

  ‘Excellent. I’ll have my minister get the bi-laterals finalised.’

  ‘Thank you Chancellor.’

  Françoise ended her call and sat pensively. She needed to be very careful, as she balanced decisions that had been made by her predecessor, and those that could be seen as being made by her. Luckily the whole episode had remained covert, but she knew the transfer process was the one area that could pose a danger of a leak of information. Getting one hundred and fifty-five patients and probably a hundred or more CERN staff out of Switzerland secretly was a monumental challenge for her secret services.

  She called her head of the secret police Klaus Henniger.

  ‘You’ve probably only got about two weeks before Mueller will need to be released.’

  ‘Right. We’ll do what we can. We’re about to start his next session, so I’ll keep you updated.’

  Françoise swivelled her chair and looked out at a clear day with very light cloud and morning sunshine. People scurrying for trams and buses. Others sipping coffee and reading the morning’s news. A normal day in Switzerland. She was pleased that none of them knew.

  *****

  ‘We believe that there are people who would like to harm you Dr. Mueller,’ Henniger said.

  ‘You are surprised?’

  ‘No. Only that you don’t seem concerned by this information.’

  ‘There are always, how can I say? Issues.’

  ‘Tell me about George Smithe.’

  ‘No idea what you’re taking about.’

  ‘Oh Dr. Mueller please don’t insult my intelligence. The copies of the documents you gave Moon could’ve only come from you. We’ve had the handwriting analysed. Moon and Seaton have identified you as Smithe.’

  ‘Hardly proof.’

  ‘All right Dr. Mueller. I know it’s a tired cliché, but we can do this the hard way if you like.’

  ‘You have no right to threaten me.’

  ‘I’m sorry Dr. Mueller but you’re quite wrong. You don’t exist now, so you’re the one with no rights.’ Henniger said, as he gestured to his colleague. ‘Cuff him.’

  ‘What are you doing?’ Mueller protested, as his hands were handcuffed behind his back and each leg was cuffed to the metal chair he was seated on. Henniger’s colleague opened a small cupboard and removed a small portable automotive battery charger.

  ‘You can’t do this!’ Mueller shouted.

  ‘Shut up!’ Henniger snorted, as his colleague plugged in the charger and checked it was operating, by clicking the two spring dog clips together and producing a spark.

  ‘Ready sir.’

  ‘Go ahead,’ Henniger said, and his colleague opened the negative pole dog clip and attached it to the area of Mueller’s testicles, which even without an electrical charge had Mueller screaming in pain. He held the positive pole dog clip near Mueller’s neck.

  Mueller continued to writhe in pain from the pressure of the dog clip, while screaming obscenities at Henniger that were mixed with his screams of pain.

  ‘I know Dr. Mueller. Rather uncomfortable isn’t it?’ Henniger almost shouted, over Mueller’s screaming. ‘Would you like to try it with a little electricity now, Dr. Mueller?’

  ‘Noooooo! Nooooo!’ Mueller screamed, and started to make sobbing sounds that mixed with his screams and pleading.

  After a short while, Henniger leant over and removed the
dog clip from Mueller’s testicles. Mueller continued to sob in pain, but his screaming subsided.

  ‘I believe you understand me now Dr. Mueller. I’ll let you catch your breath. When I come back, maybe you’ll be ready to talk about George Smithe.’

  *****

  Marie’s mobile beeped twice and woke her. She opened her eyes slowly and finally flipped her phone open.

  ‘Contact Fleury or Rousseau. Martin’

  Then she checked the time. Eight-thirty.

  ‘Shit! So much for a sleep-in,’ she mumbled to herself, and got up gently and headed to the bathroom realising along the way that she had a headache and a hang over.

  *****

  Luc and Sylvie met with the head of staff responsible for Milo and Mary’s accommodation.

  ‘Look, I don’t think they’ll be a problem,’ Sylvie said.

  ‘They function very well, but have, well, a childish mental capacity and personality,’ Luc added.

  ‘Well, I feel responsible in a way. Either my staff or the police should’ve checked the roof area. It’s very easy to access. Our perimeter security is very good, and I suppose the only reason we didn’t do our normal checks earlier in the evening was because we knew Dr. Rousseau was with them.’

  ‘Well, I feel quite confident that they’ll settle in. And both myself and Dr. Rousseau will be making regular visits over the coming months.’

  ‘I note from their file, that the both of you are listed as being responsible for them. They have no family?’

  ‘That’s correct. If they were younger, they would be considered wards of the state, but their ages are well over this possibility.’

  ‘If there are any issues at all I’ll call you, but I feel confident that they’ll be fine here.’

  ‘Good. We’ll pop in and see them and then be on our way. Thanks for you help.’

  *****

  ‘So, Dr. Mueller, do we understand each other now?’

  ‘This is inhuman!’

  ‘After what you’ve been involved in. Don’t start me laughing.’

  ‘What’s your name?’

  ‘I don’t have one,’ Henniger said. ‘But you can call me, sir.’

  ‘I refuse.’

  ‘Names don’t bother me. Only facts doctor.’

  ‘I should have diplomatic representation.’

  ‘Oh Dr. Mueller please. Your government has told us they don’t want you. In fact they seem quite happy to just let you, let’s say, evaporate. The Americans have an interest, but only in getting you shipped of to Siberia or somewhere where you’d probably be shot anyway. So right at the moment, I’m probably your best friend.’

  ‘Carruthers will be making representations.’

  ‘She already has doctor. From what we understand she would very much like you released. So the sniper can have access to your head. As I said, no friends.’

  ‘I have friends.’

  ‘Yes doctor, I’d already gathered that. But I wouldn’t call customers friends.’

  ‘I don’t know what you mean.’

  ‘Your bank accounts speak very clearly for you doctor.’

  ‘My bank details are….’

  ‘Not from me doctor. Don’t go thinking that banking secrecy excludes our intelligence services. We just keep it from other countries.’

  ‘I, I...there were some……’

  ‘Tell me about China, Iran, North Korea, Pakistan, and Ukraine for a start doctor.’

  ‘I had some contacts with…..’

  ‘Contacts doctor? Very generous contacts who paid you fucking millions over the last five years.’

  ‘They were private arrangements.’

  ‘You really are testing my patience, doctor. So, before I consider our little battery charger again, maybe you can tell me, before you start screaming and can’t be understood, what you’d like the resolution to your dilemma to be. Shot, poisoned or blown up, or have us turn your balls in smoking little rissoles. I don’t see any other alternatives.’

  ‘There are always alternatives.’

  ‘I’m listening.’

  ‘Libya.’

  ‘Keep going.’

  ‘A new identity in Libya with a transfer of my accounts.’

  ‘Your retirement fund?’

  ‘You could say that.’

  ‘In return for what doctor?’

  ‘The full details of Klinik Siebzehn to today.’

  ‘But you’ve already sold this information.’

  ‘No. Only products and research from the program.’

  Henniger paused for some time. ‘Dr. Mueller. Would I be right in surmising that you had a profitable sideline to your job, but the threat of being retired off would have ended or worse, exposed your activities.’

  ‘I….’

  ‘Let me finish. So your solution was to expose the facility and thus be able to slip away with your own retirement fund and let the big three suffer the embarrassment of the exposure of their post war agreement. All very possible and a well-developed plan I might say. Except for one Mary Seaton who wasn’t sedated enough. I’ve been informed by my medical advisors, that there was no real need for Seaton and Moon to be sedated for the procedure. Local anaesthetic was sufficient. You insisted on sedation to protect yourself. But unfortunately, something went wrong and she was able to identify you.’

  Mueller sat quietly with his head bowed. His body language taking on more signs of defeat by the minute. Henniger knew he had his man, but still wondered what would become of the doctor.

  ‘Doctor Mueller?’

  ‘Fuck you. Fuck you.’

  ‘Excellent. We’ll try the charger with some electricity this time.’

  ‘No! Fuck you, yes. Yes, fuck you.’

  ‘So you were George Smithe with an ‘E’?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Very good then. We can start getting somewhere now. Just one silly question first. Why did you insist on the stupid ‘E’ all the time?’

  ‘Estoicplasmilliophosphate. The medication I needed to take to enter Sootere. It was a joke.’

  ‘Nice touch doctor. Nice touch indeed. Take his cuffs off,’ Henniger ordered.

  ‘And Libya?’

  ‘Depends how cooperative, honest and detailed you are doctor. I don’t trust you yet. But in time I may warm to you.’

  ‘Not very reassuring.’

  ‘Best I can do for the moment.’

  Chapter 28 - A Life To Live

  Marie called Sylvie just before midday and was pleased to hear that Mary and Milo were settled. She arranged to travel with Sylvie on her next visit the coming Sunday, as she had a day off then. She knew she could have easily requested time during her police hours to visit, but she preferred to keep it discrete and personal.

  Her hangover had improved and with just a little over two hours before her shift started, she thought she’d better put something substantial in her stomach. In the middle of preparing a pasta lunch the doorbell rang.

  ‘Jean-Paul!’

  ‘I’ve come for the inspection.’

  ‘The inspection?’

  ‘You said you had a room to sub-let.’

  ‘Oh Jean-Paul,’ she said, as she hugged him. ‘I’m making lunch. Hungry?’

  ‘Yes in fact, I am.’

  *****

  ‘Thank you for your support in recent days,’ Françoise Klausner said, as she started her first Federal Council meeting as President of Switzerland, which was followed by voices of congratulations from her fellow councillors.

  ‘Thank you all. Let’s move on then,’ she said. ‘I must inform you of the situation regarding the CERN facility. As we speak, the facility is being cleared and we foresee an end to this horrid saga in a matter of days. We have Dr. Wilhelm Mueller in custody and he is being cooperative in supplying information about his activities. Seaton and Moon are now settled near Brunnen in a specialist care facility after having had successful surgery to remove the tracking implants. Although there is still much to be done, I’m confident t
hat this matter will be resolved fully in the coming weeks.’

  ‘And the details of the resolutions that were necessary?’ Antoinette Haller asked.

  ‘There are no details available on the presidential records,’ she replied.

  ‘Yours or Staheli’s?’ Haller asked.

  ‘All my actions and decisions are fully detailed and recorded in accordance with procedure.’

  ‘And Staheli?’

  ‘As yet, I haven’t had time to be fully briefed on his files.’

  ‘You’re taking over where Staheli left off then?’ Alfred Letsch asked.

  ‘Naturally councillor. Naturally,’ she said. ‘Unless there are any further questions, maybe we could move on to other matters?’

  ‘I believe we need to agree on an election date for a new Federal Councillor,’ Karl Schellenberg replied.

  *****

  ‘I wasn’t sure you’d be back.’

  ‘Did you think I’d run off?’

  ‘Maybe. It’s one of my faults. I push too hard sometimes.’

  ‘And one of my faults is being a very slow decision maker.’

  ‘Opposites huh?’

  ‘Hmm? I had my first try out last night at the Palladium.’

  ‘For your new career? That’s great. Did you enjoy it?’

  ‘I was going to call you when I finished because I was so excited, but it was very late and…’

  ‘You don’t need to explain, Jean-Paul. Just tell me you loved it.’

  ‘Well, to be honest, it was fantastic. I’ve got so much to learn, and I’d need to do a lot of work to get my skill level up, but…….’

  ‘You want to do it.’

  ‘Finishing someone’s sentence is a sure sign of….’

  ‘Don’t say it! Don’t say JP! I’m sorry.’

  ‘No, I think it indicates closeness and understanding.’

  ‘Okay, I’ll go that far. Hey, look, I’ve got to get ready for my shift. Will you be here when I get back?’

  ‘Would you like me to be here?’

  ‘Only forever.’

  Jean-Paul smiled, and Marie went to get ready for work. Still unsure if Jean-Paul was ready for what she really wanted.

  Jean-Paul was sipping coffee when Marie returned, dressed for her shift. She gave him a kiss and a hug.

  ‘I’ll be back around ten. See you when I see you, JP.’

  Jean-Paul gave her a kiss and a smile, as well as the look of someone who was deep in contemplation and decision making. Marie knew she hadn’t got her man just yet.