Milo Moon: It Never Happened

by Derek Haines

  ‘Sorry, Mr. Henniger?’

  ‘Mueller has been raking in money for years. It makes sense that Carruthers is trying to get into it now that Mueller is out of the way.’

  ‘But she rang me only yesterday demanding his release.’

  ‘I’m sure she’d like to get hold of him. She doesn’t have his contacts.’

  ‘So how do you read this?’

  ‘As far as I understand, Carruthers is due to head the transferred operation in Russia. We’ve been giving the Americans and Carruthers as much help as we can to get this transfer done as quickly as possible. Maybe she was in the deal with Mueller, I’m not sure. But his detention was not part of the plan. It was only by sheer chance that Seaton recognised him that we decided to hold him. So the problem lies in Mueller’s contacts.’

  ‘Do you think Carruthers has been benefitting from Mueller’s dealings?’

  ‘I’ll know by morning, once we do a banking check on her, but my hunch is that she was.’

  ‘Right, so Mueller and Carruthers make money by selling their wares, and even now I could be drawn to a conclusion that this facility may continue to be profitable in a new location. The big three continue with their post war agreement and no one’s the wiser. At the same time information is being sold off to who ever by Mueller, Carruthers and maybe some covert government agencies. Who knows? All that is quite logical. What I don’t understand is why Mueller helped these two escape with the clear intention of having the facility uncovered?’

  ‘Because of pride.’

  ‘Pride?’

  ‘Yes. Mueller was going to be retired off soon and he was most upset that someone from England I think, was going to replace him. In his mind, it was his program. And the link to his father is what pulls this together. He told me it was a German program. I think what he really meant was that it was a family business.’

  ‘So why expose it?’

  ‘His logic was very sound. Everything has happened as he planned except that he is not now heading the transfer and taking charge of the new facility in Russia.’

  ‘So his only mistake was with Seaton?’

  ‘Yes. She was supposed to be well sedated, but she recognised him as George Smithe. Without that little bit of luck, he’d be heading the transfer now and on his way to continuing his operation.’

  ‘Right Mr. Henniger. It looks like we have some decisions to make.’

  ‘Yes m’am.’

  ‘First. The record of interview with Mueller.’

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘One copy only in handwriting, and delivered to me personally. Make sure there’s absolutely no record of his existence on any of your files or data systems. Not even his initials.’

  ‘Yes. But it’s highly irregular.’

  ‘This whole episode is Mr. Henniger. But there’s enormous political and diplomatic consequences involved here.’

  ‘And historically?’

  ‘It never ever happened, Mr. Henniger. Clear?’

  ‘Yes m’am. Understood. I’ll see to it personally.’

  ‘Next. Carruthers. Perhaps you could drop a hint to your American and Russian friends that she might be trying to sell information to, where was it again?’

  ‘China, Iran, North Korea, Pakistan, and Ukraine.’

  ‘Yes. Should get some attention I think.’

  ‘Understood m’am. I’ll get that underway this evening.’

  ‘Now, the transfer. How’s that going?’

  ‘We’ve made it as easy as we can and we’ve had some help from the CIA. A few unrecorded flights out of Geneva. The last briefing I received this afternoon expected the last of the patients to be out by tomorrow evening. We haven’t assisted with their staff though. So that’s a bit slower.’

  ‘Well, we’ll leave that to others then. But the facility will be clear by, let’s see, Friday morning.’

  ‘Yes. I believe so m’am.’

  ‘Good. I want you to take Mueller to CERN on Friday and get him to show you where this emergency button or whatever it is called, is located and set off this expanding and solidifying foam and get rid of this place.’

  ‘There’s a lethal gas that’s part of that mechanism m’am.’

  ‘I don’t think that’ll be necessary. Can you have that part disarmed or something? Just fill the place and make it disappear.’

  ‘Understood.’

  ‘Right. I think that covers things for now.’

  ‘Except Mueller m’am.’

  ‘Just hold him for now. He may be useful. We’ll decide on his future once this Sootere place is wiped from existence.’

  ‘Very well m’am. Oh. Just one other matter. We’re still holding this, Dr. Paul Schmidt.’

  ‘Who.’

  ‘We took him into custody after the attempted attack in Bern.’

  ‘Ah, yes at the military base. Yes, I saw Rudiger Staheli’s notes about that incident.’

  ‘So, what should we do with him now?’

  ‘Until we know more, I think we’ll keep him. We’ll sort out the two German doctors once we have the other issues under control.’

  ‘Yes, m’am.’

  ‘I’d like to see you Friday afternoon for a briefing. Is that okay with you, Mr. Henniger?’

  Henniger checked his agenda on his mobile phone. ‘Late Friday afternoon, sure.’

  ‘Patrick!’ Klausner called out, and Patrick came in.

  ‘Could you arrange a meeting in my agenda for Mr. Henniger for Friday afternoon around five or six?’

  ‘Yes m’am.’

  ‘Right Mr. Henniger. Patrick will look after that with you. I’ll see you Friday then.’

  ‘Yes m’am,’ he said, as he rose and left the president’s office with Patrick.

  Once in Patrick’s office, Henniger asked Patrick a question in almost a whisper.

  ‘How are you managing? She’s, well, different.’

  ‘Yes sir. She certainly is that. But I must say I think I might enjoy this rotation. Six-thirty okay with you?’

  ‘Fine Patrick. Thanks. See you on Friday then.’

  When he arrived back at his car, Henniger made a call from his mobile.

  ‘Hello.’

  ‘It’s Klaus, John. Carruthers is trying to sell. Chinese buyers.’

  ‘Thanks Klaus. I’ll follow it up.’

  ‘Have you tipped MI6?’

  ‘Not yet.’

  ‘Leave it to me then.’

  ‘Thanks John.’

  Henniger clicked to end the call and then made another.

  ‘Yes’

  ‘It’s Klaus, Sergei. Carruthers is trying to sell. Chinese buyers.’

  ‘Thanks Klaus. We heard a whisper too.’

  ‘Leave it with you then, Sergei.’

  *****

  ‘Milo?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘The moon is wonderful. It’s round like your face.’

  ‘But it’s got no mouth or eyes.’

  ‘I’d like to go there.’

  ‘To the moon?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘I’ll ask Sylvie. She’ll know how.’

  ‘I miss Marie. I liked her.’

  ‘Me too Mary.’

  Chapter 29 - What Will Be

  Tired from her shift, Marie arrived home at nearly half past ten. She opened the door and hung her jacket. It was quiet and dark, so she realised that Jean-Paul was not waiting for her. She switched on the living room light.

  ‘Oh my god!’ she exclaimed, as she saw Jean-Paul sitting on the sofa with a bouquet of roses in his hand. Then she saw the table set and a bottle of red opened and breathing.

  ‘What…? I don’t know….’

  ‘I’ve been cooking,’ Jean-Paul said, with a big smile.

  ‘Oh have you now,’ Marie said. ‘And what have you cooked then?’

  ‘Coq au Vin.’

  ‘Well who’s a clever boy then?’

  ‘These are for you,’ Jean-Paul said, as he handed the roses to Marie. She took them and sme
lled their fragrance. Then wrapped her arms around his neck.

  ‘Kiss me you fool.’

  Over dinner Jean-Paul told her he had decided to take his new job.

  ‘So you need a cheap place to live?’ she said jokingly.

  ‘There are plenty of cheap places to live Marie. But here I get the bonus of living with someone I love.’

  ‘I love you too, Jean-Paul.’

  They looked into each other’s eyes. Not needing words.

  They cleared the table together and made coffee.

  ‘My commander came to see me today.’

  ‘And?’

  ‘He wants me to keep my federal security clearance.’

  ‘So what does that mean?’

  ‘It means that I could possibly be called or seconded as they say, for special assignments.’

  ‘This is on top of becoming a sergeant?’

  ‘Yes, I know. A couple of big days,’ she smiled.

  ‘So you could get busy?’

  ‘Well, I just wanted you to know, that’s all. I don’t have a very predictable job.’

  ‘So it could mean you do a disappearing act again?’

  ‘A remote chance.’

  ‘When you say Federal, do you mean the spooks?’

  ‘Oh JP! They’re not spooks. Just cops like me. Well, no. You’re right. On reflection, yes. They are spooks. Okay,’ she laughed.

  ‘Well, it must mean you’re good at your job.’

  ‘Thanks JP.’

  ‘So are you going to keep this, eh, clearance?’

  ‘Only if you agree.’

  ‘Oh Marie. Don’t be silly. Do what you’re good at. And don’t forget, I’m going to be working all sorts of stupid hours too, so we’ll work it out.’

  Marie cuddled up to Jean-Paul. ‘I love you JP.’

  ‘Me too, Marie.’

  *****

  Françoise woke early and readied herself for a hectic Thursday. Staheli’s funeral and a host of leaders who would be attending the service in Bern. She smiled in the mirror as she had a passing thought of placing Staheli’s handwritten file in his coffin. That way he could take the secrets with him. Her driver was due at seven, in half an hour. So she decided on making a coffee and relaxing for the thirty minutes. It would be her only quiet time during what was going to be a long and exhausting day and evening. Luckily, her portfolio for foreign affairs meant she knew almost everyone who was attending, so it wouldn’t involve trying to remember too many new names. She closed her eyes and started to put the CERN matter far from her thinking. That was for tomorrow. Today was for churches, handshakes, fake sympathy and free food and drinks.

  *****

  ‘What are you doing?’

  ‘Cooking pancakes, Milo.’

  ‘Have you cooked them before?’

  ‘No, but Marie showed me how to do it.’

  ‘Can I help?’

  ‘You could make some coffee, Milo.’

  ‘Instant?’

  ‘Oh no Milo. You and your instant coffee. Make it properly with the machine like Sylvie showed you.’

  ‘Okay, Mary,’ Milo said, not understanding what was wrong with instant coffee.

  ‘We could go for a walk later. It’s going to be a nice day I think.’

  ‘Maybe we could have a picnic.’

  ‘Oh Milo. You are so smart. Maybe we could ask a nurse if there is a basket we could use.’

  ‘I’ll ask straight after breakfast. Mmm. The pancakes smell good.’

  *****

  ‘What are you doing up so early?’

  ‘Cooking crêpes for you.’

  ‘You don’t have to do….’

  ‘You didn’t have to cook Coq au Vin either.’

  ‘So are we entering a cooking contest phase?’

  ‘I could think of worse ideas.’

  ‘Have I got time for a shower?’

  ‘Of course.’

  ‘Oh, I forgot to tell you. I’ve got to go to Brunnen on Sunday.’

  ‘Family?’

  ‘No. Old friends.’

  ‘Well, probably a good day for me to clean out my old place.’

  ‘I’m off on Monday too, so I could help you.’

  ‘Deal.’

  ‘And then I start my early shift on Tuesday.’

  ‘What do you call early?’

  ‘Six.’

  ‘Ouch.’

  ‘But you don’t have to cook crêpes before I go.’

  ‘Oh thank you my dear. I think I’ll have that shower before you have any more good news, ‘ Jean-Paul said with a smile.

  ‘Good idea JP.’

  *****

  Ernst Gehrig started his day by reading the updates on the Seaton and Moon files and was pleased to find that both had been settled and were in reasonable condition considering their medical histories. Then he added a note to send a request to Alfred Letsch for allocation of Defence Department funding for their continued treatment and care, as well as permission to confirm Dr. Luc Fleury and Dr. Sylvie Rousseau as the designated medical practitioners for Moon and Seaton.

  At almost the same time Klaus Henniger was calling the defence councillor, Alfred Letsch, asking him to gather all the files pertaining the CERN matter. In particular the files kept by Ernst Gehrig, and have them ready for collection by Friday at five. He then called Marc Guyer and Antoinette Haller to check if they had any files regarding the matter and was pleased to hear they had been careful to make sure there was nothing in their respective departments.

  His mobile phone beeped with a new text message.

  ‘The C problem is sorted. J.’

  Now all he had to worry about was the security of fifty-five heads of state in Bern for a funeral. On his way to check the sites and locations for the funeral service and procession, he called his agent in charge of Mueller’s interrogation.

  ‘All under control?’

  ‘Yes sir. Just getting him comfortable now and we’ll get started in about ten minutes.’

  ‘Good. When you finish up, change his location and double check his security arrangements.’

  ‘Problems?’

  ‘No. I just don’t want any that’s all.’

  ‘Will do sir.’

  ‘Oh, and make sure your handwriting is legible.’

  ‘Understood,’ his agent said with a little levity.

  The day’s events were televised, and while the nation’s media attention was focused on the funeral of a president and the assembled heads of state, a story on the news wires about a senior CERN employee being found dead in her apartment that morning attracted little attention. A short entry on a television news website noting that the police were treating the death as suspicious was about all the media coverage the story received.

  Françoise Klausner returned to her office at eleven-thirty after a long day and boring dinner. Patrick Eggen went with her and they both quickly checked their daily correspondence and email. After twenty minutes Françoise called Patrick.

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘Do you drink single malt, Patrick?’

  ‘From time to time, yes.’

  ‘Good. Sit down and join me for a nightcap. You look like you need one.’

  ‘Thank you Françoise, I think we both do.’

  Françoise took a bottle and two glasses from a filing cabinet and poured two nips.

  ‘Santé, Patrick!’

  ‘Yes. Santé, Françoise!’

  Chapter 30 - Erasure

  At a little after seven, Henniger received the phone call he had been waiting for.

  ‘The site is clear, Klaus.’

  ‘Thanks.’

  ‘Good morning Dr. Mueller,’ Henniger said, with just a fraction of a smile.

  ‘Hello. I still don’t know your name.’

  ‘Yes well, we all have our little problems. But I hear you were very cooperative yesterday.’

  ‘Did I have a choice?’

  ‘Well said, and I’m sure you’ll have more to tell us later, but now I’d like to take
you for a little drive.’

  ‘Oh yes. Do I stand a chance of returning?’

  ‘I hope so doctor. I hope so.’

  Mueller didn’t reply.

  ‘I’ll get our team ready and we’ll leave in an hour or so.’

  ‘Mueller only nodded in agreement.

  ‘What are we doing here?’ Mueller asked, as the car drove through the rear gates of CERN’s grounds an hour or so later, and continued on to the rear of the building that accessed Sootere.

  ‘To help us with a little burial, doctor.’

  ‘Sootere?’

  ‘Yes.’

  Henniger had two specialist agents with him. One mechanical engineer, and the other an electrical engineer. Their task was to isolate and deactivate the gas distribution system and ensure that only the expanding foam filler was triggered. Mueller was handcuffed before leaving the car, and then the four men started the last descent to Sootere.

  ‘It’s not as simple as you think,’ Mueller said, as they neared the end of their descent. No one answered him.

  ‘So, where’s the emergency activation Dr. Mueller?’ Henniger asked, as they arrived at the viewing room.

  ‘This way,’ Mueller said, as he lead the three men down a narrow corridor to a small door that lead to a metal staircase and down to a cramped electrical control room.

  ‘There it is. Those three levers need to be set to the charge position, and then the four red buttons need to pressed at the same time.’

  ‘So two are for the foam and two for the gas?’ Henniger asked.

  ‘No. The two systems are integrated. You can’t have one without the other. The system is designed to eliminate everything down here and all the way back up to level two of the entry points.’

  ‘So, whoever pushes the buttons stays down here?’

  ‘Exactly. No trace.’

  ‘Thank you, doctor. You and I’ll go back to the viewing room while my agents look at this.’

  More than an hour passed while Henniger and Mueller waited. Henniger noted that Mueller seemed relaxed and was quite open in discussing his justification for the facility and the research and experiments that were undertaken.

  ‘I know you don’t understand and probably never will,’ Mueller said.

  ‘Understand what?’

  ‘How many wonderful discoveries came from this.’

  ‘But it was illegal and immoral.’

  ‘Only from your point of view. I and many others have a different understanding.’