The Sacred Protocol
Page 12
Manuel studied her and could almost feel the anxiety. “Yes it is a game, and I was just as dismissive as you are, at one time. That may have hastened Konrad’s death. Does it not strike you as significant that the game may be, or can be ahead of reality? Would you agree that if Pierze admits to Tirishev, and there are a number of people who could have leaked this, I have at least some reason to extract what I can from Pichler? I don’t want Pierze to know I’m in the game. Duarte is perfect for this gambit, he has been hassling Pierze on all manner of information he believes is being withheld.”
She thought about it in a more detached way and asked, “Who the hell is Prometheus?”
“I don’t really know. There’s nothing on the game character stats as far as I can see, but Konrad knew him, or of him. Whoever he is, he stressed that the three personalities were ‘affected’. As it was a written message I wasn’t able to detect intonation – it could refer to medical, political or a game related issue – I don’t know.”
She drew a deep breath. “Ok, I’ll convey these names to Duarte as being linked in some way and when he asks, which he surely will - where they came from, I’ll say it’s a ‘source’ at the Firenze precinct, who must remain undercover.”
He hugged her and they walked back to her hotel. He suggested a night cap and she declined. “When are you going to start to shadow my investigation? I haven’t had a chance to tell you that Dominguez and I tried to check out Brunatti’s alleged girlfriend. It turns out she wasn’t at the registered address according to the landlord, and he said she used more than one name. The apartment is registered to Claudia Nalini, but he was sure she received mail for Senorita Rossi. The apartment did have a number of abstract paintings stacked against a bedroom wall. Dominguez was looking around while I talked to the landlord and she doesn’t know about the false name. I’m not sure, but she didn’t seem to pick up on the paintings either. I won’t raise the issue myself as she is pretty sharp. Maybe with your expense account you can get a couple of the paintings checked for DNA.” He smiled and apologised for monopolising the conversation with Futureworld. “I’ll get on to it as soon as I’ve talked with Pichler.”
Konrad
Pichler was pacing about amongst the crowd which was already milling around the stadium. “What is the panic Konrad? Is there something up?”
“I hope you can tell me really. Have you heard from Adrianna or Leonid?” All of a sudden Pichler looked more concerned.
“No, I have not tried to contact Adrianna but I have called Leonid several times as I was expecting a delivery from him. Why are you asking?”
“Well I’ve been told that both of them are ‘affected’ by something. The same informant claimed that you were also subject to whatever it is. Have you been feeling ok?”
The reply was guarded. “Yes, apart from losing track of what I have been doing. Are you going to tell me I have done something wrong?”
“What exactly do you mean by losing track of time?”
“Well for periods of up to eight hours after assessing my stats, I have no recall of any detail of events. It is not every time I log-in, but it seems to be increasing in frequency.”
Konrad gave him the tickets. “You go and claim the seats, I’ll be in shortly.” He waited outside to see if his theory had substance, and sure enough he received a message from Prometheus. It read ‘I will be there in less than two minutes’.
This time Prometheus spoke. “You are almost tuned in. I must be quick as have to return to my station. Please let me speak without interruption. I know you are not Konrad Salina. You have special dispensation to adopt his character. You will be experiencing disorientation when you exit, but it will diminish a little each time. You also have some resistance to the treatment, Konrad had exceptional immunity. It is too late to help Adrianna Rossi. I hope that is not the case for the others. Whenever I give you confirmation that someone is affected, you have a limited amount of time to save them. You should go to Pichler now and advise him to be careful while you try to assist him on exit.”
“Wait, who are you, where are you, and what does affected mean?”
Prometheus protested. “I have no time right now. I am on the Moon. The rest can wait until we stabilise the trend. Go.” He disappeared and Konrad rushed into the stadium. They talked while Barcelona beat Espanyol.
“Heinrich, you must take temporary new residence for a while.” He gave Pichler a card. “This is my hotel, come there as soon as you exit. Don’t hesitate; I’ll explain more when we meet there.” He asked Pichler to memorise the name of the hotel and then burn the card.
Manuel
Prometheus was correct insofar as the nauseous symptoms were greatly reduced. He immediately contacted Butragueno and asked her to meet him at the harbour. He asked if she had told Duarte of the three names. The answer was in the affirmative but she was worried because he was apparently on his way to Barcelona himself. “He won’t tell me why. It’s not like him – he would normally throw in a red herring, he doesn’t often simply refuse to talk.”
*
Although they didn’t want to make an announcement that a second ship had been launched to the Moon, Orient did so, purely and simply because it would have been detected anyway. It also had the benefit of ‘openness’ which really disturbed the Iberian authorities, particularly Central Security. Pierze could have done without this highly controversial speculation. He knew it would generate intense workloads even if there was no sinister agenda involved. No details had been given as to the cargo, so these details would only be known when the powerful SACRED telescopes could identify the approaching vessel, and more would be known when the landing equipment was despatched to the surface.
*
Duarte had called upon the Salinas at the Riu Principal before he left. It was a courtesy visit to let them know that there would now be further delays to any funeral plans as the scan results had demanded more investigation. “You should prepare for his body being transported to Madrid for the tests. I’m sad to have to bring such news; I hope it won’t be too long before this can be brought to an end for you.”
Salina was distant and his wife replied, “Thank you for letting us know Chief Inspector. We may now just travel to Madrid ourselves. We want his last resting place to be close to where he was born. That was his real home. Londonis was merely a place in which he took refuge.” Antonio nodded in silence. Duarte could not help thinking he was on the verge of a mental breakdown.
*
Manuel contacted Gretz. “You said I should contact you if I needed any services. I need some items checked for DNA and run on a database for matches. I don’t want to involve the police. Can you please direct me?”
The reply was affirmative. “Of course, I’m currently in discussion with my partners and I’ll get back to you within the hour.” It was a curious situation that he was employed by SACRED, yet he got the distinct impression that the other partners had given approval for the investigation, but they were not always in on the detail.
*
Duarte headed straight for Pierze’s office. “Chief Inspector, it is good to see you, but nevertheless a surprise that it is in Madrid.” The friendly tone belied his annoyance at being distracted when there were so many subjects demanding his attention. Duarte picked up on this veneer of welcome but said nothing. Pierze’s secretary, who had shown the shabbily dressed policeman into the office, asked if they wanted coffee. Just as Pierze was about to politely refuse on the grounds of more pressing meetings, he was cut off.
“I think you may wish to have something a little stronger Ricardo.” The secretary stifled an embarrassing grin; nobody addressed her boss by his given name, let alone this scruffy, impertinent minion.
“Please close the door Marina, coffee would be fine.” Resigned to hearing out Duarte he gestured for him to sit. Duarte took advantage of the moment.
“When can I talk to Leonid Tirishev?” The name not only startled Pierze, it produced
a volte-face in attitude.
“I need to know where you got that name and I need to know now.”
Duarte smiled through the venom directed at him. “No Ricardo, you don’t need to know now. You may know when I have more information. I’ve been checking police records to see if there has ever been a successful prosecution for ‘induced suicide’. I’m currently awaiting advice from the Prosecution Service as I’m likely to alter the Londonis verdict, if they can support me. Now, can we discuss this sensibly? I may know even more than I’ve told you but I still believe we can be of help to one another. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that your primary objective is somewhat grander than linking a few unfortunate deaths. On the other hand I must fulfill my responsibility and tick the boxes on every single death on my patch. My only interest is to find the real cause of Konrad Salina’s drive to end his life. If that takes me into your shady domain it would be better if we have an understanding of each other’s sensitivities. For example, at this moment in time I have no interest in Heinrich Pichler.”
Pierze’s pupils temporarily lost their menace. “I see. I would suggest we wait until Marina brings the coffee and we can then take a short stroll.” While perambulating in a nearby plaza, a small boy on roller blades ran into Pierze. The boy was hurt and Pierze hardly noticed; he was consumed with anxiety. Duarte attended to the boy – it was a minor graze but it produced many tears. His father rushed to the scene from twenty metres away and thanked Duarte but glared at Pierze. The incident served an unintended purpose. Accommodation of silence was not easy for Pierze, but this particular revelation by Duarte had him mentally skewered. The silence became an awkward one.
“Ricardo, are you alright?”
“Mmm, I think so. I’m worried about you. I have tried to tell you on more than one occasion that there may be danger in you knowing certain things. I have tried to keep the lid on many of them, but you have illustrated my failure. You should not be asking me about Pichler and I should be asking you how you came by his name.”
Duarte tried to get him to relax. “I wasn’t going to tell you this first, I owe that to Butragueno, but I’ve taken early retirement so there is no need for concern. My boy has been offered an academy place in Madrid, so my wife and son persuaded me to come and live here, to give him the best chance of making it as a professional. I’ll soon have no use for the kind of information you claim will threaten me.”
Pierze’s eyes lit up. “Fantastic, I mean – congratulations to the boy, sorry I don’t know his name.”
“Emile, it was my choice, and the name of my father. I didn’t know you were so excited by football.”
Pierze had his predatory aura back. “It is not just the football Duarte. What will you do in your retirement in Madrid?”
Duarte chuckled, “You know me Ricardo; I’ll deal with that when we move here.” He studied the face in front of him and detected something brewing.
“Duarte, you may have retired from the police, but that would not prevent you from working for me.”
“Wait a minute; you know I’m a detective. They seem to thrive on revealing things, not covering them up. I’m not...”Pierze interjected.
“Hear me out. You can be much better protected by my organisation if you are one of us. It does not have to be a heavy commitment and you could act as a consultant. The remuneration would certainly help with living in an expensive place like this. Would you talk to your wife and sleep on it?”
“If I’m to become better protected by joining you I need to know how. And why the knowledge is threatening. You could start by filling in the blanks with Pichler. I have a theory, as always, but I’m listening.” Pierze said that he was only prepared to say so much now, but more would be forthcoming if Duarte accepted the offer and signed the official secrets declaration. They shook hands.
“There is a sequence involved. We do not yet know the basis of being chosen to be part of the sequence, but proof of the chain has just been obtained and Pichler is next. He is in serious danger.”
“Ricardo, I had already figured out he was in a sequence and imminent danger. I need to know from what?”
“You may be sceptical of claims regarding stuff such as subliminal messages, brainwashing, mind control and the like. The early forays into this domain were largely auto-suggestion and reinforcement. This ‘voodoo’ reputation has however been shed, and the science has developed a long way in the last decade. Leonid Tirishev has undergone tests which clearly show the same pattern as Konrad Salina and Adrianna Rossi. The head of Hector Sidibe would probably be confirmatory to this sequence. We believe that many of the earlier deaths would also show the pattern, but Konrad was a turning point. Those previous to him are not thought to be connected by this ‘relay element’. It is almost certain that Sidibe was supposed to take Konrad’s head, as Rossi probably took his. Tirishev, we know was to take hers, and Pichler will be primed to take his. Some of this sequence is speculative and we will continue to search for the evidence to prove it. That is really as far as I can go right now.”
Duarte pushed his hat back to reveal a tan line indicating its preferred position. “So, induced suicide wasn’t a bad guess. You must be trying to figure out the purpose.”
“Not really, we are pretty sure about that. It is more a case of who is behind it, and how the methodology will mutate. I have said enough, will you sleep on my offer?”
The hat returned to its gridline. “I certainly will.”
Chapter 16
The meeting between Gretz and his partners was about the second Moon launch by Orient. They had never really relaxed after the first landing was so close to their precious facility. They were also still unhappy about the level of security alert for the orbital elevator. As they believed that Iberian government officials were ‘sleeping on the job’ they resolved to add their own brand of protection. A scathing assessment of Pierze’s department was the justification for a military scale investment for the elevator and the Moon. The former would be initially expensed by SACRED but partially reclaimed from the government, as it was deemed a shared benefit. Mercenaries were not in short supply but they needed the best. Gretz suggested they should divide their personal time to cover each location. It was agreed that he would deal with the lunar base. Verdasco would organise the defensive structure and procure the weaponry for the elevator, and Boniek would recruit the personnel to man this fortress. This would inevitably bring President Sanchez into the mix; such plans would deepen the cold war attitude of Orient. It may even trigger a response which Pierze would claim was the intent of Orient all along. It would justify them doing what they had already been accused of by Gretz. There could be grave consequences.
Following the meeting Gretz sent a man to meet with Manuel, take the samples and conduct the DNA checks from the paintings. Manuel was alerted to this and given a code word for recognition and another for verification of the purpose. It effectively meant Manuel had to stay out of Futureworld until this meeting had taken place.
*
Duarte had arranged to meet Butragueno in Barcelona before deciding on Pierze’s offer. She was curious to know how the names she had given him had gone down with Central Security. He had an envelope for her, but waved it about in a multiplicity of gestures while he debriefed her. “I know that the names didn’t come from Firenze, Butragueno. I thought you would have expected me to check them out for further information which you said they denied you.” He waited for her reaction – she merely shrugged her shoulders and impatiently asked him to get on with it. “Pierze was incredibly shocked and concerned, which then resulted in confirmation that your source was accurate. I’ll tell you more about that in a moment.”
She protested. “Come on boss, this is our best lead yet - spill the beans.” She noticed his sheepish demeanour.
“That’s the point of my visit here. I’m not your boss any more. I’ve accepted early retirement.” She couldn’t contain her anger.
“Ahem, I’m touched by your support Elle, but that isn’t how it came about.”
“Oh no, it’s Elle again, there’s worse to come isn’t there?”
He braced himself for the tirade which would surely follow. “I talked them into letting me go because Emile will study academic subjects and learn to be a professional football player in Madrid. I gave in to pressure from him and his mother to relocate here. The hierarchy was good enough to recommend pensioning me off with immediate effect.”
The fuse had not yet ignited. “Oh, so that’s why you came to Madrid – house hunting. Well congratulations to Emile and good luck to you and your wife. You look nervous, Duarte, are you going to continue calling me Elle? Never mind, you must know who they’re going to thrust on me as Chief Inspector. I don’t think I want to know. Don’t tell me they’re pulling me back to base to investigate ‘appropriate crimes’.”
“No you can relax on that score. I want to return to Pierze and his position on all of this. I only know the fraction he has been prepared to admit so far, but he has asked me to work for him in a consultancy capacity.”
She snarled at him. “What? You can’t seriously be thinking of accepting. He’s a vampire and you will ultimately become a victim.”
He nodded defensively. “I haven’t decided yet. That’s why I wanted to speak with you first.” He handed her the envelope. She impatiently tore it open and was ready with a few chosen expletives. Instead there was silence, followed by a delicate trickle of lachrymatory fluid. The letter contained her notice of promotion to Chief Inspector. It also stated that it was on the recommendation of Duarte, despite the concern he expressed with her being overly dedicated to paperwork and precinct targets. She knew he had deliberately lied about this last part to ensure they would go for her selection. The tears were mixed with joy and sadness; it suddenly hit hard how much she had grown used to his eccentricities, which were ultimately more than compensated for by his care for others.