Growth (GAIA Trilogy Book 2)
Page 17
"Hide where?" asked Sam.
"She doesn't know."
"Take her back to her cell while we check things out," said Sam. He turned to Lucas and said, "Maybe follow the money?"
"We'll try."
Chapter 55
Harrison messaged the Head of Security for the cube about the unidentified prisoner with a query, "Any ID from Interpol?" and got a cryptic message in return, "No ID from them. Found this tattooed on inner left bicep - ADE JJJC BJAD GHI. Any ideas?"
He had none and said so and added, "I'll pass this around."
At about the same time Sam's deputy brought Lucas a slip of material found hidden in the emptied wallet of the bomber, a string of numbers with no illuminating text.
"Sam asks if you have any ideas."
"Not off hand. Let me think a bit and tell him I'll ask the coders too."
The two cryptic messages went back and forth from Harrison to Lucas, to the coders and to Fran who, almost immediately, shot back, "Numbered accounts."
"The letters too?" asked Harrison.
"Simple code A=1, B=2 etc. 145 0003 2014 789."
"What bank?" asked Lucas.
"I'd try Swiss first, Iceland second, Dubai third. Maybe I'd try Dubai first as they're the most uncaring about source of funds."
Lucas put the coders to work but Fran beat them to the answer again.
"Money was deposited from Kazakhstan."
Lucas shared the information with Sam and asked him to come to his office. He placed a conference call to Helene and Harrison and asked Cindy to bring Maeve to the office as well. When everybody was assembled Lucas laid out the results of Fran's work.
"Both attacks were funded by AR, one in New York and one here. I think that's a declaration of war and that we should respond accordingly."
Helene, who understood the ball was in her court, grew solemn, "If I let loose the entire barrage there will be large unforeseen consequences. It's not beyond belief that a few governments will topple because of the information."
Sam spoke, "If we're going to do it sooner or later I vote for sooner. There's nothing to be gained by waiting any longer."
A moment of silence ensued and the looks on all their faces reflected the gravity of the situation. A "ding" broke the silence and Lucas reached for his communicator. Fran was calling with an update on Radnich, "AR made a call yesterday to the Minister of Defense. Today a message was sent to him saying 'Team Six launched'. Team Six is an elite unit most often used in assassinations. I'll get more info if I can."
"That settles it for me," said Lucas.
"Me too," said Sam.
"Harrison?" asked Helene.
"I don't see any good reason to hold back now," he agreed.
"Maeve?"
"Will it be Gaia sending the files? Can we remain anonymous? Do we want to?"
"So that's a yes vote?" Helene asked Maeve.
"Yes."
"The information will eventually be traced back to me and therefore Gaia, but not immediately."
"How long will it take you to get it out?" asked Lucas.
"Two minutes. It's ready to go."
"Good," said Sam explosively. "Let him have it."
"Who will receive the information?" Maeve asked.
"Every major media outlet and the heads of state of every U.N. member as well as the Presidents of the Boards of every major financial organization."
"Let the games begin," boomed Sam. "And let Team Six watch out."
With a few key strokes Helene released her information barrage. Lucas messaged Fran to please share her information on Team Six and to keep watch for their signs.
"Is it on?" she asked.
"All out war," he replied.
"Oh goody!" she laughed.
The results began to show up within the hour. First, an independent media outlet put up Axel Radnich's photo, a photo chosen to make him appear at his most sinister, under the headline "Scoundrel! Financier's Empire of Evil Exposed!" The story, read breathlessly by their senior correspondent, detailed the accusations of corruption, blackmail, murder for hire and illegal financial dealings. They named names of politicians, governments and global corporations in his pay or acting as partners. Anyone catching this feed would be convinced that one of the world's worst actors had been outed.
With the cat out of the bag the rats began to run. Corporate spokespeople rushed to publicly sever ties. Several governments announced investigations and one prominent politician committed suicide. Even Helene was surprised at the instant reaction. "His whole empire is crumbling before our eyes," she marveled. "Had I known it would be this immediately devastating I would have done it long ago."
Later in the day Interpol announced a warrant for his arrest and a demand that Kazakhstan seize him and turn him over. The demand was met with silence from the Kazakhs. By nightfall Switzerland and Dubai announced the closing of several accounts they could trace to him and banks throughout the middle east, Asia, and Africa were forced to suspend operations as his name surfaced as a principal igniting runs on the deposits.
Lucas and Sam mentally patrolled their perimeters, adding additional forces around Helene and increased screening for visitors to the ranch and increased the range of drone surveillance.
Helene, questioning the need for more security around her office said, "Perhaps Team Six, or whoever, reading the uproar will decide to abandon ship. That seems to be the prevailing action."
Lucas could see Harrison standing behind her said, "Perhaps, but much better safer than grief stricken," and was pleased to see Harrison's relief and encouraging smile.
"Well, okay, but the guards are slowing the flow of my day's work."
"Better slow than no," replied Lucas. "After the storm we'll go back to normal."
"Whatever that is," said Helene as a sign-off.
Chapter 56
At Lucas' urging Helene called Lowell and Mishi back from their ambassador work to liaison with Down Below on security measures. Lucas wanted them to review the state of alertness and physical strength of the barriers and alarms in a walk-through with him on the end of a streaming video.
Mishi started with Granny and then went to Fran who informed Lucas that he could "check if you need to but I've got it covered. Every entry is being watched and every entry is booby trapped."
Lucas assured her, "I trust you but I do need to see for myself."
With Lucas monitoring, Mishi and Lowell walked the perimeter, checked all the entry points and spoke to all the guards. They ended at Fran's who excitedly told Lucas, "I think you better check your own defenses. Look at this."
"This" was a report from a satellite monitoring military movements that a plane had left an army airport in Kazakhstan heading east. "If that's Team Six they're headed your way."
"We're on it here," he said. "Don't let your guard down."
While the security people were keyed up and on alert the rest of Gaia's activities kept on as usual, or almost so. Maeve's daily Reception Room stint continued although all visitors were more carefully pre-screened and electronically searched before they could enter. The children were removed from public contact and one of Cindy's operatives joined their tutor for additional security.
Two days after she released the information an enterprising reporter traced its source to Helene and arrived at the cube seeking an interview. After a hurried consultation with Harrison and Lucas and with Mai Ling at her side the interview was granted.
The reporter, a pretty young woman, came into the room complaining, "How can I do a proper interview? Your guards took all my equipment."
Mai Ling assured her that the interview was being recorded and a copy would be given to her.
"But why take my equipment?"
"Security. At least wait until it's over to complain."
"Okay. Sorry. Mrs. Barnes, can you tell our viewers why you launched this attack on Axel Radnich?"
Helene corrected her, "Counter-attack."
"Counter-attack? Yo
u mean he attacked you first?"
"Exactly. Apparently he felt that Gaia was bad for his businesses. Strip mining, clear cutting and exploitation of workers figured prominently in his activities and yes, Gaia is a threat to those activities."
"But how did he attack you?"
"He's sent three or four teams of assassins, blew up a tunnel at Gaia Ranch, funded front groups to smear us and..."
Mai Ling interjected, "And other actions which will be detailed to the proper authorities at the proper time."
"Not here and now?" asked the reporter.
"Correct."
"And how did you come by all this carefully prepared information?"
Helene had discussed this point with Harrison in detail. They hadn't wanted to admit holding onto it for as long as they had so she said, "When it became clear that he was behind many of the problems we were having, like with A4A, America for Americans, we began to compile the information we could find. A call to several people I know resulted in a flood of data. Apparently many services had our Mr. Radnich in their sights and were happy to cooperate."
"You mean you just put this together recently?"
"Yes, though many of its parts were created some time ago by other agencies."
A small frown indicated that the reporter didn't fully buy the story but had no grounds to impeach it so went on, "I see that your security level is high. Is that in fear of retaliation?"
"Of course. The man is still at large. He has enormous wealth. Until he and his organization are done for we have to keep alert."
In the end the reporter left with a copy of the interview and an expression of thanks for the opportunity. "I hope my questions weren't stressful."
"Oh no," said Mai Ling ushering her out, "quite professional."
When Mai Ling returned she said "I don't trust her. She might even be working for him."
"If she is, won't she try to re-shape the interview?" asked Harrison.
Mai Ling's laugh sounded like a tinkling bell, "Any attempt to cut or change the recording will cause it to become corrupted beyond repair. She can show it as is or not at all."
There was a few seconds of silence and then Helene said, "Back to work."
Chapter 57
The story played well in the media. Gaia emerged as the plucky David to Axel Radnich's Goliath, the Good seeking to save the Earth against the evil greedmeister trashing it in pursuit of wealth and power. The interview was played often and streamed even more often. After the initial media blast other snippets of video from Gaia were used as background. In these reference pieces Maeve was the over-riding image and her sweet face, usually beaming at a room full of children, was contrasted with the most sinister images of Radnich the media could find.
Mai Ling was kept busy responding to the media requests for weeks after the interview and finally set up a conference call where Maeve would take questions. In preparation Mai Ling went over the probable queries and the best sort of answers. "Just don't say anything definite about the attacks. Generalities can be covered by retreat behind, "I can't talk about matters that are in the hands of the legal authorities" etc. In fact, just be yourself."
Maeve's focus on Gaia for children and her frequent appearance with her own children made her the Mother figure for Gaia. More matron than High Priestess in the minds of the Gaians. Mother Maeve had become an honorific and resonated with the power of all the "Mothers" who came before her.
When it was time for the interview she dressed in her most demure robe and sat in a straight backed chair with a small side table on which was placed a carafe of water and a glass. The lights were turned on a moment early to acclimate her eyes and then the connection was opened.
The first several questions were about any sense of fear she might have due to the attacks, "They bombed a tunnel beneath your house, isn't that correct? How did that feel? Frightening wasn't it?"
"Startling certainly, and very upsetting, but I knew my children were safe and we do have very extensive and effective security here so the fear level stayed low.""With Radnich apparently on the run, or at least out of sight, do you fear other attacks?"
"I've been assured that we are well prepared. In any case our work goes on which is the important thing."
The questions continued in that vein until one reporter asked, "Isn't it true that the entire Gaia enterprise is just a scheme to make money for your family?"
Maeve smiled sweetly, "If you had done your homework you would know that my great-grandfather left the family more money than we could ever spend. In fact, far from being a money maker for the family the Barnes Foundation supports the Gaian effort to the tune of hundreds of millions annually. Saving the world, if one is actually trying to succeed as we are, is a costly proposition. Not a money maker."
"Will this war with Axel Radnich negatively impact your work?"
"That's not clear. It has cost us money and the time and attention of our security people but it's also brought us many, many new supporters. New Gaia Meetings have been started all over the world in response so it may prove to be a positive wrapped in a negative. We hope so."
Mai Ling signaled that she had done enough but Maeve waved her off, "I'll take your questions until you're done," she said. When a question came about where she got her wardrobe of robes Mai Ling wanted to step in but Maeve answered as though it was as important a question as any.
"We make our own," she continued. "We have a large sewing room where we make the robes and all the ceremonial garments and most of our work clothes. This way we can fit the garments to the wearer. And our tailoring staff does lovely work."
When the last question was asked and the lights and camera turned off Mai Ling said, "Why take those questions? Next to the attacks they're trivial. Why bother?"
Maeve was a little surprised, "Because that's what the reporter cared about. It was important for her and her audience. We'll take homemakers and fashionistas in Gaia as well as warriors. They are, after all, the people who keep civilization going, the ones who literally make homes out of houses. Their questions are every bit as important."
Mai Ling nodded, "I'll take that for further consideration."
Lucas was waiting for Maeve in the next room. He had watched the interview and greeted her with a smile of love and admiration.
"What?" she asked in full knowledge of the meaning of his smile.
"What?" he answered, "Just that I love you and admire you and want to worship you."
"Stop it. I have work to do. Why are you here?" she asked, smiling warmly at him.
"I just like to see you in action. That feisty girl I fell in love with always peeks her head out when confronted. Just renewing that old good feeling. Plus I wanted to deliver the new security protocols to Cindy in person."
"Am I to be more constricted?" she asked.
"No, I don't think so. We tried hard to avoid that but we've changed some of the ways we do things. Trying to be smarter about it and avoid any violence where possible."
"Do I need to read it?"
"No, dear. I've gone over everything with Cindy. You can just continue functioning normally.
He stepped closer and embraced her, "Plus, you look hot in that color," he whispered.
She kissed him lightly as she stepped back and said, "Hold that thought."
They parted smiling and turned to their tasks somewhat buoyed by the encounter. Maeve went into the Reception Room and Lucas descended to the coders' lair where he checked on news of Axel Radnich and/or Team Six.
"Nothing yet," was the news, though the number of side effects continued to pile up. Bank failures and political resignations were popping up around the globe. When Brasil was mentioned as possibly being caught up in the widening scandal Lucas took note. He sent Harrison a message asking what the ramifications might be and received, "We'll have to wait and see, though that family has such a strong hold on political power I don't see them as being threatened. Everyone knows they're corrupt so this wouldn't be news."
Lucas called on some of his old peers in the spy agency with requests to be informed if they picked up any intel. He accompanied the message with Fran's results and what little they knew of Team Six. He also referenced Axel Radnich.
In return he received assurances of cooperation and a request for Fran's contact info. Lucas, wise to the ways of the spies and jealous of Fran sent the request to her with background on the requester. "Your call," he said.
"I appreciate that," she replied. "I'll let you know what I decide."
Full of nervous energy Lucas set out to patrol his perimeter which meant walking through the ranch house and around its circumference and then joined the drone watchers studying the images from overhead. His head told him that the danger was aimed at New York but his gut had him living on alert.
Chapter 58
Helene was preparing a message for the volunteers from the Gaia University Grads. Gaia U. was a program she had instituted that trained young people from fifteen to twenty-four in Gaian principles and then put them through a one year internship working on Gaian projects. Some were in the re-wilded lands where they worked on animal and watershed conservation, some on remediation projects of toxic sites, some on construction in undeveloped areas.
In the cities they worked in Gaian Social Centers and with the Gaia Meetings. Helene had encouraged community organizers to utilize the Gaia Meeting structure as their basic organizing tool in order to tap into the many support functions the Gaians could provide. Because the value of the year's internship was demonstrably high since through it the graduates were equipped with salable skills, the program drew a steady stream of bright, idealistic young people.