The Ultimate Revenge

by Sally Fernandez

  Noble remained silent as he second-guessed his chosen methodology. But there was no other way. He had to confide in Hank.

  “What I am about to tell you—will never leave this room. The stakes are too high for both of us,” Noble confided.

  The expression on Hank’s face was one of disbelief. He could not believe he was about to be brought into the inner sanctum and accorded trust. Noble needs me, he mused with an inner swagger, momentarily forgetting his fears.

  Noble remained steadfast in his pursuit. “Remember the deal. The immunity agreement stays intact until Simon is in custody. I already have evidence that you’ve violated the agreement and not only in spirit. At any time, I can hand you a go straight to jail card. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, Noble,” Hank responded with unaccustomed politeness.

  Noble was pleased, although surprised. Hank’s on board, he thought, and then pressed forward. “We believe Simon is planning some disaster on a national scale. We believe it has something to do with our energy transmission. Is there anything you can tell me that will help us figure out what he’s planning?”

  Hank’s face paled. “Oh hell, I never thought it would go this far.” He was obviously agitated.

  Noble reeled him back in. “Explain.”

  “It’s no secret that Baari ran on the ticket that handed open largesse to the environmentalists’ lengthy menu of demands. It was one of his leading campaign promises. It was all Simon’s idea. He thought it had the most bang for the buck.” Hank talked about how Baari was an enthusiastic and dedicated exponent of Saul Alinsky’s playbook and how he appealed to the masses in his campaign rhetoric. “It was simply community organizing on the national scale and over the next several years, Baari seized every opportunity to recite Alinsky’s quotations to the masses. He’d often repeat a well-known Alinskyism. ‘It is necessary to begin where the world is if we are going to change it to what we think it should be.’ Working at Baari’s side, I concluded he was using the word world in another sense.” Hank feared Baari was no longer content organizing a national community and that he had set his sights on going global, concerns he shared with Noble. “And along the way, he got on this sustainability kick using the environment as his springboard. The redistribution of wealth is the very crux of the plot.”

  It’s the same mantra Simon’s recruits chanted, Noble recalled. A point Hank did not need to know. “I’m not making the connection,” he pressed.

  “Global warming was great for campaign-speak, but even Alinsky said, ‘I could never accept any rigid dogma or ideology, whether it’s Christianity or Marxism.’ But Baari started to believe he was sempiternal. His messiah complex enveloped him. He was no longer satisfied with just transforming America, as he promised during his campaign. Then in 2013, when the Arab Spring turned into protests for all seasons, Baari started to dip his toes in the water, giving the appearance he was about to dive in and solve the problem. Moreover, while his verbal response was supportive, his actions were lukewarm. Eventually, world leaders began to realize he never intended to get wet above the knees. You saw how he handed the Syrian conflict back to the U.N.”

  “Maybe the former governor from Alaska was correct when she said, “Let Allah sort it out!”

  Hank ignored the barb. “Remember whenever the scandals heated up, Baari headed out of Washington. Many said he was leading from behind.”

  “I recall once he traveled to South Africa and spoke to a group of students in Johannesburg. Didn’t he say something about how the planet will boil over?”

  Hank forgot his angst for the moment and smirked; he remembered it well. “Yes, he said that if people in Africa are allowed to attain air conditioning, automobiles, and big houses, the planet would boil over unless we find new ways of producing energy.”

  “While he cast aspersions on America’s way of life, he neglected to mention that he was about to pour three hundred and twenty million dollars into Detroit, one of his own cities, to save it from bankruptcy.”

  Hank agreed, but would not admit it other than to acknowledge, “He would refrain from discussing any U.S. problem that could be directly related to his administration or its policies.”

  “Apparently, the weight he placed on environmental and climate issues was out of balance with our nation’s problems, including the economy and foreign affairs agenda,” Noble espoused.

  “Something like that.” Hank hesitated and then his ire returned, but it was not directed toward Noble. “He was sacrificing jobs, and more important he was sacrificing his job! During a second term, you would expect him to become a lame duck. But that duck, as I said before, had a messiah complex he couldn’t shake.”

  “Why do you believe his behavior was meant to be destructive?”

  “I have no evidence, but I believe Baari’s shift to more radical policies, and jumping on the environmental bandwagon during his first term, came at the behest of the Godfather. Once he appeared on the scene, Baari acted as though he was about to ride a wave—one of tsunami proportions.”

  “Wait a minute, the Godfather! What, Baari was following a new guru?”

  “You’ve got it. A few months before the first election during the financial crisis, the polls were soaring in Baari’s direction. The unbelievable was in our grasp. We understood it, and so did two wealthy backers who entered the picture wanting to attach their purse strings and personal agendas to his coattails. Simon, of course, was thrilled that Uncle Rob no longer had to fund future campaigns.” Hank jeered.

  Noble was acquainted with Uncle Rob, the name of the slush fund used to finance La Fratellanza’s plot to elect Baari. Simon’s hacking talents had accumulated those funds, syphoning small amounts of dollars from various banks over a multitude of years.

  “Who were the backers?” Noble was not sure he was steering the conversation in the right direction, but he let Hank’s story unfold.

  “I don’t know for certain. Baari started to play the anonymous backer game. In fact, when Simon disappeared, I think the backers moved in and took over as his handlers. He referred to one of the billionaires as the Godfather, and the other as the Financier. After they signed on board, hoards of 501(c) (4) groups starting cropping up, organized to promote the progressive movement and aimed at attacking the opponents. The IRS paved the way with favorable tax treatment. Then his foreign policies in the Middle East appeared to work against U.S. interests and its support for Israel waned.” Hank appeared even more annoyed.

  Noble did not want to lose him at that stage. “Take it slow! But is this going to get me any closer to Simon? I need to find out what he has planned.”

  Hank inhaled. “It will!” He took another moment before continuing, and then explained, “During Baari’s second term he was haunted with scandal after scandal. There were so many leaks during those first few years there weren’t enough Dutch boys in all of Holland to plug the holes.” He smiled briefly at his own metaphor.

  Noble remained stoic.

  “There were times I thought some of the scandals were leaked as intentional diversions. Then during the hullabaloo, Baari called me into his office. He demanded to know the identity of his original, anonymous supporters. He said, ‘the ones who provided me with the keys to the kingdom.’ It was strange. In the early stages he had stopped asking, finding it unimportant as long as his purposes were served. Then all of a sudden out of nowhere, he became more inquisitive.”

  “How did you handle it?” Noble was a little on edge, afraid of what Hank might have unleashed.

  “I promise you, I didn’t mention La Fratellanza. I told him Simon was the sole benefactor. That he was the mastermind behind the plot. That was all Baari needed to hear. He insisted he meet with Simon in private—without me.”

  “That had to hurt.”

  “Of course it did! I’m the one who traveled to Florence to find Simon’s Chosen One. I befriended him. I brought him to Chicago. I spent countless hours teaching, grooming, and preparing him for political office
. He wouldn’t have been sitting in the Oval Office if it weren’t for me. How dare he!”

  Noble ignored his outburst. “Did they meet?”

  “Yes! And neither one will tell me what they discussed.” Hank’s eyes lit up as he conjectured, “You think Simon and Baari are working together?”

  Noble looked disapprovingly at Hank, but thought it best not to waste time castigating him. Not alerting him to the meeting between Simon and Baari was a clear violation of Hank’s immunity agreement. He put the question back to Hank. “Do you think they’re working together?”

  “I was just the facilitator. To my knowledge, they never met again. But after their meeting Baari became distant and unreceptive to my ideas.”

  “Let’s get back to the Superstation.”

  Hank shifted into a more defensive stance. “Baari’s in Libya. There’s no point.”

  “No point in what?”

  “One day I was meeting Baari in the Oval Office. It was when all of the scandals were spiraling out of control and his poll numbers dropped precipitously. Baari was in a highly agitated state. In the midst of a sentence, he blurted out, ‘what we need is a national disaster to calm things down.’ I assumed he was venting his frustration, but we insiders know he was the master of diversion.”

  “You think Baari wanted to destroy the Superstation?”

  “No. Baari was in full support of the project. It is exactly what he needed to push his renewable energy agenda. Nevertheless, there were delays in FERC approvals, lining up industrial revenue bonds, and agreements with transmission lines. There appeared to be one battle after another.”

  “Perhaps, he thought some sort a blackout would force the need for the Superstation to go operational?”

  “But it’s a moot point. Baari is no longer in the picture.”

  Noble’s mind churned, thinking back to the time when he and Hamilton interrogated La Fratellanza. Each member revealed a major critical task he had performed for Simon, unbeknown to the other members. Baari had been playing the same game, he surmised.

  “Noble, what are you thinking?”

  “You may have only one part of the picture. I’m going to bring your fellow brethren in for a chat.”

  “What!” Hank spouted in a raised voice.

  Noble held up his hand to silence him. “As far as anyone is concerned this meeting did not take place. You and I have not spoken. I’ll inform your La Fratellanza brothers that I’m working on a case that may stem from actions that took place during the Baari Administration. If you truly want Simon out of your life—you’ll play it my way.”

  Surprisingly, Hank remained silent and attentive, and then he muttered, “Whatever you say.”

  “I’ll be back to you in a day or two. Be prepared to return to Washington, and keep your pager on.”

  “Like I have a choice.”

  10

  STRONG SUSTAINABILITY

  Max arrived in Noble’s reception area just after Hank Kramer had departed.

  “Go on in, Max,” Doris said, giving her the all clear.

  Unlike her usual intrusions, Max felt that given the circumstances, it was prudent to knock. There was no way to anticipate Noble’s frame of mind after meeting with a member of La Fratellanza. Admittedly, Hank was the only member’s identity to which she was privy. Nevertheless, she found the entire affair deliciously clandestine and hoped one day Noble would entrust her with the names of the other members. She did not pry; she understood his reasons.

  “Have a seat, I’ll be right back.” Noble brushed by her as he headed out of his office to speak with Doris.

  Max sat back and waited, trying unsuccessfully not to eavesdrop. Noble did not attempt to lower his voice. It is not as though he were passing along some grave secret, she told herself. Then she saw him make a turnabout and return to his office.

  “You’re bringing in members of the Baari Administration? You think they may know something?”

  “Does your snooping ever go dormant?”

  “Sorry, but you really think spending time with Baari’s cohorts will lead us to Simon? Didn’t you tell me that Baari didn’t even know Simon?”

  “Yes—but he did.”

  Max looked askance.

  “So what happened with Kramer?”

  Noble proceeded to fill in Max on the salient points of his conversation with Hank.

  “The Godfather and the Financier! This is starting to sound like a Three Stooges movie. So you think Baari’s campaign finance director, communications director, and documentarian have information connected to Simon’s plot?” Max asked with skepticism.

  Noble nodded affirmatively. “Possibly inadvertent. I’ll also be calling Kramer back.”

  “Kramer, a member of La Fratellanza?”

  “Yes. And your understanding is that he was solely Baari’s Chief of Staff,” he cautioned.

  Max ceased her inquisitiveness and veered off topic. “By the way, I received confirmation from Senator Townsend’s office. She’s in her pet city Chicago for a series of events, but she’s agreed to be here on March sixth at one o’clock.”

  “Great. Now tell me what you found out about Agenda 21?”

  Max grit her teeth as she faked biting her thumbnail. She eyed him pensively.

  Noble noted the apprehensive expression; it was not a good sign.

  “Follow me, boss.”

  They both headed for their stomping grounds with the technical paraphernalia.

  Noble sat in his usual place and announced, “You have the floor.”

  Max remained standing at the table and began as though she were conducting a class. “Agenda 21 is a three hundred and fifty-one page document that was introduced at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janerio, Brazil in 1992.” She explained that leaders from more than one hundred and seventy-eight countries signed the document adopting its tenets. President George H. W. Bush signed for the U.S. Then she paused for an instant while she fumbled with her notes. “Here it is—the opening preamble to Agenda 21.”

  Humanity stands at a defining moment in history. We are confronted with a perpetuation of disparities between and within nations, a worsening of poverty, hunger, ill health and illiteracy, and the continuing deterioration of the ecosystems on which we depend for our well-being. However, integration of environment and development concerns and greater attention to them will lead to the fulfillment of basic needs, improved living standards for all, better protected and managed ecosystems and a safer, more prosperous future.

  She paused to make sure Noble was following.

  “Keep going. So far it seems altruistic.”

  “Listen to this. It ends with ‘No nation can achieve this on its own; but together we can—in a global partnership for sustainable development.’ The rest of the document is complex and comprehensive—and its history is quite fascinating.”

  “Sustainable development—isn’t that part of the global warming debate?”

  “In part, but it also dictates land management.”

  Noble’s ears perked up. “Go on.”

  “It further states in chapter ten, point five…”

  The broad objective is to facilitate allocation of land to the uses that provide the greatest sustainable benefits and to promote the transition to a sustainable and integrated management of land resources.

  “They really like using the word sustainable.” Noble grinned, and then a look of curiosity illuminated his face.

  Max took note. “For some that word implies totalitarian control, eventually leading to depopulation, as a means to preserve the sustainability of the world’s resources.”

  Noble’s grin dissipated as his curiosity turned to unsettling clarity.

  Wasting no time, Max turned and touched the large touch-screen monitor; instantly an organization chart displayed. This one, however, did not resemble any of the charts from the U.S. government. “We need to go back a bit in history to understand its genesis.” Using a laser p
en, she pointed to the upper left-hand box. Inside the box was the name Gro Harlem Brundtland. She continued, “In 1987, Brundtland, the first woman Prime Minister of Norway, chaired a commission for the United Nations, referred to as the World Commission on Environment and Development, or W-C-E-D. The findings from the commission were detailed in a published report entitled, Our Common Future. Brundtland’s report opened by stating, ‘A global agenda for change.’ The report went on to state…”

  The challenge of finding sustainable development paths ought to provide the impetus—indeed the imperative—for a renewed search for multilateral solutions and a restructured international economic system of co-operation. These challenges cut across the divides of national sovereignty, of limited strategies for economic gain, and of separated disciplines of science.

  “So, sustainable development—is the core of Agenda 21!” Noble declared.

  “Exactly! Brundtland then returned to the U.N. in 1998 as the Director-General of the World Health Organization, reporting to Secretary-General Kofi Annan. In 2007, the then-Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointed her special envoy on Climate Change. It was reported that Ban personally saw climate change as a global challenge and it was number one on his list.”

  Max pointed to the box on the right and then explained, “The architect of the document United Nations Sustainable Development Agenda 21 is a Canadian who made his billions in oil. He is commonly referred to as the ‘Godfather of the Environmental Movement,’” Max stated with a raised eyebrow.

  “That’s an illustrious title given to many. Move on Max,” Noble cautioned.

  Max capitulated for a moment. “He was also a commissioner for W-C-E-D and in 1992, he was appointed Secretary-General of the UN Conference on Environment and Development, best known as the Earth Summit.

  Noble interjected, “Ah yes, I vaguely remember the Summit.”

  “Here’s one statement that the Godfather made at the Summit.” Max read again from her notes:

  It is clear that current lifestyles and consumption patterns of the affluent middle class, involving high meat intake, consumption of large amounts of frozen and convenience foods, use of fossil fuels, appliances, home and work place air conditioning, and suburban housing are not sustainable.