And on the very top of the building, on the hundred and fourth floor, in the most expensive penthouse in the city, lived Fredrick Mayson. Handsome, tall, powerful, and filthy rich. So rich that he could rival the Queen of England if he wanted. He was the CEO of an international company and the owner of more than half the businesses in the USA. What he didn’t own, he had shares in, and with one word, Mayson could crash the entire economy if he wanted.
But that wasn’t what made him dangerous. Oh no. What made him dangerous was the fact that he was in the innermost circle of the freemasons and believed to be a part of the Illuminati. Now, Fredrick called these baseless rumors, but it had all been confirmed when Alex had taken a particularly fatal mission for him. When Fredrick’s life had been threatened, he used his power and wealth to get the FBI to give him their best team, and Alex had been a part of it.
And that was when he found out how powerful the man truly was. He could have a man killed at the snap of his fingers – which happened when Alex uncovered the group’s identity threatening him and their location. They were dead before the morning, and Alex learned never to mess with a man like Fredrick.
He sighed, getting out of his car and making his way inside. Everywhere he looked, he saw luxury – golden statues, intricately carved pillars and walls, a huge fountain, and anything else a man can dream of. Alex gave his name and ID at the reception, and a porter directed him to the elevator. A few minutes later, he stepped off on the floor and found a man waiting for him.
“Are you Agent Payne?” he asked.
“Yes,” Alex said, showing his ID.
The man took it, investigated it, and then called the FBI headquarters to confirm his ID number before returning it to him.
“Right this way,” he said. “Mr. Fredrick is waiting for you.”
Alex followed him down the corridor and through the rows of guards that stood there. His guide reached the door of the penthouse, and after another thorough investigation of his ID, the guide did a retina scan and unlocked the door.
“Pretty high security,” Alex said, feeling nervous in all this luxury and wealth.
“Mr. Fredrick doesn’t like to take risks,” he said softly.
He led him into a smaller room, knocking on the door and opening it before hushing Alex in.
“Agent Payne, sir,” the guide said and then walked out, closing the door.
“Well, Alex,” Fredrick said, leaning back in his chair. “I must say I was very surprised to hear from you. When my secretary told me that you asked for a meeting, I said to myself, ‘this has to be good.’ So, Alex, why are you here?”
Fredrick hadn’t changed a bit since Alex last saw him. His goatee, bushy mustache, and thin face were exactly the same. Even the nightwear he wore was the same. He gestured to Alex to sit down and poured him a drink.
“I have something to ask from you,” Alex said softly. “It’s about Armageddon.”
Fredrick, who was in the process of lighting his cigar, froze.
“Ah,” he said softly. “So that is why you are here?”
“Can you tell me anything?” He asked.
“I can,” he said. “Normally, they kill anyone who knows anything about them, but they won’t do that to me, now will they? I do know about them. Anyone who is high enough in this world knows about them. They are a small, exclusive organization that was built by a man called Eduardo Hayne. It was built over a hundred years ago, and they were kept a secret. They involved themselves in smuggling drugs, fake makeup, fake clothes, and other small things. They made enough money to live a comfortable life, stayed out of the eyes of the police, and no one bothered about them. Then, ten years ago, a new leader took over.”
Fredrick took a drag of his cigar and said, “Felix Heathrow. Remember that name. He decided that the organization had the potential to be so much more, so he started increasing their illegal dealings. He got into the smuggling of more serious things, and quite recently, he started smuggling weapons out of the U.S.A and to the Middle East. This was the time when we noticed them and decided that they needed to have a close eye kept on them. Felix is a clever and very ambitious young man. He has realized that he can take this organization very far, and with the anonymity they had, they wouldn’t be caught easily. Their men are trained as soldiers. They go out knowing that this is a war – a war to dominate, and they are ready to die if needed.”
“So why has the FBI developed such a sudden interest in them?” Alex asked. “If they have already been here for such a long time, it can’t just be the weapons?”
“No, it’s not just the weapons,” Fredrick said. “You know what happened to Hans recently? Do you know who struck the new deals with the Russians? Armageddon. And they are not just planning on smuggling weapons – oh no. They are planning on manufacturing them and making them before distributing them to the small countries or regions like Gaza, Syria, Libya –.”
“I see,” Alex said. “If they start manufacturing –.”
“There is no stopping them,” Fredrick said, leaning forward. “Think about it. They go and sell it in those countries that badly need these weapons. They don’t even sell for a big profit, but the weapons allow those countries to stand against their oppressors. This creates more need for weapons, which raises up the prices and –.”
“And they reap the benefits,” Alex completed his sentence.
“Exactly,” Fredrick said. “Now, I don’t need to explain to you how this can be a bad thing. But we can’t take any action against them because we don’t know where they are, who they are, or how they operate. We have tried infiltrating them, but we have failed continuously. And let’s say the more time that passes, the closer they are getting to their goal. They plan on having an eventual monopoly of all weapons on the black market.”
Alex finished his drink and stared at the man in front of him.
“So, this is what Crow is hiding,” Alex said.
“I doubt if Crow even knows the degree of the details I have told you,” Fredrick said.
“Thank you,” Alex said, standing up. “You have been really helpful –.”
“You saved my life once, agent,” Fredrick said. “I don’t forget favors like that.”
Alex shook his hand and made his way out, his mind buzzing with all the information he had received. He made his way down the elevator and out into the streets through the main door. His mind felt numb as Alex walked to his car. He didn’t know what to do with the information he had gotten. He opened the car door, absent-minded when he felt the cold barrel of a gun at the back of his neck.
“You were warned,” A thick voice said in his ear. “You were told to stay away.”
Alex heard the click of the safety being pulled back.
“This is from Armageddon. Goodbye,” said the hoarse voice.
To be continued.
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