The Lesser Evil

by Jim Magwood

  “But, Jeffery, what about the people doing this taking out? These vigilantes? Who might they be and why have they decided to take these actions? Do you have any ideas?”

  George Westman was the Prime Minister of Australia and, while his country hadn’t had any of the events take place yet, he figured they would likely be on someone’s radar soon.

  “George, at this point, as to your first question, we don’t have a clue as to who they are, if this actually is a vigilante group or something like that. We have one hint that I’ve asked my people to follow up quietly at this time, and I’ll share that with you in a moment. As to why? The only guess I have at this time is someone has gotten tired of the illegal stuff happening around the world and the inability of our various countries to do anything about it, and has taken it on themselves to take action against the perpetrators. But, the problem I have, or the question, is who would have the resources to do these things?

  “In the case of the Hammershed group, they were hit in multiple ways in plants around the world. Who has that kind of reach? We’ve had dozens of bank accounts raided through computer access and millions, maybe even billions, of dollars of funds wiped out. No, not wiped out…transferred elsewhere.

  None of the banks have said anything except they were instructed to transfer the funds, which they did. So, the funds are somewhere, just not in the original hands. No one yet is coming up with traces or hints on how these events are being put together.”

  “Jeffery, you said something about a possible hint a moment ago?”

  “Yes, there is something, and some of you I’m sure have already noticed it, also. There have been several news stories filed by a single writer, an independent journalist by the name of Henry Baxter. His home office is in Washington, D.C., and he seems to have been very close to some of these events, maybe all of them. He seems to also have been the recipient of materials detailing some of the events, and inside information showing proof of what had been going on behind the scenes.

  Before you ask, we don’t have any information yet as to his direct involvement in any of the events, but he appears to be too close to them for our comfort.”

  Hiditaki Komatsu, Prime Minister of Japan, spoke up.

  “We have read stories with his name on them from our side of the ocean, also. It did puzzle me as to how he could have had the information he seemed to have, but it was not until you just brought it up, Mr. President, that I have now become concerned. You are saying he has possibly received materials on the events actually sent by those causing the events?” Although Komatsu was close to all the other men in the meeting, he still kept a little more formality in the meetings than the others.

  Jeff answered him with the same formality Komatsu showed. “Yes, Mr. Prime Minister, that’s true. Our FBI read a story Mr. Baxter filed with the New York Times where he gave reference to certain materials he had received. A warrant was drawn up that very morning and served on him, and we have the materials in our hands. From what I’ve heard so far, there is nothing in the material leading to the perpetrators, but the FBI is still working on it. They are also trying to legally get their hands on background materials he apparently has on the Hammershed destruction, and there may be more. So far, as I said, we don’t have anything tying Baxter to any of these events in a personal or direct way, but with the information he has, he just sounds to be too close.”

  “Of course, with him appearing to be so close, there is every possibility he is being set up by someone, no?” Grigori Kormanov, the President of Russia growled. “Why would anyone foolishly give themselves away by being so obvious about their activities? I have seen his name, also, and he has written stories on other subjects several times. He is an investigative person; that is what he does.”

  “You’re correct, Grigori, and we’re watching for that. We don’t want to have any possibility of bothering an innocent person. When our FBI first talked with him, he admitted he had been invited to witness the destruction of the Hammershed plant in Germany. He sat down the road from the plant and watched it all take place. He had some pictures of the event he had taken, but they weren’t of good quality. He did, though, receive a lot a materials after that about the company and its dealings, including excellent pictures taken of the event from very close to where he had been parked when it happened.

  He’s not a likely suspect, though stranger things have happened before, but we’re taking a very close look at him.”

  “You said he had actually been invited to witness the Hammershed event. He didn’t just stumble on it somehow?”

  “That’s correct, Don. He had actually been allowed to record the telephone call he received from whoever the people were, and it was very blunt and specific. We’ve had our NSA people trying to get a trail on that call, but it’s apparently been too long ago. Baxter had recorded the call on his cell phone, with their blessing, by the way, and then copied it from his phone to a regular recorder. We have a copy of that call now, also, but no way to trace it back.”

  “So, it looks as if we have some vigilante group solving the ills of the world now. Solving in a rather drastic way, I might add. Maybe not such a bad thing, don’t you know? Does anyone else have any input on this situation?” Everett paused.

  “All right, I’m sure Jeffery will keep us apprised of anything he finds on this, and I will suggest strongly that each of us forward to him any information we might receive of our own.

  You will be our compiler on this, Jeffery?”

  “Of course, Don, and I’ll get reports to you all as we find out anything further.”

  “Thank you, Jeffery. Now, let us go on to another subject dear to our hearts, the demand for fishing access in our oceans by several young, struggling nations. I’m sure most of us have had requests that these nations be given the ability to engage in ocean fishing, meaning either being supplied with fishing vessels or being given shares in what is farmed close to their countries. Hiditaki, I know you’ve always been a great fishing nation and that you have been recently bothered greatly by some of these demands. What can you tell us about the situation?

  “By the way, before Hiditaki starts, we will want to say thank you to John for hosting our beautiful suites for this trip.

  John, they are lovely and the views are magnificent. And additional thanks to our good friend, Israel’s very hard working Prime Minister, Eli Yatom, for hosting the very special dinner this evening on a beautiful private yacht that will cruise the Inner Harbour and out to the Straits, if the weather holds.

  Thank you, both. And now, Hiditaki, please.”

  CHAPTER 29

  “Welcome back from our short break. This is Konrad Heistadt broadcasting from Brussels and I have a summary of the statements we have taken over the past four hours from people gathered outside the Berlaymont building where the European Commission is meeting. In a full sixty-eight percent of the responses, the strongest statement was along the line, ‘If the vigilante group stops the crime in the streets, leave them alone.’ Twenty-two percent said, ‘Our leaders haven’t been able to do what this group is doing. We should turn our law enforcement agencies loose to do the same things as the vigilantes are doing.’ Six percent were completely undecided as to what to think, and only four percent thought what the vigilantes are doing is definitely wrong and they should be hunted down and stopped.

  “This seems to be a dramatic statement to our law enforcement agencies and governments around the world that our citizens are unhappy about the criminal element controlling so many of our streets, perhaps even our legislatures and courts, also, and want the situation cleaned up. Several of the people interviewed said they wished the citizens would become involved like this group is and start doing things themselves. None of those people actually said they would become vigilantes themselves, but I could see in their faces a wishful look that said they were certainly in favor of some of the activities that are taking place.

  “Perhaps it’s time for our government leaders to take n
otice of the concern of their citizens, and to start doing something about the situation. The entire world is suffering from a general lawlessness and people are feeling a serious lack of security. Most of the people responded to our question about what they felt about world peace with a statement such as,

  ‘What world peace?’

  CHAPTER 30

  The Reverend Matthias Sorenson gaveled the meeting to order and opened with an impassioned prayer that the delegates would be able to come together in a calm and caring manner to help bring about an end to the terrorist attacks continuing around the world. The one hundred and sixty clergy members from around the world had been meeting for four days, and this was to be the day they brought all the committees together to draw up their Statement to be presented to the media. They hoped their words would cause the people responsible for the attacks to re-think their positions and cease the chaos the world was facing.

  The delegates were meeting in the Frauenkirche, the Cathedral of our Blessed Lady, in downtown Munich. It was the largest church in the city, with a capacity of about 20,000 people, and served as the cathedral for the Archdiocese of Munich. The delegates came from many denominations and branches of established churches, schools and seminaries, and those often not recognized as ‘true’ churches, and had spent many hours in the first couple of days just trying to talk together and find common ground. The Reverend Sorenson, head of the World Council of Churches, had finally stepped in to set some kind of direction, hopefully leading to a resolution by all against the violence the world was facing.

  Sorenson recognized the Chairperson of the Committee on World Peace and the Termination of Terrorism, the Right Reverend Dr. Jessica Holbrooke-Samuels. She spoke for more than three hours summarizing her committee’s findings under five headings:

  1. There is no reason for terrorism in a civilized world, and those people groups and countries who have been forced into incidents of violence are groups who have been denied the proper support and assistance from the more economically free countries, thereby leading to their unrest.

  2. There are certain countries that are unreasonably claiming rights or territories from or against their neighboring countries and thereby provoking retaliatory actions from their neighbors. If the offending countries would realize the grief and anger their actions are causing, and would relin-quish the claims they are making, there would be no further need for the retaliating countries to pursue their actions.

  3. If the major economic countries of the world would realize their need to provide proper support to emerging or economically distressed nations and people groups, without including unacceptable demands of repayment of that support, those distressed nations and groups would be able to rapidly take their rightful places in the society of the world and enjoy the benefits of a world that fully supports and provides for all people.

  4. All people have two great priorities in life; a) making every provision necessary for their own benefit and advancement, and b) assisting in providing for people who have been disadvantaged by the advancement of those more fortunate than themselves. It should be the duty of all religious organizations everywhere to promote these priorities to their adher-ents.

  5. Those people or groups who are not assisted by the more advantaged nations in advancing themselves in the world must be forgiven actions they take, in error, to claim their rights and positions. In addition, the world should take every action necessary to cause the nations that are standing in the way of those disadvantaged people or groups to relin-quish their inhumane and disruptive actions and attitudes.

  As Dr. Holbrooke-Samuels finished her address, the combined group of delegates rose to give her an extended ovation.

  Over the lunch break, there were many discussions regarding the impact the Statement would have on the people of the world, and how the people would surely recognize the wisdom of it and give themselves over to bringing about a world equally beneficial to all.

  Following lunch, the Reverend Monsignor Bernardo Tar-dini rose with the full executive council and, after praying for heavenly guidance for all those who needed to see their errors and make restitution, made a motion that the Statement of Guidance for World Peace and the Termination of Terrorism be accepted by the delegates to the conference and, further, that it be published as the express duty of all religious people so that all the world’s people would have equal rights and privileges in a world at peace.

  Within a week following the conference, most major newspapers had published the Statement in their religion sections under the heading of ‘Clergy Takes Stand’. After the first publication, there was almost no further mention made of the conference or the Statement by any media. The majority of religious organizations that spoke of the subject at all quickly discarded any follow-up when they realized their parishioners had no interest in the subject or expressed shock at the apparent naivete or plain ignorance of the so-called religious leaders.

  CHAPTER 31

  Jacob and Roger had been up before daybreak. The excitement of beginning another search like they had done before was infectious for both of them, and they were anxious to set up their protocols and begin. Breakfast was biscuits and coffee, despite Roger’s protests. However, he laughingly settled down when Jacob promised him a Marie breakfast later in the morning. “If you remember, I told you last time I don’t ask her to get up early just because I want breakfast. I make do until mid-morning, then the real thing is that much better.”

  The men were back in Jacob’s computer room. It was at the back end of the lodge and buried under the mountain for both security and as part of the natural air conditioning and heating system. Roger had been amazed when he had first been introduced to the room as it contained virtually everything one could dream of for computer research and usage.

  Jacob had access to several satellite systems and could use his Mossad credentials to get into most data banks in the world.

  After he and Roger had become acquainted and began working together, he had added a second computer system to his main one so both men could work at the same time without interfering with the other.

  “Where do you think we should start, Jacob?”

  “Since we don’t have any real information to start with, and we don’t, at this time, want to bring in anyone else, I suggest we just start accessing any data base sources we could use to try tracing calls or messages. Does anyone in your group of researchers have a system like ECHELON, for instance, that can capture or trace phone and Internet signals?”

  “Well, we do have some ability, but it’s not near as powerful, of course, as something like ECHELON. I used part of our system when we were chasing that group a couple of years ago, so let me see about getting into that again. It’ll at least get us started.”

  Roger spent about five minutes going through all the security steps to get into the private system, then sat back and said, “Okay, I’m in. Do you have any ideas about where to start?”

  “The only one I think of right now is perhaps that newsman, Henry Baxter. We know his name, at least, so maybe we could search on that. We could do a general search and see what comes back, but that might be huge. However, it might also give us something to link with—maybe some dates of messages around some of the vigilante events. Perhaps you could key in a search linked to both his name and several of the cities where events took place? Or some of the companies or people the events were against? Maybe something like that would give us some other information to begin directing us.”

  “Okay. How about if I put in his name as the major search function, then put in some “and” links to all those other names and places and we’ll turn it lose to see what comes up? Then, we can go get one of those wonderful breakfasts you’ve been promising.”

  “Roger, I do believe you are starting to sound starved—

  and I thought we fed you well last night.”

  “Oh, it was a great meal, and don’t you dare tell Marie it wasn’t enough. But, it was almost eight hours a
go, and I’m a growing boy that’s working very hard for his master, and…”

  “Enough. Enough. You get the first part of the search going and I’ll see if I can beg Marie to feed us. Sigh. Every time I bring you out here I end up having to give her another raise.

  You, sir, will soon break my bank.”

  Both men were laughing as Jacob left to get the food started and Roger turned to his first task in the search. Jacob returned in about half an hour and asked, “Well, do you have the answer yet?”

  To which Roger replied, “Ah, master, be kind to me. I have begun the search and will likely be finished within the hour. Will that please you, master?”

  “Oh, very well. Come and eat then. But, I will expect great results with all I have to put up with having you be so demanding.” They laughed again, and Jacob added, “Come.