The Lesser Evil

by Jim Magwood

  We’ll eat outside and enjoy this beautiful world together.”

  Roger found a table set at the side of the lodge in the broken sun filtering through the giant trees. The sun made it just warm enough to be comfortable and the sound of the birds and small animals, and the creek whispering in the background, made the setting idyllic. Marie had already brought out Roger’s “two-pound” omelets, along with freshly harvested country potatoes and slices of the elk from last night’s dinner, all covered with a delicious gravy. A large pot of coffee finished off the setting and both men ate like starving prisoners.

  Roger finally said, “Too much, Jacob. Too much food. I can’t finish it all. Oh, the waste.”

  Jacob chuckled and replied, “I thought you would never finish, my friend. And don’t worry about waste. Nothing goes to waste here. Whatever is left will find it’s way into another of Marie’s delicacies. Oh, and look. Here she is with some fresh cinnamon rolls, hot from the oven and heavily iced and buttered. I’m so sorry you are not able to eat anything more.

  I’ll have her take it back.”

  “Don’t you dare get in my way, sir, or you will start a Canadian/Israeli war. Marie, you can put that pan right here beside me. This old fellow won’t be able to eat any, but I certainly will not let them go to waste.”

  Marie giggled, then put the pan where Roger indicated and went back to the lodge.

  “Oh, Jacob, I’ve never seen cinnamon roles this large.

  And the smell—oh, my.”

  Both men, although already full, ensured that nothing was wasted of the rolls, and finally sat back with groans. They managed to get up nearly half an hour later and staggered back to the computer room. The program Roger had started was still running, so Jacob suggested they take a walk to burn off some of the feast.

  He led Roger up the small mountain behind the lodge where they could look down on Jacob’s satellite dish in the valley beyond. Then he took him on a three-mile walk out and back to a small lake where they sat and talked for an hour.

  Both men, although being quite content to be alone in their lives, did crave being able to talk seriously with someone else that understood the life they both led, and so the conversation took many turns and began to dig deep into each of their lives.

  Finally, they returned to the lodge to discover that the program had finished and had gathered a massive set of data from the requested search. They both started to put different sorting ideas to work to see if anything usable would come out of the data. One sort put all the various data into date group-ings, but the information was still so massive they couldn’t see any trends yet. Then, they sorted around all the locations of the events. Still far too much information to be useable. Then, Jacob suggested they do a sort on any of the other names of people that appeared in the data and then try to cross-match the three data files. There were literally hundreds of names linked with Henry Baxter, but finally, one name did stand out after the search that linked both dates and the place names of all the events—Randall Johns.

  The men jumped when they saw the name pop up, and although they had no idea who it might be, immediately tried to trace it back through the Internet addresses carrying it.

  However, every link simply ended at a completely unknown server after going through three cutouts—and they were stopped.

  “So, now what? Maybe we have a name, but we can’t trace it any further. There’s no Randall Johns listed in any data banks we’ve looked at that seems to have any relation to the one listed here. Just no correlating data. Right now, I can’t think of where else to go, Jacob.”

  “Well, what if we go back to the original data—the dates, locations and events—and see if we can cross with any other information? Maybe just set the search to record any of the same words in all the data? It would probably be a massive cross-reference project, but what else do we have to do?” He smiled.

  “Except eat another delicious Marie meal?”

  “We might even be able to do that. You go ahead and set up the search parameters and I’ll see about some more food.”

  Fifteen minutes later, both men were relaxing at the outside table again, thoroughly enjoying the sun and breeze.

  Marie had set out a variety of croissant sandwiches, with a lovely fruit salad and assorted juices and Jacob’s favorite tea.

  The conversation drifted to the events of the world conspiracy of two years before.

  “Did you know that there were guys involved in it that were the actual leaders of government investigative agencies, as well as top level politicians? I heard about the head of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence agency being caught up in the web at the end and the fellow from Britain’s DIS. Just unbelievable.”

  “Indeed. But, I think the most astounding ones were the two from the U.S., the Vice President and Secretary of State.

  Who would have ever thought that a group of men with such positions, and the massive power they controlled, would turn against their countries? Maybe one person at a time, yes. But, all forty or so in one group? It was amazing.”

  “You know the thing that I thought stood out the most, Jacob? There were no Arabs in the group. Not a one. Do you think the group didn’t trust any of the Arab world?”

  “What I think, Roger, is they didn’t trust the volatility.

  Not necessarily the Arabs, themselves, but their instability.

  The whole Arabic/Islamic world is teetering on war all the time, and no one knows who the leadership really is. Or, who the leadership is against today. The rules seem to change every day or so, and that group had to have complete secrecy and total stability to make their run to power. As it turned out, it was only through a couple of total accidents on their part that we were able to find them in time. We saw the events happening, like our present vigilante folks, but didn’t have any idea of them being linked and where they were coming from.

  Given another few months and the group might have been un-stoppable.”

  “Do you think this present vigilante group might turn out the same way—completely uncontrolled and needing to be stopped? I know they’re breaking laws in what they’re doing, but they do seem to be on the side of good instead of evil. In your opinion, how long do we let a group like this run? If, for instance, you and I can’t find them, do you think the governments will get together—pool assets—and hunt them down?”

  “I wouldn’t be surprised to see the governments get together, but I don’t know if it will be to hunt these people down. I have a feeling that desperation regarding the events taking place and the inability to stop the terror and crime is going to bring people, and governments, to doing some things they never dreamed of doing before.”

  “Like what?”

  “What about like pooling their assets and hiring the vigilantes to do the work the governments are unable to do themselves?”

  “You’ve got to be kidding, right? They’d never do that.

  Especially if it was common knowledge between them as to what they were doing.”

  “But consider what they’re facing and the end results, Roger. If they can’t get the group stopped and the result of what is happening is looking like a benefit to humanity, why would they not hire them? Set up a worldwide security force?

  Maybe they wouldn’t actually spend money hiring them, but just provide assets. Maybe life would become so relaxed and

  ‘good’ that the people would demand it, or vote for it, or even allow themselves to be taxed to make it happen.”

  “But what if the group got a head of steam and figured they were better than the governments and the people? What if they decided to take over? We saw that just about happen in Corvalle a couple of years ago. What if they turned—became as evil as the forces they were working against?”

  “Yes. What if? It was just a ‘what if’,’ Roger, but what if someone thought it would be easier having a hired, outside security force than setting up an internal army? Especially if the army wasn’t able to be given free re
in to do the job necessary? Likely no one is going to turn an official police force loose to hunt down supposed criminals that the governments, and especially the legal systems, can’t agree are really criminals. But, maybe they would hire an outside group in quasi-secrecy and turn their heads as the group did their job. What if?”

  CHAPTER 32

  “My final guest this evening is a renowned psychologist and attorney with a long career of working with children and adults that have taken the criminal route in life. He’s written several books on his findings, and the latest is Hatred: Causes, Conduct, and Cures in an Uncaring World. Help me welcome, please, Dr. Rudy Edgar.” (Audience applause.)

  “Dr. Edgar, welcome to the program. We’re really looking forward to some insight from you on the violence and cha-otic events taking place these days and where you think it’s all coming from. Let me begin by asking you a pretty broad question: Why? We have this supposed vigilante group taking the law into their own hands and trying to wipe out some of the evil, as they’re saying, that’s causing crime and corruption in our societies. Why do we have this evil, as they say; what’s causing the problems this group appears to be addressing and why the problems in the first place?”

  “Well, thanks for asking me on the program, Tony, and let me see if I can put some perspective on the subject. First, we really need to define what’s going on out there, because I think this group is totally on the wrong track. We must put a lot more study and funding into looking at the Why question you asked. Here in Britain, for instance, the government keeps talking about putting more police officers on the streets—it’s the number one promise of anyone standing for election, or re-election, today—and yet there is almost no funding given to individuals or agencies trying to come up with solid answers to the question.

  “In my own case, for instance, all of the study I’ve done in the area of children and criminality has had to be paid for by me. I’ve had no government support, and yet it’s one of the most important questions we’re looking at these days: Why do children drift into crime?”

  “Maybe I’m being somewhat simplistic, Doctor, but don’t you think that if we untied the hands of our authorities around the world we’d be able to get some control of the problem? If people were actually prosecuted for their crimes instead of being slapped on their hands, don’t you think they’d respond to the correction?”

  “Tony, that’s one of the problems in this whole situation.

  We use punishment instead of treatment. Take an example of a politician, for instance, with a long record of problems such as drinking, and perhaps causing great bodily harm by the drinking. What do we do? We often castigate him in public, set traps for him that actually lead him further into his problems, and finally drum him out of public service. We don’t give the poor man counseling; we don’t treat his underlying needs; we just throw him out. What good have we done for him?”

  “But, Doctor, I can think of many people such as you’ve described that have been offered help and have just gone on in their wrongful behavior. Politicians, actresses, sports stars. So many of them seem to just refuse any correction, or rehabilita-tion, and act as if they have no concern for their actions. What about them?”

  “I’d like to give people more credit than that, Tony. I don’t believe they have no concern. It’s more that they don’t really know what’s wrong in what they’re doing and don’t know what to do about it when they’re confronted. They so often have a feeling of overwhelming powerlessness in their lives and have lost all hope. They’re lost souls traveling through a confusing world and they don’t know where to turn.

  “Consider another situation: public disturbances that turn into riots. Why? Because the people have lost hope that society is going to do anything to help them. No one is listening to them. They fear the very society or government that has been established to take care of them. So their despair turns to anger and the anger turns to violence. And what do we do instead of helping? We turn loose the water cannons and dogs and try to beat them into submission.”

  “I can see what you’re saying, Doctor, but when society becomes afraid of what is going on around them—when they’re afraid to go out of their homes and don’t trust their government leaders—they’re going to finally either give up completely or fight back in any way they can. I remember a school experiment many years ago where mice were packed into their living quarters until they simply couldn’t feel any breathing room, so to speak, and they eventually turned on each other with savagery and seeming criminal behavior.”

  “Tony, I presume you’ve read Animal Farm in your younger years. What do you think was the problem there?”

  “Well, I think it was that one group of animals tried to be better than the others and set out to rule the roost, until the farmers finally came back with weapons to take back control.”

  “But, don’t you see that the better response would have been to help the animals develop their ‘society’ until they could efficiently care for each other? Not for the higher powers to come in and put them back in their places, but to help them grow and develop—to give them what they needed to develop their own best ‘society’ and lead their lives as they saw best.”

  “But, what about today, in our world? What is the general population to do when they feel confronted or terrorized or betrayed by criminals or leaders or their neighbors? What’s wrong with the people who are doing these things that this vigilante group is attacking?”

  “Tony, nothing is wrong with them. They are simply acting out their frustrations with society. They’ve been hurt, or not taken care of, and they’re making a statement. If you won’t help us, then we’ll help ourselves. They’re taking a slap back at a society they feel has slapped them.”

  “But, help themselves by rioting, or using their political position to steal, or building a business out of selling weapons so people can kill each other? Of threatening other people, even other countries, with destruction because they don’t believe the same as them? I simply cannot see how those kinds of actions can be described as crying out for help by lost and confused people. I can see how this vigilante group is trying to focus in on what they are saying is evil in the world.”

  “Again, Tony, you are using a word that brings about the very reactions we’ve been talking about. Not evil, Tony, but people trying to claim what is rightfully theirs or striking back at a world they feel has wronged them. What the people need, Tony, instead of threats and punishment, is recognition and tolerance and help toward getting their feet on the ground and toward being able to live a life they feel they deserve or is right for them. If this so-called vigilante group would move toward using their resources to help the very people they are trying to destroy…”

  CHAPTER 33

  When Joshua Sandoval arrived for work Tuesday morning, he had no idea how exciting the day was going to be, and after the day was over he wished that he would never have an exciting day again.

  Mr. Sandoval had been the manager of the Trans-Pacific Bank & Trust, Ltd. for seven years, and he had never before had what could be called an exciting day at the bank. While his little bank on Grand Cayman Island had handled many extremely large and secretive financial transactions over the years, he knew them to be normal for banking in the Caymans.

  Residents of the islands enjoyed a high standard of living with the noted benefit of no income taxes, and the regulations covering the banking industry made the term “small bank” almost laughable. Mr. Sandoval, however, did not laugh often. He took his job seriously and, though he managed one of the

  “small” banks, he was well aware of the relationships the bank had with depositors and investors from around the world.

  Mr. Sandoval was always the first to arrive at the bank in the Grand Pavillion Centre, and he looked forward to review-ing the overnight deposits that had been received and beginning to organize the activities for the day. Even at this early hour, requests for funds transfers were coming in, and he needed to be sure
that they were immediately processed. He smiled as he saw that seventeen new account applications had been received; he knew the average funds to be eventually held in those accounts would be quickly moving his little bank out of the “small” category and that his own position as manager would benefit from the increases.

  Mr. Sandoval went though the bank booting up the computers that would be in use that day and readying the different desks for the day’s activities. His operations staff and investment officers would be arriving in about an hour and he wanted to have everything ready for them to begin their work immediately. He would very soon need to convert part of the bank operations and some of the people to a 24-hour system due to the many new requests coming in. Those requests could not reasonably be required to wait until the next day.

  He then went back to his office and opened his own computer to start sorting his reports from yesterday’s work. He was shocked to note a balance showing on the bank capitali-zation report that was almost eighty percent less than what he had seen the previous evening, but closed the report and re-opened it to let it refresh the status. When it came up with the same balance again, he was concerned that his computer was malfunctioning so quickly used his assistant’s computer to access the report. When it also came up with the same balance, he rushed back to his own office and started looking up other reports. He began to panic when he saw zero balances reflected for dozens of accounts.