Max & Olivia Box Set

by Mark A Biggs

  The appeal of blockchains to the finance industry is that the data is spread across multiple computers and not controlled by a single trusted party. It is believed that once entered the data cannot be altered. The data is secure but can be shared in such a way that the owner always keeps control. The Professor’s genius wasn’t in the source code as Monya had said, but the microchips themselves, in their control circuitry. He’d designed two serious security flaws that affected the computer processor. Exploiting cryptocurrency was the cream, skimmed from the top, that Monya was willing to share with the Brotherhood, a smokescreen to allow him to raise the capital he needed for the main game. ‘Envisage’, the Professor had told Monya, ‘every device that uses a microprocessor will be within your grasp.’ With the work the Professor had completed, they had significant control. In a further year, the Professor had promised him that domination of the world’s computers would be his. Were the Professor to be killed or captured by the CIA, the project would fail along with his rule of the Brotherhood. His life would be forfeited.

  Although Monya was yet to inform the Brotherhood of the attack on his yacht, he feared the informal networks would have already sounded the alarm. His need to call a session of the council was becoming urgent. He made two calls: one ordering an extraction team to Astakos, with instructions that, if the Professor couldn’t be secured, he was to be eliminated. The next was to summon the eleven other council leaders for a gathering. He chose Llanes, his headquarters in Spain, for the meeting place in three days’ hence. Three days, I will know by then, he said to himself.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  The Queen

  It happened so quickly. After Stephen had agreed to the berth on board the Queen Mary 2, Olivia and Max had been taken to the medical facility on the US warship. Having been given the “all clear” and told to rest, they were whisked away to a private cabin. Exhausted from their ordeal of the day and the previous weeks, Olivia and Max were relieved to have the opportunity for an afternoon sleep. ‘Just a 30-minute power nap,’ Max had mumbled, but, it was 6.00pm before they awoke, and only then because a light dinner was brought to their suite. After eating, they snuggled down in bed, deciding to catch up with Lucia the following morning. There were so many things they wanted to ask her and now that she was working for MI6, perhaps her attitude might be different. Lucia didn’t suspect, but from that moment, more than twenty years ago when Olivia and Max had stumbled across her photograph as a twelve-year-old girl, on a child pornographic website, they’d sworn to rescue her. For two long years, they worked with child exploitation units from around the world until they finally tracked her to Macinec. When they freed her, and she’d run into Max’s arms crying ‘I knew you would come,’ Olivia and Max were changed people forever. An unbreakable bond was established, although Lucia in her guise as Claudia had fought it. In the end, however, it was inevitable that Max, Olivia and Lucia were connected. No matter what the future was to hold, they would give their lives for each other. In the life of a person these bonds are rare; for Max and Olivia there was also Penny.

  Max was startled by a knock on the cabin door. When he opened his eyes, he saw the clock read 6.00am. Both he and Olivia had slept soundly. Max glanced across to where Olivia was sleeping in the other single bed. She nodded, so he called. ‘Come in.’

  ‘Good Morning, Sir and Madam. I bring the Captain’s greetings,’ said a young Petty Officer. ‘Your helicopter is leaving at 06.30 hours, so I will see you both on deck shortly.’ The instructions were delivered without assertion or rudeness, a politeness unique to the Americans. Without waiting for a reply, as none was expected, he turned and left.

  * * *

  Two days later, having had no opportunity to see or talk to Lucia before their departure, Max and Olivia found themselves at South Hampton, being escorted aboard the Queen Mary 2, by two young MI6 agents they had never seen before.

  ‘Nice,’ said Michelle, the female MI6 agent assisting them with their luggage – or so they made out – while looking about the Grand Suite, which was to be Max and Olivia’s home. Using her smartphone, ignoring Max and Olivia, she read aloud a description of the suite to her male partner. ‘The Grand Duplex Suites include sweeping living quarters and an expansive balcony downstairs, a luxurious master bedroom upstairs, two marble baths with separate whirlpool tub and shower, a guest bathroom with shower, and private exercise equipment. Bedroom includes a king-size bed, which may be converted to twin beds, downstairs living room with separate dining area, double sofa bed, dual height coffee table that may be used for in-suite dining, separate bar, dressing room, walk-in closet space, and powder room. Thoughtful amenities include priority embarkation, bottle of champagne and strawberries at embarkation, daily fruit basket, complementary bottled water, flower arrangement, personalized stationery, Xbox and DVD player, 24-hour room service, butler, daily newspaper, shoe shine service, evening canapes, pillow menu, nightly turndown service, bathrobes and slippers, and priority disembarkation.’

  ‘Please, don’t forget the, “dine when you choose” option, with its “private table” in the Queens Grill restaurant. And our expansive balcony, perfect for relaxing and hosting impromptu soirees,’ added Max sarcastically. The irony missed its mark, instead the two young agents took the comment as further evidence of the extravagant treatment, for the “two old has-beens”.

  ‘Nice for those who can get it,’ muttered Michelle again.

  Unlike Max who couldn’t hold his tongue, happy to stoke the fire, Olivia smiled warmly as Michelle spoke, before adding, ‘Thank you for helping us aboard. Now, don’t let us hold up your busy day.’

  Vince, the male agent accompanying Michelle, returned Olivia’s smile before saying, ‘You’re not holding us up at all. We have been instructed to keep you company until the Queen sails. Stephen Walls insisted upon it.’

  ‘That’s a little silly, young man. You do know the Queen is back in South Hampton in 14 days’ time? And if we wanted to get off, we could do it then or in the United States. In fact, anywhere she docks. We appreciate Stephen’s concern, but you are wasting your time.’

  ‘Be that as it may, Ma’am, the Director insists.’

  It was a long 3 hours before Michelle and Vince finally left. The Queen leisurely eased her way out of the harbour, ready for the Atlantic Crossing. Olivia and Max ventured outside and sat on their private balcony to watch the English coast disappear into the distance. The butler arrived to pour their first glass of Champagne, which signified the beginning of the closing chapter of their lives. ‘I think they are glad to see the back of us,’ said Olivia while raising her glass to toast with Max.

  ‘And we of them.’ Their glasses clinked together. ‘What’s a pillow concierge?’ he asked.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Astakos

  While living in the United States, the thought of being kidnapped never occurred to Jayde. Perhaps, on the rare occasion when she read about Somali Pirates or other kidnappings in the paper. But since moving to Europe and mixing with the rich and famous, she secretly harboured a fear of being taken hostage and held for ransom. Maybe it was guilt, believing her husband was working for organised crime, where hostage-taking, murder and god knows what other atrocities were part of that life. And now her life! Whatever the reason, she’d started watching TV documentaries on hostage negotiations and survival tactics, searching the internet on how to survive. Of what she had read, one item stuck in her mind. “Try to build a rapport with your captor, while not becoming too friendly. You never want to make them feel like they are losing control of the situation.” These circumstances were different, she knew, but the key principles had to be the same. It gave her hope.

  ‘Commander Simon,’ she called out as he studied a map after one of the engines had failed, purposefully adding his Christian name to his title, Commander. Call him by his name as often as you can but without it appearing an obvious manipulation.

  ‘Give me a minute,’ he replied and then returned his focus to the
man steering the vessel and showing him the map.

  ‘What are you doing?’ grumbled the Professor. ‘You can’t talk to them; it’s not allowed.’

  ‘Not permitted,’ sneered Jayde. Aware of watching eyes, she smiled hiding her frustration.

  ‘Not allowed for you, but you are not me. You got us into this mess, but it will be me who gets us out,’ she whispered, snarling as she spoke.

  ‘You mustn’t try anything, my love; you’ll get us killed.’

  She reached across and touched the Professor lightly on the arm, feigning affection. While still smiling, she said, ‘You’ve already seen to that my love. You think they’ll let us live if there’s any risk that the CIA will capture us? It will all be over. We have to take care of ourselves.’

  The Professor didn’t reply and Jayde regretted her outburst. They sat in silence, something they had been doing for the last 15 years, maybe more. When had their relationship changed, she contemplated. Was it when our son Peter had left for University, or before that? They were like most couples, no longer talking as they had in the early part of their marriage. She hadn’t been unhappy. On the contrary, their silence was comfortable, but silence nonetheless. I don’t want to die, Jayde thought, but neither did she want to lose her husband. The revelation didn’t come as a shock; it was just that she seldom considered it… I love my Professor, she mumbled to herself. She reached across and took his hand in hers. Then there were the grandchildren – Jade (who was named after her but spelt differently) and Sammy. Life couldn’t end here, she couldn’t let it, and she didn’t want to live in Russia. Watching Simon as he was joined by the other two members of his team, Jayde understood that she had prostituted her morals for the glitz and glamour of wealth. They were both to blame, putting themselves in a dark place, one that might be impossible to leave.

  The ex-Russian special forces guards were huddled together discussing and pointing at the map. Jayde couldn’t hear what was being said but didn’t think this was deliberate. They weren’t trying to hide what was being said, it was the noise from the remaining motor and the wind, which muffled their conversation.

  ‘We will dock here,’ said Simon, pointing at a town on the map, laid out in front of his men. ‘Me and the Professor’s wife – package two – will go ashore and secure the transport. I believe a man and woman together are less likely to draw attention to themselves. Victor, Boris and Ivan, you will all remain here to protect the Professor – package one. Unless it’s extremely urgent, we will keep radio silence and use only the transponder lights on the radio. If we need to communicate, the call sign will be Esco. The receiver of the message will acknowledge by sending two pings with the transponder light switch, or one ping if it’s not safe.’

  ‘What if the sender is compromised or in danger?’ asked Ivan.

  ‘Then use the call sign Targa, followed by two pings. We’ll then meet at the assembly point, which is here.’ Simon, using his smartphone, which displayed a map of Astakos, pointed to a large vacant block in front of a local street. The street ran North West, joining the ring road that circled the outskirts of the town. Zooming in, the map revealed a farmhouse halfway along the road, which backed onto the vacant area. ‘It’s the only house, so you can’t miss it,’ continued Simon. ‘Whoever gets there first secures the building. Callsign, Targa, followed by one ping means that the assembly place is compromised. If that happens, make your own way back to Russia with your package. However, if the safety of your package is threatened. Dispose of it… permanently. Neither the Professor nor his wife is to fall into the wrong hands – alive… All going to plan, I will return with our wheels two hours after landing. While I’m away, Boris, go ashore and bring back some food for the others. Once we have both packages safely off the boat, rather than heading towards Aitoliko and onto Athens, which is the obvious choice, we will drive north to Karaiskakis and then onto Fyteies. Questions?’ The men looked at each other before Victor asked.

  ‘Boss, we may need two cars?’

  It had always been Simon’s intention that two of his team act as a decoy and continue the journey on board the Kingtough. ‘Victor and Ivan, you are to take the boat on to Turkey. You will be the decoy, while Boris and I smuggle the Professor and Jayde out by road. One vehicle will suffice.’ They nodded in agreement. ‘Ok then, let’s do it.’

  With the meeting over, the vessel altered course for Astakos.

  Simon made his way towards Jayde and the Professor, who looked up as he drew near. Jayde, unsure if he was going to tell them what was happening, called out… ‘Simon!’ He didn’t answer nor did he ignore her. Instead, he moved and stood beside where she sat in anticipation of her questions.

  ‘I was wondering…,’ she started, trying to give her voice an inflection of concern rather than curiosity. ‘If I’m not asking anything that is confidential, I was wondering what our plans are? We have noticed that one of the engines isn’t working and then I couldn’t help but notice you consulting a map with your men. Now we seem to have altered course.’

  Smiling warmly as he spoke, Simon replied, ‘You needn’t concern yourself, Miss Jayde.’

  Jayde wasn’t sure if it was a genuine smile or a patronising gesture in readiness to dismiss her query. She had her answer as he continued to speak.

  ‘With only one engine, we think it unwise to go on by sea. Instead, we are heading for Astakos, and from there we will make our way to Turkey by land. We will make it to the harbour just before dark and then you,’ speaking to Jayde, ‘will come ashore with me to find the alternative transport. Professor, you will remain here and be protected by my men.’

  ‘I…I don’t like the idea of my wife going ashore without me,’ stuttered the Professor.

  ‘Commander Simon will keep me safe,’ said Jayde while touching the Professor lightly on the arm, ‘I’m sure he has his reasons for taking me with him.’ She guessed the truth was that by keeping them separate, it guaranteed their compliance, as it had done in Preveza.

  In keeping with her strategy, trying to use his Christian name as often as possible, Jayde said, ‘Simon, can you show us on your phone where Astakos is? Our phones went down with the Lelantos and, even if we did have them, we wouldn’t dream of looking without your permission.’

  ‘Of course, Miss Jayde.’ He took out his phone and opened the same map he’d been studying with his men.

  ‘It’s not very big. Have you been there before?’

  ‘No. All I know is what it says on Wikipedia.’ the Commander said, but this was a lie. Using his phone, he brought up the description of Astakos for Jayde and the Professor to read.

  Astakos: (Greek: Αστακός, meaning “lobster”) is a town and a former municipality in Aetolia-Acarnania, West Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform, it is part of the municipality Xiromero, of which it is a municipal unit. The municipal unit has an area of 345.099 km2. It is located on a bay on the eastern shore of the Ionian Sea, near the southern end of the Acarnanian Mountains. It takes its name from the ancient Acarnanian town, Astacus (Ancient Greek: Aστακος-Astakos) and was named Dragamesti in the Middle Ages.

  ‘If you will excuse me, I have some preparations to make,’ he said, leaving to return to the wheelhouse.

  * * *

  Simon had kept a close eye on the radar; if they were being followed, it wasn’t obvious. Their timing was perfect, approaching the harbour with the fading light of dusk, helping them see to dock. Simon observed that if people had been in the harbour, they were now gone. On the other side of the parade, which ran parallel to the waterfront, a few people were in the restaurants. All in all, it was a quiet evening and, in a little under an hour, night would blanket Astakos, providing the cover he sought.

  What Simon liked about Astakos as an escape route, was once clear of the restaurants, the next buildings were 300 metres back from the shoreline, further separated from the waterfront by a reserve and a road. This gave him a clear line of sight, should there be any problems. Like many o
f the coastal towns in Greece, the buildings in the centre of town were two and three stories high. Some of these were shops with their living quarters above, others flats or semi-detached houses. For most of these buildings, cars were parked on the streets and in lanes, making it impossible to know which vehicle belonged to which premise. Interspersed, amongst these buildings and also on the outskirts of town, a short walk from the harbour, were detached houses with cars parked in their driveways. Simon’s plan, or so he told Jayde, was to pick a house without children, gain entry, subdue the occupants and steal the wheels. Carrying a concealed pistol, cable ties in his back pocket as makeshift handcuffs, Simon left the boat with Jayde in search of their transport.

  When Simon checked his watch, he saw that they had been searching for 50 minutes, during which darkness had fallen. Since leaving the boat, they had travelled east along the waterfront, keeping to the road. Simon didn’t know Jayde’s exact age but guessed he was at least ten years younger. He was taller than her husband and visibly muscular with broad shoulders and a powerful chest. Handsomely solid. A fit powerful man, not a disproportioned bodybuilder. Despite what he had said to his men, he doubted they blended in. An odd couple, but less likely to raise alarm than being seen with another of his men. But in truth, that was irrelevant; he had his own reason for taking Jayde with him. Standing near a small restaurant, on the corner of an intersection, he spotted a couple of possible targets. What he liked about these houses, or so he told Jayde, was the large plots of land and the foliage. They could approach the buildings from the rear while being unseen from the road. He chose the home across the road from where they were standing. It was on the east side of the restaurant and faced the sea. In its driveway was a white van, a vehicle, which, at a pinch, would fit the Professor, Jayde, himself and one of his men.