Dark Secrets

by Doug Pountain

  With their very light breakfast now complete they made their way outside, it was still dark and very damp, but life in this city never stops, it was just as busy as it had been the evening before as they arrived. A few seconds later the cab pulled up and Graham and Joyce got in.

  “Times Square please”, and the cab took off down Maddison Avenue. The cab had bench seats in the back, and while Graham knew to hang on, Joyce was very ill prepared for the adventure, sliding from one side to the other until she finally regained some form of control. The journey took very little time before they finally arrived at a place she had seen before so many times in films and on the television, and the sight did not disappoint her. The lights on the neon signs, the traffic, it was all she had hoped for, and there stretching far in to the distance were all the lights of Broadway.

  They walked across the busy square, and as instructed they waited in front of the police booth, before a few minutes later a large car with blacked out windows pulled up, the driver lowered his window and looked at them for a few seconds as if checking them out. “Airport.” Yes replied Graham, and a very large man in an expensive black suit got out and opened the door. They got in the back of the car and there was a screen between the driver and his rear passengers, it was lowered for a few seconds as the man spoke to Graham.

  “When we get to the airport stay in the car, do not get out under any circumstances, no one is to know of the Ambassadors arrival in this country, it is completely off the record do you understand”?

  “Yes we do”. Replied Graham, and the dividing screen was raised.

  The car made very light work of the traffic as it sped through the city with its blue lights flashing in the grille.

  “This is what the Yanks love, they are lovely people, but they are very dramatic, but then again you do have to admire their style”. Graham told Joyce.

  They continued out of the city for about 2 hours before the car finally entered a small private airfield where they were driven directly into a large hangar where they parked in a corner. It was a further hour before a private jet flew very gracefully in and taxied off the airfield before it finally entered the hangar. The large black metal doors were closed behind the aircraft and seconds later the steps were lowered from within and two men with automatic weapons stepped out. The men looked all around before one of them nodded in the direction of the aircrafts door.

  A tall man walked down the steps and was escorted to the car, and then the two men at the front got out and one of them opened the rear door to allow the aircrafts passenger to join Graham and Joyce in the car.

  “Good morning, I am the American Ambassador for the UK”.

  Graham looked at the man before he replied. “Yes sir, we know who you are, what can we do for you”?

  “Well first you can tell me what you know”. He said.

  “Mr Ambassador, I realise that Sir Richard Baxter trusts you, but as of this moment I don’t. I also realise that you know much more than you are telling British intelligence, and so unless you tell me exactly what you do know, then you can have your Eight billion dollars back and you can do your own dirty work, the choice is yours. You have not flown across the Atlantic just for a chat and a cup of coffee, I believe that something very sinister is going on here and unless I know what that is, then you can either drop us back in Manhattan or I will call a cab”.

  Joyce sat there and showed no emotion as Graham made his statement of intent to the Ambassador. The Ambassador now turned and looked at Joyce.

  “You say very little young lady”.

  She looked back at him with her piercing green eyes, “You have put our lives at risk for your own benefit, you could have retrieved this money at any time, but you lack the skills to do it discreetly and that is why you got us to do it for you, but as we all know this money was stolen for a very special purpose, and we believe that some very important Americans are involved”.

  It was now Grahams turn to look at Joyce, and he now realised that in Joyce he had discovered a super intelligent woman who’s understanding of the situation was growing minute by minute. In the short space of time of being part of the team she had witnessed death at first hand several times, and with the help of her friends she had rediscovered herself and now there was no stopping her.

  “You have a very eloquent way with words young lady, and yes you are right about the money. We had information that it was going to be stolen, but it was never our intention to try and take it back, but what we had not realised is just how skilful your team are, and when you hacked that account in Lucerne it through us completely”.

  “So in that case, and please stop me if I have got this wrong Ambassador, it was always your intention to let Aslanov and the others come after us for trying to steal the money just so you could actually find out who they were and what was actually going on and who was involved, have I got that correct”?

  “We had intelligence on a Russian Mafia boss who has very close links to the Kremlin, and from what we understand he was going to steel the Nigerian’s ten billion dollar loan. You see the banker who arranged the deal was working for us and so we were always fully in the picture, but our plan went wild after he was killed. We knew the money was in Lucerne and we wanted it to look like someone other than the U.S. was trying to steal it for themselves and we were hoping that it would bring them out in the open, but as you now know it all went astray. We had no idea that Aslanov was involved until you found out about the Swiss Banker sleeping with the Swiss Ambassadors Wife.

  We only found out a great deal more after the man in our London Embassy who dealt with Immigration told us many things when he was interrogated, and we still have the American Liaison Officer attached to GCHQ in play, and since we identified him we have monitored his every move, but we still have no idea what the money is for”. Said the Ambassador.

  “So you also lied to Sir Richard, he trusted you implicitly and you just shit on him”.

  “For that I am truly sorry, it was never my intention to lie to such a trusted friend”.

  “No, but you were happy to sacrifice my team is that correct”? Said Graham.

  “Look, please don’t take it personally, it was just business, so what happens now”?

  “My team already have certain plans made, and so we will see this through to the point where we know what’s happening and then it’s all yours, but before then I want you to tell me how many people are involved on your side”.

  “I can’t tell you that”. Said the Ambassador.

  “Ok, well in that case there is no trust between us and so we are off it’s up to you”.

  “Alright, myself and four others”.

  “Are the CIA involved in any way? Asked Graham.

  “No, just the FBI Director, his deputy and two agents”.

  “I will need to speak to them before we move, just to establish a little trust between us if that is alright with you”. Said Graham.

  “Alright I will see what I can do, let me get back on the plane and arrange a video call, you stay here”. Replied the Ambassador.

  The Ambassador got out of the car and walked up the steps and back into the aircraft. Joyce turned to speak to Graham but he put his finger over his mouth indicating for her to say nothing, she realised straight away that he thought they could be listening in to their conversation. About 20 minutes later one of the guards outside opened the car door,

  “The Ambassador would like to see you, please follow me”.

  Graham and Joyce walked over to the aircraft and up the steps, and now inside they saw the luxurious way that top people travel, no cheap standard plane seats here, these were pure leather sofas with thick carpets on the floor. Joyce thought to herself that it was not like this when she flew to Benidorm with Ryanair.

  They joined the Ambassador at a table and Graham was introduced to a man named Colby, the Director of the FBI by video link, he looked at Graham.

  “I need to know everything”. He said. But Graham retorted “I
am sorry but that’s not how this works, I don’t trust you, and so we play this by my rules or not at all”.

  “Who do you think you are speaking to, I run the FBI not some two bit British outfit”?

  “You run the FBI and yet you still have no idea what’s going on, so don’t give me any of your bullshit, do you know about a meeting that took place recently”? Asked Graham. No of course you don’t, that’s because you haven’t got a fucking clue, now I will ask you once more or we are out of here, tell me about anyone who knows anything on your side”.

  The atmosphere of the conversation changed dramatically after the Americans had to finally admit they actually knew very little, but the few who were involved were completely trust worthy, which made Graham feel much better.

  “Now I will tell you a little of what we know and that is all I will tell you”. He went on to inform them of just enough to shut them up, but not enough to put his team in danger.

  The Ambassador said. “I need to ask you one very important question that must be answered, is the President’s life at risk”?

  “A few days ago I would have said yes, but we all believe now that it is connected to something much greater than that, I am not saying he is not in danger, and I have no guarantees and that’s all I am going to tell you for the moment, but I may need to contact you very urgently when I find out more or if I need urgent back up so I will need a number”. And Director Colby with the Ambassadors approval reluctantly gave Graham his emergency contact number.

  “Thank you for this meeting, but I believe it has gone as far as it can go for the moment”. Said Graham.

  Graham and Joyce got up and thanked the Ambassador for his trust and cooperation. “I believe that when you return to London Mr. Ambassador you should look up an old friend and apologise to him don’t you”?

  “Your right and I will, but for the time being good luck and good hunting, but keep us in the loop, ours is a great nation and we are very proud of its values, but we make very poor enemies, and so we will give full retribution to anyone who threatens our Country in any way”.

  “I fully understand your position and we will do whatever we can, and thank you again”. Said Graham.

  Joyce and Graham left the plane and got back into the car, and they watched from a distance as the aircraft taxied out of the hangar and back onto the runway were it accelerated and took off for the return flight to London. Graham and Joyce spoke very little on their journey back to the city where they were dropped off again in Times Square, and as they were getting out of the car one of the men turned and said.

  “This meeting never took place, do you understand”?

  “What meeting” Graham replied. As the car drove away and left them at the bottom of Broadway.

  “Go on Joyce, flag down a cab”.

  “I have always wanted to do that”. She said as she raised her arm, and seconds later the big yellow taxi pulled up in front of them. “The Jolly Maddison please”. This time in the back she remembered to hold on as the taxi roared away.

  “Well that was a very interesting day, I wonder how the others went on”?

  It was now 2pm as they arrived back at the Hotel but everyone else was still out.

  “Let’s go out and have some lunch, and if you eat it all up and you are a good girl, then I will take you up the Empire State Building”.

  “What about the others”? Asked Joyce.

  “I am not going to call them as it could cause a problem, any intel we get stays between the six of us for the time being, I am still uncertain as to who we can actually trust yet”.

  Graham took her to a small Deli and they each had a club sandwich, Joyce looked at the size of it before asking how many people it was for. “Just you mam”. Came the reply. They sat in a small square and watched everyone rushing here and there as they ate their sandwich and then walked the fairly short distance to the building.

  “I love this City said Graham, what do you think Joyce”?

  “What do I think? I think it’s wonderful, and I am so very grateful to you and Carol for giving me my life back and also the opportunity to prove that I have actually got some worth”.

  “You have already proved your worth and bear in mind that you are also now a murderer and you have been allowed to do it”.

  “That’s as maybe, but I still have two more at least to kill in the future”. She replied.

  Graham new exactly who Joyce was referring to as he changed the conversation to something much lighter as they walked into the Empire State Building. The Art Deco interior took her breath away, the sheer size of everything just added to her experience as they entered one of the many the lifts and were quickly transported to the top.

  “Graham look at the view you can see for miles”. She was just like a giddy school girl, but still a little afraid of going right up to the edge to look over.

  “Your quite safe you know, even King Kong liked it up here”.

  Joyce gradually plucked up enough courage to look over the edge and down at the streets below with all the yellow cabs rushing in all directions around the City, people just doing what they had to do, or maybe they were just tourists having a good time, and yet no one new or would they even care if they did know, that Joyce and her friends lives had a price on them. But at least for the moment she was finally alive. In her mind she was prepared to accept death for a reason that she had control over, but at least death wouldn’t come in a shit hole of a house in Leicester.

  “Well did you enjoy that”?

  “Oh Graham thank you so much”.

  “Come on let’s get back to the Hotel and see if the others are back now” said Graham.

  Now back out in the Street Joyce stopped for a second to wipe a small tear from her cheek. “What’s wrong”? Asked Graham.

  “Nothing’s wrong, it’s just that everything is right. Since you offered me my job it has turned my life around, here I am in a place I could only have dreamed of a short time ago, dealing with Ambassadors and God knows what else, and you gave me the confidence that I had been missing”.

  “I didn’t give you a job for nothing, I saw in you the desire to succeed that not everyone has, but that desire is very often found in people who have been treated badly or abused, but those people need more than just being told they can do something, they also need a big pair of ball’s to fight back. There are too many people out there who are happy to blame someone else for their problems, and they keep listening to all those “do gooder’s”. You have to get off your fucking arse and put two fingers up to the world. There are opportunities everywhere, but the lazy bastards will never see them, you started your fight back the day you left your Husband”.

  Joyce looked at Graham astounded, she had never looked at life like that before, and she realised that what he said was all true. Loser’s will, always be loser’s, and she knew many people from her now former life that will never accept the fact that it was themselves who had fucked up, it was always someone else’s fault, but that was not for Joyce anymore. Graham by his statement had now opened the door to the next phase of Joyce’s life. Now more than ever she would have to summon up the strength and character that had lay dormant within her for so many years, yes she had already contributed to the team, but she would have to do this on a regular basis and she was more than up for the challenge. The job she had accepted had now changed beyond all recognition, what had started out as a bit of an accounting job was no more and she was now an integral part of a team and nobody was going to take that away from her. If someone tried it would be at their own peril.

  As they walked back to the Hotel Joyce observed so many very large cars with blacked out windows and she wondered who was riding in the back of them. It was like being on a film set for her, the police cars with NYPD on the side, and steam escaping from the leaks on the underground pipework in the roads. She had seen all of this so many times before, but now she was actually here, she could see, she could touch and she was in the land of the livi
ng. Eventually they arrived back at the Hotel just as Carl and Carol pulled up and got out of his car, he gave his keys to the parking attendant who jumped in and took it away to the Hotel garage.

  “Did you have a good meeting Graham”? Asked Carl.

  “You will need to ask Joyce, she made the real statement of our intentions, let’s get inside and wait for the others to get here before we discuss the day’s events”.

  They sat in the bar for about another 30 minutes before David and Roger arrived and joined them.

  “Let’s debrief very slowly shall we? Graham and Joyce told everyone the full details of their meeting, and also how the Yanks really hadn’t got a clue about what was going on, but Graham also said that he still didn’t fully trust Colby at the FBI, but we need to keep him onside just in case. “How did your trip upstate go Roger”?

  “Well firstly I only turned my cell phone on as we were about to make the call to the Russian Embassy, I used my best Italian accent and asked for Boyev Aslanov, obviously they had never heard of him, and so I told them that it was a pity as I was pondering an eight billion dollar investment in his company, but if you know nothing about him then I must have made a mistake, but that he could call me in the next fifteen minutes on this number should they be able to contact him, but after that time the deal would be off and I ended the call”.

  “David and I were just about to leave as the time was up when it finally rang, I asked if it was Mr Aslanov and he asked how I knew that name, and I told him some friends in London asked me to say hello. You have put a contract out on a very old friend of mine after he borrowed some of your money, so if you would like it back, call off the hit and tell me who your contractor is”.

  “It is far too late for that”. He said, and so I told him if that was the case then it is also too late for the money, which as you can imagine really pissed him off. I told him. The choice is yours as I don’t really give a fuck because I have your money, so do you want it or not, as I am only trying to help a friend of mine stay alive, and bearing in mind that I don’t have too many of those, there is no more I can do for you. He is a man of very few words and he replied in his own way.