Thabo laughed.
“That’s one way of describing it, I suppose,” he said.
Everybody looked at him for more.
“His dad is the biggest crook in Africa and maybe further afield too,” he added.
“Underworld kingpin is probably more apt,” replied a blushing Tom.
“If he’s OK with Tom, he’s OK with me,” said Tristan.
The rest of the group agreed and Rolf joined the meeting by video conference.
Tom kicked the meeting off by explaining what he thought needed to be done. Two hours later, they all left the room, sworn to secrecy and with a list of questions to get answers to.
Tom checked his watch. He had one more call to make before he went to bed.
Chapter 37
Beaumont was glued to the TV. He had been tipped off that the story would break in the UK at 7.00 a.m. which was 2.00 a.m. Washington time. Global Media were trying to get maximum exposure across the world on their biggest ever exclusive. It would mean that the US would wake up to the headlines in their newspapers and TV stations; the UK would wake up to their TV and radio station bulletins and a special edition of the Global newspapers, meaning none of the other UK papers would be able to copy the story. Across Europe and Asia, the story would break in daylight hours. It was going to be huge.
Beaumont could see it now, “DONALD KENNEDY – THE ASSASSIN. DONALD KENNEDY – WORLD KILLER.” He was watching the British-based Global media news channel. It was the prime time morning news show and was, because Kennedy was British, going to be the first to break the news.
Beaumont watched as the weather reporter droned on about slight rain from the West. The channel then broke for yet another series of adverts before finally showing the opening credits to the morning news show. Here we go, thought Beaumont as he increased the volume and sat with his nose virtually touching the screen.
“Good morning and welcome to breakfast news. Our top story this morning is Donald Kennedy.” Yes, thought Beaumont. “And the continuing efforts of the UK government to have him released…”
“What?” Beaumont asked the screen, his mouth wide open.
Chapter 36
Tom and Lela could not stop checking their watches. This was the first day of school but they had to be in Conference Room One for a video conference at11.15 a.m.
They started school at 8.00 with a welcome from the Headmaster, Mr Sakamoto, who paid tribute to the world leaders who had been assassinated over the previous few months. He sent his condolences and sympathies to their families but also welcomed the new students who had joined the school under tragic circumstances. He then went on to more mundane house-keeping matters and by 9.00 am, the students were on their way to their first lesson.
At 11.10 a.m., Tom and Lela asked to be excused from their classroom. Mr Sakamoto had authorised the missing of one lesson to allow them to join the video conference. They rushed across the school grounds to the Conference Centre and entered Room One. It was a large room and as with the rest of the school, no expense had been spared, no corner cut on the presentation facilities, furniture or equipment. Large plush leather chairs surrounded the solid wood table, polished to perfection by an ex royal footman. A massive video screen covered one wall and showed eight expectant faces staring at the screen. All they could see was the very plush and expansive table surrounded by numerous empty chairs.
Tom and Lela kept out of the camera’s view and took a good look at each of the eight people on the other side of the world who had answered the call to attend a special emergency board meeting. Jonathan suddenly appeared on the screen and could be seen nodding to his colleagues. A sly grin thrown towards the camera suggested that he knew Tom and Lela would be observing them, in Glasgow at the global headquarters of Alba International.
Tom took a deep breath and walked into shot of the camera and took his seat. Lela had decided to remain out of sight but would participate if required.
“Good morning,” said Tom.
“Good morning Tom,” they all responded.
“Are we missing somebody?” asked Tom looking at an empty seat.
“Alan, the new CFO, is on a call. He said he’d be along soon,” replied Jonathan.
“You told him we were holding an emergency meeting?” asked Tom slightly agitated.
“Yes,” replied Jonathan.
“Would somebody mind telling him to get his arse in here, right now!” said Tom firmly and shocking a few of the Alba execs who looked at the screen in surprise.
“Gladly,” offered Jonathan.
As he stood up, the door burst open and a very cocky Alan almost shouted, “So Johnny-boy what’s up now? What’s the big emergency that can’t wait?”
He was almost in his seat before he noticed the screen and its lone figure. The silence was almost deafening, nobody dared speak. Tom had only met the new CFO once, he hadn’t liked him then and certainly liked him even less now. Jason, the previous CFO was on compassionate leave and had insisted that Donald fill his role permanently. He didn’t want the pressure of knowing that he had to get back. Donald had pleaded for him to take time, there was no pressure. He could hire an interim for 10 years if he had to. But Jason had been insistent.
Alba was the largest and most profitable corporation in the world, there were probably only five accountants up to the task but unfortunately Alan was the only acceptable candidate to have come forward and so was offered the position by default.
“Hi Tom, how you doin’ mate?” asked Alan as if nothing were wrong.
Tom took one disgusted look at the man before completely ignoring him.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, I’ve called you here today to inform you of some important news. My father recently asked for a special condition to be placed in the company’s statute book. I won’t bore you with the legalise but basically it states that, in my father’s absence and with the approval of available stated family members, any Kennedy can take control as Interim Chief Executive. Said individual will take full control and act with the complete authority of Donald Kennedy. Stated family members are Rachel Kennedy, Saki Kennedy, Lela Kennedy and Tom Kennedy.”
All the executives looked at Jonathan who nodded that this was correct, apart from Alan who was too busy choking on his coffee.
Tom continued.
“With that in mind, I spoke to Jonathan last night and invoked the condition. We agreed that my parents and Saki were absent as defined by the condition and therefore, with Lela’s approval, I took control of Alba International with immediate effect.”
“Congratulations Tom,” they all said at once, except Alan who wanted added clarity.
“Wait a minute, are you seriously saying that you are the new boss?”
“Yes. So less of the mate and the Johnny-boy if you don’t mind.” He was really annoying Tom now. Alan’s face dropped. This was certainly not what he had expected.
“I have some more news,” continued Tom. “As CEO, I made my first corporate purchase last night. We have bought the Global Media Group.”
“What?!” blurted out Alan. “But I wasn’t told about this! How can you have bought it without my involvement? I’m the Chief Financial Officer and I don’t know anything about this! Jonathan, what the hell’s going on here?” shouted Alan.
“Don’t you get it Alan, you don’t need to know. If Tom wants it to happen, it happens,” replied Jonathan who was enjoying putting Alan in his place.
“But how much did you pay?” Alan couldn’t stop himself.
“Too much,” replied Tom, “and just enough. It depends on what you are buying.”
***
The initial phone call had caught Max Marshall by surprise. He had obviously not expected a fourteen-year-old to want to buy his company. The second call had been more productive. Max had had a call from Jonathan confirming the funds were in place and could be transferred that evening. When offered $15 billion dollars to just walk away with no headaches and no hassle, $2 billion of which was
a sweetener, it had not taken long for Tom to get the answer he wanted.
Moments later, the story about Donald was quashed and all front pages reprinted calling on the British Government to help Donald Kennedy. Tom knew it would only buy them a couple of days before the story leaked elsewhere but that may be enough to get his parents and Saki out of prison and back to the UK. It was worth a try, $15 billion was not a lot of money to Alba.
Chapter 37
Beaumont was sitting in the oval office at 7.00 a.m. It was going to be another bad day, he could already sense it. The news had not broken and he still didn’t know why.
“Well, Mr Genius, what disaster awaits us today?” asked the President as he entered the office with the General Powers incident still on his mind. Although not enjoying Beaumont’s failures, he did like to see him taken down a peg or two.
“I take it you’ve seen the news then,” said Beaumont. “Or more correctly, the lack of it.”
“Yes, what the hell happened there?” asked the President.
“I have no idea. The news was scheduled to break this morning, the evidence is rock solid and irrefutable, we planted it ourselves. I just don’t understand it.”
The phone rang exactly on time. Beaumont hit the speaker button.
“Good morning Mr Chairman.”
“Less of the good I think. I believe we have failed spectacularly AGAIN gentlemen. This is becoming a very bad habit.” The Chairman was not impressed.
“We’re just trying to find out what happened,” explained Beaumont.
“I know what happened, you fool. Alba bought Global and killed the story. It’s all over the business news. They purchased them late last night.”
“But they can’t have, our man would have told us?”
“He didn’t know, nobody did. The son bought it for cash just like that. Spent $15 billion on it.”
“The son? But he’s only a kid?”
“Anyway, don’t worry, the story will break tomorrow. I’ve sorted it. And gentlemen, no more mistakes. Yesterday’s cock-up cost us more than you know. However, I do congratulate you, framing Donald Kennedy for the assassinations is a stroke of genius but only if it works. I suggest that after the story breaks, you arrange a very quick accident. Afterall, dead men can’t talk…”
“Consider it done Mr Chairman,” replied Beaumont.
The Chairman hung up and left the two men looking at one another.
“What did he mean more than we know?” asked Beaumont.
“I had my suspicions but he just confirmed it. Walker was a committee member. He was useless, never deserved the post but he was a useful useless if you know what I mean.”
“Yes I do,” replied Beaumont as he walked back to his office. He immediately called Smith.
“We need to finish the job tomorrow,” Beaumont explained.
“Any specific time?” asked Smith.
“As soon as possible after the story breaks. It’ll dampen the outrage if Kennedy dies as a suspected assassin.”
“No problem. Everything here is set. I’ve organised a full-blown prison riot, hundreds will be injured and killed and unfortunately Mr Donald Kennedy will be one of the dead.”
“His wife and the other guy?” asked Beaumont.
“Does it matter?”
“No, not really…actually, on second thoughts, probably best they go too.”
“OK, by tomorrow night they’ll all be history,” confirmed Smith.
Beaumont ended the call. Things were getting back on track. But he had to be careful, he had to plan for the unexpected. He called Jones and told him what he wanted him to do, better safe than sorry.
Chapter 38
Tom and Lela made it back to their classes after lunch. Their first Board Meeting had gone very well and it was now time to concentrate on school, at least for the next couple of hours.
Being back at school was as though they had never left. Lessons picked up seamlessly from where they had left off, meaning no easy introduction. By the end of the day, Tom and Lela were not just ‘first day back’ tired, they were mentally and physically exhausted. They collapsed on Tom’s bed and caught up with the news on the TV. Nothing new, the story hadn’t broken but the Guineans did not appear to be bending under British pressure.
Tom was concerned that his $15 billion gamble hadn’t paid off. He knew he couldn’t stop the story coming out at some point but he thought he might get his parents and Saki out of prison before it did. In other ways, his gamble hadn’t been such a gamble afterall. His quick cash offer, take it now or leave it, had resulted in an undervaluation of Global. In addition, he hadn’t considered the effect the purchase would have on the value of Alba which stood to gain significantly from its enhanced media interest. In fact, the finance team believed he had bought Global for a steal, around $2 billion cheaper than its true market value. Like father, like son, there was a new Donald Kennedy in the making. Although pleased that he hadn’t wasted $15 billion, he really wasn’t interested in being the new Donald, he loved the old one and wanted him back.
“I really didn’t like that Alan guy,” said Lela.
“Me neither but we’re stuck with him, it doesn’t look as though Jason will come back.”
“Surely you can get someone else, he really is horrible.”
“I know. I spoke to Jonathan after the meeting, It seems Alan’s been throwing his weight around behind my dad’s back and now that he’s not there, he thinks he’s the natural person to step up.”
“That’s outrageous! How dare he? Sack him,” said Lela who was getting into the role of boss.
“We don’t need to, apparently my intervention and buying Global without him has put him firmly back in his box. We shouldn’t have any more hassle from Alan.”
“Hmm, I’m not so sure. Women’s instincts, he’s trouble. Watch him,” replied Lela more seriously.
“OK, OK, I will,” promised Tom who knew that Lela was a very good judge of character and if her instincts said watch out, you watched out.
“Has anybody called Jason about what’s happening?” pondered Lela.
“No, it’s not his job anymore. Lela, I get the point, I’ll watch Alan like a hawk.” Tom felt the point was being laboured, the guy was just very ambitious.
“No, you idiot, about our parents being arrested!” said Lela.
“Oh sorry, yeah Jonathan spoke to him. He said it went in one ear and straight out the other.”
Before Lela had a chance to say anymore, Daniel and Tristan knocked on the door and walked in. They both looked very pale.
“We’ve got bad news and awful news, which do you want first?” asked Tristan nervously, he was obviously very uncomfortable.
Tom wasn’t sure whether he could take the awful news. He looked at Lela, she wasn’t up to either.
“Break us in gently with the bad news,” he said.
“The story about the assassinations and your dad will break tomorrow morning, it’s everywhere,” replied Tristan as gently as he could.
“If that’s the bad news, I don’t think we want the awful news,” said Lela already tearful.
Daniel turned to Tristan and nodded, that was Tristan’s signal to leave the room. Tom and Lela watched as he left and closed the door quietly behind him, the tension was unbearable.
“It’s about your parents,” started Daniel. A gasp of “Oh God” escaped from Lela. Tom sat up straight. Daniel stopped himself and thought it best to explain from the start. He started again.
“We have a system that nobody knows we have, it allows us to listen to things that nobody knows we can hear. In short, we deny it exists and will continue to deny it. In fact, that was why Tristan left, you are the only people outside a very few in the Mossad who know we have this technology. Tristan knows that I have things to tell you that no-one else can hear. After our first meeting, I had asked for your father’s name to be included as a trigger on the watch list. I just got a call to say they got a hit. A conversation was picked
up between two highly secure phones. Unfortunately, one was significantly more secure than the other. However, it appears that somebody is planning to kill your father in the prison.”
“When?” Tom managed to push the question out as his whole body quaked. Somebody was behind this, it was all a set up.
“From the conversation, before tomorrow night and it may be more than your father. The conversation was only picked up when they mentioned your father and they only heard one side, the other line was too secure to get. All they got was…Donald Kennedy is one of the dead… scrambled….Does it matter…scrambled…OK by tomorrow night they’ll all be history.” Daniel had recited the message verbatim, nothing had been written down.
Tom and Lela looked at each other, neither knowing what to say. They sat staring at each other, motionless and speechless as the news sank in. After a few minutes, Daniel broke the silence.
“I’m so sorry to be the one to give you this news,” said Daniel but neither seemed to be listening. “Unfortunately, we can never discuss this again and you can’t tell anyone what I’ve just told you. The person who input your father’s name would be in a lot of trouble for doing what he’s done. Also, we can’t ever let anyone know about our listening system.”
Tom was about to agree but stopped himself. He suddenly realised the significance of what Daniel had just told them.
“But it proves they’re innocent! And that somebody else is involved!” he protested.
“I know. But nobody can know this, not from this information. You’ll have to do this another way. No evidence exists anyway, nothing is written down.”
Daniel was right.
“Do we know who they were?” asked Tom realising he hadn’t mentioned names.
“No. The voice which could be heard was digitised and untraceable. The only thing we do know is that the communication system is very advanced and only available to a small number of NATO countries.”
Assassin (The Billionaire Series) Page 12