by Ian Wisby
“The AFP want to postpone the festival.” Joe’s eyes widened.
“What for?”
“They said there’s a possible terrorist threat. I told them they have until 12PM to stop the terrorists,” she said. “Keep me updated on the situation, Joe.” He slowly nodded.
As Charmaine handed him the phone back, she went inside the main lounge room. Inside, the Governors were standing around, waiting patiently. “Gentlemen, ladies. I appreciate you all waiting…I’d like to get started with the signing,” she said.
CHAPTER 21
AFTER A TEN minute drive, Detective Sergeant Ethan Cooper pulled up at Circular Quay.
Ethan sat there for a moment and relaxed himself by cracking his neck. He was feeling quite anxious about seeing Simon Harper again, after not having spoken or seen him for the past two years.
He then looked at his military issued spec watch. Ethan had the watch since he’d joined the military; it saved his life while on missions, as it had GPS tracking and a digital compass.
Thoughts filtered into his mind, and he suddenly felt emotional. He was thinking about the day he buried his wife.
- -
There were no words to describe how Ethan Cooper was feeling. How does one feel when they’d just buried their life-long partner?
He had just been to his wife’s funeral service; she recently passed away due to breast cancer, which she discovered too late, and it consumed her body. Ethan sat in the front seat of his car, a black Holden Commodore SV6. He sat there dazing into oblivion. All he could think about was Susan lying on her death bed and seeing how much she was suffering.
It was one of the worst days of his life and he could only imagine how his daughter was feeling. She was staying with her Grandparents for a while, so she could have someone to keep her company.
Ethan wasn’t in the best frame of mind to be looking after his daughter. Ethan was wearing his Army uniform.
He was on an operation when he found out that Susan was sick. After that, he immediately requested a temporary discharge from the Army, so he could be with his family. The Army accepted, and he immediately flew back to Sydney.
Ethan hated funerals.
He hated going to them ever since his Grandfather died several years before hand. He just had no idea what he was feeling right now.
He felt disconnected from everyone, despite all his family being there, his mother, his dad, and his twin sister were there to support him and his daughter, but he just didn’t want to face them right now.
He wanted to be alone, and drown his sorrows with a large drink, preferably alcoholic. Despite feeling like shit, Ethan drove back to his local town and went into the pub where he ordered a double shot of Whiskey.
He took a sip of it and looked up at the TV above the bar. It was a news report stating that the government were planning to conduct a referendum.
It was to see whether or not the general public were in favour of Australia becoming a republic; for weeks, it had sparked much debate and discussion.
Many people were opposed the idea, yet far more were liking the decision. Of course, Ethan only just recently found out about the proposed referendum, since he was in Afghanistan at the time.
Ethan then ordered another drink, another shot of Whiskey. “I thought I’d fine you here,” a familiar voice spoke from behind him. Ethan put the glass down and swung around to see who it was.
He was certainly shocked to see that it was in fact Mick Greer, an old friend of his. Ethan and Mick had known each other for quite some time and had become good friends.
“Hey Mick. I never expected to see you here,” said Ethan, and went back to his drink.
“Well, I knew this is where you’d be after the funeral…I’m terribly sorry for the loss, Ethan. I can’t begin to imagine what you’re feeling,” said Mick, as he sat on the stool next to Ethan. Ethan scoffed and downed his drink.
“I feel like shit,” he said. Mick slowly nodded.
“I can understand that…I see you’re shipping out soon?” asked Mick, looking at his uniform.
“Yeah, I got new orders from command. The unit is being called back,” said Ethan.
“I see…Well that’s a shame, because I’ve got a job offer for you,” said Mick. He had a folder in his hand and placed it next to Ethan. Of course, he didn’t really care to begin with.
“What kind of job?” he asked.
“There’s a new unit being setup. It’s an entity of the AFP…The Criminal Investigative Branch,” he said. “I’ve been put in charge of this task force, as Detective Inspector.”
“Well, I believe a congratulations is in order,” said Ethan, raising his third glass of Whiskey into the air.
“I was kind of hoping you’d be interested in coming to work for me…At the CIB,” said Mick. Ethan nearly spat out his drink.
“You’re kidding me?” But Mick just shook his head. “You want me to come work for you? As what?”
“How does Detective Sergeant Ethan Cooper sound to you?” he asked. Ethan didn’t reply straight away. “Of course, you’ll have to go through the proper detective training with the AFP, but since you’re already an SASR officer, I’m sure it wouldn’t be too much different,” said Mick.
“I can’t just say yes. I’ve got my orders, I’m shipping out tomorrow morning,” said Ethan.
“Yes, about that…I’ve spoken with your commanding officer. He and I both agree that you will need to spend some time to deal with your wife’s passing. I told him I was interested in pursuing you with a job offer, and he accepted my proposal.”
“Is that so?” asked Ethan.
“Like I said, the jobs yours if you want it,” said Mick. He finished his drink and got off the stool. “You’re one of a kind, Ethan. You’re what this unit needs. This country is being faced with some serious challenges in the near future, and lots of people are going to be against those changes. We need people like you on our side,” said Mick. “Just think it over…You know how to reach me.” Mick tapped Ethan on the shoulder a couple of times. “Take care of yourself buddy.”
Ethan shook his head, suddenly, blinking his eyes several times and sniffed. He then checked his watch.
He saw that it was coming up to 9:30 and he was running late for his meeting. He got out of his car, a sleek silver Holden Commodore Omega that was used by most detectives.
After locking the vehicle, he crossed the road and headed over to wharf number 4, where his meeting was scheduled.
The last time Ethan saw Simon, he ended up punching him in the face. He found out that he’d been sleeping with Diane Faulkner, while she and him were technically dating.
He resented him for it, and vowed to never see him again. But this must be serious if Simon was so desperate to see him.
He also hated Diane for what she did, and they ended up breaking off the relationship. It certainly made things awkward at the office, but they agreed to remain civil.
Ethan wandered over to the wharf. There were not many people around as most were over at the Opera House attending the Independence Day festival.
There were several yachts tied up to the jetty but were vacant.
Ethan came onto the wharf. He stood there and waited for his contact to show up. He checked his watch and saw that he was one minute late. Simon was a very time conscious person and hated it when things went late.
As he stood there, he got a whiff of salt from the water, a smell he’d become quite familiar with. At that, he jumped as a finger touched him on the shoulder.
He turned around and Simon was standing there. “Jesus, Simon. You scared the hell out of me,” said Ethan, as he recovered from the fright.
“Sorry. I wanted to make sure you weren’t being followed,” said Simon.
“What’s going on, Simon? Why all the cloak and dagger?” he asked. Simon didn’t reply straight away and looked around.
“Look, before we get into this, I just wanted to apologise once again for what I did to you. It
was wrong of me to do that,” he said. Ethan didn’t respond at first, and lowered his head. “I know there’s some bad blood between us, but I’m hoping we can move on.” After what he did to him, there was no way he could ever trust Simon again, but he had to maintain a professional manner.
“I didn’t come here to discuss what happened between us. I came to find out what you know about this case,” he said, changing the subject. There was certainly a build up of tension between them, and Ethan was finding it so hard to resist the temptation to lay a punch into him.
“Fine…ASIO got a tip that a group is plotting an attack today,” he said.
“Yeah, we got that memo. Do you know who’s behind it?” asked Ethan, but Simon shook his head.
“No, but we know it’s being carried out by a group of fanatics who are against the idea of the nation becoming a republic,” said Simon. “We found out that the group recently purchased a property to use as a base of operations. It’s where they’re plotting the attack.”
“Son of a bitch…Do you know where they are?”
“I managed to get a location on the safe house that was being used by the group. I don’t know if they’re still there, though,” said Simon. Ethan paused for a moment. He then looked at his watch again. He saw that it was just after eleven o’clock.
“Alright, fine. Let’s go check it out,” said Ethan. He then started walking back to the car. As he did so, he took out his mobile to dial a number.
“Mick Greer.”
“Hey, it’s me. I might have a lead,” he said, as they headed across the road. “I just met with Simon Harper.” The line literally went dead.
“You’re bloody kidding me, right?” said Mick, getting frustrated. He supported Ethan through the nightmare he had to endure when Diane told him she was sleeping with Simon.
“I know, Boss. He said he had Intel on a group plotting the attack. Apparently, they recently acquired a property here in Sydney. Looks like it’s their base of operations. We’re on our way to check it out,” he explained.
“I don’t agree with you going to see Simon, but if he’s got solid Intel that will help us, then good…Where’s the safe house?”
“I’m not sure, he hasn’t given me the address yet,” said Ethan.
“It’s in Balmain. 12B Grafton Lane,” said Simon, as they got to Ethan’s car.
“Did you get that?”
“Yeah, I’ll get Felicity to send a drone over to do recon,” said Mick. “How far away are you?”
“We’re about ten minutes’ drive. I’ll call you once we search the house,” said Ethan, and hung up. “Let’s go.” Then he and Simon climbed into the car and drove off.
CHAPTER 22
JOHN BRADLEY HAD made his way back to the Admiralty House.
He was still feeling a bit shaken about his meeting with Andrew Shaw, and the fact that the lead was yet another dead end.
He felt horrible for confronting Andrew like that, but he had to find out the truth. Maybe he wasn’t ready for the truth? John’s escort vehicle pulled into the main courtyard.
His bodyguard, Mitch Clark got out and opened the door for the President’s husband. As he got out, he was met by Joe Parson’s, the President’s Official Secretary.
Joe knew John was struggling with Amanda’s death, and that he’d been struggling with depression. “Hi John, welcome back,” said Joe. They both shook hands.
“Thanks, Joe. Is she in?” Joe slowly nodded. They started walking into the residence.
“Yes, she is. She’s in a meeting with the state Governors. They’re preparing to sign the new Constitution,” Joe replied.
“Okay, I need to speak with her, it’s urgent,” he requested.
“John, did you hear what I said? She’s in there talking with the state Governors. This is an important meeting. I can’t interrupt her,” said Joe.
“Damn it, Joe. I need to speak with my wife! It’s urgent,” he said, getting flustered.
“John, please. At least wait until after the meeting,” he suggested. But John wouldn’t have it.
“This is not negotiable, Joe. If you don’t get my wife, I will barge into that room, kicking and screaming!” he threatened. Joe let out a sigh, and shook his head.
“Fine, I’ll see if I can get her,” he said, and walked off. John stood there in the hallway. He watched as Joe went off down to the conference room. He then disappeared into the room.
As John stood there, he looked around and spotted his bodyguard standing nearby, watching, waiting patiently.
A few moments went by. John turned around, and finally, Charmaine came out of the conference room, along with Joe Parsons. She didn’t look impressed at all, but John didn’t care.
“Charmaine, finally. I need to speak with you,” said John.
“John, are you absolutely insane?” she said, getting angry. “I’m in the middle of an important discussion right now!”
“Damn it, Charmaine, stop! This conversation is more important…It’s about our daughter,” he said. Charmaine shook her head.
“I don’t have time for this, John.” She started walking away, but John quickly stopped her.
“Please, Charmaine. This is important, just hear me out,” he begged. Charmaine let out a sigh.
“Fine, but just make it quick,” she added.
“Understood…Look, the private detective I hired to look into Amanda’s alleged suicide found some convincing evidence against Andy,” he began. Charmaine looked at him, puzzled.
“What kind of evidence?”
“Two days before her ‘suicide’, Andy received a payment of over two hundred thousand dollars in his bank account…I thought he knew something about it and assumed he was paid to keep quiet about it.”
“And was he?” John hesitated to reply at first. He looked over at Joe, who was standing nearby, waiting. John slowly shook his head.
“No…Turns out the money was from his father’s inheritance,” said John. Charmaine shook her head in disbelief.
“I hope you learnt your lesson, John…This has got to stop. Now I have to get back into that room,” she said.
“Damn it, Charmaine, please!” John called out, as she started walking back towards the conference room. But John was left standing there all by himself.
He couldn’t get over Charmaine’s response to his claims that Andy knew something about Amanda’s death. As he stood there in dismay, his mobile phone started ringing. “John Bradley,” he answered.
“Hey John, it’s me. Andy,” he said.
“Oh, hi Andy. What can I do for you?” he asked.
“I wanted to apologize for the way I acted earlier,” he said.
“No, don’t be silly Andy. It’s me who should be apologizing. I was out of line accusing you of something you didn’t do,” he said.
“The truth is…You were right.” John’s eyes widened.
“Right about what, Andy?”
“About the two hundred thousand dollars…It wasn’t an inheritance. I was paid off because I know what happened to Amanda,” he explained. John couldn’t believe.
“I’m sorry, I don’t understand. You’re saying I was right about her being murdered?”
“Yes…Someone killed her because she uncovered a conspiracy.”
“My God…What kind of conspiracy?”
“I can’t discuss it over the phone. I think I’m being watched…Can we meet somewhere?” John checked his watch.
“Ah, sure. Where?”
“Meet me at the Sydney Tower restaurant in fifteen minutes?” he asked.
“Yeah, sure I’ll be there…And Andy, thank you,” he finished, and hung up.
* * *
Discussions of the new Constitution of the Republic of Australia were finally coming to an end.
For the past fifteen minutes or so, Charmaine Bradley had been listening to each Governor speak and voice their opinions about the new system and how it all works.
Of course, they’d already had num
erous discussions after the referendum went through, but this was to be the final discussion before the Constitution was signed. Charmaine Bradley stood and interrupted the Governor of Queensland who was having a heated debate with the Governor of Victoria.
There was much debate about the leadership roles and responsibilities by each of the state’s Governors. “Ladies and gentlemen, I apologize for the interruption, but we are on a tight schedule. We need to head over to the Opera House for the Independence Day festival. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your continued support in this transition phase,” said Charmaine.
At that, the Governors stood up and started clapping.
Then, Joe Parsons came in and he was holding a large A3 sheet of paper. It contained the Constitution of the Republic of Australia.
At the bottom of the page was a space for the signatures of each state Governor, and of course, the President of Australia.
The Governor of Queensland was the first to sign.
As he did so, several photographers took photos of him affixing his name and signature. He shook hands with the President.
Next to sign, was the Governor of New South Wales. He scribbled his signature on the document and shook hands with the President.
The Governor of Victoria was next in line to sign the document. He was then followed by the Governor of Tasmania.
After the Governor of Tasmania, the Governor of South Australia signed the Constitution.
Next up was the Governor of Western Australia, who was then followed by the Administrator of the Northern Territory.
The last person to sign the Constitution was of course, the President of the Republic of Australia, Charmaine Bradley.
After she scribbled her signature on the document, the Governors applauded, and more photos were taken.
CHAPTER 23
DETECTIVE SERGEANT ETHAN Cooper and his ‘so-called’ best friend, Simon Harper, finally arrived in Balmain, a suburb of Sydney.
They pulled up a few hundred metres away from Grafton Lane, so they were not detected by the suspects. Ethan and Simon got out of the car. As they did so, they withdrew their hand guns.