The Phoenix Agenda: A Thriller (A Rossler Foundation Mystery Book 6)

by JC Ryan

  Kelly commented, “I think you’re not giving yourselves enough credit for what you have already achieved. I’ve been here for only a few hours, and I still don’t understand a fraction of what I have to and want to. But I can already see that you have literally moved mountains in this time. It’s nothing short of amazing.”

  Peter joined in with her, “Daniel, I agree with Kelly. I was introduced to this place and your team only a few weeks ago, as you know. Nevertheless, since I left here and have had time to digest what I’ve seen and experienced, I am convinced the Rossler Foundation is the only group of people who have the ability to set the world right again. You are the only hope.”

  “Kelly, Peter, thanks for the encouragement. As you no doubt have seen, we’re all motivated and dedicated. Everyone is happy and enthusiastic about the plans; no one will give up, no matter how long it takes and what effort it requires,” Daniel replied.

  Sam then got down to business as he explained to Kelly what her contribution to turn their plans into reality would be. She was to help them infiltrate the technical facilities of WONN TV. To do so, she would deploy spyflies in the computer and control rooms, the newsroom, the CEO’s office, board room, and other meeting rooms. She had to keep her eyes and ears open, listen to rumors, find out what the journalists were working on and investigating. She had to identify people who were not happy with the New World Order and may be open to doing her a few favors in the future. It was important not to trust anyone; she had to operate on her own.

  Salome explained that she would be trained by Roy and Raj to operate all the spy equipment, and she would also be issued with her own cell phone and all the equipment she might need.

  Kelly was happy and excited to get involved with the Phoenix Project. This was an honor for her. Now that she had a new purpose again, instead of having to go and live in some remote part of the world, she was going to be part of a worthy cause.

  Sam could not help but smile when he started talking, “Kelly, I’m not sure about my final request. I was wondering, in the light of what Peter did to you last night, if you would still be prepared to maintain contact with him when you’re back home?”

  Everyone was laughing; it was obvious Sam told them how he and Peter almost met their end the night before.

  Kelly chuckled, “Sam, I noticed that you have shifted all the blame onto Peter now. Just remember you are both still in the doghouse. Another point is that I thought I’m not to trust anyone. After what you two did to me, you want me to trust him? I will answer you once I’ve exacted my vengeance on both of you.”

  Although Peter didn’t say a word and managed to suppress a smile, he very much liked the idea of staying in touch with her. Nevertheless, for that to happen he first had to survive Kelly's revenge.

  Salome smiled as she thought of an idea how Kelly could get her revenge. She would share it with her as soon as they were alone.

  With Kelly’s role covered, they fetched the scale model of the chip warehouse in Wappinger and started working on their plan. Roy and Raj were called to join them; it was their technology that would make the execution possible. By mid-afternoon, they had the first draft of the plan ready. They now had to do ‘dry runs’ or ‘walkthroughs,’ as they referred to the rehearsals, to ensure that every step had been covered in detail.

  Peter would lead the execution stage; Rube and Sombra would assist him with the technology side of things. With the help of a few people with design and art skills, Roy had already developed fake chips that looked and weighed exactly the same as the real thing. The wrapping of the boxes would be restored to its original state. When they were finished, they would ask people to come into the lab and compare the photos of the original boxes with the boxes they'd prepared and see if they could find anything that looked suspicious.

  Through their surveillance in the warehouse and scanning for Wi-Fi signals, they knew that the chips were not activated until after they were implanted into the carrier. That meant the chips were not electronically tracked. However, the boxes were fitted with Radio Frequency Identity tags for tracking purposes. Raj had studied the frequencies and labels on the boxes they had in their possession. He called in the help of Rube and Sombra, and within two days, they had a solution that would enable them to swap the electronic signal identity of the tags on the boxes.

  Peter’s training in the use of the owl-drones would be broadcast to Rube and Sombra so that they were also able to operate the drones if necessary. For the next few days, they would make daily ‘dry runs’ or ‘walkthroughs’ of the plan and adjust things that they discovered were left out or had to change.

  ***

  That afternoon, Sam, to avoid Kelly’s vengeance or at least soften her heart up a bit, invited her and Peter to join him and the rest of the musketeers for trout fishing. “I would definitely like to join you, but you must know, this isn’t going to get the two of you out of trouble,” she said. The laugh she followed her statement with was not comforting to Sam, who was beginning to believe her revenge would be painful.

  Salome had already had a quiet word with Kelly, giving her what she thought was an ideal form of revenge, which Kelly liked. She knew what awaited them. Shortly before dark, they returned with their catch. Kelly was ecstatic as she managed to catch two good-sized trout. Peter continued his lesson about the preparation of the fish, which was interrupted the night before with Sam’s ‘shocking’ appearance.

  As Daniel had promised, during dinner and late into the night a lot more information about the history of the Rossler Foundation and plans for its future was imparted to Kelly. She was amazed at what she was hearing. Much of it was so surreal she had to constantly remind herself that it was, in fact, all true - she knew it was, she just had to look around her.

  After a walkthrough of the plan the next morning, which took about three hours, Peter and Kelly reported to Roy and Raj to commence their technology training. Peter already had some exposure to the two geniuses from his previous visit. Kelly was in for a big treat and he told her so. She was not disappointed.

  ***

  On the second night after Peter and Kelly’s arrival, Sarah called a Town Hall meeting; there were a few significant and severe matters to be discussed. No one, not even Daniel, could get any more information out of her about those 'important and serious issues'. She just answered anyone who wanted to know, "Sorry, can't tell you. Just make sure you are there."

  At about eight that night, everyone was gathered in the Robert Cartwright Town Hall when Sarah got up and all went quiet. “As HR and facilities manager it is my responsibility to make sure that we live and work in harmony. Where everyone is treated equally and equitably, and we are all free of harassment, discrimination and workplace bullying.”

  By now everyone was worried, but if they cared to look around, they would have noted a few smiling faces. Sarah sounded and looked solemn.

  She continued, “A severe and disturbing matter was brought to my attention this morning and I have decided to act immediately. It is a situation that cannot be neglected and has to be addressed without delay. Therefore, I have assembled a court and will now name the offenders so that they can be charged and dealt with right now.”

  Everyone started looking around nervously. Who were the culprits?

  “The accused are Sam Lewis and Peter Scott.” Sarah continued in a somber tone.

  Both of them jumped up and headed for the exit, but saw JR and Aaron standing there with arms folded over chests and big smiles on their faces. Neither of the accused wanted to take on the Rossler brothers. They slowly turned around in defeat and took their seats again. They had no escape.

  The jury members were called out, Bess, Rebecca, Emma, Sally, Jane, Nancy, Martha, Susan and Sushma. The plaintiff was Kelly, the prosecutor was Salome, and Sarah was the judge. The court was in session. The accused were given five minutes to get themselves a lawyer or if they wished, two lawyers. The two of them considered for a while, looked around the hall, and decide
d their best bet was to employ Daniel.

  The charges were; behavior unbecoming of a member of the Rossler Foundation, harassment of a staff member, gender discrimination, withholding information and conspiracy to scare a staff member. These were all serious charges that carried harsh penalties.

  The charges were put to the accused and they both pleaded not guilty.

  After the pleas were entered in the record, Daniel was on his feet, “Your honor, I want to object to the jury selection process. An accused is entitled to a jury of his peers, and this jury does not fulfil that definition.”

  “Mr. Rossler, what are you insinuating? Are you objecting because the jury consist of women only or is it because of their age?” Judge Sarah replied.

  Daniel knew he had stepped right into it. If he objected on those grounds he was going to find himself accused of sexism. “Your honor, I would never object on those grounds. This is the most beautiful and elegant jury I have seen in my entire life. They look young and intelligent - no accused could ask for a better looking jury.” This reply of his got him the immediate support of the jury but unfortunately, it was short-lived.

  “So Mr. Rossler what exactly is your objection then?” The judge wanted to know.

  Daniel had to think quickly, “Your honor, I am objecting to the fact that the two accused had no say in the jury selection process.”

  “Neither had the plaintiff, Mr. Rossler. I assembled the jury. Are you calling into question the court’s discretion and ability to assemble an impartial jury?”

  “Your honor, in that case I withdraw my objection.” Daniel said as the accused men realized they might as well have pleaded guilty.

  Salome, the prosecutor, made her opening statement and swayed more than half of the audience and the jury in favor of the plaintiff. She described how the poor, lonely, defenseless and innocent girl entrusted herself to the care of that man, Peter Scott, who was supposed to protect her. How this ruthless man had led her into a wild and dangerous place under false pretenses. How he and the second accused conspired to scare her and once was not enough for them, they had to do it twice in less than half an hour.

  Stating this horrendous experience has caused permanent psychological damage to the poor girl, she claimed, before reminding the jury of their solemn duty to eradicate this type of behavior. By the time, she sat down, half of the jury members were in tears and the judge had a hard time to maintain order in court. Chaos threatened to erupt among the audience, some of whom wanted to stop the trial there and then and lynch the accused.

  The defense lawyer made his opening statement. He tried to convince the jury and the audience that the accused were acting in the interest of national security, and that they had no choice. However, it was clear that the jury members were not impressed, nor were the citizens.

  The plaintiff was called to testify and her tears now swayed anyone who was not sympathetic to her before. It was difficult for her to relive the horrors that the accused brought upon her. The proceedings were often interrupted as the poor woman succumbed to tears and had to be calmed. During cross-examination, the prosecutor objected to every question that the defense lawyer asked the plaintiff and the judge sustained every objection, with the effect that the plaintiff did not have to answer a single question.

  The accused were worried men. The hangman's noose was a shadow slowly swinging on the wall before them. The accused were both advised by their council not to take the stand to testify. He thought anything they might say would just aggravate their already calamitous situation.

  The jury did not even have to leave the room to deliberate, the accused were found guilty on all the charges within ten seconds. The accused were now given the opportunity to address the court in mitigation of sentence.

  Sam pleaded with the court to take into consideration his senior years, and that he'd served his country with distinction for decades. The fact that he married recently and loved his wife dearly even though she was one of the jurors who found him guilty, would surely count for something.

  Peter pleaded with the court to take into consideration that he was in the prime of his life. He did not have a wife as he was still looking for someone to love him and to remember the fact that he was just following orders from his superior.

  The judge was ready to hand down the sentence. She started by saying she found no extenuating circumstances and that this was one of the most horrible crimes she’d ever had in her court. It was obvious that the accused were ruthless men with no regard for others and the impact their thoughtless acts could have on a defenseless young woman.

  Their sentence was as follows:

  They both had to go down on their knees in front of the victim and beg for her forgiveness. They had to promise that as long as they lived they would never again do that to her or any other human being.

  They were also, for the duration of the victim's stay at the Rabbit Hole to be her servants. To be beside her at all times, to fulfil all her wishes - tea, coffee, food - whatever she wanted they had to provide without delay. As part of her psychological rehabilitation program, doctor Rebecca recommended that the victim should go fly-fishing twice a day, and it was the responsibility of the convicted to see to it. Finally, once she was back in New York, Sam Lewis was sentenced to contact her once a week to talk to her and make sure she was okay. Peter was to stay in touch with her and ensure that she received a bunch of flowers at least once a week.

  Everyone was happy that justice was served and that the offenders received sentences fitting their crimes. Kelly was pleased that she had exacted her revenge and was now agreeable to stay in touch with Peter when they were back in New York.

  The court was adjourned and refreshments were served to everyone, including the convicted.

  The people liked Kelly and Peter – it was as if they had known each other for years, and they fitted right into Rosslerite family. They felt the same and mentioned to each other how much they respected these people, what an honor and joy it was to be part of the group.

  ***

  Finally, Sam and his team were happy they had the steps of the Operation Night Owl plan covered in detail. Now it was time to go outside the Rabbit Hole, measure out the distances between the warehouse and where their positions were going to be during the real operation, and start rehearsing it every night. By the time Peter and Kelly had to leave, they were all confident that everything had been covered and practiced and that they were ready to execute the plan at the first opportune moment.

  For Kelly and Peter, it felt like their time at the Rabbit Hole was flying. They enjoyed the place, and neither of them wanted to return to New York. They would have liked to disappear as the Rosslerites did, with no forwarding address. On Kelly’s daily therapeutic fishing trips, prescribed by Rebecca to restore the psychological damage caused by Peter and Sam’s criminal behavior, she often spoke to Peter about her experience of the last few days.

  “If you or anyone had told me what was going on here, I would not have believed it for one moment. I guess it’s like catching your first fish you have to experience it for yourself,.” she remarked.

  “Yes, it is an incredible experience. It’s like a beehive of activity in there, yet everyone is happy, relaxed, and somehow there is tranquility in this place. If it weren’t for the work I still had to do, I would relocate immediately,” Peter said.

  “You know, it’s the largest collection of geniuses in one place I have ever seen. Yet Sarah, Daniel, Rebecca, Salome, Roy, Raj, Sam, Luke - everyone here are such nice, down-to-earth people. There are no pretenses; nothing has gone to their heads. They are truly WYSIWYG - what-you-see-is-what-you-get. They’re serious about their work, but they have time for fun and humor and each other. It’s such a contrast to the place where I live and work, where you have to look out a window to see if it really was morning when someone said ‘good morning’ to you. I agree with you. If I could have it my way, I would just ask Ben and Aaron to cut me a few holes in the rock. That way, I'd
have a place to sleep and I would simply not turn up at WONN next Monday morning.” Kelly laughed as she described to Peter how she felt.

  Sarah noticed that Sam was not the one who took Kelly on the fishing trips ordered by the court. It was only ever Peter who accompanied her. She wondered if Sam had delegated his duties to Peter or if he knew something she didn’t. She started watching them a bit more carefully and saw there was some dynamic at work, but it was apparent from her observations that neither of them was aware of the other’s body language. Sarah smiled. Here was another challenge for the Rosslerites’ master matchmaker.

  Sarah didn’t let the grass grow under her feet. “Daniel, I like Kelly and Peter. They are really a nice couple. What do you think of them?”

  “They’re good people Sarah. It’s great to have them on our side. It looks like they have fit right in with all of us, and it seems to me everyone here likes them as well.” Daniel said as he looked up and saw the smile on Sarah’s face. “Wait, wait, wait, hang on for just one second. Did you say ‘nice couple’? I didn’t know they were a couple.”

  “Not yet,” Sarah replied, still smiling.

  “Now let me guess. You are on a matchmaking mission again. Right, Sarah Rossler?” Daniel wanted to know.

  “Well, you know me. I just can’t stand by and see two people meant for each other miss their opportunity to be happy ever after!” Sarah laughed.

  “So what makes you think they are even interested in each other, madam matchmaker?” Daniel inquired.

  “The whole dynamic, the looks and body language between them says it all. They definitely like each other, but have not said it as yet,” Sarah replied.

  “Oh, I see, it’s that ‘looks’ thing again. Well, as you know, I’ve no idea what those ‘looks’ look like or mean.” Daniel just shook his head. “Good luck with your quest. Just remember, tomatoes are not ripened by applying pressure,” Daniel laughed. He knew that once Sarah had set her head on making a match she would see it through to the end.