Counterpoint

by John Day

  The man on the balcony felt a searing pain in his neck and was silently laid out on the floor.

  Max had followed Philippe into the hotel, and like Collins, checked which floor Philippe got out on. With so many people milling around, there was plenty of cover.

  He saw Philippe and his man had gone into room 620 and listened at the door, held slightly open, because of the broken lock.

  Philippe had finished speaking on the phone and just replaced the handset, when two shots rang out. They were so close together they were almost one, followed by a thump of a falling body, then silence.

  Max looked in, gun in hand and saw Philippe looking at Collins dead body. Drop the gun Philippe, commanded Max. Philippe lowered the pistol carefully to the carpet and stood facing Max, a look of intense hate and loathing on his face.

  Max smiled back, forcing himself to ignore the intimidation. “So! Where is Amy?”

  Three of Collins men entered the room behind Max, knives drawn. Seeing Max standing there, gun in hand with the dead body of their boss, Collins, and their target, Philippe, they assumed Max had killed Collins. One of the men now had a gun and aimed it at Max.

  Raising his hands slowly Max asked who they were, fearing they were more of Philippe’s men, though they were dressed like scruffy Europeans, not smartly dressed.

  “We worked for him,” said the one with the gun, pointing with it, at Collins.

  “Ah!” Said Max, smiling, “that’s good, we are working on the same side. I own the box!” He bluffed, pointing to it on the table.

  “No you don’t, I do!” Spat Philippe.

  “Shut up” snapped Collins gunman “we know for a fact the box does not belong to you, Collins was recovering it from you, for a client.”

  “There!” Said Max, “now that’s cleared that up, we’d all better get out of here. The shots would have been reported by now, and Philippe has called room service, about the broken door. Take Philippe with us, he has to show us where he is keeping Amy, a friend of mine,” said Max

  “So Amy, Collins girlfriend, is also your friend?” Said the gunman.

  “Well, my friend’s twin sister actually,” corrected Max as he handed the box to one of the men. He told Philippe to carry his own briefcase and headed out of the room, followed by Philippe and the three men.

  They heard a commotion as people ran up from below so they went up a flight and came down to the entrance lobby, by lift.

  Max knew Philippe would need persuasion to tell them where Amy was.

  “Do any of you men know where Philippe’s men are?” Asked Max as the lift descended. "I left one sleeping off a headache in the white Mercedes, two others went off in the same direction as the car, and the fourth was with Philippe," said Max.

  “We eliminated the two men before they got to the car, the one in the car was still unconscious when we left him” confirmed the gunman.

  “Only one unaccounted for then, so we had better keep an eye open for him,” said Max, unaware the man was dead on the balcony. Philippe scowled and said nothing.

  “Do you know where we can take Philippe and get him to tell us where Amy is?” Asked Max.

  “We can use the Mercedes; it will take six at a squeeze and take him to some derelict buildings nearby. If Philippe won’t tell, we can probably get the unconscious guy to talk,” Said the man with the gun in Philippe’s back.

  They were outside in the street now, and Carla was catching them up. She was apprehensive to see Max, Philippe and the 3 men walking and talking together, carrying the box and briefcase. Max looked around for her, he felt sure she would be following. He beckoned her to them, and explained what they were going to do.

  “We can’t take you in the car; there is not enough room so we will get a taxi to take you, the box and briefcase, back to our hotel. Then you will need to get some cash to pay these three men. By then, I will know where we can meet you. Hopefully we will have Amy by then,” said Max. Carla looked relieved.

  “How much are you guys owed by Collins?” Asked Max. $500 each, one of the men said. “Make it $2000 altogether then Carla, they deserve a bonus!”

  Carla hailed a taxi and Max put the box and briefcase on the back seat beside her.

  Philippe had no opportunity to make a break for it; the men gripped him firmly, and kept him at knifepoint.

  When they got back to the car, Max checked the unconscious man’s pulse; it was strong and regular. Max pulled the man onto the back seat, raised the driver ’s seat, and rolled the man onto the floor. Everyone climbed in with Philippe in the back between two men. The man with the gun drove to the derelict buildings nearby. They left the locked car, and with Philippe supporting his own man, they entered the gloom inside the building.

  “So, for the last time, where is Amy?” Max questioned Philippe.

  Philippe had weighed his options, such as they were. He could be a “hard ass” and say nothing, but that would lead to a lot of pain, and ultimately death and the unconscious man would tell them anyway.

  “I will take you there, but then what will you do with me?” He questioned.

  “I won’t be doing anything, said Max truthfully, with Amy safe, I will have everything back as it should be, and that is the end of it as far as I am concerned. Carla will feel the same.”

  Max had given Philippe a clear way out, at least he had some chance now, and he could always go after the statuette and briefcase another time. He could not do that if he was dead!

  “I’ll take you there, it is an old warehouse nearby, we need to go by car” said Philippe.

  They tied up the unconscious man with some old wiring in case they needed him later and left for the warehouse. Philippe was probably hoping to make a break for it, so they were taking no chances.

  Max called Carla and described where they were; they were going to get Amy. By the time Carla got there, they should have her safe.

  They entered the building and found Amy bound and gagged, laid in a floor duct, covered with a concrete slab. They would never have found her, without being shown.

  Amy was sobbing with relief as Max pulled her up out of the duct, and removed her gag and bonds. She was in a desperate state. When Carla arrived, both girls hugged and sobbed as Max lead them back to the car.

  Max returned and paid the men and asked one of them to run them back to the hotel. He added, “Ditch the car when you have finished with it, and I will leave you to avenge Geoff Collins, as you see fit, I don’t like the thought of Philippe coming after us again, either!”

  The gunman smiled knowingly as Max walked away.

  Amy was heartbroken when she discovered Geoff Collins had disappeared without even, checking out of his hotel. She felt unable to discuss it with Carla, having lied. She said she just popped out to the shops, when Philippe kidnapped her.

  Neither Max or Carla raised any issue about her disobedience, they thought Amy had learned her lesson and it was best to let the matter drop. To avoid awkward questions about Philippe and the statuette, they decided to say Philippe had changed his mind and agreed to take cash instead. The matter was now closed.

  The next day, Max and Carla kept their appointment for medical tests. It was a very intensive examination and for Max, they took MRI scans and biopsies. After all that, they said Max was very fit and there was no cause for concern.

  The report to Sam was different, it was confirmed that the stem cell treatment for the eye damage had somehow leaked out into his body. Max had several small low-grade tumours in his liver, of a type they had never seen before. His body was actively attacking the rogue cells and he was effectively in remission. Follow up tests were required to see how things developed.

  Sam decided to keep the information to himself and see what the next examination in six months time, revealed. He did not want Max to become vindictive about the experimental eye surgery that might be killing him. It was possible Max might be killed during a mission, so that would end the matter.

  Chapter - The miner
al survey.

  The following morning, Sam Leighton phoned Max. Sam explained the other assignment for the two of them was ready, and briefly outlined the details again. He asked if they would take it. Max considered it for a moment. Sam always asked if they would take an assignment, but it was expected of them, to say yes. In a way, Max wanted to turn him down, because of the way he announced that Philippe was the girl’s father.

  “OK!” Said Max. “Send us the details and we will get right on it.”

  "Thanks," said Sam, and he ended the call.

  Sam’s brief for the mission arrived. In it, he said they were to meet a survey team, searching for mineral deposits in Africa.

  We have financed the team, and to protect our Investment, we sent one of our members along. However, he has met with a tragic accident, and must be replaced. I need you both to go out with the new team, check the actual survey reports are consistent with what we are told. We have reason to believe someone is leaking the reports to a competitor. When we complete the survey, the competitor will strike a deal with the Governing Party to mine the minerals. Effectively, we will have paid for the survey, they will reap the rewards.

  Find out who are involved, and report directly to me.

  As your cover, we have arranged for you to go to a University in London to take a brief study of the subject, so you know what to look for and how the results should be written up. Then you join the team. You will just be co-workers, and not intimately involved with each other. Any background checks will show you recently had a refresher course at the same University, which is where you happened to meet.

  I will send you a full brief, tickets, and identities in the usual way.

  Good luck, Sam

  Max and Carla packed and left for the hideaway, taking the statuette with them to its proper place, Carla’s hall table.

  Next morning at the hideaway, after breakfast, Carla brought Philippe’s black leather briefcase with her to the table; time to see what was in it. Max was also very curious. She had to force the lock to open it.

  Most of the contents were numbered DVD’s of no obvious function, so Max tried to read the contents on his laptop. There were 59 discs in all, and they turned out to contain Project Oracle, software and data. The remaining contents were letters from Philippe’s solicitor in Bern, Switzerland, copies of his reply and used airline tickets from Prague.

  Carla was more intrigued with the letters. They concerned the purchase of a property in Switzerland, which the solicitor had made on Philippe’s behalf. It suggested the solicitor held details of his numbered accounts and had moved the cash through 20 different offshore accounts to effectively, break the financial trial.

  The transactions were now in the name of a company in the Cayman Islands. Carla smiled to herself and thought it would be only fitting if Amy took over her late father’s estate and she planned to stake her claim.

  Carla believed the image she saw when she last touched the statuette, was Amy and some tall, fair-haired young man, who would make her extremely happy.

  The first DVD Max tried, contained an installation program and Max decided to try it to see what the system was all about. Much to his frustration, after the software analysed his computer, the programme reported the system was too small. It then produced a detailed specification in a text file, of what was required.

  The minimum installation required 60 powerful PCs all linked together, or a large server. Max decided to show the system to his son James, who is an expert in IT; perhaps he could make something out of it. If Philippe had Project Oracle, it must be worth looking at.

  Chapter - Max visits his Son

  Everything was now packed, and they set off for England.

  During their time at the University they would be staying at the Savoy Hotel, they had both become accustomed to the five star accommodation, and saw no reason to accept less.

  Max contacted James halfway through their course and arranged to meet him at his house in Dorset for the weekend.

  When they met, Carla was particularly taken with James; she recognised him instantly from the image with the statuette and began to wonder if it was her, not Amy in the vision!

  James was thirty, tall and had a strong physique, possibly in need of regular exercise to prevent developing into fat. His fair hair and fresh complexion, warm and full of fun smile, blue eyes, bright and intelligent persona, made him so easy to get along with. He was remarkably different from Max, Carla discovered that James took after his late mother,.

  After a brief look at the DVD’s, the three of them went out to dinner. James said he would set something up, if Max could provide money for the equipment. James estimated it would cost about £100,000 for the initial set up. Max agreed and recommended a limited company for tax reasons, particularly if the project turned out to be a waste of time. They might even be able to get a research grant from the government.

  Chapter - University

  The University coursework was hard going, but between them, they could get by quite well. Carla’s photographic memory and Max’s basic understanding of the subject pulled it all together.

  Max thought how different it was to study hard when there was nothing else to think about. No worry about earning money to pay bills, no cooking, cleaning, and no interruptions or distractions.

  Sam was delighted with the tutor’s final report about them and prepared details for the next stage of the assignment. He explained to Max & Carla that although the Congo Government had agreed to the survey, and it was all official and above board, there was always the risk the team could be made to disappear once any worthwhile minerals were found.

  “I see now why you wanted us to work on this one,” muttered Max. “Not only are we trying to find the minerals and the person leaking reports, we have to watch our backs, as well. This just keeps getting better!”

  Chapter - Arrival in the Congo.

  The campsite near Plateau Bateke along the Congo River was in the final stages of being set up. Near a bend in the river, prefabricated, stackable cabins, three lifts high, populated a large, recently formed clearing. Some of the units fitted together, side by side to form the single storey kitchen, mess-room, and administration building.

  The cabins were small but exceptionally well appointed. Each cabin had a living area with kitchenette, television, phone, and computer terminal. There were two large bunk beds in the middle of the back wall and at the far end, a cubicle with shower, basin and toilet. The whole inside of the cabin including the fixed furniture was a seamless moulding of white plastic, designed to take rough usage, but easily cleaned. An air conditioning and heat pump unit, in conjunction with the heavily insulated structure, maintained a cool, dry, temperature controlled environment. The perfectly sealed door and windows kept out dust and insects.

  The site was well chosen. It was close to the area to be surveyed, and because it was on the outer corner of the river, the large hard sandy area on the bend, formed by centuries of silt deposits made a perfect spot to unload the supply barges.

  To enable the survey teams to penetrate the dense jungle with their heavy equipment, they used a prototype machine, developed by a company owned by The Organisation.

  This strange vehicle, tracked at the front, articulated in the centre and with a wheeled ballast trailer at the rear, could slice its way through the trees and undergrowth at a slow walking pace. Its massive jaws, like two halves of an ice-cream scoop, would crush their way through even large hardwood trees, just below the ground, like bolt cutters through steel. The machine moved the severed tree to one side, off the newly formed track. The driver of the vehicle used a virtual reality glove control to operate the jaws, and he could work tirelessly, like plucking dandelions.

  Four independent, computer controlled water jets on booms sliced through smaller shrubs, vines, and branches. The fine jets of filtered water, under immense pressure, cut through the foliage like a strimmer through long grass.

  High-powered lasers in the earl
y design were troublesome, especially in such a rough and remote location. They projected a dangerous laser beam over long distances. Heaven forbid anyone caught in the beam; also, it could set the jungle alight.

  It would take three days to travel down the river from Kinshasa and up river, southwest of Banza-Nzadi by barge to the base camp, south of the mountains. To save time, Max and Carla would drop in by parachute. Two other late members of the team with parachute skills would each take Max and Carla with them, hanging like baggage, and try to land on the sand bar at the bend in the river. If they missed the ground, they would end up in the trees on one side or the deep fast-flowing river on the other.

  Bill and Ben “the Parachute men” as they were called (but not to their faces) thought it was hardly a challenge. Max and Carla were not convinced, though kept their fears to themselves.

  Their small aircraft circled over the site at about 300 metres and dropped supplies. Bill and Ben appeared to have perfect judgment; the uncontrolled chutes drifted down and landed just where the sand met the jungle.

  Men from the camp dragged the supplies away like a small colony of ants.

  Max paired up with Bill, Carla with Ben. When it was time to jump Max could not bring himself to let go of the door opening. He wanted to, but his hands would not release their vice-like grip and his body would not move out into the tearing slipstream. Bill just grabbed him and pushed him out.

  Max saw the tail of the aircraft pass over him, high above, followed by Carla and Ben. The buffeting stopped, and Max’s body was almost weightless now as he plummeted downwards. He hardly had time to take in the experience before the chute opened and the harness bit into his inner thighs as it yanked his body to a slow descent. Max just hung there feeling decidedly helpless as Bill manipulated the control wires. Looking up, he could see Ben doing the same, with Carla dangling and grinning with delight. The little Minx!