Dodson closed his eyes and thought for a couple of minutes.
“I’ve made a rough estimate,” he said finally. “The cost of buying a bankrupt plant, an executive plane, a few vehicles, etc., will be around two hundred million dollars, give or take a few million. I can transfer this amount to you within a few days. Let me know when you do a reassessment of your requirements—I’ll add whatever is needed.” Anne just nodded. “Anyway,” he added with a wide grin, “I am rewarding you for preventing me from slogging through the mud with a submachine gun.”
They lifted their wine glasses and clinked them.
“To success!” they both said together.
“Just how are such transactions carried out?” Anne asked. “I have no experience in such things. I mean, we wouldn’t want anything to trace back to you….”
“That’s my specialty, young lady!” Dodson said, smiling broadly. “Grandpa Dodson has done a lot of money shunting all over the world in his time.”
“I’m truly overwhelmed, Andrew. Thank you so much. What will I have to do now?”
“Just have your guy who handles these things look me up in New York. I’ll brief him with whatever’s necessary, and you can sleep without another care in the world.” He handed her his business card, which she left on the table. “What’s his name? Or rather, what’s the name I should expect?”
Anne was flustered—should she or shouldn’t she reveal the real name? But she knew that these matters should not be delayed and that Dodson was expecting an immediate answer. She made a decision.
“His name is Martin Cooper and he’s a relative of mine. You can trust him to the same extent you trust me.”
They took another sip of wine. Dodson leaned forward and lowered his voice.
“You’re running this show, aren’t you? I mean, you’re the boss?”
Anne’s embarrassment grew. There was no escaping this unique, straightforward man.
“We’re a board of three people, and my colleagues are very respectable gentlemen.”
“No doubt. But I’m sure that they wait for you to make the decisions, right?”
Anne blushed and lowered her head. That was enough for the crafty old businessman.
“As you’re the boss, you’ll need to be familiar with at least the basics of monetary techniques. I shall instruct Martin to fly to Belize in Central America, where he is to register a new business. You had better prepare this new company’s name in advance. Then he’ll fly to the Cayman Islands and open a bank account for the Belize company. I’ll transfer an initial deposit to this account—let’s say ten million dollars—from Switzerland. Just to make sure everything’s running smoothly. From then on, your man can transfer funds from Grand Cayman to another account, for instance in Vaduz, Liechtenstein. But you needn’t bother yourself with the actual details—just be in touch with what’s going on. I’ll coach your Martin with everything he needs.”
“Fascinating. I’ll let you know when he’ll arrive in New York.”
“Call me at my office during working hours. Don’t worry—I’m just a showpiece there nowadays and I have plenty of time to spare.” He pointed at his card on the table. “You’ll ask me how I am and I’ll ask you when your next lecture will take place. The date and time you tell me will indicate when Martin will meet with me.”
Anne listened attentively. You always learn something, she thought.
They drove to Anne’s flat in Dodson’s limousine. Before alighting, he squeezed her hand, kissed her on the forehead and said, “I wish you the best of luck!”
This time Martin joined Sir Cedric and the admiral at Anne’s flat, and she made the appropriate introductions. As she had already gone over Martin’s background with the two elderly gentlemen, there was no need for any personal questions, but the admiral was genuinely interested in Martin’s military career—inquiring into the units he served in, when he had joined the commandos and how long he had been in Iraq.
Then they got down to business. Anne reported on the recruitment of Andrew Dodson. She was aware that Sir Cedric and the admiral felt uncomfortable that this report was made in the presence of a person who was not a board member—namely Martin.
“Let me make myself perfectly clear—I needed to make a decision on the spot, and I did. Call it an operations decision if you will. Dodson needed to know the name of the contact person for the monetary shenanigans and I gave him Martin’s. In any case,” she paused and looked at each of the older men, “Martin will be leaving this meeting after we finish discussing the tasks he is directly involved in.”
Sir Cedric and the admiral laughed out loud. This remarkable woman actually felt the need to explain her decisions to them. They had already resigned themselves to the fact that they expected surprises from her. In a matter of weeks she had brought about the founding of an association and the recruiting of scientists, establishing work procedures and finding financial funding. And all this out of the blue, as it was, just by exchanging ideas. She was a potent woman indeed—emanating power, intelligence and charm.
And now—more millions from this Dodson fellow. They took turns congratulating her.
All this while Martin sat silently to one side, listening carefully. He was deeply impressed by the esteem in which the two elderly gentlemen held Anne. An admiral and a knighted scientist, he mused. They both seem very striking people. I know what it takes to rise in the ranks, and you don’t get to be an admiral without some outstanding achievements. And getting the title of ‘Sir’ is nothing to be sneezed at, either. Quite an exciting trio we have here. Being offered the job of Operations Manager with them is an honor….
“My apologies, Martin,” Anne was saying, “for not consulting with you before giving your name, but I felt the need to strike while the iron was hot. And I had no one else to offer. This is no small task I’m asking of you, and it will enable us to get the money to begin our work. Do you think you could absent yourself from your duties at the gym for a few days so that you can hop around New York, Belize and Grand Cayman?”
Martin was amused by the way Anne manipulated things, and he smiled all the while she was addressing him. I was right about her. My cousin is quite the smooth operator, first class. But that’s just what is needed here. You can’t afford to let naïve or slow people run a campaign of this magnitude.
“No problem,” he responded.
“Good. Well, then, let’s tackle the topics we came here to discuss: preparing for field tests as soon as possible. I shall present the tasks as concisely as I can and then, Martin, we’d like to hear your comments.
“First we have the fertilizer that emits a gas that supposedly neutralizes vehicles passing over it. This has not been tested yet. We shall need a lorry or two and an accompanying vehicle. And we’ll need a location for the test—some place where our secrecy will not be jeopardized.
“Next on our agenda, and we’re hoping for positive results very shortly, is the detonation of explosive charges spread over a wide area. One of our scientists is developing an irradiation device to be operated from an aircraft. In this case the location is even more critical—we can’t blow up a bunch of charges without drawing some adverse attention—and we may have a problem here.
“Then we have Sir Cedric’s laser invention for immobilizing certain apparatuses, even if they’re sheltered in bunkers. This also needs to be field-tested. Martin, as our Ops Manager and the most field experienced advisor, do you have any ideas on how to approach these topics?”
Martin was taken aback by the proliferation of devices under development. After a moment’s thought he said:
“Let’s take these in the order Anne presented them. The fertilizer—let’s call it the ‘vehicle fertilizer,’ shall we—I see a few challenges here. I expect the effect is that the engine dies. So I’m asking—for how long? Will the vehicle be fully operable after that time? If not, would a simple fix—like replacing the carburetor—restore the vehicle to its former condition? Or is the entire engi
ne irreparably damaged? Therefore, I suggest we perform the initial test in a closed environment—a garage would be best, but any warehouse or shed would probably do if we had the proper instruments and measuring tools. We’ll learn just how much damage is done to the vehicle and how reparable it subsequently becomes. Only then can we conduct a test outdoors. We’ll have all the necessary replacement parts on hand so that we leave absolutely nothing in the testing area. Which brings us to the next question—where? It’ll have to be somewhere very remote. We’ll examine maps for suitable locations, and, after we have a few options, we’ll visit these places to find out firsthand how appropriate they are.”
“Bravo!” Admiral Stone muttered.
“As to the second test—remote detonation of charges—that one’s a bit more complex and I need to study the case in depth before making a recommendation.
“I understand that my most urgent mission is to fly to the USA and get the funding for all this to happen. With your permission, I shall allocate subtasks to one of my team members, without specifying any revealing details. These will include finding large barren, uninhabited areas in Africa and Asia, or anywhere else, airline flights, distances, paths for off-road vehicles—I’ll prepare a list with these and more, which I expect my man to follow and provide results. Upon my return to London, I shall review the results and prepare a report with recommendations for the association. However, I can safely say that we shall definitely need a building where we can conduct experiments with the vehicles and tinker about with accessories. And that means now!”
“Your trip has top priority,” Anne said. “Which team member were you referring to?”
“George Graham fits the bill. He has talent and his loyalty is unshakeable. He is also my right-hand man at the gym.
If we ever purchase or hire a jet plane, he’ll be the one to complement his flying knowledge to the higher level of flying jets. Oh dear, I’m afraid I’m doing what Anne has done—putting the cart before the horse: George hasn’t been recruited yet …”
The other three looked questioningly at each other.
“But,” Martin continued, “as I have already informed Anne, all my boys trust me implicitly and are eager for some action. I’m sure George will be happy to cooperate with us. And he won’t know more than the absolutely necessary for checking out a list of items. Well?”
“This won’t do at all,” the admiral said. “If we intend to have your five-man team work for us, we need to formally recruit them according to our established rules. I’m prepared to brief Martin on this at some other time. I would also suggest that they needn’t meet with anyone of us—apart from you, of course, Martin—unless absolutely necessary for the task at hand.”
“Well, they have met me already,” Anne said. “But, in principle, how does that sound to you, Martin?”
He nodded and got up.
“Will that be all? Good. Anne, and gentlemen—thank you,” he said and picked up his jacket. “Good evening!” Martin left the flat.
The meeting was not over yet. The two remaining men discussed Martin’s merits and both concluded that he was a valuable asset for the association.
“Let’s get on, then,” the admiral said. “I visited the lawyer handling my company in Vaduz. I browsed through the dormant file and announced that I was returning to international business. He congratulated me and wished me luck. I checked my bank account there and immediately put a call through to Neil Bennett, using the terminology we had agreed upon, informing him that he could begin the transfer of funds.” After a slight pause the admiral added: “But it’s a good thing we have an additional source of money. You never can tell … Bennett’s age worries me. His donation is a personal gesture and will not oblige his heirs in any way … I think I should urge him to transfer more cash and in shorter periods of time.”
Sir Cedric reported that his laboratory experiments were progressing as planned, and that he hoped his device would soon be ready for testing. “I believe that, at certain intensities, my beam could melt various metals—not only on the surface but deeper down as well. I am also toying with the idea of immobilizing a nuclear reactor with this beam, but that’ll have to wait for the time being.”
“Do you think you have enough specifications to send to Alfred Boulanger?” Anne asked. “You’ll need to exchange data back and forth so that your device will not only fit into his satellite but also be controlled from the ground. I’ll be your go-between.”
Sir Cedric eyes widened.
“You know, Anne,” he said, “I was so immersed in the development stages that I had completely forgotten how the device was to be launched. Thanks for reminding me. Oh, this is fantastic! I’ll have the specs for you in a couple of days.”
“Good,” Anne said. “Now, weren’t you expecting Allier’s contraption to be delivered by now?”
“Indeed! I called him yesterday, and he told me he had just shipped it out by FedEx. I’ll begin tests on it immediately it arrives.”
“Didn’t you mention a friend in Vienna?” the admiral asked.
Sir Cedric slapped his forehead.
“Silly me,” he said. “Of course. Conrad Hoffman, the nanotechnologist. Very talented and extremely valuable. I met him and recruited him with no problems, though he hasn’t come up with anything yet. I’m expecting him to call soon.”
With the meeting over Anne felt she could relax. She removed her shoes and put on a pair of comfortable house slippers, prepared a snack in the kitchen, and settled in front of the television set to watch the news.
About half an hour later the thought suddenly struck her. What’s happening with Tanya? She hasn’t called for over two weeks, perhaps even longer. She picked up her phone, punched out Tanya’s number, and after a few rings got her answering machine.
“Hey, Tanya, it’s me. Haven’t heard from you in a long time. What’s going on with you? I’m beginning to miss you. Call me back when you get this.” Anyway, at this hour she’s probably at the theatre.
SEVENTEEN
Next morning Anne paid special attention to her appearance. She acknowledged that it wasn’t for the students in the lecture hall but for Martin. They had agreed to meet for lunch so that Anne could brief him in detail about his trip to New York, where he was to meet with Andrew Dodson.
Before leaving her flat, she tried calling Tanya again. There was still no answer. Anne decided to drop by her place on the way to the university. She took a taxi to Tanya’s residence and went up to her apartment. She rang the bell and knocked loudly several times without getting a response. She tried the door and found it locked. She’s probably worn out from an action-filled night with one of her studs, thought Anne. Oh, well … that’s Tanya. She went down to the waiting taxi and hurried to the university.
At the Bistro d’Etienne, Martin was already waiting when Anne arrived. He got to his feet and they exchanged pecks on the cheek, as was their custom. They then sat opposite each other. Martin could not conceal his look of admiration, and Anne felt a bit embarrassed.
“I really must compliment you, Martin,” she said hastily, “on your excellent performance last evening at the meeting. We were all very impressed.”
Martin grinned, reached across the table, picked up her hand, and kissed it. Anne’s eyes opened wide, and she blushed a beet red. Such a thing had not happened to her for many, many years. She had no idea how to respond. She was rescued by the arrival of Etienne, who took their order.
She got down to business as if nothing had happened. She described Dodson as a no-nonsense, energetic personality. Then she went through the details of the transaction setup.
“So now you’ll book a ticket to New York. When you know at what time the flight lands we’ll meet again and figure out the best time to set an appointment with Dodson. Then I’ll call him and give him the particulars regarding ‘my next lecture.’”
Anne returned to her flat that afternoon, having completed her day’s quota of lectures at the university before h
er meeting with Martin. She had barely put down her purse when the doorbell rang. This was quite irregular—the front door of her apartment building was kept locked, and visitors needed to buzz the intercom first, identify themselves, and then get permission to come up. Perhaps it’s the caretaker or one of the neighbors, she thought. She peered through the peephole and saw an unfamiliar face of a young man. She quickly secured the chain latch on the door and opened it a crack. Two men stood outside. They were dressed in similar outfits—ties and overcoats—and the shorter one was obviously older than his companion.
Before she could ask what it was they wanted or how they got in, the older man flashed an open wallet at her and announced:
“Police Judiciaire! Are you Madame Dupré?”
Anne was surprised, but she nodded in assent.
“We’d like to ask you a few questions. May we come in?”
Anne’s first thought was about the association, but she quickly dismissed it. After all, they had done nothing illegal—yet—and nothing that anyone knew could justify a visit by the police. So far she had never had any contact with the police. In fact, she had never even spoken to a policeman in her life. A feeling of slight queasiness churned in her stomach. But there was no choice—she let them in, offered them seats and seated herself opposite them.
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