by Jerry Bruce
Richard immediately called Thornton and gave him permission to release Adam and Christine, one at a time.
“Very well, sir. May I ask sir if the results of the examinations were satisfactory?”
“Quite so, Director. I can’t tell you how pleased I am, both with your cooperation and the results. You can rest assured that both subjects passed with flying colors and don’t pose a threat to our national security.”
“I’m glad I could be of assistance, Mr. President. Feel free to call on me at any time.”
“Thank you, Director.”
* * *
Richard was relieved that two of the persons closest to him had proven to be free from the clutches of the Controller. He would need their assistance if he was to bring down the Controller and give the world the true freedom it deserved. The trick would be keeping any involvement on their part a secret from the prying eyes of his nemesis. Richard decided that he would have to protect them at all cost.
CHAPTER FOUR
At their last meeting, Richard promised Ralph Blocker that he would periodically call him to give an update on when he would be allowed to run a story on the Controller. Richard had a few minutes so he placed a call to Blocker’s office at BNN.
“Blocker here.” The voice sounded ticked off at the interruption caused by the phone call.
“Ralph, it’s Richard Sinclair. I hope I didn’t catch you at a bad time.”
“No, not at all, Mr. President. In fact, just yesterday I was thinking about when I might hear from you. Are you calling to give me the go-ahead to release my story?”
“No, Ralph, I’m afraid not.”
“You know, Mr. President, I’m beginning to believe that you never had any intention of letting me release this story.” Blocker had an edge to his voice that Richard picked up on immediately.
“I know it seems like I’m stonewalling you on this, but it is imperative that you hold off for now. There have been certain developments of late that preclude revealing any information on the identity of our benefactor.” Benefactor was the term Blocker used when referencing the Controller, a term he coined during the early days of Richard Sinclair’s presidency.
“What kind of ‘developments’ are you referring to exactly, Mr. President?”
“I can’t tell you quite frankly. You are going to have to take my word on it.”
“With all due respect, you have been asking me to ‘take your word’ and ‘trust your judgment’ far too many times to suit me, Mr. President.” Blocker was not pleased with Richard and didn’t mind letting him know it.
“I know it seems like I’m leading you on; believe me Ralph, I wouldn’t be asking you to hold off if there wasn’t a damn good reason.” Richard was hoping that Blocker would take that as sufficient explanation and not press him any further, but Blocker was having none of it.
“You are going to have to tell me a little bit more than that, I’m afraid.”
“All right, I’ll tell you as much as I can and then you will just have to be satisfied. If I give you more information, will you agree to hold off?” Richard was desperate to get Blocker to agree so that he could avoid having to take any action to prevent the story becoming public. He didn’t want to harm Blocker; he was, after all was said and done, Richard’s primary source of information on the Controller’s identity.
“I’ll agree to that but only if the information you give me is worth it.”
“Fair enough. I suppose you have already reasoned out that this benefactor of ours has enormous wealth and resources possibly far beyond what anyone realizes. Well, I have reason to believe that he has a great deal of influence in the worldwide political arena as well. This influence can make life very hard for anyone he doesn’t care to befriend. But what is even more significant is that I am certain he has an ulterior motive for his generosity and that his agenda isn’t necessarily good.” Richard was gambling that Blocker was smart enough to realize the significance of what he had just heard. Richard wasn’t about to give Blocker any details or let him in on what he already knew to be fact.
“That’s a biggie. How long have you been keeping this under your hat?”
“That’s not important right now. I need to know that you are with me. I need for you to commit to me that you will hold off on releasing any of the information you have until such time as I deem appropriate. So what’s it going to be?” Richard was growing weary of this conversation and wanted to know where Blocker stood.
“Can I assume that you are taking some kind of action, with the power you have at your disposal, to put this guy out of business?” Blocker kept pushing, something that years in the media had taught him to do.
“You can assume nothing. I have told you all that I feel you need to know at this point; now it’s time for you to decide if you are on my side till the end or not.” Richard’s tone was curt and challenging.
“Are you still willing to make sure that I get the exclusive rights to the story?” Blocker wanted to confirm what his reward would be for siding with Richard and keeping a lid on his story.
“My promise to you of an exclusive still holds true. You will be the only media representative to whom I divulge any information.”
“All right, Mr. President, count me in for the duration. Just don’t make me regret this, okay?”
“I assure you Ralph, the story you will be getting one day is going to be the biggest ever. Now, I need you to do something else for me. You need to keep an ear to the ground and fill me in on any new information you pick up. No matter how insignificant you may think it is. We have to be able to positively identify this character. There can be no doubt.”
“I’ll do what I can, but you have to understand, my resources have all been tapped out. I don’t know where else I am going to get anything further. I’ve already given you everything that I have been able to come up with on this guy’s identity. Plus, I have a job to spend my time on and I can’t just forget that, it does pay the bills.”
“I understand your position. Just don’t lose sight of the reward you will be getting when it’s all over. I think I can safely say that you will be the top dog in your profession.”
“Yeah, but at the rate things are going, I’ll die of old age long before that.”
“Hopefully you won’t have to wait quite that long.”
* * *
Richard had been stringing Ralph Blocker along for quite a while and was actually quite amazed that Ralph was willing to hold off, yet again, on his story. Richard reasoned that it was probably due more to Ralph not being entirely positive of his subject’s identity than to anything he had to offer. Richard was convinced that if Blocker had definitive proof he would have published the story by now, unless he was completely misreading Blocker and Ralph was actually a patriot first and a reporter second. Richard wanted desperately to believe it was the former. He couldn’t avoid the feeling that somehow Ralph was going to play a significant role in the battle to come.
Since leaving the U.S. presidency, he hadn’t been giving Blocker any exclusive stories. Richard had not been in the W.O.N. presidency long enough to be able to feed Blocker any scoops. He made a note to himself to have Christine keep her eyes open for any story that might be of use to Blocker.
CHAPTER FIVE
It was just after midnight when Richard finished reviewing some of his notes regarding the Controller. He had filled several notebooks over the years and had never gone back to review, in detail, what he had written. In the past he didn’t need to use the information; now it was a different story, he was about to engage the enemy. He wanted to make sure that every detail was current in his mind and that every nuance in the Controller’s demeanor that he had noted was committed to memory. Richard wasn’t unlike a general planning his first battle with a formidable foe. Just as a general needed to understand how his enemy would react under certain conditions, so too did Richard need to have a firm grasp of how the Controller would respond to his assault. This could very well be
the biggest chess match Richard had ever played, and there was little doubt in his mind that many pawns would fall before the war was won.
Richard was especially drawn to the notes he had made regarding the Controller’s reaction when he used the term “insanity” during one of their conversations. Richard had always tried to capture the Controller’s dialogue, verbatim, in his notes. He even went so far as to make footnotes wherein he elaborated on the Controller’s tone of voice and any hint of anger or satisfaction. And if that was true of this particular entry, then there was every reason to believe that the Controller was overly sensitive to the reference. His notes reflected that the Controller went into a lengthy diatribe, almost raving at times. Richard decided this aspect of the Controller’s behavior would definitely have to be pursued.
Later entries in Richard’s log made reference to the Controller citing how he would be seen as a savior to mankind and not a threat such as Adolph Hitler. This and other entries made Richard realize that the Controller was more than sensitive to references of insanity—he was averse to the concept. On reflection, Richard realized that the Controller had made unsolicited references to Hitler on several occasions. Richard didn’t think he needed a psychiatrist to read the obvious into what the Controller was feeling. His obsession with Hitler was due to his own assessment that his actions were similar to Hitler’s.
Richard suddenly gasped—something had just dawned on him; Hitler’s biggest claim to infamy was his commitment to genocide. Richard shuddered at the thought that the Controller might also be capable of such a despicable act. He had no reason to believe the Controller would do such a thing, but he wondered what the Controller might do if his program to eliminate disease didn’t totally succeed. The eradication of the AIDS virus was proving troublesome and progress was almost non-existent. In the past, Richard would never have imagined the Controller capable of mass genocide, but things were different now and, as Richard had learned, the Controller was capable of virtually anything if it meant reaching his goals.
“What was the term Stephen used?” Richard was thinking out loud and mumbling to himself. “Maniacal? Yeah, that’s it, maniacal. That’s appropriate.” Richard was convinced that the Controller had taken insanity to a level higher than any previous tyrant. There was far too much intelligence, planning and patience to his actions. He was able to control his temperament and bide his time if it was required for success. Hitler, Attila and Genghis Khan were not noted for their patience or even temperament. The Controller was the antithesis of his predecessors, perhaps because he felt no need to rush. Knowing that there would always be a clone of himself available to rule on a moments notice may have taken the edge off. Better to be accurate and methodical than prone to error and rash. This made him all the more formidable. Richard was certain that this could be the key to overthrowing the Controller—he had to drive the man to irrational behavior, thereby upsetting his balance and making him vulnerable to attack.
“Easier said than done, I think.” Richard purposely spoke out loud this time as if to impress upon himself the difficulty that lay ahead.
Richard decided to make a list of each perceived weakness, each chink in the Controller’s armor, a “hit” list of sorts. He would concentrate his attack, focusing on these targets.
* * *
It took Richard several days to go through his notebooks. He dedicated his days to the affairs of state that his position required of him; his evenings, which sometimes carried into the early morning hours, he dedicated to his notebooks and strategizing. It was during one of these early morning sessions that he ran across a particularly interesting notation.
There was reference to a set of ledgers that the Controller was going to turn over to Stephen Hamilton during the initial phases of the water purification project. At the time Richard had assumed that these would be computerized files, contained on discs, but he later noted that Stephen mentioned the ledgers he received were in the form of discs and printouts. What was most significant was that the printed pages had copious handwritten annotations. Richard reasoned out that the Controller was given the data files and printed them out for closer scrutiny. That being the case, then it was safe to assume that the handwriting belonged to the Controller. Stephen had said that there were some lengthy notations on many of the entries, so Richard made a to-do note to contact Stephen about the ledgers. He had no fear of them being discarded; Stephen was a pack rat and kept everything. The ledgers were stashed away somewhere, of that he was certain, just as he was that a good handwriting analysis might reveal some of the secrets hiding deep inside the Controller’s mind.
* * *
“Stephen, do you have those printouts of the ledgers that the Controller gave to you at the start of the water project?”
“Sure, you know me, I keep everything. What do you want with those?”
“I remember you telling me that there were a lot of handwritten notes. I’m thinking that if those notes were written by the Controller, then we can have the handwriting analyzed and maybe learn a little bit more about the man.”
“Good idea, Richard. I’ll dig up the printouts and get them over to the F.B.I.”
“No, hold off on that. I would prefer that we give them to Director Thornton. He owes us a lot of favors and I trust him to keep things quiet.”
“Okay, I’ll get them over to him with an admonition that this is on the QT.”
“Excellent. Thanks Stephen.”
“Anything else going on in regards to the Controller?”
“I’ve just been going through all the notes I’ve taken over the years to try to piece together anything that we can use against this guy. After I’ve finished, I’ll run it by you and we can plan our next move.”
“Speaking of our next move, have you decided how you are going to approach the others about their involvement?”
“I’m still mulling that over. I did come to one decision though.”
“What’s that?”
“Stephen, it dawned on me that should one of the others sell me out to the Controller, we would need to have a backup plan in place so that our efforts won’t be wasted and the battle can continue. My thinking is that we keep your involvement with me between us. That way you are protected from reprisal should my plan be exposed.”
“That’s a good point; no sense in putting all our eggs in one basket. I’ll send those documents over to Thornton under your name so he won’t know I’m involved.”
“Thanks, Stephen. That also means that I will need to pass on to you some information that I haven’t given you as yet. I felt that the ‘need to know’ approach was the best option at this stage. Also some of the information leads back to a source that I have that must be protected.”
“What kind of source?”
“I’ll tell you when the time is right. For now, I want to get the handwriting analysis done and decide how I’m going to approach the others.”
“Sounds like a plan, Richard.”
“Great, talk to you soon, Stephen.”
* * *
Richard had decided to meet with Adam and Christine together instead of one-on-one. If they were going to be a team, it would make sense to start immediately.
“I’ve asked you both here to discuss something of extreme importance. Let me start with the results of the polygraph exams. Yes, you were both tested. I purposely didn’t tell either of you that both of you were being tested. You’ll see why shortly.”
“Some of those questions were odd, to say the least.” Adam couldn’t help interjecting.
“I know, but the significance will be clear to you after our discussion. Anyway, in a capsule, you both passed with flying colors.” Richard looked at each of them in turn with a smile on his face. He couldn’t help but notice a slight show of relief on Adam’s face.
“Just what was the W.O.N. thinking when they came up with those questions?” Christine was following up on Adam’s remark.
“This had nothing to do with the W.O.N
.; I merely used them as an excuse. I didn’t like lying to you, but I had no choice. Let me give you some background. Since before I was elected to the office of President of the United States, there was an individual who used his great wealth and influence to make sure that Stephen and I got elected. He pressured the unions, the Black Caucus, the Hispanic Coalition, and who knows how many others to sway their members to vote for us. This was the man you saw at two of our appearances, if you can remember back that far, Christine.”
“I remember only too well. So that guy was responsible for our success in Detroit?”
“That’s right. I’m not sure how much influence he exerted in other areas as well; he hasn’t told me.”
Adam leaned forward as if to get closer to Richard’s face. “You mean you know this guy?”
“No, not really. As far as I know, no one knows the identity of this man. But let me continue with my story. This man calls himself Controller.”
Richard noticed that Adam and Christine gave each other a knowing glance as if to say, “So that’s what the ‘Controller’ questions were all about.”
“He approached me as soon as I took office and informed me of his intercession on my behalf. He said he was intent upon making the world a better place and wanted me to help him. To make a long story short, when I balked he threatened the use of force against someone in my family. To stall for time, I played along with him thinking that I could find out who he was and have him arrested. As it turned out, I couldn’t get any insight into his identity. It was as if he never existed; all roads led to dead ends. Anyway, as a part of playing along, I agreed to listen to some of his plans, which at first sounded like pipedreams—to good to be true. Though it wasn’t long before I saw that there was some sound reasoning as to why it was possible to actually accomplish some of the things he was proposing.” Richard tried to relax in his chair but each time he started a new sentence, he found himself sitting closer to the edge of his seat.