A Deal to Die For

by Albert Able

  Although this explosion would not be big enough to sink the liner, it would act as the perfect exit for Carl Peterson and Michelle.

  The remaining weapon, camouflaged by the confusion of the explosion and resulting fire aboard Le Monde, would be taken across to the Statue of Liberty in one of the liner’s cutters. Peterson fully expected that the distraction of the explosion and resulting chaos aboard Le Monde would temporarily distract security at the statue, making it vulnerable and allowing Carl and Michelle to slip ashore unnoticed and place the bomb.

  Now Carl Peterson waited impatiently for Rudi to deliver the all-important packages.

  He knew that the world markets were nervous and fragile after the Paris scare, so that if it had been possible to release news that nuclear devices had been planted in New York, it would certainly have sent markets into another suicidal downward spiral, allowing him to buy back all his stocks at rock bottom prices.

  However, Rudi’s reckless actions, which had alerted the attention of SONIC and Alex Scott, had now made the plan far too dangerous. And so, satisfied with his successful killing in the last market debacle, Carl had halted all the various market trades. His prime aim now was to meticulously create a new life for himself and Michelle.

  ***

  Rudi, his sisters, the carers and their luggage transferred from Newark Liberty International airport to Cape Liberty Cruse Port where Le Monde had already docked.

  The short journey by helicopter enabled them to land directly on to the ship’s helipad, thus avoiding the usual boarding security and allowing them and their precious luggage to be ushered straight to their suite adjacent to Carl Peterson.

  The bag containing the two nuclear devices, each packed in their aluminium cases and separately identified by the large stencilled numbers on each panel, were taken by one of the carers and temporally hidden inside one of the fire hose lockers on the side deck close to their suite.

  ***

  Alex was met by Jerry Fielding. “I had thought to get you a firearm,” Jerry shrugged at Alex, “but there will be so many security checks.”

  “I would expect so,” Alex smiled, “but I’m sure you will cover my back!”

  Jerry patted his jacket indicating his firearm and smiled disarmingly: “That’s what I’m here for, buddy.”

  ***

  Having worked without a break for almost twenty four hours, Hans now sat back in his comfortable old leather armchair sipping gratefully at a huge mug of coffee. He was tired but reasonably confident that he had achieved a general understanding of the mass of data transferred from Rudi’s computer. Yet, irritatingly, there was still something that did not seem to fit. Eventually his heavy eyelids could no longer fight the urge to close and he drifted into a fitful sleep.

  Hans awoke with a start, remains of the cold coffee spilled in his lap un-noticed as pulled himself out of the armchair; the sudden jab of pain as his prosthetic leg took the weight of his body caused him to wince briefly. “Ah,” he exclaimed, grabbing at the desk for support. “Rudi, you clever little bugger,” Hans tapped the keyboard.

  “Wow,” he tapped again, “oh shit!”

  ***

  Rudi and his sisters settled into their apartment on Le Monde. The two carers had separate but communicating cabins.

  “I think we should report to Daddy,” Karen suggested, trying to be serious. “You know how he likes to know what’s going on,” she finally succumbed to more giggles, “well, you know what I mean.”

  Rudi was in a rare good humour and called back: “Any time you like, my kittens.”

  Rudi’s new computer was permanently connected to the worldwide satellite communication system by connecting it to the ship’s internal Wi-Fi. He could link to any of the on-board systems, including the ability to utilise the passenger cabin TV screens as a monitor.

  The tablet computer Rudi had developed incorporated most of all the competing commercial variants which he had melded into a unique micro-computer and linked automatically into the SKY-SEC hub and other mass storage facilities.

  With many special features of his own, especially the voice activated holograph visuals and the hand held remote, specially designed to fit into Rudi’s prosthetic hand, this device was years ahead of any other currently available; importantly the old system back at the Schloss was now redundant.

  ***

  Hans stared in silence at the screen as he slowly paged through the files, complete with portrait photographs that he had accidently found. The list was clearly of dozens of Syndicate agents from countries around the world. “My God,” he exclaimed aloud, “Alex is going to love this.”

  Having saved the file, he resumed his search of Rudi’s files. He had no idea what to expect next, so when he stumbled on the access file to Rudi’s new tablet and realised its astonishing abilities, he was inevitably filled with admiration and respect at the advanced technology.

  When asked afterwards why he saved that file on his iPad he will tell you ‘Because I’m a Wizard!” but in truth he does not know why. However, it would prove to be a pivotal decision not only in his live but of those he loved and cared for.

  But he was not prepared for the next message to flood his computer screen.

  ***

  Alex Scott passed quietly through the ferry terminal security while Jerry Fielding appeared mysteriously inside the secure area.

  “Nice trick, Jerry,” Alex greeted him.

  Jerry patted his jacket and grinned “Don’t think they would have understood my luggage at the public entrance,” Jerry winked. “This way, they have started allowing the technicians setting up the conference room on board, so we will slip on with them.”

  Falling in step, Alex asked: “Do we know where Peterson is at this moment?”

  “By all accounts he is in his suite on board, but they are a bit cagey with that sort of info, so we can’t be absolutely sure - well not yet, any way.” Jerry forged ahead.

  ***

  As Rudi and his sisters entered their father’s suite, the greeting was frosty, the atmosphere tense.

  Carl Peterson was seated and Michelle hovered nearby.

  “At last” Carl said irritably, “hope you have the special packages with you?”

  “What do you think?” Rudi snapped back.

  “Now look, Rudi,” Peterson started, “we have to talk and I don’t want you to go off into one of your tantrums. But I have to talk to you, to all of you, in fact, because there are some very important matters we have to resolve.”

  “Indeed we do, father.” Rudi’s face cracked into a ragged smile as he hauled his withered body into the armchair facing his father, his sisters cuddled together on the settee. “No doubt you are about to tell me that I have not lived up to your expectations again, yes?”

  Carl raised a hand.

  “No,” Rudi brushed him aside, “not this time. This time I’m telling you what is going to happen around here and to this family.”

  The sisters giggled, “Go on, Rudi tell him.”

  Rudi paused admiring his beloved sisters for a moment. “OK, my kittens,” he returned his gaze to his father.

  Incensed by Rudi’s impertinence, Peterson snapped back: “I don’t know what you’ve got on your chest, Rudi, but please leave Michelle out of this.”

  Michelle made towards the door. “If this is a family matter I think I’ll make myself scarce”

  “On the contrary, Michelle, this very much involves you.” Rudi licked his lips in delight. “In fact, I’ll start with you.”

  “I warn you, Rudi, leave Michelle out of this.” Peterson’s face coloured with anger.

  “Leave her out and deny your little whore the truth,” Rudi screamed, his body bouncing with the passion and tension of his mounting anger.

  Carl leaped from his chair. “Now t
hat’s enough, I don’t care what you think, I will not have you talking to Michelle in that way, do you understand, you warped little runt?”

  Peterson froze as the words left his lips, but this time he didn’t apologise as he had when such indiscrete lapses had happened in the past.

  Rudi sat up like a statue, his ravaged features fixed in a catatonic stare. The rage boiling up inside him was on the point of exploding when Karen sprang to his side, flung her arms around him and cooed: “Don’t forget the plan, my little tiger, remember he won’t be able to hurt you any more.”

  She turned his face towards her brother, kissed him lightly on his ravaged lips while gently caressing his mane of unruly hair, as if he were a puppy.

  The tense silence was finally broken when Rudi sucked in a deep breath. “You’re right my kittens,” he relaxed and settled back into the armchair before turning back to his father who had remained standing by Michelle’s side.

  “You’ve always treated me like an animal, or should I say patronised me like a pet, even when I showed you that the SKY-SEC security was flawed, you couldn’t say ‘well done, Rudi’ or ‘amazing’, or ‘have you any idea how to fix it?’”

  Rudi shook his head in disgust. “No, instead you trusted those two upstart Vietnamese, made them your favourites, but they couldn’t be trusted and so you had to dispose of them. Even then you couldn’t ask me. Why?”

  Peterson tried to speak.

  “I haven’t finished yet,” Rudi stopped him.

  “I have recently developed a computer and tablet years ahead of anything you have seen at SKY-SEC or anywhere else for that matter. Rudi held out the monitor from his tablet that nestled in his prosthetic hand. “This alone could revolutionise the computer world, but you - you wouldn’t even have taken the time to ask me about it.”

  Rudi passed his hand over the little monitor. “Watch.”

  After a few moments the large TV screen mounted into the wall panelling of the luxury suite zoomed into life. “With this I can control almost everything on this ship.” He looked back at his father: “a bit different to the bits of redundant hardware you passed on to me at the Schloss.”

  Rudi passed his hand over the little monitor and the picture on the TV screen settled on Le Monde’s conference room. The whole area was a hive of activity as technicians busied themselves preparing the various presentations.

  “Well, that is truly amazing, Rudi,” Peterson complimented his son trying to bring the situation back under his control, and although he was genuinely impressed, he was also grateful that the young man had not resorted to one of his uncontrollable rages.

  “Look, I’m so sorry, and you’re right, I have not always been the best father to you - to you all, for that matter.” He smiled at his young daughters, “but as I said before, now is the time for us to keep everything on a strictly family basis - agreed?”

  Michelle moved away and Peterson resumed his seat.

  Rudi shrugged his shoulders. “A great idea but a non-runner - you’ll never share everything with us you’re too long in the tooth to change. You think of me as a disabled failure and that will never change either, but just let me show you something.”

  Rudi waved the monitor and briefly touched the little screen. “There, do you recognise him?” Rudi pointed the monitor at the TV screen as it zoomed towards two men walking across the open floor.

  “Good God, its Alex Scott!” Carl Peterson gasped. “How did you manage that?”

  “Ah,” Rudi looked at his sisters and made that strange gurgling sound that passed as a laugh. “You have been trying to get rid of this man for ages and failed miserable at every attempt, but I have brought him to the ship simply by using my superior intelligence.”

  Rudi leaned forward and was about to speak again when a loud rap on the adjoining doors turned everyone’s head in mild surprise and stopped all conversation.

  Michelle took two paces and jerked opened the door. Carlos, one of Rudi’s carers, stood and peered into the room.

  Karen signalled recognition at once and skipped to the door. Carlos bent down and spoke in a whisper. Karen responded with a nod and turned to Rudi giving the double thumbs up. Then Rudi’s second carer, Eugene, entered the room and Carlos left.

  “Well that’s very good, so now I am going to show you another reason why you are redundant.” Rudi turned back to the TV screen as Carlos entered the picture and approached Alex and Jerry, you couldn’t hear what was said but the two men nodded and followed.

  Michelle held her head up proudly and looking away from an astonished Carl Peterson, she interrupted: “Well, Rudi, I for one think this is absolutely brilliant. I know you don’t have much of an opinion of me but I - like you - am fed up to the back teeth with your father’s dogmatic ways and I can see how you hold the key to the future. Therefore, if you’ll have me, I would be only be too pleased to serve you as I have served your father. You know I’m efficient and you’ll need a good administrator.”

  Rudi thought for a moment. “What do you think, kittens?” he asked his sisters.

  Carl Peterson was on the point of protesting when the door opened and Alex Scott and Jerry Fielding were ushered into the suite. Carl instantly checked his mood. “Well, Mr Scott, how good to meet you.”

  He stood up with the intention of using the move to grab the monitor from Rudi, but as he moved forward he was stopped in his tracks when both carers pulled guns and ordered him to “Stay where you are!”

  Alex reached reflexively for his weapon, only to remember he did not have one. But Jerry Fielding had, and it was already pointing at Alex.

  “Good job I didn’t tool you up, eh, Alex?” Jerry smiled. “Over there with the others please and stay quiet.”

  As Alex moved alongside Carl Peterson, he asked: “I must say, Jerry, you really did fool me. When did they get at you?”

  Jerry smiled. “I’ve always been a loyal employee of Mr Peterson at SKY-SEC,” and then turning to Carl, “I admit I didn’t know you were the head man of the old Syndicate as well; I would have been pleased to be with you. But now, sorry Carl, you’re the past and Rudi’s the future.”

  Carl was about to reply when Rudi interrupted. “You see father, as I said you’ve been trying to get rid of Mr Scott all this time and failed on several occasions. If you had only asked me, look how easily I’ve delivered him on a plate today.”

  Rudi made that funny gurgling sound and snapped: “but not for your benefit, for mine.

  ‘In fact, Mr Scott,” he turned to Alex, “I recognise your talent and would be quite prepared to make this one time offer for you to join me and the new Syndicate. What do you say?”

  Alex Scott looked at the guns pointing at him for a moment, and then at Rudi: “I say go stuff yourself, you little freak.”

  Rudi’s eyes glared for a moment, then ignoring the insult he turned and looked at his sisters: “You were right, you were both right, he’s a stubborn dinosaur, just like father.

  ‘Oh well,” Rudi looked back at the TV screen, “in a moment I am going to show you something I know you will all find most enlightening. But first,” he signalled to Jerry Fielding, “keep them covered, Jerry, whilst my carers make them safe.”

  “Bad decision, Alex, you don’t often get the chance to choose the winning side like that.” Jerry Fielding shook his head sadly holding his gun close to Alex’s ribs, as armed with a roll of wide parcel tape, the two carers carefully bound Carl and Alex and then gestured to Michelle.

  “No, leave her, I think she’s one of us now, yes?” Rudi queried.

  “You will have my undivided loyalty,” Michelle glared at Carl Peterson.

  “That’s good, so now I have something else to show you. It will be of special interest to Mr Scott, I think.”

  Rudi waved his hand over the monitor and the screen showed a picture
of Hans de Wolfe.

  “Your business partner, Hans, I believe?” Rudi was wallowing in the moment. “I can tell you that he is an exceptionally good computer man. In fact, not quite - but almost - as good as me.”

  Rudi preened and caught the eye of his sisters still snuggled on the settee. “When you raided the Schloss and Hans downloaded all the data from the computer there, what he didn’t realise was that I had set it all up to make it easy for him. You see, although all the information I’d selected for him certainly gave him a considerable insight to my technology and data, more importantly the process gave me total access to all of yours.”

  Rudi gurgled, waved the monitor and bounced up and down in triumph. “What do you think of that, eh?”

  “Well, I guess that makes you a cunning little freak.” Alex held Rudi glare.

  As one of the carers moved as if to strike Alex with his weapon, Rudi stopped him with a wave of the monitor. “No Carlos, no need, just tape his filthy mouth.”

  Carlos nodded briefly but Michelle stepped forward. “Here, let me.” She roughly slapped some of the parcel tape over Alex’s mouth.

  “OK, but Carlos, you tie them to their chairs, they must not be able to move; it would spoil their fun.” Rudi looks at his sisters, they nodded encouragement. “Now let me show you something else, and this is where it all gets interesting.”

  “This is the best bit,” Liz spoke for the first time.

  The TV screen blinked and the picture of an aluminium case identical to the one Alex had seen in Moscow appeared.

  “Incidentally, your man Hans is watching this in London, I thought he should see your final moments.” Rudi gurgled with excitement. “Look - the missing Paris bomb. You wondered where that had got to?”

  The aluminium case with a six letter number clearly stencilled on its face appeared in the middle of the screen. “Well, I kept it specifically so I could give you this little demonstration.”

  Rudi waved his hand over the monitor and then tapped a number on to the screen. Rudi held the monitor out for all to hear; the ripple of the tone as the number dialled, connected, purred and then after the third ring the case on the TV screen erupted and a flash of flame and smoke.