by Randy Dutton
Sven laughed. “I guess you really do see the inner beauty in people. Underneath that hideous disguise truly was a gorgeous woman...and an assassin.”
Eric’s eyes widened and his mouth hung open. He stammered, “Assassin...that’s meant metaphorically, right?”
“No...it isn’t.” Sven grinned. “I don’t know how many notches she has on her belt, but I’d wager it’s in the dozens.”
Eric gritted his teeth. “I’ll make sure I stay off her radar then.”
“You do that. Now, I recommend you grab anything of yours you need, and go take that vacation – today. Hell, call it early retirement. I’ll hold down the fort while you’re gone.”
“When will you leave?”
“In a couple days. Have a great time...and keep your head down. And, in case you get lonely for work, here’s a card with an email address on it. Don’t share it with anyone.”
They shook hands, and Eric, briefcase in hand, left the building.
Sven watched out the window as Eric’s car passed out of the deserted parking lot. He pulled an envelope out of a drawer. My letter of resignation... ‘irreconcilable differences’.
He signed and dated it, then left it on the desk.
Darla will find it when she returned from her vacation. This time I’m leaving on my terms! Won’t Swanson and Anna be surprised when they find I crossed them. Hell, most of the Agenda 21 cabal will go apoplectic.
No point in sticking around here. He picked up the telephone. “Tanya, good morning.”
“Good morning, Sven,” she responded cheerfully. “You left early this morning.”
“Ready for a celebration?”
“I’d love that, Sven,” she said warmly. “What would we be celebrating? We still have some days before most containers reach their destinations. Do you want me to check on their status?”
“No, they’re exactly where they need to be. You met the challenge and exceeded my expectations.”
“Well, they’re in the hands of Aker,” she said whimsically.
“Who’s Aker, my New Age beauty?”
“The Egyptian god of the horizon. I consider him the ‘god of logistics,’ symbolizing the borders between yesterday and tomorrow. Aker also guards the entrance and exit to the afterworld.”
“So it’s Aker that is opening up the gates of hell so I might enter?”
“If that’s the way you want to remember it,” she said hesitantly.
“Perhaps it’s more appropriate than you know.” He suppressed a laugh. “Tonight we can talk about our tomorrows.”
“Sounds wonderful. I’ll see you at seven,” she said excitedly.
He placed his telephone down for the last time and picked up the box containing his last remaining office possession. He glanced at an old travel brochure lying on top, picked it up, and smiled.
Chapter 67
August 2, 1500 hours
Heyward Ranch, Denton, TX
Anna and Pete stepped into Tom’s home office. It was mid-afternoon. She sat down and crossed her bare legs, while Pete sat down next to her on the plush leather sofa.
“Anna, will you permit me to bring in my lawyer? He’s outstanding, and a named partner in his law firm. He’s a bit expensive, but may be able to help.”
“Do you trust him with your son’s life, Tom?”
Tom was startled by the connection and her worried expression, then realized exactly what she meant. His jaw set. “Yes, I do.... Because I trusted him with mine.”
“As do I, Anna,” Pete added. “Jim’s very good, and he respected my request to drop the investigation.”
Tom continued, “I want him to figure out how we can protect the two of you. Will you allow me to make the call?”
Anna looked at Tom, then Pete, and then nodded. Hesitantly, she bit her lower lip and looked up through her eyelashes. “By the way, there’s something I didn’t tell either of you.”
They fidgeted.
“I’ve got a lot of money in several offshore accounts, probably about 70 million euros. I can afford any number of lawyers.”
Their expressions changed to awe.
“How did you get so much in 10 years?” Pete asked.
“About 20 million is from what I’ve earned over the years, and...ah…well, the rest is from the past two weeks.” She looked almost embarrassed.
“How?” Pete was incredulous.
“Well…I’m…ah…siphoning it off Swanson’s trades.”
“You need to provide a little more explanation,” Tom said sternly.
“Swanson’s using carbon trading, the destruction the monetary system and of industries such as yours, and general chaos, to make financial transactions before the market knows the news. I set it up for him.
“In the past couple weeks I’ve redesigned the system to make trades from a parallel system microseconds before his trades go through. In other words Tom, he’s now losing money on nearly every trade, and I make money. He’s not alone...most of the big financiers associated with Agenda 21 are scamming the global financial system. I just don’t get a piece of their action.”
The two men started laughing.
“No honor among thieves?” Tom asked facetiously.
“Dad!” Pete resented the term.
“Not really.” She chuckled while simultaneously putting her hand on Pete’s leg to show her self-deprecating humor.
“Pete, I hope we all survive this, because she’s a real doozy.” Tom was laughing hard. “Anna, you are an interesting addition to our family…but you might as well start calling me Dad.”
Anna’s voice broke with the enormity of his offer. “Thank you…Dad.” She stood and gave him a long hug around his neck.
A single passenger stepped off the company helicopter. Jim Hancock walked away from the lifting bird and toward Tom.
Tom strode over, greeting him halfway to the house.
“Afternoon, Jim! Glad you could come on such short notice.”
The helicopter temporarily drowned out conversation until the two men reached the front porch.
“Sure thing. How can I help you?”
“Well, I didn’t want to mention names over the phone. Anna’s here.”
“Really? Truly Tom, I’m glad to have the opportunity to meet this young woman of international intrigue.”
“She’s something all right, and I think you’ll soon agree, she’s hard not to like. It’s pretty obvious Pete and she are in love. You’ll understand why I didn’t say anything over the phone when you hear her story. It’ll blow your mind. We need to help her…them.”
“Let’s review the details and see what we can do.”
“Dinner’s soon. We can start right after. We’ll keep the rest of the family out of the legal discussion.”
Jim’s head was shaking. It was 8 PM and the attorney was reviewing what he had heard.
“I’ve got to tell you, young lady, you’ve probably violated enough laws to put you away for 20,000 years.”
Anna looked at Pete with alarm.
“That said, you and Pete are now my clients and I’ll protect you as best I can.”
“Do I need a lawyer too?” Pete asked.
“As my client, I can’t reveal what you say unless you plan on committing a crime. So, yes. You’re party to a number of offenses Anna has committed.”
Jim turned to Anna. “You are traveling under a false identity are you not?”
She nodded.
“Beyond knowing of her guilt in a triple murder, art smuggling, computer hacking violations, weapons through airports...just interrupt me if I’m wrong, okay, Anna?...insider trading, theft of what? 50 million euros? And you’ve done this all in the past two months. God knows what you’ve done the 10 years before.”
Anna’s face was grim. “The number could be 55 million euros right now,” she corrected demurely, “and yes, there’s probably quite a few...infractions over the past decade.”
Jim was still shaking his head. “Look, I think I ca
n help, but we need leverage. Would you be willing to provide sworn testimony against Swanson to be used in the event it becomes necessary?”
Anna looked panicked.
“Jim, that would put a bull’s-eye on her,” Pete protested, his eyes were wide.
“I said if we need to use it,” Jim said sternly. “It might prevent someone from shooting at the target I think is already painted on her.”
He slowly shook his head. “And even with that, I’m not sure we can protect her.” Jim looked into Anna’s frightened eyes. “Frankly, my dear, you may be in too deep. You threaten trillions of dollars of wealth. These guys are ruthless and can buy and sell governments, as you well know. Certainly they’ve shown themselves capable of destroying countries.”
“What can we do?” Pete slumped back in his chair.
“My advice?” Jim raised an eyebrow. “Anna...pretend you’re dead.”
“What?!” Pete exclaimed loudly. He was bolt-upright now, fists clenched, eyes locked onto Jim. “No! I won’t allow that.”
Anna’s hand clasped Pete’s and gently pulled him back down.
“Listen carefully, the both of you.”—Jim’s fingers were interlocked, forefingers steepling outward toward Pete—“Once her plan is revealed – and I can’t see how this ruse can be maintained for much longer – if they think she’s alive, they’ll keep hunting...forever. Imagine a thousand bounty hunters with one target for the big score. That’s her!”
“What can we do?” Tom asked nervously.
Anna sank deeper into the plush sofa in Tom’s office, a pillow on her lap, as Pete leaned in and comforted her in his strong arms.
“Anna, I suggest faking your death, then changing identities, and relocating to an area contrary to your preferences. I’m sure it’s within your skill set, and you have the money. We’ve got a good idea what you enjoy, so what’s the opposite? And before you start saying, make sure nobody else is in the room…including me...just you and Pete.”
Tom looked grim.
“The smart thing,” Jim said, “would be for you to do it alone, without Pete, to protect him and his family. But I doubt Pete would allow that...and based upon the anguished look he’s giving me right now, if you disappear without taking him with you, he’d probably pummel me for having ruined his life.... So, that said, the option is for the two of you to disappear. It wouldn’t be a normal life.”
Tears streamed down Anna’s face.
“Right now, your names aren’t linked. Once they are, either through an encounter or marriage license, Pete and his family are vulnerable.”
“Jim, this wasn’t the hope I thought you’d bring,” Tom said sadly.
“My job is to protect my clients, Tom. That’s the two of them, and your family. I don’t provide illusions, I provide reality.”
Anna looked from Tom to Pete, her dreams of a normal life slipping away. Her eyes were full of contrition. “I am so sorry I’ve brought this on your family.... I’m ruining your happiness. I never should have come here—”
“Don’t say that, Darling.” Pete interrupted her and pulled her closer.
“Chin up, little lady. We’ll get through this together. That’s what families do,” Tom replied, triggering sobs that Anna, ‘til now, had held tightly in check.
The two older men sat quietly for a moment as Anna and Pete reined in their emotions.
When her tears subsided, Jim began again. “Anna, I know this is hard for you. But back to my question, would you be willing to make a declaratory statement about your dealings with Swanson? And any other major scoundrels you dealt with? The more details, the better. We can do a video statement. It wouldn’t be admissible in court, as you well know.”
“Why is that, Jim?” Tom asked.
With a shaky voice, Anna interjected, “It would be challenged for violating the Sixth Amendment Confrontational Clause, which helps ensure reliability of the evidence through cross examination, determination of duress, and verifying the demeanor during testimony.”
Jim smiled. “Quite correct. But we can ensure it’s sufficient to force investigations across a number of agencies. We can hold on to it just in case we need it to stop Swanson, or US officials. We’d have to have some duplicates in case our own law firm becomes a target.”
“Whose side would the government be on?” Tom asked.
“Some will be for, some against. The government’s not monolithic, but rather a group of competing interests. We’re concerned about the corrupt ones who will use the power of the government to do Swanson’s bidding.”
“And the president?”
“He can be implicated in the falsification of documents supporting the sale of Alaska. They’ll have a vested interest in keeping Anna alive and out of the public eye, if they know her testimony would harm them. In this case, the media, and particularly the Internet, are our friends.”
“I’ll do the video,” Anna announced suddenly. “God, I’m sorry Pete. I hadn’t thought this all the way through. I really wanted a normal life with you.”
“We’ll still have a life together,” he assured her, trying to conceal the doubt and fear that wreaked his own mind. “It’ll just be a little…quirky.”
They both laughed, she through her tears.
“Anna, regarding the hacker tracking, I propose you give me the information I would need to pass to the FBI or NSA to grab the hackers. A sample coin also would be helpful. I’ll have to work through an affiliate law office to obscure the origin of the information, but I think I can use this to our advantage to get some possible protection for you. Goodwill gives us a big bargaining chip in the future. But our government isn’t what you need to fear the most.” Jim looked at Anna with concern. “Will you let me set it up?”
“Yes, Jim, if you think it will help us,” she said with resignation.
“Let’s pick this up in the morning,” Tom interjected. “Jim, why don’t you spend the night. I’ve got a video camera we can use.”
“That’s a good idea,” Jim said. “You two get some sleep.”
Chapter 68
August 3, 0200 hours
Heyward Ranch, Denton, TX
Moonlight streamed through the open window, casting the couple in shadows. It was two in the morning, and only the sound of crickets outside their bedroom broke the silence.
Anna’s head lay on Pete’s chest, her left arm slung over him. His right hand was slowly stroking her back. Pete had spent the past three hours attempting to console her, but her despondency would not pass. Her puffy eyes were still wet from the tears she had shed, and their dampness on his chest seemed unlikely to soon dissipate.
He shifted his hand to her long, luxurious hair and gently ran his fingers through it. “Anna, you know I’m committed to you, don’t you?”
“Why, Pete?” she stammered. Her distress was undiminished.
“Because I love you.” He exuded confidence with his declaration.
“Is that enough?” She sniffed.
“It is for me.”
“And later?” Her hand rubbed the side of his chest. “When you realize I’ve pulled you away from your family, your career, your friends, and a normal life? Will you still be so committed?”
His voice was stronger. “You are my family. I can adapt my career, and we can redefine normal.”
After a short pause, she asked, “What sent you to me?” In a voice reminiscent of a child’s, she softly asked, “Are you an angel?”
“I’m hardly...” he caught himself. His brow furrowed and he glanced upward. With all sincerity he responded, “Well, come to think of it...I did feel drawn to you.”
“When did it hit you that you had to come to me?” Her head was still flat against his chest.
“I don’t know exactly...I guess it was when I sensed the pain in the painting.”
A shiver ran through her. “So you felt it too?”
“Yeah. It kind of pulled me in.” He placed his left hand on her shoulder and brushed the side of her
face with his right, then leaned forward and kissed the top of her head.
“You believe in God, Pete?”
“Yes, yes I do,” he said without hesitation.
“I didn’t...” she said uneasily. “At least, not since I was 15.”
“Do you now?”
“Maybe...not the ritual so much, but maybe the spirit of something greater.”
“That would be a start. Would you like to go someday?”
“To church?” She exhaled deeply, and gave her answer some consideration. “I might like that.”
“Then it’s a date...” Pete proclaimed optimistically. “Maybe it’ll help provide some answers, or at least give you some peace.”
“Peace...” she inhaled deeply, and then slowly exhaled. “That would be nice.”
“Anna, let’s talk about where we would go.”
“Okay,” she said sadly.
“Which do you like, hot or cold?”
“Warm,” she responded mechanically.
“So cool or cold it is,” he stated playfully. He felt her cheek expand against his chest from what he assumed was a smile. “You like it dry or wet?”
“Dry.” Her voice was a little more cheerful.
“So wet it is. We’re getting somewhere.” He felt her cheek get rounder and she shifted her body more against him. Her hand began brushing the side of his face.
“Windy or calm?”
“Mostly calm…I know”—she softly chuckled—“it’ll be windy.”
“You’re catching on to the game,” he said cheerfully.
Gently pushing against his chest, she lifted her head slightly. Her smile was weak, but her eyes were grateful. She gave him a soft peck on the cheek, then crossed her hands and laid her chin on them. She kept eye contact with him, her full lips moist and together.
“Urban or rural?” He smiled warmly at her.
Hesitating, she bit her lower lip, and said, “rural.” Her brow lifted while anticipating the answer.
He grinned mischievously. “Okay, I’ll give you that, rural it is.”
“Hey, I was kidding!” She poked him in the rib with her forefinger. “I like urban, urban I say.” Rolling on top of him, she started tickling him on the sides.