Jim stood in silence for a few seconds, obviously deep in thought. “You’re right. I’m tired of Washington. It’s almost impossible to have a true friendship with anyone. It seems that almost everyone inside the beltway is obsessed with getting to the next rung of the old career ladder, no matter what the cost. Quid pro quo are the words of the day. As far as I’m concerned the whole system is beginning to crumble under its own weight. I’m tempted to take your offer, but I still need a little more time before I make a final decision. After all, it’s a life-changing situation. And you know how slow I am to make up my mind, at least most of the time.”
John kept pressing for an answer. “Jim, you’re right for the job. I’ve got Maxx and Maxxine as consultants, but that’s just not enough. I need you personally. I have to have someone that I trust because I am going to give that person extensive powers and extensive responsibilities.
“You have a Ph.D., but you recognize your limitations. You still have the mind of a student. So you can learn as you go. You may make mistakes, but you will recognize them quickly and adjust. No one knows everything. Not even Maxx; well, at least not yet.”
“I hardly think that I could be that important. You’ve got Maxx and Maxxine for consultation, and you have more than adequate resources for your business.”
John paused for a moment and seemed to be listening intently to something. When he spoke, his voice was strained, and his face ashen.
“Take your time. Our partnership is of the utmost importance to me, but I’ve just had some disturbing news confirmed by Maxxine. She has discovered a developing situation in Washington, and it is not only serious, it is quite dangerous.
“Maxx gave her the same communications capability that he used to speak to me for my whole life. It’s like there’s a voice in my head. Hard to explain but it's true.”
Jim Slater suddenly stiffened and was all ears. After all, he still worked for the National Security Advisor.
Julia walked over and joined them.
“Okay, let’s go back to the living area where we can, at least, be comfortable while we hear your bad news.”
****
“Maxx has been gathering vast amounts of data from Earth in his study of humans. To do that, he’s developed some very sophisticated algorithms that alert him when something unusual is taking place. He’s become quite a snoop. Anyhow, he detected some alarming activities recently, and Maxxine has been working to confirm them.
“It seems that there is a very secretive organization, they call themselves the Krakow Klub. And they plan to take over our government.”
Jim was incredulous. “Impossible. How could anyone believe that they could take over the entire government? It’s ludicrous at best and a bad joke at worst. It’s insane.”
“Jim, listen to me. Their plan is not to gain control through force. Their plan is far more insidious and far more dangerous than that. They’ve been working on this for many years. They are going to gain power from within the system and then expand that power until they have absolute control. Maxxine indicates that they’ve already made substantial infiltration in the government and the military command as well.
“These people are some of the richest and most ruthless people in the world. They came up with a relatively simple, but it is a long-range plan that has put them within sight of their goal. They recruit key personnel using financial incentives and blackmail. You’d be surprised at how easy it is to corrupt those in authority.
“It seems that our former president had a key role in the conspiracy. His resignation paved the way for the vice president to assume power, and as you can imagine, our new president has been under their control for years. By the way, I have no doubts that the Krakow Klub was behind the disappearance of the former President’s plane. From what I understand, they don’t take kindly to being double-crossed.
“The new president has no idea that his entire reason for existence is to pave the way for Carla Montrose to be named vice president. Don’t bother to ask. She’s a minion of the Krakow Klub.
“You’ve surely heard of her. She’s often referred to as ‘the Wicked Witch of the East’ by her fellow Congressmen. She’s about as popular as a fox in a henhouse. Maxxine has suggested our new president will appoint her by executive order after the houses of Congress deadlock over the question of her appointment. The Supreme Court could potentially overrule the appointment, but that will never be allowed to happen.
“That’s just one scenario as to how she would get into office. Regardless of how it’s accomplished, they are intent on her getting into the Oval Office. When that is achieved, the scene will be set for their takeover.
“As soon as Montrose is the vice president, President Wilkinson will be eliminated, apparently by assassination. The assassination will be done in such a way that it can be blamed on terrorists. That, along with a few other engineered terrorist attacks, will set the stage for the declaration of martial law.”
Jim Slater was stunned by what he had just heard and interjected that the whole thing was totally implausible. “The military would never allow such a thing to happen.”
Once again, John, speaking very deliberately and calmly, stopped Jim’s protestation. “There’s even more to the plan. Let me continue.
“This is a long-range plan that took many years and billions of dollars to get to this point. They’ve already got many of their puppets into positions of power, or at least access to power. Unfortunately for us, many of them are in the military and have risen to high rank over the years. Maxxine has confirmed that they even have the White House physician in the palms of their hands.”
Julia sat silently and Jim was slowly facing the fact that this frightening situation was real, and it was dangerous, not only to the United States, but to the entire world.
John spoke again, “Money is equivalent to power in politics and Washington, DC, is a political town. The Krakow Klub has billions of dollars at its disposal. That kind of money, given time, can buy just about anything in politics. Placing a few key generals here and there is easy when the White House makes the recommendations for the promotion of general officers. And, of course, you own the White House.
“As I said, the Krakow Klub apparently needs for Carla Montrose to occupy the Oval Office. Killing the president would be the easiest way to place her there. A terrorist attack would be the obvious choice. A freak accident of some sort would result in a grief-stricken nation, but a terrorist attack would create a fury not seen since Pearl Harbor or 9-11.
“Shortly after the assassination, there’ll be other carefully orchestrated events, in other words, additional terrorist attacks that will lead up to Montrose declaring martial law. From there, absolute power will be within their grasp. Those military commanders not already under their control will be quickly replaced, probably claiming that they were traitors, associated in some way with the terrorists.
“With the military in control, they can move forward to neutralize the powers of Congress. For example, intern them into some camp for their protection.”
Julia spoke softly, “John, surely something can be done to stop this. If they succeed, it would be a disaster of epic proportions. Can’t you come up with some way to use your powers to prevent this catastrophe?”
John smiled at her and took her hand. “Thanks for your confidence. It’s a little late in the day, but I think that we can upset their little apple cart. Carla Montrose will surely succeed in becoming the new vice president. That seems to be inevitable. The plan is already in motion. She is ruthless and without moral restraints—probably a closet sociopath. She wouldn’t hesitate to approve massive bloodshed throughout the country. In fact, I have a feeling that she’d enjoy it.”
Jim got up and paced the room. “What about the Secret Service. Surely we should warn them. What about my boss, the national security advisor? He’s a jerk, but surely he could do something to prevent the assassination.”
“Unfortunately, we can’t reveal that
we’ve breached the organization’s security. These people are smart, and they’ve surrounded themselves with many layers of protection. We have no proof. They haven’t done anything yet that is conclusively illegal. How do you propose to convince anyone that you’ve been privy to a treasonous plot on the government by a supercomputer from an alien spacecraft? Just think of it. Does your health insurance cover psychiatric services?”
Jim was becoming more frustrated by the moment.
“Just relax. We’re going to do this under the radar. Maxxine is already working to save the president from the assassination attempt and allowing the plotters to think that they’ve succeeded. Then, after the White House is in their hands and martial law has been declared, we’ll step in, along with the ‘reincarnated’ president.
“Just think of us as the little cavalry group that gallops in and saves the day in those old Westerns. We’ve got Maxxine and her enormous resources. They have money and what they think is the perfect plan. Who do you think is going to win this little game?”
Jim nodded, “Okay, I get the picture, but I still feel that I should notify the Secret Service, if no one else.”
“You would have no sworn duties if you tender your resignation effective immediately.”
Jim was taken aback by the suggestion. “I can’t do that. I caused a little firestorm when I merely took two weeks’ vacation without following the established protocol. A resignation would require adhering to innumerable regulations, many of them required for security issues for my position. I may not be all that important, but my job entails using and handling a great deal of classified information.”
John shook his head and answered as if speaking to a child, “You have no option when it comes to informing your superiors of the plot. Your career would go up in flames, and at best, you’d be branded as a lunatic. Don’t waste your breath on such a futile effort.”
Jim continued stubbornly, “Maybe I could come up with another story. Maybe I’ve gotten intel, through my job, of course, that terrorists are going to make an assassination attempt on the president.”
“Jim, forget it. You know that you don’t have access to that sort of information. If they listened at all, they would just assume that you are in on the plot. Having such information would certainly suggest that. Just settle down and let me handle things. Think of it this way, to protect the president and the government, you just have to keep your mouth shut. Therefore, you would not be failing to abide by your sworn oath of loyalty. Simple really.
“I repeat, the Secret Service cannot save the president. Only I can do that. The assassins are already inside the White House. The plan is in motion. You have no concrete proof of the plot. Your boss, that arrogant bastard, would just laugh at you and tell you that you baked your brains far too long in the Florida sun.
“You’ve got to trust me on this. I won’t allow the assassination of the president, but they’ve got to believe that they were successful. Maxxine is working on a plan right now, and I have complete confidence that she’ll come up with something brilliant. We’ve got to be patient for the time being; that is, unless you want to wind up in jail, or even worse, dead.”
Jim Slater threw up his hands in surrender. “Okay, I’ll go along with you, but it won’t be easy. Besides, I should know by now that I shouldn’t argue with you once you’ve made up your mind. Now that, my friend, would be a real futile effort!”
The conversation continued unabated. Julia suggested that Maxxine freeze the bank accounts of every Krakow Klub member. She reasoned that deprived of their monetary funds, they would be severely hampered.
John explained that, as of now, information about the group was far from complete and that locating all their bank accounts would prove to take far too much time. And most of the money was not in the United States.
The assassination plot was already in motion, and that should be the point for their intervention.
By now, Jim was starting to believe that his friend could handle the situation, but he wasn’t so sure that a great deal of innocent American blood wouldn’t wind up being spilt before it was all over.
“Jim, relax. This Krakow Klub situation is terrible, but trust that I can handle it. I have the resources and powers to neutralize the group. We just have to be patient and strike at the right time.”
Then, almost as an afterthought, John added, “By the way, with all this talk of plots and overthrows, I completely forgot to mention that another guest will be joining us for the weekend. I have been negotiating to purchase a bullion vault in London. I’ve hired a stellar assistant to manage the purchase and oversee my international business interests. She’ll arrive tomorrow to finalize our long-term contract. Our business will be brief, and that will leave the remainder of the weekend free for relaxation. At least we can enjoy the calm before the storm.”
Jim replied, a hurt expression on his face, “Hey, why didn’t you ask me about that. You know that I graduated from Oxford. I still know London pretty well, and I’ve maintained a fair number of contacts there. Maybe I could have taken the job myself.”
“Jim, you’re going to be far too busy to take on my London responsibilities. I’m very much aware of your background there, and I’m sure you could have done a splendid job. This young woman is already well connected with London’s financial circles and has impeccable credentials and experience.”
With that, John turned and left the room with Akiro trotting along behind. Jim, already accustomed to his friend’s rather obtuse pronouncements, just smiled and picked up little Mitch. “Come on little one, we need to get ready for dinner.” He caressed her ears. “By the way, have you made peace with little Akiro? He’s a rather handsome young fellow.”
As usual, Mister T served a splendid meal. Afterward, John made a surprising suggestion. “It’s a lovely evening and the weather is perfect all the way up the Eastern seaboard. Why don’t we take a little ride in my spacecraft and check out the city lights along the way? It’s truly an awe-inspiring sight. Besides, we need to clear our heads before we come to any further conclusions about how we must handle the Krakow Klub situation.”
He added, “Why don’t you bring Mitch along for the ride. She’s already a space travel pro. Akiro’s going to come along, too, to keep Julia company on her introductory ride in a spaceship.”
Jim didn’t hesitate. “Great idea! I agree that we could all benefit from spending the evening without talking about the mess in Washington.”
“Great. Mister T will also be joining us to navigate and I believe that he’s already placed a very nice bottle of French brandy on board for us to enjoy while we see the sights.”
They walked down the pathway through the gathering darkness toward the landing site. Mister T, as if by magic, was already in the craft, and the door was open.
They took their seats, and John explained what would happen. Mitch and Akiro had individual seats and chose to ignore each other.
“We’re going to travel for a short time in stealth mode. First, we’ll rise straight up to about two hundred fifty miles in altitude. Then, Mister T will put us into visible mode. If anyone’s radar happens to detect us, we’ll just be seen as a small blip or possibly a UFO. Using visible mode, we’ll have a much better view of the coast. With stealth, we’d have to watch everything from the video screen. And, we’ll be traveling at a slow speed so that we can enjoy the view.”
In a very few moments, the viewing port opened in front of them. Both Julia and Jim gasped.
There, beneath them, was the easily recognizable shape of the lower Florida peninsula with many points of light in the populous regions. John pointed out Key West, Miami, Tampa, and several other points of interest. The bright moonlight reflecting off Lake Okeechobee looked like a giant mirror in the central portion of their view.
Next, he poured brandy for them and continued, “We’ll be at a higher altitude for most of our trip. Mister T will have the ship at an angle pointed a bit downward for your best views. We�
��ll spend about an hour checking out the sights. We’ll be using a slow speed, so just let me know if there’s anything that you’d like to check out with a closer view.”
The flight continued up the coast. Julia and Jim were continuously in a state of awe. They were now members of an elite group. The only other humans to have experienced such a spectacular view were the astronauts.
The entire group remained silent most of the time, each amazed by the incredible sights below. To add to the magnificence, Mister T had created a program of classical music to accompany the view.
A short distance north of Boston, the night lights became fewer and fewer as they neared the Canadian border. John instructed Mister T to turn southward and pass over some of the larger inland cities before proceeding down the West Coast of Florida and back to the island.
Home at last, they disembarked and returned to the villa.
Mitch, held in Jim’s left arm, looked over at Akiro and thought to herself, His training is coming along nicely. An apt pupil, and relatively intelligent, all things considered. He’s at least smart enough to understand the hierarchy around here.
At the fork in the pathway, Jim and Julia went toward the house along with Akiro. Jim put Mitch on the ground and let her hop around chasing some fireflies that had caught her interest.
John called over his shoulder, “Goodnight. Tomorrow we’ll talk more about the Washington, DC, issue before my other guest arrives. See you then.”
Chapter 6: Reunion
“If you love somebody, let them go, for if they return, they were always yours. If they don't, they never were.”
- Khalil Gibran
Breakfast the next morning was taken outdoors on the sunlit veranda. It was a glorious day. The sky was clear except for a few puffy little clouds that drifted overhead. A soft breeze from the ocean stirred the palms overhead gently. John looked around fondly at his beautiful island, but then reality returned. He finished his last sip of coffee and rose from the table and spoke to Julia, who was still lingering over her tea.
The Krakow Klub Page 16