The Noble Mercenary

by Patrick John Donahoe

  “Sounds like you should have Moira respond to the ad,” offered Ian, over his last bite of shredded beef taco.

  “I already have,” Serena replied, with an impish smile instead of her usually sober expression.

  Thirteen

  Their sumptuous meal completed in the dining room, the Baron addressed the group, “Let’s move to the drawing room for our meeting.” To the head waiter he said, “Jerome, twelve cognacs and Cuban Supremo Cigars all around, in the drawing room.”

  “Very good, sir.”

  The other eleven Committee members enjoyed their meetings with the Baron in his ‘Members Only Club.’ The Baron always footed the bill, even though they could each well afford to foot the bills themselves, but it was a gesture of magnanimity for the Baron, who always operated larger than life.

  The Baron was the de facto Chairman, or President, of their organization even though he had never been elected, or even formally nominated, for the position. Each member of the Committee was a wealthy, powerful, influential, respected male in his own area of expertise: industry, commerce, politics, or professional life. The twelve members of the Committee collectively controlled more aspects of the world than anyone outside of their group realized. Their goal was to rule the world and remake it in their own vision.

  The twelve men walked from the dining room to the drawing room where Jerome had already prepared the fireplace with a blazing hardwood fire. Privacy was one of the perks of belonging to the exclusive Men’s Club. The Baron had the drawing room sealed from electromagnetic intrusion, ‘bugs,’ so their conversations were secure.

  Jerome, and two more waiters, provided each guest with their drinks, cigars and cigar end clippers, and wooden stick matches.

  “Jerome, please close the door as you leave and hold all calls. We are not to be disturbed.”

  The twelve men took their respective seats around the fireplace, in the six high back arm chairs, and the two 3-person sofas. There was a pecking order in the Committee. The armchairs for the six top echelon leaders and the sofas for the six, although powerful men in their own right, second tier of the Committee. The Baron’s armchair was situated to be the focal point of the group.

  The Baron clipped the end of his cigar, lit it with one wooden match and took his first after dinner puff while the others followed suit. He then sniffed his drink, and finding its fragrance to meet with his approval, sipped the cognac as though the world were his oyster. When the appropriate civilities and rituals were completed, he began, “I assume everyone has read and returned the minutes from our last meeting and provided any feedback to our recording secretary.”

  Each member of the group responded, “Aye.”

  The Baron blew a perfect smoke ring toward the ceiling. “How many of you have ever played the board game Risk?”

  Two of the men raised their hands.

  “Well, as you know if you take over Australia and nothing else at the beginning of the game, you will probably lose. If you try to take over Asia too early in the game, you will be attacked on all sides and probably be the first player eliminated. If you can take over North America or Europe early in the game and work your way outward with protection behind you, you have a good chance of winning.

  We are the Select because we have been chosen out of the finest families for our abilities in the Arts, Sciences, Politics, Finance and Business, and Athletic prowess. One need not be of a specific ethnic origin, like the Nazis envisioned, but only be extraordinary in a powerful way. We want to save the world, not destroy it.

  By being rid of those who abuse and pollute the world we will benefit the world, and save it for future generations of people who will appreciate and improve it. We will develop a race of homo superior who will preserve the world’s ecology and use the resources wisely.”

  The Baron puffed on his cigar and blew another perfect ring. He looked at each of his companions and asked, “Does anyone have any old business before we begin?”

  One man raised his hand.

  “Yes, Derek.”

  “Sir, I heard you’ve tasked two of your lawyers to assist Karl Brandt with his legal troubles.”

  “Yes, I’ve asked two of my most capable lawyers to assist while revealing no obvious connection to myself. They’ve contracted with two other lawyers who don’t normally work for me to further distance my involvement. We must be ever vigilant in our activities, but we cannot abandon our friends. It’s a touchy business. Since we have taken a few minutes to discuss the Brandt’s situation, let’s go ahead and complete the discussion before we move on to the other agenda items.

  Rolf Brandt died of a heart attack, having suffered some injuries when he was arrested. The stress was too much for him. Karl is currently in the Guantanamo prison awaiting transfer to Belmarsh Prison in England. Karl and Rolf were making great headway with their deadly brews and antidotes as well as their life extending ‘fountain of youth’ serum, but their work on a life extending virus, or serum, is stalled. Karl discovered that in medicine there are equal and opposite actions just as there are in physics. He thought he would have the life extending solution in hand, if not in his lifetime, at least in his son Kurt’s, and intended for Kurt to carry on his work.

  I have plans to get the effort back on track. We need to appoint a new Longevity Action Leader. Several years ago we recruited another researcher, Doctor Damon Ehrlich, who has retained copies of Karl’s and Rolf’s research results in case they were compromised. He worked behind the scenes for Karl and Rolf. He will preserve and perhaps extend Karl’s work, but I have my doubts. He does not have Karl’s genius and foresight. Doctor Ehrlich, although an excellent researcher, is not the leader we need for this critical pillar.

  Kurt is completing his medical internship in Munich and will soon return to Brazil to run Tridente. My daughter, Aloisia, has completed her medical internship and will go to Brazil with Kurt. The two of them will marry and continue Karl’s research as a team. We have a large hole to fill in our organization, without a leader for our Longevity Pillar, but I expect either Kurt, or Aloisia, will take on that role, eventually.” The Baron looked for any negative reactions to the suggestion that a female take on a Committee assignment, and observed none. He smiled.

  “I heard young Kurt married an Indian girl and she’s pregnant,” Derek continued.

  “You heard correctly. The Select’s goals trump personal mistakes. Aloisia traveled to Brazil and digitized and organized all of the Brandt’s data and notes. She provided Doctor Ehrlich with copies for safekeeping. She will bring Kurt back into the fold. Together they can achieve the results we’ve been striving for. Aloisia is on board with our plans. Aloisia and Kurt will lead the next generation of the Select. She is the most far sighted young woman I have ever met.”

  “She’s your daughter, who would expect less,” Derek replied.

  “Are there are any more comments or questions? Let the record show this subject is closed, unless there are any objections, or further comments.”

  There were none.

  The Baron leaned back in his chair, took another puff of his cigar and blew another smoke ring. The Baron enjoyed exercising his flair for the dramatic. Good, he thought, when the time comes I’ll assign Aloisia as the Chairperson of the Longevity Pillar.

  The Eleven waited for his next comment.

  “Let’s have reports from our other four pillars of action, Political, Economics, Supply Line, and Communications.” The Baron gave Professor Konrad Jaekel, the Political Action Committee Chairman a piercing stare. “What do you think is our greatest virtue, Professor Jaekel, or would you prefer Count Jaekel?”

  The Baron and the Count had taunted each other for years about their nobility titles, and enjoyed the repartee, or at least the Baron did.

  “Thank you for your consideration, Baron, but I prefer Professor Jaekel for this forum. As for your question, I would venture, commitment.”

  “An excellent answer, sir, but it’s patience, my good Count, patien
ce. We make goals and tirelessly work to achieve those goals. We do not lose focus, or give up. Eventually we will achieve all of our goals, maybe not in our generation, or our children’s generation, but eventually. We only need for the mongrels of the earth to not destroy the earth before we take over. We will have to break some eggs to make the omelet.”

  “We are steeled for the long term,” said Konrad Jaekel. “Would you like my report now?”

  “Since I’m on a roll, I should report my participation in the Political Action Pillar, then turn the discussion over to you.”

  “Very well, Baron,” the man in a stern black suit and red bowtie replied, deferring to the Baron.

  “As Professor Jaekel can attest, our stealth drone development is going well. We need six stealth drones set aside for our six air strikes fomenting warfare between a dozen of the major belligerents of the earth. Their aggressiveness as well as their weaknesses will be our strength. We need to decide, based on all our collective knowledge, which target to hit first and formulate our attack plan. I’m conducting non-destructive flight tests to insure the first system is ready. I’m losing money developing the stealth drone, but am making up the losses on my standard drone models. I don’t want too many customers for our standard drones, making it appear that we are a small player in the drone market. Once we’ve launched our six major strikes, and still remain beneath suspicion for our involvement, then we’ll market our stealth units and the buyers will line up like teenagers at an Ironman movie.

  Professor Jaekel has suggested the location of our first stealth drone strike. I defer to you, sir, to present your suggestion to the committee.”

  “Thank you Baron, but before I make my suggestion, I would like to discuss the options for our drone program.”

  “Go right ahead, Professor.” The Baron leaned back in his chair. He wearied of Professor Jaekel’s reports because he was often too professorial, talking to the Group as if they were students in one of his graduate classes. The Baron liked to get to the point, but he tried to be patient.

  “Thank you, Baron. We are torn between two options; one, to sell our stealth units to belligerent countries and encourage them to use the drones to create chaos, or two, we attack peaceful countries with our stealth drones, but make it look like a belligerent neighbor conducted the attack. For example, we could attack South Korea from North Korea and allow the world to blame the North for the attack. If we conduct the attack ourselves, we will have to insure that the drone is completely destroyed in the attack and cannot be traced back to us.

  Also, we must continue to pretend we haven’t developed stealth technology, yet. After we’ve created enough chaos, we’ll announce we have finally developed stealth technology and market our drones for profit.

  The Americans will probably be the first in line, since they’ve been in the hot seat for years for using drone attacks in which civilians have been killed, or have taken out terrorists in countries not friendly to the use of American drones. The Americans, military arms capitalists personified, will try to block our sales to rogue countries like the Iranians and the North Koreans, but the CIA would like nothing better than getting their hands on a slew of our stealth drones, so they’ll probably turn a blind eye to our possible involvement in attacks.

  The American government has been considering using drones within its own borders, but the American public is adamantly against this practice. So, who would believe them if they denied targeting rogue countries, such as North Korea, with stealth drones.

  So, we sell our stealth drones to those countries that might attack their neighbors anyway, and make the profit. Or, we conduct the attacks ourselves, insuring they are conducted against the countries we desire, and let the blame fall on those we intend. If we sell our stealth units now, it would be known that we possess stealth units, and the blame could fall to us if we attack. If we stealth attack first, pretending we don’t have the capability yet, and then come up with the capability at a later date, we lose money, but gain advantage.

  As far as our first stealth attack on South Korea is concerned, our drone platform is ready, our payload will be delivered in the next month, and we’re looking for another drone team member, the pilot, to carry out the attack. What do you suggest, Baron?”

  “I suggest we do both. Create chaos with our stealth drones in ways beneficial to us, then sell them to belligerent countries who will use them and not reveal their source. All in favor indicate by the raised hand,” the Baron requested.

  All twelve committee members raised their right hands.

  “Professor Jaekel, back to you.”

  “Thank you, Baron,” the Professor turned slightly to face the group, and said, “I suggest we conduct our first strike against South Korea from North Korea as soon as possible. I’ve studied all the possibilities and think a strike there will look plausible, and cause the most havoc under the current political climate.”

  The Baron replied, “All in favor, indicate with a raised hand.”

  All twelve members raised their right hands.

  “What will you use for the weapon?” asked Mr. Vogel.

  “Excellent question,” the Baron replied. “Our medical researcher, Doctor Damon Ehrlich, is making a payload of Sarin for our South Korea attack. Each target we pick will have a target specific payload. We will hit limited targets, destroy government buildings and decapitate government leaderships, destroy military compounds and decapitate military leaderships, decimate big businesses, like oil and power, and cause chaos in general. Professor Jaekel, please continue with your report on our Political program.”

  “I’m working with one of our own, an insider, to obtain one, or more, backpack nuclear devices from a Russian armory.” Professor Jaekel looked up from his notes, and continued.

  “Our program for placing assassins in England, America, Japan, Russia, Germany and France is nearly complete. Unfortunately, our Russian assassin was liquidated last week. It seems another female KGB agent recognized our agent, a woman by the way, from college, dug into her activities, and with approval from her masters dispatched our agent. I have two other candidates under consideration, a brother and sister team, and will fill the vacancy soon. The assignment will remain the same, assassinate Vladimir Putin and make it look like Chechen and Ukrainian loyalists had a hand in eliminating him.

  The Brandt’s circumvented our Political Action Group, and overstepped their bounds, when they didn’t keep my operatives in the loop, after I contracted with al Qaeda to attack the US with a virus. Although theirs appeared to be a brilliant concept using Iran’s submarine as a delivery platform, the attack failed. Their failure may have been prevented had we been more involved. They asked for $5M for virus research, but received only $2.5M for their preliminary attack in Notting Hill, England. Karl Brandt should have stuck to what he knew best, viruses, and not weapons’ launches, or political attacks.”

  “Now, now, we must not speak ill of the imprisoned and dead, our dead,” the Baron chided.

  “I meant no disrespect, but we all have our responsibilities, and we should stick to them. Besides, now I have to figure out a way to mollify al Qaeda, who I see as being as much of a problem as any other entity we’re against. Neither we, nor they, know why the Brandt’s attack failed. We blame them and they blame us. The same goes for this new coalition which calls themselves ISIS. They are crude, violent terrorists who will stop at nothing to achieve their ends, and we will have to contend with them eventually.

  We’re continuing to foster political leaders in several developing countries, individuals who are poised to take over high leadership positions and depose any peacemakers, or other high minded competent candidates. Of course, we’re supporting the leadership in corrupt countries like Cuba and Venezuela. We publicly promote war on corruption, but secretly back corrupt political leaders at the same time, promoting chaos. Unless there are any questions, that is my report.”

  “Excellent report, Professor Jaekel. Mr. Wagner next.”<
br />
  “Our Economics Action Group is petitioning for Germany to be removed from the Euro Zone. The Euro Zone is on the verge of collapse, and when Germany, the only prosperous country pulls out, the whole infrastructure will collapse.”

  “Mister Braun, next.”

  “Our Communications Group has a small cadre of hackers who are riding on the efforts of the Chinese and the Americans to spy on each other and the rest of the world. We have been sabotaging the internet and setting up the Chinese as the ones at fault. Neither the Chinese nor the Americans are aware of our involvement, thinking that it is one or the other attacking them. We can shadow and trump everything the Chinese and the Americans do without being detected. Soon we will be able to hack into every military, government and business database we desire. We have a small cadre of hackers in Brazil who use key phrases and server addresses to pull only those messages that the Chinese Military and the American CIA and NSA find pertinent. Our Select candidate we recently planted at the NSA is proving to be increasingly valuable. He . . .”

  “Let’s move on,” the Baron interrupted.

  “Yes, sir. The Americans are under their own scrutiny for spying on their own people, so as long as we’re careful, we can continue to ride on their efforts and glean whatever information we desire. We’ve obtained several gems of intelligence so far, and our capabilities will be used to augment our first stealth drone attack. We continue to add false intelligence to the world-wide-web.”

  “Excellent report, Mr. Braun. Mister Vogel, next.”

  “We’re prepared to disrupt the supply lines of all shipping to and from the major Asian, North American, European and Arabian ports. We’ve placed, and continue to place, bombs in, or near, major airports around the world; bombs which can be set off at our pleasure to disrupt all air supply lines.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Vogel. I would like two copies of your progress thus far. One I’ll keep in my safe and another for reading by other members of the Committee.”