The Voss Coin

by A B Alexander

  17

  Rules of the Game

  “Hi, I’m here to see Alice Lukach, what floor is she on?”

  Kevin asked the cute blonde receptionist on the ground level of the Mount Sinai Hospital. She twisted the gum in her puckered mouth with a blue ball-point pen, “Let me see.”

  He watched her fingers tap away aggressively on the keyboard, her black nail polish glimmering under the bright hospital lights.

  “Hmm, I can’t seem to find her, are you sure she’s here?” she asked with perched eyebrows.

  “I’m positive. Please take a look when she was admitted, maybe she checked out already?”

  She fiddled with her glasses and stared curiously at the screen.

  “Sorry, sir, nobody by that name has ever been hospitalized here.”

  He pinched his eyebrows together in disbelief.

  Alice was never admitted to Mount Sinai? John told me a few times that she was here. Where the fuck is he?

  He quickly assessed his options. He dialed John’s mobile for the umpteenth time. It went straight to voice mail. “Fucckkkk,” he shouted out loud, startling the blonde with his outburst.

  He turned toward the exit unapologetically and ran. He jumped into the first available taxi and headed to John’s posh Upper East Side penthouse. The morning’s rush hour was at its peak, the taxi barely shifted out of first gear.

  Why did John lie to me about Alice? he wondered anxiously in the back seat, biting his nails.

  RATTATATA, RATATATA RATAATA, the sound of automatic gunfire rose above the honking and humming of the surrounding cars. Inside the taxi, shards of glass, plastic, and seat foam exploded in a thunderous cloud of destruction. The firing stopped. He lay on the taxi floor, frozen in fear. The Pakistani driver collapsed on the passenger seat, bleeding profusely and wheezing heavily. It sounded like his lungs filled with blood, gurgling and wheezing to draw his final breath.

  “Oh my God! Oh my God! Hang on, man.” Kevin shouted out in shock.

  RATATTATAT, RATATATATAA another volley of shots rang out. The rear door closest to him became unhinged from the damage. He kicked it open and rolled out onto the cold, glass-covered pavement. He crawled under a nearby car and continued moving. Another volley of RATTTAAA RATARATATAA shrieked through the air. The sound of piercing metal, plastic, and glass was deafening. He marveled at the explosion, the underside of the taxi lifting up in the air from the sheer force of impact.

  He crawled two more lanes beneath the stationary cars. A few moments earlier, he had complained to the driver about the morning’s heavy standstill traffic, now it saved his life. He stood up partially, keeping his head down. He heard the rapid gunfire in the area of the taxi. He sprinted toward the subway with animal-like alertness, skipping stairs at Olympic hurdling speed. He was hunted, and this time their motives were clear. He jumped over the ticket barrier, snaking between the travelers and constantly scanning the platform. The subway train screeched to a stop on his right. He kept weaving between the crowd, people got on and off. He waited for the last second to board. He heard the buzzing sound preceding doors closing and jumped on. They slid shut behind him, and the train rattled off. He sat down on the blue plastic bench, panting hard to catch his breath. It was a cold day in New York, but he was drenched in sweat. A young family of tourists sat directly across him. The toddler was pointing at a map and asking his father questions. The wife was resting her head lovingly against her husband’s shoulder. They were smiling and laughing with the usual holiday banter. Kevin wasn’t the jealous type, but at that moment he realized just how badly he’d fucked up. He doubted that his relationship with Lucy would ever be the same, and he knew his kids deserved better from him.

  Screw it, anything can be fixed as long as I’m alive. I’ll get my life back on track, I just have to stay alive.

  He banished any negative thoughts and planned his next move. He kept his eyes on the doors at every stop, tracking exactly who was boarding. He let the train continue another ten stops and disembarked, satisfied that he was no longer being tracked. He jumped into another cab and gave the driver John’s address in Lenox Hill, a posh neighborhood on the Upper East Side that contained some of Manhattan’s most expensive real estate. It took him the better part of an hour to arrive at the eighteenth-century Neo-Grec building. He dashed into the lobby so fast, he nearly came hurtling down on the black limestone flooring. He approached the uniformed concierge.

  “Hi, my name is Kevin Voss, I’m here to see John and Alice Lukach, please.”

  The concierge tipped the edge of his hat, emphasizing the embroidered coat of arms in its center.

  “Welcome, sir. Mr. Lukach is expecting you. Here is an elevator key for the penthouse, just slot it in and twist to the right.”

  Kevin took the key but hesitated.

  “Can you call John, please? I’d like to speak with him personally before going up.”

  The concierge looked momentarily puzzled, “Yeah sure. I guess that shouldn’t be a problem.” He picked up the front desk telephone and dialed John’s apartment.

  “Hello, Mr. Lukach. I have here Mr. Voss standing in front of me, and . . .” Kevin could hear John’s booming voice from across the front desk.

  “I already told you that I was expecting him, send him up immediately!”

  The concierge frowned, clearly tense by the aggressive response.

  “Ahhm mmm, sir, he’d like to speak with you first.”

  He handed Kevin the phone.

  “John, where the hell have you been on our big day?”

  He heard his breathing become labored.

  “Kevin, everything is OK. I have some urgent stuff to discuss with you and preferably not by phone. So, come up please.”

  Satisfied that it was indeed John waiting for him, he entered the elevator.

  He slotted the key for the penthouse and twisted right per instruction. The elevator began its smooth and steady ascent.

  He is lying, and not just about Alice. Something’s up. I could hear it in his voice. Anyway, it’s too late now. I have to confront him on this.

  The elevator ground to a halt, revealing a custom sculptured ceiling and oak fishbone flooring. He walked into the vast space, appreciating the apartment’s classic design combined with contemporary touches. The eerie silence made him uneasy and contributed to the standoffish feel of the place. The only audible sound was the clicking of his heels against the wooden floor. To the end of the rounded foyer lay the entranceway to the lounge. John was seated on a white vintage de suede canapé sofa and he didn’t get up to greet him.

  “They just tried to fucking kill me!” Kevin shouted as they locked eyes.

  John just stared at him blankly. “I know, Kevin. I know.”

  Suddenly, three armed men entered the room.

  “Please sit down, sir,” said a suited dark-haired man with hawkish features. He seemed to be the leader of the group. Kevin sluggishly lowered himself into the palatial sofa and stared wide-eyed in shock at the unfolding scene. The armed men were American, and they handled themselves like intelligence field agents. The way they walked, talked, and acted reminded him of scenes from Mission Impossible.

  John, that piece of work, double-crossed me and went to the authorities. My family is going to be killed because of this son of a bitch.

  He glared angrily at John, who was at this stage avoiding eye contact.

  The leader approached Kevin.

  “Thank you for finally joining us, Mr. Voss. In a few moments, the nightmare that you’ve been living over the last few years is going to end.”

  Kevin looked down at the floor and shook his head in disappointment.

  They’ve no idea who they’re dealing with, what a screw-up. They’re going to risk the lives of my family.

  A bulkier, bearded man with a bulldoggish face picked up the remote from the nearby coffee table and switched on the impressive ninety-inch TV. He looked like the henchman. The news channel switched on, and everyone’s a
ttention turned to the screen. The headliner read, SUSPECTED GANGLAND SHOOTING IN MANHATTAN. The broadcast switched to a female news reporter, reporting live from outside the Mount Sinai Hospital. She spoke with a concerned, high-pitched tone. “Chaotic scenes this morning as a suspected gangland shooting occurred just outside Mount Sinai Hospital. A Pakistani taxi driver and the notorious rapper BIG EAZY were found dead at the scene. No other victims were reported thus far.”

  The henchman switched off the TV. Stunned, Kevin turned toward the leader and said, “That’s not what happened, I was in the back seat of the taxi.”

  The leader smiled wryly, somewhat surprised by Kevin’s naivety.

  “Oh yeah, we know. You still don’t understand what’s going on here, do you?”

  Kevin shook his head with an astonished look, fixated on John. The leader pulled out a small portable two-way radio and said, “Bring her to the lounge.”

  Alice was dragged into the room by her long rose-gold hair. She was gagged and cuffed with her hands behind her back, tears streaming down her pale face. Kevin smacked an open palm against his forehead in frustration.

  These guys work for the Et Decem. I’m a dead man. Think fast.

  He felt like the earth was going to swallow him up alive. Panic choked his chain of thought and clouded his senses.

  “I think you understand now what’s happening. I apologize about the taxi incident earlier, that would’ve been a messy way to go. Also, it would’ve made our job a lot harder. Someone in our organization made the wrong decision based on the presumption that you were on the way to a news network to share the contents of the pen. However, we know that the pen is in your briefcase, so you can hand it over now.”

  Kevin was overcome by painful disbelief. He reached into his briefcase with great hesitation and handed it to them. His strongest leverage point had just evaporated.

  The leader continued, “Good. Let me tell you what’s going to happen. In a minute, you and John are going to swallow these capsules of Cyanide. You’ve both decided to commit suicide today because of your ongoing corruption and money-laundering schemes. Just like your colleague Bill, you held offshore accounts and shell companies to hide your activities. In order to avoid lengthy prison time and shame on your families, this was the best option. I know what I’m saying doesn’t make a lot of sense to you, but we’ve been preparing the background facts for a while. The authorities and the media will be satisfied because they’ll be provided with concrete proof of your illicit activities. We can paint any picture we like as long as it makes sense. Exactly like what happened today with the taxi incident. It was a bit of a fuck-up because BIG EAZY had to be murdered and his body placed at the scene on very short notice. Either way, we got it done. I can assure you that your families will remain unharmed since they know nothing.” He paused and turned toward Alice, who was crying violently and attempting to scream in desperation through her gagged mouth. Due to her excessive exertion, her face turned blood red, veins protruding from her temples.

  The leader said to her, “But you know something, don’t you? Unfortunately, Alice, you’ll slit your wrists after finding your husband’s poisoned body. You know too much.”

  Her eyes widened in sheer terror that only imminent death can evoke.

  He turned back toward Kevin and John. “Just a small warning. If any of you resist doing what I tell you, it goes without saying that you’ll be killed in any case, but we’ll start with your families first.” Kevin glanced across at John, who seemed completely resolved to his fate. He sat like a prisoner, head bowed, resigned to his beheading.

  “Please stretch out your palms, you swallow the capsule when I tell you.”

  The leader dropped a red capsule in his palm and then in John’s.

  “There are three hundred milligrams of cyanide in each capsule. You chew it and then swallow. It’s going to react extremely quickly, within ten to fifteen seconds you’ll be dead. God bless, gentlemen.”

  For the first time that morning, John looked Kevin squarely in the eyes. They were no longer sagging or distressed. They sparkled like they did throughout his career at all the major turning points. The last time he’d seen his eyes glow like that was when he announced the Voss Coin project on national TV. He appreciated the bravery of the man, it was admirable.

  “Goodbye, my friend.” John stood up and shook Kevin’s hand warmly, like they were parting after a routine business meeting. “It was a pleasure knowing you and working with you over the years. See you on the other side.”

  “Wait!” Kevin suddenly screamed out. He had everybody’s attention now. He dropped the capsule on the floor and crushed it under the heel of his black Oxfords.

  “No one is going to die today!” he shouted at the top of his lungs.

  The leader pulled the Glock from beneath his jacket in a short smooth motion.

  It’s unbelievable. This guy moves like a jaguar.

  Kevin’s hands shot up in the air.

  “Wait and listen to me carefully. I created a failsafe for your employer’s mining software that’ll be triggered if I am killed or anyone in my family is killed. That includes John and Alice.” He smiled as he said their names and turned toward John. Surprisingly, he had the same astonished look as everybody else in the room.

  Kevin continued looking squarely at the leader. “I’m going to explain to you what’s going to happen. You’re going to call your employer right now and tell him exactly what I explained to you. It can be verified by comparing the Voss Code with the mining software code. The discrepancy is in section DC9. Then you’re going to untie Alice and get the fuck out of here.”

  The leader glared at him and then at John, unsure of what to make of his words. He hesitantly lowered the gun and reached for his mobile. He walked to the corner of the lounge and spoke heatedly on the phone for over thirty minutes. After what seemed like an eternity, he turned toward the bearded man. “Untie her, we’re getting out of here.”

  He strode menacingly toward Kevin. “We’ll meet again, and it’ll be sooner rather than later. Next time you’ll be wishing you had swallowed that capsule. You’ll receive a phone call shortly.”

  He headed for the door and ordered the men to leave the apartment. Alice ran into John’s arms crying hysterically. He mouthed a thank you to Kevin over her shoulder, hugging and caressing her. Kevin raised his hand in acknowledgement, “I’ll give you guys some time alone, we’ll speak later, John.” He turned around and left the apartment.

  His phone rang as soon as he stepped onto the limestone lobby floor.

  “Hello?” he said.

  It was silent. He repeated, “Hello, who is this?”

  After a few more seconds of silence, he heard the sound of clapping hands. The lengthy applause was eventually interrupted by the familiar chilling voice. “Congratulations, you’re alive. You were one step ahead of us this time. I can assure you that when the moment is right, we’ll gut your twin boys in the same way as your maid and it’ll be right before your eyes.”

  This time Kevin hung up and slipped the mobile in his pocket. He had heard enough. He walked out the main entrance of the building and into the cool air, taking a few deep breaths, appreciating the structure’s terra-cotta facade. His mind was clear again. He saved people’s lives because of his actions. Now that he knew the rules of the game, he wouldn’t let anybody else get hurt. He clenched his jaw.

  The war is on.

  18

  Life Matters

  “The big bad wolf huffed and he puffed but couldn’t blow down the brick house of the third little piggy. So, he climbed on the roof and . . .”

  Kevin paused, interrupted by the sound of the twins’ light snoring. He skipped to the ending of the story.

  “And the wolf fell through the chimney and into the boiling pot prepared by the third little piggy. The big bad wolf was outwitted and became the piggy’s dinner.”

  He calmly closed the book and kissed them gently goodnight on their warm baby-soft
foreheads.

  Am I going to be able to outwit the wolf?

  He switched off the bedside lamp and left the room. He only feared for the twins and Lucy, he was ready for death when it came. He’d lived a productive and active life and was proud of his achievements. Time was running out for him. After the Et Decem’s failed attempts to kill him a few months back, the sides were clear. He had leverage on them by the threat of triggering the failsafe, but it wouldn’t last forever. The moment they no longer viewed the unique mining software as an advantage, they were going to brutally wipe him and his family off the map. Until now, they hadn’t fully utilized their mining abilities; they waited. He assumed it was because the free market was reacting well and they didn’t want to destabilize it. Everything was going according to plan. The more mainstream the VC became, the greater their chances to be the main player in the financial markets. The Et Decem would step into those shoes when the time was right, patiently waiting for a price peak. The Voss Coin was worth a staggering $140 per single VC, unprecedented growth speed for any currency, digital or otherwise. He could see the revolution happening right before his eyes. Most popular retailers, taxi services, restaurants all accepted payment by VC. All the major banks enabled you to hold a separate VC account, where you could exchange any currency to and from VC at the click of a button. Traditional bank transfers were on their way to becoming obsolete. People preferred to send and receive money by VC, an instant, secure and smooth payment system.

  He couldn’t recall the last time he paid by cash or credit card. That was good news for him because of two factors. Firstly, as long as the VC price kept climbing, the Et Decem were likely to wait and his family would be safe. Secondly, he was making truckloads of money from his bets against the credit card companies. Whatever plan he thought about, money would play a critical role. He wasn’t naive to the three things that made the world go ’round, namely, money, power, and sex.

  In order to beat the wolf, I have to become one.

  He had no doubt that when the wolf came calling, his inner beast would be waiting.