Ingrams & Assoc 6: Downfall Ch. 05

They exited the building, to find themselves in a courtyard, full of people. There were almost twenty security guards plus several people in business attire, plus some white coated science types, kneeling down, hands behind their heads, and a few on the floor, hands tied. Megan was wandering around the group, amusing herself, with a stun baton, asking the guards questions and then stunning them if they didn't answer to her liking. April couldn't help noticing that Megan was no longer pregnant. Well, that was a conversation that would have to wait.

There were several evacuated prisoners also, and they had various members of Ingrams hovering over them, trying to help them. Many of Ingrams people where present, as was the entire crew that Chris had recruited.

April saw Lyndsey, hanging back and managed to catch her eye, even though she was still hanging on Dan. Lyndsey's face split into a massive smile and she bounded over to hug April, only stopping when she saw April's condition.

"You are a sight for sore eyes," she said, delightedly. "I am SO GLAD to see you."

"Not as glad as I am," replied April, grimacing as Dan lowered her down to sit on the floor, while he hurried off to some other job.

"We got it, though," she said, to Lyndsey. "Beatrice has it. Go find her. Get the USB key. Make sure you crack it."

"Oh, man!" answered Lyndsey, delightedly. "I'm on it. Trust me!"

And she ran on, looking for Beatrice, leaving April sitting by herself, the pain really started to hit, any adrenaline still in her body having long since left.

She looked up as a car swept into the courtyard. There were several scattered around, parked haphazardly, but this was a nice one. A large black SUV. And when it came to a stop, out stepped Jessica Ingrams herself from the driver's seat, leaving the door open. Her body language and face a mask in worry, concern and barely repressed anger.

April moaned. This was not what she needed right now. She needed medical attention, and hot bath, clean sheets and about six years sleep. She did not need a seriously pissed off ex-boss yelling at her.

Jessica hadn't spotted April, but did see Megan, and swept off in that direction. April was just wondering if she might not fake passing out, if she didn't anyway, just to get out of the inevitable confrontation, when two arms snaked beneath her armpits and lifted her off the ground.

"I think you need some medical attention. I know I do," whispered a voice that still sent whispers down her spine.

"I think we need to go. There are still people out there who are very involved with this little conspiracy, and some of them are highly placed. We need to disappear for a while, let them look for us instead of concentrating on your friends," said Chris Morgan, helping April limp towards Jessica's waiting car.

"Look, a car. We can take this one. I'm sure no one will notice," he whispered, holding April close.

"This is my boss' car!" April almost giggled. Almost.

"Well, I'm sure she'll be happy to let us borrow it. I know a few vets in the city that owe me. We can go there and get both of us patched up, then... who knows. We need to find a place to lie low, while the rest of the crew take care of this. I think we are done for a while, don't you?"

April managed to turn herself around to look Chris Morgan in the eye.

"Well, I can think of a few things we could do, to keep in shape, while we lay low. Or lay high, even."

"April Carlisle, I love you," replied Morgan, seriously, staring into her eyes. "I owe you my life, but either way, I would love you anyway. When we get a chance, will you marry me?"

"What a proposal," April actually giggled this time. "Well, sir Knight, I accept. Take me on your horse. I need to be swept off my feet, because my feet aren't so great right now."

Morgan smiled, and gathered her up, doing his best to avoid jostling her hand, and placed her in the passenger seat of Jessica's SUV, then closed the door, darted around the other side, and jumped in the driver's seat.

"Look, she's even left the keys here, and the car is running. Clearly she wants us to borrow it. Off we go."

Slamming the door, he put the car in drive, and drove off into the night.

Epilog.

April slid into the row seating at the table in the Applebees, in Mesa, Arizona, on the corner of Southern and Superstition Springs. She was still debating if this was a good idea or not, but for better or worse, here she was.

She ordered a large diet coke from the server while she considered the events of the past few months that had led her there.

After they'd gotten away from the Upstate New York building, and all that had occurred there, there had been one meeting with the rest of the small cell that Chris Morgan had put together. By then, Lyndsey had decrypted the USB dongle, and the mother lode of information regarding Storm Clouds operations had been uncovered.

Names, dates, locations, events, planned events, documentation on indoctrination processes, names of victims, names of the people they'd been procured for, the names of the people involved, even the upper echelons of the shadowy conspiracy, it was all there. Everything neatly documented and laid out.

The sheer scale of it surprised even the most hardened of conspiracy theorists in the group. There were people from almost every country involved. High up people. Several members of parliament plus two cabinet members, two peers and even one member of the British Royal family, on the UK side, without even talking about people in MI6 and MI5.

On the US side, there were two directors of the CIA, three station chiefs in the FBI, one Secret Service director, various members of congress and four senators, plus the chief of staff of the Vice President of the Unites States. Without counting members of private business, of which there were a distressing number.

It was the same for Spain, - high up members of parliament, plus two deputy Prime ministers, the head of the security services. France was similar, Germany, Japan, Russia, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, all countries with both political and security organs thoroughly riddled with either active members or people blackmailed by this organization. Its tentacles ran deep and wide.

The question then was, what did they do with it? Their initial plans were somewhat vague, but now, here it was. The key to blowing it open. Did they put it out in the public domain? That would ensure action, but that action would have inertia behind it, and some of the names would undoubtedly vanish into non-extradition countries. But, given the names of people involved in the security services of most of the countries involved, they couldn't just trust that the security services would do the right thing either, - without doubt if the people named got a whiff of what was in these documents, their lives wouldn't be worth spit.

In the end, it was Beatrice who came up with the strategy they followed. Distribute the data, - in its entirety, missing only the documentation on how the indoctrination process was achieved; no point in giving that ability to god knows whom, - to all the security services they could think of, at a level above the people mentioned in the documents. And then also distribute an encrypted version of the same information to every major news outlet they could think of, with a time release setup, so the documents would automatically open within one month. Give enough of the contents along with that, to ensure that the news outlets took it seriously, and then mention that in the version sent out to the intelligence agencies. Either they get up off their collective asses and do something about this before the data becomes public, or face the consequences of having done nothing when it did.

By distributing as wide as they could, to everyone they could think of, they figured they had themselves covered. Coming after them would be pointless, and there was no way this information could be removed from every place it was sent.

And that's what they did.

And it had worked.

There was major upheaval everywhere. It was quiet for the most part, but it happened. The places Chris could monitor through friends, - who wouldn't have spoken to him previously, - indicated people were arrested, for various fictitious reasons. The mansions were shut down. In countries not quite so open, people vanished, never to be heard from again. Blackmailed individuals retired, or left to 'spend more time with their families'.

The whole Storm Clouds operation vanished almost overnight. Several very highly visible business people suddenly retired, or were brought up on charges of corruption in more authoritarian countries.

But when the data went public, that's when the bomb really went off.

There were articles everywhere. Questions asked on TV. Documentaries made. Multiple journalists followed up on every facet of the documentation, no one mentioned was spared maximum exposure and investigation.

The world was enthralled by the salaciousness of the whole operation. Sex, violence, betrayal, killings, secret societies, big names involved, it was front page news for months, and would continue to be mentioned for years to come.

April and Chris had gone off the grid. Operating using pure cash, they had randomly crisscrossed the country, never staying anywhere too long. They were waiting for the dust to settle, and didn't want to be involved testifying anywhere. They'd done their bit, and now they just wanted to be quiet and unseen, at least till everything calmed down.

April had managed to convince Kim to meet them in New Orleans, and bring Max with her, so she could be reunited with her beloved pet, bring with him memories of the man who had saved her, giving his life in the process.

Eventually they'd settled in Nederland, Colorado, a small sleepy but very picturesque village up in the mountains, outside of Boulder. It was unique in that the city fathers allowed no chain stores to operate in the city limits, - there wasn't even a Starbucks or a Subway anywhere to be found.

They found it charming, clean, quiet and out of the way, with some stunning hiking and views. They paid cash for a small house, up on the mountainside, and spent their days being lazy, exploring the surroundings and walking Max.

Then, one day, Chris had walked up to the house and leaning against the main door, spoken to April, who was catching up on the last series of The Good Wife, - they'd done a lot of TV binging in the last couple of months.

"So, just got the mail. And there was some guy down there. Gave me this card. Told me to give it to you, and that if you were interested, we needed to," and he then quoted using finger quotes, "'go back where it all started for you, three weeks today, you'd be met there, and we'd be told things to our advantage.' The guy said to give you a message. No More Fieldwork? I think that was it."

"They've found us then?" said April, worriedly.

"Well, someone has. I don't think it's the Storm Clouds lot. I doubt there's anyone left. It's not like we've been hiding that much. If someone really wanted to find us, they could. We've just been keeping out of the way," he pointed out, closing the door behind him.

"I think... I think it's Ingrams? I mean, 'where it all started?' What does that mean? I'm assuming the reference to 'no more fieldwork' is referring to you?"

April shrugged. "I wouldn't be surprised. Sounds like Jessica to me. This is exactly the kind of cloak and dagger bullshit she pulled on me to recruit me. In fact..."

She sat and thought for a second.

"I'll bet I know what it means. When Jessica first approached me, it was at an Applebees, of all places, back in Arizona, where I grew up. You think that's what they mean?"

"Well, only one way to find out. You interested in seeing where this goes?" inquired Chris, moving to pour himself a glass of wine, noting that April already had one.

"What do you think? Trap?"

"Doubtful. If it was, it would be far more circumspect than this. They could have just run up here and grabbed us."

"Okay, well, I guess we are off to Arizona. Shame though, I quite like it up here. So quiet. So peaceful."

And here she was, sitting in the same booth she had been when Jessica had first proposed the job to her, all those years ago.

The place hadn't even changed that much. Same booths. Same area. Same oppressive heat in the summer, 'dry heat' be damned.

She sat there, staring out of the windows, looking her uncle's/Dad's car she'd finally managed to get out of storage. One mint vintage nineteen-sixty-five Cadillac, cream colored, with red interior. It had taken days just to get it started, and required a charge, new tires and an oil change, but beyond that, it was still immaculate, just as her father had left it. She was determined that this would not be left behind this time. No matter where she ended up, this was going too.

Staring out the window and reliving memories of her childhood, she was brought to the present by Jessica Ingrams herself slipping into the booth opposite her.

"Hello, Jessica," she said, coolly.

"Hi, April. Good to see you in one piece," replied Jessica, nodding at a server to order a drink.

April kept her tongue till the order was delivered.

"A bit Mission Impossible, all this?" she said, nodding at the restaurant.

"Oh, April, I know you like your little cloak and dagger elements. I remember that was part of your file when we hired you. The whole clandestine nature of us reaching out was designed to entice you. You should know that," Jessica smiled ruefully to show there was no malice intended. "I needed to speak with you and I wasn't entirely sure you'd welcome me with open arms at that little house you have in Colorado, lovely though it is. This seemed like the safest bet. A little intrigue, somewhere known to you. And it gives you a chance to pick up that quite lovely car, too. Everyone wins."

"I figured. So, what can I do for you Jessica? We didn't part on the best of terms."

"No, we didn't. And I'm a little ashamed of that. I hope you understand why though April. Why I wanted to pull you out. Why I wouldn't let go."

"Sure, I get it," acknowledged April. "And I hope you understand why I had to go."

"Yes," replied Jessica succinctly. "And speaking of that, no Captain Chris Morgan? I was hoping to meet him. What I have to talk about impacts him too."

"He has things to do," replied April flatly. "You can talk to me."

"Well. Quite. Fine. So, yes, you did put the cat among the pigeons, didn't you? You really did come through, and demolish that nasty little ring. My compliments on that. You and that little crew did quite the number there. Very impressive work. Oh, and thanks for returning my car. In my parking space, at Ingrams HQ. Very droll,"

April just smiled thinly. Compliments like this from Jessica made her palms itchy.

"But... one of the causalities of your little wrecking ball was, in fact, Ingrams and Associates."

"What?" exclaimed April, suddenly concerned. She and Chris had kept their distance from all the people at Ingrams, in the name of plausible deniability for them. They'd risked their lives to save April and Chris, along with all her other friends she'd picked up along the way, and the last thing she or Chris wanted to do was further endanger them. The Storm Clouds Conspiracy had no idea anyone else from Ingrams was involved, and now that Desirea had just vanished, there was no connection, and April very much wanted to keep it that way. So she and Chris had made a pact with everyone to stay away and not be in contact till the whole situation was resolved, one way or another.

As a result, she had no clue what had happened to any of them.

"Yes. Oh, don't be too upset. I think it was coming anyway. We were getting a little too public. A little too known. People were starting to expect us. I'm not that upset about it, to be perfectly honest. I have quite the little nest egg to keep me going and frankly, dear, I could use the rest."

Jessica paused and took a long sip. "Damn, it's hot out here, isn't it?" she added conversationally.

"The thing is, we were never going to survive the scrutiny after our involvement came out. It was always going to, once the excrement hit the fan, there was no doubt of that. It was just a question of when. There were federal investigations into us. Thankfully, we have made enough friends over the years that no one is heading to jail, although, plainly speaking, we've probably done enough to warrant it. But, we couldn't continue to operate the way we had been, with no federal oversight. It just wasn't going to happen. Too many questions at a high level I'm afraid.

"No, it was just better to fold up shop and quietly tiptoe away in the dead of night. Better for all concerned."

"Except for all those people you employed," replied April, hotly. She had very good friends among the field agents and staff at Ingrams, people who had risked everything to save her.

"Well, yes," replied Jessica, way too placidly for April's taste. "You are quite right. All out of a job, with somewhat suspect and not that marketable skill sets. And that, my dear, is where you come in."

"I do?"

"Well, it occurs to me that there is now a gap in the market. Ingrams and Associates has to go away, but all the things it stood for, all the good it could do, all the need for it to exist in the first place, well, none of that has," intoned Jessica, quietly, never breaking eye contact with April.

"So..." replied April, slowly connecting the dots.

"Well yes. I imagine that if someone else, someone with, say, a lot of field experience. Someone respected by all her fellow agents. Someone who has never failed, and demonstrated excellent judgement, - even in situations where that was questioned by her boss, well... If that person were to, perhaps, decide to go it alone. Form her own agency, I'd be quite surprised if she didn't have a lot of applications from highly experienced people in the field. People she knows. People she can trust."

"Wait, you want me to..." April was astounded. Whatever she had expected from this meeting, it wasn't this.

"Oh, I don't want you to do anything, dear. Just... thinking out loud," smiled Jessica, in enjoyment of April's consternation.

April sat back. The idea was audacious in the extreme. Could she really do that? Create her own agency?

"Where would the money come from?" she asked, cautiously. If she knew Jessica, she'd have an answer for that.

"Oh, I'm sure there would be private investors willing to back you," waved Jessica, dismissing the concern. "I know of one who could bankroll your startup costs. And I also know where there is purpose-built office space, just sitting doing nothing. And you'd get a hell of a deal on the lease, too."

April smiled. She knew full well Jessica owned the building that Ingrams and Associates had operated out of.

"I see," she grinned back. "It's all falling into place, isn't it? Sounds like it's a done deal."

"Well, I wouldn't quite say that," answered Jessica, a twinkle in her eye. "But I can also say that there is also a very bored and very competent Scottish individual, who is tired of retirement and itching for a new challenge. I'm sure he'd be a help."

"Dermot!" exclaimed April. Dermot had been Jessica's second in command for years, retired a quite a while back, allowing Desirea to move up and usurp Ingrams from the inside.

"He sends his regards, and hopes to see you soon," Jessica said, sitting forward and putting both elbows on the table, clasping her hands together.

"Well, I don't know. A lot to think about," murmured April. "Interesting idea though, have to say it."

April took a long sip of her diet coke, and then said, loudly, "What do you think?"