Journey of Rick Heiden Ch. 49-50

"Then, no, I don't have a problem with that."

"Good." He changed the topic. "I would like to know how you plan to proceed. How will you respond to the American declaration of war?"

"He didn't declare war; he just made threats."

"Perhaps you've yet to notice," he said, "but the Americans love to declare war without actually using the word war."

"Fair enough. How I plan to proceed is to proceed as I do. I have little choice but to keep going. The threats will not frighten me into giving up on our relationship if that's what you want to know. We won't abandon you if you don't abandon us."

"As I had hoped," he said, sounding relieved. "I must go in a few minutes, so I should make this quick. There are things I will ask you to do to protect yourself and your people. Eliminate your electronics or activate their flight mode. If you're connected to the network, they can find your general position, even when you turn off its GPS. You have in your hands a secure mobile. It will automatically encrypt calls and texts. The internet is shielded with our own VPN, so it's invisible. It sometimes has a bit of a lag, but it's worth it for the added protection. It already contains mobile numbers that you will need, but you'll have to move your most important contacts yourself. I also had it equipped with a removable two terabyte chip. If you can, the files can be stored on it and given to General Director Haywood at MI5. We took the liberty this morning to have that mobile set to your current number, and we disconnected your other device."

I immediately went to my mobile on the table and checked it; the service was off.

"I apologize if that's an inconvenience," he said, "or if you feel we've overstepped ourselves, the timing made it imperative."

"Well, you have overstepped yourself," I said. "The service was mine; I paid for it, but I understand why you did it. In the future, I prefer that you consult me."

"I will," he said, "you have my word."

I heard in the background some muffled talking and the Prime Minister telling them that he would be right there.

"Whenever you're ready, Agent Thorpe will take you to Thames House, where the director will meet you."

"Very well, thank you for your assistance, it's appreciated. I know you must go, so I won't keep you. Let's stay in touch, shall we?"

I explained to Cadmar and Sal the situation, and according to Agent Thorpe, the invitation didn't extend to Sal. He would stay at the penthouse unless his wife and daughter left for the airport, at which point he would stay in the Regency Suite to hold down the proverbial fort as I intended to move us there. If David or anyone else showed up, I asked that he call me immediately on the landline.

I hated to bring down the ship so soon, but I made a promise. So, I retrieved it from orbit on high alert since the Americans were gunning for us.

Thorp, Sal, Cadmar, and I waited on the balcony. When the ship arrived, I opened the hatch and entered the cabin.

"Will we leave in this?" Thorpe asked me as she attempted to climb aboard the ship.

I blocked her entrance. "This is the Berlioz, and while the cat may be loose, I'm not prepared to let anyone pet it just yet. So, if you will kindly excuse me, I have things to do." I insisted she exit the ship, and with disappointment, she complied.

"How long will you be?" asked Cadmar.

"If I'm lucky," I said, "only a few minutes, but I wouldn't count on it." I closed the hatch and settled into the captain's chair.

I took the mobile given to me by the prime minister and placed it onto the console. Having had the onboard computer interface with the internet satellite, it had familiarized itself with Earth-based computer language and given itself access to whatever knowledge it needed. So, when I had the computer analyze the phone to create an isolated software clone of it, it had little difficulty complying with the request. It would allow me invisible access to the mobile network without the device should that prove necessary. I knew from my experience with the ship, the Berlioz's computer held an enormous amount of data, including schematics for many pieces of our technology. I uploaded the NPD plans onto the mobile's chip in a secured file format, as well as the software and instructions for creating the isotopic cell. That took about twenty minutes.

While the files were transferring to the mobile, I thought about where to hide the ship. I had chanced enough bringing the ship down, and I hadn't wanted to place it in further danger by having it traverse an orbital distance whenever we needed it, to do so would provide a visual target. Venn hadn't exaggerated when he said it could fly in almost any environment, so I decided then that the best option was to hide it in the North Sea, east of London between England and Denmark. From there, the ship could reach us in less than five minutes, and I plotted a general location on the computer. It would find the best spot inside the chosen area. When I finished, I sent the ship off to the sea.

As it flew off, I slung my pack over my shoulder and asked Cadmar, "Are you ready, captain?"

"Ah, the work-face," he said, with a little smile. "I am, indeed, captain."

The previous day's gloom had dissipated somewhat, and the cloud cover had broken into pieces, but the air held the same chill. Thorp had the standard black Jaguar awaiting us when we exited the lobby, and she drove us to MI5's main building.

I don't know what possessed me to not realize it, but upon entry to Thames House, as with any secure building, one must pass through a security checkpoint to enter the more sensitive areas of the facility. Our escort, Agent Thorpe, went through first. Cadmar and I watched as she emptied her pockets and removed her watch, placing them into a tray for the x-ray machine. Naturally, they found nothing, but upon witnessing this, both Cadmar and I refused to comply.

"Why?" she asked.

"Sir, you must if you wish to enter," said the woman at the machine.

"Thank you, but no," I said in declination.

Cadmar and I both carried our packs and weapons and wore the watch Venn gave us that contained the beacon for the ship, but I also had a canister of nano-suspension and the NPD. I had no intention of letting anyone see any of it, especially on an X-ray image.

Agent Thorpe's attitude suddenly veered from the friendly poise we had witnessed to something less pleasant. "What are you doing?"

I made sure to appear as deadpan as possible. "Nothing more than I must. I'm not making a point."

"What do you expect these people to do?" she asked. "They have a job, and the director is waiting."

"I have a responsibility that supersedes theirs," I said. "I don't mean to be rude or obstructive." She scowled at me, so I made a further suggestion. "I will not go through security. However, if you insist that I enter, you can provide armed escort should anyone feel threatened by me."

"The same goes for me," said Cadmar, turning to the woman at the x-ray machine. "You might want to call someone who can make decisions."

Other people passed through inspection while we waited a few minutes for the head of security to arrive. Her attempt to force us through resulted in an emphatic statement from me that she would either allow us through, as we were, or Cadmar and I would leave. In the end, her intransigency to bend her security protocol, caused me to tell Agent Thorpe that if Director Haywood wanted what I had for him (and he would want it), he could find us in Victoria Tower Garden up the street sitting on the park bench closest to the memorial.

CHAPTER FIFTY

As we left Thames House, Cadmar questioned my plan. "Can we sit in a park in safety while at war with the Americans?"

"I don't mean to be picky over your wording, but they're not at war with us, but what we represent. However, the past should never pick a fight with the future. As it bombards every present moment, the future will always win. Besides, the Americans don't know where we are. I activated the GPS on my old mobile, and currently, it sits on the Penthouse dining table connected to the hotel's Wi-Fi."

"Clever," said Cadmar.

Victoria Tower, on the southwest end of the Palace of Westminster, loomed over the peninsula-shaped park, which consisted mostly of an open field of grass surrounded by trees. Cadmar and I crossed the street at the traffic circle and descended the steps next to Lambeth Bridge. A few supervised children played in the sunken sandbox, and Horseferry Playground near the base of the steps to the left, and a row of well-manicured trees lined the walkway to the right. Farther left beyond these, they had placed a row of raised benches and the wall that lined the Thames River.

The Buxton Memorial Fountain, a pointed edifice made of Devonshire marble, commemorated the emancipation of slaves within the British empire. It appeared appropriately ostentatious; an attribute common of the Victorian Era in which it was made. We passed it on the way to the bench, and I gave it a once over.

It seemed a bit run down, missing some statues, and had water I wouldn't drink even in the direst of circumstances.

We couldn't see much of the river from the bench as the tide was out. We took up residence in the center of the wooden, thickly planked seating, and Cadmar waited for a jogger to pass before he spoke. "Is this private enough for a conversation with sensitive information?"

"I'm sure it will be fine. There's only the occasional jogger right now."

About fifteen minutes later, Agent Thorpe, two men from security, and Mr. Haywood, the general director of MI5, entered the park. He wore a beautiful pinstripe suit under his coordinating coat. Thorpe stayed away from the bench on which we sat and hung about the fountain, barely within earshot and security took up locations that made them look less conspicuous. Haywood hadn't said anything. He just took the full-sized brolly he used as a cane and tapped both Cadmar and me on the leg, indicating he wished to make a space between us. Once we had, he sat.

Mr. Haywood held the comportment of a calm, genial man who simply spoke to friends in the park. However, one should not judge by appearances.

"You are amateurs," said Haywood, "playing with things you know nothing about. I am the general director, I will not be dragged from my office again by the likes of you, I don't care where you're from. You allowed a simple security protocol to interfere with delivering critical information pertinent to the affairs of this great nation. But I'm here now, so don't keep me waiting."

I turned in my seat to face Haywood's profile as he continued to stare out at the Thames. Cadmar tipped his head back, knowing what was coming. I dug deep within me to find a relatively quiet voice with the exact level of contempt Haywood deserved just then.

"Let me remind you that this world has arrived here in large part because some leaders of this great nation, as you call it, decided to assault that nice man sitting to your right. As if this nation, by virtue of its greatness, owned him and could do with him as it pleased. That fountain behind you, that monument to the abolition of slavery, remember that? This country, this world, has made a mockery of the worthy goal of abolishing slavery because monuments like that are a lie. You haven't abolished slavery. You've merely redefined what it means to be a slave. So, don't give me that sanctimonious shit about your great nation, or how much you're above walking to a park for the likes of me. Because. You. Are. Not. Too. Good. If I refuse to go through security or anything else I may do, you can rest assured that I have a valid reason. You are not here on a whim."

I straightened myself in my seat and spoke in my usual casual tone. I informed him of what O'Byrne said to me. "Before I give you what you came for, I have something I wish you to know. Clement O'Byrne had set a trap for David, and I spoke to O'Byrne last night. He told me, and I quote, 'If I give David to Jackson Scott, he will overlook us, just as he will a select group of elites the world over. The Foundational Enhancement is only an economic problem if everyone has it' end quote. I want it known, that if this great nation should even consider taking on such a despicable point of view, covertly sanctioning the notion that the alleged elites should have the benefit of the enhancements available from the NPD that I give you, but not the so-called commoners, that will make me extremely disappointed. Do I make myself clear?"

"You do," said Haywood, his stare fixed upon the buildings across the Thames.

I opened my bag and pulled from it the small case containing the NPD, and I handed it to Haywood. I removed the extra chip from my mobile and handed it to him. He reached into his pocket, retrieved a small case for it, and with care, placed it into the container. He gestured to one of the security men who took possession of the items.

Haywood turned to me. "I apologize."

"If we can't be friends," I said, "we can at least be civil, and perhaps something worthwhile will develop."

"I'm not opposed to that," he said.

"Neither am I. Enjoy the rest of your weekend, director."

With that, he met Agent Thorpe at the fountain where she waited. They spoke quietly for a few minutes, and he left with his security detail.

We joined her at the fountain. "How the hell did you do that?" she asked me, whispering. "Normally, he would bite someone's head off for speaking to him that way."

I said, "It's a matter of tone, timing, location, company, and above all, don't be wrong."

Agent Thorp dropped us off at the hotel, and Jatin informed me that the guests staying in the Regency Suite had checked out. I inquired about the room for us, but once they placed it back into availability, the hotel quickly booked it for some other guest. I settled the bill for it, and when we returned to the penthouse, we found Sal sitting on the floor in the vestibule waiting for our return.

"I didn't know where else to go," he said.

"You did the right thing," I told him. "I apologize that I neglected to get you a key."

We hadn't been there more than three minutes when a knock came upon the door.

Sal hid out of sight when Cadmar pulled his pistol to answer the door. "It's a man I don't recognize."

The man had Cadmar's size and height with black hair cut in a classic side-part fading into a permanent five o'clock shadow. The right side of his face had several recent cuts and abrasions. He wore a tailored three-piece suit in charcoal with a blood-red, checked tie. He stared unfazed into the dangerous end of Cadmar's pistol. "No need for that," the man said holding out his credentials. "You can call me Merrick. I'm with Special Branch newly assigned to Jiyūvian Affairs. The prime minister has tasked me with protecting you, and I need to speak with you alone, Captain Heiden."

"I keep no secrets from Cadmar," I said, "and I trust Sal. So, if you have something to say then say it."

Merrick shook his head. "Non-negotiable. I have answers you will want. So, it's you alone, or you will never get them."

Cadmar stared at me, searching for a sign; he would accept whatever I decided. I took a deep breath. "Let's go onto the balcony."

Before Merrick followed me outside, Cadmar drew close to him, his synthetic eyes ablaze. "You hurt him; you die."

Merrick gave him a curt nod.

Once over the threshold, I shut the balcony door.

"That man is fiercely loyal to you, isn't he?" Merrick asked.

"You had something to say."

"Yes. This has to do with David."

The moment he said it, my stomach dropped.

"One thing that I always admired about David was that he kept his promises. He never told you what he did for the British Government, did he?"

Like the Rabbi in Venice, his use of past tense had not gone unnoticed, but I hadn't wanted to assume anything.

"Nothing specific," I said. "He always seemed to dodge my questions, and he answered me in generalities when he finally did say."

"And he never mentioned me."

"No, so who are you?"

"What I will tell you, you cannot repeat."

"As I said, I keep no secrets from Cadmar, but then what you tell me may not be worth the bother of repeating. You have my word that I would only tell him the things that are important for him to know if anything."

"Very well," he said, "and that may be the case. My relationship with David evolved over time, but I will condense it for you in order of occurrence. I saved David's life. I befriended him, and I loved him here first. I was his confidant, and he was mine. And at one point, I was almost his mate. We eventually decided that having the foundational enhancement would hinder my ability to effectively shield him from the government's discovery of his secret. I worked for MI6. I became his handler, his trainer, and sometimes, his partner."

"David worked for MI6?"

"Not really, David was a government asset for many years, and when he wasn't acting in that capacity, he worked for Amanda Newton in her project to help cut government waste and loss. On the odd occasion that David's special talents were called upon, we would leave; I would get David in; he would do his job; I would get him out, and when we returned, there would be fewer problems in the world."

"Are you saying that the British Government used David as an assassin? I won't believe that."

"Unlike most of the world," he said, "I've seen and heard all of the surveillance the Counter Terrorism Command had on both of you from the source. Why do you think that Amanda Newton suspected David would kill Theodore Roberts that night when you were kidnapped? And why do you think she didn't blink an eye when he admitted he did, saying 'one of them mysteriously died.' They used all that veiled talk for your benefit."

I must have stood there with shock written across my face, and almost immediately, my mind began trying to reason it out.

"I can see the wheels turning inside of you," said Merrick. "You're trying to find a way to justify this and rectify your thoughts and feelings about him, ensuring to yourself that he was indeed the man you knew. That's unnecessary. Since atrocities happen so often on this planet, one thing he frequently told me was, 'I'm here, I feel I should help them,' and he did as much as he could. What those men did, they did with impunity; killing them saved tens of thousands of lives, perhaps more.

"I imagine that you're appalled by the whole thing, and you may not want to stare this world in the face and see just how ugly it is, but inside, you must know this world as well as I do. So, tell me, what is best among these choices? We know the men, in various parts of the world, who relish the opportunity to destroy entire villages, burn them to the ground, killing or enslaving its people. That happens so often, you would never hear about it in the media; It's non-news. Should we ignore that it happens? Should we take the legal route and start a war over it that would inevitably kill an untold number of innocent lives? Or do we let David, with his keen eyesight and incredible skills, pick off the ones who reveled in enslaving and killing the innocent who just wanted to live their lives in peace?"

"Why are you telling me this?"

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a gold ring with a diamond embedded into it. "Because David would want you to know the whole truth of him now that he's dead."

Turning pallid and clammy, I fell to my knees as though I were in the process of a stroke, sensing the ever-tightening gordian knot that both my gut and my life had become; it squeezed my racing heart and strangled my throat. The light, brisk breeze that swirled about my head chilled my watery eyes and refused to satisfy my lungs. My skin turned numb and icy beneath the jacket that wrapped me in warmth only moments before. I heard Merrick call for Cadmar and moved to help me as I collapsed into unconsciousness.