Philanthropy Pt. 05

I ducked back and Brad shot three more times and I heard the chamber empty. He was out.

I moved quickly to Brad and found his Sig-Sauer. I checked the mag, reinserted it, and cocked the weapon, chambering a round.

I stayed up against the wall of the garage and moved toward the corner.

"Re-load, Brad! For God's sake!" cried Nancy.

I heard a muffled reply.

"What do you mean you're out? Oh my God are you fucking stupid!"

"Shut up, you fucking bitch!"

I heard a slap and chuckled.

Brad peeked around the corner and spied me. The fear on his face was priceless.

"Hiya, Brad. I have a nice new Sig Sauer here. Twelve rounds. Six for you, and six for Nancy."

Nancy squealed. "Do something! Do something!"

I moved away from the wall, keeping my pistol trained on the corner. I moved out and saw a glimpse of Brad pressed up against the corner. Nancy looked around him and spotted me and screamed and hid behind Brad.

"Do you know or comprehend just how much I fucking hate you two? I think about ending your miserable lives all the fucking time. I'm an asshole, I admit it. But you two guys? Holy fuck. There is a whole level in Hell just for you two. You're going there. Right fucking now. I am putting you down like rabid dogs and the world will breathe just a little easier. This isn't even murder. This is JUSTICE! Come out from there. Stand up and face it. For once show some true character."

Of course, they cowered. I cleared the corner and saw the ramp leading up to the garage door. I kept my pistol pointed at them and they cowered, Nancy using Brad as a shield.

"Please! Don't! Let us go! We're sorry!" moaned Brad.

"Leave us!" cried Nancy. "We have a daughter! Please!"

"Dana? Don't worry about her. All your money is going to her. Once I put you down, everything you owned, minus a shit load of reparation for the lives you destroyed, is going to her. She's set for life. Free to live a wonderful life free of monsters like you."

"Please! We'll do anything! Anything! Money, you want money? It's yours. I have connections!"

"No, you don't. Not anymore." I then told him everything I had done. How I had dismantled everything. Then I explained how I was the richest man in the world. He kept saying it was impossible.

"That's impossible!"

"You keep saying that word. I don't think it means what you think it means."

I lifted the pistol and pointed it at his head. He held his hands up and moved them about trying to block a fucking bullet. I watched him for a bit. He had already pissed himself.

The elevator dinged behind me and I saw hope cross Brad's face. I glanced back and saw Shanti emerge from the elevator car with her Glock drawn. She spied Brad and Ron right away.

"Over here, Shanti," I called out.

She saw me and hurried over. She lowered her pistol when she saw the Carvers cowering.

I looked at Shanti. "You know what. I think a more hands-on approach is in order. Hold this," and I handed her Brad's pistol. "Come on, Bradley. Let's see what you have. What chops you got. Fight me, Mr Big Guy. The man who electrocuted my cock. Froze me. Put me on a bench to break my knees. Sent goons to beat me to death. Sent assholes to assault Amanda and nearly killed her. Let's see what you are truly made of. A washed-up lawyer without two nickels to rub together."

"Will you let us go if I win?"

Shanti laughed. "Fuck, no. But at least go out fighting, you sorry excuse for a man."

Nancy glared at us. "Fight him, Brad! Fight him!" She pushed at him.

Brad rose uncertain and took a hesitant step toward me and raised his fists in front of him. Fear washed off him in waves.

I took a quick step toward him and he backed away. Nancy growled and pushed him toward me. Brad stepped closer and then I saw his courage peak a little and he took a swing at me. He was still too far away from me and I blinked at the stupidity of it. I stepped in and punched him lightly in the chest. He cried out and stepped back. I stepped forward and then realised I was near Nancy.

She went to claw at me, and a shot rang out and Nancy collapsed to the garage floor squawking in agony. Brad and I looked over and saw her right kneecap was shot out.

"Stay down, bitch," ordered Shanti. She looked at me. "Please. Continue."

I grinned at Brad and stepped in and punched his throat while he was staring at his wife.

His wife was making the most horrible sounds, screaming, and crying. Shanti had had enough and stepped up and booted her in the throat crushing her windpipe. Nancy grabbed at her throat and made the same noises Ron made as he died. Brad was frozen watching his wife.

I stepped back. "Go to her. At least comfort her in her last moments, douchebag."

Brad remained standing and watching me. "Fuck her. The bitch cheated on me my whole marriage."

Nancy died slowly gasping for air she couldn't draw in. Brad watched impassive until his wife passed and lay lifeless.

I had had enough. I swept Brad, and he collapsed to the ground on his right side, hitting the concrete hard and his once broken arm, broke again. The snap was unmistakable. Brad screamed.

I reached down and grabbed his right foot and twisted it hard and heard the snap and crunch of his ankle. Brad was screaming harder now. I grabbed his left leg and pulled it straight and then hammered his kneecap. His leg bent backwards with a horrible sounding crunch. This was fun.

I stood and watched Brad screaming in agony for a little while. Shanti joined me. I reached out my hand and she put the Sig-Sauer in it. I walked up to Brad, aimed, and shot his right kneecap. Brad's screaming rose to a new level. I looked back at Shanti and smiled. Then I aimed again and shot his pelvis. Brad went unconscious ruining my fun.

"Sterile like me, Brad. Lucky you."

The elevator dinged and Shanti and I spun around. Dana emerged.

"Mom, dad? Where are you? Are you still here?"

Shanti and I looked at each other. Not good.

Dana screamed when she spotted Ron and Brad dead on the garage floor. "Mom, Dad? Where are you!?"

"Over here, Dana," I called out.

Dana's shriek cut off when she heard me. She looked over at us. "Peter? Shanti? What's going on? What happened to Ron and Brad?"

"Ron shot Brad from behind. Blew his brains out. I killed him. Then your mom and dad decided to try shooting at me for a little while."

"My mom and dad? Where are they?"

"Don't come over, Dana," I said. "Please. Just stay there."

"Are you with my mom and dad? Mom? Dad? What's going on?"

"Dana your mum is dead," said Shanti, with no emotion.

"What? No! How? What happened?"

"I killed her, love, I had to. She deserved it. She orchestrated the attack on Amanda. She thought it would be fun to have her sexually assaulted first. Did you know that?"

I hadn't known that. Now suddenly I wanted Nancy back alive so I could put her down.

"My mom could never do that!"

"Dana," replied Shanti. "She did. We have all the evidence. The police chief is bringing charges against your mom and dad."

Brad decided to groan, and Dana heard him and ran over to us, she saw her dad and mom and cried out and rushed to her dad. Shanti caught her and held her.

"Let me go! Let me go! Dad! Dad!"

Brad stirred. "Dana? Is that you?"

"Dad! What's happening!"

I had had enough. I walked up to Brad and pointed the pistol at his head. Brad looked up at me and then over to his daughter struggling against Shanti.

"Don't. Not like this. Not in front of my daughter. Please!"

I thought of all the lives this man had crushed, destroyed, and wiped out. All the grieving family members left behind with nothing but ashes in a jar on a mantle. How he had almost killed the woman I loved, Amanda. And Shanti, my very soul. Brad McIntosh lying dead not twenty feet from me and Markie who he had left behind. Alice Cartwell, the strange old lady in the other condo. The reporter Katherine Crosby paralysed from the waist down and destitute with children to raise. The fentanyl killing thousands across the country. All of it due to this man.

I aimed and shot Brad Carver in the forehead. The shot echoed loudly in the garage and Dana's scream rose to drown it out. I moved my pistol slightly lower and fired again. Just to be sure.

Game over, man.

* * *

I sat in the board room of EDM Cessna and looked around at all the faces. Representatives from the ICC were present. So was Interpol. Even the police chief was present for some reason. A lot of people who thought they were important. They weren't important. Not to me anyway.

Behind me sat Amanda, Shanti, Dawn, Alan, and Bruce. We had sent Brad McIntosh's remains home to England last week. We all still mourned. I wasn't sure what these people in front of us expected. They wanted answers, and they were bound to be disappointed.

Imani had set up this meeting. The police had arrived at my condo in the morning to escort me to the EDM headquarters. I went along and here we were.

Imani sat near me, which I appreciated. She was subtly drawing a line and placing herself on my team. One point for Imani. She probably didn't know just how close she was from being tossed from Team Peter. The only people I trusted in the whole world were sitting behind me.

So far, the meeting had not gone well. They were barking demands. Threatening me. Trying to intimidate me. Finally, I just chuckled and lowered my head for a time.

"Do you find this amusing, Mr Chase?"

"Yeah, I do. Who are you again?"

"I am the president of the ICC."

"Right. Never heard of you. I see we have all the senior people from all the world's top international organisations. Good to see you all in the same room. Easier that way."

"You have a lot to answer for, Mr Chase."

"I do? Why?"

"Why do you have to answer?"

I nodded.

"Do you not wish to try to clear your name? Explain what it is you have done?"

"Nope."

"We can and will put you away for a very long time, Mr Chase. And all your colleagues behind you."

Imani stirred to speak, but I calmed her with a hand on her thigh and a look. She was not to speak, and she had agreed.

"Yeah, I don't think so. Is it safe to say, right at this very moment, that you all represent the best of the world? The people sworn to uphold justice? To hold evil accountable and protect the lives of the innocent? Is that fair? The ICC, Interpol, the ICPC? Am I correct, in that?"

The people around the table nodded and looked at me expectantly.

"Do you know that me and the people behind me are the richest people in the world?"

Many around the table blinked at that, and many voices rose to dispute the claim. Others wanted to know why that would be relevant.

"I say this because you really don't know who you're fucking with. Threaten me with gaol? For removing the largest crime syndicate in history? That's republican level hypocrisy, right there. I know who every single one of you motherfuckers are. I am only here to warn you. I am giving you a courtesy."

The room exploded in conversation. Everyone shouting over everyone to be heard. Only Darren Richards, the police chief remained quiet and thoughtful. Phil Monday, the Managing partner at EDM Cessna, banged a gavel and quieted the room.

Phil cleared his throat. "Peter, I don't think you understand the trouble you are in."

I stared at him. "Oh no, Imani explained in great detail what all you people want to call trouble. Thing is, it's all good trouble. I've pushed a giant reset button on the world. I don't think you've really grasped it yet. I'm going to explain this once and then leave this room, quietly and without any of you saying another word. My team goes with me." I glanced at Imani. "And you too, if you want."

I looked back at the room. "Listen up. The world faces major global challenges. It has been clear for the past four to five decades that those in power in the world actually don't give a flying fuck about any of that. The population of the world has been held hostage by those who control the world economy. Greed rules the world. Not compassion. Not empathy. Look at those four fucked up years in the USA and how it flamed white supremacy and Nazi bullshit all around the globe. Let me educate you better.

"One, food security. By 2050, the world will need to feed nine billion people. It's not going to happen with the way the world is today. Food wastage and security is undermining any effort to resolve that. Two, income inequality is causing significant social and political unrest. Three, climate change will never be addressed in time because of the world's inability to address what needs to be done. We already know what we need to do, but politicians and corporations are blocking that. To make money now and destroy a future they don't care about.

"Four, the world has more knowledge at our fingertips than any other time in our short history on Earth. And yet, billions of people have no access to that knowledge or education. Ignorance in the world is causing its own problems. The US couldn't convince their ignorant uneducated masses that wearing a fucking mask was a good idea. Look how many died? Five, this world is misogynistic. Terribly so. Enforced with stone age mysticism. Gender equality is missing from the world and that simply fucks things up for no reason.

"Six, universal healthcare. Why is it, today when we have advanced medicine at unheard of levels, that so many people cannot afford or receive a basic part of being human, the right to healthcare? It is unbelievable. So many countries and politicians and corporations exploit the world population. They watch as people suffer and do nothing. Nothing. They spew hypocrisy and conduct secret financial negotiations and pocket millions. Right, Mr ICC President?"

The president of the ICC went red in the face and stood. "Now see here...!"

Dawn behind me was ready. The monitors surrounding the room lit up with images of documents and video recordings. The room went silent and looked around at the displays.

"Thank you, Dawn." I rose and have her a kiss. "Now that I have your attention let's examine some evidence. I have at my disposal the world's largest repository of evidence of the worldwide corruption that has plagued mankind since the first time we killed a monkey with a femur. I'm going to show you a sample, Mr ICC President. Do you recognise these? These are bank statements from some of the largest banks. Videos of you accepting bribes. This is you accepting money from the former LTG. To keep investigations quiet. Oh, look at this one. I love this one. This is when you divulged the military action coming against the LTG in Singapore. Remember that? Good times. The whole team was wiped out. And you pocketed a mere hundred thousand US dollars."

I signalled Dawn and the screens changed. "Ah, here is the senior management of Interpol meeting with crime syndicate leaders. Remember those fun times? Dividing the globe, establishing communication routes? So much crime, and so much money to make off it. Fuck the world, am I right? Instant monetary gratification is so much better!"

The head of Interpol was on his feet yelling. I signalled Dawn, and the screens filled with the same man walking into a hotel room with several young women in it.

"How old were these girls Mr Interpol? Did you know every single one of those girls was taken by human trafficking? But you knew that. When this video was taken you were the head of the Interpol group investigating and prosecuting human trafficking. Should I keep playing the video? Probably not. It doesn't end well. Two of the girls were killed by your hands."

I signalled Dawn, and the screens flashed with images. Every single person in the room was implicated, except Imani, Darren Richards, and Phil Monday. I had spoken to him before the meeting and arranged a few things. I also showed him the evidence we had on him and he had agreed quickly to my demands.

The room went strangely quiet. No one looked at one another. I could see shame on every face. "How strange. Look at your shameful faces. A shame only felt once exposed. That's the problem with the world. Too few have all the money, all the power, and they lord it over the entire world. Not anymore. I have hit the reset button. A new world order is starting where every person in power or with financial strings will be under the tightest scrutiny the world has ever seen."

The ICC president glared at me.

"Who made you god?"

"You did and your ilk. You and the others are the worst humanity has to offer. No more."

"What is it you want?"

"Are you going to offer me a bribe?"

He hesitated and then nodded. Many around the room looked hopeful.

I laughed long and hard. "You people are so fucking stupid. Did you miss it when I told you me and the people behind me are the richest people in the world?"

"Power then! Name your price!"

"Power? I have the entire world at my fingertips. You know what? I think I'm done here. Shanti?"

I turned to her and she rose and hugged me and kissed me. "Yup, time to go." My team rose and Shanti took Imani's hand and pulled her to her feet. "You, too."

The head of the ICC and Interpol rose. "You can't expect to just walk out of here."

The sound of a chopper could be heard outside the building, approaching fast.

"Yeah. Pretty much. Oh, all the evidence I spoke of? It went live worldwide about an hour ago. Darren?"

He rose and nodded at me.

"Your police will be here soon. I suggest you arrest all these assholes personally seeing as they all agreed to come to Canada in person. Idiots. It'll look good on your resume. All the evidence was sent to your email, too. Have fun. Oh, I would suggest a suicide watch on most of these people. Their crimes are horrific."

Darren nodded to me and my team walked out and up to the roof. Our Airbus H155 helicopter was touching down on the roof. Phil walked up with us and shook my hand. "Thank you, Mr Chase."

"No, thank you. You'll be pleased to know most of EDM Cessna is clean. I want to hire your company. All of it."

Phil looked startled. "All of it? What do you mean?"

"The entire company, working for me. I'm happy to put you in as the head. A vacancy is opening up. It would be good to add some Canadian sensibility to all this. I'm going to need an international team. There is going to be a lot of litigation happening. Best to get on board, no?"

Phil hesitated and then nodded, and we shook hands.

"Be seeing you, Phil!"

Epilogue

Yeah so, the world is corrupt and run by crime syndicates, not the elected politicians representing their people, and fighting for what's good for their people. All we did was decide to become the world police. We seized funds and destroyed what corruption we could and enabled countries to rebuild.

Two months later LTG was fully collapsed and Gui Po arrested. The media covered the extreme rise in violence around the world, attributing it to gang violence. There was a truly massive increase in assassinations, explosions, arson, and murder. The void LTG had left was being filled rapidly by other cartels and criminal organisations. We watched it all and tracked the rise of new corporations and illegal transactions. We grinned and planned our next attack. The Russian mayifa was next, and the team was super excited. Putin was about to be royally fucked.

Most notably, the fall of world leaders around the globe was staggering to the markets. We did our best to bolster what we could, but in many places, entire governments fell to corruption. Coups occurred, dictators seized power, terrorism rose, and the world teetered on the brink. It was insane, but we had expected most of it. One by one we dismantled what we could and braced those who promised change for the better. It was a dark time, but it was what was needed. We had pulled back the boulder and exposed all the swarming insects underneath.