Murray McDonald - Assassin

Tom and Lela made it back to their classes after lunch. Their first Board Meeting had gone very well and it was now time to concentrate on school, at least for the next couple of hours.

Being back at school was as though they had never left. Lessons picked up seamlessly from where they had left off, meaning no easy introduction. By the end of the day, Tom and Lela were not just ‘first day back’ tired, they were mentally and physically exhausted. They collapsed on Tom’s bed and caught up with the news on the TV. Nothing new, the story hadn’t broken but the Guineans did not appear to be bending under British pressure.

Tom was concerned that his $15 billion gamble hadn’t paid off. He knew he couldn’t stop the story coming out at some point but he thought he might get his parents and Saki out of prison before it did. In other ways, his gamble hadn’t been such a gamble afterall. His quick cash offer, take it now or leave it, had resulted in an undervaluation of Global. In addition, he hadn’t considered the effect the purchase would have on the value of Alba which stood to gain significantly from its enhanced media interest. In fact, the finance team believed he had bought Global for a steal, around $2 billion cheaper than its true market value. Like father, like son, there was a new Donald Kennedy in the making. Although pleased that he hadn’t wasted $15 billion, he really wasn’t interested in being the new Donald, he loved the old one and wanted him back.

“I really didn’t like that Alan guy,” said Lela.

“Me neither but we’re stuck with him, it doesn’t look as though Jason will come back.”

“Surely you can get someone else, he really is horrible.”

“I know. I spoke to Jonathan after the meeting, It seems Alan’s been throwing his weight around behind my dad’s back and now that he’s not there, he thinks he’s the natural person to step up.”

“That’s outrageous! How dare he? Sack him,” said Lela who was getting into the role of boss.

“We don’t need to, apparently my intervention and buying Global without him has put him firmly back in his box. We shouldn’t have any more hassle from Alan.”

“Hmm, I’m not so sure. Women’s instincts, he’s trouble. Watch him,” replied Lela more seriously.

“OK, OK, I will,” promised Tom who knew that Lela was a very good judge of character and if her instincts said watch out, you watched out.

“Has anybody called Jason about what’s happening?” pondered Lela.

“No, it’s not his job anymore. Lela, I get the point, I’ll watch Alan like a hawk.” Tom felt the point was being laboured, the guy was just very ambitious.

“No, you idiot, about our parents being arrested!” said Lela.

“Oh sorry, yeah Jonathan spoke to him. He said it went in one ear and straight out the other.”

Before Lela had a chance to say anymore, Daniel and Tristan knocked on the door and walked in. They both looked very pale.

“We’ve got bad news and awful news, which do you want first?” asked Tristan nervously, he was obviously very uncomfortable.

Tom wasn’t sure whether he could take the awful news. He looked at Lela, she wasn’t up to either.

“Break us in gently with the bad news,” he said.

“The story about the assassinations and your dad will break tomorrow morning, it’s everywhere,” replied Tristan as gently as he could.

“If that’s the bad news, I don’t think we want the awful news,” said Lela already tearful.

Daniel turned to Tristan and nodded, that was Tristan’s signal to leave the room. Tom and Lela watched as he left and closed the door quietly behind him, the tension was unbearable.

“It’s about your parents,” started Daniel. A gasp of “Oh God” escaped from Lela. Tom sat up straight. Daniel stopped himself and thought it best to explain from the start. He started again.

“We have a system that nobody knows we have, it allows us to listen to things that nobody knows we can hear. In short, we deny it exists and will continue to deny it. In fact, that was why Tristan left, you are the only people outside a very few in the Mossad who know we have this technology. Tristan knows that I have things to tell you that no-one else can hear. After our first meeting, I had asked for your father’s name to be included as a trigger on the watch list. I just got a call to say they got a hit. A conversation was picked up between two highly secure phones. Unfortunately, one was significantly more secure than the other. However, it appears that somebody is planning to kill your father in the prison.”

“When?” Tom managed to push the question out as his whole body quaked. Somebody was behind this, it was all a set up.

“From the conversation, before tomorrow night and it may be more than your father. The conversation was only picked up when they mentioned your father and they only heard one side, the other line was too secure to get. All they got was…Donald Kennedy is one of the dead… scrambled… Does it matter…scrambled…OK by tomorrow night they’ll all be history.” Daniel had recited the message verbatim, nothing had been written down.

Tom and Lela looked at each other, neither knowing what to say. They sat staring at each other, motionless and speechless as the news sank in. After a few minutes, Daniel broke the silence.

“I’m so sorry to be the one to give you this news,” said Daniel but neither seemed to be listening. “Unfortunately, we can never discuss this again and you can’t tell anyone what I’ve just told you. The person who input your father’s name would be in a lot of trouble for doing what he’s done. Also, we can’t ever let anyone know about our listening system.”

Tom was about to agree but stopped himself. He suddenly realised the significance of what Daniel had just told them.

“But it proves they’re innocent! And that somebody else is involved!” he protested.

“I know. But nobody can know this, not from this information. You’ll have to do this another way. No evidence exists anyway, nothing is written down.”

Daniel was right.

“Do we know who they were?” asked Tom realising he hadn’t mentioned names.

“No. The voice which could be heard was digitised and untraceable. The only thing we do know is that the communication system is very advanced and only available to a small number of NATO countries.”

“So we can narrow it down?” asked Tom hopefully.

“Perhaps, I have some guys working on it but if any units have been stolen or gone missing, it could be anybody.”

“Try Rolf. If it’s made it onto the black market, he’ll know about it,” suggested Tom.

“Good idea, I’ll give him a call. What about your parents? What will you do?” asked Daniel.

“Go and get them of course,” replied Lela matter of factly. “I’ll be back in five minutes. Tom, get ready. I’ll call Kano and Kisho.” She walked off to her room.

Both Tom and Daniel were still looking at the door as she disappeared.

“She’s not joking is she?” asked Daniel.

“She doesn’t joke. I better get ready. It seems I’m going to Equatorial Guinea in five minutes.”

“Can I come?” asked Daniel.

“What?”

“Can I come? It’s only because of me that you know to go and surely the more people on your side the better.” He was almost pleading.

Tom thought for a moment. What the hell, if he wanted to come who was he to stop him? “OK, but be back here in five minutes.”

Five minutes later, everyone was back in Tom’s room. Lela had been dubious about Daniel’s involvement and told Tom that he couldn’t come until he had reappeared completely dressed in black, including balaclava and a belt around his waist which contained various implements and weapons.