“Down, down, down,” screamed the leading agent as Markham got to his feet.
“Gentlemen, it’s alright, no harm done. Could you please remove these two and find out who they are?” as he pointed at the two corpses. “And close the door on your way out,” spoke the shaken President eyeing across to the blood splattered wall.
The four men looked around trying to decipher what had happened but knew better than to question the President.
As the security detail left the room Razen, looking bewildered said, “Wade how did you know and don’t you three know better than to have a weapon in the presence of the President?”
“Well General, I become suspicious by the way they kept looking at each other. Their demeanour was not ex-military and they didn’t appear to have the typical Secret Service characteristics. I wasn’t one hundred per cent certain until I started to walk behind President Markham and I saw the inverted Opus Dei Symbol tattooed on his right wrist … re the weapons. We don’t go anywhere without our weapons. Sorry Mister President but not even you will cause me to be without my weapon.”
“Understood,” replied Markham still shaking and glancing from the bloodied wall back to Wade.
“What did they want?” asked Razen.
“I’m not sure. I don’t think their intention was to kill anybody. We’ll probably find some form of recording device or microphone on them. My guess … it’s Cooper.”
Forest interjected and asked Wade to continue with filling in the missing or incorrect details from Barry Olsen’s summation.
“Barry Olsen stated that the image was taken three years ago. Sorry I would say more likely ten or fifteen years ago. Samantha Cooper would have to be well over fifty years old. He mentioned she had seven personalities - well there are three. A young girl named Roxy, Samantha herself who is scared and a male Troy who is extremely violent, aggressive and dominant. Troy arranged the death of the father and most likely the mother. We don’t need to worry about the fortress; it’s destroyed along with all the guards. I believe Cooper and her psychiatrist had left before the building was blown,” responded Wade.
“Also sir, Joe and I met with Professor Borgias Bart who is one of the leading scientists at the LHC Geneva. Unfortunately, Mister President we know he is your son-in-law’s uncle,” stated Kia pausing for a response.
“I understand … go on,” replied the President.
“I’m not sure I should be the one telling you this, but your son-in-law, Ryan Cotterill, was found murdered in his apartment, two days ago, along with a female who we have identified as a prostitute. We also know there has been a ninety five million dollar deposit into a bank account in his name,” said Kia looking across at the glum faced president.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I appreciate your honesty and concern. We need to focus on the task at hand and I need to contact my family,” replied a dejected Markham as the NSC team left the room.
Geneva
They discussed their options on the flight from Washington to Geneva and decided Kiwi and Jacko would try to locate the whereabouts of Cooper while Wade and Crystal would pursue Professor Bart.
Wade was the only member of the group who had spent any time in Geneva and on their arrival he took them to the Old Town part of the city. Buildings in this area are known to be over one thousand years old, but Wade was not taking them on an historical tour. Rather he was seeking out the many secret tunnels. Even though Switzerland served as a neutral country throughout most major conflicts, many of its inhabitants had ensured their safety by digging interlinking tunnels as escape routes. Wade’s association with Mossad and the Jewish community, in Israel, had enabled him to learn of the tunnels and the intricate details attached.
Tiffany Hotel was a standard level establishment that offered the group anonymity. After arriving in separate taxis and the three men certain they had not been followed, they gathered in the hotel room. Using the secure link phone, Wade dialled Forest. “General, do we have anything on Bart or Cooper?”
“We have linked into the Geneva CCTV public surveillance system and Bart was last seen entering a building on Rue des Rois two hours ago. We have also received satellite imagery that shows helicopters leaving Cooper’s Seattle home approximately three hours before you and the SEAL team arrived. We have tracked the choppers to Chicago and from there two identical private jets departed twenty minutes later. One of the jets went on an elaborate deception trail and is now on route back to Chicago. The other landed in Zurich and ten minutes later a helicopter took off for Geneva. We have not been able to get a visual, but sources confirm a middled-aged European male, a middle-aged American female and a younger Asian male were seen leaving the hanger in Geneva. Unfortunately, the trail stops there,” replied Kia.
“Thanks. We’ll get back to you ASAP,” said Wade as he disconnected the line.
“Okay guys, we have no idea what’s going on and what resources they have so we stay silent unless absolutely necessary,” ordered Wade as they nodded in agreeance.
Ten minutes later, as darkness came over the city and snow started to fall; Wade and Crystal dressed in fashionable black, left the rear of the hotel. A further ten minutes later Kiwi and Jacko followed suit.
Rue des Rois
Posing as honeymooning tourists, Wade and Crystal wandered past Rue des Rois. Hands deep into the pockets of his Armani double breasted woollen coat, collar upturned and Russian Cossack sheepskin hat low down over his face; his eyes scanned like a radar. Crystal wearing her equally fashionable long padded coat, fur hat, leather gloves had her arm linked through Wade’s. The wind and snow was intensifying by the minute. The streets were deserted with the occasional shopper darting from one retail outlet to the next. After two more passes Wade was confident there were no guards or external CCTV. About to cross the street, Bart and the same Asian guard, Wade had fought in Ucluelet, exited the building.
Doubling back, they followed Bart and the Asian to an apartment complex in downtown Geneva. Watching from a café across the street, Bart and the Asian returned ten minutes later. The Asian was carrying a rigid Samsonite case and was struggling with its heavy contents.
They followed them back to Rue des Rois. Wade called Kiwi and Jacko and instructed them to make their way to the apartment and do a sweep. He advised Crystal would meet them there and when finished they were all to head back to the Hotel.
Wade entered the rear of the building. He discarded his jacket and hat and made his way down the corridor. The walls and doors, of the diamond cutting house, were plated glass. Coved vinyl floors and an exceptional high level of bright white lighting. Each room had a single fixed stainless steel table, one stool with cutting tools, large magnifying glass and a further light hanging from the ceiling.
The glass walls enabled Wade to confirm that he was alone on this level. Listening for sounds and voices he made his way deeper into the building. At the rear a set of stairs led both up and down. A calculated assumption suggested underground so he headed down; three levels.
The lowest level was a storage area. Boxes lined the walls and a packing table was in each room. The entire area was kept impeccably clean. Wade found a small door concealed in the lift motor room. Entering he found himself in the underground tunnel system and this time he heard voices. Following the sounds, he came upon a small enclave that was being used as an operations room. Bart, the Asian,
