Assassin (The Billionaire Series) (15 page)

“No, no, Sir, it wasn’t my decision, the President himself
phoned me to tell me to move into your office asap.”

“So you scurried in on a Sunday and started moving my things
out?” Powers began to smell an even bigger rat.

“Well that’s good,” said the General, “because you have a new
command post. I understand that your previous post has already been filled,”
smiled Powers.

“Only on an interim basis Sir. I was just moving back to my
office,” said Walker who was now very nervous. He knew Powers had never liked
him.

“No, no, you were right to put Michael in your old role, he’s
a very good man.” Powers had always preferred Michael, the Vice Chief of Naval
Operations, to Walker.

“So where are you putting me?” asked Walker meekly.

“I’ve had to think long and hard about this. A man with your
skills is wasted behind a desk. I mean, you’ve got what, 30 years service
behind you? All that naval experience stuck in here.”

Powers could see the look of fear on Walker’s face. He was a
lifetime desk jockey. Powers could not believe Walker’s personnel file. He had
managed to get to the top job in the Navy despite never seeing any action. The
biggest sea command he had held was cruising around the Caribbean looking for
drug smugglers which had raised a few serious questions in itself.

“I’m very settled in Washington, it would be hard to move
now,” squeaked Walker barely able to breath.

“Oh, what I have in mind won’t require you to move house,”
replied Powers smiling. “We need a new Commander for the Second Fleet.”

“But that’s a Rear Admiral position, I’m a Four Star Admiral,
that would be ridiculous,” blurted Walker whose fear gave into anger.

“Correction, you
were
a Four Star Admiral,”
said Powers letting the words hang for a second. “Not anymore, Rear Admiral.”

“But you can’t possibly do this, I mean you just can’t. I’ll
speak to the President,” said an exasperated Walker, his heart pounding. The US
Second Fleet was in the middle of the Artic and would remain there for some
time.

“It’s covered, I’m afraid, you’re my payback. I can do
whatever I want with you,” smiled Powers.

From the day he had taken on the Chairmanship of the Joint
Chiefs, Walker had made things as difficult as he could for him and had seemed
untouchable. The President had refused many of Powers’ requests to replace the
useless Chief of the Navy.

“I’ll resign,” Walker informed him.

“You wish,” said Powers.

“What do you mean ‘you wish’? I’m perfectly within my rights
to resign.”

“Fine but if I receive your resignation, I will immediately
launch an investigation into your command of the anti drug ship in the
Caribbean. I’m sure I’ll find out why, on your command, drug seizures were 80%
less than any other commander.”

Powers had noted the discrepancy while reading Walker’s personnel
file and adding this to rumours at the time, he couldn’t help but wonder.

Walker didn’t know what to do. The 20% seizures they had made
were while he was on holiday. The actual truth was that while in command, he
had made no seizures whatsoever. Powers had it in for him and Walker was fairly
certain that Powers could ensure that testimony would come to light which would
incriminate him in some pay-off scandal. He could spend the next ten years in
jail. As a matter of fact, he had never taken a pay-off from the drug runners.
He didn’t need to, his family were very wealthy. The simple truth was that he
was a coward who needed a stint at command to progress his career and had
managed to wangle the easy task of cruising around the Caribbean for 18
months.. He hadn’t realised until he arrived that the drug runners were as
dangerous as they were. Ten sailors had been injured prior to his arrival and
an anti-tank missile had narrowly missed the ship two weeks before that. He
decided if drug runners wanted so badly to navigate their waters, then he would
just make sure his ship was nowhere near them.

“Well?” Powers knew Walker was a coward and had more than
likely never taken a kick-back but his crew at the time had certainly thought
he was. They didn’t know his daddy was worth a few billion. Whoever was
watching out for Walker was very good. The rumours had been quashed quickly and
effectively, a difficult thing to do in the navy.

“When do I leave?” he said resignedly.

“Now. The car’s outside and your transport plane awaits,”
replied a triumphant Powers.

“Right this second?”

“Yes, right this second. Oh and you may want to stop and buy
some sweaters. I hear it’s rather cold up there. Now get out of
my
office before I throw you out.”

Walker took his box of personal belongings and walked out.
Powers picked up the phone and dialled the Interim Chief of Naval Operations.

“Michael?”

“Yes sir, General Powers and may I just say how relieved I was
to hear that you’re OK. It was a terrible accident Sir.”

“Thank you Michael,” said Powers as it struck him that neither
the President, Beaumont nor Walker had made the same remark. He thought that
perhaps they were too embarrassed by their stupid actions.

“Two things, Michael,” resumed Powers. “One, congratulations,
you are confirmed as the new Chief of Naval Operations and secondly, I just
sent Rear Admiral Walker to command the Second Fleet.”

“Sorry Sir, did you just say that I have been confirmed as the
new Chief and Rear Admiral
Walker
is in command of
the Second Fleet?” He paused for a moment and then added, “I don’t know which
is more shocking, my promotion or the thought of Walker leading the second
fleet.”

“I know the thought of what he could do to it is worrying and
that’s why I’m calling. I was very angry when I gave him the post. I remember
reading that they were on Arctic manoeuvres and I couldn’t think of anything he
would hate more. So we need to cover it. Please put your best second-in-command
with him, somebody who’s ready for their own command and tell him to lead the
fleet. Walker will just want to keep a low profile. Give your guy the authority
to over-rule him if he believes it’s necessary. In other words, Walker is a
figure-head only.”

“Understood, no problem. I know just the man for the job. He
hates Walker and will relish the opportunity. And Sir, thank you for the
promotion.”

“Not at all Michael. The job should always have been yours, I
don’t know how the hell that idiot ever got it.”

 
Walker continued
down the corridor with his box in his arms thinking of what he needed to do. He
had to call his wife and let her know he wouldn’t be home that night, nor the
next few months. He was supposed to have been going to his club that night for
a game of poker with the boys. He’d have to cancel that as well. It then struck
him. He suddenly realised that he would have to miss the committee meetings. He
couldn’t possibly use the equipment on a naval ship, it was full of
electronics, or could he? He would have to call The Chairman and check. It
wasn’t going to be an easy call. The Chairman did not tolerate members missing
meetings. In fact, members didn’t miss meetings, ever.

Chapter 34

Max Marshall was the owner of Global Media having built the
business over the previous 40 years from nothing. It was now one of the largest
media organisations in the world, with interests on every continent and every
media, including newspapers, radio, TV, film, publishing and the internet.

He had been made aware of the story on Donald Kennedy just
after the revelation of his arrest. He had received a phone call from his
Washington Bureau who had received a file detailing astonishing claims against
Donald Kennedy. At first, they took the file as an elaborate hoax and highly
defamatory. None of the content was printable. However, when news of his arrest
was announced, they began to investigate the story more seriously. It all
seemed to check out. Understanding the enormity of the news, they contacted
Max. He was very nervous, it was not every day you launched an attack on the
world’s richest man. A mistake could ruin the company.

He made some calls to government officials, further checking
the allegations, in case they knew something he didn’t. Everything checked out.
It seemed that Global Media was holding the key to the world’s biggest story.
He was asked by the UK government whether he could hold the story until they
made some further checks. It was a Sunday, things would take a little longer
but they promised to get back to him by close of play.

He thought long and hard about what to do. If he launched the
story straight away, only to find it was all rubbish, Donald Kennedy would have
him for everything, his legal guys were legendary. If he waited and had final
confirmation from the government, they couldn’t touch him, the government would
be to blame. It also meant they could spend the day preparing for the biggest
breaking story in the history of the company. The decision was made. Print runs
were halted, the first 5 pages were cleared on every paper they published. Each
one of their main presenters was contacted and told to report into work on the
Monday. Their schedules were re-arranged, holidays cancelled or interrupted.

Max’s phone rang. It was 7 p.m. in London and it was the call
he had been waiting for. He grabbed the phone.

“Hello?” he answered excitedly.

“Hello Mr Marshall.” It was definitely not the call he had
been expecting.

Chapter 35

Tom only realised the time when he heard the commotion outside
his room. He had been so busy on the phone that two hours had flown by. He
walked out, said hi to the group and explained they were borrowing one of the
conference rooms and led the way.

“I’m sorry to ask you to come at such short notice,” began Tom.
“I know we all start school tomorrow but I thought there were some things you
guys needed to know.”

Tom spent the next twenty minutes bringing them all up to
speed on that day’s developments including the latest news of his father’s
alleged links to the assassinations. Finally, he stopped talking and waited for
a barrage of questions. None came. All sat still, waiting for the punch line.
No-one could believe that Tom’s father was responsible for the explosion, let
alone the assassinations. That, of course, was why they had been selected, that
and for their contacts.

Eventually, somebody spoke.

“So what are we going to do?” asked Daniel, the son of the
Head of the Mossad, the Israeli intelligence service. Tom had known Daniel for
some time and liked his straight talking, no-nonsense approach.

“We’re going to find out what’s happening and who’s behind all
this. I hope with your help?” Tom looked around the table and was pleased to
see everyone nodding.

“How about introductions, I don’t think I’ve met everybody
here?” suggested Zach.

“Of course. My apologies. Probably best we just shoot round
the table,” replied Tom indicating to his left.

“I’m Thabo, son of the President of Botswana.”

“I’m Daniel, son of the Head of the Israeli Mossad.”

“I’m Zach, son of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in
the US.”

“I’m Jin, granddaughter of the President of the People’s
Republic of China.”

“I’m Sofie, my mother is President of the European Commission
and I’m from the Netherlands.”

“I’m Elena, my father is the Secretary General of the United
Nations and I’m from Peru.”

“I’m Lela, Tom’s sister.”

“And I’m Tristan, the son of the Prime Minister of the UK.”

“Excellent, I’m sure we’ll all get to know each other much
better but there is one more person I want to bring into this group. He’s not
at this school but I called him earlier and told him everything I’ve told you
guys and I think he may be quite helpful.”

“Who is it?” asked Tristan.

“Rolf. His family has some rather interesting connections in a
slightly different world from the one we all live in,” said Tom awkwardly.

Thabo laughed.

“That’s one way of describing it, I suppose,” he said.

Everybody looked at him for more.

“His dad is the biggest crook in Africa and maybe further
afield too,” he added.

“Underworld kingpin is probably more apt,” replied a blushing
Tom.

“If he’s OK with Tom, he’s OK with me,” said Tristan.

The rest of the group agreed and Rolf joined the meeting by
video conference.

Tom kicked the meeting off by explaining what he thought
needed to be done. Two hours later, they all left the room, sworn to secrecy
and with a list of questions to get answers to.

Tom checked his watch. He had one more call to make before he
went to bed.

Chapter 37

Beaumont was glued to the TV. He had been tipped off that the
story would break in the UK at 7.00 a.m. which was 2.00 a.m. Washington time.
Global Media were trying to get maximum exposure across the world on their
biggest ever exclusive. It would mean that the US would wake up to the
headlines in their newspapers and TV stations; the UK would wake up to their TV
and radio station bulletins and a special edition of the Global newspapers,
meaning none of the other UK papers would be able to copy the story. Across
Europe and Asia, the story would break in daylight hours. It was going to be
huge.

Beaumont could see it now, “DONALD KENNEDY – THE
ASSASSIN. DONALD KENNEDY – WORLD KILLER.” He was watching the
British-based Global media news channel. It was the prime time morning news
show and was, because Kennedy was British, going to be the first to break the
news.