Government to help Donald Kennedy. Tom knew it would only buy them a couple of days before the story leaked elsewhere but that may be enough to get his parents and Saki out of prison and back to the UK. It was worth a try, $15 billion was not a lot of money to Alba.
Chapter 37
Beaumont was sitting in the oval office at 7.00 a.m. It was going to be another bad day, he could already sense it. The news had not broken and he still didn’t know why.
“Well, Mr Genius, what disaster awaits us today?” asked the President as he entered the office with the General Powers incident still on his mind. Although not enjoying Beaumont’s failures, he did like to see him taken down a peg or two.
“I take it you’ve seen the news then,” said Beaumont. “Or more correctly, the lack of it.”
“Yes, what the hell happened there?” asked the President.
“I have no idea. The news was scheduled to break this morning, the evidence is rock solid and irrefutable, we planted it ourselves. I just don’t understand it.”
The phone rang exactly on time. Beaumont hit the speaker button.
“Good morning Mr Chairman.”
“Less of the good I think. I believe we have failed spectacularly AGAIN gentlemen. This is becoming a very bad habit.” The Chairman was not impressed.
“We’re just trying to find out what happened,” explained Beaumont.
“I know what happened, you fool. Alba bought Global and killed the story. It’s all over the business news. They purchased them late last night.”
“But they can’t have, our man would have told us?”
“He didn’t know, nobody did. The son bought it for cash just like that. Spent $15 billion on it.”
“The son? But he’s only a kid?”
“Anyway, don’t worry, the story will break tomorrow. I’ve sorted it. And gentlemen, no more mistakes. Yesterday’s cock-up cost us more than you know. However, I do congratulate you, framing Donald Kennedy for the assassinations is a stroke of genius but only if it works. I suggest that after the story breaks, you arrange a very quick accident. Afterall, dead men can’t talk…”
“Consider it done Mr Chairman,” replied Beaumont.
The Chairman hung up and left the two men looking at one another.
“What did he mean more than we know?” asked Beaumont.
“I had my suspicions but he just confirmed it. Walker was a committee member. He was useless, never deserved the post but he was a useful useless if you know what I mean.”
“Yes I do,” replied Beaumont as he walked back to his office. He immediately called Smith.
“We need to finish the job tomorrow,” Beaumont explained.
“Any specific time?” asked Smith.
“As soon as possible after the story breaks. It’ll dampen the outrage if Kennedy dies as a suspected assassin.”
“No problem. Everything here is set. I’ve organised a full-blown prison riot, hundreds will be injured and killed and unfortunately Mr Donald Kennedy will be one of the dead.”
“His wife and the other guy?” asked Beaumont.
“Does it matter?”
“No, not really…actually, on second thoughts, probably best they go too.”
“OK, by tomorrow night they’ll all be history,” confirmed Smith.
Beaumont ended the call. Things were getting back on track. But he had to be careful, he had to plan for the unexpected. He called Jones and told him what he wanted him to do, better safe than sorry.
Chapter 38
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
