above the alarms. Donald tensed as his worst fears raced through his mind. Saki, however, remained calm and began to laugh. Rachel rushed in.
“What’s happ…SAKI, you’re back!” Rachel threw her arms around him, forgetting the dogs and the alarms.
Tom and Lela looked at each other as Donald looked at the Rachel hugging Saki. They were under attack. Somebody had entered the estate’s perimeter. The house was in full lock-down and they were hugging? But he knew that they were completely safe. The house was impregnable. Everything was covered, even an attack by tanks and bulldozers. As the alarm triggered, huge metal barriers rose from the ground barring access to all vehicles. The security shutters would protect against any shell or bomb blast. The only thing that could break through was a nuclear blast but they had their underground bunker for that eventuality. Nothing was left to chance. Within five minutes, three choppers full of heavily armed Royal Marines would be on site to deal with the intruders.
Although he knew that they should be completely safe, he could not understand Saki’s reaction. Why was he laughing?
“Saki, why the hell are you laughing?” shouted Donald.
Saki said nothing but walked over to the security camera screens. One screen was filled with an estate schematic which showed the exact location of every person on the estate. Each person was individually identified by a green dot. Two red dots flashed on the screen, the intruders were just inside the gates. Twenty yellow dots surrounded them, the Rottweillers.
“Very impressive, the dogs caught them instantly,” said Saki, still calm. He touched the two red dots on the screen and the security camera zoomed in on the intruders. As the picture became clearer, the room filled with laughter.
“Kano and Kisho! What are they doing here?” asked Tom, recognising the twins, Lela’s cousins.
“Getting eaten by these bloody dogs if you don’t do something,” came their response. Saki had switched on the intercom system and Tom’s question had boomed out across the estate. Donald pressed the release button and the dogs instantly stood down. The button emitted a high pitch perceptible only to dogs.
Donald turned to Saki.
“But I just don’t get it, how did you get past the dogs? They don’t know you?”
Saki pulled a small controller from his pocket identical to Donald’s.
“I had a sample made when we were planning the controls for the dogs. I’m just glad it still works!”
Donald however could not see the funny side, the stress was getting to him. Saki noted Donald’s demeanour and placed a reassuring arm around his shoulders. He led him into the study. Showers and sleep could wait. It was time to talk.
Chapter 6
Beaumont was excited. In less than four hours, he would present an update of the plan to The Committee. Up until that point, the President himself had always updated The Committee on ‘Current Progress’ and ‘Next Steps’. This was his chance to shine in front of The Chairman.
The President and Beaumont had had a conference call with The Chairman that morning. The Chairman told them that there would be change to that evening’s agenda and that Beaumont would be up first. The President protested it was his plan and the members expected him to be in control. At that point, The Chairman asked the President to lift up his handset. Beaumont did not know what was said but whatever it was, it was the first time he had seen the President silenced, not only silenced but shaken. The President replaced the handset and suggested that Beaumont leave early as he had a long drive home before the evening’s meeting. Beaumont would normally use a Marine chopper to get him home but on that occasion, was met only with a hearty laugh and a wave of dismissal. The President was showing him he was still the boss.
Beaumont arrived at his family home in Virginia, a peaceful estate in the heart of old America.
“Good afternoon Charles.”
“Good afternoon Mother,” replied Beaumont as he rushed through the door and headed towards his private study.
“Now Charles, I brought you up better than that, come back here and greet your mother properly.”
“Of course Mother, sorry,” he said through gritted teeth, as he stopped, returned to his mother and pecked her on the cheek.
“Good afternoon Mother and how are you today?” he asked sarcastically
“Better now, thank you. Now off you go.”
Beaumont, already in a foul mood from the unnecessary three hour drive, was now ready to explode and almost sprinted to his study. He had less than an hour to practice for that night’s meeting which, in his mind, was the most important meeting of his life. After The Chairman’s earlier remonstration with the President, he now more than ever wanted to be the Deputy Chairman.
Beaumont closed the door to his study and sat in the same chair his father and grandfather had used before him. At last he had time to himself to work on the update. Nobody would interrupt him in the study, this area was sacrosanct, a tradition that was almost as old as the family itself. In fact, it was on breaking this tradition that Beaumont witnessed his ‘real’ father for the first and only time. Beaumont had been enjoying an after dinner drink with his mother when she collapsed, gasping for air and complaining of severe chest pains. Beaumont immediately called an ambulance and screamed to the maid to tell his father. She had refused, apologising that she could not disturb Mr Beaumont in his study, even if the house were burning down, she could not disturb him. Beaumont had shouted for the butler who had similarly refused. He screamed at them, his mother was having a heart attack and they were worried about disturbing his father’s peace and solitude. He pushed them aside and stormed down the corridor to tell his father about his mother’s condition. He reached the study door and tried to open it. It was locked. Every ounce of anger went into thumping the door to draw his father out of his self indulgent solitude. After nearly a minute of banging, the door opened, his father’s anger evident in the slap he delivered to the young Beaumont. His father issued him a chilling warning ‘don’t ever disturb me again.’ Beaumont protested that his mother was having a heart attack. His father’s response shocked his son to the core, ‘deal with it’, he said before shutting the door in his face.
The thought of his father’s actions now brought a smile to his face which was quickly followed by a pang of regret for the father he had never really known. He pulled himself together, he had less than an hour to prepare for that night’s meeting and he had to impress The Chairman. Beaumont was certain he was being tested, although the thought crossed his mind that perhaps The Chairman was merely exerting his authority over the President by putting him firmly in his place. However, he quickly dismissed these thoughts. The Chairman did not need to play such childish games. He was all powerful and had proved the point many times. Only just recently, everyone had been reminded of The Chairman’s power. A Committee member had dared to disagree with his orders and had refused to carry them out. Within an hour, the Committee member and his entire family were executed by their own trusted bodyguards in a very public display. It was only at the next Committee meeting and the silhouette of an empty chair that the Committee members realised who the dissenting voice had been and how dangerous The Chairman really was.
The red light changed to yellow on top of the unit sitting in the centre of Beaumont’s desk. It was the only electrical product in the room and one of the most advanced communication systems in the world. It could detect the presence of any other power source and listening device. It continually scoured its surroundings and should it detect any other device, it would refuse to operate until the offending article were removed. This included phones, tape recorders, music systems, computers. In fact, the only power source Beaumont had found acceptable to the unit was a single low powered desk lamp. He had even changed his Rolex watch to an automatic version as the battery version had upset the unit.
The yellow light signified that everybody had checked in and that the meeting would commence in two minutes. Checking-in required a thumb and eye scan with the added requirement that these bodily parts be attached to their owner. It also required the member to be alone and this was checked by the unit scanning for heart beats and respiratory outputs. Should more than one be present, the check-in would fail.
