Where: DC Corrections Division, The United Nations of Europe and Americas, Washington, DC
When: 1215 hours, Tuesday, October 1, 2041
Currency: UNEA credits
I was perplexed at the outcome of the bail hearing, and just when I was starting to wonder when I would be released from custody, the comms rang. It was Joe again.
“Hey Joe, what just happened?”
“I know, right! We are in a better position now,” Joe responded.
“A better position indeed. Boy, that was incredible. For a second there, I didn’t think I was getting bail. The prosecutors are out for blood.”
“Yeah, Dom. They are going to be hard work, but like I said, we are in a better position now. You won’t be getting out till the monitoring enforcer tags you with a bracelet. Once that’s done, you will be relocated to the exit block and processed for release,” Joe said.
“I see, so how much longer do you think?” I asked.
“Another couple of hours,” Joe replied
“Okay, please make sure the jet is ready. I’ll need to leave DC as soon as I get released. We fly straight to Milwaukee the very minute I get out of here. It’s been almost forty-eight hours, and I’m sure Laura and the kids will be worried sick by now. As you probably guessed, there are a few things that we will need to discuss on the flight back,” I said.
“Okay, no problem,” Joe replied.
“We’ll need to touch down in Albany Thursday afternoon. I won’t go into too much detail now, but we’ll talk about it on the plane,” I said.
“No problem, Dom. I’ll make sure everything is in place by the time you’re released.”
“Good. See you in a couple of hours,” I said, and then hung up with Joe.
Laura and I had been married for twenty-three years. We had two children, Jonathan and Carla. Jonny was in his final year of high school, and Carlie was in her second year at Yale. Laura and I met in our late twenties and got married shortly after, even though it was against her father’s wishes. She was brought up in a Christian family, and I was more or less Catholic. People viewed Christianity and Catholicism as the same thing, but both had opposing views on certain scriptures. In all honesty, my religious beliefs had become a little shaky over the years. The main reason for this was the way so-called Christians treated nonbelievers. Their behaviour was downright hypocritical and a stark contrast to biblical teachings. My lacklustre Catholicism did not impress Laura’s father. He also had his reservations about how I came into so much wealth at such a young age. Laura’s mother loved me. She loved that I was always courteous, and that I treated her daughter with the utmost love and respect.
The arrest happened at my office in Milwaukee, and it had been all over the news and social media. Four enforcers came in to read me my rights, and the other four waited outside, to control the press—I wondered how the press found out so quickly. The enforcers put me on a government plane and flew me to DC. I had only spoken to Laura once since the arrest. She would have been worried sick every minute I spent in lockup, and the kids would be worried as well. The charges brought against me wouldn’t have been crimes that my family would associate me with. As far as they were concerned, I am a good husband, a good father, and a successful businessman. They would have been under the impression that my business affairs were all clean. Laura would probably be thinking that I was being set up. My only worry at this point was how my family was coping through all this. I would have a lot of explaining to do once I got home.
I only had a couple of days to calm things down at home before having to leave again to meet with the Assembly. I will need to instruct them on how business is to be conducted during the trial. So that no one was the wiser, Assembly meetings were held at various locations, and the location was never disclosed in advance to members. Members would be dropped off at the venue at the required time. The venues included hotel conference halls and exclusive restaurants. We even used holiday cabins from time to time. Sometimes meetings were arranged with individual members. No one ever knew for sure if meetings would include all members. Each location would be swept for bugs before the meeting started. Once the meeting started, everyone spoke in a code that I developed. It was made up of corporate jargon, so that when we spoke it sounded like we were discussing legitimate business, and sometimes we actually were. The Assembly was made up of thirteen members, with me being the head. Five directors oversee operations in Canada, the United States, and South America. The other five were in charge of Europe. Russia was excluded and so was Ukraine—we had no jurisdiction in those countries. The directors in the Americas reported to Alex, and the ones in Europe reported to Chris.
I had already decided that the location for the Assembly’s next meeting would be in Albany, a general meeting that would include every member. As soon as I get out of the holding cell, the plan is to get Joe to contact Alex and Chris to set up the meeting.
The hierarchical structure of my organization was set up like a Fortune 500 company with me as president. I, Alexander Lewis, and Christopher Abbadelli grew up in the same neighbourhood. They both serve as vice presidents and CSOs, overseeing a number of directors. They were second in command and senior members of the Assembly. The two had senior regional managers reporting directly to them.
The company and all its branches carried out illegal activities. However, all the
