“No, sir, not at this time.”
“It was bound to happen,” said the President, with a sigh. “I knew that when they came to me and asked me to run for office. I saw the timing and what was coming. There was so much at stake. I’m surprised I made it into office. I was never sure that Management wouldn’t find out or at least wonder. Good Lord, all you had to do was look at who was starting to fill our ranks, really look, and you could see the pattern.”
“Yes, sir.”
“So, we put the counter measures into play. Are the operatives on their way?”
“We were awaiting your approval,” said Fred.
“You mean this office still has some actual power?” The President stopped to absently straighten out his blue silk tie. “Let it be so,” he said, giving a nod. “Give them the authority to negotiate whatever they need to. We start with the MPLA in Angola, then Congo, Gabon, Cameroon and Niger. That should be enough to draw Management’s attention away from this country.”
“Yes, sir,” said Fred, waiting for the president to wind down.
“It’s a win-win, you know. I wanted to do this last year when I noticed China cozying up to the Sudan. They call it a mutual agreement and then use their land to grow crops but not one blade of wheat would stay in Africa. We may yet get to distribute the food across the continent where it belongs and gain a bargaining chip with China in the deal,” said the President.
“If we don’t then more than a few Africans are going to starve just a hundred yards from crops that will be shipped back to China but we’ll still have our diversion,” said Fred.
“An interesting dilemma; which is worse? This deception had better be worth it.”
“Sir, if the wrong people found out what the Circle has been creating all of these years and right under their noses then a lot of innocent young lives will quickly pay the price.”
“Mr. Bowers, the lives that may be lost in Africa are innocent as well.”
“Yes sir, but exposure of the list would be enough to tip the balance of power too far into Management’s hands. Millions more would die. And sir, I don’t think we’re going to come out of this war without some calculated loss.”
The President looked up at Fred. “We are at war, aren’t we, Fred? Sometimes I forget your military background. Alright, then, well, if we can distract the other powers that be enough to think we actually wanted the land rights I will live to be an old man, Mr. Bowers, God willing. If not, my reelection and my life will once again be in the hands of conniving mortals. No offense,” he said, with a short laugh.
“No, sir.”
“What is our next move?”
“We send over the agricultural engineers with the Special Forces Unit to start laying the groundwork, sir.”
“And if there is resistance?” said the President.
“We are ready to negotiate in good faith, sir, but we will aggressively remove enough obstacles to make our intentions appear genuine.”
“Have we pulled at Management’s purse strings as well?”
“Yes sir, we are pushing down the value of the Cardinal Group as we speak and shorting the stock. Our deception won’t last long but will let Management know that we are moving forward and can hurt them.”
“Of course,” said the President, slowly getting up and walking to the window. “Is that all, Mr. Bowers?” he said, looking out the window at the lawn in front of the north portico and the familiar front porch.
“No, sir, there is one more directive. One of the zwanzig, the special one, he may have been detected.” The President jerked around to look at Bowers.
“You aren’t sure? How is that possible with all of this technology?”
“Both sides are being very cautious, sir, very quiet, and there’s a special circumstance.”
“And that is?”
“A Circle OTP has gone missing. A drive that belonged to an upper level cell originating from the Mid-Atlantic. We believe it was taken from her dead body right after she was drowned.”
“Mr. Bowers, this is turning into a very bad day. Do we have a remote idea of where it is now?” said the President in an angry hiss.
“Yes, sir. It slipped out of Management’s hands. The special zwanzig, we believe his mother has it, sir.”
“Well, I suppose the Management’s theory of DNA will be proven at last. If they are right, his mother will give in to some deep, inner need for power and all is lost. If the Circle is right, then we still have a chance to finally bring some democracy back into the world after an absence of more than a hundred years. This contest of wills, it will be very interesting, Mr. Bowers. I suppose both sides are waiting to see what happens next.”
“Not exactly, sir. Tom has been called home. We are going to see if we can tip the balance in our favor.”
“And Management will likely respond.”
“They appear to have already tried, sir. There are several dead in Richmond.”
Chapter Twenty-One