 
## The Sacred Protocol

Hylton H Smith

Copyright 2011 by Hylton Smith

Smashwords Edition

Published by Promethean

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic and mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the permission of the publisher.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters and incidents are products of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to persons living or dead, are entirely coincidental.

Acknowledgement

The continued support and encouragement of Rhys J. Smith and Anne Flint are always evident and genuinely appreciated.

## Chapter 1

The peasants toiling on the Cornish coast were buoyed by the fantastic July weather, making their burden lighter in their imagination. Jonas Goodbody was first to intrude with a sour sentiment. He had watched the horizon deliver an ever-increasing number of ships from the haze. His panic-driven bleating was at first rebuked by his supervisor, who then quickly grasped the significance of Goodbody's clarion call. This was no summer maritime gathering whose intention was to relax and imbibe the ambience of a green and pleasant land. It had been predicted, but information was sketchy at best among peasantry. It was indeed the most feared realisation of the Spanish Armada. The prepared beacons were lit, and as practiced, the information reached London and Plymouth quickly. The response was also well rehearsed. Elizabeth insisted on travelling to the coast to witness Sir Francis Drake deal this Catholic invasion force a dose of typical English tactical pragmatism. All did not however go to plan.

Lady Luck played a curious role in defeat being snatched from the jaws of victory. Philip II of Spain believed he had no alternative to crushing Elizabeth I. He already controlled the Spanish Netherlands which were often referred to as the low country; however Protestant influence was spreading as a direct consequence of sponsorship from the virgin Queen. With England also under his control he could rule the English Channel. He believed that Scotia and Hibernia would at the very least assume neutral status, more because of their hatred of the English than any love for Iberia. There was also much Catholic support in these bordering domains. There was, in addition, the small matter of Sir Francis Drake's attack the previous year on the harbour of Cadiz, where many ships destined for the Armada were being built. Considerable losses were sustained in sea power and naval personnel. This home defeat rankled with Philip to the point of obsession. Even when the fleet was, in his opinion up to strength again in 1588, he made quite an incredible decision by filling the position left by the loss of Admiral Santa Cruz, who died in 1586. Medina Sidonia, a very accomplished army heavyweight and nobleman, was bestowed with the dubious honour.

Exactly what the rank and file crews made of this is not well documented, but the entire plan seemed to be sinking in terms of credibility. A key part of the strategy was to navigate the Channel and pick up soldiers currently occupying the Spanish Netherlands.

They had however underestimated Sidonia, and even Philip confessed, but only to himself, that it was an inadvertent stroke of genius to appoint the army man as Admiral of the fleet. One of the first things he did was to abandon the plan to pick up the land forces and risk losing them aboard sinking vessels. He did not however disclose this intention to anyone. He knew that there was no port in these Netherlands deep enough to conduct such an operation safely even without Drake breathing down his neck. The solution he had inherited was to march the army to Normandie. He knew it would be a bitter debate to try to countermand Philip's death trap, so he apparently went along with it, and crucially so did all of the spies who would report such stupidity back to Elizabeth. In a clandestine agreement with Danish noblemen he decided to feign flight from Drake's fleet into what would be realised too late as a trap. The renowned Drake 'floating bomb' tactic of sending flaming vessels into collision with the Spanish galleons never got off the ground. These 'Hell Burners' depended on the enemy being sluggish or clustered without much room for manoeuvre. Sidonia's crescent formation allowed speed and defensive protection. When Drake eventually felt the Spanish were cornered in some God-forsaken Nordic harbour, the entire naval manpower of both sides was exhausted. The English spirit however was briefly rekindled when their prey was apparently in a predicament worse than the anticipated location in France. The Danish mercenaries, who had no religious leaning, were brimming with energy, spoiling for a fight, and well equipped with vessels designed specifically for the tidal turmoil in the region. The crowning factor was the short, deep but narrow strait access to the inner calm of the real harbour. Only two ships at a time could traverse this channel, and of his 130 vessels, Sidonia sent his 22 galleons through first to then volte-face and fire upon the eager pursuers. The last four Spanish ships in the channel were halted and offered as sacrificial gambits as their crew took to the rescue boats awaiting them. With the channel effectively blocked, the Danes closing in from behind, Sidonia taking aim from calm water, and the appearance of catapults despatching fireballs from both banks of the channel, Drake's fate was sealed. His temporary upsurge in morale had been replaced by the sudden realisation that his navy would be totally eradicated. And so it was. After resting with his co-conspirators, Sidonia sailed back to Normandie to collect a fresh, well preserved land invasion force. This had been his thinking all along. Unless the transfer of his army could be achieved with little or no loss, the naval battle would have been of little relevance.

Elizabeth was back in London when the news came, but unfortunately, Scotia and Hibernia were already in receipt of her plight. The three pronged converging forces brought England to its knees in bitter but short campaigns. She was herself publicly beheaded in the style so often employed by her father.

With appropriate concessions to the acolytes of Scotia and Hibernia, the genesis of the new Iberian Empire was set in motion. July 19, 1588 was accorded the status of one of the most significant turning points in history. The astonishing pace at which the fledgling Catholic alliance flourished to the worthy upgrade of empire was underpinned by Philip's considerable skill as a forward thinking politician. He excelled in this trait as much as he appalled in military strategy. Lady Luck had indeed delivered his platform.

He had kept his fascination with the ancient Egyptian philosophy of 'victory by cultural absorption' to himself. It would have been considered regressive by the Church, especially when compared to the rationale of the Inquisition. It worked wonderfully well with the Nordic peoples. France was gradually but acutely aware of all of its neighbours being seduced to come under the Iberian flag in some form or another. Its national identity was eroded from the west, north and south. Philip also accommodated the Basque language, the oldest in what had up until now been known as Europe, in a restructuring of Spanish to Iberian. His next challenge was considerably more subtle than what seemed in hindsight to be the routine purging of England. Germany was a key facet of his master plan. Timing was everything – and so it was necessary to ingest but not digest France prior to rolling out his Lutheran cleansing.

Although Martin Luther died in 1546, his ideology had a firm grip on the German psyche. Apart from being the initiator of the Protestant reformation he had promoted apparently tolerant 'celibate marriages' for the priesthood. Philip seized upon the later anti-Semitic preaching of this professor of tolerance, and coupled with his quasi-Egyptian alternative, he effectively nullified the threat of war. He was able to quote all of the previous bloodless harmonisation of cultural advantage, including the latest and most unlikely example of France. He insisted that the French were accorded a policy of non-interference in domestic affairs, local laws and even their grossly indulgent obsession with those powerful anarchical taboos of art and literature. He was gambling on France and Germany each watching the other, and the fence sitting gave him time to sneak in the avenue of religious tolerance. The minds of the populace had to be won, not driven. What he really meant was given time to reflect on Papal adoption or the extreme poverty of Lutheran obstinacy. His patience paid off, and in less than two decades of stabilisation he was musing over the next two conundrums. Namely – his succession and the East.

The East predominated largely due to the situation in the New World being simplified by the recent ascent of Iberian identity. In addition, he already controlled Portugal, Naples and Sicily. Following Columbus' discovery in 1492, the main protagonists harboured ambitions to dominate both the northern and southern Americas. Now the way was clear for their re-naming – North and South Iberiana. All members would share from the common gain. The original purpose of Columbus was to find an alternate route to the Indies, as Islam had cut off the overland route through Egypt and Suez in mid-seventh century. The demand for spices, incense, herbs, opium and other drugs ensured a solution had to be found. Arabs took over this trade with Europe until the Ottoman Turks cut the route again in 1453, and this consolidated the need for a maritime route, which was partially satisfied by Vasco de Gama declaring the Cape of Good Hope as the answer. Philip had become known as Philip the Prudent, and he was not going to settle for this arduous journey in the long term.

When German Iberia was announced he saw an opportunity to move forward on the question of the East. He brokered the future marriage of his son to Margaret of Austria – sister of Ferdinand II, and was, like her future husband, a member of the House of Habsburg. His expansionist plans did not go unnoticed by Russians, Slavs and Turks. He also knew the dangerous routes through these, in his view, relatively uncivilised territories, was not an option. He offered something they all had in common – a desire to curb the growing problem of Islam. When they realised he meant elimination, other doors opened. Technology became currency for passage. Gradual strangulation of the Arab economy created cracks in the hegemony and exploitation presented itself, with many Islamic dignitaries taking residence in the southern Iberian Peninsula. The leaders benefitted from generous estates in return for strategic assistance and fighting men in bringing down their common enemies. Religious tolerance was once again on offer, with the caveat that there was no room for protest against the majority.

In a way this long, systematic decomposition of the indigenous Arab world would become the grooming background for his son to become Philip III. He didn't have the charismatic presence of his father but he could be moulded to a caretaker's role until his own heir, another Habsburg, could revive the former momentum. It was the best option in the semi-hiatus which was accompanied by the approaching death of Philip the Prudent, which duly arrived in 1598.

## Chapter 2

Konrad Salina had been thorough in preparing for his act of martyrdom. He only made the mobile video contact with the local Londonis police precinct when all other items had been checked off the list. The recorder was running and his message, including the details of his security vault had been tattooed on his back, in code, some weeks ago. The call was onward directed to Elle Butragueno, who was hurriedly gorging on takeaway tapas at five minutes to eight in the evening. It was actually her lunch. "Butragueno."

"Please listen very carefully." The camera panned around the apartment and settled on the balcony where she could make out a crudely constructed gallows. "Not another jumper," she moaned, "I'm going to tra..."

"No you aren't. This isn't a threat or cry for help. You can't save me, and that is why you must get here as soon as possible after I am dead. There is no such thing as a secure line now. You will know the importance once you are here." The address was flashed up and Butragueno ran to her vehicle while yelling to the desk to inform her superior Maxi Duarte.

It was a short drive, culminating in a sharp shock as she looked up to the eighth floor, to see the black outline of the corpse swaying in a ferocious wind. "Jesus." It was all she could muster as she believed she was, at least at present, the only person to know of the suicide. It was a desirable, tree-lined street, not the kind of place where these things happened. A strange thought almost percolated to verbal as she ran up the stairs instead of using the elevator. 'Funny, it will be me telling the Medical Examiner the time of death. Twenty two minutes past eight, August 8, 2022. I need a new career.'

She had managed to keep onlookers out of the incident area until the Lightbox brigade arrived, fractionally ahead of her boss – Maxi Duarte. She mumbled under her breath, 'Oh no, that's all I need – no sleep tonight'. Duarte exercised patience until the new forensic team had their shot at the corpse and his apartment. This arm of investigation was new and extremely helpful in creating an incorruptible record. By installing the volume parameters involved and locking the photonic capture of the scene, and subsequent flooding of the image in the lab with fluorescent x-rays, many things were revealed. The routine forensics team could then pursue their task. The Lightbox scans were compared against database item references such as fibres, semen, narcotics, shards, etc. – and this almost instant feedback was very helpful in guiding the regular forensic checks.

"Fill me in Butragueno; this doesn't make a lot of sense to me right now." Duarte was a tired, soon to retire, old school Chief Inspector. He wanted out, but at the same time had no idea what he would do on the first day, month or even year of being surplus to requirement.

Elle showed him the video of the entire incident, including the deceased's call to her. The tattoo was obviously a starting point, but didn't offer immediate clues as to the information it was supposed to reveal. "Great," said Duarte, in exasperated concession to getting both profilers and code breakers involved, "I get the feeling we won't be on this case too long – it stinks of political motive. Do we know anything at all about him – work, girlfriends, memberships of organisations, hobbies?" Butragueno winced. "It might be worse than you think Sir. His father owns this expensive apartment, lives in Madrid and is a big wig in the Central Security Division."

"How do we know that already?"

"Well Sir, there's a photograph in the hallway, of his parents at some CSD award ceremony and it was turned to the wall, which seemed unusual. I looked behind and it is obviously a special edition as it had the date, venue and official seal on it. I checked with Madrid and they knew of this address, but wouldn't say more until they talked with Snr. Salina himself."

"Well D.I. Butragueno, it's pretty certain that you've poked the first stick into the hornet's nest. I know it's frowned upon to have gut feelings in today's policing practice, but my ulcer is screaming disappointed parents and wayward offspring."

He was right about the case being hijacked, but it happened sooner than he allowed for, and consequently he reacted uncharacteristically angrily. Ricardo Pierze entered the apartment while barking out instructions to his 'underlings'. He was the antithesis to Duarte in just about every conceivable respect. He was tall, handsome, clean in appearance and exuded an air of being in control without having to be explicit. His sharp dark eyes didn't dart about; they were always focussed on the person he addressed, usually with the intention of disarming them. He would soon get frustrated with Maxi Duarte, whose overweight frame was always draped in food-stained, ill-fitting attire. Personal hygiene had little priority in his short list of lifestyle objectives. The remaining crescent of wispy grey hair which circled his sweat-beaded dome was particularly annoying to Pierze, as it was matted, and always retained the influence of his pillow until he showered or looked into a mirror, whichever came first.

"Senor whoever you are, I believe, until I'm contradicted, that suicide is still a crime even though we cannot arrest the perpetrator. It is a technicality but we are duty bound to determine if this is clearly and only suicide." The reply was paper thin in its sincerity.

"Pierze." He flashed his ID, "I would very much appreciate you according proper formality to our cooperation Chief Inspector. Please, at least look at my accreditation, you need to be careful. There are aspects of this incident which we have anticipated for some time now and we will require you to respect boundaries which are crucial to the security of the Republic."

Duarte glanced at the pretentious ID wallet. It was quite ornate and shouted 'Director of Operations – International Communications Corruption Bureau'. "So you aren't really police, or even a force. I just know that you're going to acquaint me with your leverage on high-flying people who are." He also wondered how and therefore why he was there so quickly. Pierze responded with a rare olive branch, although it didn't seem to be anything but confrontational. "Your choice Duarte, join the team or be replaced."

Butragueno interceded, "Sir, I would like to hear what the Director means by his anticipation of Konrad Salina doing something like this – it will surely help all of us to understand anything we can about his activities leading up to the suicide." Duarte was silent for a full minute while he satisfied himself that she was right. He nodded and gestured for Pierze to continue.

He did so by summoning a subordinate to activate a portable video transmission. It displayed footage from CCTV in several prominent cities in the Republic. One type of protest banner kept cropping up, and the zoom revealed similar faces at all of the locations. Konrad Salina was amongst them. Before Duarte could challenge the relevance of this he was given a short refresher course in recent history.

Pierze was very deliberate in structuring his précis to exclude any conclusions at this stage. "We all remember vividly the total and instant collapse of the internet in 2016. Equally, the development of a new safe global network was a landmark event. The paralysis of institutions such as banks, government, manufacturing, and air travel threatened a rapid slide into dystopian culture. The perpetrators were never identified even though their infection, which cascaded like no other, achieved its objective with unstoppable momentum. Because of the miraculous timescale in which a new, apparently bulletproof system was available, the scenario became one of rectifiable disaster rather than Armageddon. What you do know is that the system we have today has satisfied all of the aforementioned institutions. What you do not know is how it came about so quickly and that it may not be as impregnable as first thought. My remit does not allow me to flesh this out, but your cooperation with the method of investigation of the suicide is paramount. We need it to look like that is all it is. That is why the boundaries will be required. You may have observed that the protests were against something they refer to as 'Overlord'. That is their suggested name for the organisation itself, which has paradoxically attracted cult status amongst the majority of young people, and yet it is the target for the perceived protest action – which is not yet fully understood. The real protest is against the increasing dependency and licensing of SACRED. You no doubt recollect that the system which 'saved' our society in 2017 was indeed hailed under that acronym. In case you have forgotten it stands for 'Signal Amplification, Correction, Revision, Encryption and Distribution'. There is no evidence from any of the key players who were hit by the internet collapse, that the system is anything but perfect. That is why it is so surprising that it has fostered such antagonism from certain youth groups while the rest are obsessed with it. I hope you see that we must conduct our investigation undercover, and your team may proceed separately unless we find something which requires us to ask you to alter or delay your conclusions. I will be back tomorrow for the daily briefing you will present to me. I trust you will sleep on this tonight and let me know in the morning whether or not I need to replace you."

He mentioned on departing that if Duarte decided to cooperate he would need to smarten up his desk, which was almost invisible due to the mountain of paperwork it supported. Amongst the clutter at the top of one pile was a note, to remind himself of his son's football match – kick-off 19.30, and a half-eaten prawn Panini which obscured the scribbled venue. The smile on Pierze's face betrayed his utter disgust. Butragueno fixed her eyes on the floor until he had gone, then fled to the toilet before her control gave way and she sat there convulsing with laughter. Thankfully Pierze had left when she returned. She still had not regained full composure and it didn't help that Duarte had swept everything into a box; he looked up and asked, "Any ideas on where I can stash this for a couple of days?"

"Leave it there; I'll get someone from records to put it into files. You need to look as if you are working on something. I don't think Pierze is a clean desk man."

He nodded wistfully, and switched back to Pierze's monologue. "What do you make of this SACRED stuff? I can only recall that it's something to do with the Moon."

"Yes, but it's a hell of a lot more complicated than that. I remember thinking at the time that it was quite a convenient blessing to recover our ability to plug the world back into the mains again so quickly, until I read more about the guys who designed it."

"You need to bring me up to date with that in under an hour Butragueno; my boy will never forgive me if I miss the game.

## Chapter 3

The grooming which Philip II had in mind for his son was not what it outwardly appeared. He knew that the only true successor which would endure long enough to allow the empire he had in mind to flourish was not a person, but a republic. He also recognised that it would take up to a century for this to be implemented, and in any event his son was not capable of such subtlety. Philip III did become monarch upon his father's death, but it was his father's inherited prescription to which he clung - as his encyclopaedia to govern. His father had foreseen trends in his acquired states which convinced him that the self-serving nobility could not survive very far into continually advancing technology. He didn't personally embrace all such scientific conclusions without reservation, yet he wanted to optimise the future for both his family and Iberia.

Giving a stake in this future to plebiscites would be resisted by those who protected and coveted his son's position. Therefore the formula he advocated was to use the Church to mediate at every contentious phase. It did require a change of religious leadership philosophy, and this was precisely the time for such orchestrated effort to plant the foundation stone. Royalty, apparently being subordinate to the Holy Roman hierarchy was what the Church had been fighting for over many centuries. The Nobility saw it as an opportunity too. The stake offered to the populous had to be managed in concert with their representatives' ability to pledge and demonstrate total and absolute piety in every aspect of life, even the call to future wars. It did indeed take several decades to gather real momentum, and Philip III did not live to see the seeds of the republic turn to a swathe of manageable green grass. This strategy however prepared Iberia much better than any other society for the advent of the Industrial Revolution.

In the East - Russia and the Balkans moved away from the increasing power of the Orient and Indian sub-continent. They were however, nervous about the Iberian expansion, which had not only spread its tentacles to absorb the Arab world, but promoted its republican philosophy to the Africanas. Such preoccupation was the price paid for China discovering and claiming the Antipodes and naming it Sea Garden, presumably as the coastal areas were the only hospitable zones. The relentless Iberian entreaties to Russia eventually succeeded and their revolution was bloodless. Trade and technology were the catalysts. The Balkans had nowhere to go except follow suit.

The effect of early arrival of the might of industrial technology increased world travel and introduced widespread industrial espionage. One result of the fear of being left behind was the curious alignment of Asian societies in a very short space of time. This bloc consisted of the oriental nations, dominated by China and India, part of the seceded Russian steppe, the volcanic islands of the near Orient, and of course Sea Garden. Everything else flew the Iberian colours as fully subscribed members of the Republic, a protectorate, or simply a commonwealth of cultural partnership. Significantly, the Church would still have a bearing on further alignment. Orient had many more religious differences to iron out, whereas Iberia's tolerance actually promoted Catholicism at a digestible rate. This would become a bigger issue during the era of science and technology especially with respect to medicine.

As the perceived wealth gap widened another problem arose. The society with by far the highest population density also had by far the least land, and there were uprisings in Orient. Disparate religious belief in such overcrowded life, while looking over the shoulder at a successful alternative, turned envy into self-harm. This became an indirect problem for Iberia as there was no prepared structure to cope with mass refugee migration. Hurriedly installed law brought tension and polarisation within the Iberian culture. Orient also outlawed 'defection' and the success of many hundreds of thousands of escapees blurred the deaths of millions of unsuccessful individuals. A stand-off was sought and agreed. It was based on Iberia revoking sanctions and once again forging a 'technology for trade licence'. This worked quite well until the electronics age and the lure of space travel. Both of these developments took place earlier than they may have done if there had been prolonged nationalism from mediaeval times through to the industrial revolution. Electronics became part of everyday life by mid-twentieth century. The absence of global conflict, which had looked likely, but was avoided by the trade/technology pact, helped oversee more space exploration. The first human to set foot on the Moon was a Catalan. Rodrigo Mondragon planted Iberian colours there in 1956. As consumer advertising mutated from ancillary status to multi-billion peseta industry, there was less investment in pioneering technology. Satellites invaded the orbit by the hundreds and global communication grew into the monster which demanded instant everything. By 1969 there were unmistakable signs that population growth would force draconian measures for the entire planet, but it was the Orient which had the most acute problem, and they took the decision to block the altar of worship to consumerism and invest more of their GDP in getting to another planet. It wrong-footed Iberia for almost two decades, and culminated in their own Moon landing. They were reminded that the Moon was Iberian sovereign territory and the squabble dragged the trade/technology agreement into sharp focus. A formula was born out of anger, whereby Iberia compensated Orient by financing the next step toward a lunar colony, and an unconventional lease which favoured Iberian veto of excessive emigration rates by either society. This was considered relatively conventional in the Republic, but seen as being sold down the river by the people of the totalitarian regime. The governing Orient body was ousted, replaced and the lease revoked. And so the apartheid world came into being.

Orient was now a closed society, able to infiltrate and spy on a quite unprepared and porous dominion with borders of almost infinite length. The lunar colony would be upgraded in timescale and the sole proprietors of any gain would be Iberia. They knew that they could not halt the espionage drain and called time on the trade/technology licence, which fuelled talk of war. Within a year the internet changed everything as it grew into an activity which was difficult to monitor, and it thankfully took the talk of conflict to a lower shade of alert. By the millennium trade barriers had evaporated and consumer society had once more dulled the appetite for space travel. Harmony was fragile but was actually being restored.

Out of the blue, three men who had made obscene amounts of money in different areas of internet business, met to evaluate the vulnerability of their private wealth generation, specifically its possible collapse. They were all Iberian.

## Chapter 4

Butragueno summarised the reams of data she had on the reclusive trio. "Sorin Gretz was apparently the intellectual driving force, recognising the trend toward more pernicious computer viruses. He predicted that the internet would flat-line earlier than it did, so his thinking on what happens next was outlined well ahead of it being needed. He had cleverly moved significant proportions of his trillions of annual peseta profit to his brainchild SACRED. He is of Swiss-Iberian descent and still lives in Basela. Andreas Verdasco and Constantin Boniek brought other influence to the table. Verdasco made his fortune from software which replaced open search engines with personally coded link interface enquiry."

Hosting with maximum privacy spawned such demand that capacity had to be rationed until new methods of data exchange became available. Terrestrial fibre-optic transmission was replaced by huge satellite chains around the globe. Boniek was invited to the party because of his supply of all manner of support equipment to the Iberian financed lunar colonisation project, which had by then run out of favour. The mothballing decision left the perfect premises for SACRED to evolve from embryonic status to 'premature birth'. It all dovetailed perfectly – a remote location which precluded physical invasion, the orbiting relay girdle with which Boniek's lunar equipment had previously specified compatibility, Gretz' and Verdasco's software integration, and the plight of Iberia's financially crippling colonisation disaster. The three wise men took this burden from the Iberian government within a suspiciously short period after the internet collapse threatened to seriously mutate to perennial fiscal and social nuclear winter.

Duarte's stoic expression remained while he verbalised how this was of minimal interest to him right now. "Very interesting, if you get off on conspiracy theory, but as Pierze said – we have boundaries to observe. A suicide investigation is our only remit until the evidence itself leads us on to his patch. I really have to get to the game. I'm sorry to dump this in your lap Butragueno, but I'd appreciate you getting preliminary forensic information and any progress on Salina's tattoo decode to me in the morning." He had often indulged in this kind of temporary disconnect from the loop, but this was courting further confrontation with a powerful adversary who had already threatened to end his career. Butragueno wondered if he was finally ready to quit. The thought was dismissed as suddenly as it arose – Duarte's sheer doggedness was something Pierze was about to experience. She resigned herself to a night without sleep and a long day to follow.

The code which Salina had devised was pretty straightforward for the breaker group and simply revealed the entry details for his deposit box. Armed with this, Butragueno obtained the necessary paperwork to compel the bank to allow access. The contents consisted of photographs, names and family contact data plus the cause of death of at least twenty of his personal friends. There was also a message that implied more could have occurred recently that he did not know of. In a dirty brown envelope he had put together reasons why he was convinced his friends were murdered. He also hinted – no more than that – of a wider strategy of the perpetrators, namely to cause and accelerate Iberia falling from within. He concluded the note by explaining that he would be on this list, and faced such elimination himself. His dilemma was whether to inform the authorities (who would have considered him delusional), or accept that he may have to die and make those same authorities think hard on his claims.

When Butragueno delivered this to Duarte he sat in silence for over five minutes, waving away her intrusions, before he said at a barely audible volume, "Keep this between us for now. If there is any substance to Salina's claims we may be shut out of consequent murder investigations by our friend Pierze. What about forensics?"

"No real evidence of anyone else's direct involvement in the actual suicide act, but the Lightbox has highlighted many prints which will have to be checked out, and there is something lodged in one of the wall cavities without any obvious means of getting to it. Their best guess at the moment is some kind of capsule. They'll carefully cut out access through the plaster and extract it after consultation with explosive device expertise."

He nodded and then astonished her by an abrupt change of subject. "The boy played so well it looks like he may be offered trials with a couple of top teams. This could fit neatly with my retirement if he makes it as a pro. Let's have some coffee and get out of here before Pierze gets to us." She reminded him she had been up all night and was going home to recharge her batteries. Duarte acknowledged this and headed for a breakfast bar in town.

*

Pierze was furious when he arrived to an empty office and was even more frustrated when Duarte's mobile communicator was unobtainable. He did get Butragueno and was unsympathetic to her lack of sleep, which prompted an uncharacteristic response. "Snr. Pierze, I report to Maxi Duarte and he authorised my absence for at least four hours. Take it up with him. Goodbye." He was not used to such flagrant insubordination and simmered while he contemplated what to do next. Just as he decided to report Duarte to the regional Chief of Police, one of his entourage whispered in his ear, "Sir, we have just been informed that Salina senior and his wife are on their way here with legal representation. They are expected within the hour."

"Shit, that is all we need. Do they know we are here?" His subordinate shrugged his shoulders.

"Well who the hell has just informed you of their arrival?"

The reply was cautious. "He said he was acting legal counsel for Salina."

Pierze was exasperated. "Right, and did he ask who he was speaking to?"

His subordinate recovered a little confidence. "Oh, I see what you mean. Yes, I said it was Duarte's office and before I could elaborate he cut me off and said they would be here shortly. They would have assumed I was one of Duarte's people."

Pierze smiled. "Good, then we will receive them and not enlighten them as to who we are until we hear what they have to say. They will be more open if they think we are simply detectives and when we correct their misconception Salina will torpedo Duarte for us. We then have leverage on both Salina and Duarte."

When the party arrived Salina stayed silent while his legal eagle disclosed their horror at having already been to the apartment and taken in the suicide scene with its multiplicity of forensic markers. "Senora Salina was extremely distressed that her son's last act was so graphically enhanced with seemingly emotionless script and references, including the crude mechanism of the scaffold. We expected to see police presence there, but as we already had keys we entered and I must say it was a shock to find the place 'abandoned'."

Pierze pretended to squirm a little and sympathised with their traumatic experience. He went on to explain the procedure with the Lightbox team and how this allowed the police to work from that image first in order to cut out poorly targeted and lengthy testing. "You should have been warned to stay out of there until this phase was complete. I apologise. You may have already complicated the scene inadvertently. That would be a great pity."

Salina could not maintain his silence. "We sent you our travel plans and you didn't acknowledge the message, so we could only assume you were too busy with the investigation. You could have lessened this awful experience by the explanation you have now given us. I'm not impressed, and in fact I will be...."His legal man interjected quickly, "We'll come to that in due course, make no mistake, but for now we must alert you to certain aspects of Konrad's recent difficulties, and some possible background to his demise. You may have begun to concentrate on the 'overwhelming' evidence of suicide; however there are certain exchanges with his family that may cast doubt on that."

Pierze delayed the harpooning of Duarte; this disclosure may prove much more important. "Oh, it seems another apology is warranted, certain items have been removed from the apartment. Please continue with your suspicion that Konrad's death was not entirely self-determined."

The legal man beckoned Salina to his side and whispered a short reminder that it was prudent to limit information to that which could be substantiated; the speculative elements must be allowed to ferment in the minds of the police. Salina nodded impatiently and proceeded to deliver a précis of the emergence of SACRED. He was interrupted by Pierze stating that they knew all about this. "No you don't," scowled Salina angrily, "let me finish." Pierze didn't swallow this direct rebuke in front of his sycophantic team at all well, but managed to stay in control. Salina continued. "The concept was one of staggering dimension and technical achievement. It also changed the modus operandi of large corporations and individual social habits alike. It apparently overcame the threat of any kind of hijacking by any kind of adversary. The entire setup, from the impregnable lunar location, the halo of orbital relays and the lynchpin of dedicated licensed booths with on-screen recognition technology could not be faulted. In order to be accepted for membership it was necessary to suffer a long waiting list until DNA samples, facial replication vectors, and retina links were all embedded into the log-on sequence. This was probably the identity theft protection appeal which saw personal computer ownership diminish to obscurity."

Pierze's supporting cast was nervously awaiting their boss walking out of the room. They all knew this story; it had been world news for a couple of years. Salina eventually got their attention when he declared that there was a particular threat which had been underestimated if not discounted. "We never seem to learn that the weakness in any system dependent on humans, even for the most mundane tasks, is destined to be corrupted. It is only a matter of how."

Pierze was now totally transfixed. He sat down. Salina cleared his throat just as Duarte breezed into the room and threw his 'pork pie' hat onto his neatly arranged desk in a territorial challenge to Pierze. He did not of course realise how important this moment would become in the investigation. Pierze swore under his breath while trying to think on his feet. He quickly decided to introduce Duarte.

The legal man stuttered, "Then who the hell are you?"

The reply was accusatory. "You never really gave me a chance earlier; I am Ricardo Pierze, Director of....."

Salina was furious with himself. The identity of all heads of covert global snooping organisations was always protected. He immediately grasped that he would not actually be who he claimed to be, but officially authorised to parade as such on a single mission. This was his simulation for promotion. He was grateful that Duarte had inadvertently saved the day. "I think you had better leave Pierze so you can report back to Snr. X, the real director of your organisation." The legal man was bemused; Duarte was verging on silent orgasm as Pierze & Co feigned contorted smiles while shuffling into a single file exit.

It got worse for Pierze, Salina was correct in his snapshot assessment of the simulation aspect. Not all of Pierze's entourage was subordinate level personnel, one was an observer, and he was blatantly unimpressed. In order to prevent termination of his involvement in this case Pierze needed significant progress, and quickly. The observer pulled him to one side and stated the obvious. "We, or rather you, have missed out on something important which will now be divulged to that cretin Duarte, and to make matters worse Salina will stir up a plague of red tape around our own investigation. Not a good start to the day."

However, Salina did not warm to the apparition of the burger-chomping Duarte any more than Pierze had. He went on the offensive again. "What have you learned so far from this Lightbox? There must also be clues in the apartment of his recent activities, and we need his personal effects to begin closure, as I'm sure you understand. You do know who I am?"

The legal man intruded. "May I introduce Senor and Senora Salina? Apart from being Konrad's parents, Snr. Salina is head of Central Security for Iberia. I am his legal counsel; and my name is Jose-Maria Olmeda. So as you may appreciate there is both a personal and professional nature to our presence here." His eye contact with Salina screamed 'cool it'.

Duarte scratched at some of the flaky skin amongst the sparse remnants of his hair and filled the immediate conversational radius with onion flavoured relish. "I see. As a matter of fact I do know who you are Snr. Salina, there was a photograph of you and your good lady on the wall at the apartment. We still have much work to get through with second sweep forensics, and you're absolutely correct about the other evidence of his recent activity – we are on to it. Personal effects, well it's rather difficult to be precise at present, but maybe we can release some of them in a couple of days." He didn't want to disclose either the implications of the tattoo or the hidden object in the wall cavity at this stage.

Once more Olmeda cut off his boss, "We are staying at the Riu Principal. I'm sure that you appreciate Inspector Du...." He was sarcastically corrected. "Chief Inspector Duarte. I'm entirely at your service, as I guess you were just about to remind me of your requirement that I cooperate with your own investigation. I know you'll understand that the police must first and foremost be satisfied that we are definitely dealing with an uncomplicated suicide. That's routine and I assure you that we'll release all we can to you when our jurisdiction issues are complete. I do sympathise deeply with this awful tragedy inflicted upon you as parents, and you can rely on our further support if and when you need our continued involvement."

After a brief silence Olmeda and Salina conferred and the former, once more, assumed his role as spokesman. "We appreciate your candour Chief Inspector. Do you have any particular reason to doubt suicide?"

Duarte stalled. "Not the suicide itself. It's already clear that the act of ending his own life was Konrad's and his alone. I think it would be best if you get through the unpleasant formalities first. His body has to be identified. Once that is out of the way I can show you how we know that he did indeed commit unassisted suicide."

Senora Salina could not hold back – she wept, and Duarte noted that the other two did not try to console her. Another exchange between Salina and Olmeda produced the question Duarte was angling for. "Do you therefore have any reason to delay declaration of straightforward suicide?"

Duarte responded in an empathetic way which gained him a modicum of respect from Salina. "No suicide can be straightforward. It can be from a police point of view, categorised as uncomplicated in terms of the act, but that's only the beginning of the story - as to why? As a parent I can't think of anything worse happening in my life, and I want to keep that in mind when briefing you on all aspects of our findings."

The maternal voice at last entered the conversation. "Thank you Chief Inspector. We do need your help in coming to terms with the emotional devastation in which we are suspended."

Duarte replaced his hat; it was one of the few elements of attire which could possibly have made him appear even less like a policeman. "Then I respectfully suggest we go to the morgue." They followed him to his car, the condition of which was likely to nullify any newly gained respect he had unintentionally acquired.

Butragueno was refreshed enough to re-engage with the task at hand. She had a sixth sense about the list of names in Konrad's deposit box. The standard route would be through the police database and personnel, especially as some were in distant parts of the Republic. She wondered about contacting next of kin or relatives. She knew she should check this out with Duarte and called his mobile. His travelling companions stared at one another incredulously as a police officer calmly drove with one hand while having discussion with what was obviously another officer. He told her to go ahead with her hunch.

## Chapter 5

The incident hit the media – it had to, Salina was a very high profile Iberian officer in President Sanchez' organisation. It troubled Gretz, Verdasco and Boniek, not so much that another protest campaigner had been eliminated, but that this one would trigger the chain reaction they had worked so hard to avoid. Until now they had managed the P.R. in a 'responsibly detached' way. This would be different. Instead of the plausible association of the previously alleged deaths with ad hoc anarchical pressure groups, an investigation would be coming their way. Gretz pointed to the need for their collective muscle being employed to get to the truth first. "Knowing the result before others affords the critical space to manage perception. We need our own investigation." Verdasco saw the merit and was keen to discuss the method. Boniek was not convinced. He firmly believed that it was a political matter and it was important to be seen to be absolutely neutral. "It would be extremely risky for us to be exposed in this way, and anyway I can't really see what it is we have to fear."

Gretz argued that rather than worry about being exposed they should grasp the high ground and actually announce that they wanted to cooperate with the various authorities to help in any investigation into the previous deaths of demonstrators, as well as the suicide of Konrad Salina. "I sense that we will be expected to react because this is a suicide rather than a suspicious death. We will also be expected to have a position on an apparent act of martyrdom by the son of one of the highest ranking government officials, whose remit is precisely that of keeping the lid on trends such as anarchy. After all we are selling absolute security on a global scale – to the anarchists as well as the institutions."

Without feeling comfortable about it Boniek saw that Gretz had a point. The principle was agreed. The mechanics would be crucial and there was a need for housekeeping to run ahead of window dressing. They all accepted that the investigation had to X-ray their own organisation to eliminate any cause for concern. They needed a candidate to head up this project who wouldn't only exude integrity but be publicly perceived as keeping the authorities on their toes. Gretz declared, "There is one obvious choice, and I'm mindful of the risk, but we could benefit from the certain controversy it would add to the cocktail."

Verdasco and Boniek were silent with anticipation. Gretz turned and switched on the giant video screen and input the search criteria. Eventually a list of names appeared. They were headed by Manuel Salina.

"Jesus Christ." Verdasco recalled the historical animosity between Konrad's older brother and their father. Boniek remained silent. Gretz drew their attention to a couple of salient points. "He will undoubtedly be attending the funeral and he works as an investigative journalist for the Montevideo Independiente. He is therefore qualified, and being of Iberiana jurisdiction, he is not unduly influenced by Iberia Central. He will also have a unique position to divide the Salina family if that becomes necessary. There's no smoke without fire." They agreed to approach him personally.

The solemn process of identifying Konrad's body precipitated a need for his parents to have some time to themselves. It therefore afforded the opportunity to Duarte to ask Olmeda a little more about the showdown with Pierze. The legal man replied, "It is pretty normal for this to happen. Pierze will be who he says he is, but not what he says he is. He should not however have allowed us to believe he was you."

The response was philosophical. "Yeah, I had kind of figured that out, but Salina was apparently in the process of explaining something when I walked into the office. He never returned to the subject after Pierze left."

Olmeda suggested it was down to his grief. "I suspect he was about to lecture you on his favourite theory of the rise and fall of anarchy within society. He firmly believes that in either Iberian democracy or Orient totalitarian doctrine, anarchy will flourish then recede, but for different reasons. The distribution of wealth – he believes – could not be more uneven, but whilst democracy allows peaceful protest and totalitarianism does not, they will lead to the same result. He suggests that relative affluence breeds higher aspiration and therefore challenge to government. Real poverty breeds seething discontent which eventually ferments to anarchy. He goes on to profess even the poorest cannot survive a diet of constant anarchy and that similarly, freedom alone does not feed the family. The same is true of the high-principled affluent society. So in his mind the fluctuating presence of anarchical trend becomes a constant in the equation of governing, albeit with a flexible value. The true constant, he insists, is corruption, and its lifeblood - temptation. He was about to say to you that whether or not your verdict was uncomplicated suicide, this should not cloud the near certainty that some of his son's claims are true, and critically, SACRED is not as secure as we believe. At best it is another 'big brother', not too dissimilar to his own organisation. Sorry Chief Inspector, but you did ask."

Duarte smiled at Olmeda and commented, "I guess both Salina and I agree that this is just the beginning of the story."

His phone rang. "Duarte."

"Pierze here. I have had further thoughts on the case. I think we should meet." As he still wanted to know how and why El Schmuck had been so quick to the scene, Duarte agreed. "Very well I should be free within a couple of hours, come to the office." Pierze struggled to remain polite. "Chief Inspector, what I have to say would be better communicated elsewhere. Can we have dinner?"

Duarte was tired. "As long as I don't have to go home and change that would be acceptable." The picture of Duarte stripping to his underwear caused Pierze to wince. "I will meet you at La Cucina, I am sure you know it – two blocks from your office."

He conceded. "Ok, make it around seven. I don't sleep well after late supper."

*

Butragueno was about to start on the list of Konrad's friends but she kept eyeing the brown envelope. She studied the contents again, and was intrigued by his assertion that if he was right about his friends being murdered, it was part of some greater plan. She mused – 'to bring Iberia down from within' – it all sounded rather preposterous and yet he was prepared to give his life in order to be taken seriously. Her thought pattern was interrupted by an incoming message from Duarte. He wanted her to look after Senora Salina, while he showed the initial video call from Konrad, and the subsequent recording of his final act, to Olmeda and Konrad's father. The message said this had been advised by Olmeda, and anyway it was a good opportunity to get the lady to talk about her son. She was annoyed at the haphazard methodology of Duarte, having just settled down to one task to be spirited away to nanny duty. As she got up to comply she glanced in the mirror and was horrified; she felt she was becoming more like him every day, worst of all she was losing her dress sense. True, she did not need feminine attire for the tracking down of Konrad's friends' families, but it was an option. Now she felt she should change before meeting Senora Salina, whose elegance cleverly masked her age. Butragueno had no man in her life, and a mentor who was ridiculed by the very people who would determine her future. Things had to change. She showered, put her hair up and donned a very smart dark green trouser suit she had not worn for a couple of years. It was a tight squeeze – she needed to get back in shape – but it made her feel different. She was a tall woman with almost feline movement, especially when she walked. On the slender side, she had perfectly proportioned curves in the right places. On the way she diverted to her hairdresser and booked a weekend appointment to have a re-style and subtle highlights in her auburn tresses.

*

Duarte forewarned the audience of two, that the message Konrad would refer to, would stress the importance of the tattoo. Before they could accuse him of withholding information he said, "I wanted you to see this for yourself, after you had seen the body. I needed to know if you knew about this tattoo previously, it is after all a unique identifying mark." Salina respected this on a professional level. They asked for the footage to be re-run in slow mode, with a few stops and zooms. Duarte studied their faces continually for any signs of recognition or anxiety. Salina asked for a still of the tattoo as he neither knew of its presence, time of origin, or any connection it may have to the protest group to which his son had belonged.

"Presumably you have begun decoding?" enquired Olmeda.

Duarte beamed, "Better than that, we have retrieved the contents of the safety deposit box. The code was quite primitive." He noted what seemed to be an adrenaline surge in Salina. He continued. "You may now appreciate why I said we would discuss release of Konrad's personal effects as soon as we could. I want you to see the contents of this lock-up first. He obviously felt they were important enough to protect, and ultimately die for, so we owe it to him to proceed with caution as well as diligence." Both men, in their different ways felt they had been prematurely dismissive of Duarte's acumen, as he had disguised it well, both in appearance and a seemingly scatter-brained approach.

*

Butragueno found Senora Salina in the lounge at their hotel. It was just as well she had changed, even so the opulence of this place made her slightly nervous. "Good afternoon, I'm Elle Butragueno – I report to Chief Inspector Duarte. This is not an interview; my boss felt you might appreciate some company while the others get through the rest of the unpleasant tasks. We're all touched by the unusual circumstances of what happened, but I can assure you we will try to respect your family privacy while we complete our routine checks."

She was welcomed. "Please sit down – may I call you Elle? I have to deal with formality in all of my husband's activities. I have no informality now that Konrad is gone. Manuel is alive of course, but we never hear from him or see him anymore. I'm sorry, would you like a drink or are you on duty?"

Butragueno softened further. "Of course you may address me as Elle; no one else seems to now. And yes, I'll have – let me see – a glass of Chenin Blanc." She almost fainted at the price displayed on the menu. As Senora Salina waved a waiter to the table Butragueno inquired, "Manuel, I'm sorry I don't...."

The interruption was well timed. "Oh yes, Konrad's older brother. There was only two years between them but they were so different. Manuel left for Southern Iberiana as soon as he graduated. It haunts my husband Antonio because he feels that in retrospect he was too controlling with the children. It comes with the territory when you are so much in the public eye, and he didn't want the boys to be exploited. This is the price we have paid. I don't even know if he would allow me to contact him to tell him what has happened, he refuses our calls."

Butragueno sympathised with this lady's plight and had one ear tuned to whether the brothers stayed in contact. "Where exactly in Iberiana is he?"

The lady's reply was somewhat vague. "As far as we know he is still employed by a newspaper in Uruguay. Konrad would have known but we aren't allowed access to his personal effects as yet." Butragueno comforted her and promised to help get a search underway for any means of direct contact with Manuel. The gesture was appreciated. They talked their way through a second drink before the grief-stricken mother said she needed to lie down, even though she wouldn't sleep.

*

Duarte took the duo to Butragueno's desk and Salina remarked that it housed an appreciating antique in the form of a desktop PC. "Exactly," quipped Duarte, "as yet untouched by SACRED – it is not connected to anything other than a printer, it is truly archaic and stand-alone. We sometimes have need for isolating stored data from anyone but ourselves." The others looked at the screen then one another, but were not surprised at the claims Konrad had made, in either the list of names or his insinuation of a wider agenda. It disappointed Duarte, as he felt sure it would have registered concern or an attempt to play it down.

It was Salina who explained. "Chief Inspector Duarte, I congratulate you on having this information completely isolated. I urge you to keep it that way. Konrad and I did not see eye to eye on most things but just over a year ago he brought this to my attention. There were only seven names with crosses against them, denoting their demise. The others have now joined them. I promised to look into his concerns and this had to be done with great care, but we uncovered nothing. Two weeks ago he called me and asked angrily what the hell the Security Division is supposed to do if they couldn't fathom something like this. He accused me of failing him again and I will never forget his last words to me. 'I'll be next father; that may get you out of your reclining chair.' I cannot come to terms with my failure to make time to come here personally after he said that." Salina's hands were shaking as he searched his pockets for a handkerchief. Duarte was now puzzled.

"So you knew of a possible organised or orchestrated elimination of these young people?"

The reply was guarded. "Yes and the only connection I could make confirmed what Konrad had repeatedly told me. They all shared fanatical interest in SACRED's game simulation called 'Futureworld' and of course their active campaigning against the very activity they were addicted to. It didn't make sense. I do now feel that I erred in only speaking to the various authorities involved, and avoiding their concerns about coming in heavy-handed on apparently unrelated deaths in different parts of the world. He beseeched me to talk with the families and he is now suggesting you belatedly do the same. I failed to instruct a private investigation which was unconnected to my office." Salina seemed to age visibly in just a few minutes. Duarte sympathised but experience reminded him that moments of vulnerability should not be wasted.

"So what does your expertise tell you about possible organisations who would stand to gain by such senseless acts, if in fact we could prove unlawful killing?"

Duarte was disappointed with the response. "It's my view that it is almost certain to be linked to whoever may have something to lose by adverse publicity, even allowing for the contradictory aspect of the protesters' addiction. Preventing the loss of something valuable is often more fiercely protected than a potential gain, and by organisations as well as individuals. The most obvious suspects would be the owners of SACRED itself, but there is the question of motive – they are experiencing increasing demand continually, and more so since the protests began."

Duarte nodded. "Well we have one more distasteful request of you and your wife. We'd like fingerprints and DNA to eliminate all but Konrad's recent visitors. You should really comply too Olmeda, in case you inadvertently touched something. I will then help you to go through his personal stuff and we can agree on what we need to retain for now."

Duarte recalled having said to Butragueno that they had to focus on the suicide only. That seemed like a long time ago. Just as they prepared to leave, Salina asked to see one particular photo again. "It's my elder son Manuel. God knows what he will make of my intransigence. I dread seeing him at the funeral but I must somehow recover my resolve to repair the rift." This remark registered a question in Duarte's deceptively orderly cerebrum, but it was not for now. He had a date with Pierze, his new best friend.

## Chapter 6

The news of Konrad Salina's exit had reached his sibling. Although they had only kept in touch occasionally, this cut deep into Manuel's already scarred memories of his youth. His last contact had been almost six months ago and it had resulted in an accusation by Konrad that, like his father, Manuel was prepared to turn a blind eye to the claims of sinister authoritarian activity. He had reasoned with him that some proof was needed other than circumstantial theoretical links paraded by protest groups. Their relationship reached an all-time low when Konrad said that their father had at least looked into the material he had gathered, even if it was a half-hearted exercise, and really structured to calm the protest activity. Manuel reacted with unaccustomed hostility, and recalled his own words. "Don't ever compare my concern to his calculated self-preservation. As an investigative journalist I'm merely trying to tell you what you are up against with the flimsy, unsupported claims you have quoted to me. Konrad, it doesn't matter that I believe you. This is the arena of my profession, you should respect my experience not his placebo approach. Don't you think I would fasten on to such a story if it had any mileage? If I am really to help you we must have a starting point which can at least begin to unravel the motive for these deaths. This is how it works – you reveal part of what you know and can verify – to create a response. If this is successful you may have genesis of the snowball, which is crucial in order to proceed. At present you, or rather we, don't have that. If you can link the deaths in some other way than the victims merely being protesters it would help, and believe me, you would have trouble keeping me out of it. I'm concerned that you are in danger and are increasing that risk by the head-on tactics you employ. Can we.....?"

"Forget it Manolo, you always refuse to try Futureworld and that says it all for me. You say you believe me but it isn't convincing. I will find a way to produce the unravelling point you ask for, just don't be surprised if I don't need your help then."

Now Manuel knew what he had meant. He had missed the warning. His stomach churned with guilt because he hadn't contacted Konrad again in those six months. He was now emotionally catapulted into action. His analytical mind somehow engaged despite the tide of grief it had to process. He realised that Konrad had already decided then on the suicide as a means of focussing attention on his claims, the months which had passed must therefore have been spent gathering information he didn't have when they spoke. 'God, he was listening to me. What the hell have I done'? He obtained compassionate leave for a month and travelled to Londonis.

*

When Pierze arrived punctually he was greeted by Duarte waving his hand, clutching a half-eaten piece of bread, to attract attention. Pierze shook his head apologetically at the waiter who was leading him to the table. "Good evening Duarte, I see you have settled in. Would you like red or white to begin?" Following an incredibly protracted belch he replied, "Another beer will do."

Pierze nodded to the waiter and ordered a half bottle of Puligny Montrachet. If he had to endure this Neanderthal with good grace he would need compensating sophistication. He was about to speak when Duarte delivered the first barb. "Why did you state that you needed this case to look like a routine suicide and nothing more?"

Pierze tried to deflect this by stating he could not recall having made such a pronouncement. Duarte rose to his feet. "In that case, I can save you some expense – I can eat at home."

"Well if I did convey such sentiment it was in a very general sense, that it would be helpful to my own enquiries; that is all."

"You'll have to do better than that Snr. Impostor."

"Look Duarte, we can dance around this all night but I am Ricardo Pierze, and I have the authority invested in me which is appropriate to the badge I showed you. I can't believe you are really a Chief Inspector but I am prepared to go along with the illusion."

Duarte had achieved his platform. "Good, but I still need an answer." Pierze tapped his fingers nervously on the tablecloth and leaned over to whisper some prized information to his guest.

"Want some bread?" offered Duarte, "it's homemade and I bet it is free in a stuck-up place like this."

An exasperated plea from Pierze to keep his voice down was met with a carefree shrug of the shoulders. Pierze whispered something and it eventually produced a reaction from the Chief Inspector. Duarte exclaimed, "In order keep Salina out of any further investigation, which will almost certainly be required! Jesus man, he is Numero Uno in Central Security, he goes where he wants and does what he wants. You believe he has to back off if and when we declare his son's death as not suspicious? I can see you being an errand boy for a while yet."

"You really are a parochial, plodding investigator Duarte. You don't deserve to hear what I came to tell you tonight, and I would not be prepared to proceed if I wasn't acting on the orders of others."

"Wait. I have one further question before you burden me with information I shouldn't have. How did you get to the suicide scene only minutes later than I did?"

"The answer to that is implicit in what I was to tell you. Now may I proceed free of further interruption?" Affirmation indeed signalled revelations which Duarte did not want to hear. "We have another corpse which is related to your suicide and my case. I will come back to that. Your Lightbox, if it is as good as you claim, should have alerted you to our camera embedded in the apartment wall." No reaction from Duarte. "We have been expecting events to escalate for some time, we were nearby. We were unfortunately not close enough to prevent the suicide once he had called D.I. Butragueno. We came but his body was already swinging in the breeze when we got here. We had to let her discover the body, just as we have to await your verdict on cause of death. Coming back to the most recent corpse – we had a camera there too and again were not able to prevent the hanging but this time we at least saw someone running away from the scene. It was only after the local police arrived that we knew the head was missing. We believe that was the intended routine for Salina, but Butragueno's almost instant arrival must have scared them off. I hope you see the implication that there is something in the head that someone does not want us to see. I also request that your people do not perform a post-mortem before I get paperwork to allow our presence during any such act. It means we must responsibly delay the funeral. We do have different remits but I am not sure whether you are prepared to see the bigger picture."

Duarte was dumbstruck. Pierze then articulated what was already mulling around in Duarte's own head. "I really could have had you replaced. It should be obvious that your enforced exit will not now happen. The principal reason for that is the information Antonio Salina gave to you, which he was about to give to me in error. You may not wish to share that with me but you are a witness to the fact that he said it in your office."

"What kind of camera is it and how did you get it in there?"

"I see. We are back to detailed methodology. It is new technology – called 'spy-bubble' – and it overcomes all kind of opaque barriers. Don't ask me how it works, I don't know. We installed it from the adjoining apartment over a year ago. The property was on the market and we had an accompanied viewing. We asked the agent to give us first refusal and bought it a week later. Chief Inspector, where do you stand on this now?"

"You've given me a lot to think about. I'd be grateful for an overnight consideration to process the complexities. Are you able to tell me more about the new corpse?"

"It would mean little to you, but it is in Africana. He was a protestor too."

"Ok, I guess it's better that I leave the identity out of my deliberations. I think I'll have the lobster."

*

Butragueno had a dilemma. The list of names itself presented so many diverse locations around the Republic, but when overlaid with the reported cause of death in local police files, no pattern emerged. The first three by date went back almost five years to 2017 – the same period when SACRED was rolled out. Number one was Alessandro Brunatti, born in Iberian Lombardy but domiciled in Barcelona at the time of his demise. His charred body was of little use in helping to investigate the declared arson. The fire service was adamant that an accelerator had been used. It was a dead end, and the files had been closed. The next was only two months later and death occurred in Toledo. Juanita Mendes was the same age – 22, and was living with relatives when she was killed in an 'accident' while cycling to a friend's home. Hit and run was not uncommon in the area. The body was badly mutilated, suggesting a high speed collision with the vehicle which hit her. There had been a witness who had ultimately been deemed unreliable because of inconsistencies in his account. Third on the list was Lars Johansson, native of Nordic Iberia but living in the protectorate of Balkan Iberia, specifically Sofia. He was 23 when a gas explosion took out three apartments in the block in early 2018. This was not suspicious as the fault was traced to the one directly below. He was the only fatality, but there were five others injured, two seriously. There was then a gap of 20 months to the next death. As she entered the succeeding individuals into the analytical database two things stood out. The majority of funerals were cremation rather than burial, which seemed strange, as all but two had Catholic faith ascribed to their case file. The second and more intriguing point was that not one of them was officially employed. She stood back from the detail and tried to cherry-pick ones which were relatively close to Londonis and had been buried, so that exhumation was still a possibility. She had to start somewhere. She chose Brunatti and added Fermin Cardozo, simply because he had been born, lived and died in Sevilla. His demise was categorised as aggravated mugging by a group of youths. There were several witnesses to the savage attack. She floated her logic to her boss who surprisingly approved the trip, knowing that this would raise questions of jurisdiction and the concern from the high-ranking guests already camped on the precinct doorstep.

*

Having not really slept that night, Duarte was grappling with how to respond to Pierze. He also had to weigh up what Salina and Olmeda had passed on to him, especially as his elder son had made contact with the precinct to let them know he was on his way, and strangely not informed his parents. One thing he was sure of, Pierze was going to lobby everyone to gain input into opening up Konrad Salina's head. This wasn't going to be well received by any of the family. What was most confusing was Pierze's strenuous requirement for a plain suicide verdict, whereas his own experience suggested that any suspicion of another cause of death would question such a plea, so it seemed strange that he didn't just let the video do the talking. He needed to extract more from Senor Impostor. Fleeting self-doubt kicked in. His robust initial defence of local duty was being supplanted by his own current planned detour into murky politics, and this was a first for Maxi Duarte.

He contacted Pierze and agreed to meet for a stroll in Plaza Ingles. He wanted to clear up the actual raison d'etre of the two central departments. "As you have commented, I'm but a simple policeman, so humour me with a layman's explanation of the difference in the purpose of Central Security and The International Communications Corruption Bureau. I ask because your organisation's name reeks of woolly, statistics driven theory, dedicated to minor areas of crime. I'm hoping that you're going to provide me with a Eureka moment." Pierze sidestepped the sarcasm and as they wandered by the noisy fountains he beckoned Duarte to sit where they wouldn't be overheard.

"That is the whole point; it does not fertilise suspicion. It does indeed sound rather harmless. Society has however deteriorated dramatically in the last few years from explosions of internet fraud, identity theft etc. They were bad, and although facilitated by increased communication media such as social networking, they were monitored in a largely haphazard way. The internet collapse gave temporary respite, but when SACRED was embraced as some kind of messianic wonder, there was a cost, or a price – whichever way you look at it. The absolute security offered was to be achieved via a monopolistic lockout. Institutional and individual subscribers alike had to be vetted before they became authorised users. The problem arises when we ask – who will act as watchdog? The owners would not countenance some government body having an on-going system inspection role. It would defeat the objective of offering total security, by importing porosity. They offered a challenge to the government by inviting them to attempt infiltration of the system, and stating that membership came with a guarantee of privacy with lucrative compensation of any proven compromise. In the words of Sorin Gretz – 'You either want to avoid a repeat of previous naivety or you don't. We are not flexible on this point, despite the mind-boggling investment we have expended. Decide on that basis –we are going ahead. If you cannot decide, the populous will'. This brinkmanship spawned a new question. How can we best monitor the result of this closed communication loop from the outside? So, in the same way as vice squads target bringing down drug dealing organisations, and the regular police concentrate on bringing individual criminals to justice, as prescribed by the crime, we research and act upon trends. The Central Security department has to deal with the here and now of espionage, terrorism and the like. I would suggest Chief Inspector that you ask Salina and Olmeda the same question. If they thought we were some sort of fluffy bunny they would not be so anxious about our presence."

Duarte offered a gambit. "Sure, but then why do you think he also suspects there was something to his son's claims of links of the protesters' deaths and a possible agenda?"

Pierze's steel-hardened eyes softened momentarily and he scoffed, "So that is what he was going to tell me when he thought I was you? Well it seems that he is more distracted that I imagined. Even you must see that he has personal and professional conflict here. That is why he has that legal hyena Olmeda with him. He doesn't suspect organised agenda – he knows it exists. He is merely trying to prevent the various individual cases being considered as part of a coherent plan, and therefore requiring our access. One more point Duarte, our structure, when it came into being with the genesis of SACRED, was primarily technology oriented. An example of this is your Lightbox. We developed the technology and we knew you would have found the camera, even if you had not mentioned it. Salina knows this too. Our work began to branch out into field testing and collating of the usefulness of the various applications we developed. It became obvious that Central Security was not adequately staffed with people who could both operate and interpret data, which the new kit produced in a proficient manner. It was then decided from on high that it would be worth keeping this knowledge more secure by adding an investigative arm to our team. Salina resisted this ferociously but was overruled when one of our most capable scientists suddenly disappeared off the face of the planet. I hope you can appreciate the nuances here; a verdict of suicide at this time would avoid him, even unintentionally, sabotaging the operation. I am fully aware of the risk in confiding in you, but we do expect more deaths and a steady increase in their frequency."

Duarte's brain was on overload with 'neural pinball'. It wasn't that he failed to comprehend the layers of duplicitous politics; it was the increasing realisation that he was on unavoidable collision course with such pernicious bureaucracy. He had added to the problem by authorising Butragueno's visit, but conceded to himself that the evidence from Konrad Salina's own list was justification of keeping the verdict open. Equally, failing to make the precincts she was visiting aware of this was a transgression. He needed to brief her accordingly. Despite this procedural conflict he felt he needed to leave Pierze with something to ponder. "I would say you are taking a calculated risk in disclosing what you have to me. I wonder if Salina and Olmeda are contemplating something similar. You must excuse me; I have to attend a staff briefing."

## Chapter 7

Manuel Salina had arrived and he had already been hunted down by Sorin Gretz. In the taxi from the airport, to meet with the police, he took the call. "Yes I know who you are and what you do. However, I am currently involved in a family bereavement and it isn't a good time. Can I call you back?"

"I know about your brother Snr. Salina, it is that subject I wanted to discuss with you, but you're right, there will be a better time. Please call me when you consider it appropriate." The video call made it easy for Gretz to see that Manuel Salina was confused. The reply was instant.

"What is it exactly you believe we should discuss? – I've never met you and I don't know you, I only know of you."

"That's true but I suppose you will have seen demonstrations all over the Republic, primarily against our corporation. Disturbing as that is, I think it is more worrying that no official investigation into why this is happening, has been launched. That is – as far as I am aware, there has been no direct enquiry commissioned."

"I see. I've seen these disturbances on TV but they have not been violent, have they?"

"No, but curiously there have been several apparently unrelated deaths of people who have attended the events."

Manuel probed, "Really. How did you come by that information? I'm a journalist, as you obviously know, and I only knew details of these deaths from my brother, who is now one of them."

Gretz was open about his knowledge. "I have many contacts; some are in a position to give me such information. I have trawled my list and come up with nothing. As one common factor is the aforementioned link, I expected to be alerted, rather than chasing information on any kind of investigation which is either being conducted or contemplated. I know of your brother's case and the current reporting that it looks like suicide, but I'm not convinced, at least as yet. I wanted to initiate my own investigation, in case there is a clandestine operation going on. I wondered if you would consider such a role. It is in your line of work and I thought you might be similarly concerned that the link is either being dismissed or there is more we should be worried about. I apologise for the intrusion into your family preparations for the funeral. If you have any interest in the project you would have a free remit, and it would be extremely rewarding in a financial sense. If not, then rest assured I will find another candidate who will get to the bottom of this. You can contact me on this number for another twenty-four hours and then the communicator will be replaced, as I have to restrict nuisance calls."

"I would have to clear this with my current employer as it would mean a kind of indefinite leave from my current position."

"I have already done that, as I tracked you down through your office. I've offered them exclusivity for publication of whatever you find out, and a consideration for their loss of your current work, for which they would need to get temporary cover. I merely wanted you to have no concerns about my offer if it appealed to you. I hope I haven't been too presumptuous."

"I have to see my brother's body Snr. Gretz, and when I have talked to the police, if there is any reason whatsoever to doubt what they tell me, I will get back to you before your deadline. I'm interested in the offer, partly because you seem to be unable, even with your leverage, to obtain transparency."

*

Butragueno recognised the look on Duarte's face and knew she wouldn't like what he was about to say. "Change of plan Elle."

She sat back, closed her laptop and replied, "Elle is it? You must be going to dump something really bad on me boss. Spit it out."

"Well it's not all that bad, more like an adjustment of tactics. Pierze has given me cause to take more interest in the possible implications of the case not being as straightforward as we're being conditioned to think it is."

"Oh yeah, stop the soft pedalling and spit it out."

Duarte took out the gum and flicked it into the trash can. "We must observe local jurisdiction on your visit. I now know we're going to be in this case long after we pronounce any verdict. It could be the biggest we've ever had. I want you to go through the proper channels, and ask the two precincts involved to familiarise you with their evidence before you land on their doorstep. I still want you to have the opportunity to question the relatives and witnesses personally, and I'll be getting authorisation for this. I will get it contingent on you following protocol. Please don't ask me to explain, just trust my judgement on this one."

"Ok, but you'll have to give me more before I actually leave. Trusting your judgement is one thing, flushing my career, not yours, down the pan is another."

*

Duarte went off to the Riu Principal and was not invited to a private room. He met the two men in one of the luxurious lounges, but they were thickly populated by other residents and guests. He asked if they were not concerned about being overheard.

"That depends on what you have to tell us Chief Inspector. Your body language seems to suggest you are nervous about something." Duarte wiped the smarmy smile from Olmeda's face by leaving his seat and whispered,

"Suit yourself, give my regards to Senora Salina and tell her that Manuel is on his way to the precinct. I have important calls to make."

"Wait." Salina shot an acidic glance at Olmeda. "Thank you for making us aware of his arrival Duarte. Would you kindly let him know where we are staying? And that of course, we would like to see him. We are somewhat estranged but this is an exceptional situation. Is that the only reason you wanted to see us?"

"No, it was something else really, but I prefer to avoid eavesdropping."

"Well then, hold on. Olmeda go and see if we can avail of a suitable sanctuary." Duarte was not easily offended, but this contrast in attitude from the two of them, compared with their harmonious pleading for the release of Konrad's stuff, was bothersome.

"Look, these effects aren't why I came either, but take them and I'll be on my way."

Olmeda delayed his search for a concierge and their faces betrayed disappointment when they read the content of the brown envelope. Salina put it in his jacket pocket and they pretended more curiosity in his diary, in which he had obviously not recorded anything remotely connected to the events of that night. The photos were also gratefully received and lastly the box containing the spy-bubble was opened. Duarte watched them like a hawk. Olmeda looked puzzled and asked Salina what is was. He shook his head. However, his shock confirmed that he knew what it was, but probably didn't know how long it had been there. He would however be uncomfortable about any disclosure of phone conversations he may have had with Konrad, when this thing was operating. Duarte went along with the charade by saying, "We found it in the wall cavity, but we couldn't figure out what it's for. I guess it is not strictly certain it was one of Konrad's possessions, as we understand it's actually your apartment Snr. Salina, but it seems you don't know what it is either."

This was met with a resigned nod and, "No idea."

Duarte, on the balance of his interaction with these two groups of indirect hierarchy, decided that Pierze was of more use to him and had actually held less back. He deduced this would approximate to the likely future pattern. He dropped the remark casually and loud enough to dispel his earlier reluctance. "Well gentlemen, Pierze believes there is substance to what you have given cursory attention, namely the content of the brown envelope. Anyway I think we're pretty well through with our cause of death investigation. We'll be declaring it as suicide." He paused to detect any reaction and then added, "Of course the coroner may request more post-mortem tests if he's not entirely satisfied." The excuse Salina gave for a comfort break was accepted by Duarte and he waited patiently while listening to Olmeda prattle on about getting out of the wretched Londonis climate.

"I am glad we have put this to bed Chief Inspector."

This convinced Duarte that this guy was only a legal minder and nothing more. When he returned, Salina was actually more agitated than when he left. "Can we meet the Coroner? We would certainly accept your verdict, and do not see the point of disturbing my son's peace. Nothing can bring him back."

"I'll contact him on your behalf, and let you know whether he needs to talk with you."

On his way back to the office he raked over the sequence again. He resorted to his gut. 'I'm sure he knows what Pierze, or whoever he may be, is after - and is really pissed off that he is ahead of the game. I need to be the dummy in the middle for a while longer'.

*

Manuel Salina was met at the precinct by Butragueno. After the introduction he wanted to see his brother's body as soon as possible. She suggested he should meet her boss first, but he wasn't impressed with, nor did he see the need for unnecessary procedure. "Hey, I came here of my own free will, you didn't request my presence. He is still my brother even if he's dead – it's my right to see him. Please make it happen."

She tried to stall him by saying there was good reason for Duarte to speak with him. "I know that it must seem tedious to you but we haven't closed the file on cause of death. Everything points to unassisted suicide but there are a few questions to which we need definite answers."

"I can understand that Detective, but it doesn't alter my request, and believe me I'll make a fuss about being denied access to his corpse. This is my card; you may assume that I am like the rest of my profession, a pain in the arse in the eyes of the establishment, and therefore have the means to embarrass your department. I don't want it to be like that, it's your call."

She rang Duarte. He surprisingly agreed, and asked her to go with him to the morgue. "Make sure you keep him there until I arrive."

She queried, "How do I do that? He seems to delight in ignoring procedure."

Duarte's frustration surfaced. "Tell him we have new information."

She turned away from Manuel and whispered, "Do we?"

The reply annoyed her. "Of course we do."

"When were you going to let me in on this?"

"When Manuel Salina has gone on his way. You don't think I'm going to give away our little secrets, do you?"

She nodded to Manuel and remarked, "It's not always so easy to persuade Chief Inspector Duarte. Let's go."

*

Pierze was pleasantly surprised to hear from Duarte so quickly. "Chief Inspector, you have considered our last conversation further, I assume."

"I have indeed. I'm willing to declare the incident as suicide. The coroner will of course ask for all up to date information, and my normal briefing to overlay on his own findings. It occurs to me that you may then have more difficulty in getting agreement to examine Konrad Salina's brain."

Pierze chuckled. "You are indeed thinking ahead Duarte. First I need to ensure that Antonio Salina is happy about your verdict, and then he endorses it in an official manner. When that has been achieved, you can leave any further post-mortem activity to me."

"If you say so, however there is one small favour I need, in order to actually sign off on what I have just said. I need your help in smoothing the path with the local precincts of two deaths of protestors, which occurred on their patch some time ago. You did say you had influence in high places, and this may even help your own enquiries."

Pierze was silent for longer than Duarte anticipated. "I see the logic in your request. How can you satisfy me that your relationship with Central Security is no longer cosy?"

Duarte had his foot in the door. "Snr. Pierze, I'm going out on a limb here, insofar as you're going to prove my verdict is incorrect. I am therefore, at best going to appear incompetent, but there is a risk of perversion of the course of justice. So, we both have good cause to keep counsel to ourselves. I would've thought you would have realised I had come to the decision to distance myself from the Salina family, except for Manuel of course. He's here and I have to observe my duty to him." He waited for Pierze's reaction.

"Shit." The pause was lanced by Duarte.

"I can see he could be an irritant for you but perhaps I can be of help.

"I think I can guess where we are going with this. If I get you past the red tape, in order to probe connections of previous deaths, up to that of Konrad Salina, the diversion would allow both Antonio and Manuel Salina to track you twenty-four seven. A neat idea Duarte, we have an agreement. Let me have the details on the cases you want access to." Duarte knew he was pushing it but revealed that it would be Butragueno who was to execute the first enquiries, starting in Barcelona. He was surprised at the response.

"That appears to be eminently sensible, and of course you want to be able to shadow what I am doing."

"One way or another, this is likely to be my last case and I want it to be free of the kind of asphyxiating confinement which has dogged my career. I don't know if you can understand that." Pierze found himself empathising with this unexpected vulnerability. He also had, over the last few days, marginalised his initial assessment of Duarte's value in prosecuting this case. There was more to the man than he had first thought. It was the beginning of an extremely unlikely alliance.

"I understand perfectly. Don't be too pessimistic, there is one hell of a lot of work to be done, and my career potential is inextricably linked to the outcome. At least you have been planning your retirement; I am at the wrong point in the graph to get this wrong."

"Well it seems like we have something in common after all. I suppose you would expect me to ask, so I won't disappoint – haven't you found any reason or clues as to why your top scientist disappeared?"

"It is a little premature for me to respond to that. Suffice it to say that we must indeed find answers to your question. Your earlier insinuation that I want to examine Konrad Salina's brain, on what do you base that assertion?"

"Only that it would appear your science is ahead of ours, and we didn't pick up anything unusual with his head. You said the Africana corpse had been decapitated and you suspected Butragueno's quick response may have prevented the same with Salina. The head is important and the brain is about the only organ I can relate in any way to Konrad's claims of 'bringing down Iberia from within'. Either he was already delusional or suspected something which he could never prove. Anyway, you'll have monitored many of his conversations via your spy-bubble, so you tell me."

"Let's get Antonio Salina neutered first. You began the conversation by asking me for a favour. It is now my turn. Can you... sorry, will you allow me access to your forensic examination of the DNA found in the Salina apartment?"

"I don't have the summary yet, but what do you expect from the analysis?"

Pierze explained that he wanted to see if there was any match for that which he had on file for the headless Africana corpse.

Duarte said, "It would be quicker to compare yours against what we have."

"Yes it would, but not as prudent."

Duarte connected. "Of course, you don't want anyone else in the precinct to know of the outcome. Why do you think there might be a match?"

"I don't suggest there will be, but if there is, we may have the first concrete evidence of a link. I agree it is a long shot, but somebody was very keen to get out of Butragueno's way that night. The spy-bubble recorded a second voice."

"Very well I'll contact you when I have the detailed profiles. I have to meet with Manuel Salina, he is at the morgue and he has to be shown the video footage, so I guess he'll also want to be shown the personal effects I released to the family. It will be interesting to see how he reacts to his father; I hear there is a considerably long standing rift between them." Pierze made no further comment.

## Chapter 8

Elle Butragueno was moved by Manuel Salina's capitulation to his lachrymatory glands. He was gripping the side of the morgue drawer so tightly that his white fingers craved circulatory relief. The trickle of salty fluid down his cheek was the solitary catalyst to his self-awareness. "I'm sorry Detective, but could you give me a minute?"

There was something about the intensity of his grief which she hadn't expected – it was mixed with anger. She adjourned to the next room and observed the full emotional release. He angled his own head to alignment with his brother's and appeared to be asking him a question. Then he suddenly broke away and paced around the drawer, gesticulating with both arms. Finally he bent over the body and kissed the forehead. The contact lasted an extraordinarily long time. He stood expressionlessly and in silence for a further few minutes, then he walked quietly out of the room. "Thank you for your sensitivity. What happens now?"

"Chief Inspector Duarte – my immediate superior, is on his way to see you. He has things he wants you to see and would obviously like to discuss the events leading up to Konrad's death."

"Good, I have to know more about the circumstances. You see, we spoke regularly at one time, but about six months ago I must have sounded unsympathetic to his claims, and that was the last time I heard from him. We had always been very close."

She noticed a close resemblance of Manuel to his father, except for the latter's grey hair. Salina junior was a very striking individual in all respects. He was tall, had an athletic build and was strong-featured. When this was complimented with a speaking voice which oozed presence, she wondered if he was married. She was admitting to herself that he was very attractive, but snapped out of that pleasurable trance as Duarte barrelled into the room.

"Snr. Salina, I apologise that I wasn't able to meet you upon your arrival. Can I suggest we go back to my office and there I can tell you what we know about Konrad's demise?"

"Of course, er - Inspector...?"

"Another apology is warranted, I'm Chief Inspector Duarte. D.I. Butragueno will join us as she was the last known person to speak with your brother, so she will take us through the footage we have."

Elle was quite pleasantly surprised that she was going to be involved. They were about to leave as Duarte mentioned that Manuel would need to ask his father about certain personal effects he had already passed on to him. "It's mostly to do with Konrad feeling he was somehow being watched or manipulated. We have no proof that his claims were of substance, so you may be of help to us in closing the case with respect to actual cause of death."

Butragueno winced after what she had just witnessed with the body. Manuel shook his head. "I'm not able to converse with my father, but if you can arrange for the items to be temporarily returned to your keeping I will gladly go through them with you. I was just telling D.I. Butragueno that Konrad and I had discussed this at length until a few months ago, so I may be able to throw some light on the details. In view of this I'm surprised that you appear to have come to such a speedy conclusion that it was simply suicide."

"Maybe I should explain our position more clearly. Unless we have evidence or other compelling reasons to think of the death as suspicious we have to return a verdict of suicide. You really must see the footage before we get too far down the conspiracy theory route. I'm not saying this has been discounted, I am saying that at present we have nothing which supports it, other than your brother's actions. Without being insensitive, some authorities would wish to include mental illness in the equation. I'm just as unconvinced about that as I am about anything else which is devoid of reckonable evidence." They left for Duarte's office, and Butragueno suggested Manuel would find more leg room in her car. She was trying to avoid him sitting on an embarrassing piece of pizza or something worse, and being judged herself by association. Duarte got the point and returned the acknowledgement by letting her see that he knew she fancied him. Arriving after the short ride gave time for her to recover sufficient composure to wag her finger at her boss while Manuel availed of the sanitary facility.

When he witnessed the video call to Butragueno and then Konrad's own recording, Manuel's eyes misted up, but there was no repeat of the stress at the morgue. "I can imagine how the stuff you found in his deposit box doesn't strike you as reliable. However, there is something vaguely familiar about that tattoo and the code, and indeed the sequence of numbers in the ascribed time of death. I can't bring this to mind at present but it will come back to me, I'm sure. I must also state right now, and that is whether or not you get my father to part with Konrad's effects, I am not satisfied that there is no more to this case than suicide. Six months ago he threatened to do something which would achieve what I had advised him he needed as a tangible starting point. I said he needed to begin to unravel the agenda he raved on about, by a substantiated revelation. This is what he has done. He knew the publicity it would attract due to my father's position, and now he has me involved. That's what he begged for at the time, but I politely shunned him. I'm not going to mount an investigation purely as a result of your verdict Chief Inspector, for which I can understand your reasoning. I've been approached by someone to conduct it on their behalf, and that is sufficient to convince me that there is a darker aspect to Konrad's decision to terminate his own life. He wanted to drag in the protesters' deaths which preceded his own."

Duarte and Butragueno were processing this, but from different perspectives. She could see it meant that he would not just disappear after the funeral. Duarte realised this would potentially complicate his clandestine association with Pierze, with whom he had to share this additional spice which had been added to the brew. Before that, he decided to ask Antonio Salina for temporary return of the effects in order to let Manuel peruse them. It was just possible it would jog his memory with respect to the tattoo, code and date. If that was the case he wanted to be in pole position with the information. As he departed he could not resist a question. "Is this story really big enough to interest your publication in Uruguay? I can't remember any of the deaths being linked with Southern Iberiana."

"It is not my newspaper editor who has offered the investigation to me Chief Inspector."

"Oh, well I suppose we may run into you again."

Manuel shook his hand and said, "That is almost certain. I failed my brother once, it won't happen again." He wasn't going to divulge any more, but this was enough to produce a wave of pleasant anticipation for Butragueno.

*

When he arrived at the Riu Principal, Salina and Olmeda were locked in a heated discussion in the main lounge. Duarte circled around and between the other residents, hoping to catch some of the content of the spat. All he was able to pick up before they spotted him was Salina's insistence that Olmeda should return to Madrid now that the suicide verdict was official. "Ah Chief Inspector, please take a seat." Salina seemed to have had a personality transplant. "We were just discussing the logistics surrounding the funeral arrangements. Can you tell me when you and the coroner will release my son's body?"

Duarte sat without removing his undersized pork pie hat and Salina grimaced at this lack of etiquette, but actually mused that it looked even more ridiculous when he was sitting rather than standing. However, the moment prolonged his contrived affability. It changed abruptly when the request was delivered on Manuel's behalf.

Salina growled, "If he wants to avoid us let him come and say that to my face. This is not a time for raking over past disagreements, it is pathetic." Fortune intervened in the form of Senora Salina arriving. Duarte was not the only one taken aback by the vitriolic rebuke.

"Antonio. That is enough. You always manage to make things worse than they need to be. You will not spoil this particular reunion, even though it will be so painful. Chief Inspector, please tell my son I would like to deliver the items personally, and I'll come alone, if he can agree to that." Duarte affirmed he would pass on the message. The temperature went up another notch when Olmeda took advantage of the fragmented accord.

"I have witnesses. I've just been informed of my enforced return to Madrid."

*

On his way back to update Manuel Salina, Duarte received a call from Pierze. "You will be pleased to know we have the first real breakthrough, and you will be astonished at the second emerging in a rather freakish manner. You need to meet me at the plaza again. It involves paperwork, so let us take in refreshment at the Coffee Break; it's on the northwest corner."

Duarte agreed. "I know it. I also have something to report which may muddy the water. I can be there in fifteen minutes."

*

Manuel Salina made the call. "Snr. Gretz, I would appreciate a face-to-face discussion in order to hear your concept of the investigation. It would allow me to ask the questions which would enable a quick decision." The reply was encouraging.

"I will fly to Londonis. I have an apartment there which is secure and technically equipped to address any questions you may have. It will also allow you to see, rather than listen to my assurances, and what resource would be available to you. I can revamp my travel plan to be there in two days. Does that fit with your own schedule?"

"That's fine. It gives me time to determine whether something I have in mind to ask you is as relevant as I think it could be. Please send the address of your apartment to my communicator."

"It would be better if I just send a car to a public pick-up point of your choice. These communicator networks are not as secure as our own system and I need to keep my address private." Manuel suggested they met at the airport and cut out any second rendezvous location. It was agreed. Gretz would forward his flight arrival time when it was known.

*

Duarte arrived to join a beaming Pierze. "I have ordered. What would you like?" Before he could reply Pierze lowered his voice and declared, "We should talk this through and then I will return your DNA data for your files. You will need to open a new file and keep it very safe."

"Mmm." He waved the waitress over. "Espresso please – double." Pierze resumed.

"It was indeed a long shot but we hit the jackpot with the comparison. The dead Africana's DNA was in Salina's apartment. It proves nothing else as yet but it confirms a link because our spy-bubble had visual and audio indication of his presence many times over the last few months. We now need to see if we can put him there on the night of the suicide. We have voice presence of someone talking to Konrad that evening, but nobody in the picture, which is frustrating as it matches the Africana's voice. It would be a big step forward if we could prove that the voice was in the apartment rather than coming from a hands-free phone."

"You think he was the person running from the scene?"

Pierze nodded. "It is a possibility. Anyway, your people didn't have reason to investigate the other matter, but we just had to check on something we have suspected for a while. The DNA samples you took from the Salinas indicate that Konrad is probably Antonio's son, but the mitochondrial check says Senora Salina is not his natural mother."

"Does this help us?"

Pierze nodded again. "I believe so. We have to ask Manuel to volunteer to have his DNA checked, to determine whether either or both of his supposed parents are genuine."

"Yes, but I'm not getting how it helps us progress the case." Pierze spoke quietly and deliberately.

"Believe me, if this assists me getting official approval for, or as a last resort forcing Salina to waive any objection to Konrad undergoing a thorough post-mortem, it will be a breakthrough."

"You're holding something back Pierze. I'm experienced enough to see the signs. If we are to cooperate it has to be fully or not at all. Remember we both have a lot to lose. I would like to share something with you but if you haven't finished, excuse the interruption." Pierze winced. He thought, while the waitress attended to Duarte's anticipated weakness.

"Yes, I will – one of these pastries please."

"Chief Inspector, I don't want to submerge you in speculative or circumstantial conclusions, please take it from me that if we succeed in getting the go-ahead despite any objection from Salina, I will add our suspicions to your knowledge, but not in writing. If we have to coerce him to concede we will need you to be ignorant of those suspicions for your own good. If that causes you to withhold your news, I will accept your judgement."

"Fair enough, Manuel Salina is being recruited to conduct a private investigation for someone other than his newspaper. I don't know who it is but we ought to find out by tailing him."

Pierze lowered his head and uttered something inaudible. Duarte let it pass but suggested Pierze took care of the surveillance. "With Butragueno going to Barcelona, and my caution about bringing anyone else into the case, I'm going to be pretty stretched."

"Very well, I have cleared the path for DI Butragueno, but she must observe the need to have the local police in attendance if she interviews witnesses. It is non-negotiable."

Duarte was a little disappointed but not surprised. "Ok, I'll now return to ask Manuel Salina for DNA and fingerprints, to eliminate him from the remaining forensic work."

*

He caused some disappointment himself when he asked Butragueno to give them some privacy. "I'm sorry to burden you with this request Manuel. You may of course refuse, I would respect that." Duarte was not going to make this request on the basis of elimination as he had told Pierze. "We know that Senora Salina is not Konrad's mother." He waited for the shock or denial. It did not come, but what followed fashioned disbelief in Duarte's facial expression.

"You want me to add my DNA to the mix Chief Inspector. I could save you the trouble but I've carried this burden for a long time. I never thought I would have an opportunity to unload it in this way. You see, it gets me off the hook. Put your request in writing please and make sure it states the purpose as eliminating me from the scene. A hint that it would look strange for me to refuse would also be welcomed. As soon as I have your official request I will comply."

Duarte had to recall Butragueno and ask her to do the typing. "I don't want anyone else involved. Please do this immediately."

Duarte then delivered the message from Senora Salina regarding her intent to deliver the personal effects. Manuel nodded and asked, "Where?"

"I don't know that, she is awaiting your response. I can ring her at the hotel if you like."

"Please do. I would like to speak to her before going to the lab." Duarte obliged and handed over the communicator.

"Mother?" Duarte thought it a pity he could only hear one side of the conversation. However, after genuine pleasantries Manuel asked her to bring the items to the precinct. "I'll be in the lab." There was a silence and then he told her not to worry, it was just a routine the police had to go through. "Thoroughness is important, I know this only too well from my own work. I'm really looking forward to seeing you Mama." Duarte had the confirmation that Manuel's problem was only with his father.

## Chapter 9

On the way to the lab Butragueno asked Manuel if he was happy about this. "It's your decision, I'm sure Chief Inspector Duarte made you aware of this."

"Yes he did. I'm happy to cooperate. As you know I am to begin my own investigation and I don't want to close any doors."

She asked if he had decided where he would start. "Not yet, I want to be a little more certain of the objective of my sponsor. I'll tailor my approach to that. Even though I thought your department had concluded their involvement, having all but declared a verdict, I'm now asked to give DNA. It can only mean the case hasn't been slammed shut by everyone. The more I think about it, the more I believe Konrad was right." Butragueno had to avoid personal and professional conflict. She would have liked to disclose her trip; they might have actually been able to help one another. She didn't rise to the bait. They had only just completed the requested tasks when Senora Salina entered the lab. She embraced Manuel and they were both overcome with emotion. Butragueno felt that she was in the way, but didn't want to interrupt the reunion. They held the embrace for at least two minutes before Manuel was asked how long he would be staying after the funeral.

"I don't know. I've accepted a request to investigate Konrad's claims, so I'll be in this hemisphere for some time, but I can't say exactly where the enquiries will take me."

"You must be careful Manolo; you are a journalist you know, not a policeman. I suppose you realise this will annoy your father intensely."

"I'm not doing it for him or indeed to rile him; it is purely for my own sake. I had the chance to help Konrad before he died, but I didn't take his allegations seriously enough. It's the least I can do now that the police have said it was routine suicide." Butragueno decided to intrude.

"Please excuse me. I really need to get back to my desk. I can see that you have much to catch up on." Senora Salina forced a smile but it didn't endure, because Manuel asked Butragueno if she was able to meet him in the evening.

"It would just be for coffee. There are some recollections I have of my last discussions with Konrad and some questions you may be able to help with as you were first on the scene."

She stalled. "I would have to clear that with Duarte. You should really be having coffee with him."

"No, that would be second hand observation. It was you who saw the apartment before the forensic people were called." She nodded.

"I will get back to you." She couldn't help but notice the anxiety on Senora Salina's face. It would have been interesting to be a fly on the wall. She left, knowing there would be a chance to ask about it that evening – whether it was her or Duarte.

*

Manuel received confirmation of Gretz' flight arrival time on his communicator. It was a welcome punctuation of the growing discord between him and his mother. She begged him not to get involved any further, stating the old cliché that nothing could bring Konrad back. Manuel recovered his composure sufficiently to bring the conversation to a close in a reasonable manner. "Mama, I know you have been ultra-loyal to father all of your life. I appreciate what may have been at stake. He was much better placed than I was to help Konrad, but he declined. He kept that from both of us until he was forced by Konrad begging for my help, to enlighten you. I respect the duty you feel toward him, and you must reciprocate with mine to my brother. Yes Mama, I still think of him as my brother – always. Don't worry, I will be careful." He took the items she had brought for him and they left.

When Butragueno informed Duarte of the conversation he astonished her by suggesting she should accept the invite. "Remember he said there was something familiar about the tattoo and other stuff. He may have recalled the detail. Just be on your guard."

She riled at this insinuation. "I'm not a rookie Sir, I know the ropes."

"Sure, but he's a journalist with a reputation for exposing big time crooks and politicians, and you think he is a bit special."

Now she was angry. "I beg your pardon?" Duarte smiled and challenged her.

"Ok, go ahead deny it, but he will have noticed – the same as I did." She blushed and rounded on him.

"Then why don't you have a coffee with him?"

"Because he thinks you will be an easier target. Look, I'm not worried about your professional capability. This has the potential to benefit us and hurt us. I was going to suggest you let him know you are going to Barcelona. I'm sure he will try to convince you what a coincidence that is, as he was planning to start there himself. Think about it, we have given a verdict but not closed the case – he knows that, and he'll have a pretty good idea who you are going to see, because he has the list. I think he may be able to get more from witnesses if you have to put up with a minder from the locals. Are you keeping up with me here?"

"Yes. I'll think about it. However, I may need more information on some things before I can decide. You're right this could hurt us, me more than you, you know – I am nowhere near retirement yet."

*

Pierze had prepared his paperwork for the examination of the head. It was to be carried out by his department's people. He admitted to Duarte that this would not only annoy the coroner, but would probably ensure Antonio Salina's rage. "Don't worry Chief Inspector I have a ready-made solution if he does try to block it. It may help if you inform him and show him my application as he is more likely to show his true reaction to you, and you are just doing your job. It may even give you the ideal opportunity to bring up the DNA discrepancies, and he will know it was coming at some time because of Manuel's trip to the lab, as witnessed by his mother." Duarte wanted to ask about something which had troubled him for a little while, but he decided it was not the moment. He acquiesced to Pierze's request. He wanted things to pick up pace. He was not to be disappointed.

Antonio Salina was feverishly trying to recall Olmeda from the airport. He eventually managed contact after what had seemed like hours of the lawyer's communicator being busy. He had got through by putting out a public address announcement. He wasn't making much headway in getting Olmeda to return on the basis of his claims of the police bullying Manuel into complying with DNA and fingerprint tests. His exasperation resulted in him yelling into the mouthpiece. "As if that wasn't enough, Duarte has just informed me of a request to perform post-mortem invasive tests on Konrad's head. How can they do this if the verdict is suicide?"

"It is irregular, especially as Duarte's pronouncement of suicide was officially endorsed by both you and me. Who is the request from?"

"I don't know at this stage, he is on his way with the documentation. I'm sorry that I did not heed your advice when you wanted to stay. Please come back."

"I will return to see the documents, but whether I stay beyond that is an open question, it may take more than an apology." Salina breathed a sigh of relief.

*

Butragueno came out of the shower and after drying herself down she looked at herself in the full length mirror. She was quite critical of her recent neglect of her body, particularly the lapse of her gym membership. She then admitted to herself she would not have been so unhappy if she did not have a 'date'. Despite initially laughing this off, she found herself not simply pulling something out of the wardrobe, putting it on and departing. She tried several garments and spent much longer on accessorising. She got annoyed that her hair did not adapt to her mental picture of the change of style she was planning at the hairdresser. 'Duarte was right, I'm obsessing, why?' She decided it was the wrong context for a dress, quickly donned one of her smart trouser suits and tousled her hair the way she liked it. After all it was only a coffee and she was going to be grilled, albeit skilfully.

*

When Olmeda checked back into the Riu Principal, Salina's demeanour was distinctly downcast. He passed the wad of paper to his lawyer. "This is bad Antonio, very bad. We have somehow been hoodwinked. As we have rubber-stamped Duarte's conclusion we have really tied ourselves into resisting this request. The only other choices open are to challenge it yourself with a personal plea, and stress the completely separate nature of that to your professional responsibility. The second option is to find valid reasons for the coroner to come up with something or find his pressure point. I don't like mixing personal pleas with one's duty of office. If I proceed to speak with the coroner, I must convince him that it is only me who has a problem with the request – and that you don't like it but won't stand in the way. My major concern is that if we were successful, it would require us to avoid ever joining in or leading an enquiry into any of the other deaths. Anything short of that would open up avenues which we have worked so hard to bury. I have to ask you a difficult question. Apart from any justification of top secret status of our investigation, is there anything you have not told me about Konrad's claims?"

"Absolutely not. We both know that the scientist who disappeared is crucial to our ability to prosecute the objective we hope to achieve. It is therefore imperative that we do not overtly show any interest in finding him. That I fear, would guarantee his fate. We must avoid any premature knowledge surfacing to encourage others to join the search. We know Pierze's boss is on it; after all it was their man. We must keep ahead of them, and we can only do that if we are not excluded by our own default. I hear what you say about personal and professional conflict, but my wife and son could object on compassionate grounds, and I remain neutral, explaining my agony, but upholding my responsibility. I actually think my son would relish being a thorn in my side."

Olmeda agreed and suggested acquainting Senora and Manuel Salina with the situation. Salina nodded. "I will brief my wife. See if you can pin down Manuel."

*

Butragueno picked up her date at his hotel and asked what kind of coffee he preferred.

"Surprise me," he replied. She took him to 'Ground Zero' as she knew the quality and the owner very well. When they arrived she asked if he had eaten anything at all during the day.

"It has been a long flight and a trying time for you – would you like a snack – they have some unusual light-bites here?"

"Let's see how we get on with the business stuff first over a coffee, and if there's anything worth progressing, maybe you would join me for dinner. Does that appeal or am I being too obsessive?"

She was cautious. "I have plans later tonight. They are not set in stone but unless we stumble on something of strong mutual interest over coffee, I'd like to keep the arrangement with my friend."

They ordered and he was straight to the point. "I do understand Duarte's dilemma. All of the concrete evidence says 'close the case' but leaves an uneasy feeling about the unsupported claims of Konrad, who said it was the only way to bring them under public scrutiny. I actually understand fully, because Duarte is at the decision point I was at myself a few months ago with Konrad, and I made the wrong call."

"Yes, well maybe we can start with any further recollections you now have with the stuff we have shown you." He smiled and then surprised her by his revelation, not so much of its content, but that he had obviously played for time when first confronted with the data. He had needed time to think, possibly because of his new remit.

"Of course, it's all to do with Futureworld. You know, I refused Konrad on many occasions when he banged on about the game making everything clear for me. It just made his claims look even more preposterous – that is before he hanged himself. The time of death which you recorded, he wanted to be as precise as possible. If you rattle the numbers off without punctuation we have time of death as 202208082022. That is twenty-two minutes past eight on the eighth of August this year. He had sent me information to try to force me to access his SACRED account after his death. The ID part of his log-on was 202508082022. You were three minutes early D.I. Butragueno, so your willingness to drop everything and rush to the scene alm... er.. almost saved him."

Her eyes widened and filled up; she wanted to touch his hand. She resisted and he recovered his poise. "The tattoo was his coat of arms of his society membership for his character within the game. It's necessary for me to give you what I know about this game from my conversations with Konrad, otherwise you'll think I am crazy." She was transfixed. He continued. "Can I call you something other than Detective Inspector, as it seems overly formal?"

"Duarte calls me by my family name."

"Is there something in between, a nickname or abbreviation you like?"

She laughed out loud and took out her notepad. "I almost forgot; when Duarte is annoyed with me for reminding him of an oversight, he sometimes calls me 'El But' – because I say 'but what about such and such?' or perhaps, 'but forensics show'. That's shorter than Butragueno."

He also laughed and complained at the same time that it implied negativity. "I can use the first part as it is presumably pronounced the same way as your given name, without it being excessively familiar?"

"Ok, El it is then."

"Great, now getting back to Futureworld, it's only one of many games available on SACRED but is the only one of its kind. Konrad told me that it is the most realistic approximation to real life anyone could conceive. Although there is a finite level set for combination of attributes in the opening character templates, they are there in abundance. The game mechanics are apparently capped by certain events which the users cannot change, but apart from that you set out your life and get on with it. It's possible to design your education, actually sit exams and apply to university. On the other hand there's nothing to stop you from walking the tightrope of criminal activity with the attendant risk of the punishment. Bribery, joining influential organisations, inventing new things and applying for patents – he said it was 'unbelievable'. His later concern was that it was too believable. His tattoo was the State Security Department membership, obviously not the real one – the one in the game. It is clear to me now that he still wants me to experience this. The problem is of course the ID log-on code. Although he changed it relatively recently to what it is now, it is only part of the access requirement. The others are DNA registration, stored and matched to facial vectors. So El, he also knew I wouldn't be able to get in with what he left me. That's the thing I must start with. I can sign up and join but not with his character. It also occurs to me that if I can somehow overcome this difficulty, I could be in danger myself. He repeatedly told me that if, for example, you are killed in a war or murder incident, it's terminal. You can't just load a saved character. You may begin again but you would be on a different timeline and at a serious disadvantage. This apparently drove some of his friends mad with rage." She said this was worth pursuing and made the call to her friend to re-arrange the gym session.

"How will you try to get into his character?"

His slow smile was followed by him touching the end of his nose in a gesture of confidential leverage. "I may have just the contact for that."

## Chapter 10

Pierze had hit the jackpot again. Although the corpse in Africana had no head or identification paraphernalia, including a passport, he had been logged at immigration in Londonis the day before Konrad's suicide, and departed late on the night of that suicide. "It is progress Duarte. We now have very strong circumstantial evidence to propose a valid connection between the two of them. I hope Butragueno finds something we can latch on to in Barcelona –it would give this further momentum. Did you get any objection from Salina about the post-mortem request?"

"Nothing heavy, but his body language says you're going to need your plan B. On the other hand Manuel didn't seem too surprised, despite Olmeda lobbying him to object."

"He will regret it if that becomes his course of action, but I am secretly hoping he goes that route." Duarte felt that this was all he was going to get, if he didn't persist.

"I've been thinking about Manuel Salina. Maybe he can be of use to us." Pierze was not sure he wanted to hear this and indicated that there were more than enough complexities to deal with.

"Absolutely," said Duarte, "but that is not going to stop him, and more importantly, it won't stop his sponsor. The analogy of shooting the messenger comes to mind."

"Alright Duarte, out with it, what are you brewing up?"

"All I ask is that you recap the picture our eyes describe and the differences we overlay with our investigative acumen. Then instead of continuing to look at this through 'still frames' we apply dynamics to any correlation about which we feel certain."

A frown blanketed Pierze's face. "You are losing me."

"I don't think so Ricardo – may I address you as Ricardo?" Pierze was impatient.

"Get on with it Duarte." He took that as an affirmative.

"I'm going to list what I consider to be the salient points. That obviously acknowledges there may be missing links which you, and all of the Salinas, have not shared with me yet." The barb was deliberately angled to give pain at either going with the flow or trying to wriggle away. "Please do not interrupt Ricardo,

One – we have all but made it public that this was not simply a suicide.

Two – we have continually growing evidence of a link between the deaths on the list.

Three – that link has another sub-link by association with SACRED.

Four – We now have four investigations all of which serve different objectives.

Five – there are powerful resources behind all but one of those investigations, namely my precinct.

Six – even though the objectives are different, the likely route to them is more or less common, both in terms of who and what we uncover in the process.

Seven – the winner will be the one who puts the fragmented knowledge together in the most efficient order.

Eight – we need to avail of both straight-edge and miscellaneous pieces of the jigsaw, but the fit of single and aggregated parts must be constantly re-jigged to avoid regret that it should have been an obvious conclusion in hindsight."

Pierze was completely lost for words but eventually mustered, "I don't want to seem rude Chief Inspector, however you are talking so much out of character that I am compelled to ask if you have been fortified by some special tincture?"

"Not at all, I'm merely talking in the kind of riddles which I've been fed by the other investigating bodies. You need to be concerned as to whether the cooperation we are currently enjoying is exclusive or non-exclusive, because the others are not standing by idly. I get the impression that it's not possible for you and Central Security to work together, and the same applies to Manuel and his father. The arithmetic is blindingly obvious, and furthermore, the list I have just wittered on about does contain pockets of pith. Manuel Salina has indicated his sponsor has offered virtually unlimited resource. We can't afford to miss out on this, so being open to approach can be useful. Another point of common currency is your missing scientist. You either truly do not know where he is, or you do know but pretend not to. If it's the latter I'll find out, and although Manuel Salina doesn't know yet that he will be looking for him, it will occur to him one way or another as he proceeds. I'm not certain about his father but I haven't discounted his burning desire to get there before you, since he undoubtedly knows of the disappearance via his field officers. Is this beginning to make sense?"

"Yes, you want to know more about our missing man despite my feeling that it would not be beneficial." Duarte was almost exasperated.

"That is important, and finding him first is paramount, but with the appropriate help, and that would be not a disaster if we are ready for what it means to the bigger picture. He's a crucial pawn, but still a pawn. I can understand you don't want to seem anxious in your search, for fear of over-emphasising his importance, but that has convinced me of precisely how critical he is to our progress. You must be aware that I can, upon the receipt of new evidence admit my error and declare the death of Konrad Salina as suspicious. Think about it Ricardo." The pronunciation of the 'R' was emphasised.

*

As he made his way back to his office Duarte pondered over whether he had overplayed his hand. He couldn't however rid himself of the notion that despite his liaison with Pierze, he was only being tolerated until his usefulness had expired. In apparently upping the ante with Manuel Salina in particular, he had hoped to goad Pierze into a cooperative triad which would endure until the end of all enquiries. It not only failed to achieve that, it didn't even elicit an answer to the burning question which had incessantly bugged him. Why had the first meeting with Pierze been a full squad and all subsequent contact been solo? Where had the hired help gone and why? Typical of his doggedness, he decided to tail Manuel Salina himself, even though he had asked Pierze to take care of this. He suspected Pierze may have his team on something else, but would claim he had carried out the task without discovering anything.

*

Butragueno looked around the restaurant and reflected on how long it had been since she had enjoyed such indulgence. Manuel ordered a bottle of spring water after she had insisted she didn't want an alcoholic beverage. "I got the feeling from what you said at the lab that you are prepared for the results."

"Indeed I am. I believe I can predict the outcome very accurately." She was hooked.

"If that's the case, are you able to talk about it? I mean the results will soon be available to me."

He flashed a smile again and said, "Why not? The results themselves are not the full story. It'll become clear that Konrad was not my full brother, we only share the same father."

Butragueno gambled. "That doesn't seem so earth-shattering, why would that be the burden you referred to earlier?"

He said that was for others to figure out. "Of course I would be open to trade information if there is a suitable opportunity."

She changed the conversation while she contemplated Duarte's irregular proposal to tell Manuel she was going to Barcelona, and with a hint as to why. She went to the restroom to refresh her appearance and use the timeout to re-settle her hormones. Having learned a little about his regular job during the first course she began the ritual dance of trading information. "Don't you think this assignment you have mentioned can get you into serious difficulty? I know you want to make amends for failing your half-brother, but it seems as if your father has a bigger cross to bear in that respect."

He took his time in responding. "My father only pretended to help him, just as he's pretending now to be distraught about the result of our shared inactivity."

She kept digging. "That's one hell of an accusation. Not helping one's son is strange but faking grief at their death is difficult to comprehend."

"El, I could blow my father's career, which is all he really cares about, into oblivion. His animal cunning has cleverly leveraged Konrad's and my own feelings for my mother, and the collateral damage she would take in any disclosure."

She felt it would come across as pretty cheap to launch into swapping information; it had to come from him. She had one eye on having meaningful company in Barcelona. "I can see this is an intensely personal and painful subject for you. Am I being too intrusive by asking if Konrad knew Senora Salina was not his mother?" He shook his head.

"That's what is so mind-numbingly sad about our entire lives, as a family in Madrid. We were all living a lie except Konrad."

She really wanted to ask about when and how he knew about this, especially as he was only two years older than his half-sibling. She decided to stop the work-related chess and just concentrate on this social evening and the genuine sympathy he attracted. She did want to know more but as a friend. "I hope the weather is better in Barcelona."

"Oh, are you going on vacation?"

She smiled and said she had changed her mind. "I think I will have some wine, could you suggest a suitable one to get me in the mood for Catalonia?"

"Sure. And lucky you, Ramblas should be pretty this time of year. When do you leave?"

"Soon, but it isn't really a vacation. I shouldn't be disclosing this to you, I hardly know you at all. I am to make some enquiries there."

His eyes lit up. "I knew it; there is substance to Konrad's claims."

"It is too early to tell if that is the case, but it's also true that there could be missing answers simply because questions have not been asked. We don't want to fall into that category."

"Are you able to tell me more?" She looked directly into his eyes and with a rebellious sparkle in her own, invited him.

"No, but I can't stop you from asking the same questions in Barcelona."

*

Back at his hotel Manuel was preparing his approach to Sorin Gretz the following day. He was also intrigued by shadowing Butragueno in Barcelona. He would not mention this to Gretz until he was certain it was going to happen.

*

Meanwhile Duarte was at home, but in receipt of Senora Salina's horror, drafted by Olmeda, at even the suggestion of disfiguring her son's head. It was impressively worded to amplify the emotional distress this would cause. It also contained bold reference to his decision of suicide and although they actually 'knew' the request was from Pierze, they strenuously hoped he could persuade the appellant to withdraw the request – mentioning no name. Failing this, a legal challenge would be lodged with the coroner. Duarte smiled philosophically and his young son asked him why he was talking to himself. The smile creased further to a smirk, accompanied by the sentiment – 'you have what you want Pierze, I hope you were careful in what you wished for'.

*

The next day was heralded with a news announcement. It should not have surprised them; in fact it wasn't only logical but pretty much inevitable. Orient had launched a landing party to the Moon. Since their first lunar expedition they had grown ever more disenchanted with Iberia for continual downgrading of their pledge to finance the colonisation programme. The sell out to SACRED was the last straw. The announcement was appropriately undiplomatic in spelling out the agreed need to cope with population expansion, which was running ahead of prediction. As Orient was more acutely impacted by their closed and limited living area, they branded the SACRED decision as self-serving and cynically engineered to support objectives of political subversion. This fighting talk overshadowed the preceding logic of the prior obligation of Iberia and its abandonment. Duarte was probably the least disturbed of the protagonists involved in the case. He also saw an opportunity for mischief.

When he followed Manuel to the airport he was careful to change his appearance to avoid detection by his target, but also by any of Pierze's platoon. His professional eye for surveillance eventually confirmed that he was the only one on the task. He took a taxi and followed the private car into which Manuel was beckoned by the person he had followed out of the concourse. Duarte didn't instantly recognise the other person. He couldn't really do more than tail them to their destination, note it, and see what happened next.

## Chapter 11

Sorin Gretz sent for coffee after the promised video presentation and suggested it would be best if Manuel fired questions at him, rather than waste time trying to offer something he may not want. "We are convinced you would be the best man for the job, so we don't need to dwell on that. I want to be able to either give you assurances that we can support your approach or whether we would have concerns. You have the floor."

Manuel started with an easy but necessary confirmation. "When you say 'we' do you infer that Verdasco and Boniek are as enthusiastic as yourself?"

"Absolutely."

"Are there any locations which you would deem off-limits?"

The response was immediate. "No, do you have cause to think that we might?"

Manuel was concentrating on the eyes as well as audio. "Not particularly, the evidence may even lead me to the Moon."

Gretz responded, "Now that is a surprise, but if that is where this takes us, so be it."

Although he had rehearsed this many times he wanted to get the intonation right. "Exactly what did you mean by your sentiment that you needed to X-ray your own organisation to eliminate any areas of concern?" Gretz became a little more animated.

"Being confident is not necessarily the same thing as being right. Our entire credibility is based on utter and absolute security and privacy. If we become complacent we deserve no sympathy. My interpretation of an X-ray was first and foremost one of possible connection to some of the claims that the deaths of the protesters were linked to SACRED. If however, your findings indicate a more systemic scan of our operation is justified, you will have my attention and support, in that order."

Manuel requested more coffee to create a mini-break; this was too good to be true. He switched to chit-chat about the big breaking news. "What do you think about Orient's Moon trip?" Gretz' brow furrowed dramatically.

"It is troubling to say the least. I will be having discussions about it with our government brass, if not the President. We took this lunar project on because of the location's inaccessibility. The Iberian position was at that time one of mothballing the colonisation, and only revitalising it commensurate with protection of our facility. They have obviously underestimated Orient's financial muscle."

Manuel offered a challenge to this simplicity. "It may not be available financial muscle alone; they have, in their eyes, been betrayed. They have chronic overcrowding problems and may see this as cynical manoeuvring by the Republic, not believing we also have financial restraints. If they believe this to be their only long term survival route, financial muscle simply becomes part of an equation, and gets worse if delayed. The next option, if this doesn't deliver suitable projections, is conflict." He switched his enquiry back to the task in hand. "Do you have patrons or customers in Orient?"

Gretz hesitated, which was not perceived as convincing. "Not to our knowledge. We grant access only to Iberian citizens as a primary protocol, but of course we are dependent upon the government gurus keeping their database clean with respect to DNA, fingerprints, passports, illegal immigrant files and the like. As there has been a cold war status between the two governments since Iberia sold out the colonisation project to us, Orient has its independent system of communication. Trade is pretty much limited by the currency values. It has become a black hole in terms of all manner of activities. Neutralisation of our, and I mean Iberian, communication fortress could be a consequence of this aggressive move."

"How many people are on the Moon?"

"Approximately two hundred, but they are not equipped for normal living as would be the case with progressive colonisation. They depend on our orbital shuttle to deliver all life support commodity. There is extremely thorough screening, and most functions are on five year contracts. It is likened to a sentence in hell really, but they are rewarded with salaries which allow them to retire in luxury when their spell is up. We don't have armed guards; the personnel are mainly responsible for maintenance and keeping to 99.9% uptime. The programming is all on Earth, with the exception of the encryption prior to distribution. Any attempted transgression is re-routed to buffers on the Moon, where action is taken to administer penalties, revoking of access or membership. You can imagine we need enormous capacity of data flow and therefore we have zero tolerance on breaches of regulations. We do have expansion of capacity planned, but I must review that in the light of this lunar incursion."

The importance of the investigation had suddenly mushroomed in Manuel's mind. "Tell me about Futureworld." Gretz' affable demeanour returned.

"It's our flagship virtual reality experience. Some say it is not so 'virtual' and our first conclusion was that this was the basis of the protests. We have tried unsuccessfully to get access to the massive market potential of Orient, but both governments have their reasons for blocking this. Either administration could have been involved in the protest activity. I say this only to ensure your investigation is aware of the stakes on the table." After the details of salary had been agreed Manuel asked about expenses and outsourcing services.

"How do you want to control this aspect?"

"It has to be auditable, personal expenses need receipts, and you will only hear from me if I think they are excessive. Services are potentially more complicated; especially as you are likely to run into demands for lubrication in order to obtain information. We must avoid any direct link back to the corporation or its employees. It's necessary for you to run these things past me first, as I have ways of brokering deals which can remain under the radar."

The request to join Futureworld was a surprise for Gretz. "It has never been done before. All events, and I mean all, are based on realism. If you don't generate activity and eat regularly in the game your character will starve. If you don't do mundane things like turning up for work you will get fired. If your character dies, you may only start again with the accompanying disadvantage. Another person taking over a character from a truly deceased person offends the SACRED protocol. You need to convince me of exactly what you hope to achieve before I can take this seriously."

When Gretz was brought up to date with all exchanges between Manuel and Konrad, he seemed to lower the barrier a little. When Manuel revealed more about his family history, and his father's potential motive in all of this, it added weight to his argument. He clinched it with the revelation of the request for Konrad's head to be the subject of a second post-mortem. "I haven't yet decided whether to oppose it. If you grant me his character, I will endorse it."

Gretz sketched in a little more of what had to be taken into account for this subterfuge. "You will need to obtain his passport as a starting point, so that we can alter the image on it. Other modifications such as adding your fingerprints, retinal scans and facial vectors can also be done once you bring it to me. The final transference can only be done on the Moon and only by one person. I'll have to take it there as I'm the only individual from whom this person will accept such violation of the SACRED protocol. It would also be the best way to minimise any suspicion by my two partners. I could utilise the recent Orient provocation to justify my unaccompanied trip to assess our vulnerability, we need to do this anyway. When can you get the passport to me?"

"I don't know; can I call you?" Gretz reminded him that he would have to leave the next day.

*

Duarte was surprised by the call from Manuel, immediately after he left Gretz' apartment. He was worried he had been spotted. "Chief Inspector, I have a favour to ask, but first I wanted to let you know that I'm going to endorse the second post-mortem on my brother. It bothered Olmeda that it came from someone in a government department – Snr. Pierze, and if he is worried, my father will be the reason. This makes me more inclined to be in favour, not as a brother, but in my role as an investigator."

"I see. I feel that would trigger a legal challenge. Snr. Olmeda hinted at this if Pierze didn't consider the compassionate plea as good reason for withdrawal."

Manuel belatedly asked the question, "Who exactly is this Pierze?"

"Ah, he's an official of a government organisation which seems to be at odds with Central Security, and therefore your father, although Antonio does not seem to know him personally." Manuel's aptitude for opening closets to shed light on skeletons therein, clicked to auto.

"Would it be possible to meet with Snr. Pierze if he knew I was considering endorsement of his request?"

"Well let me see. I suppose it would make him think about how it might clip Olmeda's tentacles. Leave it with me. You said you needed a favour."

Manuel blandly asked, "Did you find my brother's passport in the deposit box?"

"No. Why would it be in there?"

"It shouldn't have needed to be, but it wasn't included in the items my mother brought to me, so I assume you didn't find it in the apartment." Duarte figured this had been under discussion between Manuel and the man whose apartment he'd just left.

"When I come to think about it I can't remember it being at the scene. Is it important?"

"Not really, it just seems strange that it's missing when other forms of his identity were there, you know stuff like his driving licence, credit cards etc. I guess it may turn up sometime if your forensics people aren't finished."

Duarte cast his line carefully. "That may well happen, if there is controversy over the post-mortem application, I may resume gathering evidence and review the decision I made. We'll see." This gave Manuel time to get the keys from his mother and pay a private visit to look for the passport.

*

Butragueno was intrigued that Manuel had called her to say he was definitely going to Barcelona and asked if she was willing to allow him knowledge of her targets. One of them he could figure out from the list of deaths Konrad had left. She thought about Duarte's prior approval and played along. "Well one is actually in Sevilla, but Barcelona will be first. If you follow me out there we can meet after I have first shot at family and witnesses."

"Great, I'll speak to you later about travel etc. Thanks for the trust."

*

When Pierze was apprised of Manuel's request he squirmed. Duarte injected his usual left-handed logic. "It strikes me as a prudent move to agree to meet. You've said you would like Salina to invoke your plan 'B', however even if his legal man can't overturn this secret backup of yours he may well be able to employ injunctions to repeatedly delay things. Believe me, I have years of frustration to testify to their ingenuity in this respect. Can I ask what you have to lose by meeting him?"

"I guess you have a point Duarte, if there is a family squabble it might indeed marginalise that thrust of injunction, and in fact hasten my trump card being played. Please set it up." Duarte was pleased with his day's work but knew it wasn't over. He was sure Manuel would waste no time visiting the apartment. He decided that he would likely ask his mother to take the key to him, thus avoiding confrontation with his father at the Riu Principal.

He parked across the street from Manuel's hotel with a supply of coffee and raspberry doughnuts. His communicator vibrated and he spilled some of the hot coffee on to his lap. He uttered a succession of profanities before arriving at "Yes Butragueno."

"Wow, not only are we back from Elle to Butragueno, but personalised cursing, I am impressed."

His tone almost became apologetic. "Yeah, I was reprimanding myself for spilling coffee on my trousers. There is a hot, wet patch around my zipper. It's just as well I'm not scheduled to meet anyone; they would think I'd pissed my pants. You don't need to meet me do you?"

"No, just to tell you Manuel has gone for your bait about tagging along to Barcelona. I want you to repeat that you're happy with this and that if anything goes wrong you'll cover for me."

Duarte joked, "Hey not anything, I can't be blamed if he is lousy in romance. Everything to do with procedure I'll cover, don't worry."

"Ha-ha, very funny, don't you have spare trousers in the car? Wait I have a better idea, buy some new ones – you know, the kind that can't stand up in the corner on their own. Bye."

He was beginning to give up on his theory, it had started to rain and visibility was diminishing with the rolling mist. It all happened in the blink of an eye. A car pulled up, Manuel ran to it through the rain and jumped into the back. As it turned and sped past him he caught a glimpse of the other passenger. It was the same man who had travelled with him from the airport. It finally registered – when Butragueno had first briefed him on the case, she had shown him details and pictures of the SACRED owners. He couldn't put the names to the photos, but it was definitely one of them. He tracked them to the Salina apartment, where his mother was indeed waiting with the keys.

He was thinking on his feet and contacted Butragueno. "Yes."

He whispered, "It's me; I need you to come to Konrad's apartment now."

"What are you doing there?" Duarte expected a riposte.

"Your boyfriend is here with one of those SACRED guys." She ignored the undertone.

"You can't be serious, which one?" His frustration surfaced.

"That's why I need you, I don't know. Come and burst in, asking them what they are doing here."

She was totally confused. "Why haven't you done that if you are there anyway?"

"Listen I can't keep talking or they'll be gone. Just do it – now." She did as ordered and when she entered they were like two schoolboys who were caught smoking behind the bicycle sheds. She broke the silence.

"Where is Chief Inspector Duarte? And what are you doing here?" Duarte timed his entrance to perfection and added credibility by gasping for breath.

"What the hell is happening here?" He looked at Manuel but pointed at Gretz. "Who is he?"

Gretz jumped in before Manuel could gather his thoughts. "I'm his editor from Uruguay, I wanted see for myself what was going to keep my top reporter off the Independiente for a while. Excuse me, where are my manners? I'm Diego Corlana." Duarte gave Butragueno a knowing look and there was a response. Manuel's head was spinning and Duarte was pleased he came out with the truth for his part.

"I am sorry I should have left it with you Chief Inspector. I got the feeling you were too busy to look for the passport so I took a liberty and borrowed my mother's keys. I hope I'm not in trouble."

Duarte shook his head and shrugged his shoulders in mock exasperation. "Look Manuel you shouldn't be in a police incident scene unless accompanied by an officer or the status of the incident has been downgraded. I'll turn a blind eye this once. Let's look for this passport while we're all here." They spent over an hour before it was discovered behind the mounting of a framed photograph of Manuel and Konrad in their early teens. Nostalgia came over Manuel in waves and he excused himself to use the facilities. When he returned the passport was handed to him and Duarte turned to his 'editor'. "When do you have to return to Uruguay Snr. Er..." He winked at Butragueno and she obliged.

"Gretz isn't it?"

Duarte said quietly, "We can make this as long or as short as you like but we would speculate that Snr. Gretz is your sponsor for this investigation. Stop me at any time. He wants your brother's passport. Snr. Gretz has an interest in common with you, us and your father, not to mention Pierze. There could well be differing desired outcomes, but so far I only detect that Central Security is acting in a manner of suppression, the rest are trying to expose the truth. Does your silence tell me something? Perhaps we could send out for beer and pizza?"

Gretz didn't like what he heard and responded first. "You may appreciate why I don't want any publicity in this investigation; that is the only reason for my attempt to convince you I was Manuel's editor. What you say makes sense; but what guarantee do I have that you have any control over where it goes? Or even worse, where it is prevented from going? Your chances of seeing this through are non-existent. Whatever revelations are produced by my investigation, they must be seen to be independent and devoid of any whiff of corruption. There is only one chance to conduct this inquiry and I can't afford to be dragged into some half-baked consortium, it's not how I do business. Manuel, I think we should leave."

The awkward atmosphere reached full potency when Manuel put the passport in his pocket and switched his stare from Gretz to Duarte.

"I'd rather have pasta with beer if you don't mind Chief Inspector." Gretz tried to hide his disgust and walked to the door. He was stopped by another riposte but didn't turn to face Manuel. "You wanted to hire me on the basis that I would have the freedom to conduct the project the way I wanted, as long as it fulfilled your objectives. If this is an example of the autonomy I would enjoy, I quit before I start. You haven't even given these people a chance to explain what they are proposing; you may be surprised."

Gretz was not a man used to flagrant objection to his wishes. On the other hand his success had partly been achieved by 'not suffering fools gladly'. He was also mindful of the weakness of surrounding oneself with sycophants.

He turned slowly and announced, "You have five minutes Chief Inspector after which I will decide whether to ask Manuel if he wishes to rescind his withdrawal from my investigation."

Duarte gave no ground. "You may bring financial clout to your objective of getting to the truth, and I dare say a certain amount of influence. That however may not be enough to succeed. You are perfectly correct when you suggest I will be told to let go, or even be fired when the time suits the other players. It would be much simpler for me to just pack off the case files to the coroner, and watch my son play football until I retire. Before you ask, I have sufficient experience after all these years to know that getting to the truth is but one facet of our flexible morality. If I am to stay in this game, and you are entitled to ask why I would want to, it will be by the connections I have or don't have. Manuel's father, as I'm sure he has told you is facing a dilemma. He is trying to resist, via his lawyers, the request for a second post-mortem – not by the coroner, but by Snr. Pierze's people. I'm pretty sure he will successfully delay this to buy time, but I have also observed Pierze's confidence that this will trigger an enforcement order which will effectively block Antonio Salina from further involvement in the case. I'm led to believe that this means his department will lose leverage until the findings are known. So, Manuel's father is an example of a connection I don't want to have right now. Turning to Pierze and his fancy organisation – since first meeting him, his entourage has been re-directed or recalled. I asked him to put surveillance on Manuel – sorry that I needed to do that. He agreed but didn't carry out the request. I tailed Manuel to the airport and back to some apartment where you seemed to have had fruitful discussions. Snr. Gretz, I think we both need Pierze right now to reduce the players by one. He also needs me for a while at least. He knows about Manuel but not you. He would have done if he had followed Manuel as I asked. He won't know about you in future if Manuel re-joins your investigation, but I may have to disclose something if you decide to recruit someone else. I'll offer you one more piece of information, not as an inducement, but to illustrate how we may help one another. Pierze is looking for one of his top scientists who just 'disappeared' a while back. I believe Central Security are looking for the same man, and although they are both pretending not to be overly concerned about him, I think this is why Pierze is so keen to block Antonio Salina from being first to obtain data which would lead to the scientist. I also believe that Central Security personnel are currently closer to discovering this data or already have it, and are preventing anyone else finding it. Manuel has a meeting with Pierze, which has been brokered by me, because I feel that blocking his father may be the trigger for Pierze to dump me from the case. Having Manuel apparently in his confidence, with the attendant animosity between him and his father will be very useful to him. When he believes I reluctantly accept my redundancy we enter phase two. He was very helpful in getting local precincts to allow Butragueno access to files, relatives and witnesses, involved with many of the previous deaths. This will remain in force. I'm not sure who needs who more Snr. Gretz, but I'm sure you have had decisions of greater magnitude than this to make."

Butragueno was processing the bits of this that were new to her and forced a wry smile. Gretz was obviously impressed and yet economised with his response. "I guess it is pizza then."

## Chapter 12

By the time Duarte introduced Manuel Salina to Pierze another corpse had been discovered by the latter's organisation. It had been found in Roman Iberia, and Pierze admitted his personal team had stayed close enough this time to apprehend the post-suicide intruder, but didn't prevent the young woman taking her own life. Duarte had received the information from one of Butragueno's contacts in the local precinct. She had briefed as many of these precincts as she could, to let them know she was beginning to reinvestigate some of the deaths on the list, and would appreciate any information on future fatalities amongst known protestors. It hadn't taken long to reap this result. Duarte was unsure whether Pierze would have volunteered this himself, but he hadn't tried to hide his involvement, once confronted with the insinuation.

"That is why my people were in that location. The young lady was one of three possibilities, by our reckoning, to be next." The Chief Inspector gambled.

"Is that why you didn't tail our friend here?" Duarte probed again. He wanted to be absolutely sure Gretz' cover was not blown.

"Yes, I am sorry about that but this other business took priority. My only regret is that as we did not expect the death to be by drug overdose, we failed to save her. Still we have the post-mortem covered this time, and the individual whose purpose was decapitation, should provide an interesting interrogation."

Duarte was mentally assessing the fallout of this new case on the Londonis project. It had happened a little too soon, if it had to happen at all, but he clung to the belief that marginalisation of Antonio Salina was just as important to Pierze as his new opportunity to examine the young lady's head.

"This is fascinating and hopefully will allow you to tie in some aspects with the preceding deaths, especially Manuel's brother. Tell me, when you say drug overdose, does that imply she was expected to die by some other means?"

Pierze shuffled his feet and for once did not meet Duarte's eyes head on. "Well yes, and I think that is supported by the intruder timing his entry when he did. That much we have got out of him, he said he was expecting to pick her up for dinner. This is bullshit of course, but if he had known she was to change the method of her death, he would surely have tried to be with her earlier. The variables involved with type of drug, quantity, whether it was taken with an anaesthetic, and of course when it was administered, lead to imprecise termination. He would have been babysitting her to get the job done and get out at the earliest opportunity. We will get this out of him."

Duarte nodded. "Do we have a name?"

"I think we should progress the meeting at hand with Snr. Salina before we get into that sort of detail Duarte."

When Manuel filled in some of the background to his lack of concern at his father being exposed, Pierze opened up a little.

"I have received notice from his hireling – Olmeda, that he has applied for a temporary injunction, and warned me of the consequences of ignoring pending restrictions. You were correct in your prediction Duarte. So, if Manuel will express his endorsement of the request and the reasons for this, I will serve Antonio Salina with this edict."

Duarte joked, "Well then, you've got what you wanted, may we know what your document contains?"

"Of course. As Olmeda's rap over my knuckles was addressed to the 'appellant' I would like you to take it to him. This way we retain professional courtesy and ensure the local jurisdiction is respected – something which they have failed to do." The meeting was concluded with some accord and Pierze welcomed being kept in the loop with Manuel's efforts. He did try to ascertain who the sponsor was, but Manuel said that was not possible at present. When they got to Duarte's office they opened the letter. Having read both parts they looked at one another in astonishment. The first part was from the Foreign Office. This title was a little grandiose in the perception of the citizens of Iberia, as they claimed the only foreign entity was Orient. In the eyes of the government any territory outside of true Iberian rule was considered foreign, including aligned states, protectorates and the like. This of course was a covert policy. The letter was addressed to Antonio Salina and expressly stated that they were temporarily taking over this case from Central Security. It enumerated the reasons, amongst which were, the failure of his department to interpret the possible threat coming from Orient, especially with the recent Moon launch, and various charges of not only ignoring leads provided for Central Security, but evidence of a policy of discounting them without discussion. As the Foreign Office and Central Security were on roughly the same level of command it was not within the remit of one to instruct the other. The second part was a letter from President Sanchez authorizing the first part, with specific instruction to proceed with the second post-mortem, and furthermore it was to be carried out by Pierze's department. This was emphasised as being crucial, to eliminate falsification of the result.

"Jesus," exclaimed Duarte, "I knew he was confident, now I know why." The smile on Manuel's face illustrated his delight at the blow this would deal to his father.

Despite efforts by Duarte to winkle more out of him he merely replied, "In time Chief Inspector, in time." Duarte admitted to himself that he had mixed feelings as he delivered the letter to Olmeda. As much as he suspected Antonio Salina had this coming in his professional capacity, he was sorry his wife was going to bear the emotional burden of Konrad's body being mutilated. Though he was not her real son, Manuel insisted she had always treated them as siblings. She would not understand why this was happening but may very soon find out. He was beginning to think that Pierze knew exactly what he was looking for.

Olmeda exploded with anger. "This is utterly outrageous; we will have to verify the President's seal. This is not effective until we have that authenticated."

Salina silenced his legal foot soldier. "Olmeda, please keep your voice down. I can tell you myself that the seal is genuine and if you were thinking straight you would realise that it only makes things worse if we contest it. We have to deal with it by employing any remaining dignity we can muster. I have to let my wife know of this, please excuse me Chief Inspector." As he trailed away, a sad broken old man seemed to emerge from the previously confident heavyweight government officer in a matter of a few strides. Duarte pictured the metamorphosis being completed in the elevator. It indicated to him that this was Salina's capitulation. His thought process was interrupted by Olmeda insisting that this would not rest here.

"Perhaps you are preoccupied with your own salvation Senor Olmeda, but I have to proceed to speak to the coroner – he needs to know of the change of plan. If you do manage to produce a further alteration to the current edict from the same authority you will let me know, I'm sure."

*

Butragueno was preparing to leave for Barcelona. The call from Manuel was to explain that he would follow as soon as his passport was 'renewed'. "It should only be a few days. I hope your inquiries are fruitful and I'm looking forward to joining you. I've had a further communication from my sponsor, and it may help us both, but it's better to discuss it face-to-face."

She liked the face-to-face prospect but made do with, "Right, we can't be too careful. See you soon." She was immediately contacted by Duarte.

"Pierze volunteered the information about the body in Roman Iberia, probably because he had set you up with the local precincts and the odds of them letting you know. However, he wouldn't part with the name at present. It seems strange that you got the same rebuff from the people who told you. I think you might want to extend your trip to take in this death. Where exactly was it reported from?"

"Firenze. Ok, I'll go there unless any reason arises from the first two precincts to persuade me otherwise. Bye."

*

None of the protagonists knew that Pierze's examination was not in fact intrusive. He had allowed them to believe this in order to ferment anger and objection. The technique was only recently developed and not available to general medicine yet. The scan was capable of detecting signatures of various types of recent brain activity in the same way forensics could produce markers for drugs and toxins. He wanted to confirm a particular signature before moving on to the new corpse and the suspect who was being held in custody. If there was a positive result in all three he would allow Butragueno's research to guide him on whether any relatively recent deaths on the list were worthy of scans after such a period of time. This time factor was important as necrosis could play havoc with the interpretation.

*

Manuel had received instruction to meet with a 'courier' who would re-jig his passport photo, fingerprints and facial vectors. The man would also take DNA samples and retina scans without knowing they were to be included in the SACRED recognition protocols, which Gretz would take to the Moon. This would tie up with his on-screen appearance on his first log-in. Time was tight because Konrad's character had already endured several days of fasting and inactivity. It would be a much more complicated task to produce a resurrection of an identical profile if the original character died, and important data would be lost. The courier's 'office' was fortunately mobile, and the man would call on him; this man was only briefed with the false passport part of the deception, and considered this pretty routine. Once the courier had completed his part, he would fly to Swiss Iberia to personally hand both the passport and data to Gretz. The elevator to the orbital shuttle dock would hopefully get him there in time.

*

The subject of the elevator was being discussed by Verdasco, Boniek and Gretz because of the Orient ground rocket launch. They had decided to demand protection of the facility to be beefed up. If it was compromised it would make the playing field of lunar voyages a little more even. It would also starve and ultimately cause the collapse of SACRED.

*

Antonio Salina's resignation was 'reluctantly' accepted by President Sanchez, and his replacement was a total surprise to everyone except Pierze and Duarte. It had begun to fall into place some time ago and it was mostly a case of managing the events to justify the outcome. Duarte rang to offer his congratulations.

"Do I keep addressing you as Pierze or use your new fancy title. I must say I didn't foresee this particular cog falling into place so quickly, but I sensed some major change would come about. You, on the other hand have known about it for some time. It explains quite a bit and will hopefully bring convergence to the entire investigation. I would hazard a guess that we are now going to see your minders return to spirit you away."

"Thank you Duarte. Fear not, the fact that I am now going to operate out of Madrid will not slow the progress – in fact it should do the opposite. Also, you can begin to proceed a little more freely without my shadow. I know you are on-board with the general principles of what we are striving to expose and you will continue to enjoy my support. I will not be leaving until the scan has been performed on Konrad Salina."

When Duarte had exchanged possible consequences of Antonio's resignation, and Pierze's appointment with Manuel, his reaction was confined to the personal aspect at first.

"This will actually help my mother in the long term by being out of the public eye. It disappoints me however that what is about to be ferreted out by the press didn't impact my father while still he held office, and believe me, that is why he resigned. A former head of Central Security is not as juicy to the newshounds as the current incumbent."

*

The hotel in which Butragueno was staying was just off Playa Espana, whose waterfalls were designed to light up the evening sky. The blend of colours and the sound of splashing water was a welcoming experience. She had been told she would be met for dinner by an unexpectedly high-ranking officer in the precinct. It smelled of damage limitation, in the event of them having to acknowledge any exposed shortcomings in their conduct. Javier Montero was already being groomed to be 'kicked upstairs' shortly. Butragueno would find out that this promotion was not only a surprise for the rank and file in the precinct, but it seemed to have been pulled out of the hat in a rather convenient timescale, to coincide with the investigation being reopened. An additional guest arrived and was introduced as being from 'Internal Affairs'.

"Detective Inspector Butragueno – welcome, may I present Carla Dominguez, she will help us in ensuring you get all the cooperation you need. I will be pushing the buttons of the specific officers assigned to acquaint you with the files and people you request to interview."

"I'm pleased to meet you both. I hope we haven't conveyed any criticism of your investigation. I'm only here because of tenuous links to our own case – that of Konrad Salina. There's much more to learn with that suicide, but it would be premature to say we have any hard evidence. We hope that re-examination of a few other protestors' deaths may throw up new information, this is but one example." She hoped this would relax them otherwise they were in for a very long and cagey evening.

*

Having despatched the courier back to Gretz, Manuel set off for the Riu Principal to say a temporary goodbye to his mother. "The funeral will be delayed and I will be informed of its rescheduled date by Duarte in good time for me to return. Please don't worry about me. I'll be in touch." Senora Salina was struggling to put on a brave front, but Manuel knew she had the benefit of years of experience with this type of discomfort, courtesy of his father's demands. She kept it short.

"At least Olmeda has gone back, now Antonio is free to give me a proper explanation. He does realise that if our marriage is to survive we must slay a few dragons. I fear your father may not have the humility to embark on the quest, now that he has been publicly stripped of his dignity. I will just have to remind him of what I had to endure all these years." She smiled and confirmed to Manuel what he already knew. His mother was a woman of remarkable strength of character. There was also the slightest hint that she might be prepared to leave him, if he did not measure up.

*

What Pierze had not said to Duarte was that his former department was being merged with Central Security. It was felt there was no need for the public to be confused with internal mechanics of government. However, as it filtered down without an official announcement, Duarte reflected that Manuel would realise this was the indictment of his father's performance he had wanted to become public. The members of the political pyramid would mumble behind Antonio's back and be supportive to his face. To continue to associate with him would not be good for one's career. He was a leper.

*

The newspapers had put a name to the body in Firenze, and infuriated the local police. Adrianna Rossi was a known activist, not just with regard to SACRED; she was involved with many protest activities. The precinct had labelled her as 'Domina Nueva Anarchisti' and joked that it was in her DNA, which they had already flagged on their database as one to watch. They suspected she was a pusher as well as a user, but had never managed a conviction despite several arrests. They had wanted to change tactics and let her feel they had given up on her. When her body was found, they believed the organisation she was part of must have felt she had become a liability, and forcibly caused her overdose. Now that the reporters were picking up on her possible connection to other SACRED protestors, it could flush out actual or speculative minions in the drug ring. This would not be helpful to their plans to snare the big players. It seemed a little strange to Butragueno that no mention was made in the coverage, of anyone being arrested at the scene, as Pierze had admitted to her boss. 'Where was he being held?' she thought. She contacted Duarte with an update on her evening with the Barcelona duo and warned him that there was more than a whiff of whitewash about, it was pervasive in the extreme. He more or less expected that.

"That's why I thought it would be prudent to take Manuel into our little clique. He'll help counteract your placebo treatment from the precinct."

She agreed and ran a thought past him. "The case of Adrianna Rossi has me wondering if Pierze's people got their man and then informed the police themselves about the body before disappearing. There was no mention of another person or witness in the papers and the precinct say no one has yet been questioned as a suspect. It could be worth asking him where this character is now."

"Will do, good thinking Butragueno."

Manuel had settled into his prestigious hotel; the one in which Elle was expensed came with a tight police budget restraint, and was decidedly the poor relation. He had been contacted by Gretz to say he was on his way to the lunar base and anticipated sending him his log-in confirmation soon. This triggered a question to the front desk of his hotel as to the nearest public booth in which he could engage with SACRED. It was met with a perplexed expression from the receptionist. She looked him up and down and said there was one she knew of on the hill of Monjuic, close to the old Olympic stadium. "I hope I am not being rude Sir, but it is a risky area and I would certainly not go there dressed like that. You should try to blend in. I would respectfully suggest you try to get permission to use a corporate facility instead. We don't have one as it is looked upon as attracting a different client spread to the one desired in the hotel charter."

"Thank you, I'll consider that. Where would I find an establishment such as you suggest?"

She blushed. "There are some private gentleman's clubs who have them. You will find some in the entertainment directory over there." He thanked her and began browsing the city guide.

## Chapter 13

The only reaction Duarte noticed was a very slight twitch to one side of his mouth. "It is very difficult Chief Inspector." That was the second clue. "The secondary scanning equipment is not really portable so we will have to take Konrad's brain scan using the primary part of the unit which is portable, and then take that scan to the location of the interpretive part of the scanner. The same applies to Adrianna Rossi and indeed the man you now enquire about."

"I don't seek answers to questions which I'd be better off not knowing Ricardo, so you may have to guide me here. Your people will take Konrad's brain scan to wherever, and the same scanner will try to detect something similar to what you suspect will be in the living brain of the designated witness to Rossi's death. The proverbial fly in the ointment is that he was late and didn't witness the actual death, which was by means other than he was led to believe he could expect. That may indicate to a plodder like me that whatever you are looking for may be in a selective number of targets, who are currently walking around oblivious to all of this."

Pierze began shifting uncharacteristically in his seat. "Look we initially wanted our people to remove Konrad's head because we could not expect the coroner to buy into our theory. Our technical people however, devised a two-step process by temporary detachment of the measurement and interpretation phases. If we do find correlation of significant level, we will have to take the heads of both Konrad and Adrianna Rossi, then probably others."

"Mmm, then you would still like the missing head of the Africana body."

"Quite. Maybe you can appreciate why the Antonio Salina roadblock had to be cleared."

Duarte smiled to cover his sarcasm. "Cleared – that's an interesting way to put it. I can imagine he has some reason to be a roadblock, and it took one or two of his trusted subordinates, imbued with Brutus remits, to expose Antonio Caesar."

"Very eloquently put Duarte. It would however be entirely inappropriate for me to comment, in my new role." The inability of Duarte to avoid thunderous breaking of wind did seem an adequate introduction to the re-grafting of their relationship.

"Ricardo, I get the feeling I'm going to hear that a lot more in the future."

*

Manuel and Butragueno met at a bar they both knew on the Ramblas. After a gentle kiss on the cheek he bought a bottle of Faustino Grand Cru and asked for two very large glasses. Her eyes widened. "You expect me to drink that kind of volume? Are you trying to get information via inebriation?"

"Of course. Seriously, this wine needs a large receptacle to swirl, prior to imbibing. If I was trying to get you drunk it would be for personal and not professional reasons. Just joking."

She felt a flutter but did not react to, or dismiss the remark. "Let's get up to date. My boss thinks that Pierze is about to accelerate his strategy now that he has the combined power of two departments. He's also pretty sure that we, meaning Duarte and myself, will soon be considered redundant in his spider's web. This leaves you, and I trust the boss' judgement on this, to tread carefully with him. He'll let us do quite a bit of mundane leg work for him and keep us employed on a need to know basis. Duarte is certain that Pierze claims to believe you can be extremely useful with your unrestricted remit, but also that he is covering one of his real objectives, to find out who has recruited you and why."

"Well, well – more levels of intrigue. I'll bear this in mind. I guess you haven't had a chance to begin questioning any relatives yet?"

She sighed. "No. I have been chaperoned and I get the feeling it's going to be that way in Sevilla too. I suppose it makes it even more important that you follow up these orchestrated interviews they will present me with, otherwise we won't really get anywhere." Manuel pondered whether or not to confide in this woman. She had been straight with him on every count but she was police. Leaning on his experience in his chosen vocation he made the first telling move on the new chessboard.

"El, I'm going to risk telling you something which needs to be between us and nobody else. I have to include your boss in this restriction. I need one person I can trust implicitly. It's not one sided – I'm not volunteering this solely to help you, I don't know what to expect, but from my conversations with Konrad, I should anticipate difficulties and I may need some help myself. When he first begged me to do this, he could have been that help."

"Whoa Manuel, I think I'm hearing that this will conflict with my responsibilities as a police officer. If I mustn't discuss it with my boss I need to know why."

He lowered his head and whispered, "Because it may endanger my life. I can't dismiss the point you raise as I don't know exactly what will happen, I just know that I have to do it. I suppose it comes down to trust. Once I know more I would expect I can divulge more, even to Duarte." Her emotional conflict was manifestly troubling her so he reached out and squeezed her hand. It only added to the flurry of mental processing to which she was a somewhat willing hostage. "El, I may have taken too much for granted in making this selfish request of you. Let's begin the evening again, the wine is excellent, try it." She fought off the urge to ask him to carry on and switched the topic directly to his brother.

"I probably shouldn't be the one telling you this, so I'm also taking things on trust. Your brother's initial scan is not an invasive procedure, but if it proves positive in Pierze's view, he will apparently require all or some of his body to be transported for a second procedure which is obviously going to mean disfigurement. I don't know if or when you and your family were to be told about this. I can imagine the distress this will cause. I'm telling you this in case it is relevant to the risk you are about to take."

He sat back in semi-shock. She slowly sipped wine until he responded. "Thanks for trusting me with this. It actually makes what I was about to burden you with even more important to me. It has removed any lingering doubts I may have harboured." Against all of her professional training her gut feeling prevailed, even though she knew the fulcrum had been shifted by her intense attraction to this man. The statement was emphasised by its simplicity.

"Tell me."

The next half hour not only re-shaped the entire case for her but resulted in her pleading with him to let this be Pierze's problem. His disarming expression was accompanied by a rebuttal of her suggestion. "If there is a much wider agenda involved here, I'm not sure Pierze will truly expose it, and I could say the same about Gretz. I have to know what Konrad was trying to tell me. Can I count you in?"

"Very well, when do you expect the go-ahead from Gretz?"

"Anytime soon. Let's look for a booth." His communicator's vibration was nervously checked. The message read – 'Proceed'. They checked a few booths and selected the one next to the metro station. Manuel's thoughts were invaded by excitement and apprehension.

## Chapter 14

Futureworld

Konrad

He felt weak and his vision was slightly blurred. His virtual apartment was in a mess and as he pulled himself off the sofa there was one thought in his mind. He grappled for the communicator and dialled emergency. Electing for Ambulance and giving his address, it was all he could manage to unlock the front door and crawl back to the sofa. He drifted in and out of consciousness several times and finally relaxed when the burly figure in uniform assured him he was going to be alright, but insisted that he fought off the desire to sleep.

Several hours later, he was awakened by a young nurse and informed that the doctor was on his way. The reading of charts and conferring between the various members of hospital staff took much longer than he expected. At last the man in charge said, "Well Konrad, you have not been looking after yourself; I'm afraid you have severe malnutrition and dehydration. It will be a few days before we can be sure there is nothing more serious to worry about." A data balloon appeared in the top right corner of his field of vision to denote the probable cost of authorising this level of care. He approved it without needing to consult any manual or sub-screen, it all felt so natural. His new bank balance flashed up then faded slowly. He wasn't aware of the intrusive looking headset at any time. Compiled data began scrolling down the right side again. Reactivating his character, and making a transaction must have triggered the display of his salient character statistics. Although this information was being viewed for the first time it didn't feel like that, simply because he was Konrad Salina. Even the employment status display of 'Junior Clerk – Central Security' didn't cause alarm; in fact he was disappointed that he had failed a promotion interview for the third time. His communicator rang and he was told quite curtly to switch it to vibrate only, otherwise it would be confiscated. Severe stomach cramps forced him to ask for painkillers and he was duly administered an injection. Just before he went under he saw the cost and new monetary balance display.

When he awoke he felt much better, the intravenous feed had begun to restore his energy level, and he was glad to hear the new prognosis that he would be able to leave hospital the next day. The doctor admonished him once again and demanded that there was no repeat. "Perhaps there is a reason why you allowed your condition to reach dangerous metabolic levels, would you like to see a psychiatrist or psychologist?" He had already decided against this before he saw the cost. When the doctor and entourage had passed on to the next patient he picked up a newspaper. The leading story claimed that the U-turn by the government on a new tax banding was a refreshingly welcome capitulation – a success for mass, peaceful demonstration. He was about to read further when he had a visitor. Hector Sidibe was an Africana with whom he had studied at college. "How did you know I was here?"

"I went to the apartment and the lady below told me that you had been taken to hospital. It was then a matter of which one." He stumbled and fell against the bed.

"You don't look well Hector."

After they had compared notes it seemed as if Sidibe was suffering similar symptoms. "I think you should ask the doctor to examine you."

"I don't have the money."

"Just get him to look at you and I'll ask my account to be debited." This was requested but they were told Konrad would have to make a transfer to Sidibe's account first, as hospital charges could only be made against the person being treated. Suddenly Konrad was concerned to get to an ATM to make the transfer, but was told he was to remain in bed. The panic was something which he could not relate to anything in particular, nevertheless it haunted him.

"Relax," said Sidibe, "I will come back tomorrow, let's not prejudice your discharge. We need to get out of here so we can talk, then I can accept your offer of help."

When Hector didn't show up the next day Konrad decided to visit the hostel in which he was staying. The matronly lady who appeared to be in charge informed him that Hector Sidibe had died during the night. "We are all shocked. He has been ill for some days now but just sat ignoring our concern. All he could say was that he must see his friend Konrad something or other. He's been obsessed with finding him for quite a few days. It was out of character for him to behave like this." Konrad had an impulse, the meaning of which he could not quite grasp. He was not aware of removing the headgear. He was quite dizzy and nauseous. He vaguely recognised the woman bending over him and telling him to drink the water she offered him.

Manuel

Butragueno kept repeating the same words. "You must drink some water Manuel, please try." A crowd had gathered around his prostrate form and had to be dispersed by one of the club security men. Butragueno had already called for an ambulance. Manuel was still acting strangely and suffering mini-spasms during which he twitched quite violently. The ambulance arrived and got him settled before setting off for the hospital. He was beginning to show signs of returning to normal by the time they reached admissions.

"Is that you El?"

"Yes it's me, you had us worried. Please don't try to get up, the paramedics don't know what is wrong, so we are waiting for a doctor." He seemed to relax a little more and as the doctor listened to Butragueno recount the events he could not believe they were talking about him. He was hooked up to sophisticated EEG equipment and the doctor remarked that the readouts were rather strange.

"I think we had better check you out on the Neo-map, it will assist me in explaining the surge in activity you have experienced. It is quite painless and won't take long." By this time Manuel knew he was talking as himself and confirmed to Butragueno that he had only felt ill when he had exited Futureworld.

"I remember that I didn't log off properly and had an urge to pull off the headset."

"Yes, I thought at the time you were struggling with it, and it took a while before you knew you were free of it, even though it had dropped to the floor already."

He gathered his thoughts and asked, "How long was I in the game?"

"Not more than thirty minutes."

His pupils dilated and he shook his head. "My recollections tell me I was in there for almost two days. There's a different timeline, I suppose that makes sense." Before they fitted the Neo-map he whispered to her, "Can you check if the Africana who was found without a head was called Hector Sidibe?"

"Well yes, but I may not get the truth from the locals." He suggested she ask Duarte to test it out on Pierze.

"Tell him not to disclose where he got the information from." She went outside to use her communicator while he underwent the test. Duarte asked where she had got the lead from.

"I overheard part of a conversation in the Barcelona precinct," she lied, "it might not even be related to the actual incident, but Africana was mentioned, I may be guilty of jumping to wrong conclusions but I didn't want to ask about it openly – as they are nervous about everything here and I would have drawn a blank. It's worth a try." When she came back the doctor pulled her to one side.

"He has had an overload in his neo-cortex, it hasn't caused damage this time but I would not advise a repeat of this silly game. I will see him again in a couple of hours and if he answers my questions satisfactorily he can be discharged."

As the doctor was signing his release document, Butragueno took the call. "Your hunch was right. Pierze was very cagey and obviously disturbed that I blurted out this name. He only acknowledged it after he extracted the source from me."

"Oh no, I thought I made it clear that I didn't want to be associated with this." Duarte's riposte was laced with humour.

"I finally admitted to him that I have a contact in Senegal who got it from a reporter. Pierze's favourite four letter description of excrement is proof that he bought it. Well done Butragueno, I'll make some genuine inquiries now that I have a starting point."

When she returned to the ward Manuel was ready to go. She asked the taxi driver to go to his hotel, but Manuel decided to override this. "No, please ignore that, I want you to take us to a select piano bar or somewhere similar – do you have a recommendation?" The taxi driver sniffed a good tip and whisked them to El Millenio, a quiet hostelry in a small square, a short walk from the Gaudi Cathedral. Once they were furnished with Manuel's favourite cocktail – a Caipirinha, which came to life by pouring Cachaza onto crushed ice and generously adorning that Brazilian firewater with baby limes, he simply said, "Well?"

"How did you know that was his name?"

"As stupid as this sounds, he visited me while I was in hospital - not the one we have just left, the one in Futureworld." They both sipped their enchanting concoction while they mulled over the implications of this preposterous revelation. "It's possibly just as ludicrous that I am, sorry – Konrad is employed in Central Security in Futureworld."

"Yeah this is a unique drink Manuel; I don't think I'll have another." He showed a little frustration.

"It is logical if you think about the role of my father and his superficial efforts to help Konrad. He may have tried to understand why such a powerful man could not come up with anything."

"But it is just a game Manuel. Come on, you can't seriously expect too much from SACRED, it was a lucky strike." Manuel offered no response other than a penetrating stare.

*

The dust cloud from the Orient landing was assessed as around thirty miles. It was just far enough away to be a risky journey to the SACRED complex, and just near enough to arouse further suspicion about its purpose. Gretz had witnessed this manoeuvre during his visit, and with powerful lenses had determined there appeared to be an unfinished habitat core with essential life support equipment and what looked like a year's supply of foodstuff for about six people. He had left before their ascent back to their 'Mothership' but had instructed his people not to attempt approaching the module. His considered judgement after hearing expert views was to observe, and not risk the journey at this stage. He could not afford to lose any of the already stretched employees. He did contact Verdasco and Boniek, in order to up the recruitment of new transferees, as he was not comfortable with the arrival of the recent neighbour. Orient had not publicised its objectives beyond colonisation, to its own citizens. This was according to some of his agents residing within the borders of that regime.

*

Duarte approached Pierze after the latter had time to get over the shock of hearing Hector Sidibe's name. He figured that he would be fed with some plausible red herring, so he suggested another 'cloaked encounter' in Pierze's favourite plaza again. "I think it would help if you gave me a little direction here Ricardo. As you know Butragueno is embarking on extraction of evidence in Barcelona and she doesn't have a good feeling about the stage-managed cooperation so far. Since you set up this arrangement, and you have since then acquired even more influence, can you loosen them up a little? Alternatively you may wish to add to my lead, and don't worry about such information not being good for my wellbeing. That worked with Salina but I would actually feel safer hearing stuff from you, rather than digging further, albeit through some indirect conduit of shady repute in Senegal."

Pierze stroked his clean-shaven chin. This was a new mannerism thought Duarte, but it seemed promising, as it evoked a morsel of worthwhile value. "This may have occurred to you already Duarte, so I will confirm it for you. We think Sidibe was the individual who was disturbed by Butragueno at the scene of Konrad's suicide. I told you earlier that we had voice match with someone who was speaking with Konrad at that time, but we could not yet prove whether he was in the apartment or on the communicator. From our surveillance records of protests we have positively identified this person as Sidibe, but still cannot prove he was there at the time. There is no record of a call to Konrad's normal line, we know that, but it could still have been to a mobile which has since disappeared. I'm afraid we still need his head. I am expecting the first scans from Konrad to guide our next steps. I have no more to give you."

"You've given me nothing. I suppose I must risk another contact with Africana and if there is anything noteworthy, you can be sure I'll keep it to myself. You won't forget my request to lean a little harder on Barcelona, will you? If we get more help there it may persuade me to re-connect with you on Africana. Unless you feel that this would put you in danger."

*

When they met next morning Manuel suggested that he would tail Butragueno with the local minders until they had something to go on. "Then I'll take a second shot at Futureworld."

"The doctor was very serious when he said you shouldn't risk this again. I'm wasting my breath aren't I? You're simply being irresponsible." He tried to convince her that it was all to do with his premature disconnection of the headgear.

"I won't make such an elementary mistake again. Look El, it's obvious from the way Duarte is being strung along by Pierze that we need every other avenue to be explored. You'll relax when I come out next time, I promise to take care when I exit."

*

Pierze should have been overjoyed, but he was a little circumspect. The first scan of Konrad's head showed his anticipated result as confirmed, but there was additional data. The interpretation clearly illustrated irregular cerebral patterns, consistent with known techniques of brainwashing. There was disturbingly concrete evidence of small channels of new tissue. The experts were not certain of the function and how it got there. It seemed to have developed rather than being implanted – it resembled a swelling of an existing conduit between sections of the brain, namely the hippocampus and neo-cortex. As best as they could determine the tissue was not very old, perhaps a few months at most. Pierze challenged this prognosis strenuously but the boffins refused to budge on the conclusion. They did give him some hope that if the living brain of the captive from Adrianna Rossi's scene of death had similar symptoms, it could be possible to reproduce the effect by interrogating the hippocampus – neo-cortex link with non-invasive experiments. He urged them to carry this out as soon as possible.

Meanwhile the protests were being much better coordinated and worryingly more violent. There was also, as yet unproven as strategy, incidents of civil servants being injured with greater frequency. This tenuous pattern, even if valid, did not definitely point to an organised trend. Footage which was fastidiously scrutinised indicated bigger groups of protestors and some apparently new figureheads. It was a stern challenge for the new head of Central Security, and Pierze decided to leave Londonis and head back to Madrid. This left Duarte to reconsider his options in view of the sudden departure. One hunch he felt strongly about was the likelihood of Konrad's body following on behind, without any of the family being informed.

## Chapter 15

Butragueno wanted to get started with the Alessandro Brunatti case. The Lombardy born victim's body had been charred so badly it was visually unrecognisable and had been identified by DNA and other corroborating evidence. There was nothing in the files that she did not know already from speaking with the investigating officers when she had called them from Londonis. When she asked to see the lead officer from that time, it was Montero who responded. "I am afraid that is not possible right now, he is currently suspended pending the outcome of a different investigation. That is why Carla, excuse me, the representative from Internal Affairs is with us, she may have questions to ask along with your own. We have a subordinate who was directly involved in the case; he will be the first reference point." The charade did not last long as Butragueno made her prepared enquiries and the answers were limited to, and virtually word matched with the files. Anything not covered in those files met with a shrug of the shoulders. Carla Dominguez stepped in.

"Montero, we need to speak with people outside of the precinct. The fire service would be a good start, and anyone in the neighbourhood of Brunatti's studio."

Butragueno reacted. "Studio? What kind of studio?" Dominguez' reply was loaded with sarcasm.

"A pigsty; which housed his 'abstract creations'." Butragueno asked if any of these works had survived. They were perplexed as to why she had asked about this. She merely said she was curious because she liked abstract images. She made a note that none of the contents had survived the intense blaze, and alongside wrote – 'paintings sold may have DNA for cross checking'.

They went to the fire service. Two of the crew who attended the inferno had been transferred after being promoted. One had been killed in a subsequent fire, after falling three floors, when an external timber plummeted and detached him from the mobile ladder. On questioning the remaining crew, Dominguez was quite helpful in keeping them alert, by stressing her role in checking their knowledge, against what actually went into the police files. After over two hours the shift supervisor stated the need for his men to be ready for the busy callout period, and brought the recap to an end. As they drifted out, one of the younger members of the crew dawdled, dropped some coins which scattered behind him. When he was detached from the others and had recovered most of his money with the help of Montero, Dominguez and Butragueno, he slipped a piece of paper into the hand of the Internal Affairs officer. She later unfurled the crumpled note to reveal a name and the scribbled relationship – 'girlfriend'. She tore it up and memorised the content. When they returned to the precinct Montero excused himself in order to go through his waiting messages. Dominguez confided in Butragueno. "We should track this woman down without Montero, or rather you should, and I will tag along – must follow the rules mustn't we? Are you free this evening?" Butragueno wanted to check with Manuel as to whether he had plans. The reply was not what she wanted to hear.

"I'm going in again El, I have to."

"Then please wait until I get back from this lead with Dominguez and I'll come with you, in case there is a repeat of the previous events." He agreed but said he wanted to use a different club so as not to attract attention.

"My face and yours for that matter are known now, at the previous place. I'll pick one and let you know how to get there."

Konrad

After the shock of finding out that Hector Sidibe had perished, he was driven to walk the streets for some time. He reflected on the programme they had embarked upon. His pager alerted him to incoming mail. He pulled the message from his laptop at his home. It read – 'We have to meet, at the usual place. I will be there in one hour. Delete this message, Prometheus'.

When they sat across the table at the city library, they didn't acknowledge one another until they had both scanned the room. Even then, the first exchange was a surreptitious passing of a piece of paper from Prometheus to Konrad. Placing it inside the book he had borrowed, he read it carefully. 'Three more are known to be affected, Adrianna Rossi, Leonid Tirishev and Heinrich Pichler'. Prometheus waited until he had a signal that Konrad knew them personally then he left. Konrad hastened to his abode and tried to contact the trio in the order he was given. He had no reply from Adrianna or Leonid. Heinrich responded and was asked by Konrad to come to a football match at the Camp Nou in Barcelona. Over ninety thousand fans were expected and it would be a safe place to meet. He gave Heinrich the entrance number and turnstile reference. They fixed a time. Konrad needed to exit Futureworld. This time he followed the correct sequence. Although he didn't collapse, he was extremely unwell, and for the second time suffered disorientation together with a vague recognition of Butragueno.

Manuel

He pleaded with her to stop fussing. "It is passing; I'm beginning to feel better."

"I'm not your mother Manuel or your babysitter. I will not admonish you again. It's your call." He asked her to find them a quiet coffee parlour and when they had ordered he made an outrageous suggestion.

"I have three names from a contact in Futureworld. We know Adrianna Rossi. Leonid Tirishev and Heinrich Pichler we don't. I could only contact Pichler in Futureworld. I'm therefore guessing that the captive Pierze has from the Rossi suicide is Tirishev. I think we should pass these names to Duarte and let him use his guile to bring them up in conversation with Pierze."

"You said you were feeling better Manuel. This is insane. Firstly, and I keep saying this, it's a game and a seriously weird one. Second, if – and it is a big if, you were right, it would put all of us at risk. Pierze is not to be trusted in my opinion and that of my boss. If he has protected these names so fiercely there has to be a reason."

Manuel studied her and could almost feel the anxiety. "Yes it is a game, and I was just as dismissive as you are, at one time. That may have hastened Konrad's death. Does it not strike you as significant that the game may be, or can be ahead of reality? Would you agree that if Pierze admits to Tirishev, and there are a number of people who could have leaked this, I have at least some reason to extract what I can from Pichler? I don't want Pierze to know I'm in the game. Duarte is perfect for this gambit, he has been hassling Pierze on all manner of information he believes is being withheld."

She thought about it in a more detached way and asked, "Who the hell is Prometheus?"

"I don't really know. There's nothing on the game character stats as far as I can see, but Konrad knew him, or of him. Whoever he is, he stressed that the three personalities were 'affected'. As it was a written message I wasn't able to detect intonation – it could refer to medical, political or a game related issue – I don't know."

She drew a deep breath. "Ok, I'll convey these names to Duarte as being linked in some way and when he asks, which he surely will - where they came from, I'll say it's a 'source' at the Firenze precinct, who must remain undercover."

He hugged her and they walked back to her hotel. He suggested a night cap and she declined. "When are you going to start to shadow my investigation? I haven't had a chance to tell you that Dominguez and I tried to check out Brunatti's alleged girlfriend. It turns out she wasn't at the registered address according to the landlord, and he said she used more than one name. The apartment is registered to Claudia Nalini, but he was sure she received mail for Senorita Rossi. The apartment did have a number of abstract paintings stacked against a bedroom wall. Dominguez was looking around while I talked to the landlord and she doesn't know about the false name. I'm not sure, but she didn't seem to pick up on the paintings either. I won't raise the issue myself as she is pretty sharp. Maybe with your expense account you can get a couple of the paintings checked for DNA." He smiled and apologised for monopolising the conversation with Futureworld. "I'll get on to it as soon as I've talked with Pichler."

Konrad

Pichler was pacing about amongst the crowd which was already milling around the stadium. "What is the panic Konrad? Is there something up?"

"I hope you can tell me really. Have you heard from Adrianna or Leonid?" All of a sudden Pichler looked more concerned.

"No, I have not tried to contact Adrianna but I have called Leonid several times as I was expecting a delivery from him. Why are you asking?"

"Well I've been told that both of them are 'affected' by something. The same informant claimed that you were also subject to whatever it is. Have you been feeling ok?"

The reply was guarded. "Yes, apart from losing track of what I have been doing. Are you going to tell me I have done something wrong?"

"What exactly do you mean by losing track of time?"

"Well for periods of up to eight hours after assessing my stats, I have no recall of any detail of events. It is not every time I log-in, but it seems to be increasing in frequency."

Konrad gave him the tickets. "You go and claim the seats, I'll be in shortly." He waited outside to see if his theory had substance, and sure enough he received a message from Prometheus. It read 'I will be there in less than two minutes'.

This time Prometheus spoke. "You are almost tuned in. I must be quick as have to return to my station. Please let me speak without interruption. I know you are not Konrad Salina. You have special dispensation to adopt his character. You will be experiencing disorientation when you exit, but it will diminish a little each time. You also have some resistance to the treatment, Konrad had exceptional immunity. It is too late to help Adrianna Rossi. I hope that is not the case for the others. Whenever I give you confirmation that someone is affected, you have a limited amount of time to save them. You should go to Pichler now and advise him to be careful while you try to assist him on exit."

"Wait, who are you, where are you, and what does affected mean?"

Prometheus protested. "I have no time right now. I am on the Moon. The rest can wait until we stabilise the trend. Go." He disappeared and Konrad rushed into the stadium. They talked while Barcelona beat Espanyol.

"Heinrich, you must take temporary new residence for a while." He gave Pichler a card. "This is my hotel, come there as soon as you exit. Don't hesitate; I'll explain more when we meet there." He asked Pichler to memorise the name of the hotel and then burn the card.

Manuel

Prometheus was correct insofar as the nauseous symptoms were greatly reduced. He immediately contacted Butragueno and asked her to meet him at the harbour. He asked if she had told Duarte of the three names. The answer was in the affirmative but she was worried because he was apparently on his way to Barcelona himself. "He won't tell me why. It's not like him – he would normally throw in a red herring, he doesn't often simply refuse to talk."

*

Although they didn't want to make an announcement that a second ship had been launched to the Moon, Orient did so, purely and simply because it would have been detected anyway. It also had the benefit of 'openness' which really disturbed the Iberian authorities, particularly Central Security. Pierze could have done without this highly controversial speculation. He knew it would generate intense workloads even if there was no sinister agenda involved. No details had been given as to the cargo, so these details would only be known when the powerful SACRED telescopes could identify the approaching vessel, and more would be known when the landing equipment was despatched to the surface.

*

Duarte had called upon the Salinas at the Riu Principal before he left. It was a courtesy visit to let them know that there would now be further delays to any funeral plans as the scan results had demanded more investigation. "You should prepare for his body being transported to Madrid for the tests. I'm sad to have to bring such news; I hope it won't be too long before this can be brought to an end for you."

Salina was distant and his wife replied, "Thank you for letting us know Chief Inspector. We may now just travel to Madrid ourselves. We want his last resting place to be close to where he was born. That was his real home. Londonis was merely a place in which he took refuge." Antonio nodded in silence. Duarte could not help thinking he was on the verge of a mental breakdown.

*

Manuel contacted Gretz. "You said I should contact you if I needed any services. I need some items checked for DNA and run on a database for matches. I don't want to involve the police. Can you please direct me?"

The reply was affirmative. "Of course, I'm currently in discussion with my partners and I'll get back to you within the hour." It was a curious situation that he was employed by SACRED, yet he got the distinct impression that the other partners had given approval for the investigation, but they were not always in on the detail.

*

Duarte headed straight for Pierze's office. "Chief Inspector, it is good to see you, but nevertheless a surprise that it is in Madrid." The friendly tone belied his annoyance at being distracted when there were so many subjects demanding his attention. Duarte picked up on this veneer of welcome but said nothing. Pierze's secretary, who had shown the shabbily dressed policeman into the office, asked if they wanted coffee. Just as Pierze was about to politely refuse on the grounds of more pressing meetings, he was cut off.

"I think you may wish to have something a little stronger Ricardo." The secretary stifled an embarrassing grin; nobody addressed her boss by his given name, let alone this scruffy, impertinent minion.

"Please close the door Marina, coffee would be fine." Resigned to hearing out Duarte he gestured for him to sit. Duarte took advantage of the moment.

"When can I talk to Leonid Tirishev?" The name not only startled Pierze, it produced a volte-face in attitude.

"I need to know where you got that name and I need to know now."

Duarte smiled through the venom directed at him. "No Ricardo, you don't need to know now. You may know when I have more information. I've been checking police records to see if there has ever been a successful prosecution for 'induced suicide'. I'm currently awaiting advice from the Prosecution Service as I'm likely to alter the Londonis verdict, if they can support me. Now, can we discuss this sensibly? I may know even more than I've told you but I still believe we can be of help to one another. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that your primary objective is somewhat grander than linking a few unfortunate deaths. On the other hand I must fulfill my responsibility and tick the boxes on every single death on my patch. My only interest is to find the real cause of Konrad Salina's drive to end his life. If that takes me into your shady domain it would be better if we have an understanding of each other's sensitivities. For example, at this moment in time I have no interest in Heinrich Pichler."

Pierze's pupils temporarily lost their menace. "I see. I would suggest we wait until Marina brings the coffee and we can then take a short stroll." While perambulating in a nearby plaza, a small boy on roller blades ran into Pierze. The boy was hurt and Pierze hardly noticed; he was consumed with anxiety. Duarte attended to the boy – it was a minor graze but it produced many tears. His father rushed to the scene from twenty metres away and thanked Duarte but glared at Pierze. The incident served an unintended purpose. Accommodation of silence was not easy for Pierze, but this particular revelation by Duarte had him mentally skewered. The silence became an awkward one.

"Ricardo, are you alright?"

"Mmm, I think so. I'm worried about you. I have tried to tell you on more than one occasion that there may be danger in you knowing certain things. I have tried to keep the lid on many of them, but you have illustrated my failure. You should not be asking me about Pichler and I should be asking you how you came by his name."

Duarte tried to get him to relax. "I wasn't going to tell you this first, I owe that to Butragueno, but I've taken early retirement so there is no need for concern. My boy has been offered an academy place in Madrid, so my wife and son persuaded me to come and live here, to give him the best chance of making it as a professional. I'll soon have no use for the kind of information you claim will threaten me."

Pierze's eyes lit up. "Fantastic, I mean – congratulations to the boy, sorry I don't know his name."

"Emile, it was my choice, and the name of my father. I didn't know you were so excited by football."

Pierze had his predatory aura back. "It is not just the football Duarte. What will you do in your retirement in Madrid?"

Duarte chuckled, "You know me Ricardo; I'll deal with that when we move here." He studied the face in front of him and detected something brewing.

"Duarte, you may have retired from the police, but that would not prevent you from working for me."

"Wait a minute; you know I'm a detective. They seem to thrive on revealing things, not covering them up. I'm not..."Pierze interjected.

"Hear me out. You can be much better protected by my organisation if you are one of us. It does not have to be a heavy commitment and you could act as a consultant. The remuneration would certainly help with living in an expensive place like this. Would you talk to your wife and sleep on it?"

"If I'm to become better protected by joining you I need to know how. And why the knowledge is threatening. You could start by filling in the blanks with Pichler. I have a theory, as always, but I'm listening." Pierze said that he was only prepared to say so much now, but more would be forthcoming if Duarte accepted the offer and signed the official secrets declaration. They shook hands.

"There is a sequence involved. We do not yet know the basis of being chosen to be part of the sequence, but proof of the chain has just been obtained and Pichler is next. He is in serious danger."

"Ricardo, I had already figured out he was in a sequence and imminent danger. I need to know from what?"

"You may be sceptical of claims regarding stuff such as subliminal messages, brainwashing, mind control and the like. The early forays into this domain were largely auto-suggestion and reinforcement. This 'voodoo' reputation has however been shed, and the science has developed a long way in the last decade. Leonid Tirishev has undergone tests which clearly show the same pattern as Konrad Salina and Adrianna Rossi. The head of Hector Sidibe would probably be confirmatory to this sequence. We believe that many of the earlier deaths would also show the pattern, but Konrad was a turning point. Those previous to him are not thought to be connected by this 'relay element'. It is almost certain that Sidibe was supposed to take Konrad's head, as Rossi probably took his. Tirishev, we know was to take hers, and Pichler will be primed to take his. Some of this sequence is speculative and we will continue to search for the evidence to prove it. That is really as far as I can go right now."

Duarte pushed his hat back to reveal a tan line indicating its preferred position. "So, induced suicide wasn't a bad guess. You must be trying to figure out the purpose."

"Not really, we are pretty sure about that. It is more a case of who is behind it, and how the methodology will mutate. I have said enough, will you sleep on my offer?"

The hat returned to its gridline. "I certainly will."

## Chapter 16

The meeting between Gretz and his partners was about the second Moon launch by Orient. They had never really relaxed after the first landing was so close to their precious facility. They were also still unhappy about the level of security alert for the orbital elevator. As they believed that Iberian government officials were 'sleeping on the job' they resolved to add their own brand of protection. A scathing assessment of Pierze's department was the justification for a military scale investment for the elevator and the Moon. The former would be initially expensed by SACRED but partially reclaimed from the government, as it was deemed a shared benefit. Mercenaries were not in short supply but they needed the best. Gretz suggested they should divide their personal time to cover each location. It was agreed that he would deal with the lunar base. Verdasco would organise the defensive structure and procure the weaponry for the elevator, and Boniek would recruit the personnel to man this fortress. This would inevitably bring President Sanchez into the mix; such plans would deepen the cold war attitude of Orient. It may even trigger a response which Pierze would claim was the intent of Orient all along. It would justify them doing what they had already been accused of by Gretz. There could be grave consequences.

Following the meeting Gretz sent a man to meet with Manuel, take the samples and conduct the DNA checks from the paintings. Manuel was alerted to this and given a code word for recognition and another for verification of the purpose. It effectively meant Manuel had to stay out of Futureworld until this meeting had taken place.

*

Duarte had arranged to meet Butragueno in Barcelona before deciding on Pierze's offer. She was curious to know how the names she had given him had gone down with Central Security. He had an envelope for her, but waved it about in a multiplicity of gestures while he debriefed her. "I know that the names didn't come from Firenze, Butragueno. I thought you would have expected me to check them out for further information which you said they denied you." He waited for her reaction – she merely shrugged her shoulders and impatiently asked him to get on with it. "Pierze was incredibly shocked and concerned, which then resulted in confirmation that your source was accurate. I'll tell you more about that in a moment."

She protested. "Come on boss, this is our best lead yet - spill the beans." She noticed his sheepish demeanour.

"That's the point of my visit here. I'm not your boss any more. I've accepted early retirement." She couldn't contain her anger.

"Those pen-pushing, politically correct bastards, I can't believe they would do this just because we are straying a little outside the line. Didn't you tell them that Central Security is happy with our help and even facilitated my presence here? This could reflect well on the precinct as it is probably the most important case we've worked on together. And they should be pleased, as that is all they care about – the precinct's image." He smiled wistfully at this protective outburst, the like of which he hadn't seen before.

"Ahem, I'm touched by your support Elle, but that isn't how it came about."

"Oh no, it's Elle again, there's worse to come isn't there?"

He braced himself for the tirade which would surely follow. "I talked them into letting me go because Emile will study academic subjects and learn to be a professional football player in Madrid. I gave in to pressure from him and his mother to relocate here. The hierarchy was good enough to recommend pensioning me off with immediate effect."

The fuse had not yet ignited. "Oh, so that's why you came to Madrid – house hunting. Well congratulations to Emile and good luck to you and your wife. You look nervous, Duarte, are you going to continue calling me Elle? Never mind, you must know who they're going to thrust on me as Chief Inspector. I don't think I want to know. Don't tell me they're pulling me back to base to investigate 'appropriate crimes'."

"No you can relax on that score. I want to return to Pierze and his position on all of this. I only know the fraction he has been prepared to admit so far, but he has asked me to work for him in a consultancy capacity."

She snarled at him. "What? You can't seriously be thinking of accepting. He's a vampire and you will ultimately become a victim."

He nodded defensively. "I haven't decided yet. That's why I wanted to speak with you first." He handed her the envelope. She impatiently tore it open and was ready with a few chosen expletives. Instead there was silence, followed by a delicate trickle of lachrymatory fluid. The letter contained her notice of promotion to Chief Inspector. It also stated that it was on the recommendation of Duarte, despite the concern he expressed with her being overly dedicated to paperwork and precinct targets. She knew he had deliberately lied about this last part to ensure they would go for her selection. The tears were mixed with joy and sadness; it suddenly hit hard how much she had grown used to his eccentricities, which were ultimately more than compensated for by his care for others.

"I don't – I'm flabbergasted. That's why you called me Elle, isn't it? That's how it will always be now, I guess. I've waited for this promotion for so long, but I didn't expect it to be tinged with sadness because you would be leaving our professional relationship."

"That may not be the case if I accept Pierze's offer. He's concerned about me having knowledge which may put me in danger. So I must pass that on to you Elle, as it effectively means you have to be careful. He claims he can exercise better control of what I know, and therefore protect my family, if I'm in his loop on a need to know basis. He hasn't told me much yet in case I decline the consultant role. It can be summarised by telling you he'll pursue me to reveal where I got the information, about Pichler and the others. I'll tell him the 'truth' as it was told to me – from Firenze. However, you must be aware that wherever you did get it from, he's not far behind. Pichler is in danger and Pierze hasn't said he would save him, he suggested that I did, which now falls to you. He expects more of this to follow. I've declared Konrad's death as induced suicide. This should keep you here for a little while, but you'll be recalled to update the brass, organise your department and convince the coroner. I'll let you know of my decision before I speak to Pierze, and that's all I can say right now, other than this investigation is likely to go into areas where you and I are short on experience. Good luck." They embraced and as he departed she felt a second and more severe wrench at 'losing' Maxi Duarte.

*

The second Orient Lander had put down less than half a mile from the first and ominously, if looked at as two dots of a line to be extrapolated, projected directly to the SACRED installation. The 'spies' inside the complex had been instructed to take pictures with their sophisticated lenses, enlarge the images and send them on to Gretz before he made his next visit. They clearly showed an all-terrain vehicle transferring equipment and food supplies between the two habitat units. It then began assembly of a connecting 'tunnel'. Further enlargement indicated that the vehicle was remotely controlled but night vigilance had counted twelve different suit numbers, although there could be more who had not yet ventured outside. It did have the look of a colonisation programme and wouldn't have generated so much concern if it had been expanding tangentially to the SACRED complex.

*

When Pierze was called to an inner sanctum conference he knew he would be expected to deliver advice on the government position and strategy to deal with Gretz & Co. He wanted to keep his focus on SACRED, but most urgently the anarchist context of the deaths for which he now had links. He recognised this conference was a purely political manoeuvre on the part of the President's aide to let the people know he was on top of any threat from Orient, but in reality wanting to avoid culpability for any escalation in tension. Reluctantly, he traded on keeping Gretz, Verdasco and Boniek aboard by pointing out the obvious. The government, corporate bodies and the youth of the Republic had willingly put all their eggs in the SACRED basket. "This was countenanced not only as endorsing the principle but actually selling off the bad debt of the half-hearted colonisation initiative and hardware. It was a decision with clear and present irreversibility. Until that status changes, by restoration of investment and ownership, we are stuck with the monopoly upon which we depend, and its vulnerability to any Orient agenda. I submit we must begin to correct this dependency. I know you will say we do not have the resource, but neither did Orient, yet it is happening before our eyes. It requires a political sea change and in the meantime I'll begin to curb the strident unilateral attitude of the SACRED owners. The management of espionage in and about Orient will be intensified, but I'm afraid the current political placebo you are seeking to administer to the populous must come from the Foreign Office." The President's aide leaned and whispered something to Sanchez. It resulted in a comfort break. During this timeout Pierze was asked by the aide, Nelson Ortega, how he intended to shackle Gretz and friends.

"Your plan has merit, and in order for the President to endorse it we would need to be certain it wouldn't conflict with any message from the Foreign Office, which we would sanction to be rolled out for public consumption."

Pierze was delighted to respond with the caveat he had in mind. "I would not advise airing this detail in such a full cabinet, in which some ministers have also brought deputies. My intelligence people would expect me to protect their cover while infiltration is on-going. I can assure you that I have leverage to exercise on SACRED. You must rely on me to apply this delicately and responsibly. That is what I offer, and will be happy to be judged upon the result when the time comes. I doubt whether our friends in the Foreign Office will be so willing to put their heads on the block, and if you will forgive me saying so, that is your province not mine."

Ortega's cautious nodding was a good sign. On re-convening the President made it sound as if it was all his own idea, and that all bases were covered. This really meant he was in a position of maximum control to fire whoever screwed up, and therefore remain decisive, ergo popular. Pierze returned to his office a relieved man, although he knew there would come a time when the favour would be returned with interest by the Foreign Office. There was more good news – Duarte had agreed to sign up.

*

Butragueno had returned to Londonis and Manuel, having passed the paintings to his contact, was free to go back into Futureworld. The only factor holding him back was Pichler's no-show at his hotel. He wasn't about to arrive either. The chat at the stadium had him running scared. The symptoms of 'blackout' had intensified and the warning had inadvertently interrupted his cycle of addiction to the game. He had fled to Berlina, where he still had family and asked them to hide him in their basement for a while – until he gained enough composure to think straight. Manuel could wait no longer. He went in.

Konrad

He searched for Pichler, in his abode and at some known friends of his, without success. He was irritable that Prometheus had not made contact. This frustration kindled a desire to go to Central Security Human Resources and tell them to shred their rejection of his promotion application, as he was quitting. While sitting waiting to see someone on this personnel issue, he did receive a message from Prometheus. 'Do not proceed with whatever you have in mind in this organisation. Meet me on the beach at Sitges; it is a short train journey from Barcelona. Just go there, I will find you'.

He was perplexed but complied. He began to feel it was a hoax as the beach was extremely densely populated and over twenty minutes had elapsed. He felt a tap on the shoulder. "Sorry about the delay. I wanted to make sure no character movements would indicate you were being followed. That's why I chose this destination. What were you doing in Central Security?"

Konrad explained that it was for being repeatedly overlooked for promotion, and said he wanted to quit. He wished to provoke a predictable reaction. Prometheus had thought it was more serious than that. "I thought you were going to say something about me and what I had told you. In that case it's not a problem we are now discussing, but an opportunity. I will arrange for you to pass the next interview. We should do it through the normal channels to avoid suspicion, but I will alter the result."

"You can do that?"

"I can, but it does entail a small risk with such potentially transparent transactions, this one will be fine. I see you were looking for Pichler, did you speak with him on the outside?"

Konrad replied, stating he hadn't shown up at his hotel as had been agreed. Prometheus said he had hidden in a tunnel in a city sewer system in Futureworld.

"He hasn't moved for some time. His character will die soon."

"Why don't you talk to him?" Prometheus explained that would be dangerous.

"When I was asked to allow you to resume the character after your own death it was mandatory that I encrypted it further. This was to enable deflection of any rogue interrogation by other characters, and it was requested by someone who didn't want any chance of a slip up. I simply did what I was asked. It is hard to explain but I cannot use my character to interface directly with any other than yours. It would be risky, as you never know who you can trust. Even the person who asked for you to be allowed in through the back door did not explain why."

Konrad hesitated then asked, "If I can't find him outside and you can't help him inside, you need to tell me exactly where he is." Prometheus asked him to consider another possibility.

"If you offered him sanctuary and he didn't accept, he may have thought you were affected. Did you give him details of your concern for his safety?"

Konrad thought back to the stadium. "No, not really, I just assured him that the others affected were in difficulty. I wanted to talk to him on the outside."

"Good, we should avoid too much specific reference to items which may be highlighted in game searches. You may wish to consider he has gone underground outside, in order to deliberately allow his character to die. This would not make him completely safe, but would cut off further affectation from Futureworld, and perhaps help him in regaining true perspective. Unless he has been 'attended to' he can still contact you if he wants to. There is no new affected individual nominated as yet to continue the chain, but that will change. If he has fallen subject to elimination you will no doubt hear via the regular news reports."

"What do I do about Central Security?"

"Go back and tell them you wish to re-apply for promotion. Leave the rest to me."

Manuel

This time he did not feel too bad, a little light-headed but no memory lag. He got back to the hotel and looked up Prometheus. Apparently the myth claimed that he stole fire from Zeus and gave it to mortals. He was considered to be a champion of mankind, and endowed with wily intelligence. There was no message at reception indicating Pichler had tried to make contact. He decided to travel to Sevilla, as he had agreed with Butragueno that there was nothing more to go on in the Brunatti case until the DNA results came back. She was to fly directly there once she had concluded her staff setup in Londonis.

*

When Pierze brought Duarte to his office it was on the pretext of merely signing his consultancy agreement. "I want you to begin a new thread of investigation. We are progressing as fast as we can on the existing one. The footage we have has been cross referenced with records, to confirm the unusual number of civil servants who have been injured or killed in some of these protests."

Duarte said, "I'm listening."

"There is a very much stronger correlation index than one would expect. For example, the ratio of these employees to overall population, or that which our profiling people would normally ascribe to the makeup of such mobs, is high. There is an exhaustive list, and I suggest you start close to home. If you can obtain evidence or testimony of near certainty that the deaths were not caused by anything which relates to brain damage, get me ten such local examples. We will then scan them and you may see for yourself what this tells us. I realise I will have to get the paperwork for exhumation, but you can smooth that path by telling parents or relatives we want to find out why their loved ones were apparently singled out."

"You seem to be relying quite heavily on statistical profiling, yet you send a dyed-in-the-wool cynic of such hazy claims to investigate this humbug; which is being paraded as a science." Pierze had anticipated this. "Precisely Duarte, if you are convinced when you return I will know the haze has been replaced by direct and traditional investigation."

## Chapter 17

The respective procurement and recruitment programmes of Verdasco and Boniek were each gathering pace. The elevator perimeter exclusion zone was extended from a radius of two miles to four. It involved compulsory purchase of some domestic properties of the workforce, but the price was so beneficial to them that there was competition to be on the list. Sophisticated radar tracking equipment, for several types of incursion, was being installed. Plans for anti-aircraft missile silos appeared like mushrooms after summer rain, and the final array of protection would be a new concept. Hundreds of personnel capture mines would be mapped out and armed. These devices operated on pressure switches which were linked to heat sensors, releasing multiple clouds of chloroform, effectively leaving the captive ready for collection. Boniek had hired a master mercenary who sent potential candidates to him for scrutiny. The vast majority were being harvested from the Borderlands between Eastern Iberian territory and Western Orient. They had suffered atrocities regularly as the terrain was claimed and reclaimed on innumerable occasions, and they always suffered occupation. They had no agenda, no allegiances, no morals, in other words perfect for Boniek.

*

Butragueno joined Manuel in Sevilla but once again they felt it prudent to be in separate hotels across the city. When she was updated with Prometheus' hint that Pichler may have simply absconded, to allow his Futureworld character to die, she asked if the prediction had been accompanied by whoever was next on the list. She thought it was strange that his reply had been negative. "Manuel, I have my doubts as to whether I will find too much to go on here. I've been introduced to a similar set of minders as those I had in Barcelona. I think we might benefit from me doing a cursory check which makes the precinct happy, and then I apparently move on. You can skip in and out of your game and follow up the case here without the possibility of bumping heads with the precinct brass."

"Where will you go?" She wanted to go to Firenze. "I may be able to tie up loose ends if Duarte is willing to keep me informed as to what Pierze gets from Leonid Tirishev. That would help me bypass the Firenze precinct while I await the DNA on Brunatti's paintings. I can't get rid of the feeling that Rossi is a key figure in this, a bit like Konrad." They agreed, and she let the Sevilla precinct officers know that she was happy with the first round of checks, but let them stew on a possible return.

*

The Berlina Tribune front page on the TV screen caught Manuel's eye as he exited his hotel room shower. He immediately turned up the volume. A headless corpse had been impaled on the lance of a mediaeval warrior, the figure being part of a group of statues depicting an Iberian repulsion of barbarian hordes. The news visuals panned back to give perspective of the entire scene. The body then appeared to be comparable to a potato on the end of the weapon; such was the size of the statue. The local police stated that they were not yet able to identify the individual male, and were completely confused as to how and when it had been manipulated into position without being seen. A couple of fire service vehicles were busy trying to get the torso off the lance without further mutilation. One journalist pounced on a slip by one of the fire crew at the scene. A banner had been stapled to the chest of the unfortunate victim. He had described the motif and part of a message before he was silenced and prised from the hungry reporters. Manuel somehow knew it would be Pichler, and suspected that the police in Berlina already knew, but were not prepared to divulge the identity too soon. Chaos seemed to have engulfed the city. The police were forced by many levels of authority to say more about the banner. The motif was described as a red hand with clenched fist opposed to a black hand in an open gesture. No one had apparently any knowledge of this belonging to an organisation, terrorist or otherwise. The words were described with caution, giving the impression that there was some censorship engaged. They were a mix of Iberian and Oriental script, and it was claimed that they approximated to the same thing – 'The world was lost and now it is rediscovered'. This story, in Manuel's experience would run and run. It was global in implication. Butragueno contacted Manuel as she had the same confidence that it was Pichler. "What do you intend to do?"

"I was going to go back into Futureworld to make sure this is not connected to our investigation. It also occurs to me that this will fall into Pierze's lap. Do you think it's worthwhile asking Duarte about it?"

"Yes, that makes sense, but he may not be in on this if there is no link with SACRED. Maybe he can still squeeze something out of Madrid." Manuel said he would get back to her as soon as he could.

"By the way, your DNA results are back but not complete. There are only two individuals identified and they are both on police databases. Neither of them produced a match to the official records of Brunatti, but one is a perfect hit for Adrianna Rossi. My contact tells me that he can't really conclude more without the real Brunatti's body or verified DNA, but is equally adamant that the second person is highly likely to be the artist. I've thought about this and we can speculate of course, that Brunatti was a front for Rossi; or the charred body was that of the unknown artist; or that the artist is alive and Brunatti was consumed in the fire. The problem is lack of any hard evidence from the remains. I think it would be more fruitful to dig into Rossi's connection to Barcelona and Leonid Tirishev." Butragueno thanked him and agreed to start with Rossi again.

*

Gretz was back on the Moon and had, despite lingering concerns from the Iberian doves, brought a consignment of automatic weapons, RPG's and some new electronic jamming equipment. His visit was to be short but thorough, and he revealed a surveillance bug in the form of a mole. It was disguised in neutral packing and he divulged its presence and operational codes to only one individual. "I require regular reports on their activities. I'm told that if you programme it to set off in the wrong direction boring down to circa two metres as default, it can then be programmed to reach coordinates between the two habitats without ever surfacing. It will alter course randomly to avoid extremely rocky layers. This, I am assured, will mimic gentle seismic activity – the kind we have genuinely observed from time to time, due to Earth's fluctuating gravitational influence. This has been discussed many times on TV and Orient will know about it. Initialise it from inside the landing container where there is a preformed hatch to lower it to the drilling position without being seen."

Konrad

He didn't want to go back to Central Security until he had been contacted by Prometheus. He wandered around for a long time and was beginning to think the link had been severed. When it came the message was cryptic. 'Choose a corner of a square and seek the shade to sit.' He remembered that Prometheus was actually tracking him so it could be any square and any corner as long as it was in the shade. He figured it would be the closest square and proceeded to a tapas bar which was deserted by the sun. He took a pavement table rather than an inside one and deferred his order until his guest arrived. Prometheus exchanged pleasantries as he took the seat adjacent rather than opposite. Konrad waited but was urged to go first.

"It is Pichler isn't it."

"I would think so. His character has also died so you can't learn anything from him."

Konrad pushed hard. "No, but I can learn much from you. I think you should start talking."

Prometheus was surprisingly forthcoming. "If you can confirm for certain that the torso is his I can direct you to potential perpetrators, but I warn you these people are very uncompromising, and there are many of them. You should accept it as knowledge only, not as a directive to apprehend or arrest them, even with the help of the police or armed guards. They would find you and erase you without question."

"I take note. However, I would like to know more about why you are following my character."

"I told you already that when I was asked to merge your identity, to enable you to play an existing character, it was a first. In all the years I have been encrypting there has never been a single opportunity such as this. My tweaks were riding on the back of the highest authorisation in SACRED, to seamlessly allow Konrad to continue. You are my only hope of getting out of here, but I must be extremely careful how I try to execute this."

Konrad still looked puzzled. "How long is your contract? I was told they were normally five years."

"You could say I was signed up for life." This did not sound like the modus operandi of the Gretz he knew, and Konrad pressed on.

"Ok, without prejudicing your cover, tell me what it will take to get you out by other means.

Prometheus said with absolute solemnity, "The collapse of SACRED."

"What? You mean that's the only way?"

"Not the only one but the only guaranteed one." Konrad thought he could actually feel the anxiety in the voice of what was a pixel-based character.

"Presumably you are aware of SACRED's nervousness about this Orient base which is being constructed on the Moon, not so far from your position?"

Prometheus smiled for the first time in this session. "Yes, but if the intent was to eliminate this place, that would not be a promising scenario for those who work here."

"I know that you know that my sponsor and your highest level of authorisation are one and the same."

He nodded before Konrad continued. "I have found him to be absolutely straight, yet you said last time that even he could not be trusted. Why?"

Prometheus took a while to respond. "Even if he is as honest as you say, it is at odds with my being here. You must never discuss this with anyone else – and I mean anyone, is that clear?" Konrad waited breathlessly, and gestured affirmation. It was not what he expected to hear. "I was brought here against my will."

Konrad was amazed. "By Gretz?"

"No, I would never forget the voice and it was not his, but I have no idea what the man in question looks like, as I was fitted with opaque contact lenses and given a white stick. I was told that I must never reveal the truth, and I have no idea how many others have been given a similar ultimatum. The man was possibly in one of the lower echelons of the corporation but somehow I can't believe Gretz knows nothing of this. I must leave before I am suspected of something."

"Like what?"

"We have time allocated for recreation, including TV, movies and of course SACRED. I can't be seen to interact with you from my encryption station, so I have to do it from a player's booth. There is currently a queue forming, it is too risky." As he left he crumpled a piece of paper and threw it on to the tablecloth and left a lighter, seemingly by mistake. Konrad considered it strange, as they hadn't been given serviettes, having only ordered coffee. When Prometheus was presumably logged off, he picked up the piece of paper and unfurled it. The same motif from the banner stapled to Pichler's torso was on this scrap of paper, and underneath was a kind of name - Rojo-Negro Mano. The more ominous scribble was simply 'Beware'. He logged off himself.

Manuel

On exit he was disappointed that Prometheus had cut short their discussion. He had wanted to ask again about the mechanism of characters being chosen then the real person becoming 'affected'. It would be first on his list next time. He wanted to go to Berlina but knew it would be impossible to get near the body. He contacted Butragueno and told her of the warning to avoid Rojo-Negro Mano.

"What is it?" she asked. Manuel said all he knew was that it was a cult or an organisation, which was completely without scruples in whatever they are trying to achieve.

"I'm almost certain he knows more than he pretends. Red-Black Hand sounds like terrorism to me but he didn't enlarge on whether it's active in Futureworld, as it undoubtedly is in reality. Perhaps Duarte can run it past his new boss, as the motif is now an item known by the entire world."

She acted on this immediately. "Hello, what do I call you now?"

"Take your pick, I decided on Elle for you, so go ahead – surprise me."

"Ok, I'll follow your lead and it will be Maxi."

He chuckled. "Nobody has used that for years, yeah - I like it. I suppose this isn't just a social call."

"No, I have some more information for you in no particular order of importance."

Duarte cautiously said, "Go ahead then."

She went for the most useful one to him as first choice. "I believe the news from Berlina, which we have all been saturated with, definitely involves Pichler." Duarte's response was a long stretched out drawl. "Go on..."

"Well I didn't get this from the Firenze squad, but I could have – that's where I am right now. I would rather not say over the communicator, but when we next meet I'll enlighten you as to my source. Anyway, have you discussed this with Pierze?"

"Not yet, he's got me out chasing shadows at present. Why do you ask?" She reminded him of the obvious.

"The statement that they have not been able to identify the victim in a murder case is bound to fall into his in-tray. Anyway as he was next on the list I gave you, what about his predecessor on that list, has he got more out of Tirishev?"

"Yes, although it is a confession of something Pierze already suspected – he was supposed to take off Rossi's head in the same way as he suspects Rossi took off that of Hector Sidibe. One thing does sound odd though, Tirishev doesn't want to be released now and he asked for police protection. He'll be lucky to get that from Ricardo."

She was beginning to put together the picture Pierze had described to Duarte – serial induced suicide. "Well Maxi, the last item is one of sheer curiosity. The motif on this banner which was displayed on what I'm sure was Pichler's body, is from some clan or cult named Rojo-Negro Mano. Are you going to ask him about that?"

"Why would I do that Elle?"

"Because I know more and we can help one another if you find his response intriguing. Bye Maxi."

Duarte would ask about this in the morning. His family was still settling into new accommodation and he wanted to see his boy in a training session with the other academy recruits.

*

Pierze was immersed in high profile media-driven stuff that he despised. He also wanted to keep his face as anonymous as the job would allow. He wanted a private meeting with Gretz, but he didn't want to be at the forefront of investigation into Pichler's death. He knew this was going to deflect his attention from monitoring the chain of induced suicides, and was livid that somehow Pichler had evaded them when fleeing from Barcelona to Berlina. He did know of reports about Rojo-Negro Mano but couldn't see a link as yet. He would let his subordinates deal with such a public soap opera.

## Chapter 18

Konrad

Prometheus was instantly in touch with a message. 'There is a park ahead with an outdoor pool'. They splashed around independently for a while. Prometheus always needed to be sure of something before acknowledging Konrad. He was about to speak but was beaten to the punch. "I suppose you may have another name for me, but I want to know much more about selection and means of this affectation process which invariably leads to death. I've accepted that there is a limit to what you can do to interfere in terms of prevention, but you have already taken risks in what you say to me, so tell me as much as you can."

"You cannot imagine what is at stake here. I have been told nothing except to execute this protocol or that instruction, but I have gradually worked it out, and that is why I can't leave. However, as you represent my best route to freedom, I suppose I must trust you again on a one-to-one confidence basis. I get a list of encryptions, exceptions which carry penalties, and codes for initiation. Those individuals on initiation codes are the candidates for treatment. They are not in any order or priority and the initiation codes always run between twenty and fifty ahead of the treatment codes. You are right when you guessed I had more names for you, but this time there are seven, which indicates a change of gear to the operation. Please understand that a concern I have apart from my own escape, is the welfare of my family. I'm frequently reminded of their fragility; their lives are totally dependent upon my silence and compliance. Therefore I will not disclose my name. Whoever is officially investigating this grooming process must act more quickly if they are going to expose the truth. They must obtain at least three sequential heads from deaths, including and after your brother. The examination of the brain can verify certain activity but the secret lies in the brain stem. I have a diagram to give you which is difficult to understand, but it is crucial for you to get it expertly interpreted. I suggest you try to remember the names first, then as much as you can before destroying the drawing. I have to assume that the investigation has not yet obtained three such heads."

Konrad was trying to digest all of this. "Yes, er no – I mean no, they haven't got three consecutive heads. Sidibe's is missing; he was between my brother and Rossi. Tirishev is alive but we are sure Pichler is dead and his head is gone. We need to expedite the search for Pichler's or Sidibe's head otherwise we are waiting for someone else to be activated, with the uncertainty of being able to intervene."

"That is correct. They, the perpetrators have been successful with Sidibe but Rossi fooled them with an alternate suicide. Being thwarted will potentially alter the programmed means of death to one of higher risk – murder, and that would trigger the inevitable post-mortem. In such scenarios they must ensure retaining the head. I must go." Konrad wanted more but also needed to memorise as much as possible, as quickly as possible. He also reflected on the suggestion of a change of gear in this operation. He wondered whether it would be prudent to attempt to bring all forces and lines of investigation together. Prometheus had declared something massive was at stake and no one could be trusted. He felt that the gathering momentum was maybe going to cut back on the lead Futureworld had given him, compared to the outside situation. Could Prometheus' entrance to the game have been detected?

Manuel

He wasted no time in calling Butragueno. She managed to get the first word. "The paintings were not created by Alessandro Brunatti. I had an expert in Firenze look at them and he immediately recognised them. After satisfying himself that they were originals, he told me they were the works of Vittorio Radanelli. He is long dead and never really made an impact on the art world despite producing hundreds of oils and a few watercolours. He was hardly known, even in Firenze, so his work could be claimed by Brunatti in Barcelona without a problem."

"Yes, that is great El, I think you should get ba....."

"There's more. The paintings would have not been worth much anyway but my expert revealed something which makes them even less valuable in art circles, but priceless in our investigation. They carry messages which have been implanted recently, presumably by Brunatti. The expert was able to give approximate dates by ageing tests. I can't yet determine what these messages reveal, so I will head back."

Manuel was relieved. "Fantastic, I was going to ask you to do exactly that. I think we must meet with Duarte in Madrid and maybe others afterward. Something is about to change. I'll make my way there now. Contact me on your arrival."

*

Meanwhile Duarte was walking to Pierze's office and enjoying the stroll. Madrid was an architecturally impressive city. The blend of structures, boulevards and greenery was easy on the eye. He had never availed of this in Londonis and the weather there hadn't helped. When he arrived, the slight exertion and the higher ambient temperature than he was used to had caused him to perspire profusely. He appeared to be totally unaware of the odour he was creating. Pierze was not. He replaced his jacket and turned up the cooling control on the air conditioning. He preferred to shiver than be assaulted by Duarte's rather fetid bubble. Duarte's use of his given name had been tolerated but in this pungent atmosphere it grated more than usual. "Ricardo, I have come by some information which isn't related to this civil servant trawl you gave me, but could be a lot more interesting." He was going to unload Butragueno's questions, but not in the same order. Pierze seemed disinterested when he mentioned Rojo-Negro Mano.

"Duarte, we believe that to be a complete red herring."

"How so?" Duarte's surprise was obvious.

"Having researched this organisation some years ago we are certain that its connection with the impaled body is a contrived distraction for the public. It has existed for a long time, and is a relatively small charitable organisation which specialises in helping unfortunate citizens of Orient, who do make it across the border and are not subsequently deported. At first we were suspicious of their activity actually being sponsored by Orient itself but that proved groundless. The motif and the words are supposed to herald a more unified clarion call for human rights. We have kept a watching brief on them, as we would with all such promotion of policy outside government stance, but they do a good job and actually lower tension at many border points. Orient has to express disapproval of it in principle, as we do, in trying to keep the border closed, but both regimes would be worse off without them. You can imagine how distraught they are at their banner being hijacked for such an act of atrocity."

Duarte was temporarily wrong-footed. "Why would the perpetrators do this?"

Pierze was direct. "There could be a number of reasons, depending on who they are. Our prime suspicion at present is that they are warning us that they know we are making progress in the investigation, and that things may be about to take a different course. It is a very public warning and that is probably the most worrying aspect."

"This is only a theory then?" Pierze's eyes narrowed and Duarte observed the same steely anger he had experienced on their very first meeting.

"As a police officer you were dedicated to dismiss all but factual evidence and that can sometimes be difficult. Our brief is almost the converse of that in its mode of operation. We have to predict the crime as well as investigate, and often this means we have to 'fantasise' about agenda, methodology and feasibility. You know, no matter how sophisticated a security system is in design, the criminals more than match that ingenuity by the constant flaw – humans. Opportunity, temptation and corruption conspire to make the breach. It is the same with political agenda – things are rarely what they seem to be. Therefore, our effort must always be overlaid with various conspiracy theories, so that we don't miss a trick. We may well be wrong about the motive for this banner being used for such purpose, we have an open mind. There is also the theory that the head may have been removed by different people than those who impaled the corpse on the lance. Medical examination should clear up blood flow patterns before, during and after death. Did you have anything else?"

"Yes I do. What else have you got out of Tirishev?"

Pierze became business-like again. "He is being kept in custody until we conclude further tests on his neural activity. He is happy about that. He appears to be telling us the truth. It is just that he isn't telling us much. He knew he had to take Rossi's head, but cannot recall any ultimate destination for it. He knows he wasn't to get rid of it, but not why. He knows where he had to take it, but not who would collect it, or why. Rossi lived in a quiet first floor apartment behind the Palazza Di Congressi, in Firenze. He says the head had to be handed to someone he would meet the day after her death in the grounds of the Congress complex. He was to deliver it in person to a man with a specific number tattooed on his inner wrist. The head was to be passed over in a locked cooler box. He did notice a reference that the man should have been wearing a conference badge in his lapel; it was to denote 'Advances in Neurological Techniques'. We are still hopeful that we can release some of his suppressed memories."

Duarte decided to leave it at that. Departing the office to reclaim the ambience which began to regenerate attack on his minimalist personal hygiene, he received a message from Butragueno. 'I'm on my way to Madrid. There's a good reason for this and I suggest we meet. I'll contact you again in the morning. Please keep this proposed appointment to yourself for the present'.

*

The third Moon launch was announced by Orient, indicating that this programme had been in planning for years rather than months. All of the ground-based rockets had been launched and controlled from the remote outback in Sea Garden. Iberian intelligence reported that there had been regular and heavily guarded convoys from Osaka to the Antipodes over the last fifteen months. Aerial surveillance pictures had now been enlarged to give maximum resolution and the cargo was a reasonably good match for what was now on the Moon.

This caused Gretz, Verdasco and Boniek to conclude they were in this alone. Iberia's posturing bordered on appeasement and they had to further increase their defences. Reluctantly the topic of nuclear warheads was broached. Gretz felt that Verdasco's urging was misplaced, as did Boniek. Orient's chosen lunar base being so close to SACRED had precluded a strike without causing collateral damage. "Think about it logically," said Boniek, "they have little to lose – a few primitive habitat units, whereas we lose everything, and they know this."

Gretz concurred. "And on Earth we cannot expect Iberia or Orient to stand by idly, while we build or purchase loaded silos. We are business people not a military junta. We should stick to commonly perceived defence deterrents, but advertise the degree of depth we have provided." Verdasco conceded and in so doing shifted the discussion to vulnerability of each component in the system.

"We can handle the Moon for some time, unless Orient was prepared to despatch a warhead from Earth. Although that seems unlikely right now, we must continue to avoid complacency. Investment in intercept electronic counter-measures should be considered in future. The satellite ring is the weak link, as it is much more difficult to defend than to attack, however the elevator must present the most attractive target for them because it nullifies our supply line to the Moon. In the short to medium term we could only cover that by investing in ground rocketry now."

The debate continued into the small hours and had not yet included a glaring weakness, to which they seemed oblivious. The summarised action was to continue to build up conventional defence armaments on the Moon, make the elevator complex the priority by trebling the mercenary presence, and reinforcement of the perimeter with a man-made circular moat. Crossing this water barrier would only be accessible by a drawbridge, operated from deep within the elevator structure, at a height of over three hundred metres. As well as the visual advantage of such sentinel capability, they would add a specific radar sweep facility. The cost of these plans was astronomic and reflected the cost of not executing them, being ultimately more expensive.

*

The triumvirate of Butragueno, Duarte and Manuel met at the latter's hotel first, and then proceeded to an organised people's festival as cover. Duarte had not expected to see Manuel, who broached the benefits of broader cooperation. "As this is my suggestion I feel obliged to give an example of exactly how we may lose ground if we fail to act. The full dynamics have not yet been realised according to my source and we're already struggling to keep up. Duarte, please note that the names Rossi, Tirishev and Pichler came from this source, not from, but through Butragueno, and apparently you surprised Pierze when you mentioned them. I knew about Pichler going to ground, as I had implored him to stay with me. It was later that Pierze's men lost him as they didn't know the strike was imminent. Does this surprise you?"

"Some of it does, but carry on."

Manuel suggested otherwise. "I think El may have a different slant to acquaint you with."

Butragueno reminded Duarte that her information had come indirectly from the Brunatti checks in Barcelona. "Rossi was his girlfriend and he helped her to distribute instructions via paintings from his art studio under her false name. We have DNA back up for this."

Manuel took the initiative again. "I have seven more names for you, but also something potentially more important to the wider picture. To me it seems irresponsible to keep working in separate compartments if we can have mutual benefit. In addition I have to update my sponsor and we may want to factor that in."

Duarte immediately grasped the significance of the last remark. "Yes I see that is a necessity for you, and at the same time a pity that we have to share information with a potential suspect. Pierze however, has been talking of arranging a meeting with your sponsor, because of the 'aggressive' nature of Orient's Moon programme. He's trying to calm the waters in the cabinet. It could prove to be an opportune way to eliminate Gretz' involvement, or discover more about the panic investment by him and his partners in the defence of SACRED. I'll suggest this to him."

Manuel shook his head and smiled. "No, no Duarte, this is not how it will work. We've told you quite a bit about what might happen next, but withheld further detail. You know, as we do, that Pierze has been pursuing the route of scanning brains of designated victims. This may tie up with information I have. If so, we could regain some lost ground, so I've been forewarned. There will be some acceleration in activity, and it has been impressed upon me that what is at stake is almost unimaginable. If Pierze wants to cooperate it has to be full and transparent otherwise we aren't interested. In fact we need assurances before we'll agree to a meeting. I'm due to brief my sponsor in forty eight hours."

*

Duarte looked at Butragueno and sensed the same resolve. He also believed Manuel had managed to infiltrate some organisation in order to have such precise advance information. He was ahead of Pierze in all but technology. He worried about whether his new boss would see it that way. Pierze was actually more curious than Duarte had anticipated. "Seven more names. Do you believe this?"

"Well it's the same source as last time. Even if I thought Manuel Salina wasn't reliable I know that Butragueno is, and she stands by the authenticity. My leaning is that it's bona-fide." Pierze pursed his lips as if he was about to say something then sat down, swivelled his chair to gaze out of the window and remained so for over a minute.

"You say that they have the paintings."

"I didn't see them but I'm sure they have. If you..." Pierze's internal gearbox resumed auto mode.

"It would be advantageous to know all they have to offer, before he goes back to his sponsor. It is quite irritating that we don't know the identity. You say they are focussed on our brain scan research?"

Duarte quickly dismissed over-reliance on that. "They were quoting examples, they stressed it was full sharing or nothing. Ricardo, you and I have previously traded tit-bits and it worked in the particular circumstances. This is different, yet you haven't asked me for an evaluation of the broad but irregular concept of the transparency they seek. I think they know you are in a weak position. I know it because you've got me killing time on civil servants' deaths until you have more pertinent avenues for me to investigate. I've realised for some time you haven't divulged certain detail you have on the brain tests to me, but I'm only a consultant and it suits me in my current situation. How would it be if they get there ahead of you and they are still too late to prevent this disaster? You will be in an awkward spot. They don't know what the predicted disaster is but you profess confidence that you do."

"You are fishing Duarte, and without bait."

"No Ricardo, not fishing actually, I'm quitting."

Panic flashed through Pierze's eyes. "To work with them – I don't think so."

"No way, you got me to sign all sorts of declarations in the context of official secrets. I came out of retirement for the wrong reasons and I don't want my name, albeit in a bit-part role, engraved on the list of failures headed by your good self." He offered his earlier prepared letter of resignation and gestured to shake hands. "You see Ricardo you are more transparent than you think you are."

The handshake was declined. "Very well, ask them to specify a safe venue and we can explore the situation. You can take this back."

Duarte's riposte was not foreseen. "No. You haven't really been listening. You'll meet with them and stall on how any such proposed cooperation should be mutually agreed, all the time hoping to tease just a little bit more out of them. They don't need you. Iberia needs to know how to best combat the threat you're presiding over, and Iberia will be your judge. I'll pass the message on and attend the meeting, but my resignation gives a month's notice and stands. In a month all could be lost. You told me yourself that a change in scale is anticipated but they knew that already." Duarte left and contacted Butragueno to get back to him as soon as possible on a time and venue. "Can you ask Manuel to delay his update to Gretz by twenty-four hours?"

"Right, I'm on it."

## Chapter 19

Manuel had hired a car and arranged to pick up Butragueno, then meet the others at a service station on the outskirts of the city. They then drove to a scenic picnic area and settled at a table with only four seats. There was no one within earshot. Pierze felt obliged to state up front that no notes should be taken or any of the conversation recorded. The others didn't have a problem with that. Manuel opened with a 'demand' for Pierze to begin. "We've leaked several bits of information to you already, some of which you knew of but thought nobody else did, and some which are completely new to you. If we're to progress from here it's your turn."

Pierze struggled uncharacteristically to find his words. "You must appreciate that any means of sharing information is to remain strictly off the record. There can be no exclusions to this."

Manuel's facial expression was loaded with sarcasm and the response even more so. "Look Pierze, if you've come all the way out here to quote from your Central Security bible we can leave now. It's bullshit – you know it is and in case you have forgotten, my father was your predecessor, so I also know it is. You have to deal with that, not us. It would help greatly if you didn't burden any future cooperation with that tedium. The most pressing criterion we are both up against now is time, it is finite and this can't become a rehearsal to see if you can trust us. It really is make your mind up time. I'm waiting to hear what you have discovered from the brain scans you have conducted and what you think it means, because I know something which may suggest you are on the wrong track."

Pierze was taken slightly off guard and reacted badly. "If that is the case you owe me at least some verification of your source. As far I know it could be anyone, in Iberia or Orient. There are such people as double agents you know."

Manuel rose from the table. "Ok, let's go, this was a waste of time. You're in for a big surprise Snr. Pierze, and not a pleasant one. In fact I can see your tenure being the shortest on record."

Butragueno's mind was in lock-jam, but fortunately Duarte was tuned into Manuel's veiled implication. "Ricardo, I think what you're facing is unavoidable. He has to update his sponsor and that alone, as you do not know who it is, can have all manner of influence on what happens next. That includes inadvertently showing your department in a very poor light. For example, what if he or she decided to publish the seven names Manuel has been given, through the newshounds? What he's requesting from you is a show of good faith, with the possible benefit of his information being validated or proven to be wide of the mark."

Pierze motioned for Manuel to sit down. "Very well. The scans from the deceased – Konrad and Rossi indicate something which we have suspected. The one on Tirishev gives clearer living proof that what we suspected is in fact correct. I have mentioned only to Duarte that some time ago one of our top scientists went missing. His work was related to directing external messages to the brain. It has a lot of potentially sinister uses as well as obvious benefits in healing or correcting mental illness. After exhaustive efforts to find him we got nowhere. Most of his research files were deleted and we assume copies went with him. So we are left to contemplate either abduction or him selling out. Before we began to think of who could be involved, it was important to evaluate what the technology might be used for. The protests against SACRED also started around this time and my previous department looked at these kind of trends carefully. We found a pattern of the same faces appearing in demonstrations all over the Republic. The second pattern showed they were dying not long after having risen to some position of authority in the protest structure. Whenever we could get a scan of one of the deceased it showed this strange signature. We eventually pieced the evidence together to link it to the work of our missing scientist. Then the picture changed with Konrad's suicide. Until then the deaths were random in being accidental, or violent in being confronted by police, or homicide, drugs, alcohol poisoning etc. They also appeared to be random in terms of time or interval. We believe now that Konrad and perhaps a few others somehow cottoned on to this trend, and became a threat to whoever was orchestrating the operation. We still had a few names at that time simply because of our surveillance pictures. The process was modified to become one of induced suicide in a sequence. Going back to the research we have lost, it contained investigation into the use of neurogenic pulses to alter cerebral perception. This is the detail which has evaporated. However we have since repeated certain work and found a way to detect the signature of exposure to such pulses. There is not always the same behavioural response from the target, but the signature is undeniable. Some individuals have high resistance, others are affected immediately. Konrad was one of the resistant types, as was Rossi. We believe that was why they were targeted. Konrad's frustration at not being able to get anyone to take this preposterous story seriously must have pushed him into using his own death to open the can of worms. Rossi was similar, she did not comply with the prescribed way of ending her life and that gave us the chance to apprehend Tirishev. You gave us Pichler and now we have run out of names. To summarise, there is a systematic process of manipulating designated people by mind control, in our midst. We know that it is in some way connected through SACRED, but maybe not just protestors. The demonstrations presented us with obvious candidates on TV. Recently we have begun to investigate a strange ratio of deaths to attendees, amongst civil servants at these demos. Duarte is assisting in a covert investigation, as we can't be sure as to whether some of our staff could be affected. We have dismissed the Rojo-Negro Mano connection for reasons I can go into later. You do not have to convince me of how serious this could be, or become. I also do not have any more information on our missing scientist. He must be involved, and is a key means of halting the operation, as he will have been asked or forced to educate others, leading to an up-scaling point."

It was more than any of the others had bargained for, and they could ascertain just how difficult this admission had been for Pierze. It was however a pivotal moment in their appreciation of what they could be up against. The reciprocation began in earnest. Butragueno detailed what they had found about Rossi's link with a previous victim and the messages embedded in the paintings. "We have extracted the codes but are awaiting the decryptions."

Pierze nodded enthusiastically and turned to hear Manuel's revelations. The tip about looking at the brain stem was potentially very helpful and made him think about who could have given him this kind of detail. Manuel passed the diagram which he had re-created as accurately as memory would permit. Pierze wanted more clarification about the need for the three head sequence comparison. Manuel could only repeat what he had been told. "If you conduct your examination of the brain stem it will apparently make it clear. You have two in the sequence; presumably they will illustrate a possible connection, and if you can find either Sidibe or Pichler's head it will serve as proof."

It was Butragueno who halted the conversation. "If Konrad, Rossi and Pichler are main targets then both Sidibe and Tirishev are intermediaries. You have Tirishev in custody so surely there is something further to be learned from him. He doesn't have to be dead to reveal the secret." They all agreed it was worth a try and Manuel said he would propose this to his contact and see if it met with a positive response. Pierze tried once more to elicit the identity of this source but was disappointed. Manuel explained why.

"There is something you aren't going to believe Pierze, as it does stretch credibility, nevertheless it is a fact. My source, who I shall not name, for fear of them being detected, is in the SACRED game Futureworld." He waited for a response before deciding whether to go further. Duarte began to mentally buffer this outrageous claim by joining a few dots from the first part of investigating Konrad's video, and evidence in his deposit box.

Pierze was ahead of him and said, "Remember I said that Konrad's resistance was very high. In addition we have always been puzzled about why so many protesters were often violently against the very thing which was causing their addiction. It is akin to a drug addict finding that their fix is free as opposed to unaffordable, and in unlimited supply. They must have realised they could only stop this if some Samaritan in the government shut down SACRED. You will note that I said SACRED, and not Futureworld. The game is their defence and cry for help. They wanted the game to be open, as the internet used to be, and the controlling side of the organisation nullified. Of course this runs counter to the ethos and founding cornerstone of the SACRED protocol. Rather than doubt the veracity of what you say Manuel, we must protect this conduit by any means we can. I have been trying to arrange a meeting with Sorin Gretz to discuss concerns that the President has, over his build-up of weaponry on Earth and the Moon. I will use this as an opportunity to broaden the agenda to see if I can learn more about how this game is controlled."

Manuel digested the trade-off quickly. "I'm breaking a confidence in one sense but I believe it's justified. Sorin Gretz sponsored me to conduct this investigation. He wants me to X-ray the SACRED structure as part of that brief. He doesn't want any surprises to emerge about his own organisation, before he knows of them himself. I believe that he's genuine in this respect. On the other hand my source says he cannot trust anyone in the organisation. The complication is that these two people are responsible for my participation with Konrad's character. Gretz authorised it without telling Verdasco and Boniek, and Prometheus is the only one who could apparently handle the technical side of it. So, if you really want to protect the source and my participation, I would advise against tackling Gretz on anything other than the arms build-up at this time. It goes without saying that he mustn't know of our conversation today."

Pierze said he would comply, and wanted to get back to get started with the brain stem analysis. When they had split up Manuel wanted to go in again.

Konrad

He had the usual wait before Prometheus contacted him but at least he now understood why. They walked along a river bank while Konrad explained how Pierze was going to expedite the brain stem work, and this was welcome news. "I wanted to ask, if instead of having to wait to find a third head, they could use Tirishev in any way?"

"Yes I did mention this should be done. Obviously they need further guidance. With the already severed head or corpse it is painstaking work, but obviously not dangerous. With a living person there is a risk. They are looking for a microcellular implant in the brain stem, which is uniquely keyed to the particular person who has had the treatment. There is a difference between those of high resistance and the conventional type."

Konrad interrupted. "I think there is something else you should know. They already know of this variation in resistance, and they have pinpointed what has to be resisted – neurogenic pulses."

Prometheus seemed greatly relieved. "Excellent, in that case they should find Tirishev's implant by deep scan procedures. I will give you the typical settings for his level, but please stress to them to search in a predesigned grid. They must then limit the exposure of unsuccessful scanning to three minutes, and at least intervals of two hours, otherwise he could suffer permanent damage. Now that you have raised the term neurogenic pulse, I would like you to convey to your people that this is sufficient to control compliant subjects. Neurogenic streams are necessary for highly resistant individuals, and that is why they will find a link if they scan successfully with Tirishev. Finally, this discovery will eventually lead them to realise that the protestors are the tip of the iceberg. There are many thousands already controlled by simple and regular pulses. That is why time is short."

"Jesus. I'm sorry but I must ask you this as it seems we are highly dependent on each other. Were you formerly a scientist working for the Iberian government?"

"No, I cannot risk telling you more, but I have never worked for the Iberian government in any capacity. I have thought about how you could help me in trying to identify who brought me here. It is highly probable that it was someone in the SACRED organisation or in their undercover employment. If you can possibly arrange to record voices, beginning at the top of the pyramid, I will be able to instruct you on how to embed them in media which you can bring into Futureworld. Sorry I must go."

Konrad had meant to ask if it would be useful for him to track down some of the names he had been given, while he was in Futureworld. There was too much to do on the outside, and he thought it could be a risky venture, even though he had at last gained his promotion in Central Security. He called into that office to settle into his new desk, catch up with paperwork and generally ensure his game play looked normal. One of his new assignments was to the current think tank on Orient's activity on the Moon.

## Chapter 20

The Borderlands

Because of Boniek's almost exclusive procurement of the master mercenary's recruits from this region, it was noted that their appearance was very different to the cosmopolitan population of the area around the elevator they were guarding. They had Oriental rather than Iberian features, and the stark contrast together with the recent Moon launches had spread concern amongst the local inhabitants. News of this had filtered its way through to Pierze and he typically arranged to be brought up to date with the origins of these people. The process ultimately led to him having a personal lecture from an expert on the historical derivation of Orient. Just as Iberia had come into its current position by a number of decisive campaigns, beginning with the Spanish Armada, so Orient had a similar pivotal beginning.

The lecturer began. "Our story begins with the Mongols." Pierze had an overflowing in-tray and wondered – 'why in hell have I recruited this eccentric old history anorak at such a critical time?' He made a mental note to switch him off, if after five minutes, he could have got it all from history books - at his leisure. The lecturer would have been exceedingly tall without the combined effects of age and gravity. His spine was severely curved and his long, straggling white hair compounded the urge to rate him as a walking anachronism. Pierze lowered his expectation by asking for a summary first, and then he would ask for expansion of the most interesting parts. The old man nodded and continued.

"The geographical picture must be understood to fully appreciate the enormity of the achievement of these nomadic hordes, and perhaps more importantly, how it has influenced where we are today. There is a corridor now in existence, which more than any other feature defines how the empire of the Mongol Khans was a catalyst for the aggregate we now call Orient." Pierze's interest clicked up a notch.

"From Northern Kazakhstan, which borders with Southern Russia, around the Caspian Sea, through Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and finally Pakistan, we see this corridor. It is known as the buffer zone or as some people would say, 'no-man's land' between Iberia and Orient. It has for many decades been the lubrication which has helped dissipate friction between the superpowers. However, this is well known, but the historical cause is not, and the price being paid for it even less well realised. Genghis Khan, originally known as Temujin, was born in 1167. He lived in a world of continual conflict between rival clans inhabiting the steppe or grassland, which stretched from well inside Eastern Russia to Europe as it was known at that time. This grassland was an important element in the future conquests as it was suited to swift raids and skilled horsemen. Having somehow managed to forge a paternalistic rule over the warring clans, the new name of Genghis Khan was bestowed upon him. It roughly translated to 'All Encompassing Chief'. Never having enjoyed this kind of unity in living memory, the Mongols began to expand their influence in 1206. Within nine years he had made major gains in China and indeed taken Beijing. By 1220 he had also spread into India. Three years later Crimea and parts of Southern Russia fell to the unstoppable Mongol tactics. The great Khan died in 1227 and one of his sons succeeded to carry forward the ever expanding empire. Ogedei Khan made one of his first tasks a tribute to Genghis, by turning the modest headquarters of the nomadic people into a bristling, modern, shining example of their power. He named it Karakorum. In 1235 he ordered his armies into Europe, after overwhelming Korea and more of China. By 1241 inroads had been made into Poland, Germanic states, and Hungary. After his death there was a lot of wrangling over the leadership, which eventually fell to a grandson of Genghis Khan - Kublai, who became the next great Khan. In 1252 he re-opened the Eastern Front and by 1267 underlined his ambition by transferring the headquarters from Karakorum to Beijing, and simultaneously gave his grandfather the posthumous Chinese title of T'ai Tsu – meaning Grand Progenitor. The expansion had at last begun to run out of steam and this hiatus resulted in internal squabbles which were placated by declaring three independent regions. The Western province was ruled by Hulagu, and he had the embarrassment of suffering the first real defeat for the Golden Hordes, as they had become known. In Mesopotamia he was pushed back by the Baybars, thus preserving Palestine for the Mamelukes. This loss indirectly produced the major turning point in history for this part of the world. Unrest spread like wildfire and although the guilty were never found, a plot to assassinate Kublai Khan succeeded. The subsequent vacuum preceded inevitable shrinkage of the greatest empire the world had seen since Alexander the Great.

"Now Snr. Pierze, think about the territories the Mongols brought to heel at the zenith, and you will find that it covers the core of what has become Orient today. The culture of this hegemony was largely destroyed by the marauding hordes, as they did not tolerate what they did not understand. What they left behind was an enforced clean slate. As their day was done the Mongols slowly receded to this corridor we talked of at the beginning. It was not their point of origin and this has always been a source of simmering hatred with them and their descendants over the succeeding centuries. The period we are talking about predates the rise of Iberia, and here is another salient point. The squeeze which arose from that Republican machine ensured the hatred was re-focussed on these Western butchers. They could not reclaim, in their opinion, the rightful ownership of lands now recovered and controlled by China. At least these rebuttals came from a people who were partially intermixed with their own blood. China used this very effectively to limit levels of two-way migration. The scourge from the West however continued to decimate their numbers; it was the only feasible way to get at the Chinese. Centuries of to and fro between the emergent superpowers eventually drew a line in the sand, but the line was figuratively, if not actually, a line of Mongol descendants. I think this may be what you were concerned about. If what you say is correct about your defence of the space elevator being dependent on a force, which is exclusively drawn from mercenaries of the Borderlands, I believe you are right to be suspicious. The anti-Iberian character is hard wired into their DNA."

Pierze was both fascinated and on the verge of panic. "Thank you Professor. Would you be so kind as to leave hard copy of your lecture with my PA; your fee will be fully reimbursed." The old man trailed out of the office looking considerably taller than when he entered.

Pierze's meeting with Gretz had just become top of his 'do now' list. He made contact through intermediaries, as would be the case with humdrum diplomatic agendas, so as not to plant ideas of urgency or worry at the request. He conveyed the feeling that is was a perfect gap in his diary, because he was already scheduled to be in Swiss Iberia for other reasons. It apparently worked, and Gretz made time, but his two co-owners were understandably occupied with their respective defence plans. Pierze seized this as an opportunity to speak to Gretz before the meeting. "I know you have not been happy with the government's response to sharing this burden with you and I would like to re-visit the subject, as I have some leverage I can exercise on this." This was met with genuine enthusiasm by Gretz and he set aside the whole day for Pierze's visit.

Reflecting on the Professor's hard copy of the lecture, he cycled through all the possibilities he could think of, from this borderland army merely being temporary monetary employment of seasoned 'Legionnaires', to the most complex of conspiracy theories. He knew already that he had to broker a visit to the elevator to clarify his thinking. First he would make a call. "Professor Castillo, I have had some rather disconnected thoughts since you briefed me on the Borderlands. This Rojo-Negro Mano humanitarian group, as you know, had their banner displayed on the torso in Berlina. The group is dismayed about this. Do you have any idea why perpetrators of such a brutal killing would do this?"

"This is on the very edge of my expertise, and would involve a lot of speculation, but I believe I know what you suspect. The refugees from the Western checkpoints of Orient flood into these lands and cause many difficulties for the indigenous population. They believe the traffic would diminish if Rojo-Negro Mano was not there, and therefore see it as an instrument of convenience for Iberia. If your question requires an answer free from speculation, it is absolutely certain that if Rojo-Negro Mano was not protected by Iberian border forces, they would be attacked."

Pierze was happy with the reply. He was however furious following a communication from one of his field officers. He had despatched several teams to shadow and this time protect the seven individuals whose names he had received from Manuel. His officer suggested he got to a Northern Iberiana TV news channel immediately. The graphic horror of the scene was magnified by the news reader explaining that the tragedy had happened only an hour ago. The location was on a section of the ring-road of the Eastern seaboard city of Santa Constanza. The carnage on the motorway stretched back for almost a mile and the tailback much further. The police were cagey but had to admit the details which had precipitated Pierze's anger. Seven individuals had handcuffed themselves to one another and made a circle. It was assumed that they had leapt from a flyover into the oblivion of high speed oncoming traffic. The bodies of the suicide victims were in various multiples or fractions of the individual victims. The camera moved on to one such shot, two and a half people were embedded in the front of a massive truck and the handcuffed 'half' attached to the duo, consisted of the leg, arm and a chunk of the torso. What appeared to be the rest was spread like paste, over at least thirty yards of surrounding road. The head of this or another victim was coated on to a car tyre, the police officer pointed to an eye which was stuck in the tread. Two more parts of the corpses were smeared on the central barrier, and that police officer indicated that the dismemberment had been more severe because the handcuffs were on both wrists and ankles of all seven. The task of piecing these bodies together was going to be very time consuming. A further torso was stretched out like dough, to almost double its original length and had a hand of another attached to one side, and an arm plus a foot on the other side. So far as the police and ambulance service could ascertain, the resulting pile up would run into hundreds of casualties, some in traffic which had ploughed into vehicles on the other carriageway which were going in the opposite direction.

This story would occupy prime time all day and the questions would accumulate well ahead of any answers, even if those answers were known. Pierze had tried to act swiftly in tracking down the seven, because Manuel had claimed time was short, but he couldn't have anticipated they would all be together and in a part of the Republic which hadn't yet experienced such induced suicide. Furthermore, none of the seven were born or domiciled in that region. He was going to be mired in deflecting accusations of presiding over increasing anarchy within Iberia. He flew to meet Gretz.

*

Manuel and Butragueno agreed that he needed to get more from Prometheus, but this was derailed by an incoming call from his mother. "Manolo, I'm afraid I have terrible news, your father is dead." She waited for a response. Manuel's first reaction was that such news was not so terrible. She continued. "He has foll..done what Konrad... I can't bring myself to say it out loud. He died the same way."

She couldn't continue in a coherent manner, and Manuel intervened. "Mama, I'm so sorry. I'll come as soon as possible. Please don't speak to the media until I get there. I love you Mama."

Butragueno was in a quandary. There was something troubling Manuel deeply and yet the way he dispassionately talked of Antonio's death was eclipsed by his worry about his mother's emotional state. She resisted the urge to pry or just embrace him in his present turmoil. She was therefore taken aback when he did exactly that. He sobbed while trying to maintain control, squeezing her to him again and again. Her own resistance gave way and she responded, whispering, "Your mother needs you, she's alone and you need her don't you?"

He quietly said, "Yes, I've needed her for a very long time. Sit down El. There's something I've carried with me for so long now, and it will probably re-unite me with my mother. I must however, avoid it spilling into the media, it could kill her."

He indicated that he wanted to spare his mother some of the fallout from Antonio's actions, both present and past, but that would only be possible if he could run another person to ground. "I'll make a quick entry to Futureworld and then go to Madrid. I'll talk more about Madrid when I exit."

Konrad

This time it did not take long for Prometheus to join him. Konrad wasted no time. "You've seen what happened in Northern Iberiana, did you have any idea this was the intention?"

"Let's catch a bus to the central station, there is more cover there." When they had alighted and began to mingle with the throng of commuters Prometheus replied. "No I had no idea. I only get the names, codes and encryption requirements, before I have to begin transmitting the pulses, or the stream, if the subject is resistant. What the instruction means is known only to whoever sends it to me. The accompanying authorisation with the instruction I receive is 'Omnia', but that is obviously a tag. This incident illustrates that even I have underestimated the acceleration implied. Do you know if the police there have recovered any undamaged heads?"

Konrad shook his head. "I don't know, but I fear the investigating authority and Pierze in particular won't be overtly asking about this until the media frenzy begins to subside. Do you have more names then?"

"Not yet, but they will come. You must enter more regularly if we are to act in time."

Konrad agreed. "One further thing, do you recall any programme that Konrad, er I, was working on with Hector Sidibe? I can't rid myself of this feeling that we discussed it before my suicide."

The reply was not long in coming. "Yes, and it also involved Rossi. The process I mentioned last time about the microcellular implant was the subject. This tiny transceiver had to be fitted on Earth of course, and resistant subjects were abducted in order to carry out the installation. Once fitted, they could be sent neurogenic streams to regularly suppress memory of it. During their more lucid periods they tried to track down the implant source by contacting hundreds of protestors in Futureworld. This had two consequences. First, it alerted whoever is sponsoring this technique, and also it was the genesis of the resistance movement. And now this resistance is being systematically eradicated. When you asked me if I was in fact some missing scientist, I later thought that this could be 'Omnia'. It fits, and I am now thinking that it was him or her that the resistance was after."

"And you have no idea where, geographically, your instructions are coming from?"

Prometheus thought on this and eventually said, "Not specifically, the transmission always carries a central signature but as a forwarded attachment. I have not been able to see any pattern because they correspond to different locations each time. However, I sometimes have to query instructions before executing them because of duplication of personnel codes. It is likely that the replies, if the case in point is urgent, will be sent directly. I will dig into my retained files to see if that produces any pattern."

Konrad thanked him and said he would check in again from Madrid.

## Chapter 21

Manuel and Konrad

As he prepared to leave for Madrid, Manuel asked Butragueno to call by his hotel. He began by saying he hoped that she would respect what he was about to tell her. "I need your help and your understanding in this delicate matter. When Konrad was born my mother agreed to act as if he was her own. She knew the identity of my father's lover, and also knew about the payoff she had been given by my father to give up her child, without any requirement for future access. This amounted to a very comfortable living for this woman. What my mother didn't know was that from an early age my father had abused me frequently. I had just about got to the point of telling my mother when he said that if ever anyone found out about 'our little secret' he would lose his job, and we would be so poor that Konrad would have to go to an orphanage. It ensured my silence until he switched his attention to Konrad himself. For some reason I can't explain, I felt worse about my helpless little brother than I had when I was the target. I made the mistake of mentioning the nightmare to my father's brother, uncle Sebastien, and they had an almighty row one day when mother was out. Sebastien tried to convince my father that he had observed disturbing gestures toward Konrad. He was trying to keep me out of it. Not long after, my uncle lost his job, and I was too young to suspect it was my father's doing, but he tried to tell me he had talked to father and was satisfied that I was mistaken. The abuse stopped. Konrad and I never discussed it. It has now come full circle and my mother is at the centre of his filthy legacy. I need to trace this woman covertly, because she stands to lose her comfort zone, when his will is read, unless he has provided for her. It would be appreciated if you could try to find her while I help my mother with the various arrangements. I'm really sorry to ask this of you, but at least you now know of some of my father's disgusting secrets. He was a man of insatiable greed. When I was older and escaped the suffocating family nightmare, I tried to rationalise what had happened to me during that time. It was impossible to place oneself in the mind of a man who obviously had no respect for his wife, took a lover, and at the same time abused his children, all of this being underpinned by a relentless craving for power. I feel that I'm so close to revealing the missing pieces, but I'll never have closure. Can you do this for me?"

"Of course. What's her name?"

"Sandrine Benitez." She hugged him and they parted, with tears streaming down each other's face.

*

During the meeting between Pierze and Gretz, the latter received a message; his secretary laid it on his desk pad. "Well that is a surprise." He passed it Pierze. It was a report from the Moon stating – 'Two new habitats landed. One either side of the second in the series, so all three of those run tangential to the SACRED complex. Mole has not detected any suspicious activity'.

"I'd say it is a very welcome surprise Snr Gretz. I still wonder how many of these habitats they are going to send. The cost must be astronomic. If only they would talk to us, maybe we could even help."

"In precisely what way would you think we could help?" Gretz always had one eye on the volume of business Orient would generate if they took service from SACRED. Pierze wished he had not made the remark.

"Simply by selling them a launch licence from the elevator. Maybe they could also benefit from your experience with lunar living."

"An interesting concept Snr. Pierze, but when you say 'we' you actually mean my own organisation."

"Naturally, I only meant we could broker this together, so that they knew we were comfortable with it in principle. You would of course reap the proceeds." Gretz said he would think on it and suggested they talked about the defence of his realm, not the realm. Pierze explained that he was in the minority which supported government assistance to protect SACRED, and now he had garnered more interest from colleagues, in doing precisely that.

Gretz was completely unmoved. "That may be, but we had to take immediate action. Quite frankly we're pretty disgusted at our government's attitude. We took this lame duck off their hands, restored Republic-wide communication to enable banks and other infrastructure to run again, and they thank us by allowing all of that to be put at risk again. I'm afraid your overtures should be described as 'too little – too late'."

Pierze was disappointed, but knew Gretz was right. "I am pledging my support for you being compensated in full, for your outlay in protection costs. However, don't you consider the defence of the elevator exclusively by borderland mercenaries a bit of a risk?" Gretz admitted it was not his decision, but was assured of their absolute commitment to defend the elevator at all costs and against incursion from any source.

Pierze altered the thrust. "I wanted you to know that we have really increased our efforts on getting to the bottom of these deaths which have been linked to protests against your corporation, and indeed have made significant progress."

"Well that is good to hear, I welcome that news, do you have anything you can tell me right now?"

Pierze calculated his response. "Analysing all of the evidence to date I am personally certain that the agenda of those behind the deaths has a much wider objective than SACRED alone. We are supported in this view by technology which minimises speculation, and I should be able to say more quite soon."

Gretz challenged this notionally by asking about the carnage caused by the seven handcuffed suicide victims in Northern Iberiana. Pierze shifted in his seat a little. "There is some evidence that they could be known protestors, but at present we have no idea why they would congregate so far from their domicile, to engage in an act of total disregard for the innocent people they have killed by this insane act. We have yet to do detailed tests to see if they fit the newly established profile we have discovered."

Gretz smiled. "You don't really have much to tell me do you Snr Pierze? I can't believe you came all the way here just to tell me this. What is it you want from me?"

"I think we both know a little more than we are willing to disclose at present. It is a pity, but there we are. There is one thing I would like to do if it can be arranged in the not too distant future. I would like to visit the elevator. If you or one of your partners could accompany me it would be much appreciated. This is a request, but of course if necessary I can get a warrant to push this through."

"Are you truly concerned about these borderland people?" Pierze deflected the word concern by stating that in his job one had to be concerned about everything.

"I am not overly concerned but it does come under national security so it has to be checked off my list. I may have to go to the Moon sometime too, but I am not looking forward to that. That is why I wanted to see you personally and I did hope you would have accepted our belated help in addressing security issues other than straightforward military style defence."

"I see what you mean." Gretz became a little more conciliatory. "Let me discuss this with my fellow owners and I'll get back to you. In the meantime I think it would be more beneficial if Constantin Boniek accompanied you to the elevator. He has been responsible for the recruitment programme and can answer your questions far better than I can." They shook hands and Pierze departed. He planned to visit the Borderlands next, but this was thwarted by being summoned to meet the exalted one. He was required to explain why the progress on the protest deaths was so slow, particularly the latest, in Northern Iberiana. When he tried to say they weren't yet certain that the motorway disaster was orchestrated in the same induced suicide way, he was cut off and told to arrive before the President delivered his address on TV.

*

Manuel arrived at the old family home to find his mother in a beleaguered state. Apart from the recent horror of finding her husband swinging from the main bedroom balcony, she was still not allowed to bury Konrad's body. When he spoke to her about Antonio's suicide in more detail she revealed that, primarily because he had been such a senior officer in the government and heading up the security service, there was still some doubt as to whether he really took his own life. This aroused Manuel's interest as he had never thought of his father being capable of doing something like that. "Were you in the house at the time Mama?"

"No, I came back from visiting my friend Maria; she is in hospital after an operation on a tumour. I was in high spirits as she had been told they had managed to extract the entire offending growth. I had only been away perhaps an hour and a half. The housekeeper had finished her cleaning routine and had stepped out to get fresh vegetables for a late lunch. I got back before she did and as soon as I drove through the security gates I could see that he was....he was, well you know."

Manuel comforted her. "Take your time. You called the police immediately?"

"Yes. Well not immediately, I was in a state of panic. I tried to contact one of his oldest colleagues in the department as I was all mixed up in my mind. He told me not to do anything until he got here. The housekeeper had returned before he arrived and she helped to calm me down. Bernardo came with another two men. I didn't know them, but they took photographs and after perhaps half an hour they called the police. Bernardo stayed and the other men left. The police seemed concerned that I had called Bernardo first but accepted my instinct to call a friend was apparently not all that unusual. It was later in the day that they began to ask questions which Bernardo thought were inconsiderate in the circumstances. He was asked to leave the room while they continued with me and the housekeeper. They had a forensics team here very quickly and told me they would have to treat the incident as suspicious, until they could rescind this view, because of lack of evidence. That is when I called you. They took the body and were careful to keep him shaped as they found him. I overheard one of them say the geometry didn't stack up. It has all become too complicated for me to understand. Perhaps you should talk to Bernardo." Manuel said he would do that as soon as possible.

*

Butragueno asked Duarte if he was prepared to help in finding Sandrine Benitez. He responded positively but events overtook them. She had sold her story to a prominent Madrid newspaper and now the TV was all over it. She had claimed that her love child had been prised away from her by a combination of threats and financial inducement. The article painted her as a victim of government cover up and announced that corruption could not be ruled out. Benitez said she was distraught when Konrad's suicide became headline news, but Antonio Salina had prevented her from travelling to see her son's body, under threat of 'serious repercussions'. His death had freed her at last after all those years of denial. She was being portrayed as a heroine. It also exposed Manuel's mother as being complicit with the arrangement, simply by keeping quiet and raising someone else's son as her own. The newspaper invited challenge to this by declaring Benitez was happy to cooperate with DNA comparison, which would prove her claim. It stopped short of introducing bank statements which would verify the claim of a financial sweetener. This was clearly going to be a serialised attack on the Salina family and the government which employed Antonio. Manuel's concern in all this was for his mother, and he still worried that what he had told Butragueno might emerge from this witch hunt.

*

On his way to brief Sanchez, Pierze was given an astonishing claim from his technical people. With the guidance from Prometheus they had isolated the microcellular transceivers of Konrad, Rossi and Tirishev. But the even better news was the recovered content. They had decoded instructions to each which fitted with the suspected sequence of suicide and decapitation. In the case of Tirishev, as he was still processing mental patterns through the unit, he was potentially capable of becoming a type of 'double agent'. They needed to have a means of post-adjustment of the incoming pulse, which he had continued to receive in custody. This could subsequently be further modified when residence of the pulse had been confirmed by the encryption of the sender. The controllers would know he was being held, and when released would likely take steps to terminate or re-indoctrinate him. The adjustment would allow him to articulate the instruction and then resume his normal character, but behave as if he was still 'under the influence'. This would potentially create a situation whereby Pierze's men could apprehend the hit-man or the next new target. Pierze could not envisage the senders just ignoring Tirishev if they let him go. This was for the ears of the President only. He had also shifted his position a little on Rojo-Negro Mano. After the Professor's discourse, and Manuel claiming that Prometheus had hinted that these people were dangerous, it warranted more investigative resource. He was going to use the new discovery to tell the President that his visit to the Borderlands was crucial. He was not diminishing the importance of what had occurred in Northern Iberiana, but rather avoiding heavy government presence in it, while evaluating where the release of Tirishev would take them.

*

Butragueno's code breakers had news from the paintings. The decrypted messages had a common and a specific content. The specific parts were tailored to individuals to attend clandestine meetings. The common part was in relation to finding the missing scientist. The chronological sequence of the paintings Butragueno recovered had led the resistance to accept that the man's trail went dead not all that long after they had begun the search. Pierze had always resisted mentioning his name. Despite the probability of him working in a remote and heavily guarded research facility, the resistance had managed to promote general concern about this through Futureworld. This had obviously worried some of the scientist's co-workers, that they could be next. One of them had eventually broken ranks and spoken with Rossi in the game. He was summarily barred from further participation, indicating that there was an Overlord within SACRED, which they had previously claimed was the case. Rossi was told outside of Futureworld that the research facility was closed and quickly relocated; the informant was then completely lost to the resistance and the search stalled. The one potential breakthrough the decryption team identified was the name of the scientist Anil Singh. Records showed that there was no such person ever employed in Pierze's former technical department, so the name was false, but they had a start. It was a veritable needle in a haystack search. However, he must have been reported missing, because the informant had revealed that due to the relocation 'Singh' had to send his family back to Lisboa, or the surrounding suburbia. The local precinct had reams of missing persons, many of whom were just runaways and homeless individuals. The problem here was that the resistance had been told his wife was from Portuguese roots way back, and the children had Iberian names. There was no breakthrough so the chase stuttered to a dead end. Shortly after this search ended, the induced suicides began. Butragueno had a flash of insight. She thought about this as if she was trying to protect the identity of the missing man. They would probably have threatened the family into withdrawal of any report they may have lodged with the police. It was a long shot, and she asked Duarte to use his employment by Pierze to run a check in Lisboa, for all withdrawals of missing persons for whatever reason, during the period in question. "There is one other thing Maxi, it may be nothing, but Prometheus mentioned something to Manuel in the game. He said that the instructions he received were always authorised with the username 'Omnia', it could mean something to someone close to him if he is being held against his will. What do you think?" He thought it was worth a try.

*

Manuel went to see Bernardo. He was not welcomed as a grieving son. This gave him the distinct feeling that his 'photographers' may well have been searching for something at the house, something that he would not want the police to see. "Sit down please. How can I help?" Bernardo Cortez was almost a miniature version of homo-sapiens. Barely five feet tall, and by continually employing assists, such as heels and high chairs, he was cruelly portrayed as someone who was always doing the bidding of a 'higher' person. In fact that was his remit – to tidy up the mess created by others, the most recent example being Antonio Salina.

"My mother says you were kind enough to come to the house, after she discovered my father hanging from the balcony."

Bernardo was definitely uneasy. "That is correct." He then offered an explanation without being asked for one. Manuel decided to change his approach. Bernardo continued. "It is pretty standard procedure when a senior officer of Central Security dies suddenly. We have to ensure that the local police do not accidentally discover highly secret documents."

"I see. But my father had resigned, surely one of the first things he would have done concurrent with that would be to surrender any sensitive material."

Bernardo was steadfast. "Yes in normal circumstances, but these were not normal. He resigned from Londonis and only returned to Madrid later. We assumed he would have brought the files in at the earliest opportunity, but when your mother called me, we had to assume he was suffering some kind of mental breakdown. For him to commit suicide he must have been 'out of control'. Your father would otherwise never have departed from procedure."

"Did you get what you were looking for?"

"I am not at liberty to discuss that."

Manuel appeared to accept this. "Yes I see that, yet your associates took photos of certain items."

"No comment."

"Bernardo let us try to put an end to all of this innuendo. You are aware, and most of the population is, that a certain Sandrine Benitez is rocking the boat. I happen to know, because I overheard her and my father talking when they thought that they were alone, because my mother was attending a ladies' function. I was young and terrified that my family would be splintered by what I heard. I had no idea at that age, of what could be so important about the documents, but I copied them from his printer when they went to bed. These forbidden papers always acted as an aphrodisiac for him. I hid them in my garden house. It was years before I re-visited them and I began to see the significance. I can perfectly understand your hurry to make them safe again; that is as long as I keep my mouth shut. Well thanks Bernardo. I just wanted to make sure we were on the same page. It can be our little secret if the police are happy with suicide, although my mother said they had doubts, and took a lot of care in removing the body to their laboratory. You know where to find me if you need me."

He detected further unease in Bernardo and this gave him belief that the diminutive little bureaucrat had indeed taken some damning evidence from the house, probably the safe. He was pleased however that Bernardo had also swallowed the fairy story about the copy he had taken during his father's assignation.

## Chapter 22

When Pierze suggested that his briefing was for the President's ears only, he met with the expected resistance from his aide, Nelson Ortega. "Yes, yes Ortega, I have heard it all before. I would advise you to speak with President Sanchez; if he decides to inform you of what I have to say, then that is his decision. If you insist on being present when I conduct the briefing I will offer my resignation – and I am sure yours will follow soon after."

It took over fifteen minutes for him to be shown to the stately office, which was decorated with pictures of past leaders, including Philip II of Spain. Some of the furnishings were originals from the Renaissance period, and were utterly priceless. The sun came from behind Sanchez, and wasn't conducive to relaxation for the interviewee. They began with the President's monologue of his responsibility to the people, which Pierze knew was merely a reminder that the President's own head was dangerously near the block. However this only spurred him on to interrupt. "I have extremely important and incredibly sensitive information. My purpose in asking for this to be a one-to-one session should become obvious. The individual we have been holding in custody from the Adrianna Rossi suicide is named Leonid Tirishev. We have discovered from our latest scanning equipment that he has, like potentially many thousands of others, a microcellular transceiver implanted in his brain stem. He was not aware of this, but it has been installed and he has been subsequently instructed through it, to do the bidding of the organisation responsible for these induced suicides. I am of the conviction that this will prove to be the case for the Northern Iberiana Seven. The implications are clear – Iberia appears to be under threat from within. The ramifications of this information spreading are manifold. I have reliable data that the process is currently undergoing transition from pilot phase to mass scale-up. Therefore protection of this knowledge and time are of the essence. This rogue organisation must be flushed out into an adequate containment structure to avoid collateral damage to the Republic and your position. I am scheduled to visit the Borderlands to further investigate any connection the perpetrators have to this region. I have also released Tirishev and he has been 'modified' to allow us counter-control, if and when he is contacted by the hive. I believe he may face elimination, due to his cross-examination by my people, but there is an outside chance they will re-target him. In either scenario I have issued orders to correspond. He will give us the potential assassins or act as a double agent for us. Sir, this entire conspiracy is coming toward a point of no return; we must act now and without the risk of accidentally taking in the plague via a 'wooden horse'. That is why I am asking for your support in this."

Sanchez wore the expression of an air traffic controller who had just been informed that another thousand planes had entered his zone, and was processing this when the radar went down. He also recognised that Pierze had made sure the decisions were all on his coveted desk, by handing him hard copy of the request – sealed, signed and delivered. Sanchez began to experience trickles of sweat in all those uncomfortable areas, but acquiesced just as Pierze had hoped he would. "I want another briefing when you return from the Borderlands, and this time I want you to come to my residence. I will send for you."

*

Duarte had almost given up when he got a tip-off from one of the Lisboa ex-officers. This man had been around at the time in question, but was now retired. He still enjoyed the occasional drink and game of veterans' tennis with old pals at the police sports complex, and he had overheard Duarte's name in a conversation amongst one of the younger teams. When he had asked how to contact Duarte, he feigned to the young detectives that they were old friends from way back, but had lost touch. After contact they had agreed to meet. The man said he could recall a hullaballoo over a case which was originally reported in Estoril, some distance from Lisboa, but was suddenly ordered to be erased from the database. When he had tried to explain to his superior - that it was not possible to erase something which was not there - the panic evaporated. "I sniffed the scent of cover up, so I contacted Estoril, and they said they had received information from the lady whose husband was missing, that he had returned safely. They closed the case and informed Lisboa, as they understood it had been reported there for entry to the main database. I asked one of our whizz-kids on computer forensics to check it out for me and it had indeed been entered, but deleted before the official withdrawal in Estoril."

Duarte probed. "Do you remember any details, such as names, addresses?"

"Not the address, but the name has always stuck in my mind. Lopez, her name was Bianca Lopez. I think the husband was called Viktor, but I can't be sure. I never heard any more about it even though I reported the computer forensics to my boss." Duarte thanked him and set off for Estoril.

Butragueno tried to contact Manuel to tell him about Duarte's lead but he was unobtainable and she assumed he had gone in again.

Konrad

Prometheus was quite agitated. "I have thirteen names, six of which are for pulses and the rest to be streamed. It looks from the encryption structure very similar to the handcuffed seven." Konrad reacted by demanding the names to begin memorising them before exiting as soon as possible. He was checked by his ally. "That is not all. I've been sent an entire months work, which is very unusual. It is not a list but a complete programme; all of the codes are to be encrypted within the programme, and worryingly all with the same instruction. I have not been able to isolate the exact instruction but my encryption form is concentrated on mass activation back on Earth. There are over one hundred thousand repeats in the loop. It has begun; they must be sleepers waiting for the activation signal." Konrad's mind was racing, but he remembered to ask a question on behalf of Pierze.

"You said that these Rojo-Negro Mano people were dangerous, how do you know that if you have been on the Moon so long?"

"Because the majority of the workforce here is from the Borderlands and they are members of that cult; these people are very intimidating indeed. By the way I did find a pattern of sorts when poring through my instructions from Omnia. They correspond to an egg-shaped cluster within Balkan Iberia, and the few which are direct emanate from what approximated to the sharp end of the egg." He gave Konrad the drawing and left him to learn and destroy all of the information. It would be a while before he could exit. He also needed to show up for work at the office of Central Security to avoid being fired.

Manuel

He felt a little more tired this time. He wondered if he was about to be discovered, as his character of course should have died, in the minds of whoever inserted the transceiver in Konrad. They obviously knew the real Konrad was dead. Prometheus had told him that Konrad was the only character he could interact with. 'I should have asked him to confirm he had tweaked my character to avoid interaction with all but previous contacts'. He would ask next time. There was no time to lose, but he found out from Butragueno that Pierze had already set off for the Borderlands. Duarte was in Estoril.

He pondered whether he should put his trust in Gretz. The names had not registered with him in Futureworld, indicating that they may not be protestors. Both he and Butragueno decided to go immediately to Estoril as Duarte had the only secure means of contacting Pierze. They took the precautionary step of calling at Central Security, to put his second in command on alert \- he could expect an urgent programme to be required for a Northern Iberiana style operation. Manuel wrote the names down for the deputy and they left after he apologised to his mother for departing once again.

*

Sandrine Benitez had disappeared. She was due to assist with the next installment of the character assassination of the Salina family, but could not be traced. This naturally set the newspaper off on an organised crime sub-thread. It concentrated on her possible exclusion from Antonio Salina's will and they asked the question aggressively – 'What has happened to the source of Sandrine's regular cheque?' It was apparently overdue.

*

Pierze could not have been more annoyed when Duarte made the call. "Hold on Ricardo, all you have to do is initiate your team, they've already been alerted."

"Oh, that is a relief. I will do that immediately."

"Wait, this could have been left on the back burner, but I think you should also know that we think your scientist is called Viktor Lopez." The silence told its own story but Duarte pressed on. "Does the word Omnia mean anything to you in this context?"

"No, I don't believe so, but what the hell has th...." His mind was a blur, and then it came. The secret unit in which the scientist had worked for him had an emblem. A large reproduction had always hung on the wall of the highly secure reception area. In the corner of this flag-like emblem was a small circle, inscribed with an almost unnoticeable motto, 'Omnia tempus habent', which had intrigued Pierze. His curiosity led to the translation for this Latin extract from the book of Ecclesiastes as, 'All things have their time'. "My God, yes Duarte, you must have found him. I shall return as soon as possible."

Duarte calmed him down for a second time. "No hurry yet, I'm afraid. I have strong evidence from his wife that after he disappeared she reported it and then was subject to menace, and was forced to tell the police he was back. She has no idea where he is or who is responsible. However, Manuel has narrowed the search with the help of Prometheus to Balkan Iberia. I don't need to tell you we should proceed very carefully. I think it would be best if we all reconvene and thrash out the options, don't you?"

"Yes, I concur. I will wrap up this visit as expeditiously as possible and get back. Keep me up to speed on the thirteen." His trip had not been wasted and illustrated the value of first-hand observation compared to reading other peoples' reports, including their interpretation. The infrastructure of Rojo-Negro Mano was more like a military training camp than a charitable organisation. Admittedly there were refugees in need of aid, but it didn't seem to stop at simple wellbeing. The administrators labelled it preparation for self-preservation, but it was far beyond that. Those showing him around were decidedly nervous and were continually reminding him that they weren't in charge. When asked where those in charge were, no answers were forthcoming. The one consistent thing was the motif. It was everywhere, and the guides were reciting in parrot fashion, how de-motivating it had been to be wrongly associated with events in the horrific scenes of the Berlina statue, and hints of hundreds of others in Santa Constanza. He had seen enough to suggest going deeper into the Borderlands. This had been met with contagious fear. They advised him that despite any assurances he may have been given by agents or his own contacts, his party was seriously underprepared for such a tour. It was described as an absolutely lawless territory which dispensed death as if it was ordained by some higher presence. He headed back to Madrid.

*

Tirishev had been under invisible but armed response surveillance by Pierze's team, and one of them acted as a 'friend', living with him; this man could really take care of himself, even without the tranquiliser gun. The darts were potent enough to fell an elephant in under ten seconds. So far they had nothing to report. As Tirishev had to mimic normality, relay teams would track him to buy food and frequent social venues. He was playing pool with one of his minders when he wobbled and thus indicated a transceiver message. Upon recovering his balance he proceeded without a word, to the exit. Despite his pool partner asking him to wait he carried on. The override signal flipped him to normality and he slowed to allow his companion to catch up. He revealed that he was to go to an address which he knew well, but he didn't know why. He was given remote instruction from Pierze's men to continue, but not to reveal the truth about his time in custody. He was to tell whoever asked that it was purely a case of being a suspect in Rossi's death. He had to tell them he'd been grilled over and over again about the drug overdose and his part as her supplier. He was questioned relentlessly until they either had to charge him or let him go. They had no concrete evidence so he was eventually freed. It was hoped this would convince the interrogators that he was still 'loyal'. The address to which he had been directed wasn't close by, and it was thought there would be checks to see if he was being followed or accompanied. A quick re-vamp of the relay shadowing rota was thrown together with additional personnel, different to the ones who had protected him so far. One of these new minders was to deliberately bump into him and apologise, while slipping him more than enough funds for any expensive journey. It would have seemed strange if he had to ask one of his new friends when he realised that he was short of the fare.

*

The three from Estoril got back to Madrid in good time. After checking in on his mother and finding she was bearing up, Manuel asked her to summon Bernardo to the house. When she asked why, he told her about the real activities he and the two other men had got up to. "I don't want to be overly melodramatic about this Mama, but he was after something which was going to embarrass the department or the government or both. You know that further embarrassment may come your way through no fault of your own. This Sandrine Benitez has gone missing and you are already being judged guilty by the media for complicity with father's agenda, by accepting Konrad into your home. Believe me, this is my area of expertise, as a reporter, and I know you'll be mercilessly hounded by these people. That you're innocent makes no difference to them, it sells news. We therefore need to trick Bernardo into thinking we have information which could potentially damage him. He believes he has recovered most of the stuff he needed to from the safe, but I let him think I took copies when I was a boy. If you tell him that when you were going through father's will and associated paperwork with the lawyers, something popped up. The legal man was unfamiliar with this, and highly concerned about it, so you brought it home and want Bernardo to take a look at it. When he asks you what it's about, say it talks about a missing scientist. He will ask more questions, but you must close the conversation by telling him it was in a box-file marked 'Rojo-Negro Mano', and the contents were just gibberish to you. When he arrives and you pretend to look for this box, you can't remember where you put it down. After some time looking around you then call for the housekeeper and prime her to remind you that I was here an hour ago, maybe I had picked it up. Then you call me and I confirm that I did, but tell you not to mention it to anyone. A few tears will help, as you say you've put your foot in it again. He will comfort you and leave, telling you it was nothing. Can you pull it off Mama?" After some cajoling she agreed and made the call. It went perfectly, he was there within twenty minutes and she said his face was a picture when he was told Manuel had picked up the goods. He asked for Manuel's private communicator code and rang.

"Salina."

"Manuel, it's me Bernardo."

"Oh Hi, Bernardo, I'm driving, just a second, I'll pull over." Bernardo was apprehensive.

"Yes, I'll hold." He waited and eventually the conversation was resumed.

"Ok, I'm in a side street, what can I do for you?"

"I think it might be worthwhile for us to meet. There are a few things which I need to bring you up to date with. Things your father may not have been able to discuss with you. Can you call at the office tomorrow?"

"That might be tight for me Bernardo, your new boss Pierze is due back and there's something I wanted to ask him about. His secretary has promised to get me in tomorrow if possible. It's important. Can we meet another time?"

"How about breakfast in the morning, at the Falesia Hotel, it's on me."

"I think that could work, I'll be there unless you hear from me." The line went dead.

## Chapter 23

In Pierze's absence his 'shadows' had located the first three from the thirteen new names. The shadows had changed tactics this time. They kept a really close eye on number one – Antoine Vaglio, in Grenoble. When number two – Bart Kruise, boarded a train in Holland, from Leiden to Lyon via Amsterdam, the first team apprehended Vaglio and kept him safe. The second squad did the same when Kruise alighted from the Lyon-Grenoble express. The two arrested men were quickly flown back to Madrid. It was factored in, that the controllers would not take long to figure out that the suicide, or murder had been thwarted, and the potential repercussions that there may be. There were two obvious ones. If Prometheus was accurate, there was less than a month to the release of the plague of one hundred thousand or more drones, these arrests could bring the time forward. Secondly, the controllers would be checking where this advance information was being leaked from, and this would endanger both Prometheus and Manuel. This turn of events caused Manuel to tell Bernardo he would not be able to keep the appointment for breakfast. It patently annoyed the little man intensely, but he asked if they could rearrange for the following day. Manuel said he would get back to him.

*

The think-tank of Pierze, Duarte, Butragueno and Manuel didn't take long to conclude that Prometheus should be warned and Konrad's character should be allowed to die. It needed one last visit to Futureworld for Manuel. They believed that they had got about all the information from Prometheus that was possible. Pierze needed to go to the Moon at long last, and he thought there might be a secondary benefit; one of diversion. "The people controlling this campaign will not only be looking for the source of the leak, they will want to know precisely to whom it is being leaked. I don't mean Manuel, it doesn't stop there. They will be more interested in those who hired him, and not too worried about investigations into the many specific deaths so far. They will be disturbed by how these acts are now being interpreted. The major change from their point of view is the capture of Tirishev. Provided we can convince them of him being back in the fold, we may buy a little more time. We must make them think that the latest examples - Vaglio and Kruise also fall into that category. We should not waste time by interrogating them, but make the adjustment to the transceiver and release them, as if we aren't able to get any data from them. I will make this clear to Gretz, Verdasco and Boniek when I address them about my lunar excursion. I'll let it drop casually that we have received anonymous tip-offs with names, but it is not helping, as the individuals involved don't seem capable of assisting us in building a picture. Manuel, it would be prudent for you to do the same with Bernardo. Now, I am going to suggest something which you may not like. If they are to buy into this ruse we may have to stand back from the remaining names on the list for now, as the controllers will surely test us out. It has to be weighed up against the greater good - we are in a war. You may rest assured that this is my responsibility and mine alone. You may also say to me that these controllers could be of a completely different origin, for example – Orient. I would ask you to consider the following:-

"Any organisation with the technical ability to transmit these neurogenic instructions must also have the ability to infiltrate or influence the SACRED Corporation. They initiate the process via Futureworld and execute in reality. The other most obvious entity with the contacts and tentacles to achieve this is Central Security – my department. I have to collate more evidence in that respect. However, since I asked Duarte to analyse the civil servants who had been known to be affected, he has not come up with one single name in any position of authority in the department. Other surveys I have had carried out show no direct evidence of people in positions of authority, in industry or government structure, have been affected either. I have to admit it is a feeling rather than facts from which my theory is derived, but time is our nemesis. The entire scheme is orchestrated around protest and anarchy. If they are fuelling some kind of meltdown leading to revolution, this would be quite an effective way. An analogy which comes to mind is that the day to day running of a factory is impacted much more by the Janitor being absent than the Chief Executive. The C.E. has his or her hand on the long term efficiency rudder, and this plague, initially only needs to be comprised of janitors. So, my experience and my gut tell me that we should try to capitalise on blindsiding these janitors – the names we have, and let them illustrate our apparent incompetence, while we tackle the one thing which can stop the process in its tracks. The capture of Viktor Lopez will effectively neutralise the machinery designed to let loose the plague. As he is in Balkan Iberia, I have trouble in visualising Orient being the fountainhead of this operation. I will take your silence as affirmation that you agree." He got it. This decision disrupted a few other plans. Manuel had to go back in rather than contact Bernardo.

Konrad

Prometheus was disappointed but admitted that he had always known success would carry the potential price of being discovered. "I will withdraw my character with immediate effect and accelerate the death of your own. With respect to you leaving, you probably felt your previous exit a little more unpleasant because you had been dead in reality for a while, and I discovered some troublesome messages of 'incompatibility' on the system. I had to deal with them immediately. Amongst a few corrective responses, I sent a subscription renewal query to your character, having altered your health levels to critical. I think we have got away with it, as the messages have stopped. Sorry about all this detail, but I hope you are feeling better, and you will not have this disorientation when you exit this time. You are still my best chance of escape and yet in a way I am relieved we have to terminate the relationship in Futureworld. I sincerely hope I can survive long enough to meet you in reality."

Konrad felt waves of sadness and frustration in tandem. He looked back to the time he and his brother argued over the plausibility of this virtual world and now he could fully understand the frustration which led to suicide. He lingered a while after Prometheus left. It was also a final farewell to Konrad.

Manuel

The belated conversation with Bernardo was illuminating.

"Manuel, I wanted to make you aware of the concern I have for your mother. That has been a brief which your father gave me a long time ago in the event of anything happening to him. Now that this has occurred I wonder if we can also help one another."

"I don't see why not, was there anything specific?" He watched the little weasel's furtive eyes.

"I am worried about this Benitez woman. I always knew about her and tried to tell Antonio he was risking everything with such a woman. I had done thorough background checks on her, but he was completely obsessed with her, and dismissed the information. If she gets back to the media it could be really bad for Senora Salina."

"But surely you can prevent that."

Bernardo shrugged off this remark. "I wish we could, but nobody knows what has caused her disappearance. She is connected to some pretty ruthless people."

Manuel hurried things along. "Nobody that is, apart from you and me, and your henchmen. You don't have to worry about me Bernardo; I have nothing to gain by this woman re-surfacing. However, as long as she lives, she will be a concern for both of us." He laughed off the insinuation, but the contrived mirth sublimed when Manuel continued, "Look, I think we both agree with your opening remark – we can help each other, but please spare me the violins. Your concern for my mother may be genuine but is eclipsed by your own survival instinct. I have damaging information, now deposited with lawyers, and you have Benitez. Just get to the point."

Without denying that Sandrine Benitez' fate was within his gift, Bernardo squirmed. "We don't know exactly what was in the papers your mother discovered with her lawyer. It would certainly assist with this process if we did."

"I see it very much simpler than that. By the way, it was not only my mother's lawyer who brought this latest sheaf of documents to her attention. A letter from my own legal advisor at the Independiente in Uruguay was sent, at my request, to her lawyers, and they kept this separate from the appended signed document by my father, which also had a counter-signature, yours I believe. We could determine that later. I was a troublesome boy, but my father had made me so by his flagrant disrespect for my mother. It's a pity I can't hurt him anymore, but you could take the pain for him. I'm bored with this charade. The only assurance I need from you is that you will keep this woman under threat, if and when you free her. She should only be freed on the condition that she retracts the newspaper allegation that my mother had anything to do with the whole sordid affair other than picking up the pieces of an arrangement Benitez herself had negotiated out of Antonio Salina. My mother gave Konrad a wonderful home. As far as you needing proof of what I have with my lawyer now, that's easy, just screw up on your handling of Sandrine Benitez and you'll have it free of charge as an exclusive on page one of the Independiente. Seems fair; well thanks Bernardo, it's good to have friends of influence."

Manuel had garnered quite a lot of practice in Uruguay, in manipulating the flow or blocking of information in this way. It was the reverse process of a con, where the mark is relieved of something of value; this was the conference to the target of something they did not want to believe. Bernardo had, over the years, cooked up so many highly sensitive programmes with Antonio, that he had an abundant choice with which to fuel the uncertainty.

*

Tirishev had reached his appointed destination and waited as prescribed. He was eventually approached after they presumably felt all was clear. This must have triggered a pulse as Tirishev stumbled and then seemed to nod to his contact again and again. The vigilant Pierze technical team was on to it, and they delayed adjustment until the two parted. Some two hours later Pierze's shadows reported that he was not going back to his abode. Tirishev informed them of the second phase; he was to kill someone whose name was actually fifth on the list of thirteen. It was to take place in Salzburg. Pierze was certain this would be carefully watched by his controllers. He had an idea but wasn't sure if it was technically feasible. If Vaglio and Kruise, who were first and second on the same list could have their implant altered to have a particular fault engineered into it, they could turn up at the same location in Salzburg and not that of the originally intended third in line. If the controllers fell for the possibility that they had some of their charges running amok, they might withdraw planned activities and transport Tirishev, Vaglio and Kruise to the Balkan Iberian implant base for investigation and remedial work. He wanted to check with the boffins if this could be done to Vaglio and Kruise, while taking out the adjustment facility, which would certainly be exposed by Lopez. This would leave Tirishev as the only one at risk, as he still had the original adjustment and was in a remote location. He would have to be lifted out once the three had met up in Salzburg. He would be instructed by Pierze's team to head back to the third person on the list, mimicking further misalignment in the instruction subroutines. When Pierze was assured this was not a complicated procedure, but would take up to forty-eight hours, he authorised it and made sure that, if at any time the shadow squads felt they had to take action to prevent individuals determined to restrain Tirishev, they should be eliminated. They should also leave evidence that it was the work of protestors who were part of the resistance.

*

Butragueno was telling Manuel and Duarte that the time had come to return to Londonis. "I feel as if there isn't much left for me to do here. Pierze is right, all effort must be on getting to the scientist Viktor Lopez, and that is not something for which my new bosses will authorise my participation, and I'd have to agree with them. In any case I need to begin motivating my team, as we have an increasing workload." Duarte was philosophical and made his exit as he was still sensitive to the regard in which she held Manuel Salina. When they were alone she turned and her smile was a cocktail of regret, sympathy, admiration and not least of all, intense attraction. "I really hope you can protect your mother the way you want to. I'm still coming to terms with what you confided in me about your childhood, and I would just like to say you've come through it remarkably well. You have managed to retain a real sense of proportion which comes with the rigours of life. If you have time before you return to Uruguay, I'd love to catch up. You know where to find me."

"I don't know exactly what to say. It's not like me to be lost for some smart remark, but this is not the occasion for that. I don't know where the rest of this investigation will take me, but one thing I have recently admitted to myself is that I ran away to the other side of the world to avoid feelings which I struggled to control. That part of my life is at an end, as Konrad and father are now both gone. It will sound stupid I suppose but I said farewell to Konrad in Futureworld. The final separation from the man, who is really only Antonio Salina to me, will be achieved when I know my mother is settled. As far as Uruguay is concerned, I won't be going back."

This generated a deliciously uncomfortable speculative experience. One of having countless waves of butterflies roller-coasting through her inner presence, and it was savoured. She managed to hold the potential implications in abeyance with some difficulty. "You're special Manuel. Call me when you know your mother is free of her own emotional turmoil." Those first few steps after they embraced and parted were made more difficult by his gentle but sensuous kiss on the mouth. It was so unexpected and at the same time so desired, that it lingered, and they both reacted with awkward smiles.

*

There was so much going on that Pierze summoned all three SACRED owners to Madrid. It outwardly appeared more than a little heavy-handed, but he had in fact counted on that. He knew they would not take kindly to the brusque demand, and he wanted them to be sufficiently off-guard to let something slip, plus he gambled that they would argue about it amongst themselves. He needed to create some division between them. If the disrespect for their own busy agenda didn't achieve this, his probing questions would. They were, as he had hoped, quite frosty when they arrived. The first question was from Verdasco. "Exactly how long do you expect this to take? We have no agenda from you and quite frankly, we do not know what it's all about."

Pierze placed his elbows on the desk and his fingers intertwined as he faked wanting to put them at ease. "Gentlemen, thank you for being here at such short notice. I won't use the word agenda, because I would like this session to be productive. I have information to disseminate and I was hoping that would guide us in sculpturing what happens next. I believe we really do need help from one another." He was not going to divulge more than was absolutely necessary. Part of his objective was to give extra credence to the misfiring of the 'affected' individuals who were out on the controllers' missions. If all, or any of these three powerful men were involved it would be worth the effort. "At the risk of repeating my firm conclusions, there is now no doubt that SACRED is not the only target involved here. It may not even be the main target. We concede that there are definite links between the deaths and your production Futureworld, but we are perplexed as to why the subjects are chosen, and even more confused by the sequences – which sometimes deliver a headless corpse. Despite having arrested an individual at Rossi's suicide scene, he can tell us nothing and we have had to release him. I can tell you that after my visit to the Borderlands, I have to revise my declaration that Rojo-Negro Mano could not be mixed up in this. The situation there is extremely volatile and there are glaring examples of it not being a simple humanitarian organisation. I know why you have recruited mercenaries from this region, but could you tell me of any of them you may have on the Moon?"

Gretz looked at Boniek, as the one who had set up the lunar base after the internet collapse. Boniek shook his head. "I cannot be precise because some have not had contracts extended, but the figure will be around thirty to thirty-five." Pierze knew from Prometheus that most of the two hundred were from the Borderlands.

"Not so many then, good."

"Why do you say 'good'?" asked Boniek.

"Well I have decided I must go to the Moon, following this antagonistic move by Orient, and my bodyguards need to plan their presence. Was the initial number so low because of its inaccessibility?"

Boniek grabbed at this. "Of course, we didn't see this colonisation arising for at least another decade." Pierze had established the snare.

"So, in view of this will you be taking more Borderland recruits there or bringing those already there back to Earth?"

Verdasco cut in. "Are you suggesting that somehow these people are allies of Orient?"

The reply had been prepared earlier. "Sorry, I thought you may have known already, not all Rojo-Negro Mano employees are Iberian. Many are trainees from the efflux through the Borderlands – from Orient to Iberia. The charitable work often seems to extend beyond physical and mental wellbeing. Chosen individuals are all young, super-fit men, and they are supposed to help stem the tide of immigration, yet it is increasing. The indigenous Borderland population does not like this apparently, but one of the difficulties of verifying this is that ethnically it is virtually impossible to visually differentiate many of the groups. It is a tinderbox, poised for a spark. I have already expressed my concern when I visited Snr. Gretz that if what I suspect is correct, you may have erred in recruiting your defensive battalion for the elevator. It is therefore logical that I visit that location after the Moon." Gretz was about to respond when the other two asked for a break. Pierze complied and then introduced the next trump in his game.

He buzzed for someone. It was Duarte who entered the room. Pierze introduced him and they left the trio to decide where to take their break. They were quite animated when they got out to the third floor landing, because Gretz had pointed out that Duarte knew he was Manuel's sponsor, but he didn't know if Pierze knew that. The implanted uncertainty was what was required. Of the three, Gretz was alone in expressing concern over the dependency on the Borderland recruits which Pierze had highlighted. Verdasco said they didn't really want him on the Moon right now; it could inflame an already sensitive Orient government attitude. Boniek agreed and also questioned what a starchy blowhard politician thought he would find at the elevator. Gretz put his head back into Pierze's office and asked if he could have a quick word with Duarte in private. Pierze joined the other two on the landing. Gretz asked it straight out. "Does he know we are sponsoring Manuel Salina's investigation?"

The riposte was convincing and of course a lie. "Just what do you take me for Gretz, I'm retired and I am only working here because of my son playing football in Madrid. I only consult for Pierze, it pays well and the work is solely checking up on certain trends in analysis of the past deaths. He is big on trends."

Gretz visibly relaxed. He passed on this assurance to both of his co-owners; they were not so easily convinced. They didn't want Pierze involved and said they should legally challenge his right to enforcement of this intent. Gretz however, advised such resistance would foster suspicion that they had something to hide. Verdasco was the more vociferous of the two. "No Sorin, you have dispelled that by hiring Manuel Salina. His report, when finished will crush any such suspicion. Pierze is trouble – he may well be trying to help, but could also slow our preparations and we can't afford that. You know what is at stake, and although bureaucrats like him may accept responsibility, we will lose our investment."

They continued to disagree and the strange split of equity did not help. Gretz had the major share with 43%, Verdasco and Boniek had 24% apiece, and Banco Iberia had a stake of 9%. This had been hammered out for just such wrangles. For Gretz to prevail he had to convince the bank to vote with him. If they voted against him or abstained, the other two would have the mandate to resist Pierze.

They informed Pierze that they would consider the points he had raised with due diligence and get back to him as soon as possible. They left separately as Gretz had to meet with Banco Iberia at their HQ in Swiss Iberia to set up the voting session. Verdasco and Boniek headed for the elevator on the northern 'Pillar of Hercules' – the southern equivalent being a few miles across the sea in Africana.

## Chapter 24

Manuel noticed that the smug expression had deserted Bernardo's face, and he was decidedly fidgety. He seemed keen to get started. "Since we last spoke I have had further thoughts on the situation and I ..."

"So have I," said Manuel, "and it's not good news. It is of course no secret that I'm commissioned to investigate the deaths of protesters against SACRED, you knew that. However, there's a new development which may interest you. One of my sources has revealed that your new boss, Pierze, has somehow acquired names of potential suicide subjects before the events occur. It was hoped this would bring fresh impetus to his task, but I'm told that an arrested individual on his list failed to provide him with any usable data. Pierze is said to be furious at how inept this makes his department appear and is determined to conduct a cull of underperforming executives. You didn't know this did you Bernardo? You were a confidante of my father, and Pierze doesn't trust anyone connected to Antonio Salina. I think our little agreement may be endangered by this. If you can't hold on to, or control Sandrine Benitez I may have to sacrifice you. It's not personal, I hope you understand."

The little man was visibly shaken. Manuel felt he had effectively discharged the agreement with Pierze to leak the false information about Tirishev. He had been quite happy to link this to the new regime's distrust of all prior hierarchy. Bernardo appeared to have forgotten whatever he was going to say and excused himself.

*

To quell his fear, the President summoned Pierze to his residence. Sanchez ushered him into the library. "What news do you have for me?" Pierze gave a very graphic account of the tension in the Borderlands and expressed his belief that Rojo-Negro Mano was a facade for the training of insurgents of some kind. He stopped short of suggesting it was part of the SACRED saga, or indeed sponsored by Orient. "I do think that the Foreign Office should look into whether there is evidence of Orient's fingerprints, as it is clear there are preparations for some purpose other than humanitarian causes going on."

Sanchez nodded, yet seemed relatively unconcerned. "I wanted you to come here tonight because I didn't want to have this conversation in front of my aide – Ortega. I have reliable information that part of your investigation into the SACRED deaths has been shared with Manuel Salina. I don't want to appear unduly melodramatic but it worries me. Before I say why, perhaps you could explain why you feel it necessary to do this."

Pierze was brief in his reply. "I didn't feel it was necessary."

Sanchez was persistent. "Then why is he involved?"

"He is on the periphery of the investigation, but has proved to be very helpful because he disliked everything his father stood for, and I wanted some inside track on Antonio when I found the department I inherited was littered with his loyal acolytes. I am happy that he stays in the team for that reason alone – Antonio may be dead but his ghostly agenda still seems to have momentum."

Sanchez twirled the ends of his well-groomed moustache and grimaced. "There is history between Antonio and myself. What you have said is therefore reassuring. I want you to keep me briefed regularly in this way in future. Ortega is very efficient but certainly not transparent. I'll let you know when to come again. Thank you."

*

The Madrid police needed to interview Bernardo and Manuel's mother again. They had declared Antonio's death as suspicious. Manuel asked if he could be present during their visit to the house. They agreed, as it was said to be informal, not an interrogation. When they arrived Manuel asked if they had interviewed Bernardo for a second time. They said not, he was scheduled for the next day. The two officers requested Senora Salina to re-trace her recollections of the time after she had called Bernardo to the scene. They told her to take her time, as little details could be very important. When she got to the point where Bernardo and his colleagues arrived, she was asked if the two men with the equipment remained together until they left. She said she couldn't be sure as she was downstairs throughout the entire period. While she was explaining that Bernardo was with her for most of that time, trying to comfort her, she did remember hearing the two men seemed to be arguing about something upstairs. Then she recalled a thud on the ceiling, but had assumed one of them had dropped their camera or something. "Did they both have cameras?" asked one of the officers.

"Yes I think so. Well, they both had some kind of equipment. They did not look exactly the same though."

After going over the scene again with her they asked to see the housemaid once more. She confirmed Senora Salina's statement about the difference in equipment. "When I went upstairs to retrieve Senora Salina's shawl, I disturbed them and they were trying to connect one piece to the other. They were surprised to see me and one of them dropped his part. It started another argument between them and I hurried downstairs again."

The officers thanked them both for their help and left. Manuel spent the next hour with the maid, drawing what she recalled about the equipment. Manuel couldn't recognise it from this drawing, but one part could have been a large battery for a portable instrument. It was unlikely to be a camera.

*

Gretz had received a rebuff from Banco Iberia. He had assumed they would vote with him as a matter of course. He should have guessed – these ultra-conservative mandarins were more than a little cautious about any further decline in the value of their stockholding in SACRED. The Orient Moon escapade had already caused a fall of seven percent, and they predicted that Pierze's presence on the lunar surface would raise the tension further. Gretz had to report this to his partners as the bank had abstained, effectively giving Verdasco and Boniek a mandate to try to block Pierze's visit. Gretz also informed them that he had approached the bank to buy them out and they were not unreceptive.

*

Although Vaglio and Kruise had been 'altered' in just over twenty-four hours with extremely delicate, non-invasive microsurgery, they still had to catch up to Tirishev. He had a start, but now had to alter course to Salzburg. He was instructed of their arrival time and told to take a longer route, and then meet them at the north end of the Opera House Strasse.

Ricardo Pierze's plan was neat, ingenious, meticulous in its conception, yet simply flawed. He hadn't heeded his own theory closely enough. In declaring that the controlling organisation initially only needed janitors to function, he failed to apply that to the personnel who would be monitoring the now 'misfiring' drones. They were also drones, and as such had minimal value. Once they had observed the coming together of Tirishev, Vaglio and Kruise, they drove their hire car to the meeting point to pick them up. As soon as they were inside the car, Pierze's team reacted and blocked the exit. Another drone, at a distance of fifty metres used his communicator to detonate the device strapped to the underside of the car. All occupants, six Central Security personnel and seventeen innocent bystanders were atomised by the blast. Many more were injured in the busy street. Pierze heard of the tragedy on the news.

This was a blow to the whole investigation team. Pierze was disconsolate. He received a call from President Sanchez. "Ricardo, this is further evidence that your general prognosis must be correct. These people do not place value on the life of their perceived enemies or their own foot soldiers. You have plans to visit the Moon and the elevator. I suggest now is a good time. I will help contain the growing clamour for information on Salzburg, coming so quickly after Northern Iberiana." Pierze's response was tired but measured.

"Thank you Snr. President, I'll take your advice and contact Gretz. I will however have to rethink the means to protect the remaining names on the list."

*

Sorin Gretz wasn't at his office and his secretary was concerned enough to contact his partners at the elevator. They hadn't seen him nor heard from him. He wasn't at his apartment. The Director of Banco Iberia was expecting him to conclude the sale of their stock. In his absence Verdasco and Boniek rejected Pierze's request to travel to the Moon. He would therefore have to get legal enforcement orders to progress his trip. The Swiss-Iberian police began a search for Gretz.

Meanwhile Pierze met with Manuel and Duarte. "You have undoubtedly come to terms with one of the consequences of Salzburg. We are now in no position to find Viktor Lopez in Balkan Iberia. It will be a painfully slow exercise if we have to comb the entire region, and we don't have the luxury of time. As I got it terribly wrong in Salzburg, I'd appreciate your ideas on how we should proceed to look after the remaining people on that list. And in case you were going to ask, there is no hope of even recovering the bodies of Tirishev, Vaglio and Kruise, let alone identifying or analysing them."

Duarte was more upbeat than Manuel and asked, "What do we really have to lose by bringing them all into protection right here?"

Pierze stated the obvious. "The controllers will write them off and either move on to another batch or just bring forward activating the plague."

Duarte questioned this. "If they've planned a conspiracy, they may not have much flexibility, especially if they've identified key targets for the hundred thousand plus drones. They may still have to produce many more. They may have much to accomplish before Drone-Day. They surely didn't just pick the date out of a hat."

"This is pure speculation Duarte. I am afraid I cannot, in all conscience risk more lives on the strength of further guesswork."

Manuel eventually spoke. "Ricardo, during my last conversation with Bernardo, to leak your 'misfiring' plan, at your request, I found him in a very worried mood. I added to this by saying you were conducting a 'Salina Syndrome' cleansing. Can I ask what contact you've had with him since you took over?"

"None, I was warned that he was joined at the hip with your father, and I intended to ignore him until this case was concluded one way or another."

Manuel made a suggestion. "I'm sure from my early conversations with Konrad, that he knew of some incriminating evidence that my father was involved in some highly irregular activity, other than the protest deaths. If he was, then Bernardo would be up to his neck in it. This is why I bluffed him into thinking I had some such evidence back in Uruguay. He certainly believed me. Why don't we push this for all it is worth before you leave for the Moon? In addition, the Madrid police have interviewed my mother and the maid again. They're going to grill Bernardo too, and they have concentrated on some modular equipment his subordinates were seen assembling." He put the diagram in front of Pierze. "We have nothing to lose."

Pierze's eyes widened as if he recognised what was in the sketch. They all agreed it merited an interview, now that Bernardo had a strict reporting relationship to Pierze. He may have got too comfortable being ignored. The unsettling surprise for Bernardo would be the presence of Manuel and Duarte, flanking the boss.

*

Gretz' face was on world-wide TV, even in Orient. It had become a vaguely familiar face over the time SACRED had been up and running. There were the usual reported sightings all over the planet, none of them of the genuine article. The police were convinced that they should pursue two main possibilities – he had been abducted, or he had deliberately gone underground. Examination of his apartment indicated a partially eaten vegetarian meal, and a strawberry meringue standing by two dishes and cutlery, but as yet unbroken. The coffee maker was primed with grounds but hadn't been switched on. There were dregs of Gevrey Chambertin in two glasses; the analysis of one indicated a powerful sedative. It had the hallmarks of abduction by someone he knew, but the police were not ruling out intent to make it appear that way, as there was no forensic evidence to support the removal of a totally incapacitated person. The scene was pristine, and in keeping with the rest of the apartment.

*

The interview with Bernardo was demanded rather than invited, and coming so quickly after his second with the police, was probably responsible for his deathly white pallor. Pierze beckoned him to close the office door and sit. He added to the tension by perusing a box file marked with the dreaded highest level security seal, now broken. He said nothing for several minutes, and then cast a scathing, predatory eye over the now profusely perspiring Bernardo. He buzzed his secretary to show the other two gentlemen into the office. He then rounded on his petrified subordinate and said, "You will have the opportunity to speak first, and for as long as you need, to get anything off your chest which may mitigate actions to be taken after this interview. Do you understand?" Bernardo could only nod in affirmation.

"Speak up please, for the tape. Do you understand?"

He cleared his throat. "Yes."

"Thank you. Manuel Salina and Maxi Duarte have just entered the interview room." Pierze did not introduce them, allowing Bernardo to wonder whether Manuel had indeed decided to sacrifice him. The diminutive figure slumped forward on to the desk and Pierze described this for the tape while a doctor was summoned. After a quick examination the medical man said the subject was hyperventilating and asked the others to leave the room while he took remedial action and helped calm the patient. Pierze was relentless; he described this sequence for the tape and the doctor was appalled at the apparent lack of consideration. The interview was suspended for over two hours, and despite the impassioned plea from the doctor, Pierze asked Bernardo if he would like to continue or rest at the office overnight. He made it clear that the interview would not be abandoned. This was to deny any further communication by Bernardo to any personnel who could dispose of items pertaining to the enquiry.

"Thank you for your advice doctor, we will only continue when Bernardo is ready."

Several cups of coffee and fresh sandwiches later, Bernardo signalled that he was ready. He took up the offer of Pierze to speak before questions were directed at him. "You should know Snr. Pierze, that we are holding Sandrine Benitez in a safe house for now. We took this step as she was about to reveal further damaging information about Antonio Salina, some of which unfortunately we were compelled to ignore. That had to be seen as his personal problem. However, he must have also spilled certain 'plans' which would bring the entire department into disrepute. We had to take action to prevent that, and she did eventually get the message that these revelations would put her life in danger. She is happy to be in the safe house."

"When you say 'we' Bernardo, you mean yourself and some others acting outside the authority of Central Security."

"Yes." Pierze motioned for him to carry on.

"I have also spoken with the police again and they informed me that they are likely to conclude Antonio Salina was murdered. They believe it was made to look like suicide. I've been asked not to travel anywhere and remain available for more questions as they arise. I'm aware of my duties to the department, but none of them require me to allow myself to be wrongly accused of something in which I had no part. I must prove my innocence, if required to do so by the police. I believe you will be asking me, as they have, about what my men were using to check out Antonio's bedroom, so I can tel..."

Pierze held up his hand. "No, don't make it worse for yourself. I know exactly what you were using. The device was developed under my guidance in my previous department. It is to locate and operate embedded keyboards. I'm much more interested in what you were trying to find with it. Be careful how you answer this, if you want to think about it we have all night. I have a care bed on standby for you in the event of another anxiety attack. Take your time Bernardo we will only have this interview once."

The 'patient' looked into Manuel's eyes and began to choke on his words. "You have no idea what your father was really like, and neither does your mother." He then turned to Pierze. "It's good advice you give me and I will respect it. I would like to take a break."

Manuel, for the first time, believed that Bernardo was resigned to telling the whole truth. This was confirmed by the request to Pierze, after he had switched off the recorder. "Can we conduct the rest of the conversation off the record? I ask because if such transcripts somehow got to the media it would become my death warrant."

Pierze promised to think about it if Bernardo was going to deliver everything he knew. "And I mean everything."

*

The back-up team from Central Security had rounded up some of the remaining names on the list. It hadn't been easy. Some of the surveillance agents hunting each drone crossed each other's path, due to the targets meeting. This caused the agents to back off a little. It was just as well they did. An explosive bullet hit each of the drones and ripped apart their heads – pieces of skull and brain tissue spattered the pavement and the frenzied crowd ran screaming for cover. Those agents returned to base, the others had got to the drones in time. Duarte was keen to interrogate those who were now in custody. Pierze agreed to this as Bernardo had expressed the view that both he and Manuel had reason to respect what he was about to say, but Duarte was an unknown quantity.

## Chapter 25

Bernardo began quietly. "My men were locating the entry panel which was fitted in the Salinas' bedroom while they were on vacation. I supervised the installation of the hidden safe storage area behind the large, heavy mirror which could not be moved by one person. The keypad for this was put in the cavity behind a painting on the opposite wall. We cleared the space of all articles and documents which Antonio felt were to be protected at all costs. However, when we returned to the office I realised some were not there. Both of my men confirmed they had taken everything. Either they were lying or someone had got there before us. After the first interview with the police, it suddenly dawned on me that Antonio could have destroyed them before committing suicide, but after the second interview and their suggestion that he was murdered, he may well have surrendered them to the assassin. He did have his own remote control keypad equipment, but it hadn't been found by me or the police. The missing pieces would have assisted you greatly in your investigation, but I'm afraid I can't remember all of the details with absolute clarity."

He glanced at Manuel before proceeding. "From the instant your father took office in Central Security, he made it clear to all of his immediate subordinates that he fully expected to be moving on to the Presidency in a couple of years. He explained how he would be intolerant of failure and mistakes. He emphasised that he didn't have time to be deflected by motivational practices for his staff, so the sooner they helped him establish credentials, the sooner they would be rid of him. He ruled by fear. They were times of concern that the Republic was developing a soft underbelly, ripe for exploitation by Orient. Antonio found himself with a very strong right wing following, and it was self-fuelling. This order quickly took on the shape of a cult as they became more and more concerned that the ailing President was not only a dove, but one with its eye off the worm. Preparations were made within this cult for Antonio to succeed, but the President's health did not deteriorate at the pace they desired, and they concocted a clever method to help him on his way. Do you remember the Sea Garden virus?"

"Yes." said Pierze and Manuel together.

"Well the virus was largely contained within Orient and for some time they thought it was man-made by Iberia. This was dispelled in the most dramatic fashion by the cult, which by now had a name – 'Sidonia', reflecting the wisdom of the only man who saw through the flawed plans of Philip II. Yet he appeared to follow them until introducing the decisive stroke of genius, which secured England. One of the members of the cult volunteered to sacrifice himself by obtaining a vial of the virus and waited until he was asked by the President to brief him on his recent talks with the Foreign Minister of Orient. It was assumed the vaccination given to all cabinet members would resist the contagion. A dose of this strength had no problem overcoming the weakened President after his Foreign minister had spilled the vial on to the arm of his chair of office, during a sanitary visit by the ailing leader. It was expected that this mini-epidemic would claim both of these men and a number of staff. It went much further as you may recall. The cabinet had to disband for almost two months, until the quarantine procedures could be lifted. I estimated at the time that over one hundred lives were terminated as a result of this plan. The Sidonians felt it was justified, and it had also silenced all previous accusations from Orient. You may ask why I tolerated this, especially as I wasn't a member of this cult. I will get to that later; suffice it for now that Antonio had his personal brand of persuasion.

"When the election produced Sanchez as the winner, against the prediction of all polls, the mood of these Sidonians darkened. That signalled many highly secret activities. They were all underpinned by a single belief – that Orient had to be subdued and absorbed. The world would become a better place for our grandchildren. I hesitate to use two particular words in the same sentence but these people are ruthlessly devout in their conviction that democracy cannot be trusted to the populace. They came to the conclusion that they had to be indoctrinated, in a new way, which would ultimately be inflicted on the citizens of Orient. These Sidonians exist in even greater numbers now, and there are some in Central Security as well as other government posts. You must be careful, that is why I wanted this to be off the record."

Pierze asked if he had names. Bernardo nodded but added, "I know many but not all. There are other things you need to know. The link with SACRED was crucial to the master plan. The 'indoctrination' scheme was to be delivered to a willing audience via interaction with some brainwashing technology. This came from your former organisation. Viktor Lopez was taken and forced to do as he was told or his family would suffer the ultimate sacrifice, an all too common practice. He was to deliver the ACR of SACRED to a man under similar threat. He was to the best of my knowledge to Amplify, Correct and Revise the input leg of subject actions, the man on the Moon was to Encrypt the initial neurogenic message and Distribute to the individual. Coding for future reinforcement was also setup so that the control was retained in the hands of Sidonians, but their actions were untraceable on Earth. I fear you may be too late to stop them."

Pierze couldn't wait any longer to ask the question. "Where is Viktor Lopez now?"

"I was never allowed to know this, but I was curious enough to look for clues. I overheard Antonio tell someone over the communicator that the complex was underground and in the centre of a crescent shaped mountain range in Balkan Iberia. He said it was heavily guarded but I couldn't find out who he was speaking to. You already know that the first wave is imminent." Manuel asked what criteria would cause them to bring forward that first wave.

"Nothing will precipitate that. You have to understand these people to appreciate that they are extremely confident in their destiny, it comes from arrogance in part, but also their ritualistic nature. The birthday of Admiral Sidonia is the trigger for the hive mentality to be showered on all Iberia." This was good news but was soon followed by frightening statistics. Pierze asked Bernardo to confirm that over a hundred thousand drones would be unleashed on that date.

"Yes, but that is the tip of the iceberg. Once this launch achieves the initial objective of capturing key locations in local administrations, the existing staff will be linked as a group to the Balkan neurogenic cascade and be recruited to the ranks of the 'enlightened'. This effectively makes the Moon man redundant and multiplies the army by a factor of between five and ten. It is expected to be a silent revolution, as any resistant types will be eliminated at the local coordinates by the local converts. The next phase is to follow quickly; the step into higher levels of authority can begin. Police and Armed Forces are primed with drones to deliver more control prior to the potentially tricky final coalescence of the masses and the 'unaffected' Sidonians. This troublesome layer of command is anticipated to produce a much higher proportion of resistant individuals, and it is likely that mass extermination will be required. It is therefore heavily dependent on isolating them by a 'ground level up' approach. Even an Admiral is helpless if the chain of command is broken directly beneath him. You should have figured out by now that your resistant victims were part of this plan and also conveniently acted as a distraction which has occupied your resources to their advantage." Manuel reminded Bernardo of the promise to say more about how his father had influenced his loyalty to such a cause.

"It wasn't the cause which imprisoned me, it was cowardice. It's the same cowardly gene which has twisted my innards and my mind to proceed with this confession. I have had no direct responsibility for any of this; my sole crime is that of looking the other way. It sickens me that this is considered an asset if you wish to progress in Central Security, yet I'm not able to pull away from my affliction. It is also why I've thrown myself on your mercy, because I lack the guts to do anything else." Pierze asked again about names.

"I can give you many – I have certain papers. It wouldn't be prudent to allow them to know you have this until you have disconnected the research centre and Viktor Lopez' staff."

Pierze persisted. "Who is the most senior ranking person in Sidonia, now that Antonio is gone?"

"That I don't know, but if Antonio was murdered as the police believe, it will have been authorised by that person. They all accept that when one becomes a liability, erasure must follow – of the individual and any incriminating evidence. I'm sure Antonio wouldn't have resisted termination. The head of the snake can be severed after Lopez is disconnected."

Manuel and Pierze looked at one another, then the latter spoke. "You realise we must detain you until we can verify what you have told us, and that may be for quite some time." Bernardo managed to smile for the first time.

"Of course, I wouldn't want to take my chance on the street."

They began to research the Balkan Iberia ordnance maps immediately. Pierze allowed his lawyers to pursue the enforcement of his Moon visit.

*

The hiatus caused by Gretz' disappearance allowed the only other candidates on the planet who were rich enough, to open negotiations to purchase the Banco Iberia stock. The philosophy of Verdasco and Boniek was simple. If Gretz didn't return they wanted to avoid any inheritor of his dominant position to call the tune. If he did return the stock position would be re-stabilised, without having to involve a fourth stockholder.

*

Orient's latest launch contained three further habitats and connecting units. Apart from increasing the speculation of where they would be deployed, it solidified the belief of Verdasco and Boniek that they were correct to continue their defensive strategy.

*

Both Pierze and Manuel were poring over maps of Balkan Iberia, but each was distracted by different concerns. "Manuel, I noticed when Bernardo replied without hesitation that nothing would change the date of Drone Day, his eyes flickered momentarily and his pupils dilated. I am therefore harbouring thoughts that this isn't true. He was incredibly keen for us to neutralise Viktor Lopez before 'beheading the snake'. I am now of the opinion that the only thing which would guarantee early activation of the plague is a direct threat to the neurogenic source. We must proceed with caution." Manuel concurred and then added his own mental lapse to the puzzle.

"When I first met Prometheus in Futureworld he was sure Gretz was not directly responsible for the threats to his family. He was however, the one who authorised me taking over Konrad's character and he did it face to face with Prometheus. He also told me that Gretz was the only person from whom he took direct orders, although the content for encryption routinely came from Earth. That is assumed to be Lopez. Prometheus was recruited and delivered to the Moon by someone other than Sorin Gretz. He was deprived of visual capability until he arrived and the other person had left. I remember him saying that he would never forget the voice, but I've been remiss in not following this up. Thinking about it now, it seems obvious that it would have to be someone in authority to process this through the elevator checks, past the pilot and lunar security. If Prometheus was hired while the takeover of the colonisation initiative was being finalised with the Iberian government, it was probably a deliberate schedule. It would explain why Gretz was busy finalising the deal and genuinely doesn't appear to know of these neurogenic pulses. It could only have been achieved by two people. Verdasco or Boniek."

Pierze let this meander through his mind, and it did fit with many events which had occurred recently. Manuel confessed that when Gretz commissioned him to conduct his investigation he was assured the others were totally on board. "He said they were but I have never heard it from them." Pierze factored in Gretz' disappearance and suggested it might be opportune to ask them if they were happy to continue with his retainer. Manuel made the conference call and Pierze kept quiet but recorded it. Verdasco said they would like to defer a decision on this until the police had found Gretz or given up.

*

The maps were not much help other than giving names of mountains and general topography. Pierze said that if he was right about Bernardo's cunning, he may want to help them. It would also be a check on whether he was holding anything back. They ran a list of names past him. He stopped them at one, and asked if they had other information about the area, as the name was familiar. The mountain range in local dialect was called Stara Planina. It was in the Eastern Balkan Peninsula and the name approximated to Old Mountain in Iberian. Bernardo was sure that he remembered overhearing a remark by one of the Sidonians, complaining that the security clearance level for the neurogenic hub was too restrictive. He had jokingly said, 'you can only fly there in the Star Plane.' Bernardo recalled that it was unusual for the sect members to criticise such policy. Pierze was sufficiently convinced to investigate further.

"We require a survey which does not alert anyone. I may have to take a certain technology out of mothballs Manuel. My technical contacts in my old job, as far back as three decades ago developed a means of detecting underground structures from the air. Harnessing ELF/VLF radio waves can allow penetration deep beneath the surface of the Earth and interact with the geologic structure."

Manuel motioned for him to back up. "What is ELF and VLF?"

"Sorry – extremely and very low frequency respectively. It enables exploitation of electromagnetic induction to detect and image subterranean features such as tunnels, bunkers and other potential military targets. It was used extensively when territorial sensitivity was high with Orient, and in order to respect tacit agreements, we wanted covert means to check what they were up to. However this is different, the target location is within our own sovereign lands. I'll ask my former colleagues to resurrect this kit and arrange a flyover of 'Star Plane'."

*

The next day Manuel received a call on his communicator. Astonishingly it was Gretz. "I have to be brief. I'm on the Moon. There's no time to explain fully, but I have spoken with a certain person here who says you know him as Prometheus. He had your SACRED data file, including your communicator number. I was brought here against my will and I'm restricted in just about every way. This man both saw and heard my abductor give instructions as to my incarceration. He recognised the voice as belonging to the same person who brought him here. It was Constantin Boniek. Virtually every employee here seems to be loyal to him. Verdasco will not have known of my capture, and I expect to be terminated once they have acquired the Banco Iberia stock. Prometheus tells me that under the new order they will simply close the file on searching for me, and no questions will be asked. So now you know. If you can tell this to Verdasco he may be able to help you in some way, he is a difficult man, but I'm sure he's not mixed up in this." The conversation was terminated.

*

Pierze didn't wait for another invitation from the President, he requested an audience at his private residence. The update provoked a sceptical response from Sanchez.

"You are asking me to take an awful lot on trust. Your suggestion of confidential talks with the Delegate-in-Chief of Orient would be described in normal circumstances as proof of lunacy. If you're wrong it would be the end of our careers, and if you're right it would be the end of our lives. There is an additional difficulty, as I have already mentioned, my aide Ortega doesn't have my trust, but is involved in all matters of state." Pierze asked for time to think about that.

*

Manuel had managed to get hold of Verdasco again. "I urge you to meet with me, and for no one else to know, and I really mean no one. I have to tell you something which may change everything you have planned. I'll come to you at any time of your choosing."

"Snr. Salina, we are due to ratify the stock transfer from Banco Iberia any time soon. It is complex and they are dragging their feet, but I must be available at extremely short notice."

Manuel asked where the transfer was scheduled to be, and it was confirmed as Swiss-Iberia. "I'll meet you at a different hotel from the one in which you make a reservation for Boniek and yourself. Snr. Verdasco, I won't take up more than five minutes of your time."

"Very well, this had better be good."

*

Duarte had asked the remaining people on the list if they had any idea why they would have been chosen to commit induced suicide; they did not. He couldn't establish any obvious links amongst them, other than being users of SACRED. At the end of one session a man approached him. "It may be nothing but I have been threatened to stay away from Snr. Boniek."

"Really, how do you come to know him?"

"We were at the same high school. I was very good at all sports, and he was a bit of an anorak with computers and stuff. He seemed to look up to me then. So when he became one of the richest men on the planet, I wrote and asked him many times for a job interview. At first he just ignored my applications. One night on my way home from a SACRED booth, I was pulled into a dark alley by three very big men. I could only see the silhouette of the figure which approached as I was held, but I knew it was him, his voice is highly distinctive. He warned me to stop applying for a position and insisted I should cancel my subscription to SACRED. He told me it was bordering on 'illegal nuisance' to continue. He never mentioned my name but as he turned to walk away he signalled the others to deliver a taste of what I could expect if I didn't comply. I stopped the job applications, but I refused to give up Futureworld. I can't really see how that should provoke me being singled out for suicide, but he certainly conveyed his feelings – he said he despised all people like me."

Duarte took his name to Pierze and said it was 'interesting'. Pierze however, was fascinated and stored the name Radan Hajek in his cerebral 'to do' list.

## Chapter 26

As Manuel was leaving for his meeting with Verdasco, Pierze called. "If you feel that Gretz was right about him and he decides to help us, I have a favour to ask of him which will test his priorities. All three of these SACRED owners have their private aircraft. Ask him if he can put the one belonging to Gretz at my disposal for a day, two at most. If he responds positively I will fix the details with him personally."

"Ok, I'm in a hell of a hurry, or I would ask why, what if he asks?"

"Just tell him it is crucial to our efforts to stop these deaths, and I will fully brief him when I know he is with us." Manuel departed. Pierze saw an opportunity, if the President would fly to meet the top man in Orient. His argument would conclude with a request for their current Moon habitats to be deployed a little differently to the planned layout. It would mean eating a little humble pie, but the distraction of Boniek would be the payoff. His former technical team had managed to get the ELF/VLF generator ready. He wanted it to be operated from within a remote controlled pilotless probe of the smallest dimension. He knew they had been taken out of service but were very easy to make ready. He said they had about a week before the command to launch would become more critical. He knew these people would not fail him.

*

Verdasco sat down and was about to remind Manuel that he didn't like such clandestine arrangements, when he was rocked by the whispered revelation. "I spoke to Gretz yesterday."

"What? Where is he? Why has he not made contact with us? He must surely know everyone on the planet is looking for him."

Manuel lowered his voice even further. "He probably does know that but he can't do much about it on the Moon."

"The Moon, he couldn't have got there since his disappearance, Boniek took the shuttle there and he has just got back. You're not going to tell me he has been abducted by Orient are you?"

Manuel managed to curb his smile. "Well you got half of it right, he was abducted, by your other partner." This caused Verdasco to pause, while Manuel watched him mentally take the timeline back, to just before Gretz evaporated.

"You have proof of this?"

Manuel replied, "Depending on what you consider to be evidence, I may have."

"Look Salina, I can't just accept your word that Constantin Boniek, who I have known for years, has done what you allege."

"I have my communicator record of my call from Gretz, you can listen to it. We can also check the location – as you are a wizard in this subject."

When he had listened to the recording over and over again Verdasco had more questions. "Who is Prometheus?" After Manuel had explained his 'illegal' entry into Futureworld, Verdasco admitted that Boniek had recruited the encryption guru. He was however, puzzled by Gretz' assertion that he would be terminated after the stock transfer from Banco Iberia to himself and Boniek.

"We found out from the bank that Sorin had bid for the stock, and then he vanished. We naturally wanted to prevent this aggressive increase in his share, but he shouldn't have known we made a counter offer to the bank, as we asked for that to be kept under wraps until complete. I suppose the only people who would have had the knowledge are Boniek and the Director of Banco Iberia, whereas the opportunity is pretty much pointing to my partner. He was on the Moon around the time slot in question, and he said it was necessary to check out our defensive position, as Gretz had been reporting on this. The shuttle is back at the elevator. It all fits in a circumstantial way but I don't want to believe it."

Manuel asked what he would do about the impending stock transfer. "If you don't go through with it there will be suspicion in the minds of both Boniek and the Director as to why. If you want more time to further investigate my claims yourself, or have me continue, it would seem sensible to go ahead. There's another way to get a handle on the veracity of Gretz' story. You have the means to contact Prometheus yourself via the code transmission source in Balkan Iberia."

Verdasco's eyes blazed. "How the hell do you know about that?"

"If you remember, Gretz hired me to investigate everything I felt necessary to explain the deaths linked to protests against your corporation. By infiltrating my brother's character in Futureworld, I was able to piece together information from Prometheus and the link to a missing scientist, who was the foremost, if not the only expert on neurogenic manipulation. It's likely that he was also abducted, and I suspect my father and Boniek were responsible. Have you visited this facility in Balkan Iberia recently?"

"Not for a couple of years, it always seemed to run like clockwork."

"If you were to suggest to Boniek that his diligence in checking the progress of the Moon defence project was exemplary, he would agree. Then when you state that a similar check should be carried out at the one secret installation which has been forgotten about, you would meet with resistance. He will offer to take care of it." Verdasco was genuinely confused but agreed to carry on with the stock transfer and look into means of secretly contacting Prometheus.

Manuel then put the final request to him. "Ricardo Pierze has need of a private aircraft to make a visit. He has to get to his destination without alerting any of his own staff, as it is highly likely that some are implicated in carrying on the unscrupulous agenda of my father. He says the visit is absolutely essential. He's also prepared to pay whatever you consider is acceptable for the hire of Gretz' jet for two days. Please don't ask me for details as he said he would rather discuss that with you directly. He recognises that both you and Boniek have blocked his proposed visits to the Moon and the elevator, but feels you may be willing to revisit that if you call him." Manuel left Pierze's direct number with Verdasco.

*

When Pierze spoke with Radan Hajek he grilled him intensively for almost four hours. Most of it was to determine his familiarity with the terrain near the location of Lopez. The other interest he had was in his early relationship with Boniek. He was satisfied with Hajek's knowledge of the terrain, as he had spent many vacations rock climbing in the region. The 'relationship' was apparently one of envy on the part of Boniek.

"At school he used to try to hang out with anyone who had strong peer respect or adulation. Being good at sport and able to take care of myself was respected by boys, and attractive to the girls. I think this was his problem. I can't remember him having any girlfriends, they thought he was creepy. Perhaps the closest he got to female company was through other boys, a kind of voyeuristic fetish. He was able to call in favours in this respect by doing homework for selected boys who were popular. Maybe that is why he said that people like me disgusted him." Pierze said he may call upon Hajek to guide him around Stara Planina.

*

By the time the stock transfer was completed Verdasco had decided to follow Manuel's suggestion and bring up the subject of protection in Balkan Iberia. "Well Constantin, we can now out-vote Gretz, if he ever shows up. It allows us to get on with securing our investments. I was thinking your recent whistle-stop visit to the Moon couldn't have been better timed with this damned new launch by Orient. We seem to have the elevator covered too. The only remaining concerns for me are the satellite ring, which we can't do much about, and that place in Balkan Iberia. It's a while since I visited the site. Maybe I should make sure we aren't exposed there."

"I don't think we have to worry about it. It is very difficult to find, even if you know about it, which virtually no one does."

Verdasco didn't give up. "Sure, but this Orient business worries me even more than it did before Gretz disappeared, and I suppose we can't rule out them having taken him for interrogation. It bothers me because they have chosen to 'camp' right next to us on the Moon. I think I would sleep better if I paid a visit."

Boniek's prior confidence was giving way to nervousness. "Well if it makes you happy, I will do it. My roots are in that region, I speak the dialect. I know the people and we don't want them to think there is a problem."

"You did the Moon Constantin, and you deserve to have the same time off as I did during your lunar dash. Smell the roses my friend."

"That's a great idea, if I had time off I would like to spend some of it in my homeland, looking up old friends and relaxing. The official part won't take long. I will arrange it immediately." This was persuasive enough for Verdasco to call Pierze.

"Manuel Salina asked me to call you; about Gretz' aircraft."

"Thank you for doing so. I suppose this means he has briefed you on what we believe to be the problem."

"Yes, but I am not completely convinced of his claims. Perhaps your explanation of the request for the aircraft would help."

Pierze startled him with another request. "Certainly, but first I need to know if you can pilot the plane."

"What? Gretz already has a pilot and he tends to go where the aircraft goes."

"This is different. Even if you confirm you can fly the machine I will have to get your clearance from my immediate superior."

Verdasco laughed. "Are you talking about the President?"

"I am. I'm sorry things have to proceed in a certain order Snr. Verdasco, but it is crucial. If you can fly the jet for me I will get the required authorisation and you will be fully briefed on the mission."

Verdasco's mind raced. "As long as you accept that my ability to pilot the aircraft does not imply that I will."

"Thank you for your patience. I will be back to you within the hour, and you will have much to gain if you accept our request."

*

When Pierze proposed his plan Sanchez was nervous about Verdasco. He did however prefer this risk to involving Ortega. "What else do you need to do before I make the person to person call?"

Pierze was economical with the truth. "I have to get him to sign the official secrets declaration. I will get to it right away Sir, we have no time to lose."

When he returned Verdasco's call he was more forthcoming and it was a gamble dictated by time constraint. "I have the President's seal of approval. We will fly direct to Orient. Their air space people will be escorting us once we enter, and take us all the way to Shanghai. From there we will be flown by their helicopter to a private retreat of the Delegate-in-Chief. You and I will be present in the first part of the meeting and Sanchez will conduct the remainder with Din Chow Zen. If you can accept that format you can sign the appropriate paperwork en-route. I don't mean to rush you Verdasco, but there is a hell of a lot hanging in the balance, including your own investment." Verdasco was stunned but hooked.

"What do I have to lose other than everything? Very well, give me the time and I'll have the aircraft readied."

*

Pierze received an incoming transmission that the probe would be ready within twenty-four hours. He acknowledged it and told them to stand by for the signal to launch.

None of them had actually flown through Orient airspace before and didn't expect an escort of twelve heavily armed fighter jets. The view from the specified altitude was restricted, in the sense that the mandatory low flying corridor caused everything to flash by too quickly for recognition of structures. Touchdown in Shanghai was also eerie, as the totalitarian regime had censored the occasion to include only the absolute minimum of participants. The three Iberians reflected on how this could not happen in the Republic. The blacked out limousines sped out of the perimeter protected airstrip, exclusively reserved for Party dignitaries. Less than an hour on the deserted roads took them to a 'reserve' contained by high voltage wires. The cars ground to a halt and the guests were subjected to security scans and then ushered into a comfortable holding building and offered refreshment. It took fifteen unnerving minutes for them to be shown into the opulent main palace. An enormous table confronted them as they were shown into the conference suite. It was difficult from this distance to make out the features of the individual sitting just to the left of the patently reserved 'throne' at the table end. They were motioned to take seats far enough away from the seated interpreter so as to make it difficult to hear soft voices. The entrance of Din Chow Zen evoked the feeling it should have been set to music, so deliberate was the walk. They were encouraged to stand while he acknowledged their presence. He opened the proceedings after asking them to sit, and explaining that although he had rudimentary understanding of Iberian, he had provided an interpreter to ensure he did not miss the nuances of anything that might be discussed.

"Welcome to Orient gentlemen. This meeting will become controversial in both countries unless we produce a joint statement of what we have agreed, not what we have discussed. It may be that we agree nothing. President Sanchez, you requested this meeting, please proceed."

Sanchez rose to his feet to introduce Pierze and Verdasco, explaining their relative positions in the government and the SACRED Corporation. He hesitated while the interpreter was motioned to Din Chow Zen's ear. Sanchez resumed. "I asked for this meeting because tension in both states is running high, perhaps for different reasons. I recognise that Orient's frustration at Iberian sell-off of the agreed colonisation structure is justified. In turn your resumption of this initiative is also understood, it is only the choice of location on the Moon which has raised the temperature amongst our Foreign Office diplomats. I'm sure there is a perfectly logical explanation, which we would be pleased to hear. Our commercial infrastructure depends heavily on Snr. Verdasco's enterprise running smoothly. At present that is not the case. You will be aware I'm sure, from your monitoring of our newspapers that we are struggling to identify the precise reason for the death of many individuals, whose only connection appears to be through SACRED. I'm not able to reassure you that we are close to solving this mystery. In fact we may need your help. I am prepared for your question - why would you be willing to help a nation which has let you down once before? The answer is regrettably simple. We have eventually found evidence of the ultimate agenda of the people behind the deaths, even though we still have to identify all of the personnel involved. If this agenda succeeds it will cripple Iberia, and Orient will be next. I know you will ask for me to flesh out the claims I make, and I will if you can signal a willingness to trust me. I was not in office when you were let down by my nation. It won't happen again during my tenure. I await your reaction. Please take time to digest what I have said."

Other delegates were sent for, appeared, challenged by Din Chow Zen and then sent back to the location from which they had arrived. Din Chow Zen spoke in a dramatic tone. "We will not abandon the colonisation a second time if this is the 'help' you seek. There is no possibility of that."

Sanchez had to decide how big a card he could afford to play at this early stage. He didn't want to get back to Iberia and admit to the nation that he failed at the first hurdle, so he played high. "I wish to assure you that provided we can agree with your future plans for your Moon project we will cover the cost of that, the way we should have done in the first instance. It would have to be a balance of money, aid, and trade which you could agree to. I have Snr. Verdasco here to take note of any request you may have, to use our space elevator to launch jointly targeted transport. His enterprise has to make profit, so our government would pay his corporation. I'm more interested in our two nations having a common purpose on the Moon and more compatible programmes on Earth. This can be achieved through exchange of raw materials, goods, and technology in the attempt to harmonise our objectives. It won't be easy. That does not blunt my pledge to achieve a way of working together while respecting the other's ideology and practice." This gambit took Pierze and Verdasco as much by surprise as those it was intended to shock. It was suspiciously open and therefore openly suspicious.

The Orient leader sent for another batch of experts and then dismissed them as he had the first contingent. "Is this offer you make to finance our colonisation dependent on Orient agreeing to the reciprocal help you need?"

"No, it will happen regardless of your decision. We should have ensured this compensation when we sold the lunar base to SACRED. However, if we don't work together against the evil we have uncovered, there will be no gain for either of us. May I make the proposals which would assist us, so that you can digest the full implications for the entire planet?"

"Proceed."

Sanchez drew breath; he had to get this right. "We both have citizens who wish to overthrow our regimes by unconstitutional means. Our way of life is currently threatened from within by a science which can only be described as dehumanising. I have with me two envelopes. The first is not sealed and covers the plan you can assist us with. The second is electronically sealed with polarised block foil and if opened will reveal the breach. I propose to go through the content of the first envelope with you now, as that describes a scenario in which we may succeed. The sealed envelope will be opened by both of us, here in your palace, if we have succeeded. It contains every detail we have discovered about the conspiracy, and we would then be able to agree a means of ensuring it can never happen again. We would very much like to hear why you have chosen the specific location on the Moon, so that we can determine if our request is feasible and something you can accept."

This time Din Chow Zen conducted a prolonged exchange with the interpreter. "You can ask the favour and then I will be better placed to outline the broad objective of our colonisation plan, it is not complicated."

Sanchez took another deep breath. "It would be of enormous help if you could deploy the latest habitat modules closer to the SACRED installation. This would inject further concern in Iberia, and precipitate the need for Snr. Verdasco to make an urgent trip to his base." Sanchez took out the content from envelope number 1. "We have listed frequencies on which your people on the Moon can contact someone in the SACRED base who we only know as Prometheus. The message that your people should read out to him is detailed in here. It is basically a threat to destroy the base if it isn't surrendered. If the base supervisor is convinced of the veracity he will comply. When your people have secured this situation Verdasco will take over and your men can return to their habitat. This will effectively allow Verdasco to eliminate one leg of the Colossus. In the meantime we have to amputate the other leg pretty much simultaneously, in order to bring down the entire plot. If we do not achieve this in time we will send you the coordinates for a nuclear strike. I have signed a document authorising this, only the location is missing. If you receive these coordinates we will have failed and may have been terminated, in which case you should open envelope number 2, as well as despatching the warhead. I realise this may all sound preposterous to you but it is a very complicated and delicate situation. We must wrest total control of the SACRED Moon base from the conspirators in a low key manner for the next step to stand any chance of success."

The silence was deafening. The Iberian party was requested to vacate the palace and wait in the refreshment area while the full squad of advisors was wheeled in to examine the content of envelope 1. When they were recalled within fifteen minutes, the Iberian party was downcast. Din Chow Zen rose to his feet for the first time. "We have a question. What is to stop us from opening envelope 2, one minute after you leave?"

Sanchez brightened up as he replied, "If we have failed it will not matter. If we somehow succeed, and find you have opened it in our absence, we will know how you felt when your trust was broken over the colonisation pledge. It will ensure that we continue to distrust each other."

The Orient leader looked at the advisors in sequence and they all nodded in turn. "Our objectives on the Moon remain as they were in 2017. Our population growth has slowed but not enough for us to do without a lunar option. The location is one borne solely out of critical path analysis. If we were to encounter life-threatening problems in trying to sustain the expansion, we would be able to call on a neighbour on the Moon for help in such an emergency. We would have had to trust you again, as you now have years of experience."

Sanchez, Pierze and Verdasco looked at one another in disbelief. The President glanced at Din Chow Zen, who spoke again. "Make your preparations, we will assist."

## Chapter 27

When they had arrived back Verdasco had a call from Boniek. "Have you seen the news?"

"Not today, I have had a call from the President, would you believe it? I was just about to call you, anyway go ahead." Boniek was taken aback.

"The President, I think you had better go first."

"No, it's complicated – I'll explain before we hang up." Boniek's voice was very deliberate.

"Those bastards are moving their latest habitat units in a direct approach line to our facility."

"Well that makes what I was going to say a lot less complicated. Surely El Presidente knew that when he called me, but he never mentioned it. I'm glad you called. He wants to visit the elevator and said it would be better than him authorising enforcement from Pierze, which I agreed to. We cannot be seen to refuse the President, and anyway, he won't even know what he is looking at. I'll keep him on a short leash and never let him out of my sight. When he has gone I'm going to take the shuttle to the Moon and see exactly what is going on." This was not good news for Boniek.

"It's no problem, I will do it."

"Not at all, you should finish your break, you've been to the lunar base recently and anyway, I'm already at the elevator. It is some time since I was there, a refresher visit will help. How did you get on in the research unit?" Boniek had to concede.

"Ok, I will head back soon. I still think it would be conspicuous to place defensive armour and personnel here. Its strength is its desolate, uninhabited location."

"Well at least we've checked it out. I'll see you as soon as I get back from the Moon." Boniek said it would be better if he called from the Moon to give an update, in case he had to join him there. "Ok my friend, enjoy what is left of your break."

*

This arrangement prompted Pierze to launch the probe. They knew that Boniek would immediately contact the base supervisor and warn him of Verdasco's visit, and tell him to keep Gretz well hidden.

*

Manuel felt there was more to extract from Bernardo. He found him looking much refreshed and he remarked, "You appear to have benefitted from shedding a great burden."

"Yes, my colour has returned and I haven't felt better in years, regardless of what Snr. Pierze has in mind for me." Manuel said that Pierze was not normally credited with having a compassionate side. Bernardo shrugged his shoulders. "It is done now Manuel, it wasn't easy but it's better than going to my grave in the knowledge that I continued to look the other way. It is a small step but a significant one."

"Yes, it's a pity you couldn't remember more names of the higher ranking officers in this Sidonia sect. It's that kind of recall which I think might persuade him to be more lenient." Bernardo's mind was scanning Manuel's expression. "Anyway I'll ask my lawyer in Uruguay to send all names on the papers which I copied from my father's files. You never know, it may jerk your memory. What I really wanted to discuss with you was my mother's situation. She has put the apartment in Londonis up for sale and I said I would help her by clearing it out. There may be stuff there which could help Pierze; I didn't have time to check it out when I first came to the northern hemisphere. She is talking of moving to Londonis herself, on my advice. She's too recognisable in Madrid. She will have obscurity there. I still expect Pierze will want to speak to you again about Sandrine Benitez, and I hope you haven't forgotten our little agreement, she must be kept silent."

The reply indicated Bernardo's expectation of the temporary amnesia receding further with more relaxation. "Yes, I have not forgotten Manuel but I cannot function efficiently in custody. I suggest you speak with your father's confidante, Constantin Boniek. And when you have these papers from Uruguay and Londonis, let me know, I might recognise more of them by name."

*

The probe's telemetry clearly showed the shape and depth of the Balkan Iberia research facility. There were banks of what resembled huge generators. It made sense in such a remote spot, but at the same time meant that cutting off the power was going to be a lot more difficult than a simple snip. Pierze asked to speak to Radan Hajek again. "How would you like to help even up the score with Constantin Boniek again?"

"How would I do that?" Pierze only wanted an answer at this stage.

"You would be working for the government on a probationary basis. You said you were looking for a job, this could lead to a career for you."

"I am certainly interested in a job Snr. Pierze, but I need to know something about what you have in mind."

"Well I would like to take advantage of your linguistic ability and knowledge of Stara Planina to help trap Constantin Boniek. You see, it is not only you he has treated badly. He has been involved in all of the deaths associated with SACRED that we have investigated. You may also want to bear in mind that the people that Maxi Duarte interviewed, including you, were all selected for the same fate. That is how you came to be in safekeeping with us."

"It sounds dangerous." Pierze did not try to disguise the personal risk.

"It is extremely dangerous for all of us, but unless we stop him you can substitute dead for dangerous. I would also point out that if you just leave here, which you are free to do, you may actually be in more danger. His people have previously terminated selected individuals who we have isolated."

"Tell me precisely what you want me to do."

*

The Orient all-terrain lunar vehicle was ready and waiting for confirmation that Verdasco had arrived. As expected, he was given the censored tour by the base supervisor. Verdasco asked if they had suffered many disciplinary problems in recent times. The question was unexpected but the reply was not. "No, we have managed to convey what we want of the employees during the contract, but more importantly, what we do not want."

"Good, so do you have anyone in the brig right now?" The supervisor wobbled.

"Er, no Sir. The brig is in fact being refurbished at present. It has been declared off-limits until the work is complete."

Verdasco produced palpable concern when he said, "Remind me, if there is time, to see it for myself. I don't want discipline to be confused with prison. Who approved the design?"

"Well it was, let me see – I think it was Snr. Boniek or maybe Snr. Gretz, I can't remember, but I can check."

"Ok, maybe later." When they came to the encryption section he said he was always fascinated with the process and would like to watch a run of a current batch. The supervisor jumped at the chance to disappear and contact Boniek.

"Prometheus I presume."

"Sir?"

"I know that Gretz is captive here. Right now I'm going to signal the Orient base and they will contact you. What they will threaten to do is known to me and you just have to go along with it and advise the supervisor. I will free Gretz once we have allowed the Orient squad to secure the base."

"I see." He nodded and Verdasco sent the signal. When the call came Prometheus put it on screen and asked the supervisor to come at once over the PA system. It interrupted his call to Boniek. When he arrived the message was repeated for his benefit and the Orient Commander drew their attention to the approaching vehicle.

"You have five minutes to surrender the base if you want to avoid termination. We have targeted our electron beam generator at the heat spots – life-forms in your case. The energy will be set at lethal mega-rad dosage, which will penetrate the building with ease and you can look forward to a lingering and painful death. You do have a choice, as you may notice our squad, which is approaching, has radiation resistant clothing. They will either be allowed in by you, or when you have been dosed, they will cut their way in. You now have four minutes to decide."

The supervisor was in a state of mental meltdown, and he asked if anyone knew what the hell this guy was talking about. Verdasco feigned panic. "For God's sake man, you are in charge here, do something."

"I have had experience in EB Sir," said Prometheus.

"Well tell me quickly." The supervisor had more focus on the clock than what he was told, but he realised it wasn't good news.

"Electron beam radiation, when focussed on materials such as certain chemicals, can cause them to polymerise or solidify in milliseconds, compared to hours by conventional methods. The worrying thing is that he said they were going to deliver a high dosage. Even a small dose of five to ten mega-rad, is enough to turn liquid chemicals to solids. What he is threatening will ensure none of us can survive."

The supervisor could not look away from the clock. He took the voice piece. "We may need a little longer to get everyone together." The reply was unflinching.

"That is not necessary, we will see to your safety after you open the airlock. You have two minutes; our squad has parked the vehicle a safe distance away. Decide before I have to."

"Ok, I am despatching the necessary people to the airlock." The supervisor was contradicted once more.

"You will despatch only one person for this task, we will take it from there. Remember we still have the electron beam focussed on you – one departure from what we tell you to do and it will be activated."

Once inside the base, the squad of Orient operatives secured the airlock again and asked for the supervisor to meet them. He nervously made his way there and was hastily anesthetised by a tranquiliser dart. The leader of the squad then asked for Verdasco to join them. When he had done so, they used him for the remaining commands, particularly to get the entire workforce into an area where they could all be seen at once. He recommended the dining hall. Once this had occurred the squad marched Verdasco to join the rest of them and explained the new rules. They were to undergo a headcount and when satisfied that it was correct each person would be accompanied to their quarters, two at a time. They were locked inside and when only Verdasco and Prometheus remained, the latter was asked to take them to Gretz. Seeing his partner there was final proof for Verdasco that Boniek was indeed part of the conspiracy.

"Am I glad to see you? What is the status of the research unit?" Verdasco said that Pierze was waiting for a signal from them to confirm this end had been neutralised before launching that operation.

"We have still to allow Prometheus here to disengage the encryption software and lock it. Come with us and he can do that as I bring you up to date."

He turned to the Orient squad leader and thanked him for his invaluable assistance, and they were allowed to return to their habitat. Their safe arrival would have allowed the electron beam generator to be powered down, if it had ever existed. Verdasco congratulated Prometheus on his vivid imagination employed to pressurise the supervisor, and asked him to finalise the disconnection. The call was made to Pierze. He in turn informed Sanchez, who passed the good news and sincere thanks to Din Chow Zen.

*

Verdasco connected with Boniek and said he had to talk quickly. "Our suspicions of Orient's intent were accurate. They have an electron beam focussed on our position with the threat of our extermination if we do not cooperate. They have already eliminated the supervisor and two other operatives for calling their bluff. We have twenty-four hours to stew on surrendering the base before the rest of us go the same way. Our weaponry here is nullified because this beam has a 'broad-kill' effect. It can take the entire installation population down in an instant, with a wide focus. They obviously want to acquire the base in working order. Where are you?"

"I'm on my way back to the elevator. Just as well, it must be their next target." Verdasco nervously disagreed.

"That may be correct - I don't know. I can't understand their broken Iberian dialect too well, but they keep mentioning a name, which I had to repeatedly deny any knowledge of. Have you come across a 'Viktor La-Paz'? I tried to tell them we have over a hundred thousand employees. They seem to be certain he works here."

"Shit. Listen, I will have to contact the elevator and the research unit I have just left to check their files. His name means nothing to me."

Verdasco kept his nerve. "Ok, but let me know where you will be first. These bastards believe I'm lying. I need to know from you as soon as possible or we are going to die."

"Right, I'll go back to the research base, it is close and I can check the files myself. In the meantime I'll call the elevator and get them to run the search, and then forward the result to me." Verdasco gave the thumbs up to Gretz and Prometheus, and then he called Pierze.

"Boniek is driving back to Balkan Iberia, it is all yours now."

Pierze was relieved and replied, "Our small team is in place. When will you return?"

"I think it's dangerous for us to leave until we can be relieved by new recruits we can trust, to help us ship back these Boniek loyalists."

*

Manuel travelled to Londonis and apart from setting up the estate agent to sell the apartment, he wanted to surprise Butragueno. She was so excited to see him walk through the precinct main office to hers, at which he stopped, and read the name C.I. Butragueno. He shrugged his shoulders as if he didn't know of this person. She threw a previously prepared paper dart at him and beckoned him to enter.

"I've come to take you to dinner, unless you have other plans Chief Inspector."

"I still haven't got used to that title yet. I suppose I could manage to fit you in this evening."

"Great, there is something I want to tell you, and it's important that I bring you up to date with the situation on SACRED, it is at an extremely critical stage."

They met at her favourite bar for an aperitif, and moved on to the restaurant. She hadn't dined there before, but had heard rave reviews about it. He ordered a Chilean white and said, "I have good news, well I hope it's good news. I'm selling the apartment here for my mother and she has decided to live here with her friend Maria, who is recovering from a cancerous tumour operation. The remainder of the proceeds of father's indulgent investment she has promised to me. I'm therefore also in the market for a dwelling in Londonis. I was hoping you might have some time to help me look for something appropriate."

She could not contain her joy. "It will be a pleasure Manuel, but I'll have to register for only short periods of time off, my workload is high. We should be able to arrange some evening viewings." He moved on to the update and when she had heard how delicate the Balkan Iberia plan was, she realised that everything could change overnight. Her mind wandered to the rest of the evening. It was time.

## Chapter 28

The main advantage Pierze had was surprise. They knew the research complex was not heavily guarded, but they had to gain entry and get to Viktor Lopez before anyone could instruct him to activate the drones. It couldn't be a storm-trooper exercise. Pierze had decided on a distraction technique. His idea was one of simplicity, as President Sanchez was standing by with the coordinates for Din Chow Zen's nuclear strike if they failed. Pierze was therefore in 'hands-on' mode, and was one of twelve individuals dressed in local attire, but armed with well concealed stun guns, which were made to look like automatic pistols. They chose a point which Boniek had to traverse in order to arrive at the complex in the valley floor, where the underground entrance was concealed. They also knew from Verdasco that they would be challenged at this point, so it was thought necessary to give the checkpoint guards a short advance warning that they would be arriving soon. They then had to gain entry very quickly. That is why they had planned to capture Boniek before he got back. The accident was set up on the deserted mountain pass. It involved the two vehicles carrying the ten special operations men, Pierze and Radan Hajek. It had attracted the attention of a few local farming people who wanted to help. Hajek spoke to them and asked if they would just flag down any oncoming traffic and explain that it wouldn't be too long before the vehicle recovery unit was there, to separate the two which were embedded in one another. It would be getting dark soon and this could be of assistance.

When Boniek arrived there were another three vehicles queuing to get past the accident area. The local farmer with the flag told him what had happened, but he said aggressively that he needed to push his way through, and got out of the car. As he approached the impact zone he was already remonstrating with those who just appeared to be standing around. "Time may not mean much to you people with your cows and tractors, but some of us have deadlines to meet. This damned recovery vehicle could take hours; surely we can all attempt to manually separate the two trucks, come on let's at least try."

As he wandered to the back of the nearest one, the darkness obscured the triangulated shock from the stun guns. He was swiftly hauled into the storage space and hidden under some straw. Hajek said to the local gathering that they weren't going to wait for the recovery unit until it was pitch black, and would take the risk of reversing both trucks simultaneously. "Both drivers have exchanged insurance details and accept that the crude unhinging may cause further damage." The locals enjoyed the spectacle as if it were the highlight of the week. The de-crunching was artificially enhanced by deliberate grinding of the gears.

Once free of one another the vehicles went in opposite directions until the small 'crowd' had dispersed, then one turned and headed after the lead vehicle. They then returned to pick up Boniek's car which would be recognised by the security staff on approach. When they reached sight of the valley floor they stopped to allow Boniek to recover. Even though he was groggy he knew that he had fallen for a simple con. It could prove disastrous for him. The only faces he could see were ones he recognised, for different reasons. His morale dropped at Pierze's smile and hit rock bottom when he caught the predatory glint in Radan Hajek's eyes.

Pierze ordered a stimulant to be administered to Boniek, he had to be attentive to remember the instructions he was about to receive. Pierze checked his captive's eyes after a couple of minutes and was happy to proceed. "You may know about Orient's capture of your Moon base. So listen very carefully. The lunar part of your system is obviously in their hands. In order to prevent misuse of SACRED and the whole Republic going belly-up again, we the government, need to make this end of the system secure. Don't look so worried, we got this location and its purpose from Bernardo. We have no time to lose or explain things to the security people of this research centre, as we believe Orient's troops are on standby as I speak. So we must at least lock down the system even if we cannot prevent them from taking over the complex. We have alerted armoured divisions to head them off but they stole a march on us. Our intelligence tells us they have been preparing this for months. They also have the complex in the crosshairs of a nuclear warhead. If we can get in and out before they arrive we can avoid the President of Iberia authorising this facility to be vaporised. Don't look so shocked, we can't allow them to take it over intact, and just in case they do, we will destroy their forces along with the research centre. It is a game of high stakes. I hope you are keeping up with me here. Get on your communicator and speak to the entry personnel as we approach. Tell them to let your vehicle and both trucks pass. We would have been in good time if we had not had that damned accident. Do you understand what you have to do?" It was all happening so fast.

"How do we know they took the Moon base so quickly?"

"I will explain later, but in a nutshell the bastards televised the whole sequence from their own base camp, it has been broadcast, where the hell have you been? The entire planet has seen it from their living room. Now make the call." Boniek told the guards the short version, and his disclosure of not one but two nuclear threats did the rest. The complex began to empty of panic-stricken staff. Pierze had his team at the exit checking for Viktor Lopez. When they found him Pierze took him to one side and explained what had to be done. He told one of his team, plus Radan Hajek, to accompany them to the neurogenic station. The look in Boniek's eyes began to betray his recognition of being stung for the second time within an hour. They weren't going to a lockdown terminal. He began to add up the various elements of the game. When they reached the station Lopez was allowed the privilege of taking a sledgehammer to the hardware. Boniek's dreams started to die in front of his eyes. Pierze and Lopez were reunited at last, they left Hajek and the special operations man as referee for the retribution of Boniek, who pleaded, begged and finally involuntarily deposited excrement in his Armani suit, as he was struck with the first right hand. The next few minutes were brutal, but no more so than when the roles were reversed and three of Boniek's thugs had almost cost Hajek his life.

*

Pierze made the call to Sanchez. The President then contacted Din Chow Zen, and made the request for the Orient leader to be the first of that rank to receive an invitation to Madrid for over half a century. "Please bring envelope 2 with you and we can open it together. It will hopefully demonstrate that we can overcome problems by working together. I intend, with your agreement, to begin a regulated opening of our border to accommodate some immigration from Orient to help with your overcrowding, if that is what you would like."

The invitation was accepted.

*

The restaurant was about to close and the waiter was tapping his foot periodically when Manuel's communicator activated. It was Pierze. "Where are you?"

"In a Londonis restaurant, we are just about to leave, why?" Pierze was still cautious.

"We, who is 'we'?" Manuel indicated that he was with Butragueno.

"Oh, then I can proceed. I didn't want to alert anyone that there had ever been a problem with SACRED."

Manuel's face brightened. "You are using the past tense; does that mean it's over?"

"Pretty much Manuel, there will be no Drone Day. The Moon and the research centre are secure and we have Boniek. We have rescued Lopez and Prometheus, and Gretz and Verdasco are safe, so you will be getting paid. However we still have to cut off the head of the snake, so Boniek will be subject to assisting with identifying his cohorts. That task cannot be left in abeyance as we must avoid them going underground and reforming. The sect must be culled. I know you have spoken with Bernardo again, so I would appreciate your presence, and Duarte's, to get all of this finalised before the visit of Din Chow Zen."

Manuel was astonished but intrigued at the possible thaw in relations with Orient. "Ok, I will catch the first flight out tomorrow."

"No you won't, I have commandeered Boniek's private aircraft to pick you up from Londonis in four hours. We have no time to lose. I will have breakfast ready by the time you get here." When Manuel explained all of this to Butragueno and apologised profusely, she took his hand and they walked back to his hotel. When he held her to say goodnight, she resisted and walked toward reception. The look in her eyes convinced him that no words were necessary. During the next two hours she surrendered all of the accumulated passion of the past few weeks. Words were still trapped in their minds; this occasion did not require articulated accompaniment – the cerebral and emotional duet sequestered every note to deliver total harmony. Elle Butragueno was not highly sexually experienced, but this was much more than sex. Manuel on the other hand had always substituted any drift toward relationship by frequent sexual encounters. This was a turning point for both of them. They did not speak about it as she drove him to the airport. Goodbye was not the wrench it had been when she had left Madrid. There was a new purpose in her life, and Manuel had taken the first step to trusting anyone other than Konrad and Senora Salina with his true feelings.

*

When Pierze had a patched-up Boniek back in his office, he made no apology for the plethora of stitches and sticking plasters which characterised his new face. "Surely it is not necessary for me to remind you how these things go. I want names and one way or another I will get them from you or Bernardo. There will be no plea bargaining, the only difference will be in the location of your confinement. There are bad places and hell. Both of you may go to hell. However the vacancies at the bad places are limited to one. Would you like to begin?"

"Names for what?" Pierze glared at him and shouted ferociously, unintentionally misting his interviewee with sputum.

"Not a good start Constantin. You know exactly what I mean."

"It is a genuine question. You must appreciate I have worked with certain people outside of SACRED and I have recruited temporary people to protect that organisation. The two roles are quite different. With SACRED I was in sole charge and have total knowledge – for example the elevator is protected by people who will only acknowledge one master. Like certain canine breeds they are very territorial and extremely faithful. They will wonder where I am. On the other hand the people you seek in both Rojo-Negro Mano and Sidonia are not all known to me, and I wasn't responsible for either recruiting or directing them."

Pierze brought in Duarte. "For the recording \- I am leaving the room and Maxi Duarte is entering to conduct the next stage of the interview." Duarte concentrated on Boniek's last statement.

"If I really understand what you said earlier, I'm supposed to believe you are not the highest authority in this Sidonia organisation. This is in absolute contradiction to our previous information. Would you care to elaborate?"

"I'm assuming you got your previous information from the erstwhile Bernardo?" As this failed to elucidate any response from Duarte he continued. "I will take it that I'm correct in that assertion. I was nowhere near the top of the pyramid. I was in a full time remit with SACRED and that alone would have disqualified me, these civil servants have all the time they need to service Sidonia. I was promised a significant promotion after what you call Drone Day, but even that would have put me at the penultimate level of office. The rules are very strict about that in the brotherhood. I can give you many names but I will not use up this collateral until you have verified what I am saying, otherwise my position is weakened."

After a further exhausting three hours of relentless questioning Duarte left the office to join Pierze and Manuel, who was greedily devouring a mountainous breakfast. He said, "I'm sorry to disappoint you Ricardo, but I believe him. We have to talk to this Bernardo again to highlight the discrepancies in their accounts and go from there. I would suggest doing this before interviewing them together."

Pierze agreed but added one further layer. "Let Manuel reconnect with Bernardo alone first, as he thinks he has returned with papers from Uruguay and the Salina apartment in Londonis. We can observe this through the glass to pick up potential contradictions with what he has already 'confessed'."

Manuel was briefed to slip in a reference in his father's papers to future recruitment policy within Sidonia. "I'm sorry I have to ask you this again Bernardo but it is somewhat different to what I understood from our previous talk. It mentions guidelines and rules. One of the rules states that there are caps on levels of office according to qualifications and character, but also definite time commitment. For example, part-time outside employment would disqualify even the best candidate from becoming Director of the sect. This puzzles me because you indicated that Constantin Boniek had already expressed interest in elevation to such a level of distinction, via his secret association with Antonio Salina. How do you explain that?"

Bernardo had been locked away and like the rest of the populous, knew nothing of the capture of Boniek. He pondered what Manuel had said and concluded that this was verification of him having copied his father's papers. He fell for the deception, this time completely. He decided to twist his story rather than stick to it or change it. "That is true Manuel, but when I indicated that Boniek may be promoted by your father, I am sure I implied that it was dependent on Drone Day being successful. Your father had died, a new leader was required. So I can only assume that Boniek was a candidate to take up full-time status once that was achieved. He was definitely one of the nominees and was confident when we last spoke." Pierze pulled Manuel out by instructing him through his earpiece.

"Excellent work Manuel, now Duarte will join me with Boniek again. This could be checkmate."

When this alternate spin was offered to Boniek he laughed out loud. "You don't get it do you? Who do you think was running this operation for the last few years? I thought you had got past the façade of Antonio Salina. The guy was a puppet. His indiscretions were scandalous and manifold. He was a tolerated liability. It was already in the master plan for him to die unexpectedly. Don't you see what I am saying?"

Duarte intervened. He asked Pierze to step outside, and they re-joined Manuel. "As I'm the only one who has not directly interviewed Bernardo, or even met him until today, I do see what Boniek is trying to tell us without breaking the cult rules. The only one who breaks the rules is the one who makes them. Bernardo is your man." It took a few seconds before it clicked then it was obvious. Bernardo was always protesting he merely looked the other way, but knew of details that he should not have. It also occurred to Duarte, that he may have ordered the death of Antonio Salina.

All three of them confronted Bernardo, told him the game was up, and why. They then wheeled in Boniek, who cast an expression of intense disgust at the hypocritical, cowardly individual to whom he had previously given so much respect. Bernardo decided not to utter another word. He wanted legal representation of his own choice. Unknown to the others Boniek had appropriated a knife from his breakfast platter. As they were both being ushered to the cells he sank it up to the hilt as it penetrated Bernardo's heart. "You deserve a traitor's death but we don't always get what we deserve." Boniek was led away. He accepted his fate and declined to reveal any names.

*

Verdasco and Gretz personally accompanied Prometheus back from the Moon and ensured he would receive substantial compensation and an attractive offer to continue with SACRED under a revised setup, participation in which would be offered to Orient.

*

Manuel resumed his interests in Londonis and Duarte was a constant presence at his son's academy sessions. He still consulted for Pierze, who always contemplated how first impressions could be wrong, when he watched Duarte leave his office. They may never be friends, but had enormous respect for one another.

*

When Constantin Boniek stood to receive sentence, he was first asked if he had anything to say. He had, at the outset of the trial, decided on defending himself, and then refused to utter a single word during cross-examination. He now spoke for the one and only time. "You have avoided coming under Sidonia rule this time. There will be another time. You don't have the means to prevent the brotherhood from reforming. In fact your new open relationship with Orient will facilitate this. I am proud of what I tried to achieve with my fellow members. That is why I am happy to have eliminated the pathetic previous leader. I will be revered for this, and I will enjoy it, as your laws prevent you from giving me the death sentence. That is your weakness. I would have embraced it. The neurogenic technology is, like the lunar colony, but a first step toward a new future."
