Against his better judgement, Gary agreed to have a meal with Sam while they waited to call Jared’s clinic in the States. The closer to time to call, the more apprehensive Gary became. For one thing, he didn’t want Donna to find out what they were doing behind her back, and another, he knew by talking to Terry Downing, Jared’s partner, eventually, Jared would find out. If there was one person Gary hated pissing off more than Donna, it was Jared. He’d seen first-hand what Jared’s anger could do.
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Sam collected their empty dishes and put them in the dishwasher. Gary moved into the lounge. Sam brought two cups of steaming liquid into the lounge. “Coffee for you. Herbal tea for me.” Sam glanced at his watch. “Jared’s clinic should be open, by now.”
Gary checked the time on his cell phone and sighed. “I was afraid you were going to say that. Sam, I’m going to need a few seconds to upload ‘Acid Rain’ to their computer system. I’ll let you know when I have it, so keep them talking until then. Are you sure you can do this without making Terry suspicious?”
“Trust me,” Sam grinned, unlocked his cell phone and put it on speaker.
Gary held up his hand. “Just wait a second. VICi, link database to Sam Kaliea’s cell phone and my laptop. Once communication is open, upload ‘Acid Rain’. Silent notification only, to my laptop. OK, Sam – go.” Sam pressed the number to the clinic and waited.
“Fairfield Clinic, this is Billie. How may I help you?”
“Hi Billie, this is Dr. Sam Kaliea from Newcastle Stem Cell Research Centre in the UK.” Sam kept an eye on Gary while he talked. Gary watched the network link, waiting for the red bar to flash. “I’ve acquired one of Dr. Downing’s patients,” Sam continued, “…and I was wondering if you might send me a copy of their medical record. The patient has an unusual problem, and I’d like to check their previous treatment before I go any further.”
“I’m sorry, Dr. Kaliea, but you’d need to discuss that with Dr. Downing or Dr. Thundercloud. Other than the patient, they’re the only people authorised to release patient records.”
“Would either one of them be available?”
“Dr. Downing is with a patient and Dr. Thundercloud is not in the clinic today. Would you like to leave a message?”
Gary gave Sam the thumbs up.
“No, that’s OK Billie. I’ll call back.” Sam ended the call. “That was fast.”
“VICi, follow communication link and download Fairfield Clinic’s database using Dr. Juanita Walton’s logon information. Put downloaded file in a separate folder, label and store in secured area of database. Once download has completed, put ‘Acid Rain’ in sleep mode.” Gary waited.
Sam’s eyebrows shot up. “Man, you know the techno jargon. How do you remember all those commands?”
“Takes years of practice, Sam and lots of patience. VICi can do just about anything if you give her the correct commands in the right order.”
“Could she fly an airplane?”
“Probably,” Gary responded. “It might take some tweaking, but I believe it could be done.”
“How would it work?”
“Well, if the aircraft has auto-pilot, which most these days do, I would logon to their on-board computer, much in the same way as I….”
VICi; Logon successful. Database downloaded. ‘Acid Rain’ now in sleep mode.
“Good, now we can find out whether or not my hunch is right,” Sam commented.
“VICi,” Gary said. “Access downloaded file. Scan for Dr. Donna Marie Rigden’s patient records. Send a list of medications given to Dr. Rigden since she became Dr. Juanita Walton’s patient. Filter out anything before the fourth month of the current year. Display information to wallscreen. Focus, Sam Kaliea.”
Sam focused on the wall he normally used for his wallscreen displays. A list of conditions, diagnosis and medications given appeared on the wallscreen. Sam scanned through the information. Aiming a laser pointer at the screen, he started explaining. “Well, on this date it shows where Juanita started Donna on oral contraceptives, but Juanita didn’t examine her until a week after Donna started taking them, which is a little odd, but, never mind. She shows Donna responded well, so Juanita gave her a repeat prescription for three months, which is standard….”
Gary held up a hand. “Sam, could you just get on with it. I don’t feel comfortable going through Donna’s private documents like this!”
“Right – sorry – I thought you wanted to know.”
“Well – I don’t. Just find what we’re after.”
“There – that one,” Sam said. “That’s where she was given the Depro shot.”
Gary slid to the edge of his seat. “VICi, down three lines. Select barcode. Scan through all patient records of downloaded file for the same barcode. Filter out individual identification elements. Scan for any reference to abnormalities and unplanned pregnancies.”
VICi; Six matches found.
“VICi, display matches and dates the injections were given.”
“There!” Sam growled, pointing to the dates. “Is that proof enough for you? Every single injection was given on the same day and ordered by the same person.”
“Juanita,” Gary sighed.
“Richard would have known that Donna would go to Juanita to get her injections. One, maybe two slip-ups I could understand, but not six!”
“Yes, Richard would have known that Donna would go to Juanita, but so would Forrest. This still doesn’t prove Richard was responsible, Sam. For whatever sick reasons, Forrest could have set this up himself.”
“But why, Gary? Why would Forrest care whether or not Donna got pregnant? Richard, on the other hand, would have. Richard would have known if Donna got pregnant with his baby, she would stay with him, because – as she’s doing – Donna would do what’s best for the baby. It wouldn’t have made any difference if she were with me, or Jared, or somebody else. Donna would take the best option for the baby, and in her eyes that’s what Richard can give her.”
Gary scratched the back of his neck and furrowed his brow. “I don’t like the way this is going. Look, Sam. I’ve known Richard for years. I’ve seen him do some pretty conniving things, but Richard loves Donna. He would do almost anything to be with her….”
“…That’s what I’m trying to….”
“…But,” Gary interrupted and paused. “Richard would know if he did something like this, and Donna found out that would be the end of their relationship and quite possibly their friendship, too. I don’t believe Richard would be prepared to take that risk.” At least for his sake, I hope he didn’t take it!
“What about what he did with that fucking Euphoria? Huh? Was that right?”
“Well, no,” Gary chuckled. “But, can you honestly tell me if you were in his position that you wouldn’t have done the same? You and Richard came very close to cooking your goose with Donna in the first place for that same reason – chest beating – fighting over her. Donna cares for both of you – I don’t know why – but she does. At first, she seemed to care for you more, but you’re right. Donna is going to do whatever she feels is best for her baby. She will not compromise on that issue.”
“Well, no. Neither would I, but marrying Richard just to give the baby the Triplet name may not be the best option. Donna doesn’t love Richard, Gary. She’s told me that.”
“She’s told me that too, but if it doesn’t work out, Richard promised to give her a divorce.”
“I’m telling you if Donna marries Richard, he will not give her a divorce. What he will do is use the baby to keep her with him and Donna will end up miserable. That… cannot be what’s best for the baby, but Donna will not see it that way.”
Gary sighed again. “Probably not….”
“Then we go to Donna?”
“No! At least I’m not. You can, but if you do, you risk losing any chance you might have had with her. Are you willing to take that risk?”
“No!” Sam forced through his teeth.
“Then calm down. Get us a scotch and let’s do some more digging.”
Sam poured two tumblers, handed Gary one and sat next to him on the sofa. “Cheers,” Gary said and took a sip.
“What do we do now?”
“Now, we start going through shipping records and see if Fairfield Clinic is the only one that received a delivery of Depro from that barcode batch.”
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Amsterdam, Amsterdam Airport Conference Room
The tension in the room was thick with feelings of indecision. The outcome of this meeting was paramount. It was imperative that the speaker remain in control, and he was fast losing the battle. Normally, Sir Richard tried to keep the peace, but then The Order hadn’t extended him an invitation to this meeting. He was the subject, of this meeting.
“I do not feel that what you are proposing is entirely necessary. Violence can only lead to more violence!” Amit Chaudhuri, the Indian representative, said with conviction as he rose to his feet and faced the speaker.
Petroff Veloski, the representative of Russia, shot to his feet and leaned forward so that his face was inches from Chaudhuri’s. “Sir Richard is standing between us and immortality!” He growled through his clenched teeth. “What better reason can we have?”
The speaker rose to his feet, slamming his gavel hard in an attempt to regain some level of control. “Gentlemen… gentlemen… please!” The room began to quieten. The speaker sat down and spoke in even, calm tones. “Everyone here knows the contribution that the Triplet family has given this organisation, and we’re all indebted to them, but of his own free will, Sir Richard has chosen to turn his back on The Order. Now, whether or not we decide to remove him from his position is not a decision any of us want to be faced with. But, gentlemen, we must understand, in a situation like this, personal feelings must be pushed aside.”
“I’m afraid I must agree with Chaudhuri. None of us would hesitate to give the order to remove Forrest but, despite all that’s happened, Sir Richard has been there when we needed him, and I don’t feel that will change. He is protecting these scientists for a reason,” Pacon, the Brazilian representative added with consternation.
Wei Chen shouted something in Mandarin.
Bongani, the South African representative, threw his hands in the air. “The entire population is at stake here! We do not have the time to quibble with matters of lesser importance. If you expect that we will be able to come to complete agreement then we might as well adjourn now!”
“I agree!” shouted Bob Howard, the Canadian representative.
The speaker tapped his gavel. “Then I say it’s time we take a vote and gentlemen before you make your decision, please remember, it is not the fate of a few friends that lies at stake, it is the fate of the planet. Now, if you would please write your decision on the ballot in front of you and place it in the box as it is passed to you, we will finish this as soon as possible so that we might take action accordingly.”
The speaker waited until all the representatives had cast their vote. The box was passed to the head of the table. The speaker lifted the lid, and began counting the votes. He carefully placed the yes votes in one pile and the no votes in another. After he had placed the last ballot, it was obvious which pile was taller. He gathered the ballots together, put them back in the box, closed the lid, and slid the box to one side. “Let the minutes show; the decision of The Order, by majority vote is….”
“You dare to call yourself men!” she shouted as she parted the curtain, and stepped in plain view. Her blood was boiling in her veins; she’d been listening. The members looked as if they were staring at a demon. You could have heard a feather drop.
“Is my son to be accused and convicted without a fair trial?” she asked as she approached the table.
Pacon graciously gave up his seat to her and stood to the side in awe. She nodded and sat down; placing her cane beside her chair. “Now,” she said, “Am I to assume, that after all this family has done; all it has lost and all it has been willing to give up, that you are removing my son from his position without him even knowing about it?”
The speaker stuttered; he didn’t know what to say. Lady Annabelle had not attended a meeting of The Order since her husband passed away. In fact, she hadn’t even bothered to cast a vote since then. It was believed that she had utterly washed her hands of the organisation. What could have alerted her to this secret meeting?
The speaker found his voice, “Lady Annabelle, you honour us with your presence; I only wish you had informed us of your desire to attend the meeting. We would have arranged transport for you.”
“Oh cobblers do get off your knees, and stop trying to kiss my backside; it’ll earn you no favours from me! I haven’t come all this way to listen to the likes of you grovel at my feet for crumbs! You should be ashamed of yourself for forcing an old lady like me to stay up past my bedtime to listen to you children quarrelling over table scraps!”
She slowly looked at each member’s face with contempt before continuing. “Which among you dares to make such ridiculous accusations toward my son?”
She waited for a reply that never came. “Am I to assume that none of you have the balls to claim guilt?” She shook her head in disgust. “You’ve sunk further than I had imagined!”
“Lady Annabelle, it was never our intention to…” the speaker finally managed, but she stopped him mid-sentence.
“Not your intention to what? Stab my family in the back the first chance you got? Did you honestly think I would sit by and do nothing?”
“Lady Annabelle, we were under the impression that you no longer wished to participate in our activities.”
She laughed. “Since when has absence and silence removed someone from their position? You!” she pointed to Amit Chaudhuri. “And you!” she pointed to Pacon. “You call yourself my son’s allies – bloody traitors – the pair of you!” She pointed her finger at Petroff Veloski, who had opened his mouth to protest. “Don’t even think about it Petroff. I know you’re in league with Forrest. If you want to remain where you are you’d be wise to keep your mouth shut!”
“I was not suggesting that you had lost your position,” the speaker said. “I was merely making an observation based on the circumstances. The last time you appeared you expressed your desire to distance yourself and be left alone.”
“You people really are afraid of a frail old lady,” she laughed. “I suppose my secrets still have some potency. That’s good, at least for you. I would not hesitate to use my secrets against any of you for the sake of my family. What you say or do to me is one thing. What you do to them is another.” She stood.
“Now let me leave this with you because I can’t stay any longer; the stench of decayed disorder is singeing the hairs of my nose and making me nauseous.”
She lowered her voice and narrowed her eyes. “Know this, should any of you make an attempt to harm any member of my family; whether by blood or marriage or by choice, I will do nothing short of destroy you. For the benefit of those who may not know me, ask those who do if I’m bluffing.”
She stood at the door and turned. “One final warning, the Triplet family has declared war on your lackey Forrest and he will be felled; as well as anyone who interferes.” She slammed the door so hard it rattled the hinges.
The room erupted with activity.
“Who is this person?”
“How dare she come in here and threaten us!”
“How can an old lady make a threat like that and get away with it?”
“Who does she think she is?”
The speaker hushed the room. “That lady is probably the oldest member of the original Order and her threats are well founded. Her family has nurtured and financed more operations than any of you could imagine. She guards secrets on each and every member, including myself, that should she so choose to reveal, could shake the very foundation of this organisation. The Order owes the Triplet family. We’ve been under their protection; many times finding safety in their own home. If crossed, she could quite literally obliterate The Order,” he said with the greatest reverence.
“So why not just get rid of her, she’s an old lady for fucks sake!”
“Getting rid of her, as you put it, is not an option! Lady Annabelle has recorded history in its truest form that dates back to the Crusades. If she were to release it, it could undermine the entire religious and political foundation of the World. She has connections in every organisation that links throughout the entire globe; connections that remain covert yet loyal to her and her family.”
“Lady Annabelle is the surviving widow of Sir Richard Harold Triplet III; daughter to Sir Albert James Forbes II and a descendent of Richard the Lionheart. She is one of the most feared and protected people on this earth. She walks on Prime Ministers, she turns her nose up at Parliament, and she would eat the likes of any of us for evening tea and still have room for a biscuit. This person is never to be touched no matter what the circumstance might be. Do I make myself perfectly clear?”
“If this person holds the keys to so much destruction, what do you suggest we do about Forrest? He’s going after Sir Richard and his family with a vengeance. He doesn’t give a shit how it might affect The Order or his own company for that fact. He certainly will not be bothered to ace an old wind-bag like her!”
“As I see it if Lady Annabelle has declared war on Forrest then Forrest has found his nemesis. We don’t need to get involved.”