Powder burns, p.28
Powder Burns, page 28
„Der Code lautet 5678. Wenn Mama fragt, wo ich bin, sag ihr, dass ich den Müll leere.“
(The code is 5678. If mum asks where I am tell her I’m emptying the trash.)
Alexander and Kei waited until Ingrid had backtracked and they could hear her footfalls ring out on the steel steps. They then looked at one another decisively. Kei keyed the code to open the door. Once inside they dumped the boxes of cleaning products on the floor. Alex knew where the security camera was located, so in the dark, he reached for a broom and nudged the camera to face the wall before he turned the light on.
Kei removed a device the size of a memory stick from his pocket which he turned on to distort sound in the cleaning store in case they were overheard. As expected the room contained towers of metal shelving holding boxes of cleaning supplies and recycled toilet roll. There were three industrial mop and bucket sets on castors, a hoover, a cleaners cart, and a selection of brooms, brushes, and dustpans.
Kei carefully set his backpack down and then slid out a shoebox and a thin laptop. He gave the shoebox to Alex. And while Alexander peeked inside Kei opened the laptop and logged in.
“Are you sure these will work?” Alex said, perusing the contents of the box.
“Deffo. My source has never let me down.” Kei insisted as his fingers flew over the keyboard.
The shoe box contained fake plug socket covers. They needed to be installed over existing sockets. The socket covers contained a powerful signal disrupter that when switched on remotely by Kei, would mess with wifi and phone signals within the building and allow him and him alone to control access to the servers and wifi.
“Remember what I told you. Take the double-sided strip off the back of each cover. When you press the socket over the old one make sure you switch on the electricity to make them live.”
“Got it.” Alex placed the box on the cleaner’s cart under a couple of cleaning cloths. “Give me ten minutes.”
Kei had a lot of work to do. Once the devices were planted and each linked to Kei’s laptop he could work remotely.
The Bring2Market auction was due to take place the next day, so Kei needed to set his laptop in a secure spot within the cleaning storeroom so he could enter the club later in the guise of a customer and then hide to work on the server and locate the footage A.L.L required.
Wearing a cleaner’s tabard and his blond fake hair loose to drape over his face, Alexander pushed the cart along the corridor towards the server room. He paused outside the door and scowled at the box for the voice recognition lock that only Hendrik could access. Then he picked up the broom from the cart and began to brush the hallway. The venue was silent and empty, but Alex was unsure if the server room was manned overnight as viewers from all over the world logged in for the online services Traum Garten offered. Not hearing a peep from behind the door, Alex leaned the broom against the cart and removed the first of ten signal disrupters. He took the fake socket and using the cart to obstruct the view of security cameras he fitted the device and switched the electricity supply to on. His next device was to be installed outside the BDSM dungeon.
Alexander returned to the cleaning store ten minutes later to find that Kei was not there. He pushed the cart inside and closed the door then stood in confusion with his hands on his hips. The storeroom looked exactly the same.
“Where the fuck did he go?” Alex grumbled to himself. Then he heard impish snickering.
“Where the hell are you?”
There was a stack of recycled toilet paper boxes to Alexander’s left, one box moved and Kei crawled out from the nest he had made there.
“Not bad” Alex snickered. “Now, if you’re all set up, let’s get out of here!”
****
CHAPTER 41
LECTURE
Dr. Tobias Hunter was well into the flow of his hour-long talk to students and members of the public at Univie about his experience working for GazCo in the U.S.
“I’ve witnessed how fracking has transformed the U.S energy landscape, contributing to a decrease in US oil imports and the cessation of U.S natural gas importation. This, in turn, has impacted worldwide with a global reduction in energy prices. Fracking has earned the U.S economy hundreds of billions of dollars. On a local level, it not only gave thousands of jobs to men but bought wealth to their towns.”
Declan orated with confidence but inside he was anxious. He’d been anxious ever since he’d set foot in Vienna knowing that he was the next target for the Eco-Rev. This was his second Univie lecture, but this one was different—this time he recognized several members of the audience. Declan tried to keep his character and composure but paranoia was getting the better of him. Declan’s heart leaped when he observed Sam and Alexander sitting together at the back of the lecture hall. Declan hadn’t seen Sam since Alexander’s outpouring of revelations. He was still trying to get his head around everything the MI6 agent confessed, but most importantly they had a lead on what Alphabet was.
Declan pulled his thoughts back to the moment. Sam and Alexander appeared relaxed and laid-back but their gazes also surreptitiously scanned the audience.
Declan couldn’t miss Mads Hendrik from his billowing cloud of curly hair. He was sitting alone at the end of the fourth row of tiered seating, and there, at the other end of the very same row, Declan observed a man who looked familiar. Uncharacteristically, he was wearing a beanie hat that covered his curls and thick black-rimmed glasses, but Declan was ninety-nine percent sure the man was assistant professor Mick Hammond. Mick assisted Declan in finalizing Hunter’s report and Declan understood that in the New Year he’d returned to his full-time position at Newcastle University. Maybe, professional pride had bought Mick on a surprise visit to Vienna to hear him lecture? Declan looked forward to chatting to him afterward because the friendly Dubliner was great craic and never held back with his honest opinion.
With the highly controversial subject of his lecture, Declan expected some kind of protest but when it actually happened half-way through his talk, he found he was more shaken than he anticipated. Three students sitting front and center in the middle row of seats stood and unfurled a banner between them which said:
‘GO Frack in HELL!’
One of the three, a gangly girl with blonde hair wearing round glasses, ripped denim, and a tee with the slogan: ‘System Change not Climate Change’ began to aggressively shout her protest at Dr. Hunter. Her monotone voice echoed in the lecture theater and Declan found he could not move, could not even say a word to respond to her accusations.
“You’re a liar, a filthy liar. You go on and on about money, always money. But you don’t speak of how Fracking causes irreparable damage to the earth. It puts us on a path to planetary disaster—”
Standing there at the lectern Declan felt like a sitting duck with two hundred pairs of eyes staring at him waiting for him to react. Anyone in the audience could have a weapon or that ghastly powdered drug. He stood stock-still like a rabbit in the headlights and began to feel woozy.
The girl berating at him looked a little like Rebecca Saunders. Becky was just as passionate about saving the planet and yet she was led astray by the silver-tongued charms of Darius Clarke and then murdered to ensure her silence about the bombing. Sam told him Becky wasn’t his responsibility, but Declan did feel responsible. The memory of that naive girl who, given the chance, Declan could have helped, made his anxiety peak. His heart thudded double-time, telling him to escape, to run. Perspiration trickled down his spine, and he felt the icy droplets run down his butt crack. The audience still looked on with accusatory stares. Declan reached up and loosened his tie and his top shirt button. The girl ranted on, the cacophony of her accusations seeming to surround Declan and hem him in. Luckily, before Declan did cut and run, four security guards entered the lecture theater, to equal roars of boos and cheers from the audience. With a little force, the two men and the young woman were removed from the room.
Declan sheepishly watched the audience watching him. He took a long gulp from his water bottle and mopped his brow with the cotton handkerchief he retrieved from his jacket pocket.
Looking out into the audience Declan found Sam’s concerned face. Sam’s green eyes lit as their gazes met and he nodded as if to say “You’re okay, you can do this!” The loving look helped Declan to center himself. He remembered what Sam had said.
“You have to learn to separate yourself from your character. They don’t hate you, they don’t know you.”
Sam was correct. The protestors didn’t hate him, they didn’t know him. They hated what Dr. Tobias Hunter represented.
Declan completed his lecture to a round of polite, muted applause. He could tell that those in attendance were not thoroughly convinced by his argument. But he was glad it was over.
****
In the ante-room, next door to the lecture hall a trestle table was laid with tea and coffee paraphernalia and plates of Viennese pastries. Declan scanned the room looking for anyone he recognized—Sam, Alexander, Mads Hendrik or his ex-colleague Mick Hammond.
He made small talk with a few members of the faculty of Geology, before accepting the cup of coffee and a pastry proffered by one of the students. The pastry smelled of apples and almonds. It was light and buttery and covered in a delicate sprinkling of powdered sugar. It looked delicious and Declan’s sweet tooth was more than keen to taste it. Declan’s belly overruled his head—which suggested he should work his way around the room to find Sam or Alexander before digging into the sweet treat. Declan picked up the pastry and paused. He stared at the subtle dusting of white powder. A wave of anxiety hit him and his stomach knotted. He was feeling distinctly paranoid and this would be such an easy delivery system for Eco-Rev to get their devilish drug to their victim. Declan’s appetite vanished. He dropped the pastry as if it were made of lava. Declan narrowed his gaze and observed the huddles of students, staff, and members of the public enjoying their refreshments. Were members of the Eco-Rev watching him? Was an MI6 agent hiding in plain sight among the crowd as back up?
Chanting of “We say NO, fracking gotta go!” strong-armed its way into the anteroom and attempted to drown out the cacophony of conversations. It appeared that the protestor against the controversial lecturer had not gone away; however, the University security guards prevented them from re-entering the building.
Declan turned and was sure that he spotted the man in the black beanie—Mick Hammond. He placed his untouched coffee and pastry on a side table but when he looked back the figure was gone.
Matilde Holtz, head of the Faculty of Earth Sciences, Geography, and Astronomy sidled up to Dr. Hunter and they made polite conversation. Declan was distracted by the platinum blond head of Stefan Beck in among the crowd. As if Sam knew Declan was looking at him, he turned and gave a nearly imperceptible nudge of the head to the left, and then scurried off toward the men’s bathroom. Declan waited for a minute then made his excuses and followed.
Inside the bathroom, there were four stalls and a supplies closet. Declan arrived just as Sam was closing the supply closet having retrieved an ‘zur Reinigung geschlossen‘ (Closed for cleaning) sign. He speedily stuck it on the outside door and then moved a large waste bin to bar the door. At last, they were alone.
Declan loved the tingling sensation he got with the illicit thrill of stolen time with Sam. It felt dangerous and naughty and with paranoia now following him like a black cloud Declan needed moral support from Sam to see this job through to the end. Declan took Sam into his arms and dragged him into a cubicle. When they both came up for air Sam licked his kiss-swollen lips and said,
“Much as I would love to continue with that I’ve got lots to tell you and not much time.“
He swiftly filled Declan in on the fact that Kei Nakamoto had unexpectedly turned up, what he had discovered, and that he was now that he was staying at the apartment. Declan was rather pleased that Kei was secretly part of their team and that his skills had been put to good use. Having a talented hacker on board was the boost they needed to get the job done quickly. Declan was also pleased to hear about Sir James‘ Kompromat.
“If we can get hold of that video of my father, that is our ticket to freedom. There is no way in hell James wants it getting out.“ Sam had been trying for years to get from under the thumb of his father. Now they had that chance and their plan to go off-grid could be expedited. The new information gave Declan a rush of confidence.
“Hunter is the last name on Eco-Rev’s list and they really have it in for him. The money made by the auction is to fund a worldwide terror campaign. We can’t let that happen. The auction is due to happen tonight and so expect Hendrik to make his move fast.“
Declan was grateful for the heads-up. Seeing Hendrik at the lecture had increased Declan’s paranoia.
“Kei and Alex set up signal disruptors in Traum Garten. They allow Kei to take control of the servers. The plan is that Kei and Alex will attend the club tonight as customers, Kei’s will work from the cleaners storeroom in the basement. Once he’s in there he can set the plan in motion. He’ll disrupt the WiFi, and search the server for the Kompromat. Hendrik will think his auction is proceeding as planned, but he won’t have the goods to send to the buyer.“
“And what will you be doing?“
“That depends on Hendrik. I’m supposed to perform tonight, but I want to keep an eye on you too.“
“So, we’ll play it by ear.“
“Yes, stay alert. I have a feeling he has something else in store for Dr.Hunter.“
Sam left the bathroom first and Declan followed after two minutes.
He hadn’t taken ten steps out into the anteroom before Mads Hendrik accosted him.
“I think you might have to find a back exit,” Mads Hendrik warned as he stepped to Hunter’s side. The throng of the chanting from the Eco protestors outside continued.
“I think you’re right,” Tobias Hunter said stiffly.
“That was a fascinating lecture, Dr. Hunter, not that I agree with your beliefs on climate change and the world energy crisis. But we are all adults here. There was no need for that juvenile protest.”
“We were all full of youthful passion once-upon-a-time! I admire their tenacity.”
“How very generous of you!” Hendrik eyed Hunter for a long moment and then said.
“Did you enjoy your time at my club last week?”
“I did. Mr. Beck was sensational.”
“Yes, Stefan is quite the catch.” Hendrik perused Hunter and smiled privately.
“Stefan’s performing again tonight. I’d be happy to invite you, all expenses paid, of course, and I can offer a companion to help you relax.”
Declan knew the instant the man opened his mouth to extend the invite that this was the move he’d been waiting for. Mads Hendrik was making a play for him, setting the wheels in motion for Dr. Tobias Hunter’s deviant humiliation. Part of Declan’s mind was relieved that at last the cards were on the table and he knew where and when the attack would happen. The other part of Declan’s brain just wanted him to start running for the airport.
Dr. Hunter gave Hendrik a warm, courteous smile and rubbed his bearded chin.
“That’s very generous of you. I must admit I was a little out of my comfort zone last time but I’m intrigued about your…services.”
“Excellent. It’s a date then.” Hendrik sounded far too pleased by Hunter’s acceptance. He was about to move off into the crowd but he paused and turned back.
“By the way, Dr. Hunter, it’s another theme night. I understand you needed to borrow a costume last time. I have one for tonight. I can get it delivered to your hotel. ”
“Thank you. I’d appreciate that.”
“You’re at the Hotel Imperial, correct? Room 376?”
Hearing Hendrik recite his room number was like a punch in the throat. Declan was horrified and it was clear that the Eco-Rev had been keeping tabs on him. Dr. Hunter behaved as if nothing out of the ordinary and downright creepy had happened. He nodded, but inside Declan was freaking out.
****
CHAPTER 42
THIS IS IT!
Declan Ramsay strode into the walk-in closet and admired himself in the full-length mirror. He was dressed in the superhero costume that had been delivered to the hotel—a gift from Mads Hendrik for Dr. Hunter to wear for the theme night at Traum Garten. It was strangely generous and he was relieved to have the costume because did not want to change at the club again.
This costume was pretty damn awesome—front zipped black spandex, with a cape, mask, gloves, boot covers, and a utility belt. Declan had always wanted a utility belt when he was a kid. He snuck his phone in one of the pouches, chewing gum, folded Euro notes, a credit card and a pen in another, and then he hooked his fingers into the belt and tried out a few poses. The black spandex suit hugged his every contour, made his junk look damn impressive, and his arse, beautifully sculpted. He liked it and felt rather cocky. The clothes maketh the man! Sam would really get-off on seeing him dressed like this.
Declan would have looked flawless—if it wasn’t for the silvery grey and white Van Dyke badger beard and the chrome rimmed fake spectacles that he needed to wear over the mask. Those geeky additions took the shine off the overall superhero look, and in turn, gave Dr. Tobias Hunter comical nerdy edge.
Mads Hendrik also offered Dr. Hunter an escort for the evening. Declan wasn’t fooled by the apparent generosity. Hendrik was setting him up for a fall and he needed to prepare.
The technical side of retrieving the blackmail footage was in expert hands. Declan just needed to play his part and distract Hendrik while the hack was in progress. Declan was certain his attack would happen later that evening after Dr. Hunter had been plied with drinks and given a few lap dances to get him horned to the edge. Hunter and his escort would then return to the hotel, where Tomaz, the man from Eco-Kleen who they’d identified as the English waiter, would lie in wait, and then follow the M.O he’d seen used so many times before.
