The Price of Freedom
Chapter Nine: Special Guest
Agent Simons set her jaw after quickly scanning her documents. Everything was in order. Now all that remained was to finish the mission. Internally, she prayed that everything would go smoothly. She motioned to her guards and to her "husband" Ramirez. Tonight, they would be posing as Mr. and Mrs. Tournier, a couple that owned a Swiss bank. The original couple let's just say they had a flight delay. Marilyn was dressed in a simple white cocktail dress with heels and she carried a small hand purse. Ramirez was dressed in a formal business suit attire. He kept fiddling with the tie. Marilyn shot him a look.
"Sorry, I tied it too tight," he said sheepishly.
Marilyn rolled her eyes. Ramirez hardly every dressed up, so it took a lot just to get him to wear nice pants. Heels clicking, she narrowed her gaze and started toward the Queen Mary. She was a high-class cruising vessel once out of commission until she had renovations done about a year ago. It was the perfect spot for a party and a secure place for shady deals to go down. Her smoke stacks rose high into the evening sky like two sentinels standing guard over a queen. Ramirez caught up to her and matched her stride.
"I must say Mr. Tournier, you know how to clean up well."
"Thank you, my lady. You too look lovely," replied Ramirez with a nod.
They started down the gang plank to the awaiting ship. Marilyn handed the guards her and Ramirez's ID's and invitations. They had the upper hand because no one had yet met the original Tournier's and they liked to do things by the books. Director Hill and her team would take care of covering their digital footprints. The guards quickly scanned their ID's and when the light flicked green they were waved through. As they continued down the gangplank and onto the ship, they were greeted by several other guards who escorted them deeper into the vessel. They reached the second floor that held a huge dining and entertainment area. The room was spacious having been elegantly dressed in white tables and matching red velvet chairs. In the far back was a full functioning bar, and several bartenders were filling up an assortment of drinks and placing them on trays. Marilyn knew that this was to be an elegant party but she received intel that there was to be a special guest that would be appearing that night. Who knows how Hill figured that out though she couldn't narrow down who specifically. At least not yet. That would be Marilyn's job if things went well enough.
Marilyn's assigned men followed behind warily keeping an eye out for anything out of place. Posing as Swiss bankers had their advantages. They could bring their own security detail as an extra measure. The ship's security nodded at them before leaving them alone. Already there was a good number of guests there about twenty-five Marilyn mentally scanned. She knew that there would be several more before the actual night started officially. A bartender came over to them and offered drinks. Marilyn smiled and took a glass of champagne. Her husband followed suit and together they walked over to one of the unoccupied tables.
Several minutes later a woman in her late thirties walked over and joined them. She was slim build, medium length black hair, tanned, and dressed in a red thin strapped Maxi dress.
"Hello, mind if I join you?" she asked. She spoke solid English but with a slight Australian accent.
Marilyn smiled. "Of course."
The woman extended her hand. "Mira Brown."
"Elena Tournier and my husband David," replied Marilyn shaking her hand. She didn't bother keeping the French accent from showing. Ramirez shook her hand as well.
"So, Mr. and Mrs. Tournier tell me what brings you to these waters? I hear you are from Switzerland."
"Yes. My husband and I just inherited my father's banking company after he passed two months ago. We were in the financial district before then. Now we are making the transition to becoming full-time CEO's for the company. What about you Ms. Brown?"
"Please call me Mira. I am the executive assistant to Mr. Riles. I handle his personal details and arrangements for clients. I am told that he would like to meet with you at some point tonight to talk about some business matters."
"Yes. We received his interest in a business arrangement."
"Very well. Until then please enjoy yourselves and I will let you know when Mr. Daniels would like to speak with you," Mira nodded before moving on to another table.
Marilyn looked over at Ramirez who gave her a knowing look. Mira Brown was definitely a woman to look out for. Though she may be dressed pretty and said all the right words, she had the body language of ex-military. Marilyn picked up on her Australian accent, but it wasn't quite the natural tongue. Marilyn had spent three years in Australia as security detail before she had gotten married and moved from the U.S. to Canada. The fact that Mira was ex-military meant nothing because anyone her age could've been. But the fact that she was working with a man that might have ties to a really dangerous terrorist organization bent on having a fallout with the government was something completely different.
Marilyn and Ramirez continued to play their parts and over the next hour they met a slew of guests from real estate agents to private contractors. There were even a few young college adults there with their parents who were preparing them for the real world. They met several larger international bankers as well as private accountants. After conversing and sharing their interests and the like, someone up front tapped on the microphone. It was a man late forties broad shoulders and a stunning smile but one that failed to reach his eyes. He spoke with a rough Russian tongue.
"Welcome to the Queen Mary. My name is Mr. Petrov. My associates and I have had a keen interest in each one of you. You were all invited here because we all share in the same vision. Governments across the world have taken from their people. Not just money, but our jobs, welfare, and our very lifestyles are being formed by their own interests. This cannot go on any longer. Enemies are now allies against this worldly government threat. We are proposing a new world plan but I need your willingness to help. Will you join me and my fellow comrades to bring about a better world? A world that will be safe for our future children and dreams. No more bowing at the feet of powerful mongrels. They are weak and we are strong. They may have the numbers, but we have the spirit. Now who's with me?"
The room let out a roar of agreement and raised their glasses.
Mr. Petrov narrowed his eyes as he scanned the crowd. "Now as proof that we want your specialized services please take out your phones and check your messages."
The room became quiet and no one moved. Then slowly they began to take out their phones to see a text message. Marilyn opened hers to see that $500,000 had been transferred to her undercover private account.
"Now tonight you will be meeting with several members that made this all possible. All of you have been assigned to someone according to your professions and we will discuss individually the role that you will play to make our vision possible."
Several people in the crowd started clapping their hands. Marilyn nodded in mutual agreement, but a feeling of dread began to slowly settle over her.
Mr. Petrov waited for the room to settle before he announced their special guest.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, I am pleased to present to you a man that has contributed his life, career, and investments to make this vision possible. Please give a warm welcome to the one and only Damian Crogan."
The man himself didn't look that impressive, but that's not why so many people feared and admired him. He was escorted up to the podium while his guards stood on either side. The man stood at 5 ft 10 inches with a slim muscular build. His auburn hair was cut short and it accented a clean shaven angular jaw. His narrow nose led up to his most prominent feature. His eyes. They were grey blue like storm clouds, but they could change in an instant to an icy coldness.
Marilyn fought against her natural instincts of fight or flight. Damian Crogan. So, this was where he had been hiding. He was a man that Shield had been after for decades. He was wanted by several government agencies for the belief that he had ties to some of the most dangerous terrorist organizations, and now Marilyn believed that more than ever. Forget about Daniel Riles. He was merely a pawn. Damian Crogan was the king of the whole board. He was the one pulling the strings.
Marilyn joined the applause though every fiber of her body revolted cheering for this guy. Just what was she about to get her team into?
Damian nodded and looked over the crowd with an analytical gaze.
"Thank you for welcoming me onboard this grand vessel. The Queen Mary is one of my favorite cruising ships. Now as Mr. Petrov had explained you were all chosen and selected for a role in a much bigger plan. I unfortunately cannot disclose that plan to you. Nobody likes spoilers, but I can tell you that this plan will change the world for the better and you will be there to witness it. I am delighted to meet you all and am looking forward to meeting you all in person. Please disperse amongst yourselves, enjoy the refreshments, and tour the ship."
With that Damian stepped back and let the room erupt in applause. Eventually everyone started to mingle amongst themselves. By now the Queen Mary was halfway across Lake Atilian, her engines rumbling strongly. Marilyn turned to her "husband".
"Honey, shall we take a step outside? I am in need for some fresh air." It was code for we need to talk.
Ramirez smiled and held out his arm. Marilyn took it and they made their way to the upper decks. Evening had settled casting an orange glow on the surface of the water. Ramirez and Marilyn had been in the field together for nearly 15 years. This meant they knew how to read each other's thoughts and feelings without saying it directly. It became very convenient when they went undercover and it was this exact situation that they flourished at it.
"Elena, I think your father's company would be very interested in this new investment," said Ramirez. (Director Hill will want to know about this new development).
"I agree. Once we have gathered all of the transferred documentation, we can begin the company." (Once we gather all of the intel that we can, we need to alert Shield).
"You know your father was a great man, even though I know your relationship with him was distant," said Ramirez. (I can't believe this "special" guest was Damian Crogan).
"Though he was distant, he was a good businessman, but he had many secrets," Marilyn said staring out at the water. (We need to figure out what his new world plan is).
"At least the business has a good starting point." (Mr. Riles may be our way in).
"Yes."
"Mr. and Mrs. Tournier. Are you enjoying the party so far?" a voice said behind them.
Marilyn turned around to see Mira Brown walking towards them. Marilyn smiled.
"Yes, it has turned out to be a lovely evening."
"I am glad you think so. Mr. Daniels is ready to meet with you. If you would please follow me," said Mira guiding them toward the back of the ship.
"Of course. We are eager to meet him as well," Marilyn said following her.
Several minutes later they came to a locked door. Mira scanned it and it opened with a click. They followed her down several beige carpeted hallways and finally to a door guarded by two armed men. They nodded at Mira and opened the door for them. The room opened up to a lounge complete with a mini bar and a grand piano. There were two large couches and chairs covered in an expensive red velvet covering that sat in a semi-circle with a glass table in the middle. Seated on them was Mr. Daniel Riles and next to him was Mr. Crogan.
Mr. Riles immediately got up to greet them. Damian Crogan remained seated. His face gave away nothing.
"Mr. and Mrs. Tournier, I am delighted to meet the daughter of a good friend and businessman such as your father. I apologize for not attending his funeral. Business matters you see," said Mr. Riles.
"Apology accepted. He passed away peacefully, but he also wanted my husband and I to join in his specialized transactions as well. We got word of your business offer and henceforth have come to see it through," said Marilyn taking a seat across from them.
"Very well. Now I am sure you would like to get down to things immediately, but as you see our special guest is here. Mr. and Mrs. Tournier, Damian Crogan."
Damian stuck out his hand. "It is a pleasure to meet you." His voice was grave, but Marilyn detected a hint of malice behind his pleasantries.
She and her husband returned his handshake.
"Since my father's passing, my husband and I have been working on the transition of taking over his company. You mentioned in your letter that you were interested in some accounts?" Marilyn asked.
"Yes, but more specifically we are interested in his off-shore accounts," said Damian firmly.
"We?"
"Yes, Mrs. Tournier—that is Mr. Riles and I. We have some investments that could attract some unwanted attention. Ones that can't be stored necessarily under regular circumstances."
Marilyn smiled thinly and nodded. "Of course. I would be happy to set you up with those. Is there a particular number of accounts you will be requesting?"
"Just one for now, but I am also in need of a Pandora's box."
Marilyn nodded.
Pandora's box was another name of a heavy insulated vault that only a few people knew about. It kept a client's most valuable investments and anything else they wanted away from prying eyes. Marilyn had to deal with one of them during some undercover work in Europe. Some of the most recent ones were developed by the world's best technological business known to man: Isencorp. They recruited the best web developers, engineers, scientists, hackers, and anyone else they considered a good investment. Made of solid titanium it was virtually impenetrable, unhackable, and untraceable. They were scattered around the world and to get access to one you needed to know the right people.
Shield currently has a list of buyers and sellers though it doesn't have everyone on it. Shield knew that the original Elena Tournier's father's company owned several. When they tracked down the personal invitation sent to them, they knew something was up. Then several days later they traced that invitation back to Daniel Riles, a man now considered a rogue agent.
Marilyn took out her purse and quickly jotted something down. She then passed the papers over to Mr. Crogan who scanned it. Satisfied, he passed it over to Daniels. Marilyn watched their faces closely looking for anything that seemed off. There was nothing of the sort.
"Mrs. Tournier, this looks very promising. Your father was known to have some of the best security vaults in the world. I will be holding you to his standards."
"Of course, Mr. Riles. I would expect nothing less. I have the official paperwork here if you are ready to sign."
He nodded and took out a pen from inside his jacket. Marilyn handed him the necessary documents and she had each of the men fill them out and sign them.
"Now we have not yet discussed the notion of payment," Marilyn said taking back the papers. She directed the question at Mr. Riles. He turned toward Damian who then spoke.
"Money is not an issue. We can send half over now and the other half when we see the vault in person."
"That will be just fine. What is your timeline for seeing the vault?"
"My colleague and I will be in the country for another week before heading back over to Europe. Two weeks from now we will meet you at the designated coordinates that you showed us."
"Perfect. Are there any other accommodations I can get for you or for your Pandora box?"
"No. That will be all, Mrs. Tournier."
"Very well then gentlemen. Thank you for doing business and for hosting this wonderful party." Marilyn said getting up and shaking their hands. Her husband followed suit.
Daniel Riles pointed them towards the door. "I assure you this investment will change many lives."
Marilyn managed a smile, but his words sent a chill down her spine. Taking her "husband's" arm, they followed his assistant back to the open deck.
Once they were alone, they grabbed a seat and watched the boat slice through the still waters. Ramirez moved closer to her so their shoulders were touching. Marilyn knew it was merely used for their cover, but it still felt foreign to her. She was still married, even though her husband was no longer around. Ramirez was like a brother to her. She knew she could rely on him for anything and he would come through.
"How are you holding up, really?" he asked softly.
Marilyn sighed. She wasn't sure if this was the greatest place to discuss this topic at the moment. Though she scanned for cameras and hidden microphones and found nothing, she still felt like she was being watched. Ramirez got the message and stared back out across the water.
Then Marilyn laughed. "These heels are killing me. My feet aren't like they were in high school. Did you know I used to wear the ones that were like six inches tall?"
"No way seriously?"
"Yeah."
"Well, I used to dress in knee high purple socks and dance around my room with my sister."
"You're kidding?" Marilyn turned to look at him eyes wide.
He nodded.
"Funny, because I can barely get you into a simple suit and tie."
"I'm a changed man."
"You're not wearing those socks, now are you?"
"What? No! Like I said I'm a changed man," Ramirez said smirking.
Marilyn smacked his shoulder laughing.
"Did you wear neon yellow shoes with them?"
"You bet!"
"I can't believe your sister would let you walk out of the house."
"Yeah, I really gave her a hard time back then."
They continued light-hearted chatter before deciding to interact with the other guests. It was a good opportunity for them to build some of the client's profiles. After a few hours of chatting and more drinks, the two of them found an empty table in the corner and sat down. Marilyn was getting tired, and the boat was scheduled to return to the docks in the next half an hour. She glanced at her watch. It was nearly midnight. Many of the people she had met seemed like pleasant folk just wanting in for whatever this new world plan stuff was. Though no one really knew exactly what it was. Information was slim like hunting for bread crumbs with no idea where the whole loaf was. Marilyn had met several people though that triggered her internal alarm system. Though they weren't armed there was a different air about them. They didn't stand out necessarily from the crowd, but they didn't quite fit in either. One group in particular were some local business men who dealt in international goods trading from Egypt. One man owned a whole fleet of cargo ships while another owned several private railway systems.
She met a local gems dealer, more bankers and investors, and some stock marketers, as well as several people involved in travel. Marilyn knew they held ordinary jobs, but who knows what they agreed to with Mr. Riles and Damian Crogan behind closed doors. For all she knew, they could be blackmailing them. Marilyn rubbed her temples. A pounding headache was beginning to form.
About twenty minutes to docking, Mr. Crogan appeared again. The room immediately stilled and the man didn't even need to say a word. Creepy. His demanding presence suffocated any relaxed air right out of the room. His words were direct and to the point with a dangerous cold clip to it.
"Thank you all for coming. I am glad to have met each and one of you, and your future contributions. Keep in mind that we all support the same vision. A vision of a better world. A world with more opportunity and freedom. I also want to thank our wonderful host, Mr. Riles for bringing this event to life."
There was a warm round of applause. Mr. Crogan continued.
"We will be landing in about fifteen minutes, so please take your last drinks and refreshments. I wish you all a good night and a safe journey back home. Thank you."
The room rumbled back to light conversation as guests gathered their remaining belongings and finished up conversations. Right on schedule, the Queen Mary came to a standstill her engines softly rumbling to a halt. Marilyn followed Ramirez out with their guard right behind them. He led them to the parking lot where he motioned them inside their designated car.
Marilyn hit her earring. "Director Hill, did you get all that?"
"Yes, Agent Simons. We have some more news, but I need you to see me in person. However, that can wait till tomorrow morning. I called off the extraction team and sent them and Stephens home. Tonight, ended up more reconnaissance than I hoped, but perhaps that was for the best. If we had gone after him it could have triggered an international incident considering so many foreigners were at that party even if they were just investors. You and Ramirez go home. We have another big day, so I need both of you alert and present. Please report in at 9 am. Do you have any questions?"
"No, ma' am."
"Good. Have a good night then."
The line clicked dead. Ramirez turned to Marilyn. "So, what did Hill say?"
"For now, it's been more reconnaissance than she wanted, but she has more information for us tomorrow that we need to look over. We are to report at 9 am sharp."
"Did she want us in tonight?"
"No. She said to head home."
"Got it."
They sat alone in the car with their own thoughts till their driver pulled them into the parking lot of Redburn Trauma Center. For safety protocols, their cars had all been brought back once they had boarded the ship. Ramirez was dropped off at the first level. Marilyn nodded at him.
"Good work tonight Ramirez. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Night, Simons."
Five minutes later Marilyn was dropped off on the second level. She gave a thumbs up to her driver who nodded before working his way back down to the underground garage.
Half an hour later, Marilyn pulled into her driveway. She parked the car in their garage, locked it, and went inside. The house was dark, but she saw Angel come down the stairs. She patted her head.
"Hey, girl. You've been keeping an eye out huh." The golden retriever wagged her tail.
Marilyn slipped off her coat and heels and placed them in her work bag. Her bedroom was a floor down from her daughter's, so she quickly changed into her lounge wear and then went to check in on her.
She slipped inside and had to suppress a laugh. Katelyn had fallen asleep surrounded by her school books and pencils. Clearly, she had been studying for her upcoming math exam. She took the books and placed them on her desk before gently moving her daughter back under the covers. For a minute, she just stared at her sleeping face. What have I done? She wanted to desperately tell her daughter everything, but she knew it would just put her in more danger. Sighing, she wiped a strand of loose brown hair away from Katelyn's face and kissed her forehead. Angel had jumped back up on the bed and laid down.
Marilyn got up and left leaving the door slightly ajar before disappearing back downstairs. She grabbed her laptop and quickly typed up a report. Glancing at her clock she saw it was nearly 1 am. She hit print, closed her computer, and then placed the papers in a beige file and tucked it away in her bag that was ready for tomorrow. Yawning, she got up and turned off her light. Tomorrow would bring problems of its own and Marilyn had a bad feeling about what they were about to find out.
Meanwhile in a small hotel in the next town over the phone rang. A shadowed hand picked it up.
"Report."
"It worked. We have what we need to finish phase one."
"Good. Did you get what I asked for?"
"Yes, I have it."
"Excellent, leave it at the drop site. I'll collect it on my way home."
"Does he know about it?"
"No, nor is it his concern. You know your orders. If he gets too close or is at risk of being compromised, take him out. We can't have anyone stand in our way, not even one of our own."
"Yes, sir. May I ask about the family? What will you do with them?"
"They will be dealt with in due time. Until then they are under my protection. Is that understood?"
"Very clear, sir."
"Good. I will see you in London in a few weeks. The board is expecting an update by then."
At that the line went dead. The shadowed figure got up from his chair, and went to lit a cigar. In the light of the flame, a sickening grin spread across his lower face.
"Let the games begin."