Title: The 355
By: greygoose70
Chapter 16
Rick silently pushed the door to the conference room open peered inside. Yep, they were all there, all dressed in what appeared to be sleep attire. "Well, it's a good thing the internet doesn't need sleep," he said walking the rest of the way in causing the four women to spin toward him in surprise. "So, tell me you've found something and where is the coffee."
"Over in the corner," Kate replied going back to her computer screen.
"Where would you like us to start," Emily followed up saying.
"The beginning is always a good place," Rick responded.
"Maximillian Kohler, born July 21st, 1950, to Harrison and Roselyn Kohler, both Muslim, in Camden Town in the borough of Camden, London, UK," Terry started.
"After graduating from high school attended Fordham University-London Center where he earned a degree in Physics," Emily said following Terri's lead.
"Awarded a position at Imperial College London, earned his Doctorate in Applied Science. Guess what he authored his dissertation on?" Terri continued.
"Antimatter," Rick answered.
"Close enough, Rick. The paper was actually titled "The Asymmetry of Matter verses Antimatter" …
"Continuing on," Emily announced. "In 1980 he was granted a professorship at the University of Bosnia…"
"Where he met Covina Brockovich and were married in 1982," Terri added.
"She gave birth to their daughter, Roseanna, in 1986…"
"Both mother and daughter were killed in 1994 when the car they were riding in was hit by an artillery shell during the Siege of Sarajevo," Ilsa said interrupting the back-and-forth banter between Terri and Emily.
"When was he appointed as director of CERN," Rick inquired.
"2000," all three of the women responded collectively.
"My turn," Kate said. "Kohler was one of the negotiating members in the construction of the Dayton Accords, officially known as the General Framework for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He was highly outspoken because the Framework created ineffective and unwieldy political structures for eliminating the ethnic cleansing that occurred during the war. For much of this he blamed the United States delegates even saying as much in several speeches and radio interviews upon his return."
Rick took out his phone pressed the number for Jordan, she picked up after the first ring answering saying, "good timing Rick the antimatter device just got deactivated."
"That's excellent news, Jordan. I'll let everyone here know. But that's not the reason I called. Is Vittoria there with you?"
"Yeah, want me to put her on?"
"Would you please," he replied then waited.
"Hey Rick," Vittoria said taking the phone from Jordan. "What do you need?"
"Vittoria, who has complete access to the personnel records at CERN?"
"Only Beatrice Smith the head of the human resources department and Director Kohler. Why do you ask?"
"Just something we are working on back here. And Vittoria, congratulations. Give me back to Jordan."
"What," was all Jordan said taking back her phone.
"When you headed back," he enquired.
"In about an hour, just have a couple things to finish up here."
"Good, have the jet refueled and readied upon your return."
"Where we go…"
"Back to London," he said before she could finish.
"See ya in a few," Jordan said disconnecting the call.
"Good news ladies, the antimatter device is no more." His news getting a round of applause. As the clapping subsided Rick spoke again. "Jordan and Vittoria will be headed back within the hour. In the meantime let's find out everything we can about CERNs HR manager Beatrice Smith. Kate, I want you…"
"You mean Beatrice McKenna Smith!" Emily nearly shouted.
"Relationship to…" Rick started.
"Sister," Emily stated before he could finish.
"Okay ladies let's dig into these two women."
Rick took a quick glance at his watch, noted the time as 4:45AM. Doing a check for the time in Sarajevo he saw it was 10:45AM there. "Can I have everyone's attention for a minute," he announced. Seeing them stop what they were doing he continued. "In little over an hour Grandma Culper who we believe is this Patricia McKenna is going to know her plan failed. If she's smart she will have made plans for that eventuality. We need to know where she's is so we can get units in place to apprehend her and any of her associates involved with this terrorist attack."
"Emily, how did you find Beatrice so fast," Ilsa asked?
"Searched London Marriage Records."
By the time Vittoria and Jordan walked back through the doors four hours later they felt they knew all there was to know about the McKenna sisters; began bringing them up-to-date.
"My search, Ilsa began, through the twelve countries that now comprise the country former Yugoslavia marriage records revealed that Patricia McKenna married Patryk Thorn in Sarajevo in 2006. They moved afterwards to Podgorica in Montenegro Patryk's home town and where his company was located. Patricia relocated her organizational headquarters, 'Tallmadge & Company' there as well."
"As soon as we got that information I had Ilsa contact I-FOR, have them get forces in place at both her residence and office location," announced Rick.
"They were able to get people in place minutes prior to out noon deadline, (7:00PM in Podgorica)," Ilsa stated.
"What about Beatrice," enquired Vittoria.
"As of two days ago she has been on holiday," Emily replied.
7:15PM, Office of Tallmadge & Co., Podgorica, Montenegro
"Koji kurac!" (translation: WTF) She shouted; she being officially known as Grandma Culper to everybody in her organization with the exception of those sitting here in her office with her. Those being her sister Beatrice, her second in command Sylvia Plansika, her enforcer Carisa Petrovich and two cousins Malena and Florina McKenna. To them she is known as Patricia Thorn (nee McKenna).
She has been scouring the internet searching for information on the destruction of Washington DC, its government and a good portion of the city itself. But so far, nothing. She shifted her gaze to Carisa giving her a look of distain wondering if maybe the trained assassin had fucked up.
"Don't look at me like that," Carisa spoke angerly. "I did exactly as the plan suggested, double checked all the components. Everything was working perfectly."
"Then why isn't there anything in the news about it?"
"I don't know, maybe the explosive radius is larger than calculated and more of the area destroyed taking out more towers than expected."
"Or maybe it was found and disabled."
"Impossible," Carisa responded, "there were to many fail-safe methods in the program for that to happen."
"Well whatever happened it appears our plan was a failure," Grandma stated.
"So what do we do now," Florina asked.
"We go plan-B."
"Which is," Malena enquired.
"I'll let you know, now everybody out I have a phone call to make."
I-FOR Lieutenant Josep Krnic watched as five women stepped from the building. At this time of night the building would be empty. His only thought is that they came from the office of his primary mission, the arrest of Patricia Thorn. Cautiously he stepped out of his hiding place and approached them followed closely by his team. "Lt. Krnic, ladies, I-FOR; can I talk to you?"
Carisa Petrovich hearing the man say he was I-FOR instantly pulled out the gun she was carrying and took a shot at him the bullet hitting him directly in the center of his BPV knocking him down. His team members immediately opened up with their automatic weapons scattering shots among the women. Petrovich went down first having received multiple hits, Sylvia Plansika taking a hit to the shoulder, Beatrice Smith got hit twice in the abdomen. Florina and Malena were both able to dive into the waiting limo just as the shooting began and were unscathed.
"Cease fire!" Krnic yelled from his spot on the concrete sidewalk.
Patricia Thorn upon hearing the gunshots rushed to her window to see what was happening. She arrived just in time to see Sylvia reel back from getting hit. She saw Carisa already laying on the sidewalk, saw Beatrice double over then drop to the sidewalk. She saw the assailants come rushing forward, the letters I-FOR emblazoned on the front of their BPVs. "Govno (shit)," she muttered. "What are they doing here?" Doesn't matter she thought. She only needed to get out of here. She grabbed her shoulder bag stuffed her laptop into it ran to the hidden doorway she had installed went through making to secure it so it couldn't be opened from the other side then down the stairs to the basement and over to the adjoining building.
TBC