Pieter stared at the dimmed display of the phone, trying to assimilate the past seconds into a meaningful unity. Nervously he left his desk, confused and not knowing what to do next. One thing was obvious: Jonathan wanted the information as soon as possible into the public. He went to his laptop and logged in. The mail program initiated. The symbol with the turning little balls kept him in tension.
Connection Failed.
Pieter took again his mobile phone. He wanted to reach someone for advice and dialled the number of John Freeman. The fast beeps added to his stress.
No Signal Detected
Pieter threw the phone on his bed and rubbed his tousled hairs. With his thumb and finger he massaged the bridge of his nose, making his glasses going up and down. “Shit, shit, shit,” he repeated. “We need to get away from here, and fast.”
He grabbed under his bed a watertight fluo-orange travel bag which he kept ready for unexpected circumstances. A lasting habit from when he was still working in the most unstable parts of the world where one had to be always prepared to be repatriated.
Pieter ran into the corridor and threw the door of Jane's room open.
“Jane, wake up. We must leave.” He switched on the light and saw a scared Jane jumping up, holding the thin blanket against her breasts. Disturbed in her first sleep, and dizzy from just a bit too much wine, she looked angrily at Pieter. “Man, what are you doing? Are you out of your mind or what?”
He was short. “Just get up quickly. Put something on to swim and take your papers, wallet and a minimum of clothes with you.”
Jane fell back on the pillows. He lost his marbles she thought when she came slowly out of the bed and stepped drowsily into the bathroom. She concluded from Jackie's shrieking voice that he also had the nerve to wake up her sister. After an extended yawn she threw some cold water into her face in the idle hope to get rid of the pounding headache. She heard Pieter jumping from the stairs, two or three flights at the time, calling that they really had to hurry up.
When they met in the hall, Pieter informed them about what happened to Stratford.
“Oona ?” replied Jane in disbelief, “But she was the one who was so nice and helpful yesterday.”
“Look, I don't understand it either. I have known her for years now. I would never have thought that she'd do something like this.”
Pieter filled them also in about the documents that had been, thanks to Jonathan, discovered on the iPod.
“It is obvious that those files were not meant to be shared with the world. The man, who got shot, Votilio, wanted to do exactly that and got assassinated. Also that happened during the watch of Oona.”
“But what is than so important?” asked Jane.
He sketched roughly what was the content of the hidden files. He had seen the detailed plans for Indian attacks on neighbouring countries. The population of India had in the meantime exceeded the three billion and the country literally was cracking under the pressure. They needed more space. On the other side the country had been continuously beaten by natural disasters, famine and epidemics. The new revolutionary, ultra-right guard that had seized power some years ago had rolled its muscle and threatened to invade the adjoining countries, both to east and west. As a nuclear power, the rhetoric was taken seriously by the international community. The intercepted iPod contained attack scenarios on Dubai, where the already present Indian population could seize power easily. But also of parallel attacks into Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam to seize the necessary Lebensraum. That China, after years of fierce economical competition, would not allow this without a powerful reaction was cause enough to turn this into an incident with global impact.
“The location of Diego Garcia is crucial for their plans, and from what I have been able to read they are being supported, secretly, by the US. That explains the high activity from the past months on the base. Just like when Diego Garcia played an important role in the cold war during the seventies, it is again a junction of future events. Ships and airplanes can operate their missions both to the Middle East and the South East. Exactly like during the gulf wars of the twentieth century.”
He paused while he picked up the travel bags and made his way out.
“Jonathan wanted us to make this public. It is the only way to avoid a world conflict.”
At a jog they ran via the in the meanwhile well known path to the lagoon. In other circumstances they would have admired the enchanted moonlit lagoon.
But now they only paid attention to Pieter's short instructions.