Chapter 20
Aiah was excited. Information was coming in. How much would be there, how deep can he get in to the Run to destroy the MMG? The files were coming over about one a minute. Scanned in Missouri and instantly available to him all the way across the world, I love technology, he thought to himself.
One packet was called the Proof of Corruption – the MMG. Aiah watched as the pages came over. There was a cover letter from Bettle.
This is to be used only as a last resort. The fate of the world lies in the balance if this information gets out. If all of the information listed is brought to the public at one time it will cause a world-wide breakdown of trust. I cannot emphasize how dangerous this Run is. Think of a Wall Street company at the top of their game and then remove the 5 high level players and the CEO due to inside trading and cheating. Think of the loss of trust; think how the investor base would respond, the media, and the other players. There would be total disillusionment. The company and the entire market would be in flux for years. Now compare that to the world if they find out that not all playing fields are level. That the leaders of all major fields have been promoted though specialized knowledge, corruption, even death. Everyone would be suspect. No one would know what was real. Everyone that did not have, or had lost, would try to sue everyone that was successful. Any successful person would be considered a suspect in corruption.
This run is unique when compared to others because after you start it you can control it some. Information can be leaked a little at a time. If you get a positive response to the initial wave you can stop the rest of the Run from happening. The idea here is not to let the Run go all the way unless you absolutely need to. You can pick who we want to expose, if needed. This is a bargaining chip; not a sledge hammer. As with a normal run, this one starts with a phone call. An article will appear in the New York Times about a secret organization that rules the world. A packet will be delivered to each of the MG leadership 10. The packets will have specific instructions for each member. They can decide at that time if they want to back off or be exposed.
This run is only to be used if you see a large group of people dying or exposed for some type of act. If the balance of world power seems to be shifting we want to test this Run to see who jumps. This Run will also be released with your deaths. By now the packets we sent should have notified the MMG leadership of the change in who holds this information. They should be aware that you are not to be touched.
The Run will work off of a web site that I have created. This information is top secret and should never leave your possession. The web site contains links that start individual runs that will expose certain people. If you start these runs the world will see the person exposed almost instantly. Information is sent to internet and media sites immediately using back door access. Articles will appear from nowhere outlining enough dirt on each person to cause their collapse in the eyes of the world.
Aiah picked up the phone and called his head IT leader. “Sandeep,” Aiah yelled,” get may name off this web site! NOW!” Aiah e-mailed a link to Bettle’s top secret web site to Sandeep Singh, leader of his IT department in Mumbai India.
The department consisted of 20 of the best programmers, hackers, and researchers in the world. Aiah felt his team was second to none at compiling information on companies he was looking to acquire. They also can hack and disable a web site of a competitor or acquisition target. One of their specialties was bombarding the competitor web site with undetectable pings that would use up the available computer space, either shutting it down or making it run at a crawl.
“Get my name off of this site and find a way to disconnect it and move it somewhere that only I have access to. Username AiahMMG, password Only7leaders! I need all our resources on this.
As they arrived back at the house Jeremy saw that a piece of tape had dislodged on the French door; someone had been here. He had taped a piece up in the corner where it would not be visible unless you knew to look for it. He had also leaned a magazine against the French Door before he left so he could tell if anyone entered, and both were tripped.
He held out his arm and touch Melanie. “Stay here,” he whispered, “let me check things out.”
“You are always so dramatic,” Melanie said, still relaxed from their trip, “I can’t believe…”
“Shut up” he interrupted, whispering louder, and then calming down, “someone has been here; I need to check this out. Everything we say and do could be being picked up by listening devises. Stay here and be quite.”
As he searched the house he started to get an uneasy feeling. There was no sign of entry except for his tell. Nothing was out of place. This was a complete professional job. Outside of the two tells he set up to verify if someone entered, he would have had no idea that anyone was here. All the packets were in place, he had to assume all had been copied. Damn, he thought to himself, I should have taken them with me! Now the MMG knew what he knew. They now may have the upper hand.
He grabbed the packets, the food and their personal items and tossed them in the trunk.
“Let’s go,” he said. “We cannot talk here, we are not safe.”
Melanie was frightened; she trusted him and knew he was scared. Just get in the car, she thought, let him take care of this.
The web site was not easily penetrable. Aiah’s IT specialists were not initially able to get his name off the web site. If he could just get his name off he was set for his next step. He could use the web site to expose everyone! He wondered what Bettle had on him. Aiah had been very careful to show his softer, gentler side, and hide his evil side. What could Bettle possibly have on him?
“Sandeep, can you get me access? Can I get access to drill down to additional information?” Aiah, asked.
“Not yet, sir. We are still working on this.”
Jeremy’s mind was racing as he drove. If the MMG had the information about the web site they could lose all their leverage. This could make them no longer a threat and/or could allow the MMG to kill them. He had been lax about sending the needed e-mail to alert to the MMG leadership about the transfer of information. He pulled into a truck stop, gained wire access to the internet and sent the following message to the MMG leadership mail ID called out in the packets.
Hi everyone, this is John Bettle speaking to you from beyond the grave. By now you all know I have passed away. Prior to my demise I have passed my files that could expose you and the MMG to a trusted source. They have sent this e-mail to let you know that while I have passed, my hold on the organization has not. There will be more to come.
Jeremy added his own message at the bottom.
Whoever is tracking us and breaking into our house had better back off or I will expose you all!
The message found its audience. Most of the MMG leadership were not surprised that Bettle had passed on his information, they had expected that, but no one seemed to know what the last sentence was about. Who was chasing the person John Bettle had passed his information on to? They did not even know who they were yet. The MMG organization and the leadership’s very lives were at stake here. They had all agreed to Bettle’s demands in trade for them being able to continue their lives. None of them would push the envelope at this point, would they? A special meeting was called to discuss. Head of security Eagleton was included.
“This seems to say that someone is chasing the new contact, we need to find out who”, said Jian He, a Chinese real estate mogul and member of the Ten. “This person, or persons, can get us exposed. We cannot lose face, this cannot happen!”
“If we are not careful the entire organization could be breached.” Roger Pithie, head academic and a member of the Ten from Australia, said as he slowly lowering his head. “Can you imagine the chaos if the world finds out what we have done?”
“Please, everyone,” said Aiah, “you have asked me to lead, so let me try. Mr. Eagleton, do we have any information about what is going on?”
“Bettle passed his inform
ation on to two people that used to be interns for the MMG in Dubuque back in the 80s” Eagleton explained as he sent out files on each, “Neither came aboard, which is why we believe he chose them. Melanie Price and Jeremy Mist were brought together in Rochester as Bettle was dying. We found Bettle’s location shortly before his death but he was already dead and cleaned by the time we got there. We were lucky enough to see the two come to cleanup some business and trailed them to a townhome on the north side of town. Our operative was killed as another group stormed the house.”
“Another group? Who? Why were we not told about this?”
“We are still not sure who the other group was,” Eagleton continued, “our best guess at this point is that the couple got away since we are hearing from them now. They would be scared, and could be hiding out anywhere. Bettle more than likely supplied them with fake IDs, making them almost impossible to find once they settle in. We have asked all our leads for assistance in checking travel cameras, we have pulled in many favors, but still nothing.”
“So,” said Aiah, as he continued his questioning, “someone is apparently chasing these two and we must be prepared for anything. I am asking for your full cooperation and support for me to act in the best interest of the group, if the need arises. We are all at risk here. I am asking for a vote to allow Mr. Eagleton and I to do whatever may be necessary to stop this risk, do I have your support?”
Aiah’s plea came across so genuine, with so much charisma that the group voted unanimously to give him the full power of the MMG. Little did they know that he already had been using most of it.