2022 by Ken Kroes

Author:Ken Kroes
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: dystopian, climate, ecofiction, apocacylptic post apocacylptic, ecology and environment, percipience, virtuesh

Chapter 12 - Meetings

Sue had been to many well-fortified government offices in the past, but they paled in comparison to the level of security she observed as she pulled up to Richard’s mansion. She noticed at least two men on the roof and several armed men patrolling the grounds. She was obliged to pass through two security checks before she could pass through the front entrance.

An assistant escorted her to a sitting room and she waited at least ten minutes before Richard arrived.

“I’m sorry for keeping you waiting…Miss?” he said as he came into the drawing-room.

“Sue is fine.”

“I don’t usually conduct business meetings in my home, but my secretary said you were very persuasive about the urgency of the matter. How can I help you?”

She stood, feeling more at ease on her feet as she spoke. “One of our agents has gone missing. More specifically, my partner. He was doing some investigating at your West Coast colony when he disappeared.”

“Why are you asking me about this? I don’t mean to sound unsympathetic, but how am I supposed to help you with your missing agent?”

“I’m not here to play games!” she said, “Do you know anything about this?”

He studied her for a moment and then made a decision. “Yes, I know about Spencer. That’s his name, isn’t it? My question for you is why was he spying on my foundation? I run a legitimate organization.” At the mention of Spencer’s name, he noticed visible relief on her face.

She had felt anxious since Spencer had been missing and wished she had gone herself instead of sending a rookie. Her composure returned quickly. “Where is he? I’ll have a swat team here in minutes if you don’t release him right now.”

“That will hardly be necessary. I’ll see that he’s released, but he’s presently at my headquarters, and you still haven’t answered my question.”

“We were trying to find out more about the colonies. There isn’t much information out there,” she said.

“Bullshit! There are masses of public information on the colonies and what we’re trying to do with them. I’m guessing what you mean is that there’s very little about my foundation on the Internet since it has its own computer network, and none of the systems are tied to the worldwide Net. Makes it a little harder for your search bots to go where they shouldn’t be in the first place, doesn’t it?”

“To be frank, you’re absolutely right. We know very little about the foundation. And there are suspicions that there may be activities going on that are not in our country’s best interests.”

“Everything is legal,” he said. “I have a fleet of accountants and lawyers to make sure of that.”

“Then why all the secrecy surrounding it, and what about the security? This mansion looks like it’s better protected than the White House.”

“The security is new. Most of it was implemented during the last couple of months for my own protection.”

“From whom?”

He checked off his answer with his fingers. “Governments, corporations, unions, you name it.

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