The Gene by Timothy Browne

Author:Timothy Browne [Browne, Timothy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Literary and Fiction, medical thrillers paperback, best medical thriller, Literary Criticism Jewish, Christian Mystery Suspense, new thriller, medical thrillers kindle unlimited, Medical Ethics, novels about Nazi Germany, Contemprary Christian Fiction, Christian Fiction Romance, genetic novels, Medical Ethics novel
ISBN: 9781947545199
Publisher: Agape Orthopaedics, Inc.
Published: 2020-07-04T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 22

THE FIFTEEN

Bauer had chosen fifteen as the number of members for the covert organization, as well as the name for the group. His choice represented both the past and the future. The digit represented a biblical symbol of restoration and healing, and The Fifteen would bring this to the new millennium. Practically speaking, fifteen members afforded perfect balance. Any more would create too much chaos, and any less would be insufficient to establish influence.

As he looked around the table, Bauer had to laugh—fifteen of the most prominent people in the world squeezed into the hutong, traditional Chinese residence.

“Wu, I asked for an out-of-the-way location, but you have outdone yourself.” Bauer bowed slightly toward the elderly Chinese man with a wispy gray beard and mustache. Wu wore a tailored and expensive navy Tang Dynasty suit.

Wu raised his teacup to Bauer and smiled a near toothless grin. “I thought it appropriate for The Fifteen to meet in the humble surroundings of my family’s home. My ancestors established this hutong a thousand years ago,” he said and bowed to the four quadrants of the universe and the men and women around the table.

Among other holdings, the Chinese gentleman owned five of the most prominent buildings in downtown Beijing. The irony that they had gathered in the back streets of ancient China didn’t escape Bauer. He lifted his cup. “Gānbēi,” he toasted. The rest of the group followed suit.

Whether they met here, the outback of Australia, or the wilderness of Montana, The Fifteen had become accustomed to convening in unique locales—away from the hustle and bustle of life, but more importantly, removed from prying eyes of the public and electronic eavesdropping devices. No one in the room flew on commercial airlines, so the location never presented an issue. Like all previous meetings, Bauer did not permit cellphones and other electronic devices. Body scans at the private airport confirmed compliance. The participants never took notes or shared written messages and communicated only via secure phone lines.

Bauer surveyed the delegates as two elderly Chinese women distributed bowls of soup and baskets of dim sum. Three members had reached the Forbes top twenty list. The others weren’t the wealthiest people in the world, although if they or their empires collapsed, the world economy would have a severe decline. Wealth indicated only one measure of intelligence, and Bauer valued other attributes. After all, he had plenty of money. The network of The Fifteen extended much further into the web of society, but these individuals were the heart and soul of the organization. These people would make decisions to change the world, and each one of them committed to the goal with religious fervor.

After the women served the visitors, Wu opened his hands in welcome, “Please, be my guests. These recipes are as old as this home.”

“Hopefully, the pork is fresher,” Bauer smirked as he lifted off the cover to his soup bowl. His comment elicited a hearty laugh from Wu and the rest of the group.

Bauer took a bite of a fluffy dumpling, nodded in approval, then stood.

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