Anarchy in New Enlgand (18 page)

The media was doing its best to keep up with the details, but there was so much information to sort through, they ended up reporting whatever they could find. What the public got was a hodgepodge of misinformation, downright lies, and some truths; but only the truths that worked for Drake’s needs. The editor he bribed was already testing out his position as Minister of Communications, and making up press releases which were taken as gospel by another 10 or so outlets. He also managed to use some of Drake’s officers to remove certain websites, and block Internet access in more problem areas besides the southern coast.

It was only 9:00 in the morning, and so far things seemed to be materializing easily for Drake. But there were some notable exceptions. A large number of people from south central New England were not complying with the order to stay in their homes, and were busily communicating a resistance plan, according to NESA officers in the area.

Drake got his Minister of Resources on a video call and instructed her to cut the power to anyone she supplied in the trouble areas. He then sent a unit to close down another power plant that served the south central area, releasing reports that cartel members in the vicinity planned a devastating attack on the nuclear station. He blacked out power for 100,000 people, and reinforced the area with more patrols. This was, so it was reported, a hotbed area for cartel sleeper agents.

Drake knew that there would be countless more issues to deal with, so he sat in his office, prepared to issue more orders, and clean up more problems. In the meantime, he needed to put in motion his plan for when the smoke settled.

The Minister of Economics – who ran a New England-based charity that provided arbitration against corrupt businesses for those who could not afford it – was waiting outside his office, giddy with excitement, overflowing with ideas of how to best control New England's businesses, and how to best set in motion a plan for economic equality.

Nine

Atlas got a video call from his office. He jolted up in his hospital bed, and told the employee he would be in momentarily. As a nurse protested, Atlas removed the IV from his arm, and tore off the sensors monitoring his vitals.

"I’m sorry, thank you all so much, I’ll be fine," he was saying to the nurse as he left the room. Molly was in the waiting area nodding off.

"What’s going on?" she asked Atlas, yawning and stretching.

"Drake’s taking control. He’s trying to get all security to follow his orders because we are ‘in a crisis.’" He made quotation marks with his fingers. They were walking swiftly down the hallway toward the non-emergency mag tube entrance in the hospital. "He mentioned me in a little speech he made. Said I was in the hospital, trying to act like we need to unify security in order to beat the threat from drug cartels. I need to get all my officers word that we are NOT playing along with this little game."

"Was this all Drake’s plan?" Molly asked, exasperated.

"I don’t know, but it sure is starting to seem like that. You should go check on Themis, make sure he knows what's going on. Let me know if he found out who the dead thug is, will you?"

"I’m on it," Molly said, with renewed vigor, taking a deep breath as the pod door closed behind Atlas. She started a brisk walk toward Themis’s room.

His family members were all in various chairs sleeping with legs over the sides, and heads tilted in strange directions. Themis was on his tablet with an oxygen mask that was also administering small doses of various medicines to repair the lung tissue and dissolve the smoke residue. When Molly entered he removed his mask and smiled. Molly gave a nod back and quietly, so as not to wake his family, launched into an explanation of what she had just heard from Atlas.

Themis raised his hand to calm her. "I know, I am trying to get some evidence out to various arbitration agencies and security companies. Turns out that ‘thug’ was actually a Security Agent who went by Agent Orange – we don’t know his real name. There’s some evidence that he worked for Drake, and took contracts from others as well, it is just hard to trace due to the pay structure. Interestingly, the sunglasses he was wearing were able to block facial recognition, which is why last time we couldn’t ID him and his partner leaving Barry’s, but it’s almost certain they are the same guys.

"The glasses are being analyzed to see if we can get any more info out of them, but it’s high tech stuff, so I wouldn’t be surprised if safeguards were built in to stop us. This
does
however connect Drake to Barry’s murder, even though we would need more evidence for successful arbitration; but it will definitely help get some warrants to look into this further."

"But what about what’s happening now? If Drake gets his way there won’t be any arbiters left to go to!"

"Well, I am sending everything I have to Independent Arbitration since they are doing the review of the Barry Arbitration and Atlas Protection debacle. It doesn’t hurt that they are pretty much the most influential arbiters in New England. I’ve sent along my notes too, linking your break-in with Barry’s ‘suicide’ and the home invasion last night. I added my thoughts on where this whole power grab this morning is going, so hopefully they will take that into consideration – especially if I am right. I told them depending on how well this whole border/drug/terrorism crisis goes for Drake, he’ll suggest rationing food and water, and moving to one currency."

"How do you figure that?" Molly asked.

"Well… I admit it is a bit of a stretch," Themis explained, "But Drake’s actions this morning will not be taken lightly. He is all in: unless he holds onto the policing power he’s attempted to grab this morning, he will certainly be arrested."

"But people won’t go along with it, will they?" Molly’s heart was pounding, and she couldn’t understand why Themis seemed so calm.

Themis shrugged. "Unfortunately CCS instructed their street divisions to defer to NESA judgments if they come into contact with them. I think they are just trying to avoid any confrontations, but it could be bad news – sure is a bad precedent. And Drake’s got one arbiter on his side, which I didn’t see coming, but Collective Arbitration has already issued about a dozen warrants for NESA. The benefits of having investigatory database clearance," Themis added at Molly’s questioning glance.

"Well, shouldn’t we be out doing something about this?" Molly asked concerned.

Themis pointed to his tablet, "I’m doing everything I can from here, and it’s a safer distance too," he managed a half-hearted smile. "Nights like last night, they put things in perspective. I’ve got a family, and I need to be here for them. Times like these you’ve got to keep calm. Chaos is exactly what Drake is depending on; panic."

"You’re right," Molly replied, a bit calmer, "And I’ve got to do everything I can do, too. After all, action is the proper fruit of knowledge," and she smiled, a sort of confident yet cautious, modest smile.

"Where did you hear that?" Themis asked, letting out a couple of chuckles and a cough.

"I read it from a fortune cookie. I’m going down to the office, I’m going to start telling anyone who will listen what’s really going on. Stay in contact!"

As Atlas got to his office, his employees descended on him, trying to figure out what to do. Atlas held up his hand to quiet his staff.

"First things first. Tell all field units that the only orders they should be listening to will come from this office. NESA is not in charge, and NESA will be held accountable for their actions in violating our customers’ contracts. If that doesn’t answer your questions, please see me in my office."

Some employees hurried back to their desks and some lined up at Atlas’s door.

"We have a unit on 84 responding to an AP customer who claims he is being harassed by NESA troops. It’s a standoff right now. He’s in his car, we got a unit with guns drawn yelling to us for guidance, and NESA keeps calling more officers to the scene. It’s about 25 to 10 right now." Atlas’ secretary had made her way to the front and was briefing him.

"Do we have a skyship in the area? Let’s get full surveillance of the situation. Tell our officers to try to get the customer on his way; if they can't, let’s get an overruling on the warrant they have for the stop. Tell them not to do anything until we have eyes on the scene." She walked briskly out to do as he said.

Another employee came in. "Mr. Atlas, we have a complaint that one of our customers was detained while at work for Coastal Internet. He is accused of colluding with cartels to suppress Internet media. The raid took place before a warrant was issued, and no evidence has been forwarded to us."

"Are they still at their building?"

"He is being held at the regional NESA detainment center."

"Contact arbitration and send a team to the jail to free him. Let's see who else was detained too, and contact their security to see if we can work together on this."

"On it."

Molly was trying to decide how to go about alerting people to Drake's true intentions. She wanted to tell everything she knew, but some of it could not yet be verified with evidence. Overwhelmed by the events of the morning and the inquiries coming in, her boss essentially handed the reins to Molly.

"Put whatever you need to on the homepage, Molly. People need to be informed, and you're in the position to do it," Otto said. So Molly got to work.

Molly wrote:

Do we have all the information about what is really happening with NESA and Mr. Drake? No, and BER doesn't claim to. This is simply my account of what has happened over the past three weeks.

It started with my investigation into Barry Arbitration. There were some red flags to begin with, but BER standards for an ethical downgrade were met when evidence surfaced that Mr. Barry had accepted a personal bribe. All the information was on my personal devices, accounts, and safe drive. The article was due out in just days, today in fact, and BA was likely to go under.

I got a knock on my door the night of Saturday, September 26th, and I answered it, not knowing what was about to happen to me. I suffered a violent home invasion and attempted murder at the hands of a supposed drug cartel member who was following orders to kill me, due to my investigations into the drug cartel he worked for. The only problem; I have never in my career investigated any drug cartel. Business Ethics Review focuses on corruption in legitimate businesses; not on organizations who make their money through extortion and turf wars.

But there was someone who stood to gain from my death, and the disappearance of my devices: Barry Arbitration. Pains were taken to obscure the true purpose of the attempt on my life, but it now appears to have been a trade between Reed Barry and Cole Drake, CEO of New England Security Agency.

Barry Arbitration made the claim that Atlas Protection had manufactured evidence, a claim hotly disputed and under review by Independent Arbitration. But we do know that Mr. Barry had accepted bribes in the past, casting doubt on the truthfulness of the claims against AP.

Atlas Protection is a main competitor of NESA, and takes more fleeing customers from NESA than any other security company. This is the nature of the trade between Mr. Drake and Mr. Barry. But when Mr. Drake did not hold up his end of the bargain, Mr. Barry went from an accomplice to a liability for Mr. Drake.

The evening of Mr. Barry's murder – it is true it was not a suicide – Mr. Barry had visited Mr. Drake at his NESA office. Later that night, Agents were seen leaving Mr. Barry's house around the time of his death. One of those Agents has been identified with a high probability as having worked for Mr. Drake. Last night that Agent and his partner invaded and burned down the home of Officer James Themis, lead investigator of violent crimes at Corner Cop Security, in an attempt on his life. This has already been cast in the media as a drug cartel hit, just as was the attempt on my life, and the murder of Mr. Barry.

Since these agents have no known connection to drug cartels, and a probable connection to NESA, evidence suggests cartels are merely a scapegoat for the actions of Mr. Drake.

This morning's power grab by Mr. Drake further casts doubt on the drug cartel story, and highlights a desire for control and the retention of a fading business as Mr. Drake’s motives.

I realize this is not a typical BER publication, nor does the evidence mentioned hold up to the usual standards of beyond reasonable doubt. However under the circumstances, and with such dire consequences, this information must be discussed prematurely, before it is too late. What is crystal clear, however, is that NESA has violated the rights of countless citizens today, in the name of securing the region. Please check back as more updates follow.

Molly felt strange posting such an incomplete article, as BER staked their reputation on accuracy of facts, and non-circumstantial evidence. But she was worried about what would happen if people did not know the truth. Three people had been attacked so far at Drake's command, with others caught in the crossfire. How many more would die or be maimed if she waited to amass evidence beyond a reasonable doubt?

Drake had shown his willingness to use force to get his way, and Molly was well aware of the danger she was in. Already she had survived two assassination attempts. If Drake solidified control of New England and created a border, her life would again be in jeopardy. But at least it would be difficult for Drake to take action against her when people heard the accusations; further attempts on her life would arouse even more suspicion and risk proving her claims. Then again, if Drake was successful in bringing New England under his control, he would be able to do away with Molly and her whistle-blowing without any consequences if she remained in the area.

She was risking her career, and indeed her life, but the future and freedom of New England was at stake. She knew she had to act. So Molly pressed submit, and the article appeared on the homepage. Drake would be tried in the court of public opinion. Molly hoped the market would respond properly.

Drake was furious that the article had been up for an hour before he was told. Jay and Hunter sat at the far side of Drake’s desk, in the low chairs, terrified. Drake didn't yell, he didn't swear, he just stared from one to the other, jaw clenched, from time to time grinding his teeth. Jay was sweating noticeably.

"I would have told you sooner," he stammered, "but I was only informed a half hour ago," he shot an accusing glance at Hunter, seated on his left, who swallowed hard, "and... I thought I could get BER to take it down."

Drake was silent as he drew in a long breath through his nose and let it out, still staring from his droopy eyes, cheeks more bulldog-esque than ever, keeping eye contact that burned through Jay.

Jay nervously continued his failing explanation after a few unbearable silent seconds that seemed like an eternity.

"I mean, it’s totally unsubstantiated..." he attempted a lighthearted, broken chuckle which was just short bursts of air and a half-hearted smirk, "their reputation..." Jay trailed off as he wiped the grin off his face, swallowed hard, and retreated back into silence, brow furrowed, to wait out the death stare from Drake.