Shadow Tyrants (Oregon Files 13)

“Hali,” Juan said, “you can transfer Barbara’s call to your station. Good work getting everyone conferenced in.”

When he saw everyone looking at him, Hali flashed them a humble grin. “Thanks, Chairman. Happy to help.”

Goodman’s image disappeared from the main viewscreen, leaving Overholt on it alone.

“This went far beyond what I was expecting when I gave you this mission,” Overholt said. “But now there’s obviously much more to the situation than some missing nerve agent. While the military investigates how the island’s electronics were disabled out of the blue, I want you to find out why Diego Garcia was targeted in the first place.”

Juan nodded. “I think we’ll start by trying to find out why Rasul was hired to kill Tao and the Triton Star crew and then frame them for mass murder.”

TWELVE

SYDNEY

Jason Wakefield stalked out of the Vedor Telecom tower in downtown Sydney while he spoke on his encrypted cell phone, the only one he used to call other members of the Nine Unknown. As the beneficiary of the Scroll of Knowledge for communication that had been passed down through generations from Ashoka, he had built Vedor Communications into Vedor Telecom, a global phone and networking empire. On the other end of the line was Lionel Gupta, a Canadian descendant of the original Unknown who had been bestowed with the alchemy scroll. He now headed OreDyne Systems, one of the largest engineering companies in the world.

“You’re telling me,” Gupta said in the snarky tone he was famous for, “that even though you own phone networks around the world, including Italy, you haven’t been able to find out any info about who might have sabotaged the Colossus 5 in Naples? Not even where the phones used to detonate the explosives came from?”

Wakefield caught his reflection in the mirrored window of his Maybach limousine as it pulled up to the entrance of the massive skyscraper. His Indian great-grandfather had immigrated to Australia, anglicized his name, and married the daughter of a New South Wales newspaper owner, so he was more Caucasian than Bengali. The image of Wakefield’s slick black hair, deep tan, and Savile Row suit would be familiar to anyone who read the society pages about his six divorces, the last of which was still in its final stages. While his bodyguard held the door for him, he adjusted a stray hair and plucked a piece of lint from his lapel before getting into the Mercedes. The bodyguard sat in the front passenger seat, and they pulled away.

As usual, the backseat TV was tuned to the local Unlimited News International network. The news hour was just beginning, the screen ablaze with slick graphics and the slogan You and I and UNI. Wakefield muted the sound and closed the soundproof partition before responding to Gupta.

“It’s been only forty-eight hours since the attack on the ship,” Wakefield said, exasperated at Gupta’s impatience. “All we can confirm is that a bomb brought down the crane that destroyed the satellite dish. Besides, Xavier Carlton has his own worldwide news and media company, and he hasn’t been able to find out anything, either.”

“That’s because UNI is wasting time on stupid things like the power outage on that island in the middle of nowhere.”

“I know. I’m watching it now. It’s news when one of America’s most secretive military bases

goes dark. And I don’t like the incident’s timing. Not when we’re so close to completing Colossus.” As Wakefield spoke, stock footage and satellite images of Diego Garcia played across the screen during the lead story about the mysterious blackout.

“Are you suggesting they’re related?” Gupta asked.

“That’s what we need to find out, especially with the near-simultaneous explosion of Mallik’s rocket in the Arabian Sea. Something’s going on.”

Gupta paused. “So you suspect a traitor among the Nine?”

“Who else knew how to sabotage the Colossus 5 in that way? Don’t you have your own suspicions?”

“I do. That’s why we’re having the meeting again in two days. We need to find out who is behind all this.”

“How are we going to do that?” Wakefield asked.

“I can’t talk about it right now.”

“If you think this encrypted line isn’t secure, we shouldn’t be talking by phone at all.” Then Wakefield understood what he meant and sat forward. “Wait, you think I’m the traitor?”

“You have expressed reservations about our plans.”

“Each of us has played devil’s advocate at one time or another, even you,” Wakefield said. “And still, we’ve all agreed that it’s in the best interests of both ourselves and mankind to move forward. Besides, how do I know you’re not the traitor?”

“You don’t. But there may be a way to find out who it is.”

“Tell me.”

“I can’t reveal that until the meeting,” Gupta said. “Then we can all decide how to handle it together.”

“We’re so close to achieving our goals, Lionel,” Wakefield said, “we can’t let someone get cold feet now.”

“I know. We won’t. This is what we’ve worked for all our lives and the lives of our ancestors.”