Government Men by Gary J. Davies
CHAPTER 25
PHOENIX GENERAL
I'm not afraid to die. I just don't want to be there when it happens.
- Woody Allen
Peter Lund sat in his Phoenix hotel room staring at the morning newscast displayed on the VISICOM display, trying to fathom what was happening. Years ago, early in his FBI career, he had been content to simply follow orders blindly, without knowing or caring what was behind them. Later, he became fascinated with the behind the scene motives and maneuvering that orchestrated the secret worlds of espionage and power politics, especially when he found out the leverage it gave him with people in power.
Now, as Head of the NP, we was himself a person of great power, not even so much because he was Head of the most powerful police organization in the USA, but because of the twisted web of secrets, lies, and inside contacts he had built up over the years in getting to that position.
His business with Melberg had gotten way out of hand. It started out little, with small bribes for small favors. Then some heavier duty stuff: ruin a career and perform an assassination now and again. Still perfectly normal illegal things, though by now Lund had figured Melberg was just a go-between for somebody higher up inside or outside of Government. There were too many occasions when Melberg had to consult with someone else before he would make commitments.
Then came the fiasco of last night, when Lund's best men and equipment were lost! Besides the loss itself, Lund was upset that the whole business was far too brash and noisy. Lund liked things hidden and quiet. The money was still excellent, especially since now he also got all of the pay-off money that would have gone to his ill-fated comrades, but the cost and risk had been far too great. The equipment and men could be replaced; there were hundreds of mothballed airplanes and ex-military men to be had for cash. But investigations were sure to follow this latest episode. Already, the Arizona police were downright belligerent in their questioning of him over last-night's battle. They had a hotshot Governor that arrogantly assumed jurisdiction regardless of Lund's threats.
Worse yet, after all these years Lund still didn't have a handle on Melberg. At first he hadn't been concerned. Going in he had confidence that sooner or later he'd get the goods on Melberg. He had played similar games with dozens of people, and sooner or later he had always found the skeletons in their closets.
Until Melberg. Even after ten years Lund still didn't know even basics about Melberg, such as who he really worked for or why. Hell, he couldn't even find out where the man lived or where he came from! How did a middle-aged office jockey like Melberg manage to elude his best men and technology? As a consequence, in their interactions, Melberg was still in control, not him. It was infuriating.
Things really became convoluted a few days ago when Ryan, the President's Chief of Staff, told him that Melberg was the 'most wanted' person in the country.
Well screw them! Melberg was paying him plenty! Melberg told Lund that he had a deal breaking that would 'change things' totally after the holidays; all that Lund had to do was keep the NP from him for a couple more weeks. Lund had his NP look for Melberg all right, but he gave it a very low priority. Of course he reported to Ryan that the whole NP was working overtime to find Melberg.
Yesterday, while he was on his way to Arizona with a hand-picked team of his own agents to meet Melberg, Ryan COMed to tell him that alien saucers were flying over Washington and that Melberg was now believed to be a space alien! Minutes later, his own Washington office called to tell him the same thing. Since then the news stations were flooded with videos of what they described as flying saucers. He was watching one now on the COM.
Of course the space alien business had to be nonsense; it was fully as ridiculous as that asteroid business that recently caused near panic in the White House. He still didn't believe in flying buses either, though something had certainly demolished his Arizona task force. All of his men were dead and his aircraft were destroyed.
No, there was more to this business. This administration was after Melberg and was going to ridiculous lengths to discredit him. Why? Political power, sex and/or money had to be at the bottom of it all somehow, it always was. The rest was sanctimonious bullshit. But why the crazy news reports? What were they trying to gain by that? For perhaps the tenth time he watched the video of a flying saucer hatch from a house in the DC suburbs and fly away.
He laughed at the reaction of the news media and others. They actually believed it! It certainly looked realistic; it must have taken big bucks to fabricate that video. Computer graphics, undoubtedly. But why? What was really going on? What was the angle? When he figured it out, he would use it, like he used everything else. Whoever did this would then be his to control. Maybe it would be that leftist bitch of a president, or her over-the-hill lap-dog Ryan!
This cheerful train of thought was interrupted when his VISICOM automatically displayed an additional window with a flashing border in one corner of the screen. It was results from the NP computer back at his office in Washington. A few hours ago, one of the people that Melberg sought had been admitted to Phoenix General Hospital. Lund smiled. Big Brother was watching, and Peter Lund was Big Brother!
There was a knock at his hotel door. It was Melberg, and he wasn't happy. "Lund, judging from news reports and what you COMed me, your pitiful NP has botched things but good!”
Lund was incensed. He had a loaded X-909 pistol in his pocket and for a moment considered using it then and there on Melberg. But no; instead he better find out what else the conniving scientist had to say. "You told me those DOD folks were unarmed civilians Melberg! Then they destroyed all my aircraft and killed my best fighting men! Well, now I want to know what the hell is going on!”
Melberg met Lund's tirade with what had always worked for him with Earth people like Lund. "What's going on is you won't get more of this until I see some results!” Melberg reached into a satchel he was carrying and pulled out a huge stack of thousand dollar bills, and poked Lund in the ribs with, it. It did indeed work wonders, just as the Ra training course for Earth operations had explained that it would. Earthers were so dumb! They deserved to die.
"I just got a report that a Dr. Oscar Oscomb has recently been admitted to Phoenix General Hospital just a couple kilometers from here," Lund said, as he reached out his hand for even more money.
Melberg handed him yet another stack of money. Then they headed for the hospital.
PHOENIX GENERAL
I'm not afraid to die. I just don't want to be there when it happens.
- Woody Allen
Peter Lund sat in his Phoenix hotel room staring at the morning newscast displayed on the VISICOM display, trying to fathom what was happening. Years ago, early in his FBI career, he had been content to simply follow orders blindly, without knowing or caring what was behind them. Later, he became fascinated with the behind the scene motives and maneuvering that orchestrated the secret worlds of espionage and power politics, especially when he found out the leverage it gave him with people in power.
Now, as Head of the NP, we was himself a person of great power, not even so much because he was Head of the most powerful police organization in the USA, but because of the twisted web of secrets, lies, and inside contacts he had built up over the years in getting to that position.
His business with Melberg had gotten way out of hand. It started out little, with small bribes for small favors. Then some heavier duty stuff: ruin a career and perform an assassination now and again. Still perfectly normal illegal things, though by now Lund had figured Melberg was just a go-between for somebody higher up inside or outside of Government. There were too many occasions when Melberg had to consult with someone else before he would make commitments.
Then came the fiasco of last night, when Lund's best men and equipment were lost! Besides the loss itself, Lund was upset that the whole business was far too brash and noisy. Lund liked things hidden and quiet. The money was still excellent, especially since now he also got all of the pay-off money that would have gone to his ill-fated comrades, but the cost and risk had been far too great. The equipment and men could be replaced; there were hundreds of mothballed airplanes and ex-military men to be had for cash. But investigations were sure to follow this latest episode. Already, the Arizona police were downright belligerent in their questioning of him over last-night's battle. They had a hotshot Governor that arrogantly assumed jurisdiction regardless of Lund's threats.
Worse yet, after all these years Lund still didn't have a handle on Melberg. At first he hadn't been concerned. Going in he had confidence that sooner or later he'd get the goods on Melberg. He had played similar games with dozens of people, and sooner or later he had always found the skeletons in their closets.
Until Melberg. Even after ten years Lund still didn't know even basics about Melberg, such as who he really worked for or why. Hell, he couldn't even find out where the man lived or where he came from! How did a middle-aged office jockey like Melberg manage to elude his best men and technology? As a consequence, in their interactions, Melberg was still in control, not him. It was infuriating.
Things really became convoluted a few days ago when Ryan, the President's Chief of Staff, told him that Melberg was the 'most wanted' person in the country.
Well screw them! Melberg was paying him plenty! Melberg told Lund that he had a deal breaking that would 'change things' totally after the holidays; all that Lund had to do was keep the NP from him for a couple more weeks. Lund had his NP look for Melberg all right, but he gave it a very low priority. Of course he reported to Ryan that the whole NP was working overtime to find Melberg.
Yesterday, while he was on his way to Arizona with a hand-picked team of his own agents to meet Melberg, Ryan COMed to tell him that alien saucers were flying over Washington and that Melberg was now believed to be a space alien! Minutes later, his own Washington office called to tell him the same thing. Since then the news stations were flooded with videos of what they described as flying saucers. He was watching one now on the COM.
Of course the space alien business had to be nonsense; it was fully as ridiculous as that asteroid business that recently caused near panic in the White House. He still didn't believe in flying buses either, though something had certainly demolished his Arizona task force. All of his men were dead and his aircraft were destroyed.
No, there was more to this business. This administration was after Melberg and was going to ridiculous lengths to discredit him. Why? Political power, sex and/or money had to be at the bottom of it all somehow, it always was. The rest was sanctimonious bullshit. But why the crazy news reports? What were they trying to gain by that? For perhaps the tenth time he watched the video of a flying saucer hatch from a house in the DC suburbs and fly away.
He laughed at the reaction of the news media and others. They actually believed it! It certainly looked realistic; it must have taken big bucks to fabricate that video. Computer graphics, undoubtedly. But why? What was really going on? What was the angle? When he figured it out, he would use it, like he used everything else. Whoever did this would then be his to control. Maybe it would be that leftist bitch of a president, or her over-the-hill lap-dog Ryan!
This cheerful train of thought was interrupted when his VISICOM automatically displayed an additional window with a flashing border in one corner of the screen. It was results from the NP computer back at his office in Washington. A few hours ago, one of the people that Melberg sought had been admitted to Phoenix General Hospital. Lund smiled. Big Brother was watching, and Peter Lund was Big Brother!
There was a knock at his hotel door. It was Melberg, and he wasn't happy. "Lund, judging from news reports and what you COMed me, your pitiful NP has botched things but good!”
Lund was incensed. He had a loaded X-909 pistol in his pocket and for a moment considered using it then and there on Melberg. But no; instead he better find out what else the conniving scientist had to say. "You told me those DOD folks were unarmed civilians Melberg! Then they destroyed all my aircraft and killed my best fighting men! Well, now I want to know what the hell is going on!”
Melberg met Lund's tirade with what had always worked for him with Earth people like Lund. "What's going on is you won't get more of this until I see some results!” Melberg reached into a satchel he was carrying and pulled out a huge stack of thousand dollar bills, and poked Lund in the ribs with, it. It did indeed work wonders, just as the Ra training course for Earth operations had explained that it would. Earthers were so dumb! They deserved to die.
"I just got a report that a Dr. Oscar Oscomb has recently been admitted to Phoenix General Hospital just a couple kilometers from here," Lund said, as he reached out his hand for even more money.
Melberg handed him yet another stack of money. Then they headed for the hospital.