The Gillespie Five (A Political / Conspiracy Novel) - Book 1 (42) (30 page)

Chapter Sixty-One

Barrett awoke to the blaring sound of his phone.  Reaching over, he hit the end call button and rolled over to try and nurse the hangover from the night before.  His phone went off again.  Again he hit the end call button.  When it rang a third time, he snatched it up.

"
What
?"

"Sir, you need to turn on the TV."

He squinted at the clock.  "It's only 6:00AM.  I'll do it later."

"Sir, you really need to look now."

As he hung up, his phone rang again.

"Have you seen this?  Is it
true
?" 

He winced as the senator's voice seemed to echo around in his skull like a ricocheting bullet.

"No, sir.  I haven't seen anything.  I'm going to turn on the TV now."

He hung up, not caring if it made Gillespie angrier.  

What the fuck is going on?

Barrett found out soon enough.

"…the hackers released the purported emails of Senator Gillespie and FBI Agent Greg Barrett early this morning.  Investigators are scrambling to try and discover if the emails are authentic and the information is accurate.  If it is, this could be the biggest scandal since the Snowden leaks which released information that the NSA and other government agencies had been listening in and recording private conversations.  And here is still more information…"

As Barrett watched, email after email – parts of them blacked out - appeared on the screen as the reporter's commentary droned on.  They were all his.

"On another note, we have received word from the hackers responsible saying that more information will continue to be released until the FBI free the group that has come to be known as the Gillespie Five.  We will continue to keep you updated as information comes in.  I'm-"

The TV crashed to the floor.  

"Son of a bitch!" 

His thoughts raged. 
How could this happen?
  They had told him his information was completely secure. 

He ignored the ringing of his phone.

Another thought struck him and he raced to his computer.  Frantically, he pulled up the websites for all the foreign bank accounts he'd established.  Minutes seem to pass as his heart raced before the balances began to appear.  The money was still there.

Dots began to dance before his eyes and he remembered to breathe.  He would need to move the money again.  But first he needed to make a call.

Chapter Sixty-Two

Yuri stared in fury at the news feeds. 

How had his crack team of well-placed hackers not known about this?  And HOW could the security they had placed on both Gillespie’s and Barrett’s computers have been compromised?

Those emails had been
his
to release. 

He began to pace, forcing himself to calm down and think.  He would have time to find out the who and how later.  Right now he had to focus on the overall plan.

By his account they were only a third of the way they needed to be in order to gain complete control of the flow of information world-wide.  It would take at least another month, pushed by ever more escalated attacks, to get the rest of their agenda through all of the government agencies.  And, while they had made good progress, it wasn’t enough.

Already, the bureaucracies were slowing down waiting to hear how this fell out.  There would be little done in the coming weeks as the entire project was investigated.  If the hackers had a reason for what they did, no matter how outrageous the attacks, then the politicians would hesitate in favor of seeing what the people had to say.  Never mind that this would only give the hackers more reason to celebrate.

His pacing slowed as he came to the only logical conclusion.  His plan would just have to move forward faster than he’d intended.  He had at least initiated the action that would carry them toward their end goal, and they could work with the traction they had.  Now it was time to take a few players down.

Reaching for the phone, he began making calls.  First he sent information that would indicate the Director of the FBI’s involvement, ensuring that the man who had now let them down twice, was taken off the playing field.  Then he called and gave the go ahead to release the video. 

He smiled, thinking about the damage it would cause not only Gillespie but his family when it was released to the news that not only were they held against their will and tortured but that one had actually been shot.

He would like to see the family hold on to their position after all of this came out.

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Gillespie fielded what felt like his thousandth call over the last several hours.  Barrett had called back to say he was going to get to the bottom of this and that this information was certainly made up.  He answered each of the calls with the same scant information Barrett had given him.

No, these were fake emails. Yes, the hackers were trying to frame them.  No, the detainees were not innocent.  Yes, they were being fairly treated.  Yes, they were being held legally.   He cringed at the mention of extraordinary rendition. 

How had they even found out about that?

When the President of the United States called, however, a thought crossed his mind.  Pushing it to the background, he gave the President his attention.  He was surprised, therefore, when the President asked him not about the emails or supposed leaks but about how and where the detainees were being held.

Initially he kept his answers short.  But, as the President insisted, he launched into a detailed description of exactly what they had done and researched in order to ensure that what they were doing was legal.  The President listened attentively, occasionally asking a clarifying question.  He concluded the questioning by asking for all the research and paperwork Gillespie had and made it clear that he expected Gillespie to have the current situation taken care of quickly.  The silent but implied ‘or else’ hung heavy in his tone.

His instinct telling him he should hold off before emailing any further sensitive communication, Gillespie said he would send the information via secure courier within the next few days.

"Good.  And, Gillespie?  When you have this situation under control, I expect to see you in my office immediately."

"Yes, sir.  Of course." 

Gillespie hung up, perplexed. 

"Sir?"

Gillespie looked up to find one of his newest interns waiting anxiously for him to respond.

"What is it?"

"Sir, Channel 9 is back on, reporting more information.  They are saying they now have proof that the emails from Agent Barrett
are
legitimate and that-"

"Turn the damn TV on then!"

"Yes, sir!"

The intern grabbed the remote from the shelf and turned it on.

"…we have reliable sources stating that the emails posted by the hacker groups fighting for the release of the Gillespie Five are, in fact, legitimate.  In response to accusations they have released false documents, the hackers have delivered additional evidence that has now been verified by independent resources showing that the emails are authentic."

The reporter looked at the camera with an earnest expression.  "If what we are finding out is true, then what we may be looking at is a very real case of agents of the United States government holding innocent American citizens-"

"Turn the damn thing off!"

The intern took one look at Gillespie, did as he was bid, and fled.  Gillespie slammed his office door shut behind him.  He didn’t need to hear anymore because the thought that had been simmering in the back of his mind before the president called, solidified.  Picking up the phone he dialed a number he normally tried to avoid.  On the third ring someone answered.

"Thought you'd be calling soon, brother."

Gillespie gritted his teeth.  "This is your doing isn't it, Anthony?  You and the family's.  You set me up."

Anthony chuckled.  "I wish it were, brother.  I wish it were."

"Do not lie to
me
!  I know this is the family's fault.  I know you are setting out to discredit me and you tell the family I
will not
have it!  I am going directly to the press with
everything
and you can be damn sure your precious family secret will come fully into the daylight.  In great detail and with every name I know!"

Gillespie slammed the phone down and began pacing.  Unsure how he was going to get out of this mess, wondering if he could get away with murdering that damn Agent Barrett, he continued to pace until he felt himself calming down.  Then he began to make more calls.  Soon, the full story would be out.  If he was going down, he was taking the family with him.

Chapter Sixty-Three

The video of Wayne being shot hit the internet at 11:00PM EST.  Within an hour it had gone viral, circling the world and netting a flurry of outrage in response.  Gillespie was planning his statement to the press about the emails when he received another call from the president. 

It was from him that Gillespie first heard about the video.  The words 'investigation' and 'federal charges' were mentioned, shouted at ear-splitting volume, and peppered with several colorful words.

When the president finished, Gillespie, who had been pacing, hung up and walked to his desk, collapsing into his chair.  Though he knew he would have to drop out of the elections, he still had hoped that he could return again in eight years.  But after what the president had to stay, not only was that hope dashed but so much more with it.  For the first time in his life, Gillespie did not know what he was supposed to do.  He could not imagine life without politics or a chance at the presidency.

Despair and then anger shot through him.  The family was
definitely
going to pay for this.  And so were the rest of them.

Chapter Sixty-Four

The call took longer to come in than he expected.  Yuri schooled his voice as he answered. 

"Hello."

"Have you seen this video?  And just after the emails?  Have you seen what they are saying on the
news
?" 

Yuri winced at his caller's volume.  "You were supposed to discredit
him
, not
ruin
us!  How could-"

"I tried to tell you before that he was out of control," Yuri interjected.  "We
tried
to rein him in.  How could we have known the full extent of what he and Barrett had done?"

"Because we paid you to, that's how!"

Yuri's teeth ground painfully as he tried to reign in what he really wanted to say. "With all due respect, your family called mine to help and we responded.  We performed our duty to you, the controlling family, as expected.  We warned you that he wanted this too bad."

"It doesn't matter now.  By this time tomorrow, Gillespie will have gone to the press about everything we have strived for."

"He would go to the press.  But who would believe him?"

"You know as well as I that something like this coming from him, even now, will be listened to.  Even if his political career is in shreds.  You need to fix this and now!"

Yuri smiled.  This was becoming easier than he thought it would be.

Careful to sound hesitant, he took a breath and said quietly, "We
may
be able to fix this but…"

"But what?"

Yuri began to outline a plan he'd had since the beginning, as if he were just thinking of it.  His caller listened and after a moment's silence asked, "And Barrett?"

"We'll take care of him later.  It's not an ideal plan but it will still put your candidate in place, poised to run in the next election and should save your family face.  Sympathy can go a long way towards achieving that.  Especially if your family is prepared to take care of those innocents."

The silence stretched for some time before the answer came.  "Do it. Gillespie is no good to us anymore.  He’s become a liability.  And the family must maintain its leadership at all costs."

"Of course.  Then we will make it happen.  And congratulations on forwarding our cause."

His caller hung up without another word.

Yuri placed another quick call to make arrangements for what they had just discussed.  His plans were going better than even he expected.

Chapter Sixty-Five

Gillespie sat at the desk in his inner office, preparing for the press conference.  Outside his office door, the activity raged like an angry bee hive.  He knew his family had never approved of him breaking away from what they felt was their duty and right.  But to
ruin
him?  That, he had never expected. 

He felt heavy as he sat at his desk, realizing his dreams were gone.  His whole life's work, destroyed.  And by his own family.  But he was no coward.  The family was not going to take him down without a fight.  Resolutely, he turned back to his work, nearly oblivious to the soft knock at the door. 

"Come in."

One of the new interns entered hesitantly.  He stared at the young man trying to recall his name.

"Yes, you are?"

"Gary, sir."

"Ah, yes.  What can I do for you?"

"Maria said you wanted a cup of coffee?  I brought you this."

Walking in, he showed Gillespie the tray he carried.  

"Ah.  Thank you.  I am definitely in need of the coffee.  Please, set it on my desk."

Gary carefully set it down and then poured the coffee.  Black, the way Gillespie preferred.  "Thank you," he said, as he accepted the coffee and gulped half of it down.

"Will there be anything else, sir?"

"No. No.  How long have I got until the conference?"

The intern looked at his watch.  "About an hour, sir."

"Good.  I…" 

Gillespie felt a wave of dizziness and reached for the desk.

"Sir?  Are you okay?"

Steadying himself, Gillespie tried to reply but could not.  The intern rushed to the door, but instead of going out into the office, he slowly closed and locked it.

Gillespie watched as he calmly returned and took the tray containing the coffee cup and pot to the office's small sink.  As he began to wash them, he looked over his shoulder at the senator. 

"I'm sorry, sir.  But your family prefers it this way."

Gillespie doubled over as spasms racked his body. 

"Why," he tried to ask, as black spots began to dance before his eyes and he felt his throat constricting. 

"Because you’ve become a liability, I’m afraid.  To them, and the rest of the families."

As the darkness closed in, his last thoughts wished his family to hell.

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The intern waited until Gillespie had breathed his last, drying the dishes to remove all traces of the poison that was even now disappearing from the senator's system.  Then, walking over to the senator's desk, he rolled the chair with Gillespie's body out of the way, taking a flash drive from his pocket and placing it in the senator's desktop.  Quickly, he copied a file to the computer's desktop and ran a short program to completely wipe out the data on his drive, before sticking it back in his pocket.

He squirmed a bit before taking his last step.  He
really
hated blood.  But the money would more than make up for it. 

Checking his watch, he pulled from his pocke, the latex gloves he had brought with him and put them on before propping the senator back up in the chair.  Then, reaching under the desk, he pulled out a silencer and the .22 pistol that had been removed from the senator's home earlier.  Attaching the silencer to the .22, he placed it in the senator's mouth.  Then, wrapping the senator's hand around the trigger, he stood as far to the side as he could and pulled the trigger.  He grimaced as brains and blood splattered against the back wall.  His black shirt and pants hiding the blood spatter he couldn’t avoid.

He took the gun from Gillespie's mouth, removing the silencer and sticking it into the gloves, which he shoved back into his pocket. He then stuck the gun back in the senator's hand and arranged the body the way he had been instructed.  Within minutes he stepped out of the senator's inner office, unnoticed by the people scurrying around, and returned to answering the phones.  He waited, watching until he saw the secretary entering with everyone's coffee order.  As she began handing the coffee orders out, he heard her complaining about how she had been held up at the coffee shop because of someone training a newbie.  He hid his smile as he quietly stepped out and moved unhurriedly down the hall and toward the elevators.  The elevator doors were just closing when he heard the scream.