“Confessions” Serial, Tech Wars 14
Zoltan figured that the Prof’s tough guy, Brett, must have moved on to another assignment. He was completely off the radar. Nor was there any hint of the launch of the Supply Chain program the Professor had developed. The Hungarian debated whether it was still worthwhile trying to steal the technology. On the balance of things, he decided to continue with it for the time being. He did not have another project of this magnitude ready to replace it. Unless Brett resurfaced, Zoltan made up his mind to rather track down Arthur Erskine and his operating base. He was still angered over the fool’s errand that had led him into the heart of the Namib desert. Sooner or later, the Supply Chain program would have to appear prior to its launch. He would be waiting.
• • •
Johansen wondered whether his already erratic blood-pressure would survive the ordeal of trying to find the missing couple that threatened his elaborate plans. They had literally disappeared. In the electronic age it was almost taken for granted that anyone could be found, if you searched hard enough. Surveillance cameras, cell phone signals, emails, the use of credit cards, bank accounts, tracking devices, etc., etc., had made it extremely difficult for people to disappear.
Somehow O’Reilly and Gibson had managed to evade all electronic traps set for them. The pressure was building. His bosses rewarded success well, but failure was not tolerated. He was edging perilously close to that tipping point where he too would disappear without a trace. The only difference being that he would not be breathing – whereas he had no doubt that his targets were alive and well … wherever the hell they were! He slammed his fist down on his desk, hurting his little finger in the process. He yelped and rubbed the affected digit as he tried to work out what they had done. Gibson had plenty of money and he was undoubtedly savvy enough to have salted away some of it into offshore banks under different names. He wondered just how far would they take this? Would they completely change their identities? Very likely, he thought.
He had an idea and picked up his phone. “Mark, I want you to find out whether anyone answering to the description of our fugitives has used the services of any of the plastic surgeons on our list.”
Johansen had compiled a list of less-ethical as well as disbarred surgeons who were known to perform appearance-changing surgery for any number of criminals or fugitives who had the money to pay for it. He did not confine the list to the US alone. It was a long shot, he thought, but right now he didn’t have any other options.
• • •
Johansen was right about what Sandy and Brett were doing, but wrong about who was doing it for them.
“If I come out of this looking like the Wicked Witch of the West, I’ll cast a spell and turn you into a frog. Then I’ll trample on you!” Sandy looked accusingly at Brett and not the handsome young surgeon who stood by grinning as the lovely young woman tried to release her nervous anxiety before going under the knife.
Dr. Karl Eisenstadt, a Cape Town-based plastic surgeon and an old friend of Jauncey’s, took pity on Brett and answered for him. “I’ve turned a witch into a double of Charlize Theron, but I don’t do the reverse … it’s bad for business!”
Sandy looked at him doubtfully. “I don’t need to be Miss Universe but I’ve kinda gotten used to the way I look.”
Dr. Karl took her point seriously. “I don’t blame you. You’re a plastic surgeon’s nightmare. Your looks should never be tampered with. However, Brett here persuaded me that it has to be done for your safety. I won’t make any substantial changes, I promise … besides I don’t fancy the idea of a squashed frog on the floor of my operating theater!”
Sandy submitted meekly to the first steps of the procedure. Brett retired to the waiting room. He had been fortunate in having one of his oldest friends recommend a top surgeon to do procedures that he would normally never consider participating in. Karl ran one of the most prestigious surgeries in South Africa which was renowned for its surgical skills. He was certainly not on Johansen’s list of seedy operators. Secretly, Brett dreaded his turn under the scalpel almost as much as Sandy.
• • •
As Sandy came out of her shower a few hours later, she was shocked to see a strange man in their bedroom. Where was Brett? To the man’s amazement she screamed with laughter.
“What’s so funny?” The man asked.
It took a few moments before the laughter subsided and Sandy could speak. “Oh, Brett, for a moment I didn’t recognize you. Then I realized … I’ve been sleeping with a stranger!”
She went off again with peals of laughter. Brett remained solemn and looked at her enquiringly. “And who are you?”
More giggles as she threw her arms around Brett, who no longer looked like Brett. He kissed her gently on the forehead.
“Whoever you are, you’re very beautiful and I’ll settle for you until Sandy gets back.”
Sandy glanced at the alarm clock on the side table. She registered horror.
Jauncey’s plastic friend had done an incredible job with both of them. Best of all it had taken minimal surgery but the subtle differences, in addition to changes of hair color and in Sandy’s case a boob job (that she had secretly always wanted), simply made their previous personae disappear.
• • •
The interior of the old Cape Dutch mansion reflected the style and elegance of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries created by the wealthy farmers – Boers as they were known – of Dutch ancestry with more than a sprinkling of French Huguenot, German and Belgian (the Afrikaners of South Africa). The sitting room décor was an eclectic mix of European furniture designs made from rare African timbers such as stinkwood and yellowwood.
Jauncey looked up as a handsome young couple entered the room. “Sally and Andrew Jarvis, I presume?”
Jauncey smiled at the couple. He was impressed by the reconstruction work that had effectively ended the existence of Brett Gibson and Sandy O’Reilly. Andy looked at Jauncey questioningly with a frown on his face. “Yes … and who would you be?”
Jauncey faltered for a moment. The voice was not that of Brett, nor did he see any real physical resemblance. Could he be mistaken? Andy saw the look of confusion on the other man’s face and broke into a chuckle. “Sorry, pal, thought I’d see just how effective our new identities are, even with someone who’s known me for years!”
Jauncey shook his head ruefully. He had been fooled but was delighted about it. “The voice! How in the hell did you do that?”
“Didn’t I tell you I’m a frustrated actor? Never got a chance to perform but I remembered an amazing old woman in New York that briefly gave me voice production lessons. Paid her to change my voice! Always wanted to pitch my voice a little lower. She showed me how and then coached me into more of a New Yorker accent than the one with my Bostonian origins.”
Jauncey gestured for the two of them to sit. “OK, Sandy, so I’ve heard your story. Brett’s outlined the work he’s been doing for this Professor Erskine.”
“Hang on. Sandy and Brett’ve gone. You’re dealing with Sally and Andrew now!”
Jauncey grimaced. “Mea culpa. Of course. Anyway, what I want to say is that there’s a surprising synergy between what you guys have been up to and certain areas I’ve been exploring. Have you heard of ransomware?”
Andrew looked blank but Sally drew in a sharp breath. “Yeah, of course. Don’t know much about it but I guess it’s what you might call the major league for the baddies.”
Jauncey nodded. “You’re probably right but don’t underestimate what you’ve been dealing with as well. What we don’t know is to what extent all these malevolent events are interconnected. Is there a Mister Big controlling all of it or is it a series of unrelated criminal enterprises carried out by separate gangs or individuals?”
Andy sighed. “Either way, I’m not sure that we have the capacity to stop them.”
“Not on our own but I’m going to introduce you to someone who may have a greater influence on opposing these activities than you would expect!”
An ExoTech Ltd shareholder, Chris is currently authoring two of the four books to be published the day ExoBrain launches and has helped to create ExoBrain’s introductory video to the Confidential Technical Briefing. Chris has spent his working life in the film and television industry, starting with BBC Television in London, then ATV in Birmingham becoming, at the time, the youngest Studio Manager in Britain.
Later, in South Africa, he wrote and directed film and TV commercials, having four South African entries at the Cannes Advertising Festival. After a number of years of writing and directing or producing documentaries (eight international awards) and corporate videos, he concentrated on writing feature film screenplays (five screened) and television series (seven screened). He has a novel, ”Pursuit of Treachery,” with a literary agent and is currently obtaining finance for an action adventure feature film he has written and is co-producing. He is a published poet and has given many readings.