the Made Men

CHAPTER 7

After the uninformative gathering of the Five Families in Toronto, across the street, the Agencies Against Crime were unimpressed with the meeting. Kirby, Robbins, Dixon, and Herbert sat around like sitting ducks.

Kirby shook her head. "What's the reason for having the room bugged if all they do is party?"

"We have some good days, sometimes not so much," Dixon responded.

Herbert leaned back in his chair. "This isn't as eventful as I thought it'd be."

With his face down on the table, Robbins said. "If you haven't noticed, while the work we do seems exciting, we're bottom of the barrel. Analysts are nothing but fancy titles for interns. You want action, you have to become an agent."

"That's not true," Dixon answered. "I think we see plenty of action. We have creditable intel that the Five Families have not one but three of the ten Phases. If this is true, they plan to sell at the next CFC. That's a huge win for us."

"We don't actually know that to be fact." Robbins rolled his eyes. "We think they have access to The Phases."

Herbert bit his lip. "Not to sound naive but what is The Phases and what is the CFC?"

Robbins was appalled. "You're joking right?"

"I'm a Financial Analyst." Herbert shrugged. "The highlight of my day is data, numbers, and reports."

Robbins laughed. "Remind me to never work for Treasury."

Kirby intervened. "Alright so here it is. The CFC also known as the Conference for Change--"

"--Or Christmas for Criminals, depending on who you ask." Dixon smiled.

Kirby continued. "It's an annual conference for the elites. Politicians, Scientists, Senators, Ambassadors, world leaders. They all gather to discuss how to make the world a better place. Initiatives, projects, funding, all that."

"Like a United Nations conference?" Herbert questioned.

"Sort of," Dixon added.

This was all new to Herbert. "And where does the name Christmas for Criminals come from?"

Robbins added. "Christmas for Criminals. Conference for Criminals. It has many names. It's rumored that the world's top criminals also attend to discuss business dealings with one another and the world's top Scientists, Politicians, etcetera."

Herbert folded his arms. "And the Government knows about this?"

"Oh, yeah." Kirby nodded.

"So the Government knows this and lets it happen? How? Why?"

Dixon picked up. "Every year the CFC is in a country with non-extradition laws. Criminals are clever. The CFC is supposed to be a safe space. No violence or crime on the premises type of thing."

Robbins shrugged. "Hell, the whole thing probably started as the government's idea."

"You're quite the conspiracy theorist aren't you?" Kirby grinned.

Herbert looked at them individually. "So have any of you been?"

"Invitation only," Dixon Answered. "And heavily secure. For obvious reasons."

Herbert laughed. "Wait. What you're telling me is that this whole CFC storyline could be make-believe. How do you know it's real if you've never been?"

Kirby looked at Dixon and Dixon looked at Robbins.

Then Herbert asked. "And what about The Phases?"

Robbins cracked his knuckles. "The first rule of The Phases is if you know about The Phases, you don't talk about The Phases."

"This isn't Fight Club." Kirby rolled her eyes. "Alright, so, The Phases." Then she paused. "Well, Maybe, Dixon should tell it. The Phases is allegedly a project created by the CIA."

Then everyone looked at Dixon. He finally replied. "I like my job, thank you. But If I knew anything about the alleged Phases. Which I'm not confirming or denying. I'm not telling you."

"Please," Robbins shook his head. "If you knew anything about The Phases, which you don't, You wouldn't be here. The Phases is way above your pay grade."

"Anyways," Kirby interrupted. "Said project was rumored to originally be a collaboration between the government and the military as a way to make everyone equal. No one was above the other, no one played God. Everyone's secrets were out there and on record. There are ten Phases all equally as bad. And each Phase is said to be hidden in different parts of the world." She continued. "But again, that's how it began. The Phases have records dating back to World War II and have been updated since."

"That's not what I heard," Robbins added. "I heard The Phases were revamped back in the early 2000s. The Phases from what I've been told are the government's best-kept secrets that the military turned into weapons. Weapons that can destroy our enemies and possibly an entire country if needed."

"Wow." Herbert nodded. "So it's a weapon broken into ten files?"

Kirby shrugged. "I think it's meant to be a fail-safe. In case the world ends or something. No one really knows."

"Well," Herbert responded, and then he, Kirby, and Robbins looked at Dixon.

Dixon sighed. "I took an oath. Assume I'm not here."

"You took the same oath and have the same security clearance as the rest of us." Robbins shook his head. "Get over yourself."

Herbert scratched his head and then asked. "How did the Five Families get their hands on three of the files? Isn't that some sort of threat? Cause of national security?"

"Now you're getting it." Kirby smiled. "Hence why we're all here."

Robbins popped a piece of gum into his mouth. "If they get all ten, or Russia, or China, or the Middle East. If any of our enemies get all ten. The ramifications? It would be a sad day in America. Millions of lives could be lost."

"Ok, so this intel you have." Herbert looked at Dixon. "Where'd you get it from? Who's your source?" then he asked. "Don't tell me you have an inside man in The Five?"

"The Five." Kirby laughed. "Listen to you. You're learning quickly."

Robbins crumbled pieces of paper and then shot them into a trash bin a few feet away. "Besides, even as a Fed, I'm not even sure The Phases really exist." He continued. "I agree with Herbert. Just like the CFC, how can you believe in something you've never actually seen?"