Ensemble [Book 1: SEKTOR V Trilogy]

Chapter 34: Vantage Point

Chapter 34: Vantage Point

Maddy was not happy at all. Why the Chancellor wanted to come to the Institute amid world madness was beyond her comprehension. Of course, that was not entirely true since she understood the why, just not the when. Despite the overwhelming success their destabilization plan had achieved in a matter of weeks, this was not the time to celebrate, especially when doing so meant further concentrating their limited resources in one place. Far too much risk with very little reward, as far as she was concerned.

Unfortunately, Chancellor Datek saw things differently and he had the final say in the matter. There was no question that the recent global market crash—coupled with the Ministry having difficulty maintaining basic order domestically, with little to no control internationally—was making Underground Leadership smile. Destabilizing events like these proved, beyond a reasonable doubt, that their efforts to disrupt Ministry Sweeper and post-Jump operations were working exceedingly well.

Still, hosting the Chancellor at the Institute during these uncertain times presented a big security risk, one that ultimately could be very hard to contain. Having tens of thousands of operatives in one place at the same time was unprecedented. And given the ongoing uncertainty with Organization partners, coupled with on-site nudge training still in full swing, establishing a viable security protocol for the Chancellor's visit would be extremely difficult.

On top of all that, she had serious concerns about Cranston. His persistent, and very odd desire to send his men to the Institute for "training" made no sense to her. It was something he'd never expressed interest in before and now suddenly wanted to aggressively pursue. The recent inexplicable "disappearance" of two of her agents also had her on edge, wondering if there was an ICP connection.

"But why would Cranston or any ICPs be plotting against us? Why would they want to bring us harm and to what end?" the Chancellor had repeatedly asked her, to which she had no reasonable answer.

She had to resign herself to the fact that Datek was coming. He and his people would be here soon and she'd have to make sure it all went smoothly despite the sick premonition that simply wouldn't subside. Something had to be done, but an actual short-term Jump was out of the question. They did not have the Ministry's Sweeper operation and simply could not react that quickly. Besides, all of her people were either tied up with nudge operations or working frantically on security details associated with the upcoming visit.

Still, none of this would stop Maddy from asking Dr. Narain to run a series of short-term forecasts to see if any noticeable socio-economic ripples existed during and right after the Chancellor's visit. If something, anything, popped up in the simulations that were suspect, she could use those results to try and force a cancellation due to security-risk concerns. Unfortunately, right now, she had nothing tangible she could point to...

~

"Do you think I want it this way? Actually having to rely on thugs and criminals for actionable information?" Gus asked semi-rhetorically.

"No, of course not, sir," Joliet responded.

"We simply don't have a choice, at least not at this point," added Gus. "According to Cranston and his sources, the Underground's Chancellor will be at their central compound in seven days giving a victory speech of sorts. Cranston also has informed us that literally tens of thousands of Underground operatives will be on hand. Moreover, this compound, or 'Institute' as they call it, houses much of their key personnel and advanced technology including time travel hardware and a vast array of computing resources. During the actual raid, we'll hit with blunt force and make sure that we're the ones leading the charge, not following orders from mobsters."

"Understood," replied Joliet. "We will have more than 1000 of our people strategically placed within two miles of the compound. I've set up the required communication protocols. Next week, we'll have near-immediate access to all of our assets as required. Cranston and his men have no idea how far we've taken this."

"Excellent," Gus replied. "Even so, we still need to make sure that our resources aren't diverted off our main task, which is to disrupt Underground operations and take as many individuals into custody for in-depth interrogation. Moreover, we want to avoid the use of deadly force against any Underground operatives unless it becomes absolutely necessary. At this point, it's unlikely that Cranston and his men share our objectives. As such, I expect your team to monitor our 'partners' extremely closely from here on out, especially as we get closer to next week's crucial operation."

"I share your concerns, sir. My team has already established several pre-emptive measures that should help maximize our chances for mission success."

~

Cranston was 100 percent sure of the Underground's next move. His Organization would finally be getting its revenge. Betrayal and murder beget betrayal and murder, and he was going to relish watching the Underground being brought to its knees. Emotional gratification notwithstanding, Cranston had many details to take care of in a short amount of time. He also had to make sure that his Organization and not the Ministry maintained complete control of the operation at all times. To help him get the job done, he'd be heavily relying on his legion of obedient minions.

"Gentlemen, are we set for next week?"

"Yes, we have the pill and we have the plan," said Valery Stokovnik.

"Good. I assume you'll have water set up as the delivery method? No smell and no visual detection is a must."

"Yes and yes," answered Mikhail Kolonoktev.

Cranston continued, "You'll also need to get inside the hall well before the Chancellor's address begins."

"We've already established our insider Institute connections," said Stokovnik.

Cranston was pleased to hear that. "Good. We simply cannot afford to have this executed poorly. The Chancellor must die, at our hands, on that stage, in front of his people."