Third Murder Attempt
RIAH’S APARTMENT LATER IN THE DAY
He walks up the steps to the building and tries to decide how to tell Kia.
“Pardon me—aren’t you Jadan Kanzz?” a blond woman with a microphone asks.
“Yes I am—who are you?”
“My name is Corron. I am with The Broadcast News and Sports. I would like to ask you a few questions. Please step over here.” She instructs. Two cinematographers go to strategic locations trying to get the optimum video.
“Tell us about Kia—how’s she doing?”
He is trapped and uneasy facing the cameras. He’s also standing in front of the main door. He moves away, but the woman puts him back to the desired location.
“Tell me about her. Is she going to compete next year?” she asks.
Again, he walks away from the door. Once more, she places him back on the same spot. Eight stories up are two painters on a scaffold, suspended from the roof. The woman holds her hand to her ear and listens. She tells him, “Stand right here and hold this microphone—the light is perfect.” She begins to back away.
He is uncomfortable about the situation. He dislikes the media, and this woman is pushy. He detects the door squeak on its hinges and gazes at a man pulling the door back to exit the building. This is his opportunity, and he steps inside the door. He turns to thank the man and recognizes a crash, and senses moisture covering his back. He spins and where he stood before are the remains of two-twenty liter buckets of paint. He glances around, but the woman and the two cameramen are gone. What now? He stands in a pool of the gray liquid staring at the soaked man still holding the door. A sense of horror washes over him.
“This is too much.” He tells them. “Three accidents happened in so short a time, any of which would kill me. I don’t believe they are random. Someone wants me dead—but who?”
They exchange glances. “No way—” he mumbles.
“He better not be the one.”
“Would you two stop talking in riddles? I don’t follow.”
“Allow your mind to explore possibilities. Don’t eliminate anyone. Who would be pleased if you died from an apparent accident?” she asks. “Think Jadan.”
“The one person I can think of who would like me gone is Gramps, but he wouldn’t resort to murder—would he?”
“I hope not, but—”
Riah interrupts, “I want to do some research, but you must keep out of sight while I do. A friend of mine spotted one of Gramps’ associates talking to a notorious hit man at Tana’s Place prior to the elevator accident. They initiated three failed attempts—the evidence says.”
“What is the reporter’s name?” she asks.
“Corren I think—no her name is Corron. She is an attractive, but pushy blond.”
“Are you familiar with her from The Broadcast News?” Kia asks.
“No—no, I’m not. Wait—she was on the Tello one evening during your stay at the Medical Center. She appeared to be the same woman. Why do you ask…?”
“I need to take care of something.” She takes her communicator and dials the locator service. “I would like the number for The Broadcast News support staff.” She writes down the information, and seconds later, she calls, and after a brief conversation, she says, “Corron covered a story here at my apartment building a short time ago. One of her cinematographers dropped a lens for his camera. How can I get the item back to them?” She lies. She listens with care and says, “Well thank you. I’m sorry for the mistake—good-bye.”
She turns to him and says, “Corron’s on assignment in Bozza. She couldn’t be at the entrance two hours back. The girl said she talked to her a moment ago.”
“Well, the evidence strengthens my theory someone is trying to kill you,” he says. “I’ll be back in a while. Don’t leave until I return.”
The noise from Tana’s Place projects half a block away. Another mystery broadcast aired, and the crowd is angry. The latest video shows the brutal beating and killing of over two hundred demonstrators in front of the government compound, which remains on lock down. The bureaucrats refuse to acknowledge the riots, and the news ignores them. Riah enters and walks along the wall until he reaches the bar. The bartender comes over to him. “Hello Myke. Is the hit man you told me about here?”
“Yeah—he’s the one sitting alone over in the corner. Can I get you something to drink?”
“Not now—thanks,” he says. He goes to the table where the man is, bends over, and whispers, “I need someone eliminated. I’m told you’re my man.”
“I might be. Sit down and talk to me. Who’s the mark and what do you want done to him or her?”
“He is Jadan Kanzz, and I’ll be grateful should he end up—shall we say—dead.”
“This fellow is an unpopular character. I accepted a contract to kill him—in an accident, but if you would like to control the method and timetable, the cost to you is twelve thousand script points paid in advance.”
“Interesting—who else hates this guy as much as I do?”
“Raefell Nuggen does—the creep’s in love with his granddaughter, and he wants the problem solved. He insists on an accident, but if you want to top his offer, I’ll do the deed any way you want. I can make the death slow and painful if you prefer.
“Let me think the situation through. I’ll contact you if I want things done my way—but don’t miss an opportunity waiting on me.” He walks out of the pub and down the street not glancing back.
“Kia, Gramps hired an assassin to murder him. He demands the job will be ruled accidental.”
“Are you sure?”
“I am positive. He told me himself. Where is he? Did I not ask him to wait here until I got back?”
“He met Relo Kazza and Dr. Eath Marshon. He’s leaving on a fourteen-day assignment.”
“Get him on the communicator—we must warn him before the killer strikes again.”
A short time later, she reaches him, and Riah tells him what transpired. “You must stay out of sight while I get this resolved.”
“What do you plan to do?”
“We are going to confront him together—in person—and insist he calls off the murderer.”
“What if he won’t?”
“I learned who the killer is, and I may need to kill him.”
“I don’t like your solution—what about his associates? At least five people carried out the paint accident. He subcontracted the job.”
Riah knocks on the door to Gramps’ condominium. They detect footsteps approaching and stop inside. They are aware he checked the screen, but he refuses to let them in. They listen to him turn and walk away. She reaches for her communicator and dials his number, but he declines to answer. In frustration, Riah removes one of his shoes and begins beating on the door. The noise reverberates like gunshots in the hallway. They overhear him running. He jerks the door open with rage on his face.
“What in hell do you think you’re doing?” he asks in a subdued tone, glaring at the two.
“We’re trying to get our grandfather to offer the same courtesy to us. He would extend to most strangers,” Riah says. “We must expect too much of you.”
“Get in here and quit making such a disturbance. I don’t want the neighbors to think my grandchildren are ingrates.” He steps aside and allows them to enter.
Inside, she takes the lead. “I can’t believe this. I would never accept as true you would stoop so low.”
“Let me handle this—I took part in an interesting conversation with your hired killer earlier in the day. The facts are he can’t orchestrate or cause an accident. Three attempts—all failed.”
Gramps is stoic. “One way I’ll call him off—you two move to the mountain compound. You don’t agree. Kanzz is a dead man. The terms are non-negotiable. Your mom and dad are there now.” His jaw is set.
“Is Gramma alive?” Kia asks. “I want to be informed if she’s at the complex.”
“Yes she is, if you must be up to date.”
“I’m experiencing betrayal. Why did she choose to live in the Escapades and not return to visit us? Does she not love us or care about us?”
“You can ask her yourself when we arrive.”
They stare into one another’s eyes, with an inner connection twin alone understand, Riah says, “You can go to hell, and you better pray to your gods nothing befalls him. I’ll track you to the outer edges of the galaxy and when I find you—” With the threat implied, they storm out of the door and to the elevators.
Two days later, he calls Kia and says, “We leave in the morning, and I won’t be back for fourteen days—I love you, and I’ll miss you.”
“I adore you and remember I want you to treat me as if I’m still pregnant.” Her words trail off. “Please, be careful. We went to talk to him a while ago. He won’t call off the killer, unless we agree to relocate to the mountain compound. We both refused and Riah promised him…”
“Let me speak to him. I can’t let you two do this.”
“You helped us understand how screwed up our family is. The mystery broadcasts made us recognize how messed up our government is. We would rather die than move into the complex. Oh, by the way, we learned our grandmother lived at the compounds all these years. She chose to stay in luxury and secrecy instead of being part of our lives. She would not do both. She abandoned us. We talked, and we’ve decided to join the resistance. We need your help. Wait a minute—she’s not finished talking to you.”
“Jadan, I always wanted a family life—the closeness and support. Gramps is the one who made a pretext. I am devastated to find out what I believed to be true proved to be more of his lies.”
“Mine is dysfunctional too. I wouldn’t want my home life for my worst enemy. Dad long doubted I’m his—at least a constant innuendo hangs about me. He uses anything as an excuse to heap hell on my mother, my sister, and me. I suggested a paternity test, but he refuses. He gets joy out of making us miserable. I wish I could get my mother out of her environment, but she won’t leave. They are a perfect role model of what family life should not be.”
The buzzer rings and Relo answers. “I’m glad you called. Kedra’s in town and we’re going to the museum later in the day. Are you two going with us?”
“A third attempt against my life took place earlier, and Riah confirmed a contract is out on me. Raefell Nuggen hired an assassin to stage an accident to kill me.”
“He did what? You can’t be serious.”
“I am, and I guess Gramps wants me out of the picture at any cost.”
“What does Kia think about all this?”
“They confronted him, and he informed them of the one condition he would call off the killer. They must move to his mountain compound. Riah threatened him if anything happens to me. They asked me about resistance groups. They’re disillusioned with government, grandfather, and their parents. I think they’re good candidates. What do you think?”
“You and I may believe in her, and you might also trust him, but I think getting them an invitation is going to be a tough sell.”
OFGRAT HEADQUARTERS
A joint meeting is underway between two large groups. Government resources fighting the various rebellions increased tenfold. Our casualties continue to rise.
Dr. Marshon says, “The NEX modified the heat-seeking satellite increasing its sensitivity, and they can now detect the masked AeroBuses, making movement almost impossible. The scientist improved its locator technology also. They honed in on the mobile interface during one of the mystery broadcasts. A signal-seeking rocket destroyed the unit and killed all five technicians. Our ability to broadcast came to an abrupt end. In short, the bureaucracy is effective in its war against political dissent.”
Boze Landiz calls the meeting to order. “Prior to the schedule items, I would like to make a proposal. The government is committed to throwing as many resources at the revolution as they can. We should reconsider combining the two into a single organization. We’re willing to work on an agreed leadership structure. I suggest the new name for the society be The OFGRAT Commission. Do both groups agree? I’ll call a meeting to finalize the merger when we do. We must rewrite the bylaws, and a few require negotiations."
He moves to the agenda. “The first order of business is to inform new allies of progress at the spaceship.” Much discussion ensues, and the group reaches a consensus on the primary mission of the craft. The first objective is to destroy the heat-seeker. Their improvements stopped our travel outside the MagnaTranz network.
AT THE ANCIENT SPACECRAFT
“Optimistic are we? We can’t even open all the doors, but we’re planning to fly the mechanism.” Renny laughs.
“What if we can’t get the ship into the air? We need to do something. The satellite shut us down. Food, water, and medical supplies are getting critical at all the safe havens. How else can we eliminate the nuisance?” Jaan asks.
“Do we possess the ability to communicate with the device at any of our locations?” Mika asks.
“I’m not sure,” Boze says. “Why, what’s on your mind?”
“A few of our people are on the inside at the CDC. They might be able to download a copy of the specifications and operating system for the apparatus. We hijacked The Broadcast at our pleasure until they learned to locate and destroy the mobile interface. Why don’t we take control of the unit long enough for reprogramming? How would you like to monitor and be informed of what the bureaucracy is watching?”
“I like the option, but let me ask this. Can we hijack the thing and commandeer one of the weather rockets?” Kaamren asks.
“What’s a rocket?” another man asks.
“They are small missiles the government fires into the stratosphere on occasion. They detonate the device and distribute a predetermined amount of metallic powder into the upper atmosphere at targeted areas. They include refined and sophisticated control systems. To be effective, detonation must be at a precise longitude, latitude, and altitude. The ideas are these—reprogram the flight controls of a missile to hit the heat-seeking satellite. Perhaps we shouldn’t explode the weapon. We can guide the unit to collide with the bogie. The explosion may do the job—or the impact alone can do the trick.”
“I think we should concentrate on hijacking the orbiter. We want the intel,” Jaan says.
“An excellent idea,” a woman says. “I think the scheme is brilliant. The way we’ve been successful in the past is to use their technology against them. This continues the trend—I like the proposal.”
“We can’t claim the ideas,” Kaamren says. “Jadan Kanzz came up with the two plans, and he explained how to pull off the feat in details I can’t comprehend.”
“Consider this,” another says. “We don’t control an ‘eye-in-the-sky', and we can use one. The first suggestion may provide the visibility we need.”
“I’m no classy computer guru,” Renny says. “We possess the expertise to do either, if we can get the needed hardware. Can we acquire what we want here?”
“No—we must obtain several critical pieces. We require a power modulator, and variable high-frequency transmitter tuned to the frequencies used by the government. To my knowledge, we own neither,” Seth says. In spite of his earlier anger at Relo and The Commission over the ancient files, recent events solidified his obligation to the cause.
Dr. Marshon says, “I think we should pursue both avenues. We must take control of the satellite or destroy the cursed thing—I prefer we command the implement. Jadan is one of the most brilliant computer and system minds in our combined organizations. I would like him to manage the two projects as well as continue his contributions to the spaceship reactivation program. I want an older person with heavy management experience to work with him as a mentor.”
“Think I’m old and experienced enough?” Kahnn asks.
“Yes, I think you are an excellent choice to help things along,” Eath says and the others agree. “You’re a strong, take charge, self-starter—don’t overwhelm him. Let him call all the shots with your assistance.”
“I understand.”
Boze continues. “The next order of business is an update on the rogue planet, which appears to be coming in this direction. Bannon, will you and Kizzie bring us up to speed? Be thorough—some in attendance aren’t aware of the situation.”
He whispers to her. “You’re the lead on this.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m certain.”
“Here are some facts of which we’re sure. One, our galaxy is colliding with another—the Milkia. Confirmation is beyond reasonable doubt. Two, a large body is headed our way. Three, the NEX and high-ranking Annunaki understood the risks for many decades—perhaps more than a century. Four, The Dome Project is a diversion. The real priority is taking place deep inside. A spacecraft is under construction. They’re rigging the ship to accommodate two hundred and two passengers in luxury for up to five years. Fifth, the names given on the OFGRAT broadcasts, is the authorized list. The official project name is the ‘Fresh Start Program’. “We understand these things for sure, so I’ll tell the group what we think,” she says.
“First, I need to understand,” an associate says. “Based on what we are knowledgeable of, the NEX and the hierarchy—they’ll not go anywhere without servants—do you think?”
“I’ll address the question before Bannon takes over the briefing. We didn’t consider the situation at this time. Let’s continue on—this is a theory but believed to be true by many. Space and interplanetary travel existed prior to the Great War. Some scrolls at the Abydos Museum contain elements not found on our planet and written in a language we can’t identify much less translate. I ran tests through official channels to confirm the fact. I believe I can say with some certainty our ancestors and perhaps a few of the living elders traveled off world. At this time, we can speculate the meaning, but ever since I studied the first pictures of the servants in the Escapades, serious questions about their origins arose. They appear similar from a genetics standpoint to the inhabitants of Nibiru, but several striking differences are apparent. Myths circulated for as long as I can remember saying they are natives of the planet, but the Commonuers are not. We may be getting close to finding out.” She relinquishes the podium.
He takes charge of the discussion. “What I’m going to present now are our theories about the points Dr. Kizzie presented. Evidence is available to support them. One—the inevitable collision of Pegasea and Milkia is a fact, but the event could be many years in the future. Two—the rogue object, which appears headed our way visited our space in the distant past. The previous time resulted in major upheavals on our world. The magnetic poles shifted—mega fluctuations in the crust created tidal waves as high as forty meters or more. The planet tilted by twenty degrees or more, and facts suggest several of the super volcanoes now dormant erupted for an extended period. Most plant and animal life succumbed to the darkness precipitated by the ash clouds. In short, the picture became horrific. Our one hope is the flyby is much farther away than before. Some models indicate the sphere is veering off the course of the last encounter, but we don’t possess enough information at present to predict a path.”
He continues. “Points three and four I will discuss together since they are related. I’m sure you all recognize by now, The Conversant under the leadership of The Commission stopped The Dome Project in its tracks. They stole a large volume of selected data from the CDC and wiped out the backups. Pandemonium prevails as the Powers try to get the job site moving again. Without the lost files, the mission can’t be finished on time if at all. Some of our best are going through the documentation searching for practical information. The original objective consisted of shutting down the project—not collection of analytical info. Most of the ones we’ve evaluated so far are incomplete. We need more details from the Central Data Computer to make the records useful, but we made the decision to go after the additional file is too risky. At this point, they believe a glitch caused the massive loss. The gurus of The Conversant did a remarkable job. On to the fifth item—the NEX is in a rage over the problems with their Fresh Start Program. The word is they’ll kill anyone they suspect. I can offer nothing else, unless you ask questions.”
“A couple of other information items,” Boze says. “Commander Rogg Jasen informed me an alarming number of missing person reports are coming in. The disappearances are random and clueless with no detectable pattern. One other point of interest—Supreme Chancellor Jerka disappeared twenty-one days ago. Rumor says he’s dead. His niece, Liza, hasn’t been located either. Klyn Joanz, her boyfriend, believes foul play is involved.”
ABYDOS MUSEUM
He and Kedraleona arrived earlier, and Jadan calls. “Hello, where are you guys?” he asks.
“She took her time getting ready—I thought her appearance excellent before, but she didn’t. This is her first public outing since the accident. Would you like to gather up front?” he asks. “We’ll arrive in about five minutes.”
“Okay, we will meet you.” He and Kedra start toward the lobby.
They get there at the same time.
“Who is this?” Relo asks, evaluating the disguise.
“Good to get together again,” he says.
The introductions are complete when Kia says, “I would like your version of what happened at the boarding house.” She smiles and glances at him.
“I can’t add much. My information is second hand, but let me congratulate you on winning the grand championship. You achieved quite a triumph,” she says.
“You’re full of surprises—what’s with the new appearance?”
He explains his dilemma to her.
“Sounds too horrific to be real,” she says.
“Hello Relo—good to see you again,” Kia says.
“Likewise, I’m pleased you came.”
“I’m not sure how long I can stay. I still tire with ease, but I’ll do my best.”
“We started on our way back to review at some ancient scrolls when you called. They’re of special interest to Kedra, so let’s start with them, if you don’t mind,”
“Sounds okay us,” Jadan says.
They walk around the area where the documents are on display. They view a number of them before they come to the ones Boze Landiz and Bannon Eas endeavor to translate. Relo is surprised. “The text on these is the same as the ancient files I brought out of the CDC.”
“I viewed this writing before,” she says. “A professor at the University of Krest tried for decades to decipher the symbols. He made little progress—at least not the last time I talked with him. I want to take a picture of this display to take back with me. I’ll call on him and find out where he stands.”
“Some acquaintances of mine are working to decode some of these documents. They believe the material and ink of the backing are extraterrestrial, and the language is alien. I wonder, which exhibits they are,” Jadan says.
An hour later, Kia is exhausted. “I’m sorry, but we must go back. I hope you will forgive me, but I’m quite tired.”
“I’m pleased I got to meet you,” she says. “Perhaps we can do this again sometime.”
“I would like the chance. Please call me next time you’re in Abydos. Relo, keep an eye on my man for me,” she says as they turn to leave.
“I’ll take care of him on our new assignment. I promise to keep him out of trouble.” He grins.
“Kedra—I’m pleased we meet again. Keep him straight. Many of his friends refer to him as ‘The Magician’. What you see is not—”
“All right—okay, you two enjoy the balance of the evening.”
They leave after several hours, and he says, “Let’s get something to eat. We can take a local AeroBus and view the sights around the city.”
“I would like to tour the university campus before the day’s over.”
“What time is your clothing show tomorrow?”
“In reality, I’m here for another purpose. I will attend a classified meeting with some scientists. I can’t tell you more—sorry.”
“Sounds a little too cloak and dagger for me.”
“Why do they call you The Magician?” Kedra changes the subject.