‘Welcome, ladies and gentlemen,’ Jacob Winters announced as he was wheeled into the grand marble-floored conference room, before being positioned in the last remaining space at the enormous circular conference table. Long red drapes hung from ceiling railings, covering the oversized windows, and overhead a glimmering crystal chandelier with gold trimmings cascaded sparkles of white light down onto the central table and the fourteen people seated around it. The wooden surface was split into fifteen equal sections by dividing lines that allocated each of the attendees, with their own individual zone, like triangular slices of a giant pie, and within each section was a heraldic emblem.
‘Thank you for attending at such short notice,’ Winters continued as Albert locked his wheelchair in place and then backed up against the closed door, his hands clasped, and his tuxedo making him look like a bouncer at the entrance to a VIP nightclub. ‘I cannot tell you how honoured I feel to see you all gathered here together and sitting opposite your family crests.’ Winters motioned with a limp hand towards the emblems engraved into each triangular section. ‘This assembly is unsurpassed in terms of wealth, power and sheer determination.’
There were very few smiles from the fourteen attendees and their expressions remained stony, hard and unyielding, with an air of entitlement emanating from each and every one of them.
‘I know there is much preparation to be done but I, along with Mr Davies’ – Winters gestured to the man sitting directly opposite – ‘have learnt of something extremely troubling that could entail ramifications for us all if not dealt with.’
His audience remained silent but attentive as Winters now began to reveal the ‘conspiracy’ that both he and Albert had concocted just hours earlier.
‘I am aware of your concerns regarding this Harker fellow and his associate, who have been sticking their noses into our business, appearing at gatherings in Berlin and the like, and it is not something I take lightly. We cannot have these men attempting to thwart our plans, but’ – Winters raised his finger skywards, though only managing to hold it there for a few seconds – ‘I am far more interested in how these two were able to find us in the first place. Why it was these particular individuals were chosen is a moot point at present, because the real question is who recruited them.’ Winters now beckoned over Albert, who immediately joined him at the table. ‘And to that question we have an answer.’
Albert now bent over and picked up a shiny black document folder resting against the table leg beside Winters, unwound the string binding it then pulled out a photograph and held it up for all in the group to see.
‘This man is known as Lucas,’ Winters explained, ‘and we have discovered that he met with Alex Harker shortly before this meddling began. What we also know is that, soon after their meeting, he was found with his head blown off.’ Albert now held up the disturbing crime-scene photo showing the aftermath of Lucas’s suicide. ‘So far, there have been no leads to his murderer’s identity.’
Of the fourteen attendees, there was only one who was beginning to look uncomfortable, and as Winters continued, she looked more and more worried.
‘It would appear that he was silenced by whoever wanted the Codex pages for themselves. As for this Harker person… As I have said, we don’t know why he has been involved but, whatever the reason, he has been successful in taking those pages from us.’
The entire group now erupted into a flurry of anger at the news but, before any one of them began shouting, it was Albert who slammed his fist down on the table, making them all fall silent as Winters continued to explain.
‘There is nothing to be concerned about,’ he declared confidently. ‘Even as we speak, my men have pinpointed the three Codex pages and are retrieving them. They will be back in our hands within a matter of hours.’
This last piece of news had them all settling back into their seats and, although many were still visibly angered at the breach in security, they all looked mollified…except for one.
Winters’s demeanour now became colder as he stared around the table with a grimace. ‘This whole sequence of events does lead us, unfortunately, to the rather unpalatable conclusion that we have a traitor in our midst. A person – one of us – who decided they wanted the spoils of our endeavour all to themselves, and at any cost.’
A nervous-looking woman rose from her seat and jabbed her forefinger vigorously towards Winters. ‘How dare you accuse me of such a thing?’
‘I didn’t accuse you of anything, Miss Rochet,’ Winters replied, extremely happy to elicit the reaction he had been attempting to provoke. ‘Not yet.’
The rest of the group were now looking towards the red-haired forty-year-old with suspicion, and the two sitting on either side of her even began to their push their chairs back slightly, leaving her standing apart as Winters now pursued his case.
‘Ladies and gentlemen, it is no surprise that Miss Rochet has reacted in this way, because what I know, and you do not, is that Lucas was working for her directly. Isn’t that right, my lady?’
Rochet was now struggling to keep calm and gave Winters a venomous scowl. ‘He has worked for me, yes, but that means nothing. I didn’t even know he was dead!’
‘Oh, I doubt that,’ Winters replied, and then sat back smugly in his wheelchair as Davies took over the role of accuser.
‘Your family has always been the one weak link in our chain, and we know your ancestors had a habit of swapping sides from time to time, but your blatant betrayal is the bitterest pill to swallow. Let me ask you, did you intend to have us all killed once you partook in our success?’
‘This is outlandish,’ Miss Rochet yelled defiantly as the others began to glower at her. Winters now flicked a withered finger towards her, whereupon Albert dutifully moved to the other side of the table and roughly shoved her back down into her seat.
‘We cannot allow anyone to compromise our cause,’ Davies announced, now turning his attention back to the rest of his group. ‘Let us vote.’
Without even a pause, the other thirteen raised their hands in unison. And, as Rochet continued to shrilly insist her innocence, Albert pulled a cotton handkerchief from his pocket and thrust it into her mouth like a gag. He then pulled her to her feet and forcibly held her hands behind her back before slapping on a pair of handcuffs retrieved from his pocket.
‘You have chosen to treat the rest of us as nothing better than dogs,’ Davies snarled, ‘and now you yourself will die like one.’
Albert began dragging the screaming and kicking woman towards the nearest curtained section of wall, and two of the others pulled it aside to reveal a set of double doors. He pushed them open and thrust the woman outside onto a slabbed patio linked to a lush green lawn surrounded by tall conifers.
While the others began to reassemble outside, Winters stayed where he was and reached for a pair of dark sunglasses as the morning light seeped in through the open doorway, stinging his eyes.
‘Your treachery disgusts me and all your assets shall be seized,’ Davies hissed as the other thirteen silently urged him on with their expressions.
Rochet staggered to her feet and continued struggling against her restraints, still protesting her innocence. But then a deathly hush came over the angry crowd and she too fell silent as she noticed the two black Rottweilers growling at her from the far side of the patio.
‘Please, no,’ she begged as the dog handlers began to unclip their leashes.
‘Now run,’ Davies ordered, giving her a hard kick in the middle of the back. ‘And hope, when the time comes, that the judgement you face is a favourable one.’
Back in the conference room, Albert had returned to join Winters, and he looked at his Samsung mobile before kneeling next to the old man. ‘Harker is currently meeting with the Templars,’ he announced, displaying the texted message as, from outside, the high-pitched screams of Rochet mingled with the barking of the dogs echoing through the room.
‘Interesting,’ Winters replied. ‘We should give our boy a call.’
Albert was already releasing the old man’s wheel locks when his hand was brushed away.
‘But first,’ Winters declared, as the sounds of screams outside began to turn into a gurgled yelping, ‘I want to catch the show.’