Chapter 10: Thoughts in the air

With the last of those companies on Grandfather’s list inspected, all that remained was the last item on the list. It was in the form of a real-estate holding and was simply named ‘The Compound,’ the details of which were vague. Nevertheless, I was to fly out to it as soon as possible.

Usually, real-estate holdings wouldn’t interest me any more than any other asset. Just something temporary, they come and go. But for some reason, it was on my grandfather’s list to see.

While I said temporary, this had been in the family’s hands for over two hundred years. That made it different. So why hadn’t I heard about it before? It wasn’t as if there were no old properties held by the family. For the most part, they were homes much like my grandfather’s estate. Like wealth, the older, the more prestige.

From this report, this property would make it the oldest of the family’s holdings. Yet no one had mentioned it that I could recall. Not even my grandfather.

I thought to myself, “Aww, Grandfather? What do you have me getting into?” it looked like I would have to play the game. Well, not a game. After all, my life was at stake. What with my grandfather having been murdered and selecting me as his successor. How was that going to be received when the rest of the family realized the truth?

It wouldn’t be long before my father’s inapt skills at business would be borne out. Most already knew it.

My grandfather had given me as much time as he could. And yet, he was still trying to get me more. My grandfather had been grooming me for years, and I hadn’t even realized it. He didn’t tell me what I would have to do but how to think on my feet. Testing me in ways I hadn’t suspected. I would have to do the same when it came to my turn to select my replacement. Hopefully, many years in the future.

I recalled the many chats of our visions of what we wanted the world to become and strategies for making it so. With that, we also talked of the other families’ visions and how they may conflict with our own, I would have to play against them, and there would be little room for error. It wasn’t as if I was walking into it blind. I just hadn’t thought I would be the one or that it would happen this way or this soon.

I had my own plans, and I felt like I was very close to this one objective. Of course, I would be a fool if I thought it was a sure thing, but I knew I was on the right path with almost complete certainty. But it didn’t include becoming the next Family Head.

Now there was this complication. I had learned that my grandfather had been murdered. My grandfather dead, and I was without the rudder of his guidance.

My grandfather hadn’t planned for me having to take this job so soon. I don’t believe it was because he didn’t think I was ready. Instead, I think he wanted to give me more time to complete my work first or have it no longer taking up my full time.

My grandfather had high hopes for my research. He said it would be the thing that would tie it all together. Was that why he gave me such a free hand when my own father would have had me take up a position in the firm, the part of the Family business he was head of, and that I was so opposed to?

The trip back to the airport was uneventful. There had been no apparent evasive maneuvers. So we returned to the same airport. Taken straight to the boarding ramp of the plane. I could get used to this. No baggage check-in, no one asking me for my ticket. I did have a flight attendant show me to my seat, but I could have had any seat on the plane in reality.

I was somewhat surprised it wasn’t the same jet as before. Or the same pilot.

The pilot introduced herself as Captain Jane Way, stating she had been thoroughly checked out on this aircraft. Adding that, it would be a pleasure to fly my party on its maiden flight. With that, I gathered it was fresh off the assembly line and customized to my grandfather’s specifications. Did I mention we were obscenely wealthy?

I wasn’t particularly surprised to find Nick waiting at the foot of the plane’s stairs along with the Captain. Taking him aside, I asked about the other aircraft and Captain Pan Ann? He just said it was done to keep people from tracking a plane’s movement and guessing who might be aboard and where they were headed. Well, he oversaw my security, so I decided I didn’t need to question it further. I would fondly miss Captain Pam Am. Even if she was a bit older than I.

Nicky and Wind Song had proceeded me aboard. While I was doing that, it couldn’t have been that long, and I don’t know how they did it, but they had changed clothing and were now dressed much the same as when I had first seen them, looking like Geisha.

The flight attendant was apparently for Nick and his goon squad. Okay, that was unkind, but just what do you call men that looked like they could barely keep their knuckles from dragging on the ground.

Sorry, I guess that was below the belt. But the knuckle draggers did look like they make great bullet catchers.

The girls spoke together, “Welcome aboard, Master.” Then, as before, they approached to remove my shoes, replacing them with slippers. That actually fit. Nick just nodded, his face expressionless. I was beginning to think he never changed that expression.

Nick informed me that my grandfather had discussed my security arrangement with him. For that reason, it was determined I wouldn’t be returning to either of my homes or MIT anytime soon. There was that word again ’determined,’ I was beginning to wonder when I would be allowed to determine anything for myself. Was I being childish about this?

Then he added that my possessions had already been packed and shipped and would be arriving at the Compound shortly. What? I was about to object, as they were my homes and properties, and I should have been consulted beforehand. Would be arriving shortly? My things? Arriving shortly?

It was beginning to sound like I would be staying for a while.

Now I knew I was acting like a child. But, damn it, couldn’t they at least explain it to me before they did it. But “Nooooo!” They hadn’t.

Okay, time to look at this as a grownup. This was all being done for my security. The enemy had gotten to my Grandfather, and until my grandfather’s murderer was found and dealt with, I would just have to buck it up and live with it.

There would be a lot of details involved in keeping me safe and secure, more than I’d thought. I was glad I had this professional taking care of them. Clearly, I wasn’t up to it yet.

I was reminded of an old saying of my grandfather’s, which I was sure he had never had to do himself. It went something like this, “It is easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission.” I supposed that was indeed the case, as I probably would have said no, and then wondered when I would ever have access to my things again.

I thought to myself again, “The Compound?” That was beginning to sound a lot like a permanent and secure residence. Not something that was merely to be inspected.

I then looked at the girls that were to accompany me to the Compound. So maybe it wouldn’t be so bad, after all!

I looked at the girls again. As I did, they shyly covered their mouths and giggled behind their hands, their eyes sparkling with mischief. “Well, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad,” I thought, “after all, there were worse things in life.” As my mind wandered back to the bullet-riddled window of my grandfather’s Aston Martin DB5.

Nick then advised me that the plane would be untraceable back to my grandfather or me, as it was held in trust by a bank specializing in such things. They made it a point NOT to know who was on what or where a plane might be going. The many owners liked it that way. I couldn’t say I blamed them. While we might own them, being held in trust provided an additional layer of confidentiality for the family.

While waiting for clearance to depart, Nick informed me that he had overseen my grandfather’s security force for several years. With my approval, he would like to continue. I had read the same information that was on him from the back of his photo and dossier. And Adam had filled in the blanks if I was to trust it.

I would have to get with him about his choices of staff. I had appearances to keep up.

I didn’t think it would be appropriate to just rubber stamp my approval without asking a few pointed questions of my own. Granted, I had no way of verifying anything he said, but this was a case where my grandfather’s teachings and reliance on my instincts came into play.

Something warned me that I was about to put my foot in my mouth, but I had to ask it anyway. “You didn’t do so well by my grandfather. Can I trust you to do better by me?”

If he was upset by the question, his face remained expressionless. Finally, Nick reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out an envelope. “My resignation, Sir.” As he handed it to me. I took it and put it in my own breast pocket. “I will just keep this safe in case I ever need it.”

He then told me of his regret. It had been his responsibility, and he held himself personally at fault for not being able to keep my grandfather safe and alive. Therefore, he could not blame me if I chose to sack him.

Then I asked him how it was that my grandfather died under his watch while under his supervision.

“Well, I didn’t know he had been murdered till Adam told me after his examination.

He again took full responsibility, not trying to shift the blame on subordinates. It was his responsibility and his alone.

Ok, then how was it that they were able to do it?

Once Adam told me of his results and what was used, I backtracked every step.

Thus, he began his report. He had found the culprit who had fed my grandfather the toxic combination. But he had committed suicide before he could be questioned.

It was easy to determine he had not been acting alone. He couldn’t have gotten that close without inside help.

My thought was, why had they used an outside man? If they could have gotten the contaminated drugs to him, why use him at all? The trusted family servants would never have thought twice about the safety of the medications they received to give my grandfather.

Just who had done his background check and finally vouched for him? The person in charge of that system had gone missing. His file had shown him to have been a dedicated family member all his life. Any electronic information had been purged from all records. Pointing to an inside job. DNA testing showed the suspect had never been a member of the family.

There were indications that his DNA may have been altered. Such an alteration would have killed him before much longer. Which of the other families he may have been from was clouded by the results. That is if he had belonged to any of them.

As to how it was done, the suspect had been charged with the final step, making sure your grandfather’s medications were taken. At his age, such medicines are a normal part of aging. They were screened randomly and frequently. How they made it past the screening process was still under review. Still, preliminary results were that it was a combination of compounds added to the different medications and had never been known to be toxic before.

Nick paused, “Before I go any further. I want you to know that any medications or supplements you may be taking will be thoroughly screened. Please let us know if you start taking anything out of the ordinary that we don’t know about. Such as over-the-counter medications.

I assured him I would. I didn’t mention the medical nanobots I had been injected with.

Jokingly I asked, “Would I be needing food tasters now?”

The look on Nick’s face did not change. His reply was, “We thought about that, but there are too many poisons that are slow acting. You might starve to death before the poisons were discovered.” So that would be a maybe?

I no longer thought it was funny.

Then I thought about all those dangerous chicken nuggets I had eaten while at MIT.

Nick went on, “An intensive investigation is being made. But it is felt that inside perpetrators had already slipped away or had been killed to be silenced. As there had been some inexplicable deaths shortly afterward. To hear Nick so casually speak of killing someone merely to silence them sent a chill up my spine.

Without Nick’s noticing, Adam’s voice in my head confirmed all he had said. Then my grandfather’s voice came next to assure me that Nick had done everything in his power. That sounded suspectedly like he already knew he was going to be poisoned. And how. The question being is why he did nothing to prevent it.

The poisoner had just fooled everyone, and there was nothing that Nick or the whole of his security team could have done to prevent that.

There was that again, ‘the poisoner.’ Found too easily, and in my mind, a diversion. But to what?

So, that was why it had been so vital that I made it to the first medical group as quickly as possible. It had been Adam’s in-depth and unique methods that had determined the means, and they had been independently confirmed.

But, wait, Adam’s examination was done after my grandfather’s death. So how would he know beforehand what Adam would discover?

Adam said he had not been online long enough to have made the testing a part of his functions. However, further analysis indicated that there would have been little or no chance of a reversal even if he had been. Earlier discovery would only have prolonged his life for a few years at best.

I was mad as hell when I heard that. I would have taken those few years over his early death any day.

With that, I asked how the investigation was going.

To find the killers, for I knew that this couldn’t be the work of one mind.

Nick answered first, thinking I had addressed my question to him. “Most of our leads have not panned out, and the physical evidence has not produced any useful leads. Somebody had taken great pains to cover their tracks.”

Nick sounded most aggrieved with this statement. The death of my grandfather on his watch weighed heavily on him. While his face remained expressionless, I could sense he wanted to run down every lead personally. Just in case any of his people had missed something, anything at all.

Adam’s voice came next; “Nick, it was your people who spotted the men following Jim,”

Nick said, “Yes, and then they lost them!” His anger was apparent in his voice. If not in his face.

Adam’s replied, “Yes, your men lost them, but I didn’t.” Adam explained, “While the enemy was physically able to elude your agents, they maintained contact with their control electronically, which I was able to intercept. Had your men not been able to plant the device when they did, I would have lost them as well.”

With that news, Nick’s face remained expressionless. Adam went on, “Their use of non-family frequencies and codes has allowed me to track them. Whereas if your men had been able to follow, they could have been spotted, and as a result, they may have changed frequencies and codes. As a result, I may have lost any chance of reacquiring them. As it is, I have now narrowed the possibilities down another 27%, with a probability of success at 95%.

Only a complete and random change of their procedures can change this probability now. That has been calculated at 13%. I am widening my search parameters accordingly.”

Nick only had one question, “How?”

Indeed, I had the same one.

Adam went on, “Your computer systems were state of the art, before, but are not any longer, with my coming online. For reasons I cannot adequately explain, I do things differently. Unfortunately, My creator has blocked me from disclosing that. Please excuse my inability to explain further.”

Was I hearing this correctly? Was it asking for forgiveness? I looked over at Nick’s stone face expression. I couldn’t tell if he was in the same confused state as I was in. Machines didn’t ask for forgiveness. They simply didn’t respond if they had no information or say access denied even insufficient data/information. They didn’t say they were sorry. Nor volunteering why and who had placed the block. That seemed like an emotional response. It was as if Adam wanted to tell us more but was prevented from doing so.

I was told it would be growing, and that thought was a possibility.

I asked myself, how could that be? Well, computers were not my specialty. However, I was going to have to look into this. A computer was a machine, and they simply didn’t have emotions or feelings.

The odd little man. Yes, I would have to get in contact with him again.

I would have to make a point of speaking to Adam’s creator the next time I saw him. Which brought up the problem of how to do just that. All the businesses would have to be moved, with the key personnel. And With as much of the supporting personnel as would willingly make a move.

Just where that would be, I would have to determine. I was sure one of the family’s many real-estate holdings would prove sufficient. Maybe the one I was heading to?

I reassured Nick that I had every confidence in him, as my grandfather had. However, I allowed that had I been planning it, I wouldn’t have used an agent at all and would have found a way to slip the altered medicines in another way.

Nick perked up at this. “How would you have done it.” He asked. He was keenly interested.

He had done well to find the inside guy, if not his control. If whoever wanted my grandfather dead was out to get me. It might have already happened without his intervention. In fact, an attempt had already been made. My life was already in his hands, and it would continue to be so from now on. This was no time to change horses midstream.

Something was nagging me in the back of my mind.

I had to start somewhere. To rebuild a security team from the ground up when I already knew that the old one had been compromised would be digging my own grave.

There was my grandfather’s recommendation. That even though Nick had failed him, Grandfather still felt he was the best there was. It was basically all I had to go on. Other than my gut feelings.

Adam’s voice came to me again, “If you so desire, I can start vetting a new security chief.”

I frowned. I had enough on my mind without having voices in my head as well.

I said, “No...” It was more to myself that I said it. It wouldn’t do to have Nick start thinking I was talking to myself and mad as the ‘Mad Hatter.’ I couldn’t be sure just what he thought of me, with his expressionless face and with all the missteps I had already made before him. Then maybe it wouldn’t have mattered any if I was indeed the ‘Mad Hatter,’ for he would do his best to keep me alive. As it had been my grandfather’s last wish of him that he did so.

It was then that I realized that this had really been a part of my life all along. My safety and well-being had been a part of my care. Even though my own parents hadn’t shown or displayed the sort of love and affection, most children would have received from their parents.

Yes, I had been watched over and protected, most likely from the moment of conception. As a child, I had been protected. It just had never been quite so open. It had been low-keyed to promote a sense of wellbeing while not making a child neurotic.

I had left that security and comfort of that home guilelessly when I went out into the world to study at MIT. I had never seen the security blanket my grandfather had used to cover me. It had been there, nevertheless. It just had never dawned on me that anyone would even wish to harm me, let alone want me dead. Grandfather’s murder was a wake-up call I would not soon forget! That prank in prep school being the exception.

Captain Jane’s voice came over the loudspeaker, “We have received departure clearance. Please secure yourselves for takeoff. I will be turning off the seat belt and no smoking signs when we have reached cruising altitude. Please enjoy the free in-flight meal and movie.”

Nick informed me, with his expressionless face, “We will not be in the air quite that long. I believe that was a little pilot–to-passenger humor.” He said this as if I hadn’t gotten the joke. Chuckling to myself, I was beginning to think he was quite humorless himself.