Chapter 24

500 Pearl Street, New York, N.Y.

To use an old movie cliché, the pages on the calendar turned. Three months later...

Federal District Judge Carmela Samosa presided over her part of the Southern District of New York. She looked down at David X. Helm, of the firm of Robinson, Shapiro, Shapiro and Helm. He was standing at the plaintiff’s lectern and no one was standing at the defendant’s. The audience part of the room was filled with lawyers representing others plaintiffs.

Helm: “If it please the court. My client is a member of a class of plaintiffs who have been seriously and financially injured by a person known only as Armis. The dozens of amicus briefs on this matter have shown that...”

Samosa: “Mr. Helm. I have already ruled that no class standing will issue to include other plaintiffs. So let’s not go down that rabbit hole. I have the amicus briefs. I will read them and take them into account when I rule. Let’s get on with it.”

Helm: “Yes, your Honor. My client, David Shapiro, is a holder of a minority interest in the New York Yankees. His interest is being threatened by this Armis person. In addition, his funds have actually been taken, illegally, by means of fraudulent transfer requests.”

Samosa: “I have already issued TRO’s against Armis taking any funds from any U.S. bank. I believe the TRO’s have not been served on Armis, is that correct?”

Helm: “Yes, your Honor. We have been unable, and the Marshalls have been unable, to find this Armis person.”

Samosa: “Is she a citizen of the United States?”

Helm: “We have not found a citizenship of any country for Armis. We have checked a great many countries.”

Samosa: “Yet, the court notes that she does exist. There have been seminars and appearances all over the world. She has a North American accent. Has she taken funds from your client?”

Helm: “We believe the answer is yes, your Honor.”

Samosa: “‘Believe, ‘ Mr. Helm?”

Helm: “Yes, Ma’am. We don’t have proof yet.”

Samosa: “I don’t understand what you want the court to do. Ms Armis has not been served, so there’s no evidence that she has violated the TRO. In fact, there is no evidence that anyone has done anything that indicates funds have been taken in what would have been a violation.”

Helm: “But the funds have been transferred overseas.”

Samosa: “Please, do be so disingenuous, Mr. Helm. There were large transfers in and out every year. Well before Armis was on the scene. These more recent transfers are nothing unusual. Is there evidence of fraud in the issuance of the transfer requests?”

Helm: “No evidence yet, your Honor. But my client has stated under oath that he did not make the transfers.”

Samosa: “Sounds like an issue between you and the bank, Mr. Helm.”

Helm: “But, your Honor! The transfers were exactly the 90% that Armis said she would take. And the other plaintiffs have had 90% taken also.”

Samosa: “Mr. Helm. Bring me Ms Armis and I will take this further. Until then, this hearing is adjourned without any further action.”

...

Helm and all the lawyers from the other potential plaintiffs met in a cramped conference room. Helm said, “I want to put a bounty on her head. She has to be here, safe, and undamaged and then we will pay. We have here many, many people who have had over a billion taken – or will have a billion or more taken. I think we can all get our clients to chip in and raise $100 million. I think that level of bounty will be enough to make her appear, or get enough people hunting her to bring her in.”

The lawyer for one of the biggest, private oil companies said, “Hell. We spend more than that in an election year to make sure our guy wins.”

Somebody in the back of the room, obviously of a different political stripe, said, “And you still haven’t picked a winner in forty years.”

Chicago, Il.

Jeff Harmony ran a private hedge fund that Io and Armis hadn’t raided. All the profits from the hedge fund went to the Illinois First Responders Survivors Fund. He was currently sitting in the upstairs private room of Cristobal’s, in his mind the best pizza joint in town – and the only one with a private room. Across the table from him was Armis.

Armis: “Damn good pizza.”

Jeff: “I told ya. You come all this way for a slice of pizza?’

A: “Well, yeah. It’s damn good pizza. But I have an ulterior motive.”

He took a slice of pizza and said nothing.

A: “I’m planning on taking a bunch of stock from people who are ... um ... targets. The top 1%. You know?”

J: “Yes. And that includes me.”

A: “Right. I don’t want the stock ... I want the money that is in the value of the stock.”

J: “Okay. But when you sell, the price is going to go down. Uhm ... what are you going to do with the money?”

A: “Use it to fund ... I don’t know ... bee hives or goats for poor people in Uganda or something.”

J: “Zillions of dollars?”

A: “Eventually.”

J: “You’re going to hurt pension plans and lots and lots of Average Joes who have their investments in the market. There’ll be a big down draft, not only in the stocks you’re selling but as soon as it starts, they’ll sell everything. ‘THEY’ as in everybody. Especially if you’re going to take the money out of investors’ hands, there’ll be less money around to buy.”