KATIKA-Treason is never far away (Part.1)

Chapter 17 | EclypsiaCrypt

"What's going on?" asked John.

"We received a message two and a half hours ago. She warned us that they had found our hideout."

Out of control, he rushed towards the moldy couch and kicked the dead rat, sending it to the other side of the room, and collapsed in tears.

"I'm useless!" he declared, desperate. "Terry died because of me, because I didn't have the foresight to check the channel before going to the hideout..."

Not knowing what to say, John racked his brains to identify the most comforting words possible. Taking a seat next to him, the young man almost immediately felt infected by Carter's mood.

At that precise moment, nothing else mattered to him except the crazy idea of ​​escaping and taking a break with Rebecca by his side. The blows dealt by his enemy continued to rain down in his life, and to his great dismay, his only rebellion so far amounted to a supposedly dissident interview.

Haste was a mistake, into which he had rushed like a fool during his chase with his attackers. Even Carter, so brilliant, so thoughtful in his nature as a lawyer, had fallen into the trap.

"Get back down to earth, my little John!" thought the young man, aware of having once again let himself be captivated by his thoughts as a dreamer. No, they couldn't afford to leave quietly on vacation, while Katika was currently preparing the development and strategy of a deadly virus.

He wasn't a coward. From now on, he and Carter would think twice before acting and prepare their plans meticulously.

"Carter," he finally said, "it's not your fault if... if what you know happened. These people are better prepared and equipped than we are..."

Suddenly, the computer made a sound that instantly silenced the young man: a new message had been sent by the anonymous Mole.

"What...?" John exclaimed, "What does this message say?"

With a dark expression, Terry reopened the computer. Apparently, none of the words from his young ally had the intended effect.

"Our informant is asking us to go into hiding," he announced, "according to her information, it's only a matter of time before they definitively arrest you. A plan has been devised by her to exfiltrate you to a foreign land, but before that, we'll have to play James Bond..."

"What do you mean?" John asked immediately.

The lawyer waited a few seconds before continuing.

"Soon, a major international convention involving almost all the countries in the world will take place in Milan. The Mole informs us that some of the participants are more or less under Katika's direct influence..."

He already knew that. Carter wasn't telling him anything new: he had known for a long time that the company had a well-established network of influence and lobbying.

"What is the purpose of this convention?" he asked.

The lawyer coughed lightly and replied, "It is supposed to address a significant reform of the International Health Cooperation. In short, the project would involve transferring a good part of the powers in public health policy usually held internally by governments. Moreover, a man is expected to take over the presidency of this organization..."

He paused. But the young man didn't want to leave it there, too anxious to know the name of the possible future head of global health.

"Who?" he asked urgently, "Who, Carter?"

"This may not please you at all..." the lawyer timidly ventured.

"Go on", John urged in a pressing tone.With a deep sigh, his ally finally spilled the beans:

"Your father."

It was the last name he expected. Worse, he felt the horror of the idea that it could actually happen.

Once at the helm of the organization in charge of the largest public health project, his diabolical schemes would have no trouble being secretly implemented, without any government ever suspecting anything.

"It can't be possible..."John declared, "he still owns the company, and it's an activity incompatible with the impartiality required for such a position."

"Yes", Carter replied, "but he will most likely sell his shares to the CEO of the firm."

"Woodford?" John asked.

"Who else?" the lawyer replied cynically, "anyway. We're in trouble... We're in big trouble..."

Okay, the situation was becoming increasingly alarming. However, Carter had not yet explained in detail what the operation proposed by the Mole consisted of.