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Date Posted: 16:24:19 05/03/02 Fri
Author: Repost Fairy
Author Host/IP: 64.193.19.25
Subject: Chapter 60 (bit of bad language)
In reply to: Genevieve 's message, "Burden of Proof - Chapter 55 onwards..." on 16:10:02 05/03/02 Fri

~*~*~*~*~

“So, let me get this straight.” Dave Fanning leaned back in his chair, lazily linking his hands behind his head. “You want me to tail Duskovic’s old lady this afternoon, wire both of Blondie’s phones tonight, and then your esteemed counsel’s office line tomorrow night? That’s quite a workload.” He shook his head, a calculating look in his eyes. “All right, but it’s gonna be a tight squeeze. I don’t normally do four jobs in the one day.” He gave Vachek an expectant grin. “Unless, of course, it’s worth my while.”

Unmoved by Fanning’s pitifully transparent attempt to extract a higher fee, Vachek merely stared at him. “It will be worth your while, Mr. Fanning. As usual.” He waved a careless hand at the third man in the room. “Mischa has the details for you.”

Vachek’s Head of Security handed Fanning a small disk. “The blueprints for both Samuelle’s chambers and the Wirth & Wirth building are on here. Wire the PABX system, rather than the individual phone points. As for her home, she has only one phone line. You can gain access via the balcony…”

Fanning nodded, not bothering to hide his impatience. “Shit Mischa, I know how to tap a phone, and I earned my ‘break and enter’ merit badge a long time ago. All I need is for you to take care of the security systems, and I can do the rest with my eyes closed.”

Growing weary of Fanning’s smug posturing, Vachek raised a disdainful eyebrow. “I would suggest you keep your eyes very much open, Mr Fanning. It would be a pity for you to be apprehended by the local constabulary before you’d had a chance to receive your fee.”

Fanning opened his mouth to reply, then, catching Vachek’s eye, shut it just as quickly. He nodded and got to his feet. “The old ‘Mission Impossible’ drill, right? Get caught and I’m on my own?” He shrugged, looking from one man to the other. “Hey, I got no problem with that. A respectable businessman like yourself has to protect his reputation.”

Vachek smiled unpleasantly. “I’m glad we understand each other, Mr Fanning. You can go. Contact Mischa once you have completed the Wirth surveillance.”

“You got it.” Fanning gave him a mock salute, accompanied by a smirk, and left the room. Vachek turned to Mischa.

“I’m beginning to find Mr Fanning rather trying, Mischa.”

Mischa looked amused. “Yes. He can be annoying. But he is very good at what he does.”

“More’s the pity.” Vachek sighed. “Notify me when it’s done, would you?”

“Of course.” Mischa looked at him with thinly disguised curiosity. “Samuelle is clean, Salla. We stopped monitoring him three years ago. Why do you want audio surveillance in his office now?”

Vachek shrugged. He wasn’t disposed to discuss his motives with Mischa. Not yet. “We live in dangerous times, my friend. Insurance is everything.”

“Then why not wire his home as well?”

Vachek frowned. “You know as well as I do that Mr. Fanning, despite his bravado, is not capable of circumventing that particular security system.” He gave Mischa a hard stare. “And I have no desire to engage another, more experienced, contractor at this point in time. For the moment, surveillance on Michael’s office will be enough.”

Mischa hesitated, as though choosing his words carefully. “How much does he know?” Their eyes met. “If he were to become a liability?”

“There are certain aspects of our activities with which Michael is unacquainted, Mischa.” Vachek rubbed his eyes, suddenly feeling very weary. “But he knows enough.”

Mischa nodded. “Do you want the surveillance channels opened immediately?”

“Yes. All of them.” Vachek frowned, deep in thought. As he had just informed Mischa, Michael was unaware of the darker chapters in the history (both ancient and modern) of the Vachek family. Despite the younger man’s apparent disdain for authority at their first meeting, Vachek had immediately sensed Michael would find it difficult to accept their preferred method of dealing with troublesome opponents.

A troubled young man estranged from his family, Michael may have advocated violence at many university protest rallies, but Vachek had doubted very much if he would be comfortable personally dispensing that violence.

Over the years, Vachek had come to trust his barrister, in part due to Michael’s knowing only what he needed to carry out his duties. For the last five years, Michael had been one of his most trusted advisors. Time and time again, he had proven his loyalty.

Was it possible that he was being too hasty? Unfortunately, Vachek already knew the answer to his own question. No. Loyalty was not something to be taken for granted. Ever. Especially not when there was a beautiful woman involved. There had been an almost palpable tension between his trusted legal counsel and the lovely Miss Wirth this afternoon. As though something more than harsh legal words had passed between them during their private conversation.

He looked at Mischa. “Perhaps I am being overly cautious. But as I said, Mischa, it is an insurance policy.” Vachek gave his Head of Security a brittle smile. “After all, in this business, allegiances can change so quickly, can they not?”

~*~*~*~*~

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Replies:

  • Chapter 61 -- Repost Fairy, 16:28:33 05/03/02 Fri
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