The Sins of the Fathers

Chapter Thirty-Three

The White House

Washington DC

"Madame Delacorte...can you please confirm that the contents of this box were sealed inside and that you received it on the date shown?" Gideon Palmer asked, following the legal procedure suggested by the Attorney General, who could not be present as they did not want anyone else to know what was going on. Keeping the investigation out of the public eye was still considered essential, until the United Nations decided otherwise. The fewer who knew the truth, the better. "And that it has been in your safe ever since?"

"Oui, Professor Palmer...I have abided by your instructions precisely?" Delacorte replied formally, obviously curious and perhaps a little apprehensive. She watched as Palmer entered the code to unlock the steel case. "And I accept that whatever is in there had to have been created before that date?"

"Thank you, Madame...and you are aware that we have filmed this part of our meeting for the record?"

"I am...is President Fletcher joining us?"

"In a few minutes, Madame...but first, I want to play you the contents of this disk...two short videos...just ten minutes...it will explain everything?" Palmer said, pointing her to the screen on the wall as he inserted the disk into the machine. "The first is an interview with Lady Forbes conducted by your man, Pan Deacon, but not included in his final report at our request...the second is President Fletcher explaining the reasons for all this cloak and dagger stuff..."

He pressed the play button and sat down next to Delacorte, whilst on screen, Deacon talked to Mena. Delacorte watched the crucial sequence in complete silence, not even looking at Palmer. Then Fletcher appeared, speaking to camera, explaining the corroborating statistical evidence, but admitting his concerns that there would still be too little proof, and that such was the seriousness of the allegations, and the possible public reaction to them, he had taken the decision to sit on the information until further evidence emerged. He then admitted that he was concerned about his own motives being questioned, as in the same period he had negotiated the release of Skylar Hamilton and Lady Forbes, as well as pressuring the British to reform their convents. He also spoke about his meeting with Zolotov. Finally, after exactly ten minutes, the video finished.

"As I am being shown all this, I assume that President Fletcher now believes that he has the evidence that will convince the world of this atrocity?" Delacorte took a deep breath and looked down, as if composing herself. "If this is proven...the Chinese...the public reaction everywhere?"

"Not hard evidence, Madame Secretary-General...but a credible witness?" Fletcher said as he entered the room behind them, and stood to one side as Delacorte swivelled in her seat to look, just as Charles Montague walked into the oval office, accompanied by his son. "Two of them, in fact...who both corroborate the story told by Lady Forbes? And I believe that Mr Montague is prepared to tell us an awful lot more?"

Palmer was impressed by Delacorte. She was visibly shocked, but still professional, and she asked pertinent questions, clearly formulating a plan in her mind, which thankfully fell broadly in line with their own. There could be no public announcements, and no unwarranted provocation of the Chinese. She intended to reopen the investigation into the source of the pandemic and broaden the scope to include the development and release of the vaccine. Her first thought was that the British had to be forced to let her investigators into their country to question the accused face to face, but she was not sure how they would react to that, so she would need to take advice. And her priority had to be to brief the other members of the UN security council, before they would all confront the British and the Chinese.

"Meanwhile, Mr Montague, you will give your testimony to our investigators as a matter of the urgency...we need to hear your evidence quickly...you will be detained, for your own safety as much as for any charges that might be brought against you...but we will honour your immunity concerning the vaccine delays. So, we need somewhere safe and private for you to stay...President Fletcher, is this something you can assist with?"

"Madame, the Rosen estate is secure and comfortable..." Sean Fletcher began, but Richard Montague immediately interrupted him.

"Is there room for my family and me, Mr President...I think I am probably unemployed as of now...and as much at risk as my father, Sir?"

"Yes, of course...and Madame Delacorte, if I might suggest that Professor Palmer leads the questioning of our guests...his expert knowledge of the history we will be talking about is second to none? With your people alongside him, of course?"

"Good...I would like to send Mr Deacon to London, if it can be agreed..."

"If they have any sense, they will cooperate." Charles Montague said, looking remarkably relaxed for a man in his position. Palmer could not quite believe that he was in the same room as the man, or that he would soon be interrogating him. "This is damage limitation time for them...my involvement will shock them...they can't lie and they can't hide...but they will obfuscate and use everything they have to negotiate a resolution."

"Mr Montague...believe me...no one wanted to resolve the original allegations in a sane and sensible manner more than me," Delacorte sighed and shook her perfectly coiffured head rather sadly. "Despite the serious nature of those allegations, I believed that the world did not need further tensions with the Chinese or recriminations over events that took place so long ago and were almost certainly a mistake...but this...Sir, this is too much...billions of people died...and the consequences of this becoming front page news does not bear thinking about? In the end, your country will not be negotiating anything...they will be facing the wrath of the entire human race?"

Sean Fletcher rather liked the sound of that, he had to admit, as his office cleared and the next phase of the game began, because if Delacorte's reaction was indicative, the mood was about to change. The British problem had been a thorn in every nation's side ever since the release of Hycanil and the agreements made to secure supplies. It was not just the financial cost of the vaccine, it was the trade deals, the debts that had to disappear and the things going on that the world had to ignore, and therefore legitimise by default. Britain soon had a seat at every top table and a finger in every pie.

"Pleased with yourself?" Palmer asked, handing his friend a large glass of whisky.

"Pleased isn't the right word? Satisfied, maybe? That all came together quite nicely and no one can now say that we don't have a case?"

"How they react in London is still a concern?"

"Of course...it always will be...I fully expect the velvet curtain to be pulled tight, even if they do let Pan Deacon do his stuff...as Charles said, they will obfuscate...they will come up with all sorts of shit to muddy the water and hide the truth...and no doubt they will try to blame it all on a few individuals?"

"Which is probably true?" Palmer suggested after taking a sip from his own glass.

"Initially...probably just Symonds, with the help of his Chinese friends? But he told his mates...he kept it from those he couldn't trust...Montague...but Winstanley, Harrington and Forbes...Radcliffe? This is the stuff you have to find out...you and Pan hopefully?"

"And they all have politically active sons?"

"Yes...when did they find out? Osborne still doesn't know, so his sons don't either...I am assuming?"

"Montague didn't bring his wife...that's weird...he has to know that he is not going back any time soon, right?" Palmer mused, and Fletcher shrugged his shoulders. "Okay...just to change the subject for a moment...private hospitals with convents attached?"

"They can build as many convents as they like...it's how they populate them that matters to us...and I am retiring...remember?" Fletcher grinned and took a swig of whisky. "I might consult occasionally...from the porch?"

"Jacob ran the CIA from that porch...you could do a little more than consult?"

"Maybe...let's see how this plays out...it could take a while?"