Deadly States (Seaforth Files by Nicholas P Clark Book 2) (7 page)
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Authors: Nicholas P Clark
Robert Theiler was mid-level mover and shaker within the African
National
Congress (ANC). He never rose
beyond
mid-level through
choice. The men at the top were constantly under the scrutiny
of the
world’s
media, as well as
members
of the
old regime, who still held
power and influence, and who were waiting
patiently for the glorious day when this ludicrous exercise in democracy collapsed. Theiler
knew that real
power and influence came in the
middle ground as
he
positioned himself as the go to guy
both for the leadership and
the ground troops.
As Robert
brought the messages from the men on
the street to the men at the top he would
often put his
own spin on
that
message to suit his
own business interests. When the leadership
needed something
done that wasn’t
exactly in keeping with the new
worldwide image of peacemakers that they had carved out for the organisation, then Robert would act as a buffer
of deniability. With the
keys to so many
dark deeds locked up inside his brain he was
one of
the most powerful men in the new South Africa, and by
extension, he
was
one of the most powerful men on the entire continent. That was
the very reason why Jack had been instructed to forge a relationship
with him and it is also why every spy in the city was also trying to get
close to him—being close to Robert Theiler meant that Jack was under constant surveillance and at permanent risk from the spooks. The
only reason why Jack had not already been killed was that none of the
other spies knew exactly what it was that Jack did for Robert and if it
was ever discovered that a foreign nation was behind the assassination
of
someone
of value to Robert then that
nation would
be
excluded
pretty effectively from further expansion in South Africa.
Jack did not much care for Theiler. He was full of his own importance and completely convinced that he was an intellectual.
As far as
Robert was concerned, drinking imported Champagne and smoking a
fine cigar was all that was needed to project intellect. He was a child
of
the slums who made a name for himself in the organisation through
violence. He was directly responsible for
over a
dozen deaths as well
as
acts
of
torture
against
those
who
he
labelled
collaborators,
which
verged on the sadistic. He also viewed himself as a real ladies’
man; the horrific truth was that the woman never said no to him as no
was not an option open to them. Robert barely took his eyes off Jack’s
PA the
entire time that he had been in the office, and that in itself was
enough
24
to make Jack simmer with anger. The man was loathsome and if the
opportunity to end his reign of terror ever presented itself, Jack would
take it without hesitation,
no matter how
upsetting that was to the
folks back in London.
Robert
presented himself as a seasoned powerbroker. His mastery
of the language of business was textbook, and every movement that he
made was designed to nail
down the deal.
At times though, when the
negotiations were not
quite going his way, the thug from the slums
would make a reappearance—the tone of his voice would change ever
so slightly and the phraseologies that he used would be derived from
the part of town that was not quite so civilised—
never forget who it is
that you are dealing with
.
“So Robert, what is this little problem?” Jack asked. There
was another dramatic pause.
“The bid that your company put in to build and run the two new
Jack cut across him as he sensed some backtracking was about to
occur.
“Yes Robert. The bids that you assured
me had
been accepted,”
Jack said, firmly.
“Yes Jack, that I assured you had been accepted in principle. I said
at the time that it needed the final approval
of the government and
Eskom,” Robert continued, sheepishly.
“Again Robert, you had assured me that approval was in the bag.
You said that it was only a formality,” Jack continued, with mild anger
in his voice. It was an act, but it was expected of him. “This company
has raised billions to finance these projects and that capital has been
secured on the guarantees that you gave to me six months ago.”
Robert shuffled uncomfortably in his chair.
“Yes, well, those were
only verbal agreements Jack, and the legal
reality of the situation is that for you to have a case you would need to
produce something in writing,” said Robert.
“I
cannot
believe what I am hearing Robert,” Jack said. “I
have
been working closely with you for years. My god, I consider you to
be
one
of
my
best friends. This little problem did not just spring up
overnight. Why
didn’t you tell me something was wrong at an earlier
25
stage?”
A look of genuine shame spread across Robert’s face.
“You
can
believe
me
or
not,” Robert
continued.
“But I am
only
just hearing about the other bids myself.
Apparently the Chinese have
made the government an offer that they could not ignore. I am sorry,
but their bid is now on the table.”
“
And what in the hell is this
magical,
eleventh hour
offer? Two
golden egg laying geese and a handful of magic beans?”
“Two state-of-the-art nuclear power stations and a contract to operate and
maintain them for the next twenty years,” Robert added.
“They will cost us twenty five percent less than what you have quoted,
and they will accept minerals and coal in part payment.”
Jack started to grin. This annoyed Robert.
“You find this funny Jack?” Robert snarled. “Maybe I should walk
away now and tell my government that we will accept the offer from
Beijing?”
“They want coal?” Jack asked. “Why do they want coal?”
“Eh... I would assume that it will be used to fuel their power stations,” Robert replied.
“Exactly Robert. They want your coal to burn in their power stations,” Jack explained. “It doesn’t make any sense. If they need energy
why
don’t they
build and run the two nuclear power stations in China? Why would they bring coal all the way from South Africa? Think
it through Robert, for god’s sake.”
Robert looked
even
more agitated and he leaned forwards in his
chair towards Jack. The thug from the slums took control of him for a
moment as he hissed at Jack in a low voice.
“Why don’t you explain it to me, Jack.”
“It’s simple. Like everything else made in China their nuclear power stations are cheap rip-offs of better quality Western technology. This
isn’t some cheap radio made in China that you can simply
chuck in
the bin once it stops working. When these plants start to break down
large parts of this country will start glowing in the dark.”
“You would say that, Jack,” Robert chided.
“I would say that because it happens to be the truth.”
“I have never heard
of t here ever being an accident at a Chinese
nuclear power plant,” Robert protested.
“For goodness sake Robert, you know that they would never
own
up to anything like that. I
have some friends in
government
back
home who
keep
me informed about all
of
our
competitors.
According to them, there have been at least fifteen major incidents at nuclear
installations in the past ten years. It is
only a
matter
of time before
an accident so large takes place that it is impossible for them to hide it
from the world.
Some
of
the
most recent
reports
suggest that the
entire nuclear
power
project in China
has
been
put into permanent
maintenance
mode until a
complete
overhaul
has
been carried
out.
They are
offering you such good terms
because it is good for them.
They will get the coal that they so badly need, and they will also get
the chance to iron out the kinks in their flawed power plant designs at a
safe distance from Chinese cities.”
“A nice fiction, Jack, but the numbers that they are quoting make it
very hard for my government to turn them down. It is not only business, it is securing the energy needs of this country for a generation.”
Jack sat back in his chair and he sighed. The conversation was going
exactly how he had been expecting. None of the information that
Robert was telling him was new. All information in South Africa was
for sale, and at very reasonable prices. “Ten percent less,” Jack said,
eventually. “Assuming the board agrees with me and doesn’t throw me
out of that window.”
Robert looked at the other men in the group. One by
one they all
nodded with approval. Robert grinned widely.
“It would appear that we have an agreement,” Robert said.
“I
do believe that I
have heard that somewhere before,
Robert,”
Jack said, with a hint of resentment.
Robert got to his feet.
“Come now Jack,
even the very
best
of friends do not always see
eye to eye at all times. It is how we deal with those little bumps in the
road that truly mark the real friendships.”
“That and a signed contract,” Jack said.
“As usual, Jack, it has been a
pleasure doing business with you.
We have to go. I have a little bit of bad news to pass on to a group of
China men. Let us hope they don’t crack.”
Robert
grinned widely, as
did the sycophants around him. Jack
smiled politely at the terrible joke. They
exchanged handshakes once
again and with the same haste that the group had entered his office,
they left. Jack’s PA returned the furniture to the side of the room, and
then she closed the double doors as she left his office. Jack sat down on
his high back leather chair and he grinned. It was almost too easy. He
swung the chair around and he looked out across the city. The sun had
set on the old British Empire decades ago and Britain as a world leader
was a distant
memory. What the rest
of the world had yet to realise
was that Britain was
once again building an empire. The army
may
have been replaced by financiers and spies but they were every bit as
effective, perhaps more so. The deal that Jack had just secured meant
that Britain now had control over a large part
of South
Africa’s future
energy needs, and in turn, she had a large hold over South Africa.
This benign form of
empire building suited Jack just fine. He had
been all over the world and he had encountered many different forms
of government.
As flawed as the British system was, it was immeasurably better than many of those other forms of government. It had been a
good meeting, and the scary stories that he had told them about the
Chinese nuclear
power industry
contained
more truth than fiction.
Once China
had her
claws into South
African resources she would
want more and more. China was an insatiable monster and Africa was
but a meal waiting to be swallowed whole.
Jack closed his eyes and he leaned back in the seat. He was content.
As he drifted towards a state
of semi consciousness he was violently
pulled back into the real world. He couldn’t be sure which came first,
the low growl from the explosion, or the sudden, yet short lived shaking
of
the
building which accompanied it. Jack jumped
out
of
his
chair and he ran over to the window. He had been close to a few explosions in his time and that blast felt as if it was very close indeed. The
people down
on the street
below were running away from his building. There was a dust cloud lazily making its way down the street and
it too looked as if it was coming from his building—from the basement
level car park, to be precise. The doors to his office opened and Jack
