The Outer Circle (The Counterpoint Trilogy Book 3) by D. R. Bell Read Free Book Online Page B

our windows are covered with a reflective mirror film. These windows are effectively one-way mirrors. You can see outside, nobody can see inside. The windows are also laminated and shatterproof and have external security screen sensors. Yeah, this may seem like overkill but as the old saying goes, only the paranoid survive . I’d rather survive. If you can’t live in a gated community with armed guards – and I can’t because of what I do – you’ve got invest into security. I chose this location because I can run the neighborhood. Still have to be careful.”
     
    Oleg noisily walked in, pulled out a chair and set at the table:
    “All right, how do you get a cup of coffee in this place?”
    The next second, he jumped in response to a whirring noise on his left:
    “What the...”
    What looked like a rectangular column in the corner suddenly came alive with lights and movement, rolled to Oleg and asked in a British-accented voice:
    “Sir, how do you like your coffee?”
    David laughed:
    “I had the same reaction. Turns out it’s a kitchen robot.”
    “I like mine black,” Oleg cautiously replied to the thing.
    “And I want mine with milk and sugar,” requested Maggie.
    Everyone was looking at the robot while it made some pouring and mixing sounds, then produced two cups full of steaming liquid.
    “Thank you, Cumba, now go back to your place,” instructed Alejandro and the robot returned to the corner and shut down.
    “Is that all he does, makes coffee?” asked Oleg.
    “No, he can clean floors, set the table, unload the dishwasher, that kind of stuff. Now that you have your coffee, can we go back to my question from yesterday – why are you taking this crazy risk of returning to LA?”
    Oleg exchanged glances with the others, sipped his coffee.
    “David and Maggie found some new names of those that were involved in the 2019 crisis.”
    “Oleg, my friend,” Alejandro sat across from him, “this is an old news. “Everyone now is angry at the Chinese and the Russians. The narrative is that while there were a few bad apples here in the USA, it was all a foreign staged affair. Most people don’t even care to dig deeper, they are busy trying to survive. College football creates more emotion than a five-year old financial crisis.”
    “Perhaps, but if there is an incontrovertible evidence of someone illegally profiting from the crisis – and profiting quite substantially – the information can be used to blackmail such a person,” David sat next to Oleg.
    “David, you don’t strike me as a blackmailing type,” Alejandro shook his head.
    “Sorry, I didn’t mean that we want to blackmail anyone. I meant that someone else can blackmail.”
    “Alejandro, imagine that the president of the United States can be threatened like this!” jumped in Maggie impatiently. “Just imagine the power that a blackmailer would have!”
    “Are you saying that President Maxwell has been in on the scheme?” Alejandro asked incredulously. “I am not a fan of his but I think he is an honest man.”
    “No, not Maxwell,” replied David. “Potentially worse and more dangerous. We think that John Dimon was involved.”
    Alejandro rubbed his forehead. “He is pretty popular now, most people think he’ll be the next president. People like what he says and that Robert Treadwell media character is pounding the tables for Dimon. Still, why do you think he is dangerous?”
    “He reminds me of the leaders I’ve seen growing up in Eastern Europe,” Maggie had her palms on the table, eyes locked on Alejandro. “Blaming ‘others’ for the problems, simplistic slogans, building up the enemies to focus on rather than look inside. People like that start wars!”
    “OK, OK,” conceded Alejandro. “What do you want to do about this? What can you do? You are right; everything’s been so distorted and compromised that simply publishing this information won’t do any good. He might even spin it to his advantage, proof of