The Krakow Klub Read online

  The salty ocean breeze washed over him gently, and he felt relaxed for the first time in days. The air was delicately scented from the masses of tropical flowers blooming below him. In the distance, out in the water, small fishing and pleasure boats dotted the horizon. It was an incredibly peaceful scene except for the raucous seabirds that wheeled overhead looking for a handout.

  Washington, DC, might be in an uproar, but that was far, far away. Here in Key West, life was good. Life was unhurried, and he would savor every minute.

  Before he could take his first sip of wine, there was a soft rap on the door announcing that his room service meal was being delivered. A young man, dressed impeccably in his hotel uniform, carried a tray laden with delicacies. He noticed that John had been sitting on the balcony and placed the tray on a small table beside his lounge chair.

  John gave him a generous tip, and then returned to enjoy the sunset. However, his appetite seemed to have abandoned him completely, and he only picked at the food. What a shame. He always felt rather guilty about wasting anything, especially food. But, the wine was excellent, and he savored it as he watched the day begin to change slowly into early evening. He would never tire of the endless brilliant colors of the sunset and their reflections in the water. Each sunset was unique and different in its own way. It was as if the gods were reminding humans of their extraordinary powers.

  At last, it was time to make the call. Julia would surely be home by now even if she had been late leaving the museum. He cheerfully hummed as he selected her number. For just the tiniest second, he experienced the terror that she might not answer.

  He wondered, Did I enter her number into my cell phone incorrectly?

  Then, an even more horrible thought. What if she gave me the wrong number?

  And worst of all, What if she gave me an incorrect number intentionally!

  The phone began to ring; one time, two times, three times. He was now almost in a panic attack. Halfway through the fourth ring, she answered.

  “Good evening, Julia Compton here.” Her voice was soft and melodious.

  Relief and excitement rushed through him simultaneously.

  “Good evening! This is John Scott. We met at the museum today. I hope that you won’t think that I’m a pest, but business has caused me to stay in town tonight, and I wondered if you’d like to join me for a drink somewhere.”

  A slight pause, and then, “I’m rather tired this evening,” His heart sank! After a brief pause, she added, “but, maybe a quick drink might perk me up.” His heart started doing cartwheels! “There’s a lovely little restaurant near my place. I can meet you there in thirty minutes. I’ll give you the name and address. It’s quite easy to find. All the cabbies know it very well.”

  They said their goodbyes and John was elated that she had agreed to meet him. He hadn’t dared offer to pick her up at her place for their first meeting. He was practically a stranger, and she would have never agreed to do that. A public place would be just perfect.

  John covered his nearly untouched food with the dome-shaped cloche and decided that if things didn’t work out with Julia, he might eat it later. Next, he went into the bathroom to check his appearance. His dress was casual and he certainly didn’t look like a tourist. Good! His shirt matched his pants. Good again. And, his belt matched his shoes. Perfect! He smiled at his reflection, “John, old boy, you’re never going to own another business suit!”

  With that, he left the room, headed out through the hotel foyer, and engaged a waiting taxi just outside the entrance. The driver, a very interesting looking local, was quite familiar with the restaurant, and after a brief but harrowing ride, deposited him at the front entrance.

  He knew very well that he was quite early, but he wanted to have time to familiarize himself with the surroundings and compose his nerves. He hadn’t felt this way since he was a teen. No, he had never felt this way before in his entire life!

  The maître d' bowed as he entered and directed him to a small table in a secluded corner of the restaurant, seeming to know that this might be an evening for romance. The place was charming. Quiet and more sophisticated than one might expect in Key West. The soft lighting and muted piano music were perfect. John sat, facing the front of the dining room, anxiously waiting Julia’s arrival.

  What if she didn’t come?

  He quietly agonized as the clock seemed to take forever to tick away a few minutes.

  After fifteen nervous minutes, she arrived, led in by the host. She was obviously a regular patron as he greeted her by name, and they talked animatedly on the way to the table.

  Tonight, she wore a simple long black dress with some brightly colored chunky jewelry. She was elegance in motion. On her feet were hot pink sandals with some beadwork that matched her other jewelry. John was smitten. She was relaxed yet poised. For some reason, she reminded him of the very beautiful and elegant Grace Kelly.

  He rose to take her hand and lightly brushed his lips against it in a tiny kiss. Somehow, it made him feel like Clark Gable in Gone with the Wind. “Julia, I am so glad that you could make it.”

  The host seated her directly opposite him at the intimate little table. He lit the candles on the table with a flourish. Their bright flames flickered gently and made tiny patterns of light on the pristine white tablecloth.

  John ordered a bottle of wine, and they took up their conversation where it had left off earlier in the day.

  She smiled, “You know, I heard that someone had purchased the island. It used to be called Calusa Key named after the Calusas. They were a tribe of American Indians who once lived down here in the lower Keys. The property was developed a while back by a very wealthy British investor. Word was that he spared no expense and planned to spend his winters there.

  “Unfortunately for him, his business floundered and he was forced to sell. I heard that it broke his heart.

  “A few people looked the place over, but it didn’t sell until you came along. I heard that the asking price was around fifteen million dollars. Rumor, which is rampant in this little town, has it that you paid cash. Therefore, I can estimate that you are probably filthy rich. Don’t worry; I won’t hold that against you. Well, maybe just a tiny bit.” Again she spoke it with an impish smile on her face.

  John roared with laughter. The couple at a nearby table glanced over at them. John spoke softly, “I can see that Key West is populated by gossips, so I’ll have to be very careful to preserve my privacy. I prefer to keep a low profile, maybe even invisible if possible.”

  They soon finished their first glass of wine and ordered a light meal. John was quite hungry by now as he had hardly touched the room service food.

  They lingered over their food while their conversation became more and more animated. All too soon, the table was cleared, and their waiter hovered expectantly at a respectable distance as the closing time for the restaurant neared.

  “Julia,” he reached out and touched her hand, “I feel that we’ve known each other forever, and that’s a very special feeling for someone like me. I hope that you’ll allow me to see you again soon. Very soon!”

  She looked at him solemnly for a minute. “Well, maybe, just maybe.” Then she smiled and laughed. “I haven’t checked out your pedigree but, so far, you have been quite an acceptable companion for a pleasant evening.”

  She looked at her watch, and he knew that it was time to go.

  “Could I drop you off at your place? I won’t even ask to come in for a nightcap. I’m just staying in town tonight, and then I need to get back to Scott Key. My assistant will pick me up tomorrow.”

  She accepted his offer of a cab ride and soon they arrived at her home. It was a cheerful yellow cottage trimmed in white with a low, white picket fence surrounding it. Tropical plants and flowers grew in cheery abundance everywhere. It was a lovely place, a classic Key West home with personality to spare.

  He bade the cab wait for him and then escorted her to her door. He kissed her on the cheek before
saying goodnight and then waited until she was safely inside with the door locked before he skipped down the sidewalk to the waiting cab.

  Inside, Julia peeked through the shutters and laughed at his antics. He was such fun. Yes, he was a classic gentleman, well-educated, and obviously of means. She might just let this relationship progress. He would certainly call again, probably tomorrow. And she would be happy to accept that call, but she might let it ring a few extra times just to tease him.

  ****

  John arrived back at the warehouse in the late morning of the following day. Mister T was waiting and greeted him with a sly smile. “Hey, Boss. You certainly look happy this morning. I take it that your date must have been acceptable, whatever that means to humans.”

  John responded, “Yes, indeed, she is a very lovely lady, and I’m planning to see her again, and again, and again!”

  They made the brief trip to the island in silence, John remembering the most pleasant evening before and Mister T, making plans for the villa, which would soon be receiving guests for the first time.

  ****

  Back in Washington, rumors ran rampant, and the press was in a state of chaos. No one could find out the real reason the president had so precipitously resigned. Where was he now? What about the first lady? Some well-paid informants had indicated that she was readying for a very expensive and contentious divorce. Maybe she could be persuaded to author a tell-all biography dripping with juicy details about presidential misconduct. It was all quite delicious. The sharks were in a feeding frenzy.

  Somewhere, deep, deep in the labyrinths of power, a very few people knew the real story, and they were very, very silent on the matter.

  But there was one group that was especially upset about the unexpected resignation. But merely upset was not adequate to describe their state of mind. They were mad as hell. The Krakow Klub had spent a large fortune in assuring the former president’s rise to power. They had a long range plan at work. His abrupt resignation was not a part of that plan.

  ****

  Maxxine had already begun working on Maxx’s Earth database. The objective data was easy to analyze, and she found no problems. Then, as she progressed from the earliest history of mankind to the present, she began to see some strange aberrations in the data. In fact, the last hundred years were most complex and extremely interesting. Maxx had been extremely clever in his data collection algorithms. His database was a treasure trove of details on the clandestine operations of many of the world’s most treacherous and conniving individuals and groups.

  She had asked Maxx to help her analyze the data. He supplied her with numerous algorithms that were of great help in organizing meaningful information from the huge database, especially the massive number of entries posted in the most recent years.

  Many of the most recent entries were subjective in nature and required sophisticated algorithms to create meaningful information.

  She began to see patterns of activity that were truly alarming. Not only were there numerous terrorist cells at work in various locations around the world, there was a secret cabal at work in the US. And it appeared that the cabal was dangerously close to grabbing absolute power in Washington. John must be told of this disturbing information immediately.

  John got the message Tuesday afternoon, the day after the president had resigned. The content of his conversation with Maxxine had disturbed him immensely. Nevertheless, he was reluctant to become actively involved in government or politics; at least not yet. His mind was reeling with his many plans for developing and improving Scott Key. And there was Julia. He was hopelessly in love with her and could not get her out of his mind for more than a minute at a time.

  But Maxxine had discovered a very troubling situation. If her conclusions were correct, the very existence of the United States could be in jeopardy. She had discovered the Krakow Klub.

  Maxxine reported that this Krakow Klub had plans to assassinate the new President shortly after he had named his vice president. That vice president, now a member of the House of Representatives, was identified by Maxxine as a person with very strong ties to the Krakow Klub. This person had been under the control of the organization for many years and was without a hint of moral fiber or conscience—a frightening combination when mixed with the powers of big government.

  Maxxine also reported that the assassination of the president would be staged in a way that it could be blamed on terrorists. There would be additional staged terrorist attacks around the country. All of these attacks would then add together as an excuse to declare martial law.

  Martial law, once implemented could be expanded quickly. A military dictatorship was not out of the question. Soon, the United States could no longer be a free country.

  The staged terrorist attacks would infuriate and frighten the public. There would be a public outcry for the government to do something. All in all, it would be a perfectly planned coup that could occur with little opposition. Martial law would seem justified, even needed, at first. By the time the public realized what was happening, it would be too late.

  John was troubled, and he agonized, “How can I stop this? No one else has my resources or power. I hate the thought of becoming involved. It is a frightful prospect, but do I have a choice? The nation, my nation, is in jeopardy! I have to do something.”

  Continuing his agonies, he lamented, “My new life and privacy will obviously have to be put on the back burner for a while. But, what about Julia? I can’t even think of dragging her into this dangerous mess.”

  Yes, John Scott was torn. He could only trust one other person to help him, and that person was Dr. James Slater. Jim must be convinced to join him in thwarting the cabal’s takeover.

  “Why now?” John cried aloud. “I’ve spent my whole life waiting for my freedom and now this has to happen!”

  There was no answer.

  “John, I am so sorry,” Maxxine said in a soothing voice. “That was terrible news, and the timing couldn’t be worse. I only wish that I could take it back, but I can’t do that. However, would you like for me to save the president?”

  John suddenly woke up from his self-pity and started thinking about the possibilities. “Maxxine, you can save the president?”

  “If they do what they’ve planned, I think that I can.”

  John was thinking now and asked, “Could you save the president, but make it look like the assassination was successful?”

  “My analysis of their conversations leads me to believe that they plan to use a fiery car crash to kill the president and the White House physician. If that is what they attempt to do, I could extract the president at the last possible instant, and they would very likely never know it.

  “The fiery crash involving the ambulance appears to be meant to kill the doctor as well as the president.”

  “Excellent, Maxxine, you must save the president. And save the doctor as well. Not because he deserves it, but because his testimony could be very valuable later. We can deal with his treacherous ass afterward.”

  “That shouldn’t be a problem, but I will need to provide a couple of bodies for the record if you want the perpetrators to think that they were successful. They will not likely even bother with dental records or DNA to identify the bodies. They will want the deaths recorded and forgotten about quickly, but I will prepare to handle the situation just in case they do. I will create dental records for substitution and I can alter the DNA results with no problem.”

  “Maxxine, you’re amazing. I can’t thank you enough.”

  Maxxine cooed her response using her sultry voice, “Oh John, thank you so much. That means a lot to me.”

  John took note of her rejoinder and made a mental note never to anger her. He was well aware of the adage, “Hell hath no fury like that of a woman scorned.”

  John was about to end the conversation when Maxxine suddenly interrupted, “Oops, I almost forgot to mention the electron bullet weapons. They tested perfectly in outer space, but there is a pr
oblem that turned up in the testing on Earth. I am sorry, but I do not think that they are going to be acceptable for use there. The problem is the density of the atmosphere; it causes the projectile of electrons to be bent at unpredictable angles if fired from a significant distance. If the remote was very far away, the projectile might hit an unintended target.

  “To fire a weapon requires that the remote be visible. Firing from a very short distance would put it within the firing range of earthly weapons. That’s a very important point, John, and I need for you to remember it. If a remote is visible, it can be fired at by anyone. But, when that happens, it may automatically go into self-defense mode.

  “John, when a remote goes into the self-defensive mode, we lose control over it. It will react automatically and destroy the attackers and all their weapons. There isn’t any way to prevent it. I can foresee circumstances in which that automatic self-defense mode might cause you a serious problem. Just be aware that something very bad could happen in just a few seconds.

  “If you put a remote into the position where it could be attacked by a very large number of humans at one time, such as a military assault, it may turn out to be disastrous. Do you understand?”

  John listened carefully before answering. “I think that I understand what you’re saying. I’ll be careful during confrontations. But, nevertheless, I want at least a hundred remotes near Earth equipped with these electron gun weapons. They could still be helpful for riot control and even certain military actions.”

  “Very well, sir. I will start the process right away, but it will take me several days to complete the work.”

  “Maxxine, I need to sign off. I’ve got more on my plate than I can handle at the moment. Nevertheless, contact me immediately if anything else of importance develops.”

  ****

  Jim Slater had become a very important person in John Scott’s life, especially in light of the recent adventures that they had shared. John probably had the power to stop the Krakow Klub, but he wouldn’t unleash that power without Jim Slater. He would be the man in the shadows, but Jim would be the front man. Jim was patient and not prone to anger or emotional outbursts. John couldn’t say the same for himself. Far better that he had a cool head in control of the hand on the trigger.