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Friend & Foe: Book 2
Friend & Foe: Book 2
Friend & Foe: Book 2
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Friend & Foe: Book 2

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Ben & Joe are returning home after being rescued by Beth from a bestial prison in southern Iran. Beth is worried about Ben after she has broken some personal news, and Joe returns to UK to find his sister has been kidnapped. Their dreams of a civilised return to normality are but a dream.
An arson attack in a mid-west town in the US and a senator with many business interests begin a sequence of events leading to Africa and the Middle East, where a sadistic jihadist leader is planning the first attack that will disrupt shipping and cause a major economic crisis in the developed world. It is the catalyst and others will follow.
One man is planning a takeover of his own, but in a subtle, insidious manner. Sinclair de Montefiore is very young to be the leader of his august organisation; one that has existed since the Renaissance, and possibly much earlier. Their agents are located across the globe, many in sensitive positions, advising government ministers, corporate executives and the media.
Ben agrees to an assignment closer to home in the West Bank, but his curiosity and questioning is resented and he finds himself drawn into a bigger picture where friends and foes are found in unlikely places. Gaza, Egypt and Sinai are the regions his investigations take him into, experiencing frustration and fear as his movements encroach on global politics.
Joe has dealings with the local villains who took Saleh, but they are only a small cog; he manages to rescue his sister but in doing so imperils his friends and family and is forced to seek the emir, a huge man with a growing reputation in the world of terrorism.
Ben and Joe’s paths are to cross once more, but in an unusual way; leaving many dead and the continuing question of external manipulation. Enemies find themselves co-operating; but considered allies are found wanting.
Topical news events are expanded and hypothesised upon to produce an all too plausible disaster scenario.

LanguageEnglish
PublisherNik Olsen
Release dateMar 22, 2016
ISBN9781310478185
Friend & Foe: Book 2
Author

Nik Olsen

Set in Stone is now available outside of Amazon, and i have finished a set of short story prequels, including a novella, that provides various circumstances leading to the fall of society as depicted in the novel Set in Stone, where the lives of two ordinary people are shaped as they battle on many fronts against the malignant forces of statism, corruption & oppression. The prequel is simply called Prequels to Set in Stone, and for a limited period, in order to gain some interest, i have let the reader choose the price. Some objective reviews would of course be very welcome.2021 has been hectic, so i am hoping to have a little more time in 2022 to continue writing, and possibly improve on my non-existent marketing skills.Any feedback will be gratefully received.Nik Olsen

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    Book preview

    Friend & Foe - Nik Olsen

    Friend & Foe

    Book 2

    Odd facts have been taken from the news and some of the places mentioned do exist in order to provide an element of realism, but all characters are entirely fictional; any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is entirely coincidental.

    Copyright J Nicholson 2015

    All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the express permission of the author.

    For every ordinary citizen who is not a party to the perverse machinations of the establishment.

    Chapter 1

    'Brothers, sisters; we are all family; no matter what colour, creed or religion. We are all equal amongst the vast fraternity we are helping to create. No more oppression through an antiquated system that ensures the privileged few continue to dominate and prosper at the expense of the majority. We can and will make our voices heard; a peaceful revolution; no society has ever achieved what we hope to achieve, and we are not alone – there are many others around the world with the same determination and philosophy as us. Ya basta! Let me hear you say it!'

    'Enough; enough; enough,' went up the cry from the crowd in the tightly packed hall. The speaker smiled, it was going well; his employers would be pleased with his progress. In less than three years he had risen from a new member to one of the principles of their branch, which grew daily, and was enticing disaffected believers from other large, institutionalized, organisations. January Sienfield, the aspiring young activist knew of other branches around the country, but only through the media and the snippets of information passed down to him by their sponsor.

    ‘The organs of our planet are being degraded; rain forests decimated, our seas getting warmer and more acidic, and the very air we breathe poisons us – for what? So a minority of greedy corporate executives and government officials can increase their wealth? The cost to us all and our planet is obscene! They covet money for perceived personal benefit. When they eventually begin to realise that moving money around and printing it with abandon can’t create wealth or prosperity, it will be too late. We must act and we must act soon!’ The roar was deafening in the tightly packed hall they had rented for the night. He continued as the noise abated to a murmur.

    ‘We will not be put in some cliché ridden category to suit the closet insiders; we are individuals – but, with one voice! We may be democratic, and we may follow the principles of true communism, but we are not communists, we are a free people. Our combined world-wide movements are possibly pluralistic in our combined struggle against neo-liberalism; though we strive to maintain our own separate identities within our common belief. I am the same as you; the same as any one of a vast number who want their voice to be heard; but we must do it together, and we must be co-ordinated. We…’

    A rumble was emanating from the rear of the huge assembly hall, filled to its capacity of two thousand; someone called out – he couldn't hear, but could tell something was wrong. There were many who had cause to fear their movement and would not hesitate to use violence in order to suppress it. Complete secrecy was impossible, but they did try and keep information of meetings confined to the inner circle of verified members, but with tens of thousands now registered, it was almost impossible. Panic spread and people clamoured to leave by the rear doors, but they seemed locked; someone else smashed windows with a chair; he could see flames; this was no accident. He tried to restore some sort of order; if there was a disorderly panic there would be mass casualties; with a building consisting mainly of wood, including the floor; fire and smoke would spread quickly, consuming victims. He instructed one of his lieutenants to check the other small door which they used during meetings, but didn't hold out much hope; there was a tap and many cloths, he ordered his closest members to divide and spread the word. If order could be secured and precautions taken the death toll could be limited. The sacks, table cloths and other sundry materials were soaked and piled near the doors; the framework of the building would survive longer than the panels, and hopefully, the doors.

    'Take two men and find some long stout poles, anything that can be used as a battering ram, the longer the better as smoke will hamper your efforts the nearer you are to the source of the flames. Instruct anyone who looks reasonably calm to form queues; we don't want a stampede when the doors collapse.' The men rushed off, fighting their way through the mêlée; the panic had subsided somewhat, with tasks giving the group a purpose, but it wouldn't take much to slide back; a firm grip was needed with a realisation that with a concerted effort, they might just survive this latest attempt to ruin their following.

    The poles were small - too small, and they were using a table; but men fell, some trodden on; there were screams, mixed with orders shouted above the pandemonium – when at last; one of the doors gave way; though the blast of air fanned flames and more were burned as they stampeded through the charred door frame into the fresh air and safety.

    ‘Did you see anybody? What happened to our men outside? Try and obtain any information you can from the ones nearest the doors; they might have heard or seen something. We have alerted the services, but it will be too late to save the building, or to catch whoever was responsible; we’ll struggle to hire venues after this. Go now, we’ll meet later, after the fire and police departments have been and performed their obligatory work.’ The numbers killed were few thankfully, with some injuries, but it could have been much worse; there were obviously some powerful people nervous of the success of their movement.

    *

    ‘Yes sir; no, I don’t believe so sir,’ the young agent responded to the questions from the national recruitment advisor, who needed to report the news of the attack to his superior, who would in turn have to report to the board. Infiltration was rife in the burgeoning network of popular meetings, evolving to fulfil the demands of disenchanted workers. Most infiltrators were just out for personal gain, but there were others working on behalf of larger interested groups, who did not want their patch encroached upon; reducing their influence on local or even state matters. So, where were they getting their information if not from within the party?

    The young agent was well respected; he had a young family and was ambitious, but concerned at the increasing level of violence towards the branch of the local movement he had infiltrated on behalf of his global organisation – one that would bring peace to the world, and sustainability: but his home had been targeted on the same night as the attack and his wife was very worried.

    ‘What if they set fire to our home whilst we’re sleeping? I can’t subject my family to the constant worry of what might happen next. Can our group do something – anything?’

    His plight was understandable; but the recruitment advisor was unable to make promises without confirmation from his superiors: their group was one of the ones chosen for their offensive and would be a significant blow to their challenge in the area against the established parties, with the news spreading to other concerned groups. He offered what assurances he could, saying he would make it a priority within their reports and hopefully respond in a matter of days. As the line went dead he pondered the possible reaction, but knew it would be out of his hands; that there would be repercussions was inevitable, and someone would pay, but just how high would it go? There was corruption all the way through to the legal department and high government office; something that the organisation would eventually remove, but for now they had to wait until enough soldiers – members; were in place to bring about the changes, or possibly revolution.

    *

    The news was relayed to Sinclair de Montefiore, who absorbed it with his normal, imperturbable expression.

    ‘Give instructions for our agent to instruct a local diligent lawyer, and a P.I., oh and tell our accountant to make enquiries into some of the other well established provincial groups; I want to know where they get their funding, who they in turn support, and any off book transactions we could exploit – and tell our agent to send his family to relations, or on a holiday. We will reimburse reasonable expenses.’ An inconvenience, but nothing that couldn’t be redeemed, and it would give them a deeper understanding of the local political structure; but it meant further delays.

    *

    A party was going on in the mid-west town of Holly Springs; the raid had gone well. Some of the leaders of the disrupted meeting had been picked out and their homes targeted, with no repercussions expected from any law enforcement bodies. They enjoyed their part time hobby, and got paid for it! They hadn’t asked for all those outsiders to muscle in on their town; it was now a sprawling middle class suburb with disparate nationalities – their sense of belonging and kinship were being eroded and jobs were being lost to cheap labour. Their elected government did nothing to help the indigenous population, so steps had to be taken at local level to maintain their position; if there were casualties it couldn’t be helped, and accorded them greater respect.

    *

    Sinclair de Montefiore was exasperated with his fellow directors; the excuses and delays were causing concern.

    'There can be no let-up; we are close. The disruptions are minor, and we have to begin to put our plans into action soon, before the incompetent leaders ruin our planet. Look at Africa or the Middle East and the different factions rising up there; there is no law and order, the rule of the gun is spreading to previously peaceful states; anarchy is rife with the East and West having their own vested interests in place. We must act; we are being forced to consider the very unpleasant alternatives.'

    ‘We understand your frustration Mr Chairman, but there are still too many inconsistencies. Our field operatives are doing well, but we are not strong enough where vital logistical needs are constrained: if we mounted our peaceful revolutions they would be forcibly restrained and violence would certainly erupt, causing more disorder than there is now. You only have to look at previous interference in the Middle East to see how ill thought out, premature intervention, has resulted in extreme factions vying for control, with the backing of autocratic, self-interested, rogue nations exacerbating the turmoil. In Italy we have a movement ready to march on Rome, but the assault on our congregation in the Mid-West of America; the continuing disruption in the Balkans and the advent of perceived improvement in the global economy has damaged our argument for change, and the necessity for peaceful revolution.'

    Sinclair de Montefiore understood better than any of them that their power base was still limited, but the reticence shown in overcoming the shortfalls in operational capability by the majority of his board of directors was perplexing. He terminated the link, not wishing to convey his emotions to any other members, who he considered inferior to himself and lacking commitment.

    The room he was in was not large, but it contained an array of sophisticated equipment and a bank of screens that could be switched between computers and live broadcasts from all over the world. His chair was comfortable and moved effortlessly to individual consoles for normal operations, though he could access the controls remotely if he wished. The internal speaker came to life, breaking his concentration.

    ‘Yes, what is it?’

    ‘Will sir be requiring lunch in the dining room today, or will you order something from the kitchen to be delivered to you?’ Sinclair de Montefiore smiled, appreciating the cultured tones from his very accomplished English butler; one of his personal extravagances.

    ‘I will take a light lunch later thank you Henry, I want to consult Mac now; so can you hold any calls until I am finished?’

    ‘Of course sir.’ The speaker transmission ended abruptly.

    ‘Hello Mac; what’s going on in the big world today that I need to know about?’

    ‘Hello sir,’ responded a voice from the ether, which was not human, but close enough for Sinclair de Montefiore, who preferred it that way. ‘There is plenty going on sir, but nothing you need to concern yourself with at this moment. It appears you need a brief period of contemplation, I sense a degree of anxiety.’

    ‘Mild annoyance that is all Mac; unlike you I can’t suppress my feelings all the time.’

    ‘That is quite normal sir; would you like some soothing music or dialogue?’

    ‘Thank you Mac; I think I just need to air some of my thoughts with you and have a quick update on some of our situations. Do you have any firm reports regarding our esteemed board of directors and their movements, particularly with respect to the escalation of the first stage towards our ultimate aim?’

    ‘You have made enemies sir, of that there is no doubt; but then so have many successful chief executives of multi-national companies. If you are asking whether there is a confirmed plot to oust you, I can tell there is not; at least nothing definitive that I have uncovered. You have isolated the trouble-makers, giving them tasks all around the world; infiltrating governments, the media and large corporations, not to mention the many disparate extremist groups causing havoc world-wide. The problem you have is one of authority over some of the old guard, who still dispute your ethnicity and sole claim to the sacred position: there is some ill feeling over how you attained the title as well, which was not in the traditional way.’

    ‘Traditions have been broken over millennia Mac; dynasties such as the Plantagenets are a case in point; although I do agree it led to their eventual downfall – but look at the church and religion! How many leaders of the various institutions attained their elevated positions through treachery and deceit? Church leaders and bespoke religions caused the delay of intellectual advancement and the suffering of millions of innocent people. As you well know, my ancestry goes back to the Renaissance and possibly beyond; where the Catholic Church persecuted my ancestors who were affiliated to the Hermetic Republic, whose roots precede Christianity and were truly multi-cultural; mixing science and religion in a pursuit of truth and acclaimed knowledge. My hero, Giordano Bruno was burnt at the stake for heresy by self-proclaimed evangelists working on behalf of the church in the infamous inquisition.’

    ‘Yes I know sir; and Galileo Galilee was also an advocate; however they all succumbed to the more powerful, if less democratic autocracy, that purported to be the definitive purveyor of all things religious. Belief and righteous indignation have been the cause of many a conflict over time, yet your race seems incapable of learning from past mistakes.’

    ‘Which is why we must prevail Mac. I can’t let ignorance cause the downfall of our race and I don’t know of anyone else that is capable of making the necessary sacrifices; although there are now some eminent theoretical physicists accepting the old doctrine, which they are of course touting as a new consciousness. The mistakes of the past and especially of our forebears in the Renaissance period must not be repeated, we need to be strong and forceful and if that means casualties, so be it.’ The conversation finished with Sinclair de Montefiore requesting a summary of other ongoing events from the highly developed mainframe computer he had Christened Mac, to be available after lunch: he then called down to the kitchen; unaware events in the US were taking a turn for the worse.

    Chapter 2

    ‘I’m really sorry if I chose a bad time to tell you Ben. The ordeal in the prison and narrow escape from Iran must have been traumatic, and then you hear from someone supposed to be your sister that you are adopted! I wasn’t thinking it through; but I didn’t want to continue with the procrastination that had developed at home – it wasn’t being fair on you.’

    ‘It’s okay Beth, there was never going to be a good time; so here, away from everyone I know was probably as good a time and place as any. It was a shock, and I probably over-reacted, possibly due in part to my isolation and the events of the past few days, but I’ll get over it; and as Joe rightly said, it can’t have been easy for you guys either. We need to get home now, there’s more I want to know, and to make sure that…’

    ‘Mum and dad, say it: nothing’s changed; they are just not your biological parents, that’s all. We all still love you and have been worried sick ever since you went missing; mum especially.’

    ‘No, it must have been difficult for you, I can see that now, which is why we need to go back soon. I am still amazed at how you found us and arranged for the rescue party, even Joe was impressed, and he takes some impressing!’

    ‘I couldn’t have done it without dad, Aaron and Theo - or the team of mercenaries; and thinking back, it seems surreal, a blur. I don’t know if I could do it again.’

    ‘I hope you won’t have to! C’mon, let’s book those tickets home, go for a meal and have an early night.’

    ‘Ben; if you want company tonight, just say. No; no, I’m not suggesting anything, but if you wanted to…talk, or needed comfort, I will always be there for you. I just want you to know that.’

    ‘Thanks Beth; I appreciate your concern but I’m alright, really. Look, I’m smiling,’ he countered as he put a silly grin on his face.

    *

    The journey home was uneventful, though Ben was quiet; his arms folded and jaw set firmly, a frown showing on his normally clear face. As they approached the home he dreamt of whilst languishing in the foetid prison, Ben reflected on happier times, but resolved to be positive and make his homecoming as cheerful as possible.

    *

    ‘Hi mom – dad,’ he called out as he jumped out of the car and rushed over to greet them. ‘So good to be home; I thought about nothing else all my time in captivity – being here all together again, as a family.’ They embraced, Adie hugging him tightly whilst trying to stem the tears; Sol was first to speak and Ben could tell there was

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