“You have been selected to join us to carry out those direct actions for which you are most suited; you’ve shown over the years that you are equally capable of planning and exacting revenge.” said Athena sharply.
“That’s true Athena” admitted Colin “I wasn’t being critical; you must realise I’m struggling to take in all that I’ve seen and heard today. For years while I was in The Gambia I convinced myself that I was the only person capable of doing what was crying out to be done to clean up the streets in this country. To be shown the scale of what Olympus can achieve and the tools you have available to back it up, well it’s mind blowing.”
“We have to be careful Phoenix.” cautioned Erebus “Our targets have to be selected carefully and dispatched without drawing attention to the true nature of what Olympus is about. Our direct actions have to be spread out, across the country, around the world, with different methodology. A cluster of bombings or shootings in one country would encourage some bright spark to connect the dots. We must avoid that at all costs.”
“That makes a lot of sense” said Colin “but it will take a helluva lot longer that way.”
“Some of us have more time than others old boy.” the old man said and with that he wished them all good night and went to his room.
“Erebus wishes to leave a legacy, both in the essence of what the Olympus Project stands for and in financial terms.” said Athena. “He’ll ensure his wife is well cared for if he goes before her, but this estate and the substantial fortune that his family left him will be passed on to those of us that remain here at Larcombe. The ‘charity’ cover will continue as a protective shield for our operations and Thanatos and Alastor will seek out new recruits from their old professions to add to our direct action agents, or replace our losses when they occur. Minos will flag up any issues that need to be redressed regarding cases that don’t result in the appropriate verdicts in the criminal courts.”
“I imagine that you will be taking over from Erebus when the time comes?” asked Colin.
“Erebus has spoken to me. Yes, that’s the plan.” replied Athena. “Why? Would that be a problem for you Phoenix, being controlled by a woman?”
Colin smiled. He thought back to happy times during his affair with Sue Owens in her old house a few miles from here in Larcombe; and also in Africa when they were husband and wife. He resisted the temptation for a risqué reply; sensing that Athena was watching him closely.
“Not in the slightest” he said “I’ve worked for a female boss before, as you will already know from your research into my background; I enjoyed it so much I married her.”
Colin stood up and made his way over to the door. He couldn’t resist one last quip however.
“Time for bed I think. Goodnight gentlemen. Sweet dreams Athena. I look forward to seeing you all in the morning.”
Colin left the four of them sat in their chairs and closed the door behind him. He made his way up to his bedroom, undressed and fell into bed; he was asleep in no time and slept the sleep of the just.
It was a cool summer’s day with light winds. The clouds drifted across the sun and provided a pleasant day for taking exercise. Colin was very pleased about that. At six o’clock one of the staff burst into his room and informed him it was time to ‘rise and shine’!
Colin was ordered to shower and don shorts and trainers. His training regime had begun. As the morning progressed he was relieved that whoever had put together his exercise routines had at least taken into account the fact that he was in his early forties! Most of the former SAS personnel at Larcombe would have endured far worse when they had applied to join the elite force. They would have been in their mid to late twenties and more able to carry out the rigours of the selection process.
He ran for as long as he was able; lifted weights until his arms were on fire and after a stern talking to from his instructor he had to ‘man up’ and get into the pool to swim as many lengths as he could physically manage. When he had to give up, he was exhausted; as soon as he pulled himself out of the pool, he threw up. After his near death experience in the river, less than forty eight hours before, it was the fear of the water not the physical exertions that caused his stomach to react so violently.
“Well done Phoenix” said his instructor “it’ll be a lot easier tomorrow,”
“Tomorrow?” asked Colin.
“Of course, it will be the same time, same place, and same routine until the boss says your fit enough for duty” was the reply.
“Of course!” thought Colin. He was glad to get that lot over with. He headed back inside the main house to get some breakfast. The others had obviously been in already.
One of the stewards began to rustle up a very light healthy plateful of something designed to be good for him and asked if he’d like to eat it on the patio. Colin sat outside in the fresh air, trying to bring all the muscles in his arms and legs back to life; he wasn’t sure if he had the strength to cut anything up this morning after his work-out, so when the meal appeared on the table in front of him it was just as well he hadn’t been given sausage, bacon and the works. He had to make do with spooning something that tasted like cardboard soaked in milk into his mouth instead and a slice of toast. He would have complained if he had had the energy!
He rested there in the warm sunlight, mulling over what he had learned last night. It wasn’t difficult to understand the motivation behind Erebus and his creation of the Olympus Project. A life time’s service in the Royal Navy, cut short immediately following the horrors of the only real war that he’d been trained for. Years later his only child is mown down by a drunk driver who was then given a laughably short sentence.
Instead of looking forward to a happy retirement, taken on his terms with his family around him, with several grandchildren perhaps running across this lawn in years to come, he faced it alone with his wife in a nursing home; broken by the tragedy.
Thanatos had also served his country with distinction; doing a dirty job that many would have turned their backs on. He lived cheek and jowl alongside the people who were killing his fellow soldiers, blowing up innocent civilians both in their own country and in mainland Britain. What had been his reward? He had been abandoned to his fate; living in hiding with no protection from his masters; fearing a knock on the door and a visit from a gunman sent to execute him. His government didn’t even acknowledge the work his unit had carried out and the many lives it had undoubtedly saved. Was it any wonder he was bitter?
Alastor had been on the verge of leaving the Army after many years loyal service at home and abroad. His wife was killed by a young layabout stealing to feed his habit. A man the police never caught. The town in which his wife’s parents lived was so used to the incidence of a crime solely driven by the desperate need for a fix that the police had practically given up the fight.
Colin knew from experience that this was typical; the country was paralysed by drugs and the people who peddled them were laughing at the ineffectiveness of the police and the courts to tackle the problem. He remembered telling his first wife Karen that he had his own solution. He wondered whether he might find an ally in Alastor or maybe Minos that would bring about some direct action that really made a difference.
The judge had probably sat through dozens of criminal cases where drugs had been the prime element. His son Harry had killed himself with a drug sold openly on the internet with no control over the age or mental state of the person buying it.
In addition, he would have sat in court over the years and watched the CPS and the police screw up cases to the extent that he had to dismiss them. He would have been forced to follow sentencing guidelines handed down to him by a judiciary that was ever more liberal and limp wristed. Colin could easily appreciate how Minos might enjoy poring over court transcripts; identifying criminals who had got off scot-free or only received a pathetically short custodial sentence and highlighting them to Erebus and Athena for further action.