Red Shift: The Odds (Censored version) Read online

Chapter 2

  “So Tyrol, what do you think?”

  “Hell of a party Xan. I heard you knew how to make things happen, but this is phenomenal.”

  Tyrol looked around the room. It was the size of a ballroom, with old colonial architecture, sculptures of ancient Greek gods, velvet drapes puddled on the floor, and more marble than he had seen in any one place. The foyer also served as the main receiving room, with large sweeping staircases at each side of the room.

  It was not as though Tyrol wasn’t familiar with this, he had grown up on the hill, so was surrounded by opulence. No, it was the presence of dignitaries, politicians, and even a prince that was most impressive. Xan told him it was just a little gathering to welcome him to the Clan, but Tyrol knew there was more to it.

  “So, Tyrol, how about you come upstairs and we have a chat?”

  And there it was. Tyrol knew it would be no ordinary chat. What he didn’t know was that this was a pivotal moment that would change the destiny of many. The events that changed history, talked about by scholars and peasants alike, all seeded from one place. This was to be the seed that would grow a monster.

  “Sure Xan, it’s kind of crowded here with all of these beautiful women anyway.” A wry grin appeared on his face, as he cast his eyes over the crowd.

  “My thoughts exactly, no fear, there will be time for this later.”

  As they walked up the twisting staircase, black granite bannisters contrasted the white marble stairs, Tyrol looked down to see a veritable orgy of bodies now swinging and swaying to the beat of music that seemed to emanate from nowhere, but penetrate every inch of the body.

  Xan pulled the twelve foot tall doors to with a barely audible click echoing off the large portraits adorning the walls of the study. As he did so, the lights dimmed, and a wall across the room became transparent. Tyrol was looking straight down to the ballroom floor as though the marble clad wall had just vanished.

  “Don’t worry Tyrol; no one can see here, it’s just a nice effect one of my associates developed. There are a few dozen cameras outside the wall, too small to see, that capture all angles of light hitting the wall. They are then transferred to this wall by a laser-interference array calibrated to match the light frequencies from the cameras.”

  “Very neat, could come in handy for making my car disappear next time I have the cops following me home!”

  “Way ahead of you my friend, but we’ll talk about such things later.”

  “Now, as you know, the Ordained are the most influential business syndicate on the Eastern seaboard.”

  “Indeed, hence my appreciation of your offer to bring me in.”

  “It is the least I could do for you Tyrol. You have been a strong advocate for our way of life, and your heritage provides for certain accommodations.”

  The last word rolled off his tongue as though the deeper meaning in the sentiment were to carry an unsaid understanding. And of course it did, Tyrol would not be here without his father’s work, regardless of Tyrol’s own accomplishments.

  The two of them stood in silence for a moment before Xan opened the decanter and poured two large glasses of whiskey, dropping ice in that fizzed for a moment. Tyrol was looking out the window at the clear sky. The stars were hazy, something Tyrol was frustrated about, in his otherwise perfect world. It made the sky look like you were drunk every time you looked up. Nonetheless, it was a clear night, and one to be remembered.

  “What you don’t know about us is that we are far more influential than most know. We have silent members across the globe, and with that, control over industries, and even one day, governments. From this day forward, you are to become a part of a New World Order. We have been building our ranks, our wealth, and our power carefully over the last thirty years.”

  “I have an understanding of your foundations, father shared that much with me. But the depth and breadth of the organisation is a little surprising. I am suitably impressed that this has all been kept so private, but tell me, are you the Prime of the organisation?”

  “Dear boy, I am but a cog in the gears of this machine. Albeit a reasonably important one, but no, I am not at the top.”

  “And who may that be?”

  “A person you will meet in due course my friend. No, I am the overseer of what the ants call Autohacking, and by effect the primary income earner for over half of our enterprises in this country.” Xan paused for a moment to let his success resonate through Tyrol’s thoughts.

  “You see, we are well known to all those around us, in the cities and the country the same, but most consider us just a bunch of wealthy kids who inherited all we own. We like to keep that illusion running. Your rise to prominence in the region is no mean feat, but one deserving of such a valued member of the true society. Many more people respect you than you acknowledge, my friend.”

  Xan proceeded to outline the organisational links of the group. They had multiple streams of revenue. Most of the Autohacking clans and groups were directly controlled by the Ordained, the few that weren’t were either of little significance or were currently being taken out of the loop. Tyrol took this as it was meant: they were killing off the competition.

  There were multiple angles they had on the activities. The most basic, and only one that was known to the public, was a form of courier service for items of both legitimate and not-so-legitimate purpose. They usually moved goods, but occasionally moved people, willing or not, and at times specific tasks. The money moved was large, but it was still the sideline, the ‘honest’ front to the group.

  Next was the betting. There was, of course, the street scum that picked up courier requests on the scanner and took odds on who would make the run, but the real action was on another level. Among the Alpha’s there was a fairly formal ranking system for individual runners and groups. They could place secure bets on some runs, which were scheduled in advance. Of course the Ordained had more than a little hand in the result, sometimes taking out other runners if the odds weren’t quite going their way. This activity wasn’t directly linked to the Ordained, but there was a little suspicion.

  The last stream, and by far the most lucrative, was the exchange of information. A lot of digital transfer of data was tracked or ripped off before it got to the intended recipient. Even near indestructible encryptions weren’t a hundred percent safe, as information was siphoned off then the recipient was blackmailed later. The Ordained couriered physical copies of information, often under the guise of less critical tasks, such as obtaining alcohol or cigars, from specific locations. Sometimes the courier may not even know what they are taking, in case they themselves want to get into the blackmail business.

  The group already had significant control of much of the industry in the region, but were struggling to get much political traction. For that they needed more money, which they were working on presently. The one major sticking point was a group of runners called the Wing’Tan, who had a lot of local connections, and were hampering the aspirations of the Ordained. Xan wanted Tyrol to find a way to either expose or destroy the Wing’Tan through either the upper hierarchy known as the Leadership, or their chief officer, a man known as Seek.

  With that, Tyrol raised his glass in a salute, and they drank in silence while watching the crowd below. After a few minutes Xan walked over to his desk and placed his empty glass down. He adjusted his bowtie, brushed his sleeves, and looked to Tyrol with a warm smile.

  “Well, we mustn’t keep the guests without company, let’s make a small address and get to know a few of those beautiful women you were talking about earlier.”

  “Well, I’m never one to keep a lady, or tramp, waiting.” The slight excitement in his tone was noticeable.

  The pair left the room, and headed toward the pulsating rhythm of music in the main foyer.