The Assassination of Robert Griffin, or at Least the Attempt

Here is the next chapter of Spies of Pangea, hope that you enjoy it, and please leave us comments about what you think. Good bad or ugly, want to hear it all.

The Assassination of Robert Griffin, or at Least the Attempt

Jerrick Mitchell monitored the bouncing lights and flipped between channels listening to the various languages coming from the translation booths that he was sending out to the main floor of the Republic Senate meeting. Most senators spoke Common just fine, but for the handful who didn’t and the number who wanted to hear the proceedings in their planet’s native language the Senate Translation Division did their job well, supervised by Chief Engineer Jerrick Mitchell.

Mitchell was a bit on the short side, and looked younger than he was with dark green eyes and wavy brown hair. His cheery disposition made him well liked by the Interpreters and the Senators who worked with him. He excelled at his job and never gave anyone cause to think otherwise; which was exactly what he wanted as a well placed Socialist Alliance spy.

The senate leader began calling the vote and the bouncing lights stilled as the interpreters stopped talking. There was need to translate yea’s and nays. The education bill passed, Jerrick knew that it would, it had been purposely kept as a simple bill and no one really opposed it. There wasn’t any behind the scene dealings to get the need majority vote and Jerrick had nothing to report back to the Alliance. If anyone back home even cared they could pull up the results of this bill on the Republic nets and nothing Jerrick could add would be very helpful.

Other days things were different. Of course what happened on the main floor was public knowledge, but many of the meeting rooms and conference rooms that the senators used for private discussions were not really as private as they thought. Microphones were in every room to be used if translation was needed, and whether it was needed or not Jerrick monitored every discussion he could for valuable intel. Particularly useful was when they discussed intelligence reports from their own spies within the Socialist Alliance. Reporting back to the Alliance what intel had been gathered was helpful in finding the Republic spies. Most days Jerrick had nothing to send back, but when he did it was always something good.

The Senate leader adjourned the session for the day and the senators stood and gathered their belongings. Jerrick watched the camera feed as it panned across the hall. He took note of Senator Robert Griffin as he turned and headed toward the exit. Jerrick had been recently asked to do more than his usual intelligence gathering, Senator Griffin was feared by Director Fontana D’or and she had ordered Jerrick to take out Robert.

****

The explosion ripped through the building. Fire alarms blared and overhead sprinklers kicked on soaking everything and everyone. Two senators lay dead. Four others seriously injured. Senator Robert Griffin picked himself up off of the floor. The explosion had come from the treadmill that he had been going to use, if Senator Farland hadn’t stepped onto it first. “I’ve got to stop using the same workout machines every day.” Robert muttered to himself. This was the third assassination attempt this month. Intelligence had been good about warning him the other times. But Fontana D’or had placed a bounty on his head so high that even honest people were willing to kill.

Emergency personnel were beginning to arrive and armed soldiers in dark uniforms were securing the room. Lt. Whettam O’Bray appeared through the smoke, his gray uniform rumpled. He stopped when he saw Robert. He took a second to catch his breath, and then half smiled. “Glad to see you’re alive Senator.”

“Found out too late this time?”

Whettam dropped his head. “Sorry Senator. Tracking threats on your life alone is keeping my team busy. How bad is it?”

“There isn’t much left of Senator Farland. I don’t know who else is hurt, but there is plenty. I’ll probably have to stop using the capital’s gym.”

Lt. O’Bray nodded. This was supposed to be a secure area. Obviously not secure enough. If Senator Griffin wanted to stay alive he was definitely going to have to be extra cautious for awhile. “I’ll escort you to the medical wing sir.”

Robert shook his head. But then noticed that the ringing in his ears was getting worse and that he did have a pretty good cut on his arm. So much to do as a senator, Robert just didn’t have time for attempts on his life, hopefully he could give his presentation at the intelligence committee meeting well enough without the practice he had been hoping to squeeze in. “Lead the way, Lt.”

****

Jerrick grumbled to himself as he watched the news that night in his apartment; so much for the exploding treadmill. And how did Griffin keep finding out about the attempts on his life? Mitchell was going to have to keep his plans even quieter. Someone back in the Alliance must be tipping off the Republic intelligence agents somehow.

Jerrick turned back to his dinner. It had gotten cold while he was watching the report on the explosion in the Senators gym. Frustrated he threw the rest in the garbage chute and paced his small apartment. Fontana D’or was not going to be happy with him on another failed attempt. She was a hard woman to please and had gotten even more picky and paranoid now that she was the head of the Socialist Alliance. There was no telling how many more attempts he would have before she sent someone else to do the job and take him out in the process. What could he do, his skills were useful, but they were pretty specific, and assassination wasn’t one of them.