The Castrator by Atanas Marinov, Atanas Marinov, Atanas Marinov, Atanas Marinov (short books for teens txt) 📕

IT WAS AS IF EVERYTHING STARTED ALL OVER AGAIN AND THE QUESTIONS WERE ENDLESS. BUT AT SOME POINT THE IDEA OCCURRED TO HIM THAT THE BANK FRAUDS HAD A LONGER LIMITATION PERIOD OF TEN YEARS AFTER ALL - HERE HE COULD DIG INTO FELISTER'S SHIFTY AFFAIRS INVOLVING THE BAD LOANS AND THE WHOLE CHAIN OF BUSINESS VENTURES THEREAFTER, AND IT WAS ONE HELL OF AN OPPORTUNITY TO SAVE THE WHOLE INVESTIGATION AND HIS CAREER. ON SECOND THOUGHT, HE COULD HAVE TIED THEM IN SOME FORM TO FELISTER'S OFFSHORE COMPANIES, AND HENCE HIS POLITICAL CONNECTIONS TO CONGRESSMEN AND SENATORS. YEAH, SOMETHING COULD HAVE COME OF THAT! AGENT MORALES WAS GUIDED BY FBR'S FIRST KEY VALUE - RESPECT! HOWEVER, HE HAD TO CHECK WITH HIS COLLEAGUES IN THE OPERATIONAL TECHNOLOGY DIVISION, ALSO KNOWN AS THE ED, WHERE THEY COULD PROVIDE HIM WITH SOME MORE INFORMATION - PARTICULARLY ON THE ADVANCED ELECTRONIC INTELLIGENCE AND RECONNAISSANCE PART. THEN SOME CONGRESSMAN FROM SALT LAKE CITY CALLED TO SAY HE HAD SOMETHING IMPORTANT TO TELL US - NATURALLY THIS COULD GET ZONARA IN TROUBLE, AS SHE HAD CONNECTIONS IN THAT CITY HERSELF. AGENT MORALES WAS THE MAN ON THE SPOT, HOWEVER, AND WE HOPED HE WOULD AT LEAST ACKNOWLEDGE HER MERITS IN THE INVESTIGATION SO FAR.

WHEN WE WENT TO THIS CITY, ACCOMPANIED BY A COHORT OF FEDERAL AGENTS, THE CONGRESSMAN WAS HAVING A MOST RELAXED LUNCH AT A FANCY AND EXPENSIVE RESTAURANT - AGENT MORALES HAD PROMISED ZONARA THAT IF SHE COOPERATED, AND FOR THAT MATTER, ANY POSSIBLE CHARGES IN CONNECTION WITH FELISTER EMBANKS WOULD BE DROPPED AND IT WOULD ALL BE OVER ONCE AND FOR ALL.

THE CONGRESSMAN'S NAME WAS CANDOR BRUSHFIELD[1] AND HE WAS KNOWN FOR HIS LOBBYIST VIEWS. HE SPOKE VERY MODERATELY AND PROFESSIONALLY AND WAS GENERALLY AN ODD BIRD. FOR CONSIDERATIONS, SUGGESTED THAT WE MEET IN A NEUTRAL PLACE WHERE THERE WOULD BE NO UNDUE RISK TO HIS OWN SAFETY.

AND THIS WAS PRECISELY HIS PRIVATE RESIDENCE, WHERE I ASSUMED HE WOULD HAVE OF THE SO-CALLED ANTI-EAVESDROPPING PLUGS. I HAD NO DOUBT THAT THERE WERE WAYS TO DETECT HIDDEN WEIRLES CAMERAS, LISTENING DEVICES AND WHATNOT IN HIS MANSION! BUT WE ALSO HAD SOME TRUMP CARDS UP OUR SLEEVE.

AFTER GOING TO A GORGEOUS VILLA HIGH ABOVE SALT LAKE CITY, WE SAW HIS GLAMOROUS MANSION. THERE WERE TWO BEAUTIFUL MARBLE STATUES JUST OUTSIDE THE ENTRANCE - ONE SYMBOLISING LOVE AND THE OTHER HOPE. I WONDERED IF THEY EVEN HAD THEM BOTH? AFTER THE INITIAL CURT INTRODUCTION, WHICH LASTED NO MORE THAN A MINUTE, HE BEGAN TO INFORM US OF SOME JUICY DETAILS SURROUNDING HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH THE GENIUS BREEDER:

- FELISTER ACTUALLY SUPPORTED ME BACK WHEN I RAN FOR JUNIOR CONGRESSMAN. YOU KNOW, IT'S A REALLY LONG ROAD AND ... I WAS LONELY AND THIS WAS THE CHANCE OF A LIFETIME. THAT JUNIOR SENATE PROGRAM THAT ... HE HAD TO PROVIDE ME WITH EXTRA FACILITIES AS WELL BECAUSE I DIDN'T COME FROM A VERY RICH FAMILY AND THE SO-CALLED USSYP DIDN'T COVER EVERYTHING I NEEDED, BUT HE SAW SOME POTENTIAL IN ME ...

STRANGE WHY, BUT HE SPOKE WITH SOME SPECIFIC SLUR WHICH CONFUSED ME A BIT. THE MEETING WAS SUPPOSED TO BE JUST ZONARA, BUT I REMEMBERED THAT THE CONGRESSMAN REMEMBERED ME FROM THAT TIME ZONARA HAD ASKED HIM FOR HELP. YEAH, THAT SON OF A BITCH HAD IT COMING!

ZONARA FOLLOWED THE AGENTS' PRIOR INSTRUCTIONS NOT TO INTERRUPT HIM OR CREATE UNNECESSARY HYPE[2] DURING THE CONVERSATION TO PREDISPOSE HIM TO SPEAK MORE AND MORE OPENLY.

THE FEDS WERE IN NO HURRY AT ALL TO OFFER HIM THE COVENANT DEAL AND PUT HIM IN THE WITNESS PROTECTION PROGRAM - FIRST THEY HAD TO HEAR IF HE COULD REALLY PROVIDE THEM WITH VALUABLE AND SERIOUS INFORMATION ABOUT THE FARMER'S FINANCIAL AFFAIRS.

IN THE COURSE OF THE CONVERSATION, I WAS ABLE TO GAUGE THE STATE OF MIND OF OUR INTERLOCUTOR, WHO WAS GENERALLY EMOTIONALLY BURDENED BY THIS PART OF HIS PAST, BUT ACTED LIKE SOMEONE WHO WAS COMPLETELY IMPERVIOUS - THIS WAS A BIT DISCONCERTING, AS THERE WAS SOME POSSIBILITY THAT HE WAS TRYING TO DRAW US INTO HIS GAME, WHICH HE HAD MASTERED IN THE TWENTY-FIVE YEARS SINCE HE HAD RISEN TO SENIOR CONGRESSMAN.

- "OFFSHORE COMPANIES AREN'T EXACTLY NEW," HE BEGAN DISTANTLY, "BUT FELISTER HAD MASTERED THE SKILL OF TOUCHING MORE DELICATELY AND MAINTAINING A KIND OF WEB OF MYSTIFICATION THAT WOULD HELP HIM REMAIN INCONSPICUOUS - AT LEAST FOR LONG ENOUGH. INSTEAD OF LAUNDERING HIS MONEY IN PERHAPS THE BEST AND MOST CONVENIENT OFFSHORE ZONE IN THE US - THE STATE OF DELAWARE, WHERE INCIDENTALLY ALMOST TWO-THIRDS OF THE FORTUNE 500[3] COMPANIES ARE REGISTERED - HE HAD CHOSEN MUCH DEEPER AND QUIETER WAYS OF HIDING HIS FINANCIAL RECEIPTS, BECAUSE HE WANTED TO AVOID PUBLICITY! YOU SEE, EVEN WITH THE COMPLETE CONFIDENTIALITY THEY PROMISED, HE CHOSE COUNTRIES THAT WERE NOT CONSIDERED MONEY LAUNDERERS FROM A LEGISLATIVE STANDPOINT."

- "WHERE'S THE DIFFERENCE?," ZONARA ASKED, SOMEHOW WORRIED IF SHE WAS VIOLATING THE INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN TO HER BY THE AGENTS - AT LEAST THAT'S WHAT YOU COULD TELL BY HER EXPRESSION, BUT I KEPT REMEMBERING THAT SHE WAS JUST FOLLOWING THE RULES OF THE GAME.

- "WELL, LOOK, WE'RE GETTING INTO SOME PRETTY SPECIFIC AND SUBTLE STUFF," THE CONGRESSMAN, WHO WAS A LAW AND ECONOMICS GRADUATE AND HAD EARNED HIS PHD FROM RUTGERS UNIVERSITY IN NEW JERSEY, WAS SNIFFING THE GROUND. - "LET'S LOOK AT THIS FROM A PURELY PRAGMATIC POINT OF VIEW - IF YOU OPERATE LARGE BUSINESSES AND REDIRECT THEM TO COUNTRIES THAT ARE NOT SO POPULAR FOR INVESTMENT AND ARE NOT ON THE SO-CALLED BLACKLIST OF THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT AND ALSO OF CERTAIN INSTITUTIONS IN THE EUROPEAN UNION, YOU WILL BE IN TAX HAVENS THAT WILL NOT BE BOMBARDED WITH CALLS FOR URGENT TAX REFORMS. AND HERE COMES THE EVEN MORE SPECIAL POINT - INSTEAD OF PAYING HUGE SUMS IN TAXES AND VARIOUS FEES, YOU REGISTER THE PARENT COMPANY IN COUNTRIES SUCH AS MONGOLIA, LATVIA OR ESTONIA, OR EVEN IN A COUNTRY THAT IS A LITTLE-KNOWN ISLAND ARCHIPELAGO, AND REPATRIATE THE PROFITS OF THE SUBSIDIARY AFFILIATES THERE, BECAUSE THE SAME PARENT COMPANY HAS LENT YOU MONEY TO GET STARTED ..."

- "RAISING PIGS," ZONARA HASTENED TO SPECIFY WITH A WELL-DISGUISED SMILE.

- "FOR EXAMPLE," LAUGHED THE CONGRESSMAN - "INGENIOUSLY SIMPLE AND WORKABLE." - "EXCEPT THAT THE PARENT COMPANY, REGISTERED IN AN OFFSHORE TERRITORY, BUT NOT OFFICIALLY KNOWN AS SUCH, HAS AN IMPLICIT OWNER, BEHIND WHICH ARE OTHER - INDEED OFFSHORE - COMPANIES, REGISTERED, FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OR IN SOME INTERESTING DESTINATION, AND PART OF THE OWNERSHIP MAY EVEN BE OR MAY BE TRANSFERRED TO SOME NON-PROFIT COMPANY, WHICH IS A VERY INTERESTING COINCIDENCE, IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN - A GOOD CHOICE WOULD BE AN ADOPTION ORGANIZATION, A CHURCH, A CHARITABLE FOUNDATION OR WHATEVER AND SOMETIMES FELISTER EVEN USED WHAT'S CALLED A CLANDESTINE RE-EXPORT OF THEIR PRODUCE - THAT WAS PRETTY TRICKY, SINCE FENTANYL SUPPLIES COULD BE DELAYED, OR THEY JUST COULDN'T FIND THE NEW RECIPE FOR THE PRODUCT FAST ENOUGH WHEN CUSTOMER DEMAND CHANGED, OR THEY COULDN'T FIND A SKILLED ENOUGH COOK. THE POINT OF THESE CLANDESTINE RE-EXPORT OPERATIONS WAS TO ACCOUNT FOR MARKET CONJUNCTURE, AND FROM THEN ON IT WAS OF EXTREME CONVENIENCE IN THE VARIOUS CUTS AS WELL. THE OPERATION CONSISTED OF THE FOLLOWING - IF THE FENTANYL PRODUCED IN ASIA COULD NOT BE REALISED, FELISTER SIMPLY USED VARIOUS ALTERNATIVES OF IT AND THAT WAS THAT - THEY WERE MARKETED AS LOWER GRADE PRODUCTS, BUT THE FARM SHOULD NOT STOP WORKING. THE FICTITIOUS TRADING COMPANIES IN MEXICO WOULD BUY EVERYTHING AND THEN SEND IT BACK TO CANADA OR THE US. FELISTER ALSO HAD PEOPLE IN DEA SNIFFING OUT SOME THINGS FOR HIM. THEY WERE ALL PLAYING A GAME ONE WAY OR ANOTHER. THE CYCLE WAS ENDLESS!"

- "BUT LET'S FACE IT - EXACTLY HOW MUCH DID FELISTER HAVE?," ASKED ZONARA DIRECTLY.

- IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO CALCULATE A FORTUNE SO DIVERSE, AS ITS STRUCTURE WAS INDEED COMPLEX AND INVOLVED TOO MANY STRANDS, AND ONE WOULD HAVE TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE OVERT ASSETS AND LIABILITIES AS WELL AS THE HIDDEN ONES, BUT IN MY PERSONAL OPINION - PERHAPS OVER FIVE BILLION DOLLARS - THE CONGRESSMAN CALMLY EXPLAINED TO HER, STANDING ON THE OTHER SIDE OF A SMALL TABLE IN ONE OF THE HUGE ROOMS OF HIS MANSION, ONLY ABOUT TWO METERS AWAY FROM ZONARA.

- "IT CAN'T BE," ZONARA FEIGNED AMAZEMENT WITH THE PROFESSIONALISM OF A PROFESSIONAL AGENT, "IT'S EVEN MORE THAN THE TURNOVER OF SOME WORLD-FAMOUS INTERNATIONAL COMPANIES."

THE CONGRESSMAN BECAME QUITE SERIOUS.

- FELISTER WAS ACTUALLY OPERATING ON AN INTERNATIONAL LEVEL. IT IS UNLIKELY THAT MANY FBI AGENTS WOULD HAVE HESITATED TO SEEK HIS CONNECTIONS IN COUNTRIES THAT DID NOT EVEN HAVE A GREAT TRADITION OF DRUG TRAFFICKING, WHICH ALSO WORKED IN HIS FAVOUR. HE ALSO AVOIDED SWITZERLAND BECAUSE HE BELIEVED THAT, HOWEVER ISOLATED IT MIGHT BE, IT WOULD STILL PROVIDE THE NECESSARY ASSISTANCE TO LAW ENFORCEMENT WHEN ABUSE WAS TRULY PROVEN. LOCALLY, MR EMBANKS HAD SECURED ENOUGH SERIOUS SUPPORT - AND IN POLITICAL TERMS, AT THAT - THAT HE HAD NEVER HAD ANY MORE SERIOUS PROBLEMS. AT LEAST ONES THAT I WAS AWARE OF. PLUS, THE BASIC LOBBYING LAWS WERE ALSO LEGALLY BACKED BY THE FIRST AMENDMENT OF THE CONSTITUTION, WHICH GUARANTEED FREEDOM OF SPEECH, SO THIS SEEMINGLY SMALL LOOPHOLE UNTIED HIS HANDS TOO MUCH. PLUS, THE LOBBYING DISCLOSURE ACT, AND ITS AMENDMENT IN THE FORM OF THE HONEST LEADERSHIP AND OPEN GOVERNMENT ACT, REQUIRED ALL REGISTRANTS TO PERIODICALLY REPORT THEIR ACTIVITIES TO THE APPROPRIATE INSTITUTIONS - SOMETHING TOO CONVENIENT FOR HIS BUSINESSES.

- "THAT SOUNDS QUITE INTERESTING," CONFIRMED ZONARA, WHO AGREED WITH HER INTERLOCUTOR, DEMONSTRATING HOW SIMPLY AND LOGICALLY THE GENIAL BREEDER HAD ACTED TO PROTECT HIS INTERESTS.

- "EXACTLY," AGREED THE CONGRESSMAN, "I CAN'T AGREE THAT FELISTER WASN'T A TERRIBLY AMBITIOUS MAN! AND PERHAPS HE SUCCEEDED IN GOING TOO FAR, THOUGH MANY THOUGHT HIM A SIMPLE AND LIMITED FARMER-HE WAS ONE IN A BILLION!"

- "AND HOW DID IT ALWAYS MANAGE?," ASKED ZONARA HIS LAST QUESTION.

- "YOU SEE, MONEY IS AN ILLUSION, AND THE MORE PEOPLE BELIEVE IN IT THE BETTER," HE FINISHED, "AND FELISTER WAS A TRUE MASTER OF ILLUSIONS - IF YOU CREATE SOMETHING GOOD ENOUGH, OR MAKE EVERYONE BELIEVE IT IS GOOD ENOUGH, YOUR TASK WILL NOT BE WHERE TO GET THE MONEY, BUT TO CHOOSE FROM WHOM TO GET IT, AND THE CHOICE OF THE FORM IN WHICH TO DO IT IS ALSO A MATTER OF CHOICE. AND IT WORKS LIKE REAL MAGIC!"

I WAS SURE THE FEDS WOULD HAVE LIKED THIS INFORMATION, AS IT WAS MORE THAN ENOUGH TO AT LEAST CONTINUE THE INVESTIGATION AND KEEP IT FROM REACHING A DEAD END, AND THUS MISSING THIS EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY TO UNRAVEL THE TRUTH TO THE END. THE CONGRESSMAN KEPT HIS MANNER CASUAL, BUT I RECOGNIZED IN HIS FACE ONE OF THOSE MANY SUFFERERS WHOM FELISTER HAD HELPED, PULLING THEM OUT OF THE MIRE OF LIFE.

YOU WILL ASK ME HOW I GUESSED? VERY SIMPLY. BY THE AURA HE GAVE OFF. THE AURA NEVER LIED!

LAST TIME WE HAD SPOKEN TO THE SAME MAN AND HE HAD EXPRESSED A WILLINGNESS TO HELP US, AND NOW I WAS SEEING A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT BEING. AS IF I DIDN'T KNOW HIM. APPARENTLY, EVERYTHING IN THIS WORLD WAS ABOUT BUSINESS - I MEAN - PERSONAL BUSINESS, AND HE WAS ABOUT SURVIVAL AND LIFE.

AGENT MORALES' LONG HOURS OF TRAINING HAD BORNE THEIR FRUIT, AND NOW HE SAW CLEARLY THE SITUATION BEFORE HIM. HE COULD SENSE THE PERFECT SIMPLICITY AND VAST GENIUS OF FELISTER EMBANKS. BUT HOW HARD WAS IT REALLY TO BE A GOD?

AGENT MORALES CONTINUED HIS TIRELESS MARCH TOWARDS THE TRUTH AND HOPED THAT IT WOULD ALL BE OVER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. HE VISITED ALL THOSE COUNTRIES, SAW ALL THOSE CULTURES THAT FELISTER EMBANKS HAD INTERACTED WITH WITHOUT EVEN LEAVING THE CONFINES OF HIS FARM. IT WAS STRANGE HOW HE'D GOTTEN SO MANY SEEMINGLY DISPARATE PEOPLE TO DO HIS WORK.

HE MUST HAVE BEEN USING MAGIC, OR