The Omnicron Imperative (Part VI)

(Continued from Part V)

General Steel cleared his throat.  "Excellent job, ladies and gentlemen.  Very thorough.  The contingent that pulled off this assassination was able to disappear without a trace, as usual, but I am not telling you anything you don't already know since many of you were there."

Most of the ANON team in attendance smiled at each other and nodded smugly.

"But, obviously, a dead man lying in the middle of the plaza in broad daylight is going to draw unwanted attention however you slice it," the General continued.

"Our Black Ops division was able to suggest the bistro waiter as a 'person of interest' to the local police and the media.  The Black Ops folks also provided 'witnesses' and the original ATM surveillance footage to both groups, clearly showing that he was the last person to have contact with the target.  We received word a few hours ago that he had been arrested and interrogations are underway.  The newspaper and TV folks have begun their expertly guided vilification process - within a week he will have been tried and found guilty in the court of public opinion. 

"Our hands are clean."

"With Fantagucci eliminated, his worldwide weapons and slave trade ground to a halt literally overnight and, without his leadership, the organization has simply melted away.  We won't be having any more trouble from them.  Any questions?"

Juan Sanchez, demolitions expert and champion knife fighter, stood and shouted to make himself heard from twenty rows back. "Sir, with all due respect we could have been given this information via routine encrypted satellite channels. You mentioned something about the 'real' reason we were here?"

The General's always businesslike demeanor became even more stony as he locked eyes with Sanchez.  "So I did," he said, "So I did...  But if I had held this meeting remotely we all wouldn't have been treated to a dose of your trademark Honduran impetuousness and flip remarks, now, would we?" Some in the crowd tittered and Juan returned to his seat, chastised.

With a click of the remote control the paused image of the dead man in Milan was replaced with a photograph of a flower wrapped around a swastika.

Several dozen team members gasped at, what was to them, an all too familiar image, but many of the newer recruits merely murmured and glanced around.  They had no way of comprehending the deadly significance of what they were seeing.

"The Omnicron threat is back," General Steel announced gravely.
 
(To Be Continued...)