The Phantom: MEGALOMANIA, #2

By hugh macnab

The attack on the Whitehouse struck at the very heart of the NAtion, and the newly appointed President must now urgently restore the country's faith and sense of security. Unfortunately for her, the new Russian Presidnet has other plans for America and the World. She must move quickly on many fronts to prevent a third world war.

 

If Dan Weissman thought his last case was unusual, this time he is asked to solve a case no detective would ever anticipatee. Who killed the President?

 

Detective Sammy Greyfox is give seven days to prove a convicted killer on death row is innocent, or others will die.

 

Will the CIA Director of Cyber Crime be able to build a relationship of trust with the brilliant phantom hacker, or will he be forced to hunt him down and bring hi to justice?

• Language: English
• Publisher: hugh macnab
• Release date: Dec 1, 2023
• ISBN: 9798621824150

hugh macnab

If you need an underground cable pulled in, a cocktail mixed, a Global technology plan developed, or maybe you suffer from one of many Mental Health concerns - I'm your man. Within my career, I have worked with and helped so many people with such varied and interesting backgrounds that this more than compensates for the lack of specific crime, police procedure and political experience when writing my books. Of course I should also mention that I have read thousands of books since the age of four - and am now ancient - so that's a lot of books. Along with my long-term suffering parter, we have five middle-aged children and ten grandchildren between us. For those who have not yet experienced the joy of grandchildren - yes, it is true - you can give them back after their stay! If I am not writing, you may find me on the tennis court when the aches and pains allow, or walking the golf course pretending I know what I'm doing, or putting my partner in trouble with my erratic bidding while playing Bridge. As for my guitars - they look good, although the dust is gathering.

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Other titles

Seminole Killer

Megalomania Series

Believe it or not

The Phantom

End of the World

China Falls

Sammy Greyfox Series

Russian Brides

Crossing the line

No way back

Head of the Snake

Lost Souls

Eli Ross Series

Dark Matter

Final Act

Self-help books

Relieve Anxiety (for women)

Relieve Anxiety (for men)

Lift Depression (for women)

Lift Depression (for men)

The Phantom

by Hugh Macnab

Copyright © 2020 Hugh Macnab

All rights reserved.

ISBN:

Story so far

Yaroslev Zublet has successfully disrupted his main adversary - the United States. The President, Vice-President, Chiefs of Staff and the Whitehouse administration all eliminated in one act of pure evil using a new secret Fentanyl-based weapon he had developed.

Poised now, to extend his control over not just the United States, but much of the Western World.

Dan Weissman, a Detective within the Sheriff’s Office in Naples, Florida - had wrapped up the recent bizarre case which had become known within the office as the GoT slaying. Although there were still loose ends preventing the full understanding of exactly what had happened and why - the perpetrators had all died in what appeared to be the mass suicide of the Brighton Beach Gang. He was now looking forward to getting back to normal life as a homicide detective.

Senator Theodore White the third was deeply shocked by the effect of his ‘gift’ on the Whitehouse but consoled himself knowing that everyone who knew about his role had died in an incident in the Hamptons. His main concern now was whether he could avoid the attention of the FBI for his involvement in the Whitehouse attack.

Alexei did not understand what had happened to the Kazakova family, but knew that he had at least been partially responsible for the death of the President - even if it was unknowingly and the FBI would come for him.

Fabia Mendez, an Agent with Homeland Security who had tracked down the Brighton Beach Gang still had many unanswered questions, including understanding the OCG’s role in the Whitehouse incident and whether there were any other similar incidents planned and in the pipeline. Little did she know.

Sean Caffrey still undercover as a golf pro at the Arizona Golf Resort in Riyadh, couldn’t help but feel responsible for the Whitehouse incident, although did not understand how his sabotaging an oil tanker could lead to such a catastrophic event back home. All he knew was that he needed to find out.

The death of Grigor Kazakova leaves the Brighton Beach Gang leaderless, but Dmitri Tsvetkov is already planning his arrival in the United States to become his replacement and intends to play an important role in the resurgence of Yaroslev Zublet’s USSR, and in his plans to disrupt the American economy.

Day Nine

Denise Harding had taken a very rare day off work, and after a breakfast of Granola sweetened with Maple syrup and studded with raspberries and sliced almonds, was back in bed under the covers exploring her partners body with her tongue, when she heard a news-reader announce on the television back in the breakfast-area, that there were unconfirmed reports that there had been a terrorist attack on the Whitehouse.

Seconds later, she was out of bed and in front of the screen, but the normal morning television program had returned. Worried - she grabbed her mobile and called the office to find pandemonium had broken out.

Less than ten minutes later she was running towards the Metro Blue line, coat flapping in the unseasonable frosty breeze, heading to Pentagon City.

Forty minutes later she stood with her fellow Department of Defense and Homeland Security colleagues watching live Fox coverage from the Whitehouse. The military had cordoned off the entire building and were holding back a growing throng of concerned people who could only watch and hope. Homeland’s own Hazmat teams were already in the building and were just beginning to report back. Each room they entered only held bodies of staff members who had apparently dropped where they were, from some unknown cause. The teams had yet to find anyone alive and were currently heading towards the Cabinet room in the West Wing next to the Oval Office over-looking the Rose Garden.

Denise exerted her rank and had her mobile connected into the lead-team’s radio transmission, then switched to loudspeaker mode to share the unfolding drama with everyone huddled around.

The first-team leader reported that the West Wing main offices, where approximately fifty intelligence and advisory staff worked, were the same as the entranceway and the main corridors - the dead were everywhere.

Working through the room checking each individual carefully for signs of life, he next announced the Secret Service detail dead at the door to the Cabinet Office, at which point you could have heard a pin drop in the group gathered around Denise, everyone knowing what was coming but unable to entertain even the thought in their own minds.

When the team leader opened the Cabinet Office door, everyone heard him swallow hard, then struggle to describe what lay in front of him.

‘They’re gone. They’re all gone,’ he choked out, the effect of the sight in front of him obvious to all.

Looking around at the shocked faces of her fellow employees, Denise imagined they mirrored her own expression. Hoping that a presenter would reveal the unfolding drama as a hoax, like War of the Worlds on radio back in the early fifties.

Even as she was wishing for this, she realized the implications for herself and the surrounding staff members. Their boss, the Secretary for Defense, was at the meeting with the President and the Joint Chiefs of Staff to discuss a response to an attack on an oil tanker in the Straight-of-Hormuz.

The Secretary - General Noxolo Mmagu - was so well-liked and effective that he had survived three separate administrations - one Democrat and two Republican. No-one ever had a bad word to say about him, accepting that he had earned every promotion by hard work and dedication. This was to be his final role with retirement in two more years, and both he and his wife were very much looking forward to it.

Born into the Xhosa tribal group in south Africa in the days of Africana nationalism, racial segregation and white minority rule, his upbringing couldn’t have been more challenging. Or at least that’s what he thought until after immigrating to the United States with his parents in 1985 and discovering that apartheid also existed in the Western World.

It was the make-up of the man that underpinned his success, even sometimes against heavy odds. He was super-smart and thanked his Mother for that, although she could never explain why. Then, he had a unique ability to work strategically while also working the details - bringing people with him rather than telling them what to do. Simply put, he inspired others. He was a born leader, someone who earned respect rather than expected it because of his position. A man loyal to everyone, both above and below him. Someone you could trust and would go the extra distance for.

But suddenly none of that mattered. Denise had to accept that fact he was most likely dead, along with many others.

As the Hazmat teams continued to explore the other areas and floors of the building it became clear that there were no survivors, including the President’s wife and daughter found in the family residence on the second floor.

Realizing the many close connections which existed between this office and the Whitehouse, Denise announced to everyone that if they needed personal time to check on family or friends, they should take it immediately. For those staying, it should be their priority to think about what disruptions would occur and start putting together a list of all ongoing activities likely and to focus their efforts in re-establishing cross-functional connections with other departments.

Fox live coverage was running about ten minutes behind the Hazmat’s live stream and even although Denise and the surrounding group already knew the details, there was something even worse about seeing it in black and white scrolling across the bottom of the screen. The death toll was now well over a hundred and still climbing when the news reporter announced the death of the President.

TV cameras showed the crowded streets outside the Whitehouse packed with people, silently watching the horror unfold. It looked like the entire city population was there.

The atmosphere was that of shock and disbelief, much as had been the case with Denise and her colleagues some moments before.

A colleague handed her a cell, disturbing her thoughts, and told her it was Tom McGuiness from the CIA. ‘Hi, Tom. Is this really happening?’

‘Yes, Denise. And much as I would love to share feelings with you, we can catch up on how upsetting this all is later. Right now - under emergency powers - I need you to step up as acting Secretary, effective immediately. You have lost some good people today, and I know you will need time to deal with that, but it cannot be now. We’ve just lost the Federal command structure in one fell swoop, not to mention the Chiefs of the Military Services. I want you to start straight away with putting Secret Service details together for the acting President and acting Vice-President. As soon as we know who they are, I’ll get back to you.’

‘I also want you to find someone to head up Homeland - I know the Secretary was holding the post open until he finished integrating Homeland and the DoD, but we cannot afford to leave the post open any longer now he’s no longer in command.’

‘Irrespective, I need you to appoint a lead agent from Homeland as part of an inter-Agency task force I will put together to find out what the hell just happened, and why.’

Denise was only half listening as her mind absorbed the prospect of being acting Secretary of Defense. Her first reaction was to refuse the promotion - albeit a temporary one, but it didn’t take her long to realize that the CIA Director was right. Now wasn’t the time to be refusing anything. Now was the time to get back in control as quickly as possible. It was only an acting assignment.

‘Okay, Tom. I’m in gear. Let me know the President and Vice-President appointments as soon as you can. I’ll handle everything else.’

Returning the mobile, she immediately called everyone around and explained that she was now acting Secretary of Defense. Expecting some disagreement, or at least mumblings of discontent, whatever she thought of herself and the work she had been doing, everyone readily supported the appointment which shocked her, not for the first time in her career. Every single position she had ever taken, she had worked hard to develop everyone around her believing that to be her most important task. Believing that anyone could do her work, but not everyone could develop her people. However, this approach often left her feeling that she could have done more, or should have done more, yet, along came another promotion. And here it was happening again.

Returning her thoughts to the present challenges, first she needed to contact the Director of the Secret Service - James Watson. Denise had known the Director for many years, having crossed paths with him at different career points. Originally they met when they were both representatives on an FBI-NYPD joint terrorism task-force back in 2001, then later again when he was Special Agent in charge of the Washington Field Office - the Secret Service’s largest field office around 2014.

Second, she knew that the Secretary had already two candidates in mind for running Homeland. One was in his early fifties and very confident, which in Denise’s opinion was a drawback. She didn’t think he was ready for the full responsibility of the position. The only reason the Secretary had not yet appointed the second choice was that the man he had in mind was retiring in ten months' time and could not provide continuity for the team. Suddenly, given that there would be a lot of acting senior staffers across all the Security Services - herself included, it seemed her choice was straightforward.

Finally, she needed a task force member. Someone smart and determined, and she knew just the person.

***

The reaction in the FBI Headquarters at Langley was very similar to Homeland Security and the DoD. As more shocking details of the terrorist attack became known. Many individuals had already left to be with family or friends, while others were trying hard to remain focussed on what was being asked of them.

Agent Pat Cataldo was about to head for home, knowing that his sister worked in the Whitehouse kitchen and that his Mother would be frantic, when the recently appointed FBI’s Deputy Director stopped by. Although new to most people he already had a reputation for a brisk manner and getting right down to business. Not a small-talk kind of guy. Pat braced himself as in his mind, an unexpected visit from a senior never ended well.

‘Agent Cataldo?’ he asked.

‘Yes, Sir.’

‘We haven’t yet met, but I’ve heard good things from the Director about you.’

‘Thank you, Sir.’

‘This is awful, this Whitehouse affair.’

‘Yes, Sir. It is.’

‘We will find out who was responsible for this, but we will not do it alone. I’ve already spoken to Tom McGuiness over at the CIA and we intend to form an inter-Agency task force with Homeland and I want you to take the lead for us.’

Pat didn’t quite know what to say to this, so remained quiet.

The DD took this as acceptance and continued. ‘I’ve reviewed your case file on the Senator White matter and first, I would like to offer you my condolences on the loss of your two agents.’

‘Thank you, Sir. That’s very thoughtful.’

‘I am also impressed you stood up to your Lead Agent when appropriating responsibility and have to agree with your assessment - that he had completely mismanaged the whole affair from start to finish.’

Cataldo nodded but said nothing. Still unsure if he was being led somewhere he didn’t particularly want to go.

‘So, I’m betting that you intend to haul Senator White in for questioning. Am I correct?’

‘Yes, Sir. As soon as I can deal with a personal matter relating to the Whitehouse attack.’

‘As I thought. But I do not want you to do that.’

Cataldo sat back, at first shocked, then quickly angry. ‘You can’t be serious, Sir? He’s directly responsible for the deaths of my two Agents.’

‘And although you may well be right, Agent Cataldo. I have looked over your report in some detail and you do not have sufficient grounds for questioning a senior long-serving Senator. Your evidence is circumstantial.’

‘But he was there!’

‘Can you prove that?’

‘We know he had an appointment with Svetlana Kasakova that night. We know she checked into the hotel we had set up surveillance in at eleven forty-five that night. I’m sure he was there when my two agents entered the room.’

‘How sure are you, Agent Cataldo? Sure enough, that your opinion will stand up in court? Sure enough, that if you drag a Senator - with an impeachable reputation and a long history of serving the American people - in for interrogation, you will survive the resulting lawsuit?’

‘But he was there! I know he was,’ replied Cataldo, his frustration boiling over.

‘Agent Cataldo. Let me be clear here. I understand your need to find those responsible for the deaths - not of your two agents, but of… our two agents - but until you have hard evidence, you will not approach the Senator directly. Am I clear?’

Cataldo could only manage a nod of agreement.

‘So,’ the DD coughed. ‘Now that we have cleared that away. I want you front and centre in the search for those responsible for the Whitehouse deaths, and if that helps you nail the good Senator, then I will fully support your actions. Homeland Security will take the overall lead, but you will front-up for us. Your budget is unconstrained and any support you need will be forthcoming. Just let me know what you need.’

‘But, Sir. There are many more senior agents than me capable of pursuing this.’

‘More Senior yes, but more capable I’m not so sure. But as I’m new around here, I will go with my gut. Oh, you will receive the paperwork through for your promotion to Lead Agent within the next few days. That perhaps helps with one of your concerns. Congratulations.’

The DD shook Cataldo’s hand, then turned and left the office as briskly as he had arrived.

Cataldo backed to his chair and flopped into it, not sure what had just happened.

Receiving promotion out of the blue, his intention to confront the likely killer of his two agents denied, before being handed the hottest potato in Washington - and didn’t know what to think. He felt very much like a fish out of water, or else someone who was floundering, and in over their head.

He was still sitting there when his phone rang and his wife shouted down the line that once again he had promised to be home on time, and once again he had failed to do so. Well, she told him, this would be the last time - then hung up before he could say anything. She hadn’t heard the news. Well, she would have to wait longer. His mother was more important right now.

***

Alexei had been as shocked by the events in the Whitehouse as anyone else, but as dramatic as the news was, at that precise moment his survival instincts were focussing him elsewhere.

He was still trying to get his head around the deaths of Grigor and Svetlana Kazakova, which puzzled him - so much so, that he and his network trawler - Ghost, had spent hours searching for information until concluding that it was Grigor’s other daughter, Mischa, that had led to their ultimate downfall.

He didn’t understand what had driven her actions, but the young girl she had killed in Florida appeared to have turned the tide against her and it seemed like the same net caught Grigor and Svetlana. Such a shame. His relationship with Svetlana had been turning out to be lucrative without exposing him to any significant risks.

Yes, there was the Senator White incident which resulted in the deaths of two FBI agents, but Grigor had tidied that up effectively. The FBI had been attempting to incriminate White in these deaths but only had circumstantial evidence so any involvement he had in planning the meeting with Svetlana for him weren’t at risk.

Still puzzled by the Whitehouse attack, it was while Ghost was trawling all areas connected to the Kazakova family that he came upon Dmitri Tsvetkov and the name rang a bell immediately. It only took moments to find that his elder brother was the former leader of the Brighton Beach Gang before Grigor Kazakova, and that he was serving time in the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.

An airline manifest search by Ghost quickly discovered that Dmitri Tsvetkov had landed in JFK at three-thirty that afternoon, and a further hotel registration search discovered him in the Mark Hotel, room 700.

Now that was too much of a coincidence. Was he here to help his brother, or take over the Brighton Beach Gang, or both?

While pondering Dmitri’s arrival, another nagging thought presented itself. Was the apparent mass suicide of the Kazakova family the day before the Whitehouse wipe-out another coincidence. Or were they related? If so, how on Earth would an OCG benefit from taking out the President of the United States?

If it involved the Kazakova family, was he exposed, even although he had taken his best care - he did not want the full force of the various

Reviews for The Phantom

[sheiladeeth_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Teenager Rebecca has always loved the Phantom of the Opera. She loves the book, the musical, the movie, and everything about it. She sings it in the shower. And now, at last, she just might pluck up courage to audition for the high school production.In fairy-tale (or operatic) style, Rebecca turns out to be an untrained musical genius. But now she has to deal with the inevitable blend of popularity and envy that ensue around the school. The cool guy she always dreamed of dating asks her out, but the strange new guy, appropriately cast as the phantom, has stolen her heart. Meanwhile, threats and violence abound.A classic young-adult tale, this novel has all the expected heart-searching and foolish decisions. A killer is on the loose, but the play must go on, and go on it does while the teenagers’ storyline imitates that of the book. Imagined lyrics are pleasingly musical, Justyn’s pagan faith is nicely low-key. And wise lessons in not jumping to conclusions, about people or situations, are well-told.Some odd word choices might distract readers, but the novel has a pleasant teen feel to it, a good message, and a fast-paced twisted plot that keeps the pages turning: Good teen horror, with musical overtones.Disclosure: I won a free ecopy and enjoyed the read.

[literarychanteuse · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A high school production of Phantom of the Opera becomes a matter of life or death when it gets combined with a mystery of murders and a romance triangle. There is more drama going on in the lives of these teen characters than in this play. I loved how the author infused this story so well around the original score. The characters are a real plus particularly the dark and puzzling Justyn. This is the perfect must read for Halloween! I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.

[ahandfulofconfetti · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When I first read the synopsis for this book, I was instantly intrigued; a retelling of Phantom of the Opera set in a modern-day high school? For that's really what this is; while the characters are performing the musical themselves, their lives take on a rather Phantom-ish edge. I wasn't expecting the darkness of this book - it reminded me quite a bit of one of those slasher films, because there was quite a bit of death and destruction - and I found myself eagerly devouring every single word, waiting to see how things would play out. One thing Mrs. DeLuca did well was set up the mood and atmosphere of this book; the reader goes between the happenings of play rehearsals through the characters' high school drama, but overlaying it all is this threat of darkness that definitely comes to affect everyone. I also loved how she changed the words of the famous Andrew Lloyd Webber songs to make them her own; the theme of the lyrics stayed the same, but was made to fit the plot of her book, and I find that super creative and give her major props!Now I would be remiss if I failed to mention the one thing I was concerned about the most, and that is the love triangle. Yes, there IS a love triangle, and I know that for some that's probably a really off-putting element. BUT, you have to remember that this book mirrors the musical almost exactly, and there is a rather huge love triangle in the plot of the musical itself. And while it DID grate on me - seriously, the whole "two boys fighting over one girl" thing is not only annoying but also unrealistic, because I have NEVER seen this actually happen in reality - it worked really well with the entire plot of the book. Much of the love triangle actually has more to do with learning to see beneath the exterior that people present and having to let go of your preconceived notions and assumptions, and I think that's a pretty awesome thing to be teaching teens - and anyone else - who may read this book. So while I am not a fan of love triangles, this was one time when I was willing to set my distaste for the trope aside to see what the author had in mind for her readers. And honestly, she handled it really well, particularly with how she weaved the tale of Raoul, Christine and the Phantom together with the "real" lives of Becca, Tom and Justyn.This book leaves the reader constantly guessing as to who the person is behind the threats to Becca and the others. And I am not ashamed to say that I actually had no idea who it was, and the reveal definitely had me raising my eyebrows in surprise; there is no heavy-handed foreshadowing here, and I LOVED that - for once - I wasn't able to guess anything. So kudos to the author for writing the mystery in a way that left me reeling! I can say with 100% honesty that I DEFINITELY didn't see it coming.If you're interested in a book that will have you eagerly turning pages while wrapping you up in a truly suspenseful plot and some very real characters, I would highly recommend Phantom. I can safely say that this book has something for every reader!A copy of this book was provided to me by YANR Blog Tours.

[engelsigh · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love The Phantom of the Opera, but not as much as the heroine of our story, Rebecca, does. Rebecca has seen the play a ton of times, read the book countless more times, and seen every single movie version ever made. When her school’s drama department decides to do Phantom of the Opera, Rebecca knows that she has to be part of it – and spurred on by the encouragement of her besties Carmen and Deb she tries out. To her surprise she wins the lead role of Christine. This immediately makes her the enemy of Wendy, the school’s normal starlet. It also catches the attention of all-American boy Tom and gothic and mysterious Lord Justyn. Over the span of the book, Rebecca receives threats in the form of letters quoting lines from Phantom of the Opera. She then goes on to receive more direct threats. There are “accidents” and several people die. Who is killing people in this school theater? Could it be Justyn, the new student – who is not only gothic, but Wiccan? Rebecca’s friends keep putting the suspicion on him. Could Wendy be taking her vendetta against Rebecca to the extreme? How many people will die at the hands of the school’s Phantom killer, and will Wendy escape with her life? You must read Phantom to find out.I think Laura DeLuca did something cool and unique by writing a book interwoven with The Phantom of the Opera. I always loved the play, and found myself so sad for Erick (the Phantom) and the fact that he could never really have Christine. I, like Rebecca, often wished I could rewrite that ending. I loved the way this story was done. The characters are all really well done. I don’t want to tell you who the culprit is, but it came as a complete surprise – not only the person, but the motivations behind the atrocities committed. I liked the supporting cast. It’s hard to make up my mind about Tom. He seems sweet at times, but your average high school popular guy at other times. Justyn was more my type. I like dark and brooding. I won’t tell you who Rebecca ends up with – you should read Phantoms and find out. I can hear some of you sighing, because there is a love triangle – and usually I would be right there with you. In this case, it works. For one thing the original Phantom of the Opera is based on a love triangle between Christine, Raoul, and Erick (the phantom). Rebecca is playing leading lady Christine and Tom and Justyn have the roles of Raoul and Erick respectively, so it’s only fitting there would be a love triangle. It’s done well.Overall, the book is really well done. The writing is excellent. Lauren DeLuca paints a creepy word picture. I was literally on edge in certain parts of the book. Ms. DeLuca is excellent with build-up and making the reader emotionally invested. I felt like I was there among the cast. Almost everything about the book is so well done I give it 5 stars.I have two issues I feel are worth mentioning. My first issue is the cover. Many people judge a book by its cover, whether that’s right or wrong. Most people I talk to are drawn first to pretty, well done covers. I would have read this book regardless, because of the subject, but I think that having a better cover would make this book more appealing to others.My second issue has to do with all of the threats, warnings, “accidents” and deaths. Rebecca doesn’t tell the police. Even when she gets a phone call warning her someone has been murdered she never tells her parents or the police. Rebecca notices things around “accidents” that alert her to the fact that someone did them on purpose and/or tampered with things. She never tells the police. Ms. DeLuca isn’t the only author lately who’s teen character doesn’t report to her parents or police incidents that I feel any normal teen would speak up about. I don’t understand this trend. I just wish Rebecca had been a little more responsible in this area.Other than that – the book is an excellent read and I highly recommend it for adults and young adults.