Zero Sum, Book One, Kotov Syndrome Read online

  Zero Sum

  Book One – Kotov Syndrome

  Russell Blake

  Copyright 2011 by Russell Blake

  Published by Manana Publishing at Smashwords

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  Content copyright © 2011 by Russell Blake.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used, reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher, except where permitted by law, or in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For information, contact [email protected]

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Published in the United States

  First Publishing Date July, 2011

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  Rave reviews for Russell Blake books:

  For "Fatal Exchange"

  "Fatal Exchange is a page-turning roller coaster ride of action, adventure and thrills. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed this presumably debut offering from Russell Blake. It's an awesome read. I couldn't put it down, and stayed up all night to finish it, no exaggeration. Six Stars, if they had that high a review!"

  Katherina J.

  "This is a book that took me completely by surprise. I thought I'd give it a shot based on the Amazon description and 5 star reviews, and it quickly became a page turner I couldn't put down. The plot is complex, sort of like a Forsyth or Ludlum, and the characters are gripping. It's a real novel. Can't wait to see what Blake does next."

  Anthony M.

  "A woman on the airplane sitting next to me was entranced with the book and recommended it to me, and I have to say it's a great read by a complete unknown. Kind of like caramel pop-corn in the guilty pleasure department. It tastes so good you don't want to stop munching. A must read for action or intrigue junkies." David A.

  "Fatal Exchange is a gritty," edge of your seat" thriller by first time author Russell Blake. The author cleverly combines a well paced, CSI styled crime thriller, with a "no holds barred", plausible international conspiracy. The story centers around Tess, a spunky, misplaced bicycle messenger, tirelessly working the Manhattan courier, who becomes entangled in both conflicts. Set squarely in the sights of a elusive serial killer and pursued doggedly by a ruthless, clandestine interrogation/murder team, Tess weaves her way through both worlds, as everyone around her starts to fall victim to the two very different, yet equally deadly threats. Detective Ron Stanford is stuck in the middle both conspiracy. A youngish detective assigned to a "special homicide" investigative unit, he initially meets Tess through his investigation of a set of serial murders targeting bicycle messengers, and soon becomes enmeshed another set of bizarre murders popping up throughout the city, all linked to a mysterious transaction completed by Tess's father. I can honestly say, that if I could find more books like Fatal Exchange, I would be left with absolutely no reason to read some of the "Brand" name authors on the market today."

  Steven K.

  "I really enjoyed this book! Started it yesterday and have spent every spare moment finishing it today. This author is going on my fave list!"

  Tux

  "My only regret about this book? Not purchasing it earlier. One of the best reads I've had this summer! I mean, where else can you find bike messengers, counterfeiters, and scalpers all in one book? I literally could NOT put it down, I was so drawn in... Waiting with baited breath for the next novel by Blake.... very impatiently I might add!"

  Amber N.

  " This book is in a class by itself. The main plot of the book is exciting and scary (and maybe a little graphic). The pacing is fast, the descriptions are visceral and the twists are unexpected."

  Stacy K.

  For "How To Sell A Gazillion eBooks In No Time (even if drunk, high or incarcerated)"

  “How to Sell a Gazillion eBooks In a Year is by far the most important book ever written on any topic, although I exclude the Bible since the Bible wasn’t exactly written in the way we mean the word “written.” But other than that, Gazillion does it all. For everyone. A can’t miss, sure fire Gazillion hit-a-thon from the master of them all.”

  - John Lescroart, NY Times bestselling author of over 20 novels, including The Vig, The 13th Juror, Treasure Hunt, Damage, Second Chair and a host of others

  “…a joyously vicious satire and parody that makes sport of John Locke, and indeed of the whole brave new world of self–publishing and self–promotion. If you don’t find Mr. Blake outrageous, and indeed offensive, you would seem to be missing the point. And the same thing goes if you only find him outrageous and offensive.”

  - Lawrence Block, bestselling author of Telling Lies For Fun & Profit, The Liar’s Bible, A Drop Of The Hard Stuff, and Getting Off

  “Anybody who’s ever read a self-help book will appreciate the cynical humor from the nimble mind of Russell Blake in this parody. Piercing sarcasm, the ability to turn a phrase into a missile and an impressive vocabulary (he makes up words if he doesn’t know an appropriate one – I’ve asked him, but still don’t know what a Gazillion is) combine into a book that is alternately rant, grovel, trash-talk and Bizarro-world counsel. Irreverent fun.”

  – David Lender, author of Trojan Horse, The Gravy Train and Bull Street

  For "The Geronimo Breach"

  "The best thriller I've ever read. How often do you hear a review say that? Well. that's what I'm saying. Other reviews describing it as near perfection and incredibly well written aren't lying. Russell Blake is on par with the biggest names in the business. And I mean Grisham, Turrow, Ludlum, Forsyth, Brown. The plot is intricate and completely unexpected at every turn. Al Ross is a hateful, extremely well-written character with believable complexity and nuance, plunged into a global conspiracy nightmare he's ill-equipped to survive. Don't want to spoil the end, but it's a barn-burner. Overall, the best read ever."

  jennifer989

  "The artistry in this work as the brush strokes build layers, brings you to wonder if something like this could be true! That's the work of a true artist. Many works of fiction have a main character that is so scrubbed up that he no longer resembles a human male. No problems with this one. You start out despising him, then start to feel sorry for him, until finally you almost like him and wish him well - although that outcome seems unlikely, the way the story develops. This is almost a 'How to..' for budding writers. How to write without one word or one sentence that could be edited out! Tight narrative, great story, scary scenario. I almost never give five stars, but this has earned it!"

  K. McDicken

  "Russell Blake is fast becoming my favorite new author. Take an unlikely main character, a scarily probable conspiracy, a government run amok, cocaine dealers, commandos, whores, a burro, and a tightly meshed action/intrigue plot, and you have what to me is the most original thriller of the year. I don't want to spoil the ending but it completely blew me away, and how the suspense was sustained to the last few pages as a surprise was great. I loved Fatal Exchange and had tears of laughter running down my face for How to Sell A Gazillion Ebooks, and now spent a big chunk of my night reading till 4AM to get to the end of Geronimo Breach. Highest recommendation for a highly original and entertaining novel."

  Semi-Used

  "Okay, I'm from the other
side of the pond (you can find most of my reviews and on the UK site) and I'm not a patient/forgiving reader if the writer confuses me or dawdles in their narrative. I was pleasantly surprised to find myself going along with the easy style and broad strokes of the narrative. The plot is very skilfully contrived but the real art I found was in the affinity I found myself unable to resist with the down-on-his-life main character, Al. I also love burros after following Al's steady transition as he encounters hurdle after hurdle. I laughed aloud in some scenes (I won't spoil it) when Al is, let's say...compromised. I loved the ending but also wished the story hadn't ended - so for that reason I'm taking the trouble to recommend it."

  Write Into Print

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  Introduction

  The Zero Sum trilogy is fictional. The following facts are not. A comprehensive list of all documented examples of the intersection of Wall Street and organized crime, clandestine government agencies, hostile rogue nations, and Jihadists/terrorist financiers would require hundreds of pages. It is beyond the scope of this novel to catalog the extensive labyrinth of criminality that is the reality of the modern market system, however the facts are available to anyone interested in researching them.

  In 2009, Bernard Madoff was convicted for operating the largest Ponzi scheme in history. A former co-chairman of the NASD and a Wall Street icon, his fraudulent activities cost his investors over fifty billion dollars. Among those who claimed to have been defrauded were several Russian Oligarchs, who were invested in Madoff’s scheme via an Austrian brokerage whose owner subsequently went missing. In reality, none of the Russians lost any money; they actually made billions from their participation. The list of connected criminal entities who participated in Madoff’s fraudulent activities is too lengthy for inclusion in this introduction.

  During the 2008 financial meltdown, shares of major banks like Lehman Brothers and Bear Stearns were sold in massive quantities (many multiples of typical trading volume) via a few small brokerage houses during the week leading up to their collapses. During Congressional testimony, the heads of those banks stated point blank that the massive naked short selling (where sell orders are placed, but no shares exist to settle the trades) of the banks' stocks was an obvious manipulation effort largely responsible for their stock price collapse. To date, the SEC has never investigated these trades, nor has anyone ever been prosecuted for them, in spite of the fact that it was the collapse of those two banks that took the global market system to the brink of financial catastrophe.

  A.B. ‘Buzzy’ Krongard became head of the CIA after departing Deutsche Bank-Nicholas Brown in 1998, where he ran the private client group which handles the accounts of many high net worth offshore clients. He was also Vice Chairman of the Board for Bankers Trust, and resigned from that position at the same time. Bankers Trust subsequently pleaded guilty to having created a slush fund and misappropriating unclaimed client funds to prop up their underperforming divisions. It is not unusual for this type of slush fund to be used for transactions where complete anonymity of the client is required.

  Several funds, including Lancer, Anthony Elgindy’s, and those of Mark Valentine have been investigated by the Department of Justice, which revealed they have ties to organized crime figures, Middle Eastern arms money, and corrupt government officials. In the Lancer case, $650 million was lost via a scheme wherein the fund invested in largely worthless penny stock associated with a known organized crime figure. Where the money went from there is unknown. The Lancer directors were never prosecuted. In the Mark Valentine case – Operation Bermuda Short – one of the main perpetrators fled the country after ostensibly receiving a warning of his impending prosecution. The list of La Cosa Nostra, Russian Mafiya and terrorist financiers connected to Valentine is so lengthy as to require a non-fiction book of its own.

  Refco, a brokerage house that was shut down in a huge IPO scandal involving hundreds of millions of hidden debt (believed to have been largely embezzled by CEO, Bennett), was involved in negotiations with the SEC to determine the amount of fines to be paid in the aforementioned Operation Bermuda Short case when the accounting scandal came to light. Some of the largest creditors and customers of Refco were a Russian fund and a major Austrian bank; to be later embroiled in a massive fraud case emanating from the Refco blowup. Hedge funds were used to conceal Refco debt from the company’s auditors – in a series of sham transactions – and there are multi-billion dollar transactions that appear to be large-scale money laundering. The SEC allowed Refco to go public even though the top managers were involved in this prior stock manipulation scheme, and sanctioned for it. No explanation for this remarkable decision has ever been offered by the Commission.

  The rest of this trilogy is intended as a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters depicted in this work and real persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

  * * * *

  Book One – Kotov Syndrome

  This chess phenomenon, first described by Alexander Kotov, occurs when a player does not find a good plan after considerable consideration of a position. The player, under time pressure, suddenly decides to make a move – usually a terrible one which was inadequately analyzed.

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  Prologue

  Outside the parking garage the temperature had dipped below freezing, and the rumble of traffic had long since faded as the city shut down for the evening. Even the smallest sounds reverberated through the stark expanse, cascading in a diminishing ripple of echoes. A fluorescent light flickered overhead, occasionally sputtering a warning of imminent demise – resulting in an uneasy illumination of the ominously darkened space.

  A grey American-built sedan with government plates punctuated the late-night silence as it pulled down the ramp onto the lowest level and parked in a far corner, cutting its lights and engine. Inside the vehicle, the driver sat motionless, scanning the car’s surroundings. One hand silently toyed with a worn key fob, an unconscious habit, mechanical in its regularity.

  After several minutes, footsteps disrupted the equilibrium as a figure approached the vehicle from the far end of the garage. The passenger door opened and the new arrival sat down, passing a CD-ROM to the driver. The passenger’s grey eyes darted to the rearview mirror, peering into the dim light of the garage…searching.

  “This is the outfit we need help with. We have nine months,” the passenger said in a low voice, seasoned with years of cigarette abuse.

  The driver nodded and waited for more. His passenger smelled of alcohol, garlic and dried sweat.

  “We appreciate the hand. I…I know it’s a hell of a favor, but your guy said he could make this happen, so...”

  Satisfied there was nothing more of value the visitor could impart, the driver leaned towards him…slowly…invading the passenger’s space to whisper in his ear.

  “I’ll get it to him. This meeting never took place.”

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  Chapter 1

  Rick brushed past the Marine guard, offering an imperceptible nod of greeting, and entered the familiar confines of the large foyer that led to his office. Another day of non-stop action, people moving urgently down the heavily carpeted hallways, earnest looks and murmured dialog the rule.

  His secretary handed him a sheaf of papers as he passed her desk. Mandy had been with him in one role or another since his days at the law firm, and when he’d accepted his current position she’d been part of the deal. She organized his life and kept his days running smoothly; no small feat, considering the number of hours he spent working on behalf of his master. Rick made a slitting gesture with his thumb across his neck, and she smiled at him as she continued her telephone discussion. She knew it meant he didn’t want to be disturbed by anyone, either in person or by phone. It was the beginning of another brutal week and he had his hands as full as usual. He settled back behind his neatly organized desk and considered the trees out on the expansive, snow-covered lawn.

  What a month.

  Every possible ni
ghtmare scenario had come hurtling down the pike at them; from a new terrorist threat emanating from the Mexican border to a bio-hazard scare in Boston, then the discovery of E. coli in the San Antonio water supply. And the month was only half over. He loved the adrenaline rush of the job, but four years of it had put a lot of miles on the chassis.

  Another late night yesterday, and he’d had more than his usual glass or two of wine with Stewart as they’d discussed the Beltway’s intrigue and power plays. The whole point of the evening had been to request some deniable assistance – and the mission had been accomplished; he’d asked Stewart to help out with a delicate matter, and Stewart had agreed.

  But his head felt a little thick today, which was no way to operate in this environment.

  The red com light on his phone blinked, and the synthesized ringer issued forth its annoying chirp. He stabbed the speaker button.

  “I don’t want to be disturbed, remember?”

  “He needs to see you. Now.” Mandy didn’t need to say anything else.

  “Any idea what to bring, what he wants to talk about?”

  “He didn’t say. Just asked to see you ‘soonest’ as he put it.”