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He didn’t like to see animals hurt.
    * * *
    Once home he burst through the front door flinging his bag and jacket on the floor on his way to the dining room. Placing the phone on the dining table, he took a few deep breaths as he settled himself into a chair. Looking at his watch he could see it was exactly thirty minutes since the last text. As he patiently waited, he was amazed at just how loud the kitchen wall clock ticked when there was total silence in the house. Glancing down at his wristwatch, he confirmed he had the time right. Finally the silver phone vibrated and madly jumped around on the tabletop. Flipping the phone open, he put it to his ear.
    “Ra ndall, my boy, how are you?” Noel asked in his soothing voice.
    “Good as can be , how about yourself?”
    “Always plenty to do , we never seem to run out of assignments, do we? Matter of fact, there are hundreds of future assignments being born every hour.”
    Randall laughed. “So true, so true.”
    “Anyway , we need to discuss the current bait. He has had a good run so far, but we are starting to wonder whether his use by date had arrived.”
    Randall paused. This topic was very unexpected and had caught him totally off guard. “I know we’ve had him a lot longer than the others, but he has been a bloody good operator,” he said supportively.
    “I appreci ate what you are saying, but we need to start planning for a change in bait. I think it would be best for all. We are also a little concerned about how his disposal may affect you after such a relatively long association.”
    “C’mon , Noel,” he urged. “You know I have been around long enough to not get emotionally attached. Rest assured, when he buggers up you will get the text to finish him off.”
    “ That said, you still need to start preparing for future assignments without him. If his time is up you need to let us know straight away. As per usual, if we see him not playing by the rules he will be terminated immediately.”
    “Underst ood.”
    “Ok ay then, look after yourself and we will be in touch soon.”
    “Ok ay, Noel, speak later.” Tapping the phone thoughtfully on the table, Randall considered the current bait, “Irish”. Out of all of baits he had managed, none had been with him as long as Irish, and now it seemed their partnership was in its twilight.

    CHAPTER 6 - ABACUS

    Randall recalled his very early conversations with Noel when he was first told about the organisation Deliver Live and the Abacus. Initially, as expected, he was sceptical until he was provided with two things. Firstly, confidential documentation supporting Noel’s account, and second and most importantly, DL granted him a wish.
    In nineteen sixty- eight, the US Military and American Federal Police performed training missions together as part of the Civil Disturbance Plan to ensure homeland security in the USA. The Civil Disturbance Group, or CDG, ensured that both civil disturbance and law enforcement issues could be capably managed when the need arose. A top military general and a high ranking federal police officer headed the group. Each decade the charter for the Civil Disturbance Group changed on a needs basis to address the challenges of a rapidly growing population. In the late eighties the group became more focused on preparing Americans for the challenges of the future. All forecasts pointed to an escalation in civil unrest and crimes of violence as the rapidly increasing population put resources including oil, food and water under severe pressure.
    On the twenty-ninth of April, nineteen ninety- two, the Los Angeles riots ripped through the city, following the not guilty verdicts of the police who were alleged to have beaten Rodney King. Both the CDG and National Guard were activated to quell the five days of rioting. In the aftermath of the melee, fifty people had been killed, four thousand injured, twelve thousand arrested, and the damage bill was estimated beyond a billion dollars. It was