19. Ariadne
19
ARIADNE
I ’ve always known I wanted to be a writer. Ever since I was a little girl. And I’ve always been a bit of a dreamer. I chose to be a journalist over a full-time writer because… well… writing doesn’t exactly pay the bills. Still, I love my job as a journalist, and I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else.
This story that fell in my lap – or should I say the story my boss foisted upon me when he tried to punish me for my underwhelming performance – has been one of the more interesting I’ve ever done. It’s right up my alley and I almost don’t want it to end. In fact, I now have a silly urge to seek out mysteriously powerful businessmen just so I can write about them instead of the silly political stories I’ve been forced to write for the past four years at Hinky’s insistence. I feel like my real talent has been wasted, and now I’ve found my niche.
When Caleph hands me the envelope, my fingers literally shake with anticipation as I withdraw a stack of photos and flip through them, one by one. There’s no doubt who’s in the pictures – four years of writing about boring politicians means I know each and every one of them like the back of my hand.
Caleph watches me as I go through the photos without saying anything, waiting for me to piece together the puzzle on my own. Every picture is date and time stamped, so it’s not hard to put together the timeline. I spread the photos out on the table, move them around until I have three lines of snapshots that tell me a story far more sinister than the one the FBI has the world believing.
“What I don’t understand,” I say, without looking up. “Is how they convinced the FBI and Interpol that you were selling arms to terrorist organizations and rogue military groups?”
“You have five government officials telling the same story and a ghost you know nothing about… who are you going to believe?”
The fact that the government let this happen based on speculation is in itself a massive problem underlining the power of corrupt government officials.
“I’ll need these photos, Caleph.”
I look up at him, expecting some resistance, but there is none. He reaches into his pocket and retrieves a USB and hands it to me. I turn it over in my hand; it feels heavy and burdensome, its secrets drilling a hole through my palm.
“They’re yours. They’re backed up on the USB along with the voice recordings of the meetings.”
“You understand this has become so much bigger than just an exposé on you, right? So much bigger. This is explosive, Caleph.”
* * *
I turn my article into a two-part series. It’s the only way it will work. It seems ridiculous to put Caleph in an article destined to topple a government, and the corrupt officials don’t exactly marry up with his interests. So, I weave the stories into two in a way that sits right and gives us maximum exposure. I’d like to say it will also do amazing things for my career, but that’s the last thing on my mind as I try to link the two stories while keeping them separate.
Both articles will run on the same day; this will ensure that Caleph’s name will fade into obscurity the way he set out to do when he kidnapped me. I don’t mind helping him out with that, since I’m getting the scoop of a lifetime out of the whole shebang.
Old Hinky has a lot of questions when I get back, most of which I gloss over quickly while I try to keep him at bay and tell him I’ll have something he can run with in a few hours for the morning paper.
“Oh, and Mr Hinkelbaum?” I say, quite innocently. If my next comment doesn’t outright kill him, it will at least cause a hernia. And I’ll be expecting a substantial raise.
“You should probably print at least twice the usual number of papers. You’re going to need them.”
DANCE WITH THE TITAN: An interview with Caleph “King” Rojas
Much is not written about enigmatic businessman Caleph “King” Rojas. He has been, for many years, a mysterious business mogul sitting on the sidelines looking in. But as with all enigmas, rumor and innuendo are not in short form. Humans, by nature, have an inherent need to make sense of things they do not understand.
After my article last week, Caleph Rojas called me to set the record straight. He agreed to an interview – the first he has ever given – and a candid look at the man behind the myth.
Who is Caleph “King” Rojas?
THE MAN BEHIND THE MYTH
His appearance exudes power and success. He dresses well in tailored suits and has a commanding presence as he steps into the room. Despite his accomplishments in the business world, he does not exhibit any of the boastfulness usually attributed to successful businessmen, and his laugh makes a rare but welcome appearance during the interview.
Folding one ankle over his knee, he gives me a rare glimpse into a man that most people have long considered a “ghost”. Charismatic and personable, he offers a breath of fresh air in a rapidly changing cut-throat industry. As Founder and CEO of Titan Industries, Rojas personifies grace, humility, and humanity.
Above all, he appreciates his privacy, talking openly about his need for solitude and peace, away from the prying eyes of an insatiable public.
SMART INVESTING OR LUCK?
We start in a small munitions factory in Bavaria, where one man’s vision turned a dream into reality. From small potatoes selling munitions to small countries in Europe and the Middle East to a second factory that managed five times the output, Titan Industries grew to become the largest supplier of munitions on Earth.
Winning contracts with superpowers all over the world, Titan quickly diversified into precious metals, logistics and real estate, making it one of the wealthiest privately owned companies in the world.
Rojas goes on to explain that luck had nothing to do with his meteoric rise to the top; he wistfully recalls twenty-hour work days which saw him refining and redefining his business plan until it reached the standard he was looking for.
TIES TO ORGANIZED CRIME
We’ve all heard the stories. We’ve all been privy to the rumors and innuendo that have plagued Caleph Rojas for the better part of a decade. Whilst no one knows where or how these rumors started, they do indeed appear to be a figment of someone’s overactive imagination.
Poring over legal documents and financial reports, it’s not hard to follow the money trail. Titan Industries have their house in order, their substantial earnings resulting in exorbitant taxes and excises, all of which have been settled on time, every time. Further independent investigation also revealed the magnitude and genius of Titan’s assets. Every industry under their umbrella connects to their primary moneymaker – arms manufacturing. They use their metals to manufacture arms, their logistics company to move them, and their real estate to house storage and manufacturing facilities, eliminating the need to outsource most services and keeping their profits in-house.
PHILANTHROPY
Aside from pledging substantial sums to charitable organizations, Rojas has been instrumental in creating several community initiatives around the world. He’s responsible for the establishment of schools, hospitals, orphanages and hostels internationally. When probed, he admitted funding support flows not only from Titan, but also from his own deep pockets.
Diving into an expiry date on his commitments, Rojas gives me a small laugh and reminds me that giving does not simply stop when we are gone. He produces documents dating back six years specifying perpetual contributions to the institutions he has had a hand in establishing as long as their doors remain open.
He speaks with an insurmountable passion about current projects he is undertaking, including homes for youths and special education units for the illiterate. His objectives are admirable, leaving little doubt that this modern-day Robin Hood will leave behind him a legacy not easily forgotten.
KING CALEPH ROJAS
I entered the interview room with pre-conceived notions of a man rumored to be deeply entrenched in the mob. Instead, I found a man who has single-handedly built himself a vast fortune from the ground up. A businessman who gives generously of his money and resources and would gladly give of his time if not for his aversion to life in the public eye. A man who propels himself forward at every opportunity for betterment.
A king who does so much but considers he hasn’t done enough.