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The MMG
The MMG
The MMG
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The MMG

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Melanie Price had been called to the death bed of her first boss, and only love, a dying man’s wish. During her visit she discovers the unimaginable: her prior boss, Johnathan Bettle, has been lead-strategist for the Mastermind Group (The MMG), a secret organization that has planned and profited from world change. He planned and executed many of the major world events since 1970, including the 2008 market crash and the flash crash of 2010. He was blackmailing the MMG to keep them from using the black ops group and he was desperate to pass on control before he died. He needed someone he could trust, someone outside of the organization. Now he has put her at risk, changed her identity, and has the most dangerous organization in the world after her. A new leader in The MMG has figured out Bettle's process and is gaining power, with world domination in his plans. Good and evil battle to control the markets, money, industry, oil, and the world.

LanguageEnglish
PublisherMichael Damm
Release dateSep 3, 2015
ISBN9781310493188
The MMG
Author

Michael Damm

Mike Damm has spent the majority of his life in leadership, management, and customer service roles. When he isn't glued to his computer screen or making notes for a new story, he enjoys dancing, cooking, gardening and outdoor sports. On rainy days a good movie, an NFL or college football game, or a good book fill his time. He has been writing for many years but just started putting things together for publication. His latest book, The Run, to the antichrist, is a story about corruption, conspiracy, end times, and how it all could be happening now. Is the antichrist gaining power? How could it possibly happen? When the signs start showing will they be what we expect? What if they are different than we expect? Mike lives in Mason City, Iowa and can be reached at mkdamm@yahoo.com

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    The MMG - Michael Damm

    The MMG

    By Mike Damm

    This novel is a work of fiction. The characters, names, incidents, dialogue, and plot are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons or events is purely coincidental.

    Published by Mike Damm on Smashwords

    Copyright 2015 by Mike Damm

    DammNation Publishing

    July 2015

    This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book 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 e-book retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

    To Susan, who inspires me every day

    Prologue

    2018

    Aiah could not believe his luck. He had stumbled onto the greatest secret the world had never known. In 2008 he had become a member of a networking organization called the MMG, short for the Mastermind Group, which projected itself as a group of world leaders coming together for the betterment of all. They hosted a public conference once a year to exchange ideas and to foster a global unity, but behind the scenes they were creating world change.

    Aiah had eventually discovered the vehicle, called a Run, which was used to create change; a vehicle that enlisted the help of many, but hid the truth from all. An assembly line of change where each person did their small part without even realizing they were a cog in the machinery for market manipulation, insider trading, espionage, and assassinations. Aiah also learned who the lead Run planner was, John Bettle.

    John Bettle had been an MMG’er for many years. He personally was blackmailing the MMG leadership to stop assassinations and war mongering. They had been involved in most of the world events since the mid-50s, when the group had formed. They were involved in the murder of JFK, ruined LBJ and Agnew, set up and exposed Nixon, manipulated the markets in the 70s, 80s, 90’s and beyond. The tech bubbles, the sub-prime bubble, and Bettle personally orchestrated the market Flash-crash of 2010. No one ever knew of MMG involvement, the MMG controlled media made sure of that.

    Bettle was dying and needed to pass on his blackmail control over the MMG. He had chosen 2 interns that had worked for him in the late 1980s. Aiah needed to eliminate Bettle’s blackmail threat to remove the hold, and use the MMG Run process that he had uncovered to take over world control.

    Chapter 1

    2018

    It had been 32 years since Melanie Price had last seen Jonathan; Jonathan Bettle, her first boss and her only real love. He had asked her to come see him at Saint Mary’s hospital, part of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester Minnesota. She was in a taxi, taking the few mile ride from the airport to the Mayo complex. She could not help asking herself, what was she doing? It had taken years for her to get over him – run! Why was she going to see him now? So what if he was dying, why would she see him again only to lose him once more?

    The first day of her adult life took place June 28th, 1986 when she was 21. It was the day she realized she was in love with him. In May of that year she had landed a college intern position during the summer of her junior year at Northwestern University in Chicago. The intern location of Dubuque Iowa seemed strange for an international company that specialized in economics and global investing, but you go where you can.

    When she was introduced to him she remembered how guarded he seemed, like he was manufactured, not real. At first he was a puzzle; within 4 months they would have a connection that only people that truly love each other can share. There was no sexual relationship, yet many intimate parts of life were shared; including love, faith, family, friends, even past sexual relationships. The term emotional affair had been mentioned later in life that helped her understand their relationship. He was 28 years her senior and was married; she had a boyfriend back in Chicago.

    It all started as a simple friendship. They had review time and would go outside during the day to discuss her work and have a cigarette, and they would end up talking about anything. They shared personal stories and eventually some secrets. It seemed like it was all good clean fun until she realized that talking to Jonathan was more important than talking to anyone else, including her significant other. By the end of the work day she would have nothing to talk to her boyfriend about; everything was already discussed, or Jonathan would be the subject. Her girlfriends starting asking who Jonathan was; she did not even realize how much she was talking about him.

    Going back to school that fall was the hardest thing she had ever done. At first she wanted to call him, tell him how hard it was to not see him; he was her best friend, damn it. What do you do when your best friend is the one you can’t talk to anymore; the one causing your pain, who do you talk to then? Loneliness, depression, loss; life would lack joy for a long time.

    The taxi was pulling up to Saint Mary’s Hospital. It was time to see him again. Earlier she had been so confident that she could handle this. She knew there was an emotional door inside her that had been shut for over 30 years, but she did not expect that door to start rattling. The emotions wanted out, the mind wanted to protect the rest of the body, and the heart seemed to just want to be near him. There were so many butterflies in her stomach she was about to be sick.

    Chapter 2

    April 1986

    John Bettle, lead investment analyst, studied the internship application again and Melanie Price appeared to be the type of person he would enjoy mentoring. She was smart, ambitious, a class leader, and knew six languages at age 21. The company never opened internship applications to the public; they had contacts at most of the major universities across the country that picked and recommended the interns to companies within the group. Melanie was studying Economics at Northwestern University in Chicago and came highly recommended. According to Aaron Boyd, the contact at Northwestern, she was hungry but did not carry the all that and more attitude that you sometimes see in gifted people. She picked up complex ideas quickly and knew the languages for the areas she would be doing research on.

    The Regional Director, William Froiberg, John’s boss, looked over a research packet on Melanie Price that had been provided by the company’s private investigations unit. A daughter of two factory workers from Sullivan Illinois, she had grown up in a middle class background with enough family income to be knowledgeable of most things in life but to be hungry for more. She had worked as a waitress at the local restaurant, played the flute in the band, and had been academic all-state in volleyball. She dated in high school but did not have a steady boyfriend until college. She got a scholarship to play volleyball at Northwestern but just did not have enough athletic ability to see much playing time at a Division 1 Big Ten university. When she quit volleyball her political aspirations took off as she became active in campus politics. She gave up her scholarship and was now covering her college expenses via student loans. She planned to continue her education and get her masters in Economics and work overseas. She had all the things they were looking for; maybe she could be a new world contact that they could use to further the cause.

    As she drove to her interview Melanie could hardly believe the location. Her research had shown Dubuque to be Iowa’s oldest city, right on the Mississippi River, a mix of new and old. History poured out as she drove, she could easily see the land that would have been without blemish when Julien Dubuque had settled there in 1785. At that time the land was owned by the Spanish government, and the local American Indian Fox Tribe. It was eventually bought by the United States as part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. Julien Dubuque mined lead at the location and died in 1810, but the minerals brought new settlers. The city was chartered 5 years prior to being included in the Iowa Territory in 1838, which transitioned into the State of Iowa in 1846.

    The impeccably refinished four-story building had been built at least a hundred years earlier, and probably was originally a manufacturing facility. It was red brick and looked like there may have been a store front on it at one time. There were 40 windows on the front side of the building, designed to give light to the workers prior to the wide-spread use of electricity. Each corner had a flat side that held a window as well. Located part way up a huge hill that had been carved by a glacial river, the view from the front door saw a gradual drop to the river front; which included a church steeple, many historical buildings, a dock/warehouse area, and the bridge back to Illinois. There was river traffic including a large paddle boat that was a modern day casino, but looked like it belonged here many years ago. Small eateries of all kinds appeared to have outside eating areas; the area was clean and inviting. It was the type of view that poured out history and reminded her of the pictures she had seen of places she wanted to go. It seemed like the perfect place to spend a summer.

    Angelina Dayburg called the interviewers from her HR office to let them know the intern applicant was here. Angelina was late 30s, a tenured member of the company, and well on her way to financial freedom. Working for the company had its perks, the pension plan was excellent and the free investment advice was life changing. She breezed onto the 4th floor like she didn’t have a care in the world, checked the time on the wall, and led the recruit toward the two executives sitting at the conference table in the corner office. When she knocked on the door she got a come on in, and led Melanie into the biggest meeting of her life.

    John stood and walked to the door, Melanie Price? he asked as he extended his hand.

    Yes she said trying her best to give a firm handshake without shaking.

    Melanie, welcome to MMG Dubuque. My name is John Bettle, and to my left is William Froiberg, our Regional Director.

    Gentlemen, thank you for inviting me. She stepped forward and shook the director’s hand.

    John waved her toward a chair on the near side of the conference table as John and the director both moved around to the other side. Prior to excusing herself, Angelina asked if Melanie wanted a coffee, water, or a soda. She chose a coffee even though she wanted a soda, she was not sure why.

    They seemed very happy she was there, almost like she had already been hired and this was her first day; it unnerved her a bit. She was still trying to decide if she would intern for free or go home for the summer to enjoy one of the last free summers she would probably ever have. She relaxed a little bit, they seemed to want her bad and she did not need this; confidence, self-actualization – she was in charge.

    William Froiberg leaned forward and started the conversation. He had a charisma that you would expect from a company leader, a comfortable, shallow way of communicating without any of it meaning anything, but it sounded like everything. The weather, the trip, Northwestern, even the Cubs came up in conversation. He was probably late 50s and looked like he worked about 20 hours a week and just enjoyed the rest. He had that confidence that she had seen before in people who have it all and do whatever they do just for the enjoyment.

    Part way though the interview things got interesting, Would you like to see how the world really works? He asked.

    That is why I chose economics, to see the world work and understand what makes things tick.

    There were three nodding heads in the room, as they all agreed with their own personal version of what she had just said.

    We can give you a unique look that others cannot see. Our connections go around the globe and into places you would not expect.

    That sounds very exciting. Travel and language are two of my interests Melanie said, If I may, what is an international investment company doing in Dubuque Iowa, and why would you need a person that speaks multiple languages? From my research it seems your company should be in New York or Los Angeles. Melanie asked.

    Smiles creased the faces of her interviewers, We are a global entity with companies in New York and LA. Also Tokyo, Hong Kong, India, Singapore, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Japan, China and many others said William Froiberg, the regional director. Our location here is one of many in the group that makes up our worldwide organization. All locations are managed by a global leadership team, with each location specializing in knowledge needed to fill their roles as part of the whole. This location specializes in economics, world wide networking, and global investing; sort of a think tank. Our job is to see world change coming, and to prepare an investment strategy to maximize returns before, during, and after the event. We have a long history of predicting world events, and profiting from understanding what will happen if and when these changes take place. In addition, the company owns brokerage and on-line trading sites that allow us to get a return from the movement of money, positive or negative.

    Why did you choose Northwestern? asked John Bettle. By this time she had sized up John as person that was very guarded. He acted normal but there was an underlying stiffness, almost like he was drunk and was trying to act sober, or like he did not want the world to see the real him. While she really did not care, there was something about him that raised interest.

    When I was young I loved volleyball and had an interest in economics. I earned a volleyball scholarship to Northwestern, which I saw as a well-respected school that has producing great thinkers and world leaders. Melanie said, Without my scholarship I may have ended up at a local community college for a few years. While the volleyball did not work out, I was right about the school.

    So, how do you learn 6 languages by age 21 and make straight A’s through high school and college? asked William Froiberg.

    Language is like second nature to me, it just clicks. Melanie said almost apologetic, I can learn a language in a few months using the language tapes available at the library. There are plenty of international students in the Chicago area that I can spend time with to perfect my timing and inflection.

    Well that comes in handy John said, There are a lot of reports that I need translated.

    So I will work for you? she asked.

    The two men exchanged glances and then William Froiberg leaned forward, adjusting his glasses. The meat of the interview was about to start, she thought.

    Your role here will be to read news and watch world regional news video streamed via computer, as well as reports we have, looking for items that may be of interest to us. We will be giving you a great deal of training over the first week and then you will spend part of your day combing through things we need looked at and then talk with John about what you have read. You will get a crash course in what is happening in the regions of the world you are assigned to.

    What types of things would I be looking for?

    That is what the training is for, said John.

    Now, interrupted William Froiberg, I know you were sent here to discuss a no-pay internship, but I want to let you know that when we find someone we like we want them thinking about the job at hand, not where they will stay or if they will eat. If we agree today that you are the one for us, we will put you up in a very nice corporate apartment for the summer, give you a daily food allowance, and pay you a good wage. The offer is only for the summer, we want you to continue your education, but we hope all our interns will eventually join one of our global companies.

    No Way! That would be awesome! she blurted out before she could stop. Sorry, she said, as she lowered her head in embarrassment, I hope I didn’t just blow it, she thought. A smile, that she was trying desperately to cover, was creeping over her face - when could she start, she thought to herself. All of the sudden this opportunity had become hugely important; to heck with a leisurely summer, the thought of losing this now would be horrible.

    We are, in fact, ready to offer you this opportunity now, said director Froiberg, you come highly recommended and we trust our source and know you are the right person for this job. Your schooling will end next month and we would like you start the week after, would that be acceptable?

    Would it! Holy cow! What should she do? What should she say? Wow, this is all going so fast, can I have some time to think about it? I, I’m, very interested but I just need some time, would that be acceptable? Do it! She thought, just say yes! You know you will, what is there to think about?

    Of course, said William, but we would like to know soon. We have plans to make for you.

    She regained her composure, the smile vanished, she needed to know more about this – it seemed too good to be true. Can you tell me more about this worldwide company you mentioned earlier? My research did not uncover any more than this company at this location.

    As I mentioned earlier, the director said, "we are a global entity with companies in most major cities across

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