The Best There Is

81,

'It’s the best there is.”

By their second intensive debriefing session together Sanders and Maria had developed a relationship. Simply put, as Saunders carefully edged her way towards the inner sanctum of Maria’s motivation and intent, Maria allowed deeper and deeper cooperation. It was actually moving towards successful conversation with both parties appreciating the improvements. They had covered most of the major inflection points, the cause and effects, and freely exchanged ideas and opinions on the possible underlying physiological consequences of action taken and options avoided. 

Saunders was intrigued by Maria’s initial purpose for signing up with the fledgling terrorist organization. True the financial bonus was the obvious factor, but her hunch, the instinct built over twenty years of experience, hinted that there were others. Accordingly she lightly applied her foot to the accelerator hoping to speed things up. 

“You told Commander Bogart of your political views and rebellious opinions in regard to the basic history of the United States, true?”

“Yes, I, to this very day, am deeply troubled, ashamed actually, of many of the disgusting things our government has done, and continues to do,” Maria confesses, “It was my, however sophomoric, belief that there was a reckoning, a form of proletariat street justice, necessary for the powers that be to hear the powers that could be. At the time my working theory was that only by fighting fire with fire could we take even the tiniest of steps away from the US being global bullies in a capitalistic game of Monopoly, and towards something, anything, more peaceful, civil and altruistic, up to and possibly including a testing of democratic socialism, you know, power to the people.” 

Saunders allows a time-out to absorb the largess of this to sink. 

“So you are saying that you took the gig as a way to assist in the creation of chaos and havoc, kill people, in order to demonstrate to the government that two could play the game and that by engaging in violent, felonious, para-military action you could broker some type of peace accord?” Saunders asks.

“The hope was that with enough successful computer hacking we could avoid the bloodshed.” Maria responds.

“At what point did you begin to recognize that there was a fly in the ointment?” Saunders presses.

“From my perspective, there never was a fly. We had a great game plan. Everything was running like clockwork. We had jammed the radar, jacked the Phantoms and were prepared to open negotiations with the POTUS, or one of his sycophant ass-sucking staffers.” 

“The paradox of this never struck you as excessive? The fact that there was no possible way you could ever ‘win’ was never an issue? Did your actions and game plan include the consideration that what you were attempting to do was, how do I put it?

“Crazy?” Maria answers the question, “Yes, it was often discussed. But more in the way of it being a poignant, perhaps even perfect example of Catch-22.”

“So you knew it was a crazy scheme and doomed to fail?”

“Yes.”

“And you did it anyway?”

“Yes.”

Saunders asks Maria for her full attention and begins a formal and eloquent recitation. 

“I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter.”

Maria looks across the table waiting for her to continue, but the notion has been presented for consideration. Breaking the silence she finally speaks, “THAT is exactly the point. Can you look me in the eye and tell me that is the MO or policy or standard operating procedure of the current commander-in-chief? THAT is the paradox. THAT is the irony. THAT is the hypocritical fly in the ointment and the entire fucking Catch-22.” 

“Because it’s an excellent definition of the term?” 

“Because it’s the best there is.”