Sir George

114.

We arrive at the location gathered from the GPS device planted under the Queen of Hearts’ magnificent tattoo. The site is a true landmark of the city, the WoodmenLife building, thirty stories, almost five hundred feet tall and visible from a seventy-five mile radius of flatland USA. I call in the location along with a brief description to TOM requesting a background search as Drysdale parks the Expedition across the street in a public parking lot. In five minutes we are provided the location of MBI, a private corporation leasing the entire twenty-fourth and twenty-fifth floors. On hearing this I feel the same sense of dread similar to once learning of the troop numbers, and advantageous positioning, of a foe with whom we were about to engage. It is a shot of adrenalin whose manifestation comes with a tingling of the spine and neck hairs springing to attention, it signifies, to coin the naval adage appropriately, an all hands on deck moment. 

It is 1225. Big and Her Majesty have been inside, involved in their meeting long enough for some form of detail on the operations objectives to surface. I am fighting the urge to default to my knee-jerk response and raid the stronghold with guns ablaze and under the protection of the elements of surprise. But I am reminded by experience and necessity that the key element here is patience. Let it play out, wait for The Queen to initiate counter-intel. 

Drysdale has packed the GPS gear and opened a laptop for a group intelligence dump. He quickly ties in TOM, Davis and LA on a secure line conference call. TOM opens with the standard compliments of ‘getting safely to where we currently are’ and then asks for real-time updates from each of the teams, Davis going first. 

“Not much to report, we have been watching the building suggested by TOM as responsible for the increased chatter, but there are no signs of any traditional operations,” he reports voicing with a hint of frustration.

“What is happening in Vegas?”

“About the same,” LA replies, “normal activity for the warehouse complex, nothing unusual, a few trucks coming and going, a sleeping security guard, looks like the dullest place on Earth.” 

“Bogart?”

“We have Big and The Queen inside the WoodmenLife building, two complete floors under MBI branding. No idea of what they are doing and no outward signs of any buildup. A day in the life of the upper midwest.” 

Julie comes on and begins a monologue of itemized potentials, what we call the punch-pack. It contains people, places and nefarious possibilities, a game of dot connection and quick statistical recall of specific fact. As she is speaking I get a text message from the QoH, it is a picture. A picture of a poster. The poster appears to hang in a large open office space. I scan it quickly and then forward it to the group.

1. Invoke a terrifying internal and external enemy

2. Create a gulag

3. Develop a thug caste 

4. Set up an internal surveillance system

5. Harass citizens' groups

6. Engage in arbitrary detention and release

7. Target key individuals 

8. Control the press

9. Dissent equals treason

10. Suspend the rule of law

A rap-like chorus follows.

“Orwell,” shouts TOM.

“1984,” adds Davis.

“How to go from A Democracy to a Dictatorship,” wails LA.

“It is a disinformation campaign, fake news sewing chaos and confusion, probably as proxy for an American geo-political rival, China, Russia, the Islamic States. It is an election year, we’re in the cycle.”  I volunteer with emphasis. I receive another text from 'inside'.

1. Create a sense of victimization

2. Blame “them” using words like vermin, infestation, those people

3. Declare only strength can save the nation

4. Demonize established law, the courts and democratic institutions as weak and ineffective

5. Delegitimize a free press as fake, the enemy of the people, and a liberal tool used to attack and further weaken the nation

6. Bully, mock, threaten, intimidate the other branches of government and subsume their power and influence

7. Relentlessly repeat

The propaganda concludes with:

As if your life depends upon it. Which it does.