We Should Continue

149.

“A pair of fresh burners, on a secure line with two additional layers of encryption outta keep it between our ears only,” She solemnly states. 

“A least for now,” I add, “but let's code the players none-the-less. What are you up to?

“No mucho. Since Big is vacationing all activity has pretty much come to a grinding halt. We are still running intelligence and testing programs, but any plans, targets or activities of our usual subversive variety are asleep at the wheel. Big is the guy there and when he went down, everything else followed. With one exception.”

“Go on.”

“I understand through the grapevine that you had a, shall we say, ‘incident’ with two DC low-lifes? 

“Bad news travels fast. How the heck did you…never mind…what about ‘em?"

“Somebody well connected assigned them to make a power play on us while we’re compromised. They have been trying, and I mean that literally, to hack into our systems to get what I imagine is something dirty to blackmail us with. The jerk-off acting as bag-man between us and the money guys also, get this, works for your pal the Senator from Carolina.” 

“Yes, we know all that, I managed to record some audio and incriminating video of them at a coffee shop, the bread crumbs lead, albeit circuitously back to him. But here is the current situation; tonight Julie, myself and our legal expert are drafting a plan of action to present to TOM at 1300 tomorrow. There are two goals, crisp and clean. It is my job to craft the language and detail the master plan in order to get TOM to buy into it and run political interference while we orchestrate the strategy.” 

“Let me guess.”

“Go.”

“You want to bury MBI for good and take down the Senator in one covert sting of SEAL-like efficiency.” 

“That would do nicely, yes, good guess. Got any thoughts?”

“I do.”

“Care to share?”

“Well, I have witnessed first-hand your taste for jail breaks, so I am curious as to what your pain threshold on bending a few rules to spring the bait might be?” 

“The bait?”

“Big.”

“Big? He is in maximum security with no bail awaiting trial on two counts of murder one and domestic terrorism. He is the biggest fish we have. But since I know your patterns of creative thought, I’ll bite, what or who would he be bait for?" I protest.

“We set up a billion dollar scam, stock-market, insider trading, power and money all on one buy, and set the wheels in motion to combine the three majors and their underling boot-lickers in a con. Big is the guy. There are strings attached. The Vegas money-man and the former plantation owner each have their own weakness. We put them together for a once-in-a-lifetime score, and then you ride in and bust them all to kingdom come. We need Big to play this part, nobody else can so it. I have some codes, all we need is backup in the line of fire. I also have a detailed outline that I will send you as soon as I hear you say, we should continue.” 

The silence that ensues deafens four continents and several third-world countries. I picture her on the other end sitting patiently filing her nails.

I have never been a fan of asking ‘what have we got to lose?’ but in this case, it fits. 

“We should continue.”