Episodes 124-133 of Lando Cruz and The Coup Conspiracy (dystopian thriller novel)

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The United States is in slow-motion economic collapse. The Three Strikes Act funnels the unemployed masses into a national network of work camps for the most trivial of infractions.

Lando Cruz is a scrappy rebel who risks his final strike on the streets of Philadelphia by trading illegal currencies under cover of a burrito stand. He spends his days bribing dirty cops, fending off undercover federal agents and shepherding his little sister through adolescence.

Lando is getting by until beat cops seize his savings and kidnap his sister for ransom. He has thirty days to raise the hard cash he needs to free her before she is sold into sex slavery. His only chance is a lucrative job offer from the black market rebellion's paramilitary startup, the Core. He risks both his life and his principles to get his sister back before time runs out.

Episode 124: Turkey Shoot

“It’s time to go,” said Ryan. “We’re doing it today.”

Lando bolted upright in his bunk. “What?”

“You know what,” said Ryan

Lando scowled. “How could — Is Harold even here? We’re not — You said — Are you serious?”

“Dead serious.” Ryan crossed his arms.

Lando jumped off of his bunk and scooted past Ryan. “But —“

“No time for a shower,” said Ryan. “Grab your best rifle, scope, some rounds and let’s go.”

Lando scrunched up his nose and studied Ryan’s face. “We haven’t done any surveillance. We haven’t done dry-runs.“

Ryan waved his hand. “It’s been obvious for some time that this cell fell apart. The other cells picked up the slack. Everything is ready. Our job now is to roll in and pull the trigger.”

Lando glared at Ryan.

Ryan smiled. “This is what you signed up for! This is what we’re paying you for.”

“You’re paying me to be an analyst. Not a shooter. I don’t want to be a shooter. And I’m still waiting on the payment you promised me.”

“That’s fine. Don’t worry about it. Just get dressed, get your gear and get in the car.”

Lando splashed water on his face in the bathroom. He looked at himself in the mirror. This doesn’t feel right. His stomach jumped.

He wetted his hair, got dressed and got into the car. Harold drove. Ryan took shotgun. Both rear car doors opened and a burly man sat on either side of Lando.

“Who are these guys!” Lando yelled. The men’s bulk pushed on his shoulders from both sides.

Ryan did not turn around. “They’re from another cell that’s helping us out.”

Lando looked at each one in turn. They had crewcuts, wore polo shirts and cargo pants. “You guys ex-military, too?”

They did not look at him or speak.

Lando tried to cross his arms but they wouldn’t fit. He settled for laying his arms in front of him.

Ryan turned around. “Come on, Lando. Smile! We’re about to strike a blow for the agora and you’ll get paid enough to take care of your sister and get your dad out. Whatever you need, our backers will make it happen.”

Lando glared at him. “This is all wrong. It doesn’t feel right. And who are these guys?” Lando elbowed them to make room for his shoulders.

They looked at Lando.

They hit Center City and turned onto Chestnut Street.

“Coming up on our left,” said Ryan, “is the Liberty Bell. On our right, Independence Hall: two landmarks critical to the development of American liberty.”

Everyone in the car broke out laughing, except Lando.

Lando turned his head to look at them each in turn. What the hell is so funny?

A bus blocked their way on the narrow, tree-lined street. Colonial red-brick buildings sat on their right, behind red brick walls. On their left, the modern steel and glass office buildings looked worn and outdated.

Ryan turned to look at Lando. “Up ahead and to our right,” he said, “is the First Bank of the United States. You’ve got an opinion on banks, right, Lando?”

Lando pursed his lips.

Harold made a sharp right turn where there was no street.

Lando sat bolt upright. “But —“

There was a hidden driveway next to a tall brick house. Harold drove up to a gate and stopped. He pulled out a card and showed it to a scanner. It beeped.

“Stay calm, no emotion,” said Ryan.

Men in suits and sunglasses came out from behind the gate. One of them walked up to Harold and held out his hand. Harold put a card in it and showed him something.

Harold turned right and pulled into a dark garage. The door closed behind them.

Lando narrowed his eyes. “How did you do that?”

“Don’t ask too many questions, kid,” said the guy to his left.

“As a member of this operation, I need to know!” Lando said.

“Relax,” said Ryan. “You’ve had fake IDs made before, right? Well, we have fake badges.”

They exited the car. Lando felt a cool breeze on his back and relief as he stretched his shoulders and arms.

“Get your gear,” Harold said.

Lando twisted his neck from side to side. His hands shook. He unloaded his gear from the trunk.

Ryan opened a door in the dimly lit garage. Lando passed through. They walked up gorgeous dark wood stairs that creaked under Lando’s feet.

He got to the first floor and stopped. He felt his chest jerk forward. His leg vibrated. He dropped the duffel bag and sat in a plush red chair. “I can’t do it. You guys go ahead.”

The two big guys stopped and crossed their arms in front of him. Lando looked up. They stared at him.

“What! When was the last time you killed a President? You’re not so tough,” said Lando.

Harold ran down the stairs from the floor above. “Get up!” He grabbed Lando’s arm and pulled.

Lando swung and hit Harold below the left eye.

Harold raised his arm to strike Lando.

“Stop!” said Ryan.

“He won’t go up with us, boss,” said Harold.

“Says he can’t do it,” said the big guy on Lando’s right. “He’s too much of a pussy.”

Lando looked at him out of the tops of his eyes.

Ryan sighed. “Must we really go through this again, Lando? This is the money for your dad. Maybe you have to pay back the money you used to get your sister out?”

“Ooh, a sister? Is she hot?” said the big guy on Lando’s right.

Lando stood up fast and got on tiptoes. He shook his finger in the big guy’s face. “Don’t you say a word about my sister.”

The big guy kept a straight face for a minute before stepping back and laughing.

Ryan suppressed a smile. “This will qualify you to move up in the organization. Maybe you get your own cell. You can run your own ops and help decide the focus of the organization. That means more money, more responsibility, more power and more influence. All just for helping to strike a blow for the agora.”

“This is laughable,” Lando said. He glared at Ryan. “How are you even going to hit them from here? From this house? Really?” He shook his head. “And the two of them are never together.”

Ryan smiled. “Except for today. They’re together here today for a special picnic celebrating the 250th anniversary of the First Bank of the United States. Bankers to the end, these two!”

“Are you going to blow up the whole bank?” asked Lando.

Ryan pursed his lips. “They’re giving a speech right outside, next to the bank. It’s a turkey shoot from here!”

Episode 125: Feels

“We’ve removed a couple bricks,” said Ryan. “Rest the rifle barrel on the inside edge. There’s just enough height so your scope will work.”

Lando rolled his eyes. “Tell it to Harold! I’m not taking the shot! I’m here to analyze. And my analysis is that this is fucked. This makes no sense. It’s all wrong. And —“

Harold stepped close to Lando. “It ‘feels’ wrong. ‘Feels’? We ain’t going by feels.”

One of the big guys spoke up. “We go by raw data and logical thought processes. We have a shot at both of them here. You don’t get the President and the Vice-President of the United States in one spot together, with the tricks we have pulled and an easy shot like this. It doesn’t happen. So —“

“Exactly. It doesn’t happen. So why is it happening today? Something is wrong,” said Lando.

Everyone laughed but Lando. “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth, kid,” said the other big guy.

“We’re six hours out, so just chill. Take a nap,” said Harold. “Be cool and you’ll get paid.”

“What’s our getaway plan?” Lando asked. “This place will be overrun with cops if —“

The others laughed. “Don’t worry about it, kid,” said one of the big guys.

Episode 126: Power

“I actually had them both with one shot!” said one of the big guys. He took his eye away from the rifle scope and looked at the other big guy.

“Just take it already,” said the other one.

“Not yet,” said the first one. He looked in Lando’s direction.

Lando sat up. “What time is it?” The room was dark.

“It’s 8 PM,” said Ryan. “It’s ready.”

Lando got up from the floor. His throat was dry and his stomach felt numb. He took the rifle from the big guy. He laid down on his stomach in front of the hole in the wall. He rested the rifle barrel on the edge of the brick and looked through the scope.

Behind him, he heard hands slapping and a low chatter. He focused on the people at the party. It was well-lit. He searched the crowd. “I don’t see any familiar faces.”

“They’re just a few feet from each other dead center,” said one of the big guys.

Lando shook his head. He searched some more. “Nope, nothing.”

The big guy who had the rifle before sighed and laid down next to Lando. “Move over, kid.” He grabbed the rifle. He curled his arm under it for support and searched.

Lando looked around at the others. Harold paced. The other big guy sat in a chair. Ryan waved him back to the hole in the wall.

“Kid,” said the guy next to him, “scoot over and take it. They’re right next to the center table. There’s one on each side. Wait until they get close again. Try to take them both with one shot.”

Lando’s stomach fell. “Any of you guys,“ He swallowed, “have a jacket or sweater? I’m really cold.”

“That’s nerves, kid. Get over it,” said the big guy next to him.

Harold stopped pacing. He pulled his tablet out of his pocket and started recording.

Lando frowned at him. His leg began to shake. He looked through the scope, then looked at the big guy next to him. “That really is the President.”

The big guy shrugged. “Told you, kid.”

Lando watched for a moment to be sure. What events led me to this moment? He moved the rifle a hair to the right. “And there’s the Veep,” he whispered. Lando placed the crosshairs on the President and waited. He bit his lip.

I have to get out of here. He studied the President’s ragged face: the low jowls, the wavy hair. I could pull the trigger and he would be dead. The power transfixed him. Excitement raced through his veins. In the crook of my finger is the most powerful man in the world.

A woman led the Vice-President to the President. She took a photo. Lando fixed the crosshairs on the Vice-President’s head. The President was behind him. He took deep, easy breaths. His chest hurt. He inched his finger closer to the trigger and fingered the light, thin steel.

“No,” said Lando. “I’m not doing this.” He sat back and threw his hands in the air. “Do what you want with me, don’t pay me —“

Ryan looked at the big guy who lined up the shot for him. “Mikey,” he whispered. The big guy threw himself to the floor and pushed Lando out of the way.

“It’s a human life, for God’s sake!” yelled Lando. “It’s not right!”

Mikey was completely still. Then he pulled the trigger.

Lando fell forward and his chest seized up.

Episode 127: Siren

“Mikey is shot,” Lando yelled. He pulled his hand up. It was red and wet. Mikey’s head rolled back. “I think he’s dead!”

Ryan looked back from the front seat of the car.

“What do I do?” Lando asked.

Ryan looked at him, then Mikey, then Lando again.

Harold weaved in and out of traffic. “If we can reach the Expressway then we’ll be fine. We’ll blend in, then get right off again,” he said.

Sirens pursued them. Lando turned his head to look back.

“Don’t look back,” said Ryan. He shook his head. He turned on the car radio. “They might identify your face.”

“This is a KYW News special bulletin. We have confirmation now. Shots have been fired in Center City tonight where the President was attending a medical fundraiser for autistic children under the auspices of Our Lady of Mercy Hospital. We don’t yet know who is responsible or who may be hurt but the KYW BlimpStream shows police chasing a dark sedan through Center City.”

Lando’s eyes got big.

“Don’t worry,” said Ryan. “We’ve disabled — Yep, there it goes. They just triggered remote shutoff.”

“Oh, shit,” said Lando.

Harold smiled. “No, it’s all good. We’re good. Just sit back and enjoy the ride. Woo-hoo,” he yelled.

Lando leaned back but the dead man fell into his space. Lando leaned forward and Mikey collapsed into the space behind him.

A red light stopped traffic. Harold weaved his way through the slowing cars. He made it to the intersection and started to cross. A police car came from the right. It slowed and a cop jumped out with a rifle. Bullets flew through the window to Lando’s right. Lando ducked. Harold hit the gas.

Lando poked his head up. They were on the expressway. “Shit, that was —“ He looked to his left.

A splotch of blood expanded on the other big guy’s chest. His head bobbed and weaved with each swerve of the car.

Lando’s eyes got big. He patted himself down from head to toe. He brought his hands up in front of his face. Clean. No red. He looked up at the front seat. “Are you guys hit? This other guy is gone.”

“Fuck!” yelled Ryan. He kicked the glove compartment. It flew open. “I thought we had the escape route all figured out, Harold!”

“I can’t control everything! Just be happy we —“ Harold hit the brakes.

Ryan sat up straight. “A checkpoint.” He looked at Harold.

“We’ll just represent and that’ll be it,” said Harold.

“That’s not enough! We’ve got two dead bodies in here!” Ryan yelled.

“We have badges, right?” asked Lando

Ryan turned around and looked at him.

“Right?”

“Yeah,” said Harold.

“Do you have a siren?” asked Lando.

Harold narrowed his eyes.

“Well, do you or don’t you?” Lando asked.

“Actually we do,” said Ryan.

“Put it up now, Ryan, and drive aggressively, Harold. These are victims of the assassins.” Lando smiled.

Harold and Ryan looked at each other. Ryan rifled through the glove compartment. He pulled out a pop-up siren, turned it on and placed it on top of the car.

Episode 128: Red and Blue

“Shouldn’t we have changed cars or ditched it somewhere?” asked Lando. “They’re going to follow it on blimp or drone video. And then they’ve got the house and all of us.”

Harold put the car into park. He looked at Ryan.

Ryan put a hand on his arm. “Go in and turn on the news.” He turned to Lando. “Just close it up and leave everything as it is for now. Here are the keys.” Ryan and Harold exited the car and headed for the basement doors.

Lando took the keys. He crawled over Mikey’s dead body and grabbed at the door handle. He pulled the catch to unlock the door and opened it. He fell onto the cement. Lando laid there for a moment. He savored the feeling of stretching his legs.

Something shiny caught his eye under the front passenger side door. He reached for it with his foot.

Red and blue lights flashed on him. Lando gently closed his door, then crawled down the alley to the dumpster. He sat down behind it.

“Get the FLIR,” someone said.

“I can’t handle any more of this,” Lando whispered to himself.

Footsteps approached. “Hey, I got something two blocks down!”

“Let’s go!” The footsteps receded and the police car took off. It was dark again.

Lando wiped the sweat from his face. He tried to get to his feet but fell back onto his butt. He got on all fours and saw the shiny object under the car again. He stuck his arm in and grabbed it.

Episode 129: Punked

“You’ve got blood all over you!” said Harold.

Lando walked into the common area. He looked at himself in the bright lights. Mikey’s blood covered his shirt and the tops of his pants.

“Go clean yourself, man!” said Harold. He put his hands on his stomach. “I’m gonna throw up!”

Lando eyelids hung low. He put one foot in front of the other. “What’s the news saying?”

Ryan stared at his computer. Lando stood behind him.

“We can confirm now that the Vice-President is at Our Lady of Mercy Hospital. His condition is listed as critical. The President will address the nation in moments,” said a woman on the screen.

Ryan slammed his fist on the desk. “Mike missed him!”

Harold glared at Lando. “We gotta go again. Whatever it takes.”

“Not tonight though,” said Ryan. He shook his head. “Stash the car in the lot. I’ll make a call. We’ll regroup and finish it while they’re still chasing their tails.”

Harold clapped Ryan on the shoulder and headed outside.

“‘Go again’?” Lando asked.

Harold turned around and walked back towards Lando. “Don’t even start. If you hadn’t punked out at the last second … !” He pushed Lando hard, knocking him onto the floor.

“Harold! Go do what I told you. Lando, shower up and get some rest. Planning meeting 6 AM tomorrow.”

“Should we really stay at this house?” asked Lando.

“‘Should we really stay at this house?’ What a fucking whiner you are, Cruz,” said Harold. “How did we ever get saddled with this sad sack of shit?” He turned and hurried out of the room.

Lando shuffled to the bathroom. He turned on the shower and got in. The hot water rolled off his head. His eyes closed. Sleep came on. He took a deep breath and peeled off layers. Dirty red water pooled on the floor.

Something fell out of his pants and hit the floor with a thud. Lando picked it up and shook the water off. He opened the black leather case. Inside was a golden badge. “Intellectual Property Enforcement Commission,” it said in a half-circle. Badge number 704. Opposite the badge sat an ID card behind transparent plastic. It said, “Ryan Donovan, Special Field Agent for Financial Counter-Terrorism.”

Lando laughed. “‘Financial counter-terrorism.’ That’s creative!” he whispered. He frowned. “But that’s risky. Financial counter-terrorism doesn’t exist.”

The black wallet vibrated. Lando dropped it. He picked it up again. Behind the ID card, he found a thin cell phone. He looked around. The bathroom door was closed and locked. He pulled the phone out. The screen illuminated. It vibrated and a new text message arrived.

“Speaker demands report,” it said. “Voice contact Director Wiezlky ASAP.”

The lock screen background was the IPEC logo.

Episode 130: Bloody Murder

Lando dug into his pants pocket. He pulled out a cable and connected his tablet with Ryan’s phone. He stepped out of the shower and laid the devices on the bathroom counter. He shivered. The water ran behind him.

His fingers tapped the tablet screen. The phone unlocked. Lando hit the home button and scrolled through the apps. There was too much information. He pulled down the search bar and entered his name.

At the top of the results was a document entitled “Project Oryx”. Lando clicked on it and read.

SECRET

02 February 2030

Intellectual Property Enforcement Commission

Office of the Director

Executive Summary. Given the ascendance of the agorists, their extensive and illegal exploitation of corporate intellectual property and the current administration’s turning of a blind eye to this in addition to their increasing hostility towards this agency, Director hereby approves the immediate execution of Project Oryx.

Project Oryx has three stages.

Stage 1: Make an arrangement with the Speaker of the House, who is already sympathetic to us. Terms to include his rise to POTUS along with free rein for our activities in pursuit of corporate national security.

Stage 2: Recruit a suitable patsy, or group of patsies, from among the agora. Stage a private agorist organization and develop a suitable media and paper trail.

Stage 3: Assassinate POTUS and VPOTUS.

Stage 4: Speaker ascends to POTUS and issues attached executive orders.

Lando scanned to the bottom. In handwriting, it said, “Lead Agent: Ryan Donovan. Target: Landon J. Cruz.” He stared at it for a moment before his knees failed him.

Lando hit the floor. He brought the document up to his eyes but they refused to focus. Shower water ran over the phone.

I have to tell someone. But, what’s the point? I’ve betrayed my family, my friends, my associates — everything I care about.

“Fuck it,” he whispered. Lando closed his eyes and moved so that the hot water hit his back. Dad is going to die. Mari will get my silver stash. She’ll figure it out. She’ll be okay. Henry’s smart. He’ll play this. He doesn’t even officially know me. They’ll never connect us.

He imagined Mariana picking up his silver stash. She was happy. She walked down the street on a warm spring day. She can go to college now. The creditors won’t look for her. The loan sharks — I didn’t tell them about her. A black SUV drove onto the sidewalk. In Lando’s imagination, men got out with guns. They took her.

Lando sat up. He uploaded the contents of the phone to his dropbox. He composed a message. “You were right. Ryan is a fed. Check your dropbox. The entire contents of his work phone are uploading now.”

Lando lay on the floor. His mind wandered. The reply from Henry came back after what seemed like hours. “What is your plan?”

Lando pounded on the virtual keys. “Bloody fucking murder and destruction.”

Episode 131: Patsy

Lando sat in the coffee shop with his usual mocha. This time he had four croissants. He scarfed the first one. He washed it down with mocha and stuffed another one in his mouth.

He pulled out his tablet and dialed Mariana. “You alright?”

“Bored out of my skull. Did you see that thing with the Vice-President?”

Lando’s neck muscles tightened up. “I just wanted to check on you. Text me every few hours to let me know you’re alright, okay?”

“Hey, I need —“ she started.

“Gotta go. Call you later.” He hung up.

On a screen behind him, a male voice talked about the presidential line of succession. “Should the President leave office or otherwise be incapacitated, Jim, the Vice-President takes over for him. The last time this happened was in 2025 when President Barnes was impeached and then found guilty by a close vote in the Senate.”

“Today, Larry,” said another voice, “it looks as if both the President and the Vice-President were the targets. Never in the history of the United States have both members of the executive branch been incapacitated at the same time. Who would have succeeded to the Presidency if this assassin, or assassins, had achieved his or her goal of killing them both?”

“Manuel, the Speaker of the House, Mark Daniels is next in line. After him is the President pro tempore of the Senate, the wheelchair-enabled 88-year-old Patrick Rafferty of Pennsylvania. After him come the various members of the cabinet.”

Lando raised an eyebrow. He suppressed a laugh. “It’s brilliant!” he whispered. He slammed his fist down on the countertop. Some of his mocha spilled onto his plate of croissants.

“What’s so brilliant?” a woman asked. She sat down next to him and took a croissant. She ripped a piece off and put it between her luscious red lips. Lando’s eyes rose to meet hers. He stared for a moment.

It was Alexis.

He did a double-take. “You’re dead.”

She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. “Well, here I am!” She smiled.

He stared at her. He took her glasses off and held her hand. “It really is you.” He stood up and hugged her. He sat down again.

“I’m so glad to —“ she started.

“Wait a second.” Lando’s eyes narrowed. “Why didn’t you contact me?”

“They assigned me to a corporate espionage cell. I wasn’t allowed to contact you.”

“You should have,” Lando said. He turned away from her and faced the window.

She rubbed his shoulder. “Aw, don’t be like that! I’m not even supposed to be here now. I came looking for you to make sure you’re safe.”

He grabbed her hand and twisted. “Ryan sent you, right? You’ve been working with him this whole time, haven’t you?”

“You’re hurting me, Lando. Please stop.” She angled her neck away from him.

“Tell me!” Lando whispered.

“No,” she said. “Nobody sent me.”

Lando let go.

“I expected a very different welcome than this.” She stood up.

“Wait.” Lando massaged his temples. “I’m sorry. It’s just that I’ve been under a lot of stress lately.”

She sat back down and smiled. “I can only imagine. Tell me everything. I can help you.”

Lando looked at her. He debated whether to trust her or not. He took a deep breath and let it out. “I was there last night. I was there when the assassin took the shot,” he whispered. He looked out the window at her reflection. “It was a disaster. Two guys died. I don’t know what Ryan is thinking. And now we have to do it again.”

She grabbed his hand and held it. “I know. It’s hard. Let me help you, Lando. I love you.”

“There’s something more.”

She raised an eyebrow.

“I found something out tonight.” He pursed his lips and looked down. “Ryan —“

“What about him? Was he hurt? Is he angry with you?” Alexis asked.

Lando scowled. “No, none of that. Ryan is not one of us. He’s not an agorist at all. He’s a fed, Alexis. He’s an IPEC agent. He’s going to kill the President and set me up as the patsy.”

Episode 132: Badge

“I need to know what you have been doing for him,” said Lando.

Alexis lay her hand on his and leaned in. “I told you.” She moved her face up to him and smiled. “He moved me into a corporate espionage cell.”

“Which corporations were you spying on and why?”

“I can’t tell you that.” She caressed his cheek.

He pushed her away. “Then you have to leave. I can spare you if you promise to say nothing.”

She sat up straight. Her eyes got wide. “You? Can spare me? I’ll have you —“ Her face softened and she stole a glance at his eyes. “How did it come to this? Aren’t we still in love?”

“I need to know,” Lando said. “Otherwise, you have to go.”

She sat back in her stool. “I didn’t know anything about him being a fed.” She sighed. “Are you really sure? How do you know?”

Lando pulled his tablet out and showed her a copy of the Project Oryx document.

“This could be forged, you know. It could be a fake.” She set it down hard on the counter.

“I got it off his phone, that he dropped. Did I mention that it was in a leather case with his IPEC badge?” Lando asked.

She bit her fingernails. “I just can’t believe it. Can you?”

“I have to,” said Lando.

“I mean, look. This guy, whom you say is a fed, is a leader of The Core. This is the agora’s —“

“It’s fake, Alexis. A lie. A fabrication. Smoke and mirrors. You’re not getting it.”

“How could all that be false? And the bombs,” she said.

Lando leaned forward. “Exactly! The bombs. That op made no sense. He lied to us about it. We went to schools, where there is plenty of round-the-clock surveillance. Schools of all places! And they detonated bombs! And Takoda.”

“Takoda.” She frowned. “We looked like terrorists, I know, but —“

“Come on, Alexis. You’re smarter than this,” said Lando. “That was the whole point.”

“What?” she asked.

“To make us look like terrorists!” Lando looked around. “To make the agora look bad and to build the backstory for me as his patsy. And then to justify a crackdown on us. To justify putting us all in camps and another round of inflation and theft.”

“No —“

“To make me believable as his patsy,” Lando said. “It was just Exhibit A in their case against me, whether it be in the media or in court.”

She stood up and grabbed her bag. “That is just insane, Lando. It can’t be.” She turned to him and grabbed his shoulder. “Should we go talk to him —“

Lando scowled at her. “Either you’re friend or foe, Alexis. I want us to be friends again but the choice is yours.”

Alexis sat down again and rolled her eyes. “Or we can talk to that woman that recruited us. Let’s try that.”

“And what if she’s in on it, too?” Lando asked. “And she delivers us straight to Ryan?”

Alexis stared at the floor.

Lando leaned towards her. “I need your help. I can’t stop this all by myself. We have to stop the assassination.”

“Who cares about the President, anyway? Who cares who is in —“ she started.

“It’s not about that!” Lando slammed his fist on the counter. He looked around and put a thin smile on his face. “It’s about showing that the agora are not terrorists. It’s about preventing a crackdown that will wipe out the agora and our chances for freedom and equality in our lifetime. We aren’t terrorists, Alexis - you and I. Your fingerprints are on this operation, too, you know.”

Alexis nodded.

“Agorists are not murderers. It’s not who we are. We’re rebels but we’ve chosen a path of peaceful trade and nonviolent resistance to get what we want. We want freedom and prosperity but we’re not using violence.” He took the last swig of coffee. “I have to stop the assassination and I have to keep my sister safe. I swore —“ Lando’s voice broke. He cleared his throat and swallowed.

“And we have to keep you out of jail,” Alexis added.

Lando laughed. “Sure, that would be nice, but I’ve got a dozen other things to worry about before that, like the arrest warrant for me, staying alive, getting my dad out of a cage, paying the loan sharks and exposing Ryan and the Core.”

“Exposing him?” she asked.

Lando squinted one eye at her. “Where is your head? Of course. And he has other cells, like yours. Who knows what other operations he has going on? How many other people did he get killed or will he put in harm’s way? How many has he duped? He has to be exposed.” Lando took a breath. “I am going to expose him.”

Alexis stood up and hugged him. “I’m scared for you.”

Lando wrapped his arms around her and closed his eyes. He heard her heartbeat. He let his arms fall to her waist and looked her in the eye.

She leaned into him. He kissed her neck. She withdrew and looked at the floor.

Lando looked out the window. “I need someone I can trust to keep my sister safe until I sort all of this out.” He looked her in the eye. “Can I count on you?”

She smiled. “You can count on me to keep your sister safe. I can do that. You can count on me to help you stop the assassination as long as my role remains secret. As for taking Ryan down, I have to first —“

“You’re not convinced. You will be. You’ll see.”

“Where is Mari?” Alexis asked.

Lando stared at her. He debated whether to trust her or not. He rubbed his chin and leaned into her ear. “She’s in the hotel down the street to my right. Can’t miss it. Room 437.”

Alexis smiled. “Don’t worry. I will take care of her.”

“I owe you.” Lando stood up. “Now I need to recruit another friend to this counterterrorist venture of ours.” Lando smiled. “Good luck.” He hugged her. “And don’t forget about our date tonight.” He winked.

Alexis giggled. “I’ll wait a few minutes, then go the other way.”

Lando headed across the street at an easy pace. I should tell Mari where the silver is, just in case. His earbud tingled. He stopped at the edge of the sidewalk and looked at his tablet.

“Suspicious man at top of street following you.” It was from Alexis.

Lando froze. He jerked his leg toward the house. If it’s a cop, I can’t lead him there. He shifted his weight toward Mariana’s hotel. No! He looked down at the tablet again. He turned in the direction of the coffee shop. He’ll know I’m onto him if I go back. He rolled his eyes.

Lando pulled out his tablet and typed. “I’m stuck. More info.”

“He’s behind a car watching you,” Alexis wrote.

“What does he look like?” Lando walked straight down the street towards Mariana’s hotel. He took a left away from it and ran.

His ear buzzed. “Yes,” he said.

“He took off right behind you. He has something in his hand,” said Alexis.

“Is it a gun?” Lando asked.

“Maybe,” she whispered.

“I need to know!” he yelled.

“I think so. I’m sorry. What do you want me to do?”

“Get out of there. Protect your cover.” Lando stopped behind a building and watched the street. He put his hand on the gun at his lower back. “I will get him.”

Lando waited, his heart in his throat. A woman and a child walked around the corner. Lando stood up and smiled at them. I should have seen him by now.

Lando backtracked up the street. It’s not the loan sharks. They would bust right in. It’s not Ryan. He can grab me anytime.

Lando made his way back up the street. He walked back down. He looked under cars and behind fences. He sat next to a red brick building. He looked up the street at the coffee shop then turned his head to the right and looked down the cross street. There was no activity.

He pulled his tablet out and dialed David. “Isn’t it so much nicer now that I turned the cell blocker off?” Lando grinned.

“Indeed, yes. I wouldn’t have gotten this call before,” said David. “What’s up?”

“I —“ Lando started.

“Hey, should we really be talking on this line? Don’t we need secure phones or something?”

“Mine’s encrypted. Isn’t yours?” Lando asked. He craned his head to look down the street at Mariana’s hotel.

“I honestly can’t remember. My head is a mush. Ryan has me busy with paperwork. I’m generating a ton of documents,” David said.

“Have you asked yourself about that at all?”

“What do you mean?” David asked.

“Why are you generating a paper trail on a low-budget you-know-what? Have you thought about that?”

David was silent a moment. “No …”

“It’s because Ryan is not who he told us he was,” Lando said.

David was silent. “Who is he?”

“He’s a fed, an IP cop.”

There was a pause. “No, I just don’t believe it. It’s not possible. I have seen his computer and a lot of his papers. I work closely with him and Harold every day. It just can’t be.”

Lando sighed. “Do you really think I would call you and tell you this if I wasn’t completely certain? If I didn’t have proof?”

“What’ve you got?” David asked.

“Are you alone?”

“Yes, completely,” David said. “He’s been out all day.”

“I have his badge, David.”

“He has fake ones,” said David.

“That’s what I thought at first. But after downloading the contents of his phone —“ Lando started.

“How could you have his phone?” asked David. “He only uses a wrist communicator!”

“Oh, he has a phone. This is the one he uses to communicate with his boss at IPEC,” said Lando.

“I want to see it,” said David.

Episode 133: Taxpayer-Supported

Lando handed the leather badge wallet to David. “It fell out of the car, just like that.” The office was abandoned and quiet.

David examined it. He pulled the phone out and laid the leather wallet on his desk.

“Search my name,” said Lando. “I’m going to get a snack.”

“That’s taxpayer-supported. You sure about that?” David laughed.

Lando looked at him out of the tops of his eyes before proceeding to the kitchen.

David hunched over the phone. “Huh!” he said. “You haven’t modified anything here, right?”

“All I did was read some stuff and then download all of the data to my dropbox.” Lando finished making a turkey sandwich and took a huge bite. “God, that’s good,” he whispered.

David stood up. “I just can’t believe this. This is insane.” He buried his head in his hands. “I feel sick.” He held his stomach.

Lando took another bite of his sandwich.

David took a deep breath. “Okay. I’m alright.” He looked at Lando. “Are you really sure about this? I mean, are you convinced?”

“I’m convinced. One hundred percent. Too many lies. Too many things are off. Too many things don’t make sense,” said Lando.

“I’ve had some doubts of my own but,” said David, “I just thought they were incompetent.”

Lando finished his sandwich. He tossed his plate into the sink and rubbed his hands clean. He filled a glass with water and downed it.

David massaged his temples. “I guess — I guess I’ve known something was off. Or I should have known. This was all too good to be true. Most agorists are poor druggies. Our best companies, like Cadre Mutual, are barely anything more than a guy and a computer. There was a little voice in my head but —”

“I need to know if you’re with me or not,” said Lando.

“Just like that?” asked David.

“Just like that.”

“What’s your plan?” asked David.

“It doesn’t matter,” said Lando.

David stood up. “I’m here because of you —“

“I think they used you to get me to join.”

David scowled at him. “Maybe. I’ve known you for a while. I’ve learned a lot working with you. So I can’t imagine doing this without you. I’m sticking with you, Lando. But I have a condition.”

What Next?

I’m working on a couple stories right now, a post-apocalyptic zombie thriller and a cyberpunk detective story called Scorched Myelin. Stay tuned!

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