Episodes 64-80 of The Coup Conspiracy (dystopian cryptocurrency novel)

Hi guys! As promised, here are episodes 64 thru 80.

Apologies for the missed days. I've been busy with the @steemsmart podcast, among other things.

Thanks for your patience and enjoy the story!

Previous Episodes

• Episodes 1-3 of The Coup Conspiracy
• Episodes 4-5 of The Coup Conspiracy
• Episodes 6-8 of The Coup Conspiracy
• Episodes 9-20 of The Coup Conspiracy
• Episodes 21-24 of The Coup Conspiracy
• Episodes 25-28 of The Coup Conspiracy
• Episodes 29-38 of The Coup Conspiracy
• Episodes 39-50 of The Coup Conspiracy
• Episodes 51-54 of The Coup Conspiracy
• Episodes 55-59 of The Coup Conspiracy
• Episodes 60-63 of The Coup Conspiracy

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 64: Liberty Dollar

The door to his cage was open. The lights were out. A thin glow came from the corridor. Lando picked up his head. “Ryan?”

He sat up. His head ached. He stretched his neck but the muscles clawed at him. He breathed out and a small cloud formed in front of him.

“Surprise, Sunshine!” The lights came on. It was Sarge.

Lando squinted at him.

“Smile! You’re getting upgraded,” said Sarge.

Lando did not react.

“You’re going uptown. The feds want you. Clean sheets, three squares and buff Muslims are in your future,” said Sarge. He looked down the corridor, then stuck his hand in his pocket and held it up to Lando’s face.

A bright line shone in Lando’s eye. He brought up a hand to shield himself. “What the —“

“You’ve got more of these. I know you do,” whispered Sarge.

Lando put his hand down and focused. Sarge held a shiny silver coin. “Liberty Dollar, 2005,” it said.

Episode 65: Chain My Mind

“I know you have more of these,” said Sarge. His face was loose and Lando almost felt sorry for him.

Lando retreated to the steel shelf.

“I know you do business in these.” Sarge held up the coin again. It was in mint condition. “One of your customers exchanged this for bitcoin.”

Lando shrugged. “Sorry, I can’t remember much about my business right now except for the fact that you stole from me. Pay it back and then we can talk about something else.”

Sarge sighed. “Look, kid, you need your freedom and your family. I need this silver. I’ve been looking for —“

“You want my silver! You covet it. You are greedy for it. But you don’t need it.”

“So you do have more.” Sarge grinned.

“I didn’t —“ Lando started.

Sarge waved a hand in front of his face and the grin disappeared. “Look, you have things you want. I can get —“

“You have got some nerve, you fucking … pig.” Lando felt a pressure in his head. Tears welled up. “You steal from me. You cage my family, taunt me and then you want to take more?” Lando looked away.

“Now, relax, look, I — I have a daughter.” He cleared his throat. “I have a little girl.”

Lando sneered.

“She has lung cancer.”

Lando rolled his eyes. “That’s what happens when you smoke.”

“We don’t smoke. We think it’s —“

Lando held up his hand. “Just give her cannabis. It —“

“We tried it, Lando,” said Sarge.

“Bullshit. And this is not how you raise money to pay for your child’s treatment,” Lando said. “If you want my help, go straight. Make up for your past wrongs and we will do a kick—“

Sarge jammed his hands into his pockets and turned around. He turned back. “You know, I can kill you right now. No, better, I can maim you. You tried to escape. And then I can give you updates when your sister gets trafficked and your dad dies. And you can rot in here for the rest of your life regretting the attitude you’re giving me right now.”

Lando turned away from Sarge and bumped his leg wound again. He winced.

“Or,” Sarge said. He leaned against the wall and smiled. “We can work together to unearth your silver stash. And then everything goes back to normal for you.” He stuck out his index finger and tapped empty air in front of him. “Like hitting an undo button.”

Lando flattened his mouth and looked at him. “What do you mean, ‘an undo button’?”

Sarge groaned. “I thought you were bright. Let me spell it out for you. You give me the silver. I give you your life back.”

“What do you mean you give me my life back? You’ve destroyed my life!”

“Bitcoin, family, freedom, you get it all back. Simple as that,” Sarge said. “And I get the silver, for my little girl’s cancer.”

“You’re a fucking liar,” said Lando. “I don’t believe a word that comes out of your mouth.”

Sarge narrowed his eyes. “Do you have a lot? You can have Alexis and Ryan, too, if there’s enough.”

Lando sealed his mouth.

Sarge stepped back and grabbed something that was on the floor outside the cell. He threw it in and it chinged on the floor near Lando. “Whatever you decide, these chains are going on you. The three of you are getting on a transport to the federal prison and, if you don’t wise up, then IPEC will have their turn at you.”

Lando held out his hands in front of him. “You can chain my hands but you can’t chain my mind.”

“No,” said Sarge. “But now IPEC can.”

Episode 66: Decision Time

Lando curled his toes. His feet ached in a good way from the new warmth of his shoes. He closed his eyes and dreamed of his mother’s beans. He could almost remember the sweetness of the ripe plantain chunks and her smile when she served it to him. His stomach rumbled.

He looked across the aisle of the police transport van. Alexis looked back at him. Next to her, Ryan yawned. To Lando’s right, Sarge looked back at him through steel bars from the front seat.

“Decision time approaching, kid,” he said.

Lando looked at Ryan. Ryan gave him a tired smile. “We’re not going to come out of this ourselves, guys. The IPEC has … tools. So I just want to say that it has been a pleasure working with you. I just wish we could have made it a little farther.”

Lando swallowed. He looked out the front window of the truck. A deep blue blacktop ran under them. His dad’s face materialized in his mind.

“There is so much we could have done and —“

Lando turned to Sarge. “Okay. Okay.”

Sarge nodded. He pulled his pistol and shot the driver in the head.

Episode 67: Rape Lando

Lando stood on the street behind the crashed transport van. “Why did you do that?” he yelled.

Sarge looked away. “All part of the plan,” he whispered.

“Unlock these,” said Alexis. She held up her bound hands. “We have to get moving.”

Sarge looked at her through narrowed eyes. “As soon as my crew gets here.”

Alexis shuffled over to Lando. “What is going on? Are —“ Her eyes got big. “You’re working with him.” She took a step back.

“I didn’t know he was going to kill that guy! He’s extorting me,” said Lando.

Alexis shook her head. She turned to Sarge and jerked the chains apart. “Get me out of these!”

A blue sedan pulled up. Kowalski and Jaffari exited the vehicle. They wore the standard black police uniform.

“Well,” said Lando, “if it isn’t —“

Jaffari strode up to him and cracked him across the face. He stood above Lando and massaged his knuckles.

Lando picked himself up. His neck was on fire and he tasted metal. “Philly’s finest,” he said.

Jaffari turned around and looked at Sarge. “He had that —“

Lando jerked the chains between his hands twice. He walked up behind Jaffari and wrapped those chains around his neck. Jaffari flailed his arms.

Lando fell. He got his knees against Jaffari’s back and pulled. His chest ached.

“Cut it out!” Ryan kicked him in the side. “Stop, Lando!”

Lando pulled harder.

Sarge drew his pistol and put it to Alexis’s head. Lando let go and Jaffari stumbled to the pavement in front of him. Sarge unlocked their hand and ankle restraints. He holstered his pistol.

“That’s enough,” said Sarge. “Let’s conclude our business and go our separate ways, shall we?”

“Yeah, let’s rape Lando and frame him for killing a cop,” said Lando. “What’s not to like?”

Episode 68: Ballistics

Sarge laughed. “It’s been here this whole time?” He turned to Kowalski. “Why didn’t we just bring a Falcon down here and scan these houses?”

Kowalski shrugged. “You gotta give a good reason to check one of those out, boss. And most of them are broken.”

The market at the far end of his block was gone. A wrecking ball sat in its place. The squatters across from him were gone and the collapsing house cast a shadow on his former home. Wow, this place is a dump. He let his eyes unfocus. He envisioned what used to be here: a home and a family. He focused again and saw none of that.

Sarge pushed him from behind. Lando started towards the old apartment. The gate was open. He pushed into the building and climbed the narrow stairs. He stopped and turned around.

Sarge put his hand on his holster and took a step back.

“How do I know you will let us go?” asked Lando.

“If I wanted you dead, you’d —“ started Sarge.

“Bullshit. You want the g— silver. Once you —“

“Gold?” Sarge’s face lit up. “You have gold, too.” He laughed. “That’s a lot of new shoes for my baby girl.”

Lando ground his teeth. “It belongs to my customers. You have no right.”

“To hell with your customers and to hell with your rights!” Sarge pulled his pistol out and poked Lando with it. “Move!”

At the top of the stairs, Lando touched a new door with a new lock. “I don’t have the keys to this,” he said.

“Step aside,” said Sarge. He kicked the lock twice and the door cracked. He kicked it again and the door broke away from the locks. They walked in.

Lando studied the stove where he used to cook every morning. He looked down the hallway. He smelled spices and wood. Dad.

“Okay, genius, where — now don’t tell me it’s under a mattress,” said Sarge. “You fucking spics are all alike.”

A vision popped into his mind. Sarge was pulling Dad and Mari out of their beds. Lando’s body tensed. He turned and looked at Sarge. Sarge smiled. Lando punched Sarge in the nose.

Sarge reeled backwards and smacked his head on the edge of the kitchen table. His pistol clattered to the floor. Lando picked it up. He fingered the side of the gun. There was a round in the chamber. He ejected the magazine. There were several more in there. He put the magazine back in and pointed the gun at Sarge.

“Get up! I’ve had enough of you!” said Lando. He picked him up by the collar and dragged him across the floor to the steps. He kicked Sarge and he rolled down the steps.

Lando followed him. At the bottom, he picked Sarge up by the collar and put the gun to his head.

“My daughter, my daughter,” said Sarge. “She needs me.”

They stepped out. The others were exactly where they left them. Kowalski and Jaffari drew their weapons.

“Lando, what are you doing?” asked Ryan.

“Get over here with me, guys,” said Lando. He rotated to put Sarge between him and the other two cops.

“Drop the gun!” said Jaffari.

“Go fuck yourself,” said Lando. “Put your guns down or Sarge dies.”

“Sounds pretty good,” said Jaffari. “He’s a pain in the ass anyway. I get a medal and a promotion.” He frowned in approval. “Yep, go ahead. You drop him, we drop your friends and then we split your silver just two ways. That’s a good day of police work, huh, Kowalski?”

Kowalski bent forward and laughed. “You know, Sarge,” he said. “I think Jaffari is smarter than you.”

“You nimwits wouldn’t know how to wipe your asses in the morning without me,” said Sarge.

Lando tightened his grip on Sarge’s collar. He jerked him back. “If you wanted him dead, why don’t you kill him yourself?”

“Ballistics,” said Jaffari. He shrugged.

Lando turned his head to the side. He kept the gun to the back of Sarge’s head. “You guys got any ideas?”

Ryan cleared his throat. “Release him.”

“What?” asked Lando.

“Just release him, Lando,” said Ryan.

Lando turned his head sideways and scowled.

Ryan walked over to Jaffari and fished the car keys out of his pocket. He turned to Lando and smiled. “See? Easy.”

“They’ll shoot at the car,” said Lando. “They’ll trigger the remote shutoff.”

Ryan headed for the car. “You guys won’t shoot will you?”

A thin blade of light from the setting sun cut through the squatter’s house and into Lando’s eyes.

Kowalski tapped Jaffari on the shoulder. “Uh, maybe we should —”

A car flew down the cross street toward the setting sun. Music blared from it. A gunshot sounded in the distance.

“Oh shit,” said Jaffari. He holstered his gun and threw his hat to the ground. He unpinned the golden badge from his chest and shoved it into his pocket.

“You guys can start running now,” said Ryan.

Kowalski and Jaffari took off towards the North. Lando lowered the gun and pushed Sarge away.

“We’ll give you a five-minute head start,” said Ryan. “But don’t be disappointed if we aren’t the first ones to the party.”

Episode 69: Separated

“You have to ditch the gun,” said Ryan.

They reached South Street and turned left. Ryan stopped. Alexis caught her breath.

“No way, this one is nice,” said Lando.

“It’s a police-issue and it was used to kill a cop. You can imagine what Sarge is going to tell them. It’s evidence now,” Ryan said.

“He’s right,” said Alexis. She gave him a thin smile and crossed her arms. “But maybe you should let me get rid of it. I’m good at that and —“

“We get rid of it now,” said Ryan.

“Just throw it in the trash? What if some kid finds it?” asked Lando.

Ryan held out his hand. Lando pulled the gun out. He wiped it on his shirt and then gave it to Ryan. Ryan removed the magazine, popped the round out of the chamber and removed the slide. He found a plastic bag in the trash, wrapped it all up and stuffed it down towards the middle of the can.

“Problem solved,” he said.

“Your fingerprints,” said Lando.

He scowled. “They’ll never find it. And we’ve got to move.” He and Alexis started walking again.

Lando cocked his head. “But, you left your —“

“Forget about it!” Ryan yelled. “It doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters now is our mission. We have to finish it.”

Lando sighed and looked at Alexis. She went into a clothing store and looked at hats. He pulled his tablet out of his back pocket and sat down on the sidewalk in front of a bakery. “Guys, go on ahead. I have to make a call. I have to call my dad.”

“Lando, we just escaped from custody,” whispered Ryan. “And there’s a dead — We can’t —“

Alexis came out of the store and put a baseball cap on his head. “This will help with the blimps.”

“I have to make this call,” said Lando. He dialed. “Miguel Cruz, please.” The store clerk connected him. “Go on ahead without me. I’ll catch —“

“Lando?”

“Yes, Dad, how —“

“Why did you not call? I thought you … were dead, or — Son of a bitch! Where have you been?” asked Dad.

“W—“ started Lando.

“Never mind. Mari is separated from me. I don’t know what is going on with her and — Where have you been, boy? If something happens to her …”

“I’m sorry, Dad.” Lando’s face tightened. “Dad, I’ve been through some serious —“

“We’ll talk about that later. Right now, I have a friend who will help us get her. His name is Jaime and his number is 7098-6581. I want —“

“What about the money, Dad?”

“Be quiet and listen. Did you get the number? It’s 7098—“

“— 6581. Yes, Dad. I got it. But the money?” Lando asked.

“Just call him. He owes me. Make a deal with him. Nobody here is even telling me if she is still in the camp. You understand? No time to waste,” said Dad.

“I’ll do it, Dad. I’ll call —“

“Do it now. As soon as you —“

The line went silent. Lando checked his tablet. The battery was dead.

Episode 70: Washout

“What happened to you guys?” asked Jerry.

“You don’t even want to know,” said Lando. He rolled his eyes. “How did your mission go?” He grabbed the cable from his bunk and set his tablet to charge.

“Awesome! Man, Takoda here really kicked some ass. We’ve got a great rep with the hacking crews, now, and the sky’s the limit, baby!” said Jerry.

“That’s awesome. I —“ started Lando.

“So, what now?” asked Takoda.

“I don’t actually know yet,” He shrugged and headed for the office area where he grabbed a seat.

Alexis, Harold and Ryan huddled around Ryan’s computer. They spoke in hushed tones.

“So, what’s our next move, guys?” he asked.

Harold turned around. “Just chill, Cruz. We’ll be right with you.”

Lando stood up and stepped towards them. “Things have changed. It’s life and death and we’re all in this —“

Ryan turned around. “Do you have any idea,” he said, “of just how much work we go through to keep this house secure? To just keep this organization going? Do you know what it cost us just to start it? Do you have a clue about how important this mission is?”

“I —“

“No. You compromised opsec, Lando. You led a rebellion against Harold and I.”

“A rebellion?” asked Lando.

“Your actions put us all at great risk. You were moments from ratting us all —“

“I was never going to turn on you! That’s why I agreed to hand over my —“ started Lando.

“It doesn’t matter!” yelled Ryan. “You’re out of control. You threaten this organization.”

Lando took a deep breath. “We’re agorists. We don’t just buy into the party line. I’m not an automaton. I don’t blindly follow orders. I ask questions and I propose —“

“You’ve washed out,” said Ryan.

Lando put his hand in his pocket. Then he remembered that Ryan threw away the gun.

Harold drew. He put the barrel of his pistol against Lando’s chest. “Give me a reason,” he said.

Episode 71: Blackout

Lando sat in the closet. It was dark. “Somalia? Really?” he whispered. He tried to stand up. He hit his head. He tried to bring his hands up to massage his head. They were bound behind his back. He sat down and stretched out his legs. They hit the other wall before his knees could lock. He growled.

He kicked at the door. It did not move. He rotated his body, squatted and got his hand on the doorknob. He turned it. It would not budge. He squeezed his eyes shut. This can’t be happening.

There was no keyhole. The door was tight to the ground. The air was heavy and stale. His eyes widened. He kicked the door. “I could use some fresh air in here, guys!” he yelled.

What’s going to happen to Dad and Mari? What’s it like in Somalia? They’re not really going to send me to Somalia. He imagined a simple house on the beach with a palm frond roof. Emerald blue surf rolled up on tan sand and refreshed his feet. No, they’re just going to kill me. I’m a liability now. A chill fell over his body and his legs shook. He kicked the door again.

His earbud tingled. He straightened his back. I must be near my tablet. He jerked his head to the left to answer. It bounced around in his ear and the call connected.

“What is happening?” Dad asked.

“Oh, everything’s fine, Dad. Really great. Everything is, uh, on schedule. Nothing for you to worry about.”

“Good.”

“What did you think, Dad? That I’d screwed it all up?” asked Lando.

Dad chuckled. “You do that sometimes.”

“No, it’s all good,” said Lando.

“Good. What about Jaime?” asked Dad.

“Um, no, I haven’t called him yet, Dad,” Lando said. “But I’m going —“

“What do you mean you haven’t called him yet? I gave you his number six hours ago!” Dad yelled

“Six hours?” whispered Lando. He felt the pain in his head. They must have knocked me out. “Can you give me the number again?”

Dad sighed. “Jesus, Mary and Joseph. It’s —“

“I’m having a bit of a hard time, Dad.” Lando’s voice broke. “Things are really messed up and … backwards.”

“I thought you were okay!” Dad said.

The line went silent and Lando choked back a sob.

“I understand,” Dad said, “but I need you to keep going. When Mari is out, you will take time to recover.”

“And you, too, Dad. I’m going to get you out, too,” said Lando.

“Of course,” he said. “Now, the number is 7098-6581. Make something happen.”

“I will,” said Lando. The call disconnected.

Lando gritted his teeth. He squatted and brought first one bound hand, then the other, under his feet. He sat back down with his hands now in front of him. Here goes nothing.

Lando tensed his arms. He held his hands wrist to wrist and pulled away, against the force of the zip ties. There was no give. He pulled away again as hard as he could. Nothing.

He raised his arms above his head and brought one leg out in front of him, knee up. He crashed his arms down over each side of his knee. Sharp pains from his knee and his shoulders cut a path to his brain. He looked up, his face contorted. “Damnit!” he whispered.

He breathed out, his bottom lip bouncing back and forth.

“We should just …” said a voice outside the closet. Lando stopped breathing but all that reached him was a mumble. An electric charge ran through his spine. They’re coming for me.

He raised the other knee and put the damaged one underneath him. He cringed at the pain. He raised his arms again. He took a deep breath in and let it out again. “Just do it, you big baby,” he whispered.

A floorboard creaked.

He wanted his arms free but they would not come down again. “Coward!” he whispered. He brought his arms down over his knee. The zip ties gave way. He held his hands still a moment, then pulled them apart. He raised them hard over his head and balled his fists. He laughed and wiped his hands over his face.

He touched the light on his wrist communicator. The closet lit up. Dozens of small scratches marked the faded gray wood. Above him was a slab of wood. Lando squatted and pushed it up. It gave way and slammed into the ceiling.

There was a click at the door.

Lando was blind. Fresh, cool air streamed into his lungs. He took a deep breath. A hand grabbed his arm and pulled him out.

“Hey, the restraints,” David said.

Lando cracked an eyelid. They were in the sleeping quarters. David leveled a gun at Lando and his heart sank. “Just going to kill me right here, David?” Lando said.

Ryan walked into the room. “What happened?”

David jerked his head back to look at Ryan. “He broke out of the restraints. He must have some kind of weapon or maybe someone helped him.” David wiped his brow. “Don’t worry, if he makes a move, I’ve got him.”

Lando doubled over and laughed.

“Holster that weapon,” said Ryan.

David turned his body toward Ryan. He scrunched up his eyes. “But, he’s —“

Lando stepped forward and wrapped his arm around David’s. He grabbed the gun and twisted David’s wrist. “Oops,” whispered Lando.

David yelped in pain. He pulled the trigger and a round lodged in the floor. David dropped the gun into Lando’s hand, covered his ears and ran backwards. His chest heaved. He patted his body up and down. “Wh— Wh—“

Lando’s ears rung from the gunshot. He stuck a finger in one and rubbed. He hyperextended his jaw.

David took a step towards Lando.

Lando pulled the gun up and pointed it at David. “Enough, David. You’re out of your depth here.” Lando brought it down, ejected the mag and popped the round out of the chamber. “Pointing a loaded gun at your ‘best friend in the whole world?’ Nice.”

Lando left the action open, walked over to Ryan and handed the gun and the magazine to him. “A real tight ship you’re running here.”

“No thanks to you, Lando. You were supposed to be my leader,” Ryan said.

Lando stared at him.

Ryan took a seat on a bunk. He put the magazine in the pistol and laid it down next to him. He rubbed his hands together. “And now I have to ship you off to Somalia.” He shook his head.

Lando crossed his arms. “I did nothing wrong.”

Ryan pursed his lips. “Since you’re leaving, Lando, I’m going to let you in on a little secret.” A thin smiled formed on his lips. “Even in the best of worlds, it will take you a long time to make it out of there, to anywhere where you could send a message. That is, if you survive.”

David looked on from the other side of the room. His mouth hung open. He patted himself down again.

“If I survive?” said Lando.

Ryan stared at him. His smile grew. “So, here’s the — David, do me a favor and put this firearm away.”

David walked over and frowned. “It’s my carry piece.”

Ryan twisted his body to face him. “You don’t get a carry piece. Check it into the armory.”

David expelled air through his open mouth.

“Just do it!” Ryan stood up and banged his head on the upper bunk. David left. “This is what I have left to work with.” He started to pace.

“Alexis, Takoda and Jerry are solid,” said Lando.

Ryan looked at him sideways. “Perhaps.” He looked up and cleared this throat. “Oh, yes. The secret.” Ryan sat down again. “You know the Raven, of course.”

Lando nodded. “Brilliant writer and thinker. Is he involved in The Core?”

Ryan leaned forward and whispered, “That’s me.”

“You know the Raven?” Lando asked.

“I am the Raven,” Ryan said.

Lando narrowed his eyes. “I don’t believe you.”

Ryan stood up. “Don’t want to believe me? That’s your call. But I’m legit. I’m as legit as they come, Lando. You can trust in my leadership.”

Lando leaned back and yawned. “Your leadership? You had no moves in the jail. I got us out of that.”

Ryan firmed his jaw. “You got us into that. Remember?”

Lando squirmed.

“Give me something, Lando — something to show me that you can accept my leadership, accept my orders and are happy with your place in this,” said Ryan.

“My place?” Lando stood up and turned his back to Ryan.

“Yes,” said Ryan. He stood up. “Your place. You are not the leader here. This is not some collective or cooperative or commune. I am in charge. This is a paramilitary operation and I will have discipline!”

“Discipline? Discipline?” yelled Lando. He turned to face Ryan. “This is the agora! We don’t take orders. We collab—“

A bag came down over Lando’s head.

Lando put his hands on his neck. The bag was too tight. He struggled to get his fingers under the edges of it. Something pulled him back. He fell back, onto the ground. He yelled but it only made the air stuffier. His throat tightened. He blacked out.

Episode 72: Stay in Line

Lando came up through the dream to the soft caress of a hand on his cheek. He opened his eyes. It was Alexis. He was in a bunk in the sleeping quarters of the house.

“What’s happening?” he asked. He looked around. Everything looked the same. “Did you —?”

“Ryan decided to give you another chance,” she said. She brushed his hair back.

“Why would he do that?”

She gave him a thin smile and looked away. “We’re going to do the mission he wants and we’re going to do it his way and without any resistance.”

“And then what?” Lando asked.

“And then,” she sighed, “things continue on like before for you. The big mission, your pay. No change. As long as you stay in line.”

Lando frowned.

“Can you do that? Do it for me,” she said. She leaned over and kissed him.

“What did you promise him?” he asked.

She looked away. “Can you do it or not?”

Lando crossed his arms and growled.

Episode 73: School

“A school? Really?” Lando asked. He sat around a makeshift circle of chairs in the office area with Alexis, Harold, Ryan, Takoda and Jerry. David stood outside the circle.

“Not to reason why … but to do and …” said David.

Lando rolled his eyes “Please. We’re not collectivists. We’re question-askers. We’re authority-challengers, David. I thought you wanted to be an agorist.”

David shook his head.

“As a paramilitary organization, Lando, you either are in on the mission or not. If you’re in, you do what you’re told, within reason. If you’re out, you’re out and you shut up and you’re just completely out. End of story.” Ryan leveled his eyes at Lando. “I thought I already made that crystal clear.” He switched his gaze to Alexis.

Lando raised his eyebrows and looked down. “Okay. I’m in. I’m in.”

“Lando, Alexis and Takoda. You will each proceed with your respective items to your respective schools. You will drop the item next to the designated entranceway. You memorized the spot. Do you all remember it?”

“Yes,” they all responded in unison. Alexis looked at Lando and grinned.

“Jerry will stay here and manage communications. David, you will stay here to assist. Harold and I will be in the field to support you,” said Ryan. “Contact us only if there is a problem and only using the radios provided in the front pocket of the backpacks. Got it?”

“What’s in the backpacks?” asked Lando.

Ryan smiled. “We’ve got some extra-heavy bricks in yours.”

Episode 74: Steak Dinner

Lando sat in the back of the black transport van. He tapped his foot against the floor and gritted his teeth. The van turned and came to a stop.

“Alexis,” said Harold, “this is your stop.” He handed her an invisibility cloak and she started to put it on.

“Wait, hold on. Hold on just a second,” said Lando. “Are we really about to simultaneously drop suspicious-looking packages in front of three different schools?” He looked at Takoda and Alexis. “Have you guys thought this through? Do you know what this looks like?”

“It’s just part of the training,” said Takoda. He shrugged. “They’ll probably pick them up right after we drop them.”

“It’s dead-drop training, right?” Alexis asked. She looked at Ryan. “This is basic spy stuff. Nothing weird.”

Ryan said nothing.

Lando met Ryan’s eyes. Lando scowled and sighed. “Fine,” he said under his breath.

A few minutes later, they dropped Takoda off as well. “Good luck,” he said to Lando. “Just keep cool and it will be alright.”

Lando stared at him. Be careful, Takoda.

It was Lando’s turn. He donned the invisibility cloak then raised it up and looked at Harold.

“I scoped it all out and there aren’t many cameras. Drone coverage is light at best. Some priorities we got, huh?” said Harold.

Lando nodded, then paused. “‘We’?”

Harold handed him the backpack. The weight of it pulled Lando’s hand down. The backpack stopped just before smacking the floor. Harold took a step back.

“Bricks? Yeah, that’s about right.” Lando laughed. He stuffed it under the cloak and waddled down the street towards the school. His leg still ached.

A police car passed him. Lando looked at it out of the corner of his eye. It slowed down. The lights came on and it stopped in the middle of the street. Traffic backed up behind it.

A lump formed in Lando’s throat. He swallowed hard but it stayed. “Just keep walking,” he whispered to himself.

The car’s siren went off. They floored the accelerator and turned right at the corner.

Lando stopped and leaned against the fence. He leaned forward and vomited on his shoes.

The smell suffocated him. He convulsed but nothing more came out. He started to walk again.

Lando turned the corner and there was the school. He stopped a moment to collect himself. He pulled up the cloak to get a breath of fresh air. He scanned the buildings for cameras and the sky for drones. Nothing stood out.

Lando’s earbud tingled. He tapped his ear. “Yes?” he answered.

The line was silent. Someone talked in the background.

“I think we have a bad —“ Lando whispered.

“You did not call.” It was Dad.

Lando remembered. His shoulders sagged and an anger rose within him.

“Jaime just called me. You never called him. It’s done. He will not help us now,” Dad said.

“Dad, I —“ started Lando.

“I do not care that you are my first-born. I will snap your neck myself.” The line went dead.

Lando collapsed to the sidewalk. He pulled at his hair. Why am I such a fuck-up?

A door screeched open. Lando looked up. A guard walked out of the school. He smoked a cigarette behind a fence.

The man touched his ear and started talking. “Yeah, baby. Sounds good. How about that steak place, instead? Alright, girl. See you tonight.” He took another drag of his cigarette and turned it off.

Lando set the backpack down on the sidewalk next to the fence and walked back the way he came.

Episode 75: Ninety Seconds

“It’s not as bad as it looks, buddy.”

Lando looked around. He tried to sit up. “What — Where —“ The world jumped up and Lando smacked down onto something hard.

“Hey, easy on the potholes, Mo!” The man laid a hand on Lando’s chest. “Good morning, handsome. Take it slow. I’m Sheraz and you’re in an ambulance headed for Mercy Hospital.”

Lando tried to sit up again. Tight straps bound his whole body to a stretcher. His hands lay at his sides. He moved them but they wouldn’t come up.

“Relax,” Sheraz said.

“Why can’t I sit up?” Lando struggled to move his arms up.

Sheraz took a seat behind Lando. “Just relax, my friend. You will be fine.”

“I want up now!” Lando squirmed from side to side.

“Take it easy, young man. We patched you up and the doctors will see you soon.” He studied Lando. “The cops have a hold on you, you know. How’d you get that hole in your leg?”

“I — I don’t — What happened? Is it bad?”

“You’re going to be fine. The other guy, not so much,” said Sheraz.

Lando moved his hands around under the straps. “Hey, I gotta go to the bathroom!”

“Go ahead, do it right there. The stretcher absorbs it.”

Lando gritted his teeth.

“We’re ninety seconds out, so just relax,” Sheraz said.

The memory came back to him. The school, the guard and the backpack. He searched his memory but nothing more appeared.

Lando arched his torso straight up again. The straps were too tight. What will I say to the cops? Hell, they already want me for murder and terrorism.

The driver flipped the ambulance sirens on and off. “Get out of the way! This is an ambulance!” he yelled. The vehicle stopped short and Lando bounced back and forth.

The radio crackled. Lando didn’t understand it. Sheraz responded, “We’ve got a bombing victim, coming in ninety seconds. Lower leg laceration. Suspected bomber.”

Suspected bomber? Lando turned the words over and over in his head. What bomb? The backpack? But it couldn’t have been a bomb. Lando felt himself far away, as if he watched a movie.

Lando arched himself up again. A sharp pain hit his leg. He collapsed on one side and felt the restraints move. He left his injured side down and raised only his good side. He heard the straps whisper out of their buckles. He moved his arms.

Lando let out his breath. He moved his right hand around until he found the straps. He twisted his hand back and let out the bottom strap. His hand cramped. He straightened it out.

He bent his elbow and found the other strap. He let it out, too. He retracted his legs to get them above the leg strap. He grimaced as he moved his injured leg.

Lando was free. The ambulance accelerated and he slid down the stretcher.

“It’s clearing. Forty-five seconds,” said the driver.

Lando sat up. The driver slammed on the breaks. A plastic barrier stopped him from entering the front seat. Sheraz stared at him, his eyes wide and his mouth agape. Lando smiled. “Thanks for patching me up!” In two limping steps, Lando was on the street again.

Episode 76: Renewed Faith

Lando stood frozen in the middle of a block. To his left was the Renewed Faith Church. Red crosses adorned the all-white facade. To his right lay a park.

The ambulance screeched to a halt behind him.

Lando hopped the chain-link fence around the swing sets and bushes and passed three black children. They sat with their eyes blank. When he passed by them, they laughed.

A man in a blue suit sat on a bench. He looked up at Lando from his tablet. Lando slowed to a fast limp and focused on catching his breath.

“Do you have the time, young man —“ asked the man in the blue suit.

“Sorry,” said Lando.

“— for Jesus?” the man finished.

Lando ran again. A police siren sounded nearby. I don’t even know where I am. The street sign said 52nd and Pine. A blue- and yellow-striped indie cab turned the corner and he hailed it.

“12th and South Street,” said Lando to the automatic cabbie. He put his hand on the backseat camera.

The car started, then stopped short. An electronic snap sounded and a woman’s voice said, “Please unblock the camera, sir. We just need to get a picture of your face for fraud prevention. It will be digitally destroyed once you make payment.”

Lando removed his hand and the car shifted into gear again. He slumped down into the back bench and spread out his legs. “I’ll be paying with bitcoin,” he said out loud.

He opened his tablet and brought up Reddit Instant. News of the bombing was the top result for him. He opened the recommended article and a video played. There was the guard. He smoked his cigarette. A drone recorded it from above. A tree obscured Lando and the backpack. There was an explosion. Lando’s eyes got big. The guard flew into the side of the school. Lando’s cheeks burned. “No!” he mouthed.

The video zoomed in. In the upper right corner, something moved. A hand appeared out of nowhere. The video zoomed out. Lando watched himself come out of the invisibility cloak and collapse on the sidewalk.

He went back to Reddit Instant. The top result updated. Lando dropped the tablet. His body went cold. “Simultaneous Bombings Confirmed at Three South Philly Schools,” it said.

Episode 77: They’re Dead

Lando limped into the living area. “What the hell is going on?” he yelled. He slammed the office door behind him.

Jerry, David, Ryan and Harold were looking at tablets.

Jerry approached him and held his arm. He furrowed his brow. “Are you alright? What happened out there?”

“Is the guard — is he alive?” asked Lando.

“What guard?” asked Jerry.

“The guy at your school?” asked David. “He’s in critical condition. His skull is crushed and his legs are broken but they think he will make it.”

Lando fell into a chair and stared at nothing.

Harold laughed.

“How did this happen? Hey, guys, stop watching for a minute and tell me what happened!” Lando yelled.

“We’re finding out about it from the news, Cruz, just like you,” said Harold. “So shut up for a minute.”

Ryan put his tablet away. He grabbed Lando’s shoulder. “Who handled your backpack after you?”

Lando glared at him. “No one. Harold handed it to me and then it blew up a few minutes later. I’m lucky I’m still alive.”

“Harold,” said Ryan, “were the backpacks always in your possession?”

“Well, yeah, boss,” he said, “except for when Jerry packed them.”

Everyone looked at Jerry.

“Hey, don’t look at me! I packed what you gave me,” said Jerry to Harold.

Harold grabbed Jerry by the collar and pulled his shirt tight on his neck. “Tell the truth, Jerry. Where did you get the explosives?”

Jerry wheezed.

Lando tapped Harold on the shoulder. “Where would he have gotten any explosives? He’s here all the time!”

“What about when him and Takoda went out together to meet with those hackers? Huh?” said Harold.

Lando pried Harold’s hand off of Jerry’s neck and pushed him back. “Chill out! Now, Jerry, what exactly did you put into the backpacks?”

“They were bricks, big empty bricks,” said Jerry. He coughed.

“And then what?” asked Lando.

“I handed them off to Harold,” he said.

Lando turned to Harold. “And they never left your sight?”

“They never left my sight,” said Harold. “Ain’t nobody gonna call me a liar, either.”

“Did you check the bricks?” Lando asked Harold. “Did you verify —“

Harold looked at the floor. “No, no, I didn’t check anything.”

Everyone was silent.

“We’re going to figure this out,” said Ryan. “We’re going to figure out what happened. And we’re going to rebuild.”

“How could you let this happen? You?” Lando asked Ryan. He sighed then looked around. “Where are Takoda and Alexis?”

David looked up at him and sighed. “They’re dead.”

Episode 78: Taclite

“I need a lot of rounds, too,” said Ryan. “My shooters need to practice.” He grinned.

“Is this your shooter?” the man asked. He pointed at Lando. “He looks a little thin to handle the recoil.” He grinned at Lando.

Lando felt himself under attack from the grin. He grabbed Ryan’s shoulder. “Can I speak to you?” They walked a few steps away.

“What?” asked Ryan.

“This guy has cop written all over him. Look at his haircut, his shoes and his pants. They’re those new taclite pants that the feds use.”

Ryan’s eyes got a little bigger. He was silent for a moment. “No. No way. I know this guy. I’ve known him for a while. He’s solid.” He turned around and walked back to the man. “Yo, tell my guy what the cops did to your mom.”

The man firmed his jaw and moved his eyes from Ryan to Lando and back again. “They killed her, those bastards. I’ll never forget it.” He turned and walked to his car.

“Bullshit,” Lando whispered.

“What is it now?” Ryan put his hands on his hips and leaned toward Lando. “Don’t screw this up. We need these weapons.”

Lando frowned.

The man came back with a large duffle bag. “Here they are. Three sniper rifles, as requested.” He pushed his lips into a straight line and tightened the skin around his eyes.

Ryan kneeled down and unzipped the bag. He pulled out a scope. “Nice. These are the new microwave ones, Tony?"

Tony opened his mouth but only made a low sound.

Ryan grimaced and stood up fast. “Uh, the bitcoin in the usual manner then?”

“Yeah,” Tony said. He got into his vehicle and drove off.

7894 GLK. Lando made a mental note of the license plate.

Episode 79: Accountable

Lando climbed into the back seat. Ryan rode shotgun and Harold started the car. Next to Lando lay the duffle bag.

Ryan turned around. “Go ahead, open it up and take a look at the scopes. Just keep it low where the drones can’t see it.” His tablet rang. “Yes, sir. Right on schedule.” Ryan sighed. “Regrettable, sir, yes.”

Lando frowned. “You have a boss? I thought this was your show.”

Ryan was still for a moment, then he turned around with a broad smile on his face. “We’re all accountable to someone.”

“Speaking of accountability,” Lando started, “what is the new plan now, after all of this mess?”

Ryan turned around and grinned. “I never promised you that this would be easy. You can’t make an omelette without cracking some eggs. Bringing down a government is hard work. It’s not pretty. This is about the cause. We have to sacrifice to achieve our goals.”

Lando pulled a scope out of the bag. He held it up to the window and looked through it. A drone zoomed towards him. “Shit,” he whispered. He sat up straight and faced forward.

Lando cleared his throat. “What does the Raven need rifles and scopes for anyway?”

Episode 80: Bullseye

Lando looked through his scope at a paper target 300 meters downrange. He jerked the trigger.

“It hit the sod about 20 meters in front of the target. Stop jerking the trigger. Squeeze it gently instead,” said Ryan.

Lando laid the butt of the rifle down and sat up facing Ryan. “This shooting is a blast but why am I doing this? I’m supposed to be leading, organizing and analyzing. Not firing a rifle.”

Ryan kept the binoculars glued to his eyes. “Remember, squeeze this time.”

Lando returned to a prone position. He curled his left arm in and made a fist. He positioned his right hand near the trigger and looked downrange. He held his breath, steeled himself against the impending bang and squeezed the trigger. He caught a glimpse of a new black mark in the paper target. The spent gunpowder tickled his nose.

“Hit! You hit the paper, Lando and damned close to center. Nice job. Take a look through your scope and adjust accordingly,” said Ryan.

Lando looked through scope. There was indeed a small black mark just above the bullseye. “Wow,” he whispered.

“Take another couple shots. Let’s see what your grouping looks like. Then we’ll try five-hundred meters.”

Ryan got himself into firing position. Mariana popped into his mind. Without moving, he said, “I need an advance.”

“Take the shot, kid.”

Lando aimed and squeezed.

“Just to the right of the first one. Go again.”

“Can you help me with that?” Lando sat up and faced Ryan.

“Take the shot.”

Lando crossed his arms and waited.

“What do you need it for anyway? To bribe your sister out? She’ll just be a liability,” said Ryan.

Lando narrowed his eyes. His face got red. “I — How dare —” He cleared his throat. “That’s my concern. Not yours. My business. Not yours!” He swallowed hard.

Ryan put the binoculars down and looked at Lando. “Relax. I’ll get you something.”

“And I want to know why you have me out here for target practice.”

Ryan rolled his eyes. “Do you really want to be an analyst your whole life? Locked in a windowless room, staring at a computer all day? I doubt it.” Ryan brought the binoculars up to his eyes again and surveyed the terrain around them.

“I want to be a businessman, an entrepreneur. I want to help people. I never wanted to work in intelligence. And I definitely don’t want to kill people. You know this,” said Lando.

“You’re a smart kid, L—“

“I’m not a kid.”

Ryan put down the binoculars. “You’re right. You’re an adult, responsible for your actions, answerable for them, able to make your own decisions and chart your own course in life.”

“Damn right,” said Lando. “When can I expect the cash?”

Ryan smirked. “Hit the bullseye and you can have it in three days.” He pulled his tablet out of his pocket.

Lando tried to conceal a grin. He got into position and adjusted the angle of his body to be as straight as possible, with one leg splayed out. He aimed. He mentally checked his body and relaxed each part. He prepared himself for the bang. He took a breath, held it and squeezed the trigger back.

“You can expect half of your fee in cash within three days.” Ryan grinned and put his tablet away.

Lando turned to him. “I’m still not going to shoot anyone.”

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