The Reformers: A Matt Blake Novel (The Matt Blake legal thriller series Book 2)

by Russell Moran

  President Reynolds was sitting behind his desk. My mind was occupied by the fact that I was in the Oval Office to meet with the President of the United States. When I entered the room he walked swiftly over to me, extending his hand and gesturing me toward the seating area. Reynolds had a well-earned reputation as a charming guy.

  “Matt, let me get right to the point. I’ve heard so much about you that I feel like I know you personally. People tell me, including Rick Bellamy from Homeland Security, and Sarah Watson at the FBI, that you’re a hell of a lawyer, and most importantly, a hell of a problem solver. You seem to be an expert on a strange group of people known as NFL. I’m sure I don’t have to explain that to you.”

  “No, sir, I know more about NFL than I want to remember.”

  “Let me get right to the point, Matt. My friend. Rick Bellamy wants you to be Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security, and I completely agree with him. It won’t pay as much as your law practice, but from what I’ve heard, you and your wife have plenty of money so it shouldn’t hurt to spend a year or two in government. Bellamy is opening an office in Chicago, and you’ll be in charge of it. From what I’ve read, you did an outstanding job of serving our nation when you were in the Marines. You’re a genuine war hero. So what’ll it be, captain? Your country needs you.”

  I could have passed out. This was the last thing I expected from this meeting. Okay, time to make a decision. Only an asshole would say that he needed time to think about it.

  “I accept, Mr. President. Rick Bellamy and I go back a few years, and it will be a pleasure to work under him.”

  “Welcome aboard the Reynolds Administration, Matt. My aide will fill you in on the details, and then Rick Bellamy expects to see you. He’s meeting right now with my chief of staff.”

  ***

  Rick Bellamy met me in an office in the West Wing.

  “I’m glad you accepted the position, Matt. I can’t think of a better man for the job.”

  “Rick,” I said, “I was uncomfortable grilling the President of the United States for information, but I have a few questions for you. My primary question is, what do you want from me? I’m a PI lawyer.”

  “The answer is simple, Matt. You know more about the NFL people than anybody, and I get the impression that you’re not too pleased with them.”

  “Not pleased? Rick, I’m sure Jack Logan filled you in on our meeting with Imam Mike. Mike thinks that the NFL is equally as evil as the jihadis, maybe more so because they have a lot more brain power. So no, I’m not pleased with them. Are you?”

  “No, I’m not, Matt. But a lot of people in government look at the obvious. NFL does some serious ass-kicking, the kind of ass-kicking we’d like to do. Yes, they’re vigilantes, but they are convenient vigilantes. But I don’t trust them, and I know you don’t either. That’s why we’ve asked you to take this job. Using the resources of the Department of Homeland Security, we want you to keep a close eye on these people, especially the honcho, Bartholomew Martin. You will have a direct phone line to me personally. Watch these bastards, Matt.”

  After I met with Rick Bellamy I called Dee. I told her I’d fill her in on the details when I got home.

  ***

  Dee was waiting for me at the door when I buzzed myself in. We kissed. So far, so good. I figured I’d get right to the point.

  “President Reynolds has asked me to be Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security, right under Rick Bellamy.”

  “That’s nice,” she said. I could tell she was less than enthusiastic.

  “So, hon, your husband is going to be Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security.”

  “You’re having doubts, aren’t you baby?” she said. Dee has a way of looking past my words and directly into my mind.

  “Aren’t you?” I said.

  “Hey, the President offered you the job. You talk first.”

  “Well, they’re opening a new office of Homeland Security right here in Chicago, so it won’t involve my being away.”

  “That’s nice too,” she said, with a slight smile.

  This was Diana Blake I was talking to, Diana Blake, the most enthusiastic woman I had ever met. A woman who would do a cartwheel when she picked a good Scrabble word. But she had her enthusiasm, if any, well under control.

  “My salary will be a hell of a lot less than I make at Blake & Randolph, a lot less.”

  “Matt, after my settlement from the Spellman case and that big award you got for Al Yamani, we have money squirting out of our ears. Lots of lawyers spend a year or two in the government and return to their practices. Money isn’t an issue. Tell me what you find troubling, and I’ll tell you what I really think.”

  “Well, besides the fact that I married well, the president as well as Rick Bellamy did zero in on something they want from me.”

  “Your knowledge of NFL, yes?”

  “Yes. They seem to think that I’m the country’s maven on the subject.”

  “Well, aren’t you?” she said.

  “I guess, but that’s not what’s gnawing at me. After meeting with Rick Bellamy, I’m really clear that they want me to keep a sharp eye on the outfit, but that’s about it. Although neither the president nor Rick Bellamy said it in so many words, I think they see NFL as a convenient group to have around. NFL does the dirty work that our Constitution forbids our law enforcement from doing. Yes, they’re a bit nervous about the group, so they want me to learn everything I can about them and to keep the government informed.”

  “So they don’t want you to try to stop them, just keep an eye on them?” Dee said. “Does that about sum it up?”

  “Yes, but I told you about my meeting with our top secret mole, Imam Mike, who I’m not supposed to tell you about.”

  “Yes, Matt, you did tell me about him, and it freaked me out as well as you.”

  “Dee, Imam Mike thinks that Bartholomew and this NFL group have big plans for a political takeover, and not just in the Middle East. They may kill bad guys, but they’re just as bad.”

  Dee said nothing. The ball was in my court, and she was waiting for me to serve it.

  “I want to talk to you as a political science professor, Dee. Where do you see this all going? Help me sort this crap out.”

  “It’s going nowhere good, Matt. I’ve wanted to talk to you about this, and now that you’re a big government honcho, who better?”

  “Let me guess. You’ve already started to make notes for an article or maybe a book on the subject. Am I right?”

  “Yes. I have about 100 pages of outlines and notes. But I’m not sure I want to see it published.”

  “Don’t want to see it published? What are you talking about, Dee?”

  “Here’s what I’ve put together so far and you tell me what you think. I’ve been analyzing this NFL group and comparing it to other major movements in history. I’m looking for similarities, and it scares the hell out of me. I’ve looked at the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia in 1917, the rise of the Nazis in Germany in the 1920s and 1930s, and militarist Japan in the 1930s. Matt, what do all three of those movements having in common?”

  “Well, this probably seems simplistic, but I’d say ‘Out with the old regime, in with the new.’ ”

  “No, it isn’t simplistic,” Dee said, “it’s the essence of any major change in a country’s government. And in all three of those world-changing cases, the masses were behind the changes, at least in the beginning.”

  “Dee, do you think that the NFL wants to replace regimes all over the Middle East with itself, and then branch out from there? I know that’s what Imam Mike thinks.”

  “Yes, I’m not just talking about the Middle East. Sure, that will be their base of operations in the beginning. You said that Kurdistan seems to be their home office for the time being. I’m talking about the United States. The historical fingerprints are all over this, Matt. We already know that all levels of government have been infiltrated by NFL, including the Pentagon, the FBI, and the CIA. We don’t know the nu
mbers, but based on weapons thefts alone, we know these guys are in deep. And from the polling numbers I’ve seen, the American public is loving the idea of radical Islam getting its ass kicked, although they don’t really know about NFL—yet. In the not too distant future, I expect to see that Bartholomew character run for President of the United States.”

  “Holy shit, Dee, you’re serious aren’t you?”

  “Yes, I am. He’s a classic example of a power-grabbing dictator. And when was the last time you ever saw a dictator say, ‘I guess I have enough power, I think I’ll relax’? Doesn’t happen that way, Matt. Never has, never will. I think we’ll see Bartholomew run for office on a third-party ticket and not even bother trying to get the Democratic or Republican nomination. He has the money to start a grass roots campaign from scratch. Imagine his populist campaign argument—‘We stopped the forces of radicalism and made America safe. Now we’ll keep it safe. Do you want to return to endless terror?’ Can’t you see that argument convincing a hell of a lot of people? I can. And once the prick is in power, we can kiss goodbye to the United States Constitution. So that’s my happy-face message for the evening, honey. Pardon me while I throw up.”

  Dee has a clarity of thinking that’s hard to ignore, and I think she’s right. When she put it in the historical perspective, I no longer thought of NFL as a group of thugs who perform useful tasks. She’s right. They, and especially their leader, Bartholomew, want power, and they’re unlikely to stop in the Middle East.

  “Do you think I should take this job, honey? I already told the President yes.”

  “Well, look at it this way. The President appoints you as Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security. I know why. You’re a highly decorated war hero, a successful and famous lawyer, and the top layers of government know that you’re an expert on Bartholomew and NFL. You’re the obvious pick.”

  “Do you mean the obvious pick or the obvious patsy, the perfect fall guy if everything gets fucked up?”

  “Yeah, Matt, that too. Is that what you’re upset about?”

  “I’m upset about that, but mainly I’m upset about your historical analysis. Look at it this way, Dee. Since you and I became clean and sober, I think it’s accurate to say that we’re honest with each other; we shoot straight with each other. And we also shoot straight with other people. And neither of us likes to tolerate bullshit.”

  “You speak the truth, honey. Go on.”

  “So I’m going to be one of the people on Sunday morning talk shows putting out nonsense, telling the American people that the NFL is no big deal, that I have my ‘eye on them.’ I got the strong feeling, after talking to Bellamy, that that’s exactly what they expect of me. Sprinkle fairy dust on a dangerous and fast-growing group of killers. And from your analysis, I may be

  sprinkling fairy dust on America’s first dictator.”

  “So what? Matt. If you think that you’re the only one in government who sees NFL as a national danger, you can always resign abruptly and call a press conference. If there’s anybody with the balls to do that, it’s you.”

  “So, I think your answer to my question is that I should take this job.”

  “Yes, Matt, you should take the job. Know why?”

  “Why?”

  “Besides being your wife, I’m a patriotic American, and the American in me wants you in charge of this crap.”

  “What about the wife in you?”

  “The wife in me is scared, but the most important thing about you and me is our relationship. You and I are so close we’re almost the same person. We love each other and we help each other. And I’m going to help you keep us safe from those bizarre creeps in the NFL. Take the job, honey. Keep us safe from those scumbags.”

  “Dee, do you really think the United States can become a dictatorship?”

  “Matt, to quote Abe Lincoln, ‘America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.’ And that crazy fuck, Martin, along with his pack of thugs, is looking to do just that.”

  Chapter 48

  “Good morning, William. Please have a seat.”

  Bartholomew met with William Cunliffe, one of his top advisors, and the man in charge of polling for several of Bartholomew’s organizations. They sat in Bartholomew’s Manhattan penthouse.

  “William, you told me over the phone that you had some interesting data to discuss. Please do so, sticking to the data so we can see if the opinion ‘interesting’ is accurate.”

  “Bartholomew, the numbers are not only interesting, they’re amazing. Yes, I know I’ve just given you another opinion, but when you hear the data I’m sure you’ll agree. First, I’ll give you some independent numbers from some major polling organizations.

  A Gallup poll, soon to be made public, showed that when asked who is the ‘most influential man in the country?’ 87 percent said Bartholomew Martin. The next closest was President Reynolds at 79 percent.

  When the Gallup people asked ‘what is the most influential group in the country’ 90 percent said the NFL. And I should add that we only began to use the acronym NFL three months ago. Yes, they asked the question carefully to avoid confusion with the National Football League.

  A Zogby poll, taken two days later showed almost identical numbers, but your personal favorability was even higher at 91 percent.

  When asked ‘what is the most important problem facing America?’ both polls showed that 80 percent thought radical Islam was number one.

  These numbers, Bartholomew, are the reasons I called them both interesting and amazing. And the numbers also allow me to form the following opinion: Your decision to make the NFL public was a wise one.”

  “William, it’s over a year until the next national election. Please give me the data on our organizing efforts.”

  “We have paid staff in California, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. We have small volunteer staff in all 50 states. All of the staff headquarters include personnel assigned to the presidential race and both congressional and senatorial campaigns. The press can no longer ignore these numbers.”

  “No they can’t, William—not for long.”

  Chapter 49

  “Matt,” said Jerome the doorman over the intercom, “a Mr. Bushariff is here to see you.”

  I thought it was a joke. Could this be Imam Mike? I asked Jerome to have our unexpected guest speak into the microphone.

  “Hey, buddy, it’s Mike.”

  “Please send him up, Jerome.”

  I thought Diana’s eyes would pop out. “Imam Mike? Imam friggin Mike?”

  “You’ll finally get to meet the man, Dee.”

  I cracked up when the doorbell rang and I looked out through the peephole. A three star general stood outside our door. “General” Mike walked in and we shook hands.

  “So you’re the amazing Professor Blake,” Mike said as he shook Dee’s hand. He then bent over and kissed it. “I’ve read your work and have heard a lot about you. It’s an honor to meet you.”

  “And it’s a pleasure to meet you, Mike,” Dee said. “Matt told me all about your skill at disguises, but I must say you make a very striking general.”

  “You should see me when I’m dressed up like a chick, Diana.”

  “Mike,” I said, “what are you doing in Chicago?”

  We sat around the coffee table in our living room. It was lunchtime on Saturday afternoon. So Dee put out a tray of sandwiches.

  “My wife’s sister is having an engagement party in Barrington, a few miles north of here, so I figured I’d meet with the guy who suddenly is my most important contact. Mr. Deputy Secretary, you’ve become the most important man in the country. You’re the point man in the NFL intelligence operation, and I’m here to help you. Suddenly, chatter about the NFL is the biggest topic of conversation at my mosque. As you know, I’ve got some inside people feeding me information.”

  “And does this information worry you, Mike?” Dee sai
d.

  “Yes, Diana, it worries me. To be more accurate, it scares the hell out of me. As a political scientist, I think you’ll see where I’m headed with this.”

  “Mike,” I said, “are there any new trends that you see with our NFL friends. Any changes, anything new at all?”

  “Yes, big changes, and that’s why I’m here. You and I will be talking a lot from now on, Matt. In the beginning we all saw the NFL as a shadowy group of killers. The only thing that seemed to placate our government is that they killed the right people. The time of feeling placated is over, my friend. NFL has opened a new chapter. They’re starting to move out of the shadows and go public, and the public seems to like what they hear. Have you heard about the recent polls from Gallup and Zogby? If you haven’t, don’t feel bad. I found out about them from my inside sources. They’ll be in the news within a couple of days. NBC and CNN will be doing their own polling shortly. The bottom line is that the American public is becoming more aware of the NFL, and the scary part is they like what they hear.”