by Kurt Winans
In order to rectify his recent misstep, Samuel knew that some action against Agent Bishop must be taken. He fully understood that the Secret Service man would need to be hushed, and the best way to ensure such silence would be to initiate a planned sanction upon his life. Unfortunately that would not be an easy task to complete, as Agent Bishop spent nearly every hour when he was on duty in the presence of President Harwell. Perhaps some elaborate plan of action could be devised where a number of low level underlings from within the organization would be sacrificed during a supposed attempt upon the President, with Agent Bishop appearing to dutifully pay the ultimate sacrifice of his life while foiling the plot. That thought was intriguing to Samuel in how a plan of such complexity would be developed, and that the honorable death of a protective agent might serve as a classic misdirection. If his demise could somehow be pulled off in that way, then Heath Bishop would never be remotely considered as the actual mission intent. Unfortunately from a tactical perspective the success of any such plan was not realistically feasible. Even though the media tended to make it public knowledge of exactly when President Harwell would be away from the White House, it would still be nearly impossible to get close enough for an attempt on his ever present shadow.
Beyond consideration of that worrisome factor, there was an additional unknown element which could ruin even the most precise of plans during the culminating moment. With multiple agents present for any public appearance, there could be no way to guaranty that Agent Bishop would be the one to dutifully intercede and take a bullet while protecting the President. Therefore a plan of another type must be devised, and Samuel realized that it would need to be one which required the ability to kill Agent Bishop from close range while he was off duty and alone.
Following that line of reasoning, Samuel mulled over his available options of operatives who could carry out the necessary sanction. The wives of his two remaining sons instantly came to mind as possibilities, but after a moment of more in-depth reflection, he concluded that neither of them would suffice. Although it was true that Ashley had successfully and efficiently eliminated the obnoxious Tony Spano while a host of other operatives were attacking the stadium at nearby West Point, she had done so primarily due to personal motivation over family concerns. Her skill set would make her a candidate to perform another sanction at some point in the future which was less involved and closer to home, but this particular mission was definitely not a good fit for Ashley. The preparation and execution of the sanction would probably require a few months, with much of that time being spent in or around Washington D.C., so Ashley simply wouldn’t have the ability to complete the mission. With Savanah now beginning to slip into irreversible poor health, Ashley would understandably need to stay close to the mansion while caring for her youngest child.
As for Courtney, with the use of multiple tactics she had proven to be an even more effective killing operative for Samuel and the organization than Ashley. In one instance she had shown such versatility by using her feminine weapons with great success to complete an assignment in Colorado, but sadly, Courtney would not fit well into this scenario either. She could certainly position herself close enough to nearly any straight man via seduction for a stealthy kill; however this mission would be far more difficult than that of eliminating a certain air traffic controller.
Of course the larger problem with employing Ashley or Courtney for the sanction was that neither would be able to create an initial chance encounter which could lead Agent Bishop down the path of potential romance. They had both met Heath Bishop in the Tillman family room when he had brought forth supposedly unknown news regarding the death of Domonique, and Samuel felt confident that the agent would remember their faces should he encounter either of them again. In addition Samuel understood that Agent Bishop would be ready and able to defend himself against close range attack, and the risk of losing a family member during hand-to-hand combat with a well-trained government agent was too great. He also knew that each and every member of his family would never be able to forgive him if he had intentionally sent one of his daughter-in-law’s to an accidental death, and they would certainly be justified in that stance.
As Samuel pondered over that unplanned meeting in the family room of almost seven months prior, and how it had now inadvertently caused an unforeseen challenge to his current plan, something occurred to him. He remembered that while Courtney stalked her intended prey, she had the opportunity through circumstance to observe Agent Bishop at length. According to her reports of those few days, the man had taken a fancy to Domonique while she was vacationing at Lake Tahoe. Suddenly it occurred to Samuel that there was another of his operatives within the organization who possessed a similar look and physical characteristics to that of his former lead flight attendant. Although the personalities of the two women were certainly different, the one who was still among the living had played a number of various roles for her personal survival or advancement in the past. She was a little shorter and lighter than Domonique had been, but she was also a skilled actress who could fit the needs of multiple desires for gaining intelligence. There was one large unanswered question to her abilities however, as to the best of Samuel’s knowledge, she had never killed before.
After a few minutes of further contemplation, Samuel reached for the phone in his pocket and punched speed dial for number twenty-three. Following the usual brief exchange of pleasantries, he rocked forward in his chair and instructed the woman to communicate with number twenty-nine. It was currently Monday the first of November, and her task was to inform the man that Samuel would be coming east to Washington D.C. for a visit the next evening. His intention was to have a face to face meeting with him and number eleven in a secure location late Tuesday night, before returning to Crockett sometime Wednesday. In addition, Samuel was insisting that Lieutenant Kristen Royce also be present for the meeting. Although he had met with her once before in a celebratory fashion, and provided the well-earned praise for the excellent work she had done during her lengthy posting within the Pentagon, this was a different matter. She had stumbled upon some information at a softball game of all places which could be of great importance, as another one of the players on her squad had let it slip out that she was doing some extra work for investigative purposes. Although whispered and brief, that conversation included the key words of investigation, military academies, Texas, and Agent Bishop.
Kristen forwarded that information to number twenty-nine, who in turn made sure that Samuel knew about it through number twenty-three. The upcoming meeting in Washington D.C. would address that topic and the response to it, with Samuel taking full advantage of the opportunity to discuss a few matters with Kristen. He would first personally thank her for the recent information she had obtained, and then he would provide her with another opportunity to assist the ongoing prosperity of both the organization and Texas.
The latest mission assignment for Kristen would be the most far reaching and daunting of her career in terms of being able to see it through to the desired conclusion, but she had eagerly accepted the challenge when it was presented to her by Samuel. While in the course of that meeting, which was only her second face to face encounter with the man, she had received instructions directly from him on how to proceed. The only other time they had met was during the celebratory party for Texas within the Tillman mansion, but as there had been a few hundred other people in attendance to usher in the rebirth of the republic, she only spoke with Samuel and Victoria for a few brief moments. As for the current meeting, Kristen realized that this discussion was not nearly as lighthearted. If Samuel believed that she was the best option to attempt it, and was up to the task of completing the sanction, then she would need to prove that he was correct in that assessment.
The discussion of Samuel’s plan had involved the ability of Kristen to make her target feel safe and at ease so that he would not be able to sense pending danger. Doing so would not be an easy task however, as Agent Bishop was well-trained in th
e art of recognizing a threat toward those whom he protected. With that skill came the prerequisite general mistrust of most people upon an initial meeting, but perhaps his keen awareness might be somewhat blurred when it came to his own well-being. While listening to what Samuel was asking her to ultimately do, Kristen understood that in order to be successful with the sanction she would need to slowly lure her prey in. Although confident in her ability to eventually spark an interest, the unknown factor in the equation was how long it would take to do so.
Concerned with how that could negatively impact the end game of Samuel and the organization, Kristen had looked him directly in the eye, and said, “Number two, with your permission I would like to begin with the reconnaissance phase of the operation tomorrow morning. That will help me to learn all that I can about the various off duty habits of Agent Bishop, which in turn will enable me to develop an effective plan of seduction.”
“That sounds like an excellent place to start Kristen, and you have my permission to do whatever you believe is necessary to gain his confidence. Should there be a need for any assistance in that endeavor, then number eleven and twenty-nine can provide for you.”
“I understand number two, and thank you.”
“You’re welcome Kristen. Now there’s just one more thing for you to know before you begin. This mission is time sensitive, but that doesn’t mean that you should be reckless in attempting to complete the sanction too quickly.”
“I understand number two.”
“I hope you do Kristen, because chasing Agent Bishop away by being overly aggressive will serve us no purpose. He must be made to feel at ease with you. Is that clear?”
“Yes number two. Make him notice me, and in time, want me. But don’t present the impression of being cheap or easy!”
“That’s nicely put Kristen, as I’m sure that Agent Bishop in his capacity with the Secret Service would not enthusiastically pursue a woman who fit such a description.”
Although a need no longer existed for the two diplomats to meet on a weekly basis as had been done throughout the previous winter and spring, Ambassador Pearson of Texas and the American Secretary of State continued to deliberate over matters of state once a month. In what had become the established norm since early July, they would once again convene at ten o’clock on the second Monday of the month.
Various issues of a different scope would require their continued attention during subsequent meetings, but the main thrust of their collective efforts on November eighth would be that of finalizing the work visa pact. Terms had been agreed upon throughout their first few meetings in the early days of 2027 that such visas between the two nations would not be required for the calendar year; however the agreement also stated that the issue would be revisited and adjusted if necessary prior to the onset of 2028. Therefore the two men had taken up the subject once again during their Columbus Day meeting of October eleventh, and decided that for security reasons, alterations to the pact would need to be made. In keeping the best interest of each nation at the forefront, they jointly believed that citizens living and working on opposite sides of the international border should be required to obtain and carry a work visa. Now roughly a month later, after discussions with their respective superiors and pushing through the mass of obligatory red tape, each man was poised to have mandatory visas in place by the first day of the upcoming year.
Upon his arrival at the State Department on a clear yet crisp November morning, Ambassador Pearson received a welcome which was slightly different than what he had expected. Strolling into the outer offices for the Secretary of State, and then subsequently into the more private inner chamber, none of the staff or their boss provided any evidence as to something being out of the ordinary. The Ambassador had been made aware via the efforts of number twenty-nine and Kristen that there was some sort of investigation in regards to Texas which was being led by a certain Agent Bishop. She had overheard a whispered conversation in a relaxed setting that was obviously not intended for her ears, and then passed the information along.
When word of this skillfully gained intelligence reached the Ambassador, he immediately notified number two through number twenty-three. He was not sure how many people knew of the investigation or its true course, but when Samuel returned his call directly, he informed the Ambassador that at the present time it was of no concern. That conversation had taken place nearly three weeks prior to the current day, but as far as the Ambassador was concerned, nothing was going to be done to discover either the depth or the intent of that investigation. Then with number twenty-nine and Lieutenant Royce, he met with Samuel on the night of November second. That was when he learned that number two had altered his view of the situation, and fully intended to employ extreme measures to deal with a perceived mounting threat.
Based solely upon the ordered sanction, Ambassador Pearson believed that Agent Bishop must have become aware of something substantial enough to cause concern. Therefore it seemed reasonable to assume that the Secretary of State would also be aware of the investigation and what had been uncovered. As a result, the man could become more closely guarded or completely uncooperative during this or any future scheduled meetings.
That assessment by number eleven proved to be wildly incorrect however, as per the usual; the Secretary of State stood and extended a welcoming hand toward his guest when the Ambassador entered his private office. The Secretary revealed absolutely no hint of mistrust in his facial expression, body language, or tone of voice, so Ambassador Pearson was momentarily puzzled. At least for the moment, everything appeared to be like any other of their recent meetings.
Gesturing toward a seat for his guest, the Secretary asked, “Can I offer you some coffee before we get started?”
With a nod he replied, “Yes thank you. That would be wonderful.”
After filling a cup and handing it over, the Secretary moved to sit behind his desk and stated, “So I believe that we were going to tackle the issue of work visas first. It should be a rather simple matter for us to resolve, so shall we get to it?”
Before sipping on the cup of fresh hot brew, the Ambassador replied, “That was my understanding as well Mr. Secretary, and you are correct, it should be a matter which we can resolve quickly. Now please, why don’t you start things off?”
“Alright Mr. Ambassador, if you insist. At our last meeting you and I agreed that there would be some limited restrictions placed upon those who are, or will become, employed on the opposite side of the border from where they reside. It was also stated that the basic freedom to seek employment would not be taken away as long as those individuals adhered to the laws of our respective nations. Do you still agree with that stance sir?”
“Yes Mr. Secretary I do. And speaking on behalf of the Legislature for the Republic of Texas, I have been instructed to pen whatever we agree upon today into action.”
“That’s good to know sir. So to make it official, the United States government will provide those Republic of Texas citizens who are currently employed within the United States with a work visa for the duration of that employment. Should they relocate to another job, then they will need to reapply for a new visa. The process will be handled expediently, and they shouldn’t be denied a new visa unless, as previously stated, laws of this nation have been violated. As for those from the Republic of Texas who seek initial employment within the United States, they will be welcome to do so. However a more lengthy vetting process will be required of them before a visa is granted. Do you, as the representative in this matter for the Republic of Texas, agree to those conditions Mr. Ambassador?”
Based on how the Secretary of State approached the topic, and the meeting in general, Ambassador Pearson was impressed. Either his counterpart was playing their political game on this particular day with the best of poker faces, or he had no idea that Agent Bishop was conducting an investigation into the actions of Texas. Regardless of whichever were true, the Ambassador had no intentions of revealing that he was aware
of the investigation.
After setting his coffee down on the table beside him, he smiled and replied, “Yes Mr. Secretary. Those conditions coincide with how the Republic of Texas views the matter, so I suggest that we sign a pact which will become policy on this upcoming January first.”
The circumstances of this particular fall Saturday were different than any other within the short lifespan of Savanah, but Samuel had pulled all the necessary strings to make sure that her wish became reality. Throughout the previous few football seasons she had always either attended the home games, or watched her beloved Aggies play on the road via the large holographic wall screen in the family room. However on November thirteenth, Savanah would attend her first ever Texas A&M road game.
Her desire and need to visit the Louisiana capital city of Baton Rouge had become necessary mainly for reasons that she didn’t fully understand, even though her grandfather had attempted to explain them to her. Due to the imposed sanctions from the NCAA, the Southeastern Conference, and then the various television networks, viewing any of the previous Texas A&M road games in the current season had become nearly impossible. Samuel had informed Savanah that it wasn’t because of a problem with the satellite feed to the mansion or anything like that, but just a case of the games not being on any station at all. As a consequence the only recourse for Savanah was that of trying to watch the games on her tablet or cell phone, but such reception would be contingent upon someone actually streaming it live from the site of the game.
