The Enemy Within

by Kurt Winans

  “Well there is no easy way of saying this, but I’m afraid that Agent Bishop is alive.”

  The phone was silent for several seconds before laughter could be heard.

  Then after gathering himself Samuel replied, “That’s funny number eleven. I’m not sure the timing for such a joke is appropriate, but it’s still humorous.”

  “I’m afraid that it’s not a joke number two. I wish that it could be, but we have checked for authenticity and my report to you is accurate.”

  “But that can’t be. What makes you think that he is still alive?”

  “Number twenty-nine discovered something obscure while scouring through news feeds. It looked suspicious to him and he brought the matter to my attention. We needed some time afterwards to verify it with complete confidence, but Bishop is alive!”

  After a brief silence, Samuel asked, “You have absolutely no doubt about this?”

  “None at all number two.”

  “And when did number twenty-nine discover this suspicious lead?”

  “It first came to his attention on Friday afternoon.”

  “Three days ago? And you are just informing me of it now?”

  On every other occasion in recent months, Ambassador Pearson had strolled into the State Department office building with confidence. That was with good reason, as through time he had not only developed good relations with many of the staff, but he believed that he had gained the upper hand in many of the negotiations with his counterpart. However on the morning of Monday the twelfth of June, he could not claim truthfully that he felt even the slightest measure of comfort.

  As he drew closer to the outer office of the Secretary, the Ambassador had no idea of what could be waiting for him. Due to the multiple events which had transpired since their meeting of May eighth five weeks prior, he couldn’t help but wonder how he would be received. Perhaps the only positive in that question was the knowledge that he represented the injured party from those events as opposed to the aggressor.

  In truth the answer to that and other questions paled when compared to the thought of how Agent Bishop could influence this and future meetings with the Secretary of State. With the revelation of him still being alive, it raised the question of whether or not he had been continuing with an investigation into Texas and the organization. To that end, if the man had persisted with that endeavor, then what if anything had been discovered?

  The Secretary of State was waiting in the outer office for his guest to arrive, and greeted him in the same jovial manner as always. Although flashing a return smile toward the man whom he had conversed with nearly two dozen times, number eleven also showed signs of not being at his happiest for this particular occasion. He had a specific agenda to pursue, and would do his best to see it through. However what Ambassador Pearson didn’t know as they shook hands was that the Secretary had been ordered to stand firm in spite of how pleasant their upcoming conversation and deliberations could be. The United States would maintain the blockade until they decided otherwise, and that was final.

  Moving into the private office of the Secretary, number eleven wasted little time. He believed that he could as in previous meetings, steer the results of their discussions in his favor. He spoke at length of how the blockade had disrupted the ability for Texas to export trade goods, and that the movements against two military bases within the republic could not be viewed as proper behavior between two neighboring nations on friendly terms.

  The Secretary listened respectfully, but showed no visible signs of agitation.

  When given the opportunity, he responded with, “Mr. Ambassador, as always you have presented the position of your republic with professionalism. Now I can’t say that I always agree with the decisions of President Harwell, but I do serve at his pleasure. Therefore you and I can continue to debate several issues, and perhaps we will find common ground to agree upon in certain instances, but the blockade will remain in place.”

  Number eleven knew that it was vital to have the blockade lifted, as the lack of export ability was already having an impact on the value of the Texas dollar. Therefore he cautiously moved forward with various provisions which would hopefully lead to that end. Within the course of the next hour the attempts of number eleven to crack the man in two ways were unsuccessful, as the Secretary met him at every advance with sturdy resistance. Throughout the process he was impressed by the grit of his counterpart, and once again secretly admired that in certain situations the Secretary possessed the best poker face he had ever seen. Although hoping that the Secretary would reveal something which could help to answer the question of a potential ongoing investigation by Agent Bishop, there was none to be seen. Therefore number eleven finally came to the conclusion that one did not exist, and the interests of the organization where not threatened in that regard.

  While attempting to maintain his dignity as he rose to leave the office, the Ambassador said, “Well Mr. Secretary. I’m sorry that we have reached an impasse on this particular challenge, but perhaps we can address the matter again in the near future.”

  Reaching to shake his hand, the Secretary replied, “Yes Mr. Ambassador. I suggest that we place emphasis on the topic during our meeting four weeks from now on July tenth.”

  In similar fashion to what had proven to be a correct assessment of Savanah and her numbered days, Samuel could feel a nagging deep within his gut that the end of days for the republic was fast approaching. He had spent two full days in contemplative thought after hearing from number eleven that his monthly meeting with the American Secretary of State had not gone well. The difficulty within that meeting was not due to personal motives or disrespect toward the opposite man, but a result of being unable to resolve the differences of opinion and desires as expressed by their superiors.

  According to what Samuel had been told, Ambassador Pearson voiced that Texas would be willing to forgive the incursion and occupation of two military facilities within the republic if the blockade would be lifted. In addition, the established transportation tariff of April the first would be abolished if the United States agreed to do the same with the similar tariff they had initiated on the first of June. Although he didn’t declare it as such, each request was required so that the republic could once again transport goods to various locations within the United States and the remainder of the globe.

  Samuel knew before the negotiations started that the bargaining position of the republic was weak, but many others either didn’t see it, or refused to admit it. Why would the United States agree to such provisions if they weren’t compelled to? Their military forces were already in possession of the two facilities, and Texas didn’t have the means to retake them without leaving others vulnerable. Therefore forgiveness was neither warranted nor sought. What minimal Navy the republic possessed couldn’t begin to measure up against the strength of the American flotilla in the Gulf of Mexico, and the routes of commerce via rail and trucking that the United States had needed could be bypassed to avoid travel through the republic. Unfortunately the opposite held true for the needs of Texas, and another challenge had developed as a result. In the days leading up to the negotiations, the dollar value for the Republic of Texas had been slipping against other currencies of the world.

  When the United States held firm on their stance to maintain the blockade indefinitely, the Ambassador, at the directive of President Stoddard, put forth a final desperate measure. That measure addressed no other issue than the blockade, and if it would be lifted, then Texas would resume the export of its oil to the United States. The overture was declined, and upon being informed that the subject wouldn’t be addressed again for another four weeks, the meeting was concluded.

  His gut instinct had served Samuel well on numerous occasions throughout the years, and it would be unwise for him to ignore it in the present moment. Therefore he realized with deep regret that the time had come for him to employ the most unimaginable yet absolutely essential of his advance precautionary measures. It would be
difficult to pull off without receiving some backlash for it, and there were surely those who would probably never forgive him for doing so, but it was of paramount importance.

  Long before the attacks upon the academies had transpired, and the subsequent desired separation from the United States had been achieved, Samuel had secretly devised an emergency plan just in case something went terribly wrong. That plan was so secretive in nature that even Ms. Holloway as the organizations number one, nor his wife Victoria, had ever been made aware of its conception. In fact Samuel had only spoken to one person about his trapdoor plan, and that conversation had occurred during the first month following the attacks. Then when Texas subsequently established itself as a republic independent from the United States and took its rightful place on the global stage, Samuel never envisioned that implementing such a plan would become necessary.

  After a long walk throughout the estate grounds to mull over various implications of what had to be done, Samuel found that he had somehow been drawn to the bench which overlooked a few gravestones. That was no real surprise, as he often used the location in either the planning of something for the future, or in reflecting upon the past. While seated and staring directly at the gravestones of Chance, then the operative who had died while returning from the Annapolis attack, and finally Savanah, Samuel searched his mind for the possible causes behind the unraveling of his most complex plan. As the first marker could attest, there was a motivational basis behind all that he had orchestrated against the United States. The second represented a tiny fraction of the required associated cost in order to act upon that motivation, while the third stone could be interpreted as cruel retribution for having done so. Depending on the individual, the last of the three could be appraised differently, but it was how Samuel categorized the death of Savanah.

  He knew within his heart that the cost of what had been done for the sake of the family, the organization, and Texas had been high. In truth it had been too high. That cost also included not only the fracturing of his former nation and then his own family, but now it appeared as though the republic would falter.

  Believing that there was no alternative solution to the problem which would manifest itself in the near enough future, Samuel reached for his burn phone. Bypassing number twenty-three, he made direct contact with the operative who had lost his lower arm to an injury he received while on the mission against Annapolis.

  When the man answered Samuel asked directly, “This is number two. Do you remember that special mission I once spoke to you about?”

  A brief silence followed, as the man was stunned that the topic had been broached.

  Then he replied, “If you are speaking of trapdoor, then yes number two, I do.”

  “That’s good. Obviously this goes way beyond being unfortunate, but I need you to act upon that special mission within the next ten days at the outside. Get whatever people you need for your team in place right away, and I will provide you with a when and where.”

  “I understand number two, but do you really believe that this is necessary?”

  “Yes I do, and the reason for the rush is that I’m not certain how much longer it will be safe enough to execute the plan.”

  “Alright number two. I can have my team ready to move within three days.”

  Upon returning to the mansion Samuel found Victoria and Ms. Holloway enjoying a glass of iced tea in the kitchen, so he decided to join them. They were discussing the mood of the family, and although many were in fair spirits, things could be better. Samuel understood that they had hit upon something tangible. It had only been two months since the death of Savanah, and many items within the mansion had become a constant reminder of the hole she left behind. Although the situation was challenging for all, it was obvious to him that there was a way for the family to break away from the stressing scenario.

  In seizing the opportunity, Samuel stated, “I believe that the family could use a vacation, so why don’t you all go down to South Padre Island and relax on the beach for a week?”

  Victoria smiled at her husband and replied, “That is an excellent suggestion Samuel. But you make it sound as if you won’t be coming along with us.”

  “Well I didn’t mean to imply that Vic, because I think some relaxing time would be good for me too. However I do have some pressing business matters that must be attended to, so I can’t spare an entire week. How about if I just come down for the last three days, would that be alright?”

  Looking at Ms. Holloway, Victoria asked, “What do you think?”

  “That sounds like a great idea. Breathing in some fresh ocean breezes would be good for all of us. And I think that Ashley, more so than anyone else in the family, just needs to get out of the house for a prolonged period of time.”

  Samuel wasted no time in stating, “Alright, then we are all agreed. How does this Sunday morning sound? I’ll inform the pilot and crew that they will be flying you to South Padre Island, and returning on the same day with an empty plane. Then after I take care of a few things here, they can fly me over on Thursday afternoon for a three night layover.”

  Victoria and Ms. Holloway, accompanied by Ashley, Courtney, Jennifer, and Blake, had heeded the advice of Samuel and were enjoying a much needed relaxing break at South Padre Island near the southernmost tip of Texas. Unfortunately Kyle was involved with business matters for the organization, and Mason had not been heard from in the three weeks since Fort Bliss had been overrun, so they were both absent from the family vacation. Also absent were Jason and Beau, however with Jason currently on duty at College Station, it was impossible for him to get away. As for Beau, based on his surprise pledge to remain in the United States Air Force, his presence was never expected.

  For those within the Tillman clan who had been able to break away, the trip to South Padre Island had been going splendidly. As Samuel predicted before their departure, the ladies had been partaking in several days of shopping for clothes and various other items. Then in conjunction with that activity and a sampling of what some local restaurants could offer, they had also enjoyed the general relaxation of sitting by the hotel pool.

  Blake, as the only male among the group until his grandfather would arrive, had decided to forgo the shopping adventures. He had chosen instead to focus much of his attention on the numerous girls of his or a slightly older age which could be found poolside or on the beach. At fifteen years of age his actions were understandable for a myriad of reasons, but perhaps the most obvious was that of needing to practice his social skills without the judging eyes of his family members upon him. Unfortunately the minor amount of return interest from the opposite sex which he received could not match that of what his now seventeen year-old cousin Jennifer was experiencing when she was at the pool. Nevertheless, when members of the family weren’t in close proximity, Blake showed determination during his awkward attempts to muster attention. Regardless of how, where, or why, any of it was being achieved, for Victoria the underlying importance was that each of the six, including herself, were relaxing and having a great time.

  Then on Wednesday afternoon while flipping through some magazines and engaging in conversation and sporadic people watching, Victoria noticed a man seated alone at the far end of the pool complex. There was nothing specific with regard to his actions or attire that seemed out of the ordinary for his surroundings, but there was something about him which was vaguely familiar. After a concentrated and prolonged look in his direction, Victoria felt that she recognized him from somewhere. Unfortunately, she couldn’t place it. Had she seen him in passing while in the lobby of the hotel, a local shop or restaurant, or from somewhere else? Victoria couldn’t be sure, but felt strongly that she had met him at some point in the past. Then in the moment needed to turn her attention away and quietly ask Ms. Holloway if perhaps she recognized the man, he stood and moved away. After Victoria provided a brief description to her confidante of where the man was located and what he was wearing, Ms. Holloway took a glance at what had b
ecome an empty table.

  Not thinking much more of it, Victoria then informed the others within the group that Samuel had arranged a dinner engagement for the six of them. As he was not due to arrive until the following afternoon, he had made reservations for the family at a restaurant which he felt they would all enjoy. Victoria explained that his intent was for them to have a good time at a place where the younger members of the family would delight in the type of cuisine, lively music, and atmosphere more than he would. Therefore it was logical for the family to visit the establishment before he arrived. As an added bonus the restaurant was only five blocks from their hotel, so Samuel had suggested and the concierge confirmed, that walking in each direction on a warm summer evening would be a wise choice.

  As with many other places or events that Samuel had researched, the restaurant which he selected was well received as it offered his family members an opportunity to relieve some stress via good food, libations, and eventually, a little dancing. The final portion of that therapeutic equation had not been easy, but Courtney and Jennifer finally convinced Ashley that getting out on the dancefloor was the right thing for all three of them to do.

  With the four adults somewhat primed via a little alcohol, and the entire group feeling in good spirits, the Tillman clan began their late-night walk back towards the hotel. Moments after that, the inconceivable happened at roughly the halfway point when they reached a poorly lit area. None of them took notice of a large black cargo van parked at the curb slightly in front of them, or the two men lurking in the shadows of a small alley.

  The two men emerged from their secretive location behind the trailing pair of Ashley and Courtney, and as those targets had been deemed to be the most dangerous of the six to subdue, snuck up on them with weapons drawn. Seconds later Ashley and Courtney felt a sharp pain in the back of their necks, as long tipped darts pierced deeply into their skin. The drug within each was a powerful and fast acting sedative which in seconds rendered the two ladies unconscious. Then before anyone else could react, three other attackers poured out from the rear of the van to snatch the remainder of the group while the driver maintained his position.