It had been five years since he had walked down 17th street. He scratched his silver hair, wishing it was longer for cold days such as now. To be more specific, he was in the park on 17th and Constitution Ave with the National Mall just in sight. It was now evening, and the meeting was to take place soon. The silver haired man sat down on a bench and took a deep breath, remembering the old days back in the Secret Service. There were two types of Secret Service Agents. The less known were the ones that went after crimes against the Treasury, the reason why they originally formed. It wasn’t until 1901, when President William McKinley was assassinated, that the Secret Service started protecting presidents. Starting out in the Marines, it was clear the silver haired man was meant for bigger projects. He was transferred to the Secret Service in 1981 and three months in, Regan was shot in the chest. It was a wakeup call, he had to always keep his senses up, because any moment the President could die. Training himself to notice anything that didn’t feel normal, he practically formed a sixth sense. He learned secrets about Regan, Bush, and Clinton and how they handled politics. And after serving for 15 years, he had seen just about every disaster possible. It was time for him to get out, and for the next ten years, everything was peaceful. One night he walked home to feel something very wrong. Maybe it was too quiet, or maybe one too many lights were turned off, but something set off that sixth sense of his.
Opening the door to his massive house in the city of Minneapolis, he paused to notice it was too dark. Where was Lauran? He felt for the light switch and turned it on to find blood everywhere on the floor. He let out a horrid scream and before he knew it, someone right next to him hit him in the temple. The silver haired man fell on the ground and took a beating from three men in the room. He knew what this was about, he was being sent a message. But why did it have to affect Lauran? After being kicked around for five minutes, he was able to see the man who was behind it all. That fat ass, he had no right to do any of this. The silver haired man came back to the present as a young Mexican waved at him in the park.
His name was Omar Vasquez and he was one of the top mercenaries around. He was different than everyone else in the park with his dark skin and buzzed black hair. Dressed with the most stylish American Eagle clothes, he refused to look like a thug. He wore a red AE hoodie with it zipped down enough to see a gray t-shirt sporting the eagle. He also had on a pair of dark blue slim jeans and completed his outfit with a pair of Aviator glasses. He had just turned 33, but he dressed like a teenager. He loved the style, but he actually wore the clothes to throw people off. Walking like this every day, no one expected him to be the infamous mercenary who funded weapons to wars in different parts of Africa.
“Hola Mr. Crockett, aren’t we having such beautiful weather? I love this snow a lot. You see, growing up in Juarez, I never saw snow. I feel like a kid again.”
“You are not to mention my last name,” replied Crockett as he scratched his silver hair, “this is Washington. You never know who is listening. With all my years of experience, you learn quickly that less information is better.”
“Te preocupas Señor,” smirked Omar, “you worry, all I have said is useless information. Now where is the third man?”
Mr. Crockett remained quiet. There is no such thing as useless information. He liked Vasquez because he was gifted and got the job done, but he still lacked in experience. This wasn’t delivering drugs or weapons. This was the takeover of the country. A full-proof plan that was already halfway through. The country had become weak and people were looking for shelter. Mr. Crockett would speed up the decomposition and set up a new system. Citizens were crying out for change and the government only continued to drop the ball. It was time to unveil the government’s sins and let justice be uncaged. Vasquez would not fail. But it still wouldn’t be enough. The third man had to arrive, his power was necessary.
Crockett sixth sense went off and he immediately saw Jian Shi appear out of the corner of his eyes. How did that man get so close without me noticing him? Mr. Crockett knew that Mr. Shi had been part of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), and that his branch was involved with nuclear weapons and missiles, but he had no idea the man had military experience in stealth. When observing, you learned to look for people with eyes darting, quickened or slowed pace, even something as simple as moving fingers. However, Jian Shi showed none of those characteristics. Not only that, he was able to walk in Crocket’s blind spot even when he would tilt his head. Of all the men he had met, Jian Shi was the man he had to watch out for.
Jian walked towards the two men with control in his steps. Wearing a black pea coat buttoned all the way, Jian couldn’t help but shake in the freezing weather. He didn’t look a day past 35, but in reality he was 45 and his wisdom expressed that he was over 55. Not much was known about his past, just that he was born in China and survived without his parents. Gifted with an IQ of 149, Jian used his brains to graduate college at 19 and went straight into the military. Many wondered why such a brilliant man would waste his life in the military. But in less than four years, he would be named Lieutenant General and wielded vast power. Rumors of how he came to power told of the most horrific murders and forms of torture. Always gazing, never smiling. That was his slogan. Those in his inner circle would rarely see him smile and he was straight to the point. After achieving wealth and power, he chose to leave the PLA and went into politics as the Communist Party. The People’s Republic of China has three groups, the Communist Party of China, the Central People’s Government, and the People’s Liberation Army. With Jian having formed connections in the PLA, it wasn’t hard for him to switch and hold position as one of the nine Politburo. Specifics on the power they wield is a mystery, but it is safe to say they hold a strong grip on the government.
Jian Shi came within speaking distance and with a gaze at each of them, he said, “we shall leave this place. Follow me to my car, there we can talk without anyone listening.”
“Hey, how do we know this isn’t a trap,” replied the suspicious Mexican, “for all I know, you are actually against us. My mom always told me nunca confíes en un extraño, never trust a stranger.”
“It’s okay Mr. Vasquez,” stated Mr. Crockett, “this man needs us. We can trust him and besides, I’m afraid someone will be listening and if that is true, we may be in trouble. Let’s follow Shi and we can continue our conversation then.” After walking for seven minutes, all three of them approached a black limousine and Mr. Crockett assumed it was safe to say that the limo was bullet proof. They entered the limo and Crockett was ready to talk business, Vasquez on the other hand was enjoying his first time inside a luxury car. For Crockett, limousines were all show and too large a target. He imagined how easier his job would have been if the Presidents were to use something a little less flashy.
Jian Shi noticed the glee in Omar’s and asked, “have you ever been inside a limo, Mr. Vasquez?”
“No sir,” answered Omar, “I’ve never had the need. I have been in some rather nice SUVs, bullet proof and rather cozy. But we don’t use limos to transport drugs. Although, it would be less suspicious than a SUV filled with armed men. Now, let’s get to the point mister.”
“You seem to have a point,” replied Shi, “now Mr. Vasquez, do you have an idea of what you are about to be part of?”
“Truth is, not really. And I really don’t care. All I want in return is money. Crockett has been keeping me out of the loop and my guess is he needed me to not know so far. But I guess this is the part where you tell me what is going on.”
“You see, back in December of 2012, some very rich and stupid people decided to get rid of everything they had and convert to save their petty lives,” continued Shi, “stocks went down and panic spread throughout the country. Property was destroyed and Wall Street hit a new time low. It has been a year later and nothing has gotten better. It’s an understatement to say that the United States is weak. Your country is slowly coming apart and we are here to overthrow the government.”
Shock overtook Omar as he Crockett began to talk, “it is not as impossible as you think. And we are not the only people that think there should be a change. Nor is this some stupid terrorist attack. What I plan to do is tear down the old government and set up a new one, strong and able to return to its glory days. The winds of revolution are already in the air, we just need the spark.”
“Wait, how far has this gone,” asked the bewildered Mexican.
“I am sorry but we cannot say,” replied Jian Shi, “we have no idea if you will tell someone. Now you said you will do anything for money, are you willing to do this?”
Omar Vasquez stayed silent for a moment and in that moment, the two powerful men wondered what his answer would be. Yet it wasn’t a yes or no that broke the silence. It was a small chuckle and that chuckle grew into laughter. Vasquez rolled his head back and laughed even louder and the two men wondered who they were dealing with. After he was able to control himself, he slowly said, “I have always wondered, ‘how far would I go for money?’ When I was little, my parents would try to hide how desperate they were in need for a single dollar. We lived so poorly and I hated it, but I also hated my parents for being so weak. I knew I would do whatever it took for the sake of cash, and now I get to prove it. This can’t get any better, I will be making money for helping reshape history. I do not care if this goes down in history as good or bad, just give me the damn pay when I’m done.”
Crockett let out a sigh of relief, glad that he wasn’t going to have to kill such a valuable asset. The was a chance that he was lying, but that laugh showed something else. No, it wasn’t the laugh, it was the eyes. As he was speaking, Omar gave off the eyes of a mad man. This may be the man we need, he is truly crazy enough to do this. With this in mind, Crockett continued to talk, “part one is done and you will be in charge of part two of the plan. And for part two, “you will strike the Executive Branch and show how truly weak and evil they are.”
“Are you talking about attacking the White House,” asked Vasquez in disbelief, “killing the President? His staff? I may be willing to do anything, but it should at least be possible.”
“We do not want you to kill a single man,” answered Jian Shi, “that would not be good enough. Presidents have been assassinated before and still the government survived. You will not be killing the President, you will be destroying his title.”
“And how am I supposed to do that?” asked Omar with a chuckle.
“In case you don’t your history,” continued Jian Shi, “the pope used to be the most powerful man in the world. Yet now the pope is merely a figure head. Besides controlling the Catholics that still exist, he means nothing to the common man. But back then, he influenced the whole world. He told someone to do something, and they did it. Now, how is it that this great figure fell? You see, there was a schism and power was split into two popes. Hell, a third pope soon came to power. The whole world was confused and began to choose sides. It wasn’t long till power began to disappear and now we are going to do the same thing to the President. The current Vice-President is power hunger and once in power, he won’t give that up. I want you to immobilize him and my men will deal with the Vice. In two days, you will strike and in this envelope is what you are to do and where to do it. I will provide you with some men, but you are expected to lend yours too.”
Omar was not impressed. “This is going to destroy the title of President?”