The Hermetrius Conspiracy Read online

  “Of course, Winston. We know he’s not real, but Preston doesn’t. He thinks Hermetrius is behind whatever conspiracy his people think they have uncovered. If we could get a message to him – an email or something – I think he wouldn’t pass up an opportunity to meet. The question is how do we get his email address?”

  Norton had the answer to that. “When the Blackworth guys were watching him at his cabin they picked up some email traffic between him and an old girlfriend, Lynn Martin. This was before he went encrypted, so we can get his email address from the Blackworth computer records I have on file.”

  Winston smiled. “See to it Norton, but let me in on your plans. Now, back to our meeting. Senator Hughes, give us a summary of how we are going to get our man elected.”

  “As you all know, we have something bad to blackmail or smear all the relevant candidates with, Democrats and Republicans. We didn’t anticipate that eleven Republicans would be in the primary election race, so there are some we are still digging up dirt on. If we don’t find it we’ll create it like we did for several opponents of the people we put in Congress. The debates will undoubtedly weed out some of them, but there may still be a couple we will have to deal with. There were six candidates who we couldn’t find anything to use against them, so we planted forged embezzlement evidence on them. We backed that up by opening offshore bank accounts for them, with the same amount of money they were supposed to have embezzled. This scheme won’t hold up for long under investigation, so we need to hold off on using that information until the last minute, and we can only use it for one or two of them.

  We will wait until a month before the Super Tuesday primary day, March first, to have our man announce his candidacy, and then we will dump two billion dollars into advertizing, both positive ads making Senator Roberts appear to be the perfect candidate, and negative ads against the competition. We will keep this up through all the primaries. On the Democrat side, there are only three candidates, and Senator Forsythe had a commanding lead. We can’t let him win the democratic nomination. The liberal constituency is firmly behind him. We have an embezzlement file in place for him, but we should wait until shortly before the main election to release that to the public. We also have some good attack ads under development that will add to his negative image.”

  “Good work, Gene. Judge Walker, tell us how we’re going to get a conservative majority in the Supreme Court.”

  “We have serious traffic accidents and home fires planned for the liberal judges.” He looked around the table at the shocked expressions. . . . “Just kidding! I wanted to see if you were all awake.”

  “Well if we weren’t awake before your comment, we certainly are now.” Roberta Flores said with an uncertain look in her eyes.

  “No, we don’t have to kill them. My plan is much simpler. One of the first pieces of legislation our new conservative congress will pass and President Roberts will sign is The Supreme Court Realignment Act. It will allow the president, at the start of every new four-year term of office, replace the Chief Justice and any four of the remaining eight justices.”

  Gene Hughes spoke up. “Question, Judge. Won’t that give the liberals the same advantage if the pendulum swings back their way in the future?”

  “We have built protection from that into the Bill. It has an four-year sunset provision. The court automatically reverts back to the old lifetime appointment rule at the end of each presidential term unless the new president extends it. Of course, if our long term plan works, Congress will also pass the Chief Executive Continuity Act which will extend the maximum number of consecutive terms for the president from the current two terms to four terms – sixteen years. This means if we can keep Roberts and the right wing congress in power, they will just pass a new version that will keep the court appointments under the new schedule for another eight years.”

  “But what if the democrats get back in power and pass similar legislation to give them five presidential court appointments.”

  “That fits into our long-long term plan, Roberta. During the first two terms of Matthew Robert’s presidency, we will do the same conservative takeover in the liberal states that we have been doing in the U.S. congress. Once that takeover is finished, we will propose a constitutional amendment to make the four-term presidency and presidential supreme court appointments an article of the constitution. With conservative legislatures in at least 38 of the 50 states, it will be ratified and become part of the constitution.”

  Everyone sat quietly for several minutes, contemplating the sweeping changes this plan would make in how the government operated. It has the potential to create the kind of government we all agreed is best for the future of the United States. It has it’s downside, of course, but the benefits should far outweigh the pitfalls. One at a time the team members nodded their agreement with Judge Walker’s proposal.

  Chapter 45

  Lynn fixed trout from Jack’s freezer and spiced up some wild rice to go with it. Jack broke out a couple bottles of wine and poured while everyone sat down at the table. Rick look like he had something good to say so Jack nodded at him to start off.

  Rick laid out printed topographic maps with elevations and Goggle Earth aerial photos. “I found three good candidates for our new hideout, all in West Virginia and all within 250 miles from here. One is a mountain home west of Beckley. It’s 30 miles from the nearest neighbor over a seriously curvy two-lane road – right here on the map – and there are some mining access roads that will provide an escape route. It’s close enough to Beckley for good 4G coverage. The owner built it last year as a summer home and is trying to rent it out until spring.

  The next one is at the north end of the state, up a hollow near Morgantown.”

  Lynn said, in her best Coal Creek accent, “We call that a holler around here, son.”

  After the laughing stopped Rick continued, “O.K. This ‘holler’ is very narrow with heavy tree cover, so they wouldn’t be able to spot it from the air or land helicopters anywhere close. This is a hunting cabin that rents out year round, but it’s available for the next four months. We would be roughing it there – a wood-fired kitchen stove and a fireplace for heating. It has running water piped downhill from the holler above, and two outhouses. But it does have electric power, so we could pick up a couple of space heaters for the bedrooms. Verizon’s 4G coverage map shows coverage there, but it might be spotty down in a valley like that. The road leading to it dead ends at the cabin, so escape routes would be a problem.”

  The last place is down in Pittston county in the southwest part of the state. There are serious mountains and valleys down there, with a lot of abandoned coal mines, thanks to our president’s war on coal. This house is a double wide mobile home halfway up a mountain, with a small barn for hiding the cars, and a gravel access road. The forest closes in on all sides to within 25 feet of the house, so helicopters couldn’t land there. Plus, it has power, indoor plumbing, and 4G coverage. From the Google photo, it looks like there’s a dirt road that climbs to the top of the ridge and down into the next valley, which has a county highway running through it. That might be a good escape route. This place has been vacant since the mine shut down, and the internet ad said they want to sell it or rent it.”

  Jack studied the maps and photos. “Which one is furthest from here, Rick?”

  “The Pittston County site. If we stay off the interstates and stick to the mountain roads, that’s about a seven hour drive. If we have to drive it at night, that will add a hour or so; we don’t want to be driving the speed limit on those winding roads at night.”

  Jack studied the maps and photos. “I think we want all the distance we can get between where we were last sighted and our new hideout, so from that angle I like the Pittston site. Plus, it seems to fit our other criteria pretty well. I vote for that one. What do you all think?”

  Everyone agreed but Lynn said with a disappointed look on her face, “Jack and I were really looking forward the wood stove and outhou
ses up the holler near Morgantown. Us hillbillies would feel right at home there. . . . But seriously, I like the Pittston site.”

  “Good. Rick, will you take care of renting this place for us? See if there’s some local real estate office where we can drop off three month’s rent in cash. I want to eliminate any paper trail. I’ll take the rest of my money stash with us, so we won’t need to access our bank accounts.”

  Jack continued. “O.K., here’s the plan for getting out of here. I have a covered utility trailer out in my shed. Tonight, I will dismantle all the security and computer systems – surveillance equipment, the master computer, and communication gear – and pack it in the trailer. I’ll also put in all my weapons, ammo, and explosives. Basically, I’m giving up this cabin for good. After this is over, I’ll find a new home somewhere that the Government doesn’t know about, and fortify it. In the meantime, I’ll install all the security sensors and cameras at the Pittston hideaway to give us better protection.”

  “What can we do to help?”

  “Tom and Rick, if you look down in my basement you’ll find lots of canned and dry food. Pack that in boxes and put it in the trailer. Lynn, will you and Harriet put together some food for the road? I have some small coolers we can use to keep it cold. I want to get all this done before daylight tomorrow in case there is satellite or aerial surveillance checking on us. Our laptops and clothes will go in our vehicles just before we leave.”

  “Speaking of leaving, you didn’t say when we will break out of here.”

  “If we leave tomorrow night, a couple of hours before dawn, we can get far enough away from here by daylight that we’ll just be another couple of cars on the road. That will let us drive the worst of the mountain roads during the day. If no one has any questions, let’s get busy.”

  #

  In was midnight before Jack got everything packed and into the trailer. Everyone else had finished and gone to bed. When Jack came back into the house Lynn was waiting up for him on the living room couch. “Come over here and hug me for awhile. I need to feel you next to me.” Jack smiled and plopped down next to her in the corner of the couch with one leg against the back and the other on the floor. She turned around and snuggled her back up against him so they could sit spoon fashion. Jack wrapped his arms around her and heard a satisfying sigh escape her lips. They sat like that for awhile without talking, enjoying the closeness. Lynn turned her head and looked into his face.

  “Do you have any idea how afraid I was of losing you when we escaped from the farm? When you fell asleep in the motel after I patched you up, I thought about the rest of my life without you, and couldn’t imagine it. I realized how much I have fallen in love with you, Jack. Now that you’re safe, I like to imagine what the rest of our lives could be like . . . together.” When Jack didn’t answer right away, Lynn wondered if she had gone too far. He already said he wasn’t ready for a close relationship yet, and now she basically had proposed to him. She expected him to unwrap his arms, turn her around, and say ‘We need to have a talk.’ The same words that her husband said before he left her.

  Instead, he hugged her tighter. “I feel the same way Lynn. I have come to like – no need – this closeness with you. I think Helen’s ghost came down, erased all my guilt, and said ‘Don’t let her go, Jack.’ And I don’t intend to . . . ever.”

  Lynn’s heart soared as she turned herself around and laid against him. She wanted to feel his full body against her.

  “You’re crying. What’s wrong?”

  She answered “You men. You will never understand a woman’s feelings and emotions. I’m crying because I am incredibly happy right now,” and turned her face up to kiss him. It was just going to be a short kiss, but neither wanted to break it. And, as both of them secretly wished, it turned into a passionate kiss . . . that continued for several minutes.

  Lynn reluctantly pulled away and saw the passion in his eyes. “Hold that thought for another time,” she said as she got up from the sofa. “or our chastity agreement will be violated.”

  Jack answered with a smile, “Yeah, about that. Maybe we should re-think it when we get to the new hideout.” Lynn’s smile gave him the answer he was hoping for.

  Chapter 46

  Jack woke up early the next morning. After a shower and a shave he went over to his computer to lay out a route to Pittston County. When he opened it he saw the email message alert flashing. ‘Lynn must be up to her old tricks – sending me emails when I’m right here with her.’ He clicked on the alert icon and saw that it wasn’t from Lynn. It was from Hermetrius!

  His computer would have scanned for viruses when the email first came it, but he was worried there might be some other kind of attack software hidden in it. If he opened it on this computer it might plant some kind of bug in the memory. But he had to open it; there could be useful information in it. Maybe he could even track it back to where it was sent from.

  Jack waited until he heard the others stirring downstairs and went to the kitchen for a cup of coffee. As they sat around the table Jack told them the latest news. “I got an email from Herman – Hermetrius – this morning.” That got everyone’s attention immediately.

  Harriet asked excitedly “Well, what did it say. Don’t keep us in suspense!”

  “I don’t want to open it on my computer. They may have embedded a virus of some kind in it to attack my computer, or maybe even send out a tracking signal through the 4G internet connection. I need to open it on another computer so I can destroy the hard drive afterwards. Rick, do you have any need for your old clunker?”

  “It’s all yours, Jack. I already transferred all my files onto the new machine. Let me get it for you.”

  Lynn started fixing breakfast while Jack tinkered with getting his email account running on Rick’s old laptop. He clicked on the email and read it out loud.

  Hello Agent Preston,

  I go by the code name Hermetrius. I’m sure you have come across the name during your investigation. I am head of an organization that has great plans for America; plans that will bring the country away from the brink of socialist collapse and back to the principles it was founded on. A country where the rights of individual citizens aren’t taken away by a Government that thinks it knows what’s best for us. A nation that isn’t afraid to defend itself against any threat, foreign or domestic.

  I don’t know how much you and your group have found out about our plans, or what you intend to do with the information you might have uncovered. Our plan cannot be understood if you have only bits and pieces of it. I suspect that, with what you have found out, you believe we belong to some kind of conspiracy to take over the country. Nothing could be further from the truth.

  I would like an opportunity to meet with you face to face so I can reveal the true goals of our plan, and explain how we can bring this Government back to what it should be in just a few years. Once you hear it, I’m certain that you will realize that it isn’t a threat to the country, but an opportunity to create a future of freedom from an oppressive Government and from fear of terrorists attacking us from within.

  I realize you may be reluctant to meet with me based on how the over-zealous security firm we hired to find you has done their job. I assure you that there will be no more of that. I will meet with you one-on-one at a place and time of your choosing, without any security people present..

  Please respond at your earliest convenience.

  Respectfully,

  Hermetrius

  Jack sent the email up to the wireless printer in his bedroom and sat back from the screen. “Wow. I didn’t expect that. This may change our plans.”

  “So what do we do with it?” Lynn asked. “It’s clearly an attempt to lure you out in the open so they can grab you and find out what we know.”

  Jack didn’t answer for a few minutes. “It is definitely risky, but the information we get from him might give us the complete picture we need to take to the authorities. I need to figure out a way to minimize m
y risk when I meet him.”

  Lynn jumped to her feet. “Jack! You’re not actually considering going to meet him. You can’t. I won’t let you.”

  “Let me disable this laptop, then we can decide what we do about this. He flipped the laptop over and removed the hard drive, the battery, and the memory chips, then took them outside, smashed them with a rock, and threw them into the lake.

  As he walked back into the house he said “Here is what I think we should do – nothing. . . . for now anyway. We need to get out of here safely and into our new place. Then we can look at our options about meeting Herman.”

  Lynn immediately spoke up “I vote for that!” Then in a low-pitched voice “I second the motion.” Then back to her normal voice, “All in favor signify by keeping your mouth shut. . . The motion is passed.”

  Jack grinned “Then I guess it’s settled. We will postpone the danger to my life and limb until we get to the place in Pittston.” Lynn gave him a playful punch in the shoulder for that last comment.

  Jack added in a mock British accent, “It is 10:32 a.m. Synchronize your watches. We roll at 4:17 a.m. on the dot.”

  Lynn got in the last word. “I love this spy stuff!”

  #

  They gathered at 3:30 the next morning with all the things they would take in their vehicles. Jack brought out two portable GPS units and explained the route he planned to take to them. He didn’t want any paper maps with them in case one of them got caught. Harriet poured coffee for all of them and they sat around the table watching the clock and reminiscing about Jack and Lynn’s high school years, Tom’s flubbed proposal to his wife, and some of Harriet’s unclassified exploits as an FRA agent. At four o’clock Jack got up and headed for the Garage, with the others right behind him. He and Lynn got in Jack’s truck and the others in Lynn’s Jeep with Tom driving. Jack said “We are going out the way we came in, and I know that road blindfolded. There’s enough moon light that we shouldn’t need our headlights until we get to the highway. That will be in about twenty minutes. We’ll keep in touch with the two-way headsets. They have a range of about two miles, which is good because no one can intercept our communications, and it’s bad because if we get separated by more than that we will have to use our cell phones. I don’t mind using them, but once we do we have to destroy them, and my supply of them is limited.”