I was now these lug nuts meal ticket, but ticket to what exactly? High paying jobs serving their savior the almighty GL? That seemed their ultimate goal—but what else? A way to get to DC and observe the chaos their almighty leader had single handedly created? That seemed as likely a goal? Rip me off? They had already done that? More important they wanted to keep fighting for anything that GL despised—me with my media identity was a good enough target. They were goons--both of them--seeking like their hero to justify violence because of their sense of grievance. In truth their sense of grievance was more understandable than that of GL’s -born of school failure and then most probably rejection by employers followed by a few run-ins with law enforcement to seal the deal. When GL came into their rage finders he became their instant hero by giving them added permission to act out at against what GL called ‘the elites’ —people like me who held down jobs and paid taxes.
We were making good progress in our driving. Joe was a good driver and kept a steady foot on the accelerator so we were flying down most of the highway at a solid 75 mph. Ed had started to fall alseep and the steady motion made me feel drowsy enough to pop my head down on my lap more than a few times.
Joe took a quick look around when Ed started to snore. We both laughed at the animal like sounds that were coming out of Ed’s nose and mouth.
“Can’t take him anywhere” laughed Joe, now feeling more relaxed with me. His big hands holding the driving wheel like a captain of a large vessel all light touches using his fingertips.
“I know the feeling. How far are we away from DC?” I asked
“Well depends where you got that pad where we can stay? I can plug the address right into the address as soon as you give it to me and then tell you how far” he said in a way that seemed he was aware that polite convesation existed.
I told him the address--an apartment building in Arlington.
Taking his attention for a moment from the road he keyed in the details.
“Only another hour and a half if the rush hour traffic is not too bad” he reported nodding twice at me. Like he had come through with his end of bargain and I should be somehow thankful for crashing on my pad.
It was approaching 6:30 in the morning and it was still dark out. Since Ed was virtually unconscious it suddenly occured to me that this would be he best time to grab the wheel from Joe a if possible stick a knife in him as I was doing it. But I had no energy left for such heroics and more importantly no knife. I just wanted sleep almost as much as I wanted to urinate.
I had to think though quite seriously about how to get rid of these would be hostage takers. I thought of a plan that depended on one of the last cards I could play--ironically enough the key card.
“How about you give me back my wallet and phone--I cannot get in without an app on my phone” I lied
“Not to worry you tell us what to do” replied Joe
“It does not work that way--its all biometric”
“Oh so you do live in a fancy place. Biometric eh whats’ that?
“You need to show some fingerprints. Its got a touch pad to check out whether you are the real you.” I replied like a good teacher
“Not just a rinky dinky apartment.” he scoffed taking another glance at me.
“Well the inside is a bit of a mess and its only a one room studio—not enough room for more than one.” I said
“Well we can all squeeze in—cosy like” said Joe with a nervous laugh
“Give me back the phone” I said so “I can get us in”
“When we get there” Joe said cautiously
It was about another forty minutes until we entered the parking lot and almost absent mindedly slipped me the phone while Ed was still safely asleep in the back
“Thanks” and then I was off. I pulled down the door handle and like a greyhound out of a starting gate, I must have ran a four minute mile into the semi darkness running on pure adrenaline without an ounce of real fuel in my tired limbs. oversized SUV’s and a few luxury sedans. I had the advantage of knowing the landscape better than these two jerks and moved my way to the oversized green garbage containers. I could hide inside recycled plastic one so I did not have to get myself mired in refuse. I waited there for at least an hour before creeping out and checking to see whether their pick up truck was parked anywhere nearby. Not finding it --I made my approach to an organic food store that I knew well and grabbing an organic cotton T shirt and matching baseball hat dived into the bathroom and after throwing cold water over my face and body replaced my old shirt with the new one and used the baseball hat in an effort to disguise my appearance. I waited for a few moments and then scouted the area around my apartment building. I noted the SUV was not parked anywhere close. I needed sleep badly but was it too dangerous to return?
I decided on a compromise. Ask a neighbor of mine if I could use her apartment to hide out in while the danger receded. Professor Harper or Eleanor as she preferred me to call her had bonded over her beautiful Golden Retriever Harpo. She named him Harpo because like Harpo he could not talk only use gestures. I sometimes walked him for her for which she paid me and so we formed a more complete relationship than we might have done otherwise. I preferred to knock at the apartment rather than use my cell for fear that the goons might have figured out how to track me if I used the cell phone, I stealthily climbed the stairs to her third floor apartment. There was no answer. I rapped on the door several times and got the feeling a plan B was in order. She answered on the first ring and told me where the spare key was hidden (under the welcome mat which I told her she had to change from now on) and let myself right in. She said she had been asked to substitute for a teacher who was unwell and my call was a blessing. She now had to teach an evening class and would not be back to quite late and to feed and take Harpo out if I could. I said that was zero problem and no need to pay me for the privilege. In one corner, a well-loved bookshelf stretched from floor to ceiling, its shelves overflowing with volumes on political theory, history, and literature. The spines bore the marks of time, each book a well-worn companion that had weathered years of contemplation.Nearby, a plush armchair and a matching sofa, both upholstered in a rich tapestry of earthy tones, invited visitors to linger in thoughtful conversation. At that moment I just wanted a bed to go to sleep on. But first Harpo jumped up on me and nearly knocked me to the floor. After letting him out I took a quick shower and once I lay down on the comfortable wrought-iron bed adorned with a patchwork quilt, I was out. I was awakened after several hours of unconsciousness by Harpo licking me and a very bruised and battered Eleanor calling my name.
”There are some thugs in this apartment building.” she said breathlessly
“Oh not those two jerks—they are still around? These must be the same GL supporters who held me captive in the Astrodome stadium
Yes one had a baseball bat and struck me a few times after asking me whether I had seen anyone walking around the apartment building.
“Why didn’t you tell me about them?” she asked accusingly
"I was going to but it was a long story.”
Eleanor's eyes narrowed, but then softened as she took in the exhaustion etched across my face. "Well, we've got bigger problems now. They seem to be searching for something or someone, and I have a feeling we're on their list."
I sat up, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on me like a lead blanket. "What do you suggest we do?"
"We need to get out of here, find somewhere safe to lay low until we can figure out what's going on and how to handle it," Eleanor said, her voice low and urgent.
I nodded, pushing aside the lingering tendrils of sleep and focusing on the task at hand. "Alright, let's gather what we need and get out of here quietly. We don't want to draw any attention to ourselves."
We moved quickly and quietly, packing essentials into bags while keeping an ear out for any sign of the intruders. Harpo seemed to sense the tension, his ears perked and alert as he followed us from room to room.
As we made our way to the back door, a creak from the hallway made us freeze. I held my breath, listening intently as the sound of footsteps echoed closer.
Eleanor gripped my arm, her eyes wide with fear. "They're coming," she whispered.
With no time to spare, we bolted out the back door, adrenaline fueling our movements as we raced into the night, unsure of where we were headed but knowing that anywhere was better than here..
Eleanor and I ran until our legs threatened to give out beneath us, fueled by fear and desperation. Harpo stayed close, his panting breaths a constant reminder of the danger at our heels.
Soon down a busy main street we approached a dimly lit diner, the smell of greasy food wafted through the air, making my stomach growl with hunger. But before we could even reach the door, a stern voice called out from inside.
"No pets allowed," the bouncer said, blocking our path with a scowl.
Eleanor's jaw tightened, but she nodded curtly and turned away, leading us down the sidewalk in search of another refuge. But before we could get far, the sound of heavy footsteps behind us made us freeze.
I turned slowly, dread pooling in the pit of my stomach as I saw the two men from earlier stalking towards us, their faces twisted into cruel smiles.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" one of them sneered, his eyes glinting with malice.
Eleanor's hand tightened on my arm, her gaze flickering to Harpo, who stood at attention beside us, a low growl rumbling in his throat.
"Stay back," I warned, my voice trembling with fear and anger.
But the men only laughed, closing in on us with menacing intent. And then, without warning, one of them lunged forward, his fist swinging towards me in a blur of motion.
Before I could react, Harpo sprang into action, leaping between us with a ferocious snarl. His teeth sank into the man's leg with a sickening crunch, eliciting a cry of pain as blood spurted from the wound.
" Call him off!" screamed Joe struggling to pull the dog
But Eleanor's eyes were cold as steel as she watched, her voice calm and steady as she gave the order we both knew was inevitable.
"Harpo, release."
With a final growl, Harpo released his grip and backed away, leaving the man crumpled on the ground, clutching his injured leg and whimpering in agony.
Ed had disappeared long before -afraid of the same fate
"Tell your boss this isn't over," she said, her voice low and dangerous. "Try getting some medical attention. You are lucky he’s up to date with his shots.”
We returned to the apartment as we did I told her the whole stoy of the escape from the astrodome and GL’s inflamatory speech, being fired by Ross and being held hostage by these goons. Eleanor made me a few things to eat .Soon enough she presented me with a comforting bowl of soup and a crusty roll. There’s going to be an important presidential speech at 9:00 pm.
“Before we decide to go to the police let me just watch this” I asked
There was a slight fuzziness then to the feed then President Biden appeared at the usual White House podium with the backdrop of the blue curtain and the flag. He spoke directly into the camera
“Good evening--my fellow Americans. I come before you today with a simple message and a request to all Americans who are upset about the recent contested election. I am conceding that I lost. Pure and simple. The numbers don’t add up and because I support and love this democracy of ours I am resigning effective now. II want to congratulate my opponent for a hard fought battle and hope he will now call off his many supporters who are engaged in violent or unruly behavior threatning our, electoral counting places and election workers. I ask for peace in our communities, in our streets and know many of my supporters will be disappointed with this decision. I have always been a fighter but when sometimes a peaceful transfer of power is more important than individual ambition. I won’t be communicating on this further. Good night and God Bless these United State and God Bless our troops “
“I can’t believe what he just said” I sputtered.
“In all my time watching and studying American politics I have never seen any thing quite like this” said Eleanor
“There’s something a bit unusual about this--did you notice the audio was slightly out of sequence with the movement of his mouth--like you were watching some kind of foreign movie that had been badly dubbed?” I asked Eleanor
“What are you inferring--that its a fake?”
“Yes I have spent a lot of time in the world of film editing--I’m betting they used some new AI techniques that can take an existing video and by using a different soundtrack manipulate the mouth and gestures to make it appear that he’s mouthing that script.”
“Why that’s obscene” said Eleanor using the angriest voice. The comemtators on CNN were going nuts.
“Whose in the White House now?” called one pundit following the speech as the cameras focused on large moving trucks parked outside the iconic building and large trunks were emerging from the darkness. TV crews were placing klieg lights every where they could to find out the question on everyone’s lips--where’s Biden.
We switched to Fox always the reliable source of GL propaganda and mischief--they were running a big banner headline on a continuous red ribbon scroll--”BIDEN RESIGNS. GL PRESIDENT.” There was no point in listening further. MSNBC was beginning to question the authenticity of the video. The commentary from the White House reporter was suddenly interrupted by the BREAKING NEWS logo --”BIDEN CAPTURED BY FORMER GL SECRET SERVICE NOW IN AN UNDISCLOSED LOCATION. “ Rachel Maddow came on the air with furrowed brow,
”Tonight we have a definite constitutional emergency--President Biden we can now report is the victim of an unprecedented kidnapping in an attempted Coup. There is now dispute whether the purported video from the president saying he was resigning was a fake or not. Our friends at FOX are saying that Biden suffered from a heart attack because of the stress of the recount and has now left the country. Rumors are flying everywhere. The Congress is going to be summoned into emergency session--this we know and as you have seen reported-moving trucks have appeared outside the White House and mobs of GL and we should say Biden supporters are now massing outside the White House and the Capitol Building.
Since it was a contested election--and there was supposedly a tied vote in the electoral college. Under the constitution it takes 270 to win and and if neither party can muster a majority “the election for President is decided in the House of Representatives, with each state delegation having one vote. A majority of states (26) is needed to win. Senators would elect the Vice-President, with each Senator having a vote. A majority of Senators (51) is needed to win.” According to constitution “The Electors meet on December 17, 2024 (the first Tuesday after the second Wednesday in December) to cast their votes.1 The country was totally immersed in this conflict. Entire cities were in a state of chaos with martial law being declared in over half of the largest American cities after rampant rioting and looting. GL was acting in the absence of any word from Biden as the defacto president --saying how after the Congressional vote on December 17 he would unlike his “predecessor”return the US to a society where law and order was respected. A line that brought more than a few chuckles to the lips of everyone who had witnessed the path of lawlessness anarchy and disruption that he had encouraged his supporters to follow. Biden spokespeople were few but the ones that when Biden interrupted the 9:00 pm news everyone became excited--it was a short pointed message.
”My fellow Americans--I regret to inform you that my opponent is trying to subvert our democratic system. He’s doing it in a number of ways. They are trying to create fake videos of my resignation--never happened. Its a campaign of mischief my fellow Americans and it has to end now! He almost screamed NOW tinged with a degree of panic. “I am asking my opponent not to keep jumping to conclusions that he is the winner of all the contests. The more he proclaims he’s a winner the more you know he’s trying to rig the election behind the scenes either using fraud as he did with the last one or intimidation and threats as he ‘s done all his life. There’s nothing my opponent it seems will do to win this election even if it means destroying this republic and ruling over its ruins.” After first calling the video a fake GL pressed for equal time in which time he claimed he had clear and compelling evidence of Biden election fraud and that “he would not tolerate another rigged election”Not providing any evidence for his claims he asked for his supporters to “get out there on the streets and make your voices heard”. The left was shocked that many of the loudest voices on X were urging Biden to retire --they said he was “too old and ‘fragile’ to lead and GL would at least be a clear voice to restore order and prevent “chaos”. Whether or not Biden statistically won the election one king of rockets and retail said the ‘numbers don’t matter any more. Clearly GL may or may not have won the election but he clearly ‘won’ the post election and Biden clearly by his absence lost it. We cannot afford a leader to be ‘AWOL’ They billionaires bought TV time to get their message out and the opinion polls started to register the effect--by a margin of 80 to 20 US opinion had swung decisively in GL’s direction as leading democrats who had supported Biden were either in hiding or on assassination lists that were now published on the web. Newspapers with the notable exception of Washington Post called for an “end to chaos” and will the chaos candidate (photograph of Biden looking ill) go now? December 17 came and went with GL being declared winner by an overwhelming 46 to 6 votes and GL’s pick for VP 48 to 2. Banner headlines that morning only The Guardian told he bitter truth “GLs all out war against Democracy Ends in Victory” The Washington Post wearily declared“ GL the Victor: Electoral Chaos Finally Resolved.” The New York Times “GL Victorious After Long Struggle” and the Los Angeles Times “Biden Finally Concedes GL Wins a Second Term”