Free The Independents by Joe Nobody Page A

America. It will be written as though you had glorious visions of power and rule. You will be painted as a man who would be dictator in order to enslave the freedoms of the people . If the m ovem ent succeeds, you will be celebrated as a visionary and patriot. T icker tape parades and bank holidays will mark your birthday for years to come. You know the consequences , Senator; you’ve always known. ”
    The s enator smiled broadly at his assistant. “You old smartass. I should’ve known better than to start this conversation with you today. I could tell you were in a foul mood by how strong my tea was.”
    Wayne stopped slicing and looked dire ctly into his old friend’s eyes. “You are always welcome to openly display your self-doubt and anxieties to me . I wouldn’t reveal those inner feelings to anyone els e though. It’s too late for real indecision; you’ve come too far , and there’s no turning back.”
    The s enator laughed and responded u sing his deepest southern drawl. “Self-doubt? Anxieties? How dare you , suh ! Why if I were a younger man, I’d slap you with a white glove and demand you defend your honor , sur .”
    Wayne tilte d his head backwards and smiled. “Now that would be funny , Senator . Two old goats like us heading out to the v eranda with dueling pistols. Wouldn’t the Washington Post give anything for a picture of that?”
    Both men chuckled at the thought, and Wayne continued preparations for the evening meal.
    “Seriously Wayne , do you ever wonder if Abraham Lincoln questioned if he were somehow misguided in his quest to keep the union whole ?”
    Wayne pondered the s enat or’s question for a few moments and chose the words of his response carefully before speaking. “And I quote President Lincoln, ‘ Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any one thing. ’”
    The Senator smiled at Wayne ’s choice of quotation, bu t countered with one of his own. “ Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power. ”
    Wayne replied, “Touché. Senator , you didn’t begin this movement to o ver throw the government. You never once proposed treason. I remind you , sir , that this all started as a purely political movement to stop the insanity in Washington.”
    “While I respect you r view of the truth old friend, if we fail , I don’t believe history will agree with you. We were very clandestine in our affairs. Even our communications w ere secretive and protected.”
    Both men thought about that for a bit. Whe n Senator Moreland first began his efforts, he realized the need for some method of communication that couldn’t be traced, intercepted, or discovered. This requirement allowed them not only to operate under the radar of the press, but federal and military agencies as well. Coincidentally, one of the men joining their cause was a professor at M.I.T. preparing to market a rather clever invention to several of the predominant cell phone providers. His contra p tion converted a regular cell phone into a satellite communications device . The professor originally began the research for the military, who wanted a small transceiver that would work anywhere in the world without any land- based support . The simplici ty of its use was quite impressive, and its encrypted signal rendered it practically impossible to trace. You merely dialed the cell number of the person you wanted to reach. Simpl e, secure , and inexpensive - the s enator had financed the manufacture of almost a t housand of the diminutive units without hesitation .
    At first, their secret communications network was used to avoid the ever- prying eyes of the press and competitive political organizations . The s enator knew that U.S. intelligence agencies were occasionally used by the party in power to scout the competition. The professor’s device would circumvent any chance of discovery, even by the most capable agencies. When the grid