Free Plague by Victor Methos

stock market crash, businessmen were replaced by civic heroes likes cops and firefighters.
    “You could even break it down by year a nd see the evolution of America that way . It, like America, became more and more diverse. Now, however, it’s a different story. They’re teaching extremely basic skills, things that children that age should already know. And the characters are more extravagant but lacking in depth. It’s a reflection of ourselves with all this celebrity worship and a disdain for all things intellectual. I think Sesame Street will predict the fall of our nation much better than any media outlet. They ’ ll begin to have characters, as they’re starting to now, that are homel ess, or socialists , or felons . Then they’ll give up and begin teaching children just enough to get by. How to be manual laborers or soldiers or whatever else the dominant profession of a declining society will be .”
    Conrad stared at him without saying anything and was relieved when t he waitress finally came over and Robert ordered a Tonight or Never , one of the strongest mixed drinks there were. Conrad, for whatever reason, felt uneasy with that too .
    “So,” Conrad began, “Ty was telling me you’re in mergers and acquisitions.”
    “Among other things.”
    “And you work for who again?”
    “I didn’t say.”
    “I’m sorry, I don’t understand.”
    “You ended that sentence with ‘again’ but I never told you who I work for in the first place.”
    Tyrone fed some more chicken to his dog and said, “See, I told you he was all secretive.”
    “Secretive I can appreciate,” Conrad said, “but mysterious I can’t. Clearly I’ll need to know a lot more about you before I broker this deal. We’re talking primo government contracts; easily worth ten million. I’m not just handing them over to the first schmuck that Ty refers.”
    “There’s no need to be rude, C.”
    “I’m not being rude. You want me to give the subcontracts to this ‘guy’ that you somehow know but you won’t tell me how and now he’s sitting here telling me he won’t tell me what company he works for.”
    “You don’t require the contracts any longer,” Robert said. “Within the year you’ll be banned from bidding on all government contracts due to ethical violations. That’s why you need to get rid of them. It has nothing to do with charity and you’re not doing me any favors. If anything, I am doing you and your company a favor by taking them off your hands while they’re still worth something.”
    “How the hell did you know—”
    “They say you’re not a true arms dealer unless you’ve sold weapons to the enemies of your own country. Until your bullets and bombs have killed your kin. How m any of your kin did your weapon shipments kill, Mr. Moore? A hundred? Two? A thousand?”
    Rage bubbled in Conrad’s gut and his face turned a bright red. He threw his napkin on the table and rose. “I don’t know what kind of information you and this other bastard have, but I never did anything illegal. And I don’t appreciate you inferring that I did.”
    “Implying,” Robert said. “I implied that you did and you inferred that I have inside information about you.”
    Conrad looked to Tyrone, bewildered. “Who the hell is this guy?”
    Tyrone sat , looking from one man to the next. “I’ve clearly lost control of this meeting so I’d like to start again.”
    “Tyrone,” Robert said, a slight smile on his lips, “you’ve done well in setting up this little party. But you’ve no more use to me. I suggest you keep quiet while I calm your friend down.”
    “He y,” Tyrone said, his brow furrow ing in frustration . “I’ve done everything you ask ed and not asked a lot in return .”
    “Oh, right,” Robert said, looking to Conrad. “You see, Ty here was going to get a percentage of the contracts. That’s why he’s pushing so hard for me to receive them. But we weren’t supposed to tell you that.”
    Conrad