When Rome Stumbles

by David Kershner

  “It appears the roles are reversed. I’m trying to find my sheep,” Josh said plainly. “She’s not answering her phone.”

  “She’s in protective custody with the Feds. Nobody’s gonna see that little lady until she testifies.”

  Crestfallen, Josh asked, “And when is that exactly?”

  “Oh, the indictments should be ready by week’s end and as soon as we have those, I’ll send the report to the Hill. At the same time, I’ll be sending a copy to each Head of State from every country growing GMO crops. I’m also gonna give one to every news outlet that’ll listen. The media pressure alone will force their hand into calling a committee meeting.”

  “So you’re not including all of the transcripts in the document?”

  “Hell no!” Elias exclaimed. “I loved your idea of catching them with their pants down. What made you think of trying for sealed indictments?”

  “Research. I read that the AG got into law to defend the entire Constitution, not just the parts that get the most press. I figured it would be too enticing for him not to consider.”

  “Well, you sure played your cards in the right order on that one.”

  “Is there any way I can see her?” Josh asked.

  “I’m sorry, son. She’s has ‘whistleblower’ status. Given the allegations and the evidence she delivered, they packaged her up and sent her straight to a safe house. They won’t even tell me where she is and she’s my witness. Her friends are staying at the L’Enfant Plaza up the street though. Come on, I’ll drop you on my way. I was about to head home anyway.”

  Josh gave the Secretary a confused look.

  “That’s how she introduced them. A scrawny white guy, two extremely pretty young ladies, and the biggest damn black man I’ve ever seen.”

  Laughing at Elias’s descriptions, he said, “That sounds like them all right.”

  The pair entered the hotel room and Josh was immediately swarmed by his daughters.

  “Nice haircut, jarhead,” Dallas remarked sarcastically.

  James stood up, snapped to attention, saluted, and proclaimed in a booming voice, “Officer on deck!”

  Josh chuckled his way through hugs and handshakes. He then spent the next few minutes artfully answering questions regarding his sudden disappearance. Josh provided minimal details and simply replied that an old friend had passed away and that he needed to attend the funeral. When it became apparent that a better explanation wasn’t forthcoming, the girls gave up. They had stopped trying to figure out their father’s odd behavior and half answers long ago.

  The ride back to Ohio was relatively quiet until Katherine asked, “Dad, what did you do to Sam? She barely spoke after you and Uncle Dallas left with the transcripts.”

  Josh exhaled and replied, “It’s complicated.”

  She continued looking at her father and saw him glance over at Layla. She was smiling ever so slightly.

  Katherine was furious.

  Chapter 17

  March 11th, 2022 - May 31st, 2022

  True to his word, Elias released his report on Friday after the sealed indictments were confirmed by the Grand Jury. The report contained the negative impacts from long term consumption of GMO and heavily processed foodstuffs on the human body. The Secretary’s independent study was able to draw comprehensive links between the scientific evidence and the increased rates of incidence for most of the prevalent genetic, gastrointestinal, and neurological disorders and cancers.

  Word of the documented implications spread like wildfire over the course of the weekend. TV trucks began camping out in front of grocery stores and fast food restaurants across the nation. Reporters bombarded patrons and owners with questions regarding their thoughts on the report.

  ‘Does it change their perspective on GMO crops?’

  ‘Would they be changing their buying and eating habits?’

  The response from the citizenry was full of both apathy and vitriol. Groups of angry marchers attempted to storm several company headquarters while others were content to keep moving forward with their obliviousness. Pacification doesn’t boost ratings so the marches received the most press. Eerily quiet in all of the white noise were the farmers.

  Attorneys for the seed manufacturers had reviewed the report and taken to the interview circuit. They launched themselves at anyone that would listen. Three of the four GMO’s decried and denounced the report as malicious and libel. The fourth, Hyloset, had an interim President and a secret, therefore they remained silent while they contemplated a response.

  Spokespeople for the outspoken GMO’s took to the airwaves to decree that their clients were already conferring with council. They made it known that they intended to sue the researchers and their employers for starters. One spokesperson postulated on the far flung idea of trying to bring a lawsuit against USDA and the EPA for breach of contract and the disclosing of trade secrets.

  News outlets were providing downloadable copies free of charge all weekend long from their websites. By Monday morning, the report had been viewed over fifty million times worldwide.

  On Sunday night, traders on the New York and Chicago Mercantile Exchange’s began preparing for the nightmare ahead. The carnage witnessed in the other global markets rocked them to their core. The first day of the work week was going to be the longest one of their lives. Each attempted to brace themselves for the slaughter that was about to ensue.

  When the opening bell rang on Wall Street, there was an immediate downturn in stocks. Investors began selling their positions in everything remotely connected to the four GMO’s. Synthetic herbicide and pesticide manufacturers, soda bottlers, and household conglomerates guilty of producing the bulk of the offending products took the biggest initial hits.

  Once the negative trajectory was officially underway, cable news analysts and pundits started assessing smaller firms associated with GMO laced foodstuffs. It wasn’t long before they too began to nosedive. Consumers still struggling to grasp the ramifications indicated that they would be bypassing ‘diet’ and ‘reduced fat’ labeled products at a minimum. Some simply preferred oblivion.

  Commodities market futures on corn, soy, and rice dropped quickly. Cattle and pork, the primary consumers of GMO corn, weren’t spared either. It got to the point that merely accusing a company of having ties to a product derived from a mutant plant was enough to cause a mass selloff. Conversely, companies producing, or manufacturing natural and organic items, long the bottom dwellers on the indexes, soared.

  The NYSE tripped the first preset 10% drop circuit breaker at 11:45 AM. The rapid decline paused the Exchange for an hour. After the cool down, the market only lost another 2.5% the rest of the day.

  Monday night, the Speaker of the House held a press conference. He assured the American people that both the House and Senate Committees dealing with Agriculture would convene investigative hearings as soon as possible. The two Committees would work together to diffuse this situation. As a result, stocks rallied for a short period of time on Tuesday. Unfortunately, by the afternoon, all gains had been lost and the markets closed for the evening with a second day of losses.

  Knee jerk reactions from the Committee chairs in the House and Senate produced dual subpoenas for each researcher named in the report, the three heads of the GMOs, and the as of yet unnamed whistleblower. The Congressional talisman returned to the podium the following day when it became apparent that the two houses were working at cross-purposes. Just as Elias had intended, the Speaker used the time to call for a joint session between the two Committees.

  At the behest of President Rayburn, Secretary McInerney addressed the nation after the third straight day of falling prices on Wall Street. He provided a brief summary and assured the American people that plenty of crops would still be planted. Elias emphasized that the occasional ingestion of a GMO product would not cause the issues detailed in his report. Those that were observed to have the most adverse reactions were those that endured GMO laden products continuously and consist
ently over the long term.

  The elder Cabinet member stated, “As a result on my independent study, the United States agricultural industry, as a whole, will be regulating the removal of GMOs and synthetics over the course of the next five years. However, while the new non-GMO crops are taking hold, I urge you not to panic. We have more than enough seeds to go around.

  “Additionally, I am asking for all able bodied Americans to assist and learn from one another. If you have the space and the means, begin planting your own garden as a precaution. Every little bit is going to help. The USDA will be providing heirloom varieties to anyone willing to undertake this endeavor. Instructions for the safe harvesting and storing of seeds, as well as best practices for the canning of extra fruits and vegetables are forthcoming.”

  Amazingly, a seven minute and twelve second speech stemmed the losses on Wall Street for the remainder of the week. Unfortunately, the balance was already tipped and the damage done.

  * * *

  Josh and the girls arrived home to find Sheriff Watson loading Evan into the back of his car. Basilia stood on the front porch as Juan and their boys were loaded into another vehicle. All were in handcuffs.

  “What are you doing, Jim? What have they done?” Josh said as he slammed his door shut.

  “Josh, don’t say anymore,” the man replied. When he got close enough he continued, “I need you to trust me on this.”

  Two deputies walked over to the truck and escorted Josh’s daughters to their vehicle as well.

  “This is crazy,” Basilia exclaimed. “What? You’re gonna lock him up for protecting his family... again?” she thundered at the local lawman incredulously.

  The man ignored her protestations as Josh was loaded into a patrol car as well.

  The three sat stoically for the entire ride to the station. Josh had already decided that he was going to tell the DA anything he wanted to know in exchange for a plea bargain that absolved Layla and Katherine.

  The convoy arrived en masse and the group was taken to a conference room in the Sheriff’s office. Once they were all seated, the Sheriff announced, “I assume you all understand why you’re here.”

  Each looked around the room, but no one answered.

  “I see,” he replied to no one as he sighed.

  “Okay, then perhaps, Josh,” Jim started to say as he directed his first comment at the group’s patriarch. “You’d like to explain a phone call I received from a Montana Medical Examiner regarding the death of one Mr. Donald J. Toombs. Apparently, a little bird told him that he met his end while visiting your farm.”

  Still no one spoke.

  “Alright,” he continued as he shifted his gaze to Josh’s daughters. “How about the video I just watched where I saw the two of you shoot a guy full of holes in an Athens alley outside your apartment? Cat got your tongue too, ladies?”

  “Jim, may I have a moment with you in private, please?” Josh asked his friend.

  The Sheriff looked around the room at the stone like faces of the others and slowly began shaking his head in disbelief. He glanced at one of his deputies and nodded toward the door. The two officers walked over and held it open as the remainder of the group funneled out into the waiting room.

  Once it quietly clicked shut, Josh recounted the events at the hangar and greenhouse. He quickly glossed over the NTSB investigation and focused Jim’s attention on the conversation they had all overheard via the walkie-talkie, and the shipping of the remains to Tomason back in Montana.

  When he finished, Jim asked, “And Athens? What happened there?”

  Josh proceeded to describe what his daughters and Evan had told him. He relayed the information about the phone call they received and the attempt to access their records. His recounting culminated with the alley.

  “I wasn’t there, but I believe my girls when they tell me they were fired on first. Besides, those guns are registered to them and they have CCL’s,” Josh responded. “So what do you want to do?”

  “And they can corroborate this?”

  “Every word,” Josh replied all too quickly.

  “Ah, I’m curious, Josh. Why would Toombs want to access the girl’s records?”

  “To locate me of course,” he answered indignantly.

  “Because you saw the plane shot down and had a run in with him at the NTSB investigation?”

  “Well, yeah,” Josh said.

  The Sheriff leaned back in his chair and looked at his friend. He just sat there quietly and studied him.

  Josh interrupted his solace and said, “Look, Jim. My only goal here is keeping my daughters out of the clink. I’ll take it all. Whatever the prosecutor dreams up, it’s on me.”

  “What’s her name,” the sheriff quickly inserted into the conversation.

  Before Josh realized he was speaking, he uttered the word ‘Samantha’.

  “There it is. I knew you were hiding something you daft little bugger! You found that woman from the plane crash in your field didn’t you,” the man said excitedly, but in a hushed tone.

  Josh’s jaw went slack. Damn.

  Beaming at his detective prowess, he leaned forward and remarked, “You’re my friend and I trust you, Josh. If you say the guy deserved it, I believe you. If you want to leave her name out of it and attempt to protect your daughters, fine. However, your daughters and Evan have a different problem. That there was Athens County, this here’s Vinton. I’m gonna have to leave ‘em hooked up and transport them over there to turn themselves in.”

  “Are the cuffs really necessary? What are they going to do, take out your deputy and live on the run?” Josh quipped.

  “I have to, Josh. A man is dead, no matter the circumstance. You’ll be placed in the jail here until the DA figures out what he wants to do. Those three face a similar predicament over there.”

  “What happens then? I mean, what are we looking at, time wise?” he asked.

  “Like you said before, I believe all three have valid CCL licenses. If Evan can corroborate their story, they’ll probably walk. You unfortunately, orchestrated a coordinated military style ambush and shot first. You offered no peaceful resolution to the situation.”

  “But –,” Josh started to say and then Jim raised his hand to cut him off.

  “There’s circumstantial evidence, and that helps. However, all of you neglected to turn yourselves in or wait for the authorities to arrive. No one bothered to call it in. Then, and this defies all logic, you shipped the body out of state. That’s an obstruction charge right there.”

  “So what are you saying?” Josh asked.

  The Sheriff thought for a moment before replying. “I’d say those three are probably looking at a six month suspended sentence. They might need to surrender their CCL permits. All of that notwithstanding, you’ll most likely have to do some time.”

  “How much are we talking about, Jim?” Josh asked.

  “I’m not the one trying you. If it were up to me, you’d walk. It’s all gonna depend on how lenient the Prosecutor is feeling. There’s that business in Franklin County a few years back to consider though. I don’t know if I’d expect a great deal of latitude, Josh. If I had to guess, a year or two with time served. Be out in a few months. We’ll need a signed statement if this has any hope though.”

  “Can I make my call then?”

  “Yeah, that’s not a bad idea at this point. Go ahead and stand up. I’ve got to read you your rights.”

  * * *

  Giuseppe Rossi actively cultivated his Italian grease ball persona. He always said, ‘If you look like you’re connected to the old country, people are less likely to screw with you.’

  The fact of the matter was he had barely ever left Ohio. He had never visited his family’s ancestral home in Turin, Italy, but by two o’clock, he was parking his brand new Cadillac behind the Vinton County Sheriff’s office.

  He strode confidently into the building and requested to speak with his client. Sheriff Watson showed him to the holding cell and J
osh and Giuseppe greeted each other warily, not as old friends.

  No sooner had the man taken his seat at the old wooden table as Josh verbally jumped the trail lawyer. “I swear, if you pull any of that crap this time I will bury you. I had to move half way across the state to get away from all of the sideways stares after you leaked that stuff to the press. Friends and neighbors watched my every step just waiting for me to snap. Do we understand each other?”

  “I can’t believe you’re still upset about that. Man,” he replied incredulously. “And they think Italians can hold a grudge. They’ve got nothing on you.” Before Josh could get any more of his verbal barrage in on the attorney, he continued. “Oh, and for the record, I believe I assisted you in walking away from some pretty serious charges. You gutted two men for Pete’s sake! How about you dial it down a notch and play nice, OK?”

  Josh laid into him angrily and said, “Screw you! You’re damn right I’m still pissed! My friends and neighbors treated me like some sort of ticking time bomb. The freak with the PTSD diagnosis! I told you not to leak that junk, but you did it anyway.”

  “Whoa. Hold on a minute. You called me, remember? I’m not some ambulance chaser. Besides, if I hadn’t tried that thing in the press, before the gag order, you’d be rotting in some maximum-security hellhole waiting for the needle!” Giuseppe replied emphatically.

  Having successfully gotten the venom out of his system, Josh relented and returned to the topic at hand. “Speaking of Judges Orders, the Prosecutor is up for re-election this year. We’ll need to shut him up before anything goes public,” Josh offered.

  Transitioning seamlessly from the war of words as easily as Josh, Giuseppe exhaled loudly and said, “Great, another election year idiot trying to make a name for himself in front of his constituents.”

  Giuseppe laid his briefcase on the table, took out a legal pad and pen. “All right, let’s have it. What did ya do this time?”

  Josh recounted everything he had put in his statement. He started with the plane and Samantha and the NTSB meeting, then progressed to shootout in the alley, and concluded with the incident at the farm.