by Eric M Hill
“The media has rightly reported on and highlighted the interactions between the governor of the great state of Texas, Governor Richardson, and myself, and to a lesser degree, Chief King. Obviously, there are stark contrasts in our beliefs of how best to deal with violent crime. And there are stark contrasts in the levels of our responsibility and subsequent authority.
“Chief King is responsible for and has authority to ensure the safety of the residents of the great city of Austin. Governor Richardson is responsible for and has authority to provide through executive decisions the general welfare and safety of the residents of the great state of Texas.
“As president of the United States of America, however, I’ve been granted by our beloved Constitution the responsibility and authority to use every lawful executive tool to protect American citizens wherever they may reside. To this end, I alone have been granted by the Constitution the awesome and unique responsibility of being the Commander in Chief of the armed forces of the United States.
“And uniquely, unlike United States Senators and Representatives, who are Constitutionally bound to support the Constitution, I alone am Constitutionally bound to defend the Constitution. As Commander in Chief of the United States armed forces, I take my unique responsibility as protector of the Constitution seriously. It is a responsibility that only the president of the United States can fulfill. I vow before you now that I will not shy away from my responsibility.
“My fellow Americans, it is within this context of unique responsibility and authority and commitment to fulfill my role as defender of the Constitution that I dare to share with you my innermost thoughts on the troubling vigilantism that is spreading across our nation—particularly Austin.
“When the Great Crime Spike hit us in 2016, we thought it was a flash flood of violence, at least in the early months. We hoped it was a flash flood. A devastating one-time event that might leave us shaken, but still standing. But the violent crime wave was no flash flood. It was a tsunami that rolled over every structure of safety and law and order in its path. Its deep, murky waters have refused to recede even after thirty-four years. In fact, they’ve only grown darker and deeper, and now the waters are swirling, gathering momentum and threatening to pull our society under its floating debris.
“As a nation built upon law and order—law and order derived from its Constitution—we have dealt with this crisis the only way we know how. We have passed laws. We have interpreted those laws. We have executed those laws. Laws made possible by the Constitution.
“I am president of the United States of America. The principal defender of its venerable Constitution. Nonetheless, I am more than America’s defender. I am also the husband of the most wonderful woman in the world. I am the father of two beautiful daughters and one amazing son. I am the grandfather of four and two-thirds grandchildren.” He framed a smile. “My youngest princess, Renee, is six months pregnant.
“I would be dishonest if I were to say I am not concerned for their safety. Regina and I will continue to receive Secret Service protection for the rest of our lives. But what about my children and grandchildren? What about your spouses and children and grandchildren?
“Honestly, I am personally torn when I see vigilante mobs taking the law into their own hands and piling dead bodies on the streets, some of whom it has been proven were not criminals. I am torn when I see a police chief beat a handcuffed man to death, even if it is indisputable that this man broke into the police chief’s home.
“This type of vigilante lawlessness doesn’t exist because average law abiding citizens have suddenly decided to put off their morals to satisfy a thirst for blood. It doesn’t exist because you desire a lawless society. It exists because you are torn between beautiful ideals of law and order and the fearful reality that your government has provided precious little of either. It exists because our Founding Fathers could never have envisioned such a society destabilizing phenomenon as the Great Crime Spike.
“Yet I must be crystal clear on this point. Despite whatever loss of confidence you may have in your government’s ability to protect you, vigilantism is legally wrong. Furthermore, the hunter movement has magnified the crime problem by arbitrarily turning everyone within their reach into targets of murder. It has also provided a platform for criminals to victimize others in the name of hunting predators.
“I say again that I feel what you feel and understand that you legally can and morally must defend yourself and your loved ones. But I beg of you for the sake of the continuation of our nation that you not participate in or provide open or tacit support of the hunter movement in any of its forms.
“I mention the continuation of our nation because that is what is at stake. We cannot continue to exist as a nation if we create a culture of mayhem and anarchy. I humbly but resolutely implore you to hear my heart and my words. As president of the United States and principal defender of the Constitution, I will vigorously use every power within the Constitution to protect the nation, to establish domestic tranquility, and to ensure its continued existence—even if it means I must take extraordinary measures.
“And now I must ask of you something that other presidents before me have asked. Give me time. But unlike others, I’m not asking you to give me time while I try to figure out what to do. America,” the president paused, “I know what to do. I have been working with Representative Harmon of Pennsylvania on legislation that I believe will help us turn the corner on our crime crisis.
“And again, you have heard similar words from others. But, America, you have not heard these words: We are close to developing a scientific way to establish the guilt or innocence of accused T1 predators—murderers—with one hundred percent accuracy. Additionally, we believe we are on the cusp of developing a scientific way that those so certified can be administered final, lethal, and speedy justice. Justice that will not fall through the wide cracks of our broken judicial system. And justice that cannot be circumvented by those who value nonworking ideals over the safety of the American people.
“The name of the bill Representative Harmon and I have been working on is called STOP: Scientific Termination of Predators. For some, the bill’s name will seem harsh, cruel, and perhaps even un-American. For others, the bill’s content will appear not only un-American, but inhumane.
“I understand and hold no animus toward those with this view. If we were early into the Great Crime Spike, I would lead the chorus of denunciations. But we are not one or two or three months into this crisis. Thirty-four years after that inexplicable nuclear blast of violent crime, its fallout still covers every inch of American soil, poisoning everything.
“Retrospect demands honesty. For over three decades, we have tried every Constitutional and humane thing imaginable to make our streets safe again. And for three decades our efforts have been rewarded with ever-widening rivers of blood. It’s time to see that the times in which we live require that we do more than try to survive the rapids of brutality, rape, and murder. We have to do more than have more meaningless, futile talks and do something about crime. Something dramatic. Something revolutionary. It’s time for the Scientific Termination of Predators. It’s time for STOP.
“These vicious criminals have used our beloved Constitution as a way to escape justice. They have seen our humanity as weakness and our reluctance to punish them as a green light to continue their attacks.
“I know my enemies will crucify me for saying this, but I’m going to be frank with you. If I thought it would put an end to the predators, I’d mobilize the forces of the federal government to pass out guns. I’d personally lead a hunter group myself. But citizens of these still great United States…that is not the way.
“Austin has proven that point. Philadelphia has proven that point. Seattle has proven that point. We cannot and will not continue this self-defeating lawlessness.” Cuning looked resolutely into the camera. “I will not allow it. Soon details of STOP will come out. Those who are not yet resolved to stop the predators will
criticize it, saying many things about it that aren’t true.
“To minimize confusion about how I plan to rid America of its violent crime problem, and its subsequent vigilante response, here are the two main provisions of STOP. First, Scientific Termination of Predators means just that. We aim to terminate predators. We aim to take their lives. By the tens, by the hundreds. Perhaps by the thousands. STOP will bypass our broken judicial system. Second, we aim to do this through fail-proof science that will work only if the accused predator has actually murdered someone. I know this sounds impossible, but it’s not. STOP will remove the possibility of wrongful terminations.
“America, ask yourself: What if the president’s plan works? What if he’s able to get rid of only fifty percent of the murderers? What about twenty-five percent? What about ten percent? Did you know that the typical predator murderer is responsible for 7.3 murders? The numbers are so high because the judicial system is broken. An accused murderer may not be tried for several years—until some judge orders his release because the prisoner’s right to due process has been violated. So he’s freed to kill the second and third person.
“If we were to terminate even ten percent of the convicted murderers we have in prison, we’d get rid of over one hundred thousand murderers. One hundred thousand predators who at any moment can be arbitrarily freed by any judge void of common sense. And history has proven there are many. Can you think of a good reason we should not stop these predators?
“We can be sure those who feel it their life’s calling to protect predators will give us many. They will try to use our beloved Constitution as an argument to continue the failed policies of the past. They’ll argue that the Bill of Rights is at stake, that if we sacrifice the Constitution for the sake of expediency that all hell will break loose. I use that word deliberately.
Look around you. The gates of hell are already open. They’ve been open since 2016. I need you to demand that your elected representatives stop talking about the problem and allow me to close those doors. Demand that they support STOP. And if you have any lingering doubts about the Constitutional rights of predators, think about the safety of your spouse, your children, your grandchildren, your elderly parents. God bless you, and God bless America.”
The green light above the camera lens went red. Cuning knew the firestorm his speech would unleash. He’d be called everything in the book. Dictator. Caesar. Napoléon. Hitler. So what. Bottom line is Hal was right. Facts didn’t matter; emotion mattered. Even though they didn’t trust him, there’d be enough people who would see light at the end of his tunnel. Their minds wouldn’t focus on whether the approaching light was a train coming at them. They wanted to see an answer to their fears and that’s what they would see.
Cuning resisted the urge to put his hand on his crotch in victory. Now all he had to do was wait on Anderson. Once Anderson delivered, and the crime spike had been dealt with, genius or no genius, he’d close that arrogant mouth of his for good.
***
No one but President Cuning and his chief of staff was left in the Oval Office. The chief of staff was beaming. “Mr. President, I’ve heard you give some marvelous speeches, but I think this ranks in the top three.”
“I’d have to agree with you, Hal. This was even better than Seattle.” Now his hand landed on his crotch for a victory squeeze.
“You put something in there for everyone. The folks who love the Constitution. The folks who hate it. And most importantly, I know Congress is having a fit over your implicit threats of martial law.
Hal’s old eyes sparkled. “The media, too. But the average citizen probably didn’t hear anything except safety. Just masterful. Congress knows martial law would send us into a tailspin. They’ll have no choice but to give you what you want.”
“That’s the idea,” said Cuning. “Democracy has its good points. Tell the masses what they want to hear. They put pressure on Congress. We get what we want. We’ll chip away at that 263-year-old piece of paper until we can ball it up and start over.”
Chapter 38
President Cuning’s chief of staff was correct. The speech had shaken Congress to its core. The Republicans and Democrats still were the larger parties, with rough parity, though both were smaller than what they had been before the spike. However, the pressures of the Great Crime Spike, and the various missteps of the federal government in response to it, had opened the door for the growth of other parties.
The new political landscape now included far left and far right parties that were able to disproportionately influence elections and legislation, especially when two or more of the smaller parties worked together.
The Libertarians had grown stronger, in large part because of the growth of police brutality and the frequency of federal executive agencies acting outside of the law. Particularly, the CIA, FBI, VCE, and the army.
Independents had historically granted or denied election victories to the Republicans and Democrats. But with the advent of and the growing popularity of newer parties, the power of independent voters to determine election results had grown even more. This was a constant point of irritation of the two major parties, and a reason why their own parties always seemed to have principles with all the sturdiness of a flower petal floating on river water, as they tried to capture that elusive independent vote.
The United Minority Party erupted onto the scene with a suddenness and sophistication that shocked the media and major parties. Hispanics and African Americans now comprised about one hundred and sixty million of America’s three hundred and eighty million people, and tens of millions of them voted UMP.
The success and rhetoric of the White People’s Party and the New America Party had played major roles in scaring the Hispanics and African Americans into immediate political action and unity. Consequently, the White People Party and the New America Party grew in response to the United Minority Party’s response to them.
Perhaps the most baffling political party was the Humanity and Peace Party. Their platform was simple. They were against war, guns, the death penalty, and cruel treatment of prisoners. They weren’t large enough to take a national election, but they were large enough in many cities and a couple of swing states to make things interesting.
And they were vocal enough to provide much joke material for comedians. Nonetheless, they had a cultic following among some in the media and academia.
Yet, as different as these parties were from one another, President Cuning’s speech had shaken them all—for different reasons. Most saw the dystopian sunset they’d been fearing. If he declared martial law, it was the end. Others saw the utopian sunrise they’d been desiring. If he declared martial law, it was the beginning.
Cuning knew this.
It was all a matter of perspective.
Chapter 39
“Slow up some. Don’t follow too closely,” said DIGO Agent Alvarez. “Let’s not let that man make fools of us again.”
Agent Brown slowed the sedan down. The two vehicles and four agents had been tracking Anderson all day, and had been physically following him for a full hour now. It was five-thirty p.m. in Chicago. They had just passed the Museum of Contemporary Art on the right on East Chicago Avenue. They were at a red light, waiting to cross the Magnificent Mile with its magnificent rush hour traffic. Where could he go? “He’s not getting away again,” she answered into her transmitter as she looked at her male partner, Agent Mack. “We’ve got him.”
“Yeah, that’s what we thought last—” Agent Alvarez gasped. Anderson’s right back passenger door had opened. Anderson jumped out and sprinted north on Michigan Avenue. “He’s running! Follow him!”
“He’s going to know we’re following him,” shot out Agent Brown.
“He already knows! Follow him!” said Agent Alvarez.
Agent Brown’s partner jumped out of the car and ran behind Anderson. He was about fifty feet away. Agent Brown frantically looked around. The traffic in front of her wasn’t going anywhere. She’d have
to get out of the far right lane somehow. Maybe she could find an opening in the left lane, shoot out across the double yellow lines, navigate around oncoming traffic and—
The rear passenger door on the driver’s side of Anderson’s SUV opened…and Anderson jumped out and took off running across the street and turned south on Michigan Avenue. Agent Brown was momentarily stunned.
“Who was that?” yelled Alvarez’s voice into Agent Brown’s receiver.
“Anderson.” Her voice was unsure.
“Anderson? Follow him! Follow that Anderson, too!”
Before she could get out of the car, two more Andersons jumped out and took off running, both continuing west on East Chicago Avenue. Her flat, soft-soled shoes landed on the asphalt. She slammed the car’s door and ran between cars after the second Anderson. Alvarez and Thompson would have to get the other Andersons.
Agent Alvarez and Agent Thompson took up pursuit. How the heck were they chasing four Andersons? They sprinted past Anderson’s parked, tinted Titan SUV. One of the two Andersons being chased by Alvarez and Thompson crossed to the north side of the street. “Get him! I’ll get the other one,” yelled Alvarez.
An instinct made him glance back at Anderson’s vehicle as he maneuvered around a car. There. In the front seat. He saw what appeared to be another Anderson rising from a lying position. It was him. Alvarez stopped momentarily. Five Andersons. They weren’t going to catch him. He’d made fools of them again. Alvarez pointed at the sitting Anderson and cursed and took off running after the other Anderson—probably the wrong Anderson.
His Anderson was maybe a hundred feet away and not slowing down. He felt like an absolute fool, chasing one of five Andersons. One of which was an Ironman triathlete. This guy was not going to get tired—unless he wasn’t the real Anderson.
A few seconds later, it looked to Agent Alvarez as though he was gaining ground on him. Proof that he was chasing a fake Anderson. He slowed down and almost stopped until he saw the Anderson he was chasing stumble and fall to the ground. His Anderson got up and started running slower, with a pronounced limp.