Redemption

by Sally Fernandez

  [MILD APPLAUSE]

  “I will establish bipartisan commissions to review the policies regarding healthcare, climate change, and energy, to execute my action plans objectively, and to play a major role in the introduction of major reforms. Status quo is not acceptable. The members of the commissions will be selected in conjunction with both the minority and majority leaders in both Houses. I will personally appoint business leaders from the private sector in consultation with congressional leaders. Strict guidelines and timetables will be enforced and all actions will be fast-tracked. These proceedings will not be televised, but the transcripts will be made available online to the public.”

  [UNENTHUSIASTIC APPLAUSE]

  “Many listening tonight experienced the Great Depression. All of us have been through its progeny, the Great Recession. We must learn from our mistakes. It’s unfortunate that we did not respect the old axiom that we can’t spend our way to prosperity. It is my responsibility to serve as the executive branch leader. This is where the buck stops. But I can’t do it alone. Congress must fulfill its legislative responsibilities delegated to them. Both houses must work together to put our fiscal house in order.

  We must stop the government wheels from spinning before the treads tatter. With the promise of tax relief, it will begin to help pave the surface for a smoother future.”

  The president noticeably looked down away from the head-on camera. Staring directly at the members of Congress, he admonished,

  “For those of you in the chamber, this is not a time to showboat, but a time to carry out your responsibilities, as you were elected to do by your constituents. You’ll have one year from today to pass the appropriate legislation. This is your opportunity to recapture the respect for your government. This is your opportunity to restore American’s standing throughout the word with friends and foe alike. Don’t squander this moment in history.”

  [STONE SILENCE]

  Looking once again, straight up into the camera, he continued to address the nation.

  “Let’s work together to usher in a new era to restore our nation’s greatness. Together, let’s usher in the era of the Renaissance of America. Let’s resolve to match our actions with our resources. We can look back one day and proclaim this is the time we picked ourselves up by the bootstraps to regain our niche in the world. All of us will benefit, but especially our children and grandchildren.”

  “God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.”

  [STANDING OVATION]

  The president’s speech was short and succinct. It lasted exactly 24 minutes, including the rather modest applause. Now the applause in the chamber was deafening.

  Then it stopped.

  The hand clapping had been replaced by the vibrating hums coming from the smartphone in the crowd, signaling an incoming message. It had all but dissipated as the president walked down the center aisle and headed for the exit. When he went to eye the crowd to offer a smile of gratitude, he instead encountered something quite astonishing.

  The entire audience appeared to be glued to their individual handheld devices in unison, as they watched the first 30-second infomercial introducing Renaissance 2017. The president, deeply gratified by the sight, envisioned people all across the U.S. viewing the same message simultaneously. Now able to avoid the anticipated line of handshakes, he quickly maneuvered out of the congressional chamber with the secret service entourage in tow.

  As they scurried out of the building, Stanton was the first to commend the president on his performance. “Congratulations, Sir, on the standing ovation. Especially from the other side of the aisle.”

  The president smiled. “Don’t be fooled; it wasn’t so much for me as it was for their constituents who were tuned in.”

  Within minutes, they approached the motorcade waiting to drive them back to the White House. Both had noticed that the night’s warm, sticky air had remained from the earlier hours. It was 8:37 p.m.

  Then for some inexplicable reason, as the president was about to enter the limo, he glanced back at the monumental structure from where they had just departed. He was thunderstruck. At that very moment, he observed one of God’s most glorious canvasses. The Capitol radiated in a spectacular golden hue as the skies opened up and the sun melted slowly into the horizon. Totally overwhelmed, the president pointed toward the sky and declared, “There’s a message there for all of us.”

  “Yes, Mr. President,” Stanton replied, equally awestruck by the specter.

  Maintaining his gaze, the president pronounced, “Our country’s future shines bright.”

  EPILOGUE

  Six weeks had passed and there were signs of a slight improvement in the economic momentum as the markets stabilized. La Fratellanza had been finally escorted back to their home cities to resume their never-to-be-again “normal lives.”

  Chase Worthington returned to his home in Connecticut with spirits high and his depression at bay. His wife was in awe at the obvious salutary effect his three-month rehab had this time around.

  Seymour Lynx returned to Hollywood, exhilarated by a brilliant idea for a new TV series.

  Paolo Salvatore returned to his family in Georgetown. Within days, he reopened his office doors and worked closely with his lobbyist clients, pushing the president’s agenda.

  Hank Kramer returned to his office of old, not at the Chestnut Foundation, but as the Chief of Staff to President Randall Post.

  The president’s initiatives and his promise for reform met with an initial 64 percent approval rating in recent polls. It was a welcome message from the American people, who were willing to give him the yearlong breathing room he requested.

  Congress cancelled its August recess to remain in session, which falls into the “miracles” category.

  As for Noble and Max—Well, that’s another story.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  As always, I offer my deep appreciation and gratitude to my publisher, David Dunham, for his continued confidence in me as a novelist. And for giving of his own time to see my projects to fruition. But I know David couldn’t do it without his amazing colleagues, Managing Editor Crystal Flores and Associate Publisher Joel Dunham. Thanks to all of you.

  My profound thanks go to my special inner circle of talented readers whose suggestions and insights continue to help enrich my stories: Ann Howells, Donna Post, Maestro Debra Cheverino, and Alfredo Vedro.

  A special thanks goes to those who have allowed me to use them as real life characters in my story to add to the realism: to Alessandro Galli and Elena Salvicchi, the restaurateurs of Birreria Centrale and Osteria da Ganino. To Simone Galli my appointed tourist guide. To Andrea Prestani, Moreno Chiarantini, and the rest of the incredible team at the Perini Gastronomia in the Mercato Centrale. And to Giovanni Righi, who not only opened the doors to the wonders of the Republic of San Marino, but gave of his generosity during each of our frequent visits.

  Lastly, how does one begin to thank family members and friends who continue to support my efforts and forgive my more-than-frequent absences?

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Sally Fernandez, a novelist of provocative political thrillers, wasn’t always twisting facts with fiction. Heavily endowed with skills acquired in banking, she embarked on her writing career. Fernandez’ focus on computer technology, business consulting, and project management, enhanced by business and technical writing, proved to be a boon. Her works of fiction reflect the knowledge garnered from her business experiences, while living in New York City, San Francisco, and Hong Kong.

  Fernandez’ foray into writing fiction officially began in 2007 when the presidential election cycle was in full swing. The overwhelming political spin by the media compelled her to question the frightening possibilities. As a confirmed political junkie, she took to the keyboard armed with unwinding events and discovered a new and exciting career.

  Redemption: Aftermath of The Simon Trilogy is her fourth and final novel in a series, following Brotherhood Beyond the Yard, No
ble’s Quest, and The Ultimate Revenge. Each book provides an exhilarating platform for Redemption, with a gripping narrative that challenges the reader to put the book down. The ever-elusive Simon’s daring escapes allow him to add unheard-of dimensions to the classic cat-and mouse-game. Her development of the other characters is destined to create a lasting bond between them and the reader. Despair not; Fernandez already has a new series in progress.

  A world traveler, Ms. Fernandez and her husband, also editor-in-residence, split time between their homes in the United States and Italy.

  BROTHERHOOD BEYOND THE YARD

  In 1990, an extraordinarily talented young man was discovered on the streets of Florence, Italy. His gifts are readily apparent, his ability to lead unmatched, and the possibilities for his future endless. Several years later, a group of scholars at Harvard known as La Fratellanza devise a brilliant thesis in the form of an intellectual game. When the game morphs into a real-life experience with the election of President Abner Baari, no one could have foreseen the consequences—or ramifications.

  Director Hamilton Scott of the States Intelligence Agency is dispatched to Florence to coordinate a sting operation with Interpol to trap a terrorist, but as he digs deeper, he finds himself in a complicated mystery that has the fate of the United States, even that of the president himself, on his shoulders. As Hamilton drives the investigation forward with clear-headed integrity, Brotherhood Beyond the Yard provides an array of disturbing possibilities while delivering a rush of thrills.

  Sally Fernandez’s crackerjack international thriller expertly weaves seemingly disparate events into a cohesive whole leading to a shocking, shattering climax; a classic blend of character study and well-plotted action sequences keeps the pages turning faster and faster. There are no sacred cows here as Fernandez drives straight to the highest seats of Washington and questions anyone—and everything. A hair-raising page-turner from start to finish, Brotherhood Beyond the Yard examines political ideology, the international banking crisis, the role of Internet technology, and international terrorism with ferocious insight.

  www.sallyfernandez.com

  NOBLE’S QUEST

  Fresh on the heels of her acclaimed first novel, Brotherhood Beyond the Yard, Sally Fernandez has penned a sequel that will add more sparkling thrills to the trilogy she is authoring. Major earth-shaking events in Europe and the USA converge to fuel Interpol and the States Intelligence Agency to join forces.

  Although seemingly detached, the threats prompt Noble Bishop, Director of the SIA, and Enzo Borgini, Executive Director of Police Services for Interpol, to conduct joint investigations. Leading-edge technology is used to unravel the labyrinth of connections. The events are not coincidental. The enormous risks facing the USA and the world eventually draw the newly-elected president into the picture.

  Land grabs, political manipulation, and a terrorist camp—along with sea changes in the American psyche—are skillfully woven to form a tapestry of intrigue. Readers of Brotherhood Beyond the Yard will renew their acquaintanceship with some of the characters in the sequel. This time their roles are more expansive and transparent, adding to the lingering intrigue. The widely sought mastermind of the global terrorist threat adds a breathtaking twist that lends even more intrigue to the narrative.

  Written in the author’s patent style, readers will be beguiled by the artistic marriage of established facts with a storyline that lifts creativity to new heights. Readers are challenged to separate fact from fiction, in the true Fernandez style.

  www.sallyfernandz

  THE ULTIMATE REVENGE

  The Ultimate Revenge is the explosive conclusion to “The Simon Trilogy” that has held political thriller readers tightly in its grasp. The author’s earlier books, Brotherhood Beyond the Yard and Noble’s Quest, provide an exhilarating platform for the launch of this final chapter of a gripping narrative that challenges the reader to put the book down.

  The ever-elusive Simon’s daring escape from a high security prison allows him to add unheard of dimensions to the classic cat and mouse game he has played with Noble, the SIA Director. The manhunt for Simon engages two geniuses and a collection of talented operatives, all immersed in a chase with more twists and turns than a rodeo bull. In the process chicanery and double-dealing unfold at the highest levels, continuing some of the manipulations of the earlier books. Max, Noble’s trusted partner, comes into her own, as she uncovers startling evidence and suggestive connections that reveal the nation’s power grids are at risk.

  Of greater significance are the hidden agendas of some of the world’s most powerful recognized leaders to pursue their goals toward a supra-national one-world government under the guise of global warming. Simon, the deposed President Baari, and the jihadists find themselves sharing the same boat, each driven by separate motives but all resulting in a potential disastrous national emergency of huge proportions. The future of the United States is precipitously at stake. The capture of Simon becomes the highest priority as he continues to elude his captors with his usual bag of tricks. Meanwhile, Noble staves off a massive national emergency with his technical prowess. Simon, finally cornered, provides an explosive ending to a fast-paced trilogy that is not for the faint of heart.

  Fernandez has proved once again that she has mastered the art of blending fact with fiction, leaving the readers to make their own judgments. Whatever the outcome, it raises the inviting question, “What if?”

  www.sallyfernandez.com