Acts of Sedition

by Dennis Stephan

  Tina saw Nicky and walked across the room to give him a hug. She had felt good, and he had to keep reminding himself “She’s freakin’ married.” As the night wore on they both mingled and chatted with friends. Nicky overheard Tina telling friends that she and Ronnie had only been married two years, and she’d already been to Ft Rucker, AL, Ft Ord, CA and Ft Benning, GA all for short stints while Ronnie was stateside. They always lived in temporary housing because they weren’t going to be there long before her husband would be getting orders to go overseas again. That’s why they bought one of the older, more affordable, row homes in South Philly. It was their home base, but Tina spent way too much alone time there.

  At the end of the evening, Tina asked Nicky if he would walk her home. The great thing about South Philly was that everyone lived within walking distance of everyone else. Good thing too because there was never a place to park. Tony thought that his neighbor, Mr. DiLori from across the street, hadn’t moved his car in 5 years because he didn’t want to lose the parking space in front of his house.

  So he walked the four blocks with Tina, and when they arrived, Tina had asked him if he wanted to come in for a drink. His response was “Do ya think that’s a good idea?” To which she replied, “Well if I didn’t I wouldn’t have asked ya in.”

  She made herself and Nicky a drink, and as they sat on the couch relaxing, Tina started talking about her life.

  “When I was younger, I was always drawn to the bad boys, ya know, the kinda guys who always seemed to flirt with danger. Ronnie was that kind of guy. He had a chip on his shoulder that said ‘I’m someone, don’t mess with me.' I remember one time we were walking down the street, and I was wearing something that I guess was sorta low cut. Anyway, these two dudes stared at me when we walked by, checkin’ out my tits. Ronnie turned on them and beat the livin’ shit out of both of them. I swear he would have killed them if I hadn’t stopped him. That was scary, but ya know it made me feel good that I had a guy who loved me that much.”

  “But my mom didn’t like Ronnie at all. She thought he was a thug. She was always trying to get me to date these smart, uninterestin’ guys, but I fell for Ronnie, and I’ve loved him ever since. And I still do, Nick. I do. You know that. But this is messed up. He’s rarely home and when he is, we’re either fighting over his fits of anger or his mind is somewhere else. Then, out of the blue, we have to pack up and move to a new base. After a few months, he gets orders to go to some God foresaken place in the desert or something, and I’m back here alone for the next six months.” She touched Nicky’s arm. “Everything’s about him or the Army’s needs. But what about my needs Nick? I have needs too. Ya know what I’m sayin’?”

  For several minutes Tina talked about her private life. Nicky sat there; uncharacteristically quiet. Finally, she said “I’m gonna take a shower. I could use some help with my back.” Again, Nicky sat silently. “Do I have to hit you over your head or what? What the hell is wrong with you, Nick? I know ya think I’m hot. I’ve seen the way you look me over.”

  Thinking that he might just sit there for hours, Tina took him by the hand and led him to the bathroom. She turned on the water to the shower, undressed, and slipped behind the curtain. Nicky undressed and entered the shower behind her. He rubbed against her so that she could feel his boner against her ass. Her wet body was even sexier and more beautiful than he could have imagined. With a soapy hand, she reached down and started playing with him. With her other hand, she touched herself. She was so wet between her legs, and not from the shower. Nicky stared wide eyed as she moved both hands in unison. They kissed, and he ran his hands all over her. She stopped short of climaxing, fearing that she would make Nicky come right there in the shower. No, she’d be patient, but she was ready to explode.

  After washing one another, they stepped out of the shower and dried off before entering the bedroom. She took the towel from around his waist. He was excited and ready for her. She then let her towel fall to the floor. He let out a half-hearted protest “we shouldn’t be doing this, Tina”. “I know” but there was no way she was getting this far and not getting laid. As she lie back on the bed, she reached for a condom that she had placed on the night stand. As she put it on him she said “I want it big, and I want it all the way in.” What followed was the best sex that Nicky had ever had. Tina was insatiable. She liked everything and every position, and there wasn’t anything that she wasn’t willing to try.

  Nicky spent the night at Tina’s, and they had sex several times. On his way out the door, he asked if she was free later on. She said “Nick, this was great, but I’m married, ya know. I love Ronnie, and I don’t wanna hurt him. I needed this badly; I was all wrapped up in knots. You were great, and I’ll never forget tonight. But I don’t think we should make more of it. It was one great night, but all it can ever be is just one night.”

  That wasn’t the last time he saw Tina. In fact, they had been in one another’s company many times over the years. But that was the last time he saw her that way. They were just friends now.

  That sobering thought brought Nicky back to the present as the waitress dropped the cheesesteak in front of him. Sheesh, look at me now, he thought to himself. I couldn’t screw more than once now, and that would only last about a friggin’ minute.

  Yesterday, he’d received a call from Josh, who told him that neither he nor Qasim had been able to come up with a solution to the Omar dilemma. He told Nicky that it had been decided they needed what he called a ‘final solution’ and they both felt that Nicky was the guy who could get things done.

  “Do you understand what I mean?” Josh had asked. Nicky may not have gone to college, but he wasn’t stupid. He knew exactly what Josh wanted.

  Nicky took a bite of his cheesesteak and leaned over the table close to Ronnie’s face and whispered. “Ron, I’ve got a job for ya if ya want it, but this is one of those top secret missions like the ones ya used to go on when you was in the Army. Ya can’t tell nobody, not even Tina.”

  “You’re not sending me over to some rat infested third world country are ya?”

  “Nah. It’s here in the States, but it’s the kind of job that you’re perfect for.”

  “What’s the pay?”

  Holy crap thought Nicky. He hadn’t thought about pay, and the question surprised him.

  “Suppose I said nothin’ but it would make you feel patriotic? How about that?”

  “How about I say ‘no way? Pay me and I do the job. Otherwise, tell your boss, whoever he is, to go screw himself."

  Their pointed conversation was interrupted by Kathy, their waitress, who Nicky sensed had been eavesdropping. She looked like she’d been eating all of Giovanni’s profits. When she had taken their order, Ronnie joked “Now there’s a live one for ya, Nick.”

  “No way. I wouldn’t do her with your dick,” Nicky had replied.

  “How’s everything? Can I get yous anything else?” said Kathy.

  Nicky said everything was good as she left him the check. “There’s no rush but yous can pay me when you’re ready”

  He thought it best to shift the conversation away from money, hoping that if he could get Ronnie excited about the “hunt” that he’d be more willing to cooperate. So, he quietly explained the target and asked Ronnie if he was ok with that and if he thought he could pull it off. After a brief discussion of some options, Ronnie said “This is a tough one but yeah, I can pull it off. I just need to go down there a couple a times to scope things out, but I can do it.”

  “Good. Then you’re with us?”

  “Sure, if you pay me enough.”

  “Look Ron”, Nicky whispered. “This guy running the country is a jerkoff, and so are those assholes he put in to help him. We gotta get rid of them, and this is important. You didn’t seem to have any problems killing people before. You even seemed to like it. What’s the problem with doing this for me?”

  Ronnie smiled. “This isn’t about what I like, Nick. I have no problem killing someone. T
hat's what I do. That's what I've loved doin’ for the past 20 years. Mess with Tina or cross me and you're a dead man. But I don't give a shit about Omar. I don't even know him. He hasn't done anything to me. I’ll do it but only as a job; for pay.”

  “Ok I’ll tell ya what, how ‘bout I see if I can getcha a few grand,” said Nicky.

  “How ‘bout ya see if ya can get me fifty grand?” was Ronnie’s terse reply.

  “Fifty large? Sheesh, that’s a lot of dough. Ya just said it was a piece of cake.”

  “I didn’t say it was a piece of cake. It’s a freakin’ nightmare. I said I could do it. How many people do you think there are who can pull off killing a high ranking government official? And how much do you think they would charge? Fifty grand and we got a deal. Otherwise, thanks for my cheesesteak. Oh, and this meeting never happened. Ya hear what I’m sayin’? “

  “Ok, I’ll get ya fifty,” he said. Nicky finished eating his cheesesteak thinking Shit, I shoulda been a sniper for that kinda money. And where the hell am I gonna get him fifty g’s.

  Chapter 36

  “Fifty thousand dollars?” said Josh into his secure phone. “Are you nuts, Nicky? What do you think I am a bank? I’m just retired military. I don’t have that kind of money. Are you even sure this guy can do what he’s promising?”

  “Trust me,” confirmed Nicky, “This guy could shoot a penny out of a squirrel’s mouth from over a mile away. He’s the best I’ve ever seen.”

  “What’s this hot shot’s name?” fired back Josh.

  “Ronnie Tartaglione. You may have heard of him since he was an Army sniper for almost 20 years.”

  Josh had indeed heard of Ronnie. In fact, it was likely that everyone who had ever been in the Army had heard of him. Ronnie was a legend.

  “Give me some time. I’ll get back to you.”

  Josh hung up the phone, frustrated. On the one hand, he didn’t have fifty grand. At the same time, he knew of Ronnie Tartaglione by reputation, and he knew that if anyone could pull this off, Ronnie could.

  Josh dialed a local NY number.

  “Hello Josh,” said Saul. “What can I do for you?”

  Josh explained a mainly false version of the situation to Saul about needing fifty grand to bribe a high-ranking government official to get him to step down so that someone who was loyal to their cause might be promoted. Though Saul had been at the meeting where they had spoken via Teleview with the brothers, Josh felt obliged to repeat everything about the Khalid brothers and their friend Tarif and how important it was to his mission to have eyes and ears on the inside. It was all true, except Josh never told Saul about how he was planning to spend the money.

  “That’s a lot of money. I can get you twenty-five grand but not the whole thing” was Saul’s reply.

  Josh thanked him for his help even though the money wasn’t enough. He immediately dialed Nicky’s number in Philly. “Ok, it’s a go. I’ve got Ronnie’s money. He gets half upfront and the rest when he’s completed the job.”

  Josh was more than a little concerned about the money. He wasn’t sure yet, but it was possible that he might also need an ordnance handler. He knew a guy from one of his Middle Eastern assignments but hiring him would cost him a pretty penny. He didn’t know how or where yet, but somehow he’d figure out how to get the rest of the money he’d need.

  Chapter 37

  It was a beautiful spring morning with the bluest of skies over South Philly. Only a few birds were tweeting, mostly little sparrows, but Ronnie loved the sound of birds. Having spent so much time in the desert, he didn’t get to hear birds chirp very often or for long periods. Besides having sex with his wife, that was his favorite part of being stateside.

  He packed his luggage, kissed his wife, and left his home for DC.

  Soon after being hired for the job, he had contacted an old high school classmate, Eddie Moretti. He loved Eddie’s name because it kinda rolled off the tongue. Eddie made his living getting people whatever they needed. Ronnie had him rent a car for him under an alias with one of his many fake IDs. He and Eddie weren’t friends. In fact, he thought Eddie was kinda stupid giving him a friend’s discount. What a dope thought Ronnie. I was gonna pay him 2 g’s to rent the car, and all he wanted was the money for the rental plus a c-note for his trouble.

  He put the luggage in the trunk of the rental and hung a suit bag on the hook above the rear, driver’s side window. Ronnie wore gloves so there would be no trace of his fingerprints on the car or the rifle. He also brought a portable vacuum cleaner that he would use to clean the inside of car and trunk. He had done this sort of thing hundreds of times, and since the car was rented to some fictional person, there would be no way to trace the car to Ronnie.

  He stopped at the corner store for a cup of Joe and then headed south on I-95 on the short jaunt to DC.

  Within three hours Ronnie was parked on the first level of a parking garage on H Street in the nation’s Capital. This was his third trip to DC and each time he did the same thing; packed lunch, parked on H Street, and went to a local park to relax for the day. Tina had wondered where he was going, and he explained that he was making a presentation about providing some security services at the Pentagon. She never asked for details. He loved that about her.

  The park was relaxing for Ronnie. He enjoyed sitting on a bench or laying on the grass under a tree and reading his new Kindle Blaze. At the end of the day, he’d go back to the garage and then move from the garage roof to a roof at the corner of H and 15th. There he’d wait until 4:30 pm when the White House staff left for the evening. Everyone scattered to various parking garages, got in their cars, and sat in bumper to bumper traffic for what seemed like hours.

  On his first two visits, Ronnie drove his own car and sat in traffic with everyone else. That hadn’t been much fun, so his plan for this trip was to put all of his nondescript belongings back in the trunk, take a walk in the park again, and never return to the car.

  The final part of his plan called for him to leave the park around 7 pm, walk a couple of blocks to get a cab to ride to Union Station. There he would change into his business suit and board an Amtrak train to Wilmington DE where his wife, Tina, would pick him up after what she thought was his long day of meetings at the Pentagon.

  Chapter 38

  It had been a very long day, and Omar was glad that it was over.

  The day had started badly when Omar woke up with a splitting headache. He had taken a couple of pain relievers and sat over a cup of coffee reading the Washington Post. This routine had become a ritual that he loved as it started his day in a relaxed way. Well, the day usually started on a positive note but not today.

  “Shit”. He spilled coffee on his white shirt. “Now I have to change and I’m in a hurry.”

  After picking out a nice blue dress shirt and matching tie, Omar left for the short drive to the White House. The typical drive at 7 am from Silver Spring, MD was about 25 minutes or so but there was a lot of road repair going on and today’s trip took him 45 minutes.

  He felt cursed as nothing seemed to go right the rest of the day. It was just one of those days that made him grateful knowing that it would end and tomorrow would be a new day. He wasn’t a clock watcher but today he couldn’t wait to leave, play a little tennis, and then go home to relax for the evening.

  Omar finished barking the last of his dinner party orders to the White House Staff at 4:15 pm and headed to a dressing room to change. Every Wednesday after work, Omar played tennis with some friends at the new “Fifth Set Tennis Courts” on NW 15th Street. It was one of the few things to which Omar looked forward.

  He left the White House at 4:25 pm sharp, slightly ahead of the other daytime employees. President Abbas had wanted to hold a meeting to see if anyone had learned anything regarding a potential intifada but Omar had asked if the president could hold the meeting the following morning. “After all,” said Omar, “how much Intel do we have today that will not be just as valuable tomorrow morning?” Th
e president seemed more tired than usual. He welcomed the chance to finish work, attend the planned dinner party, and relax with Maryam in the sitting room before retiring for a much needed good night’s sleep.

  Omar turned north on 15th toward H Street, and as he started his walk, he began to sing softly a tune from an old Walt Disney movie from 100 years prior.

  “Just whistle while you…..

  The word “work” never made it out of his mouth.

  A little red dot had appeared on his forehead before a single bullet from a Barrett .50 Cal rifle ripped through the air putting a nice, clean, round hole in the center of his forehead.

  Omar was knocked backward and laid dead on the sidewalk. The time was 4:30 pm on the dot.

  Chapter 39

  Police and news vans were all over 15th and H Streets; one group trying to find a killer, the others looking for a story.

  News of Omar’s shooting spread quickly, via VAPTs from the nation’s Capital.

  President Abbas called Omar’s wife immediately so that she would hear the bad news directly from him. She was devastated. He wished that he could go to her to give her comfort but he had pressing business.

  He told his secretary “Julia, I need you to do two things for me. First I need you to contact the remaining cabinet members. I want everyone in my office tomorrow morning at 7 sharp.”