by Kurt Winans
While viewing the obvious physical response from behind his desk, President Harwell asked, “Well Mr. Secretary, what do you think? Are you shaking your head because you don’t believe in the data presented, or is it something else?”
Looking up at his boss the Secretary responded, “I’m sorry Mr. President, but I’m just attempting to wrap my head around all of this. I have no doubt in the data that Agent Bishop has presented, but sir…”
After the lengthy pause, Jordan Harwell said, “It’s alright Mr. Secretary, please speak freely. I summoned you so that I could hear your opinion on this matter.”
“Yes sir, thank you sir. Well then Mr. President, I must say that at this point the information we possess just doesn’t fit together tightly enough.”
“That’s a fair assessment Mr. Secretary, as we are talking about the most serious of accusations. Now with that in mind, do you think that the information at least establishes a foundation to contradict previous beliefs? And if so, can it be fit together more completely?”
Looking first at Agent Bishop, and then back to the President, he replied, “Well sir. I do think that there is something tangible here, and that it merits further investigation.”
“So do I Mr. Secretary, so do I. Now to act upon our common belief, my plan is to have Agent Bishop continue his investigation into this possible treason. He will need to work alone and covertly in a manner which will not raise suspicion or connect him directly to any of our intelligence agencies, but he will be able to seek assistance from those whom I trust.”
“That seems like a prudent course of action Mr. President.”
“I’m glad that you agree, because you Mr. Secretary are one of those trusted individuals. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
Standing from the couch to face the President directly, the Secretary stated, “Yes sir. I believe that I do sir. You are ordering me to provide whatever assistance possible to Agent Bishops’ investigation, with an understanding that it must be done very quietly.”
“That is correct. But it would be better if we identified your actions in this matter as more of a personal favor to me than as that of following orders.”
“Very well Mr. President, consider it done. But if I may clarify sir, and with no intended disrespect toward Agent Bishop, what about any requested information which would be above his current security clearance?”
“Well I don’t think Heath will be asking you to provide him with the nuclear launch codes or anything of nearly that level of significance, but you do have a point. Agent Bishop has dutifully protected me in the past, and has sworn to take a bullet for me if the need ever arose. I think that level of devotion and patriotism merits significant latitude with regard to his security clearance. However if you ever feel that he is requesting something which you are uncomfortable with openly providing, then don’t hesitate to contact me for approval or denial before releasing the information.”
“Yes sir Mr. President, I understand.”
After an approving nod, President Harwell turned to Agent Bishop and asked, “Heath, do you have anything that the Secretary could help you with at this time?”
“Yes sir Mr. President. As a matter of fact there is.”
“Well since you have a captive audience, please proceed.”
Turning toward the twin couches, Heath asked, “Mr. Secretary, how would I go about learning why certain Midshipmen or Cadets were absent from the stadiums at Annapolis or West Point during the terrorist attacks?”
“By checking the respective duty logs. Then check the records of the infirmary and any disciplinary reports which would prohibit an individual from attending the game.”
“That was my thinking as well sir, but such information is difficult to obtain. Could you assist me in acquiring any records which would be relevant to the day in question?”
After a moment of contemplation, the Secretary replied, “Perhaps I could claim to initiate an independent study into the prolonged psychological effects of having been absent from the event which killed or injured so many of their respective academy brethren. That would provide a reasonable excuse for me to obtain the list of all those which you seek without raising any questions.”
“That sounds like an excellent idea Mr. Secretary, but wouldn’t there eventually need to be a report on the findings of such a study?”
“Yes, eventually. But such results could be fabricated if need be. Besides, the information you obtain from the list may uncover a greater deceit. If that turns out to be the case, then the fictional study will be of no concern to anyone.”
“Could such a list include the state of origin for each Midshipman or Cadet?”
“Yes Agent Bishop, it could. However I believe that including such information might raise questions and possibly be misconstrued as a tainting factor to the study. Therefore I will have a member of my personal staff look up the state origins for you.”
“That sounds as if it would work Mr. Secretary. Thank you for the assistance.”
“You’re welcome Agent Bishop. I just hope for the sake of our country that you are mistaken about all of this. But if you are correct, then I say good hunting.”
“Thank you Mr. Secretary. I hope that I’m mistaken as well, but unfortunately, I don’t believe that will be the case.”
Moving from behind his desk to shake the hand of his guest, the President said, “Thank you again for coming in on such short notice Mr. Secretary, and for your future cooperation with Agent Bishop on this matter. I believe that the two of you will work well together, which could lead to positive results. Now I do have one final request of you, but to be more precise, I must make this one an order.”
“What’s that sir?”
“We must maintain a tight circle with regard to the content of this evening’s discussion. Therefore I want to make sure that you have absolute faith in the person who will research the cadet and midshipmen state origins for you. He or she doesn’t need to know why you have requested the information, but they must remain silent about the task. In addition, I don’t want you to tell another soul, not even the most senior members of your staff, about the direction we are heading.”
“I understand Mr. President.”
“That’s good Mr. Secretary. We don’t know as of yet if there is an information leak, or where it is located if one does exist, but we can’t risk having any knowledge of our intentions getting back to a deviant individual or group who might reside in Texas.”
“As you wish sir, and rest assured, I will hand pick someone who can be trusted.”
While still clasping the Secretary’s hand, President Harwell turned his head toward Agent Bishop and added, “Heath, I want you to turn over every rock that you think should be looked under in search of more tangible evidence. And don’t hesitate to inform me or the Secretary directly if you are in need of any resources up to and including additional personnel to assist in your efforts.”
While completely unaware of the meeting that was taking place within the oval office, Samuel Tillman and the rest of the family went about their everyday business of life. As far as he and his flock were concerned, everything with regard to the rise of Texas and the further enhancement to the vast wealth of all Tillman interests was running along smoothly. The only inescapable and undeniable snag within the perfection of their current situation and extreme comfort was that of Savanah and her health. Unfortunately there were some aspects of life which couldn’t be controlled or overcome regardless of how much money or other resources were put into it, but Samuel and Victoria had certainly attempted to do so over much of the previous two years.
Like many afflictions throughout history which had claimed numerous lives at far too young of an age, the disease Savanah battled would continue to do so as well. Perhaps through research a cure for her particular enemy within would someday be found, but that was of little solace in the present time to Kyle, Ashley, and other members of the family. Diagnosed with ALS just a month prior to the M
anhattan New Year’s Eve visit with her father and grandfather, Savanah had been a brave young girl while staring adversity in the face for twenty-one months.
Her affliction, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, would ultimately become a death sentence. Although sad but true, no cure had been discovered during the more than eighty-six years since the demise of the Yankee hall of fame first baseman in June of 1941. To magnify the gloomy outlook for the future of Savanah was another harsh fact. More than ninety percent of ALS cases resulted in death sometime between two and four years after onset. However while exhibiting tremendous strength of character for someone of her youthful age; Savanah still maintained a healthy and happy attitude in spite of her personal understanding and acceptance of the fate which awaited her. Based on that admirable trait, the youngest of the Tillman clan had made things a little bit easier on her parents and the extended family. Nevertheless, Samuel understood that certain aspects of daily life would become unbearably difficult for his oldest son and daughter-in-law once their youngest child could no longer exhibit such composer.
Separate from that turbulent future, other forces which Samuel was unaware of were at work to destroy the bliss that he and his family had created. Those forces would ultimately attack from various fronts over an extended period of time, with each representing either damaging or potentially dangerous scenarios, but exactly where and when they would come from remained a mystery.
Had Samuel been aware of what Heath conveyed to President Harwell and the Secretary of Defense, then he would recognize that such an investigation, if vigorously pursued, could bring troublesome times for many within the organization and Texas. As a result Samuel would have attempted to prepare a counter offensive, but as he was currently in a state of blissful ignorance, the point was inconsequential. However a more immediate threat would soon be brought to the attention of Samuel, and it could not be defended against. There was a governing entity, separate from the United States federal bureaucracy, which was fully prepared to flex its substantial power upon the Republic of Texas.
As Samuel was discussing business matters after dinner with his oldest son Kyle, his cell phone unexpectedly rang. He excused himself for a moment to answer, and smiled after hearing the voice of an old friend on the other end of the line.
Then he replied, “So my friend, are you ready for the home opener in three days? Most of our family will be driving over on Friday afternoon, and it would be great if you could join us for dinner. If not, then we should get together at Kyle Field on Saturday morning a few hours before the game.”
Kyle, who had been named after the field to which Samuel spoke, realized from the statement that his father was speaking with the current President of Texas A&M University. That man was one of few people who possessed the latitude to call the Tillman mansion at any hour of the day, but he wouldn’t exercise that privilege unless there was an important matter to discuss. Although Kyle attempted to rise and leave the office so the old friends could chat in private, Samuel silently motioned for him to remain seated.
Within thirty seconds Samuel’s jovial facial expression changed dramatically to one of anger. Amazed by the transformation, Kyle inquired, “What’s wrong dad?”
A raised index finger was the signal for Kyle to be quiet while Samuel asked his friend in College Station, “And this is confirmed without a doubt? This mandate as you call it from their offices is set in stone, and there’s nothing that can be done about it?”
Louder audible sounds from the other end of the line were coming back, but Kyle was unable to ascertain exactly what was being said. So he asked again, “Dad, what’s wrong?”
Placing a hand over the phone, Samuel replied, “I will tell you in a minute Kyle. In the meantime, could you please go find your mother and ask her to come back here with you?”
“Sure dad, no problem.”
Samuel listened closely to the rest of what his friend had to say, and then dejectedly ended the call.
A few minutes later Victoria entered the office with Kyle to find her husband staring at the wall with glazed over eyes.
Approaching slowly, she asked, “Samuel, what’s wrong? Kyle said it was bad news.”
“That’s an understatement Vic, and it’s going to take a minute to explain.”
She looked at her husband with worrisome eyes and asked, “This isn’t about Savanah is it? Please tell me that she isn’t beginning to slip more rapidly.”
Snapping from his glazed stare, he answered, “No Vic, this has nothing to do with her. Well, at least not directly.”
“Then is it someone else in the family?”
“No, everyone else in the family is fine as far as I know. Besides, you and Ms. Holloway are more in tune with that particular area of the family interests. Didn’t Kyle mention who I was on the phone with?”
“No he didn’t Samuel. Who was it?”
After a look of distain, Samuel replied, “That was the President of Texas A&M, and you would be in a far less worrisome state at this moment if Kyle had told you that. Now please just try to relax for a minute and think Vic. There is no way that the President of our beloved Aggieland would be calling me with any news about Savanah.”
With understanding that the question about Savanah would not have been asked if she had known the origin of the call, Victoria also took a brief glance back at her oldest son to confirm Samuel’s temporary feeling of dissatisfaction in him.
Then she gave Kyle a reassuring smile before stating, “Alright Samuel, you made your point. Now please tell me why I needed to hurry back here to speak with you?”
Throughout the next few minutes Samuel explained to both of them everything that had been conveyed to him from College Station. The university president had received not only written notification in the midafternoon via courier, but upon reading the mandate had the contents of the letter verbally confirmed by calling the national offices in Indianapolis. Then he spoke with his counterparts at the University of Texas in Austin, Baylor University in Waco, TCU in Fort Worth, Rice University in Houston, and so on. Throughout that process some of those university administrators had confirmed speaking with the chief administrator at other smaller or less well-known institutions within Texas. Unfortunately for all who were involved in those discussions, each had received the same devastating news.
Apparently the plan had been in the works for a few months, but the National Collegiate Athletic Association, or NCAA, had wanted in typical form to be thorough with their process before presenting the non-debatable mandate. The document, although received a week after the established date of enacted doom, stated that as of September first 2027 no team or individual representing a university or college within Texas would be eligible for future athletic conference or national championships. In addition, no school regardless of division level would be considered for an invitation to participate in postseason play. Lastly there was the aspect of facilities. Any university or college locations within Texas which had been previously selected to host future postseason events in any sport would no longer enjoy that privilege.
Beyond those blanket coverages, the NCAA also professed to having been lenient with its enforcement during the previous spring. As Texas was no longer part of the United States from the onset of the calendar year, the governing body for all collegiate level athletics could have imposed such will as of that date. Fortunately no team or individual from the former state of Texas had won a championship in any of the multiple winter and spring sports for men or women. As a result, there had been no call to subsequently strip such a title away from the institution. However there had been a few universities that hosted various regional tournament games or matches within their facilities or those of neighboring cities. That in turn led to the enacted correction for any planned future hosting.
The impact of the imposed sanctions would be hugely significant upon basketball, as elimination rounds for national tournaments had occasionally been played within Texas. More events of tha
t nature had already been scheduled for the upcoming few years, but now they would be awarded to other locations within the actual forty-nine United States. In addition, a planned NCAA golf championship and regional competition for tennis would be relocated. The mandate was also clear in that the decision was final, and that there would be no recourse afforded to hosting universities within the Republic of Texas.
As a final act of defiance towards the pride of Texas athletic endeavors, and the one which hit Samuel most significantly, was the impact upon the sport of college football. Texas would not be permitted to participate in one of the largest businesses in the sporting world, as the ultimate form of the sports so-called “Death penalty” would be immediately imposed. The mandate stated that no football games would count as far as the governing body of the NCAA was concerned. For the 2027 season if a team from outside of Texas were to defeat a squad from within, then the game would be reflected on their slate of wins toward either bowl eligibility or a conference title. However if the outcome was reversed, then the game would be considered as a “No contest” and therefore not reflected in the loss column. The defiant stance against those institutions within Texas would not change for the seasons of 2028 and beyond, so seeking opportunities for replacement scheduling was recommended.
Although certainly not the athletic director, a member of her staff, or any other level of administrator at Texas A&M University, Samuel was a lifelong college football fan and an extremely successful business man. Therefore he understood, at least on some level, the broad implications that the NCAA mandate from Indianapolis would have. Although not pleasant to think about, Samuel knew that it would only be a matter of time. Various opponents from any of the forty-nine United States would contact schools within Texas to back out of previously scheduled athletic commitments. That action, coupled with the inability to compete for any future team or individual championships would create a void not easily filled. Although an abundance of talented athletes from within Texas would remain loyal to their homeland, many others would go elsewhere. In addition, the recruitment of high caliber male and female athletes for all sports from within the United States would become more difficult as the years passed. As a consequence, each school within Texas would see a decrease in the attendance numbers for each sport, and in alignment with that reality, would experience a significant financial downfall.