Something for Nothing: Chapter 21, “Indomitable”

At about 3:00 AM a white mini-van identical to Baker’s rental pulled into the space next to his in front of room #3 at the Voyager Inn in Aliceville, Alabama. A man and a woman got out. They must have gotten the same guy at the rental place at the airport ... “Take it or leave it, buddy.” Or maybe they drove from wherever they came from and it was a company car purchased at a discount rate for a fleet of white mini-vans. Either way, they were both wearing blue tradesman coveralls and carrying black bags containing assorted restoration and cleaning equipment. 

All they told Baker was that Ray Hennessy sent them to “clean up.” They were gone by 4:00 AM. The room was cleaned spotless. They took Lindsey with them. Baker asked where they were taking her. All they said was, in a comforting way that satisfied Baker ... “She’s with us now. She was one of ours. We’ll take good care of her.” 

(Author’s note: This Thomas Baker series novel is based on the ‘Sunset Playland’ and ‘Sweet Land of Liberty’ character as seen in the “Activity” section on this LinkedIn web page. This is a work of fiction based on true events, and contains opinion commentary. Any similarities to actual persons, places, or events is coincidental, and within the context of the author’s discretion.) 

Baker tried to get some sleep but the adrenalin from the evening’s activities was keeping him awake. He was to meet Cindy MacNamara at the woman’s prison at 10:00 AM to talk with two of the six convicted Statue of Liberty bombing conspirators, Jesse Wilkins, age 19, and Marva Copeland, age 47. He would meet Hennessy at the maximum security facility in Colorado in a few days to speak with the four male conspirators in the bombing. 

Hennessy called him to ask if the “cleaners” got there and if everything was okay. Baker said, “Sure, everything is fine ... just great ... aside from the fact that Lindsey is dead and it feels like deja vu all over again for me with the CIA. What the hell’s going on Ray?” Hennessy said, “Well, I was going to let Cindy fill you in, but I may as well tell you now. I think this is a secure line, but with the CIA, who knows. If they’re listening in, who cares, fuck ‘em. There are no secrets between you and me, Tommy, and I don’t care who knows it or what they think.” Baker said, “Good to know, Ray. So what’s up?” 

Hennessy continued, “Lindsey wasn’t her real name. She’s Morgan Anderson. From Rawlins, Wyoming. She was recruited by the CIA several years ago, trained at Quantico, and assigned to a rogue faction of the “company” to infiltrate a suspected cell of domestic terrorists based in Texas with foreign terror organization connections. She excelled, and became a valued asset. She was good, real good ... as we both know ...” Baker interrupted and said, “Wait a second. You said she was at the O.K. Corral bar in Texas the day I was jumped by that Bozworth guy?”  Hennessy said, “I was getting to that. Lindsey, or Morgan, was there under cover. She had no idea we were working the case too. Our bad ... or the FBI’s bad since they were running us. I guess transparency works both ways. Coordination sucked. Who knew?! Anyway ... she was going to meet Tony there. Apparently, he was the mastermind behind the Statue of Liberty bombing but was smart enough to not get caught. He ratted out his co-conspirators who are all now in prison.” 

Hennessy continued, “Lindsey had developed a “relationship” with Tony in an effort to get to his foreign connections, believed to be Al-Qaeda but with other players yet unidentified. The CIA suspects a cartel of terrorism aimed at the U.S. including Russian, Chinese ... it’s where COVID-19 came from, as you well know ... Saudi and Iranian input are also suspected. Lindsey was in the process of identifying the players toward a major bust. We fucked it up for her.” 

Baker just moaned, “Oh, no ... Lindsey ... goddammit! ...” Hennessy went on, “ ... she called Tony that day in Texas and warned him off when the shit hit the fan with you and Jamie Lee Bozworth. She didn’t know what was going on or who we were, but thought it best to call off the meeting.” Baker asked, “So, what’s the deal with your friend Lukas whatshizname?” Hennessy said, “Karmazinas. Tony’s younger brother. A real hot head. A fanatic. Jihadist. Those are their real names. Bombings are their thing. They’re real good at it. It was a total coincidence that Tony took a job at Joe’s in Queens. It was a cover for some mischief to come, but we don’t know what ... possibly a bombing at 1 Police Plaza in Manhattan. And that’s where Lindsey comes into the picture getting a job at the diner right around the corner. Manny Ramirez had no idea, nor did Cindy MacNamara, that she was CIA working under cover.” 

Baker asked, “So why the bombing at Joe’s in Queens? ... and the attempt at the diner?” Hennessy replied, “Anybody’s guess at this point. Lindsey may have had an answer for that. But Lukas told me that it was him, not Tony, that bombed Joe’s. He didn’t give a reason other than Joe wanted to take down the TV in the dining room, or show CNN or MSNBC, and not Al Jazeera news. Apparently they were going to use Joe’s as a meeting place. It was a personal thing with them. The diner bombing was revenge against Lindsey. Lukas had a thing for her. When he found out, and we don’t know how he found out, she was an informer for the U.S. government ... he just went berserk and tried to blow the place up. Lindsey somehow found out her cover was blown, no pun intended, and she just split.” 

Baker said, “And here we are, huh? Jeez, what a mess. No wonder I decided to stay in Logan and just write this story. You should get out too Ray, before we get someone else killed. Go home to Pat, put in that new driveway ... build a shed ... plant a garden. I feel so entirely responsible for Lindsey.” Hennessy just said, “Tommy ... in the immortal words of Hyman Roth in ‘Godfather II’, speaking to Michael Corleone about ordering the death of Roth’s friend Moe Greene in Las Vegas ... ‘This is the business we’ve chosen ... ’ 

Baker said, “What business, Ray? What “business” is it that we are in? Saving America? Really? From itself? Look around, buddy, America is going, going, gone! Just like Lindsey. Gone! Not coming back. Ever! We’re not a ‘United States’ anymore. Half the country voted a certified lunatic in as president, and even though he lost the last election, still think he’s president and follow his lead. Why? Because they are lunatics too! The other half is so spinelessly complacent and concerned with being politically correct they think that “childcare” is “infrastructure”, and that kind words and good deeds will somehow magically build airports, highways, bridges, and tunnels. The people in the middle are watching this asinine civil war tennis match on cable TV news trying to figure out just who or what they should be pissed off about! Where are the refs?! I swear, Ray ... it’s almost like someone is directing the downfall of the country. The media has the ultimate power to incite a crowd and it seems like what they choose to present, by whoever is running their show, they’re doing a damn good job of it ... 

... Or is it just me?” 

Hennessy said, “It’s just you, Tom. You sound like a grouchy old bigot.” 

Baker was on a roll now, ” ... Democracy can’t work here anymore because the general population has become arrogant and bloated with a warped version of freedom. We’re drowning demographically, there are just too many of us to continue to operate on par without some major constitutional and infrastructural changes. We’re off balance and headed for trouble. Somehow, a significant number of Americans have adopted the privileged notion that “freedom” means they can do anything they want, anytime they want, anywhere, and to whomever they want ... 

... I was talking with a local high school teacher last week (remember, Baker is writing this story from home) ... and he said he’s disgusted with what he’s seeing. He blames the administration. Complacent, incompetent, clueless. “No one is doing their job.” The few teachers that are holding up their end are maxed out and burnt out, mostly by a lackluster administration that won’t get off their backs and let them teach. There’s almost a 75% drop out rate of new teachers coming into the job after the first few years. And it’s the kids who are screwed on an education which in turn screws America. The administration wants to lower the grade bar so everyone can pass. And we wonder why the Chinese kids are eating our lunch! Our kids are trained by their administrations to look toward vacations, holidays, and days off, while the Chinese kids are disciplined, and taught to finish their assignments and spend more time in class learning ... 

... America is politically correcting itself to oblivion. Everyone gets a trophy, here. We lower the bar so “everyone” wins. Anyone can become a senator or congressman ... or president! It’s become the con man’s best kept secret. Everyone’s talking, no one’s doing the work! Russia, China, Iran ... they are all watching, laughing at us, just waiting for the other shoe to drop then come in and pick up the pieces ...” 

Hennessy said, “Well, maybe it’s not just you, Tom.” 

Baker continued, “I mean what are we doing, Ray? Why are we talking to these bombing people? What are we going to find out? Who the really, really bad guys are? Who’s committing crimes against America? Put them in jail? They’re already in jail! ... and laughing at us through the bars because they know they’ll get out soon. Just look around! It’s like talking to a Trump supporter. You get what’s in their head. Nada. Tumbleweeds. Clueless ... flag-waving, disillusioned, media-saturated exhibitionists. I saw a pickup truck at the Birmingham airport yesterday flying a giant Trump 2024 flag, an American flag, and a “Save the Children” sign blocking the view from the rear cab window. The driver looked like a shipwreck in a baseball cap. I hope there was no ‘baby on board’. These people hold a jihadist-type blind faith over common sense and reason. The lights are always on, blazing, but no one’s home ...

... The bombers are in jail now, but there will just be more behind them ... and then behind them. A revolving door. Generation after generation as the gene pool weakens. And they’re laughing all the way, in our face. It won’t ever end. Until it’s all over ... then none of what we’re doing now will matter.” 

Hennessy said, “ Whew! ... Cheer up, Tommy boy, there’s brighter days ahead, man! Jesus Christ! ... you are such a realist. Not a pessimist, I know you too well for that, but a harsh realist. Me, I’m an optometrist ... or an optimist ... whatever. Look ... I couldn’t agree with you more. You are 100% correct in your observation and evaluation. America is a freight train headed for the bridge on the river Kwai. But my feeling is that, someone, someone like you, me, Cindy, Manny ... Lindsey ... needs to at least try to do the right thing. What else can we do? ... save ourselves, our families?... every man for himself? I’d rather go down fighting than ... just go down. My America, my vision of America, is worth saving, then preserving Now in that order, since things are so fucked up. Who are we going to leave this work to? ... that young FBI jerkoff with the pompadour haircut that called you out in Cindy’s office with his shoes on the wrong feet? ... Whoever it was at the CIA responsible for Lindsey’s safety? ... Senator Ted Cruz? ... Josh Hawley? ... Marjorie Taylor Greene? ... Matt Gaetz? ... Chuck Schumer? ... Nancy Pelosi? ... Elizabeth Warren? ... Bernie Sanders? ... even the President, God bless him? ... Do you have confidence anymore in their convoluted and constricted abilities to lead America? ... 

... there’a a Bob Dylan song, ‘Things Have Changed’, that goes: ‘People are crazy and times are strange, I’m locked in tight, I’m out of range ... I used to care, but things have changed’ ...  

... I can’t believe that even Dylan has thrown in the towel. I hate to say it Tommy, but it’s up to us ... a few old men ... a few good men ... and a lot of great women.” 

Baker said, “Ray, that’s why I love you. You are indomitable. You should put that on your business card. A true patriot. A better man than I.” Hennessy just said, “You better believe it. And don’t forget it.” They both laughed ... but both aware that they may be playing with a losing hand. 

The two men made plans to meet in Colorado in a few days. Hennessy wanted to spend some time at home with his wife, Pat. He was putting in a new driveway and needed to speak with the contractor, and take care of a few other odds and ends ... shed ... garden. They disconnected the call, each with a new sense of the reality they were dealing with. Both glad they were as old as they were, yet sad to think of the world, the country, that America’s youth, people Lindsey’s age, were going to have to deal with. 

Lindsey ... who killed Lindsey? Baker was determined to find out.

Baker’s phone rang. It was Cindy MacNamara. She was on her way to the prison and asked if she could pick up a coffee and a breakfast roll for Baker ... “a bacon and egg on a Kaiser.” He thought to himself, ‘Oh, my God’ ... but just said, “No thanks, Cindy ... just coffee, please. Black. I’ll see you there at ten.” She said, “I just talked with your pal Hennessy. He thinks a lot of you, you know. He said you were indomitable.”        

John Kushma is a communication consultant and lives in Logan, Utah

https://www.dhirubhai.net/in/john-george-kushma-379a5762

Some past articles and op-eds

https://muckrack.com/john-kushma/articles