PlotOutline

*Pleasenotethatmanyoftheseeventsarenotorganizedinchronologicalorderasmystorymakesuse offlashbacks.

JohnRenaldssitsathisdeskfinishingupanarticleaboutHudsonEnergieseffectsonthe environment.Whenheisapproachedbychiefeditor,SueNevena.Sheaskshimifhewouldbe interestedinwritinganarticleandinterviewingeachofthePresidentialcandidates liveon nationaltelevision.Heagreesandshehandshimalistofsourcestouseforwritingthearticles.

Johnwalkstohisfavoritecafeon47thand6th.Insideheisgreetedwarmlybyhisuncle,Jeremy Renalds.Theysitdownandtalkaboutworkforawhile.Johnasksabouthisyoungerbrother whoisthepolaroppositeofJohn.He'sinahalfwayhouse.Motherpayedhisbailbutyour fatherwantsnothingtodowithhim..Johnthinksbacktohischildhoodandtotheaccidentthat claimedhisyoungestbrother'slifeanddividedhisfamilyforever.

LaterthatdayJohnvisitsthegraveofhisyoungestbrother,Anthonywhowaskilledbyadrunk driver.Thedrivergotoutafterayearforgoodbehavior.

ThatnightJohndreamsabouttheaccident,relivingeachdetail.Hewasattheparkwatchinghis youngerbrothers.CanIhaveadollartobuyapopsicle.sevenyearoldAnthonyhadasked. JohnwatchedhimashisbrothercrossedthestreetandwatchedinhorrorastheblackSUV swervescrashingintothevendorstandkillinghisbrotherandtwootherpedestrians.Hewoke uptothesoundofhisownscreamingandtheringingofaphone.Hepicksupthephone,not reallysurewhowouldbecallingatthistimeofnight.Whoisthis?heasks.Thereisapause andthenaman'svoicesaysIknowyouaredoingastoryaboutthePresidentialcandidates.I

havesomeinformationofmyownaboutSenatorEdmonds.Thetypeofinformationthatwill redefineyourcareer.Ifyouareinterestedmeetmeat9pmat305West50thStreetapartment 969.Thephoneclicksandthedialtonesounds. ThenextdayJohnbeginsthetedioustaskofcontactingseveralofthecandidatesfamilyand friendstogleaninformationforhisarticle. Heleavesworkat8andtakesataxito305West50th.Hetakestheelevatortothetopofthe building.Hereachesthedoorandknocks.Thereisnoreply.Heknocksagainandagain.Finally growingimpatientheyellsIfit'ssodamnimportantwhycan'tyouopenyourdoor.Hehearsa latchslideandseveralclicksbeforethedoorslidesopenandheisgreetedbyagauntmaninhis thirties. InsidethemanintroduceshimselfasEarlRandolf,aGulfWarveteranwhowashospitalized afterthebattleKhafji.Theyhituswithgas.RandolfsaidIdidn'tgetthemaskonsoon enoughandIwasknockedout.WhenIcametoaweekandahalfhadpassedandthewarwas over. What does this have to do with the Senator? Renalds asked. I'm getting to that. Anyway,insteadofbeingshippedbackliketherestofmyunitIwasassignedtoaspecialtask force.MosttheguysontherewereDelta,theonlyguyIknewwasmyfriendSergentMajorEric Henry.Sowearetoldthatwehavebeenselectedforaspecialmissiontotargetan AlQuaeda sleepercellinSaudiArabia.ThemissionwascodenamedRenegadeandweweresupposed to be in and out in fifteen minutes. The first red flag came when I heard we would be cooperatingwithIntegospecialforces,privatelyownedbySenatorEdmonds.Erictoldmeafter thebriefingsomethingwaswrong.Itoldhimitdidn'tsitwellwithmeeither,butIdidn'tthinkit wisetomentionanything.ButEricwasstubbornandhedidsaysomething.Hewaskilledfor that.Officiallyitwasfriendlyfire,buttheoperationwenttosmoothlyforthat.Everyoneinthe

housewasdeadbeforeourenemycouldfireasingleshot.Iwasthefirstpersontofindthe SergentMajor,andwhenIdidIfoundthisonhim.TheveteranproducesaCD.Onitare targetspecifictargets andorders toIntegomercenaries.Italsohasorderswithverification signaturesfromtheSenator.Idon'tunderstand.saysJohnbesidestheunconventionalwayit wasdonewhatiswrongwithwithtakingoutanAlQuaedasleepercell.Randolflooksalmost upset. Because it wasn'ta sleeper cell and none ofknewthat until after it was done. The intended target was actually Khalid bin Abdullah, a Saudi Prince, and also the largest stockholderinGeneralInnovation.Withhimdeadthewealthissplitamonghisfourchildren. And how does this benefit the Edmonds? John asked. With the prince out of the way EdmondsbecamethelargeststockholderinGeneralInnovation.Henowownsthecompany. ThiscountrycannothaveaPresidentwhowieldsthatmuchpower.Iwantyoutogopublicwith this.I'mnotaskingyoutomakethisdecisionovernight,butlookattheevidenceonthisCDand atleastconsiderdoingtherightthing.

*ThisiswheremystorylosesmomentumIhaveanideawhereIwantthistogo,butIhaveonly thoughtofvaguedetails. Johnmakesleavestheveteransapartment. BackathisapartmentJohnbeginslookingatthefilesontheCD.Heprintsoutthedocuments he finds important and decides that before he even considers going public he needs to verificationtheauthenticityofthedocumentsontheCD. Thatnighthedreamsagainoftheaccidentandtheofthejournalhewasgiven.Theonehestill haswithhim.

Thenextdayhetellshistrustedfriendandcolleague,NndorSimonthewholestoryandasks himtoanalyzethedisk.Ineedtoknowifthedocumentsonthereareauthentic.Hesays.

Whenhereacheshisapartmenthefindsthatithasbeenbrokeninto.Thereisamessageonhis machinefromNndorsayingthathehasfinishedanalyzingthedocumentsonthemachineand thedigitalsignaturesmatchthedateandtimefromRandolf'sstory.HecallsNndorbutthereis noresponse.Hedrivesovertotheanalystsapartmentandfindsitquiet,butwhenheentershe findsNndorisdeadonthefloorwithcutsonbothhiswrists.Hecallsthepoliceandthey decideitwasasuicide.

Heisstillrecoveringfromshockofthedeathofhisfriend,whenheseesanewsreportsaying thattherehasbeenafireonthetopflooroftheArchstoneapartments.Heimmediatelyknows theveteranwastheintendedtarget.

WiththeCDgoneJohnhasonlythedocumentsheprintedandhidaway,butisdeterminedtodo hisbesttobringtheSenatortojustice.Hemailsacopyofthedocumentstoawarcontacthe hadmadeduringtheGulfWarinSaudiArabia.

AweeklaterJohnprepsforhisinterviewswitheachofthePresidentialCandidates.Firstupis PresidentGeorgeH.WBushsecondisBillClintonandlastistheIndependentpartycandidate SenatorRalphEdmonds.Johnbeginstheinterviewandchatscasuallyaboutthecandidates campaigneffortsandhowhehasbeenoneofthefirstindependentpartycandidatesinhistoryto haveashotatthePresidency.AstheinterviewprogressesJohn'squestionsbecomemoreand morepersonaluntilhebeginsdroppingaccusationsabouttheSenator'sinvolvementinthesting operation.Heisimmediatelycutofftheairandputintocustody.

OveramonthlaterJohnischargedwithslanderandsentencedtotwentyyearsinprison. MeanwhilethepapersJohnhassenttohiscontactinSaudiArabiahavefoundtherewayto

Saudigovernmentofficialswhodecidetoopenaninvestigation. TheSaudigovernmentasksfortheassistanceofInterpoleandfindthatsomeofthedocuments doexistonInterpoleservers.AfterseveralrequestsborderingonthreatstheC.I.Aisforcedto releasetherecords.TherecordsgopublicandaweeklaterSenatorEdmondsisconvictedof hightreasonandRenaldsisreleased.