Episodes 55-59 of The Coup Conspiracy (dystopian cryptocurrency nov...

With the stakes increasing, Lando and his new comrades are mounting a little rebellion of their own.

Previous Episodes

The United States is in slow-motion economic collapse. The Three Strikes Act funnels the unemployed masses into a national network of work camps for the most trivial of infractions.

Lando Cruz is a scrappy rebel who risks his final strike on the streets of Philadelphia by trading illegal currencies under cover of a burrito stand. He spends his days bribing dirty cops, fending off undercover federal agents and shepherding his little sister through adolescence.

Lando is getting by until beat cops seize his savings and kidnap his sister for ransom. He has thirty days to raise the hard cash he needs to free her before she is sold into sex slavery. His only chance is a lucrative job offer from the black market rebellion's paramilitary startup, the Core. He risks both his life and his principles to get his sister back before time runs out.

Episode 55: Obey

“It’s your fault,” said Alexis.

Lando clicked off the disposable tablet that held his study materials and stood up. His legs ached from hours of sitting through Ryan’s lectures on urban sniping, camouflage, espionage and sabotage.

He looked at her through puffy, red eyes. “What?”

“Logan.” She picked up her chair and stacked it next to the firing range with the others.

Lando boxed her between himself and the chairs. He struggled to control his breathing. “More specifically?” He fixed his stare on her eyes.

She looked down and away. “You said he was too high-profile. Then you embarrassed him.”

Her blond hair was bundled into a ponytail. He studied her cheekbones. “I told the truth. And I did what had to be done to complete the mission.”

“Now he’s on a slow boat to Somalia. And you’re not.” She looked up at him and smiled. Her cheeks flushed. She tilted her head to one side. “Everyone can see us here,” she whispered.

“So what?” Lando smirked.

“Alexis, wait for me in my office,” yelled Ryan from across the room. “Lando, I need a word with you.”

“We’ll talk more tonight.” She put her hand on his abdomen and pushed her way past him.

Lando walked over to Ryan. “Why so much time on urban sniping? I thought this was all about espionage, covert undermining and propaganda.”

Ryan scowled.

“Is the next mission to go out and snipe some cops, or what?” Lando chuckled.

“You’re doing well, Lando, aside from your attitude. But I need more from you. I don’t know how much longer I can count on Harold. It’s the PTSD,” he said in a whisper. “He was in Kenya.”

“Why doesn’t he wash out? He’s had two incidents already. He could have —“

Ryan shook his head. “He has a critical role to play. But I may need you to take over as my first mate.” His face darkened. “At the same time, I can’t even keep you on my team if you’re consorting with other recruits. You’re definitely gone if you can’t become a team player.”

Lando swallowed.

“For example, if you had worked with Logan instead of showing him up, he might not have run. And the incident with Harold would not have taken place,” said Ryan.

“What? That’s not my —“

Ryan quieted him with his hand. “I’d like to mentor you, Lando. You show promise.”

Lando scrunched his nose. “I — anyway, what kind of an agorist are you, Ryan?”

“Uh, what do you mean? I’m an agorist.” Ryan bit his lip.

“Are you more of a mutualist type, anarcho-capitalist, paleo …?”

“Just an agorist. Just a straight up agorist.”

Lando frowned. “So, how did you become an agorist?”

“Answer that question for me.” Ryan rubbed his chin.

“Me? Sure, that’s easy. Five years ago, cops raided our apartment, if you can call it that. They wanted my sister.”

“Mariana? Is that her name?”

Lando narrowed his eyes. “Yes. My mom got between them and us and they killed her. Mari and I ran.” Lando felt a tightness between his eyes. He cleared his throat. “We just ran. We didn’t know they killed her until we came back that night.”

“What about your dad?”

“He found her.”

“But where was he when all this went down?” asked Ryan.

“Oh, he was out working,” said Lando.

“Okay, so cops killed your mom. It broke your heart. But how did you connect that with agorism?” Ryan asked.

“I had to go to work. I apprenticed with a carpenter,” said Lando.

“After school?”

“I told you, I didn’t go to school. I didn’t have papers until recently. I worked all day with him and he shared some books and pamphlets with me.”

“And you just read about it and it sounded good to you? Just like that?”

“Yep. That and a whole lot of other stuff. History, science fiction, stuff like that,” said Lando.

“And how are you coming with the study materials?” asked Ryan.

Lando smiled. “Kind of dense but I’m wading through it. Taking notes.”

Ryan rubbed his finger under his nose and breathed in. “Awesome. That’s good.” He nodded his head.

“So, you said you want to mentor me.”

“Right!”

“In what, exactly?” asked Lando.

Ryan looked at his communicator. “I told you, you’re selfish.”

“Can you give me an example of it?” asked Lando.

Ryan snorted. “Can I give you an example? Are you kidding?”

“No. I want to —“

“Trust me, kid. You’re selfish, you don’t work together —“ started Ryan.

“When have I not worked with the others?”

“Well, Jesus, kid, like when you tackled Harold earlier,” said Ryan. He forced a laugh.

“He was going to shoot somebody!” said Lando.

Ryan rolled his eyes. “You’re being combative right now! Here is your example.”

“I just want to understand, that’s all. Anyway, hey,” he said in a low voice, “can I make a phone —“

“No.” Ryan picked up his tablet. “No outside contact. It’s basic opsec.” He took a step towards the office door. “Alexis is wait—“

“Look,” said Lando. “I really want to be a part of this. Just tell me what to do. I want to see The Core thrive and I want to be a part —“

Ryan put his hand on Lando’s shoulder. “Just do what I tell you, Lando. Follow my lead. Support me in front of the others. Don’t challenge me again. Just do what you’re told and be a good Indian. We’ve got a mission tomorrow. I need you at a hundred percent for it.”

Episode 56: Blocked Signal

“My brain is fried,” Lando said. He took up a position on the couch next to Takoda. A chunk of plastic from the TV crunched under his shoe.

Takoda took in a quick breath. “Yeah, me too. Hey, have you managed to call out?”

“Nope. I just asked about it, too. I think my family is going to be okay, they’re —“

“Okay? Are you being sarcastic? They’re in a work camp. How old is your sister?” asked Takoda.

“Fourteen,” said Lando.

“Jesus. My girls are seven and ten. I just can’t …” He rolled his eyes up and his face tightened. “How can you be so calm about it?” He turned and a poked a finger at Lando’s chest. “How can you be so calm? Your family is in jeopardy, you can’t talk to them and you could be shipped off at any moment? How can you — I just can’t,” said Takoda.

A hole grew inside of Lando’s gut. “I got myself into this. I have to get myself out of it. That’s all there is to it. And I wish you would shut up about it. Worrying is just going to guarantee you fail.”

Takoda sighed. “You’re right. Do you know where they’re keeping our tablets?”

Lando cocked an eyebrow. “As a matter of fact, I do.”

Takoda’s eyes got big. “Well?”

Lando took in a deep breath and let it out. “I can’t. I just can’t.” He moved to stand up.

Takoda grabbed his arm with an iron grip. “I got you in here. You owe me.”

“Yes, I guess I do have you to thank for getting me into this clusterfuck.” Lando ripped his arm away and stood up. “But even if you had it, you couldn’t call out. He’s blocked the signal,” he whispered.

Takoda jammed his elbow into the back of the couch.

Episode 57: Stress Relief

“I’m still mad at you, you know,” she whispered.

Lando climbed into the bunk with Alexis and got under the covers. He lay on his side and entwined his legs with hers. Everything was quiet. “I didn’t want him to leave. Why was he here? It makes no sense. He’s too well-known.”

“I know you need to hear it, so here it is: ‘you’re right.’ Okay? We good now? High-profile people shouldn’t be here. The Core should be all new people. People not known to the cops and the FBI. But then you don’t belong here either, do you?” She rolled over and gave her back to him.

Lando spooned with her. “I feel bad about it, okay?” He nibbled her ear. “What was I supposed to do? I’m not made to lie or hide the truth. That’s not me. I just can’t help it.”

She rolled back around and pressed her lips to his. His chest was light and he wrapped his arms around her.

She broke off the kiss. “Easy now. We’re not doing anything tonight. Not here.”

Lando grinned. He grabbed her buttocks and pushed his pelvis into hers.

Her eyes got big. She gave him a light slap on the cheek. “You are evil, Lando Cruz, rotten to the core. The answer is no.”

“It’s great stress relief, you know.”

She pushed him away.

“Alright, alright, but how about some more kissing?” He got closer again.

She studied one eye, then the next. She relented and their lips touched again.

She broke the connection. “Get to your bunk. This one’s too small for the both of us and who knows what he’ll put us through tomorrow.”

Episode 58: New Mission

“Let’s pick the mission this time,” said Lando. The four remaining recruits, Alexis, Jerry, Takoda and Lando, ate breakfast burritos next to the firing range.

“How do yours compare, Lando?” asked Alexis.

Lando shook his head. “Are you kidding? One of mine will fill you for hours, but I need at least four of these frozen things to make a decent meal. And don’t even ask about the taste or the quality of the ingredients.” He dismissed the inferior burritos with a wave of his hand.

Jerry slurped up some brown goop. “What do you mean, ‘pick the mission’?”

“Why should Ryan and Harold pick all the missions? That flag thing was dumb. And risky. And then the media just painted us as vandals. We didn’t damage the statue.”

“Plus one,” said Takoda. He gulped coffee from a shiny aluminum can.

“Let’s come up with mission ideas. Let’s develop them and then Ryan and Harold can do them with us.” Lando suppressed a grin.

Alexis laughed. “You are a little devil, you know.”

“So what kind of a mission do you want to do?” Jerry asked Lando.

Lando looked up at the ceiling. “Well, we’re under attack from the IPEC, right?”

“You got that right,” said Takoda.

“And we need to grow the agora, not just financially but in numbers and in our tech power. I mean, imagine if we could escape from a cop shakedown in an invisibility cloak. That would have saved me from a strike or two.”

They all nodded.

“How many strikes do you have, Lando?” asked Alexis.

Lando gritted his teeth and thought for a moment. “So, hmm …”

“What about a political party?” asked Alexis.

They stared at her. Lando wrinkled his nose. “Is that some kind of a joke?” he asked.

She blushed and hunched her shoulders. “Well, gee, sorry.”

“The elites control the process, and both parties. You can’t even get a new one on the ballot. The Greens and the Libertarians tried that for a while. And, even if you could, boom, thinkcrime and they frame the leaders on something,” said Takoda. “Hey, can I have this last one, guys?” He grabbed the last burrito and chomped it.

Lando’s eyes sparkled and a wide grin erupted on his face. “We empty one of the camps.” He nodded his head.

Jerry frowned and after a moment asked, “Can we do that?”

Takoda narrowed his eyes. “I think that’s a little beyond us —“

“Don’t shoot it down so fast just because you’re scared,” said Lando. “Think about it.”

Jerry flashed his eyes. “I’m not scared, man!”

“It’s insanity,” said Alexis.

Lando pursed his lips at her. “Who’s in a camp? Agorists. They’re all agorists. People either go in there because they’re doing agorism or they join us when they come out because it was a wake up call.”

“That’s a good point,” said Jerry. He tossed some wrappers in a plastic bag and dusted off his hands. “When my dad came out, he started a 3D printing operation. Some agorists taught him all about it inside. That kept us going for a while — until he went back in.”

“These are people who got caught for piracy, tech copying, for organizing or just framed for thinkcrime,” said Lando. “They’re people like us.” His eyes sparkled and his heart was on fire. “They can energize this community again.”

“I like how you think,” said Takoda. He smiled. “I really do. But they’re also people who got caught, period. They got played by undercovers or they did something stupid or maybe they have no sense of covert action. Some of them might be snitches. Are you sure you want those kind of people hanging around us?”

“I bet they have learned a lot from their mistakes while on the inside but consider this for a moment,” said Lando. “We can document how we did it, release it and people across the world can duplicate what we did. We could empty prison camps across the world.”

Jerry slammed his fist on the wooden bar at the firing range. “Dude we gotta do this, man! This is awesome! I love this idea!”

“Okay, who’s going to —“ started Lando.

“Hold on, boys,” said Alexis. “What’s next? Stage a coup? Bomb critical infra—“

“Who said anything about bombs?” said Takoda. “We’ll keep the violence to a minimum. Nobody has to die.”

She rolled her eyes. “Okay, Sacco. As for you, Vanzetti,” she said to Lando, “you need to take it down a notch. Emptying out a federal work camp is no small matter. They have layers of security in there. And even if you get those people out, they all have records. They’ll be ID’d and back in custody by the end of business.”

Jerry rubbed his chin. “She has a point, man.”

Episode 59: Change of Plans

Harold opened the office door and yelled into the living area, “Let’s move, ladies. We’ve got another training mission in thirty seconds.” He closed the door, then opened it again and did a double-take. “I said move it!”

“We need to talk to Ryan,” said Lando. The recruits sat on desk chairs in a neat row next to the firing range.

“Ryan will brief you on the mission in here. Now move it.” He said it in a lower tone of voice this time. Harold frowned, looked into the office and looked back at them.

The recruits did not move.

“Oh, I’m going to kick some ass before this is done,” said Harold under his breath. He reached into the small of his back.

A hand landed on his shoulder. “That won’t be necessary,” said Ryan. He strode into the room and looked at the recruits, one by one.

“I see you’ve nominated a leader,” he said. “I guess I should have expected this.”

Harold dragged two armchairs over from the couch area and they sat down. “Let’s hear what you have to say,” said Ryan. He checked his wrist and grimaced. He turned to Harold. “Tell the other cell it’s a red light for today and send them my apologies.” He turned to the group and raised his eyebrows.

Harold retreated to the office.

“We designed a mission,” said Lando. “And we want to do it.”

Ryan put his hand on his belly and laughed.

Lando rolled his eyes. “It’s not a bad —“

Ryan’s laughing increased in volume.

“It’s not a bad idea at all!” yelled Lando.

“Spit it out already,” said Ryan.

“We’re going to liberate a work camp," said Lando.

Ryan looked up. “You’re going to … liberate … a federal work camp.” He cocked his head to one side and frowned. “That’s certainly thinking big.”

Lando smiled. “We have —“

“But you can’t do it,” said Ryan. He looked straight at them, his face dead.

“Why — ?“ started Lando.

“You don’t have the weapons, the training or the discipline. The guards would freeze you out, SWAT would be there in a heartbeat and you’d all be dead.”

“I want to do it,” said Jerry. “It’s better than hanging up a flag on a castle, man.” He sneered.

“Are you going to put your life on the line for this little adventure, Takoda? Your little girls’s future?” asked Ryan. “What about you, Alexis? Ready to take a bullet in the gut?”

Alexis frowned and looked down.

Lando cleared his throat. “We took a vote. We made a decision, Ryan. If you’re going to wash us out to an African country in civil war, where all the women have AIDS, well, then we’re going to risk that for something serious, something meaningful.” Lando looked over his shoulder.

Jerry nodded to him.

Alexis glared at him. “‘The women have AIDS’?” she whispered.

Lando straightened his back. “It’s either our mission or nothing.”

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Episodes 55-59 of The Coup Conspiracy (dystopian cryptocurrency novel)