Episodes 105-109 of Lando Cruz and The Coup Conspiracy (dystopian t...

Things are changing fast. Lando misplaced something that could reveal his true intentions — to the wrong people.

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 105: Firing Pins

Harold leaned over and grabbed Lando’s hand. He fixed him in a dead stare. “Glad you’re still with us, Cruz.”

Lando tried to give him a firm shake but Harold crushed his hand. “Hey, Harold, I never asked you: how did you come to agorism?”

“Same way as everybody else, I guess.”

Lando raised his eyebrows. He opened his mouth.

Ryan interrupted. “Harold is a former Marine sharpshooter. He’s going to focus on logistics and armaments for this op. David, we need you in a support and administrative role. Lando, you’re analysis and my second.”

“Ryan, can you just state our mission? Or we do have some kind of briefing booklet?” asked David.

Ryan smirked. “We all know what our mission is. Harold, I want you to examine the small arms Lando and I picked up. Then let me know what else you need.”

Lando’s eyes got big. The firing pins and the detonators. Where did I leave those? Lando scratched his temple.

“You got it boss. But, first, I’m going to scout out the locations and grab some lunch,” said Harold.

Lando breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

“David,” continued Ryan, “Harold has a list of supplies he needs. Basic stuff. Nothing fancy. I want you to source them in a way that cannot be traced back to us. You know, a little here, a little there and always in small quantities. Use the shipping addresses I gave you. Pay cash or bitcoin, obviously.”

David nodded.

Ryan cleared his throat. “Lando, hang around. The rest of you can go about your business. I want status reports by eighteen-hundred hours.”

Eighteen-hundred hours? Did I just join the army? “Hey,” said Lando, “What about Jerry?”

“He moved to another cell,” said Ryan. “I found a good bunch for him. He’ll do great there.” Ryan turned to leave.

“Have we notified Alexis’s or Takoda’s —?“ started Lando.

“No,” said Ryan, “and we’re not going to for the obvious reasons.” He looked down at Lando. There was reproach in his voice. “By, the way, I need you to supervise Harold’s work this afternoon.”

“I’d really rather stay here and do some planning work or just catch up on sleep,” Lando said.

“Harold requires a tight leash. And I need you for that.”

Lando frowned. “Are you sure he is right for this?”

“That’s one of the things that concerns —“ started Ryan.

Lando scowled. “Then why are we using him?”

“Can you just take care of this for me? I’ve got other cells to check on for the rest of the day.” Ryan firmed his jaw.

Lando studied him for a moment. “Alright.”

Ryan smiled. “Excellent. Send some rounds downrange while you guys are out. Nothing like a good day at the range.”

Episode 106: Part of the Job

Lando strode into the living area. “Harold, take your time. Get something to eat and get a little rest. We’ll head out in an hour.”

“Yep,” said Harold. He did not turn around.

Lando paced to the bathroom. He splashed cold water on his face. He paced back and forth. What did I do to upset —

There was a knock at the door.

Lando stopped and glared at the door. “It’s going to be a while!” He listened. The person did not make any noise.

Lando began to pace again. Where are those firing assemblies? He pulled out his tablet and wiped his face. No signal. He held it up to the air vent and got one bar. He typed a message to Henry. “Did I leave anything there?”

The person outside the door cleared his throat and pounded on the door. “Hey, I gotta go now!” It was Harold.

“Use another bathroom!”

“There are no other bathrooms!” Harold yelled.

Lando stomped his foot and gritted his teeth. “What’s a guy gotta — ?“ He ran the water a second, then threw open the door and walked past Harold.

Harold glared at him and entered the bathroom.

Lando walked out through the office area and stood below the cellar doors. He held his tablet up. It tingled. He looked at the message.

“Nope,” Henry replied.

“What did I do with that stuff?” Lando whispered to himself.

Lando went back into the office. He sat down hard on the floor then laid down in a fetal position. Something crackled at his back. “What the —“ Lando opened the front backpack pocket. The firing pin assemblies. Right where I left them. He smacked himself in the forehead. He took the detonators out of the other pocket. He closed his eyes and said a silent thank you.

Harold walked in. “Those rifles are disassembled, you know. And the firing packages are missing. What the hell?”

Lando stood up fast. He grinned. “Yep, that’s part of the job! Let’s go!”

Harold frowned.

Episode 107: Video Evidence

“That was some decent shooting,” said Harold.

Lando walked down the stairs carrying the reassembled and tested rifles in their bag. Harold closed the basement doors behind him.

“Th—“ started Lando.

“But you’re just not ready for anything more than about a thousand hours of practice. You’re not controlling your shots. Your groups are all over the place. Your breathing’s not right and you can’t even pull the trigger properly, man.” Harold expelled air through his nose. “What makes you think you’re ready to shoot?”

“I don’t,” said Lando. He struggled to open the next door. “Which is why I demand you hand over that video you took of me shooting.”

Harold stopped and looked up at the ceiling. “I don’t know what you’re thinking —”

This lying little prick. Lando dropped the rifle bag and turned around. “I’m an analyst. I analyze shit. Sometime I organize shit, too. I’m not a soldier or a sharpshooter and I don’t want to be one. Got it?”

Harold spoke to himself. “He’s just not ready.”

Lando placed himself in front of Harold and took a step into his personal space. “I want that video and I want it now.”

Harold pushed Lando back. He wagged his finger at him. “Don’t you — Don’t you get all up in —“

Lando stepped forward again. He braced himself for another push. “The v—“

Harold stepped to the side and pulled him forward.

Lando crashed forward. He slammed his knees into the concrete floor. He pulled his head back and gritted his teeth. “You —” He stood up and turned around.

Harold was right there. He put his face into Lando’s. Their noses touched. “Ryan tasked me with the video. Talk to him about it.”

Lando turned and opened the door to the office module. He held it open with one foot, hefted the rifle bag. His lower back felt funny. Great, here comes a lower back injury.

Lando dropped the rifles next to the octa. He looked around. There was nobody there. He pulled the detonators out of his backpack and laid them on top of the octa box.

David walked in and sat down. “So,” he said. “You’re back.”

Lando looked at the floor.

“What happened to ‘I’m outta here’?”

Lando thought a moment about what to say. “I realized I needed the money.”

“Of course.” David swiveled his chair and opened a small computer.

Lando took a step towards the living quarters.

David swiveled himself back around. “But, you know, it’s funny. You left here in such a huff. And you said you didn’t care that much about the money.”

Lando’s face fell.

“There’s something else, isn’t there?” David asked.

“No, not really. No.” Lando pretended to think about the question. He tried to remember what he said to David in the heat of the moment.

“You don’t even remember what you said to me, do you?”

Lando stared at him, open-mouthed.

“You said I was dense. And you said that the agora would be branded president-killers,” said David. “I just couldn’t understand why you would so go against your own beliefs. Your convictions are obvious.”

“I —“ Lando’s voice squeaked.

“But now I get it.” He smiled at Lando. “You’re not an asshole. You care too much about your sister. You couldn’t raise the money to get her out, so you’re sacrificing your principles to protect her.” David stood up, walked to Lando and patted him on the back. “You’re a good guy, Lando!”

“I guess so,” Lando whispered. His energy went out of him. “I have to go rest. I’m exhausted.”

Episode 108: Full Access

Lando woke up. He grabbed his tablet from the inner edge of the bed. 5:15 AM. Perfect. He got out of bed and got dressed. He picked the tablet up again and opened the photography app. He hit record.

Despite the darkness, the camera recorded the living quarters in perfect resolution. Lando ran the camera over David’s bunk and Alexis’ empty bed. He showed the bathroom.

Lando walked into the living area, his tablet held up in front of him using one hand. Next to him something moved.

Lando jumped back. A light came on. It was Harold. He was pointing a pistol at Lando.

“Don’t move, motherfucker. Don’t move,” Harold said.

“Harold, it’s —“

“Shut the fuck up, bitch!” Harold angled the barrel and pushed it down on the top of Lando’s head, forcing him to kneel. “Nobody, and I mean nobody, sneaks up on Harold Coleman.”

David ran out of the living quarters. He squinted at Harold and Lando.

Harold pulled a second pistol and fired a shot at David.

David screamed and fell to the floor.

“Yep, that’s right. They all go down eventually. Mmm hmm.” Harold picked up his knees and set them down in rhythm. He jammed his head forward and brought it back again. “This chicken gonna eat you. Aww yeah.”

Lando turned to look at David, an expression of horror on his face.

“He’s sleepwalking,” David whispered.

Lando frowned and rolled his eyes. “A fine time to tell me!” Lando turned to look at Harold. He was still engrossed in his chicken imitation. Lando stood up. He walked up behind Harold and grabbed the gun.

Harold let it go without a fight. “Mom?” he said. He wandered in Lando’s direction. “Mom, is that you?”

Lando dropped the magazine out and opened the action. He walked over to David. “Did he get you?”

“No, I don’t think so.” David ran his hands all over his body. “No, he missed. Look,” he said turning around. “Here is the hole in the wall.”

Lando walked over and examined it. He stuck his pinky finger in the hole. “It must have hit brick and stopped pretty quickly.” He turned to David. “You can head back to bed.”

“What were you doing out here anyway?” David asked.

“Just go back to bed, David,” said Lando.

David threw up his hands. “Okay! Just don’t expect me to come running when your plans go south.”

“Does the chicken man have any more guns?” Lando asked.

“He’s got full access to the whole arsenal!”

Episode 109: Two Sides of the Same Coin

“Here is the full vid,” Lando typed. “Much more to come. Tell me what you think.” He entered Henry’s number and hit send.

“Good morning.” Ryan entered the office area from the basement side with a shiny metal mug in his hand.

Lando jumped. He put his tablet away. “Oh, hey, Ryan.” He cleared his throat. “Out all night, huh?”

“Yeah, the grind. Say, how did the shoot go with Harold yesterday?”

“Sure, he hits the target. No doubt about that. Over and over again. But he’s —”

“Eccentric?” Ryan smiled.

“Insane. This morning he put a loaded gun to my head. He fired at David. Almost killed him. ”

Ryan’s eyebrows jumped. “Where is David now?”

Lando looked away. “Asleep. It missed him. Take a look at the hole right next to the bedroom door.” Lando paused. “And then, Harold started doing a chicken dance and I disarmed him.”

Ryan guffawed. “A chicken dance? That’s awesome.”

Lando glared at Ryan. “Awesome? Try saying that when he has a gun to your head.”

“Oh, right.”

“And he took video of me shooting yesterday. I don’t appreciate having that kind of evidence around,” said Lando.

“I told him to do that,” Ryan said. He walked into his cubicle and sat down.

Lando raised one eyebrow and followed him. “Why would —“

Ryan held up one hand. He swiveled on his chair to observe Lando. “I have a personal interest in your development, Lando.”

Lando studied his face. “What personal interest?”

“You and David are, and Alexis was, the first kids I’ve personally trained. It’s special.” He paused. “You will go a lot farther in this organization than David. You have the charisma, the physical skills, the guts and the ambition.”

Lando opened his mouth.

“Honestly, I will be surprised if I’m not taking orders from you someday, once you get your attitude under control.” Ryan smiled and swiveled around in his chair. “I really have to get this work done, if you don’t mind.”

“I really don’t think that kind of video evidence should —“

Ryan whipped around. He moved his chair towards Lando. “Do you really think I, of all people, would not have strict protocols in place for that video? It could be used to make you look really bad, you know. I’m not about to let that get out.”

Yet. The word bounced around in Lando’s mind.

“Really, I expected more trust from you, Lando, after all of our time working together. I’m a little hurt.”

Lando glared at him. “I know you’re not the Raven.”

“What?” Ryan’s expression remained steady.

“You told me that you were the Raven. But you’re not. It was a lie.”

Ryan looked Lando in one eye, then the other. He sighed. “You’re right.”

Lando narrowed his eyes. He should be more upset than this.

“I’m sorry to have to break this to you, Lando. I know how much you like and admire the Raven. But he’s a fed.”

Lando scowled. His tablet tingled in his back pocket. “The Raven?”

“Have you met him?”

Lando paused. He looked at the floor. “Um, no.”

“I have. Both as an agorist and as a fed. He busted me once, a long time ago. Old Henry and I go way back.”

Lando did not move. It can’t be.

“Think about it. What does Raven always say on his blog?” asked Ryan.

“To build the agora, to trade peacefully,” Lando whispered.

“Exactly!” Ryan stood up. “Who does that benefit?”

Lando’s head spun. Who am I working for?

Ryan took a step towards Lando. He poked him in the chest. “All trade, no warfare. Have you ever played the strategy game Civilization?”

“The video game?” asked Lando.

“What happens when you build up your population, your money and your trade routes? You get rich. And what if you don’t build armies?” asked Ryan.

Lando held his breath.

“Without defenses, another country comes in and steals all your stuff, that’s what. That’s what your precious Raven is doing. He’s leading us all to the slaughter. He’s making us into good digital serfs. We produce and produce until the lamb is fat and the feds slaughter us. Then they feast on our carcass.”

Lando’s head spun. “No, he’s a principled person. He’s an advocate for nonaggression.”

“Bullshit!” Ryan yelled. “There can’t be nonaggression without self-defense. They’re two sides of the same coin. History shows us that.” Ryan paused. “Get your head right! We’ve got a lot of work to do before we can right the scales of power and not a lot of time to do it in.”

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Episodes 105-109 of Lando Cruz and The Coup Conspiracy (dystopian thriller novel)