New America 02 - Resistance Read Online Free PDF Page A

former boss.
    “Mr. President, Governor Weygandt’s grandchildren were returned to him safe and sound.  The slave traders were promptly executed and strung up as a warning.  Governor Weygandt issued a directive in his territory that t he slave trade is to be halted at all costs and the slave traders put to death.  In a show of support, four of the other regional governors followed suit.”
    President Sterling did his best to choke back his anger.  “Who are the three hold-outs?”
    “Jimenez, Walston, and Prince.”
    “Just as I figured.”
    “Is there anything else, Mr. President?”
    “No, Stacy , that will be all. Thank you.”
    Stacy promptly made her exit.  She had seen Simon angry before and had no desire to stick around for a repeat performance.
     
    ***
     
    Stacy Reid hurried back to her office and locked the door. She fumbled at the top drawer of her desk, her trembling hands making a tenuous grab for the pill bottle she’d hidden within. The anxiety medication was the only thing holding her fragile mind together.  The last eighteen months had been a living hell.  Her former employer and closest friend, President Malcolm Powers, had grown suspicious of key players in his administration.  The two of them hatched a plan that included a dramatic falling out between them and Stacy losing her job. Stacy’s role was to play the damsel in distress and wait for someone to come to her rescue.  Whoever offered her a shoulder to cry on and listened to her rant and rave about her crazy ex-boss would no doubt welcome her into whatever conspiracy was secretly in the making.  The plan worked perfectly. Roberto Jimenez, then director of the CIA, took Stacy into his confidence and delivered her directly to the plot’s ringleader.  Unfortunately, the charade hatched by President Powers came too late to save his administration. Malcolm Powers and his wife were killed by a missile strike on their residence in upstate New York in the first hours of The Pulse.  Simon Sterling blamed the assassination on The Great Empire of Iran but Stacy knew better – Sterling was responsible for the death of the forty-sixth president of the United States.
    As a spy for the PSA, Stacy’s role was a vital one. Howard Beck had secretly linked his artificial intelligence with its counterpart at the White House.  Sterling managed to transfer control of the White House A.I. to his new residence in Colorado.  Hal had given his A.I. sibling the name Syd in honor of Howard Beck’s deceased mother, Sydney Beck. Thanks to the linked technology, Howard was able to spy on Sterling and knew, in real time, every move the UAE made.  Stacy proved to be just as valuable as Syd in terms of espionage, filling in the gaps when the A.I. failed to gauge the importance of subtle nuances or make gut-level connections to key events.
    The stress of her double life was taking its toll on Stacy.  She viewed President Sterling as he truly was – an insane dictator.  Spending m ost of her day with the person responsible for snuffing out the life of a sitting president drove her to the brink of madness.  At night she dreamed about watching the madman suffer a slow and painful death. She often contemplated killing him herself but knew she could never follow through with such a heinous act. Even if she could squelch her morals, the thought of being labeled a traitor and the subsequent torture and death that would result was enough for her to dismiss the idea entirely.  Every night she petitioned the Lord that Howard Beck would prevail and the madman would receive the justice he deserved.
    Even when she could enjoy time away from Sterling, her role as his chief advisor brought her grief.  Fanatical in his paranoia, Sterling was insistent that top secret communication never be transmitted by computer.  All such interaction between Sterling and his eight regional governors was hand-written and delivered by high speed aircraft to be read and burned.  It