Page 27 of Gator

“Or,” said Hex, “maybe they’re trying to push a third-party candidate. Is there anyone else? Maybe an independent or someone in the wings?”

Hiro and Pigsty turned back to their computers and began typing away. Typically, when elections are held, no one talks about any independent or third-party candidates. They have little to no chance of winning, so all the attention is given to the two primary parties. But maybe that was the point.

“Matilda Cooper Provost,” said Hiro. “She’s a self-described, middle-of-the-road independent with progressive, and often radical, ideas on policing, the military, schools. Everything.”

“What’s her push?” asked Luke.

“Well, to start with, she wants to ban books in schools. Anything that speaks about race in a different way, anything that teaches about slavery, the holocaust, or anything to do with religion or homosexuality. She also thinks music should be removed from schools, as it contributes to the delinquency and demoralization of our youth. Her words, not mine.

“Further, in her last speech, she wanted to privatize police and, in fact, all civil servants. Fire, police, EMS, all of them. She wants the military disbanded and only ‘peacekeeping’ troops available.”

“What the fuck does she think we do? Seek out war? Damn, I hate stupid people,” frowned Eric.

“Calm down, big guy,” smirked Hiro. “She seems to be all over the map on this shit. On one side, she wants to ban everything, and on the other, she wants more benefits for the homeless, jobless, and poor. She wants to eliminate requirements for citizenship to obtain welfare or food assistance but wants to require citizenship to enter our schools.”

“Damn, is she bipolar?” frowned Ham.

“You would think so by looking at her voting record. She voted to ban abortion and repeal Roe v. Wade, but then voted to allow for the morning-after pill and ‘surgical interference of the fetus’ if the mother and doctor agree.”

“Isn’t that the same thing as abortion?” asked Luke.

“Brother, I’m not a doctor, but I have to think yes. It’s not something I want to get into or argue about. My opinion is, let people do their thing.”

“Even abortion?” asked Ham.

“It’s the woman’s body,” said Sadie, standing in the third row. Luke watched as Ham stilled, holding his breath as he waited for the dragon to breathe her fire. “Do you want me telling you what you can do with your body? What you’re allowed to do? If you’re going to tell me I can’t have an abortion, then I get to tell you that you have to be sterilized!”

“Sadie? We’re just talking here,” said Cam, staring at the young woman. “Everyone is allowed their opinion here. I’m sure that most of us would say it’s not a choice we would make, but it’s also not something we would judge should others choose it.”

“That’s exactly what I meant,” said Ham. “I can understand all sides of this issue. I’m just trying to understand this woman and her motives.”

Sadie stared at Ham, then turned to see her brothers with concerned looks on their faces watching her. She shook her head and sat down, then stood up again.

“Sorry, I forgot why I originally stood up. Matilda Cooper Provost was once an ambassador to Micronesia. She only held the position for eight months, in which time she created so much controversy and chaos with a neighboring country I was called in to provide mediation.”

“Damn,” muttered Ham. “What did she do?”

“It’s more like, what didn’t she do. She played both sides of the fence, creating controversies around religion, religious teachings, military, education, everything. She was there eight months, and it took me almost ten months to undo what she’d done.”

“We need to find out how she is connected to Metzger and the others and why Xi, Messina, Romanescu, and Ruiz are a part of any of this. Xi is the only one affiliated with a country that would have any chance at all against the United States,” said Eric.

“Metzger is a U.S. citizen, right?” asked Gator.

“Yep. Born in Germany, but he came to the U.S. as a college student and stayed. Pays his taxes, votes, all the good stuff,” said Hiro.

“So, other than organized crime, what do they all have in common?” asked Eric.

“They all hate the U.S.,” smirked Pigsty.

“Yea, well, they can join a very long list of people who feel that way. I’m not sure that qualifies as a differentiator,” frowned Eric.

“Differentiator? That’s a big word, brother. Is Sophia Ann reading big books to you again?”

“Bite me,” smirked Eric. There was a wave of chuckles in the room, and they all smiled. They all realized that what had just happened was a reincarnation of some of the banter that the seniors often displayed. The changing of the guard was clicking into place.

“Maybe we should ask Faith and Sadie to take a look at this,” said Cam. Sadie looked at Cam with a strange expression and then nodded with a small grin.

“I’d be happy to go out to Belle Île and see her,” she said, rising from her seat. Her brothers stood as if to follow, and she turned toward the leadership team. “Luke! Cam! Eric and Hex! If you don’t tell these overgrown bodyguards to leave me alone, I swear to God!”

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