in, “They have bribed many of our political leaders. The Club’s plan was moving along on schedule until the last election. Then president Trump was elected. He was already rich so they couldn't bribe him. He's leading the nation’s new capitalistic awakening.”
Sean finished with, “The Club has stepped up attacks creatively exploring new voter fraud avenues. We have isolated results for the past several elections that defy insanity. That's where F&F steps in. We are tracking the most intense voter fraud scheme ever devised. Social media definitely is part of their scheme, but we’ve seen a major focus on the coming election especially here in Florida.” He handed Juan several thin folders each with a smattering of typed written papers inside.
Lucy said, “This information should hold your attention. The facts speak for themselves.”
Juan took the folders. His interest peaking, he scanned several of the papers inside the folder. Some of the pages started out sounding simply like another conspiracy theory. But he knew that social media and election results were under public scrutiny. He asked for more details about this supposed ‘Club’.
Lucy describes them in short phrases as an eager group of four or five individuals playing a game of world-wide domination; people are pawns in this game; overthrowing governments challenge their creativity.
Intrigued as Juan was with their presentation, his thoughts drifted Dominica’s way. Her ‘vortex’ beach walk was lasting longer than usual. Shaking off the Dominica temptation, he said “Your passion about the nation’s voter fraud issue is compelling. I’ll look over these files and get back to you this afternoon or tomorrow at the latest.”
Lucy and Sean stood. Lucy pleaded, “Look at the facts objectively. We want you and the ‘Foundation’ to defend us if or when we get into trouble during our investigations.
We have ruffled some international and local feathers with this Club talk. The word within international hacking circles is that the club is targeting Florida for their most ambitious voter fraud scheme yet. If they’re successful, they will control the outcome of all our future elections. We know from our previous dealing with them that they will stop at nothing to execute their plans.”
Juan got to his feet and shook their hands. “Like I said, we’ll be in touch soon.”
After Lucy and Sean walked from his office, he reached for the cell phone on his desk. He pulled up his private, secure moodmeNow app. He picked the ‘worried’ icon and wrote, ‘how’s it???’ and sent the message to Dominica’s phone.
Chapter 4
“Juan impressed me,” Sean commented as they ambled out of the three story office building. Lucy and Sean exited the building’s front door. They stepped off the curb to get into their Prius, unaware of the blue Ford minivan parked across the street.
A scruffy, foreign man in the van smoothly opened the street side door. He methodically set himself aside the middle bench and aimed at the two with an AK-47 rifle set on semi-automatic. He envisioned shooting Lucy on his left first, then swinging right several inches for Sean. Leaning on the van's seat, he inhaled, steadying his aim. A teenage boy trying to parallel park suddenly bumped the shooter’s rear bumper. The rifle lurched and prematurely fired. The bullet whistled wide, close to Lucy’s head.
Hearing a popping sound, Sean looked in the shot's direction. Seeing the man aiming a rifle in their direction, he dove into Lucy taking her to the ground behind their car. Lucy startled at first, willingly ducked her head under Sean’s outstretched arms. They both hit the sidewalk scraping knees and elbows as more shots clanged into their car.
Missing his initial opportunity, the rifleman tossed the AK-47 aside and jumped out the van's door. He pulled a silenced pistol out of his belt and started crossing the street. He fired at the street beneath the Prius hoping to ricochet a bullet into either of them. Then he shot out the car's windows hoping the shards of glass would frighten them into running for another hiding spot.
Juan heard a soft pop, pop, pop. Cell phone already in his hand, he cyberspaced his moodmeNow (mmN) message to Dominica. Then he quickly stepped to the front window of his office. He saw a man running towards his building, a gun up and aiming forward. He yelled at Nancy to call 911 and report a shooting outside their building. He ran down to the first floor. Just as he reached for the stairway’s door knob, a bullet whizzed through the door, chin high, air-kissing his right ear.
Juan opened the door and threw himself to the floor. He crawled below a broken window, facing the street. Nancy came running shoeless and plopped down next to him with her gun, a Sig Sauer P320.
She peeked through the broken front window and fired several shots. Then she yelled to Sean and Lucy, "On three, run back to our office!”
Sean and Lucy looked at each other. They angled their crouched bodies towards the building’s door. They heard Nancy’s call, “3, 2, 1.”
Nancy began shooting in the man’s direction. Juan opened the building’s door, standing behind it. Nancy emptied her gun's magazine as Sean and Lucy ran diving through the office’s open door.
While Nancy reloaded with her spare magazine and returned more gunfire. Juan said, “I’ll be right back. He ran up the stairs and retrieved his 44 Magnum from the gun case, locked in his desk. He loaded it and rushed back to Nancy’s side. She said, “Man by the blue van across the street.”
Juan peeked out the bottom corner of the window starting to raise the gun. The hitman realized his killing window of opportunity had closed, raced back to the van. Juan began pumping 44 magnum rounds at him but hitting the side and back of the van. The van sped off tires squealing.
Juan sat on the rug next to Nancy. Lucy and Sean lay on the floor a few feet inside the closed, bullet riddled door. They heard sirens in the distance. Juan, back against the wall, gave Nancy and her gun an 'are you kidding me' look. She smiled. "I read a lot of detective novels! Besides, a girl has to protect herself. I got a carry permit a couple of years ago.”
Juan turned towards the two F&F leaders. "What are you guys into?"
Lucy’s face flushed with anger, "Those bastards!"
Sean commented, “We knew we were being followed for the past few months. That’s one of the reasons we came to you. Your Foundation isn’t afraid to take on the big boys! The big boys don’t get any bigger than The Club.”
Pursed lips, Lucy shook her head. She looked at Juan. "I told you we're poking an election fraud, hornet’s nest. They won’t stop until they totally control all our election results, and then the country."
Local police arrived and yellow taped the area around the front of Juan's office. A well-dressed, detective Michael (Mike) Rizzo stepped onto the scene. He introduced himself. "Looks like you all survived without any bullet holes!”
After talking with the two patrol officers first on the scene, he turned to Juan and the others. “I’ll get your statements from the uniforms. If you remember anything else or whatever, give me a call.” He passed his card to each of them.
Juan did a double-take. He asked the detective, "Do you know any Rizzo's in Las Vegas?"
"My cousin on my dad's side works out there. He's with LVPD. Why?"
Juan grinned recalling his old study buddy and founding member of the Foundation. Jimmy’s and ultimately the Foundation’s
