Power Games: Operation Enduring Unity I by R A Peters

military impotent, there was an obvious power vacuum. The only thing clear was that the next president would be chosen by force, and not the ballot box. Even if the current president went through with his promise of holding new elections, the opposing party and millions on the streets promised to “stop him.” There was only one way to accomplish that…and it wasn’t in the courts or chambers of Congress.
    One of the men stopped reading the proposal and cleared his throat. “I don’t know. I have serious doubts about the effectiveness of this investment. Come on, I trade derivatives. Frankly, I don’t know the first damn thing about running a militia. Maybe we should stick to the PR campaign? That’s definitely shaping public opinion our way.”
    One of the most ruthless females shook her head at him. “How many votes does a million dollars’ worth of advertisements buy us? Who really knows? Now, how many votes does a million dollars’ worth of guns get us?” She paused long enough to assure everyone’s attention. “All we need.” Several heads reluctantly nodded.
    A futures trader waved at the TV. “We can’t afford to be so naïve. The traditional political process died along with Terry Scott. This violence at the polls is going to happen regardless of what we do. Too much is at stake.” He added the magic words for this crowd. “I just want to make sure we get in on it during the startup phase. If we don’t, the competition will.” He tried to sound funny, but he was dead serious.
    “This is an emerging market. We could be locked out pretty quick if the other guys dominate it. Let’s face it; the consequences of failure are a little bit more severe than missing our bonus targets.”
    A famous bond manager spoke up. “The competition? Things are worse than that. The takers are trying to turn America into some type of socialist paradise. It’s everything Ayn Rand warned us about. Cynical as it sounds, we have to defend ourselves.”
    There weren’t any further holdouts.
    The great irony about using anonymous PAC money to recruit, train and arm a paramilitary force to “help ensure the constitutional transfer of presidential power,” was that it’s perfectly legal and even tax-free. Not that taxes would be much of a worry if they were successful. Simplifying the tax code, at least for job creators, would be a top priority in their New America.
    In a 50 th floor office across the street, their liberal counterparts met and reached similar conclusions. Major conglomerates around the world also independently accepted the realities of the new business environment. Most of them were apolitical and saw themselves merely responding to the threats around them in the most cost efficient way possible. Regardless of motivation, the results were the same.
    Some would hire private security contractors to defend their interests and others would help fund existing, armed “constitutional protection” groups. A few founded their own private armies to have a chip in the new political game. Regardless of the method used, the nation would never be the same.
    The random violence gripping the country was such a mild danger compared to the much greater threat entering the arena: corporate sponsorship.

Chapter 5
Washington, DC
    7 February: 1800
    “Mr. President, I must caution again that these are preliminary findings, at best. It’s only been a few days. So much can still change. Just because the serial number matches the Florida Guard’s armory records doesn’t mean the weapon wasn’t stolen recently. Perhaps in the chaos at Camp Blanding?” The head of the FBI looked more embarrassed than conciliatory.
    “Between the so called ‘protective detentions’ of federal law enforcement personnel in Florida and the sealed borders, we’re finding it rather difficult to get cooperation with this investigation.”
    “And fingerprints or any forensic evidence?” asked a junior aide, almost absentmindedly.
    “Well,