Wannabe King

 281.

Since we lost the person ultimately responsible for bringing our two targets to the table, this via his death by natural causes - if one considers obesity, opulence and diabetes to be natural - we need a new sales pitch. The Queen, having replaced Mr Big as the 'bait', and thusly eliminating the risky and improbable jail break from the Florence, CO SuperMax facility by, and this was my favorite, a midnight drone skyjack, we now require a completely fresh strategy to place Goldson, the Vegas mobster and Senator Hartaugh in the same room, at the same time for the same reason. The most challenging of the three 'sames' being, of course, the reason. What motivation could bring them together and give us the red-hand evidence necessary for a bust and subsequent conviction? In its essence, that is our plan with the hard part now connecting the logistical dots and asking the question, 'how are we going to do that?

Both Davis and Saunders feel that their new relationship with Goldson's gaming empire is sufficiently solid enough to allow him to preform the ceremonious invitation, his predecessor being the longest standing major campaign contributor to the Senators tenure in office. Julie however wants something more controllable and internal. I don't blame her a bit for this posture, trusting a con with another one is asking for disappointment, or worse. I am half-way through an indoor cycling session, the joke being that I always ride in circles due to the atrophy in my right leg, trying desperately to straighten out my route. The data from the sophisticated system provides me with more than I find necessary, why do I care about speed, power, watts and distance when the goal is rehabilitation? I can see it having value for an athlete looking to compete, but in my case all I want, all I am told to focus upon, is a fluid rotation at light resistance for twenty minutes. I ask Mina to find me a cheap bike horn or bell so I can summon her when I need more water. The cardio session does provide an ancillary benefit that I have always appreciated, the creative. For reasons that I suspect have to do with increased blood flow and augmented respiratory functioning, more oxygen to brain, I have always been able to get glimpses of possible solutions while in the tractor beam of the long, steady distance, be it walk, run, cycle, swim or hike. The fact that I am slowly going nowhere still provides this fertile opportunity. I spin, sweat, strengthen and consider:

Davis, as Sharkey, suggests that Goldson uses his companies' political clout as a million dollar quid pro quo to offer Hartaugh a seat at the table of their latest enterprise, a computer hack into the heart and soul of Wall Street and their cash cow big board. The risk is slight, cover guaranteed, with the payoff enough tax-free, wind-fall dollars to buy several islands in the Caribbean, the South Pacific AND the British Indian Ocean Territory.

I struggle up a two percent grade simulated by the cycling ergometer wishing I had my old legs and lungs. Be patient and spin, comes the call from my inner coach, a benevolent but overly excitable tyrant. I am dealing with the present moment reality of simply turning the crank-arms when an image pops into my consciousness like a firecracker. It is a line from a Springsteen song, one I have always appreciated for its brutal honesty:

"Poor man want to be rich and rich man want to be king."

Get Goldson to offer the kingdom, real or otherwise, to Hartaugh.

"and the rich man ain't satisfied until he rules everything."