COVERT WRITERS TAKEDOWN by Joe Bergeron (best beach reads txt) 📕

the Lieutenant
completed his own order with one hand grenade and a
rapid fire volley from an M-16 rifle.
28
McKenzie, now fifteen meters from the atrocity,
turned in horror to see body parts spread in every
direction and a deranged superior facing him. The
Corporal directed his weapon toward the Lieutenant
with the intention of taking him down. Before he could
fire, however, he was himself shot five times by the
maniacal officer. As he fell, mortally wounded, an
involuntary muscle system caused his hand to close, the
one on his rifle releasing several rounds into a clear
blue sky.
The Lieutenant disappeared into the jungle.
The Vietnam experience allowed Americans to
see a live war for the first time from the comfort of their
living rooms. Advanced electronics, some manufactured
by McKenzie Industries, made film camera more
compact, and therefore more portable. All the major
television networks had several crews carrying new
mini-cams throughout Southeast Asia.
A CBS crew had been filming the Northeast
perimeter of the firefight from a position only thirty
meters to the south of McKenzie and his Lieutenant
As the network reporter and his camera man
advanced, they came upon the scene of the massacre,
capturing all of its completed horror on film. No one
was left alive. It appeared McKenzie had acted alone,
and had subsequently killed by cross fire.
The monstrous aftermath of the massacre was
displayed on the television sets of millions of American
homes. Newspaper editors and reporters from around
the country scrambled to acquire additional information
about the marine corporal who was apparently
responsible for this carnage.
What type of person was this? What in his
background could make him commit such an act?
Where did he live? Who were his friends? Did he have
a police record for assault?
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His parents spoke with every editor and
reporter that called their home. They were sure a
mistake had been made. Their son was not the warmad
soldier the newspapers portrayed. John was an
outstanding, courageous, and moral individual with a
strong sense of human values. Nevertheless, according
to the newspapers he’d become a vicious killing
machine in the short time he’d been in Vietnam.
The newspaper investigations of the atrocity
were base solely on film footage of the massacre. No one
ever questioned the camera crew who happened to be
on the scene. No one ever reviewed the filming that
occurred just before the shots that killed McKenzie
were fired.
Patrick McKenzie knew the devastation of his
son’s character was based on inconclusive evidence, and
was unable to secure from the Pentagon the full
findings of the Military Review Board. He was,
however, allowed to speak to his son’s Commanding
Officer.
On three separate occasions he’d spoken with
the Captain, a man promoted and decorated for his
bravery during the La Dang Offensive. On each
occasion he’d heard a slightly different variation of the
firefight. There was nothing left to either prove or
disprove according to the officer. McKenzie’s intuition
and paternal instincts told him the officer wasn’t
revealing everything, but he could not prove it. In his
grief, he too had never thought to review the full CBS
film footage.
Bravo Company’s Commanding Officer entered
the corporate arena following duty in Southeast Asia.
He became well known for his perceived bravery in the
jungles of Vietnam, and through a combination of
political patronage and savvy, eventually became
President of a major mid west aircraft manufacturing
company. He would subsequently be asked by a
President of The United States, Randall Benson, to
become his Secretary of Commerce. 30
Former United States Marine Corps Captain
George Tollman would accept the position.
After the newspapers had taken as much as
they could out of the McKenzie story, they shut down
their Old Saybrook operations and turned their
attention elsewhere.
Patrick McKenzie’s family had once again been
devastated by the newspaper industry. It was enough.
Phoning Robert Wirtham in Burlington, Vermont, he
told his friend he wished to renew a discussion they’d
once had on the idea of forming a clandestine
organization capable of controlling issues through the
country’s newspapers. The wheels were set in motion to
form Yankee Echo. It could not be done alone, there
would need to be partners. The organization would also
need protection, and Wirtham had friends whom he
thought could affect that outcome.
They eventually did.
Trauma did not end for McKenzie - he had one
more to live through. Laura McKenzie would bear a
daughter, Kathleen, in nine months. Twelve weeks
after her daughter’s birth, Laura McKenzie would die in
an automobile accident.
Saturday, May 20, 4:03 a.m.
Courtney had been driving for three hours
before he allowed his concentration to shift from the
Laws to the highway signs. Right now he needed a rest
room, a coffee, and some gas. He found all three of his
requirements at a rest stop two miles over the George
Washington Bridge. Kay slept through the pit stop,
adjusting her position only once while he filled the tank.
Returning to the highway with a sixteen ounce
coffee, he forced his mind to relax.
His thoughts returned to the second day
following Thanksgiving break - his morning Laws class.
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“Today, we’re going to discuss Law Nine.”
Twelve very bright young adults had assumed
seated positions in his class, and now listened intently
to their teacher.
“When Action is Necessary, The Most Subtle
Effect Will Gain The Most Effective Result.”
Writing the Law on the blackboard, he turned
to face his class, arms folded.
“This Law is the keystone of presence,
something we’ll begin today, and spend some time
discussing over the next two weeks.”
His mouth straight, eyes moving among all
twelve of his students - they stopped on Kay’s for an
instant, she looking back.
“Right now you have a presence, a state of
posture and being. In every moment of your life,
whether you’re conscious or unconscious, you have a
presence - even when you’re alone. Consider this for a
few moments.”
Twelve sets of eyes followed their teacher who
moved laterally no more than ten feet in either
direction from his original position.
“I’m noticing you, and you’re watching me. If
we were adversaries, your presence would tell me how
nervous you are. I could look in your eyes to see how
much confidence you had. You could review me and
consider a train of thought and your next movement.
By being aware of your own presence, you’ll also be
aware of how people see you. The best presence is one
without pretense - just being yourself…”
He noticed her head turn slightly to the left,
then right, observing her peers. The teacher turned
again, reviewing the board.
“Miss McKenzie,” his voice had lifted,
intentionally, startling not only her, but also the rest of
the class. She bumped her knee on the bottom of the
desk.
He pivoted, facing them.
32
During every class he would choose a student with
whom he’d discuss a particular metaphysical effect, or
Law. The practice was an exercise in spontaneous
intuition and analysis.
“What would you question about this Law”
Their eyes had joined, seeing into each other
again. The feeling had become familiar, and was
pleasant for both of them.
She’d done her homework. He knew she would
have.
Adjusting quickly, she rose from her seat,
walked to the blackboard, and addressed his chalk
marks.
Grabbing the chalk, she added two words to the
beginning of the Law, “If And”.
Law Nine now read, “If And When Action is
Necessary, The Most Subtle Effect Will Gain The Most
Effective Result.”
Replacing the chalk in the blackboard tray, she
faced her teacher.
“I think there’s two questions we need to ask
about this Law. The first is, how do we define
necessary action? I might think action is required in a
situation when you wouldn’t The end result of any
meeting could be the same with, or without action.”
Her eyes watched his, searching for a sign of
approval.
None yet.
“We also need to ask, what’s an effective result?
If I’m looking for a date, should I use subtlety to get
one, or wait until I’m asked by the person I want to go
out with?
Still no sign of his approval.
Three male students had made a mental note.
“If I’m enraged, how can I be subtle? If I’m
sorrowful, should I be subtle at all? Do both of these
situations call for subtle effects? Isn’t it up to me to
determine if an action is necessary?”
33
Her logic was strong, and although she was
right about everything she’d said, she had been timid
and unsure of her answers.
He sensed this.
“Your corollary’s insightful, Kathleen. You used
both inductive and deductive reasoning to form it. You
can go back to your seat and we’ll talk about your ideas.
They spent the remainder of the period
analyzing her theory.
He explained to both her and the class that
while the Laws were immutable truths, they were also
flexible axioms capable of being interpreted to fit
practical applications. She’d done a good job in using
this Law to fit her own criteria.
At the end of the session, he asked her if she
had time to stay for a for a few minutes.
“Yes,” she’d hoped he’d ask her. In fact, she
used quite a bit of subtlety during the class to make it
happen.
“Please, sit down.”
She took a seat in the front row of the
classroom as he came around to the front of the desk.
The same, deep penetrating eye contact remained.
“I want you to know your logic is excellent. I
also believe you have strong intuitive capabilities - you
just demonstrated them. You’re doing good in this
course, but I think you feel intimidated by the fact t hat
someday you’ll have to apply all of this. Am I right?”
She didn’t speak.
“I’m sorry, maybe I’m pushing you because your
Pat’s daughter. You may feel that’s unfair, but I’m stuck
in a tough position here. Your father wants you to learn
to apply this material. Give me a chance, and give
yourself a chance too.”
She lowered her head, raised it, and looked
around the room.
34
“I know how much these Laws mean to my
father, and how often they’re used by you and Robert in
the organization. I also know I have a responsibility to
learn them…Look, I feel awkward in here because you
and I know something no one else in the class knows.
I’m uncomfortable with Yankee Echo…in fact, I think it
stinks.”
She turned her head away from him.
“How much do you know about Yankee Echo?”
She knew a lot more than she could tell him.
Her head came around again - their eyes met.
“I know the work you do is important. But that
doesn’t mean I think the means you use are right - I feel
sorry for my father, he’s lost a lot in his life and he’s
very vindictive.”
“Towards newspapers?”
“Yes.”
“Kathleen, we write to improve things in this
country, not make them worse” He could see she
needed time.
“Maybe we should talk about this more often.”
She felt that was an invitation to spend some
time together, away from school. She was attracted to
this man, and liked the thought of having time alone
with him. Smiling, she decided to accept. An instinct
told her to be both subtle, and mysterious.”
“OK, call me…I’m sure you already have my
number.
Getting up from her seat, she swept her hair
back. Holding her notebook against her chest, she
continued eye contact.
He tried giving her a little confidence. “You
might surprise yourself.”
She turned to leave - leaving him with a subtle
remark.
“I might surprise you too.”
The result was effective.
35
Saturday, May 20, 5:05 a.m.
The Jeep and its passengers were half way
between