― Harry Browne
False Flag
I was oppressed by the heavy weight of inertia and like Macbeth, frozen, aware that going back or going forward the result would be the same.
I knew too much, yet I didn't know anything, but in matters of state secrets it didn't matter―they'd kill you just the same.
It was an absurd conundrum and there seemed to be no escape.
I could only conclude Shannon Holmes had blundered into this mess and her way out was passing the nuclear football to someone else to take the blame.
And I was the patsy.
I looked at Juliet's somber face and confessed, "I don't know what to do―how to get out of this mess."
She nodded solemnly, "I only escaped by the skin of my teeth―thanks to my father's connections in high places."
"Do you see any path forward for me?"
"My dad always says know your enemy so you can exploit his weaknesses. I don't know if that helps much in this case."
"Well, Maine's a decorated war hero and possesses a security clearance above that of the President of the United States―how do you exploit that?"
"I don't know,' she mused, nibbling on a croissant. "You have to excuse me, I haven't eaten and it always help me to think on a full stomach."
"If that's the case, I'll open up the kitchen and make whatever you want."
Again, she stared at me with that sad, compassionate look that made matters worse. It's so depressing when your enemy feels pity for you.
She was on to eating her second cheese croissant. "Don't go rattling pots and pans in the kitchen. It will only distract me. That's why I hate open buffets―too many choices and it overwhelms me."
Suddenly, she stopped in mid-bite. "That's it! That has to be the answer."
"What? Are you going to take Maine to an all-you-can-eat buffet and hope he chokes to death?"
She smirked cynnically.
"No, I wish. Actually, we're going to exploit his weakness and get him off his game―sideline him and at the same time undermine his credibility."
"And how do you plan to do that?"
"In a word―Martians."
I must have looked like Ulrich, the hysteric on-air producer back at the studio, with his hair-on fire look and bulging eyes.
"You've got to be kidding!" I exclaimed, throwing up my hands in frustration. "Is that all you've got?"
"You don't understand. Maine Blair has a weakness for conspiracy theories and has had a long time relationship with Paul Hellyer, the former Canadian Minister of Defence. And what do they both have in common? They believe in the Roswell crash of 1947 and the recovery of an alien craft."
"Oh, okay―so, I'll just phone Paul Hellyer and invite him onto the program and we can have two crazies spouting out nonsense in stereo. You know, confuse what you can?"
"As a matter of fact," she smiled, "that might be a good idea idea but Mr. Hellyer passed away last year from injuries incurred in a fall and to be honest, there's more to that story than meets the eye, but that's a matter to be discussed on another day."
"Okay," I sighed, "please tell me how getting Blair onto the subject of aliens will save my neck."
"Simple," she smirked, "he won't be able to pass up the chance to talk about his favourite topic, and when he does, he'll undermine his whole credibility and nobody will believe a word he says."
I stared at Juliet with open-mouthed amazement. I had really underestimated the girl. Her plan was just mad enough to work.
"That's brilliant!" I said admiringly and sat down beside her and absent-mindedly began chomping on a croissant.
"Hey," she protested, her eyes filled with sparks, "I'm starving and you need to feed me. I'd say you owe me a dinner at one of those fancy restaurants where you dine."
"I'll take you anywhere you want. How about tonight―you pick the place?"
"Hmm, I've always been partial to the park Hotel. They say the prime rib is to die for there."
"Okay, The Park it is. But let's drop all talk about dying―I feel like I just got a reprieve."
"We'll talk about how to handle Maine over dinner and in the meantime, I'll chat with my father and pick his brain for tips on how to proceed."
"I owe you big time for this, Juliet."
She smiled mischievously. "Don't worry―I won't let you forget."
I wasn't worried, I suddenly saw how beautiful she was. A dinner date with her would not be a hardship―it might be the beginning of an enchanting friendship...or more.