The Whole Nine Yards Ch. 02

Karl Frazier: "And I might add that the rhetoric against Commander Troy could cost Mr. Weaver here the Mayoral race. I understand that those of you in heavily black districts are going campaign to the issues that are important to your constituents. But the Mayoral race is County-wide, and attacking Troy... not just his daughter, but attacking him, and the Police... is polarizing and energizing whites that would otherwise consider voting for Mr. Weaver, or at least against Allgood or staying at home."

"Exactly." said Katherine. "Thank you, Karl."

U.S. Congressman Gerald A. Condor said "It could also hurt my race. My opponent Larry Vaughan was a popular Mayor, and he's neck-and-neck with me in the polls."

Stacy Jacobs snarled: "Maybe if you hadn't been banging your intern and then had her come over all dead after having that Republican Senator bang her, you wouldn't be losing big like you are."

"Now you watch your mouth!" shouted Condor, rising to his feet, his face a mask of furious anger. "You got your fat ass whipped in the primary because the voters rejected your race-hatred policies------"

"Who the fuck are you to say that, you God damned Cracker!" yelled Eldrick X. Weaver, also rising to his feet.

"Sit down, both of you!" ordered Katherine Woodburn. "We need to have a unifying message, not this infighting-------"

"No, I think I'm going." said Condor. "I'll talk to you tomorrow, Katherine. Ms. Carnes, I'll give you a call, too, when it's a lot quieter and the racist rhetoric is toned down------"

"Who are you calling a racist, you fucking Cracker?!" yelled Stacy Jacobs.

"I'M CALLING YOU ONE!" yelled Katherine Woodburn, rising to her feet, worn to anger, her patience ended. "You're more of a racist than Donald Troy and Daniel Allgood put together! Everything you see, everything you do, everything you say... it's nothing but racist hatred of anything and everything that's not black!"

In the silence that enveloped the room, Katherine said "And one more thing, Jacobs. You can go tell your puppetmaster Lionel Carmela that he is not the Democrat power in this County, and he never will be. And I'll be happy to make an example of both of you if you don't get your heads out of your fat asses and figure it out."

She said to Gerald Condor and Kelly Carnes "Let's get out of here." Bettina Wurtzburg, Karl Frazier, and several others also got up to leave.

As they walked to their cars after exiting the building, Kelly Carnes said to Katherine, Bettina, Condor, and Frazier: "Why don't we continue our discussions at my place. I've got cognac, wine, and Scotch, and we won't have to share it with those Haters in there..."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"I understand what you're saying, Katherine." Kelly Carnes said as everyone came into her home. "But the voters in my District hate Donald Troy because of what he and the Charter Commission did with the schools... we have pay all the taxes, and it's going to the black schools, not the County High system schools. So attacking Donald Troy is a real winner up here."

"Is that true, Karl?" Katherine asked Karl Frazier as they sat down in the formal living room.

"It's an issue." said Karl Frazier. "But like I said earlier, Donald Troy is not necessarily the object of their anger, at least not personally, and I caution you all to not make him the focus of your campaigns."

"So what should we make the object of our campaigns?" Kelly Carnes said as she poured and handed out glasses of cognac.

Karl Frazier replied "Public Policy Polling is seeing a rising trend in two areas: the wealthy County areas north of Town, and the Southwestern Crescent district outside of the Town on the southside. The northern areas are mostly right whites, while that Southwestern Crescent is relatively wealthy blacks that moved out of the bad areas of Town."

Frazier: "We're seeing a definite trend towards secession... well, splitting the Town and County governments apart, like it was before the Merger."

Bettina said "We've been getting hints of that at KXTC, also. Right now, though, the black protests are getting in the way of that. But when all that calms down... and we in the Media are stopping coverage because it helps Republicans... when it goes down, you might see the de-unification issue come up more prominently."

"Strange bedfellows." mused Congressman Condor. "Rich whites and well-off blacks working together------"

"That will be the day." snarled Kelly Carnes. "Like I said, and you agreed, Frazier... our money going to the BTW High School system is the big issue up here. And that's what I'm running on, for the most part."

Katherine said "Don't let this get out, and Bettina, this is definitely off the record, period: there's a State-level situation going on that might affect the separation of the Town and County. Ideas are being floated to merge some of the counties in the State, particularly where it will dilute Republican strength. Coltrane County and even Nextdoor County could be merged with our Town & County. If that happens, it is very likely that the Town will get its own government back, while the unincorporated County will be a lot larger."

"Wow." said Condor. "No one told me about that."

"It's just an idea being circulated by a few people." said Katherine. She did not mention that Condor was not included in the discussions because it was expected he was going to be crushed in November because of the death of his sweet young intern Chandra. (Author's note: 'Unresolved', Ch. 04.)

"Would anyone like a 'French Connection' or a 'Godfather'?" Kelly Carnes asked. "The 'French Connection' is cognac and amaretto, and the Godfather is Scotch and Amaretto."

"You've piqued my curiosity." said Katherine Woodburn. "I'll try a 'French Connection'."

"Let me go get the Disaronno." said Carnes. She left the room for the back den, where she kept most of the liquor.

Karl Frazier said "It's going to be a tough election for you Democrats if you can't get on the same page, especially on the race issues------"

"AAUUUGGHHH!"

Everyone got up at the sound of Kelly Carnes's scream and rushed into the den room. They saw what she had seen, and gasped in shock.

On the fireplace mantle was a Guy Fawkes mask, the empty eye spaces seeming to stare at them, the smile unnerving them. It was the symbol of Anonymous!

Beneath the mask, taped to the front of the mantle, was a piece of paper. Printed in black in on it were the words of Anonymous:

"We are Legion.
I do not forgive.
I do not forget."

And below were the words, printed in red ink, that chilled them all to their very souls:

"Expect me."

To be continued.