Background
This is an expansion on the fictional story of a shadow government assassin project which was developed and has been in operation for forty years.
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At the conclusion of the novel, Baker's Dozen, Ben Baker, a government worker / cryto assassin was in the optimum range of a grenade blast, along with the President's Chief of Staff, C.C. Connor, and another assassin, G.I. Joe.
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In this sequel's prologue, Aftermath, the President has been told that Connor is missing and that there is unknown trouble at the secret training area in upstate New York.
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From the previous chapter:
"Sir, Mr. Connor has not returned from the training area. There has been some trouble there and we have no joy with communications."
"Get me Rusty Pipes. Now!" he snapped.
"Sir, Mr. Pipes has been out of contact since yesterday. C.C.-- uh -- Mr. Connor went to the training area explicitly to deal with an urgent situation there."
"What do you know of it?"
"Nothing other than he took twenty armed soldiers with him and told me to tell you that if he wasn't back by now -- he wouldn't be back."
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The sound of chirping birds began in the ear of Assistant to the Undersecretary of Cabinet Affairs, Manuel Kontroz. The hearing implant in his ear received the incoming call alert from his cellular device. Looking to the hockey-puck-sized disk on the wall he spoke.
"Kontroz here."
"Sam Anthra."
"Give me directions only, please," he said.
"Posse."
"Green," he replied, followed by, "Clear." With that, the connection was severed.
Kontroz rose from the military cot he had been lying on. It was in one corner of the small space in which he was living. He took two steps to the deep sink and a two-foot by one-foot mirror suspended from a wire on the opposite wall. Reaching down to a small gym bag by the sink, he felt inside and removed a smaller, shaving bag. From this he withdrew a straight razor, a three ounce bottle of astringent mouthwash, and a pocket-size New Testament. Looking into the mirror he smiled and whispered, "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill."
Having hung up with Kontroz, Samantha pressed four numbers on her device and waited for another ring.
"Government Accounting Office?"
"Hello, sir. My name is Samantha Anthra. Do you know who I am?"
"How may I help you, Ms. Anthra?"
"Holiday weather," she said.
After a brief pause, the male voice on the line said, "The climate is in transition. Storms detected, but current conditions are partly cloudy."
"Be expectant."
With that advice, she terminated the call and walked straight to the President's reading room. She was startled, though not showing it in any way, when she found President Sullivan speaking with Manuel Kontroz.
"What's going on, Sam?"
"The area has been very active, but is now quiet and inspectors are moving in cautiously to sort out what has happened."
"Manny is here to check it out and make a report to you. How soon can we get him there?"
"We've an ultra light for him," she replied.
Kontroz' eyes moved to make contact with hers. He formed what some might describe as a smile. "Show me the plane."
