Authors: Reed Sprague
Aamad had comforted River, but he had not convinced himself that what he said with such certainty was true.
CHANGELINGS
18 APRIL 2026
“We’re on our own. There are no clear lines of authority in this nation any longer, or in this world. We’ll be operating under the basic rules of human decency, morality and ethics. We are going to conduct an investigation, find the twins and end the reign of King Peterson I. We will also make sure he has no successors,” Albert explained at the outset of the day’s planning meeting with River, Aamad and Briggs.
“We will appear to be playing the game. We’ll even release a statement to the general public that we believe that a gang of punks was responsible for what happened to Eddy and the twins, that it was a coincidence that this happened to a top agent of the USFIA. It’s got Peterson written all over it. We know it was him, but we can’t let him know that we know. He wanted us to be intimidated. And don’t forget that he’s got the twins. He believes that we’ll behave to keep the twins safe.
“River, I want you to know that I am as deeply concerned about your twins as you are, but Peterson can’t be allowed to intimidate us. We can’t let it happen. We are all that stands between him and absolute world dictatorship. As difficult as it will be, we have to fight it, we will fight it, and we will win. Your twins will be a top priority, River, but we’re going to fight this. We’re going to be smart about it. We’ll take our time, investigate thoroughly, and then fight a victorious battle.
The twins were being held in the most unlikely place so that no one would think to look for them there. They were being held in one of the staff nurseries, at the WWCA headquarters building. Five of Peterson’s female agents stayed with the twins at an apartment in the headquarters building.
“This may seem difficult to believe, but Peterson’s power is not absolute. Nor is his support. He has had to build a network of spying, secret observers, covert operators, neighbors who rat on neighbors and so on. It’s more of a house of cards than you might think. It’s shaky, and we’re going to blow it down,” Albert explained to the small group. “We can and we will crack the wall of protection around this guy.
“Peterson actually needs us. We will go to him, to offer our support. I will go as a representative of USFIA. Congressman Perez and Senator Milton will pledge the full support of the congress and senate. He won’t have a clue as to the identity of my agents. I’ll gain his trust by offering to bring USFIA under him. I’ll offer to dispose of the leaders above me at the USFIA, and then offer to bring us all in under his direct authority,” Albert explained. “This will give us access to his inner workings. We will literally have access to the details of his operation. Then, like hungry worms, we’ll eat away from the inside.”
“That won’t fly,” Briggs said. “The Governing Council has probably already sold out. They’re cowards. I’m telling you, you’ll look foolish if you offer to move them aside. Just go and pledge your support and the support of those who work for you. And I have another piece of advice for you, Mr. Albert.”
“What’s that, Briggs?” Albert asked.
“From this second on, don’t go anywhere without being surrounded by bodyguards, lots and lots of bodyguards. Your life isn’t worth a dime right now. They’ll get you.”
“Who?”
“Your three buddies on the Governing Council.”
“How do you know?”
“It’s like seeing it on a giant billboard. It’s that clear. You’re a walking dead man unless you have protection,” Briggs explained.
“As soon as we accomplish our mission of getting Peterson and the twins out of the building — we’ll have fifteen minutes to do so and not one second more — the U.S. Army will storm the building and take over, using whatever force is necessary to do so. We have to be out of that building within fifteen minutes of entering it or the Army will consider us to be enemies and will be likely to kill us. They will have been instructed to kill anyone they come across in the building in order to secure it completely.”
“What about River?” Briggs asked. “You can’t walk in there and present River as one of Peterson’s new disciples. That’s just not going to work.”
“River’s out. River, you will not be participating in this operation except from the backroom in our remote offices. Sorry, but you’re too close to all that has happened. You’ve been hurt personally, to say the least, and you will not be able to separate your personal hurt from this operation. That’s my decision and it’s final. Please don’t make me the bad guy because I made that call. It’s the best call, and all of you here know that it is. You’ll just have to trust us, River,” Albert explained, stunning everyone in the room, even though he said something that everyone knew to be true. They were all relieved. Except River.
River objected. He had not had a full week to mourn Eddy’s death; he hadn’t even been allowed to contemplate her death. And now this. “I will be involved. I will. I will contribute to this operation. This is my case. Peterson was mine from the beginning. I am the only person in the world who called this guy for who he is, and now I’m being cut out. That won’t fly. That won’t work. Sorry, Sydney. No! That’s not how it’s going to work.”
“That was not convincing, River. My decision stands. You will remain here. We will go across town and carry this out. Please don’t make this any harder for us than it is,” Albert said.
The plan was complex. Timing was crucial. Each person’s role was as clear as possible—about as clear as the sludge water at the bottom of an old pond. But it was the best they could do under the circumstances. The small group of rebels spent weeks planning. River was in on the planning, so he knew the details of the operation. Being present for the planning also made him painfully aware that he was not to be involved except that he would be in touch by audio back at USFIA’s remote offices.
Albert went to work.
“This is Sydney Albert,” Albert said over the specially coded telephone line to WWCA offices. He was speaking to the U.N. Leader Protection Agency agent on duty at the time. The Leader Protection Agency was the U.N. agency in charge of protecting the top brass at the WWCA and the U.N., including, of course, Tyler Peterson, but also the other leaders representing the continents of the world.
“I would like to speak with Mr. Peterson’s chief of staff regarding a proposal I have from the USFIA,” Albert said.
Tyler Peterson officially represented the entire world, and he had surrounded himself with layers of bureaucrats who believed as he did and who could be counted on to provide disciple–like loyalty to him. No one simply called and talked to Peterson. It didn’t happen. World officials, corporate big shots, the pope, even Peterson’s disciples, anyone at all was denied access.
If he had looked more like his boss, Peterson’s chief of staff, Dante Hall, could have passed as a replicate. He spoke Peterson’s words, made his jesters, mimicked him, ate the same foods, and told the same jokes. A DNA check probably would have confirmed that they were separated at birth.
While he was certainly Peterson’s patsy, Dante Hall was nobody else’s fool. As soon as he heard Albert’s voice on the other end of the phone, Hall’s mind leaped quickly from point A to point B. Peterson was quick to connect the dots, so it was important that Hall be good at that as well.
Hall saw a chance to adopt or even kidnap the prodical son, the USFIA, under the pretense of the Biblical meaning of the story—to forgive and reconcile. The real purpose, of course, was to bring the long–wandering boy in under Hall’s watchful eye, and then, when the timing was right, crush him like a bug. Within a few seconds of hearing Albert’s voice, Hall began to plot.
Albert began by getting down to business. “I have an idea for our agency that I would like to run by you, Mr. Hall.”
Hall realized that Albert must be on track to propose some sort of plan to cut out the USFIA leadership, place himself up as leader, and then be adopted as one of Peterson’s sons, Hall’s new little brother.
Albert didn’t disappoint him. “Let’s meet, Mr. Hall. Can I make an appointment to see you?”
Albert had a problem. Even during his best days acting a part, he would find it difficult to pose as the power–hungry, untrustworthy, backstabbing and manipulative monster that he must present himself to be in order to convince Hall that he was serious. Albert had a noble reputation; he was well–known to be loyal, ethical and honest. Still, he had some things going that might make his plan believable to Hall. He had been passed over for a few accolades and promotions. Also, Albert wasn’t the top dog at the USFIA, though he should have been. It would make sense to Hall that Albert would come forward and make a proposal because if Albert waited for the inevitable — Peterson’s eventual takeover of the USFIA — Albert would be thrown out unceremoniously, and probably even killed. Albert doubted that Hall would be suspicious of his plan if he took the direct route and simply explained his motives up front.
“Thank you for meeting with me, Mr. Hall.”
“Please don’t call me Mr. Hall. Please call me Dante.”
“I’ll get right to the point, Dante. I have been thinking about the possibility of bringing the USFIA in under WWCA’s direct authority. As you know, we are a watchdog and investigative agency for the U.S. government, but the days of individual countries maintaining independent espionage agencies are behind us. You pretty much control the CIA and FBI as it is, so it’s probably inevitable that you will take us over as well. I wondered if you had ever considered this idea.”
Hall liked to have dots connected quickly, but he was suspicious of Albert’s up–front suggestion. Why would a pro like Albert serve up a fastball, out over the plate, inviting a home run? This guy was known to move carefully. He did not make mistakes. He was much cooler than this, much more likely to lead Hall carefully and methodically with some carrots than he was to place a huge chocolate cake right under his nose.
“That’s fairly direct, Mr. Albert.”
“Please call me Sydney.”
“That’s fairly direct, Sydney.”
“I’ll be perfectly blunt with you, Dante—”
“You already have been,” Hall said, interrupting Albert in mid–sentence.
“Let’s begin this exchange again, Dante. This time around, though, let’s not interrupt each other,” Albert said, wryly.
“Mr. Albert, I have no intention of—”
“Call me Sydney.
“Look, this is not going well, Hall, I’ll be leaving. Should you like to discuss things further, please call me. Apparently you have no need to listen to my proposal, a proposal that could save Mr. Peterson — and therefore you — much trouble down the road. Goodbye.”
“You will address me as I wish to be addressed! I am not ‘Hall.’ Either I am ‘Mr. Hall’ or I am ‘Dante’ but I am not ‘Hall.’ You are excused,” Hall shouted with the authority he wished he had.
Hall thought about the possible ramifications of allowing Albert to walk out. He could not risk the possibility that USFIA would continue on in its present form. What if someone learned that the agency had been presented to him on a silver platter and he blew it before the serious discussion even got started? Peterson would not tolerate that. If Hall messed this up and Peterson found out that he did — and Peterson would find out — Hall would loose his current job and could find himself reassigned to a ten–year scientific research project counting snowballs in shorts and a T–shirt at the North Pole.
“Sit down, Mr. Albert. Let’s talk.”
“Call me Sydney.”
“Okay, Sydney, you were saying?”
“There are three above me at the agency. That’s it. I can do away with them in short order, and bring the agency under your authority within a month.”
“Two immediate questions come to mind. 1. ‘do away with’ means what?” and 2. ‘under my authority’ means what? You see, Sydney, we don’t just have things ‘under our authority;’ we have them under out complete control.”
“I have already stolen their access codes, and—”
“And what?”
“And I changed them to a code that only I know. Those three are now useless. They’ll soon realize that. You might check with them about their codes the next time you meet with them,” Albert said, with a slight, crooked smile.
“These codes are our source of power at the agency. I couldn’t care less what official position a person holds at our agency. That means nothing, especially today. The key to the power we are granted is found in our ability to access digitally stored information. I’m the only one at the agency who realizes that. There is no administrative process to hold a person in power at USFIA today. It’s all about access to information that is stored. That’s where the power lies, and I have captured it all, and I—”
“Sydney, you didn’t answer either question. I’m sure you know that.”
“The three above me can be moved out if they are presented with the reality that they no longer have access codes. Your thugs can convince them to take early retirement. They’ll see the writing on the wall. You guys write clearly and you write in bright colors. Your suggestions, coupled with the reality that their access codes no longer work, will convince them that there is no need to hold on. They’ll walk away like harmless sheep.”
“Sheep are prone to wander, Sydney. They’re likely to get into trouble.”
“That’s because sheep need a shepherd, Dante. You’re their shepherd. You will convince them to step away and allow this process of integration to move forward without them.”
“Okay, I’ll have to have all the details, but you’ve satisfied me about the first question. Though I have no idea about this access code situation you’re talking about. It’s okay, don’t give me the details now. Just answer my second question.”
“I will have autonomy while I’m under you. You will be the authority, or should I say, Peterson will be the authority. But I will have autonomy.”
“Why should I believe that you want to be under our control and independent at the same time? Do you see that this makes no sense?”