Brotherhood Beyond the Yard (The Simon Trilogy) Read online

  The second rule was never to vote for a bill other than those specifically identified and approved by him. Otherwise, Abner would be reported as “Not Voting.” This was a departure from the Illinois State Senate, where he was able to vote “Present,” one of the preferred ways to duck an issue.

  And the third rule was never to take on a cause without Hank’s explicit written approval.

  There were other sacrosanct rules that La Fratellanza had adopted to reach its lofty goal, but Abner had broken the fundamental three rules, which they considered crucial.

  While the senator quickly glossed over each infraction with an air of indifference, Hank began to notice Abner’s arrogance was expanding rapidly. Senator Baari’s behavior emitted a feeling of superiority. Almost to the point where he thought he was solely responsible for his own success.

  Hank chose not to share his concerns with La Fratellanza. He surmised they would simply push the problem back to him to resolve, but a certain uneasiness settled in, and Hank started to think about playing the defense.

  —

  On a Friday night, Simon activated the pagers. The gang of four knew that this time, the final phase had arrived.

  During the planning stages, they always met one week from the day of the page, and the display on the pager was always LF. Since the senatorial campaign began, the time and day of the week would appear. This time the pager read “9:00 a.m. Monday.”

  As La Fratellanza convened at the office on the South Side, a certain annoyance prevailed. Having received the summons at the beginning of a weekend demanded that they travel on Sunday to arrive in Chicago on time for their meeting.

  Simon was the first to arrive. Shortly thereafter, the others strolled in—one by one.

  “Simon, why couldn’t this meeting have taken place on Tuesday?” Paolo complained. “You knew I was already scheduled to be in Chicago to review a speech with the senator. Oh, you should know he is speaking at Marianne’s alma mater, DePaul University, on Wednesday.”

  “Next,” Simon stated, waiting for the next grievance.

  “I was flying to Washington on Wednesday and could have easily arranged a stopover,” Seymour barked.

  “Chase, is there something you would like to say?” Simon asked.

  “I’m here, am I not?” Chase, of course, would have been happy not to be disturbed at all. He was enjoying the time he was able to spend at his home in Connecticut with his boys and in his office in New York.

  “May we now get started?” Not expecting a response, Simon turned his back on them.

  They were stunned to see him facing the whiteboard already packed with bullet points, and the TV set up with a DVD ready and waiting for him to push the play button. The atmosphere in the room changed the feeling to “let’s rock and roll,” so as they began to “rock,” the apprehension they felt in their stomachs began to “roll.”

  “The time has come for the final phase, the appointed hour, to plan the presidential campaign,” Simon announced, something the others already had discerned.

  It was now May 2007.

  The general feeling pervading the air was that they were still licking their wounds from their previous political battle, and yet they were forced to step into the ring once again.

  “Hank, why don’t you start by reviewing Abner’s performance in the U.S. Senate? And we are well aware of the senator’s defiance, so you can skip that part,” Simon chided.

  “I will manage that part. Abner understands how important it is to stay on script. I am happy to report he is scoring higher on the recognition factor according to several independent surveys, which he gained from his appearance at a number of major events.”

  “The polls show that Abner is dazzling the electorate with his oratory. Moreover, his campaigns across the states are also well received,” Seymour contributed.

  “Thanks for the plug,” grinned Hank. As for supporting legislation, Abner has voted appropriately on all but one bill.”

  “We are acutely aware,” Paolo interjected. “Tell me more.”

  “I understand it is easier to defend a non-vote than an explicit vote that could come back to haunt you,” Hank said, “which I continually remind the senator. In the same vein, I believe keeping Abner somewhat of an enigma is more effective that offering him up as a target. We just need to find the right balance. The campaign will be won by dint of idealistic speeches and a populous platform.”

  The others concurred.

  “Staying under the radar,” Hank added, “should be the modus operandi for the time being.”

  Hank also reported that Marianne had become a terrific asset on the campaign trail, and now, with their two-year-old baby girl in tow, they truly painted a perfect picture of the First Family, a scene appealing to the masses.

  “There is no doubt she is ready and willing to campaign wholeheartedly for her husband to be the next president,” he promised. “In fact, I’ve picked up vibes that she wants it as much as Abner, if not more. The Baaris are prepared.”

  “I’m ready to go as well,” Seymour reported. “I’m making the final edits to the documentary, and I plan to run excerpts on YouTube. I think it is tantalizing enough to induce a major network to run it in its entirety. Of course, it will have to meet with everyone’s approval first. I’ll have it completed for your review by the end of the week. I am assuming we are all still comfortable with the Action, not Promises campaign?”

  The others nodded in agreement.

  Seymour went on to explain how he planned to use the TV and Internet ads used previously, altering them only to change the challengers and focus on their vulnerabilities. He would also gin up his 527 organizations to attack and counterattack by activating his Web site, ActionForward.org. The site had already received national recognition and had accumulated significant financial support during the senatorial campaign.

  “Everything is already set in place,” Seymour stated self-assuredly. “Chase, would you prepare to begin managing the donations that are sure to flow in, and add them to our coffers?” he asked, adding with a hint of disgust, “Of course, there will be millions of donors offering small donations, compliments of Uncle Rob.”

  Paolo, wanting to steer the conversation away from Uncle Rob, chimed in. “I’ve revamped all the speeches to give them national appeal, and I will fine-tune them as we go along. In fact, the senator already committed to memory the key speeches, and he adjusts to the new wording the moment I make the changes,” he reported, shaking his head in an expression of amazement. Paolo was still astounded at Abner’s ability to retain so much information, although this time around, something seemed different.

  “I’m concerned with the senator’s delivery.” He paused. “During the senatorial campaign, when the vernacular pertained to issues of social justice, Abner read from the heart, but now they appear to be just rote phrases from the senator,” Paolo lamented.

  “Are you concerned about the senator, or the possibility he doesn’t like your words?” Hank prodded.

  “Both! I poured my heart into those words, but the fact that the senator seems too detached is the point. More important, will it be apparent to the voters?”

  “Point taken; I will speak with Abner to see if there is a problem.”

  Then, in a rare moment of dejection, Paolo said, “Perhaps I misnamed our fraternity all those years ago at Harvard. Instead of La Fratellanza, perhaps I should have recommended the name Padroni del Burattino, which means Puppet Masters, even if the puppet is not responding.”

  None of the others found the humor in his remarks.

  Ignoring his brothers’ stares, Paolo, with a bit of uncharacteristic sarcasm, asked, “I assume you haven’t overlooked two major obstacles? Abner first has to win his party’s nomination and, second, has to defeat the challenger for the White House! In the first instance, I’ve had experience working on a campaign against the current front-runner. Haley Collier’s political machine looks unbeatable. In the second instance, there ar
e so many players in the race, it is too early to predict who will lead the pack, but we need to be prepared.” Paolo continued, reminding them, “Illinois was a cakewalk compared to the national scene, which we are about to enter.” He believed it was time for a reality check—a turning point—“Do we walk away now or run the risk of a rout?”

  The others were stunned to hear Paolo so dispirited.

  Seymour tried to intervene but only worsened matters when he invoked Natalie’s name. “Paolo, you may be feeling overwhelmed knowing the pressures you will face in the campaign. By definition, it will occupy much of your time, time you’d prefer not to spend away from your new wife. What is important is that Natalie supports you, and she will be waiting for you when this is finished.” The moment the words left his mouth, he knew he had stepped out of bounds. “I’m sorry, Paolo, that was uncalled for,” Seymour offered apologetically.

  Looking more melancholy than ever, Paolo said, “You really don’t understand.” His defining moment continued when he proceeded to tell his brothers of his encounter with Lordy.

  They were naturally happy to hear that he had reconnected with him after so many years.

  Then Paolo dropped the bomb. “Lordy works for the SIA as a research analyst, reporting to the director.” As if that wasn’t bad enough, he dropped the megaton bomb, all the while looking at Simon. “Noble Lord Bishop is Natalie’s brother.”

  They were shocked into disbelief, and while the group had never seen Paolo so disheartened, they had never seen Simon so incensed. Up to that point, Simon had remained silent. Now he lit into Paolo using several expletives, following each one with the word stupid, an odd choice of a word, coming from Simon.

  “Of all the women you could have laid, why did it have to be her, the sister of a federal agent?” he shouted.

  After the personal assault, and once the crimson began to drain from Simon’s face, everyone breathed deeply and tried to remain calm.

  Simon continued, this time in his typical measured speech, laying out their options.

  “All of our lives are at stake, and should there be any leaks at this point, we all go down, including our families. We have just spent the past several years of our lives together and through our sacrifices have delivered the impossible. We are in the home stretch of our ultimate goal and it is no time to abandon all we have accomplished. Does anyone else have secrets to share?”

  Dead silence followed.

  “Senator Baari has survived three years in the public limelight with no debilitating gaffes,” he reminded them. “We can do this! It is not insurmountable for La Fratellanza.” In an odd moment of humbleness, Simon offered, “As agreed when we started the ‘game,’ if anyone wants out, we’ll recast our votes, and should three brothers favor ending it, we’ll all walk away this time.”

  He looked around the room, his eyes landing on Chase, assuming he would probably want the chance to return to the cushy job he loved.

  “Let’s vote.”

  Simon handed each of them a piece of paper and saved one for himself.

  “Write either IN or OUT, fold it, and return it to Paolo. We’ll let him have the honor of reading the votes.”

  A few moments later, Paolo called out each vote aloud. The others were apprehensive as they heard him read, “IN, IN, IN, IN, IN.”

  Ultimately, even with all his own doubts, Paolo could not bring himself to part with his brothers. In fact, he read his vote first, not knowing how the others would cast their ballots.

  After several awkward moments of silence, Simon asked Hank to reopen the campaign headquarters, and urged them all to be prepared to swing into action in two weeks.

  18

  ON THE ROAD AGAIN

  La Fratellanza had maintained the lease on the storefront on Michigan Avenue, so all that was necessary was to open the doors, dust off the desks, and round up the volunteers.

  Hank and Chase agreed to work together to file all the necessary forms, including the “Statement of Candidacy.” Once completed, Hank would start marshaling his foot soldiers and prepare them for the get-out-the-vote drives, this time on a national scale.

  “It is time to use our full arsenal of weapons,” asserted Simon.

  Seymour agreed. “I will have the 527 organizations going at each other in no time, utilizing the ‘Willie Horton’ technique to the fullest.”

  Paolo and Seymour arranged to work together, to polish the speeches and the ad campaigns, bashing the current administration that would create questionable links between the challenger, once identified, and Washington.

  “I will line up the speaking engagements and limit the number of venues where Abner will have to field questions,” affirmed Hank.

  “All of us working together must create a media blitz, one that will make the senator seem larger than life, a sort of messiah,” Simon insisted.

  The others thought Simon sounded a bit like one himself as he continued. “The country is at a pivotal point in its history, and its citizens are primed for someone just like the Chosen One. All the elements are in place. We can really make this happen!” Toning down the rhetoric slightly, he said, “Remember the American people will be less probing about Senator Abner Baari. They will be influenced to focus more on his opponent’s incompetence and his ties to the current administration. The electorate’s wrath will lead them to vote for Abner. He will constantly be on the offensive, holding out an image that will take them in a totally new direction that will be life changing.”

  After a minor pause, giving the other’s time to absorb his words, Simon boasted, “I’ll focus on what I do best, finding the ammunition to attack the opponent—and if necessary, creating some.”

  Ignoring Simon’s pontification, Hank assured them. “We’re good to go. I’ll tell the senator tonight.”

  —

  The beginning of the campaign was unlike the well-oiled machine they were accustomed to running. As they proceeded, it was fraught with on-the-trail glitches and personal dilemmas. Then, in the midst of a string of successes, and with eight months to go before Election Day, there was total agreement among La Fratellanza, and the Baaris followed the script.

  Not only were many of the potential voters in the United States leaning toward Senator Baari, enchanted by his silver tongue, but also avid supporters in large numbers surfaced overseas. This fresh, new face of America became an instant hit akin to a rock star. The positive press from his international debut was enough to grab the attention of the people at home.

  It was Paolo’s idea to give Abner international exposure and it worked like a charm.

  While the others complimented Paolo enthusiastically on his brilliant strategy, there were still some nagging doubts about his lasting commitment.

  —

  At the end of that first year, the campaign encountered the one serious obstacle Paolo had predicted accurately. The party’s front-runner, Haley Collier, appeared to be unbeatable with his well-established organization.

  “The situation could work to our advantage, especially against a relative unknown. The Collier campaign’s overconfidence will lead them to make mistakes,” Simon pointed out. “We just have to wait for it to happen and then be prepared to go in for the kill.”

  Frequently, Simon liked to recite his knowledge of psychology. The others assumed it was a diversion from his overly technical mind.

  Amazingly, as if Simon were clairvoyant, four months later the unraveling began.

  First, they hurled accusations at the opposition for planting softball questions at town halls. Then, a revolving door of hiring and firing took place during crucial periods of the campaign, and finally, the most dreaded campaign fear happened—the campaign coffers began to dry up and donations slowed down to a trickle—Collier’s campaign was in crisis.

  Those donations began to flow toward Senator Baari, as his campaign gained momentum.

  Again, that daunting question passed through the minds of the brothers, as to whether Simon was clairvoyant
or only manipulative. Nonetheless, what was more important was the major political upset that defied the pundits’ earlier predictions.

  Senator Baari won the nomination—history was in the making.

  Then the final challenge began, or so they thought.

  —

  The opposing party had finally elected a candidate from the array of presidential wannabes. Interestingly the nominee, Josh MacDonald, a decorated war hero and two-term senator, was gaining in the polls.

  The country was at a pivotal point in the war against terror, and the American people placed a higher priority on national security than on the economy. A potential setback for Senator Baari was the one vote he cast without Hank’s approval that was in favor of the Troop Reduction Amendment. Voter support was turning away from him.

  Senator MacDonald was solidly behind keeping U.S. troops in the war theaters, in both Iraq and Afghanistan, which he felt was vital to national security interests. He was outspoken in his conviction, removing all doubts about his position on the issue. This conflict flew in the face of the position Senator Baari—or rather, La Fratellanza—supported on the campaign trail.

  Baari’s potentially fatal weakness was the lack of tangible foreign relations experience, an insurmountable obstacle that even the infallible Simon couldn’t resolve. The international excursion to woo overseas supporters helped, but was not enough to trump a war hero with substantial foreign policy bona fides.

  Senator Baari was gaining in the home stretch, but voters still focused primarily on the war and on Senator MacDonald’s background. It appeared that Baari could not overcome his opponent’s clear advantage.

  He was about to lose the election.

  Then, shockingly, and providentially for La Fratellanza, the unthinkable happened.

  A scandal in the subprime mortgage market surfaced, similar to the one Chase predicted in his thesis. Chase understood that the foundation for the major debacle in the economy that followed started back in 2007. Moreover, during the heat of the campaign, the housing market collapsed totally, resulting in the sharpest drop in home sales in two decades, which ultimately triggered an unprecedented number of evictions and foreclosures.