Sedition (A Political Conspiracy Book 1) by Tom Abrahams

ourselves,” he continued, “there is a window of opportunity for us. We can, I think, significantly alter the political direction of this wayward government. I know our feeble attempts of the past have failed. Money isn’t worth what it once was to these heathens running around the bowels of the Capitol. We underestimated that. This time, we must fully commit. If we do, we will succeed.”
    “How is that?” Ings asked between drags on his unfiltered Camel.
    Sir Spencer struggled to stand against the depth of the sofa, but managed. He adjusted his jacket and pulled each arm down to ease the wrinkles, then leaned toward Edwards. “I think George has some ideas about technique. Then I will further explain the process by which we take control. George?”
    “Well…” Edwards began slowly, “I think the answer is Semtex.”
    “Semtex?” Davidson asked. “Why Semtex?”
    “It’s an explosive,” Edwards said, looking at the knight as he spoke.
    “I know what Semtex is, George!” Davidson snapped. He was once the head of the Justice Department. He knew that the plastic high-order explosive was developed in 1966 in Pardubice, Czechoslovakia. A combination of Semtin and explosive, it was originally produced in large quantities for use during the Vietnam War but had since become a weapon of choice for paramilitary groups around the world.
    The Pan Am Flight 103 explosion in 1988, the bombing of the US Embassy in Nairobi and the World Trade Center attack in 1993, and the 2008 Irish Republican Army attack on Irish police were all accomplished with the help of Semtex.
    The explosive came to be known as “The Magic Marble of Pardubice”. After the Cold War, much of the product disappeared. Czech soldiers sold the product for as much as five hundred dollars per kilogram. Of course Davidson knew about Semtex.
    “What I mean,” Edwards elaborated, “is that we will use Semtex to alter the presidential succession process.”
    “Are you talking about killing people?” Davidson asked. “I don’t know about this. I don’t think I’m up for murder.”
    Sir Spencer interjected, “Were the founding fathers murderers? Were they terrorists? Or were they men for whom death was a small price to pay for freedom and democracy? Listen to the boy. Give him his due.”
    “Bomb-sniffing dogs cannot detect Semtex,” Edwards explained. “At least, not the older stuff. The newer plastics have an odor inserted into them, but the original compositions are perfect for our purposes. If we can find a way to get the plastic into the midst of the president’s funeral or memorial…”
    “You’re insane,” quipped Davidson.
    “It’s an impossible task,” Thistlewood said.
    “I must be drunk,” added Ings, “because I thought I just heard you say you want to bomb the president’s funeral.”
    “You are inebriated, James,” confirmed Sir Spencer, “but your ears are sober.”
    “It can be done,” Edwards insisted. “With the people we have in this room, we can get the Semtex where it needs to be. When President Foreman is memorialized or buried, most of the line of succession will be there.”
    “Not everyone will be there, George,” Thistlewood piped in. “There’s always a holdout. They always keep at least one person in the line of succession separated to ensure the continuity of government.”
    “I know,” replied Edwards. He looked past Sir Spencer to nod at Thistlewood. “But we don’t need to get everyone .”
    “How do we get our hands on Semtex?” asked Ings, eliciting nasty looks from Thistlewood and Davidson. “I mean, if we needed it.”
    “It’s irrelevant, Jimmy.” Davidson shook his head. “I am not going to resort to violence. That’s just going too far. How can any of you be okay with this?”
    Sir Spencer held up his hand. “Bill,” he said, “think about this rationally.”
    “I am the only one in this room who is thinking rationally.”
    “Okay. Then think about it ir