Martial Law Read Free Page A

was an exception to the rule. Abbie had been scheduled to take the campaign plane back to Boston earlier that afternoon, but a late invitation from musician Jimmy Buffett to say a few words at his sold-out concert in the Tucker Civic Center was an extraordinary opportunity to reach out to a cross-section of Florida voters.
    Buffett, an avowed liberal who embraced many environmental issues, was a vocal supporter of Mrs. Clinton’s campaign. He offered Abbie the opportunity to share the stage in front of over twelve thousand fans. Following her attendance at a fund-raising dinner hosted by retiring Senator Bill Nelson, Abbie was taken to the Tucker Center by her security detail led by the ever-present Drew Jackson.
    Drew, a former Navy SEAL and a member of Steven Sargent’s Aegis Team, had become more than a valuable member of Abbie’s security team. The two had grown fond of each other, and there was clearly an attraction between them. In public, Abbie and Drew were able to maintain proper boundaries and an appearance of professionalism. In private moments, which were rare, their conversations always turned to more opportunities to steal away and avoid the madness of the campaign trail.
    Drew stood toward the back of the stage just to the side of the massive speakers that accompanied the Buffett concert road show. A wall of over one hundred flat-screens provided a larger-than-life image of Abbie as she addressed the concert fans.
    “Thank you for that warm welcome, parrot heads!” said Abbie into the microphone, her voice booming through the concert hall. The margarita and marijuana-infused fans responded raucously to the parrot head reference—the nickname of Jimmy Buffett fans since his rise to popularity in the seventies. Drew doubted any of these potential voters would remember Abbie’s speech tonight, but he was sure the positive media associated with sharing the stage with the barefoot troubadour who hailed from Key West would be a political coup.
    Drew’s mind wandered somewhat as Abbie continued her stump speech designed to attract Florida voters.
    “As an independent, I opposed the recent legislation proposed by Republicans attempting to prohibit online gambling. I believe this would pave the way for more government control over the Internet,” said Abbie. “Moreover, such a bill is an inappropriate and unnecessary use of federal powers that infringes upon the rights of individuals and the states. This ban, if approved by Congress, will push gambling back into the black market, where crime can flourish with no protection for our citizens from predatory behavior.”
    Drew moved swiftly to knock away a beach ball swatted toward the stage. His actions received cheers and jeers from some of the parrot heads. One young woman toward the side of the stage where Drew was posted flashed her breasts at him. Drew instantly looked away. They’re out of control .
    “I believe states have the right to govern their citizenry. We wholeheartedly support the right of Floridians to legalize and regulate online gambling as well as gaming casinos within their state.”
    Toward the front of the stage, some pushing and shoving occurred as one concertgoer spilled a drink on another one. The civic center was full of marijuana smoke, and Drew wondered if anyone attending was unimpaired.
    Throughout the campaign, Drew overheard conversations between Abbie and her campaign team. As the de facto head of her U.S. Secret Service team, he was privy to confidential conversations about their strategy. Following the policies of the dedicated members of the USSS, Drew never spoke a word of these details. He did know Florida Democrats were very pleased with their success in getting two liberal-friendly initiatives on the November ballot—legalized gambling and marijuana. It would boost their voter turnout.
    Abbie continued. “Major newspapers in Florida have issued editorials recently calling for an end to marijuana prohibition. As a