The Return of Elliott Eastman Read Free Page B

People paid their credit cards down. Now imagine if they, along with the reduction in Sallie Mae rates for our kids, were given six hundred or a thousand dollars a month more to spend for the next thirty six months rather than paying it to the banks. This is what the reduction in credit card rates will do. We’ll have this economy back on its feet in no time, and it doesn’t cost the government a dime.”
    “You’ll never get the banks to reduce their rates,” someone said.
    “We’ll see about that,” Elliott replied, and held up his glass of wine. “Here is to Operation Anvil.”
    “To Operation Anvil,” the men cried out as one and raised their glasses.
    Following the conclusion of Elliott’s speech the men broke up into small groups and discussed various ways of executing the ideas Elliott had put forth. The meeting went on well into the night. Brandy and cigars were consumed in great quantities. Morning light was beginning to filter through the huge arched windows of the hall when the meeting finally broke up.
    Over the course of the next three days a plan of action was hammered out. Two man teams would contact the CEO’s of Sallie Mae, Bank of America and Capital One. Richard ‘Rick’ Wheeler would head up the team to open discussions with Kenny Borel, the head of Sallie Mae. Another group led by James Lally would deal with the prison system in daring fashion. Elliott wasn’t wild about the prison aspect of the plan and actually excluded it, but James felt so strongly about it that Elliott relented. James maneuvered himself to a quiet table with Elliott and pressed his case.
    “I never told you none of this, but my boy was going to be locked up for a long time. He wrote letters to his mother begging her to smuggle rope into the prison so he could hang himself. It was killing her. He was going to be another one of the revolving door prisoners that never got out of the system. It wasn’t right what they we’re doing to him. It’s not what this country is about.”
    James grew quiet and reached across the table and clutched Elliott’s hand saying, “I can’t thank you enough for all you did Sarge.”
    Elliott looked across the table at James Lally. James was older now but still broad across the shoulders and his red hair had grayed some, but he was still a handsome giant. He knew this man to be a fearless fighter. He’d gone into firefights to save his buddies when even Elliott might have hesitated, but Elliott had also seen James sobbing over the broken body of a little Afghani girl killed by mistake in a night raid. His was a heart of gold. “How is Martin now?” Elliott asked.
    “He’s doing great. He’s married, got a baby on the way and a good job,” James replied with pride.
    “Good,” Elliott said, “Listen James. I’ll move forward with funding for your prison scheme, but it is not part of Operation Anvil. You’re your own man on this one, and I’ll only fund it under the caveat that not one solitary soul is to be injured. That means none of ours and none of the opposition. If anyone is hurt, I’ll pull the funding instantly.”
    “Thanks Sarge. Thank you so much,” James replied. “You won’t regret it.”
    Meanwhile Elliott himself would enlist the help of retired General Robert Gates, one of the most esteemed Generals to ever wear the uniform, to open discussions with the Secretary of Defense Bruce Holland regarding base closures.
    Also Elliott would have his team of lawyers, along with some legislative specialists, draft wording for a bill creating the Financial Transaction Fee and set up a meeting with the Securities and Exchange Commissioner to discuss it. Elliott felt if he could get the backing of the SEC, then he’d have an easier time getting a member of the House of Representatives to sponsor the bill in Congress.

Chapter Four
     
    The jet-black eighteen-wheeler raced through the night like an orca whale surging toward its victim. Two army drones armed with three