The Primary

by Anthony Pistilli

It is sometime in the near future. Phineus “Hawk” Hawkson is a wealthy, playboy entrepreneur who is seeking his party’s nomination for the presidency. The only plank in his platform is the elimination of the influence over the American economy of World Organization Enterprises Maximized, or “W.O.E.Max”. W.O.E.Max makes everything that Americans buy. The W.O.E.Max Leaders virtually own the American economy, and they own most of the American politicians, as well. Hawk Hawkson says that when he becomes president he will use every means possible to remove the economic stranglehold W.O.E.Max has over America. At first, no one takes Hawk Hawkson’s campaign seriously, save the W.O.E.Max leaders themselves. They hire a disgraced and discharged C.I.A. man to work undercover as an advisor on the Hawkson campaign. His name is Dick Dragonberry and his job is to report directly to the W.O.E.Max leaders what he learns about the campaign, and to do what he can to undermine it. Slowly, Dragonberry comes to admire Hawkson, and begins to play a double game. He must make the W.O.E.Max leaders think he is subverting the Hawkson campaign, when in reality he is helping it. The W.O.E.Max leaders then recruit another undercover operative who is to help sabotage the Hawkson campaign. Her name is Helen McClellen, and her job is to have Hawkson found with her in a sexually compromising situation. As Hawk Hawkson becomes more popular, he becomes more dangerous to the W.O.E.Max Leaders and they draw Dick Dragonberry and Helen McClellen deeper and deeper into their conspiracy to stop the Hawkson campaign at any cost. What follows is a challenge to Dick Dragonberry’s moral code of conduct. A challenge intrinisically tied to the promise of a new life that he has found with Helen.

144 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 2011