Authors: Bobby Akart
False Flag (28 page)
After a stroke, many victims experienced communication challenges known as aphasia. Some people had difficulty speaking while others had trouble understanding words spoken by others. Over time, those communications skills would improve, although the level of improvement was unpredictable.
Throughout his life, Morgan believed in the maxim that luck could result when preparation met opportunity. In his dealings, Morgan believed he made his own luck through planning. But the stroke was different. One couldn’t plan for achieving any measure of
luck
after a stroke. Luck was also believing you’re lucky, and John Morgan was. His stroke, while a shot across the bow, left him with very few adverse problems. J.J. advised him to rest and relax. J.J. further cautioned him his recovery would take months.
Morgan contemplated the ramifications of his near death and the potential for a more devastating stroke in the near future.
“John, you gave us quite a scare, old friend,” said Lowell as he sat down and gave Morgan’s hand a squeeze. “It is good to see you awake and alert.”
“Yes, John,” said Cabot, smiling. “I dreaded having to find another bridge partner. You have a way of staring down our opponents into making mistakes. It’s a gift, you know.”
Morgan smiled and motioned them to come closer. He whispered, “I love you old fools like brothers. I need you to stand with me now more than ever.”
“Of course, John. Tell us what you need done. Walter and I can help.”
Morgan, his voice weakened but fully coherent, explained his request to his friends. For the next several minutes, Morgan reflected on his life, his friendships, and the successes the Boston Brahmin had achieved together. Cabot and Lowell listened attentively to their dear friend.
“John, this is deathbed talk,” started Cabot. “Where are you going with this?”
“I want you to support me,” replied Morgan. He attempted to push himself upright onto the sofa cushions. Lowell quickly assisted him to a more comfortable, seated position.
“How’s that?” asked Lowell. Morgan nodded and patted his arm. “We’ve always stood by your side, John. What will you have us do?”
Morgan spent the next several minutes finding the words, and the strength, to tell his trusted friends his wishes. At times, he paused to find the words before continuing. Cabot and Lowell were very patient with him, sometimes finishing his sentences to allow him to gather his thoughts.
“Will you do this for me?” asked Morgan.
“Of course, John. Lawrence and I will support you in every way.”
“Bring them in, please,” said Morgan, waving his arm toward the door.
Outside the Morgan bungalow, a vigil was being held by all of the Boston Brahmin and their wives. Every member of the Loyal Nine was present as well. Many prayed for Morgan throughout the night. They were there to comfort Abbie as well. Morgan had earned the love and respect of them all for his strength during this close call.
One by one, the Boston Brahmin entered the bungalow at Cabot’s insistence. Peabody, Bradlee, Winthrop, and Endicott joined their comrades and closed the door for privacy. The four newcomers paid their respects to the man who shepherded the Boston Brahmin through times of turmoil and peace.
For several minutes, they listened as he struggled to speak. Glances were exchanged, and emotions were released.
Morgan, in his weakened state, troubled them all. But his words were unequivocal. His request left no doubt in their minds.
“Now, please,” said Morgan. He motioned toward the door, and Lowell exited as instructed. A moment later, the hushed whispers in the bungalow ceased, and all heads turned to the door closing, and Sarge, who entered sheepishly.
“Come, sit with me, Henry,” said Morgan, who took a deep breath before continuing. “I promised your father that you would do great things. I promised to be your guardian, your mentor, and protector. For all of these years, I have ushered you through life, keeping a watchful eye over you as if you were my son.”
“Yes, sir, I know,” said Sarge, who was welling up with emotion.
“I am not a dying man, but I am tired. A tired man can do nothing easily, and we still have work to do, Henry.” Morgan attempted to push himself up again, and he was assisted by Sarge.
Morgan continued as he addressed the room. “I thank God that I have done my duty in upholding the ideals and vision of our forefathers. I’ve done all of the business I am capable of doing on this earth.” He turned his attention to Sarge.
“Patriotism is not enough, Henry. I see compassion in you I never had. You recognize that our fellow man must not be forgotten.”
Morgan again looked into the faces of the Boston Brahmin. “I intend to live, my friends. You can’t dispatch me that easily.
“We must finish what we started, but it requires a younger man. It needs a different vision, one capable of looking beyond the creation of wealth, but to the creation of a new nation. My role now is that of teacher—the grand master to the student.” He turned his attention to Sarge and struggled as he reached out to grasp his shoulder.
“It is time for me to step aside. The Boston Brahmin must be led by the next generation of patriots. Henry, I am entrusting you to take the reins and accept your destiny as the new head of the Boston Brahmin.”
The saga will continue in…
THE MECHANICS
Book Five in The Boston Brahmin series
,
coming in the fall of 2016.
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History of the Original Loyal Nine
Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it
.
~ George Santayana, philosopher and novelist
America has a penchant for rebellion. While the dates associated with the War for Independence are well known, the battle for freedom began many years before with the early colonists and continued into the nineteenth century.
Author Bobby Akart explores the trials and tribulations of a fledgling nation with a careful examination of the attitudes of the early colonists and their taste for freedom as they built America.
Seeds of Liberty,
an Amazon #1 bestseller in the sociology, politics and social sciences genres, takes the reader on a historical journey beginning with the settlement of Roanoke Island in 1585 through the British attempts to clamp down on the colonists via the Stamp Act in 1764—the impetus for the creation of
The Loyal Nine
.
Revolutions tend to be brutal affairs, and America’s fight for independence was no different.
How did the American Revolution yield a constitutional republic, with greater freedom on a large scale than the world had ever seen? Successful revolutions never begin overnight. The American Revolution was two centuries in the making. Starting with the early attempts at English colonization on Roanoke Island in 1585, and throughout the first settling of the New World, important stones were laid for the foundation of American freedom and independence.
The American colonies had known violent rebellion long before the Revolutionary War. Each of the original thirteen colonies had experienced violent uprisings. Americans had shown themselves more than willing to take up arms to defend a cause held dear. This tradition of rebellion characterized the American spirit throughout its early history.
Seeds of Liberty
chronicles certain critical events such as Bacon’s Rebellion, Culpepper’s Rebellion and King Philip’s War. Over these formative years, the seeds of revolutionary thinking took root, and the stage was set for Americans to assert their independence from their British brothers and sisters. Many events transpired between the one-hundred-year period of 1676 and 1776 that served as precursors to the American Revolution. In many ways, the American Revolution had been completed before any of the actual fighting began. The roots had already grown.
Boston, Massachusetts, became the epicenter of the colonist opposition to British rule. In 1765, a group of Bostonians formed a “social club”—attempting to avoid the scrutiny a political organization might provoke. Their purpose, however, was more than social. This group of nine Bostonians, formed and operating in secrecy, plotted a response to the Stamp Act.
They called themselves the Loyal Nine. Although they were respectable merchants and tradesmen, they were not necessarily the most prominent Bostonians. They were private and unassuming, avoided undue publicity, and were diligent in their secretiveness. The names of the Loyal Nine aren’t prominent in American history books. But these nine men sowed the seeds of the American Revolution. They were average, hardworking Americans—fighting against tyrannical rule.
For ten years following the formation of the Loyal Nine, tensions between the British government and the colonists grew. As pressures built in America, chapters of the Sons of Liberty were formed all over the Thirteen Colonies, especially throughout New England, Virginia, and the Carolinas.
As the Sons of Liberty grew, so did their desire to adopt their heraldry. Heraldry was used throughout history as a means to express a group’s pride and loyalty. In 1767, the Sons of Liberty adopted a five red and four white vertical-striped flag as the group’s formal standard. It became known as the Rebellious Flag, and the nine stripes paid tribute to the Loyal Nine.
The leaders of the revolt, the Sons of Liberty, were faced with a chance to fundamentally change the course of America. They faced a choice—continue to live under tyranny or choose freedom. They chose freedom. By 1775, their opportunity became reality, and the war for independence began. But the seeds of freedom were planted by nine brave Bostonians who had a vision and the courage to stand by their convictions—
the Loyal Nine.
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Dramatis Personae
THE LOYAL NINE:
Sarge
– born Henry Winthrop Sargent IV. Son of former Massachusetts governor, godson of John Adams Morgan and a descendant of Daniel Sargent, Sr., wealthy merchant, and owner of Sargent’s Wharf during the Revolutionary War. He’s a tenured professor at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government in Cambridge. He is becoming well known around the country for his libertarian philosophy as espoused in his
New York Times
bestseller—
Choose Freedom or Capitulation: America’s Sovereignty Crisis
. Sarge resides at 100 Beacon Street in the Back Bay area of Boston. Sarge is romantically involved with Julia Hawthorne.
Steven Sargent
– younger brother of Sarge. He is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy and a former platoon officer of SEAL Team 10. He is currently a contract operative for Aegis Security—code name Nomad. He resides on his yacht—the
Miss Behavin’
. Steven is romantically involved with Katie O’Shea.
Julia Hawthorne
– descendant of the Peabody and Hawthorne families. First female political editor of the
Boston Herald
. She is the recipient of the National Association of Broadcasting Marconi Radio Award for her creation of an Internet radio channel for the newspaper. She is in a relationship with Sarge and lives with him at 100 Beacon.
The Quinn family
– Donald is the self-proclaimed director of procurement. He is a former accountant and financial advisor who works directly with John Adams Morgan. Married to
Susan Quinn
with daughters
Rebecca
(age 7) and
Penny
(age 11). Donald and Susan coordinate all preparedness activities of the Loyal Nine. They reside in Brae Burn Country Club in Boston.