Dirty penny.....
It's been thirty years since we lied about where the money went. Congress was posturing, but there was nothing they could do. The only reason I'm here is that every lead they had ended at a contributors doorstep. Everyone but mine. If they pushed real hard...Congressman Freeman knew I'd tell them the truth. In front of all the cameras, he knew........push hard enough.......and I'd stick "God and Country" in my back pocket and smile for CNN! I knew, the last thing Congressman Freeman wanted was the truth....he'd interrupt and rein in the tree huggers every time he saw the "look". When we served in Nam together, he saw the 'look' all the time. It was the fuck everybody, I haven't had a Big Mac in ages...... I'm gonna to kill something 'look'. After all, he couldn't have a vet going nuts on CNN...now could he? Not in front of the cameras.....not in front of his cameras.
We go way back. We were both going to be scientists. Solve all the worlds problems. We got drafted and the rest is history. I buried myself in college and went on to NASA. He tried to change what he saw. He went on to college, then to the Capital to make them pay. Truth is, both were a little harder to accomplish than we thought. He spent his years rewriting and trading small, seemingly insignificant paragraphs with the other Congressmen. Trying to blur the ink with some of the blood he saw. With some of the lies he heard. I went on lying and stealing their money by spending it on experiments no one heard of. Secret stuff....we all loved to do. But this time...I got caught....
INSIDE / MY LAB / CAPE CANAVERAL, FL.
LAB STIFF, Billy V.: Well...look who it is. Hey Freeeeeeman, what's going on?
CONGRESSMAN DAN FREEMAN: Oh, just coming down to where the real people live for my dose of humility.
BILLY V.: And those two gents standing by the door, who are they...huh...'free buddy'?
DAN THE MAN: those two make sure I don't get into trouble...you know, like we did in the country.
BILLY V.: Don't embarrass me in front of the kids dad.....
DAN THE MAN: what have you been working on down here Billy boy? Come on, tell your good buddy, Dan the Man.
BILLY V.: Just doing what I'm told boss, just doing what I'm told. Hell, you should know as well as me what's been going on down here. It's your committee that funds my pranks....isn't it?
DAN THE MAN: You know buddies don't lie to each other, don't you Billy boy? You know 'my committee' as you put it hasn't seen anything yet. Were did the money go, buddy?
BILLY V.: The money went for 'looking' big brother. The money went for 'looking'.
DAN THE MAN: Looking for what?
BILLY V.: Yea but have you got a minute....big brother? A long minute?
DAN THE MAN: It's your tax dollar at work. For you I've got all the time in the world.
BILLY V.: I wish that were true, I wish that were true........
to be continued...RJ