“We will NOT obey orders to impose martial law or a “state of emergency” on a state, or to enter with force into a state, without the express consent and invitation of that state’s legislature and governor.”
—Oath Keepers website
Enrique Ybarra, a famous young general, suffers the loss of his two brothers, one in a drug overdose and the other in an effort to expose the drug trade. Already reeling in his personal life and marriage, Enrique is introduced to a team of high-ranking military officers who convince him that there will soon be a crisis in the republic involving martial law and that he needs to join them against the Deep State.
Excerpts from the book
“You still don’t get it, Kiki. You think wearing that uniform makes all the crap slide off you? Did you ever think about who you were blowing up in Iraq and Afghanistan or why they didn’t want you in their country? Did you ever think of the hundreds of thousands dead in those little ventures over there and the millions of homeless orphans roaming around? The trouble with you, Kiki, is that you never once thought about what the hell you were going to do in the military. You liked pleasing Pops and looking impressive and getting all the accolades, but you never gave one thought to all the misery we were causing over there.”
p. 63
Carlos still didn’t look up, but Burnett knew he had his attention. “Dagummit, Carlos, our field is polluted these days with shills, liars, whores, and cowards . . . It’s enough to make a buzzard gag! Even here at the Statesmen, there are things we’re never going to touch either, like all that 9/11 crap. But every now and then, we show a little balls and let the public know what’s really going on in the world.” Burnett then looked Carlos in the eye. “Tell me, are you going to let your brother be the only one in your family putting his life on the line for something?”
p. 93
The three senior officers grew quiet, and Cummings and Taylor looked down, with Cummings fidgeting slightly. Then Dennison, in a soft and deliberate voice, asked Enrique, “Do you know who died in the Pentagon that day, Kiki?” When Enrique didn’t respond, Dennison said with his voice rising a bit, “Soldiers and sailors died that day, Kiki. Fifty-five in all, plus a bunch of military contractors. American soldiers and sailors! Soldiers and sailors who never got the truth of their sacrifice in a court of law!”
p. 160
Podcast interview
Listen to a podcast interview with Kate Delaney on America Tonight Radio here.
Excerpt from US Review of Books
“‘Dagummit, Carlos, our field is polluted these days with shills, liars, whores, and cowards…It’s enough to make a buzzard gag!'”
In de Berg’s novel, three brothers take different roads across the landscape of the American dream. One falls prey to the allure of drugs. Another takes up liberal causes and the search for truth. The third devotes himself to honor and service. Together, their routes merge into a mosaic of deception that threatens the very foundation of the country each loves in his own way.
Both a family saga and a political thriller, de Berg’s tale examines the bonds of blood as well as the meaning of patriotism. The youngest brother overdoses on heroin. The middle brother devotes himself to tracking down and exposing the origin of the drugs that killed his sibling—even if it endangers the career of their oldest brother, a professional soldier. But this personal story of tragedy and retribution morphs into a much larger narrative of conspiracy—a conspiracy maniacal enough to sacrifice thousands of lives for a warped sense of order.
The author fills his plot with extensive detail that builds an aura of authenticity to people, places, and events. He uses footnotes throughout that add credibility. He is as comprehensive with the backgrounds of his major characters as he is with the bona fides of the evidence that spurs them to action. Occasionally, this attention to meticulous detail slows the pace, but his storytelling skills overcome these speed bumps as readers yearn to know what is really happening behind the scenes in this clandestine part of America some call the deep state. If you like tales where grandiose schemes seem all too plausible, and the unimaginable begins to become frightening real, chances are you’ll find this book to your liking, as well.