Will It Play In Peoria

One Year Earlier. ...

This particular May had been exceptionally mild and beautiful in Peoria, Illinois. Thomas and Mathew Anthony sat on the veranda of the Peoria Country Club peering over the tops of the budding trees. The scene was captivating as their eyes tracked the Illinois River twisting through the heartland of America and the farmers on the far-side of the river creating earthly carvings with their John Deere tractors as part of their spring planting ritual.

The identical twin brothers, Thomas and Mathew Anthony, had grown up to be extremely handsome, successful men who had earned credibility and respect from Wall Street to Main Street. Their facial features were as appealing as any male model who graced the fashion rags. They had a crop of coal black wavy hair as thick as any briar patch. Their eyes matched their hair. Each sported a Roman nose of prominence and distinction which highlighted their Italian-Lebanese heritage. The final touch was their sturdy chin, strong necks which rested on chiseled, athletic bodies. The men stood six feet two inches tall with broad shoulders, narrow waists and shaped lean, muscular legs. Their molded, muscled, chiseled, athletic bodies had been sculpted by regimented diet, running and weightlifting but often were masked by their expensive tailored attire they wore.

They were as comfortable directing multi-million dollar deals as hunting with the good ole boys on the Illinois River. They were confident, purposeful, commanding, yet without the hint of any arrogance or entitlement of position or wealth. They were accessible and approachable. When you interacted with them, you immediately felt you knew them. They always seemed interested in what you were saying and listened to every word that was being spoken to them. They did not play to their audience, they interacted, provided their positions whether you agreed or not, but were respectful of yours.

The waitress took a double take as she walked up to solicit these two gentlemen's lunch order. She had seen twins before, but normally, there were slight differences in appearance; weight, voice, mannerisms. But not these men. Other than the color of their suits, these two Italian Adonis' were truly identical, carbon copies. She could not take her eyes off them. Was there a word for such masculine, handsome, and stately individuals? The only word this 21 year old could concoct was "hunk-a-licious". "Gentlemen, your order will be out shortly. Again, my name is Gina. If there is anything I can do for you, please do not hesitate to ask." She really did mean anything, as she headed for the kitchen to place their order.

"Tommie, Washington D.C. is a city where one tends to forget its past, over indulges in the present, and continually strives to jeopardize the future. Tourists go there and only see a town of majestic, somber and historical monuments, memorials and statures. The crusaders go to conquer like the British in the 1800s only to end up like Don Quixote chasing windmills. Then we have our illustrious career diplomats and statesmen with their inflated intellectual prowess who arrive to espouse and debate their manifestos and views of Utopia. Washington's political and social establishment has endured and withstood the test of time, evolved from America's Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Bill of Rights. But we have strayed from the very foundation of the United States of America. America was meant to be governed by the best and brightest, to the best of one's ability, for the good of its people. Tommie, should you go to Washington D.C., you must go there as the messenger, the messiah for this country, consumed with the gift of freedom. President Bush went too far right, President Obama went too far left. Both forgot the fiber of what made America great, the hard working, loyal, middle class. They have been forgotten, they are hurting. Rural America is crying out, 'Remember Me?' Core politics, pollsters and media cannot continue to manipulate American values and beliefs. Big cities cannot continue to mute the voices of the rest of the state's inhabitants. You have to be perceived as the ref lection of the ideals of our forefathers, humble as you honor the brave, and the strongest of leaders who are part of a movement to throw out the false prophets that have been in office way too long. I wonder what Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln would say about the state of affairs now in Washington D.C. from their eternal resting place?" Successful business executive, Mathew Anthony, Mattie 'only' to his brother, had finished his red, white and blue editorial and gazed across the table at his brother waiting to hear where the direction of this luncheon was now going to head.

Thomas Anthony smiled and was so proud of his brother. Mattie was so carefree, opinionated, and called feisty by his grandfather as they grew up. The boys idolized their grandfather, their mentor, their benefactor. Their father was an alcoholic who had died in their early years of adolescence. In the teen age years, Mathew Anthony descriptive words had evolved to spirited and insubordinate, as often used by his teachers. After a stint in the military and his graduation from Harvard, the family noticed a more loyal side, a determination to personally confront for a cause, especially if the subject impacted his family, his country or very person. He did what he wanted and not what was expected to right observed wrongs. It wasn't until he took on the corporate world did he exhibit an uncanny knack to play whatever role for any audience with perfection. He easily exhibited his intellect without intimidating others. He did not shy away from any situation. He knew how to use his physical attributes, as well as, his brain, to control situations when he wanted to take a lead role. Mathew Anthony was always positioned and wanted to be in command of any situation he found himself involved. He always saw things from a perspective of desired outcomes. Things he guarded like valuables in a safe were his emotions, and his feelings. What was not known was his alter ego known around the world as the Mailman.

The Mailman was a phantom, a master of disguise. No one knew his true identity except for one man, his so-called handler. In actuality, the Mailman reported to no man or cause. The Mailman had a fierceness, a fiery temper and an impulsive side willing to take the ultimate risk who lived the Anthony family mantra; No fear, No limitations, No remorse. When the Mailman accepted and authorized an undertaking, he would plot a course of action, he formed his team, took charge and acted ruthlessly to achieve his assigned mission. He was overly confident and never doubted his next move to address a situation because he would have meticulously planned his "delivery". His motto was Take action now. Doing something, even if it is wrong, is better than doing nothing. Even if I am wrong, there is always another move to rectify and make it right. To this end, the Mailman maintained his dual standard, one for him and one for others, but when it came to his actions, he used his superior intellect, physical capabilities, and his arsenal of weapons and associates to ensure his actions met with favorable results. The Mailman saw himself as a self-professed equalizer, a renaissance man who wanted to recover the "America" as Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln envisioned. But he was quite aware his means to an end were well outside the boundaries of civil liberties or religious norms. To succeed, he knew he needed a legacy marked not by celebration, but a legacy defined by his survival.

Sitting here now at the Peoria Country Club, Thomas Anthony knew his brother's look. He had seen his many looks and subsequent actions on more than one occasion. This time, he did not sense position, anger or retribution. His brother's words rang as loud as the Liberty Bell of loyalty, restoration of values, commitment and dedication to country. His brother, his identical twin brother, Mattie, was a highly decorated Marine Veteran, the highest of academic scholars from Harvard, a prominent community advocate and a highly successful business executive for Construction Equipment Inc. He had heart, drive, and courage to take on any challenge. He never backed off anything he set out to do. His hand-shake was his pledge. He loved his country, and his family. The only kink in his brother's chain of strengths that Tommie perceived was his brother's Catholic ties. Religion seemed to have taken a back seat since their childhood rearing.

"Mattie, you and I are going to take on the political circus like no one has ever done. Let's make a manifesto that we both can agree. We will set our strategies, our roadmap, and our requirements and then decide, not if, but how, we will make this plan happen to a successful end. Tommie was talkative, the socialite brother, who could debate intellectual matters, and when he spoke, he displayed his high degree of intelligence on the subject at hand. Tommie was highly adaptable because before he would ever act, he always thought through his actions and subsequent consequences. He was a detailed planner. Every move was as orchestrated as a Russian ballet recital.

Tommie, as Mattie would forever call him, was the classic "big brother", always dispensing advice on every topic, whether personal, social, physical, academic, professional and political. Mattie idolized his big brother, even though big meant older, and older was by less than two minutes. Thomas was the deeper thinker. The twin brothers were loyal to each other beyond comprehension. They had pledged to each other to always support and be there for one another. They shared the same dreams, the same goals. Their grandfather was their male role model, their Obi Wan Kenobi, their Dali Lama, their patron saint. They intended to protect and elevate the name Anthony to the pinnacle levels of respect, honor, and achievement. Tommie had come to know and accept his brother had different views, had more conventional ways of doing things and may well react totally differently to situations than what he would do. On rare occasions, he had witnessed his brother expose his darker side. Tommie always felt that Mattie's mind and feeling had been permanently altered as a result of feelings regarding their father, the embarrassment of their father's drinking problem and the horrors of war.

Tommie felt it was his calling, his duty to keep Mattie out of trouble. And, should trouble arise, be there for him. As the "older" brother, he had to address any indiscretions or dirty laundry that could jeopardize the family name. His grandfather's tutelage and words were tattooed within his very fiber. Peoria, Illinois, a sizeable city in the heart of Illinois, midway between Chicago and St. Louis, was about to experience a wave of national attention.

"Mattie, remember when our grandfather said: 'Boys, I hope you never play the role of the bully or the person who thinks he is to be treated special. There are going to be times when someone will challenge you. Some will want to hurt you. If you ever feel that you are going to have a confrontation with someone, then you must trigger your mind's mode of thinking to go on the attack, not be on the defense. Your brain is your best weapon. The person who will confront you generally uses intimidation tactics; his position, his wealth, or his connections to scare you. Confrontations could be as subtle as a raised voice, well timed cuss words, humorless personal innuendos, or straightforward media attacks.' Mattie, I am sick and tired of the badminton game Washington has been playing with the American people's money and their trust. I have sat on the side lines long enough. I tried to influence our local and national leadership to act behind the scenes to no avail. Their only responses were false promises, unrealistic timelines, and on-going funding requests, campaign after campaign." Mattie knew what was coming. His brother had set the stage at one of their clandestine meetings in Jamaica. He presented a look of question on his face so as not to take the intrigue out of the drama his brother was about to unfold.

"The time is right for establishing and executing a plan for my announcing that I intend to become a candidate for President of the United States. I want you to be totally involved in my campaign, acting as my sounding board, my confidante every step of the way. You are the one person who would have no trouble giving me advice or opinion. Can you, will you?"

"Tommie, you can ask me anything and I will be there for you. I am in as long as I do not have to stand up before the press, with your campaign manager's hand up my ass making my lips move. I cannot be anyone's puppet, you know that. As far as the American public, they will undoubtedly become fully aware that you have a twin brother, but I cannot become some talking head side show or having to duck reporters on every occasion. If you want me in, I am in. 'In' means to win, no fear, no limitations, no remorse." Mattie wondered how this luncheon would impact the Mailman.

Thomas Anthony was about to jump into the deep end of politics where the truly big great white sharks fed. Mathew Anthony knew they could forget about dipping just their toes into the shallow end causing a few ripples of hope and promises. They were about to take a high dive plunge that would provoke another sequel to JAWS. The only question for the actors involved to consider was how much blood was going to be in the water?

Solve the Puzzle

Central Intelligence Agency, Langley, Virginia

Located in the CIA's headquarters a couple of miles west of Washington, D.C. is a room reserved for discussions of national importance. The room, more like a vault, is guarded on its exterior by two armed men resembling concrete pillars. Access is granted only after fingerprint, voice and eye retina verification. Inside is a circular table which could accommodate 12 people. Large monitors cover the walls with impregnable communications services capable of immediate access around the world. Topics or actions discussed in this room are beyond top secret. All who participated in such discussions are sworn to never to discuss anything outside of this room, not with anyone, including those who participated in the discussion. Any hint of a lapse in protocol carried the direst of consequences.