Raising Assassins E-Book

Mickey Hull

• Herausgeber: BooxAi
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Beschreibung

The first book in the series begins with the twins’ arrival and introduction at West Point. The twins immediately form a fierce brotherhood, and together they face the challenges of both West Point and their secret Black Ops training. During their time together, the twins are not aware of their role with the Elders. While they enjoy success, their adventures are not limited to the basketball court, boxing ring, rugby pitch, or Airborne School. Due to Iceman’s maverick streak, the twins find humorous outlets within the strict confines.
The twins graduate to Black Ops training and do to their unprecedented success were awarded with their first target. Fredrick Byron IV is from a long line of bankers from an extraordinarily successful and influential family. By shorting the market, IV directly funds terrorist attacks and invests in entities that were shattered by the devastation of IV’s orchestrated terror.

Leseprobe

RAISING ASSASSINS

THE COLLINS TWINS SERIES

BOOK 1

MICKEY HULL

Raising Assassins

All rights reserved

Copyright © 2023

No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Published by BooxAI

ISBN: 978-965-578-597-5

To my Fab V.

CHAPTERONE

‘What is her name, you fuck?’ He asked in a gunslinger tone of calm rage.

Doyle, a dickhead pretty boy who played in a crap band and managed to fancy himself as a poor man’s Bono, responded. ‘Kelly.’

‘Try again, motherfucker.’ Jack smashed his face off the rear wheel of a car and asked. ‘How does tire taste? I’ll ask again, what is her name?’ To Jack, this was just business that he managed with darkness. Jack firmly believed that bullies needed to be set straight. People that elect to mistreat women, that was another matter. Although Dante did not specifically define a layer of hell for these ass wipes, Jack had always trusted his moral compass. Jack thought as he administered justice: You don’t fight evil with tolerance and understanding. Hit a girl, my cousin and not expect a beating was a mistake. ‘Mother fuck, you bled on my Bobby Hull Blackhawks hockey jersey. I love this jersey. Wait, you are ok about the jersey. The golden jet would appreciate a little more blood. Gives it character. Where was I?’

‘You asked me her name and it’s Kelly.’

As Jack smirked and shook his dropped head, he thought: The stupidity in people was nothing short of amazing.

‘It would appear we are at an impasse. As a gentleman, I am bound to smash your face against this car tire one last time and then I will curb you. Curbing is when I beat you hard and not gentle like before. Then, with tremendous regret, put your mouth on a curb, stomp on the back of your head and break most of your teeth. Got me? I suppose I should rephrase. The simple question I ask is: how much value do you place on hitting my cousin, whose only guilt was flushing your cocaine down the toilet? Is it worth waking me out of bed four hours before I depart for West Point? Are you regretting the decision? Kindly forgive my lack of patience due to a lack of sleep and a bit of anxiety, but make no mistake, I have made the time for this beating. What is her name?’

Kelly had called Jack from a locked bathroom after she was struck by Doyle. She ran away, hid and called Jack for help. Both Kelly and Jack had recently graduated from high school, shared the same birthday and were remarkably close. They lived four doors down from each other and both attended Catholic high school. Kelly graduated from the all-girl school and Jack graduated from the all-boy Jesuit school. Both schools were located on the Southside of Chicago. Kelly never missed one of Jack’s basketball games. Jack never missed one of Kelly’s calls.

Regretfully, all people speak the language of violence. Boy Bono finally responded. ‘I don’t know.’

‘Well, was that so hard? Don't you feel better about yourself?’ Jack asked with a mix of sarcasm and disgust.

‘Yes.’

‘Now that you are on the path to becoming a proper gentleman, when will you be seeing her again? Careful lad, be careful with your answer.’

‘Never.’

‘Is our little therapy session starting to take root? Are we experiencing a breakthrough? Your thoughts?’ Iceman asked, anxious to end his session with Bono so he could return to bed.

‘I agree.’ Doyle mumbled and wheezed a sound, like a bit of a whistle, as he spoke through a broken nose, swollen and bloodied lips and a chipped tooth.

‘Good man that you are, off you go, but if you approach her again, it would be a mistake. Got me?’

‘Yes.’

Doyle started to walk away and Jack calmly warned. ‘You might want to run before I change my mind.’

Jack turned his attention to his darling cousin Kelly as Bono sprinted away.

‘What the fuck are you doing acting like shanty Irish white trash? Our ancestors did not work their asses off, immigrated to this country and got treated like shit. Irish need not apply. They survived the depression, two world wars and the Irish War of Independence, so you can be with a fuck like that. Our grandparents had our parents, aunts and uncles; ensured they were educated and knew the importance, and power, of the vote. Took our asses to mass and made a better life for future generations. In our family, we go to college and get advanced degrees. Every time we walk out our front door, we walk with and represent those before us. All this, so you can be a fuck? Seriously, you know I love you and believe in you, but knock this bullshit off. Please. I am leaving, so stop the drama, for fuck's sake. Be great, I believe in you.’

Kelly offered a half-ass response. ‘I’ll try.’

‘We just wrapped up our family party as my sendoff. We had a blast. The food was great, two kegs, a bit of whiskey and old stories told an unknown number of times with no shortage of love. Now, if you shit the bed again, I will be forced to go AWOL to help you. Please stop. Don’t try. Just do it.’

‘Jackie, you got a party, what do I get? You are gone and I am stuck here. You are a star and I am a nobody. I am going to junior college and you are going to West Point. Jack, Jack, Jack is all I hear. Do not give me, I am Jack and I worked brutally hard. So, if you work hard, you can do remarkable things too. The gods touched you and they forgot about me. You did work hard, but you have so many gifts that the demanding work was worth it.’ She started to cry.

‘How would you know? How would you know who you are with hard work if you have never worked hard one day in your life? You waste the gifts these gods you refer to gave you. You whiny little girl. I am not going to apologize for being special and celebrated. You live your life, but rather than try to bring me down, you narcissistic fuck, why don’t you try to rise up to close the gap between us? Our whole life, I have done nothing but believe in you. This is the first time I have doubt. In fact, I don’t believe in you anymore. You act like a victim. From now on, good luck. You just lost the last person who believed in you. That only leaves you. You are the last person standing in the fight for self-esteem for Kelly.’ Jack kissed her on the forehead and walked away, only to turn back. ‘Fuck, I tried tough love. Look, I love you and believe in you.’

Kelly sprinted toward Jack, giving him a huge hug and Niagara Falls of tears flowed.

‘I am going to miss you so much.’ Kelly barely managed to utter between cries.

‘You got this, but you must try. Don’t be scared, just do the work. Fearless, be fearless.’ Jack stated deliberately, turned and started his walk home.

During his short walk, he reflected on his life to date and his life going forward. Memories flooded his thoughts. Going to ball games, celebrating every excuse the family has to throw a party and playing sports. He thought about friends and realized he didn’t really have any. Sure, he had buddies and was popular, but none he considered a true friend. Well, in fairness, he thought Kelly, while a mess, was as loyal as they came, but not a peer. Arriving home, he stopped at the front door, looked back at the neighborhood and nodded. As he walked inside, he glanced at all the pictures and trophies he and his brothers had won and exhaled. Jack saw a bottle of Jameson left over from the party on the dining room table and laughed. Of course, there is a coaster under the bottle. As he took two healthy swigs directly from the bottle, he thought aloud. Maybe the difference between proper Irish and shanty Irish is merely a coaster. Maybe the coaster is a symbol of pride. Maybe, I should just shut the fuck up.

He walked to the kitchen, looked for a snack and ordered an Uber. He did not say goodbye. He just grabbed his duffle bag from his bedroom, took care not to wake his younger brothers, jumped into the waiting car and headed to O’Hare Airport. He was not sure what the future held, but he did know his past. He waved to the house from the Uber and blew it a kiss. That was the moment Jack decided to leave the Southside of Chicago behind him and never return. West Point was his journey.

He thought about himself with closed eyes in the back of the Uber. West Point was getting Jack Collins, who grew up on the Southside of Chicago surrounded by aunts, uncles, cousins, parents and three younger brothers who built his foundation. Irish charm, laughter, beautiful blue eyes, light brown hair with more than a hint of red and a dangerous smile built the outside of the man-child he wanted the world to see. He pretended to be common and just one of the guys. A three-sport athlete, the competitor came out on the playground and in high school sports. The rage, ferociousness and fearlessness allowed his fists to fly. He loved every moment of competing. He could not stand the feeling of being so common that failure generated. If one did not try, they never failed, but could never be great. Standing 6 foot and 5 inches, weighing 185 pounds with a long, strong athletic build, the playground basketball court was his Cathedral. He hid his intelligence through disdain for teachers that he viewed as unnecessary and inferior. The rare teacher who offered insight and value, Jack treated with tremendous respect.

Colonel Sullivan found him and recruited him to West Point. He saw Jack’s future even if Jack did not. Why the fuck am I going to West Point and who is Sullivan? Why did I believe in him? Who is that guy? With that thought, Jack fell asleep in the Uber.

‘We are here, you ok, buddy?’ The driver asked when they arrived at O’Hare.

‘I am fine, always fine.’

CHAPTERTWO

‘Mam, I am fine. I love you.’ Sweet words spoken by an incredibly unique and special 17-year-old. He was 6'3 and built like a Greek god. Seamus had mesmerizing green eyes and a seldomly used easy smile. His father was black and a computer genius who moved from America to Ireland due to incentives offered by the Irish government. He brought to Ireland a vision in software design and Ireland rewarded him with a wealth of a young, educated workforce. His father built an innovative and successful software company. He fell in love with an Irish girl who was an Olympic swimmer. They married and had Seamus before his dad died in a car accident. Seamus was nine at the time of the accident. With his mother’s strong and tender love, Seamus grew into an amazing young man. A star rugby player with his mother’s gift of athleticism and first in his class care of his father, Shamus was a true scholar warrior.

‘My little man is running off to the military.’ His mother whispered in his ear as she gave him a hug.

‘Mam, I am fine.’

Seamus was quiet and reserved. He never fit in with the small city where he was born and raised. He was Gulliver and the rest of the town of Ennis were the Lilliput people. Being so vastly different had a significant impact on Seamus. His father’s tragic death had an even bigger impact. West Point represented a fresh start. He could play sports at full speed and not be concerned about killing an opponent. He would finally be challenged in the classroom. He could talk freely and not be restricted. Seamus craved freedom to grow and conquer challenges. He wanted to test his limits to find himself.

‘I love you, my darling boy. I packed you three sandwiches and crisps.’

‘Mam, you’ll be ok.’

‘I know, Seamus. I’ll be fine being alone, but I will miss you. I am proud of the young man before me and I just wish your father were here to share this grand moment.’

Seamus’ thoughts drifted towards his dad, but he quickly returned to his mother. Amazing does not begin to describe her. Strong, athletic and fiercely competitive was just the tip of an amazing iceberg. Warm, supportive, smart and loving, so very loving and caring. Not a soft love, but kind. The love was best described as firm and gentle. Like holding an egg, hold it too hard, it cracks, but hold it too soft, it slips and breaks.

He smiled and hugged her again, but this time a little tighter. ‘Thanks for everything, mam.’

‘My little boy is now a man and off to become a great man. Now, off you go. I really should drive you to the airport.’

Seamus walked over and gave her yet another hug. ‘Mam, we went over this many times; I am taking the bus. I love you.’

As a dual citizen of Ireland and America, he headed for his Aer Lingus flight out of Shannon airport and on to West Point via JFK airport.

During the short bus ride, his thoughts returned to his father. His reflection, as he gazed out the window to the comforting landscape, focused on his father, always starting with why and how. Why, my dad? A road he drove with the bend countless times. It just did not make sense. How could he have driven off? Yes, it was night and a soft day, so the roads were a little slick. Accepted, but it still did not explain how the devastation of losing his dad could be real. He just shrugged and remembered kicking the ball around with his dad. He remembered the books his father handed to him and the discussions that followed. He smiled at the memory of the hours he spent with his dad working on his computer. He always ended his thoughts on the last hike that led to the last picnic lunch the small family enjoyed. The Saturday prior to his father’s death was a magical day. He thought further about his dad and his amazing journey. He grew up black and poor in Atlanta. That had to be tough, but he never discussed it. After receiving a scholarship to Georgia Tech, he worked for a major technology company prior to starting his own company. He chose Ireland and met mam. Seamus wiped his moist eyes and drifted back to the present. He admitted to himself that he really did not understand how he was on a bus headed to the airport to attend West Point. He looked forward to the challenge, but was unsure of why West Point? He knew it was time to leave County Clare, but why West Point? He was leaving nothing behind except his mother. He had no friends and there was no girl he would need to write to. He dated, went to dances and, on occasion, hung out with the lads. Seamus just never felt the same as the others. The color of his skin may have been a factor, but Seamus never paid much attention to his skin color. He was just a man among boys. He took a deep breath and prayed to his father. Dad, I am not sure why I am on this bus other than it feels like this is the start of my adult journey. Please continue to watch over me as you have in life and death. Seamus didn’t know what the future held, but he had himself. Seamus was enough and with the whispers from his mother and father guiding him, he was certain the journey would be memorable.

Colonel Sullivan, 3,000 miles away, silently agreed with Seamus.

Seamus’ journey awaited him.

CHAPTERTHREE

Three years earlier, in a remote basement office housed at the United States Military Academy at West Point, ColonelSullivan was introduced to Seamus and Jack. He kept a one-man office charged with leading Manpower and System Resources for the US Army. While his staff was based in Washington under the careful eye of Lt. Col. Black, Sullivan preferred to raise his daughter in the sanctity of West Point. His beautiful and lovely wife, Laura, felt West Point was better than Washington, D.C., to raise their only child, Molly, age nine. While the world believed Colonel Sullivan had chosen West Point as a safe place to raise a child, he made the decision to move without notice to perform his clandestine work as head of US recruitment for the Elders.

With the end of the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812, a group of nine men formed the Elders. Thomas Jefferson believed and promoted France as America’s greatest ally and that held true throughout his presidency from 1801-1809. During the wars between England and France, the young US economy traded with both countries to build the foundation for the baby economy. England refused to allow the United States to trade with France during this time and set up blockades. The French did the same, although their Navy was not as powerful. France was near bankruptcy and faced a revolution. The Treaty of Ghent that ended the War of 1812 built the foundation for Great Britain and America to be powerful allies. The relationship has endured well-documented challenges. Nine of the greatest minds in business and academia from the United States and Great Britain, came together at the end of Jefferson’s presidency in 1809 and the peaceful resolution of the War of 1812 to form the Elders. The Elders believed the future of the two countries was forged in the past. America was built on a British foundation, and while independent, the two countries needed to be aligned to support each other to prosper in the coming century. The nine elders were comprised of four great minds from America and four great minds from Great Britain. The ninth member was the Chief Elder, a position that was elected every ten years and alternated between countries. Like the Vatican, each Elder simply printed the name of their vote and the new Chief was elected once a consensus was achieved. The current Chief Elder reserved the right to elect his successor in the event of a deadlock. The founding Elders established a simple mission statement: to promote and protect British and American interests in the global theatre.

Although the amount is not known, every Elder contributed a significant sum of money to launch their enterprise. After two centuries, the investment requirement for a new Elder was $1 billion. The great academic minds were exempt from the investment. The Elders purchased an island 45 miles northwest of Barbados as their base. The Island was originally a naval base used to protect merchant ships from pirates that roamed the Caribbean. With the extinction of pirates, the base was abandoned and forgotten. The Elders silently purchased the Island from Great Britain. They are above all radar and government agencies, operating in complete secrecy. Presidents and Prime Ministers were aware of the rumors, but did not know if the Elders existed. Conspiracy theories persist as to a secret organization, within the global power structure, working behind the scenes, but the reality is that the Elders are simply just a rumor and a whisper as far as the world is concerned. The total assets of the Elders’ fund are $900 billion. The contributions of new members over two centuries, coupled with exorbitant investment returns fuel an operation without a budget. The Elders’ largest expense is research and development. Apple spends roughly $16 billion on research and development annually. The Elders invest $90 billion. Apple attempted to create products for the consumer and has multiple lines and multiple failures. The Elders conducted a sniper approach to R&D.

The Elders utilize four divisions led by four group leaders to achieve their mission statement. Research and Development (R&D), the first group, primary function is the development of algorithms and codes to stay ahead of all government and classified intelligence agencies. The hacking and interpreting of information through their software is paramount to the Elders' success. The Elders unite data through hacking. The NSA, Google, CIA, other international governments and private companies protect and rarely share their information. The Elders hack into their systems to create a complete global picture. Their software systems afford the Elders the ability to not only gather information deemed not accessible, but filter and interpret the overwhelming volume of data. America has agreed not to spy on its citizens and allies. The Elders have made no such promise. The relentless pursuit of information and the ability to interpret and respond to information is the driver for the Elders program. Analytics and Investments, the second group, interprets and acts on the information generated by R&D. The superior data access provides valuable insight for the investment team. Companies, institutions, technologies and commodities that clear the analytics department offer sound financial investments in the short and long term. The analytics team also gathers and interprets data for potential targets for the Black Ops team. Black Ops, the third team, is utilized when a threat is deemed too large, too sensitive, or too politically connected for national governments to address properly. The threat, after intense and exhaustive investigation, is voted on by the Elders to become a target. Once classified as a target, Black Ops is tasked with elimination.

Recruitment and Training, the fourth team, is a uniquely valuable department to the Elders. The ability to find the greatest minds of each generation is a challenge. Recruiting the identified candidates is a very delicate process. The recruiters are required to identify and close an exceptional teenager or young adult to an organization that does not exist and must ensure the Elders remain ghosts. The Elders is not Hogwarts. A magic wand cannot be waved to erase the candidate’s memory. The recruiters sell the candidate a vision. The candidates are offered a full college scholarship opportunity to include a high-paying student job, paid summer internships and employment upon graduation. If the candidate is interested, a series of advanced tests begins the scholarship evaluation. The candidates are offered a series of tests to include IQ, language aptitude, behavior science aptitude, personality, morality, advanced mathematics and psychological. The hackers take the same test, but also take a test designed by the current hackers on the team. The Black Op candidates take the same series of tests with the addition of an eye exam, hearing test and complete physical to ensure they are medically fit with no heart conditions, weak joints, or other medical conditions that would prevent the candidate from being able to meet the demands of training or fieldwork. The Black Ops group also take a physical aptitude test to gauge reflexes, stamina, explosiveness, strength and the ability to improve in all areas. All the targeted candidates are offered no information about the Elders when they enter university but are assigned a required class list. The candidates who accept the scholarship sign a five-year commitment to work for the scholarship fund after graduation. The Foundation for a Better Tomorrow, the name of the scholarship fund, is the cover used by the Elders. No other company can boast working with the level of genius provided by the scholarship fund. They are not brought into the Black Ops side of their analytics during their five-year commitment. After five years the brightest candidates are awarded full-time positions as agents. Addicted to high pay, advanced technology and a brilliant work environment, most candidates accept. The agents are fully briefed and make a lifetime commitment to the Elders. The Black Op candidates are briefed immediately upon graduation. Training a recruit to become an agent of death cannot be hidden.

The task of finding these recruits fell into the hands of Dr. Grace Monroe and her team. She had Commander Henry Wilson of the Royal Navy recruiting in Great Britain and Colonel Thomas Sullivan of the US Army in America. Dr. Monroe was a Black Ops agent for ten years and, upon completion of her time as agent, she was chosen to pursue academia. Prior to Black Ops, she had graduated from Oxford, where she earned a master’s in experimental psychology and took third in her class. She was a decorated soccer player, considered to be a terror on the pitch. After her tour as an agent, she attended Harvard University’s Chan Department of Social and Behavior Sciences for her doctorate. Dr. Monroe worked with the analytics team to search and screen candidates. The hackers attacked targeted universities to include their athletic departments, specialized scholarship programs, specialty camps such as chess or mathematics, Olympic athletes, academic award winners, elite college scholarship recruitment; all to find the needle in the haystack. The tens of thousands of names were run through her initial profiling screening program and the haystack became significantly smaller. The list of candidates, now down to several thousand, was run through a second program. The second filter searched background information through school records, local media coverage, Facebook and other social media platforms, criminal records, family life and socioeconomic status to name a few. The haystack became manageable. The process began with candidates at 15 years of age and continued through age 20. The Foundation for a Better Tomorrow sent invitations to the applicants that comprised the remaining haystack. If the candidate was interested, they were invited to advanced testing. The results of the advanced testing further reduced the haystack. Once the intensive process was completed, Dr. Monroe personally entered the screening process. She reviewed the remaining candidates and after initial screening, immediately eliminated half of the candidates and the haystack was again reduced.

The hackers followed a different recruiting process. Dr. Monroe worked with the current hackers and not Commander Wilson or Colonel Sullivan. The hackers searched the dark web and started to initiate challenging hacks for prize money. The recruiting hackers hacked the hacker candidate and recruitment began. The hackers came from all levels of society; some were involved in criminal activities and some were even wanted by the FBI or MI5.

Dr. Monroe carefully examined candidates, including the hackers that remained. When her work was complete, names were turned over to the recruitment team led by either Commander Wilson or Colonel Sullivan. The teams were tasked with the recruitment and evaluation of the candidates and submitted their findings. Colonel Sullivan surprisingly received a candidate from Ireland. An incredibly unique candidate caught Dr. Monroe’s attention, his name was Seamus Collins. She felt with the tragedy suffered by the death of his father at an early age, connecting with his roots in America would be healthy for Seamus. She encouraged Colonel Sullivan to personally handle his recruitment from start to finish to convince Seamus to attend West Point. At West Point, Sullivan could continue to be the mentor and father figure that Seamus craved. She set aside a second file for his attention and handling only. A true Mustang with unbridled talent that scored off the charts. He needed discipline, structure and a firm, but not dominant, hand. His name was Jack Collins.

* * *

While Colonel Sullivan studied the two files stamped priority, he was interrupted by a call from Dr. Monroe.

‘Hello, Colonel. I imagine I piqued your interest about the two Collins candidates.’

‘As a matter of fact, Grace, I am looking at them now.’

‘Tom, if you are in the market for my insight, I am open for business.’

‘Grace, you know I am always buying what you are selling.’ The two of them chuckled.

‘For Seamus, you will need to start by selling him on studying in America. I believe this will be an easy sell. The death of his father has left a hole in him. Coming to America will bring him closer to his father. Gently encourage him to take a free trip to America. Explain to him you will meet him in New York and then you will fly together to visit Stanford. After Stanford, fly back with him to New York to visit Princeton and then West Point. At first, he will balk at West Point. Sell him on how you went there, you live there with your family and it is the third most visited tourist attraction in New York. Explain the history and the lore of West Point. When he agrees to visit, travel in the order I mentioned. He will fall in love with Stanford. Get that out of the way and let his memory fade during the other visits. We do not want him to leave Stanford with loving thoughts going through his head on the long plane ride home. Princeton will give him some doubt about his decision as it too is a special place. Talk about Einstein, the history and the graduates of Princeton. He will be torn, we want him confused, but I expect he will still favor Stanford. Now, here is the important part, he craves a male role model, physical challenge and being a part of something. He lost his father at age nine; he is physically dominant, different and alone in Ennis. He cannot socialize with the brain crowd, because of his stature. He is isolated from the jocks,because he dominated them and his presence trivialized their stud persona. He is a physical specimen. The color of his skin also separated him from the mainstream high school pecking order. He just did not fit in. He is lonely. Talk about the camaraderie of the Core of Cadets. Talk about the physical challenges. Talk about the friends for life. Talk about the extremely competitive rugby team and, with him, West Point should win more national championships. Get him to ask, do not volunteer, why you went, why you liked attending West Point, why you look back on it so fondly and how it has helped you in life. Do you see where I am going with this?’

‘I most certainly do and, as always, will use your pearls of wisdom. Thank you.’

‘Tom, don’t kid a kidder. We both know you are charming and quite clever.’

‘Who me?’ The Colonel responded innocently.

‘Anyway, on to the next one, Jack. I am extremely interested to observe the two of you and the dynamic between you.’

‘Why would you say that?’ Sullivan asked genuinely intrigued.

‘Tom, you know how much I respect you and recognize your amazing talent.’

‘Thank you, Grace. Please, continue.’ The Colonel requested, recognizing Grace’s patronizing tone.

‘This young man is a load. He will be a challenge even for you. He probes for weaknesses and is incredibly observant. He needs to be in control. Although I have never met him, even you have your hands full with Jack. His IQ is off the charts. He puts no effort in school and while his transcript, standard test scores and our advanced test results are impressive, he missed questions on purpose to hide his academic talent.’

‘Why would you think that?’

‘He got the wrong answers wrong. The questions he missed, he can easily solve. The most difficult of the questions he answered correctly. He cannot help himself when challenged to win. The mundane questions, by extension the mundane teacher and system, he has no respect or time for. Missing those questions was his way of playing a game, a form of revenge. He missed the questions deliberately to see if the teachers and recruiters were smart enough to discover what I discovered. He was toying with them, using riddles of right and wrong answers. He secretly told them to piss off.’

‘Why?’ Sullivan asked more interested than confused.

‘Review his transcripts, he had two clear defining moments. In his early formable years, his grades were awful and his standardized test scores were worse. I am confident he was labeled stupid. While the teachers never said it, he would have been perceptive enough at that early age to notice it. Their tone, their eyes of pity, he would have noticed. The kids on the playground may not have been so subtle. Then at age 12 and carrying through his first two years of high school, he scored off the charts.’

‘What changed?’

‘Again, I have not met with him, but I am confident he had a learning disability, probably dyslexia. Dyslexia is common amongst active boys who struggle in school at that age.’

‘Did he grow out of it? Was he medicated? What changed?’

‘Maturing does have some impact, but not to this extreme.’ Grace acknowledged and continued. ‘He was never medicated and I am certain this went undiagnosed. During his young academic period, he would have been polite and quiet in the classroom. He would have been reserved and embarrassed, but most of all angry. In his heart, he knew he was smart. He felt anger with the system, the teachers and possibly his parents. The system was wrong and an angry hate grew with the passing of every year into rage. You can see it in the number of fights he engaged in and the destruction given to his opponents. The rage drove him to be an elite athlete. At 12 a light was switched.’

‘What happened?’

‘From my perspective, again not having met with him, he figured it out himself. Somehow at age 12, he managed his dyslexia on his own. When he solved dyslexia alone that was the end of authority figures for him.’

‘Then why do you insist he is so special? Why do we want someone who will not listen to authority? He sounds like he cannot be trained.’

‘You must not have heard me. He solved his dyslexia without any assistance. His power of observation exceeds both yours and mine. He will absorb training faster and better than any other candidate we have recruited. He will translate training into action better than any other candidate. I shared your concern until I read his essay for the scholarship fund. The essay asked the candidates to name five famous people who have shaped their lives. He wrote a publishable response that included Michael Collins, an obvious choice given his strong Irish family roots. George Washington, who he went into tremendous detail well beyond the cherry tree. Leonardo da Vinci, again way past the Mona Lisa. Charlie Chaplin, way past the little tramp. Malcolm X, to include his birth name Malcolm Little, right through to his final vision after making his pilgrimage to Mecca, that we can all live together. He even went as far as to name two Chicago black leaders as the assassins and documented his case. He added a sixth person and cited that while not famous, Coach Tishy was most certainly influential. Coach Tishy was his coach freshman year in football and basketball.’

‘Interesting.’

‘I thought so. Interesting enough for me to call four of his teachers and then Coach Tishy. I called two from his freshman and sophomore year. Both responded with overwhelming praise. Incredibly bright and gifted, he participated in class, was always on time, never had a bad day and never treated anyone poorly. Jack validated to himself that his self-taught program worked. He did not need the teachers. He did not need anyone. I then spoke to three teachers who taught him in either junior or senior year. Jack was still bright and gifted, but a change took place. The first two I spoke with clearly did not care for Jack. In fact, they went out of their way to ensure I knew he was not a suitable candidate for the scholarship. In all my years, I have never encountered that sort of hostile response. Jack found loopholes in the rules to avoid class, came late and left early. He never once participated in a class. His American literature teacher was confused about Jack. The teacher assigned various books for a two-week period during the semester. In that time, one book was taught, discussed and a report submitted. After a book was assigned, Jack consistently walked in the next day, mind you this is for every book, and turned in the report. The reports were amazing, so much so, that the teacher thought Jack had not read the book and could not have written that level of work with a day turnaround time. He was a junior in high school, so the teacher assumed he had cheated. He ran the report through a software system to detect cheating, but sure enough, Jack wrote it, he was clean. Still not convinced, he asked Jack if he would stay after class for a moment, he explained to Jack that he had something he needed to discuss with him. Jack declined and gave, in the teacher’s words, that look of his. The teacher asked him again and conveyed the importance of the meeting. Jack gave him one minute. The class cleared and before the teacher opened his mouth, Jack challenged him. I didn’t cheat. I will do this only once, because I don’t want to deal with it for the rest of the year. You have one minute to test me. The teacher was still angry over the incident when I spoke with him. He peppered Jack with questions. Jack answered all with amazing speed and insight, but he never looked at the teacher. He only looked at the clock. When the minute was up, he simply turned, gave him that look again and walked out. Jack read a different book, one not included in the reading material, every day during class and never said a word. The teacher asked him to put the book down and participate in class. Jack said: No. This is American literature, correct? I am reading American literature. That was it. He gave the teacher the look that made him feel small and went back to his book. He got beyond an A in the class, but the teacher valued literary discussion, so class participation was important. The teacher warned Jack to participate, or he would be forced to knock down his grade. Jack just gave him the look and said he understood. The same was true with his physics teacher. He assigned homework and projects for two-week periods, because the homework and projects took time. Again, Jack turned in the homework and projects the next day. The first time Jack did it, the teacher said, but we didn’t cover that in class. Jack responded, I know, I read the book.’

The Colonel commented. ‘Jack conveyed he didn’t need or want the teacher.’

‘Tom, that is exactly it. The story goes one step further. The teacher graded his work as he had no other assignments to grade. He was so impressed, he asked Jack if he would present his work to the class. Jack said: No, that’s your job. And smirked. Jack didn’t give him that look of his, he just smirked.’

‘Jack knew he was smarter than the teacher and could teach the class better. So again, what do I need you for?’

‘Yes. Besides boredom, do you know why he reads in class?’

‘To humiliate the teachers.’

The Colonel chuckled. ‘I am beginning to see your point about him being a load.’

‘Here is where things get interesting. I had not noticed until after my conversation with the physics teacher that Coach Tishy was also Mr. Tishy, Jack’s history teacher.’

‘This should be interesting.’

‘It is. I asked first about the athlete. Tishy could not stop singing his praises. He said he wasn’t sure he helped him all that much, he only had Jack as a freshman playing up on the sophomore team. Tishy immediately described Jack as a fierce, almost violent competitor. He quickly added that Jack was the easiest kid he had ever coached. Jack picked up everything he tried to convey on the first pass every time. Not just the X’s and O’s, but how the play sets up the next play. Jack made respectful recommendations. Without question the hardest worker he has ever coached. The smartest player he ever coached in both basketball and football. He just had a sixth sense. Jack was easily the best teammate he had ever coached. Nobody has ever treated the team managers, who are typically from the dork squad and just wanted to fit in, better than Jack. Never met a better or more natural leader. He ensured the team towed the line and his actions set an example. For instance, because of Jack, the team treated the managers with respect. If someone didn’t, they answered to Jack.’

‘Impressive, especially when you consider his teammates were all older than him. Now the classroom.’

‘Tishy taught Jack as a junior, during his angry period, but the results did not surprise me. Tishy described him as pure energy. I asked about his book reading. He responded that he turned in all assignments, book reading and reports the next day. I clarified. No, reading outside books during class. He never did that. He was always engaged in the class. After Tishy read Jack’s first report, he approached him the next day. He told Jack he obviously got an A+ and then proceeded to ask Jack, since he had time, if he would prepare a presentation on a battle for the class. The initial written report was to explain in detail the reasons for the Civil War. Jack said sure to the presentation and just call him up when Tishy was ready. Tishy was stunned. Tishy explained to Jack that if he needed time next week would be fine. Jack responded, whatever works for you. Now, Tishy was curious, so he asked: Ok. How about tomorrow? Jack responded: Sure, works for me. The next day Jack showed up ready to go. Jack had anticipated his presentation and the questions that followed would take up the whole period. Tishy, trying to manage expectations, explained to Jack not to expect too much participation from the class. Jack just half smiled and replied: They will for me.’

‘Confident.’

‘Very, but he was right. Tishy asked: What battle are you going to present? Jack responded: Fort Donelson. Jack explained that he figured at some point, Tishy had in his lesson plan battles like First Bull Run. Tishy acknowledged that was true. Jack continued: I didn’t want you to have to redo your lesson plans. Jack was sure Tishy knew all about the battle, but the students would never hear about it even though it was one of the most important battles of the Civil War. Jack explained: You know, Mr. Tishy. Tishy made a point that Jack never called him coach in the classroom, which he appreciated. Ulysses Grant got the nickname 'no surrender Grant’ after the battle. He also got another nickname, ‘drunk Grant.’ Jack laughed and told Tishy he had a couple of funny stories about the battle. One was when Lincoln heard his cabinet chastise Grant and his drinking and demanded he be relieved of command. Lincoln responded something to the effect: Whatever he is drinking ship it to all my generals. Jack continued: The battle was Grant’s first appearance on the national stage, he hit it out of the park and led him to eventually command the Union Army. The battle switched control of the western front with Tennessee and Kentucky falling to the Union. With the western border secure, the Confederates were trapped. The Confederates could not go west, the north was secure, the east was water and the south was water. The Union just needed to squeeze like a cobra wrapping its prey. The Union had a much stronger navy so the pressure from the sea was significant, especially the Mississippi River. Because of the battle, Union troops were transferred freely up and down the river applying more pressure from the west. The North was able to use the pressure, relentless pressure from all sides. Jack asked Tishy if that was good enough and Tishy responded: You covered the major points.’

‘Your picture of Jack is coming into focus.’

‘The funny part of the story, Tishy admitted to me that he had to start the class ten minutes late. He told the class he needed to go to the dean’s office and to work on their report until he returned. He did not go to the dean’s office. Instead, he stepped out into the hall to google the battle quickly so as not to be embarrassed. He knew nothing about the battle.’

‘That is funny. So, Jack can be smarter than the teacher and act like a complete gentleman.’

‘If he respects you.’

‘Right.’

‘He is going to love you, Tom. You are a significant challenge to him. He will be very curious about you. He will then be curious about West Point. You and the dynamic the two of you create will land him on the Hudson. Keep him on the hook, do not reel him in. Little pieces of information, small bites at a time. He is like a sponge. He wants to absorb everything now. He will bait you into giving up information. Always have your guard up, he will be subtly relentless. Watch your body language, especially your eyes. The more curious he is the tighter he will bite on the hook.’

‘I am not the child in your story, he is. This not my first rodeo Grace.’ The Colonel was clearly getting agitated and a little insulted.

‘We shall see and Colonel?’

‘Yes, Grace.’

‘It’s your first rodeo with Jack.’

‘You really think he is that special?’

‘I do, but I read your candidate report too.’

‘Have you now?’ The Colonel asked, playing along with Grace.

‘Yes, I did. Imagine my surprise to find there was a wonder boy before Jack.’

‘Very funny, Grace.’

‘Ok, wonder boy. Let’s talk about school selection and visit strategy. Whatever you do, our recruitment dies before it starts if he visits Stanford. His belief in individual freedom will take flight and we will never hear from him again. He cannot visit Stanford. Use the stereotypes about California to your advantage. Flaky, self-centered, that is a big one, soft. Things like that will hit a nerve in Jack. Really pound, in a subtle way, self-centered. He will immediately choose Duke and there is nothing we can do, but work it to our advantage. Coach K, being from Chicago and the basketball program will be a huge draw for Jack. He doesn’t need to be the star player. He already knows he is a star in life. He will be a star on Duke’s team without starting. The players will look up to him and he will have led them to at least one national championship. Are you with me so far?’

‘I am and Mike will do more to recruit Jack to West Point rather than Duke. Mike and I have a nice relationship. He loves Duke, but West Point has a special place in his heart. His time here as a cadet, player and coach are some of the fondest years of his life. He has often said: There is no Duke basketball without West Point. West Point was a critical piece in Mike’s journey to greatness.’

Dr. Monroe jumped in. ‘That is perfect. After meeting with Coach K, at the right time, bring up the concept, do you want to be a copy of an original or an original? He will eat that up.’

‘I understand. Mike’s players have not gone on to have much success in coaching compared to Mike because they are copies of the original. Always a little duller. Mike played for Bobby Knight at West Point. Bobby Knight was only a piece of Mike’s adult journey. Mike’s upbringing built his childhood foundation, but West Point built his adult foundation.’

‘Perfect. After Duke, go to Boston College next. The Jesuit link to his high school and being in a major city like Boston will appeal to Jack. Do not spend the night. Visit, meet the coach and get out of there. The coach will spend the day with him and have a player walk him around. They will heavily recruit Jack and that is fine. Do not let him spend the night. He will fall in love with Boston and not the college. The huge Irish population, the pubs and the similarities to Chicago will be familiar to him. He will feel comfortable. Get him out of there and get him to Princeton. Take an early evening flight or drive the four-plus hours, stay in a hotel near Princeton and start in the morning. Have him spend the night and ensure that he spends the night in the dorms at Princeton after his meeting with the coach. He will be scheduled to pair with the best senior in a great apartment. Change the arrangements, so he spends the night with a younger player in the dorms. He will hate the people and the culture of Princeton. Early start in the morning for the drive to West Point.’

‘I got it. I agree.’

‘On the ride to West Point, pick at his curiosity, leak the challenge and tie it back to Coach K. The challenge of West Point is overwhelming, but certainly manageable for a guy like him. If Jack wants to be an average cadet, Jack can coast through. However, to be great at West Point like Coach K was; well, that takes a special person giving a special effort. He will love the use of special. Spend time with West Point’s coach and prep him. Have him review as much of Jack’s game film as possible. Sit with him and ensure he is prepared for Jack. Ignore his playing skills and tell the coach to do the same. His playing skills are a forgone conclusion. Say something to the effect, Jack, we all know your skills on the court, but here is what stands out to me. What impressed me watching as much tape of you as I could get my hands on is your leadership. Have the coach run a clip to demonstrate his point. Without a clip, Jack will dismiss the praise as a phony sentiment. The clip will show respect and commitment, think coach Tishy. Jack, your poise, show a clip. Your competitiveness and toughness, show a clip.’

‘I love it.’ Sullivan was making mental notes, embracing the challenge.

‘If you elect, make sure he uses the word elect, to come to West Point, those three characteristics will lead us to at least one conference championship and a trip to the NCAA tournament. Once in the NCAA tournament, it is a new season and anything can happen.’

‘Perfect.’

‘One last thing, at the end of the trip, we are going to have to break prodigal. You will have to leak very subtly his true future. We must let him in a little too close. Whisper to him not everybody follows the path of the common. Special assignments are set aside for special people. He will look to have you open the curtain more. Simply explain, I already told you more than I should have.’

‘Bravo. Grace, you have outdone yourself. This is your finest work.’

‘It will be if you close him. Bring your A-game and land us our biggest fish and best pairing in our history together.’

‘You got it.’

Colonel Sullivan most certainly did.

The Collins Twins were hatched.

CHAPTERFOUR

The United States Military Academy at West Point mission, to educate, train and inspire the Corps of Cadets so that each graduate is a commissioned leader of character committed to the values of Duty, Honor, Country and prepared for a career of professional excellence and service to the Nation as an officer in the United States Army. West Point is 50 miles north of New York City overlooking the Hudson River. Most of the campus’s Norman-style buildings are constructed from gray and black granite. The academy was founded in 1802 by President Thomas Jefferson, it is the first American college to have an accredited civil engineering program. The technical curriculum became the model for engineering schools throughout the world. West Point’s alumni include two U.S. Presidents, Eisenhower and Grant, presidents of the Confederate States of America, Nicaragua, the Philippines and Costa Rica, such famous names: MacArthur, Lee, Patton and Aldrin. The academy is America’s top producer in Marshall and Rhode scholars and includes 76 Medal of Honor recipients. For admissions, candidates must apply directly to the academy and receive a nomination from a member of Congress, president, or vice president. Leadership is built with the development of four pillars of performance: academics, character, physical and military. The cadets compete in 15 varsity collegiate sports and those who do not compete in intramural year-round. The days are challenging and rigorous, and a special connection resides in, The Long Grey Line.

The cadet candidates arrived at West Point, sat with their families in the theatre housed in Eisenhower Hall and waited for entry into West Point. Jack and Seamus sat alone on opposite sides of the theatre. They both figured this was their journey and theirs alone; parents no need to attend. They said their goodbyes at home; Jack gave the Irish goodbye. He waved the back of his hand as he turned his back to walk out the door. Jack thought, really, walking your kid to school? What is this kindergarten? The best and the brightest need their hands held and a hug. Ridiculous. The cadet candidates said their goodbyes and filed out of Eisenhower Hall and assembled in Thayer Hall. Thayer Hall, originally designed as Riding Hall, was a grey, stoned, four-story Gothic Revival building that housed classrooms and offices. The candidates formed a single file line, that extended from the basement up the stairs and outside to be processed. Their authorized civilian gear was properly packed in the army way in a top-loading US Army-issued travel bag or duffle bag and placed into storage. The same big green bags are spotted in airports around the world. The candidates changed into PT gear. Shorts, T-shirt, but rather than athletic shoes, the candidates donned their authorized dress shoes and dress socks. The look had two purposes. The first was to embarrass and humble the candidate. A cocky recent high school graduate, stripped of their clothes, left in PT gear adorned with knee-high black socks and black dress shoes was not a fashionable look. The second purpose was to break into their dress shoes and learn proper care, including shining their low quarters. The candidates got measured for their uniforms and the males continued and got their hair cut tight. The candidates continued down the line to get their two identification pictures taken. One picture was for their ID card and the other was sent back home with a form letter documenting safe arrival. While the picture did document arrival, the scared look captured in most of the candidates’ pictures caused parents concern about just how safe the arrival was. After the ID picture, the candidates were issued dog tags. The candidates were issued two tags on two linked chains worn around their necks. The first chain was a long chain used for identification. The second chain was much shorter and was linked to the longer chain. The candidates were initially confused by the two tags. The E-4, who issued the dog tags explained. The reason for the two tags is simple. If you are killed in action, the little chain is ripped from the larger chain and inserted into your mouth, and eventually goes to records. A message that did not provide comfort to the teenage candidates. The candidates continued down the assembly line to be issued their gear and ended with the Cadet in the Red Sash. The Cadet in the Red Sash directed the candidates to their assigned barracks and company. The upperclassmen were their superiors and they issued orders. Jack and Seamus reported to company A-1 and marched off to their barracks with the other A-1 candidates. Jack thought to himself: This is pretty straightforward, no big deal. The Cadet in the Red Sash who assigned me to A-1 seemed uptight, but a decent enough guy. The experience was like the sorting hat in Harry Potter. Sash man bellowed, Candidate Collins you are, dunt, dunt, duh, A-1and the crowd went wild. In all fairness, the crowd of candidates were deathly silent, stricken with fear, but that’s how Jack internally lived the story. While Jack was entertaining himself, Seamus was confused. He wasn’t sure what was happening and he felt like he was walking in circles waiting in line. Hurry up and wait made no sense to him. The A-1 candidates walked into their barracks, through the entryway, up the stairs, into the hallway and in that moment their universe changed.

Prior to 2012, Beast Barracks was the cadet candidate’s indoctrination to West Point. The intent of Beast Barracks and the entire plebe (freshmen) year was to create a highly stressful environment to weed out those who were not completely committed to being a soldier and a leader. West Point was a mighty challenge, because combat was a mighty challenge. In 2012, the commander started Cadet Basic Training (CBT), which was a modern approach to training. Candidates no longer faced the challenges of Beast Barracks. The candidates were addressed, if the need arose, in a firm, but respectful tone. Yelling was not permitted. Candidates no longer had table duties, because it was beneath them to serve their upperclassmen. The candidates were no longer required to ping, walking 120 steps per minute, to establish a sense of urgency and move with a purpose. To the alum that suffered Beast Barracks, the new generation strolled as if West Point was just another college campus. Many graduates saw the commandant’s recent efforts to categorize the change to Cadet Basic Training as more professional, as nothing more than placating millennials. Beast Barracks was built to break arrogant teenagers and build them back up. Lazy teenagers were not supposed to break West Point. Colonel Sullivan most certainly saw it as tragic. He had trained and led soldiers of previous generations into battle. Finding, let alone recruiting a soldier in this generation was a mighty challenge. Millennials, in his view, were entitled, lazy and always the victim.

Using his title as Director of Systems and Manpower Analysis, Sullivan approached the commandant at the time, General Calderon, who did not support the changes made by his predecessor. General Calderon was more in line with Sullivan and most alumni who supported Beast Barracks. Sullivan proposed a study: he selected one company to conduct a full Beast Barracks to study that graduating class against the rest of the Core of Cadets in the same graduating class; then, he conducted a mini Beast Barracks for the upperclassmen of A-1 charged with conducting CBT; Sullivan filled the role of the upperclassmen and the upperclassmen played the candidates. After three days of training, the upperclassmen were more than ready.