Anarchist: The Unveiling

A book such as this - for a time in America such as this. The fabric of the country is unraveling. It is clear that something has changed. There will be losses immeasurable and casualties - many casualties. What we had appears to be gone forever. What's needed is a master weaver to splice it back together again. It has to be different, though - not the same. Without change we will end up with the same thing that we have right now. Not the same, worse. Much worse. The hockey game was almost cancelled due to record snowfall in the northeast. 'Lake effect' they called it. Snow piled high on the ancient indoor arena and the last minute decision to go ahead with the match did not prevent a contingent of thugs from the neighboring town from showing up. Adam knew that the Saint Mikes hockey team - ferried across Lake Champlain - was comprised mostly of international students from Canada and Russia. Just here for the love of the game and to seek fame and fortune with the NHL. The thugs - on the other hand - were just here to teach a lesson to Adam's future fly-boy friends and Captain Americas, who would win the hearts of the local girls, marry them, take them away, and leave the local guys in the dust. Adam was on ambassador duty that night - a glorified seat-finder, helper, and directions-provider for the respectable moms and pops, girlfriends, alumni, and distinguished board of visitors that were here to watch the most popular game of the hockey season. The fact that Adam was on duty with his co-captain of the boxing team, and the Irish fire plug captain of the wrestling team was no accident. Adam and his co-captain were both six-two and a half on a good day. The fire plug was five-eleven. As the game ended, two friendly streams of players skated past each other, offering congratulations and "good game" condolences. At the same time, the three ambassadors stepped onto the ice with the precision and steadiness of sober New England natives that spend all winter on frozen lakes and ponds. The colorful trains of players and clicking hockey sticks cleared the ice, the school song blared and the alumni, students, and guests stood in respect. The building hummed with loudspeaker music and human chorus as the drunken locals streamed to the far end of the rink, over the guards, and onto the ice. Their predetermined target was the opposite side of the arena, where the uniformed cadets were arrayed as an impressive green, black, and gold tapestry. The thugs had never been this organized. As the leaders of the mob skidded onto the ice to make their way across, their attention was instantly drawn to three lone students in winter dress uniform - green, black, and gold. Against the backdrop of the empty arena, Adam and his two buddies looked like 'easy pickins' to the leaders of the mob. To anyone in the rafters, the brown, red, grey, and green mob became a human amoeba that turned away from its original path to head straight toward, then to surround the three warriors in full battle dress. The humiliation raged for less than a minute. Victory was assured by maintaining sure footing on the ice. Adam and his two buddies were pushed toward the far corner of the rink slowly by the mob - but they were welded in the same relative position to each other. A reporter's camera caught the scene from the 15th row in full color - a half-page spread on the front page - not the sports section. His Nikon showed Adam and friends in a perfect triangle - impenetrable. The full color image showed that the onslaught of drunken humanity was held back a foot and a half or more from the triangle. The physics majors figured that Adam and his co-captain's extended reach and the first two knuckles on each hand delivered punishing blows to the more sensitive facial areas of the thugs that led the charge. Their powerful and painful retreat knocked their second- and third-line assailants to the ice like drunken bowling pins.

About the Author :
Francis E. McIntire is a 1974 graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, a management consultant, a U.S. Air Force fighter pilot, and an Assistant Professor of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership at the U.S. Air Force Academy. He led USAF operations in Europe and for NATO, as Chief of Operations, Quality Assurance, and the Functional Check Flight branch at Royal Air Force Upper Heyford in the United Kingdom. As Deputy Commander and Deputy Director for Air Force Quality Assurance, Frank directed the efforts of the 80-person global consulting agency for organizational development and business transformation worldwide. As Manager with KPMG Peat Marwick LLP, he led the business process reengineering, organizational development and business transformation efforts for DoD and commercial clients. In 2000, Frank launched a service disabled veteran-owned small business that has grown to more than $32 million in annual sales at the time of publication. Clients include KPMG and Oracle Corp., the Department of Defense, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Intelligence Community, and the Alaska Native Community providing secure network communications and cyber security for global accounts. Frank earned his Master of Science degree from Vanderbilt University at the Peabody College, and developed the "secret sauce" for implementing operational test program management, and program management for DoD, the Alaska Native Community, the U.S. Intelligence Community, and other commercial and government customers in more than 150 locations worldwide. Frank is a published author, the founder of the Alaska Native Writers Guild, and can be reached at (719) 651-7746 or at theguild@comcast.net.