Chapter 20 - Logistics and Strategies

"So where do we start, Toby?" Sam asked.

Toby ran a hand across his bald head trying to figure out the answer to that question. Luckily he didn't have to.

"Two doors down on the right is conference room A. I had Robby set the computers up in there and network them to one of the laser printers," Margaret explained.

"Toby, you and the other lawyers can work out of there. Grab anyone you need," Donna continued. "Josh, CJ and Penny are going to be in charge of the overall media and political strategy involved in this thing. Noah, Kate, and Ainsley are in charge of the legal stuff. Sam and Toby, you start drafting statements for everyone who's going to need to make one tomorrow."

"Mike, Danny, Sara, Matt, and Joe are going to be our investigators," Margaret announced.

"What about the conflict of interest?" CJ asked clearly remembering years of arguments with her friend and former almost-lover.

"The Washington Post is now your partner," Danny declared. "We get full access to the behind the scenes work on the lawsuit. You get our considerable investigative expertise and resources. We put a disclaimer on all articles related to the suit..."

"And get a very big scoop for the Post," Sara finished for him

Donna continued as if there'd been no interruption. "Everyone else pitch in where you can. Conference room B is also networked but with fewer computers and more phones. This room's going to stay the Commissary. John's going to keep us stocked up in here," she explained pointing to the embarrassed seventeen year old son of Charlie and Zoey Young.

"Tech support for phones, pagers, computers, whatever is Gail and Robby," Margaret explained. "Donna, Deena, and I are going to be in charge of coordinating everything. If you need something, if you can't find a file, someone's taken your cell, you need something researched, come to one of us. Got it?"

As Sara headed for the door, she called back over her shoulder, "Come on, Detectives. I've got some leads for us to follow."

"Sara!" Noah called after her. "The files on..."

"I'm way beyond where you are in investigating these guys, Noah. Some of the things I know about these guys are going to shock the hell out of you."

"Like what?" Josh asked.

"I've got all their mailings from the last five years."

"How the hell..." Toby began to ask.

"I paid a bum off the street to join up so I could get their mailings," Sara admitted. "They get sent to a PO Box under his name. You'll find some of them quite interesting. The list of contributors in some of the newsletters is fascinating. Lots of off-shore corporations."

"We know that," Toby said.

"Do you know who's behind those corporations?" Danny asked.

"No," Sam admitted. "We've been trying for years to find out without any luck."

"I have some suspicions," Sara admitted. "When you guys start issuing subpoenas make sure you get those records."

"You don't need to tell us that Sara," Kate indignantly told her. "What are your suspicions?"

"I don't want to say just yet. Let's just follow the money. It was a good enough strategy to topple Capone, after all," Sara replied. "Mike and Joe can help us get conviction and arrest reports on them from the membership lists. Find out who has a history of violence."

"Talk about this later," Zoey ordered. "We have until 6 am to get everything done. We need the initial brief for the suit then subpoenas on every member, the headquarters, and anything else our 'detectives' can think up."

They didn't really need to have everything ready by morning. This would, in fact, just be the opening salvo, but their strategy was to hit hard initially to throw WVWP off-balance. This would also allow Toby and the other members of the SPLC to return to Alabama in a few weeks to work on the case instead of staying here in the DC area. The internet would allow them to stay in touch with Charlie easily. The younger lawyers, Kate and Noah included, worked through the night while the media strategists and writers were able to finally get some sleep just after one in the morning. The only time their work had been interrupted was when Penny and CJ's interview aired that night as a special. The family had been pleased with the publicity for the law suit, but wary of what it would mean for the next morning.

Donna had called Ron Butterfield and turned him loose making security arrangements. He had arrived with his daughter Amanda who had been in charge of Butterfield Securities since her father retired five years ago. They had quickly gathered the various protective details together to plan strategy. An advance team had been sent to the courthouse to gather information and begin setting up a perimeter. There was no doubt in any of their minds that members of WVWP would be present at the courthouse in the morning. That was fine with Toby and the other lawyers. It would just make serving the subpoenas so much easier.

"Everybody that's going to the courthouse wears a vest," Ron ordered early that morning as they prepared to leave. He pointed to a large pile of kevlar vests and jackets sitting on one of the conferences tables. "No exceptions." In a matter of minutes everyone had the vests on under their clothes. Surprisingly no one objected, though last night there had been several arguments about certain members of the family staying behind. Dee, Abby, and Jodi had won those arguments though. Little Jed would stay behind with his Grandma Nora, but Matthew had decided to come along. Joe worried but knew he couldn't push Dee on this. Almost everyone had tried to keep Abby at the hotel, but no one had ever moved Abby unless she was willing. After begging with his superiors, Bart had managed to get a few more Secret Service agents out to help today. It wasn't just the former First Lady they would be protecting today, after all. Every protective agent there knew this was a security nightmare. There had been less than one day's preparation.

"The strategy here is a show of force," Toby explained. "We're presenting a united front. If things go wrong get to the cars and do whatever the Butterfields and the other detail agents tell you. Hopefully all the coverage from yesterday will make it too hot for them to do anything more than shout."

"Toby, as a motivational speaker, you suck," his wife told him.

"Sam, are you up for a good fight?" Toby asked with a spark in his eye.

"I believe I have one in me, Tobias" Sam replied as the memories shone bright in his eyes as well.

"Then let the good fight begin," CJ completed the ritual as she took her husband's hand.