The Six

The puppet masters who ruled the United States only made one small they believed their own spin. The mistake turned out to be fatal. What if six powerful men actually are in charge of what happens in the US? What if these men are untouchable, while they are manipulating markets, making and breaking businesses, controlling the media, using assassins to eliminate the competition? What if they are living in decadent luxury while bleeding the common man? What if these six influential men get killed off, one by one? Who will then really run the country? One question remains long after you finish The was this fiction, or not? Six smart, arrogant young men meet while in law school in 1970. They form a club, in which they promise each other reciprocal help in their careers. They call themselves The Six and each of them becomes a hugely influential ‘puppet master.' They are now wealthy CEO’s, who control scores of politicians and are highly influential in the global economy. It is early 2004 and they are at the top of their game. They are making sure that their favorite candidate will be elected President of the United States, just like they did four years ago. At this same moment Jim, ex-FBI and marginally employed, gets hired to look into a cold case. He tracks down a likely new suspect, only to watch the man die in a car bomb explosion. In the confusing aftermath, while standing outside a building with Grant, (one of the Six), somebody takes a shot at them, and he saves Grants’ life. Within hours it becomes clear that all six of them have been attacked, and only four are still alive. Out of gratitude, Grant hires Jim to investigate the shooting. Grant's personal assistant, the beautiful, brilliant, but ice-cold Louise, helps Jim to set up interviews with the surviving members of The Six. Standing in Grant’s office a few weeks later a man enters and shoots at them both. Grant dies, and Jim is severely wounded. Jim recuperates slowly, and the remaining members of The Six take increasingly convoluted security measures to make themselves safe from attack. Despite their best efforts, all six are dead within a few months. In the last chapter, Jim has decided to go on a vacation, to battle his debilitating depression. “Jim walked into the terminal and as his eyes casually scanned the crowd, he knew in his gut that he had seen something that made him want to vomit. He did not immediately know what had provoked his unconscious to react so violently, but his training kicked in automatically. He calmed his breathing and willed his eyes to move more slowly now, methodically absorbing and cataloging details. Suddenly his eyes locked on a beautiful Chinese woman who looked lovingly at the man standing next to her. The man was slight, with dark hair in a short ponytail, and long, slender fingers. Though Jim only saw him from the back, he recognized the man instantly…." Who is the puppetmaster now?