The town meeting was a calculated risk from the beginning, and the double-cross by John Johnson erased all gains from the presentation. He sensed a significant doubt carried on the wind of the Tri-counties, both about him and his business, and it was more focused than the breeze that wavered prior to the meeting. If he succeeded in one thing, he ratcheted up his presence in the consciousness and emotions of the locals. And that went against the Organization’s rule of maintaining a low profile at all times. He looked around. Where was the councillor? Certainly this warranted a personal visit. And it didn’t stop there. He breeched another Organizational precept by directly causing the injury and suffering of a citizen, even though he justified it as a means of extricating himself from a rapidly deteriorating situation. The Organization had its own rumor mill, and he had heard about similar cases—all involved some form of punishment by the Organization. The cost for the more severe cases didn’t require explanation.
