Will Democracy Survive

The Hunt for Q

As Scott and James delved deeper into the mystery surrounding the cyber attack on the church's website, they found themselves grappling with more questions than answers. Scott turned to James, his brow furrowed in concentration. "What possible connection could this cyber attack have to Trump, and what could have possibly triggered it?"

Father Dunkin, who had been quietly observing their conversation, interjected, "I may not know all the details of the how and why, but I know who can shed some light on this matter." With that, he introduced James to Anni.

Anni wasted no time in providing a detailed account of her journey into city politics, starting from her research into Florida book bans and their connection to extremist groups. She recounted her hiring as a librarian and the subsequent debate with Congresswoman Greene.

Describing the events of the deepfake controversy surrounding her debate with Congresswoman Greene and the cyber break-in of the church's website, Anni highlighted the intricacies of each incident and their potential connection.

Detective James and Special FBI Cyber Investigator Scott informed Anni that while the cyber break-in constituted a crime, the use of deepfake images and videos was a legal gray area. Scott explained that laws addressing deepfakes were still in their infancy, but efforts were underway, spearheaded by singer Taylor Swift, to criminalize them.

Scott handed Anni a card. "Give Jess a call. She's a private investigator hired by Taylor Swift to uncover the creators of deepfakes that were intended to damage Taylor Swift's reputation after she asked fans to vote for the people that would best represent them. I believe Jess can assist you and you can in turn help her find the answers she's looking for," he said.

Anni contacted Jess, and they agreed to meet in Father Dunkin's office. Two days later, Jess arrived and was warmly greeted by Anni and Father Dunkin. Jess chuckled as she looked around Father Dunkin's office. "Star Wars fan, I'm guessing," Jess said. Meanwhile, Father Dunkin had a tray of tea and butter cookies brought in. As Father Dunkin and Anni listened, Jess shared the details of her investigation, providing all the information she had gathered. Jess explained that her investigation had led her to a shadowy figure known as 'Q,' who is responsible for disseminating false narratives and extremist conspiracy theories benefiting politicians like Trump. Jess went on to explain that QAnon and many other extremist groups have organized themselves around outrageous conspiracies.

Both Anni and Father Dunkin told Jess they knew of QAnon, and Anni went on to explain some of the research she had done on extremist groups while researching the Florida book bans.

Anni told Jess and Father Dunkin that when Trump started his career in 1973, the Justice Department sued Donald Trump and Trump Management because of their discriminatory renter policies.   The case eventually was settled two years later after Trump tried to countersue the Justice Department for $100 million for making false statements. Those allegations were dismissed by the court. 

Anni surmised that Trump's ego had grown to the point where he envisioned himself as president.  But to achieve his goal he would need to either cover up or muddy the waters over his past. That's where figures like Q, or those resembling Q, came into play, flooding social media with doctored images and misleading captions.

Anni then recounted her journey, starting with her research project into Florida's book bans, her first city hall meeting, her appointment to the council, and eventually her debate with Congresswoman Greene. When Jess asked if Anni had copies of her debate and city council meetings, Anni smiled and mentioned that Father Dunkin had been keeping a video diary of her activities in the city. Father Dunkin quickly fetched a copy and handed it to Jess, who thanked them both and asked if she could share the video diary with Taylor Swift. Not surprisingly, Anni agreed.

After Jess returned to New York, she met with Taylor and briefed her on the recent developments. Together, they watched the video diary, with Taylor expressing amazement numerous times. "Oh my God, what an amazing person, I have to meet Anni in person," Taylor exclaimed.

Taylor then called Anni and asked if she could fly up to New York to help fill in the details. As they conversed, Taylor thought she heard a cat meowing in the background and asked Anni about it. Anni explained that it was Napoleon, her Russian Blue, prompting laughter from both women. Anni also mentioned leaving Napoleon with Father Dunkin as he had looked after him during her hospital stay. Taylor inquired about Anni's recovery from the shooting, to which Anni replied, "I'm almost one hundred percent, although I still walk with a bit of a limp."

Upon Anni's arrival in New York, Jess and Taylor greeted her warmly. Anni, sitting with one of Taylor's cats stretched out on her lap, began telling Taylor about her research project, ending with the debate with Greene. Anni then shared her theory about Trump's narcissism and his followers' inclination toward conspiracy theories, and how Q web of deceit binds them together.  With deadpan delivery, Anni looked at Jess and Taylor and said, "Many people think that Trump is actually Q." Jess and Taylor stared at Anni with disbelief. Finally, Taylor said, "Hun Trump is not all that smart". Anni smiled and said, "Gotcha". The three of them laughed until the tears ran down their faces. Taylor, recovering first, said, "For a Librarian you sure are crack up". Which started another round of laughter.

Taylor asked questions about Anni's life, leading to anecdotes about her parents and her French background. Out of the blue, Taylor asked Anni if she would like to attend her Eras tour in Paris, which was met with an enthusiastic, "Hell yes" from Anni.

As the day wore on, Jess enlisted Anni's help in uncovering the source of the deepfake videos and images of Taylor, and they began reviewing the evidence. Meanwhile, Scott and James flew to New York, armed with a warrant, to search the security offices in Trump Tower. As they sifted through the evidence, they prepared themselves for whatever revelations awaited them in the heart of the former president's domain.

In the next chapter, we follow Scott and James as they start to connect the dots from the cyber break-in at the church all the way to Trump himself.