Topher Lydon

This isn't a spoiler, merely my working idea: Consequences for the Plot: Lydia's Motivation: It’s not just her "bucket." It’s the survival of her entire network, the region's economy. Her assets are worthless if the entire Rideau Valley becomes a financial no-go zone. The "Knight" Metaphor: Gets darker. He’s not just holding the door against local vultures. He’s trying to quarantine a plague inside the castle walls. The Alliance: They need to secretly reach out to the most exposed creditor towns before the Province does, to form a coalition of the screwed. This is where Mike (union connections to other towns) and Axl (covert communications via stream?) become vital. Where Steve's out of the box financial strategies and schemes, and Kenny's forensic accountancy come into play. The True Enemy: Shifts subtly. It’s not just Merrick. It’s the system that allowed this to happen—the deregulated advisors, the predatory banks (the LOBO sellers), the consultancy scams. Merrick is the symptom; the disease is everywhere.

It is a threat that quite literally could bankrupt the province, think of it like domino's. If Merrickville goes bankrupt, it will default on all the loans the surrounding villages leant to it (They borrowed to acquire the funds), so they'd go bankrupt one right after the other across the province. It is the kind of disaster that will create a provincial-wide financial crisis... and given Ontario's lynch pin nature to Canada's economy, it's a systematic collapse of a nation's economy. The Government would have to step in, bury the debt. The money would have to be written off, and remain, secure, in a certain someone's bank account, ready for when he needs it. This is, indeed, a Steve and Kenny sized problem. One that is going to challenge Steve in a way that's going to excite his rather Steve-tastic Steve-ness. Poor Kenny is going to have to invest in scotchguard, tissues, and prayer to keep Steve from exploding all over the national economy.

So I have been looking into what Tarquin has been up to. My next Merrickville story is about unscrewing the town, Lydia at her best. This is something that is happening, right now, across the UK. And no one is stopping it. It's what bankrupted the city of Birmingham, and is set to bankrupt OVER HALF of all town councils in the UK in the next year or so. I am astounded at the sheer hubris of the people behind this.

Ok, the only hint I will give you is already in the text. Will is able to communicate with Enrico, through Ned.

Peter is the man in this book, he saves the day. MVP is shared between him and Tommy, both of them are the backbone of the story. Peter keeps Will and West safe and his connection to Ned is ... well you will see. Uncle Peter loves his family. Tommy grounds Jake in the chaos that's to come, sees things other people miss and... well... he and Will in this one. Will makes sure that Tommy knows he is Will's son too, and that he's protected, and loved.

Nope, not telling... and no clues either... and you lot stay out of AI that's cheating.

Yeah, because while Will knows. UNCLE PETER KNOWS! And those two may run rings around the Secret Service, but Peter's no idiot and knows exactly what those two get up to. "Jacob James Carter, if you think I can't hear you sneaking down that hall, you are VERY mistaken! And you, Thomas Joshua Hesston, if you aren't back in your bed in five minutes I'm coming up there...."' "How the hell did he hear that, isn't he like in another wing of the house?" "It doesn't matter how he heard, Jake, the last time he caught us he had us scrubbing the Harding Barn till it shone... there was horse dung from 1883 in there... I smelled like some old horse named Jack for a week!" "BED!" "Yes sir, Uncle Peter, sir!" The two boys chimed out, heads hanging as they return to their rooms.

Oh, and I will award bonus points to the person who works out what the secret is with Ned's Letters, I am sure by now you're scratching your heads a little. I am fond of puzzles, let's see if any of you can solve the code. Professor mode, engaged.

Next Chapter: Will returns to the White House and stares down the ailing lion, while Tommy learns the truth.

So the Sub in the Lakes acting as a relay was the other reason it took so long to get a message to Will directly. With the Americans owning the keys, any phone call would pass through the NSA, the towers in Ontario would have a military presence. By putting the Midget sub in the lakes, AT LAST the resistence has a command and control system of their own that can't be monitored. And given that NO ONE would have the audacity of putting a submarine INTO the lakes... at least no SANE person, Yani accepts no such restraints. The Americans are not expecting her to be there, let alone acting as the much needed relay.

Both? I mean it gets lonely on a submarine, all those seamen... He needs to spend time in the Officer's mess... and I am off on the sailor jokes again.

Good morning Peter, proving once again, why he's the best.

CHAPTER TWELVE: PETER AND THE WOLF Location: The Ruins of the Merrickville Blockhouse, Sector 4. Time: 02:00 EST. Three days after the Liberty Incident. Status: The Hand-off. The night was loud. Not with artillery or engines, but with the frantic, drowning cacophony of the swollen Rideau River. The spring melt was peaking, turning the canal into a brown, churning vein that throbbed through the heart of the occupation zone. Captain West Harding sat in the darkness of the lower stone

I do know that the provincial towns are a bit messy, and the lakes area of Ontario is a bit nutty when it comes to them. I do think I need to spend that book with Lydia looking into some of the WEIRD and very corruptible rules of the area. There's a whole banking system that I am looking at and going, WERE I TARQUIN.... but that's spoilers.

Garrett's office is described as a glass cube... if you position that office facing the front room of the house, on the left side of the garage, facing out, he can see both right into the house window and the front of the garage at the same time. Much to his utter dismay

Well from research, the average income of the town is ridiculously high, there are a lot of holiday homes, and country homes in the area... it's very 1% adjacent for the most part. (I tend to prefer writing about the other side of the canal)

I jokingly tried to map all of Kyle's in book cousins... and I am now going to wash my eyes out with bleach, rethink my life and ensure that all potential love interests from here on out are new kids/families in town... because wow... that boy is related to EVERYONE with the exception of Garrett, like he's about the ONLY one.

And now Orel and Tommy, bonded by Bugs! Never discount the bugs, they are small, fast, and everywhere!

Oh... oh man.... we will long remember the Screaming Chicken SVO in the annals of shame on GA i mean Tarquin is bad, but Hale was just... diabolical for that.

I do REALLY like the '19 Bullitt... it's got some of that magic... Andrew's owned what: 69 GT 2005 GT - crashed and totalled by the Crown Vic 2015 Shelby - UK was abandoned in Canary Wharf by Templeman 2019 Bullit - Abandoned near Langley Virginia and slightly borrowed the 1985 SVO abandoned behind a diner in Louisiana. (Nicknamed the SCREAMING CHICKEN by various GA fans ) All i have to do is have him drive the '64 Cobra and he's done all the best Mustangs

Garrett's car is a TARDIS blue Chevelle that may or may not be a time machine

I also wanted a clear link between Andrew's Father Thomas Highmore and Walter Grady who would have been about the same age. It also gave me a chance to canonize the Foster brother link between Andrew and Jason established in Capt. vs Goofball. :: continues to spin his little Web of Merrickville founding families :: I may ore may not be contemplating a 70-80's era short story regarding Walter and Tom and the eternal Mrs. Highmore nee Levesque. (relevance to be made clear when I publish Charlie's been Stolen, some point in the spring on GA)

How very dare you to quote Enrico "Andrew likes his Pony Cars" I still regret having to destroy the 2005 GT of his... mmmmmmmmmm still a sexy machine.

If we see a divergence of the books, this would have been after Will gifted Andrew with his car back. Andrew's birthday being September 25th 2019. Seems about right that he'd have it here in 2025. The 69 GT is a good bridge for that.