Chapter 40

Chapter 40 SummaryDan Bruner and Jeffrey Kruger spend a Saturday morning in Bruner’s office designing a two-part campaign to undermine Anthony Russell’s credibility. The first plan involves a high-impact media blitz that expands GenaSeed’s “Feed the World” message into emotionally charged ads. These ads contrast thriving crops and healthy children with barren fields and starving kids, with a tagline portraying Russell as a wealthy extremist trying to “steal the food from our mouths.” The second plan targets Russell personally: the research and legal teams are instructed to dig into his past for items that can be amplified or leaked on social media, with legal approval to prevent slander lawsuits. Bruner demands initial drafts by Wednesday to launch the plan before the week ends.Meanwhile, Bravo prepares for a face-to-face meeting with the mysterious contact who earlier introduced himself as “Hernandez.” Armed and cautious, Bravo takes a hidden position near the Basilica. The man who arrives isn’t Hernandez but Remington, the same operative Bravo encountered in Houston. A tense, knife-to-throat confrontation occurs; Remington remains calm, unshaken, and clearly a skilled enforcer. He explains that the meeting was ordered by the organizer (the unseen “Hernandez”), and that Bravo must comply or be killed, like Larry. Bravo refuses to be a puppet, but Remington makes it clear that the choice is to accept the job and survive for now or refuse and face the consequences. After Remington departs, Bravo determines that his only real option is to find and eliminate the person pulling the strings, ensuring no one can give orders that force men like Remington to obey. The chapter ends with Bravo’s growing determination and the increasing danger surrounding GenaSeed’s efforts to neutralize Russell.