The Spark

By Dale F. Saran

"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots & tyrants. It is its natural manure."
It is 2025 and the Progressive States of America has replaced the United States of America after another hotly disputed election. El Unico - an insurgent group - arises in the aftermath - and it takes Thomas Jefferson seriously.
A nameless veteran of the Afghan wars begins his diatribes on the Dark Web, where hackers and revolutionaries are a dime a dozen and three-letter agencies watch for enemies at the behest of corrupt politicians.
An unknown sacrifices her and her family's lives trying to create an algorithm that reveals corruption at the highest levels of government, setting in motion a chain of events that threatens to forever alter the form of the Republic.
El Unico and its patriots want Justice for One, but can they also resurrect Liberty for All?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dale F. Saran
• Release date: Nov 17, 2021
• ISBN: 9781734629347

Dale F. Saran

Dale Saran is a former Marine officer who served from 1991 to 2018 in both the active and reserve forces. He served initially as an attack helicopter pilot, was selected for the Funded Law Education Program, and after graduating from law school and Naval Justice School, was certified as a Judge Advocate in 1999. He served as both a defense counsel and trial counsel (prosecutor) before leaving active duty. He came back to active duty to defend Marines charged with war crimes in Iraq and served in Afghanistan. He was CrossFit, Inc.'s first general counsel for 6.5 years and is now in private practice in Arizona, where he lives with his wife, two children, two cats, and a dog. He has four daughters from his previous marriage and is currently hard at work on his second novel.

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THE SPARK

by

Dale Saran

Smashwords Edition

Published on Smashwords by:

Dale Sarah

The Spark

Copyright 2021 by Dale Saran

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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

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CONTENTS

Prologue

1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10

Epilogue

About the Author

PROLOGUE

At Liberty

Summer, 2025

And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

—First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians

Chapter 13, v. 2

I don’t tell any man what he should do—everyone has to make that decision for themselves. Mine was made for me by Fate, so I just play what I’m dealt. I can’t say it started innocuously, but I can say with certainty that it started innocently—if that word still has any meaning.

I know this will hurt my supporters’ feelings, but I just wrote a few fucking articles. That’s all. So I have a hard time attributing what followed to the Divine … But what do I know. I’m still struggling with that one.

I had a friend who said that if you predict wrongly and keep your job, you either work for the Gov or the Media … which, as it turns out, is a distinction without a difference. If, however, you’re not either of the former and you predict correctly, you either get rich or—worst of all—you become a goddamn prophet.

I wrote a few articles, fewer than five thousand words, a few riffs basically, nothing more. But boy, did I ever get it right when I decided to say some sooth as to how The Conflag would start. Fucked my life up real good by popping off at the mouth …

Again.

I fucked up a lot of people’s lives … but I promised I would tell the Truth with a capital T.

I have not Faith, nor Love, and I am nothing.

• • •

Reuters, July 21, 2025; 2:47 PM CDT

Last updated an hour ago

An explosion rocked the quiet, mostly abandoned downtown area of Detroit, Michigan, just 3 hours ago. Details are sketchy, but the blast’s shockwave was felt for miles away, with some convinced an earthquake had struck Electric Vehicle City, the heart of the new Progressive States of America’s green-energy plans for eliminating old, pollutant-generating cars of the past. Local law enforcement has not provided any information, but members of the FBI’s vaunted Counter-Resistance Strike Force (CRSF) were at the site within the hour.

A law enforcement official speaking on condition of anonymity told a reporter that there are definitely victims of the attack and that first responders are still combing through the rubble for possible survivors. The self-named El Unico, The One and Only, is rumored to be responsible for today’s attack. If true, it would be a marked escalation in hostilities between the terrorist group and the legitimately-elected PSA government. Until now, most of El Unico’s actions consisted of vandalism, anti-government propaganda, and low-level cyber-attacks, including disinformation on social media. Unlike previous attacks on the popularly elected government, a video taking responsibility has not yet been found.

El Unico, now on the FBI’s domestic terrorist list, remains an enigmatic figure, popping up on social media sites then disappearing, hacking government and large corporate databases, then mocking authorities on Twitter. If El Unico is found responsible for this attack, he likely faces being declared a domestic traitor to the peaceful people’s democracy.

Administration officials have so far refused to comment or provide any details about the attacks, the status of the investigation, or the most recent explosion, but El Unico’s name has quickly become synonymous with any