Ukrainian Baggage Never Stays in Ukraine

Tatiana is back in America. Although she is a proud Ukrainian-American, she realized after an extended stay in Ukraine that the "American" part was very important. Living in Ukraine and seeing the corruption and dirty politics made America seem like a breath of fresh air. Unfortunately, it seemed that Ukraine had followed her to America.

Tatiana was having a drink with a conservative friend of hers. He was a far-right conservative and he had been advocating that the collusion story with Trump was really an entrapment operation against Donald Trump and his campaign. Tatiana seemed to think it was just some crazy vast right wing conspiracy but after the Mueller probe ended with absolutely no collusion and, shortly thereafter, Rosenstein and Attorney General Barr said no obstruction, maybe he was on to something. She said to him charmingly, "Now that the collusion story is over, what are you going to do with yourself?"

"It's not over, did you see Eric Swalwell on Maggie's show"

"No, must have missed that."

"He's still claiming the dossier was true."

"Did the host say anything?"

"Yea mentioned Cohen had never been to Prague, testified under oath that way, no stamps on his passport."

"Okay"

"Swallwell said that Cohen lied under oath once, so he could've again."

"And the Mueller report?"

"Trump lies a lot so he got Mueller to lie too."

"So just a typical deny deny deny campaign by a con-man"

"Yea, I guess but it's getting ridiculous"

"Nah, it's just not people on the street this time, it's high ranking officials who normally are better at covering it up."

"Yea, these conmen are trying to remake America"

"That's a bit much"

"The midterms were four months ago. Already there are house resolutions to put a cap on spending by private organizations, basically suppressing freedom of speech, they want to make DC a state so they get two more Senators to cut into the Republican advantage, they want six more Supreme Court justices so if the presidency alternates to a Democrat, they can outnumber Republicans. Another resolution to end filibusters so that the majority in Senate wins no matter what and they want to drop the voting age to 16 since kids are easily influenced so probably will vote Democrat. What part of this is not remaking America?"

"At least Cortez' Green New Deal lost 0-57."

"Should've been 0-100, but people wanted to be nice so just voted present."

"Yea, but hey take the victory."

The conversation went by with lighter topics and then Tatiana went home. She wished that her friend would make a move on her but he was just so shy. She received a phone call from a number she didn't recognize but she answered, "Hello."

"Hey Tatiana, you don't know me but my name is Alexandra Chalupa."

"I know who you are Ms. Chalupa"

"Ah, so you've heard of me. I know that you worked for the pro-Ukraine party and I wanted to know if you were interested in a private firm."

"Which firm?"

"Anti-Corruption Action Center."

Tatiana rolled her eyes, "No thanks, it's organizations like that that made me leave Ukraine."

"Why's that?"

"George Soros funded the AntAC. Prosecuter General Yuri Lutsenko wanted to prosecute them and the United States Ambassador Yavanovitch herself put the kabash on that. Obama laundered or embezzled whatever you want to call it tax payer money through that firm to help Porchenko against Obama's opponents Manafort and Kerry and the Pro-Russian candidates."

"I thought you were anti-Russian."

"I am, but it got really dirty and I want no part of it. I tried to leave but you, Ma'ame brought it here by disseminating the information to the media here in order to investigate Trump. You tricked the public into thinking pro-Russian Ukrainian is the same as being in bed with Putin. I'm not saying I like Manafort or Trump, but I'm saying that you misled the media."

"It's a diplomat’s job to negotiate and participate in international politics."

"Ms. Chalupa, I'm not an idiot journalist, I was there. It wasn't diplomats, it was private companies and tax payer money was being laundered in. You paid consultants not diplomats for political operatives in Ukraine"

"You might want to use less harsh terms. A political operative you worked for mind you"

"Which is why I saw the list of untouchables, all Soros people in the Anti-Corruption Action Center. I'm kind of in the opinion that America shouldn't police the world. Obama got involved in a Ukrainian investigation because a couple Americans wanted to get rich."

"I'm sorry you feel that way. It seems you really paid attention as a mere translator and nurse in Ukraine. Pity if your knowledge got you in trouble. Good bye for now Tatiana"

Tatiana didn't like that she used her first name. It sounded like a threat. She called the same friend and told him the conversation she just had with Chalupa. The friend said, "You do know they used all this to justify an FBI investigation against Trump?"

"Actually no, that didn't occur to me but since they targeted Manafort that makes sense."

"Can you come over and stay with me tonight. The conversation ended badly."

"If you're in trouble with people tied to the Ukrainian President. People that have spent the last two years trying to take down the most powerful man in the world. What makes you think I can help you if they come after you?"

"You're right, can I come to your place."

"Sure, but same concept"

"Jesus Christ what you just said scared the shit out of me. It's easier to find out where I live than where you live"

"Okay"

Tatiana went over. Her friend said, "Hey, I heard something about Biden's son in Ukraine. Do you know anything anout that?"

"Yes, Joe Biden came to Ukraine. After he left, all of a sudden Hunter Biden had a board position on Ukraine's largest natural gas company and then they set up a private company with John Kerry's stepson, who was helping the Pro-Russian candidate in Ukraine. That's the kind of shit Chalupa was talking about."

"So how long are you going to stay here? I mean I don't really know how you can feel safe tomorrow. The logic is the same tomorrow and the next day and so on as it is today."

"I have 'ring' I can see if someone comes to my house."

"Ah, and there's no traffic cameras or anything that can show you came here, no phone record that you called me." he said sarcastically.

"Stop! You know just for that, we're watching CNN"

"My house."

"I'm the guest." she said with a smile.

"Cruel and unusual punishment"

"Payback's a bitch. Hell hath no fury....just pick a saying,"

"Fine"

Chris Cuomo was on TV interviewing Sean Duffy, Representative from Wisconsin. Duffy was being nice and just criticizing CNN's information rather than accusing them of fake news. Cuomo came back that they had no false stories and asked for examples. The friend said, "The whole collusion story. Cohen was going to testify that Trump knew about the Trump tower meeting, he didn't. Mueller was going to indict Jared Kushner and Trump Jr., I mean the Daily Caller did a whole piece on this."

"Duffy seems shocked."

"It's amazing how they don't just throw their sources under the bus,"

"Well, like Cuomo said, they're not investigators."

The friend raised his voice, "They're called investigative journalists! they're not supposed to just print everything they hear. They're supposed to try to verify."

"If the DOJ, FBI and CIA don't verify, why should they?"

"That's why this country is in trouble"

"Yea" Tatiana turned off the TV "Even I can't watch this shit"

The friend laughed. "Yea, scorched Earth is a Russian thing."

"Low blow!"

The friend smiled, "I know I'm sorry."

Tatiana's phone rang and Tatiana's entire body tensed up. The friend asked, "What?"

"That's my doorbell chime."

"See who it is."

Tatiana threw the phone at him and he caught it, "Can you do it?"

"God, you're paranoid" as his friend looked at the phone and then his face dropped.

"What?"

"That guy seems out of a movie. Black suit, black sunglasses I mean geez stand out any more?"

"Please don't fuck with me."

"I'm not, you can see for yourself."

Tatiana took the phone and her mouth dropped. Her friend took his phone and called 911. He explained the information but by the time a car drove by, the man was long gone. Tatiana and her friend went to the police station with a screen shot of the man. While there, the Chicago police chief was giving a press conference with the mayor Rahm Emmanuel. They were both furious that prosecutor Katie Foxx dropped charges against Jussie Smollett. Tatiana and her friend went into the police station but they were told they had to wait. While waiting, Tatiana engaged the secretary in a conversation with a huge smile on her face. She was turning up the charm and the result was quite predictable, the secretary started talking. Tatiana was now moving in for the kill, "So, even after they had Smollett writing a check to his Nigerian friends to do it, the Nigerians buying all the supplies in the same store, Smolllett admitted it and then took it back. After all this evidence, they didn't even prosecute it. Something sounds fishy"

"Yea well it's not over, they could still get him for mail fraud for sending hate letters to himself."

"Well that's good. It was ridiculous. If he doesn't go down more people will be incentivized to do these hoaxes. I mean some do it during floods and hurricanes so there needs to be deterrents from this shit."

"Yea, as you can see, we're understaffed as it is. Just between you and me. Well I guess it doesn't matter if you tell anyone. It is public information but you didn't get it from me."

"Oh you can trust me. What is it?"

Tatiana always wondered why people trust complete strangers just because they can seem friendly for a few minutes. The secretary said, "Michelle Obama's former chief of staff Tina Tchen reached out to Kim Foxx and Foxx talked to a Smollett family member. She tried to recuse herself afterwards but there's rumors that a huge donor paid Foxx 460K."

"For what?"

"Nobody knows everything is sealed"

Tatiana's friend who was listening chimed in, "So they want every comma of the Mueller report public but Smollett gets sealed court documents and nothing should be transparent?"

At that, the secretary clammed up. Tatiana gave him a dirty look. She wished he let her take care of it. It's not what he said it's how he said it. No charm, no friendliness, just anger. You have to mask that. Soon after a police officer took their statement. They sent the officer the picture and they ran it through their system. The officer said they'd keep her posted. Tatiana left but she wasn't satisfied. She searched the internet for a private investigator and by the day's end, she had one hired. Tatiana stayed at her friend’s house. He gave up his bed for her and he slept on the couch. Suddenly, her phone rang. It was late and Tatiana answered the phone. It was the investigator. He said, "Ummm, I'm outside your house. I decided to steak it out and try to do what you're paying me for. And, well, you have reason to be afraid."

"What do you mean?"

"You're ring didn't go off did it?"

"No"

"Yea, they deactivated it. They then broke into your house and, from what I could tell, wired it. I got pictures of all of it. This is above my paygrade so I sent it to an FBI contact I have. They're sending a bomb squad out. So yea, don't go home."

"Thank you so much."

"Your welcome but yea, you're gonna need a bodyguard."

Tatiana woke her friend up. She said, "I'm sorry, can we share the bed. I feel bad."

Half asleep, he agreed and got up and lied in the bed. Tatiana lied next to him and wrapped her arms around him. Her friend hugged her back and Tatiana extended her leg in between his. There was another call but Tatiana didn't answer she just buried her head in her friend's chest. Her friend kissed her on the top of the head because even in his half sleep state, he knew something happened. She lifted her head and her friend kissed her lips. They both slightly parted their lips and let their tongues meet. Tatiana held him tighter and they fell asleep.

The next day, Tatiana checked her voice mail and it was from the FBI. She met with him with her friend and was shown the pictures. The FBI confirmed that there was a bomb wired if she opened the door but they broke a window to disarm it. Tatiana wished they asked her permission first but said nothing.

Her friend was suspicious but Tatiana accepted their help anyway. Eventually men did come back and they were summarily arrested. Tatiana had made a lot of money in Ukraine and she needed it to leave Chicago. She went to one of her other houses and hired another personal body guard.  It took a full month of no activity before she called off the bodyguard. Apparently Obama and Hillary were still trying to use Ukrainian collusion to promote things in the United States. Why else would they try to kill her? She made it a point to stop telling people what she knew about Ukrainian politics.