Goupil: Being An Assassin Means Always Having To Say You're Sorry

Who's Killing The CEO'S?

The headlines were blazing after the third CEO in as many months was gunned down by a sniper's armor piercing bullet. The latest being the Wells Fargo mastermind who'd finally stepped down in shame (while retaining his loot, of course). The only certainty admitted by the FBI was that the killings were expertly done. The talking heads media was having a field day as this provided the sort of juicy crisis anyone can understand and the resulting controversy split the country along economic lines.

"I think killing these CEO's is great! Maybe they'll think twice about their behavior now."

"That's an outrageous statement. We must maintain the rule of law!"

"What rule of law? Legalized looting of the country? We leave these guys unchecked and we're all screwed!"

"You're condoning murder!"

"I'm condoning justice."

"Justice can only come through the courts! Not through wanton killings."

"We have a legal system, not a justice system. Justice comes only from God."

"It isn't God pulling the trigger on these men."

"No, but God isn't sitting in our rigged courts either. You're just going to have to face it: this is a natural backlash to these men's unfettered greed and no matter how you rationalize for a different outcome, sooner or later people are going to fight back. Want to feel safe? Then don't fuck people. That's life whether you admit it or not."

*****

Goupil stopped using a mirror years ago when shaving. He literally could not face himself. Abandoning the gun did not save him like hoped, his run cut off by the fact one must have something to run to, not just run from. Goupil had no place where to run nor could even conceive one possible. He used to glory in the fact he lived outside of society, now society turned its back on the killer. One has to do something, have some sort of direction, and Goupil knew how to do only one thing: kill.

But how to make killing useful and justified? He had no interest in playing judge and jury or God. But he was a man burned by those in power. His truth of knowing the ugly underbelly of governments and corporations was going to die with him. His previous attempts at getting the word out was only lost in the cacophony that is the internet and modern discussion. Deeply desperate, he decided to remove the burrs under his belt directly.

The rule was simple: If you stuck in Goupil's craw you were eliminated. Halliburton was the most obvious starting place with its military connections that had indirectly financed him. Goldman Sachs' orchestration of international banking made it an obvious next target as he had killed in their "interests". Taking out their CEO is when the headlines truly exploded. And now with his third one from vindictive Wells Fargo, the trend was undeniable and the nation set on fire.

Goupil didn't know if anything he was doing would make things better. He just knew seeing these architects of death walk freely was a fire he needed to extinguish. In his mind, it was their ilk who created this society that had no place for him, turning him into a killer. It was simply a matter of things coming full circle.

Already he could see the end of the road, though. Goupil too followed the controversy and was surprised and dismayed by the number of people who shamelessly defended these CEOs' actions that destroyed so many lives. "These men never say they sorry." It wasn't just internet trolls drowning him out this time, huge swaths of people proclaimed moneyism's predatory edicts to be "God's will". Goupil knew he could not cut the head off this overwhelming conglomerate of corruption. But still, he was not done yet.

"You're a fucking asshole, know that? You fucked up everything good that come along in your life and now you want to be useful? Too late, Mr. Idiot! You not stop until everything ruin. What wrong with you? You good for nothing!"

Goupil would berate himself like this whenever despair came knocking, asking about his conscience. He came to realize how the moral yearning of the world was its ultimate driving source, that people would do anything to believe in their goodness. The lie that hating himself for his lack of goodness made him good was fading. That's why Goupil knew he had only a couple more CEO's left before he'd have to find a new direction - again.

"Love, there is no substitute. Merde!"