The Kennedys

Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Comfort of Love

Cuba, 1961

Fidel Castro looked down at the phone. He knew that his destiny might lie on the other end of it.

Slowly but surely, he picked up the phone and put it to his ear.

"Hello?"

His voice was met with silence, and for a moment he thought that he had been tricked, but then someone spoke to him.

"Hello, President Castro. I'm so delighted to speak with you."

The voice has a heavy Russian accent, and Fidel knew that it had to be Khrushchev, it couldn't be anyone else.

"The feeling is mutual, Mr. Premier, though please, I think it would be best if we dropped all of these silly formalities. My name is Fidel."

Fidel heard a small laugh on the other end, "Well then, Fidel, my name is Nikita."

Fidel smiled, "So, what can I do for you today?"

"I think we both know why I'm calling."

"America?" Fidel ventured, even though he was sure that was why.

"Exactly," said Nikita, "We had limitations with Eisenhower. I won't lie, he was experienced and we never could have beat him. A military man in the White House was too big a threat."

"I agree," said Fidel, "But what about his new man? The one that's managed to capture the imagination of millions?"

"Kennedy is a fake," said Nikita, a firm assurance in his voice, "While charming, which I do admire, it's managed to get him to the presidency, Kennedy's inexperienced and overconfident. He has no idea what he's doing, trust me."

"And how does that benefit us exactly?"

Nikita laughed, "You have to be joking, Fidel."

This was met with silence, and Nikita sighed, "His inexperience, this image he's managed to project, we can tear it down in a second."

"Well I can see how that benefits you. Russia is one of the world's major superpowers, and it's no secret that your relationship with the United States isn't a friendly one. But Cuba? We're a small country, with little to no power."

"That's true," said Nikita, "But Kennedy's younger brother, the attorney general. He hates you."

Fidel was taken aback, he hadn't heard a thing about this, "What?"

"Kennedy is nothing but a threat to your regime, and I can promise that Robert Kennedy would jump at the chance to get his hands on you. But if you ally yourself with Russia, which, as you said, is one of the world's major superpowers, you strengthen your regime. You take no action, you weaken it."

Fidel mulled this over, weighing everything and considering the new information he had just been told.

"So what'll it be Fidel?" Nikita asked, "Security, or assassination?"

—

May 1961
Three Months Later