Secession: The Storm (31 page)

Now she had them, several of the reporters perking with attention, a sea of pens scribbling notes.

“I have come to the conclusion that we, the United States of America, need to consider a similar solution. If I am elected president tomorrow, I pledge to all Americans that I will initiate an effort to grant the great state of Texas its independence as a sovereign nation.”

Gasps, murmurs, and a few outright exclamations of surprise swept the room. Heidi didn’t give the disturbance any chance at gaining momentum, increasing the beat of her speech and raising her voice to make sure she held the floor.

“I envision this new nation as a friend and ally. I see the rebirth of the Republic of Texas as a sanctuary for those who wish to be governed by like-minded individuals. I am convinced that the concept is worthy of analysis, the potential deserving of serious consideration.”

Then, the one rough spot of the entire presentation occurred. Heidi paused as if she anticipated applause, but none came. It was a brief, but noticeable moment.

“Many historians have concluded that one of the primary contributors to the fall of the Roman Empire was the sheer size of her economic and geographical mass. I submit to my fellow citizens that we, as a people, are experiencing the same symptoms. It is a fair observation that the federal government has grown too large. It isn’t unreasonable to question so much power being concentrated in Washington, DC. Our founding fathers debated this very subject for years, one of the most hotly contested issues being how much governmental control resided at the federal level versus each individual state. Our population, geographic territory, world influence, and economic engine are scales of magnitude greater than in those times. Have we become too large, too diverse, too secular to be governed successively by a single system? I feel this is an appropriate question for our elected officials to explore.”

She then smiled broadly at the cameras, a slight grin turning at the corners of her lips. “Some pundits will say I’m crazy for going before the nation and floating such a radical concept. They’ll claim I bumped my head in the plane crash and spread rumors questioning my sanity. But out-of-the-box thinking is what is going to save our great nation. New, revolutionary ideas are what helped us achieve a pinnacle, and I believe that same type of clean-slate creativity will be required to keep us there. If I am elected to the Oval Office, I won’t be afraid to entertain any reasonable idea, regardless of its source or the ideology of the creator, and the American people can count on that.”

Mrs. Clifton tidied up her papers, a sign she was about to conclude her astounding presentation. “My fellow Americans, I want to make a commitment, right here and now on this national stage. If I am fortunate enough to be elected your Commander in Chief, I will bring together the best minds available to study this option. I do this because I love my country and countrymen. I make this pledge to reassure all Americans that I want to fix our problems and improve your lives. Genuinely, from my heart, I want to see all of the people have the opportunity to pursue liberty and happiness. May God bless America.”

The crowd erupted in applause, many standing to show their appreciation and respect. Heidi waved and smiled, walking from one side of the stage to the other, mouthing the words, “Thank you,” over and over again.

Just when it appeared she was about to exit, another bolt of excitement shot through the throng as her husband appeared from behind the curtain, apparently anxious to congratulate his wife with a hug.       

Just over 24 hours later, CNN was the first to call Heidi Clifton’s victory, the other networks quick to follow. For the first time in recorded history, a woman was now the most powerful person on earth.

President Clifton wasted no time.

Within a week of her swearing-in ceremony, she began avalanching Congress with a series of initiatives, bills, and budgets. Less than 30 days passed before she had signed her 10
th
executive order.

One Republican senator called the White House’s barrage a “Salvo of Liberalism,” and he was one of the more polite politicians on the hill.

All the while trumpeting a theme that touted, “Get something done for America,” Heidi’s staff opened with an appetizer of raising the minimum wage. The second course was immigration reform, quickly followed with an entree of reenacting the Assault Weapons Ban, complete with sides of universal background checks and limits to magazine capacities.   

For dessert, she offered up a revamping of the Affordable Care Act, teasing those on the right with offers of accepting compromise and including Republican ideas into the revision. The White House tried to make political hay, claiming they were reaching out to the other side of the aisle and trying to avoid the inaction of the previous administration.

The effort, for the most part, was ignored.

With a Republican-controlled Senate, not a single one of her introductions reached the floor. The world’s most exclusive club instead concentrated on a rash of hearings surrounding Abe Hendricks’s death and the activities of the IRS. While it was all for show, the nearly continuous clamor did manage to keep the issue of big government in the forefront.

The media took great pleasure in the gridlock, the airwaves and print brim-full of mudslinging, finger pointing, and name-calling.

While the rest of America seemed to lose interest, it was the Texas representatives in the House that began to pressure President Clifton, using every opportunity to remind the chief executive of her campaign promise regarding the secession of the Lone Star State.

The NRA, fearing the Clifton anti-gun legislation, joined a small but growing chorus, applying its significant influence to remind Heidi of her commitment.

Several grassroots organizations in Texas, bolstered by Heidi’s pre-election speech, were being taken more seriously. After all, if the president of the United States had entertained the possibility of an independent Texas, why shouldn’t the residents do the same?

“This Texas thing isn’t dying down, Aaron. I want your input on how to handle my scheduled call with Governor Simmons this morning,” the president began, spreading a napkin across her lap and eyeing breakfast. “I was hoping our initiatives would capture the headlines, but they’re not. I don’t feel like we can procrastinate any further.”

Aaron finished buttering his muffin before answering. “It’s not a concern, ma’am. The latest poll numbers show that only 34% of registered Texas voters would support such a move. Let them schedule a referendum and get it over with.”

“And if the polls are wrong? What happens then?”

Flashing a foxlike smirk, the White House chief of staff responded, “Remember Scotland’s recent vote back in 2014? London got a little smug on that one… almost let it get away… but it didn’t happen. We can do the exact same thing their senior officials did… scare the hell out of everyone, and then offer a few worthless concessions. We’ll have a few of your supportive bank presidents drop predictions of runaway inflation, massive unemployment, and hyperinflation. They’ll whisper gloom and doom into the
Wall Street Journal’s
ears so it won’t look like it’s coming from us.”

“And?”

“Then you swoop in, telling Texans that you don’t want them to go. You flash patriotic, pleading that the country is better off staying together. We’ll write up some stump speeches where you recognize the great contributions that state has made to the union. Then, you can promise them some high-sounding changes the federal government will implement so they can decide against the secession and still save face. Once the issue is shot down with a vote, hopefully, we can get a few concessions from the right and move on with our agenda.”

Heidi nodded, consuming the remainder of her meal in silence.

After they had finished, Heidi pushed a button on her telephone and was answered immediately. “Yes, Madam President?”

“Get me the governor of Texas, please.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Aaron couldn’t help but feel a bit coy, eager to watch Heidi manipulate the hard-right buffoon over the phone. He didn’t know Simmons personally but had watched highlights of the man’s campaign. Setting aside the stark differences in political philosophy, he could tell that the governor just wasn’t in the president’s league, not that many were.

“Good morning, Madam President,” greeted a southern drawl over the speaker.

“Good morning, Governor. I appreciate the opportunity to speak with you concerning the potential secession of your state from the union. I feel like the time has come to dig deep and explore this option.”

“I agree, ma’am. What do you have in mind?”

Heidi shook her head, wondering how the man had been elected to such a vast and powerful state. “I’m willing to support a binding referendum, open to all eligible voters in your state. I think the sooner we schedule this event, the better.”

There was zero hesitation in Simmons’s reply. “Madam President, I’m afraid I can’t support that plan. We’re not going to make the same mistakes as Scotland and Quebec. If I may, I would like to offer an alternative suggestion.”

For the first time that morning, Aaron grew concerned. Rising quickly from a nearby couch, he moved closer to the phone and his boss. A puzzled Heidi responded, “Go ahead, Governor; I’m open to ideas.”

“We would suggest a special commission to study the issue. They would be charged with forming an outline of the process, including specifics on currency, taxes, banking, and commerce. We agree on the state-wide referendum, but firmly believe our citizens should understand exactly what they’re voting for.”

“I’m not sure I agree with your reasoning, Governor,” Heidi replied. “I ran on a platform of efficient government, and it sounds like your proposal would be not only wasteful, but a distraction from the more important issues facing both of us.”

A grunted laugh came through the speakerphone, not enough of an outburst to be offensive, but still potent enough to send a message. The governor wasn’t buying Heidi’s argument.

“President Clifton, let’s be blunt with each other. Before the election, you knew this initiative didn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of succeeding. It was a brilliant move; I’ll give you that, but there was… and is… a minuscule risk that the union will divide. My party is still stinging from being outmaneuvered, and the last thing I’m going to agree to is a less than honest effort. Yes, you’ll have to work a little harder… pay a higher price to shoot the thing down. But you will still accomplish the same result and won’t have our side of the aisle screaming to high heaven that we were screwed over in the process.”

Heidi smiled, the governor’s little sermon reminding her of southern politics at its finest – something she’d watched her own husband refine over the years. “Okay, Governor, let’s say I agree to your plan. Who is on this Blue Ribbon panel? How do we select the members, and what is the composition?”

Aaron was close to being physically ill. He, more than anyone in the world, wanted the entire “Texas thing” to go away.

As Heidi and the governor hacked out the details, the chief of staff had to return to the couch and take a seat, fearing the excellent breakfast was about to come back up.

“Aaron? Aaron, are you okay? Your face is pale,” Heidi gently checked.

“Something at breakfast didn’t agree with me, ma’am. I apologize.”

“No problem,” the Commander in Chief responded, concern for her friend and subordinate sounding in her voice. “Why don’t you go rest for a bit? I’ll have the recording of my call transcribed, and we can review it later.”

Too embarrassed to let his boss know he hadn’t been intently listening to the entire conversation, Aaron nodded his agreement. “I’m sure I’ll be fine soon, ma’am.”

“Ranger Bass, I’m assigning you to the governor’s security detail. You are to report to the Austin office first thing in the morning.”

“But, sir, I…”

Major Alcorn didn’t let the protest leave Zach’s throat. “Son, your actions in Houston have caused a shit-avalanche of Texas-sized proportions. I’ve had everyone from the DOJ to the FBI’s Washington office calling for your head. This all may boil down to our governor pulling strings, or perhaps even making it known he’ll pardon you if it comes to that. Go guard the man, and make damned sure you befriend him. You may need it.”

“Yes, sir.”

“We’ll bring you back here when this all blows over. Make sure it does.”

“Yes, sir.”

Stunned, Zach ambled out of his boss’s office, thinking seriously about resigning. The FBI was crooked. The DOJ was worse. A man who surrendered to Zach personally was dead, and there was little hope of the killer facing justice.

While Perkins denied any knowledge of who the shooter had been, Zach didn’t think the feds had put forth an honest effort to find the killer.

According to the official reports, several officers manning the perimeter had heard the shot but hadn’t paid much attention. There had been a lot of gunfire around the Hendricks neighborhood, so one more shot from a noise-canceled weapon wasn’t anything new.

The so-called investigation had been complicated further by the number of out-of-town policemen. It was simple math. The larger a perimeter’s circumference, the more manpower that is required to keep the inquisitive public out and the criminals in. The city of Houston and its surrounding counties had contributed dozens of officers, but it still wasn’t enough. Zach had heard reports of cops being sent in from as far away as Arkansas, but somehow the official logs and records of visiting officers had been erased.
Imagine that
, Zach mused.
How convenient
.

After throwing a few clothes in a bag, Zach filled up the truck and headed east.
Austin would be okay
, he figured. The food was excellent, the music great, and the people interesting. Besides, this assignment would be like a mini-vacation. After all, how hard could it be to guard one man?