WAR (33 page)

“Minister, don’t pull this crap on me. I know you and what you stand for. You were a member of the progressive press for many years. You pushed and pulled the people to create a new society. You pushed for the death of capitalism, you did your part to change the country. You were one of the loudest voices for the split. You once went to church…”

“Mr. President, I don’t go to church, I have no visible images of religion…”

“Minister, I didn’t say you did. What I’m trying to say is when I was a young man growing up in New Jersey I listened to the priests say, ‘There will always be the poor.’ I heard them, in fact, I agree with them. It’s human nature. Some people are doers, some are takers.  Many of our people are happy to do nothing. They sit all day in their own little world living on the government’s generosity. In order to get the people’s support for the breakup of the USA, we promised the people a ‘living wage.’ We agreed to increase welfare payments to provide them with essentially what would have been classified as a middle-class income. Every home has a large screen television, broadband communications, free cell phones and even the use of a car. We agreed to provide no restrictions on how they spent their government checks. If the people in the cities really wanted to have the life of the suburbs, they would get up and make it happen. All they have to do is report to an LSA employment office for a job. We have the jobs, but the people don’t want them. They don’t want to work, they’d rather sit on their asses and collect a freebie, they are easy sheep to control this way.”

“Sir, that’s very condescending talk, in the old days, I’d say it’s even racist.”

“Minister, it’s truth. We used the people’s weaknesses to get elected, we use them to stay in office. We used their weaknesses to break away from the USA so we could create a new worker’s paradise for our people. We succeeded in our goals; we have built an almost perfect socialist country. Our people are basically happy. We, through you, are going to convince the USA it’s not in their best interest to attack us again. We want to be their good neighbors. On the other hand if they don’t agree to leave us alone, we’ll sow discontent across the USA, we’ll expand by tearing the USA apart.”

“Don’t you think Rand will be wise to our games and shut us down? If they do, we have no army to fight them with.”

“Wolf, we don’t need a regular army, we’ll use their own minorities which we’ll incite against them. We’ll use their own people to create mass disruptions in their cities, we’ll shut them down without us having to fire a single shot. Minister, you have to remember they look at problems differently than we do. We look at the issue as it relates to how we can stay in and gain power. They don’t look at issues the same way. Some of them really believe they’re serving their people, versus, we know the people serve us.”

Chapter 23

Colonel Grover and his seatmate, a Captain, are riding in the back of a bus. Grover is smiling to himself. There are four empty rows between Grover and the other passengers. His Captain leans over whispering, “Colonel how long do we ride this bus?”

“To the end of the line which is the border. There we’ll use our pass to cross the border. Once we cross, we’ll be flown to the capital.”

“Good, I can’t wait to get out of here and return home. Some of these people act like zombies, they accept anything the government and media tell them. What happened to questioning information? What happened to providing proof?”

“Cap, not here. They are educated to accept, they are bribed to go along and accept what they’re told. Most people in the USA don’t realize how screwed up this place is. Most think it’s like home but a little to the left, sort of like a giant welfare state. They don’t realize it’s much deeper than that. These people have sold their souls for the promise of equality and a hollow promise of security.”

“Colonel, it’s a shame the mint just went boom like it did. These poor people are going to be running short of cash sooner versus later.”

“Captain, most of their transactions are done electronically. We were given the mint as a target because they weren’t printing LSA currency, they were printing our money. We were asked to ensure it never saw the light of day.”

“Guess we did that, the fire should burn for a couple of days. I wonder if they will ever figure out the basement was packed with white phosphorus. It’ll burn right through the walls and beams. Water won’t put the fire out, it’ll only spread the burning. I wonder how long it’ll take them to figure out they’ve been attacked.”

Smiling, Grover says, “I guess their DepLIES will figure it out, but they’ll have no proof who attacked them. They’ll figure it was us, but without proof, there’s nothing they can do about it.”

“Boss, how long until we get home?”

“I figure two days to the border, a day screwing around there and a quick 5-hour flight home. What’s your hurry?”

“Got a hot date with a new lady.”

“Won’t last. None do in our line of work. They always wonder where we are and what we’re doing. They say they accept we can’t tell them what we do, it starts OK, a year or two down the road and they think we’re out fooling around. They tell us, if we love them, we’ll tell them where we are and what we’re doing. Trust me, it never works out for people like us.”

“Boss, I want you to meet her.”

“Trust me, it ain’t going to work out. I’m going to take a nap, you take first watch. Wake me in three hours.”

“Will do.”

@@@@@

Presidents Cruise and Brownstone decide they aren’t needed in the White House, they’re only getting in the way of President Rand doing his job.  At dinner, President Rand looks at his two friends, “OK, which one of you wants to tell me what’s on your minds? It’s obvious you want to tell me something, so which one of you is it going to be?”

Ted smiles saying, “Paul, you have the situation well in hand. We’re getting in the way here. Rod and I are going to leave tomorrow.  The war is almost over. Our friendly Colonel has destroyed their mint, stopping them from using the counterfeit currency. The Russians have surrendered, I think it’s time for us to leave and let you carry on running the country.”

“Do you think it’s safe for you to leave now?”

“Why not?” asks Rod. “I can go home, the troops are still there protecting my home, I’ll be safe there. Ted has many things to do. We’re getting underfoot here. The staff is going crazy trying to cater to the three of us. It’s not fair to them or you.”

“I really appreciate your help, you know, the two of you are always welcome here.”

Ted says, “We’re welcome as long as the Democrats don’t take the presidency again. Then the only place we’ll be welcome will be a federal prison.”

The three of them laugh at Ted’s joke. “I’ll have the secret service take you both home tomorrow.”

Ted says, “Paul, I’m not going home, I’m going to Atlanta.”

“Atlanta? Wait a minute. You know how dangerous Atlanta is now, it’s not safe for you to travel there. The city has been overrun by protesters.”

“I’m not worried about them. They’ve been peaceful. I have a commitment to attend a board meeting in Atlanta.”

“I’ll send a team with you.”

“Paul, chill. I have my four man detail and that’s more than enough. I’m a big boy, I can take care of myself.”

“I’d feel better if there was a quick reaction team standing by.”

“As long as they don’t get in my way at the board meeting.”

“No problem, you’ll never see them unless you need them, which I hope you don’t.”

The three men enjoy what they expect to be their last evening meal together. A knock on the door interrupts their jokes and stories, “Mr. President, Sean is on a secure phone, he’s asking to speak with you.”

Paul replies, “Thank you, gentlemen, mind if I put him on the speaker?”

Both smile while shaking their heads no. The speaker comes alive with Sean saying, “Mr. President, are you there?”

Paul responds, “Sean, we’re all here, how did your call with Wolf go?”

“Sir, not well. I get the feeling the LSA is going to call your bluff. While I think Wolf wants to end the skirmish between us, I don’t think President Booker does.”

Rod replies, “Sean, I was afraid of that. Booker sees himself as the Messiah of the underclass and minorities. I think he will try to cause us problems in our cities, he’ll think we’re distracted and forget about him allowing him to do who knows what.”

Sean asks, “Mr. President what do you recommend?”

@@@@@

President Booker reads an intel report which says the two former Presidents are going to be leaving the White House. President Brownstone is returning to his home. Booker is thinking,
We can’t reach him at his house. It’s been tried by many, including four different Russian Spetsnaz teams. He must have a special protection detail that’s the best in the world. Where is President Cruise going?

Reading the report, he takes note that President Cruise is flying to Atlanta to sit on a board meeting.
Atlanta might be the perfect place.
Booker picks up the red phone on his desk which connects him to the Dianne Feinstein the newly appointed Director of the DepLIES. “President Booker here.”

Dianne answers her private line, “Yes sir, how can we be of assistance?”

“What assets do we have in Atlanta?”

“Mr. President, we have a sleeper cell and six organizers who are working on stirring up trouble with their minorities. I gave them the instructions to start a major riot in five days.”

“Dianne, I understand President Cruise is going to Atlanta, can we get to him?”

“Mr. President, anyone can be reached, it all comes down to if the shooter is willing to risk his life in exchange for his target.”

“Do any of your people in Atlanta have the devotion to the state to carry out instructions of taking out Cruise?”

“Yes, Mr. President they do. Sir, are you sure you want to take out a former US President?”

“Dianne, we need to break up the love fest these three seem to have for each other. One of them is bad enough, three working together, feeding off of their conservative ideas, is bad news for us. I think the only way, to break them up, is to retire the former Presidents.”

“Mr. President, it’s not usually a good idea to take out other country’s Presidents. President Cruise and Brownstone still enjoy wide support from the people. People who might turn against us versus supporting us.”

“Dianne, I appointed you because I knew you could do what’s necessary in order to support the LSA.” 

“Yes sir.”

“Dianne, issue the instructions. Break into the USA’s computer network, find out Cruise’s travel plans and figure out how to take him out.”

“Sir, I just want to confirm you are sure you want to do this?”

“Yes I’m sure, we need to strike back against the USA. Taking out their leadership, who, I might add, are fair targets will get Rand’s attention. I want him concerned enough to sit down with us as equals.”

“Mr. President, taking out President Cruise could have very bad ramifications for us.”

“Make sure it looks like he got caught up in the riots you’re planning. It will help promote the race war.”

“Will do. Do you want any pictures?”

“Heaven forbid. Of course, not. I don’t want anything that can tie us to the killing.”

“Mr. President, what about Brownstone?”

“Dianne, he’s unreachable as long as he is in his house.”

“We could see about setting his house on fire.”

“You’ll never get close enough to set it on fire. You won’t be able to move within a mile of his house before the deployed sensors or his protection detail spots you.”

“I’ll have our people check his schedule. I’m sure he goes out to shop or have dinner. I’m sure he files travel plans with the secret service. We have an agent in the secret service who will inform us of his plans.”

“Dianne, when did we get an agent inside the secret service? I thought it was all but impossible to recruit them.”

“Sir, I have friends in high places. When you appointed me to the DepLIES, I reached out to a couple of my friends, I asked them for help. It turned out a couple of agents have soft spots for our progressive plans. A couple of agents think the USA has shifted too far to the right. They think too many of the lower class have been left behind in their march forward.”

“Dianne, you surprise me, I like it. See if your friends will share with you Cruise’s and Brownstone’s travel plans.”

“Yes sir.”

Kory hangs up thinking to himself,
She’s built a formidable support structure in her years in the Senate. She’s happy here since we ban all private gun ownership. She’s at times greedy which is fine, since we’re all greedy for either riches or power. She’s power hungry which means I’ll have to keep one eye on her all of the time.

Dianne hangs up the phone smiling,
Ted, you asshole, when we were in the Senate together you fought my gun programs every chance you had. You stopped almost every one of my bills, I’m finally going to have my revenge against you. I’m going to put an end to you and your obstruction of the LSA.