WAR (39 page)

“Jack, it's Sean.”

“Hey, guy what’s up?”

“I need a favor, I need you guys to look at an email and tell me where it came from and if there’s a code embedded in it.”

Jack changes his voice becoming very serious, “Sean, please go secure.”

Pressing the secure button on his phone, Sean says, “I’m secure.”

“Where do you think the email came from?”

“The Smith family in the LSA, I think there’s a message embedded in it asking for help.”

“Send it.”

Sean clicked the mouse, “Sent.”

“Got it, give me a couple of minutes.”

“OK.”

Three minutes later Sean’s phone rings, “Sean, Jack, go secure.”

“Done.”

“Your email came from the Smith household, it does have a hidden message which I’ve highlighted and sent back to you.”

“Jack, is there any way you can determine if the email had been intercepted by the DepLIES before it arrived at the Jones’ house?”

“Already checked, nope, it slid through their automated censor system.”

“Thanks, I owe you one.”

“If you’re going to get involved in this, I suggest you chat with Langley.”

“Will do, thanks again.”

Sean reads the highlighted message nodding his head in agreement that the Smiths are asking for help. Sean calls Langley for help.

“Manager, internal affairs.”

“Brian, Sean.”

“Sir, how can we be of assistance?”

“Can you come over to meet with me?”

“Sure, need anyone else to attend?”

“I don’t know. I have a situation in the LSA I need some help with.”

“OK, is it East or West?”

“Northwest.”

I’ll bring our operations guy who manages that area of the LSA.”

Twenty minutes later, two men are escorted to Sean’s office by the secret service, “Sir, you have two visitors from Langley, both have TS SCI clearance.”

“Thank you, please show them in.”

When the two visitors are seated in Sean’s office, he shows them the email. Brian and the operations man read it, they look at each other nodding. Brian asks, “I assume you would like us to arrange the Smith family to disappear from the LSA and appear here?”

“Yes, possible?”

“Yes, usually very easy, except this is much harder. These people are well known in both the LSA and USA. They were stars on your show. We’re sure they’re being watched 24/7. This is going to take a little time to come up with a plan to extract them. How much time do we have?”

“What do you think? You have the email.”

Brian says, “I assume POTUS has approved the extraction? If so, we’ll have a plan within a day.”

Sean says, “I’ll have POTUS issue the approval.”

As the CIA agents leave the White House Sean buzzes the President’s COS, “Hey Sean, what’s up?”

“I need to see POTUS.”

“I can fit you in for ten minutes at 0950.”

“Thanks, I’ll be there.”

@@@@@

The dense smoke in the Wynn makes everyone’s eyes burn and hard to breath. General Chekov shakes his head in disgust about his current situation. He knows he can’t win or even play to a draw. The longer he plays his hand, the more of his people will die. It’s only a matter of time before the smoke disables them, the fire burns them to death or the hotel collapses, crushing them.  He motions his radio man over asking, “Can you contact the Americans on your radio?”

“Yes General.”

“Call them, ask them for a meeting with us and their commander.”

The radio operator coughs, his eyes are tearing, he nods in his understanding, “Sir will they kill us?”

“No. They will send us home, maybe even first class.”

“Yes sir, I’ll contact them.”

The radio operator changes the frequency on his radio pack, he picks up the mic saying, “This is the radio operator for Russian General Chekov, we are asking to speak to the American commander or his chief of staff.”

“How do we know you are who you say you are?”

“What will you accept as proof?”

“What college did General Chekov graduate from?”

General Chekov takes the mic saying, “This is Russian Federation General Chekov, I graduated from the Moscow Military University with a degree in math, I attended your MIT where I graduated with a Masters in Political Science. My hobby is restoring old cars, parts are a bitch to get in Russia. Anything else you want to know?”

“No sir, thank you, General, please hold for Colonel Zell.”

“I’ll hold.”

Less than a minute later another voice comes through the speaker, “General Chekov, I’m US Marine Colonel Zell, how may I be of assistance?”

“Colonel, I’d like to arrange a cease-fire.”

“General, we will require the release of all hostages before we agree to a cease-fire.”

“Agreed. I’ll order their release. You’ll see them flood into the Strip in front of the hotels, will that be acceptable?”

“Yes, after we see the hostages leave the hotels, I’ll call you back.”

Chekov tells his radio operator, “Tell the various commanders to release the hostages. If any of the hostages are too weak or sick to leave on their own, have them tell you how many they have and which hotel they are in so we can tell the Americans, who will collect them.”

“Yes sir.”

Minutes later the Las Vegas Strip is filled with tearful running ex-hostages. Colonel Zell says, “Send teams to collect them, I want each questioned. I want to know how they were treated and if any were killed or mistreated. Do it quickly.”

“Sir, there are thousands of them.”

“Then get started now. Move them out off of the Strip to our aid tents. Call the White House to tell them what’s going on. Get me Chekov.”

“General Chekov here.”

“General, we confirm release of the hostages. How do we know you’re not holding back additional hostages?”

“I gave you my word. I would gain nothing by withholding some, you would easily discover if I had.”

“I’ll accept that. What are you offering us?”

“Immediate cease-fire. My troops and I will enter the Strip in one hour which gives you time to move the hostages off of the streets. We will enter the street unarmed and with our arms held up. We ask to be treated fairly under the Geneva Convention for the treatment of prisoners of war.”

“We accept your offer. My troops will cease-fire within two minutes. I’m sending the stand down message now, I assume you are too.”

“I will when we complete our call. I don’t have the luxury of a computer network like you do.”

“Agreed.”

“Colonel, I’ll be exiting from the Wynn.”

“I’ll be there to meet you.”

Chekov tells his radio man, “Send the stand down and cease-fire code.”

“Yes sir. I’m happy we’re going to get out of this alive.”

“Sergeant, me too.”

@@@@@

Sean knocks on the Oval Office door, “Come in Sean.”

“Mr. President, I have a favor to ask.”

“Should I assume it’s about the Smith family?”

“Guess there really aren’t any secrets in the House.”

“None.”

“I’ve already signed an approval for the agency to extract the family, is there anything else you wanted to ask?”

“No sir. I’d ask how you knew, but I know I won’t get an answer.”

Laughing, President Rand replies, “No you won’t. I will give you credit for two things, one, you arranged everything very well before bringing me into the discussion, and two, I think you’re the first person to not use all of their time with me.”

Laughing, Sean replies, “Thank you Mr. President. I’ll leave you so I make sure I hold on to being the only person not to use all of their time so the next time I need more, I’ll have a credit in my pocket.”

Both men smile and nod in agreement, Sean returns to his office where he calls the agency. “Sean, we have our approval, we’re working on it.”

Chapter 28

The sun breaks through the smoke pouring out of the Wynn Hotel and Casino, debris from the hotel is being sucked out through the holes in the building. The street in front of the hotel is littered with parts of the building, broken glass and furniture from the Wynn. There’s also a crashed Ferrari someone tried to steal from the Ferrari dealership in the hotel. Colonel Zell and General Chekov meet in front of the Wynn Hotel and Casino. Colonel Zell salutes General Chekov, who stands at perfect attention, returning the salute with the perfect precision of a parade ground ceremony. “Sir, I thank you for reaching out to discuss terms.”

“Colonel, we have done our duty to the Motherland, there is no reason for additional loss of life. My troops and I surrender without conditions or terms. I present to you my side arm.”

“Sir, will you give me your word as an officer and a gentleman not to use the sidearm against any American?”

“Yes Colonel, although not many who know me, will ever say I’m a gentleman.”

Smiling, “General, that goes for both of us. How many of your troops need medical attention? We have a mobile MASH unit set up three blocks from here. I have ambulances standing by to take any of your people who can’t walk.”

“Colonel, I thank you. I have a small medical unit located in the Mirage Hotel. Could you send your ambulances there?”

“Sir, yes. Captain, you heard the General, get our medical staff to the Mirage.”

“Yes sir.”

“General, could you provide me with an accounting of your staff?”

“Colonel, I have a tablet with the list of my people, their ID numbers and where they are currently located. If you agree, I will have them exit their positions and stand at attention in the street.”

“General, parade rest will be fine.”

General Chekov gives the order to his radio man, within five seconds, rows of Russian troops start exiting hotels along the Strip. All exit without weapons, they snap to attention, salute their General before assuming the position of parade rest. They stare straight ahead. Some exit surprising the American troops who didn’t know there were Russian troops in some buildings right behind the American troops.

“General, thank you. I have buses arriving very soon, we’ll take your people to a holding area, hot food and water will be provided. I’m sorry, however, my request to offer your troops some vodka has been declined. On the other hand, we have liberated some from a few of the hotels, enough for each of your people to have a glass with lunch.”

General Chekov smiles saying, “Colonel, thank you. I hope you don’t get into trouble with your superiors.”

“I’ll be OK, please ask your officers to join mine at the officer’s mess.”

“Thank you. We’d be happy to.”

The General and Colonel walk around the debris, Colonel Zell looks at the crashed Ferrari, “I may be angry at you for destroying the Ferrari more than anything else.” General Chekov smiles saying, “I understand, I was trying to figure out how to take one of them home with me.” The two men smile walking through the mess the Las Vegas Strip towards the officer’s mess, followed by both groups of officers, a Russian Captain second class turns to his counterpart saying, “Major, I think you cheated, your airpower turned the tide.”

“Please don’t say that to anyone in the Air Force we’ll never hear the end of it.”

Both men laugh.

“General, do you need body bags for any of your people?”

“Colonel, thank you. Most of my dead were taken to the parking garages. Here is a list of them.”

“Thank you. My orders are to send a list of the living and deceased to Moscow, do you have any objections?”

“None, thank you for asking.”

Lunch turned out to be enjoyed by both armies, the once enemies are becoming friends over plates of roast beef and mashed potatoes. General Chekov asks, “Colonel, what happens to me and my troops now?”

“General, you’re going home. Once we have the number of your troops, and we’ve checked each of you, we’ll arrange transportation for you and the ones you lost home.”

“Colonel, I thank you for your professional treatment of my people.”

Walking towards the Officer’s mess are a small group of very dirty people, the Colonel looks up as five MPs jog in the newcomers direction. The newcomers stop mid-step when they see the troops coming in their direction. They hold up their hands while holding picture IDs.

The lead MP officer asks, “Who are you people?”

Ron smiles saying, “We’re your guardian angels, we’re the ones who brought the tunnel down and smoked out the General.”

“Who are you?”

“I’m a security consultant for five of the casinos, my friend to my right is LSA DepLIES Commander Jack Lewis.”

The MP Captain pulled his sidearm pointing it at the Commander’s head, “Don’t move, don’t breathe.”