The Land of the Free

by Krakondack

  “Sir, there’s one more thing you have to do,” said John.

  “What’s that?”

  “Before you lose access to the airwaves, get on the tube and tell the people the truth. Tell them what happened, what you refused to do, and who they’re facing. They’ll fight to the last man, but they need you as their legitimate leader to tell them the truth. They’ve faced deception for too long, and they see through it.”

  Torres cringed at the thought. “The ones who could resist hate me. They think I’m trying to implement exactly that which is coming. They’re ignorant people, John. They’re prisoners of the system, and now they’ll only be prisoners of a different system.”

  “The system that imprisoned them is falling apart as we speak, Jackson,” said John, sensing his moment and pushing ahead by speaking on a first name basis. “If you say nothing, the cops, the soldiers, the bureaucrats will quickly fall in line with the new order and it will indeed be a prison. You have to get out there and tell them it’s not legitimate. That the people are the rightful masters of their country. That they are within their rights to resist tyranny. That public employees have the duty to support the people. That after we restore our freedom, they’ll be held accountable for what they’ve done. You have to issue the orders for our troops to return home. Not to command the people or deport them to FEMA camps. But to fight alongside them to repel the invaders. Anything less and you’ll be remembered as a traitor who rolled over and let it happen.”

  The look on Torres face was that of a beaten man. Looking at him, neither John nor Lyle had any degree of confidence that he could mobilize himself, never mind the people, for the battle that lay ahead.

  Chapter 74: Decision Time

  The door to the Oval office opened and a line of Cabinet members streamed in, led by Hanna Morgensen. “Time’s running out Mr. President,” she said. “Get the launch codes and let’s do this.”

  “We’re not launching,” said Torres.

  “Did you see what they did at the Pentagon, Sir?” shouted Connolly. “How can you not retaliate against that terror?”

  “This is not the time to be philosophical,” said Morgensen. “We’re under attack and this is your last chance. The troops are closing in on the White House as we speak! Do it now!”

  “No,” said Torres. “Hanna, you’ve manipulated me into this situation in the first place, and I think your goal from the beginning was to have me launch this nuclear attack. I have strong doubts that the Chinese government was behind this invasion.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding!” said Morgensen. “It’s their people, it’s their equipment. Who would it be if not for them?”

  “Sir, who would have access to an EMP nuclear weapon near Taiwan if not the Chinese?” asked Johnson.

  “I’m satisfied that this whole situation has been a setup,” said Torres. “The mere fact that we have the option to annihilate China right now is very strong proof that they didn’t plan this thing. And I believe Mr. Corson. The Pentagon was the work of Ellis’ men.”

  Seeing the situation deteriorate, Connolly slid a pistol out of his jacket and pointed it at Torres. “Mr. President, I regret to inform you that as of this moment, you are mentally unfit to execute your duties. In the absence of the Vice-President, the role of the Commander-in-Chief is assumed by the Secretary of State, Ms. Morgensen.”

  “I knew you were a traitor, Bill. But I had no idea you’d take it this low,” said Torres.

  Morgensen walked right past Torres and sat down at his desk, already comfortable with her new role. “As my first act, I immediately order the launch of a nuclear counterattack against China,” said Morgensen. All Chinese infrastructure is to be destroyed, all cities are to be leveled.”

  Morgensen reached for the briefcase containing the codes and communications equipment needed to launch nuclear weapons, placed it on the desk and opened it. She then removed an envelope from her handbag, opened it and started to enter codes into the launch control device.

  “Stop, Hanna, that’s going to kill hundreds of millions,” pleaded Torres, but he was ignored. He then lunged towards her but as he did, a shot from Connolly’s gun dropped Torres to the floor.

  In quick succession, a second shot rang out in the back of the room, again jolting everyone. John Corson did not need to stop and think. Seeing the chaos as an opportunity, he jumped at Morgensen and shoved her away from the launch device, knocking her to the floor. The others all looked around to find the source of the second shot, and saw Connolly lying dead on the floor. Behind him stood Matt Simpson with his Glock still drawn, and behind him stood the rest of the cabinet members who had been excluded from executive session. “My sworn duty is to protect the President,” said Simpson. “That stands even if the threat turns out to be members of his own government.”

  Torres was bleeding from the middle part of his abdomen but stood up, hurried over to John and deactivated the incomplete launch sequence that Morgensen had initiated. He then put away the device as well as the codes she had obtained.

  “Mr. President, are you okay?” asked Kurdi.

  “Never mind that,” said Torres. “Get the cameras in here right away. I have an address to make.”

  “My fellow Americans,” opened Torres. He paused. “When I had previously used those opening words, they were hollow. Forgive me.” He breathed deeply and then continued.

  “As many of you already know, there’s been a horrific massacre at the Pentagon. I believe I’ve lost dear friends who were there at the time. Unfortunately, this is only one of many such developments. Last night and into this morning, the United States, our country, was invaded by foreign troops. Our ports, which have been used to import everything conceivable, were co-opted to import the armed invaders. Our major cities are falling under their control as we speak. Additionally, a heavy mechanized army has crossed the Mexican border and is advancing through Texas and into the heartland. Their objective is probably to secure infrastructure vital to the economy.”

  “Before this all happened this morning, a nuclear device was detonated high in the air above Taiwan. While we believe that the high altitude of detonation ensures that the blast itself will not cause any death or destruction on the ground, all electronics in the region have been disabled. Our military forces, gathered as they were in one spot, have been rendered inactive. Secretary of State Hanna Morgensen attempted to manipulate me into launching a massive retaliatory nuclear strike against China which would have killed perhaps 500 million people. There were important contradictions in the case against China, so I refused to order the launch. She attempted to do so herself, resulting in a struggle which resulted in my being shot in the abdomen by CIA Director Bill Connolly. Given the current situation, I do not know if I will be able to access medical treatment. At this point, my survival is in question.”

  “With what strength I have left, I issue the following orders to our military personnel. Under no circumstances are you to initiate hostilities against the Chinese people. There will be no nuclear strike. Understand that while I am aware that the assets and soldiers currently invading the United States are Chinese, the order to invade did not come from the Chinese government but was accomplished through a rogue element of the Chinese military working with American traitors. Accordingly, I would ask China to pursue any means necessary to achieve the withdrawal of their rogue troops from US territory”.

  “The logistical management of these operations was in the hands of Morningstar Security Services, whom I had previously banned from conducting any business with the US government. Morningstar CEO Derek Ellis is the presumptive head of operations for the invasion. I am issuing an order for the arrests of Mr. Ellis and Ms. Morgensen on charges of treason. Mr. Connolly was killed by the Secret Service at the time he shot me.”

  “Today you awoke to a changed world. Your country has been occupied by hostile forces under the command of the ruling interests. Instead of fighting on your side, Homeland Security has paralyzed the tra
nsportation grid to better suit the needs of the occupiers. I order them to disband immediately.”

  “I hereby order all Federal employees to support the people in their resistance. Collaboration with any administration set up by the invaders will be judged harshly when the American people prevail. Any actions taken by agents of the government against the people will be considered acts of treason, which is punishable by death. All police, emergency workers, and of course soldiers, are instructed to support the people in their resistance.”

  “I reiterate that this occupation is not legitimate. The ruling interests manipulated us into their debt. Now they are attempting to use that debt as justification to enslave us.”

  “I urge you the people to resist this enslavement. If you can take up arms, please do so. If you are unable to fight, use passive resistance. This is not a license to violence against each other, which will be judged harshly if it occurs. It is a call to legitimate self defense.”

  “It is probable that we will soon lose free access to the airwaves, and the internet. It will fall upon you, the people, to organize yourselves. Use ham radio if you can access it. Use your social networks, your churches, your schools. The US government cannot do it for you. It has to come from you, the people.”

  “I order all military personnel around the world wherever they may be, to return promptly to the continental United States to join in the true fight for freedom. We need you now more than ever. Implicit in this order is that the United States hereby suspends all armed conflicts abroad. Your only important mission is now at home.”

  “I declare all bonds issued by the United States government to be frozen until such a time as we can determine which ones are held by the entities behind this invasion. Those bonds will be declared null and void. Those parties will suffer a total loss of their capital.”

  Torres slumped over, and paramedics quickly rushed to his aid. He waved off their efforts to get him out of his seat. With great effort, he continued.

  “If this is to be the last time I address you, then I have more to say. I was the head of a government that considered you subjects to be policed, regulated, compelled, and suspected of disloyalty. We’ve largely lost your trust, and I’m not asking for it back today. I was the head of that government, and I take the blame.”

  “Our system of politics is called democratic, but in reality it is a far cry from that. Candidates for higher office have to be compliant to the ruling interests before they have a chance for the nomination of either major party. Money plays an outsized role of course, but it’s not enough. The commentators on network TV and the print pundits are paid a lot of money for their ability to shape the debate in terms favorable to the ruling interests. And candidates live or die by the collective commentaries from the pundits.”

  “I worked for most of my adult life to be acceptable to the ruling interests, and my reward was this office. I owed my loyalties to the ruling interests, and my role was to implement their dictates while selling those acts as good for the people, or for spreading democracy, or fighting terrorism, or drug trafficking.”

  “The ruling elites behind this operation have always insisted on bailouts of existing interests even when that weakens the economy and hinders new ventures and new entrepreneurs. If there were not bailouts there would be bankruptcies in record numbers and much of the economy would grind to a halt. As severe as the disruption would be, the recovery would be relatively quick. But the leaders of the new economy would be a different group of people than the previous owners. This is what scares them most. They owe their privileged positions to fortuitous circumstances. Yes, they or their forefathers were ambitious and capable. But so were hundreds of times as many who enjoyed only modest success. Those in the right place at the right time were those who enjoyed outsized rewards. But the solution is not more regulation and taxes. Those regulations and tax revenues are always co-opted to serve the current power interests. The solution is to let failure fail. Only then will those who caused the crisis suffer the loss that is their due, and only then will competent people have their chance to run the economy.”

  “For those of you who have imagined that things worked like this, you have largely been marginalized as conspiracy theorists. It may surprise you to know that the more outrageous conspiracy theories are indirectly supported by the same ruling interests so they can tarnish you by association. I don’t receive phone calls from New York or London every day telling me what to do. Instead, it’s made very clear by major donors to a new President which people must fill certain key cabinet posts. It only takes one or two people in the right position and with the implicit backing of the ruling interests to steer policy in the administration. I spent my career being amicable to these interests and I understood when I was expected to take a certain action. I lacked the character to act independently or to defy those interests.”

  Torres paused, took a drink of water, and continued.

  “Now my time is short. I want to go past these vague generalities. You’ve heard vague generalities from Presidents Eisenhower (22) and Kennedy (23), and history has managed to muddle their exact intents. Secretary of State Hanna Morgensen was placed in my administration to pull my strings. It was she who manipulated me into an artificial confrontation with China. It was her who insisted that I place all available troops in Taiwan, leaving our country undefended. This, our country, is not just a homeland to be secured. Certainly it is our home but it has always meant more than that. Its ideals always transcended those of a simple home. It was supposed to be defended by the Department of Defense. But our Defense is in Taiwan, the Middle East, and over a hundred other places in the world playing offense.”

  “It is inevitable that the White House will shortly be captured by the invading forces. When you hear from their representative, who will presumably be Mr. Ellis, you may be told that I am charged with concocted crimes. Pay no attention to my fate. I am in fact guilty of neglecting your freedoms, and of implementing the agendas of the ruling elites at your expense. No charge he can make is worse than that. I do not deserve your loyalty. But your country does deserve your loyalty. The principles of self-governance that were once embodied by the United States deserve your loyalty, and regaining them will require a fight. Work together and you will prevail. And when you do, the people must choose how to govern themselves. That’s a freedom worth fighting for. God Bless all of you.”

  Torres finished speaking and slumped down to his desk, fighting for breath. The paramedics lifted him from his chair and put in on a sofa. He was fading quickly. Simpson said, “Sir it’s time to get you out of here.”

  “It’s too late for that now,” said Torres, weakly. “Get my family out of here, and get yourselves to safety.”

  The color faded from Torres’ face, replaced by a pallor John Corson had come to know only too well. John came over to him and said, “Sir, we can still save you if we get out now.”

  “You already have, John,” said Torres. His eyes closed and his head rolled to the side.

  Respecting the President’s last instructions, Simpson was preparing to leave the room to gather Torres’ family when Kurdi came over and whispered, “Bring them to my farm in western Maryland.” Kurdi gave Simpson a map. He took it, nodded, and was gone.

  …

  With the President dead, confusion set in briefly. There was no sign of Morgensen, who had slipped away during the chaos. Kurdi spoke up first. “There’s a convoy of armed trucks headed this way. I suggest you all disperse. Leave in ordinary cars, not in government SUVs. Use the subway if you have to, and above all stay anonymous. There aren’t that many of them, so they can’t root you out house by house. Stay off the highways, and use back roads wherever you go.”

  Matt Simpson returned with a grieving family and several men helped carry Torres’ body to his vehicle. “I hope he did some good here,” said the First Lady. “He always wanted to be a good man, but never felt he could get past the system.”

  “Mrs. Torres, he di
d more good than I ever imagined he could,” said John Corson. “With the President himself breaking open the conspiracy within the government live and on the air, there’s no longer any room to hide under the skirt of official denunciation and denial.”

  Kurdi then gathered John and Frank, Jess and Lyle, Millie Howe and Roger Snyder and left with them in his minivan. They took back roads and encountered no problems. The effect of Torres’ speech was immediate, as many Homeland Security Agents promptly walked off the job in response to the President’s order, leaving those still enforcing the traffic curfew understaffed and forced to abandon many of their checkpoints.

  Chapter 75: Hollow Victory

  Derek Ellis took the phone call from General Kim and listened to his complaints. “The soldiers here expect official recognition from the Chinese government, or at least the annihilation of the Chinese government. How do you expect to get that without the nuclear strike?”

  “I’ll take care of that within a few days, General,” said Ellis.

  “President Torres did not respond as you said he would,” went the next complaint. “I don’t see how you can maintain an air of legitimacy after what he said.”

  “Relax, General. The American people are lazy and stupid. We just have to avoid interrupting their television broadcasts and they’ll roll over and accept it. And perhaps you have forgotten, but you can’t exactly turn back now. If you withdraw your troops you lose, and China has no choice but to court-martial you. If you win, they will accept your victory in the end. Nothing succeeds like winning, General.”

  Ellis put on a brave face for his call with Kim, but his task was now vastly more complicated. Torres should have acceded to the demand to launch the strike. Everything that followed would then have been much easier. The international community would have condemned the overreaction to the invasion in the absence of proof the Chinese had ordered it, and replacing the US administration would have had an air of legitimacy. Now, it seemed like an unprincipled coup d’état led by ruling interests set on enslaving the people. No matter, thought Ellis. He had organized his share of those over the years.