Texas Strong: Post Apocalyptic EMP Survival Fiction (The Lone Star Series Book 4)

by Bobby Akart

  If the plan was to further bloody the nose of their sworn enemy, then they could certainly do that, but then what? This was what puzzled Holloway about those who fought ideological battles and wars. What did the conqueror gain? Bragging rights? Smug indignation? The ability to say I brought a great nation or person down?

  Holloway liked his approach to war better—to the conqueror go the spoils. From the beginning of time, the great empires fought one another not so one emperor could sit on a taller throne than the other, but to take from the other empire, whether it be territory, gold, or the ability to enslave the conquered citizenry to do his bidding.

  That was Holloway’s philosophy, so the tactics, strategies, and operations he employed were focused on this singular goal.

  Chapter 44

  January 11

  The Calvert Estate

  6200 Georgetown Pike

  McLean, Virginia

  Within the secured grounds of the Central Intelligence Agency’s headquarters located in the Langley neighborhood of McLean, Virginia, sits a four-story Georgian Revival home. The house, built in 1926, was the oldest structure within the CIA’s complex and part of an estate that had coexisted with the CIA for seventy-five years. After the deaths of Margaret Scattergood and Florence Thomas, the two original owners of the Calvert Estate named after George Calvert, a Brit and the first Lord Baltimore of Maryland, the CIA converted the home into housing for their K-9 units. The property literally went to the dogs.

  The beautiful home had fallen into disrepair and ruin due to the agency’s neglect. Finally, during the Bush administration, a new head of facilities arrived at the CIA and saw the potential of the Calvert Estate. The manor home underwent a complete renovation to become a state-of-the-art conference center together with museum and reception rooms.

  In addition, any CIA employee would be remiss not to include some clandestine feature to one of its facilities, and the manor home was no different. In the dark basement where the casual observer might see furnaces and dusty wooden shelves, there existed a secured room, impenetrable to curious listeners.

  When Billy Yancey began any operation so dark that it was beyond the purview of the president, like the assassination of Kim Jong-un, for example, he utilized this part of the Calvert Estate. Today, he didn’t assign the task to an underling. There was no middleman to pass orders on to the operatives. Yancey wanted no witnesses.

  Yancey had never met this operative although he’d been used on multiple assignments. The shooter had never failed. Yancey also wanted to meet the shooter and observe his reaction to the target. Everyone knew of each other in this industry. Some assignments might seem objectionable despite a shooter’s loyalty to his country and the men who ran his operations. Yancy needed a read on this before he gave the order.

  Yancey entered the room, which was dour in its furnishings compared to the opulence on display in the rooms above them. There were white walls on three sides, with the fourth wall a stone and mortar combination that was part of the home’s foundation. A simple gray folding table sat in the middle of the room, with a few stackable chairs scattered around the cramped space.

  This room was not intended to be comfortable. If someone managed to stumble across it, they might think it was used for storage. It suited Yancey’s purposes, however.

  He and the shooter were the sole occupants of the room. The shooter sat quietly across the table with his hands clasped in front of his chest and his legs crossed. His black hair, two-day-old beard and chiseled jaw gave him the look of a Guess model.

  According to his personnel records, he was thirty years old, five feet eleven, and only one hundred eighty pounds. His lean frame concealed its potential for strength and quickness, and its capacity to inflict death. The shooter’s steely blue eyes stared at Yancey, emotionless and difficult to read. Yancey would have to connect a polygraph to the shooter in order to determine his veracity under questioning, and even then, he’d have his doubts.

  Yancey returned the man’s stare and chose not to say a word. He slid a file across the table and waited for the shooter to pick it up. He’d dealt with hard-core operatives in the past, but they did show some form of emotion. An imperceptible smile. A nod. Even a deep breath with a corresponding exhale.

  Not this shooter. He barely moved his body as he pulled the file toward him and rested it on his leg. When he opened the folder, it was the first time he’d broken eye contact with Yancey.

  He thumbed through the packet of materials, beginning with information on his target. He provided the rest of the folder a cursory glance.

  Without looking up, he asked, “When?”

  “Your flight will leave Atlantic Aviation at oh five hundred day after tomorrow,” replied Yancey. Hyde Field was an executive airport just outside Newport News, Virginia, where the shooter lived on his sailing yacht.

  “Deadline?” he asked, making eye contact with Yancey again.

  “No. First opportunity would be best, however,” replied Yancey. “Do you have any questions or concerns?”

  “Nope. This is all I need.”

  Yancey reached into his jacket pockets and slid two envelopes of newly minted Texas one-hundred-dollar bills totaling twenty thousand Texas dollars across the table.

  “Spending money,” said Yancey.

  The shooter removed a handful of the bills and studied them. The Star of Texas was imprinted on the back and a picture of Sam Houston on the front. He thumbed through the new currency and then shoved it back into the envelope.

  “What else?” the shooter asked.

  “That’s all,” said Yancey before adding, “Shoot straight.”

  The operative stood, tucked the folder and the money against his chest, and never responded.

  Chapter 45

  January 11

  Eunice, New Mexico

  Each day, Lee sent scouts to the New Mexico border with Texas to surveil troop movements and border patrol strength to establish a pattern to the military’s protective measures. Not surprisingly, activity was at its lowest in the early morning hours between three a.m. and dawn, which was around six thirty a.m. A shift change occurred at eight in the morning when the manpower at the checkpoints was doubled. However, during the handoff, the patrols on the perimeters were called into the checkpoints, leaving the fences unmanned and vulnerable.

  Lee traveled fifty miles to Eunice, New Mexico, where a checkpoint with very little activity was located. Using his field glasses, he studied the security as the change was made. The number of refugees huddled near this checkpoint were minimal compared to the fenced borders to the south.

  On the New Mexico side of the border stood the URENCO nuclear enrichment facility. The plant had begun operations in 2010 after the first centrifuge was installed and made operational. One of the largest enrichment services of its kind in the U.S., the facility spun uranium in its natural form until it was made into the highly concentrated U-235, the main element in nuclear weapons.

  Lee’s commandos captured a scientist leaving the facility one evening and interrogated him. They learned the facility had been taken off-line due to the power outage and to protect its uranium supply. When power was restored to the region, the two-hundred-thousand-square-foot facility could be up and running within days.

  Lee considered URENCO to be a prized acquisition for Dear Leader in the event North Korea looked to expand into the United States. Otherwise, Lee would find a way to destroy the facility, rendering it useless and an environmental disaster for years.

  After spending an hour surveilling the checkpoint, Lee moved southward along gravel and dirt roads, periodically studying the refugees at the border. He was sickened at the smell of dead bodies smoldering on the funeral pyres, which could be seen every half mile or so. Lee gave credit to those pressing against the fences, begging to gain entry. Their perseverance might be rewarded at some point soon.

  Lee studied the map of Texas his men had taken from the URENCO scientist’s vehicle after killing
the man. There were very few roads to travel, but the military transport trucks they’d obtained were capable of travel on all types of terrain. If he could get his men through the border fencing, then the transports could take the commandos deeper into Texas, where they could meet at a predetermined rally point.

  He instructed his driver to return to Carlsbad Caverns, where he would put the final touches on their invasion plans. He would assign unit commanders the task of picking their men, arming them, and establishing a transportation plan. He had three days to get ready before his next scheduled conversation with Holloway, during which he planned on setting a day and time to commence their mission.

  Chapter 46

  January 12

  Austin, Texas

  The hastily called Texas State of the Union address drew immediate criticism from the president’s political opposition. They argued there was insufficient time to coordinate their response, which they assumed would be broadcast over the Texas AM band airwaves immediately following the president’s speech. When they were told a political response wasn’t going to be aired, that really sent them into a tizzy.

  As President Burnett entered the capitol building in Austin to address the joint session of the newly installed Congress of the Republic of Texas, she didn’t know if this was going to be a fairly respectful affair, like those exhibited in Washington in years past, or a raucous shouting match, which often occurred in the United Kingdom and other politically charged nations.

  Either way, she was going to stick to the script and her goal of providing a unifying, uplifting address to carry Texans until relief arrived. Her speech would focus on the accomplishments of becoming a new nation, installing a government, and protecting their borders. She would also focus on the malaise that had begun to come over Texans due to the lack of food and the uncertainty of their future. The next topic would address the issue of the refugees. It was time for her to state in no uncertain terms the reasons she’d refused their admittance. Texans would understand.

  There were no television cameras allowed into the chamber on this evening. TV broadcasts were nonexistent in Texas, and the cameras would only serve to provide news footage to international networks, which had treated the Burnett administration and Texas very poorly.

  After shaking hands and speaking with members of the Texas Congress seated in the gallery, President Burnett made her way to the podium.

  She made her introductory remarks and spoke about the history of Texas and the great leaders who’d fought to make it strong and free. She patted herself on the back for her foresight in preparing the former state for this moment, both politically and with respect to the power grid.

  With the preliminaries out of the way, President Burnett got into the meat and potatoes of her address.

  “This is the first State of the Union address to be delivered to our new nation, and I don’t take the fulfillment of my duty lightly. In order to discuss the details, I must first affirmatively state that the Texas spirit has never been higher than it is today, despite strains placed upon us. I am pleased to say that Texas is in fact free, and Texas is stronger than ever!”

  The president knew this line in her speech would generate the most animus from her political opponents. Despite the overwhelming cheers and applause from her political allies, she could hear the catcalls and boos from the other side of the aisle. This was planned, as she intended to paint them as obstructionist and anti-secession. If they disagreed with the majority of Texans, she’d be glad to show them the door back to the United States.

  “The vast majority of Texans have never been more deeply determined to face the solemn tasks before them. The response of my fellow Texans to this catastrophe has been instantaneous, and it will be sustained as long as we assure our families and neighbors of security, survival, and a better future.

  “I’ve traveled across the country and seen the efforts you’ve made to overcome these trying times. I have watched you face reality, help one another, and be a good steward of our limited assets until we can establish trading partners to restock our food supplies. Together, my fellow Texans, we will withstand this crisis, band together in a spirit of unity as winter settles in, and with the coming spring, a sense of renewal will overcome our collective spirit in a manner our detractors could never imagine.”

  President Burnett paused once again as part of the chamber roared its approval while the other side sat with sour faces, hating every word of her speech. She suddenly wished the cameras were rolling to broadcast their discontent to the world.

  “Texans may be judged by outsiders, but we understand what it takes to survive. The first step is for all Texans to come together, not just those who agree with me politically. Texans expect us to carry out our duties to preserve and protect our fledgling nation without partisanship, but rather, with a cooperation necessary to restore our well-being and to ensure the safety of our borders.

  “My fellow Texans, I never expected to be a wartime president, and many of you might ask, who are we at war with? Let me answer that for you. We are still at war with Washington, who fights us at every turn as we attempt to feed and protect our people. We are at war with an international media, which portrays us as cold and heartless because we won’t open our borders to all comers. We are at war with those who wish to enter our country and take food out of the mouths of you and your children. People who didn’t plan ahead like Texans did, and now expect us to open our homes and food pantries to keep them alive.

  “If history judges me to be cruel and callous for not allowing hundreds of thousands of people to flood into Texas and decimate our dwindling food supplies, I’ll take the heat for that. I do believe that you, my fellow Texans, will judge me on what I did for you and your fellow citizens.

  “Toward that end, I come to you tonight with a warning. We are going to enter a short period of time that will test your will and morale. Food will run short, services will be spread too thin, and based upon the masses of refugees amassed at our borders, the possibility of a breach looms large.

  “When times are tougher, I will call upon you to step up for your country. Texas isn’t just a place on the map, it’s a spirit that resides in the hearts of our people. With everything you do and every decision you make, I call on you to remember these words—Texas strong! Texas free!”

  The majority of the attendees jumped to their feet and began to chant the phrase, which had permeated President Burnett’s political rallies for decades.

  Texas strong! Texas free!

  Chapter 47

  January 12

  The Armstrong Ranch

  Borden County, Texas

  “Well, that surely got the emotions stirred up,” said Major before adding, “On both sides of the political equation. If her opponents voice too much in the way of political opposition, they’ll appear anti-Texan.”

  “Daddy, you really know this politics stuff,” said Riley. “Did you ever consider running for somethin’?”

  “Nah, son. The politics within the Texas Rangers was enough for me. You know, it wasn’t enough to be a good lawman, working hard, solving crimes, and paying your dues as you rose through the ranks. If you wanted to get to the top, there had to be a certain amount of ring kissin’ of politicians.”

  “Did you have to kiss Marion’s ring, dear?” said Lucy sarcastically as she tilted her head to the side. Major studied her body language and immediately recalled what he knew about marital politics. Proceed with caution!

  “Well, um, naturally, anytime a statewide officeholder appeared in Lubbock, they expected to see their number one lawman and other local muckety-mucks. Plus, the Burnett family and the Armstrongs have kept close friendship ties for generations. I didn’t, however, kiss the proverbial ring. Marion knew better and wouldn’t expect it. Frankly, any help she gave me to rise to the top of Company C was based on respect for my accomplishments.”

  Lucy stuck her chin out a little bit and nodded her head. “Why do you think Marion never got mar
ried?”

  Riley interrupted. “Wait, what? Our president is single?”

  “That’s right, son,” replied Major. “Marion has always been focused on her political career, often to the detriment of the Four Sixes Ranch’s operations. After I retired, that was the first time she approached me about something remotely related to ring kissing, but it was the other way around. She wanted me to oversee the Four Sixes Ranch.”

  “Hey, you never told me that,” said Lucy, who immediately appeared to be hurt by the slight.

  “Honey, I never gave it a second thought,” said Major quickly as he scooted a little closer to her on the sofa. “This was years ago when Palmer and Riley were still in high school. Cooper was still too young for additional responsibilities, and Duncan was off at war and never showed an inclination for ranching.”

  “Speaking of which,” started Duncan, who changed the subject to protect his father from an awkward conversation that he imagined wasn’t quite over. “They’re expecting an answer from me day after tomorrow.”

  “Have you heard from them?” asked Cooper.

  “Yes, Captain Harris called earlier today,” replied Duncan. “It was not a high-pressure call. He wanted to remind me that the colonel expected an answer and that he was available to answer any questions. I confirmed with him that he’d be my immediate superior and that my unit would operate separately from the military operations ordered by the adjutant general or the president.”

  “Why’s that important?” asked Palmer.