Howe was shocked. His thoughts raced. Is he asking for $25 million dollars? I knew it wouldn’t be pro bono, but I had never anticipated such an astronomical number.
He carefully kept his expression neutral as he nodded in agreement. At this point, it could just as easily be blackmail money against Howe himself. Howe had taken a huge risk trying to put this together, but he had to get Al Mohammad out of the picture. He had become an unbearable pain in the neck.
No matter, Howe thought. $25 Million isn’t going to bankrupt me, but I don’t like the idea of spending that much. This isn’t coming out of my pocket. I could fund the operation through black box spending allocated for CIA and NSA spending. That money is tossed around pretty loosely and no one really knows where it all ends up. Perhaps the most efficient method of payment would be to double their regular fees for ongoing operations. Darren would certainly appreciate the need to keep the funds transfer as discreet as possible.
Howe said to Darren, “We can discuss payment details at a later date. For now, we have an agreement and nothing else needs to be discussed. I don’t need to know any of the gory details. In fact, the less I know, the better.”
Darren nodded without saying a word. Knowing Raven Thorn’s reputation, Mustafa’s death should appear completely natural. Foul play should never even be considered.
CHAPTER 36
“For a people who are free, and who mean to remain so, a well-organized and armed militia is their best security.”
-Thomas Jefferson
Matt only had two more days to finish his week of guard duty on State Road 421 coming into Kentucky from Virginia. The militia outpost was set up on a side road that turned south off 421 right at the border, just feet away from a sign that said “Welcome to Virginia.” The gravel road led to three farms.
On the corner of 421 and the gravel road was a small farm house where a gentleman repaired trucks out of his garage. He was kind and helpful to the militia and offered to let them use his water and even gave them access to the repair shop in case they needed to get out of the rain.
The side road made a convenient turnaround point for folks who arrived at the checkpoint. Folks who didn’t have adequate documents to cross the border were turned around and sent back to Virginia. People who didn’t wish to stay in Kentucky or leave permanently once they crossed, had the opportunity to return the way they came.
The farmer who owned the truck repair shop offered to let the militia set up camp in his open field, but Adam wanted the men in a more concealed location. The camp was set up on the north side about 300 feet off the road and about 1200 feet back from the checkpoint. A thick line of trees and heavy brush contoured the north shoulder of 421. The camp was close enough for reinforcements to arrive quickly, but far enough to not be spotted from the road. Just over the hill from the camp, sniper positions were available if the checkpoint was attacked.
Adam had two Listening Post Observation Post, or LPOPs set up on the north side of the road and two on the south side of the road. One LPOP was set up 1000 feet on each side of the road along the border. The next LPOP on each side was 1000 feet from the first. Matt was at the northernmost LPOP.
Gary Brewer was the second man at the northernmost LPOP. Gary said to Matt in a voice just above a whisper, “Your wife is a jewel. This ham, deviled eggs and cornbread she brought out here for you makes for a spectacular lunch. I appreciate you sharing it with me.”
Matt nodded. “You always share everything with me. Besides, when she or Janice makes their mid-week run to the checkpoint, they always bring more than we can eat.”
Gary said, “That’s thoughtful of them. You tell them I said thanks. I noticed Shelly always rides along with whoever drives out.”
Matt said, “Yeah, it’s tough on a new wife to not see her husband two weeks out of every month.”
Gary finished chewing the cornbread. “My wife tries to come out when I’m here, but you know gas is scarce. Everyone’s family doesn’t get to come out every time we’re out here.”
Matt said, “That’s part of the reason Karen and Janice always try to bring a little extra.
“After five days of sitting in the woods and seeing nothing, it’s getting hard to stay alert. Why don’t I stand guard while you go back to camp and make a pot of coffee to bring back to the LPOP.”
Gary stood up. “You don’t have to twist my arm. I’ll be right back.”
Matt sat beneath the crudely constructed lean-to made of fallen branches and leaves from the forest floor. He kept watch from the opening which faced east so he could watch for people moving in their direction from Virginia. Anyone who did not have proper identification or did not consent to the one-way passage mandate would likely try to evade the checkpoint by walking around it through the woods.
The one-way passage mandate was enforced with a ledger. The person coming in to Kentucky or deciding to leave had their name, description and ID information recorded in the ledger. The record of all those using their one-time pass to cross the border was sent to Lt. Joe who was maintaining the database at his cabin near Wood Creek Lake. Lt. Joe had a very impressive ham radio set up with which he could send and receive information to the separate checkpoints along the Kentucky-Virginia border. The information was passed by hand-held transceivers that operated on ham frequencies.
The State Road 421 checkpoint used two Baofeng UV5RA radios to communicate with Lt. Joe. They could also communicate with the Middlesboro checkpoint to the south and the State Road 23 checkpoint to the north with the radios. The State Road 421 checkpoint sat low in-between some hills, so the militia ran antennae up into the trees to be able to communicate at the longer distances. One Baofeng radio was kept at the checkpoint and the other was kept up the road at the camp. The men had simple walkie-talkies for communicating between base camp, the checkpoint and the LPOPs. If the need to communicate with a checkpoint further than the ones directly to the south or north, then Lt. Joe would act as a relay as his system could transmit at much longer distances than the hand-held Baofeng radios.
Matt didn’t hear Gary return until he made the militia alert click with his mouth. Adam had taught them to roll their feet to minimize the sound of the crunching dry leaves in the woods. The militia used a simple two-click sound, similar to calling a dog, to let other members know they were approaching the camp. World War II paratroopers had used a hand-held clicker to make clicks when the Allied Forces had invaded France. The click with the mouth was a natural sounding click that would be more easily confused with wildlife by the enemy, and it required no special equipment. The simple two clicks reduced the odds of a friendly fire accident by alerting the other men standing guard that someone was approaching. Additionally, it did not require them to speak in loud human tones that could give away a position.
Matt smiled as Gary filled his cup from the thermos of hot coffee.
“Thanks Gary,” Matt said softly. They were permitted to speak as long as they kept conversation at a whisper.
“This is just a little too serene up her for me,” Gary whispered in reply. “I was fighting sleep. I feel better just walking to camp and back.”
“This cold weather doesn’t help, either,” Matt added as he took his first sip of the strong black coffee.
The sun had peeked out a couple of times throughout the day, but it was still cold winter weather. March was here. They had made it through the worst of it, but spring still felt miles away to Matt.
Matt and Gary had a small Dakota fire pit right at the opening of the lean-to. It kept a little warmth in the shelter, but not much as the front was completely open to give them a wide view to the border.
Matt’s walkie was the only one with an earphone, so it was the only one turned on. Gary had a walkie as well, but he would only turn it on if he needed to call out.
Matt’s walkie chirped in his ear. Gary had been speaking so Matt put a finger up to let Gary know he was receiving a message over the radio.
After a few seconds
, Gary asked, “What’s up?”
Matt replied, “We’ve got some guys walking up the road toward the border from the Virginia side. Wesley said there are quite a few of them and wants us to move up to the tree line to cover them.”
Matt and Gary moved quietly to the tree line on the north side of the checkpoint. When they arrived, Jeff Nolon and JC Hunter were already in position. They had been called to the tree line from the northern LPOP closest to the checkpoint. Everyone got into a firing position. Jeff had a Barrett .50 caliber rifle configured in a bullpup design so it could be shoulder-fired as well as utilized for long distance shots. Even with the bullpup configuration, it took a big guy to effectively hold such a heavy weapon. Jeff filled that description well. He was a towering 6’7” and just over 300 lbs.
There wasn’t as many good cover options from the south side of the checkpoint, so the men from the southern LPOPs joined up with the guys standing guard as an extra show of force. Adam and a few of the guys from Alpha squad came running up the road to the checkpoint. Adam had excellent night vision and pulled night duty at the checkpoint. He and the other night shift guys were just waking up when the call came into the camp that a large group was approaching.
By the time Adam and the others arrived at the checkpoint, it was obvious that the group approaching the checkpoint on foot were military soldiers. Matt’s heart started racing. His thoughts raced. Are we being invaded? Why would they be approaching on foot? None of this makes any sense.
Matt felt guilty to be in the tree line. He was well hidden while Adam, Wesley and the others were exposed with only the vehicles for cover. Matt took comfort in the fact that his position was necessary. He knew if something went down, he would be able to pin down the enemy while the others took better cover.
The more Matt thought about it, the less this made sense. He whispered to Gary, “If we’re getting hit on foot, it seems like the men would’ve hit us at night. Maybe this is a trap. Maybe other forces are circling around from the north or south to hit us from behind while we are occupied with the men walking up the road.” Matt began scanning the woods to the north. He began having second thought about leaving his LPOP. “This isn’t right.” He whispered, “That post should not have been abandoned.”
Adam called out to the soldiers, “Lay down your weapons and continue to the checkpoint with your hands on your heads.”
A voice from the approaching group called back, “Identify yourself.”
Adam returned, “Lay down your weapons or we will cut you down where you stand!”
The man who appeared to be in charge made a gesture with his hand and the men in the group melted into the shrubbery and woods along the side of the road. The man in charge however, did not. He complied with Adam’s command and laid down his rifle. He placed his hands on his head and began walking very slowly towards the border. Everyone at the checkpoint had found solid cover and had their weapons trained on the man walking towards them or the roadside where the others had disappeared.
Adam tapped four militia men to turn around and watch for approaching people or vehicles from the rear. Matt felt better about not getting ambushed from the rear while everyone’s attention was on the border. But he continued to scan the woods to the north for other soldiers.
The man stopped just short of the border and called out again. “I want to speak with the person in charge.”
“State your business,” Adam called out.
“May I have the courtesy of knowing to whom I am speaking?” The man called back to Adam.
Adam called back, “My name is Adam Bair. I am the Captain of London Company of The Eastern Kentucky Liberty Militia. Kentucky has asserted her sovereign right as a free and independent state under the authority granted by the Tenth Amendment. We do not recognize the authority of the government in Washington, D.C., as the present administration has violated the laws set forth by the Constitution and is currently a rogue occupier of the Capitol. We do not wish you harm, but we are prepared to kill and die to defend this sovereign soil.”
Matt smiled at Adam’s explanation. Matt considered that, just as the liberals had taken great liberty in interpreting the Bill of Rights to destroy them, the Coalition had taken great pains to look to the founders in interpreting the Bill of Rights to preserve them.
Matt recalled the text of the Tenth Amendment. It was very short and sweet. It read “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”
Matt kept up with the politics of the Coalition States. The Coalition looked to the original Articles of Confederation to help interpret the Tenth Amendment. The Articles of Confederation were written in 1776 and served as the defining law of the land until the Constitution was ratified in 1789.
The provision in the Articles of Confederation used for guidance on the Tenth Amendment stated “Each state retains its sovereignty, freedom, and independence, and every power, jurisdiction, and right, which is not by this Confederation expressly delegated to the United States, in Congress assembled.” Furthermore, the Coalition found that D.C. was in breach of contract in adhering to its obligations under the Constitution and thereby nullified any requirement of the Coalition States to be bound by obligations to D.C.
The man called back to Adam, “We do not recognize the authority of Washington, D.C., either. I am going to instruct my men to lay down their weapons and we are going to surrender ourselves to you.”
Matt was sure this was a trap. He could see the confusion among the other militia men at the checkpoint.
Adam called out, “Okay, line up single file with your hands on your head. We’ll process each man through the checkpoint one at a time. We’ll search you and remove any dangerous objects. We’ll place wrist restraints on you until we clear you or determine where you are to be held. If you are cleared and accepted as citizens of the Coalition, you will not be allowed to leave. Doing so may be considered desertion. You will be required to commit to military service in the Coalition. I want this to be very upfront, so you know what you are consenting to by entering Kentucky. Any of your men that do not consent to these terms are free to turn around and walk away. I give you my word that you will not be fired upon if you go back the way you came.”
The men who had come to the checkpoint from Virginia slowly started to come out from their cover with their hands on their heads. Matt kept his rifle sights trained on them as one by one, Adam and the other militia men searched them, placed zip tie restraints on them and sat them to the side.
Matt continued to scan the woods to the north while the men were being processed through the border. He looked across the road and could see the man who lived in the farmhouse looking out the window at all the commotion. Matt wondered if the man realized he lived on the edge of tyranny and freedom?
Several militia members inside Virginia had launched small scale assaults against federal government buildings and ambushed federal agencies over the past few weeks, but Howe had sent massive responses and locked down the towns where the attacks had taken place. Virginia was now under a tighter lockdown than any other state. Matt thought that Howe probably saw its proximity to the capitol as being too important to tolerate any resistance. This left Kentucky and North Carolina on the border of the most occupied state in America. Right now, London Company was assigned to guard perhaps the most volatile piece of real estate in the world.
Matt’s shift had ended during the event. He came out of the tree line, walked up to Adam and said, “I’ll be milling around to be sure everything is going to be alright.”
Adam nodded as he continued to clear each man. Once all the men were processed and counted, their number was 27. Adam sat down with the man who led them here. Matt stood nearby to keep watch while Adam interviewed the young man.
“So, how did you Marines end up on our border?” Adam asked.
The young man explained, “We were part of a supply convoy out
of Quantico. The Marines had commandeered a dry food storage warehouse in Blacksburg, Virginia. Our convoy went there to make a pick-up. While the trucks were being loaded, we had two hours to go around town, get a bite to eat or whatever. The 27 of us had predetermined to make a run for it. We headed straight for the hills. We kept moving that night, then laid low for two days. On the fourth day we started toward this border.”
“Why did you abandon your post?” Adam asked.
“You don’t know what’s going on there,” The young Marine explained. “My First Sergeant tried to get a bunch of us to leave and join up with the Coalition. He told us what was going on. It was very different from what we were getting from most of the brass and the news. I don’t think we really believed him. He took the amnesty offer to leave the Federal forces and was supposed to go to the Coalition States. He said he was coming here to Kentucky to make a stand. He said he had a buddy that he served in Afghanistan with who was in the militia.
“They were sent to a processing center where they were supposed to be debriefed and let go. The center turned out to be a prison camp. They were all poisoned and died in the camp. I was part of the Hazmat team that had to clean up the corpses.”
The young man was starting to get choked up. Adam let up on the questions for a moment, then asked, “What was your First Sergeant’s name?”
“Hammer,” The young man said.
“What was his first name?” Adam asked.
“Carl. First Sergeant Carl Hammer.” The man answered.
Adam jumped up and called out to his brother. “Wesley, cut these men loose.”
Matt could tell Adam was upset. He thought he had seen a tear forming in his eye as he walked away.
American Meltdown: Book Two Page 15
