by Ira Tabankin
“I’m sure he’ll appreciate it. Does he know?”
“No, I want it to be a surprise. I take back everything I said earlier about you bringing in an outside specialist, I’m very happy you did. The two of you saved my family, don’t think I’ll ever forget it. Before we continue the meeting, what do you know about Nancy?”
Tony slips his arm around Jay’s.
“Let’s step out of the room a moment. I’m not sure I can handle discussing it in front of the group.”
“Tony, where is she? Please don’t tell me she’s gone. Look at me and tell me where she is. I’ll move heaven and hell to get her back. Does the North have them?”
Tony’s voice breaks, “She’s inside the new shelter.”
“WHAT? What was she doing inside the new shelter?”
“She was helping Franco with the new electrical wires so they had electrical and phone service as they expanded the shelter. I guess he needed someone to help him, and since she was available, he asked her to help string the wires.”
“Shit! What are you doing here? Why aren’t you helping dig them out?”
“There’s nothing I can do there. There're over two hundred people digging at the cave-in site, when one gets tired, they’re quickly replaced by a fresh person. They’ll call me when they break through.”
“Get out of here and go wait by the shelter. Anything you need, call me, if anyone needs anything, call. Anything. I’ll do whatever is needed to reach them.”
“Everyone lost someone, everyone has a problem, we have to decide our next steps and how we’re going to repay them for what they did to us. I’m good at planning revenge.”
“Get out of here. I only want to see you at the shelter opening. I’ll be there when the meetings end. We’ll talk about getting even after we get all of our people out safe and sound.”
“Okay, I’m going.”
Jay hears a camera click, he turns around seeing the reporter, wearing a PRESS tag around his neck. Press? What press? I didn’t allow any press onto the farm, let alone into the shelter. Who let him in? Who does he work for? Who vetted him? Who the hell is he? Fred, he must have invited the press. If he hadn’t lost his family, I’d kick his ass.
Reaching to grab the reporter’s arm, Jay looks at his press badge, “Who the hell are you? Where did you get a Confederate Press badge?”
“Hello, Mr. President. I’m Stu. I was one of the workers from one of the local small towns. My day job was a reporter for the local paper, after the economic crash, there wasn’t much demand for reporters. I became one of your laborers. Once the country split, someone had to record history. Being there aren’t any other reporters on the farm, I took it upon myself to be the Confederacy’s reporter. I’m recording history and letting the people know what their President is doing. Sir, you’ll be happy to know, the people love you. You’re a regular rock star. Fred gave me the press badge.”
“What have you been telling people? Have you shown any pictures of our shelter? Have you breached our security? Is anyone checking what you write and post? I’m worried about our opsec.”
“Mr. President. I’m a Confederate reporter, not a dumb ass. I won’t give away any information or the location of the shelter, it's my shelter too. I live here too.”
“Is anyone checking what your report?”
“Sir, why would anyone check what I report? Doesn’t the Confederacy respect freedom of the press?”
“Stu, of course, we do. I’m just worried about secrets leaking out.”
“Sir, there’s no way I’d leak secrets, I don’t want to get killed. I’d be happy to show you or anyone you want everything I’ve posted.”
“I have an idea, don’t go far, after the meeting, I think you should show all of us what you’ve reported. If we like them, you’ll be appointed my Press Secretary, you’ll officially report to Fred and get paid.”
“Paid, like real money?”
“In gold like everyone else. You won’t have to work in the fields any longer, although your town will have to send a replacement for you. You’ll count as an extra worker so your town will also receive an extra share.”
“That won’t be a problem. There were a lot of people who wanted to come here and work. There hasn’t been much work to do in town. We held a lottery for the chance to work for you. I’m sure they’ll be very pleased by getting an extra share.”
“Don’t go far, did you say rock star?”
“Yes sir, wait till you see the comments on our page. Even people in the North are following your adventures.”
“My God, we’ve got to find a better term to use other than my adventures.”
“Sir, please, just wait till you see the pages. I think you’ll be very happy. You’re gaining support every hour, millions of people are following you.”
“Stu, one thing you should know about me is, I’m almost never very happy. Let me make sure my kids are okay, then we need to get this meeting going.” Jay hugs Sammi and Linda, telling them to go home and get some rest, he’ll be with them soon. “Sam, I know you understand, I’ve got a lot of people waiting on me. I’ll see you later today.”
“Sure, I understand. We’ll see you later. It’s really good to be home, thank you for getting us.”
“You know I’ll move heaven and hell to make sure you and your sister are safe.”
Sammi and Linda happily walk toward the castle to clean up and change. Jay smiles at their backs, he turns to the group in the conference room,
“General, how are we going to get our people out of the cave-in? I want them out as quickly as possible.”
Chapter 4
Ricky is dragged screaming to the deepest sub-basement in the shelter.
“My friend, there’s no reason to scream yet. Believe me, you’ll have plenty of cause to scream soon enough. Have you ever had an electrical wire connected to your balls? No? I assure you, you’re scream until you pass out. The nice thing is it doesn’t leave any marks. If the Confederacy decides to play ball with us, we can show them you haven’t been harmed and still fry you until you pass out. Don’t worry about thinking you’ll be the only one to break, everyone breaks and tells us what we want to know. You look fit and strong; I think you’ll last a few days before your mind collapses from the pain. Pain you won’t be able to avoid, you’ll beg us to put you out of your suffering, you’ll tell us whatever we want to know to make it stop, but we’re not going to stop until you answer our questions multiple times.”
“NO!!! There’s no need to torture me, I’ll tell you everything you want to know.”
“Ha, many say the same. We have to make you suffer so your father-in-law plays ball with us. Did you ever hear someone say this is going to hurt me more than you? In this case, that’s not true. Please be on your best behavior, we will be recording your session.”
The guard pushes open the thick sound proof door, there are two guards waiting for them just inside the room, “Strap him in the chair and cut his clothing off.”
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Jay has to return to the business of State, he’s left the major industrial leaders hanging while he attended to the cave in and attack. He apologizes for asking them wait, he asks them to return so they can continue their discussions, Jay discovered most never left the castle. Sitting across from the corporate executives, Jay smiles,
“I’m sorry I left you hanging, we had two problems which required my personal attention.”
“Jay, we the various industrial leaders, are sorry for your recent problems, we hope everyone is safe. If there’s anything we can do to help you, please let us know.”
“Do any of you have any tunneling equipment and experts who can help us get our people?”
“Two of our companies have tunneling machines. When we heard about the cave-in, we took the liberty to put them in the air. They will arrive within two hours, where should we land the plane? What else can we help you with?”
“Do you have any of disaster search dogs?”
“One of our company’s trains them, we’ve placed six of them on the plane with the tunneling machine. We suggest we postpone our discussions until you’re able to rescue all of your people. We’re sure nothing we discuss is as important to you than getting your people out safe and sound.”
“Thank you. Thank you very much for your understanding. I’ll ask Fred to contact the State Police, who will figure out where to land your plane. I appreciate your assistance in our time of need. I won’t forget it.”
“It’s our pleasure to be able to assist.”
The industrial leaders smile to each other knowing Jay now owes them a favor. They know they’ll be able to reach a favorable conclusion.
@@@@@
The cave-in area is controlled chaos. People are everywhere, some are digging, some are providing support, some are trying to dig from the surface down while some are trying to dig through the collapsed front entry. General Arthur stands on the hood of a HUMVEE while Jay sits in the passenger seat, the general smiles shaking his head.
“Jay, I now see where our concrete went.”
“I don’t see any concrete.”
“Don’t bullshit me. How large is this one?”
“It wasn’t finished. It was supposed to be larger than the current one. It was being built by tunneling under the fields. We used concrete culverts for the entrance and in some of the halls. The walls were being made from reinforced concrete with sprayed on fiberglass and carbon fiber for support. This time, there is a steel skeleton, the inside walls are hung on the steel beams.”
“I don’t even want to know where you got all of the supplies.”
Smiling, Jay replies, “We’ve been busy.”
“No shit. You know, it’s time you begin trusting people. You can’t run the nation like you run the shelter. The people won’t stand for a dictator. You need to have an open mind and share information with your key staff. I’m one of your key staff, I have a need to know what the hell you’re doing. Trust isn’t a four-letter word.”
“No, it’s a five letter word. General, I hear you, trust me, I’m working on improving, I promise you, I will improve in the trust department. I’ll prove it. If you can stop by tonight at eight, I’ll show you the blueprints for the shelter and phase two which is an underground city to house the key governmental agencies.”
“I’ve heard that rumor. At first I didn’t believe it. Jay, you really are crazy. Do you think the people want their government housed underground? Most of the people agreed to secede because they didn’t trust their government, now you’re going to hide the new one out of their sight and underground? You’re going to lose the trust the people just started to invest in you.”
“Can you trust me?”
“About as much as you trust me. We need to find a way to work together if we’re going to make the Confederacy successful.”
“General, I’m going to open up and bring you into my trusted circle. I need your support.”
“Jay, you’re going to have to open up so all of the people trust you. Are you capable of being that open? Transparency isn’t just a word. You need to break the mold and run an open government, it’s the inverse of everything you’ve done. You’re used to giving orders and watching people jump. That won’t work here. Either be a real President of the People, for the People, or do us all a favor and step down now before you create so much damage we can’t recover.”
Jay stares at the recovery operation, he feels the warm sun on his skin. He kicks the dried soil which used to be rich fields of grain. Looking down, he sees the dried blood and some blood-stained bandages where triage was performed. Stu’s about to say something when General Arthur touches his shoulder, he whispers to the reporter,
“Wait. Let him work it out. It has to be something he accepts in his core. Either he can change, or he has to step down so he doesn’t damage the Confederacy’s future.”
Stu whispers back, “General, if he steps down, there may not be a Confederacy. He’s become a larger than life figure, the people respect and want to follow him. He’s who they want to be their President.”
“I know. He’s also the Confederacy’s defacto first President, he’s setting a precedent for every future president. He has to get it right. He has to be held to a higher standard if we’re going to show the world we’re better than the criminals we broke away from. He has to accept the changes; I know how hard it’s going to be for him. It can’t be forced on him, either he accepts this is a new era, or we’ve lost. I believe he has what it takes, he has to look inside of himself and find the kernel of truth and openness the country needs. It’s there, he just has to look deep inside his soul. I have faith in him. I’ve watched him in action, no one with the caring and love he has is terrible, he has what we need inside of himself, he has to find it and draw it out. It can’t be forced.”
Stu and General Arthur watch Jay bend over picking up a handful of blood stained dirt, he runs his fingers through the dirt which spills out between his fingers. They watch Jay fall to his knees and begin whispering.
Stu asks leaning over to again whisper to the General,
“What’s he doing?”
“He’s praying for guidance. Capture this, this is going to be a very important moment in our history. If anyone questions his faith, look at him. He feels very strongly about spirituality, he told me he had an unexplained experience which included something to do with the spirit world. I’m not sure if I believe the same as him, however, he does believe. He believes in good and evil, he believes in people’s souls. That is a very good thing. I don’t think anyone who doesn’t believe in right and wrong should ever have the power to send people into battle. He understands what it means to do battle and fight for people. He knows what it’s like to be wounded and what it feels like to kill. I feel he’d never knowingly send people to useless deaths. He’d do everything possible to bring them home safe and sound. I’ll follow him to hell and back.”
“Is this going to take a long time?”
“It’ll take as long as it takes. To me, this is a very good thing. I’m very hopeful he understands what he needs to do, and this is the beginning of his change into a great leader.”
“Isn’t he already a great leader? Look what he’s done for us.”
“He has to be better than great, keep watching, this is your story, our President is kneeling in the blood stained soil praying for guidance, did you ever think you’d see any President in D.C. do something like this?”
“Never, I think maybe Reagan or Bush II would.”
“Yes, they were men of the people, so is Jay, he just doesn’t know it yet. Wait, he’s standing up and turning in our direction. Shush, let him speak, let him say what’s on his mind, don’t interrupt him.”
Stu leans over to the General,
“Look at his eyes, they look like they’re glowing.”
“He’s figured it out, he’s found the answer. I think we’re in for a heck of a change. You better hold on for dear life.”
“Good or bad?”
“Yes.”
“Huh? How can it be both? I don’t understand.”
“Watch, it’s going to be very good for us and very bad for anyone who threatens the Confederacy. I believe he’s accepted the people of the Confederacy as his family, as such, he won’t allow anyone to harm his family. I believe you just witnessed history in the making, I hope you recorded everything.”
“I did.”
Jay smiles standing in front of the HUMVEE,
“General, I’m ready, let’s get our people out of there and move on with building a new country, one that is built on the foundation for the people, one that really represents the people. It’s time to bring the people into the tent and explain to them what I see. Let’s make sure they agree and support my vision. I want to go around the country and hold town hall meetings. We have to hear our people’s concerns and worries, we have to move quickly to rebuild so we’re strong enough that no one ever threatens us agai
n. I planned on building our new capital underground to protect it from any Northern strike, I should have told you. Yes, I was wrong in keeping it from you. I agree, no more secrets. I’ll tell you everything, I agree to consult with you on all matters which might have any impact on the military. General, speaking of the military, I want you and Admiral Jefferson to build the strongest most advanced military the world has ever seen. One that no one would ever consider fighting. I’ll get you the money to buy the most advanced weapons. We as a country will support the military and veterans for all of their lives.
