by Ira Tabankin
“I think the Navy will support the South; I think the Air Force will split. Most of the bombers are already in the South, again, the warriors will support the South, the staffers will support the North. Do you really think the South will announce their intention to secede?”
Lowering his voice so no one can possibly overhear him, “Yes I do, in fact, I know the Governors are going to announce a public referendum on the subject. They’re going to announce an open election in three weeks. Enough time for them to set up the election, they hope, not enough time for the President to organize a legal approach to stop it. I think their people are going to vote to secede. They will set up a committee to negotiate with the President how to handle the government assets in the South.”
“I’d pay real money to be a fly on the wall in that meeting.”
“Me too. We both know it won’t go anywhere. The President will say the South stole the people’s assets. That’s what he’ll use as the pretense for war. This is going to get bad very quickly. I bet, he’s going to send the FBI and DHS to block the election. The Governors will call out the National Guard, which will place armed forces nose to nose.”
“I think it’s time to think about moving.”
“I agree, I always liked the South, nice winters, and less bullshit than D.C.”
“Hell has less bullshit than D.C.”
The two generals smile at the joke riding down in the elevator. The guards wonder why the two four-star generals are laughing. After they pass the guards, one leans over to the other whispering, “If they’re laughing, the shit’s going to hit the fan.”
“Yeah. For once I’m glad I was assigned to the bunker.”
“Do you really think anyplace will be safe if the shit hits the fan?”
“Depends on the fan.”
Both guards smile wondering what’s happening.
The four service chiefs grab a mug of coffee, they sit just as the Secretary arrives, then snap to attention. He waves them to their seats.
“We’re going to have to stop meeting like this, my staff is getting suspicious I’m cheating on them.”
With the ice broken, the Secretary says,
“I know you’re aware of what’s going on. Admiral, I know for sure know since you personally sent the orders to Admiral Jefferson and Task Force 66 to blockade the South. The President expects the South to secede. He wants to cripple them so they have a taste of what’s in store for them if they secede.”
“Mr. Secretary, I’m not sure Admiral Jefferson is carrying out his orders.”
“That’s news to me, what leads you to believe he’s disobeying your direct orders?”
“Sir, recon shows he’s steaming in a large circle. None of his ships have taken up their assigned positions.”
“Has he communicated with you? Has he stated his intentions?”
“No, that’s what’s so strange. He’s not one to just ignore a direct order. If he disagreed with one, he would inquire, asking for clarification. That’s his way to tell me he doesn’t agree with the order. This time, he’s been completely silent.”
“Are his radios functioning?”
“Yes, we’ve sent radio checks, he responds he’s receiving our checks and confirms them. When I’ve asked to speak directly with the Admiral, I’ve been told he’s indisposed.”
“He’s been in the head for how long?”
“Sir, he’s avoiding us.”
The Secretary looks at the CNO, “He’s not ignoring you, he’s trying to make up his mind what to do. He doesn’t know if he’s going to follow his orders or ignore them.”
“If he ignores my orders, what’s he going to do?”
“Admiral, my gut says, he’s waiting to see what the South does. If they secede, he may offer the strength of his Task Force to the South.”
“Shit, that wouldn’t be good. He has enough firepower under his command to crush any other fleet we send against him.”
“Even a carrier battle group?”
“His Aegis ships can bring our planes down; his 16-inch cannons can make mincemeat of the thin skinned carriers. His sabot rounds can reach out and strike a ship two-hundred-fifty miles away.”
“Shit, how about a submarine attack?”
“He has his own subs; they will be on alert to anyone trying to sneak up on the Task Force. Also, we armed his Task Force with all of the submarine-launched rocket-propelled torpedoes we had left in inventory. His anti-submarine forces can attack our boats hundreds of miles away; we need to get within thirty miles to attack him. It wouldn’t be pretty. He has all of the newest Virginia-class attack boats. Sir, I believe he could control the entire Gulf.”
“You’re telling me he can block our access to the Gulf? He could turn the mission around and blockade us?”
“Yes, sir. That’s what I’m saying. If he wanted to, he could turn the Gulf into a protected zone, all the way into the Atlantic.”
“There’s nothing we can do?”
“Sir, the battleship is a creature from the Second World War, it was designed to survive sixteen and eighteen-inch shells. Our cruise missiles, like the Chinese ones, would only scratch her paint.”
“Shit.”
“You can say that again.”
“You should know; the President ordered the Coast Guard to ensure your Admiral Jefferson follows his orders or USCG Rear Admiral Foster has orders to replace Admiral Jefferson in command of TF 66.”
The CNO shakes his head,
“Mr. Secretary, that’s not going to end well. The USCG isn’t in the Admiral’s chain of command. I know Admiral Jefferson very well; he’ll never hand over command of the Task Force to a Coast Guard Admiral.”
“What do you think he’ll do when Admiral Foster arrives.”
“Admiral Jefferson will be a perfect host until Foster tries to take command. Jefferson will arrest him and set his forces on General Quarters. He’ll stop anyone from approaching close to his forces. Mr. Secretary, you and the President have just kicked over a large hornet’s nest. I don’t like the idea of the President sending Admiral Foster behind my back. If the President wanted to replace Admiral Jefferson, there are other Navy Admirals in line and could have been flown to the Missouri. He may have started the Civil War without realizing what he’s done.”
“Admiral, I think Admiral Jefferson will follow his orders or he’ll step down from his command. To do anything else will be considered mutiny. You know how we deal with mutineers. Air Force, can your forces be counted on to support the President?”
“Sir, most of our bombers are based in the South, our long range missiles are in the North. However, I’ve heard rumors that if the South secedes some central and Northern states might join them.”
“We could lose most of our nuclear weapons?”
“Yes, sir. Our weapons plants are also in the South.”
“Army, can we count on your people?”
“Sir, the bulk of our battle-ready forces are based in the South or in theater.”
“Recall all the forces deployed overseas, send them to bases in the North.”
“Sir, what are we going to tell our allies?”
“I’ll think of something; I’ll talk with the President about it. He’ll issue a release for our allies’ consumption. I’m sure he’ll agree.”
“Marines, General, where do you stand?”
“Sir, most of our bases are also in the South or California.”
“Begin to transfer as many of your people as you can to Camp Pendleton.”
“Sir, many of the families aren’t going to like it. We’ll be ripping up over one hundred thousand families. Think of the cost. I believe many will resign versus being transferred.”
“That’s one item I wanted to cover today. Thank you for reminding me. The President is going to issue an Executive Order extending the term of service indefinitely.”
All four service chiefs sit up and stare at the Secretary. The Commanding General of the Army stands saying,
“Mr. Sec
retary, I’m afraid that isn’t going to work. He can only do that in a time of declared war.”
“He’s going to do it anyway. I expect you to sell it to your people.”
General Wainwright shakes his head,
“Sir, I can’t, nor will my people follow an illegal order. If the President decides to rule by Executive Order, where does it end? We have rules and laws for a reason.”
“General, are you going to resign versus not following the President’s order?”
“Yes, I am. You’ll have my resignation on your desk within the hour.”
He’s followed by the other three service chiefs who also promise to leave their resignation on the Secretary’s desk on their way out of the Pentagon. The Secretary stares at the four empty chairs in the bunker’s conference room thinking that didn’t go as I’d planned. I thought they would support me. I hope to God they don’t spread the word and take most of their people with them. I need to talk to the President so he issues an Executive order blocking them from leaving the country, or traveling to one of the Southern states. Shit, I just remembered, we’re in Virginia, we’re in the South, when they go home, they’ll be going to homes located in the soon to be Confederacy. I should have remembered that before I accepted their resignations.
@@@@@
The President asks his CoS,
“How can we stop the South from seceding?”
“Sir, they haven’t announced anything yet, we don’t have any proof they are really going to secede.”
“They will. I have sources in two of the Governor’s offices who informed me, they're getting ready to hold an election. I need a plan to block or disrupt their election.”
“Sir, if we try to block a local election we will be interfering in how the Governors run their states.”
“Do you think I care? We can’t afford to have them leave. It will mean the end of America.”
“Yes, sir.”
@@@@@
Jay and the Governor look across the conference room table, Jay has a phony smile on his face, he nods.
“Governor, before we look at the shelter, would you tell me again how you can make sure the people are behind you?”
“Sure, the other governors and I are going to call for an election. We’re going to ask the people what they want.”
“That can be a double-edged sword. What if they say no? And not just no, but, hell no?”
“Do you think the people are going to vote no?”
“I don’t. I think they should, but they won’t. They’ll vote to secede and there will be hell to pay.”
“Jay, how can you say that? Don’t you think we can make it without the North? We have more industry, this time, we have a more varied economy, we have everything we’re going to need to form a new country. Not just form one, but build a successful country.”
“Governor, I know we can build a country, my concern is can we win a war against the one we’re going to break away from? I studied history, I know what happened to us when we lost the last war of northern aggression. If we have to fight, it can destroy both countries which will leave the door open to our enemies to finish the destruction we brought on ourselves.”
“Must it come to war? Don’t you think we can find another way to resolve our differences?”
“Not with this President. His leftist friends in the media will demand war. One neither side can win.”
“I don’t see why you're so concerned; you have your shelter where you can ride out whatever comes. Why do you care what happens to the rest of us?”
“Because I’m a student of history. I don’t want to have to learn to speak Chinese or Russian. I don’t want to see millions of us suffer the after effects of war.”
The Governor sits down staring at Jay.
“I think you and I can get along, we could even be friends. We share many of the same fears and thoughts.”
“Then why are you planning to make war on the North?”
“I hope it never comes to having to exchange blows. If the vote goes as we think it will, we plan to send a delegation to D.C. to discuss a peaceful separation.”
“Good luck with that. Who’s picking the members of the delegation?”
“We thought, we, the governors would go ourselves. It would show the President how serious we are.”
“That’s a very bad idea, he’ll have all of you in one place. None of you will ever return home. I suggest you have a video call.”
“You know our President; he will want a face to face meeting. He won’t accept a video call; he can’t be sure who’s listening in.”
“Make sure you have the rest of your plan ready to go before you leave the South. That’s if he doesn’t shoot your planes down in midair before you reach D.C. It’s what I’d do. I'd shoot your ass down and claim your plane had a mechanical problem. Such a shame, too bad. Then he’ll issue a series of Executive Orders to ensure the South can never rise again.”
“You don’t think he’ll let us go our own way?”
“Not a snowballs chance in hell.”
“Can we see your shelter now?”
“Sure, might as well, I don’t think you’ll be living long.”
Chapter 8
Jay leads the governor to the front door of the shelter.
“Never wander off the marked path, it's mined. There are homemade mines, hunting traps and punji pits hidden on the land around the shelter.”
The governor looks around, shaking his head.
“I don’t see anything.”
“That’s a good thing, they wouldn’t be a nasty surprise if someone could easily see them. We can master arm/disarm the mines, the hunting traps are purely mechanical, once stepped into, you’ll break an ankle, or lose a foot. I assure you, it’s not pleasant.”
“You’re a nasty SOB aren’t you?”
Jay smiles, “You bet. I intend to protect my friends and family through any means possible. Governor, you do realize you can’t win don’t you?”
“Why do you say that? Our research says the opposite.”
“Once the people hold a gun to threaten the government, you’ve lost the PR battle. The media will be against you. They will support the President’s ‘common sense’ solution, whatever it is, even if it’s not close to being common sense. The media will wind up their readers and viewers, they will force the Feds into action. They will put so much pressure on the President he will have to act. Even if it’s better for everyone if the South was allowed to just leave the Union. The media will force him to respond with military force. They will shame him into acting by telling him he’s destroying his own legacy if he doesn’t act. They know the key to getting him to do what they want is to mention his legacy. The media will paint us as gun crazy domestic terrorists. They will paint us as the bad guys and the progressives as the good guys. Most people won’t stand up to fight the government. They’re happy to make anti-government posts on social media but when the bullets begin flying, most people will stay home and hide. Like Judas, they will deny any knowledge of the Confederacy. I know you’re counting on the militias fighting the government, you have to face the fact that they are mostly untrained and under-armed compared to the military. Your secession movement will end up getting millions of people killed and the survivors left under the government’s thumb for generations.”
The Governor turns his head to look at the hillside where the shelter front door is located. He turns to look at the farm and people coming and going about their business, most are armed while walking around the area.
“Your own people are openly carrying, aren’t you afraid they will scare people who will report you to the government? Aren’t you afraid the media will come here and make an example out of your people?”
“Open carrying is legal, we have no local media, as you saw, no one can simply show up and begin recording us. They need permission to enter my property. We’ve posted No Trespassing signs all along my property. A couple reporters have shown up; they were ref
used entry. One tried to sneak in, she stepped into a hunting trap which took off her left foot. We got her out, patched her up, we called her station to collect her. Their General Manager threatened to sue me. I pointed to the many signs warning people they were trespassing on land that held mines and other lethal traps. She cut our fence and tried to sneak in. He did sue, the court threw her case out; in fact, her station was fined for trespassing and had to pay my legal costs. We’ve been attacked many times; our people go around armed to be ready to protect our lives. We have no local first responders, we provide our own medical and fire support. We had one sheriff who was dirty, the Army arrested him. We don’t plan on attacking anyone, we’re not a threat to anyone who doesn’t threaten us. We pay our taxes, we obey the law, as long as the law doesn’t infringe on our safety. I’d say as Governor, you’ve let us down. You have failed to provide us with any first responders or law enforcement. You’ve forced us to fend for ourselves.”
