The Shelter: WAR

by Ira Tabankin

  “I don’t understand how I agreed to be a stand in LT Governor and a week later, I’m the President of the Confederacy.”

  “They didn’t want a normal politician; that’s you.” Said a smiling Fred.

  Tony looked into Jay’s eyes.

  “He’s right and you know it. Right now, you’re it. We can’t lose you, hence, let’s get you in the shelter and seal it. I and everyone else will feel a lot better knowing you’re secure.”

  “Okay, I’m going.”

  General Arthur opens the dining room door; he motions to the four MP officers.

  “We’re moving Merlin to Excalibur. There may be an attempt on his life, I want him protected, he’s now the President of the Confederacy.”

  Snapping to attention the guards pull the charging handles on their M4s. “Sir, we’re ready. We won’t let anything happen to the President.”

  “Good. Please escort him to the shelter.”

  “Mr. President, please put your body armor and helmet on.”

  Slipping his body armor on, Jay looks at the MPs,

  “I want to stay and help.”

  “Sir, you’ll help all of us by being alive. Please come with us.”

  @@@@@

  The DHS convoy stops one mile from Jay’s farm. Their commander whispers,

  “Send the recon team out, let’s make sure everything is quiet. Watch out for the militia base across the street. We don’t want them to know we’re here. They outnumber us.”

  A sergeant whispers back,

  “Can’t we order them to stand down. They’re not real military. We represent the US Federal Government.”

  “They’re militia, a bunch of undisciplined gun nuts, they might not listen to anyone. Better if we complete our mission and be gone before they know we were here.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Ninety minutes later the recon team returns to the worried commander.

  “Sir, there are armed guards at the gate. There are signs on the fence saying it’s electrified. We found a place around the curve behind us where there don’t appear to be any lights or cameras. We should be able to cut the fence and sneak in. We’ll be approaching the castle from its side. We saw some people wandering around the farm. None are using night vision.”

  “Excellent, let’s do it and get out of here.”

  The men quietly exit their vehicles, stretching the cramps out of their legs they begin walking back the way they came from. The recon leader shows the commander the area he’s marked with IR spray paint.

  “Yes, this looks like a good place to cut the fence. Did you test it?”

  “Yes, this section isn’t electrified.”

  “Good, the fools. Had they electrified the entire fence we might have turned back. Let’s cut the fence and get this job done. I can’t wait to get home and collect our bonus.”

  @@@@@

  Todd looks at the monitor, Jay is sitting next to him in the shelter’s security office.

  “Jay, someone is cutting the fence in sector eight.”

  “Do we have cameras that can zoom in at that position?”

  “Of course, we have a good picture, they’re DHS goons. Want me to take them out?”

  “Tell the General they’re here and where they are.”

  “Todd, do you have sufficient defensive arms to get them all?”

  “Sir, it depends on where they walk.”

  “Is the area in front of them mined?”

  “General, of course, it is. Claymores, hunting traps and punji pits. They’re about to walk into a world of hurt.”

  “Can you send the images into the conference room?”

  “Check your monitors, do see them?”

  “Yes, thank you. We’re watching.”

  “Sir, they’re not very good at this breaking and entering shit.”

  “What do you expect from goons? These guys are nothing more than bullies in government black shirts. Here they come. It looks like their commander is holding his people until they’re all inside the fence.”

  “Sir, do you want me to take out any who survive the minefield?”

  “No, my people will pick them up.”

  “Okay, they’re your responsibility.”

  The group in the conference room watches the DHS goons look around before they spread out making their way towards the castle. Jay smiles,

  “They’re about one step away from hell.”

  Admiral Jefferson leans forward looking at the monitor. He’s curious about Jay’s defensive systems.

  One moment the DHS agents are smiling and nodding to each other, the next a couple of the men disappear into holes, their screaming can be heard on the shelter’s speakers. A moment later the monitors show flashes of light and screams as claymore mines explode sending hundreds of steel BBS in an arch that cuts down the attackers, some are cut in half. A couple steps into hunting traps which shatter, in two cases tear off their feet at the ankle. Within two minutes all of the DHS agents are either dead or screaming in pain, begging for help.

  Todd calls the General,

  “Sir, should we disarm the mine field and send people to check on them?”

  “No, I’ll send a team to collect their vehicles. They can stay where they are until dawn. I’m not going to risk any of our people to check on would be killers.”

  Jay looks at the General through the camera.

  “Jay, don’t say anything. They came to either grab or kill you. They weren’t going to show you any mercy, I’m not going to show them any. I’m not going to place any of our people at risk over them.”

  “I agree. I wasn’t going to disagree; I want to ask if I can go home now?”

  “No, in case they have a backup team, I want you to stay here for the night. You promised the doc he could check you. I know he’ll be happy to have you spend the night with him.”

  “You’re an asshole.”

  Everyone in conference laughs, breaking the ice of the tension waiting for the attack.

  Chapter 27

  “Mr. President, all but one team has successfully reported in.”

  “Which team hasn’t reported and do we know the results of their mission?”

  “Sir, I’m sorry. They contacted us when they arrived a half mile from their target. We expected the success or failure signal hours ago. We’ve tried every way we have to contact them without any response. One unusual thing happened. Something we can’t explain. I have a team looking into it.”

  “What was it? Tell me!”

  “Sir, an hour after they sent their arrival message, we tracked their vehicles moving. We called them, whoever answered told us to go fuck ourselves and try again.”

  “We’re trying to figure out what they meant by try again. We’re not sure if it’s a code from an earlier mission that they mixed up.”

  “I don’t know why I keep you as Secretary of Homeland Security, you’re stupid. It wasn’t your team that responded, it was your target. I think it’s safe to assume your team is dead. If I’m correct, that means we have one Governor, which makes him the de facto President of the Confederacy. We have a single target to take out, then we’ve won. I want to see a plan which quickly takes him out, take out everyone with him. Don’t miss this time or I’ll have you taken out.”

  “Yes, sir. I understand. I’ll put my best team on it right now.”

  “I don’t want a team; I want him removed. Wasn’t I clear, is there something you don’t understand?”

  “Sir, I understand. I need to plan how to respond and how to get our vehicles back, they are government property and expensive.”

  “You’re a fool. I don’t care about the vehicles, just permanently remove the Governor.”

  “Now that the Governor is the Chief Executive of the Confederacy we can’t take him out. There are at least three federal laws which forbid us from removing a head of government.”

  “I accept your resignation. Send me your deputy.” The President presses a button on his telephone, Sec
ret Service, I have someone in my office who needs to be escorted out of the White House ASAP.”

  Before he finishes his sentence the door opens, two agents grab the ex-Secretary of Homeland Security dragging him out of the White House while he screams, “What did I say? Why are your dragging me out?”

  The President sits behind his desk smiling, only one to go and the South’s dream will die. I can’t allow them or anyone to ruin my legacy. I’ll do anything I have to before I allow anyone to tarnish how history records my Presidency. Maybe the next asshole will have a plan to take out the Tennessee Governor.

  @@@@@

  General Arthur and Admiral Jefferson are surprised how quickly the battle is over. They’re also concerned how brutal this group of civilians is. Admiral Jefferson frowns looking at the monitors,

  “General, you’re just going to leave the wounded where they are? They’ll die without help. I think that’s against the Geneva Convention. At sea after a battle we always help the survivors, it’s an unwritten law of the sea.”

  General Arthur takes a deep breath, he looks at Admiral Jefferson,

  “Admiral, we’re not a signor to any convention or treaty. Nor are we at sea. These people were representatives of the Federal Government, they came here not just to do us harm, they came to kill our President and most likely anyone they found with him, which includes us. The Federal Government broke every law of the civilized world. The government sent a hit team to kill one of our citizens. They sentenced Jay to death without a trial. What does that say about the man living in the White House? What about the other Governors? All are most likely dead. Did they get a trial by their peers? How many innocent people who were with them were killed only because they were close to the Governors?”

  Jay nods in the camera, “If I may add, we’ve been attacked before. At first we tried to help the wounded, they repaid us by trying to kill us. We show our attackers the same mercy they would show us.”

  “When you said you mined your land, I didn’t realize how dense the minefield is.”

  “Admiral, look around you. We have twelve-hundred-plus acres and less than fifty people. The only way we’ve been able to remain alive is to use force multipliers, mines and traps are our force multiplier. We are usually attacked by hundreds or thousands of people. Let me ask you something. How do we know there’s not a second group of killers waiting in the shadows for us to deactivate our minefield and retrieve the wounded to attack us? They would catch us in the open, defenseless, they’d quickly be able to kill everyone we sent to help their wounded.”

  “How likely is that to happen?”

  “History shows in war it happens all the time. How many dead troops had live grenades slipped under them so when friendlies came by to check on the bodies they were killed? If we patch these guys up and send them home, they’ll be sent out to kill us or someone else. Brutal, mean spirited? You can call us anything you want; I like to think we’re survivors. We’ll do anything we have to in order to survive and protect our families. Won’t you do anything possible to protect your family? You’re protected by a belt of sixteen-inch armor; we’re protected by our defenses.”

  “You’re not the military, you’re the Governor and now the leader of the Confederacy.”

  “Does it matter if we’re military or civilians? Aren’t our goals the same? We both want to be able to live in peace. We both will do whatever we have to in order to protect our loved ones. Should we stand naked and defenseless? If we did, we wouldn’t be here speaking together. I’m not a lamb, I’m not going to willingly go to slaughter, I’ll fight for every inch of land and for every second of life. What would you do differently?”

  “I understand your point of view. I agree with your doing everything possible to protect your families, but leaving the wounded outside to die?”

  “Wouldn’t they do the same to us? Didn’t they come here to kill us? We’re tired of turning the other cheek, We’re tired of waiting for God to bring his vengeance. We decided to help him. None of us would kill anyone in what some call cold blood, we’ll go out of our way to help you, but cross us or try to harm us and we’ll kill you. Wounding an attacker only allows them to heal and return to fight us again. If you want to help the wounded, we’ll turn the lights on and you can go help them. We’re not going to send security people with you, you can bring the Colonel with you.”

  “No thanks, you might be right, there might be others waiting for someone to come out to help the wounded. I’ll stay here with you.”

  “I promise you we’ll check them in the morning, if any are still alive, we’ll patch them up and hand them over to the military to deal with.”

  “I won’t ask what they’ll do with them.”

  “We believe in speedy trials.”

  Admiral Jefferson laughs. “I bet you do. Are you going to retaliate?”

  “No. I’m going to show the bodies on our news and we’ll post the videos of the attack on the web. I’ll continue with the offer of help to the North.”

  “You bombed them, then you send help. Jay, you’re a strange person.”

  “Am I? What about us rebuilding Japan and Germany?”

  “That was after they surrendered. Rebuilding them made them strong allies.”

  “I’m hoping, us helping the people of the North will gain us some supporters.”

  “I agree with your actions. How long are we going to stay in the shelter?”

  “I’ll ask John.”

  A minute later John enters the conference room, “You can return to the castle. I’ve got roaming patrols checking all of our fence line.”

  Fifteen minutes later the group is seated in the castle’s conference room. Jay promises Doctor Basco he can come and keep an eye on him. Jay refills everyone’s glasses and cups. “Admiral, what I could really use from you is keeping the American Navy from attacking our ports and blocking them from coming up the Mississippi.”

  “I’d already planned to do that. What else can I do?”

  “What are your thoughts on us signing a treaty with the Chinese?”

  “I think we’d better discuss that one. I’ve been fighting them over Hawaii for over six months.”

  “We need other countries to recognize us, ones that the President doesn’t want to piss off.”

  “Let me sleep on that.”

  “Done, speaking of which. We usually call it an evening pretty early. We have guest rooms set up if you’d like to spend the night.”

  “Thank you. We’ll take you up on your offer. I’m expecting a heavy lift copter to drop off a fuel bladder so we can refuel my bird. Before you ask, you can have the balance of the fuel.”

  “In that case, you can have a suite.”

  Everyone laughs. Lacy shows the Colonel and Admiral to their rooms. Everyone leaves for their homes. Jay goes to the kitchen to take his evening pills; he’s not surprised to see Tony waiting for him.

  “What do you think?” Asks Tony as he’s stuffing his face with a fork full of apple pie. “I think he shit his pants when you asked him about us talking with the Chinese.”

  “I agree. I had to ask. I haven’t reached out to them yet, after this attack, I think it’s time for me to call their Premier.”

  “What are you going to offer them to get their support?”

  “We both know what they want. They’re going to ask for a base on the Gulf and another on the Atlantic coast of Florida. If I were in their shoes, it’s what I’d ask for.”

  “Are you prepared to give it to them?”

  “Did you leave any pie?”

  “Yeah. One slice for you. I also left you some ice cream. What are you going to do?”

  “I want to hear the Admiral’s advice. I’m not sure what he’s going to say. I need his support since I’m going to ask him to become our CNO.”

  “Do you think he came to ask for the position?”

  “No. I think he came to feel us out and see what kind of people we are. I think we scared him by leaving the
DHS assholes to die in the traps they stepped in.”

  “He most likely thinks you’re a wild animal. I don’t know if you offend him so much he won’t want to work with you. He may see us as savages.”

  “We are savages, I’m sick of all of the PC bullshit. I’ve decided if I’m going to be President of the Confederacy then I’m going to make the new country look a lot like Robert Heinlein’s society in “Starship Troopers.”