The Shelter: WAR

by Ira Tabankin

  “We will be hated no matter what we do. I think we have to start from a position of strength. If the world fears us, they’ll respect our strength and not screw with us.”

  “I’d rather they like us.”

  “I’d rather they fear and respect us. We can’t be seen as pushovers. If the question came down to respect or fear, I want them to fear us. If they fear us, they won't screw with us.”

  “I agree. What do you recommend?”

  @@@@@

  Sammi is shaking in fear, she’s holding Linda tightly in her arms. They were sedated before they were taken on the plane to Mount Weather. Waking in a strange bedroom, they have no idea where they are. Linda looks around.

  “Mommy, where are we?”

  “Honey, I don’t know where we are.”

  “What about my classes? When am I going to see my friends? Where’s daddy? Where’s papa?”

  “Honey, everything is going to be okay. Let’s try and explore this new place.”

  “Okay, mommy, I want to go to the bathroom.”

  “Let’s find it together.”

  Exiting the room, they see the sign for a lady’s room. “Look, here it is.” Before they can enter, a female DHS guard stops them.

  “Where are you two going?”

  “To the lady’s room, why?”

  Linda quickly asks, “Where are we?”

  “We’re in a new shelter. We hope you’re going to like it here.”

  “Mommy, is this Papa Jay’s new shelter?”

  “Honey, I don’t really know. I’ll ask.”

  “Where exactly are we? I know we were on an airplane, that means we’re not on my father’s farm any longer.”

  “No, you’re not. You’re our special guests. In fact, you’re going to have a very special visitor this evening. We’re all very excited; you’re going to have someone visit you who’s never been here before. We’re all so excited, we’re even repainting part of the shelter for him. We’re making it look brand new. The three of you must be very special to have him coming here to visit you.”

  “Who’s coming?”

  “You don’t know? Oh, my! The President is coming to meet you.”

  Linda jumps up and down, “Papa Jay is coming!”

  The guard frowns, “Not that criminal, the real President is coming.”

  “My Papa is the real President!”

  Sammi looks at the guard, “Are you our minders?”

  “Yes. We’re not supposed to let you out of our sight.”

  “Does that mean even in the lady’s room?”

  “I’m supposed to stay outside when you’re inside. There are no windows in the restroom, we’re in a shelter underground.”

  “We’re familiar with spending time in a shelter. This one seems to be much larger than ours.”

  “This one is one of the largest we have. It’s designed to house the entire government.”

  “Wait a minute, we’re in Virginia? You put us in a shelter within the Confederacy?”

  “Virginia is voting on breaking in half, the Federal Government owns this land. We’ve been told that no matter which side of the border we end up; the government will maintain the land we own.”

  Sammi laughs. “Have you ever met my father? You won’t keep this shelter if it falls in the Confederacy, he’ll kick all of you out and arrest you for kidnapping us. In fact, I bet he sends a rescue team to get us and kill all of you. When he gets pissed, nothing stands in his way. He’s got most of your military behind him, he even has a battleship working for him.”

  “That’s very interesting. What else can you tell me about him?”

  Quickly remembering she’s talking to the people who kidnapped her she says, “Nothing! I’m not going to tell you anything. You can torture me if you want, but I’m not going to tell you anything else.”

  “You’ll tell us everything we want to know. We have our ways of getting the information we want.”

  “If you hurt us, my father will track you down and make you beg for the release of death. He has no sense of humor when it comes to his family.” Sammi crosses her arms across her chest staring at the guard.

  “Do you know who we are?”

  “Yeah, you’re the Department of Homeland Insecurity. You’re in charge of molesting children and feeling up teenagers and old women. You’re a group of thugs and criminals, most of whom should be in jail.”

  “We are the largest department in the government, only the DoD has more armed people than we do. Your puny little make believe country isn’t going to amount to anything. You’ll collapse or be crushed within a couple of months. Your father couldn’t get within a hundred miles of this shelter without us knowing it.”

  “Are you willing to bet your life on it? I know what he can do. One morning, when you least expect trouble, you’re get a hell of a wake-up call. You’re going to wake up dead when that day comes, I’ll laugh my ass off.”

  “You’re a spoiled little bitch. You’re going to learn that things for you have changed. You’ll never get out of here. You’re our guarantee your father follows our script.”

  Sammi breaks out laughing.

  The guard looks confused asks,

  “Why are you laughing, don’t you understand what’s going to happen to you and your father?”

  “You’ll find out soon enough. I hope I’m there when you get what’s coming to you.”

  The guard slaps Sammi, Linda screams. “We own your ass; you’ll do what we say when we tell you to do it.”

  “I know you need both of us alive and well, I’m not going to do anything that goes against what I know is right. I’m going to tell you only once, if you hurt Linda or me, you’ll die a very slow, painful death.”

  “Go to the lady’s room, then we’re taking you to your room where you’ll spend the rest of the day. A television has been installed for your entertainment. From now on, when you need to use the restroom, you lift the phone and someone will escort you. Do you understand?”

  “Yeah, we’re in jail.”

  “Things could be much worse. Be on your best behavior tonight when the President visits.”

  “He only wants to record him with us so he can get my father to play his game, that is not going to happen.”

  “You’re refusing to meet with the President?”

  “No, my father isn’t going to buy the bullshit you’re selling.”

  “We’ll see.”

  Smiling, Sammi laughs, “Yes we will.”

  Chapter 31

  The President boards Marine One for the short flight to Mount Weather. As soon as he sits, an aide hands him a secure tablet.

  “Sir, I think you should see this before you have your upcoming meeting. It may influence how you handle your meeting.”

  “Can you summarize the report for me?”

  “Sir, the Chinese have informed us they intend to recognize the Confederate States of America. They are offering them a mutual defense treaty, an attack on the Confederacy will be considered an attack on China.”

  “Damn them, this is upsetting everything I worked for. Thank you, it will help me in my meeting. Have you made sure the camera crew in the Mount Weather shelter will be ready for my meeting?”

  “Yes, sir. Of course. They’ll meet you at the entrance to the shelter.”

  “Let’s get this over with so I can get back here and get some real work done.”

  “Yes, sir. Our ETA is fifty minutes. Sir, the ride will be very rough. You should belt yourself in. We’re going to have to fly low and zig-zag in case anyone in the South takes a pot shot at us.”

  “They wouldn’t dare.”

  “Sir, many would love to have the bragging rights to bringing down your helicopter. Your head would be mounted on some hick’s wall.”

  “Bullshit. But tell the pilots they should fly however they think best to avoid anyone shooting at us.”

  Marine One flies nap-of-the-earth to avoid anyone taking a shot at them. Fifty-five minutes aft
er leaving the White House they land at the government shelter. The President is met by an honor guard; he waves them away. He pushes himself into the shelter demanding to know where the Tolson bastards are.

  “Sir, they’re being kept on the third level, the executive level. They’re being watched twenty-four hours a day. They can’t use the restroom without us watching.”

  “Good. Take me to see them. Have the video crew standing by, I’ll want to record part of my discussion with the mother.”

  “Sir, they’re waiting on the same level, two rooms away from the Tolson family.”

  The DHS guards knock and open the door to the room Sammi and Linda are in. Linda screams, “I want my daddy!”

  “Soon, honey, very soon. Right now, you have a very special visitor. The President is here to see you.”

  “My Papa Jay is the President.”

  “No dear, the real President is here.”

  “I just told you my Papa is the real President. I want to go home with my parents.”

  Sammi touches Linda on the arm, “Honey, why don’t you sit down and wait for mommy.”

  “KK.”

  “Ms. Tolson, the President.”

  “Hello Ms. Tolson, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  “No, it’s not. You don’t want to be here and neither do we. You kidnapped us, you did something to us on the plane, you’re holding my husband someplace. We don’t want to talk to you. We want to be released and brought home.”

  “Samantha, may I use your first name…”

  “yes, you can call me my first name.”

  “I need you to help your father.”

  “What do you want?”

  “I want us to make a recording for your father. Once your father does what I ask, you’ll be sent home to him.”

  “What do you want from me? From us?”

  “I just want to make a private recording; I promise you only he will see it.”

  “What’s it going to say? I think you’re going to use us as hostages to get him to do what you want.”

  Unknown to the President, one of the DHS guards walks by the door to Sammi’s room, she overhears the President and Sammi talking. She enters a stall in the lady’s room, where she sends an encrypted text to a number saying, “Samantha, Linda confirmed at Mount Weather. President is here with them.” She presses send. A moment later a message appears on her phone, “Deposit made.”

  She smiles knowing her family is set for the next couple of years.

  Tony’s phone pings with a message, “MT Weather.” He smiles nodding his head. He dials Frank to ask him if he’d undertake a very special mission for Jay.

  @@@@@

  Jay looks at the caller ID when his cell rings, he shows it to Lacy, the caller ID says, PRIVATE CALLER, Washington, D.C. Jay shrugs his shoulders while pressing the green call icon.

  “Hello, this is Jay.”

  “Mr. Tolson, do you recognize my voice?”

  “Yes. I’d like more proof you are who you say you are; voices are easy to copy.”

  “I was told you were a suspicious and untrusting man, shall we ‘Face-time’?”

  “Agreed.”

  Both men switch their phones to ‘Facetime.’ Staring at each other the President says, “I have your daughter and granddaughter, and not that I think you care, I also have your Son-in-law.”

  “Show me they are in good health and being well taken care of, if a hair on their head has been damaged, I swear to you…”

  “Jay, may I call you Jay? Don’t make threats we both know you can’t possibly keep, to show you my good faith, I’m going to hand my phone to your daughter.”

  “Daddy? Is that you?”

  “Sammi, are you alright? Have you or Linda been harmed, remember what we discussed.”

  “Father, I remember, we’re case blue, and mountain, otherwise fine.”

  The President grabs his phone back. “What kind of code are you two using? What did you say to your father?”

  “Ask him.”

  “Jay, what did she say to you? First show me, my granddaughter.”

  “Here, see for yourself.” He hands the phone to Linda, “Papa Jay, it’s cold and funny here, Mommy said we’re blue so blue, should I sing to you?”

  “Later honey, I promise you, I’ll see you soon.”

  Grabbing his phone back the President looks into it, “Here’s what’s going to happen. Either you do as I say or you’ll never see your family again. I’m going to allow your little revolution to continue so you can collect all of the gun nuts, bible clingers and mentally ill of our great society in one place, once they’ve all moved to the South, you’re going to start following my, or whoever is in office, orders. You’re going to be my little puppet. Do you understand?”

  Jay’s face turns deep red, Lacy rubs his shoulders to calm him down, “Asshole, because that’s what you are to kidnap my family, you just made this personal. You could have fought us openly, you could have fought us on the battlefield or politically, you chose to fight dirty. I’ll tell you what’s going to happen next. This is now personal between us. No one in your home, your family, or any of your loved ones are safe. Your beloved cities aren’t safe; your supporters aren’t safe. Nothing you treasure is safe until I have my family back and a public apology from you.”

  “Jay, you have so much to learn. You’re so inexperienced. You can’t touch me; you can’t do anything to anyone. I hold your family and will continue to hold them until we crush your little nation and you’re hung for treason.”

  “Mr. President, harm one hair on their head and I promise you will suffer for weeks before you die.”

  “Shut up and do as your told or you won’t see your family again.”

  “Remember, you’re the one who made this personal. The war is on. I’ll see you in hell where this will continue forever.”

  Jay presses the end icon on his phone. Ten minutes later he plays the recording of the conversation for Tony, Fred, John and the General. “Here’s what I want to do…”

  The men standing in front of Jay smile and nod their agreement. Tony smiles while holding up four fingers before leaving the room. John is the only one remaining, Jay points to a chair. “John, how much of their communications link can you jam? Can you alter the recording and broadcast the parts we want the world to see?”

  “Easy, forward me the recording and Todd and I will work on it. I’ll also check with the reps from the group that gave Fred MS Project and Visio. I’m sure they have some excellent video editing software.”

  “Do it, let me know when it’s ready. I’ll incorporate it into a broadcast I plan to make.”

  “Give me a couple of hours.”

  Jay speed dials Tony, “Are your friends ready?”

  “Yes, just give the word.”

  “The word is fuck ‘em.”

  “Done.” Said a smiling Tony thinking, this is going to be fun. We’re going to hit the asshole with the one resource he thinks is his safest.

  Before the President returns to the White House, he begins getting urgent messages that unions all over the country have gone on wildcat strikes. Transportation, trash collection, restaurant workers, truck drivers, teachers and medical workers all walk off their jobs. Many of the truck drivers leave their trucks where they are on the highways, blocking transport in cities and the nation’s highways.

  The President holds handfuls of urgent messages trying to figure out why the unions all of a sudden turned against him.

  “Get me the presidents of all of these unions right now, I need to remind them who got them their last raises and gave them so many new members. They owe me! They can’t do this to me!”

  His Chief of Staff shakes his head, “Sir, it looks like they’re more afraid of someone other than you.”

  “Why? The South has never been friendly to unions. Why are they supporting him?”

  “Sir, it’s not him. His right-hand man is a member of the mob. The mob has controlled the unions for g
enerations.”

  “The South has a member of the mob as their Vice President? Why wasn’t I told?”

  “He’s not really the Vice President, more of a personal advisor and friend of their President.”