by Reed Hill
Mathews thought that they could try some different things with some of the light infantry units, but the Texas Guard just weren’t seasoned fighters. Hell, neither am I. They had looked at Mathews differently because he was regular Army. In reality, he was an artillery guy not a desert warfare special operator. The guys were counting on him today, and he didn’t deliver. A bunch of guys who survived the first day getting out of El Paso didn’t survive Day Two, and Mathews felt responsible.
“So, what does that mean, sar’nt?” it was the voice of Specialist Gaines that brought him out of his head and back to the situation.
“Gaines, I think it means the powers that be are going to take the evening to get themselves unscrewed, and get a game plan for tomorrow that doesn’t involve so much shit,” Mathews stared off at the horizon, not wanting to face the young Speedy Three. “At least that’s what I hope it means.”
“Roger that,” Gaines wandered off leaving Mathews to himself.
I feel you kid.
I wouldn’t want to be around me right now either.
Mathews knew this was going to be a losing situation, if they didn’t change tactics – a battle of attrition which meant a lot of goddamn pain for the men. The enemy simply had too many pieces on the board for them.
Mathews hoped the other sectors had fared better.
Numbers game – we lost.
*****
White House – The Oval Office
Washington D.C., July 6th, 5:12 p.m.
“The forces of Third Corps are asking what they should do at this point,” Secretary of Defense Jabarra put the handset on his chest and looked first at General Marvin Williams and then to the President. “They are in position fifty miles west of the Fort Stockton line as detailed in General Stanton’s plan. They can see the aid stations and supply units setup west of the town proper.”
Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Williams looked at the President, “I still have the Air Force attack squadron on standby at Barksdale Air Force Base and NAS Kingsville is on alert as well.”
“Hold the air assets, but order the armor in and fire a few warning shots,” the President was stoic, uncaring. “We’ll give them one last chance to surrender.”
Defense Secretary Jabarra relayed the order and glanced at the JCS Vice Chairman who stood by with a soldier’s forbearing aspect. He hung up the phone gently and looked at the President, “I would recommend we convene the larger group and work from the Situation Room from here on out.”
“Agreed,” General Williams allowed a soft, expressionless murmur.
“And, ma’am, at some point we have deal with the Atlanta situation,” Secretary Jabarra stared at the president with a visible cast of annoyance. “General West at Fort Benning said to tell you that the situation is deteriorating quickly and he now considers it to be…Well, ‘fragile’ was the word he emphasized.”
The President said nothing for some time before turning to face the SecDef, “Let’s call him from the Situation Room.” The President placed both hands on the broad desk and stood up, looking around the large oval room, “And let’s have some food sent up – I haven’t since we left the island yesterday.”
*****
Three Eagles Ranch
Outside of Hunt, Texas - July 6th, 2017 – 6:35 p.m.
“It’s okay, honey,” Brodie voice was weak, strained as he looked at Sara’s concerned face. “We knew this might need to happen. I’ll be okay.”
“It’s for the best, Mrs. Brodie.” Jeff Doyle reassured her with a light hand on the shoulder. “After the calls we risked out to a few friends around the country, the Governor feels like it’s time to stop hiding. Your husband’s courage, in part, has helped him come to some decisions, ma’am.”
“Really?” Sara’s look of disbelief was a little concerning. Brodie didn’t know if she thought so little of him or so much. Dammit, stop that. Be positive.
“Yes,” Doyle glanced at Brodie with a smile. “In fact, the Governor insisted that we did something here, before Mr. Brodie had to leave for the hospital. We would like you all to be witnesses to an event which we think will mean something to you, as well as others we hope.”
“Okay…sure.” Brodie wasn’t sure refusing was even an option, but he did feel a sense of pride even in his weakened state.
“Why don’t you follow me out to the lawn if you can, Mr. Brodie,” Doyle put his arm under Brodie and supported his weight on one side while Sara slid under the other arm. “One of your friends has setup a chair for you.”
When they got him out on the veranda, Brodie could see that the Governor was there by the gate, along with Sherriff Bosco and a judge in robes. Brodie didn’t know quite what to make of all of it. Kirk Thompson was there standing behind one of the Adirondack chairs from the west patio, and he gave it a pat as he gave Brodie that wide Cheshire-cat grin. Most of the rest of his friends were there also, including Mark Simmons, Joe Calderon, and Charlie Duggan, all standing near the chair on the lawn.
“Well,” the Governor gave a cordial smile to Brodie as Sara and Doyle set him down in the chair, “since our guest of honor has arrived, we can get on with the ceremony.”
Jeff Doyle hurried over to the gate, pulling his wireless from his pocket. He gave the attractive young lady with her arm in a makeshift sling a wink and a smile as he started taking video with the handheld. The auburn-haired lady pushed aside a lock of hair and smiled broadly taking her place behind the Governor. Doyle gave a signal to the judge, who produced a worn black book that was nearly hidden in his sleeve.
“That’s your dad’s bible,” Sara whispered in Brodie’s ear, giving him a little kiss on the ear. Her lips were warm, and she somehow smelled sweet like roses.
That’s amazing. Brodie wasn’t a man driven to tears much, but the feeling was overwhelming. A few tears rolled down his cheeks. He felt Lauren’s hand on his shoulder and the boys’ light tugging on his arm. He was exhausted and could barely keep his eyelids open, but the rush of joy and warmth were fueling him.
“Please repeat after me,” the judge held up the bible and Frank Chase put his left hand on it which raising his chin nearly as high as his right hand.
Redemption.
Chapter 18
White House – the Oval Office
Washington D.C., July 6th, 7:05 p.m.
The intercom on the President’s desk buzzed and she hit the button to receive it, “Yes, Margie?”
“Madam President, I have the Governors of Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana asking to speak with you. On line five, ma’am.”
“Is this scheduled Margie?”
“I don’t have anything in the book, ma’am,” the secretary allowed the awkward pause. “I assume it originated on their end.”
“All right,” Denton paused and picked up the handset, glancing over at DHS Secretary Shalitino and Defense Secretary Jabarra. “I had intended to call them separately later, so this will work out fine. I’ll take it now.” She stabbed the blinking ‘5’ button on the large desk phone.
“Good evening, Governor Akins, Governor Marino and Governor Hankins. I had planned to call you each sometime this evening, so this is quite timely.”
“Good evening, Madam President,” a chorus from the three Governors came quickly and cordially.
After some obligatory salutations and small talk, the President got down to business, “Gentlemen, as I’m sure you are aware, the United States faces a crisis with the government of the State of Texas. In about two hours, I will go on television and formally declare the State of Texas in rebellion. Its citizenry is in an open state of defiance regarding the release of undocumented federal prisoners, unlawful actions regarding border security, non-compliance with United Nations environmental regulations, and most importantly, the problem of Subdivision. I will further declare that Governor Chase and his staff, as well as sixty of the members of the Texas legislature, are wanted for high crimes and misdemeanors against the federal government under the Alien and
Sedition Act. As such, I am in the process of federalizing the national guard of the states contiguous to Texas and will be operationalizing an effort with U.S. Army Special Forces to arrest the Governor, his staff and the treasonous members of the legislature. I have spoken with Governor Torres of New Mexico and she is supportive of the effort, given the turmoil in her state and the problems caused by the government of Texas. She is in the process of acting to seal the border with Texas in the west, but as you might know, her national guard is quite occupied dealing with the border security problems in her own state. She expects to have some troops on the Texas border by nine a.m. tomorrow to assist us in the larger operation.”
Governor Akins of Oklahoma broke in, “Madam President, we’re well aware of the problems in Texas. We wanted to let you know that we’ve been in the process of assembling our National Guard troops since this afternoon and we’ve already ordered them stationed at the Texas border.”
The President sat up with renewed energy, like a little girl who just been told she was going to Disneyland, “Wonderful news, gentlemen. I can’t tell you how much a relief it is that you have acted decisively. Time is not on our side. We need to move on Austin at first light, so please have your troops ready to move as early as five a.m. Will that be an issue for any of you?”
“Actually Madam President,” it was Governor Hankins from Arkansas who spoke next with a low drawl, “we expect our troops to be ready in a couple of hours.”
The President frowned and rubbed her temples with her free hand looking up at General Williams and Secretary Jabarra, “I don’t understand, gentlemen. I just mentioned that the U.S. Special Forces won’t be ready, according to Chairman Stanton of the Joint Chiefs, to deploy from Georgia until tomorrow morning, so I’m puzzled as to why you’re not waiting to organize with them on the larger battle plans.”
Governor Marino from Louisiana chimed in, “It’s not necessary because we won’t need to organize with General Stanton or any of the other U.S. military commanders.”
“That’s right, Madam President,” Governor Akins reinforced.
“I’m at a loss, gentlemen,” the President sputtered. “How can we hope to work together effectively without some joint direction and planning?”
Governor Hankins came back in, “Madam President, our states’ forces won’t be participating in the operation to move against Texas.”
“What? I don’t understa--”
Governor Akins interrupted the President, “Madam President, we have learned that Governor Chase has relocated to a secure location outside of Austin and is running his administration from there. Our understanding is that they have two Regiments facing the western front and two more Regiments facing the southern front, with a sizable citizen army fortifying the center region, supplemented by some regular army troops who have taken refuge following the collapse of Fort Bliss and Laughlin Air Force Base.”
The President glowered at Secretary of Defense Jabarra and DHS boss Shalitino. Jabarra avoided the eye contact while Shalitino lightly shrugged, “While I appreciate the details of what Texas is doing, I don’t see how that has any bearing on what we’re planning to do.”
Governor Akins came back, “It might in light of the fact that we’ve spoken with Governor Chase and we’ve ordered our troops to cover the Governor’s rear. We were calling as a courtesy to let you know that we’re ordering our troops to guard Texas against all enemies, foreign and domestic, who may seek to do her harm on her northern and eastern borders while she deals with her main conflicts in the west and in the south. We have no intention of invading our neighbor’s open flanks while she deals with severe conflicts on the border that are moving toward the population centers. We won’t be supporting any unlawful operations against Texas by the U.S. government, ma’am.”
The Oval office was as silent as a mausoleum. The flush built on the President’s face for a moment before she exploded, “All three of you are conspirators. This is treason! You cannot do this and get away with it. You’re all guilty of treason against the United States!”
“With all due respect, ma’am, it’s the federal government that is guilty. By refusing the allow Texas to protect its borders, by ordering the release of thousands of dangerous felons into the streets, by burdening all of us with excessive regulations written by foreign governments in the U.N. and disenfranchising all our citizens of serious liberties guaranteed under the 1st, 2nd, and 4th Amendments to the Constitution, we find that the federal government has dishonored the sacred compact that it has with the various states. Under treaty law and natural law, this abolishes the bilateral trust that has existed between the U.S. government and the states, and as such, any state may act individually as a full sovereign if it wishes.”
Governor Marino echoed the sentiments, “Madam President, you may have chosen to withhold significant aid to Texas in her time of need and pursued a path that led to her assault, but Texas will not have to stand alone between two foes, both bent on her surrender or destruction.”
“This is madness!” the President slammed her fist on the table, knocking over the gold-plated paper weight in the shape of an eagle perched on a rolled up scroll. “You have chosen a path of war for your states? Do you really think that you can withstand the full force of an antagonized United States?”
“I’ve spoken to our counterparts in Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and South Carolina,” Louisiana Governor Marino said firmly. “We know you believe that anything can be done on our soil by your federal Army. Any conflict can easily be put down. However, imagine your forces with men from those states turning in their brass and stripes and going home to stand with their state’s guardsmen.”
Governor Akins chimed in once more, “They have been pushed over the edge, Madam President. The soldiers, sailors and airman who know honor will not take orders from you any longer. They are loyal to the Constitution, not to any person, and have sworn to protect it. They will hold true to those oaths. It’s already happening in our states.”
“My conversations with the Governors of Kansas, Wyoming, Montana and Idaho have led us to believe that you would also face considerable resistance in the west, Madam President,” Governor Akins intoned without emotion. “I think you’ll find you’ve lost a great deal of what you assume you hold as military power. You really should reevaluate your present plans and course of action.”
“You can be confident that history will not paint you in a favorable light on the path you have chosen, Madam President,” Governor Hankins said. “It may be that the inertia of history has brought us to this point with decades of momentum, but it’s you that history has chosen to decide whether lady justice’s scales come back into alignment or collapse under the weight of further unfairness.”
“We pray for wisdom and reason to win the day over rashness and chaos, but know that we are prepared for either case. Good night Madam President.”
The line went dead with President Denton towering above her desk with both hands on it, as if she were keeping it from floating away. DHS Director Shalitino and Defense Secretary Jabarra simply could do no more than stand flanking the desk with jaws agape.
President Denton pounded the intercom with her fist, glaring at Williams and Jabarra, “Get me General Stanton and any of the other Joint Chiefs at the Pentagon.” The President fell into the ornate leather chair and sat back.
“Yes, ma’am. Right away, Madam President.”
*****
Three Eagles Ranch
Outside of Hunt, Texas - July 6th, 2017 – 7:15 p.m.
“It’s got over one hundred thousand hits and I only uploaded it an hour ago,” Jeff Doyle scrolled through scanning the comments on the My-tube video playing on the laptop. “You’re a star, Callie,” Jeff turned and smiled at Callie next to him on the couch, angling the screen toward her. “Half the comments are about the ‘babe in the sling’ rather than the swearing in of the first President of the new Republic of Texas.”
He felt the jolt of
her elbow in his ribs, and it hurt, “I don’t know whether to thank you or punch you.” When he glanced over at her she was smiling although with perhaps a hint of annoyance.
Jeff laughed looking back at the screen, “TexasFreedom91 says ‘If the sling babe is Vice President, then they have my vote.’ I may have to make that a nickname for you. Sling babe – it’s catchy.” Jeff was smiling big at her.
“Not if you want me to actually listen to what you’re saying,” Callie bumped him with her hip, grinning.
“So, I’d like it if you would listen to me,” Jeff took her hand in his gently. “I’d really like to get to know you much better.” He pulled her chin up to look into his eyes, “In a real way, away from all this.”
“I think I’d like that too,” she kept her eyes on his, leaning in toward him.
Her lips were soft and sweet on his. Jeff caught a hint of roses or something floral as they kissed tenderly. He pulled back and caressed her cheek, and put his arm down next to her intertwining his hand with hers. They just sat back and enjoyed the peace of the moment. He wanted to keep kissing her – who knew when they would be able to have another moment like that. It wasn’t the right time or place, so he resisted the urge glancing around and pulled the laptop closer.
All joking aside, the response to the video was amazing. It was going viral and opinion seemed to be breaking in their favor close to two to one. “Seriously, people are going nuts over the video.” Jeff looked back at Callie whose eyes were on the laptop screen. “The Governor is a brave man. I’m not sure I could do it.”
“It’s hard to believe it’s actually happened,” Callie slouched down in the couch leaning against Jeff. “When the judge banged down that gavel and dismissed the case, I was just stunned. I had never been so happy to lose a case in my life.”
