Rigged

by James Rosone

  Patty Hogan from Homeland chimed in. “We’ve gotten the same calls. Our ICE, DEA, ATF, and other Homeland offices are being told the same information. It looks like they’re going after all of the federal law enforcement agencies at once.”

  “This is ludicrous!” shouted Malcolm Wright, the Attorney General. He slapped his hand on the table in frustration. “You need to declare these states in open insurrection and suspend the Posse Comitatus Act immediately. You also need to federalize their National Guard units. We can use them to put this insurrection down and arrest these treasonous bastards.”

  General Peterson held his hand up. “Let’s take this one step at a time. Let’s work on federalizing their guard units and getting them on our side first before we look to suspend the PCA and try to bring in federal troops. Once we cross that Rubicon, there’s no going back. We need to keep these guard units and the general population on our side, not theirs.”

  The President nodded. “Thank you for that, General. You’re right, of course. Please move ahead with getting the guard units federalized, and we’ll take it from there. I don’t want this to spiral out of control or turn into an armed conflict. We all need to tread carefully here. A single incident could set things off in a direction none of us want to see. As to the UN, I want our ambassador to do what he can to block whatever resolution the UN tries to push through. Also, let them know that we’re watching that UN training exercise closely. Remind them that invading America is not as easy as they may think.”

  “I don’t think anyone is talking about the UN invading America,” McElroy stated cautiously. “I think they’re going to issue some sort of resolution condemning you, but I don’t think they’d be foolish enough to think they can use that peacekeeping army they are training. Our little show of force with the Air Force a few weeks ago was a good reminder to them to not mess with us.”

  The President sighed. He didn’t want to admit that the SecDef was right, but he usually did a pretty good job of keeping his notorious temper in check. “OK, everyone. You all have your orders,” Sachs said. “Let’s reconvene tomorrow with some updates and hope that somehow we can avert whatever crisis appears to be teeing up.”

  Chapter 27

  Ultimatum

  Ottawa, Canada

  Flanked by the Canadian PM, the President of France, the Chancellor of Germany, the President of the EU, and nearly a dozen other European leaders, Johann Behr stepped up to the microphone to make the most important speech of the twenty-first century. The crowd began to hush, and dozens of cameras flashed as he took to the podium.

  “People of the world, and more importantly, people of America—we must stand together in times of strife and adversity. We must continue to stand up for what we believe is right, even when what we believe is right is not popular. In the 1930s, the world stood by as a madman—a madman that, I might add, was duly elected by his people—came to power in Germany. Within a handful of years, he moved the country away from democracy and became a dictator. It is a sad part of my home nation’s history, and it is something my country has been atoning for ever since.”

  He paused for a moment. “Four years ago, America elected a man to office with no political experience to fix the ills of the nation and return it to its former greatness. That man has blamed America’s ills on a myriad of nations and groups of people. He has withdrawn America from the treaties designed to save our planet from environmental catastrophe. That man has also diminished America’s support and commitment to NATO and largely withdrawn the United States’ military from Europe. Sachs has supported and praised the dictatorship regimes flourishing in the Middle East, and in Asia. He has now moved to make himself an American dictator, a leader answerable to no one. Sachs lost his reelection but rather than accept that loss, he has found a way to lay blame for that loss on China, Russia, and even my own home nation of Germany.”

  Secretary-General Behr shook his head. “No, my friends. We cannot allow this to happen. Not again. Not on our watch. In 1930s Germany, the world did not have the internet; we did not have social media to raise the alarm to what was taking place in Germany before it was too late. Now that we do, we can’t allow the same thing to happen again, less than a hundred years later. The world can’t be held hostage to the political choices of the 28 percent of Americans who vote in your primary elections. The world cannot be held hostage by your electoral college that disproportionally discounts the value of a vote in the most populous states in your country by those in smaller states. The world can’t afford to stand by and allow a dictator to take the reins of power in your country and control your nuclear arsenal. As the Secretary-General of the United Nations, I call on everyday Americans to stand up to tyranny and know that the rest of the world stands with you. We support you.”

  Johann paused as he looked to the other world leaders flanking him before he returned his gaze back to the cameras. “Congressman Borq, the Speaker of the House, has expressed to me that he believes President Sachs is going to mobilize the National Guard and potentially suspend a law that prevents him from using federal soldiers on American soil to arrest his political opposition and imprison those who disagree with him.

  “Because of this credible fear and threat of political reprisals, the Canadian government has offered President-Elect Marshall Tate and his political supporters safe haven in Canada while they prepare to form their government, free from the threat of imprisonment by President Sachs. Furthermore, President-Elect Tate has requested that if President Sachs does not relinquish power and leave office on January 20th, 2021, a coalition, under the authority of the UN, be sent to Washington, D.C., to forcefully remove him from office if need be. After consultation with many of the key contributing nations to our recently created permanent UN peacekeeping force, we have all agreed to support President-Elect Tate’s request.”

  Even through the TV cameras, the gasps from the reporters in the crowd were audible.

  Behr ignored the reaction. “Effective immediately, we are establishing a UN peacekeeping mission called Operation Restore Order, which will work with President-Elect Tate to assume control of the US government and restore order to the major cities and states within the country. I want to stress that this is a peacekeeping mission; this is not some UN invasion of America or an attempt by the UN to establish some sort of One World government. This is a mission to restore order to America and return its government back to the people.

  “The Prime Minister of Canada has offered to have his nation lead this force and has offered its ports and other facilities to the UN to be used as needed for this mission. I also spoke with the leaders of China and the European Union, who have said they will provide the funding necessary to support this peacekeeping mission and any expenses it may incur.”

  He paused again. “Had the world taken this kind of action in the 1930s, the world could have prevented a madman from taking control of Germany and leading the globe into the greatest conflict and loss of life of the twentieth century. We cannot stand by and allow that to happen again. With that, I’m going to step aside and let President-Elect Marshall Tate say a few things to his fellow countrymen.”

  Senator Tate walked up to Johann with a grim look on his face as the two of them shook hands briefly.

  “I will keep my comments brief,” Tate began. “I call upon President Sachs to free America from martial law and accept the results of the election. My fellow Americans, I call upon each and every one of you to rally behind me and support my effort to restore our country’s democratic roots. Together, we can regain the freedom that makes the United States so great.”

  *******

  Washington, D.C.

  White House

  President Sachs sat there in the Situation Room with his senior advisors as they watched the UN press briefing continue to unfold in stunned shock.

  “Turn it off. We’ve seen enough,” barked the President to the person controlling the monitor.

  Once the screen had been silenced,
Sachs turned to his advisors. “What do we do now?”

  The Attorney General leaned forward. “We have to act. Tate and those who are backing him have pushed for a conflict from the get-go. We have undeniable proof that the Chinese paid these postal workers to steal absentee and mail-in ballots. We have proof of Russian influence campaigns on social media throughout the election. We have proof that German intelligence, or at least factions within their government, provided the terrorists with the fake passports to gain entry into our country. Now, even despite having presented that proof in court, to the American people, and to Congress, we have people in both parties that will not accept it.”

  Sachs interrupted, “That’s not entirely true, Malcolm. Congresswoman Harriet Miller sided with us.”

  “That’s true, but then her party deposed her with the support of nearly thirty Republican congressmen,” retorted Malcolm. He shook his head in disgust. “Something isn’t right with this, Mr. President. There has to be more behind all of this, because there is no way this is all just happening in the last three or four months. This is a global coup to remove you from office and insert a candidate of someone else’s choosing.”

  “I don’t usually buy this conspiracy crap,” General Peterson said, “but I also don’t buy coincidences either. For nearly two years, the UN has been moving toward creating this permanent peacekeeping force. During that time, Canada has offered up their facilities to both train and house it. The Chinese—who’ve had a limited peacekeeping presence in the past—jumped all-in when it was announced. Of all countries, the Russians jumped on board with this, and God only knows why nearly all our NATO allies who used to perceive Russia as their most dangerous existential threat have welcomed them with open arms. Then this newly created peacekeeping force just so happens to assemble for its first-ever training exercise weeks before our presidential election. Now Mexico joins in at the last minute?”

  The AG looked like he was about to speak, but Peterson held up his hand. “I’m not done yet. When we got hit with a terrorist attack, we traced the attackers back to the Balkans. We just happened to catch a lucky break and capture a Chinese citizen, who broke and admitted he was working for the Ministry of State Security, and we linked him to the very terrorist groups that attacked us. Then the countries that have always been friendly and cooperative with us suddenly turned on us when Germany, Russia and China applied pressure on them.

  “Somehow, we’re supposed to believe all of this isn’t a coincidence? No, the AG is right. Something is afoul and someone or some group wants you, Mr. President, removed from office at all costs. I’ve been trying to do my best to stay on the sidelines, to not get involved in politics, but I’m not going to sit idly by and watch my nation be torn apart by a foreign power and then invaded by a UN peacekeeping army.”

  The president quickly pounced on his comment. “What are you suggesting we do, General? I feel like no matter what decision I make at this point, there is no win. I don’t want to see people hurt or killed, but what can we do to stop this madness from spiraling out of control?”

  General Peterson took a deep breath in, and slowly let it out. “We prepare for war. We prepare to fight for our country and everything it stands for. Everyone in this room knows you’re not a dictator. You’ve done everything you can to stop these terrorists and protect our nation. You’ve brought this conspiracy to the courts, to the American people, and to our political parties. You’ve been transparent in this process, yet forces beyond our control have continued to circumvent every attempt we’ve made at a peaceful resolution to this constitutional crisis. At this point, I believe that a conflict is exactly what this cabal has wanted from the beginning—a chance to invade our country with at least some support from our own people.

  “I recommend that we issue our own ultimatum to the UN. We tell them that if they attempt to step foot on US soil, they will be met with force. We also tell Canada that effective immediately, we are going to enforce a blockade of any additional military forces from Europe or Asia bound for Canada. We will not allow their nation, their facilities, to be a springboard from which to attack America.”

  Placing his hand on the general’s arm, McElroy said, “General, you’ve provided some good counsel and advice, but this is a political decision that needs to be made by those of us appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate.”

  General Peterson bowed slightly, as if ceding the floor to the others in the room.

  “The SecDef is right,” Sachs agreed. “This is a political decision that needs to be decided by us, not the military. I mean no disrespect when I say this, but I would like to clear the room and just have the AG, Homeland, FBI, and secretaries of State and Defense stay behind. We have a lot to discuss. I’d like the rest of you to please excuse yourselves at this time. You can go up to the kitchen and grab some food or take a smoke break, but stay close. When we’ve decided what to do next, we’ll call you all back in here, so we can go over the decision.”

  The room cleared quickly, leaving just the President with his closest advisors.

  Patty Hogan spoke first. “The general’s right. We have to move quickly on this. Things are going to spiral out of control quickly now. Hell, there’s probably rioting already taking place in some of the cities.”

  “Chuck, you’re the military man. What do you propose we do?” asked the President. “How do we handle this without creating a world war?”

  McElroy grimaced. “General Peterson’s right. I don’t know how our intelligence agencies missed this or how we didn’t see this coming, but clearly, there’s been a concerted global scheme in place for some time to remove you from office. When everything else had failed and your support among the people stayed strong, this group moved forward with a more direct plan to get rid of you. Now that we know what their endgame is, and how they plan to achieve it, we can move to squash it.”

  The FBI Director interjected, “I’ve had to do an emergency evacuation of nearly 1,500 FBI agents and their families from twenty different states in the last twenty-four hours. Things are already getting out of control in the major cities and this speech the UN leader and Senator Tate just gave is throwing gasoline on the fire. You need to deploy either the National Guard to regain control or send in the regular Army.”

  “How many of these National Guard units are going to be loyal to the federal government versus their home states, though?” asked Patty. “I’ve already had a mutiny of over a thousand federal law enforcement agents across a collection of agencies within DHS that said they will not recognize me as the DHS Secretary or you as President come January 20th.”

  The FBI Director’s mouth was agape. “When did this happen?” he asked nervously. “What did you tell them when they told you this?”

  “First thing this morning,” Patty replied. “It’s why I think this whole thing is nothing more than a conspiracy to get rid of Sachs. As to what I did with them—I had them put on administrative leave while I work to get them fired.” She puffed her chest out a bit, proud of her decisive action.

  The President shook his head in dismay. “Let’s go ahead and get the National Guards mobilized, along with the Reserves. If we’re going to use the Guard, then we need to make sure we shift them around. We can’t have Florida National Guard units patrolling or guarding facilities in Florida. I want them sent to different states and cities if we’re going to use them in a civilian law enforcement capacity. Let’s also do our best to make sure we keep the National Guard focused on law enforcement while we keep the federal soldiers ready to deal with this UN force.”

  Sachs shifted in his seat. “Chuck, talk to me about how’d we’d enforce a blockade of this UN force. My understanding is that some of these nations have naval ships participating in this exercise. What are we going to do if say the Germans or Chinese assign warships to protect troop transports or freighters trying to bring more soldiers and equipment to Canada?”

  “We warn them to turn around and back off,” Mc
Elroy responded matter-of-factly. “It’s not like any of these nations’ navies can really stand up to us in a shooting war. We have eleven carrier strike groups plus our marine amphibious assault ships. If that wasn’t enough, we have fifty attack submarines, another four guided missile subs and fourteen boomers. If we want to blockade Canada, there isn’t a thing the rest of the world’s navies can do to stop us.

  “Saying all of that, though, I recommend we immediately pull our overseas forces back to the US, especially our forces stationed in Europe and Asia. If this turns ugly, we aren’t going to be able to support or help any of our overseas bases should they get attacked and I don’t want any of our boys being trapped or forced into a bad situation—especially in Asia with China.”

  “You mean pull the remaining forces we have out of South Korea and Japan?” Sachs asked skeptically.

  The SecDef nodded. “The South Koreans can take care of themselves, especially now that the North Korean situation has been handled. While the Japanese are not participating in this UN peacekeeping force, I don’t want our forces there being targeted by the Chinese or the Japanese being put in the situation where they’d have to intern our forces for fear of a Chinese attack.”

  Sachs shook his head. “It’s practically December, Chuck. How are we going to evacuate our people from Japan, Korea and Europe before January 20th?”

  “We have a pretty big sea and airlift capability, Mr. President. As long as the Brits don’t side with this nonsense, we’ll be all right. We can use our bases there to help with the logistics in Europe. As to Asia: again, Japan isn’t part of this UN charade, so we shouldn’t have problems from the Japanese.”