Fractured Nation

by Kurt Winans

  His guest then replied, “While I will agree that things have gone smoothly up to this point, our task is far from complete. We still need to meet up with each of the other fishing boats at the established coordinates to offload our recent acquisition, and that must be done before we run into any Coast Guard patrols.”

  “Well according to the schedule that you provided, the first of the smaller fishing boats should rally up with us in about fifteen minutes. Will that make you feel better?”

  “Of course, but my mood will only fully brighten when each of the six rendezvous are safely completed. I intend no disrespect to you or your vessel captain, but I won’t rest easy until I have departed with the last of the smaller fishing boats. The shipment that we now carry is of vital importance to the overall plan, and it was not easy to acquire back in Eastern Europe. So I, along with number two, would hate to have any portion of this cargo wasted. Neither of us wants any of the crates dumped into the ocean to avoid a Coast Guard seizure, but that is what we must do if necessary.”

  Ninety five minutes later, Kyle Tillman climbed onboard the last of the six boats that had arrived in fifteen minute intervals. After the crates assigned to that boat had been stowed below, he fired off a salute to the captain of the trawler. Then as they prepared to part ways, he said, “Captain, I thank you for your assistance with this matter. I shall report to number two that you and your crew did a tremendous job with the transfer of cargo from the Madura, and the subsequent transition onto each of the smaller fishing boats.”

  Returning the salute in a sloppy fashion with the hand that now held a large envelope stuffed with cash, the captain replied, “Glad that the services of my boat and crew could be of help to the cause Kyle. Feel free to contact me again if the need arises.”

  With that Kyle nodded and the thirty-five foot fishing boat pulled away. A short time later they could see the coastline of southwest Louisiana, and if all went well, they would be able to unload the crates into an awaiting van within the hour.

  Having met up with the fishing boats at the three remote southwest Louisiana locations of Johnson’s Bayou, Holly Beach, and Cameron, five large vans made their way deeper into the state by moving north along various portions of highway-27. Although the hand selected driving pairs within the sparsely appointed vehicles didn’t know it, they were all being carefully scrutinized while performing a trial run that would serve as their so called final exam. If they completed their current task without any problems, then each of the women would become part of the larger group of ground personnel that would be deployed in the fall.

  After Kyle arrived at Johnson’s Bayou on the last of the fishing boats, he helped the men on the dock load the crates into the awaiting van while the driver waited patiently. Then he gave them each some cash for their effort, and climbed into the passenger side seat. With an exhale of relief at the sight of the attractive driver, he leaned closer and gave her a kiss before asking, “How have you been?”

  With a smile on her face, she replied, “Good thanks. How was the trip?”

  “It was good, and everything went according to plan. We had smooth water out in the gulf, which helped to make the transfers easier, and we didn’t see any Coast Guard patrols on the way back in.”

  “Neither did any of the other boats.”

  “So you have heard from the other driving teams, and everything is alright?”

  “Yes, they each contacted me on the burn phone and everything is fine. They are all headed north.”

  “That’s good to know, and we should be on our way as well.”

  Unlike each of the other five vans, Kyle and his wife Ashley headed west on highway-82 toward Port Arthur Texas. From there it would take them several hours to reach the Tillman ranch via a series of smaller highways that traversed southeastern Texas, but they were looking forward to the peaceful time together before they each headed off again on subsequent assignments. Once they arrived at the ranch, the plan was to unload their portion of the cargo that had been transported from Eastern Europe into a secure location of the mansion. Then in conjunction with Samuel, the crates full of black market weapons and ammunition from South Africa and the Czech Republic would be inspected before arrangements could be made for their eventual transfer to the training facility.

  Although traveling separately, the other vans had a different agenda. Employing a method of using smaller highways in southwestern Louisiana as they moved north of interstate-10, each would eventually join up with interstate-49 in either Alexandria or Natchitoches. That major traffic artery would then carry them for nearly the entire subsequent duration of their northerly trek. Once beyond the larger city of Shreveport in northern Louisiana and into the southwest corner of Arkansas, the vans would be nearing the completion of their assigned task. Just a few miles before reaching the city of Texarkana that straddles the state line of neighboring Texas, they would turn west to circumvent the area and enter their home state. Then the vans would head for a warehouse facility owned by Tillman Freight to unload their precious cargo.

  Having flown to Fort Stockton from the Houston County Airport in Crockett on the family jet, and subsequently transferring into a twin engine propeller aircraft for the remainder of the journey, Samuel and Mason returned to the training facility. Banking to the left while lining up for final approach, their pilot said, “If you would like to see it gentlemen, the landing zone is now clearly visible to our left.”

  Glancing to his left for verification, Samuel could make out three distinct rectangular shapes of white painted objects within a cleared and smoothed out portion of the barren terrain. Then he replied, “Thanks for pointing that out. They look good from here, and it’s exactly what our air personnel will need to properly train.”

  After landing, he and Mason met with the three men who had been responsible for bringing the training facility, under the cover of the West Texas Skydiving School, into fruition. They were then provided with a brief tour of the facility, and in the process, were introduced to any of the forty-two men and training pilots they had not previously met. Seizing the opportunity, Samuel asked one of the recruits, “What are your thoughts on the landing zone?”

  “It’s easy to hit sir, even with some of the windy conditions that exist here. It should be no problem for any of us to fine tune the landings even with the extra weight.”

  Not wanting to come across as being ignorant to the meaning behind the statement, Samuel replied simply, “That’s good to hear young man. I like your enthusiasm.”

  With a nod of comprehension, the man said, “Thank you sir. We won’t let you or the cause down.”

  Moving toward another recruit, Samuel asked him, “How many jumps have you done before coming here young man?”

  “Hundreds sir, and many of them with gear similar to what will be required of us for this mission.”

  “That’s excellent, and I’m confident that you will all be ready when called upon.”

  Then while moving back toward the plane with the three recruiters, Mason unknowingly took the pressure off his father by asking, “What did the first guy mean when he mentioned the extra weight?”

  The lead recruiter replied, “At this stage of training the men are getting used to the landing zone and specific quadrants within it by coming in with just their flight suits and boots. In short order we will introduce weight belts for each of them, and then increase the load to simulate all the gear they will be required to carry for the mission. In actuality though, that final weight will be easy for them and less than what they have jumped with before.”

  “These men have jumped with more weight that what we will give them?

  “Most certainly. They have all been on missions that required them to carry fifteen days of food and water rations along with the other gear.”

  Suddenly realizing that such a need would be necessary in each man’s past training and job specifications, Mason replied, “Of course, that makes sense.”

  The recruiter nodded an
d continued with, “We will also begin tandem jumping very soon, and then work our way up to the full grouping of seven. That way they can be well practiced at the choreography that will also be required during the upcoming mission.”

  Having listened to the explanation of his lead recruiter, and being thankful that his son had asked the questions, Samuel said, “That sounds like an excellent plan. The three of you have once again proven why I maintain total confidence in your abilities and commitment to the cause. I will contact number twenty three and inform her that it’s nearly time to send in the ground support teams for the eastern targets. What do you think about having them brought in just after July fourth?”

  “That sounds good number two. That way they will have four months to get in good physical shape before the mission.”

  “That’s true, but from what I have heard, they are already in good shape from their current and previous training.”

  “Well if that’s true, then it should make their transition to this facility a little easier. Do you want us to inform the men of their pending arrival?”

  “Not yet. Although the air personnel and training pilots will be happy to learn that they will have twenty women among them for several months, we should keep that information to ourselves for the time being. We don’t want the men to lose focus on the business at hand, and it will be a pleasant surprise for all of them when the ground personnel do arrive.”

  “I understand number two.”

  “Good. Now there is an additional element to consider, and you should warn the men of it when the women arrive. Each of them has been trained extensively in the use of hand to hand combat.”

  Another of the recruiters then said, “Well that should make all of the introductions, and any of the subsequent attempted jousting, quite interesting.”

  “Indeed, but we can’t afford to have any serious injuries during that process. With only one exception each of the women, as well as the men that the three of you and number seven recruited, are all in their twenties or thirties and single with no children. Although those factors were one aspect of the criteria needed for their potential recruitment, it would only be natural for people of that age to have physical needs. Being that they will all be here together for several months, we need to recognize that something is bound to transpire in that regard. Besides, it would be foolish for any of us to believe that we could somehow monitor and prevent such an activity from happening even if we had the time to do so. With that said, please make it very clear to each and every one of the air and ground personnel that fraternization with each other will not be forbidden, but they need to understand that such action cannot interfere with the long term objective.”

  Smiling in response to the calculated way that his superior had phrased the statement, he replied, “I agree with your assessment number two, and we will make sure that your point on the matter is clearly understood.”

  “Thank you.”

  Having forgotten that for Samuel the day could be measured with extreme levels of both pride and anguish, the lead recruiter then uttered what he thought to be a wish of good faith. Without realizing what he had done until after saying the words, he stated, “Oh and by the way, I hope that you and the family can all enjoy a nice father’s day together this coming Sunday.”

  Although pleasant throughout the process, the security tandem stationed at the front gate was meticulous in their duties. They cross checked the driver’s license of each man in the car with the manifest of invited guests that had been provided, and took note of the make, model, and license plate number before clearing the vehicle for entry. Once approved and waived on through, number thirty one slowly advanced the car through the set of stone pillars that supported the ornate entrance gate.

  His lone back seat passenger asked, “Is that it up there?”

  Looking ahead and to his right, the driver could see the massive mansion perched on the top of a small rise. Then he replied, “Yes, that’s the Tillman’s home. It’s going to take us a few minutes to get up there, so just enjoy the property and the view.”

  The man questioned further, “Is there another checkpoint that we have to pass through on the way?”

  “Normally it’s just the front gate, but there could be another check point today. Why do you ask?”

  “Because you just said it would take us a few minutes to get there.”

  “That’s because it’s slightly over a mile from the entrance arch to Samuel and Victoria’s home.”

  The comment gave cause for the front seat passenger to enter the conversation by asking, “That house is a mile away?”

  “Yes it is.”

  “It must be massive if it looks that big from here!”

  “It is, and the mansion is beautiful with great views of most of their property and a small portion of Houston County Lake beyond.”

  What the three men in the car hadn’t realized was that the security personnel, who had helped to protect Samuel and Savanah on New Year’s Eve, were already calling the main house to inform their boss of the latest arrivals. The men in the car were part of the early wave of guests that would swell to over one hundred fifty for the late afternoon and evening festivities, but first there was business to discuss. Cresting the gentle hill and leveling off as the roadway opened onto a driveway area that could support perhaps fifty cars, number thirty one followed the advance directive of number two by backing into a space near the eight door garage. Before emerging from the car, his inquisitive rear seat passenger asked, “How many times have you been to this ranch?”

  Always mindful of security measures, even among those that were already fully vetted, he replied, “I’m not exactly sure, but I’m always hopeful to be invited again.”

  Just then their host and his wife stepped through the front door and waited for them on the front porch. As the three men approached, Victoria said, “Happy fourth of July gentlemen. We are so pleased that you could join us today.”

  While offering his hand in gratitude, the driver replied, “Thank you Victoria. It’s a pleasure to see you again. How is everyone in the family?”

  “Well they are all just fine thank you, and how are your lovely wife and children?”

  “In the peak of health, and they look forward to seeing you again later this afternoon.”

  “That is excellent news, and I look forward to seeing them again as well. Now, who are these two young gentlemen?”

  “Please excuse my manners. May I introduce Mr. Capra and Mr. Fisk who are joining us today from El Paso. Like each of us in the present company, they are loyal Texans and Aggies through and through.”

  Looking at them with a welcoming smile while extending a hand, Victoria replied, “Well it’s always good to shake hands with fellow Aggies, but it’s even better to know that you are both loyal to the cause. It’s a pleasure to meet you gentlemen, and welcome to our home.”

  As if in chorus, the two men replied, “Thank you for the hospitality ma’am.”

  “It’s our pleasure. Now then gentlemen, please come inside for some refreshments.”

  Each man then shook the hand of their host Samuel Tillman before moving through the door into the massive foyer. Once inside, they were then escorted by Victoria to the bar area, and given instructions on where they could also find food, restrooms, and the pool if they so desired.

  Samuel then asked, “Alright gentlemen, this meeting could last a little while. What can I get you to drink before we discuss your flight of this morning and the progress of the overall plan?”

  Amazed at the openness of the statement, the inquisitive Mr. Fisk was silent for a moment. Then he became further amazed when his hostess snuck up on him from behind. Placing her hand on his shoulder, she said quite plainly, “Well isn’t that just the cutest thing Samuel? Either our new friend Mr. Fisk doesn’t have a thirst for something cold at the moment, or he doesn’t believe that I know anything at all about the overall plan.”

  Then after a gulp of astonishment, Mr. Fi
sk replied, “I beg your pardon ma’am, I didn’t mean to imply…”

  “Oh you most certainly did young man, but that’s just fine with me. Your momentary silence was actually a good sign, because it shows me that you are mindful of security measures in this matter.”

  “Well yes ma’am, I am.”

  Then with a slight increase of her grip pressure upon his shoulder, the tall and slender sixty five year old Victoria Tillman with short greying hair added, “Very well then Mr. Fisk, we shall address your concerns. Now let me tell you something sir, and this goes for you as well Mr. Capra. I’m a southern bread woman of deep tradition, and I cherish my husband Samuel along with everyone in our family. I love being the matriarch and the woman of the house so to speak, but in assuming that role, it doesn’t mean that I’m not a modern thinker. I know it’s only natural for many men, especially former military men such as the two of you, to believe that I or other women should be left out of important matters such as this. Unfortunately for those who maintain such a belief, they have not yet realized that it’s a thought process of another era. I’m fully aware, and “read in” as some of you like to say, of everything that there is to know about the plans of my husband and our good friends. That of course includes aspects of the roles that the two of you played this morning in Austin, and will continue to play throughout the coming months. Now having others, both on the inside and outside of the organization, believe that I’m ignorant to the subject matter can be useful in creating a wonderful cover for the family should that need ever arise. With that said gentlemen, please don’t ever underestimate my knowledge or resolve in the future!”

  Having been eloquently put in his proper place by a woman of obvious breading, education, and conviction, Mr. Fisk then spoke humbly. He said, “Ma’am, and you too Mr. Tillman, I realize that there has been a misunderstanding on my part. I intended no disrespect toward either of you or your family home, and ask that you please accept these words as an apology on my behalf. I’m truly sorry, and shall never underestimate Mrs. Tillman’s knowledge of the overall plan ever again.”