The Last Full Measure

by Trent Reedy

  —• For some time now, the only cooperation between the United States and the newly independent countries has been in the ongoing effort to locate the remaining eleven nuclear theft suspects and their coconspirators who are still at large. Although many believe Idaho President Montaine or Montana President Brenner is responsible for the attacks, all evidence gathered so far seems to indicate that the nuclear theft and detonations were carried out by an unidentified element. Unfortunately, progress in the investigation effectively came to a halt on Separation Sunday. With thirteen countries in the Pan American territory and peace in short supply, it will be virtually impossible to locate and apprehend the eleven known surviving suspects in what should be the most important investigation in history. •—

  —• taking you live to Tel Aviv in Israel, where BBC correspondent Thomas Baker has a firsthand look at the situation.”

  “I’m reporting from the roof of my hotel in downtown Tel Aviv, and you can see behind me the glowing specter of Israeli anti-aircraft batteries trying to repel the air attack. A large-scale, carefully coordinated barrage began about one hour ago as the new, more aggressive and radicalized Iranian government, emboldened by the withdrawal of United States forces from their country, declared war on Israel. Israeli intelligence believes the Iranian military is joined by Iraqi forces operating independently from the Iraqi central government, and by a large contingent from the rising terrorist network known as Global Jihad. There are more questions than answers at this time, but one thing is certain. Israel faces an existential threat and one of the largest wars in its history. •—

  —• I’m joined today in the NBC studio by California Governor Gary Black.”

  “That’s okay, Ms. Welch, I know that calling me the interim president of Cascadia is both a mouthful and a lot to get used to. Thanks for having me on, and for this opportunity to address the people of Cascadia.”

  “Well, we weren’t given much choice. Let me just get right to it. Mr. Black, although the civil war has been a challenge militarily and economically for the entire United States, so far, California has been lucky in that it has been less affected than other states. Now that you and your allies have turned this into a rebel state, haven’t you brought the war down on us?”

  “Great question, Ms. Welch. It’s simple. While the leadership of Cascadia abhors the tactics of General Jonathan Vogel’s military dictatorship in Atlantica, he was at least correct when he said the United States no longer exists. That’s just the sad reality of the situation. An active military officer is serving as vice president, and how much influence he has over the president is unknown. What is also unknown, at least by the majority of the Cascadian public, is that the United States’s recent movement of troops, Defense Department civilians, their families, weapons, vehicles, and equipment from all US bases to the area around NORAD in Colorado was a larger military movement than was necessary for even World War II. But this was not just a reallocation of military assets. This was also an effort to hoard civilian supplies. Food and water was confiscated. Industrial equipment was requisitioned. They’re trying to build a new capital in Colorado with enough power to control us all by force, and that is something that the people of Cascadia will never be part of. It is something we must all resist.

  “Before the war, California was the fifteenth-largest economy in the whole world — not in the United States, but the world. The leaders on the Interim Legislative Council and I didn’t want to see our hard work and economy taken from us. So we worked with the California National Guard and other loyalist military forces here and in Oregon to break free from this sham of a government that calls itself the United States of America.”

  “But now more than ever, shouldn’t we be supporting our country, trying to help it through this difficult time?”

  “Maybe it’s just time for the United States to dissolve. We had a good run. Sadly, it ended in unbelievable tragedy. I wish it hadn’t. But maybe this idea of one giant nation spanning most of the continent is an outdated concept from another century. We can stop pretending that people in Idaho have to live the same way as people in Los Angeles. Over half of American marriages end in divorce, a statistic, a reality that we’ve become rather comfortable with in recent decades. The breakup of the United States is simply another kind of divorce, and it’s up to President Griffith — and more likely Vice President General Charles Jacobsen — to decide if this will be an amicable divorce. Hopefully, the other countries in the Pan American territory can accept this so that we can end this war. •—

  —• You’re watching United States Television. USTV. Hope for a united America. Coming to you from our new state-of-the-art studio in beautiful Colorado Springs, our nation’s capital, I’m Peter Bronson. For at least some time looking forward, USTV will be broadcasting over the airwaves and Internet twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, to bring you the information you need, to help you as you struggle through the devastation caused by this rebellion and terrible war. Joining us today, is Cindy Kreenan, one of the leaders of the growing Pan American Peace initiative. Cindy, thanks for being on with us today. Now, your organization is demanding a full, immediate, unconditional cease-fire. With the exception of General Vogel’s brutal Atlantica and Dakota, almost all the rebel territories are calling for an end to the war. The United States is offering generous terms for the leadership and citizens in rebel territories who might wish to surrender. What makes your organization different? What is Pan American Peace all about?”

  “Thanks for having me on, Peter. Our message is very simple. The war must end. Now. It’s become difficult to see what we’ve gained by this war, but it’s very clear what we’ve lost. Millions of our people have died. Unless something is done quickly, millions, millions more will die, not just from the fighting, but from malnutrition, disease, and exposure to the elements. We have an all-time record number of homeless and refugee citizens. We’re not producing enough food. We’re not manufacturing medicine and other essential goods. Our systems for distributing all the goods we do have are collapsing. Our electrical grid is growing increasingly unreliable. Killing more people isn’t solving anything. And the United States government is just as guilty as the rebels in this. Its tactics have become more and more brutal, with noncombatant casualties skyrocketing. And I’m sorry if criticizing the US government is in violation of the Unity Act, but this must be said.”

  “You make some good points, Cindy. And I’d like to point out to our critics who claim USTV is only a propaganda piece for the United States government that USTV allows and encourages free speech in pursuit of peace and the truth. Now, Cindy, you mention trouble distributing food and medicine. Did you know that United States military personnel have risked their lives by entering disputed territories so that they could deliver thousands of pounds of shelf-stable food, tens of thousands of gallons of water, and •—

  —• Zoe Guerrero would like her family in Indianapolis to know that the fighting was too bad, she couldn’t find you, and she has gone with the Newtons to Greensburg. If you make it there, leave the family code word on a note at the old post office, so Zoe will know how to find you.

  And that’s the last of the connection messages the Cliffhanger has for you this evening. As we near the end of this broadcast, the Cliffhanger must be moving on. The voice in the dark, the voice of truth, is coming to you tonight from a hijacked transmitter on Liberum’s growing radio propaganda network. We’ve got this antenna blasting out hope and the true message of unity, full power. If we cranked it up any more we’d burn out the system. Stay close to your loved ones tonight, my friends. The dawn brings a new chance to make things right. Have hope. Be at peace. I am the Cliffhanger. •—

  The whole time I’d been working with the people involved in Operation Exodus, Mrs. Pierce and JoBell had been on my case, urging me to do something I really didn’t want to do. The night after we talked to Kemp and Crocker about the drone plan, I finally worked up the stomach to do it. I was going to li
e to my buddy Cal and use him in our plan to escape.

  “Hey, man,” I said, joining him on the deck that night. He was laying back on one of his reclining outdoor chairs, watching the stars or something. “Care if I join you?”

  Cal didn’t even look at me. “Free country.”

  I sat in the other chair and reclined, trying to act casual, like I didn’t feel like throwing up, knowing what I had to do. The stars were bright that night. “The sky has always been pretty awesome above this little town. But I think less lights are on all over. Looks even better now.” Cal didn’t say anything. “Listen, Cal. I’m sorry. You were right. Jumping your case about the Brotherhood was a dick move.” I waited for him to respond, but he just lay there. At least he didn’t walk away like he had the last few days. I had to hurry up with this, though, so I didn’t lose him. JoBell had drilled me over and over with what to say and how to say it, but I couldn’t remember any of that now.

  “Cal, that stuff you said about us thinking you were dumb or something.”

  Cal sighed. “Great. Here it comes.”

  “No, just listen a second. Cal, you know I wasn’t no whiz kid in school. I basically only passed my classes so that I could stay eligible for football. If the girls hadn’t let us copy their homework so often, we’d have flunked out. Both of us. Together.” It felt good to be telling the truth. “That’s how it was always supposed to be. I’d take over the shop from Schmidty. You’d get yourself a construction business going or maybe get a solid gig working for the county. We were supposed to raise our kids here in Freedom Lake. You know, our boys would end up on the same football team and everything.”

  “That can still happen.” Cal’s voice wasn’t very convincing.

  Now for the bullshit. “The other day, I wasn’t so much mad at the Brotherhood as I was just tired of the war. I thought that once we’d ended the occupation, I could leave the fight behind and try to get to that future I used to imagine.”

  Cal finally looked at me. “Yeah, but dude, did you really expect the US to roll over and quit? You gotta be realistic. We can still have the life you talked about, but we gotta win the war first. That’s what the Brotherhood is about.”

  “You weren’t in that Fed torture cell, Cal. No sleep. Electric shocks. Waterboarding. Sitting there in my own piss and shit. I wanted to die. Anything to end it. So when Crow said they’d be making me a member of the Brotherhood on graduation day … I don’t know. I started thinking that joining the Brotherhood would drag me back into the fight, where I would be running good odds of ending up in a torture cell again. I panicked, I guess.” Never mind the fact that I’d wanted to get out of the war before the Fed had even captured me.

  “I’m sorry you went through all that,” Cal said.

  “Well, thanks for coming to get me.”

  “Wouldn’t have left you there, man. Woulda died myself before I let that happen.” It was working like JoBell said it would. Playing on his sense of loyalty. Cal sat up in his chair and turned to face me. “But doesn’t what they done to you make you want to kill the US bastards?”

  “Maybe.” I wasn’t sure if that was a lie or not. “But more than anything, I can’t go through that kind of hell again. I can’t be involved with anything like that. So I was mad at the Brotherhood for trying to pull me back into it all.”

  “We look out for our own. You wouldn’t be captured again. No way.”

  I remembered part of what JoBell had told me to say. “Thing is, I’ve been thinking about that. The US is coming for us, whether I want to be in the war or not, whether I’m in the Brotherhood or not. Every single one of us is going to have to fight for our very survival.”

  A little of that murderous glint showed in Cal’s eyes. “We’ll be ready for them. We’re making our stand at Spokane. We’ll kick their asses.”

  “Right,” I said. “So I’m all in with the Brotherhood. I’ll give it my best.”

  Cal’s smile was huge. This was exactly what he’d been hoping to hear. “You won’t regret it, man. And I was thinking, you know, we find all kinds of tools and stuff on our patrols. We could get your shop all set up again so you’d be in business after the war. It could be as good as new.”

  If I could ever get the bloodstains washed out of the cement. “I’m glad we’re putting this behind us, man,” I said.

  “Me too.” Then Cal slumped a little. “But what about JoBell? Sweeney? They really don’t seem to like the Brotherhood.”

  “They’ll come around,” I said. “Anyway, it’s like I said. The war is coming back. We’re all going to have to come together to win it.” He seemed to have bought it, because he smiled and nodded. “I’m actually kind of embarrassed to admit this, but when I joined the Army Guard, I went to basic training and the drill sergeants just yelled at me and told me what to do. With the Brotherhood, I’m worried I’ll make an ass of myself.”

  “Naw. Don’t worry about it,” Cal said. “The guys are cool. Plus, I’ll help you out.”

  Now or never. “You think I could ride along with you sometime in the next few days? Like I could help you with simple Brotherhood duties, even, just to see how things go before they make me a member at graduation?”

  “What?” Cal looked skeptical.

  “Go ahead and make fun of me,” I said. “I’m nervous, okay? If you don’t want to help me, fine. Sorry for asking.”

  “No, I wasn’t making fun of you. I was just surprised you were nervous. After all you’ve dealt with, I thought this would be cake for you. But yeah. No problem.” He laughed. “You can take over my position on the wall when I gotta go take a dump!”

  I forced a laugh back, feeling terrible for using Cal like this. “Sure. Anything to get the hang of life in the Brotherhood.”

  “Don’t worry it about, buddy,” Cal said. “I’ll try to get you in on some cool stuff too. This is going to be great. You’ll see.”

  * * *

  Several hours later, I had the guard shift at the house, so I sat in the dark living room, watching the street out the window. In another ten minutes, I’d have to do a patrol of the house. It was usually a lonely duty, but that night JoBell stayed up with me.

  “I know it was tough, lying to Cal, but you had to do it,” JoBell said. “We have to find where they’re keeping the fuel.”

  “I know. I know. But the thing is, I meant those things I said to Cal. I don’t have any real brothers. Him and Sweeney are it.”

  JoBell squeezed my hand. “And TJ?”

  “Eh. He’s a friend.”

  “That’s an improvement,” she said.

  “It made me feel dead inside, tricking him like that.”

  JoBell’s soft fingers found my cheek in the dark, and she leaned in to kiss me. “Maybe we can still convince him to come with us.” We kissed again.

  I held her close to me. “I couldn’t get through any of this without you,” I whispered. “I got nothing without you.”

  The lights flipped on, and we spun around to find Cal standing in the doorway to the kitchen.

  “I thought you were on guard duty tonight,” JoBell said.

  Cal smiled. “Sorry to interrupt you lovebirds, but Danny, if you were serious about starting to get a feel for Brotherhood life, I could use your help.”

  JoBell sneaked me a knowing look, and a few minutes later, I was riding shotgun in Cal’s truck.

  “The place we’re going is Brotherhood only,” Cal said. “No outsiders are supposed to know where it is, but since graduation is this weekend and you’ll be one of us, I figured, what the hell?”

  “Well, thanks for bringing me along,” I said.

  “Yeah, no problem. Crow himself tapped me for this supply run. Why he wants the stuff on this list in the middle of the night, I have no idea, but orders is orders. And it’s good to have you here, because rule number one, you know?”

  “Crow sent you on this mission alone?” I asked.

  Cal shrugged. “Said he wanted it kept a secret, but I can trus
t you, right?”

  “Right.” I sank down in my seat a little. Cal stopped the truck to talk to the guards on the north side of town. A moment later, we were driving off into the early morning dark.

  * * *

  About an hour later, I was still fighting to remember everything I could about the route we were on. Cal was driving us up a narrow gravel road, and he finally started to slow down as he rounded a curve and a gate came into view. The chain-link fence was at least twelve feet tall with a coil of concertina wire around the top. Floodlights popped on as we rolled to a stop, and in seconds, the truck was surrounded by four men with rifles drawn on us.

  “Cal?” I asked.

  “This is normal,” Cal said. “Every vehicle gets stopped like this.” He rolled his window down and held a paper out to the man pointing a shotgun at his face. “Nathan Crow sent me to pick up supplies.”

  The man examined the paper, and then blasted a flashlight in my face. “Who’s this?”

  “That’s Danny Wright.” Cal sounded like he couldn’t believe the guy didn’t know. “His induction ceremony is this weekend. I needed someone to cover me while I made the run.”

  The man clicked off the light and lowered his weapon. “It’s an honor to meet you, Mr. Wright,” he said. He offered the salute the Brotherhood had stolen from the day my mom died. “My name’s Alex. I got a brand-new baby boy that me and my wife just named Danny after you.”

  I returned the salute and made myself smile. “The honor’s all mine.”

  “Crow called us about this load,” Alex said. “It’s all ready for you on a pallet by the office trailer.”

  The floodlights switched off and the gate rolled to the side. Cal saluted and drove ahead. The place was simple enough. To the right of a big open field were three giant aluminum machine sheds, probably where the Brotherhood kept all the stuff they’d stolen or salvaged. About a hundred yards to the left of the sheds was a trailer house with a tall radio antenna out front, just like Sergeant Crocker had said. I spotted a US Army HEMTT, a Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck, thirty yards beyond the sheds. “That the Brotherhood’s fuel truck?”