by Trent Reedy
“Oh. Well, surely they’ll understand that you are still a high school student. I’d be happy to contact them to explain the situation.”
“That was some hotshot officer personally calling me to issue my orders. I’m not sure they’re interested in listening to a high school principal.” Then, realizing I probably pissed him off, I added, “No offense. I think every soldier or at least most of the soldiers in the Idaho Guard are being activated. Probably to leave Governor Montaine with no Guard forces to protect him.”
“Well, maybe that’s for the best,” said Mr. Morgan. “Put this all behind us.”
Before he said that, I might have felt that way, but hearing the idea come out of his weasel mouth made it sound sickening. Nobody wanted things in America to go back to normal more than I did, but after the FBI had almost run us off the road trying to arrest me, after Governor Montaine did everything he could to protect us when the president wanted us in jail, after all that, I was supposed to go to their side? I was supposed to leave home and school and my friends and JoBell and report for Army duty? I was supposed to trust that after I gave them two years of my life they’d pardon me? At least Governor Montaine had given us a choice when he called for volunteers to work full-time Idaho National Guard duty.
But then another part of me remembered that I had sworn an oath to obey the president, and these were the first direct orders he had sent me. And if he was serious about the pardon, maybe this was my only way out of all this.
“Daniel?” Mr. Morgan said. He fiddled with his tie tack. He was real fidgety about his ties.
If he had been talking, I hadn’t been listening. Morgan was the kind of guy who was easy to tune out. I shook my head and focused on him. “What did you say?”
Mr. Morgan put his hands on his hips. “I said, if you’re through with your Army call, you should go back to class.”
Why not? It was better than hanging out here in the hallway with this clown. I stood up and started back to class.
“Hey, partner! You got a big conference call coming in. You wanna check this out?” Digi-Hank.
Mr. Morgan huffed. “The Army again?”
I checked the screen and shook my head.
“Well then, Daniel, if it’s not urgent, you know school policy is no calls during —”
I held up the comm to show him the screen. “It’s the governor calling.” As often as I had wanted my involvement with the standoff between the governor and the president to be over, I was glad right then to show this pencil-pushing jackwad that he wasn’t the highest authority in the world. Morgan frowned and took a step back. A message came on-screen when I tapped ACCEPT.
“He put me on hold?” The direct line to the governor was spoiling me.
Mr. Morgan stood up straighter. “Well, why don’t you take that call in private?” He led me down the hall to his office and closed the door behind me, leaving me alone.
If I was going to have to wait in the principal’s office for this call, I might as well make myself at home. I went and sat down in the high-backed swivel chair behind Morgan’s big wooden desk. “Comfy.” I put my feet up, crinkling some of his papers under my shoes. He’d be pissed if he saw me like this, but what was he going to do, kick me out of school? I had to be in the Army in two days anyway. Mr. Morgan could deal with it.
Finally my comm beeped. The message disappeared and the screen went black. Then an image came on-screen. The governor stood behind a podium in the entryway to the governor’s mansion. I could see the staircase behind him.
“Soldiers and airmen of the Idaho Army and Air Force National Guard. Greetings. I’m James Montaine, governor of the great state of Idaho. I’m told that about 73 percent of you are watching this announcement live, but for those of you unable to join us at this time, as well as for those who may wish to watch this broadcast again, this announcement will be recorded and available in your inbox at the conclusion of my remarks.
“By now, most of you have received or are about to receive orders to report for federal active duty in the United States Army or Air Force. To be sure, this is a legal order, effectively signed by the president of the United States. But at this time, I would ask each of you to consider why the president is issuing these orders. President Rodriguez has a disagreement, not only with me, but with the entire state of Idaho.
“First, despite the fact that both houses of the Idaho state legislature strongly voted to nullify the Federal Identification Card Act on the grounds that the act represented an unconstitutional invasion of privacy, the president insists that his signature law be implemented everywhere. Given his way, he would do away with government by the consent of the governed and force us all to live under his new surveillance program.
“Second, he has demanded the arrest of Idaho Army National Guardsmen who committed no crime except to obey lawful orders given to them by their chain of command. He wants to punish those soldiers, your comrades in arms, for doing their duty.
“Third, in order to force me to sell out and surrender honest, loyal Idaho Army National Guardsmen, the president has repeatedly demanded that I release those soldiers’ identities. As a veteran of the Battle of Fallujah in Operation Iraqi Freedom and as governor, I will never betray soldiers under my command. I will do all I can to support Idaho’s men and women in uniform. With the help of the state legislature, I made sure that Idaho Guardsmen deployed in Iran would not experience a pay freeze due to the recent federal government shutdown amid their budget dispute. In Idaho, we take care of our own!
“The president could not accept this, however, and despite my best efforts to protect those involved in the Boise incident, some names of soldiers at Boise were leaked. The president then sent federal operatives in an attempt to arrest them. That attempt was foiled when I directed local law enforcement to detain and deport the armed federal agents. The president may try to act like he has your best interests at heart, but why then do aerial drones — some of them possibly armed, in violation of the law — constantly monitor Idaho Guard positions? And would a president with his soldiers’ interests in mind order FBI agents to risk one of his soldiers’ lives in a deadly high-speed chase, as he did with seventeen-year-old Private First Class Daniel Wright?
“Fourth, under the mistaken belief that removing me from Idaho will cause the people to give up their love for freedom and their respect for their rights, the president has broken the law as set forth by the Idaho state constitution and sent armed forces into this state in an attempt to arrest me, as well as the Idaho Guardsmen who were involved in the incident in Boise. You men and women have already worked hard to construct a barrier to prevent further such incursions, and I thank you for it.
“The president has made no effort to explain to you soldiers and airmen why he is calling you away from your homes and loved ones. There is no pressing threat to national security. There has not been a simultaneous federal activation of every member of a particular state’s National Guard forces in over sixty years, not since President Eisenhower federalized the Arkansas National Guard so that Arkansas soldiers wouldn’t be used in defense of school segregation. The Idaho Guard has not been called upon for any such evil purpose. On the contrary, you’ve been hard at work, protecting our freedom at home and abroad. The president would seek to stop that work, and by his attempt, he has shown that he has no concern even for Idaho’s need to maintain a force to help the state in the event of dangerous floods or deadly wildfires.
“The president is not being honest with you, but I promise you that I always will be. President Rodriguez is calling the entire Idaho National Guard to active duty and ordering you out of the state so that he may send in soldiers from other parts of the country or possibly even foreign troops — to illegally arrest me, certainly, but worse than that, to force Idaho to comply with his unconstitutional mandate.
“The media has dubbed this situation ‘The Idaho Crisis,’ but I say there is nothing wrong with Idaho! The crisis is with a president and a federal
government that have overstepped their bounds and assumed more power than the Constitution allows. It is the president and the federal government who have committed crimes by passing laws in opposition to the highest law of the land, and, therefore, any effort to resist those criminal laws cannot be illegal.
“However, soldiers and airmen, without your support and defense of the Constitution, without your belief in and dedication to freedom, we will lose this most important struggle and there will be no end to federal tyranny.
“I meant what I said when I promised to be honest with you. I will not force you to actively serve against your will as the president is attempting to do. As governor of the state of Idaho, I, James P. Montaine, hereby activate the entire Idaho Army and Air Force National Guard for state duty. However, realizing that these are difficult times, realizing that you have sworn an oath to obey both the president and your governor, and realizing that you are good and true soldiers and airmen who take your oaths seriously, I offer the following choices.
“First, you may report for federal duty as the president ordered.
“Second, if you are too conflicted by this decision and do not wish to choose one option over the other, you may be released from the service, hand in any weapons or equipment you’ve been issued, and go on with your lives at home.
“Third, if you believe in freedom. If you love your friends and neighbors and wish to protect them from gross invasions of their privacy and from federal tyranny. If you support the state of Idaho and the good things this state stands for, then I ask you, I implore you: Report for duty to the state of Idaho. Support your governor and your state legislature by saying NO to the president and the federal government. No! We will not allow you to unconstitutionally force surrender on us! No! We will not allow you to ignore the Constitution and our freedoms! No! We will not allow you to invade our state, our communities, and our homes with armed federal or international forces.
“Now, I want to take a moment to address those members of the Idaho National Guard who are deployed to Iran or Pakistan at this time. I have received word that some of you have expressed a desire to return home to serve your state, and that some of you have considered refusing to perform your duties abroad. I appreciate your loyalty, patriotism, and sacrifice. However, given the critical nature of your missions in fighting terrorism and preventing Iran from further developing or obtaining nuclear weapons, I am suggesting — and I would issue orders if you were currently under my command — that you continue to obey the orders from your federal chain of command. I can only hope that the president will consider this a reasonable gesture and reciprocate by allowing you all to return when your scheduled tour of duty is over. Deployed Idaho National Guardsmen, my prayers are with you.
“Good soldiers and airmen in the state of Idaho, you have a difficult decision to make. I’m sorry that the federal government has forced this decision upon you. But I know I can count on each and every one of you to make the right choice, and I promise you, the state of Idaho will enact no penalties against you regardless of what you choose. To make your decision, please reply with a call to this number, and officers will assist you.
“Thank you for your time and thank you for your service. May God bless you, the state of Idaho, and the United States of America.”
The screen went blank. I sat back in Mr. Morgan’s chair, staring up at the brown water stains in the ceiling tiles. For a moment, I thought Morgan’s swivel chair was spinning. Then I realized it was just me.
Football practice did not go well that night. First, although all I wanted to do was get out on the practice field to get ready for our next game, Coach kept us all in the locker room for a long time right away, talking to us about the gunman last Friday and the ongoing problem with the press.
“So while I cannot order any of you not to speak to reporters about all of this, I want to make it clear that if I find out that any of you have been in contact with the media, I’m going to wonder if you are truly focused on the upcoming game. I might not be able to start a player who is so unfocused.”
TJ stood up from the bench. “Coach, I didn’t say anything bad about —”
“But you saw how they twisted everything you said!” Coach yelled. “It makes you look bad. It makes your team look bad.”
“Yes, Coach.” He sat back down, keeping his eyes on his feet.
It felt good to see TJ shut down like that, especially after his idiot stunt with the reporters, and I was really glad that the guys all seemed to agree not to talk to the media, but the good times didn’t last. When we finally got on the field, I kept screwing up the plays and running the wrong routes, and I missed about every pass thrown to me. In tackling drills, I got knocked on my ass at least three times. I tried to focus, I tried to give a hard practice like I always did, but I couldn’t stop thinking about the fact that depending on what I chose to do, I might not play in this Friday’s game. I might never play football again.
Finally, Coach Shiratori pulled me aside. I felt sure he was going to yell at me, make me do laps around the field, something horrible. “Listen, Wright,” he said quietly. “Mr. Morgan told me what that comm call was about. I watch the news, and I know what’s going on. Why don’t you take the rest of the night off? Go home and get yourself sorted out. Make plans and things.”
“That’s okay, Coach. I’m fine. I just want to play football. That’s all I’ve ever —”
“This isn’t really a request,” Coach Shiratori said. “Take the night off.”
“You’re kicking me off the team?” I asked. “Coach, I’ve done everything you asked. I’ve had a good season so far.”
“This is bigger than football, Mr. Wright.” He clapped a hand on my shoulder pad. “Bigger than either of us.”
As I walked toward the locker room, the team went back to running our offense. I stopped for a moment at the edge of the field as Sweeney launched a pass. Not one of his best. It wobbled a little. TJ caught it, and even dodged out of the way of three defenders.
“Thatta kid, Teee Jaaaaay!” Randy shouted.
I was so pissed I could have thrown up.
I was sweaty from practice, but I didn’t even bother showering. I changed into my jeans and T-shirt, went out to the Beast, and threw on my cowboy hat. Coach had said “Go home,” but that was the last place I wanted to be. With Mom away at her conference, the place was too quiet, too lonely. With the mufflers switched off, the roar of the engine sang to me. So I drove all over, finally ditching the two news vans that had tried to follow me. I ended up at the Abandoned Highway of Love. Maybe that was ironic. Hell, I didn’t know. I missed that vocab word on my last English test.
I slowed the Beast down a little as I steered around the collapsed left lane. Why was it that when I felt depressed, I would put on depressing music or go to lonely, quiet places? I should’ve been trying to cheer myself up. How? I didn’t know. Maybe I should have gone to a pet store or something. Seen the puppies.
I got out of the truck and went out onto Party Bridge. The dark water of Freedom River churned around the rocks below. A cool breeze whispered through the pines on the riverbank. I thought back to all the parties we’d had out here the summer after sophomore year. Cold beer and a good fire. A few cheap cigars with the guys. Girls in bikinis splashing around down there when the water was warm. Now those parties were over. I’d missed all of them when I went to basic training this last summer. Then summer ended at Boise. Maybe my life ended there too. I hadn’t thought about that until now.
“I’ve been looking for you,” JoBell said as she ducked under the I-beam barrier and came out onto the bridge. She put up the hood of her blue-and-white Minutemen sweatshirt.
“Welcome to the party,” I said, looking out at the water.
She stood beside me without saying anything for a long time. I wished she’d take my hand or rub my back like she used to do when I was facing hard times, but I guess that was too much to hope for. At least she was giving me some quiet time. I
was grateful for that. I didn’t feel like talking about the situation. I was tired of it. Tired of talking and thinking about it.
“Volleyball practice was fun tonight.”
“Good,” I mumbled, watching a fish skip out of the water downstream.
“Cassie Macer was in a really good mood.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Did Sweeney and her —”
“Yep.”
“This last weekend?”
“Sunday night. He convinced her to come over to ‘study,’ I think.”
“JoBell,” I said, finally looking at her. I didn’t know where to begin.
She put her arms around me and drew in for a kiss. After that, she squeezed me close and rested her head on my chest. “You’re going to be okay, Danny.”
“I wish I knew how.”
“Let me call the others.” She held up her comm. “We’ll figure this out together.”
* * *
About fifteen minutes later, Cal, Sweeney, and Becca showed up, and I explained the whole thing so they had the full details, not just the little bit I told Sweeney at lunch. “So that’s it,” I said. “Those are my choices.” I shook my head. “And I have no idea what I should do.”
“I know you probably won’t want to hear this,” JoBell said. “But you’ve been talking about how you want this all to be over. You want things to be normal. Quit the military. It solves everything. You can go back to football and hanging with us and school, which is what you really need to be focused on, so we can get your grades up for your college application.”
“It’s not that simple,” I started.
She took both of my hands in hers. “Babe, what if it is? What if it’s exactly that simple? You’ve been given your way out. This can all be over.”
“I signed my name on the line. I swore an oath to obey the president. To obey the governor.”
“Exactly.” JoBell flipped a strand of hair back behind her ear. “And the governor said you can get out of the military with no penalties, so do it.”
