by Marvin Tyson
“President Kert,” President Barker started, “I’ll be as straightforward as I know how to be. How long have you known about this decision by the Heartland states to hold joint referendums?”
“Mr. President, I assure you I had no inkling of it until the announcement was made a few minutes ago. I was watching with my wife and, like most of us, I’m sure, we thought it would be about oil. I’m as surprised as anyone on the planet about this.”
“Marty, I believe you. It seems they did quite a job of keeping this quiet. However, you must understand that this changes the whole equation on secession.” President Barker said sternly, “This would effectively divide the United States geographically. We would be left with a western U.S. and an eastern U.S., with these states and Texas as a physical barrier between. We would be forced to negotiate with you to drive from Louisiana to New Mexico or from Idaho to Minnesota. We would be dependent on you for southern air routes and them for northern. Can you imagine having to fly across Mexico or Canada to get from Albuquerque to Minneapolis? That’s not going to happen on my watch!”
Marty could see a very bad outcome if he didn’t calm the waters here. “Mr. President, let’s see where this goes before jumping to any conclusions. Ask the governors of these states to meet with you and see what their purpose is. It may be that they would be better off to stay if some small concessions were made. After all, with the exception of river ways, these states are landlocked, and they, too, would have to negotiate for travel anywhere outside their own borders. I’d even sit in on the meeting if you’d like.”
“Let me see if we can set something up, Marty. To be honest, I assumed they had already contacted your government about pipeline to port transportation for oil and shipping of hard commodities through Texas ports. I’ll let you know what comes of it.” President Barker ended the call.
Chapter 28
Marty immediately called and asked his old team to assemble to assess the situation with the Heartland states’ actions. He asked Norma Harrison to call in Bill O’Hare, and do what she could to contact Pat and get her home along with Demetrious and Sammy. He knew he could count on J.P. Thomas, Sam Waters and Raymond Ramos.
“Marty, what do you need?” Bill asked when he got to Marty’s office.
“Hey, Bill, could you give Norma some help locating Pat, Sammy and De? Last I heard, they were in D.C. at their designated rendezvous. But they haven’t checked in at all, and I’m a bit concerned they ran into some trouble they weren’t expecting. You got any contacts in D.C. that might be able to do some digging?”
Bill furrowed his brow. This was not a problem for him; he knew exactly where they were, at least several hours ago. “Yes, sir, I think I might know a couple of folks who could do some discreet checking. Is that what you had in mind?”
“Yes, something like that.” Marty took off his suit jacket and tossed it over the back of one of the chairs, then went to the credenza with the coffee pot and poured a cup. “Want coffee?”
“I’ll pass, sir.” Bill finished up his notes. “You want me to start on this right away?”
“Yes, please,” Marty replied, sitting down at his desk with his coffee. “Keep Norma up to date on your progress.”
“Yes, sir, I will.” Bill walked out, and Marty heard him stop and talk to Norma. Then his footsteps faded away as he headed back to his office.
Several hours later, his three trusted advisors arrived with their usual flare. J.P. strode in, wearing the same old boots and carrying the same tired, worn Stetson. Aside from that, though, he wore a neatly pressed cavalry shirt with brass buttons up the front and a pair of likewise pressed jeans that looked new. The other two boys walked in, clad in their tailored business suits, their pants legs pulled down over alligator boots polished to a fine shine.
Marty welcomed them in and offered them coffee and some delicious cinnamon rolls Norma had provided. After they all had coffee and rolls, they took seats around Marty’s desk.
“I know you’re all aware of the reason I’ve called you together. We need to discuss any impact this new development with the Heartland states might have on Texas, and decide how to handle any negative consequences that might arise,” Marty stated bluntly.
Raymond opened up first. “If this had been almost any other group of states, it would have been far less painful for the remaining states and probably less costly as well.”
“Yes, the problem of borders is of far less concern to them than the loss of eighty percent of the Union’s oil reserves. They deal with crossing borders of other countries every day; it’s nothing new. But making the other states instantly dependent on foreign reserves again is another matter,” J.P. stated.
Sam said nothing, just waited for the rest to have their say.
Marty asked their opinion of the legal issues the Heartland states might face in their bid for independence.
J.P. took a big gulp of his coffee. “I’d guess it won’t be any different than us leaving, and that might be the problem. The D.C. powers couldn’t very well let us walk out and deny those states, so they will have to let them go, or prevent us from going. That’s the way I see it.”
“Is that the way you see it, Marty?” asked Sam, leaning forward in his chair so he could get a better read on Marty’s face.
“Yes and no,” Marty opined. “That could be the way it plays out, but there are some real differences between them and us.”
“How so?” asked Raymond.
“Well, for one thing,” Marty told them, “making a joint announcement and setting the same date to vote could be problematic constitutionally. Article 1, Section 10, clause 3 says, ‘no state shall enter into any Agreement or Compact with another state.’ So, if there was an agreement made or a compact signed to form any kind of partnership after independence, it could be a violation of the Constitution.”
“I see,” said Sam.
Marty took another sip of his coffee and added, “The real problem in trying to deny this kind of collusion is that none of these states can make it without the others. Interconnected power grids, pipeline and rail transport, even telephone and cable communications would be difficult for a state as sparsely populated as Montana to deal with alone. And, if even one of them fails in their referendum, the U.S. could make it impossible for the rest to carry on.”
“Well, I’m sure the Supreme Court will make that point moot anyway if Marty’s point is valid,” said J.P.
Marty rested his arms on his desk, deep in thought. Then he said, “I’m pretty confident the Heartland states have no real intention of leaving; perhaps they simply want to run their own affairs, and they’re trying to introduce this as a bargaining chip.”
The others agreed that might be the case.
* * *
The following morning was in chaos as President Barker’s press secretary announced a press conference to deal with these latest developments on secession.
“President Barker will make a few opening remarks and then he will take a few questions,” Julie Edmond announced to a packed Brady Briefing Room.
Just as Julie said that, the president entered and moved across to the podium.
“Ladies and gentlemen of the press, the president of the United States,” said Julie as she moved away.
President Barker wasted no time in getting to the point. “I’m sure you all heard the details of the joint press conference from the seven Heartland states yesterday morning. As I’m sure you can understand, we simply cannot allow these states to leave the Union. That would be the end of the Union as we know it, and would geographically split the U.S. down the middle. It would, in effect, leave us with two distinct bodies of states with another unaffiliated body of these seven states and Texas between us.” He looked out at the crowd, noting that every member of the press was listening attentively.
He continued. “In addition to that, it would leave us in a strategically untenable position of not only being divided, but removing eighty percent of our crude oil resour
ces and forty percent of our strategic petroleum reserves. These problems, along with the logistical problems of rail, air, and ground travel across the states from our East Coast to our West Coast, place us in a position we simply can’t allow. I know you all have questions, but I only have time for a few.”
The president then called on Stephen Plummer from CNN to ask the first question.
“Mr. President, will this affect the separation of Texas and, if so, how?”
President Barker responded. “I’m meeting with my Cabinet and members of the House and Senate immediately after this press conference to discuss how we deal with the Texas issue in light of these new developments. We will make an announcement as soon as we find a way forward. We will certainly have to delay the departure of Texas, and see how this plays out as we go along.”
The president then called on a young reporter, Katherine Rosen, from Fox News.
“To follow up, Mr. President, Texas has a formidable military presence; do you anticipate any military action being involved?”
“Please, ladies and gentlemen, we don’t want to make this bigger than it is. I’m sure there will be no need for any military activity.”
The president then waved and walked out, leaving behind a bunch of frustrated news people.
Chapter 29
The panel van carrying Pat, Sammy and De pulled up to a building and stopped by a side door. It had been less than ten minutes since they left the blood-soaked warehouse. The Arab man said nothing as he drove and, when he got out and opened the door, he spoke quietly to someone in what sounded to Pat like a Middle Eastern dialect. He then helped another man get Sammy and De onto gurneys so they could be moved into the facility.
A man wearing scrubs came up to them and turned to look quizzically at a nurse, covered head to toe in a white burqa as she entered the clinic area, followed by another man in scrubs. The nurse, who apparently was the only one of the three who spoke English, heavily accented, introduced both men as “the doctors who would be taking care of them.”
Each doctor started working on one of the team as soon as they were sedated enough to treat. The nurse was more concerned with Pat’s condition, and one of the doctors assured her they would care for her as soon as possible. The doctors worked quickly and skillfully; Sammy’s ear was deftly reattached while De’s jaw was set, and both men’s lacerations were sutured and bandaged. Responding to the nurse’s question, Pat assured her she was fine.
The man who had both saved their lives and brought them to the clinic left as soon as everyone was inside, so Pat decided her first order of business was to find them a ride back to their respective hotel rooms to see if they could safely reclaim any of the meager possessions left there. When she indicated what she needed, the nurse told her transportation was arranged.
As soon as the anesthetic began to wear off, and Sammy and De were semi-aware, they were gently helped into wheelchairs. The medical team seemed a bit skeptical about releasing them, but Pat stated firmly that the decision was made. Resigned, the doctors and nurse delivered the two black guys, wrapped in bandages covering most of their heads and barely able to move unaided, to the clinic door.
A van much like an airport limo pulled up outside and the team was helped into it.
“Hey, look at this,” Sammy mumbled, pointing to three neat stacks of personal belongings. Everything from their rooms was there.
Pat decided the medical team had been in on the abduction from the start, or had been watching every step they took after they arrived in D.C. She decided to believe the latter.
De and Sammy were both sound asleep before the van started moving. “Wish I could curl up and take a nap,” Pat murmured, but she would need to stay alert for the guys’ sake.
They drove for almost an hour, then their driver, who had said nothing up to that point, announced they had arrived at Washington’s Thurgood Marshall Airport. He drove the vehicle to a private entrance, and was let in by a uniformed guard. As they pulled further in, Pat spotted a mid-size jet waiting on the tarmac. Twenty minutes later, they were aboard and airborne. According to the pilot, they were on their way to Austin.
As soon as they reached flight altitude, a young American woman in a blue suit and an ivory blouse approached Pat to tell her the phone tucked into the wide armrest of her seat was secure, and that she could call anyone she needed to. Then she took drink and snack orders and said it would be a three-hour trip to Austin. She spoke excellent English, for which Pat was grateful.
The woman said, “My name is Rebecca. Let me know if you need anything at all.” She smiled as she looked at Pat and pointed to the lavatory. “There’s the bathroom if you want to freshen up.” Then she walked back forward.
Pat wanted to freshen up. She felt like she’d been living in the same clothes for days. She found her belongings and pulled out a pair of jeans, a tee shirt, and a cardigan. Collecting a hairbrush, she hurried to the bathroom, emerging several minutes later looking like a new person.
Sammy and De were fast asleep again.
Chapter 30
In Austin, Rick Thomas, wearing jeans, a button-down western shirt and boots, was knocking on Marty’s office door and was invited in.
“Marty,” Rick said, “I just got off the phone with Pat; they’ll be in Austin in a couple of hours.”
“I just got off the phone with her myself, Rick. I should be honest with you and say that you are not the only love interest in her life.”
“I’m beginning to see that,” Rick said, “but at least she’s not seeing a homeless guitar player behind my back and spending my money on cheap wine and funny cigarettes.”
They both laughed, and Marty told Rick he would have a car waiting when the team touched down.
“If it’s okay with you, I’d like to ride out with the driver. I know my wife pretty darn well, and she’ll head straight here when she reaches Austin anyway,” Rick stated.
“That’s a good idea, Rick, as long as you know I’ll want to see her as soon as I can.”
“You don’t play guitar, do you, Marty?”
Marty threw a pen at him, and they had a drink before Rick and Jeff Lambert left for the airport.
* * *
As soon as they touched down and the plane’s wheels stopped rolling, the door opened and Rebecca helped Pat down the gangway to the tarmac. Sammy and De, fully awake, brought up the rear.
“We need to get these men to a hospital right away,” said Pat.
“No,” said Sammy, while De just climbed in the back seat of the limo.
“I guess that settles that argument.” Rick held the door open on the other side while his wife and Sammy got in with De.
They were at the Capitol as quickly as traffic allowed. Even though Jeff drove around to a side door, plenty of media and some of the public managed to find a way to gawk at the group as they made their way through the door. Inside, they were escorted by a pair of Texas Rangers to the president’s office.
Blood seeped through Sammy’s bandages, De’s wired jaw was three times its normal size with all the gauze and bandaging around it, and Pat walked alongside both of them as if she could hold either of them up if they fell. They looked more like the cast of a zombie movie than a top-notch team of intelligence operatives as they hobbled into Marty’s office.
“Good gracious!” Marty exclaimed. “What happened here?”
“Nothing happened here, sir,” replied Sammy, “just had a little accident while we were on vacation.”
De bent over in pain, trying to stifle a laugh, while Pat just shook her head and laughed out loud.
“Must be an inside joke, Marty,” said Rick.
“You people are sick!” Marty grinned. “But I’m sure glad you’re on our side. You are still on our side, right?”
That brought another round of laughter, with De doing the best he could with a broken and wired jaw.
Pat told the story of her encounter with the bad guys, and then looked at Sammy, who would have
to tell their tale, as De obviously wouldn’t be talking for some time.
“We got a call from one of the ladies we had questioned about ‘client’ conversations that might have anything to do with the former president’s statements about Texas,” Sammy said. “She said she needed to talk to us in person and gave us an address. When we got there, no one answered the door, so we picked the lock and let ourselves in. Someone had made a mess of the place before we got there, with drawers pulled out, papers strewn all over, and some things just tossed around the room, that kind of thing.”
Pat was hearing this for the first time because De and Sammy had slept the whole trip in the plane. “But there was nobody in the apartment?” she asked.
“No. There was an old woman in the lobby when we came in,” he said. “She was sitting on a bench by the elevator just as we got on. A young woman was sitting by her, holding the old gal’s hand, when we came back down. Nothing looked unusual, but these were pros. We should have been sharper, keener to what was going on around us.
“Three steps after we passed the women, we were tased and there must have been a dozen men on us in an instant. Guns in our faces, shackles on hands and feet, and bags over our heads in seconds. Like I said, pros.”
“Was the woman who called you to that address with them?” Pat asked.
“Not that I saw, but we didn’t have much time to look,” Sammy replied.
De reached over and picked up a note pad off Marty’s desk and scribbled, “My guess is that they wouldn’t have needed us if they had her. She was the one with the info.”
“Damn, that’s right. If she had still been in the apartment when they got there, they wouldn’t have needed to ransack the place and they wouldn’t hang around waiting on us or the cops to show. She’s still out there somewhere!” Pat exclaimed.
Sammy stood up. “Is that plane still available? I have to find her before they do!”
