After receiving an urgent communication from one of his fellow operatives in Florida, William slept fitfully, if at all. Benjamin Black had contacted him using one of the most ancient of communication devices—Morse code. With cell phone towers slow to make a comeback after The Pulse, Morse code was widely used as a secure means of communication. Two parties simply needed to come up with a means of coding messages. William and Benjamin had been using a cipher that utilized an asymmetric key algorithm. When William got the message and decrypted it, he stared at it in disbelief. His immediate response to Benjamin was “Message unclear. Send again.” Benjamin replied, “High value prisoner in my custody soon. Make preparations for our arrival. Once we have the package, contact the PSA in same fashion as before. Will message again in two hours. Confirm.” William did so.
William spent most of the evening and early morning planning the prisoner extraction. Without his family’s knowledge, he packed four suitcases containing essential and sentimental belongings. It was time to get the hell out of Dodge and make a new home in the Pacific States of America.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
General Richard Dupree was nursing a broken foot. His SEAL instructor would have been ashamed of him. Richard had jumped into water from dizzying heights when he was an operator, but he could honestly say he had never been thrown into the water after an explosion. This time, he’d been unable to complete the landing prep which involved tucking his chin to his chest, crossing his arms across his torso, and putting one foot on top of the other. He had accomplished the first two steps but failed to complete the last. As he smashed into the water, Richard felt his big toe and the attached metacarpal snap. He endured an agonizing ten minutes of treading water before a lifeboat picked him up. A few minutes later, one of Hal’s robots attached itself to the back of the lifeboat and propelled the craft to shore.
Richard climbed from the boat onto the shore, lifejacket and oar in hand. He snapped the oar in two and tore pieces of fabric from the lifejacket to fashion a makeshift cast for his foot. It would do for the time being. His primary concern was getting his people to safety. Richard pulled a whistle from his tactical vest and blew three rapid tweets.
“Rally point here! I want everyone to gather at this location. All incoming lifeboats will be brought to this point.” Richard turned to the nearest Hal drone. “Hal! Make it happen!”
“Yes, sir, all lifeboats will be brought to this landing zone.
Dozens of frightened soldiers headed in Richard’s direction as he scanned the crowd for officers. “You! Captain ...”
“Sir, Captain Page, sir!”
“Captain, tend to the wounded and assist Hal in triage. We have to get these people to a hospital.”
“Sir, yes, sir! Medic! Medic! I need a medic!”
Richard looked up so see an astonishing sight in the shadowy night sky – a fleet of Hal drones carrying the wounded to the nearest hospital. Richard didn’t know it, but Maxwell Harris had been the very first to be whisked away for treatment.
***
Andrea Wilson had been an emergency room nurse at the UCSF Medical Center for thirteen years. It was one of the few hospitals that had survived the Collapse of 2027. With the American economy in shambles, she wasn’t really getting much of a paycheck once inflation was factored in. With the spending power of the almighty dollar at an all-time low, it didn’t really matter anyway. Her dedication to her job was the only reason she was still there.
Andrea was checking a chart near the front entrance to the ER when the most shocking event of her life unfolded before her. She had seen some pretty amazing things in her career, which made it all the more surreal. As she looked outside, Andrea saw people gazing at the sky as they ran for their lives. What happened next was like something straight out of a science fiction movie. A robot-like contraption landed right in front of the door, an unconscious man cradled in its arms.
“Ma’am, this man requires immediate medical attention. His L2 vertebra is crushed, and he is bleeding internally.”
Andrea stood in silence, dazed momentarily by the bizarre scene evolving around her.
“Ma’am? Do you understand me? Este hombre necesita atención médica inmediata. Cet homme nécessite une attention médicale immédiate. Ma’am? Do you understand me?”
“Uh, yes. Follow me.” Andrea found an empty gurney in an open bay nearby. “Set him down there.”
“Thank you, ma’am. Fourteen more men and women will be arriving in the next minute. I suggest you alert your staff so preparations can be made,” the Hal robot said as it walked towards the entrance bay.
“Fourteen? What the hell are you? What’s going on?” Andrea watched as the sophisticated robot fired off boosters from its legs and rocketed away into the night sky. “Hey, come back here! What’s going on?” Andrea said, frustrated, as she peered into the darkness. Still struggling to process what had just taken place, Andrea turned away, only to find a legion of robots walking toward her. Her frustration quickly abated as, one by one, more robots landed in the parking lot and started walking towards her.
“Shit.”
***
While the Freedom of the Seas and her sister ships descended to the ocean floor, the Chinese invasion force was quickly closing in on the western shores of the former United States. Fighter jets and bombers launched from aircraft carriers, ready to destroy key military targets within the Unified American Empire.
Edwards AFB was struck first. Pilots scrambling to get jets in the air never had a chance. The same thing happened at Vandenberg AFB. Camp Pendleton and Fort Irwin were decimated; thousands of troops gave their lives, most for a government they despised. Once the surgical strikes were completed, the fighter jets and bombers returned to their aircraft carriers for the second wave of the attack, which would push the airstrikes further east towards the Rockies. The third wave was soon to follow with Chinese soldiers making landfall on the shores of California, ready to occupy the streets of the UAE.
The Chinese were in for a surprise when they attempted to enter the Pacific States of America. Thanks to his powerful insight, Howard Beck had foreseen the possibility of an invasion coming from the western side of North America. Howard was ready for anything.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Christina Dupree was having the time of her life. Walt Disney World was fun, but it wasn’t actually an amusement park anymore - she couldn’t enjoy the rides or have her picture taken with Mickey Mouse. Then a group of soldiers moved her from Walt Disney World to Fort Polk, Louisiana. At first the soldiers frightened her, but she soon learned they’d moved her for a good reason. Colonel Rutherford told her she had been selected by President Sterling as the spokesperson for orphans of the collapse. When she tried to explain that her mother was still alive, the president said she was probably lost somewhere and they would do everything to find her. Until then, the colonel said her story of survival was an inspiration to families across the nation. Christina was frightened by large crowds; the thought of having to speak in front of lots of people made her stomach hurt. Colonel Rutherford had told her not to worry. All she had to do was smile and wave to the crowd; someone else would do all the talking. Christina reluctantly agreed. After all, she was being treated like a celebrity and given three square meals a day and a warm bed to sleep in. Why protest?
When Christina arrived at Fort Polk, she was placed with a loving family and even went to school for the first time in her life. She was ten years old and a little embarrassed to be in the first grade, but the children in her class were very friendly. Christina soon found a best friend in Heather Sanderson. They would play together at recess and shared a table at lunch. Heather even invited her for sleepovers and would help her learn to read.
One morning, Christina went to school only to find Heather and her brother, Brent, absent. That evening she politely asked her host family if she could call to check on them.
“Sanderson residence; this is Colonel Sanderson.”
�
��Hello, mister…uh, Colonel Sanderson. This is Chrissy Dupree. May I please speak to Heather?”
“Hi, Chrissy. Hold on a sec; let me get her.”
Chrissy waited patiently. “Hi, Heather. Why weren’t you at school today?”
“Oh, my family is going on a trip. Dad has some military stuff to do in Denver, and he’s taking us with him. It’s like a little vacation. I asked him if you could come with us, and he said it wasn’t a good idea. You’d miss too much school.”
“Oh man! I wanna come! Maybe I can get my assignments from Mrs. Slayton and you could help me.”
“Let me ask Dad. Hold on.”
Chrissy waited anxiously for the answer. “He said it’s fine with him. He wants you to put Mr. Tolbert on the phone to talk to him about it.”
“That’s awesome! Hold on.” Chrissy explained the plan to her host parent and handed him the phone. After a minute or so of pleasant conversation, he smiled and returned the phone to Chrissy so the girls could finalize their plans.
Poor Mr. Tolbert had no idea that his gracious decision was going to cost him dearly with Colonel Rutherford.
***
“They have what?” Howard Beck was eating dinner in the command center of Beck Castle.
“The message said ‘high value UAE prisoner.’” Marshall Beck always found pleasure in seeing his father smile, which was certain to be the result of this intriguing news.
“Wait, this has to be a mistake. Benjamin Black, the guy that runs Disney World?”
“Yes, Pop, that’s exactly right. They’re taking the prisoner to Fort Polk to rendezvous with Colonel Sanderson. The problem is, they don’t know the location of Beck Castle, but the widespread rumor is that we’re near Denver. Security is sending out some men to meet them at a secure location outside the city.”
Howard smiled. “With our invasion of California a disaster, this news almost makes up for the tragedy. I can’t wait to find out who it is. Probably a high ranking general.”
“Richard will be happy as well.”
“Yes, the good general would love to debrief a high-value asset.”
“Oh, I can’t wait for them to get here! Who’s in charge of security with Max gone?”
“Dennis Twigg.”
“Inform Mr. Twigg of the arrival of our prisoner. I want four men guarding the detention cell at all times. The cell door is not to open without me, you, or Richard present.”
“I’ll get it done. Any news from California?”
“Max is in surgery now. Another thirty-two have serious injuries that will probably require surgery at some point. Close to a hundred more are waiting to be patched up and moved back to the PSA.”
“The Chinese?”
“They’ve wiped out every major military base this side of the Rockies. They’ll have boots on the ground very soon, I would guess.”
“Is Hal ready for them?”
“Old Man, where do we stand?”
“Sir, the EMP shield has already been deployed over the PSA. No aircraft or vehicle will enter our airspace without our permission. I’ve modified the sonic repulsor design we had at Beck Manor to operate on a much larger scale. Sonic repulsors are operational near every major city and in overlapping positions down the coast. Any artillery they fire on us or bombs they attempt to drop will be stopped.”
“Hal, you’ve done an outstanding job. Are we ready to engage the fighter drones to defend east of the Rockies? I wish we could’ve stopped them at California.”
“Sir, I will endeavor to have the fighter drones up and running as soon as possible. I estimate three hours and fourteen minutes until launch.”
“Good work, Old Man.”
“Thank you, sir.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
“Benjamin, I don’t know why we don’t just get the hell out of here before they show up.” Jessica Bradley was one of the few people brave enough to disagree with Benjamin after his mind was made up. Benjamin valued her counsel for this very reason.
“They can’t come down I-95; it’s torn to shit. Their only choice is I-75. It’s the only passable interstate in Florida. They think we’re on their side. Best chance we have is to lure them into a trap and wipe them out. We’ve got the home field advantage. We could take them out and hit the road.”
“They’re coming for the fucking president of the UAE! You know they’re gonna expect some serious heat!”
“Again, Jessica, they think it’s an escort mission. They have no reason to expect hostility. They want Sterling secured at McClellan as quickly as possible. A big convoy of vehicles will only slow them down. I’m guessing they’ll send three vehicles, maybe four. We can take them. Trust me.”
“I do. I just think we could whoop their asses and run. They’d never find us.”
“Far too risky. We can’t bring an army on the road with us anymore than they can. We run into them on the road and it’ll get ugly quick.”
“Okay, I see your point. So what do we do?”
“The same thing we did when Sterling got here. Get them out of their vehicles, surround them, and shoot them all in the fucking head.”
“I can get behind that plan.”
***
Stacy Reid was bound and gagged in the trunk of President Sterling’s limousine. She had no idea where she was or what was going on. The limo had stopped, followed by the deafening roar of gunfire. Stacy counted three bullet holes in the trunk. She was thankful for two of them as they gave her precious air to breathe. The third, on the other hand, had grazed her left calf muscle. With her hands and feet tied, all she could do was press her calf against the floor of the trunk in an attempt to stop the bleeding.
Stacy knew one thing for certain: If someone didn’t find her soon, she stood a good chance of bleeding to death.
***
“Sir, the one-mile sentry is reporting their arrival.”
“Did he give a status report? How many vehicles?”
“I can’t raise him. He’s not answering his radio.”
Shit.
“Try him again. Now!”
“Sentry-one, come back. Bobby, come in. Over.”
Silence.
Shit.
“Fall back! Goddammit! Fall back!”
Jessica sprinted to Ben. “What?”
“Jessica, you were right! They know what we’re doing.”
***
“Charles, are you sure this is a good idea?” Jackson Butler and his associate were sitting motionless in Charles’ nondescript sedan.
“Sir, the next phase of our employer’s plan can’t proceed unless we deliver the package to Beck Castle. This is the only way. I’ve tried other means, but this opportunity will not present itself again.”
“The Chinese think I doubled-crossed them. They want me dead.”
“I’m confident that I can remedy the situation, sir. It will soon be abundantly clear that the PSA was planning an invasion.”
“The plan is never going to work. The Chinese will occupy half the country in a matter of weeks. They were supposed to arrive as allies, not conquerors.”
“Sir, I sincerely hope you’re not that naive. I’m confident that all will be forgiven if you can deliver the artificial intelligence. Our employer is having difficulty breaching the PSA.”
“You’re serious? That crazy old retard is giving them problems? I had no difficulty throwing his ass out of his own house, and the mighty Chinese army can’t match wits with him?”
“Sir, I’m afraid you exaggerate. He put up a formidable fight for his home, and he’s far from retarded. Many call him our generation’s Einstein.”
“Whatever. Let’s get on with it. How long till they get here?”
“Any minute.”
“Well, I better get in place.”
“Sir, I look forward to our next meeting.”
Jackson hurried from the vehicle and stood in the middle of the road. Right on schedule, the security escort rounded the corner. The four SUVs stopped a hun
dred yards from Jackson. After what seemed like an eternity, the passenger-side door of the lead vehicle opened and a sharp looking agent stepped out.
“State your business! Keep your hands up where I can see them!”
“Sir, I am Regional Governor Jackson Butler. The president’s life is in danger. The people in this compound are holding him hostage. Do you recognize me? Do you know who I am?”
“Yes, I do, Governor Butler. We need to wait for reinforcements; I hear this place is heavily armed. I can radio back. I have a secure phone.”
“No! Stop! We need to act now. I have a platoon-sized force with me. I didn’t want them visible to you for fear you might jump to the wrong conclusion and start a fight. My men will join you. We have to act now before they try to move him!”
***
Charles watched the charade continue as he picked up his phone. “Ready?”
“Yes. When do you want us to move in?”
“The governor is going to stay behind with me. During the battle, your team will swoop in and stop the security escort. Jackson will arrive pretending to be the hero who saved the day.”
“Wait. We’re doing this so he can get caught?”
“You need not concern yourselves with the details.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
General Richard Dupree was aboard his stealth jet with fifteen uninjured soldiers. The craft was designed to carry twelve, but they managed to squeeze in an extra four. Nine other jets were in formation behind him. As soon as they landed and unloaded the passengers, the jets would take off to repeat the process. It would take eight round-trips to collect what was left of the bulk of the California invasion force.
New America 02 - Resistance Page 16
