“Do you think he is really that good?” Lincoln asked.
“He seemed pretty sure of himself. Asked me if I thought just the seven was enough.”
“I’d say that shows a certain amount of moxie,” Lance quipped.
“He had no weapon?”
“Not that I saw. He also was instructed to not hurt anyone under any circumstances,” Thomas told them.
“So how will we know what’s what?”
“I guess when they come back with him or he brings them back.”
“Did you set a time limit?”
“Not really. He indicated it shouldn’t take over a half hour just before he took off,” Thomas said.
“Guess we’ll see in twenty minutes,” Lance replied.
They sat waiting in the hot sun. Nothing was stirring. Not a sound was coming from the field or the trees. Lincoln was just getting ready to say something, when Gerhardt spoke from behind them.
“Do they have him?” he asked.
“Geez,” Lincoln said, jumping up.
“Holy…” Lance added.
“How…” Thomas stammered.
“Yeah, it’s a shock isn’t it? You might want to go out and get your people. They didn’t seem too happy about being taken down. No one is hurt physically but I think Ms. Dare’s pride is a bit wounded. She was pretty upset when I left her cuffed to a tree. Got a temper that one,” he said smiling.
“You got all seven of them?” Thomas said.
“Sure. Ms. Dare was the hardest to get. She is really pretty good. Made only a couple of mistakes but they are the kind that people like me notice and take advantage of. The others still need work.”
“Mind taking us to them so we can let them loose?” Thomas asked.
“No problem,” Gerhardt replied
***
Kim was seething as she sat in the room with the others. She prided herself on being the best and this unknown comes along and steps out behind her in less than twenty minutes. She had been sure she knew exactly where he was and suddenly he was behind her saying she was dead.
“I have to say, that was impressive,” Thomas said.
“Not to take anything away from Ms. Dare, she is very good at what she does. She is methodical and very focused. She was the most challenging of the group.”
“You don’t have to butter me up,” Kim said.
“Ms. Dare, I don’t give a rat’s ass about your feelings. I just assess the situation and report it like it is. If you had made a total fool out of yourself I would have said that. You don’t get better by being told how good you already are. You get better by someone telling you what you are doing wrong. You did several things but none of them the average sniper would have noticed. I am not your average sniper,” he said evenly.
She just clenched her jaws.
“Mr. Burger. Your demonstration was impressive to say the least. What I want to know is what do you really want? There has to be more than just joining our team. You have something in mind. Like you, I have special talents. Mine is assessing people and finding out what makes them tic so rather than taking a great deal of time, why don’t you come right out and tell me what you really want?” Thomas said.
“I like that. Straight to the point. Alright. I do want to join your group but I want to have a chance to build a special ops team that can operate independently to do the work that others can’t or won’t.”
“Meaning you don’t want to answer to anyone, including me?”
“Something like that. I don’t mind sharing what I have in mind but I want the control over my people. I want to pick the five people that will make up my team. I don’t want to have to go through a lot of people to get to you. I saw your chain of command chart. If that is set in stone then I’m out of here and looking for another group.”
Thomas leaned back in his chair. No one in the room said anything. Kim had stopped being angry and was listening intently. They were all pretty much thinking the same thing. Who was this guy?
“Mr. Burger…”
“Gerhardt, please. My father is Mr. Burger.”
“Fine. Gerhardt I hear you but I guess I am just dense. Are you saying you want to call the shots on every operation you undertake? On top of that you will decide the operation itself?”
“That’s pretty much it Commander…”
“Thomas.”
“Touché. Thomas, if you give me the five people, I can guarantee you that we will do more good for the uprising that you are trying to provoke than seventy-five percent of all the militias put together and with virtually no loss of life.”
“What five?” Kim asked.
“Excuse me?”
“What five people are you talking about,” she said.
“You and four of the ones that I feel were the best out there today.”
“Me? You want me under you?” Kim asked.
“Only if you want.”
“Don’t be a sexist pig.”
“I would say that would be you, Ms. Dare. I was talking strictly from a military stand point.”
Her face turned red and she sat back and crossed her arms. She wasn’t sure she even wanted to work with this cocky jerk.
“Lincoln?” Thomas asked.
“We have seen what he can do. I’m all for it. I sure wouldn’t stand in his way.”
“Same for me,” Lance said.
“I don’t like loose cannons and that is how I see Mr. Burger. He wants to do what he wants and doesn’t want to follow the rules or take orders. If find that lacking discipline,” Ivan replied.
“General Baker, wars are won by not following rules. You can have no rules in war. Those with rules, lose.”
“I don’t happen to agree with that. I think they are necessary or you have everyone doing what they think is right. A chain of command exists for a reason. Hell, they would still be on the beaches in Normandy during World War II if everyone just did what they wanted to do. No sir. I think you are just a rogue who doesn’t understand the need of the greater cause. You want to do your own thing no matter what anyone else thinks. Yes, I’ll admit what you did was impressive but that was just one small part of a very large picture,” Ivan said.
“I understand your feelings. I don’t agree but I do respect you for saying them and not beating around the bush,” Gerhardt told him.
“Kim?” Thomas asked.
“Getting over being embarrassed by how easily he took us all down, I would have to say we could learn a thing or two from Mr. Burger. He certainly has skills beyond what I bring to the table. I still don’t quite understand how he captured me.”
“Gerhardt, would you mind if we talked alone?” Thomas asked.
“There is nothing you can say that will bother me one way or the other but if it makes you feel better, I’ll be outside.”
“Thank you,” Thomas said.
CHAPTER TEN
“Madam President this is spreading. General Lamb is right. The ISS can’t handle that large an area. We are talking about towns from Maine to Wisconsin where riots and protests are happening. Not just a bunch of kids making a racket but serious protests. We have to do something and it is either use the military to quell them or declare Martial Law,” General Douglas told her.
“Have any of our people been killed?”
“No, but that’s not the criteria we should be using to determine action. The fact that it is a growing problem is what matters.”
“General, I shouldn’t have to remind you, what I think is what matters and I think this will all blow over. Walker had his fifteen minutes of fame. This will run its course like everything else. The American people are lazy. They can’t sustain any real action. The world has changed. They are motivated by the latest cause but only as long as it doesn’t last too long and it doesn’t inconvenience them. Money is what motivates them. Arrest the leaders and take everything they have. That will put an end to this silliness. Once people see the cost associated with being a ringleader they will not only think t
wice but will decide it just isn’t worth it,” Clemons replied.
“With all due respect, I think you are underestimating what is going on. We are talking about thousands of protesters. Signaling out the leaders isn’t that easy.”
“That’s the job of the ISS isn’t it? I’ve already gotten rid of two people who couldn’t do the job. Do I need to consider another change?”
“All I am saying is that the leaders have had time to organize. They are getting people stirred up but keeping a low profile.”
“Then kick your people in the butt and find out who is causing the problem. You picked General Lamb to head ISS. If he can’t do the job, you need to get someone in there who can.”
Douglas knew this wasn’t an argument he could win. He was aware that you should never fight a battle that you know you are going to lose.
“Maybe we should augment his people with military men and women,” the general offered.
“Augment?”
“Back them up to show that the lines are not as weak as the protesters think they are. A show of force if you will.”
“Yes. I like that. The ISS can be on the front lines but the military can let the people know we mean business. I think that has some real merit to it,” Clemons agreed.
“Do you think we should we should use reserves or regular military?” he asked.
He wanted her to buy into the plan. To make it her own so he could share any blame if it all went wrong.
“I think the regular military would show a stronger presence. Why don’t you use them?”
“Excellent decision. I’ll make the arrangements immediately.”
***
The ISS station head in Milwaukee, Wisconsin learned of a protest scheduled to take place on Saturday. The origination point was to be Stormonth City Park on the north-east side of Milwaukee. He immediately contacted General Lamb and he, in turn, notified General Douglas. Douglas had five thousand troops flown in and the ISS gathered another six hundred.
“This is the starting point,” Lamb pointed out on the oversize map of Milwaukee.
“That looks easy enough. We can wait until it is underway and come in on Interstate 43 then send part of our troops down West Green Tree Road and set up a blocking action. We can do the same thing on the other side on Calumet Road. Then we link the two groups up by using North Crossway Road. They will be trapped and have nowhere to run,” Colonel Bigelow told General Lamb.
“What if they go east?”
“So what? They can’t go far. They will be trapped by Lake Michigan. Sure, a few may get away but the vast majority will be trapped. We can haul them in like fish in a net,” Bigelow said.
“Alright. It looks pretty good. You just need to keep your men at the base until just before you saddle up.”
“Understood sir. We are ready to handle this,” Bigelow assured him.
“Good. We want to arrest them and find the leaders if we can. I don’t want indiscriminate beatings of civilians. Only allow your men to use extreme force if they feel they are in a life threatening situation,” Lamb told him.
“Will do,” he assured General Lamb.
***
Lamb had five of his IIB agents infiltrate the crowd that was starting to gather. Their job was to identify, if at all possible, the organizers of the protest. They were dressed much like the rest of the crowd and a couple even carried signs. Others from the local ISS were also stationed through the crowd in civilian clothes to target potential extremists.
By 9:00 a.m. around three thousand people had gathered at Stormonth City Park and the crowd was growing. Already several people had started to make speeches and bullhorns seemed to sprout up.
“I have one of the organizers in sight. He is the guy with the beard wearing a head band. He looks to be around forty-five or fifty, two hundred pounds. Maybe five-ten,” the IIB agent said over his microphone.
“Got him,” Colonel Bigelow said using the zoom lens on his camera to get a few good shots.
At around 10:00 a.m. a woman took the center stage and started talking about how the administration has stripped the Bill of Rights from the Constitution. Lamb had to admit her speech was not only accurate but compelling. Colonel Bigelow was recording the speech and taking pictures. It would not end well for this woman who was doing what every American worth their salt should be doing. If there were more like her and less that stuck their heads in the sand, we wouldn’t be in this situation, Lamb thought. Now he was going to have to arrest her and have her sent to an internment camp.
“They are getting ready to march to Bayshore Square and demonstrate there. Is everyone in place?” the colonel asked.
“We’re ready, came the reply.”
“Wait until they are close then use the tear gas. Rubber bullets only. Got it?”
“Yes sir, I checked the bullets myself.”
“Alright. Hold as long as you can. Then let them have it,”
“Yes sir.”
***
The protesters knew something was wrong as soon as they reached Monica Boulevard. The street was blocked with a line of ISS officers with full riot gear. A huge water cannon was positioned in the middle of the street with ISS officers on either side. Behind them were several rows of military people.
They slowed for a few seconds but then continued on. Everyone was packed so tightly that it was almost impossible to stop the forward progress of the mob.
When they got to within a few yards, a group of protesters started rushing forward.
“Fire,” came the order from Colonel Bigelow.
The ISS officers unleashed round after round of tear gas but many of the protesters were prepared and had gas masks. They continued to close the distance.
“Fire the water cannon”
The truck cranked up its engine and a stream of water slammed into the front row of the protesters knocking them down but others kept coming, shoved forward by the sheer size of the onrushing crowd. Bodies tumbled to the ground and the ISS fired round after round of rubber bullets and tear gas. People went down by the hundreds but on they came.
They surged against the first row of ISS men and tried to shove them back but they held for a few minutes. Then a second wave hit them and they were pushed back. The protesters were trapped. In desperation they started throwing anything they could find at the ISS men. They broke store fronts and hauled out anything they could use as a weapon.
“We are being overwhelmed,” a frantic report came.
“Close ranks from the back. Use whatever force you have to use to protect yourselves,” Bigelow told them.
The fighting and scuffling went on for almost an hour before it was finally brought under control. Many of the protesters had managed to escape by breaking into stores and finding ways to exit out the back or side.
Hundreds lay hurt with broken bones, cuts and various other injuries. It looked like a war had taken place. The woman who had been one of the leaders was lying on the sidewalk with a broken leg and arm. Blood ran down her face from a large gash over her right eye. She was being watched by one of the ISS men.
Colonel Bigelow walked over and stooped down by her.
“Was it worth it?” he asked.
“Absolutely.”
“Two broken bones, countless injured, and you are going to be tried for treason. It was really worth it considering the consequences?”
“What you fail to understand is that our freedom is worth everything. You did nothing here today. This will go on and grow. You think you can stop a nation that has spent the last three hundred years fighting for freedom with a few people who can’t see the trees for the forest. You won nothing today. I faltered but others will take my place. And then another and another. We will get our freedom back,” she said.
Bigelow stood up.
“Stabilize her,” he said to the medical team, “and have her brought to General Lamb’s headquarters at the Reserve Center.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“Give me th
e numbers,” Lamb said.
“Fourteen civilians dead. Four hundred and forty-six that we know of injured. Countless others are probably injured. One ISS officer dead, Twenty-seven injured, two life threatening.”
“No military personnel injured?”
“Not during the protest. One man got his foot run over when he wasn’t paying attention.”
“Alright. Overall it could have been a lot worse.”
“How is Mrs. Hargreaves doing?”
“She will live. Both bones in her arm were broken along with her tibia. Her head took nine stiches. She is going to be just fine.”
“I want to talk to her,”
“We have her in custody. She is alert. You can talk to her at any time.”
“She is being held in the basement?”
“Yes sir.”
“I’ll go now. I have some questions for her.”
“Do you want me present?”
“Heavens no. I’m not afraid of Mrs. Hargreaves no matter how feisty she is,” he said laughing.
“Yes sir,” the colonel replied.
Lamb had the guard open the door when he got to the cell.
“How are you feeling Mrs. Hargreaves?”
“And you care because?”
“Because I’m a human being just the same as you. I don’t like to see people get hurt. I may be in the military but that doesn’t mean I enjoy watching pain and suffering.”
“I’m fine all things considered. No one has come and tried to beat information out of me…yet.”
“Is that what you want to happen so you can feel more like a martyr?”
“I don’t need to be a martyr. I need people to stand up for what is right.”
“And who determines what is right? You? Your group of friends? Are you so wise that you know what the right thing is for everyone?”
“I didn’t say that but I can tell you that the Bill of Rights was a part of our Constitution. It is what sets us apart from other nations that have dictators. When you strip that from the doctrine, you change the whole concept of democracy. That is what anyone with an IQ above a carrot should be able to understand. The only thing that protects the Bill of Rights and ensures that it remains in place is the 2nd Amendment. It is the guardian for everything else.”
PROJECT BlueBolt - AMERICAN UPRISING: BOOK III - AMERICAN UPRISING Page 6
