by Bobby Akart
The scene around the Mansion was much different from his earlier visit right after Christmas with Duncan. Fort Knox didn’t have this level of military security. As they entered the grounds, they easily passed through the first checkpoint by showing their identification, but at the second checkpoint, they were stopped to confirm that their names were on the approved visitors’ list.
Unaware of this requirement, Major didn’t know to get the boys approved in advance, so they were forced to remain in a satellite parking area with the truck. He was escorted to the entrance on a golf cart.
After a brief wait outside the president’s office protected by two soldiers in full military gear, Major was escorted into President Burnett’s office alone. The president was sitting on a sofa to the left of her desk by the fireplace. She had several file folders stacked on the coffee table in front of her as well as her beloved Texas Rangers coffee mug, which emitted a faint trail of steam.
She rose off the sofa and greeted Major with an unexpected hug. The two of them had been friends for a long time, and Major could not recall ever hugging Marion Burnett. In the past, her tough, combative exterior would never allow such a showing of intimacy between friends.
Finally, she broke away and smiled. “Please, Major, excuse me. It’s just, well, it’s good to see an old friend.”
Major sensed she was troubled, but he wanted her to express herself on her own terms. “Madam President, I can’t imagine the pain of losing your vice president so abruptly. I’m sorry for your loss and the loss to Texas.”
The president glanced past Major at the door, which had been closed. She motioned for him to take a seat.
“Major, when I envisioned a free and strong Texas, I knew that secession was the only way and that the road to freedom from Washington would be a tough one. I was wrong. Secession was the easy part. Establishing a new government and the process of governing is much more difficult than I ever imagined.”
“Well, the EMP attack was a blessing and a curse in that regard,” said Major. “It opened the door for this opportunity, but it also immediately put you behind the eight ball in terms of forming a new nation. It’s kinda like an employee who plans on making a big move away from his existing job to do his own thing. He plans for months in advance, you know, setting himself up with office space, staff, and clients or business contacts. When the time is right, he makes his move. You didn’t have the benefit of any of the set-up phase of the change. You had to make a decision. Secession was a bold move and took a tremendous amount of courage. Now you have to see it through.”
The president smiled and drank some of her coffee. “You get it, Major. I’m surrounded by good folks, don’t get me wrong. But they’re political animals, longtime government employees. They don’t understand the real world like us ranchers. You’ve seen it from both sides in your lifetime.”
“As have you, Madam President,” said Major respectfully.
“Please stop calling me that, Major. Marion, from now on, in both public and private.”
Major chuckled. “Privately, yes, but publicly, never. You are the President of Texas, and everyone should afford you that respect in public.”
“Okay, fine. Major, let me get to the point, and I’m not going to mince words. There are powerful forces working against me and Texas. Monty was assassinated by a professional killer, one that has the earmarks of a military sniper. I don’t know if he was a rogue operator from within Texas, maybe working on behalf of Linkletter’s side of the aisle, or maybe the shooter was from another government, like Washington.” The president was referring to Patrick Linkletter, the former mayor of Austin and new Senate Minority Leader of Texas.
Major sat up in his seat and leaned forward. With a lowered voice, he asked, “What has your investigation produced so far?”
“Nothing, because there hasn’t been one,” she replied. “Major, Austin’s in disarray. I don’t know who I can trust. Yesterday was a day of mourning, and tomorrow Monty will be buried at his ranch outside San Angelo.”
“Why haven’t you turned this over to the Rangers? Or at least to the military investigative unit?”
“I want an outsider to get the answers. I want you, Major.”
Major leaned back in his chair and clasped his hands in front of his stomach. He knew deep down if this was a military shooter, like Duncan, then the trail probably had gone cold within minutes after the trigger was pulled. If the orders came from Washington, he’d never find out who was behind it. Like Duncan seeking those responsible for leaving him and Park behind on Sinmi-do in North Korea, Major would also be chasing ghosts.
If it had been orchestrated from within Texas, his opportunities to find a trail of bread crumbs was somewhat better, but the digital footprints that typically remained no longer existed since the collapse. An investigation like this would take good old-fashioned detective work via interviews, chasing leads, and thousands of man-hours. Hours he was not prepared to take away from the ranch and his family.
“Marion, I completely understand where you’re coming from, and I don’t blame you if a little bit of paranoia has crept in. And please, I don’t use the word paranoia in a derogatory sense. Your vice president was just assassinated; it’s logical for every president to wonder if they’re in somebody’s crosshairs.”
“Then you’ll help me?”
Major hesitated before answering. He needed to talk with Lucy and his family. He also needed to get Duncan’s thoughts.
“Major?” she asked, her voice hopeful.
“Marion, I have a lot of things to consider, especially the time factor involved. You know how these things go. We don’t have the benefits of computers and the internet and manpower. With what’s going on in West Texas, I can’t leave the ranch unattended.”
“What if I provide you full-time military protection for you and the ranch? I’ll let you handpick your investigative team. You can work outside of government constraints, but with full authority to do whatever it takes to find the people behind Monty’s death. I’ll pay you in gold!”
Major started laughing but immediately stifled his outburst when he saw that the president was serious. “Marion, here’s what I’ll do. You know I have to discuss this with Lucy and my family. I’ll do that tonight. In addition, I will attend the vice president’s burial tomorrow and interview those people who were on the ranch at the time. If you will clear my presence with the proper security personnel, I’d appreciate it.”
“That’s great, Major. I’ll take it. Listen, there’s one more thing. Monty’s friends in the armed forces will be present too. See if you can strike up a conversation with them to gauge their attitude. I’m meeting with them soon to discuss where we go from here.”
“I will, Marion. Listen, you have to solidify your relationships with the military. No nation is secure without an army to defend it.”
Chapter 20
January 18
Lake J. B. Thomas
The Armstrong Ranch
Borden County, Texas
“Life in my village was not terrible,” began Sook as she and Palmer started day two of their perimeter patrols along the east side of the Armstrong Ranch. Before they left the barn that morning, Palmer suggested they extend their perimeter and ride past the gun range toward Lake J. B. Thomas. Palmer had intended to show Sook the lake the day they went hog-hunting, but the intruders at the ranch had required their attention.
Sook continued. “There are so many different ways to fish in Korea. Near Sinmi-do, along the mountains, you can stand above the water and see thousands of white buoys. The buoys mark formations of shellfish farms. If you take your boat out a little farther, sand bars have formed where you can pull out an octopus with your hook.”
Palmer listened with interest as she pointed toward a path that circumvented the thick underbrush in the woods and wound its way downhill toward the water.
“Just a mile from my village, toward China, the water was very shallow, and during the low tide, I would dig up short-
neck clams. As a young girl, I would carry so many buckets from the beach to my mother. That night, she would make us doenjang-jjigae, a soybean stew made with the clams, mushrooms, and vegetables. We ate this often.”
Sook dropped her head and became emotional at the thought of her younger days with her parents. Palmer was amazed at how well Sook kept her feelings bottled up when it came to her family. It was an unspoken understanding between the two of them that her entire family was most likely killed by American nuclear bombs.
Palmer gave her a moment to regain her composure then changed the subject to Lake J. B. Thomas, which was coming into view as the trail widened. Once they reached the banks, Palmer dismounted and tied her horse off to a fallen tree. Sook did the same, and the two girls walked to the edge of the bank where they could see up and down the muddy lake.
Palmer pointed to the left. “The muddiest part of the lake is on our property where Wildcat Creek dumps into the Colorado River. When the heavy rains come, the water rushes through the gullies, picking up mud and dirt until it reaches the lake.”
“Gullies? Like the birds?” asked Sook.
Palmer laughed. “No. The birds are called gulls or seagulls. We don’t have those here, but we do on the Texas beaches. Gullies are small canyons or big ditches.”
Palmer led Sook by the arm closer to the water and pointed to the ravine where Wildcat Creek was located.
“I see,” said Sook.
“When Pops was alive, he would call the heavy rains gully-washers. A heavy rain washed the gullies.”
Sook burst out laughing. Apparently, she thought the concept was funny or the combination of words to create gully-washers. Either way, it helped her forget about the loss of her family.
“What kind of fish live in this muddy water?” she asked.
“Mainly largemouth bass,” replied Palmer. “We have been in a drought for several years, and the water keeps getting filled with silt and mud. To our right, the water is deeper and the fishing is better. To maintain the fish population, Texas Parks and Wildlife restocks the lake every few years with fingerlings.”
“Baby bass?” asked Sook.
Palmer laughed. “Yes, baby bass. Do you see those plants?” Palmer pointed down the banks toward a colony of cattails.
“Yes, they are interesting. What do you call them?”
“Cattails.”
“Why do they call them cattails?”
Palmer laughed. She loved Sook. “It’s complicated. You know, people use them as part of the flower arrangements for weddings. We have to plan a wedding for you.”
“Can we get married in a church?” asked Sook.
“We’ll have to see, Sook,” replied Palmer. “It might be too dangerous for us to leave the ranch for—”
“Arrrggghhh!”
Before Palmer could answer, she and Sook were tackled from behind and thrown down the embankment towards the water’s edge.
Chapter 21
January 18
Lake J. B. Thomas
The Armstrong Ranch
Borden County, Texas
The force of the much heavier man knocked Sook headfirst down the muddy banks, where she landed on her chest and slid toward the edge of the water. To her right, Palmer was rolling down in a tangled mass of bodies as the man who crashed into her also lost his footing and fell down the hill.
Sook struggled to gain her footing in the muck. She quickly looked around and counted three men. One was struggling with Palmer, the other was standing with his hands on his hips at the top of the bank, and the third was making his way toward her.
She debated whether to help Palmer or defend herself. The man lunging for her forced her into self-preservation mode. She couldn’t help Palmer if she was injured or killed by her attacker.
Unable to get to her feet in time, Sook crawled backwards on all fours to create some distance between her and the man who was struggling to walk along the water’s edge. In those seconds of the attack, her mind quickly processed and assessed her plight.
The man was clumsy, and despite his size advantage, he was unstable on the bank. Sook moved backwards until she was in a solid position and then waited for the man to make his move.
He bent over and grabbed for her ankles. Sook didn’t hesitate. She kicked upward with her right foot, catching her assailant directly under the chin. It threw him off balance, but the weight of his body came down upon her as he lost his balance.
The man groaned from the kick as he clutched his throat. Sook, however, knew the job wasn’t finished. With the man’s legs splayed open on top of her, she stared into his face, snarled, and yelled out a guttural scream as she brought her left knee towards her chest and crushed it into his groin.
The man’s face responded to the vicious knee kick. His eyes got wide, his mouth formed an O, and he quickly forgot about the pain in his throat.
Bull’s-eye, Sook thought to herself.
She rolled the man off her, and he tumbled into the murky waters of the lake. Sook scrambled to her feet and rushed to Palmer’s aid, who was clawing at her attacker’s face. He tried to climb on top of her and pin her down. Palmer fought back. Clawing, writhing in the mud, and screaming at the man caused him to anger and lose his composure.
Just as he was drawing back to punch Palmer in the face, Sook jumped into the air and kicked him in the side with both feet. The sounds of breaking ribs could be heard, and the whoosh of air being blasted out of his lungs startled Palmer. Momentarily, she looked at Sook in shock until her attention was drawn up the bank.
“Sook, he’s stealing your horse!” Palmer rolled the man with the cracked ribs off her legs with a couple more boot kicks to the back. She scrambled to her feet and helped Sook get up.
“Are you okay?” asked Sook.
“Yeah, but your horse,” replied an out-of-breath Palmer, who was winded from the struggle.
“Catch him, Palmer! Go!”
Palmer started up the hill to retrieve her horse. “Sook, guard them with your pistol. Be careful!” Palmer was on her horse in a flash and began the chase through the wooded trails.
Sook reached for her gun and found her holster to be empty. She looked frantically on the ground, continuously patting her jeans and empty holster. Sook turned to where she’d wrestled the man off her, and she saw the H&K that had been given to her by Lucy.
At the same time, her first attacker saw it as well. They both scrambled up the embankment, trying to reach the gun. Her hands and nails became bloodied as she clawed her way up the rocky bank; then she lunged to grab the gun. Still lying prone on the ground, she swung the weapon around to shoot her attacker, but he knocked it out of her hand and farther up the hill.
He was much stronger than her, and now he was furious that she’d gotten the better of him earlier.
“My turn, gook!” he screamed as he tried to pin her down. He was using his weight to hold her against the rocky surface, which caused stones to stick into Sook’s back.
“Nooo!” she screamed as she tried to push him off, but the man had gained control of the fight.
“Well, lookie here,” he growled with a toothless grin as he stared at Sook’s engagement ring. “Are you gonna be some kind of war bride? Them sure are purdy diamonds. Almost as purdy as you.”
Sook continued to struggle under his grasp, but he had her pinned.
“Get off!” she shouted in his face, which resulted in him spitting on her.
“Shut up and give me that ring!” he shouted in return.
He slid his hand up from her left wrist towards her hand in an attempt to slide the ring off her finger. Sook tried to wiggle loose, but he tightened his grip on her by squeezing his thighs together.
Growing impatient, he loosened his grip on her other wrist, which gave Sook the opening she was looking for. Using the palm of her hand, she thrust her arm upwards and caught the man under the chin again. The blow wasn’t powerful enough to knock him off, but it did throw him off balance. Her second punch w
as more forceful, this time directly to his throat.
He loosened his grip and began to roll off her. Sook didn’t stop with her counterassault. In fact, she didn’t stop until it was over.
Enraged, she used all of her taekwondo training to brutally kick the man in all of the human body’s most vulnerable striking points. She stood and kicked him in the groin, which doubled him over. Without hesitating, she struck him in the solar plexus, that area just below the rib cage that contains the diaphragm. The man began to gasp for air.
Sook was blinded by her rage. She kicked at his Adam’s apple twice and then bloodied his nose. The man was raising his arm, a gesture of surrender and an attempt to save his life from Sook’s lethal kicks.
As he rose to his knees, she growled and approached him. Her last kick was lethal. With all of the force of her training coupled with rage, she kicked him in the center of his chest. It caused the man to flip backwards down the embankment until his upper body landed facedown in the muddy water.
Sook didn’t need to check his pulse. She knew the blow to his heart was too much for his weakened system to endure. He was dead.
Sook turned to her attention to the man with the broken ribs. He’d attempted to crawl away, making it to the cattails before passing out. He wasn’t dead, but he was certainly incapacitated. Sook retrieved her weapon and slowly approached his body. He was unconscious but breathing. She checked his clothing for a weapon and found nothing.
For a moment, she sat on the bank and stared at his body, periodically glancing at the dead man to check for a miracle resuscitation. Just as she caught her breath, Sook heard gunshots in the distance.
“Palmer!” she hollered as she scrambled up the hill towards the woods. “Palmer!”
Sook couldn’t discern which direction the shots had come from, so she held her position. Frustrated that she was unable to help, she began to pace back and forth until she heard the sound of something heavy moving through the woods toward her.
