The Enemy Within

by Kurt Winans

  With complete understanding of that unfavorable prospect, a fragment of the master plan for incursion upon Texas by United States covert forces called for a diversion with added benefit. With the strike set for Monday the twenty-ninth of May, a date which during the current calendar year coincided with the Memorial Day Holiday, the intent was to create havoc within the panhandle with a large enough compliment of special operations forces so that it could not be ignored. If successful, those forces would temporarily cut off a lucrative financial stream for Texas, and in the process, hopefully draw some of her military forces to the region from other locations.

  The first step of the plan to establish temporary free passage for all commercial trucking along Interstate-40 was to expediently seize control of both entry points into the republic. Because eliminating the civilian traffic without causing alarm was also necessary, the success of the endeavor would be crucial. The combined factors of an early morning hour and that it would be attempted on a holiday which Texas still recognized as legitimate were working in their favor, but a secondary ruse beyond that of the intended diversion would be required in order to accomplish the goal.

  Through the use of federal agents posing as New Mexico or Oklahoma Highway Patrol personnel, check points were set up at the nearest interstate exit to the border. Beginning at midnight and continuing for the next two hours, they stopped all traffic with the exception of a few dozen big rigs which contained teams of Army Rangers and special operations units. Then in a coordinated effort at each of the two entrance points, the driver of a lead truck roughly ten minutes ahead of a convoy stated his desire to hire a Tillman tractor for the crossing as he spoke with the border guard. After each truck had moved forward to the designated spot for the transfer, the troops within sprang out when the rear doors opened to surprise the guards and seize control of the border crossing facilities. With no other civilian traffic to move through, the team then quickly policed each respective entry point to make it appear as if nothing had happened.

  While in the course of that action, the commanding officers from each unit made contact via satellite phone with the American facilities which were located roughly one-hundred yards away on the opposite side of the interstate. Then upon meeting with the supervising border agents, they informed them that until otherwise notified they were to keep quiet about the seizure of their mirror facility while also maintaining normal operating procedures at their own.

  Within those brief encounters there was another topic of discussion. As there was more than one-hundred seventy miles of interstate stretching across the panhandle and through the city of Amarillo, it was understood that there was no real hope or intent of securing it all. However a dent could be made in that distance, and with the borders under the temporary control of special operations units, any commercial trucking could pass freely from New Mexico to Oklahoma or vice versa until Texas responded.

  By the time that had been conveyed and understood, the convoys of double trailer rigs had arrived at each crossing from the checkpoints a few miles back. A handful of men were left behind to monitor each crossing for the possibility of any stray civilian vehicles, while each special operations unit that had policed the area climbed back into their trailer rig to lead their convoy into Texas. Moving toward each other from opposite sides of the republic, the plan was to cut off access to the interstate for several miles. They would not attempt such a maneuver in or near Amarillo, as there would not only be too much traffic to easily contain, but the location would be far too deep into Texas to ensure any measure of safety or success. Therefore distance parameters had been previously set, with the hope that each would get enough attention so as to be reported to authorities within Texas.

  From the Oklahoma border the trucks drove fifteen miles to the west where Highway-83 met up with Interstate-40 at the town of Shamrock. While in route, two double trailer rigs at the tail end of the line peeled off at any exit from the interstate to perform the task of blocking the corresponding entrance ramps. In each instance one rig would back into position before disconnecting the second trailer as it spanned the width of the westbound onramp. Then it would back into a parallel position and uncouple the front trailer from the tractor. As that was being done men from the other truck would slash all the tires of each uncoupled trailer to ensure they could not be easily removed from their blocking positions. Once that had been accomplished, the tractor would pull onto the eastbound onramp ahead of the second double rig where the procedure would be duplicated. The second tractor would be cut off from an entrance to the eastbound lanes, so it would drive back up the exit ramp from the westbound lanes of the empty interstate and return to Oklahoma.

  The final location where the procedure was performed was at the exit barely to the east of Shamrock, but it had one notable exception. While the truck in the lead continued on toward Amarillo and eventually New Mexico, the last of the double rigs in the convoy peeled away. However unlike the others at exits between its position and Oklahoma, that truck would not block the westbound entrance. Instead it curled under the interstate to block the eastbound ramp before the tractor returned to the westbound exit and headed in the wrong direction along the interstate at high speed.

  On the New Mexico side the task was grander in scale, although it was handled in nearly identical fashion. However instead of covering fifteen miles of interstate, that larger convoy ventured thirty-five miles into Texas. Ending at a point just to the west of the junction with Highway-385 at Vega, they had successfully blocked each of the east and westbound entrances onto the interstate.

  As the last of the respective drivers headed back to New Mexico at high speed, he knew that the impact of those obstructions on both sides of the panhandle could take several hours to manifest. But he also understood that they would undoubtedly occur soon after civilians from remote regions reported the inability to access Interstate-40 for their various needs. At that point local law enforcement personnel would surely be called to assess the situation, and then in response to their own visual confirmation, would probably attempt to contact the border crossing facilities to discern if anything unusual had transpired. Posing as border guards, members of the special operations units who had secured the facilities would then claim that everything was in order. Upon realizing that the situation could be a massive revolt from various trucking companies, local law enforcement would contact a higher authority in the hope that military assistance would be offered.

  For those within the information loop in Washington D.C. and the units at the border crossings, it was understood that a military reprisal from the Republic of Texas would come. It was hoped that forces for that intent would be deployed from their closest strongholds of either Abilene or Wichita Falls, as regaining control of Interstate-40 would be of paramount importance to them. Regardless of what would transpire from that reprisal, the mission would be considered a success if two things were accomplished. First was the intended diversion of forces, while the second being that of instilling a belief that the United States had not been the cause for the troubles along Interstate-40.

  Vice Admiral Rutherford was aware that he would receive an order from Washington D.C. in just a few minutes, and although the USS George H.W. Bush would remain at its current station in the safety of international waters, dozens of ships under his command would advance into Texas territorial waters. The maneuver when realized by the republic would be construed as an act of aggression, and as the vessels positioned themselves within three nautical miles of every sizable port of call in Texas, that assessment would be correct.

  As for the largest port of Galveston, which served as the commerce gateway to the megacity of Houston, a more determined and aggressive approach would be employed. At any location which could serve as an entry or escape route from Galveston Bay, a United States Navy missile cruiser and several smaller support vessels would set less than a single nautical mile from shore. Upon arrival at their designated station they would contact the port authority of
fices via ship to shore communications, and inform them of their presence. The message would detail the intended inbound and outbound blockade, while also further expressing that the United States had no desire to inflict unnecessary injury upon civilian personnel, or to damage any of the port facilities in or around Galveston unless the need arose. Therefore it was imperative that the port authority understood the requirement to halt the departure of all outbound vessels, while also needing to reroute inbound vessels to another Texas port.

  The Admiral realized that once he had given the order for the ships under his command to advance there would be no turning back, but that was the way that it must be. The USS George H.W. Bush could and would provide air cover for the fleet against any aerial resistance, so with a quite visible smile the Admiral felt no shame in believing that poetic justice existed within the upcoming maneuver. In his opinion, having a supercarrier named in honor of a former United States President from Texas choking off any possible outbound sea going commerce from the Lone Star Republic seemed appropriate.

  The orders from the White House and on down through the short command structure of the Joint Chiefs to the three-star rank of the Vice Admiral were quite clear. All ships within his sphere of influence would form a blockade along the entire coast of Texas and remain there until ordered otherwise. However the long and daunting line of vessels would not be completely impenetrable, as along with the departure and return of small local fishing boats, the Admiral had been ordered to allow any inbound cargo vessels not headed for Galveston to pass. Based on those parameters each warship within the blockade would keep a record of any such vessel that was encountered, and take note of the national registry. However instead of hindering their progress or bothering them in any way, the priority of the overall plan was that of halting only the outbound container ships.

  That was where the plan moved beyond simple military action and began a focus on hindering the financial solvency of Texas. By employing such a strategy, the United States would be making it more difficult for the republic and corporations within such as Tillman Shipping to fulfill any export contracts which had been penned with other nations of the globe. Although it would still be possible for those corporations to meet some demand via air, rail, or trucking methods, the republic would be hampered. With the loss of shipping from their own ports, large quantities of goods could not be delivered to distant locations on a regular basis. To amplify the problem, any use of rail or trucking to American ports of call for sea going commerce would need to pass through a portion of the United States under restrictive guidelines. Those guidelines would include the payment of heavy tariffs which were set to be initiated in three days on the first of June.

  As a result, one of two things would eventually transpire. Texas would either incur a mounting trade deficit due to receiving the import of goods which they could no longer reciprocate for except with cash, or for the reasons of skyrocketing costs or noncompliance with existing contractual terms, the nations whom they were doing business with would dissolve the trade agreements. Either scenario would work to the advantage of the United States, because sooner or later, the Republic of Texas would feel a significant financial impact.

  In accordance with his instructions from above, Vice Admiral Rutherford was now prepared to move forward with his portion of the elaborate plan. Another quick glance at his watch revealed that the time was upon them, as it was now one o’clock in the morning of May twenty-ninth. Only he among those that he commanded was aware of the diversionary forces that were currently at work in northern Texas, and that a covert military incursion would simultaneously take place at three other locations throughout the coming few hours, but those actions were for other senior officers to worry about. Each aspect including the blockade was timed to put stress upon Texas and create problems for their military forces through the use of multiple fronts, and this would be the largest of them all. History showed events rarely worked out well for those of inferior strength who were required to defend multiple fronts, and Tony Rutherford would test the ability of Texas to do so.

  As if on cue, a junior communications officer said, “Begging the Admirals pardon sir, but a coded message for you has been received.”

  In silently reading the few words of the message, Tony Rutherford understood the implication.

  Then after turning toward an old friend, he smiled and said, “Captain Wilkes.”

  “Yes sir Admiral.”

  “The go code has been received. Inform the fleet and all support vessels that they are hereby ordered to immediately begin their advance into hostile waters. Once they are on station, each ship is to take the appropriate actions with regard to given instructions.”

  “Yes sir Admiral, right away.”

  “Thank you Captain. That is all.”

  With the diversion along Interstate-40 being put into play, multiple sets of covert forces could then begin their phase of the overall plan. Although their moves into and against Texas would be synchronized to begin at one o’clock in the morning, the two respective targets were separated by more than two-hundred miles.

  The eastern of the two presented more of a logistical challenge on multiple levels, which in turn meant that it could be difficult to successfully complete. Located just west from the city of Texarkana, the former Red River Army Depot for the United States was still being used by Texas in a similar fashion. Although the base supposedly contained a large portion of the ammunition stockpile for Texas, the difference between the past and the present was that those numbers were substantially less than when it was occupied by the United States. In addition, the facility now served a secondary purpose of defending the northeast corner of the republic.

  Based upon the multiple crossings within the city of Texarkana, incursion by several small units of men and equipment was no problem. In a wave of recreational vehicles with jeeps or other forms of off-road vehicles in tow, the covert forces came through an open border at numerous sites unnoticed. By three o’clock the entire force had arrived at predesignated positions within a mile or two of the base, and those with a jeep sent a team of four men toward the various entry gates. As each pulled to a stop at a gate, the driver of the jeep would motion toward the front seat passenger who had a map unfolded in front of him. Then with a smile he would claim they were looking to get some breakfast at a place that was hopefully on the way toward their intended fishing spot, and were wondering if the guard could recommend anything. In each instance the guard came forward while motioning for another to assist with the inquiry, and upon their arrival, the men in the rear seat took them out with silenced side arms. Only the main gate offered up slightly more resistance, as it was manned by a larger compliment of early morning guards. In that instance, it became necessary for the two special operations men in the back to jump out and quickly neutralize another two. Then with every entry point to the base secured and the unconscious guards replaced with well-trained impostors, the convoy of recreational vehicles advanced to offload men and additional weaponry.

  Over the course of the ensuing hour, the covert teams of more than one-hundred men knocked out sentries and those at various duty stations with powerful tranquilizer darts as they moved through the base. Then in knowing that those men and women would not stir for at least six hours, they headed toward the barracks to take care of the soldiers who were sleeping in their bunks.

  Quick and efficient in their task, the teams then proceeded to drag those from the outside who had been tranquilized into the barracks. With all weapons being removed from within, the doors were then locked and boarded shut. Those who had been on desk duty in various buildings were also gathered and placed within a conference room under the same conditions. When it was done more than five-hundred had been subdued and detained, and when the men and women would awake, they could be easily guarded in their containment. As an added precaution all communication systems on the base were rendered inoperable, and the mission, at least in the Red River location, had been a comple
te success.

  With the date being little more than three weeks from the summer solstice, the total number of hours when there was daylight was near its peak on the twenty-ninth of May. Even so, as the predawn light began to tinge the eastern sky, the leader of the covert teams made contact with his superior.

  He was pleased to report a simple coded message of, “Wish that you could be here with us. We have caught the daily limit on the Red River.”

  A few hundred miles to the west, the second of the simultaneous incursions was also underway. However with the large compliment of personnel stationed upon it, there was no hope of securing that base with similar tactics. Based upon earlier covert reconnaissance missions, the Joint Chiefs had been aware of that from nearly the beginning of the planning stage. That was part of the reason why a northern diversion along Interstate-40 had become a necessary element within the development of their plan. Even so, the grand scheme did require current covert observation from near the base and the reporting of any escalating activity if nothing else. Then if the observation should reveal a weak point which could be exploited, the covert teams would be ordered to cause whatever disturbance they could at Sheppard Air Force Base to the north of Wichita Falls.

  Via southbound Interstate-44 from Oklahoma, a handful of SUV’s crossed the Red River at staggered intervals to enter Texas. The first, like the recreational vehicles moving through Texarkana, led the way at one o’clock. A few miles later it exited the interstate and drove toward a predesignated parking spot before the others followed in similar fashion. Fanning out along Bailey Road they had clear views of the airfield where they could monitor the air traffic departing from the base and report those findings to their superiors.

  While they were doing so, a small convoy of trucks was in full readiness at the first interstate exit within Oklahoma. Should they be called upon, that convoy would also enter Texas at staggered times before regrouping within a few miles of the base. Each would pay the tariff for transporting perishable food or other goods without question, and should the specially designed cargo holds of the single trailers be opened for a casual inspection, it was doubtful that the men inside would be discovered without a most thorough search.