Objective- Freedom

by James Huber

  Once they were safely in the car, he asked, “Do any of you know what’s going on?”

  “No, Sir,” the guard said. “We’re to take you directly to the president’s bedroom.”

  They arrived at the White House without fanfare. Apparently the press vultures were investigating rumors about the attorney general’s new hairstyle or something equally important. None of them noticed Ray Green go directly upstairs.

  Walking into the president’s room, he was heartened to see him sitting up and apparently interested in his surroundings again. When he visited earlier, the president was overcome by lethargy.

  “How is he doing?” Ray asked the doctor quietly during one of those visits.

  “It might be the medication or that he’s just given up in the face of overwhelming obstacles.”

  President Curtis seemed glad to see Ray. He got out of his chair and walked up to shake Ray’s hand with a firm grip like in the past. Still, something was lacking. Finally, he realized the president’s eyes were dull, and it wasn’t just from medication.

  President Curtis dismissed his attendant. “Come sit for a while, Ray.”

  Sitting near the writing desk, they looked out the window. It was clear Curtis missed going outside, but they had to maintain the ruse of a viral infection.

  Curtis looked at Ray. “I heard about what’s been going on. It seems out of control. Believe me, I know that feeling. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be in here as an invalid. However, it’s not out of control. You’re doing a fine job, but you can’t do it all. Once the Secretary of the Treasury is out of the way, we can reform the Secret Service. That’ll help us keep an eye on Elliott Randall and his gang.

  “I can’t do that. I can’t suddenly step back in. I don’t have the strength or the willpower. It’ll come, but it’ll take time. You’re strong. You can do it, and I know you have plans. In that light, please read this.”

  He opened a secure courier envelope and handed the contents to Ray.

  Amendment 25 to the Constitution of the United States

  Section 3. Whenever the president transmits to the President Pro Tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that he is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office and until he transmits to them a written declaration to the contrary, such powers and duties shall be discharged by the vice president as acting president.

  “I intend to invoke the Twenty-fifth Amendment tomorrow at noon,” Curtis said. “The President Pro Tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House have agreed. I’m also moving to the Presidential Suite at Bethesda Naval Hospital. I’ll continue my recovery there. It might take a year according to some of the Navy doctors. Others say longer, but that remains to be seen.

  “President Raymond Green, may God bless you and keep you and our country in the palm of His hand. I can do no more, Sir. It’s up to you.”

  He signaled the Secret Service agent and was taken from the room in a wheelchair. When he looked back, he smiled at President Green and nodded. A few minutes later, ex-President Curtis was taken to the helipad to be evacuated to Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland.

  Press members who gathered at the exit were fended off by Secret Service agents and the press secretary. He took the names of eight of the most-obnoxious and intrusive reporters and told the Marine guard to remove their credentials and have them out of the White House within five minutes.

  A press release went out immediately. The press secretary knew the news would stir up the situation with the Coalition, and he couldn’t wait to hear their reaction.

  “Ladies and Gentlemen,” he began, “President Curtis’s condition isn’t improving, and he’s been admitted to Bethesda Naval Hospital. He will remain there until he can resume his duties as President of the United States. This evening, in the presence of the speaker of the house and the president pro tempore of the Senate, the White House physician, and Vice President Raymond Green, President Curtis invoked the Twenty-fifth Amendment. Raymond Green is now acting President of the United States.

  He will remain in that position until Congress declares Robert Curtis well enough to resume his duties. He may also take up the position again at his own discretion.”

  The press went wild. One man pushed his way to the front. “Does this mean Curtis isn’t president anymore? Is he sick or hurt?”

  The press secretary stopped in the doorway, and the room became quiet. He walked slowly back to center stage. “Don’t you take notes? I said no questions. Since you asked about Green being president, you obviously aren’t qualified to be in the White House press corps. Go read the Twenty-fifth Amendment and answer your own questions. That is all.”

  He left the room. Ray Green met him in the hall. “You’re doing a terrific job. Will you stay on?”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  President Green went into the Oval Office and found a sealed envelope on the desk embossed with the seal of the US Treasury.

  When he read the letter inside, he realized he needed to appoint a new Secretary of the Treasury. The incumbent saw the news conference and hastily turned in his resignation.

  President Green called in Colonel Hamilton. “I want President Curtis’s memorabilia and personal belongings untouched. I intend to take up residence in the White House. Please see to it.”

  “Yes, Sir.” Hamilton saluted, did a sharp about face, and

  left.

  We have so many good men and women in this building, Ray thought. How’d we ever get in this jam? It’s hard to believe radicals could cause so much trouble.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  The news of the implementation of the Twenty-fifth Amendment came as no surprise to anyone in the US or the Coalition, though the real reason was still unknown.

  The Coalition governors called for a meeting the following week to form the Coalition into its final shape. The new constitution was written and approved by all states. The governors would have their first meeting under the new constitution, which

  was modeled after the US Constitution, though it wasn’t perfect, nor was perfection possible.

  When Governor Harris of Texas and Governor Wilson of Arizona announced the ratification of the constitution by all the states, Governor Wilson made a speech to welcome the states into the Coalition.

  “We must strive for the possible,” he said. “The supposed best is pie in the sky. The perfect is unattainable.”

  He also read excerpts from the new constitution.

  IN PART: The country will be governed by a council of governors, each elected from his home state for a period of four years. No limits will be imposed on the number of terms the governors may serve.

  The council of governors will elect a chairman for the first four years. After the first four years, the chairman will be voted by the council of governors, which can decide whether to have the current chairman continue or be replaced. The chairman may resign at any time for any reason. A governor may refuse to serve as chairman and request to be withheld from the election process.

  In the event of death or incapacity to serve, the chairman will hold the post open until twenty-one days after the death or incapacitation of the governor. Then a popular election will be held in the state to replace the governor.

  The lieutenant governor will stand in the place of the departed governor until the post is filled. The chairman will preside over the meetings and will represent the Coalition for formal affairs and will represent the country to foreign countries. The chairman will receive an annual stipend of $150,000. All personal expenses will be borne by the chairman.

  The legislature will be made up of three representatives freely elected by each state. These legislators will serve one six-year term with no reelection. Any vacancies for the legislature will be filled within twenty-one days by popular vote within the state. The legislature will meet two times a year for twenty working days. Legislators will be paid a per diem to be based on the cost-of-living index. No other salaries wi
ll be paid.

  Any person twenty-one or older is entitled to a vote under the following circumstances:

  Be a citizen of the Coalition. Provide proof.

  Provide a positive form of identification to the election judge.

  Prove their literacy.

  Not be incarcerated or a paroled felon.

  No religion will be established by the government, and no one will have the right to protest the display of religion or religious acts, icons, or messages.

  No welfare or public housing will be granted for more than ninety days. The only exception for this is total infirmity verified by three doctors. All bills of law will first be approved by the individual states, which will have total jurisdiction over them. A simple majority of 50% plus one is sufficient in any elections in the Southwest Coalition of States.

  No excise tax will be collected on any goods or services originating in the Coalition. All goods and services imported will be assessed a 25% excise tax.

  All states adjoining states outside the Coalition will collect toll fees on all interstate commerce. This will be shared with the Coalition, with 75% of the income being the property of the state and 25% for the Coalition.

  There will be a flat 10% income tax on wages earned in the Coalition.* Wages earned in the military will be taxed 5%.

  The military being a natural and necessary arm of the government, all citizens twenty years of age to sixty-five years of age will serve a minimum of six months active duty or longer if the person so desires.

  This document isn’t perfect. It’s open for discussion and amendment.

  * Simple tax form here. How much did

  you earn this year? Send us 10%.

  It was the start of a new era on the American continent. A new, free, independent country emerged. It wasn’t recognized by the major power on the same continent, but it was recognized by a long list of other countries around the world. All waited to see where the Coalition would allow them to establish embassies.

  A partial list of such countries included Mexico, Canada, France, Spain, Japan, Greece, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Israel, Jordan, Egypt, the Republic of South Korea, Iceland, Argentina, Peru, Bolivia, Columbia, Nicaragua, Ecuador, the Vatican, Panama, Taiwan, South Africa, and Italy. Many more inquiries were sent.

  The council of governors decided that Fort Worth, Texas, would be the capitol. It was near the biggest airport in the country, and it was easy to defend based on its landlocked location. It was far enough inland to deter any navy from bothering it, and buffer states helped provide security.

  Texas already had an established paramilitary police force in the Texas Rangers. They would be the main law enforcement and security apparatus for the Coalition. They were professionals who were screened and tested regularly.

  The governor’s meeting was attended by all governors. The governors of Idaho and Utah flew down in military helicopters with an escort of Apache gunships. The old federal courthouse in Fort Worth was remodeled into the new Coalition capitol, completed by the new Coalition Working Cooperative labor group. The wealth of skilled laborers who needed jobs was almost overwhelming. It was a beautiful building, made with pride in having jobs that meant the workers didn’t depend on the government for handouts.

  A new version of the Pie Ladies from the Depression emerged. In the 1930s and ‘40s those women made lunches and pies and brought them to work sites to sell. That happened often in Fort Worth, with its steel mills and aircraft factories.

  That happened again during the construction of the new capitol. Such kindness secured the ladies’ futures, because consulates and embassies would be built in the city, too, so they could be near the capitol

  The western part of Fort Worth experienced a building boom not seen in twenty-five years. Land and property on the southwest side of Lake Worth was scheduled for development. The Coalition hired skilled craftsmen for as far away as Idaho and Louisiana.

  The best part of the situation was that the nations that wanted new embassies built paid for them, as well as investing in the infrastructure in and around Fort Worth. Most countries agreed to build houses for their diplomats or to lease them. Prosperity returned to one part of North America.

  The United States protested that the Coalition used the interstate tax to raise money, but few in Fort Worth paid any attention.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  President Green finally felt comfortable in the White House. He knew, as a military man, he was a rarity. There hadn’t been a professional military man as president since Eisenhower, whom Green considered the last real president. The rest were just politicians out for their own good.

  Every morning, he greeted the large painting of Ike in the hallway. He removed the one of the lecherous draft dodger who’d been elected. He also removed the pictures of the men he called the Shirt Salesman and the Ward Healers. The blank spaces were hardly noticed.

  The phone rang beside his bed a little too early. He knew from many years of deployment, rapid-force movements, and disasters that an early morning call was poison.

  “Good morning, Tony,” he said to his aide. “What is it so early?”

  “There’s been a border incursion into Southern California.

  The governor called out the National Guard to supplement the sailors in San Diego.”

  “Incursion? How many is an incursion?”

  “A guerrilla force crossed the border at Mexicali and reached the southern limits of El Centro City. They fanned out across the desert south of California Highway 98. Apparently, they control the entire desert, and they’re advancing against El Centro in force. The Marines are awaiting your order to move. They’ve set up a secure perimeter around the El Centro Naval Flight Facility.”

  A buzz on the telephone interrupted the explanation.

  Colonel Hamilton looked at it and said, “Sir, the commander of El Centro requests permission to return fire if the invaders attack.”

  “Meet me in the command post in ten minutes. I want the USMC commandant and the chief of Naval Operations there as soon as possible.”

  When Green and his security guards arrived, the big-screen projectors showed satellite and recon pictures of the California southwest. The desert south of California 98 looked like an army brigade of six battalions had invaded. A smaller force of one battalion was just south of El Centro. The Marine commandant walked in and again asked for permission to return fire.

  “Granted,” President Green said.

  The vice chief of staff for the Air Force spoke up. “We can have air support there in fifteen minutes.”

  “Do it,” Green said.

  “I’ve got a fleet of cargo planes ready to bring troops into El Centro,” the deputy chief of Naval Operations said.

  President Green gave his permission.

  Secretary of State Kirby was busy with local officials trying to

  learn the invaders’ purpose. He wondered if they were regular soldiers, militia, or guerillas. Once they knew, they could apply the necessary response.

  “Until we know for certain,” President Green said, “they’re to be treated as enemies and must be turned back from any military installation. There’s no rule of engagement.”

  He knew having no ROE was wrong, but he was more interested in the welfare of the military personnel and their families than he was of the opinion of a loudmouth agitator from New York or Chicago. He’d deal with that if and when the time came.

  “I’ve got the Marine Aviation unit active at 29 Palms Marine Corps Air Station,” the commandant of the Marine Corps said. “I’m moving elements of the Seventh Marine Division into Imperial Valley within thirty minutes. I don’t expect much resistance.“

  “I’ll also launch any combat helicopters and any available close air- support planes I can find.”

  He gave the orders and sat back to watch his men in action. “Can they contain the invaders before they go any farther north?” President Green asked.

  “Yes, Sir. I’m certain of
it. All we need is a show of force.”

  Reports quickly came in from Imperial Valley. Two attack helicopters were fired on by the invaders. There were no casualties, as the invaders were apparently unfamiliar with their weapons. The rockets exploded harmlessly in the desert.

  The attack helicopters found the invaders’ strong point where the missiles came from and blasted it into a smoking ruin. They lingered, hoping to draw more ground fire, but all they received was harmless small-arms fire. They fired a few antipersonnel rockets into the attackers, and the shooting immediately stopped.

  One squad was dispatched to check the attack against El Centro. They arrived just as a Marine Recon team landed. The Marines on the ground immediately drew enemy fire, and the air units opened up, cutting a 500-yard-wide swath through the invaders. Most dropped their weapons and ran south.

  The pilots let them go and dropped down for close air support for the advancing Marines, who surrounded the invaders’ vanguard. A few shots were fired, but the invasion collapsed quickly.

  The air units sighted many invaders running for Mexico.

  The American acting secretary of defense ordered the Marines to put up a total barrier along the border. No one was allowed through on penalty of death.

  As fast as the invasion began, it was over. The secretary of state called for the Mexican ambassador to come to the State Department immediately. He ignored the summons. When the secretary called again, the ambassador refused to answer.

  President Green called Mexican President Miguel Contreras and told him about the ambassador. The Mexican president gave an Oscar-winning performance of indignation, saying he didn’t understand why the ambassador would do such a thing. The president said he knew nothing about armed insurgents gathering in Baja.