The End

by G. Michael Hopf

  Griswald looked at his aide again and said, “See what we can find out from our units around the world, do the best you can do.”

  “Yes, sir,” the aide said, standing up.

  “One second,” Griswald said.

  “Sir?”

  “Does it seem like the president is a bit overwhelmed?”

  “Sir?” the aide asked, looking confused.

  “Nothing. Now go get me that information and confirm our transport once we land,” Griswald said, pointing toward the door, motioning his aide to leave.

  “Yes, sir,” the aide said, leaving the room.

  Griswald sat back in his chair. He wondered to himself what type of response they could muster with what available and operational assets they had around the world. He wasn’t sure what kind of response the president wanted when they didn’t know who attacked the country. He understood that the new president had a lot on his plate, but he also knew that what steps the United States took next must be carefully calculated.

  San Diego, California

  Gordon awoke suddenly. He opened his eyes to see Haley with the remote for the TV.

  “Daddy, can I watch TV?” Haley asked, looking innocent and holding the remote in front of his face.

  Gordon had fallen asleep on the couch with Samantha but she was nowhere to be seen. Looking outside, he saw the grayish sky of a typical Southern California morning.

  “Where’s Mommy?”

  “Mommy is upstairs sleeping. TV please,” Haley said, still holding the remote in Gordon’s face.

  Gordon sat up, stretched, and said, “Honey, I’m sorry but the TV doesn’t work. Can I read you a book?”

  “No, I want TV,” Haley said, looking disappointed.

  “Honey, like I said, the TV doesn’t work,” Gordon said, looking at his determined daughter.

  “Can you fix it, Daddy? I want to watch Disney Junior.”

  “Sweetie, if I could fix it I would,” Gordon said as he reached over and picked her up. He kissed her on the cheek and forehead. “Believe me honey, if I could fix it I would.”

  “I love you, Daddy,” Haley whispered to him.

  Gordon’s eyes teared up as he hugged her even tighter.

  “I love you too, sweetheart; you’re my baby girl and I’ll do anything for you. I will fix the TV, I will do what I can to fix it all, I promise you,” Gordon said hugging Haley tight as tears slowly rolled down his cheek.

  “Why are you crying, Daddy?”

  “Because I love you so much,” Gordon replied not telling her all the reasons he was crying. He kissed her again on her head. He then said, “Run upstairs and get your three favorite books; I’ll read them to you.”

  “Thanks, Daddy!” Haley said, jumping off of Gordon and running toward the stairs.

  Gordon watched her as she ran. He felt like the world was on his shoulders. Today would be a big day for him and his family. He would finally reach out to his neighbors and inform them of what he thought had happened and try to start coordinating a community-wide effort for mutual survival. All of this would happen, though, after he spent a few moments of quality time with his daughter.

  His thoughts were interrupted with Haley jumping into his lap. She held more than three books under her arms.

  “Here, Daddy!”

  “What’s this? Looks like more than three books,” Gordon said, smiling.

  “Read to me, Daddy!” Haley said with excitement in her voice as she rested against his chest.

  “Looks like five books.”

  “Please, Daddy, read them all!”

  Gordon chuckled and said, “Sure thing, honey.” He opened the first book and began to read.

  USS Makin Island, Arabian Gulf

  The level of activity had been at an all-time high on the ship since their arrival earlier in the morning. Some typical, but also some unusual, but these were unusual times. His unit had already settled into their new home aboard the USS Makin Island. Sebastian and his team of snipers were relaxing in the berthing area and using the break to play spades.

  “Are you fucking kidding me!” Tomlinson yelled as Sebastian threw down the ace of spades and took the last trick.

  “Sorry, buddy, but you dealt them,” Sebastian said, winking at Tomlinson as he picked up the cards.

  “I dealt you like every spade in the deck. Such bullshit!”

  “I think this last hand has given me the game and that twenty spot,” Sebastian said, reaching over and grabbing the twenty-dollar bill next to Tomlinson.

  “Want to go again?” Sebastian asked Tomlinson.

  “Why not, what good is the money now anyway?”

  As Sebastian was shuffling the deck of cards, the berthing area hatch opened and Gunny appeared.

  “Marines, listen up!” Gunny hollered with his scratching voice.

  Everyone stopped talking and all eyes focused on Gunny.

  “Marines, we have a ship-wide formation on the flight deck in fifteen minutes. Get your asses squared away now, be up there in ten, do you hear me?” Gunny yelled.

  Various Marines acknowledged by yelling back, “Yes, Gunny!”

  The snipers began collecting themselves and putting on their blouses and boots.

  “I wonder what’s up now?” Tomlinson asked out loud.

  “There’s going to be a lot of these, I suspect, so get used to it,” Sebastian replied. He put on his blouse and grabbed his cover from his rack.

  When Sebastian and Tomlinson walked through the hatch they ran into a line of Marines trying to go up the ladder well. They waited a few moments and lost their patience.

  “Fuck this, follow me,” Sebastian said.

  Tomlinson followed Sebastian down the narrow and busy passageways. They came to a closed hatch and opened it, but were quickly stopped by an armed Marine on the other side.

  “Off limits,” the Marine commanded.

  “Off limits?” Sebastian asked.

  “You heard me, corporal, this passageway is closed off,” the Marine said.

  “Come on, sergeant, let us cut through here so we can get to the formation, all we need to do is go up that ladder well right there,” Sebastian said, pointing over the Marine’s shoulder at a ladder well just a few feet away.

  “No, corporal, this is off limits. I suggest you turn around and find another way.”

  “Come on, Sergeant . . . Devonshire,” Sebastian said, pausing to look at the name badge on his chest.

  Sebastian then heard some loud commotion down the passage and saw two Marines wrestle another Marine to the ground. A fourth Marine, an officer, entered from an adjacent hatch near the fight and helped the two Marines. The officer then looked down toward Sebastian and yelled, “Sergeant, shut that fucking hatch now! This area is secure and off limits!”

  “Sorry, corporal,” Devonshire said, quickly closing the hatch in Sebastian’s face.

  Sebastian turned to Tomlinson and said nothing. They both stared at each other for a moment and then Tomlinson said, “What the fuck is going on?”

  “I don’t know, but let’s get topside,” Sebastian said.

  When they both finally reached the flight deck their platoon was already formed up, as were thousands of other Marines and sailors. They quickly ran over to their platoon and got in the last row. Gunny Smith turned to them and just leered.

  “Marines and sailors of the USS Makin Island, attention!” Master Sergeant Simpson yelled and turned around. Barone approached the master sergeant and returned his salute. Simpson stepped to the right and marched off.

  “Marines and sailors of the USS Makin Island, at ease!” Barone yelled. “You all know we are living in unprecedented times. Our country has suffered an attack that has brought it to its knees; our families have suffered and are suffering right now. Many thousands have already died. We have los
t our entire federal government to an attack on our capital. The president and vice president are dead. There is a new president; Speaker of the House Conner was sworn in just hours ago. We still do not know who committed this attack but we do know that they also succeeded in Europe and over China. We have learned that there was an attempt over Australia but our Australian brothers stopped it. With many of our allies down and our enemies still out there, we have been ordered to go back east to assist in the search and rescue efforts while our families suffer at home without our care. Since yesterday, I have been approached by many platoon commanders expressing your concerns, specifically your concerns for your families, wherever they may be. I am here now holding this formation to inform you there have been some changes to our mission again.” Barone paused and looked around at all the Marines and sailors before him. He looked down at his boots and then looked back up and continued.

  “We are not going to the East Coast; we are going back to California! I stand here before you, letting you all know that I have listened to your concerns; I heard you! We are going to go home to take care of our families!”

  Many Marines and sailors started yelling their approval to what they were hearing.

  Barone raised his arms and yelled, “At ease, at ease!”

  The hoots and “Ooh rahs” stopped after a few moments with the assistance of platoon commanders yelling for everyone to be quiet.

  Once the quiet returned, Barone continued, “This change in mission does come at a price. I started this formation by telling you that we are living in unprecedented times and unprecedented times sometimes require unprecedented actions! Sometimes we must look at what is happening around us and make decisions that at first may seem incorrect but are really the correct decisions. I have made a decision that may not seem to some of you as correct, but which I know is the right one. I have made this decision and I am willing to suffer the consequences of it. I am now going to ask you, not tell you, what you need to do. I am not ordering you to make the same choice I made, I am asking you to come with me.”

  Many of the Marines and sailors were looking around. Whispers and murmuring could be heard everywhere. Marines and sailors were accustomed to taking orders; now they were being given the ability to choose.

  “I have secured command of this ARG; I have arrested those commanding officers who would not join me in our new mission. To some, I am committing mutiny! But in my heart I know what I am doing is right for our families regardless of what they call it.”

  The sound of talking and murmuring grew louder as the shock of what Barone was saying began to sink in.

  “I have heard your needs and desires, I have turned us around, and we are heading for San Diego! Those of you in formation who wish to join me and go back to California so you may be with your families and protect them from the dark days ahead will be rewarded. If your family is not there but you wish to join us on the trip there you are welcome. If you do not wish to continue with us once we make landfall, you may depart then with no questions asked. Now, if you do not wish to join us at all then we will drop you off on Diego Garcia.”

  Barone took another pause and looked around.

  “I feel it is important that in order for me to lead you on this new mission I should explain how I came to this decision. I have been a Marine for eighteen years. I love the Marine Corps. I love my country and I love my Marines and their families. I cannot in good conscience lead us to the East Coast to clean up something that I feel is a total loss. I cannot lead you knowing that your families are at risk. Our federal government is gone; those authorities back in California are also gone. Without power and equipment our families are being left to fend for themselves. Our mission back east is to dig up dead bodies. By the time we make it back home we would be doing the same thing, but those bodies would be of our families and friends. This is why I have done this. I ask you to join me on this new mission. It will not be easy, and we will be alone, but I do not see our country being the same again. I have given you the new mission; I am giving you the choice to join me. We are now living in a new world. Who out there will join me?”

  Thousands of Marines and sailors yelled in unison, “Me, sir!”

  “Who will join me?” Barone repeated even louder.

  “Me, sir!”

  Sebastian just stood there stunned and confused; he liked what he heard from Barone but he also felt that by joining him he’d be turning his back on his country. He then thought of Gordon, Samantha, and the kids. When the colonel again yelled, “Who will join me?” Sebastian raised his right arm and yelled, “Me, sir!”

  Dade County, Florida

  Conner could hear all the activity outside on the tarmac. Their landing had gone smoothly; in fact everything seemed to be moving too smoothly. While they waited for the convoy that would take him to meet his new vice president, Conner and Griswald were just finishing up a briefing.

  “General, thank you for putting this all together so quickly,” Conner said.

  “Mr. President, you’re welcome. I hope this has helped you understand how we sit and what options you have when you make the decision to respond. What are your thoughts on a response?” Griswald asked.

  “General, I think it’s important to respond very soon. I believe we can’t wait too long. When I spoke with the Australian prime minister, they hadn’t gotten much of anything from the individuals they had captured on that container ship. The main concern I have is that whoever committed this might attack us again, and soon. I also don’t believe this was a rogue group. I believe it was orchestrated by a nation state. What we do know is that these attacks only targeted us and our allies. China and Russia were also affected but you know who wasn’t? South America, Africa, and the Middle East were not attacked. I don’t think that was accidental. I feel whoever committed this came from there or was supported by a country in that area.”

  “Sir, I would agree with you that more than likely a nation state like Iran or Pakistan was behind this.”

  “I wanted to bring this up earlier but you didn’t mention our nuclear forces.”

  “Our nuclear forces?”

  “Yes, general; I believe the only acceptable response would be to respond with a nuclear attack. We do not have the time or the resources financially to commit air or ground forces. I say we nuke the bastards and move on!”

  “Mr. President, while I agree we should respond with the same force. I have to ask, who do we use them against? We don’t know who attacked us.”

  “That, General, is the question, and one we may not be able to answer anytime soon, if ever. I ask you this: How can we even think of rebuilding if we might be attacked again? What we do know is there are many countries that do not like us. Many have worked against us before; they have supported terrorist organizations openly and have wanted our demise. If they didn’t directly take part in this, haven’t they indirectly supported it?”

  “Mr. President, are you suggesting that we nuke them all?”

  Conner sat there for a brief second looking at Griswald. There was an odd silence in the room. The air was thick with tension. All eyes were on the president, waiting for him to respond to Griswald’s question.

  “Yes, general, I am suggesting we nuke them all! We have to assign blame and make it happen. Our countrymen would demand an immediate response.”

  “Mr. President, do you know what you are asking? By unleashing our nuclear arsenal we will kill millions of innocents.”

  “Are there innocents anymore? What about those innocents in our country? What about them? We can’t invade these countries and spend years attempting to seize them. We need to neutralize this threat once and for all. And that is by killing all of them!”

  “I understand you are upset, Mr. President, but maybe a more measured response like airstrikes or cruise missiles.”

  “There cannot be a measured response; we must once and for all destroy
our enemies. Here is what I want now. What would it take to destroy our enemies in Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, North Korea, Yemen, Libya, Egypt, Syria, Afghanistan, and Somalia?”

  “All of those countries? You want to attack all of those countries with our nuclear forces?”

  “I want to look at our options, General.”

  “Mr. President, I am concerned about this approach.”

  “I respect your concern, but please get me the information as soon as you can.” Conner just looked at Griswald, then continued by pivoting the conversation. “Have you secured transport for me to go meet Governor Cruz?”

  “I believe so.”

  “Great, thank you. I want to leave in twenty minutes,” Conner said, standing up. “I hope to return with Governor Cruz and his family. From here, we’ll go to Colorado. Thank you again,” Conner finished and left the room.

  Griswald stood up and watched Conner leave. After he left, Griswald turned to General Houston, the commanding officer from Homestead Air Force Base, and said, “Are you as concerned as I am?”

  “Gris, look, our country has been hurt badly, I agree with the president. We have to have a firm and prompt response. Waiting only invites further attacks,” Houston said with his southern drawl.

  Interrupting him, Griswald fired back with anger, “What will the world think of us if we wipe each one of those countries off the map? There has to be another way.”

  “As I see it, we should get all of our troops who are left overseas back here to help support getting this country back on its feet. The world is a different place now; I don’t know when it will recover. We have a chance now to take out once and for all those countries that dislike us and seek to do us harm. We have the legitimacy for this attack based upon what has happened here.”

  Griswald, looking frustrated and angry, stood up from his chair and pushed it back hard against the wall. He paced back and forth and then responded to General Houston’s comment. “General, with all due respect. That is a piss-poor reason to kill millions of innocent people. While I somewhat agree in the use of our nuclear forces against those who actually perpetrated this act, we must determine with confidence who actually did it! We cannot and must not kill millions of people out of the excuse that we have been attacked and we do not get along with those people!”