***
Day 71 Journal Entry
When we came on they had started using the small drill bit going
through the production casing. At some point they attach these small explosive devices to the liner on the casing and punch holes through it. The pressure then forces the gas and oil up through the pipes and it eventually flows where they want it to go.
No one has told us where it is actually going to go. Maybe that is someone else’s problem. As I understand it, this crew is for exploration. Others actually work with the product once it is at the surface. I don’t know what that means to us either. Will we stay here or will be packed up with the exploration crew and moved to another location? All I know is, I hope where we go is further from the Arctic Ocean.
Just after the noon meal they pulled the bit out of the production casing and placed the BOP on top of the conductor pipe. Once everything was the way they wanted it, they punched the holes through the casing and we could feel the ground move. There was a deep rumble and then a fine mist of oil spray filled the air. They had to vent the air in the line. Unfortunately, I was standing pretty near the BOP and got absolutely soaked with the heavy crude oil. My face, hair and entire body were saturated with the stuff. This is one night I would definitely be taking a shower, a long one, using every bit of soap I could find.
***
Day 72 Journal Entry
I still feel greasy and smell like oil. It took three showers last night but I still feel slimy. Even my pillow smells like oil. Anyway, we were sent to the rig to clean up and start putting everything away. At least the weather cooperated. It was a balmy -15 degrees with only a two or three mile an hour wind.
One thing different, we were all called out to work. It gave me a chance to have a long conversation with several of the people from the other barracks. It seems that while people are over all happy with the President’s handling, especially of Congress, they are starting to question how she is going about it. There is fear that Americans are giving up too much freedom in the name of safety.
When she first created the ISS and crime reportedly fell twenty percent or more, her rating was in the 60+ approval range. Now it is hovering around 52 percent. Not a huge drop, but I think that is going to continue to fall once people wake up and realize they have given up all their Constitutional freedom. I am actually ashamed, for the first time in my life, of having been a reporter and helping perpetrate some of the myths associated with the Constitution being outdated. Unfortunately, it is only now that I am realizing how ignorant I was regarding what could happen if the wrong person wanted to completely disregard it.
The other news is that as I suspected, some of us will move with the rig. It will be taken down, loaded on trucks and moved to a new exploration site. They haven’t announced who will stay and who will go yet but intend to tell us in the next couple of days. I’m kind of torn as to what I want to happen. Actually as I think about it, that is kind of silly. As prisoners we don’t have a say one way or the other so it doesn’t really matter what I want.
Still, if given a choice, I would probably choose to stay. Even with the crappy weather, the food is good, the shelter is adequate, and I can’t imagine the work being any harder or more dangerous than working on the rig. Of course I am making this assumption based on no real knowledge of what the next step is like. I assume we are going to put it in barrels, trucks, or maybe they intend to build a pipe line. Before I was ‘detained’ there was talk of adding additional pipelines from Alaska. I guess we could always be assigned to a project like that.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
- IDAHO MILITIA BASE CAMP –
“I just got word that General Douglas has changed his plans. He is going to go after the Utah Militia. Evidently he was able to find out that the Headquarters for the Utah Militia is located in Eden, Utah. He plans to use the Ogden area as a staging point. He is moving in Warthogs, Apache Helicopters, and field guns. Obviously they will use Hill Air Force Base as a jumping off point. They can bring in other jets at a moment’s notice if needed.”
“Do you have a date?”
“Five days from today. Next Sunday.”
“That doesn’t give us much time.”
“We have to get those people out of there. They can’t fight that kind of fire power. They won’t stand a chance,” Thomas said.
“And do what with them? Bring them here? We don’t even know if they are willing to do that,” AJ said.
“Well, they have three choices the way I see it, fight and get killed, surrender and get sent to a Gulag, or join us.”
AJ rubbed his face with his hands. He knew Thomas was right. No way could they fight against jets and heavy artillery.
“Then you are suggesting we get everyone together and hash out a chain of command and how we are going to ultimately organize,” AJ said.
“Yes, and I don’t just mean Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, South Dakota, and the others. I mean we need to contact every state Militia and hold a meeting to work out a chain of command. If we don’t, Douglas will cut through us like a hot knife through butter. Not only that, we need to do it ASAP and get the Utah people here, like yesterday.”
“Alright. I’ll see what I can do. This is all coming to a head and I don’t know if we are really ready,” AJ replied.
“It doesn’t matter if we are ready or not. It’s do or die time, so…” Thomas responded leaving the sentence unfinished.
“General Baker is pretty level headed. I think he will get his people out of harm’s way. I don’t know if he will join us or not but I know he is smart enough to not try to fight it out with Douglas.”
“While you are contacting him, I’ll start on the other Militias and see if we can get them to meet with us one way or another,” Thomas told AJ.
“Good. Let’s get cracking.”
***
- IDAHO MILITIA HEADQUARTERS -
Six hours later only nine state Militia leaders had been contacted. Thomas had played phone tag with several of them. Some weren’t interest in even talking to him. When he tried to explain what was going on they seemed to think they could take care of the situation themselves. Both AJ and Thomas were totally frustrated. The one positive was that General Baker realized the urgency of the situation and said he would immediately start moving his men and equipment to their location. They would do it in unmarked semi-trucks to keep satellites from revealing what they were doing.
The other bit of good news was that Thomas was able to get the leaders of Wyoming, South Dakota, Michigan, and Colorado to commit to attending a meeting.
When General Baker rolled in, he was accompanied by twenty-five hundred militia members from all around the state of Utah. It took AJ and Thomas by surprise. They hadn’t thought to ask how many they would bring. It didn’t seem to bother Baker one bit.
“Look, we will get along just fine. We have everything we need. Everyone is going to have to get a lot tougher before this is all over. Sleeping outside, living off the land and watching our backs is going to be a way of life for all of us once this hits the fan,” he told them.
“What about munitions?” AJ asked.
“M-16s, .30 caliber and .50 caliber machine guns along with a few rockets, and lots of mortars. We have twenty or so outstanding snipers. I mean they are really good,” he told them.
“We need to figure out a way to get some serious fire power as well. AJ has some pretty potent stuff but we need something that will take down choppers and planes. Even then, it will be tough. If they use high altitude or stealth on us, we will be in serious trouble,” Thomas replied.
“You can rest assured that Douglas is going to throw everything at us. Knowing him, he will use air power first and then put the boots on the ground. He is a by the book guy. We are going to have to hit them and then immediately fade away before they can get all their ducks in a row. We cannot go toe to toe with him,” Baker said.
“Excellent. That is exactly what Thomas and I said a few ho
urs ago,” AJ told him.
“We are going to have to play hardball you know? We can’t cut them any slack. We have to hit them hard and take out as many as we can. We don’t have the means to take prisoners.”
“We totally agree,” Thomas responded.
“It’s going to be one hell of a war,” Baker sighed.
***
- THE WHITE HOUSE –
“Mr. Spears. Are you sure that their headquarters is in this location?”
“Absolutely. We have been watching them for a year. They have the entire area camouflaged with netting but that’s where they are,” Taylor said pointing to the map.
“When was the last time you updated the intel?” President Clemons asked.
“Just a few days ago. They have no idea we know their location.”
“What do you think Chester?” she asked General Douglas.
“If Mr. Spears is correct we can take them out with a concentrated air strike and then go in and clean up with a battalion of troops.”
“What about the people living in Eden?”
“We will evacuate them. Move them out of the way. We are going to be coming from the other side of the mountain but we will still use Eden as a blocking position in case they try to run. I do not intend for them to get away.”
“Will Eden be in the line of fire?” she asked.
“There is a chance of course. They may suffer some collateral damage from bombs but it should be spared for the most part.”
“So you intend to concentrate your air and troops on Erie Peak?”
“That’s where Mr. Spears indicates they have their headquarters. If he is correct, we will put an end to the Idaho Militia. It will also give the other militias something to think about,” he said.
“And you have already started the build up at Hill Air Force Base?”
“My people are almost all in place. Our jump off time is set for the day after tomorrow at 0400. Naturally I will be there to direct the operation.”
“Naturally,” Spears muttered.
General Douglas heard him but ignored the comment.
The President dismissed Taylor but asked the General to stay.
“Chester, can you really destroy them?”
“I certainly don’t see why not. They cannot match us in firepower. We have air support and they have nothing to counter that. I have two thousand troops on the ground ready to go in. Yes we can, under one condition.”
“Oh? What is that?”
“That Mr. Spears has given us the right information. At this point it is too late for us to insert our own team and check out the location. We are going on his word.”
“I’m sure Taylor is correct. Like he said, he has been keeping an eye on them for quite some time. If he says they are on Erie Peak, I’m sure they are.”
“Alright. Is there anything else?”
“No. Just good luck. Wipe them out.”
“That is exactly my intent.”
***
- WASATCH MOUNTAIN UTAH-
Six men lay watching the coming and goings at Hill Air Force Base. They wanted to see exactly how General Douglas organized everything. They could see him strutting around every once in a while giving orders.
“Wow, talk about micromanagement,” Lincoln Bix said.
“That’s good. We can use that to our advantage. That means he doesn’t allow his troops to make any important decisions. That delay will allow us to shift our tactics,” General Baker replied.
“Look how they store everything. They have everything sorted out by type. All the ammunition is in one place. All of the rockets are in one pile. We can use that to our advantage as well,” Thomas said.
“What do you have in mind?” AJ asked.
“The best time to attack is while they are getting organized. If we were ready, I would want to attack them right now. The troops are all working and only a few have weapons. I would use a coordinated attack on the supplies and the soldiers before they could break out the weapons. I would have another group destroy the planes while they sat in the hangers and on the runways. I wouldn’t even let them get in the air.
The tanks would be a little harder but we have a good supply of SMAWII and Serpent rocks that can take them out. Once we overrun the base we would haul off everything that we can use. What we need to find out is how many of our guys can fly planes, drive tanks, and everything in between. We are going to need to salvage as much firepower as we possibly can,” Thomas told them.
“He is right. Get them while they are preparing rather than when they are ready. We jump up, take then out and move on. This isn’t about capturing ground,” Baker said.
“We also need to capture and find a way to use radio, television, and the print media to let people know the truth. We need them to stage a general uprising so it keeps troops tied up. The more men they have to expend on other issues, the better chance we have of defeating General Douglas,” Thomas added.
“We need two or three bases where we can store munitions and hide planes and tanks,” Lance Uber said.
“He is right. That may be the toughest job of all with them having all of the satellites at their disposal. They can track us down fairly easily,” AJ said.
“Then we are going to have to collectively think about that and come up with a means of overcoming their technological advantages,” Thomas replied.
“Easier said than done,” Baker responded.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
- HILL AIR FORCE BASE, UTAH –
The pilots stood waiting for the General to address them. When he finally came into the room, he strolled to the raised dais. A huge map of the area was displayed on the wall behind him.
“At ease. Take a seat,” he said after looking them over first.
They all sat down as he stood there with his hands behind his back.
“As you know, your mission is to destroy the target on Eyrie Peak. The town of Eden, is just to the east of Eyrie so you want to come in from the south to unload. I would rather not hear about collateral damage to that community. The F-16s will make the first pass and then the A-10 Thunderbolt Warthogs will come in and mop up. I want everything in that vicinity leveled. I don’t want to hear about a bunch of them getting away because you missed a target. A large part of your mission is to send a clear message to the militia that they cannot not go up against the might of the US Military. The President herself wants this to be a loud and clear sign that she will not tolerate any insubordination from a bunch of dissidents. Gentlemen and Ladies, I expect you to deliver a stellar performance and take the enemy out. Dismissed,” he said.
Within a few minutes the pilots were walking to their planes. Several of them had some serious doubts about bombing other Americans. They knew that a great many of those in the militia were ex-military men and women. A few of them even questioned if the orders were morally correct or legal but they continued on and soon were strapped into their planes, awaiting the signal to begin.
One Warthog pilot, Captain Ben Sheldon, had already decided that he would have a problem with his air craft and not be able to complete his mission. It was a huge risk for his career but he was not about to kill other Americans. He decided that he would have an engine malfunction and land at the Logan-Cache Airport in Logan, Utah. He would fly the craft right on the deck and land and then either disable the aircraft or simply take off and go on the run. He was still debating what to do when the order to follow the wing leader came over his headset.
***
- EYRIE PEAK, UTAH -
It was a text book perfect attack. The F-16s came screaming in and dropped their bombs. They were immediately followed by the Warthogs that not only dropped their bombs, but made a second strafing pass with their nose mini-guns.
Windows broke and people panicked as the planes made their run. Almost everything came to a standstill in Ogden, Utah and even those as far away in Layton and Salt Lake City could hear and feel the explosions. People stopped what they were doing
and the police were swamped with concerned and frightened citizens wanting to know what was going on. As usual, the ISS had not bothered to notify the local police so they were as confused as the other citizens.
Of the twenty-two planes that had taken part, only three had not been able to deliver their load or complete their mission. One F-16 had a power loss on take-off and had almost crashed at the end of the runway. Two of the Warthogs had malfunctions. One had limped back to Hill Air Force Base and the other may have gone down but they had no word yet as to where. It had disappeared off the radar just before it was getting ready to make its run.
Once the aircraft had returned, Douglas sent up a surveillance drone to reconnoiter the area. He was not pleased with what he saw. He immediately summoned the flight leader.
“You’re telling me that you hit the exact target and this is what the drone brings back?”
“Sir, we hit the area specified. I cannot attest to what the drone is picking up. I know we did our job as outlined by you and our briefing commander. We hit the designated target sir,” he said, not backing down.
The General glared at him for a few seconds before finally saying, “Alright Colonel Fall, I will look into it further.”
“Yes sir,” he answered.
He decided before he went totally ballistic he needed to have all his facts straight. He would send in a recon team to scout the area and make a full report. The last thing he needed, was to give the President an incorrect debriefing on the entire operation.
***
- THE WHITE HOUSE -
“General Douglas, are you telling me that we dropped tons of bombs on an empty mountain? That is, except for the twenty kids that were camping there? You did manage to kill them as I understand it,” the President said.
“Madam President, I’m sure you read the report several times. We attacked exactly where the intel indicated the militia was located. As it turns out, they had either previously left or it was nothing more than a diversion. The point is, we attacked exactly where we were told they would be.”
PROJECT BlueBolt - BOOK II - THE GULAG JOURNAL: BOOK II - The Gulag Journal Page 13