He also told us that he had counted no more than thirty-five guards including the two in the towers. To listen to him tell it, all we had to do was waltz in and set everyone free. I still was wondering how we were going to get to the island and then how we were going to get everyone off, including ourselves.
It seems he had thought through all of that. The first part about getting us onto the island would be on a barge that had been used to haul whales to the slaughterhouse. He had managed to get both the boat to pull it and the barge for us to be transported to the island. It would hold many more than what we had. Getting everyone off might take two or three trips depending on how many are there. He saw quite a few but didn’t know the exact number.
I remember thinking this sounded too easy. Anything that sounds easy, usually isn’t. We were told the jump off time would be at 2:00 a.m.
First problem. None of us had a watch. He assured us that would not be a problem. They would let us know when it was time.
***
Day 102 Journal Entry
It is day 102 by just a few hours. We were told it was time to get on the barge. Holy smokes. I have never smelled anything like that in my life. It was so rank several guys threw up immediately. Parts of whales were strewn all over the deck. It was gross.
The boat pulled us along at a slow pace. I guess he didn’t want to make any more noise than necessary. Once we got to the shore we all got off the barge and were doggone thankful for it. Tim, Ron, and two others secured the boat. Three men were going to stay behind to make sure nothing happened to it. I sure would like to have been one of those guys but I was told I needed to go along.
We worked our way along slowly until we came to a fairly steep section. He had us carefully make our way to the top and told us to space ourselves out and lay down. He took me aside and pointed out the two guard towers. Then we went back to the others. He told them that I and a guy named Reiner would take out the two guards. As soon as they heard the shots they were to follow him and shoot anyone with a gun.
I’m thinking this plan needed a little more thought but what the hell, we were here and we were pretty much screwed one way or another. I crawled back up the slope and trained the cross hairs of my rifle on the shadow in the guard tower. He was easy to see. Reiner was beside me and he was on the other guard.
Ron came by and asked if we were ready. I guess, was all I said. He went and got the others ready to charge or whatever they were going to do. I saw him wave his hand so I lined up the shot. I asked Reiner if he was ready. He said why not. I counted down from three and pulled the trigger. I couldn’t believe the noise. The next thing I knew the rifle was jolting my shoulder. I could see the guard slump to the bottom of the tower. Got him, Reiner told me.
After that all hell broke loose. Ron was up on his feet and running into the compound followed by forty other crazy idiots. Gunfire erupted and I saw a few of our people go down. Evidently the guards were pouring out of the barracks and Ron and the others were mowing them down as fast as they could. The advantage the guards had was automatic weapons.
Finally everything went still. It was weird. A few minutes later people started appearing from the various barracks. Ron was having the other men fan out and make sure there were no more guards hiding.
Then it got even weirder. Everyone started shouting and hugging. I guess they realized they were being rescued. What I don’t think they realized is that this was just the beginning of what they were going to face. Yes, they are free for now but you know the government is going to send massive troops to hunt them down.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
- THE WHITE HOUSE –
Taylor had been shaken by the news. A mass escape from Stockton Island in Alaska was nearly impossible for him to believe. Maybe New Mexico or Nevada, but not Alaska. When he was summoned to the White House he knew he was going to get an ear full.
President Clemons was in her usual frumpy outfit and wearing her all too common frown. He wondered if she had permanent wrinkles between her brows. Now that that he thought about it, he couldn’t remember the last time he saw her smile or act the least bit happy.
“Taylor, perhaps you could walk us through the Stockton escape. I’m not sure I understand how they could have gotten off an island that is surrounded by frigid water. Was the water frozen enough for them to just walk over to the main land?”
“Madam President, we don’t have all the answers. The only plausible explanation is that they had outside help. The guards were shot and no one other than the guards had weapons. We found shell casings for various weapons, including shotgun shells. Someone, or more likely some group, decided to set them free. That area has some of the harshest environment in all of Alaska. They couldn’t have gotten far. We are currently getting a large force together to head to that area and track them down.”
“Track them down? But how could they survive like that? Taylor, what the hell were your ISS guards doing on that island? Were they even on watch?”
“Madam President, it is going to take some time to piece together exactly what happened. At this point we are just guessing. We lost radio contact with them three days ago. That is not unusual for that area. We have lost contact with some of our Alaska stations for up to a week. Once we checked the weather in the area, we determined that we needed to send a team up to check out the facility. That is when we found the camp empty and the guards murdered. I am on my way up there to investigate personally,” he said.
He had just now thought to add that last part as a show of his desire to get to the bottom of this wretched affair.
“Yes, sort of like closing the barn door when the horses have already gone. Taylor, do you fully appreciate the implications of this? If this ever gets out, we will have it happening at other facilities. I believe you told General Douglas that we now had close to 350,000 people in internment camps. That is a lot of people who could spread the word of what is going on. Then where would we be? I would have to declare Martial Law and I only want to use that as a last resort.”
“But I thought that was already part of the plan. Can’t you just do that now?” Taylor asked.
“Can I? Of course I can but everything has a time and place. This is simply not the time. General Douglas asked if you were the right person for this job. Are you Taylor?”
“Madam President only you can determine that. I certainly think I am capable but it is obviously not my choice to make,” he replied.
“Alright Taylor, you get up to Alaska and find out what went wrong. You track those people down and let me be perfectly clear on this; they are not to be transferred to another facility. I never want to hear about them again. I want them all eliminated. Understood?”
“Yes ma’am.”
“Then get on with it,” she said.
***
- THE PENTAGON –
General Lamb was sitting in General Douglas’ office thinking that they had found out that he was the one leaking information to the militia. Douglas had offered him a glass of Scotch and he was savoring every drop in case it was his last.
“General Lamb, I wanted to talk to you about something that is disturbing.”
“Oh?”
“There are leaks. I don’t know who or where they are originating from but I know they exist.”
“I see. You are basing this on what?”
“Someone had to tell the Utah Militia that we were coming.”
“Ah,” was all Lamb replied.
“That’s why I sent for you.”
“And here I am.”
“Look, I have talked to the President about Taylor Spears. He is a civilian playing at a military game. He doesn’t have the talent to be in the position he is in. There are only a handful of officers I really trust. You are one of them. I wanted her to let me replace Spears with you overseeing the ISS but she said no. We need a tried and trusted military man in that position. I was able to convince her to let me place you in charge of all intelligence. I want you to t
ake over that position but to also establish a special force to ensure that the ISS is not leaking information. I doubt any is coming from the military but the ISS is a different story. By this time some of the ISS members have had their own relatives sent to internment camps and they could be a serious threat to our security. I can think of no one more qualified. I just wish I could turn the entire ISS operation over to you,” Douglas told him.
Lamb wasn’t sure what to think. This could well be a trap. They had never crossed swords and that was fairly unusual in the military hierarchy but to be suddenly thrust into a major roll was not what he was expecting. Of course he had no real choice. He had to accept the offer or it would put him on the outs with the general.
“I have to say, I am delighted that you feel I am the right person for the job. I too have been worried about that aspect. I have gone over that operation a hundred times and it still seems strange that the ISS was reporting them being there and suddenly they were gone. I agree that the ISS is constantly changing as well. The more people that are arrested means that it is affecting more of the ISS officers. That could, in turn, lead to subversive actions. Someone should be overseeing them,” Lamb replied.
“Excellent. I want you to dig out the leaks and plug them by any means you feel are best. I will leave the details up to you but as of this moment you are my eyes and ears. I know a lot of people think I am a SOB but for this to work, we have to be merciless. Find them and get rid of them.”
“Yes sir.”
“Oh and by the way, you have whatever you need at your disposal. You answer only to me and to the President. You do not answer to Taylor Spears. I will make sure that he understands that as well.”
“Thank you for the vote of confidence General Douglas.”
General Lamb was still dubious about the whole thing. This could be nothing more than a ruse to flush him out. His system of contacting Thomas Waggener had been highly effective so far. He used various drop boxes and then an intermediary would carry the message to a third party. That person would then contact Thomas by throw-away phone. It was simple, but effective.
Lamb was always careful to make the message innocuous enough that it could not be traced back to him or the Pentagon.
***
- THE WHITE HOUSE –
“Taylor, Taylor, Taylor. What am I to do with you? You are telling me that an outside force, yet unknown, moved 1,200 people someplace, yet to be discovered. Does that about sum it up?”
“They had almost a week’s head start. We know they had someone break them out. We will find out who it was eventually. They had to have a great deal of transportation lined up and we are checking everything to determine who supplied the transportation.”
“You have every resource in the world to track these people down and yet you can’t even find them in the wilderness of Alaska? How many places could hide that many people? What do the local town’s people say?”
“The usual. They saw nothing. They didn’t even know about the internment camp.”
“And you believe them?”
“What are my options? If they don’t know, they don’t know.”
The President just shook her head. Finally she started pulling on her bottom lip. Taylor knew that was a bad sign.
“Taylor, General Douglas is convinced that someone in the ISS is leaking information to the militia. I happen to agree. I have thought so ever since the Utah Militia slipped out of the trap. I have turned over intelligence gathering to the general. He has chosen General Lamb to head up the intelligence operation. He will answer to the general and to me only. He is charged with gathering intelligence, evaluating it, and taking whatever action is necessary. He will also have an Internal Investigative Branch. The IIB has the authority to look into the background of any ISS officer and has the power to arrest them if they pose a creditable threat to the administration. You will do everything in you power to help General Lamb get established. Do you understand?”
“I understand,” he said, closing is eyes.
In some ways he was lucky. He could have very well found himself in one of his own internment camps.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
- ROLLA, MISSOURI –
Rolla, Missouri had been chosen because of its central location. It had several advantages over the other settings the various militias had considered. Interstate 44, a regional airport, and the fact that it was isolated were the major drawing points.
The meeting was held at the Brays Lake Inn, just on the outskirts of Rolla. Militia leaders from twenty-six states were present. It was the first time any coordination of the various militias had been attempted.
AJ Watson, Thomas, Lincoln, and Lance had done most of the leg work to arrange the meeting. They had decided that Thomas should do most of the talking.
“First I want to thank you all for coming. I know it is never easy to travel, especially with all the restrictions being placed on everyone now days. For some of you, it was even more dangerous since you have to keep such a low profile. That is one reason this meeting is so important. Today we have twenty-six states represented. I wish it were all forty-eight but some either couldn’t come this far or felt like they didn’t need to participate. Those that think they can go their own way are wrong. We will all have to be involved or else the government will come after us one at a time. Being united is our only chance for success.
I know. The first question you are probably asking is what does that mean exactly? United under what command structure? Each of you is the primary leader of your state’s militia. You run the show. And while that is true, if our egos get in the way, none of us will be in charge of anything more than a prison cell. We are on the government’s hit list. We know for a fact that General Chester Douglas is going to come after each and every militia operating across the country. He intends to wipe us out. They outgun us, they have more boots on the ground, and planes in the sky. They can kill us by using standoff weapons.
What can we do about it? As glum as it sounds, we can fight back. We can defeat General Douglas. We can take the fight to him. But,” Thomas said pausing for several seconds.
“But only if we are together in our determination and operate as one unit. Fighting individual battles is a sure way to get your men killed and your families retaliated against. We have a plan that we would like to discuss with you. This is not set in stone but it is a working idea, a starting point if you will. We have left the names for the chart blank so that no one feels they have already been slotted. Please remember, we are the only thing that is hindering the administration from turning the country into a police state. It will take all of us working together to win the upcoming battles that are going to take place. Just because we arranged this meeting, please don’t for one minute think we have designs on being the top dogs. This was just a way for us to meet and talk about the future of America. Whose name goes where is not the issue. Being committed to the greater good and to the rebirth of America is what’s important.
What I would like to do next is go around the room and have you introduce yourself and the militia you represent. The number of men under your command would be helpful information as well. Let’s start with you,” he said pointing to AJ.
***
It was well into the second day before everyone felt comfortable enough to express their thoughts and fears without hesitation. Slowly a plan was shaping up. It was rough and a lot more detail would need to be worked out but now they were pretty much all working as one group rather than twenty-six individual units.
A rough chain of command was established but everyone realized it was more for communication than an actual hierarchy. The real commander for each state would still have to exert control over his men. They began working on tactical approaches to deal with General Douglas’ men. General Baker gave them an overview of how best to attack before Douglas had time to get organized.
By the end of the third day, just about everyone was pleased with the progress made. A second meetin
g was scheduled to take place in one month. The place would not be announced until the last possible minute for security reasons.
***
- ROLLA, MISSOURI -
“What do you think?” Lance asked as they were driving back to Idaho.
“Overall, not bad. We barely scratched the surface. It was a good first meeting but we are in no way ready to go to war with the government,” Thomas replied.
“What about you being the overall commander?” Baker asked.
“I think that was suggested just because I talked the most. They knew me better than the rest of you. Like we said, none of this is set in stone.”
“I’m good with it,” Lincoln added.
“As am I,” Lance replied.
“I appreciate that but AJ was who I said I would work for when we first joined,” Thomas reminded them.
“Hey, I have no problem with you taking over. I told you that at the time. In fact, I prefer it. Look, this is going to be a different kind of warfare and I’m not sure I am qualified to lead the way,” AJ told him.
“Honestly, I’m not sure any of us are,” was Thomas’s reply.
“What about the plans to take over the various radio stations to get the word out and try to get the people behind us?”
“I guess I think we are going to have to have a lot of luck, some excellent planning, and the element of total surprise if we are going to pull that off. If we can get even twenty or thirty stations and can hold them long enough to get the message out it will seriously hurt the administration. Uprisings eat up men and resources. That frees up our people to attack communications and to generally disrupt the entire system,” Thomas said.
“We have a lot of planning to do and I doubt we have a whole lot of time. I know Douglas is a careful planner but he won’t wait too long to go after one of the militia groups. He has to prove himself to the President,” Baker ominously replied.
PROJECT BlueBolt - BOOK II - THE GULAG JOURNAL: BOOK II - The Gulag Journal Page 16