Sweetness in the Dark

by W. B. Martin

  “Put the box down and back away,” the voice ordered.

  The crew member hesitated. The voice spoke again, but with more authority now. Finally a rifle barrel was thrust out of the protective slit.

  “I won’t say it again. Put it down and back away,” the voice bellowed.

  The crew member placed the food box down on the engine and backed away, keeping his eyes on the slit. Climbing down onto the ground, he continued to back away. Finally the door opened and a figure in uniform grabbed the box. The door clanked shut.

  The two crew members disappeared into the dark.

  “Sorry Sir, they didn’t offer an opening to take them,” one of the crew members said. He pulled out the Beretta that had been hidden under his striped shirt.

  “It’s OK. We had to try. That was Plan A. We’ll see how Plan B works,” Ed said.

  The fueling completed, the train engineer leaned out of the slotted window while eating a sandwich. The fuel crew waved him out of the yard and walked off into the dark.

  Ed could see a figure behind the engineer motioning and heard yelling to get the train moving. The locomotive’s engines started to wind up and the strain on the cars behind it creaked as the pull took the slack out of the couplers.

  Then suddenly there was a small explosion behind the rear engine. The two locomotives suddenly zoomed ahead. Lacking the rail cars that were no longer attached, the powerful locomotives accelerated down the track. Ed heard the engineer shutting down the throttle as he realized he had just left his train in the yard behind him.

  The locomotives stopped a few hundred yards down the track. Ed heard the engines wind up as the engineer hit reverse. But he didn’t get far. Just then a charge went off on the tracks, tearing a hole in the rail. The reversed engine ran onto the missing spot and quickly derailed, grinding to a halt.

  By now, the troops in the armored rail cars were shooting wildly. Bullets zipped everywhere. In the dark, the troops inside the cars could not see Ed’s troops sneaking up to the side of each car.

  A shaped charge was attached to the metal skin and then the men quickly exited the area. Ed picked up his bullhorn. “Cease Fire,” he yelled through the loud speaker. After the firing stopped, he continued. “By the order of the Governor’s Council of the Union of American States I order you to drop your weapons and come out with your hands up. No harm will come to you.”

  “Shove it. We don’t take our orders from those pussies,” came the voice in the first armored car. The firing started up again.

  “Well, we don’t have a lot of time to mess around here. We are in less-than-friendly territory,” Ed said to the governor.

  “Then do your duty. This gold cannot fall into the wrong hands,” he responded.

  Ed picked up the radio. “Blow it,” he ordered.

  Four quick explosions rocked the train yard. Screams from inside the armored cars reached outside, as hot molten metal sprayed throughout the inside of each car. Teams rushed up to each door and placed a small charge on the lock. Four small explosions followed the larger ones as the doors were forced open.

  “Bring up the locomotives. Let’s get the hell out of here,” he ordered into the radio.

  Two new locomotives banged into the rear of the train. Coupling up the rail cars, Ed and Paul climbed up into the cab with a team of Navy Seals. Ed looked back down the line and made sure all his units were climbing aboard.

  “Let’s go,” he said to the engineer. Switches were thrown and the gold train soon rolled out of Jackson Yard heading north. Slowly the short train made its way, picking up Special Ops personnel along the way. The engineer pulled on the throttle and the train gained speed.

  “We need clearance for the line through to the bridge crossing,” the engineer said.

  “Already happening. I have a team in Operations clearing things as we speak. They’ll take the C-130 ahead to Little Rock and get things straightened out there. Kansas and Nebraska already are set,” Ed said. Separate units had been dropped by different planes where they were needed to control the rail line through to Cheyenne.

  But Ed was concerned. If the Texas National Guard was in on the coup attempt, what other units were involved? He hoped that the governors back home were getting their Armed Services Committee back in line. One good airstrike and the train would be dead in the water.

  The train sped north and soon reached the crossing over the Mississippi River. Slowing, the engineer eased the train out on the bridge. Ed looked to see if any threats were lingering nearby. Dropping the train into the river would be one way to stop the gold.

  But nothing happened as the train was cleared for its run further north toward Kansas. Ed would be glad to get out of the Old South. Too many old allegiances between the Confederate States to deal with.

  As they were approaching Little Rock, Ed told the engineer to slow down and stop at the small siding up ahead. Ed looked down the line, and sitting there on the siding was a gondola. Uniformed men were milling around inside the railcar. They saluted Ed as the locomotive passed by slowly.

  The engineer stopped the train, then reversed the engines and backed up onto the siding. A jerking motion in the cab indicated that the gondola was now attached to the train. The gold train resumed it northward journey.

  “That should liven up any uninvited guests,” Ed said. “If the governors haven’t gotten through to all the air units to stay away from this train, the boys with the Stingers will.”

  “We’re going to shoot down our own planes?” Paul asked.

  “If it comes to that,” Ed retorted.

  Paul began scanning the skies. He wasn’t sure that being on an eighty-mile-per-hour moving target was a good thing. Ed listened to the radio for any warning from his team.

  “Admiral Ed Gale, this is VMF 14. We are your top cover.” The radio suddenly squawked to life.

  “Roger that VMF 14. Good to hear you’re aboard, but it’s General Gale these days, of the Idaho National Guard. You’re a long way from water,” Ed said. He knew that all the Marine Air Bases were close to the ocean. Being tied to the Navy, Marine pilots didn’t venture inland very often.

  “Well, word is, Admiral, that the Council has reinstated your Navy rank. And about time too, Sir. Enough of those dog faces. We flew together in Desert Storm. Glad to be serving with you again,” the pilot said.

  Ed notified the troops that friendly air assets were in the area and to act accordingly, but he cautioned them to maintain vigilance just in case. He wasn’t sure who to trust these days. That this pilot had said they’d served together helped ease some of his concerns.

  “Bogies, two o’clock, low,” the pilot radioed to his flight. “We have helicopters approaching, Sir. I’ll leave a top cover and send two to investigate.”

  Ed listened on the net as the two scout jets contacted the unknown helicopters approaching the train. The radio soon reported the threat was retreating. A burst of 20 mm cannon fire had convinced them to leave the area.

  Things were quiet as the train progressed into Kansas. The Marine pilot announced that they had to return to base for refueling. The Air Force was now on the job, flying cover. The remaining trip to Wyoming would be protected by the Air Force until the train reached Warren Air Base.

  Finally arriving safely at Warren Air Force Base, Ed and Paul surveyed the train. The journey had been marred by the stack of dead National Guard troops. The Special Ops. troops had gathered up the bodies and stacked them out of the way.

  Ed looked in the car and shook his head. Such a waste. He would make sure that those responsible would pay. Paul glanced in and quickly turned away. Ed took his friend by the shoulders and led him away.

  “We need to get to Cheyenne and get this country finalized, before we tear ourselfs apart,” Ed said.

  Chapter 30

  Cheyenne, Wyoming

  “Will the delegates please take their seats,” the Missouri governor said as he called the Convention to order.

  “But I protest o
nce again. We do not have all our members here. We must wait,” the Wisconsin governor demanded.

  “My Honorable Governor. This Convention is in session. That some members are choosing to boycott these proceedings is not relevant,” the Missouri governor continued. Two days had been spent in informal talks trying to reach agreement on how to proceed. “The states and provinces that are present will determine their own future. Let those absent determine theirs.”

  The crowd murmured, mostly in approval of the Chair. Even the states that had been relatively neutral were coming around. Word of the Texas action had spread and the fence-sitters saw that action for what it was, a raw grab for power.

  In the past, the New York crowd had used their gold holdings to wheel their city into a financial leader. Having Dallas try the same thing at the expense of the other states hadn’t squared well.

  “Sir, I ask to be recognized.” A voice rang up from the crowd. Everyone stopped and looked. “Sir, I have been asked by the Great State of Louisiana to sit in these proceedings as an observer.”

  “Sir, your delegation walked out of these proceedings. Until your governor chooses to attend these meetings as the head of the Louisiana Delegation, we will not be having any ‘observers’.” The Chair admonished the speaker, adding emphasis on ‘observers’. “Master-at-Arms, show this gentlemen the door. And see that he doesn’t enter the building again.”

  “Well, there will be repercussions for this, I can assure you,” the Louisiana ‘observer’ threatened.

  “Sir, I want you to know that as the governor of Missouri, I will be issuing an order closing the Mississippi River south of Cape Girardeau to all river traffic. We’ll see how the Great State of Louisiana survives with all barge traffic using the Tennessee Tombigbee Waterway.”

  The ‘observer’ scowled at the threat. The Waterway could handle all the barge traffic from the Midwest as it had done during the drought of 1988. New Orleans had suffered from the lack of trade during that time.

  “I’ll add to that promise,” the Mississippi governor added. “I will be issuing an order closing the Mississippi below Vicksburg. And an order to the Mississippi National Guard to sink any vessel that tries to run the blockade. We’ve done it before, boys.” The reference to the great Battle of Vicksburg during the Civil War stirred the delegates.

  That Mississippi broke with its previous position supporting the Louisiana Plan rattled the crowd. Texas had overplayed its hand and now paid the price. Arkansas soon joined the other states in closing the Mississippi. Alabama jumped on board with visions of Demopolis, Alabama becoming the New Orleans of the new country.

  The Louisiana ‘observer’ turned and was escorted from the hall. The delegates buzzed at this turn of affairs.

  A gavel cracked the air as the chairman called for quiet. The noise subsided as each of the delegates awaited the coming action.

  “I have been asked for a moment of the Convention’s time by General Ed Gale. As we all know and greatly appreciate, the general was instrumental in assuring the safe delivery to Wyoming of the New York Federal Reserve gold. General Gale.”

  The Convention rose in unison to applaud the general as he climbed the stairs onto the raised dais. He adjusted the microphone on the lectern and waited for the acclamation to subside. Raising his arms to motion for quiet, the general began. “Delegates, thank you for a minute of your time. I promise I will be brief. Shortly, I’ll be returning to Seattle to lead our troops into California to do battle to free our country from the Chinese invaders.”

  Another standing ovation as the delegates jumped to their feet to again show their support for the general’s efforts.

  Again the general raised his arms for quiet. “Again thank you, but you may not be so generous with your applause after I finish.” He let that sink in and watched the delegates sober up to what might be coming.

  Ed continued. “Many men died in our recovery of the gold. That was unfortunate, but it could have gone the other way and we’d be having a very different talk right now. Our country is tearing itself apart, and it’s primarily because we have no functioning government that allows for redress of important issues. While the Governor’s Council has done an admirable job holding things together up ‘til now, it’s time that the people of this country know that a stable, permanent national government is in place.”

  Paul looked around the room as the general talked and noticed that many delegates looked sheepish. The delay they had caused in reaching an agreement on a new constitution was evident, but some who had caused the biggest roadblocks still showed a look of determined opposition.

  “We have enough tasks at hand, liberating California and Hawaii from the invaders as well as returning order to the Northeast. To continue this political fight is foolhardy. I can assure you that failure at these proceedings means failure for our people. Anarchy is close at hand and only this body can push it back.”

  The general walked off the stage and hit the door. There was no applause this time as the delegates sat in silence. The general’s remarks had hit home and reminded them of the risks involved in not completing their task.

  Paul knew that a C-130 awaited Ed to take him back to Seattle. The war to return the former United States territory to friendly hands awaited. It is my duty to finalize things here, he thought.

  The Missouri governor took the lectern. “Would Dr. Kendall and Dr. Lundquist please come up here and lay out their plan once again. I think I can speak for the majority of delegates present that it is time your compromise be considered in earnest.”

  As Paul and Lars walked up to the raised stage, the seated delegates all began talking amongst themselves. They were aware of the danger that now existed. The new country may already be devolving into multiple entities. A once-powerful unified country was at risk of being Balkanized into a gaggle of squabbling small, weak countries.

  It was with an air of doom that the two economists took over the Convention. But things had changed since they last had made their pitch. Texas and its two most strident supporting states were gone. The former Texas allies had witnessed a play for power in an attempt to beat the others to the gold hoard.

  “Dr. Kendall, we have heard your plan before, so if you don’t mind, lay out the compromise positions you and Dr. Lundquist reached,” the chairman offered.

  Paul realized that Professor Bush, the third member of the compromise, had been dropped from the discussion. Being a Texan, Paul knew that wasn’t a surprise.

  “Mr. Chairman,” Paul began. “Dr. Lundquist and I have outlined the changes from my previous plan and those are being handed out to you now.” He turned on the overhead projector and placed an acetate copy on the glass.

  Lars jumped in. “We’ll take turns explaining things as we go through them.” Dr. Lundquist proceeded to explain the new constitution.

  The Articles describing the House of Representatives were first. Lars pointed out that the only difference from the old Constitution was that any Representative was limited to being elected to three two-year terms, for a total of six years service. All other aspects would remain the same.

  Paul then put the changes concerning the Senate on the overhead. The delegates turned the page in their handout. Many low whistles were heard as they quickly realized the major changes planned.

  “As you can see, we will return the Senate to representing the power interests of each state. As written in the original U.S. Constitution, each Senator had been appointed by his State Legislature. This was later changed to a popular vote. The Senate will now be returned to a more state-power orientation, but with a twist,” Paul explained.

  The twist was the advent of computers, which the Founding Fathers lacked. Soon the country would be back to a computer-based economy. Already critical areas in society were receiving new machines to replace those burnt out by the EMP. With a return to an orderly society, computers would once again rule citizen’s lives, but hardened this time from any future CME.

  The propo
sed plan stated that the Senators would be appointed on staggered terms by each State Legislature. But when the economy was fully computerized, then each voter would receive a smart card. Whenever a citizen paid taxes, the amount paid would be recorded onto the memory chip. When a Senatorial election was held, each citizen’s vote total would amount to the dollar amount on the memory chip.

  The Senate would represent the monied interest of the nation, or at least the tax-paying monied interest. The more taxes one paid, the more votes that citizen would have.

  “You mean the rich would get to vote in their ‘boys’?” Rebecca said.

  Paul looked over to see Rebecca now standing with an incredulous face, ready to explode. She was still here and couldn’t stay quiet long, he thought.

  “Ms. Richards. The rich already make sure their ‘boys’ are elected to the Senate, and to the House, and to the White House. We’re proposing that we at least legitimatize it for the Senate in the future,” Paul answered. “I will point out that under the previous Constitution, the ‘rich’, as you refer to them, often didn’t pay anywhere near the amount of taxes you believe. And when we get to our tax structural changes, you will see that the rich won’t have the loopholes and write-offs they have been accustomed to.”

  “I can’t wait,” Rebecca responded. The sarcasm was evident as she spoke.

  Lars continued and explained that Senators would be limited to one six-year term. He then dove into the biggest change they were proposing.

  “We have been raised in the belief of three competing branches of government. That has become gospel to our citizens. But the Founding Fathers envisioned that the House would be the final arbitrator. Because of that belief, provisions were put into the Constitution that allowed the House to overrule any other branch of the government,” Lars continued.

  Paul took over. “Unfortunately, things quickly went awry and over time got worse. The first was John Marshall, asserting a place for the Supreme Court that was not envisioned by the Founders. As we have seen, the Court progressively became more active in writing laws rather than enforcing the laws. That is about to end.”