Sweetness in the Dark

by W. B. Martin

  “Well, that should certainly blind the bastards,” General Gale said.

  “Good enough to get the Wild Weasels to work,” the Air Force liaison officer said. He referred to the electronic warfare planes that lead the attack planes into battle. Their job was to identify and disrupt any remaining air defense assets while the attack planes took them out. “The Navy have their EA-6s ready to lead their Super Hornets attack planes, Sir.”

  “As a former A-6 pilot flying off carriers, those EW guys are a godsend,” Ed said.

  Shortly after the drone attacks were finished, the display lit up as the fighters and bombers all registered on the display. The Americans were throwing an air armada at the Chinese.

  “And we have good IFF protocol going?” Ed asked. “We don’t need the Air Force flyboys shooting down the Navy today.”

  “Friend or Foe ID is up and running, Sir.” With our AWAC planes and the Navy’s Hawkeye planes aloft, they can handle the traffic. In Iraq we had multiple nations flying sorties and we had three times the planes flying. I’m afraid we still haven’t recovered fully from P-Day, Sir,” the Air Force officer said.

  “As long as it’s enough to clear the skies. My men are antsy to get to our uninvited guests,” Ed said.

  “I expect four days of air sorties will do the trick. The Chinese have nowhere to run, unlike the Iraqis who flew their planes into Iran. And no one is coming to their rescue, as long as the Navy does its job.”

  The Air Force liaison was right on the money. Ed watched all four days as attack after attack was launched on the Chinese. He walked outside at times to watch planes flying out of Redding to the north cross over his position heading south. He didn’t envy the forces underneath such attacks. The punishment must be brutal. But they asked for it, he thought.

  On the fourth day, as he went over the next day’s opening of the ground phase with his commanders, the radio operator brought him news. A Chinese attack sub had penetrated the defensive screen of the Enterprise Battle Group and had launched a torpedo attack. He rushed to the radio and called up the admiral.

  “Admiral, what’s the situation? How bad?” Ed asked.

  “We’re still operational, General, but we lost the U.S.S. Perry with heavy casualties,” Admiral Lanciani reported.

  Ed remembered the U.S.S. Perry was a frigate. It had been named after Oliver Hazard Perry, hero of the Battle of Lake Erie.

  The admiral continued, “We’re investigating how the Chinese got so close, but the torpedo was aimed for the Enterprise. The commander of the ‘Perry’ put his ship in harms way and took the hit. It got blown out of the water, breaking it’s back. It quickly sank in two pieces”

  “And the crew?”

  “We rescued twelve - out of a crew of one hundred and twenty,” Bud answered. “And three of the survivors are bad. Don’t know if they’ll make it. But the Chinese paid. We took out the sub. Actually two of them. Seems that one was a decoy that allowed the other to creep in. We’ll change our search patterns. You can be sure it won’t happen again.”

  Ed signed off. Over one hundred good men killed, he thought. He knew Bud Lanciani. He would push his sailors hard so that the sacrifice that the Perry had made to protect the U.S.S. Enterprise would not be in vain. And Bud would make sure that a mix-up like that didn’t happen again.

  That night Ed couldn’t sleep. He paced his tent for an hour and finally decided to check on his troops. Ed knew they would also be anxious to get started. Picking up his bodyguards, he walked over to a nearby unit. In spite of the early morning hour, everyone was awake.

  “Colonel, the men seem anxious to go. Any problems?” Ed asked Colonel Schmol. Schmol had been with the general since leaving Missoula. As Commander of Task Force Delta, he had fought across the State of Washington and was ready to take his Montana and Idaho volunteers into battle.

  “No problems, Sir. The men are more than ready. They’re just gripping that the Air Force won’t leave anything for them,” Schmol answered.

  “I can assure them that the Chinese will provide a lively reception.”

  “They better. I haven’t hung around here this whole time for them to roll over like those pussies up in Seattle.” Ed recognized the voice. It was Sergeant Wilder, of the motorcycle scouts.

  “Sergeant. Happy to see you and your men still with us. Haven’t let the Regular Army troops scare you off, eh?” Ed asked.

  “Shi-, I mean shoot, General. Those ‘Mean Green’ clowns didn’t scare me in Vietnam, I’m sure not going to let them get in my way here,” Wilder retorted. “Besides, I hear through the grapevine that Commander Z and that bitch woman of his are back at it in the Bay area. After what they did to those poor people in Seattle, I want to personally get my hands on them.”

  “Well, Sergeant, we need to first suppress the enemy before personal vendettas can be accommodated,” Ed admonished. “I, too, want to bring to justice the criminals that preyed upon the populace.”

  “Roger that, Sir. Kill the Chinese before I go after the thugs,” the sergeant offered. “I do believe I have the order right now.”

  Ed slapped the sergeant on the back. He knew he was only half kidding. But Wilder represented the majority of his troops in the field. They wanted justice served for their country against the invaders, and for their lost family and friends against the native criminals.

  As Commanding General of Army Group North, Ed had two infantry divisions and two armored divisions under his command, but that was only the Regular Army troops. He also had about a Brigade-sized unit of volunteers.

  The area around Reno, designated Army Group East, had four Infantry Divisions, one of which was mechanized. Down in Arizona, Army Group South had two infantry and two armored divisions. Only Ed’s group still contained citizen soldiers that had volunteered after ‘the Pulse’. The other commanders had sent their volunteers home.

  Luckily, the National Command had transported these dismissed volunteers back east. They were beginning operations to bring stability to the Northeast. Soon the entire former continental United State would be secure. The eastern provinces of Canada could ask for assistance once New England was secure. The western provinces were already secure and part of the UAS.

  But Ed realized that he would have to make a concerted effort to make sure all of his troops handled themselves professionally. The Chinese had shown their propensity to double deal. If the troops lost discipline, things could get ugly.

  Ed lingered in the area watching the volunteers mount up for the coming attack. He turned and hurried back to his command center. As he walked into the tent, he noticed all the blips on the big screen.

  ”We’re getting lively out there, Sir,” Ed’s adjutant said.

  Ed sat down and waited. His commanders knew their jobs. Although he hadn’t known them long, the experience most of them had received in Afghanistan and Iraq would come through now. After all, they were fighting to free Americans now.

  Chapter 35

  Richmond, Virginia

  Paul sat and shook as the C-130 flew east through the unsettled fall weather. He was ready for the President to get more comfortable transport. They were riding with the Attorney General and the Treasury Secretary back to Richmond to meet with the Defense Secretary.

  The Volunteer Army from around the country was rapidly moving up the East Coast and bringing security to what was left of the Northeast. Reports had been coming in to the national capital in Cheyenne of what the troops were finding.

  The President had decided to let the new Senate, House and National Council stay in Cheyenne. They needed time to settle into their new roles of setting policies for the Union of American States.

  One of their first orders of business concerned setting the policy for new states to join the twenty seven that had passed the new constitution. The states that had been liberated from the chaos and those states now being liberated still did not have functional state governments. Security was being provided by troops from the UAS.

&n
bsp; But a trip to Richmond by the President and part of his cabinet would allow him to catch up on two critical issues. The plane circled around trying to avoid the severe weather over Virginia. The big cargo plane bounced and swayed as the violent thermals inside the clouds threw the plane. Paul lowered his head and breathed hard to keep his stomach down.

  Just when he thought he could hold on no longer, a severe thump and bounce announced their arrival. The propellers raced to slow the plane as it careened down the runway. Paul was thrown sideways as the plane finally slowed and then turned to taxi to the hanger.

  The pilot shut down the engines and stepped into the main cargo bay.

  “Sorry about that, Mr. President. We did our best avoiding the big ones,” the Air Force pilot offered.

  “Colonel, it took me back to my time in the Navy, landing on carriers. Any landing you can walk away from is a good landing, I think the old adage goes,” the President replied.

  “Yes, Sir, we’ll do better on the return flight,” the pilot said.

  “I know you will. And thank you for a good job getting us here,” the President said.

  Paul wasn’t so sure. He looked across the cargo bay and saw that Amanda was feeling the effects of the flight worse than he was. The men gathered their belongings and headed for the door. Paul stood up and walked over to Amanda. He placed his hand on her head.

  “Paul, coming?”

  “Right there, Mr. President.”

  “Take your time. We’ll meet you at the hotel.”

  “Ohhhh, I barely hung on to lunch on that one. Just let me die right here,” Amanda said.

  “Take your time. Nothing happens ‘til tomorrow.”

  “Having trouble?” the C-130 crew member asked. “That was a rough one.”

  “We’ll be alright. Just let us be for a few minutes till she gets her stomach reattached.”

  “No problem. We’re here ‘til the President needs us,” the crew member said. “I’ll get out of here and leave you folks alone.”

  The pilot had returned to the cockpit to do the after-flight check with the co-pilot, and the crew had exited the plane. Amanda and Paul were alone in the big cargo bay. Paul sat down next to Amanda and put his arm around her.

  “These are the days I wonder why I’m not back in Boise enjoying a nice fall hike in the Front Range,” Amanda mumbled.

  “Because the country needs us right now. We have to get things started right for the nation to have a chance at returning to the great country it once was,” Paul said.

  “I know, I know. But will we someday get to settle down at home and enjoy simpler things?” Amanda asked.

  What was she saying? Paul thought. Their relationship had been accelerated by the initial chaos following ‘the Pulse’. Ever since, they had gone from one emergency to another as their life together revolved around the survival of the country. Now Amanda talked about normalcy. Was she saying that she wanted them to be together after all of this? Paul wondered.

  The two of them had avoided talking much about their future. Instead, they had concentrated on the country’s future. While the physical aspect of their life together was wonderful, the stress of life after P-Day had overwhelmed more personal thoughts.

  Paul had seen ‘the Pulse’ affect his brother and his relationship with Julie. Even though the two had married and were expecting their baby in the winter, Julie still seemed in shock. Finding herself alone on the opposite end of the country from her family had left her alone and vulnerable. That John took her with him on leaving Oregon had allowed her to settle where it was safe.

  Paul often wondered, with more normalcy springing up around the country, if John and Julie would still want to spend their lives together. He wondered if he and Amanda would feel the same as life reverted into a more mundane existence. Survival is a powerful motive, and once that is secured, people have the luxury to look at life differently, he thought.

  He looked at the beautiful woman that was cradled in his arms. He would miss her. If she realized the world was not going to end, Amanda might decide that life had limitless opportunities. Would one of those include him? he wondered.

  * * *

  The eight o’clock meeting started promptly. The President and his Cabinet members were in session with the Ewing Commission to receive the preliminary findings. Charged with discovering the culprits who had profited from the enormous credit bubble that had been created in the 1990s, the Ewing Commission was ready to name names.

  John Ewing opened the session. His fellow Commission members were to his left and right. “Mr. President, the Commission is honored by your presence here today. I can assure you that the findings of the Commission will make your effort worthwhile.”

  Opposite him was the President and his Cabinet members. Paul sat in the second row of chairs right behind the President. He noticed his brother was a little nervous.

  “The staff will hand out our preliminary ‘Executive Summary’ for your review. It is not finalized as of yet, but the Commission feels the importance of the findings warrant its early release,” John said.

  “Thank you, Dr. Ewing. I understand that a large number of the individuals involved are incarcerated here in Richmond,” the President said.

  “Yes, Mr. President. With the Volunteer Army occupying the Northeast, the final perpetrators of the financial collapse of 2008 are turning up. The ‘Wanted for Treason’ deck of cards has been very popular with the troops,” John said. “But I’m afraid the fifty-two individuals on the cards are only the tip of the iceberg. As you can see in our report, we have identified four hundred and thirty people that we’ve marked for further investigation. Some are sitting in Petersburg Federal Prison outside Richmond.”

  “Four hundred and thirty? That many?” the President asked.

  “We’ve named the worst offenders the ‘bad ninety nine’, so to speak. Ninety nine that should definitely be held accountable to the American public for crimes against the nation. As of right now, we have sixty-one in custody,” John said. “Your suggestion to offer amnesty, removing the death penalty for treason, shook a lot loose. If they turn themselves in and show us where their assets are hidden, then the death penalty is off the table. If we have to track them down, no deal.”

  “Good. The public was livid back before ‘the Pulse’ about this, and the mayhem they’ve suffered since hasn’t put them in a forgiving mood,” the President said.

  “No, Sir, Mr. President. With the chaos in New York City, a lot of records have been compromised. The backup files here in Virginia have yielded valuable information you can use for prosecution,” John said.

  The Attorney General perked up with that information. Before his present position, he had been a state prosecutor in Nebraska, a state hit hard by the credit collapse. With the new Constitution, he had been appointed by the Nebraska governor to a Senate seat. The Senate had elevated him to the Cabinet where he was selected as the nation’s top law enforcement official.

  The AG said, “I know the paper trail is substantial. I’ve received reports from your staff on a regular basis apprising me of the Commission’s progress. My compliments to your team for their hard work.”

  “I’d like to report that all the really big fish have been caught, but I’m afraid the net for them is coming up empty. The Bulgarian billionaire seems to have slipped out of the country. And the former Treasury Secretary that shoved the bailout down the banks ‘throat’ is nowhere to be seen,” John said. “But we are confident that he was able to escape New York City when it went down. We can assume that by the time we reach northern Maine, he’ll be found.”

  “How about the Federal Reserve Chairman that manipulated the banks in order to float money to save the hedge fund called Long Term Capital? When that first came to light back in the early 90s, I almost kicked my television into the next county,” the new Treasury Secretary asked.

  The new Treasury Secretary had been the comptroller for a large Colorado beer company. She had been elected
to the House by Colorado’s voters and had been selected as a House of Representative’s appointment to the Cabinet. Her fellow Cabinet members had selected her as Treasury Secretary. She was the first in a very long time who had not been directly tied to Wall Street.

  Paul remembered the Long Term Capital fiasco. He had experienced similar frustration at the time. Dubbed ‘Too big to fail’, LTC was rescued by the strong arm of the Federal Reserve, forcing banks into making loans to keep the hedge fund solvent. The fund was then quietly liquidated after the initial crisis was forgotten.

  But the lasting effect was that the ‘moral hazard’ that kept capitalism honest was shattered. If politically powerful firms knew that the Federal government would bail them out if they got into trouble, then they would take inordinate risks with their capital. Capitalism only worked if there were ‘winners and losers’, Paul thought.

  Take the risk of investments away through political connections, and the powerful would run wild. And they had run wild, creating the largest ‘credit bubble’ in the history of the world. The depression that had been coming following the financial collapse of 2008 just happened to be overrun by ‘the Pulse’.

  “The past two Federal Reserve Chairmen have been located and are sitting in cells. One was captured trying to escape. He had disguised himself, since his photo was on one of the playing cards. Fortunately, his famous celebrity wife refused to cover up her looks. He was discovered because people recognized his wife,” John said.

  “Vanity will get you every time,” the Treasury Secretary said.

  “Mr. President, I can assure you from my staff reports on the extent of the evidence gathered so far by the Commission that we are looking at major convictions. And with one hundred million dead Americans linked to these treasonous acts, I will seek the death penalty,” the Attorney General said.

  “But what of those who have complied with our amnesty offer?” the President asked.

  “Yes, Sir, we will make exceptions for fully cooperating individuals who are forthright in their disclosure,” the Attorney General said.