“Remember that the price of freedom, for all of us, has always been high, and we as citizens have always, ALWAYS, risen to the challenge.”
Chapter 49
November 1
THE HARBOR IN HAIFA had readied for the arrivals, that is, until the ships began arriving out of the darkness. The crossing had taken less time than expected. The harbormaster dropped his binoculars and started making phone calls. As if a switch had turned on, the stop action ended and in minutes, the docks were perpetual motion machines. From his perch, the men at work looked like an ant colony. Tugboats moved out, and bells and whistles, the real ones, reverberated throughout the city. A call to Ashdod told him that they too had arrivals. The Americans meant business and delivered on their promises.
The Israeli Prime Minister called, but the president was unavailable, his call forwarded to General Beech. “The president hoped to hear from you. Have our ships arrived?”
“That's why I'm calling. Unloading has begun. An exuberant spirit at the harbors erupted at dawn. The television news is very exciting. Most of our neighbors spent the night in Ashdod, and are watching the ships. I will be hosting a dinner for the leaders tonight. Please thank the president and tell him I will call later.”
“I will, sir. He'll be delighted to speak to you, I'm sure.”
Part Two
Chapter 1
Election Day, November 8
AT SIX IN THE morning, Tom Andrews called the president. When he arrived at the White House, his blue jeans and shirt were wrinkled, his hair combed with his fingers. When Ms. Crispin escorted him into the Oval Office, the president and General Beech were standing over a map.
“Mr. President, I apologize for the way I look, but you need to hear this.” He held out a recorder.
“Play it.” Two men spoke about demonstrations that had been organized by environmental groups across the country to protest fossil fuel use to supply electricity to the nation. Nothing unusual for these groups, so the president said to stop.
“Tom, they do this every day. They're annoying, but nothing more. So what's got your knickers in a twist?”
Tom opened his computer. “I'll finish the recording in a minute. I picked this up. It's an encrypted email and a map. Look at this.” He pointed to thirty locations he had circled, major electricity switching stations. “These are the protest locations for today.”
“So?”
“Let me finish the recording.” The conversation, casual and uninteresting failed to explain Tom's concern. Until the end. One man asked, 'All thirty?' The other responded with 'get it done.' Baffled, the president glanced at the general, and asked if Tom had identified the voices.
“I've found another spy, sir.” With a quick look at the general, he said, “You're not gonna like this.”
* * *
ASHLEY'S PHONE yanked him from the depths of dreamland. He had driven home later than he'd planned, stopped at Fritz's to report what he could and check that they were okay. Arriving home after one in the morning, he intended to vote when the polls opened and head back to Virginia.
“Hullo,” his voice croaked.
“Ashley, this is the president. I need your help.”
Ashley yawned and rubbed his eyes. “Can I call you back in a few minutes. I got in late and you just woke me. Sorry.”
“You have ten minutes. We have a problem.”
Ashley staggered to the kitchen and poured a cup of coffee, thankful he had set the timer before going to bed. Turning on the shower, he soaked his head in the not-quite-cold water, and placed his face into the spray. With a towel draped over his head, and his coffee in one hand, he dialed the White House.
“Sorry, Mr. President. I'm back now. What do you need?
“You've seen how Fritz used the portal. Multiple locations, spots on the desk. I need you to try to open it and get men to various locations around the country.”
“I can't open the portal.”
“Have you tried since the barn?”
“Of course not. I've been in Virginia the whole time.”
“Ashley, listen. I don't know if it will work, but Tony and Colonel Mitchell and his men are on the way to the school. I've called George and told him to cancel school today.
“Mr. President…”
“Listen to me carefully. In the barn, when you took Fritz's hand, and pressed on the wound, you got a shock. You said so. When he rested his head in your lap, you got another one. I saw it. I think some of the energy that opens the portal transferred to you.”
“That's nuts. What's going on?”
“I spoke to Tony earlier. He agrees that I may be right. Fritz was dying, his life energy escaping. You might have captured some of it.”
“What, you mean like his soul? That's pretty far-fetched.”
“That doesn't matter. The portal is far-fetched, too. Look, I've sent maps to your computer. We believe that attacks today will take down the electrical grid, prevent communications, and also keep news from being reported. Our country is under attack. You need to try.”
Ashley took a long breath and exhaled into the phone. “I'll be twenty minutes.”
“Make it less.”
* * *
GEORGE STOOD solitary guard, telling voters to go around to the gym entrance and chasing everyone else away. Riverboro High served as a local polling place, and although classes had been cancelled, some teachers and students had already arrived. Tony Almeida and Milt Chelten, a tool belt around his waist, argued with George at the front door.
“George, we need to get this done. Soldiers will be here soon, and we need the corridor blocked.”
“The president didn't say anything to me about it.” Milt whispered that they needed to use the portal. “How?” asked George, his face blooming. “Fritz is in the hospital.” Students interrupted him, banging on the door. “No school today,” he hollered, pointing to the sign on the next door. Turning back to Milt, he asked how long this would take.
“I'm not sure, George. The president said to get here fast, that you'd be expecting us. He told me to shut down the hallway. Don't you have some teachers who can help?”
From behind them, in the hallway to the cafeteria, they heard, “Hi, Mr. McAllister.” George jumped in the direction of his latest annoyance, Nicole and Rachel.
“Girls, no school today. You have to leave now.” At the front door, more banging turned his attention to Ashley, motioning to open up. George shook his head, and mouthed 'no school.' Nicole walked past him and opened the door. “Hi, Mr. Gilbert,” she said. Ashley rushed past her, scowling at the principal. “Girls, leave now,” George told Rachel and Nicole.
“No, stay here. I may need your help,” Ashley said.
“What are you doing? School is closed. I have to direct all the voters. Mr. Chelten says…” He stopped. Nicole and Rachel stood right next to him. “Excuse us, girls.” He lowered his voice. “He says he wants to use the portal.”
“Not him, George. Me.”
“You? Since when?”
“I might not be able to, but I have to try. Let's get started.” Ashley hurried to his classroom, where Tony Almeida waited. Nicole and Rachel trailed behind.
“Tony,” Ashley said, “I need your input. I think I need my desk in Fritz's room. But I'm guessing.”
“Ash, since the lightning strike, the whole school has conducted the electricity that powers the portal. We already showed that. Let's try it as is. Your room, your desk. Like you said, you got the buzz from Fritz. If it's passed to you, I think it'll work. Let me hook up.”
“Mr. Gilbert, what do you want me to do?” asked Milt.
“We need to block the hall. Like the Summit. Just to keep people out. Then help when things get started.”
“What about us, Mr. Gilbert?” asked Rachel.
He opened his computer to the president's transmission. “Take my computer and find a printer. Make two copies of each page in this file. Print a few pages and one of you, run that first batch
to me and then go get the rest. Ask Mr. McAllister if you need printer paper.” They ran into the hall as Tom Jaffrey left his classroom.
“Obviously, something's happening. How can I help, Ashley?”
“Get Al Kennedy. Another emergency. Too long a story for now. Get Al. If they need help with closing off the hallway, help them. Thanks, Tom.” Now what? Ashley looked at his desk cluttered with books and papers and began to clear everything, dumping it helter-skelter on students' desks. Colonel Mitchell walked into his classroom as he finished.
“Mr. Gilbert, we've been told to go to the nuclear plants first. Do you think you can do this?”
“Colonel, your guess is as good as mine. Are your guys all here?”
“Waiting in the busses. I'll bring them in a minute, but I wanted to see if you need anything. This whole thing is a mess. Help is on the way to each power plant, but we've got to get in first before the grid goes down, or we never will.”
While the colonel talked, Ashley tried to envision Fritz's desk. His room was a mirror-image, but would his desk work the same way? Paperclips. He opened his desk. He only had six. Just then, the door opened and Nicole ran in with the first batch. “Nicole, ask Mr. McAllister for a box of paperclips. Hurry.” As she reached the door, he yelled, “No, wait. Ask him to open Mr. Russell's room. Go! Run!”
“What are you thinking?” the colonel asked.
“Fritz's room is where all the action's been. He used the same paperclips all the time. I think it'll matter. Sorry Colonel, thinking out loud.” He looked at the piles of papers and files he just removed. “Colonel, bring your guys in. Same routine, only my door.”
Tony walked in and asked for the extension cord. “Damn. I don't know Tony. Fritz took care of all this. George is on his way. Let's check with him.”
Right behind George, Rachel and Nicole hustled toward them. “Girls, the colonel is in my room. Give those to him and sit down. We're just getting started.”
Ashley asked George where the extension cords were. George said they were probably in the utility closet and headed away. “Wait, George. I'll send one of the girls with you. I need to get into Fritz's desk. Do you have a master key?”
“I don't have it. I never go into teachers' desks. Ms. Sweeney will have the master, but she had her coat on.”
“Do you have her cell number?”
George had his phone to his ear almost before the question.
“Tony, go with George, take one of the girls. Get going.”
While they sorted the maps, Nicole returned with the extension cord. “Where's Tony?” Ashley asked.
“He's waiting for Ms. Sweeney. She went to vote, so she's nearby.”
“Nicole, you wait for the key. Send Tony back. We've got to get started.” She ran toward the office and he returned to his classroom, just as the colonel's phone rang.
“Yes, sir. Almost ready, sir. We can't get in to Mr. Russell's desk, but someone may have a master key.” He told Ashley that outages had begun. “Whoever is doing this has scheduled the takedown perfectly.”
“Damn,” Ashley muttered. “Where do you need to go first?”
“Where the grid's going down.”
“How many places?
“Three, so far.”
“Okay. Let's try it. Rachel, grab those files. Sit in Mr. Jaffrey's room and take off any paperclips.” Ashley took the first map, placed the first clip and ran to the hall. Tony had the doorknob connected. In spite of the noise and banging to get the gate in place, Ashley heard only his breathing. He reached for the doorknob.
* * *
“ANOTHER ONE JUST went, Mr. President. It won't be long until we see a domino effect. Power is being borrowed and moved, but they have anticipated the order of our response.”
“Thanks, Tom. We just haven't had enough time to set up.” He turned to Sam Clemmons. “Sam, get the Cabinet to the Oval Office as soon as possible. We'll either win this in the next ten minutes or we'll need to figure out what else we can do.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And get Mr. Gladden. We need to mobilize the FBI, nationwide. If they succeed, riots are likely. Hurry, before the phones go.” Clemmons left the private office, the door slamming behind him. “Let's go in the Oval.” Tom Andrews and General Beech walked in after the president.
“Sir, they planned exactly how to bring the grid down. Their first steps have been innocuous, in rural areas where no one will really notice,” General Beech said. “But that puts pressure on busier sites. We need to figure out their next moves.”
Tom Andrews said, “We won't need to wait to find out. They just hit Chicago.”
* * *
ASHLEY TOLD TONY he didn't know what he had missed. He'd set everything the same as if Fritz did, yet the portal didn't open. Fritz's desk had worked in his room. “Maybe my desk needs to go in his room. Let's try it.” Before they could get the desk out, the colonel opened the door.
“The president wants to talk to you.”
“I'll call him back.”
“Mr. Gilbert, I think you should talk to him.”
“Fine. Help Tony move this and get Fritz's desk out of his room.” He took the phone. “Yes, Mr. President.”
“Ash, I'm sorry to lay this on you, but the grid is collapsing. We have to get this done.”
“We're trying something else now. I'll call you back.” He hung up, remembering that Fritz had hung up on the president. Fritz. That's it. I'll call him.
“Yes?” a female voice answered.
“Let me talk to Fritz. It's Ashley.”
“Well, Ashley, he's not available at the moment. Goodbye.”
Another idea ran from his head to his fingers. He punched numbers on his phone. “Jane, it's me. I can't explain but it's serious. I need to talk to Fritz.”
“I'll get him. Give me a couple of minutes. Bye.” In less than a couple of minutes, she called back. “He's getting his wound cleaned, Ash. He's here now.”
“Hi Ash. What's up?”
Ashley explained what the president asked him to do, and asked if Fritz had any ideas. Fritz told him to turn his desk around in his room, so that the left side was toward the door. Ashley told him that he had put his desk in Fritz's room.
“Put it back, Ash. Do what I told you. Eric Silver explained some of his theory to me, about polarity and electron migration and a bunch of stuff I have no idea about. Just try it. Jane and I will be here. Good luck.”
* * *
“WE JUST LOST Kansas City. They've got the center of the country drawing from both coasts,” Tom Andrews said, as Sam Clemmons returned.
“They're on the way, sir. Most will be here within a half hour. The Secretary of Agriculture went home to vote. He forgot to send an absentee ballot.”
“General, send alerts out to NATO and all overseas bases, and contact everyone stateside. Full alert. Tell them to expect communications to crash within the hour. Go. Now.”
* * *
WITH HIS DESK BACK in his classroom, but facing the blackboard, Ashley laid the first map on the desk, on the left side. He stepped into the hall again. He looked at the soldiers' faces, anxious, yet ready and waiting. He took a deep breath. When his fingers tingled, he yanked the door open.
“Go, go, go,” said Colonel Mitchell, and ten men ran through the portal. “Next group, get ready. Mr. Gilbert, you need to change maps.” Ashley flew to his desk, placed the paperclip, making sure it touched his desk, and ran out. He grabbed the door again and ten more men ran past him. By the sixth time, he had the routine down, but no more paperclips.
“Nicole, get the paperclips from Rachel.” After a moment's delay, she dumped a handful in his hand, and seconds later, the next group entered. He couldn't keep track of how many soldiers were in the portal, but after two more groups, a soldier came back. He told the colonel they had engaged. The infiltrators were targeting civilians. The next two groups followed the captain, and gunfire crackled through the portal opening. Rachel and Nicole stood in the
doorway, watching the action. The colonel pulled them back. Behind them, the plunk of a bullet sent plaster dust swirling through the air. Ashley shut the door.
Chapter 2
TOM ANDREWS glanced at his watch and then back at the computer screen. Ten minutes had passed since the last station had gone down. Phones rang continuously and all the open doors allowed the sound to travel. Ms. Crispin told the president he had a call.
“Yes, Colonel.” He listened to the report, and the sides of his mouth began an upward climb. “That's good news. Colonel, would you ask Mr. Gilbert to come get me now. I'd feel a lot safer. I'll see you soon then.”
Ashley responded to the colonel's reply. “I don't have Fritz's brochure. It's in his desk and I still don't have a key.” He asked the colonel if any of his men could pick a lock.
“I can,” Tony said. “But his desk has a double latch because it locks the side drawers too. I tried. Without his key, the only way is to break into it.”
“If we do that, he might not be able to use it again,” said Ashley.
“And if you don't,” said the colonel, “the president won't be happy.”
Ashley turned to Rachel. “Listen carefully. I want you to stand here. When they come back, hold the door open but stay away from the opening. Bullets, as you saw, can come through. I'll be right back.”
He went into Fritz's room with the colonel. Seconds later, a gunshot reverberated from Fritz's classroom and down the hall. When they came back, Ashley had the White House brochure in his hand. He said, “The president might be happy, but with a bullet hole in his desk, I guarantee Fritz will be pissed in a major way.”
* * *
THE BUSTLE OF the hospital swirled outside his door, wafting a sharp, antiseptic smell throughout the room. Fritz had muted the television, waiting for real news. When the banner flashed, he turned up the sound. He and Jane groaned when they leaned forward to watch.
Storm Surge (Quantum Touch Book 5) Page 26