by W. R. Benton
Gator neared the clerk and said, “I'm new to the area and take Azor and Labetalol for my high blood pressure; do you carry them?”
The pharmacist glanced up and said, “Sure, and while we're smaller than pharmacies in large towns, you'll find we can fill almost any prescription you bring us. What we don't have in stock we can order from Rolla and have it in a couple of hours.”
“Well, by cracky, I'll be back later today with my prescription. What time do ya and the store close?”
“Nine sharp so be here before that or you'll be out of luck.”
“I'll be back in plenty of time to get my medications.”
The two men mingled around the store, watched a couple of purchases, and then took three cases of various canned soups, three bags of charcoal, and boxes of bandages for minor injuries to the checkout.
“I hope ya don't need no chip thingy in my hand, 'cause I ain't got one of 'em yet.” Gator said.
“Ya don't need one here. Mister Jones, the Pharmacist owns the place and he refuses to get one; calls it the mark of the beast. I fully agree with him. The last Federal man to come in here, the Boss pulled a gun out of his holster and stuck it in the man's face. The man left, but he was threatening to put us all in a FEMA camp.”
“Good, so he carries a gun? He's a smart man these days.”
“Oh, yes, and it's always in his shoulder harness. He showed it to me once and called it a 9 mm which I thought was a wrench size, or something like that.”
Once outside, James placed the soups in the hard saddlebags along with the other stuff. The lids wouldn't close, so he secured them with bungie cords.
As they were putting their motorcycle helmets on, Gator said, “The pharmacist has a 9 mm pistol concealed on his left side, in a shoulder holster, since he's right handed.”
“I hope we don't have to hurt him. I'm sure he's insured against robberies and stealing narcotics is a felony, but I don't want to add murder to my list of bad deeds. Especially since he's refusing to take the mark.”
“We have to do what needs doin' to survive, my friend. Lets' hope later this evening things will go smoothly.”
Later that same day, Gator and James entered the pharmacy once more. Nancy was in Gator's old store truck, as Dick and Ben covered the front door. Glancing at her watch, it was 2045, so within minutes the robbery would go down. Blake and Donna were watching the rear doors, just in case someone ran out during the robbery. Minutes after the first two entered, Ben entered and soon had a clerk helping him find something for his 'lower back pain.'
Frank took a prescription from Nancy to the rear of the store and gave it to the same pharmacist that had been working earlier. Gator and James stood behind their man, so it looked as if they were simply in line for service.
The man walked to his computer, entered the information and then said, “Mister Sals, I'd love to fill this for you, but the government has your doctor down as refusing the chip and there is a one thousand dollar reward for her.”
“I don't understand. She's a nurse practitioner, but you mean she ain't allowed to write no prescriptions?”
“No, the government considers her a criminal because she doesn't have the microchip in her left hand.”
“Oh, wait, I have another prescription from another doctor, so let's see if this one works.”
“Sure.”
Frank reached in his coat, pulled out a loaded and ready Ruger .45 auto, and said, “Remove the pistol from your shoulder harness very slowly. This is a robbery and if everyone does as they're told, no one will be hurt.”
The pharmacist removed his pistol, placed it on the counter, and then said, “Son, we don't have a thousand dollars in the whole place.”
“It's not your money I want, so keep it.” James said.
Gator moved to the front door and had Nancy slowly back the big truck to the front door. She then entered, ran to the pharmacy and began stacking boxes of drugs on the counter. As most of the crew loaded drugs, James had the cashier tied to the Pharmacist and then left Gator to watch over them.
James placed the man's pistol in the small of his back and then went outside. As he stood watching the loading, Frank looked down the street and said, “Squad car coming, and it looks like the cop Gator told us about.”
“Bubba Skaggs?”
“I guess that's his name. What if he stops?”
“Then we try to get rid of him.”
“If push comes to shove?”
“We try to take him prisoner, but if it turns to shooting, kill him. We know all cops have the chip, all of them, so he's an enemy from the start. Killing someone with the mark of the beast will not keep me from sleeping any night.”
“I'll show him my CIA badge, and let's hope it carries some weight.”
“When he stops, I'll be up by the cab, and as you talk to him, I'll try to take him prisoner.” James said, and moved to the cab of the big deuce and a half.
Bubba pulled into a parking slot and got out of the car, pistol in hand. Frank neared and showed his CIA badge. He then said, “This man and his staff have refused the chip, so all his meds are being taken by the government. Over the next few days, vendors will remove his other items from the shelves.”
“Well, I'll be damned. I don't see the big deal. I got a chip and it didn't hurt or nothin'.”
“You don't see it as the mark of the beast?”
“No,” Bubba laughed. He then added, “That's foolishness, and in order for the chip to be the mark of the beast, there needs to be an anti-Christ and there ain't one. Let me see your badge for a minute, because I need to report this to the highway patrol.”
“Sure.” Frank said, and tossed the badge to Bubba.
When Bubba leaned over to change the frequency of his radio, Frank pulled out his .38 snub nose and fired two rounds into the cop. The first bullet punched a hole through his body, from his left arm and out under the raised right arm. It then struck his dash and disappeared. Bubba screamed as the second bullet hit him in the head, right behind his left ear. His scream was short lived as the bullet blew a big chunk of skull and brain from his head. His body began to jerk as it shut down.
Frank opened the car door and pulled the portly man from his vehicle. He then took the man's wallet, badge, gun and other gear from this still shivering body. From the squad car, he took a shotgun and an M4A1 with six magazines. There was little else of use to them in the vehicle.
“Hurry, people, a cop was just killed!” James yelled.
Everyone knew the cop's heart beat and other vitals would soon alert someone with the NWO, and since the chip had a GPS capability, the exact spot of the dead man would soon be known. As far as they were located from a large city, James knew they had time to load all the drugs, but he didn't feel comfortable, and his senses were warning him to move, and move now.
Leaving Frank outside, he entered the store and made his way to Nancy. Once near he asked, “How much longer will you be?”
“Not sure, but maybe ten minutes, why?”
“You must have heard the shots. Frank had to kill the local cop.”
“I'll sort through what's here and I'm sure some of this stuff I'll not need.”
“No, take it all, and leave his shelves bare. I need to get back out front, but hurry this up if you can.”
On the way outside, James took a can of cold pop and a chocolate bar, leaving five dollars in the till.
Twenty minutes later, just as the tailgate to the old truck was raised, Ben yelled, “Chopper!”
Everyone ran to a vehicle and they drove away at a normal speed, so they'd not draw attention. Just as the truck was about to turn a corner, Ben said, “They're landing in the pharmacy parking lot.”
Nancy, the driver, asked, “Do I keep driving or what?”
“Keep driving and —”
“It's back in the air.”
“They must have dropped some men off and plan to come after us.”
“No one knows the vehicles we have,
no one. The folks inside never saw what we were driving.”
Frank laughed and said, “How much traffic do you expect is on any given road around here at this time of the night? They're lining up right behind us now.”
“Shit, we can't lead them back to the camp.”
“What now?” Nancy asked.
“I don't have any idea.” James replied.
CHAPTER 18
“Null is dead,” the voice on the phone said. “But, from what I understand the President will live.”
Colonel Alfred “Al” Cash, Colonel Null's replacement, replied, “Sir, I've not been briefed on the President's condition yet, but the First Lady died yesterday, the day I arrived. I will be briefed on the President's health in about fifteen minutes, during what is called 'stand up' or my daily briefing.”
“I don't see how he can be alive, when he swallowed strychnine and inhaled Anthrax. Let me know immediately if his condition changes either direction.”
“Yes, sir.” The phone went dead.
Minutes later, in stand up, the Colonel turned to his commander of the hospital and asked, “Colonel, what is the President's current condition?”
“Initial lab reports show he swallowed strychnine along with inhaling Anthrax, beyond any doubt, and his liver function is failing and his heart is weak. A security check of his room indicated, well, at first all looked well, but strychnine was discovered in the whiskey decanter. The President is well known for enjoying good Kentucky bourbon and whoever attempted to kill him, obviously knew this.”
“Will he live?”
“Good question, and my first thoughts are no. However, some of the best doctors in the world have been consulted and we're doing all we can to keep him alive. Now, I will say this much, if he does live, he'll not be able to function as the President.”
“I see.”
Suddenly, the doctor's cell phone vibrated and when he glanced at the screen, it was a Code Blue VIP.
“Excuse me, sir, this call is about the President. I need to step into the hallway for a few minutes.”
“By all means, Colonel.” Cash said, and then added, “Weather, brief me as the doctor takes his call.”
Ten minutes later, after the weather and security brief, the hospital commander returned to his seat, glanced around the room and said, “Ladies and Gentlemen, the President of the United States died at 0803 this morning. Right now an autopsy is being done, but I think every person in this room knows the cause of his death. Tomorrow, his body, as well as the First Lady's, will be picked up by Air Force One.”
Looking at his Chaplain, the Complex Commander said, “Sir, would you lead us in prayer?”
The newly formed Congress and Senate were a mess, with heated arguments that almost led to blows taking place daily. The politicians argued over the chip, the mark of the beast, the anti-Christ, as well as guns and the United Nations. Most suspected the requirement to have the chip installed was a violation of basic human rights. The Southern states more or less told the rest of the world to go to hell, there would be no chip implants below the Mason-Dixon Line.
Finally, the House Speaker said, “The floor recognizes the honorable Bill Black, of Mississippi.”
“Thank you,” Black said as he stood, “Mister Speaker. I want to inform the Government of the United States of America, that effective at 10:28 am this morning,” he looked at his watch, “the great state of Mississippi will secede from the Union. We will not and cannot allow the implant of those unGodly chips into our bodies. This damned Mark of the Beast is not taken casually in the Southern States and Mississippi has decided to lead the way by telling y'all to kiss our collective asses. We may have lost our last war with y'all, but we'll not lose this one. God is on our side.”
The whole congress turned loud with talking, yelling, and cat calls.
The Speaker finally reestablished control and then asked, “How many other states agree with leaving the union?”
A majority of hands went up, and the Speaker marked off states as he looked at the hands. He knew his home state of California would not leave the Union, because they were flat ass broke, and if not for Federal Assistance, they'd not be able to pay anyone.
“My count shows over 37 states wish to leave the Union.”
“The Union is too Liberal!” someone shouted.
“Congressman Tooms of Missouri, you have the floor.”
“I'd like to remind Congress of the last Civil War, where we had hundreds of thousands of dead on both sides. That horrible war happened at the time it was perfectly legal for any state to leave the Union. Now read a high school history book. Y'all make Abe Lincoln read like a God or something, when in fact, he was an open racist. Lincoln didn't give a damn about black folks and only fought the war to preserve the Union. But unlike the last time, Missouri will now leave the Union over implants, not states rights. The people of Missouri, like all the Southern states, refuses to submit to the power and control of the anti-Christ and have the implant. It is the Mark of the Beast!
For years the liberals in the nation, have twisted and distorted things to the point of stupidity. Not long ago, we were arguing over bathrooms for transgender folks, while they only constitute 3% or less of our population. We don't even have all bathrooms modified to handle our disabled and they are approximately 20% of our population. Kids are taught the Muslim Religion in schools as American men and women die in the Middle East fighting people of the Islamic faith. Our own children were sent home if they carried a Bible or chewed a piece of cheese into the shape of a pistol. Shame on us!
How about medical coverage for our Veterans? I'm sickened each time I hear of a veteran dying because they were unable to see a doctor at a VA hospital. Or, how about medical assistance for our elderly, or even providing our homeless a warm place to sleep? Stop giving funds to our enemies. The United States has such a deficit right now, it will never be paid off. And, do you know who is responsible for this debt? All you damned Liberals!”
“You're a damned liar!” the Representative from Michigan yelled.
The Speaker went back to banging with his gavel again, as he screamed, “Order! Order, please.”
Men and women began to walk from the room. Soon, all that remained were the Liberal states. They were all standing and confused. Two thirds of Congress had just walked out the door and left the United States.
“Uh, can they do that?” The freshman Congresswoman from New York asked.
“They just did. Does this mean a civil war?”
“How can we have a war, when we don't even have a President sworn in yet?”
The Speaker thought, I need about six drinks to even get through today. What a damned mess. He then said, “We must prepare an announcement for the new President to declare a state of war against all the states that just walked out.”
“Some of the Liberal states are surrounded by Conservative states. Hell, we can't let the conservative states leave; they have a lot of money.”
“It's illegal to leave the Union.” the Speaker reminded everyone.
“Look, you are all forgetting one very important issue here.” a Congresswoman from Rhode Island said.
“What's that?” the Speaker asked.
“The armed forces will side with the Conservative States and not us. They have sworn an oath to protect and defend the Constitution. Here we wish to more or less abolish it completely.”
“Shit, what a mess. I'd never considered that.” the Speaker of the House said.
Three days later, as the President of the United States was sworn in, the Conservative States of America swore their leader in, as well. The news cameras from all states were on the US President as he moved to a podium and prepared to speak.
“My fellow Americans, I am deeply honored to be your next President of the United States, but I have a rough time ahead of me, as do you as citizens. I have asked the Selective Service to draft 100,000 men and women for immediate service to our nation. The draft will continue in effect
until an unknown time in the future. I fear the states that illegally left the Union must be brought back into the fold by the use of brutal force.
Tomorrow morning at 9 am, I will speak to Congress and request a declaration of war. This state of war will exist between the United States and the states who have broken our country in two. These states, who have taken to calling themselves the Conservative States of America, will be brought back into the Union, by force if necessary. Once before the CSA tried to create their own nation and it did not happen then. I assure all of you who can hear and see me now, it will not happen this time either.
Additionally, since 95% of our armed forces have gone over to the other side, taking their arms and munitions, I have asked the United Nations for 500,000 combat troops and they will be arriving starting tomorrow. These troops will arrive with their own weapons, ammo and other vehicles they'll need to fight this war.”
“Uh, Mr. President,” a reporter yelled out, “is war our only option?”
“I'm afraid so, Mark, and if they want to return to the Union by morning, that is fine as long as they meet our demands.”
“What are those demands, sir?”
“Each state will have to pay a five billion dollar fine and agree to immediate chip implant, which is done for safety and quality of life issues. No more questions please.”
Getting into his limo, the President said, “Oh, what a mess. Intelligence tells me radical Muslims were behind the President's death and I know better. My gut instinct is the New World Order, but how in the hell did they poison the man's drink? The only persons that could have killed him were at the complex.”
His aide, Robert Hill, asked, “Where to now, sir?”
“Take me to what passes for the White House these days. I can't believe they found anthrax in the President, as well as strychnine. I want security beefed up and I want it in place today.”