Spontaneous

by DiMirra

  "America continues to descend into deeper chaos with acts of terror commonplace in every city and town. Recent immigrants are taking the brunt of the punishment. Because of its huge population base, cold weather, and large immigrant communities, the Northeast will be the biggest challenge.

  "Local politicians and police forces trying to seize weapons are being assassinated. Food and fresh water supplies are dwindling. It's only a matter of time before the real mayhem begins. Not to mention the nuclear disaster in The City.

  "We have some recent intel intercepts instructing Muslim operatives to recruit and infect martyrs with the weaponized strain of Ebola. This could pale the nuclear strikes' carnage in a matter of weeks. The Generals will have their hands full for the foreseeable future. It will be some days, or maybe a week, until I can give you a full assessment on DC and NYC.

  "Keny is making a good show throughout Africa. He actually may be another Simon Bolivar. There is a strong possibility he can unite two dozen or more countries immediately. We are working on various strategies to assist him in that endeavor. Let me say this is not how it started out but it is occurring by popular acclamation."

  "Ali, I assume he is properly protected?"

  "He has a pair of Guardians dressed as Berbers with faces covered and a company of our very best South African Recces."

  "I'm open to any ideas on the consolidation of African States."

  "We are working on some different directions for that, when I have something solid, I'll report back, Father.

  "In the meantime, Islamic extremists are trying to consolidate power in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Tanzania. We have located their headquarters and will launch a strike with Sharp Swords tonight. We are in the process of deploying two battalions in each of the countries we've liberated as a rapid response force to prevent any further harm to the citizenry.

  "Father, this has to be getting expensive."

  "Son, doing good is always expensive. The reward of a free and truly democratic Africa is priceless. With this new momentum, we have a better than even chance. I am excited for Africa.

  "Something just popped into my head. Ask Keny to send an envoy to all of the military leaders in the countries we've been liberating. The purpose will be a meeting to discuss distribution of funding, which he has just secured in the amount of 100 Billion dollars. The funds will be for redevelopment of their nations. This meeting will be held three days hence near Nairobi. I will be there to make the presentation. Here, we will plant the seeds for a United Africa."

  "Do we have that much?" Ali asked.

  "No worries Ali. We have that and more.

  "Ali, for whatever reason, this conversation has been cathartic for me. It has cleared my mind. We have a ways to go with Iran. Please arrange an immediate conference call with General Hamilton. While I wait, I'll review that strike on the Republican Guard."

  Ali opened the feed from the Defense Intelligence Agency, incoming from one of their satellites. It was a wide shot from 240 miles in space. We could actually see individual explosions occurring in different parts of the country. Close-ups revealed such utter destruction that it made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. One could surmise this was actually World War III.

  Then a waiting videoconference went live with, "Good afternoon Johnny, what's on your mind?"

  "Ham, my understanding is the Afghani Division is over-strength at 14,500 men with a tank battalion and an air support unit. Is this correct?"

  "You're well-informed, Johnny."

  "Good, there has been a new development in Iran. Ali's brother-in-law, whom you have not met, is Reza Khan, a scion from the Royal Family in the Shah's era. These latest tactical strikes have destroyed the Republican Guard offensive capability. Now the playing field is almost level. There is a popular movement afoot inside Iran to bring Reza back to unite and govern the country. I do not believe in coincidences nor do I ignore opportunities when presented."

  "I can see where you're going with this Johnny and I'll be damned -- I like how it looks."

  "Perfect. I can get the Mufti to approve this change. Then we can sneak in the back door to support the people of Iran."

  "Ok. Give me a little time to have my staff look at the logistics and the recon, so I can make an informed decision. I have to tell you, I am enjoying not being handcuffed by an incompetent civilian leadership. By the way, you're doing a hell of a job cleaning up that mess in Africa."

  "You're well-informed General."

  The day had flown by. The sun glowed a brilliant orange while sinking behind lingering clouds, illuminating the all the heavens with its glory. As I stood in the piazza drinking in the view, I wondered how things could be so wrong in the rest of the world.

  I always believed we are shaped by the information we ingest, whether from books, films, conversations, ancestral stories, or what we have stored in our DNA from another time. I was a voracious reader. I recalled a line from a book by Randy Wayne White that seemed to fit the times we lived in -- "A society whose moral ideas inhibit their own defense will always suffer defeat by the very predators they deem immoral."

  I was looking forward to dinner with Cristina and a little quiet time before my long flight. It was too painful to dwell upon the monstrous events of the last 24 hours. Millions of lives snuffed out in blinding flashes. All those souls' collective anguish will forever haunt my memories. Someone, I am sure, heard or sensed this distress, this monumental agony, and I wondered what they thought.

  I spoke with Ana in Chile. She assured me all was well. She said they were enjoying a mild and marvelous summer season with the big brown trout biting. I felt envious.

  Though Mario did his best, dinner was bittersweet. I had Cristina's company to console and encourage me but my thoughts kept returning to human history and the question 'Why does it always come to this?'

  We cuddled after dinner in front of a warm fire with Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata in the background, on repeat.

  Uwishun awakened us around 9:30PM. He gave me the hand signal that we needed to leave soon. I asked him to bring two of the new generation Guardians, Saraguroson and Quichuason (keesh-wa-son.)

  Our Guardians were each named after the Indian Tribes where they studied how to be human. These two would be permanently stationed with the Grand Mufti. I selected them based on their individual abilities. Like people, human clones were not all the same. Their ability to change colors would lend them mystique for their roles as supernatural beings.

  I was showering when Cristina decided to join me. One of life's great treasures is the soapy body of a voluptuous woman. The base sent our Augusta Westland 139, a sleek looking Italian helicopter, to pick us up. It was waiting on the helipad as I kissed Cristina farewell.

  She said, "Gianni, vaya con Dios (Go with God.)"

  Chapter 28

  En Route to Saudi Arabia: 23:15, January 21st

  Jack met us at our hanger as the ground crews finished servicing and catering Miches Boeing 757.

  "Jackson, I'm off to see the Mufti. Wish me good luck."

  "You won't need luck, Johnny. You've got the touch."

  "As I promised, here are two of the boys that pulled off the Escalante raid. Please meet Saraguroson and Quichuason. Boys, take off your veils and meet Jackson Campitelli."

  "My God, Johnny -- they're a tough looking bunch!"

  "Saraguroson, how did you manage that operation in Ecuador?" Jack asked.

  "We adapted and overcame."

  Jack was still shaking his hand when I said, "Saraguroson, do your color change thing."

  He rapidly turned several shades of camouflage green. Jack dropped his hand like a hot coal.

  I said, "They blend in. Jackson, hold the fort while I'm gone."

  With that, we boarded the plane. The pilot was winding up the starboard engine.

  I loved this plane. Not only was it roomy and better equipped than mine, it came with the hottest flight attendants on the planet. Especially the Polish
one, Angelika. Don Francisco hired her in London. She was a maid at the Grosvenor House. He fell instantly in lust. She was so thin and buxom she looked like she might tip over. He also had Asian and Colombian ladies of the same build on board as flight attendants. All clones, so to speak.

  I went to the cockpit and told the pilots to put the pedal to the metal. As I re-entered the cabin, I could see Grandfather was already holding court. He had three bottles of '86 La Tache open and was serving everyone. He wore a wicked-looking goatee that went splendid with his ponytail -- very 16th century.

  "Gianni, my boy, join us for a toast," he said. "Here's to my extended Family and 'Operation Sustainability.'"

  "Here, here . . ." was unanimous.

  Our staff from Mt. Weather had previously met Major General Thomas Sloan at the Executive Airport in Leesburg. The General received a sat phone and a full briefing on the following plan --

  He would pick up the Secretary of the Interior, the Designated Survivor, and deliver him to the Leesburg airport. The Marine General Staff had arranged for an 01:00 hours transfer.

  They would board a C-37A bound for the US Central Command, which was secure and fully operational. All on-board drinks would be laced with chloral hydrate -- odorless, tasteless and reasonably fast acting. For anyone not succumbing, our people, dressed as flight attendants, would use a fast acting hypodermic.

  I found a seat in the communication center at mid-airplane. Sloan and I knew each other reasonably well. My people had worked numerous operations under his command. It was one of those joint missions two years previously that earned him a reprimand and a desk job. He made a good call but in the field, under fire, things don't always work out like you plan.

  I put in a call to General Sloan. "Thomas, welcome aboard, glad to have you," I said.

  "Johnny, it's nice to be back in action. I suppose I have you to thank for this and also for this second star."

  "No sir, but you can thank me for the great job I'm going to give you when your retirement clears. I just wanted to check in and make sure you have a full understanding of the mission."

  He said, "I am to deliver the Secretary to your airfield in the middle of the jungle in approximately 7 hours. Let me add, that's exactly where he belongs."

  "Perfect. My number is the only one programmed into your phone. Please call me three times -- first when you have him, next when you have the cabin under control, and finally when he is delivered. I'll brief you on the next assignment in the last call.

  "Here's a teaser -- you're getting field command of a Heavy Division."

  I heard a sharp intake of his breath. Then he said, "Thank you."

  We were airborne when I finished the phone call. I lit a cigarette and got another glass of La Tache. I like private aviation because there are no restrictions.

  Flight time to Riyadh would be 16 hours, with one stop in Marrakesh for refueling, and to drop off 1,001 long stemmed red roses for Farah. Ali would meet us there. We would have some Moroccan coffee with baklava and candied figs.

  I went back to the main cabin. The table had been set for dinner. Don Francisco had ordered lobsters from the Cartagena Basin. The angel hair pasta complimented them beautifully. My boys deserved this treat for a job well done and for what was to come.

  After dinner, Saraguroson entertained everyone by changing to different colors on different body parts while performing that dangerous knife trick from the movie Aliens. He and Quichuason loved science fiction films and couldn't get enough of them. Go figure.

  I got the first sat phone call from General Sloan to say he retrieved "the package."

  I went forward to ask our pilot to get a confirmation from our man on the C-37. It went through our own operations center. In this business, you can never be too careful. He had confirmation in a couple of minutes.

  I re-joined the men. Grandfather had produced a couple bottles of hundred-year-old Grand Marnier. We all had a snifter. It was like drinking warm silk.

  Don Francisco wished us all a good night, than went to his chambers at the rear of the jet, taking along the Asian flight attendant. The men made all the usual comments about my randy Grandfather but they actually respected and admired his vigor at his age. This was a three-bedroom plane, each one uniquely decorated and unbelievably comfortable.

  Twenty minutes later, I returned to the communications center to take the second call from General Sloan. The cabin was now secure. All five players -- the Secretary, two Secret Service Agents, the Army officer who carried the nuclear codes, and an aide -- were all sleeping soundly. They were bound. They would receive additional sedative to keep them unconscious until they reached the destination. I would have to decide how to deal with all these people, who were now prisoners, in the next several days. I reminded Sloan to make that final call upon arrival.

  I gave Uwishun my sat phone while asking him to take that call from General Sloan when it came. If there was some issue, he should disturb me. Otherwise, not.

  I pilfered a bottle of Grand Marnier and a bucket of ice. Uwishun had brought me an ayahuasca cigar. I lit it with a gold lighter emblazoned with our company insignia that Sydney had given me. I was pleased that he was recovering nicely from the wounds he received during the Globemaster raid. I resolved we would bring him back with us when we returned. It's always better to heal among friends and family.

  I puffed on my cigar. I held a few deep breaths down. I noticed the therapeutic aroma of the fumes filling the cabin, and then nothing, as my mind drifted. My inner world became illuminated as my unconscious started to communicate with my consciousness. At first, my visions were chaotic and confused. Then they became vivid, then intense, and finally, coherent. My entire mind was amplified. Then I could see the connections I had been missing.

  Several profound insights and revelations came with a sense I was being guided. Who was my guide? Where was he taking me and why?

  I clearly envisioned the "Mark of God" the Arabic characters the Grand Mufti would use to identify the new faithful. This would become our method to administer the stem cell therapy -- through a vaccination that would leave a scar in the shape of a sacred symbol. I knew the only way to fight Radical Islam was with a better idea. Who could resist becoming holy, healthy and even young again? We now had that better idea.

  I had a revelation about what to do with the innocent men I had taken into custody. They would travel with Yanomamison to the farthest regions of the inner Amazon Jungle. He is one of the Guardians sent to contact the lost tribes of the Amazon. They revere him as supernatural. There, these men would begin new lives, with limited memories thanks to our laboratories, and live happily ever after. We would monitor their well being for safety and gather an anthropological record of what happens in such an experiment.

  I was disturbed from my flow of thoughts when we flew into some clear-air turbulence. I freshened up in the lavatory and returned to the main cabin. Uwishun was reading. He winked at me and gave the OK sign.

  The perky Polish flight attendant was nearby, so I ordered an enormous breakfast -- an omelet with Swiss cheese, bacon bits, mushrooms and tomatoes, with sausages from Argentina and a hot baguette, topped with unsalted butter and strawberry preserves. The troops heard this and they ordered the same. We drank Colombian dark bean coffee from our own plantations that carried a jolt.

  I sent a text message to General Hamilton that said 'Done!'

  The pilot joined us. He announced we were an hour out of Marrakesh.

  I said to Uwishun, "Let's get Ali on video and see what we've missed. Before that, please talk to your number two and have him ship the package to Miche at our research facility. He knows what to do."

  When we connected with Ali, he had an earful for us. "Baba, the big news is that America, the entire country, has descended into a maelstrom. At first, it was similar to Europe -- power grids and armories attacked, 11,000 bank robberies and counting, and grocery stores looted of every last item.

  "What's new is that urban dwelle
rs are moving away from the cities in search of food, water and gasoline. They are encountering fierce opposition from the better armed, better prepared and more experienced country folks. Leftist politicians and news people are being assassinated throughout the country. The Conservative groups are forming new municipal and state governments to establish control in local areas.

  "The battle for the border is fierce. General Hamilton had leaflets dropped and hand-distributed along the entire border, saying to cease and desist. He closed all checkpoints and deployed 80,000 troops. Reservists, and Navy and Air Force personnel are being armed and shipped to border States in fleets of planes commandeered from the commercial airlines.

  "There are now 30,000 cases of the Ebola variant in the Border States. All transportation has been stopped. There are roadblocks on all roads with shoot-to-kill orders. Ham decided to let the bank robberies and looting go unchecked for the time being. He is using every available resource to round up the invaders, ship them back across the border, and assure they stay there."

  Then that nagging thought came to me again -- "Who manufactured and weaponized this Ebola variant?"

  And Ali continued, "He invaded Nuevo Laredo in the State of Tamaulipas. His troops cleaned out all the drug lords, coyotes, smugglers and criminals, using excessive force to set an example. The local population there is in the streets cheering. This area will be the re-entry point for those headed back from the US.

  "With our help, and cousin Guzman's, he put together a map of targets in all the States of Mexico. Over the next 24 hours, General Arnold's Air Force will strike these targets in Blitzkrieg fashion. Three Los Angeles Class subs put to sea to handle the Tomahawk missile campaign. He's putting together two Divisions, including Mac's Army forces in Texas, for a counter-insurgency campaign.

  "He flew all the opposition leaders from Mexico to San Diego for interviews. He'll hand pick an honest individual to lead the government, install him, and back him."

  "Ali," I broke in, "that's what good General do. They take command and lead. He knows that if he cannot get the Border under control in the next 48 hours, the Country will lose half it's population -- a sobering thought."