by Kurt Winans
“Your ongoing contributions and loyalty to this university will always be recognized as extremely generous Samuel, and I hope that you are fully aware of that fact. I sincerely thank you on behalf of the Texas A&M family, but at the moment I don’t know exactly what would be needed beyond additional barracks for the cadets.”
“Then let’s start there. Why don’t you initiate contact with the board of regents, and inform them that you already have a pledge for financial aid from me. I’m sure that will be met with a positive reaction, as there will undoubtedly be many aspects of budgets and facilities to discuss for both here and on the other campus?”
“Yes, and speaking of that, what other campus will be involved?”
“For the time being it’s just the Corpus Christi campus.”
“Corpus Christi?”
“That’s right. Ward Island in Corpus Christi is adjacent to the Flour Bluff Naval Base, and those two neighboring facilities have been selected to become our equivalent to Annapolis.”
“Well I can understand why our satellite campus at Ward Island would be a good location for a Naval Academy, but Flour Bluff is still under the control of the United States isn’t it?”
“Yes it is, but you needn’t worry about that. Your concerns as President of this campus are with preparing for the upcoming expansion. But if it will help to put your mind at ease, a plan has been set in motion which will hopefully rectify the Flour Bluff situation.”
“I see. And if it doesn’t?”
“Then of course, an alternative action will need to be taken.”
In the late afternoon hours of Monday January eleventh, President Harwell and a host of others sat in the situation room beneath the White House. The current topic of discussion for the brain trust was that of the ongoing attacks upon Syria, and the President listened intently as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs briefed him on the overall success of those missions. Reports had come in stating that ground forces of army ranger units and navy seal teams had met with only moderate resistance while in the course of their actions, and there had been no loss of life among the American personnel. Any of the men who had suffered either injuries or minor gunshot wounds had been safely evacuated with the remainder of their teams, and in true fashion with their level of commitment to duty, those still able to re-engage the enemy were standing at the ready for any upcoming assignment.
As for the naval forces at station in the eastern Mediterranean, the fourth fleet had sustained no damage to any of the vessels under Rear Admiral Rutherford’s command. Their casualty list remained at two confirmed dead by result of their plane being blown to bits, and two missing in action and presumed dead as a result of capture after bailing out of their badly damaged plane. Each loss had occurred on the first day of action, and no leads as to the potential whereabouts of those who bailed out had been uncovered since. Flight operations from the George H.W. Bush were continuing with due diligence over Syrian airspace, however there was no opponent left in the sky to engage or anything of strategic importance still intact on the ground to bomb. The four missile cruisers lay in a state of readiness, but were waiting for instructions as to what they should target next.
Having been pleased by the report, President Harwell said, “Thank you general. That is all good news. Can I assume that none of the information with regard to the flight crews has been leaked to the press?”
“Yes Mr. President. Their identity, as well as the fact that two planes were lost, has been kept secure up to this point. As for the debris, only scattered minor fragments exist. Our satellite tracking imagery has shown that each respective crash site is in a remote area.”
“Very good general, let’s try to keep it that way for the time being shall we.”
“Yes sir.”
“Now then general, in your opinion is there any hope of recovering the two pilots that were captured?”
“Not likely sir. We currently have no leads on their potential whereabouts, so we couldn’t begin to formulate a plan for our ranger or seal teams to extract them. Additionally, it has already been over ten days since their capture. I regret to say that they have probably been beaten and tortured to death sir.”
After a few seconds of dejected silence, the President replied, “I thank you for your candor general, but I hope against the odds that you are incorrect.”
“Yes sir, I hope so too.”
“Alright general, now please arrange for me to review the files of the four pilots so that I can become familiar with them. I will also need the contact information for the families, as they should hear the news directly from me as opposed to seeing it on CNN.”
“Yes sir, I’ll get that for you within the hour sir.”
With a nod of acceptance, the President turned his gaze to the opposite side of the table. Then he asked, “And what do you have to report Mr. Secretary?”
The Secretary of State responded, “With regard to the two missing pilots in question, the State Department has received no word from anyone. Much like the attacks of November fourteenth upon us, no group is claiming responsibility. We have been in contact with the Syrian Ambassador, and if his claim is to be believed, then the Syrian government or what’s left of its military doesn’t have them. I’m not fully ready to accept that claim Mr. President, but the Syrian government isn’t exactly in the mood to discuss the matter at the present time. Regardless of that sir, even if the two pilots are still alive, we have absolutely no idea who would be holding them in captivity. We have all the feelers out via our contacts in the region, but as of now none of them have heard even the faintest whisper to lead us in the proper direction.”
“Well that is unfortunate news Mr. Secretary. Obviously your various contacts in the region should remain vigilant in their attempts. We need to either locate the pilots, or attain confirmation of their death. Doing so should remain one of the top priorities for your office, is that understood?”
“Yes sir Mr. President, absolutely.”
“Good. Now do you have anything else?”
“Yes sir. As to the topic of our discussion in your office last Thursday, both the House and Senate acted rather quickly on the subject. I received a call just before coming here that the deliberation is over and a vote took place early this afternoon. The motion carried with relative ease Mr. President, as it seems that many members of Congress were still rather pissed off at Texas for seceding from the United States. Their vote has now put in motion the process of vacating all military bases in Texas beginning this coming Monday the twenty-fifth. Apparently their consensus was that they didn’t care if such a speedy withdrawal would negatively affect the local economy. To paraphrase sir, their mindset was that if Texas wanted to stand alone, then they should be made to feel the financial pain of doing so. I must add that I agree with that sentiment sir. Why should the hard working and loyal American members of our military forces support the Texas economy in cities or towns near the active bases if the people of that republic don’t even want us there?”
“Well in this particular instance I would have to agree with Congress, but don’t let that admission become public knowledge.”
“Yes sir.”
Having listened to the report from the Secretary of State, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs cut in by asking, “Excuse me Mr. President. Am I to understand that Congress has voted to abandon all of our military bases within Texas?”
“That’s correct general.”
“And whose idea was that sir?”
“Well general, the matter was brought to the attention of the Secretary during his initial meeting with the Ambassador from Texas last Wednesday morning.”
“So this proposal came from Texas?”
“Yes it did general.”
“And the Secretary signed off on the proposal without consulting me or other members of the Joint Chiefs?”
“No general. The secretary and I, along with others, discussed the proposal to determine the wisest course of action. Then I signed off on
it and instructed the Vice President to bring the matter to the attention of the Senate.”
“And all of that was done without consulting the military sir?”
Feeling somewhat annoyed by the tone that the general carried, President Harwell clenched and unclenched his left fist a few times and responded with, “General, may I remind you that not every decision, especially those which concern the state department, need to be run by the military?”
Easing the coarseness of his tone somewhat, the chairman stated, “I understand that fact Mr. President. However, with all due respect sir, any decisions of state that concern our military bases and their personnel should be brought to our attention. You didn’t even provide us with an opportunity to voice our opinion on the matter.”
“Perhaps you have a point general, but it was not a constitutional requirement for me to provide the military with such an opportunity. In this particular instance it was determined to act with expedience, so there just wasn’t sufficient time to get into a debate with the military brain trust over why the bases should or shouldn’t be handed over to Texas.”
“So then it’s a done deal sir?”
“Yes it is general. Of course some of the logistics will still need to be worked out, but the bases will be handed over to Texas beginning one week from today!”
Although at a loss as to why the joint chiefs had been circumvented, the General came to attention and said, “I understand Mr. President. Now if there is nothing else that you would need from me presently, I must ask to be excused from this briefing.”
“On what grounds general?”
“I need to consult with members of my senior staff in order to get the ball rolling sir. We have a great deal of work to do with regard to the proper closure of those bases, and that work should begin immediately. There’s very little time to work with in order to meet the requirements of the established withdrawal date sir, and the machinery, equipment, hardware, and ammunition stock piles, not to mention the officers, enlisted ranks, and support personnel that are stationed at those various bases, will need to be withdrawn from Texas in an orderly fashion.”
Although neither the President nor the Secretary of State had thought each of those logistical tasks through when making their decision, the President could not outwardly reveal such a short coming of neglect on his part. With a calm tone in his voice he replied to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, “I understand general, permission granted and good luck with that task.”
“Thank you sir, we shall do our best.”
“I know you will general, and there’s just one more thing.”
“Yes sir.”
“Inform Admiral Rutherford that I said job well done. However enough is enough, it’s time for the fourth fleet to come home. Please order them to depart from their current duty station in the eastern Mediterranean immediately.”
Samuel had spent a few relaxing days at the Tillman mansion with Victoria after his return from Austin on Friday afternoon, but their home had almost been too quiet. The atmosphere was a direct result of their oldest son Kyle and Ms. Holloway being the only other family members present. However that level of tranquility suddenly changed late Sunday night, but in some regards, Samuel was relieved that it had. Five other members of the family had returned a little earlier than anticipated from their adventure to Colorado, so the mansion was once again filled with all the youthful frenetic energy that both he and Victoria relished. Throughout the next thirty-six hours they jointly realized that the entire family had completely recovered from the joyous celebration of New Year’s Eve, Savanah was full of life and exhibited improved health while telling stories of recent days in the mountains, and everyday existence at the Tillman mansion was returning to normal.
Included in that normalcy was the absence of both Jason and Beau, as each had returned for duty and their educational pursuits at the respective military academies in West Point and Colorado Springs. Both young men and their placement within the academy structure were important to the future plans of Samuel and the Tillman family, as well as those of the organization in general. However they did not stand alone in that endeavor, as each set of their parents had previously provided, and would continue to provide, services on behalf of the organization and Texas. In keeping with that loyalty to the cause, Mason, the youngest surviving son of Samuel and Victoria, had made numerous trips throughout most of the previous year to either El Paso or to the remote training facility. That frequent absence from the Tillman mansion, as well as from his wife and daughter Jennifer, was necessary in order for Mason to spend significant time under the tutelage of number thirty-one. In so doing, he had theoretically become well versed in what he would be called upon to do. Mason’s most recent of those many flights aboard the family jet to the western tip of Texas had been on January second, and now ten days later in the late morning of Tuesday the twelfth, Samuel prepared to leave the mansion for an identical flight.
After enjoying a hearty breakfast which had been prepared by the usual excellence of Ms. Holloway, Samuel was driven by Victoria through Crockett to the Houston County Airport just southeast of town. Along the way he used their brief moments of total privacy to inform Victoria of what he had learned the previous evening. Number twenty-three had contacted him via the burn phone to state that number twenty-nine from Washington D.C. had made contact with her just moments before. Within his quick report was the important news that the Senate had voted to relinquish all of the military bases within Texas back to the republic, but that the Joint Chiefs of the military were pissed off that they had not been consulted by President Harwell before moving forward with the plan.
Victoria turned her gaze from the roadway just long enough to look at her husband and reply, “Well now, that’s interesting.”
“Indeed it is. Of course the news is good about the bases, and I asked number twenty-three to forward the information on to the key players in Austin. However there may be more of an underlying current to the decision made in Washington which could be exploited. It’s possible that by never consulting with his senior military advisors on the matter, Harwell may have just created a serious level of mistrust within his administration.”
A few moments later they arrived at the tarmac, knowing that the family jet had been prepared to take flight as soon as Samuel was ready to depart. When he subsequently opened the passenger door of the car and gave a wave, the pilot started the engines. After kissing her husband goodbye, Victoria asked, “Do you have any idea how long you will be gone?”
“Not exactly, but it should only be a couple of days. Of course that all depends on the progress that is made with Mason, number thirty-one, and number seven when he arrives tomorrow.”
“So you’re thinking Friday then?”
“Maybe, but I don’t really know yet. Saturday is probably more realistic, and unless you needed it for something else in the meantime, I was thinking of having the plane and crew remain in El Paso until I was ready to return.”
“No Samuel, I don’t need the plane for anything. I just wondered in case you forgot about this coming weekend.”
“You mean the party for Savanah’s ninth birthday?”
“Yes. The eighteenth falls on a Monday this year, so we have the party planned for the previous afternoon.”
“I know, she told me this morning before breakfast. No need to worry Vic, I’ll be at the party no matter what transpires in El Paso.”
While flashing the same smile that he had fallen in love with many years before, Victoria replied, “Thanks Samuel. That will make her very happy.”
“Savanah’s happiness is an added benefit Vic, but your happiness is more important.”
Samuel closed the door behind him, walked twenty steps across the tarmac, and waved back at her before climbing aboard his Gulfstream G280. He had not said anything to her, but there was added incentive for Samuel to keep the flight crew and plane in El Paso for the duration of his business trip. As the flight attendant Domonique fo
lded in the stairs and secured the door for flight, Samuel took his customary seat and looked out the window toward Victoria as the plane began to taxi.
Then a few moments after the jet had roared down the runway and taken flight, Domonique approached Samuel and asked, “Can I get you anything Mr. Tillman? A drink or some snacks?”
“Yes please. I don’t need any food, but could I have a strong cup of coffee?”
“Certainly sir, I’ll get that for you right away.”
Long before they had landed in El Paso, Samuel had invited Domonique to sit across from him so that they could talk. The act itself was not so unusual, and had been done many times before. From Samuel’s point of view, it seemed ridiculous for both of them to be sitting at opposite ends of the small compartment without communicating. After all, beyond her role as the primary flight attendant for the family, Domonique had been used by Samuel from time to time for minor intelligence gathering. Although what she deemed to be important generally required a certain amount of sifting through, she had provided some useful information to him upon occasion.
Samuel knew that some of his business associates who also owned private jets would never think of treating a flight attendant as an equal by engaging them in such a manner, but he believed that to be a shortcoming on their part. Perhaps their actions were based on the fear of diminishing their perceived self-worth over an employee, but Samuel was different than most that he knew who had attained the status of wealth or position. The conversation between the two was amiable as always, and by way of Samuel’s request, Domonique felt at ease to speak freely about several topics. He learned of her planned spring vacation with a girlfriend, and said it would be no problem for her to have the requested time off.
Unfortunately what the young lady hadn’t realized was that Samuel was quite adept at reading between the lines, and Domonique, like many others whom he had dealt with in the business world, revealed a few tells when they were omitting certain aspects of the truth. Therefore it was what she hadn’t said throughout the current encounter, and previous such relaxed conversations, that was slowly confirming Samuel’s suspicions of someone who flew on the jet with regularity.