by A J Newman
John turned to Beth and said, “The Admiral has invited us to the Ford for dinner and fireworks this Wednesday. Kristie can watch Jenn and we can have a night out on a warship. Sounds romantic.”
“Why the fireworks? What are we celebrating?
John and Beth arrived at the helipad ten minutes early and joined Gus, Ginny, George, Shirley, Steve, Janet, Sally and her boyfriend.
The men were in suits without ties and the women were wearing dresses, but no high heels. All were armed with various pistols and knives. They were all joking about it being just another night out on the town in post-apocalyptic America.
George spoke up first, “Ginny, you look so beautiful. Gus, for an old fart, you clean up pretty good also.”
“Thanks Daddy. You look pretty good and Shirley is gorgeous.”
John gave them a frown, “I need you two to behave in front of the Admiral. My Secretary of Defense and Vice President should at least act like adults in front of the head of the entire ISA military.”
Gus and George were best of friend, but loved to needle each other any chance they got. Since Gus was engaged to George’s daughter Ginny the “Daddy” comment brought swift retaliation from George.
“I will behave if you can get that old man to behave. Hey, someone bring a wheelchair and a hot toddy for poor old Gus. We don’t want him to pass out waiting on our ride.”
Even John laughed at those comments. Ginny laughed and gave Gus a big kiss.
“Mom, put a muzzle on Dad and make him act like he is a vice president.”
The helicopter arrived and they all enjoyed the flight out to the Ford.
The helicopter circled the Ford just before landing and all could see crewmen still repairing the damage from the nuclear blasts. Several large antennae were being hoisted into place for installation. They were taken through a security checkpoint and asked to turn over their arms before proceeding to their rooms.
“Ensign, is this a new security procedure?”
“Yes, Mr. President. You and the Vice president may keep your arms, but I have to have all of the others. The Admiral increased security across the board after the attack. We are vigilant for any possible threat.”
“Thanks. We don’t like handing over our guns, but I do understand.”
***
“Captain, what is the status of our drones and our targets?
“Sir, we have at least two drones covering each target and a satellite over the sub base. We are ready to launch at a minutes notice. The optimum time will be in 97 minutes.”
“That’s all and thanks for the update. Paul, send for my guests. We will eat and then assemble on the deck for the launches.”
***
Pablo Cortez was in bed with his mistress when the phone rang.
“Senior, your car will be here in 60 minutes.”
“Thanks, I will be gone for an additional day. Take a couple of days off and take the wife and kids to the beach house and have a short vacation. I will be back there on Monday and will need you back by then. Take my car; I will take the helicopter to the airport.”
“Pablo, come back to bed and I will give you something to remember me while you are gone to Paraguay.”
He took his clothes off and went back to bed. They finished in 15 minutes and Pablo was very glad he went back to bed. He gave her a kiss, dressed and walked out to the courtyard and stepped into his helicopter. Just at the last minute, he told the helicopter to leave without him and to come back in two hours. She not only left him thinking about her, but he also wanted more of her. He started back though the underground tunnel when he heard explosions from the courtyard.
Pablo’s aide left in Pablo’s car just as soon as Pablo told him that he could leave. They arrived at his house when suddenly his house exploded.
***
“Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased that you could join me for dinner this evening. I hear congratulations are in order for Steve, Gus and their fiancées.”
He raised his glass and gave a toast, “May you live happy and productive lives. May you be blessed with peace and tranquility. Now let’s eat and afterwards, I’ll tell you all about the fireworks.”
The Admiral caught Gus off to the side with John and said, “Gus that is a very beautiful young lady that you are marrying. Would you like our doctors to check you out before your honeymoon? We don’t need the Secretary of Defense having a heart attack right after getting married to such a stunning young lady.”
Gus poked John in the side and said, “I know that you put him up to this you dirty dog. I had enough trouble telling my daughters about Ginny.”
“That’s Mr. President Dirty Dog to you.”
The Admiral turned serious for a minute and asked, “How soon can you be ready to take Corpus Christie?”
“Sir we are moving troops into the area as we speak. The plan was to begin operations in two days.
“That’s what I was told. After our fireworks show, you will be itching to start tonight.”
They finished eating and the Admiral banged a spoon on his crystal wine glass to get their attention.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we are now going topside to watch our fleet respond to the vicious attack on our fleet and the citizens of the ISA.”
They followed the Admiral to an elevator and were quickly in the control room.
“There are 120 aircraft, 33 ships and 6 land bases that will be launching missiles or dropping bombs on our enemies. The UN and Chupacabras will be decimated in 31 minutes. Yow will see missiles launched for over 15 minutes. We have timed the launches to have all missiles hit their targets at the same time. Then stealth bombers will pound any targets that we still feel need attention. There will be six nuclear bombs launched tonight. Four are aimed at the major UN bases that are preparing to invade the Northwest USA and two will take out most of the Cabra’s command and control plus the Iranian sub base.”
Just as he finished speaking, they saw bright flashes above several ships posted around the Ford and then saw streaks of fire leaping away from the ships. The flashes and streaks of fire were beautiful against the darkness of the night. They could see flashes from Mobile and all around them.
Beth spoke, “Admiral, even though I know that these beautiful flashes of fire will mean death to thousands of our enemy, I can’t help but be proud of the men and women of our fleet for suffering through such a devastating attack and rebounding so quickly to deliver swift and deadly justice to our enemies. I might add that I never supported the UN, but I never thought that it would be taken over by radical Islam and become a force for evil.”
Everyone applauded.
The flashes stopped and the Admiral said, “We have fifteen minutes before the first missile hits its target. I will spend the time reflecting on the people lost on our side and pray for the souls of our enemy who we are sending to hell tonight. I must add that we should feel a small shock and may see the sky light up a bit in that direction. There isn’t a cloud in the sky so there is nothing to block the light from the closest blast.”
There was silence and then there was a faint glow for a few seconds towards the southwest, followed later by medium sized waves rocking the ship. Then it was over.
The Admiral said, “That was the Iranian sub base on the coast of Mexico. Our intel suggests that we caught all of the major Iranian military leaders in the attack. This means that the old Islamic radical Iran no longer exists. Now we wait for damage assessments to roll in from our drones, aircraft and satellites.”
Reports started coming in at a frantic pace and the Admiral gave updates as they came to him.
“The UN bases in Libya and Egypt were totally destroyed. The UN offices in a dozen cities located in enemy countries have been demolished Still waiting on more intel on the UN.”
They were all discussing the potential ramifications from the attacks when the Admiral cleared his throat and said, “The Iranian sub-base and the Cabra’s main compound in Paraguay has been obliterated as we h
ad hoped. Our missiles also hit Cortez’s home, office and all vehicles that he usually uses for transportation. We will not be able to verify his death until we hear from our moles in his organization.”
An aide handed the Admiral another message.
“Good news. We caught the UN fleet at sea about 500 miles from Oregon and sank every one of their ships. They were carrying over 20,000 troops aimed at attacking and taking Oregon and Washington State. Their intention was to take them back for the USA and use them as a base to regain North and South Dakota. We also shot down over sixty aircraft that were bringing paratroopers to Oregon. They are all at the bottom of the Pacific. We lost one F-18 in that attack and that is our only loss so far."
Beth was listening to the Admiral when a thought came to her, “Are any munition plants still in operation? We don’t have an unlimited supply of missiles and bombs, do we?”
“That is a great observation. We only have a limited supply of all munitions. That is true. We do have several small arms and artillery ammunition plants back in operation at a reduced capacity. Many of these plants were looted just to get the loose ammo lying around, however the machinery is still in working shape and your husband’s team has been bringing whole factories full of equipment to Northern Alabama to set up a manufacturing center close to the TVA dam at Muscle Shoals. One of Steve’s challenges will be to provide manpower and security for this crucial project. I also have the military guarding all of the major manufacturing sites for missiles, nuclear, and conventional bombs until John’s team can either get them in operation or move them to more secure locations.”
Beth smiled, “That makes me feel much better.”
“I believe you all know that we control 95 percent of the military stock piles of all types of vehicles, weapons, gear and fuel. Since we are below 20 percent of what our manpower was pre-TSHTF we have enough to last way beyond our ability to get these factories back in operation. In addition, we are working with the Pacific Coast States to accomplish many of the same goals. They are a partner and ally, but don’t like our conservative ways so they want their own separate country.”
***
The next missile took out the limo that Pablo’s aide had taken to his house. He was blown to pieces, as was his family inside his home.
Pablo’s guards brought him quickly to the ground, threw themselves on top of him thus shielding him from the blast and shrapnel. The two guards closest to the doorway were shredded with pieces of brick and glass. Pablo had several severe shrapnel wounds, but would survive. His guards took him deeper into the bowels of the compound and fetched the best surgeons to tend to his wounds. He was unconscious for several months and there was a power struggle to see who would replace him.
Gorge, Pablo’s most loyal and vicious general flew back from Corpus Christie to take over during Pablo’s recuperation. He not only protected Pablo’s interests, but also eliminated anyone who might try to get between him and Pablo. He killed every Cabra who had even mentioned taking power from Pablo. However leaving Corpus Christie in the hands of one of his captains was a fatal mistake.
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Chapter 13
Meeting of the Chosen People
Kentucky and Alabama
August, 2021
Kentucky was very hot and humid as usual in late August. Joshua had just reviewed the shooting range and physical training facility and was covered in sweat. The local commander was nervous around Joshua and Bo who were his senior commanders. He stammered several times when asked a question and nearly fell down when Joshua quickly turned around on the shooting range.
“You appear to be very nervous Dick. Does our visit upset you? Are you hiding something from us?”
Bo spoke up, “Joshua, he worships you just like a God. He is not scared of anything or anybody. You need to realize that you are the supreme leader and as close to God as any of these people will ever see. Give him a few minutes and he will get over being star struck. Dick has the best operation of all of my compounds. He makes money and has the support of the local population. He has taken over the entire city's management of all utilities, fire department and police department.”
Joshua patted Dick on the back and said, “Perhaps we need you to train our other compound leaders. Good job. I have been watching your reports and noticed your exceptional performance. Bo, let’s discuss a promotion for Dick in the near future.”
Bo replied, “That sounds good. We need to get to the meeting room. The others should all be here by now and I know that you want to greet them before dinner.”
“Yes, I want to set the stage for the meeting tomorrow. We have a few of our leaders that want to take advantage of this disaster and conquer the USA 20 years ahead of schedule. We have had that discussion.
***
Ginny was very worried about meeting Gus’ daughters for the first time. Again, they decided that she should meet just the daughters before meeting the rest of the family. She cleaned Gus’ apartment from top to bottom even though Gus had a cleaning service twice a week. She was busy wiping the dust off the top of a bookshelf when Gus entered the living room.
“Darling, you are wearing the wood off the furniture. They aren’t coming to meet the furniture. They are coming to meet my beautiful sexy bride to be.”
“Gus, are you sure that me being Black isn’t a problem for them?”
“I’ve told you a hundred times that Black is not a problem. Now my new wife being 22 raised some eyebrows. I think they were too polite to hit me up for robbing the cradle. Calm down, they will love you as much as I do.”
A few minutes later, the doorbell rang and Gus answered the door.
“Gail, Angela, Pat meet my fiancée, Ginny. Ginny, meet my daughters.”
The girls rushed past Gus and all hugged Ginny at the same time.
Gail spoke first, “We are so glad to finally meet you; Dad has told us all about you and your kids.”
“Gus has told me all about you three and the grandchildren. He is so proud of you and was worried to death about you until we heard from Corpus Christie that you were safe. I am so happy to be joining your family.”
Angela spoke up, “We are glad to have you in the family. Now that the introductions have been made, has anyone told you that you could be Halle Berry’s twin sister?
Before Ginny could say anything, Angela asked another question.
“What did this old dog do to catch such a beautiful young lady? Did he promise you jewels and fine cars?
Everyone, but Gus, broke out laughing and he was turning redder by the minute.
“First, thank you for comparing me to Ms. Berry. Second, I know that you are teasing us, but no, it wasn’t like that. I chased him until I wore him down and he said yes. He was against us getting together because of our age difference.”
Pat hadn’t said a thing, but then she noticed the pistol strapped to Ginny’s hip and asked, “Why are you armed? Does every woman carry a gun?”
“I use it to keep Gus in line.”
The girls laughed and fist bumped Ginny while laughing at Gus.
“Seriously, we can be under attack without much notice so you will see just about everyone armed or have their guns close by their side. My rifle is in the closet.”
“Have you been in any of these battles?
Gus spoke up, “She has been in several and was wounded during the capture of this complex from the DHS. That was the day that I knew that I loved her.”
Ginny leaned over, gave Gus a kiss and held his hand and said, “I promise you that I will love, cherish and fight by his side until death do us part.”
Angela replied, “I’m glad this lady will put up with you because we really like her. She will be our best friend. I almost said sister, but that would be creepy.”
Gus said, “Thanks, but you could have kept that comment to yourself. Mentioning Ginny’s pistol brings to mind that after we get you settled in we need to get you in to our Reserve trainin
g classes. You need to learn how to help defend our country and yourselves. Of course I saw the pictures of that dead Cabra and I thing Angela can skip the knife training.”
Angela spoke up to say, “One little slip of the knife and I’ll be the joke at parties for the rest of my life. I’ll never find a man if they think that I’ll carve them up like a pumpkin.”
Gail gave Angela a hug and said, “It was my kid that piece of shit was trying to mess with. I’m glad you killed him because I don’t know if I could have done it. You take after Dad and can handle yourself. I’m too laid back and passive for this new world. Any real man will want you and know that killing a pedophile is a good thing.”
Gus chimed in, “Well I’m not so sure about that. I heard that every cheating husband that heard that story has hid all the knives in his house.”
Angela walked over to Gus, sat in his lap and said, “But I’m still your baby girl, aren’t I? You like me more than you like the others. I know.”
“I love all of my girls the same. If it helps, you are the biggest pain in my ass. You are much better at sarcasm than your sisters ever were.”
The three sisters met at Gail’s apartment later that night and discussed their new stepmom to be.
Angela spoke first, “If Dad is happy then I am happy. Ginny seems to be a nice woman and fits in with us, so I don’t see a concern. I like her.”
Pat replied, “She is way too young for Dad. He must be 26 years older than she is. Normally I would be going berserk over this and say that she would leave him for a younger man, but there aren’t many men around these days. Second, Dad is the Secretary of Defense of our new country. He has a lot going for him. I like her. Well Gail?”