Three minutes later, they had their passports stamped and they were on their way. As holders of diplomatic passports they were spared the indignity of having their luggage searched. Meital said, “At least we have a layover here. If we’d had scheduled a connecting flight, we probably would have missed it.”
They checked into the airport Hilton forty minutes later. Once they were in their room, Meital turned on the television while Rick retrieved their HK pistols from their locking hardcases. He loaded them, and handed Meital hers in its paddle holster. She laughed and said, “This must be a rarity, in this hotel.”
“Thank God for diplomatic privilege and immunity.”
Meital surfed through the channels. The Fairness Doctrine had obviously taken stronger hold since the last time either of them had been in the States. The cable channels seemed crowded with shows produced by Wiccans, Druids, Moslems, and even the Church of Satan. There was also lots of pornography -- and it was just after 5 p.m. Meital complained, “I feel like we’ve walked through the Gates of Hell. I just want to find The Weather Channel.”
As Meital scanned through the more than 200 channels, she also saw a lot of commercials. It seemed that the majority of these were from law firms, and these fell into three main categories: Seeking plaintiffs for personal injury cases; seeking plaintiffs for pharmacological, medical device, or medical malpractice cases; and seeking clients for immigration law cases. Most of the latter commercials were in Spanish and Chinese. After skipping past several Reality Television shows (one on polygamists, one about polyamorous “threeples,” and one featuring bestialists who bemoaned their lack of marriage rights “to the animal persons we love”), Meital finally found the weather forecast: It would be hot and humid but not rainy in Alabama for at least the next five days.
Their connecting flights down to Mobile were uneventful and remarkably uncrowded. The recent hike in airfares in response to higher oil prices were clearly taking a bite out of the regional airline traffic. The Diplomatic tags on their bags drew some interest from the ground crew. One of the clerks at the luggage counter acted as if he had never seen or handled Diplomatic luggage.
Stepping out of the terminal was like walking into a sauna. The heat and humidity of Alabama in July was unbearable to many, but it did not bother the Akinses, who had become acclimated to the severe Ilemi climate. But Rick and Meital both felt naked until they got to their rental car and again retrieved their pistols, loaded them, and checked their rail-mounted laser/lights. As ambassadors, technically they could travel armed aboard commercial aircraft in many countries, but not in the United States, unless they were on a chartered flight.
It was a three-hour drive from Mobile to Dothan, Alabama. They also could have flown into Tallahassee, Florida, but they wanted to see more of Alabama. Their drive into the Wiregrass region was pleasant. There were still lots of large farms (mostly peanuts) and stately plantation houses that could be seen from the road. They drove to a Holiday Inn hotel near Dothan. This was just a few miles from Fort Rucker, the home of the U.S. Army Aviation Corps headquarters and pilot training school. Officially dubbed “The U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence and Fort Rucker,” it had a fixed-wing airfield and five heliports. A large number of military retirees and contractors lived in the surrounding communities. The standard joke was, “Everyone returns to Mother Rucker,” and that applied not just to pilots returning to the Fort for refresher courses and new qualifications, but also for many retirees -- many of whom were “double dippers” who had served their 20 years but come back to work as Department of the Army Civilians (DACs) or as military contractors to earn a second retirement.
Because of post-9/11/2031 enhanced security restrictions, the Akinses would not be able to enter the Fort’s perimeter fence. But they still had access to the many contractor offices that lined the streets outside of the post’s gates. These contractors included a wide variety of avionics companies, technical recruiting and temporary employee firms, as well as field offices for companies like Sikorsky, Boeing, Hughes, Kaman, and Bell Helicopter-Textron.
They timed their arrival in Dothan for a Thursday, because they wanted to have a couple of preliminary meetings with contractor service and spare parts (“boneyard”) firms the next day and then attend a Messianic congregation meeting in Dothan on Friday evening. That would be followed by a visit to a Methodist church in the town of Enterprise on Sunday.
They arrived at Congregation Hope of Israel, Shalom Dothan on Friday at just after 6 p.m. They were impressed to see a sizable grouping of very sturdy brick buildings for the congregation chapel, multipurpose meeting hall, classrooms, and parsonage. The campus once belonged to Bethany Divinity College and Seminary, but once they outgrew the facilities in the late 2020s, the college moved to a new, larger campus farther out of Dothan. The elders of Congregation of Hope bought the old campus on very agreeable interest-free terms with a 20-year payment plan.
The Friday evening service was scheduled to start at 6:30. They first met the congregation’s Cantor. They introduced themselves as Ilemi ambassadors, and Rick briefly described growing up in Texas and his time in the Air Force. Meital also introduced herself, identifying herself as both an Israeli émigré and a Messianic. Her Israeli Jewish background provided a special cachet with American Messianics. The Cantor immediately offered Rick and Meital the opportunity to address the congregation right after the regular Friday evening service.
News of the Akinses’ visit quickly spread to the arriving congregants. Rick and Meital were amazed at the size of the congregation, which was larger than any of the local meetings that Meital had attended in Israel. It seemed the members already knew about the Ilemi Republic, and many of them were closely following news of the fledgling nation. Even in the U.S., some of the Republic’s strongest supporters were Messianics. Rick and Meital received enthusiastic handshakes and excited questions before the service began. One teenager asked to see what an Ilemi passport looked like, and Rick and Meital obliged him by showing their diplomatic passports. This elicited a number of ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ from the growing cluster of people around them.
The service was a typical Erev Shabbat service that began with Messianic praise choruses and then a recitation of the Kabbalat Shabbat from the Messianic Prayer book, The Messianic Shabbat Siddur. There was a traditional candlelighting ceremony and three other readings. Following the closing Aaronic Benediction, the chubby Congregational Leader said, “You may have heard that we have some special guests tonight who have a few words for you. It is my pleasure to introduce Ambassador Atkins and his wife.”
Rick and Meital stood up nervously and walked to the pulpit. Rick began, “Shabbat Shalom! First, one point of clarification: My name is Akins, not Atkins. I have Scottish blood, not English. Back when I attended the U.S. Air Force Direct Commissionee’s School, when I signed in I was handed an envelope full of name tags and name tapes that all read ‘Atkins,’ so I spent the next three weeks straightening all of that out. Rest assured, this is not the first time I’ve been called Atkins.”
After some laughter, Rick continued, “I would like to first ask this congregation for prayers for persecuted Christians and Messianic Jews, all around the world. Please also pray for our new nation of refuge dedicated to Protestants and Messianics, the Ilemi Republic.”
The Congregational Leader interrupted Rick to immediately lead an impassioned prayer. Then he turned to Rick, who resumed, “We make no secret of why we’ve come to Fort Rucker. We are here to look for new Ilemi citizens with some well-seasoned expertise. Here in the communities surrounding Fort Rucker, there are a very large number of people who ‘Speak Sikorsky.’ We are looking for pilots, crew chiefs, mechanics, and avionics technicians, and perhaps an AVUM or AVIM clerk, who have at least four years of experience with UH-60 Blackhawks or similar Sikorsky helicopters and who are willing to immigrate to the Ilemi Republic, with at least a three-year commitment to become citizens and members of our full-time Aviation Corps Cadre. These are paid full-t
ime technician, instructor, and pilot positions. Instead of Ilemi citizenship costing half a million NEuros, as it usually does, the Cadre members and their immediate family members will all receive lifetime Ilemi citizenship, free of charge.”
Rick then turned the microphone toward Meital, who said, “Hello. I’m Meital Akins. I was born in Eretz Yisrael, and by Grace I became a believer in Yeshua the Messiah when I was 20 years old.” She then switched to Hebrew and carried on for a few more minutes. In this part of her speech, Rick only recognized a few Hebrew words and “Yeshua,” “Israel,” “Ilemi,” “Rick,” “Mtume,” and “Blackhawk.”
Following their address, Rick and Meital were pinned down by an even larger throng of people in the Coffee Room, where they answered questions for more than 40 minutes and handed out a large number of Rick’s distinctive gold Mylar calling cards. Several people promised to contact friends with Blackhawk helicopter experience who might be willing to emigrate.
Rick and Meital spent Saturday catching up on e-mail, relaxing, and touring the George Washington Carver Museum, the Landmark Park living history museum, and the U.S. Army Aviation Museum. All through their day of playing tourist, many fast, quiet, and stealthy new UH-100 Ultrahawks zipped overhead. Like many other U.S. Military museums, the Fort Rucker museum was relocated outside the secure portion of the Fort, allowing accessibility to civilian tourists. Meital thought it ironic that they had both a MH-60L and a MH-60Q “Dustoff” on static display at the museum alongside two UH-1 Huey variants, and that these Blackhawks and Hueys were both venerated as the Army’s “Retired Warhorses.” The last UH-60 had left Army National Guard service just four years before Ilemi independence.
That evening they held their first interview with a candidate at the Red Lobster restaurant on the Montgomery Highway in Dothan. He was an Army Corporal serving as a “15 Bravo” Powerplant Repairer who had just recently cross-trained as a 15G Aircraft Structural Repairer. While he was too young to have worked on UH-60s, he did have a lot of experience with similar later-generation Sikorsky helicopters. The corporal had just two months of service remaining before his ETS date, he was a devoted Christian, single, and eager to relocate to the Ilemi. Their wide-ranging conversation with the 23-year-old covered much more than helicopter maintenance and repair. Over their two-hour dinner, they discussed Reformed theology and eschatology, his upbringing in the panhandle of Oklahoma, rifle scope reticles and illuminators (he was a deer hunter), and the general decline of liberty in the U.S.
On the subject of declining liberty the Corporal recounted how twice in the past six months he was stopped at DUI checkpoints and forced to submit to Breathalyzer tests and DNA cheek swabs at gunpoint. He lamented, “The American people are becoming little more than bleating sheep, and the protection provided by our Constitution is not much more than a fond memory. There is de facto Sharia law from coast to coast in America now, and blatant Sharia in some cities with sizable Muslim minorities. They passed a Federal law against offending another religion, but it is only enforced selectively -- upon those who speak out against Islam. Ironically, a few people still say, ‘It’s a free country.’ I’ve got news for them: It hasn’t been free since around 2002. I can’t wait to make a fresh start, in the Ilemi.”
Mobile, Alabama - July, Four Years After Declaration of the Caliphate
Getting a phone call at 5 a.m. on a Sunday morning put Traci in a foul mood, from the outset. It was her partner. He said, “We just got a special tasking. We’re driving to Fort Rucker this morning.”
Traci responded, in a sleepy voice, “Are you kidding me?”
Her partner, Special Agent Delon Jackson, laughed and said, “No, I wish I was. This tasking just came down from D.C. You need to pack for a week and be ready to roll by 6 a.m. I’ll pick you up outside of your apartment. I have a very slim file for you to read through. It sounds like another freakin’ wild goose chase. And get this: The subjects are diplomatic, so it’s purely ‘informational.’ They’re Teflon -- no prosecution, even if we dig up anything on them.”
Traci groaned, “You just ruined what was left of my weekend. Okay, I’ll be ready by six.”
FBI Special Agent Traci Charles was feeling even more perturbed by the time her partner wheeled the nondescript Toyota hybrid sedan in front of her apartment building. She was worrying about her house plants in the event she was away more than five days. After tossing her bag and briefcase in the back seat, she stepped into the front seat, fastened her seatbelt, and gratefully accepted the covered cup of coffee Delon brought her. He was always very thoughtful, but he was also very married, so they kept their relationship strictly professional.
She took a few sips of coffee as her partner drove toward the Interstate. The streets were empty. After she set her cup in the center console cupholder, Delon handed over the promised file folder. She leafed through it. On top was a print-out of an e-mailed tasking memo from the FBI’s Washington D.C. headquarters. The tasking was terse: “Two SAs required ASAP to track movements of Ilemi Republic Ambassadors Richard and Meital Akins. (Special Note SAs: Subjects are holders of diplomatic immunity. Do not approach, question, or detain, under any circumstances.) Last known location of Subjects: Dothan, Alabama. There is reasonable suspicion that they are at Fort Rucker to recruit helicopter pilots for military service in Africa. (Possible violation of UN treaty and the Pelosi Act.) Follow up on their movements with discreet investigation/interviews with any locals they contact. Full 24/7 surveillance not required. Prepare a report for the Director’s Office. Make no direct contact with State Department; Director’s Office will handle the subsequent brief. Hand off to another field office if movements of the subjects take them outside our FO’s geographical limits. If they linger, additional support will be tasked within 5 days. Normal per diem and travel reporting. Nothing follows.”
Underneath the tasking memo were hard copies of three news articles about the formation of the Ilemi Republic. One of them included a photo of the Ilemi flagraising. The faces of Rick and Meital Akins were circled in red ink.
At the bottom of the stack was an “Alert” memo from the People of Color Law Center (POCLC.) It was titled: “The Ilemi Republic: Neocolonialism Infests Africa.” Seeing the POCLC’s letterhead made Traci groan. This think tank was notorious for its hyperbole and poorly-supported assertions about right-wing groups and pundits.
Traci looked over at her partner and asked, “So they call this ‘intel’?”
“Yeah, pretty skimpy. We’re almost flying blind here.”
Traci sighed. After a moment, she fished through her briefcase and pulled out her laptop comp. After opening it and grabbing a roaming wireless connection, she said, “Well, we’ve got a long drive up to Mother Rucker, so I think I’ll take this opportunity to dig in deeper. There’s got to be some better open source intel on these ‘neocolonials.’ The validity of anything coming out of the POCLC is questionable, at best.”
Delon nodded. “Yeah, good idea to dig up some more background. Do you mind if I put on some tunes?”
“No prob, just no rap, okay? I’d prefer instrumentals. I can only handle one voice in my head at a time when I’m doing research.”
“Okay. I hear you. I’ve got a bunch of instrumental jazz on my MP6 player. I’ll only use that playlist.”
Delon and Traci were born just two years apart and had similar backgrounds: She was from Alabama, and he was from Georgia. Both were law school graduates in their late 20s and were “paying their dues” with an assignment at a backwater field office. They were both itching for an assignment at one of the big FOs. Both of them were Democrats, and both were agnostics. But Traci was still single, whereas Delon had been married while still in law school.
After surfing from website to website for nearly an hour, Traci declared, “This whole thing is pretty messed up, Delon.”
“Whatcha you find out?”
“Well, supposedly -- at least according to the POCLC -- the Ilemi Republic is the creation of a bunch of
racist neocolonialist corporate lackeys who set up a bunch of sell-out Uncle Toms in Africa to be their front men. But then I dug into blogs and Internet forums and chans, including some on Tor. Nearly everyone there seems to think that the whole Ilemi thing will be a libertarian paradise, with no taxes, minimal government, and racial harmony. And get this: They gave all of the settled local tribesmen ten votes in all elections, but the settlers from other countries will only get one vote.”
“That doesn’t sound very racist to me.”
Traci thought for a few moments and then said, “I think I’d better call my brother Antoine. His law firm does a lot of tax planning and stuff like that for rich people. Mostly rich white dudes. I’ll bet he’s heard the real story about this Ilemi Republic. But please don’t mention to anyone that I’m pinging him on this.”
Delon laughed and said, “My lips are sealed, Trace.”
Later that same morning, Rick and Meital drove to St. Luke United Methodist Church in Enterprise. It had been difficult to pick a church to visit, since there were more than 40 churches in and around Enterprise, and 28 of those were Baptist. In the end, they chose St. Luke from among five churches with congregations numbering more than 300 people.
At St. Luke they met a very friendly integrated congregation. Meital estimated that there were about 250 people attending that morning. Some of them had already heard from their Messianic friends about the Akinses.
There were already guest speakers scheduled for the day: a young Methodist missionary couple touring the Bible Belt, raising support for a newly planned mission school in Malawi the following year. Rick would have been content to hand out a few calling cards and shake a few hands. But when the young missionaries got up to speak after an opening prayer, the husband said, “I’m here to ask for your prayers and request your support for our little mission in Malawi. But a few minutes ago, I had the privilege of meeting two diplomats who were instrumental in creating an entire new Christian nation of refuge, the Ilemi Republic. I’m sure that most of you have heard of it, and that some of you must have the Ilemi nation as part of your prayer life, as I have. We are living in perilous times, and there is tremendous persecution ongoing, mostly at the hands of the World Islamic State. I feel convicted to set aside half of my allotted time to allow Ambassador Akins to address y’all.”
Land of Promise (Counter-Caliphate Chronicles Series Book 1) Page 20