by T I WADE
Martie was still holding the young girl and sat in one of the chairs until the little girl awoke from all the noise. She looked up into Martie’s face, not recognizing the person holding her, and her big blue eyes searched Martie’s face.
“My mommy is dead, isn’t she?” the little girl asked, and Carlos came over to answer her questions.
“Was your mommy in the car with you?” he asked gently.
“She was lying on the road all day and wouldn’t get up. She’s dead, isn’t she?”
“I’m afraid so,” replied Carlos, sadly. “Who was the other person in the car with you?”
“That was my uncle Michael. I shook him for a long time but he had blood coming out of his head. Is he dead too?” Carlos nodded at her. “Is my puppy dead?” she asked, and her face lit up as the dog and her teddy bear were handed to her. “Spot and Teddy kept me warm. It was very cold in the car.”
“Where is your daddy?” Martie asked.
“He’s in the Army. I haven’t seen him in a long time. Mommy said that he was coming back soon. I guess God needed my Mom with him, right?” She looked up at Martie. “Will you look after me until my Dad comes to get me?”
“Of course,” replied Martie. “I’ll be your Mommy for awhile, until you Dad finds you or we find you a person to take your mommy’s place, okay? What is your name?”
“Bethany Jones, but everybody calls me Little Beth. You look just like my Mommy.” Martie was hooked. Preston knew that he now had real competition. Since the child was not hungry or thirsty, Martie put her to sleep in their bed.
By this time, Oliver had gotten acquainted with Spot the puppy, and the cat Smokey had already disappeared somewhere in the house. It was necessary for Oliver to show the happy little canine fur ball the area, such as where to pee and which bones not to steal, and they left through his doggy door in the kitchen, much to a hiding Smokey’s relief.
After the meal, and with a bottle of whiskey and vodka open on the coffee table, Buck and Carlos brought them all up to date. Buck explained that the general wanted the nuclear power station inspected early the next morning. He told them about the possible Chinese or Russian threat, and that if the nuclear power stations were shutting down in safe mode that meant that no one was going to fry, but it also meant that an attack from somebody was a definite possibility. Carlos joked that Buck had nearly hotwired the whole of Andrews AFB, and that he should hotwire Air Force One next for Preston. Everyone laughed, the alcohol having a calming effect on the people in the room. Everybody was there, including the eight off-duty soldiers. Preston had told them that they were part of the need for information and needed to be briefed.
Buck was quite proud to say that he had met the Columbian Ambassador and the U.S. President all in one day and that he and Carlos had actually sat in the Oval Office and used the same bathroom President Clinton had spent a lot of time in. Again, everyone laughed. Carlos added that he honestly thought that he had landed Baby Huey on gas fumes alone, and Tech Sergeant Matheson added that there was nobody on this earth who knew more about flying, aircraft, and how to make them ready for war than General Pete Allen. He had worked with him for 20 years.
Preston then asked Carlos about the ‘P’ thing in the sky and Carlos told them about the Navistar P he had found by mistake just before Christmas.
“I’m getting a manual on it at Hill when I get there tomorrow,” continued Carlos. “Pete wants me to get up the mountain, take some power with me, and try to wake it up and get it active. If we can do that, he reckons that her cameras could give us a picture of the United States from space, if we can position her correctly.”
“We have a recently transformed riding lawnmower, thanks to the Smart family,” stated Preston. “And its engine can either propel the mower, or be switched into generator mode.”
“It can’t do both at the same time,” added Ben and Oprah together. “We assembled it this afternoon and a couple of the soldiers helped us.”
“How can I get it to Salt Lake? I’m supposed to fly there in the P-51,” replied Carlos.
“FedEx,” replied Preston.
“FedEx!?” Carlos reacted, looking at his friend. “What have you been smoking while we’ve been away?”
“A FedEx Cessna Caravan Cargomaster,” replied Preston. “Hold on. Her range is too short. Okay, Lady Dandy has the range and can Lady Dandy your lawnmower generator to Hill for you.”
“Preston, I was wondering why we had a FedEx Caravan and a Cessna 210 visiting us here at the airport?” Buck asked.
“It is on loan. Short-hops, mail, food and booze delivery, supplies, dancing girls! You know, Buck, that sort of stuff—in and out.”
“Cut the crap, Preston,” replied Carlos.
“Ok, I want to check with a few farmers around here and see what they can offer in fresh food for people who are going to get hungry pretty soon,” continued Preston, in a more serious tone. “We have supplies here at the airport for all of us for about two months, maybe three. Other people don’t, and they are going to run out much quicker than we are. I’m just thinking beyond tomorrow and we won’t have the airport in Raleigh much longer. Somebody will be in there soon and I’m sure will vandalize the place. We are going in tomorrow to get as much food and fuel as we can and then I’m sure we will have to go further afield for supplies. Carlos, about that satellite, we chatted this afternoon and came up with some ideas. If a country is going to attack us…”
“China IS going to attack us,” replied Carlos.
“Why China?” asked Preston.
“Who made all the parts that don’t work?” was the reply.
“China!” was the response from the room.
“But they don’t have the military ability to attack us,” Preston argued.
“They don’t need to if we all kill ourselves,” Carlos replied. “General Allen thinks that if it was Russia, they would have just nuked a few of our nuclear power stations and several of our cities once we were electronically disarmed. They haven’t, and he believes that they are in the same boat as we are. Europe, Australia, and every country in the world other than…”
“China,” interrupted Preston. “Sound’s logical. They are the only country that would be able to disarm every electronic devise, or parts of every new devise in the world, because they built them all—everything!”
“Correct,” replied Carlos.
“So we should expect an attack right here by Chinese troops?”
“Why right here?” asked Carlos, now puzzled, and Preston told them about the transponder discussion and it hit Carlos and Buck like a ton of bricks. “Of course!” exclaimed Carlos. “How many military aircraft can still fly—maybe a couple of dozen worldwide? How many civilian aircraft can still fly worldwide? Dozens of old private civilian aircraft like ours. It could be their next step to attack any opposition before they take over the country. I must tell Pete about that tomorrow. That means that their satellites have told them our location, but they must invade the United States first.”
“Not necessarily,” added Sally, deep in thought. “Remember just before Christmas, there were all those attacks of Chinese families in California and Washington. Maybe all of you didn’t hear it, but dozens of people were being killed—their houses set on fire and murdered by what the media called Chinese drug gangs from Hong Kong. Carlos, there was even an attack in Salt Lake City. Some Chinese family was killed in their house and a neighbor was quick enough to call the police. There was a shoot-out just south of Hill Air Force Base. It was all over the national news. Didn’t you hear about it?” Carlos shook his head that he hadn’t.
“Lee Wang!” exclaimed Carlos. “He’s the only Chinese family I know of in Salt Lake. I’ll ask around for him tomorrow if I see anybody I know.”
“We now fly without transponders starting tomorrow morning. Sally, make sure you tell General Allen. If these Chinese gangs are working for the same people, then we are in trouble because they know exactly where we are. I bet
this was the busiest airport in North America all day today, and we must have shown up on their screens like a nightlight,” concluded Preston.
“We have fresh guards tonight. The Chinese can’t act that quickly and there is only one road in. We might want to get a spotter plane up high tomorrow. I saw a couple of nice and undamaged Cessna 172s at the airport. They are slow enough for spotters and their radios should be working.” Preston got up and stretched. “Let’s all get some sleep and be up early to send Sally off at 7:00 am. First Sergeant, we need several more camp beds and blankets in the hangar and a couple in here. Guys, it looks like I have two blondes in my bed, and Oliver, Spot, Smokey and I are camping in the lounge until further notice.”
* * *
The board room was dark and empty. Only the lit up screen on the wall with the two world maps was any indication that electricity was on in this part of the world. On the top map, many of the fires had disappeared in the darker, nighttime areas. It was 6:00 am on Z-Day Two, and it was far too early for the 16 seats to be full of bodies.
There were larger patches of black over the darkening areas of Europe and the U.S. Eastern seaboard. On the bottom map, and easier to see on the dark part of the map, were just three beeps— three transponders working in the whole world, their positions showing, and Transponder Three showed an aircraft close to Washington D.C. and moving south.
The large room below the board room was a totally different room. The ceiling was normal height and the room full of a dozen working computers showing all sorts of readouts. One of the screens was showing the same beeping transponder and a recording was being made of the flight by the person behind the screen.
A couple of hours later, the board table began to fill up. Green tea was served by the usual girls with small snacks for anyone who was hungry. At precisely 9:00 am, a side door opened and the Chairman walked in. The room quieted.
Greetings were given and the Chairman looked refreshed and in a good mood. He was followed in by the person who had been sitting behind the television monitor, watching all the world for aircraft, and he put a piece of paper down on the podium, bowed to the group and left. His shift was over for the day. The Chairman studied the list for several minutes and then looked at Comrade Wang.
“Comrade Wang, do you have a report of the whereabouts of all our termination squads?”
“Yes, Comrade Chairman,” he replied.
“Flight 1: What do we have in Auckland, New Zealand?”
“Three squads on the North Island,” Comrade Wang replied.
“There were two aircraft that took off from Auckland’s airport, flew south to Wellington, and then returned to Auckland. That, I believe is where they are probably based. Both aircraft flew together. Average speed was 155 miles an hour. They must be light aircraft. Communicate with the three squads. Order them to destroy every light aircraft at that airport in Auckland, and stay in the area for further orders.
“Flight 2: Perth, Australia, Comrade Wang?”
“One squad, Comrade Chairman,” was the answer.
“One aircraft from an airfield 20 miles east north-east of Perth. The aircraft traveled around the area and returned to the airfield. Flight time was one hour; flight speed was 95 miles an hour, again a light aircraft or helicopter. Seek it out and destroy it.”
“Flight 3: Birmingham, England, Comrade Wang?”
“We have four squads around London, and one in Manchester, Comrade Chairman.”
“One aircraft from an airfield ten miles south of central Birmingham flew over Manchester and London. It seems to be a bigger aircraft, speed of 240 miles an hour, could be an older twin-engine aircraft. Communicate with the squad in Manchester and destroy.”
“Flights out of North Carolina—multiple—what do we have in that area, Comrade Wang?”
“We had one squad in Durham before Christmas and I returned the squad to New York. We have ten squads in New York City, five in the Boston area, three more in Chicago, and two in Orlando, Florida, Comrade Chairman.”
“We had two aircraft out of an airfield 20 miles west of Raleigh— both were large, flying south for a short distance. We assume they were headed to two military bases just south of this unknown airfield, speed 270 miles an hour. Both then flew back to their original location and one flew up to what we think is Andrews Air Force Base at 295 miles an hour. At the same time, a smaller aircraft, possibly a light aircraft, flew up to the same base, at 130 miles an hour. It then flew to the White House, and I think the Capital Building, flew back to the base and then north to Long Island outside of New York City at 140 miles an hour. It flew back to Washington, and then returned to its original location. These must be military aircraft as there are still aircraft taking off and landing at this field and there are several other short flights with one currently going across the country— where to we don’t know yet. Tell the ten New York squads to go to the Long Island coordinates where this aircraft went to. You can get the coordinates from the officer on duty downstairs. Destroy whatever is there. Make sure they travel in a convoy and kill any men they see. I‘m sure it is a week too early to attack an American military base yet, or the White House where our men will be outnumbered. I don’t want them to notice our faces, so tell the New York squads to look like western train robbers—cover their faces with cloth. Then order them to go south and search out this North Carolina airfield and destroy everything that is there. They have 48 hours to do so. Tell them to travel by day and start south tomorrow morning, East coast time. Their vehicle lights could be seen if they travel at night.”
“Yes, Comrade Chairman.”
“Go Comrade Wang. You are excused. All opposition must be quickly dealt with.”
To Be Continued in…
INVASION USA II–
The Battle for New York.
INVASION USA III–
The Battle for Survival.
INVASION USA IV–
The Battle for Houston–The Aftermath
Books by the Author:
The Book of Tolan Series;
Banking, Beer & Robert the Bruce – Hardcover and eNovel.
Easy Come Easy Go – Hardcover and eNovel.
It Could Happen – eNovel.
INVASION USA Series;
INVASION USA I - The End of Modern Civilization – eNovel.
INVASION USA II - The Battle for New York - eNovel.
INVASION USA III - The Battle for Survival - Launch date – June 1st, 2012.
INVASION USA IV - The Battle for Houston/The Aftermath – Launch date –June 1st, 2013.
The Tolan Chronicles Series;
Volume I - 1779-1879 - Launch date – July 1st, 2012
Volume II - 1879 -1979 - Launch date – July 1st, 2012
Volume III - 1979- 2079 - Launch date – July 1st, 2012
Volume IV - 2079 -2379 - Launch date – July 1st, 2012
Volume V - 2379 – 2779 - Launch date – July 1st, 2012