Janice looked at Mark, then Christina. Mark spoke bluntly. “What the hell is he talking about?”
The President continued. “I know that this is the last thing to tell a nation in crisis. That much I understand.”
“Your damn right,” Mark said to the radio.
“But I unfortunately have only gotten a glimpse into how deep this treachery lies, within my own administration and that of Washington as a whole. I’m appointing an independent counsel to investigate the alleged conspiracy and those associated with plans to aid our enemies in the destruction of this country. They will all face swift justice—from aides, to Senators and Congressmen, to every single official in my administration. I’ve also urged Vice President Daniels to assist the counsel with their investigation as we proceed with caution over the next few days.”
The President’s voice appeared to crack, as it was clear he was emotional.
“Now the hardest part for me is admitting the betrayal of several of my closest advisors, but the information I received, from a brave whistleblower in the NSA, is credible and real.”
The President took another deep breath.
“My fellow Americans, the last thing I want to do is start a war. But we have to also ask ourselves if war is not already at our doorstep. Our intelligence shows that the actions that took place on September 22, 2020, are directly linked to the officials in the Russian and Chinese governments, who then conspired together in attempts to blame the attacks on rogue nations in the Middle East. If we were to go to war in these volatile regions, our forces and our nation would be further bogged down and unable to make the repairs at home, or even defend ourselves. It was a plan to distract our armed forces and make us weaker. I will address the leaders of those nations and demand their cooperation in our investigation. We will not be manipulated into a war, but we will not stand down in the face of blatant attacks against this country either. Too many lives have been lost so far. Too much damage and destruction has come to good places and good people.
“Attacking a nation during peacetime is an abhorrent action, and our enemies will be responsible for their actions. We will bring them to swift justice. We will rebuild, we will become stronger than ever.”
“Are you following this?” Mark said to Janice sarcastically. In response, she shushed him.
“It is with utmost concern that I inform anyone who can receive this message with the following information: nearly seventy percent of the nation is without power, mobility, and communications. The attacks were a crushing blow to our infrastructure. It’s going to take time, patience, and a lot of hard work to rebuild, but I will dedicate the full resources of the federal government in doing so. We’re going to come back from this, I promise you all.”
“Oh boy,” Mark said, smacking his forehead with his palm. “Redgrave is making promises now. We’re screwed.” This time, Janice and Christina both shushed him.
“The second hardest part for me is admitting my own culpability in the conspiracy. I let it happen under my very nose, and I take full responsibility. My error was one of judgment and trust. That is why, once normalcy is restored, I plan to resign from the Office of the Presidency.”
“Is he for real?” Janice asked.
“I know that now would be the worst time for any leader to step down, but I can no longer ask for the privilege of leading this nation once this ordeal is over and normalcy is restored.”
The President took one last deep breath.
“I promise to push our response teams and provide them the support they need. Our experts estimate that it will take at least thirty to sixty days of major repairs in the thousands of power plants from California to Texas to Florida. Is this proposal possible? I believe so. And we must push forward.
“I know there is great concern about mobility and communications, and I assure you that we will recover from that as well. It will take some time, and it won’t be easy, but as long as we stay united, anything is possible. I will speak with you again soon. Myself, Margaret, and our two children, Eric and Courtney, will continue to pray for this country and for all the families affected by the attacks. May God bless us all and bless the United States of America.”
The transmission switched back to the regular news broadcast where over-excited reporters analyzed the address line by line. Terrance turned the radio off and lowered it to his lap. The group was silent, and the sound of the bustling city, beyond their back road refuge intruded once again.
All they knew was that the long road to recovery lay far ahead, if it existed at all. Perhaps at some point they could return home and go back to their normal lives.
“That’s it?” Mark asked, looking at the radio in disbelief. “That’s all he had to say? What the hell was he rambling about?”
“I don’t know,” Janice answered. “What do you expect from the man?”
“I don’t trust him, that’s for sure. Anyway, I say we get some food,” Mark added.
Tobias and Richie chimed in with cheers of support. Terrance spoke up. “Whatever we do, we need to hit the road. Break time’s over.”
The group slowly piled back into the van, eagerly looking forward to their next destination but also dreading the massive traffic jams awaiting them. Mark was the last to get in. He walked to the passenger door as Terrance revved the engine. Before getting in, Mark looked out into the calm waters over the pier.
“We should have gone to Florida,” he said. “Could have lived on the beach.”
He climbed in and they drove off, leaving the empty back road with the beautiful view of the lake in the dust.
End Days Super Boxset Page 215