The War After Armageddon

by Ralph Peters

  Later, their names were erased from the chronicle of the Holy War, along with any mention of III Corps, the U.S. Army, or the Marines.

  General Harris’s wife, Sarah, proved to be an unreasonable woman, a menace to herself. She refused to stop making public allegations that her husband had been the victim of a plot. She had to be institutionalized. For her own good. It is said that General Mont-fort, an old acquaintance, visited her in the asylum out of Christian charity. To their enduring regret, the doctors charged with her reha-biliation made no progress, and she died, still in restraints, a few years ago. So rumor has it.

  Rumor also holds that her surviving daughter became an alcoholic and an immoral woman. But no one can testify to the truth of it, nor is she known to be alive and among us.

  General of the Order Montfort fared better. The hero of the first stage of the Holy War, he was chosen by President Gui to serve as his vice president and Generalissimo of the Order. Thus began a long and fruitful age, we are assured, with President Montfort succeeding President Gui when the latter’s final term ended — although our Great Prophet continued to assist President Montfort with guidance until the prophet’s soul soared upward. In a state of grace, our Christian Congress acceded to the public’s demand that the Constitution be amended to allow President Montfort to serve an unlimited number of terms in office, with future elections to be held in church, on Sunday, by a show of hands. It was only last April, during his fifteenth year as president in Christ, that the Lord called the Dear Prophet home. We are told that he passed over in perfect peace while reading Scripture. And yet, he did not reach the four score years and ten predicted for him.

  Of course, the Army was disbanded, as was the Marine Corps, their missions assumed by the Military Order of the Brothers in Christ. The Air Force went next — believing to the end it would be spared — then the Navy received its new dispensation. By the end of the Holy War, we were a unified people in every respect. We praised God for it.

  General Harris was right about one thing: It was difficult to kill a billion people. But it wasn’t impossible. After their cities had been destroyed, all of their images and records obliterated and the names of those cities removed from every map and book, we still had to launch the seven Great Hunts — one for each of the Seven Seals foretold — to finish the job. Even now, we hear tales of Deobandi and Naqshbandi fanatics praising Allah in the nuclear deserts.

  There was, of course, the dispute with the Chinese Messiah over the radioactive fallout from our nuclear offerings. But our Chinese brothers and sisters were exhausted by their civil war. And Christians were not yet ready to fight Christians. The Chinese eventually aided us in the last several Great Hunts.

  At home, we enjoyed an age of sacred glory, albeit with a spike in cancer rates. But we must not question God’s purposes.

  Yet, as the years went by, I did begin to question. The soul is not steady, nor is it still. And I do not believe I have been alone in my swelling discontent. Indeed, I know I am not alone. There was the Rebellion of the Fallen Angels in the California Reserve five years ago, for one thing. A number of us who had learned to speak in whispers grew excited by the hope of regained freedoms. Then we learned that the rebels sought to bring our New Jerusalem into the fold of the Chinese Messiah, whose Christianity is sterner still than ours.

  I do not overlook the good. We live in comfort and safety, and he who does not transgress need have no fear. But there are so many possible transgressions.

  What brought about my private change of heart? It did not come suddenly. I am a cautious man. I believe my slow turnabout began with the Cleansing of the Books, when a Helpful Visit condemned my entire library. There was even a question, briefly, of a trial, until they realized I truly had been ignorant of the additions to the latest Christian Index. It had become difficult to acquire information, even when the information included the latest rules we were to obey.

  Anyway, they burned my books. Moll Flanders and The Great Gatsby, Hamlet and Anna Karenina, even poor Clarissa in her innocence — they all went to the fire as startled martyrs. I miss them still.

  Of course, I speak for my waning generation. The Blessed Teachers discourage personal reading by the young. The young do not seem to mind.

  But there you have the heart of how it all went wrong, I think. I do not mean that we suddenly found our courage when they burned our books — the intellectual’s valor is a fairy tale. I mean something quite the opposite: We who cherished books believed that books could defend themselves. To the final cinder, we believed that the pen was mightier than the sword, for so we had been told. We were such fools.

  Others among us trusted to the quality of our laws and failed to see that those laws had little power against men who valued only the law of God. Still others believed that their wealth would insulate them, but their wealth was confiscated for Christ. Some trusted their beauty, their talent, or family ties. All, all were mistaken. Only purity of faith mattered, and no one could be certain his faith would be judged pure.

  And General Harris? What a hopeless fool the man was! For all his skill as a soldier, for all he had endured in bitter wars, he still believed in human goodness. He was as blind as Christ entering Jerusalem.

  But Harris was no traitor. No matter what the permitted books may say.

  I was the traitor. And now I have turned traitor again. To set down this book as penance.

  I am Judas.

  AUTHOR’S NOTE

  This is a novel, not a strategic forecast. That said, the plot does engage several of my enduring concerns, most notably the iniquity of fanat i cism in the name of any faith; the danger of nuclear proliferation among parties not dependably subject to deterrence; and our military’s reliance on electronics that may prove all too fragile in a major war. Warfare’s superficial manifestations change mightily, but its essence remains flesh and blood.

  Readers with military experience know that I’ve taken liberties in three areas. First, I drastically limited the use of acronyms to avoid rendering the book opaque even to veterans. A typical staff officer can work a half-dozen acronyms into a simple declarative sentence, but effective storytelling can’t emulate a cryptogram. Second, I simplified the structure of a corps staff to concentrate on a few key players. I sought to capture the feel of a staff, based on personal experience, instead of bogging the plot down in the infernal complexity of line-and-block charts and niche responsibilities. Third, I accelerated the pace of events to keep things “high and tight.” Forgive me.

  Finally, I owe great thanks to several friends who helped me avoid embarrassing mistakes. Given the controversial themes of this novel, I won’t embarrass them by using their names, but they know who they are: a cherished wine-drinking buddy who commanded a Marine regiment at war; another old friend and veteran U.S. Army Armor officer who went out of his way to prevent me from “throwing a track” on the page; and, not least, the magnificent Marine aviators out at Miramar who let me “crash” an F/A-18. The misfires in this novel are my own, but the steel on target owes much to these generous men.

  KEY CHARACTERS

  ANDRETTI, Michael “Mike,” col o nel, G-3/Operations officer, III (US) Corps. The G-3 is responsible for converting the commander’s decisions into orders and translating the commander’s intentions into plans. The alpha dog among staff officers, the “Three” is responsible for keeping his grip on the battle at all times and alerting the commander to problems that require a decision on his part. A good G-3 makes his commander’s life easier, while a poor Three makes life hell for the rest of the staff.

  BRATTY, Dilworth “Brats,” command sergeant major, 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry. A battalion command sergeant major is the unit’s senior enlisted soldier, responsible for looking after the troops and advising the commander on practical matters. A good CSM keeps both his troops and his commander out of trouble while terrorizing ju nior officers as required. A poor CSM drinks a great deal of coffee while complaining that the Army isn’t what
it once was. Bratty is a model CSM.

  CAVANAUGH, Patrick Xavier “Pat,” lieutenant col o nel, commander, 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry. First served under Lieutenant General Harris in Bremerhaven, Germany, during the great Muslim evacuation, when Harris was a newly appointed brigadier general and Cavanaugh was a captain. A battalion commander is responsible for everything his soldiers do or fail to do.

  COLMER-HARRIS, Sarah, wife of Lieutenant General Harris. Overcame her training and career as a lawyer to become a decent human being.

  DANCZUK, Valentin “Val,” col o nel, G-2/Intelligence officer, III (US) Corps. The “Two” (or “Deuce”) is responsible for monitoring, analyzing, and forecasting the enemy situation for the commander. A good G-2 helps the commander act more swiftly and incisively than the enemy can do. A poor G-2 gives history lessons.

  DANIELS, Barry Douglas “Dawg,” col o nel, Marine air group commander.

  DORN, Avi, brigadier general, commander, 10th Armored Brigade, Israeli Exile Force.

  GARCIA, Ricardo “Ricky,” sergeant and squad leader, Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, Fifth Marines. Becomes acting platoon sergeant after his company is ambushed and decimated by a Jihadi suicide unit fighting a rear-guard action.

  AL-GHAZI, Abdul, lieutenant general, commander of the Third Ji-hadi Corps, Blessed Army of the Great Jihad, and the immediate battlefield counterpart of Lieutenant General Harris and his III (US) Corps.

  HARRIS, Gary “Flintlock,” lieutenant general, commander, III (US) Corps. The most-decorated general officer still on active duty in the reduced-in-size U.S. Army, with the following awards: Distinguished Service Cross (Nigeria); Silver Star (Iraq); Silver Star, second award (Saudi Arabia); Silver Star, third award (Nigeria); Bronze Star with V device (Iraq); Bronze Star with V device, second award (Pakistan).

  AL-MAHDI, Suleiman, emir-general of the Emirate of al-Quds and Damaskus, commander of all Blessed Army of the Great Jihad (Jihadi) forces in the theater of war.

  MAXWELL, Montgomery Masterson “Monty” VI, lieutenant col o — nel, commander, 2nd battalion, 34th Armor (combined arms). His ancestors have served as U.S. Army officers since 1854, with three reaching the general-officer ranks.

  MCCOY, Sean “Real-Deal,” G-4/Logistics officer, III (US) Corps. The “Four” is responsible for ensuring that the commander’s vision and the G-3’s ambitious orders are supported with adequate supplies of fuel, ammunition, food, water, spare parts, major components, and other required items, delivered at the right place and time under combat conditions. He is the only member of the G-staff expected to work actual miracles on a routine basis, whether in the Holy Land or elsewhere.

  MICAH, Frederick Rockwell “Stoney,” lieutenant general, senior Air Force officer in the theater of war. Career fighter pilot. Assigned to Holy Land Command during the conflict, Micah would go on to receive his fourth star and appointment as (the last) Air Force chief of staff under President Gui.

  MONTFORT, Simon “Sim,” lieutenant general and General of the Order, Military Order of the Brothers in Christ. Commander of all MOBIC forces in the theater of war, including the largest corps ever deployed by the United States. A rising star in the U.S. Army, Montfort achieved national prominence after being born again under the spiritual guidance of the Reverend Doctor Gui (later vice president, then president), leading to Montfort’s transfer of allegiance to the just-forming MOBIC.

  MORRIS, Morton Thurgood “Monk,” major general, commander, 1st Marine Division (reinforced with Marine Expeditionary Force assets).

  ROSE, Martin “Marty,” lieutenant col o nel, G-3 Plans officer, III (US) Corps (following General Harris’s reinstitution of the old, more compact staff system for the campaign).

  SCHWACH, Kurt Konrad, four-star general, commander, Holy Land Command (HOLCOM) and immediate superior of Lieutenant General Harris. Headquartered on Cyprus, out of range of all known Ji-hadi weapons.

  SCOTT, Walter Robert Burns “Scottie,” major general, commander, 1st Infantry Division (The Big Red One).

  STRAMARA, James Jason “J.J.,” major general, commander, 1st Cavalry Division (The First Team).

  WALKER, James Ryan “Jake,” captain, company commander, 1-18 Infantry.

  WILLING, John Jude, major, aide-de-camp to Lieutenant General Harris. Collects books, primarily classic fiction, a hobby he conceals from his peers.

  GLOSSARY

  A

  ABRAMS: M-1 series main battle tank, named in honor of General Creighton Abrams. Widely introduced into the U.S. Army in the 1980s, it remains the finest tank in the world.

  ATGM: Antitank guided missile.

  B

  BIG RED ONE: 1st Infantry Division, U.S. Army.

  BMNT: Begin Morning Nautical Twilight. The predawn point at which sailors pretend they can see things.

  BMO: Battalion Maintenance Officer. Expected to fix what the other officers break.

  “BOOTS AND SADDLES”: Old Cavalry expression for “Mount up!” or just “Let’s get moving.”

  BRADLEY: Large, tracked Infantry combat vehicle, first widely introduced in the U.S. Army in the 1980s. Named in honor of General Omar Bradley.

  BUNDESGRENZSCHUETZEN: German federal border police.

  C

  CANISTER ROUND: Tank main gun or artillery round containing hundreds or thousands of small steel balls. Used against attacking personnel, “soft-skin” vehicles, or to clear a street.

  CAP: Combat Air Patrol; fighter aircraft (manned or UAVs) flying missions to protect other aircraft with specialized roles, such as ground attack or reconnaissance. A mission Air Force pilots love when faced with inferior enemies.

  CHART: Christian Heritage Advance Rescue Team. Biblical-archaeology reconaissance element deployed by MOBIC forces.

  COMPUTER PLAGUES: Later-generation computer viruses that, after penetrating a system, can overcome all internal defenses.

  D

  DEUCE: Nickname for the primary staff officer for intelligence at all tactical and operational levels; from the formal nomenclature “G-2.”

  DRONE: 1.) Nickname for an unmanned aerial vehicle, or UAV. In this war, they aren’t passive drones, but, once launched, can think for themselves, swarm “instinctively,” locate targets, act singly or as an integrated force, and duel with other UAVs or manned aircraft. 2.) Any Air Force general.

  DSI-40 SATELLITE: Multipurpose intelligence-gathering satellite.

  E

  ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM: The invisible realm of wavelengths through which systems communicate. Disruptions, such as jamming, can interfere with everything from radio reception to satellite transmissions, depending on the frequencies attacked and the sophistication of the attacker’s weapons.

  EMP: Electromagnetic Pulse. Destructive wave generated by a nuclear detonation or simluation thereof. Burns out electronic circuits to a catastrophic, irreparable degree.

  EMP MINE: A landmine designed to simulate an EMP wave on a local level.

  EXPLORER ATGM: A French-designed, Russian-enhanced antitank missile system with an effective range of eight kilometers maximum, but which detects a target as early as eight and a half to nine kilometers away. Can be programmed to launch itself, taking the human being out of the decisionmaking process. After lock-on, it ignores all additional commands. Built under license or pirated by various countries, including China, Pakistan, and South Africa.

  F

  FAO: Foreign Area Officer. A U.S. Army officer trained in foreign languages and culture. A good FAO will go alone into enemy territory to support his commander.

  FIFTY CAL.: M-2.50 caliber machine gun, nicknamed “Ma Deuce.” Introduced into U.S. Army service early in the 20th century, it remains the world’s most effective and most reliable heavy machine gun.

  FRAGO: Fragmentary Order. A brief, swiftly issued outline of a forthcoming order. Intended to give subordinate commanders and staffs additional time to prepare for a mission. Sometimes preceded by a Warning Order. Followed by a full OPORD, or Operations Order, once the controlli
ng headquarters staff has completed it.

  G

  G-2: Primary staff officer for intelligence at the division and corps levels. Also known as “the Two,” or “the Deuce.”

  G-3: Primary staff officer for operations — combat activities — at the division and corps levels. Also known as “the Three,” or “that sonofabitch.”

  G-4: Primary staff officer for logistics. Has to supply the elaborate schemes concocted by the G-3. Also known as “the Four.”

  GAB: “Get-Ashore Boats.” Hastily designed and built landing craft deployed in five variants, from a small Number One GAB that carries a reinforced platoon to a Number Five GAB that can land multiple armored vehicles or large quantities of supplies. Number Four and Number Five GABs can extend their own tactical docking facilities to cover a to-the-beach distance of up to thirty-five meters. A U.S. Marine Corps initiative, but crewed by U.S. Navy personnel.

  GHOST NETTING: Breakthrough-technology camouflage netting that, once connected to its portable power supply, automatically reads and blends in with the local environment.

  GPS: Global Positioning System. Before this war, it has been effectively jammed, with numerous key satellites physically destroyed. Weapons systems reliant upon GPS for guidance or locational data no longer work.

  GUARDIANS: Personal bodyguards and support personnel devoted to the MOBIC commander they serve.

  H

  HE ROUND: High-explosive round for a tank, artillery piece, or mortar.

  HHC: Headquarters Company in a battalion, to which all the unit’s noncombat resources are assigned. Affectionately known to combat troops as “Hindquarters Company.”

  HOLCOM: Holy Land Command. Nicknamed “Hokum” by the troops.

  HUMINT: Human Intelligence. Information gathered by or from human sources. Of uneven reliability and dependent upon the quality of the source or observer, but often more helpful than data collected through technical means.