Silence overcame everyone. They were almost afraid to breath. They had, in a short period of time, learned they were programmed to be more intelligent and capable of great things, but they all thought Marie was alone in her abilities. Ray had suspected, but never had the true nerve to suggest such a life changing idea to James. There was nothing more anyone could say or wanted to say. They sat in silence, until slowly, each drifted off to sleep, until only Marie was still awake. Marie got up and walked around the cabin. She couldn't sleep and didn't want to. She knew what kind of impact knowing what she had just told her children does to a person. You go down one of two paths, you are invincible and you fear nothing, or you know everyone will want what you have, and you live in fear. She feared for both her children.
Chapter
22
The news of the attack on the carrier group had made its way back to the White House within hours.
“What is the status?” Warren questioned, concerned, as his chiefs of staff sat before him in the oval office.
“It's not good, sir. Even with assistance from the nearby air base in Okinawa, we were only able to slow the attack. We were not prepared,” the secretary of the navy replied.
“How many lost?”
“The figures are not yet known. Three of the carriers had to call for abandon ship, and the other is barely afloat.”
“The fate of the Ford?”
“It was one of the ones sinking. The Barracuda was activated prior to it sinking.”
Warren lifted his head. “Who on board?”
“The details we have been piecing together per the first mate is it was activated on the orders of Commander Clayton.”
A prideful grin came over Warren as he turned to face the window, so they wouldn't notice. “Clever girl,” he whispered to himself. Now, it was time to put the full force of the US military behind her. “Have we assembled Congress, yet?” Warren inquired, turning back around.
“Sir, they are still coming in. You should be able to address them by tomorrow morning,” his press secretary replied.
“I want them in by tonight. If they are not there, then they don't get a say. I want it live on all major networks. We have been attacked, and we must appear unified in our resolve to fight back,” Warren ordered.
“Yes sir.” The press secretary scrambled out of the room to get things ready.
“You are proposing declaring war on Russia,” secretary of defense Louise Fowler calmly added.
“Yes, they attacked first. We have to put a stop to this before they act again. This was unprovoked. The world community will side with us.”
“I think we need to think best and worst case scenarios in terms of declaring war,” Secretary of State Peter Manuel added.
“Best case? Worst case? There is only one option, victory. If we have to invade, we will.”
“Nobody has ever successfully invaded Russia. I don't think we should even discuss invasion,” Louise argued.
“Then this will be a first. We must stop them before they seek a new target.” Warren went to his desk and pulled out a file and threw it on the coffee table in front of all of them.
“The Russian government is not the people's. It is under the control of a man named Sergei. He ordered that attack. I know it. He plans to invade the Middle East. He wants the oil. We will stand in his way. That is why he attacked us.”
“How is it none of us have been privy to this information, until now?!” Peter yelled, grabbing the file and flipping it open.
“It has only come to my attention recently,” Warren lied. “I never thought he would attack our ships like this.” Another lie.
“We have to stop him, not the whole damn country,” Peter added, handing the file to Louise. “Agreed. I have a team in route, but we need full military backing to expose this. The Russian people need to see what has happened to their government. We have to declare war to call attention to what is going on there.”
“They would have to be isolated to realize their backs are to a wall and abandon him.”
“The only ally they may have is China. I will go there to meet with them, personally, to sway their allegiance.”
“You want to declare war on Russia, then fly to a neighboring country? Do you realize how dangerous that is?” Louis asked.
“I cannot be seen as afraid. They wouldn't dare shoot me down, and if they do, then I will be a martyr to the cause,” Warren confidently replied. Everyone just sat in silence. Warren smirked. “Then, since nobody has any other issues, I suggest you ready yourselves. We are going to war.”
Once all of his aides and chiefs of staff had left, Warren picked up his phone to call Franklin. The phone only rang twice before Franklin picked up, “Hello.”
“I address Congress in two hours. I need to know you are ready to make a public statement in support, once it happens.”
“I am. I have heard about the success of the attack. Do you have a death toll?”
“No, not yet. I should have those figures by speech time.”
“Do we know if anyone survived?” Franklin asked cryptically.
Warren smiled. “Some people are just smarter than others. They are survivors.”
Franklin felt a sense of relief. The thought of Marie and the children dying had been weighing heavily on him. “Good, then yes, we are prepared to join you. I have already spoken with members of parliament, and they are on board. We cannot risk becoming the next sitting duck. We have to strike back, together, and they agree. Enjoy your speech,” Franklin said with a smile.
“Oh, I will. Thank you for your support,” Warren replied, hanging up the phone.
The time came quickly for Warren to address Congress. Dressed in an all-black suit with a grey shirt, his dark blue tie was in perfect contrast to his small American flag pin on his left lapel. He gently straightened his tie and made sure his pin was perfect, before he stepped out in front of Congress. All of the world would be watching, and he intended to put on the show of his life. Not a member hadn't made it in. There wasn't an empty seat in the house, and the world was tuning in across multiple international networks. Prior to getting to the hall, Sergei had made a critical error. He readied troops to invade Georgia. The Middle East had been at peace for almost five years, now, and he had set it up to bring war back. It made Warren's arguments all too easy to sway, not just Congress, but the world. He took his first steps into the hall and was greeted by everyone standing and giving him a round of applause. They were on his side, and he knew it. It had been set up perfectly. They had to say yes. They couldn't be seen as weak, or they could kiss re-election goodbye. Stepping up to the podium, Warren took a moment to compose himself. He didn't want to look too eager. Resting his hands on the podium, he looked up to the awaiting cameras and crowd. Start this right, Warren thought to himself.
“My fellow Americans and brothers and sisters around the world, today, we all were attacked. It was not just four American carriers that were attacked, but freedom as we know it. We have worked as a world community to bring peace and maintain peace around the world, and in one day, all that work has been undone. I was informed, prior to stepping up here, tonight, that Russia has not only attacked our fleet, but has also taken steps to invade Georgia. This is something we cannot allow. No other nation deserves to suffer the pain that we have. We must have order and stability, and that is something Russia will not agree to, without force. I am here, today, to ask each and every one of you not just to think about what has happened, but what could happen if we do nothing. We must stand united against this aggression and put a stop to it before more innocent people suffer.”
Warren paused to wipe the tears that had begun to fall down his cheeks.
“The world must be made right, and today, you must make the choice. Do you stand with freedom or will you allow destruction to come to everything we have built? Stand with me, today, and avenge those who have lost their lives.” Warren stopped. He knew he had nothing more to say as the standing ovat
ion would drown out any further speech. Warren just nodded and smiled as his tear-filled eyes gleamed. It was a public relations gold mine as the nation cried and cheered with him. The vote would take less time than my speech, Warren thought to himself as he walked away from the podium.
Chapter
23
The journey on the Barracuda was calm and made it easy for everyone, but Marie, to sleep. She sat calmly watching everyone else sleep. After several hours, her eyelids began feeling heavy. She rested her head against the captain's chair that Ray was asleep in.
Once she felt herself falling asleep, Lieutenant Davis' eyes slowly opened. “I know who you are?” he calmly informed Marie as she opened her eyes, looking at him. His eyes were sympathetic and not fearful.
“And who am I?”
“I know the stories. Do you even know anymore how many people you have killed?”
Marie shook her head 'no'.
“I can't imagine what your life has been like or what even goes through your head.”
Marie looked blank. “Are you afraid of me?”
Davis shook his head. “I think you want people to be afraid, but I feel sorry for you. I hope, one day, you find peace.”
Marie didn't know how to respond. Fear was something she was used to; pity was not. She just closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep. She couldn't bear looking at Davis. Davis also drifted back to sleep.
Ray was the first to wake up. The Barracuda had been functioning perfectly. Designed to be undetectable by radar and sonar and able to autopilot with complete accuracy, Ray felt confident they were, at least for the moment, safe. Ray knew it would not be an easy mission getting to Ming's estate unseen. That and the fallout from the attack on the carriers would cause worldwide outrage, the effects of which Ray could only imagine. Ray noticed as he turned away from the console that James was awake. He was trying not to move, as not to wake Chessy, but his eyes were open, staring at the ceiling.
“Hey, you doing ok?” Ray questioned quietly.
James nodded, but Ray could tell he wasn't.
“I can't imagine what you are feeling, right now. Learning this about yourself is life changing, but it doesn't change who you are. Don't let it.”
James smiled and cuddled tighter with Chessy. “It does change everything. I'm like her. I can't deny that.”
“No, physically you are, but you have the choice of who you are going to be. You always have a choice.”
James wanted to change the subject. It was all he had been thinking about since hearing it. “So, how much longer until we get there?”
Ray knew avoidance when he heard it, but played along in the hopes it would help James to focus on something else. “We have only a couple hours left. We need to start waking everyone up, so we can get a plan together.”
James looked down to Chessy. He knew he had to wake her, but didn't want to. She looked so peaceful. He ran his hand through her short, blonde hair, trying to wake her as gently as possible. She slowly opened her eyes and looked up at him. “We gotta get everyone up. We are almost there.”
Ray had shaken Marie awake as James was waking Chessy. Marie got to see the sweet exchange between the two of them. It brought her back to all those little moments she and Michael had shared. They did really care for one another. Chessy's devotion to James was evident when they were on the carrier. Marie smiled a little to herself. Her son had found happiness. That is all she ever wanted for him. Ray had taken to waking the rest of the team as Marie stretched her arms and thought through her plan. She had spent the couple hours she was awake working out a plan. She had been to China before and gotten around just fine, but this time, she had to move a lot more than just herself. Ray had successfully woken everyone. As they were stretching and yawning, Ray took the opportunity to update them.
“We are only a couple hours out from our destination. I found a good landing spot, just north of the city of Tianjin. It is a safe spot to land and then scuttle the Barracuda. We will be on our own from there.” Ray looked to Marie. “What's the plan to get us from Tianjin to Beijing?”
Marie stood up. She was in war mode, and it was obvious she had steadied her mind and was focused. “Once we land, we will have to take cover. We will send a team of four into the city to assess our target, a means of transportation. The team will consist of Ping, Bradley, Dovia, and Greg.”
Jasmine immediately raised her hand. “Why can't I go? I know China much better than any of them, and I have been to the city before. I would be the best to go,” Jasmine protested.
“You are not going, because you are recognizable. If you are seen and identified as one of Ming's girls, things could go sideways very quickly for the rest of the team.”
Jasmine sat back, crossing her arms. She knew Marie was right; she just didn't like it.
“I take it we are going, because we fit in,” Ping added pointing to himself and Bradley.
“Pretty much,” Marie nonchalantly replied.
Greg knew the answer, but he asked anyway, “Why am I going?”
“Your skills, my dear. We need transportation, and you know how to get it.” Marie winked.
“We're stealing cars.” Greg rolled his eyes.
“No, you are scoping out the targeted dealership. That is why I am sending Dovia. I need to know the breakdown of the security and if she can beat it.”
Dovia smiled. “I can beat anything.”
“So, it should be easy for the four of you. Once we land, we will prepare, and you four will recon. I will provide you with the dealership. I have bought a cycle from them before, so I know they have good quality.”
Liam raised his hand.
“This is not school. Hand down,” Marie snipped
“You said cycle. Are we stealing motorcycles?”
“That would be the obvious conclusion. I don't plan on using a manual bike to go that far.”
“Sweet,” Liam laughed.
“That's a lot of bikes to steal,” Greg pointed out, looking around the room, counting the number of people.
“We can double up.” Marie smirked.
“Then we prepare for arrival. Everyone prep your bags and evaluate your supplies,” Ray ordered, taking his seat in the captain's chair again.
Chapter
24
Warren had gone straight back to the White House after his speech. He didn't bother to stay for the vote. He knew how it would go. Once inside, he tugged at his tie, loosening it, and was greeted by several eager aides.
“Sir, the vote.”
Warren waved them off as he passed them.
“It passed, sir; it passed,” the female aide yelled behind him.
It was midnight London time, but he didn't care. He was going to wake up Franklin. Warren grabbed his phone once he entered the oval office and dialed Franklin's direct line at his residence.
A groggy Franklin answer the phone. “Hello?” he mumbled.
“It's done. We have declared war. Get your parliament up I need you to join us.”
Franklin sat up in his bed, rubbing his eyes. “If you think I can get them up like that, you are dreaming. We will have everything together in the a.m. I have assurances from parliament that if you declare war, we will back you. It will not be difficult. Plus, I need to get a speech together.”
“You don't have one prepared?” Warren chastised Franklin.
“I will watch yours and keep mine in line. I thought that was what you wanted,” Franklin snapped back. “I am going back to sleep. You can watch my press conference in the morning after I address parliament.” Franklin hung up the phone.
Warren slammed down the phone. Things were going well, but Franklin had to stay in line. His fear over Franklin wimping out was shaking him. Warren did not have time for his own misgivings. There were people knocking at his door. They had just declared war. It was time to form a plan. It was going to be a long night.
Chapter
25
“This is not ideal. We are making
landfall at 10:00am their time. It's light out,” Marie protested as they approached mainland China.
“Well, we could sit out here until nightfall, but that will cut into our time-frame. I picked a good spot. We are out of the populated areas, and there are no patrols, at least, according to our intelligence,” Ray replied, steering the Barracuda towards the surface.
“I hope you’re right, or we are going to have a fight on our hands,” Marie replied, placing her backpack on her back over her knife-filled harness.
Marie had changed out of her navy issued outfit back into her black leather pants and sleeveless leather top. The rest of the team had changed, as well, into the black outfits Marie had given them back in the bunker. They fit perfectly.
“These are really comfortable and look super spy cool,” Nathan praised, stretching his arms.
“They are meant to help you fight, not make you look cool,” Greg pointed out.
“Looking cool is all part of the fun.” Marie laughed. She was ready for a fight. It thrilled her. As they reached the surface, Marie climbed up and lifted the hatch slightly. She peered around for any sign of trouble. There was none. Ray guided the ship to the land. It was deserted; garbage and other debris filled the area. It was a garbage dump.
“Are you shitting me?” Marie coughed, closing the hatch.
“Told you it was a safe spot,” Ray joked.
“It is a perfect cover,” Davis added.
“But an unsanitary one,” Rose protested.
“Tough, all of you get over it. This is our stop,” Ray said as the Barracuda came to a full stop. “Get out, so we can scuttle this before anyone notices us,” Ray ordered. Everyone quickly piled out. James was trying to help Chessy, but she pushed him off.
“I need to move around on my own. I don't want my leg to get weaker from not using it.”
James looked to Rose to say she had to be helped.
Jasmine (Teumessian Trilogy Book 3) Page 11