"I can't explain it, you have to hear it. It is supposedly from Strategic Air Command on 9/11."
We all look at each other in a combination of blank stares and bewilderment as they begin to move to the communications room in the rear of building.
As we come into the old storage room that is now the communications center, we see Lt Anders, formerly Lt Col Anders with fifteen years of service in the Pentagon, sitting with his mouth agape. He looks up at us. "I told them the crazy bastards could and would pull the trigger. Well they did, and they sent the whole world back to the seventh century, just like they said they would."
"Who? What?" I ask.
"We have been monitoring the HAM radio for several days now, we have heard nothing of our allies coming to help us or our enemies coming to attack us. This broadcast tells us why. Everyone got hit. Maybe Australia was spared. But it's hard to tell. You have to listen to the broadcast. I recorded it on one of your old IPhones from your Faraday cage."
Lt Anders hits the play button.
"Welcome fellow survivors, Rock Head here, broadcasting from the Mountain time zone. What I am going to play for you in a minute will blow your mind. It will also answer a lot of questions.
"This is the actual audio file that has been leaked about what happened on the day of the attack. This is reportedly the official recorded file from Cheyenne Mountain Strategic Air Command as the recent attacks on the United States, and apparently the world occurred. I cannot verify its authenticity, but it came to me through sources I trust, sources with connections to the military. What you are about to hear is astounding, people. This was a well organized attack on the world. The mullahs of Iran and the nut job from North Korea have succeeded in sending everyone back to the nineteenth century. Hear it for yourself." A click is heard and then the official file begins.
"So Joe, you think your Steelers got a chance this year? Big Ben ain't quite as mobile as he used to be."
"He'll be fine. And that defense is... I've got a launch bloom, North Korea, make that two blooms"
"There is nothing about scheduled tests..." interrupted by louder voice.
"I've got launch blooms from Iran, at least three."
"What the fu…" Interrupted again by the first voice.
"Six blooms from Korean peninsula now."
"Joe, Sally, confirm multiple blooms from Iran and north Korea."
"Confirmed!"
"Holy shit! Initiate protocol Omega now! Crap! Crap! Crap! This is not a drill! This is not a drill! I need immediate access to quarterback now!"
"I got twelve blooms from the Korean Peninsula," male voice.
"Twelve launch blooms from Iran," female voice.
"We got assets in the Sea of Japan and the Indian ocean, Weapons free, Weapons free!"
"But we don’t have anything from the white house yet!"
"No time, this ain't a test launch, this is the real deal, weapons free on those outgoing missiles, NOW!"
Another voice comes in, "I've got surface blooms! Surface blooms! D.C., New York, London. Shit two more, Shang Hai, Tokyo!"
"They just launched! How do we have surface blooms! Shit, shit, shit!"
"Activate Sky Eagle. Now! Now! Now!"
"Sky Eagle activated."
"Surface ships tracking sir"
"Launch! Launch! Launch! Weapons free!"
"Communications established with the Olympus sir, go now."
"Is Mustang secure?"
"Negative."
"I have nuclear blooms in DC and New York, others around the world. At least twenty-four launch blooms, all from Iran and North Korea. I have initiated defcon five and omega protocol. Weapons free on all assets, confirm. This is not a drill."
"Confirmed, general, we see it. All weapons free. This is not a drill. God help us."
"Two kill blooms over the Sea of Japan, make that three. Fourth looks like a miss."
"Sky eagle not responding! Sky eagle not responding! It’s blind sir!"
"Four intercepted outgoing from Iran! Eight still in the air, reaching intercontinental flight paths"
"Shit! Shit!!"
"I've got eight surface blooms. Singapore, Buenos Aires, Los Angeles."
"How can that be? They're still in the air!?"
"Ship born bombs, sir?"
"Three aerial kill’s sir, over Israel. God bless them…"
"Seventeen birds entering intercontinental flight paths sir, they're headed all over the place!"
"Four more surface blooms, Rome, St Petersburg, Cairo, Hong Kong… holy crap God help us…"
"Where's Sky Eagle?!? Jimmy? Status! Status! Status!"
"No response from Sky Eagle sir! It's blind! It's blind!"
"Olympus, any contact with Mustang?"
"Negative. Mustang was in New York"
"This is a full assault Olympus, any contact with Bear and Tiger?"
"Communications with is both established. Their defense systems are activated. They know it is not us, we are stand down on MAD, repeat stand down on MAD."
"Confirmed, MAD is stand down."
"Hardison! What is the status of Javelin?"
"Javelin is activated, but I don’t think we can get there" a voice is heard saying. "I don’t think they can hit altitude to launch in time!"
"Jimmy, where are these birds now?"
"High altitude burst over south east Asia! Came from North Korea. Whoa! High altitude burst over eastern Europe." Says Joe. "Not good! Not good! Tiger's defenses didn't show. They are up but didn’t hit. High altitude burst, Western Europe." Says Jimmy. "Four birds heading our way"
"Hardison! Javelin status! Now! Now! Now!
"Javelin launching. Sir, they are bursting for EMP effect. Javelin won’t reach them."
"Damn! Damn! Damn! We're screwed! Contact Olympus, what do we do?!"
A click is heard again as the file is stopped.
"I am speechless folks. The crazy bastards wanted us sent back to the Stone Age. Looks like they succeeded. This broadcast will be replayed every six hours. Now, on to other news gathered from our fellow operators."
Lt Anders stops the recording. "He goes on to describe the chaos in the cities, where FEMA has tried to set up, the same thing I've been updating you on daily. The federal government, what's left of it, has been unable to provide aid. The cities are in chaos, in many instances literally on fire, and there is a general migration to the rural areas. We are starting to hear of more areas being set up like us, with organized militias. I was going to report on that for you tomorrow. We still haven't been able to get what we know sorted out. Another development is we are hearing of active army units deploying. Some of that news is good, some of it is not."
I take take a deep breath in the silence that fills the room. "You may hear reports of Army units firing on civilians in Johnstown."
"Yes sir, that report has been circulated and repeated. There are other reports of the army firing on civilians. Some of it is pretty bad."
"So the North Koreans and the Iranians sent the whole frigging world back to the eighteenth century. The mullahs didn't want to live in a modern society, and the nut job couldn't afford for his country to live in a modern world. So their solution is to send us all back to pre-industrial revolution technology. Humanity may not rebound from this blow.
"Maybe we are in the end times. Many theologians say America is not relevant in end time’s scripture. Maybe this attack, taking America out of the equation, is the setting of the world for His return."
END OF RIGHTEOUS BLOODSHED
BOOK TWO OF THE EMP SAGA, RIGHTEOUS SURVIVAL
Final Words
I hope you enjoyed reading this book, the second book of this saga, as much as I enjoyed writing it. It was challenging to write as a Christian. I hope you see that the hand of love is extended when possible. But, as stated in the foreword, man is flawed, the survival instinct of man is hard to suppress, and then violence happens.
Obviously the story will continue. The militias that
have gathered and the loose alliances that have formed will try and protect the farmlands and the innocents, while helping as many survivors as they can. The masses moving out of the cities will collide with the survivors in the farmlands. How that works out, I don’t know yet. I do know it will be exciting and humbling.
Please write a review of the book. Independent writers live by reviews for exposure and it helps us hone our skills. I hope I wrapped up this book better than the first one, but I am new at this, and trying to get better. I am sure it leaves you wondering about many things, but as I stated from the get go, this is an ongoing saga.
My thanks go out to the many people who helped in making this book possible. Special thanks to: Steph, Dan H., Wes, Phil, Kim, Nancy, Bill, Bob, Dan J., Ralph, Scot, Barb and Linc for your encouragement, feedback and inspiration.
I expect Book 3 to be available in August, 2017.
Table of Contents
Author's Foreword
Roster of Main Characters
Chapter 1, Paul's Story
Chapter 14, The Refugees
Chapter 15, Pay Back Time
Chapter 16, The Battle
Chapter 17, Inferno
Chapter 18, Aftermath
Chapter 19, Medical Help
Chapter 20, Paul Trapped
Chapter 21, God Calling
Chapter 22, City People
Chapter 23, Recovery
Chapter 24, Paul Comes Home
Chapter 25, The General
Chapter 26, Farmers in Peril
Chapter 27, The Commune
Chapter 28, Organizing
Chapter 29, Chaos
Chapter 30, Zach
Chapter 31, Road Patrol
Chapter 32, Expanded Horizons
Chapter 33, Over Run
Chapter 34, On The Run
Chapter 35, The Horde
Chapter 36, Traveling
Chapter 37, Reunion
Chapter 38, Departures
Chapter 39, News Flash
Final Words
Righteous Bloodshed: Righteous Survival EMP Saga, Book 2 Page 28