by Robert Boren
“No, I have man now,” she said, smiling at Jeb. He grinned back at her.
“Is that all of the core group?” the General asked.
“Yeah, this is it,” Frank said.
“Okay, then let’s chat. I’m the second in command at the large base outside of Denver. I’ve got some information for you. I won’t suggest what you guys should do…that’s not my call, but I will give you all of the facts as I know them.”
“We’re listening,” Jerry said.
“First of all, you need to start burning the bodies of any enemy fighters that show up here, or wherever else you might end up.”
“Both Islamist and Militia?” Jeb asked.
“Yes,” the General replied. “This is why they’ve been able to take out bases. They sneak people in, and then use them as a beacon.”
“Why can’t we turn that around and use it to find them?” Jerry asked
“They are using very good encryption,” he said.
“Then this isn’t RFID,” Frank said. “I know a lot about that from my job, and you can’t exactly “encrypt” it. You could encrypt the contents of the RFID label text, but you can’t hide that it’s out there. It transmits openly to anybody and everybody with a simple device to read it.”
“True,” the General said. “It’s different technology. We say RFID because people know what that is, and they are using it in a similar way….for example, they put identifying info into the chips like RFID. The big difference is they can hide the signal itself so we can’t see it. We haven’t figured out how they’re doing that yet.”
“How much info do you have on it so far, General?” Frank asked.
“Why?”
“Frank, don’t get a big head over what I’m about to say,” Jane said. “Frank here is a genius. If anybody can figure out how to use this against the enemy, it’s him. You know where he used to work, correct?”
“I just heard that he was the head of Info Security at one of the big Aerospace companies.”
“She’s right, General,” Jerry said. “I suggest you share whatever you have with him.”
“Maybe we should pull the chip out of Simon instead of burning him up right away,” Jeb said.
“Why?” asked the General.
“Because he’s pretty high up in the organization, and his chip probably has special privileges attached to it.”
The General pulled his phone out of his pocket and called the Lieutenant. He put it on speaker and set it down in front of him on the table.
“You torch the bodies yet, Lieutenant Bailey?”
“No, General, I’m getting ready to.”
“Don’t. Come back over here. Leave the corpse.”
“Yes sir.”
The General closed the call.
“Mary, do you think you could find the implant?” the General asked.
“Probably,” she said. “I at least know what to look for. Shouldn’t be too bad unless they used a radically different procedure than normal. If I can’t find it, I might be able to take the body to the hospital and x-ray it there.”
“You know that body is going to be a mess,” Kurt said, turning to his wife.
“I was a trauma doctor, remember? I’ve seen a lot of bad stuff. This won’t be any worse, trust me. The worst is kids.”
“What else are you going to tell us?” Jerry asked, turning back to the General.
“Well, number one was the implant issue. There are also problems in Washington. Our government is headed for a coup.”
“By bad guys or good guys?” Jerry asked.
“Good guys,” he replied. “It’s been coming, due to the martial law situation and the infiltration of the military from south of the border…the administration’s fingerprints are all over that stuff, even though they are denying all of it. The final straw is what I just told you about. That technology didn’t come from North Korea. It’s way beyond them, and they were by far the most advanced of our enemies.”
“The damn feds gave this technology to the cretins?” Jeb asked incredulously.
“Some elements of the federal government were involved, yes. A few people talked, and provided documents. Congress is working on impeachment now, very quietly. The administration has also quietly asked the military to intervene. Only a few in the military are open to that idea.”
“So…you brought that civilian Humvee because you’ve got a target on your back,” Frank said.
“Yes.”
“Never let a good crisis go to waste,” Earl said, shaking his head. “Should have known all along.”
There was silence in the room. You could hear a pin drop.
“So where does that leave us?” asked Jane. “Do we have enemies on their way here because of these chips?”
“They already know where we are, remember?” Jeb said. “They came straight here last night. We followed their tracks.”
“I don’t think you’re in immediate danger because of that,” General Hogan continued. “We took out a very large base last night, and it was the one that has been working southern Utah and all of Colorado. We killed everybody there. If word didn’t get beyond that command, you might just be safe for a while….so I’d get rid of any of the chips you can as soon as possible, and I’d figure out some way to shield the chip from Simon Orr if you’re going to keep it around.”
“I’ve got a bunch of lead for reloading, Gabe said. “I could make a lead box pretty easily.”
“Good idea,” the General said.
“The signals go right through dirt, I take it,” Gabe said.
“Yes, that’s why I made the comment earlier. You need to uncover those bodies, put a bunch of gasoline on them, and burn them to a crisp. I’d do that today.”
“What else?” Frank asked.
“Be careful with the military,” the General said. “If they ask you to do something that doesn’t seem quite right, it probably isn’t.”
“We don’t know you,” Jackson said.
“That’s true. You have to make your own judgment about me. Sorry, but that’s just the world we’re living in at this point. I can’t flash some credential at you.”
“General, what’s your opinion on this place? Should we stick around, or take off?” Gabe asked.
“If it were me, I’d stick around, get rid of the chips, fortify, and have your ‘genius’ work on a way to break these devices.”
“How are the roads?” Kurt asked.
“A whole lot better now, since we took out that base. I don’t see the combatants from the bases in Arizona or south of the border coming here in large numbers. Scouting parties and special ops to hunt down folks like you are still a possibility, though. We still have a small flow of enemy combatants coming down from Canada, but we’ve been able to hit most of their staging points. It’s not as bad as it was, at least. Going around some of the bad feds helped us quite a bit. The roads aren’t your biggest problem if you decide to go, though.”
“What’s our biggest problem?” Jerry asked.
“The Midwest states are starting to shut their borders down to residents only,” the General said. “Those states are the breadbasket of the world. If we allow them to get screwed up, millions of people will starve. So you problem isn’t getting to one of the safe states, it’s getting in.”
“Oh,” Frank said. “How much of the industrial and distribution base is still working?”
“Well, California was, until people got tired of martial law. Now that’s a battlefield. The Midwest is still going. So is the oil production in the Dakotas and elsewhere. Most of the East Coast still has at least part of its activity going, but it’s kind of like California…martial law, people starting to rebel. We’re going to have a rough bunch of years.”
Frank and Jane looked at each other.
“We’ve figured out that the better part of our remaining years is going to be like this,” Jane said. “I just hope it’s better for our kids.”
“I know,” the General said.
“Me too. I’m going to get out of your hair now, folks. Good bye and good luck.”
“Keep those radios on,” the Lieutenant Bailey said, “but keep in mind that not everybody in the military is a friend. The only communication you should get are warnings of an impending attack, or notification of a military visit. Nobody will ask you for information, ever. Don’t give away your position, either. I was one of the few people there who knew where you guys were, and I’m not going back. I left the job in good hands, but I can’t control what happens over time.”
“Where are you guys going?” Jerry asked.
“Can’t tell you that, Jerry,” the General said. “Let’s just say we’re going to escape into the woodwork for a while.”
The two men got up and headed for the door.
“Oh, and thanks for the coffee,” the General nodded to Hilda as he walked out. The two men went over to the Humvee and got in. Four privates got into the back, and they drove away. The remaining troops walked back to the Chinook and climbed up the ramp in the back, as the engines started up.
“Well, what do you think of all that?” Jerry asked. Jeb and Frank were standing on the veranda next to him.
“I don’t know what to think,” Frank replied. Kurt and Mary walked out. Mary had her black bag with her. Gabe followed with Jackson and Earl.
“Going to get that chip?” Frank asked.
“Yep,” Mary said.
“I’m going to go get the backhoe out,” Gabe said. “You want to drive it again, Jackson?”
“Sure,” he said, as they walked away. Jane and Jasmine came out next.
“Thanks for the kind words in there, honey, but I don’t know if I can figure this out or not,” Frank said, putting his arm around Jane’s shoulders.
“We’ll see,” she said. “No pressure…it just might determine the outcome of the war, and millions of lives.” She smirked, and Jerry cracked up.
“Thanks,” Frank said, laughing with Jerry.
The chopper’s motor was speeding up now, and the back gate came up. Dust was flying around.
“I’m going to get back on the roof and keep my eyes open,” Jeb said, carrying his rifle and his binoculars.
“We’re going too, unless you need us for anything else,” Charlie said, standing next to the Sheriff and the Deputy.
“No, go for it,” Frank said.
Jackson fired up the backhoe and started out towards the meadow, with Earl and Gabe walking alongside. Each of them carried a large gasoline can. They had to stop as the chopper rotors sped up. Dust and rocks were flying around, and they turned their heads the other way and covered their eyes.
“Damn loose dirt over there,” Gabe yelled. “They just had to put down close to that grave.”
The chopper rose off the ground, and the dust subsided. It got higher into the air, and flew slowly towards the north. Then there was a roar, and two jet fighters flew over the park towards the chopper. They buzzed it and kept going.
“Escorts?” Jerry asked
“I hope so,” Frank replied. The sound of the jets got softer as they got further way, and they could see the chopper get up to cruising speed. Then it was out of sight, covered by the trees and the mountain.
“Whew,” Jane said. “That had me worried for a second.”
“I know, me too,” Frank said.
“Hey,” Jeb shouted. “Those two jets just turned around. They’re coming at the chopper really fast.”
Everybody on the veranda froze.
“They just buzzed them again. Here they come, over us,” Jeb shouted, as the two jets flew over, gaining speed and altitude.
“They’re turning around again,” Jeb shouted. “Crap, they just fired missiles!”
“Oh no!” shouted Jane. Then there was an explosion in the distance.
“Direct hit!” Jeb shouted, cursing.
Chapter 11 – S’mores
“They coming back, Jeb?” yelled Frank.
“No, they high-tailed it off to the east.”
“Maybe they’re going back to Denver,” Jane said.
“Yeah, probably.”
“Now I’m really confused,” Jerry said. “Those were our aircraft. Do the bad guys at his base know where we are? Did General Hogan just feed us a lot of lies?”
“Hell, how would I know,” Frank said. “It’ll be interesting if Simon really has a chip in him.”
“Frank, should we keep going?” yelled Gabe from the meadow.
“Pull out one of the bodies before you burn them. Let’s see if Mary can find a chip in it, too.”
“Good idea,” Jackson shouted back.
“Yeah, good idea, Frank,” Jerry said. “Trust but verify.”
“You sound like you’re leaning towards believing the General,” Jane said, turning to her husband.
“Maybe,” he replied.
“Those jets could come back here and mop us up, couldn’t they?” asked Jasmine.
“That possibility is in the back of my mind, for sure,” Frank said. “Not a lot we can do about it.”
“Attack choppers coming this way, from the North,” Jeb yelled. “They’re hovering by some trees, near the wreckage.”
“How far away is that?” Jane yelled.
“Several miles. Oh, jeez, here come the jets again.”
Then they heard the roar, but it was in the distance.
“They’re engaging the attack choppers,” Jeb yelled. “Oh! One chopper just exploded. The other one got a missile off and went down out of sight!”
“No way!” Frank yelled. Then they all heard a bigger explosion.
“Missile worked,” yelled Jeb. “Hit one of the jets. The other one just high-tailed it. The jet that got shot down fell in a populated area.”
“Probably why the other one high-tailed it,” Jerry said.
“The other chopper is back in the air again.”
“What’s with all the fireworks,” Mary asked, walking up with Kurt. “We couldn’t see anything.”
“Jeb saw it from the roof. Choppers versus jets.”
“Well, looks like the General wasn’t lying about the chips,” Mary said. She held up a plastic zip-lock bag that had a capsule in it.
“That’s it, eh,” Jerry said. “Hard to find?”
“No, it was placed at the normal location – in his right tricep.”
“We want to check one of the soldiers that we are digging up in the meadow. You mind?”
“Not at all,” she replied. “Would be good to check the General’s story out.”
“Thanks,” Frank said.
“Here, you take this,” she said, handing the bag to Frank. “Mark on the bag so we don’t get it mixed up with one from out in the hole.” She and Kurt walked out towards the meadow, where Jackson was working the backhoe.
Frank nodded. “Hey Jeb, you mind keeping watch up there for a little while?”
“I was planning on it,” he yelled back.
“Thanks,” Frank yelled back.
“Want to go in the clubhouse?” Jane asked.
“Yeah,” Frank said.
“I’ve got a magnifier and some test equipment in my rig,” Jerry said. “I’ll go get it.”
“Good idea, thanks,” Frank said, as he and Jane entered the clubhouse. Jasmine walked off with Jerry.
“What with commotion?” Rosie asked. “Where is Jeb?”
“He’s up on the roof of the front building, keeping watch,” Jane said. “Some jets blew up the chopper that the General came in, and then some other choppers came over to look at it. Jeb was watching all of this with his binoculars.”
“He keep watch now?”
“Yes, he’s still up there watching,” Jane said.
“Good,” Rosie said.
Charlie, the Sheriff, and Terry came in and walked to Frank.
“Can we trust this General?” asked Charlie. “That was quite a show out there.”
“Well, he wasn’t lying about the chip in Simon,” Frank said, holding up th
e bag.
“If he knew he was going to be attacked, he sent those boys off to their deaths on purpose,” the Sheriff said. “That bothers me.”
“That’s true,” Charlie said. ” But if he knew, it was a genius play. Fake your own death and disappear. Wish we could do that.”
“I hope the boys he sent off in that chopper were told about the risk,” Jane said.
“Shoot, something just dawned on me. What if those jets were the good guys?” Frank asked.
“You mean, what if they staged this whole thing?” Jane asked.
Shots rang out in the distance. The noise continued for a couple of minutes. Then there was silence, followed by an explosion. The men ran out onto the veranda. Jane followed, with Lucy on her tail.
“You see what happened?” Frank yelled to Jeb.
“Not all of it,” he yelled back. “The gunfire was from the area where the big chopper fell. Then somebody blew up the other attack chopper. I don’t know who won that firefight. We better be ready for company.”
Jerry came out of his coach, and trotted over to Frank and the others.
“Army Radio call just came in, from a Private Peterson,” he said, trying to catch his breath. “He was one of the guys who was supposed to be in the big chopper. They planned this whole thing to give the General enough time to escape. The men got the chopper going on autopilot and bailed out.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah, and the jets were part of the ruse. The two choppers weren’t. They just took out everybody in that second chopper and blew it up. Those attack choppers came over to check for the General’s body, according to Private Peterson.”
“What are the troops doing now?” Frank asked.
“They’re also going to disappear into the woodwork for a while,” Jerry said. “They’d like to stay here for a couple of days. They’re hanging on the radio waiting for an answer on that.”
Frank thought about for a minute.
“I think that would be alright, if Mary can check them for implants first. What do you guys think?” he asked, looking at Charlie and the Sheriff.
“I’m good with it,” Charlie said. The Sheriff nodded in agreement.
“Good,” Jerry said. “I’ll tell them.” He trotted back to the coach.