by Gordon Ryan
Dan sat speechless for several moments, aware that he had been completely outmaneuvered. “Nicole, we’ve got to get out of here, and I’ve got to get a message to the governor before the press breaks this story. That old guy played me like a fiddle.”
Wrapping her shawl around her shoulders, Nicole stood, and as the band was resuming their seats, the two slipped quietly away, reaching Dan’s car and heading for the freeway toward Sacramento. Dan’s call to the Capitol was switched to the governor’s aide, standing outside the governor’s box at the Sacramento presentation of La Traviata.
Called from his seat, Governor Dewhirst listened as Dan relayed the events of the evening. Reacting with a calm assurance Dan wasn’t expecting, Dewhirst responded. “I’m not surprised, Dan. Not surprised at all. Turner’s been around the block a few times, and he knows the Feds are just waiting for us to act. Turner’s decided to trump my hand. Be in my office at seven tomorrow morning. We’ve got a full plate, and now that he’s preempted my timetable, we’ve got to act fast. I’ll call General Del Valle and advise him as well.”
“Governor, I—”
“Don’t lose any sleep over it. You’re not the first, nor the last, young legislator Turner has sucker-punched. Learn from it, and you’ll be the wiser. See you in the morning.”
“I’ll be there, Governor,” Dan replied and hung up his phone.
“Well?” Nicole asked.
“Smooth, as if he expected it,” Dan responded.
“He does have over forty years in the business,” Nicole added.
“I just hope it doesn’t take me another twenty to learn when to duck.”
Nicole leaned over and kissed his cheek, taking his hand as they both rode in silence for the next few moments. When Dan’s phone rang, Dan picked it up, expecting the governor or someone from his staff to speak.
“Dan?” the familiar voice said.
“Mom? What’s up?”
“Jack’s had a heart attack. He’s in Woodland Memorial.”
“I’m just south of Stockton. I’ll be there in a little over an hour.”
“Drive safely, but hurry.”
“I’ll be there, Mom,” he replied.
Nicole just looked at Dan quietly. Dan met her eyes as she placed her other hand on top of his.
“Jack’s had a heart attack,” Dan said, his voice beginning to crack with emotion. “He’s at Woodland Memorial Hospital. I can take you by my apartment, and you can get your car.”
Nicole held his free hand and placed her left hand behind his neck, gently rubbing to relieve the growing tension that was now replacing the anger that Senator Turner had caused only a few minutes earlier. “No,” she firmly replied, “we’re going straight to Woodland.”
* * *
The usual press of visitors was absent from Woodland Memorial Hospital when Dan and Nicole entered the foyer. In the small reception area outside the Intensive Care Unit, Dan’s mother, who was also Jack’s daughter, met the couple. Dan took his mother in his arms and held her. Nicole stood quietly to one side. She had only met Dan’s mother once, during the Almond Festival.
“Dan, I’m so glad you were close by. He’s been asking for you. The doctors say—they say he probably won’t last the night,” she sobbed.
“It’s okay, Mom. I’m here. What happened?”
“Nothing, really. I was just driving down the valley toward town. Jack was going to get a haircut, and I was going to do some grocery shopping. He was unusually quiet, but you know Jack and his moods. About ten miles from Woodland, I noticed he had laid his head back and closed his eyes. I asked him if he was all right, and he said, if I didn’t mind, could I please take him to Woodland Memorial. If I didn’t mind …” she cried, cupping her hands over her face.
“Jack’s old, Mom, but he’s still strong. He’ll pull through.”
“I don’t know, Dan, I just don’t know.” Glancing around Dan, she noticed Nicole standing quietly nearby. “I’m sorry, Nicole, I didn’t see you.”
Nicole walked up and took Mrs. Rawlings in her arms. “I’m so sorry, Mrs. Rawlings.”
“Thank you, dear. Dan, you better go in and see him. I’ll wait out here with Nicole, if that’s okay with you,” she said to Nicole.
“Certainly,” Nicole replied, motioning with her eyes for Dan to go to Jack’s room, and guiding Mrs. Rawlings to a chair in the waiting room.
Jack was lying on an elevated bed, surrounded by whirring and humming instrument panels, hooked up to various tubes and electrical connections, with his nose and mouth enclosed in a clear plastic oxygen mask. Dan approached the side of the bed and took Jack’s hand, standing quietly, struggling to keep his emotions in check. Jack slowly opened his eyes, and at his recognition of Dan, a hint of a smile creased the corners of his mouth beneath the mask.
“I’m here, Jack. Don’t try to talk. I’ll be here when you’re stronger.”
Jack closed his eyes as Dan stood at the side of the bed, holding his grandfather’s gnarled, scarred hand. They stayed that way for a long time, until Nicole and Mrs. Rawlings entered the room. Nicole assisted Dan’s mom to the couch and came to stand behind Dan, placing her hands on his shoulders.
“Can I get you something to drink?”
Dan reached up to his shoulder and covered Nicole’s hand with his own.
“Ummm,” he nodded, “please.”
They stood vigil through the night, alternately nodding off. Just past three, Mrs. Rawlings was asleep on the couch, and Dan and Nicole were seated together in a doublewide lounge chair in one corner of the room. Dan was resting his head on the back of the chair, lightly sleeping. Nicole nudged him, and as he opened his eyes, he could feel Nicole, with gentle pressure from her arm, urging him to remain quiet. Dan followed Nicole’s gaze to the bed where Jack lay, still encumbered by medical paraphernalia, but his eyes now wide open. The old man stared intently into the corner of the room nearest the window and away from Dan and Nicole. His expression was calm, yet intent, and a smile had returned to his face. He showed no sign of the pain that was evident earlier. Dan shifted his gaze to the corner where Jack was staring, but saw nothing other than the muted glow from the bedside lamp.
Jack partially raised himself up on the bed, restrained by the attached tubes and electrical cords. Aware that something had disturbed Jack, Dan attempted to rise and go to him, but Nicole gently restrained him as the drama unfolded. Dan glanced at Nicole and saw tears slipping down her cheeks. She held her hand over her mouth as she watched, moved by what she was witnessing.
Dan glanced back at Jack, and suddenly he understood, his mind opened to the realm of belief, his body relaxing beneath Nicole’s caress as they both sat transfixed. After what seemed like endless minutes, Jack shifted his gaze to Dan and smiled, leaning back into his pillow, resting comfortably now, his countenance radiant. The gentle look he gave Dan transmitted years of love, and for a brief moment, they shared the unspoken bond that had developed between them as boy had grown to man.
Jack spoke in a soft, reverent tone, his voice muted by the oxygen mask. “It was Ellen.”
Dan remained silent, looking at his grandfather. Nicole’s tears were now joined by Dan’s as he leaned back into his chair, comforted by his understanding of Jack’s acceptance. Nicole’s arm was looped through Dan’s, and she inclined comfortably toward him in the chair. They watched together as Jack closed his eyes and rested. They sat that way for some time, Jack breathing quietly and easily.
When Dan once again opened his eyes, he took a few seconds to realize that he had fallen asleep. Now, Jack’s chest was still, and he lay peacefully in the aftermath of his willing acceptance of life’s cycle.
Later, as the growing amber light filtered through the louvered shutters, lifting the darkness from the room, Dan stood behind Nicole in front of the window, his arms wrapped around her.
“Do you believe in life after death, Nicole?” Dan asked softly.
Nicole turned around to face him, placing her
head against his chest and taking several deep breaths. “With all my heart, Dan. I know it, as certain as I stand here.”
“Personal experience?”
“Not exactly. I told you that my father was killed in the line of duty as a state trooper in Connecticut. My sister Jennie told me that he spoke to her in a dream, a very real dream, as she described it.”
Dan pulled Nicole from his chest, placing his hand beneath her chin and raising her head to face him. “You grow more complicated every day, Agent Bentley.”
Together they silently observed the beginning of a new day. Mentally preparing to wake his mother and comfort her, Dan tried to fathom what he had witnessed. Ellen had come, and Jack had willingly gone with her. In the recesses of his mind, Dan knew that the deep, welling sobs were yet to come, but for this moment he was at peace, having witnessed the fulfillment of those things Jack had tried to teach him through the years. Dan could feel it—they were all there—the pioneer voices in his blood, the ancestors come to escort Jack home. Rumsey Valley had been the family residence for nearly six generations and would continue to be, but Jack had gone home with Ellen.
* * *
At precisely three minutes to seven, having barely had time to shower, shave, and change clothes, with no time for sleep other than the catnaps he’d caught in Jack’s room during the night, Daniel Rawlings entered the foyer of the governor’s office. Shown in by Mrs. Hansen, he quietly joined the governor, General Robert Del Valle, the Speaker, and several members of the proposed constitutional committee. Looking up from a map General Del Valle was using as a reference, Governor Dewhirst took three steps to meet Dan, placing his arm around his shoulder.
“Dan, I hope you’ll accept my most sincere condolences on the death of your grandfather. Jack Rumsey was a great man and will be missed by all who knew him.”
“Thank you, Governor,” Dan acknowledged, wondering how in the world the governor could have learned so quickly with Jack only gone, what—three or four hours?
“Dan, as we discussed last night, Senator Turner has played his cards, knowing full well that I would need to act swiftly to preclude further speculation. I’ve already spoken with the president and informed him that I will hold a press conference at nine o’clock to announce the formation of the California Constitutional Committee. He wasn’t pleased, and asked if we could find some way to avoid the necessity. I told him that as a result of Senator Turner’s actions, most of my options have been removed. I asked him to seriously consider my position. He let me know he was also running out of options.”
Del Valle moved to join Dan and Governor Dewhirst as Mrs. Hansen replaced the coffee pot. and several participants refilled their cups.
“Morning, Captain. Understand you got took it in the shorts last night,” Del Valle said.
“Good morning, General,” Dan said, his face flushing. “I’m afraid I did. It was an action worthy of any shave-tail lieutenant.” Continuing his conversation with the governor, Dan said, “I’m sincerely sorry for my foolish action last night. I didn’t know what Senator Turner wanted when he invited me down to Modesto, but I felt I should go and keep the peace.”
General Del Valle snorted. “Turner’s as likely to bristle as he is to purr, Captain. Never can tell where the man will come down.”
“Well, he came down on me like a ton of bricks, and before I knew it, I was standing in front of several thousand people, having been presented as the James Madison of California.”
“Captain,” Del Valle started, “I want you to call Colonel Harman and alert him to the current—”
“Bob,” the governor intervened, “I’m going to pull rank on you this time. Effective immediately, Dan’s guard assignment will be as a member of the governor’s personal staff. I’m sorry, Bob, but his legislative role will take precedence now, and as a member of the governor’s office he’ll be clear of any of the confrontations you’ve indicated we can expect. I don’t want any more public confusion about his role than is absolutely necessary. The press would eat it up if he were assigned to write the constitution and also required to stand on the front steps with a rifle and defend the Capitol.”
“I understand, Governor. Captain, it’s been a pleasure to serve with you,” Del Valle said, grinning. “But if you think I was hard-nosed, gird your loins, son, because your new boss can make me look like Little Bo-Peep.”
Governor Dewhirst moved behind his desk, and the small group gathered around him.
“Gentlemen, our press conference will announce the implementation of the California Joint Constitutional Committee, staffed by members of both houses and chaired by Senator Pringle. The press will inundate you with questions. Most of you have been down that road before. But as a result of Senator Turner’s announcement last night, Assemblyman Daniel Rawlings will be the focus of their efforts. Instead of having him hide behind the chairman, I believe we should let him respond directly. Dan, are you ready for that?”
Dan stood quietly for a moment, thinking of all that had happened over the past twelve hours. Was it only that long since he stood on the stage in Modesto and rushed from there to Jack’s bedside? While he should be helping his mother arrange Jack’s funeral, he was here, preparing for a game show with reporters. And what of his stand against the secession? Most of the men in this room were cornered into supporting it, or at least preparing for something none of them wanted. And he was supposed to verbally present such support to a group of hungry reporters.
“How do you want me to play it, Governor?”
“We’re on the train now. Most of us here didn’t want it to happen, but it has taken on a momentum of its own. Our job now is to guide the train, and your role with the constitution will set those parameters. Just respond naturally. We needn’t throw out the state laws we have now or the national Constitution, either. Some of the greatest minds in history developed those documents. Let them know that we intend to preserve the intent of the Founding Fathers and that this is not a ‘Brave New World’ venture.”
“I understand.”
“Now, General Del Valle,” the governor said, “what can we expect?”
For fifty minutes, Bob Del Valle detailed the anticipated federal movement and the Guard’s response.
* * *
By three in the afternoon, long after the governor’s press conference had been replayed dozens of times on Fox News and CNN, orders had been received, directing the activation of the California National Guard into a federal status. But they were four hours late. As of 11:00 a.m. Thursday morning, Governor Walter Dewhirst had issued orders decommissioning the National Guard and merging it with the smaller State Military Reserve, an inactive unit comprised mostly of former military veterans and many business leaders.
Activated by the governor under the authority of Section 143 of the California Military and Veterans Code, the unit became the primary military force within the formative nation. By extension of Section 143, and following the 1994 legislative decision to place security aspects of the Capitol under the control of the California Highway Patrol, the governor issued a declaration of emergency. As a result, all five thousand officers of the Highway Patrol were brought under the overall command of the State Military Reserve, reporting directly to Major General Robert Del Valle. Over two thousand Highway Patrol officers were ordered to Sacramento to supplement the newly designated unit.
In anticipation of federal intervention, General Del Valle had prepared and was ready to implement the political, if not the strategic, defense of the California State Capitol Building and the executive and legislative officers sitting therein. Receiving its designation nearly two weeks earlier than planned, Operation Bear Claw was implemented.
Chapter 29
Capitol Mall
Sacramento, California
August, 2012
In June, in St. Louis, the Democratic National Convention had been held, and Colorado Governor Jonathan Timmerman had been selected as the presidential nominee with Senator Alice Caulf
ield, Iowa, as vice president. Both professed opposition to the secession.
In early August, in Salt Lake City, the Republican National Convention had been held, with Clay Cumberland selected as the presidential nominee and William Snow, the former governor of Arizona, becoming the compromise candidate for vice president.
And in late August, the 2012 summer Olympics ended in London with America once again taking the lion’s share of medals.
But on this crisp, already warm, August morning in Sacramento, California, none of that mattered to the young attorney, who, at 5:30 a.m., turned off the freeway on his way to work. Approaching the Wells Fargo Bank building and his newly established law office, he was confronted by barricades, a phalanx of military vehicles, and hundreds of men wearing camouflaged uniforms—all of whom were massed at the intersection of 4th and Capitol. Unable to cross toward his normal parking entrance, he looked west and saw several low-boy trucks loaded with large military tanks just exiting the Tower Bridge, which spans the Sacramento River at that point.
To the left, toward the Capitol Building several blocks east, the mass of troops lining the street precluded his exit via that route. Unwilling to confront this sea of officialdom, he made a U-turn and retreated the wrong way down a one-way street, intent on finding a route to his office to prepare for his first significant trial, set to begin at eight-thirty that morning. He thought as he departed the area that he hadn’t even taken the time to notice if they were federal troops. This secession mania is getting out of hand, and someone should put a stop to it, he thought. It’s beginning to interfere with peoples’ lives.
From a better vantage point in the State Capitol Building, Major General Robert Del Valle watched the buildup of federal troops, anticipated since the previous evening when his sources at Travis AFB, forty miles west of Sacramento, advised of the arrival of a battalion of 82nd airborne troops from Fort Bragg, supplemented by troops from Fort Irwin.