The Krakow Klub

by Philip C. Elrod

  The president dressed just as Jim Slater had suggested. He wore a dark blue windbreaker with the presidential seal displayed over his heart, a matching dark blue baseball cap with stars and stripes across the bill, and a tan shirt with khaki trousers. Quite understated, but for the occasion, quite presidential.

  Jim Slater had wondered as he selected the president’s clothes from the closet, How the hell did Maxxine come up with these in such short order? He then wondered, Can she anticipate the proper solution for the many other problems we will soon be facing? He silently prayed that would be the case.

  John said, “Gentlemen, it’s time for us to go home. Please follow me and we’ll be on our way.”

  They were soon in the shuttle craft and on their way back to Earth. John had already described the craft and how it worked for the president. To his utter amazement, the man was as cool as a cucumber and showed no signs of fear or anxiety about his first conscious ride in a space ship.

  John left the viewing camera on for the entire trip so that the president could see Earth as they approached. He was staring at the screen in awe for the entire trip.

  There was not much conversation other than small talk during the short trip. The shuttle craft soon landed on the island and the hatch slid open.

  Julia, Sylvia, and Mister T were waiting for them at the landing area. Julia stepped forward and gave John a big hug, but Sylvia didn’t move. She still just couldn’t bring herself to put the past behind her; not yet.

  John was the first to speak. “Julia, Sylvia, Mister T, I’d like to introduce you to the real president of the United States. President Wilkinson will be our honored guest for a short while this evening. We’ll be taking a brief rest for a quick meal before heading off to West Virginia for an important meeting with Congress.”

  The president moved forward taking the hand of each of the ladies in turn into his and bowing slightly while saying, “I am very pleased to meet you and honored to be your guest.”

  The president then saluted Mister T and then shook his hand. “I’ve heard of your actions in defending this island. Such bravery in a time of crisis and danger are those of a heroic military leader. From now on, I think that you should have a more fitting title. How about General T? Or perhaps Admiral T?

  “I think that, as the President, I must surely have the authority for a field promotion in times of war, and this certainly is a time of war.”

  Mister T bowed slightly. “Thank you, Mr. President. I think that I would prefer to be a general. I have very limited knowledge of admirals, and with all my electronic circuitry, I usually try to avoid the water. But I have studied several of your army generals and their military tactics in depth.”

  “Then you will be a general! General T, you will continue to report directly to Mr. John Scott, and I’m ordering you to be in command of all things military for this island.”

  The newly appointed general saluted the president and then led the way to the villa where he would serve the group dinner on the veranda. Not exactly the normal duty of a general, but that didn’t bother him in the slightest.

  John, with his arm around Julia’s shoulders, led the group into the house.

  Jim Slater followed behind and engaged Sylvia in conversation. She was inwardly very happy that he had returned safely, but she still wasn’t ready to tear down the protective wall that she had built around herself for the past several years. She was congenial but kept a cool reserve.

  As they neared the villa, Akiro and Mitch dashed out excitedly to meet them. Mitch flew down the path and jumped into Jim’s outstretched arms. Even though he had been gone only a short time, she had missed him terribly.

  Akiro was a little more restrained and only danced around John’s feet, sniffing to determine just where he had been. During John’s absence, Mitch had been tutoring her little pupil in the fine art of mastering humans. He was an adept and willing student and was already on his way to being “the boss.”

  Inside, Julia headed straight to the bar, and John expected her to make martinis for everyone. However, she surprised him. “You’re going to have a very busy evening and you’re going to need all your mental faculties functioning at the highest level. Therefore, I’ve opted to make some very light wine spritzers.”

  “Good thinking my dear, and if you would please pardon me for a few minutes, I must make a couple of telephone calls.”

  He was gone longer than anyone expected and, when he returned, his face betrayed nothing that would give them a hint as to what he might have just learned.

  General T served the meal on the sun-dappled veranda. The group was rather quiet and only picked at the food. Having the president in their midst made them acutely aware of the turmoil gripping the nation.

  Halfway through the meal, as the fiery sun hovered on the horizon, John began to address the others. It would be a magnificent sunset, but the spectacular display of light and colors would go almost unnoticed by the group.

  Mister T, make that General T, was slightly hurt that no one had bothered to ask him about the unusual cloud over the island. He had carefully planned it so that it was only seen from the outside as a cloud. From the island, the sky was clear as usual. “Oh well, it had impressed Maxxine. Perhaps John would notice someday.”

  John addressed the group, “There will be a special session of Congress in about an hour. That will be the perfect time to reveal that President Wilkinson is alive, well, and still the legal president. I’ve arranged to speak to the group, and at that time, I’ll give them unquestionable proof that the Krakow Klub has been behind the assassination attempt and the subsequent terrorist attacks. I will make it clear to them that they have no alternative other than trusting us to abort the total takeover of the government.”

  Sylvia interrupted him, “What about secrecy? The organization will immediately know that they’ve been identified as being behind the coup.”

  “You can thank the illustrious President Montrose for providing me with such an excellent opportunity. You know how she loves to torture people. Well, when she shipped the entire government off to West Virginia, she had all their cell phones and computers confiscated. They have no contact whatsoever with the outside world, even with their families. They are virtual prisoners and just don’t know it.

  “As for television, the only thing available to them is programming and news that she has specifically approved. The programs are streamed to the resort exclusively. They have no access to the regular media. The whole thing is quite diabolical but well thought out.”

  He continued, “My original plan didn’t include President Wilkinson. Unfortunately, my original opinion was that he was your typical Washington, DC, insider, out for only his interests and with little thought for the public.” He raised his glass toward the president in a silent toast. “Since the attempted assassination, my opinion has drastically changed.

  “Thanks to Maxxine, I know that the Krakow Klub kept him drugged for several years. He was falsely diagnosed with a serious heart condition, and he believed that his medications were for that condition. However, the drugs were to assure that he was compliant to Stoellar and his group.

  “Fortunately for him, and for us all, the drugs were flushed from his system by the IV fluids that he received while he was our guest on the space station.

  “The man with us here today is no longer a puppet of the organization. He is a strong and capable leader who’s going to play a crucial role in retaking the government. As the lawful commander-in-chief, he can order the military to stand down and return to their bases. With a little luck and some careful planning, we can end this thing with a minimal loss of life. But we must proceed with extreme caution. The opposition must not know about us until we’re ready to act. If they learn of our plans before we’re ready, the outcome will be hard to predict. Our actions must be well planned and timed to perfection.”

  He raised his glass in a toast to the group, “Here’s to our success. Here’s to restoring the governm
ent to the people.”

  They all raised their glasses and in unison, repeated, “To victory.”

  As they finished their meal, the president raised his glass and proposed one last toast, “Hail to the chef!”

  The president laughed good-naturedly when General T took a brief bow and acknowledged the honor.

  Turning to John, the president asked in an amazed voice, “You mean that General T prepared our meal?”

  “Absolutely!” remarked John, “He has many talents.”

  As they stood to leave the table, each person looked out at the last rays of the setting sun. Each buried in their individual thoughts of the future; each silently praying for a successful meeting at the Greenbrier.

  The next few hours would determine the fate of the nation, indeed the fate of the entire world.

  The resident bowed slightly toward Julia and Sylvia. “I’m very appreciative of your excellent hospitality and warm friendship. I look forward to a long friendship with you all, and, by the way, I’m not just trying to influence your votes.” Smiling, he continued, “We will have to gather for another meal together very soon, perhaps in the White House.”

  Then with a huge grin, he added, “After we have saved our country, of course.”

  John addressed the entire group, “It’s time for us to go. General T has programmed the craft for our trip to the Greenbrier.”

  All rose from the table. John and Julia walked together, arms around each other. The president followed them closely. Jim and Sylvia brought up the rear.

  Jim did not put his arm around Sylvia, saying, “No matter what happens from now, I hope that our futures will include each other. I realize what a huge emptiness has existed in my heart ever since I left you in London. I can’t change the past, but I hope and pray that we can be together again.”

  As they neared the waiting spacecraft, John swept Julia into his arms, and they embraced in a lingering kiss. Each wishing that it did not have to end, but each knowing that it must.

  Julia, with tears forming in her eyes, said, “Good luck and Godspeed. I will be thinking of you every minute you’re gone.”

  John simply gave her a last kiss and turned to enter the shuttle craft.

  Jim started to enter the craft, but turned at the doorway and looked back at Sylvia. He said nothing. She said nothing. But the eye contact was enough to send the message from each of them to the other. In that brief instant, the past melted away and each knew that their future would be together. There were tears forming in both their eyes as Jim turned and entered the craft.

  The hatch slid shut, and the craft silently lifted off and disappeared into the darkening sky toward their destination in West Virginia.

  John was the first to speak. “Mr. President, here’s the plan. I’ve requested that the Speaker of the House, along with the Senate Majority Leader call a joint meeting of the legislature this evening. I suggested that they exercise caution and keep the whole thing under the radar as much as possible. They can use any ruse that they want to justify the meeting. The main thing is to be clever enough not to alert any of the guards that something might be amiss. Being an agile politician, I have no doubt that they can spin a yarn that will lull the most suspicious minds into complacency.

  “We’ll arrive in stealth mode and I’ve found a way that we can enter the West Virginia Wing without alerting the military. It’s important that Lt. Colonel Stevens, the battalion commander, does not know of our arrival.

  “There are only two sentries at the service entrance to the West Virginia Wing. The ‘guests’ have no idea that they are in harm’s way, so there was deemed to be no need for a stronger military presence. In fact, it would have only served to arouse suspicions.

  “It will be quite easy to neutralize those two guards until it’s all over. They won’t even remember what happened.

  “Once we’re in the meeting room, I’ll have Maxxine place a gravity shield around the room to block anyone from entering or leaving and to dampen the noise level to prevent any undue attention.”

  Then, speaking specifically to the president, John said, “I expect there will be a considerable ruckus when you enter the meeting room.”

  The president smiled broadly but said nothing.

  “After the Speaker introduces me, I’ll address the group first and outline the actions of the Krakow Klub. Obviously, there’ll be some members who are on their payroll but there won’t be any way for them to alert their masters. I doubt that they will even make an attempt to try.

  “Trust me, after all is said and done, they’ll buy into my offer with little or no disagreement. When they realize that they are all to be killed, they’ll have no choice but to agree to my offer. I regret that I must be less than truthful with them about their demise, but I am comfortable with that. Without my intervention, they would have been doomed, so I am not exactly lying to them.

  “Then, if they agree to my proposal, I’ll present them with the pièce de résistance. They’ll get the shock of their lives when I introduce the president of the United States, and Henry Wilkinson walks into the hall.

  “Then, to make a long story short, once they’ve agreed to my terms, we’ll proceed with destroying the Krakow Klub and returning President Wilkinson to his rightful place in the White House. Once he’s safely there, he’ll order the military to stand down. With a little luck, they will do so without fighting. It will be hard for the Krakow Klub military minions to resist once they know that the president has ordered them to stand down. They would be facing a charge of treason.”

  The president was thoughtful for a time and then replied, “It’s obviously time for bold actions by brave men. Together, and with the help of your great power, Mr. Scott, we’ll take our country back. Damn the torpedoes; full speed ahead!”

  ****

  Two members of the Scorpion Battalion were assigned to guard the service entrance to the West Virginia Wing. They had been rather unhappy with their boring assignment and complaining about the lack of excitement. Suddenly, both men were frozen in their tracks. Thanks to the gravity shield that now encased them, they could neither speak nor move, much less raise an alarm,

  As soon as the guards were secured, John, the president, and Jim Slater quickly exited the shuttle craft and darted into the building.

  John had studied the layout of the building and had the major rooms and hallways memorized. They headed directly for a utility closet located outside the meeting room but near the entrance.

  Instructing the president to remain in the closet, John left the door slightly ajar so that sounds emanating from the hall could be heard.

  Before leaving the president, John told him, “Sir, be alert for the sound of “Hail to the Chief.” After the first few bars have played, you are to walk straight into the hall and up to the podium as quickly as possible. There will be pandemonium and lots of people trying to greet you personally, but you must get to the podium as soon as you can work your way through the crowd.”

  John and Jim entered the hall from a door near the back of the stage.

  The entire stage was draped with American flags. A large video screen at the rear of the stage displayed the Great Seal of the United States.

  As they entered the hall, they were struck by a cacophony of sound. Congressmen were huddled in small groups, mostly along party lines, discussing the president’s action in sending them here. Many were most unhappy with the situation, feeling that they should be highly visible during this time of crisis. The last thing they wanted the voters to feel was that their elected officials had abandoned them.

  Several were convinced that the whole Greenbrier thing was just a means of intimidation by Carla Montrose. She was well known for her steamroller tactics. The conversation continued unabated until people began to notice the two men who had just entered the stage where the Speaker of the House and the Senate Majority Leader greeted them.

  John extended his hand to the Speaker of the House and then to the Senate Majority
Leader. He was blunt and serious in his tone as he said, “Mr. Speaker, Senator Millwood, My name is John Scott.” Turning to Jim he said, “And my colleague is Dr. James Slater. Please call the meeting to order; we have very little time and a lot of information to present to you.”

  The Speaker pounded his gavel on the podium and called the meeting to order. Being already curious as to why they were in the meeting, the crowd quickly became quiet.

  The Speaker briefly explained that these two guests had critical information regarding the national crisis.

  “Fellow congressmen, I would like to introduce you to Mr. John Scott, a man with an important message for us. Please welcome Mr. Scott and Dr. James Slater, his associate.”

  John stepped to the podium. “My name is John Scott. Until now, you’ve never heard of me. After today, you’ll likely never forget my name. Please give me your full and undivided attention. Your lives are in imminent danger. There is a plot underway to take over the government of the United States. A part of that plot is to eliminate everyone in this room. You might call it ‘Congressicide.’ That may not be a proper word, but it is a proper description of your potential fate.

  “Unless we come to an agreement at this meeting on how to deal with this situation, in a short time you will all be dead.

  “That is the bad news.

  “The good news is that I may be able to save you.”

  John decided not to bring up the fact that the entire nation was in danger. He figured that most members of Congress would be more interested in their personal fates.

  With that, John directed their attention to the video screen behind him. Maxxine had prepared a frightening presentation for them. With that, he spoke a command, and the video began with full quadraphonic sound to back it up.

  It began with the fiery crash of the van into the ambulance. No one in the room except John and Jim had ever seen it before. The scene was so vivid that you could almost feel the heat from the inferno. There were many gasps of horror.