by Jim Wilson
Awaken to news of horrid destruction
To war is over but damage was done
Thinking about his new life’s construction
Parsing the pieces till no one has won
Chapter 28
Sarah was able to spend a few minutes with Bill, but he was still unconscious. She needed to do something so she focused on his awful appearance. No one could determine how long he had been awake before he was wounded. Ivan had lost all concept of time, but he thought it was three or four days. Ivan had not slept, but he was able to bathe and change into clean clothing. Bill had not slept, bathed or eaten from the time that he left prison. Sarah had no plan, but she had purchased some outfits for him. She was heading to her downtown apartment to put some things together that he would soon need. She pushed the Volvo a little over the speed limit and wiped her tears away. She thought of what the General had told her and she knew that these were very good doctors. They have the best equipment and drugs. He is very strong and he will live. She pulled into her parking space at the apartment building and headed for the elevator.
Walter kept his truck in the slow lane and worked his way towards downtown Tampa. If only they had used one or two fewer bladders I could have made it to Miami. He was thinking of other places to go. No, my mission is Miami and I will go until this truck stops. He was watching his gauges and they were all okay. He turned onto Highway 60, which would take him through downtown. He would follow it along the edge of Tampa Bay until he hit Highway 301. Traffic was increasing and there were two small bridges ahead. His oil pressure gauge was reading just a little low but Walter thought it would be okay as soon as he got out of the downtown traffic. Slowly he was making his way through the heart of Tampa when he noticed a special place two blocks north. Another convert had told him what he had to do, and he chose to kill a Mexican prostitute. He had killed before, including a few prostitutes, but he had always had good reasons. This was his first cold blooded murder and he was a little worried about cutting her head off. She was already dead and it was a lot like what he did when he butchered a deer. Life has its fond memories. He laughed out loud.
His attention returned to his truck as he felt it gain a little power. He passed the busiest part of downtown and the bay was now on his right. The truck picked up some speed and the view of the bay disappeared and was replaced by a long line of high rise apartment buildings. A few years back, he had worked for a friend as a painter in one of these buildings. This is where a lot of the rich people live. Then he felt his truck once again fight to maintain speed. He downshifted, but it was still slowing. He looked into his mirrors and saw the thick white smoke coming from his stacks. His engine stopped, and there were no parking spaces to his right. The truck and its full load of explosives rolled to a stop and, after reviewing the situation in his mind, Walther decided it was time for a change. He took off his kufi hat, opened the door and calmly walked away. From the grave Bryan, started the thirty minute timer.
A city of Tampa motorcycle patrolman named Tony Banarado arrived at a traffic problem. He had a wife and three children and this was his second try at a career. He had spent seven years in the army and loved every minute of it. He had two tours in Iraq and had served as a military policeman. Towards the end of his second tour, he was involved in preventing an explosive-laden pickup truck from crashing a barrier and entering the Bagdad, Green Zone. Using his 50 caliber machine gun, he fired into the truck’s cab and killed the driver. The truck exploded fifty yards away from its target, but someone on the inside had fired at him from behind. Tony lost his right lung and a kidney, and his wounds ended his military career. He had been born and raised in Tampa and returned home to recover. He spent six months in the VA Hospital and the day that he was discharged, he was offered and accepted a job as a motorcycle cop by the city.
Tony dismounted his motorcycle, walked to the cab and looked inside through its open door. How could you just open a door and walk away? This is a strange place for a big rig. Then he looked carefully down the side of its black trailer. The rising sun helped reveal the name that had been painted over. He read it out loud, “Georgia Haulers.” He had attended the morning briefing and was warned about a likely terrorist attack on Tampa. One name that he remembered was “Georgia Haulers” so went to his radio and called in a code that Tampa had never heard before. He announced a city wide terror alert, gave his location and for ten more minutes he would be a living hero.
Two aggressive motorcyclists tried to use the left lane to pass all the cars that were blocked behind the truck. Tony saw them coming and stopped them, “I need your help!” He gave them both a quick warning and then asked one named Jim to go into the large apartment building next to the truck and find some way to warn the residents to evacuate out the back. He asked the second biker, Terence, to get the cars behind the truck to make a U-turn and leave the site. These were two heroes that would never be thanked. The policeman then went forward to turn the traffic in front of the truck on to a side road. A few more heroic motorists pulled off the street and ran to the apartment building to help Jim warn the families inside.
*****
The neurosurgeon was measuring Bill’s brain pressure. It had fallen slightly and the opening of his skull was delayed. Bill’s mind was still working and he could feel the danger around him. He had not seen Sarah for what seemed like a long time and was reliving the Tampa Mall bombing. In his mind, he saw Sarah and her brother Ike hugging each other when they got their new Volvos. Then he saw Ike and Mira hugging in the Tampa Mall. He looked closer at their faces, but it wasn’t Ishak and Mira it was Ishak and Sarah! He could feel Sarah’s danger and again and again the visions looped in his mind. He was regaining consciousness and several medical people were standing over him.
Oxygen was being pushed through his lungs by a respirator that was breathing for him. Drugs, nutrients and chemicals that were supporting his survival were entering through two IV lines. His doctor dialed back his medications. While he was still in the twilight his ventilator and feeding tubes were removed and his brain pressure monitor was now normal. The neurosurgeon knew that in about five minutes Bill would regain consciousness. He wanted Bill’s family around him when it happened so he walked to the waiting room to get them. The room was very crowded as the neurosurgeon approached Bill’s parents, “He’s going to recover and he’ll be conscious soon. Follow me back to ICU.”
*****
The explosion and death of the ATF scientists offered a clear warning about the Houston, Atlanta and Tampa sites. The level of destruction was measured at Topeka and projections of explosive power were calculated for the three locations. It was decided that in all cases a circle five miles in diameter would be evacuated. This circle was for the most part fairly low in population, but in all cases it contained major sections of busy roads and highways that also needed to be shut down. It was not possible to wait for these buildings to explode. The Air Force would drop low yield charges on the three sites.
The first drop was planned for the Atlanta location. The flight path and aircraft speed would allow for the drop and ample safety for the plane. The charge was designed to penetrate the roof and explode at ground level. The plane took off from a base in South Carolina and, at nearly the same time, the Atlanta detonation date and time became local time. The site detonated and no bomb was needed. County workers cleaned debris from roads and highways and within a few hours allowed people to return to the area. Scientific experts on explosions examined the remains and, considering that there was no loss of life, rated the overall damage as moderate.
*****
The death of Henry became known in Chad and Libya. In Aozou, Chad the word spread quickly. Everyone knew that the Prince and the ayatollah were also dead. The Mayor of Aozou was well known and had some power, and announced that he was moving into the great house, but the entire town’s population was already headed there. Arguments began among the great house’s guards and it became a gun fight between the Christia
ns and the Muslims. The Muslim guards outnumbered the Christian guards, who were all killed along with their families. The townspeople also killed the mayor and several of the people that worked for him.
Hundreds of villagers raced for the great house and were driving and riding in anything that would run. The common goal was to take as much as could be carried and to destroy the rest. The Muslim guards were not happy with the villagers, but they soon realized that they didn’t have enough bullets to stop them, so they joined them. The orphans were both Christians and Muslims, but it was impossible to tell their religion quick enough, so they were all killed. The four hour session ended with hundreds of dead scattered around the estate. The complex and the buildings that surrounded it were stripped of everything of value and then set on fire. It would take five years for the desert to completely cover the road, bodies and the burned out buildings. The wall around the complex would be visible for twenty years, and then it too would be hidden by the sand of the Sahara Desert.
Muzuk, Libya was a different story. The government flew fighters and transport aircraft to the great home. It had sold the entire town to the problem son of a Saudi Prince. There was no rioting or protesting and little changed for the people of Muzuk. The town’s residents continued to live their peaceful lives and the new owner even allowed their new religious tolerance. The orphans were able to continue their pleasant lives that included housing and education. In a short time, there was real affection between the new owner and his people. The new oil wells kept the town’s cash flow positive. The owner was happy enough to spend two weeks a year in the great home. He preferred Paris or London, but Muzuk was a nice diversion.
*****
Henry had three wives and each of his wives had one son. The boys were named Henry, Meslem, and Paul and they were all attending an expensive boarding school in Turkey. Their lives were each funded with a half billion Euro trust. Henry’s wives all had smaller trusts, but were comfortable by African standards. The boys would all return to Africa after additional education in America and France. Henry had written each of them a letter that they were to open when they were eighteen. The letter was written prior to his conversion to tolerance.
On two occasions he had remembered the letters and once had even started composing a new corrected letter in his mind. It began, “I was a fool.” One of his sons would be a rich fool, and would change his name from Paul to Mohammad. Henry’s African bank accounts were quickly absorbed by the owners and, within a few months, all of his African businesses had new owners. Most of the businesses failed, but some were able to live through the transfer of ownership. Like the Sahara Desert that covered Henry’s home in Chad, in a few years the African wounds would heal.
*****
Malcolm had two billion dollars in South American banks. He had spent a long time in prison, and after his conversion and release from prison he had both grown and failed as a man. For a short period, he knew that what Henry had told him was the path that he should have taken, but he felt that it was too late to worry about the past. His Paraguay ranch was highly superior to prison or death. The men that had traveled with him to Paraguay, including his pilots, were not willing to be his servants forever on a ranch in the middle of nowhere. Malcolm was a person with the intuition of a feral cat and his gut told him that his people were unhappy and maybe dangerous, so took the first action.
He had is new Russian friends handle the event. The Russian known as Number One organized two hundred poor peasants to kill Malcolm’s staff, and the peasants were more than happy to be servants. Malcolm did not know Bill, but Bill knew Malcolm by his name. In the future the two would very possibly have a chance to meet in person. Malcolm had too much money and too much time to live the rest of his life on the ranch. A date in the future Malcolm would venture to other sites, and it would not be long before he recalled the happiness and power that came with jihad. Once again he would work to make Allah proud of him. This time it would be his own plan, and he had gained a lot experience in the business of mass destruction.
*****
Two hours after the Atlanta site detonated, both Houston and Tampa followed. Tampa was the most powerful single non-atomic explosion in the history of America. Both industrial parks were leveled, but their isolation saved many lives. All of the Peace Mosques were empty and it was determined that the businesses that were once thought to be owned by the ayatollah, Henry and Malcolm were actually part of an Antigua company called the East West Fund. A careful examination of the records showed the real owners were three bankers in Antigua.
*****
The doctors and nurses at University Hospital in Tampa Florida had saved Bill. The drugs that had once allowed him to painlessly recover were no longer in his body. Within a few minutes of opening his eyes his mind was fully awake. He was looking at Ivan’s face. He remembered his dream and asked, “Where’s Sarah?”
Ivan delivered the news after asking a few questions to determine if he would be able to fully understand what was about to be said. “I finished taking the Tampa site, and now all of them have blown up. For some reason a single truck filled with explosives was sent to the Realey’s apartment building.”
Bill saw Sarah’s father at his bed side, “Where is Sarah?”
“The truck exploded and damaged the structure of the building. She was in her apartment getting you some clothing. It’s a very strong building and her apartment was far from the blast. If she’s trapped they’ll find her. There are specialists and engineers at the site and several people have already been found alive.”
Secret men absolved of all crime
Counting the spoils and nobody winning
Useless destruction no reason nor rhyme
This is just the end of the beginning
Chapter 29
The Secretary of the Navy did not know who Bill Crane was until he was called to a meeting with the Director of the CIA. In attendance were the Director of the FBI, Secretary of State, the Director of NAS, a senator, a congressman and the President of the United States. Bill’s military history was reviewed by the General, but Bill Crane’s real name was not used. His paperwork name was Robert Krane and if they did not already know his real name, they left the meeting not knowing it.
“In May of last year Robert Krane was a victim of the Tampa Mall bombing. Two hundred fifty six people were killed, including his sister. He joined the Navy, requested Seal training and was given a series of tests. His skill sets and his physical stature were the only match to a program that I had instituted a year earlier. After completing officer training, Seal training and additional difficult requirements, this young college graduate was given the job of finding and destroying everyone responsible for the Tampa Mall bombing. America used him and a small group of comrades as an instrument of revenge. The men tracked down, located and killed over one thousand and arrested hundreds more who were associated with the bombing.” The General did not reveal that the program was actually requested by the President.
“During this one year period Robert Krane successfully accomplished mission after mission. He risked his life and fought foreign battles in France, Cameroon, Iran, Lebanon, Iraq, and Somalia. In America, he fought battles in Topeka, Houston, Atlanta and Tampa. He earned the rank of Commander in the Navy and was awarded sixteen metals and four purple hearts. He is presently recovering from wounds in a hospital in Tampa. The American cities sited were being used to launch an internationally funded radical Islamic jihad. Robert Krane prevented hundreds of trucks loaded with explosives from reaching their civilian targets. His four final battles in America saved thousands of American lives. Sadly a few trucks were able to reach their targets and hundreds of Americans were killed. His fiancée was a possible victim and we are presently searching the rubble of her apartment building with the hope of her recovery.”
The President then spoke, “I would like to admonish the General for initiating these actions without my approval. I’m fining him one thousand dollars and requirin
g a two day sensitivity training program. Based upon his time in grade, and if there are no abjections, I’m awarding him a third star.” There were no objections. “I’m presenting the General with a full pardon.”
“I am also raising the rank of Robert Krane to Navy Captain. I know that he has most likely broken many rules, regulations, foreign and American laws, and I’m also presenting him with a pardon. The General has given me a list of several additional parties that were associated with all of these battles. In front of me are ninety six additional pardons, but due to secrecy requirements I won’t reveal their names or guarantee the names used, and unless I’ve an objection from one of you I must disclose that I’ve also pardoned myself. I request that any possible assistance be allocated to the safe recovery of Robert Krane’s fiancée. General let me know if you need anything.” With that the president left the meeting.
The General returned to Tampa wearing three stars on his collar. During his flight he was worried that Bill’s career might end today. If the press revealed his identity, then every intelligence agency in the world would start tracking his every move. His career in the field could be replaced with a desk job, but someone would follow him and he would be killed. The Major was always there and the General called him, “What happened to the outfit Bill was wearing when he was admitted to the hospital?”