Convergence

by Frank L. Williams

  “I’m a Marine, Mel,” Chinn said. “That’s what we do.”

  ***

  Thursday, October 25, 2018 – 7:03 a.m. – Fontana Dam

  The next morning Joshua poured his cup of coffee, grabbed his Bible and ventured onto the porch, followed by Reagan. In his rocking chair he found his American flag, which had been folded with military precision.

  Kane decided to return the flag, he thought. Maybe he’s not completely off the reservation.

  Ten minutes later Joshua finished his morning devotional, polished off his second cup of coffee, and made his way down the side trail toward Jack’s camper trailer. As the trailer came into view Joshua spotted Jack with Perry and Caroline, who were squared off in hand-to-hand combat stances. Joshua cocked an eyebrow. That’s interesting.

  “At ease,” Jack thundered. Perry and Caroline assumed more casual stances. “What’s up, Joshua?”

  “I was wondering if you could help me put up the flag,” Joshua said.

  “So you recovered it,” Jack said. “Good to hear. Let me finish with these guys and I’ll be right up.”

  Joshua nodded and started to turn back toward his cabin, but his curiosity brought him to a stop. He turned back to Jack and the others. “What are you guys up to?”

  “A few months back Caroline and Perry asked me to teach them how to fight,” Jack said. “I meant to mention it to you but must have forgotten. I’ve been teaching them hand-to-hand combat tactics, as well as how to use a variety of weapons. Want to see a demonstration?”

  “Sure!”

  ***

  7:17 a.m. – Fontana Dam

  Perry struggled to regain his breath as his wife stood over him. Caroline extended her hand, and he waved her off. “I.. I just need to lie here for a minute.”

  Caroline shook her head. “That was too easy. I shouldn’t be able to put you on the ground like that.” She did an about-face and marched away.

  Joshua dropped to one knee beside Perry, shook his head and chuckled. “Buddy, I hate to tell you, but she made that look effortless.”

  “That she did.” Jack extended his hand to Perry. “Come on, get up.”

  Perry closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then accepted Jack’s assistance. He had been caught off guard by Caroline’s raw aggression. She had gone into attack mode the moment Jack opened the sparring match, and had put Perry on his back within seconds. His once-sweet wife now seemed to be completely consumed and fueled by rage.

  “Thanks, guys,” Perry said. “She caught me a bit off guard.”

  Joshua slapped him on the back. “I’d have a hard time squaring off with ‘Becca. I love her too much to even pretend to fight with her.”

  “That sounds like a good spin,” Perry said. “Mind if I steal it?”

  “Not at all.” Joshua chuckled.

  CHAPTER 6

  Friday, October 26, 2018 – 0658 – Camp Lejeune

  The first streaks of sunlight were beginning to pierce the pre-dawn sky when General Cloos left his quarters for his run the next morning. Colonel Brookhart and four other Marines met him in front of the mess hall. A brisk, cool breeze added to the morning’s slight chill. Cloos and Brookhart led the way, while the younger men struggled to keep pace.

  “We’ve identified a list of potential targets within striking distance of the Myrtle Beach cell,” Brookhart said as they rounded the first corner.

  “Go on.” Cloos spat on sidewalk just before they left the pavement and made their way onto a wooded trail.

  “Three potential targets are in southeastern North Carolina. The Southport nuclear plant, the Military Ocean Terminal, Sunny Point, and the Port of Wilmington. There are also—“

  “Defending those three assets will be our priority,” Cloos growled. “Have your plan of action ready to present this afternoon. You leave tomorrow.”

  “Tomorrow?”

  “Affirmative,” Cloos said. “And set up a videoconference with Armando.”

  “Sir?”

  “I want to see his reaction when I tell him about the Myrtle Beach cell.”

  ***

  1145 – Appalachian Trail near Fontana Dam

  Kane’s heart raced with anticipation as he left the safety of the woods and entered the clearing where he had seen the striking young woman several days earlier. He slowly jogged along the path at the edge of the camp. As he passed the cabins and tents he closely examined everyone and everything in the area while trying to look like he was not paying them any mind.

  He made eye contact with the same slender man he had seen when he stumbled onto this camp nearly a week earlier. The man, who was just under six feet tall and attired in solid black, positioned his right hand near his holstered sidearm. Kane felt the man’s stare burning through him like a laser.

  Keep your cool, Martin, Kane thought. He nodded at the man and continued his slow jog through the outskirts of the camp, feeling the man’s gaze focused on him all the while.

  Upon reaching the far side of the clearing Kane found the same stump he had utilized on his prior visit and repeated the same stretching routine, then began retracing his steps past the camp with a slow jog. The same man was seated in a rocking chair on the porch of one of the cabins. This time the man nodded at Kane. Maybe that means he doesn’t plan to shoot me. Kane returned the nod and continued on his path. As he passed the last cabin Kane looked over his shoulder, hopeful. All he saw was the same man. Oh well, he thought. Today’s not my day.

  He exhaled deeply and resumed his jog toward the safety of the woods. As he reached the edge of the trees a female voice stopped him in his tracks. “Hey, soldier. Where are you off to in such a hurry?” The silky voice sent a tingling chill down his spine.

  Kane turned and made eye contact with the same tall, curvy blonde he had seen six days earlier. She was the main reason he had returned today. He stared at her, but could not muster the strength to speak. She was every bit as striking as the first time he had laid eyes on her. He was mesmerized.

  “What’s wrong, cat got your tongue?” She spoke with a dripping Southern drawl. “I’m Virginia.” She extended her hand. “What’s your name?”

  Kane felt a spark as the softness of her hand touched his. “I’m… ummm… I’m Kane.”

  “Kane. That’s a nice name. Nice to meet you, Kane.” She smiled and gestured for him to follow. “We’re getting ready to eat. Why don’t you join us?”

  Kane nodded and silently followed, admiring her figure as she led the way -- straight to the same tall, slender man who had eyed him suspiciously when he jogged through the camp. She gestured toward the man. “Kane, this is Austin Phillips.” She turned and flashed a smile that made Kane melt. “Austin, Kane will be joining us for lunch.”

  ***

  1:32 p.m. – Virginia Beach

  The display flickered to life as Benjamin took his seat at the conference table early that afternoon. General Cloos appeared on screen, attired in a green and khaki service uniform. He was flanked by a tall officer with light brown hair and wire-rim glasses and two other enlisted personnel in service uniforms. Cloos took a puff of his cigar.

  This should be interesting, Benjamin thought. The guy clearly has cahunas.

  Abdar began the meeting. “General, you called this meeting. Given that you refused to relay your message to me and demanded that the president participate, I hope whatever you want to discuss is worth interrupting his busy schedule.”

  Busy doing what? Cloos blew a puff of cigar smoke toward the camera. Certainly not fighting AIS.

  Abdar launched out of his seat. “How dare you disrespect the President of the United States? You have--”

  Let’s cut to the chase, Cloos demanded. We have solid intelligence that there is an active AIS cell operating out of Myrtle Beach.

  “We are aware of that!” Abdar raised his voice.

  But you haven’t lifted a finger to do a damn thing about it, Cloos thundered. Given AIS’ obvious strategy of trying to seize major pieces of
U.S. infrastructure, we have identified several likely targets in southeastern North Carolina. Consider your administration notified that my men and I will be taking aggressive steps to defend those assets.

  “You are ordered to stand down until we direct you to take action!” Abdar took a step toward the webcam and waved his fist in the air.

  Cloos leaned forward. I wasn’t asking for permission. I was giving you a courtesy notification.

  President Armando and his team sat in silence as the screen went black.

  Abdar’s shrill Middle-Eastern accent broke the silence. “Mr. President, we cannot allow General Cloos to disrespect you in this manner! We must take action to put him in his place.”

  “And just what do you propose to do?” Anthony Russo piped up. “Bomb a U.S. Marine Corps base on American soil and then use the press to blame it on AIS?”

  Abdar clenched his fist and took a step toward Russo, who was seated three seats down. Adilah put her hand on Abdar’s arm and gave him a silent, stern look. He returned to his seat, panting like an angry bull, never releasing Anthony from his stare.

  Benjamin cocked an eyebrow. Russo seems to have figured out Abdar’s MO. He raised his hand.

  President Armando gestured toward Benjamin. “Yes, Liebowitz?”

  “Thank you, Mr. President.” Attired in a black suit and starched white dress shirt, Benjamin sat up straight in his chair. “Unlike others, I felt it was proper and respectful to wait until recognized to speak, but I do have a few comments.”

  “Go ahead.”

  “First, I agree with Abdar that General Cloos was out of line with his remarks.” Benjamin’s gold square Menorah cufflinks sparkled in the light as he straightened his dark blue tie. “With that said, we must be discerning in how we respond.”

  Abdar again shot up out of his seat. “We cannot allow--”

  Benjamin raised his voice and continued. “We cannot respond out of anger. We must rise above that, or we are no better than the very behavior we are criticizing. We should also seek to understand the source of General Cloos’ frustration.”

  Russo leaned back in his chair and cocked an eyebrow. “And just what do you think is the source of his frustration, Benjamin?”

  “Anthony, I was getting ready to explain that before you interrupted me,” Benjamin continued. “As I have said on numerous occasions, people are frustrated because they don’t see any action from this administration to fight AIS. General Cloos has stated this. We simply have to show that we are making an effort to defeat AIS.”

  The room went silent as President Armando raised his right hand. He spoke in his strong New York accent. “Liebowitz, you make valid points. With that said, I agree that we must take steps to rein in General Cloos. But they must be measured steps.”

  ***

  Saturday, October 27, 2018 – 0600 – Camp Lejeune

  General Cloos took his seat at the conference table at 0600 the next morning, joined by Colonel Brookhart and several other officers. Two privates and a private first class placed plates in front of the attendees and delivered steaming cups of coffee to each place setting. Each plate was adorned with a mountain of scrambled eggs, a pile of grits that appeared to be equal part butter, and several strips of bacon. Major Chinn’s image appeared on the screen hanging adjacent to the table.

  In between ravenous gulps of food Cloos provided Major Chinn with an overview of the potential threat from the AIS cell in Myrtle Beach. “We have identified potential targets within a 120-mile radius. They include the Southport nuclear plant, the Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Point, and the Port of Wilmington. Colonel Brookhart will be departing at ten hundred hours with resources to defend those and other assets. I have reached out to people in South Carolina to alert them about other potential targets.” Cloos chugged half a cup of coffee. “Colonel Brookhart, what is your plan of action?”

  “Thank you, General.” A slender man who stood about six feet tall, Brookhart rose from his seat. “Per your orders, we are prepared to depart at ten hundred hours this morning. The 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit will deploy teams from the 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines to the assets being defended. Combat Logistics Battalion 24 will provide support. In regard to the port, we will assume defensive positions at various points along the river and along vehicle routes to the port. We will also cooperate with Army personnel at MOTSU and assume defensive positions along the river and on Highway 133 and Highway 87. Finally, we will assume defensive positions along water and land access routes to the nuclear plant.”

  “Good work, Colonel.” Cloos reclined in his chair. “However, that will spread your personnel quite thin. How will you compensate for that?”

  “That is a concern, General. Our people will maintain constant communication, and we will respond and move personnel as threats emerge.”

  Cloos tilted his head back and scratched his chin, silent for a few moments. “I am still concerned that you will be spread too thin to mount an effective defense, but we cannot spare any more personnel to send with you. We need to be able to respond to other threats.”

  “Understood.”

  “Attempt to make contact with the Coast Guard if they are still in the area,” Cloos continued. “And reach out to any law enforcement personnel you can locate.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Cloos picked up a strip of bacon with his fingers and consumed it in one quick bite. “How will you defend against a potential air assault?”

  Brookhart heaved a deep sigh. “Other than a few surface-to-air missiles, we are unprepared to defend against an air attack.”

  “We will send two F/A-18 Hornets and have them on standby at the Cape Fear Regional Jetport at Oak Island,” said Cloos. Brookhart nodded, and Cloos continued. “On a different topic, we have received intelligence, apparently provided by a foreign government, indicating that AIS’ video transmissions are being routed through a location on the east coast, possibly within driving distance of Camp Lejeune. If we can identify the location, we will send a team to check it out. This may be the clue we need to locate the AIS Supreme Leader.”

  Cloos chugged the remainder of his coffee and silently held the empty cup over his shoulder. A private hurried over and took the cup, returning moments later with a full cup of java.

  “Major Chinn,” Cloos continued. “Any progress in locating Drew Thompson?”

  Chinn’s voice rang out over the speaker. We are getting closer, but we haven’t found him yet. We’ll find him.

  “Do so quickly,” Cloos said. “The longer he remains out there, the more likely he will be hunted down and silenced.” He wiped his mouth with his sleeve. “If you haven’t found him within two days I may need you here.”

  What should I do with the girl when I return to Camp Lejeune?

  “Try to find someone there that will take her in.”

  Yes sir. Chinn paused for a moment. Sir, I’m not going to leave her with just anyone.

  Cloos heaved a deep sigh. “Understood, Major. If you can’t find someone trustworthy for her to stay with, then bring her here.”

  ***

  7:14 a.m. – Fontana Dam

  Melanie took a lonely sip of black coffee as a few streaks of sun penetrated the dreary gray clouds that darkened the cold mountaintops. A solitary squirrel scampered down the rail on the deck just in front of her, seemingly oblivious to her presence.

  Two weeks had passed since the attack at Watts Bar Lake. The attack that had killed Governor Bennett Harper. Her political hero. The man who should have been the next leader of the free world. Her friend. Chief of Staff Heather Tate. Her role model. Brandon Slater. The one guy she could’ve seen herself settling down with. All dead.

  Melanie closed her eyes and planted her face on her elevated knees. She exhaled a deep, cold sigh. Major Chinn had been nothing but a gentleman, and he had helped her every step of the way. But he couldn’t babysit her forever. What will I do? she wondered. Where will I go?

  Major Chinn’s voice broke the morning
silence. “Good morning.” He sat a second cup of coffee beside her. “I thought you might want this. Everything okay this morning?”

  Melanie combed her fingers through her reddish-blonde ponytail. “Just wondering what I’m going to do.”

  Major Chinn dropped to one knee on the steps leading from the deck to the ground, which was still damp from the morning dew. “I know this is difficult, but you’ll be okay. You’re a strong young woman.” Chinn cleared his throat. “General Cloos may order me to return to Camp Lejeune in two days.”

  A wave of hopelessness washed over her. “What will happen to me then?”

  Chinn sat down beside her on the bench. “I’m hoping we can find someone here who will put you up for the time being. Someone trustworthy.”

  Melanie’s lips pursed, but she remained silent.

  “But if we can’t, I’ll take you with me,” Chinn said. “Either way, I’ll make sure you’re okay.”

  “I know,” she said. “But it’s not fair to you to ask you to keep looking after me.”

  “That what Marines do,” Chinn said. “I’m going back down to the community market this afternoon. That seems like a good place to listen to people talk. We might pick up some intelligence. After that I have to go to Bryson City. You’re welcome to join me.”

  ***

  10:17 a.m. – Fontana Dam

  Reagan led the way as Joshua and Jack made their way through the woods to Kane’s campsite. The curious but territorial canine sniffed nearly everything he encountered and marked his territory at least a dozen times.

  Three days had passed since they had last visited Kane’s campsite. The fact that Kane had chosen to return the flag after their last visit gave Joshua a glimmer of hope that his rage had subsided as time had passed. He wanted to bring Kane back into the fold – out of loyalty to Bob Kendall, if for no other reason.

  “He’d be dangerous if you hadn’t had him fixed.” Jack gestured at Reagan as the dog again marked his territory.

  “He’s no lightweight as it is,” Joshua said with a chuckle. “When he gets riled up you can see the pit bull in him.”