thinking we were doing something for Him. That verse where Jesus says, ‘My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me’8 means just what it says. Listen, and then follow. We never lead in any way other than by following Him.”
“Wow,” Paul responded, “that is a head full. I have so much to learn.”
The Game Begins
In Washington, the majority party reacted with glee when they heard the newly broadcast tape recording of the Sheik acknowledging their acceptance of his invitation to meet and discuss the causes of hate. Former President Cox was instructed to check into the Cham Palace Hotel in Damascus, Syria, by March 7th, at which time he would be given instructions on the location of the meeting. Their apparent good fortune encouraged the majority party to step up their hearings on the amendment to the Hate Crimes Act and the investigation of the administration’s interference with Harkins College. Only one fly in the ointment appeared. The Together Tomorrow crowd was insistent that the open roads proposal had to be effective by March 7th or they were through funding campaign activities.
“I don’t get those folks,” Senate Majority Leader Howard said, expressing his frustration. “Who really gives a flip about trucks coming into and out of Mexico and Canada? Why does it have to be by March 7th? If these people didn’t have real money, I’d investigate them.”
“Yes, but they do have real money, and a lot of it has ended up in this party’s coffers,” Chairman Crow responded. “We need their money, so they get to make the rules. That’s politics in America.”
“Fine, call the secretary of transportation and see if he is prepared to issue regulations that would effectively open the roads on March 7th,” the majority leader agreed reluctantly. “I am not sure it is 100% legal, but who cares if it works. We would never be able to accomplish that legislatively. We cannot get a bill passed in time, and if we did, it would only get vetoed. He can go public on the 7th after the trucks are rolling, and then it will be hard for the president to undo that which is already done. Even if he does, we will have demonstrated our willingness to comply, and his actions would prove we need the cash to get the White House and a super majority in Congress. If they are serious about their agenda, the cash will flow.”
“Life is sure going to be different when that boy in the president’s office has to retire. No more vetoes and no more of this religion crammed down everybody’s throats.”
“It can’t come soon enough,” Crow agreed, “but we have to defeat his protégé, this vice president.”
“That should be no problem since he has publicly aligned himself with religious excess and against peace,” Howard replied.
Elsewhere in Washington, Baqir Dawood arrived from Saudi Arabia with the envelope for Ahmad Habid from the Sheik. He had a flight already set up to take him to Phoenix, where he would arrive Thursday afternoon. For now, he had a few days to enjoy Washington in all its glory in the final days before MD.
The Search for Targets and Weapons Continues
Officially, Washington was a hub of activity as the Joint Chiefs, the Survival Commission, Senator Lieberman, Attorney General Rodriquez, David Barnes, Darrell Reed, Kayla Walker and others raced to find answers and prepare a response to the MD threat. It was non-stop activity after Darrell Reed’s interpretation of the meaning of the video message was heard. The window for preemptive action was rapidly closing. Time was short.
“Do you know how many refineries, power plants, dams and water and electric systems there are in the United States?” General Hedge asked with great frustration.
“How are we to know the specific targets? We can’t defend them all.”
“There are over 75,000 reservoirs and dams in the United States alone,” Barnes answered.
“Someone has been doing their research,” Tom Knight commented.
“I have, and I’ve learned a lot about the possible target list the Joint Chiefs have suggested,” Barnes continued. “I agree it is an impossible job without more intelligence on specific targets.”
“Don’t lose your focus,” the president interrupted. “Obviously, we prepare first for the largest and most critical of the possible targets, and we must have a national strategy. If their goal is to cripple the country, they have to hit us everywhere. Divide the country into manageable sections and prepare for the most damaging targets in each.”
“What about the weapons? How are they going to do that much damage?”
“I got a report this morning from Darrell Reed on the truck issue,” Barnes began again. “The terrorist training camp was an oil terminal operation; they were training on gasoline delivery trucks. I know from a source that some of the many calls to report suspicious activities involve large trucks being used to transport people throughout the US who have gotten across the Mexican border. Something is definitely going on with the trucks, and I am sure that is not all. Lest we forget, gasoline explosions and fires brought down the World Trade Center and also caused significant damage to the Pentagon. One cup of gasoline has the explosive power of two sticks of dynamite, and then it burns. Trucks, I believe, are one of the weapons.”
“You could be right,” General Hedge agreed. “We have been testing that possibility and the capacity of fuel trucks to do substantial damage if positioned properly. But how could they get that many trucks filled with gasoline, and what kind of explosive mechanism could be used for maximum effectiveness?”
“I don’t care how you divide this up,” the president said, “but I want answers to those questions and a way to protect the major possible targets from a gasoline bomb — whether driven over land or launched from the air.” Pausing in frustration, he said, “Look, we have to be missing something here. These people cannot possibly hijack enough aircraft and gasoline delivery trucks to do this. They have to have access to the vehicles and airplanes, but how? Also, have you looked into the ammonia bombs like the one that brought down the federal building in Oklahoma City?”
“Mr. President, we are looking at everything,” General Hedge assured him. “Can we have a minute to discuss troop deployments here and abroad? We have to reposition our forces to address what may happen here and in the Middle East on MD.”
“Absolutely, General,” the president said. “We want maximum flexibility to deal with the danger here and in the Middle East.”
“Eric, you need to be at this meeting to coordinate with Israel. The vice president will be called in when we have our plan in place.”
“Mr. President, before you leave, I want you to know that we have moved quickly to impanel a grand jury to investigate the Harkins student or faculty terrorist. Subpoenas have been issued. We have also noticed the deposition of Harkins’ president on an emergency basis for tomorrow, and have issued subpoenas for the records they will not give us. These records may disclose not only the identity of the J-14 leader but perhaps the whole gang if the plot really was hatched at Harkins.
“One more thing, we have found some unusual business activities in the US trucking and aircraft industry as well as in Mexico. We may be onto something about how they will get the weapons of choice without having to hijack them.”
“Great, everyone, stay with it,” the president said excitedly. “We have to find out before they can strike.”
“General, Eric, let’s retire to my office and discuss troop redeployment. After we are through, I would like a little
