feared the unknown.
As Cal moved in toward what he thought was their meeting place, he felt a slight downward movement on his legs. He tried seeing ahead, but the red light could not give him any distance. He knew he was moving down. Suddenly he lost his footing, dropped to his knees, and started sliding down. He caught himself and realized he was in a deep depression in the ground. He stopped, stood up, and could see from the skyline he was about six to eight feet below ground level. It looked like a good place to park the Jeep, if there was an easy access in and out.
Cal checked his compass and started toward the rendezvous area. As walked, he could feel the gradual incline start, and he walked straight up into the area above him. He looked in the direction of the Jeep and tried to see it in the darkness. Then Cal hesitated to move. It was so still. Suddenly he could hear the sound of someone moving through the brush and sand, moving toward him. Cal lay down on the ground so he could use the dark sky as a focal point to see above. He could hear the movement getting close, and though straining his eyes, he could see nothing. Suddenly he felt his ribs caving in as a heavy weight fell on him, and a “damn it” in a familiar voice came to his ears.
“Get off me, Tork,” he cried.
“Hell of a fall when you don’t expect it,” Tork replied.
Cal told Tork about his find and how they could move the truck down out of sight.
Tork looked around using his red light and felt Cal was right. This could be a good place to hide the Jeep before daylight.
Cal and Tork returned to the Jeep and moved it down into the gully, put the camouflage tarp over it, and started looking for an observation post where they could survey the entire area.
After an hour of searching, they found a knoll that set them up high enough to see completely around them. They dug in and piled rocks around their position with observation openings. It was tight, but it would do. They would need to lie down, and it would be difficult to turn, so facing in opposite directions was necessary.
They had everything they needed from the Jeep and both exhausted from their work required rest and sleep. Cal fell asleep, and Tork lay their thinking about the day’s events and what lay ahead. Soon he would have the answers to their quest. Whatever spooked them should be revealed during their reconnaissance the next day. Tork looked up at the sky, clear, and bright with stars, a really black desert night. He yawned, and the day’s excitement flooded in on him. His eyes shut and he was sound asleep.
Chapter 9
Conference
It was the sudden traffic in Emory’s ears that brought him back to reality. Some airliner was asking permission to climb to a higher altitude so his passengers could be comfortable. Emory scanned his instruments, made a few minor changes to his controls, and rechecked his time and airspeed to ensure a timely arrival. He activated his autopilot, and all systems were operating normally. He got up and went aft to the passenger cabin.
“Everything okay, Emory?” the senator asked when he saw him enter the cabin.
“Senator, everything is fine. We should meet our ETA as planned.”
The senator’s laptop computer was open and all he needed to do was finish a code and hit enter on his keyboard. The modem would hum, and a coup d’état would begin.
Key commanders would act in unison at strategic bases scattered across the country, simultaneously moving into position with all the might and force at their command, deploying specially trained troops to intervene in state and federal agencies. They would put National Guard commanders that were not reliable under house arrest in all the selected states and sections. The House and Senate would be closed, and all members in both the House and Senate outside the coup would be placed under arrest as well. They would detain all at highly classified detention centers in a southwest state, arid and desolate, well out of harm’s way. C-5 Galaxy and C-17 Globemaster II aircrafts waited to transport them safely to the detention centers. Dividing them up would be necessary. Placing them into separate centers and commingling the weak with the hard-liners would be necessary to control them.
The council would step in and declare a state of siege and, for the good of the country, place it under military control. They planned to suspend all constitutional rights temporarily and then implement the new powerful laws, returning the country to the people.
They would relocate the United Nations out of the United States, and diplomatic ties with all nations would be temporarily suspended. All foreign-dominated industries would be seized. Controlling interests would be negotiated.
A specially trained drug task force would be hitting the drug czars where it hurt the most, right in their own backyards. Any intervention from the host government would bring massive retaliation from the rebel-led United States.
All known members of drug rings would be arrested along with their lawyers and jailed. The world would learn they meant business. The news would be censored, and the gangs in all our major cities would find it hard to operate working on chain gangs.
All subversive would be picked up and held in holding camps until the country is stable. It was time to act. After all freedom is earned, and it’s something everyone has to work for to keep. Elements that were against the people and the disposed constitution would need to be returned with all amendments plus one. That one would guarantee it forever.
The senator’s thoughts were interrupted when Emory announced, “Senator, we will be arriving soon another forty-five minutes if this light traffic keeps up a slight overcast with light rains in DC. We’ll start our descent in about twenty minutes. Is there anything I can do for you now?”
“No, everything is fine. Please contact Michael on the scrambler and have him take over the doomsday alert status for me. Buzz me when he’s up and online so I can shut down. Then get me the counsel coordinator. I need to set up a meeting when we arrive in Washington.”
“Yes, sir.” Emory grabbed a cold drink from the fridge and returned to the cockpit, scanned his instruments, and put on his earphones. He then listened to the air traffic controllers doing their thing as he approached his destination.
Michael had stayed at the base to interrogate the woman they had brought in to decide if a situation was developing that could jeopardize the plan. It was inherent all loose ends were tied up if they were going to be successful. His concentration was interrupted when the phone rang. He reached down and picked up the handset.
“Yes, I’ll be right there. Make her comfortable. See that she’s fed.”
Michael put on his tie, sprayed a little cologne on, and slipped a 9 mm Smith and Wesson into his shoulder holster and then went out the door. It was time to see how much this pretty young woman knew.
Chapter 10
A Call to Arms
Lt. Comm. Eric Pride was completing his preflight when the voice from the open cockpit distracted him. “What was that, sailor?”
“Sir, change in your flight plan. You need to refile at Ops. They want you there. Pronto.”
Pride secured his panels, unhooked his harness, and climbed out of his F-22 Raptor and headed for Operations. This had better be good, he thought. I just wasted enough time to get me halfway to San Diego. Wonder what the change might be about. It never occurred to him that it might be
