Alea Jacta Est: A Novel of the Fall of America (Future History of America Book 1) (12 page)

The
President tried not to smile as he folded his arms across his chest and turned
his back on the room, staring at one of the screens depicting the big three
cable news channels.  Two were off because there was no power for the media to
broadcast and likely no one had power to watch in any event.  The last screen
had a feed patched in from the BBC.

The
reporter was standing in front of a map and gesturing to various cities,
explaining the riots.  The sound was muted, of course, but it was obvious what
he was talking about.  At the bottom of the screen scrolled the news ticker. 
‘Over 1 million feared injured or killed in Atlanta, Georgia riots, city feared
lost…’.  The President ground his teeth in impotent rage.  Everything was
moving too fast.           
How did the Brits get a hold of numbers that
fast when Hank just gave that to me?
  He looked at Suthby, rustling through
his briefcase. 
That bastard comes in here talking about leaks and I'm
willing to bet his department is full of them.

“We’ve lost
Atlanta.  How do you
lose
an American city?  Torioters?  This is…self
destruction,” he breathed out the words.  Suddenly seized by a fit of anger, he
slammed his fist down on the polished table, rattling pens and papers.  “This
is
un
acceptable
!
”  There was absolute silence in the room. 
Everyone looked down or away from the President.  It was an awkward few
seconds.  He had never lost his cool before.

The President
physically struggled to control his emotions. 
Dammit, hold it together man,
you are the President of the United States of America. 
He turned to face
his assembled cabinet and straightened his tie.  “Hank, I want an update from
every governor in the next hour.” 

Before the
Director of Homeland Security could protest the enormity of the task, given
that most of the country was without power, the President held up his hand.  “I
don’t
care
.  I want that report.  If you have to get in a damned car and
drive to every city and ask them yourself, I want that report. 
Period
.” 
Without waiting for a response, he turned to his National Security Advisor.

“Alicia, I
want you to find out who these guys were that hit us.  Find out where they came
from, who supported them, housed them, helped them.  Get CIA involved in this. 
No in-fighting on this one or I will clean house.  Do you understand me?"

"Perfectly
clear, sir."

He pointed
at the Secretary of Defense.  “Al, when Alicia gets you the information you
need, I want you to
crush
the sonsabitches.  I don’t care what country
they came from or who’s harboring them." 

"Sir,
I'd advise you to not get too hasty to go on the offensive—" came the
voice of SecState from the speakerphone.

The
President ignored the voice of reason and continued.  “And someone find out why
we have
race
riots going on.  Hank's right, something is fishy here and
I want to know what the hell it is.”  He thought about what Hank Suthby had
just told him.  “I need a moment with my Cabinet."  Instantly the room
cleared out of staffers and lower officials.  Only Cabinet Level Appointees and
department heads remained.

The
President stood there, closed his eyes, and prayed for a second as those around
him erupted into argument.  Opening his eyes and coming to his decision he
spoke and the room fell silent.  In a way, Hank's suggestion of a combined
three prong attack made sense. 

And if it
makes sense, then it makes sense to take precautions.  If these bastards can
marshal that kind of operation, they're capable of a lot more.  Better that we
split the government up.  The last thing I need is an assassination attempt
right now.

"I’m
putting COG into play."

Eyebrows
went up around the table.  More than one General was obviously pleased. The
President recalled that a few of them had wanted to make that same decision
yesterday when the attacks occurred.  Everyone started talking at once.

“This is
not
a committee decision!” roared the President.  When silence descended on the
group, he continued in an official voice.  “As of right now, Continuity of
Government is in effect.   I am going to consider this event to be the most
serious threat to our national security since Pearl Harbor.  All of you get to
your assigned secure locations, we’ll have a conference call at…” he checked
his watch, “Four-thirty this afternoon, Eastern.  Get going—
now!
”  The
President turned to Hank. 

“You’re
with me.”
  You better not make me regret this you little weasel.  I will
crush you, politics be damned. 

Secret
Service agents, on hearing the code word “COG” leapt into motion, clearing a
path and physically escorting the President out of the room.  On that order,
phone calls were made by a small legion of secretaries all over the country to
the highest ranking elected government officials alerting them to scatter from
wherever they were and go to their assigned secure hidey-hole. 

For the
President, that was Cheyenne Mountain, home of the North American Air Defense
Command.  For the Vice President, it was the underground bunker at Camp David. 
Others from Congress would be arriving at the old “second government” complex
in the hills of West Virginia known as “Greenbrier”.  Once prepared for the
Kennedy Government during the Cold War, it later became a tourist attraction. 
Following 9-11 the Federal Government had reinforced Greenbrier, dug even
deeper beneath the famous hotel and re-established it as an area where Congress
could carry on the governing of the nation should Washington, D.C. be
destroyed.   It was in effect, a self-contained underground fortress-city.  The
museum served as the perfect cover.

President
Allen knew that after he left the War Room, a Secret Service Agent on each arm,
the Joint Chiefs would rush to their designated sites, followed by the other
heads of agencies.  Everyone suddenly seemed to be talking to staffers or
issuing orders via satellite phone.  Hank and Daniel were rushed out of the
room as well, Daniel to DHS headquarters.  On the President's order, Hank would
be taken to NORAD.  He would ride on Air Force One with the President and the
select few of his inner circle.  Hank was almost giddy with pride.

“I’ll call
you as soon as I arrive!” said Hank across the room to Daniel, already waving
acknowledgment and heading for the elevator.

WITHOUT AIR
CONDITIONING, the bedroom heated up fast with the morning sun striking the east
facing windows.  Erik woke early in the morning, a half hour after dawn.  Brin
loved nothing more than a warm room when she slept, so she stayed in bed.

He stepped
out on the porch to cool down and sipped some lukewarm water from their
reserves to wake up.  The sky was a brilliant blue found only at dawn and
dusk.  There were no clouds and the sun was a globe of burning amber.  The
apartment complex was absolutely silent.  No one going to work, no construction
noise, no cars passing by the main gate, no nothing.  The only sounds came from
a few gulls, circling above the two ponds surrounded by the nine buildings of
the complex. 

The land
occupied by the apartment complex was encircled by a ten foot high concrete
wall—a privacy wall—to protect the sensibilities of the surrounding suburban
neighborhoods.   Erik was grateful for that wall now…it meant some degree of
security for anyone living in the complex.

He walked
into the spare bedroom and turned on his emergency radio again.  Adjusting the
volume so as to not wake Brin, he tuned in to the local AM station, the one he’d
listened to the most since the troubles started. 

“—
recapping
the morning alerts, we have confirmed now that the power is out to at least 90
to 95% of the country.  Many areas will be without power for the next day or
so, as officials say it will take time to get the system powered back up
again.  Largely unaffected, the nation’s nuclear power plants are simply off. 
The government assures us that they are largely not damaged.  However, they
will take days or weeks to restart.  It is feared it will be much longer to
reconnect to the nation's damaged power grid.

“
In the
larger cities, civil unrest has broken out.  Riots, reported to be based on
racial issues, have exploded in New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles and closer
to home, in Jacksonville, among many other places.  Much of Atlanta is in
flames now and it seems likely that the list of dead and wounded will grow by
the hour.  So far, deaths remain low in other cities, but injuries number in
the thousands, as rioters concentrate on looting and destroying property
.

"
In
Chicago, the police and National Guard have been called upon to restore order
but the sheer number of rioters and protesters is causing a real problem for
law enforcement.  Reports have filtered out of the city that the violence is beginning
to escalate.  Police are trying to implement tear gas and non-lethal bullets to
maintain order but an AP reporter has told us that the rioters are tearing down
road signs to use as shields.  Rocks, bricks, hubcaps, Molotov cocktails and
even—as some reports suggest—homemade bombs are being launched in an unending
assault on police across the Windy City tonight.

"
The
chaos is hardly contained, however.  The Governor of New York issued a press
release stating that New York City is for all intents and purposes, off-limits
to any non-residents.  She also suggested strongly that any citizens of the Big
Apple stay in their homes or apartments for their own safety.  Many of the more
violent tactics used by the rioters in Chicago have been seen cropping up in
New York in the last 12 hours and it is feared that the use of incendiary
devices is the root of the supposed destruction of Atlanta.  However, until
communications can be restored on a more reliable basis, all we have are rumors
and reports from other areas.  Atlanta, for all intents and purposes, is a
black hole at the moment.  Reporters and civilians are not allowed within 15
miles of Georgia's largest city.

"
There
are reports that depict the black smoke that can be seen in three different
states.  One man, who refused to be identified, stated for a fellow CBS
affiliate station that, and I quote, 'It's the closest thing you'll ever see to
Hell on earth
.'"

Erik sighed
and watched a large blue heron wade through the edge of the pond some fifteen
feet away from his porch.  It just didn’t seem to fit that the country was
falling apart around him, yet this majestic bird was gracefully stepping
through the calm waters, going about his daily quest for food.  It was surreal.

“
In
other news, the power crisis is having far reaching affects, besides the riots—in
the west, the Governors of Arizona and Wyoming have declared states of
emergency, with California to follow suit today.  Further, the Governor of
California will reportedly go one step further making the unprecedented move of
declaring martial law in Los Angeles and its surrounding counties.  Stay tuned
to this channel for hourly updates as information arrives.

"
On
top of everything else, the enormous western wildfires have spread throughout
the national forests and grasslands of several states now, fueled in part by
the seasonably dry conditions experienced by much of the country, west of the
Mississippi River.
 

“
However,
the U.S. Forestry Service issued a statement early this morning that these
fires cover a much larger area than in previous years.  One fire, growing
quickly just outside Los Angeles is especially dangerous, authorities in
California say.  Information is slow to come in about the fires, so keep it
tuned to this station for hourly updates.
 

"
Due
to the power loss and the nationwide shortage of fuel for refilling our diesel
generators, the station management has decided to cooperate with FEMA's
national program to keep radio stations on the air.  In return for power, we
will begin broadcasting on a limited regularly scheduled basis and will give
you up-to-the-minute-reports provided by the Federal Government
—“

"You
mean you're only going to tell us what the government
wants
us to hear. 
So this is the end of the freedom of the press," Erik grumbled.  He
changed frequencies and tuned in to BBC Radio, by way of a relay station
outside of Miami. 

In clipped
British accents, it was reported that the people of the Mother Country were
expressing deep sympathy for the United States.  However, the Brits, were more
concerned about the wave of celebration that was sweeping the Middle East and
what that might mean for the future.  

Arabs
throughout the region were holding massive rallies in support of ‘hitting
America on the nose’.  Concerns were spreading through Europe, especially in
the highly charged and ethnically diverse cities of Belgium and France.  Large
Arab immigrant populations there held support rallies for the
mujahedeen
freedom fighters who struck all of America blind in one fell swoop.

"
Israel’s
Prime Minister today condemned the attacks in America in the strongest language
and expressed pity towards anyone who would find joy in such misery.  His
speech has sparked a new rise in tension between Israel and its Arab neighbors.
 

"
Egypt,
still struggling to shape its own government years after the infamous Revolt of
2011, has claimed Israel is looking for a fight and complained to the U.N. 
Most observers expect that the Palestinian threat to bring a new wave of terror
against Israel is not hollow and both sides are preparing for conflict.

"
Israel
just this afternoon has promised to retaliate with overwhelming firepower
should any attacks occur.  The rhetoric entwined in this ageless conflict
appears to ratchet up by the hour.  Many believe that once taken to a certain
level neither side can back down without losing political face.  The only
question is when, or if, the point of no return will be reached.

"
Through
it all, the shadow of America's troubles spreads across the globe.  Would the
Palestinians be rattling sabers at this moment if they knew the United States
stood by Israel's side?  Perhaps.  In this journalist's mind, they would have
very likely done so anyway—perhaps without such vigor, but the entire area is
already so unstable it is likely nothing will in the end, prevent a full scale
war the people in the Middle East seem determined to bring upon themselves.

"
For
now, it seems, the entire world is watching and waiting to see what America
will do.  Is this the much anticipated collapse of the Great Satan?  Or will
America bounce back, yet again, to become stronger and more unified than ever? 
Only time will tell
," droned the voice from Great Britain.

Then came
the news that the President had declared a national emergency and split the
government up to secret locations in an effort to protect the highest elected
officials in the land from future terror attacks.  The reporter sounded real
scared, Erik noticed.  Something like this had not happened since the Cold
War. 

Erik
pondered what the President knew and why he would take the drastic action of
enforcing Continuity of Government.  It might send an incorrect signal around
the world that the United States was running scared and getting itself backed
into a corner.  However, Erik fervently hoped it was a move designed to bolster
national defense rather than desperation.

Having
nothing further to add to America’s woes, the reporter then commented on the
sharp fall in the London Stock Exchange and the crash of the Japanese markets overnight. 
Through it all, only one nation seemed to emerge unscathed.  The Chinese
markets, while shaken, had not seen a collapse like most of the other major
markets around the world.

"Well,
I'm glad someone is profiting from all this mess," Erik said, sarcasm
dripping from his tongue.  He clicked off the radio with an irritated flip of
his wrist.

International
affairs didn’t concern him so much right now.  China could make all the money
it wanted, for all he cared.  Right now he had to figure out what to do.  He
and Brin certainly couldn’t just sit here and wait for…whatever…to happen. 
Questions rolled through his mind, inviting him to decide on a course of
action. 

Will the
riots last long?  Either way, they’re far away, not really an immediate concern. 
What about the power loss?  He and Brin were stocked and ready. 

But for how
long?  Others would be finding out soon how not being prepared would affect
their lives.  It was an acute heightened sense of responsibility that he felt
pressing down on his shoulders that morning.  He’d never felt anything like it
before—it was almost crushing.  

If he had a
gun, he would strap it on now.  Instead, he did the next best thing and found
his K-Bar.  He had found it in a pawn shop years ago.  The guy behind the counter
said it had last been used in World War II.  The combat knife had a 7” blade
with a half-serrated spine would be good enough to stop just about any threat
dead in its tracks, or open cans or pound in nails or do any of a number of
less dramatic tasks. 

That was
the beauty of his workhorse knife.   Once it was securely strapped to his leg,
he went into the guest bedroom closest and found his
bokken
, a wooden
training sword that was in the shape of a Japanese
katana,
the sword of
the samurai. 

Ever since
he had taken his first Japanese History class in college, Erik had been utterly
fascinated by Japanese culture.  He had learned
iaido
from Brin's
grandfather and took his lessons to heart.  Since moving to Florida, five days
a week he could be seen in the southwest corner of the apartment complex,
swinging his
bokken
in highly controlled slashing moves called a
kata
. 

To the
casual observer, it appeared as if Erik was simply spinning and slashing, back
stepping and swinging a stick in the air.  He looked for all the world like
some kid having a mock-fight with his imaginary friend.  In his mind's eye, the
world and all its newfound troubles did not exist
beyond
the range of his sword.