Shelter: Book 2, A Long Days Night (38 page)

Sarnoff replies, “I really do not know. I think the shots came from our Southeast.”

The sergeant nods, “Sir, I agree, want me to send a recon team there?”

“Sergeant, send a small team out, remember, we are civilians, we lost our homes, be friendly, we are the same as these Americans. Do not make waves.”

“Yes, sir.”

“That is another thing, no more use of ranks. Civilians do not address each other by ranks.”

“Sir, what about retired military, would they not use their friend’s ranks?”

“I really do not know. We have not heard anyone using ranks, so from now on use only our first names, better yet, we all need to use English first names.”

Nikita says, “First names? Cap…”

“My friend no ranks or titles. Call me Bob.”

Nikita looks shocked, “Bob? You do not look like a Bob.”

“What does a Bob look like? We are Americans. Americans do not have Russian names.”

Nikita smiles saying, “Unless their parents were Russian, which mine were.”

Sarnoff looks up at the sky, “OK, I will not argue with you, however, from now on, you’re Nick. Just remember your story and be able to repeat it front and backward. We can not afford to screw up, if we do, it may cost us our lives. Here in the American South, almost everyone is armed and most likely knows how to use their weapon. They know the area, we do not. Our best chance of surviving is to blend in and not make the natives suspicious.”

“Okey dokey, Bob. Do I really have to be called Nick?”  The men laugh at calling their Captain Bob and the political officer Nick.

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US Army Captain Black’s recon team reports to him, “Sir, we believe the group is a Russian Spetsnaz team. We found Russian MREs, Russian weapons and ammo boxes. We also found notes written in Russian.”

“Do you have any idea where they’ve come from and where they’re going?”

“We have no idea where they’ve come from, we’ve located their trail, they’re heading southeast, same as we are.”

Speaking out loud, Captain Black says, “It would be too funny if our paths crossed in the center divider on the highway. I don’t like surprises, not even surprise birthday parties. I want them found and I want to figure out where they’re going. I don’t like Spetsnaz troops, I like them even less operating in my AO, in my own country. Whatever they’re doing here can’t be good. I want them found, I don’t want to learn they’ve been killing our people.”

“Captain, they meant to kill us.”

“Why do you say that?”

“They sold rifles to militias and gave them instructions to where we were operating.”

“Good point, my gut says they are here to keep us off balance and fighting each other. Let’s hit the road and find these assholes before they get us or some citizens killed.”

The army loads their equipment and moves southeast hunting the Russians.

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The Governor of Hawaii calls the President, “Mr. President, I’m sorry to have to inform you that the citizens of Hawaii have decided to give up their US citizenship and merge with the People’s Republic.”

“Are you crazy? You can’t secede, no state can, that was settled in the civil war.”

“Sir, I know my history. However, the people of Hawaii have voted to leave the Union. I’ve been authorized to inform you, America has thirty days to either sign a basing treaty with us or remove your military people and equipment.”

“Governor, you and I both know we can’t remove everyone and all of our equipment in thirty days, it might take years to move everything.”

“Then you’ll have to sign a basing agreement with us. I’ve been given a general outline of the terms of such an agreement. By the way, the agreement doesn’t allow the storage or basing of any weapons of mass destruction on Chinese territory.”

“What the hell do you mean Chinese territory? Hawaii is one of our fifty states, I have no intention of allowing Hawaii to leave the Union, let alone join China.”

“They have named me as temporary Governor reporting to the Premier of the People’s Republic of China.”  Mr. President, you don’t have a choice. The people voted, the Chinese have been informed and have troops in the air. We’ve opened our airports to them.”

“How could you do this? We just fought a major naval battle to save Hawaii.”

“I’m sorry to say, you fought a battle and lost ships and people for nothing. At the end of the day, we are leaving the US and joining the People’s Republic. If you take any militant action, the Chinese said, it will be the same as attacking any other Chinese city.”

“You’re telling me, if I use the US military to hold on to Hawaii, an American state, the Chinese will consider it an attack on the Chinese mainland and respond accordingly?”

“Yes, sir. That’s what I’m saying. I believe them, they are sending troops by air and freighters full of equipment, both military, and consumer. They’ve promised us food and security, they’ve said they are going to set two islands aside for native Hawaiian’s. They are going to move non-native Hawaiian’s off of the two islands. They’ve also asked me to remind you, they claim a territory of two hundred miles surrounding their borders.”

“Isn’t there something I can do?”

“Mr. President, I’m sorry, the people have voted.”

“Can you tell me how close the vote was?”

“Mr. President, 65% voted yes, 20% voted to stay and 15% selected none of the above, which for some reason was something the Chinese demanded be placed on the ballot.”

“When are you making the official announcement?”

“Tomorrow morning at nine AM our time. I wanted to call you this evening to give you time to be able to respond. Mr. President, I’m sorry it’s come to this. I hope we can have good relations.”

“I think the Supreme Court is going to overturn your election.”

“Sir, I guess we’ll see. My gut is telling me, by the time the Supreme Court hears the case it will be too late, the Chinese will be so embedded in Hawaii, nothing except a war will dislodge them.”

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Captain Sarnoff’s scouts returned from their mission from where they heard the shots, “Cap.. I am sorry, Bob, the shots came from a large farm and cluster of homes. They are building a large building of cement. Everyone goes about their business armed. They have lots of ARs, many wear tactical vests with extra magazines, we could not tell if the vests are armored or not. They are very organized, everyone is, I think the term they use is, busy bee, all doing something. Some working in fields, some working on building the large building, some patrolling.”

“Are they military?”

“Not that we could tell, they might be a militia, we know how much the Americans like their militias.”

“Do you have any idea what the building is going to be?”

“No, it looks like they are building a castle.”

“A what?”

“Ca…Bob, a castle.”

“Someone is building a castle in Tennessee?”

“That is what it looked like to us, we took some pictures, see for yourself.”

“Holy mother, it does look like a castle. Why?”

“We have no idea.”

“How close can you sneak up to them?”

“Bob, not as close as we expected. They must have cameras or other sensors. We thought we were hidden, they sent two armed people in our direction. We had to sneak out of our hide before they found us.”

“So, there’s a well-armed group of people that are building a castle very close to us?”

“Yes.”

“I think I should visit this castle. Can you lead me there?”

“What are you going to do there?”

“See if we can make new friends?”

“Bob, friends? We want to make friends?”

Sarnoff laughs, “Yes, my friend, we will make friends, just before we kill them and take over this castle and farm. It sounds like the perfect place for us to make our new life.”

“I understand your plan, I like it.”

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The community doesn’t know what came between Tony and Jay, most decided to side with Jay, after all Jay built the shelter which saved their lives, he enabled them to keep their homes and the farm. They knew that Tony was the local ‘Don,’ if the two friends had a falling out, the community knows it must be very serious as the two were glued together in the previous battles. Tony realized he screwed up and risked getting himself and his family kicked out of the community, he already knew there were no buildings left standing on the street his restaurant had been located. Out of control fires left behind rows of burnt-out foundations. The same was true of the gated community his house had been located in. The wealthy areas were prime targets for the angry, hungry mobs. They attacked the wealthy bedroom communities, stealing anything of value. When they finished looting, they torched the mansions to their foundations. Tony had no place to take his family if Jay asked him to leave. He didn’t think Jay would boot him because the community needed all of the bodies they had. Their biggest weakness was their limited number of people. Reducing their numbers didn’t make sense if he knew anything about Jay, he knew he wouldn’t bite his nose off to spite his face.

John approached Jay, who was watching Franco lower another wall section for his new home. “Jay, got a minute?”

“Sure John, what’s up?”

“Can I broach a sensitive issue?”

“I assume you want to talk about the situation between Tony and I, if so, let’s get a cup of coffee. Any discussion about this issue should be in private.”

“OK, want to grab a cup of coffee at the tent or back in the shelter?”

“Shelter, if that’s OK with you.”

The two men walk back to the shelter to talk, they sit in a corner in the mess hall with their cups of coffee. “OK John, I’m ready. Convince me to make nice with Tony.”

“Jay, I don’t know what happened between the two of you, I know that we need him and his people, he provides us with more than half of our armed people. We couldn’t defend ourselves if he took his people and left. Let me remind you, I’m one of his people.”

“I understand, you’re telling me to find a way to deal with Tony.”

“Yes, can you do it?”

“I’ll swallow my pride and find a way to make nice with him.”

Before the two men can continue, the alarm sounds, both men jump up and run to the security room, John says, “Todd, what’s up?”

“Group working their way through the fields across the street. Not normal people. Let me zoom the camera in, look how they move, they leap frog each other, they are very careful where they step and look how they move. They remind me of the military.”

John stares at the monitors, “They’re military all right, question is whose?”

Jay asks, “Any idea whose?”

Before John responds, Tony shows up in the room, “What’s up?”

Jay says, “Tony, look at the main monitor, Todd saw the group making their way through the fields towards us.”

“How many?”

“We see four, there could be others we don’t see or are already close to us.”

“Shit, Jay, do you want to stop all work and get people into their fighting positions?”