The End (30 page)

“A sickness, like what?”

“The way they described it was that everyone they had encountered from south Orange County had burns on their arms and were losing their hair.”

“Where did they encounter these people?”

“They came across them in Oceanside; they were heading south to get away from the sickness. As soon as they heard about a sickness to the north they turned around and came back.”

Gordon sat quietly, thinking.

“What do you think it is?”

“Sounds like radiation sickness,” Gordon responded flatly.

Hearing Gordon's response, Samantha gasped.

“Sam, we need to get out of here. I need to speak to Jimmy now.” Gordon sucked up the pain and pivoted out of the bed and onto his feet.

“Gordon, you do need to rest, though.”

“Samantha, we don't have time. Go find me some heavy duty pain meds and go get Jimmy.”

Samantha knew that when Gordon was serious there was no saying no. She left the room promptly.

Gordon walked over to the window and looked out. He could see smoke coming from over the hillside about two miles south. He knew who that was. Their time attempting to survive in San Diego
had finally come to an end. Knowing the road to Idaho would be challenging, it provided hope and a chance to continue. If they stayed in San Diego, they would perish.

Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado

Conner's day had been full of good and bad news. He had become accustomed to bad news, so when he received good news it made his day special. With a smile from ear to ear he could not wait to see Julia. His daily briefings always left him feeling helpless, but the news that Julia had shared with him earlier kept his spirits high. Knowing it was early for any accurate testing, Julia's belief that she was pregnant filled him with joy. One very positive thing that had happened out of the loss of their son and the catastrophe that had befallen the country was that he had grown closer to his wife. With his hectic schedule and time away as a career politician they had drifted apart and at times he wondered if their marriage would survive. Now he felt that his best friend, his wife had become his closest confidant and soul mate. Trying times can work in two ways: they can drive people apart or they can bring them together. The love he was feeling for her resembled the love they shared in their first few years of marriage. He wasn't positive she was pregnant, but the hope buoyed him.

Stepping to the door of their quarters, he could hear music playing inside. He opened the door and what he saw took him back to his days in college. Julia was dancing around the room and singing loudly. When he first met Julia, he was drawn to her distinct feminine energy. That femininity had been lost over the years as their lives went in two different directions, mostly because of his intense schedule.

Finally noticing him standing there, she ran and jumped into his arms. He held her and walked into their bedroom while they kissed passionately. They both dropped onto the bed and continued to kiss.

“I love you, Brad,” she said after taking a pause from kissing.

“I love you, too, Julia,” he responded with a softness in his voice.

“Sorry for the loud music,” she said, caressing his face.

“Not a problem. I actually loved walking into the room and seeing you so happy.”

“I feel like a little girl. I know we've been through a lot but the chance of becoming a mother again makes me feel alive,” she said with a glimmer in her eye.

“I know this might seem horrible to say, but your happiness makes all the bad things happening seem distant. Coming home to you gives me a break from the harsh realities of what's happened.”

Holding his face in her hands, she responded, “I'm glad that you fully support this.”

“Of course.”

“So, tell me about your day. Any good news?”

“Why, yes, there was,” he replied as he rolled onto his back. She laid her head on his chest and listened to his breathing. “We finally made a decision on the location of the new capital.”

“That's definitely good news. So where will it be?”

“Without rehashing the issues of logistics, it came down to two choices, the first being Portland, Oregon, and the second San Francisco. After much discussion and analysis, we decided to go with Portland. It has everything we need. The port and airport are adequate and the population is manageable. San Francisco had positives but the concentration of people was too much. We know we will have some issues but it's the best choice. If we didn't have the reactor meltdown problems we would have gone somewhere else.”

“So what happens next?”

“We go out there. We, meaning a team of us, to go get things set up. That brings me to the bad news.”

“Oh no, I know that tone, Mr. Conner,” Julia said, raising her head and looking at him.

“I'm going to lead the team,” he said.

“What? That's not your job. Send others to ensure it's safe,” Julia said, concerned.

“Not this time, I need to go. I'm their leader and I need to go see exactly what's happening out there.”

“You're too important, what if something happens to you?” Julia said as she sat up, looking upset about the news. Her glow had gone and had been replaced by dread.

Conner understood her concerns, but the idea of him leading the team was his. He was tired of being pent up inside the mountain, plus he believed a true leader leads from the front. Brad also thought it would send a powerful statement that their government was real and they were doing something.

“Julia, I knew you were going to be upset, but you have to understand that things are different now. We have limited resources and personnel. I need to lead like leaders of the past and be on my horse leading the charge, not cowering in a bunker somewhere.”

“I don't agree with you; you're too valuable to lose. Your country needs you safe, not running around like a cowboy on the frontier.”

“I appreciate your concerns, but I'm going. I need to be out there. I need to see exactly what is happening. I will be safer than most; I'm not going alone. I'm taking a large entourage of security. I might be daring but I'm not foolish.”

“Brad, you're going to be a father again. I can't afford to lose you.”

Conner paused before responding. He knew he needed to tread lightly.

“Sweetheart, I hear you, but this trip will not be long. I'm going out there to get things started, then I'll return. I'll be gone no more than two weeks.”

“Brad, I think you're being foolish, but when did that ever stop you?”

“There's one more thing,” he said sheepishly.

“What could be worse?”

“We leave tomorrow morning.”

She just looked at him and then abruptly stood up and left the room. He followed her to attempt to console her, but she avoided him. He reached over and touched her arm.

“Don't touch me!”

“Julia, please,” he pleaded.

Wanting refuge from him, she went into the bathroom and locked the door.

“Julia, come out, please,” he said after he knocked softly on the door.

“Leave me alone.”

“Please, open up.”

“Brad, leave me alone. I need time to think about this.”

He leaned on the door, hating that the past couple of weeks of bliss had been wiped away. Her crying brought doubt to his most recent decision. The sacrifice of being president was becoming something he didn't want anymore. If he could change it, he would. But fate doesn't work that way and he had a responsibility. Backing away from the door, he went to his closet, grabbed a bag, and started packing for his trip

San Diego, California

“Gordon, what the hell are you doing here?” Jimmy asked, surprised to see his friend up and about.

“We need to pack up and get out of here,” Gordon said, walking into Jimmy's house.

“What's up, man?” Jimmy asked, surprised. He hadn't seen Gordon awake for days, and here he was now telling him they had to leave.

“Samantha told me about what happened with Mindy and Dan. I know that any day now they'll come for our food and resources. We have the issue with those Villistas and now I think we have another huge problem with some type of radiation exposure north of here.”

“Radiation? Where? Gordon, slow down,” Jimmy said, reaching out and patting Gordon on the arm.

Looking irritated and tired, Gordon snapped back, “I don't have time to slow down. It will take us a couple of days to get squared away before we can leave. We don't have the luxury of slowing down! I need you to trust me! We need to act fast!”

“Okay, okay,” Jimmy said, putting his hands up.

Gordon quickly explained to Jimmy his plan of driving to Idaho. After years of knowing Gordon, Jimmy had learned not to interrupt Gordon when he focused like this.

Gordon's plan called for them to leave in two days with whoever wanted to come, albeit they had their own supplies and vehicles. The route involved traveling off the main freeways by taking older state highways and surface roads. Avoiding major cities and heavily populated areas was important.

“How are we doing for vehicles?” Gordon asked.

“You still have that truck you took from the man you shot at the hospital, and Nelson still has his vehicle. Mine was blown up.”

“What about trailers?”

“I have the camper we can tow and besides that we have the horse trailer we can use, especially since the horses are gone.”

“What happened to the horses?” Gordon asked, although he had his suspicions as to what might have happened to them.

“They were killed and eaten about a week ago.”

“Well, the trailer will come in handy. Who else do you think will want to come?”

Jimmy gave his opinion on who he thought might want to join their convoy to the north. They discussed the merits of each person or family to determine if they would be a good fit.

“Your idea of who can go and not is kinda harsh!” Jimmy exclaimed.

“What's wrong with it?” Gordon asked.

“The way you put it, sounds like no one can go except for us. Your criteria even excludes Melissa and her baby.”

“If Melissa wants to go, I'll take her, but that's it. Everyone needs to have their own vehicle and food. We don't have enough of our own supplies to go around and feed a large convoy of people.”

“I hear what you're saying, but there are some good people here who don't have what you deem necessary but would be an asset.”

“I don't care, Jimmy; they're not coming unless they have the supplies to take care of themselves,” Gordon said sternly.

“You're jaded. You have always been a bit rough around the edges; I suppose that came from the war.”

“You keep bringing that up. Let me explain to you why I'm not here to take care of everyone. I was once idealistic and believed in taking care of everyone who couldn't take care of themselves. I took this blind idealism with me when I dropped out of college and joined the Marine Corps after Nine Eleven. I thought it was my generation's calling to support this country and to promote freedom. I left everything behind and went to war. I did the best I could over there and the thanks I received from many in this country was ridicule and hatred. I was used as a political pawn after an incident in Fallujah by those who looked down on me. I was over there risking my life to bring freedom to a people who don't understand it and now hate us. I risked my life to protect the freedoms that many take for granted here. I ended up being the poster child for everything wrong with our war in Iraq. I was headline news when they accused me of murder, but when I was acquitted that never made the news. So, yes, I am jaded! I don't believe that it's my responsibility to help everyone anymore. I only have the moral responsibility to take care of my family and loved ones. I have lived a life believing that it's a man's responsibility to have the tools to ensure his family is safe and secure. Some men didn't think that was necessary, they thought owning dozens of expensive watches and designer jeans were more important than having a gun or even a damn knife. If people didn't take the time to prepare because they thought that was someone else's responsibility, well, my friend, they can now figure it out. I don't have the time nor do I care. It's already hard enough for us to survive without having to sacrifice my resources for others,” Gordon exclaimed, his face flush.

Jimmy just stood there looking at him, not knowing how to respond. He knew he had struck a nerve with Gordon and didn't want to get him further upset.

“Hey, I didn't mean to get you upset. We've all had a lot to deal with, some more than others. Let's get working on this plan, okay?”

Gordon wanted to get moving, so he nodded and said, “Okay, let's get this done and get out of here.”

If you are not prepared to use force to defend civilization, then be prepared to accept barbarism.

—Thomas Sowell

USS
Makin Island
, Pacific Ocean

Barone had called an emergency meeting with all of his commanders to discuss the landing in California. The ships were close, and based upon the intelligence from their reconnaissance forces he had a better idea about how the entire operation should proceed.

He had not been himself since his son's death. What little sense of humor and kindness he had was now shut down. He had become hard and unforgiving. He poured himself into ensuring nothing else could go wrong. He became hyper-focused on getting his men to California. The preparations for the landing consumed most of his waking hours. The only other thing that frequented his thoughts was how he would tell his wife about Billy's death. He dreaded that future date when he would stand in front of her. The promise he had made to her years ago was now broken. He had promised that he would do what he could to ensure Billy was always safe. While it was an unrealistic promise, he had made it. It was the reality of his death that made the promise feel truly broken. Billy had been under his command, so he could have prevented it. The guilt he felt ran deep inside him, and what came out of him wasn't depression anymore but anger. He was angry at himself for not monitoring the flight plan more carefully and he was angry that the battle between them and the USS
New Orleans
even had to take place.

The vibe and feel on the ship had changed; everyone was careful about what they said and no one made any mistakes. The word given to them from their unit commanders was that the colonel would not accept mediocrity. If any Marines or sailors wished to change their minds, then they would be arrested and locked up. No more excuses, no more complaining, each and every Marine and sailor had a job to do and it was expected they do it.

As unit commanders walked into the briefing room, Barone looked at each one. No one said a word to each other; very few looked directly at Barone. There was no small talk. Everyone took a seat quickly in the small room. The seats were set in a series of six rows all facing forward toward a map and screen.

Barone looked down at his watch and then looked at the men assembled before him. By his count, all were present.

“Gentlemen, I called this emergency briefing to cover our plan for landing in California. We have had reconnaissance teams going into Southern California for three days now. The intel they have brought back has given critical information for us to draft the plan I am about to detail. However, before I go into this plan, I want to set rules for this briefing. I will not take questions as I go. Once I have explained everything I will then open the floor for any questions you may have. Is that understood?”

In a chorus, all the men responded by saying, “Yes, sir.”

“Great. Let me start by covering the ground truth of what is happening in Southern California. Our teams went to these locations.” Barone turned around and pointed to a map that showed Southern California. “Coronado, Thirty-second Street Naval Base, Point Loma, and Camp Pendleton. They reached them safely. They were able to make liaison with the base commanders except for Camp Pendleton. I'm not going to break down what each base commander told us but will jumble it all together as a lot of the information is similar. They report that all electronics were down, no vehicles except older vehicles were operating, aircraft, ships, and the entire power grid is down. Each commander has been feeding their personnel on stockpiled MREs after they had consumed what food rations they had left in their specific mess halls. They also expressed that they have had trouble with some of their personnel going UA. They have been operating at a lockdown and not allowing civilians onto the base unless they were family members of personnel. They have been monitoring the situation on the outside and report that mass deaths are starting to occur from dehydration, starvation, and civil unrest. They have reported roving gangs taking advantage of the situation. The city has descended into chaos, gentlemen. There is no law enforcement and there are rumors that the mayor of San Diego has fled the city. They did tell us that they have been receiving communication from the U.S. government now headquartered in an undisclosed location via the SIPRNet, or in layman's terms the government's own secret Internet. The Federal government has promised that they soon will be sending supplies, but to date they have received nothing. There are two pieces of confirmed intel that we received that changed our plans from what I had first detailed a few weeks ago. We will not be staying in Southern California. We will only be landing to go retrieve our families and can only stay for a week. After that, we must depart and head north. The reason for this change in plan is because the San Onofre nuclear plant is in full meltdown and radiation has contaminated an area about ten square miles. Most personnel at Camp Pendleton have evacuated and moved east to Twenty-nine Palms. Our teams there met with a few Marines who were remaining from the I MEF command element. The other situation we have is a former Mexican drug cartel that has moved into the area. They are expanding quickly across the county. According to reports from Coronado and the few elements left at Camp Pendleton, the cartel's numbers are growing and they are well armed. So here is what we are going to be doing: We will conduct an amphibious landing on the beaches of Camp Del Mar here. We will set up a presence at the camp and will operate out of there for a week's time. We will also conduct a simultaneous operation a day later on Coronado Island. There, those sailors who have families in and around San Diego can go get them. By now you have compiled a list of which Marines or sailors will be going onshore to find their families. We will set up a rotation so that everyone has a twenty-four-hour period to go locate and bring back those family members. We want them to bring back what resources they may have. Those resources are on the list that Simpson is handing out now. We will not be allowing personal possessions such as furniture, trinkets, et cetera. Understood?” Barone looked around and, seeing nods of assent, finished his briefing, “Gentlemen, this mission will be tough, as not all those looking for loved ones will find them. I fully expect to lose some people to possible fighting and to those who will decide to go UA and not return. I want a full count of your men now and upon departure a week later. Where we have openings, I will fill them with Marines and sailors who wish to join us from Camp Pendleton and the other bases I mentioned earlier. I do understand that the amount of time we are now giving is not a lot, but with the realities on the ground, specifically from San Onofre, we cannot stay here. Those going ashore at Camp Del Mar will do so in full MOP gear. We will begin operations at zero-five-thirty January sixth. Please have those lists updated so we know who needs to go ashore. We do not want anyone going ashore who wants a joy ride; this is not a liberty port. Tell your men this is now hostile territory and to expect hostile contact. The ROEs for this mission are every Marine and sailor going ashore will have weapons and ammo, they will return fire if fired upon, and if they see an incident where they can defend innocents then they can engage the hostiles. Now I can take questions.”

A dozen men sitting in front of Barone threw up their arms.

“Go ahead, Major,” Barone said to an officer in the room.

Standing up, the major asked, “Colonel, you didn't mention the civilian population. We will be encountering them and they will look to us for food, water, et cetera. What do we do with them? What are the SOPs?” The major sat down after asking his question.

“Good question, Major. We will avoid the local civilian population; we cannot help them. We do not have the surplus resources to give them anything. Your mission, and it cannot deviate, is that we are here to secure those family members and bring them back. Just family members, not friends, not random people; I need you to make this clear to the men. Those caught bringing back stragglers will find the stragglers left adrift at sea, and they may join them if they wish to not follow orders,” Barone said sternly. He then pointed to a captain in the back.

Standing up, the captain asked, “Can you cover in more detail the rules of engagement?”

“Captain, the ROEs for this mission are simple. Every Marine and sailor going ashore will have weapons and ammo, they will return fire if fired upon, and if they see an incident where they can defend innocents, then they can engage the hostiles. I do not want our men going out looking for a fight; we have a short window here and we must have them get to their families and return directly. I want to stress that this mission is to just go directly to residences or locations of their family members, pick them up, and come directly back. I do not want our troops out on a joy ride or fucking off. We don't have time for that.”

One by one he went through and picked each and every officer and senior NCO who had their hand up. He would not let anyone leave this room until they were all clear about the mission ahead. He was now down to the last two Marines.

“Go ahead, Master Sergeant,” Barone said pointing toward the center of the room to a tall and bald older man.

“Colonel, what are we going to do with the prisoners? They are using up resources and there are a lot of them,” the Master Sergeant said.

“Master Sergeant, let me just be blunt. Those Marines and sailors who are in the brig now will not be joining us after we depart. We are going to dump their asses on the beach with some MREs and water. We will provide them with them means to defend themselves because in the end they are still our brothers, but we will not be taking them with us. We will wish them well and that will be it. I think that answered your question.”

The master sergeant nodded and said, “Yes sir, it did. It was crystal clear.”

Looking around the room there was one last hand raised and Barone called on him. “You there, Captain . . . Ah . . . Smiley,” Barone said, hesitating then grinning when he read the captain's name.

“Thank you, Colonel. Where are we going after we depart San Diego?”

“Another good question. Captain, once we complete Operation Homestead we will be departing San Diego and heading north toward Oregon. We have spotted a good location to conduct an amphibious landing in Coos Bay. After we secure the beachhead we will march toward Salem, the capital, and take it.”

Captain Smiley looked stunned when Barone finished what he said. He then asked, “Take it, sir?”

“Yes, Captain, take it. We will need a new place to call home. We will need a new country to start. We have the means, we have the resources, hell, Captain, we have an army! What we don't need are sniveling politicians telling us what they're going to do with what we have. We don't answer to them anymore; we only answer to ourselves. No longer will we be second-class citizens. We will go to Oregon to set up a new country where it's not the politicians or the celebrities who are at the top of the food chain. We will build a country where the warrior is appreciated and where the warrior class is above everyone else. There is plenty of land in Oregon, good land. This is where we will settle down. I chose Oregon because there are no nuclear plants within five hundred miles. The area is easily defended due to the mountains, there is plenty of wild game, and they have four seasons and get plenty of rain, so agriculturally we can be self-sufficient. This will be our new home, gentlemen, and we won't ask permission to come there. We will take what we need and not be sorry for it. We, all of us, have sacrificed a lot. Many of our brothers made the ultimate sacrifice and for what? For a country where half of the people don't even care for them or respect them? We are no longer sacrificing for a lazy people. Does that answer your question?” Barone finished, his face flush.

“Yes, sir,” the captain said, starting to sit down. He stopped, stood straight up again, and asked another quick question. “Sir, what do we tell our men this new mission is called?”

“Rubicon, Operation Rubicon.”

Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado

Conner stood staring at Julia sleeping; a range of emotions ran through him. Last night had finished better than it had started. She had finally given in and told him that she understood. Realizing that he had a tough job, she decided to support him. She made him promise that he wouldn't do anything foolish and he agreed that he wouldn't.

Before he tore his gaze away and left, he bent down and gave her one more kiss. Pressing his lips against her warm cheek, he held it there for a few seconds while taking a breath through his nose so he could capture and remember her smell. He gently touched her hair and whispered in her ear, “I love you, Julia.” It took a lot of inner strength to pull away. While he had made her that promise, he really couldn't guarantee his safety. Standing at the door, he grabbed the knob but couldn't turn it. He turned around and looked at the room. He wanted to create a mental image of everything in there. The trip would only take two weeks, but not knowing what he would encounter he wanted to remember this moment.

 • • • 

An anxious curiosity gripped him as the gates first cracked open. The more they opened the more he became excited and nervous. He could see the deep blue mountain sky and the dark green of the trees. As the convoy slowly moved out into the warmth and comfort of the sun's rays, it also exposed the harsh realities of life on the surface.

The main gate was riddled with debris, garbage, and signs. By the looks of it, locals had gone to the base to find sanctuary, but obviously those requests were denied. What tore at Conner's heartstrings was seeing a small child's teddy bear lying among the debris and garbage. He wondered where that child might be and if he was safe. As their six-vehicle convoy of Humvees drove down the mountain, Conner sat thinking about that stuffed animal and the child who had once cherished it. He thought about all the people scattered across the country. How alone, desperate, disappointed, and scared they must feel.