The Shelter: Book 1, The Beginning (21 page)

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That evening Lacy, Shelly, Todd, the girls and I are watching Survivor when the program is broken into with a special announcement. “Ladies and Gentlemen, we are interrupting your programming tonight with a special announcement. The talks between China and the US have broken down. China recently announced they are dumping their remaining holdings of US dollars. China currently holds over $1.4 trillion in US debt and they are demanding immediate repayment of the debt. China has also announced they will no longer accept our dollars in payment for their goods and services. Without an agreement, the US will have to find a way to repay China’s debt. The Department of the Treasury announced that a series of special taxes will be implemented so the country can repay China.”

Shelly looks at me, “Dad, what does it all mean?”

“Honey, it means we’re in the crapper. China just drove the final nail into our financial coffin. Our dollar isn’t going to be worth two cents in the morning. Inflation is going to become hyperinflation, the stock market has already crashed. I think the market will open down hundreds of points tomorrow. Honey, are you sure you have to return home?”

“Both Todd and I have jobs back home.”

“Want to bet? I bet you’ll both find out that you’re going to be out of a job within 48 hours.”

“I’ll take that bet, what are we going to wager? The normal amount?”

“Yup, I win, you give me two kisses and a hug, you win and I’ll give you a hug and two kisses.” Turning to Todd, “We’ve been betting the same amount since she was three or four years old.”

Todd smiles, “I like that, I think I’m going to steal it from you.”

“Go ahead, it’s free.”

I turn to Lacy. “Honey, I think tonight’s the perfect time to order anything online you ever wanted, I’m not sure what’s going to be available for how long or at what prices. I’d buy more freeze dried food if you can find it.”

Todd asks, “Dad, what about ammo?”

Laughing, “Todd, we have enough to support a medium sized army.”

Todd replies, “You always said one can never have too much ammo.”

Nodding, I tap Todd on the shoulder saying, “Come, I’ll show you part of the armory.”

Lacy shakes her head saying, “Honey, he believes you, let it go for now.”

I think I understand what she’s trying to say to me, “Todd, let’s watch the news together, trust me, we’re OK on ammo and supplies.”

The rest of the evening’s programs are taken off the air, reporters take their place talking about the hit to our economy and the potential implications for the future. A couple of the reporters say that all that’s needed is for the government to increase spending and to reinstate the welfare programs. Others say the country is doomed, the country has already passed the tipping point, the country will implode before the internal and external pressures cause a mass explosion that will take the country down.

While we’re talking, the phone rings. Lacy picks it up, she listens for a second saying, “Honey it’s for you.”

“Hello?”

“Daddy, I’m sorry, we were wrong. Can we come over? We’re scared.”

Lacy looks at me knowing what the call was about, I look at her, she nods. “Sammi, check out and come home. Just remind Ricky to keep his mouth shut around me.”

Chapter 11

A furious President Obama is pacing the Oval Office, “I don’t understand what the Chinese want from us. They know damned well we don’t have the resources to pay them $1.4 trillion! We wouldn’t have borrowed the money from them if we had it to repay them.”

Jack Lew, the Secretary of the Treasury, watches the President pace. “Mr. President, we borrowed the money from China. The terms of our agreement are, we have to pay the loans back with interest on the agreed upon payment schedule. If we default on any terms of the loan, the loans are due when called, which China has just done.”

“Jack, when did we default on any of the terms? What are our options?”

“Mr. President, we defaulted when we missed making the last interest payments. We delayed it and the Chinese are within their rights to call the loans. As to our options, we can ask the Fed to print a few additional trillion dollars, however, sir, by doing such will cause massive inflation. Plus, I’m not sure the Fed will do it.”

“Jack, I’ve spoken to the Fed Chairwoman, she told me she’s not leaning towards printing a trillion or any amount. She said doing so will completely destroy our economy. The crazy bitch said we might never recover. She reminded me that without the EU, there’s no one else standing by to help bail us out of the hole we got ourselves into.”

“Mr. President, there are a few things we could look at. Mind you, these ideas are very drastic.”

“What are you thinking?”

“We can recreate the law outlawing private ownership of precious metals. We’ll buy them back at a low figure and since the value of silver and gold has jumped, the metals we confiscate will be used to pay China. We can also increase the income tax rates to 75% on anyone earning over $250,000 a year. We can impose a federal property tax on every homeowner. We can impose a personal property tax on everyone’s car and all boat owners. We could expand this to all commercial and farm equipment.”

“These are some very interesting ideas. I like them, make it anyone earning over $120,000 a year. No one needs $10,000 a month to live. I really like the personal property tax and since no one needs to own a boat today, set the tax rate at 15% of the items book value.”

“Sir, what about the tax on homeowners?”

“We’ll hold this one in case we need additional income later.”

“Sir, we can also increase the tax on corporations that hold dollars off-shore, we announce that taxes will be levied on dollars anywhere they’re held. We’ll tax them as if they were held in a USA bank, earned in the USA. They’re owned by US corporations so it’s really the same thing.”

“I like this idea a lot, how long will it take to put in place?”

“Only a few days.”

“Do it and hurry, we’re running out of time to get the Chinese off our backs.”

“Sir, one point you should consider, doing all of these tactics will do permanent damage to the dollar and our economy.”

“The alternative is giving China some assets equal to the debt we owe them.”

“What are they asking for?”

“Mr. President, first of all, they want Hawaii.”

“Hawaii? No way, I plan to retire to Hawaii right after I sign the papers allowing Hawaii to become an independent nation.”

Jack stops in mid-word staring at the President, “Mr. President, the people, will never accept that. You’ll never get away with it.”

“Yes, I will, you’ll see. The press loves me, the people love me. It’ll happen and no one will know until it’s too late to stop it.”

Unknown to either President Obama or Jack, an aide was listening to the entire conversation by standing next to the door between the Oval Office and the Executive Conference Room. The aide doesn’t believe what the President and the Secretary of the Treasury are agreeing to. The aide texts a friend inviting them to a drink after work. At seven o’clock the aide enters a bar in Arlington, Virginia. He orders a draft while he waits for his friend who arrives within three minutes. “Sorry, parking’s a bitch.”

“I agree, I took the metro from D.C.”

“What’s so important you had to break protocol to ask for a face to face meeting?”

The aide slides his notes across the table folded in a newspaper. His friend’s face turns white as he reads the note. “Is this really going to happen?”

“I stood by the door, I heard every word. Jack Lew is having the new tax rules drafted for release within the next few days.”

“Christ, this is going to tear the country apart. I understand why the meeting couldn’t wait. There are two girls coming in to join us in a couple of minutes. They’re going to ask to join us, we’re going to buy them a beer, laugh like we’re having a good time. You’re going to leave with one, me with the other. They’re our cover story. Two old friends from college have a beer together, meet a couple of nice girls and leave for the evening. She will go home with you, she’ll stay for a couple hours. In case you’re being watched, it’ll look normal enough.”

“You mean she’s going to sleep with me as a cover?”

“Don’t get carried away, she works for me. If she went home with you and quickly left, it wouldn’t look right. Make her dinner, have a drink, tell her your life’s story. She’s a good kid and also a black belt. She won’t take any crap.”

“What do you want me to do tomorrow?”

“Act normal, act as if you got laid tonight.”

“OK, I’m supposed to be on call for a meeting of the National Security Council.”

“Great, I can’t meet with you tomorrow. If you learn something very important text the girl, you go home with tonight. She’ll give you her number.”

“OK, look here they come. Wow, they are both very pretty! Can I take the blonde home?”

“If you think blondes have more fun, you’re wrong. She’s a real ball-buster.”

“I don’t care, she’s very easy on my eyes.”

“It’s your life.”

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While we wait for Sammi and her family to arrive Franco knocks on the doorframe, “Jay, got a minute?”

“Sure, what’s up?”

“We heard the news report so we think we should work on the shelter around the clock. Do you have any objections? We’ll rig the large construction lights to provide us with light. We ought to be able to finish the main opening tonight and if we can get help with the backhoes, we should be able to finish the tunnels to each home in six days.”

“Franco, I hate to say it, but you may be right. Things don’t look very encouraging. Please, go ahead. I also think you should rig a tarp over the hole so anyone flying a drone won’t see what we’re doing.”

“We can do that. I hope everyone else doesn’t get angry over the noise.”

“If they complain, tell them to put ear plugs in. Our salvation is likely that hole in the ground.”

Within minutes, we hear the steam shovel working on the shelter. We’re watching FOX news, Lacy is trying to calm me down since I’m yelling at the TV. Sammi and her family return helping Lacy stop me from throwing something at the TV. Sammi runs into my arms, “Daddy, I’m sorry. We saw the news and a couple of minutes later, Ricky got an email informing him he’s been laid off for the duration of the current financial crisis.”

“Sam, I’m very sorry. This isn’t what I wished for. Shelly and Todd are deciding if they should go home or stay. I think they’re going to stay. You’ll be much safer here than on the road. That’s if you’re able to afford to fill your gas tank. Inflation will start exploding and gas, which is in very short supply, is going to be almost impossible to find.”

“Daddy, I won’t doubt you again.”

“Yes, you will, don’t worry about it. I’ll try to hold my temper in check.”

Before we continue my phone pings with a message, reading it, my mouth drops open, Lacy says, “Honey, what’s wrong? What’s going on?”

“Lacy, we need to convert the money we have in the bank into gold and cash that can’t be traced. Stock up on food, supplies, everything you can think of.”

“Honey, what’s going on? A forum I belong to just sent an alert message out, it seems someone got a hold of Obama’s next plan. He’s going to confiscate gold and silver in private hands, tax people like us at 75%. He’s going to levy another tax on our bank accounts and bonds we’re holding. He’s also planning to place a tax on the personal property we own.”