WAR (31 page)

The LSA African-Americans saw the USA militias as an invading army of white people, even though more than 60% of the militias were made up nonwhite people. The LSA fought the invaders with the weapons they had. Since firearms were outlawed in the LSA, many fought the invaders with bows and arrows, homemade bombs and rocks thrown by sling shots. Molotov Cocktails are thrown at the invaders who responded with massive gunfire, killing hundreds of the defenders. Battles sprang up where ever the USA was able to breach the LSA’s wall. Kory’s speech stirred up hate language on both sides of the racial divide, on both sides of the LSA/USA wall. Protestors for additional freedoms and protestors for additional minority rights clashed. The marches painted the streets red with the blood from both sides. The violence spread to the USA where the local police allowed peaceful demonstrations; when protestors tried blocking streets or office buildings they were arrested. The national media on both sides of the wall supported the minority protestors, they called the police racist. The Chief of Police in Atlanta said he understood the feelings from both sides of the issue. However, he wouldn’t tolerate violence spreading into his city. That night 300 protestors attacked the CNN local office, they crashed through the front plate glass windows, they stormed the offices and broadcast sets. Worried CNN workers dialed 911 begging for help, the response, they got, was, “Give peace a chance. You supported these people, sit down and discuss their issues with them. We’ll be by when we’re finished helping an eight-year-old get her cat down from a tree.”

Ninety minutes later two Atlanta police cars arrived at a burning out of control CNN building. The senior reporter approached the lead police car, his arm broken, his face bloodied, “Where the hell were you? The mob attacked us, they burned our building, they raped the women, they beat us. Where the hell were you?”

“Sir, I believe just two nights ago you called on us to understand the plight of the protestors. You said we were all bad and the only good officer was a dead officer. In fact, I think that was YOUR comments just last night. Well, we were busy elsewhere. We understand we gave you time to talk reason with the people you wound up. We gave you enough time to settle the issue on your own. After all, you told us you didn’t need police protection, something about us being like the mob when it comes to protection. Why didn’t you and your friends sit around the conference room table singing Kumbaya?”

“That’s not fair, you know that was only a report based on what happened in the LSA, not here.”

“Really? Well, we’re here now, would you like to make a report?”

“Damn it, of course, I want to make a report.”

“Good, we’ll have you taken to the station where you can describe the people who beat you, see if you can identify them from a book of criminals we have.”

“How can I know for sure who they were? They were all black, no, there were also a few Latinos with them. They dragged a few of my women staff off with them. You have to find them.”

“What did they look like?”

“They were big, they were yelling horrible things at us, they were blaming us for their suffering. They said they were going to get payback for what we did to them.”

“Without a description there’s little we can do. Did you happen to see which direction they went?”

“After they set the building on fire, they ran in all directions.”

“So how are we supposed to find them if you can’t identify them, and you can’t tell us where they went?”

“You don’t understand, it was dark, there were hundreds of them. I’m telling you they were like animals after blood, they destroyed our station for no reason at all. You have to protect us.”

“Now you want protection? Didn’t you call for a disbarment of the police two nights ago?”

“That was different.”

“Was it different because your mob attacked you? Well, we hope you’ve learned a valuable lesson here. Once you turn the mob loose, it’s impossible to reign it in and control it.”

“What about our building?”

“I’m sure you have insurance, wait, didn’t you call for a declaration of war between the races? Do you know that insurance doesn’t cover losses incurred in an act of war? Since you called for a race war, we’re going to file the cause of the loss of an act of war. You can discuss it with your insurance company. I’m sure they are going to be very understanding.”

The officers laugh and drive away from the stunned CNN reporters who are standing in the parking lot watching their building burn out of control.

The next morning President Booker announces, “Last night the USA government encouraged a race war, the initial result of the war was an attack on the CNN news building in Atlanta where an unknown number of minorities were attacked causing a fire to break out which engulfed the CNN building. The Atlanta City Fire Department should be investigated for not responding quicker. They weren’t able to save the building. This is an example of the USA playing favorites in a war against monitories and those who don’t openly show full support for the racist government of the USA.”

Booker’s speech sets off additional riots and marches on both sides of the divide.

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Kathy and Beverly have worked their way through the tunnels in Las Vegas leading people through the tunnels to safety away from the Russian invaders. The US Marines have established a MASH unit just outside of the city; the women, with support from the Marines, are going hotel to hotel, sometimes door by door, to evacuate everyone they locate. The rescue is much slower than anyone wants due to the huge size of the hotels. The MGM Grand Hotel alone has 6,852 rooms, every one of them has to be checked. Bev and Kathy asked the Marines why they can’t just sound the fire alarm.

Captain Johnson replies, “If we set off the fire alarm, we might cause more injuries from mass panic, plus it would tell the Russians which hotel we’re operating in. The only way to do this is the old fashioned way.”

Kathy looks at the size of the MGM, “Damn, we could be inside it for a week. There are too many places for people to hide. There has to be another way.”

Bev says, “Why can’t we fly a couple of drones or small planes pulling a banner telling people who look at it out their windows, to escape.”

“Bev, we’d have to tell them to move north or south, surely the Russians would set traps for the people.”

Kathy says, “Would they? We haven’t seen their troops in a while. I think they’re occupied inside the hotels trying to steal the casino’s money. I think we should be safe. You guys have brought up enough firepower to stop the Russians from harming the escaping people. Why not put some tanks on I-15, shoot some flares up from the rendezvous location? Captain, if we have to go door to door, we’re going to lose too many people, from panic, from hunger, from fighting with each other. We have to do something out of the box.”

“Give me a minute to speak with the Colonel.”

“Sure, please just do it quickly. We’re burning time we might not have.”

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President Rand looks at his friends and former Presidents, “If you’d ask me if I thought there could be a worse President in the LSA than Ried or Bloomberg I would have told you no. I’m surprised by Booker, and very disappointed in him. He’s trying to start a full-fledged race war on both sides of the divide. I can’t believe he’s doing this. I thought he’d know once he goes down this path we’re going to have to stop him.”

President Cruise responds, “Paul, of course, he knows we’re going to have to try to stop him. He wants us to try to stop him. He needs to fully unite his country. He’s facing a crushing debt, unhappy citizens who felt they weren’t protected when we turned their power off. Some realize they made a mistake and want more freedoms, others want the inflation to decrease or their wages to increase. If we’re the bad guy, he can unite the LSA against us. We become the perfect bad guy. He needs to blame someone, he doesn’t want to blame Bloomberg or Reid, which leaves us.”

Rod asks, “Should we send our team back into the LSA?”

Paul pauses thinking about the question hanging in the air, “I would rather not go down that path again. Let’s see if we can find a way to talk some sense into Kory. I don’t remember him being a bad person. When he was mayor, he went out of his way to save people in his town. I think we should send him a message to see if we can open a dialog with him.”

Rod says, “It’s your call. I hope he’s reasonable.”

Ted and Paul both nod their heads in agreement.

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The pro and anti marches strike Beaverton, Oregon. Beaverton is a middle-income community which perfectly fits the protest location suggested by the organizers. Sissy watches the protest march on television while her parents, Jason, and Sharon, look at the smoke on the horizon. Sharon asks, “How far away do you think they are?”

“Honey, I’d guess they are at the shopping center which is less than two miles away.”

“Do you think they’ll come this way?”

“I don’t think they’ll come into the side streets, but if they do, they most likely will get lost in the street mazes. They’ll want to remain on the main roads to gain the most visibility and to make it easy for the media to record everything they do.”

“So you think we’re safe here?”

“I do, just to make sure, I’m going to look at how to reinforce our doors and board up our windows.”

“The big problem is the risk of fire. We live in a wood house, if they set it on fire, we could be burned alive inside.”

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In Los Angeles, a small militia group assisted by nine members of an underground anti-government group based in Saugus, California built four mortars in the back of a county dump truck. Their plan is to drive the truck downtown Los Angles, where they will do a drive by of the old Federal Building where they will fire their mortars at the building hoping to catch the LSA Congress in session.

Chapter 22

President Booker announces that he’s appointed Wolf Bracken as the LSA national Minister of Media and Truth. Wolf invites eight friends to a congratulations dinner at Morton’s Los Angeles Steak House. While he and his friends enjoy their steaks, Wolf’s cell rings. “Hello?”

“Wolf old boy, congratulations on your appointment. It looks like we’re both in the same position working for different management.”

“Sean, thank you for calling. I really appreciate the call. I was going to call you to congratulate you when I was summoned to a meeting with our new President.”

“So I heard. I see your boss is making enemies in both of our countries.”

“He likes to get a quick start.”

“I see that. Wolf, are you in a position where you can talk?”

“Can you give me a minute to move to a private room?”

“Sure, take all of the time you need. By the way, are the steaks still perfect at Morton’s? They were in North Carolina. I don’t know if they changed the process when we split.”

“Old friend, they’re the same and perfect as ever. I’m sitting in the private meeting room, what can I do for you?”

“Wolf, I’m calling because I’d like to think we were friends. Wolf, I’m calling to give you a heads up.”

“Sean, we are friends. We did good work together on our television show. What’s the heads up you want to give me, is it for me, or for President Booker?”

“Wolf, it’s for your new President. We received a call earlier today from Russian General Marshal Avdotya. He presented an unconditional offer for peace between the Russian Federation and the USA. As part of the treaty, he offered to cut ties with the LSA. His troops in Virginia are all but destroyed, those in Las Vegas are about to be offered a chance of surrendering in exchange for a free ride home or they’ll be killed. Cuba is no more, the cream of the Venezuelan army has been destroyed. If you’re thinking about the Venezuelan navy which was going to try to sneak up the Gulf of Mexico to land troops in New Orleans, you can forget about them. Two US Navy submarines found and destroyed the fleet. The few ships that remain were allowed to limp back to their home. There are no additional troops available to come to your aid or provide you support. We know there are hundreds of protests happening across the LSA. My heads up is a suggestion for you to officially stop your war with us and surrender. Save your people any more pain and suffering. We’re prepared to offer you one chance to surrender.”

“What if we don’t agree to surrender?”

“Wolf, are you sure you even want an answer to that question?”

“Sean, I’m going to be asked. You know that. How can anyone make a decision without understanding the alternatives and ramifications of their decisions?”

“Wolf, I’ve been authorized to tell you if you surrender, nothing else will happen, in fact, your access to the internet will be restored.”

“I have access…”

“Of course, you do, you’re on the VIP list, what about the average LSA citizen? Don’t you want to improve their life?”

“And if we refuse?”

“You can kiss your electrical power goodbye, you can kiss the internet goodbye. Wolf, it won’t just be for the people, the censure will happen to everyone across the LSA.”