The Crimson Fall (The Sons of Liberty Book 1) (42 page)

“The greatest of kindness and the worst of humanity have been revealed by each and every one of you as you survived the recent mayhem. Darkness, unlike anything we have ever experienced, has settled over this nation and threatened its very existence. It is a darkness that came about because of information regarding my past that was revealed to you. Rumors of what was truth and what was false swirled about in the days that followed. Some of those rumors were accurate while others were far from the truth. Tonight, I stand before you as a man who understands that you, the people of the United States, deserve the truth you have been seeking and a way out of this storm that has overwhelmed us all. But you deserve more than just the truth about me. You need a reminder of that which made you great in the first place. That is what I want to share with you first.”

Angry protests filled the small media room at Fort Bragg when every television went black. Men immediately jumped up—attempting to locate and fix the problem. Lieutenant General Jackson Hewitt stood silently with his arms crossed as the men scurried around trying to get the picture back up. Anger began to boil inside of Jackson with every second that passed, preventing him from watching the man he had come to hate step down as commander-in-chief.

The door from the back of the media room flung open, giving entrance to a young enlisted man who ran straight for Jackson.

“General!” the young man cried out. “You’re needed in control room.”

Jackson held a hand up to the young soldier. “Whatever it is, Corporal, it will have to wait until this is over.”

“Not this, General,” the young man said. “Not this.”

“Two and a half centuries ago, this land witnessed a truly marvelous event. From the ashes of war a strong and united people rose up to declare their freedom. It was to become the great experiment to discover what a people, free from the bondage of tyranny, could accomplish together. The ways of old were cast aside and they witnessed the birth of a nation. Our Founding Fathers believed that if properly governed, America would rise through the ages to be eclipsed by none. But have we achieved those intentions? Have we attained their vision for greatness? Of course, just not as they intended.

“The Founding Fathers were the brightest minds of their time that gathered with the goal of creating a land of freedom, peace, and prosperity. So they set out to plan and sealed our fate by creating those precious documents that have guided us since the early days of our liberty. From bondage they grabbed ahold of their new freedom and forged a new, great land.

“But trials would continually test what free men had made. The war of Eighteen-Twelve was a brutal and savage war that saw the destruction of America’s very capital. But her people fought back, giving birth to our anthem. By the blood of patriots and the dawn’s early light, they proved America’s right to remain independent. The next fifty years paved the way for westward expansion into the great wilderness beyond her familiar shores. Westward she grew, reaching out to spread her gospel of freedom to the native populations that roamed the vast plains aimlessly. She grew, prospered, and the rough clump of clay that she had been began to take the shape of the nation she would eventually become. While her authority in the world grew year by year, a dangerous divide began to separate her own people from within her borders.

“As time continued on, the people she watched over began to disagree on how to move forward. Those to the north shouted that to be a free nation every man, woman, and child must actually be free. Those to the south declared that they were able to decide their own fate and the fate of those they
believed
they owned. So war once again ravaged her lands. It was brother against brother. Neighbor against neighbor. Father against son. She wept the needed rivers of blood and freed every American to do as they wished, regardless of the color of their skin. When the smoke had settled, her people saw what they had done. They had once more fought for freedom and unity, preserving this nation of ours.”

Jackson stormed into the command room, furious that he was going to miss what he believed would be the most important speech of his lifetime.

“What the hell couldn’t wait?” he shouted.

An officer saluted Jackson and quickly walked him over to the monitors that occupied the far wall.

“Approximately four minutes ago we picked up movement on Highway Two-Ten. Satellites hadn’t detected a thing until it appeared all at once. It was as though they had been hidden under some digital canopy.”

“What kind of movement?” Jackson asked.

“Hundreds of AVs and tanks, General. It appears the entirety of the force is moving toward the east entrances on Butner and Honeycutt.”

Jackson looked at the monitors, studying the immense column that was massing at the two gates.

“That son of a bitch wants to hit us when he is supposed to be stepping down,” Jackson said. “Get me Offutt and Texas on the phone and contact someone at the Capitol. Tell them to apprehend the president immediately. Inform them that Chambers is mobilizing troops against Fort Bragg as he speaks.”

“Yes sir.”

“What about the tanks?” the officer inquired.

“Sound the alarm,” Jackson said. “If that bastard wants a fight then I’ll give it to him.”

“The twentieth century brought forth a new age of discovery. We created machines that would change the world forever. Cars, computers, telecommunications, and countless other American inventions were perfected by great American minds. While the years of innovation were prosperous, again, war threatened the nation. A fire began to rise in Europe, and America knew she had to intervene. By the blood of her youth, she fought not just for her own freedom, but for the independence of those around the world. Her young soldiers helped free an entire race from the brutal execution of a madman. She emerged from that conflict as one of the most powerful nations the world had ever seen. However, soon afterward she would wage a war against some of the very people she had helped free.

“The Cold War brought forth the most ominous creations mankind had ever created. Without care, weapons created for the sole purpose of mass extinction were manufactured by both the United States and the Soviet Union. Fathers were taught to fear the horizon as our nation began to believe they’d live to witness a global Armageddon.

“So, America again began a campaign for life and liberty as she began to mingle in the affairs of others. She shared democracy with dozens of nations in an effort to battle the global rise of Communism. She spent trillions of dollars in order to defeat an enemy without ever firing a single shot. When the Soviets finally declared their loss, the American people rejoiced at what they had accomplished. But with that victory, there came a new enemy.

“Our triumph brought forth a new wave of terror created by those we had helped battle the Soviets. Men we had armed turned our own weapons against us after the Soviet Union collapsed. They hijacked our planes and toppled our skyscrapers in revenge for the bloodshed they felt we had brought upon them. For years we battled them on their own turf in an effort to keep them off our lands. The United States emptied her coffers to fund that sense of security her people so desperately wanted, bringing her economy to the brink of collapse. Then, when our enemies fled and terror subsided, the fruits of our labor began to bloom.

“Over the past decade, we have celebrated the first years of peace that many of us can remember. We began a new age of discovery and innovation. We secured our borders and we created new technologies with the hope that we could once again change the world. You then elected me; a man whom you believed would be the perfect leader to help you follow your dreams. But as your leader, I was not honest. My love and vision for our future could not protect America, and like so many tragic times before, a flame—brighter, hotter, and higher than ever—began to engulf her people. It was and is a flame brought into existence because you did not know the real Lukas Chambers. Like so many, I am a man of many layers. Some righteous and others rotten. Now that I have spoken of your origins and the foundation of this country, I would like to share with you what formed the foundations of my life.”

“ETA on air support?”

Major General Jones, the commander of the First Sustainment Command, bellowed back at Jackson in the chaotic command and control room, “Unknown. We can’t reach the Fourth Fighter Wing at Seymour Johnson. Same story with Texas, Offutt, or anyone in Washington.”

“Did you try the hardline?” Jackson asked.

“Yes, sir. Everything seems to be unresponsive.”

“What do we have on the ground to stop the tanks and AVs if they advance?”

“Not much, General. Mobile rockets and mines. All our artillery is computer controlled and we can’t access the firing controls. We’ll need to hit them and maneuver our ground forces if they break through at the gates.”

“That’s exactly what is going to happen if we don’t have the Fourth and their anti-tank missiles here soon,” Jackson said. “Anything at Pope Field we can use?”

“As far as air support, that’s a negative. The only wings we have at the ready are simple troop carriers.”

“What about gunships?”

“Negative. Just the carriers.”

“Okay. I want the troop carriers fueled and readied in five. Wire fuel tanks, bombs, mines, grenades, and whatever else you find. It’s old school, but it’s something.”

“Yes sir,” Jones responded. “We’re also trying to contact Camp Lejeune to see if they can scramble their jets in the meantime, but they’ll take twice as long to get here.”

“Fine. I don’t care what you have to do to get through to someone; just do it. We need those fighters!”

“Yes sir!” The major general furnished a quick salute before running off toward his men.

“Colonel Stone! Status on the troops?”

“Sir, we have the Airborne and Special Forces mobilizing as we speak.”

“Good,” Jackson said. “I want the Airborne up front. I need the Third and Seventh Special Forces Group to support their flanks. Make sure Delta Force remains mobile. We’ll need them to move fast and hit anywhere we have a breach.”

“Got it!”             

“Have all civilians moved to the barracks and make sure the Fires Brigade does everything they can to protect them if they’re hit. Don’t worry about having them on the front; just make sure they guard the civies.”

“General Hewitt!” Major General Jones shouted.

“Tell me you got through to someone?” Jackson asked.

“No sir.”             

“The carriers ready?”

“Not yet.”

“Then why the hell are you not trying to get through to—”

“Sir, we can’t,” Jones said. “All of our communications are down.”

“Hardware malfunction?”

“No sir,” he said. “The blue zone has been reactivated and it’s now targeting us. The hardlines are still unresponsive. They must have been disabled as the jamming signal was activated. Sir, we’re completely in the dark.”

Jackson went wide-eyed and looked around the room. Everyone was staring at him for answers. If he was to believe what Jones just told him, then the Pentagon was now targeting Fort Bragg. There would be no air support, no backup, and no military aid.

They were completely alone.

“Alright, your men stay here and do whatever they have to in order to get through to someone. You and everyone else, follow me.” Jackson picked up a rifle, loaded a magazine, and slid back the slide, loading a round into the chamber. “Gather weapons and ammo. We’re going to need everyone we have to hold the gates!”

“As you all read in my journal, I watched in horror as a young teenager when my mother put the barrel of a shotgun in her mouth and pulled the trigger. However, before she killed herself, she implanted into my heart the lie that I was a worthless and unwanted mistake. You can imagine the effect her words had as they shaped those agonizing years of my adolescence. I struggled with acceptance and dealt with my anger in the only way I could think of. I fled the life I had and searched for a new one.

“After high school I began to travel the world, seeking out a place that would give me peace in my soul that I so desperately wanted. In my travels, I was introduced to new thoughts and new ways of life. Even though I had grown up as a devoted American, I could not help but question our role in the world as I witnessed those new ways of life. I came back to America not bent on destruction, as so many of you have suggested, but set on perfection. You see, I loved this nation, and I believed in its potential for a better tomorrow. So I decided to go to college, get an education, and begin a career of military service in an effort to make this nation great again.

“As an officer, I led my men into battle and disregarded my own safety. Recently, you read that I had something to do with the death of my men. Sadly, shamefully, and regretfully—I must confess the truth. In my greatest moment of doubt, the pain of my youth had become the bane of my existence.