The Forgiven The Fallen The Forsaken (30 page)

They pushed
through to Reno that night and slept for six hours straight before getting back
on the road.

FLAGSTAFF,
ARIZONA

AUGUST 26
^th

  Denise and
Rob sat outside their fifth wheel on the wooden porch Frank had made for them
after Denise had told him about the Escalante trip.  Rob had been devastated
since that night.

“I’ve lost people
before, I don’t know why this time is so much more difficult,” Rob said.

Denise said,
“It wasn’t supposed to be this way. Not here.  Not both of them.”

“I’m worried
that I’m losing my touch.  If the world were regular, this would be where I’d
be and calling it a day and putting in my retirement papers.” 

“You’re good at
what you do.  Doing the right thing working outside of the rules is where you excel.”

He sipped his
scotch out of the tumbler and said, “I’m devastated by this.  I don’t know if
it’s the accumulation of deaths over the years, or if it’s just these two.”

Denise looked
at him sadly, and then her expression hardened.  “Look Rob, I love you more
than anything, but I don’t have time for this bullshit today.  The kids are due
in this afternoon from a mission that the grownups should have been doing.   If
they run into any problems in the last few hours of the drive, you’re the one
who knows how to fly that chopper, not me.  And you’re sitting here getting hammered
when you need to be getting your shit together.   Now get your ass in there and
shave, shower, and pull yourself out of this funk.  Frank would have told you
to quit being a chicken shit, and Rita would have said far worse than that.”

Rob started
laughing from the gut.  “I knew there was a reason why I married you.  You're
right.  Aye, aye, Captain.”  He stood and walked into the fifth wheel, heading
for the shower.

Denise looked
down at her hands and said to herself, “I hate having to do that.”  She thought
of the collection of rings that she had been looking over and wondered if she
was doing the right thing.  A wedding or even an engagement party would be just
what the doctor ordered right now. 

She heard the
helicopters descending to land on the airfield.  
That will be Jim and
Susan, thank God!
 
Hopefully Rob won’t hear them over the shower
. 

ON
THE WAY BACK TO FLAGSTAFF

EARLY AFTERNOON,

Julie and Helen
talked by the plane while Ron and Skeeter were finishing eating at the airport
café.  Helen said, “I need to bring something up that I’ve been thinking about
a lot lately.”

Julie looked
worried and said, “What's that?”

“What would you
think about us getting married?”

“Oh my God, you
scared the hell out of me there for a moment.  Of course we’re getting married
and we’ll have kids at some point, too.” 

“What about in
the next couple of weeks?”

“Are you
serious?  It’s too soon!  There’s too much to do!” 

“That’s what I
told him!”

“What?!”

“Uncle Jim
asked if we could do it next week.”

“It’s not even
legal in Arizona yet!”

“He tacked it
into the first bill to go through congress.” 

Julie was
stunned, and a little angry. “This had better not be for politics.” 

“Julie, I love
you more than anything.  It’s not for politics.  They’re really worried about
your dad.  Frank and Rita’s deaths broke something in him.  Your mom is hoping
that it might shake him out of it, and if we’re going to get married anyway,
what’s the difference between now and ten years from now?” 

Julie melted. 
“I’m sorry.  Of course we’ll do it.  But not for dad.  I’m doing it because I
intend to lock you in before you can get away, you bitch.” 

Helen laughed
and kissed her, saying, “But I’m
your
bitch.”

“And don’t you
forget it.” 

By the time the
guys came out of the restaurant, they both had their sunglasses on and were
somewhat composed. 

EARLY EVENING

The small two
engine plane descended gradually to a landing at the village airstrip and
taxied to the nearest hangar.  Rob was holding it together, but he felt more
lost than he had ever felt in his life.  Still, seeing Julie and Helen get out
of the plane was wonderful.  The two of them almost glowed. 

The girls ran
up to him and hugged him tightly.   Julie said into his ear, “We got it Dad! 
20 palates of hundred dollar bills!  And we’re getting married!”

Rob found
himself crying and held them even tighter.  He kissed Helen on the cheek and
said, “About fucking time!”  All three of them were crying now. 

Watching from
the edge of the runway, Denise held Jim’s arm and said, “Thank you so much.  I
can’t ever thank you enough.”

Jim put his arm
around her and kissed her on the top of her head and said, “The girls are doing
the heavy lifting here.  I’m just directing traffic.”

Susan’s hand
was on his other shoulder.  She said, “And you’re doing it brilliantly.”  None
of them even noticed Samantha snapping away with her camera.

***

When Samantha looked
at the shot of Denise, Jim, and Susan, she knew she had something special.  The
photo exploded across the internet as soon as she released it.  Everyone read
something different into it, but mostly people saw the human moment they needed
to see from Jim.  With that photo he became Uncle Jim to the entire nation.

FLAGSTAFF,
ARIZONA

AUGUST 27th,

The trucks arrived
in to the village early in the morning.   All of the teens were thrilled to arrive,
but a problem ensued when the secret service insisted on inspecting the truck. 
In the end, Rob intervened and came up with the compromise of parking the truck
on the other side of the property and putting his own guards on it.  The agents
weren’t happy, but went along, knowing that the President would throw them all
off the property if they didn’t back off on this.

By the time
that was resolved, Luke, Jamie, Matt, and Ricky were attacked by the tailors,
seeking measurements in order to provide them with suits for next week's
activities.  Jamie was asked to shower then tried on several dresses.  There
was a black one that was just amazing on her.  She picked that one and asked,
“Can I go to bed now?”

All of them
slept like rocks, grateful to be home.  

The next day,
Julie, Helen drove a van down to the warehouse they had leased for the year. 
Not surprisingly, the place had been broken into, but they had intended that,
anyway.  They took a few minutes to clean it up and remembered the crazy times
filling and emptying it several times a week.  It seemed like a lifetime ago.

Later in the
day they arranged for the rest of the last mission team to meet them at the warehouse
with the semi trailer loads of cash.  They quickly divided up the palates of
cash inside the warehouse and transferred the cash into medium sized moving
boxes lined with large garbage bags.  As each box was filled, the bags were
sealed and the box was taped and marked, "Books" before being loaded
into smaller cargo trailers. Each of the team took three palate's worth of
cash.

The team surprised
Helen and Julie by insisting that the last two palates be a bonus and wedding
present for them.  Helen was hesitant but Julie proposed using the money in starting
businesses that would get the country up and running again in a better direction.

Helen and Julie
left the warehouse with eight palates' worth of hundred dollar bills between
them.  They spent the rest of the day at the lookout house trying to figure out
where to stash all of the money.  In the end, they were left with the realization
that they needed a larger house. 

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

AUGUST 29th

Jim addressed
both houses of congress in nondescript room at a convention center on the Las
Vegas Strip.  As he walked into the room, he was pleasantly surprised by the
roaring applause from the entire room.  He stood in front of the room in his
black suit, blue shirt, and red tie and waited for the applause to settle
down.  Finally, he had gesture to the crowd to quiet down before he could start
the speech. 

"It's time
for some serious truth telling tonight. 

"I would
like to thank all of you for what you are about to do in the next few weeks. 
Not only will you be charting a course for the future of the United States of
America and restoring rule of law, you will be making my wife very happy as you
take a tremendous load off of my shoulders and allow me to be home for her
Cajun meatloaf a little more often."

The roomful of
newly appointed politicians laughed.

"We have
been given a clean canvas, for which we have paid a devastating price.  I would
give anything to bring back all those who have been lost, but that will never
be an option.  The best we can do to honor them is to lay the foundation for a
sustainable future of prosperity and peace.  That is my intention tonight.

"Before
the virus, very few of us would have chosen to be politicians.  I never would
have considered such a sleazy profession and neither would most of you." 
The intended uncomfortable silence was profound.

"Today, we
have the opportunity to change that reality.  We have the ability and
responsibility to be the most functional government the world has ever seen.  Today
is the day that rule of law returns to the United States and government returns
fully to the people.  Before you are a number of bills that I would ask that you
read, debate, improve where possible, and pass by the end of the week.  These
bills are what we need to get the country off its knees and back into the
modern world. 

"We are
ready to resume police services and court services.  Our corrections departments
will turn criminals into hard working Americans helping to ensure the survival
of our population, whether they want to or not.  Prisons will now pay for
themselves and any able inmate who refuses to work will not be fed.

"We have
resumed using the US dollar and debts will be honored appropriately.  Most
assets for which the owners are deceased and heirs cannot quickly be found will
become property of the United States Federal Government.  All assets and
accounts of enemies of the United States have already been confiscated.

"We have
all of the data from the last day of business from banks across the nation.  We
will honor those accounts of people still living or with readily found heirs. 
All others will become property of the US government. 

"This makes
the United States Government the majority stockholder in all of the American
banks still in existence.  We will be combining all of the government owned
banks into the New American Bank.   While this may seem extreme on the surface,
we cannot restart the banking system without clear ownership of assets.  By
transferring the accounts into this new bank, we buy ourselves time to
determine which accounts have owners and which do not. 

As the country
recovers, the government will be gradually removing itself from the banker
role, but we are essentially rebuilding the banking system from the ground up
and starting over.    

"We will
forgive all mortgages and loans owned by these banks.  Anyone with a mortgage
held by one of these banks will now own their homes outright.

"We will
pay a fair wage to those who have been working tirelessly to keep America alive
during our darkest hours.  They are heroes, each and every one of them, and to
them we are grateful."  There was much applause at this.

Jim waited for
the applause to stop before continuing.  "We must create an environment in
which people can start businesses quickly and provide needed services
immediately.  Individuals and small companies will be crucial to this.  Business
loans will be available for companies providing crucial services.

"We have
come to an end of intolerance based on race, gender, and sexual preference. 
Bluntly stated, we can no longer afford it, and we need the best that all of
our citizens can give.

"This
brings me to my next point.  You have legislation in front of you formally
declaring Islam to be a terrorist philosophy rather than a religion.  It gives
the government the power to deport, imprison, or execute Muslims who refuse to
give up open practice of Islam on a case by case basis.  

"Eighty-five
percent of humans alive this time last year are now dead because of jihad. 
There is no other interpretation of the situation.  We are now engaged in a
long term effort to eliminate Islam from the face of the planet.  Almost every
Islamic nation in the world has already been completely destroyed in
retaliation."  There wasn't a sound in the room as he paused. 

"I have
also retaliated against criminal elements that chose to massacre the
populations of many of our southern cities.   I have assigned those with gang
affiliations to life sentences of hard labor without chance of parole.  The
fallen are being punished for the forgiven and forsaken they slaughtered and
their sentences will remain until their own deaths. 

"With
this, our forces are now in control of Mexico, Cuba, Haiti, and all of Central
America.  These former nations are now US territories and the people of the New
Territories have been freed of the corruption and criminal tyranny of their
former governments.  Their populations will be our responsibility once this is
formalized and we will do right by them.  My intention is that all of them who
wish will be allowed to work in the US. 

"Also in
front of you is an immigration bill.  I have invited non Muslim immigrants from
various English speaking nations to come here and become Americans.  Every day,
plane loads of Australians and Europeans are arriving in Los Angeles.  We will
soon add Indians, Africans, and Filipinos to that.  We need these immigrants
and they need to have a stake in the country that they will be helping to
rebuild.  I am giving a preference to English speakers because we don't have
time to deal with multiple language barriers.  Later, we will reopen
immigration to non English speakers as well.