THE WARNING A Novel of America in the Last Days (The End of America Series Book 2) (2 page)

        
“Senator, can’t the federal government crack open
any
encryption?”

        
“These devices use chaos based
encryption with nonlinear time delays. These are actually prototype devices
from a government program that was never approved because of budget cuts. An
insider who loves his country saved them from destruction and made them
available to me. Using the device decryption would normally take about ten
minutes for one page of text. Without the device it would take a top NSA
cryptographer over a month to crack the same page. This gear is
beyond
state of the art.”

        
“But, Senator, what if one of these devices falls into the
wrong
hands? That could be a….”

        
“
Not
to worry.
Without getting too technical, if the device is not used by one of us, it
self-destructs. It
melts
. No one
could obtain anything from it, once it’s destroyed. But once you have received
and decoded tactical plans for armed resistance you will be able to pass the
plans on to any other number of resisters. As I said earlier, with this means
of communication we can
prevail
….we
will be able to take our country back, when the time
is right
, once enough Americans
understand
what’s happened to America. We’ll be up against the armed might of the world’s
strongest
nation. It will be no small
task, but
we will have to do what we will
have to do
. God bless our country. Enjoy your pizza, gentlemen.”

I.

AMERICANS

DISCOVER

THAT

THEIR
COUNTRY

HAS
BEEN TAKEN OVER

 
BY

MARXISTS

OVAL
OFFICE - WHITE HOUSE

        
Vice President Hilde Calhoun felt like a school child
summoned to the principal’s office.
How
long now
, she wondered, had the President made her sit in his Oval Office?
By herself, twiddling her thumbs. Where was he, anyway? What does he expect me
to do,
wait all day
? If he thinks he
can intimidate me by making me just sit here, well, then….maybe he’s right.
Wilbur told Hilde that he thought the President had found out what Wilbur did
to try to convince the Commandant to use the Marines to remove the President
from office. If he knows, Hilde thought,
I’m
done
. But the Commandant’s dead, apparently at his own hand, so
how
could the President know anything
about what Wilbur did….or
tried
to
do?
Come on
, how long….

        
Hilde’s increasingly dark thoughts were abruptly interrupted
by the President as swept into his office looking none too pleased. He stopped
in front of his historic oak desk, immediately in front of the Vice President,
gripping a document in his clenched fist.

        
“Hilde….I
trusted
you. I
trusted
Wilbur….well….
most
of the time I trusted Wilbur.”

        
“As well you should, Mr. President.
Who
could have been more loyal than we’ve been? Wilbur spoke at the
national convention, he
campaigned
in
the battleground states for you. What
else
could you have asked us to do that we
didn’t
do?”

        
Angry and through clenched teeth the President snapped back,
“Well, Hilde,
for starters
you could
have let me
keep my job
, without
trying to get the Marines to
remove me
from this office. Was that
too much
to ask?”

        
“I have
no idea
what you’re talking about. Those rumors were all
thoroughly
investigated and found to be….”

        
“Hilde….
don’t….lie….to….me
.
Not
here.
Not
in this office.”

        
The President then thrust the crumpled document he had
carried in with him in Hilde Calhoun’s face. “
Read this
suicide note from your Commandant buddy. At least he had
the good sense to know that Wilbur’s insane plot to take me out of office would
have
ripped
this country apart. I
never liked the Commandant, nor most of the big brass boys for that matter, but
I think
a lot more
of him now that….”

        
“Now that….
he’s dead
?
Of course, now you admire him….but I’m not
about
to be railroaded out of office, since that’s obviously where you’re headed with
this, based on some
faked
suicide
note.
Who knows
which one of your
spooks from any number of agencies created whatever you have in your hand?”

        
“Nice try, Hilde. Didn’t you wonder
why
Wilbur wouldn’t take your several cell calls over the last
hour? He was being interviewed by the FBI. After flopping around at first, and
then
blaming
the Commandant, then
attacking me
, he finally
threw
you
to the wolves. He’s
admitted
it all. He confirmed
everything
in
the Commandant’s final words to the world….
It’s
over
, Hilde….
over
. Don’t believe
me
?....
Call Wilbur,
he’ll take your call now.”

        
“I don’t….he wouldn’t….what….”

        
“Splutter all you want, but it comes down to this. Resign or
I’ll have you
impeached
. You, of all
people, know how many votes I’ve got in both Houses of Congress. I can have the
articles of impeachment drafted, adopted by the House and passed by the Senate
in two weeks, maybe less. You know I
can
….and,
Hilde, you know that
I will
.”

        
Hilde stood up, stumbled slightly and quickly stepped out of
the Oval Office to call her husband’s cell phone. A blubbering, tearful Wilbur
admitted to his Vice-Presidential wife that he had just moments before
confessed their joint role in what would have been America’s first coup d’état.
But, he told his enraged wife that he only did it for two reasons. First, he
said he didn’t want them to be the first couple in America in which both were
impeached by Congress. Secondly, he said he had a full, unlimited pardon from
the President that the Calhouns will never be charged with
any
crimes.

        
“That’s just
dandy
,
Wilbur, just
terrific!
You met with
the Commandant to hatch your plot
without
my permission, and now you’ve
sold me
out of my job
, without asking
me
,
and all you got was
a stupid pardon
.
Did you even
bother
to think I might
be interested in what you were doing? You’re
totally
hopeless, Wilbur….I could….I’ll….You’ll hear from Winston.
I meant it before, and now
you’ve finally
done it
. Winston can work out the details with whichever lawyer you hire,
but….
I’m….finally….done
.”

        
The evening media interrupted their news coverage to announce
that the Vice President had resigned her office earlier in the day, announcing
irreconcilable problems with the former President from whom she would be
seeking a divorce. White House unnamed sources were quoted as saying that the
Vice President was so distraught over the family dissolution that she could no
longer perform her official duties. Several bloggers and a few columnists
raised questions about the cover story for her resignation, but, as they had no
other sources to quote, the story soon died. The immediate former Vice
President, famous for not watching what he said, was nominated by the President
under the Twenty-Fifth Amendment, to return to his office, with the agreement
that he would give no speeches or media interviews. Both Houses of the Congress
swiftly confirmed the nomination of one of their own. Hilde and Wilbur were
quietly divorced.

Madison
for Governor Campaign Headquarters

Austin,
Texas

        
John and Debbie had been preparing for this special day for
several weeks. At first John was more than reluctant to run. But, the
overwhelming support of his friends, fellow Texas Tea Party members and their
two children ultimately convinced John and Debbie Madison to go for it, to run
for Governor of Texas. A poll paid for by a supporter showed that John Madison
was the state’s most popular and recognized public figure. In a head on paper
race for Governor with the State’s Attorney General, the only other candidate
being seriously discussed, John led by more than ten points.

        
John’s floated suggestion that he might become a candidate
for Governor of Texas in order to lead the State out of the Union had captured
national attention. An earlier Texas Governor had first brought up the idea of
a re-created Republic of Texas, but later under media pressure, he had
disavowed his own idea. John Madison’s recent experience with arrest and
imprisonment by the federal government convinced most Texans that, if elected,
he would be serious about leading the State to withdraw from the Union and that
he would actually take steps to make it happen. The poll showed that a majority
of Texans saw John Madison’s legal ordeal as persecution by the federal
government solely because of his strong conservative beliefs.

        
John and Debbie had no doubt that they were on to something
when they drove up to their campaign headquarters on the morning of John’s
announcement. Seven satellite trucks were jammed into the block in front of
their newly-painted and festooned campaign offices on 11
^th
Street
near the Texas State Capitol. Both knew that John was about to receive star
treatment by the nation’s mainstream media. Strung across the front of the
rented offices was a huge red, white and blue banner, with a large Texas star
on each end, proclaiming:

JOHN
MADISON FOR GOVERNOR

RESTORE
THE REPUBLIC OF TEXAS

        
John and Debbie walked onto the platform erected in front of
their campaign headquarters where they were greeted by several hundred
supporters, waving signs and shouting encouragement.
“Eeehaw! Madison for Governor! Go, John, Go! Go, John, Go! Restore the
Republic! Get Texas out…Now!”
John and Debbie smiled and waved….and….they
worried, as they knew some of what they were getting themselves into. The
Madisons had earlier decided that their children should not attend the announcement,
as their son Jack was rumored to be likely to be indicted for alleged hate
crimes, made in a sermon supporting traditional marriage. Continuing to smile
and wave, John was finally able to calm the crowd so he could make his
announcement statement. The time had finally arrived for John Madison to
declare his official candidacy for the highest job in Texas. He planned to
mention that Texas was the 14
^th
largest economy in the world, that
Texas had its own long-term oil supply and that the Texas National Guard was
manned by over 25,000 Guardsmen. In calling for a separate Republic, he would
also become the first Texan in history to declare that, if elected, he would
move to withdraw his state from the union of the United States of America.
History was being made on this sunny day in Austin, Texas.

Oval Office – White House

        
Vivian Higgins raced down the hall of the West Wing, flew
past the Secret Service Agent posted at the door to the Oval Office and pushed open
the office’s curved door without being announced. As the President’s Chief
Domestic Policy Advisor, she was the only staff member who could get away with
such an injudicious entrance. The President, who was reading a memo from
Speaker Pelham, snapped his head up to see who had burst into the room without
even a knock, let alone a phone alert.

        
Once he saw that it was Vivian he smiled broadly, knowing
that even if he asked her to be more respectful of his official space, it
wouldn’t do any good. They went too far back to the days when neither had any
money, nor much power, just a common desire to radically transform their
country. Both knew that the President was sitting in this august office only
because Vivian, who was then working for the mayor of their city, had taken him
under her wing. Vivian had been introduced to the young community activist by
his fiancée, a friend of Vivian’s. Impressed by his good looks and his
hyper-liberal ideas, which matched those of Vivian perfectly, she quickly
introduced him to the members of the establishment in their city. The rest, as
they both had frequently observed since, was definitely history.

        
The President couldn’t recall ever seeing his Chief Domestic
Policy Advisor so excited. “Whoa, Vivian,
slow
up
. Come over and sit down. This
must
be big. You look like you just had a visit from the balloon and cardboard check
team from Publishers’ Sweepstakes!”

        
“Mr. President, this is
much
bigger
than just money, even lots of money. We just
hit the jackpot
of all domestic policy jackpots!”

        
“
What
? What is
it?”

        
“I just got a call from our inside source over at the
Clerk’s office of the Supreme Court. There’s an opinion coming down sometime
this afternoon. You are going to like it….in fact,
you’re gonna love it
.”

        
“Are you going to make me
guess
? Or do I have to wait for….”

        
“No….sorry….The Court’s
upholding
the contraception rule for religious institutions.
Now
you know why I’m so
excited
!”

        
“
Wow
…..wow….
great
!” the President beamed. “We won
another
big
one! That’s
really
good news, Vivian. What was the
vote? Not that it makes any difference, of course. A win is a win.”

        
“It will be five-four, the same as the opinion upholding the
McAlister Act. Your friend, Justice Newton, came through again, as I
knew
she would.”

        
“You were more confident in Sheila than I was. There wasn’t
any doubt how she would vote on McAlister. That was a given, based on her past
views and writings. But as a Catholic, she could have gone the other way on the
contraception order. I’ll admit to having been a touch concerned, so this is
truly,
really,
good news.”

        
“Mr. President, today’s opinion by the Supreme Court will
ensure your place in history.” Vivian insisted on referring to her longtime
friend by his formal title when they were working in the Oval Office, but she
reverted to his given name when she was with the President and the First Lady
at the social events they attended together on a frequent basis.

        
“It’s a solid victory, but I don’t think I’d go
that
far, Vivian.”

        
“With all due respect, sir, it’s not today’s opinion that
will guarantee your place in history on the side of women’s reproductive
rights. It’s what we
can do
now that
your contraception-coverage order for all employers has been upheld. Now we go
to plan B, no pun intended, of course.”

        
“That’s a good one, Vivian. I assume you mean your proposal
to mandate that
all
employers,
including religious institutions, provide insurance covering
100% of the cost
of
abortions
….now that the contraception coverage rule has passed
Constitutional muster?”

        
“The very same, Mr. President. The Court’s language today,
I’m told by my source, will affirm the right of the Chief Executive to compel
public and private institutions,
all
of them, to provide contraceptives, morning-after pills, abortifacients, you
name it, to
all
of their employees.
Given the Court’s ruling, we’re just
one
step away
from requiring the same institutions, including businesses,
churches,
all
employers, to provide
abortion coverage –
free
, of course.”

        
“And that one step to which you’re referring, Vivian, is for
me to
cancel
my Executive Order that
the House required to get health care passed – the Order that said fed funds
couldn’t be used to provide abortions. Well,
what
did they think Planned Parenthood was
doing
with the $500 million they get in federal funding each year?”

        
“Yes, that was my most
un-favorite
of all of this office’s Executive Order’s.”

        
“Vivian, you know there was
no choice
, what with that Michigan Congressman holding the bill
hostage. Domestic policy shouldn’t be decided by appointees chosen
by the Pope
located in Europe and
accountable to no one. I was elected by the voters to make policy, and I won’t
let
a European religious leader
tell
us what we can or can’t do. A red cap shouldn’t trump the votes of the American
people. But, thank heaven….
sorry
for
the religious reference….
now
, I’ve
got
a choice
. Go ahead and send me
the draft of the Executive Order revocation – the Order we both hate – and I’ll
sign it. I also need your revised draft of our new regulation
mandating
abortion coverage. Base it on
the same language used for contraception coverage, since we know the Court
likes
that language.”

        
“On the way, sir. Anything else?”

        
“Yes. This office still has scars from the Bishops beating
up on the White House over the contraception coverage rule. It’s
payback time
for the Bishops and
also
the fundamentalists and the
conservative Jewish leaders who joined the Bishops. Can you give me some
appropriate language for the speech announcing mandated abortion coverage? And,
oh yes, tell scheduling that I want to officially announce the new mandated
abortion reg in Manhattan at the Margaret Sanger Birth Control Clinic. Look it
up….it’s a designated national historic landmark.”