The End (14 page)

Standing up with renewed purpose he walked out of the room and down the narrow hallway to the communications area. He needed to speak with Griswald immediately.

Opening the door to the Communications Central Area he found Griswald talking with his aide.

“Mr. President,” Griswald said, standing up quickly.

“Sit down, General,” Conner said, closing the door behind him. “General, what assets do we have at our disposal this minute?”

“Sir?” Griswald asked, looking confused.

“The overriding question that I keep asking myself is, how can we protect the American people from further threats or from our enemies taking advantage of our current state?” Conner spoke quickly, almost in a ramble of thoughts. “General, how can we prevent our enemies, like North Korea or Iran, from attacking us? We are paralyzed here. Why wouldn't they take advantage and move on us? Why wouldn't they attempt an invasion or work toward doing more damage? How can we rebuild with that threat hovering over us?”

“Mr. President, those are all good questions. Why don't you take a seat and we can discuss this.”

“I don't need to take a seat! What I need are answers!” Conner snapped.

Griswald looked surprised by Conner's behavior. “I suggest we first gather our cabinet and conference with what military commanders we have and then sit down to analyze these threats to see what we can do and how we can move—”

“We don't have time to gather a cabinet and analyze data!” Conner yelled.

“Excuse me, sir,” Griswald said, looking a little taken aback as he relaxed more into his chair.

“General, I need a briefing in thirty minutes on what assets we have from as simple as a grunt on the ground to where our nuclear subs are located.”

“Yes, sir, I will have the information for you as best as I can, but nothing has changed with our forces since yesterday.” He then looked at his aide, who nodded.

“Just do it, General!” Conner barked.

“Yes, sir,” Griswald said.

Conner looked at Griswald briefly, then turned around and left the room just as abruptly as he had entered moments before.

Griswald looked at his aide again and said, “See what we can find out from our units around the world, do the best you can do.”

“Yes, sir,” the aide said, standing up.

“One second,” Griswald said.

“Sir?”

“Does it seem like the president is a bit overwhelmed?”

“Sir?” the aide asked, looking confused.

“Nothing. Now go get me that information and confirm our transport once we land,” Griswald said, pointing toward the door, motioning his aide to leave.

“Yes, sir,” the aide said, leaving the room.

Griswald sat back in his chair. He wondered to himself what type of response they could muster with what available and operational assets they had around the world. He wasn't sure what kind of response the president wanted when they didn't know who attacked the country. He understood that the new president had a lot on his plate, but he also knew that what steps the United States took next must be carefully calculated.

San Diego, California

Gordon awoke suddenly. He opened his eyes to see Haley with the remote for the TV.

“Daddy, can I watch TV?” Haley asked, looking innocent and holding the remote in front of his face.

Gordon had fallen asleep on the couch with Samantha but she was nowhere to be seen. Looking outside, he saw the grayish sky of a typical Southern California morning.

“Where's Mommy?”

“Mommy is upstairs sleeping. TV please,” Haley said, still holding the remote in Gordon's face.

Gordon sat up, stretched, and said, “Honey, I'm sorry but the TV doesn't work. Can I read you a book?”

“No, I want TV,” Haley said, looking disappointed.

“Honey, like I said, the TV doesn't work,” Gordon said, looking at his determined daughter.

“Can you fix it, Daddy? I want to watch Disney Junior.”

“Sweetie, if I could fix it I would,” Gordon said as he reached over and picked her up. He kissed her on the cheek and forehead. “Believe me honey, if I could fix it I would.”

“I love you, Daddy,” Haley whispered to him.

Gordon's eyes teared up as he hugged her even tighter.

“I love you too, sweetheart; you're my baby girl and I'll do anything for you. I will fix the TV, I will do what I can to fix it all, I promise you,” Gordon said hugging Haley tight as tears slowly rolled down his cheek.

“Why are you crying, Daddy?”

“Because I love you so much,” Gordon replied not telling her all the reasons he was crying. He kissed her again on her head. He then said, “Run upstairs and get your three favorite books; I'll read them to you.”

“Thanks, Daddy!” Haley said, jumping off of Gordon and running toward the stairs.

Gordon watched her as she ran. He felt like the world was on his shoulders. Today would be a big day for him and his family. He would finally reach out to his neighbors and inform them of what he thought had happened and try to start coordinating a community-wide effort for mutual survival. All of this would happen, though, after he spent a few moments of quality time with his daughter.

His thoughts were interrupted with Haley jumping into his lap. She held more than three books under her arms.

“Here, Daddy!”

“What's this? Looks like more than three books,” Gordon said, smiling.

“Read to me, Daddy!” Haley said with excitement in her voice as she rested against his chest.

“Looks like five books.”

“Please, Daddy, read them all!”

Gordon chuckled and said, “Sure thing, honey.” He opened the first book and began to read.

USS
Makin Island
, Arabian Gulf

The level of activity had been at an all-time high on the ship since their arrival earlier in the morning. Some typical, but also some unusual, but these were unusual times. His unit had already settled into their new home aboard the USS
Makin Island
. Sebastian and his team of snipers were relaxing in the berthing area and using the break to play spades.

“Are you fucking kidding me!” Tomlinson yelled as Sebastian threw down the ace of spades and took the last trick.

“Sorry, buddy, but you dealt them,” Sebastian said, winking at Tomlinson as he picked up the cards.

“I dealt you like every spade in the deck. Such bullshit!”

“I think this last hand has given me the game and that twenty spot,” Sebastian said, reaching over and grabbing the twenty-dollar bill next to Tomlinson.

“Want to go again?” Sebastian asked Tomlinson.

“Why not, what good is the money now anyway?”

As Sebastian was shuffling the deck of cards, the berthing area hatch opened and Gunny appeared.

“Marines, listen up!” Gunny hollered with his scratching voice.

Everyone stopped talking and all eyes focused on Gunny.

“Marines, we have a ship-wide formation on the flight deck in fifteen minutes. Get your asses squared away now, be up there in ten, do you hear me?” Gunny yelled.

Various Marines acknowledged by yelling back, “Yes, Gunny!”

The snipers began collecting themselves and putting on their blouses and boots.

“I wonder what's up now?” Tomlinson asked out loud.

“There's going to be a lot of these, I suspect, so get used to it,” Sebastian replied. He put on his blouse and grabbed his cover from his rack.

When Sebastian and Tomlinson walked through the hatch they ran into a line of Marines trying to go up the ladder well. They waited a few moments and lost their patience.

“Fuck this, follow me,” Sebastian said.

Tomlinson followed Sebastian down the narrow and busy passageways. They came to a closed hatch and opened it, but were quickly stopped by an armed Marine on the other side.

“Off limits,” the Marine commanded.

“Off limits?” Sebastian asked.

“You heard me, corporal, this passageway is closed off,” the Marine said.

“Come on, sergeant, let us cut through here so we can get to the formation, all we need to do is go up that ladder well right there,” Sebastian said, pointing over the Marine's shoulder at a ladder well just a few feet away.

“No, corporal, this is off limits. I suggest you turn around and find another way.”

“Come on, Sergeant . . . Devonshire,” Sebastian said, pausing to look at the name badge on his chest.

Sebastian then heard some loud commotion down the passage and saw two Marines wrestle another Marine to the ground. A fourth Marine, an officer, entered from an adjacent hatch near the fight and helped the two Marines. The officer then looked down toward Sebastian and yelled, “Sergeant, shut that fucking hatch now! This area is secure and off limits!”

“Sorry, corporal,” Devonshire said, quickly closing the hatch in Sebastian's face.

Sebastian turned to Tomlinson and said nothing. They both stared at each other for a moment and then Tomlinson said, “What the fuck is going on?”

“I don't know, but let's get topside,” Sebastian said.

When they both finally reached the flight deck their platoon was already formed up, as were thousands of other Marines and sailors. They quickly ran over to their platoon and got in the last row. Gunny Smith turned to them and just leered.

“Marines and sailors of the USS
Makin Island
, attention!” Master Sergeant Simpson yelled and turned around. Barone approached the master sergeant and returned his salute. Simpson stepped to the right and marched off.

“Marines and sailors of the USS
Makin Island
, at ease!” Barone yelled. “You all know we are living in unprecedented times. Our country has suffered an attack that has brought it to its knees; our families have suffered and are suffering right now. Many thousands have already died. We have lost our entire federal government to an attack on our capital. The president and vice president are dead. There is a new president; Speaker of the House Conner was sworn in just hours ago. We still do not know who committed this attack but we do know that they also succeeded in Europe and over China. We have learned that there was an attempt over Australia but our Australian brothers stopped it. With many of our allies down and our enemies still out there, we have been ordered to go back east to assist in the search and rescue efforts while our families suffer at home without our care. Since yesterday, I have been approached by many platoon commanders expressing your concerns, specifically your concerns for your families, wherever they may be. I am here now holding this formation to inform you there have been some changes to our mission again.” Barone paused and looked around at all the Marines and sailors before him. He looked down at his boots and then looked back up and continued.

“We are not going to the East Coast; we are going back to California! I stand here before you, letting you all know that I have listened to your concerns; I heard you! We are going to go home to take care of our families!”

Many Marines and sailors started yelling their approval to what they were hearing.

Barone raised his arms and yelled, “At ease, at ease!”

The hoots and “Ooh rahs” stopped after a few moments with the assistance of platoon commanders yelling for everyone to be quiet.

Once the quiet returned, Barone continued, “This change in mission does come at a price. I started this formation by telling you that we are living in unprecedented times and unprecedented times sometimes require unprecedented actions! Sometimes we must look at what is happening around us and make decisions that at first may seem incorrect but are really the correct decisions. I have made a decision that may not seem to some of you as correct, but which I know is the right one. I have made this decision and I am willing to suffer the consequences of it. I am now going to ask you, not tell you, what you need to do. I am not ordering you to make the same choice I made, I am asking you to come with me.”

Many of the Marines and sailors were looking around. Whispers and murmuring could be heard everywhere. Marines and sailors were accustomed to taking orders; now they were being given the ability to choose.

“I have secured command of this ARG; I have arrested those commanding officers who would not join me in our new mission. To some, I am committing mutiny! But in my heart I know what I am doing is right for our families regardless of what they call it.”

The sound of talking and murmuring grew louder as the shock of what Barone was saying began to sink in.

“I have heard your needs and desires, I have turned us around, and we are heading for San Diego! Those of you in formation who wish to join me and go back to California so you may be with your families and protect them from the dark days ahead will be rewarded. If your family is not there but you wish to join us on the trip there you are welcome. If you do not wish to continue with us once we make landfall, you may depart then with no questions asked. Now, if you do not wish to join us at all then we will drop you off on Diego Garcia.”

Barone took another pause and looked around.

“I feel it is important that in order for me to lead you on this new mission I should explain how I came to this decision. I have been a Marine for eighteen years. I love the Marine Corps. I love my country and I love my Marines and their families. I cannot in good conscience lead us to the East Coast to clean up something that I feel is a total loss. I cannot lead you knowing that your families are at risk. Our federal government is gone; those authorities back in California are also gone. Without power and equipment our families are being left to fend for themselves. Our mission back east is to dig up dead bodies. By the time we make it back home we would be doing the same thing, but those bodies would be of our families and friends. This is why I have done this. I ask you to join me on this new mission. It will not be easy, and we will be alone, but I do not see our country being the same again. I have given you the new mission; I am giving you the choice to join me. We are now living in a new world. Who out there will join me?”