“Hold on a minute, Mariano. The President’s been assassinated? And you’re responsible?” Stunned, Vince suddenly remembered the partial alert they had fielded just before the black helicopter attacked.
“I warned you that it was a real goat fuck, Kellogg. And you still don’t know the half of it. The only reason I’m even sharing this with you is that I need your help to complete my mission.
I’m gambling that there’s an ounce of unadulterated patriotism left in you, and that you’ll listen to me with an open mind.
“The movement to which I’ve dedicated my life seeks to redirect priorities, and put our beloved country back on the path to greatness. Only a total fool could believe that America is headed in the right direction. The country has turned its back on God, selling out for a quick, self-serving buck. We’re spiritually bankrupt, and you have only to look to the top to see that ethics and morality are no longer a prerequisite for leadership.
“Like a malignant cancer, outside forces are at work undermining the foundations of Lady Liberty. For the first time in our history, foreign officers in the service of the United Nations, are leading American troops into battle. A so-called World Court attempts to order one of our states not to execute a convicted rapist and murderer, while the World Bank is busy redistributing our hard-earned wealth to undeserving nations far from our shores. We’ve lost our way, and have forgotten the last words of Founding Father John Adams, who went to meet his Maker proclaiming, “Independence forever!”
“By the good grace of God, a group of patriots has gathered together to save America in its hour of need. I’m proud to be a part of this movement, whose ranks include dozens of high placed government officials, military officers, and select civilians.
With a nerve center here beneath America’s heartland, we’ve taken that all-important first step in a second revolution. And even though many brave citizens have already died for the cause, their blood shall nourish America’s rebirth.”
“If I’m hearing you right,” interrupted Vince, “you’re talking about a coup d’etat. What could possibly motivate you to go to such an extreme?”
Mariano tightened his grip on the cell’s steel bars, and his powerful voice rose in response.
“To tell you the truth, we could have lived with the encroachment of One World interests and the moral corruption of our leaders. But the one thing that spurred us into action was the proposed Global Zero Alert treaty.
With America’s military might already decimated by foolish budget cuts and shortsighted planning, the treaty would have left us wide open to another Pearl Harbor-type sneak attack. A truly determined enemy wouldn’t think twice before breaking the agreement, no matter how strict its tenets are. And hell, it’s the threat of a nuclear war that’s kept the peace for the past five decades!
“We urged the President not to support this dangerous experiment in arms control. But he wouldn’t listen. So we were forced to intervene, by utilizing an assault force in the Crimea, to terminate his command and redirect the ship of state from a certain catastrophic collision.” He paused, slowly smiling.
“We thought it would be difficult to arrange, you know. But you can buy anything in Russia these days.”
“What’s a Global Zero Alert treaty?” asked Miriam, perplexed by the exchange.
Vince answered her.
“It’s an idea first proposed by the President of Russia, to prevent an accidental nuclear war by removing the explosive warheads from all the various delivery systems.”
“Could you really sleep soundly at night knowing that our nuclear forces would be unable to immediately retaliate in the event of a surprise attack, Kellogg?” asked Mariano.
“It doesn’t matter what I think as an individual,” Vince replied.
“If such a treaty were to be ratified by our Congress and signed by the President, I guess I’d learn to live with it.”
A look of disgust filled Mariano’s face.
“Spoken like the good sheep that you are, Kellogg. Thank goodness there are others who see this treaty as the dangerous folly that it is, and have dared to act on their convictions.”
“I still can’t believe that any high-ranking military men would ever go to the extreme of actively supporting such a cause,” remarked Vince.
Mariano grinned.
“You’d be surprised, my friend. Our leadership comes right from the very top, and extends all the way down to the individual unit level.”
“Certainly you’re not talking about the Joint Chiefs?” Vince said.
“No. Their Chairman,” returned Mariano, a twinkle in his dark eyes.
“And not only does Admiral Trent Warner bring his years of experience to our movement, but also his own flying command post — Nightwatch.
“Now that the President has been eliminated, the Chairman has control of the nuclear football, making him the temporary head of state until the next in line is sworn in as Commanderin-Chief.”
“But that’s the Vice President!” blurted Vince.
“Precisely,” Mariano retorted.
“We know you’re the Special Agent in Charge of Andrew Chapman’s security detail. And as such, surely you can tell us where we can find him.”
Now that Vince was aware of the favor Mariano wanted from him, he reacted instinctively.
“You really think I’d tell you, after you sent Lewis Marvin and one of your teams to blow us out of the water?”
“Damn it, Kellogg! You always were a stubborn, pigheaded asshole. I’ll give you fifteen minutes to reconsider. Then we’ll kill the girl, with you to follow.”
Mariano disappeared into the shadows, and Vince looked at Miriam, sensing both her fear and her confusion.
“Who was that guy, and what on earth was he talking about?” she questioned, tears clouding her big green eyes.
Vince hugged her.
“He’s a man I served with during the Vietnam War, and he’s talking about taking over the United States government.”
“I guess Pa was right, and the enemy really does have a base beneath Freeman Hollow,” she remarked, unwilling to break Vince’s protective embrace.
“Was he serious about killing us?”
Vince checked his watch, and answered while scanning the cell’s interior.
“I imagine we’ll find out in about fourteen minutes.
But instead of just waiting around until then, I say let’s see if we can break out of this joint.”
A hurried inventory found a filthy mattress rolled up in a corner, and a rusty bucket — their toilet facilities. A shelf had been carved into the rock beside the bucket, and they were somewhat surprised to find a half-filled plastic soda bottle on it, along with a brown plastic packet that Vince identified as an MRE.
“Are you hungry?” he asked while using his teeth to tear open the book-sized packet.
“Mister, I’m so nervous I can’t even think about food. Don’t tell me you’re gonna eat?”
Vince emptied the MRE onto the floor and began sorting through its contents.
“Let’s see now, we’ve got a packet of beef stew, some apple jelly. Tabasco sauce, cherry-flavored beverage powder, a slice of pound cake… and here’s some spearmint gum.” He tossed Miriam this last item, and while she removed a piece, he pulled out a clear plastic envelope and eagerly tore it open.
“What in the world is that?” she said, referring to the four by-five-inch, thin gray wafer he proceeded to remove and hold up like it was a precious gemstone.
“My dear, this MRE heater could be our ticket out of this dungeon,” he whispered triumphantly.
Vince checked the cell’s locking mechanism before unscrewing the half-filled bottle of soda and sniffing the contents.
“It’s flat and warm, but I guess it should do the trick. Give me a piece of that gum, and do me a favor and chew up the rest of the pack.”