The general ran back to the idling AC-130 Gunship and it immediately began its way to the southern end of the runway for take-off. Preston turned to the other arrivals and watched in amazement as the medics took Will Smart off, looking dead to the world and asleep on a stretcher. The two Smart kids ran up and gave him a hug, with Maggie close behind, before she followed her husband into the medical tent from Seymour Johnson, erected only an hour earlier. Carlos disembarked next with a short Chinese gentleman behind him and two Chinese ladies. The group walked up to greet Preston as Jennifer hopped out of the forward door and ran to give him a hug.
“I’ve got to shower and get out of here. I’ll be ferrying in troops for the rest of the day,” she gasped and ran off toward the hangar, as Ghost Rider raced by, lifted off the runway and headed north. Within seconds the gunship was a speck in the sky, chasing after Buck.
“Preston, this is my Chinese friend, Lee Wang, his wife Lin, and his daughter Ling,” Carlos introduced everyone. Preston shook hands with his new guests and suggested that since Martie had cleaned all the sheets, they could sleep in Jennifer and Sally’s room. “We are exhausted,” shared Carlos. “I was told that the soldiers will unload our gear. Ask them to put all the stuff in the hangar out of the way. Lee and I have been awake all night and I need at least another six hours of sleep. There is a single bed downstairs. Shall we get it up to the third room for Ling?”
“Good idea,” nodded Preston. “I don’t know if Buck and Barbara are coming back this evening, so I guess I’ll have to give their room to the Smarts, we ran out of sleeping places several sets of visitors ago and it’s going to be cramped tonight.” Carlos suggested that he would sleep in his old room for the time being and then downstairs if it was needed. Preston concurred.
Preston helped the soldiers unload all of Carlos’ equipment out of both Tom and Jerry. He quickly recognized what Carlos was up to when he saw what was being taking out of the aircraft. While they were unloading, a freshly showered Jennifer returned, and with her crew from the house, she took off for Seymour Johnson.
Preston silently hoped that nobody else would appear that needed lodging. He had asked Jennifer to see if the base had any forms of room dividers—walls, doors, partitions—and at least a dozen new beds. They were running out of room.
*****
The chairman was alone in the board room. He had hardly left it since he had pressed the red buttons three days ago. He was being briefed by his team from downstairs.
“We have not had one transponder out of the airfield in North Carolina for 24 hours now, Comrade Chairman,” reported one of the engineers.
“And why do you think this is so?” the chairman turned to an advisor who was dressed in a Chinese Air Force uniform with the rank of colonel on his shoulders.
“We have seen no flights out of this airfield, Comrade Chairman,” he explained, “But we have seen single flights showing transponder activity over other areas, mostly heading from the north in a southerly direction, I assume to get away from the cold weather. This current storm is looking very bad for the American people and very good for us.”
“We know our satellites are picking up aircraft transponder signals correctly, Comrade Chairman,” the colonel responded, still standing at attention. “We have destroyed three aircraft and their pilots in Europe. There was one terminated in Australia early this morning. The other two reports are far out in the western desert and our termination squads are preparing for desert travel. There can only be one of two reasons why we are not picking up transponders in the United States. Either they have run out of fuel and have no way of refueling their aircraft, or they have turned their transponders off.”
“Why would they do that?” the chairman asked.
“All military aircraft use their transponders over friendly territory and turn them off during battle conditions, or over foreign soil if needed. All small propeller-driven aircraft can do the same. It is part of their pre-flight checks and mandatory internationally to have their transponders transmitting, Comrade Chairman.”
“Why would they suddenly go to battle conditions, Colonel?”
“If they aren’t transmitting for that reason, and we have no evidence to suggest that, it could be that they have realized that an attack might be imminent, or they have found out about our plans and termination squads,” the colonel responded.
“Impossible,” replied the chairman, snarling at the man. “My plans are 30 years in the making and our termination squads will die before they surrender any information, of which they have little. There is no way the Americans can know who is behind this ‘situation.’ It was made to look like a natural disaster—to them anyway—and with no communications, nobody should be able to organize anything. They should all be running around like chickens with no heads.”
“Yes, Comrade Chairman,” the colonel responded. The chairman ordered someone to fetch Comrade Wang. Several minutes later Lee Wang’s old boss appeared, looking tired.
“You wanted to see me, Comrade Chairman?” he asked.
“What is the latest information from our people in America?” the chairman asked.
“The ten squads on the East Coast are currently moving south and should be in a position to check out the airfield in North Carolina within 24 hours. There has been much more movement on the East Coast than on the West Coast. We really thought that the warmer weather would produce more work for our men, but may I suggest that we transfer the West Coast teams to the eastern seaboard, Comrade Chairman? We are going to be there two weeks earlier than on the West Coast, and this move will make our teams more successful at eliminating trouble and help the food ships arrive. Once everything is under our power, they will have two weeks to return to the West Coast and organize the food ships there.”
“I also have a feeling that something is wrong on the East Coast,” the chairman agreed. “Something is not right. Send all the squads in the continental United States in the direction of Washington, D.C. They will take at least three days to get there. Make sure they travel on different roads and in convoys of no more than five or ten vehicles. Travel during the day only, and do not terminate anybody in the farming regions. We are going to need those American farmers to produce food for our new country. I want a complete report as soon as the squads have terminated everybody at this airfield, or whatever it is. It could even be empty of people at this point. Why would anybody stay if there is no fuel to fly anything? Destroy it anyway. Tell the squads to go in fast and terminate everything they see, and then repot back immediately. Understand, Comrade Wang?”
“Yes, Comrade Chairman,” and Mo Wang left, noticing that the old man was getting tired and irritable. He needed to come back with good news.
*****
The president was waiting, as patient as a man could be with his country in the middle of a meltdown. It was with a sense of satisfaction that they finally heard the rotors of the Huey coming to get them. “About time,” he grumbled to the ambassador as they got up to leave. The president had a small overnight bag packed, and his wife and kids came downstairs to say goodbye. He gave them all a big hug and headed out to the garden.
“I don’t think you should be leaving the White House, Mr. President,” his chief bodyguard commented, worried about losing his control of the protection of the president.