Brown tried to play it cool, but his sudden absence of jokes spoke volumes. He realized too late that he should be playing dumb. The FBI agent beamed.
“So you know what I’m talking about, hmm? That little murder of the Supreme Court’s designated presidential successor? The one death that started the political fight between Dimone and the president that got out of hand. The single assassination that eventually led to this whole Godforsaken war? You know, even after all that’s happened this last year, Washington is still searching for the killer. Just haven’t found him yet.”
“What does any of this stuff have to do with some simple enlisted POW?” Brown didn’t bother glancing in the folder. He knew far more details than could ever be written there. The agent ignored him and kept smirking.
“Despite all the wild media speculation that Senator Dimone had turned the Florida National Guard into his own private army and they were responsible for the assassination, most investigators believe otherwise. All signs point to the president being the intended target. Simply bad luck that Pierce was meeting with him in the Oval Office at the time. I’ll let you in on a little known fact: the president was about to resign and let Pierce take over. That’s why they were meeting. Rumor has it the president was overcome with grief when his great non-lethal show of force in Florida turned into a bloodbath.”
Brown’s cheek twitched a little. “I… did not know that. Doesn’t matter. That disgrace for a Commander in Chief put us in harm’s way and then hung us out to dry! Refused to send in air support or reinforcements when the Florida Guard attacked us. I was there, man. The White House didn’t want to ‘escalate things.’ I lost hundreds of good men on that disastrous ‘publicity stunt’ of his. How he fucking felt afterwards won’t bring the dead back to life! Why doesn’t he tell all the widows and orphans he created how hard it is for him?”
The nameless man joined the conversation again. “Actually, I agree with you 100 %, Sergeant Major, but there’s nothing we can do to fix the past. All we can do is make sure their sacrifice wasn’t in vain and keep this country from having to slaughter any more of its youth.”
Brown tensed. This guy was making too much sense. “That’s exactly why we’re trying to crush all you rebel scum. You bastards want to destroy everything generations of Americans have died creating and protecting.”
“Come on, Sergeant Major. That’s the same rhetoric President Salazar gives against the Feds. What we’re fighting for are two sides to the same damn coin. Thing is, I think we can agree on one point: that man in Washington must pay for his crimes.”
Brown bit his tongue back. This was all too convenient. Too tempting. The FBI agent sighed. “Are we really going to go back and forth on this? There’s no extradition treaty between the USA and URA. Of course we don’t know all the details, but I have a general idea of what you did while evading capture after the Fort Blanding battle. You weren’t in Florida. Do you need to see the security camera footage from a gas station in northern Virginia, just twenty minutes after the White House attack?”
“What the hell do you bastards want from me?”
The soldier in civilian clothes stood up and came around the table. He flipped on his phone and streamed a live feed from some war rally the real president was giving in occupied Kansas City. Nowadays known as a border town in this civil war.
“You were so close the first time. How’d you like a second chance to kill that son of a bitch? To pay him back and end this war for good.”
Brown scratched his face so hard it hurt. “That does sound good. Let me sleep on it, huh? Give me a day or two to think it over.”
The Special Forces man smiled. “Will you have much time to think while digging that escape tunnel all night? The one in barracks #2. You really think every inmate here is a captured Fed? Give us some credit!”
Brown hid his shock well. “You can’t expect me to run off with URA troops and leave all my fellow POW’s here. If you know me so damn well, you sure as hell know I’m not the collaborating type.”
The FBI agent left the room with a nod from the other man. Even one on one, Brown didn’t like the odds of taking this eagle-eyed man down.
“The details are classified even beyond his level. Here’s the deal, Sergeant Major. You don’t have to join us. This is a lone-wolf operation. We’ll get you close to the president, and you take it from there. You’re so focused on saving a few hundred prisoners here. Well, end the damn war and save every POW everywhere.”
Brown stared him down. “If you’ve figured out my past, surely the Secret Service has as well.”
“Don’t worry. They don’t have the same evidence as we do, yet. Of course, after what we have planned, they won’t look any further into your past.”
Brown ground his teeth, but uncrossed his arms. “Are you sure you can get me close?”
“That’s the easy part. Are you sure you can go through with it? Even after all he’s done, this is still your president and you have sworn an oath….”
The mysterious guy sprang back in fear from the fire in Brown’s eyes. Months of suppressed rage exploded on Brown’s dark face. The ghosts of all those lost echoed in his animalistic howl.
“No mistakes this time. I’ll do it with my bare hands!”
Part I
You must not fight too often with one enemy, or you will teach him all your art of war.
Chapter 1
President Salazar fumed as she waited for her cabinet. Her security chief apologized for the tenth time. “I’m sorry ma’am, but we have to stagger every attendee’s arrival. No matter how costly airstrikes this far west are, Washington seems willing to gamble anything to take you out.”
Salazar chucked her pen on the mountain of Executive Orders still begging for a final proof. She kneaded her eyes, stretching deep into her soothing leather chair…
She tumbled over before remembering the cheap folding metal thing under her butt. The nearest guard caught her, but not before her patience snapped.
The tiny governor of California, or President of the United Republics of America as a third of the country called her, flung the chair across the office, scrapping the concrete block wall. “When the hell are they going to finish my bunker? I can’t keep doing this jumping location shit every day!”
Her security chief had long since learned when to shut up and let her vent. He didn’t bother mentioning how US cruise missiles leveled three of her last ten temporary offices. Always within hours of her relocating. He’d seen more than one bodyguard kicked to the curb for underestimating the petite, middle-aged woman’s temper. He didn’t say another word until his radio chirped.
“Copy. Ma’am, all essential staff are now assembled in the conference room.”
Like flipping a switch, Salazar donned her female FDR persona and glided into the next room.
“Please, stay seated everyone. I’m glad to see you all made it here safely. My word, it’s been too long since our last face-to-face meeting, but don’t think I haven’t noticed all the great work you’ve been doing.”
The charm offensive didn’t fool her most important cabinet members. They made sure she sat down first. Salazar’s taught smile broadened as she studied the cluster of uniforms at the far end of the table.
“Let’s start with the most pressing issue: our long delayed counteroffensive against the Washington regime. I’m only receiving vague reports about the efforts to rebuild our armed forces. I do hope this poor communication is intended to keep US spies in the dark. Please tell me someone knows what’s going on with my army?”