Secrets Within Secrets

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"Colonel, heading back to Baltimore?" Jackson was surprised that Ramirez was in so early. Either he was stopping in to say goodbye, or something else was afoot.

"I wish that was the case. But I'm here because the President, the one in Martinsburg, wants Johansen brought in. Yesterday."

"Damn, is he good to travel by road? We were planning on ..." Jackson began.

"Cancel that idea, Leroy. We can helo him to Martinsburg from the hospital."

"Uh, look boss, there are militia units out there and they've got man portable heat seeking missile launchers."

Ramirez nodded, "I know. Say, did you know I've got a cousin in the Marines?"

Jackson looked puzzled, he didn't see the relevance, "No, I didn't. What's that got to do with ..."

"He's a Lieutenant Colonel, flies Marine attack helicopters. He's coming to visit."

Jackson shook his head, as if to clear it. It was early and he was confused. "Sir, I don't get what ..."

"He's bringing friends with him, flying Johansen, Choe, and Chapman to Martinsburg shouldn't be a problem."

Seeing the look on Jackson's face, Ramirez relented. "Cousin Oscar is bringing three Marine attack helicopters with him. He has orders to provide an escort to Martinsburg. Seems as if he's thrown his lot in with the state of Maryland. Said state already having acknowledged John Nakagawa as being the President of the United States."

Having the fog cleared for him, Jackson grinned. "How soon?"

"They should be here by ten this morning. So cancel your convoy, can you have your helo take Choe and Chapman?"

"Sure thing, Chapman already volunteered to fly left seat, she's seen combat you know, my second pilot and Admiral Choe volunteered to be door gunners."

"Admiral?"

"Yes, his promotion came through late last night. President wants him and Chapman in Martinsburg."

"I didn't think our AW-139s mounted door guns." Ramirez pointed out.

"One of my pilots flew helicopters in the Army, he showed us how to rig things up. Some parachute cord, two M60s we got back in the 90s, and presto, the Maryland State Police has an impromptu gunship."

Ramirez checked his watch, "We've got a few hours, rig your bird, get over to UPMC and we'll see about moving Johansen."

"Copy that, boss."

Ephraim Johansen was groggy, the medical staff had been keeping him pretty doped up. His missing leg ached, which freaked him out, in fact, his entire situation freaked him out. He had heard snatches of information during his brief moments of clarity.

John Nakagawa was now President, the FBI Director was dead, half the Congress had fled the area, his own situation looked dire. He'd been formally arrested two days ago and had been charged with seditious conspiracy under 18 U.S. Code § 2384.¹ He could be facing twenty years in prison!

Homeland Security claimed that they had no idea who he was, which had really pissed him off, FBI was in such disarray that no one was answering the phones in DC. The State Police had tried the Baltimore office, they had referred them to the DC office.

Johansen wanted to tell the police that he was actually CIA, though he had nothing to prove that, there was a number they could call. Whether or not the people manning that line would acknowledge him was another question.

He felt that his career was finished anyway, what use was a one-legged spook?

"Can I help you?" the receptionist didn't even look up, he continued to type at his computer.

Jackson cleared his throat, "Look at me young fellow. Now."

The receptionist looked up, saw the badge, then became instantly more attentive.

"Ephraim Johansen, where is he being held?"

After a few keystrokes, the receptionist looked up and said, "We have no one by that name in the hospital, Sir."

"Good answer, call your head of security and have him meet me here in the lobby."

"Your name, Sir?"

"Leroy Jackson, Captain, Maryland State Police."

"Very good, Sir."

"He's in here, Captain." The head of hospital security, a retired Baltimore cop, led Jackson to Johansen's room.

Jackson looked around, "Where's the trooper on duty?"

"We sent him home, trust me Captain, this guy's not a flight risk."

Jackson turned to his security team, "Get the prisoner down to the helicopter pad, and take this asshole into custody." He nodded at the retired Baltimore cop.

"Whoa, now hold on, what the hell do you think you're doing?" The cop cried out as two State troopers grabbed him, cuffed him, then pushed him against the nearest wall, not so gently.

Jackson turned to the man, "Don't know how you morons do things in Baltimore, but up here we follow orders. You were told that this involved national security, and you still f**ked things up."

"Look here, Captain ..."

Jackson snarled, "Take this idiot to holding, read him his rights, then arrest him for obstructing justice."

"You can't ..."

"Gag him." Jackson snapped at one of the troopers.

Johansen tried to sit up, he was still too weak. People were coming into the room, he recognized two of them, Choe and Chapman.

"Beth, what the heck is going on?"

Before he could answer, Choe stepped up and said quietly, "You're going to see the President. We're going by helicopter, any funny business and you're going flying all by yourself. Are we clear on that, Mr. Johansen? If that's even your real name."

A sudden chill went up Johansen's spine, he could tell that Choe wasn't kidding.

"Captain Choe, believe me ..."

"It's Rear Admiral Choe now." Chapman snapped at him.

"Okay, okay, Admiral, listen to me ..."

"Shut your mouth, you damned traitor." Jackson looked as though he was about to hit Johansen, he was thinking of his dead trooper, Corporal Maria Campos. He knew that Johansen hadn't been there, but he believed that her killer, Jack Morgan, had been working for Johansen.

Johansen's eyes looked desperately around the room, then realizing that it was his only hope, he said, "Admiral, lean in close, no one else can hear this."

Jackson, suspecting some trick, drew his service pistol and placed the barrel within an inch of Johansen's head. "Any funny business and I'll paste your brains all over the wall."

Johansen nodded and murmured, "I understand."

Choe looked at Jackson, who nodded. He leaned in, his right ear close to Johansen's mouth. What he heard nearly drove him to his knees.

Johansen whispered, "Hakunetsu no ikari.²"

"Captain Jackson, we need to get this man to the President, immediately."

"Well Admiral, that's what the President ordered so ..."

Choe turned to the others in the room and ordered, "Get Mr. Johansen down to the Medevac helo immediately, Beth go with them."

Jackson nodded, then watched as his people moved Johansen out of the room. When he and Choe were alone, he asked, "What's going on here?"

"Johansen just told me the name of an operation so secret, that maybe ten people in the world know it. I'm one, I'm assuming President Nakagawa knows now as well, I worked for Admiral Whalen, he's with the President and he's in on the operation. It's extremely vital that we get Johansen to the President as soon as humanly possible."

Jackson wanted to ask questions, but he held his peace. Saying simply, "Let's go."

Choe was shaken to his very core, how could Johansen know the name of the operation, he also was stunned that Johansen knew to say the name in Japanese. If intercepted, suspicion in Asia would fall on Japan, not the United States. Choe thought that a rotten thing to do to an ally, then again, his great-grandparents had suffered under Japanese occupation when that nation had sought to eradicate Korean culture and make Korea part of Japan proper, not just a colony.

Not all Koreans hated the Japanese for that, the new generations thought that hatred of Japan was ridiculous when their fellow Koreans to the north wanted to enslave them. Even many of them were willing to appease the North. Choe and his generation thought them fools and cowards.

All that aside, Choe shivered as he stepped into the open and watched the Medivac lift off. He hurried over to the State Police helicopter and climbed in. As he strapped himself in, he heard Chapman shout something at him as she tapped the headset she was wearing.

Choe nodded, donned his headset and heard Chapman say, "What's wrong, Admiral? You look like you've seen a ghost?"

Choe shook his head and said, "I'm terrified of helicopters."

As they lifted off, Choe felt that he'd left his stomach on the helipad, which was true. But more to the point, he was distracted by what he knew and what seemed now to be operational.

For "Incandescent Fury" was the Top Secret War Plan detailing the U.S. reaction to a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. Nuclear weapons played a prominent role in that plan. Something must have happened in the Pacific to trigger this. Perhaps Johansen was somehow involved in causing this. He keyed his microphone.

"Trooper," Choe nudged the man across the cabin from him, "what's the news from the Pacific? Anything going on out there?"

Trooper Kurt Wagner nodded, keying his microphone he answered, "We've heard that a shooting war has started over the Spratly Islands. A Philippine Navy ship was sunk, a Japanese destroyer was heavily damaged, and two Chinese ships were destroyed. Some say one, but other reports say two."

Choe went pale, "Chinese ships? Communist Chinese?"

Trooper Wagner nodded.

Choe stared into space, then Wagner barked at him, "Jesus Admiral, is this how you stand a bridge watch? Watch your damned sector, will ya?"

"Right, right, sorry."

As Choe recovered his senses and began to watch out his side of the helo, Trooper Wagner grinned, looking towards his own sector. Former Fire Controlman Second Class Wagner had always wanted to yell at an officer. Then he too paled, guys who had held command at sea seldom showed fright, Choe looked like he had peered into the abyss.

Wagner had been in the Navy long enough to know that when the brass hats looked worried, the shit was about to hit the fan.

¹ If two or more persons in any State or Territory, or in any place subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, conspire to overthrow, put down, or to destroy by force the Government of the United States, or to levy war against them, or to oppose by force the authority thereof, or by force to prevent, hinder, or delay the execution of any law of the United States, or by force to seize, take, or possess any property of the United States contrary to the authority thereof, they shall each be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both. (Source)

² 白熱の怒り- Japanese for Incandescent Fury.