They Wanted to Do What?

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Anthony Merrick was wearing headphones and staring intently at his computer monitor. He had made sure that no one from the station was looking over his shoulder when he started the playback. He noticed that he needn't have worried, the armed men, and he noted that there were two or three women with them, had herded everyone except him and Jennifer Graziano into an isolated corner of the studio.

What he was seeing, and hearing, was making him sick to his stomach. A Senator, a very senior Senator, describing his plan to overthrow the United States government, by any means available, to include violence. Hawthorne tried to sugarcoat things, to make his plan palatable across a wide range of the political spectrum, but the man was deluded. Only the most hard core leftists in the country would have ever accepted such a plan. It was insanity.

"Jen, tap into console 12, I'm going to play a video for you."

"Okay, Anthony, let it roll."

Alonzo Gutierrez was watching the facial expressions of the TV guy as the guy watched the video he'd provided. At first he had looked smug, as if thinking to himself, "What sort of crap have these far right extremists brought in?" Then the guy had sat up, a more concerned expression on his face. Now the man looked sick, he had gone pale, then his expression had assumed a worried, but thoughtful look.

It was interesting to watch this play out, Gutierrez thought.

The guy spoke to the woman sitting to his right, she had fiddled with something on her keyboard, and now her face ran through nearly the same gamut of expressions. She spoke to the guy, who looked up at Gutierrez and waved him over.

"This is my assistant news director, Jennifer Graziano, she agrees with me that this is some pretty heavy stuff, and if it's true ..."

Gutierrez stirred at that, "Hey pal, that shit's gospel. We went to a lot of trouble ..."

Merrick held both hands up, "I'm sure you think it is ..." Gutierrez bristled at that.

"Okay, you know it's gospel, but we still need to run a few checks before we can broadcast this. Do you have any idea how easy it is to fake these videos these days? My 12-year old grandson faked a short film starring John Wayne and Abraham Lincoln using software he downloaded from the Internet. Looked real as hell. We have equipment that can dig deep into this video and pretty much prove one way or the other as to its legitimacy."

"And how long is that going to take?" The guy he'd gotten the video from had explained all of this to Gutierrez. Said to expect this, but Gutierrez didn't want to stick around as long as that might take. The city was still under the control of its local government and police, he'd rather not get into a firefight with the local cops, nor spend the night in jail, or worse, while things were sorted out.

After all, the nearest Federal units which could assist them were a good two days away. He and his militia were on their own. For now.

"Any more news out of China?" the President asked. Nakagawa looked weary and disheveled. He knew that being an effective President took a lot out of man, but until experiencing it over the past few months, he realized that he hadn't know the half of it!

General Wurther nodded at the new Army Chief of Staff, General Herman Riedel, "You want to brief this, Herman?"

Riedel nodded, "Certainly, Sir."

Nakagawa didn't know the man very well, but he was highly regarded in the Army and by the other services as well. His career had taken off based on his actions in combat during the "Yemen Affair," as many in the press liked to call it, Nakagawa knew it was a war, everyone who had been there knew it was a war. Nakagawa shook his head, he was daydreaming.

Riedel had a map up on the center big screen display. Nakagawa recognized it as a map of the area around Beijing.

"Last we heard, Premier Liu's convoy was ambushed here," his pointer highlighted a spot on one of the roads to Zhangjiakou, "we've been getting reports from Chinese sources that Liu was injured, but we have no idea how badly."

"Her convoy did manage to destroy the ambushing force, then they linked up with a tank-heavy force here," again the pointer highlighted the map, "just south of Shacheng. That force has pushed on to Zhangjiakou. Reports there indicate that Liu was received by cheering crowds."

Nakagawa nodded, "What of Beijing?"

"Chaos, fighting in the streets, lots of dead and injured according to the Polish Embassy."

"Damn."

"Yes Sir, but it appears that the people have spoken. Rumors of Communists hanging from light poles, impromptu firing squads for former officials ..."

"The Chinese people are pissed off, aren't they?" Aspinall chimed in.

"You betcha, they are not taking prisoners." Riedel answered.

At 8th and I, LCpl Theodore Gentile was on duty at the only gate allowing access to the complex. There was a Navy sedan at the gate, with what appeared to be a Navy four star aboard. He'd given Gentile his ID and was patiently waiting. Unlike the last time an admiral had attempted to gain access to the Marine Barracks at 8th and I!

Gunnery Sergeant Jack Ermey approached the gate and asked Gentile, "This better be good Corp, I was about to go get some chow."

Gentile handed Gunny Ermey the ID card, then nodded at the Navy car parked just outside the gate.

Ermey looked at the ID and surprised Gentile when a smile broke out on his face. "Well, I'll be a sonofabitch. Keep the car covered,Teddy, leastwise until I can confirm the occupant is who this card says he is."

As Ermey approached the vehicle, making sure he didn't block Gentile's line of sight, the driver's window rolled down. "Hey Gunny, what's shaking?"

"What the hell has washed up on my AO¹? Admiral Whalen, how the hell are ya, Sir?"

Ermey snapped to attention and executed a perfect salute, still seated, the Admiral returned the salute. "Okay if I dismount?"

"Knock yourself out, Sir."

Gentile's jaw nearly hit the deck when an honest-to-God Navy four star in his service dress blues got out of the car and he and the Gunny exchanged a hug.

"Wipe that shit-eating grin off your face, Gentile!"

Still smiling, Gentile snapped, "Aye, Aye, Gunny!"

In nearly the same breath, Gentile said to the Admiral, "Good evening, Sir!"

"So Gunny, I need a favor ..."

"Ah shit, Admiral, Sir, last time you asked me for a favor they were picking Houthi RPG shrapnel out of my leg for a month."

"Yeah, sorry about that, but hey, they didn't kill ya, did they?"

"Damn near. Now bring that car inside Admiral, we don't want to block this gate. Then you can tell me what you need."

Though still unsure of the situation in China, and with no further word from India, Nakagawa had decided to put his head down. Again. After all, Aspinall had insisted, saying, "Tired leaders make stupid decisions, Mr. President, you need to get some sleep. If anything happens, we'll wake you up."

"Alright, but I want to be awakened immediately when you locate Admiral Whalen."

"Will do, Sir."

That had been nearly five hours ago. It was still another hour until dawn when Aspinall awakened him.

Nakagawa was instantly awake, he felt like he'd slept for twelve hours or more. He was refreshed. "What is it, Bill?"

"Sir, Admiral Whalen has returned, he brought a platoon of Marines with him."

"Do we need a platoon of Marines?"

"The Admiral thought that the security here at the Pentagon is lacking. Heck, half the people assigned here have yet to report back for duty. And honestly Sir, I'm not sure that the PFPA² could withstand an actual assault. They were understaffed before the shit hit the fan. Pardon my French."

"Okay, good. The Admiral should have told us before going off on might have been a wild goose chase."

"Yes Sir, but there's more news."

Nakagawa got a disgusted look on his face, "Now what?"

"A television station in Buffalo is broadcasting a video featuring the late, unlamented, Senator Franklin Hawthorne."

"Ah shit, what sort of propaganda is that dead asshole spouting?"

"Ain't like that Boss, it's pretty much a confession of everything that damned Silver Dozen was attempting to do. Overthrow the government, suspend civil liberties, initiate martial law nationwide, repudiate treaties, damn, I wouldn't be surprised if they wanted to cancel all paid holidays as well!"

"The same station is also broadcasting a brief explanation of how they authenticated the video. People are going nuts, half of the media has gone silent, the other half are all protesting, 'But we didn't know!' The people have spoken, and they are not happy."

"Well, I'm not sure what to say ..."

"You don't have to say anything, Mr, President, WGRZ 2 in Buffalo is telling the world the truth for you. Hell, if we had an election today, you'd be the unanimous choice for a full term of your own. Hell, you could probably get the 22nd Amendment³ overturned!"

Nakagawa frowned, "One thing at a time, Bill, one thing at a time."

¹ Area of Operations

² Pentagon Force Protection Agency. (See here.)

³ Section 1 of the 22nd Amendment:

No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once. But this Article shall not apply to any person holding the office of President when this Article was proposed by the Congress, and shall not prevent any person who may be holding the office of President, or acting as President, during the term within which this Article becomes operative from holding the office of President or acting as President during the remainder of such term.