Chapter Seven
Remake or Rebuild
The first thing
James did when that video conference was over had been to go to the small
office they had provided for him. He sat down for a moment and just tried to
let it all sink in. Then he got down on his knees and prayed. General Kendrick
had warned him that the President intended to do something big, but he hadn't
mentioned anything like this. James had been expecting a summons to appear
before the President or Congress. He hadn't expected to be given command of the
entire military in the western United States.
He was just a Colonel! There were plenty of men wearing stars to do that
job! They weren't going to take any orders from him without a lot of trouble.
After his prayer, James had just remained there on his knees thinking and
listening for answers. He was still on his knees when someone knocking at his
door finally raised his attention. He told them to enter without ever rising.
It was Major Roberts. He was clearly shocked to see James on his knees. James smiled
as he stood up and spoke to him. "You will have to excuse me. I was just
trying to get my thoughts in order. What it is that you need?"
Major Roberts managed
a quick response, even if his voice was a bit unsteady. "You didn't answer
when you were paged, sir. They sent me to check on you. General Kendrick is on
a secure line for you." James laughed as he nodded his head and went to
take the call. He spoke as he walked out. "Thanks, I guess I was
completely lost in thought for a few minutes. Tell everyone not to worry, I am
alright. I just suddenly seem to have a lot more on my mind." James picked
up the phone and listened while Kendrick talked with him about what had just
happened. When he was finished explaining what was now expected from James he asked
what James needed for them to provide. James hadn't been completely lost in
thought. He had been considering what would be needed to restore order to the
cities and surrounding areas he was now responsible for. Actually he had been
considering more about who he needed to help him and how to get them. That was
what he asked for when finally given a chance to say something.
James was smiling as
he asked General Kendrick for the one person he wanted the most. "Sir, I
need you to locate General Hodges and get him on a jet to me ASAP. I need to
speak with him in person before I can begin to do anything more than continue
to supply relief to those willing to accept it. Until I have spoken with him, I
won't know exactly who and what else I will need." There was a long
silence on the line before Kendrick replied. When he spoke it was clear that
hadn't been a request he had expected from James. "Are you kidding me? You
heard the President has dismissed him! Why in the name of heaven would you want
me to send him to you after that? That could be a disaster! His men loved him!
They are more likely to follow him than anybody else, especially you! You are
going to have enough trouble getting everyone to follow your orders without
having him in the same area. Seriously, just tell me what you need to get the
job done and I will coordinate things to get everything to you."
James took a deep
breath and spoke again. "Sir, what I need is General Hodges here ASAP.
Please just locate him and get him here. That is what I really need. Can you
find him and get him here for me?" Again there was a long silence.
Kendrick spoke in a much softer tone this time. "He won't be any problem
to find. I put him under house arrest right here. The last thing I wanted was
for him to get out where his men might decide to rally behind him. We are
literally on the brink of civil war, revolution, and or collapse of the entire
nation. We have to be extremely careful or we will make it happen rather than
stop it. Are you sure you want him? I can promise you he won't be interested in
helping you. He may not even agree to see you! He thinks you are a fool! And
that we are bigger fools for listening to you. James he hates you! You stand
for everything he is against!" James had listened but he wasn't swayed by
those words. He just told Kendrick to put Hodges on a plane and get him to
Edwards AFB even if he had to restrain him to do it. James also requested they
start prepping to move troops and their equipment back home from overseas. They
would be needed if they expected to maintain order after James restored it. He
simply didn't have enough manpower available at the moment to both restore
order and then maintain it too.
Once he was off the
phone James spent a few hours trying to get the people he already had working
with him ready to handle two separate operations as well as the expansion of
the area they were responsible for. They would soon have to coordinate the
current relief efforts while organizing efforts to begin restoring some real
order and stability inside the cities too. Each was a massive job and it would
strain their resources even more to try to manage both at once until more
support began to arrive. After he had started that process James stepped back
to let the people directly responsible figure out the finer details. He took
the chance to go and make a call to Sarah. He hadn't had a chance to talk to
her or the kids since this had all started. She was with her father in Austin.
Things hadn't gotten quite so bad in Texas. That was partly because the people
weren't so unprepared and partly because the Texas state government had been
more prepared. Her father hadn't only used Texas Guard troops to restore order.
He had demanded that the President have the military forces stationed in Texas
join the Guard in those efforts. James also learned that he owed her father for
another action; this one an act of kindness. He had contacted the governor of
Virginia and convinced him, governor to governor, to send a Guard unit to check
on and assist James family. Sarah told him that his folks were all fine and
hadn't needed any help, but that the unit had remained in the area to help
others that did. After the call and that good news James was finally able to
get some real rest for the first time in a long time.
No comments:
Post a Comment