Chapter One
A Bad Feeling
September 19, 2043
Something was definitely wrong. Brian Fallon’s years in the Special Forces had taught him to trust his instincts and right now his instincts were telling him that something was wrong. This was supposed to be a simple mission. Go to the rendezvous point, pick up the message and bring that message back to the council. The same as he had done many times for the council before, but somehow this one felt different. He was convinced someone was following him as he had made his way from New Georgia. He wasn’t sure how close they were, but he knew they were there.
It was getting dark and he needed to rest. The old city of Atlanta was just ahead and it should provide him with a good place to get some rest and a chance to see if his instincts were right. Was someone following him and if so why?
The Atlanta skyline appeared in the distance. From this distance the city looked the same as it did during his college years when he used to live there. The only thing the skyline lacked was the illumination of thousands of lights. It was only when he entered the city limits that he began to see the decay of a city that had been abandoned years ago. The ghost town made for a great rest stop as there were plenty of places to hide and go unnoticed. Brian knew the city well and drove to downtown to find a good place to hold up.
He raced his motorcycle into the dead city and started looking for two things, a good place to hold up for the night and an old gas station. Gas wasn’t particularly hard to find in these old cities as no one drove anymore. The old stations still had gas in their tanks and the price was right – free. He came upon the downtown area and decided that one of the high rises would be best. He would be able to see the surrounding area and the animals didn’t seem to go to the higher floors of the old skyscrapers. He decided to pick a place with plenty of exits and a good view of the city. If his instincts were right, he didn’t want to get trapped.
He chose a high rise with a parking garage attached as it would enhance his chances of escaping if he was found. He drove his bike into the parking garage and began to look for a good spot to stash his bike. He had to stash it somewhere it would be safe but also easily accessible to him should things go to hell. He found an old electricity closet near and exit on the second level of the garage. This would be a good spot. He busted the latch and ditched the bike in the closet.
He entered the building and began making his way up the stairs. He had to watch out for the scavengers as well as the wild animals, but he had used Atlanta as a hold up many times and was pretty confident he was alone. Besides, he had enough fire power to handle a few scavengers.
The building was dark as there had not been electricity here in years. He used a dim flashlight as he moved up the stairwell. He found a room on the sixth floor where he could see in every direction. If someone was following him, he would see them from here.
He was sure whoever was behind him was at least a few hours away, so he could grab two hours of sleep. Another lesson he learned in the Special Forces, sleep was important. You make mistakes when you’re tired, so rest when you can. He hadn’t needed to use an alarm clock in years. Somehow his body always knew to wake him up at the right time. So he set his mental clock for two hours, found a comfortable spot and lay down, hoping not to dream.
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Chapter Two
The Beginning
April 9, 2018
The day Brian Fallon received his orders to Washington DC was the happiest day of his life. He was to act as aide to General Henry Simon who was the head of the Joint Chiefs. Brian would get the chance to advise President John McNamara on matters of state importance. It was rare that an officer with his limited experience would get such a prestigious posting. He liked to think that he had worked hard and earned it. But he knew that his family history had a lot to do with it as well.
Most days he loved coming to work. He couldn’t imagine doing anything else with his life. He had dreamed of a military career since he was a child. Dad had been a career military officer and had been an advisor to President George Bush. He remembered how proud he used to be of his dad when he was younger. He remembered the way his dad looked in his uniform. His dad loved America and had told Brian many times what an honor it was to serve your country. Brian knew as a small child that he would follow in his father’s footsteps.
Dad had died twelve years earlier in a terrorist attack. Brian had been 17 at the time. At the funeral, he promised his dad that he would make him proud someday. He was pretty sure that his dad would like the fact that he was now working in the White House and advising President McNamara. He was also sure his dad wouldn’t like the current state of affairs in the country.
Yeah, most days he loved coming to work. Today wasn’t one of them. Congress was voting on a very controversial tax bill and it had caused quite an uproar throughout the country. People had been protesting this bill for months. The country hadn’t seen a protest of this magnitude in his lifetime. It was all anyone could talk about. When Brian walked around his Georgetown neighborhood, he could hear people saying how unfair the bill was and that it should never pass. It struck him as odd that if the people who could afford to live in Georgetown didn’t like the bill, then what were the people saying outside the beltway.
Brian knew the bill was going to pass. He had sat in on a few high level meetings and the outcome of the vote was already decided. Decided. That’s how it worked today. The tax bill was going to save the true power running the country now, the conglomerates, billions of dollars. Who cares if it will make more people poor. We already had 50% of the population living below the poverty line. Living conditions in the country had deteriorated to a point that most people lived like animals. People couldn’t afford health care so disease was rampant in the cities. Crime was up, well except where the wealthy could afford to live. They had plenty of police protection. But the police didn’t even bother to control the ghetto neighborhoods anymore. The ghettos had their own laws and if you lived there, you were on your own. It was as if the people in the ivory tower didn’t even care what they were doing to the rest of the country.
As he approached the White House, he could see the protestors. There were thousands of them lining Pennsylvania Avenue. It was like they actually thought they could stop the bill from passing. If they only knew what he knew.
He had watched the news this morning and saw that similar crowds surrounded the capital building. Crowds had formed all around the country, in every capital, around every government agency. They should have surrounded the Stratum Building. The Stratum conglomerate really ran the country. They got Senators and Congressmen elected and they single handedly elected this President. Maybe if the protesters were at the Stratum headquarters then the board members might hear them. Although it’s unlikely that would change the outcome of the vote. There was too much money riding on this bill. Besides, the government stopped being about the people a long time ago. Brian thought how disappointed his dad would be with this country he had fought and died for.
The whole thing seemed a little sad to him. The country he had wanted to defend his whole life was being destroyed from within. He had watched it happen over the last few years. Recently, he watched it from inside the inner circle. He had witnessed the sheer disregard for the people by those elected officials who had sworn to represent them. He wondered when it would all end. He had no idea that this day wouldn’t be the end but would actually be the beginning. This day would go down in history as the catalyst to the start of the revolution.
The Beginning
April 9, 2018
The day Brian Fallon received his orders to Washington DC was the happiest day of his life. He was to act as aide to General Henry Simon who was the head of the Joint Chiefs. Brian would get the chance to advise President John McNamara on matters of state importance. It was rare that an officer with his limited experience would get such a prestigious posting. He liked to think that he had worked hard and earned it. But he knew that his family history had a lot to do with it as well.
Most days he loved coming to work. He couldn’t imagine doing anything else with his life. He had dreamed of a military career since he was a child. Dad had been a career military officer and had been an advisor to President George Bush. He remembered how proud he used to be of his dad when he was younger. He remembered the way his dad looked in his uniform. His dad loved America and had told Brian many times what an honor it was to serve your country. Brian knew as a small child that he would follow in his father’s footsteps.
Dad had died twelve years earlier in a terrorist attack. Brian had been 17 at the time. At the funeral, he promised his dad that he would make him proud someday. He was pretty sure that his dad would like the fact that he was now working in the White House and advising President McNamara. He was also sure his dad wouldn’t like the current state of affairs in the country.
Yeah, most days he loved coming to work. Today wasn’t one of them. Congress was voting on a very controversial tax bill and it had caused quite an uproar throughout the country. People had been protesting this bill for months. The country hadn’t seen a protest of this magnitude in his lifetime. It was all anyone could talk about. When Brian walked around his Georgetown neighborhood, he could hear people saying how unfair the bill was and that it should never pass. It struck him as odd that if the people who could afford to live in Georgetown didn’t like the bill, then what were the people saying outside the beltway.
Brian knew the bill was going to pass. He had sat in on a few high level meetings and the outcome of the vote was already decided. Decided. That’s how it worked today. The tax bill was going to save the true power running the country now, the conglomerates, billions of dollars. Who cares if it will make more people poor. We already had 50% of the population living below the poverty line. Living conditions in the country had deteriorated to a point that most people lived like animals. People couldn’t afford health care so disease was rampant in the cities. Crime was up, well except where the wealthy could afford to live. They had plenty of police protection. But the police didn’t even bother to control the ghetto neighborhoods anymore. The ghettos had their own laws and if you lived there, you were on your own. It was as if the people in the ivory tower didn’t even care what they were doing to the rest of the country.
As he approached the White House, he could see the protestors. There were thousands of them lining Pennsylvania Avenue. It was like they actually thought they could stop the bill from passing. If they only knew what he knew.
He had watched the news this morning and saw that similar crowds surrounded the capital building. Crowds had formed all around the country, in every capital, around every government agency. They should have surrounded the Stratum Building. The Stratum conglomerate really ran the country. They got Senators and Congressmen elected and they single handedly elected this President. Maybe if the protesters were at the Stratum headquarters then the board members might hear them. Although it’s unlikely that would change the outcome of the vote. There was too much money riding on this bill. Besides, the government stopped being about the people a long time ago. Brian thought how disappointed his dad would be with this country he had fought and died for.
The whole thing seemed a little sad to him. The country he had wanted to defend his whole life was being destroyed from within. He had watched it happen over the last few years. Recently, he watched it from inside the inner circle. He had witnessed the sheer disregard for the people by those elected officials who had sworn to represent them. He wondered when it would all end. He had no idea that this day wouldn’t be the end but would actually be the beginning. This day would go down in history as the catalyst to the start of the revolution.
Chapter Three
The Surprise
September 19, 2043
Brian woke suddenly. At first he thought someone was in the room, but a quick glance told him he was still alone. He looked at his watch, two hours had passed. It was still dark outside, but it would be daylight in a few hours. His instincts told him to stay put, something still wasn’t right but he wasn’t sure what. He would wait until daylight to continue to the rendezvous.
He got out some food from his pack and started to eat. That is when he heard the noise from outside. It was loud and he knew right away what it was. Only the scavengers made that much noise. They usually traveled in large numbers and took what they wanted. They would kill anyone who got in their way or had something they wanted. Brian had run into them on numerous occasions. His training usually allowed him to avoid the scavengers. He would avoid them tonight as it definitely wasn’t the right time to engage a mob. He was alone and he didn’t want to chance getting trapped in the building.
He got out his night vision goggles and carefully took a look out the window. He recognized the group. He had run into them before and he owed them. They had ambushed his team some months ago. Three of his friends were killed that day and the rest of his team barely escaped. The leader of this scavenger group was James McKinsey. He was a criminal in the old days. Now he is a terrorist. He kills because he enjoys it. The council had told him that this mission was critical. Too critical to endanger on a mission of personal revenge, but one day Brian would settle the score.
He watched them carefully as they went in and out of the buildings looking for anyone or anything they could find. Anyone who might have food or what ever the hell else they could steal. They were making enough noise that anyone in the city would hear them and know to stay hidden. Brian doubted they would come all the way up to his floor, but he decided this might be a good time to get out of the building. That’s when he saw it.
A shadow moved in one of the buildings. Was it a survivor trying to hide? He wasn’t sure, but he kept an eye on that spot. There, it moved again. Whoever it was moved with stealth. Brian could barely track their movements. Wait, more movement. It looked like two or three people, maybe more. A military team? They were moving systematically, avoiding the scavengers. He wasn’t sure who they were, but they were good. He watched them maneuver through the street without detection, without having to kill a single scavenger.
When the scavengers passed, Brian waited five minutes to see if they would show themselves. Maybe they were the group he was supposed to rendezvous with. He doubted it as he was still 75 miles from the rendezvous point. After 15 minutes, they came out of the shadows. A group of six men. All wearing military clothing and armed with a lot of fire power. If it was 20 years earlier, he would have thought it was his Navy seal team. He got a good look at the leader, or at least the guy giving the orders. He recognized him from some old photos. It was Carlos Molina, a member of the Mexican Militia.
What were the Mexicans doing in Atlanta? They hardly ever ventured outside of Texas. Ever since the revolution when they were able to take over the southwest of the United States, they have been content to just defend that land. They had left the American colonists alone in the south east. Were they planning on taking over more of what was left of America? Is that what he was going to find out at the rendezvous in the morning? He continued to watch them as they began a systematic search of the buildings. What were they looking for? Could it be him? He decided not to wait and find out.
It was time to leave as quiet and quickly as possible. He made his way out of the room and down the stairs. He would push his bike out of the building and backtrack west for a while which should allow him to miss the scavengers and the Mexican assault team.
The Surprise
September 19, 2043
Brian woke suddenly. At first he thought someone was in the room, but a quick glance told him he was still alone. He looked at his watch, two hours had passed. It was still dark outside, but it would be daylight in a few hours. His instincts told him to stay put, something still wasn’t right but he wasn’t sure what. He would wait until daylight to continue to the rendezvous.
He got out some food from his pack and started to eat. That is when he heard the noise from outside. It was loud and he knew right away what it was. Only the scavengers made that much noise. They usually traveled in large numbers and took what they wanted. They would kill anyone who got in their way or had something they wanted. Brian had run into them on numerous occasions. His training usually allowed him to avoid the scavengers. He would avoid them tonight as it definitely wasn’t the right time to engage a mob. He was alone and he didn’t want to chance getting trapped in the building.
He got out his night vision goggles and carefully took a look out the window. He recognized the group. He had run into them before and he owed them. They had ambushed his team some months ago. Three of his friends were killed that day and the rest of his team barely escaped. The leader of this scavenger group was James McKinsey. He was a criminal in the old days. Now he is a terrorist. He kills because he enjoys it. The council had told him that this mission was critical. Too critical to endanger on a mission of personal revenge, but one day Brian would settle the score.
He watched them carefully as they went in and out of the buildings looking for anyone or anything they could find. Anyone who might have food or what ever the hell else they could steal. They were making enough noise that anyone in the city would hear them and know to stay hidden. Brian doubted they would come all the way up to his floor, but he decided this might be a good time to get out of the building. That’s when he saw it.
A shadow moved in one of the buildings. Was it a survivor trying to hide? He wasn’t sure, but he kept an eye on that spot. There, it moved again. Whoever it was moved with stealth. Brian could barely track their movements. Wait, more movement. It looked like two or three people, maybe more. A military team? They were moving systematically, avoiding the scavengers. He wasn’t sure who they were, but they were good. He watched them maneuver through the street without detection, without having to kill a single scavenger.
When the scavengers passed, Brian waited five minutes to see if they would show themselves. Maybe they were the group he was supposed to rendezvous with. He doubted it as he was still 75 miles from the rendezvous point. After 15 minutes, they came out of the shadows. A group of six men. All wearing military clothing and armed with a lot of fire power. If it was 20 years earlier, he would have thought it was his Navy seal team. He got a good look at the leader, or at least the guy giving the orders. He recognized him from some old photos. It was Carlos Molina, a member of the Mexican Militia.
What were the Mexicans doing in Atlanta? They hardly ever ventured outside of Texas. Ever since the revolution when they were able to take over the southwest of the United States, they have been content to just defend that land. They had left the American colonists alone in the south east. Were they planning on taking over more of what was left of America? Is that what he was going to find out at the rendezvous in the morning? He continued to watch them as they began a systematic search of the buildings. What were they looking for? Could it be him? He decided not to wait and find out.
It was time to leave as quiet and quickly as possible. He made his way out of the room and down the stairs. He would push his bike out of the building and backtrack west for a while which should allow him to miss the scavengers and the Mexican assault team.
Chapter Four
The Decision
April 20, 2018
“Mr. President, the governor of California is on the phone.”
Brian was in the Oval Office with the rest of the Joint Chiefs when the call came through on the intercom from Marla, the President’s personal secretary. The protest over the Tax Bill had been going on for a week now and there seemed to be no end in sight. The California governor wasn’t the first to call.
The strategy of waiting for the protestors to tire and go home wasn’t working. The President’s inner circle had been working on a strategy to deal with protests which were now going on in 15 major cities. So far, there were no good solutions. The American people had banded together and were making it abundantly clear that they had enough of their corrupt government. They believed it was time for the country to be about the people again.
“Mr. President?”
“Put him through.” It was the voice of Malcolm Roberts the head of the Stratum Conglomeration. Malcolm had built the largest company in the world and was the real power in the United States. He personally got half the senators elected and McNamara was the fourth President Malcolm had gotten elected. All it really takes to run a country is money.
The President sat at the desk and put the call on speaker phone. “Charles, what can I do for you?”
“Mr. President, you have to do something about these protests. They are getting out of hand and the police can’t control the situation anymore.”
After a brief delay, the President suggested, “Maybe we should bring in the National Guard.”
“Mr. President, the people who are protesting make up the National Guard. There aren’t any people to call up. We must bring in the Army. We need to take control of the situation before they overrun the government here all together.”
Brian had to speak up. “Mr. President I don’t think that is a good idea. It will only enflame the situation. We don’t want things to get worse than they are now.”
“How much worse can they get?” Asked General Simon.
Brian looked at the General. “They can get worse. Right now the enemy is the law. We don’t want to give them someone to fight. We could repeal the law. We could call for an emergency session of Congress. That would calm the situation.”
“That is out of the question,” retorted Malcolm. “That law represents billions of dollars and multiple mergers. John, we need to take control of the situation now. “
The President looked at General Simon and asked, “What are my options.”
“We can mobilize the 83 regiment out of Twin Palms and send them in to take control. We would be ready to move in 18 hours.”
The President turned back to the phone and said to the Governor, “Charles, announce to the public that you are setting a curfew in 24 hours. Anyone still on the street after curfew, will be arrested. We will send in the military in 18 hours.”
“Thank you, Mr. President.”
The President hung up the phone and looked at his advisors. “OK, let’s get it done.”
“Yes Mr. President,” almost in unison from all of the Joint Chiefs as they started out of the Oval Office.
Brian walked out of the Oval Office knowing that this was a mistake and would do nothing more than aggravate the situation. He knew the President wasn’t going to listen to him. He was sure that more trouble would follow this decision, but he had no idea how bad the consequences of this decision would be. Soon the war would be upon us and we would do the unthinkable.
The Decision
April 20, 2018
“Mr. President, the governor of California is on the phone.”
Brian was in the Oval Office with the rest of the Joint Chiefs when the call came through on the intercom from Marla, the President’s personal secretary. The protest over the Tax Bill had been going on for a week now and there seemed to be no end in sight. The California governor wasn’t the first to call.
The strategy of waiting for the protestors to tire and go home wasn’t working. The President’s inner circle had been working on a strategy to deal with protests which were now going on in 15 major cities. So far, there were no good solutions. The American people had banded together and were making it abundantly clear that they had enough of their corrupt government. They believed it was time for the country to be about the people again.
“Mr. President?”
“Put him through.” It was the voice of Malcolm Roberts the head of the Stratum Conglomeration. Malcolm had built the largest company in the world and was the real power in the United States. He personally got half the senators elected and McNamara was the fourth President Malcolm had gotten elected. All it really takes to run a country is money.
The President sat at the desk and put the call on speaker phone. “Charles, what can I do for you?”
“Mr. President, you have to do something about these protests. They are getting out of hand and the police can’t control the situation anymore.”
After a brief delay, the President suggested, “Maybe we should bring in the National Guard.”
“Mr. President, the people who are protesting make up the National Guard. There aren’t any people to call up. We must bring in the Army. We need to take control of the situation before they overrun the government here all together.”
Brian had to speak up. “Mr. President I don’t think that is a good idea. It will only enflame the situation. We don’t want things to get worse than they are now.”
“How much worse can they get?” Asked General Simon.
Brian looked at the General. “They can get worse. Right now the enemy is the law. We don’t want to give them someone to fight. We could repeal the law. We could call for an emergency session of Congress. That would calm the situation.”
“That is out of the question,” retorted Malcolm. “That law represents billions of dollars and multiple mergers. John, we need to take control of the situation now. “
The President looked at General Simon and asked, “What are my options.”
“We can mobilize the 83 regiment out of Twin Palms and send them in to take control. We would be ready to move in 18 hours.”
The President turned back to the phone and said to the Governor, “Charles, announce to the public that you are setting a curfew in 24 hours. Anyone still on the street after curfew, will be arrested. We will send in the military in 18 hours.”
“Thank you, Mr. President.”
The President hung up the phone and looked at his advisors. “OK, let’s get it done.”
“Yes Mr. President,” almost in unison from all of the Joint Chiefs as they started out of the Oval Office.
Brian walked out of the Oval Office knowing that this was a mistake and would do nothing more than aggravate the situation. He knew the President wasn’t going to listen to him. He was sure that more trouble would follow this decision, but he had no idea how bad the consequences of this decision would be. Soon the war would be upon us and we would do the unthinkable.
Chapter Five
The Rendezvous
September 20, 2043
Brian found a gas station on the outskirts of town and filled his tank and his reserve containers. There was always plenty of gas still in the bottom of the tanks of most gas stations in the big cities. Most people didn’t have a working vehicle so gas was not considered a precious commodity. Most people traveled on horseback or on foot these days. Most people didn’t travel long distances as it was unsafe to travel outside of the colonies.
He decided to ride hard to ensure that he arrived at the rendezvous point in plenty of time. Considering what he saw last night, he wanted to be able to scope out the rendezvous site and make sure that it wasn’t a trap. No one knew he was on this mission except for the council, so he was pretty sure that the Mexican squad wasn’t looking for him, but no sense in taking any chances.
He decided to stop one mile from the rendezvous point and trek in. He could find a good place to watch the location and see who arrived. He walked the mile to the point and took a position within the tree line and waited. He knew he had an hour or so before his contact would arrive. He got out his binoculars and started to watch the horizon. They would likely arrive on horseback and he would see them coming in plenty of time to see if they were setting up to ambush him.
He had been on many missions where he had to sit and wait in his time in the military. He always kept him mind sharp by performing some simple math exercises in his head. He didn’t want to start day dreaming as he needed to be ready for anything. An hour passed and then he saw them in the distance. Three riders coming quickly on horseback. He watched them carefully to see if any of the riders split off and took a flanking position. Nothing, they came right to the rendezvous point and dismounted.
He recognized Robert Anderson as the main rider. He had met Robert in the past on these missions. Robert was also Special Forces and fought in the war. They had not known each other back then, but he had known of Robert. He was one of the military leaders to realize how wrong the war was and join the rebel forces. Brian wished that more military people had been that wise, the war wouldn’t have lasted as long and maybe the country wouldn’t have collapsed. Robert looked a little nervous and impatient. Brian decided it was safe and headed out of the trees.
He waved at Robert as he approached the team. Robert waived back and the team walked toward him. He hadn’t seen the other two men before. One was a young man, in his mid twenties. He had dark hair and angry eyes. The other was older, but looked more relaxed. He trusted Robert, well as much as he trusted anyone these days.
“Hi Robert. How are things?”
“A little scary right now Brian, but I am glad they sent you.”
“So tell me what is this all about.”
“Are you here alone?” chimed in the young rider.
Brian looked at him without responding.
“How do we know we can trust this guy? This could be a trap,” the young man continued as Brian continued to ignore him.
“Shut up Paul,” Robert said.
“Hey, this is important and we need to make sure this information gets back to their council. How do we know this old man can handle the task?”
“Really Paul, shut up before I let this old man kick your ass.” Robert turned to the two men and said, “You guys wait by the horses, I want to talk with him alone for a minute.”
The two turned and walked back to their horses. Brian could hear the older man say, “Don’t you know who that is? That’s Brian Fallon.”
“No shit, really? The guy who killed Malcolm Roberts? Man I thought he would have been dead by now.”
Robert started, “We have a dispatch for your council. There are some rumors going around that the Canadians and the Mexicans have been meeting secretly. As you know, those guys haven’t gotten along since the end of the war when they started fighting over what was left of the United States.”
“What are they talking about?” Brian asked.
“Good question Brian, but it can’t be good for you or us. We are afraid they are going to move inland and try and take over the rest of the land. That means a war that none of the colonies are ready to fight. On top of that, we have heard that the Cubans have been traveling between Florida and Washington DC.”
“Do you have any proof of this?”
“No really just rumors and a lot of peculiar action on the east coast. As you know, we are situated between all three of those countries and if they decide to go at it, we will be caught in the crossfire. Here is all of the intel we have on the situation.”
“Have you reached out to the other colonies?”
“Yeah, but I am not sure all of us together can stop any of those countries if they decide to take our land. We don’t have the man power or the weapons for a war.”
“OK Robert, I will make sure to get this to the council. The last thing we need is to be caught in the middle if they decide to fight it out.”
“Thanks Brian.” Robert began to turn away when Brian reached out and grabbed his arm to stop him.
“By the way, I should tell you that I saw a Mexican assault squad last night in Atlanta. They looked well trained were looking for something or someone. They avoided about 100 scavengers right in the middle of town.”
Robert turned and had a worried look on his face. “Be careful, they may be trying to prevent you from delivering this information.”
“Thanks. I will be careful. If anything comes up, contact me on short wave. I will be using 52 MHz. Be safe my friend”
“You too. Let’s hope the next time we meet it will be in a bar over some beers.”
The two men shook hands and Brian headed back toward the tree line. He would need to be careful with this information. If the Mexicans wanted more land, then it would not be long before they came for his colony. None of this really made a lot of sense to Brian. Mexico and Canada had been content with the land they took after the war. They had left the colonies alone for years. Why would they suddenly care about the left over Americans. He knew something else had to going on. He just wasn’t sure what.
He decided to take another route back to the New Georgia colony. It would take him longer to get back, but if the Mexicans were looking to prevent him from completing his mission, he knew they would assume he would take the shortest route home. Best to avoid trouble now as he had a feeling there was plenty of trouble to come.
The Rendezvous
September 20, 2043
Brian found a gas station on the outskirts of town and filled his tank and his reserve containers. There was always plenty of gas still in the bottom of the tanks of most gas stations in the big cities. Most people didn’t have a working vehicle so gas was not considered a precious commodity. Most people traveled on horseback or on foot these days. Most people didn’t travel long distances as it was unsafe to travel outside of the colonies.
He decided to ride hard to ensure that he arrived at the rendezvous point in plenty of time. Considering what he saw last night, he wanted to be able to scope out the rendezvous site and make sure that it wasn’t a trap. No one knew he was on this mission except for the council, so he was pretty sure that the Mexican squad wasn’t looking for him, but no sense in taking any chances.
He decided to stop one mile from the rendezvous point and trek in. He could find a good place to watch the location and see who arrived. He walked the mile to the point and took a position within the tree line and waited. He knew he had an hour or so before his contact would arrive. He got out his binoculars and started to watch the horizon. They would likely arrive on horseback and he would see them coming in plenty of time to see if they were setting up to ambush him.
He had been on many missions where he had to sit and wait in his time in the military. He always kept him mind sharp by performing some simple math exercises in his head. He didn’t want to start day dreaming as he needed to be ready for anything. An hour passed and then he saw them in the distance. Three riders coming quickly on horseback. He watched them carefully to see if any of the riders split off and took a flanking position. Nothing, they came right to the rendezvous point and dismounted.
He recognized Robert Anderson as the main rider. He had met Robert in the past on these missions. Robert was also Special Forces and fought in the war. They had not known each other back then, but he had known of Robert. He was one of the military leaders to realize how wrong the war was and join the rebel forces. Brian wished that more military people had been that wise, the war wouldn’t have lasted as long and maybe the country wouldn’t have collapsed. Robert looked a little nervous and impatient. Brian decided it was safe and headed out of the trees.
He waved at Robert as he approached the team. Robert waived back and the team walked toward him. He hadn’t seen the other two men before. One was a young man, in his mid twenties. He had dark hair and angry eyes. The other was older, but looked more relaxed. He trusted Robert, well as much as he trusted anyone these days.
“Hi Robert. How are things?”
“A little scary right now Brian, but I am glad they sent you.”
“So tell me what is this all about.”
“Are you here alone?” chimed in the young rider.
Brian looked at him without responding.
“How do we know we can trust this guy? This could be a trap,” the young man continued as Brian continued to ignore him.
“Shut up Paul,” Robert said.
“Hey, this is important and we need to make sure this information gets back to their council. How do we know this old man can handle the task?”
“Really Paul, shut up before I let this old man kick your ass.” Robert turned to the two men and said, “You guys wait by the horses, I want to talk with him alone for a minute.”
The two turned and walked back to their horses. Brian could hear the older man say, “Don’t you know who that is? That’s Brian Fallon.”
“No shit, really? The guy who killed Malcolm Roberts? Man I thought he would have been dead by now.”
Robert started, “We have a dispatch for your council. There are some rumors going around that the Canadians and the Mexicans have been meeting secretly. As you know, those guys haven’t gotten along since the end of the war when they started fighting over what was left of the United States.”
“What are they talking about?” Brian asked.
“Good question Brian, but it can’t be good for you or us. We are afraid they are going to move inland and try and take over the rest of the land. That means a war that none of the colonies are ready to fight. On top of that, we have heard that the Cubans have been traveling between Florida and Washington DC.”
“Do you have any proof of this?”
“No really just rumors and a lot of peculiar action on the east coast. As you know, we are situated between all three of those countries and if they decide to go at it, we will be caught in the crossfire. Here is all of the intel we have on the situation.”
“Have you reached out to the other colonies?”
“Yeah, but I am not sure all of us together can stop any of those countries if they decide to take our land. We don’t have the man power or the weapons for a war.”
“OK Robert, I will make sure to get this to the council. The last thing we need is to be caught in the middle if they decide to fight it out.”
“Thanks Brian.” Robert began to turn away when Brian reached out and grabbed his arm to stop him.
“By the way, I should tell you that I saw a Mexican assault squad last night in Atlanta. They looked well trained were looking for something or someone. They avoided about 100 scavengers right in the middle of town.”
Robert turned and had a worried look on his face. “Be careful, they may be trying to prevent you from delivering this information.”
“Thanks. I will be careful. If anything comes up, contact me on short wave. I will be using 52 MHz. Be safe my friend”
“You too. Let’s hope the next time we meet it will be in a bar over some beers.”
The two men shook hands and Brian headed back toward the tree line. He would need to be careful with this information. If the Mexicans wanted more land, then it would not be long before they came for his colony. None of this really made a lot of sense to Brian. Mexico and Canada had been content with the land they took after the war. They had left the colonies alone for years. Why would they suddenly care about the left over Americans. He knew something else had to going on. He just wasn’t sure what.
He decided to take another route back to the New Georgia colony. It would take him longer to get back, but if the Mexicans were looking to prevent him from completing his mission, he knew they would assume he would take the shortest route home. Best to avoid trouble now as he had a feeling there was plenty of trouble to come.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)