Cooper looked up and silently mouthed the words, Screw you!
Jersey gave him the middle finger.
The major looked pained at the exchange.
A very senior sergeant that Ben had known for years walked up. "Howdy, General."
"Sergeant Major Jensen," Ben greeted the CSM.
308.
"There are die-hard meres and young hotdog Federals all around this area, General," the CSM advised Ben. "It isn"t wise to stick around here."
"You are suggesting that we depart as soon as possible, Top?"
"Yes, sir. I would say quickly, General."
"Very well, Top. Let"s do that."
There are ways to smooth troubled waters-especially when dealing with generals-and the CSM knew them all.
The major looked very pained at how easily the Command Sergeant Majorworked Ben.
That was why sergeants ran the army.
309.
Cecil was furious, and making no attempt to hide his anger. "Of all the stupid, arrogant, unthinking, G.o.dd.a.m.ned, stupid-a.s.sed stunts you have pulled in the past, this one d.a.m.n sure takes the prize. Good G.o.d, Ben, you"re the commanding general of our armed forces. You"re a national treasure, a legend. What the h.e.l.l were you thinking?"
"You"re upset with me, aren"t you, Cec?" Ben asked with a smile.
"Upset!" Cecil shouted. "Jesus f.u.c.king Christ! You"re G.o.dd.a.m.ned right I"m upset."
"Don"t hold back, Cec. Let your feelings out. Tell me how you really feel." Ben sipped his coffee and grinned at his longtime friend.
The President of the SUSA sat down behind his desk and put his face in his hands. "I give up," he muttered. "I just by G.o.d give up. You"ll never change."
"Look on the bright side, Cec," Ben said cheerfully.
"What bright side?"
310.
"Berman is dead. His mercenaries are, at least for the moment, leaderless. The civil war is at a standstill, giving us time to shift troops around and resupply all units-or a standoff, might be a better way of putting it. Rebel losses have been very light. Sure, there is a bright side."
Cecil grunted noncommittally.
The big Malamute was getting bathed and dipped and groomed at a local vet"s office.
Madam President Claire Osterman had gone on the air in the USA to announce and condemn the brutal murder of General Walter Berman at the hands of Ben Raines.
And Ben was in the process of getting his a.s.s chewed in the office of President Cecil Jefferys.
Cecil pointed a finger at Ben. "I"m going to surround you with security people, Ben. I"m going to make sure you never, ever get another chance to pull this type of stunt again. You understand me, ole" buddy?"
Ben smiled. He loved a challenge.
"I don"t like that smile. d.a.m.nit, Ben! You"ve got to start accepting your part in the running of this nation. You"ve got to stop taking these wild chances."
"I"m a soldier, Cec. Not a statesman.""So were a lot of other commanding generals throughout history, Ben, but they didn"t behave as though they were twenty year olds trying to prove something."
Ben grunted.
"Let"s don"t b.u.t.t heads on this issue, Ben. Let"s don"t have a showdown.
That wouldn"t be good for us or the nation. You agree with that?"
"Of course, I do. No showdowns, Cec."
"Good. That"s settled, then."
"So have you been in contact with Sugar Babe?"
"I have spoken with some people in her inner circle several times over the past three days."
"And?"
311.
311.
"We all agree the fighting must stop."
"That"s entirely up to them, Cec. I"m ready to end the fighting anytime a reasonable compromise can be worked out."
"We"re trying to work something out."
" "With a liberal socialist democrat? Good luck, Cec. Just keep one hand on your wallet if you meet with them, and for sure don"t believe anything they agree to do."
Cecil stared at his friend for a long silent moment." "What is the alternative, Ben?"
"War, Cec. A war that eventually the SUSA will win."
"Yes, we"ll win it, in time. But you said yourself it would create a wound that would never heal."
Ben smiled. "Or words to that effect."
Cec looked at Ben, a very serious expression on his face. He held up a hand. "No jokes, Ben. Not now. My people are working very hard with Osterman"s office to bring this war to a close."
"Don"t trust them, Cec. You can"t trust socialist democrats to keep their word." Ben leaned forward and put his hands on the desk.
"Somebody"s been hoodooing you, Cec. Socialist democrats don"t compromise. They"ll tell you they will, and then turn right around and stick a knife, so to speak, in your back." Ben grimaced. "Sometimes stick a knife in your back literally. I wouldn"t trust one of the sons of b.i.t.c.hes out of my sight."
"Ben, don"t you think I know all that? h.e.l.l, I don"t trust them. But these talks are being closely monitored by the United Nations. And you know how they feel about us. There isn"t a country on that monitoringcommittee that doesn"t owe their very existence to us."
Ben shook his head. "You think a socialist democrat wouldn"t tell a lie to the UN? Horses.h.i.t, Cec! They"ve got one thing on their minds, and that one thing is their own agenda. You watch those mealymouthed lying a.s.sholes, 312.
Cec. They"d tell a lie to G.o.d because they wouldn"t believe it was actually G.o.d confronting them. You be careful, Cec. Be very careful, and don"t promise those b.a.s.t.a.r.ds anything. They don"t believe in G.o.d, Cec.
They"re far too intelligent to believe in G.o.d."
Again, Cecil stared at Ben for a long moment. "You really hate liberals, don"t you, Ben. Not dislike-hate."
"I didn"t used to, Cec. I used to think they were amusing. Then that feeling of amus.e.m.e.nt vanished when they became dangerous, a real threat to law and order and morals and values. I don"t hate the average liberal, Cec. I"m just filled with indifference toward them. I don"t care what happens to them. The colleges and universities- some departments-began preaching liberalism, socialism, Big Brother-is-wonderfulism, whatever you want to call it, years before the collapse and the Great War fell on us all. And some were not subtle about it. Thousands of young minds were corrupted by that c.r.a.p. Some studios in Hollywood got into the act and so did the TV networks. If it feels good, do it. No limits." Ben paused, a frown on his face. He waved a hand. "I"m preaching to the choir, Cec. You know all this. Forgive me."
Cec smiled at his friend. "You"re forgiven, Ben. Sometimes I need reminding about things. And you always manage to do just that. Ben, I don"t trust Osterman or most of the people around her. You don"t have to worry about that. However, there are a few in her inner circle who want peace, and if they have to depose her in order to achieve it, they will."
"They"ll try, Cec. And they"ll fail. She"ll have them killed, bet on it."
"Or they"ll kill her."
Ben shook his head. "Don"t count on that, ole" buddy. Claire Osterman is a survivor. I hate the woman, but I"ll give credit where it"s due." Ben stood up and started toward the 313.
313.
door. He paused and turned back to Cecil. "Don"t leave the SUSA for any meetings with Osterman"s people. That would be very unwise on your part."
"I"ll keep that in mind."
"You do that, Cec."
Ben sat in his Hummer in the parking lot for several moments, deep in thought. He did his best to ignore the security people who were a.s.signed to protect him . . . and, he thought with a smile, to keep a eye on him.
He knew that Cecil wasn"t buying the garbage Osterman"s people werehanding out. However, Cecil wanted peace between the USA and the SUSA.
Because of that, Ben"s old friend might get lulled into a false sense of security, get careless and let his guard down. If he did that, Osterman"s people would kill him.
Ben knew from years of dealing with Osterman types they would stop at nothing in order to get their way. All for the good of the people, of course.
Ben wondered just what the h.e.l.l Osterman was up to. All fighting between the Federals and the Rebels had abruptly ceased. In the thirty-six hours since Ben had been ordered back to the SUSA, not one shot had been fired along the several thousand mile long front. Something was up, and Ben didn"t think it was the Federals" overwhelming desire for peace.
To say that Ben didn"t trust the USA"s federal government was a gross understatement.
Ben cranked the engine and dropped the HumVee into gear. As he did so he was thinking: Cecil had better be d.a.m.ned careful.
Ben was awakened by the ringing of the telephone. He fumbled for the receiver and swung his legs out of bed, 314.
almost stepping on Mai, who had been sleeping on the rug beside his bed.
"Yeah?" Ben said, glancing at the clock on the nightstand. 0200 hours.
"Ben?" Cecil said in a tired voice. "Get down to the command center"s war room. We"ve got a building situation."
"On my way." Ben didn"t waste time asking what the situation was. That would be explained when he got to the war room.
Ben took a quick shower and dressed in BDUs. Fifteen minutes after Cecil"s call, Ben was pulling out of his driveway. Mai sat in the front seat of the Hummer beside him, looking out at the night.
"Something big is brewing, Mai," Ben said. "Osterman has pulled something. You can bet on that."
The dog gave her deep, Malamute reply.
"I"m still working on a name for you, girl," Ben told the dog. "Don"t worry. I"ll come up with something."
"Woowoowoowoo!"
"Right. I know we"re being followed. Better get used to it." There were several Rebel security vehicles trailing Ben though the quiet early morning hours.
Ben"s team met him in the parking lot of the command center. Ben handed Mai"s leash to Anna. "Take care of her, Kiddo."
"Will do, Pops. Come on, Jodie."
Ben stopped and turned around." "What "d you call her?""Jodie. You like it?"
"Yeah. Yeah, I do. OK. Jodie it is."
Ben pa.s.sed through several checkpoints, then was admitted to the elevator that would take him down to the presidential command center.
There, he pa.s.sed through another checkpoint and was admitted to the war room.
A very tired-looking Cecil smiled at him. "I just hung up 315.
315.
the phone after speaking with Madam President Osterman, Ben. She has given us an ultimatum."
Ben poured a mug of coffee. He glanced up at the Defense Posture Board.
The top light was slowly blinking a dull red-the next to highest defense alert. When it changed to a constant bright red, the SUSA was on a full alert and on a war status for possible missiles coming at them.
"What is the ultimatum, Cec?"
"Immediate surrender."
"And if we don"t comply, which of course we won"t?"
"She will order the launch of missiles against us."
"Oh? Nuclear?"