Now, Dennis Crawford?”
“Thanks, Chris. Dennis Crawford, Washington News, District of Columbia. I have heard rumors that the U.S. government is going to Cheyenne Mountain next week. Is there any truth to this?”
“Yes, Dennis. The storms have already started in North Africa and the Middle East, which we think will feed the tropical disturbances in the Atlantic. Therefore, Jack may be right again. Yes, we will move the government to Cheyenne Mountain. As you well know, it was, built in the event of a nuclear strike. Of course, that is not on the agenda, but the facility will allow us – while Washington is shut down – to maintain the integrity of leadership of the country during this crisis.”
“Doesn’t that require martial law to be implemented, Chris?” Dennis continued his questioning. “Or, as I understood it from scenarios that are public knowledge, this would be the protocol in the event the government felt it had to take shelter?”
“No, it does not. Moving the government’s headquarters to another location does not automatically invoke Article Nine or any of the numerous other executive orders that can be implemented if necessary.”
“Thanks, Chris.”
“Okay, one more. Paul Wiegan.”
“Thank you, Chris. Paul Wiegan, The Network News, New York”
“It is my understanding that this afternoon the President sent to the Justice Department a brief that would in effect put the entire United States and its territories under martial law until further notice. Is that true?”
Chris wondered how in hell they had found that out.
“Paul, do you want to expand your question?”
“Okay, Chris. We have it on good authority that the President sent a three hundred-page document to the Justice Department this afternoon, which we do not have a copy of. It allegedly relates to the constitutional question of martial law and its implementation. We do know that the document was delivered. What we do not know is what it says.”
We got a leak here, Chris thought. He was not sure whether to lie or let it be. He mulled over the question in his mind and wished the President was there; but it was his job to deal with it so he needed to come up with an answer. “Paul, we are possibly going into a crisis mode here in our country. There is a possibility that we may need to put martial law into effect to keep order and protect the sovereignty of the United States. However, in keeping with the concerns of the rights of our citizens, a draft of such an order was sent to the Justice Department for a full review and consideration.”
“In other words,” Paul went on, “that is what you are planning to do?”
“Maybe.”
Chris picked up his notes and started for the side door. He could hear the questions from all over and some of them were getting nasty. He held his head up as he walked to the door, opened it, and shut it behind him. He leaned up against the wall, straightened his neck, and said silently to himself, God help us all. We have a major leak. He shook his head to shake off his feeling of uneasiness, and walked down the hall.
Chapter 97
8:45 PM CST Day two of 1260 Kansas City, Missouri - International Airport
Aafre’s plane had landed at KCI about the same time as the press conference began at Camp David, so they had remained on the tarmac and tuned in to watch from the communications room. Aafre was quite pleased. Everything was happening exactly as he had planned. It was amazing how the free press in America would tear down their leadership in a heartbeat, even based on rumors.
Aafre and his resources had made the President as he had made all the presidents in the past few decades. He decided who would lead the U.S. They would put their resources behind him, and he was elected. It took money and it took people willing to do as they were told. They were not much different from sheep. Imagine clawing your way up a corporate ladder then finding out that even at the top, you still had someone else to answer to. It also required that they not be pure of heart. Chivalry itself was long dead, of course, and would never return.
In the meeting on Monday he had told the members that under no circumstances was Jack to be harassed. However, that did not apply to him. He had had to have Jack harassed in order to get the document from him. The Attorney General’s death was going to be of use at the session on Friday. Ken Giles would be an example of what happened when one did not follow the rules. The other great thing about the Ken Giles murder was that he had the tapes of the conversation between Stevenson and Giles just prior to him leaving Camp David. The threat would not bode well if the press got a hold of this evidence against Stevenson. He might even be accused of killing him. Conspiracy theorists were always good about going down that avenue.
Jamal was a good man. He was loyal, very loyal. He would have to take care of him in some way to show his appreciation. The tapes would be kept and put away for now and used only if Stevenson got out of control. Then he would use them as needed; but for now things were fine. He also wanted to keep Jamal in the White House for Stevenson would know who had taped the conversation, and he needed to know the President’s plans. Just like in the press conference, Jamal had come through on the brief sent to Justice. He even had a copy. It was so easy to feed it to a newsperson. They were eager to bite and bit hard.
What Stevenson did not know was that the United States had to be neutralized in order for the final plan to work. Aafre’s Master knew it and Jack’s God knew it. The overall plan was the revival of the Roman Empire, which could only happen in Europe. America, at least as of yesterday, was the world’s super power. This had to change. It had to change quickly so that Aafre and his Master’s plan could come to fruition.
That meant that he needed to back Stevenson into a corner, let this witness or witnesses destroy the infrastructure of the States, and the U.S. give up their sovereignty. The reason he needed the sovereignty of the U.S. was to control the vast military complex they had built since World War II. No sense in wasting all this firepower, no sense at all.
His Master had also told him that the United States was being punished by God, but they would only be the first. It would continue from country to country. However, the Europeans would not be dealt very many blows in this first round of approximately three and a half years. After that, the real battle would begin. Jack’s people wanted conversion to their God and acknowledgement that He existed. Well that was fine, for when they left, the real Master of earth would take over and put an end to the insanity humans had been living with for over five-thousand years.
Just a matter of time thought Aafre. It was just a matter of time.
Chapter 98
7:45 PM CST Day two of 1260 Kansas City, Missouri - Liberty Memorial, Anchor Desk
Bear News had to break away from the Special they were airing in Kansas City and go live to Camp David for the press conference. The producers had decided to finish the special tomorrow night, in the same time slot and concentrate on the press conference and the death of the Attorney General.
“John,” Donald, his producer said, “We are going live in thirty, which means thirty seconds.” John turned back to get in position behind the makeshift news desk on the stage in Kansas City. He adjusted his papers and stared at the camera operator and the digital counter, five, four, three, two, one.
“Hello America and the world, John Roddenburg again broadcasting from Kansas City, Missouri, here at the Liberty Memorial Park. As many of you already know, there have been several breaking news stories in Washington, including a hurried news conference from Camp David. I am sure that all of you can see that there are many things occurring in the world and we are going to bring you up to date.
“First off, for those of you who were watching our news special on Jack South and his predictions, rest assured we will air that in its entirety tomorrow evening. However, in the meantime we need to cover all the breaking news as it happens and keep you informed.”
“I want to remind all of you that it is around 1:45, Wednesday morning in Africa, and it has been raining there since yesterda
y. Our meteorologist, Chester Nichols, is here with updates on Jack’s prediction of constant rain in that area for thirty days. Chester?”
“Thanks, John. I have a map here of the area with a satellite photo superimposed over it, which was taken about an hour ago. You can see from the photo that the entire area is covered in storm clouds. You will notice the darker areas of these clouds which are called super cells. These are the most dangerous thunderstorms we know. The entire area is covered with these, from Turkey to the Western Coast of Northern Africa. It appears that sustained northeast winds are blowing up moisture off the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea. The Gulf and cooler air from Asia is meeting the moist air from the south. In effect, it is raining and it is raining very hard. In some areas, it has been raining as much as 2-3 inches per hour. It appears that unless the winds die down, this will continue for some time.”
“Chester, do you think it will last for thirty days as Jack said?”
“I don’t see that it would rain this hard for thirty days, but it could rain steadily as long as the conditions as I described, continue. As long as that is occurring, then yes it will continue to rain.”
“Are there other events like lightning or hail that usually accompany super cells?”
“Yes, and I am glad you asked John. I have another map here that shows the lightning strikes in the area; and as you can see from the map, they are everywhere. As of yet, we do not have any reports from the area about hail or possible severe wind issues. But given the circumstances you can be assured that this may happen soon.”
“Thanks, Chester; now to other news for today.”
“As many of you know, in the press conference a few moments ago, Press Secretary, Christopher Hughes raised the possibility of martial law being implemented nationwide in the coming few days. As of now, all personal rights are currently suspended in Southern California in an attempt to stabilize the area. To help us understand the implications of such an order, we have with us, via a communications link at Harvard University, Dan Simmons of the Harvard University Law Department. Dan is the Dean of the Law School there.”
“Thank you Dan for being with us on such short notice. Can you explain to our viewers what was really said this evening at Camp David?”
“It is really quite simple John. In the event of any of the situations that Jack South has foretold, the Federal Government can, with the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the military, and other high-ranking federal officials, put into effect martial law and take over the country. This suspends the constitution and the people’s rights. The justification to do so is very broad and falls into the category of civil support, homeland defense, and any civil support activities. By the way, this law was enacted in January of 2010 by executive order number 13528 and was considered by the courts as constitutional, based on Article 9. Keep in mind, the broad statement in Article 9 of the Constitution states, ‘The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in cases of rebellion or invasion of the public safety may require it.’ In our situation, considering if Jack South is right, then the Federal Government can argue that with more than twenty-five million people at risk, in transit and possibly homeless, it would take little if no effort for the Justice Department to put a stamp of approval on such a move.”
“Dan, say they do implement martial law temporarily, how is it rescinded or can we do anything about it if they decide to keep it in place?”
“If certain groups wanted it lifted and the government did not then this issue would go through the courts, most likely the Supreme Court. However, it is likely that the catastrophe would be over by the time it ever got to court, as was stated in the California situation earlier this week. Also, realize that the President’s spokesperson said the document was sent to the Justice Department for review. If the court puts their stamp of approval on the request then it would literally take years to be rescinded through the courts. That is of course, if the government chooses to keep it in place. Right now what they are doing is crossing their ‘T’s and dotting their ‘I’s.”
“So what does it mean to have martial law?”
“Simple; you have no rights any longer and you do as the government or their agencies tell you, or face imprisonment. This, for your information, also suspends elections of all government officials including those within cities, states, and the federal government as a whole. So any elections scheduled would be cancelled till the order is rescinded.”
“Thank you, Dan, for your expert input.” John turned again facing the camera and said, “That was Dan Simmons, Dean of the Law Department at Harvard University. There it is viewers. It appears that all our rights will be in limbo for some time if the events as described by Mr. South do occur. And, with Chester, our meteorologist showing us the rain is falling as predicted in Northern Africa, then we may well assume Jack South, as he has been in the past, is still one-hundred percent correct. This means the ever looming threat of the hurricanes seems almost inevitable at this time.”
“In some other related news,” as John looked down at his notes, “The Chinese Government has verified that the South organization has requested permits for its people to hold rallies in Shanghai, Beijing, and Hong Kong. There was no comment on whether or not it has been approved; only that Jack South’s people have put in an application. We also have statements from the governments of Mexico, Canada, and most of the South American countries, which are confirming the requests for visas and permits for a rally in their most populated areas as well. The only agreement so far appears to be Mexico City, which, according to sources, issued the permits and visas. No word on any other countries in Europe, India, the countries of Africa, the Middle East, or Russia.”
“We need to break for a commercial. We will be right back.”
Chapter 99
6:00 AM CEST Wednesday June 3rd Cairo, Egypt - Egyptian Palace
The Egyptian President, Mohamed Basarick was staring out the window of his office watching the rains. His country was in the areas outlined by the American and self-proclaimed Witness of God, Jack South. His concerns were the Nile flooding and the dam. It would cause havoc on their systems and infrastructure. He had enough trouble keeping the country functioning in any situation, and this would definitely be a major setback. The Nile flooded every year, but this prediction could mean disaster for his country.
The last time the Hebrew God had decided to cause problems was during the Exodus of the Israelites. He had spoken to many scholars knowledgeable about the archives of their nation’s ancient writings. He had asked them if the events predicted were even possible and they had searched through their historical writings of the country, but to no avail. Their report was that it appears that the Hebrew God had destroyed much of Egypt then and that this flood could do the same. They went on to say that supposedly, their God had promised not to destroy the world again with a flood. Yet here it was coming again, at least to Northern Africa and most of the Middle East. He supposed that with their God, it was a technicality, for flooding would be regional not worldwide.
His religion was Islam and they talked of witnesses and Jesus as a Prophet. However, who was this witness of the Hebrew God and what of the other witness who had not yet shown himself? It was as if the whole world, in less than a few days, had come to a grinding halt, and started going in reverse.
The president would be meeting with his advisors soon, to see what they could do to stem the damage. They needed a plan to help with food shortages, shelter, clean water, and all the other things he had fought for, for his country. Now the Hebrew God, after over three and a half thousand years, was visiting Egypt one more time.
Chapter 100
7:00 AM EST Day three of 1260 New York - LaGuardia Airport, Private Hangar
We had landed back on American soil around 2:00 a.m. Wednesday morning, back at LaGuardia Airport. The plane taxied to a private hangar where we were met by some associates of Veronica’s who immediately starte
d taking the plane apart, looking for listening devices and other stuff that were not supposed to be there, courtesy of the Israelis.
My luggage was already here in the hangar, so I assumed that someone had checked me out of the hotel I had been staying in while here before. I wondered if The Network had still paid for my room.
I felt dirty and since there were showers in the hangar area, I took a shower and changed clothes. Food had been brought in. We sat around a break table and chatted about the day’s events.
Veronica had told me that I could not go into the city because it would cause riots. I would never get out of there in one piece. She said jokingly that I was like Elvis Presley, a prisoner for my own safety. That was great. I really was not happy about that. Overnight I could not even go get a cup of coffee or a beer without causing problems. This ordeal was not going to be pleasant.
They had a TV in the break room and we had it turned to Bear News and were listening to the updates of all that had been happening since we left. I was sorry about the Ken Giles murder. I did not connect it to anything that I was doing. It seemed probable that as the news media presumed that someone he prosecuted may have put a hit out on him and they found a chance.
I listened to all the commentaries about martial law in the U.S. and other threats. I also saw the updates about California, which saddened me. I still had not crossed the threshold of not feeling responsible. I did not know that I ever would.
I saw that it was raining in Northern Africa and once again felt saddened. I had not caused it, but for some reason I felt that I had. I was taking everything personally; the rains, like the California earthquake, and now the hurricanes that were imminent.
We would be leaving for Kansas City around nine or ten this morning, once they were through with the plane. It would not surprise me if they found a bomb on it. New pilots were to arrive soon, also. The ones we had before were not able to continue to fly based on FFA rules, but I left that to Veronica to handle.