President Davis continued taking over, and no one could stop him.
Both General Edwards and President Davis watched the whole battle from the command center on the northern edge of Austin.
The President was pleased the battle ended quickly and decisively. Now, all resistant to his leadership should melt away. Other states would not revolt.
President Davis controlled the state governments. Once his troops entered a state capitol, the governor and legislature fled like scared rats. They would not die in what they believed in. They let President Davis take over and appoint his party members to the state leadership.
President Davis kept his promise. He decimated the federal, state, and local governments, cutting them in half; he imposed his simple tax code and greatly deregulated the economy.
New law of the land became Judge Field’s Codification of Law, a pro-business legal system with a fair balance of power between the people and her government. The United States became a pro-business country again, just as President Davis had promised.
***
The President took refuge at the Whitehouse in Washington, D.C. He met Richard Woodland, the new Secretary of Homeland Security.
Richard walked through the familiar door into the Oval Office. He was there many times and always sat across from the President on the couch near the fireplace.
“Richard, let us get down to business. How is our international status?”
“Many countries remain in a state of shock. President or I should say the former President Gibson is in Europe convincing the European Union to invade the United States and restore his presidency.”
“Does an attack look imminent?”
“From our reports, which are quite limited, he wasn’t successful. The European Union doesn’t want to intervene. They have their own problems right now. Collapse of the U.S. dollar last year sent all the world’s economies into a severe depression. However, the European Union will impose a trade embargo with the United States.”
President Davis erupted in laughter and added, “I see they are thinking. Last year’s hyperinflation destroyed international trade. Trade embargo would have no impact on us. At least they will not attack us yet. Last thing I need is an outside country to interfere with us.”
“Mr. President; what do you want Homeland Security to do with the potential troublemakers?”
“I need Homeland Security to do some housecleaning.”
“What do you have in mind?”
“We need to eliminate people who will stand in my way. I compiled a list of outspoken judges, governors, and mayors who could pose problems. Even if I replace them with my party members, they could cause future problems. I want them eliminated.”
The President handed Richard a detailed list of 1,243 names with complete addresses.
“As Joseph Stalin once said, ‘Death is the solution to all problems. No man - no problem,’ Richard said with a pernicious smile.
“He also said, ‘Death of one man is a tragedy. Death of millions is a statistic.' Richard, I do not want statistics.” Then the President continued, “This purge is a one-time event.”
“Should we purge the political party?”
The President sat back and closed his eyes for a minute. He did not want to make this decision, but Richard was right. President Davis must strike fear in the people. He does one purge to establish his authority. One purge would squash all opposition to his rule, and then, the people would line up and follow him. Of course, he would splash more blood onto his hands; Historians would write another dark chapter of the President’s history. If President Davis ever lost power, these evil actions would return to haunt him.
“Mr. President, I have a list of party members, who may present problems.”
Richard handed the list to the President.
President Davis opened his eyes and scanned the list. He met many of these party members. One name stuck out, Glen Roane, an economist from Oklahoma. The President appointed him regional director of the southern states.
“What has Glen done that makes you suspicious of him?”
“We caught him defaming you behind your back. Another party member has reported he made derogatory comments of you, and you should be eliminated and replaced.”
“Okay, you have my authority. Purge the party.”
“What should we do about Dan, the vice president? We believe he is very ambitious. We believe he’ll try to assassinate you and take over.”
President Davis closed his eyes again and thought about Dan’s loyalties. Although the President and Dan are best friends, people quickly forget friendship during the pursuit of total power.
“No, leave Dan out of it, but I grant my approval for everyone else. Do it quickly and efficiently. Before you go, I want Governor Bell’s head. What his is status?”
“We’re not sure, but he probably fled to Mexico after the troops took Austin.”
“Okay; put a $50,000 bounty on his head. Rest of the body is optional. I will pay the bounty in gold coins, of course.”
“Sir, that bounty is too much. Many Texans hated him.”
“Okay, let’s lower the bounty to $20,000 payable in gold.”
“Yes sir; I’ll get the word out. You’ll have half the State of Texas looking under every rock and crevice in Mexico, searching for him.”
The President laughed and concluded, “Then so be it. He must suffer the consequences of being hated and vilified.”
Richard Woodland had a large grin on his face. He wavered for a moment and blurted, “Mr. President, have you considered my proposal to establish a secret police?”
“Yes I have. Let us not establish a true secret police but a network of spies. I know we are playing with definitions, but just take the recommendations from Sun Tzu and develop five classes of spies who do not know about each other. Only ones who will know about them will be you and I.”
“I see you are well versed in the classics. Few people study the classics anymore.”
“I must study the classics because people have already thought up all ideas. I must figure out how to apply those ideas to our circumstances today.”
“Very well; I will get on it.”
“Oh Richard, don’t leave yet. The Department of Homeland Security has become a powerful agency. I fused and merged the DEA, FBI, Secret Service, and CIA into your department. Just be careful with that power. I do not want you harassing loud mouth college kids. Make sure you only harass true threats. Furthermore, divide Homeland Security into three divisions. First division examines outside threats to the Empire. I grant my authority to infiltrate foreign governments. Second division searches for internal threats and violations of federal laws. Third division protects the top officials of government and the National Workers’ Party. Then create those divisions of secret spies, who do not know about each other.”
“Sir; what about funding?”
“Your department is the second most powerful department in my government after the military. Your agency has the second priority in the budget. Thus, you can hire plenty of agents to hunt down troublemakers in the Empire, or anywhere in the world, for that matter. Besides, once I start creating good-paying jobs again, the people will stand behind me. Troublemakers will be rare. I expect you’ll have many boring days in your office.”
“Yes sir; I understand.”
Richard was very pleased with a large grin on his face. As he stood up to leave, the President stood to shake Richard’s hand.
The President glanced into Richard’s cold, blue eyes. At least the President picked the right man for the job. When the President asked for fast and efficient, he knew Richard Woodland would deliver with ice-cold efficiency.
***
Glen Roane was a middle-age man with short blonde hair, seasoned generously with gray hair. He was on the heavy side with a gloomy personality. Of course, Glen had basic looking features that were common to both genders. One must study Glen to determine whether he was a man
or women.
Several days after the President had met Richard, Glen Roane walked out of a restaurant in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.
Glen walked along the sidewalk to his car. Sticky sweat drenched his polo shirt as the glaring Oklahoman sun baked the landscape, making the morning air humid and suffocating.
Suddenly, a black sedan slowed down by Glen, and one man in the front passenger side and another in the back seat fired Glock 22 handguns, filling the morning air with gunshots.
Glen had glanced at the vehicle before he fell to the street dead as a pool of blood grew around him. God had called him home.
Invasion of Cuba
Employees of Fort Knox and the New York Federal Reserve came out without any resistance, giving President Davis complete control over the nation’s gold supply.
The President personally handed them $50,000 in newly minted gold coins. When President Davis gave his word, his word was as good as gold.
By the end of the year, President Davis controlled all levels of government. With the nation's gold, President Davis minted 325 million one-ounce gold coins. He paid each soldier his or her 10 gold coins and rewarded the officers with extra coins for their dedication.
The U.S. active military enlisted 1.5 million soldiers. Then as he promised General Edwards, he cut the armed forces in half.
When the government’s tax coffers filled with money again, President Davis would rebuild the armed forces to record levels, and the soldiers would be dedicated to President Davis and to the American Empire.
Finally, the President dumped the remaining gold coins into the economy to jump-start it. The President’s strong pro-business policies took root, causing the economy to sprout and grow furiously. Once again, the mighty U.S. economy roared at full steam, creating good-paying manufacturing jobs again.
After the first year, the unemployment rate fell from 50% to 40%. Gradually, businesses opened again, and customers started spending and buying. People trusted the banking system again and deposited their money into banks.
By the end of the third year of President Davis’ administration, the unemployment rate dropped to 15%, sinking like a rock into a lake. Unemployment rate fell fast.
President Davis also went on an investment spree that the country had never seen before. He built roads, highways, schools, dams, parks, and housing for the working-class and the poor. He reclaimed the industrial properties and re-opened the factories again.
President Davis knew he frightened the people after executing the Congressmen, the Texas Revolt, and purging his party. He would show his kind and forgiving side and rescue homeless dogs and cats. He opened large kennels in the countryside, allowing places for the animals to run around. The President granted several pardons to death-roll prisoners.
One prisoner’s name was William Spry. As a young man, William became addicted to drugs and robbed stores to feed his addiction. During one robbery, he shot and killed two people.
William Spry lay on his bed on death row. He discovered Jesus 20 years ago and turned his life around. He hung a cross on the wall above his head.
On the bookshelf, he lined several books neatly in a roll that he had written. He wrote children’s books and books for teenagers, warning them of the dangers of street life. Books shared a common theme – the underworld pulls people in like an undertow and drowns them in drugs, misery, and destitution.
William helped prison officers scare rebellious teenagers.
A prison guard would leave a scared rebellious kid in his cell for an hour, and William would sit down with him and scare the hell out of him. He told them how it felt to sit on death roll. Every morning, upon awakening, he wondered if this were his last day on earth.
After an hour, the rebellious teen would be pale white with trembling hands. Occasionally, a teenager would piss his pants as he lost control from the intense fear.
William quickly scooted off the bed and kneeled down to pray.
After he had made the sign of the cross over his heart, a guard stood at his cell.
“Good news! William. President Davis signed your pardon. You are a free man.”
Tears of joy began flowing down William’s face. After 20 years on death row, President Jerrick had freed him.
***
President Davis extensively traveled across the Empire. He personally inspected his grand projects and formed a strong bond with his people, proving he kept his word to the people.
President Davis traveled to South Bend, Indiana, a major industrial city at the turn of the 20th century.
In the early 20th century, the downtown landscape was dotted with large manufacturing complexes that produced Swinger sewing machines, watches and clocks, and Studebaker cars.
Remnants of the Studebaker factories stood on the south side, adjacent to the downtown area, but the other factories had left long ago.
Decline of South Bend, Indiana started with the shutdown and bankruptcy of the Studebaker’s factories in 1963. Thousands of highly paid factory workers filled the unemployment line overnight.
High unemployment struck South Bend as the good-paying jobs fled and crime soared.
All the wealthy people once lived on the Westside along Lincolnway West Boulevard. They constructed magnificent, two-story, Victorian-style homes. After the factory had closed, the wealthy fled and the poor flocked in. Then violence, crime, and poverty plagued the Westside.
A small revitalization occurred during the Housing Bubble of 2007, but after 2008, the Westside continued declining and worsening.
President Davis would change this as he checked the progress of two projects.
For the first project, President Davis allocated $50 million dollars to renovate 2,000 new homes on the Westside.
Old Victorian homes had style and class and were worth saving. Unfortunately, the destitute and homeless came along, and stripped all the wiring and pipes out of the homes, making them expensive to renovate.
The President’s cavalcade left the South Bend Regional Airport. He rode in his bullet-proof limousine surrounded by 20 Crown Victorians, keeping him secure.
The South Bend police and Indiana State Troopers stood at intersections, directing traffic around the airport.
In his limousine, the mayor of South Bend, Stephen Tallmadge, sat with the President. Stephen was a tall, large-framed man, who neared 50 years old. His hair and mustache were still black. He was a hardworking, honest man, who wanted to make a difference. The President always found the best people for the vital jobs.
Mayor would show the President the project’s progress.
As the procession headed to the Westside, the President became pale. Some of the neighborhoods barely survived a war zone. Residents boarded many homes up while empty lots were filled with weeds and abandoned cars.
Mayor saw the concern on the President’s face and said, “Mr. President, we haven’t started on these neighborhoods yet. As you can see, the scope of our problem is quite large.”
“I see. I had no idea. How many homes have been renovated?”
“So far, 500, and ah, here we are. We finally arrived at the neighborhood.”
As the procession crossed the intersection, the President saw teams of busy builders and workers. Carpenters were cutting boards; workers were carrying dry wall into homes, and two workers were burying electrical cables underground.
Although the Victorian homes were over 100 years old, they appeared to be new and beautiful. Most homes were two stories tall with wooden shutters on the windows, wrapped around porches and painted in two bold colors: avocado greens, browns, and pastel yellows.
As the procession drove by, the workers and builders turned, saluting and cheering the President.
The President waved to them.
Procession stopped at a large, yellow Victorian home with the trim and shutters painted brown.
“Here is the main construction office,” the mayor extolled proudly.
They
filed out of the limousine while the President’s security also climbed out, surrounding the house.
A couple of agents walked with the President and mayor, forming a human shield.
Walking to the house, the President shook workers’ hands as he passed by.
The President saw the stunned look upon the workers’ faces. It was not every day that you clocked into work, and the President, i. e. the big, big boss, walked up to you and shook your hand.
Once inside, the project manager, Chris Hammer, immediately stopped working and came to greet the President and mayor.
“May I get you any refreshments, sir,” Chris asked very politely, even apologetically.
“I will take a Vanilla Dr. Pepper, please,” The President asked.
Within seconds, a clerk retrieved an ice-cold Dr. Pepper for the President.
The President broke the ice first and began, “I popped in to check the progress of our projects.”
“Yes sir; the projects are going well. We already rehabbed 500 homes and sold 300 of them. We have another 200 homes ready to be occupied.”
“Did you use my policy that 75% must be given or sold to households with working family members?”
“Yes sir; we believe in your policy sir. Hardworking, family-oriented households make neighborhoods strong. Filling a neighborhood with poor, unemployed people guarantees failure and urban blight.”
“Good! That is exactly what I wanted to hear.”
“We’ll hold our first raffle for the homes. Workers are excited. We’ll raffle 100 homes for the workers.”
“Excellent, that should be a good surprise for the workers. I would like to inspect some of these homes,” the President asked meekly.
“Yes sir, right away,” the manager turned to the clerk and said, “Hold my calls. I’ll be with the President for a while.” Manager was excited and wanted to impress the President.
Manager, mayor, and President walked through the neighborhood while the President’s guards followed in formation.
Every worker turned around and cheered the President.
The President waved to them.
Group entered the first Victorian home on the block’s corner.
Then they checked several homes on the same block.