Nightmares
By Stephen Brandon
Copyright 2017 Stephen Brandon
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These nightmares are in alphabetical order by title. See Table of Contents.
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Table of Contents ~(ToC)~
Authors Note & Acknowledgments
Prologue
Story 1 A New Precedent {published in 2014}
Story 2 A Simple Battle Plan {published in 5 short Stories in 2014}
Story 3 Defense {new}
Story 4 One Day in Texas {published in From Texas to New York in 2014
Story 5 Riots {new}
Story 6 Self Defense {published in 5 short Stories in 2014}
Story 7 The Drone {new}
Story 8 Polls have Consequences {new}
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Author's Note
This book is a work of fiction. All characters, organizations, incidents, and dialogue are from the authors imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or other persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Real and fictional locations are used for background only.
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Acknowledgments
My wife has put up with me for over forty seven years. Without her support and love I don't know who, what, or where I would be, so I thank her from the bottom of my heart, and I dedicate my books to her!
Others that I dedicate my books to, are teachers, librarians, and those other individuals that take the time to instruct children and young people. They may not have certificates, but they care!
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About Stephen Brandon and his other books
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Prologue
A collection of stories that … well you decide.
Over the years, everyone has nightmares. Some from eating to late, some from life experiences, and others from just listening to the evening news just before bedtime.
A few nights ago I watched the evening news, and then went to bed. I woke up in a cold sweat about three AM remembering a few stories I'd published years ago, and some I wrote but didn't publish. I don't remember what caused the original nightmares that prompted me to write those stories.
I reread them and decided to republish them, and publish some of the unpublished ones. I still have several, but they are so off the wall or what you would consider controversial, that I'm going to hold onto them unless I hear their contents in the news. After all, I'm not a harbinger.
Each is a nightmare in its own right, some more so than others. It depends on your point of view.
Here they are!
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A New Precedent
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The Inauguration
It was a blustery January morning in Washington as the crowds gathered.
Everyone had been surprised at the landslide victory last November. The political fight and daily polls were so close that pollsters had been reluctant to forecast a winner.
The Chief Justice approached the podium and then the president elect. His wife stood up and handed the Chief Justice her family Bible and took a step back. As the new president said “I Do” and lowered his hand; his wife stepped forward and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Then her head exploded in bloom of blood. The secret service dragged the new president down to the platform and others looked around as the sound of a high powered rifle shot snapped over the crowd. A second shot killed the vice-president elect and two secret service agents as they hustled him from the platform. A lone camera recorded the tears on the new presidents face as he was carried into the White House.
The press clamored and raised hell when they were told that the inaugural address would be delayed 24 hours.
Half a dozen international news organizations played news clips from all over the world. Spontaneous crowds gathered and cheered the death of a leader of the great Satan.
The White House press corps did not clamor with questions when the President walked into the press room and simply announced that he would be in mourning for 3 days and then give his inaugural address in the rotunda. A single reporter started to yell a question. Three other reporters knocked him down right in front of the live TV cameras broadcasting the announcement.
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Mourning
The vice-president elects casket had been moved from the center of the rotunda over to the front of the low platform built in front of the doors. Security was so tight that every cameraman had to disassemble their cameras and everyone else was patted down to ensure no weapons or explosives entered the rotunda.
The leader of the house was blatantly absent. Several reporters noted the fact and broadcast it as their cameras zoomed in on the empty chair. Even though the leader of the house was from the opposite political party, they pounded in the fact on live TV that common courtesy dictated the fact that he should be present.
As the President approached the microphone, the reporters commented that he still wore a black armband. His first words were, citizens of the United States, today is a black day in western civilization. One of the two assassins was caught and interrogated. An appropriate response is now on its way to the headquarters of the terrorist group that launched the assassination of one of the leaders of this great country and my wife. Our ambassadors were instructed one hour ago to contact the leaders of all the countries we have diplomatic relations with and inform them of our response to this dastardly attack. National and international law forbids assassination of a countries leaders unless they are in active armed conflict. In the morning I will be requesting a formal declaration of war against the terrorist groups that are attacking the foundations of our society. In the meantime I am responding against the attack with fire under the existing laws and provisions granted the Commander in Chief. If I am granted a formal declaration of war by the Congress the military will be placed on alert and the so called war on terror will become a real fact. At present known terrorist and suspected terrorist are being arrested under the present laws. Fifty military tribunals will be convened to review the evidence against these terrorist warriors.
The southern border remains a problem. I ordered the pentagon to implement a border security plan which started yesterday. Active military units have started moving to secure the border from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean. I will be asking congress to declare a five mile wide border security zone. All private property owners will be compensated and relocated within the next thirty days. Cities located on the border will be under marshal law within a half mile of the border, and the private property owners given the option of selling or moving. Once barriers are in place, shoot to kill orders will be implemented. The invasion of the country will be stopped. Illegal aliens located within the country will be arrested and documented. If their home country will not accept them upon deportation, there is sufficient desert in the southwest to build permanent internment camps and I will also be asking congress to pass a mandatory life sentence for illegal entry to the country. Homeland Security and the border patrol will no longer operate on a capture, ticket, and release policy.
I now ask all legal citizens to contact their congressional representative and senators to express their opinion. The citizens of this country should let their opinion known. It will help forge the policies that will determine the rise or fall of our country.
Looking at the clock on the wall, he the
n said, “Now if you will patiently wait four minutes and thirteen seconds you will observe the retribution for the dastardly attack on the government of this county by a group of terrorist.” The rules of war and the Geneva convention do not apply to this response because we have not formally declared war on those terrorist. Also our law enforcement agencies have located several of these type bombs that were smuggled into our country. Everyone watched the monitor behind him on the wall as it switched to a desert scene; then a bright flash of light, and the horror of a mushroom shaped cloud forming above the target.
Then the President raised his hand and informed everyone that the original chain of succession was now in effect as outlined in the constitution. Then he said, Thank-you, there will be no questions, a press release will be handed out in the morning. Turning he stepped off the stage and was escorted through the doors into the hall.
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The Reply
His red phone was ringing when he entered his office. Picking it up he answered. The recorded conversation from his side recorded him telling the person on the other end of the line the fact that three nuclear devices had been captured by local and federal law enforcement. Since the terrorist were planning on using them within the country, it was only appropriate to reply in like manner. Our military wants to return those devices to their country of manufacture, however I've overruled them because two of those devices are from your county and one from France. I'm sure when the ambassador gives you the pictures with identifying markings you will move to punish the persons that stole and sold them to the terrorist. Pictures and documentation of their device was delivered by our ambassador to the French president.
Within the hour the French ambassador was at the White House demanding to see the President. When he explained his governments outrage at us having a French nuclear device. President explained. “Our military wanted to return all three devices to their country of origin; however I overruled them. It will be used when appropriate. Don't worry about it because we have captured two more devices within the country and another is now being tracked. They will also be returned to the terrorist. Any other problems today? “The fat French ambassador sat with his mouth open looking shocked and stated that no civilized man or nation would use nuclear bombs. The President simply stated that the attack on his government had set a new precedent! The terrorist wanted to be martyrs, he would help them accomplish their desires, and the ambassador had his permission to let everyone know.
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That evening at the pentagon the president sat with the Chief of Staff and the heads of each branch of the military. Patiently he explained, “The next time a terrorist act is committed against our country I want a military response against the crowds cheering the terrorist act. I believe we have the technology to quickly deliver a fuel air bomb to the locations of the terrorist supporters demonstrations. I know that leaves a very short time frame for retaliation. Fire is something that is feared by everyone. If a few terrorist supporters are incinerated, I won't loose any sleep and they might get the idea that supporting their terrorist is hazardous to their health.
“This will in no way cause any delay or problem with Homeland Security finding out who launched the attack and then a targeted response on their headquarters and leadership.
“I am determined that our country and citizens will not be put in unnecessary danger by terrorist. They only have to slip through once to succeed. However, we must make it so costly that they will think twice before thinking about trying another attack.”
~
The next morning local time a crate, marked weapons, was delivered to the Hamas headquarters with the return address of mosque in Iraq. As they pried the top off; a 15 kiloton nuclear fireball incinerated almost two square miles.
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A second crate marked personal for the head Imam of the Brotherhood in Syria was pried open less than an hour later. It produced a 250 Kiloton explosion that destroyed their capitol city.
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Within the hour the red phone rang and the President replied to the caller that our military is no longer in possession of any of your nuclear devices. However, we're still tracking one and expect to capture it shortly. Then we will know who built it before we return it to the sender. Then he asked the caller if he knew how many of his devices were missing. Homeland Security would know how many to look for. All the President got was silence before the caller hung up.
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Politics as usual?
Congress spent the next three days politicking and trying to add amendments to the requested bills. That Sunday a freight car exploded on a rail-siding in Kansas. The mushroom cloud was visible from Wichita, and they were downwind. Thousands were injured in the panicked mass exodus from the city.
Monday morning the air-force dropped five fuel air bombs on demonstrations celebrating the attack. The international news media broadcasting the demonstrations live, lost their reporters and cameramen. They protested the brutality of the American governments targeting of peaceful civilian demonstrations, yet their own recordings showed the malevolence of the crowds.
Monday at noon local time the French nuclear device exploded over the Al Qaeda headquarters of a training camp in Yemen. The air-burst left a several hundred yards of fused sand in the desert.
A hundred and twenty-seven men were arrested at a demonstration in Michigan and deportation proceedings started that afternoon.
Tuesday morning the requested bills were delivered, with no amendments, to the President for his signature into law. He reluctantly signed them knowing they would limit the type responses he could use.
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A SIMPLE BATTLE PLAN
BRIEFING TO TROOPS:
Fourteen male adults have been identified as friendly to our side. Their pictures are on the cards passed out. Make every reasonable effort not to kill them, provided they are not with a group that is engaging you with weapons.
Enemy combatants are anyone that shoots at you, male or female.
Potential enemy combatants are any male old enough to have facial hair.
Deployment will start the minute you touch the ground. Some of you will parachute in to secure the drop zone. These will be followed by helicopter troops. These will be followed by airplanes full of soldiers with vehicles, more ammunition, food, and miscellaneous supplies.
All units deployed must be 16 kilometers from their deployment point within the first 24 hours. The reason for this mandatory distance is the Air Force will start carpet bombing 24 hours after the first troops are deployed. They will also be dropping various types of mines.
The exit location is the eastern border of the country and transportation will be on hand from day 25 to day 31. That means each unit will be required to advance 16 kilometers per day.
The planners of this operation expect that the enemy may try a scorched earth defense ahead of our advancing line. This will not work because logistics has plans that will be implemented to airdrop, ammunition, explosives, food, water, and fuel plus repair parts for vehicles deployed.
Previous attempts to subdue the enemy and their terrorist nation have failed. Therefor this is a punitive war. 8000 soldiers will start on the western border of the country plus company and battalion size units dropped at strategic locations on the norther and southern borders.
No prisoners will be taken. No surrender of enemy combatants will be accepted. This information has been relayed to all the governments in the surrounding geographic area and they've been informed that if they deploy troops within the border of the target country they will be carpet bombed.
Due to the fact that they have eliminated almost all of our ground intelligence resources we will have not any method of determining who is armed and who is not. Anyone entering the countries border will be considered an enemy combatant.
Each of you will be given a card with local phrases. These will co
nsist of, Come out with you hands up, Anyone not coming out with their hands up will be considered an enemy combatant and will be shot, Lay flat on the ground with your hands on your head, Stay on the ground until we leave. At that point the building they exited will be quickly searched. If there is any resistance or persons within the building explosives will be placed and the building will be destroyed.
Reasonable attempts will be made to refrain from destroying the countries manufacturing infrastructure. Factories and business will be quickly searched. If there is no resistance, then they will be left intact. If resistance is encountered, then they will be destroyed using explosives and fire.
Then the unit will advance and all persons laying on the ground left after a warning that they should remain on the ground.
Any tunnels or bunkers will have gasoline and or diesel poured down the entrances and then destroyed with explosives. Any heavy resistance at fortified locations will be considered enemy combatants. If the unit cannot advance and take the location within 2 hours the following actions will be implemented. The unit will surround the fortified location at the distance of 1 kilometer. Unit commander will contact Unit Seven and give location. At that time all soldiers surrounding the fortified location should have dug in. The fortified location will be bombed with bunker busters and then carpet bombed with mines. Warning signs will be placed every 1/2 kilometer around the fortified location. The unit will at that time move on to their next objective.
The attacked fortified location will be monitored. Any movement detected will automatically trigger a scorched earth attack using napalm.
WARNING TO ALL SOLDIERS: Rape and pillaging will not be tolerated. Anyone caught raping or having sex with a female will be immediately executed. All solders leaving the theater of operations will be searched. Any items not of military issue will be confiscated and they will be charged with pillaging.