Arctic Wind

Chapter 5 Getting Started

It was eight in the evening when an SUV pulled into the parking lot next to the Iowa. There were still hundreds out on the tarmac resting after the evening meal. Televisions had been set up and most were watching some of the local channels. Patricia Hammond saw the vehicle pull up and silently dreaded one more family coming in for help at this late hour. Little Steve was standing on the deck above her and she was getting ready to put him to bed when he called out “Daddy!”

She turned to see a man in summer whites get out of the car and wave to his son. Steve rushed past his mother and down the brow. It didn’t take long before he was in the welcoming arms of his father. Hammond hugged the boy hard. “How’s my little man? Have you been taking care of your Mom?”

“Of course, Daddy. She let me sleep in the Captain’s bed.”

“Oh! Now that’s special,” Hammond said a Patricia walked up. “Hi, beautiful,” he said to her.

Patricia threw her arms around her husband and began to cry. They stood and held each other for a long while until Steve asked, “Why’s Mom crying?”

“Just happy to see Daddy home,” she told her son.

“About time you got here,” shouted a voice from the ship. Bos’n Patnaude stood on the main deck with his hands on his hips. He was grinning from ear to ear as he made his way down to them.

“Hello, Boats. Good to see you,” Hammond said.

“Bull. It’s good to see them. Now take this pretty woman home and get her out of this madhouse a couple of days. I just got the call from Mister Latham. You are all set. I’ll make sure everything keeps going around here, but when you bring her back, some of the guys would like to say hello,” Boats said with a grin.

“Boats, we don’t have a place to go to. Our house…”

Patnaude interrupted her. “No, Mayor Pat, we took care of all that. You two go home a couple of days. He’s probably got to run off again. Us sailors do that, you know. Take a little break and when you come back things will be even better,” Boats said.

Patricia looked at Boats, then back at Roger. She threw up her hands. “I give up. We might be in a tent, but as long as we’re together, it’s okay with me.”

Hammond winked at Patnaude and then bundled his wife and son into the car. Twenty minutes later they pulled into the driveway of their house. It looked terrible. Two walls had fallen and the roof had collapsed, but sitting in front of the house was a huge RV. The lights were on and a man was standing outside waiting for them.

Patricia looked at Roger. “This is for us?”

Hammond nodded. “Jack set it up and I bought the trailer sight unseen. I hope we like it,” he said, getting out of the car.

“Admiral Hammond?” asked the man waiting.

“That’s me.”

The man handed over the keys and a slip of paper. “Here are the keys and the location of the office. The boss told me to tell you not to worry, but come by when you can. The paperwork will hold. If you need anything, he says call that number. There are some instructions about the RV inside on the kitchen counter. Mister Lathum had his guys set up the water, electricity and sewer, then brought in some groceries. Is there anything I can do for you?” he asked.

Hammond took the keys and shook his hand. “No, thank you for all you’ve done.”

“Yes, thank you so much,” Patricia said.

The man grinned. “Mayor Pat, my family was at the Iowa for two days before we were able to move back home. We were one of the lucky ones. With all you’ve done, I am really happy to do this for you. As a matter of fact, everyone is. Have a good evening,” the man said as he turned, got in his truck and left.

“Can we go in now?” asked Steve.

Both laughed. “Let’s go, Sport,” Hammond said to his son.

The RV was much nicer than Hammond had imagined from the brochure. There was a large sitting/dining/kitchen area in the front, and in the rear was a large bedroom with a king size bed and a bath. In between, were a separate bath and a space for two bunks.

Little Steve let out a shout of glee. The bunk beds were his. Already in his pajamas, he crawled right in and pulled the covers up. “This is ours Daddy?” he asked.

Hammond laughed. “Yes, Sport, it’s ours. Now you just go to sleep and we’ll talk some more tomorrow, okay?”

Steve smiled. His Daddy was home and he had a new house. The world was fine. “Okay, Daddy,” he said as he rolled over and closed his eyes.

Hammond walked to the front, closing the door behind him. Patricia was looking out the windows in the front of the RV. “Our house is gone,” she said.

Hammond put his arms around his wife, kissing her on the neck. “We’ll build another.”

In the sitting area was a fake fireplace which was already running, a couch and two easy chairs. Both walls moved out adding floor space. The kitchen had everything including a pantry. Hammond led his wife to the couch and they sat down. She leaned into his chest. “Is it true what Boats said? You have to go back?”

Hammond sighed, yes, but at least you have some place to go to for now. We have two days. I won’t go back until Sunday night,” he said. He reached over and turned off the lights. The glow of the fake fireplace reflected off the walls while each simply basked in the company of the other. An hour later, Roger Hammond stood, took the hand of his wife and led her to their bedroom.

***

The Secretary of Defense put the summary down on the table. The entire document was over six inches deep. The evidence was damning. He looked around the table. “I must concur with these conclusions. I’m sure State is seeing some of the same things. Of course, we must continue talks with the Russians, but this is too much like 1939. We all know what happened then. Roger Hammond and his panel of officers have done a magnificent job getting it all down in plain English. Now it’s up to us to decide whether to use this as a template or put it in a file cabinet somewhere and suffer the consequences,” he said as he sat back down.

The cabinet remained quiet for a moment. The Secretary of State was the first to speak. “He’s correct. My people are counting the days. All we get is that they are a peace-loving people looking out for the best interests of Russians worldwide. Our concerns are met with what they think we want to hear. It’s all a whitewash and I don’t know how to prevent it. Substitute Nazi Germany with the word Russia and history is repeating itself. Talking to our NATO ambassadors we get the same answers. War is coming and we need to be ready.”

“Mister President, the Joint Chiefs agree. We would like to adopt this blueprint and get things going. I know we told the NATO allies we wanted them to put up first, but in this case, we can’t be left behind. It would be a disaster,” said Chairman Black.

The President turned to his National Security Advisor. “I take it you agree as well?”

Brent Adams nodded. “All the intelligence assets are on the watch. They are being a little sneaky about things, but over the longer run, they are moving their assets closer. Our assets on the ground are reporting that whole classes of young men are now being trained for their army. It’s to the point that some villages have no young men left. One more thing. We have begun noticing that their submarine fleet is slowly being deployed a few ships at a time. Every few days a group of five or six get underway, but none are returning. We need to take this as a warning,” he said.

President O’Bannon took a deep breath. “Once again, we are faced with a conflict we did not start and will strain every aspect of our nation to counter. I am getting tired of war. At the same time we will not back away from it. We are going with this plan. Begin carrying out the various parts as we need to. All other departments are to begin reorganizing for a war footing. That means transportation, agriculture, commerce, all of you. Try and keep it low key so we don’t scare the masses, but we must be ready,” he said. Then he sat back in his chair. “I’d like to add one thing. When Roger had his confirmation hearing he mentioned that war was a consequence of a political failure. I thought about this a lot, and he’s right. Someone’s politics is making a change what the rest of us don’t like. Well, maybe we need to change that. I agree with that last recommendation of going after their infrastructure, but I want to do it for a different reason. More than one of us can learn from history. President Borodin has always bragged that he has kept the people of Russia warm and well fed. He boasts about keeping the electricity running and the trains moving. He’s made these promises ever since he gained power and I want their people to see that he can’t do that anymore. I want the Russian people to be cold, dark, and hungry. I want them to understand what their government is doing to them. I want them to blame that government. If they do, it may be like 1917 again. After all, they did it back then, and they might just do it again. Get our assets back online. Kick up Voice of America, Radio Free Europe, our satellite and other broadcast channels. The Russians watch and listen. They have tasted freedom and like it. Let’s see what they will do if they lose it again. Let’s get to work.”

Petyr couldn’t believe all the tanks that had shown up in the woods outside of town. While making a delivery, he looked across a field and there they were. Soldiers were at work around them and it looked like there were more even deeper into the trees. Despite the longer distances he was traveling on his bike to make the deliveries, lately there had been a lot of new things to see. It seemed like soldiers were camping everywhere. They had just about taken over the state park. Occasionally there would be a new plane flying overhead. On one day he saw several helicopters practicing at the edge of town. Petyr liked it because it broke up his ride. He liked seeing the big machines and with all the things on the news about Russia, it made him feel more secure.

The one dark side in his life had been Freda. It had been over a week since her mother had died and she had become more introverted. The smile had gone. The laugh he loved to hear had been replaced by silence. Even when she did see him, there wasn’t much more than a wave before she went back to her flat. Even her look had changed. Her eyes had become a little darker and she looked tired all the time. She was beginning to worry him, but he didn’t know what to do about it.

He had just returned home and put his bike away when he heard Mr. Polski call to him from above. Petyr rushed up the steps and was met at the door.

“Petyr, I would like to ask you to do something for me,” Mr. Polski said.

“Of course, how can I help?”

“Petyr, I understand you like to camp. Do you have a tent?”

“Yes, sir, I have all the camping gear. What do you need?”

“Well, Freda has been talking about going back to our farm for a day or so. The farmhouse and land have been rented, but if you could take her to the lake on the property, it might cheer her up. She hasn’t been sleeping much since her mother died and it has weighed very heavily on her. I can’t go, but if you could take her, I will drive you out there on Friday after school and come pick you up on Sunday. Could you do that?” Mr. Polski asked.

Petyr was taken aback. He was asking him to spend a weekend alone with his daughter. That was different. He nodded his head. “I’ll be happy to go with her. Has she got a sleeping bag?”

“I’ll get her one and will get the food for the two of you. I just hope it will get her mind off her mother and back to the present. It would mean very much to me,” Mr. Polski said almost pleadingly. It was clear he was concerned for his daughter.

About the same time, Freda came out of her room and came to her father. “Freda, Petyr is going to take you camping this weekend at our lake. Is that something you would like to do?” her father asked.

For a short instant, Petyr saw a light return to her eyes as she looked at him. There was a smile. “I would like that, Papa,” she said.

“Then I will get everything taken care of. Petyr if you can come by after school, I will have everything ready,” Mr. Polski said.

Petyr smiled at Freda. “Is there anything special you might want to do while we’re there?” he asked.

She shook her head, “No, I just want to see home,” she said. The smile had gone and the melancholy had returned.

Petyr looked at her father. “I’ll have everything ready,” he said. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said to her.

She nodded and went back inside. Mr. Polski smiled and said, “Thank you, Petyr.”

Going back to his home, Petyr told his mother what the plans were and she agreed. “Good. That poor girl needs to get away. Some fresh air will help her,” she said.

“What about the deliveries?” demanded Petyr’s father.

“You can do them in the car!” Mrs. Kursov demanded. “Does he not work hard enough for you? Let the boy become a man,” she said.

“Oh, he’ll become a man alright,” said Sasha from across the room. He was rewarded by having a spoon flung across the room at him.

***

School ended and Petyr rushed back to his home. He had put everything out the night before and was surprised when he got home and everything had already been placed into Mr. Polski’s car. Freda came out in some jeans and a flannel shirt. He was glad she had thought to dress warmly. Fall was already in the air and the nights would get much cooler. After saying their goodbyes Mr. Polski started the car and they drove off.

The countryside was beautiful. The leaves were starting to turn, adding color to the surrounding green landscape. It only took half an hour to get where they were going. Freda had been right. The house was what Petyr considered a typical Polish country house, two story with painted shutters and bright trim. Mr. Polski pulled up to the house and got out a moment to let the people know they would be camping by the lake, then drove farther down a dirt road across the now harvested fields to the forest at the far end. The road curved through the trees and came to an end beside a beautiful lake, about ten acres square. There was a small cleared area at the end of the road along with a short pier out into the water.

For Petyr, it was almost surreal. This kind of beauty he had only seen in photographs. The evening sun’s rays shown through the brightly colored trees, resting on the still waters of the lake. Occasionally the water would be disturbed by either a fish or insect and the only sound was the rustling of the leaves when the wind made its way. He stood and soaked the images in. “This place is amazing,” he finally said almost reverently.

Mr. Polski chuckled. “Yes, I used to bring the family here for picnics and occasionally a small bonfire when it got cool. Freda especially likes being here,” he said. They watched Freda make her way to the small pier and sit alone at the end. “Let her alone for a while. That was where she and her mother used to sit and talk.”

Petyr and Mr. Polski unpacked all the equipment and set up the tent. Then he pulled out a large wooden box and placed it on the ground. “There’s all the food you’ll need. I made sure there was plenty. The lake is fed by several springs, so the water should be almost pure. To be sure, you might want to boil it first,” he said. “Later this evening pull the rope loops up to the top of the box and hang it on that rope over by the tree. It will keep the animals out of it.”

Once everything was done, Mr. Polski turned to Petyr. “Petyr, I think she needs you right now. I’m sure you will be able to help her. But if something goes wrong, just hike back to the house and call me. I’ll come get you. If not, I’ll be back Sunday about midafternoon.” He smiled at Petyr. “You two have fun,” he said as he placed his hand on Petyr’s shoulder. Then he walked to the pier to say good bye. Petyr saw him kiss his daughter on the forehead and then climb in the car and leave. He waved as he rounded the bend.

Letting Freda keep to her thoughts, Petyr started rummaging around the area gathering wood for the fire. Within a short time, there was a healthy pile and he had gotten the fire started. Slowly adding the sticks and twigs, it soon was large enough to make good coals for cooking. He was startled when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Freda sat down on a log next to him and leaned into him. Petyr placed his arm across her shoulders. They sat for a while soaking in the heat of the fire as it slowly burned down to coals. More wood was added and the two opened the chest to get something to eat. There was enough food for a week.

After making some selections, Petyr cooked their meal. Not much was spoken except for the pleasantries while eating. By the time everything was cleaned up, it was dark outside. Petyr sat back down beside Freda again. In a few minutes she gave a long sigh. “I always loved it here,” she said.

“I can understand it. I’ve never seen a place so beautiful. If I could, I would be here every day,” he said.

“My family used to come here often. Mother would prepare the meals and we would play along the banks and here in the woods. I don’t think I ever appreciated it as much as I do now. This was a happy place for us,” Freda said wistfully.

This is progress, thought Petyr. At least she was talking. “The place hasn’t changed. The happiness we bring with us,” he said. “I appreciate the chance to bring you here.”

She turned and looked at him. “I was hoping you would bring me. I have been thinking a lot about my mother, and it’s been keeping me awake at night. I don’t think I’ve slept in a week,” she said.

“So you think coming here will help?”

A smile came to her face. “Partly, but I need time with you. Petyr, I wanted this time because I need to be held. I need to feel your arms around me. I need to feel loved. I feel like I need to know that someone who cares for me will still be there for me,” she sighed. “Petyr, I know you love me. When you told my mother you would care for me, she knew it too. It was the most wonderful thing I had ever heard, and Mother knew I was safe. So just hold me. Let me feel you next to me. I don’t know why, but somehow I feel I need this more than anything,” she said almost pleadingly.

Petyr wrapped his arms around Freda as she buried her face in his shoulder and held tight. “I said I would take care of you, and I will. I am here for you and will always be.” He kissed her on the head. They sat there for a long time until the moon peeked over the trees and lit the area of the tent. Petyr looked down on her and said, “Why don’t you go on in and get ready for bed. I’ll put the food up and when you are finished, I’ll come in.”

She nodded and went into the tent. Petyr closed the food box and pulled the loops up from each side. The rope on the tree was attached to a pulley on one of the high branches. He lowered it down and attached the end to the box loops. Pulling the rope lifted the box high into the air, away from the reach of any animals, he secured the line to the tree. He could hear a zipper being pulled in the tent. “You ready?” he asked.

“I’m ready,” came the reply.

He entered the tent to find that Freda had zipped the two sleeping bags together. She was already in one side. Seeing the look on his face, she said, “Just come on in. I just need you with me tonight.”

He started to get in fully clothed. “Petyr, go ahead and remove your clothes. I know I am safe with you,” she said.

In the dim light, she watched as he undressed and then slid into the sleeping bag beside her. She snuggled up next to him and placed her head on his chest. He wrapped his arm around her. In a few moments Freda began to cry. For twenty long minutes she let her emotions pour out. When the last of her tears were released, Petyr felt her breathing become steady. She fell asleep in his arms. In a short time he too fell asleep, feeling as if he had done a miraculous thing.

Mr. Polski opened the door to the apartment and called out for Rudy. If it was just them, they would go out for a meal. It would do them both good.

Rudy walked out of his room with a serious look on his face. Mr. Polski noticed. “What’s wrong, Rudy? Is something the matter?”

Rudy looked up at his father. “I don’t know. Is there something wrong with me?” he asked.

The question took Polski aback for a moment. “Not as far as I see, son. Are you feeling ill?”

Rudy shook his head. “No, but Mama’s death has really hurt Freda badly. It’s like she has lost it. She hasn’t talked to me all week, and now you let her go out with Petyr for the weekend to try and cheer her up. I miss Mama, but why am I not as upset about it as she is? I feel like I am letting Mama down or something,” he said sincerely.

Mr. Polski placed his arm around his son’s shoulders and led him to the couch where they sat down. “No, son, there’s nothing wrong. Each of us has to deal with death in our own way. We both are sad that Mama is gone. I loved your mother for over twenty years. You don’t see me moping around, do you?”

Rudy shook his head, “No.”

“Well, that’s a part of the differences between all of us. You know how we have gone out and done things together without your Mama and sister? Well Freda and Mama had their time together as well. Mama taught her to cook, sew, do little things around the house, all kinds of things a mother would show her daughter. So it’s not unreasonable for Freda to be particularly upset.”

“But why couldn’t we help her instead of Petyr?”

Polski grinned. “Rudy, you haven’t been in love yet. She may not know it, but she loves Petyr very much, and I figure he feels the same way about her. Sure, we could do things with her and she would eventually be alright, but sometimes a young girl needs the companionship of someone they have feelings for. She loves us, but she may not say or do some of the things she would like to do around us. So I asked Petyr to spend the weekend with her,” he said softly.

Rudy’s eyes widened. “He wouldn’t…”

Mr. Polski raised a finger. “Do you trust your sister?”

Rudy nodded.

“Do you trust Petyr?”

“I guess so,” said Rudy, although he had some doubts.

“I trust Petyr too. He is a very good young man and I feel like he would be an asset to our family,” said Polski, “So I am willing to let them figure out these things for themselves. I know he won’t force himself on her. He cares for her too much. But don’t be surprised if they don’t come home feeling much better about themselves,” he said.

“I just don’t want her to be hurt anymore,”

Polaki laughed. “Now see, you are becoming more grown up too. One day, you will find someone who likes you as much as she likes Petyr. Then you will understand better. Until then, you just keep on doing what you do. I am very proud of you, son. You have been everything a man would like his son to be. And just now, you made me a little bit prouder. Now come, let’s go uptown and find a nice restaurant. Maybe we can plan a camping trip on our own,” he said happily.

A smile had returned to Rudy’s face. His father was proud of him, and said so. All was right with the world.

“This is insane. How do they expect me to keep most of our carriers and air groups at sea all the time? My guys need their time in port or they’ll go nuts!” complained Vice Admiral Josh Lineman, the Commander U. S. Fleet Forces. “Did you read this shit?”

Admiral Fred Griffin nodded his head. “Josh, I know it is inconvenient, but look at what’s going on over in Europe. We don’t live in a vacuum. I was able to read that report and I must say I agree with it. The Russians are making their moves and we have to be ready for anything.”

“But this guy, Hammond, isn’t even an aviator. He’s just guessing what might happen. If I tell my carriers to get underway and stay underway, they’ll go batty in just a few months,” said Lineman.

“You ever met Hammond?” Griffin asked.

“No. But I know he’s the President’s fair haired boy. I’d wager he is more into politics than he is being at sea.”

Griffin gave Lineman a wary look. “Well, there you’d be wrong. I’ve met the guy. He’s all Navy and nothing but Navy. He’s one of the smartest flag officers we have, and I’ll tell you another thing,” he said getting a little agitated. “He put his ship directly in between my carrier and a bunch of North Korean cruise missiles. If it wasn’t for him, I might not have a command right now. He’s got balls as big as that carrier out there,” he said pointing out the window, “so before you start putting him down, you might want to check your six. Because if you get on the wrong side of him, I don’t want to be in the same state.”

“He can’t be that good,” said Lineman.

“I’m telling you he is, so go back to your office and work out a rotation so that as many of our carriers and their groups are out doing something. He’s not saying to always be out, but he is saying to have as few of them in port at a time as we can. Besides, you aren’t the only one. I’m sending the subs out too. At least out there we have maneuvering room. Now unless you have more questions, I’m up to my ears,” said Griffin.

Lineman gave a sigh. “No, sir, I’ll get things rolling from my end. What about the Truman? She’s getting ready for sea trials next week.”

“Have the yard send workers out with her to do any repairs out there. Let’s not keep her in port more than a few days at a time. And postpone the Nimitz overhaul for a few weeks. She can get a little work done, but nothing major. If something does happen, we’ll need her,” said Griffin.

Lineman nodded. He was now convinced they were all nuts, but he would give a show of support, at least. “I’ll see to it.” He turned and left the office. He held off on exploding until he got in his car.

“What do you mean, we aren’t fully covered,” asked Patricia Hammond from her makeshift office in a trailer on the old Town Hall property.

“Well, Mrs. Hammond, your policy doesn’t cover any building that hadn’t been earthquake proofed. So we will cover any belongings and temporary quarters, but the house may be a write off,” said the agent, calmly over the phone.

“When did this change? There was nothing about this when I purchased the policy,” she said.

“That happened three years ago when the governor came into office. The state law changed and, as stated in the policy, we automatically changed the policy to fit the new laws,” he said.

“So no one was given anything in writing?”

“It is mentioned in the policy that the policy may change to match current state insurance laws.”

Patricia looked at the phone incredulously. “That means no one in my community with your earthquake insurance is getting covered from the most devastating quake of a century. Do you know how much we pay for this insurance?” she asked.

“Ma’am, my hands are tied,” he said tiredly. It was obvious he had been giving the same news a lot over the past few days.

“Very well, we’ll see about this,” said Patricia as she hung up the phone. “Get the lawyer in here,” she screamed toward the outer office. In a few minutes a young man knocked on her door.

“Yes Mayor, what’s up?” he asked.

“Dan, I want to start a class action suit against the insurance industry. Any company that is not covering the losses of our citizens is going to feel some heat. Get out to the people still out here. Get a petition signed by everyone who hasn’t been covered to be included in this suit. Then file it locally and then at the state level. Something needs to be done about this,” she said angrily.

The young man chuckled. “You got turned down too, huh? You remember that our illustrious governor used to be a partner in that company.”

Patricia’s eyes widened. “No, I didn’t. You don’t think…”

The young man took a deep breath. “It may get nasty.”

Patricia’s face broke into a smile. “He’s been the most useless governor on record. If we find out he did this for personal gain, he’ll be the one doing the sweating. As a matter of fact, once all the documents are in, let’s give the media a statement. If there’s something dirty, they’ll find it,” she said.

The President placed a new set of shoulder boards on Hammond’s shoulders. They had four stars on them. The small ceremony was in the State Dining Room of the White house and nearly the whole staff was there. Each remembered Hammond from his tour as Navy Liaison and he had made many friends. When he finished, the President said, “Congratulations, Admiral Hammond.”

Applause broke out across the large room as people were genuinely happy for the man who had been just a captain a few years before. The President held up his hands to quiet the staff.

“Roger, I am sorry Patricia couldn’t be here to do this, but when I mentioned it to my secretary, Barbara insisted we do something here. Then my Chief of Staff threatened to resign if we didn’t, so I caved in,” said the President as laughter erupted in the room. As the laughter died away he continued. “I don’t know how many of you saw his performance on C-SPAN, but I must say that the feedback I got was the most positive I have heard from the Senate in a long time. But now he has a real job to do. His first task has been completed and implemented. Now he has a Secretary of Defense on his side. So Roger, please don’t run for office before I leave.”

The laughter started again and many applauded. Then Hammond spoke. “Mr. President, I appreciate all this, I really do. It would have been nice if Patricia were here, but as many of you have seen on television, she has taken on the Governor of California and the insurance industry. Just a while back, I warned her not to do to the Governor what she did to one of her guards in Venezuela,” he said. The laughter returned for a moment. “But she has promised to take a short break and come see us as soon as she can. My son will be coming along and I want you all to see him. So don’t be surprised if he wants to come explore the place,” he said. “Again, I appreciate you doing this for me, and I am very happy to be with my friends once more.”

There was applause again and the President led the way to a table filled with all sorts of interesting snacks. After the congratulations petered out he pulled Hammond aside. “Why don’t you and Perry join me for a minute,” he said under his breath.

A few minutes later and the three men were in the Oval Office. “Roger, you have caused quite a stir in the Pentagon. There are a bunch of guys a little upset that you have stirred the pot, but those are the ones who slow things down. Right now, we have moved four brigades of tanks and all their equipment to France. I have told them not to show themselves much until the time comes. I am sending some planes as well. But what interests me is this stuff you sent over to your research and development center. I got a summary of it. How would you use it?” he asked.

Hammond shrugged his shoulders. “If it’s up to me, I would put it on every plane, ship and large vehicle. If you recall, I mentioned using technology to our advantage. That was why that’s in there. If this works like I expect, we can fly anything over Russia without them being able to see us or track us. We can send a fleet across the ocean undetected by air or sea, and if they do launch missiles, those missiles won’t be able to track in on them.

“But the second thing I would go with is something Claire Richardson told me about. They have gotten with a contractor who makes these small drones. At first, they were used for just recon work, but the contractor said they had initially designed them to carry a weapon. Just think what the Russians might do of a few thousand of these things descended on them at night, killing their tank crews before they could mount an attack. I’d build thousands of the things to not only carry a gun, but maybe even grenades or small land mines that could be dropped just in front of advancing tanks. Things like these could make the difference for us,” he said enthusiastically.

“I agree,” said Perry Johnson, the CNO. “And so do the rest of the joint chiefs. Just to let you know, within a month, we may have about ten thousand of the things. The first shipment will go over when the troops are trained. There’s actually a lot of things happening that I can fill you in on later,” he said.

“What I’d like to know is, if this was your baby, how would you stop the Russians?” asked the President, sitting back on the couch.

Hammond paused a second. His eyes focused for a moment, studying the man before he began. “You remember Shock and Awe, back in Iraq?” he asked.

Both men nodded. “Well, as far as I remember, the United States has not gone all out on any conflict. No one really knows what we can do. In Korea, we did what we could, but it was never everything. Now, our technology is back, our weapons arsenal is full. I would show them that pissing off the United States is the worse idea a country could have,” he said.

They talked for an hour, before the President broke it up. The President walked Hammond to the front door and saw them off, then returned to the Oval Office. General Black was there waiting.

“Did you hear?” the President asked.

“I did.”

“And?”

Black grinned an evil grin. “He’s the one.”

Master Sergeant Dale Ricks looked across the classroom at the young faces of this latest group of selectees. He was only in his twenties, but these guys looked like they should be in middle school. What made it worse was that they all looked up at him as if he were some sort of god. Everyone knew about Master Sergeant Ricks.

Now he was taking on the latest scheme the Army had come up with. These young men and women had just completed a day of playing a video game. Only people who had achieved a certain level had been brought back in today. Now it was time to bring them in on the secret.

“Okay, listen up. You people think you had fun yesterday? Play a few games? Well, I’m afraid it was more than that. Each of you now is in a new part of the service. I say this one more time. If you want to leave, leave now.”

No one moved. Some even smiled and glanced at their friends in anticipation.

Ricks smiled. “Okay, you asked for it. I wonder if this looks a little familiar?” he asked as he walked over to a cloth covered lump in the middle of the lecture table at the front of the hall. Grasping the cloth, he gave it a yank, revealing a black military drone. It had four propellers mounted horizontally on each corner. There was an antenna, some wiring, a camera under the rig and what looked like a sideways turned pistol beneath it. “Oh shit!” exclaimed one of the people in the room. “It looks like the game!” shouted another. People started talking back and forth to each other before Ricks regained control.

“Okay, knock it off. This is an M-32 weaponized drone. It has a range of around five miles out and back and can send back images of what we’re up against, but more importantly, this little thing down here will allow each operator to target and fire this weapon to disable or kill your target. It is operated with this gadget right here. Notice how it looks exactly like your controllers from yesterday, except for this red button right here. That’s what pulls the trigger. The weapon holds seven rounds. The idea is that you go in, select a target and pull the trigger, then repeat it until your magazine is empty. Our job is to hit the enemy before they can get organized or start after us. The more we kill with this thing, the fewer of our guys will get shot at,” Ricks said.

“Tomorrow, we will begin training with these things. I need you up and ready with this within just a week or so. Faster if possible. Your setup is this,” he said pulling the cover off a large display on an easel. It showed a seat with two video monitors. “The top monitor displays where you and the rest of your people are. It also will show generally where you need to go. The second monitor has the image from your drone. Using these, we hope to send you out ahead of our lines to disrupt the enemy and keep them off balance. That will allow ground troops to come in. You will be operating at night mostly, so the camera is set for low light levels or infra-red. Once you have done your job, it’s just like the game. Hit the return to base feature and it will come home to Mama on its own. Once home, it will hover until you take over again and land it. Remember, it’s only good for around five miles out and five miles back, plus some loiter time. So get in and get out as quick as you can. Once the unit is back, it will be rapidly recharged; taking about fifteen minutes. Then you will be taking it back out again. Your job is to kill as many people as you can, just like the game. Any questions?”

Looking around the room, Ricks could tell that this was something some of them had not thought about. A game was one thing, killing a person was another. Ricks eased himself back and perched on the table. “Look people, I know what a lot of you are thinking. I thought the same way when I first came in the Army. They threw a rifle in my hand and it just about knocked me over,” he said. There were some spotty snickers through the room. “But then I found myself getting shot at. I hadn’t done much of anything and all of a sudden people were trying to kill me. The man I was on watch with ended up dead. He was a nice guy. It took my sergeant to shove me into reality. He once told me that we don’t start wars, but often find out we’re in one. When that happens, our job is to make them wish they hadn’t. That means we have to kill more of them, than they kill of us. It also means we have to make a personal decision that this thing we do isn’t what we might consider normal. It’s forced upon us. So we have to step back and not take things personally. As for me, I don’t like to kill anybody. The people we may go up against are just like you and me. They didn’t start this war either, but they’re stuck too. So we do our jobs. We don’t take pleasure in it. But we get the job done. And we hope that someday we won’t ever have to go to war again. The best thing may be to look at what we are doing just like that video game. They are just images on a screen. Whatever it takes, you will have to deal with it because that’s what we are in the Army for. As my sergeant said, those people on the other side would not hesitate to take a bayonet and stick it through your heart, so we do what we do so that maybe, some of our guys will get to go home when it’s over. That’s my take on it. If you want to talk to me about it, send in your chit. But remember, if I can do these things, you can. Now take a few minutes to take a look at this stuff. When I get back, you will be assigned training platoons. Then the real work begins. Carry on,” he said as he turned and left the room. Outside the door was his commanding officer.

“How did they take the idea?” asked Colonel Smalls.

Ricks grunted. “It dawned on them that we are supposed to kill people with these things. There may be ten or so out of the sixty that may have lingering problems. I could see it in some of their faces. But the rest will be okay,” he said.

“Better be. I just got word these will ship over to Germany in two weeks,” the colonel said.

“Damn,” said Ricks. “That’s an awful short time to get these guys ready.”

“I know, but you’ve seen the papers. I’m starting to think it’s actually worse than even the media expects. I heard they want over five thousand people like these over there. If that’s the case, somebody’s going to get hurt. I just hope it’s not us,” the colonel said.

“If they do send people over, do you think it includes us?”

“Not right now. We just train them and send them out. Train them hard, Ricks. Even if we don’t go, we made a difference,” said Smalls.

“Yes, sir,” Ricks said as he turned back and reentered the classroom.

Maria Slovatin gave her son a big hug. He stood there resplendent in his Russian Navy uniform. Many mentioned that he hadn’t worn it long enough to take the creases out of it. Over the past year all of the young men in the village had been called into service. Maria’s son Misha was the last. They stood on the bus platform along with several other families to bid Misha farewell. No one spoke much. Misha was only seventeen, but the government had sent a letter telling him to report for training just six months before. Now that training was complete and this was his last trip home for at least a year. The visit had been bittersweet. Misha was enthusiastic about serving, but he really didn’t want to leave home. His mother seemed to always be crying or wiping her eyes.

Handing his canvas bag to the driver to be put away, Misha gave his mother another kiss, shook his father’s hand and climbed aboard. As the bus pulled away, the small crowd waved and he waved back.

Misha was number fifty one from the small community southeast of Moscow. Now there was no young man in the village older than 16 or younger than 25. Only the oldest members of the community remembered when, during the Great Patriotic War, all the young men had gone. It was a good thing the harvests were in. There would not be enough to bring in the crops during harvest time. Everyone hoped the young men would return in a few months. Otherwise, the elderly and children would be forced back into the fields.

Without fanfare, the crowd began drifting back to their homes. There was already snow on the ground. Soon it would be too cold to do much of anything but try to stay warm.

The military headquarters was filled with many photos and paintings of former Russian military heroes. They included Vasily Chuikov, commander and hero in the Battle of Stalingrad, Andrei Grechko, World War II Soviet Marshal and Soviet Defence Minister under Brezhnev, Mikhail Kutuzov, hero of the Russo-Turkish War (1787–1792), who defeated Napoleon's Grande Armée during French invasion of Russia in 1812, Maria Bochkareva, founder of the Women's Battalion of Death during World War I, Aleksandr Menshikov, associate of Peter the Great, Roza Shanina, World War II Soviet sniper with 54 confirmed kills, Vice Admiral Cornelius Cruys, the first commander of the Russian Baltic Fleet, Admiral Ivan Yumashev, who reclaimed Southern Sakhalin and Kuril Islands for the USSR during the Soviet — Japanese War in 1945, Alexander Novikov, Chief Marshal of Aviation during World War II, Nikolay Sutyagin, the top Korean War Soviet fighter ace, Yuri Gagarin, the first human to travel into space, along with dozens of others whose exploits dated back. Few westerners understood the rich history of the Russian military or the pride Russians felt about their accomplishments. Every day the officers would go to and from their offices and were reminded of the leadership which brought the Russian Military to where it was today.

With such leadership on their minds, a group of senior leaders gathered in a large ornate room with one gigantic table in its center. On it, were the maps of Europe. Each map was embellished with symbols of where current strongholds were and where Russian troops were expected to move. The meeting had already been going for over an hour, yet the arguments were still strong and vocal.

“They cannot have that many tanks, I tell you! I don’t care what our intelligence says. We have seen thousands in the photographs. Has anyone reported an increase in production? Has anyone seen the units drilling? It cannot be real!” a general shouted. Several others in the room were nodding in agreement.

General Gregorye Pusko sighed and tried to reassure the man. “General, I share your concerns, however we cannot take the risk that these numbers are accurate. We know the Americans are sending over more tanks and the Germans are pulling in tanks they had taken out of service. If the Austrians and a few of the other countries are doing the same, we might see higher numbers like these, but I believe we are seeing some of the same tanks over a period of several days. Moving from one place to another would be confusing for us, but I believe we can see through these things. Nevertheless, it does not alter the plan. If you notice, the tank buildups are in Austria, Germany and along the Czech border. It would appear that the European powers are leaving Poland to fend for themselves. The Poles are deploying to protect Warsaw and this northern area. That leaves the rest of the country ripe for the picking. Notice the fine roadways from Lviv across the southern part of the country straight through to Germany and on to Amsterdam. Once we are at the Channel, we turn south through France and Spain. This will leave Denmark and Italy isolated. They will be easy to take once we have the rest. England we will simply blockade and starve to death with our submarine forces,” he said following the plan explicitly.

“Humph,” expressed another general. “Hitler tried it in the Great Patriotic war. Little good it did him.”

“Yes, but he didn’t have the resources we have. If we go by the plan, the United States will not be able to resupply the English. By placing our submarines close around the islands, nothing can get through,” said Pusko. “Is this not so, Admiral?”

Admiral Ivan Koseko was the top ranking submarine officer in the Navy. Everyone had heard of his heroic exploits in the past. They turned to him. “It is true, comrades. I can keep a small fleet of our submarines along the coasts here,” he said pointing along the map. “With rotations every week or so, our submarines can prevent anything from entering their waters. More importantly, I can mine their harbors so that their own ships cannot leave port. By the time our planes have begun using the French and Belgium airfields, nothing will be able to get in. Remember, our subs and aircraft have far longer ranges than anything from that far back. Our technology can make this all work,” he assured the men there.

“And the plan calls for us to do the same elsewhere. But it is imperative that we stick to the time schedule. The start is at the end of next month, so we have already begun moving our assets. It is time to cast away our doubts. We have gone over this many times. It cannot fail unless we make it so. What I need to know is if everyone is ready,” he said straightening up and looking around the room.

The rest of the officers knew it was fruitless to argue any longer. To say no would mean a quick removal from their post, so all nodded their readiness.

“Good!” said Pusko. We will meet again in three days for another assessment. Let me know immediately if there are any problems,” he said, dismissing the men.

They all filed out of the room without much fanfare. Few spoke. Most had lingering doubts that the plan would work at all.