Richard Stephenson - Resistance

“Sir, ma’am, we need to leave now. The Chinese are aware that a high-ranking member of the PSA is still in the city. I have received intelligence that they are searching local hospitals for Director Harris. I have dispatched a stealth jet from Beck Castle, but it will not be here for forty-seven minutes.”

“We can’t move Max! He just got out of surgery!”

“Ma’am, we have no choice. We have to leave the hospital now and find a safe place to hide until the stealth jet arrives.”

Elizabeth walked over to the window. “Shit! We’ve got trouble! A convoy just pulled into the parking lot!”

“Fine little cellar you have here, Howard.”

“Shut up, Jackson.”

“Really, I’m impressed. Not as nice as the house I took from you. Where are we exactly?”

“Underground.”

“Yes, Howard, I know that. Thank you. I was wondering where we are on the map.”

Howard glared at Jackson Butler through the three-inch-thick Plexiglas wall. The smug bastard was in a jail cell, but he still acted as if he could order room service if he so desired. His cellmate, Simon Sterling, looked utterly terrified and had remained mute since his arrival.

“Come on, Howard! You won! We’re not going anywhere, so what’s the harm in telling us?”

Howard played along. “Guess.”

“How fun. My presumption has always been Wyoming or Montana. You do tend to seclude yourself from the real world. How these short-sided half-wits elected a mentally disabled fool like you president of anything is just beyond me.”

“Shut up, Jackson. It’s over; what’s left of the UAE is sitting in this cell. Make yourselves comfortable, gentlemen. I have more important things to do than chat with you-like defend my territory from the Chinese. I’m sure you two have a lot to talk about, since Jackson here has been secretly communicating with the Chinese for at least six months. Oh, and one more thing. I’m betting Simon didn’t know you were responsible for the attack at the funeral, Jackson.”

Jackson rolled his eyes. “Please, Howard, I was there and almost died myself.”

“But somehow you survived! Interesting….”

The look of despair and bone-crushing betrayal on Simon’s weary face warmed Howard’s heart. Simon thought of Jackson as his son. While this blatant duplicity was heartbreaking, the hurt was quickly replaced by blinding rage. Jackson never saw the punch coming. Howard headed for the command center to watch the impending fight from his front-row seat.

“Oh Jackson, my boy, what have you done? You’ve betrayed me, you stupid fool! You’re a traitor to your country.”

Jackson laughed. “What? You murdered a sitting president and you call me a traitor?”

“How dare you! I did no such thing!”

“Oh please, Simon, don’t worry about the confession. Howard already knows; we all know.”

“You have the nerve to address me by my first name? Have you no shame? You will address me as Mr. President.”

“You’re a fucking disgrace. President of what? The UAE is dead and stinking.”

“What have you done? Did you do something to provoke the Chinese? Howard can’t be right; the Chinese tried to kill us. You couldn’t have helped them.”

“You really are an idiot. The bomb was my plan, my idea. I wanted everyone out of the way so it would just be me and you. I played the part of hero quite well, saving your life and all. With the governors out of the picture and Moody unable to command the military, everything just fell into place. Well…until we got captured; that did take me by surprise.” Jackson lied easily about being captured; he was exactly where he wanted to be.

“You killed all those people? In a church? The leaders of the UAE are dead because of you! I’ve known Roberto Jimenez since you were in diapers, and you killed him! I can’t believe this! You’re a despicable monster!”

“Oh shut the fuck up! The man in the coffin was there because of you!”

Simon could only shake his head in disbelief. He had murdered James Weygandt out of petty pride and anger; there was really nothing more to say.

“Simon, Iran is coming; you have to know that. They aren’t going to sit back and wait for us to rebuild before they invade. We can’t possibly hope to be ready for them on our own. You being the poster boy for isolationism didn’t give me much hope that you’d be open to talks with the Chinese.”

“Jackson, you’re a child. You’re a naive little boy. What can you possibly think will come of this ‘relationship’ with the Chinese?”

“They’re our allies, you stubborn old fool. They’re coming to help secure our borders from Iran. Call them the lesser of two evils.”

“So what happens now? Are you going to shank me to death in this cell like we’re inmates in a penitentiary?”

“Why on earth would I do that? You aren’t worth the exercise. You’re nobody. You could make it easy on all of us and hang yourself with your shoelaces. Be happy to help.”

“Go to hell, you psychopath.”

Howard surprised both of them over the loudspeaker. “Gentlemen, while I’m really enjoying this-and trust me, not many things amuse me to the point of laughter- I have something you two might want to watch.”

The cell’s Plexiglas wall morphed into a monitor. For the next several minutes, they watched a montage of the carnage the Chinese brought along with them to the shores of the former United States. First, the attack of the Freedom of the Seas and her two sister ships played out from multiple vantage points as seen from Hal’s drones. Then, California’s devastated military bases filled the screen. Jackson was stunned. As he watched three minutes of drone footage of the Chinese murdering armed American citizens, he realized what a grave mistake he’d made.”

The footage stopped, and Howard’s face filled the screen. “See what you’ve done, Jackson? They look like allies to you? They’re here to conquer us, not help us. I’m just glad I caught your stupid ass before you could do any more damage.”

Jackson was still processing what he’d just witnessed on the screen. All those meetings he had with Ambassador Zhang, the trusting relationship he thought he’d so brilliantly constructed…it was all a lie.

***

Christina Dupree spent a short time with the Sandersons in the first level of Beck Castle before being escorted to the screening room. While there, she noticed a stranger standing nearby, watching her intently as tears streamed down his face. It made her uncomfortable, and Chrissy was relieved when the screening was finally complete.

“Chrissy, you got taller.” Timmy hugged his sister and sat her down on his bed. The Sandersons had brought her to Richard’s quarters. He’d decided that Timmy should be the one to introduce them since Chrissy loved and trusted her brother.

“Timmy, how did you get here? Where’s Mom? Is she here, too? What about grandma and grandpa?”

“I don’t know what happened to Mom. We’ve been looking for her, but it’s just too hard to find people.

“Do you live in this big place by yourself or is this grandma and grandpa’s house?”

“Chrissy, just slow down a minute, I have to tell you something important. You remember that man you saw crying in the screening area?

“Yeah, what was up with that?”

“Chrissy, he’s our father.”

“Timmy, that’s not funny; he died when we were little. Whoever that guy is, he’s not our dad.”

Timmy took his sister’s hand. “Yes, he’s our dad. Believe me, Chrissy. Mom lied to us. Dad didn’t die; she just never allowed us to see him.”

Chrissy began to cry. “You’re sure it’s really him? Why didn’t he talk to me when I got here?”