G Hopf - The End

“Whatever,” Gordon said looking away, disgusted. He then gave his attention to the four others who had been detained. He didn’t recognize a single person. After years of living in the community and even after having closer contact with his neighbors since the attacks, Gordon still did not know all his neighbors.

“So, what’s going on?” he asked them.

A man in his mid-50s with white hair answered, “We’re hungry, we have run out of food and what we’re getting daily from the rations isn’t enough.”

“There’s not enough food at all,” the woman next to him said.

“We’re starving, Gordon, we need more food,” another woman quipped.

“I understand that the food rations are smaller than before, but you just can’t break—”

“I have two children and they are hungry, what do I say to them?” the fourth person, a man, quickly asked, interrupting Gordon.

“Listen, I understand; but this is everyone’s food, not just yours,” Gordon responded pointedly.

“When are we going to get more food?” the first man asked.

“We need more food!” the woman next to the man said with emotion in her voice, she started to cry.

Gordon knew it was futile for him to even have this back and forth. He didn’t know what to do with them, but he knew now he couldn’t trust them.

“Look at what you have done!” Gordon exclaimed pointing to the remnants of the clubhouse. Gordon knew it was a waste of time to even attempt to put it out, it was a total loss.

“We’re sorry, we didn’t mean for this to happen,” the elderly man said.

“Intentions are nothing. You’ve now left us with nothing except what you have in your own homes!” Gordon screamed at the man. He was so disgusted he couldn’t look at them any longer. He turned around and approached Eric.

“What are we going to do with them?” Eric asked.

“They don’t belong here anymore, they leave tonight.”

Eric nodded.

Overhearing what Gordon had told Eric, the man with two children screamed, “You can’t do that!”

Gordon turned around and answered the man by saying, “Decisions have consequences.” Gordon then turned back to Eric and said, “Make it happen.”

All of the detainees began to cry out and beg not to be thrown out of the community.

Gordon ignored their pleas and walked off.

Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado

“General, what you’re proposing is treason,” Houston said with a concerned tone.

“I like the president but I don’t believe killing millions of people without the full knowledge of who attacked us is the correct plan of action. He constantly has emotional outbursts and doesn’t seem to be in command of all his faculties. I don’t believe he has the moral authority to lead,” Griswald answered with passion.

“I just don’t know,” Houston said, he rested his arms on his legs and put his head in his hands.

“The information we’re getting from the Aussies isn’t conclusive. They’ve been told by one of the terrorists that they were trained in Iran, but they don’t know where the missiles or the nuclear warheads came from.”

“Why won’t you tell the president that intel? You seem worried that he’ll nuke everyone but if you tell him we have evidence it was Iran like you say, then he’ll just respond to them.”

“You’re right, he’ll respond and he’ll kill millions of innocent Iranians.”

“But they just killed millions of our people and even more millions will die. I don’t understand the fucking problem,” Houston was upset with Griswald and frustrated by the conversation.

“That’s just it, he’ll nuke them. Will he just nuke Tehran or will he nuke all the cities? Where will he stop, how big of a nuke? Once we unleash this type of weapon, where will it lead?”

“Are you kidding me right now? That type of weapon has already been unleashed against us. What is your problem with doing something?” Houston shot back.

“There has to be a different way, one that doesn’t up the ante and kill more people,” Griswald was also getting frustrated with the conversation. He was now regretting that he had opened up to Houston about this.

“Gris, I disagree with you 1000%; we have an obligation to protect this nation or what’s left of it. We have a job to do. If our president says jump, we answer how high.”

“So you are not with me on this?”

“I’m afraid not. Who else follows your line of thinking?”

“I have six others who agree that we need to take more time and look at other options of retaliation, plus they have expressed desire to replace Conner.”

“Well, you can count me out. I cannot go along with this. If we know that Iran was a party to this attack then we need to strike them now and the fact you’re talking about overthrowing President Conner is crazy,” Houston stood up. “This conversation is over.”

“Where are you going?” Griswald asked him as Houston stepped by him to go to the door.

“Gris, I need to inform the president of this situation. You are a good man but you are making a bad decision here,” Houston said standing next to the door.

Griswald stood up just then and walked up to Houston.

“I’m really sorry to hear that, but I understand. You are a loyal and trustworthy officer.”

“Sorry Gris,” Houston said then turned around, he reached for the door handle but was stopped by Griswald, who put him in a strangle hold.

Houston attempted to break free of the choke hold, but Griswald’s tall stature and strength prevented it. Griswald took Houston to the floor and began to apply greater pressure to the hold. Houston was kicking and punching but his resistance was futile. Griswald had a solid hold on him.

“I’m really sorry. I truly am,” Griswald said softly to Houston as he applied more pressure.

Houston continued to kick and punch, his attempts to pry Griswald’s arms from around his neck would not work. The struggle seemed to last forever, but in reality Houston’s body went limp within 20 seconds. Griswald did not relent even after Houston’s body became lifeless. He wanted to ensure that he killed him not just knocked him out. Griswald held him in this deadly embrace for another 30 seconds before dropping him to the cold hard concrete floor. Griswald checked for a pulse but found nothing. He was now fully committed to his plan to stop the president even if it meant killing for it.

USS Makin Island , Pacific Ocean

“Hey Tomlinson, come here,” Sebastian called out. He was just finishing his dinner when he saw his Tomlinson walk into the mess hall.

Tomlinson nodded and proceeded over to his table.

“So what’s up with this slop,” Tomlinson remarked tossing his tray onto the table.

“You should feel fortunate that you have something to eat,” Sebastian reminded him.

“Not another pep talk, okay?” Tomlinson quipped back.

“I’m just saying, there are people in our country starving now.”

“Well they can have this shit,” he said as he pushed food around on his tray with his fork.

“I wanted to talk to you about something,” Sebastian said looking around at the other tables to see who was in the mess hall or who might be listening. With the ship having to feed twice as many Marines as usual the mess hall was full and loud.

Looking down at his food in disgust Tomlinson answered, “What about?”

Sebastian leaned in close and whispered, “What do you think about all of this?”

“What do you mean?” he said looking up at Sebastian

“I mean this whole mutiny thing, now that it’s been a week plus and the raid on DG, all of it. What do you think?”