G Hopf - The End

“Who exactly is willing to stop me, please stand,” Conner asked of the group around the table.

No one responded, everyone looked at each other. No one would even look in Griswald’s direction.

“General Griswald, I was briefed some time ago that you might be up to something so I planted the idea in others to make themselves available to your potential plan. As you can see, no one agrees with you and there is no consensus,” Conner said.

“You cowards, do you not understand what’s at stake here?” Griswald screamed.

Conner looked out the main window of the briefing room and nodded. Within seconds, Agents Davis and Jackson stormed into the room. Griswald turned and drew his pistol. Everyone sitting ducked under the table except for Conner, who stood his ground. Griswald aimed his pistol at Davis and shot him in the chest, Davis fell to the ground, dead. Jackson entered the room just behind Davis, but Griswald was able to shoot him, too. The bullet hit Jackson in the head; Jackson’s lifeless body fell to the floor with a loud thud. Griswald then turned and faced Conner.

“General, put the gun down.”

“I’m sorry Mr. President but I cannot allow this to happen,” Griswald said raising the pistol and taking aim at Conner.

“General Griswald, I am the President of the United States! What are you doing? Your name will go down in history as a traitor, as the man who killed a president. Do you want that?” Conner kept looking toward the door and the main window. With the gunfire he was wondering where the Air Force security forces or the command post personnel were.

Noticing Conner’s glance toward the door, Griswald said, “Mr. President, no one is coming. I gave them all orders to vacate the CP upon our coming into this meeting. I knew what orders you would be giving so I made sure that no one would interrupt us. It appears we were both planning for this confrontation,” Griswald said grinning, “I know what I am doing; by killing you I can save millions.”

“You don’t honestly think that killing me will stop us from acting?”

Griswald didn’t answer. He began to apply pressure to the trigger.

A gunshot rang out in the room. Conner flinched and looked down at his chest, expecting to see blood but found nothing. Looking back at Griswald he saw him waver then fall onto the table. His pistol fell from his dying grasp and slid across the table toward Conner, who grabbed it. Conner took aim at Griswald, who lay gasping. Cruz then appeared from behind his chair holding a pistol. He, too, was aiming at Griswald squirming on the table. When Griswald attempted to speak, blood poured out of his mouth. He grasped the table in an attempt to pull himself up, but Cruz stopped him with one more shot to the head. Griswald shook briefly and then lay motionless, his eyes wide open, with blood pouring out of his mouth.

Conner looked at Cruz.

“I have to admit, I never expected that from you.”

Cruz, still holding the pistol, turned toward Conner and pointed the pistol at him.

Conner looked stunned as he took a step back.

Dropping the gun, Cruz said, “Sorry, I’m a bit in shock. I didn’t mean to point it at you.”

Conner smiled awkwardly. “Mr. Vice President, you scared me for a second.”

“Mr. President we have a job to do, let’s go do it.”

Conner and Cruz left the briefing room and walked into the command center.

“Dylan, follow me,” Conner said on the way out of the briefing room.

Dylan crawled out from underneath the table and cautiously walked around the table, avoiding the bodies.

“Yes sir,” Dylan said, clearing his throat.

“Two things. First, find General Houston, and second, set me up to go on a live broadcast across all frequencies in 45 minutes.”

“Okay, Mr. President,” Dylan answered and hurried off.

Conner turned to Cruz, “Here’s what going to happen just in case something happens to me. Once I am able, I will order a full-scale nuclear attack against those countries I mentioned. Once the attack has started, I will brief the American people the only way we can, and that is via radio.”

The search for Houston was successful; they found his body in Griswald’s closet. While Conner prepared for his speech to the country, the Cheyenne Mountain base commander communicated all the launch coordinates to the nuclear subs around the world.

The time came for Conner to give his speech. The attack was under way and now was the time to inform his fellow Americans. He wasn’t sure how many would hear his broadcast, but some would and hopefully the word of their country’s retaliation would spread. Conner felt nervous, not because he had just ordered the total annihilation of several countries but because he was speaking directly to the American people. He had only done this three other times, but this time it was to inform them that he had taken his first major step as President of the United States.

Dylan smiled from the production booth and gave the president a smile and thumbs-up. Conner nodded and looked at the large microphone. A voice then boomed in the room telling him 30 seconds. He looked down at the quickly crafted speech, thinking that one day this sheet of paper would be in a museum. Drifting into such deep thought he missed his cue. Dylan’s tapping on the glass pulled Conner back to the present. Looking up he saw the red light meaning that the microphone was live.

“My fellow Americans, this is President Conner. I am addressing you this Christmas night not to express holiday wishes but to inform you that another tragedy has befallen our great country. This morning, the enemies of the United States attacked New York City with a weapon of mass destruction. The information we have received so far is that many of our fellow citizens have paid the ultimate sacrifice and have perished in this heinous and cowardly attack. Today’s attack along with the initial attacks three weeks ago has prompted me to finally take action. This decision did not come lightly, but after much thought and prayer I decided that we must finally act. I gave the order an hour ago for a full-scale nuclear retaliation against those who are responsible for the attacks against us. I can now report that our nuclear forces successfully struck targets within the following countries; Iran, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, North Korea, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Egypt, Tunisia and Libya. I believe this action was justified and will prevent these countries from conducting further attacks against us. Let me be clear to those who may be still out there who wish us harm. We will not just bring you to justice, we will destroy you. Do not tread on us! I know the past three weeks have been extremely difficult and your way of life is now different but I can assure you that we are working tirelessly to get our power grid and infrastructure back on line. In the meantime, we can help support you by food and medical shipments as we get them from our allies. Your government has not forgotten you. So, as this Christmas comes to a close, we must all come together and remember that life is difficult right now but we are Americans and we, like others before us, will persevere through these dark times. We must not lose hope and must not give in. We will make it and we will rebuild, that I promise you.”

Conner paused for a few seconds then finished his short statement with the traditional ending of all presidential addresses.

“May God bless you and may God bless the United States of America.”

USS Makin Island , Pacific Ocean