“I have no doubt that Hal can keep the drones busy, but can he repel thousands of troops if they move on our borders? Even worse, what if Sterling decides to wipe us off the map with nukes? What does Stacy think?”
Howard was quick to answer. “Our top spy tells us that Sterling wants the nation intact. He’s confident that once he fully restores power to The Pulse Zone and squashes The Silent Warriors, he’ll have little trouble conquering our quaint little nation, as he calls it.”
“All the more reason for us to strike a serious blow to that smug asshole while he’s weak,” said Richard.
Howard agreed.
“How in the hell does he think he’s going to stop The Silent Warriors? Terrorists don’t exactly walk around in uniform and engage the enemy in direct combat,” said Max.
“Stacy isn’t sure exactly what his plan is, but she did say he seems quite confident that he can pull it off,” said Howard.
“Hal, how many attacks have occurred outside The Pulse Zone?” Richard knew his plan would prove difficult if they had to reallocate manpower to deal with terrorist attacks.
“Only minor incidents, sir. From the intelligence I have gathered, The Silent Warriors have attacked two hospitals—one in Nevada and the other in California. Both attacks were quickly repelled with only minor damage. Several fires spread across California have managed to destroy seven residential areas; however, the possibility remains that The Silent Warriors were not responsible for four of the fires.”
“Let’s hope it stays that way,” said Howard.
“Or they’re kind enough to stay out of the PSA,” Richard said.
Max tapped Richard’s chair with his cane. “Okay, Richard, the suspense is killing me. How the hell are we going to invade California with the UAE wiping out anything that crosses into the no-man’s land around our borders?”
“Hal and I have been monitoring every engagement in the no-man’s land since the UAE instituted the hundred mile zone around the length of our borders. The UAE only makes a move if any of their civilians try to cross over into our territory.”
Howard shook his head. “Wait a minute. Just because they’re stopping everything going into the PSA doesn’t mean they won’t attack what comes out of the PSA. We don’t exactly have an abundance of stealth jets like the one you fly around in.”
“I realize that, Howard. The one thing they aren’t monitoring is the Pacific. The bulk of their navy is in the Atlantic defending our borders from the invasion Iran is no doubt planning once they’ve finished conquering Europe. The safe bet is that Iran will come onto our shores on the Atlantic side and spill into The Pulse Zone where resistance will be the weakest. Their navy is twice the strength of ours; it will only be a matter of time before they break the line and make it to our shores.”
Max cracked a smile for the first time since the conversation began. “You want to invade California by sea? You realize we don’t exactly have an impressive armada?”
“I want boots on the ground, that’s all. It’ll be a short trip. Their radar station and drone base in California is located in Redding. The radar coverage extends a hundred miles into the Pacific, and they haven’t set up any blockades.”
Howard interrupted. “Jimenez has managed to keep trade routes open, but pretty soon he won’t be able to export anything for trade. China has already been kind enough to send humanitarian aid, which doesn’t really say a lot about their confidence in us.”
“How the mighty have fallen,” said Max. “The arrogant nation begging for handouts.”
Richard let the sting of the pointed remark hang in the air a few seconds longer and continued. “The biggest advantage we have going for us is that Hal has managed to disrupt the UAE’s satellite coverage of the North American continent. They can put radar planes in the air, but that’s about it. Sterling deliberately keeps his planes from getting too close to the PSA for fear of sparking a war. We can load up our troops on cruise ships without them having a clue.”
“Why not just send a stealth jet and take out the base in Redding?” Max asked. “We could send our troops pouring in by land.”
“That was my first plan but I’d rather catch them off guard. We send three cruise ships down the coast and set up a three-pronged attack. Before Jimenez even realizes what’s happening, we’d be hitting them hard from north, south, and center.”
“Do we have the manpower to pull it off?” Howard was starting to like this idea.
“I’m confident that we do. Eight months ago I thought about instituting a draft of all eighteen- to twenty-four- year-olds, but it wasn’t necessary. Once I announced the call to military service, men and women of all ages stepped up to the plate. We actually had to turn away people who didn’t qualify medically. Most of them insisted on doing something to help, so we put them to work behind a desk.”
“How many made it through basic training? What’s our total fighting force?” asked Max.
“When you factor in the guardsmen and current active duty from the old army, just shy of four hundred thousand, but that’s not all when you take into account the sympathizers in the UAE.”
Howard was really starting to like this plan. “What’s the estimate on that?”
“It’s hard to gauge, really. Before the UAE locked down our borders, we had waves of people fleeing into our territory. Max and his people managed to interview the majority of them. I’ll let Max fill you in.”
“I wish I could give accurate numbers, but Richard’s right. The vast majority of people who fled into our territory spoke longingly of their family and friends and about their hatred for the UAE. They begged their loved ones to make the journey to the PSA, but they all had too much to lose. Some feared death or didn’t want to risk the lives of their families. Others were too complacent, not willing to leave the security of their homes. The idea of becoming a refugee in our territory didn’t appeal to some, so they stayed put.”
Howard stared at the wall, his brilliant mind was racing. “I wouldn’t factor sympathizers into any plan you’re making, Richard, at least not until we invade California and can make an assessment of how large the resistance will be.”
“That was my plan as well. If half of what we’re hearing is true, all the sympathizers need is a fighting force to rally around. I plan to give them one.”
“How long before the invasion?” asked Max.
“We’ve secured two cruise ships, and they’ll be loaded up with troops and supplies within a week. The third one is turning out to be a problem.”
“Why? Is she not seaworthy?” asked Howard.
“She’s seaworthy. The problem we’re having is the five hundred people who have taken up residence onboard. They’re refusing to leave until we can find them a place to live.”
“You’re shitting me,” said Howard.
“I wish I were. They’re living in luxury compared to most. We’ve tried relocating them, but they disapprove of the new accommodations.”
“What about Senator Wilson? Is he able to do anything?” asked Max.
Richard rolled his eyes and chuckled. “The good senator is on their side. He firmly believes the military has no right to forcibly relocate citizens.”
“I don’t give two shits what Senator Wilson thinks. These aren’t fucking Native Americans being moved to a reservation! Much more is at stake than some spoiled crybabies living on a luxury liner. If you can relocate them to adequate shelter, do it. Do it by force if necessary.”
Richard and Max exchanged surprised glances as Richard turned to Howard. “I must admit, Howard, I’m shocked to hear you say that. The political fallout is going to be enormous.”