Phoenix Rising: (58 page)

Captain Stan Virdin was standing on the bridge, looking through a pair of powerful binoculars at another ship that was about 6,000 yards away. They had been tracking the ship for some time now, and had established, from the outset, that it was a destroyer equipped with guns and missile tubes. The ship belonged to the navy of the American Islamic Republic of Enlightenment. Within the last fifteen minutes, the AIRE ship had decreased, by half, the distance between them. It was the closest any AIRE ship had come since they had started their patrol.

“Signalman, send a blinker message, tell the captain of that ship to come up on channel thirteen, 156.650 mhz.”

“Aye, aye, sir.”

The radioman responded, and a moment later all on the bridge could hear the call.

“Outlaw vessel, this is the AIRE destroyer
Ara Anwar al-Awlaki
, Captain Amara, commanding.” Although the captain of the AIRE destroyer identified himself with a Muslim name, his accent showed, clearly, that he was an American.

Virdin picked up a microphone and looked at his signalman.

“Your mike is hot, sir,” the signalman said.

“This is Captain Stan Virdin, commanding
John Paul Jones
. You are encroaching in UFA waters, and you are too close to the UFA drilling rigs. Back off.”

“The American Islamic Republic of Enlightenment does not recognize the UFA. The drilling rigs are property of the AIRE. And you are illegally in possession of a ship that belongs to the American Islamic Republic of Enlightenment,” Amara said.

“You're full of shit, Amara, or whatever the hell your real name is,” Virdin said. “This ship belongs to the United States Navy, and until such time as the United States is reconstituted, it is under the protective care of United Free America.”

“There is no such country as the United States of America, or United Free America. Withdraw and allow us free approach to the drilling rigs, or you will be fired upon.”

“What did you say?” Virdin asked, snapping the question. “Amara, did you just threaten to fire on us?”

“Withdraw immediately,” Amara replied.

Virdin looked at the radioman and made a slashing motion across his throat, indicating that communication with the AIRE ship,
Ara Anwar al-Awlaki
should be broken off. The signalman did so, then nodded at the Captain.

“Send a FLASH precedence message to Firebase Freedom. ‘From Captain Stan Virdin, commanding
John Paul Jones
. Have been ordered by AIRE Destroyer
Ara Anwar al-Awlaki
to withdraw from the drilling rig patrolling station or be fired upon. I do not intend to withdraw.'”

The radioman responded.

“General, I just got a FLASH message,” Willie said, stepping into Jake's office in the Headquarters Building.

“From Deon?” Jake asked.

“No, sir, from Captain Virdin.”

“All right, let's hear it.”

“‘From Captain Stan Virdin, commanding
John Paul Jones
. Have been ordered by AIRE Destroyer
Ara Anwar al-Awlaki
to withdraw from the drilling rig patrolling station or be fired upon. I do not intend to withdraw.'”

Jake looked over at Tom.

“You know Virdin, Tom. What do you think he's asking?”

Tom chuckled. “If you notice, Jake, he wasn't asking, he was telling. He said he wasn't going to withdraw.”

Jake smiled. “Willie?”

“Yes, sir?”

“Tell Captain Virdin to act at his own discretion.”

“Yes, sir.”

“As if he wouldn't,” Tom said.

A moment later, Willie stuck his head back in. “It's too late, General,” he said.

“Too late? Too late for what?” Jake asked, confused by the comment.

“It's too late to tell Captain Virdin to act at his own discretion.” Willie smiled. “He said, and I quote, ‘tell the general I've already sunk the son of a bitch.' End quote, sir.”

Jake, Tom, and Willie laughed out loud.

“I'll say this for your friend Virdin. He's a cocky bastard, but it would appear that he has a right to be,” Jake said.

“Why didn't you tell me who the hell you were?” Virdin asked the skipper of the ship he had just sunk. “Amara? Tell me, Victor, where the hell did you come up with a name like Amara? Your name is Victor Anderson. Hell, I remember you when you were a midshipman at the Academy.”

Amara, or Victor Anderson, was one of the eighty-seven men the
John Paul Jones
fished from the water after the
Ara Anwar al-Awlaki
was sunk. He was sitting in the wardroom now, drinking coffee.

“I got the name from the Internet,” Anderson said. “I looked up Muslim surnames.”

“Have you converted? Are you a Muslim now? And I don't mean just Muslims. Hell, I know there are good Muslims, I mean are you Moqaddas Sirata?”

Anderson looked around. “Not really,” he said. “I guess if I had to say what I really am, it would be Baptist. At least, that's how I was raised, but truth to tell, I wasn't any better a Baptist than I've been a Muslim.”

“Then what is all this? You commanding a ship, and not just any ship, the
Ara Anwar al-Awlaki
. That would be like naming a ship after Benedict Arnold.

“I'm a navy officer, Stan,” Anderson said. “That's all I ever wanted to be, that's all I ever want to be. Hell, you know what it was like when everything collapsed, the navy, the army, the air force. There was nothing left. For more than a year I did nothing but pick shit with the chickens. Then, when I learned that all I would have to do to get back into the navy was change my name and pretend to convert, hell, I leaped at the chance.”

“You could have done what I did,” Stan said. “You could have joined with us.”

Anderson shook his head. “I don't know,” he said. “I have to admit that I did think about it, but I took an oath. I took the same oath you took. I, Victor Anderson, having been appointed an officer in the navy of the United States, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign or domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservations or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter; so help me God.”

“And do you think you have done that?” Virdin asked.

“Well, yes. I mean, I'm not fighting against the United States.”

“Where is the United States? The so called American Republic of Islamic Enlightenment isn't the United States.”

“No, but it's what the US became.”

“What about your oath to defend the Constitution. Do you think you are defending it?”

“I . . .” Anderson threw up his hands in frustration. “I'll tell you the truth, Stan, I don't know what the hell I'm doing anymore.”

“Victor, I'm not going to hold it against you for sticking to your oath of commission. I think that basically your intention was honorable. But if you are willing to listen to me with an open mind over the next few days, I think I can convince you to join us.”

“And if I don't join you will I, and my men, become hostages? Prisoners of war?”

“I doubt it. We aren't technically at war with AIRE, and as far as I know, we have no facilities for holding POWs, even if we were. I'm sure that when we get back, you and your men will be free to make up your mind as to whether to join us, or return to the AIRE. I have no intention of coercing you to become one of us. If you do, I want it to be of your own volition, and I will expect the same degree of fidelity toward United Free America as you have so nobly, but mistakenly, given to the AIRE. In the meantime, I seem to remember that you play a good game of chess. It's been a while since I've had a good, challenging game, and I'm looking forward to a few matches.”

Anderson smiled. “You're on,” he said. He held up his finger. “For the chess games. I'll need to think about your other offer.”

“Good enough,” Virdin said.

As the
John Paul Jones
sailed past Mobile Point, Captain Virdin pointed out to Victor Anderson the masonry star fort at the mouth of Mobile Bay. Flying from the flagpole was the same banner that was, at the moment, fluttering from the truck of the destroyer.

“What you see there is the capital of United Free America,” Virdin said. “Or, perhaps I should say that it is the temporary capital of a resurgent United States of America.”

“Why don't you call it the United States?” Anderson asked.

“For the same reason this ship isn't flying the Stars and Stripes. We aren't the United States and won't be, until all fifty states are united as one nation, the nation you and I took our oath to serve.”

“Do you think that is ever going to happen?” Anderson asked.

“If I didn't think so, Victor, I would not have aligned myself with this group of patriots.”

“That's Fort Morgan?”

“Yes. Some scholars regard it as the finest example of military architecture in the New World. During the Civil War Admiral Farragut's famous line, Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead, was delivered while he was under fire from the guns of the fort, and facing the torpedoes that blocked the entrance into Mobile Bay.”

“And now we have another civil war, North against the South,” Anderson said.

Virdin shook his head. “This isn't like the first civil war at all. We have men and women who have come from all over the country to join us. It might appear as if it is North against the South again, but that isn't true. In this case North and South is a geographic divide only, not cultural. Many of our citizens are new to the South, having come down here to find freedom.”

“Do you think it's going to be a full-scale war?” Anderson asked.

“That I can't tell you,” Virdin said. “I hope it doesn't turn into a full-scale war but I can tell you right now that if it does, we are ready for it.”

“Captain Virdin, if you will take me in your new navy, I would be honored to serve.”

“Where is your family, Victor? I wouldn't want you to put them in any danger.”

“They are on my father's ranch in Wyoming,” Anderson said. “To be honest, Stan, they are so remote that none of this has touched them. They will be safe there.”

Virdin smiled, and extended his hand. “Welcome aboard, Captain.”

“Captain?”

“You will be as soon as we can get you another ship and crew.”

It was early morning and Oscar Peters was walking his dog when he saw the three jet aircraft fly overhead, so low and going so fast that they flashed by a second before the sound hit him. Then, shortly after they disappeared, he heard a loud explosion and saw smoke billowing up. He gasped, thinking that one of the airplanes had crashed.

Then when he saw all three aircraft in a very steep climb he knew that one hadn't crashed, and he wondered what had caused the explosion. He didn't have to wonder long, because the three jets did a one hundred eighty degree turn then came back in a long shallow dive. He saw flashes of fire, then plumes of smoke trailing rockets that were fired from the aircraft.

There were more explosions from the center of the city and he knew, now, that the three aircraft were attacking! As the three pulled out of their shallow diving rocket run, he saw then the symbols on their wings . . . not stars, but the stylized
O
that had been first Ohmshidi's campaign symbol, and was now the national symbol for the American Islamic Republic of Enlightenment. The city of Columbia was under an air attack from the AIRE air force.

The three jets made another one hundred and eighty degree turn, then started another attack run. Again Oscar saw flashes of light, and glowing tracer rounds streaming toward the ground. And, it looked as if they were shooting directly at him!

Grabbing his dog, Oscar dived beneath a hedgerow. Some of the bullets hit in the middle of the road, and it sent chunks of pavement flying. When the three aircraft finally left the city, nearly two dozen buildings were destroyed and a dozen more were burning. One of the destroyed buildings was the state capitol building.

Because it was so early in the morning, there were very few people in the capital so the casualties were light, but the building had collapsed in on itself, the columned front a shambles, the cupola, in fact the entire roof, missing.

 

 

“It would appear to me that we have no alternative,” Governor Wallace told General Murphy later that morning as he and the general stood on the grounds of the destroyed statehouse. AIRE seems to have declared war on us, choosing us because we are isolated. We can't afford to be isolated any longer. When we send our nonvoting delegation to Mobile on the fifteenth of October, I am going to make a formal request that the state of South Carolina be accepted as a state in United Free America.”

“Governor, I agree with you. But, as I'm sure you know, there are a lot of people in the state who don't want to join another alliance.”

“Yes, and there are still a lot of people in the state who didn't want us to secede in the first place,” Governor Wallace said. “But sometimes you have to do what is best for the whole.”

“Maybe you could call a special session of the state legislature and get a vote of confidence. That way we could avoid a civil war within the state,” General Murphy suggested.

“I would say that would be a good idea,” Wallace said. He took in the smoldering pile of rubble with a wave of his hand. “But, where would we meet?”

“The Civic Center wasn't that badly damaged,” General Murphy said.

 

 

It took a week to gather enough members of the legislature to have a quorum, but they showed up at the center. Nearly all had a story to tell of some atrocity committed by the Janissaries, or the SPS, or, increasingly, the AIRE military. There was a great deal of anger as they gathered, especially after seeing the destroyed state house.

Deon Pratt had returned to Columbia and was meeting with Governor Wallace and General Murphy before the legislature assembled. Governor Wallace had invited him to give a report on the observations he had made of the South Carolina Defense Corps.

“I think you have some fine officers and men,” Deon said. “I saw them up close, and I admired the way they worked. But General, your army isn't big enough to stand off the AIRE all by yourself.”

“Yes,” Murphy replied. “Governor Wallace and I have come to the same conclusion. The task before us now is to convince the rest of the state.”

Governor Wallace chuckled. “Fortunately, General, we don't have to convince the entire state. All we have to convince is the legislature.”

“Do you think you can do that, Governor?” Deon asked.

“Captain Pratt, in the pre-O time, I was a pretty good politician. And I was known for the power of my oratory. I could get things done, and that was back when we still had Democrats and Republicans. There are no political parties now, there are just those of us who are left. We have but one issue that unites us all, and that is to survive. And yes, I'm reasonably certain I can get them to vote my way.”

“We need to get the word out as soon as we can,” General Murphy said. “If we are going to petition United Free America to let us join them, we need to have all our ducks in a row before the fifteenth of October.”

 

 

When the joint session of the legislature opened three days later, the Speaker of the House introduced Governor Wallace. For the first several minutes of his address, he gave the legislators a rundown one what had happened in South Carolina over the last several weeks. The rundown wasn't necessary, there wasn't a man or a woman in the house who wasn't aware of the losses they had sustained against the SPS as well as the military of the AIRE.

“Now, I would like to ask Representative Billy Knowles to come up here, please.

Billy Knowles was a popular legislator who had been an All-American defensive lineman for the South Carolina Gamecocks. He was about 6 feet 7 inches tall, 275 pounds of muscle, and clearly the strongest man in the building at the moment.

Governor Wallace handed Knowles a rather stout, wooden dowel.

“Billy, if you would, I wonder if you would break this dowel for us,” Wallace said.

Knowles smiled. “I don't know, it looks pretty stout.” He held the dowel out in front of him, strained for no more than a second, and the dowel broke with a loud pop.

The others in the assembly laughed and applauded.

“Very good, Billy. And, as you said, that was a pretty stout dowel, but you were able to break it without much difficulty,” Governor Wallace said.

Governor Wallace reached down under the podium, then brought out a bound bundle of dowels. He handed the bundle to Knowles.

“Now I wonder if you would break this for us.” Wallace looked back out at the assembly. “Oh, and just for everyone's information, this is nine dowels,” Governor Wallace said.

Knowles shook his head. “I can't break that, I'm not even going to try.”

“Why not? There isn't one dowel in the bundle that is bigger than the one you just broke.”

“But they're all together and . . .” Knowles started, then he stopped and flashed a broad smile. “Why do I get the idea that you have just used me to demonstrate a point here?”

Governor Wallace returned his smile. “Well, you are not only strong, you are also a smart man. And you are right, I have just used you to demonstrate a point.” He addressed the assembly. “I have every confidence in General Murphy and the brave men and women of the South Carolina Defense Corps. But, General Murphy tells me that, like this single dowel, though we may be strong, we are not strong enough to withstand the might of all of the organization that calls itself the American Islamic Republic of Enlightenment.”

Governor Wallace held up the bundle of dowels that Billy Knowles had been unable to break. “As I told you, there are nine dowels here. I didn't pick that number at random. There are now eight member states of United Free America. If we join them, there will be nine member states. We were asked to join, but we turned them down because of uncertainty among our own citizens. But I think now, since AIRE has singled us out for their military action, that we should revisit the idea of joining United Free America. In fact, I think we have no choice but to join them.

“We have been invited to send a nonvoting delegation to their national organization convention to be held in Mobile on the fifteenth of October. I propose that we not only send a delegation, but that we send that delegation armed with a petition from us that we become a member state. And since I can't introduce the question, I now ask that someone please make a motion to this effect.”

“I make the motion that we petition United Free America to accept our request for membership,” Billy Knowles said.

“I second the motion,” the Speaker of the House said.

For the next several minutes there was a spirited discussion as to whether or not the motion should be adopted. The opposition was not against joining with United Free America. Nearly everyone present believed that would be a good thing. The opposition was from those few who thought that this would be best settled as a state wide referendum, rather than by legislative action.

Then, after a discussion of no more than half an hour, the motion was moved, and a vote taken. The motion carried without one dissenting vote.