WAR (25 page)

“General, the good news is we have broken through their firewalls, the bad news is we can’t go anywhere.”

“Vickor, pretend I have no idea, which I don’t, what you’re trying to tell me. How can you have broken their firewalls and yet not be able to access their bank accounts?”

“General, my people have met the timeline outlined in the operations plan. We broke their access codes, however, when we tried to access their accounts we ran into another firewall, sir, one that wasn’t there before we left. We tested their systems before we left to ensure we could break into their accounts that would have compensated the Motherland for the suffering the Americans have done to us. We’re in and also blocked. This new firewall wasn’t there before we left the Motherland.”

“How is this possible? If your people had total control of the casino’s computers where did this new firewall come from?”

“Sir, we assume the NSA set it up.”

“How the hell did they figure out what we were up to?”

“General, they most likely figured out why we chose Las Vegas.”

“Can you break through this new firewall?”

“General, sir, so far no. The code doesn’t act like anything we’ve seen before; it appears to change and morph as we’re trying to break through it. The firewall is a 2024 bit encrypted code that changes every couple of minutes. This means if we got 2023 bits within the time frame, the next moment all of the bits change, we have to start all over again.”

“Can’t you program a random number generator?”

“Don’t you think that was the first thing we did? The number of combinations exceeds three trillion trillion. We’ll run out of time, not in this operation, but in our lives, to stumble on the access code.”

“You’re telling me you can’t break into their computers, which means the major reason we invaded, has failed? We have the US Marines encircling the city; we’ve lost the use of the airport, we’re under attack by their airplanes without anything we can put into the air. We’ve either used up our MANPADS or they were destroyed when our supply base was destroyed. So far our hostages have been well behaved; I’m not sure how long that will last.”

“Didn’t we release a number of them?”

“Per the operations plan we released the dark-skinned ones, we told them to go since we supported their cause, we supported their claims they were discriminated against for two hundred years. Their own stupid press supported our effort. We got good press coverage when we released them; we even gave each of them $5,000 in casino chips. This was to buy us time so your team could break into the casino’s banks. Your entire mission was to break into their banks and send home billions of their dollars. You have let the Motherland down.”

“General, what happens now?”

“I don’t know.”

@@@@@

Ron and Commander Lewis arrive at the access tunnel buried three floors under the VIP garages to find it secured with heavy new steel chains.

“Jack, I guess they knew about this access door. Is there any way in?”

“Ron, this is the only access way into the Wynn. I suggest we see if we can cut through the chain and open the door.”

“Won’t the noise alert them that we’re here?”

“If we cut it with a torch the noise may be low enough they won’t notice. We need to go back to the storage shed, get the cutting torch and some mattresses to absorb any noise.”

“Jack, is there a tunnel that connects the new Encore with the Wynn?”

“Ron, good question, the Encore is so new my people hadn’t mapped it out yet. Let’s check. If you’re right, we could sneak into the Encore and from there into the Wynn. I’ll send some people for the torch while you, I, and four others find the tunnel to the Encore.”

“How do we get to the Encore? This branch of the tunnel system ends here.”

“We backtrack about three blocks; they were cutting a new tunnel two months ago, let’s check it out.”

Twenty minutes later the six members of the search team locate the new tunnel. It’s not finished; much of it is still composed of rock walls and hanging construction lights strung from the tunnel ceiling. Ron whispers, “Look to the right, there’s a door cut into the side of the tunnel.”

Jack and one of his men push against the door, “Crap it’s locked, let’s see if I can open it.”

Pulling out a locksmith kit, Jack is able to unlock the door, he looks inside, “It’s dark and damp, unfinished, but looks like it does go into the Encore.” The six follow each other into the tunnel, Ron says, “Up ahead there're lights. I bet that’s the subbasement of the Encore.”

The team quietly reaches the light to find a steel door open by an inch. Jack says, “Some poor construction worker is going to lose his job over this breach.”

Ron answers, “Does it matter? We’re in. What do you want to do about the locked door to the Wynn?”

“Let my people try to cut it open, we may need it to escape.”

“Agree. Let’s see if we can find an access tunnel connecting the Encore to the Wynn.”

@@@@@

General Marshal Avdotya ends the radio call with General Chekov, he turns to his chief of staff, “Damn it, our team ran into a new firewall, must be their damnable NSA.”

“Sir, can Chekov’s people break it?”

“He doesn’t think so.”

“What are we going to do?”

“I ordered Chekov to remain in Vegas, to start collecting all of the cash and jewelry in the hotels; I’m sure there must be over a couple of hundred million they can send home. I ordered them to blow up the vaults to gain access to the cash stored there. Once he’s collected all of the assets he can, I ordered him to burn the city. Setting it on fire should cover Chekov’s retreat tracks.”

“Sir, is there any word from Leninkov?”

“Yes, he doesn’t believe he can win either. When we lost the Vegas airport, and their navy intercepted the fleet from Cuba, it crushed our tactical plan. I want our teams to do as much damage and create as much chaos as possible; this will cover their retreat. We’re going to need them to restore order in the Motherland.”

“How do you plan to get them home?”

Laughing General Marshal Avdotya responds, “Why Major, I intend to tell our forces to surrender. The Americans will accept our surrender and send our troops home for us.”

“Are they really that stupid?”

“Yes they are.”

@@@@@

Throughout the USA, cities are shut down with tens of thousands of protesters. Businesses are closed because the workers can’t get to their offices. Billions are lost in revenue; customers can’t reach customer service. Protesters pull down telephone poles disrupting communications and electrical service; hundreds are killed when live electrical wires fall on them. The protesters didn’t realize the telephone poles carried electrical wires. Thousands of protesters block I-35 leading into Austin, Texas. An ambulance carrying a heart attack patient isn’t able to reach the hospital due to the blocked roads. The media blame the patient for having the heart attack during a well-publicized protest.

President Rand announces that the country has a choice. It can either be a modern country in the twenty-first century which follows the rule of law; laws that have been passed by Congress, or, the country can slide into anarchy. He tells the people if the country doesn’t obey the laws, it will collapse into ruin. Rand says, “I was elected to be the President of all of the people of the USA, My first job is to protect the people of America. Blocking roads and bridges, which block people from working, from being able to receive required medical care, will not be accepted. I’ve been patient, I’ve allowed peaceful protests to take place across the country because we are all covered by the Constitution with its first amendment promising freedom of speech. I find that I have no option except to order an end to the blocking of streets, businesses, bridges, tunnels and all modes of transportation. Anyone caught causing damage will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law; they will also be responsible for the cost of all of the repairs and to cover the cost of their damage. I’ll give you an example, say a protest leader blocks the entrance to a company who has to close for the day, costing the company $5,000,000 in profits, the protest leaders will be held responsible for the lost profits. How will they pay? They will lose everything they own, they will not be able to receive any government assistance or program until their debt to society is repaid. This country will not accept the lawlessness to choke the rest of us. I have ordered the National Guard to support the local, county and State police to maintain order. Any violence used against the country’s peacekeepers will be met by violence. If you shoot at the police or Guard, you will be arrested, you will lose your home, your car or truck, everything you own, you will spend the rest of your life working hard labor.”

The country was split over President’s Rand’s remarks. Most of the peaceful citizens welcomed his remarks; the protesters pledged an increase in the number of protests, they promised an increase in the number of dead first responders. The first night after President Rand’s speech is met by hundreds of thousands taking to the streets;  they are holding signs which say, “Black Lives Matter, “ and “Justice for all.” The minorities told most of the whites to stay away from their protest; any who didn’t were attacked by the protesters. Streets are blocked, hospitals are blocked, even entrances to police stations are closed. President Bloomberg sat in the Gray House laughing over the protests in the USA; he spent half of his time laughing and enjoying the problems he caused in the USA and the other half looking for his money. He knew the USA was behind the theft of his money; he didn’t know where they put it. While he and his staff are reviewing the computer records for his money, there’s a huge explosion across the street from the Gray House. The sky is lit up like dawn from the explosion. Debris falls on the Gray House lawn knocking down most of the outside security team. While the security team is confused, Colonel Grover and four of his team use the confusion to slip to the back of the Gray House.

Russian President Grameniko’s words come back to haunt President Bloomberg, “if they want you; there’s nothing you can do to escape them.” Bloomberg looks across the street, he yells, “Get my security group leader! I need to get out of here right now. They're after me.”

Bloomberg’s chief of staff runs into the office, “Sir?”

“Asshole, they're here to kill me, the LSA needs me, get me to a safe location. Get the armored limo’s here.”

Bloomberg’s security team races in; they grab the president while pushing a bulletproof vest over his head. They drag him to the side door where an APC is waiting for him. Just as Bloomberg is locked into the APC, the Gray House explodes in a fireball that can be seen for miles. The blast blows the APC over onto its side, crushing its sides. Bloomberg is lying on his side with blood running out of his ears, nose, and mouth, he has internal bleeding, some of his organs have been crushed from the shock wave, he’s in shock. He looks at his security chief who’s hanging half off his seat with a broken neck. Flames are licking their way towards the APC.

Colonel Grover and his assistants saw the explosion over their left shoulder; Grover smiles thinking,
Got you, you sum bitch.

@@@@@

President Rand stands in front of the Presidential podium, “Ladies and Gentlemen of the world. Eight weeks ago our breakaway states, the LSA, with support from the Russian Federation, poisoned children in seven American schools. This was an act of terror, an attack against the purest and innocent of all of us.  Young children were attacked, not soldiers who are trained for war, not adults who could possibly have figured out something was wrong and sought medical help, the LSA, and the Russian Federation attacked our children. Since no child lost their life, I decided not to destroy the LSA and the Russian Federation. I decided to respond in a more humane manner. I ordered selective electrical power outages in both countries. How did the LSA and the Russian Federation respond? They attacked the United States. The Russian Federation threatened us with a strategic attack. Hence, I had no choice but to remove the Russian strategic forces from the table. These weapons can no longer threaten the people of the United States or the world. Russian Federation President Grameniko threatened to increase his invasion of the United States. I responded in a manner to protect the people of these United States. I ordered the strategic forces of the United States Military to respond by destroying President Grameniko’s bunker. We are now at the current situation; there is a Russian army group holding United States’ citizens as hostages in Las Vegas, Nevada. They released African-Americans thinking they could create a race war in America. The Russian’s have no way to go home, we know where their headquarters is, I say this to Russian General Chekov, who is leading this invasion, surrender now before I’m forced to order your destruction. To General Leninkov, I’m also asking you to surrender to save your people. Look at the invasion force you sent from Cuba, not only is it on the bottom of the ocean, there isn’t a single military base or facility left untouched in Cuba. The Venezuelan army that was attempting to invade us from our southern border, was also destroyed. I’m giving both Russian generals twenty-four hours to surrender or face destruction.