John Returns Read online

  “Did you get them all?”

  “No, some of the minor players disappeared and were never heard from again. Of course, many were killed along with the millions who died during and right after the attack.

  All of the leaders and people who carried out any role in the attack and the attempted relocation of the citizens to the work camps are dead. There are some low level media types who are breaking rocks in Arizona for the rest of their lives, but all significant traitors were executed.”

  “John, what about the rebuilding of your infrastructure?”

  “Son, it took another three years to get the TVA Dam Hydroelectric generators below Nashville repaired and cranked up again. The most significant issue was that the large transformers that split up and reduced the voltage and amperage going into a city or manufacturing complex had all been fried by the EMP blast.

  There were only a few held in reserve to replace any lost from catastrophic failure. The Navy engineering teams scoured the country for useable large transformers and found quite a few medium sized ones in large factories that had metal walls and roofs. Only a few of the large distribution transformers were found that could be reworked. Obviously, the new Capitol of the ISA received several of those.

  Later during the rebuilding process, we found that the new Mexican Government, run by the Chupacabras had built a major manufacturing complex in Matamoros to build the massive transformers before The Collapse. This was more proof that they had prior knowledge of the impending nuclear and EMP attack.

  President Washington ordered the Military to secure the area around the manufacturing complex and dedicate its capacity to rebuilding the ISA and PCS power grid.

  The ISA Military seized the entire area, cleansed it of the Chupacabras and crooked Mexican officials. We put the locals to work building transformers and other goods for the ISA and themselves. The ISA seized a 50-mile wide strip of land from the coast to 10 miles past the city. We rebuilt the city and provided jobs, food, power and water to the locals who stayed in the annexed area. The former Mexican citizens were made citizens of the ISA and became part of Texas.

  “It’s hard to imagine how big the task was now that we have all of the conveniences that we had before TSHTF. I grew up in a home with electricity, running water and new models of cars being introduced every year. Now we are driving 30-year-old cars.”

  “I grew up with electricity, running water and dad drove a classic Buick.”

  “You were lucky; your dad was considered rich back then.”

  “We were comfortable, but I don’t know about rich. What were the most significant challenges?”

  “Another major issue we had was that we had to turn off all of the electrical switches to the town and then slowly turn the switches back on to avoid fires and electrocutions.

  It wasn’t long before a few handpicked towns within a hundred miles were supplied with electricity. All others had to rely on the solar cells for power. Every town was asking for their power to be turned on as well.

  It took several more months to supply them with water. Most of the smaller cities won’t get power or running water again, in our lifetime.

  We stripped many towns of useable material and relocated the people to those with power and water. Some preferred to remain home and live in the dark. Solar power is becoming more available each day along with tremendous advances in their productivity levels, which proves the old adage that ‘necessity is the mother of invention.'

  In rebuilding this nation, we must reduce our need for fossil fuels. We can, and must, do this.

  The new auto plants will soon be back into production putting out hydrogen powered cars. Again, the infrastructure that was destroyed is now being rebuilt, and hydrogen fueling stations are just a small part.

  Actually, the biggest problem we now have is a lack of laborers. Fortunately, a new generation is just now coming of age to take the reins from us old farts.

  The population of this country was down by 90 percent overall. Insulin was produced at only one small lab out on the west coast in the PCS, but they built a larger facility, and the ISA will be starting manufacture of insulin by year’s end, along with many other lifesaving drugs. Not in time for the millions that died the first year, but good news going forward.”

  “How did the ISA get the manufacturing plants back in operation?”

  “The ISA began a crash program to begin manufacturing necessary machines, drugs, and fuel needed to bring civilization and prosperity back to our land.

  George had a Secretary of Manufacturing, Energy and another for Agriculture. They restarted several refineries in Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma and started as many existing wells pumping natural gas and oil along with robust coal mining. With the much-reduced population, we planned to rely on hydropower plants in the future. Of course, that option will not fully supply the needs of a growing, vibrant population. However, when the new wind and solar power plants are completed we will have not only sufficient power for our nation, but be able to export power as a trade item.

  Every year we close down another handful of coal-fired plants. Coal will eventually be phased out, and nuclear power will soon be relegated to large ships and submarines, thank God. The world’s most significant pollution problem is coming from Russia, China, Africa and Mexico. They rely mainly on old coal-fired power plants. We are working with their governments to share our technology.

  The most fertile fields with natural sources of water were being farmed, and no one was diverting water to deserts to grow food. George made sure that farming was a major part of his administration’s push to rebuild the country and its economy. We were so successful that the ISA became a major exporter of grain and other food to the USA and the rest of the world.

  Yes, we now trade with the USA. Trading partners are somewhat more hesitant to attack one another.

  A sad footnote to history is that the USA still struggles to get anything manufactured and is sliding back in time. It’s a true Socialist Utopia.”

  Josh took notes and asked a few questions, but mainly John did most of the talking.

  The door opened, Beth and Jenn Harris walked in and greeted them.

  “Dad, do you ever stop? You’ve been telling Josh about your exploits for over a month. He’ll get carpal tunnel from typing all of these stories into his notepad.”

  “Well daughter, all Americans deserve to know the truth about the deal with the Iranians, the attack on the USA and how the traitors were hunted down, tried, convicted and executed.”

  “Dad, I was just pulling your chain. I would, however, like to spend some quiet time with my fiancé.”

  “Okay, okay, come on Beth, let’s leave these two love birds and take the Stearman out for a flight. I’d like to fly down to Jacksonville and walk on the beach.”

  “I’m game if I get to fly this time.”

  “Josh, I’ll finish the story about hunting down the traitors as soon as I get back from Jacksonville. Gulf Shores is still too hot to visit.”

  ✪

  Chapter 13

  Spying

  Indiana

  2022

  New Albany, Indiana

  One of the intelligence assignments was for two ISA agents to pose as a federal employee and as a bartender in southern Indiana to gain info on the local DHS office.

  Joe Wilson was posing as a federal employee working out of the DHS. His cover job was inspecting cities to decide which ones could be saved and which ones should be stripped to provide material and equipment for other more worthy cities.

  The ISA plants in the USA Government were provided excellent credentials with documents going back to birth, and a believable background as a patriot of the USA.

  Joe’s cover story was that he transferred into Indiana from Oklahoma where he was on a Top Secret assignment when the ISA attacked and killed everyone in his section. Joe only survived because he had been able to hide in a closet. Scott Harris had led the group, and Joe hated the ISA.


  Joe’s contact, Wendy Allen also held solid credentials. Her cover was a war widow serving drinks, and barely making ends meet.

  She was placed in a tavern that was frequented by many of the areas leaders and more powerful people.

  Joe and Wendy’s mission was to scout lower Indiana north of Louisville to help determine if there was support from the local population to annex the New Albany and Jeffersonville area. Joe also spied on the DHS.

  The ISA’s plans for the defense included placing heavily armed forts on the Kentucky side of the Ohio River and warships in the river. That meant they had to control all of the dams. Gus wanted to avoid killing or evicting several thousand people and moving the survivors 30 miles north. The issue could be avoided if the majority of the population could be convinced to join the ISA.

  Joe placed bugs in every federal and local government building. He also bugged all of the local leader’s homes and cars. Joe and Wendy were to forward any important info back to headquarters no matter how insignificant it might seem at the time. They had a safe house for their operations and were discrete coming and going.

  After many hours of listening to recorded conversations, Joe said, “Almost every local leader including the mayors support breaking away from the USA. Our “Radio Free ISA” programs are beginning to work. The USA citizens are starting to realize what the traitors did, and they’ve heard about the relocation camp disasters.”

  “Joe, I’m hearing the same thing on the recordings from the bar. Many of the locals talk openly about how the ISA has plenty of food, hospitals, and freedom. They are ready to join us.”

  “I know that the USA has spies here and will eventually squash any decent people who try to resist. Listen to this recording from the DHS office in New Albany. Let’s see if we can come up with a list of their agents and civilian targets.”

  Wendy, I hate to suggest it, but perhaps we should let them capture a few of the insurgents. If we can arrange a rescue, we’ll become golden with the rebels.

  Let’s send in our plan to HQ and see what they think.”

  Let’s start by tipping off the police chief of Jeffersonville that the DHS is sending a team to his house tomorrow to arrest him and his family for treason.”

  “Joe, I agree with helping the police chief, but I think we need a Special Forces Team to get them over to Louisville and let them watch the DHS raid on video.”

  “Tom, that’s a great idea. We save a potential recruit and leader of the resistance.”

  ***

  Shepherdsville, Kentucky

  The extraction went according to plan. The SF Team safely captured and brought the police chief, his wife, and two daughters to John’s headquarters in Shepherdsville.

  “I know that we probably scared the daylights out of you and your family, but we brought you here to save you from torture and possible death.

  The USA has caught wind of your lack of support for the USA and has sent spies out to gather evidence on possible traitors. Then they send out hit squads to kill or capture them and their families. They either kill all of them or keep the families hostage to keep the problem child supporting the USA.”

  “Why should I believe you? Who are you?”

  “I’m General John Harris of the ISA, and I’m in charge of the Kentucky and Tennessee region of the ISA. We are trying to keep the USA from massacring the resistance to their reign of terror.”

  “I thought John Harris was the president of the USA.”

  “I was. I resigned after I led the country through the first two years to a stable government. I am not a politician. I am a warrior. I want to stop the USA from attacking my country and from terrorizing its own citizens.”

  “I thought I recognized you. You are a hero to most people in southern Indiana.”

  A woman in uniform opened the door and said, “Sir, they are staged outside the house and preparing to enter.”

  She walked over to a large monitor on the wall and turned it on.”

  “Watch closely.”

  They both watched as men dressed in black BDUs with DHS printed on their backs break the doors down as others tossed flash-bang grenades through the windows. There were shots fired, and then silence.

  The attacking force entered the living room, and a mannequin holding a pistol and three others sitting on a couch confronted them.

  “Hal, you would have confronted these men with your pistol, and as you can see, they shot everyone in the room. These goons kill every time a citizen confronts them or disagrees. If someone doesn’t bow down to them, they are eliminated.”

  “Crap, my family would have been slaughtered.”

  “Yes.”

  “What can I do to help stop these animals?”

  “First, explain what happened to your family and why we brought you to Kentucky. Show them the recording if you need to make the point. Then we will make plans to save more people like you, and get the resistance snowball going in full force.”

  “I can’t thank you enough for saving my family.”

  “Hal Gordon, I need help, and I’d like you to volunteer to spread the resistance to save other families.”

  Hal stood before General Harris in a state of cold iron rage. He said, “Oh, yeah, I’ll be glad to help stop the bastards, but sir if a resistance movement gains traction, what is to keep the U.S. from sending a large force to stomp us like a bug? That would cement their complete control of southern Indiana.”

  The General looked at Hal and said, “Chief, if you get a rebellion started, one supported by the populace, I promise you that we will not allow the DHS to break the resistance.

  We could, of course, simply move in and take over, but we must know that the citizens are willing to fight for their freedom. If Indiana fights, the ISA will not allow you to fail.”

  “Why don’t you invade?”

  I know, Hal, why don’t we just take all of the old USA. The answer is a simple one: we do not want to absorb the Liberal Socialist elements of the U.S.

  We will continue to winnow them down to a manageable level, and they can keep all the idiots up there. Our estimate is that the U.S. will consist of the New England states when this dustup is over.”

  “General, I think you are wrong. Most of the people dependent on the government for assistance have died or been put to work in labor camps. If you cut off the head, the socialist snake will die.”

  “We’ll see. I hope you are right.”

  ***

  Shrimp Boat

  Mobile Bay, Alabama

  “John, what was so urgent that we all had to fly down here to the Gulf of Mexico to discuss? You have the leaders of the ISA on a stinky shrimp boat. I have George waiting on us down below with Admiral Jones as requested. No one else knows they are here.”

  “Thanks, Gus, I’ll explain when we get to the secure room.”

  They entered the small room below deck, shook hands and John jumped right into the matter at hand.

  John greeted them and said. “I’m sorry for inconveniencing you. However, it was of vital importance that no one knows of this room or learns what is said.

  As you know, I have several operations going on in southern Indiana. Our agents have provided valuable information concerning the U.S. plan to eliminate the resistance before we can get it organized.”

  “That’s important, but why are we meeting on a shrimp boat in the Gulf.”

  “We just made a recording of a local senior DHS agent talking with his boss who was visiting from Indy. They have garnered information on our resistance cells in Evansville, Owensboro, Louisville, and Cincinnati.”

  “What? How could they have such a comprehensive list of our operations so quickly?

  A grim smile, untouched by his eyes spread across John’s mouth as he said, “You or the Admiral has a leak in your team.”

  “Oh crap,” George replied.

  John said, “Don’t shoot anyone yet. Are you 100% sure that all bugs have been removed from every room at the Command Bunke
r?

  Everyone, including Maria, has passed all interrogations.”

  “It’s hard to believe, especially after I had the best Navy security team we have to sweep the entire structure.”

  “Is the security team compromised?”

  “Anything is possible.”

  John said, “I think we should allow a leak next week hinting that I will be in Henderson, KY next week. If the info doesn’t reach the U.S., then no harm was done. If the worst happens, then we will have exposed a mole or at least the possibility of a listening device in our Command Bunker or just as bad in the Admiral’s staff. Until then we need to meet in places like this with no staff attending.”

  President Washington said, “That’s a good plan, John. Let’s run with that plan.

  Gus, the floor is yours.”

  “Whew, a man of few words, short sweet and a hard act to follow, but I’ll try.

  We have brought in some our newly improved, yet unproven ground platform rail guns. The Navy has provided us with system improvements on ground-mounted units. They have a range of 250 miles with incredible accuracy and with a Time on Target (ToT) of 1 minute, 40 seconds at 250 miles.

  We can pound many of their large army depots from Louisville, though I would prefer to have them turned over to us.

  We have 10 of these in place from Memphis to the Virginia coast. We have 20 more under construction and plan to deploy them in 3-5 weeks. They have three large rail guns, ten medium and twenty mini anti-missile and aircraft rails. Each one currently requires a crew of from twenty to fifty.