A NATION AT WAR - The Second Civil War Book II (The Second Civil War - BOOK II 1) Read online

  The Second

  Civil War

  BOOK II

  A NATION

  AT WAR

  By MW HUFFMAN

  A Nation At War by MW Huffman

  ©Copy write 2012

  All Rights Reserved

  A WaJe Production

  2013

  To the Loves of My Life

  My Wife, Susan, My Children, and Family

  OTHER BOOKS PUBLISHED BY MW HUFFMAN

  THE END – BOOK I of THE EVENT

  THE BEGINNING – BOOK II of THE EVENT

  THE REVELATION – BOOK III of THE EVENT

  A NATION DIVIDED – BOOK I of THE 2nd Civil War

  A NATION at WAR – BOOK II of THE 2nd Civil War

  A Nation HEALING – BOOK III of THE 2nd Civil War

  OPERATION BLUEBOLT – BOOK I America’s Gulags

  OPERATION BLUEBOLT BOOK II American Uprising

  BlackStar

  CHIMERA

  CLOSE PROXIMITY

  WORLD’S END

  THE BRINK – Operation Deep Flight

  Angie Bartoni Case File #1 – The Alphabet Murders

  Angie Bartoni Case File #2 – Frostbite

  Angie Bartoni Case File #3 – Dead Aim

  Angie Bartoni Case File #4 – What Goes Around

  Angie Bartoni Case File #5 – Nothing to Lose

  Angie Bartoni Case File #6 – Shadow Man

  Angie Bartoni Case File #7 – The Club

  Angie Bartoni Case File #8 – Murder by Shakespeare

  Angie Bartoni Case File #9 – One Too Many

  The Logan Files – Blond Deception

  The Logan Files – Innocence and Avarice

  The Logan Files – The Deal Breaker

  The Norris Files – Insurrection

  The Norris Files – Silver2

  Unfinished

  ACKNOWLEDGMENT

  I would be remiss if I did not give a loving ‘Thank You’ to my editor, my inspiration, and my best friend; my wife, Susan Huffman. She never complains when I hand her another rough draft to proof. She may roll her eyes occasionally at the grammar, having been an English Teacher for over twenty years and College Instructor at Parkland College. She just forges ahead, makes the changes and tries to make me understand what a split infinitive is. That's when I just roll my eyes and say, "Okay dear."

  Thank you to Amazon Kindle and to Barns & Noble for allowing new writers to get a foothold in the electronic publishing business. Without them none of this would be possible.

  A special thank you to everyone that has bought and read my books, I sincerely appreciate it very much.

  There is no instance of a nation benefitting from prolonged warfare.

  -Sun Tzu-

  PROLOGUE

  Wars come as a culmination of events that take place over a period of time. Like a splinter left in a finger too long, it can fester and at some point it either has to be removed or the infection can spread to other parts of the body.

  America had been undergoing a festering of conflicting ideologies for many years. High unemployment, creeping inflation, record home foreclosures, unchecked national debt, a shift in moral values, and a blatant attack on the second amendment rights of citizens was the poison moving through the body of the country.

  While it takes a long time for one single event to serve as the catalyst that will set a war in motion, once it happens, changes ensue quickly. Historians can generally point to one incident that would ultimately trigger an all-out war. It is often quoted that the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of the Austro-Hungarian Empire triggered the First World War. That is not entirely true but it is the one incident that can be labeled as the spark that got the war started.

  World War II started because the Nazi Army under Adolph Hitler invaded Poland. Technically, it did provide the impetus for the beginning of the war. But the decay was planted long before by a number of things, a runaway inflation, high unemployment, and the Treaty of Versailles that was forced on the Germany people.

  Pictures of tanks rolling into the streets of Kuwait by Saddam Hussein’s army comes to mind. The triggering event? Kuwait’s alleged slant drilling. A process of drilling on an angle to tap the oil reserves in Iraq. Was there more to it? Of course. Iraq was economically devastated by the Iran-Iraq conflict a few years earlier. They needed the oil in Kuwait. The solution? Simply take it.

  A defining moment is almost always associated with any war both past and present. Mention 9/11 to most Americans and they immediately see that as the real start of the so called War on Terror.

  Now America was facing another war, not with a foreign nation but within the confines of her own borders. The final straw was an early morning government raid on registered gun owners across the nation. While raiders managed to confiscate almost 30 million small arms weapons, the violation of Civil Rights sent a ripple of discontent through the nation. Proponents of gun control hailed the action but others saw it as a clear cut violation of the second amendment constitutional rights.

  The President had ordered the military to participate in Operation Clean Sweep but a few base commanders saw this as a clear violation of the Constitution and refused to participate. It was a decision based on what they considered a ‘clearly immoral and illegal order’.

  Obviously the Commander-in-Chief cannot have his orders disobeyed thus he sent the Military Police to arrest the commanders. They refused to surrender themselves or their commands.

  The commanders of the rebel bases allowed any officer or enlisted personnel who disagreed with their actions to leave the base with no repercussions. It they elected to stay, it would be strictly voluntary.

  The President decided that he would order a strike on Eglin Air Force Base in Florida to show his determination that no commander has the right to disobey his orders.

  The strike was carried out by the USS Harry Truman CVN 75. Immediately after launching the air strike on Eglin, the carrier was attacked by a submarine under the command of one of the base commandants who refused to follow the orders for Clean Sweep. Four Tomahawk missiles were fired from the USS Annapolis SSN 760. Two of the missiles got through the defenses and slammed into the side of the carrier. It was unable to make port before sinking in the Gulf of Mexico.

  The trigger for the Second Civil War had been pulled. America was no longer a nation divided but a nation at war.

  CHAPTER ONE

  The rain had been falling for the past two days. The gloom outside matched the atmosphere inside the White House. Even with the miserable weather over one million protesters had gathered each of the previous three days. Each evening fights broke out between police and demonstrators. In addition there was widespread looting and destruction by other groups taking advantage of the ensuing chaos.

  President Quasim was dressed in a warm up suit that had been given to him by the US Olympic team. His feet were up on the desk. Present with him in the room were the Secretary of the Navy, Dillon Kellerman, Admiral Jean Swanson from Pensacola, Lieutenant General Erickson, from Langley Air Force Base and General Arthur Ascot, from Quantico Marines.

  They were waiting for Roland Clarke, Secretary of Defense. The President glanced at his watch and closed his eyes. The door opened and Clarke stepped into the room. He saw the President glare at him and quickly found a seat.

  “And?” the President said, putting his feet on the floor and sitting up.

  “Sixteen aircraft were shot down and three crippled. Another nineteen fighters and seven helo’s went down
with the Truman. Right now nine hundred and twenty are dead and fifty-six still unaccounted for. Another one thousand and seventy are injured. Eight F16 pilots are MIA,” he reported.

  It was silent in the room. Only the faint sound of rain pelting the windows could be heard. The President rubbed his eyes, rocking back and forth slightly.

  “Ladies and Gentlemen can any of you explain what the hell just happened,” he said, his voice rising with each word until he was shouting at the end. No one spoke up as he glanced around the room.

  “General Erickson? Can you tell me how they managed to sink one of America’s most up to date warships?”

  “I think Admiral Swanson would be better able to answer that,” he said, trying to duck the question.

  “But I didn’t ask the Admiral did I? I asked you. Correct me if I am wrong but you are the one who laid out the battle plan. Isn’t that right?”

  “Sir, we all had a hand in it.”

  “I see. Since it was a disaster it is all of your faults collectively, but if it had been successful it would have been your idea, naturally.”

  The General knew that nothing he could say would appease the President so he just sat there.

  “Since the General seems to think you should answer that question, please Admiral, proceed,” Quasim said.

  “Sir the only way that the Truman could have been sunk was by a submarine. For that to happen they had to have been on station before we arrived. That means they had advanced information. We walked into a trap because someone leaked information about the planned attack.”

  The President sat bolt upright.

  “What the hell are you saying Admiral? That someone in the White House shared the plans with the enemy?”

  “No sir. I’m saying that someone did, and I don’t mean to implicate just the White House. Where it came from must be tracked down. As bitter a pill as it is to swallow, someone, somewhere, leaked information regarding our attack plans. It gave the rebels the upper hand and they were able to capitalize on it,” she said.

  “What about the rest of you?” the President asked.

  “We have discussed it and we all pretty much see it that way. I would like to give the Admiral credit for having the gumption to actually say what the rest of us were thinking,” said General Ascot.

  “It is the only way they could have had their planes in the perfect position to come in on us like they did and to have a submarine ready to take the Truman out,” General Erickson added.

  The President looked around the room and the faces of his advisors looked back at him apprehensively.

  “We have to find that leak and I mean now. I don’t care what it takes. I want everyone that had anything to do with the plans investigated to the fullest. I mean the whole nine yards, surveillance, wiretaps, hidden cameras, bugs, and whatever else is in the arsenal. I want Homeland, the FBI, and military intelligence on this starting as soon as this meeting is over,” he said, banging his hand on the desk.

  It was quiet for a second before General Erickson spoke up, “Sir. How do we go about getting warrants for taps and such?”

  “Warrants are not necessary using Public Law 107-296, the PSP provision,” he replied.

  “The President’s Surveillance Program? Is that part of the Homeland Security Act? I don’t know all the provisions but wire taps and bugs are allowed?” Erickson asked.

  “As I interpreter it,” President Quasim replied.

  They all glanced at each other but then Operation Clean Sweep had been invoked in a similar way.

  “What about the White House?” Admiral Swanson asked.

  “I’ll take care of that detail. I’ll make damn sure that everyone, and I mean everyone, that had anything to do with the plans is investigated vigorously,” the President answered.

  A cell phone rang and the President scowled at the Secretary of Defense.

  “Sorry sir. It’s an update with the latest figures.”

  “Alright, but turn the damn thing off after this,” he commanded.

  Cell phones in the Oval Office were a major irritant to the President.

  “Go ahead and answer it,” he said.

  “Clarke.”

  “I see. Uh-huh. Okay. Okay. Thank you,” he said and changed the phone's setting to vibrate.

  “So?” the President asked.

  “Nine more bodies have been recovered. The USS Allen was damaged when she ran over one of the planes that did not make it back and ditched at sea. The crew was lost. Evidently Colonel Fox has been trying to reach me or Secretary Kellerman.”

  “Why?” Kellerman asked.

  “He has captured eight of the downed pilots and recovered the bodies of five more. He wants to turn them over to us.”

  “That bastard. He’s flaunting this in our faces,” the President shouted.

  “Sir, I don’t think that is his intent. I think he is trying to say that these are still Americans and he wants to have them returned and cared for,” Kellerman said.

  “Do you think for one minute that he is trying to do the honorable thing? If he wanted to do that he would have surrendered to the Military Police. Instead he participates in an attack on our armed forces,” the President said, getting red in the face.

  It was no use. They all knew that no matter what they said at this point he had decided and that was final. The small detail that they had been the ones to provoke the attack seemed to be lost on Quasim. They could all see that he was fighting to remain in control but it wouldn’t take but one misspoken word to push him over the edge.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Colonel Fox was on hand to greet the planes as they landed. The main runway had sustained minor damage so they simply used the taxi strip. Everyone was waving and cheering as each plane rolled by. They had pulled off a daring counterattack but as happy as the Colonel was, he knew that this was just the beginning.

  He was also keenly aware that without the warning, they would have been slaughtered. Once all the planes were parked and the pilots deplaned he had them all gather around.

  “First, congratulations on a great victory today...”

  Cheers and applause interrupted him. He waited for it to die down.

  “But...we cannot bask in the moment. Today, fellow Americans on both sides gave their lives. We lost some good men today and for that I am deeply saddened. Some of you probably don’t know that the aircraft carrier the USS Harry Truman was sunk by a submarine at the loss of many good sailors and airmen. In a normal situation when we trounce the enemy like we did today I would be on top of the world. But...but it is hard to be happy about our brothers in arms dying. Having said that, it does not mean that we will simply surrender. They are the ones that came after us. They initiated the battle. They picked the time and place. It is because of their aggression that we will continue to fight for what we believe is right,” he said and halted for a second.

  “Make no mistake about it, we are now at war with the government we took an oath to defend. Every one of us was prepared to follow that oath until the government stopped representing the very people that it has a duty to serve. Our nation is no longer a democracy when the very doctrine upon which this nation was founded is disregarded for a side agenda. The second and fourth amendments were striped from the Constitution when President Quasim launched Operation Clean Sweep. That makes the order he gave to the military illegal and I will not obey an illegal order,” he said.

  Even with the huge crowd you could almost hear the grass growing it was so quiet. No one moved and even the wind seemed to barely whisper.

  “We are not alone. At least six other base commanders have also refused to follow the illegal order. Like this base, they have allowed anyone that did not agree to leave the base with no repercussions. I will repeat that offer. No one is being ordered to stay. Anyone wishing to leave has until 17:00 hours to vacate the base. I know this is a difficult thing that I am asking of each and every one of you. You have to choose what you believe is the right course of acti
on in your own heart. I have made mine and I intend to combine any remaining forces at this base with the others that are refusing to obey the President's orders. I urge you to pray about it. Talk among yourselves. Seek counsel with your mentors or whomever you need and trust to help with this decision. This could be the most important decision you make in your lifetime.”

  He paused and lowered his head.

  “Heavenly Father, grant each man and woman here the wisdom to choose the right path for them. Thank you for those that gave their lives today doing what they believed was right. God help us all, Amen.”

  With that, he turned and headed toward his office. The others mostly milled around talking. Now the adrenalin rush was over the reality and enormity of what had taken place earlier was sinking in. The talk was subdued and eventually they all drifted off to consider what path they were going to take.

  ****

  Aboard the submarine USS Annapolis the skipper was saying pretty much the same words. When the missiles had first struck, everyone had given out a cheer. Later as they heard the massive carrier breaking up and starting to sink they became aware that what they were hearing was the death of not only an American Carrier but of American sailors and airmen. Elation soon gave away to the realization that what had happened was not a drill but the actual sinking of a ship in battle.

  The skipper would have liked to address the crew immediately but with the pursuing submarine killers looking for them he was forced to give his undivided attention to avoiding detection or they would become the next causality of war. It was almost two hours later before he felt that they were in a safe enough position for him to address the crew.

  Much like Colonel Fox on Eglin Air Force Base, he reminded them of the seriousness of what had just transpired. The USS Annapolis had just sunk an American ship with fellow sailors aboard. The feeling wasn’t quite the same since the submariners were spread out in the sub and unlike the Eglin personnel they had not actually witnessed the destruction unfolding.