The general came back to the bar table podium and looked at several world maps he had brought with him. He then looked at Carlos’ television set and thought for a minute, while everybody, including the president, looked on.

“The Commander of McGuire, Billy Johnson, will take over command of the New York operation once I’m finished at this meeting. He has tons of military experience—worked with the Army and Marines as a liaison fighting officer for several years, and he will attack and sterilize any foreign troops arriving on our soil. We are going to base all our military aircraft at McGuire starting tomorrow. Right now, we need to thwart this incoming attack in Raleigh in 48 hours, right Carlos? Lee?” They both confirmed 48 hours.

“They seem to like another potential dawn attack at RDU this time,” Carlos commented.

“We need to get a few radios or communication stations on the incoming highways—I believe I-40 from the west and a site north and south of I-95. David, what range do we have for these radios of yours?” the general asked.

“Thirty to fifty miles,” stated David.

“If they transfer transmissions into my Chapel Hill tower, I’m sure that range could be extended,” added Preston.

“Fifty miles is a good distance,” suggested Pete Allen. “Carlos, back to you.”

“Based on what Lee suggested in his conversation earlier today,” Carlos continued, trying to prioritize the most immediate problems. “It sounds like a group of engineers are being flown into JFK in tomorrow, or the next day, also around dawn. I’m sure that they will be bringing in supplies and troops to protect these engineers. We should expect another couple of hundred people in New York to clear the runways and help prepare before these guys fly in. So, I believe that a maximum force of 500 troops will be enough to overpower our ‘visitors’.”

“Sounds good to me, Carlos,” stated General Allen.

“That means the troops with Sally and Jennifer could come in here, we could fly in another crowd from Pope 30 minutes away, and have 300 men on the ground ready to fight the battle that will start tomorrow. Plus, we have the new firepower of our aircraft. Immediately after the confrontation, we can send the troops up to McGuire. We clean up here, you get the guys up there, try and capture the engineers and supplies, kill the troops….” he thought for a few seconds…. “and capture the aircraft, if possible. Yes! They could help bring our troops home faster. Then we transfer all the soldiers, howitzers, tanks, aircraft and naval vessels we have to New York and we will have two whole weeks to do that.”

“How many men can fit in our smaller civilian aircraft, Preston?” the general asked.

“We can get about 30 in Lady Dandy, 15 in the Cargomaster, 12 in the Pilatus, and six in the 210. That’s over 60 we can put down anywhere we want on any cleared highway and return to get more.”

“Good. That will help, since you guys can put them down anywhere. Once we see them on a clear piece of road, perhaps just after the brow of a hill on the highway would be a good ambush point. You guys can fly in tomorrow and pick up men from Pope and Fort Bragg. You might invite the president to go with you, since he is Commander-in-Chief,” directed the general, looking at the president.

The president smiled and nodded his head in approval, excited.

“Preston, Carlos, you have First Sergeant Perry here,” the general said, nodding at the First Sergeant. “He has shown great leadership and experience in ambushing the first group of insurgents. This time, Perry, do the same type of attack. It could be daylight when they arrive, so set up positions a mile in front of them, and then have our civilian air force blow them to bits. Then take your soldiers in, charge the position, and take no prisoners. Remember, Perry, we need those cell phones, so go for head shots from snipers on prominent positions.”

First Sergeant Perry nodded. “Yes, sir,” he replied eagerly.

“Captain Mallory, good to have you with us. You will take over command of the civilian food supplies once the fight is over and Preston gives you all the non-fighting aircraft. It looks like you will have the FedEx Cargomaster, a 210, and two 172s to work with. I’ve thought about this for a few hours, and I suggest that you take supplies into a local rural airport, find someone to take control of that airport, or use Air Force troops if you think it necessary to guard the position of the supply—a machine gun post with sandbags, if necessary. I will let you have one C-130 to ferry in pallets of food and troops as soon as I can. I suggest you search out the pilots in and around that airfield and get the local pilots to distribute the food further—maybe into even smaller, more rural airfields. I’m going to borrow your tanker, Preston, and fly into Hill after we are finished here. I will take off in the first C-130 that gets here and meet up with Ghost Rider and the other tanker from Dover, send yours back to McGuire and then, Preston, you will take over command of this area until further notice. I want Captain Watkins and Powers to work for me for the next 24 hours moving troops out of Seymour Johnson and Pope into McGuire.” Again he walked back to the radio. “Jennifer, this is Pete, do you copy?”

“Jennifer here, just off-loading.”

“Is the boss there?” continued the general.

“Boss here, Pete,” answered the base commander at Seymour Johnson.

“How many battle-experienced guys can you find me?”

“You’ve taken a company already. I reckon I can give you another 300. They could be kitted out by midnight.”

“Roger that. Get them ready,” continued the general. “I need Jennifer to refuel and bring a company of 100 men back here ASAP. I need to get to Hill. Get a jeep, or some transport over to Pope’s place. I know they have tons more men. Tell the boss there what we’re up to. I need maximum fighting numbers ASAP. I need to get as many as possible up to Mr. McGuire’s place in the next 24 hours.”

“How many are you looking for?” the base commander came back.

“I need 180 for a party here and then as many as we can carry in over seven days with four of our big girls working 24/7. I think about 10,000 will do. Go and visit with our Marine buddies at Le Lejeune and get numbers. Billy Johnson will be in charge. He must be in radio contact with you by tomorrow. Also, get two sets of crew aboard each 130. I want nonstop action for a week. Out.” The general went back to the front of the room and thought before he spoke.

“Okay. My plan of action is this: I’m leaving for China tonight,” he explained. “I’m taking Mother Goose and Ghost Rider. Mother Goose will refuel Ghost Rider over the Bering Strait from Anchorage into northern Japan. Carlos, will the phone you have for me work?”

“You and I will be able to talk as well as if you were on your old cell phone,” replied Carlos. “If you activate your transponder for three minutes, I believe I can view it through their system and patch it into our system. It will take Lee and me all night to work on our satellite, but I think it will work. Remember, the enemy in Nanjing will see you as much as we can, but they will scratch their heads trying to figure out what type of aircraft is flying in the middle of nowhere for three minutes at a time. I think you should turn on your transponder only once or twice. I have a repaired cell phone for General Johnson and a fourth one will be repaired by morning. I will give you all the direct numbers. Who shall I give the fourth one to?”

“I want to take all you have,” answered the general. “I am going to need at least six working units to distribute around the world. Carlos, can you fix your own and make it work? Buck said you could. That will give me three and yours could be your base’s communications from now on when I need to talk to you.” The general turned back to the group.