“They just let everyone go?”

“Those of us with families left.  The men that had no one chose to stay and fight.  By the end of it, we were still SEALs, but we were guardsmen as well.”

“You said the ship was from Pascagoula?”

“Apparently some guy who owns a shipyard there has a brother on the island.  He’s been sending supplies to them for quite a while.  I heard talk from the crew on the ride back that the next ship would have men – soldiers – bound for the island as well.  There’s a movement going on, bro.  People are choosing sides even as we speak.  The truth is getting out about the border.  People are livid at our government for not stepping in, so they’re taking it on themselves.  It’s mostly military men that’ve deserted out of disgust, but there’re some private contractor volunteers as well.  These are men that swore to defend the constitution and I guess they got tired of being made into liars.  Civilians are involved too, but they’re mostly in support roles, like the ship and safe houses.”

“Safe houses?”

“When we reached Pascagoula, they stuffed us in the back of a refrigerated truck, under what must have been a ton of shrimp and oysters.  Thank God they only drove for a few minutes before they let us out. I didn’t know if I was going to get crushed or freeze to death, but I felt certain I was going to die in a seafood delivery truck.”

Jake chuckled at the imagery as Geram continued, “We stayed hidden in the back of this little restaurant, Petit Bois, for several days.  We ate like kings – shrimp, oysters and tuna for every meal.  I know it was a safe house because they may’ve had a dozen customers the entire time we were there.  They definitely weren’t surviving on the patronage of their clientele.”

“How bad was Pascagoula?”

“I heard talk that it was bad elsewhere, but we were close to the shipyards and the industries on the water.  The National Guard or Homeland or someone must’ve been providing security, because it seemed safe enough from inside.  It’s not like I got out much though, they mostly kept us hidden in a supply closet in the back.

Anyway, as trucks would leave the city for destinations close to where we were going, they would stop by and pick us up.   We’d ride out of town in the back with their freight.  I was the last one to leave. I hitched a ride in a semi-truck hauling bottled water to Oxford.  The driver let me out about twenty miles from your house. I traveled through the woods and followed the creek to the back of your property.”

“That is unbelievable.”

“Believe it.  I’m sitting here.”

Jake yawned and stood to stretch as he said, “Well, I’m glad you’re sitting here.  It’d be tough without you.”

“Don’t I know it.  Hey, go get some rest.  I’ll take the first shift of the night.”

Jake smiled and said goodnight, before retreating back into the mansion.  Geram closed his eyes and listened to what sounded like the croaks of a million bullfrogs coming from the ponds.  He allowed his mind to wander over all of the events that had happened in the last few weeks.  He laughed at himself as he shivered at the thought of the ride in the frigid, seafood truck.  He slung his rifle over his back and grabbed his night-vision goggles as he prepared to walk the balcony perimeter.

Ch apter 15

William

Arlington, Virginia

The heavy rain relentlessly assaulted the fire, but it refused to extinguish.  The eternal flame at the tomb of JFK had weathered worse storms than this one, but not many.  The site was centrally located in the cemetery, just east of the Arlington House.  The house was a Greek revival-style mansion that was once belonged to of Robert E. Lee.  During the Civil War, the grounds of Lee’s estate were selected as the site for Arlington National Cemetery by the Federal government as a means to ensure the general would never be able to return.

The tomb was simple but elegant.  The burial plot for the four graves contained a pattern of rough-hewn, granite fieldstones that were in turn surrounded by a white-marble terrace.  The site was surrounded by magnolia, cherry and hawthorn trees.  The marbled terrace descended to a plaza that was encircled by a wall engraved with a few of Kennedy’s most memorable quotes.

William was the only cemetery’s visitor, and for good reason.  Anyone in their right mind would never be out in this weather, he thought to himself.  He had not gone mad; rather he preferred the privacy that the storm afforded.

William strolled along the plaza with his umbrella overhead. He read the quotes as he waited impatiently.  He paused in front of one quote that particularly caught his attention and read it aloud with disdain.

“In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger.  I do not shrink from this responsibility.  I welcome it.” 

The foolish words of a forgotten generation, he regarded.

He turned and watched a figure approach from the south, near Bobby’s grave.  The man was in a long trench coat and hat.  William reached his hand deep into his coat and gripped his Walther.  The figure in the trench coat saw the discrete movement and tipped his hat.  William relaxed his grip and started forward to meet the cloaked man.

They met in the center of the plaza and shook hands.  Even in the darkness, William could still see the man’s bright, blue eyes blazing from underneath the hat.  The man with the blue eyes greeted William and remarked, “Isn’t this all such a waste?”

“It’s a disgrace, a memorial to imperialism.  Where is the tomb of the unknown worker?  Or is he less honorable than a man who is paid to kill by his government?  I’ll be glad when all of this is gone.”

“Well, I meant more like how it’s prime real estate wasted on a graveyard, but I can see your point.”

William sighed and said, “I didn’t come out here for humor.”

“You’re right; it’s probably not the best time, considering the weather.”  The man shifted his weight and looked around.  “Let’s walk; standing here makes me nervous.  Moving targets are harder to hit.”

They strolled east toward Sheridan Drive.  William interrupted the man’s nervous glances and said, “So, did I come all the way out here for a walk, or did you have a reason?”

“Look, you’ve gotten me in pretty deep.  The least you can give me is some patience.”

William did not respond.

“Fine,” the man said, “as I’ve said before, our secondary objective is procured.  We’ve more than enough for wherever you choose.”

“This is all old news; tell me about the primary.”

“Right, the primary…” the man paused for a moment before continuing, “Well, our contacts have pulled out.  No deal.”

William stopped dead in his tracks; the fury was obvious in his expression.

“But wait,” the man interjected, “there is some other news.  I’m just not sure if it is good or bad though.”

“Not sure if it’s good or bad?”

“I just don’t know what to make of it yet.”

“Get to the point.”

“Alright, alright.  So, the night the negotiations fell through, I got a call from someone.  He said he knew you, and he knew I was working for you.”  The man stopped, turned to William and said, “I thought no one was aware of our arrangement.”

William replied defensively “No one does.”  He thought for a moment before adding, “Well… some people do.”

“ Who all knows?”

“Just a handful - maybe four or five, but they had to know though.  They’re high up; it’s in confidence, I promise.  This wasn’t leaked through me.”

“What’s wrong with you?  This is my life we’re talking about!  You know you can’t trust a politician!”