"William W. Johnstone - Ashes 02 - Fire In the Ashes" - читать интересную книгу автора (Johnstone William W)

reached for comment, so VP Lowry, with Cody by his side, called a special meeting at the VP's home
outside Richmond.

Seated around the VP and Cody were: General Rimel of the Air Force; General Preston of the Army;
Admiral Calland of the Navy; General Franklin of the Marine Corps; and Admiral Barstow of the Coast
Guard. The Joint Chiefs of Staff.

VP Lowry cleared his throat, fiddled with his tie, and brushed back a few strands of carefully dyed hair.
He said, тАЬGentlemen, I've heard some very unhappy news. Unsettling, to say the least. Heard it on the
TV, read it in theRichmond Post . I can only conclude that at least part of it is true. Now, I'd be the first
to concede that we may have a bit of a problem within the borders of our nation. But it's nothing that
can't be cleared up if we all cooperate.

тАЬThe press is making a bad mistake, gentlemen. They have begun to romanticize Ben Raines's Rebels,
calling them Freedom's Rebels and Freedom's Rangers. That pack of off-center screwballs has to be
stopped..."

тАЬAre you referring to the Rebels or to the press?тАЭ General Rimel asked with a straight face.

VP Lowry's expression grew hard and he started to fire his reply back to the general. Instead, he fought
to calm himself. He took a deep breath and drummed his fingertips on the desk.

тАЬGeneral Rimel, I do not believe this is the time for levityтАФlame as it may be, and certainly in bad taste.
You all know where the president stands on this issue. Like Pilate, he has washed his hands of the entire
matter. But gentlemen, the majority of both houses of Congress backs my plan to rid the nation of these
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RebelsтАФand were I you, I would bear that in mind. Now I want to know where the military stands on
this issue."

тАЬThe military stands where it always stands,тАЭ Admiral Calland said, a flat tone to his voice. тАЬReady,
willing, and able to repel any invaders who threaten our shores."

тАЬWould that it were,тАЭ Preston muttered under his breath. It was muttered so only Admiral Calland could
hear.

The Navy man fought to hide a smile.

VP Lowry spun in his chair and turned his back to the men gathered around his desk in the study. Lowry
looked out the window. It was raining again. Miserable day. He sighed. He had just received
wordтАФafter hearing it on TV, which irritated himтАФof the closing of the Great Smoky Mountains
National Park in Tennessee and North Carolina. It was estimated that about 1,500 Rebels were located
in the more than half million acres of the park. They had taken it over. They had mined the place and
stuck trip flares all over the area. Manned machine-gun posts were hidden in well-stocked bunkers, and
Tennessee and North Carolina had already lost more than a hundred federal police and highway patrol
and they hadn't even gotten close to the main area. They were ambushed every time they turned around.
Both states were requesting help from the Army or the National Guard or some goddamned thing.