Don Pendleton - Civil War II Read Online Free
Author: Don Pendleton
said, "Yes. We have everything to lose and absolutely nothing to gain by idling along now."
A silence of some thirty seconds followed Bogan's declaration. It was Abe Williams who broke in. He cleared his throat noisily and said, "All right. Let's advance the timetable. Let's move tonight."
Another brief silence, then Harvey said, "Can we do it?"
Williams was watching the military chief. Bogan scratched his head and turned his gaze to his military aide. "What do you think, Norm?"
Ritter jerked his head in a quick nod. "My boys have been up and ready for over a month now. From my end, yeah: Go."
The Air Force Chief said, "Naturally, TAC is always ready. Just give me an hour's notice."
Bogan sighed and turned his gaze to Mayor Harvey. "Well, my adjutant just completed a nationwide inspection of the militia. They seem ready, but I'm still a bit concerned about the discipline. They're eager and they've been penned up all their lives. I just hope we don't have a blood orgy."
Harvey blinked his eyes rapidly and said, "You don't have to worry about the Oakland units."
"I'll vouch for the readiness of the militia," Abe Williams said quickly. "They're ready. I guess the only loose ends we have are political. But we can work out the politics by ear."
"Okay," Bogan said, sighing heavily. "But just remember that the militia will be carrying the brunt. The regular army forces are largely specialists in the quick-reaction philosophy—brashfire teams." He glanced at Abe Williams. "I see no reason for a change in the battle order, do you?"
Williams shook his head. "None at all. Do you want me to contact Admiral Parks, or will you,"
"I'll get with him," Bogan replied. "I'm going to be busier than a cat covering up crap, though, so you'll have to work the readyline with the other units."
"I'll get them in," Williams solemnly assured the general.
"Then I guess that's it," Bogan said. "We hit tonight."
Ritter leapt to his feet and did a little dance alongside the conference table. "Hot damn, hot damn," he cried. "I can't hardly believe it. Tonight's the night, and oh what a night! Burn, baby, burn—and watch my fucking smoke. We're gonna jerk old whitey apart at the seams. Wait'll you see the chao3 in the skies when I blow the whistle on automated airflow. And the gas mains, the power stations, communications—man, I got the whole world in my hand. I got the water systems, the fuel lines, the—"
"Don't forget your assassins," Harvey put in icily.
"Hell yes, I got death in my hand, too—and why're you all sitting around so gloomy? This is the day we've been awaiting for twenty years! Why the hell are you all looking so gloomy?"
Abe Williams smiled faintly and said, "The day of the black cat."
"Yeah," Ritter cried happily. "The day of the big black cat."
"Let's just leave ourselves someplace to live," Williams said. "Remember that. We have to live more than one day. So knock off the Sambo act, Norm. And I don't want any kill orgies. Understand? We stick precisely to the battle
order."
Ritter's big moment was not to be dampened by censure from the chief. He laughed loudly and told Williams, "Sure, Abe, sure. You mad at me? Hell, I'm not mad at anybody. Hey, Jackson, I want one final review with you, I don't want our boys getting in each other's way. For God's sake, Jack, do you know what this means? Do you know what day this really is? God, I don't believe it, I just can't believe it. Tonight's the night, and we're going to tear old whitey apart at the seams!"
"You'd first better be doing something about Mike Winston," Bogan pointed out.
"I'll do that. He'll be the first to come apart. First man out, Jackson, good old Uncle Mose Winston. And then just watch my fucking smoke!"
CHAPTER 3
Winston stepped from the moving sidewalk into the vestibule of the commuter, walked over to a battery of plastic boxes, selected the proper one, fed in Ms AMS card, then stepped over to the escalator gate. His card popped out of a
A silence of some thirty seconds followed Bogan's declaration. It was Abe Williams who broke in. He cleared his throat noisily and said, "All right. Let's advance the timetable. Let's move tonight."
Another brief silence, then Harvey said, "Can we do it?"
Williams was watching the military chief. Bogan scratched his head and turned his gaze to his military aide. "What do you think, Norm?"
Ritter jerked his head in a quick nod. "My boys have been up and ready for over a month now. From my end, yeah: Go."
The Air Force Chief said, "Naturally, TAC is always ready. Just give me an hour's notice."
Bogan sighed and turned his gaze to Mayor Harvey. "Well, my adjutant just completed a nationwide inspection of the militia. They seem ready, but I'm still a bit concerned about the discipline. They're eager and they've been penned up all their lives. I just hope we don't have a blood orgy."
Harvey blinked his eyes rapidly and said, "You don't have to worry about the Oakland units."
"I'll vouch for the readiness of the militia," Abe Williams said quickly. "They're ready. I guess the only loose ends we have are political. But we can work out the politics by ear."
"Okay," Bogan said, sighing heavily. "But just remember that the militia will be carrying the brunt. The regular army forces are largely specialists in the quick-reaction philosophy—brashfire teams." He glanced at Abe Williams. "I see no reason for a change in the battle order, do you?"
Williams shook his head. "None at all. Do you want me to contact Admiral Parks, or will you,"
"I'll get with him," Bogan replied. "I'm going to be busier than a cat covering up crap, though, so you'll have to work the readyline with the other units."
"I'll get them in," Williams solemnly assured the general.
"Then I guess that's it," Bogan said. "We hit tonight."
Ritter leapt to his feet and did a little dance alongside the conference table. "Hot damn, hot damn," he cried. "I can't hardly believe it. Tonight's the night, and oh what a night! Burn, baby, burn—and watch my fucking smoke. We're gonna jerk old whitey apart at the seams. Wait'll you see the chao3 in the skies when I blow the whistle on automated airflow. And the gas mains, the power stations, communications—man, I got the whole world in my hand. I got the water systems, the fuel lines, the—"
"Don't forget your assassins," Harvey put in icily.
"Hell yes, I got death in my hand, too—and why're you all sitting around so gloomy? This is the day we've been awaiting for twenty years! Why the hell are you all looking so gloomy?"
Abe Williams smiled faintly and said, "The day of the black cat."
"Yeah," Ritter cried happily. "The day of the big black cat."
"Let's just leave ourselves someplace to live," Williams said. "Remember that. We have to live more than one day. So knock off the Sambo act, Norm. And I don't want any kill orgies. Understand? We stick precisely to the battle
order."
Ritter's big moment was not to be dampened by censure from the chief. He laughed loudly and told Williams, "Sure, Abe, sure. You mad at me? Hell, I'm not mad at anybody. Hey, Jackson, I want one final review with you, I don't want our boys getting in each other's way. For God's sake, Jack, do you know what this means? Do you know what day this really is? God, I don't believe it, I just can't believe it. Tonight's the night, and we're going to tear old whitey apart at the seams!"
"You'd first better be doing something about Mike Winston," Bogan pointed out.
"I'll do that. He'll be the first to come apart. First man out, Jackson, good old Uncle Mose Winston. And then just watch my fucking smoke!"
CHAPTER 3
Winston stepped from the moving sidewalk into the vestibule of the commuter, walked over to a battery of plastic boxes, selected the proper one, fed in Ms AMS card, then stepped over to the escalator gate. His card popped out of a
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