Chapter 28
Balto is in the infirmary of Firebase Beta, watching the News with Michael. He isn't really paying attention until he hears one of the reporters talk about Alaska.
He watches the reporter put on a serious face. "Jack, I'm here in Anchorage and it looks like the whole city has been burned to the ground. UCM military are still looking for the survivors. Apparently, our former bear allies turned on us and burned Anchorage to the ground. From all that the officers could tell us, we are winning against the bears because we have tanks that shoot flames. So far, no UCM casualties have been reported. Back to you Jack."
Balto starts to cry. Michael looks at him and frowns. "What is it?"
He turns his head towards Michael. "My wife was in…in Anchorage. She was in the hospital. All I have now are my children and they are still in Nome. Michael, take this card. It says that you are a spy working for the UCM. Tell them that you have information the president needs to hear alone. If they order you to tell them what the information is about, tell them Section three Article seven. Now when you feel better, go meet with the president."
Michael smiles at him. "Thank you my friend. Where did you get the security card?"
Balto stands up and looks back at Michael. "I have my ways."
He walks out of the infirmary leaving a recuperating "spy".
Seven hours later, Michael is walking through the streets of Washington, D.C. It had been years since Michael was in D.C that everything felt new to him. He's trying to find the White House so that he can "meet" with Nigel. Nigel is a pit bull and has the attitude to match. He always got what he wanted and if he didn't, everyone would pay the price. He and Michael had once been friends, but when Michael was chosen to be the next president, Nigel didn't like that at all. Before Nigel, there was no UCM. They were called the CFA (Canine/Feline Alliance) and were tasked not to bring war, but to stop war. The CFA were the peace keepers of the world and if any species went to war with another, they would be at war with the CFA. Peace keeper is a bit of an exaggeration. The CFA didn't stop the war by forcing a truce; they stopped it by going to war with the aggressors. Every species in the world respected them because mostly, the CFA has defeated them once or twice in war. The CFA knew war and if you know war, you know how to prevent war.
When Nigel took over, he was so angry at Michael that he broke the alliance with the felines and had his forces kill them all. The felines fled into Africa and South America and the dogs pursued only to get killed by the terrorist group the Reptilian Brotherhood. The Reptilian Brotherhood was made up of members from the Crocodilian Oligarchy in China, the Snake Democracy in Nigeria, and the Lizard and Turtle Union in Vietnam. They helped the felines gain weaponry and would send reinforcements if the cats needed it. Well, there came a time when the newly formed UCM conquered them and forced them into an alliance against the felines. They ended up betraying later on and coming back to aid the cats once again.
Michael is thinking so hard and for so long that he doesn't even realize that he has stopped in front of the White House. He turns his head to the left and he regains himself. He starts acting all serious and agent like so that when he enters the White House, they won't realize that he is not one of them.
Balto is walking through Anchorage. The once bustling city is now nothing more than ash and rubble. He keeps walking until he is in front of the hospital. The once beautiful, white hospital is nothing more than a pile of charred walls, ash, rubble, and death. He stares at it for a long time before vomiting on the ground. He wipes his mouth and looks back at the hospital again. There is nothing for him there so he keeps walking, all the while ash falls around him like snow.
