Chapter 34 – DEFCON ONE

Pearl Harbor Navel Base had been witness to one of the darkest days in American History, but Rear Admiral Thomas Rice was sure that it was about to become the life line of the American Military in the Pacific Ocean. Sunrise wasn't for another three hours or so, but he was still wide awake and he had to be to enact the orders of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the President if they came. He was sure they'd come, after what he had seen on the news and with the briefings coming out of the Pentagon, there would be no doubt.

The Pacific Fleet hadn't seen any real action since the Vietnam War, but he was the champion of its maintenance and he had always made sure that it was at the top of its game. He wanted to make sure that things like Pearl Harbor never happened again, his father had died in the attack and his mother was left to raise him. That was the source of his devotion to the US Navy and he was sure that he'd die making sure that it always stayed well funded and well maintained, "Admiral Rice, there's a flash from DC."

He was so caught up in his muse on the base that he didn't even notice his aide come into his office. He looked up at the kid, smiled and took the paper from his hands. Admiral Rice had come into his office an hour earlier after he had received a call from the Pentagon. They had told him to be on alert and to be there to command the base in any eventuality. So the only logical conclusion was to come in, but when he was ordered to stand by, he wasn't expecting to see the following message: By word of the President of the United States and the Secretary of Defense, all branches of the Armed Forces of the United States in the Pacific Basin are ordered to DEFCON 1.

Looking up to the aide's expectant aide, his face paled, "Oh my god."

"When was this intercepted?" Rose asked as she read over the phone call report one more time. She had to read it one more time. It was too mind boggling and it had serious consequences for the state of the word itself.

Johnny, Rose, Terry and Allen were gathered in private briefing room, it had started out as her briefing for the Bernard Waters Arrest, but someone had interrupted the meeting and brought it in. It had come directly from the Director of the CIA himself. They had all read it, and they were all taking in the implication, "A few minutes ago, Director Gordon immediately sent a copy to the President, who is currently ten minutes from landing at Andrews. Then to us, this changes everything…"

"Bernard Waters is a small fish," Rose said sagely, she knew what was about to happen, if the Chinese Government orchestrated the attack on the Capital Building and therefore murdered the President of the United States, war was unavoidable, "Has the President moved us to DEFCON 1?"

Allen nodded and looked further down the list, "After he sent this to the President, she ordered our forces in the Pacific to DEFCON 1. She also sent an order to the Governors of California, Oregon and Washington. They've declared states of Emergencies there and the National Guard is being deployed as we speak to the coasts. The Pacific Fleet is being deployed out of Pearl Harbor, The Philippines and Australia. The President is current-…"

Johnny broke in. He was feeling so naïve in front of the three seasoned CIA Agents and there was one thought in his mind, "So, we're going to war?"

Rose, Allen and Terry nodded simultaneously, and then Allen spoke once again, "Correction John, we are going to war with China. Zhu De is the Head of, what you would consider, the Chinese Communist Congress and it says here that they were behind the attack. There is no doubt about this."

He was silent from that point on, for the rest of the meeting it was decided that they would devote all of their energy to finding Bernard Waters and learning what he knew about this phone call to one of the most powerful people in the Chinese Government. All the while, they knew in the back of their minds that if not today, then perhaps by tomorrow, it would be open warfare with the People of China. The people would want someone's head and it would be their job to deliver it, "Listen Allen, I need a little favor."

Terry and Johnny and left the room and that left Rose and Allen alone in the small boxy room, he looked up at her and raised his eyebrows, "What is it?"

"A friend of mine, Johnny's Mother was on her way from Oklahoma to come and help me with the Rebecca Kay situation," Rose stated, with her hands behind her back, "She's one of my people you know, the mark and the skills, and if you'd be able to pull some strings and get her into JFK, I'd be eternally grateful. In fact she might be able to help us in our situation."

Allen's eyebrow's creased, "You just gave me a thought Rose, your husband the dragon, it says in our surveillance of that zone off the coast of China that it was home to the Dragon Council, or whatever it is. How do you propose we can bring them into this engagement? It would be smart."

Rose was so frazzled by the mention of her husband that she didn't even comprehend what Allen was saying, did he just say that he wanted the Dragon Council to get involved in a human war? Rose laughed and shook her head, "You'll have to forgive me for laughing at that idea, but when you've been around the Dragon's as long as I have, you'll know that they look at Human Wars as the problems of the humans, it need to involve Nuclear-…"

"It's funny you mention that," Allen quietly, looking down the papers for a moment before looking back up to Rose, "You know, just as well as I do that if we don't brandish our Nuclear Weapons, The Chinese will and that island, that area will be affected. I'll get your friend on a Military Plane that's coming into JFK if you can convince these Dragon's that they are being put in danger by the actions of the Chinese, do we have an agreement, Rose?"

She stared at him blankly for a moment before sighing and looking down at the table, it was a smart choice, and she had to admit that. The Dragon's had a massive military. The Dragon's themselves could do things in China that they couldn't for a long progression of the war. This way, she could pull Erin out of Missouri and this coming, and surefire war would go a long way to giving them an advantage, "Mister Director, I think we have an agreement, but I won't be able to do it myself, I'll need my husband to do it, do you-…"

Before she could finish, Allen picked up the small tan file that he had used to brief them and handed it to Rose. It contained the actual transcript from the phone call, the Director of the CIA's Notes, the Military Statistics for Defense Condition 1 and all possible retaliatory strikes, "No one see's those document's but your husband that this Dragon Council, now where is your friend? I'll put her on the manifest when I get back to my office?"

"Lambert-St. Louis International Airport," Rose responded.

Allen nodded, "I have a Vietnam buddy that commands a regiment in 131 Fighter Wing, I'll contact him and he'll put her on a passenger manifest…"

"Her name's Erin Hutchinson," Rose said.

She watched Allen write the name down on the paper, look up at her and smile, "I'll get right on it, now if there is anything else Agent Long…"

"I was wondering, before I go and see my husband, can I see my family, I haven't see them since I tried to interrogate Rebecca Kay and-…" She was cut off once again. It seemed everyone was one step ahead of her today.

Holding up a hand, he nodded, "Your niece and nephew got in a short while ago, why don't you go down to the crib and introduce yourself? Talk with them for a short while, and then you go to your husband and bring him up to speed. Tell him that it is a matter of National Security that he goes to this Dragon Council and he brings with him the full diplomatic power of the US."

Rose laughed and turned to door, "He's always wanted to be a diplomat."

Viviane couldn't believe what her father had told her, it was very surreal. She would have never imagined that she would have another Aunt, let alone another Aunt that looked exactly like her other Aunt. She stared dumbly at her father for another moment before breaking out in a smile, she wanted meet her now, there was an air of mystery around her, "I want to meet her!"

"I don't know where she is," Bobby responded looking back to the elevator.

But then the elevator opened, and as if on cue, his sister marched off the elevator. She walked with a full confidence of what he had seen from her ever since he met her this morning. He stood up and smiled as Rose closed in on them. Looking to her right hand, he saw that she clutched a tan folder in it as if her life depended on it, "Rose, we haven't seen much of you around."

Rose motioned up to the television, "Well, since you've already seen the hell that's breaking loose, that's my explanation. I've been running myself ragged. I had to go pick up the new President from her apartment things like that."

"So President Garret is really …dead?" Bobby asked quietly.

"Yes, the 737 that hit the House Chamber killed everyone in it," Rose looked down the carpeted floor, "And just a few minutes ago, our phone taps from them man we suspected orchestrated the attack prove that there was a foreign Government involved in this, to what extent isn't clear, but its there."

Bobby sighed. There wasn't much that he had to say, "What country."

"China," Rose stated simply before turning to the girl who was standing next to Bobby, she smirked, her own daughter could have been her double, her sister was her twin, but this girl looked, exactly like her when she was in her twenties. Down to her teeth, there wasn't even a minor difference, "Your kid?"

He nodded and motioned to Viviane, "Rose Long meet Viviane Green."

"Wow," Viviane smiled, "How old are you?"

Rose narrowed her eyes playfully at her niece, "47, and you?"

"20, can I expect to look like you when I'm 47?" Viviane asked, she not only thought that her Aunt was gorgeous, but she was also aware that they liked completely the same, except for the noticeable difference of their age.

Smiling, Rose walked forward and hugged her niece, "Honey, my daughter looks almost exactly like me. She only has brown eyes. You look like me down to the shape of your body. You looked like me when I was twenty, I'm sure."

Viviane liked her already. Pulling back, she took in her Aunt. Her long straightened blonde hair pooled down her back, her face didn't have any noticeable wrinkles. Her hair wasn't gray. She looked 37. But choosing not to dwell on it anymore, she smiled and looked back to her father, "I'm gonna try and catch up on my sleep, uhm…I guess I'll talk to you later …Aunt Rose?"

The former Huntsgirl smiled, "Oh you can bet on it."

When Viviane walked back to bunk beds, Bobby turned back to Rose and offered her a sad smile, "So about this China thing? Are we going to war?"

"Well, think about it, if another country was responsible for the death of two thirds of your leadership, by flying a plane into the building that they were in, what do you?" Rose asked stoically, "We will win, I can guarantee it."

Jake wanted to go home, he was getting bored, he was exhausted and he had pretty much nothing to worry about. His children were out of the crossfire. Rose had apparently scared Rebecca off and he no longer had to worry about protecting them as much as he had. But he couldn't, he just couldn't leave while Alyssa was still there. He would feel guilty. So that was why he had just sent DJ and Marissa home, yes he was going to let Marissa stay with them until Jackie was alright. It might have been the stupidest thing he had ever done since he let Johnny live with Alyssa, but what the hell, he didn't care.

Lying back on couch, he closed his eyes and tried to get some sleep, he really did. But all he could think about was yes, Alyssa, and he found that all he could do was sit there with his eyes closed. Sighing irritably, he got comfortable and closed his eyes shut again. His breath slowed and steadied out until he reached that place between sleep and full awareness. Just a few moments later and he'd finally slip off into sleep. But all of the sudden, the process stopped, suddenly and decisively, by someone sitting in his lap.

Opening his eyes, he grumbled, but then it stopped when he saw his wife.

"You're pissed, I was getting sleep and you weren't, right?" He growled.

Rose smiled sweetly and leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek, "No, I was in the neighborhood and I saw you lying here with your arm over your head and you looked all adorable. But no Jake, there is a reason I've come back to see you and we're going to need a little privacy, where are DJ and Marissa?"

"I sent them home, did you know they had sex?" Jake asked loudly as Rose got off of his lap and took a seat next to him. At those words, Rose did a double take and gaped at her husband as if he was an Alien from outer space.

Sighing, she shook her head and filed it away to yell at DJ later, "Ok, I'm gonna pretend that I didn't hear that and I'll react to it after this is over. But I'm not here to flirt, or be a parent. I've come in an official capacity, now about twenty minutes ago. We intercepted and listened in on a phone call from our main suspect in what happened at the Capitol, please read it."

Rose handed Jake the folder, he nodded and opened the folder to the front page that contained the transcript of the phone call between Zhu De and Bernard Waters. It took him a few moments, but he finished and when he did, his face paled. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he looked over to his wife, who had her CIA Agent face on and frowned, "What's going to happen now?"

"Well," Rose said quietly, "The President brought our Military up to DEFCON 1 and before I left Federal Plaza, Allen told me that the President has been in almost constant phonecalls with members of NATO. She's going to go on and address the country in an hour, tell them what've learned and announce-…"

"Announce what?" Jake asked, he already knew the answer.

"She's going to announce that we're going to go to war with them," Rose said, running a hand through her hair, "As soon as we reconstitute Congress, President Eggert is going to ask for a declaration of War. Now, here's the part where you come in and forgive the dramatics but I was told too. On behalf of the Government of the United States, we formally ask the Dragon Council to enter this war on our side and we herby designate you as our representative."

Jake blinked, and then a wide grin spread across his face, "Run that by me one more time, because I thought you just said that you wanted the Dragon C-…"

"Jake I know it's a lot to ask," Rose said, she was pleading and that was something that she hardly ever did, she knew that he would know that she was sincere if she did do it, "But we were caught completely off guard by this, we have been humiliated today enough. And here's the sticking point that I think they will listen too, due to the proximity of the Isle of Draco, it could be at risk for danger if Nuclear Weapons come into the picture, and they will."

Again, Jake blinked. He couldn't believe what she was saying, "Are you saying that we're going to use Nuclear Weapons against China? And you want-…"

"We'll use that as a last resort, but you know that the Chinese will bring them out before we do," Rose said, she knew she was getting into Jake by the look on his face alone, "Please Jake, we need them on our side and I was asked to do this, I thought it was ridiculous just like you do, but I have to try…"

Jake leaned back in his seat and rubbed his forehead, "Nuclear Weapons?"

Rose nodded. It was the terrible and inconvenient truth of it.

"And you know that they'll want evidence," Jake said with steel behind her voice, "You'd better have some good evidence, Nebroshka may be friends with us but she's still the Pro Tempore and she still has to act within the inte-…"

Pointing her finger at the folder, she smiled, "That's all the evidence that you'll need, and for your effort you will be rewarded, when we go home."

Jake smiled and hugged his wife tightly, "You know sometimes you want the moon, and sometimes I can give it to you, but I don't know if I can with this."

"That's okay baby," Rose smiled, "I can settle, I just really need to make sure that I tried. Now, we have a little time, so, tell me about Marissa and DJ?"

He stood up and smiled, "I'd love to, but I have to go set up a portal to the Isle and you have to go and do your job. We can talk about all of this later."

As with every single airport in the nation, the only planes that were allowed to leave and arrive were Government planes. Bernard Waters, as the Assistant Secretary of Energy was allowed to land. He didn't know that over 100 Federal Agents from a combination of the CIA, FBI and NSA were waiting to arrest him. It should have been obvious from the practically small army that waited by his designated landing sight. Not to mention the tank that they brought it.

Looking out the window, Bernard was weighing his choices, he was caught. He knew this. He could kill himself, but he was to egotistical to do that, he loved his life. He could order his pilot to keep going, but for one thing, he had seen fighter jets in the air, they didn't have any fuel left, so that ruled escaping out. Along with the lack of fuel, he saw the tank that had been deployed, move and block their way. He was trapped, and there was no getting out.

He looked out and saw a tall man in a jacket with the symbol of the FBI pick up a megaphone. Even through the plane, he could him, "Bernard Waters, this is the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency. A Federal Warrant has been issued for your immediate Arrest, by order of the Attorney General and the President. You are under arrest for the murder of the President of the United States, The Vice President of the United States, and the Speaker of the House. You are also under arrest for 266 Counts of Second Degree Murder. Surrender, now!"

They knew? How could they possibly know? He gasped when the plane stopped abruptly. This was his last few seconds of freedom and quite possibly life, "You are also under arrest for Treason and Conspiracy to destroy the Government of the United States, we know about the Chinese, Bernard."

He wanted to wake up from this nightmare, but he was awake and this was completely real. Nodding, he would go into with his head high.

As the CIA Agent put him in handcuffs and yanked him roughly into the back of the large SUV, he was curious to where they were taking him. They knew about the Chinese and their involvement, and that could only mean one place that they were going to take him, "Are you taking me to Langley?"

"No," The CIA Agent responded as he climbed into the driver's seat, "By order of the Director of the CIA and with permission by the President, you are being taken to New York to be interrogated by someone who's specializes in enhanced interrogation. If we're going to war with them, you'll tell us why."

He blanched, this was going to end badly.

Some of the brightest and smartest men in the history of their country had inhabited the building that she was in and the office that she was now pacing around was theirs as well. Jennie had arrived at the White House and she was now dictating an official message to the Chinese Government. She hadn't even had time to even get comfortable with the fact that the Oval Office was now her office, "To the Government of the People's Republic of China, from the United States of America. Today was witness to one of the darkest days in our history. Our Leadership was decapitated in one act and our Country has come to a halt. As you know, Americans have always demonstrated resolve, when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. We drove them out of the Pacific Region and completely broke them on their own soil. We can do that again."

President Eggert turned back to her aide that was typing the message that would be sent by telegram, "When a group of Religious fanatics flew planes into our buildings and killed citizens from all around the world, we lashed back and destroyed them, and we can do that again as well. And today, when a Boeing 737 flew into the United States Capitol Building, the symbol of our power, killing our leaders, we will find the people who did this, who were behind this and crush them, utterly. We know that this was sanctioned and funded by your Government, by your legislator. We have the proof."

"If you do not surrender the people who sanctioned this attack to us within 24 standard hours, Washington DC Time, we, as well as the other members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, otherwise known as NATO and the Russian Federation will begin Military Operations against your country," Jennie dictated with steel and fire in her voice. She was a trained politician and she knew how to make her point while sounding simultaneously intimidating.

"Signed, Jennie F. Eggert, President of the United States of America," She turned back and smiled at the aide who finished her flurry of typing. War was on the horizon. The Chinese Government didn't take well to threats, but it wouldn't be smart on their part. When the biggest dog in the yard threatened you, you would have to be the stupidest people in existence not to listen.

And like it or not, The United States was still the biggest dog in the yard.

Authors Note: Well, here is the final chapter. The next one will be the epilogue and it will set up the main plot for the next two acts of the next and last story. It will be up tomorrow. Most of the story lines in this story will continue in the next story, it's going to be open ended yes, but you will get answers and many answers from 'Anything and Everything 3: Remnant' as well, like the status of the Dragons among other things. Leave a review.