Ch 114

"What happened to our plane!" the General asked when he saw the radar image go out.

"It got shot down, sir. I tracked the missile it shot, it missed that helicopter. Before it could shoot again, it was shot down."

"Damn it! By the report, that helicopter was carrying something important from the Governor's Office, maybe even the Governor himself!"

"Sir, whatever shot our plane down had to be an AA unit. There was no missile fired at it."

"Where's that helicopter now?"

"It's gone off radar, Sir."

"The President isn't going to like this," the General growled.

The Colonel watching said, "This is bad news. We shot at an American aircraft first, and we now know Texas has an advanced anti-aircraft system. We are pushing this to Civil War. We need to back off."

.

John recognized Joan's happy bounce when she and Allison ran up to the house. He opened the door for them. "News?" he asked.

"Snoopy shot down a jet!" Allison beamed.

"I did!" Joan agreed, beaming brightly.

John eyed Joan. "Want to tell me why?"

"It was shooting at our helicopter guard," Joan said defensively. "Oh!" Joan pulled the thumb drive out of her pocket. "The Governor said this is for you."

John took the drive and looked at it. "So this is why someone was shooting at you. They didn't want me to get it."

"We think so too," Joan agreed.

The 'constitution' group was still going at it in the living room. He heard talk about abortion limits. That was one sticky mess he didn't want any part of. "Joan, could you go in and get the Texas and Kansas representatives and bring them up to my office?"

"Sure," she strode in. John headed to his office to plug their drive in and see what it was.

John sat down and opened up his laptop and plugged the drive in. Joan ran in with the reps he asked for, and five more. "They're here, Dad."

"Thanks," he told her. On the drive was a video. He motioned the reps around behind him and played it.

The seal of Texas came up, the the governor sitting behind his desk.

"Mr. Connor, I'm sure you know time is critical. I need two things as fast as possible. One, is the declaration that as Governors, by the Constitution, we are disbanding the current federal Government. Another is the Constitution so we can reconstruct a new one that is in order with the original. We can do nothing until we get those into every State house. In concurrence with the other Governors we are placing you, John Connor, as the head of the new Government until we get the new Federal Government in place..."

"nooo," John whined.

"...As soon as we go public with this decision, and why we came to it, you need to be on the road with forces, headed for Washington. How this will go is up to the current administration, but know they will not be happy. If they chose to fight or not is yet to be seen. Until we know, we must assume they will, and try to get the armed forces to fight with them. As Governors, we are working to disable that option and convince the military to stay neutral at the need to get to Washington to physically remove the current Government if they will not relinquish control, and assure the people that we are still a democracy, and hold to the Constitution. As soon as things settle down, elections will need to be held. Determine if you can, which congressmen can stay in office with their state, in line with term limits. John Connor, your country needs you."

John face planted, both hands. "Fuck me," he grumbled.

"Yes" Emily cried and hugged him from behind.

"At least we're doing it," the Texas rep said.

John lifted his head to see Cameron was eyeing Emily unkindly. "Cam, what do we got?"

"Here ,89 plasma tanks, 942 Terminators, Catherine has 31 H/K's finished, In Kansas, 45 plasma tanks, in Maine at the Collins factory, 64 plasma tanks and 100 terminators. In the stores we have in Nevada in that old warehouse. Mortars, 150MM artillery, 18 50. caliber machine guns, 25 30. caliber machine guns and more oil than most of the US, Except Alaska. and Joan's plane."

John sat in thought for a moment, then said, "The capitol is our main concern. Also is the southern border, we can't forget about those Chinese troops there. We also can't forget about California or New York. Anyone know how Maryland stands?"

"They will support the current government," The man from Virginia said.

"We need to be in place when the announcements are made," John said. I'll need a copy of the the dissolving of the Federal Government in hand when I get there. We're going to need a whole bunch of buses and tractor trailers to haul troops and equipment. When I get it figured out, I'll let everyone know the staging areas and who will be in command of each section. Frankly, I am sure the government is going to fight tooth and nail, so we better be ready for it. Also, all the tear gas and rubber bullets you can find, just in case."

"And if the army fights?"

"Then they do," John said to whoever asked that. "At this point, the die is cast. There is no turning back. It's just finding out who's with us, and who's against us."

The Texas rep called, "Come on we have to get our documents made!" The reps filed out of the room. John sat slumped in his chair.

"John I need to contact John Henry and Catherine Weaver," Cameron said.

"You do," he agreed and got up to offer her his seat.

"John, how are you?" Delilah asked, eyeing him.

He offered a brief smile. "Been better, but we got things to do."

"You could have refused," Cameron offered.

John shook his head. "No. If I did, then those reps would have another mess to deal with finding their leader. Another change to b discovered, and possibly be stopped before anything happens. We need fast action, not lengthy deliberation." He stared at nothing for a moment, then asked, "Those H/K's Catherine has, they are ready for combat?"

"They are," Cameron replied. "Idea, John?"

"Yes, eliminating a problem before it sticks us in the ass."

.

The Chinese Commander was worried. Shipments had stopped coming completely. 4 ships should have arrived by now, and they had seen nothing. He did get word a mid-ocean transfer point was lost, but no details. His men were sitting around and slowly growing fat and disinterested. More tequila was being smuggled in to camp, three men had been shot for being drunk on duty, one for just falling asleep on watch. Morale was low, he needed to get his troops into some action before they broke down further.

Sitting down to plan more morale boosters like a good indoctrination and mock battles to sharpen his men, he heard a strange noise. It wasn't an explosion, it wasn't gunfire.

A guard burst in, wide-eyed and cried. "We're being attacked!"

"Defend, sound the alarm!" the Commander shouted. He strode out to see what was happening.

What looked like straight lightning bolts were coming down all over camp. An ammo bunker was hit and there was a real explosion that ripped through the camp, leaving a big fireball to blossom out and raise up into a small dark mushroom cloud. Men were running, some shot their guns up in the air. The bolts that came down on men, then men simply ceased to exist. They were there, the bolt hit and they were gone. Only a dusting of ash flew away. The bolts were coming down like rain and heading towards him. Something else was hit, and this explosion shook the ground, making him fall. He was about to call a retreat, but then he was hit with a bolt and ceased to exist.

.

John Henry had identified two Cartel leaders as well as the Chinese camp. Once the Chinese camp was leveled, no survivors, he flew the H/K's over each Cartel leader in turn and reduced their places to ash along with whoever was there. John Connor wanted the southern threat gone, specifically the Chinese. By wiping out two cartel leaders also, Mexico would be embroiled in a drug war, they didn't care what was going on north of them.

John Henry' had discovered the Commanding Officer of the A.P. Hill military reservation south of Washington DC was also highly upset at the current Government. In a few conversations, this Commanding Officer was eager for something to be done about them. John Henry let him know what was happening, and they needed a place to store forces. The A.P. Hill reservation was large enough to do that. John Henry arraigned with the Commanding Officer a visit by one of the Governors group for a briefing.

General Morrison was deeply concerned with the little he did know. Yes, Governors had gotten together to disband the federal Government. By the Constitution, they had that right. His question was, what then? America had many enemies, any weakness shown by the US, and it would be a disaster. He knew China wanted Alaska and California. No federal government meant no coordinated action. He did let John Henry know that he needed to talk to one of their representatives that was knowledgeable and had the ability to make decisions for this collection of Governors. John Henry assured him John Connor would be contacted for a meeting.

.

"I don't like it, John," Cameron stated heavily. "The possibility that this is a trap to capture or try to kill you is too great."

"That is possible," John agreed. "This is also a chance to find out for sure what the army is going to do. I take a copy of the Governor's notice with me, and explain what we intent in detail. He's nervous, Cam, if we can calm him down and at least not act, then that will be a big plus for us and put him at ease,"

"We're going with you," Delilah stated.

"We are," Cameron confirmed.

"Of course," John replied. They were not going to let him go into a dangerous situation alone.

"We take Christine," Delilah said.

John frowned. "Delilah, hon, we all love Christine, but once outside the non complying states, we're not going to be getting much gas. We also need to be a bit faster."

Cameron tipped her head slightly in thought. "Joan's plane can take us. The Rappahannock river goes right past Port Royal, she can land there, and we can meet these Generals in Port Royal."

"Joan's plane only fits two. Joan and one passenger," John reminded her.

"We go as cargo," Delilah stated.

"That is a small space, enough room for a few suitcases," John said with a wince.

"By the improvements Catherine made, her plane has the carrying capacity," Cameron stated.

"You're going to spend the trip to the east coast balled up in a luggage compartment?" John asked.

"We are. We're going, John."

Cameron said, "I will make the arrangements, John could you see if Joan is willing to fly us?"

.

"Yes, Dad, of course I will!" Joan happily agreed. "When are we going?"

"Your mother's making the plans now. It will be in the next day or two," John told her.

"So, it's just you and me going?" Joan asked.

"Your mothers insist in being cargo. Don't plan on bringing any luggage."

Joan winced. "How long are we going to be gone?"

"Not sure, a few days?"

"I'll find a place to put a bag," Joan stated.

.

John let the reps know what he was going to do. A few agreed it was a good idea to talk directly to an army officer. Most if them did not agree, fearing like Cameron did, he would be arrested and throw in jail, or worse. Emily was more insistent than just saying this was a bad idea.

Grabbing him by the collar with both hands as she glared at him, Emily said, "No! John, you can't risk yourself like that! We. Need. You!"

Delilah got behind Emily and grabbed her wrists. A squeeze made the woman let John go. "Now now, you don't want to be doing anything that will make us angry," Delilah said in a sooth tone. "He's our husband to man handle, not yours." Delilah pulled her back. Cameron got in front of her, casting Emily a terminator stare.

Looking like she just realized the trouble she was in, Emily croaked, "Sorry."

"We will take care of John," Delilah explained as she turned Emily around. "Go sit down, calm down, and get back to your own tasks. We will need a copy of the Governor's Declaration by tomorrow, so please get that done." Delilah then let Emily go.

Emily stumbled away a step then looked back at Delilah and Cameron. She rubbed her sore wrists. "Yes, We'll get it finished." she said meekly.

John offered, "Feel free to use my computer and printer up in my office."

"Yes, we need to get that finalized to show General Morrison, and every other military leader we can get it to," The Ohio rep said.

.

While the reps got their notice typed up and proofed, John and his wives worked on where to meet General Morrison. It had to be open enough to give them a clear view all around, but also minimize the chance of an ambush. John Henry talked to the man directly. Morrison wanted a quiet, unassuming meeting in Port Royal at a cove in the river, no one around but them. They decided that was best. A flyover before they landed would show if this was a trap.

Joan found her parents. "Dad, Moms," she said as she came up. "I figured out the weight and volume my plane needs to carry. It's going to be tight. We'll be flying 50 pounds over weight, which means no sudden maneuvers, and takeoffs are going to be longer, at least 70 yards on water. We're landing in a river, correct?"

"Wing stress?" John asked.

Joan nodded. "I won't be able to fly fast, either. I figure 140 Knots, max. Near anything that can see or detect us, no more than a hundred. That's all my plane was originally built for."

"You can do it though, right?" Cameron asked.

"Yeah, I can. I'm just saying I'll have to be careful," Joan agreed. "And it's going to take a bit longer, 15 hours total if I fly the whole way at 100 knots. A little shorter if I speed up some where I can."

"Then make sure you get plenty of sleep," Delilah told her. "No nodding off in the air."

Joan grinned. "That would suck. I planned the route as direct as possible, and over water where I could. Moms, you're going to be curled up in fetal positions, that won't be comfortable. There's a small airport in Tennessee I plan to stop at so I can take a break and you can stretch out for a while. I can't fly at night anyway."

"A two day trip. We need to arrive during the day anyway," John said. "Our ETA?"

"Early afternoon to late afternoon. That's the best I can narrow it down to if we take off at dawn and land at sunset the first day, then be off again as soon as it's light when we leave Tennessee," Joan replied.

"It works." Cameron said. "I'll let John Henry know when we're arriving."

.

General Morrison got the arrival information. It was not specific, but a time span of 1PM to 6 PM. Coming in on a float plane, he thought the arrival time would be a little more accurate. Then again, he was sure this was a security precaution.

The cove the meeting was at was south of Port Royal. He'd been there before, it was a quiet spot his kids loved to fish at. There were no houses close by, and the only road to the place was a dirt road. It was going to be a family outing as far as anyone else was concerned. Just him, his exec and their families.

He had studied up on the Connors. This was a dynamic family of cyborgs, and from the China conflict, they were deadly and loyal to the US. If they were involved, then this was no 'rebel' or 'insurrectionist' plot the administration was saying it was. The government was going crazy, and something definitely needed to be done.

Loaded up for a dual family picnic, the Morrison and Baker family went down to the cove and set up at their usual spot. They had lunch, the older boys did their best to try and catch a fish, the younger kids played badminton on the road in sight of the camp.

General Morrison sat in a lounger beside Colonel Baker, cool drinks on their hands as they watched out at the water.

"These Connors are the bad-asses that destroyed three Chinese airports full of planes, sunk six of their ships and beat a 60,000 man army, taking 30,000 prisoners, with only 30 troops?" Colonel Baker asked.

General Morrison nodded. "They are cyborgs. Fast and deadly. When not fighting major battles, they keep to themselves. Hell, we don't even know where they live. A contact is called, they show up. Years ago, they lived in California, after they moved away from there, they disappeared. The closest I can figure is someplace in Texas. Joan Connor, their daughter, is the quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys."

Colonel Baker grinned. "Harry is deeply in lust with her. He's got four posters of her in his room. He even taped some games to watch them again. Dallas games and the Austin games when she played on that woman's football team. When she was shot in the field, he cried his eyes out."

"Our Karl is the same way," General Morrison said. "I swear he about drools when he's watching her on the field. Teenagers and their hormones."

A small plane suddenly appeared over them. It was a light, sport model. Tipped to look down on them, it appeared and flew away so fast, they only got a good glimpse of it.

"He was kinda low," Colonel Baker noted.

"I think that's our contact."

The boys fishing were looking up. Karl turned to yell, "Dad! That's a plane just like Joan Connor has!"

"Maybe it's her," he teased his son.

"That would be too awesome!" Karl beamed.

"Come on!" Harry said, "A huge star like Joan Connor coming here? Get real!"

"It could happen," Karl retorted.

Harry looked out at the river. "It's landing out there," he said pointing at the river.

The plane, skipping on the water came into view. It slowed down and turned to come right at them. General Morrison got up.

As the plane approached the shore, they could see in side. Harry dropped his fishing pole. Karl just stared.

"No way," Karl whispered.

The prop slowed and stopped as the plane gently bumped the dirt shoreline. The younger kids ran over to see the plane. Harry and Karl gaped, not moving.

The canopy opened up and John stepped out onto the float. He waved and asked, "General Morison?"

General Morrison returned his wave. "That's me. this is my exec, Colonel Baker."

John motioned to Joan as she put the seats down. "This is my daughter, Joan."

Cameron crawled out, Delilah followed. "And this is Cameron, and Delilah, my wives."

With everyone out, introductions were made. Harry and Karl remained still, staring.

Motioning to them, General Morison said, "Harry and Karl are big fans of Joan. Eventually, they will realize they aren't dreaming."

Joan laughed. "Awww, such handsome boys!" she beamed.

After their greeting, Cameron walked off to the left, Delilah to the right.

John shook hands with the men and explained, "Cameron and Delilah are going on a perimeter patrol. They need to ensure the area is secure."

General Morrison nodded. "Whatever makes them feel safe. Come sit, John,"

Walking back up to the table, Colonel Baker said, "That isn't a standard plane, is it?"

"Nope, Joan had it modified," John agreed. "I got some papers here I think you want to see."

.

Seeing the boys staring at her, Joan walked over to Karl and stuck her hand out. "Hi, I'm Joan."

"Hi," Karl squeaked. He managed to raise his hand. Joan clasped it and shook his hand. "Pleased to meet you." she offered.

Karl turned red in the face. "You're really here," he got out in another squeak.

Joan giggled. "I am. So, who's your friend?" she asked jerking a thump at Harry.

"Harry. He loves you." Karl said still trying to grasp THE Joan Connor was standing right in front of him. He felt dizzy.

Joan beamed him a smile. "Let's go meet him," she said and clasped his hand.

Harry's jaw refused to shut. Joan Connor was here! She was really here! His favorite fantasy was walking towards him. She was here to see him!

"Hi, Harry," Joan said with a smile.

He went to say hi, and passed out.

Joan rushed over and caught him before he hit the ground.

.

Looking at the papers John brought, General Morrison said, "So this is all done in accordance with the Constitution, What happens next?"

"Then the original Constitution replaces the 1871 copy. They are still working out details on it, so I didn't bring a copy," John explained. "Vital things like the military and social services will not be interrupted. I've been pick as administrator until the new elections happen. How national elections are done will be in the constitution also. Paper ballots, and every voter must present ID in person to an election official. It will be more work, and may take longer, say for instance, an official may have to go visit shut-ins or a nursing home, and military Commanders will have to have an election official gather votes at their post or unit, but the results, whatever they are, will be verified as the will of the people. With the arrival of the new president, then my job is done. I get to go home."

Colonel Baker chuckled. "It doesn't sound like you are eager to take on this role."

"I'm not. This is a royal pain in my ass," John agreed.

"That's probably why they picked you," General Morrison said. "You won't try to become a dictator."

"No," John said with a wince. "I want to get this done and over with as soon as possible."

"What the hell?" Colonel Baker asked as he looked to the side.

John turned around and looked. Joan carried a boy in a bride's carry over to a lounger and laid him on it. The other boy was watching Joan and grinning like a fool. Seeing them watching, Joan said, "He was a little over excited. He should be fine."

Wearing a silly grin, Karl pointed to Joan and said, "Dad, it's Joan Connor!"

Harry's mother went over to help her son.

Cameron and Delilah returned from their perimeter tour. General Morrison agreed that the military should stay out of it since this was a civilian matter, and would encourage other Commanders to do so as well. They also agreed that the Joint Chiefs would be active as well as the CIA, so they would stay informed of world events during the transition.

Due to the lateness of the day, General Morrison coaxed John and his family to stay the night. They had dinner, and with Harry awake again, Joan had two boys that were eager to help her out however they could. Getting their picture with her, an arm around each of them in front of her plane, the boys beamed big smiles. Of course there were two pictures, one for each of them and Joan signed them both.

.

That night, the Reps agreed in the changes to the Constitution, and sent out FAXes to their Governors for approval. John Henry was also busy ensuring those fax transmissions were not intercepted, and the forward scouts in West Virginia got the wooded area ready for the various Guard units to arrive.

Tractor trailers also arrived in a rest area near Driftwood. The trailers reinforced to hold the weight of tanks, they lined up and waited for their loads to arrive. Others arrived at the lake d say beside the road. These drooped their ramps and the small tank came out to drive up and on, three tanks per truckload. When each truck was loaded, it set off for West Virginia. 21 tanks set off across country, headed for the rest stop where their own truck waited.

In Texas and other states, Guard units armed, packed up and got ready to move.

.

Early morning, Joan got up and did pre-flights on her plane. Cameron and Delilah got in, Then John and Joan got in, They waved goodbye. Karl and Harry waving at Joan. Joan started up her plane, backed out onto the cove turned the plan around and power up to take off as the sun poked up above the horizon.

Lifting into the air, Joan turned west. "Dad, one straight shot, and we'll be home in 14 hours, twenty three minutes."

"That's a long time flying, hon."

"It is, but I think we need to. Events are happening faster now, aren't they?"

"You'll be landing at night. I thought you couldn't do that?" he asked.

"Screw FAA rules, we're in a hurry, aren't we."

"We are," he agreed.

Joan bumped the speed up yo 130 knots ad flew straight for Driftwood.

.

Having their declaration of Governors out and approved, and copies of the approved Constitution send out, and each having their own copy, the representatives chartered buses to take them to Washington DC. The buses would Arrive in the morning, along with a fuel truck.

On the evening news, word was let out. The anchor people stated the States involves on a nice map and announced the Governors of these states had met and disbanded the federal government, as per the constitution, stating reasons that the lawmakers in Washington were not properly seeing to the needs of the American people, and were going to be replaced. A few Governors came on and asked the current federal government to comply peacefully, and accept the decision of all 42 states involved.

This broadcast was still going on as the President came on, with the leaders of both the House of Representatives and the Senate made their proclamation that this was an illegal act, and in violation of the law. They warned that any involved with this attempt at this traitorous coup, would be found guilty of treason. They demanded all concerned to stand down and if there were grievances, they would be heard. A coup attempt would be put down in the harshest manner and all those responsible jailed. The President called for the National Guard from all states to come to Washington to ensure peace.

Guardsmen from nearly every state were on their way, even before the President called for them.

This 'coup' by states was covered all day, reporters searching for information.

.

Coming down on Driftwood, even at night the lake was clearly seen from the air. Joan turned the headlights on to see how good they were. The rows of lights on the front of the plane lit up and even still a half mile from the lake and coming down, she could see the lake.

"Wow, these are brighter than I thought they would be."

"You doing OK?" John asked.

"Fine, Dad. We're on the landing path, slowing to 70 knots ... half flaps. We're gonna buzz Gramma's house again."

Sarah and Martin's house passed below them, so close John was able to see single shingles. Here and there in the lake, the reflective eyes of alligators dotted the lake surface here and there.

Joan put on full flaps and let the plane settles down. A bump and splash, and they were riding along the lake surface. "Dad, I'm going to drop you off at hoe, then go home myself."

John nodded. "Go get some rest. I might need you in the morning."

Joan parked at the end of the dock. Once her parents were out, she backed up and motored down the make to her dock. To her, the whole trip had felt like one very long day. She wanted to get some rest cuddled up with her family.

.

In the morning, at a meeting with the Joint Chiefs, the President ordered these rebel to be found, an if they didn't surrender, they were to be shot.

The General of the army said, "No, Sir. We met on this very topic yesterday. Governors do have the right by the constitution to disband the federal government. At of the declaration that they have done so, you are no longer President. Our loyalty is to the Unites States and upholding the Constitution. An Administrator will be coming, as will many National Guardsmen, to help keep the peace. I suggest you have all congressmen, and yourself in the House council chambers to find out what the Governor's plans are. Until we know, right now, we have no federal Government. You cannot issue orders to anyone."

"That is crazy!" the President raged. "Without a government, it will be chaos!"

"I am sure the Governor's Administrator will explain when he gets here."

"Who is this traitor!"

"His name is John Connor I also highly advise you remain peaceful during this transition."

.

They jumped the gun. John wasn't happy about that, his forces were not even close to Washington, and the Governors had made their announcement. Less than half of his forces were even at the staging areas, and he was at home here in Driftwood. He thought about calling Joan do to another run to get him to West Virginia. Then again, he didn't want her too involved with this. He called the Governor instead to see about getting there.

An hour later, a helicopter landed up by the road. Again, Cameron and Delilah said they were coming.

Getting on the helicopter, John noted it had side gunners. There was also a communications set for him. He put the helmet with headphones on.

The pilot said, "Welcome aboard, Mr. Connor. We're bound for a refill in Nashville were we will pick up four Tennessee guard choppers, then on to DC."

"I wanted to go to West Virginia to meet with our troops there," John said.

"They are on their way to DC also, so are the tractor trailers with the reinforcements."

"What a clusterfuck," John grumbled. "Wait before you take off." He turned to Delilah ,"We are going to need a few terminators."

"Be right back." Delilah said, jumped out and ran down the driveway.

"Mr. Connor, we got two more choppers waiting for us in Austin," the Pilot said.

"She won't be long."

Shortly, Delilah cam running back with four terminators. She put them two and two, sitting at the doors.

John gave the pilot a thumps up. "Go."

.

The news kept playing anything they could find about the 'state takeover of the federal government. The White House news room was packed with reporters asking questions the Press Secretary couldn't answer. All she did was reinforce tat this takeover was illegal and those involved would be arrested soon.

"The President plan to have 42 State Governors arrested?" a reporter asked.

"If the need comes up, yes."

"Who is acting on behalf of these governors, and where is he?"

"We have learned his name is John Connor, and as of yet authorities have not located him."

.

In another press conference, The Admiral of the Navy and the General of the Army stood in front of microphones.

A female reporter asked, "General, what is the army doing about this plot by insurrectionist to attempt this terrible coup?"

"There is no terrible coup, as you put it," he said firmly. "The governors of 42 states got together and disbanded the federal Government. What they are doing is allowed and provided for by the constitution. We, the warriors of this country have sworn to uphold the constitution, and protect the USA from threats, foreign and domestic. What is happening is not a threat, but a change in government that these states rightfully and legally called for. Details of what positions are going to be removed or changed will be discussed by the Administrator, John Connor, who was selected by these Governors. As soon as he arrives here in Washington, your questions will be answered."

"Is this a military coup?" another reported asked.

"It is not," the General stated. "This is a civilian affair between politicians. None of the armed forces are involved. We will render medical assistance if needed but no Military troops will become involved."

"The National Guard has been called, out, doesn't that make the military involved?"

The General and Admiral looked at each other. The Admiral said, "National Guard troops are controlled by the state, not the Federal Government. Yes, Guard troops are coming, and most of them are not coming to protect Capitol Hill, but ensure their Governor's will is done."

.

Around the Capitol buildings, armed and armored police covered the area. DC police as well as Capitol Hill security police. There were even police on the roofs of the White House with larger weapons. The gates were shut and reinforced. 5000 National Guardsmen were in duty outside the fences.

.

In Tennessee John got all the updates as well as the positions of his own forces. Guardsmen from a couple states were already being put on 'guard duty' around the capitol. Of the 5000 there now, 2000 were from North Carolina and another 1500 from South Carolina. Virginia only had 500 there so far, as did Maryland. Maryland was the only one there that came to protect the capitol from 'insurrectionists'. In a meeting of the Commanders of these troops, the other states convinced Maryland to stand down and only help keep the peace.

John also saw the hardware on the White House roof. Anti-airraft guns, A few machine guns, and hand held Stinger missiles and a couple RPG's. He was going to need to plan their air approach carefully.

John decided to call the White House. Of course, he got a secretary. He also recorded the call.

"White House front desk, how may I help you?"

"This is John Connor. I need to speak to the President."

"Hold please."

John waited for a while, then another female voice came on. "This is the speaker of the house. Is this John Connor?"

"It is. I need to speak to the president."

"Mr. Connor, I urge you to stop this ... Attempted coup! Do you realized you are doing serious damage to our world standing as well as threatening the President AND Congress? The army is standing by to crush this rebellion of yours! Save your own lives and give up this attempt to take over the government!"

John rubbed his forehead. "Look, Lady, it's not my anything. I was directed by Governors to come to DC and administer a transitional government. we are coming, and your rhetoric isn't going to stop us. If you resist, many are going to die. I'm trying to save lives here."

"We will not succumb to some unknown with visions of grandeur. Stop this nonsense and come give your grievances. They will be heard."

"You don't get it," John said with a huff. "I was ordered to be there and take control until elections can be established. The Federal government has been disbanded. Technically, you are trespassing on the property of the American People. I again ask you to leave peacefully."

"We will not allow you to infiltrate our Capitol!"

"I'm not going to argue. Get the president."

"You will speak to me!"

"Bye, see you soon." John hung up.

"They won't give up?" a Guard General asked.

"Nope, they won't even acknowledge the Governors rights. I wasn't able to talk to the president, only some woman who insists the Capitol is hers. They are set to defend, also. Anti-aircraft and heavy weapons are deployed John said with a sigh.

"They will shoot down our helicopters?"

"Already tried once. I'm sure they will again," John told him. "It's sad, but it's time to bring up our own heavy weapons."

"We don't have any."

"They are on their way. Tanks and AI attack planes" John replied. He called John Henry and explained what he needed.