A state of disobedience

Thus there was plenty of warning that the Guard was serious and that no more warning shots would be fired.

During the night, small parties of Marines went forward to recon the west bank of the river from the east bank. One and all they came back with the report, 'Too hard.' That is to say, they all came back with the report except for one patrol that was caught trying to cross the river. This patrol did not come back at all. In its way, this confirmed what the others had said.

Chapter Fifteen

From the transcript at trial: Commonwealth of

Virginia v. Alvin Scheer

DIRECT EXAMINATION, CONTINUED

BY MR. STENNINGS:

Q. Did you think Texas was about to lose, Alvin?

A. Well, I'd like to think I had a little more faith than that. Thing was, though, I just couldn't see how we could win.

Q. And you kept close track of it on the news?

A. I tried, what there was of news. Things got really quiet once Houston went under. All you ever saw on the TV was more and more troops building up around that area of Texas the feds hadn't taken over yet.

They used to show us a lot of what had gone on, though. I swear, if I never again see some news type standin' by a wrecked bridge and lecturing about 'criminal waste' or 'lawless behavior' again . . . well, if I never do it will still be too soon.

There was one funny thing about them bridge shots. See, I knew the areas of a lot of them so it wasn't too hard to place where they were taken. And even when I couldn't place 'em, there was something always the same. Lots of trucks piled up on the north sides or the east sides of the rivers, waiting for a ferry to bring 'em across.

Now, I never did any time in the army, so I didn't know what those traffic jams were doing, not in any detail. But I figured, if they really needed all them trucks . . . and most of the trucks were stuck on the wrong side of some blown-up bridges, then they had to be short whatever it was them trucks was supposed to be carrying.

Wasn't just at the bridges, neither. Seems New Mexico decided . . . I didn't know why at the time . . . to throw in with Texas. Not that we got any details, naturally. But I did notice two things. One was that the 'on location' newscasts suddenly switched from Las Cruces, New Mexico to Arizona and Colorado. The other? Well, when they started mentioning the governor of that state, Mr. Garrison, the same way they talked about Mrs. Seguin? I put two and two together and came up with . . . well, two. Two states, that is.

And I knew Texas wasn't alone anymore.

* * *

Austin, Texas

'New Mexico did it, Juani. We're not alone anymore,' exulted Schmidt.

'Did what, Jack?'

'Adopted the full program. Nullified the income tax withholding within the state. Started rounding up federal agents and bureaucrats. Voted an expansion of their State Defense Force and National Guard. They've also ordered all highways and railways blocked. Though, you know, Juani, they don't really have a National Guard. They sent us damned near everything they had from air defense to medics.'

Juani's face took on a worried expression. 'I am not sure this is a good thing or a bad, Jack. What happened?'

'The feds opened fire on the people who were blocking the highway by Las Cruces. Killed a bunch of state police; some other people, too. Garrison called an emergency session of the legislature and they voted, almost unanimously, to join us.'

An image of a disarmed and already occupied New Mexico flashed through her mind, followed by one of civilians and police shot down on the highway. Juani bit her lower lip and began to rock gently back and forth. My fault, my fault, all my fault.

Not one to hide an unpleasantness, even from an obviously stressed governor, Jack added, 'But it isn't going all that well. We had some time to prepare. New Mexico really didn't. Didn't have the money either. And, like I said, what they had of National Guard they had already sent to us.'

Jack concluded, 'Garrison, the legislature, and about fifty cops are under siege in the State House. Their phone lines are cut but they obviously have some cell phones. And there's a local news team on site too. But there's not much food to speak of and the water has been cut too. Juani, they need our help.'

My fault, too, if we don't help them. 'What can we do? Give me some options.'

'Out west I've got three battalions, one tank and two mechanized infantry, facing off against the 1^st Marines and 3^rd Armored Cav. It's a risk . . . I'm told that the supply status for the Marines and Cav is very low but I don't know it is. One of those battalions of ours was the one slated to go around 3^rd Corps to extract our folks in Fort Worth. If you are willing to let them go under I can strip off that battalion and send it on an end run to Santa Fe. I think the other two would be enough to make the Marines and Cav dance around and burn up whatever fuel they might have left. I think.'

'You'll have to break your promise to those boys in the WCF for me to do that.'

Juani's rocking grew more pronounced before she settled back in her chair. 'Don't ask me to go back on my word, Jack . . . please. I promised those boys we'd at least try to get them out.'

Jack, here, was pitiless. 'Maybe that was a promise you shouldn't have made, Governor.'

Juani felt a wave of nausea wash over her. Dammit, she was a good politician . . . and a good politician keeps her word.

'Tell me what you think I should do,' she forced out, painfully.

Relenting now, Jack reached a hand over and gave her shoulder a reassuring and comforting squeeze. 'I'll tell the boys in Fort Worth they can surrender at discretion or try to break out and escape and evade. Then we'll send a