Invasion: New York

General Norton sat in the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s chair today. He had been doing that ever since General Alan went to Syracuse to take over command on the ground.

Norton was medium-sized, a handsome man in his late fifties, with wavy dark hair. He must dye it. He looked like a movie star general, like a military man who could make fast and hard decisions. The funny thing was that’s exactly how he was. He didn’t have the greatest strategic breadth, but he could say yes or no when the President asked him a question.

General Norton now glanced at Max. Anna wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but the director nodded fractionally.

What’s going on here?

She remembered now that it had been Max’s idea to send General Alan to Syracuse. Max had said the country needed a firm hand to guide them in this desperate hour. For once, Max hadn’t suggested they use nuclear weapons to stop the Germans from running wild along the interstate.

What did General Norton think about using nuclear weapons? Had Max been angling for the man’s appointment as the chief military advisor down here?

“Sir,” Norton told the President. “This is one hundred percent reliable information we’re viewing.”

On the big screen, they all watched an immense GD armada steaming toward the United States. They came from Cuba, past the Bahamas and toward the New Jersey shore. Finally, it seemed as if the last piece of the puzzle was coming into place.

A high-altitude surveillance drone far out in the Atlantic Ocean gave them the imagining. Likely, the plane wouldn’t last long. While it did, the drone showed them the unbelievable extent of the GD armada. Many in here had said the Cuba-based troops were clever fakes: decoys to cause the American military to put garrison divisions along the Eastern seaboard instead of deploying them on the battlefield where the decision raged. General Alan had been the strongest proponent concerning the belief. It had been Alan’s argument that had swayed the President into letting the general move the XI Airmobile Corps from the coast and to Syracuse. Now it looked as if Alan and those who thought like him had been wrong.

The briefing officer had been showing them the extent of the infantry transports, tank carriers and amphibious landing craft. This was the real deal, and it was devastating.

The President leaned forward, putting tired elbows on the table. “They waited,” he said in a slow voice. “The Germans waited. They baited us first. We thought they were going to break through at Detroit and run crazy in Michigan and Ohio. No. That was misdirection. Then their surprise attack across Lake Ontario almost caught us flat-footed. It’s obvious now that they were going to do that. It should have been obvious they planned a greater amphibious assault on the Atlantic coast. They’re springing a giant trap on us.”

“Their maneuvering was deceptive,” General Norton said in a crisp voice. “It’s easy to see something after the event, sir. We had no real idea they had gathered enough ships in Lake Ontario to make a huge amphibious assault like they did.”

The President stared at General Norton. David didn’t nod or change expression. He just stared.

He’s weary, Anna realized. He is deep down exhausted. He thinks he caused this by letting the Germans into Quebec. Maybe he did. But what else could he have done? We wouldn’t have stopped the Chinese otherwise. I wish someone else besides me would say that to him.

“We’re using everything we have trying to stem the Lake Ontario amphibious invasion,” the President said in his listless way, with a noise whistling through his nostrils. “We pulled our troops from the coast—the few we had there. We pulled them in the hope of plugging the gap between the Allegheny Plateau and the Adirondack Mountains. Because the XI Corps is gone, the GD will land unopposed on the seaboard. With these last armies, they’ll swing the gate shut and trap our forces. It’s clear what they planned. They must have decided to do this from the beginning.”

Director Harold cleared his throat.

As if on cue, General Norton sat down.

Max rose to his feet. He touched the top of the table with his fingertips. Slowly, he surveyed the chamber.

Does he feel stronger with three bodyguards present? Has he been maneuvering for this moment? Anna still couldn’t fathom the Marine’s behavior at the door. The Presidential Guard was incorruptible, right? So why had the Marine let the director’s men in while they were wearing guns?

“Mr. President,” Max said, “this is the crisis we’ve all been dreading. It has arrived at last.”

David looked up at the Homeland Security Director. Exhaustion made the President look weak.

“We faced a grave crisis this winter,” Max said. “We faced it and overcame the challenge. This is America. We have always overcome our challenges. I believe that today is going to be no different, sir.”

“I…” David sat a little straighter, but his shoulders were still slumped. “I know what you’re going to say, Max.”

Max waited, with his face impassive.

“You’re going to tell me to launch ASBMs,” the President said.

ASBM meant Anti-Ship Ballistic Missiles.

“We tried that once against the Chinese,” the President said. “We attempted to halt their Alaskan Invasion back in 2032 using ASBMs.”

David had been the Joint-Forces Commander in Alaska at the time.

“We failed to stop the Chinese eight years ago,” the President said. “Why do you think our ASBMs will do better against the more tech savvy Germans?”

Max stared David in the eyes. “Sir,” the director said in a strong, level voice. “Eight years ago, you used conventionally-armed ASBMs. I’m talking about using nuclear-armed ballistic missiles.”

“Nuclear?” the President asked in a soft voice.

“Yes, sir,” the director said. “The great crisis has arrived and we must rise to the challenge. It’s clear that we cannot move enough men into place to stop the GD forces from swarming onto New Jersey. If the Germans do that, they will have encircled a large portion of our military, cutting off—”

The director paused and glanced at the general.

“The GD will have cut off over one million men,” Norton said.

“That many?” the President asked in his strangely soft voice.

“We cannot allow the GD to land their soldiers, sir,” Max said. “I realize you have a reluctance to use nuclear weapons.”

“I… I…” the President seemed to grope for words. He seemed lost, dazed.

“I understand, sir,” Max said. His voice softened, too, almost as if he really did have compassion.

But Anna was not fooled. They planned this. Norton and the director are working together. Maybe someone bribed the Marine guards by finding out how to get to each one.

“This is a terrible moment in our history,” Max was saying. “The blows against our country have been staggering. You have staved off several grave defeats, sir. It would have drained anyone. Each time, you’ve summoned the resolve and refused to let our country’s enemies win. Unfortunately, the grim resolve needed to stave off these defeats has taken a grave toll of you, sir. I respect your service to our country. No one could have done more. However…maybe it is time for you to rest a while.”

The President blinked at Max, and a tired frown appeared on David’s face.

“Sir,” Max said. “I could order the nuclear strike for you, if you would give me the authority.”

“You would do this?” the President asked.

“We must stop them,” Max said. “We must use a number of our ICBMs while the enemy is still far enough away from our coast.”

“Uh…” General Norton said.

Max didn’t glance at the general, but he shook his head minutely.

The idea of their collusion and the possibility of corrupt Presidential Guards galvanized Anna. “Sir,” she said. “If you decide to launch nuclear weapons, I think you should give the orders and no one else.”

David moved his head on a seemingly rusty neck. He gave her a hurt look.

It stabbed her heart. He hated using nuclear weapons. It had grated on him giving such orders before, and it had caused him nightmares. Was she using him now because she didn’t like Max? Being President was a