"Texas Wildfire" - Chapter 18

Texas Wildfire

Chapter 18

By Dwayne MacInnes

President Tucker listened to another fly buzzing in the window. He was half-tempted to open the window to let the pest fly off and explore Austin. However, the president was still waiting to hear the news about the raid on Littleton. If they were successful, there was a good chance the U.S. would sue for peace.

Tucker shot up at his desk when he heard the knock on the door. "Enter," said the president with his excitement barely controlled. A young female aide walked in with a handful of papers.

"Any word about the raid yet?" Tucker asked anxiously.

"Not yet, sir," the woman said placing the papers on the desk before the president. "Here is some legislation before the congress you may want to look over."

Tucker looked over the papers. His face exhibiting disappointment that there still was no word about the raid. The look of disappointment turned to downright anger as the president reviewed one of the sheets of papers on the desk. He read and reread it twice before confronting his aide.

"Sue Ellen, what is this bill here?"

The woman walked over behind the desk, looked over Tucker's shoulder, and read Bill 187: Supreme Rights. She pulled herself up straight and answered in a neutral voice. "Sir, that is the bill being pushed by the Klan."

"I know that!" snapped Tucker. "I've told Congress we can't have this type of trash being debated in the congress."

"Sir, the white supremacists have a number of seats in the House and Senate."

Tucker knew that and it angered him. He wanted a new republic that was better than the United States. However, too many whites either feared or thought they were superior to minorities.

Bill 187 wanted to expel all Jews, Blacks, Hispanics, Catholics, and other undesirables from the Republic of New Texas. Tucker had seen several similar bills in the past month and a half. So far, none had passed congress. However, as the economy of the New Republic failed to really take hold, in large part thanks to the embargo and blockade being enforced by the United States, more people were looking for scapegoats to blame their problems on. It was a good chance this bill may pass this time.

"You tell them in Congress that if they pass this bill I will veto it," Tucker grumbled. The last thing he needed was to have the New Republic of Texas equated with Nazi Germany.

"Sir, there was another incident here in Austin," Sue Ellen stated.

Tucker knew what she meant. The attacks had been becoming more frequently across the country as time went on.

"What were they this time?" Tucker asked in a sullen voice.

"Six Hispanics, two Jews, a homosexual and a Catholic."

"No blacks this time?"

"Well, sir the homosexual was an African American."

"Great," grumbled Tucker. "I guess they figured it was two for one."

Before Tucker could say anything more on the topic, another aide walked into the office. "Sir," the excited man said as he placed his compu-phone on the desk atop the papers Sue Ellen brought in earlier. "We have finally received word on the raid."

"Well, it is official my friends," the voice of Flash Limbeck said from the compu-phone. Retrieving Limbeck proved to be a major coup, his broadcasts were still popular amongst his listeners in the States. In addition, it was a great embarrassment to the U.S. to have lost such a high-profile prisoner. Now in Austin, Flash continued to broadcast his show and Tucker made sure he embellished how great things were in the New Republic.

"Yes, it looks like 'Operation Snakehead' undertaken by Buck Dubois against our aggressors has been immensely successful. Although, our raiders were armed with old fighters and bombers, it looks like the United States was unable, with their superior forces, to stop Buck from carrying out his mission.

"What was that mission? You ask. Well, friends it was nothing short of destroying the Army Reserve Center in Littleton, New Mexico that General Powell Davis just recently occupied. It is uncertain if the General had been killed at this time, but at the very least, he would have been severely wounded. Therefore, the snake's head has been removed.

"Now, on a sad note, Buck Dubois and his brave raiders were all shot down. There has been no word if Buck survived. In any event, he will be remembered as a hero to Texas and her people. However, I want you to hear this from me first, the United States is claiming that Buck's raid bombed a school and destroyed several homes and business. I can assure you that this is just propaganda by the Ramirez administration to smear the New Republic of Texas and to make themselves look good.

Tucker looked at the aide who owned the compu-phone. "We bombed a school?"

"Ah, yes sir. In our haste to map out the raid on the Army Reserve Center no one noticed the school on the map across the street from the center."

President Tucker sat back in his chair and put his head in his hands. No matter how Flash spun it, the New Republic of Texas had just bombed a school and killed a number of children. The raiders could have done nothing more to ensure the wrath of the United States against the New Republic of Texas.