"Texas Wildfire" - Chapter 23

Texas Wildfire

Chapter 23

By Dwayne MacInnes

President Tucker stormed around his office. He glared at his cabinet who had assembled in the room. Even the fly that was a constant irritant, with its buzzing around the room, seemed to fall silent.

"We could do nothing about last night?" Tucker spat out towards the men and women in the room. "Almost every city was hit with those damned Easter eggs and we could not even scramble one jet to stop them."

"Sir, practically every plane we had we used in the assault on the U.S. military bases yesterday and they were almost completely lost," said one aide.

"Do you think I want excuses?" Tucker yelled.

He stomped over to his desk and pulled a pile of papers off its top.

"Do you know what this is?" he asked.

No one ventured to speak up.

"I'll tell you. These are the reports from the northern counties. They are returning to the United States and our military is so shaken that we can do nothing to stop it."

"Sir, what about Operation Texas Wildfire?" a woman asked.

"Oh great! We know when and how General Davis is going to hit us. We could have really done some damage on their advance if we now didn't have to worry about reclaiming the north!"

"Sir," a man wearing the uniform of the New Republic of Texas army said. "I have a plan."

Tucker sat down at his desk and nodded towards the soldier.

"General West if you can salvage our plans from this fiasco I will grant you everything you need."

"Good sir, we will need it," the general stated. "Losing the northern territories may not be so bad. Our army is stretched thin as it is. If we can recall all available units from the north, we can prepare for the United States assault. Plus, it may buy us some time if the U.S. army is tied up trying to restore order to the north."

President Tucker nodded his head as General West returned to his seat. His anger had lessened with the hope that West could work some kind of miracle. Tucker then looked around the room and his eyes locked with Vice President Watson. The two could barely stand each other and it was quite obvious to all in the room that there was no love lost between them.

"Why don't we hit the United States hard," Watson chimed in.

Tucker heard it all before and he did not really want to hear it again.

"We can assemble a dirty bomb or launch a chemical attack on the states bordering us."

"We wouldn't stand a chance," Tucker said in an exhausted voice. "The U.S. could retaliate and wipe us off the map. We have to be careful in our response. Our best bet is to win international recognition or wait until Ramirez exhausts the terms of the War Powers Act."

As Tucker was speaking, a soldier quietly entered the room and he went over to General West and spoke softly in his ear. The general then left the room with the soldier. It was a few minutes later when an obviously agitated West returned to the room.

"Sir," General West interrupted. "I have some very grave news to share."

Tucker could not begin to think what could be even graver than their situation now. However, he nodded for the general to continue.

"Sir, there is chaos breaking out across the country. It appears that the midnight bombing has shaken up the populace. Some are rioting, some are planning anti-government protests and some are just trying to flee."

Tucker sighed deeply. How ironic that nearly two months before these same people were holding anti-government protests against the United States. Now, they were protesting against their new government.

"How are the police and the military handling it?" Tucker asked.

"It is almost beyond our control," West replied. "This will greatly hinder our plans against the U.S. advance from the north."

Tucker wiped his brow, "Okay, this should have been expected. Try to retrieve as many troops as possible from the northern counties and have them begin setting up defenses."

"I'm afraid that there is more news, sir," General West continued. "The panhandle and the northern counties next to the southern border of Oklahoma to the eastern border of New Mexico have proclaimed themselves the new state of North Texas and they have been readmitted into the Union."

Everyone in the room shared the surprised look on Tucker's face. Normally it would take longer for the Congress to admit a new state. Even West Texas had to wait a couple of weeks. This was unheard of, yet it was not a complete surprise.

"Okay, we expected to lose 'North Texas' as they are calling themselves. General West we must get those troops moved ASAP before any other territories decide to break off. If only they could have waited a little longer before voting in a new state," Tucker mused aloud.

"Ah, sir," General West began in a solemn voice. Tucker's eyes widened, he could not believe there was more yet to come. "The United States Congress has declared war on the New Republic of Texas half an hour ago."

Everyone broke into shouts of disbelief and panic as chaos spread across the room. Tucker slammed his fist upon his desk in renewed anger; his last major hope for independence had just vanished up in smoke. They should have never tried to bomb the Army Reserve Center in Littleton, New Mexico. With the deaths of the schoolchildren, the wrath of a nation had instantly turned against Texas. Even those people in the United States sympathetic to the New Republic's cause were now demanding blood.

President Tucker knew that Texas's only hope of independence would be to defeat the United States military in battle. It would have to be a complete and crushing defeat. The only problem was that the army of the New Republic stood a very slim chance of success.