Chapter 30
The invasion of the radical enclave in San Diego went like clockwork. The area was sectioned into individual blocks using one of the new systems that had been developed specifically for urban engagements. Lasers were set up so that they were aimed down the street to a sensor. When the beam of light was broken, a small smart bomb, called the Wasp, was launched at the item that broke the beam. Like the insect after which it was named, it would actually chase the target into a building if necessary. By configuring the lasers and Wasps appropriately, they could isolate each block from the surrounding blocks.
A broad spectrum electromagnetic noise generator was used to kill the ability of the terrorists to communicate information. The full spectrum noise took out cell phones, satellite phones, and walkie- talkies. Landline telephone services were killed to the area. Electric service to the area was cut from the main switch. The terrorists were left having to shout to each other across the street.
The Military went into the area dealing with one block at a time. They never allowed themselves to get caught in situations where they were subject to crossfire. They used the sensors that had been developed to locate armed individuals and then took them out using whatever means was necessary. The intelligence collected over the preceding months allowed them to destroy IEDs buried in the ground without putting the soldiers at risk. The soldiers were not in hurry and took their time. It took them three days to clear out twelve blocks.
Mike stayed in the office throughout the entire engagement taking short naps during lulls in the fighting. The rest of the staff took shifts so that they could assess the tactics employed by the terrorists and provide data to the military. It was an exercise that provided some significant insights into the terrorists. They were not mindless killers. Instead, they approached the engagement like professional highly trained soldiers.
At the beginning of the attack, a large number of individuals ran to prepared emplacements. In the process, they crossed streets in spite of the warnings that they would be specifically targeted. The Wasps could have devastated their forces, but the reaction time of the terrorists to the new form of attack was remarkably quick. They adjusted their positions and organized others to fill in the gaps of their defenses.
The leadership appeared to be distributed throughout the area. Mike watched as key individuals took command without ever exposing themselves to external view. The terrorists had no idea that sensors had entered the buildings and were watching their actions. More often than not, when a building was taken those same individuals tried to surrender while pretending that they were innocent Muslims caught up in events beyond their control. It was a ruse that didn't work.
Mike forwarded the intelligence data to the front line soldiers about who the leaders were. None of the leaders managed to slip out of the net. They were allowed to surrender, but were shipped off to detainment facilities for interrogation and trial by a military tribunal. Justice was swift and fatal.
There were a few terrified individuals who did not participate in the defense, but hid in their apartments the entire time. Those individuals were detained in separate areas from the combatant prisoners and were told that they would be released once the area had been secured. Their apartments were searched and in a few cases incriminating information was found. Those who weren't quite as innocent as they had appeared were transferred to a third facility for trial by a military tribunal. The rest were returned to their homes once the fighting ended.
It was in the middle of the third day of fighting when Mike said, "Their will has broken."
The fighting on that particular block was still hot and furious. Jim was present at the time and asked, "Why do you say that?"
"Look at how they are behaving. Up until now they've been running from one place to another. Now they're walking and dragging their feet. They aren't giving congratulatory looks to each other when one of them has accomplished something significant. It's the same way in the blocks where they are waiting," Mike answered studying the body language of the terrorists.
Considering the amount of lead in the air, Jim said, "They're still fighting pretty viciously."
"That's their training kicking in. They aren't driven by their passion, but just getting by based on their training. They've stopped adapting to the situation," Mike said. He watched one individual give a weak gesture to another that he was to go over to different area. The man walked off dragging his rifle butt on the ground. They hadn't even been attacked yet.
"What do you make of this information?" Jim asked watching the screen. Now that Mike had pointed out what to look for, it was very obvious that the will of the terrorists had been broken.
Mike was quiet for a moment and then said, "Let's turn the situation around. Suppose that our forces were divided and unable to support each other. We've watched one group after another fall to the enemy. At what point would our will be broken?"
"They've been fighting constantly for two and a half days. They are cutoff and surrounded by a superior force. They do not have reinforcements coming and they know it. When you think about, I'd say that their continued resistance is pretty impressive," Jim answered.
"Their will is broken; they know they are defeated and still they fight to the death. This is going to be a very long and bloody war," Mike said watching the screen. When the first news broadcast of the battle aired on the cable news service, he said, "Let's see what is happening in Los Angeles."
Jim typed a few commands and the mini-drones they had circling over the radical enclave in Los Angeles came on the screen. Mike watched for a few minutes and then said, "They know what is going on and are getting ready to leave."
"That wouldn't be good," Jim said.
"Time to isolate them," Mike said picking up the telephone. He placed a call to the Los Angeles Office of Emergency Management and informed the DHS representative there about what they had observed happening. It took twenty minutes for the laser system to be set up. There was a mass rush to leave when the first announcement of the establishment of a death zone around the neighborhood was made, but the barrier was already active.
"I was hoping to have a day off," Jim said looking a little depressed at the idea of having to keep up the grueling work load without break.
Laughing, Mike said, "Don't worry. I've got a date tomorrow night and I intend to keep it."
"Isn't setting up the barrier a signal that operations should begin soon?" Jim asked.
"I'm going to recommend that we lock them in there for a week. Let's see how long they last before they get seriously depressed. Maybe we can have them surrender," Mike answered although he didn't believe that there was much of a chance of them ever surrendering.
"They are testing the sewers," Jim said.
"Double check the sensors down there," Mike said.
Jim typed some commands and three dozen images appeared on the screen. A few men were in the sewer, but they weren't moving. He said, "The barriers in the sewers are functional."
"Okay. I guess we'll have to monitor them until the large-scale operations are complete," Mike said.
Shrugging his shoulders, Jim asked, "Why are we even bothering with this? We could take out each of those buildings with missiles and get them all in twenty minutes."
Looking over at Jim, Mike considered his answer. Finally, he said, "I got the President to agree that we would spare loyal American citizens who are practicing Muslims and find themselves trapped in a war zone. They have a choice of hiding, joining the radicals, or doing their best to help us. So far none of them have chosen to help us, but one of these days that situation is going to change."
The government of Mexico was in dire straits from the border closure. Individuals who had entered the country illegally were being returned to Mexico as fast as they were caught. Americans, tired of foreigners who didn't respect American law, stopped hiring undocumented workers. The flow of money from America had turned into a trickle. The drug trade had come to a complete halt. Despite higher prices for oil, the Mexican treasury was getting pretty thread bare.
In what had to be the greatest political blunder of all time, the President of Mexico decided to take advantage of the fact that American forces were busy in San Diego. He dispatched two hundred troops across the border of the United States with orders to provide a corridor of protection for Mexicans wanting to work inside the country. An alert that such an order had been given was forwarded to border forces by Homeland Security.
The American reaction to a military force crossing its border was swift and fatal. Two Apache helicopters appeared from nowhere and killed the entire invading force of Mexican soldiers as well as the individuals they were guiding. The action lasted two minutes and wasn't even viewed as a significant engagement by the American forces on the scene.
Despite having violated the American border, the President of Mexico was furious that his troops had been killed in such a casual fashion. He visited the Iranian Embassy and entered negotiations that would allow Iran to build a military base in Mexico. The conversation was recorded by one of the many cockroach sized sensors that roamed throughout the Iranian Embassy. Within hours, the status of Mexico was reclassified from non-cooperative to hostile. No one bothered to inform Mexico.
It was two thirty Saturday morning when Mike stumbled into the house walking like a zombie. He couldn't even recall the name of the Marine who had driven him home. He was dead tired and could barely focus his eyes. Three days of watching the battle in San Diego had taken its toll on him. Ten or twenty minute naps every three or four hours did not constitute a healthy lifestyle.
Rather than taking the long walk to his bedroom, he collapsed in his comfort chair. Almost as soon as his bottom hit the seat, he was sound asleep. Having heard him enter the house, Kim came out of her room and looked at Mike. Shaking her head, she got a blanket and covered him.
It was four thirty Saturday afternoon when Kim shook him awake. After handing him a cup of coffee, she said, "Drink the coffee and then get in the bathing pond out back. You have a date tonight and it is my job to get you ready for it."
Feeling like he had cotton for brains, Mike took a sip of coffee and considered his options. He ran his hand over his chin feeling the ragged three day beard he had grown. His eyes felt like he had sand in them. He said, "Maybe I ought to cancel it."
"No!" Kim said shaking her finger at him.
"Okay. It was just an idea," Mike said waking up a little more.
"It was a bad idea," Kim said.
"I'll drink my coffee and get in the bathing pond. Can I at least stop by the bathroom on the way there?" Mike asked. His bladder was about to burst and he didn't think it would be a good idea to let go in the bathing pond.
"Yes, go to bathroom and then to bathing pond. Take a quick shower while you are in the bathroom," Kim said rolling her eyes.
As Mike relieved his bladder in the bathroom, he took stock of himself in the mirror. He looked as bad as he felt. There were bags under his eyes that another twelve hours of sleep might remove. His beard looked like the one that Yasir Arafat used to wear. He didn't think that it would be much fun trying to remove it. His mouth felt like it had fur growing in it. His body was stiff from sleeping in his chair. He didn't think that three hours was going to be enough time to get ready for a date.
He slipped off his clothes and stepped under the shower to rinse off the sweat of three days. The hot water felt good. In fact, it almost felt too good and he didn't want to come out. He even shampooed his hair twice just to stay under the water a little longer. The knocking on the door let him know that he had overstayed his time in the bathroom.
After drying off, he stepped out of the bathroom to find Kim waiting for him. She was shaking her head at the towel he wore around his waist. She pointed in the direction of the patio and he went there. After climbing into the pond, he leaned his head back against the rock and nearly fell asleep. Kim brought out a tray of sliced fruits and fed them to him. The chilled fruits seemed to wake up his mouth. The acidic fresh pineapple cut through the fur of his mouth.
After thirty minutes in the bathing pond, Kim gestured for him to get out while holding up a big fluffy towel. She dried him off with vigorous strokes that seemed to energize his skin. She dried every inch of his body quite thoroughly.
She then led him to the kitchen where she had a chair set in the middle of the room. He sat down wondering what was about to happen. Much to his surprise, Kim then proceeded to trim his hair; doing as good of a job as a professional barber. He thought when she put up the scissors that she was done, but the next thing he knew there was a hot towel over his face. Mike had never had another person shave him, but after experiencing it he decided that he really liked it.
After the shave, Kim led him to the living room where the massage table was set up. She pointed to it and he climbed on. Kim began to work muscles that had been tense for too long. Mike woke feeling Kim's hand wrapped around his cock and feather light touches on his balls. A few seconds later he was ejaculating over his stomach. Kim cleaned up the ejaculate with a warm cloth.
Looking down at him, Kim was pleased with the results of her efforts. He actually was beginning to look presentable. Since getting Mike out of the bathroom, the two of them had not exchanged a single word. She had pointed and he had done. Stepping back, she said, "You shower and brush your teeth now. I have set out your clothes for your date. She will be here in forty minutes."
"She's picking me up?" Mike asked confused.
"Soldier bring you home last night. Your car is not here," Kim said as if that explained everything.
Mike had to wonder how Kim knew to come pick him up. He hadn't called her and as far as he knew she hadn't called the house. Shaking his head, he knew better than to question it any further. He went to follow her instructions. Everything went well until he reached the bedroom. Looking at the clothes, he called out, "These aren't appropriate for the Kennedy Center."
"You are not going there. You are too tired," Kim said from the door.
"I don't think Sally will approve of this change in plans," Mike said with a grin at the idea that the conspiracy was running into problems.
"Both of your mothers approve," Kim said stating it in a very factual manner. She pointed to the clothes and said, "Get dressed. She'll be here soon."
Mike did as commanded. He knew better than to fight it when women took charge of his life. Once he was dressed, Kim said, "Go have a seat in the patio. I will bring Cathy to you when she arrives."
"Would you mind telling me where I'm taking her on this date?" Mike asked deciding that he should at least know that little piece of information. He also decided it was better to be amused by the situation than offended.
"You stay here with her. You will entertain young lady on patio with talk and drinks while I prepare lovely dinner. After dinner, you watch a movie together," Kim answered.
Mike stepped out of the bedroom and looked around. Despite all of the activity of the past three hours, the house was immaculate. The massage table was gone from the center of the living room. He glanced in the bathroom to find that it was straightened up as well. He wondered when Kim had found the time to do all of that.
He went out to the patio and made his way to the table in the corner. The lights were low and there was soft music piped into the room. A plate of sliced cheese and apples was placed in the center of the table. A bottle of wine was chilling in a glass wine ice bucket. He stood there looking at the preparations and said, "Wow. She really went all out for this date."
Ten minutes passed before Kim led Cathy into the patio. Kim had an arm around Cathy and gently guided her to the corner of the room. It was obvious that Cathy was well aware of the changes in date plans. She was wearing a simple sun dress that looked very nice on her, but wouldn't have been appropriate for a performance at the Kennedy Center.
Mike rose from his chair and said, "Hello Cathy."
"Hello Mike," she replied feeling a little nervous about having a second date with a man in his house. It wasn't that she didn't trust Mike; it was just a little awkward particularly with Kim there.
Kim guided Cathy into her seat and then said, "You two can make love talk now. I am old woman. You will not say anything I haven't heard a thousand times before."
With that little pronouncement out of the way, Kim left the patio. Cathy was laughing at the look on Mike's face. When she finally regained control, she said, "You are looking a lot better than you did this time last night."
Mike said, "You look lovely."
Neither Cathy nor Kim was surprised that the evening ended with Mike falling asleep on the couch in the middle of the movie. Cathy was surprised when Kim invited her into the kitchen for an hour long talk. While Mike slept unaware of his surroundings; Kim was busy providing Cathy with details on the care and feeding of Mike. A subtle, but strong, bond forged on a common goal formed between the pair of women.
With the gardener taking care of the lawn, Mike didn't have to mow the grass. In fact, he had pretty much ignored the yard. After Cathy had complimented him on the appearance of his yard the previous evening, he decided that it was about time for him to take a moment and inspect the grounds of his house.
The first thing that caught his eye was the profusion of plants that bordered the front of the house. The flowerbeds, filled with blooming flowers, were laid out very neatly. There wasn't a weed to be seen. Sun Yung had laid out rock borders and the grass was neatly trimmed where the lawn met the rocks. The grass itself was luxurious and looked like the fairway of a well kept golf course. There wasn't a weed to be seen in the entire yard.
Seeing Mike walking around, Bob decided to come over and say hello. It had been a while since the dinner party thrown by Kim and his wife wanted to return the favor. As he approached, he said, "Your yard is now the best one on the street. I don't know how that little oriental fellow you have working for you managed it."
"I was just thinking the same thing," Mike said turning to face Bob.
"You know, he's out here for two hours a week. In those two hours, he mows, weeds, edges, and trims the bushes. I don't know how he does it. It takes me that long just to mow my lawn," Bob said.
"Have you seen the backyard?" Mike asked.
"No," Bob answered. There was a six foot high privacy fence around Mike's backyard that Sun Yung had put in while working on the patio.
"Come on, I'll show it to you," Mike said.
The two men walked around the small paths that Sun Yung had created through the backyard. There were broad patches of ground cover that surrounded intricate little flower beds. Each flower bed had a theme. One was filled with roses, another with vegetables while others were filled with flowers. Very large rocks, practically boulders, were strewn in places to give a contrast to the green.
In a very private corner of the garden was a swinging chair under a wooden cover that invited one to sit out of the sun. Mike was pretty much in awe of what Sun Yung had done with his yard. Much to Mike's surprise, it was Bob who kept noticing and pointing out interesting features. There was a sundial that was almost hidden from view. Running through one section of the garden was a small stream. It appeared from under a rock and ended in a small pond filled with water plants.
After their tour, Bob scratched his head and asked, "How did he ever get so much in such a small area?"
"I don't know," Mike answered truly amazed that the garden had actually improved since the last time he had walked through it.
"If he's available, I'll hire him in a minute to do my lawn. This is incredible," Bob said truly impressed by what he had seen.
"Wait until you see the patio," Mike said leading the way to the screen doors.
Inside, Bob stared at the pond with obvious envy. Looking over at Mike, he asked, "Can you get in it?"
"Yes, it is a bathing pond. It can hold four," Mike said.
"That is really nice," Bob said.
It was about that time when Mike realized that Bob had always been there for him. He had taken care of the lawn while Mike had been in the hospital after Karen and Robert had died. He had stood guard raking invisible leaves to warn him when it looked like there was a threat to his life. Looking over at Bob, Mike said, "I'm going fishing next Saturday. Why don't you and Ellen try it out while I'm gone?"
The offer was too tempting to refuse. Bob said, "I'll talk to Ellen about it."
Bob left having forgotten the original reason he had gone over to talk to Mike. When he was gone, Mike went into the house and found Kim. He said, "Kim, I invited Bob and his wife to use the bathing pond next Saturday while I'm fishing. I hope that won't be an imposition."
Kim frowned at the invasion of privacy that his invitation represented and asked, "Why did you do that?"
"Bob has always gone the little extra distance for me when things were bad. I thought that he and his wife would enjoy a little private time in the patio," Mike answered.
Nodding her head, Kim thought about all of the little things that Bob had done for Mike. Even she had used them in an attempt to break Mike out of his anti-social spell. Mike was right in thinking that he owed them a special treat. She said, "Don't worry. I make it perfect day for them."
"You don't need to do anything except give them a little privacy. You might want to spend the day with Teva and the kids," Mike said.
"They have been good to you. I make everything perfect for them,"
Kim said. Her mind was already busy planning out the day for the couple
next door.