King of All I Survey
Chapter 118: Our Endgame Revealed

Chapter 118: Our Endgame Revealed

"OK, Joe, I’m ready. Connect me through to all the L1 phones. Give me a two second countdown when everybody’s on."

"Acknowledged." Then a few seconds later, "Two, One."

"Hello," I began. Thankfully, Joe remembered to alter my voice, so I sounded like an adult. It would have totally destroyed my credibility if I sounded like an eight-year-old.

"I would like to present an opportunity to have the 3rd and 6th Divisions surrender peacefully. I know that you’re planning to lay down a warning line with the army’s air support to keep the two forces from joining together. I would recommend that you go through with that plan, with one slight modification."

"Who is this? How did you get on this line?" Said a rather gruff sounding voice. Probably one of the generals who thought his phone was secure.

"Try to stay focused, gentlemen. There are lives in the balance. Both of the rogue divisions have been completely disarmed. They just don’t know it yet."

"What?! That’s..."

"Gentlemen, please. Time is short, your aircraft are schedule to take off in 39 minutes. Let me finish, then ask questions. When you lay down the warning shots. I suggest that one of your helicopters get a little too close, presenting a target to each of the divisions in turn. They will try to fire on it with heavy weaponry, then with rifles. All of their weapons will fail to fire. That will be the proof of my words."

"Or we lose a helicopter and crew. I won’t risk it!"

"Let him finish. We can always say no, when he’s done." Someone else cut in.

"If no shots are fired at your helicopter. Then just pull back and wait. I’ll communicate with the rogue divisions, with every man in the rogue divisions, telling them their weapons have been disabled. That Congress has good evidence that the President and several of the senior leaders from Division 3 and Division 6 are also guilty of providing support for the cartels and they are afraid they’ll be arrested and put on trial. I’ll tell them, that without weapons, a few traitorous officers can’t stop the honest enlisted men, or honest officers, from marching straight North and turning themselves in to Divisions 4 and 5. If they do, they will be counted as loyal to Colombia and returned to duty. Those who refuse, however, and those specifically implicated in the recently uncovered records of cartel communications and money transfers, will be arrested, by Division 2 currently coming in from the east. I will remind them that Division 4, 5, and 2 all have fully operation weapons. Including air support, if needed."

I paused for breath and this time there were no interruptions.

"I believe more than half of the men of the rogue divisions will head north to surrender peacefully and will serve loyally to strengthen Colombia’s military. Perhaps another half will head south, believing that is their only hope of evading a large armed force. They will end up pinned against the border of Ecuador where they will find fully armed Ecuadorian soldiers who do not wish them to enter their country. If Division 2 takes a south-westerly course and Divisions 4 and 5 Continue South, the unarmed rebels will be pinned by overwhelming forces and forced to surrender as well. You can arrest them without issue. Let me be very clear though. If any attempt is made to gun them down in the name of expediency, then every man who fires a weapon, and every man involved in ordering such a massacre will be arrested and tried with video and audio evidence to support his conviction. I will not allow needless bloodshed."

"Who are you to threaten us?"

"Pipe down! No one else speaks, I am in command, here."

I assumed that last was the Secretary of Defense. Good, I didn’t want to have to shout down a half dozen hecklers trying to look tough in front of the boss.

"Mr. Secretary, I will be happy to answer any questions." I said calmly.

"We will proceed with the warning air strikes, just warnings. I’m not going to purposefully put men at risk and use them as targets to invite enemy fire. We will have spotters with field glasses watching them carefully. I’ll make the decision on next steps when I have their reports. I’ll need to clear my command staffs’ phone line so we can organize our actions. How can I contact you after the strikes?"

"You and the two gentlemen with you observing on behalf of the legislature, may simply dial one-two-three on your phones, and I will answer."

"How is it possible that their weapons are disabled?"

I sighed audibly so he could hear me, "How is it possible? It could be poor maintenance, an unfortunate choice of manufacturers, divine intervention... I could go on, but my list will not include the actual methods used. That will remain a trade secret, I’m afraid."

"Who are you and what do you want?"

"My name is not important, but perhaps you have heard the name of one of my associates, Maria Isabel Flores. I believe she has made quite clear what we want. If not, let me repeat it for you very plainly. We want a safe place for people to live out their lives with joy, good health, and prosperity. We are tired of watching sociopaths ruin lives to add more and more millions to the millions they already have. We’re tired of watching young men march to their deaths in wars fought over where to draw an imaginary line. It’s time to restore sanity to the world, and we are starting here and now."

I cocked my head, impressed by my own words. That had sounded way better out loud than I thought it would.

"Understood. We will call you when I have the reports for the eyes in the air."

"Thank you, Mr. Secretary." I gave Joe a hand signal to cut off the call. The lines went dead.

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. I turned to look at Mom and Dad with a questioning look, "Well, how’d I do?"

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