Chapter 46- Twilights Last Gleaming

Chapter 46

Twilights Last Gleaming

Washington, D.C

Colonel Carpenter left the room but the shouting going on inside was still audible even with the door closed.  He walked back into the old chief of staff’s office.  Two men were asleep and Carpenter felt a pang of jealousy.

“Sleep,” he said to himself.  He remembered the old Henry V line about humble men with dreamless sleep.  Carpenter doubted he would ever have dreamless humble sleep again.

“Mr McDonald,” he said softly.

There was no sign that either of them had heard him.  Colonel Carpenter took a second to check his reflection and was horrified by the ashen faced stranger who looked back at him.

“Colonel?” came a sleepy voice.

“Jack,” replied Colonel Carpenter.

“What’s going on?” Jack Krane got to his feet and stretched.  His face looked more lined and tired than Carpenter remembered it being just two days ago.

Jack walked over and woke his boss up.  Hayden came up with a start and got to his feet suddenly.  Carpenter saw he was gasping for air and his eyes had turned an awful red color.

“Mr McDonald?” asked Colonel Carpenter.

Hayden McDonald stood there for a moment, trying to remember where he was.

“Mr McDonald, you’re in the Whitehouse.  You fell asleep in your office,”

“Jesus,” replied McDonald, his face reflected a perfect imitation of surprise.  But fatigue meant that he only felt the barest copies of true feelings.

“I’m sorry gentlemen.  I’d have let you sleep but there have been two developments that you need to be made aware of,”

Jack Krane poured coffee, tasted it and threw it down a sink.

“First of all, the test in Cavill has proven to be ineffective. A subject proved negative on the test but then was later found to be an infiltrator,”

“How did it fool the test?” asked McDonald.

“They figured out what response we were looking for, I guess,” replied Carepneter.  “We’re not sure yet,”

“What was the other thing?” asked McDonald.  Jack came back in passing him a mug of coffee.

“It’s crap, sorry boss,” said Jack.

Carpenter laughed in spite of himself.  The world was ending all around them and yet American’s still found the time to care about a cup of coffee.

“I’m afraid the other thing is very bad news.  General Pierce and the rest of the committee ordered an air strike against Cavill,”

“Fuck me,” breathed Jack Krane.

“Problem is that the pilots initially refused.  Eventually General Barrigan found a pilot who would make the strike.  A strike against Cavill was about 90% effective and a new cordon is being set up”,

“Did anyone survive the blast?” asked McDonald.

“No.  It was a maximum yield attack.  Nothing could have survived, not even a microbe,”

Jack Krane had stood there motionless for a moment.  He rushed out of the room.

Carpenter watched him run, as did McDonald.

A clock ticked on in the office.

“I bought that clock a year and a half ago in Athens,” said McDonald, in a matter of fact voice.

“It was a nice family owned antique shop, they’d had the shop in the family for more than one hundred years.  They’d seen all kinds of strife and sorrow.  The clock didn’t seem anything special to me but I wanted a closer look.  On the underside, the carpenter of the frame had cut in his initials and the date he carved them,”

Carpenter looked at Hayden’s blue eyes, rimmed in red like his soul was bleeding through.

“His initials were H.M, my initials.  The date was eighteen twenty five,”

Jack returned to the room pale and clammy.

“You okay Jack?” asked Colonel Carpenter.  He felt a growing affinity for the young Deputy Chief of Staff.

“I’ll live,”

“There’s more I’m afraid,” said Colonel Carpenter.  “Certain sections of the military didn’t approve of what the General did.  They’ve decided he has to step down in the next twenty four hours.  General Pierce believes that they intend to set up a permanent dictaroship so he’s going to resist them,”

“God help us all,” whispered Jack Krane.

“It may come to that, “ replied Carpenter.  “We’re in the early stage of s a for-real civil war.  Our country is about to go Bull-Run all over again and it’s with F-22 Raptor’s and M4 Rifles this time.  This is a disaster.  Even if the infection has been dealt with, the country wont be the same for a decade or more,”

“If it ever recovers at all,” added McDonald.

“Indeed,” replied Carpenter.  “I’m going to do my best to hold the pieces together.  Some of the generals are also calling for the President or the Senate to reassume political control. I’d like you to go and speak to the Majority Leader to see if he can play ball,”

“He’s a hard ass but he’ll do what needs to be done for the Republic,” replied McDonald.

“Is it too late?” asked Jack Krane. “ Are we just moving deck chairs on the fucking Titanic?”

“I don’t know yet,” replied Carpenter, telling a half truth.  “Right now it’s not possible to be sure of anything,”

“The flag, someone should take the flag down,” replied Jack.

“I just want you to both know that what you did was a vital service to this country and I believe that we may have pushed the tiller a couple of degrees between us,” said Carpenter. It sounded so small when he said it out loud but it was true in his head.  They had made a small difference here and there.  Maybe it was too late already, maybe the grave was already dug and America was just waiting to be buried.

“It’s been a pleasure working with you,” Said Hayden McDonald, offering a handshake.  Carpenter took his hand and shook it.

Hayden McDonald straightened his jacket and stood by his deputy.  “I’m going to head across to the Senate building and talk to the Majority Leader.  What are you going to do Jack?”

“I’m going to go home I think,” replied Jack.

“To Chicago?” asked Hayden, a hint of surprise in his voice.

“Yeah, to Chicago,”

“Okay then.  Well, I hope that…” the words shrank away into nothing and Hayden put a hand to his eye briefly.  Jack Krane shook his head, silent tears falling from his tired eyes.  Colonel Carpenter turned away from this incredibly poignant and private moment.

He took out his radio and made the call to the post-sergeant out by the flagpole.

America was no longer in residence.