Chapter 10: The Sacrifice

That same day, Bobby chaired the first meeting of the Eastern Shore Commission. The media cameras flashed and whirred as they captured the charismatic Bobby. His dark hair was immaculately combed and his smile firmly in place as he introduced the Commission's members. He looked straight into the cameras, his eyes flashing with passion, as he made an impassioned plea for unity and a peaceful resolution to the Shoremen's rebellion.

Bobby's fashionable white suit had been calculated to clash with the somber brown and black military and police uniforms that surrounded him. His staff had made sure that he would be seen as leading the Commission with diplomatic style and personal charisma. One of the subtle touches that made this image stick in the minds of the television audience was the seating arrangement. Bobby sat in the middle of the table, rather than at the end where he might be seen as aloof. To his left sat Major General Arthur Manlius, commander of the joint task force that combined the military forces provided by the Federal and State governments. Bobby was very pleased with himself. The general's age and sour looks would emphasize his youthful, energetic appearance, he thought. Manlius, for his part, was less than pleased to be sitting so close to Bobby. The thinly disguised look of disgust on his face caused one of the military staff officers to ask if the politician had farted.

Bobby's speech had focused on peaceful appeasement of the Shoremen's demands, mentioned concessions that each side could make, and had completely disregarded any use of military force. Having consistently refused to meet with the military staff, Bobby's Chief of Staff, Stuart Lee, had informed the general that his troops would see little action. The general had expressed his frustration with the pace of the political solution, but Stuart had told him that the military's role would be to "safeguard and monitor" while the solution was "resolved through political channels." The general, having seen plenty of duty in peacekeeping missions, knew that this meant that his troops would be forced into long, boring hours of guard duty, punctuated by isolated guerrilla attacks and bandit raids.

"We hope that we can reach a position of mutual appeasement through calm and deliberate discussion rather than through the blunt instrument of JTF Phalanx's military power," Bobby grandly announced.

Manlius' face could have been carved from stone for all the emotion it showed. "At least the circus is over," he thought.

Bobby's carefully staged media event completed; the cameras were quickly ushered from the room. Once the media had left, Bobby dismissed the meeting with a broad smile on his face and quickly left the table. Major General Manlius pushed his way through the crowd and stopped Bobby at the door and asked once again for a meeting with the military staff. With thinly veiled contempt, Bobby brushed the general off and left the room.

Stuart quickly intercepted the seething officer and started to smooth things over. The same age as the general, Stuart was a smooth operator, a veteran of political snake pits all over the East Coast. Quickly steering the general into a quiet corner, Stuart told Manlius that Bobby had asked for closer coordination with the military but that he didn't have the time to devote to meetings and staff briefings. Stuart suggested that a staff officer be nominated as Bobby's personal liaison.

Stuart leaned closer to the general, as if taking him into his confidence. "Mr. Tyler realizes that this issue may have to be solved militarily. He just doesn't want to tip his hand too soon."

"But he's sent the last three liaison officers back without even meeting them!"

"General, please understand that Mr. Tyler's staff is a tight team. Not unlike your own staff, I might say." Stuart smiled and nodded knowingly. "Let me help you. I could, with your permission of course, select an officer to join our staff. This person would work for you, but at the political headquarters. We both win."

Manlius realized that he had reached a political stalemate. Either he let Stuart pick an officer or the door to Bobby Tyler would remain closed. Beaten for the moment, he agreed. "Just let me know who you want by Thursday. I'll be in touch."

The plane carrying Simon taxied directly into a hanger on the edge of one of Norfolk's military airfields. A staff car whisked Simon from the hanger straight to the JTF HQ, it's darkly tinted windows prevented passersby from identifying the car's passengers. Escorted into Major General Manlius' office by a pair of military policemen, Simon was introduced to the general and his Executive Officer. Leaving Simon standing in the middle of the room, the XO told him that he had been selected for a vital but dangerous mission. The general, enthroned behind his expansive and meticulously arranged mahogany desk, emphasized Simon's computer experience as the reason he had been selected.

When Simon asked what the mission was about, the XO turned on the TV and showed him the on-going media analysis of the Eastern Shore Commission meeting. Turning down the sound with a remote, the General settled back into his leather wingback chair and spoke as if making a speech to the whole room.

"The farmers on the Eastern Shore have thumbed their noses at authority for the last few years. When the President designated an area for a Potter Town, a resettlement town, the Shoremen raided the local armories and blockaded the peninsula. After three years of trying to negotiate, the government has finally decided to deal with them. The only problem is that the farmers have the Palladium. Have a seat Major Woodsman, Major Blue will give us the G-2 on this."

Simon sat next to the XO as an Intelligence officer entered the room and delivered a short briefing on the Palladium Area Defense Shield. This radar and missile system was the reason that the Shoremen had been able to hold out right under the noses of the Federal Government for almost three years.

Built as part of the Ballistic Missile Shield research project, a chain of Palladium sites were intended to ring the nation and protect it from any airborne threat - missiles, aircraft, anything. Each Palladium system covered about 500 miles of coastline, which meant that the Shoremen could stop aircraft from approaching not only their positions but also Norfolk, Washington D.C., and Philadelphia.

Simon was impressed and wondered if the General was thinking that he could hack the system for Norfolk. Manlius, obviously thinking the same thing, asked the briefer why the system couldn't be disabled remotely and was told that the control network was completely safeguarded. The only way to talk to Palladium was from the inside.

Manlius turned to the XO, talking about Simon as if he weren't there. "Give the major a quiet place to do his research. When we're ready we'll move him closer to the action."

The XO slid Simon a folder and whispered that the invasion plan was to establish a foothold on the Shore at Cape Charles, reopen the Bay Bridge Tunnel on the southern tip of the peninsula, and bring the Eastern Shore back under government control.

"We'll get you on the Shore, then you've got to do the rest. Disable the Palladium and we'll finish the rebellion."

Figuring that he'd been dismissed, Simon stood, saluted, and left the room with his escort. Weighing the folder in his hand, he needed a drink and then a quiet place to do some serious studying.

Manlius set down the phone and addressed the next item of business, the selection of the liaison officer for Bobby Tyler. He told the XO that Stuart had selected one of the female National Guard officers, Madeline Altarby. She was a good officer and was pleased with the new assignment. Manlius mentioned that she was also exactly the type of woman that Bobby liked - big boned and broad hipped. The two men smiled, they both knew what her real job would be on Bobby's staff but war meant making sacrifices. With these preliminaries out of the way, it was time to get down to business.

Simon was depressed. The XO's idea of a quiet place was a small, musty smelling building on the edge of one of the many swamps that dotted the area. The building was about as far from anything else on the base as possible. Simon looked around the dusty room that he'd been given for an office. 'Well at least I won't be bothered by visitors, ' he thought. He spun around as the rickety office door slammed open. Bobby Tyler and a small entourage of staffers swept into the little room.

"Why Mr. Woodsman. So good to see you again." Bobby shook Simon's hand and smiled broadly. "It's been a while since we saw each other in Swoope last summer."

Simon noticed that Bobby's smile stopped before reaching his eyes. Simon made some non-committal remark and waited for Bobby's nature to sweep the conversation along.

"Well I won't take up too much of your valuable time." Bobby released Simon's hand and spoke over Bobby's head. "I just wanted to welcome you to the team. Just let my staff know if there's anyway I can help you." Without waiting for a response, Bobby flashed another smile and breezed out of the room.

"So much for the general's security," Simon thought. If Bobby Tyler knew that he was there, the little politician probably also knew why. Unpacking the box of books that had been delivered for him to use, Simon felt his stomach churn. "It's hard to know where the enemy is some times."

Paris came to Arabella's office to have lunch with her. He handed her the video disk he had recorded of them making love in his room and tried to talk her into going away with him. She hesitated and muttered an excuse about her job and Simon.

"Listen Arabella," he said, lightly holding her by her arms. "Granny told me all about this guy. He's never around. He leaves you in all kinds of dangerous places."

Arabella tried to think of something to say. Some way of defending Simon. But nothing came to mind.

"I want you to come with me," Paris continued. "Come back home with me. You don't have to make some huge commitment. Just come to my place and hang out for a while. If this guy calls, you can hop the first thing home."

Arabella felt her will crumbling. She felt like she needed the break and, since Simon wasn't around, she had no one to go home to.

"Well OK," she said. Paris smiled broadly. "But I've got to come back after a few days. I've got a job here, you know."

Paris chuckled to himself but didn't say anything. He put his arm around her and told her the travel arrangements. She was puzzled by all of the secrecy but he told her that it was all just the type of normal precautions that everyone took when traveling on the back roads.