Free The Independents by Joe Nobody Page B

failed , their satellite phones were probably the most sophisticated non-military communications in the world. It had allowed them to organize and execute activities that would have otherwise been impossible.
    After the White House had been overrun by protestors, the Independents had initially tried to support the federal government in maintaining control. And when the president declared martial law without congressional ap proval, many in the movement voiced concern, but cooperated. As the situation deteriorated, Senator Moreland had asked his followers to take control and organize only the areas that had been ignored by the military. More than ninety percent of the country had been left to fend for itself , and without crit ic al infrastructure, the help the Independents promised was welcomed.  
    When his people approached town councils and churches, explained their plan and movement, it had been easy to gain almost everyone’s buy-in. Those who hesitated were shown documentation of what was happening in the large cities being “controlled” by the president . No one wanted that loss of freedom combined with extreme hardship in their own backyard s .
    What had really surprised the s enator ’s organization was the ease at which military officers switche d sides. As one Army Captain explained, he had sworn an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic . A core element of t he Independent’s message was a strict adherence to the U.S. Constitution. The infamous Patriot Act of 2004 allowed the president broad powers in declaring martial law, with one important restriction – The president had to “ advise Congress in a timely matter.” This critical provision had never been executed . The president made no effort to either assemble congress or contact any of its members. The president had broken the law.
    There were other motivating factors. The demoralizing duties being heaped upon the typical military field officer w ere unprecedented. The American people, and often members of their own command, were treated as the enemy. Many of the troops who joined t he Independents were looking for any excuse, any logical reason to make a change. It was easy to convince these men that it wasn’t the people who were the domestic enemy, b ut rather a president who had ru n from the fight and had now taken over as a dictator.
    When a staffer at Fort Mead passed along information about the new plan call ed Operation Heartland, all of t he Independent’s leadership was suspicious that a spy existed in the organization. A n almost identical plan had been initiated weeks ago in the Independent camp, and the similarities were hard to dismiss as coincidence . This led them to accelerat e their efforts , especially the recruitment of military personnel . Assets, once loyal to the president , were being drawn to t he Independents in growing numbers.
    The discovery that both t he Independents and the executive b ranch were targeting the same exact territory prompted Senator Moreland to gather the brain trust of his organization. A critical decision had to be made . A nd as is required in a republic, he was careful not to make that decision alone.
     

Chapter 5  
    By the time he was finally approaching the crash site , Bishop realized where he had heard the mystery voice . As he rounded t he front of the fuselage, he discovered the Colonel lying on his side and a young man pointing a pistol at him with shaking hands. Bishop slung his rifle to the rear and moved immediately toward the injured man. On the way past the kid, his hand shot out like a striking snake and snatched the pistol away from the frightened youth. He ejected the rounds from the weapon and tucked it in his belt , and then knelt beside his old boss.
    The Colonel’s words were strained. “How are you son? I bet you didn’t expect visitors today , did ya?”
    Bishop hardly recognized the man before him.