Free Overrun by Michael Rusch Page A

rubbing his temples. He took a
deep breath and hung his head between knees. Releasing the air slowly from his
lungs, he looked up at the two men before him.
    "What kind of
incident?" he asked tiredly.
    "About thirty-six hours
ago, fifty-four Vulture soldiers were slaughtered in a raid on an abandoned
factory," Faulken explained glancing up from the papers in his lap to look
at the President.
    Ford’s posture became rigid and
straight.
    Faulken leaned back
uninterestedly in his seat next to Baldwin appearing not to share in his
concern.
    "What are you talking
about?” Ford looked quizzically at Faulken then to Baldwin. “Where was the
factory?"
    Baldwin avoided his stare and
focused his eyes on a spot across the ground.
    "It was a J.G.U. raid,”
Faulken droned off like an uncaring machine. “On our soldiers. The factory was
about twenty-five miles into the boundary of the old Soviet Union.”
    "What?" Ford
straightened further in his seat stunned at what he had just heard.
    "The Vulture team was
investigating rumors of nuclear missile existence in that quadrant,"
Faulken answered matter-of-factly.
    "What the hell are you
talking about?" Ford demanded his voice rising. "Nukes haven't
existed for more than fifty years. No J.G.U. unit would ever even bother with
something as…"
    "It was a dome
technological research plant," Baldwin said sitting up. His elbows rubbed
next to Faulken's while he leaned closer towards the President across the small
table. "At least that’s what we believed it was before it was
destroyed."
    "What?"
    "The team was discovered
assassinating J.G.U. scientists…," Baldwin stopped short at Faulken's hard
glare. "And rigging the facility to explode."
    Ford's mouth hung open
incredulously. His face became dark red. Despite a look of seething anger, he
did not speak.
    "Prisoners were acquired,”
Baldwin said while Faulken turned his head back to the President.
    “Jesus Christ,” Ford said now
turning white.
    “Mr. President,” Faulken spoke.
“We sent several transmissions to the J.G.U. stating our concerns of a nuclear
existence in that part of the globe."
    "There were never any
concerns," the President's voice ripped out in a rage-filled whisper.
    "Teams have been discovered
before," Faulken responded in a level voice.
    "What goddamn teams?” Ford
hissed. “I want to know what the hell armed teams from our country are doing
anywhere outside our part of the globe. It’s an act of war for God's
sake!"
    The skin under his left eye
began to twitch, and his eye fluttered rapidly.
    "And I want to know why I
don't know about it."
    "It was not beneficial for
you to have this knowledge."
    "I'm only the goddamn
President!" Ford slammed his fists across the table and stormed across the
room to the large solar-protected window behind his desk.
    "Authorization for these
types of operations has never come from me or anyone in this administration. I
want to know from where in the goddamn hell these orders are occurring."
    "These operations have been
planned and implemented long before you came into office, sir," Baldwin
spoke quietly not moving in his seat. "Few people know anything about
it."
    "None of that is important
right now," Faulken cut in impatiently. "What is important is the
fact..."
    "Don't you dare presume to
tell me what is important now, Faulken, you son of a bitch," Ford didn't
turn around and continued to stare outside. "You tell me right now why all
of a sudden I'm hearing about the massacre of a United States soldier squad
outside this country. All the way across the world for god’s sakes. An
operation like that would never have been approved. Not with my knowledge. Even
if there was a threat of nuclear existence. Not right away."
    "It’s not something for you
to authorize," Faulken responded his tone soft and belligerent.
    Ford turned his body around,
stepped from behind his desk and moved to stand in front of Faulken.
    Faulken did not look up.
    "I am the leader of the
free United