Chapter 18
Opening Of The Abyss
___________________________________________________
Marvin
Goldstein sits before the Zonno Council with a large stack of newspapers in
front of him. He spreads them all out on the conference table and breaks
into a sustained laugh, saying, "Those fools have given us what we couldn't
buy with millions of dollars of drug money and entertainment scripts for those
perverted screen writers. The stupid bastards have got all the factions in
the United States at each other's throats. Homosexuals, labor unions, the
religious right, atheists, the unemployed and incumbent politicians. The
immigrant races now feel more threatened than ever but not nearly as much as the
Negroes and Caucasians." He leans back, laughs again and adds,
"Maybe, we'd be better served to turn over all the infiltration to
them. They've divided the country far better than we ever
have." He confidently looks at Karl Steiner and asks, "Don't you
agree we're now ready for the preliminary action?"
With the same confidence, Steiner replies, "By all
means. We've got good organization among the Chytinos and Indicos and a
plan for a large and progressive series of acts of vandalism. The first
targets will be the Malatas. That should create more bigotry and further
segment the races. After about 2 weeks of continued attacks in residential
areas, we'll stop about 2 weeks and do nothing. This should create a false
sense of security and achieve maximum psychological effect when we resume the
vandalism against small businesses. Our contacts within many newspapers
have carefully prepared editorials tracing the activities of The Restoration
and laying out something of a non-conclusive account of how it is responsible
for everything. With that, we can add to the building suspicion and
mistrust."
"I'm not so sure," Goldstein says in a much less
confident voice. "Since that whore exposed Adamson with his pants down,
he's gained popularity in the polls. That surprised me. I really
didn't think telling the truth would achieve anything in today's world.
I'm beginning to wonder how serious a threat their candidates will be in the
next election."
"There's a very simple way of dealing with
Adamson," Steiner says.
After a brief thought, Goldstein says, "Maybe we'd just
better do that. We can't take any chances on that bunch of bums and hobos
thinking it's the American Revolution all over again and start marching off to
the Delaware."
"We'll put it together," Steiner says, "but
after after Adamson's purifying confession, they'd probably march off to the
closest brothel and confess their sins to a whore rather than a priest."
All the council members erupt into a boisterous laugh
and begin pounding the table.
________________
East Side Hills is one of the older
sections of Atlanta; and like so many others, with changing times, it is now a
community of immigrants. In fact, some of the city council members once
lived there when most of the residents were Caucasian and Negroes, and it
was politically beneficial. That benefit, however, was lost when almost
none of the Malatas that now live there became registered voters. The
council members saw a greater benefit in rearranging voting districts and moving
to the suburbs with all the Negroes and Caucasians before declining economic
conditions brought on many foreclosures and lost of jobs. It all created a
need to blame someone but few political office holders or candidates were
willing to admit racial descent was the cause and only continued harping on how
important it was "to work together within a diverse environment" but
never came up with any specific plan as to precisely how that could be achieved.
It is a dark night with a slight mist falling over the
central business district of East Side Hills. The Malatas feel safety in
numbers and stay on the streets after dark. No one gives much thought to
the single vehicle slowly making its way down the street. The vehicle
stops and 2 men, who look like Chytinos, emerge. Before they are noticed
by anyone, they begin spraying automatic weapons fire into the groups of people
and throwing Molotov cocktails onto the storefronts. Wounded and dead fall
on the sidewalks. Throngs of people begin running away from the gunfire
and begin falling on the wet pavement in the next block. Someone shouts,
"It's gasoline!" just as it is ignited by a Molotov cocktail thrown at
the outer edge of the fleeing crowd. The flame runs directly into the mass
of people who are stunned and momentarily stand still before their clothing
begins to catch on fire. Many fall and are burned alive as
all the others turn and begin running back in the opposite direction where the 2
men are now in their vehicle and speeding straight towards them. The
vehicle plows into the fleeing mass, making loud thumping sounds as it strikes a
number of the Malatas who are thrown up onto the vehicle's hood and then down on
the street. With screeching tires, it spins around and quickly disappears
through the smoke from the burning buildings.
________________
The next day, the mayor holds a press
conference on the front steps of City Hall. With a somber expression, he
begins his opening statement, "We were all troubled by the shocking events
yesterday in East Side Hills. I can't say what prompted such a heinous act
but believe the city can resolve its problems by working together within the
diverse culture in Atlanta."
There is a single vehicle rolling down Pryor Street behind
the reporters gathered in front of City Hall. Someone notices it and
shouts, "Look out!" The vehicle is empty, runs up on the side
walk and is exploded by a remote control device. Torn bodies lay on the
steps of City Hall, and the mayor quickly disappears inside the building.
The large crowd begins running towards Five Points just as tear gas canisters
are dropped from the roof of the Public Service Commission building.
People begin gasping and stumbling over one another. Some are trampled as
the mass quickly becomes a riotous sprint across the lawn of the State Capital
building. There is a gruesome combination of cries from the wounded and
sounds of the approaching ambulances.
Just as the emergency medical personnel arrive, some sort of
device is launched from the parking lot of the courthouse. A projectile
hits the side of city hall and sends large trails of black paint streaming down
its walls. With that, all falls quiet, save the moans of the injured and
the frantic efforts of the medics.
________________
During the next few days, there are a
number of acts of vandalism throughout the country, and with little contribution
from Zonno infiltrators, public descent moves forward on its own momentum.
Labor unions begin demonstrations demanding the government take action to
restore lost jobs from foreign work markets. The homosexual protests
against The Restoration intensify due to "unfounded allegations
against the homosexual community unsupported by authoritative medical
research." In many larger cites, there are large demonstrations by
the Malatas demanding local police departments take action to protect them
against mounting acts of vandalism in their neighborhoods.
Due to domestic unrest, the stock market goes into a
pronounced decline with the one exception being Majestic Motors and its material
suppliers in the United States. Unemployment begins to decline in the
cities where the automobile plants and parts manufacturers are located. The
Restoration uses this as an example as to how the economy can be rebuilt and
asks for patience as well as votes for the party's candidates in the next
election. Voter registration efforts in low income areas are intensified;
and due to the mounting unrest and one example of improvement in one sector of
the economy, many thousands of first time registrants are seen. In all
voting precincts, large banners are displayed stating action through free
elections, with participation from all economic groups within the country, and
establishment of central control of government are the only means to achieve the
spirit of nationalism needed to lift the country from its present culture of
protest and violence.
In Atlanta, there is a long line of mostly shabbily-dressed
individuals outside the City Hall annex. There is a commotion across the
street where several on-the-scene vans from local television stations are
parked. One editorial writer from a local newspaper is facing one of the
cameras and says, "Just look who is taking over the government. All
these unemployed and homeless are registering and could well cast political
power to The Restoration in the next election. Guided by some
pre-planned arrangement, shouting mobs appear holding placards and banners
showing swastikas and computer-edited pictures of The Leader standing beside
Adolf Hitler. A makeshift speaker's platform quickly goes up and someone
begins shouting though a bullhorn, "The Nazis organized a group of
dissenters, just as The Restoration is doing now. They created a
false cause by blaming the Jews and present government for Germany's declining
economy. The German people were so desperate, they would believe anything
that seemed to give them some hope. The world simply stood by and watched
the Nazis gain political and military power until it was too late. We must
stop these people before they give Neo-Nazis the political power they seek,
because they know it is only through discontent they can create false
impressions and gain the police state power that is their goal."
Unrest steadily builds in the registration line until some
begin picking up objects from the state capital flower garden and throwing them
at the speaker's platform. Camera crews immediately sense the value of
such a display on the evening news and jockey into positions where they can
record it all on film.
The speaker's voice grows louder. "See what I
mean! This is all these people know how to do. They're supposed to
be here to register and participate in the political process, and at the very
first voice against them, what do they do? They start throwing rocks like
a bunch of cavemen."
The several factions represented in the mounting resent begin
to move towards one another but several Restoration vehicles appear and
are moving down the center of the street. Those in the voter line stop
their advance towards the reporters as yet another bullhorn blasts, "Stay
in line and register! This is what they want!" just as the vehicles
stop with their .50 calibers trained on the several mobs.
There are similar events at voter registration sites
throughout the country but in each instance, The Restoration SS prevents
the intended riots to stop "those people" from registering as
voters. In Atlanta, the television news runs films of the near riot at
city hall over and over, showing the SS with its weapons trained on the would-be
rioters and claiming the country is now a police state and on the verge of a
nationwide riot. The Restoration makes no public comment, as to do
so would seem to substantiate such claims.
On one such news broadcast, there is a very attractive female
reporter commenting on such a video when the power suddenly goes off.
There is a large explosion, and much of the city immediately looses its
power. All that can be hear throughout the city is the sound of sirens,
only adding to the confusion and fear as to what is happening. Flames leap
from the roof of the Northside Power Station, and the fire crews arrive too late
to save any of the building, nearly completely destroyed by a high-power
explosive device. Much of the city is without communication, and this
achieves a great psychological advantage in adding to the mounting fear.
Throughout the city, gangs of Chytinos and Indicos begin demonstrations against
decades of exploitation of poorer races of the world that now must come forward
and gain their rightful positions in the world. The fear-stricken can only
remain in their homes and listen to the sounds of the demonstrations and
intermittent small arms fire. The police and SS respond but the
demonstrators only flee and resume in other parts of the city. Many
residential and business districts are deserted, and the streets are littered
with burning vehicles. Everything develops just as anticipated through
many years of mass
psychological retro-fruition in that there is no feeling of determination to
respond. Through racial fragmentation, declining nationalism and an
overpowering sense of fear, all the divisions within the society are
pre-occupied with their own interests rather than the country as a whole, and no
one does anything.
________________
The Leader faces the Inner Circle, looks towards Major Johnson, the C2, and with
a stern expression and tone, says, "It's all unrolling exactly as the
psychologists predicted. The country has no resolve, their is divided
interests, suspicion among races and social classes and most of all fear among
everyone."
Johnson only feels it necessary to respond, "That's about it."
"Colonel Green, do you have anything to add?" The Leader asks.
Green seems impatient or perhaps worried when he says, "No. We can't
fragment our forces to respond to vandalism and guerilla war tactics.
That's probably what they want. We can't be sure how much they know as to
how far our intelligence has led us but we must not commit anything until the
big show comes."
The leader looks back towards the C2 and asks, "What have you determined
from Operation Nighthawk and monitored transmissions? How are they
communicating?"
Johnson, with obvious reservation, says, "Vitorio
Rigoletti came up with a few hackers who were in prison for all sorts of
things. We gave them the telephone numbers of known operatives in the
United States, and they hacked into their e-mails in a few hours."
The Leader shakes his head and says, "Whoever thought the Holy Church would
be going into prisons to find its Crusaders."
Johnson stares to laugh but thinks better of it and continues,
"We've monitored radio transmissions but believe them to be largely
diversionary. The e-mails are in a code we haven't completely broken but
we've arrived at a provisional idea as to what they're planning. Over and
over, such terms as horse and buggy, blacksmith shops, hornet's nest and rotten
apple appear. Based on the area codes that received a number of
transmissions over the past few weeks, we believe they will launch coordinated
attacks on all the Majestic Auto plants producing the American Classic, all its
material suppliers and Restoration headquarters. The rotten apple
must refer to New York City where there are no plants or suppliers but such a
target would achieve good psychological effect and undoubtedly incite racial
riots. There's been an extensive propaganda campaign there for
years. The whole place is just waiting for someone to light the
fuse."
"Where are the attack points?" The Leader asks.
"Atlanta, Cleveland, Detroit and New York City. We have sufficient Restoration
forces and controlled regular army units to respond to large attacks everywhere
except New York. Fort Dix is the closest base to New York but its only a
processing center now and has no regular combat arms TO and E units. We
can't estimate how much or what type armor they have or how many foot soldiers
but regardless, they will be at a disadvantage in combat support tactics.
I can't see how they can support the foot soldiers with armor leading the
attacks in the normal manner. Whatever armor they have, they must keep it
concealed until the attacks begin. They can't establish marshalling areas
and the attacks cannot originate from assembly areas. The command
structures under these conditions will be extremely difficult. This means
the scheme of maneuvers will take time to develop, give us the benefit of
determining the attack plan and then mount effective counterattacks. Their
only attack plan under such conditions is a strong, one-time strike with maximum
damage to key installations which will not be seized and occupied after the
attack. They must achieve a strong psychological impact by a massive
initial strike producing large property damage and casualties and then begin a long-term
guerilla war with the goal becoming to further breakdown the economy,
political structure and resolve. This will have to be done without
armor. Their only option is to abandon it soon after the initial
activity. They can't conceal it after that."
The Leader is silent for a moment before saying, "I'm supposed to be a
priest and not an economist, but I can see a massive drop in the stock market -
especially in the industries we've began to rebuild, if their physical plants
are destroyed. If they only achieve some of what you're projecting, you
don't have to tell me the next step will be for them to begin entering
candidates in local elections and blame all the chaos on us and the existing
political system."
Major Green says, "That's the next thing I had intended to bring up.
We expect exactly that but don't expect them to form a new political
party. They can remain anonymous by putting up such candidates in the
existing parties and further isolate Restoration candidates. The
fact we will only offer candidates at the national level will play into this
quite well."
The Leader asks, "One thing we must consider. When regular army units
are drawn into our counterattack, one of the most closely guarded secrets of the
Zani' will be revealed - to Washington, if not the general public. How do
you think the federal government will react?"
After a brief laugh, Major Johnson says, "I'm not a priest or a fortune
teller. I'm supposed to be in intelligence officer. I can't see how
Washington will be in much of a position to do anything. They can't
acknowledge some of the regular army came under the command of The
Restoration without their ever realizing it."
The Leader stares at the table for a moment before asking, "How much do you
think the Zonno knows about our intelligence and military strength?"
"There's no way they could know. The army presence has been a
closely-guarded secret for decades. Several generations of the military
families have been committed to our long-term goals - especially after
nationalism began its rapid decline. Often, there's a fine line between
resent and dedication but I'll say they're all completely dedicated. The
news media, should they be revealed, would call them fanatics and compare them
to the Hitler Youth."
The Leader's expression changes quite noticeably, and he utters in a barely
auditable voice, "If only the Nazi movement hadn't taken the turn it
did." After a brief pause, his mood changes again, and he faces the
Inner Circle. "Berlin wants to send a commander to each presumed
attack point. Put all the controlled regular army units on alert. Go
about it as quietly as you can. Something like canceling all leave for
equipment maintenance. We need to launch the political platform now and
try to draw them into attacking as soon as possible. We can maintain
security at this level very long."
________________
There is unusual activity at Restoration headquarters, anticipating the
arrival of the sector commander recently assigned by Berlin. There are men
with briefcases going in and out of the various buildings, constant coded radio
activity, and the communications section is sending out phony e-mails on many
subjects and not mentioning the alert. Presently, a black limousine with
the flag of a field marshal stops in front of the C1 building. A rather
large driver awkwardly trots around the vehicle and opens a rear door.
Everyone was expecting a commander something like vonLudendorf but the man that
steps out is hardly that. He is very small, has a fair complexion,
thinning gray hair and is wearing small spectacles. Someone inside the
building says, "He looks more like a librarian than a combat
commander."
Instead of a swagger stick, he is carrying a large briefcase and is wearing no
Crusade Medals. The Leader meets him at the doorway. He renders the
Nazi salute and
says, "Field Marshall Rolf Kesselring reporting." With that, he
and other staff officers are escorted into the conference room.
After several days of top secret consultations, Kesselring issues a statement to
be delivered to all commanders of Restoration units and controlled
regular army units. It is very analytical, harshly to the point and is the
first of a number of steps in transforming his image from that of a librarian
into an effective combat commander. The message is not sent over radio or
e-mail but is hand-delivered.
To: All Commanders Of The Restoration Southern Command Zone
Subject: The Big Show
"We of this age, facing the challenges and responsibilities that are clearly
ours, have the benefit of learning from the achievements and failures of the
past. It was Field Marshall Erwin Rommel who knew all was lost unless the
Allied invasion was stopped on the beaches of France. Instead, the German command
structure failed to face facts and held the Panzers in reserve due to Hitler's
refusal to face facts, insist it was all a diversion and the main attach
would come somewhere else. Once the beachhead was gained and a supply line
established, the war was lost, as the German forces were now fighting superior
forces on 2 fronts. Looking back to that time in history, we can learn
very much. Desertions on the eastern front were far less than on the
western front, because the German forces feared the reprisals they knew the
Russians would render due to the brutality imposed on Russian civilians during
the German invasion of Russia. Had this critical mistake not been made,
many Russians would have joined the German cause but the insane belief that the
Jews and what the Nazis of that day referred to as sub-human beings must be
exterminated, united the Russians in a common cause in what clearly became a
greater threat to them. Many times, fear can unite but in the coming
operation, our tactic must be that fear break down the will and resolve of the
attackers."
"Regrettably,
today there is no common bond within the country. When the attack comes,
without a uniting force, fear and withdrawal of the general populace will become
more intense, and there will be no will to resist. The population can be
expected to yield to the banner of the forces most likely to restore some form
of order and protect what has become a life style of non-involvement and
non-obligation. At the moment of the attack, long-term goals of The
Restoration will cease to be a factor. The psychological profile of
the nation will immediately assume one of short-term interests and remain
greatly divided that will pollute any feeling of obligation or response.
With that, the propagandist can quite easily weave it all into a rebellion that
will largely exist in the mind and never transform itself into action due to the
prolonged period of mass psychological-retro fruition."
"The attack must be met with a massive and decisive counterattack; and as Rommel
knew before the Normandy invasion, it must be stopped in the initial
stages. Our counter attack must yield more fear than the attackers.
Under the conditions presently existing within the country, Hitler was indeed
correct when he said, "Fear will always be successful unless opposed with
equal or greater fear." Unit commanders are authorized to use any
means to establish this level of fear in accomplishing our mission. We're not
fighting a conventional war. The central objective is to destroy the
enemy through unyielding brutality and not take prisoners."
"May the spirit of the Crusades of ages past bind itself on the hearts and will
of us all and lead us to the victory we must achieve."
________________
Rolf Kesselring looks over the map of metro Atlanta in the operations center and carefully observes the positioning of armor and personnel. He makes a meticulous mental picture of the distances and response times from controlled regular army units, the hanger locations of helicopters and airplanes and relates that to the maximum speeds of each aircraft. He takes no notes. His study for his PhD created a photographic memory and astute ability to apply available information sources in the preparation of his tactical estimate. It all comes together in an outline format in his mind before the Operations Order is prepared.
Case
White
Operations
Order
Situation
An attack of armor and infantry is anticipated on key industrial
and Restoration objectives within the Southern Command Zone. The
initial objective of the attack will be an immediate property damage rendering
the sites non-operational and be followed by sustained guerilla activity to
expand the atmosphere of fear created by the initial attack.
Mission
To meet the attack with an overpowering counterattack that must destroy the
enemy's personnel and equipment in the early stages. Following that,
martial law will be enacted in the battle zones to combat guerilla
activity. In all phases of the operation, initial action and follow-up
occupation should be sufficiently brutal to defeat the enemy's objective
and create a level of fear that will discourage further action.
Course Of Action
Known circumstances will deny the enemy assembly areas and immediate uniting of
armor and infantry. The initial counterattack will be mounted against
armor, once its location is known with the objective of denying the attack fire
support. The major objective of the counterattack will be to mount a
retreat of enemy infantry into selected areas covered with heavy concentrations
of automatic weapons where maximum casualties can be achieved. When attack
formations and avenues of retreat become fragmented, request air attacks.
The overall objective must be the complete destruction of enemy
forces. Fire sectors appear in Annex A. All units will be supplied
with frequency jamming devices operating on all radio bands the enemy's
equipment is likely to use for the purpose of breaking down unit integrity and
neutralizing the command structure. Reserve forces will move into the
objective areas once the advance is halted. Assumptions
- Presently, the location of enemy armor is
unknown but most likely, these same locations also serve as supply terminals for
weapons and munitions. When the positions are revealed in the attack, they
should be completely destroyed. Leave nothing standing in the blocks where
they exist.
Administration And Logistics
All armor and infantry should carry a maximum combat load, anticipating the
short duration of the initial stages of the attack. The need for re-supply
is not anticipated but command channel 1 is designated for emergency.
Medical evacuation will be provided by Medivac helicopters from attached units
of the regular army. Casualties are not to be carried to under-staffed
local hospitals. Emergency medical facilities have been set up at Restoration
headquarters.
Command And Signal
Command Channel 1 - Emergency Resupply
Command Channel 2 - Central Control
Command Channel 3 - See Annex B for marshalling areas of armor, fire support and
close support procedures.
Command Channel 4 - Notification to Central Control of command posts established
when the direction of the attacks are determined.
Command Channel 5 - Medical Evacuation
Command Channel 6 - Air Support
Kesselring's thoughts wander far from
preparation of the operation order and go back, back to his childhood. He
can see all those pictures along the hallway in his family's home and recall all
the stories of how they had always been a military family as far back as Field
Marshall Albrecht Kesselring during the Second World War. Accounts of his
career sometimes portrayed him as a master soldier and sometimes a war criminal
for executing over 200 Italian prisoners during the Anzio campaign. His
tactics at Anzio held the Allies' advance for over a year but his task eventually became
hopeless when German High Command was indifferent to Allied air superiority that
denied his receiving the supplies necessary for the situation he was
facing. In the closing weeks of the war, Hitler had ordered him to take
over von Rundstedt's command but the situation was hopeless forcing his
surrender only a few days before the war ended. His meaningful life
stopped then. He was sentenced to death for executing the prisoners but
the sentence was commuted to life. In 1952, he was released due to ill
health which he endured until his death in 1960.
Rolf Kesselring walks to the window and gazes across the
grounds of Restoration headquarters. He recalls himself as a young
man, embittered by what he felt was an unjust tarnish placed on his
family. It was this embitterment that drew him to the Zani' where for most
of his career, he had worked as a covert agent establishing contacts within the
American military. At first, his efforts were very unsuccessful but as the
country drew further and further away from its traditions, the same embitterment
formed within the military families of this country, and they all began to seek
some way to strike back against it all - even if it took decades to lead them to
the position of power they have on this day. His mouth tightens, and he
utters, 'This time, the cause cannot be lost."