American Meltdown: Book Two of The Economic Collapse Chronicles Page 3

  CHAPTER 4

  "The beauty of the Second Amendment is that it will not be needed until they try to take it."

  -Thomas Jefferson

  Adam clicked off the television in disgust. "This guy is the real deal. He's the devil incarnate. He just blamed the collapse on Paul Randall and established himself as their savior. He said he intends to use the US Military to march on American cities! He'll use that insubordination clause for most every state to completely ban all firearms. I've got news for him, there's an awful lot of Marines that will not comply with the order to disarm the American people."

  "Lock and load," Wesley said.

  Matt said, "He has stood in absolute defiance to the Constitution. He has absolutely no legitimate authority. I hope leaders at the state level will stand up to this criminal. They should arrest him but it looks like he has enough support to get away with it, at least in D.C."

  Matt was in the habit of being at Adam's any time there was a significant announcement to be made on television. Matt signed up for internet and satellite TV, but the companies laid off so many people, that service had never been hooked up since he moved. The increasing number of people dropping service because they could no longer afford it was putting a severe strain on communication companies across the country. Most were operating on a skeleton crew that just did the minimum to maintain service to paying customers. Matt could still get two local channels. Two others had closed their doors for lack of sponsorship. It was hard to say how much longer these two stations would be around. The Lexington channel came in with a weak signal, but it was the one most likely to make it financially.

  "Does this mean we’re going to fight?" Shelly asked. Shelly was Wesley's new wife. Everyone knew that war meant people would die. No young wife wanted to lose her new husband to battle.

  Adam said, "We hope that won't be necessary, but we'll talk about it later." Adam nodded to Mandy and Carissa, his two daughters.

  He whispered to Shelly, “We never keep things from them, but there’s no use worrying them ahead of time.”

  Shelly whispered to Adam, "Sorry. I would never want to scare the girls. I just spoke without thinking.”

  Janice, Adam's wife, patted Shelly on the shoulder. “It’ll be fine.”

  Wesley lived with his brother before the beginning of the collapse. He had decided to marry Shelly right after the first signs of the breakdown. Now, he and Shelly lived in Adam's farmhouse together with Janice and the girls.

  Karen, Matt's wife, squeezed Matt's arm tight when Shelly mentioned fighting. Matt knew she didn’t want to lose him, but he tried to make her understand that he was not willing to live under the oppression of a criminal government.

  Janice went into the kitchen and Karen followed her. Janice was simmering a pot of homemade venison chili.

  "I don't know if I can handle the guys getting into armed conflict," Karen said.

  "Well, you'll learn to pray," Janice said. "I hope I don't have to go through it again. At least he’ll be here this time, instead of some far off desert. He’ll also be fighting for something he believes in. I think that's what made it so hard for him over there. Adam went in thinking he was fighting for America, but he soon realized it was about controlling resources and global influence."

  "How did you stand it?" Karen asked.

  Janice stirred the pot of chili. "I prayed, then I cried, then I prayed some more. After that, I usually cried. When he got home, he was so messed up and drugged out, I cried and prayed until I couldn't take it anymore."

  "Well, God heard your prayers and rescued Adam from all of that. He is an amazing, godly man today," Karen said.

  "Yes, he is," Janice said. "Nothing could be as hard as all of that was. Not even losing him."

  Everyone sat down to eat and dug into the delicious chili.

  Adam asked Mandy, “Why aren’t you eating?”

  His 12 year old daughter was just stirring the bowl and not eating.

  "I'm not too hungry," She said.

  Matt figured that she sensed trouble was in the air. Carissa was only 8 and didn’t seem to have caught on to the somber mood since the inaugural address.

  "You better be glad Matt didn't make that chili and just eat it," Wesley said to Mandy.

  She cracked a little smile as she asked, "Why?"

  "Ain’t no tellin' what he might put in it. That's why," Wesley said cryptically.

  Now Carissa was curious as well. "Why, what does he put in chili?"

  "I told you there ain’t no tellin’ what he puts in chili. But I can sure tell you what he puts in his meatloaf," Wesley baited.

  "What?" Mandy asked intently.

  Matt shook his head. He knew from the beginning where this was going.

  "Possum," Wesley said.

  Mandy curled her nose as she said, "Eww."

  Carissa screeched, "Eeeek!"

  "No, he doesn't!" Mandy demanded of her Uncle Wes.

  "He does and I ate it," Wes countered.

  Matt could tell that Karen was begging to get suspicious. He tried to avoid her glance before she figured out that this was not all just for the amusement of the children. She didn't have to say a word. The way he was avoiding her was as good as a confession. She had just eaten that meatloaf a couple of weeks ago. She slugged Matt's arm as hard as she could.

  He drew back and winced with a muffled, "Ouch!"

  After the excitement died down, Mandy began to eat her chili. Wesley's distraction technique had worked; everyone's mind was off the trouble at hand and they talked and laughed for the rest of the meal.

  CHAPTER 5

  "Every citizen should be a soldier. This was the case with the Greeks and Romans, and must be that of every free state."

  -Thomas Jefferson

  Pastor John Robinson and his wife were unboxing the few items they brought from the house. Like many of the congregants of Liberty Chapel, they had relocated to Young Field. It was a combination of two farms the church now owned. Young Field was several miles north of Boise, Idaho where the church property was located.

  Pastor John said, “I didn’t expect so many people to come out. We began constructing permanent buildings, but there’s no way they’ll be adequate to house all of the people who’re coming to Young Field. We might have to stay in this little camper trailer longer than we planned.”

  His wife replied, “We’ll get by. We’re all in this together. There’s quite a mix of campers, trailers and fifth wheels among the rest of the congregation.”

  Pastor John said, “After the election results, I knew a show down was coming between the rogue government and what was left of the true Americans. I think we made the right decision to make our stand here.”

  Pastor John continued, “I considered making our stand at the church. After thinking it over, I thought it would be best to get out of the city. That’ll make it easier to spot troop movement. I’m humbled by the amount of congregants that followed us out here.”

  There was a rap at the trailer door. It was Albert Rust, the church range master. Liberty Chapel was committed to the Second Amendment and even had an indoor range at the Boise property. Church attendees could shoot and take concealed carry classes there. Albert also served as the commander of the 12th Battalion of the Free Idaho Militia. The 12th Battalion agreed to make their stand with Pastor John along with three other battalions from the northern part of the state. “Battalion” had been a bit of a stretch prior to the buildup, but with all of the new recruits, the 12th had swelled to nearly 450 men. The other battalions saw similar growth.

  "Hey, Pastor," Albert said. "These are the two men I was telling you about from the Appleseed Project. This is Trey and Bill. They are both trainers. Bill typically gives the history presentation and Trey heads up the marksmanship training."

  "It’s so very nice to meet you gentlemen. I really appreciate you coming down to do the class," Pastor John said.

  Trey Dayton replied, "We’re with the 29th Battalion of the Free Idaho M
ilitia out of Coeur d'Alene. We’ll be making our stand here with you in Young Field, so it’s in our best interest to help get these good folks as prepared as possible. More than that, this is what we feel God has called us to do."

  Mrs. Robertson said, “Remind me again what Appleseed is.”

  Albert said, “Appleseed is a project that’s been around for several years. It seeks to provide an in depth look at the history of The American Revolution, giving particular attention to the events surrounding Lexington and Concord. The history segment of the program looks deep into the hearts of the men who made a stand against the most powerful military force on the planet in their day.

  “The marksmanship part of the course teaches the basics of shooting a rifle with aperture sights in standing, sitting and prone positions. The course is also designed to familiarize shooters with quick magazine changes. Participants shoot at small targets at short distances which trains them to hit larger targets at longer distance. Several hundred rounds are usually shot by each participant over the length of the two day course, so .22 long rifle is the recommended ammunition. Even with recent ammunition shortages, .22 long rifle is still the most affordable round for heavy training. The Ruger 10/22 is the most popular gun used at the training clinics, but Marlin manufactured a .22 rifle called the Marlin Liberty Training Rifle. It’s perfect for the marksmanship class. It comes with a sling, adjustable aperture sights and two detachable magazines which, like the 10/22, is now illegal under the executive order that Howe signed two days ago.

  “Trey and Bill will be giving the class to all of the people at Young Field who’re interested. Most of the folks probably have a .22 to train with, but Trey and Bill brought about 30 Liberty Training Rifles that were donated to the Appleseed Project. For those taking the class, the next two days will be completely dedicated to the heritage of the men who made their stand against tyranny two centuries ago and to becoming proficient with a rifle. You should take the course Mrs. Robertson.”

  Mrs. Robertson said, “If I won’t be in the way, I think I will. Thank you Albert.”

  CHAPTER 6

  "The liberties of our country, the freedom of our civil constitution, are worth defending against all hazards: And it is our duty to defend them against all attacks."

  -Samuel Adams

  In his office at the National Guard Armory, Texas Senator Paul Randall stood up to greet his friend. He was glad to see General Alan Jefferson.

  Jefferson said, “I see you’re still keeping a low profile Randall. You’ve been in hiding since Al Mohammad sent DHS agents to arrest you for inciting an insurrection. I would imagine Kimberly is getting tired of living in a military installation.”

  Since the election, Randall's supporters were being very vocal about their opposition to Howe and very defiant about his plans for the country. Former US President Al Mohammad had tried to detain Paul Randall under the 2012 NDAA which contained a clause that allowed indefinite detention of American citizens without having to charge them with a crime. It was a very convenient law to have on the books in this particular instance.

  Texas Governor Larry Jacobs tipped Paul off to the movement of the DHS agents before they arrived at his ranch and the Randall's had bugged out. They hid out at a family friend’s cabin for a while, but their location was discovered by insect-sized micro-drones that operated robotically without a human operator. The micro-drones used facial recognition software and swarm programming to cover large areas. After the Randalls were located, a kill team was sent to the cabin. A firefight ensued and one of Randall's twin sons, Robert, was killed in the standoff. Governor Jacobs had body guards positioned at and around the cabin. The Randalls and the guards took out the kill team. The surviving Randall family members were relocated to the Texas National Guard Armory to hideout.

  "How are the reassignments coming along?" Randall asked Jefferson.

  "I had absolutely no problem until Inauguration Day," Jefferson answered. “Our plan to get sympathetic military brass reassigned to key bases was moving right along. I think we covered most of the bases in the states that are likely to side with the patriot movement.”

  General Allen Jefferson was the Commanding General, US Army Forces Command or CGFORECOM for short.

  The general said, “Prior to Howe taking office, if I couldn't get a reassignment, I knew enough people in Washington to make it happen. There are people in the military from top to bottom, and even in the Pentagon that don’t support the turn our country has taken. Of course Howe has no shortage of lap dogs either. Sometimes it’s a bit of a challenge to know who is who.

  “Strategic bases in Texas have been fully staffed with officers who are dedicated to their oath to defend the constitution. Fort Hood will be a clean sweep when the announcement is made to choose your sides. The officers in charge at Fort Hood are making sure all accommodations are made for representatives from Oath Keepers. Those representatives will present Oath Keeper values and try to get commitments from new soldiers and those who are just waking up to what was going on inside the White House.”

  Oath Keepers was an organization that sprouted up years before, when the first signs of the police state became apparent. Oath Keepers consisted of military and law enforcement that reaffirmed their oath to protect the Constitution as well as specifically enumerated unconstitutional orders which they pledged to refuse.

  Jefferson continued, “A few of the orders Oath Keepers have pledged to disobey are orders to disarm American citizens, blockade cities, impose martial law, hold American citizens as enemy combatants, invade states that assert their sovereignty or hold citizens in detention camps. All of which are on Howe's agenda.

  “Have you talked to Larry Jacobs?”

  Randall replied, “Governor Jacobs has been in contact with several other state governors who are willing to stand up to Howe.”

  General Jefferson said, “And you have the American people, who voted to elect you president, behind us.”

  The wheels had been set in motion for a Coup d'état.

  CHAPTER 7

  “All the perplexities, confusion and distress in America arise, not from defects in their Constitution or Confederation, not from want of honor or virtue, so much as from the downright ignorance of the nature of coin, credit and circulation.”

  -John Adams

  US Treasury Secretary Melinda Chang answered her phone. “Hello.”

  Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chairperson Nora Brooks was on the line. "Secretary Chang, this morning's bond auction appears to be creating some anomalies in the secondary markets."

  "Nora, the Fed is buying all of the bonds from this morning’s auction. Why would the auction have any effect on markets?" Chang shot back. She knew the CFTC Chairperson had earned a bit of a reputation as being a worry wart. Brooks had been preaching a message of the "end is nigh" that nobody wanted to hear. The Fed and Treasury were working with the major Wall Street banks and the rest of the Plunge Protection team to keep kicking the can down the road for nearly a decade. It had worked this long. Sure, things weren't good, but they had been able to manage the decline and avoid freefall.

  Brooks said, "Yes, ma'am, but it's the secondary markets. There are a lot of sellers and no buyers. There's also a lot of 30 day and 60 day Treasuries maturing today. The Fed bought the new issues, but I just spoke with Ivan who is overseeing the transaction process and he said they were under the impression that the market would buy the rollover debt. They're not authorized to buy any of the short term rollover debt."

  Chang noticed a tone of panic in her voice that was more pronounced than usual.

  "Nora, relax. We'll figure it out. We always do. This is really not your problem in the first place. You need to let us handle it," Chang said in a condescending voice.

  "I don't mean to argue Madam Secretary," Nora replied politely, "but it is my problem. Interest rates on 10-year notes are up 280 basis points today. This is catastrophic. The interest rate swaps are not sufficiently structured to wi
thstand that much of a spike in such a short time."

  While still wildly unregulated, interest rate swaps were derivatives that fell under the jurisdiction of the CFTC.

  Nora Brooks continued her explanation, "These derivatives are based on risk formulas which assume this type of one-day increase could never happen. This is the equivalent of a car insurance company that insures every car in the world. All of a sudden, every car in the world just had a wreck. No insurance company could cover that. What’s worse, because no one would listen to my testimony before congress, there is no regulation on who can buy those insurance policies. Back to the car insurance analogy, every car in the world just had a wreck and every one of these cars are insured by 20,000 other people against loss. It’s really much worse than that, but it’s the only analogy I can come up with at the moment to try to get you to understand what is happening right now."

  "Okay, and what is the total value of derivatives based on interest rate swaps?" Chang was starting to understand that this was a bigger problem than she realized.

  "$700 trillion," Brooks said somberly.

  "I am sorry," Chang needed clarification. “Did I hear you correctly? Did you say billion?”

  "No, Madam Secretary," Brooks answered, "I said trillion."

  Chang sat her phone down. She felt weak in the knees and light-headed. The voice on the phone, it couldn't be real. Deep inside, though, she knew it was true. She felt sick all of a sudden. She sank to the floor, paralyzed by fear.

  Nora Brooks could tell Secretary Chang wasn't going to be much help, so she called the Chairperson of the Federal Reserve, Jane Bleecher. She explained the activities within the derivatives market.

  "So the 10-year is now 18.35%?" Bleecher asked.

  "Yes, Ma'am, up 280 basis points since this morning's bond auction. That represents an 18% increase in the 10-year rate, in a matter of hours. There are no buyers for the existing US debt." Brooks explained.