Chapter 23
February 3, 1984
Tallahassee, Florida
Closed Session, State Legislature
Recent developments had created a massive stir amongst the legislators, so after speaking with the governor's office, a special closed joint session was called. Major General Ensslin, the head of the Florida Guard, was delivering a briefing to legislators on Operation GATOR BOWL, which would be the relocation of the legislature to Gainesville. This was followed by a security briefing (unclassified), which detailed the broad level threats, and finally, a briefing from the civil defense director. This last one drew a hail of questions from legislators who wanted to know why their constituencies weren't receiving rations or reinforced shelters. These, of course, were representatives and senators from cities that would be squarely in the bullseye of nuclear missiles and bombs, and lacked appreciation from what would happen if they hit.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Ensslin said, "if you want to know why we aren't putting more resources there, this is why." He pulled up a map of the latest targeting projections he and the Air Guard commander had drawn up.
"As you can see here, there is a significant number of military and city targets in the center of our state. We will be cleaved in two if the Soviets can successfully hit those targets if a war goes nuclear. We simply cannot afford to spend valuable resources in areas that will receive multiple nuclear detonations. These are the areas we are certain will get hit.
- St. Pete International Airport
- Fort MacDill, Tampa
- Tampa International Airport
- Orlando Sanford Airport
- Orlando International Airport
- Cape Canaveral
- Patrick AFB, South Patrick Shores
- Eglin AFB, Valparaiso
- NAS Pensacola
- Hurlburt Field, Wright
- Tyndall AFB, Panama City
- Downtown Miami
- Miami International Airport
- Homestead AFB, Homestead
- NAS Key West
- Jacksonville International Airport/FANG Jacksonville
- NAS Whiting Field, Milton
If these attacks hit as expected, we expect an immediate amount of deaths on the level of 750,000 people and severe injuries of another 1.5 to two million people, many of whom will die in the first 72 hours after an attack. Consider that for a second. Consider the strain that will put on us, struggling to feed the survivors, struggling to transport anything or anyone in a state cut in two by these attacks. The entire center of this state is going to be what is known as "fallout black," a literal dead zone where nobody can travel through because they will die before they get clear of it. Now, I do not need to remind you that this information does not leave this room, but I'm going to anyways. Quite frankly, what I have told you is not something you are cleared to know, but in the interests of saving this state, I have done so. If this is leaked, I will find out who has done it, and I will have you arrested for violating the Espionage Act! Are we clear?"
There were no more arguments in the chamber, just a long, heavy silence.
*****
Fort Myers, Florida
Rosa, Adriana, Carlos and her mother, Mariposa, were in a two-bedroom apartment they'd found in a small complex called the Jackson Plaza Apartments. It fit Jan's description: few windows, concrete building, well clear of the small airport there. It was also crowded. Barely 750 square feet, four people didn't have much room to move in there. Sleeping on air mattresses wasn't very comfortable, either, but it was the best option they had. There was no point on spending on furniture for what was, essentially, a bomb shelter. Rosa was also lonely as hell. She missed Jan, missed feeling his arms around her. It was two days and it felt like two months already. At least she had her mother's cooking, which was better than hers, and she had her father looking out for them. Adriana felt like she was on vacation. They went to the ocean and a waterpark, doing their best to keep her happy.
Right now, she was sitting in the living room, reading a book. Adriana was sleeping in the bedroom that Rosa shared with her, and her parents were watching
Dallas. The episodes had been filmed months before, so they and other shows were a nice escape that didn't focus on the world as it was, but how it used to be. When the phone rang, Rosa practically sprinted across the room to grab it, both out of anxiety and because she didn’t want Adriana to wake up.
“Hello?”
“Hi, baby, it’s me,” Jan said on the other end, hours away at home. “How are you doing so far?” Rosa replied, “Jan, I’m dying without you here. I didn’t think I could miss you so much. Like, when you were on a stakeout and didn’t come home for a few days, I at least knew you were close by, but now…” She took a deep breath, the tear running down her cheek silently. “It’s just really hard. I’m afraid for you, for us. I keep trying to be strong, I’m even avoiding the news and just letting Papa watch it. I can’t bear to look at it, because nothing is positive right now. It’s just all about how everyone is waiting for war to come.”
“Rosa, I’m so sorry. You know I don’t want it to be like this. At least I’ve got some good news for you,” Jan said, smiling in his empty house as he said it. “What is it?” Rosa asked. “We’ve gotten two big leads on this bastard, including a witness. If we’re really lucky, we’re going to bust his ass in the act tomorrow night. I can barely wait. I feel like I’m about to play in the Orange Bowl, just like my Huskers.” That last line made Rosa smile.
He always makes me smile, even when I don’t want to. “Honey, I’m glad to hear that, I really hope you do so you can get out of Miami. Adriana’s on vacation in her little head, but I’m just missing my amazing husband, and praying every night that he returns safely to me.”
“I know, babe. So, how’s the apartment?”
“It smells like my mother’s kitchen. There’s a grand total of three windows, looking at a parking lot or the street. It’s small and we’re crowded, but it’s close to the river and it’s far from the airport, like you said. It’s solid, like it was built to withstand a hurricane. Daddy has already gotten everything ready so we can quickly seal it up if we need to. God, Jan, I really hope we don’t have to. I’m not sure living in a small place like this without fresh air is any better than dying.” Jan heard the fear in his wife’s voice and teared up himself.
Lord, please save us from ourselves. Don’t let us blow the planet up. Most of us just want to live in peace. We need you to stop this before it’s too late, make Reagan and Andropov and all of these people see the light. You promised us never again after the Ark. Did you mean it?
