Tuesday, February 14
Lexington, 4:04 a.m.
"Hello?"
Cliff Hagan was awakened from a sound, if short, sleep by the phone ringing at his bedside.
"Yes it is....okay....the board is what?.....Wednesday...okay, Wednesday afternoon....in secret? Meaning what?.....don't tell the press....yeah...and they'll announce it afterwards? Okay....really??? What makes you think that?....uh huh...alright....the board wants to go forward, thru the end of the week....they're looking at Monday....shi--shoot, I mean, what if Ogarkov decides to drop a bomb before then?....they want us to play....uh huh....now hold on -- who suggested scheduling Louisville for next week????? No, no, NO....doesn't the General Assembly have more important things to do right now????...sure, sure....listen, can all this wait until after lunch? I really need to get some sleep...sir, I have business to attend to, in a few hours, and I need....wait a minute....no, YOU wait...hold ON. We will NOT put our student-athletes in danger, even for basketball...it's 4 in the fucking morning, and this is NOT the time to discuss this! There is a time and it's not right now. I'll get back to you. Goodbye."
Hagan hung up his phone, and looked at his alarm clock. He had an hour and a half before he needed to start his Tuesday. He got back in bed, pulled the sheets over...and took the phone off the hook.
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Frankfort, 4:17 a.m.
OPERATION EXODUS NOW IN EFFECT
The Senator looked at the note: "a few weeks too late," he thought to himself, sitting at his desk.
He glanced at the very unofficial, very real, 272-page notebook on his office desk, detailing how the Commonwealth would deal with the worst.
The Senator wondered if he could get himself, and his family, to the safety of Mammoth Cave if the worst happened, if they could survive, and for how long.
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Louisville, 4:57 a.m.
The Louisville Times newsroom
The reporter, aware of the Valentine's Day peace protest planned for later on in Omaha, Nebraska, was following up on spin-off protests planned locally: the biggest one in Louisville, starting either at the University of Louisville campus or in the city's west end, and smaller ones in Lexington; Bowling Green; Richmond; Murray; Frankfort; Morehead; and Bloomington, Indiana.
****************************************************************
University of Kentucky campus, 5:15 a.m.
The students moved the materials into the three vans, each of which would drive across Fayette County to a barn. If worse came to pass, and the city and campus were bombed, it was hoped their project would be able to do some good, for as long as possible...
Lexington, 4:04 a.m.
"Hello?"
Cliff Hagan was awakened from a sound, if short, sleep by the phone ringing at his bedside.
"Yes it is....okay....the board is what?.....Wednesday...okay, Wednesday afternoon....in secret? Meaning what?.....don't tell the press....yeah...and they'll announce it afterwards? Okay....really??? What makes you think that?....uh huh...alright....the board wants to go forward, thru the end of the week....they're looking at Monday....shi--shoot, I mean, what if Ogarkov decides to drop a bomb before then?....they want us to play....uh huh....now hold on -- who suggested scheduling Louisville for next week????? No, no, NO....doesn't the General Assembly have more important things to do right now????...sure, sure....listen, can all this wait until after lunch? I really need to get some sleep...sir, I have business to attend to, in a few hours, and I need....wait a minute....no, YOU wait...hold ON. We will NOT put our student-athletes in danger, even for basketball...it's 4 in the fucking morning, and this is NOT the time to discuss this! There is a time and it's not right now. I'll get back to you. Goodbye."
Hagan hung up his phone, and looked at his alarm clock. He had an hour and a half before he needed to start his Tuesday. He got back in bed, pulled the sheets over...and took the phone off the hook.
****************************************************************
Frankfort, 4:17 a.m.
OPERATION EXODUS NOW IN EFFECT
The Senator looked at the note: "a few weeks too late," he thought to himself, sitting at his desk.
He glanced at the very unofficial, very real, 272-page notebook on his office desk, detailing how the Commonwealth would deal with the worst.
The Senator wondered if he could get himself, and his family, to the safety of Mammoth Cave if the worst happened, if they could survive, and for how long.
****************************************************************
Louisville, 4:57 a.m.
The Louisville Times newsroom
The reporter, aware of the Valentine's Day peace protest planned for later on in Omaha, Nebraska, was following up on spin-off protests planned locally: the biggest one in Louisville, starting either at the University of Louisville campus or in the city's west end, and smaller ones in Lexington; Bowling Green; Richmond; Murray; Frankfort; Morehead; and Bloomington, Indiana.
****************************************************************
University of Kentucky campus, 5:15 a.m.
The students moved the materials into the three vans, each of which would drive across Fayette County to a barn. If worse came to pass, and the city and campus were bombed, it was hoped their project would be able to do some good, for as long as possible...