I can imagine ABC conflating the two, particularly given the rush they're in.
Protect & Survive Miami: End of Watch
- Thread starter wolverinethad
- Start date
I can imagine ABC conflating the two, particularly given the rush they're in.
Here's an idea, wolverinethad, and it's based on another Protect and Survive story, Shelter from the Storm: have the FAA ground all flights in the Keys (restricting it to all of Florida is impossible at this point, IMO; Florida ain't Alaska), at least, after the KLM shootdown until the end of the current crisis (this is based on the FAA restriction on all flights in Alaska in that story) and, then, expand it gradually to the rest of the state as the crisis grows. Reason I think this might happen is due to the Keys' proximity to Cuba, IMO (especially after the previous incursions over the coast and Keys).
Waiting for more, of course...
Waiting for more, of course...
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@wolverinethad Yes, it was Panorama, got the two mixed up because Paxo presented it. Seemed to be quite a pro-CD film.
No. It seemed to be arguing that Civil Defence was inadequate and that there should be more of it. CND has generally argued that there was too much CD and that it was useless anyway.
Chapter 20
Chapter 20
January 28, 1984
Miami, Florida
Jan Klima had put the puzzle together, so to say. Once he'd connected Rosenstein to Rivera, he was able to start pulling records (with the help of Reno's team), and they were slowly assembling a timeline of Rivera's growth from small-time dealer to kingpin, using the real estate purchases that Rosenstein had performed the legal paperwork on. The purchase prices distinguished Rivera's from Rosenstein's other, less wealthy clients, and proved a dramatic growth in income that didn't come from legitimate business, and Manny Rivera sure hadn't won a lottery, since Florida didn't have one of those. The next step was going to be utilizing the RICO statute to gain search warrants for the businesses and properties, and their success was dependent on how cooperative a judge they drew to review their warrants. Janet Reno felt like a win would have to come in the state courts, as the federal judges tended to be more liberal in these cases and more demanding of evidence, not to mention that she'd have to draw in the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, which was a crapshoot at best, given the massive spy hunt currently underway in Florida.
As for the Grimes case, that was going nowhere. Klima was convinced the old couple knew more than they'd let on, but a second attempt to talk to them had led to the door being closed in his face four days ago, and the next day he'd seen Rosenstein, diverting his attention for the foreseeable future. Besides, there were plenty of cops on that case. Luis, meanwhile, was out scouting each piece of Rivera's property holdings, drawing sketches of them for any potential raids. The prospect of an ambush was always there, and no cop willingly courts death. One thing about the change in work, though, was that he'd had free time at night again finally, and so he'd hit the clubs in Coral Gables. Luis was still south of 30, so he had no qualms with hooking up with the gorgeous co-eds that "The U" was famous for, and last night, he'd scored, taking home a junior named Diana. Thinking about her made him smile as he sat in an unmarked car, making notes about the office building he'd just walked through. The words of David Bowie's Let's Dance were drifting from the speakers.
"Let's dance
For fear your grace should fall
Let's dance
For fear tonight is all
Let's sway
You could look into my eyes
Let's sway
Under the moonlight, this serious moonlight..."
*****
Rosa was eating dinner with Adriana alone again. Her husband had become increasingly busy the past couple of weeks, and the death of his boss had only made things worse. She wanted to complain, cry, scream, but she knew it wouldn't do any good. She was afraid for Jan, afraid he'd be killed, afraid that war might break out soon and she'd be facing it alone. She deeply loved her husband and she barely had seen him since before the Super Bowl. He promised it'd cut back soon, but he had to chase down what he was working on now. It wasn't fair at all.
Cleaning the dishes, with the small TV on in the kitchen, Rosa's fears were only heightened by what she saw on the nightly news.
Tonight in London, the government of Margaret Thatcher is facing a grave internal crisis. The imposition of the Emergency Powers Act has drawn severe resistance from cities that have been deeply hit by Britain's extended recession and the austerity measures that Thatcher's government enacted to try to make Britain more solvent. Furthermore, these cities are in the crosshairs of any war with the Soviet Union, as nuclear missiles and bombers are targeted upon them. That resistance and anger spilled out in Brixton, the site of a 1981 riot over severe unemployment amongst British minorities, especially its black population. That grouping of people remains highly unemployed and extremely angry, and earlier today, they marched. Chanting repeatedly "We are not your bloody shields," they wound their way through the center of Brixton, eventually turning into a cordon of riot police. The sight of these police enraged the marchers, fighting began, and at this hour, rioting continues in the streets. Downing Street has issued a statement saying that "essential preparations for national defence will not be thwarted by selfish hooligans."
Rosa's head dropped at that. Why is everyone blithely marching towards war?
*****
"It has been written that conflict often starts by accident. Certainly throughout history, there are many examples of wars or battles being fought because of mere chance. Whether it was Robert E. Lee hoping to find supplies in Gettysburg or Gavrilo Princip being able to murder Archduke Franz Ferdinand because the royal's driver took a wrong turn, thereby sparking the First World War, accidents can cause much greater incidents to occur.
Nobody was really sure whether it was an accident or not when they turned on their televisions or radios the morning of January 29, 1984 in America, but the news was certainly grim, and made more than one person think of Ferdinand. It was even the same part of the world."
From the Washington bureau of NBC News, this is Meet the Press. Here is Bill Monroe.
"Good morning to everyone. Before we begin this morning with our scheduled guests, we have breaking news out of Europe. For this, we turn now to Jim Maceda, our senior producer in London, who is on the phone with us. Jim, can you tell us what's going on?"
"Good morning, Bill. There was a flash over the Reuters wire a couple of hours ago stating that KLM Flight 146, en route to Istanbul, Turkey, had gone down over Bulgaria. Soon thereafter, we began hearing from sources in the British Ministry of Defence that it might have been shot down. As you may recall, it was the downing of KAL 007 by the Soviet Union last fall that began a steep plunge in relations between East and West. Now, it's important to note that this is by no means confirmed, and we are working to find out more."
"Jim, I have to ask, why would this plane have been shot down? After KAL 007, wouldn't the Soviet government be especially cognizant of the dangers of doing something like this again?"
"Bill, that's true, they are certainly aware of the dangers involved, yet at the same time the Soviet Union suffered nothing more than bad press. There was no concrete penalty for their actions, and with the West making more preparations for a potential war, this might be a statement from the Politburo that they take actions like Britain's move to emergency rule as a threat. It could also be that they are especially jumpy right now because of the breakdown in relations. If this was done on purpose, there may well be a war at hand within days, because innocent civilians being murdered isn't something most governments can tolerate without losing the support of their people. To that effect, though, the feeling that war may break out has affected this city greatly. We're hearing reports of at least 25% of workers not having reported to their jobs today, and there are rumors that the security services have raised the threat level to BIKINI RED, which translates to DEFCON 1 in America. The MoD would not confirm that rumor, but they pointedly did not deny it, either. The city is very tense right now, and rumors of a railway strike are now circulating."
"Thank you, Jim. That was Jim Maceda, senior news producer in London, reporting on the crash of KLM Flight 146 in Bulgaria. We'll have more for you as this develops."
*****
Jan Klima was at his desk, poring over more financial reports, when his phone rang. It was hardly the voice he expected to hear.
"Jan, it's Lieutenant Castillo. Listen up, you need to hear what I have to say. That plane crash earlier...the Bulgarians shot it down. Confirmation is going to go public later today. We might be as close as 72 hours from war. You need to get your family to safety. I know you can't warn everyone, but let a few people know they should get out of Miami. This is bad, kid. I want you to know that, if this blows up, I'm proud of you. You've become a hell of a detective, and I knew you would, because you were a good Army officer before you got to me."
"Sir, why are you telling me this? You're breaking security."
"Jan, somebody has to be alive to pick up the pieces. Someone has to know. You wore the green suit, you know the stakes, you've got a good head on your shoulders. People like you, this world is going to need them if shit hits the fan. I don't think we can avoid it now. Now, take care of your family and make sure you pick good people, ok? Castillo out." The line went dead.
Jan picked up the phone and dialed his wife's desk. "Honey, it's me. We need to meet for lunch. Yes, it's really important. Ask your dad to meet us, too. Pick a place and call me back. Love you too. Bye."
January 28, 1984
Miami, Florida
Jan Klima had put the puzzle together, so to say. Once he'd connected Rosenstein to Rivera, he was able to start pulling records (with the help of Reno's team), and they were slowly assembling a timeline of Rivera's growth from small-time dealer to kingpin, using the real estate purchases that Rosenstein had performed the legal paperwork on. The purchase prices distinguished Rivera's from Rosenstein's other, less wealthy clients, and proved a dramatic growth in income that didn't come from legitimate business, and Manny Rivera sure hadn't won a lottery, since Florida didn't have one of those. The next step was going to be utilizing the RICO statute to gain search warrants for the businesses and properties, and their success was dependent on how cooperative a judge they drew to review their warrants. Janet Reno felt like a win would have to come in the state courts, as the federal judges tended to be more liberal in these cases and more demanding of evidence, not to mention that she'd have to draw in the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, which was a crapshoot at best, given the massive spy hunt currently underway in Florida.
As for the Grimes case, that was going nowhere. Klima was convinced the old couple knew more than they'd let on, but a second attempt to talk to them had led to the door being closed in his face four days ago, and the next day he'd seen Rosenstein, diverting his attention for the foreseeable future. Besides, there were plenty of cops on that case. Luis, meanwhile, was out scouting each piece of Rivera's property holdings, drawing sketches of them for any potential raids. The prospect of an ambush was always there, and no cop willingly courts death. One thing about the change in work, though, was that he'd had free time at night again finally, and so he'd hit the clubs in Coral Gables. Luis was still south of 30, so he had no qualms with hooking up with the gorgeous co-eds that "The U" was famous for, and last night, he'd scored, taking home a junior named Diana. Thinking about her made him smile as he sat in an unmarked car, making notes about the office building he'd just walked through. The words of David Bowie's Let's Dance were drifting from the speakers.
"Let's dance
For fear your grace should fall
Let's dance
For fear tonight is all
Let's sway
You could look into my eyes
Let's sway
Under the moonlight, this serious moonlight..."
*****
Rosa was eating dinner with Adriana alone again. Her husband had become increasingly busy the past couple of weeks, and the death of his boss had only made things worse. She wanted to complain, cry, scream, but she knew it wouldn't do any good. She was afraid for Jan, afraid he'd be killed, afraid that war might break out soon and she'd be facing it alone. She deeply loved her husband and she barely had seen him since before the Super Bowl. He promised it'd cut back soon, but he had to chase down what he was working on now. It wasn't fair at all.
Cleaning the dishes, with the small TV on in the kitchen, Rosa's fears were only heightened by what she saw on the nightly news.
Tonight in London, the government of Margaret Thatcher is facing a grave internal crisis. The imposition of the Emergency Powers Act has drawn severe resistance from cities that have been deeply hit by Britain's extended recession and the austerity measures that Thatcher's government enacted to try to make Britain more solvent. Furthermore, these cities are in the crosshairs of any war with the Soviet Union, as nuclear missiles and bombers are targeted upon them. That resistance and anger spilled out in Brixton, the site of a 1981 riot over severe unemployment amongst British minorities, especially its black population. That grouping of people remains highly unemployed and extremely angry, and earlier today, they marched. Chanting repeatedly "We are not your bloody shields," they wound their way through the center of Brixton, eventually turning into a cordon of riot police. The sight of these police enraged the marchers, fighting began, and at this hour, rioting continues in the streets. Downing Street has issued a statement saying that "essential preparations for national defence will not be thwarted by selfish hooligans."
Rosa's head dropped at that. Why is everyone blithely marching towards war?
*****
"It has been written that conflict often starts by accident. Certainly throughout history, there are many examples of wars or battles being fought because of mere chance. Whether it was Robert E. Lee hoping to find supplies in Gettysburg or Gavrilo Princip being able to murder Archduke Franz Ferdinand because the royal's driver took a wrong turn, thereby sparking the First World War, accidents can cause much greater incidents to occur.
Nobody was really sure whether it was an accident or not when they turned on their televisions or radios the morning of January 29, 1984 in America, but the news was certainly grim, and made more than one person think of Ferdinand. It was even the same part of the world."
The Day The World Nearly Ended: A History of the Events Behind February 21, 1984
Northern Michigan University Press, 2014
Northern Michigan University Press, 2014
From the Washington bureau of NBC News, this is Meet the Press. Here is Bill Monroe.
"Good morning to everyone. Before we begin this morning with our scheduled guests, we have breaking news out of Europe. For this, we turn now to Jim Maceda, our senior producer in London, who is on the phone with us. Jim, can you tell us what's going on?"
"Good morning, Bill. There was a flash over the Reuters wire a couple of hours ago stating that KLM Flight 146, en route to Istanbul, Turkey, had gone down over Bulgaria. Soon thereafter, we began hearing from sources in the British Ministry of Defence that it might have been shot down. As you may recall, it was the downing of KAL 007 by the Soviet Union last fall that began a steep plunge in relations between East and West. Now, it's important to note that this is by no means confirmed, and we are working to find out more."
"Jim, I have to ask, why would this plane have been shot down? After KAL 007, wouldn't the Soviet government be especially cognizant of the dangers of doing something like this again?"
"Bill, that's true, they are certainly aware of the dangers involved, yet at the same time the Soviet Union suffered nothing more than bad press. There was no concrete penalty for their actions, and with the West making more preparations for a potential war, this might be a statement from the Politburo that they take actions like Britain's move to emergency rule as a threat. It could also be that they are especially jumpy right now because of the breakdown in relations. If this was done on purpose, there may well be a war at hand within days, because innocent civilians being murdered isn't something most governments can tolerate without losing the support of their people. To that effect, though, the feeling that war may break out has affected this city greatly. We're hearing reports of at least 25% of workers not having reported to their jobs today, and there are rumors that the security services have raised the threat level to BIKINI RED, which translates to DEFCON 1 in America. The MoD would not confirm that rumor, but they pointedly did not deny it, either. The city is very tense right now, and rumors of a railway strike are now circulating."
"Thank you, Jim. That was Jim Maceda, senior news producer in London, reporting on the crash of KLM Flight 146 in Bulgaria. We'll have more for you as this develops."
*****
Jan Klima was at his desk, poring over more financial reports, when his phone rang. It was hardly the voice he expected to hear.
"Jan, it's Lieutenant Castillo. Listen up, you need to hear what I have to say. That plane crash earlier...the Bulgarians shot it down. Confirmation is going to go public later today. We might be as close as 72 hours from war. You need to get your family to safety. I know you can't warn everyone, but let a few people know they should get out of Miami. This is bad, kid. I want you to know that, if this blows up, I'm proud of you. You've become a hell of a detective, and I knew you would, because you were a good Army officer before you got to me."
"Sir, why are you telling me this? You're breaking security."
"Jan, somebody has to be alive to pick up the pieces. Someone has to know. You wore the green suit, you know the stakes, you've got a good head on your shoulders. People like you, this world is going to need them if shit hits the fan. I don't think we can avoid it now. Now, take care of your family and make sure you pick good people, ok? Castillo out." The line went dead.
Jan picked up the phone and dialed his wife's desk. "Honey, it's me. We need to meet for lunch. Yes, it's really important. Ask your dad to meet us, too. Pick a place and call me back. Love you too. Bye."
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Oh, boy, it's hitting the fan now (or starting to). The countdown to February 21st has begun; hope Jan survives postwar (though, given that it is Protect and Survive, anyone can die is in full effect.).
Like the Miami Vice reference, wolverinethad (Castillo was the name of Crockett and Tubbs's supervisor after the second season; he was played by Edward James Olmos)...
Hope you find some way to include a certain Barry Seal; he just seems like a character too fascinating not to include in this story somehow...
Like the Miami Vice reference, wolverinethad (Castillo was the name of Crockett and Tubbs's supervisor after the second season; he was played by Edward James Olmos)...
Hope you find some way to include a certain Barry Seal; he just seems like a character too fascinating not to include in this story somehow...
In many ways, Miami Vice is the raison d'être this story is being written. Loved that show as a kid.
Miami's days are numbered; IMO, what's coming for the state of Florida will leave worse death and destruction than every hurricane that has hit the state IOTL combined...
And we're finally getting a little hint of what the postwar world will be like ITTL (seems like Marquette survived, though it will get fallout, since it's in the path of the North Dakota missile silo fallout)...
Of course, we're not 72 hours from war here; it's more like several weeks...
Waiting for more, of course...
And we're finally getting a little hint of what the postwar world will be like ITTL (seems like Marquette survived, though it will get fallout, since it's in the path of the North Dakota missile silo fallout)...
Of course, we're not 72 hours from war here; it's more like several weeks...
Waiting for more, of course...
No, but Castillo doesn't know that. He's being prudent. He knows it's going to get bad in a hurry.
And, with all this escalating rhetoric between Trump and Kim Jong-Un, alternate history feels like it is slowly converging with real-life. It is terrifying in so many ways.
Chapter 21-Part 1
Chapter 21
January 29, 1984
Miami, Florida
"Good afternoon, this is Ron Rothstein, and you're listening to WINZ, 940 AM. At this hour, the big news out of Europe is the apparent shootdown of Royal Dutch Airlines Flight #146, en route to Istanbul, Turkey. The jet fell from the sky over the skies of Bulgaria, a close ally of the Soviet Union and member of the Warsaw Pact. A number of additional military reinforcements have moved into that nation and others in recent days from the Soviet Union, apparently preparing for a war. Western European cities have been seized with a degree of panic, as mass absenteeism is taking place and a substantial number of people have been fleeing. No word has come from the Soviet Union or Bulgaria about this incident, and the silence is considered by some to be ominous.
Closer to home, the investigation continues into the murder of Miami Dade Police Captain Paul Graves..."
Jan Klima turned the car off as he pulled into the parking lot of the diner in Coral Gables. It had been a favorite of Rosa's when she attended "The U," and it made for a nice, anonymous place to discuss what he was about to hit them with. The detective walked in, dressed casually for this Sunday, and his wife waved to him. She'd gotten a seat in the corner, where the least amount of people would hear them. Jan also saw that Adriana wasn't there. Smart. She must've left her with her mom.
"Hi, babe," Jan said, kissing her on the cheek. "Hi, Carlos," he said to his father-in-law, shaking his hand. He sat down across from them. "I'm not going to drag this out, so brace yourselves. I got a call from Lieutenant Castillo at my desk today. He broke protocol, security, and a bunch of other rules to make the call, too, so I know it's damned important. He said that the plane that went down in Bulgaria was shot down, and based on the briefing he got, he thinks we'll be at war in 72 hours." At this, Rosa gasped a little, and her father grabbed her hand as a reminder to keep quiet and to calm her. Jan continued, "I asked why he did all this for me. He told me that good people will be needed to rebuild, and he thought I was one of the good ones. He told me to tell those I trusted most. There's a few people in the department I'll be telling too. If too many people know, it'll start a panic, and then no one will get out."
"Wh--What do you want us to do," Rosa asked. "Honey, first of all, I want you to go to work tomorrow and ask for a leave of absence. If they are willing to work with you on alternate arrangements, or if you have vacation time you can use, that's fine too, but you, Adriana, your mom and dad....you need to head somewhere away from here. I think Fort Myers is probably safest. It's not big enough to get attacked, there's no nearby bases, but it's big enough to have decent supplies and shelter. You know I've stocked up on supplies, and so has your father. You should be able to fit everything you need in the Bronco. I'll come join you when I can. I can't just disappear, and right now, I'm chasing after someone who's very dangerous. You didn't hear that, by the way. If this man were to survive the worst, he could ruin everyone that's left. He has a lot of money, drugs, and guns, and worst of all, he's smart. He's been ahead of us the entire way. Furthermore, I'm still at risk for call up if necessary. I can't go AWOL. I can't protect you from a jail cell," Jan explained.
Rosa started quietly crying. "Baby, I can't lose you...what would I do with Adriana alone after a war?"
Jan reached across and held her hand. "Rosa, it'll be okay. I promise. Come hell or high water, I'll be back with you. Your dad and mom will be there. You won't be alone. I know my dad has a place in the sticks for him and Mom to go to if war breaks out, cause Omaha won't be there anymore if it does. I know you're scared, but if we wait too long, you'll get stuck on a highway and won't have a chance. I'm going to go to the bank tomorrow and withdraw from our savings, enough to keep you going for a long while. A motel or hotel is probably not best, so just find a decent apartment, concrete building, preferably ground floor, and sign a short-term lease. If it comes to nothing, we lose some money. I can handle that. We can always save more money. If things go bad, I want you safe. When you get everything worked out, call me, give me the address and phone number. I'll call as much as possible."
Carlos looked into his son-in-law's eyes. "Son, I have faith in you. You'll make it through. I'll take care of Rosa. I have some money too, I'll take it out. I can't have you paying for everything, it wouldn't be right, you know? And yes, I know, stock up on non-perishable foods and bottled water. How do I seal up the place again?" Klima replied, "Plastic tarp, preferably clear so you can see out, nice and thick. Use duct tape, all the way around. No edge left untaped. The door can just be sealed around its edges with duct tape. I know this will probably be miserable with the heat. You should be able to rig up a box fan to a car battery to cool things a little inside the apartment if necessary. You don't need to seal anything until you know. Just have what you need ready. I have some ideas for getting out of Miami if I have to, but my plan is to take vacation as soon as we catch this guy. We ought to have him soon."
Rosa looked at her husband. "And what if you don't?"
"I will."
*****
Part 2
Tallahassee, Florida
Governor's Mansion
Bob Graham had just received his security briefing of the day, which included the electronic intelligence that confirmed that the Soviets or their friends had shot down KLM 146. His first instinct was to curb all flights out of Florida to the Caribbean, but that wasn't in his purview. He did, however, call Ed Meese at the White House, who agreed with Graham's basic thought and set up a conference call with the FAA and the Secretary of Transportation, Elizabeth Dole. After discussing the issue, a compromise was reached that any flights leaving for Caribbean destinations were not allowed to fly within 50 miles of the Cuban coast and air defense zone, the end result was flights needing to head over the Atlantic and then turn south. Furthermore, Graham asked for and received permission from the Pentagon to have the Key West and Homestead air patrols work further offshore to protect air traffic. The irony of it all was that a substantial amount of people cancelled their trips after hearing about the shootdown, not wanting to get near Cuba in any way, shape, or form. Between this and lingering concerns from last fall's Grenada invasion, Caribbean tourism traffic came to a virtual standstill.
Three weeks later, those who survived would lament not having taken those flights.
*****
January 31, 1984
With the compiled sketches from Luis Cárdenas in hand, Reno's assistant state attorneys went to get search warrants for the properties believed to be owned by Manny Rivera, and succeeded in doing so. Office buildings, strip mall locations, and a couple of rented houses were methodically searched by the detectives and Miami's SWAT team, with precisely zero evidence discovered, to the chagrin of everyone involved. There was, however, one lucky break. Paul Rosenstein was, in the case of the office buildings, the person of contact for any emergency situations, and he received several calls from tenants wanting to know what the hell was going on. The attorney was spooked enough by this to place a call to one of Rivera's lieutenants, informing him of the raids. The call was duly logged by the trace set up on the line (there was no active surveillance due to the enormous legal fight that would ensue over trying to wiretap a target's attorney), and Reno's task force would see it a few days later, thereby setting the stage for a showdown against the backdrop of nuclear holocaust.
January 29, 1984
Miami, Florida
"Good afternoon, this is Ron Rothstein, and you're listening to WINZ, 940 AM. At this hour, the big news out of Europe is the apparent shootdown of Royal Dutch Airlines Flight #146, en route to Istanbul, Turkey. The jet fell from the sky over the skies of Bulgaria, a close ally of the Soviet Union and member of the Warsaw Pact. A number of additional military reinforcements have moved into that nation and others in recent days from the Soviet Union, apparently preparing for a war. Western European cities have been seized with a degree of panic, as mass absenteeism is taking place and a substantial number of people have been fleeing. No word has come from the Soviet Union or Bulgaria about this incident, and the silence is considered by some to be ominous.
Closer to home, the investigation continues into the murder of Miami Dade Police Captain Paul Graves..."
Jan Klima turned the car off as he pulled into the parking lot of the diner in Coral Gables. It had been a favorite of Rosa's when she attended "The U," and it made for a nice, anonymous place to discuss what he was about to hit them with. The detective walked in, dressed casually for this Sunday, and his wife waved to him. She'd gotten a seat in the corner, where the least amount of people would hear them. Jan also saw that Adriana wasn't there. Smart. She must've left her with her mom.
"Hi, babe," Jan said, kissing her on the cheek. "Hi, Carlos," he said to his father-in-law, shaking his hand. He sat down across from them. "I'm not going to drag this out, so brace yourselves. I got a call from Lieutenant Castillo at my desk today. He broke protocol, security, and a bunch of other rules to make the call, too, so I know it's damned important. He said that the plane that went down in Bulgaria was shot down, and based on the briefing he got, he thinks we'll be at war in 72 hours." At this, Rosa gasped a little, and her father grabbed her hand as a reminder to keep quiet and to calm her. Jan continued, "I asked why he did all this for me. He told me that good people will be needed to rebuild, and he thought I was one of the good ones. He told me to tell those I trusted most. There's a few people in the department I'll be telling too. If too many people know, it'll start a panic, and then no one will get out."
"Wh--What do you want us to do," Rosa asked. "Honey, first of all, I want you to go to work tomorrow and ask for a leave of absence. If they are willing to work with you on alternate arrangements, or if you have vacation time you can use, that's fine too, but you, Adriana, your mom and dad....you need to head somewhere away from here. I think Fort Myers is probably safest. It's not big enough to get attacked, there's no nearby bases, but it's big enough to have decent supplies and shelter. You know I've stocked up on supplies, and so has your father. You should be able to fit everything you need in the Bronco. I'll come join you when I can. I can't just disappear, and right now, I'm chasing after someone who's very dangerous. You didn't hear that, by the way. If this man were to survive the worst, he could ruin everyone that's left. He has a lot of money, drugs, and guns, and worst of all, he's smart. He's been ahead of us the entire way. Furthermore, I'm still at risk for call up if necessary. I can't go AWOL. I can't protect you from a jail cell," Jan explained.
Rosa started quietly crying. "Baby, I can't lose you...what would I do with Adriana alone after a war?"
Jan reached across and held her hand. "Rosa, it'll be okay. I promise. Come hell or high water, I'll be back with you. Your dad and mom will be there. You won't be alone. I know my dad has a place in the sticks for him and Mom to go to if war breaks out, cause Omaha won't be there anymore if it does. I know you're scared, but if we wait too long, you'll get stuck on a highway and won't have a chance. I'm going to go to the bank tomorrow and withdraw from our savings, enough to keep you going for a long while. A motel or hotel is probably not best, so just find a decent apartment, concrete building, preferably ground floor, and sign a short-term lease. If it comes to nothing, we lose some money. I can handle that. We can always save more money. If things go bad, I want you safe. When you get everything worked out, call me, give me the address and phone number. I'll call as much as possible."
Carlos looked into his son-in-law's eyes. "Son, I have faith in you. You'll make it through. I'll take care of Rosa. I have some money too, I'll take it out. I can't have you paying for everything, it wouldn't be right, you know? And yes, I know, stock up on non-perishable foods and bottled water. How do I seal up the place again?" Klima replied, "Plastic tarp, preferably clear so you can see out, nice and thick. Use duct tape, all the way around. No edge left untaped. The door can just be sealed around its edges with duct tape. I know this will probably be miserable with the heat. You should be able to rig up a box fan to a car battery to cool things a little inside the apartment if necessary. You don't need to seal anything until you know. Just have what you need ready. I have some ideas for getting out of Miami if I have to, but my plan is to take vacation as soon as we catch this guy. We ought to have him soon."
Rosa looked at her husband. "And what if you don't?"
"I will."
*****
Part 2
Tallahassee, Florida
Governor's Mansion
Bob Graham had just received his security briefing of the day, which included the electronic intelligence that confirmed that the Soviets or their friends had shot down KLM 146. His first instinct was to curb all flights out of Florida to the Caribbean, but that wasn't in his purview. He did, however, call Ed Meese at the White House, who agreed with Graham's basic thought and set up a conference call with the FAA and the Secretary of Transportation, Elizabeth Dole. After discussing the issue, a compromise was reached that any flights leaving for Caribbean destinations were not allowed to fly within 50 miles of the Cuban coast and air defense zone, the end result was flights needing to head over the Atlantic and then turn south. Furthermore, Graham asked for and received permission from the Pentagon to have the Key West and Homestead air patrols work further offshore to protect air traffic. The irony of it all was that a substantial amount of people cancelled their trips after hearing about the shootdown, not wanting to get near Cuba in any way, shape, or form. Between this and lingering concerns from last fall's Grenada invasion, Caribbean tourism traffic came to a virtual standstill.
Three weeks later, those who survived would lament not having taken those flights.
*****
January 31, 1984
With the compiled sketches from Luis Cárdenas in hand, Reno's assistant state attorneys went to get search warrants for the properties believed to be owned by Manny Rivera, and succeeded in doing so. Office buildings, strip mall locations, and a couple of rented houses were methodically searched by the detectives and Miami's SWAT team, with precisely zero evidence discovered, to the chagrin of everyone involved. There was, however, one lucky break. Paul Rosenstein was, in the case of the office buildings, the person of contact for any emergency situations, and he received several calls from tenants wanting to know what the hell was going on. The attorney was spooked enough by this to place a call to one of Rivera's lieutenants, informing him of the raids. The call was duly logged by the trace set up on the line (there was no active surveillance due to the enormous legal fight that would ensue over trying to wiretap a target's attorney), and Reno's task force would see it a few days later, thereby setting the stage for a showdown against the backdrop of nuclear holocaust.
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So, just so everyone is aware, I got the day of the week wrong in Chapter 20, so Today has been replaced with Meet the Press.
Well, now, there's many potentialities to how this plays out. If you consider what Manny has done, though, with the advice of his Agency friends, his potential for surviving is pretty high.
Chapter 21, Part 2
So, if everyone scrolls up the page, you'll see the rest of Chapter 21, inserted at the end. I didn't have too much more to write for this part, but now Chapter 21 is complete.