Invasion: New York (Invasion America) by Vaughn Heppner Read Free Book Online

drained the alcohol. “I don’t know why you’ve come to say any of this to me. You should speak to David, to the President.”
    “How can I do that?” Max asked. “He’s having a nervous breakdown. We who love our country need to help him during this dark hour. We need to help him do the right thing.”
    Anna couldn’t believe he’d just said that. It was true that the pressures against David had unhinged— No! That was a bad choice of words. The pressures had debilitated David; it hadn’t unhinged him. He had trouble making decisions lately other than holding everything as it had been. Ever since the GD had unleashed its offensive and used those Kaiser hunter-killers…
    “What are you really suggesting?” she asked. “You obviously came here to see me. Now say what you came to say.”
    Max watched her more closely than ever. “First I need to know whether you agree with me or not about the President.”
    Anna debated pretending to agree in order to find out Max’s full scheme. He must realize she would never agree to help in whatever he planned. He—
    A chill set in. Why has he sought me out and told me these things if he knows I’ll never agree with him?
    Troubled, Anna thought furiously. If the director knew she would tell David about this… She stared at the man. He watched her, no doubt gauging her reactions.
    He’s telling me these things so I’ll tell David .
    Then it hit her, the real reason for all this. If David learned that Max plotted behind his back, it would add to his worries. She’d heard David say before that Max helped him tremendously with these heavy responsibilities. Hearing about this would put more pressure on David. The Director of Homeland Security wanted her to tell the President. If true—and it had to be true—nothing else made sense. It was a diabolical piece of skullduggery. Surely, it meant that Max felt strong enough to challenge the President directly.
    Or is this to force David into doing things Max’s way?
    “David beat the Chinese in Alaska,” Anna said.
    “He’s beaten the Chinese elsewhere too, once in California and again this winter in Colorado. He has saved our country from three military catastrophes. No one could have done better. Yet you’ve heard the generals tell us that a man only has a limited time for war. Once that time is gone…”
    “Are you suggesting the people replace David at the helm?” she asked.
    Max watched her steadily as he said, “The people would never do such a thing. He has become the father of our country, protecting us where no one else reasonably could. They’re not going to vote against him until it’s too late.”
    The chill in her caused her shoulders to twitch. “It’s time you spoke plainly,” she said.
    “No,” Max said. “I’ve said quite enough. Thank you, Ms. Chen.”
    She almost blurted out that she’d tell David about this, but could she afford to tell the President? Might it drive him over the edge?
    Max stood and gave her a curt nod. He turned away and stepped down from the alcove. His bodyguards hurried to their feet.
    Anna watched them go, and she thought to herself: This is bad. I don’t know what to do.

    TOPEKA, KANSAS

    Sergeant Jake Higgins of the Eleventh Colorado Detention Militia Battalion (CDMB) was very drunk. He staggered down a dark city street in Topeka, Kansas, heading toward trouble.
    None of the lamps worked and low clouds hid the stars. Because of that, he crashed against a garbage can, knocking it to the ground with a lot of noise and slurred curses. He fell, and his hands squished against something wet and smelly. Then he felt wetness soak through his knees.
    With a lurch he rose, swaying and blinking, muttering more profanities. His two best friends snored in a bar whose name he couldn’t remember. They were fellow militiamen of the Eleventh, and the three of them had been to Hell and back this winter. Jake had left his friends in the bar because the bartender had shut him