Read Online Retribution (Soldier Up - Book Five 5) by Steven Linde - Free Book Online

from the Mid-West and West Coast.  The generals were met at the airport by several Humvees, which they boarded and whisked them away to the Pentagon.  They were scheduled to meet General Wallace within the hour to discuss the status of Fort Bragg.  General Wallace was well aware that the 3 rd Infantry Regiment couldn’t defend the Capital or any other place on its own.  They would get what help there was from the Marines stationed around the city, but there weren’t many and the Navy as well.  However, there was no sizable combat force near and even though Fort Bragg was hundreds of miles away. Thanks to one Brigadier General Clayton and Lieutenant General Watkins they now had the means to maneuver those forces.
                  The generals were dumbstruck with what they saw in the nation’s Capital; a once truly glorious city was for the most part in ruins.  There were very few people around and the infrastructure was crumbling from a lack of maintenance.  It was remarkable what had happened over a course of a year and how it affected the buildings that were near the Pentagon.  All the generals from Fort Bragg – the post Commander, 18 th Airborne Corps Commander and 82 nd Airborne Division Commander had been to the Pentagon many times over their careers.  In fact all of them had served there at one time or another.  There three-vehicle motorcade was the only thing on the road. Each man remembered the traffic was horrible almost all of the time on the beltway.  Now it was deserted; at least what vehicles there were on the road had been moved to the side of the road.  From what they had been told it was part of the Presidents back-to-work program for civilians.
                  General Wallace’s aide-de-camp Colonel Essen met the officers in the underground garage.  The Colonel introduced himself and kindly asked the officers to follow him to the General’s conference room.  General Portson and the others followed the Colonel through the maze that was the Pentagon. It was eerie as many of the corridors and offices were dark and it was in the middle of the day.  They knew that the huge building wasn’t fully powered. They knew about the levels that were underground and how they did when the event hit.  The lower levels were supplied electricity like everyone else from the local utilities and then backup generators.  When the event hit, the utilities died and the backup generators didn’t start.  That’s all General Portson and the others really knew, but they all wondered what happened to those people that were down there when it happened.
                  The three general officers entered the conference room where General Wallace was waiting for them.  “Good morning gentlemen,” General Wallace greeted them warmly. “It’s great to see all of you again.”
                  General Portson stepped forward to shake hands, “It’s good to see you too Omar; it’s been a while.” General Portson said with a wide grin. 
                  Lieutenant General Eric Townsend, the Commander of the 18 th Airborne Corps stepped forward next, “It’s great to see you Omar. How are Trish and the kids?” General Townsend asked referring to General Wallace’s family.
                  “They’re wonderful Eric and thank you for asking,” General Wallace replied. 
                  Following General Townsend was Major General Tobias Welford, the Commander of the famed 82 nd Airborne Division.  General Welford was personally picked by General Wallace to take over the 82 nd when the then current commander had a heart attack and died while serving in Afghanistan. 
                  “Tobias, it’s fantastic to see you again.” Clearly General Wallace was happy to see his protégé at least that’s what he considered him.  He wasn’t too far wrong either. General Welford did see General Wallace as his mentor