The Phoenix Reborn Series. Book 1. The World Burns to Ashes

Planning for the Attack

Lincoln spent 2 days preparing his plan, and was surprised when he entered the conference room. The lowest ranking officer present was Major General Howard, and he even recognized the Joint Chiefs.

"Colonel Masters, we have all read your assessment, and the intelligence networks are beginning to agree with it as well. I understand you have a plan for this base to evacuate should an attack be launched?" Lieutenant General Johnson asked him.

"I do, 22.1 miles from here is a cave system that spans 12 miles. There are multiple caverns large enough to accommodate over a dozen Battalions, and their families. These caves delve far below ground, and should provide adequate protection from any form of concentrated attack.

"The best benefit of these caves is that they already belong to the Armed Forces, and there are several caverns that have been fortified, and a command bunker that can easily be converted for communications and protecting the most sensitive equipment that would be needed. This solution only works for Fort Indianapolis, and if each Fort develops it's own plan, it may leave us effective far more than we would otherwise be." Lincoln replied to them showing them the plan he had established for Fort Indianapolis.

The Generals were impressed as he had created a list of supplies they would need to supply those 12 Battalions for 6 months. It also had equipment, seeds, and everything else that was needed to re-establish a full time base.

"How quickly can everything be set up?" General Howard asked.

"We have supplies and equipment for emergency barracks now. To develop them into proper barracks would take a lot of man power, equipment and supplies. The quickest would be years, most likely a decade." Lincoln guessed as he was not an engineer.

"Would taking this equipment impact any of the deployments?"

"No sir, the equipment is for survival training courses that have not been held in 6 years because of the current situation. Those courses are not likely to restart any time soon, and they can be stored properly as easily inside the caves as in secure storage here." Lincoln replied.

The Generals all looked through the plan, and knew it would easily be adaptable to any of the bases. Natural resources would be best for now, even locations that would be away from primary targets for nuclear attack.

"I think it would be a mistake not to implement your plan on a wide scale. All of you are to study maps of your local areas, and determine the best locations to establish as either temporary bases, or rendezvous points for the Battalions under your command. Colonel Masters, I believe your intuition merits further evaluation. Would you consider intelligence analysis as part of your duties?" General William Grant asked him.

Lincoln considered it for a moment before he looked at the General. "I will try to analyze what I can, however I would prefer not to have it added to my regular duties."

General Grant nodded, as he knew the Colonel had not been at his post long. This analysis was the result of him being briefed on intelligence matters pertinent to his mission. "If this is the kind of intelligence analysis we can expect, I believe what your current assignment officially is will be perfect. If you find you have additional time, and do not mind assisting Intelligence, any analysis you submit would be appreciated." General Grant said making it clear it was not an order but he would appreciate it.

"Sir, I suggest you inform our allies of a suspected impending attack as well. Call it intuition if you will, but I believe they will be attacking multiple nations under NATO, as well as Thailand, Israel, and Saudi Arabia." Lincoln said from what he had read that morning.

"The Intel has changed that much in two days?" General Grant asked him.

"No sir, just intuition at this point. For a dozen years Russia has deliberately left most of it's nuclear capability alone, despite expansion. It makes no sense for them not to join their Allies in an all out preemptive strike. If it were me, it would be against any target I perceived as a threat or enemy, and I would expect them to use atleast half of their current inventory in this attack." Lincoln answered honestly.

Each of the Generals knew that was what Intelligence Analysis came down to inuendo, supposition, and sometimes outright guess work. His argument that they were messing with the Arsenal when they knew the US had the ability to monitor those activities was worrying. Since WW2 it had been considered prudent to plan for the worst, hope for the best.

"Alert all commands that for two weeks we are to be ready to go on missile defense at a moment's notice." General Grant ordered all of them. "Do not change your posture, and make your plans quickly."

Lincoln spent 3 days coordinating the supplies and equipment they needed, ensuring that none of the activity would be noticeable on satellite surveillance if it was indeed being used by the enemy. It had taken planning to get them loaded on trucks and transported using differing routes to the Caves.

When he finally toured them, he was amazed they had already been turned into military style barracks and storage areas, and that the conversion would be extremely easy. He had accurately guessed where the command bunker was, and realized that although the systems were nearly 20 years old, but they could be easily upgraded to newer systems. It was connected to a missile defense system inside the base, as it was apparent a different administration had already prepared these caves for this purpose.

He smiled as he realized that it had been prepared as an Emergency bunker as he walked out, as he found the blast door frame, and managed to find the controls for it as well. The only thing he had not found was water, but he knew they had several generators that could be used for that. He added them to the list to be sent over, and prayed that all of this would be for nothing.

The intelligence hadn't changed in 3 days, and he suspected they were deciding how exactly they were going to attack.

Lincoln spent the next 3 days finalizing the plans for the Bunker, and had a skeleton crew maintaining the bunker, and to upgrade some of the systems. The power and water systems had to be tied in so that they could operate most efficently, and the reports of the sealing were showing great promise.

Crops would take the longest, and supplies for a year would be necessary to ensure they could sustain the troops stationed there. There was no way for it to happen, as that level of supply would take nearly every scrap of food that was on the base for the deployments in three days.

Lincoln supplied the reports to General Howard, and read the final reports from his staff about his battalion. He had watched them transform in morning training, and knew they would be lethal.

The reports from the command staff shared that assessment, as they had scored 95 percent efficency at their evaluation. No other Battalion had come close to this score, and he knew his men would be celebrating as they began their last pass as soon as they finished their day.

He would deploy for 15 months in 3 days time, if the attack did not happen as he suspected it would.

He made his way to the barracks just before his men were due to be dismissed for the evening. The all snapped to attention just as the horn sounded to announce the end of official duties at 1700. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I must congratulate you for your success at your assessment. Never before has a Battalion scored such high marks. As promised for all of your hard work, each of you has a 2 day pass. You are to report on the morning of the 23rd, where we will finish preparations and deploy at 1400 hours.

"Each of you is aware of the emergency regroup point, and if any alert is issued during your pass, you and your families are to make your way to that location. Let us pray nothing happens, and that those who we are replacing on the front lines of Ukraine will have the benefit of knowing about the caves. Enjoy your well earned break, and be ready to deploy when next we see each other!" Lincoln exclaimed before his men cheered. They had worked hard over the past 50 days, and it showed in their abilities in training.

Lincoln spent 2 days reviewing every bit of intelligence he could get his hand on, and was looking at the raw pictures as they came in for the unplanned Passover of the satellites. He saw fuel trucks at the ICBMs that were stationary, and they caught pictures of over 2,000 of their missile trucks being deployed from dozens of bases.

Despite it being 0200, he called General Howard on the emergency phone.

"What?" Howard asked a little irritated on the 3rd ring.

"Missile trucks deployed, and fuel trucks at ICBMs. I believe an attack is imminent, and we should initiate emergency evacuation of the base." Lincoln reported as his Red phone rang.

"Hold." he heard before the line went silent for several moments.

Lincoln watched as the DEFCON level went from 2 to 1, and a red light began flashing.

"Initiate emergency evacuation procedure Alpha. All supplies for deployment are authorized for distribution to the bunker. Take all equipment and personnel needed to achieve the goal in 30 minutes." General Howard said as a raid siren sounded.

Lincoln picked up his phone and initiated the emergency signal for his teams. He knew they had roughly 20 minutes before the launches would occur, and every extra minute would allow his men to evacuate. The civilian alert would not be issued until the launch occurred, and Lincoln was planning to use every minute he had.

He ran out to the parade grounds where the men were gathering, and began issuing orders to the men to redeploy the supplies immediately. They knew with emergency conditions activated, only General Howard would be able to overrule his orders.

"Pilots, we need every chopper that is flight worthy loaded to the max for deployment to emergency location alpha. Once there you will shut down and secure your aircraft, this is not a drill!" he yelled so he could be heard over the equipment loading the trucks for the men to drive as soon as they were loaded.

The information the other COs had overheard had them issuing orders to their own men, as many had gathered in their assigned areas.

Lincoln called the bunker, and the officers had logged into the missile defense system, and the controls would be handled from there. "Red Alert, ensure all systems are hardened, prepare to defend what we can." he told them as 8 dozen Patriot launchers came online and prepared to defend against high level targets.

By his order they also brought the laser defense systems online, and all over the nearby cities laser systems that had been placed strategically to provide the best coverage to defend against incoming missiles.

Just as the blades for the first chopper started whirring into life General Howard finally arrived, and approached Lincoln. He could see the red notice in the mans hand, and knew it was a warning that attack was imminent.

"Colonel, I need you to go to the bunker and coordinate the arrival. I will be remaining with a single battalion to provide support, repairs, and to reload the launchers that are here. Once the bombs reach 10 minutes out you are to begin the sealing countdown, it is undoubtedly an attack that will be massive." General Howard told him as the chopper powered up.

"Yes sir, what are my orders should the worst occur?" he asked him.

"In that case it is your command Colonel, and you will find orders in this envelope. Upon the need to open it you will be the General of Fort Indianapolis, for better or worse." General Howard said before turning and issuing orders to the men who would be remaining behind.