Armageddon

By Donald C. Boggs

When Race Cant lost his wife and child during birth in his Kentucky mountain cabin a few years after the war between China and Russia in the mid-2050s his world was torn asunder. He had just finished a long guerilla war after Russias and Chinese occupation of the United States. His trip to forget his past took him to a cabin near Sitka, Alaska and adventure with another more complicated fight with the same enemy in Alaska, China and Russia. Race Cants development of far advanced fighter planes capable of supersonic and orbital capabilities proved devastating to the Chinese and Russians. The development of laser rifles further assured problems for the tenacious enemy. Races crew of Asian female pilots provided him with superior pilots and an enviable love life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: May 20, 2014
• ISBN: 9781499022476

Donald C. Boggs

Donald Boggs was born and reared in the Cumberland Mountains of Virginia. He served two years in the Army and after his discharge earned a D.D.S. degree from the University of Tennessee. He spent his professional career providing dental care to American Indians and Alaska Natives. He retired from dentistry and now spends his summers in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee and winters in Florida with his wife, Irene. Donald recently published the “Defiant Ones” and has another book due to be published within two months.

Book preview

Armageddon

And there were voices, and thunders, and lightning’s; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. From Revelations.

Chapter One

Three men sat at the rectangular table in a bunker building deep in the heart of Russia. Few people knew that the structure even existed. The men were the new power of the nation that the world recognized as Russia. It was the New Russia, the Phoenix rising from the ashes of the old. The war between Russia and the United States in 2029 had virtually destroyed both countries after they traded inter-continental missiles. The eastern United States was notably short of humans as was most of Russia. The only good thing that could be said about both countries was that they used non-nuclear missiles, the ones that killed but did not destroy infrastructure, buildings, cities, military hardware. What use would a conquered nation be if nothing was left to claim? The recent war had left both countries crippled. The Russians were thinking of revenge while the United States was withdrawing within itself like a turtle.

The Russians suspected that the United States still had some nuclear capability west of the Mississippi River, but they didn’t know how much. The Americans believed the Russians could still have nuclear missiles somewhere in the vastness of Siberia and near the Black Sea.

The difference in thinking was vastly different between the two countries. The Americans only wanted to recover and rebuild after the last conflict. The remaining Russian leaders and the new ones that replaced the ones that survived the first attack, wanted to finish destroying the United States. They fervently believed that the United States was on their knees and little more was needed to finish them off. Their thinking had never considered that what they were planning would leave a country that they could never fully exploit—a nation that would never recover for untold centuries.

The leader of the three men was known as Igor Sergikoff, the acting President of the Soviet Union. He was a burly, heavy, bellicose, bully with a red protruding nose, a sign of too much vodka and rich food. His Vice President, Tori Kozloff was in extreme contrast. He was tall, thin to the point of emaciation, but a brilliant tactician. His small moustache twitched constantly, making him look like a starved weasel. Another of the four was Ivan Volte, Chief of the resurrected KGB. The fourth and least important of the group was simply known as the Doctor, the man in charge of biological warfare.

Sergicoff spoke gruffly, Comrades, In spite of our setbacks, I believe now is the ideal time to hit America with a final blow. I know the country wants to be done with war. I believe that they think we are finished. I also believe that they have no idea about this secret facility, or our capabilities to strike them again with our missiles and men. We still have a large number of both. We only need the guts to finish them off for good. Do you agree with me?

The Chinese have agreed to cooperate with us and are as we speak, gathering their resources to strike at the west coast of America with intercontinental missiles and troops. We have shared our technology with them that will neutralize the American radars, communications, and spy satellites. The Americans will be blind and helpless. A large number of troops will not be needed in the rural areas and small cities. We can concentrate our resources in the larger cities and military bases. Their planes, larger guns and hardware requiring sophisticated computers and software, will be completely neutralized. They will be at our mercy; but they won’t get any.

Though the other three men had some misgivings, they were afraid to speak out. Sergicoff had the KGB and the remaining military people behind him. The deal was sealed.

Sergicoff spoke once more, Our troops are ready to deploy at a moment’s notice. We have enough planes and enough troops to finish what we started a few years ago. The eastern United States is pretty well leaderless. Their newly elected president is incompetent and the American congress is in disarray. This wouldn’t be necessary if that damned guerilla leader, Race Cant hadn’t got a rag tag group of rednecks behind him and outmaneuvered our troops in the last war we had with them. We have a new bunch of generals now who are much more capable than the previous ones.

A group of Chinese sat around a table deep in the center of China. Their conversation was along the same track as their comrades, but not actually considered to be their friends. The leader, Lu Kim, was speaking. He was a short, pudgy little man with a receding hairline and a smooth, baby face. Lu Kim spoke, Comrades, the Russians are ready to strike America the minute we notify them when we will be hitting the west coast. We have finally got the technology that will allow us to defeat them at our will. All of you have agreed to this historic move. We will succeed even though our military is not as powerful as it once was. We will be using paratroopers as well as ships to take over the coastal cities of California and Alaska. Alaska doesn’t have many military bases anyway; and not that many troops. Their National Guard bases are under-manned and in need of supplies and support. Are you ready?

Yes. The group roared.

Chapter Two

Race Cant stood outside his burned out cabin along the Pigeon River in Tennessee. He thought of his beautiful wife, who had lost her life when the cabin burned down while Cant had gone to the little town of Newport to get some supplies. What a difference in a person’s life an hour can make. He had little idea what he would do now. He had a ranch in Colorado that he could go to. He could build another cabin, but the thought of living in Tennessee without his wife brought a pain to his chest that wouldn’t go away. He just wanted to get away by himself to see if he could ever have a reason to live.

Race had no money worries. He had ended his service to his country a few years earlier just as it was beginning to recover from the war between Russia and the United States. The Russians had been badly beaten by a courageous band of mountaineers and others from all over the United States. The eastern part of the United States had been virtually destroyed by the Russian ICBM’S. The fledgling American government was just now being rebuilt in Denver, Colorado. No one knew how that would turn out. All the well-known leaders had been killed with the first strike by the Russians. Race felt that such a purge of the old leaders was for the best. The American leaders had been useless know it alls that would listen to no one. Most of them had lost their drive, vision and that patriotic spark that was good for the country.

Fortunately for the Americans, the Russians had used missiles that did little physical damage. They had used the same type missiles that the Americans had used on them, ones that killed the inhabitants but destroyed virtually no structures. Most of the inhabitants east of the Mississippi River were now only dust.

Race Cant, the former Commander of the American troops, was trying to recover from the loss of his wife by running away. He wanted to see nothing that would remind him of his happy days with his wife. It was not an easy undertaking. He hoped that leaving familiar surroundings would help him forget his past, or at least tolerate the wall he was trying to build in his mind against outside influences.

He drove his Humvee towards Newport, Tennessee, turning left on Interstate 40 and on to nowhere, anywhere, away from the memories of his wife and friends. He said no goodbyes. He would make up his mind while he drove—away. He could go to his ranch in Wyoming along the Snake River or to Colorado or to Alaska. He knew about a place near Sitka, located on a cold mountain stream full of trout and salmon—in the summer and fall. It was an isolated place accessible only by water or seaplane. It was ideal for someone who needed to heal his heart and mind. Lord if anyone needs that, I do.

The more he thought about it the more he liked the idea. He could get there one of three ways. He could fly in to Sitka, drive his Humvee over the Alaska Highway and catch a ferry from Haines Junction or buy a boat in Seattle and navigate up through the inland waterway. Unfortunately there was a long stretch of water where he would have to be in the open ocean and know how to plot a course to get to where he wanted to go. After he thought about it for a hundred miles or so he knew his only course was to go by boat. He had all his money, gold and greenbacks hid in a secret compartment on the Humvee. He would go to Seattle, learn how to navigate in salt water and ocean waters, and sail to Sitka. He decided on buying a sail boat for two reasons. One was the inability to get diesel fuel when he might need it for his auxiliary motor. And, the other reason was that he didn’t want to be near people any more than absolutely necessary.

The trip to Seattle took almost a week. He was in no hurry and drove slowly, trying to enjoy the trip. He didn’t. He checked out boat dealers in the phone book in Seattle and visited them until he found one who seemed pleasant and honest. They were very helpful in recommending a boat that he could handle by himself. He didn’t want to have to hire anyone to help him handle the craft. He decided early in his search which one he liked best. It was a 34-footer, only two years old, and in pristine condition. The previous owner had to let it go back to the finance company when he couldn’t come up with the payments. Race paid the dealer on the spot with cash from his cache on the Humvee.

Mister, he inquired tell me where I can get a decent apartment near a place that gives marine training in seamanship and boat handling.

Son, the old dealer said, "I see that you are doing it the right way. Most people don’t prepare themselves for boat handling, and a lot of them end up dead after the first or second trip. I can advise you how to locate both those places and I wish you the best of luck. You know what they say about luck, though. The best luck is that made by the wisher.

Race immersed himself in a Coast Guard training program, as well as a boat handling course. It proved out later to be a fortuitous move. He learned how to plot a course, use a sextant, emergency procedures, use of a GPS device and other things he had never known or expected to need. The three months spent were the best investments he had ever made in his entire life.

He continued his planning. He contacted a real estate agent in Sitka and talked with him about the property on Naquesina Creek. It was located northeast of Sitka about twenty miles at the head of a bay with a dense cover of Sitka spruce, alder, blackberries and huckleberries. When