Chapter 18

Washington, D.C.

North Korea just bombed the south. Was he hearing things? Sabre – rattling and bluffing were permissible. But that little shithead knew better than to evoke the wrath of the American war machine. Sessions barely made it out of bed before a team of Secret Service agents whisked him off to the Pentagon.

Heads were spinning wildly amongst the staff who worked inside what was referred to in military terms as the ‘Five-Sided Puzzle Palace.’ On screens across the United States and the world, millions watched in horror as Seoul erupted into flames. It was common knowledge that North Korea had some of the largest nuclear, chemical and biological weapons known to mankind. The threat level moved up a notch to DEFCON 2. Nuclear war could be just around the corner.

“Mr. President, they’re waiting for you.”

It was the United States Marine Corps General James Dunsford, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

They’re waiting for me to formally declare war, Sessions thought.

There were several ‘war rooms’ within the main Pentagon complex. Displayed on large screens were maps of East Asia. Satellite pictures showed the sheer destruction that had befallen Seoul minutes earlier.

The heads of the Joint Chiefs of Staff also included Admiral Paul De Silva (Navy, vice-chairman) and General Mark Morrison (Chief of staff for the Army). Below them were the commandants and chiefs of staff for the air force, navy, marines, and coast guard.

“Before you say anything, I just want to know how many casualties there were,” Sessions inquired.

De Silva shook his head in regret.

“Mr. President, we don’t know anything yet. It’s estimated that such an attack has the potential to kill as many as half a million South Koreans.”

Sessions wanted immediate action. He stirred restlessly in his chair.

“What about the United States Forces Korea? There are approximately 23,470 men and women stationed in Camp Humphries from all branches of the armed forces.”

“Sir, I have attempted to contact General Allen.”

Sessions laced his fingers together and showed his customary poker face. It was the expression he wore when he was thinking, and you couldn’t figure out what his next move was going to be. As expected, this served to frustrate his contemporaries.

“This is not about South Korea,” Sessions said. He paused before continuing. “It’s a smokescreen. North Korea is nothing more than a vassal state of China. War is coming one way or the other. I truly believe that this attack was carried out to divert our attention away from what’s really about to happen.”

“Taiwan,” Dunsford added.

“Exactly. And the Chinese know that if we spread ourselves too thin, it will hurt our chances of winning. Right now, we’re heavily tied down in the Middle East. I shiver at the thought of two rogue states having complete control of that region. The Chinese are enough of a handful, but that little shit, the rocket man, he’s crazier than a bag of hammers.”

“Mr. President, we don’t have much time. It’s crucial to the security of the United States as well as our Indo-Pacific allies that we mobilize every available unit across the country within the next few hours,” said Morrison.

Sessions nodded.

“All regular military personnel are hereby on call to be put into action at any time. The same goes for all reserve and state National Guard units.”

“In a closed meeting, you had expressed interest in reinstating the draft,” De Silva stated.

“Admiral, that’s a line even I won’t cross. I do want to get re-elected next year. Should we get tangled up in a bloody confrontation in Taiwan as well as on the Korean Peninsula, I want an even number of troops in each theatre,” Sessions explained. “Now, we also have Russia, Iran, and Venezuela to contend with. Heaven forbid, if a total world war erupts, I will have no other choice but to – and I will be crucified for this – force millions of young men and women to fight for their country. Judging by the young people of today, I’m not even sure if that’s such a good idea. They’re not like my father’s, grandfather’s, or even my generation. Weak. Spoiled. Anyway, let’s cross that bridge when we come to it. If we can get into North Korea in time, working alongside the South Korean military, we’ll be able to destroy all of Pyongyang’s nuclear sites. Something that should have been done long ago.”

“Mr. President, putting Taiwan on the backburner for just a few minutes, approximately how many troops will we need on the ground on the Korean Peninsula?” Dunsford asked. “We will be starting in the south and pushing north.”

“I read a South Korean military white paper from 2016 that stated that in the event of a war, the U.S. would need close to 700,000 ground troops to take the north. They weren’t factoring in that we will now be simultaneously fighting the People’s Liberation Army and Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps. There have also been varying estimates from the RAND Corporation. North Korea’s military technology is way out of date. Old Soviet-era warplanes and weapons are no match for our stealth fighters. But what Kim does have in his favor are millions of impoverished, brainwashed people who’ve been duped into believing that he and his family are gods. Also, keep in mind that much of North Korea is mountainous. Same with Iran. And if we get pushed into a fight in the jungles of Venezuela, it’ll be Vietnam times ten.”