“No, you fucking idiot!” Saunders bellowed as he jumped to his feet and bolted over to his desk. Leaning over the phone he screamed into it. “I’ve been watching my people die.”

Still unshaken by the outburst, Osborn continued. “Well, if you take a minute and flip on the nearest radio or TV you’ll see that we’ve won.”

Stunned, Saunders looked at his executive officer. With a motion he directed the lieutenant colonel to turn on the TV in his office. Set on the World News Network station, the image on the tube was that of the President standing before the White House press corps. “How long do you intend to hold the 4th Armored Division back?” one of the journalists in the crowd shouted out above his peers.

Ashen faced and solemn, the President stared at the journalist. “As I said in my prepared statement, I feel the time has come for cooler heads to prevail and leaders on both sides of the issue to sit down and resolve this thing through reasonable and good faith negotiations. Peace and understanding are now the watchwords of our policy.”

Flabbergasted and wide-eyed, Saunders slumped down in his seat. “I’ll be damned.”

HAMMETT, IDAHO NOON, NOVEMBER 11

The 4th Armored Division’s forward command post had been set up and functional for the better part of an hour. Still, the commanding general had yet to make his appearance inside for an update or to consult with his staff. None of the hand-picked officers who manned the austere CP could blame their general. Given half a chance they would flee the crowded confines of the armored command post carriers to some place where they could vent their anger or sulk. Unfortunately for them, they had yet to reach a rank that permitted them the leeway to come and go as they pleased. Unable to escape, the majors, captains, and senior sergeants remained at their posts doing their duties in silence.

When he arrived, the division’s chief of staff was not at all surprised by this sullen atmosphere. It was the same everywhere he went. Standing at the entrance of the tactical operations center, he looked about. When the G-3 saw Felden, he roused himself from his seat and sauntered on over to greet him. “Where’s the general?” Felden asked by way of a greeting.

“Outside. He’s pretty shaken by the insane orders that those jackasses in Washington have issued.”

Felden was about to remind the G-3 that calling the President a “jackass” was inappropriate, but didn’t. How could he fault a fellow officer for articulating something that he himself felt. Instead Felden walked over to the situation map. “We’re still in the process of the collecting of Guardsmen,” G-3 stated as Felden looked at the map symbols representing the various units in the division.