Deluge (The Best Thrillers Book 2) by James Best (top romance novels txt) 📗

just the Central Valley. A good portion of the Southern California citrus production was decimated by the Castaic failure. In Northern California, grapevine rot is a real possibility. The Central Valley has been transitioning to manufacturing to reduce dependency on agriculture and water, of all things. All those new factories will soon be gone. So … here’s the question you must ask yourself; can Silicon Valley and Hollywood carry the state tax burden?”

The expression on Gleason’s face gave Smith his answer.

He continued, “They’ll probably survive this storm to inherit a massive debt load that they can easily avoid by moving to another state.” He let that sink in. “There’ll be a grand exodus of brain power and intellectual property. Everyone will scramble away to survive, to find a new home, to start a new life. California will no longer be the Golden State. It will be the Great Soggy State.”

During Smith’s entire diatribe, Gleason’s face grew longer and longer. By the end, he was shaking his head no, as if he could make the facts go away.

“You’re wrong. We’ll recover. By economic measurements, we’re the fifth-largest country in the world. We are the Golden State! We’ll remain the Golden State!”

“Then I have only one question,” Smith said. “Did you put anything away for a rainy day?”

“Our people. Our people make this economy hum. You’re wrong. They’ll remain. We’ll rebuild.”

“What’s happening on the Mexican border?”

Gleason shook his head, but he looked worried because he knew what Smith was going to say.

“It’s a six-hour border crossing,” Smith said “All heading south. The line extends well into San Diego.”

“They’ll come back,” Gleason said firmly.

Smith shook his head. “Undocumented workers won’t return until you have crops to harvest or factories that need low-skilled laborers. Of all the residents of California, immigrants will depart first. They’re already leaving. I suspect the Nevada and Arizona borders have even more crossings than the Mexico border. Next will be people who no longer have a home. Their property will remain unbuildable for years. They’ll abandon California and their mortgages. And their property tax. No income tax either. No sales tax. Just a void where a cash cow used to graze. Next will be businesses who survived but don’t want to absorb the crushing burden all by themselves. Their workers will follow because no other employment opportunities will exist.”

“So, what are you saying, just give up? We’re all out of a job anyway?”

“I’m saying, do your job,” Smith said. “Quit being a Pollyanna. Face facts and take actions to mitigate the damage. Don’t tell the governor good news because that’s what he wants to hear. Tell him the truth so he can exercise good judgment.”

“Actions like opening the floodgates,” Gleason stammered. “Good god, man, you’ve taken leave of your senses.”

Wilson stepped toward the LG. “Sir, it’s going to get worse. For a day or so, you can again collect water behind those dams, but they’ll soon fill to overcapacity again. If it stopped raining this very minute, runoff from the western Sierras would worsen conditions in the valley. And it’s not going to quit for at least six more days. Drastic action is necessary.”

“What kind of drastic action?” Brady said, sounding like a taunting middle-schooler.

Baldwin jumped into the conversation. “Evacuate the entire valley. Give priority to Shasta. Next—”

“You’re blowing smoke,” Brady said. “Evacuations are dangerous. Panicked people driving in heavy rain is a prescription for disaster. Besides, the Shasta Dam is safe. Paul, ignore this woman. She doesn’t know what she’s talking about.”

Baldwin turned to face Brady. “You asked the question. Do you really want to hear an answer?”

A long silence ensued, and then the LG told her to proceed.

Baldwin jumped in with an idea she had come up with while talking to a colleague still in Sacramento. “The Sacramento airport is lower than the city proper. It’s closed due to flooding, so we can’t use aircraft to evacuate the city. But … closing off the spillways should give us a respite to use semitrucks to evacuate valuables from the city. Private and public valuables. Government papers, art, antiquities, cash from banks, jewelry, the works. You might only have a day before the water gets too deep. Get everything tagged, transported, and into a secure San Francisco warehouse before dawn tomorrow. Send an alert to other cities like Fresno to get their valuables to high ground. Next—”

“There’s a next,” Brady sneered.

“Yes, first get people and valuables away from the coming flood,” Baldwin said. “People first, then property. After valuables, evacuate moveable construction and agricultural equipment. Dozers, those things with the big shovels, tractors, harvesters, anything that moves. Equipment we’ll need to rebuild after the floodwaters recede. Stuff we can’t get to San Francisco, move uphill as much as possible.”

“Do you think this will save the state?” Gleason asked hopefully.

“No, it will save our people, our wealth, and the equipment needed to dig our way out of the mud,” Baldwin said. “Listen, on the drive up here a few days ago, I saw how helpless the CHP were because they lacked UTVs. The right equipment makes a difference. I know nothing about construction, but you have people who do. They can make a prioritized list. The National Guard can orchestrate the evacuation. I’m not suggesting martial law, just the use of the Guard to get stuff from point A to point B.”

Smith said, “She’s right. Quit thinking D-Day and start thinking Dunkirk. You need to get moving now. It won’t make the disaster go away, but it may very well salvage the state.”

Ashley started to speak, but Brady interrupted him. “You’re a history teacher, if I recall. We don’t need more of your sermons about what happened one hundred and fifty years ago.”

Ashley visibly bristled, but said nothing.

Everyone turned to Gleason and waited for him to break the silence.

He fiddled with the blue folder and then tossed it into a drawer. “I don’t mean to be short. I get different advice from different experts. Whom should I trust?” He held