The Guardian
Page 37
“This is—this is just ridiculous, Hector!” Jonathan said. “I don’t know what your game is, but this isn’t funny. You could get into a lot of trouble—”
“I ain’t playin’, holmes!” Hector shouted angrily. “They kill my little brother, man! And something bad is about to happen! I’m telling you as a favor.” He hung his head and wiped his eyes. “I don’t know why your government don’t know about this, CIA, but I’m telling you. Someone had to mess up big to miss this.”
Keene stood there dumbfounded. There was no way this could be true. An entire army couldn’t march on the United States’ border and not be detected. He had to call Langley. He reached for his phone and felt it vibrating in his pocket. He looked at the display. Funny, he thought.
“I was just getting ready to call you,” he spoke into the mouthpiece.
“Get back here immediately,” Kevin Jennings ordered.
“Yeah, about that,” Jonathan said, “I think I need to stay here awhile. I need to check something out.”
“No, you need to get back here immediately. Turn on the TV.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Just do it!” came the reply.
Keene glanced around and saw a small television sitting on a makeshift stand at the opposite end of the room. He pushed past the group of men and turned it on. It only took a few moments for him and the others to see what was happening.
Every channel had interrupted their programming, now covering the breaking news. Plumes of black smoke rose into the sky from devastated buildings. Bridges and highways melted into a pile of searing red metal. Ash and debris covered the entire landscape. Cars were turned over and blown to bits. Then the camera changed. A new city. Same result. Then another. And another. Finally, the images ended. The cameras returned to the news station. A disheveled looking man in blue jeans and a sweater sat in front of the camera. He opened his mouth and said the words that would change the course of history.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, less than ten minutes ago, the entire west coast of the United States of America was attacked. A full nuclear strike. Every major city from San Diego to Seattle. The death toll is in the millions ….”