by EE Isherwood
Emily seemed to catch on to his tiptoeing around the bush. “You said ‘I.’ Does this mean you don’t want me there?”
Ted had so much going inside his brain, he spoke before he could think about it. “You are going to get lost in the city, like you said. When the allies come to your rescue, and they will, you can wave at them from the top of a building or whatever.” He pulled out his phone. “You can keep this with you.”
She sat in silence as they rushed along an empty six-lane avenue with dozens of wrecked cars that had been pushed onto the shoulders. The north-south interstate was ahead; their road was going to take them across the highway shortly, then onto the winding path up to the NORAD base.
He slowed the truck next to a row of modern homes. “I’m sorry, Em. My job is to protect the assets of this nation. I did it for Kyla. Let me do it for you.”
The rapid deceleration made her fall against the spartan dashboard.
“Ted, I didn’t come this far to get out and hide in a basement. I’m the president. I tell you what to do, not vice versa.” She smiled, suggesting a lighthearted attitude, but he knew better. Her voice was hoarse and quiet; she was upset.
He let the truck roll at about thirty. “Once we cross the highway and start up the road to the base, there’s no going back.”
“If you want me out of this truck, you’re going to have to physically walk around and pull me out the door. Otherwise, let’s get this over with.” She sat back in her seat, arms crossed. For the first time since they’d been together, he got the sense of what she’d be like as the president in one concise moment: driven, confident, and not easily frightened.
Ted let the truck slow even more. As he looked over, he wished he could say something profound, such as how he was proud to go into battle with her, or whatever happened, at least they were together. Everything sounded corny in his head. He simply looked into her chestnut eyes and planned—
An explosion ripped apart an abandoned car sitting next to the road about fifty yards ahead.
“They’re already here!” he shouted, pounding the gas pedal.
NORAD Black Site Sierra 7, CO
Victor put his hand in the elevator door to keep it open. Tanager scurried over with a little metal toolbox he’d picked up in the hallway. “The techs keep this handy down here.”
Tabby didn’t know what to think. “Victor, what are you doing here? You said you weren’t going to turn me in…”
He smiled. “And I’m not. I tried to follow you outside, but there was no one out there. That’s when I figured out you went down the elevator instead of up. I have to admit I began to doubt what I was doing when you weren’t at any of the transfer levels, but there was no way to stop once I’d started. I’m glad to see you. Are you happy to see me?”
She was pleased, in the moment. It beat seeing David or Charity come out. But she could never forget who he was: part of an army who’d killed everyone in her country, including her mom.
“Let’s just say you’re growing on me.” Tabby decided not to speak her true feelings. Whatever else he was, the young man was her ticket to getting out of the bunker. She turned to Tanager. “This man was held prisoner. His name is…”
“President Tanager,” Victor exclaimed.
“You know who he is?” How did a foot soldier in an enemy army know him, but she did not?
“Of course. He’s the last president of the United States of America. It’s an honor to meet you in person, sir.” Victor stuck out his hand to shake.
Tanager seemed worried. He looked around her and Victor toward the elevators. She thought he might be anxious to make good on the open door. However, he still refused to accept the salutation. “I will not make nice with the people who destroyed my country.”
“I didn’t—” Victor tried to say.
Tanager cut him off. “Save it. Why are you really here?”
The kid seemed taken aback. “For her, of course. She was supposed to be my betrothed. David set it up, but Tabby had no interest in the arrangement. I guess I want to see if I can change her mind.”
Don’t stomp on his heart, girl. Save it for when you’re safe.
“Keep trying,” she replied in a friendly voice.
“See?” Victor added, for Tanager’s benefit.
There was no point in sticking around a second longer than necessary. They had everything required for an escape, except a weapon. However, if there was a toolbox…
She strode over to the elevator door and opened the box. As expected, there were makeshift weapons of all kinds. “Grab a tool, boys. We’re going back up.” She pulled out a big crescent wrench, but also put a screwdriver inside the cinched-up blanket she was using for a skirt.
Victor crouched to study the box, but Tanager stayed where he was.
“Come on, sir. We’ve got to arm up.”
“I’m afraid I’ve been a bit untruthful about what I’m doing down here.” He still didn’t come over. As she waited to figure out why, he lifted the leg of his trousers, revealing a black ankle bracelet.
Victor knew what it was. “You have a keep-in-place.”
Tanager laughed. “Yeah, you people have such simple names for things, but essentially, you’re correct. My keep-in-place is this subterranean dungeon. If I try to go up the elevator, someone would have a long day cleaning up the mess. This thing will explode.”
“You can’t leave?” she asked sadly. “Can we get it off your leg?”
“Not possible,” Victor said, pulling out a socket driver and hefting it as if to test if it was worthy of being his weapon.
She glared at him until he looked up.
Victor kept talking. “What? It’s true. Unless you have the key, they are designed to explode if anyone tampers with them. It’s probably why they keep him away from everyone else. Safety.”
Tabby wanted to leave but couldn’t give up on her nation’s leader. “Is there anything we can do for you?”
Tanager became reflective, looking out the window into the pit. “If you see David, tell him this is not a dignified way to hold the leader of the free world. Tabby, you’ve made me realize how much I miss being with people. I need babies to kiss. Lollypops to steal.” He laughed.
“Well, I recently got the ability to vote. If you ever come back into office, you’re going to get mine.”
“That’s sweet,” he replied. “You two get out of here. Good luck topside. I can only imagine what it’s like up there.”
“Thank you, sir,” she said, stepping over the toolbox to get into the elevator.
Victor was about to yank the box through the gap, but he stopped short. Instead, he looked over to Tanager. “Sir, I really am sorry they did this to you.”
“I’m sure you are,” the man said dryly.
Victor pulled the box into the car.
Tabby started on her journey to the surface.
CHAPTER 25
Pike’s Peak, CO
Colonel Avery let Kyla and Meechum watch the drone feed. The man chatted as the flying device made its way across the five or so miles to the other mountains.
“Where did you boys come from, sir?”
“Eielson Air Force Base. It’s in North Pole, Alaska, which is pretty much in the heart of the Last Frontier. Task Force Yankee is only one of the missions flying out of there, trying to figure out what happened. We learned right away the Blackout superweapon didn’t have the reach to clear the state of Alaska beyond Juneau. We’ve done a lot since then, but your tip about NORAD might be what we’ve been looking for. I guess we owe you…”
Kyla had no idea where he was going with his answer.
“We were told before we left to avoid big cities and especially airports, as that was their vector of approach into our abandoned lands. We saw a hell of a lot of piles of people’s clothes. Way too many.” He seemed to hold his breath for a few moments. It wasn’t an easy task in the thin air at fourteen thousand feet. “I can’t tell you how nice it is to find survivors. I’m
sorry for not trusting you earlier. We can’t take any chances.”
Meechum stood up straight. “Requesting to have our weapons returned, sir.”
Avery glanced at both of them before looking at one of his team. “Get the Marine her weapons.”
Without missing a beat, Meechum pulled the pistol out of her pocket and put it in the empty holster on her hip. “Already have this one, sir.”
The colonel shook his head.
“What about my rifle?” Kyla asked.
Avery’s face hardened. “I’m afraid I can’t give weapons to a civilian while on an op of this sort. When we complete our assignment and we part ways, you’ll get your property back. I promise.”
She was ready to rise up in rebellion, but Meechum caught her attention. The twinkle in her eye prompted her to let it go. Almost by accident, Kyla turned back to the flight screen and immediately saw movement. “There! An explosion.”
The camera adjusted its angle. She could pick out the twin ribbon of concrete as the large interstate ran along the edge of more rugged terrain. Unlike most of what she’d seen the last few days, the area on the screen was filled with lush evergreen trees. The stark green made it easier to pick out the flare of orange, which was already disappearing. It had taken place near a bridge over the highway.
The drone closed in on the pinprick of light and soon she saw a moving vehicle.
“What are the odds that’s them?” she asked on the sly.
It was a black Humvee, similar to every other Humvee she’d seen of late. However, based on where the explosion happened, she thought it deserved scrutiny. “Can you see if there’s anything else in the air?”
Avery looked to one of his men near the stationary helicopter. “Any traffic in this direction?”
The man looked inside the cockpit, then came back out. “Lots. Can’t say what they are, but the sky is definitely dangerous over there.”
“We have to make contact with them,” Kyla said, desperate to confirm it was her uncle.
Avery chuckled. “Are you qualified to lead a military task force?”
“No,” she said right away.
“Well, you sure act like it. We’ve got this, ma’am. Just cool your jets for a moment.” Turning back to the man operating the drone, he passed along his orders. “See if you can get low enough to make contact.”
“Roger that,” the soldier replied.
Avery turned to her again. “I was going to do this all along. If this is your uncle, we need to lower the drone and get them to talk. Our toy has a speaker and microphone, but it doesn’t work unless it’s in hover mode.”
“Thanks,” she said quietly.
The drone operator deftly flew the machine over the tops of trees until it was above the bridge. The Humvee was about to cross the overpass, which would make it impossible for a driver to miss the floating target.
“Here we go,” the drone boss announced.
Outside Colorado Springs, CO
“You’re going to make me eat my words, aren’t you?” Ted said sarcastically, desperate to keep a sense of humor in the face of such odds. They were about to cross the interstate using a flat, wide-open, four-lane bridge. They’d already avoided two Hellfire missiles. The road up to the NORAD bunker was on the other side of the interstate, but driving into the open had him spooked.
“Get us there in one piece and I won’t say a word,” she snapped back, searching the sky outside her window.
“Crap, what now?” he asked, pointing ahead. A small, disc-like, black drone floated on the air as if waiting for them to arrive. “It looks like they’re ready for us.”
She dragged her shotgun from the floorboard. “Does this window roll down?”
“You have to unzip it,” he replied. The Humvee model wasn’t the fancy up-armored models they used overseas. It had thin doors with zip-down plastic windows.
Emily worked with the zipper, but there wasn’t enough time to fiddle with it. “Oh, screw this.” She shoved the barrel into the window and the zipper sheared off, opening a hole big enough to hang her arm through.
A second later, the shotgun roared in her hands.
From his vantage point, he saw the hovering drone turn over and fall like a rock. She’d managed to hit it on the fly, which impressed him immensely.
“Wow! You’re becoming a better shooter than I am.”
She laughed. “You need to get some practice.”
They crossed the highway at fifty miles-an-hour, which was the best he could do while it struggled to accelerate. However, a parked big-rig on the exit ramp in front of them caught his attention.
“What’s he doing?” He pointed to a man dressed in black standing next to the white semi-truck. His running lights were on, and it appeared as if he’d recently parked there and hopped out.
“He’s armed,” Emily said with worry.
“Shit, get down!” he ordered.
The man had a rifle, but Ted couldn’t make out what type. As they drove by, the driver peppered the side of the Humvee with eight or ten rounds. Once they’d passed, he continued to unload on them from behind, but none of those hit.
“Why are truckers shooting at us?” she wondered, still not getting up from her hiding position.
“I have no idea, though I’m beginning to think they’re throwing everything but the kitchen sink to keep us from going into their master bunker.”
She smiled. “That’s why we have to keep going.”
Pike’s Peak, CO
Avery and the operator were left speechless after Emily blasted their toy out of the sky. The remote camera got a perfect image into the cab, confirming who was inside.
Kyla saw it as an opportunity. “Gentlemen, I give you the President of the United States, Emily Williams.”
Meechum joined in. “We told you.”
Avery rubbed his chin. “It certainly looked like her.” He tapped the operator on the shoulder. “Get me a frame with a clear shot on this woman. I need confirmation.”
“It’s her,” Kyla pressed. “My uncle is driving.”
“And they’re going to NORAD?”
The soldier by the Little Bird helicopter called out to get his CO’s attention. “Sir, we’ve got a new contact on the radar. It’s going low and fast from the west, hugging the earth.”
Avery seemed disturbed. His eyes darted between the copter and the drone operator.
“Sir, there are two of…no, make that three.” The man at the radar counted off new contacts until there were five of them. “Five bogeys, multiple routes, all converging on us.”
Avery seemed to make a decision. “They must have sent multiple cruise missiles, to ensure at least one got through.”
“So, I was right about the nukes?” she asked. She had no reason to doubt her exchange with the general at the base in Germany, but it still felt weird to know she’d been the one to set the stage for a nuclear attack on the enemy camp.
The colonel nodded.
Kyla pulled out her phone, desperate to talk to Uncle Ted. “I have to call my uncle. Warn him!”
Avery stepped over and stopped her from dialing. “Put this away. We’re under strict orders not to allow any open channels during this mission. I promise we’ll try again with the other drone.”
She understood the why of it but wasn’t satisfied with what she’d been told. However, months of working for the US Navy had prepared her for the moment. Instead of trying to convince a colonel she was right, she pretended to be disappointed and walked away. It was exactly what an officer would expect a woman her age to do.
Once free of the men, she worked to catch her breath after the short walk. In the thin air, her lungs raged as if she’d run a hundred-yard dash. The cool alpine breeze did little to help slow her body down. Being out of shape made her keenly aware how far she needed to go before reaching true levels of badass, like Meechum.
Kyla walked the mountaintop parking lot until she reached one of the many cars. She found a red minivan wit
h both front doors open, assuming the owners had been in the process of getting in when they were eliminated. Sure enough, she found the keys in a woman’s purse on the ground. A pair of flats had been blown under the van. The rest of her clothes were gone.
“I’m so sorry,” she murmured, hopping in the passenger seat and closing the door.
Kyla pulled out her phone, ready to disobey the colonel. If she created a signal that brought in the enemy, she would stay on the mountain and be caught, rather than endanger the brave men trying to fight their war. They’d been nice enough to charge it for her; there would never be a better time to use it. When she looked at the phone, however, she was disappointed yet again.
“Damn this war!”
There was no network signal.
Meechum climbed in the driver’s side door, closing it behind her. “There won’t be any service up here. You have to get closer to the city where there are towers.”
She laughed dryly. “How did you know I would do this?”
The Marine rolled her eyes. “Because you don’t take no for an answer. It’s one of the things I like about you. Sure, it almost got us killed up in Westby, but those cruise missiles are proof of what you can do when you put your mind to it. We’re going to topple the enemy leadership solely because of you.”
“But? I sense a ‘but’ coming on.”
Meechum smiled at her, teeth and all. A rare thing for the combat veteran. “But you still lack some of the skills you’ll need to take your attitude to the next level. For instance…” She held out her hand. “Keys, please.”
Kyla handed them over, and Meechum put them in the ignition. She got them rolling.
“What the hell? Where are we going?” she fretted.
“Watch and learn, sister. We’re going to get you a signal so you can save your uncle.”
“But we’re on the top of a mountain!”
“Not for long.” She guided the minivan over the parking lot, casually waved at Avery as she drove by, then headed for the eastern side of the mountain, away from the road up to the top.
