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the anxious voice returned, ā€œā€”in effect. Our satellites have been compromised, a large North Korean force including naval and air assets has invaded southernā€”ā€

ā€œInvaded?ā€ asked Deuce. ā€œWho? Taiwan?ā€

ā€œSouthern what?ā€ asked Garza.

ā€œā€”marines off the eastern seaboard. Apache Dawn is in effectā€”ā€ The static came back and this time the voice didn't.

ā€œAnvil, this is Hammer 2, Actual, come in!ā€ said Captain Alston. ā€œAnvil!ā€

He switched frequencies and tried again. ā€œAnvil, this is Hammer 2, Actual, how copy?ā€

The only reply was static.

He switched frequencies again. ā€œHammer 2-1, this is Hammer 2, Actual, do you read me?ā€

The instant reply was two breaks in squelch. Captain Alston leaned his head back against the wall and sighed. ā€œAt least we have squad-level comms. Must be only long-distance thatā€™s been killed, along with our satellites.ā€ His brow furrowed in thought, then relaxed. ā€œApache Dawnā€¦ā€

ā€œWhatā€™s that?ā€ asked Chad.

Captain Alston sighed. ā€œItā€™s a code. It means the United States has been invaded by foreign forces. Enemy combatants on American soil. If that has happened, itā€™s bad juju for everyone.ā€ He shook his head. ā€œI just donā€™t get it.ā€

ā€œSo we donā€™t know what ā€˜southernā€™ meant,ā€ observed Zuka from his corner of the little shack.

ā€œI got an idea,ā€ said the captain. He opened a side pouch on his pack and pulled out a smartphone. ā€œI keep this thing off for OpSec, but you never know when youā€™ll need itā€¦ā€ He turned it on and waited for it to start up.

Chad shook his head. ā€œWonā€™t work. Too many valleys and tall mountains around hereā€”cell signals are pretty much blocked completely.ā€

The phone chirped as soon as Chad stopped talking. Captain Alston grinned. ā€œOkayā€¦couple text messagesā€¦Ah, hereā€™s a voicemail.ā€ He held the phone up to his ear and his face split into a smile as he listened.

I didnā€™t realize we were high enough up to get a signal, yet. Forgot how tall Mt. Vaught isā€¦wish mine had worked when I needed itā€¦

Chad pulled out his own cell phone and noticed with a frown that its display was shattered. The battery case fell apart in his hands. Sighing, he tossed the worthless phone on the floor and rubbed his hands together to heat them up a bit.

At last, Captain Alston pulled the phone away from his ear. He was still smiling.

ā€œGood news?ā€ asked Garza.

ā€œHorrible news,ā€ said the captain, smiling. He hit a button on the phone and the speakerphone came to life.

ā€œā€”listen to your messages, press 1. To delete, press 7ā€”ā€

The captain pushed a button. Everyone in the little shack heard the womanā€™s gentle voice say, ā€œFirst new messageā€¦ā€

A youthful voice, tight with anxiety, came over the speaker. Chad grinned. She sounded cute. ā€œHey bro, itā€™s me. Weā€™re really in the deep-end here. L.A. is a war zone! Thereā€™s North Korean marines all over the place, jets strafing buildings and missiles dropping out of the sky all around us. Iā€™m not supposed to be calling you, but the hell with it, they already know where we are. We may not have much time. Lookā€”that flu I was telling you about? Itā€™s bad. Real bad. People who were exposed to the Blue Flu have a chance of being at least partially immune and thatā€™s it. Everyone else seems to be incapacitatedā€”Iā€™m talking bedriddenā€”in 48 hours or less. Itā€™sā€¦worse than before.ā€

There was some indistinct commotion in the background followed by a big crash and static, then a lot of coughing and finally the captainā€™s sister came back on the line. ā€œJesus, that was close. Theyā€™re still raining missiles down on the city and that one probably took out a building down the block from us. Itā€™s like an earthquake every time one hits. But they wonā€™t touch this hospital becauseā€¦ā€ Her voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper.

Chad imagined her crouching behind something, one hand covering the phoneā€¦

ā€œThe President is here!ā€ she hissed. ā€œHe caught the flu on some campaign fundraiser downtown a few days ago and the Secret Service brought him here at oh-dark-thirty this morning. Heā€™s in real bad shape, Deeā€¦Iā€¦I donā€™t know if heā€™s going to make it. We donā€™t have any of the H5N1 vaccine here and I think the antibodies in that vaccine are the only thing that can fight this new strain even, halfway! The really scary thing is we heard the President is dead on the newsā€¦but Iā€™m sitting not thirty feet from him right now! What does that mean?ā€

A different, deeper and rougher voice could be heard in the background, issuing indistinct orders. Then, quite clearly, everyone in the tiny cabin heard, ā€œAll right, people, we are leaving! Get your shit wired and prep to jump. We move as a group and we fight as a group. Weā€™re going to cut through these fuckersā€”ā€

Captain Alstonā€™s sister returned. ā€œI gotta go, the SEALs are getting us out of here. Their leaderā€™s kinda cute,ā€ she whispered. Chad saw Alstonā€™s face harden.

ā€œWeā€™re heading to some Air Force base around here. My new hospitalā€”All Saintā€™sā€”itā€™s just not safeā€¦God, I wish you were here. Iā€¦I love you bro,ā€ she said, her voice thick with emotion. The shouting in the background started up again and a single shot rang out and the message ended.

ā€œEnd of new messages. To save, pressā€”ā€

The captain clicked the button to end the call and put the phone down.

ā€œUh, why you smilinā€™, Cap? That message sounded pretty bad to me,ā€ asked Deuce.

ā€œDonovan, wipe that confused look off your face. Weā€™re changing our flight plan.ā€

ā€œWhat? Donā€™t we have orders to get this guy to Spokane?ā€ asked Garza.

ā€œWe do. But that was before we knew everything we know now.ā€ He stared at his empty hands. ā€œSince we were ordered to Spokane, we have lost direct contact with HQ. We donā€™t even know if our ride will show up when the weather quits.ā€

ā€œI still donā€™t know what the hell is going on,ā€ said Chad.

ā€œWell, we know everything we need to know, now,ā€ replied Captain Alston. He held up a cold finger. ā€œThose NKor bastards are invading southern California, which means weā€™re at war. That also means the Chinese are involved somehow. North Korea doesnā€™t take a piss without the ā€˜go-aheadā€™ from Beijingā€”everyone knows that. Our primary mission is to defend this nationā€”now, we know where to do that.ā€

Another finger went up. ā€œThe President isā€”or wasā€”at All Saintā€™s Hospital, in Los Angeles.ā€

Another finger went up. ā€œMy sister isā€”or wasā€”alive as of last night, at that same hospital.ā€

Another finger. ā€œApache Dawn has been put into play. And that means we abort all other missions or tasks and get our asses to the front, get to our CO, and fight to the last man.ā€ Captain Alston paused and looked at every man in turn. Chad watchedā€”no one flinched or seemed to show any sign of reluctance. They were a dangerous-looking group of men.

ā€œWell, gentlemen, we are cut off from our COā€”but now we know where our CNC is.ā€

His thumb went up. ā€œThe President is with my sister, along with some Navy SEALs apparently.ā€ His face turned sour. ā€œLeaving aside my sister thinks one of those Squids is cuteā€”ā€ disgust dripped from his tongue and he shook his head, ā€œthe Presidentā€™s already been declared deadā€”despite the fact that my sister says heā€™s very much alive. That tells me someone is grabbing power during this shitstorm back in Washington. That donā€™t fly in my book.ā€ He shook his head again, glowering.

ā€œNo, the President is alive and it looks like thereā€™s only one thing that can save himā€¦ā€ He turned to look at Chad. All the Rangers looked at Chad.

Chad put his hands up in front of him. ā€œWhoaā€¦heyā€¦ā€

Chapter Thirteen

Washington, D.C.

The White House

ā€œAll right everyone,ā€ said the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, a wrinkled conservative crone whose voice sounded like crumbling parchment sliding on pavement.

Harold could almost taste the dislike the shriveled old woman was broadcasting by her body language. She held herself stiff, like a corpse wrapped in a black shroud, as if preparing herself for a very unpleasant task. He mentally shrugged, supposing for her it was unpleasant. She was one of the conservative dinosaurs that had been made irrelevant in the last few general elections, a relic of a bygone era.

And now he would be ushered into office and assume command, leading a vast network of like-minded congressmen and

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