But Scott’s agitated expression, his flaring nostrils, and his penetrating eyes told Emerson that all of this was in deadly earnest. Blinking, the brigade commander swallowed hard. “Yes, sir. My command is ready to execute its assigned duties.”

“Thank you, Colonel,” Scott replied coldly before walking away.

BOISE, IDAHO • EVENING, NOVEMBER 7

Finished with her final run for the Adjutant General, Nancy Kozak made her way down the steps of the building to where Lightfoot sat waiting. Odds were he was asleep, she told herself as she trudged along. She didn’t blame him. Once she was back in the sedan she’d be doing the same. “So long as you sleep when we’re parked,” she told her trusted NCO, “and I sleep when we’re moving we’ll be okay.”

Their courier runs by day and clandestine rendezvous with the paratroopers at night were taking their toll. Neither managed more than three hours of sleep per night. She knew this pace could not be sustained indefinitely. They’d have to start skipping nights, she told herself as she made her way to where she had left Lightfoot. They were behind on their sleep debt and it was fast approaching the time they would need to repay it.

Lost in her own thoughts and quite oblivious to the coming and going of the people about her, the sudden appearance of a woman right in her path startled Nancy. She came to an abrupt halt and looked up at the other female.

“I’m so glad I managed to catch you, Nancy,” the older woman exclaimed in a voice that seemed a bit too cheery.

“Hello, Jan,” Nancy stated mechanically. “What can I do for you?”

Looking about as if she were trying to see if anyone was paying attention to them, Jan Fields lowered her voice. “We need to talk.”

Suddenly it sank into Nancy’s exhausted mind who she was talking to and what she wanted to talk about. Wide awake now, the younger woman grabbed Jan’s arm and made her own survey of the people who were about. “Ah, yes. Of course. Over here,” Nancy stammered as she began to drag Jan over to the shadows of a nearby building. Only after they were safely tucked away out of sight and where no one could hear them did Nancy let go of Jan’s arm and face her.

Fortunately for the Guard officer Jan spoke first. “I know that you probably can’t answer all my questions, and I really don’t want you to do anything that would compromise yourself, but I need to find out what is going on with the militia groups. Since the National Guard units have started their deployment it seems that the number of militia types in and around Boise has multiplied.”