After several minutes the doors of the motel opened amidst a babble of voices. One gruff voice was shouting commands. Nancy recognized the female voice that was protesting. Pulling back a bit farther she pressed herself against the side of the motel.

Escorting Jan Fields and the two members of her crew were a pair of armed militiamen shoving them toward the van. Upon hearing them approach, the militiaman who had been leaning on the van sprang to life and made for the driver’s side. Not waiting to see more, Nancy eased away from her hiding place, turned, and sprinted for the Humvee.

Upon reaching the Humvee, Nancy leaped into the passenger side. “Pull up to the side of the building.”

“What’s up?” Nathan asked innocently as he slipped the gear shift into drive.

“Just shut up and go. Don’t go around the corner until I tell you,” Nancy barked.

Without another word, Nathan complied.

By the time they reached the corner of the motel the van had already pulled away. Across the parking lot she caught sight of its taillights as it was waiting to pull out into the late night traffic. “Follow that vehicle,” Nancy ordered. Again, Nathan complied without comment. While not quite sure what was going on, the young officer had come to trust this female lieutenant colonel. When the van lights lurched forward, he moved out.

The Humvee followed the van through the sprawl of Boise’s south side. At first, Nancy thought that the van was headed for Gowen Field, where the militia had taken over several of the empty Guard buildings. But the van kept going south across Interstate 84 past Gowen and into the open prairie south of Gowen where Nathan and his platoon had landed. “They might be headed for the state penitentiary,” Nancy stated more as a mental note to herself than to inform Nathan. But when they passed the penitentiary without the van showing any sign of slowing down or turning, Nancy said nothing.

“What’s south of the penitentiary?” Nathan asked as he kept the taillights in sight.

“Nothing. Just the desert.”

It was then that Nancy came up with her plan. It was a desperate one but the only one she could think of at that moment. “Move up closer to the van,” Nancy ordered. “When you’re right behind them hit your horn and flash your lights.”

“What are we going to do, Colonel?” Nathan asked without taking his eyes off the van that they were now gaining on.

Without taking her eyes off the van, Nancy shook her head. “I’ll let you know as soon as I figure that out.”