As he drew in a deep breath, the SWAT officer’s eyes narrowed. “This insanity has gone on long enough.” Then, before Osborn could respond, the SWAT officer pivoted on his heels and marched out of the rear door of the room. To a man his team and the state troopers followed, dragging their equipment along with them.

It took Osborn a second to recover. When he did he turned to Garvey. “Where’s Saunders?” he snapped. “They have a few Bradleys and a tank or two left down at Gowen. Someone get me a phone.” After one of his lieutenants scurried off to comply, Osborn gave Garvey his marching orders. “While we wait for them I want you to go in there and start rooting those sons of bitches out.”

To his surprise Garvey hesitated. “Listen, Tom. It’s starting to come apart. Everything we’ve worked for is slipping away and there’s not a damned thing any of us can do. Don’t you see that?”

The man who had done so much to engineer the Idaho rebellion wasn’t about to stop. He had risked everything. To simply roll over and quit now was impossible. Convinced that he could still salvage his cause, Osborn pushed Garvey out of the way. “I didn’t fail in Wyoming. I have no intention of doing so here.” With that, he turned his back on his assembled leaders and went off to organize the next attack himself.

GOWEN FIELD, BOISE, IDAHO 0515, NOVEMBER 12

From across the room, Saunders’s aide-de-camp covered the mouthpiece of the phone and called to his general. “Sir. It’s the Attorney General.”

Like everyone else, Saunders was in his office watching as GO Thomas expanded upon his decision to ask for immediate and complete reconciliation with the Federal government to a pair of journalists. Looking over to his aide, Saunders snarled. “What does he want?”

The aide asked and listened for a moment before covering the mouthpiece again. “The militia at the capitol building need support. He wants you to gather up everything you can lay your hands on and send it down there as quickly as possible.”

Saunders didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he looked back at the television screen as he considered his answer. “Sir,” the aide called. “He’s waiting for an answer.”

Coming to his feet, Saunders gathered himself up and gave his aide a hard, cold stare. “Okay,” he snapped. “Inform the Attorney General that we’re coming.”

After the aide hung up, the officers who had heard his pronouncement scrambled out of their own chairs in anticipation of the AG’s orders. Saunders drew himself up erect as he prepared to address them. “Gentlemen, we’ve got one more ride to make together, a ride that will make all the difference. I believe you all know what needs to be done. Sound Boots and Saddles. We move out in ten minutes.”

THE CAPITOL BUILDING, BOISE, IDAHO • 0530, NOVEMBER 12