“What’s the Kremlin’s explanation for this sudden flurry of activity, Kristin?” the Air Force chief of staff, General Frank Neary, asked.

She shrugged. “There isn’t one, sir.” Her gaze was unwavering. “We’ve reached out on the hotline. But we’re not getting responses from any senior Russian officials, either military or civilian.”

“They’re not taking our calls?” Neary asked in disbelief.

“Either that, or President Zhdanov and his top people are all still in transit to safe locations,” Chao said bluntly. “Like the nuclear command and control bunkers outside Moscow. Or their new Mount Kosvinsky Kamen special facility deep in the northern Urals.”

Neary stared at her, as did almost everyone else in the Emergency Conference Room. “Are you seriously suggesting that the Russians are preparing for war?”

“We can’t ignore the possibility.” She brought up a series of satellite images. They showed dozens of advanced fighter aircraft and Tu-160M2, Tu-22M, and Tu-95 heavy bombers being fueled and armed at bases across the Russian Federation. “There is a serious concern that all of this unprecedented activity could be the prelude to a surprise military move against the United States or some of our allies.” That created a tremendous stir across the crowded room.

Taylor leaned forward. Behind his thick lenses, the secretary of defense’s eyes were watchful. “Do we have any intelligence that might argue against that rather unnerving possibility, Admiral?”

“Yes, sir,” Chao admitted. She tapped another button. New images appeared, these showing the docks and submarine pens around Murmansk and Vladivostok. “So far, we see no indications that Russia’s ballistic missile submarines or surface combatants are changing their peacetime operational patterns.” More detailed satellite pictures appeared, this time of major Russian army bases. Row after row of parked main battle tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, self-propelled artillery pieces, mobile antiaircraft weapons, and other vehicles were visible. Plainly labeled “before” and “after” images showed no significant changes over the past several days. “Nor do we detect any evidence that its ground combat forces are moving to a higher state of readiness.”

“What about their ICBM force?” Neary asked.

The admiral spread her hands. “It’s difficult to say, General. We haven’t yet picked up any firm evidence that their mobile and silo-based strategic nuclear missiles are moving to a higher state of readiness . . . but I’m not sure we would in any case.”

Neary nodded grimly. Keeping track of Russia’s road-mobile long-range missiles was a difficult task at any time, and Moscow had secure landline connections to its hardened ICBM silos. If the Kremlin actually issued strike orders to its land-based strategic nuclear forces, the U.S. probably wouldn’t know anything until its satellites spotted the heat plumes from hundreds of separate missile launches. And at that point, Washington would have less than thirty minutes’ warning before a devastating hail of nuclear warheads detonated across the United States. It was the nightmare scenario that had haunted American presidents and military leaders for decades.

“But as far as we know now, this unprecedented level of military activity seems limited solely to Russia’s Air Force, surface-to-air missile regiments, and surveillance radars?” Taylor asked pointedly.