To save battery power, they’d turned off their flashlights, leaving everyone bathed in a darkness that was beyond black. McCrea thought he might be able to discern a dim red glow coming from the area of the entrance, but that might have been his imagination. A longtime claustrophobe, he had to fight off a new wave of approaching panic with every passing second.

“Mom?” It was Luke, his disembodied voice echoing in the dark.

“I’m right here, baby. Follow the sound of my voice to come to me.”

“How long are we going to stay in here?” he asked.

“Major?”

That was a damn good question, McCrea thought.

“I don’t like it in here,” Caleb said. “I’d rather be outside. In here, we don’t have anything. I don’t like the walls being so close.”

“I don’t like that, either,” McCrea said. Sooner or later, they were going to have to go out and face what was left of the world. Now seemed as good a time as any. “I’m going to go back to the entrance and see—”

“No!” Caleb shouted. “You got us into this place. You’re not leaving without us.”

“I’m not leaving, son—”

“I’m not your son.”

Even a Third World War couldn’t tamp down adolescent attitude. “I’m not leaving, Caleb. I’m just going to take a look at what it’s like out there.”

“Then we can all take a look,” Caleb said. Their world flashed a blinding white light as Caleb flipped his light back on. He quickly switched it over to red. “Sorry.”

“I’m going, too,” Luke said, and his light joined his brother’s, going directly to red.

“I’m just trying to keep everyone safe,” McCrea said.

“I think that horse might have already fled the barn,” Victoria said. “This position is untenable. It has no resources. Assuming that the bombs have stopped falling—and that’s how it seems—this place offers nothing of value to us.”

“Those fires looked pretty bad.” This from First Sergeant Copley.

Victoria stood gently, taking care not to hit her head on the ceiling. “Let’s go take a look.”

McCrea stood with her. “Mrs. Emerson, I cannot protect your family if you won’t let me do my job.”

Victoria slid the switch to bring her own light to life and she bathed the major’s face in a red glow that made him look comically demonic. “Major McCrea, I have already tried to fire you twice. You have no lingering obligation to protect me or my family.”

“Well, here we are,” McCrea said. “Together, anyway. I’m only trying to help.” He proffered his hand. “Let’s start over. Call me Joe.”

Victoria returned his grasp. “Vicky.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

She turned to the other soldier and extended her hand. “First Sergeant Copley? Vicky.”

“I’m Paul, ma’am.”