“What about Adam?” Luke asked.

Victoria gasped. “Major, I need to contact my son,” she said.

McCrea cast a look to the driver, but said nothing.

“Major McCrea, did you hear me?”

“I heard you,” he said. He felt a flare of anger in his gut.

“I need to call him.”

“That can’t happen,” McCrea said. “Operational security is paramount.”

“But my son is in jeopardy.”

Again, McCrea said nothing. He knew that if he spoke, it might get ugly.

“Major, I need your phone.”

“Ma’am, I can’t allow you to use the phone. I can’t allow you to use flares, smoke signals or loud screams. The rules for CRIMSON PHOENIX are very clear on this.”

Victoria leaned forward in her seat, grabbed a handful of McCrea’s uniform shirt. “I’m not asking, Major, I’m telling you—”

That was it. McCrea whirled in his seat, taking her on, face-to-face. “You’re telling me that your son is in danger!” he growled. “Yeah, I get that. So are my daughters. And my wife. And you know what? They’re entirely unaware that they’re likely to die tonight. Three hundred fifty million American sons and daughters are in danger of dying, Representative Emerson. You, of course, have a free pass to a safe bunker, because you’re more important than the rest of us. You’d be wise to remember, though, that you and your colleagues define the lucky eleven hundred. Countless sons and daughters are about to die. I pray to God that yours and mine are not among them.”

Victoria started to say something, but McCrea wasn’t done.

“I think there’s a very good chance that I won’t see tomorrow, ma’am, and I don’t think there’s a chance in hell that I’ll see next weekend. But I have orders to deliver you to safety, and that is what I am going to do. I have orders to maintain strict electronic silence on this, and I’m going to do that, too. If I’m remembered by anyone for anything I’ve done, it will be that my last act on earth was to obey my orders. Are we clear on this?”

Victoria felt stunned. The heat in McCrea’s eyes was blistering. His words infuriated her, but less for the delivery than for the reality of their meaning. America was going to war.

And millions were likely to die.

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER TWO