He grinned at the sudden flash of anger that swept across Travis’s face. But as quickly as the anger had come, it fled, and Travis’s face became a carefully controlled mask of composure. “Where’s Nicole?”

“Safe. Where’s my family?”

“Here. Shall we begin?”

“I’d say it’s time.”

“You start Nicole out here, and I’ll send for your family.”

Eric shook his head. “Uh uh. For some reason, we have this nagging suspicion that you and the Major are not playing this completely straight, so you get my family out here first, where I can make sure everything is all right; then I’ll bring out Nicole.”

Travis shrugged, then turned around, lifted his arm, and waved it back and forth slowly.

From the center of the dam to the Visitors Center measured nearly four hundred yards, so it was difficult to tell for sure, but Eric thought he could see the heads and shoulders of two women. He unclipped the walkie-talkie from his belt. “Dick, can you see them?”

Eric knew the radioman behind him was studying the figures through the binoculars. Then the radio crackled. “Roger. It’s a long way from this side of the dam, but I see six people—two women, two children, and two Guardians.”

“My, aren’t we organized,” Travis mocked. “Radios, men on the hillside, guns. This is better than TV.”

“Travis, tell your men to stay where they are. My family is to come out alone.”

“They will.”

Almost immediately Andreason’s voice spoke again. “They’re starting out onto the dam. The guards have stopped.”

Travis and Eric fell silent as they watched the steady progress of the small party coming toward them, but Eric was aware of a prickling sense of uneasiness. Travis was still too confident. Eric’s locking of the elevator shaft had set him back, but only temporarily. The battle was not over yet by any means.

When Eric’s family came around the gentle curve of the roadway and into full sight, Becky exploded into a run, her short legs pumping like pistons, her ponytail bouncing wildly. “Ricky! Ricky!” she screamed with delight.

Travis turned quickly and intercepted her in midstride, swinging her up off the ground. “Hey, Tiger!” he said, “just hang on a minute.”

“Put me down! “ she wailed, pummeling Travis with her fists. He swung her back down and gave her a gentle shove into the arms of her mother. “Mrs. Lloyd, stop right there until I say.”

“Mother,” Eric called. “Are you all right?”

She nodded. “We are now. Are you okay?”

“Never been better. Have they removed your implantations?”

“Yes.” It was almost a sob, and Stephanie put her arm around her mother’s waist.

“For all of you?” Eric persisted. “You’re sure?”