He looked around the circle of anxious faces. “Clayne is right. We have to assume that Joe and Shirley have betrayed us. If so, we also have to assume the Major and Travis have planned a little trap. But why haven’t we hit it yet? Why didn’t we see any Guardians before this?”

Clayne saw his reasoning almost instantly. “Because the trap is here, at Central Control.”

“Inside. They’ll be waiting for us inside,” Nicole said, also seeing what Eric was getting at. “Which means they too will be knocked out.”

“There are nine at the south door,” Abernathy said, shaking his head. “What if there are others elsewhere out here?”

“A valid possibility,” Eric agreed. “But we’re committed now. We’ve put the stuff into the vents. If we do abort, they’ll know we were here, and we can never use this tactic again. It’ll mean a head-on assault to get to those computers.”

The silence hung heavy for a moment. Eric took a deep breath. “If my father or Cliff Cameron were here, they’d say we have yet another advantage.”

“What?” Dick Andreason asked. “We need every one we can get.”

Eric looked from face to face, finally stopping with Nicole. “Heaven favors the just cause.”

“I say we go,” Clayne said. “If we don’t take them out tonight, then our chance is gone.”

“I agree,” Loopes said.

“Nicole? Chet?”

Nicole felt her chest tighten and her stomach twist at the thought of what could be waiting for them. “I’m very frightened,” she finally answered, “but I think we owe it to Cliff.”

Chet Abernathy took a deep breath. “We never thought it would be a piece of cake,” he said with a shrug.

Eric turned to his last man. “Don?”

“Will I have to climb any more ropes?”

Eric gave a brief laugh. “No, that I promise you.”

“Then I think I can handle anything else.”

Eric nodded, feeling a swift surge of pride. These weren’t warriors, they were common people, everyday men and women caught suddenly in a web of war. He pulled the radio off his belt. “Stan, are you there?”

“Roger. Standing by.”

“We’re going in. Can you be ready to neutralize our friends?”

“Roger. How soon?”

“We should be coming out in no more than twenty to thirty minutes. Stay low until you see the door open. No matter what happens, don’t let them see you until we come out. Then we’ll try to catch them in a crossfire.”

“Will do.”

“And Stan?”

“Yes.”

“If we’re not out in forty-five minutes, we’re not coming. Pack it up, get back to camp, and get our people clear out of the Alliance.”

There was no answer.

“Is that understood?”

For a moment the soft hum of static was the only sound, and then Kooska’s voice came soft but clear. “That’s a roger, Eric. Good luck.”