They used me and now have no need to keep me in the loop.

And he wasn’t the only one.

She’d learned the president had been having hourly updates, and her presence hadn’t been required. When she’d inquired with his chief of staff, she’d been told that the president intended to bring her in at the appropriate time. With that, her access to the Oval Office was shut down.

So she’d made a phone call she never thought she’d make again. The car had arrived two hours ago.

Kate didn’t wait for her door to be opened when they arrived at the SSA’s warehouse headquarters, brushing into the building as soon as her escort had punched in the code and allowed the screen to scan his eyes. Another code and another scan in the small front lobby, and they walked briskly through.

She stopped walking at the sight of all the camouflage.

The sprawling first floor of the operation was more chaotic than before, as men and women clad in army fatigues moved between computer screens and television monitors, each showcasing a different disaster somewhere in the world. At each work station were SSA employees, looking more dour than usual.

She watched as one grizzled-looking soldier, an AR-15 strapped to his back, grilled a woman in a black suit about video of a hospital room. When the woman didn’t immediately respond, he shoved his finger at the screen.

“Senator, this way,” her escort said, placing his hand on her arm. It was more of a forceful touch than she would have liked.

Kate gave the operation another look as he led—no, whisked—her down a hallway. After several turns and another retinal scan, they arrived in a nondescript office.

Inside, Agent Flynn Hallow leaned over two laptops.

“Senator. I’m glad you called—”

“I want to see my nephew,” she said, throwing her purse on a chair.

“That’s beyond my ability to allow at this point.”

“Then what about Steven Richards? I was told he was found with William and the others. Has he been useful?”

“Not at all. He refuses to speak or eat. He won’t even change his clothes. He’s a very ill old man, that’s obvious, but won’t tell us even if he needs medicine. He’s just down the hall.”

“I’ll want to see him. But first, why is Director Wolve not taking my calls?”

“It’s General Wolve, not director.”

Kate blinked. “Come again?”