Peterson Air Force Base was burning. The lambent flames along the flight line cast a reddish glow onto the billowing columns of smoke rising from the hangars and support buildings. Alex put her hand over her mouth and nose to screen out the suffocating odor of burning chemicals and jet fuel. They were now inside the perimeter, speeding toward the command and control building. The streets were empty and dark. The sidewalk lampposts were out, and every building they passed stood dark, hiding within the shadows. Aside from the flames, the only illumination came from the fading auras high above Colorado.

Groups of soldiers huddled around the tracked anti-aircraft guns and Humvee-mounted surface-to-air missile systems from Fort Carson. The Directorate had never emplaced such defenses inside of Peterson. They were meant for the front lines or the long-standing perimeter around Colorado Springs. Except this was the front line, now. The war had arrived in the place where she had grown up.

Upon entering Peterson through the north gate, they had encountered only four young men and an EMP-fried Humvee. The soldier standing in the vehicle’s turret had swung the machinegun to point at the station wagon, but Shepherd had quickly stopped and shouted his credentials out the window. Again, it was Alex’s demonstration of her abilities – in truth Webb’s abilities at her direction – that had put the men at ease. The guards had let them enter without further questioning.

Being a ‘kinetic and the general’s daughter does have some perks, she thought.

A whining klaxon asserted itself over the station wagon’s grumbling engine as the neared the command complex. Alex looked around. Had they triggered a proximity alarm? Suddenly, three burning yellow whips lashed out into the sky: tracers, the rounds so close to one another that they appeared as solid beams. The shrieking alarm gave way to a din like a giant chainsaw tearing into steel. Above them, the streams of burning lead found their targets. Three radiant orange bursts blossomed against the darkness, preceding distant explosions. One-by-one, the remaining rounds self-destructed and flashed out of existence, resembling strands of firecrackers detonating in sequence from highest to lowest. After a few seconds, the alarms shut off.

“Looks like the counter-rocket systems are still up,” Shepherd said. “They must have shielded— ” He slammed on the breaks just short of the intersection at the southwest corner of the command complex. Three Humvees sped through the intersection without stopping. Bullet-torn camouflaged canvas hung from the door and roof frames of the first two vehicles. As the third Humvee passed, the station wagon’s headlights revealed blood leaking through the floor onto the pavement. Shepherd glanced both ways before continuing into the stadium-sized parking lot running the length of the command complex.

A thrumming beat grew from the distance as Shepherd parked along the curb in front of the old NORAD Headquarters Building. Pulsing gusts buffeted Alex the moment she stepped from the station wagon. An old UH-1 Huey circled overhead and approached for a landing in the center of the lot.

Several figures hurried down the pathway from the headquarters building. The exterior of the structure was dark but Alex suspected the command room inside was full of light, men, and activity.

“Stay put,” Shepherd said to Martin and Webb as he got out of the station wagon.

“I thought General Lunde was out of commission,” Webb said.

Alex gave Webb a strange look but then glanced again at the approaching group. How well can he see in the dark with those… eyes? she wondered before racing from the car.

“Gene!” Her shout was at first inaudible over the helicopter but the men slowed as she hurried toward them. She called out again, and this time, one of the figures, familiar in movement and silhouette, approached.

General Lunde did not speak until he was face-to-face with her, and even then, he stared as if not believing she was there. “Alexandra? What are you… We thought…”

“I’m fine. I’m all right.”

They embraced. “How did you get here? When?”

She looked toward the station wagon. Shepherd stood near the driver’s door. The shadows inside the car hid Martin and Webb.

“We landed about twenty minutes ago. At the airfield by the old Academy. It was right after the EMP. We almost didn’t make it.”

Lunde’s expression turned to horror. “You were in the air?”

Alex nodded.

“My God. We had no idea. Where did you find an aircraft? When I heard about you and Nicole Serrano. And Fort Riley. And that the two of you were flying to rendezvous with General Park. And when he betrayed us to the NEA.” Lunde spoke so rapidly she could barely follow his words. He was out of breath. When he finally paused, Alex put her hand on his shoulder.

“I’m fine, Uncle Gene. They took me to Washington. I met with their president and General Martin. I told General Martin if he got me back here, I would stop the fighting. Gene, I want this all to be over. This isn’t what dad would have wanted. You agree with me, right?”

Lunde was silent. She could tell he had questions, but both of them knew it wasn’t the time. “I do, Alexandra.” Then he shook his head and glanced at the waiting helicopter. “But it may not matter. The Valkyrie just launched. It crossed into Kansas a few minutes ago. It’s heading straight for the East Coast.”

“We saw it,” she said.

“We?” Lunde said.

“Captain Shepherd and I. And… General Martin. And Colonel Webb.”

Lunde’s eyes went wide. “They’re here? General Martin is here?”

She nodded.

Lunde glanced at the four officers behind him. Alex recognized a few of the faces from the aborted debriefing after the mission to New York. Only one of them was armed, and he had apparently been listening because he drew his handgun from his holster. She knew him as Colonel Dawes, the Directorate’s lead intelligence officer. The last time she had seen him, he had stuffed a tie into her father’s bullet wound before rushing off into the smoky Cheyenne Mountain corridors for help.

“Wait!” Alex said. Colonel Dawes looked to Lunde for guidance. However, Lunde kept silent, his gaze shifting between the station wagon and the waiting helicopter. Alex continued, but in a softer voice just loud enough for Lunde to hear over the din of the Huey. “They’re not here to cause any harm.”

Lunde’s face betrayed apprehension, uncertainty, and fatigue. Dark rings inhabited his sunken orbits while his skin appeared pale even in the diminishing glow from the sky. He was still recovering from his collapse during the Battle of Kansas City. She wanted to tell him he should be in bed resting and taking time to recover. But there was no time. Neither one of them could rest. Neither one of them could recover. She thought, not for the first time, that Lunde was beginning to look more-and-more like her father.

“These men…” Lunde said finally, “I’m afraid I don’t understand why you brought them here.”

“I didn’t have a choice. It was the only way to get back to Colorado. I know what Webb did, but… Gene, I can’t control my abilities anymore. I almost killed so many people. I let go. I wanted to do it. Just like Kansas City. Webb was the only one who stopped me. And General Martin… I trust him. He wants to end the war, too. He can help. Just talk to him.”

“I have to get to the mountain.”

“Why?”

“We’ve lost contact with General Harrison. The mountain’s been dark since the Valkyrie launched.”

“Is it because of the EMP?”

Lunde shook his head. “Those systems are shielded. We confirmed it before the ICBM’s launch. There shouldn’t be any issues transmitting between the mountain and Peterson.”

“So… what? Harrison shut everything down?”

“I have no idea. But we can’t recall the Valkyrie from here.”

“How can you recall it? If Harrison ordered the launch…”

“Your father trusted me with certain information, Alexandra. I have no idea if the backdoors he installed are still active after all the renovations, but I can try.” He paused and then added, “I have to try.”

Stolen novel; please report.

Lunde’s gaze shifted to the station wagon. Alex looked over her shoulder. Webb was at the back door of the vehicle helping Martin to his feet. Again, Colonel Dawes began to raise his weapon. Alex gave him a sharp look. He hesitated and then holstered the weapon.

Alex turned to Lunde. “Gene, I know you have to go, but please, just talk to General Martin.”

Lunde looked at his watch, at the helicopter, and then at the flashes of light coming from the east. “All right,” Lunde said and then gestured at Dawes. “Get everyone on board. We’ll take off shortly. Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.”

The officers followed Dawes down the path. Once they were close to the parking lot, they detoured onto the lawn to give Webb and Martin a wide berth. Then one-by-one, the officers ran to the Huey and boarded. Martin and Webb waited on the sidewalk with Shepherd behind them. Lunde glanced at Alex. Traces of uncertainty persisted in his expression, but slowly, he started forward.

Martin hobbled to meet Lunde. They stopped when they were nearly face-to-face. Neither of the generals moved nor spoke for a long time. Alex thought she saw something in Martin’s eyes, through the holes in his metal mask: a look of recognition, perhaps of meeting an old acquaintance. Then to Alex’s surprise, Martin and Lunde raised their hands and shook.

“Eugene,” Martin said. “It’s been… a long time.”

Lunde nodded.

“I said you would make general someday.”

“I remember how you thought you wouldn’t.”

Martin smiled wistfully and only for a moment. Then he sighed and shook his head. “I’m not sure it was worth it.”

“No,” Lunde said. “It wasn’t.”

Alex came up to them. The initial shock from seeing them so readily shake hands had worn off, but she remained puzzled. “You knew each other? From before?”

“In passing,” Lunde said. “I took over operations here from John when he transferred to the Pentagon. I remember how much I wished I were in his place. Although, if I had been in D.C. during the outbreaks…”

“You never told me you knew him,” Alex said.

Martin broke in, “I’m sure most of the officers in charge of our militaries met at one point or another. Unfortunately, it didn’t stop any of this.” He looked to the east, toward the gunfire and the explosive light show beyond the base’s perimeter. The larger detonations shook the ground and pushed shockwaves through the parking lot. Alex felt the force of the explosions suck her breath away with each blast of air. It was uncomfortable and disquieting. She wanted to go inside, somewhere safe and out of the open.

Lunde went on, “John, I’m not sure why you came here. And him…” He looked at Webb. “But Alexandra trusts you. That’s enough for me.”

“Thank you. I thought by coming here I could prevent what I was afraid would happen if we backed you into a corner. Now, it appears I was too late.”

“No. Not yet. I’m going to do what I can to stop the Valkyrie.” Lunde turned to Alex. “Whatever you’re going to do, promise me you’ll be careful. I wish I could offer you some help, but…” He looked at the helicopter and the officers watching through the open cabin door.

“It’s all right,” Alex said. “I understand. You be safe, too. Okay?”

She hugged Lunde. He wiped at his eyes and started to turn toward the Huey but then hesitated when Martin said, “Are Peterson’s long-range communications systems operational? I’d like to contact President Resnick and warn him about what’s coming.”

“I’m sorry,” Lunde said. “No. At least not from Peterson. There’s too much interference from the detonation. We’re struggling to maintain contact even with our units on the battlefield.”

“Then at Cheyenne Mountain?”

“Maybe,” Lunde said uncertainly.

“Let me come with you.”

“I can send the transmission. That isn’t necessary.”

“You’ll never get through. Not after the attack on Washington. I’m not even sure President Resnick will speak to me once he finds out where I am.”

“Attack?” Lunde said. “There was an attack on Washington?”

Alex was again surprised. He doesn’t know? How is that possible? Didn’t the Committee tell Harrison what they were doing? If so, he would have told Gene. But if Gene doesn’t know…

Martin seemed surprised as well. “I can explain in the air.”

“Are you sure about this, John?”

“I am.”

“I can’t guarantee your safety once General Harrison realizes you’re here.”

“I understand.”

Lunde nodded. He gave Alex a final look, seemed about to say something but then turned and jogged for the Huey. Martin followed at a slow limping gait until he came to Webb, who stood in his path and refused to move. “I won’t let you do this. You can’t trust these people. If you’re going, I’m coming with you.”

“No.” Martin’s voice was firm. “Stay here with Alexandra. I’ll be all right.”

“General, I—”

“Aaron, I need you to do this.”

Webb looked down at the ground and shook his head. His voice wavered when he finally asked, “Why is she so goddamn important?”

Martin raised his good arm and put his hand on Webb’s trembling shoulder. Slowly, he raised his eyes and met Martin’s gaze. “You’ve always been like a son,” Martin said. “You and Alexandra are very important to me. I wouldn’t trust this to anyone else. Watch over her. Please.”

Webb looked at Alex. She felt like she was eavesdropping on a private conversation, one only for Martin and Webb, but all she could do was avert her eyes.

“I won’t let you down.” Webb raised his right hand to salute. Martin did not return it. Instead, he embraced Webb. Then he turned and limped toward the helicopter. Lunde helped him inside. A blast of wind blew Alex’s hair into her face as the roar of the turbine intensified. She did not shield her eyes but watched as the helicopter lifted off, banked to the west, and disappeared against the silhouette of the Rockies.

A hollow bang startled Alex as soon as the thrum of the Huey’s engine receded against the distant gunfire and explosions. Webb stood beside the station wagon with his fist planted into the hood. The force of the blow had dented the metal. He put his other hand on the hood and leaned forward. As Alex approached, he whirled to face her. Shepherd tensed as if preparing to attack Webb. Alex held her ground.

“If he doesn’t come back…” Webb said. “Then God help you and the Directorate. I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure our forces wipe out every single one of you.”

“Gene won’t let anything happen,” she said calmly. “Now will you help me or not?”

“Help you do what? You convinced General Martin to bring you here on some vague promise you’d ‘stop the fighting’. Just what do you intend to do? Walk into the middle of the battlefield and ask everyone to put down their weapons? If that’s why you want my help, I think I’ll stay here and wait in the car.”

“Don’t be an ass,” Shepherd said.

“You seem awfully confident. Maybe you know something I don’t. Has she told you her battle plan? Has she told you why I’m here?” Shepherd didn’t reply. Webb continued, “Well, I think I know why. I think I know exactly what she has planned. And it’s not a risk I’m willing to take.”

“I’m going to do this with or without you.”

“And what if I won’t let you?”

“Then you’re going to have to break your word to General Martin.”

“I told him I would protect you. I’ll do exactly that. Letting you wipe out another five thousand people certainly isn’t going to help your mental wellbeing.”

“What is it you think I’m going to do? I already told you I didn’t want anyone else to get hurt. I wasn’t lying.”

“I think you’re going to try and disable every single weapon on the battlefield. And you want me close by in case you can’t keep it together.”

“Then why won’t you help me?”

“Have you thought about what will happen if I can’t shut you down? Are you going to be able to fight it on your own? What would have happened if I hadn’t been there at Washington? Would I be dead right now? Would General Martin? President Resnick? Captain Shepherd? How far would it have gone?”

Alex knew he was right. If Webb had regained consciousness even a second later, it would have been too late. She couldn’t even say for sure it would have stopped at Washington. The slaughter might have continued, each death feeding her hunger and the reach of her abilities like some massive, self-sustaining nuclear blast. Every man and woman in the New England Alliance’s territory, the entire eastern seaboard, or perhaps even further would have become a pile of bones picked clean of flesh and muscle. “You’re right,” she said finally. “If you hadn’t been there… But I don’t know what else to do, so if you have a better idea, then let me hear it.”

“You want a solution?” Webb said.

Alex nodded.

“Leave. Get out of our way and let us take Cheyenne Mountain.”

“Too many people will die.”

“What’s ‘too many’? One? A hundred? A thousand? We’ve already reached the point where ‘too many’ people have died. What you need to ask yourself is how many more lives will be lost if you lose control.”

“I can fight it. I know what to expect. If things start to go wrong… then do whatever it takes to stop me. If I have to, I’ll make sure you can at least get off a shot.” She spoke the last few words softly; they brought back the memory of Cheyenne Mountain, of Webb’s escape, and of how close she had come to dying. She remembered the cold, the blood welling up in her throat, cutting off her airway, and choking her. The pathetic scream that had repeated itself again-and-again in her mind: I don’t want to die. I don’t want to die.

Webb didn’t reply. He looked surprised.

Shepherd put his hand on Alex’s shoulder. “You know I’ve never been all that… averse to taking risks – ‘who dares wins,’ you know? – but this… are you sure it’s worth it? I don’t know what happened to you in Washington, but I was right there in Kansas City. I saw you when I woke up. I thought you were gone at first. You were skin and bones. It was like something ate you up from the inside. Even if you can manage whatever it is you’re going to do, are you sure you can come out of it all right?”

“I don’t know, but I have to do something. All I’ve done is hurt people. If that’s all I’m good for, then maybe it’s better off if I don’t come out all right.”

“Why are you so set on this?” Webb said.

“If you had caused Kansas City and you thought there was a way you might be able to make up for at least some of it, wouldn’t you try?”

Webb sighed. “If I think for even a second that you’re about to do anything but disarm our soldiers…”

“Then shoot me. I won’t stop you. If I feel like I’m losing control, I’ll make sure you know. I can hold it back, but if it gets to a certain point, I don’t think I’ll be able to win. If it gets that far… just make it quick, all right?”

“I will do it, you know,” Webb said although his voice betrayed hesitation.

Alex looked from Webb to Shepherd. The men looked at her and then at each other. Their faces glowed from the orange radiance of the radioactive particles in the atmosphere and the near-full moon framed by a ghostly green-blue luminescence. Webb’s expression was hard to read because of his hidden eyes but she saw hints of the same uncertainty she had heard in his voice: a tense frown, a furrowed brow. Shepherd, she could tell, was trying to maintain his stoic demeanor. But she found his concern in the squint of his eyes and the lack of his confident grin. Were her own features showing the same worry she saw in both of the men?

The gunfire and explosions persisted from the open plains stretching east from Peterson and Colorado Springs. The base, though, was quiet and still. A breeze swept across the parking lot. Alex shut her eyes. Then she heard Shepherd speak. His voice was casual and relaxed, and in spite of the situation, of everything that was happening and everything ahead, she couldn’t help but smile as he said, “So, what’s the plan?”