She had her shotgun out, though she kept it pointed at the pavement. “I didn’t mean for any of this, Brent, and I didn’t know who inside the prison was the person they wanted me to let go. What happened was, I got a bundle of money in the mail. A really huge bundle. It said I would get ten more bundles of the same amount if I was willing to open the cages one time on a certain day. You saw my place, it’s a little hole in the wall. I wanted a real house, with a real yard, and not with drug-dealing neighbors all around me. I really had no idea it would result in everyone in the world disappearing.”
Long craned his neck, listening to another explosion. To Brent’s ears, it sounded like an artillery barrage was walking its way toward them, though the buzz of drones overhead made it clear where the attacks originated. Someone was coming up the road, being shot at the whole way.
Doing his best not to sound defeated, he asked the obvious question to his friend. “You were working for them? Why did you let us attack the airfield?”
She stomped her foot. “I’m not working for them. I just got paid by them. I had no idea who they were, or who I would have been releasing from the jail. I didn’t know the people at that airport were the source of my money. You have to believe me.”
“I don’t,” Brent said dryly.
Long motioned for her to train her shotgun on the gathered men, including Brent. “Come on, sweetpea, let’s get these men rounded up, then we’ll collect the money you’re owed.”
“I can’t help you,” she said slowly and with resolve. “None of this is right.”
Long held his shotgun so it was between him and the young woman. “Don’t flake out on me. The guards are a hundred yards that way, inside the tunnel. All we have to do is walk these guys over there.”
The roar of a truck engine sounded from down the road. Whoever it was, they were getting close. It gave him a reason to keep Long talking…
“Long, there are only six rounds in your shotgun. There are seven of us.”
The dark-haired man turned toward the others. “Which of you wants to be the lone man who don’t get shot?”
They all raised their hands, not that he blamed them. He had a feeling each of them was itching to pull out a weapon and back him up, but no one could move while Long threatened their leader.
Long returned his attention to him. “You’ll be the first to go down, if you want to play the stupid game. I’d rather we all stay civil and walk up the hill, you know? David’s soldiers are on the lookout for us, I’m sure.”
Brent nodded, intending to wait for a better opportunity, but Trish spoke up. “Brent, I’m so sorry.”
He was focused on Long, which was why he saw the man’s eyes grow large. In an instant, the man reoriented his shotgun on Trish. Almost simultaneously, two shotguns belched out smoke and fire as the pair traded rounds. Brent’s eardrums felt as if they’d burst.
Without taking his eyes off his prey, Brent lunged for Long.
NORAD, Cheyenne Mountain Entrance, CO
“Holy shit!” Ted shouted as a load of buckshot sprayed against the front windshield.
He and Emily ducked low while passing a group of men, and at least one woman, standing between the first and second tanker truck. The woman who’d fired the shotgun at them stumbled back with blood spurting from her left side and shoulder.
Two men fell to the ground, almost under his right front tire.
“What the hell?” Emily gasped.
“Don’t know. Don’t care. We’ve got to get inside the bunker.” He pointed up the roadway, which was clear of vehicles. The black entrance was the only hope they had to get behind a shielded door before the impact. Ted’s foot held the accelerator to the floor.
Two explosions ripped into the rocks outside Emily’s window, making him inexplicably worry for the gathering of fuel truck drivers he’d passed. Did they know to duck down? Were they part of the chase? How did they get sidetracked to the point they were firing at each other? So many questions.
He continued into the roofed entryway, past the huge outer vault door. His eyes adjusted to the switch between the bright sunlight and the low illumination of the lighted tunnel. There were uniformed men standing around near the front, confirming what he already knew: they were going to be caught. However, in the short time he’d learned about the nuclear attack, he resolved to get Emily into a safe place.
I could trick them into leaving the doors open, then the missiles would go deep into the base.
Ted’s runaway heartbeat stopped. Was intentionally killing himself the way to go? It didn’t feel like it. Sure, he’d been prepared to die to carry out his mission, but those plans were designed to save Emily and help her get back to civilization, not kill her in the process.
He honked and shouted, unsure if anyone could hear him over the engine noise. “Get inside! Close the doors!”
The Humvee skidded to a halt about ten feet from the inner vault door. He hopped out the moment all momentum was gone. “A nuke is inbound! You have seconds to get inside and close the door!”
To Emily, he added, “Grab a rifle!”
The men standing around were dressed in military uniforms, but not in the black ones of the enemy. If he had to make a snap judgement based on the differing styles of dress, mostly-dark complexions, and the wide girth of several of them, they were from Central America. Generals, colonels, probably a few drug cartel bosses sprinkled in as well. A brief look deeper into the tunnel complex proved his point: their trucks were parked in a side chamber about a hundred yards away.
Still, the men understood his panicked declaration. They broke
