“Son, you aren’t going to see me complain about having extra bullets to kill Russians.”
Dal fired up the Mustang. By now, there were other cars on the move as more and more people from the plaza made it to their vehicles. Dal scanned the road, looking for fatigue uniforms. He still wasn’t sure they would really let them all just leave.
He pulled the three-pointer and got the car moving in the direction of the freeway onramp. They had only driven a few blocks before Lena spoke.
“Dad?”
“Yes, honey?” Mr. Cecchino kept his eyes out the window, scanning the road and buildings for any sign of danger.
“I have to tell you something.”
Dal looked at her in the rearview mirror, unease prickling his skin.
“What is it?”
Lena sucked in a breath. Dal felt the familiar tug of foreboding in his stomach.
“The Russians said something.”
“The Russians said a lot of things, honey.”
“I mean, when Dal and I were trying to find you. We were walking past a group of them and I ... overheard something important.”
Dal felt the breath leave his body. He had a sinking feeling he knew where this conversation was going. He sped up, hurrying toward the freeway.
Lena licked her lips. “I overheard one of them. All his friends were laughing.”
“What did you overhear, Lena?”
“The Russian said, ‘They’ll all be sick within the next twelve hours. Then everyone they know will be sick. Then everyone will be dead and this place will be ours.’ ”
Dal’s blood ran cold. He forced himself not to look at Mr. Cecchino. He’d studied the dart bites on the other man’s forearm. There were four of them. The wounds were puckered red and black at the edges.
No one spoke. The only sound was the roar of the Mustang.
“That’s not all.” Lena’s eyes met Dal’s briefly in the rearview mirror. She leaned forward, propping her arms on the back seat. “I heard them say they’re the first wave. Everyone who volunteered for the first wave gets first choice of property when ... when the stupid Americans are gone.”
There were going to be more. Dal licked his lips. There were going to be more Russians. Fucking hell.
“Stop the car,” Mr. Cecchino ordered.
“What?” Dal gaped at him, sure he hadn’t heard him correctly.
“Stop the car.”
“But—”
“Stop the car, Dallas.”
Dal obediently pulled over. He gripped the steering wheel in silent frustration as cars whizzed past them.
“What else did you overhear?” Mr. Cecchino asked his daughter.
“They kept using the word nezhit. I think that’s the name of the poison they put into the darts. I couldn’t understand everything they were saying, but the general context is that there’s going to be a lot of dead within the next twelve hours.”
Mr. Cecchino shifted so that he could look at both Dal and Lena. “This is important information. There aren’t a lot of people anywhere who understand Russian. Lena could be one of the very few people who has this information.”
Oh, shit. Dal knew where this was going. Lena was cut from the same cloth as her father.
“This information is too important to go back to the farm with us. We have to get it to the authorities.”
No one spoke. Dal knew Mr. Cecchino was right.
It didn’t mean he had to like it.
“H—how?” Lena asked. “They have the radio station. They probably have the police station, too.”
“What about other radio stations?” Mr. Cecchino asked. “Or television stations?”
“From what I overheard, they’re taking all the broadcasting stations up and down the west coast,” Lena said. “Television and radio. They’ve probably done it by now.”
“They likely plan to spread their communist propaganda. There probably isn’t an unoccupied station anywhere nearby,” Dal said. Then something occurred to him. “Unless—maybe ...” He clamped his mouth shut.
Part of him wanted to take the words back. All he wanted was to get Lena and Mr. Cecchino to the cabin. To safety.
“Unless what?” Lena leaned forward.
“What are you thinking, son?”
Dal sighed, knowing it was too late to take back his words. “The junior college has an amateur radio station, but it doesn’t have a wide range. It only broadcasts around campus. But there’s a chance the Russians won’t know about it. The transmitter is small and portable. If we can get the equipment ... if we can find a large antenna ... maybe a big TV antenna. The campus station runs on FM waves, same as a TV antenna. A large TV antenna can send out a broadcast to a large area.”
“Brilliant.” Mr. Cecchino slapped him on the shoulder. “Let’s go to the campus and get the transmitter.”
“But ...” Dal flicked his eyes in Lena’s direction, attempting to ask a silent question.
Lena snorted. “Don’t think you can sideline me. Besides, it doesn’t make sense to drive all the way back to the farm, then turn around and come back to Rossi.”
“She’s right,” Mr. Cecchino said.
Dal wanted to curse. Of all the Cecchino kids, Lena was the most like her father. All he wanted was to get the two of them to safety. All they wanted to do was run into the lion’s den and be heroes.
He ran a hand through his shaggy hair. “I don’t think it’s a good idea. The campus was hit hard by the Russians. Even if we can get to the equipment, getting our hands on a large TV antenna isn’t going to be easy.”
“We have to try,” Lena insisted. “This information is too important to keep to ourselves.”
Damn. How could he argue with that?
“Let’s move the car and get a little closer to campus,” Mr. Cecchino said. “We can see how things look. If there are too many Soviets, we’ll go back to the farm and come up with another plan.”
“But—” Lena began.
“We can’t get the information to the authorities if we’re dead,” Mr. Cecchino said. “Dal is right. We have to be cautious.”
Dal didn’t wait for Lena to argue. He threw the car into drive and headed toward the junior college. This was the best way to derail the entire plan.
