“What?”
“I’m saying, based on the readings we’ve seen for the last four hours, the mutated creatures are changing back into what they were.”
“You mean to tell me those casings are going to crack open at sundown, and a normal rat is going to pop its head out?”
“I’m not too sure normal is the correct word, but anatomically speaking, it looks that way.”
“Jesus. That means Sergeant Wilson—”
“That means Sergeant Wilson — or something that looks like Sergeant Wilson — will be in that casing when, and if, it cracks open.”
“I don’t understand this at all. Was there anything in the Soviet data that showed any sort of regression in their Gemini experiments?”
“Nothing. Not a thing.”
“Well, it looks like you have another mystery to figure out, Carolyn.”
She stared at the screen showing the casing containing what had been Sergeant Wilson. “Yeah, another mystery.”
CHAPTER 59
The hidden keypad slowly slid from under the thick mahogany top of the president’s desk. On it, he gently placed the palm of his hand. Around the underground situation room sat the secretary of defense, the secretary of Homeland Security, the national security advisor, and the newly frocked chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, his four stars glinting from the bright overhead lights.
The president’s voice was strained from lack of sleep — and from other reasons known by only one other person in the room — yet every word he spoke reverberated through the small buried command center as if he were speaking through a megaphone.
“Today, we have come to a turning point in this fight. We’ve found these creatures impervious to the effects of chemical weapons. We’ve found conventional strikes have been ineffective in slowing their advances. Right now, we have the opportunity to wipe them out where they lie. I have ordered a massive aerial bombardment of the ground waves. Their casings are barely belowground, and General Metzger has assured me we can blow them to pieces with high-explosive iron bombs. That order has already been given.” Andrew paused, taking a moment to gather his thoughts before he spoke the words that no other president before him had ever been forced to speak. “I do, however, have one more order to give. In the cities of Little Rock, Minneapolis-St. Paul, and Oklahoma City, there is another threat we cannot destroy with conventional weapons. There are thousands of casings scattered in and around those cities. Casings of the mutated birds, aboveground, hidden in the buildings, and belowground in the sewers. If, as we have observed the previous two nights, these creatures emerge from their casings at sundown, in double the numbers we saw last night, we will have lost an opportunity to destroy them that we may never have again. I cannot let that happen. If we allow them to take wing again, we will not be able to stop them.”
Hugo McIntyre spoke first. “Mr. President, if you order the destruction of those cities, you will essentially be signing the death warrants of thousands of American citizens. Maybe millions. Those cities are in the early stages of their evacuations and—”
“Hugo, I know. With God in heaven as my witness, I know.”
“Mr. President, then let me suggest we wait until right before sunset, to allow the evacuations to progress as far as possible.”
“The strikes will be timed to do just that, Hugo. We have three B-2 bombers waiting to launch at Barksdale. They will strike right before sunset at each of the three cities.”
“Are the people going to know?” Tank’s voice boomed, filled with emotion. “Are we at least going to let them know what we’re going to do?”
Jessie Hruska responded immediately. “Would you like to be the one to let them know, Mr. Stone? Would you like to be the one who gets up in front of a camera and tells the American people that we’re going to nuke three American cities?” Jessie’s eyes burned bright as she stared at the SECDEF.
“Don’t we owe them at least that much, Ms. Hruska? I mean, Jesus Christ, we’re talking about blowing the living hell out of our own country, aren’t we? Killing the same people we were put here to protect?”
Jessie fought to control her temper. She was so close, and no political appointees would stop her now. “Would it make it any better? Would telling the American people that we’re very sorry we have to do this, but we’re going to have to destroy three cities, and if you have any relatives there that are still trying to get out, you’d better get on your cell phones right now before it’s too late? Would it make you sleep better at night? Would it?”
Tank took a second to compose himself before speaking. “Ms. Hruska. We represent the American people. We represent all their hopes, their desires, and most of all, their trust. They trust us to do the right thing, even when it’s something like this, when we’re faced with a problem that has no easy solution. If no one else in this room has the stomach to do it, bring me a camera crew and I’ll tell them mysel—”
“That’s enough!” The president slammed his fist on his desk. “That is enough. Tank, there’s no time for speeches.” He looked at his watch. “If I don’t give this order in the next ten minutes, those bombers will arrive at their targets after sunset. After sunset, Tank. Am I clear?”
Tank stared at the president for what seemed an eternity. The man he’d grown to admire over the last few years no longer sat before him. The man he was looking at — with his finger on the nuclear button — was not that man. Not anymore. He’d changed. Transformed into something different. Cold. Almost unfeeling. The man he’d known would never have come to this decision so quickly. And more importantly, he would never have done it without the advice and counsel of his vice president.
Something was wrong.
“Yes, Mr. President. You are clear,” he said. But he wasn’t done yet. “Is the vice president aware of what we’re doing, Mr. President?”
Andrew’s gaze turned icy as he glared at his SECDEF. “No. She has not been briefed. Yet.”
“May I ask why, sir?”
“There hasn’t been any time, Tank.”
“We’ve got time right now, sir.” He glanced at the plasma screen on the wall. “It’ll only take a second.”
“Mr. President, you have to give the order now, sir. The bombers are waiting.” General Metzger’s voice sounded impatient.
“Sir?” Tank was not about to be ignored.
The president pressed a button on his secure communications panel, opening a line to the NMCC. A voice answered almost immediately.
“NMCC, General Blackburn speaking.”
“General Blackburn, this is the president of the United States.”
“Good afternoon, Mr. President.”
“General, I am ordering the execution of operation Three Kings.”
“Yes, sir. I understand you are ordering the execution of operation Three Kings.”
“That is correct, General.”
“Sir, I need to confirm that you are authorizing the release of nuclear weapons. Please authenticate.”
A small needle pierced the president’s palm once again, drawing a tiny amount of blood for instant DNA analysis. “This is the president of the United States. I am authorizing the release of nuclear weapons.” He pulled a small laminated card from his wallet. “Authenticate Tango, Delta, seven, two, nine, six, Charlie, Bravo, one. Day code one, seven, Foxtrot, Xray. Code word, falcon. Release is on my authority as president of the United States of America.”