Unable to keep silent, she asked why there weren’t any lights upstairs. “EMP fried the electronics above ground and it wasn’t worth repairing. The equipment below ground was protected.”

  Bringing them into what looked like a conference room, he ordered them to wait before shutting them in and locking the door.

  Bryan checked the door before stating the obvious. “Locked.”

  Megan rushed over to Willow. “So, he’s okay? How? What? I don’t understand!” Lifting the blanket, she looked down at little JJ who was very much alive but still struggling to breathe.

  “After you left, Bryan took over the chest compressions and suddenly, he took a breath. I’m as shocked as you are. We ran out of the building to tell you but you were already gone. We saw Wyatt at the end of the street, so we followed you. Megan, what were you thinking? You could have been killed.”

  Megan flinched at Willow’s admonishment. Truth be told, she had no idea what she was thinking. She’d been so overcome with grief and guilt that she wasn’t thinking at all.

  “You didn't fail any of us, Megan. You’ve been carrying around this burden for too long. We’ve all kept quiet to let you work through it, but no one blames you for anything that’s happened. There’s no blame to give. This is life. It’s bad luck and bad circumstances. Death is a part of life. We don't like it and we don't want to accept it, but if we want to be happy, we have to.”

  Megan stared at Willow, stunned that so much came out of her mouth. They’d all been sheltering Willow after Jack’s death. For her to be so observant shocked her and she had no idea what to say. She wanted to lash out at her and tell her that everything was her fault.

  She shook her head looking at everyone through watery eyes. “I’m tired of people I care about dying. It has to stop. I don't think I can handle anymore.”

  Wyatt stepped closer to her pulling her in for a tight hug. “We all hate it. You have to hold on to what’s still here and make every minute you’re here count. Hug your loved ones and treasure every memory you make with them.”

  “I can't help feeling guilty for all the deaths. Linda, Jack, Evan have all died because of a choice I made. How can I not feel responsible? We still don’t know what happened to Keith and Dick. Are they okay?” she asked with concern.

  Wyatt tightened his hold on her. “It’s arrogant of you to think that you and you alone are the one who saves the day every time. We all worked together in each of those situations. Each of us is responsible for what happened. It isn’t all on you and it’s unfair to the rest of us to continue to think so.”

  Bryan cleared his throat. “I agree with Wyatt. You can't keep trying to be the hero and shouldering all the blame. Get it together, Megan. You trying to operate under the massive weight of your guilt is what’s going to get someone else hurt or killed.”

  She looked at him and could see his words were being said from a place of kindness and not out of anger. This was that tough love stance her father had always taken.

  “Okay,” she mumbled. “I'll try, I really will.”

  Bryan stepped closer and Wyatt stepped to the side. “Seriously, Megan. We still have a long road ahead of us. You have to be at one hundred percent if we’re going to get back home. Can you let it go?”

  She took a deep breath and slowly released it. With the exhale, she could feel the weight of her guilt lessening. “Yes. I mean, I guess I have to, don't I? I’ll try.”

  “Don't try, Megan. Do it,” Wyatt demanded. “Carrying around that much guilt is toxic. It’s like a cancer and it will keep spreading until it kills you. Let. It. Go.”

  Bryan agreed. “It isn't helping.”

  “Now, as soon as someone comes back in the room, let's get JJ the help he needs,” Wyatt said, putting an end to the conversation.”

  Megan paced, wondering what was happening beyond the walls of the room. What did the contents of the box have to do with the NRU and restoring electricity to the United States?

  Finally, after what felt like hours even though it was probably only a few minutes, a man wearing BDUs and looking very official strolled into the room with two different guards.

  “You have the box?” he asked, not bothering to introduce himself.

  Megan looked to Wyatt. “Yes, but we need something in exchange for the delivery.”

  The man scowled, looked at Wyatt and then the rest of them, “What makes you think you deserve anything for doing your duty to your country?”

  Wyatt shrugged. “What makes you think we should do anything for a country that’s left us all to fend for ourselves while you’re sitting in here with lights, food, clean water and a place to sleep?”

  The man pulled back a little. “What do you want?”

  “We want your doctors to examine the baby. He's sick and needs medical attention. You may not realize this, but out there,” he gestured wide with his arms. “We don't have doctors, hospitals or even medicine.” The last was said with a great deal of cynicism.

  The man hesitated and when Megan thought he’d deny their request, she pulled the box out of her pocket where she’d stashed it. “I’ve already threatened to do it once. I will smash this thing to pieces right here if you don't take this baby to your medical staff.”

  Both guards and the man in charge stared at the box as if it was the Holy Grail.

  “Fine,” the man said, turning to one of the guards. “Radio Dr. Jacobs and tell her to get ready for a patient.” He turned back to them. “She and the baby can go. You three stay with me,” he said, pointing to Bryan, Wyatt and Megan.

  “We can do that,” Wyatt agreed. “Willow, are you okay with that?”

  She nodded. “Whatever it takes.”

  “Take her to the med ward,” he ordered the men. Once they left the room, he looked at Megan, “I'll take the box now.”

  She looked at Wyatt, silently asking permission, another nod and she was handing over the box that promised so much.

  “My name is General Kalis, George Kalis. I'm in charge here and I can't tell you how relieved I am to see you have that box. Now, would someone please tell me what happened to the team who was supposed to deliver it?”

  Megan sighed; relieved he had softened his approach. It helped set her mind at ease that they hadn't walked into a dangerous situation. They knew to trust no one, but hoped the government would at least be safe. Now, she had to share more bad news with him.

  Megan looked him in the eye. “Most were dead when we found them. One survived, but he was shot. He’s at our home, being cared for until he’s strong enough to make it here. He asked us to get this here, said it was a matter of national security.”

  Taking a deep breath, he huffed it out. “Thank you for telling me. They were good men.” He turned to the other guard. “Bring in some food and something to drink and tell IT to get ready.”

  “We're fine, sir,” Wyatt said, clearly not wanting to impose.

  “No, no, you all look like you need a breather. Have some food and drink some fresh water, on the government,” he winked, referring to Wyatt's earlier comment. “Have a seat, while we wait for the computer geeks to do their thing. I'd love to hear how you’ve been surviving all this time.”

  All three of them pulled out a chair and sat down. It was surreal to be sitting in a cooled room with electric lighting and a television in the corner even if it wasn’t on. It made Megan a little angry to think the government still had the luxury of electricity.

  A cart loaded with a variety of meats, cheeses, crackers and even fresh milk was delivered. At first, the three of them stared in disbelief at what they were seeing. When General Kalis told them to help themselves, they did. Megan drank two glasses of cold milk, relishing the taste.

  They snacked and chatted for about thirty minutes before another soldier popped his head in the room. “We're ready sir.”

  Megan's stomach flip-flopped. Whatever it was that was about to happen was big and they were a part of it.

  “Come with me,” the general ordered, leaving the room and walking down a long hall. He opened a set of double doors, revealing a cement enclosed room that appeared to be one giant computer. There were floor to ceiling columns of computer equipment reminiscent of something out of the movies.

  “Whoa,” Bryan exclaimed as he turned around in a circle taking in the empty computer workstations. Parts of the computer appeared to be functioning if the blinking red lights were any indication, but it didn’t appear to be one hundred percent online and it was definitely old.

  “This is like something out of the movies,” Wyatt chimed in as they walked farther into the room.

  “War Games,” Bryan chimed in.

  “You’re not far off,” the General told them. “This system was built in 1983, as a modernized version of the legacy SAGE system but was integrated with the growing ARPAnet. The unit was decommissioned at the end of the Cold War in 91 but the equipment was never removed. Assuming what you brought us is the real deal, the plan is to get back in contact with our satellites and then from there, start bringing our ground infrastructure back online.”

  Megan stared at all the equipment before her eyes caught both Wyatt and Bryan. They looked as shocked as she felt. While Neil had said what he had was important, never in her dreams did she think it was this vital.

  “How is it something so important wasn’t traveling under better protection?” Wyatt asked and Megan turned to see the General’s expression.

  The General sighed heavily seeming to weigh how he would respond. “There are unseen forces out there that I can’t speak of, but they’re determined we don’t succeed. We thought it best not to advertise what we were doing, so we used multiple agents to bring us the card up from Southern California. Several of the convoys were ambushed but it was mostly locals looking for supplies.”

  Before anyone could ask another question, he held up his hand. “Enough.” Turning to an older woman wearing thick glasses sitting at one of the workstations, “Well?”

  The woman looked at the General over the top of her glasses, blinking slowly. “As near as I can tell, the Hollerith card is real and does not appear to have been tampered with.”

  General Kalis’ mouth tightened as he glared at her. “Is it what we need?”

  The woman shrugged. “I can verify its authenticity to the era, General, but I won’t know what kind of data is on it until I insert it. Shall I proceed?” The general gave her a quick nod and the woman went to work.

  Megan looked at Wyatt, then Bryan. They were on the front lines of history. They were real American heroes, swooping in to save the country from complete destruction. Megan had to smile. It felt good to be a hero.

  27

  Megan watched as the woman inserted the card, which looked like a metal punch card, did some tapping on the keyboard and then sat back. The room started filling with people as more of the computer seemed to come alive around the room. Everyone wanted to witness history. Megan held her breath as she watched the big monitor on the wall fill with strange code. It meant nothing to her.

  The woman smiled, as she called out. “We have contact with both Delta IV and Syncom 3, General.” Suddenly, the woman looked panicked. “Oh no,” the woman said. “No, no, no!”

  “What is it?” the General demanded.

  “This is wrong. It's all wrong!” she shouted. “No! It's too late! It's a virus!” the woman shouted. “It's rewriting the instructions on the communication satellites. I can't stop it!”

  Megan looked on in horror as people talked all at once, all trying to stop the destruction that was unfolding before her very eyes. Within seconds of the woman's announcement, there were at least ten guns pointed in their direction.

  “What did you do? Who are you?” General Kalis demanded.

  Wyatt held up his hands. “We were only told the box had to be here within two weeks to prevent some terrible tragedy from happening.”

  Megan jumped in, “Yes, Neil—I don't know his last name.” It was then she realized there hadn't been a patch with his last name sewn above his left pocket like each of these men had.

  General Kalis narrowed his eyes at her. Wyatt quickly came to her defense. “We already told you. We happened upon an ambushed convoy. Everyone was dead except for Neil who was still holding the box. When he came to, he told us little, but asked us to get it here. We agreed to make the journey with the hope your doctors could help the baby.”

  “Where did you find this Neil?” Kalis asked, walking to a desk in the back of the room. He was rifling through stacks of papers and tan file folders.

  “Outside of a small town called Luther in Washington,” Bryan answered.

  Kalis picked up a file and stalked towards them. He stopped in front of Wyatt opened the folder and pulled out an eight by ten colored photo. He held it up. “Is this Neil?”

  They all stared at the picture of the man they’d helped save. “Yes,” Megan said, glancing at the file that had a large red CLASSIFIED stamp on top of it.

  “We've been compromised. Everyone out!” General Kalis shouted.

  He looked at them, shaking his head. “You have no idea what you’ve done.”

  Megan didn't get a chance to defend them. A red light in the ceiling directly over their heads started flashing seconds before a horrible siren went off.

  “Get out, now!” the General shouted again.

  Megan looked around the room, unsure what to do or where to go. Her eyes were drawn to the massive screen on the wall, it had a timer on it and it was counting down.

  “What's that?” she shouted.

  General Kalis looked at her. “That card triggered the self-destruct sequence. This place is about to be obliterated from the map.”

  Her eyes nearly popped out of her head. “What?” she managed to get out.

  Wyatt grabbed her arm. “We have to get JJ and Willow!”

  Her mind was whirling with everything they’d learned. She pushed it all aside to focus on following Wyatt. He was running down the hall they’d walked a few short minutes ago.

  “Where's medical?” he asked a soldier who was running by.

  “End of the hall,” the young man said.

  Wyatt rushed past, racing down the hall. A doctor was walking out of a room, carrying a small machine.

  “Where's the baby?” she managed to get out between her heavy breaths.

  “In here,” the man said, rushing by them and heading for the exit.

  Megan ignored the fact they were running into danger while trained soldiers were going the opposite direction. She reached the door seconds after Wyatt. Willow was holding JJ close, murmuring words in his ear while using one hand to stuff a plastic bag full of various medicines into her pack.

  “Willow?” Megan asked. “Did the doctor get a chance to look at him?”

  “Briefly. She was going to do some tests, but there’s some emergency. She told me to take whatever I wanted and get the hell out of here.”

  “We have to go, Willow. They say this place is going to blow,” Wyatt said softly.

  Willow stopped. “What?”

  He took the bag from her and looked at one of the bottles of medicine she was holding. “Does JJ need all of this?”

  Willow shrugged. “I don't know, but I figure it can't hurt to take it anyway. The doctor says he may outgrow it and will probably be fine.”

  “Outgrow what?” Megan asked.

  “A heart murmur like Brenda suspected. The doctor thinks it could be some kind of congenital heart defect, but without the tests, we can't confirm it. She listened to his heart and could detect a murmur, but couldn't tell how big or what kind. We didn't get to the tests that would’ve told us more. The doctor did say there are medications that lower his blood pressure, which he may need as he gets older.”

  Megan grabbed one of the bottles. “We'll take them all. Wyatt, grab everything in that cabinet,” Megan ordered. Once again, they were tossing in every bottle of pills they could find into a bag. If these were the drugs JJ needed to stay alive, they were taking them all.

  “Let's go, guys,” Bryan said from the door. “This place has cleared out. I estimate minutes before that clock hits zero.”

  Wyatt grabbed the bag and pushed Willow out the door. “Go! Don't you stop running. You get out that gate and keep going!” he shouted.

  Megan followed them down the hall and back up the stairs, nearly stumbling as they raced to escape the building. They made it outside where there were at least twenty soldiers herding people through a small gate.

  “Take cover!” someone shouted.

  “There!” Wyatt yelled and pointed to a large military jeep parked on the other side of the road.

  They raced to the vehicle and dropped behind it. Within seconds, there was a massive explosion that echoed through the city streets shaking the ground beneath them. The building behind them seemed to implode, raining down glass and debris.

  JJ screamed. Willow had him sheltered under her, trying to block the noise and debris. Wyatt leaned over Willow to protect her. Megan instinctively moved close and offered her own body as a shield for Willow and JJ.

  She heard Wyatt curse and knew he’d been hit with some falling debris. She’d taken a few knocks herself. When the noise stopped, Megan backed away from her position next to Willow.

  The world had become eerily quiet as she looked at the soldiers covered in gray dust running around silently. She shook her head to try to clear the ringing noise that was pressing against her eardrums and suddenly there was sound again. Lots of it. People were screaming and yelling. Using her sleeve to wipe at all the dust on her face, she turned to Willow.

  “Is he okay?” she asked, terrified of the answer.

  Wyatt slowly moved his body off Willow. She straightened her torso and held JJ out. He was softly crying, but he looked unharmed.

  “How about you?” Megan asked Wyatt. There was a trickle of blood running down the side of his face. He rubbed his head, wiping the blood off and clearing his ears. When he looked at Megan again, she repeated the question.

 

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