Page 58 of Jonas

“Copy.” Her agreement was much less enthusiastic than Kevin’s.

“Shit,” Kira grumbled, her fingers flying across her keyboard. “Easton, power up the screens.”

Easton wasted no time grabbing the remote off the credenza beside him. All eyes went to Kira but she didn’t look up until she mirrored her laptop to the two big screens on the wall. Both had identical images of a mangled bridge with a cargo ship wedged between the two demolished sections.

“That’s not all,” she muttered.

One of the screens changed to a news broadcast. The red banner across the bottom screen declared there was a power outage in Phoenix, Arizona and fifty thousand people were without power.

“Fuck,” Zane growled and reached for his phone.

“Where is that?” Derrika’s horrified whisper was barely audible.

“East span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge,” Kira announced. “Ten minutes before the crash, the ship’s captain sent out a mayday he’d lost control of his ship. The Grainger.”

“Lost control?” Smith asked.

“I’m working on getting the call. Someone get Garrett. I can’t work both problems at the same time.”

“I’ll call him,” Theo offered.

“East span?” Easton inquired, looking at his phone. “Large ships and cargo are supposed to cross under the west span.”

“The ship just plowed through the bridge,” Derrika whispered again.

She wasn’t wrong. There was no chance that cargo ship would make it under the bridge. The cargo ship had simply run right through it, or attempted to, but got stuck in the falling sections.

“With the mayday call the toll booths closed,” Kira breathed a sigh of relief. “The bridge was clear of cars.”

Well, that was something.

“Thank God.” Derrika matched Kira’s tone.

“It’s currently ninety-seven degrees in Phoenix right now,” Lore announced. “There’s an excessive heat warning. High of one hundred and eleven.”

Jesus fuck.

“Shep!” Zane barked into his phone. “Zane. No time for your phone tag. Call me back as soon as you get this. Red.” Zane disconnected, stabbed a meaty finger at his screen. Moments later, ringing filled the basement.

“Yeah?”

“Linc, call in Red. Wheels up to Phoenix as soon as you can make that happen. Tell Jasmin she’s up, I want all families secured in Tennessee, whichever location she feels can handle the fifty-two-thousand offspring you all have created. I need Violet on the phone to any of her old spook friends. Have her poke around, make it look like she’s just a concerned citizen. Kevin’s calling in Blue, I want them and Gold on standby. Make that happen.”

“You coming with us or staying at The Farm?”

“I’m spinning up with Silver.”

“Fabulous,” Lincoln grunted. “We’re going for messy.”

I would’ve laughed at Linc’s disgruntled comment if tens of thousands of people’s lives weren’t on the line.

“Fuck messy. We’re at Defcon One.”

“Copy.”

Zane tossed his phone on the table and pinned Lore with a scorching stare.

“How sure are you nuclear powerplants are a diversion?”