Page 59 of Jonas

“I’m sure.”

“Risk your life standing outside the reactor… you that sure?”

“Yes. That sure. The data will show the reactors are nearing meltdown. That data will be faked from the inside. They will never be at risk of overheating. But to be safe, the rods will be dropped, boron will be deployed, and the president and the succession will be evacuated. The bunker in Pennsylvania won’t be an option. The one in Virginia would still be too close for any potential fallout. Colorado Springs will be an option—it’s over five hundred miles from the Kemmerer powerplant. But to get there, POTUS will have to board Air Force One. Either that plane is coming down or The Springs bunker is compromised. If President Graham leaves the White House, he’s dead.”

Defcon One didn’t touch the level of fucked we were. I didn’t know the president personally. I did know Trent Graham had a reputation for being a hardass—a go-down-with-the-ship, the-buck-stops-with-me, take-no-shit attitude. I wasn’t sure Zane or anyone else would be able to convince him to do something he didn’t want to do. Especially if there was a nuclear threat to the eastern seaboard. I could see him staying at the White House, but not if his cabinet was being flown into danger.

“I don’t think you should tell Graham the bunker or the plane could be compromised,” I said. “He won’t stay behind and let his people die. He’ll go with them and take his chances.”

“You want me to lie to POTUS?” Zane grunted.

“Wouldn’t be the first time,” I returned.

“Fuck!” he growled and snatched his phone off the table. “I need to call my wife.” He stood but didn’t leave the room. “I have men in Wyoming. If you’re wrong and that reactor melts down I’ll personally slit your throat. You still sure?”

“Your threat is noted⁠—”

“Make no mistake, Lore, it’s not a threat. I will hunt you down and kill you.”

“Your promise of murder is noted,” she amended. “And yes, I’m still positive. The Chinese want President Graham, Vice President Masterson, and Speaker Lewiston dead. They want the president pro tempore of the Senate in office.”

“Why do the Chinese want Senator Rutte at the helm?” Smith asked.

“Land deals. The Chinese have been denied large land purchases in Texas and North Dakota. Particularly the acreage they want near Grand Forks Air Force Base. This is the long game, fellas. All this right now, it’s fodder. I told you it’s icing. It’s going to cost the US money. There will be panic, there will be civil uprise, there will be loss of jobs and lives. It will push our first responders. Our government will fight amongst themselves and point fingers at each other because someone should’ve known this could happen. There will be bullshit hearings taking more valuable time from the House and Senate. The United States will be thrown into chaos. Our president and vice president will be assassinated. Some terrorist group will take credit, leaving the Chinese in the clear and they’ll be happy for it. All they want is a Chinese sympathizer in office, someone they can control, someone who will pave the way for them to buy more land, especially near our military installations, oil pipelines, water reservoirs, and power generation stations. They already have plants in all of these companies.

“Delcon isn’t the only data storage center that’s been infiltrated. They’re just the most important to the plan. The one that is hardwired to the Pentagon. All our secrets are housed on those servers.”

“Who in the fuck thought that was a good idea?” Cash seethed.

“Honestly.” Lore shrugged. “That’s a tomorrow problem.”

“It fucks me, but she’s right,” Zane grunted and headed for the stairs but waited for Nebraska’s descent.

“Which part fucks you?” Lore inquired with a smirk. “That I’m right or that we have to wait to figure out who proposed our nation’s top secret intel being stored off-site?”

“Both. My least favorite place to be is backed into a corner⁠—”

“I thought your least favorite place was to be in the same room with Ivy’s cat,” Kira interjected without looking up from her laptop.

“Mind your business, MiniMe, and get me some actionable intel.”

“Sorry, sorry, continue explaining why you hate being in the naughty corner, but make it quick. You need to call your wife before someone else does and you find yourself out of the corner and into the doghouse.”

“Christ, you’re a pain in the ass.”

“No, I’m a correct pain in the ass who’s about to make your day.”

Everyone’s gaze at the table, including Lore’s, bounced between Zane and Kira.

“What do you have?”

“Go call Ivy first. I’ll have everything ready by the time you get back.”

With Zane’s patented over-exaggerated sigh, he turned to Nebraska. With nothing more than a lift of his brow, he asked if she’d gotten ahold of her parents.

“They’re on their way,” she told him. “Charlie was expecting the call so they’re packed and the jet is fueled. He said he’d text you when they land.”

“Dove—”