State of Alliance

What a great non-answer. He should be a politician.

O’Byrne halts the vehicle at the begi

I can feel the tension in the air. It’s thick enough to cut with a knife.

I get out of the car.

“Cassidy!”

Chris is standing on the edge of the walkway, with Vera, Uriah, Andrew, Sophia, and Elle. I walk quickly, too tired to run, and throw my arms around his neck. He smells like seawater and gunpowder — an interesting combination, to say the least. He crushes me to his chest and pulls me into a long, lingering kiss. I am too relieved to be embarrassed or to care what anybody thinks.

“Chris,” I whisper. “We’re in trouble.”

“Thank God you’re alive,” he says. His eyes are red. It looks like he’s been… crying? No. Not Chris. Chris never cries. “You’ve been missing for two days, Cassidy. God, I can’t believe it.” He embraces me again, afraid to let me go. “Are you hurt? Is this your blood?”

“No,” I reply. “You have to listen to me, Chris.” I place my hand on the side of his cheek. “Harry Lydell is here. He’s pla

Chris’s face turns to stone.

“He’s here?” he asks.

“Yes. And he’s hell-bent on revenge and destruction.”

“Cassidy.” Uriah approaches from behind. I kiss Chris’s hand and embrace Uriah, happy to hug a familiar, friendly person. Uriah slightly shakes my shoulders. “We’re so glad you’re alive,” he says.

Judging by the flush in his cheeks, he’s almost as happy as Chris.

Andrew greets me. Vera does not smile. She doesn’t say a word. She merely squeezes my shoulder, and that is enough. Coming from her, that means something.

“Good to see you alive and well, Commander,” Elle grins, holding Bravo by the harness. “Thought you were a goner for sure.”

“Me too,” I smile.

I look at Sophia. Her expression is placid, cold. She nods, and I notice the tears in her eyes. “Sophia,” I begin, but she won’t look at me. I decide to drop it.

We are out of time.

There is a building near the wharf. It was previously a museum, used for housing relics of the past, like old lighthouse bulbs and sailcloth. The items are still inside the building, but they are covered in dust. It has been abandoned since the EMP, and we are meeting inside. We stand on the second floor. There are wide, open windows overlooking the bay. Omega’s warships are clearly visible on the horizon. Four tiny dots. Harbingers of destruction.

“We can’t stay on the shoreline,” I say. “They could send another cruise missile our way.”

“They could send a cruise missile anywhere,” Chris corrects. “And they’re close enough for guns, now.”

“So we have nowhere to escape to.”

“The Alliance has cruise missiles of its own.” Devin May climbs the stairs to the second story. I haven’t seen him since we met at the Aquarium. “We will retaliate if pushed too far.”

“It’s a distraction,” I say again. “Omega knows that most of our manpower and weaponry is hidden in the city, and they can’t get to that with a missile, because they don’t know where it is. The missiles are meant to draw us to the shoreline so that Harry can bring his troops in through the back door.”

Chris nods.

“Exactly,” he agrees. “I’ve notified every unit in the entire city, and they’re setting up a steel ring. The National Guard and the Army units here are rolling out every available man they have. Omega has ceased fire.”

“Why would they do that?” Vera demands.

“Because the Alliance is negotiating with Omega,” Devin responds. “They’re trying to avoid a slaughter.”

“I’m on the council,” I say. “I should be negotiating along with them.”

Besides. I thought we didn’t negotiate with Omega.

“You’re also a Commander,” Chris replies, “and you just survived a bombing and a hostage situation. You can’t be everywhere at once.”

I shake my head. This entire situation is begi

I want my sniper team. I want my militia.

I want to get back in action right now.

“We can’t stand around and talk about this anymore,” I say. “I’m taking my team and going to the north side of the city. I’m going to help stop Harry’s forces from getting into the city. He’ll be bringing them in fast because by now, I can guarantee you he’s discovered that I’ve escaped, and he knows I’ll tell you everything I saw and heard.”

“My only question is,” Vera suddenly says, “how in hell did we miss five hundred troops hiding in the dunes twenty miles outside of the city limits? How is that even possible?”

My mind flashes to the heavy fog, and how our limited air support probably had trouble seeing through it. Even then, that’s no excuse.

“Who does the perimeter patrols?” I ask.

“Militias,” Devin replies.

“Which militias?”

Devin shrugs. “I don’t know,” he says. “The Coyotes, the Seahawks. This week the Freedom Fighters have actually been helping while they’re here.”

“Who’s been on those patrols?” I pursue. “It hasn’t been anyone on my team, has it?”

We brought about twenty of our own men and women from the Freedom Fighters into Monterey, but as far as I know, none of them have left the Naval Postgraduate School. Their purpose was to provide security for the Negotiations.

“Well, actually—” Devin begins, but he is cut off by Elle.

“Um, excuse me,” she says, pointing out the window. “But what’s that?”

I follow her line of sight. An Omega Humvee is pulling up in the parking lot. It is flanked by United States military vehicles and soldiers. I glance at Chris.

“Devin?” Chris asks.

“This leads me to my next bombshell,” Devin shrugs. “Omega sent a courier into the city. Apparently Harry’s got a message for us.”

My blood boils.

Screw Harry Lydell and his stupid games. I want to fight.

I turn away from the window and hurry down the stairs. Everyone is hot on my heels, Chris just behind my shoulder. We walk outside. O’Byrne, the guard from the checkpoint, is the first and only face I recognize among the group of soldiers.

“We’ve got an Omega scout,” he says. “He came here willingly, under a flag of truce. He says he’s got a message for all of us.”

“Let’s hear it,” I snap.

The soldiers open the door and an Omega trooper steps outside. He is tall and European, an aristocratic sneer on his lips. He reminds me of Harry, minus the devastating good looks and curly hair.

“Greetings, officers,” he says, his voice heavy with a German accent. “Commander Hart, Harry Lydell wanted to make sure that I congratulated you on your daring escape. He was most impressed.”

I’m sure he was. Impressed and enraged.

“Go on, soldier,” I say. “What’s your business here?”

“Harry Lydell, District Prefect and General, sent me here to give you a fair warning,” he continues. “Our forces surround your city. We have four warships in the bay, waiting to fire cruise missiles at a moment’s notice. You really have no chance of survival if you choose to engage in combat. A peaceful surrender will be met with gracious mercy. We will not kill… all of you.”

“Surrender is not an option,” Chris states. His voice is steely — his determination apparent for all to see. “Tell Harry Lydell that I when I see him on the battlefield, I’ll kill him myself.”

Vera, Devin, Uriah, Andrew, Sophia and Elle say nothing.

I fold my arms across my chest, glaring.

“You’re wrong,” I say. “We have a chance. If we didn’t, Harry wouldn’t have bothered to send you over here to negotiate. He’s scared, and you know it.”