“Baker was in on it,” Damien blurted out.
“There’s no way—” Reagan snapped immediately.
“Think about it.” Damien was animated. “He had to be. He knew what she was doing. Or they were working together. That’s it. He was torturing her as much as necessary but keeping her alive. He didn’t need what she was holding out—or she wasn’t even holding out—but he…like it or not, he was a part of this.”
“I don’t believe it.” Tara was just as incredulous. “The guy you told us killed his own son and sold out his team. Sorry, I’m with Reagan on this.”
Reagan turned to address Trigger and Twix. “You guys know Baker better than anyone here. That sound reasonable to either of you?”
They looked at each other. “Well.” Twix shrugged. “If you’re asking if it’s possible that a SEAL captain sold out his team to save his own life, felt terrible about it, and found out he could redeem himself by protecting someone who could do what he couldn’t—sure…I guess that’s possible.”
There was silence in the room as everyone considered what Twix had just said.
“I’d like Danny’s perspective on it, of course,” he added.
Tara shook her head and said what everyone else was thinking. “Is it really possible one of the world’s biggest a-holes could be one of its greatest heroes?”
“There’s only one way to find out.” Kate’s raspy voice startled all of us. Those were the first words she had said since Redemption.
“Kate,” Tara almost squealed. “How are you feeling?”
“Call Cheyenne Mountain.” She pointed at the red phone.
“Honey.” Reagan took her hand. “They’re all dead. They launched the missiles while you were out. They hit Colorado Springs too.”
“It’s a nuclear bunker, isn’t it?” Kate asked.
There were several nods, and Damien replied, “Yes.”
“Then call them,” Kate repeated.
Damien picked up the receiver on the red phone and dialed the Cheyenne Mountain Bunker. Everyone in Area 52 silently watched and listened as he hit the speakerphone button and set the receiver down.
They heard it start to ring. On the eighth ring Damien shook his head and reached down for the handset. And then there was a click. Then there was a voice on the other end.
SIXTY-NINE – Celebration (Hayley)
Thirty minutes after the missiles annihilated the Qi Jia capitals across North America we got a phone call from Area 52. We’d been trying to reach them for the past twenty minutes but had repeatedly gotten a busy signal. Many of us didn’t even know that was possible—a phone that didn’t go straight to voicemail. How lame was that?
But where digital communication had failed us, that hard line kept us connected. When the phone rang we almost didn’t hear it. A celebration was in full swing in the Disneyland bunker. All of our new friends were as giddy as we were, well aware by now that we were exactly who we said we were. Danny holding them hostage had quickly been forgiven, and we had watched the missiles launch and hit their targets—none of which were in Hawaii.
We had been just as panicked as they were in Hawaii when the missiles launched—and just as shocked at the results. According to the Anaheim bunker’s top tech guy the three nuclear missiles that hit San Diego would have registered at a 5 to 5.5 on the Richter Scale. At almost a hundred miles from the impact zone we didn’t physically feel a thing. But emotionally, we were as high as you could get—without drugs—at this low of an elevation. Jubilant, giddy, euphoric—pick an adjective to describe insane happiness and this group was definitely that.
Everyone immediately looked to Danny for an explanation. Obviously the altered strikes had been intentionally programmed. “Had to be Keena,” he said. Danny assumed that after she hadn’t been able to close the door on the Cheyenne Mountain bunker, she’d set to work on the “next best thing.” She wanted to make absolutely certain that any missile launched from Cheyenne Mountain would never hit Hawaii. What didn’t make sense was how she’d had enough time to pull it off. I heard him say that to Blake and Blake’s reaction made it clear that he agreed. Keena had succeeded, yes—fantastic—but how? It didn’t really matter—not to anyone else in here at least—but I was carefully watching Danny and then I heard someone yelling at him.
“Danny,” a man yelled across the din. “Phone call.”
Danny limped over to the phone and waved at everyone to quiet down. Most of them just left the room—including Ava. Blake, Flynn, Eddie and I gathered around Danny as he picked up the phone.
At first it was Damien on the other end. Apparently everyone in Area 52 had been wondering the same thing as Danny. How did Keena program a hundred nuclear missiles in twenty minutes? No one thought she could have. Danny was doing more listening than talking which was bothering me because I couldn’t hear what was being said. And then I saw the expression change on Danny’s face, along with the tone of his voice.
“No way,” he said, shaking his head.
No way, what?
A minute later his position on the mystery topic had changed. “I guess it’s possible. That would certainly explain a few things.”
And then he was asking us for a little privacy. We backed away as his voice changed completely. “Hey,” he said softly. Now he was on the phone with Kate.
I watched his face from a distance, straining to listen to his side of the conversation. He was calm for the most part. He said “sorry” a few times. He wiped his eyes a few times. I saw Danny take some bad news, and say, “Oh my… Seriously?” But it was his glance at me that made my heart both drop and accelerate simultaneously. “Quiet, everyone,” I pleaded, trying to catch every word, but Danny wasn’t saying anything now. “What?” I asked, walking towards him. Blake, Flynn, and Eddie followed me over.
“It’s Dad.” Danny lowered the phone and shook his head. I could see his hand shaking. “The hurricane hit Redemption hard. He didn’t make it, Hayley.”
Tears filled my eyes, and Flynn was quickly beside me. “No…” I whispered.
Danny continued to shake his head. “Dad, Grandpa, Jenna, and…” Now Danny glanced at Blake.
“Kaci?” Blake asked quietly. Danny nodded.
I could barely feel anything, but my eyes were drawn to Blake. He was nodding, his eyes glazed over, and I watched him wipe his face. “How?” he asked Danny.
“Something called a meteotsunami hit Redemption in the eye of the hurricane—storm surge basically. Ramped right off Ni’ihau and wiped Redemption clean. There’s nothing left out there.”
A stunned silence dropped over the five of us. Blake shook his head and left the room. “Yeah, I’m still here.” Danny spoke into the headset. His eyes were back on me. “There’s more.”
I didn’t know if I could take any more. I was tempted to follow Blake. What else? “Okay…”
“Someone wants to talk to you.” Danny held the receiver out to me.
I took it from him, and the voice on the other end made me drop it. I could hear the words coming from the handset. “Hello…Hayley…hello.” I fell to my knees, my hands shaking like crazy now, and picked the phone back up. “S-s…Sam?”
“Yes, it’s me,” he answered with his deep warm voice.
“How…” I didn’t know what else to say.