Copyright 2016. Torch Legacy Publications. All rights reserved.

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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are
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The Correction
(Part 2)

SERIAL NOVEL

by Daniel Whyte III

with Daniel D.P. Whyte IV
 52 / Northumberland County

Nehemiah Dunn drove the rented van down the bumpy half-dirt, half-
gravel road in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania. George Felleck sat in
the passengers seat, giving directions to his familys home. Saundra
Boone sat in the second row with Kamare-Scott Spencer who had insisted
on coming along. I might have to save your life again, he had joked.
Nehemiahs kids, Tonya and Cody, sat in the back. Dr. Ronald Templeton
followed in his own car with fellow Sunrise Society members, Abby and
Titus.

How much longer till we get there? Cody called from the back.
Shouldnt be long now, George said as he fiddled with the GPS
device on the dashboard. Just enjoy the rolling hills.

The rolling hills part of this trip has long been over, Cody said.
And the hills werent rolling anyway.

This thing isnt working, George muttered.

I think we hit a no-coverage patch, Nehemiah said. Itll come
back on soon.

Until then, George said, pulling a folded map from the glove
compartment, we do things the old-fashioned way.

Its not like there are a lot of roads around here to get lost on,
Nehemiah said.

Is this the part where the hills have eyes? Cody asked.
...

A half hour later, the not-so-rolling hills turned into acre upon acre
of pasture. Cows and sheep grazed lazily. The gravel was gone from the
road now, and a cloud of dust rose behind the van.

Were getting close, George said.

A few miles later, they found themselves in a community of sorts.
Simple two-story houses dotted the landscape. Huge reddish-brown barns
rose from the earth. Plain-dressed Amish folk could be seen in the fields
and around the houses.

Go to the big house on the right, George said.

The big house was three stories tall. It was painted white, but the
paint was wearing off in some places, giving the building a dappled brown
coat. A burly Amish man was standing in the front yard, his arms folded
across his chest, hands stuffed under his armpits. He eyed the arrivals
suspiciously.

Everyone was eager to get out of the van and stretch their legs.
But, as soon as they set foot on the ground, the man in the yard called
out, We dont allow for tourists.

Were not tourists, Nehemiah started to say, but George raised

his hand to silence him.

Uncle Hermann, George greeted.

George? the Amish man said. What brings you back? Who are
these people?

These are friends of mine, George said spreading his hands wide.
They have come to search for something very important that we believe
is hidden in the caverns beneath your land.

What caverns? Hermann said.

Dont feign ignorance with me, Uncle, George said. Does the
name Wolcott Ellsworth mean anything to you?

Hermann hesitated, and then said quietly, I cannot make the

decision to let you down in the caves on my own. And then he added
ominously, But I will have you know that the last people who went down
there never came back.

What happened to them? George said.

Do I know? Hermann spread his hands wide. For now, why dont
you all come in for lunch.
 53 / Amish Lunch

Hows your arm? Nehemiah asked Tonya as the vans occupants

gathered around two long oak wood tables that had been pushed together
inside Hermanns huge house. The house was dimly lit with kerosene
lamps. But it had a warm, cozy feel.

Still hurts, Tonya said picking at the bandage around her right
forearm. She sat down in one of the heavy-looking wooden chairs that one
of the Amish men had placed behind her. They, more Amish men, had
been arriving regularly, all with somber, bearded faces and wearing straw
hats, since Hermann had invited George and his friends inside for lunch.
By the time the food was served, there were about eight of them gathered
in the living room.

Dr. Templeton, Titus, and Abby came in and sat down at the table
after thanking their hosts.

Arent they going to join us? Templeton asked as he helped

himself to a thick slice of cinnamon bread and several slices of ham.

No, George said. Hermann says he cant make the decision to let
us down into the caves on our own.

Do we even need their permission? Nehemiah said.

Maybe not their permission, but, at least, their direction. We have
no idea where the entrance to the caves is, George said.

Its not like there can be that many caves around here, Titus said.
Theyre underground and theyre unmarked, George said quickly.
Years ago, when the government wanted to preserve the caves, a court
ruled that the Amish werent obligated to allow exploration or mapping of
the cave system since it was all on their property. By it, I mean any
entrances to the caves.

So were going in blind? Saundra said as she poured brown gravy

on her mashed potatoes.
 Why did the government want to map the caves anyway? Titus
asked.

They were working on behalf of a historical society who said

something of historical value had been hidden in the caves, George said
as he twirled a crust of bread in gravy. They never said what it was they
were looking for, but I think we know now. He turned around and looked
out of the dining area and into the living room. He counted ten Amish men
(none of whom he recognized besides Hermann). They were standing
together in a circle, heads bowed, straw hats in hand, talking in low
voices. Everything all right, Hermann? he said.

Hermann turned and looked at him. Everythings fine.

George shrugged and turned back to his meal.

Id give a dollar to know what theyre saying, Templeton said.

Probably planning to keep us prisoner here, Cody said. I bet
theres a dungeon in the basement.
 53 / Into the Ground

When everyone had finished their meal, Hermann came back to the table.
The other Amish men who had reattached their hats to their heads
gathered in a crescent moon behind him. He cleared his throat. We have
decided to let you go down into the caverns just this once

Once is hopefully all well need, George said.

On a few conditions, Hermann continued. You cannot stay
longer than forty-eight hours. You must not harm or otherwise alter the
natural appearance of the caverns. No drilling, no excavating

We werent planning on doing any of that, George said.

And you must tell no one else of your venture here, nor of the
location of the caves entrance.

Agreed, George said.

So how do we get in? said Nehemiah.
Ill show you, Hermann said. Its not far.
Nehemiah, Templeton, George, Saundra, Abby, Tonya, and Cody
thanked their hosts for the meal and followed Hermann out of the house.
Titus and Kamare-Scott went to the car to pull out their spelunking gear
rappelling cords, grappling hooks, flashlights, gloves, and hardhats with
lamps.

Hermann led them all down the road that ran past the front of his
house. They walked for a quarter of an hour until they turned up a narrow
path overshadowed by trees on both sides. There were carriage tracks on
the soft dirt road. The path turned and widened out into what appeared to
be more pasture. But, there were no livestock grazing. It took a moment
before everyone realized the place was a burial ground. Grave markers
were placed every few yards. Some were simple, square gray slabs
embedded in the ground; others were more elaborate headstones rising
two to three feet above the earth; a few graves were raised above the
ground.

Why are we walking through a cemetery? Titus asked.

Because you have to die before you can go into the caves,
Hermann said.

Now, look here Templeton started as the group exchanged

concerned glances.

He just means that the entrance to the caverns is through a

tomb, George said quickly.

Right, cause theres nothing at all creepy about that, Cody said.
A few minutes later, Hermann stopped at a tomb raised about a
foot above the earth. The name LaCroix Schumann was engraved on the
stone slab covering the tomb. A hand here, Hermann said as he grasped
one end of the slab.

Theres not, like, a real dead body in there, is it? Saundra asked.
Nehemiah grasped the other end of the slab. It made a tremendous
grating noise as he and Hermann slid it off revealing a gaping black
rectangular hole in the ground.

Titus flicked on a flashlight and pointed it down into the tomb. A few
time-ravaged steps were illuminated by the yellow light. Im
claustrophobic, he confessed.

We all dont have to go down, Nehemiah said, looking at Tonya.

He took a set of gear from Titus, putting a flashlight in his pocket and
coiling rope around his arm. He checked his gun holster and counted his
clips.

Oh, Im going down, Cody said.

Im in, Saundra said.
Abby sniffed. My old bones cant take tramping through
underground caves.

I brought you this far; I cant leave you now, George said.
Exploring dead peoples old graves is not really my thing, Tonya
said. She held up her arm. And this is beginning to be a pain. I think Ill
stay behind.

Ill stay with you, Kamare-Scott said quickly.

Tonya smiled at him. Thanks.

Were all resolved then, Templeton said, extending his hand

toward the opening in the ground. Shall we?
 55 / Michael

It had been several hours since Michael was dismissed from the Caliphs
presence. He had been taken back to the large, prison-like room with the
white walls, the metal bed, and the two folding chairs. This time, he wasnt
tied up. He sat in one of the chairs at first, got uncomfortable, and then
got up and sat in the other one. When he tired of the chairs, he went and
sat on the metal bed. He thought of laying down to get some sleep, but
didnt think hed be able to considering the brightness of the room and the
general uncomfortableness of his accommodations.

All the while, the red pinprick light in the corner of the ceiling kept
pulsing hypnotically. On and off, on and off. The only color in an ocean of
white and gray.

Unlike the general calm of his surroundings, Michaels soul was

tumultuous. He kept recycling the events of the past 24-48 hours at
least, he estimated that that was the time he had been in the underground
compound in Oklahoma, the home of the Caliph and his secret army, the
Serpentine Column.

If only he hadnt been so indecisive, he could have been back in

Moscow with his wife and children. Now, he just felt guilty because
someone elses children had been put in danger by his cooperation with
the Caliph. The soldiers of the Serpentine Column were skilled and
ruthless the Caliph only allowed the best to join his forces. Those who
failed to excel in training were eliminated and not by sending them
back home either.

The sound of keys being pressed on the outside of the door

interrupted his thoughts. Michael turned to face whoever entered the
room. It was the same trio as before: two black-clad guards with guns, and
a third man in a green military flight suit. The third man, smiling in the
same unsettling way he had smiled when he had first come for Michael,
flicked a tiny silver key between his fingers. He carried a tablet in his left
hand.
 Very pleased to see that you are awake, sir, the green man said.
Michael did not like the way these happened to be the same exact
words he had heard from this man before. Is everything all right? Did
everything work out with the operation?

No, the green man said. But I suspect you already know that.
The intelligence you gave the Caliph was faulty. There was an unknown
quantity on the scene who enabled the targets to escape.

I told you everything I know, Michael said, a pleading tone

creeping into his voice. I swear.

Whether you did or did not is of no consequence now. Your

usefulness to the Caliph has been maximized.

No, no, wait Michael said.

The green man looked down at the tablet resting in the crook of his
arm. Mikhail Kursinska, you have failed the Caliph, you have failed the
Column, you have failed the Cause. You are hereby released from your
duties and responsibility. You have no other purpose to serve.

Michaels mouth opened, but he couldnt say a thing. The green

man nodded to one of the guards who produced two syringes, filled with a
bluish liquid, from a small metal case. Michael started to scramble
backwards on the metal bed, but the other guard got behind him and held
him fast. The first guard raised the syringes and stabbed them into either
side of his neck, emptying the poison into his veins.

Michael felt the coldness spread through his neck. He couldnt

breathe or think, but, for a moment, he could still feel and see. The
coldness spread down into his chest, his torso, his legs, his toes turning
his veins to ice. He could see his body freezing up, becoming rigid. Finally,
his eyes shut too.
 56 / Above Ground

Titus, Abby, Tonya, and Kamare-Scott watched as Nehemiah, Saundra,

Templeton, George, and Cody descended into the grave. Hermann held a
flashlight above the opening into the ground. The yellow light bounced off
of the hardhats of the descending crew until they were out of sight.

No use in sticking around here, Hermann said as he straightened

and flicked off the flashlight. I have a feeling theyll be a while.

Someone should stay and keep watch, just in case theres

trouble, Kamare-Scott said. He stabbed hisbo into the ground with one
hand.

If there is trouble, theres nothing anyone can do from up here.

Theyve got radios and will call for help if they need it, Im sure. Herman
frowned up at the sky and adjusted his wide-brim hat. Besides, its about
to rain. Theres no shelter out here and its bound to get muddy. Lets go
back to the house and stay dry. Ill send one of the boys out to check
every half hour or so.

Kamare-Scott was ready to argue some more, but Abby and Titus
had already turned back to the narrow path that had led them to the
graveyard. Okay, lets go, he relented. He grabbed Tonyas good arm
and they followed Hermann as he led them back to his house.

They walked in silence down the tree-lined path. Abby and Titus
were conversing softly ahead of them, when they both stopped suddenly
and stared out ahead of them.

Is something wrong? Kamare-Scott called down to them.

I dont know, Titus said unable to hide the worry in his voice.
Hermann?

Kamare-Scott and Tonya passed Hermann as they hurried to catch

up with Abby and Titus where the road passed Hermanns house. The
scene that met them gave them reason to pause and stare.
 The first thing they noticed were three Hummers idling on
Hermanns lawn. The vehicles were all-black, with heavily tinted windows,
except for a rectangular spot on either side. The spot was yellow with a
black serpent painted on it. Tonya thought she had seen a similar design in
a history book along with the motto, Dont tread on me.

The next thing they noticed was the dozen or so Amish men and
women kneeling on the grass outside of Hermanns house. Women
clutched young children to their side. The men looked around as though
wondering what to do. Standing over them were at least half a dozen men
in black gear and black helmets carrying high-powered rifles. They milled
about threateningly among the men, women, and children. One man
wasnt wearing a helmet and had a shiny, gold insignia on the right side of
his chest; he looked like the leader.

This is all wrong, Kamare-Scott whispered. Abby and Tonya

nodded in agreement. Titus just looked scared.

The distinct click of a gun hammer being drawn back sounded

behind them.

Kamare-Scott whirled around, his bo at the ready.

Hermann was standing there with a pistol pointed at them.

What in the world? Kamare-Scott said.

Hermann just made a shooing motion with his free hand. Move
along, now, he said.
 57 / Under Ground

Nehemiah, Saundra, Templeton, George, and Cody had long left the pale
afternoon light that shined through the open grave behind them. Once
they had come down the steps which seemed to go on forever they
had landed in a huge, dark cavern. The floor was dusty, but other than
that, it was unremarkable.

Everyone immediately turned on their flashlights and headlamps

until Templeton pointed out that they didnt want to burn all their
electricity now. So, Nehemiah and George went ahead the former with
his flashlight and the latter with his headlamp. Cody made the observation
that they hadnt thought to pack snacks or dinner, but Templeton said that
couldnt be helped. Saundra mused aloud about how this adventure would
make for a great story she could publish one day although her job at
Hancock Press seemed very distant at the moment.

George proved to be more useful than anyone expected. He had

swiped an old guide to the underground caverns from his familys house
while the lunch was being prepared. Now, he had it open, telling
Nehemiah about the path ahead. Of course, he kept saying, its been
nearly two hundred years since this guide was written, so theres no telling
how much things have changed down here.

George said they were looking for a place of pillars which mark the
grave of LaCroix Schumann.

You mean giant icicles, right? Cody said. I wanna lick one.
Stalactites and stalagmites, and you wont be licking them,
Nehemiah said. He stopped suddenly. Now, which way? he said looking
over at George who appeared perplexed. Ahead of them, the narrow trail
they had been following diverged. One path appeared to lead upward and
to the left. The other appeared to lead further down and to the right. To
add to the confusion, the party thought they could hear water flowing.

Theres no two paths in the guide, George said unfolding the map
of the caverns. He pointed at the trail theyd been following. One of the
paths apparently wasnt here when this guide was made, I assume.

Nehemiah shined his flashlight down both corridors. Anybody know

how to tell which one is newer? he asked.

Apparently, no one did.

Maybe we could split up, Saundra said. We take both paths and
then meet back here in a certain amount of time.

I advise against that, George said. Theres no telling what

troubles await us ahead.

So, we go together, Nehemiah said. But which path should we

take first?

Take the one where the water sounds the loudest, Templeton said
catching up with the group. He had begun lagging behind and had just
caught the latter part of the conversation.

Why? Saundra said.

Were looking for the place of pillars, Templeton said. Stalactites
and stalagmites form out of mineral-rich water deposits, so wherever the
water is thats where our giant icicles will be.

Okay, everyone quiet, Nehemiah said. He walked softly into the

rightmost and downward leading corridor straining to hear ahead. He went
several yards before coming back. It seems like the sound of water is
muted down that way, he said before turning into the leftmost and
upward leading corridor. He walked several yards, the sound of the water
growing incrementally, but steadily louder. This is the one, he hollered
back to the others. There was a rush of footsteps as his four companions
hurried to catch up with him. They all bottlenecked behind him in the
narrow corridor.

What now? Cody asked impatiently. You said this was the right
path.

Yeah, one problem, Nehemiah said. There is no more path.

His feet were planted on the very edge of a sheer rock face that
plunged down into what looked like hundreds of feet of darkness.
 58 / Deeper

Nehemiah stared over the precipice into the plummeting darkness. How
deep is it? he said, voicing what they all were thinking.

Templeton stepped up beside him, pulled a quarter out of his

pocket and flipped it into the chasm. The quarter flashed, silver over
silver, in the light of their flashlights and headlamps, but was quickly
swallowed by the darkness below them.

There! Templeton said a couple of seconds later. Its not that

deep. We can climb down.

Everyone looked at him. They had only heard the sound of steady
rushing water and empty air. You heard that? Saundra said.

Yeah, I have pretty good hearing, Templeton said.

George shook his head. What we need is something that will make
a good, loud echoing noise, he said. He grabbed his metal water canteen
which was hanging from the pack on his back and started to unscrew the
top.

Dont empty out all yourwater, Nehemiah said but it was too
late.

Theres plenty down there, George said as he stepped up to the

edge. He flung his canteen straight down.

Everyone held their breath. Onetwothreefour

There! Nehemiah and Cody said simultaneously. The tinny metal

ringing echoed and reechoed up to them. At least its solid down there. We
go straight down from here. Nehemiah, Templeton, and Saundra set down
their backpacks to unload the spelunking gear.

It turned out that Nehemiah and Saundra were the only ones who
actually knew something about the proper way to explore caves. (Cody
claimed rock climbing counted as experience, but it didnt.) So, there was
a good deal of instruction that went on prior to the actual descent. They
came up with only four harnesses, so they had to improvise a fifth one. (A
few of the party thought it was a good idea to have someone stay behind,
but no one offered.)

After about an hour of slowly descending, Nehemiahs feet hit solid,

horizontal rock. He turned around slowly, shining his headlamp on the new
surroundings, and found he was standing on a shelf that went down
several layers extending out further and further. Where the rock ended, a
sand beach began, and beyond that a wide subterranean river, rushing
along at a rapid pace, the noise was so loud he had to shout, We made
it.

One by one, the other reached the rock shelves and unstrapped
themselves from their harnesses leaving them dangling from the ropes.
Theyd need them for the way back up.

Now what? Saundra yelled. They huddled together around

George who had pulled out the map again.

The trail picks up again here, he said pointing to a spot. We

need to cross the river and follow this tunnel. At least theres only one this
time.

The party carefully climbed down the rock shelves until they
reached the sandy beach, where the sound of the water made it nearly
impossible to hear oneself talk. The waterfall was behind them they
hadnt even seen it but it sounded like it was suffocating their ears.
Everyone was thinking the same thing:We need to find a place to cross.
 59 / Betrayed

Titus felt the hard pistol pressed in his back as he, Abby, Titus, and
Kamare-Scott were herded down the trail into Hermanns front yard.

Keep moving, Herman said, hurrying them forward until they

were standing before the man who appeared to be the leader of the dozen
or so soldiers (that was the only word for them) who stood guardedly
around Hermanns two-story house. Titus saw that the insignia on the right
side of the mans chest was a gold serpent.

Who are you people? Titus said in bewilderment.

I do the talking here, Hermann said. He turned to the leader
whose close-shaven hair was the same wheat color as his skin. He had a
chinstrap beard and an equally thin mustache that curved downward
creating a square around his mouth. I brought them, Hermann said.
Some of them.

Where are the others? the leader said.

I couldnt hold them back any longer lest they got suspicious. They
went into the caves, Hermann said.

The leader frowned. He was about to say something when one of

his soldiers opened the front door to Hermanns house and came out. Its
gone, the soldier said.

Whats gone? said the leader.

The map of the caves. Its gone.
The leader turned to Hermann, fisting his collar and jerking him
forward so fast his hat fell off. What kind of game are you playing here,
old man? You said you had the map.

I did! I told you where it was, Hermann gasped.

Then why isnt it there now? Did you give it to them? You playing
both sides, huh? The leader placed his hand on the gun in his belt.

Looks like your friends arent too happy with you, Hermann,
Kamare-Scott taunted.

The leader took his gun out and pointed it at Kamare-Scott. Keep
your mouth closed, boy.

No, I swear I didnt give it to them, Hermann said. George, he

he mustve gotten to it. Hes the only one who would have had any idea
where it was.

Hmm, the leader thought for a moment and then let Hermann go.
Heres what were going to do. Youve seen the map, have ya?

Yeah, I laid eyes on it once or twice, Hermann said smoothing out

his shirt.

Then youre going to take some of my men and go into the caves
and find the grave of Alexander Schumann.

But I dont Hermann said.

The leader pointed his gun at Hermann. And you better pray to
whatever god you pray to that your memory serves you well, he said.

Wait, what about us? Titus said.

The leader motioned to one of his soldiers. Get them inside. Keep
an eye on them. Especially this one. He pointed at Kamare-Scott who
responded by waving his bo threateningly. Give me that. The leader
walked over and snatched it from him. He cracked it over his knee,
expecting it to break in half. But it didnt, so he cracked it again, and
again

Hey, dont take out your anger management problems on my

the bo broke and the leader threw the two pieces on the ground.
You are gonna pay for that, Kamare-Scott said, horrified.
Get em inside, the leader said. Anyone who tries to run gets a
black and red dot He placed a finger against his forehead. right
here.
 60 / Swept Away

After another thirty minutes of trekking, the party reached a spot that
looked appropriate to cross. Nehemiah spotted it first: a place where the
river narrowed, and where a good number of large rocks formed slick
stepping stones. It came just before a whirlpool that was fascinating to
watch but horrifying to think about stepping into. It seemed to suck water
in, spin it in a circle, and spit it out at a much faster rate on the other side.
Most importantly, the crossing place was across from Georges tunnel.

Nehemiah motioned for everyone to gather around.

We wont find a better place to cross than here, he yelled as

everyone leaned in. Theres no telling how deep the water is, but its
going pretty fast, so you must hold on to the rocks. He gave Cody a hard
look.

We should have brought some of those ropes, Saundra thought as

she squinted across the expanse of the river. It would be nice to have
something to hold onto just in case someone loses their footing. But there
was nothing to be done about it as she liked the idea of turning back to go
get the ropes even less. Her legs were aching.

Everyone who had gloves put them on. Nehemiah stepped into the
chilly river first. The water frothed up in white waves around him as if
growing impatient that a human were impeding its progress. He went
slowly, feeling for the ground beneath his feet until a quarter of the way
across it fell away and a violent undercurrent whipped his legs out from
under him. He scrambled to tighten his grip on the rock. Be careful, he
yelled back to the others. Its deep in the middle. Only Cody, who had
entered the water behind his father, heard him. The others were too far
behind, and the river took his words and swept them into the whirlpool.

Nehemiah kept going, pausing only to look behind him to assess

the progress of the others. They were spaced out and struggling against
the current which kept trying to pull them into the whirlpool. Saundra was
behind Cody, Templeton behind her, and George behind him.
 Relieved when his feet touched the gravelly, underwater bank on
the other side of the river, Nehemiah trudge upward, feeling heavier and
very wet from his shoulders down. He stripped off his jacket and turned to
help the others up onto the sand.

There wouldnt happen to be a dry cleaners on this side of the

river? Cody spluttered as he crawled up onto the shore. Kneeling in the
sand, he looked around. Guess not. He turned around and helped pull
Saundra out of the water. Templeton came next, spitting water as he
heaved himself up onto the beach.

Everyone turned around to look for George who shouldnt have

been far behind.

Where is he? Templeton said hoarsely.

No one saw him on the rocks they had just crossed.

No, no Saundra started to say as they spread out on the river

bank peering across the water. Was it possible he had stayed on the other
side?

There, Nehemiah shouted and pointed. George seemed to be

struggling to keep his head above water. He was much further
downstream from the place where the others had crossed much closer
to the whirlpool where there were far fewer rocks to hold on to. George
was using a single hand to cling to one that looked awfully feeble.

Hold on! Nehemiah shouted to George though he knew he

wouldnt hear. Youre going to have to hold on to me, he said to the
others. Nehemiah took Saundras hand, Saundra took Codys, and Cody
took Templetons who wrapped his free arm around a pillar of stone at the
very edge of the river. Nehemiah waded into the torrential water right at
the very edge of the whirlpool.

Only a few feet separated him from George. He could see that
something was wrong with him. His eyes were barely open and one arm
hung limply at his side. He must have bashed it against a rock. His good
arm was wrapped around a rock, clinging to it as one would cling to a long
lost friend.
 George, George! Nehemiah shouted when he was closer.
George opened his eyes and looked around as though startled. He
saw Nehemiah coming toward him and immediately started to close the
gap between them. In his haste, he let go of the rock he had been holding
on to.

The water sucked him further into the whirlpool, spinning him in a
circle and tossing him up.

Nehemiah lunged toward him, desperately trying to reach him

But he was whipped away, his head slamming against a rock ledge
that protruded over the whirlpool. A spray of dark liquid burst in the air,
and Georges body was cast out on the other side of the whirlpool and
carried away by the rushing water.
 61 / A New Path

Nehemiah and his companions trudged on silently through a long winding

tunnel. He tried to calculate how long they had been underground
several hours at least and how far they had gone. But he couldnt get
past George Fellecks head being bashed against the rock, blood spurting
out, his body spun about like a rag doll in the whirlpool. He and Saundra
had tried to clamber around the protruding rocks surrounding the
whirlpool, but there was no footing, and the vicious waves beat them back
each time. It was clear: whatever reached the other side would not
survive.

Weighed down by grief (not to mention their water-logged gear and

wet clothes), they carried on. This time, Templeton led the way, swinging
his flashlight from side to side as he walked. He had been the last to look
at Georges map and easily found the tunnel that, they hoped, led to the
tomb of Alexander LaCroix Schumann. Nehemiah and Cody followed a few
yards behind, and Saundra a few yards behind them. More than once,
Saundra stopped to listen. Once she thought she heard footsteps, and
another time voices. At one point, she felt with certainty they were being
watched. But each time she turned around, there was nothing there.

They had been walking for at least an hour when Templeton

stopped. Look at this, he called back over his shoulder as he took a step
forward. I think we found His words devolved into a shout. His arms
flew up, the flashlight in his right hand sending bizarre, jagged shadows
across the cave wall behind him. His body pitched forward and vanished
out of sight as though he had been sucked into the earth.

Templeton! Nehemiah shouted and ran toward the spot where he

had vanished. He skidded to a stop just in time to keep himself from going
over the edge. Whoa, hold it, he said, extending his arm to block Cody
and Saundra who had rushed up behind him.

What happened to him? Saundra asked.

Nehemiah flicked on his own flashlight and sent the beam over the
edge. They were standing on top of a steep incline made of loose rock and
sand. Down there, everything seemed to be cast in an eerie, pale blue
glow. He spotted a figure hunched on the ground about sixty yards below
them. Templeton? he called.

The figure stirred. Grunting and wheezing noises floated up from

where he was. Yeah, Im fine, Templeton called back. That drop-off took
me by surprise, is all. Take it slowly.

Nehemiah, Saundra, and Cody took the slope slowly. They ended up
half-sliding down the incline, clouds of dust billowing up in their wake.
They landed roughly on the sandy ground below.

Templeton was leaning against a huge boulder.

You need to rest? Saundra asked him.

No. Were here now, he said, motioning with one hand to their
left.

A few yards away was the source of the pale blue glowing light that
Nehemiah had noticed earlier. A wide cavern opened up before them.
Stalagmites of varying heights sprouted from the ground, glowing white
and pale blue with self-contained light. Stalactites stretched like icy fingers
from the high roof of the cavern, crystalline rays softly glowing.

Wow, Cody said.

 62 / Blue Tomb

The forest of icy fingers was a welcome sight. Even though it was further
underground than anywhere they had been so far, it managed to look
other-worldly.

Nehemiah, leading the others, walked in silence toward the

formation. Templeton hobbled in the rear, still shaken by his fall down the
sandy slope. Nehemiah wanted to ask him what came next on the map,
but no one wanted to break the spirit of awe that had descended on them.
He thought there should be dramatic music for a time like this. But
instead, there was silence and the sound of their feet on the hardened
earth.

They were in among the stalagmites and stalactites now. Cody

came in last, a little away from the others. He looked at a particularly long
stalactite for a moment, and then touched its glassine surface. It felt dry
and brittle against his skin. He tilted his head back and licked it, pausing
for a moment to consider the taste sandy and rough and weird. Not at
all like hed imagined. He tried to break the end of it off with his hands to
take back to show Tonya. But the thousands of years behind the icicle did
not bend beneath the boys fingers.

Finally, Saundra asked, Now what? This is the place the last
place on the map.

Templeton shrugged. It has to be around here. This place isnt too

big so lets spread out. Nehemiah and I will go this way. You and Cody go
that way. First person to find it shouts. If you reach the end of these things
without finding it, go back to the slope and wait for the rest of us.

Saundra and Cody split off and went to the right, weaving in and
out of the forest of glacial stone fingers. Cody wondered if anyone had
ever been impaled on a stalagmite before.

I found something, Saundra said. They had reached a far wall

that rose up and seemed to mark the end of the forest. The blue light was
harsher here. Saundra took out her flashlight and flicked it on, aiming the
beam at the wall. There seemed to be some kind of writing etched into the
stone. Up close, the individual letters appeared to be English, but Saundra
couldnt make out the incoherent scrawl.

What does it say? Cody asked.

Just then, a shout came from the other side of the cavern. It
seemed farther away than it really was.

Lets go, Saundra said. They found something.

What Nehemiah and Templeton had found was a tomb a gray
stone box topped with a lid, about the size it would take to hold an
average man.

Is it the one? Saundra asked.

Nehemiah nodded, pointing at the single line of text engraved on
the side ALEXANDER LACROIX SCHUMANN, 1742 1789.

Lets hope nobody got here before us, Templeton said. He gripped
one corner of the stone lid and started to pull. A little help, here, he
grunted.

Nehemiah made a lasso out of some rope and tied it around the
opposite corner, and started to pull. Cody climbed up on the other side
and started to push. Little by little, the lid began to budge sending up
shivers of dust, eliciting coughs from the two men and Cody.

Should be it, Nehemiah said, grunting as he pulled the lid

one last time so that half of it hung off the edge of the ossuary.

Theres a skull! Theres a real skull in here, Cody said.

At least theres not a smell, Templeton said. Actually, there was a
whole skeleton in there, complete with bits of torn, tattered Revolutionary-
era clothing. The mans arms or the bones of his arms were crossed
over his chest. Clutched between them was a rectangular leather box.
Templeton reached in and tugged it out gently. We found it, he
whispered. There was a tangled leather string at one end of the box.
Templeton began to tug at it slowly.
 Wheres Saundra? Cody said.
Everyone turned around. She was just , Nehemiah started to
say, and then he heard the distinctive click of a gun.

Get down! Nehemiah shouted as he jumped off the tomb edge

and reached for his gun. It was stuck in his belt and he had to wrestle it
out. When he looked up, Saundra was standing limply a few feet away. Her
eyes were closed. She was being held up by a man with a cowboy hat, a
short grizzled beard, and a round, boyish face.
 63 / Like Lambs to the Slaughter

The serpent soldiers thats how Tonya referred to them in her head
marched Titus, Abby, Kamare-Scott, and Tonya up the steps into
Hermanns house. They separated the four of them, one soldier led Abby
and Titus into the kitchen and sat them down across from each other at
the table where they had eaten lunch a few hours earlier.

Put the kids over there, one soldier who seemed to be in charge
said. Kamare-Scott and Tonya were led into the living room and made to
sit on the floor. Two soldiers went into the kitchen and began talking to
Abby and Titus.

What do you think theyre saying? Tonya asked quietly.

Kamare-Scott shrugged and looked glum, hating the feeling of
being helpless. He perked up momentarily as four soldiers clamored down
the stairs and went out the front door. They all carried long, deadly-looking
guns and wore hard helmets with visors. They seemed disciplined and
efficient, going about whatever it was they were doing with quiet certainty.
They bore no insignia that Kamare-Scott recognized. Certainly not U.S.
military.

Tonya touched his arm. Sorry about your bo, she said. It seemed
veryspecial.

It was. My mom got it for me when she went to Japan, Kamare-

Scott said. Just before she died. She was going to give it to me on my
seventeenth birthday, but she gave it to me sooner. Somehow she knew
she wouldnt be here to give it to me then.

Oh, Tonya said. She studied Kamare-Scotts face. His afro was
significantly flattened from when she had first seen him. But his face was
hard, his eyes darting back and forth, probably calculating a way of
escape. He couldnt have been any more than eighteen; the pain of his
mothers death was still fresh. He jerked forward suddenly.

I need to call Dad. I need to warn him, he said.

 Umm, Tonya said, remembering she had a phone in her pocket.
She reached for it, but just then one of the soldiers spun around the corner
and looked at them. Tonya froze.

The soldier marched over and ordered her to stand. He searched

her pockets quietly, found the phone, and took it. Then, he searched
Kamare-Scott who only had a bit of paper with writing on it in his pocket.

Sorry, Tonya murmured when the soldier turned away to put their
things on a table out of reach.

When the soldier turned back around, he was holding plastic cuffs.
Hands, he said.

Tonya hesitated. Kamare-Scott looked at the cuffs warily, took a

deep breath and raised his arms.

At that moment, gunshots rang out outside the house. The soldier
forgot all about cuffing them. He turned sharply and rushed back to the
door, followed by several of his comrades.

Whats happening? Tonya whispered.

I dont know, and they dont know either, Kamare-Scott said.
Confusion is good. Lets get Abby and Titus and get out of here.

He grabbed Tonyas arm and started pulling her toward the kitchen.
But before they could get out of the living room, there was a loud bang
less like a single gunshot more like a grenade had went off in front of
the house.

Get down! Tonya cried, her ears ringing from the explosion. The
floor shifted beneath them. The front door of the house tore from its
hinges and flew back through the hall.
 64 / Captured

Nehemiah pointed his gun at the man. Let her go, he demanded. What
did you do to her?

Shes fine. Just knocked out, the man said. He was shorter than
Nehemiah, with a grizzled beard that curled around his chin, and a round,
boyish face. But shes coming with me unless you give me that. He
motioned with his gun toward Templeton who was holding the leather box
that held the Correction.

Do you even know what it is? Nehemiah said, stalling.

Of course, I know what it is, the man said. Oh, I see. Your sister
didnt mention me. Im Dustin Moltinova. I would shake hands but, he
shrugged, mine are currently occupied. He repointed his gun. Now
hand it over.

My sister? What? Nothing was making sense to Nehemiah. It

doesnt belong to you, he said, taking a small step toward the man.
What do you want it for?

Argument. See, I was hoping I wouldnt have to do this. Dustin

whistled.

Behind him, the cave lit up with a brilliant, white light. Nehemiah,
Cody, and Templeton were blinded. When their eyes adjusted they saw
about twenty men standing outside the blue tomb. A few of them were
holding high-powered lanterns. They were dressed mostly in jeans,
camouflage jackets, and leather boots. All of them had guns.

Saundra stirred and moaned in Dustins arms. Whats going on?

She blinked in the bright lights. Hey, let go of me, she said, jabbing her
elbows against her captor.

Not so fast, Dustin said. Not till he gives me what I want.

Nehemiah sighed heavily. He nodded toward Templeton indicating
that he should hand over the box. Templeton hesitated, turning the box
over, looking at it longingly. Then he marched over and shoved it into
Dustins hand.

Now, heres your girl, Dustin said, pushing Saundra toward them.
He tugged the string on the leather box until it opened, pulled the
document partway out, and muttered approvingly to himself before
pushing it back in. Good, now yall are coming with us.

What? Saundra said. She still looked dazed.

You got what you wanted, Nehemiah said. Now, let us go and
well leave you alone.

I would let you go, because Im not one for taking hostages, but
yall are too much of a liability, so youre coming with us. He motioned to
the men behind him. Besides, yall are outnumbered, so theres no use
resisting. Round em up, boys, and lets move up.

Come on, Nehemiah said, putting one arm around Cody and the
other around Saundra as they were surrounded by men with rifles.

They were marched out of the tomb and down a new path they
hadnt noticed before.

By the way, Dustin said, dropping back to walk beside them, if

yall are wondering how we found you: we found your partners dead body
floating in the river about a mile from here. So, we knew which way we
had to go. Dont worry, we gave him a proper burial.
 65 / Casualties

Tonya yanked Kamare-Scott back into the living room just in time. Torn
from its hinges, the front door flew backward into the hall, splintering and
slamming into the wall. Kamare-Scott, who had landed face down on the
floor, rolled over and looked at it. He would have been crushed by it.
Thank you, he said.

He got up and ran across the hall into the kitchen. The sounds of
rapid gunfire continued outside. He could feel and hear the crack every
time a bullet chewed through the wood of the building. Children screamed
and there was a lot of shouting and the sound of running. But what he saw
in the kitchen made him stop short in the entrance.

What? Tonya said, stumbling behind him.

You dont want to see this, Kamare tried to turn around to block
her view, to wash the image from his own eyes. But Tonya had already
seen. She gasped and covered her mouth. Titus sat slack in his chair at
the end of the table. Head leaning back, mouth open, eyes closed. There
was a huge and bloody gash in his chest as if his heart were a grenade
and it had exploded. Bones protruded from the cavity. There was no way
he was alive.

Abby sat in the corner seat next to him with her head resting on the
table. Blood seeped from her neck.

Maybe Abbys still alive, Tonya said quietly.

Kamare went over and touched her shoulder. Abby, he said. Can
you hear me? Nothing. He bent down to get a closer look at her neck.
There was a piece of broken glass deeply embedded. He reached for her
arm to check her pulse, but he already knew. She was gone. He looked at
Tonya and shook his head.

As he straightened, the room spun out of focus. Waves of nausea

made his head spin. He felt like he wanted to throw up.

BOOM.
 There was another explosion outside that brought him back to
reality. The room spun the other way. Whatever was going on outside, he
and Tonya were still alive and needed to get to safety. He caught sight of
another body lying on the floor on the other side of the long dining table.
One of the serpent soldiers. He was quietly trying to fashion a tourniquet
with a handkerchief around his leg where hed been hit with a bullet.

Kamare-Scott walked over to him and kicked him hard in the side.
Damn you, he said. Then he knelt down and unbuckled the mans
helmet and set it aside. He wrestled his rifle away from him, then stripped
him of his jacket. He saw a knife in his belt and took that too.

What are you doing? the soldier said, gritting his teeth.
Just be glad Im not going to kill you like you killed our friends,
Kamare-Scott said.

I didnt kill them. They did, the soldier said.

Whos they?
I dont know. I thought we were the only ones. I just do as Im
told.

The only ones what? Kamare-Scott said.

But the man didnt answer as another explosion ripped through the
house, shattering glass. Something heavy thunked upstairs and Kamare
looked up at the ceiling as footsteps sounded on the porch.

We need to get out of here, Tonya said, behind him.

 66 / Escape

Right, we need to leave, Kamare-Scott said, turning around. Get the

gear off He stopped when he saw Tonya in a black helmet and over-
sized jacket, holding a rifle awkwardly. She had already stripped the
soldier who had fallen in the other room. Good, he said.

The soldier on the kitchen floor was concentrating on tying his

tourniquet again. Good luck with that, Kamare-Scott said. He unbuckled
his helmet and put it on. It smelled of man-sweat and desperation. Kamare
thought momentarily that the helmet was ruining his afro. So be it. He put
on the jacket, picked up the rifle and stuck the knife in his pocket. Lets
go, he said to Tonya.

They left the kitchen and ran down the hallway toward the back of
the house.

What about Abby and Titus? I mean, their bodies? Tonya asked.
Hopefully, we can come back for them later, Kamare-Scott said.
What if the house is surrounded?
Lets hope its not.
I dont actually know how to use a gun, Tonya said as they
reached the back door. They could hear gunfire again now. Shouting.
Screams. People running.

Its easy, Kamare-Scott said. Its like using a mouse on a

computer point and click, except point and shoot. He leaned out the
back door and looked around, and then stepped back inside and looked at
Tonya. Youre holding it wrong. Assault rifles can be confusing, I know. You
hold it like this. He took her right hand and placed it on the pistol grip and
placed her left hand around the magazine. And watch out for the recoil.
Matter of fact, that could mess your arm up. So, let me do the shooting.
But, at least now, you look like you know what youre doing.
 Thanks, Tonya said as they stepped outside. Thin drifts of gun
smoke rose up over the house. Something was on fire and they could
smell it burning. We should head for those woods over there and then
circle around, back to the tomb, so we can warn Dad and the rest, Tonya
said.

Good thinking, Kamare-Scott said.

Hopefully, we wont run into Hermann and his people again. I still
cant believe he did that to us.

Kamare nodded in agreement and then they ran, keeping their

heads down, across an open field. To their right, there were shots being
fired, but by the time they reached the woods, they could hardly hear the
melee. They leaned against the trees to catch their breath. Tonya fished in
the pockets of her borrowed jacket and came up with a pair of binoculars.
She used them to look back at the house.

What do you see? Kamare-Scott said.

The guys in black are pretty much down. One of the Humvees
across the field is leaving. The other one is still there, Tonya said. But
theres this whole other group of guys who look nothing like the serpent
soldiers. Theyre the ones who attacked.

Let me see, Kamare-Scott said.

She handed him the binoculars, but a crack of gunfire sounded
behind them and the tool ripped apart in Kamares hands. That was so
mean, he said as he spun around, dropping the now-useless binoculars
and raising his gun.

A man in a cowboy hat stepped into view. Thought you were going
to escape, did ya?
 16 / Bitter Reunion

Kamare-Scott swung his gun barrel back and forth as more men emerged
from the trees behind him and Tonya. They all had rifles pointed at him.
This is what they call being outmanned and outgunned, Tonya
said. Lets just try to stay alive here.
Kamare nodded and lowered his gun. Were not your enemy, he
said to the leader who wore a thin suitcase that appeared to be made out
of metal on a leather strap around his neck.
You dont look like my enemy, the man in the cowboy hat said.
Behind him there was the sound of more people tracking through the
forest.
What is going on here? Kamare asked. First, we got kidnapped
by those guys. He motioned over his shoulder toward the house. They
killed two of our friends. Then you guys show up and start killing those
guys. Now, what?
Im sorry to hear about the deaths of your friends, the leader
said. Im Dustin Moltinova. I believe a reunion is in order. More people
emerged from the forest behind him Nehemiah, Saundra, Cody, and
Templeton, along with about a dozen more armed men.
Dad! Tonya said. She ran to Nehemiah and hugged him. What
happened to you guys?
We got what we came for, Nehemiah said, but he was glaring at
Dustin over Tonyas head. Wheres Abby and Titus?
Um Tonya looked back toward the house and then at Kamare-
Scott who put his head down. She turned back to her father with tears in
her eyes and shook her head.
Nehemiah let out a ragged breath and let his head fall into his
hand.
This is a disaster, Cody muttered.
Looks like youre down a number, too, Kamare said quietly.
George, Saundra said, looking wearier than the rest. There was
an accident in the cavesHe didnt make it out.
Everyone stood around quietly for a minute. Even Dustins soldiers
were still. No one seemed to want to move or say anything.
The quiet was interrupted by the sudden crackle of radios carried
by several of the soldiers. Running footsteps sounded through the forest
and another man burst onto the scene.
 Sir, all the ones that survived are gone, he addressed Dustin.
What do you mean, gone? Dustin said.
Theyre gone like ghosts, the messenger said. They took one
of the Hummers, but we found it a mile up the road. Empty.
Dustin tightened his jaw in contemplation. That could be a
problem, he said. Lets move back to the house. Treat the wounded.
Repair the damage. Get rid of the enemy bodies. We need to move out
before nightfall.
The messenger gave a curt nod and ran off.
The rest of the entourage emerged from the woods and began
walking back to Hermanns house. Gun smoke drifted above the ground.
Amish women huddled with their children. Some of the men were arguing
with Dustins soldiers. Everyone stopped and looked to the sky at the
sound of helicopter blades whirring.
A trio of grey-green U.S. Navy Seahawks passed over the house and
began to descend on the open field beyond.
Shes here, Dustin said.
 17 / Blackout

The chopper blades whirred to a slow hum as the aircraft touched down in
the empty field. The door of one of the Seahawks opened and Secretary of
the Navy Melanie Dunn jumped to the ground. She was dressed in a
professional black pantsuit, boots, and sunglasses. A man in tactical gear
jumped out behind her.
I want a complete blackout on this op, Melanie told him. No
information gets out without my say-so. No other departments brought in.
Understand?
Got it. The man nodded and turned to holler back to the crews of
the other choppers. You heard her. Secure the premises.
A dozen and a half troops in camouflage deboarded from the other
choppers and spread out in two single file lines, heading in opposite
directions around Hermanns house.
Melanie strode into the yard, followed by two soldiers, one of them
carrying a box made of reinforced steel, to where Dustin Moltinova was
waiting. Did you get it? she asked.
Yes, Dustin said. He patted the metal suitcase at his side. Now,
we need to discuss
Let me see it, Melanie cut him off.
Dustin hesitated. You said
I said let me see it.
Dustin raised the suitcase and opened it slowly. The Correction, a
rectangular document on aging paper, lay stretched out on a velvet bed.
The fringe of the paper was clearly brittle, little tears appearing like cracks
in the dignified facade, as if time had nibbled away at its edges. The worn
leather case it had come in lay beside it.
Excellent, Melanie said. She motioned to the soldier carrying the
steel case. Fitz, take it.
The soldier, Fitz, set the case down and pulled plastic gloves from
one of the many pockets on his gear.
Wait a minute. Dustin jerked the suitcase away. This isnt what
we agreed to. He started to close the lid, but found three guns pointed at
his head. He reached for his own weapon with his free hand, but slowly let
it go when he felt the barrel of a fourth gun pressed into the back of his
neck.
Fitz took the suitcase and slowly set it on the ground. He turned a
combination lock embedded in the front of his steel box and the lid
popped open. A cloud of white, cold-looking mist floated up from the open
box. Fitz put on his plastic gloves, removed a glass case from the box, and
then gently lifted The Correction out of Dustins suitcase and placed it
between two glass panes.
Melanie, what are you doing? Nehemiah said, running up just
then. He hadnt seen his sister since the day of their fathers funeral.
Melanie held up a hand as she watched Fitz intently. Taking this
very important historical document into the custody of the U.S.
government.
What? I think that defeats the point, Nehemiah said.
Fitz lowered the glass case into the steel box. He shut the lid and
the box emitted a hissing sound as it airlocked. He turned the combination
lock, and opened a panel on the side of the box and punched a series of
keys. Temperatures set, maam. Were good.
Get it on board, Melanie said.
What are you going to do with it? Lock it away so no one can find
it again? Nehemiah asked.
No, I have plans, Melanie said.
 18 / Competing Interests

What kind of plans? Nehemiah asked, suddenly alarmed. He glanced

over at Fitz who was boarding one of the helicopters with the steel box in
tow.
Plans that dont concern you, Melanie said.
The chopper blades began to spin, splitting the air with their roar.
Nehemiah felt as though everything he had worked for for the past few
months was vanishing away in an instant. This was your idea,
remember, he said. You contacted me. He pointed to himself.
Because Dad asked me to, Melanie said.
But you were working for the government all along, Nehemiah
said as realization dawned on him. You never really tried to help find The
Correction yourself. It was just another order passed down the chain of
command for you, wasnt it?
Melanie shook her head and started walking. Dont forget who
saved your life when you got yourself and your son nearly killed at the
lighthouse, she said. And who knows what Dustin would have done to
you after he got what he wanted. I was looking out for you with the
resources I had at my disposal.
Thats funny, Nehemiah said. I got the impression that Dustin
was working for you. He looked over his shoulder to where Dustin was
addressing a tight group of his soldiers. He was gesticulating dramatically.
He seemed angry. Let me guess: Washington wants to keep this a secret.
They dont want anyone finding out about The Correction because it
threatens the status quo. Admit Im right.
Look, you need to accept that this is over, Melanie said.
Over? This is far from over, Nehemiah said. What did Dustin
want with The Correction? How did he even know about it? And who the
hell are these guys? He pointed to the body of one of the serpent soldiers
lying dead on the ground. There are more of them out there. And what
about Michael? He helped us, and we havent heard from him in days. This
is not over.
You did your part for your country, Melanie said. Its over for
you. Now go back home. You have kids to raise. You have a badge to
wear.
Crap, Nehemiah thought. He had been gone from his job much
longer than Chief Cullen had given him leave for. He probably didnt have
a job now.
You have friends to bury, Melanie continued.
 Speaking of, what am I going to tell their families, huh? That they
died for nothing?
Ill make some calls. The government will let their families know
that their loved ones died in service to their country. They will be awarded
the Presidential Citizens Medal.
You think that makes this okay? Nehemiah said trying to keep his
voice down as they neared the front of Hermanns house where Tonya and
Cody were sitting on the steps, looking distinctly worn out. Kamare-Scott
and Templeton were dragging the bodies of the dead serpent soldiers out
of the yard. Saundra was talking to one of the Amish women. They died
for this. Not so the government can just blackout their work. You cant
make this go away.
Look, Im not arguing about this with you anymore, Melanie said.
Everything will be handled. She looked at her watch. Now, I need to get
going. And I need your girl, Saundra.
What? No. You cant take her with you, Nehemiah said.
Melanie ignored him. Miss Boone, you need to come with us.
Saundra walked over, wiping strands of auburn hair out of her face.
She looked at Nehemiah, worried. What? Why?
The government needs your services, Melanie said. Youre a
historian who knows more about The Correction than anyone. You also
knew the late Henry McAllen. Is that correct?
Yeah, but Im just an editor, Saundra said. I was am going
to publish Henrys book on The Correction. The real historian is my
mother.
Yes, shes already on her way to our facility in Maryland, Melanie
said.
She is? Saundra asked, clearly worried.
You picked up her mother? Nehemiah asked incredulously. Was
she pressed into service against her will too?
Melanie gave him a tired glance. Please, Miss Boone. If youll come
with me, you two can meet up at our facility. We have a lot of work to do.
 68 / The Package

Saundra didnt see Melanie again after she boarded the helicopter; the
Secretary rode in another vehicle. Looking down as the chopper gradually
pulled itself up into the air, Saundra could tell most of the Navy soldiers
were being left on the ground. To clean up this whole mess, no doubt, she
thought.
The ride in the helicopter was somewhat jarring. Saundra sat beside
Fitz who had the metal box secure between his feet. She wanted to ask
some questions, but the loud roar of the chopper blades and the heavy
vibrations made talking next to impossible. Besides, Fitz was wearing
huge, metallic green headphones. The helicopters noise, raw and
unyielding, made her ears feel as if they were being stuffed with sound.
She wished she had Fitzs headphones.
The trio of choppers set down at what looked like an abandoned
airfield. The huge, concrete runway was cracked all over with tufts of grass
breaking through. A large metal hangar stood at one end of the property
with the word AIRPORT painted on its side in faded black. At the other end
of the property, four black SUVs with heavily tinted windows and one
glossy black sedan were parked, engines running.
Saundra and Fitz were separated. Fitz handed off the box to another
gloved and headset-wearing technician who took it to one of the vehicles.
Saundra stood watching, waiting for the wobbly feeling in her legs to
subside. Before that could happen, a man in a suit ran up to her and took
her elbow.
Come with me. He led Saundra toward the line of vehicles.
Youre Miss Boone, he said.
Since weve never met, that should be a question, but its not,
Saundra said. Im assuming you already know who I am.
Uh, yeah, the man said. They had reached the vehicles now, and
the man opened the back door of one of the SUVs. He reached into his
pocket and pulled out a small, white, plastic card, about the size of a
credit card, and handed it to her. Youll need this when you get inside, he
said. He extended his arm toward the open car door.
Get inside where? Saundra asked as she climbed in. But the man
had already turned away. She sighed and leaned back in her seat only
to be startled by the presence of a large man in fatigues, bearing a heavy
gun, sitting by the opposite door.
The man looked at her and then faced forward. Saundra thought
better of asking him where inside was. A wave of tiredness washed over
her. It seemed like she had been awake forever. She closed her eyes and
tried to think of the last time she had slept. It was on the drive to
Hermanns house, which seemed so long ago. Death and war had
happened since then, and now the air was filled with uncertainty.
The car lurched forward as the driver pressed the gas and the
motorcade got moving. He raised a hand to his ear. En route now, he
muttered. We have the package.
Saundra stirred herself long enough to wonder what the package
was. She glanced over the back of her seat into the trunk. It was empty.
There was nothing in the row in front of her or in the front passenger seat.
With realization dawning, she settled back in her seat.
 69 / Back Home

Back at his home in Trenton, New Jersey, Nehemiah found that he had not
lost his job at the police department.
You done working for the Feds? Chief Cullen asked on his first day
back. The chief was a jovial man and quite hairy. Nearly every inch of skin
arms, neck, most of his face, even his fingers was covered in black
and gray hairs. The unkempt hair on the top of his head stayed asphalt
black, however. Behind his back, some of the officers called him Bear.
Im not sure, Nehemiah said, polishing his badge on the side of
his sleeve before clipping it on his belt. But, Im back for now. All around
him, the bustle of a police precinct bloomed. Detectives huddled at their
desks. Officers marched to and fro from lockup to evidence. Petty
criminals sat handcuffed on a bench behind a glass wall. Radios crackled
with emergency alerts.
That his absence had been because he was working for the FBI was
a useful lie Nehemiah figured Melanie had concocted to smooth things
over with Cullen. After driving back home, Tonya and Cody had slept for
almost an entire day. He had tried to call Saundras cell phone multiple
times but she never picked up. He called the Department of History at
Columbia University, but they said they hadnt heard from Ginny,
Saundras mother, in a couple of days. His calls to Melanie went
unanswered too. As a last resort, hed called Michael. He knew the man
was kind of shady, but theyd had to trust each other in some tight
circumstances. On top of that, hed always seemed to have inside
information. But Michaels phone number was no longer in service.
After two days of hitting brick walls, Nehemiah put on his uniform,
dropped his kids off at school, and went back to work. He figured things
would happen when they happened. Sorry it took so long, he said.
Hey, no problem, Cullen said. Im just glad youre back. What
were you up to?
Uh, I cant talk about it, Nehemiah said rubbing one eye out with
the heel of his hand. Hed been feeling like his energy had taken a
vacation ever since he got back. Maybe seeing three new friends die in the
same day did that to a person. But, I could use a little help.
What can I do for you?
Nehemiah pulled a photo of Michael out of his pocket. Curly black
hair and tanned skin one Saundra had surreptitiously taken of him when
it appeared he was trying to kidnap her. I need to find this man, he said.
You think I can get this run through facial recognition?
Sure. Ill get someone on it, Cullen said.
 Several hours later, Cullen called Nehemiah to his office.
Okay, this is weird, he said as Nehemiah shut the door. He slid
the photo across his desk and turned his computer screen around so they
both could look. On the screen was surveillance footage of a man walking
through what looked like an airport. That photograph belongs to Hassan
Olinko, Cullen said. He came to the United States from Russia on a work
permit visa for foreign doctors. He had an office in New Hampshire.
Nehemiah nodded. That all added up. Michael was the doctor
who had been treating his father a couple of months ago.
From what I could gather from the Secretary of States office up
there, everything was on the up and up, Cullen continued. Until a few
weeks ago, when someone reported that our friend here hadnt shown up
at his own office for several days.
That makes sense, Nehemiah nodded.
This is where things get really strange. Cullen clicked to a new
screen of crime scene photos a dark green Range Rover with tires
slashed and the drivers window smashed out on a tree-lined narrow road.
Nehemiah recognized it instantly. Someone found this vehicle by the side
of the road. It was a rental, registered to someone named Michael, but
that Michael matched the man in your photo. So, Im assuming an alias.
Cullen looked at Nehemiah. Does that tell you what you need to know?
Did you find him? His body?
Cullen shook his head. If he was driving this car at the time, he
must have walked away or was taken away from whatever happened
on that road. He hasnt popped up anywhere since.
 70 / A Change of Plans

No one had ever before seen the Caliph with a beard. Either he was
deliberately trying to grow one, or his attention had been so attuned to
the recent events that he had forgotten to shave. Now, he sat at the head
of a long table with his captains filling the other seats. A yellow
handkerchief was folded on the table before him.
I question if some of you are as committed to the dream as I am,
the Caliph said. His long white hair nearly glowed in the dim light of the
underground conference room. He looked at each of his captains
individually, steady grey eyes boring into theirs. You do know why we are
doing this? It is not just for ourselves, but for our posterity. He spread out
his hands toward them. Your posterity. So they can live in a just, pure,
holy society free from infidels and abominations. One brotherhood, one
community one true United States under God. He picked up the yellow
handkerchief and unfolded it. It was a flag with a black serpent cut into
several different pieces rampant across it. He held it up. Remember: This
is a symbol of all that we hate. Democracy is division, plain and simple.
His thin fingers fisted the fabric of the flag. If you lose sight of this, we
are doomed. Understood?
The captains nodded in assent.
Now, what happened? the Caliph said.
One of the captains pressed a button on a remote controller and a
multi-paneled screen lit up at one end of the room. Everyone turned to
look at it. It displayed aerial pictures of the Amish community in
Philadelphia. The images zoomed in, revealing melee in front of one large
house in particular. Bodies lay on the ground. Men, women, and children
clustered together, frozen in time, as they tried to get away.
Six of our brothers. Dead. The Caliph bowed his head.
We were ambushed on two sides, one of the captains said. There
was another group a militia, I think. They call themselves the Southern
Resistance. They had intel we couldnt have known.
And that means what? the Caliph said.
The first group we were tracking the Dunn connection he has
ties to the government. Either theyre working together or just using him.
Thats beside the point. Losing patience, the Caliph rubbed his
fingers against his temple. Where is The Correction?
The captain pressed another button on his remote control and the
screens changed again, this time to a photo of a woman in tactical gear
perched in the doorway of a helicopter. She was aiming what looked like a
rocket launcher. A second panel showed an information box with text. And
a third, a close-up of the womans face silver-haired with eyes like
glaciers. The Secretary of the Navy showed up and extracted The
Correction. We have not been able to determine what she intends to do
with it or where it is being taken. But, like I said, clear fingerprints of an
inner government operation.
Look into those eyes, the Caliph said.
What? the captain stammered. Pardon me, sir?
Her eyes. The Caliph indicated the picture on the screen. Do you
really think she has purely altruistic motives?
The captains looked at the picture again. I dont I mean, I
wouldnt, the remote control man stammered again.
The answer is no, the Caliph snapped. Which means we have a
change of plans, but not by much.
 71 / Pressed Into Service

Saundra dozed on and off throughout the motorcade ride, so she wasnt
sure how long they had driven when the vehicles finally stopped and she
awakened for good. It was late evening, the gray-blue sky tilting rapidly
toward black. She was escorted out of the SUV by more men in suits.
There was temporarily a buzz of activity at the side of a huge, nondescript,
concrete building. The tall chain link fence topped with razor wire that
surrounded the property did nothing to dispel Saundras unease.
One of the suits scanned a key card at a door that had no handle on
the outside. The door unlatched and swung open. The suit waved Saundra
in. He led her into a tiny room, walled with dark glass. The only thing in it
was a glass door with a keypad. The suit punched in a series of numbers
and that door opened.
Right this way, the suit said. He led Saundra down a long hall that
turned in a new direction several times. The carpet was green and the
fluorescent lighting gave the feeling of being in a lab or a hospital. There
were other doors, each a uniform beige, at various intervals on either side
of the hall. Saundra tried to read several of the panels by the doors to get
her bearings, but they each had coded names like L23096.X or L56098.T.
They turned a final corner and entered an area with a more
welcoming appearance. The carpet was still green, but the beige doors
were open and Saundra could hear conversation spilling out into the hall.
There were snack machines in one corner. Most imposingly, however,
there was a viewing station a rectangular glass window spanning six
yards or more. The window faced a huge room, the size of an airport
hangar. Saundra could see two rows of long tables holding computer
monitors and other technical machinery. A dozen or more individuals
some in lab coats, some in street clothes worked at the computers or
tinkered with the machines. In the middle of the room was a massive black
and chrome orb. It had a circular hatch standing open on one side, big
enough for a man to climb in. Perhaps, it was some kind of submarine. The
sign on the door said Project Flynn.
When they had gone a short way past this door, they stopped at a
blue door. The suit waved Saundra in. Please wait here for Special
Director Forge, he said and shut the door behind her. Saundra wondered
what would happen if she tried to open the door.
She was standing in a square waiting room. There were two chairs
against each wall and a square table in the middle. A man sprawled in one
of the chairs, his head dipped down as if asleep, tangled blond hair falling
over his face. He wore polished dress shoes and crisp beige pants and a
short sleeve shirt.
Saundra sat down across from him, wondering how long it would
take before Special Director Forge arrived. Maybe the sleeping man knew
something about what was going on. She scanned the ceiling wondering if
she was being watched. A circular, black glass object hung from the ceiling
in the corner of the room. A red light blinked lazily. Of course. But what did
it matter? She reached across the table and shook the man by his arm.
He awakened with a start, looking around as if hed been attacked.
Saundra pulled her hand away quickly.
What? Who are you? he said, slurring his words slightly, as he
flipped his hair out of his eyes.
Im Saundra. Who are you?
Mitch Abernathy. Delta Force. Mitch straightened in his chair,
squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. Augh.
Are you drunk? Saundra asked.
Mitch held up a finger. Im not as drunk as I would like to be right
now. I got pressed into service, same as you.
 72 / The Box

So, where are we? Saundra said. I fell asleep on the drive.
This, Mitch said, waving his arms around to indicate the room, is
the Box. Its what they put you in before they tell you what they actually
brought you here for.
So, you dont know why youre here?
I havent the slightest idea.
Thats comforting.
Mitch leaned forward in his seat, placing his elbows on his knees.
Ive been in this position before. This must be your first time.
You say that like this happens to everybody at some point,
Saundra said.
I doubt it happens that often, but no one knows because you
arent allowed to talk about it. Theyre going to make you sign your name
to that, by the way. But the compensation is good.
Saundra laughed a little. This isnt, like, illegal or anything?
If the government does it, is it illegal? Mitch said, a sly grin
crossing his face. Just remember, the folks here are hard. Tough-nosed.
Theyre not people-oriented. The mission matters more than anything. If
you can get with that, youll be fine. Both of my parents are Marines, so
its easy for me.
Saundra nodded. You dont have any idea what theyre doing with
that big blackthing, do you?
The spaceship looking thing?
Yeah. Is it a submarine?
Mitch laughed. Doesnt look like any submarine Ive seen. You
know what I think it is? I think its a time machine.
They both laughed at this.
The door opened and a middle-aged Hispanic woman entered. She
had a serious face and shoulder-length black hair that was streaked with
gray. Im Special Director Katarina Forge, she said. Good to see you
again, Mr. Abernathy. Miss Boone? Please come with me.
Saundra got up and followed her out into the hall.
I know all of this must be a bit unsettling for you, Director Forge
said.
 Just a bit? Saundra thought.
But Ive been informed that you were instrumental in recovering a
potentially history-shaping document known as The Correction, Forge
continued. We need your assistance to verify the authenticity of the
document and to determine if and how it should be integrated into
American society.
Believe me, Saundra said, if you knew how much trouble we
went through to get it and how many people tried to kill us along the way,
you would have no doubts about its authenticity.
Forge seemed to consider this. Have you ever heard of Martin
Allen, Miss Boone?
Doesnt ring a bell, Saundra said.
If it were up to him, history books would read that Britains Edward
VIII was secretly aiding the Nazis during World War II and that Winston
Churchill secretly ordered the murder of Heinrich Himmler. Do you know
why? Because Britains National Archives, which have been in existence
for over 900 years, once contained documents that purportedly proved
such to be the case. Only a few years ago those documents were found to
be forgeries. Forge turned to face Saundra. Do you see why verification
is necessary?
Yes, maam, Saundra said.
You and those trying to kill you could have been chasing after
something that is fake.
 73 / Salvage

Nehemiah removed his sunglasses as he drove up to All-American Auto

Salvage. There was a huge cast iron fence around a large property. There
was a tiny gravel parking lot and a squat gray building with the word
Office painted crookedly on the side. An American flag waved in the
wind. Beyond the office was row after row of battered vehicles, most in a
state of partial undress.
Nehemiah pressed the buzzer and waited for an answer.
Thank you for visiting All-American Auto Salvage. If you believe in
guns, God, and limited government, were your new friends! How can I
help you? a raspy voice said.
My name is Nehemiah Dunn. Im with the Trenton Police
Department. I need to take a look at an unclaimed vehicle that was
dropped off here about a week ago, Nehemiah said.
Come right on in, officer, the voice said, as the gate started to
open. I cant be sure if we still have that vehicle around, but youre
welcome to have a look-see.
Nehemiah drove in and squeezed his car into the tiny parking lot
alongside a massive tow truck and two other SUVs. The owner came out to
greet him.
This is a pretty big lot you have, Nehemiah said. He pulled a
photo of Michaels damaged Range Rover out of his pocket. We dropped
this one off not too long ago.
Yeah, I remember getting that one in.
Any idea where I should look first?
No, we just put them wherever theres room, the owner said. I
dont know, we may have already taken that one apart. People come by
here looking for Rover parts all the time. But the newer stuff is over
there. The man waved his hand in the general direction of the left side of
the office where a graveyard of broken down vehicles splayed all the way
to the far corner of the iron fence which looked to be about a football
fields length away. Nehemiah was pretty sure some vehicles were
deposited on top of others.
Thanks. Thats very helpful, he said.
Good luck. The man waved again and went back into his office.
Nehemiah waded into the sea of dead automobiles. He climbed into
the bed of a rusted out pickup truck and methodically searched the
graveyard with his eyes, trying to wrestle some order out of the chaos
before him. But the more he looked, the more the automobiles seemed to
meld into one never-ending sea of metal wave upon wave of Fords and
Toyotas and Chevrolets, compact cars, sports cars, vans, SUVs, pickup
trucks, even a few motorcycles.
Nehemiah was just about to resign himself to having to climb over
every inch of the junkyard until he found Michaels Range Rover when he
noticed something. There was a path that cut into the sea of vehicles,
marked out by huge tire tracks. It zigged and zagged, but it stretched from
one end of the junkyard to the other. Nehemiah figured the tracks
belonged to the tow truck. Of course, it would have to have room to drag
broken down vehicles into the graveyard. The more recently deposited
cars would be the ones positioned closer to the tracks.
Nehemiah started walking down the path, looking at the cars on
either side and the ones just beyond those. Some of the cars had already
been gutted, their still valuable parts taken out and sold. They sat as
skeletons. Nehemiah zigged and zagged so much that, soon, he could no
longer see the office building. Cars piled up around him in every direction.
If he didnt know better, he could have easily begun to think hed gotten
lost in a desert of auto skeletons.
He was halfway to the end of the junkyard when he found it. The
forest green Range Rover sat at the edge of the tow path. The hood was
open, but as far as Nehemiah could tell, nothing had been taken out of it
yet. Thank God. He stuck his hand through the broken window on the
drivers side and climbed in. Of course, the police investigators had
already scoured the car for some type of identification. But Nehemiah
knew Michael or the people he worked for would have been too smart
to leave anything obvious.
Nehemiah checked the trunk, the glove compartment, under the
seats, and above the front seat visors. They were all bare.
Remembering a case he had worked on previously, Nehemiah
decided there was one last place to look. He pulled out his pocket knife
and cut into the leather of the steering wheel. When he had opened it
sufficiently, he started to pull out the airbag. He cut that open too and
reached inside
Sure enough, there were two half-sheets of paper folded over. Both
sheets were filled with cramped, narrow handwriting.
The first line on the first page read: If you are reading this, I am
dead.
 25 / Michaels Real Truth

Nehemiah sat in his car in the tiny parking lot of the auto salvage yard and
read Michaels letter.
If you are reading this, I am dead, and I hope this letter has fallen
into sympathetic hands.
My name is, or was, Hassan Olinko.
The people who killed me are nameless, faceless, and formless.
They follow a man known as the Caliph. For a time, I followed him too. I
believed in what he preached. He is a man of many names. When I was
his student at the University of St. Petersburg, he was known as Masud
Kaledin. He taught medicine during the day and philosophy at night.
I often asked myself how or why I could follow such a man? Back
then, it was easy to answer. He was charismatic, a fresh thinker, popular
with all the students. Both my wife, Katrya, and I were fans of his. Soon,
however, he became radical.
His rants on politics were infamous and plenty. He spoke of
reforming Russian society, the European order, even the world. But he
vowed to start with the land most famous for its Revolution America. He
claimed there was a document that could undo the United States. His
screeds made some wonder if he was losing his mind. He lost all pretense
of teaching medicine or philosophy. He only held long talks on revolution
at any cost. Plenty of students still came to hear him until the school
revoked his tenure.
Masud seemed to fade from existence. I graduated with my
medical degree and went into practice. I married Katrya and we had two
children. Life was good for us.
But one day Masud got in touch. He said he was in America and
that the Revolution he spoke of was at hand. He said I could be of use to
him. At first, I laughed him off; surely he was mad now. But he persisted,
and curiosity got the better of me. I told him I would consider his offer, but
I wanted more details. He asked if I trusted him; I told him yes. Then he
said, if I did trust him, I would believe him when he threatened to harm
my family if I did not do as he said. He said he was building an army and
that he could reach me wherever I ran.
Scared for the safety of my wife and children, I told him I would do
whatever he asked. He told me I had to come to America and help him
find The Correction. Turns out, this document that could undo America
was a real thing. He wanted it, needed it, was obsessed with it.
At times, I wanted to turn back from the mission, but the thought of
my family alive and safe made me continue. Masud or the Caliph, as his
new followers call him kept telling me that I was nearly done. He told
me that I could go home soon. I want nothing more.
I do not know if I will succeed in this mission. But I do know this.
The Caliph must be stopped. He was not lying when he said he was
building an army. I have seen it, glimpses of it. What their numbers and
capabilities are, I do not know for sure. I was only told what I needed to
know, and when I met with the Caliphs people, I was encouraged not to
ask questions. But they are dangerous. And the Caliph will not stop until
he finds The Correction. But by then it will be too late.
If the slim possibility exists that, somehow, you are reading this
letter and I am not actually dead, it is only a matter of time. I am going
home to see about my wife and children before the Caliph kills us all.
 26 / Funerals

Nehemiah had been to two funerals already that week. He was told it was
for the best if he remained anonymous and that the families had been told
that their loved ones had died as heroes, carrying out a classified
operation for the government. Nehemiah did not envy the officials who
had the job of explaining what type of classified operation that did not
require leaving the country ended up with the deaths of civilians.
Abby was buried in her small hometown in Connecticut. An honor
guard carried out the ceremony. Nehemiah didnt see anyone who looked
like they were her family. The handful of people who spoke remembered
Abby as a school teacher, a librarian, and a friend. Nehemiah and
Templeton stood out of sight beneath a copse of trees at the edge of the
graveyard for the hour-long funeral.
It was both easier and harder to blend in at Titus funeral in
Baltimore. At least there were more people a lot more people at the
churchs homegoing celebration. Nehemiah sat on the end of the very last
pew and tried to make himself unnoticeable. He kept looking for Saundra
to show up, but she never did. Nehemiah remembered that the last time
he had been in a church was for his wife Waverlys funeral.
Titus was celebrated as something of a community hero. A young
man, raised by a single mother, he had graduated from the University of
Southern California. After returning home, he started teaching a history
course at the community college and began running after school programs
at local high schools. Every member of his large extended family took to
the pulpit to speak about his life.
The service went on for hours. Nehemiah was afraid he would miss
George Fellecks funeral which was also taking place that evening. When
the service let out, he rushed to the cemetery where Georges body was
being buried.
A small knot of family members and friends were gathered around
an open grave. The casket, which Nehemiah knew was empty because the
government never recovered his body, was raised on a platform and
draped with the American flag. Opposite the family was the honor guard
and behind them a row of a half-dozen official-looking people, stiff and out
of place. Nehemiah stood a few yards away, just within earshot of the
ministers voice. May the love of God and the peace of the Lord Jesus
Christ bless and console us and gently wipe every tear from our eyes, he
concluded. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Spirit. Amen. The honor guard proceeded to remove the flag from the
casket and lower it into the ground.
One of the officials broke away from the burial and walked briskly
toward Templeton and Nehemiah. It was Melanie. You said you needed to
see me, she said.
 Yes. Nehemiah pulled Michaels letter out of his coat pocket and
briefly explained what he had written. If Melanie was surprised or shocked,
she didnt show it.
Weve known about the Caliph for a while, she said.
You knew? Nehemiah said.
And you never thought to tell us while we were out there risking
our lives? Templeton said.
Our purpose was to get The Correction, and we did, Melanie said.
Thanks to you. Well deal with the Caliph in time. Letting him conduct his
search was strategic. We needed to get a thread on him, draw him out,
give him room to slip up.
Nehemiah studied his sisters face as realization dawned. But he
didnt slip up. You didnt draw him out.
You dont even know where he is, Templeton added.
Thats true, Melanie nodded. Maybe there are some clues we
could decipher from this. She reached for Michaels letter, but Nehemiah
quickly refolded it and put it in his pocket.
Not until you tell me where you took Saundra and what youre
doing with her, he said.
 27 / To Be Done

Special Director Katarina Forge led Saundra into a sterile-looking room.

There was no furniture, only a cold, featureless floor. The four walls
appeared to be made of a black reflective surface. The ceiling was a
complex array of small silver panels that made Saundra feel like she was
standing beneath a glass ceiling that had frozen in place just as it
shattered.
This is our sanitization chamber, Forge said. Were just going to
run some tests to make sure youre not carrying anything harmful or toxic
on your person.
Why would I do that? Saundra said.
Forges smile seemed forced. If you are carrying anything, you
would be doing so unknowingly, of course, Forge said. It will only take a
few minutes. Please stand in the middle of the room and dont move.
The room was plunged into darkness as the lights were turned off.
Saundra stood perfectly still. She could hear machinery beeping and
humming beyond the walls of the room. She felt and heard an air vent
being opened and the sharp hiss of air streaming into the room. Droplets
seemed to sprinkle around her, dampening her face and hair. Then the
lights started. Long, thin streaks of bold colors red, blue, green, and
white lanced through the air from all four walls striking her everywhere.
Saundra felt like a barcode underneath a grocery store scanner. Though it
felt longer, the whole process lasted only for a couple of minutes. The
lights came back on and Saundra blinked to adjust her vision.
So, did you find anything? she asked when Forge opened the
door.
Youll have to remove your shoes before you leave this room,
Forge said. The test detected trace amounts of methane, which I suppose
comes from tramping through underground caves.
Saundra was provided with another pair of shoes plain, white,
and a size too big but she didnt complain. Forge opened the door to
another large room. There were two long, metal tables on either side of
the room. One was empty. One-half of the other table was stacked with
books, old and worn like somebody had emptied out a Revolutionary-era
library. The other half held what looked like scientific instruments. In the
middle was a raised pane of glass. The Correction was stretched out on
top of it, and another pane of glass held it in place.
This is where youll work, Forge said.
For how long? Saundra said. She looked at The Correction. The
handwritten document was about sixteen inches long and twelve inches
wide, its edges tattered. Under the bright lights, it looked significantly
more fragile than when she had glimpsed at it in the caves.
As long as is necessary, but preferably as brief a time as possible,
Forge said. The Secretary wants everything done stat.
Everything like what?
Verification, preservation, conversion. She wants to know what it
means, how it can be used.
Im just a book lover who happens to like history, Saundra said.
Who says Im qualified for this?
I do, said a familiar voice. Saundra turned to see her mother,
Ginny, entering the room from a side door. She wore a lab coat and plastic
gloves and she was carrying a vial of liquid. And we are going to do this
together.
 28 / Admiral Johnson

Admiral Benson Johnson sat uncomfortably around the meeting table with
the other Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon. He glanced over at
Chairman Seth Ford, anticipating his next question. The gruff man had a
small circle of hair right on the top of his head. Admiral Johnson watched
as the front of the circle turned to him.
Why hasnt the Secretary submitted the budget requirements?
Chairman Ford barked.
She hasnt had time to review it yet, sir, Admiral Johnson said.
Shes been really busy.
Time to review it? Why cant she just pull a copy of last years
budget, raise it by ten percent, and sign it like the rest of us. Chairman
Ford laughed loudly and four of the others seated around the table joined
in.
Admiral Johnson didnt think Fords way of proposing a budget was
legal, but he didnt say anything about that. She happens to be more
meticulous about some things, he said.
Well, the Senate is breathing down our necks about it, said the
Vice Chairman, so tell your boss to get it over stat.
What has got her so tied up anyway? Chairman Ford said.
From what I could gather, shes working on something top secret
for the President, Admiral Johnson said.
Top secret? the Chairman said.
The President hasnt mentioned a word of it to us, the Vice
Chairman said.
I just know what Ive been told, Admiral Johnson said.
Well, you better get her to tell you more, Chairman Ford said. All
right, this meeting is dismissed. Get that budget in here, Benson.
Yes, sir, Admiral Johnson said as he stood up and hurriedly closed
his laptop, gathering the briefings that had been delivered that morning.
He folded the computer under his arm and stuffed the briefings into a
briefcase. Hurrying down the hall, he passed military men and women,
some in suits, some in fatigues. He dialed the number to the Secretarys
office. Yes, I need to speak with the Secretary, he said when the
receptionist picked up.
Shes not in her office now. Would you like to leave
Admiral Johnson hung up the phone.
 In his own office, he exchanged his work briefcase for his home
briefcase. He was meticulous about making sure that anything even
remotely classified remained within the five walls of the Pentagon when it
was time for him to go home.
Outside, the afternoon sun was bare and bright in a cloudless sky.
He got into his Chevy Tahoe, set his briefcase down in the passenger seat,
put the key in the ignition
and froze.
He had caught sight of a man wearing a balaclava mask staring
back at him from the first row of seats.
Admiral Johnson started to turn in his seat, but he froze when he
felt something cold and hard pressed against his ribs.
Start the car, the masked man said. His voice was muffled and
gravelly.
Admiral Johnson started the car.
Drive.
Admiral Johnson navigated the car toward the checkpoint that
straddled the entrance and exit lanes.
Wave your key card and keep going. Dont stop. The man
crouched down in the back seat, ducking his head beneath the window.
Admiral Johnson waved his key card at the sensor box. The guard in
the booth barely glanced at him; he was focused on his sub sandwich.
Johnson hesitated, but immediately felt the gun jammed into his ribs
again. Drive, the man ordered.
Admiral Johnson slowly pulled onto the road. What now? He was not
eager to drive this man to where he lived with his wife and two children.
Is this your address? 4805 Huntington Lane?
Admiral Johnson felt his mouth go dry. Yes, he said in a near
whisper. He felt very much relieved when his kidnapper said, Dont go
home.
 29 / No Need for Panic

Melanie sat in the passengers seat of a black SUV, speeding along the
interstate south of Washington D.C. Nehemiah sat beside Templeton in the
second row. A few cars behind, a decoy SUV tailed them. Up ahead, a grey
sedan in the left lane maintained a 230-degree angle from the first SUV. In
the right lane, a plainclothes motorcycle-riding security officer maintained
a 60-degree angle. With all of the other vehicles on the interstate, the
formation was unnoticeable.
I dont see why you dont get that this Caliph guy is a serious
threat, Templeton was saying. He was wearing a black blazer which fit
him loosely. There were bags under his eyes and he appeared to have lost
weight since the first time Melanie had seen him. You saw what he could
do when we were in Pennsylvania.
I didnt say I dont see it as a serious threat, Melanie said. To the
contrary, its a threat so serious that it needs to be taken care of quietly.
Theres no need to panic. In exchange for Michaels letter, she had
agreed to take Nehemiah and Templeton to the secret facility where Ginny
and Saundra were examiningThe Correction.
Well, Im panicking every night, Templeton admitted. Id never
seen so many dead people in one place in my life. Every time I sleep, I go
right back there.
Im sorry to hear that, Melanie said. Ive learned not to let my
nightmares dictate the concerns of my waking hours. She sighed as the
traffic around them began to slow to a crawl. Typical evening D.C. traffic
jam.
And what about that other group that was there? Templeton said.
They didnt kill us, but who were they?
Melanie didnt answer.
Seems like you and their leader Dustin, I think his name was
had some kind of agreement, Nehemiah added.
Just then, the driver braked and brought the SUV to a halt. Whoa,
he said. Look. The decoy SUV, the motorcycle, and the sedan stopped at
the same time.
Up ahead, a man was walking onto the highway. He wore a scarf or
some kind of mask that covered the lower half of his face. Only his eyes
were visible, framed by straggly black hair.
Probably just some homeless guy, Melanie said as people in other
vehicles started to honk their horns and roll down their windows, yelling at
the man to get out of the way.
 The man seemed not to hear. He came across the first lane and into
the second, turning to face the oncoming traffic which was virtually at a
standstill. As he turned, he exposed his other arm which held a long, black
object which looked like a weapon.
Probably not just a homeless guy, the driver said. He reached for
his gun and started to open the door.
Melanie grabbed his arm. No, stay. The car is bulletproof.
That looks like it spits more than just bullets, the driver said. But
he shut the door again.
The highway walker came on slowly as if he didnt have a care in
the world. The cars started to move again around him, numerous drivers
giving him what-the-hell? looks as they passed.
He is clearly heading this way, Templeton said.
The security officer on the motorcycle cut across the lane, weaving
between cars to reach the armed man. As the motorcycle approached, the
man turned, raised his weapon to his shoulder, pointed it at the oncoming
motorcycle and fired. A disc-shaped object spun from the shaft of the
weapon. It attached itself to the spinning wheel of the motorcycle. At first
nothing happened.
Then there was a loud bang and an eruption of fire as the
motorcycle exploded. Nehemiah was sure he saw the officers body shoot
straight up in the air or at least part of the officers body. It looked like
the legs were missing.
There was a sudden rush of noise and confusion as nearly every
driver within sight seemed to start honking their horns at once. Some who
had been stalled suddenly found speed and ripped past the smoldering
remains of the motorcycle on the highway, sure to create an even worse
traffic jam up ahead.
What do we do? the driver said.
In the rearview mirror, Melanie saw the decoy SUV slowly
approaching from behind, all four windows rolled down an inch, gun
barrels extended. She grabbed the drivers two-way out of the ashtray.
Beta team, stay where you are, she ordered. Do not engage.
What? the team leaders voice sounded confused over the radio.
What? Melanies driver echoed.
He wants something, Melanie said. Or he would have killed us
already.
 30 / A Message Delivered

The armed man passed the motorcycle wreckage. He looked at it with mild
interest, as though it were just a flower growing through the concrete.
I really hope youre right about this, Templeton said. He had one
hand on the door handle.
Nehemiah looked at him and shook his head.
Id rather die running than die sitting still, Templeton said.
The armed man came on still, slowly, casually. A few cars sped past
him, but Melanie could see the traffic already backing up ahead of them.
Police sirens sounded in the distance.
The armed man came around to the passengers side and stared
through the glass. Melanie stared back, one finger on the window control.
The man raised a gloved fist and knocked twice against the glass. No one
else has to die, he said. His voice sounded staticky and warped, as if it
were being distorted by something in his scarf mask.
Melanie rolled down the window. The drivers finger twitched
against the trigger of his gun.
The man held up a flat, rectangular, metallic object and passed it
through the window. It was a tablet. Melanie took it. I was to deliver this
to you personally, the man said.
What is it? Melanie said holding it gingerly.
A message from the Caliph. He sends his regards.
The man turned and walked away slowly the way he had come. He
passed by the mangled motorcycle again. (Nehemiah could clearly see the
officers legs, or at least the exposed bone and burned flesh that was left.
He wondered when the rest of his body would fall back to earth. It was an
odd thought.) The man jumped over the guardrail and vanished from
sight.
Start moving, Melanie ordered as she rolled the window back up.
The driver put his gun away and started to navigate around the
remains of the fallen officer.
The decoy SUV behind them stopped and two men in suits got out.
One was talking into a device on his wrist, probably calling for help to
clean up the wreckage.
Nehemiah and Templeton exchanged glances and leaned forward to
see the tablet. Its probably just a video message, Templeton said. No
cause for panic.
 There was just one button on the front of the tablet. Melanie
pressed it.
The screen flickered on. An image displayed a yellow flag with a
black serpent chopped into pieces. Madame Secretary, a smooth voice
began. I know you wish to find me, but I have found you first. We will
meet soon, sooner than you may think. But, first, you have something that
I want. My men nearly had it, but you took it right out from under my
nose. Ill admit it: I did not anticipate a rival in this race. But I often felt I
had a shadow at my back, a cold ghost running at my heels. Now, I am
pleased to put a face to that shadow, a body to that ghost. You are a
worthy rival.
The voice paused and a new image faded onto the screen. A picture
of armed men like those Nehemiah and Templeton had seen when they
were in Pennsylvania. Only in the image, there were what looked like a
vast number of them. Do not deceive yourself, the voice continued. I
learn from my mistakes. You will not outsmart me again. Give me that
which I seek, and I will leave you in peace. The voice went silent and the
screen went black.
Thats it? the driver said glancing over.
Melanie shook her head slowly. No. Somethings wrong.
The tablet screen shivered and blazed back to life. Of course, you
are waiting for my ultimatum. The voice sounded amused. A video
popped onto the screen. It seemed to open onto a dimly lit area furnished
like a living room. The camera was moving around a lampstand, past a
coffee table, into a dining room. It stopped, turning into a corner. A man
was slumped against the wall, his head down, his hands bound behind
him. Give me The Correction, or he dies, the voice said.
Who is he? Templeton whispered.
Nehemiah shrugged.
Another voice sounded on the video. Look at me. Look at me, the
voice was saying. Look in the camera and say your name. The man
shrugged a little, but didnt look up. The camera jostled as an arm
appeared from outside of the frame and struck the man in the face. If you
want to live, look in the camera and state your name and rank.
After another moment, the man looked up. His face was cut and
bruised. Blood trickled across his forehead. My name is Admiral Benson
Johnson.
 31 / Drive-Around

Nehemiah was pretty sure that the man in the suit with the curly white
cord coming from behind his ear was purposefully driving him and
Templeton in circles so they wouldnt be able to figure out where they
were being taken. The driver had ignored his request to drop them off
already, and Nehemiah suspected that he was acting on Melanies orders.
Nehemiah hoped that they were being taken to whatever facility
Saundra and Ginny had been whisked off to. He wasnt sure because
Melanie had been utterly silent after the masked gunman had brought
traffic to a standstill on the D.C. freeway and informed her that her under
secretary had been kidnapped and would only be released in exchange
for The Correction.
Nehemiah assumed that Melanie had gone to save her personnel,
and he and Templeton were stuck in the back of an SUV waiting for
whenever the driver decided they were confused enough to drop them off
at wherever they were headed.
Templeton was goading the driver by pointing out all the places
they had passed for the third, fourth, or fifth time. Midcon Trucking sure
has a lot of empty warehouses on this route, he said. Look. Theres the
fifth one weve seen.
I think this is going to take longer if you keep doing that,
Nehemiah said. Just then his cell phone buzzed. He pulled it out of his
jacket pocket. It was an urgent text from Tonya telling him that Cody was
burning the house down in his attempt to cook hot dogs for dinner. She
had even included a video showing a column of black smoke rising from
the kitchen sink.
He texted her back, saying they should both act like adults and that
he would be home as soon as he could.
Im 15. What happened to being authentic? she texted back. How
am I supposed to be something Im not?
Such a smart ass. Clearly, the house isnt burning down, Nehemiah
responded.
A few minutes later, he was notified that Cody had burned five hot
dogs in his feeble cooking attempt and had taken the three that were
actually cooked (or at least looked brown instead of black) for himself,
leaving his sister to starve.
At least they were fighting each other and not moping because of
the death they had experienced a week prior. It was such that made
Nehemiah miss his late wife, Waverly, more than ever. She would know
what to do should the kids have fallen into a depression.
 This is where Ive been instructed to drop you off, a voice said. It
took a moment before Nehemiah realized the driver had finally found his
tongue.
He and Templeton got out and looked around. They stood on a strip
of gravel between a high chain link fence and a concrete building without
any signage. There was a plain door painted the same color as the outer
walls of the building, making it hard to notice unless one knew it was
there. An intercom button was mounted beside it.
Before either of them could make a move toward the intercom, the
door swung open, revealing a middle-aged Hispanic woman standing in
the entrance. Mr. Dunn, Mr. Templeton, Im Special Director Katarina
Forge. Weve been expecting you.
 32 / Reunion

Nehemiah and Templeton followed Special Director Forge inside. They

were led down a long hallway and made to wait in a cube-like room for a
few minutes before being taken to a sanitation chamber, and finally to a
lab.
Ginny and Saundra were there when the door opened, heads bent
over a tablet. Nehemiah could see the resemblance between mother and
daughter. Both women had their hair up, pencils stuck through messy
buns. Where Ginnys had grayed, Saundras was a dull auburn. Nehemiah
hadnt imagined that he would be so relieved to see them both.
Saundra looked happy to see him and immediately came over and
gave him a hug. We were so worried, she said.
So was I, Nehemiah said. But were fine.
Its terrible whats happened since the last time we met, Ginny
said. Saundra was telling me about the She broke off, shaking her
head.
Well, its only going to get worse, Templeton said, sitting down on
one of the stools at a long pristine metal table. Is it here?
Ginny nodded and pointed to a rack of metal shelves against the far
wall. While Templeton told the women about the funerals, the attack on
the freeway, and the Caliphs message, Nehemiah went and examined the
shelves. At first, it looked as though The Correction was suspended
between two shelves, but a closer inspection showed that it was
sandwiched between two panes of glass which were part of a temperature
controlled glass container.
It was the first time that he had really looked at it. It was a single,
rectangular sheet of oversized paperyellow, almost brown, with age. The
edges of the page were chipped and ragged. A sharp crease showed
where it had been folded. The ink was dark and mostly faded, but still
readable, though the handwriting looked almost foreign.
This was what four people he had known had died for.
Nehemiah went back to the others. As much as I hate to admit it, I
have no idea what were supposed to do next, he said.
Saundra, Templeton, and Ginny looked at him silently. Apparently,
they had no ideas either.
Ginny was the one who finally spoke. Why did you start?
Nehemiah thought. My father was dying. He needed to pass on the
secret. That was when I learned that the secret wasnt so secret, and other
people were looking for The Correction too, and willing to kill for it. I
decided that wemy sister and Ishould try to get to it first.
Ginny nodded. So, its personal.
Yeah, something like that, Nehemiah said, not realizing it wasnt a
question.
In all the history Ive studied, theres one thing Ive found to be
true, Ginny continued. Whether its the assassination that sparked World
War One, or Lee Harvey Oswald, or Hitlers push for power in Germany, or
the first people who came to America. At the root, at the most meta level,
theres a personal reason behind it all. Even the ages-long war between
good and evil, sin and righteousness, got its start because one individual
felt as though he wasnt getting the respect he deserved. As she spoke,
her eyes glazed as if she had momentarily been transported back to her
lecture podium in her classroom at Columbia.
Mom, this isnt a history lesson, Saundra said. However it got
startedwhether for personal reasons or notgood people died
And more will die if we dont do something, Templeton said.
Considering how people are willing to kill for this, Nehemiah said,
I think our focus must be primarily on keeping it out of the wrong hands.
He looked at Templeton. Maybe burying it again, making it disappear.
Only this time with some serious security, Templeton said. Your
sister could help with that.
Nehemiah shook his head. I hate to say this, but I think shes one
of the people we need to keep this from.
 33 / Rescue Mission

Melanie didnt have to look twice to know where her undersecretary was
being held. She had a rescue team summoned and en route to the
residential neighborhood south of Washington within an hour. She wanted
to keep the operation quiet. The media was already crawling all over the
freeway incident. Speculators said it was some kind of lone wolf terror
attack, and law enforcement was searching for the masked man who had
been captured on cell phone cameras by civilians, but no one knew
anything specific. From the little Melanie knew about the Caliph, and from
what Michaels letter had said about his secretive methods, it would stay
that way.
A bigger headache for her right now was that the media was also
speculating that the undersecretary of the Navy had been kidnapped.
Well, he had been.
But Melanie didnt want a bunch of eyes on her at this time. She
wanted to rescue him as quietly as possible. That wasnt being helped by
the residents of the neighborhood where the undersecretary lived. They
were mostly elderly people, leaning over their fences, curious about the
armored personnel carrier rolling down their quiet street. Melanie followed
in the back of a command trucka huge box on wheelswith no windows,
filled with communication equipment and four of her men monitoring
visual and audio feeds of the situation. It was mounted with a loudspeaker.
The driver ordered everyone to go inside and lock their doors. Melanie
knew this would only leave them to watch from their windows. But
warrants, right to personal property, Fourth Amendment and all. Nothing
else could be done about it. She gave the order for both ends of the block
to be sealed off.
At that moment, her phone rang. She unhooked it from her belt and
was about to hit Ignore, but then saw who it was. She pressed Answer.
Yes, Mr. President?
Secretary Dunn, Ive been briefed on what happened to Admiral
Johnson. Quite unfortunate.
Melanie wondered if he knew the real story.
Ive authorized a Secret Service detail for the Joint Chiefs, and
I appreciate that, Mr. President. But Im in the middle of a situation
right now.
Well, I just wanted to let you know that Ive instructed the FBI and
the CIA to treat this situation as a top priority, and to put all their
resources
 Please, Mr. President, tell them not to bother. Ive got the situation
under control, Melanie said.
President Federson sighed. I hope so. Then his voice dropped as if
he didnt want to be overheard. Was that you on the freeway a few hours
ago?
Melanie weighed her response and registered one of the techs
trying to get her attention. Really, Mr. President, I have to go. I promise Ill
update you later. She ended the call without waiting for a reply. What?
she said to the tech.
Look at this. The tech indicated a monitor combining a heat
signal and infrared imaging of the undersecretarys house. He pointed to
the neon red image of what was clearly a mans form sitting on the floor in
one of the rooms. He appeared to have his hands bound behind him.
Theres only one guy, he said. Wheres the kidnapper?
Maybe that is the kidnapper? Melanie said. Hes baiting us. He
moved the undersecretary somewhere else.
The tech shook his head. Nah, he knows youll bring the fire.
Maybe he took off or hes hiding nearby.
Well, were about to find out.
Melanie signaled her teams to move in.

Ten minutes later, Melanie entered the house. Admiral Johnson was
standing in the kitchen, massaging his wrists, surrounded by half a dozen
soldiers. His suit jacket was gone. His shirt was torn. Clearly, hed put up a
fight against his captor. A medic was checking him over for injuries, but
when he saw Melanie, he waved the medic away. As he rushed toward his
boss, the look on his face was one of a man disturbed.
He took Melanie by the shoulder and ushered her into an adjacent
room.
You look shook up, Melanie said when they were alone.
Im fine, Johnson said. It was a good fight, but the bastard got
me. Reminded me of the good old days, being in the field.
Why did the guy leave? Melanie said.
You wont believe this. Johnson looked around to make sure no
one else was listening. Before he left, he was talking to the president on
the phone.
What? Melanie said, not sure she had heard correctly. The guy
was on the phonewith the presidentand then he just walked out?
Admiral Johnson nodded.
 I was just on the phone with the president fifteen minutes ago. Are
you sure it was him?
Yes. He kept saying, Mr. President, and mentioned a base in
California several times.
Melanie pressed her fingers to her forehead, certain something was
very wrong.
 34 / Bloodless War

Eric Caner couldnt stop smiling as he signed the transport manifest. If

anyone asked, hed say he was happy because of the sunny California
weather or because his secret project for the U.S. Army was finally
complete. But he was mostly happy because of the big, fat paycheck that
would be deposited into his bank account by the end of the day. It was
more money than a boy who had grown up on a horse ranch in Montana
had a right to have all at once. But an unremarkable science fair in high
school sparked an interest in electrical engineering which drove him to
enroll in MITs Electrical Engineering & Computer Science program. After
graduation, an internship at Lockheed Martin opened his eyes to
government contracts that guaranteed big paydays.
It took a few months, but Eric eventually convinced the military that
they needed to up their EMP game. The military convinced DARPA to
allocate funding, so Eric and a small team of electricians and bombmakers
got to work in an underground facility at the decommissioned Camp Haan.
Eric had convinced his military benefactors that an electric war
would be fought much sooner than an atomic one. With a powerful enough
electromagnetic pulse bomb, an aggressor could knock out its adversarys
communication systems rendering its jets and tanks useless, all without
firing a shot. Any nation suffering a sufficiently large EMP attack would be
knocked back to the middle ages operationally. With traffic snarled,
hospitals running on generators, and essential communication, media, and
financial systems offline, any government would be forced to focus on
getting the power back on before thinking about retaliation. Eric liked to
think her could singlehandedly end the need for deadly weapons. The next
wars could be bloodless ones.
He finished signing the manifest with a flourish and handed it back
to an officer who handed to a general whose permafrown didnt change as
he looked it over. Everything seemed in order. He muttered something to
the officer who turned back to Eric. Would you be available to come along
for the transport to ensure proper delivery, testing, and storage? he said.
This hadnt been mentioned to Eric before, but he had learned that
when men like the general made requests, they were actually making
demands. Sure, Eric said. Cashing in on his payday could wait a little
longer.
 35 / Cleaning Man

Dustin never thought he would don the uniform of his fathers industrial
cleaning company again. He had worn it for the last time when he ran
away from home at sixteen. Hed taken another employees uniform,
which was much too large for him, and escaped in one of the companys
vans, driving from Georgia to Texas and never looking back. Now, the
uniform fit him perfectly.
He was parked outside the Pentagon in another cleaning companys
van. He didnt plan to keep it. He was sure the company would report it as
stolen if he didnt give it up quickly. The real driver was tied up in the
back. But Dustin needed his security credentials to get inside. He got out
of the front of the van and went around the back. He needed to collect a
few cleaning supplies to look legit. When he opened the door to the back
of the van, his abductee started straining at the rope around his arms and
legs, making desperate, muffled noises against the cloth tied tightly
around his mouth. Dustin grabbed a cart of cleaning supplies and set it on
the ground. Then he climbed into the back to check the ropes binding his
captive.
Dont worry, he said. Im not a terrorist. Im not trying to blow up
the Pentagon. I just need to see someone. No one dies today. If all goes
well, youll have your van back in no time.
The man gave a muffled cry of protest.
Get some sleep, Dustin said as he shut the van doors. You look
like you need it.
He wheeled the cart to an unmarked entrance and scanned his
borrowed keycard at the panel mounted beside the door. Inside, he was
faced with a glass door, with a guard sitting at a desk behind it, and a
keypad. He typed in the passcode he had swiped from his abductee. The
door beeped, clicked, and opened. The guard sitting behind the desk
looked up, giving him a glance that said, Youre not the usual guy.
He watched carefully as Dustin pushed the cleaning cart through
the metal detector and then went through himself. No alert. No alarm.
Satisfied, the guard handed over a plastic day pass with the word
MAINTENANCE stamped across it and beneath that a tiny barcode.
Dustin took the card and pushed his cleaning cart into the hallway.
He was immediately enveloped by the hum of conversation, machines
running, people in military dress uniforms hurrying back and forth. He kept
to the edge of the hallway, pushing the cart determinedly. He remembered
something his mother had once told him: If you walk like you know where
youre going, people will get out of the way. So he did.
 Soon, he found what he was looking for. He stashed his cart inside a
darkened and empty conference room and quickly changed out of the
cleaning uniform into a simple dark blue suit. He hadnt bothered with
trying to procure fake (or stolen) military dress. (Military people were
notoriously good at spotting fakes.)
He looked down at his white tennis shoes and realized he had
forgotten to bring dress ones. Crap. With his curly brown hair and four day
old scruff, he looked like Danny Rand on his first day back at work. So
much for blending in. But it couldnt be helped.
He needed to talk to Melanie Dunn. Ever since Northumberland, she
hadnt answered his phone calls or responded to his texts. Hell, hed even
risked sending a letter. No dice. So, he had to take extreme measures. He
pushed the cleaning cart further into the darkness of the conference room
and stepped out into the hall, looking for the elevator that would take him
to Melanies office on the third floor.
 36 / Stolen Devices

A couple of hours later, Eric sat in the passenger seat of a military cargo
truck. His bombs were secured in the cargo area. The truck was the
second in a convoy of four vehicles that ambled along a string of farmer-
to-market roads to a military facility near San Francisco. The general rode
in the first camouflage-colored Hummer, and the desert-toned cargo truck
was followed by two jeeps with soldiers and technicians. Except for the
occasional tractor or rusty pickup truck, they didnt expect much
company, which made Eric a little bit worried when the generals Hummer
began to slow down and then the entire convoy came to a halt.
Why are we stopping? Eric asked.
The driver rolled down his window to see around the stalled
Hummer. I dont know. Somethings blocking the road up ahead.
Eric rolled down his own window and looked out. An unmarked
white van with painted over windows was blocking the convoys path. An
identical vehicle had stopped in the oncoming lane. Between the vans
stood a man dressed in plain clothes. He approached the drivers side of
the Hummer. The driver rolled down the window and started to tell him
something, which, judging by his hand motions, Eric was certain it
sounded something like, Were the U.S. Army. Get the hell out of the
way.
The words apparently didnt work. The man pulled something out of
his pocket and fired it into the Hummer. It looked like a tiny gun, but it
didnt make any noise at all.
What was that? Eric said.
But the truck driver shook his head. He reached for the gun
strapped to his thigh. At the same time, the doors of the vans opened up
and a dozen men jumped out. They each carried the same small, gun-
shaped devices in their hands. They swarmed the Army vehicles, firing
their devices in windows and opening doors.
What do we do? Eric asked.
Stay put. The driver opened his door and started to get out, gun
in hand. But he didnt get far. He was shoved back against the truck by
one of their attackers. The device pressed against his neck appeared to
have a needle on one end. The needle punctured his skin, injecting some
kind of liquid. Eric watched as the drivers body relaxed, his arm went
limp, his gun clattered to the ground, his head fell back, and his eyelids
slipped shut. He would wake up without knowing what had happened to
him.
Eric froze, not sure what to do next. He expected a needle.
 But the man who knocked out the driver climbed into his seat. Are
you Eric Caner? he said.
Yeah, Eric said slowly.
Good. Youre coming with us.
 36 / Gas Attack
Dustin, feeling out of place amid the orderly hum of busyness in the
Pentagon, walked carefully to Melanies third-floor office. So far, his stolen
keycard had worked on all of the entrances he had come to. The door to
the Secretarys office was open, however.
He walked in, hoping to find Melanie. Instead, he found a man seated
behind a desk, hanging up the phone.
Can I help you, sir?
Yes. Dustin eyed the mans nametag. Mr. Travis, I need to speak with
Mel Secretary Dunn.
Travis squinted at his computer screen. She doesnt have any meetings
scheduled for today. And, uh, you are?
Im, uh Dustin shrugged his shoulders, trying to steal a glance at the
ID card clipped to his suit pocket. If there was a name on it, he couldnt
read it. No one. Just a friend.
How did you get in here? Travis said, slowly slipping one hand over the
phones handset.
Through the door, which was open, by the way.
Travis slipped his other hand under the desk. Dustin presumed he had a
gun down there. How did you get in this building.
I used my keycard, like everybody else, Dustin said.
Let me see it.
Dustin fumbled in his pockets, pretending to look for the card. At the same
time, Travis picked up the phone.
Dustin clambered up onto the desk, grabbing Travis hand, and forcing the
handset back down onto the receiver. Holding Travis hand down, Dustin
climbed down behind the desk and shoved Travis wheeled chair against
its edge. The receptionist grunted as his other arm, the one reaching for
the handgun, was cinched against the wood.
Listen, Dustin whispered in his ear, fully aware that the door was still
open. I dont mean any harm. I just need to know where Melanie is so I
can talk to her.
Who are you? Her boyfriend? Travis said, twisting around in his seat to
relieve the pressure on his arm.
Dustin shoved Travis head against the keyboard. Answer the question.
I dont know. She hasnt been here in three days. Shes been skipping the
Joint Chiefs meetings. Nobody knows whats going on with her.
Hmm. Dustin eased up on the mans head. As soon as he did so, the
lights in the room flickered off and back on. A high-pitched alarm pealed
through the building.
Dustin slammed Travis head back on the desk. What did you do?
I didnt do anything. Thats the evacuation alarm.
Evacuation for what?
Oh, I dont know. You tell me, Travis said. Maybe a security breach or
unauthorized personnel break-in.
Wouldnt they lock down for that sort of thing? Dustin eased up on the
mans head.
Travis shrugged, tilting his head from one side to the other, stretching the
muscles in his neck. Maybe.
Through the open door, they could hear the hallway filling with footsteps
and noise as a stream of people rushed past the entrance. Red light
pulsed rhythmically, casting the crowd in a feverish glow.
I guess we better get going, Dustin said. But no tricky business. He
reached under the desk and snatched the handgun from Travis fingers.
As they joined the flow of people in the hall, three men in hazmat suits
rushed past going in the opposite direction. They were followed by half a
dozen men in full tactical gear and gas masks. One held a battering ram,
clearing people out of the way as he went.
Travis grabbed one of the soldiers by the arm. What is going on?
Gas leak or something in the Joint Chiefs conference room, the soldier
said.
They were in session. Did they get out?
The soldier shook his head. Doors locked from the inside. He ran off
after his team.
Travis rushed back into his office and opened a sliding door that hid a
recess in the wall.
What are you doing? Dustin said.
Travis threw a gas mask over his shoulder. Dustin caught it. Travis came
out of the little closet putting his own on.
Were supposed to be getting out of here, Dustin said.
Then get out. Travis pushed his way into the flow of people heading for
the exit.
Dustin hesitated, then put on his own mask and followed him.
He didnt go far before he was walking through a cloud of gas. Up ahead
he could hear the battering ram banging away against wood. People
brushed past him in the mist, covering their mouths and noses with hands
and handkerchiefs, coughing and sputtering.
Dustin stopped behind the cluster of hazmats and soldiers in front of the
Joint Chiefs conference room. Another crash of the battering ram
resounded against the door. The lock broke loose and the doors swung
apart. An elderly man in a military dress uniform collapsed onto the floor
of the hall, one arm extended, the other at his own throat as though
gasping for breath.
His eyes were rolled back in death.
 37 / But What Does It Say?
Talking about getting out of here is one thing, Templeton said as he
munched on a salad. Actually doing it is another. He swung his fork
around, motioning toward the guards standing at both entrances to the
cafeteria.
Yeah, its like we got put in prison but nobodys admitting it, Nehemiah
said. He had casually mentioned to Special Director Forge that he had kids
expecting him back soon. And she had informed him, just as casually, that
no one was allowed to leave until given approval by her superiors.
Nehemiah decided not to press the issue, seeing that he may need to use
that angle more urgently later.
Still, after a day of confinement, they were no closer to coming up with a
plan for moving The Correction back into hiding. They had read the
document, and Ginny was hard at work putting together a schema
whereby it could be applied to twenty-first century America. Ideally, it
would have to be invoked by Congress, but such possible action was in the
distant future.
I still think our best bet is to create a replica and take the real one with us
whenever we are allowed to leave, Templeton said. Simple. And your
sister wont suspect a thing.
We dont have the tools to make a replica, Nehemiah said And even if
we did, its pointless. Nobody has seen the real one for over two hundred
years. A fake would be just as effective.
Okay. We should just burn the whole thing and be done with it,
Templeton said. He stabbed a cherry tomato in frustration.
Then wed have to get everyone who wants it to believe its actually
gone, Nehemiah said. Whatever we do, it has to be public. Thats the
only way: we blow it out of the water, and then we put it to rest.
So, were still between the devil and the black plague, Templeton said.
The doors to the cafeteria swung open and Saundra came rushing in,
carrying one of the government-issued tablets from the lab. Guys, youre
not going to believe this, she said.
Will we? Templeton asked.
Saundra set the tablet down on the table. A live Fox News feed was
playing. HISTORIANS UNCOVER DOCUMENT TO RESET AMERICA, the
headline read.
What historians? Templeton said.
A reporter was speaking. An unpublished book manuscript by slain Boston
University professor Henry McAllen claims evidence of a document dating
back to the signing of the Constitution that could, quote, reset America.
Professor McAllen was in the middle of a collaboration with Hancock Press
editor Saundra Boone which would have unveiled his discoveries this
October.
Nehemiah and Templeton looked at Saundra. I didnt give them
anything, she said.
The reporter continued with information they already knew. The professor
met with an untimely death under still-unclear circumstances. But the
document he believed exists could very well abolish our democratic form
of government.
Templeton threw up his hands. Thats not what it says!
It doesnt matter what it says, a voice said from the cafeteria entrance.
It was Melanie. Saundra, Templeton, and Nehemiah exchanged glances as
they looked up. It matters what people think it says, she concluded.
Did you leak this? Nehemiah asked.
No, Melanie said, but she hesitated just long enough for Nehemiah to
suspect she was lying. Either way, Ginny just informed me she has
finished what I hear youre calling the schema. So, youre all free to go.
Yeah, good, Templeton said, getting up from the table.
We are? Nehemiah said carefully.
Yeah, Melanie nodded, but then sighed and reached for the phone
clipped to her belt. She turned away from the table as she answered.
What?No, Im fine. Im in BethesdaWhat?Ill be there. She cursed
under her breath as she flipped the phone shut, turned, and marched out
of the cafeteria, snapping her fingers at the guards who startled and then
marched out after her.
What now? Templeton said.
Guys, look, Saundra said, pointing at the tablet. Fox News was playing
live aerial video from the Pentagon. A stream of people were hustling out
of multiple entrances. PENTAGON BEING EVACUATED, the headline read.
What now? Templeton said.
Before anyone could answer, the lights in the cafeteria went out. The
tablet screen flickered and went black. Nehemiah looked to the cafeteria
entrance, but no lights shined from the hall.
Now what? Templeton muttered into the blackness.
 38 / Blackout
Two hundred and fifty miles above the Earth, Sally Cromwell stared down
at the planet she called home from her seat in the International Space
Station. Fifteen times a day, her satellite habitat cycled around the tiny
ball of blue and green. It never ceased to amaze her how small the Earth
seemed from where she was. Up here, the wars and conflicts of Earth
seemed so insignificant. In all the vastness of space, she wondered why
God would place all known living things in such a fragile position. One ill-
timed meteor (it wouldnt even have to be that big)and bam!all of life
wiped out. At least thats what scientists said happened to the dinosaurs
millions of years ago.
Sally had two more months to ponder such questions in the quietness and
peace of space. Two months until she would return to her home in Illinois
and reunite with her husband, Liam, and her two children, Jonas and
Chris.
She leaned forward in her seat and peered at the picture of her boys taped
to the control panel. It was the only bare spot on a dashboard filled with
monitors of earth and other scientific indicators. The spot was well-worn
with sticky residue from the dozens of other astronauts who had taped
photos of their loved ones there.
Something on one of the monitorsthe one which displayed a live feed of
the Western Hemisphere, which was currently in shadow because it was
night therecaught her attention. The screen showed the land as black,
the seas as gray, and population centers with flickering gradations of gold
and white light clusters. Only some of the gold and white lights seemed to
be going out in the middle of the United Statesright over her home state
of Illinois. Agis, look, Sally said to her co-astronaut, as she moved the
controls to zoom in on America. She pointed at the black hole near the
Great Lakes, bereft of light. Whats happening?
Looks like a blackout, Agis said.
Theres no storms or anything, Sally said, motioning toward the weather
monitor. Except for the usual cloud cover, there was nothing out of the
ordinary.
Its getting bigger, Agis said. We should call headquarters. He moved
back to his seat and put on a pair of headphones. This is Alpha Station,
come in.
Oh, my goodness. This is not just a blackout. Sally watched as the circle
of blackness slowly grew. Illinois was completely in the dark. The circle
expanded, engulfing the surrounding states, lights winking out with
intention. The tsunami of night didnt stop until blackness covered half of
the countryfrom Virginia in the east to Kansas in the west, from Michigan
in the north to Alabama in the south. Only the further reaches of New
England and Florida were spared.

Panic and confusion reigned in America.

There was no light, no electricity. Phones werent calling, cars werent
driving.
Criminals took advantage of the catastrophe and robbed their neighbors.
Some killed. Some raped. Some attacked.
Preppers and doomsday enthusiasts, feeling gleefully vindicated, hurried
into their underground bunkers. It was hard to keep from gloating over
those who had not been ready.
In half of America, people looked to the sky thinking the Apocalypse had
finally come.
With communication lines crippled, the media and authorities in the West
struggled to find out what was going on.

In the middle of an Oklahoma wheat field, the earth opened up, and a man
with long white hair stuck his head out of the ground. As far as his grey
eyes could see, there was no light. Only darkness.
Darkness is good, the man said.
To be continued...