Mercury Striking (The Scorpius Syndrome #1)(76)

Ernie shook his head. “Nope—not that I know of, anyway.”

Jax nodded. “If I had troops and was heading west, I’d be in Nevada close to the Hoover Dam.” Rumor had it Las Vegas still had electricity. “If they manage to keep the dam going, all electricity won’t be done forever.” The rest of the country had lost electricity when power plants had shut down for various reasons, all stemming from there not being enough trained people to keep them running properly. Although, before Scorpius, only about five thousand people had the knowledge to keep a dam running. How many of them had survived? Probably not enough.

Lake cleared his throat. “Unless we meet, there’s not much proof I can offer.”

“Copy that. How about we meet at the California and Nevada border the day after next at fifteen hundred hours?”

“We could meet tomorrow,” Lake said.

Jax shook his head. “I require more time. The first I can meet is the day after next.”

Lynne frowned.

Jax leaned toward her ear to whisper. “I want the info from Myriad in my hands before I meet with the president or any sitting government.”

She nodded, her body still trembling.

Lake sighed. “Affirmative. I will speak with the president and get back to you with a more specific location.”

“Who is the president?” Jax asked, wincing as Lynne stiffened even more.

“Bret Atherton,” Lake replied. “Do we have a plan?”

“Affirmative.” Jax sat back. “Where are you?”

Quiet reigned for a few minutes as Lake probably spoke to his group. “Close by.”

Jax frowned. “Do you have any air support?”

“Negative.”

What Jax wouldn’t give for a crop duster or two. “What type of force have you been able to mount?”

Static crackled over the line. “We’ll update in person. Do you have any intel on the location of Lynne Harmony? Our sources say she was heading to Los Angeles.”

“Negative. If Blue Heart was in L.A., I’d know about it. At least by rumor.” Jax ignored the tightness of Lynne’s body. If she didn’t breathe soon, she was going to pass out. He patted her leg.

“How many do you have in your force?” Lake asked.

“We’ll update in person.” Jax repeated Lake’s hedging.

“Fair enough. Let me remind you, Master Sergeant Mercury, you are still a United States soldier under orders.”

Hell. Could he be considered a deserter? Probably. Jax leaned forward. “Actually, I’m not sure there’s still a United States. Are you?”

“There is, and you’re still a soldier,” Lake shot back.

“Not if there isn’t a country or service,” Jax said. “For all I know, you could be the leader of yet another renegade group out to steal my meager resources, and I have to tell you, if that’s the case, you’re gonna be disappointed.”

“Because you’ve amassed such a strong fighting force?” Lake asked.

Jax snorted. “No. Because we don’t have shit for supplies, food, or trained people. We’re a group of civilians barely making it, Lake. So if you’re looking for loot, go elsewhere.”

“We’ll see.”

Jax cleared his throat. “Tell me about the Elite Force as well as the Brigade.”

“The Elite Force is mission specific and answers directly to the president. The Brigade is still our first line of defense right now, and it is part of the United States government,” Lake said.

Did the guy sound defensive? “Where’s McDougall?” Jax asked.

“McDougall is leading the Brigade, and right now he’s securing nuclear plants before they are taken over or, worse, melt down.”

Jax winced. Was Lake lying? “I’d like to meet him.”

“I’ll see what I can do. Lake signing out.”

Jax had Ernie cut the line.

Ernie turned, his double chin wobbling. “That’s too bad. About air support.”

“If he’s telling the truth.” Jax released Lynne’s leg. “In the last six months we’ve lost billions of people, and in the riots, many of our airports and bases were bombed or destroyed by crazy-assed Rippers or home-grown terrorists who wanted to take us down and saw an opportunity. But if Lake has managed to put together a security force, somebody has to be able to fly a damn plane.” It was unthinkable that every plane or helicopter had been destroyed. Of course, the lack of fuel might make it impossible to put birds in the air. When Scorpius had hit the world, the flow of fuel had stopped.

“He didn’t believe you,” Lynne said woodenly.

“It’s his job, if he’s who he says he is, to doubt me,” Jax said.

Ernie cleared his throat.

Jax lifted an eyebrow. “You got something to say?”

Ernie rubbed his white beard. “Last time Lake said Lynne was a carrier of a new disease. I figured that was untrue and a way to scare folks into turning her in. She hasn’t infected anybody new here, so that’s probably right.”

Lynne tilted her head. “You want me to reassure you?”

Ernie squinted faded blue eyes. “I wouldn’t mind.”

She breathed out, and her body finally relaxed. “There’s no new strain or illness, I promise. They want me for personal reasons.”