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don’t want excuses,” said Martindale. “Jed, tell Dreamland to find the warheads.”
    “Begging your pardon, Mr. President, but besides Space Command, the National Reconnaissance Office is working on it, and so is Navy Intelligence,” said Admiral Balboa, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. “I’m sure we can cut the time down considerably. We’ll have something in twelve hours, maybe less. And the Dreamland people have done enough.”
    “See what Dreamland can do,” Martindale told Jed. He was calmer now, his voice softer, though it still had an edge to it. “Those scientists can figure it out. They always have some sort of high-tech trick up their sleeves.”
    “Yes, sir.”
    “I don’t think it’s worth the risk,” said Chastain. “The Lincoln doesn’t have ground forces that could make the pickups.”
    “We have a Marine Expeditionary Force near Somalia,” said Freeman. “We can put them into action. And the Dreamland people.”
    “The Marines are two days away,” said Chastain. “At least.”
    “Not if they stage out to the Lincoln and then go ashore,” countered Freeman. “What do you think, Admiral Balboa?”
    Admiral George Balboa, also speaking from the Pentagon, cleared his throat. While he and Freeman had often found themselves at odds, Jed noted that the two men had been meeting together a lot recently. If Balboa’s tone was any indication, they had come to some sort of understanding.
    “It might be possible,” said the admiral. “The Marine Ospreys can fly to the Lincoln, then operate from there or even somewhere onshore until their assault ship arrives. Of course, we need to know where the warheads are. That’s the key.”
    “What about the Dreamland people?” asked Martindale. “Can they recover the weapons?”
    “There are too many warheads for them to do it,” said Chastain. “And three of their planes have been shot down.”
    “Jed?”
    “Um, their ground unit is intact, but, um, it’s not big enough to do it on its own.”
    “I meant, what’s the status of the airplanes?”
    “There were three planes on the mission. Two were shot down,” said Jed. “The third was the plane flown by Colonel Bastian. He was preparing to crash it into the Chinese aircraft carrier when the Chinese sent their nuclear-loaded bomberback to the hangar deck. So six crews are in the water.”
    “Have our people been picked up?”
    “We’re still working on it. This has only happened within the last hour, sir. Thirty minutes.”
    Martindale took a step toward the video conference screens. “Admiral, I want those people recovered.”
    “I’m sure they’re working on it, sir,” said Balboa.
    “Work harder.” Martindale turned around. “I’ll decide what we’re doing when I see the data on where the warheads are. But I agree with Philip. This is an historic opportunity. It’s worth considerable risk. Now you’ll have to excuse me. I have to tell the world what we’ve done.”
    Aboard the Wisconsin,
over the northern Arabian Sea
0745
    D OG TACKED TO THE EAST , WIDENING HIS ORBIT . I T WAS VERY possible the destroyer had noticed him circling the area and was coming over to investigate. In that case, he thought he might be able to throw them off by circling around an empty patch of water.
    On the other hand, they might be pulling themselves close enough to fire short-range antiair weapons at him. He had no radar warning device, so he couldn’t even tell if he was being tracked.
    “Dreamland Wisconsin, this is the Abner Read .”
    “Wisconsin.”
    “Dog, we’re under way toward your men,” reported Eyes, the Abner Read ’s executive officer. “It’s going to take us a little more than two hours to get up there. There are some Chinese ships between us and the fliers. It’s possible they may try to interfere, despite the cease-fire. I’ll keep you advised.”
    “Understood,” said Dog.
    The Wisconsin had a little more than two hours’ worth of fuel left in her tanks.