State of Alliance Read Online Free Page B

rescue unit into Los Angeles to rescue Chris when he was captured by Omega. This is the man who will hate me for the rest of my life for disobeying his ridiculous orders to abandon Chris and deny me a rescue mission into Los Angeles, Operation Angel Pursuit.
    This man is no friend of mine.
    “ Senator Hart,” he sneers as I enter the group. “Where have you been?”
    I don’t answer his question.
    Instead, I say, “Commander Young.” I nod respectfully at the love of my life, then face Robert Lockwood. He is a tall man with dark brown hair and a deep, baritone voice. “Speaker,” I say. “What’s the situation?”
    “The situation,” Manny interrupts, “is that Omega launched a cruise missile from a ship just outside of the San Francisco Bay, hit the Capitol Building twice, and injured several hundred people – and killed dozens. But we already know this. The question, boys and girls, is what we’re going to do about it.”
    “We double our defenses and hit back,” Colonel Rivera booms. He looks directly at me as he speaks. “Unless the Senator objects.”
    I glance at Chris.
    “The Senator is still a Commander, Colonel,” Chris slings back. “Don’t forget that.”
    Chris’s glare is lethal, and the Colonel shuts up.
    “We don’t have the resources to attack a ship in the San Francisco Bay from here,” I say, stating the obvious. “But the Alliance does. If California is going tosurvive, we need to join the Alliance as soon as possible.”
    “Negotiations are beginning in two days,” Robert says.
    “Where?”
    “Monterey, California.”
    “The coastline?”
    Chris replies, “Monterey is heavily fortified with elements of the United States Naval Forces. Omega wouldn’t try to breach the steel ring around the bay area.”
    “Omega will try anything,” Uriah points out.
    “Where will the negotiations be?” I ask. “Because if Omega finds out, they could just send another cruise missile to wipe out all of the representatives from the Alliance.”
    “The Naval Post Graduate School,” Chris answers. “It will be safe, trust me.”
    I trust Chris. But I don’t discount Omega’s ability to screw everything up.
    “How will I get there?” I press.
    “By train.”
    “We have a railroad ?”
    “It’s safer than traveling by plane right now, with Omega’s air activity getting more dangerous,” Andrew says. “We can get you there with a security detail in less than two days. You’ll be there in time for the meeting.”
    Surprisingly, knowing that I am being sent on a desperate mission to save California from the devastation of Omega’s invasion doesn’t frighten me. I am no longer afraid. I am simply angry that Omega has managed to do this much damage, and I am ready to help put a final stop to it.
    “You mentioned a security detail,” I say.
    “Yes. When Omega finds out that we’re joining the Alliance – if they haven’t found out already – they may attempt to stop the Negotiations,” Robert answers. “And they will do that in any way they can.”
    By killing the representative: Me.
    “Has anyone here given any thought to the fact that there’s another traitor amongst us?” Manny interjects. “Have you told everyone what you found , Colonel Rivera?
    The Colonel takes his cigar out of his mouth.
    “Optics. Laser optics on the roof of a building a couple of blocks away from the Capitol,” he replies. “Someone was designating a laser at the dome.”
    Ah. Manny was right.
    “Are there any clues to the person’s identity?” Andrew asks.
    “Nothing. Only whoever did it was most likely a good shot.” Colonel Rivera looks at me again. “You never know who you can trust in days like these.”
    Please. I’m not the enemy here, Colonel .
    “We’ve had traitors before,” I say, “and we’ll have them until this war is over. We have to move forward and make sure that something like this can never happen again. The first step in that strategy is getting me to