“Who’s in charge in Lansing now?” Liam asked.
“Homeland figures that Governor Duffield was murdered. General Sinclair had a hand in it, we’re certain of that. The Secretary of State, Lauren Eubanks, was sworn in last week as the new governor of Michigan.”
Bishop frowned. “Don’t know much about her.”
“Me either. But she’s got great taste in leadership.” He halted at the foot of Liam’s cot, a broad grin splitting his face, and gave a sweeping bow from the waist. “You’re looking at the newly-promoted Lieutenant Colonel and Michigan Task Force Executive Officer.”
Liam managed a smile. “Couldn’t happen to a better guy. Good thing they don’t promote based on looks.”
Hamilton ignored him. “Governor Eubanks, she’s smart. Got a good head on her, from what I can tell. Capable and decisive. And mad as hell about General Sinclair going off the rails. She may even visit Fall Creek to apologize in person, but I get the feeling she’s got a crap-ton on her plate right now, including cleaning up the mess Duffield left behind.”
“We haven’t received any help from the government since the Collapse,” Hannah said. “You think she’ll be different?”
“She told me her priority is guarding the Michigan border and protecting the rural counties so they can get crops planted and start farming. It’s not just empty words, either. She’s putting her money where her mouth is.
“She’s diverting some troops from Detroit from the 1st Battalion, 119th Field Artillery Regiment. They’re MORTEP certified—they’ve got mortars and know how to use them. We’ll have a few hardened drones at our disposal. Mortars and artillery. A half-dozen Black Hawks. The governor ordered me to engage Poe’s forces and eliminate him from the face of the Earth with extreme prejudice.”
Relief flooded Liam. It was the best news he’d heard in a long, long time.
“That’s fantastic,” Hannah said.
“Even better, I’m in command of Southwest Michigan.” He winked at Liam. “You’ll be seeing a lot more of me, gorgeous.”
Liam snorted. “Can’t wait.”
“How does she plan to feed all these soldiers?” Bishop asked.
Hamilton gave a careless shrug. “That’s above my paygrade. But my takeaway is that whatever she does will be fair and reasonable. She passed my B.S. meter. And Liam, you know I’ve got a good one.”
“Since you dish it out so often.”
Hamilton grinned. “Guilty as charged.”
Charlotte stretched for the cards in Hannah’s hands, bouncing and gurgling happily to herself. Hannah tried to raise them out of the baby’s reach, but Charlotte snatched a card and waved it with enthusiasm.
Bishop tried to distract her with one of her colorful, crinkly, and appropriate baby toys, but she ignored him.
Hamilton made a silly face, and she burst into giggles. “See? Even the baby knows how amazing I am.” He glanced at his watch, then examined the cabinet counters crowded with medical supplies, the desks and stacked chairs shoved in the corners. “The new governor’s giving her first State of the State Address. You got a radio nearby?”
“Annette has one in the principal’s office.” Bishop retrieved the emergency wind-up radio and set it on the counter. Hamilton fiddled with the knob.
The emergency broadcast that had looped for the last four months was no longer on repeat. Instead, the new governor’s strong, confident voice filled the room. “…when the government failed you, you worked hard to save yourselves. You’ve made it this far. You’ve survived. Until we get through this, I intend to do everything that I can to support that rugged indefatigable spirit that defines us all as Americans. I will do everything I can to protect you so that you can continue to work hard to farm, fish, hunt, and otherwise feed your families.
“I can promise that I will always be truthful. I won’t lie to you. This crisis will not last a season, or even a year. It will take several years before parts of the power grid are running again or the national supply chain restored. We will pull together. We will endure. And together, we’ll figure it out…”
Once it was over, Hamilton switched it off. “Not bad, right?”
“Still sounds like a politician,” Liam said, not impressed. But then, he despised politicians.
Hamilton beamed at him. “Right you are. But I think we found ourselves a unicorn—a politician who genuinely cares about her constituents. And you know what they say about unicorns.”
Liam rolled his eyes. It was the only part of his body that wasn’t hurt or numb.
“Lieutenant Colonel Hamilton,” Hannah said.
“Please, call me Charlie. You’ve earned it.”
She rewarded him with a radiant smile. “Charlie, then. The General told Liam that the EMP attack started World War III. The world is at war, and our government has kept it from us. Is that true?”
Hamilton cracked his knuckles, not speaking for a moment. “It’s been rumor and hearsay up to this point. Brass has been tightlipped about the whole thing, but it’s finally getting out.”
He sighed. “Here’s what I know. Russia and China colluded to attack us. They had plans to weaken us with the EMP, then put boots on the ground and eradicate our people. Russia just wants us obliterated; China wants to destroy our political power and cripple us for good.
“The entirety of our military assets stationed outside the EMP’s range have converged on the Middle East. We’ve wiped Iran off the map. The entire world has been impacted. No one has officially called it World War III, but a rose is a rose by any other name.”
“Or a steaming pile of cow dung,” Liam said.
“That, too.” He shrugged again. “Sorry I don’t have more details beyond that.”
Hannah shook her head, at a loss for words. For several minutes, no one spoke.
“Are we winning?” Bishop asked.