"I'm good," said Nathan, getting up to help Owen out of his seat harness.

Keira knelt in front of her seat and peered into the front of the vehicle. "This group looks a little too polished to be Jose's crew."

David nodded. He had been watching them through the window next to his seat. "I recognize a few of his operatives from Mexicali, but not the rest," he said. "The shiny new Suburbans don't fit at all, though. This isn't Jose's style."

Staff Sergeant Cantrell leaned his head between the front seats. "The lieutenant just cleared us for the handover. Your man Jose gave him the green light."

"Then that's it," said David, reaching over to Graves in the seat next to him. "See you guys on the other side." He shook hands with the Marine, patting him on the shoulder. Corporal Reading bent down far enough to reach David's hand.

Nathan waited for them to finish their brief good-byes before thanking them again for saving his family. With the last round of farewells behind them, Nathan helped his zombielike son out of the vehicle. A blast of pavement-baked air waited for them in the parking lot, forcing him to take short breaths until his nostrils adjusted to the extreme temperature. The sun was low over the hills beyond the dam, but it still had to be more than a hundred degrees outside. He could feel the heat radiating off the black asphalt.

"I feel like my boots are going to melt into the parking lot," said Keira, shielding her eyes from the sun.

"They might if you don't keep them moving," said Nathan, scanning the row of five identical white Suburbans.

Jose stood next to the third SUV, talking excitedly through an open window. A Marine Nathan didn't recognize jumped out of the lead AL-TAC, grabbing Jose's attention. They nodded at each other, shaking hands a few moments later.

Staff Sergeant Cantrell turned to Nathan's group. "That's it. Handoff complete. Remember, we're only a satphone call away. You need, you ask."

Nathan stepped forward. "Thank you, Staff Sergeant. I can't tell you how much this means to us. To me."

Cantrell paused, looking uncertain how to respond. Nathan had forgotten that the Marine knew what had happened to his father.

"I think I know," Cantrell said. "You take care of that family of yours, and this guy." He pointed at David. "The Marine Corps would like to get him back in one piece."

"Hopefully sooner than you think, Staff Sergeant," said David, shaking his hand.

As the three armored vehicles rolled away, Jose stepped in front of their group.

"I'd like to introduce you to someone," said Jose, nodding into the SUV next to them.

The door opened, and a man in his late fifties stepped down from the vehicle. He had wavy, grayish-brown hair and smooth, tanned skin and moved with an age-defying, athletic grace. Dressed in a gray suit and light blue shirt, without a tie, he looked like he'd just stepped out of a business meeting.

"Nathan, this is Richard Breene, our key benefactor," said Jose. "None of this would be possible without him."

Nathan wasn't sure what Jose meant by that, or why they were being subjected to a meet-and-greet out in the open at the Hoover Dam. He recognized the man's name but was too wiped out to put the pieces together.

Breene stepped forward to shake his hand. "Welcome to Las Vegas, Nathan," he said. "I heard about your trip-from start to finish. I think you've earned a break. I look forward to getting to know you better."

"Well-that's nice, I guess," he said, laughing at himself. "Sorry. I'm a little frazzled right now."

"No. I'm the one that should apologize. I kind of hit you out of the blue with this. I was just very excited to meet you."

"Well, we appreciate you picking us up, and I do recall hearing your name, I just can't seem to jar my memory loose right now," said Nathan. "Let me introduce you to my wife, Keira, and my son, Owen. And last but not least, David Quinn."

Breene took them all in, nodding in what appeared to be a genuinely friendly manner before shaking their hands.

"Has your son ever seen the Hoover Dam in person?"

"No, he hasn't," said Nathan. "We haven't taken many trips out of San Diego since we moved to California."

"Well, let's correct that before we get out of this refreshing heat," he said, guiding them between the SUVs to a stone wall overlooking the reservoir side of the dam.

The first thing Nathan noticed was the drastically low water level in the reservoir. He'd seen pictures on TV and the Internet, but looking at Lake Mead with his own eyes delivered a gut punch. The white bathtub ring around the reservoir extended hundreds of feet down its reddish-brown rock walls. This was what "dead pool" looked like up close. He wondered when water had last flowed downriver through the dam.

"Wow. I didn't realize it was so deep," said Owen. "This is really cool."

Keira glanced at Nathan nervously, then went back to scanning the rocky hills behind them. He was thinking the same thing. This wasn't the time for sightseeing.

"It looks deep because the water is so low," said Breene. "Kind of tricks your depth perception. When the reservoir is at its average historical fill level, you'd be looking across a lake. You can see where the water level ought to be-at the top of the white line."

"It's really low," said Owen.

"If you can believe it, the water almost came up to the first concrete ring around the intake towers."

"How long ago was that?"

"Way before you were born," said Breene. "Possibly before your parents were born."

"It was 2002, the year I was born. I never saw it," said Nathan. "Mr. Breene, I don't want sound unappreciative, but do you think we can get out of the open?"

"I'm sorry," he said. "It's ghastly hot out here. I apologize."

"It's not the heat," said Nathan, looking around them. "We feel a little exposed out here."

"Of course." He gestured toward the idling SUVs. "Though I a.s.sure you the area is secure."

"Based on our experience over the past few days," said Nathan, "I can guarantee that my concept of secure differs drastically from yours."

"I don't doubt it," he said. "But I still think you'll find my vision of security more than adequate."

Breene whispered into his collar, then motioned behind them. Nathan turned to face the tall rock formation, seeing a two-person team rise into view near the top. Movement on a few different high points within his field of vision unveiled several teams situated in multiple overwatch locations around them. From what he could tell, all appeared heavily armed.

"We have the area locked down hard," said Breene. "I have over a hundred people guarding the dam at any time, with more in reserve."

"Guarding the dam?" said Nathan. "Isn't that the federal government's job?"

"I took that responsibility off their hands a few years ago," said Breene.

Nathan looked at Keira, who did her best to hide a worried face from the group. He knew her well enough to know that she was thinking the same thing. Something isn't right here. David didn't look alarmed on the surface, but that didn't mean anything-the Marines had issued him the same stoic poker face Nathan had seen countless times on his own father.

"I don't get it," said Nathan, directing the comment at Jose. Whatever was going on here, Jose was on the hook for it, as far as Nathan was concerned.

"Richard bought the dam from the Bureau of Reclamation two years ago," said Jose.

"Bought the dam?"

"The bureau still regulates the flow of water through the dam," said Breene.

"What flow?" said Nathan.

"Exactly. That's a big part of why they were eager to sell it. Not to mention the fact that the hydroelectric plant hasn't produced power in over five years. Running the dam costs the bureau close to ten million dollars per year, an expense they more than offset by selling electricity to local consumers. Without the water to run the hydroelectric plant, the dam is a financial albatross. And we both know that these water levels aren't rising any time soon. Even if the drought reverses itself."

"You actually own the entire dam?" said David.

"Not exactly. I own the hydroelectric power rights, which are essentially worthless at this point, in exchange for a.s.suming full responsibility for the costs of maintaining and operating the dam. I also paid the bureau a onetime fee equal to the amount of money they've lost on the dam since hydropower generation started to decline."

"But they've been losing money on the dam for more than a decade," said Nathan.

"It was a big check," said Breene.

Nathan was starting to understand the bigger picture and how all of the players were intertwined, including him. He remembered now. Richard Breene was a self-made California real estate mogul, worth more than $20 billion, according to Forbes. The value of his empire had skyrocketed over the past decade along with the price of California real estate.

Breene's involvement with Jose and the CLM was intriguing. He had been conspicuously absent from the public secession debate, probably because it didn't matter to him what happened. The state was overpopulated, and the people had to live and work somewhere. California real estate was a guaranteed investment. So why would Breene jump into a losing purchase like the Hoover Dam? Nathan had a solid idea why.

With the full flow of the Colorado River restored to the Lower Basin, Lake Mead would fill to maximum capacity, and the Hoover Dam would conservatively generate close to $50 million in electricity per year on the California market alone. Given the gift of unlimited water and electricity, Las Vegas would be reborn. Nathan wouldn't be surprised to learn that the billionaire had invested heavily in the currently valueless Las Vegas and greater Nevada real estate markets in recent years. Breene's net value would skyrocket, possibly making him one of the wealthiest people in the world. The relationship between Jose and Breene was more a marriage of convenience than anything-very convenient for both of them. Nathan couldn't suppress the sly look forcing its way across his face. Breene saw it and smiled.

"It's a win-win situation for everyone involved," said Breene. "Including each of you."

Keira looked uncomfortable with Breene's comment. David's face remained stoic, but Nathan knew what he was thinking.

"As long as we lend a hand?"

"It's not like that, Nathan. Regardless of your ultimate decision, you, your family, David-whomever you wish to protect-is welcome to stay in Las Vegas, under my protection, until this mess is sorted."

"If you think the Hoover Dam is secure, wait until you see Mr. Breene's fortress in the hills," said Jose. "You'll be safe there."

The decision to help Jose bring down the Upper Basin dams wasn't solely Nathan's to make, and he was in no condition to make a rational choice. Revenge superseded logic. Nathan would discuss his possible partic.i.p.ation in Jose's plan with Keira before telling her about his father's murder. He needed one of them thinking clearly about their future.

"We're going to need some time to consider this," he said, looking at Keira.

"Take all of the time you need. But first, let's get you out of the heat," Breene said before motioning toward one of the white SUVs. "You get the vehicle all to yourself."

"Mind if I drive?" said David.

Breene grinned. "I understand your privacy concerns, but I'd feel more comfortable with my security team in place."

"We're reasonably capable of protecting ourselves," said Nathan, shifting the rifle slung over his shoulder.

"So I've heard," said Breene. "The SUV is all yours."

They settled into the same seating arrangement used for the ride between Mexicali and Nogales-David behind the wheel next to Nathan in the front pa.s.senger seat, Keira and Owen in back.

"This might be the last true bit of privacy we have for a long time," said David.

"I'm glad you thought of it," said Keira, leaning up between the front seats. "I bet we were under surveillance back in Mexicali."

"I wouldn't bet against you," said David.

The lead vehicle in the convoy took off, followed closely by the next vehicle in line. A few moments later, they accelerated in pursuit.

"I don't want to rush this decision," said Nathan, "but we may not have a very long ride."

"I can stop us at any time," said David.

"I'd prefer you didn't. I like the sound of this fortress, or whatever Jose calls it."

"I don't want to get stuck there," said Keira. "We can use it as safe harbor for now, and lie low until our trail goes cold. The sooner we meet up with your parents, the better. Breene's place doesn't exactly sound low-key."

David gave him a furtive look, which didn't go unnoticed.

"What?" she said.

He wasn't ready to break the news about his father's murder to her. Not under a compressed timeline, and especially not in front of Owen.

David stepped in. "While we were getting in the car, I warned Nathan that you wouldn't want to stay here for long."

"I just think we'd be better off somewhere a little more discreet, and a lot farther away," said Keira. "An off-the-grid survivalist compound sounds pretty appealing right now."

If this was her decision, that was fine. They'd stay at Breene's place long enough to identify a secret location where they could hide longer term. While they waited here, Nathan could share with them cla.s.sified information that he had purposely kept out of his thesis paper regarding the dam system-information about weaknesses in the dam's structural integrity and how best to exploit the weaknesses. He saw no harm in that. If Jose succeeded in bringing down the dam with his help, it would go a long way toward avenging his father's death.

He wanted to be more involved, even see one of the dams fall, if possible, but his primary responsibility would always be Keira and Owen. He couldn't allow himself to lose sight of that, no matter how badly he wanted to take down the One Nation Coalition.

"You're being awfully quiet," Keira said, prodding Nathan with a finger.

"Sorry. Everything's catching up with me," he said, squeezing her hand. "I just want to curl up with you guys and fall asleep."

"You won't get any argument from either of us," she said and leaned back in her seat next to Owen.

Nathan turned and found his son staring out of the tinted window. "What do you think about all this, buddy?"

Owen turned away from the window. "I just want to go home, wherever that is now."

Nathan glanced at Keira, who answered their son.

"We're doing everything we can to make that happen, sweetie."

Nathan nodded in agreement, wondering how closely his concept of doing everything matched Keira's.

"This will all be behind us before you know it," he said, smiling at his son.

David looked at him, raising an eyebrow.

"One way or the other," added Nathan.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.