In the control room-
Kathryn McCoy sat at her station in the control room on the top floor of the air traffic control tower where she worked. An angled glass window provided a panoramic 360-degree view of the airfield and surrounding area. About a hundred yards to the north of the tower stood a line of five hangars, and beyond them was a lake. The National Guardsmen in the room had no hope of getting out of this place by air - at least until they had received the radio message from Erica Spears.
To the south and west of the tower, the runways stretched off into the distance. There were a couple of helicopter landing pads as well, one of them just twenty yards west of the tower. Off to the east were a few warehouses that stored fuel and other supplies.
The room itself was circular, surrounding a central elevator shaft and stairway. The elevator went down to the other floors of the tower, and the narrow, steep stairs not only climbed down but also up to the roof where Private Simone Dawkins had made her sniper's nest.
Corporal Anthony Gardner stood behind Kathryn McCoy, watching over her shoulder. Senior Airman Harry Flynn, a chopper pilot from the Air National Guard, and Private Julio Alvarez, a medic, sat at a table nearby playing cards. They all looked up when they heard the voice of Erica Spears over the radio: "This is NSP Seven-Eight-Romeo to tower. Do you copy? Over."
"Answer it," said Gardner. "Don't blow this one, Kathryn. Remember, that chopper seats five. Whether or not you're on it with the rest of us is entirely up to you. Tell them they're cleared to land on the helipad next to the tower." When she hesitated, he leered at her. "Unless there's something else you'd rather do."
Kathryn grimaced with distaste and snatched the microphone, then spoke into it: "This is the tower, I read you. Over."
"Is your location still secure? Over," asked Erica.
"Yeah, we're still good here. What's your ETA? Over."
"We're only a few minutes out now. Over."
On the tower roof-
Private Simone Dawkins lay on top of a sleeping bag on the roof, surveying the horizon in all directions through the scope of her M-24. Things had been quiet lately, but she knew that wouldn't last forever.
