〃I'm forced to agree with the general；〃 said Sheriff Marchand。 No redneck； this man。 He was trim and smartly dressed in a tailored uniform。 He was polished； urbane and extremely street…smart。 〃The plan to blow up the levee to divert the river seems most implausible。 The terrorists who stole the United States have a different goal in mind。〃
〃They are not terrorists in the usual sense；〃 said Sandecker。 〃We know for a fact who is behind the operation； and they did not steal the ship。 This is an incredibly plex and well…financed operation to divert the flow of the Mississippi past the port of Sungari。〃
〃Sounds like some kind of fantastic dream；〃 retorted the sheriff。
〃A nightmare；〃 Sandecker said flatly。 He looked at Marchand。 〃What's been done about evacuating residents from the Atchafalaya Valley？〃
〃Every sheriff's department and all military personnel are alerting the farms； towns and neighborhoods to the possible flood and ordering them to go to higher ground；〃 replied the sheriff。 〃If there is a threat to lives； we hope to keep casualties to a minimum。〃
〃Most residents will never get the word in time；〃 Sandecker said seriously。 〃When that levee splits apart； every morgue between here and the Texas border will be working overtime。〃
〃If your conclusion is correct；〃 said Marchand； 〃and I pray to God you and mander Gunn are wrong； we're already too late to conduct a search for explosives up and down the river before the ship arrives some time in the next hour…〃
〃Make that fifteen minutes；〃 interrupted Sandecker。
〃The United States will never reach here；〃 Olson said emphatically。 He paused to glance at his watch。 〃My battle group of national guardsmen under the able mand of Colonel Bob Turner； a decorated veteran of the Gulf War； should be in place and ready to fire from the levee at point…blank range any minute。〃
〃You might as well send bees after a grizzly bear；〃 snorted Sandecker。 〃From the time she passes in front of your fire…power until she passes out of sight around the next bend your men will have no more than eight or ten minutes。 As a Navy man； I can tell you that fifty guns won't stop a ship the size of the United States in that length of time。〃
〃Our high…velocity； armor…piercing rounds will make short work of her；〃 persisted Olson。
〃The liner is no battleship and carries no armor； sir。 The superstructure is not steel but aluminum。 Your armorpenetrating shells will dart through one side and out the other without detonating； unless a lucky shot strikes a support beam。 You'd be far better off firing fragmentation shells。〃
〃Should the ship survive the Army's blitz；〃 said Marchand； 〃matters little。 The bridge at Baton Rouge was designed and built low specifically to prevent oceangoing ships from continuing any farther up the Mississippi。 The United States will have to stop or destroy herself。〃
〃You people still don't get it；〃 Sandecker said in frustration。 〃That ship is rated at over forty thousand tons。 It will go through your bridge like an enraged elephant through a greenhouse。〃
〃The United States will never reach Baton Rouge；〃 Gunn maintained。 〃Where we stand is exactly where Qin Shang intends to blow the levee and scuttle the ship as a diversionary dam。〃
〃Then where are the explosives？〃 asked Olson sarcastically。
〃If what you say is true； gentlemen；〃 said Marchand slowly； 〃why not simply ram the liner through the levee。 Wouldn't it produce an opening with the same result as explosives？〃
Sandecker shook his head。 〃It may breach the levee； Sheriff； but it would also plug its own hole。〃
The admiral had no sooner finished speaking than the sound of cannonfire began thundering a few short miles to the south。 The highway quaked as the tank's guns roared out in unison； their flashes lighting up the horizon。 Every man on the highway stopped and stared wordlessly downriver。 The younger ones； not having served during a war； had never heard a cannon barrage before and stood enthralled。 General Oskar Olson's eyes gleamed like a man looking at a beautiful woman。
〃My men have opened up on her；〃 he exclaimed excitedly。 〃Now we'll see what concentrated firepower at point…blank range can do。〃
A sergeant came rushing out of the mand truck； snapped to attention in front of General Olson and saluted。 〃Sir； the troops and deputies manning the north highway barricade report that a pair of tractor trailers have crashed through at a high rate of speed and are heading this way。〃
They all spontaneously turned and stared north； seeing two large trucks speeding side by side down the southbound lanes of the highway； the sheriff patrol cars giving chase with sirens and flashing lights。 A patrol car cut in front of one of the trucks and slowed in an attempt to pull it to a stop on the road shoulder； but the truck driver deliberately swerved into the patrol car and struck it in the rear； sending it spinning wildly off the highway。
〃The idiot！〃 Marchand snapped。 〃He's going to jail for that。〃
Only Sandecker instantly recognized the threat。 〃Clear the road！〃 he shouted to Marchand and Olson。 〃For God's sake clear the road。〃
Then Gunn knew。 〃The explosives are in those trucks！〃 he yelled。
Olson stood shock…still in unprehending confusion。 His first reaction； his instantaneous conclusion； was that both Sandecker and Gunn had gone mad。 Not Marchand。 He responded without hesitation and began ordering his deputies to evacuate the area。 Finally； Olson came out of his trance and shouted orders to his subordinates to get all men and vehicles a safe distance away。
Crowded as the highway might have been； guardsmen and deputies scattered to their cars and trucks and accelerated away； leaving the stretch of road totally empty within sixty seconds。 Their response was as immediate as it was instinctive once they became aware of the danger。 The trucks could be seen clearly now as they sped closer。 They were semitrucks and trailers； big eighteen…wheelers capable of carrying a load weighing over eighty thousand pounds。 No markings or advertising was painted on their sides。 They came on seemingly unstoppable； their drivers hunched over the steering wheels； acting as though they were bent on suicide。
Their intentions became unmistakable as they skidded to a stop adjacent to the Mystic Canal； one of them jackknifing across the center strip dividing the highway。 Unseen and unnoticed during the bedlam； a helicopter appeared out of the darkness and dropped between the trucks。 The drivers leaped from their cabs； ran to the aircraft and scrambled inside。 Almost before the last driver's feet had left the ground； the helicopter's pilot lifted the craft into the sky； whipped it on a nearly ninety…degree bank and disappeared into the night toward the Atchafalaya River to the west。
As they raced south in the backseat of Sheriff Marchand's patrol car； Sandecker and Gunn twisted around and stared back through the rear window。 Behind the wheel； Marchand kept darting his eyes from the highway and the vehicles speeding around him into the sideview mirror。 〃If only the Army's demolition men could have had time to defuse the explosives。〃
〃It would have taken them an hour just to find and figure out the detonating mechanism；〃 said Gunn。
〃They won't blow the levee just yet；〃 Sandecker said quietly。 〃Not before the United States arrives。〃
〃The admiral is right；〃 Gunn agreed。 〃If the levee is breached before the United States can be angled across the channel to divert the water； enough of the Mississippi's flow will gush into the canal to leave the liner with her keel in the mud。〃
〃There is still a slight chance；〃 said Sandecker。 He tapped Marchand on the shoulder。 〃Can you raise General Olson on your radio？〃
〃I can if he's listening；〃 replied the sheriff。 He reached for the microphone and began asking for Olson to respond。 After repeating the request several times； a voice answered。 〃Corporal Welch in the mand truck。 I read you； Sheriff。 I'll patch in the general for you。〃
There was a pause punctuated by static； and then Olson answered。 〃Sheriff； what do you want？ I'm busy getting battle reports from my tanks。〃
〃One moment； sir； for Admiral Sandecker。〃
Sandecker leaned over the front seat and took the microphone。 〃General； do you have any aircraft in the air？〃
〃Why do you ask？〃
〃I believe they intend to set off the explosives by radio from the helicopter that snatched the drivers。〃
Olson's voice suddenly sounded old and very tired。 〃Sorry； Admiral； the only aircraft I had at my immediate mand were two helicopters。 And now they and the men inside are gone。〃
〃You can't call up any jets from the nearest Air Force base？〃
〃I can try；〃 Olson replied solemnly； 〃but there is no guarantee they could scramble and get here in time。〃
〃I understand； thank you。〃
〃Not to worry； Admiral；〃 Olson said； his self…assurance all but gone。 〃She won't get past my tanks。〃 But this time around he didn't sound entirely as if he meant it。
The gunfire downriver came like a death knell as the United
States presented her broadside to the gunners inside the tanks。 What General Olson did not yet know was that it wasn't a one…sided battle。
Sandecker passed the microphone back to Marchand and