Scarecrow Returns

THE WHITE HOUSE SITUATION ROOM

WASHINGTON, D.C.

SAME TIME

In the Situation Room, an Army tech manning a satellite console turned sharply.

“Sir!” he called to the Army general in the Crisis Response Team, “I have a missile launch from Dragon Island!”

The President strode over and saw a real-time overhead satellite image of Dragon Island and the Arctic Ocean surrounding it.

“They’re igniting the gas cloud,” DIA Deputy Director Gordon said. “Our efforts have failed . . .”

No sooner had she said this than, on the monitor, a section of the ocean to the south of Dragon Island flared suddenly with blazing white light.

The tech said, “Missile detonation detected . . .”

The President stared at the image, horror-struck. “God help us.”