Jack blew out his breath slowly as he stepped out of the Black Room.

 "That could have been bad," he murmured to himself. "I've got to be more careful next time."

 Jackie was passing as he was talking to himself. "What?"

 "The prisoner escaped from the prison," Jack replied. "The Aoran was blaming me for it when I had nothing to do with it."

 "Don't say that!" Jackie hissed. "She has ears everywhere. You have to watch what you say."

 "Look, i'm one of her important assets," Jack shot back. "She can't just kill me!"

 "That's one of your weaknesses, Jack," Jackie retorted. "You think you're invincible!"

 Jack watched as she stalked away, shaking his head. "You're wrong," he said softly. "You're wrong, Jackie James. If you had seen what I've gone through, you wouldn't think I wasn't invincible. You would know that I was."

 Dallas Sutherland ran up. "Sir! The Aoran's communications soldier just sent you a message!"

 Jack dashed after him.

 We are beginning, Code Leader 157. 

 Jack turned to Dallas. "Round up the troops, Dallas. We are about to take out America."

 

 "Jordan!"

Jordan whirled around and saw Vanar, Milton, and David at the entrance to the cave, out of breath.

 "What's going on?"

 Jess and Jesse-they're gone!" Milton explained. "And Reule-well-"

 "I know." Jordan bowed her head. "We had some communication right before it happened." Then she straightened. "Let's not focus on the past. Focus on the future and what can be done to save America."

 Vanar, Milton, and David glanced at each other, and then jumped as the rigged cave communication erupted as Jordan spoke into it.

 "Troops to the front!"

Around twenty people packed into the front room as Jordan took charge.

 "OK. Three of us are going to stay with CJ, DJ, and Kerry," she began, "and the rest are going to come with me."

 "What about my family?" Kerry interrupted.

 Jordan glared at her before continuing. "The remaining eighteen troops left will be in three divisions, led by Tristan, Milton, and myself. The division I am leading will head into central Raleigh and assist the military forces there. Tristan, your group will take the best weapons that we have and be the snipers that you were trained you to be. Milton and his division will warn as many people as they can to take cover immediately. Grab your weapons and some basic first aid supplies and get moving." She clapped her hands briskly. "Let's go!"

 "Who's staying?" piped up a voice within the crowd.

 Jordan pointed at three people in the group. "Vanar, David, and Tiertze will be staying. Be always tuned into the TV and our walkie talkies to give us the latest updates on the bad guys." She turned to the two other division leaders. "Get your pre-selected squads and move. We have to do something!"

 The cave was empty in just a few minutes. Kerry's ears rang in the silence-until CJ started to complain.

 "This is so boring," he moaned. "Why couldn't I have gone? I'm hungry, too! And I want to go outside."

 "I wish you had gone," Vanar muttered, switching on the TV and tuning it to the Eyewitness News Station. "I'm sick of you already."

 Kerry covered her mouth to stifle a snicker.

 CJ ignored her and kept it up. "It stinks in here! could we open the door and air it out? Could you turn the volume on the TV down, Vanar? It's hurting my ears. When's dinner?"

 Vanar pressed a TV button several times. "Has Your Majesty's hearing improved now?" she asked grumpily.

 DJ leaned over to Tiertze and whispered, "I can see why you don't like him."

 "That's not all," Tiertze whispered back, adjusting her headphones and headpiece.

 DJ snickered.

 "Hey CJ, could you go to the boys dorm room and get Reule's bag for me?" Vanar interrupted. "It should be under his cot, and it has some technical stuff that I need."

 CJ left the room, grumbling, and David followed.

 When he returned, Kerry glanced behind him. "Where's CJ?"

 "In the boys room-locked up," David replied matter-of-factly.

 "That's great," Kerry said sarcastically. "Now we have to put up with his yelling and demands at an even greater noise level."

 "That's a pretty good door," Vanar pointed out. "I know for a fact that all the doors in here are."

 "Good." Kerry turned back to the TV just as a commercial break was finished.

 The announcer appeared on the screen. He looked rather panicky as he started spouting the latest news.

 "The police received an anonymous call warning that there were air enemies going to attack Raleigh. The chief that it was a practical joke, but when several houses in southern Raleigh were suddenly set on fire, he took the caller seriously.

 "The Marines were called in. While they were coming, the police tried to figure out how the fires had been started, but they were absolutely baffled. Then suddenly the sky darkened.

 "The police and firefighters looked up and saw something-a nightmare from a fantasy novel. Let's go to Kathy Peterson, who is at the site of the first sighting, and see what she says."

  The TV switched to a view of a woman in her late forties holding a microphone her short, bright pink dress contrasting sharply to the slate gray sky in the background.

  "Well, Chris, no one really knows what's going on.  The dragons just can't be real, and now we're seeing a whole army of them! The police and their best detectives are absolutely baffled."

  The screen switched back to the first announcer, who said, "What have the dragons been doing?"

  "Well, many of them seem to have vanished," Kathy replied. "The otehrs are hovering as if waiting for something to happen." She did a half-turn. "Something...like that."

 There was an involuntary gasp from Kerry and her companions.

 A huge, black dragon, almost twice as large as all the others, flapped slowly and menacingly toward Raleigh from the north. Even at its great height, everyone could see the tall, black rider sitting majestically atop it.

 Vanar spoke into her walkie-talkie. "Red Leader, are you there? Come in, Red Leader."

 There was a crackle and then they heard Jordan's voice. "Red Leader here, to Home Base. What's going on?"

 "Many of the dragons-"

 "Dragons?" Jordan interrupted.

 "Yes. Many of them seem to have vanished, and their leader just arrived. Be on the lookout for ambush," Vanar advised.

 "Will do. Spread the word."

 Vanar did so.

 

The Aoran pulled the hood off their head.

"Good job, Jaigar."

"Jaigar's scaly sides heaved and were pouring with sweat, but he gace a satisfied grunt at his leader's praise, simple though it was.

The Aoran let the breezes blow on their face before pulling up the hood again, and, letting out an evilly happy sigh, said, "At last, Jaigar -after all this work, all this planning, we can finally take them down."

With one sweeping hand motion, all the dragons were gathered to the Aoran, and with their final instructions, flew away.

 

"Everyone, get to shelter!" called the on-scene reporter as she and the cameraman ran for cover.

"Red leader! Are you in the city?" Milton called into the walkie talkie.

"We're on the outskirts. What's going on?"

"The dragons are about to attack. Be on your watch."

"Okedokey. Tell Blue Leader and Green Leader."

Milton was swift to spread the word.

Kerry left the room and grabbed the radio. She made a connection to the newstation and listened closely.

"The same thing is happening in every mjor city in the U.S.!" she exclaimed.

"Oh no," Vanar groaned. "This isn't good."

"Guys, look!"

They turned.

"It's happened." Kerry breathed. "Raleigh's ...gone."