Page 35 of Pressure Point (Lantern Beach Blackout: Detonation #2)

CHAPTER

THIRTY-FIVE

The emergency command center at Lantern Beach’s middle school’s auditorium buzzed with controlled chaos.

The police chief, fire chief, mayor, city manager, and council members had all gathered, along with key members of Blackout. The organization had always partnered with town leaders to do whatever they could to help in the face of danger or disaster, and the town had welcomed them.

Atlas stood at the front of the room near a wall-mounted map of Lantern Beach. Red pins marked evacuation points and safe zones. While he studied that, the island’s key decision-makers absorbed Quinn’s briefing about the weaponized hurricane.

Chief Chambers leaned toward the map, her expression grim.

If she knew about the warrant for Quinn’s arrest, she was ignoring it—a fact for which he was grateful.

“So you’re telling us this storm isn’t natural?” Cassidy asked Quinn, who stood near the map.

“It’s been artificially enhanced.” Quinn pointed to the latest satellite imagery. “The intensification rate, the forward speed, the precision of the track—none of it follows natural hurricane behavior.”

Mayor Mac MacArthur, a man in his sixties who’d weathered dozens of storms on this island, shook his head in disbelief. “In forty years of living on Lantern Beach, I’ve never seen anything like this. The storm just keeps getting stronger.”

Colton studied the evacuation timeline they’d sketched out on a portable marker board beside the map.

“We’ve got anywhere from twelve to eighteen hours to move ten thousand people.

The ferries can only take twenty cars at a time.

Even if you guys put emergency ferries in place, it’s going to be tight. ”

“More than tight,” Ty added. “We’ve got limited ferry capacity, and the weather’s deteriorating faster than predicted. Every minute we delay could cost lives.”

Mac stood. “I’ll issue an immediate mandatory evacuation order. But people are going to panic. We need to control the message.”

“Tell them the truth.” Quinn’s voice turned all professional. “A hurricane is coming that’s stronger than anything they’ve experienced. Their lives depend on getting off the island.”

Mac hurried from the room.

When he was gone, Atlas looked at Quinn, an idea floating in his mind. “Is there any way to downgrade the storm? To counter whatever enhancements have been made?”

Quinn was quiet as she worked through possibilities.

“Theoretically, yes. If we could identify the mechanism they’re using—cloud seeding aircraft, ocean heating devices, atmospheric manipulation equipment—we might be able to disrupt it.

But we’d need to know exactly what we’re looking for and where to find it. ”

“And we’d need to do it while being hunted by Sigma operatives in the middle of what will probably be a Category 5 hurricane,” Colton added with an irritated roll of his eyes.

“The alternative is letting thousands of people die,” Quinn said.

The room fell silent as the weight of that statement settled over them.

Finally, Ty spoke up. “What do you need from us?”

Quinn looked around the room, meeting each person’s eyes. “Time. Access to weather monitoring equipment. And a way to get close enough to their operation to shut it down.”

“That means we have to figure out where it is,” Atlas muttered.

“They must have set up some kind of command center, and it has to be close,” Quinn said.

“As in, in the middle of the ocean?” Colton asked.

She thought about it a moment and shook her head. “I can’t believe they’d have those kind of capabilities. I mean, to withstand this, the boat would need to be the size of an aircraft carrier. I doubt they have those resources and, even if they did, a boat that size would be noticed.”

“So what are you thinking?” Ty asked.

“Is there anywhere on the island they could have set up equipment?”

Cassidy shook her head. “It’s doubtful. We monitor things on Lantern Beach closely. I would think someone would have spotted something like that by now. I’m assuming it would have to be a large amount of equipment.”

“Essentially, it would be a portable lab,” Quinn said.

“Then no,” Cassidy said. “We haven’t seen anything like that.”

“Then where else?” Quinn’s gaze roamed from town leader to town leader. “Is there anywhere nearby where could they set up this equipment without being detected?”

“We need to figure that out,” Colton said. “But in the meantime, we need to evacuate as many people as possible. It’s the safest bet.”

“Agreed,” Cassidy murmured.

As the meeting broke up, everyone scattering to their assigned tasks, Atlas caught Quinn’s arm. “We’re going to stop this.”

“I hope so,” Quinn replied.

But Atlas saw the doubt in her eyes.

Because they all knew that hoping wasn’t going to be enough.

Atlas and Quinn remained in the command center after everyone else spread out to do various tasks. Ty and Maverick stayed with them.

Ty spoke on the phone with someone before lowering it and turning to address them. “A convoy of black SUVs just arrived on the island via the ferry with their emergency lights on.”

Atlas’s lungs tightened. “Feds?”

“Most likely.” Ty offered a grim nod.

“They’re coming for me.” Quinn rubbed her neck, strain stretching through her gaze. “I don’t want you all to get in trouble because you’re protecting me.”

“I’ll worry about that later.” The last thing they needed was for her to flee, Atlas mused. “I just can’t believe federal agents are coming for you while a weaponized hurricane will be bearing down here.”

“How long do we have until agents get here?” Quinn asked.

“Twenty minutes, maybe less. Traffic is thick right now, though it’s mostly going in the other direction.” Atlas’s jaw was set with determination.

“Then we need to get busy.”

Atlas studied a topographical map of the area. “Where could they be keeping this equipment?”

They all gathered around.

“What’s this?” Quinn pointed to a small spot of land farther down the coast.

“It’s a private, uninhabited island,” Ty explained. “It’s not very big. Two hundred fifty acres maybe. Sometimes people have parties there as if it’s their own private sand bar.”

“Is it big enough for a mobile lab?” she asked.

“Maybe,” Ty finally said with a frown. “But the ocean is getting rough. Getting there isn’t safe. A small craft warning has already issued.”

“But is it possible?” Quinn asked.

“Most of us are former Navy SEALs. Of course, it’s possible—just not advisable.”

“Good,” Quinn muttered. “Because we might need some of that dogged determination.”

“Could you check the satellite images?” Atlas asked. “See if there’s anything unusual happening on the island?”

“Yes, let’s do that.” Ty turned to Maverick. “You got this?”

“I’m on it.” He was already typing away on his laptop. A few minutes later, he stopped. “Something is definitely going on there.”

He showed them the screen.

Sure enough, a container had been left in the middle of the island. The top was open, and equipment had been set up inside. Probably a control center with generators, computers, satellite dishes.

Sigma. Sigma was the only group that made sense.

They’d been the ones who abducted Quinn. Who were behind all this.

The fact that the helicopter pilot had been Air Force fit the narrative.

That meant they needed to get to that island and stop the devastation.