Remi had always dreamed that he would do meaningful work in his life. His parents repeatedly told him that he had a great destiny ahead of him and that one day he would do amazing things. Remi believed that perhaps one day he would become a senator or congressman and would change the lives of millions of people. The fact that at twenty-one, he was now in a room with the President of the United States, his chief of staff, and possibly the only congressman left alive, working on a plan to keep the United States government functional, left him with mixed feelings. It was awe inspiring on the one hand, but on the other, the circumstances around which it was happening were terrifying.

As the four men conferred around an old coffee table, which had now become the platform on which the future of the United States was being shaped, the door to the war room burst open and a Marine rushed in with terror in his eyes. He doubled over, choking, like something was stuck in his throat. Remi rushed to his aid.

“What now?” the president barked. He was frustrated and at a loss after everything that had happened over the last few hours. He had run out of patience, and his capacity for sympathy was completely eroded.

“Mr. President, you need to come up to the surface entrance. You need to do it now,” the Marine said, gasping for air.

The president knew enough about the Marines’ degree of professionalism that he did not object.

Everyone followed the Marine down the hall and hopped into the Humvee for the three-minute ride up the steeply inclined roadway to the entrance of the bunker.

“Maybe you should slow down for a minute and catch your breath.”

“I am going to be fine, Mr. President. I am able to breathe a lot better now, sir.”

“Sorry I was curt earlier. It’s been a rough few days, and my nerves are a little frayed. I should have been more compassionate.”

They stopped at the head of the roadway, which was protected by a steel gate large enough for a semi-truck. Instead of opening the gate, the Marine walked to the side and opened a smaller door that led down a short hallway and to a steep set of stairs. The group of men climbed up the stairs in silence and emerged at the top of the guard tower.

The president was the first to step out of the stairwell and into the guard tower opening. He let out a loud gasp. His chief of staff followed and let out an equally loud expletive. As Remi stepped out of the stairwell, he had instinctively braced himself for anything; yet still, what he saw shocked him to his core.