****
At a Wawa North of Tucson the B Team was getting breakfast and supplies and making COM calls when Mel phoned the hospital and received the worst news imaginable.
He was told that Oscar had not survived the night.
Mel didn't have to say a word about it to the B-Team assembled around him; they knew immediately from watching him and by listening to the pain in his voice when he asked to speak to his wife.
Jane could not be located. This immediately caused concern, but unless they went back to the hospital, there wasn't really anything they could do. They all agreed that to return to Phoenix would be simply too dangerous. Besides, they had to go on with the mission. There were now less than six days left until the destruction of Earth!
First though, Bates had another call to make. When he reached Ryan, the Chief of Staff was smiling. "I'm certainly pleased to hear from you Dr. Bates, we feared you were dead!”
"Most of us are alive, no thanks to you!” replied Bates angrily.
"What do you mean?" asked Ryan.
Bates struggled to provide an answer. It was almost too painful to talk about. A teary eyed but angry Bates told Ryan about the NP attack and Oscar.
Ryan seemed to be genuinely shocked. He assured Bates that the NP had not been following White House orders, but understood when Bates tactfully replied that they couldn't take any chances, and then cut off the call.
Ryan was furious. He had never liked or trusted Lund, and now he was sure that Lund's unexplained trip to Phoenix was not simply coincidental with the attack on the Bus. After a brief talk with the President, he phoned White House security, NP Headquarters, and his friend the Arizona Governor to request that they arrest Lund. The conversation with NP Headquarters was particularly interesting.