"ARM?"
“They're coming in. To get rid of these hoodlums."
"Well, good luck. But the man who saved me, what was his name? He mentioned something about it. Then he disappeared. I don't—"
“That's who blew up the gantry. His name is Vance." She quickly recounted the story. "I told him not to blow it up, but he didn't listen. All he accomplished was to make things worse." She was so outraged she could barely speak. The idiot! The fuck-up!
Mannheim's mind seemed to be clearing. "A countdown. But why would Georges—?"
"He isn't involved, at least I don't think so. He's been replaced by one of their people. They've taken over Big Benny, somebody who knows how to run SORT."
Mannheim exhaled. "Then, what are we supposed to do?"
"It gets worse. Not only is the gantry gone, but I'm afraid they've taken Mike prisoner."
"Mike?" He was still trying to get his bearings.
"Vance." She was suddenly embarrassed by the implied familiarity. Isaac, she noted, hadn't missed it, and he raised an eyebrow. "Look," she continued, "he may be dead by now, who knows. But I want to get you out of here, and then try to raise ARM on the radio. They were going to delay everything for a day, but now they've got to get in here and stop the launch." She paused, shaking from the strain. "Isaac, I'm not as strong as I thought I was." Her voice quavered. "I'm scared to death. For you, for Bill, for Georges, for Mike. For all of us. Even worse, I'm scared for the world."