“Make it so, Captain. But steer well of storm fronts if one starts to form. And don’t take the fact you are clear for granted. This one turned through 90 degrees and doubled in power in just a few seconds.”

“Sir, word from the base housing.” Harmsworth was looking grim. “It’s gone, all of it. I don’t see how many people can have survived in there. Some in the basements and shelters perhaps, but I don’t know, the houses are so thoroughly destroyed, its hard to tell where they were. Even the roads are all ripped up. The men are digging but it’s looking pretty bad in there.”

Cochrane sighed. “Anything else?”

“Local police and emergency services are tied down at Warrensburg, the situation is as bad there as it is in Base Housing. Streets are all blocked or torn up or both, all the buildings are down. They’re expecting thousands of dead, nobody even can guess how many severely wounded. Total population minus the dead is their best guess. So, they’re telling us, we’re on our own resources for a while.”

“No, we’re not. We need to get through to SecDef now.”

“Comms are down Sir. As far as we can make out, our communications tower is somewhere in the Knob Noster National Park. It should be easy to find Sir, there isn’t a tree left standing over there.”

“Then find another way to get through. We need help down here. Is there any good news?”

“The storm front dissipated before it hit Kansas City. They got heavy rain and strong winds but that’s all.” Harmsworth was interrupted by the sound of an A-10 taxying out on to the wrecked hardstand, three ground crew helping it to steer around the worst of the damage. “And, Sir, it looks like we’re back in business.”

Half an hour later, Cochrane was on the telephone to Washington, speaking directly with Defense Secretary Warner.