Free First Strike by Jack Higgins

orders to his men, and several of them piled into the back of Chang’s car. More clung to the sides and the open back doors. Bullets rattled off the back of the car—catching one of the soldiers who twisted and fell away with a cry.
    Chance turned the key in the ignition. The enginecaught first time and roared into life.
    â€œHey,” said Mr Chang, “I think you fixed it!”
    Then the car screeched away. Smaller than the military vehicles, there was just enough room for it to get past the burning remains of the front lorry. Chance accelerated away. In the cracked rear-view mirror he could see the rebels swarming over the flatbeds, waving their guns in triumph.
    Then the warheads exploded in sequence. The first one that Chance had set went first. The massive blast set off the others in the same load, and the valley was filled with flame and smoke. Chance could feel the heat of it as the shockwave bounced the car forwards down the valley.
    Then the second flatbed lorry exploded. The third went off almost simultaneously and a huge ball of fire filled the sky. Black smoke billowed up, blotting out the valley walls.
    The Chinese commander leaned into the car and spoke to Mr Chang.
    â€œHe says we can leave him and his men here and they will wait for the air support. He thinks they will find him easily now.”
    â€œHe’s not wrong,” Chance agreed.
    â€œHe says the rebels will not be happy now that, how doyou say it? The birds have flown.”
    Chance laughed. “That’s true too.”
    Then his laughter died away as he remembered what Ralph had said to Rich. “If the birds have flown, they will try for the Football.” He slammed his fists into the steering wheel in anger. “That’s what he meant. Of course. And I’m probably too late to stop it now.”
    â€œWhat are you talking about, my friend?”
    â€œForget a few disarmed nuclear warheads,” Chance told him. “If the Wiengwei rebels have a plan to get the Football, then the whole world is in danger!”

8
    The morning of the reception, Chuck White arranged for Rich, Jade and Dex Halford to get a private tour of the White House. It was pretty much the same tour as most visitors got, but for just the three of them.
    The tour only covered the main, central building—the Executive Residence or Mansion House, as it was called. Chuck promised to show them the West Wing, where the President and his staff actually worked, after lunch.
    Although she knew that the rooms they were seeing had been decorated and presented deliberately to be impressive, Jade was awestruck. Even the visitors’ foyer left her breathless. And wherever she went, she was conscious that this was the White House—one of the most famous buildings in the world. And home to one of themost powerful people in the world.
    Unusually, Rich seemed just as impressed. He was uncharacteristically quiet as they were shown the Library, the Vermeil Room, the China Room, the Map Room, the Blue Room and the Red Room; they even had a quick tour of the kitchens.
    Chuck took them out for lunch. They looked back at the huge building from the other side of Pennsylvania Avenue, and Jade found it hard to believe she’d been inside just minutes ago.
    After lunch, Chuck promised them a quick tour of the famous West Wing. This was where the President’s Oval Office overlooked the Rose Garden, and where the Cabinet Room and other offices were housed.
    â€œThough it isn’t really big enough any more,” Chuck told them. “Most of the staff have spilled out into the Eisenhower Building just next door.”
    They started in the basement. Chuck told them this was where his own office was situated, as well as general administration, the rest rooms, canteen, a few conference rooms and the Situation Room.
    â€œLucky there isn’t a situation today,” said Dex, as Chuck showed them inside.
    Even so, there were several