Broken Lives: A Tale of Survival in a Powerless World (Broken Lines Book 4) by James Hunt Page A
Authors: James Hunt
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find someone more your speed,” Kalen said.
Kalen laughed and Mike chased after her playfully. It was nice seeing his daughter smiling again. He hadn’t heard her laugh in weeks. He almost forgot what it sounded like.
The three of them headed back to the hotel for a quick shower and ran into Katie on the way over.
“How was the office?” Sam asked.
“A lot different than the way I would run things,” Katie answered.
“Have you seen Anne?” Mike asked.
“No, not since this morning,” Katie replied.
“Did Mary and her sisters get set up in a room?” Kalen asked.
“Yeah, they’re on our floor. Don’t worry. We’ll keep an eye on them,” Katie said.
The guards were still stationed at the hotel entrance when they arrived. Mike hoped that after Kalen was done with training she would get something simple like what these soldiers were doing. Overall, aside from the sessions today, he hadn’t really seen the guards around the city do a whole lot.
He kept wondering, why all the training? Why have such a military presence? Mike understood wanting to protect what they were trying to rebuild, but he couldn’t figure out who they were protecting it from.
Anne was coming out of the bathroom when Mike entered. She gave him a kiss as she walked over to the dresser where her clothes were.
“I’m pretty sure I still smell like hospital food,” Anne said.
“Is that what they have you doing?”
“It’s not glamorous, but everyone was nice. How was your day?”
Mike rubbed his jaw. It was still sore.
“A little rough,” Mike said.
He sat on the edge of the bed as Anne dressed. They still had only the clothes they brought with them. He wasn’t sure if they were going to get any others while they were here, but that was the least of his worries.
“They put Kalen with the soldiers,” Mike said.
“What?”
Anne dropped on the bed next to Mike. She gripped his arm.
“Why?” Anne asked.
“It was based on the interviewer’s evaluation.”
“They can’t do that.”
“We don’t have a choice right now.”
“No!”
It was the involuntary scream that shocked Mike. His wife was visibly upset. He hadn’t seen her like this in a long time.
“I’ll make sure she’s okay,” Mike said.
“She’s not okay, Mike. She’s different. The things she’s been through, they’ve… changed her. Putting her in this ‘militia’ isn’t going to help.”
“Have you seen what the guards do here? They stand in front of buildings, and patrol the streets. There isn’t any fighting here. Her being in the guard is probably the safest she’ll be.”
“We’ve only been here for a day. We don’t know what they’ll do. We don’t know anything about these people.”
“Isn’t this what we were searching for? A safe place for our family? The cabin was always supposed to be temporary anyway. If these people have the power back on for an entire city, then it won’t be long before it spreads.”
She knelt down, grabbing his hands. He forgot how strong her hands were. When she held them, his hands didn’t ache. He drew vitality from them, the tremors faded.
“I don’t want to lose her,” Anne said.
“We won’t.”
***
Colonel Cadogan hit the elevator button, sending him to the top floor. Files were tucked under his arm. He was alone, as requested.
When the elevator doors opened he stepped out into the penthouse suite that took up the entire fiftieth floor. It was simply furnished, with only the necessities one would need for a single-person apartment, but had the open space only luxury could afford.
On the south end of the apartment the entire wall was made of glass, giving a spectacular view of the city, which Bram was enjoying when Cadogan walked up behind him.
“The files?” Bram asked.
“Yes, sir,” Cadogan
Kalen laughed and Mike chased after her playfully. It was nice seeing his daughter smiling again. He hadn’t heard her laugh in weeks. He almost forgot what it sounded like.
The three of them headed back to the hotel for a quick shower and ran into Katie on the way over.
“How was the office?” Sam asked.
“A lot different than the way I would run things,” Katie answered.
“Have you seen Anne?” Mike asked.
“No, not since this morning,” Katie replied.
“Did Mary and her sisters get set up in a room?” Kalen asked.
“Yeah, they’re on our floor. Don’t worry. We’ll keep an eye on them,” Katie said.
The guards were still stationed at the hotel entrance when they arrived. Mike hoped that after Kalen was done with training she would get something simple like what these soldiers were doing. Overall, aside from the sessions today, he hadn’t really seen the guards around the city do a whole lot.
He kept wondering, why all the training? Why have such a military presence? Mike understood wanting to protect what they were trying to rebuild, but he couldn’t figure out who they were protecting it from.
Anne was coming out of the bathroom when Mike entered. She gave him a kiss as she walked over to the dresser where her clothes were.
“I’m pretty sure I still smell like hospital food,” Anne said.
“Is that what they have you doing?”
“It’s not glamorous, but everyone was nice. How was your day?”
Mike rubbed his jaw. It was still sore.
“A little rough,” Mike said.
He sat on the edge of the bed as Anne dressed. They still had only the clothes they brought with them. He wasn’t sure if they were going to get any others while they were here, but that was the least of his worries.
“They put Kalen with the soldiers,” Mike said.
“What?”
Anne dropped on the bed next to Mike. She gripped his arm.
“Why?” Anne asked.
“It was based on the interviewer’s evaluation.”
“They can’t do that.”
“We don’t have a choice right now.”
“No!”
It was the involuntary scream that shocked Mike. His wife was visibly upset. He hadn’t seen her like this in a long time.
“I’ll make sure she’s okay,” Mike said.
“She’s not okay, Mike. She’s different. The things she’s been through, they’ve… changed her. Putting her in this ‘militia’ isn’t going to help.”
“Have you seen what the guards do here? They stand in front of buildings, and patrol the streets. There isn’t any fighting here. Her being in the guard is probably the safest she’ll be.”
“We’ve only been here for a day. We don’t know what they’ll do. We don’t know anything about these people.”
“Isn’t this what we were searching for? A safe place for our family? The cabin was always supposed to be temporary anyway. If these people have the power back on for an entire city, then it won’t be long before it spreads.”
She knelt down, grabbing his hands. He forgot how strong her hands were. When she held them, his hands didn’t ache. He drew vitality from them, the tremors faded.
“I don’t want to lose her,” Anne said.
“We won’t.”
***
Colonel Cadogan hit the elevator button, sending him to the top floor. Files were tucked under his arm. He was alone, as requested.
When the elevator doors opened he stepped out into the penthouse suite that took up the entire fiftieth floor. It was simply furnished, with only the necessities one would need for a single-person apartment, but had the open space only luxury could afford.
On the south end of the apartment the entire wall was made of glass, giving a spectacular view of the city, which Bram was enjoying when Cadogan walked up behind him.
“The files?” Bram asked.
“Yes, sir,” Cadogan
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