fast, and it was impressive.
He barked out one more statement, then hung up. He sat there staring at a map in front of him, for a long minute, apparently unaware that I was standing in front of him, waiting.
“Dad, you asked for me….”
“Stand at attention, lieutenant,” he said, his voice edgy. He continued staring at the map for another long moment, while I snapped to attention. Finally he looked up at me.
“And I told you to never call me Dad again,” he growled. “We can’t afford to show any sort of favoritism here. The Coalition is watching us. Be aware of that. We are in a precarious position here, and whether we succeed or fail depends on how they perceive us.”
I stood at attention, not acknowledging his statement, but recognizing the truth in it.
“Now,” he said, his voice softening. “I have a job for you.” He gestured for me to come closer and showed me a map of the Eastern United States that was spread out in front of him.
“I just received word that the General has plans for your little friend Infinity Richards. Remember her?”
I bit my lip and nodded. That was two years ago, and was part of many bad memories that I had tried to put behind me.
“She’s at that camp in Tennessee, isn’t she?” I asked, almost stammering.
“That’s where we left her, yes,” he responded, and I waited for the inevitable But that was to follow. “But she and her friend Ellie escaped with the help of an outside source, probably someone left over from Secret Service, or one of the National Guardsmen in the area. I suspect that they are headed west to join her father.”
“But…I thought she was drugged and under guard,” I said, shaking my head. “How could this happen?”
“That’s what I want you to find out,” he said, straightening up. “I am sending you to eastern Tennessee to talk to her friends there, find out where she went and to recapture her.”
Confused, I nodded.
“I know you haven’t done anything like this before, but you know her better than anyone else at my command. I am sending you with a squad of crack troops—Chinese—and an interrogator. Report back to me when you find out anything.”
He paused and looked out the window.
“Camp Zion is out there, and with it, her father. If we can use her to leverage her father, then we might have a weapon to end this war once and for all.”
I stared at my father for a long moment before snapping off a salute and heading out the door. Back to ToC
9. water, water everywhere
ELLIE: EASTERN TENNESSEE: DAY 715
“Still think leaving the backpacks behind was a good idea?” I stared at Finn sitting on the other side of our small island. The only thing we had was the wet clothes on our backs, and the fog and the chill didn’t show any signs of letting us dry out.
“Maybe…maybe we should build a fire,” Infinity said, her teeth chattering as much as mine.
“Not a good idea,” I said, shaking my head. “Those crazies are still looking for us. If they see the smoke or smell the campfire, they’ll be over here. Besides—.” I gestured around us. “Do you see any dry wood here?”
The island we had found was only about 20 feet across, and consisted of some dead cattails and one rotten tree. I had already tried to gather up some wood from the tree and found that that whole trunk and its branches were waterlogged. Around us, the fog clung to us like a wet blanket.
I looked over at Finn, who sat at the water’s edge, her knees pulled up to her chest, her arms wrapped around herself, shivering. I shook my head and walked over to her. I sat on the ground behind her and wrapped my arms and legs around her.
“Don’t get the wrong idea here,” I murmured. “Just sharing some body warmth.”
“Thanks,” she whispered. I snuggled up to her and after a moment felt warmer. Her shivering started to die down, so I suspected she was warming up too.
Infinity and I stared off at the water and fog around
He barked out one more statement, then hung up. He sat there staring at a map in front of him, for a long minute, apparently unaware that I was standing in front of him, waiting.
“Dad, you asked for me….”
“Stand at attention, lieutenant,” he said, his voice edgy. He continued staring at the map for another long moment, while I snapped to attention. Finally he looked up at me.
“And I told you to never call me Dad again,” he growled. “We can’t afford to show any sort of favoritism here. The Coalition is watching us. Be aware of that. We are in a precarious position here, and whether we succeed or fail depends on how they perceive us.”
I stood at attention, not acknowledging his statement, but recognizing the truth in it.
“Now,” he said, his voice softening. “I have a job for you.” He gestured for me to come closer and showed me a map of the Eastern United States that was spread out in front of him.
“I just received word that the General has plans for your little friend Infinity Richards. Remember her?”
I bit my lip and nodded. That was two years ago, and was part of many bad memories that I had tried to put behind me.
“She’s at that camp in Tennessee, isn’t she?” I asked, almost stammering.
“That’s where we left her, yes,” he responded, and I waited for the inevitable But that was to follow. “But she and her friend Ellie escaped with the help of an outside source, probably someone left over from Secret Service, or one of the National Guardsmen in the area. I suspect that they are headed west to join her father.”
“But…I thought she was drugged and under guard,” I said, shaking my head. “How could this happen?”
“That’s what I want you to find out,” he said, straightening up. “I am sending you to eastern Tennessee to talk to her friends there, find out where she went and to recapture her.”
Confused, I nodded.
“I know you haven’t done anything like this before, but you know her better than anyone else at my command. I am sending you with a squad of crack troops—Chinese—and an interrogator. Report back to me when you find out anything.”
He paused and looked out the window.
“Camp Zion is out there, and with it, her father. If we can use her to leverage her father, then we might have a weapon to end this war once and for all.”
I stared at my father for a long moment before snapping off a salute and heading out the door. Back to ToC
9. water, water everywhere
ELLIE: EASTERN TENNESSEE: DAY 715
“Still think leaving the backpacks behind was a good idea?” I stared at Finn sitting on the other side of our small island. The only thing we had was the wet clothes on our backs, and the fog and the chill didn’t show any signs of letting us dry out.
“Maybe…maybe we should build a fire,” Infinity said, her teeth chattering as much as mine.
“Not a good idea,” I said, shaking my head. “Those crazies are still looking for us. If they see the smoke or smell the campfire, they’ll be over here. Besides—.” I gestured around us. “Do you see any dry wood here?”
The island we had found was only about 20 feet across, and consisted of some dead cattails and one rotten tree. I had already tried to gather up some wood from the tree and found that that whole trunk and its branches were waterlogged. Around us, the fog clung to us like a wet blanket.
I looked over at Finn, who sat at the water’s edge, her knees pulled up to her chest, her arms wrapped around herself, shivering. I shook my head and walked over to her. I sat on the ground behind her and wrapped my arms and legs around her.
“Don’t get the wrong idea here,” I murmured. “Just sharing some body warmth.”
“Thanks,” she whispered. I snuggled up to her and after a moment felt warmer. Her shivering started to die down, so I suspected she was warming up too.
Infinity and I stared off at the water and fog around
Similar Books
