Through Many Fires (Strengthen What Remains) (6 page)

Caden
glanced at the badge. It was the same type he had been issued earlier in the
day.

Moments
later, they walked around to the back of the administration building. “This is
my new car,” David said as he approached a silver Ford SUV.

Admiring
the spotless car, Caden nodded.

David
opened the side door. “I bought the car the day after the first attack.”

Caden
thought for a moment. “You flew here with Governor Monroe and after the attacks
needed a way home.”

David
smiled. “Pretty close.” He pulled out two folding chairs and motioned for Caden
to sit down while he shuffled through folders on the car seat. “The Governor
and I flew to Tallahassee to meet with Governor Hagen. Florida is a critical
swing state. But that night…the night of the DC attack, I was meeting with
campaign workers in Pensacola. I immediately contacted Monroe. We had a meeting
scheduled the next day in Atlanta. He decided we should all meet there,
but…well…you know what happened.”

Memories
of Becky on the television at that awful moment shot through his mind. Caden
frowned and nodded.

With a
weak grin on his face he said, “I paid for the car with a credit card.”

“
I
don’t envy your payments.”

David
was still for a moment. His eyes stared into the distance. “Will I ever make a
payment?”

Caden
shrugged and felt strangely cold.

Weston
sighed and pulled a folder from the floor of the car. “Here is what I wanted
you to look at.” He handed it to Caden and sat beside him. “It’s clippings and
photocopies from newspapers mostly. Anything I thought might lend some insight
into what or why this is happening.”

Caden
opened the folder. Several reports near the top of the stack he had already
read. Setting those aside he came to an article from the Miami Herald.

A group claiming to
represent the terrorists has stated the city of Detroit will be granted another
twenty-four hour reprieve due to the large Muslim communities in the vicinity.
This is the second announced reprieve for the largely evacuated Metropolitan
area. Authorities continue to hunt for nuclear material and have intensified efforts
to locate terrorists as the last residents leave the area.

Caden
set the report beside him.
Interesting, but not insightful.
He picked up
the next clipping.

Iran has introduced a
resolution to the United Nations Security Council authorizing the Peoples
Republic of China to enter North Korea, occupy all nuclear facilities and
dismantle them. The North Korean government has stated that, if the resolution
is adopted, they will allow the troops to cross their border and take control
of the facilities.

He
paused and then reread the article.
I understand why the North Koreans might
cooperate with the Chinese, but why would Iran care?
He rubbed his chin.
Why would China risk this kind of intervention to help us?
He thought for
almost a minute while David wrote in a notebook. Finally Caden lifted his head
and declared, “North Korea, Iran and China are working together on the
attacks….” He paused. “And something more, I suspect.”

“
What?”

“
I
don’t know, but they have a plan that is advantageous to each of them.”

Two
soldiers walked casually around the building, rifles slung over their
shoulders. They looked at David, his badge still pinned on his shirt, smiled
and nodded. They looked at Caden and stopped. “Does your friend have an ID?”

Caden
fumbled in his pocket, retrieved the badge and clipped it to his shirt.

The
sentries walked on.

*
              
*
              
*

Moonlight
bathed the night before Caden returned to his camp. Maria and Adam were gone.
With a growing sense of loss he looked about, wondering what to do when he saw
the Miller’s youngest daughter emerge from the shadows.

“
Have
you seen Maria?” he asked.

Debbie
Miller stepped into the light and rested a hand on her daughter’s shoulder.
“I’ve been praying you would come.”

“
Can
you help me find her? Do you know where she is?”

“
I’ve
been talking with her, but….” She sighed. “Maria is struggling with a lot of
things right now. So many of her loved ones have died and now she feels
abandoned by you….” Sadness enveloped her face. “And by God.” Suddenly her eyes
became stern and her voice harsh. “If you’re leaving tomorrow morning perhaps
it is better if you just go away.”

This
woman sounds like my mother.
“I admit I was thinking only of myself. I
don’t want to leave without her, but we don’t have much time.”

Debbie
eyes locked on Caden. “Do you care for her?”

Caden
took a deep breath. Everything was happening so fast; cities burning, Becky
dying and now his struggle to get home. In the midst of all of this, Adam and
Maria had come into his life.
Do I care for her? She saved my life, of
course I care for both her and Adam.
He exhaled slowly and nodded. “Yes, I
do.”

Minutes
later, he stood before Maria as she sat leaning against a car with Adam asleep
on her lap.

“
I'm
sorry,” he started, “I owe you....”

“
You
don’t owe me anything.” Her voice tinged with anger.

“
Yes I
do, but it never occurred to me that you might want to leave with me.”

Maria
tipped up her head and stared at him. A cold, haughty, laugh escaped her lips.
“Do you think I want to stay here—in this mud hole?” Her voice grew louder.
“How cold do you think I am?” She looked at Adam as her words fell to a
whisper. “My parents were murdered here.”

Words
stumbled from his mouth as Caden attempted in vain to reply.

“
Fly
off with the governor. Adam and I will do fine.” She looked at him with fire in
her eyes. “I didn’t kill that man to save your life. I did it for myself—for my
father, my mother and for Adam.” She gestured wildly toward the airfield.
“Leave!”

Caden
started to speak, but changed his mind and walked into the darkness.

C
aden lugged two duffle
bags from the terminal and dropped them on the tarmac near the plane. The
loadmaster and two airmen pushed crates up the ramp at the rear of the Air
Force C-130.

He hardly
noticed the activity.
Nine days ago.
A mere nine days had passed since
Caden walked happily down that Washington D.C. street thinking everything was
right with the world. So much had gone wrong in a week and a half. Mentally he
kicked himself for making things worse. He should have been quicker getting to
Becky. He should have insisted she leave Atlanta. He should have found a way
around the roadblock and not fallen asleep in the convenience store parking
lot.

While
the emotional part of him wallowed in guilt, reason told him that he had done
all he could to save Becky. Yes, he could be a thoughtless jerk, but he had
tried desperately to reach her.

He
looked up and down the empty tarmac.
My thoughtlessness hurt Maria.
He
sighed deeply. So many people he cared about had been hurt or killed and the
memories of the dead pressed down on him.
God, just get me through this day.

A door
opened at the terminal, interrupting his bleak memories. A soldier stepped onto
the runway followed closely by a Secret Service agent. As he watched, another
soldier and David Weston exited the terminal. Next a silver-haired man in an
expensive, but creased, business suit appeared—Governor Monroe. Caden had
attended several conferences with Senator Stevens that the Governor had also
attended, but had never been formally introduced. Monroe looked back at the
door as a lady, about the age of the governor emerged. Caden assumed she was
Monroe’s wife. David talked to both of them as another soldier appeared with
the second Secret Service agent. The group of passengers, now complete, moved
as one toward the aircraft.

As the
Governor approached Caden said, “We should be ready to leave in twenty
minutes.”

“
Thank
you.” The Governor’s eyes scanned the length of the plane. “You’re Mr. Westmore?”

“
Yes,
sir.”

“
You
did a good job arranging this flight.”

Caden
was about to thank him when the lady he’d noticed moments before linked her arm
in Monroe’s and asked. “Who is this, Daniel?”

He
smiled gently, and touched her hand. “Oh forgive me.” The Governor introduced
his wife Celeste.

She
shook his hand, “Where are you from?”

“
I’m
from Washington, Ma’am.”

“
Oh?
D.C. or Evergreen?”

Caden
smiled, “The Evergreen state, Ma’am. I grew up in Hansen, a small town
southeast of Olympia in the mountains. I still have family there.”

She
grinned. “I do believe I’ve visited your town. Isn’t there a ski resort
nearby?”

“
Yes,”
Caden nodded. “That and tourism are the only real industries since the collapse
of the logging business.”

The
Governor chuckled and held up his hand. “That was another administration.”

Small
talk continued for several minutes until the loadmaster announced, “You can
board now.”

Caden
grabbed his duffle bags and walked up the access ramp with the others. He
dropped the load near the front and exited the plane. His eyes drifted back
toward the refugee camp and then to his watch. Slowly he stepped up the ramp
jingling the keys in his pocket.
I should have done something with my car.
He looked up and down the runway, then walked to the top of the ramp. Again, he
paused and was about to board, when he heard a vehicle race down the tarmac.
Turning he saw a jeep screech to a halt near the bottom of the ramp.

A
soldier quickly exited the jeep with a duffle bag and full kit and jogged into
the plane. Turner and Maria sat in the back talking. Caden wanted to rush up to
Maria and hurry her onboard, but he paused as Turner continued to talk to her.
The surrounding noise drowned out their voices. Maria stared down at Adam as
she bounced him softly on her knee. The driver glanced over to Caden with a
bored expression. Turner stepped from the jeep and with his kit walked toward
Caden and the plane.

“
I got
her this far,” Turner said as he ambled up.

Caden
looked at Maria, sitting in the back of the jeep. He wondered what he could say
to her. He thanked Turner then asked him, “What took you so long?”

Turner’s
right brow shot up. “She wouldn’t come! Said she wasn’t going anywhere and
didn’t want to talk to you.”

Caden’s
heart sank. He had only minutes to convince her to go with him.

Turner
groaned. “And when she finally did get in the jeep she didn’t have one of those
Homeland Security IDs.” He shook his head. “If I didn’t know the guard on duty
she wouldn’t be here now.” Turner put his hand on Caden’s shoulder. “She’s
quite the spitfire,” then he continued onto the plane.

As
Caden walked toward Maria he wondered what Tuner had said to get her this far.

Maria
sat stiff and unmoving, like a statue.

As
Caden approached he tried to look her in the eye, but her eyes moved only to
the baby.

“
Will
you look at me?”

Neither
her eyes nor her lips moved.

The
turbines whined as the pilot brought the engines to life.
Great, now it will
be even more difficult to talk.
“We don’t have much time….” It was almost a
shout.

“
I’ve
lost everything. All I have is time.”

“
I’m
sorry you….”

“
Don’t
feel sorry for me,” she yelled over the roar of the engines.

Caden
shook his head. “That is not what I meant.” In a voice both calmer and steadier
than he felt he said, “I respect you too much to feel sorry for you.”

She
glanced at him with just the slightest hint of a smile, but her eyes quickly
returned to Adam.

“
I am
sorry. I’m sorry that I was thoughtless, but I do want you to come because….” He
tried to find words, but he couldn’t. He wished he merely said he wanted her to
come and left it there, but he hadn’t. He had started to say something more,
and now he didn’t know what that was. He wanted her to come because she had
saved his life. He wanted her to come because she was resourceful and he
enjoyed her company, but for some reason he didn’t wanted to say more than
that. “…because I miss your big brown eyes and I want you with me.”

Finally
she met his gaze. “If you want me to come, I want to go with you.”

“
I
want you to come.” He looked at Adam. “I want you both to come.” Caden held out
his hand for her.

A
smile lit her face. She dropped the baby bag into his hand, and walked to the
plane.

Caden
grinned and reached into the jeep to grab her duffle bag. One bag over each
shoulder he followed her onto the plane.

Cargo
filled the center of the aircraft, except for the most forward part. Even in
this front section, smaller crates were strapped down in the center, but he
could at least see over it. Bunched together at the front, everyone sat along
the windowless fuselage.

Looking
at the cargo and the simple web seats Maria said, “I’ve flown economy before,
but this….”

Caden
smiled, “Welcome to Air Mobility Command. No movie, no peanuts and no drinks.”
He bent down to help Maria strap Adam in a seat. “For entertainment you can
watch the pilot fly the plane.” They both looked toward the cockpit; no door or
wall separated it from the aft part of the aircraft.

Maria
continued to look forward as Caden’s eyes drifted back to her face. When she
turned and their eyes met, his face flushed. He sat down next to her. As the
plane rolled down the runway, Caden turned to her. “The other day you mentioned
brothers and sisters are any…ah, still….”

Slowly
she shook her head. “They were all in Atlanta.”

The
aircraft lifted off.

Maria
smiled, but her face was filled with sadness. “Mom and Dad had come to get me.
I was in my senior year at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville.

Caden
heard the landing gear retracting and then the thud and clunk that told him
they were up and locked.

“
Grandma
and Grandpa were driving my brothers and sisters to the lake house we have in
southern Georgia.” A tear ran down Maria’s cheek. “We were all going to stay
there.” She paused, put her hand to her lips and took a deep breath. “Dad was
talking to them on his cell phone. Grandpa was still in the heart of the city
on I-75 when it happened.”

Caden
squeezed her hand. “I’m sorry. I lost someone in Atlanta too.”

She
wiped the tear from her face. “I thought you had.”

“
Really?
Why?”

“
From
the look on your face every time someone mentions the city.” She paused. “Did
you love her?”

“
Yes.
Yes I did.”

The
pilot announced they were at cruising altitude, and if they needed to move
around they could. David Weston walked back. The plane bounced a bit, and he
grabbed a cargo strap to steady himself. He first glanced at Maria then fixed
his eyes on Caden. “The Governor would like to talk to you.”

Caden
realized he was still holding Maria’s hand, but did not pull it back. “I’ll be
right there.”

Weston
walked away.

Caden
frowned. “I am sorry about…well, everything.”

“
I
know,” she said with a nod.

He
felt the keys in his pocket press against his leg. “I should have given my car
to the Millers.”

“
I
did.”

“
What?”

“
I
gave them the spare key you gave me and told them if I didn’t come back, the
car and everything in it was theirs.”

They
both laughed.

“
Go
on,” she took her hand away, “don’t keep the boss waiting.”

As
Caden walked aft, the Governor retrieved a briefcase from under his seat and
stood. He motioned for Caden to follow him, and together they moved toward the
rear of the plane.

“
David
gives you high marks for logic and analysis and I’ve come to trust his
opinion.” The governor sat near the rear of the plane and Caden took a seat
leaving one between them.

The
Governor opened his briefcase. “I’ve asked my staff back in Olympia to start a special
background investigation on you, but considering the current chaos, who knows
when that will be completed.” He pulled out a folder marked SECRET in bold red
letters. “I know you were Military Legislative Assistant for Senator Stevens.”
Setting the folder on the briefcase he paused. “I spoke with him several times
regarding foreign policy. He appeared very knowledgeable.”

“
Yes,
he was smart, well read and,” Caden smiled, “he had a good staff.”

The
Governor grinned. “I’m sure he did.” His eyes drifted away and the smile left
his face. “He seemed like a good man.”

Caden
nodded. “He was.”

Monroe
took a deep breath, then exhaled. “So many have died.” He shook his head
slowly. “You were also in Special Forces. Both those jobs require a clearance.”

“
Yes.”

“
Thankfully
both NSA and CIA headquarters have survived and the intelligence community is
functioning. Homeland Security stopped the terrorists in New York and Detroit.”

The
last news Caden had was that no bomb had gone off in Detroit, but he hadn’t
heard that the city had been secured. “The terrorists in Detroit—they’ve been
caught?”

The
Governor nodded and handed the folder to Caden. “I’d like you to look at some
intelligence and give me your analysis.”

Caden
carefully read the stack of news stories, handwritten notes and classified
documents. Many of the newspaper articles were ones David had already shown
him, or he had read earlier, but he was vigilant to review the details.
Finally, he glanced at his watch, put down the last sheet, and looked at the Governor.
“No terrorist organization has the money or expertise to assemble and transport
these nuclear bombs.” He looked the Governor in the eye. “This kind of attack
takes money, a large covert network, and extensive planning. This is state
sponsored terrorism, but it is bigger than North Korea or Iran.”

“
Who?”

The
plane shuddered and Caden grabbed the seat webbing. “Like I said to David
yesterday, I’m certain North Korea, China, Iran and maybe someone else are all
working together. We know that North Korea supplied the plutonium.” He paused.
“I can’t prove it, but my guess is that North Korea is a pawn of China. This
isn’t the end game, this is mid-game maneuvering.” Caden paused then asked,
“Are we repositioning troops in prelude to an attack on North Korea?”

“
I
don’t know. Iran sponsored a Security Council declaration that allows United
Nations inspectors, along with the Chinese army and technicians, into the North
to dismantle all nuclear installations.”