Learning to Stand

by Claudia Hall Christian

“I’ve not had a chance to think this through. I need to...”

  “Control everything,” the twins said in unison.

  “Exactly,” John laughed.

  Laughing, Max kissed Alex’s cheek. Without another word, he picked up Maggie and walked into his bedroom.

  John sat next to her on the bench. She kissed him hello.

  “Love you,” he whispered.

  “Me too,” she replied.

  “Your nose is cold,” he said. “Are you all right out here in the snow?”

  He picked up her wrist to take her pulse. She flicked his hand off. He smiled.

  “Don’t be mad. I just… want you to have something to… remember me by,” he said. John pulled a small blue box from the inner pocket of his coat. She winced. “Please Alex...”

  His deep blue eyes implored her to open the box. She held her right hand out to him. Opening the blue Tiffany’s box, she found a micro-pavé set diamond band. The delicate platinum band with gleaming diamonds seemed to echo his love. She touched her heart with her left hand.

  John smiled. Pulling the ring from the box, he slipped it on her right hand.

  “Your left hand is still too swollen. And...”

  “You can’t fix my wedding ring,” Alex said.

  He shook his head.

  “The jeweler laughed at me. We spent...”

  “Forty dollars.”

  “On both rings,” John said. “I’m so sorry Alex. I wanted…”

  Alex kissed him. Softly at first then her lips and mouth began to consume his responsive lips. With great effort, he broke off from the kiss.

  “Your parents are here,” John said.

  “Hmm…”

  Their faces were less than an inch apart.

  “You think...”

  John kissed Alex with intense passion. She had to use her blue cast to push him from her. They sat inches from each other, out of breath, staring at each other.

  “Knock it off you guys,” Colin said as he came out onto the balcony. “Mom sent me to get you. I don’t want to… damage my innocent eyes.”

  “We need to change. Col, can you tell Mom we’ll be right there?”

  “Not a chance. If I leave, you won’t show up. You do that every single time. And every time, I get shit for it,” Colin said. “No way. I’m waiting for you.”

  Alex pushed past her little brother to her bedroom. Changing into a pair of jeans, she went into the bathroom to attempt presentable. With her military shaved head, and the white tips on top, she was her usual fashion failure. When she came out of the bathroom, Max, John and Colin were waiting for her. They made their way to the common dining room where a large noisy party was unfolding.

  The noise alone was enough to make them pause at the door to the dining room. Their house guests laughed and talked over each other. Moving into the dining room, Alex saw Matthew, with Erin at his side, near the end of the large dining table. Outside of their brief interaction around the future of the team, Alex hadn’t seen him since he was wounded. In this moment, her pain and disappointment evaporated leaving her beloved friend in its place.

  Matthew stood from his chair and she walked into his embrace. Erin held Alex’s hand. Stepping back from Matthew, and squeezing Erin’s hand, she saw Matthew wipe a tear from his eyes. Erin turned to talk to Samantha.

  “I don’t think I’ve said this but... I’m glad you’re alive,” Alex said.

  “I’m glad you are alive,” Matthew said. “I wish you weren’t so famous.”

  “It puts a crimp in my life in hiding.”

  “Have you seen the video?” Matthew asked.

  “I haven’t quite gotten there,” Alex replied. “I’d rather…”

  She nodded her head toward Erin then Sam. She had hoped Erin and Samantha wouldn’t see the video. She was sure the violence on the video would be too much for them.

  “Me too,” Matthew said. “You did great, Alex. Really great. I’m very proud of you.”

  “Survival skills mostly,” she smiled.

  Matthew laughed then groaned. He put his hand over his chest wound.

  There was loud cheering toward the entrance of the room and Alex watched her parents entering the dining room from the kitchen. Alex looked up when Matthew touched her arm.

  “They want to show the video late tonight. They… Well, Troy, would like you to give commentary. Steve Pershing wants to review the fight and get your assessment. He hasn’t admitted it but I think he wants to brag on your skill.”

  “Oh boy,” Alex said out of the side of her mouth.

  She turned to hug her mother. Rebecca made cooing noises over Alex. She touched Alex’s abdomen, her cast and the bruises on her face. Alex could barely tolerate the fussing. She fought to keep from slapping her mother’s hands away. After decades of disconnect, she and her mother were trying to find paths toward each other. Alex smiled at Rebecca.

  “That awful man is here.” Rebecca leaned close to Alex so Alex could hear her over the noise.

  “What awful man?” Alex asked.

  “Pershing,” Rebecca said.

  “He said you were still angry with him.”

  “He kidnapped you! The moment he entered your life, you changed from the sweetest little girl to all of this… boy stuff – martial arts, shooting arrows, backpacking. And, really, look where it’s gotten you.”

  Alex squinted at Rebecca. Rebecca gasped and put her hand over her mouth.

  “I did it again?”

  Alex nodded.

  “I’m sorry Alex. I do try but it is hard for me. I think my natural state is… provincial as John says. John told you about our conversation?”

  Alex raised an eyebrow and nodded.

  “Well,” Rebecca kissed her cheek then whispered in her ear, “sorry for being a bitch.”

  Alex gasped at her mother’s use of the word bitch. Rebecca laughed at Alex’s response. Over her mother’s shoulder, she saw Patrick and Steve Pershing laughing at something Troy said.

  “What’s going on with Sam?” Rebecca asked in Alex’s ear.

  Alex shook her head.

  “I’ve seen them together, Sami and that… Senator,” Rebecca said. “He’s running for office and says he can’t do it without Sam. Of course, his wife is pregnant again. He and his stupid woman have been in every magazine talking about ‘keeping the fire hot’ in their loving marriage. Bah. I was freshening up in the restroom of City Zen and Sami came in. She was crying. When she saw me, she pretended everything was all right… like Erin did… last year.”

  “That’s frightening,” Alex said.

  She and her mother fell silent remembering Erin’s abusive relationship with her boyfriend Marcos. Erin barely survived the last beating. Alex glanced at Erin to see her laughing at Larry. Thank God, Erin was safe.

  “I thought it might be Rasmussen,” Rebecca continued. “He is so dangerously attractive. But Sami seems happy tonight.”

  Alex looked over toward Raz. Feeling her gaze, Raz’s grey eyes looked up. He smiled at Alex. Samantha was sitting next to him talking to Max. Raz’s hand was draped on Sam’s thigh.

  “No man should be that attractive,” Rebecca whispered.

  “Not even that one,” Alex said nodding her head toward the door as Ben came in.

  “Very funny,” Rebecca said of Alex’s biological father. “I’m a happily married woman.” Rebecca watched Ben laugh with Patrick and Steve. She turned back to Alex and whispered. “He does get more handsome every year. But so does Patrick. Ooh look, Helene. Gosh she’s gorgeous. Eighteen now?”

  Alex nodded.

  Ben’s oldest daughter made a beeline through the room to Alex. Speaking in rapid French, Helene explained that she’d begged Ben to bring her. Please, please, please won’t Alex take her to see universities… maybe Harvard, Yale. Please. Noticing Alex’s mother, Helene fell into her polite French girl persona.

  “Mrs. Hargreaves, how nice to see you,” Helene said in English. “I apologize. I was rude.”r />
  “Don’t worry dear. I always feel like that when I see Alex,” Rebecca said. “I’m off to pick up at least one handsome man.”

  With a wink to Alex, Rebecca moved toward Patrick. Alex watched her parents hug when she felt a tug on her sleeve.

  “Did you talk to him?” Helene asked in French. “About me?”

  “Who?”

  “You know who? If I had known he would be here, I wouldn’t have come. Papa says he has to stay where you’re staying. But I don’t want to stay with him. Oh Alex, can’t we get a suite or something?”

  Alex felt someone standing behind her. Turning, she saw Larry had been drawn to Helene like a magnet. Alex raised an eyebrow to Larry and he nodded slightly.

  “Helene,” Larry said. He added in perfect French, “I apologize. The room is very loud. I believe we’ll have dinner very soon. May I get you a seat?”

  Helene flushed bright red.

  “Have you eaten?”

  Helene’s brown eyes were dark ovals as she shook her head. Larry moved forward, but Alex held him in place with her hand.

  “Why don’t you get us something to drink?” Alex asked.

  Larry nodded and went to where Joseph was tending bar. Helene swooned into Alex and Alex laughed.

  “Steady girl,” Alex said.

  Running her hand through her curly brown hair, she pulled on the end of her pony tail while crossing her eyes. Alex laughed.

  “Papa told me,” Helene said in French. “He told me on the plane. He says Maman knows. No secrets ever from Maman. That is what he said, but I didn’t know.”

  “Know what?”

  Helene clutched at Alex, “We are sisters!”

  Laughing, Alex hugged her Goddaughter.

  “We found out last fall,” Alex said. “Max and me... We didn’t really know how to tell you guys.”

  “Papa said we will know when we are old enough to understand,” Helene said. “But we are Parisian. We understand how things happen. Although I always thought Patrick was so handsome… and Colin. Yes, blonde beautiful Colin. I won’t mention your gorgeous doctor husband. Funny, I’ve never felt that for Max. He is very nice to look at, and funny, and smart, but… I guess I knew on some level.”

  Alex laughed at the girl’s run down of the men in her family. Every woman in the room seemed a little man crazy tonight. Her hand touched her battered abdomen.

  “But you don’t like Raz.”

  “Ladies men. Pfft, they are a dime a dozen. I tell Papa he is trying to get into your pants.”

  “And what does your Papa say?”

  “Our Papa says Arthur Rasmussen has seen you in pants, out of pants and everywhere in between. Then he laughs.”

  Alex laughed. Larry gave Alex a beer and held a wine glass to Helene. When their fingers touched, a spark registered on their faces. To keep from laughing at them, Alex glanced around the room. Vince Hutchins came into the room. Moving to the side of the room, he worked his way toward Alex.

  “There’s a call for you,” he said. “It came through MI. Your Sergeant is off duty. The relief Sergeant passed the call through to my cell. I guess your cell doesn’t work anymore?”

  Alex wrinkled her nose. She had forgotten Joseph hated GPS tracking systems, particularly on cell phones. He must have collected everyone’s cell phone while she was working on her map. Unfortunately, the last person to transition got all the calls.

  “Didn’t give up your phone?” Alex asked.

  “Amelia is trying out for the varsity soccer team this week. That’s why she and Emmy haven’t joined us,” Vince said.

  “Wow, she’s young for varsity soccer.”

  “She’s good,” said Amelia’s proud father and coach. “Joseph let me keep my phone so I could check in.”

  “That’s why you got this call,” Alex said. “Sorry.”

  Shrugging, Vince gave her the phone.

  “Thanks,” Alex said.

  Alex put the phone up to her ear and heard breathing. Pressing her finger against her other ear, hoping to reduce the noise from the room, she heard someone screaming in the caller’s background.

  “This is Lieutenant Colonel Drayson,” Alex said.

  “You have to help us...” A child whispered. “They are going to kill us tomorrow. You have to save us. Please Fey. You’re the only one who can.”

  F

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  “Who is this?” Alex asked.

  “Tristan Joiner. I stole a phone...” The boy said. “I’m hiding in the office.”

  The boy stopped talking and Alex heard screaming as if a child was dragged past where the caller was standing.

  “Please Fey. We have no one else. They said they will kill us tomorrow if they don’t hear from my Dad. But he’s... He told them…to kill us.”

  Alex put her hand over her mouth in horror.

  “Where are you?”

  Alex heard a door open. The thump of blows came as the child screamed ‘NO!’

  The phone was silent.

  Alex held the phone away from her head to look at it. She blinked. Without a thought to leaving the Army, Alex’s mind began clicking through information.

  “Are you all right? Did you get drugged again?” Helene put her hand on Alex’s arm.

  Alex smiled at Helene then drained the beer bottle in her hand.

  “I need to work,” Alex said.

  “What should I do?” Helene whispered. Her eyes flicked to Larry.

  “Be your beautiful self,” Alex smiled. She kissed the girl’s cheek.

  Stepping away, Alex’s mind transitioned into the cold, calculating intelligence officer they called ‘The Fey.’ As she walked toward the door, people instinctively shifted away from her. She dialed her Sergeant’s private cell number. Touching Raz’s shoulder, she raised her hand to Troy waving him to the hallway. Matthew got up from the end of the table.

  “Fey,” Alex said.

  “Yes, Lieutenant Colonel,” Alex’s Sergeant said.

  “Sorry to bug you at home.”

  “I’m available whenever, wherever you need me,” he said.

  “I need you.”

  “Go.”

  “I need a trace on the call that came into this phone. Can you call me when you get the number and location of the phone? The phone may have been destroyed.”

  “Yes sir.”

  Disconnecting the phone, she walked into John’s embrace. She sighed into him.

  “Thank you for my ring,” she whispered. “It’s absolutely perfect.”

  “As are you,” he said into her ear.

  Alex brushed his lips with hers. Stepping back, she pressed her hand against the dog tag hanging over his heart. He covered her hand with his. His gesture confirmed that the dog tag marked the heart she owned. Their eyes held.

  She gave him a soft smile before continuing toward the door. At the door, she turned to see who had followed her. Colin and Max? She shook her head and moved toward the living room. The men followed her.

  “Yes Sergeant,” Alex said into her cell phone. She raised her arm drawing the men into the large shared living room.

  “The cell phone is either a Movistar or a Vivo.”

  “South America?”

  “We cannot connect directly with non-US cellular phones. But, the phone has a GPS locator. Colonel Gordon has the GPS Operations Center at Schriever Air Force Base working on triangulating the signal. Even if the phone is broken, they might be able to find a signal.”

  “Schriever?”

  “The Second SOPS. You know, their GPS Operations Center? We called in some of your GPS favors.”

  “Good thinking! Thanks,” Alex said. “Sergeant, I believe at least one boy’s life depends on us finding him tonight.”

  She heard his Sergeant’s involuntary gasp. His wife delivered their first child, a beautiful boy, two weeks ago.

  “Yes sir. Shall I return to post?”

  “I think you’re needed at home, Sergeant.”

 
“My mother-in-law is staying with us this week, sir.”

  “Ah, yes, then it’s an order. You’re to return and stay at post until this crisis is over.”

  “Thank you, sir. I will call as soon as I know anything.”

  Alex clicked off the cell phone and looked up to the men’s expectant faces. She motioned for everyone to sit down. She pushed away the nausea their expectant eyes brought. She opened her mouth to speak, but was unable to come up with words.

  Joseph moved to her side. He had seen Alex caught in the complex web of thoughts, memories and analysis. He signaled for Matthew to take her other side then touched her arm.

  “Facts,” Joseph said.

  “I received a phone call from Tristan Joiner. He spoke of an ‘us’ saying they would be killed tomorrow if someone didn’t get something from Joiner. He said Joiner told their captors to kill them. I assume the ‘them’ is the missing children. What do you have on the missing children?”

  “We know there are at least two missing children, probably more,” Matthew said.

  Alex nodded.

  “Do we know where?”

  Alex shook her head.

  “Let’s just go,” Troy said. “If we get the Jakker moving now, he’ll be ready when we need to go.”

  Alex shook her head again.

  “Something’s not right. I’m sorry but I need think. I can’t lead and…”

  Joseph held a yellow pencil and a tablet of paper for her. She smiled her thanks. Taking the paper and pencil from him, she sat down at the piano bench. While the men watched, she began writing, humming, and tapping her yellow pencil to Breaking Benjamin’s ‘Diary of Jane’ playing in her head.

  “We need to be ready when she’s done. We’ll use this project to see if you can function as a team,“ Joseph said to the group. “You should consider yourselves on probation. Succeed here? And you may have a spot. Fail? You will receive other placement. At this point, you’ve been informed of what we see as your strengths and your weaknesses. Now is your time to shine. MacClenaghan, you need to decide who goes and who stays.”

  Matthew nodded.

  “Who will design the action?”

  Joseph nodded toward Alex. Matthew looked confused.

  “She’s one hundred percent better than anyone I’ve ever met. She thinks of details that would never occur to a normal person. Those details have saved my life more than once.”