After the War: Military Dystopian Thriller (Friends of my Enemy Book 2)

by Autumn M. Birt

  Chapter 34

  THE LADY GREY

  THE FINAL CHOICE

  Despite lack of sleep, Arinna chose not to be present that afternoon when the promised pick up of her small shadowcraft occurred. On horseback at the edge of Rhiol’s woods, Arinna watched another plane arrive. There was a half hour delay before both took off together. The only consolation was that it wasn’t her dactyl being shepherded back to Command. The separation was painful enough. Arinna didn’t think she could stand seeing her fighter taken away.

  And that was Jared’s point, Arinna realized. Returning to Rhiol, Arinna had no connection remaining to the Guard and who she was other than dead computing equipment in the basement. She could only leave Rhiol by carriage. To return to Prague, she’d have to book passage on a ship. This was civilian life with no news on the war or her troops, no discussions on Crystal City and how to infiltrate it, and horizons only as broad as a horse could carry her. This was the life everyone thought she led. It was also the life she’d just offered to accept to save the Guard. Arinna laughed at how unreal it felt.

  On the counter in the kitchen, Arinna found a note. “Hoped to see you,” Kieren wrote. “Picked up your transport for repairs and upgrade as Jared requested. Pretty house, almost Irish. See you soon, K.”

  That soothed Arinna slightly. Jared hadn’t told Kieren, or anyone other than Kehm most likely, that she was barred from the Guard. This was to be a quiet punishment at least. Until it became an official choice.

  Arinna kicked about Rhiol for two more days, trying to avoid the basement and her office. The quiet electronics and recent memories reminded her too much of things she was trying to leave undisturbed. It was not simply the silence from Command that grated her. Not another word came from Kesmere either. That abrupt rejection was as unexpected as Jared tossing her back to Rhiol and carried similar cutting pain.

  It was an afternoon of fitful clouds and wind that brought a reminder of the approaching fall when Arinna heard a carriage stop in Rhiol’s yard. Isabella was at the door by the time Arinna opened it.

  “I’m here to ask if I could borrow a cup of sugar?” Isabella said formally. Arinna did not know Byran’s wife well enough to guess what caused the stiff anger suffusing her. “That is what neighbors ask of each other, isn’t it?” A glaze of tears rushed over Isabella’s dark brown eyes.

  That told Arinna at least a little of why Isabella was at her door. “Only if you come in for tea. I think that is the way of these things. You ask for sugar and are mercilessly trapped into being polite for several hours.”

  “Sounds lovely. Can we skip the tea, though? I’d prefer whiskey,” Isabella said, accepting Arinna’s invitation to come in.

  “No children?” Arinna asked, glancing toward the yard and carriage before closing the door.

  “Not today. They are out riding with their father, Derrick, and her highness. I claimed a headache. A better excuse would have been to ask you for aspirin,” Isabella replied.

  “That, my dear, is what the whiskey is.” The two women shared a grin.

  The story of Danielle’s arrival and the polite tenseness of the last few days spilled from Isabella without prompting. “Byran is worried about him,” Isabella said with a quick glance at Arinna. “Have you heard much from Derrick?”

  “Only the day you arrived at Kesmere to find Danielle there,” Arinna told her.

  Isabella’s eyes widened a fraction. That wasn’t the answer Isabella expected. It made Arinna nervous.

  “What has Derrick said?” Arinna asked, needing to know how things stood.

  “To me, nothing. He told Byran that he wanted time to ascertain why his father had sent Danielle.”

  “I would think that would be obvious,” Arinna replied.

  “So do I.” Isabella sighed as she stared out the window a moment before giving her attention back to Arinna. “He’s stalling.”

  “So it seems.”

  Isabella stayed a little longer, trying to find a topic that didn’t involve Derrick or Danielle. She ended up describing Merimarche, her home with Byran along the Costa del Sol. Isabella had a gift for descriptions, especially of a place she loved.

  “It sounds perfect,” Arinna said when Isabella fell silent. Isabella flinched before setting her cup down.

  “It isn’t, but I love it and him. You’ve never seen Merimarche?” she asked, voice quivering.

  “No,” Arinna said, taking Isabella’s hand. “It was never like that between Byran and I. I swear to you. We’ve loved each other, but we’ve never been more to each other than very good friends. As difficult as that can be at times with him.”

  Isabella chuckled, wiping away a tear. “I do believe you, and he has said the same. I guess I needed to hear it from you as well. Thank you.”

  She left soon after, leaving behind sadness that Arinna couldn’t shake. She took her horse Raven for a ride instead, galloping across fields in a hope of clearing her head and heart. Both remained lost in the rising mist of early evening.

  Arinna had resorted to reading a book, one on spying techniques when she heard Raven neigh a challenge and greeting to another stallion. It was an easy guess whose that was.

  “I’m surprised you are here considering your fiancée is at Kesmere,” Arinna said coldly as she let Derrick in, taking him no farther than the dimly lit kitchen.

  “She is not that sort of fiancée, you know that,” Derrick snapped, his mood as taciturn as hers.

  “But she is still your fiancée.”

  “At the moment. Give me a day at least, Arinna.”

  “You’ve had several. Not that it truly concerns me.” She held up a hand to stall a retort. He looked at her uneasily. “You do not need to keep me privy to your personal affairs.”

  “I am trying to find out what she knows, and why she is here,” he protested. “Do you think the week with you meant nothing?”

  “And when you find out what it is she is doing, what will you do then? Kiss her on the cheek and send her back to Prague?”

  Derrick didn’t answer, which told Arinna quite a bit about the plan he didn’t have. She’d forgotten how much pain relationships could cause; as if the beginning of summer with Byran hadn’t been reminder enough.

  “Speaking of Prague,” she said. “Tell me, Derrick, if you had to choose between your father and the Guard, who would win?”

  Anger flashed in his eyes. He’d told her why he’d come to Kesmere and why he’d not rejoined the Guard. She knew the answer to the question. He just needed to be reminded of it. Derrick glanced away first, looking tired and worn.

  “I can’t do this,” she said to him a little more kindly. Endings were always hard. “I can’t risk the Guard and Jared, not even for you. I need to finalize a decision and then I’m leaving.”

  Whatever else the future held, Arinna realized her home and place was not Rhiol. She wasn’t sure if she could salvage anything of her reputation or remain with the Guard, but living amid the lakes while keeping social engagements, if she still received those invitations, did not suit her. She’d rather become a nanny to Byran’s children than live like this.

  “This isn’t why I came here tonight,” he said quietly. “Even if it is what I needed to hear.”

  “Then why?”

  “I miss you.”

  They stared at each other a moment. “I miss you too,” she said grudgingly. “You look horrible.”

  “I feel worse, especially now.”

  Arinna gave a quiet snort. “My pleasure.” Another thought occurred to her. “Have you heard from Captain Vries?”

  “No. Why would I hear from him without you knowing?”

  Arinna shrugged. “Something he said when we last spoke.”

  “Last spoke?” Derrick was all tension again.

  “It is a long story, longer than I think you have. Did you sneak out?”

  “No,” Derrick said. “It is my house, I don’t need to sneak out.” He paced away, gaze taking in the kitchen and the da
rk countryside outside before returning to her. “We were at an evening party. The trip home was tense. I left for a ride.”

  “Isabella stopped by earlier. She said Byran is worried about you,” Arinna confessed.

  Derrick shook his head without comment. “What happened between you and Jared?”

  “A fight,” Arinna admitted. “I’m grounded. Literally,” she said the last without the cocky attitude. It still hurt.

  “That is ... unnerving actually. Do you disagree often?” Derrick rejoined her, staring far more intently into her eyes than she felt comfortable.

  “No, and I don’t want to talk about it, and I think you should leave, Derrick.” If she thought it would help, she would have pushed him to the door.

  “This isn’t over. I don’t want this to be over. I’m not going to spend the next five years regretting a decision I felt forced into.”

  “I don’t see what choice you have,” she said.

  He answered by kissing her. Just like the first time, she meant to resist. Too many problems lay in keeping a relationship with him. The chance for any of it to work was meager. But what she’d said to Jared surfaced as well. Life was too fleeting not to celebrate the good. She kissed him back.

  “Every decision I have made this week has been challenged,” Arinna said, frustrated though she stayed in Derrick’s arms.

  Derrick brushed fingertips along her cheek. “If they were as bad as deciding to break up with me, I can see why.”

  “Worse possibly,” Arinna confessed, pain in her voice. Derrick pulled back enough to gaze into her face.

  “The fight with Captain Vries? A falling out?” Arinna nodded. Derrick swore under his breath. “Well, whatever it is, he’s right.”

  “Excuse me?” Arinna asked, startled.

  “Are you still breaking up with me?” he asked, laughter deepening his voice.

  “I should,” Arinna snipped before resting her forehead against his shoulder. The fight drained out of her as she leaned against him. God, he was trouble.

  “Give me another day. That is all I ask,” Derrick said, holding her. “And you should come to the ball tomorrow night. Your absence, since we’ve supposedly just returned on holiday together, has been noted, even with Danielle here. You can’t hide. It is making matters worse.”

  “If you care so much about appearances, I would think it would be worse to have both your fiancée and your lover there. You can’t exactly escort us both.”

  “I’m choosing you. I’m choosing the Guard. Just give me until the end of the ball, please?” He accented the request with another kiss.

  “I’ll consider it,” she said.

  She did not want to attend another ball, especially one with Derrick and Danielle. Yet if she meant to end the rumors to save face and undo the harm she’d so willingly let Gerschtein lead her into, Arinna’s best option was to tackle them directly as Jared had said. That meant the ball. It meant either trusting Derrick or turning her back on him publicly.

  That was a truth that the hours spent cut off in Rhiol had taught her. If Jared meant the break as a lesson, she was learning it finally. Derrick suggested Jared was right, and maybe he was. Arinna could use the time stuck in Rhiol before fall session began as a chance to undo the damage the summer and Gerschtein had caused, if it could be undone. Her home was with the Guard. Damn MOTHER, they would not take that away.

  “It is late, you should head back. I don’t need Danielle searching for you.”

  “I don’t want to go,” he said quietly. “There is more wrong here than you are saying.”

  “You staying will not solve anything. Deal with your problems first,” she told him, brushing his lips with hers. “I will handle mine, at least the ones I can solve now.”

  Derrick left, though hesitantly, as if he sensed the undercurrent between them. He’d asked for a day. The pressure of passing seconds and things left to undo charged the air between them.

  Arinna waited until the night was quiet again before she walked down to the basement. She flipped on the computers, drumming her fingers as the electronics warmed up. “Kehm, I need to speak to Captain Vries,” she said into the comm without preamble.

  “I will patch you through,” Kehm answered immediately, confirming Arinna’s suspicion that Jared had the channel monitored. He’d waited for her to make a choice. “What is it about?”

  Arinna paused, letting Kehm fret a moment. That both Kehm and Jared were worried what that choice would be made her happy; drawing out the moment until she told them was payback for the previous few days.

  “Tell him he must come to Rhiol. I need a date for a ball tomorrow night. And I want my damn plane back.”

  Character List

  Arinna Prescot The unofficial leader of Europe’s armed forces, the Grey Guard. Known as the Lady Grey since she holds no EU military rank.

  Jared Vries Captain of the Grey Guard and its official military leader. Partner is Maureen Simone. Together they have three children: Sevrin, Emma, and Nate.

  The Lady Grey See Arinna Prescot.

  The Grey Guard The name given to the combined military force of Europe. Those who served and/or died during the war were given honorary titles in recognition. Captain is the highest rank of command due to it being the highest common rank of the combined military as well as a rumor during the war that anyone ranked hire died very quickly. Current Captain is Jared Vries. The Lady Grey is the unofficial leader.

  Derrick Eldridge The Earl of Kesmere, he inherited the title and estate through his uncle. Father is David Eldridge. Engaged to Danielle le Marc. British army and then Senator before the war. Joined Guard and served until severely injured. Granted an EU parliamentary seat. Current Senator.

  Earl of Kesmere See Derrick Eldridge.

  MOTHER Acronym for the Ministry Operations Targeting Holistic Emergency Response. It was formed during the war by the Prime Minister of the combined EU government and included the seven members of his cabinet. It was officially disbanded when the EU parliament was formed, and the members became advisory while continuing their cabinetry functions until a new prime minister is chosen.

  Byran Vasquez Spanish baron by inheritance from his father when his family died during his early teenage years. Spanish Senator before and during the war. Current EU Senator. Owns Merimarche estate. Married to Isabella and has two children, Cerilla and Santi.

  Isabella Vasquez Byran’s wife who worked as a political consultant before the war.

  Cerilla Vasquez Byran and Isabella’s oldest child, their only daughter.

  Santi Vasquez Byran and Isabella’s youngest child, their only son.

  Danielle le Marc Daughter of Renault le Marc and his youngest child from his second marriage. She is engaged to Derrick Eldridge.

  European Parliament Functioning European government formed from the remaining senators after the FLF attack that destroyed all existing EU governments. Due to the ongoing war, elections could not be held and any vacant seats were passed to other family members through inheritance. If no existing family could be found, a rotating member of the cabinet (MOTHER) would select a replacement.

  FLF Acronym for the Freedom Liberation Front, a shadowy worldwide military and political organization that excelled at covert operations. Responsible for destroying the US government and beginning the collapse of that country. Annihilated the European and Russian governments on a single day, demanding immediate surrender. Russia responded by attacking an FLF base beginning the war in Europe.

  Tatiana Grekov Young woman who was sent from Russia as a child to England along with her brother, Pyotr, to live with her aunt, Linda Heylor, during the early part of the war. Raised with her cousin Corianne Heylor on a small farm.

  Pyotr Grekov Tatiana Grekov’s younger brother. Sent to England from Russia along with Tatiana when a child to live with their aunt Linda Heylor. Works on his aunt’s small farm. Cousin is Corianne Heylor.

  Corianne Heylor Young woman who lives on a small farm in England alo
ng with her mother, Linda, and Russian cousins Tatiana and Pyotr. Her father Richard, died in war. Corianne claims inheritance to his title granted for military service (sir) and calls herself dame, with her mother’s blessing.

  Phillip Kessler Former Guard soldier with a disabling injury to right arm. Currently a blacksmith in England and romantically interested in Tatiana Grekov.

  Eloise Waldrope Youngest daughter of Duke and Lady Waldrope. Friend of Corianne Heylor and Tatiana Grekov.

  Farrak Assad Field Lieutenant of the Grey Guard, part of the active force continuing the war with the FLF beyond Europe’s borders. Prior to the war worked as a double agent between Palestine and Israel.

  Gabriella Faronelli Field Lieutenant of the Grey Guard, part of the active force continuing the war with the FLF beyond Europe’s borders. Prior to the war worked in Italian Intelligence.

  Kieren O’Dell Lieutenant of the Defensive wing of the Grey Guard. Joined the Irish army early in the war and transitioned into the Guard.

  Kehm Racée Chief Communications Officer of the Grey Guard.

  David Eldridge Secretary of Defense and part of MOTHER. Derrick Eldridge’s father. Prior to the war was a UK ambassador followed by the UK liaison to NATO, a post he held when the war began. He hired Arinna Prescot and helped her avoid returning to the United States, during which time he arranged for her husband, Michael Prescot, to become a trainer pilot at the NATO component base.

  Renault le Marc Secretary of Justice and part of MOTHER. Sons Pietre and Jacque deceased. Only living heir is his daughter, Danielle le Marc. The family has been politically influential for decades. Renault holds the title of Count.