by Autumn Birt
He got a room near where Minister Eldridge’s offices were listed. Late the next morning after making some calls, he walked by the building. Arinna was sitting outside at a café. It was that simple.
“You look like you aren’t sleeping,” Byran said. He stood next to her table, too nervous to sit without being asked and frightened that she wouldn’t.
“Byran,” she answered, looking up from the sheaf of papers in front of her. He wondered if he’d really heard her linger on his name. “What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to make sure you were doing alright.” It took effort to pull his gaze from her face and nod to the empty chair across from her. He felt like it had been a lot longer than a month since they’d spoken. “I don’t want to interrupt, if you are busy?”
“Sit. Please. I didn’t think you’d want to speak to me again after ... well, the last time we spoke.”
“I’ve tried to call. You never answered.”
Arinna caught her breath. “We had to leave our phones. Most of our things went back to the States actually. They were expecting us to go. Now ... we are AWOL. In hiding, except they are too busy to actually look for us.”
“Busy? I hadn’t heard of anything going on in the USA.”
Arinna frowned, sweeping her hands through her shoulder length hair. “No. It has been quiet. But it isn’t over. I can’t convince anyone here of that or that the silence matters. The FLF are planning, not inoperative.”
“Well, what does it matter?”
“Excuse me?”
He laughed, more because of how happy he was to be sitting across from her and talking than because of anything she’d said. “Why does it matter to anyone here if the FLF are planning something in the USA? You don’t work for them anymore.”
Arinna stared at him until a smile and self-conscious laugh made her look away. “Why the bloody hell couldn’t you have come a week ago? Do you realize how crazy I have been trying to get someone to listen to me?”
“Oh well, it is difficult to get David Eldridge to listen to anyone.”
“Says the best friend of his son!”
“Exactly. I could give you a few pointers though. Derrick and I got very good at getting his attention ... when we wanted it. And his car actually.”
Arinna’s laugh rolled over him. There was a pleased twinkle in her sky blue eyes when she smiled at him. But damn him, he still had to hear her actually say it. “You are happy, just a little, to see me. Aren’t you?”
“Yes,” she answered reaching across the table to squeeze his hand. He kept himself from holding on. “God help me, I know I shouldn’t be. But yes, Byran, I am happy to see you. It has been ... difficult here. Lonely. In Madrid, we had the embassy. Here, we can’t contact anyone. And we haven’t really met many people yet. Minister Eldridge is difficult to read. Michael misses flying. There are times I’ve thought it was a huge mistake to come. But to go back now, we’d be arrested. Being sent to the front lines would be the least of my problems.”
“Well, you know me. And I have friends, even here. I can help.”
“After everything, you are going to come back and help me. Again?”
“Of course, Arinna. I ... care about you.”
When she broke away from his gaze, there were tears in her eyes.
“Thank you,” she said hoarsely. “Now I just need to convince NATO that something is going to blow up in the States and suck them in unless they are prepared and I’ll be having a good day.”
“With Eldridge, you want to lay out the groundwork of why before you get to the what,” Byran said.
“I’m not even going to ask what you and his son managed to get out of him,” Arinna said, pushing her chair closer as she shuffled papers his way.
He stayed a week, introducing Arinna to friends of friends and peers. During drives or walks to meetings, they discussed Eldridge’s quirks and how to manage them. Byran never asked about Michael. Arinna did not volunteer where he was or if Michael knew Byran was in town. It was like the times they’d spent together the summer before.
When he finally made it back to Madrid, his supervisor called Byran into his office. The pallid man nervously asked about Byran’s absence.
Byran answered with the first thing that came to mind. “I’ve been in Brussels working with NATO. I’m thinking of running for the Cortes Generales.”
The lie became the truth. The contacts he helped build for Arinna as he took her for introductions proved to be enthusiastic backers in a late bid for a Senate position. Campaigning raced him through the summer with only a few respites to see Arinna. Mostly, he spoke to her on the phone, happy to learn that she was well and succeeding with Eldridge.
When the phone woke him predawn in late September, he thought it was Arinna. The voice and number confused him.
“Isabella?” he said, remembering a pretty girl with long brown hair and dark eyes.
“There has been a series of attacks across the United States of America tonight. You should be ready with a statement in the morning on how you feel Spain should react. May I come over to help you get ready?”
“Have they asked NATO for assistance,” he asked, grogginess dispersing at the news.
“I’m not certain. I can find out?”
“No. Come over. I can find out myself,” he answered. Before scrambling for clothes and to make coffee for his imminent guest, he called Arinna. She answered on the first ring.
“You’ve seen the news?”
“I just heard. They want me to prepare a speech for the bloody election.”
Arinna’s breathy laugh hissed across the receiver, filling his gut with sudden warmth. “Aren’t you having fun?”
“It must not be so bad if you are in such a good mood. You are at the office, yes?” It was as close as he asked about Michael. He doubted she’d have answered so quickly if she’d been home.
“Worse than that actually. I think I’m in shock ... and grateful. I could have been there.”
They fell silent to that possibility for a moment. Byran coughed his throat clear. “Have they asked NATO for help?”
“Yes, a few military posts and cities did. There honestly isn’t a clear message or one authority at the moment. Byran, I’m not sure Washington DC is still there. I’m not certain where Congress or the President are. I’m certain that in the next few hours we’ll learn more. Right now the satellites are looking at fires and explosions in the middle of the night.”
Byran rested his head against the wall. “You were right, when we talked this spring. They were planning something. The FLF, right?”
“Yes. Freedom Liberation Front,” she said with a snort.
“Arinna,” he said, pausing to be sure he had her attention. “I’m glad you aren’t there too. What should I say at my press conference?” he asked, quickly.
“That depends. Do you actually want to win?”
“Haha. Yes, I do actually. Maybe I can get on the defense council or something. Then you’ll see me at work again.”
Breaths of laughter again. Dios, he missed her. “Tell them until it is clear what has happened and that the government of the United States remains intact, any assistance would be a wasted effort resulting in high losses against an unclear target. For goodness sake, you wouldn’t even be certain if you were targeting FLF or the US military right now.”
“Thank you,” he said, meaning he loved her.
“I owe you for all the help you’ve given me. I’ll call you when I learn more. Good luck, Baron Vasquez.”
He was grinning when he made his way downstairs to make coffee and let in Isabella.
—
“You won the election with how you handled the outbreak of the civil war in the United States. You know that?” Isabella asked him, eyes shining on too much champagne and victory. Her dark eyes framed in long lashes were alluring like that, wide and hopeful as she smiled at him. She had very nice full lips.
Byran yanked his attention back to replying befo
re it wandered any lower. “I had help,” he said.
Isabella blushed. He realized that she thought he was referring to her. Looking at her again, he decided not to correct the impression. She looked too happy, which was stunning on her.
His phone rang, vibrating in his hand with a call he’d been waiting for. Isabella nodded as he gestured he had to take it. There would be many congratulating him tonight. He was only waiting for one.
“Congratulations, Byran.”
“Thank you, Arinna,” he said, walking out to the terrace. The party faded to a dull roar behind him. “I wish you could be here.”
“I wish I could too. I’ve been working on something ... it’s kept me busy.”
“It must be serious then. The war in America? Has NATO decided to help yet?”
“No. We are staying out of it for now. There is no single front to aid. It looks like there are over a dozen sections of military fighting FLF with angry citizens causing riots between. I never wished for a centralized military before, but a core base would make the decision to help so much easier.” She laughed. “And seriously, I called to congratulate you. Not talk about work! Go back to your party and ... have fun.”
“No. I want to hear what is keeping you away.”
“It isn’t good news, Byran.”
“Oh, well now I need to know. It is my new job, you know?”
“As of tomorrow! Fine. Look, don’t tell anyone. This is just a ... possibility.” Her voice ran cold through him, chasing away the merriment and alcohol. “I found an FLF cell in the EU.”
“Where?”
“The UK. I work for them now. I checked there first.”
“First?”
“I’m just starting to look at the continent.”
“God damn it.”
“I could be wrong.”
“You are never wrong.” He took a breath, imagining the war in the USA. “Thank you for telling me. We must stop it.”
“I think that is your job now.” Her teasing brought some warmth back to him, spawning desires he tried not to dwell on. “I shouldn’t have told you tonight ... during your party, for God’s sake! Shoot, hang up on me and go. Please.”
He didn’t want to. He wanted to get in the car and drive to Brussels. But Isabella appeared at the terrace door, the light from the party imprinting the silhouette of her full figure against the light material of her dress. Which did nothing for his current sanity.
“I will go, but we will talk later. And I will see you soon.”
“Of course,” she answered as he hung up.
“They want you. Victory speech and all that,” Isabella said, holding out a hand. Giddiness, champagne, fear, and desire swept through him in a clammy sweat. He let Isabella lead him back into the crowded room.
—
“Sleep,” he told Isabella, kissing her shoulder. She glanced toward his phone before stretching and further displacing the sheets.
“I’ll be waiting.”
His gaze lingered on Isabella as he took his phone out of the room. He knew it was Arinna, which was the only reason he was willing to get out of bed between the hour and Isabella. Two months after his election, he still hadn’t tired of the dalliance.
“What is wrong?” Byran asked, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.
“I’m sorry to wake you,” Arinna replied, making Byran realize his tone was gruffer than he intended.
“No. I didn’t ... it’s fine,” he finally managed to spit out with a quiet laugh. “You can call anytime. You know that?” Byran glanced through his notifications, nothing appeared to be going on, in Europe at least.
“It’s just ... the unrest in Poland yesterday. It feels like FLF, but I can’t prove it. This is how it started in the US. Byran, I’m afraid. I’m afraid it is going to come here too.”
“That frightens me too.” That she was on the phone at such an early hour telling him this didn’t escape his notice no matter how little he’d slept that night. “I’ll come this weekend. You sound like you need a distraction.”
“Alright,” she answered after a pause. “That would be nice,” she added, voice warmer. “I’ll see you Friday night?”
“Yes.”
He hung up, wide-awake and humming. Friday was three days away. There was nothing to do to make the time move faster, so he returned to Isabella, who also didn’t mind waking up.
He never made it to Brussels. Thursday morning, a bomb ripped through Barcelona. It was not a large attack, but it damaged power lines, cell towers, and communication relays. It was strategic. Byran didn’t need Arinna’s call to tell him it was FLF. He did need her to tell him there had been five other attacks across Europe, he’d been so distracted by the one in Spain.
“Plus two others in Russia.”
“How bad is it?”
“Actually ... they were all small. It is different than the US. The attacks caused less damage and didn’t take any weapons. Just took out power and communications.”
“Well, we don’t have giant caches of weapons lying around.”
“Well, you did. But I’ve had NATO working on that,” Arinna said with a laugh. “I just don’t know why these are different. The US is in complete chaos. I actually think the FLF might win the country.”
“So maybe that is what is different? They don’t need Europe if they have the USA as a base?”
“Maybe.”
“You don’t sound sure.”
“Something doesn’t feel right. Trouble is starting here. Be careful, Byran.”
He grew accustomed to unrest as the brief winter dissolved into an early spring. Arinna remained skeptical that the level of attacks would follow the progression taking place in the United States. Or the chaos that filled that country. They talked often, excuses to see each other unneeded as small riots and interrupted outages and communications erupted on what felt like a weekly basis. If it weren’t for the growing fear of war and the discussion of preparation rolling through the Spanish Senate, he would have been happy.
“Is there news from the USA?” Byran asked as they enjoyed the sunlight over breakfast. A plane streaked across the skyline. Arinna shaded her eyes to watch it blast by. She would smile at a military jet. It unnerved him to watch it race over the city.
“Some. We try to feed information to the bases that are not in the FLF’s control. I actually don’t believe the FLF is active right now.”
“But the fighting? Wouldn’t it be over if the FLF was gone?”
“No. The FLF touched off a spark. Now it is fighting for control of the government or territories, whatever survives out of this. The people are fighting out of anger from so many years of oppression, even if it was for their protection. If the FLF dropped off the radar, it will still be all out civil war for years.”
“Where do you think the FLF is?” He didn’t ask if they were here, but she read it with a quick glance at his face.
“Planning something. I just don’t know what. Or where. You need to be careful.”
“You worry about me?” he teased.
“You are a popular new senator with contacts to things some people would probably prefer you stay out of. Yes, I do worry about you. More than I should.”
He grinned. “I thought we were supposed to be distracting each other from bad news.”
“Right,” she said, draining her teacup. “I have the day free. What shall we do?” He kept smiling. Arinna rolled her eyes. “Besides things that we won’t be doing but you would like to,” she added.
“Oh, and you don’t.”
“That is not your concern,” she said, her laugh softening the tone.
—
Byran downshifted his Bugatti, happy for the diplomatic plates. These speeds made even him nervous.
“The level of devastation is unprecedented ...” His phone ringing cut off the news on the radio.
“Arinna?”
“No.” The woman’s voice was frightened with a sharper glaze of anger spawned by hurt feeling
s.
“Isabella.”
“I guess at least I am second,” she said, voice shaky. “Where are you?”
“Tell anyone in the Senate looking for me that—”
“I’m not asking for the Senate.” The sharp rebuke over her trembling voice nearly made him turn the car back to Madrid.
“Isabella, Arinna, she is American. Ok? And married. And a good ... friend. I need to make sure she is all right. I’m on my way to Brussels, but I’ll be back in two days. I’m sorry to leave you without saying anything. Will you be ok?”
“Yes. Of course. I understand. Come back soon, please. I miss you, Byran.”
“I miss you too. I’ll call as soon as I can.”
God help him, he meant everything he’d said. He counted up eight months. He’d been sleeping with, seeing, Isabella for eight months. They’d been dating seriously, apparently based on his reaction, which included a wrenching pull in his gut that she’d find comfort somewhere else while he ran to Brussels to see Arinna. And he was only just realizing it. He wanted her before he had a chance to say no.
“The UN has cancelled all flights to North America until it can be determined if the bombs used were nuclear. As soon as we can, we will be bringing you a live feed from Quebec, Canada where the bomb that detonated over New York could be seen early this morning,” the news reported.
Byran stopped thinking and drove, gas pedal pinned to the floorboard. Damn him if despite Isabella, he didn’t still love Arinna too.
He expected Brussels to be in an uproar, considering the scale of the attacks. Instead, Byran found it quiet with the streets mostly empty. Those who were out walked with attention fixed on the news feeds scrolling on electronic devices. He parked, wrung out from the high-speed drive as much as anxiety.
Now that he was there and hadn’t heard from her, Byran finally called Arinna. After the fifth ring, nerves dampened his palm.
“Byran,” Arinna answered after two more rings. “Where are you?”