by Mel Odom
“Forgive me if I’m out of line, but aren’t you risking a lot by sending in those helos?”
“There’s a lot at stake, Captain.” Remington fixed the other man with a scathing glance. “In case you didn’t know it, I have a lot of Rangers in Harran. The United States Army isn’t in the habit of discarding men.”
“No, sir. I understand that. But it seems to me you’re risking a lot more by deploying those helos. We’re not exactly in our fighting prime here. Those machines could be hard to replace.”
“Maybe you’d feel differently if you were in Harran right now.”
“Those men knew the risks when they went there.”
Remington glared at the British captain. “ I knew the risks when I sent them there. They’re there because I put them there. And I’m going to do my best to get them out of there.”
“Yes, sir, I understand that. But we’re not at liberty to squander hardware resources-”
“Enough.” Remington turned from the man. “If you want to go talk to your people about squandering resources, go ahead. I’m not going to squander Rangers that are the finest fighting men alive in this miserable corner of the world. If you can’t contribute something that will help me get those men out of there, keep your mouth shut-”
“Sir-”
“-or I’ll have you escorted out.”
Sanderson’s ruddy complexion deepened as he frowned in displeasure.
“Are we clear?”
“Positively crystal.”
“Outstanding.” Remington turned to Archer. “Keep this board updated.”
“Yes, sir.” Archer drew his marker and set to work.
Remington addressed the communications officer. “Get Swindoll for me.”
On the screen, the Syrian army relentlessly moved forward.
United States 75th Army Rangers Outpost
Harran
Sanliurfa Province, Turkey
Local Time 0708 Hours
“What are you doing out here?” Lieutenant Swindoll demanded.
Goose was suddenly conscious of the attention he drew from the soldiers around the lieutenant. All of them were familiar faces, but only some of them appeared friendly.
“I came to help, sir.” Goose met the young lieutenant’s gaze.
“You were supposed to remain under house arrest.”
“That didn’t seem to be something that would help in the current situation.”
“Sergeant.” Swindoll drew himself up and turned on Goose. The lieutenant dropped his hand on the pistol at his hip. “You were given orders to remain under house arrest. Men were assigned to keep you there.”
“They tried.”
“Begging the lieutenant’s pardon, but Sergeant Gander didn’t get here on his own.” Theissen stepped forward. “He had help.”
“You did this?”
“Sir, I-several of us-believe Sergeant Gander needs to be out here. With men that are prepared to fight and die in the next few minutes.”
“I hadn’t expected this from you, Sergeant Theissen.”
Theissen grinned but little of the effort was humorous. “Truth to tell, I didn’t expect it from me either. But I gotta admit, I’m a little proud of myself.”
For a moment the tension held. Lieutenant Swindoll was loyal to Remington. That much was immediately obvious. Several other men were as well. All of them were afraid, and most of them were young and inexperienced and still believed that an officer was the only one who could get them out of a bad situation.
“You got the Syrian army headed this way, sir.” Goose worked to sound respectful. “You’re going to need every man you can muster. This
… this is where I belong.”
That simple truth hung on the hot, dry air.
“Goose.” The voice coming through Goose’s headset belonged to Remington. Goose knew the captain had been monitoring his com channel; hearing from him now was no surprise.
“Yes, sir.”
“Go to our private frequency.”
Goose did. As he flicked the headset, he watched surprise widen Swindoll’s bloodshot eyes.
“I’m here, sir.”
“Don’t talk. Just listen. You know the kind of jam we’re in. We can’t hold Harran. We’d never planned on it. Of course, we’d never planned on getting caught with our pants down either.”
Goose took his binoculars from his BDUs and slung the assault rifle. He stepped up onto the nearest Hummer and stood on the rear deck. Training the binoculars due south, he saw the line of dust in the distance that marked the advance of the Syrian army.
“I’ve got helos en route.” Remington’s voice remained calm. “The problem is that they’re going to arrive there probably three to five minutes after the Syrian army does.”
Perspiration trickled down Goose’s stubbled face as he realized what Remington was about to ask the Rangers to do. Three to five minutes wasn’t much of a commute, but it could be a lifetime on a battlefield when forces were engaged.
“You know what I’m going to order you to do, don’t you?”
“Yes, sir.”
“There’s not another way around it.”
Goose knew that a lot of the men with him were probably going to die. Maybe he’d die too. “I know that.”
“If you try to retreat, they’ll roll over you.”
“Yes, sir.”
“What I need you to do, Goose, is to hold that position. For three to five minutes.”
A lifetime.
“Long enough for the helos to arrive.” Remington spoke calmly, as if he were ordering a drink in a bar. “They’re equipped with M139s. When the helos drop their payloads, that should buy you some time to retreat.”
“Yes, sir. But after three to five minutes, there may not be a clear division between us and them.”
“Understood. It’s the best I have to offer. I don’t want to lose those men.”
“Neither do I.” The dust line in the distance grew taller and nearer.
“Then let’s do the best we can to bring them home.”
“Yes, sir. You’ll have to clear this with Lieutenant Swindoll.” Goose was acutely conscious of the lieutenant’s grim stare.
“I will. You just work your magic, Goose. Buy those helos time.”
“Yes, sir.”
16
United States of America
Fort Benning, Georgia
Local Time 2315 Hours
Megan stared at the pile of papers on the desk before her. She felt overwhelmed. No matter how much she did, there still seemed to be an incredible amount yet to be done. She was beginning to believe that every time she took her eyes off of the papers they duplicated themselves.
God, help me, because I’m not going to be able to do this on my own.
She took a deep breath and reached for the top sheet on one of the stacks. The paperwork wasn’t going to do itself.
Someone knocked on the door of her office. Feeling guilty about the relief she felt at the distraction, Megan looked up.
Sue Davis stood in the doorway. She was in her early thirties and married to one of the Rangers currently assigned to Germany. Thanks to the level of technology they both had access to, she was able to talk to him on a regular basis.
Megan waved her into the room and stood to greet her.
“You’re working late. Did I catch you at a bad time?”
“No. Just up to my ears in paperwork. Have a seat.” Megan waved toward one of the chairs in front of the metal desk.
Sue wrinkled her nose. “I guess the military doesn’t really do much in the way of creature comforts. That desk doesn’t exactly scream success.”
Megan sat and smiled. “I don’t think it’s supposed to.”
Sue was a real estate agent in Columbus-a very successful real estate agent. She was also a super mom, somehow managing to handle three rambunctious kids while her husband was out of the country. In addition to the real estate job, she was a homeroom mom and soccer coach. She l
ooked tired and her clothes were a bit rumpled after a long day and a late evening in the office, but her brunette hair was neatly cut, and her business suit looked fitted, though Megan was pretty sure Sue had done the alterations herself.
“When I saw you were still here, I thought I’d come by to check on you.”
“I appreciate that, but there’s no need. I’m handling everything.”
Sue hesitated, started to say something, then stopped. She tried again a moment later. “I still get up every morning thinking about Micah.” Her eyes welled up with tears. “I still… miss him… very much.”
Seeing the woman’s pain brought Megan’s back to the surface as well. She was conscious of Chris’s photograph sitting on the corner of her desk. He was smiling and happy, and he looked so much like Goose with his wheat-colored hair and blue eyes that her heart felt like it was breaking all over again.
“I know.” The words came from Megan’s throat like broken glass. Micah had been- still is, Megan corrected herself-Sue’s youngest child. He was eight years old, and he’d vanished like Chris and every other child younger than thirteen.
Sue blinked away her tears without touching them so she wouldn’t ruin her makeup. “I still catch myself setting out his plate for breakfast. Makes me feel crazy, you know.”
“You’re not. It just means you’re thinking of him.”
“You’d think I’d remember that he’s not here anymore.”
Megan hesitated. “This… isn’t easy to get used to.”
“Not even when you believe in God?”
Megan met the woman’s eyes with her own. “Not even when you believe in God. I believe-no, I know — that Chris is in heaven right now. Just waiting on me to join him. And I will be there soon because I know God has touched me and washed me of my sins. But I still miss my son.”
Sue nodded. “I can’t…” Her voice broke and she tried again. “I can’t… help but be mad at God.”
“Being mad at God is all right. I was mad at Him too. After I figured out what had happened. Being mad is normal.”
“It doesn’t seem very smart to be mad at Him.”
“Not on the face of it, no. But by being mad at God, you’re acknowledging Him. It’s like when you fight with Stan over whatever you fight with him about. You know he’s there, and you know he loves you. But you’re mad at him anyway.”
“It just seems there could have been a better way to do this.”
Megan was quiet for a moment, thinking about her words before she said them. No matter how she felt about them, they still needed to be said.
“Do you know what’s coming, Sue? what the next seven years are going to entail?”
“I do.” The other woman’s voice was a hoarse whisper. “I have to tell you, I’m scared. I’m scared for me and I’m scared for Robby and Taylor.”
Those were her older son and daughter.
“We’re going to see horrible things.” Sue’s hands knotted in her lap. “I’ve started going to church here on base Sundays and Wednesdays. Not all of the churches are talking about the Tribulation. That really surprises me, you know?”
“I know.”
“Not everybody believes. Not even now.”
“Not yet, but they will.” Megan was certain about that.
“I hope it’s not too late.”
“That’s why we’re trying to get the word out.”
Sue nodded. “So many people out there are scared, but so many others don’t seem like they care. With everything that’s gone on, how could they choose to live in ignorance?”
“People have since the Bible was written. Since Moses came down Mount Sinai carrying the two stone tablets that contained the Ten Commandments.”
“I should talk.” Sue laughed bitterly. “Obviously my family has been missing some fundamentals that were covered in the Bible.”
Megan didn’t want the woman to feel like she was the only guilty one. “All of us were. We just didn’t believe. Not the way we’re supposed to.”
“But I thought good people were believers.”
“Goose had a friend named Bill who said most people were good people but not believers. In order to be a believer, you have to ask God to come into your heart and forgive your sins and give you eternal salvation. At the time, I didn’t think much about what Bill was saying. I was a good person. Goose was a good person. We went to church. But I didn’t stop and ask God to save me, to point me along the path and the work that He’d have me do.”
“But now you have?”
Megan nodded.
“When?”
“Before the court case.” Megan had been tried for improper conduct regarding a young patient. Videotape had revealed that Megan hadn’t hidden Gerry from his abusive father but that he’d disappeared in midair after falling from her grip.
“I heard about that.” Sue stared at Megan. “I was told that the boy vanished before he hit the ground.”
For a moment, Megan was back on that rooftop. Then she pushed the memory away. “He did. But even after that I didn’t ask God’s forgiveness and for Him to save me. It was only when there was nowhere else for me to turn, when I couldn’t deal with thinking Chris could possibly be anywhere else, that I turned to God.”
Hesitantly Sue looked at Megan. “I’ve tried to pray to God. Honestly I have. But I can’t quite find the right words.”
“They don’t have to be the right words. They just need to be your words.”
“All right.” Sue got quiet and stood. “I’ve taken enough of your time. I really just wanted to stop by and see how you were doing.”
“I appreciate that.” Megan looked into the other woman’s eyes. “Would you like me to?”
“What?”
“Pray with you?”
“Yes.” Sue’s voice was a croak. “Yes, I would.”
Megan took the other woman’s hands. Together, they knelt on the floor and prayed. As Megan watched, she saw a smile spread across Sue’s face. The sight reminded her of her own feeling of well-being when she’d asked God to come into her heart.
After a little while longer, Sue looked up at Megan. “I didn’t know…”
Megan nodded. “It’s wonderful.”
“I’ve got to talk to Robby and Taylor.”
“That’s a great idea, but they have to come to God in their own way. You can’t force it.”
“I won’t. I’ll just talk to them and tell them what I found here today.” She stood, and Megan rose as well. Without warning, Sue threw her arms around Megan and hugged her fiercely. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Local Time 0026 Hours
Tired, Megan stood in front of the drink machine in the vending area. She stared at the buttons and felt like they’d been written in hieroglyphics.
“There isn’t anything in that box that you haven’t seen before. Make your selection and move along, girlfriend.”
The raucous voice could belong to only one person. Megan turned and saw Evelyn Banks standing behind her. Evelyn was in her sixties, surely past retirement age, but she insisted she wasn’t yet sixty-five, so personnel had kept her on the payroll. Skinny and feisty, Evelyn worked as a custodian in the building. She knew every person who worked there as well, and she knew all the news and gossip too. She wore a faded blue sweater over her khaki shorts and 82nd Airborne T-shirt. Granny glasses covered her keen gray eyes. She wore her silver hair up in a bun.
“Hey, Evelyn,” Megan greeted.
“Hey, yourself. Have you picked a drink yet? If you haven’t, you can have my dollar and my favorite flavor is grape.”
Megan selected a water and pressed the button. “Sorry. I was lost in thought.”
“I guess so.” Evelyn fed her dollar into the machine. She punched a button and a grape soda tumbled into the dispensing slot. “Must have been some mighty heavy thinking.” She twisted the top off the drink and took a healthy slug.
“Long days will do that to you.” Megan opened
her water and took a sip.
Evelyn glanced at her watch. “Not to mention long nights. I’d tell you that you probably need to get home, take a load off, get some sleep, but I know you’ve got all those teenagers waiting for you. I swear, you must be crazy to put yourself through all that.”
“Maybe a little. But I enjoy the kids. And they need someone.”
“What about you?” Evelyn took another healthy drink.
“What about me?” Megan was confused.
“Don’t you need somebody?”
“You mean Goose?”
“Unless you got another man I don’t know about, that’s exactly who I’m talking about.”
Megan’s face warmed in embarrassment. “No.”
“Too bad. I love to gossip. Probably my biggest sin.” Evelyn shrugged helplessly. “Probably what’s kept me here after everyone else has gone on to heaven.”
“Then why do you do it?”
“What? Gossip?”
“Yes.”
“Girlfriend, life wouldn’t be worth living without those juicy little morsels every now and again. I live for gossip.” Evelyn grinned. “And anyway, I’m just kidding about that. I had a long talk with my preacher. Him and God have got things sorted out, and I think he helped me sort them out as well. I know I’m feeling a whole lot better about life these days.”
“That’s wonderful.”
“You know, that’s exactly how it feels, too.” Evelyn adjusted her glasses. “But I was serious about having somebody for yourself.”
“Goose is over in Turkey.”
“I know. And they ain’t no telling when he’s coming home.” Evelyn shook her head. “It’s just sad is all.”
“What’s sad?”
“That the two of you can’t be together. Especially right now, when you need each other the most.” Evelyn drank more of the grape soda, then bought a package of peanuts from another vending machine. She opened the peanuts and poured them into the bottle. Purple fizz bubbled up.
Megan watched, almost fearful the concoction might explode. It was something she knew would have delighted Chris.
Evelyn swirled the peanuts in the grape soda. “I probably shouldn’t do this. Those peanuts play heck with my dentures.” She took a swig, crunched peanuts, then hooked a finger in her mouth to adjust her teeth.