Through Many Fires (Strengthen What Remains)

by Kyle Pratt

  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.

  Chapter Seven

  Caden 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 y
ou.”

  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.”

  “I read that it had been introduced.” Caden thought for a moment. “Did it pass?”

  The governor shrugged. “Last I heard it was before the Security Council.”

  “I believe it will pass—the Chinese won’t veto it.”

  The Governor’s eyebrow shot up. “Why would China use North Korea and then help us?”

  “They’re not helping us. They’re covering their tracks.”

  Reflecting on his words Caden was certain he sounded like a conspiracy nut, but he couldn’t put all the parts together. He rubbed his chin. “I need more information about what China and Iran are doing right now. Do you have current intel?”

  “Yes, back in Olympia.”

  “Then can we resume this when we get there?”

  Putting the folder away the Governor nodded. “Certainly.”

  Back in his seat beside Maria, Caden did what he always did on flights; he slept. Only when the pilot announced they were on approach to JBLM did he awaken.

  “How do you sleep in these web seats?” Maria
asked.

  “Years of practice,” he said stretching sore muscles. “I'm glad you are here.”

  “I knew you were a good man even before we met.”

  “Huh?”

  “I was watching the day the two guys tried to rob you.”

  “What has that got to do with staying with me or…”

  “You were trying to figure out how to change diapers.”

  Caden smiled. “Yeah, so?”

  “Bad men don’t change diapers.”

  He laughed.

  “Then, later that night, when you told me Adam wasn’t your son, that his mother had died in an accident and you were caring for him—only a good man would do that.”

  Caden smiled and gently squeezed her hand.

  “I’m glad you wanted me to come.”

  Maria held on to his hand, looked at him and smiled.

  His feelings for Maria grew stronger by the day, but it angered him. Becky was alive a week ago.

  White light shot from the cockpit momentarily filling the plane.

  “What was that?” Maria asked.

  The plane lurched to the right, then abruptly to the left.

  Luggage, blankets and boxes flew about.

  Someone screamed.

  Alarms blared.

  Adam wailed.

  Maria grabbed the straps that held Adam.

  Caden tightened Maria’s belt.

  The plane rolled to the side.

  Caden hurtled across the fuselage.

  Chapter Eight

  There was a vague awareness of self. Images of fire, mushroom clouds, scarlet blood and black death stormed through the mind and then melted into pools of oblivion. An indeterminate time later a sweet voice flowed into the void. The words gave comfort, but like voices heard in the distance the mind could not grasp the meaning. The mind cried out to reach the gentle sound without knowing how or why.

  Gradually images of a family mixed with dreams of Maria and a toddler named Adam. Once again he heard her and strove to comprehend. When the melody of her voice stopped, he fought against the darkness to reach her.

  His head ached, like someone pressing hard against the side of his skull. As if for the first time he became aware that his eyes were closed. A constant beeping annoyed him. Someone turn it off.