The Madison Jennings Series Box Set

by Kiara Ashanti

  “Too much running for me,” said Tiffani. “I’ll check the table with the drones. I’ll catch up with you later.” Tiffani scurried away, leaving Aden and Maddie alone.

  “Finally,” exclaimed Aden. “Seriously, why is Dorete stalking me?”

  “We’re back to that? How the hell should I know? I don’t know. I don’t care. Come on,” Maddie finished and dragged Aden toward the recruiting table.

  When they reached it, they could see people milling about. On the left stood a line of students in front of two men dressed in camo. They stood next to a makeshift physical training area. A medium-sized boy was hanging on a straight bar trying to do pull-ups. His bright-red face and grunting told Maddie he was not doing well.

  Next to him, another student was struggling to do push-ups. Students cackled with laughter as the soldier next to him kept pushing the boy’s butt down so he would remain in army-style alignment. It also meant the push-up he had just completed did not count.

  “Are you interested in the armed forces, young lady?” said a solider addressing Maddie.

  “Perhaps, sir,” Maddie replied. The crisp response made the other soldiers steady their gaze on her. The lone woman in the group nodded toward the solider who had asked the question, then she approached Maddie.

  She was medium built and black with reddish hair pulled into a tight bun. She wore a black dress uniform with several colored patches on the jacket. “What is your name, young lady?” she asked. Her voice was rich with a slight scratchiness to it. It reminded Maddie of her father’s favorite TV character, Jo, from the ancient television show Facts of Life.

  “Madison Jennings, ma’am. My friends call me Maddie.” Madison paused and looked at the woman and other soldiers next to her. “So, you can all call me Maddie.”

  “I like her,” said the female naval recruiter. She stuck out her hand. “I’m Amanda Dotson, Airman First Class.” Maddie shook her hand, then Airman Dotson turned her attention to Aden. “And you are?”

  “Uh, oh sorry. I’m Aden Maier.”

  “Nice to meet you both. So, you’re interested in serving your country?”

  A loud snort sounded off from Maddie’s right. “Is that what you call it?”

  The derisive statement came from the second group gathered near the table. It comprised teachers with Mr. Y Leiro front and center. He had spat out the question. The soldiers kept their eyes trained on Maddie and Aden and ignored the teachers.

  “How long have they been glaring at you?” asked Maddie, her voice tense.

  Airman Dotson shrugged. “About an hour.”

  “Excuse me for a moment,” said Maddie.

  “Madison?” Unease colored Aden’s query as she brushed past him, fire flashing in her eyes.

  Chapter Fifty-Six

  Mr. Y Leiro’s eyebrows twitched as Maddie stepped in front of him. She was way inside his personal space, with hands on her hips and indignation swirling on her face. He wore a mask of adult superiority and stared down his nose at what he considered the school’s own juvenile brat. “Mind your words and actions next, Miss Jennings,” he said, voice tight.

  “You got a problem with the veterans who protect your freedom and life?” Maddie shot back.

  “You are, of course, too young and ignorant of history and world events to know that the military causes more problems than they solve. They don’t protect anything other than oil and American arrogance. I’m more likely to be shot by an NRA member than a terrorist or foreign government.”

  Maddie jabbed a finger in her teacher’s face, just keeping the jab from hitting the top of his nose. “Tell that to the dead Americans killed here by terrorists!”

  “Mind your tone, young lady. You’re talking to an adult and authority figure in this school,” said one of the teachers standing behind Mr. Y Leiro.

  “If you can’t show some respect to our veterans, why the hell should I respect any of you?”

  Aden eyed the growing crowd looking at the confrontation, and unease flooded through him. He stepped beside Maddie. “Madison,” he began.

  “No! I can’t stand people like this. You’re all so smug in your moral superiority, not remembering that the only reason you get to say anything at all is that all of the rights of this country are protected by people like them.” Maddie punctuated the end of the sentence with a flinging hand pointed in the direction of the recruiters. “Try that in China, and see what happens.”

  A hand touched Maddie on the shoulder. She turned to see it belonged to Airman Dotson. “My fellow service members and I appreciate the passionate defense on our and all the military’s behalf, young lady.” She leaned in close to Maddie’s ear, her tone turning sharp. “But if you think that type of mouthing off to those in authority, however unintelligent they may be, is gonna fly in the service, you are mistaken. You won’t make it at all.”

  The words had their desired effect. Maddie’s anger deflated, turning off like a power cord being cut. She managed an additional millisecond glare at her history teacher, then turned and stepped back to the military table. Tail between her legs, her face glowed with chagrin. “Sorry.”

  “Shouldn’t you be telling that to your teacher?”

  Maddie’s face switched from chastened to scornful. “Pleezzz, I’m not enlisted yet.”

  Dotson and the recruiters chuckled. Then Dotson said, “Oh, I really do like her. I’m calling dibs.”

  “Trust me, she’s not worth the headache,” said Aden. The comment garnered a sharp elbow in the side for his trouble.

  “So, back to my original question,” said Dotson. “Are you interested in the armed services? Sounds like you are.”

  “Maybe. Despite the lack of appreciation from people like that,” Maddie said as she flicked her hand backward to make it clear she was referring to the teachers, “they are not completely off track. A soldier’s mission isn’t always . . . a straight line. I have specific interests. They may not always fall under orders or be about war.”

  Dotson raised an eyebrow and turned her head to look at another naval recruiter. He nodded in silent affirmation, then pointed a finger toward the table. “That’s an interesting and mature thought you have there. It’s Maddie, correct?” he said as Dotson stepped back to the display table.

  “Yes, sir.”

  He held out a thick-fingered hand. Maddie shook it and could tell by the calluses on it that the recruiting job had not softened him. She made sure her own handshake was firm. “I’m Petty Officer Nigel Collins. Pleased to meet you.”

  Maddie could not keep back a coughing chuckle and smile.

  “What’s funny?” asked Officer Collins.

  “Nothing, sir. Just ironic. I have another branch of my family that has the same last name.”

  “Well, I can clearly see that we are probably related,” he said, the corner of his eyes crinkling. He turned to Aden, who was standing next to Maddie like a vestigial appendage. “And you are?”

  “Oh, I’m Aden Maier. I’m just hanging with her, I guess.”

  Sensing Aden’s embarrassment at what Aden thought of as his lame response, Officer Collins offered a clap on the shoulder to go with his handshake. “Young man, you’ll find yourself standing around for no apparent reason with charismatic young women your whole life. Get used to it.”

  Aden’s eyes bulged, and his face colored red at the obvious implication. “Aah, I’ll be over here while you’re talking,” he said, desperate to escape.

  Maddie shot a withering glare at Aden as he moved down the table toward Airman Dotson. Then she looked from Aden to Officer Collins. She added a twist of the lip to the withering pulse of her eyes.

  Officer Collins chuckled. “Oh, I’m pulling rank on Dotson and keeping you for myself. You’ll do just fine. Pull up a chair, and let’s have a sit-down.”

  Maddie walked around and sat down. Officer Collins folded himself into the small chair. Maddie was sure it would collapse under his bulk in a minute or two.

  “You were say
ing that you feel the military’s actions are not always a straight line. What do you mean?” he asked.

  “Soldiers follow orders. Those orders could be for war, retaliation, peacekeeping, or relief efforts. I can follow directions if I enlist—” A loud cough came from Aden. Maddie ignored it and continued. “But sometimes what we would be asked to do is not a direct action against the threats to the country. I’m interested in more specific actions.”

  “What you are saying is correct to some degree, but perhaps if you tell me what this specific thing is, I can direct you better.”

  Maddie paused, her mind flying back in time to a distant Christmas day. The sound of bullets, cries of pain, and the words Maddie, go now! raced through her mind. She shook her head to dispel the memory, but the angry heat that accompanied it remained. Maddie leaned forward, and her eyes narrowed. “Simple: Kill terrorists.”

  Officer Collins leaned back in his chair at the fierceness in the words. Maddie kept her eyes on the shocked black officer. She did not see the shock on Dotson’s face or Aden’s, who overheard the statement. When no response seemed to be forthcoming, Maddie plastered on a phony grin of embarrassment.

  “Oops, my out-loud voice again. I meant to say ‘shoot.’ Sorry. Hey, can I try out the pull-up bar?” she asked and sprang from her chair.

  The question broke the spell. Officer Collins stood up, though Maddie could see he had not recovered from her bluntness. She admonished herself. Maddie had lost control again. She needed to learn more restraint.

  “How many do you think you can do?” asked Officer Collins. As he waited for an answer, he grabbed a small stool and dragged it over to the pull-up station.

  “Don’t you dare bring that girlie step near me,” snapped Maddie as she walked over to the bar.

  Officer Collins raised an eyebrow, then he raised his hands and backed away. “Alrighty then. Tell ya what. Fifty-dollar gift card if you can do twenty-five.”

  “Sucker’s bet,” said Aden.

  “I’ll do fifty,” said Maddie, then she sprang up in the air to grab the bar. Fifteen minutes later, she dropped from the bar with fifty-five pull-ups completed. Out of breath, she turned around with a wide grin. The grin morphed into an open-mouthed “O” when she saw a large crowd of fellow students gathered and looking at her. An uncharacteristic wave of self-consciousness swept over her.

  Officer Collins stepped over to Maddie as he nodded in approval. The nod turned into one of appraisal. He handed her two gift cards, then bent down to whisper in her ear. “You know . . . SEALs kill terrorists all the time.”

  “I’m not GI Jane. They’re just pull-ups. I do them every day,” said Maddie.

  A bellowing laugh came from the recruiter. “You’re a little young to have that movie as a reference.” He appraised her again, his eyes shifting from Maddie to Dotson and the Army recruiter. Dotson nodded and turned back to the table, and the other students gathered in front. “Perhaps you’re not GI Jane yet. Come ’mere, let me show you some information and tell you some things the Navy has in the pipeline for women who want to get in on the action.”

  Maddie spent several more minutes speaking with Officer Collins before taking his card and a bunch of pamphlets. Before she left, he made sure all the recruiters scanned her wristband. They even scanned Aden’s, though he had stood by the entire time like a spectator at a circus.

  He was silent as they walked past more of the fair tables. Finally, he could not take it anymore. “Did you mean what you said back there?”

  Feeling no need to get into details, Maddie just shrugged. “Somebody has to do it.”

  “Yeah, but why you? Don’t give me that crazy Mad Maddie glare. I didn’t say why a girl. I asked, ‘Why you?’ ”

  Maddie did not have an answer, so she ignored the question. “Hey, there’s a table for the FBI. Let’s go talk to them.”

  “Seriously, you are taking this martial thing way too far.”

  “Whatever. I’ve been to like one table. No one said you had to follow me around.”

  “And miss the excitement of you making buddies with people who carry machine guns for a living and mouthing off to teachers who control your grades. Nah, this is much more fun than wandering around alone.”

  “I’m sure Dorete will keep you company.”

  “I hate you. I despise the ground on which you walk.”

  “And yet, you continue to follow.”

  From across the gym, Tiffani watched Aden trail after Maddie. Her lips compressed in frustration. For a guy who is supposed to dislike her, he is around a whole hell of a lot.

  She licked her lips in distaste and glared back over at the military table. Mr. Y Leiro and a group of other teachers were still stationed in front of their own table, glaring in protest at the military recruiters’ presence. For a few moments, she had thought Maddie and Y Leiro were going to get into it.

  She had sighed in relief when Maddie stepped away and Mr. Y Leiro had not pursued her. Tiffani found Maddie to be an engaging person. She envied her directness and willingness to speak her mind.

  Her admiration, however, did not prevent Tiffani from recognizing her friend’s reckless and volatile nature. She wondered what fueled it but could get no sustained time alone with her to find out. If Aden did not show up, then that three-person girl crew would show up with the boy tagging along.

  You used to like Tommy, a small voice echoed in her mind. She brushed it aside. It had been a long time ago, and many things were different now. Too many things.

  She turned her attention back to Maddie and Aden, and now she studied their body language. Nothing jumped out as showing that either was interested in the other. Still, Aden never missed an opportunity to hang around her. And Maddie’s biting “get lost” comments no longer had any teeth to them. They had switched from hostility to sarcasm.

  Tiffani continued to look at the two as they moved from table to table until a shadow fell across her. She turned to see Mr. Y Leiro beside her. He followed her gaze.

  “I hope your interest isn’t in the boy.”

  “Ew,” Tiffani answered.

  “I have some things I need assistance with. Meet me at the end of school?”

  It was spoken like a question, but it wasn’t. She looked at her teacher and smiled. “Sure thing,” she said, then turned her eyes back to the gym, searching again for Maddie.

  Chapter Fifty-Seven

  “Have you seriously not seen a thing you want to look at?”

  “Nope.”

  “That’s just pathetic, Aden. Even if you’re not smoking like one, you sound like a pothead slacker.”

  “Hmm, that’s an idea.”

  “What is?” asked Maddie.

  “Pot. It’s legal now. I could open a store. Get rich off potheads. I could even set up a video game room so they can play videos while getting toked.”

  Maddie growled under her breath but conceded it was not a half-bad idea. “Then I guess we’re done. I’ve seen everything worth seeing, and you’ve got more than enough wristband scans thanks to me. I thought for sure you’d be interested in the FBI though.”

  “Why would you think that?”

  “No reason. I don’t know. Come on, let’s go.”

  They were heading for the exit when Maddie saw two tables she had missed. One had several signs behind it, including one that said “Gun Control” in large letters. Across from what Maddie assumed was a local politician’s table was a table for the local police and sheriff’s departments.

  “Hold up a minute.”

  Aden looked from Maddie to where her eyes were trained. “You cannot be seriously thinking what I think you’re thinking.”

  “No, I’m not,” she answered, but she headed toward the police table.

  Aden hesitated but followed her. He chickened out at the last minute and veered toward the politician’s table.

  “Good afternoon, young lady. You interested in a career in criminal justice?”

  “No. Well, I mean, pe
rhaps, but not locally. I just wanted to ask you a question.”

  “OK, shoot. What do you want to know?”

  “There have been some reports of girls going missing. One is named Shalonda Reese. She lives in another county, but I was wondering if local law enforcement is looking for her, working with the other county.”

  The two cops standing behind the table glanced at each other before the older of the two spoke. “Well, we can’t really comment on any investigations that are ongoing, especially in matters originating outside our jurisdiction. But I can say, most of these situations are usually nothing serious.”

  “What about the others?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “You said most of the time they’re not serious. What about the other times?”

  The cops shifted their feet, revealing their unease with the question. “I can see you’re concerned about this situation. I think it might indicate more interest in local matters than you think. But to answer your question, when it’s more serious, like abductions or kidnappings, we work with the FBI. If no case is opened, then that means the person ran away or just is not contacting family and friends—a pretty regular occurrence, I’m sorry to say.”

  “Or they could be dead,” said Maddie bluntly. “So, you can’t tell me if even local police are doing anything?”

  The younger cop, shocked by Maddie’s straightforward statement, sputtered a response. “No, no we cannot disclose any information about any cases like that.”

  “Well, that’s not satisfactory.” Maddie turned from the table, not needing nor wanting to hear anything else from them. Her rational side knew the cops were telling her the truth, but the lizard part of her brain rebelled against it. There was nothing in the news, and Lockdown had given her the same answer. Still, it rankled her. She could not imagine what Shalonda’s mother must be going through or the missing girl’s sweet little sister. She sighed and walked over to the politician’s table. A large sign read “Congresswoman Gail Murphy.” Aden was already standing at the table with his eyes focused on a young mixed-race woman of Asian and white descent with long black hair. Standing next to Aden was Dorete. Maddie rolled her eyes, then sidled up to Aden’s opposite side.