by Akart, Bobby
“Wow, that was awful,” he said as he tried to push himself up in the bed.
“Let me help you.” As she assisted Cort to get adjusted and more comfortable, she explained that his dreams might be vivid for a few days as his mind processed what had happened during the crash. “Perhaps I should find a psychologist on duty to come speak with you before you’re discharged this morning.”
“Wait? Discharged. Already?”
“Well, I know it seems sudden, but Dr. Wayne stopped by earlier and checked your vitals. You have recovered remarkably well, and most importantly, your breathing is excellent, as I just witnessed.”
“So I get to go home this morning?” asked Cort, seemingly astonished at the good news. He wanted out of that hospital in the worst way, hoping he could leave the demons behind in the process.
“Absolutely,” she replied. “A discharge nurse will stop by to provide you some instructions. Your wife has already called this morning to inquire about your condition. She has assured Dr. Wayne that she’s capable of caring for you at home. Naturally, bed rest is essential. If you have any difficulties breathing, or side effects of the antibiotics we’ll send you home with from the hospital pharmacy, you’ll need to come back and see us. Okay?”
Even if he didn’t agree, Cort wouldn’t admit it. “Yes. I feel great. What time?”
“I believe your family is on their way to the hospital now. We have some paperwork to finish up, and then, as I said, the discharge nurse will speak with you and your wife. I said all that to say, um, probably by eleven?”
“Works for me,” replied Cort with a big smile. He asked for some water, and she informed him a breakfast of liquids would be brought by shortly. He needed to avoid solid foods for a day or so until his throat healed. She also recommended he minimize his conversation, and by no means should he raise his voice.
Cort nodded and leaned his head back. He wasn’t afraid of sleeping at this point. He was now contemplating his family’s future.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Interstate 95 Northbound
Near Sherwood Island, Connecticut
After they left the city, Donna and Tom speculated as to what would happen next around the country and whether the Times Square attacks were part of a much larger terrorism operation. The opinions of their fellow passengers varied and ranged from wild-eyed conspiracy involving the Illuminati to more conventional precursors to war as utilized by the Russians. Tom, who preferred to get all the facts before he rendered an opinion, listened to the conversation and occasionally joked with Donna as arguments broke out between the refugees over their respective theories.
When Donna finally dozed off, Tom was left alone with his thoughts. The text message troubled him, and it certainly influenced his analysis of the New Year’s Eve attacks. He recalled the times he had been called upon to perform seemingly mundane tasks or provide innocuous information that appeared harmless on its face but might have been involved in some grander plan to which he was not privy.
He wasn’t able to sleep, as everything he’d done for his clandestine friends was analyzed from different angles. His brain tried to reconcile his actions of the past with the events of last night. Is there a connection?
The turnpike turned toward the east at Sherwood Island, a Connecticut State Park overlooking Long Island Sound. The wheels created a series of tromping sounds as the fully loaded school bus crossed the bridge, stirring Donna in her seat. Her head bounced off the window slightly, jarring her fully awake to a rising sun.
“It’s a new day,” she mumbled. She reached over to grasp Tom’s hand and smiled. “Happy New Year, dear.”
“Happy New Year to you as well, Mrs. Shelton,” he said with a smile and kissed his wife.
She probed his eyes and sensed he was troubled. “You haven’t slept, have you?”
His response was curt. “No, just relaxing and thinking.”
“About?” she asked, pushing herself up in the uncomfortable vinyl seat that was full of tears and holes. She didn’t care. She was glad to be out of the Tyvek suit that had caused her to sweat while sitting in the wheelchair, despite the cold temperatures.
Tom waved his hand in front of him. “You know, all of this.”
Donna pressed him. She knew her husband too well. Tom, like most men, usually had to have his thoughts dragged out of his mind, kicking and screaming. “Tom, please don’t equivocate,” implored Donna. “What’s on your mind? Or perhaps you should explain why you jumped at the opportunity to come to New Haven. Do you know someone here? Somebody we can stay with while we wait for an available flight?”
“Um, yes and no. I mean, okay, I do know someone here. A man. A powerful, wealthy man whom I met once years ago while we were in port at nearby Groton. I was summoned, along with my commander at the time, to meet this man and his associates.”
Donna warily twisted in her seat to avoid hitting her tender ankle. She gave it a slight wiggle to confirm the swelling had reduced somewhat thanks to the Advil she continued to take. Facing Tom, she asked, “You’ve never told me about this? You came here frequently before you assumed your duties at Charleston. You never mentioned meeting a man like this.”
Tom sighed and glanced around to see if anyone was eavesdropping. He slowly leaned into his wife and lowered his voice as he responded, “This man, whose name I will tell you when we’re off the bus, invited us to his home one afternoon. It was all very mysterious, you know, like in a movie. He made me an offer, Donna, one that I thought was harmless, but financially lucrative, all the same.”
“He paid you to do a job?” she asked. The change in the tone of her voice indicated her concern about where the conversation was leading.
“Donna, don’t worry. It wasn’t anything illegal, at least I don’t think it was. I was called upon from time to time to provide information about what I did for the Navy and, on rare occasions, delay implementation of an order. I never knew why, or how it impacted anything that I was responsible for. I just did it.”
“They paid you for this?”
“Yes, a monthly stipend that I received until the time of my retirement. Dear, it paid for our daughters’ college and our grandchildren’s private school. It was the kind of money I didn’t make in the Navy that allowed me to create a better life for our family.”
“I never saw the money come through our accounts.”
“I had a numbered account in the Turks and Caicos Islands.”
Donna leaned back against the window and folded her arms. “How long did you hide this from me?”
“Eleven years, until now,” he replied as he dropped his chin to his chest. “I opened it while we were in Providenciales for our anniversary trip.” Tom was genuinely remorseful for keeping this secret life from his wife. He’d hoped it could remain buried, but the circumstances forced the skeletons out of the closet.
“I know you can’t say his name, but who is he?” she asked as she leaned forward and whispered, “Is he in the military? A politician? What?”
“No, not really. He runs a firm in Washington. One of those think-tank, political-influencer operations that all the politicians hire to get what they want. He’s one of the big movers and shakers in Washington who control which politicians get elected, which laws get passed, and who gains from it all financially.”
“And you were associated with these men for over ten years?” Donna averted her eyes and stared out toward the sunrise. The bus was approaching New Haven, where they were to be dropped off at the local bus terminal.
“Yes, mostly through encrypted phone calls and text messages,” replied Tom. He hesitated for a moment. He considered telling Donna about the text message he’d received in the hotel room. This was yet another secret, a lie of omission, that he had to keep to himself, for now.
That, plus the fact George Trowbridge was more than one of the movers and shakers. He was, in fact, the man. The tip of the spear. A maker of presidents. A builder, and destroyer, of nations.
&
nbsp; Chapter Twenty-Five
New Year’s Day
HB-1
The Haven
The mood was solemn in the main barn of the Haven as Delta entered for the morning briefing. Ryan was speaking with Alpha while Echo got reacquainted with Bravo and Charlie. The four of them had known one another for over eighteen months. Echo, who was the fourth member of the security team, had rejected the Delta moniker because he had had a bad flight experience on a Delta Air Lines flight and therefore considered the name to be bad karma, at least as it applied to him. Thus he skipped to the next option in the military alphabet, Echo. Besides, with his last name being Echols, Echo simply made sense.
“Good morning, everyone,” Delta announced his presence, as the group had turned their backs to the door while they discussed the news coming out of the northeastern United States.
“Welcome back, Delta,” said Ryan, turning to approach and greet him with a hearty handshake. “How about some coffee? We’re all operating on two hours of sleep combined.”
“Yeah, that would be great,” replied Delta. As Ryan made his way to the kitchenette to pour a mug for Delta, Echo was the next to say hello.
“Everybody, I want you to know Delta is one helluva woodchuck. Last summer, this guy practically gnawed the trees to the ground and chopped them up with his bare hands.”
The two men exchanged handshakes and then bro-hugs. Delta genuinely liked Echo and looked upon him as a fatherly figure. His own dad had passed away when he was a new recruit in the Philadelphia Police Department. Delta’s father had spent seventeen years on the force, but the stresses of the job, coupled with the alcohol he used to cope, forced him into an unexpected heart attack way too early in life. His mother had never recovered and died herself soon thereafter from a stroke. The Hightower family had a history of coming apart at the seams.
“Thanks, Echo. I like working with my hands.”
“Bravo, Charlie, you two haven’t met Delta, am I right?”
Bravo stepped forward first and gave Delta a firm handgrip and chest bump. Charlie, tough, but still a woman, opted to wave from afar.
“Nice to meet you guys finally,” said Delta. “It seems that every time I drove up from Atlanta, you’d just left or were scheduled to come in.”
“True, true,” added Bravo. “In our jobs, Charlie and I have to travel a lot. All of this stuff happening gives us both a chance to put down some roots.”
Charlie chimed in. “Out of chaos came order, right, Bravo?”
“Damn straight!”
The two operators gave each other high fives. Will admired the comradery they shared. He’d had that once with the men and women of Philly SWAT. His partners might not have been military, but they certainly were on the front line of the war that had taken over the streets of America.
Ryan returned with Delta’s coffee and the Mr. Coffee carafe, which he promptly emptied by topping off everyone’s mugs. “Let’s get started, shall we?”
“You got it, boss,” replied Echo. The sounds of chairs scooting on the wooden floor of the foreman’s office preceded the start of the meeting. The scene was reminiscent of any board meeting in a corporate office somewhere, except the members of the Haven security team were fully armed and dressed for battle.
Their backgrounds were diverse, which allowed for differences of opinion and due deference during the decision-making process when necessary.
Ryan had everyone’s attention as he began. “We’ve all seen the news, so there’s no need to rehash what’s happening outside the Haven. Blair spent all night contacting off-property residents to advise them of our opinions concerning these events. Whether they choose to come is up to them. They are adults.
“With respect to our existing residents, everyone has a role to play. Not counting the people in this room and Blair, we have thirty-eight people on the property, plus four children.”
“Six,” interjected Alpha. “Delta’s kids make six.”
“Oh, yeah,” said Ryan.
Delta spoke up. “Ryan, I can explain. You see—”
Ryan raised his hand and stopped Delta. “Not necessary. It is what it is, and we have the flexibility to deal with two young mouths to feed. We’ve finished construction on our church and the schoolhouse. We have at least two teachers on our roster. When Blair and I envisioned the Haven, we included children in the plan even though we didn’t have any of our own.”
“Um, thanks,” said Delta. “I promise they’ll pitch in any way they can.”
“I have something in mind, by the way, but we can talk about it later,” said Alpha.
Ryan nodded and continued. “Overnight, Alpha set up our perimeter security. We could use more warm bodies to fulfill that role. Based upon the responses Blair has received, we should have help coming. Although we’re still missing the newest member of our security team, Foxtrot.”
“When did you bring him on board?” asked Bravo.
“Well, he is a she, for starters,” replied Ryan.
“Good! I didn’t want to be the only female in this sausage-fest!” exclaimed Charlie.
Alpha, in his baritone voice, couldn’t resist needling her. “Charlie, you’re part dude anyway. My guess is you’ve got a sausage of your own packed away in there somewhere.”
“You wish, big boy! If I did, it would be a Johnsonville and not a Vienna sausage!”
The group burst out in laughter as the two former Army veterans went at each other. After enjoying the lighthearted moment of locker-room talk, military style, Ryan brought the room back to order.
“Anyway, gentlemen, and lady, Foxtrot is MIA. She lives in DC, and the whole city is in chaos after the transportation system came to a standstill. She might be delayed anyway.”
“Why’s that, boss?” asked Echo.
“She’s an attorney, and a dang good one too. In fact, she’s on the legal team handling the president’s case in front of the Supreme Court.”
A few glances were exchanged between the military members of the team—Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie.
Ryan picked up on the skeptical attitude and nipped it in the bud. “Listen, Foxtrot isn’t ex-military or law enforcement, but she certainly can hold her own. She’s like a wolf in sheep’s clothing.”
Echo gave his opinion as the only other member of the team to have met her, as Alpha had been on National Guard duty when Foxtrot was interviewed. “Actually, boss, do not let appearances deceive you. She’s more like a badass Barbie. This young woman can shoot, fight, and break you down with her good looks. I feel bad for the guy who assumes she’s a pushover because of her appearance. They may not live to regret it.”
Ryan added, “Not to mention the fact that you can throw her out in the woods with nothing but a knife and she’ll find a way to live better than we do.”
“Good enough for me,” said Alpha. “I hope she gets here in time for the real fun. That time will be coming soon enough.”
The security team discussed their protocols, any perceived weaknesses, and personnel holes they needed to fill. Ryan filled them in on X-Ray and the importance of his communications skills to the Haven. They also discussed preparing a space within HB-1 for his gunsmithing equipment and the bullet-manufacturing machinery.
Alpha was about to discuss their rotating shifts, which ensured one of the five security members on-property were always roaming the perimeter and conducting frequent gate checks, when Delta interrupted and asked to speak with Ryan first.
The two men walked out into the barn where they could talk.
Delta hesitated as he mustered up the courage to make the request. “Ryan, I don’t know how to bring this up, but I’ve got a problem.”
“What is it?”
“Well, as you’ve heard, I’ve got my son and daughter with me. It was my weekend to spend with them in Atlanta under our custody agreement. Um, all of this was totally unexpected, you know.”
Ryan smiled and patted Delta on the back. “Hey, don’t you worry about that. They
’re your kids, and we can manage. There are other children here and more on the way. We’ve planned for them, and trust me, two more children won’t be noticed.”
Delta took a deep breath and grimaced. “Um, it’s not just that. Well, the kids are insisting I drive up north and find their mother. She’s on a cruise with my ex-part—her boyfriend and they’re due into port tomorrow morning in New Jersey.”
Ryan walked away and rolled his neck on his shoulders. “I know about her from your file, Delta. I also seem to recall that you guys have a strained relationship at best. If I remember, she uses the kids as a club to get you to pay your support. Am I right?” Ryan didn’t mince words.
“Well, yeah,” Delta replied sheepishly.
Ryan thought for a moment. “I don’t wanna come off as being a jerk, but you have to understand. Every personnel decision is carefully thought out. Make no mistake, the people we invited into the Haven have been approved using a process very much like filling a job in any major corporation. You’re hand-selected by Blair and myself, carefully vetted, interviewed, and then, even if there is a modicum of baggage in your lives, you’re still accepted based upon certain assumptions. Do you understand?”
“Of course. Ryan, I know this, and that’s why I hesitated to bring this up. However, my kids are insistent, and I know how they can be, especially my oldest, Ethan. I have to find a way to deal with this.”
Ryan was about to speak when his phone rang. He glanced down at the display and saw that it was Blair. “Hang on. I’ve gotta take this.”
Delta stood there, staring at the ceiling of the barn, looking for divine guidance to get him out of this pickle. He needed to be a part of the Haven for the benefit of his children and himself. He firmly believed the country was on the verge of collapse, and neither Atlanta nor Philadelphia would be safe for his children.
Ryan returned from his call and approached Delta. “Listen, we’ll take this up in a little while. I’ve got to deal with a situation at the front gate, and then I’ll meet you back at your cabin. Okay?”
