Stories_update_instafreebie

by Autumn Birt

  “I figured if you were going to drag me to every politician, duke, and prince for tea, I’d better do some shopping.”

  “You should get a dress, something lightweight for the summer.”

  Ah, there was the comment. At least the thought. “Byran, I will never wear so much as a skirt around you.”

  She didn’t even need to open her eyes to see the wolf’s grin on his face.

  “So do you want to know where I’m taking you?”

  “No.”

  Byran darted a glance toward her. The car veered into the other lane.

  “For God’s sake, Byran! If you are going to drive this fast, please keep us on the road.” Arinna swore, pushing herself out of her relaxed pose.

  The car oscillated once more before stabilizing in its hurtling orbit. A mile went by before Byran broke the silence. “You are getting used to our game then?”

  Arinna rolled her eyes at his lack of apology. “By game, if you mean ‘work related outing,’ then it is easier to find out where we are going when we get there than trying to get it out of you beforehand.”

  “I could be just taking you for a drive down the coast.”

  “In which case, this will be our last work related outing.”

  “Ah see, I think you are starting to enjoy this. No,” Byran interrupted as Arinna began to respond. “I know the truth. It is good to see you are having fun. I won’t tell. You said it is against the law.”

  Arinna’s exasperated sigh held a hint of laughter. She knew it. Byran did too. He sang to the music as he floored the gas pedal.

  When they pulled up at a gated compound half an hour later, Arinna realized this visit was different from the last five. She sat up, smoothing her blouse as she looked down the long drive.

  “Where are we?”

  Byran didn’t stop at the gatehouse, but rolled through at a steady pace. The gate swung open a breath ahead of the car.

  “Ambassador Eldridge’s compound.”

  “The ambassador for the UK? You hang out with Ambassador Eldridge enough the guards don’t stop you at the gate?”

  “I’m friends with his son,” Byran said with a grin.

  “Of course you are,” Arinna deadpanned. She frowned as a thought stirred. “He lives less than an hour from Madrid. We’ve been driving for over three.”

  “I took the long way. Scenic route as you say?”

  She nearly hit him, but a worse realization occurred to her. “Please, Byran, don’t tell me we showed up at an ambassador’s house unannounced because you are friends with his son!”

  “Okay, I will not tell you,” he said, tossing her a wink as he opened his door.

  She considered not getting out of the car. But Byran walked to her side, opening the door like she was royalty ... or a prisoner. She felt like the latter. Byran waited for the space of a breath before he leaned closer, moving to see her face since Arinna sat staring straight ahead.

  “Byran, so help me if you get me fired,” she hissed, forcing strength into her voice to offset the liquid fear in her.

  “We are expected! I want you to meet my best friend. You know I would not do anything to get you sent back to that country. I don’t want you gone as much as you look like you don’t want to go back. Trust me.”

  “I haven’t known you even four months, Byran. How would I know if you’d dragged me somewhere with no plan?” Arinna said, brushing moisture from her cheek before swinging her feet out of the car. “And what have you done to earn my trust?” she asked as she stood.

  They stared at each other a moment. Byran finally glanced away. He placed a hand on her shoulder to guide her up the steps.

  “I will be a better friend, I promise,” he said to her quietly.

  The time it took to be shown into the study was enough for Arinna to shake off her fears. They were there now. She had to make the most of it. When the door opened, she was ready. But even Byran appeared surprised by who walked in.

  “Mr. Eldridge!”

  “Good afternoon, Byran, and Ms. Prescot was it?” Ambassador Eldridge asked, giving Arinna’s offered hand a squeeze. He stood a fraction taller than Byran, granting him a younger and more vigorous appearance than his light grey hair suggested. “Derrick was called home. His uncle is ill, my late wife’s brother,” he said to Arinna. “He told me you were coming and I said I would entertain you both, no need to call and cancel. Very noble of you, Byran, introducing Ms. Prescot to other embassy staff. Please come. There is tea in the back parlor. It gets lovely sun this time of year. Oh, and Charles Lewin will be joining us. I hope you don’t mind.”

  “Thank you, Ambassador Eldridge,” Arinna answered. “It is a pleasure to meet you and very gracious of you to take the time.” Eldridge waved the gratitude away as he escorted them through the house.

  “Who is Charles Lewin?” Byran whispered in her ear.

  “Minister Lewin. He is on the UK Defense Council, liaison with NATO.” Arinna glanced at Byran, who shook his head. “For working as PR staff at the Spanish embassy, you really aren’t into politics are you?” Arinna asked with a laugh.

  “And you are,” Byran responded as they turned into a sunlit room.

  “I am a political officer for the embassy,” she pointed out.

  Introductions were made. Lewin offered a firm handshake, his neat suit not hiding broad shoulders or efficient movements. All of which hinted at Lewin’s military training. Arinna kept her guard but felt relaxed around the tall, black man whose eyes were kind as he evaluated her and Byran.

  The conversation remained polite for almost an hour. Tea and sandwiches were served along with comments on the coming spring, the new road along the Costa del Sol, and the flooding in the UK. Arinna waited, sensing an undercurrent. It was not her place to steer the conversation.

  “You were active in the military, were you not Ms. Prescot?” Minister Lewin asked. Arinna released her tension on an outward breath. Now, they would talk.

  “Yes. Four years,” she answered, pleasantly.

  “I didn’t know that,” Byran said, disgruntled.

  “You never asked,” she pointed out. Byran shrugged.

  “Was that before or after hurricane Dexter and the riots on the east coast?” Eldridge asked.

  “After. Dexter happened my first year of West Point.”

  “Tactical training, wasn’t it?” Lewin asked over the rim of his cup, eyes holding no doubt of the answer.

  “Yes. Military tactics and strategy.”

  “So what do you think of the USA’s response,” Eldridge asked fluidly, as if it were the natural flow of conversation ... or very well rehearsed.

  “In regards to?”

  Lewin offered polite laughter. “The riots after Dexter, the personal weapons quota, the roundup of excess weapons in depots?” Lewin waved a hand to encompass all the policies enacted since 2048 and the response after Dexter.

  “The laws were, of course, unfortunately necessary,” Arinna answered by rote. “The riots were ... terrible. Dexter destroyed New York, but it also badly damaged Boston. After the riots, the city was unlivable.”

  “Yes, but military rule of the government? That doesn’t seem extreme to you?” Lewin asked, leaning forward.

  “Extreme,” Arinna paused on the word. “The military rule started the year after I graduated from West Point. I was already active duty by then. It felt like ... a blessing. We finally were able to restore order and dissipate the chaos.”

  Byran shifted uncomfortably.

  “It isn’t a popular sentiment in Europe,” Arinna acknowledged. “Things have been bad here, for certain. But you retain a large portion of your agriculture and manufacturing. You’ve lost cities to the flooding, and people to HALO. I don’t know what it felt like to you the last decade, but I can tell you that I have only vague memories of a life that didn’t involve fighting. Lempert took out Miami and the Everglades when I was twelve. HALO hit when I was fifteen. There has been little but fighting for supplies and clea
n water for years. Most states were under martial law before the government transitioned to military control. At least under the new military government, there is no fighting in the street anymore. Sections of cities have rebuilt.”

  “So you have no problem with the loss of democracy and the suspension of voting?” Lewin asked.

  “Of course. But it is temporary.” Arinna set her cup down and leaned forward. “The change in the US government has made the EU uncomfortable. You cannot imagine the chaos we were dealing with back home. We’ve had to reorganize states, abandon others as unsustainable due to the storms, pollution, or cost of repairing infrastructure. The choices are difficult and politically unpopular. Which is why politics was taken out of the equation. Once things settle, the government will revert. For now, the military does the best it can to select acceptable leaders.”

  “Yes, the military. And here you are with a qualified background and at a strategic post making connections,” Eldridge mused. “You do not aspire to a leadership position, do you, Ms. Prescot?”

  “To rise higher than Warrant Officer? Certainly. I want to help guide the country. But I would think by the time I returned and was promoted, we will have returned to a democracy. I will help as a peacekeeper, not a politician,” she answered. Eldridge broke eye contact, glancing away thoughtfully.

  “You support all of your government’s, excuse me, military’s policies then?” Lewin asked flatly.

  “No,” Arinna said with amusement. She sat back in her chair. “I think the weapons depots are a mistake. They make too tempting of a target for those who are unhappy with the current state of things.”

  “Yes, but obviously they are protected,” Lewin responded.

  “Yes. But people can be bribed, soldiers can be lax. There are too many, spread too far apart to be strategically and efficiently monitored. Though I cannot say how many or where, of course.”

  “I’m with NATO. I know how many weapons bunkers there are,” Lewin said.

  “You know how many they told you there are,” Arinna answered. Lewin put his teacup down.

  Eldridge snorted. “Did you really think the USA liaisons with NATO disclosed everything?” he asked Lewin. To Arinna he said, “My son served with the British Army. It is a shame you could not meet him today.”

  “Yes, it is,” Byran said with a yawn.

  “My apologies, Baron Vasquez. I did not mean for the talk to trend toward military topics. But what do you expect with three, at least, interested in defense in the room?”

  Byran’s easy smile took on a cold cast. But his response was interrupted by a knock on the door. Eldridge rose to speak to his servant. The humor fell from his face, glance darting to Lewin.

  “You should return to your embassy, Ms. Prescot. I think you will be needed there,” Eldridge said, returning but not sitting down.

  “Why? What has happened?” Arinna asked, rising to her feet along with Byran.

  “We’ve just had news of an attack, a large one, in the USA.”

  “Where?”

  “New Chicago. A group has claimed responsibility. They call themselves the FLF, Freedom Liberation Front. Have you heard of them?” Eldridge asked, waving for Lewin to stay behind as he escorted Byran and Arinna out of the room.

  “No. There are several groups that formed in response to the martial law. But I don’t recognize that name.”

  Eldridge paused, holding her gaze. “You should.” The moment passed as he turned, indicating a waiting maid. “Clara will see you out. Have a safe drive back,” he said as he left them.

  “I didn’t know any of that about you,” Byran said as he drove them back to Madrid. Thoughts circling on the conversation with Eldridge, Arinna had forgotten about his presence.

  “Well, you are usually too busy showing off to ask about my childhood,” she responded, blushing at the words as soon as they were spoken. “Byran, I ...”

  “No. It is true,” he said, surprising her with his unruffled ownership of a fault. Michael would have stormed off. The comparison sent a jolt of confusion through her. She looked away, hoping it didn’t show on her face. “You, though, you seem more than a political officer,” he added, voice serious but without accusation.

  “What would you think a political officer for a country under a military government and stationed at a foreign office would be like?” she asked, careful her voice betrayed no nervousness. “I kept my rank. I am military.”

  “Well, I wouldn’t think they’d be so cute.”

  Arinna rolled her eyes, not fighting the smile he elicited.

  —

  “FLF?” Michael asked.

  “Freedom Liberation Front,” Arinna told him. “Ambassador Eldridge made it seem that we should have heard of them. You haven’t either?”

  “No. I can ask,” he offered.

  “Quietly,” she cautioned.

  “You got the impression we haven’t been told about them on purpose?” Michael asked, amused. His smile evaporated when she didn’t answer. “Our country wouldn’t lie to us.”

  Arinna leaned across the table and took his hands. “How many diplomats and foreign officers are here under the same orders? We’ve seen the change over in staff at this embassy. We’re lucky to have lasted this long. And that’s it. I’m starting to realize how replaceable we are if we don’t create the connections they want,” Arinna said, not wanting to admit how much she’d come to question their assignment. Some days it felt like they’d been shipped to a minefield without any warning and no map. “If this is something high up back home, why would they tell us? We aren’t exactly in the loop of terrorist threats and containment over here.”

  “I’ll see what comes over the bulletins the next few days. And there are a few people outside our operation I could ask,” Michael said, giving her hand a squeeze.

  “How bad was the attack?” she asked.

  “From the reports, the blast took out half the city.”

  “How did they locate the materials to make a bomb that big? There aren’t enough unregulated supplies or ammo for that.”

  “Black market could have improved since we left?” Michael hazarded.

  “In four months?”

  “I know what you’re thinking,” Michael said, leaning into his chair. “After what you heard from Ambassador Eldridge, you think they got government supplies. Someone let them into a depot.”

  “It is the only thing that makes sense.”

  “From where we are sitting.”

  “Which is out of the loop,” Arinna admitted with a sigh. Michael would never doubt his commander or his country. These days, those amounted to the same thing. “You’ll tell me if you hear more?”

  “Of course.” Michael said, giving her a smile that touched his hazel eyes. It stirred a memory of a campsite in the wilderness when they had been explorers of abandoned worlds. “How was your day with Byran?”

  “Oh please, if I talk about it I’ll get mad again.”

  “That bad?” Michael asked, amused.

  “I thought we had shown up at the Ambassador’s unannounced.” The choking memory of sitting in Byran’s car flooded her again. “He drives too fast, he never listens, he ...”

  “He took you to the Ambassador’s where Minister Lewin was waiting.” Michael said, taking her hand and then pulling her to his chest. “You made more progress in contacts this last month than I have in the four we’ve been here,” he added, kissing her scalp.

  “I don’t know if he is worth it.”

  Michael chuckled at her exasperated tone.

  Arinna used the attacks as an excuse to avoid Byran for a few days. Not that there was much to do. But she needed the break from him. The blast and hunt for suspects afterwards consumed all resources, at least those in the US. Communication to the embassy in Spain dropped to a few scattered updates or obscure questions. It was nearly a week since the attack before Michael came home, expression serious.

  “You heard something?”

  Michael
shook his head. “Not about who they are looking for or that group, the FLF. We have orders.” Michael finished, cutting off Arinna before she could speak. Her mind went blank.

  “They are recalling us.”

  “No,” Michael paused. “You don’t want to go home?” His steady gaze splintered her thoughts.

  Blushing, Arinna glanced away. “No! I ... it’s just.” Arinna took a deep breath and looked back at her husband. “I’ve seen the families here, and at home, and ... here it’s different. It reminds me when I was a kid, before the fighting in the streets and the riots. Children run and laugh and don’t just play war. I didn’t believe this sort of world existed. I ... I’ve been thinking. Michael, this is where I want to start our family. Then when the US stabilizes, we’ll go back. I know how important that is to you.”

  It was his turn to be at a loss for words. Finally he stammered, “You’re pregn—”

  “No! Goodness, you think we’d talk about it first. Maybe, in a few months ... if you want? If we can manage to stay here that long.”

  Michael pulled her against him, his arms pressing her tight. “Of course, I ...” He pulled back to look in her face. Arinna was relieved to see the light in his eyes and the smile. Her heart flipped as his lips found hers, passion taking her breath and thoughts.

  It was several minutes later before Arinna remembered the start of their conversation. “We have orders?” she asked.

  “Yes,” Michael laughed. “Apparently to avoid being sent home for a year, at least,” he teased. She elbowed his stomach. “We are to feel out what countries will be willing to send troops or supplies to deal with ‘internal unrest.’“

  “They are preparing for a civil war,” Arinna said on a whoosh of breath.

  “It looks that way,” Michael agreed, hooking her shoulder length hair behind her ear. “It might not happen. It is just a feeler. You know our government. They like to be prepared.”

  “True,” she agreed, holding him tight to block her unease.

  —

  “You don’t look like you’ve taken a break since I last saw you,” Byran said, appearing beside her desk.