The Divide

by Scott B. Williams

  She was aware that Jonathan knew the story because Eric had already told the kid how their marriage had ended and how he’d missed out on a lot of time with their daughter Megan because of his extreme career choices. Shauna didn’t want to get into a discussion with Jonathan about all that now, but this new situation brought back a flood of memories that made those difficult years seem like yesterday. She knew she should look at it differently now because she wasn’t married to him anymore and this time he was doing whatever dangerous job he had to do for the sake of reaching Megan sooner. He hadn’t returned here to pursue his old line of work, but he couldn’t leave his past behind either, and so of course, it had followed him here too. Now he was right back out there somewhere in the same sort of situation that had caused so much tension between the two of them before.

  Shauna knew that whatever Eric was doing for Lieutenant Holton was simply a means to an end—a way of getting the three of them to Colorado faster than any option they had available to them otherwise. The lieutenant’s offer was one Eric found hard to refuse, especially now that they were even more aware of the extent of the dangers that stood between them and their objective. But despite understanding all the whys, Shauna still wished she had more information about it all. Confined like this while the hours dragged by, the waiting was going to drive her nuts.

  She knew next to nothing about what was going on either here on the post or with Eric because as soon as Eric had agreed to work with Lieutenant Holton, she and Jonathan had been separated from him for security reasons. Eric had told her beforehand that would probably happen once he was privy to the details of the mission because they weren’t taking any chances of a leak, even to her. Eric hadn’t told the lieutenant or anyone else that the two of them were divorced, and he’d let them go on believing that Jonathan was a nephew of his as well, as that was the story he’d given to the sergeant in charge of the post at Simmesport. He thought it might help their case if the three of them came across as a tight family unit, and so far, that had proved true. But whatever this special job entailed, it was obviously important enough that they wanted to make sure Eric didn’t discuss it before it was finished. In exchange for his cooperation, they were offering Eric and his ‘family’ a lot in return, and Jonathan reminded Shauna of that, as he tried to help her keep her patience.

  “We’ve just got to remember that the waiting we’re doing now will probably be worth it in the end. We’re gonna be saving a lot of time this way, not to mention energy. I mean, I’m still down for that bike ride and all if it’s what we have to do, but it’ll be so much nicer to just fly out to Boulder, you know?”

  “We don’t know that they’re going to be flying us there,” Shauna reminded him.

  “Well, we can hope so though. We don’t know that they’re not. With Eric being a former Navy SEAL and all, I’ll bet they’ll give us a ride on a Blackhawk or something. Wouldn’t that be badass?”

  Shauna smiled. Jonathan hadn’t lost a bit of his enthusiasm, and the more she was around him, the more she could see why Eric liked him. The kid was eager to learn and eager to help. He had proven his courage and loyalty once again in the fight for the C.J. Vaughn and its cargo of fuel barges. If not for Jonathan’s early intervention, Shauna knew she and Eric might not have survived that situation at all. She was especially glad he’d come along with them now, otherwise, she would be all alone here, essentially detained in her room on this newly-established military post near the mouth of the Ohio River. Without Jonathan, there would be no one to talk to and speculate with as she waited, and the time would surely pass even slower.

  “They may even give us all a ride all the way back down to the schooner at Vic’s place after we get Megan. In fact, I’ll bet they will, because you know that whatever job they had for Eric, he’s going to knock it out of the park for them.”

  “I have no doubt about that part, but that’s a little what I’m afraid of too. When they see what he’s capable of, they’re not going to be satisfied with letting him go after just one mission. They’re going to do everything they can to talk him into staying, whether it’s reenlisting or just making him an offer he can’t refuse. It always happens wherever he works. I’m afraid of it derailing his plans to take us somewhere away from all this mess on the boat. I’m afraid they’re going to convince him to stay here and fight even after we get Megan.”

  “After everything he’s told me, I really doubt they could ever talk him into that, Shauna. He really wants to set sail on that schooner. I could tell how excited he was about it when Bart first showed it to us.”

  “Things could be different now though, Jonathan. When we left Florida, Eric hadn’t had any contact with any military to get the real scoop on the situation. I wouldn’t be surprised if this Lieutenant Holton tries to tell him they’re starting to get things under control again. I mean, we’ve already seen that they’re in control of parts of the river, even if not all of it. I just hope Eric doesn’t get suckered into believing we should just stay here until things settle down. I know that’s what Daniel wants to do, but I just don’t see how all of this is going to get fixed anytime soon. It could take years, even if all the fighting and violence stopped tomorrow.”

  “I believe you, especially after all I’ve seen since I met Eric. But even before that, I knew it was going to get really bad. Back before the hurricane took out the power in south Florida, I was keeping up with the news as much as I could, and I said to myself then that the best place to be was on a boat. Even with my little fishing boat, I could get away from most of the craziness and I could always find a hideout where I could catch plenty to eat—at least until it got stolen. I never even thought about a sailboat though, until Eric came along. I just didn’t know anything about them. But now I totally get why that was his plan. I don’t think he’s going to change his mind about it, Shauna, no matter what that Holton dude tries to tell him. I believe Eric when he said he was done with all that stuff. He said he was back here for one thing, and that was for his family.”

  “He’s a little late for that, Jonathan, but I know he’s got good intentions. The main thing is that he’s back to find Megan. I’m counting on him to do just that, but this mission worries me because no matter how good he is, anything can happen. I never knew half of what he was doing out there even when we were still married. The not knowing was the hardest part.”

  “He probably couldn’t tell you because it was probably classified. That wasn’t his fault.”

  “I know that. He told me the same thing. I know that when he was a SEAL his platoon could be called up at any time to go anywhere. They were doing all kinds of secret missions during those years and I’m sure very few people know what they were even to this day. But even though I understood all that, it didn’t make it any easier on me. Even if he went missing in action or was killed, I still wouldn’t have gotten the whole truth about what happened, and I know it. That’s why this situation here is making me so nervous. It’s the exact same thing.”

  She knew Jonathan was trying to make her feel better, but the kid didn’t really know what to say. No one else would either, but she just had to vent her frustration. Shauna was right back where she used to be all those years before, even though she was no longer married to Eric Branson. She had a husband and a stepson waiting for her to return, and no doubt that they would be worried and anxious until she did. She hated to put anyone through what Eric had so often put her through, but she couldn’t help it. They were as safe there with Keith and Bart as they could be anywhere given the current conditions. Bringing them along hadn’t been an option, even if Daniel had wanted to which of course, he hadn’t. Shauna felt a little guilty that she didn’t really miss him very much at the moment, but the truth was it was nice to have some time away from him. Daniel Hartfield wasn’t mentally or physically equipped to deal with what they were all facing, but then neither were most people. Like most everyone else, he wanted to just wake up from this nightmare and find himself back in his
old life of comfort and affluence. Daniel still believed that somehow, he would, so he wasn’t ready to accept the truth even after what they’d all seen in the last few weeks. Shauna couldn’t help him with that any more than he could help her with what she had to do. Daniel would have to cope the best he could, and Shauna had to forge ahead without him. She was grateful that Jonathan had come to help, but Eric was the real key to finding Megan, and she couldn’t help wondering what she would do if he didn’t come back.

  “If Eric’s not back tomorrow, I will get some answers somewhere,” she said as she reached for the door to leave and go back to her quarters. “They can’t keep us in the dark like this for days on end, and the truth is, it’s been long enough that I’m starting to worry that something may have gone wrong. Eric is as good at what he does as anybody ever could be, but that doesn’t mean he’s invincible. If he doesn’t make it back, I’ve still got to go on and find Megan. He would expect me to because he would do the same.”

  “He’s probably fine, Shauna, but if he isn’t, you can still count on me to help you. I’m not quitting either until we find Megan.”

  “I appreciate the thought, Jonathan, but that wouldn’t make sense. You are in no way obligated to do any of this. We’ve put you through enough already.”

  “And it was all my choice. If it weren’t for meeting Eric like I did, I would still be hiding out in the mangroves down there in Florida. I could have managed for a while, but I was pretty screwed ever since my boat got stolen. Eric helped me out and gave me some better options. I knew there’d be a price to pay because there always is for anything worthwhile. I’m going to help you, Shauna, whether Eric is with us or not. Besides, I can’t stop thinking about seeing the Rockies and fishing in those mountain streams. There’s no way I’d turn back now.”

  Shauna tried to sleep but spent most of the night in restless anxiety. She didn’t want to think about the possibility of going on to Colorado without Eric, but she knew she would if she had to, and despite what she’d told Jonathan, she’d be grateful for his company if it actually came to that. She wasn’t going to give the waiting even one more day though. Tomorrow, first thing, she intended to get serious about getting some answers, and she was going to demand to see Lieutenant Holton. At this point, she didn’t care anymore that she and Jonathan were in a touchy situation. Without Eric, they had nothing to offer the lieutenant and aside from his promise to Eric, he was under no real obligation to help them or even allow them to stay here. Pushing the issue might jeopardize their situation, but at this point, she didn’t care. If they were going to have to go west without Eric, then they needed to get started soon.

  Whatever it was that Lieutenant Holton asked Eric to do, Shauna knew that it was of high value to them, and she also knew that they had reason to believe Eric could accomplish the task better than anyone else at their disposal. She knew enough about special operations from what Eric had been able to tell over the years that many such missions were organized and completed without official sanction so that they could be denied if things didn’t go as planned. This had to be just such a mission, otherwise, it would have been easier to find a team or individual still in active service than to recruit Eric by making him an offer he couldn’t refuse.

  She just hoped that after all those years of fighting for his country and for others as a contractor, this wouldn’t be the one time his luck ran out. She had faith in him, but there was simply no way of knowing what he was up against or what kind of backup he would have if any at all. She knew she’d never get a straight answer about that out of the lieutenant, whether Eric came back or not, but she would ask him to honor his agreement to help them reach Boulder. As far as she knew, that promise wasn’t contingent on Eric’s successful completion of his assigned task, but rather his agreement to go in the first place. She hadn’t had an opportunity to discuss it with him after that first day though, so she knew there could be surprises. In the worst-case scenario, they would simply have to go ahead with their original plan. All of their gear for the journey was stored here, including the bikes, but of course, they’d had to surrender their weapons to the sergeant in command of the post at Simmesport. Whether Lieutenant Holton would offer replacements was yet another unknown, but she expected that he would in the event that Eric was successful.

  Exhaustion finally overcame her sometime in the wee hours of the morning, and Shauna fell asleep despite her worries. She was jarred out of it by a loud knocking on her door though, and when she looked at her watch, she saw that it was 0700, still early, but later than she’d planned to sleep. She opened the door to find a soldier outside, waiting to escort her to a meeting.

  “Lieutenant Holton would like to see you in his office. I will take you there now if you’re ready to go.”

  Shauna was surprised but readily complied. At last, she was going to get her answers. “Sure, just let me put on my shoes. Did you wake my nephew, Jonathan? He’ll want to go with us.”

  “The lieutenant asked me to bring Eric Branson’s wife. He didn’t mention anything about a nephew. You may tell your nephew where you’re going if you hurry, but he’ll have to wait here, I’m afraid.”

  Nine

  “WHAT DO YOU MEAN you don’t know where he is?” Shauna asked Lieutenant Holton. “How could you not know where he is when you’re the one who sent him to do whatever it was he agreed to do for you?”

  “Your husband failed to make the prearranged extraction,” Mrs. Branson. “Since he wasn’t where he was supposed to be, the helicopter pilot couldn’t pick him up.”

  Shauna didn’t bother to correct the man regarding her last name. No one here had asked to see an I.D. and Eric had referred to her as his wife, rather an ‘ex’. As far as she was concerned, they could go on believing it, because that way they were more likely to help her, especially now that Eric was apparently missing. “Did the pilot even bother to look around nearby? Surely Eric was simply delayed by something beyond his control. Where was he supposed to be anyway?”

  “I’m afraid I can’t give you any details of the mission, other than to tell you that your husband knew going in that it was dangerous. Our pilot encountered hostile forces in the location of the pickup zone. The helicopter was fired on and weather conditions at the time did not permit a further search of the area. We assume that whoever did the shooting got the information on the extraction location from your husband.”

  “Hostile forces? What kind of situation did you send Eric into? I know there’s a lot going on, but you make this sound like the kind of combat missions he used to be involved in overseas.”

  “It’s not all that different, ma’am. Your husband wasn’t sent anywhere specifically to engage in combat though. It was a reconnaissance mission, I can tell you that much. I know he’s good at that sort of thing, but it’s still dangerous when it involves close proximity to the enemy. We don’t know exactly what happened or why. I didn’t want to keep you in the dark any longer, though so I’m telling you what I can share.”

  “It’s been four days now. Didn’t you send someone back to look for him? You can’t just leave him out there.”

  “We did send the helicopter back the next day for an overflight of the area, but once again, the pilot couldn’t get too close. This area is held by a group of what we think are terrorists and we don’t know their capabilities. A shoulder-fired missile could easily bring down a low-flying aircraft. The pilot looked as best he could, but there was no sign or signal from your husband. We have to assume he is missing in action. I’m sorry, Mrs. Branson.”

  “I wouldn’t assume anything about Eric Branson, if I were you, Lieutenant Holton. This isn’t the first time he didn’t show up where or when he was supposed to. If Eric missed that helicopter, then he had good reason to, but Eric is a survivor! He’s determined to find our daughter, and he wouldn’t do anything stupid that would prevent him from doing that. He will find a way back here, helicopter ride or no, but I feel like I deserve to be given at least some ide
a where he was. I mean, did you send him halfway across the country, or is it somewhere in the near vicinity? I don’t know what kind of helicopter you have but I know some of the ones Eric has flown into combat before have a really long range.”

  “This one doesn’t, Mrs. Branson. He was operating in the region, though not in the immediate vicinity. If he somehow survived and evaded capture, then yes, there’s a chance he’ll find a way back on his own. I just wanted you to be advised of the situation and let you know that the operation didn’t go as planned and that you need to consider your options for the future.”

  “Are you saying that my nephew and I are going to be kicked off the post now since Eric’s mission didn’t work out?”

  “No, not at all. Not now anyway. Of course, you can’t stay here indefinitely, but you don’t have to leave immediately either.”

  “We don’t want to stay indefinitely, believe me. In fact, if Eric’s not back soon, we will be expecting you to honor the agreement he made with you. The one where you said you’d still see to it that the two of us got a ride to Colorado if something happened to Eric. Will you, Lieutenant Holton?”

  “My word is good, Mrs. Branson, although I would advise you two to return to Louisiana instead. Your husband said his brother and father were there, and that his brother is a sheriff’s deputy. You’d be safer staying put with family than you will out on the road. I can get you a ride, probably in a supply convoy, but I can’t do anything else for you once you get there. You’ll be on your own.”