Induction

“My neighbor was between me and the only set of stairs leading to the pool, and I smashed her head in with the heel of my boot as I passed her. There was no doubt it was Janelle in the pool, and I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she was gone before I even reached her. I still had to check. There wasn’t a scratch on her. As far as I could tell, she must have been running away and fallen in. She was only six. She could hold herself up on the ledge but she couldn’t tread water yet. I should have spent more time teaching her to swim. If I had, maybe she would still be here.”

Adam buried his face in his hands and wept silently. I squeezed his hand; it was the only thing I knew to do. “I know it’s not much of a consolation, but maybe it was better that way. Would you have been able to take care of her if she had turned into one of them?” I motioned to the stack of rotting corpses being piled onto a flatbed for disposal on the other side of the barricade.

He shrugged and pulled his knees up to his chest. “I don’t know. All I know is there’s an empty place in my heart without her. She was my world, and I’m lost without her. I’d been trying not to think about her, to put that day out of my mind. But I realize now that I needed to talk about it. You’re a good friend, Emma. I appreciate you listening.”

“I’m good like that.” My retort earned a genuine smile from him. I felt for his loss. I didn’t lose a child. If almost losing my dog was an inkling of what he felt, I knew he carried a heavy burden.

Chapter 16 G.I. Jane

The radio squawked from the table next to me. “Base, come in.”

I ran to the radio and picked up the handset. Pressing the button before one of the soldiers could pry it from my hand I replied, “This is base camp. Who is this?”

The other end of the radio connected and the sound of gunfire came through, making the radio crackle and hiss. “Forward Operating Base, this is Echo One. Fuel is a no-go. I repeat fuel is a no-go. The area is swarming with Charlie’s. Fall back! Go! Go! Go!” The hissing cut off as whomever was talking on the other end let go of the button.

Seth grabbed the handset from me and shouted into it. “Echo One, this is Chief Warrant Officer Puri. Report?”

“We’re getting hit from every angle. They’ve blocked access to the Humvees. We’re retreating but taking on heavy casualties. Jesus Christ, they’re everywhere. They’re Arrgghgggllllgg…” His voice cut off, replaced with a wet gurgling scream and the sound of raspy moans. I hadn’t heard the moans so close since Jake and I had been running for our lives. A hail of gunfire sounded, then all went dead.

“Echo One, do you copy. Echo One, I repeat, come in, Echo One.”

Nothing.

“Echo One, do you copy? Over.”

Silence.

I grabbed the handset back and screamed into it. “Jake. Are you there?” He had to be okay. I just kept telling myself he was fine. He had gone with the other team. The other option just wasn’t possible.

My knees buckled and Adam caught me before I hit the floor. “Emma, he could be okay. Maybe he’s with the other team and on his way back to you as we speak.” Sweeter words were never spoken, because in that moment I needed to believe them… needed them to be true.

One of the other soldiers shouted out by the gate, and we all looked up to find the transport vehicle closing the distance to the barricade. It was all hands on deck as we ran to open the gate and let them in, and I begged God the entire way to let Jake be on that truck.

As soon as there was enough space for me to fit through, I shot out of the lot and toward the truck. Not caring that I had forgotten my carbine by the radio, I ran with determination to find my husband. I leapt up on the foot well and held onto the mirror as I peered into the passenger window and screamed for him.

Three soldiers filled the space, none of them Jake. Almost losing my balance, I jumped down and ran to the back of the transport. Running to catch up with the moving truck, I was back behind the barricade before I got close enough to see inside. Eighteen more soldiers sat on the bench seats, but no Jake. I couldn’t trust what my eyes were showing me, so I jumped into the truck and ran all the way to the back. Sure Jake was hidden by shadow.

I thought my world had already crumbled, but in that moment I realized just how wrong I’d been. Adam led me out of the truck like a child. I curled up on the concrete and wrapped my arms around my knees.

“He lied to me. How could he do that?” My screaming alerted Daphne that something was wrong. Like Lassie, she honed in on me and came to my rescue. I felt her nuzzling her way into the cocoon I had wrapped myself in, and she took up residence under my chin, shaking and giving me slobbery dog kisses.