Through Many Fires (Strengthen What Remains) Read online

  Slowly he opened his eyes. Plain white sheets were pulled neatly up to his chest. Wires ran from various places on his body to a monitor that continued to beep and irritate him. Metal railings lined either side of the bed. A simple nightstand was beside him and a gray metal chair stood near a door. In the corner sat a cot with a rumpled blanket.

  Gently he rubbed his bandaged head. Shifting slightly he looked out the window. The sun was not visible from his position, but the sky was clear blue and light flowed into the room. Where am I? A plane, I was on a plane. What happened?

  The door creaked.

  “You’re awake!” With a huge smile on her face Maria zipped into the room. “Nurse,” she stopped and turned toward the open door, “he’s awake.” She came closer with Adam in her arms and the nurse was right behind.

  “How do you feel?” Maria asked.

  “Okay, I guess. How long have I been out?”

  “Almost two days,” The nurse checked the monitor. Gesturing toward Maria with her pen, she continued. “Your wife and son have been here around the clock.”

  “Huh?”

  Continuing to write she made a slight gesture with her head. “They both slept in that cot for the last two nights.”

  Maria quickly smiled and bounced Adam on her hip. “We both wanted to be here when Daddy woke up.”

  Wife? He reached up and felt the bump on his head. Do I have amnesia? He was reasonably sure he didn’t. What’s she doing? He looked at Maria. Her face was flushed and wore a forced grin. He decided to play along—for now. “Oh, that’s nice.” His eyes shifted between Maria and the nurse. “What happened?” They had been on approach to JBLM. Alarms had gone off. “We crashed.” It was both a statement and a question.

  Maria shook her head, then seemed to change her mind. “Well, almost. You strapped me in as the plane rolled on its side.” She told him how he was thrown across the plane, hit his head and then, bleeding from the wound, tumbled about as the pilot righted the craft and made a hard, but successful, landing.

  The nurse hung the chart on the bed. “I’ve got to notify the doctor.” She hurried from the room leaving the door ajar.

  Caden could see that Maria and Adam were fine, but he asked, “Was anyone else hurt?”

  Maria nodded. “Yes. The pilot has two cracked ribs, the Governor’s wife dislocated her arm, there were lots of bruises and some cuts, but you got the worst of the injuries.”

  Caden sighed with relief. There had been so much death these last few days. He didn’t want to mourn anyone else. “I want to see…”

  “Everyone else has already been discharged. The Governor and his staff have gone to Olympia and Turner and his men flew to Fairchild. I’m sure they enjoyed getting on a plane so soon after that landing. I don’t think I’ll ever step on a plane again.”

  He reached up and felt the bandages and his sore head. “What caused the plane to crash or land hard or whatever?”

  “Seattle.”

  His head pounded again. “Seattle caused our plane to crash?” Then he understood. “Seattle is gone?”

  “Yes, well, part of it. The bomb was on a boat in…what do they call all that water?”

  “Puget Sound?”

  “Yes. The terrorists were out on Puget Sound and the authorities found out about them. Their boat must not have been in position when they detonated it. The wave from the blast caused a lot of damage to the port area, there were fires and radiation but fortunately the damage was less than in other cities.”

  “Oh.” He looked at the electronics beeping and blinking in the room.

  She seemed to anticipate his question. “The plane was still a couple thousand feet in the air. You might remember, we saw a flash when it happened.”

  He shook his head.

  She moved toward the door. “News reports say there was only limited damage in Tacoma, mostly in the port area, and people in Olympia didn’t even see the flash or get hit by the pulse.”

  Checking along the rails he found the controller and inclined the head of the bed. He gently propped himself up and discovered, through pain, bruises on his legs and torso.

  “I’m really glad you’re okay,” Maria shut the door. Again her face flushed. “Ah…I suppose you want to know why the nurse thinks we’re married.”

  “I’ve got to admit I’m a bit curious about when that might have happened.”

  “When they brought you in, I came along.” She grinned sheepishly. “I guess I was pretty frantic. They asked me to sign some papers and I realized they thought I was your wife. I didn’t want them to wait while they sorted things out so I signed as Mrs. Maria Westmore.”

  He felt he should be annoyed by her deception, but all that emerged from him was a laugh.

  “And besides as your wife they let me stay here.” She looked about. “This room is warm, they have clean, running water and the food in the cafeteria is good.”

  He shook his head. “If hospital food is now considered good, then the world as we know it is finished.” He rubbed his chin. “And David and the Governor? They think we’re married?”

  She nodded. “Did you ever say otherwise?”

  He thought for a moment. “No,” he said slowly, “but I’m a bit embarrassed.”

  “Why?” she said with irritation in her voice and eyes.

  “When Lieutenant Turner escorted you to the plane at Fort Rucker, they must have thought we were having a serious marital quarrel.”

  She smiled enigmatically. “We were.”

  * * *

  Caden flipped through the channels. New York had been spared and was once again the nation’s capital, but of much more significance to him at that moment was that the city was the home of several news networks and they were all back on the air.

  “Turn it down some, please.”

  Caden glanced at Maria.

  She pointed to the baby sleeping on the cot. “It’s going to wake Adam.”

  He pressed the volume button.

  Someone knocked on the door.

  Adam cried.

  Maria sighed.

  Caden looked at her, a portrait of exasperation and shrugged. “Come in.”

  Governor Monroe smiled as he stepped into the room. “I hear you’re recovering well.”

  “Thankfully I have a hard head,” he said, muting the television. “I thought you had gone to Olympia.”

  Maria took the crying baby from the room as Governor Monroe pulled up a chair and sat beside Caden’s bed. “I did, but I wanted to see you before you were released and headed home. He made small talk for a minute and then said, “On the plane you spoke of North Korea and China working together.”

  Caden nodded.

  “You also said that the Security Council resolution to allow Chinese technicians and troops into North Korea would pass.”

  “If my theory is right then yes, it should pass.” Caden sat up more in the bed. “Did it?”

  The governor nodded.

  “Then I expect North Korea to attack the south very soon.”

  “Why?”

  “That was the price North Korea extracted from China.”

  The governor moved his chair closer. “I’ve got to admit, I don’t follow.”

  “China is behind all of this, but they need plausible deniability, so they tell the North Korean government to supply the fissionable material.”

  “But the North has sold nuclear technology before, why do you think China is behind these attacks?”

  “The North has a reputation for selling to the highest bidder, but they’re not stupid. They know if the material is used for attacks against us it’ll be traced back to them and we would certainly retaliate.”

  “So why would they do it?”

  “The North’s economy is in a shambles.” Caden gestured with his right hand for North Korea and his left for China. “They need the money that China would pay for their cooperation, but I’m sure they demanded two more things.”

  Monroe looked confused. �
�What?”

  “First, the protection they get from this U.N. resolution.”

  “How does a Chinese invasion protect them?”

  “It’s not really an invasion. The Chinese are probably retrieving nuclear processing equipment they loaned to the North, but the Chinese can state to the world that they are there by request of the United Nations and assisting UN inspectors. However,” Caden wagged his finger, “we can’t attack the North without killing Chinese troops and U.N. inspectors who are there by authority of the United Nations.”

  The governor nodded. “I see.”

  “And since we can’t attack North Korea without killing Chinese soldiers and U.N. personnel, the North is free to attack South Korea.”

  Monroe swore and rubbed his chin.

  “It’s really just an educated guess. I could be wrong about….”

  He held up his hand. “No, no. I think you are right. North Korea has been cooperating with China and the United Nations, but they have been protesting alleged incursions by South Korea for the last two days.”

  “I haven’t heard this on the news?”

  Monroe looked Caden in the eye. “President Durant declared martial law in much of the country. News is being censored.”

  “The first amendment….”

  The Governor shook his head. “Officially the ‘Homeland Security Advisors’ are there to keep the media from reporting anything helpful to terrorists, and I guess they do that, but nothing that puts Durant or what is left of the federal government in a bad light gets past them.”

  Caden shook his head. His country was dying in more ways than he had imagined.

  Maria entered the room holding a sleeping Adam, and sat on the cot.

  Monroe smiled at Maria as she sat down. “Durant is right to restore the federal government,” he said turning back to Caden, “but not at the expense of liberty.” He looked Caden firmly in the eye. “Things will change when I’m elected in November.”

  Caden nodded. “You’ve got my vote.”

  “Thank you.” His faced relaxed into a smile. “However, there is another reason I’m here,” the Governor said in a more upbeat tone, “I’ve got to get back to Olympia, but before I leave I wanted to ask you to join my advisory staff, if you’re up to it.”

  Caden smiled. “This is a great opportunity—joining the team of the leading presidential candidate….”

  “Actually, at the moment, I’m the only candidate.”

  Caden’s mind raced for a moment and then recalled. The other candidate had been Senator Horton. He would have been at the joint session of Congress on the night of the bombing. “Oh, yes.”

  “Will you join me?”

  Caden was unsure why, but he looked at Maria.

  She shrugged.

  “Yes, I would be proud to work for the next president.”

  “Great. I’m heading back to Olympia this afternoon. I talked with the nurse on duty. She tells me you should be released tomorrow. Meet me at my office in the capitol when you get there. I’ll just keep you a little while and then you can head home and check on your family.” They shook hands and then the governor stood, nodded to Maria, and left the room.

  Caden turned and smiled at Maria. “It will be nice to get home.” As he said it, he realized his home was not her home. “Well, when we get to my house…it’ll be nice for you too.” His face burned. “You’ll like it…they’ll like you.”

  “I know what you mean. I’m fine now. I’ll be fine there too.”

  Again he smiled, grateful for her understanding heart. Slowly his eyes lifted to the still muted television. The caption at the bottom of the screen said, “Presidential Press Secretary.” There behind the podium stood Rebecca Thornton—Becky.

  Caden pushed buttons wildly attempting to turn on the sound.

  “What’s wrong?” Maria asked.

  “Ah, nothing…”

  Chapter Nine

  Caden looked out the window. Rays of light shone through the trees at the edge of the hospital grounds. The day has been bright, but now the sun is setting. Returning his gaze to the television, he continued his fruitless flipping from one channel to the next. For several hours he had searched the networks for more video or information about Becky, but all he found was that one brief sound bite that told him she was alive. How had she escaped Atlanta? How had she become President Durant’s press secretary? Why was she working for Durant? He had no answers, but he was determined to find them.

  * * *

  Maria told him that many of the soldiers from the base had deployed to provide security and assistance for a wave of refugees moving south, away from the Seattle destruction and contamination, but none of that made it into the news. All he had seen on TV was stories of the valiant Coast Guardsmen who pursued the terrorists and lost their lives in the blast. He was sure that medical facilities were overwhelmed and the doctor had more urgent tasks than to release him, but he was anxious to go.

  The doctor finally appeared around ten the next morning. After examining Caden he said, “You have a concussion. Two weeks ago I would have kept you another day, but…well…you’ll be fine.”

  He scribbled notes on the medical chart. “Get a copy of your record when you leave, and see a doctor when you get home.”

  Caden nodded.

  Maria left Adam on the bed with Caden and returned moments later with a wheelchair.

  “I don’t need that,” Caden said.

  “It’s a rule,” the doctor mumbled. “Just till you’re out the door.”

  If you’re well enough to go home why do they make you use a wheelchair? Another one of life’s great mysteries.

  After the doctor departed, Caden said, “Let’s get packed.”

  “I’m done.”

  “Okay, I’ll get started.”

  It didn’t take them long to pack his duffle bag. As they folded and locked the bag he asked, “Where’s my gun?”

  “Military police,” She retrieved a slip of paper from her pocket. “They have it. The officer said you could get it when you leave.”

  Caden grumbled as he looked at the receipt for his gun. I guess I wouldn’t expect the Army to allow patients to keep guns in a hospital. They would have to stop by the MP office as they left.

  As soon as they were out the door Caden stood—and wobbled. Okay, you do have a concussion. He touched the edge of the wheelchair to steady himself. Take things a bit slower. He had planned to sling the duffle bag over his shoulder and march away from the hospital, but dizziness changed his mind. He dropped the bag on the sidewalk while Maria returned the chair to the hospital.

  They walked slowly to the military police office adjacent to the front gate. Several dozen people packed the small lobby of the office when they arrived. Every chair was filled. After several minutes an older man waved Maria over.

  “You must be tired carrying that baby,” he said. “Take my seat.”

  “I couldn’t.”

  He pointed to a young man near the head of the line. “That’s my son. We won’t be here that much longer.”

  “Thank you,” she said, sitting down.

  For more than an hour the line inched forward. Caden was hungry, but close to the front of the line when he felt a hand rest on his shoulder. Maria stood beside him. “You should have stayed seated.”

  “My butt is sore.”

  Caden nodded. His feet were sore.

  Up ahead they heard, “I’m here to see my client.”

  The MP behind the counter said, “May I see your security badge?”

  “Why? You know me.”

  “Orders,” he said as if it were the millionth time. “That’s all.”

  The man pulled out his badge.

  Maria’s eyes widened as she whispered. “I don’t have one of those badges.”

  “Don’t worry. It’s my gun. They don’t need to talk to you.”

  Five minutes later Caden was at the head of the line. Placing his badge and the receipt on the counter he expl
ained they had his revolver.

  The corporal nodded. “Are you heading directly off base?”

  “Yes.”

  “I need either military or homeland identification and a concealed carry permit.” He pulled out a form. “Fill this out while I get your weapon.”

  When the corporal returned Caden noticed the gun was unloaded. “Where’s the bullets?”

  “You don’t really expect us to give you a gun and the bullets do you?” The corporal paused for just a moment. “Keep it concealed until you are out the gate and clear of the sentries. If they see the gun they will take it from you or worse.”

  The corporal looked past Caden. “Are you with this man?”

  Maria nodded.

  “May I see your badge?”

  “Why?” Caden asked.

  He sighed. “Orders, that’s all.”

  “I don’t have one.”

  “You can’t be on the base without one.”

  “I was on the plane that landed during the attack on Seattle.”

  “Boarding an interstate flight requires a Homeland Security badge. Do you have a passport?”

  She shook her head.

  Concern crossed his face. “Maybe a driver’s license?”

  Maria smiled and quickly pulled it from her pocket.

  His eyes remained fixed on the license. “I’m sorry this doesn’t meet the requirements of the Real ID law. “Lieutenant, could you come here?”

  While the two MPs talked, Caden’s concern grew.

  “Do you have any other identification?” the Lieutenant asked.

  “No.”

  “Anyone on base without proper ID must be taken into custody.” The Lieutenant looked at Maria and shrugged. “Orders. Sorry.”

  Mari’s eyes begged Caden to find a solution. “You better take Adam.”

  Anger and adrenaline flowed. Caden’s every muscle was taut. He wanted to punch the two soldiers in the room, but knew it would solve nothing. Reluctantly he took the now crying Adam into his arms.

  * * *

  Gray clouds darkened the sky as Caden stumbled into his barracks room late in the afternoon. Without turning on a light he laid Adam on a blanket. “Kid, you sure are heavy. How does Maria carry you around all day?” After caring for the child, Caden collapsed in a chair.