Part 7 (1/2)

I pinched my lips together; a smirk kept trying to break loose. Yeah, both of us working up an appet.i.te was definitely my fault. ”Okay, okay. One chicken sandwich with sweet potato fries, all for you.”

Ella snagged the plate, shaking her head. ”But the fried chicken, the hamburger, the big salad, the enchiladas and the-what is that?”

”Salisbury steak.” I had a soft spot for Salisbury steak. ”I wanted to be sure we took full advantage of Congressman Patrick's generosity.”

”Well, in that case, order me another piece of cake,” she said, settling cross-legged at the foot of the bed with her sandwich. The fact that she was wearing my T-s.h.i.+rt-and little else-made me wonder if I had to eat right this second, or if food could wait another few hours.

Then I yawned, which totally ruined the leer.

”You need to sleep,” she said. ”It's getting late and you've had a hard day.”

I thought about protesting that suggestion, but I found it harder and harder to move my fork to my mouth. I managed to polish off the Salisbury steak and the burger before my eyelids decided to go on strike. I cleared the plates off the bed and crawled under the covers. Ella's chuckle was the last thing I heard before drifting off.

”Matt!” Mamie screams, a sound that tears through me. The pain she has to be experiencing to scream like that ...

Heart in my throat, I shout, ”I'm coming! I'll find you!”

But the dark surrounds me, and I can't tell which direction to go. Each time I lift a foot, it snaps back to the floor, like I'm held by elastic bands.

A voice I know all too well whispers in the darkness, ”We have her now. You're too late-it's hopeless.”

”Matt, wake up. Come on, open your eyes.” A hand shook my shoulder. ”You're having a bad dream. You need to wake up now.”

I came awake with a start to find Ella staring down at me, eyes wide with concern. Early morning light filtered through the curtains. I'd been out a long time.

”That was some nightmare,” she said. ”Do you have them often?”

I rubbed a hand across my face, surprised-and kind of embarra.s.sed-to find tears on my cheeks. That particular dream always made me feel like I'd run a marathon in cement shoes, but I'd never cried before. I knew why I had this time, though. Because deep down, I was starting to believe he was right.

It was hopeless.

”Want to talk about it?” Ella asked, laying a hand on my arm.

”No,” I said. ”This one I have to handle alone.”

I could tell she didn't like the answer, but she nodded and lay down again. I curled up next to her, hoping to get a little more sleep before the day started, but the dream wouldn't leave my head. When Uncle Mike knocked to tell me everyone was meeting downstairs to go to the Pentagon, it was a relief to get up and turn on the lights.

I swept past the crowd waiting for me in the lobby. Saying goodbye to Ella for who knew how long had me pretty wrecked, and I didn't want to be forced into conversation when I was barely hanging on. Leaving that part of my life behind hurt, so I'd told her not to see me off, that I couldn't bear watching her and Penn sadly waving goodbye as our caravan pulled away.

Will was waiting in the backseat of one of the SUVs when I climbed in. He took one look at me, nodded, then stared out the window with a morose expression.

I wasn't the only one having trouble saying goodbye.

”They're going home this afternoon,” I said.

”Safer there,” he said. ”Even if they'll be grounded for the next two years.”

”It sucks to see them go, though.”

”Yeah, it does.” He sighed. ”Penn punched me in the stomach before bursting into tears when I got ready to leave. I've never seen Destroyer cry before. Not once.”

Theirs was a complicated love affair, but there could be no doubt that they were as tight as Ella and I were. ”Ella had a really hard time letting go. So did I.”

”Same here. Even after Penn punched me.” He smiled sadly. ”I think it was her way of telling me she was mad I was leaving.”

That's all either of us said the entire way to the Pentagon. The streets were nearly empty; martial law had been set the night before to deal with the search and rescue. We avoided any streets near the capital and made our way out of town without much trouble, pa.s.sing checkpoints like magic as soon as they saw our IDs. Or our faces.

Mom kept looking over the seat at me, like she was waiting for me to talk. I couldn't, though. I was struggling with the transition back into a soldier's life, and leaning on Mom's shoulder wouldn't make that any easier. The part of me I left at the hotel-the real Matt, the guy only Ella could see anymore-had to go back into storage.

We pulled into the Pentagon and stopped at the guardhouse. The private manning security stared into the SUV with his mouth open. We were waved through without even having to produce IDs and he saluted us all the way through the gate.

”Well, that was weird,” Will murmured.

”We'll have to get used to it,” I said, not sure why I felt so glum about our newfound celebrity. Wasn't the respect of other soldiers what we always wanted?

”Wonder what's going on back home.” He snorted. ”How fast do you think the texts were flying the second we showed up on TV yesterday?”

”Nanoseconds.” There were a few people in Billings who had probably been very surprised when we were outed-Sami Weber and Carter James in particular. An ironic laugh bubbled up. ”At least Mrs. Stevens doesn't have to keep our secret anymore.”

Mamie turned around. ”The princ.i.p.al knew?”

”Yeah, someone told her,” I said, staring at the back of Mom's head. ”It caused quite a reaction.”

”I imagine.” My sister smiled-for the first time I'd seen in three days. ”That's actually pretty funny.”

Any levity faded as we pulled up to the doors, where General Richardson, Sergeant Davis and Congressman Tarantino waited. The congressman was out of place with his nice suit and styled hair, but his face was as grim as the general's.

”Uh oh,” I said. ”Something's happening.”

Will leaned over to see out my window. ”What do you want to bet we're about to be deployed?”

”Nothing.” Their expressions-and the fact that they met us personally-told me what I needed to know.

D.C. had only been the beginning.

We went inside single file, bypa.s.sing the security line. I wondered at that, but the general didn't stop until we entered a large conference room.

”Mrs. Archer, I'm afraid you and Brent need to wait in another room.” The general motioned to an aide. ”Please take them to my office and make them comfortable.”

Mom crossed her arms. ”I want to know what's going to happen to my son. He's still a minor, which means I have a right to be here.” Then she paused. ”Wait, you said Brent and I need to leave. What about Mamie?”

The general exchanged glances with Uncle Mike. ”We need her, too.”

”Well, then.” Mom plopped down in a chair. ”I'd invite you to try to make me leave.”