Read Online Orpheus: Homecoming (The Orpheus Trilogy Book 2) by Dan DeWitt - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Dan DeWitt
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anything.
"Something I need to know?" Robertson asked.
"Nope, just making him wait."
"Can we just do this already?" Ethan asked.
“I'm with the kid,” Trager said, and approached the table.
Ralston sat down, and everyone else wearing uniform followed suit.
Holt nodded. “Where do we start?”
Ralston slid a stack of requisition sheets over to him. He pulled out high-end pen and slid that over, too. “Just tell us what you need, Captain.”
Bon Voyage
Holt pulled as close to the dock as he could, parking spots be damned. He turned off the engine and left the keys dangling in the ignition. The truck wasn't going to stay there long.
“I hate this.” Jackie had been crying off and on for the better part of an hour, but she seemed to have mostly come to grips that she was going to have to say goodbye to her boys for a little while. “It's just so stupid.” Her fingers flexed around the handles of what she normally used as her beach bag, and Holt wondered why she'd brought that instead of her everyday purse.
“Stupid just happens to be our specialty, Ma.” Ethan got out of the truck and walked to the truck bed.
Rachel and his parents joined him at the back of the truck. Ethan dropped the gate and grabbed a duffel bag. The name “C. Holt” was stenciled on it, and he handed it to his father, who hoisted it onto his shoulder. Ethan and Rachel did the same with their bags. Holt reached into the truck box and grabbed a smaller backpack.
“What's that?” Jackie asked.
“Just a few things I couldn't fit in the bag.”
Jackie slid it off of his shoulder and slung it on her own. She smiled. “Come on. I'll walk you three to work.”
The closer they got to the pier, the thicker the crowd got. The official departure hadn't been announced, but word had gotten out, and several hundred people crowded the fence to get a look at Holt and his team. They clapped as he approached the checkpoint. He turned around and gave them a wave, then turned to the guard.
“Go right ahead, sir, and good luck,” the guard said as he checked off Holt's name. He waved Ethan and Rachel through after they showed their identification, but he stopped Jackie. “I'm sorry, ma'am, no civilians past this point.”
Holt, the only one in uniform, cleared his throat and pointed to his name tag. “Who would you call to have someone authorized?”
The guard shuffled his paperwork nervously. “Uh, you, sir.” He hesitated, unsure what to write.
“It's Jackie, sweetie.”
He smiled and wrote it down. “Thank you, ma'am. Go right ahead.”
The four of them walked down the pier to the waiting ferry. The sound of Holt's boots hitting the wood was magnified by the lack of any conversation. They checked in with the final guard, who informed him that they were the last to arrive.
An airman approached and asked if they needed anything from their duffel bags. “They'll arrive after you secure the school and give the word.”
Jackie began to cry again, and her goodbyes came quickly. She hugged Ethan and Rachel fiercely. She kissed her husband and broke away before he was ready. He reached out for her again, but she was already out of reach. She walked backward on the pier and said, “You take care of each other. I won't lose any of you, understand?” She turned around and quickened her pace.
Holt watched her until she made it to the truck and got in. He motioned for the other two to get on the ferry, all the while hating himself for screwing up so badly. He stepped on, and a crew member closed the door behind him.
The first familiar face he saw was Martin Trager.
“I didn't think you were coming with us,” Holt said.
“I wanted to see you off, and I'll be checking in daily. If and when you actually need anything, you call me.”
“Speaking of which, communications?”
“Secure the school and the surrounding area. Then, we'll send in C.E. to set up power and your comm. You'll have phones, internet, satellite TV,
"Something I need to know?" Robertson asked.
"Nope, just making him wait."
"Can we just do this already?" Ethan asked.
“I'm with the kid,” Trager said, and approached the table.
Ralston sat down, and everyone else wearing uniform followed suit.
Holt nodded. “Where do we start?”
Ralston slid a stack of requisition sheets over to him. He pulled out high-end pen and slid that over, too. “Just tell us what you need, Captain.”
Bon Voyage
Holt pulled as close to the dock as he could, parking spots be damned. He turned off the engine and left the keys dangling in the ignition. The truck wasn't going to stay there long.
“I hate this.” Jackie had been crying off and on for the better part of an hour, but she seemed to have mostly come to grips that she was going to have to say goodbye to her boys for a little while. “It's just so stupid.” Her fingers flexed around the handles of what she normally used as her beach bag, and Holt wondered why she'd brought that instead of her everyday purse.
“Stupid just happens to be our specialty, Ma.” Ethan got out of the truck and walked to the truck bed.
Rachel and his parents joined him at the back of the truck. Ethan dropped the gate and grabbed a duffel bag. The name “C. Holt” was stenciled on it, and he handed it to his father, who hoisted it onto his shoulder. Ethan and Rachel did the same with their bags. Holt reached into the truck box and grabbed a smaller backpack.
“What's that?” Jackie asked.
“Just a few things I couldn't fit in the bag.”
Jackie slid it off of his shoulder and slung it on her own. She smiled. “Come on. I'll walk you three to work.”
The closer they got to the pier, the thicker the crowd got. The official departure hadn't been announced, but word had gotten out, and several hundred people crowded the fence to get a look at Holt and his team. They clapped as he approached the checkpoint. He turned around and gave them a wave, then turned to the guard.
“Go right ahead, sir, and good luck,” the guard said as he checked off Holt's name. He waved Ethan and Rachel through after they showed their identification, but he stopped Jackie. “I'm sorry, ma'am, no civilians past this point.”
Holt, the only one in uniform, cleared his throat and pointed to his name tag. “Who would you call to have someone authorized?”
The guard shuffled his paperwork nervously. “Uh, you, sir.” He hesitated, unsure what to write.
“It's Jackie, sweetie.”
He smiled and wrote it down. “Thank you, ma'am. Go right ahead.”
The four of them walked down the pier to the waiting ferry. The sound of Holt's boots hitting the wood was magnified by the lack of any conversation. They checked in with the final guard, who informed him that they were the last to arrive.
An airman approached and asked if they needed anything from their duffel bags. “They'll arrive after you secure the school and give the word.”
Jackie began to cry again, and her goodbyes came quickly. She hugged Ethan and Rachel fiercely. She kissed her husband and broke away before he was ready. He reached out for her again, but she was already out of reach. She walked backward on the pier and said, “You take care of each other. I won't lose any of you, understand?” She turned around and quickened her pace.
Holt watched her until she made it to the truck and got in. He motioned for the other two to get on the ferry, all the while hating himself for screwing up so badly. He stepped on, and a crew member closed the door behind him.
The first familiar face he saw was Martin Trager.
“I didn't think you were coming with us,” Holt said.
“I wanted to see you off, and I'll be checking in daily. If and when you actually need anything, you call me.”
“Speaking of which, communications?”
“Secure the school and the surrounding area. Then, we'll send in C.E. to set up power and your comm. You'll have phones, internet, satellite TV,
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