was thinking, what she wanted. It was a stress response. Many people have experienced it, myself included. Tired as I was, I did not object. But I knew not to rush things. Best to let her set the pace.
“How are you holding up?” I said.
“Better than most of my patients.”
I ran gentle fingers through her hair and kissed the top of her head. “You did everything you could Allison. You can’t save them all.”
“I know. I still hate it.”
We lay quietly a few minutes and listened to the night sounds outside our bedroom window. I had opened the window to let some cool air in. Spring was rapidly headed toward summer, and the days were getting warmer. The nights, on the other hand, would still be refreshingly brisk for a few more weeks. As much as I hated facing a Tennessee summer with no air conditioning, it was good to know the nuclear winter of the last three years was finally abating.
“So many of them were children,” Allison said. “I see that, and I can’t help but think it could happen to our child too.”
The movement of soft fingers dipped lower and brushed at my waistband. Despite the topic of conversation, I felt myself beginning to respond. “I’d like to tell you I would never let that happen, Allison, but I think we’re both realistic enough to know that’s not possible. False bravado only gets people killed. All we can do is be smart and take as few risks as possible. I’ll do everything I can to protect you and the baby. And I know you’ll do the same. That’s all we can do. It’s all anyone can do.”
The hand stopped moving. Her breathing slowed. I knew she was working her way up to say something she did not expect me to like. “Eric,” she said, “I think we should leave.”
Color me surprised. “You mean leave Hollow Rock?”
“Yes. But not yet.”
“Okay,” I said slowly. “When?”
“Somebody has to do something about the Alliance. And the ROC.”
I blinked. “Okay. I agree completely. But what’s that got to do with us leaving town?”
“You remember the other day when you told me you were going with the expedition?”
“Yes. My memory is pretty good when it comes to people throwing things at my head and shouting at me.”
She sat up and looked me in the eye. She did not smile. “I was wrong. You were right. You belong in this fight. There’s a reason I’m telling you this. I overheard Captain Harlow talking on his satellite phone. He and General Jacobs are planning to send a strike team to meet up with Task Force Falcon.”
“Jesus, you heard that? Talk about lousy op-sec.”
Still no smile. “Do you know anything about it?”
“No, but Gabe and I have a meeting with Captain Harlow tomorrow morning. Did you hear anything else?”
“Yes. He wants you and Gabe on the team.”
I was quiet for a long moment. I knew Captain Harlow respected my abilities, but he did not like me very much. The feeling was mutual. We often traded salvage and other goods, but always kept things strictly business. No banter. No jokes. No friendly handshakes to seal a bargain. And while he had hired me in the past for sniper work and recon and such, he had never tried to recruit me for something this high level. It made me nervous. “What else did he say?” I asked.
“They’re going after the Alliance’s leaders.”
I laughed. “Yep. That sounds like General Jacobs. Listen, I appreciate the heads up, but what are you really trying to say? I sense a subtext to this discussion.”
“I want you to go with them, Eric. I want you to help them. The Alliance is weakening. Remember, they’re not really a country, just a loose federation of city-states. And a lot of people living in Alliance territory don’t much care for the way things are being run. They don’t like antagonizing the Union, and they don’t like North Korean commandos in their communities. They don’t like that the Alliance central government legalized slavery. Most Alliance citizens are still angry
“How are you holding up?” I said.
“Better than most of my patients.”
I ran gentle fingers through her hair and kissed the top of her head. “You did everything you could Allison. You can’t save them all.”
“I know. I still hate it.”
We lay quietly a few minutes and listened to the night sounds outside our bedroom window. I had opened the window to let some cool air in. Spring was rapidly headed toward summer, and the days were getting warmer. The nights, on the other hand, would still be refreshingly brisk for a few more weeks. As much as I hated facing a Tennessee summer with no air conditioning, it was good to know the nuclear winter of the last three years was finally abating.
“So many of them were children,” Allison said. “I see that, and I can’t help but think it could happen to our child too.”
The movement of soft fingers dipped lower and brushed at my waistband. Despite the topic of conversation, I felt myself beginning to respond. “I’d like to tell you I would never let that happen, Allison, but I think we’re both realistic enough to know that’s not possible. False bravado only gets people killed. All we can do is be smart and take as few risks as possible. I’ll do everything I can to protect you and the baby. And I know you’ll do the same. That’s all we can do. It’s all anyone can do.”
The hand stopped moving. Her breathing slowed. I knew she was working her way up to say something she did not expect me to like. “Eric,” she said, “I think we should leave.”
Color me surprised. “You mean leave Hollow Rock?”
“Yes. But not yet.”
“Okay,” I said slowly. “When?”
“Somebody has to do something about the Alliance. And the ROC.”
I blinked. “Okay. I agree completely. But what’s that got to do with us leaving town?”
“You remember the other day when you told me you were going with the expedition?”
“Yes. My memory is pretty good when it comes to people throwing things at my head and shouting at me.”
She sat up and looked me in the eye. She did not smile. “I was wrong. You were right. You belong in this fight. There’s a reason I’m telling you this. I overheard Captain Harlow talking on his satellite phone. He and General Jacobs are planning to send a strike team to meet up with Task Force Falcon.”
“Jesus, you heard that? Talk about lousy op-sec.”
Still no smile. “Do you know anything about it?”
“No, but Gabe and I have a meeting with Captain Harlow tomorrow morning. Did you hear anything else?”
“Yes. He wants you and Gabe on the team.”
I was quiet for a long moment. I knew Captain Harlow respected my abilities, but he did not like me very much. The feeling was mutual. We often traded salvage and other goods, but always kept things strictly business. No banter. No jokes. No friendly handshakes to seal a bargain. And while he had hired me in the past for sniper work and recon and such, he had never tried to recruit me for something this high level. It made me nervous. “What else did he say?” I asked.
“They’re going after the Alliance’s leaders.”
I laughed. “Yep. That sounds like General Jacobs. Listen, I appreciate the heads up, but what are you really trying to say? I sense a subtext to this discussion.”
“I want you to go with them, Eric. I want you to help them. The Alliance is weakening. Remember, they’re not really a country, just a loose federation of city-states. And a lot of people living in Alliance territory don’t much care for the way things are being run. They don’t like antagonizing the Union, and they don’t like North Korean commandos in their communities. They don’t like that the Alliance central government legalized slavery. Most Alliance citizens are still angry
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