The first orange crack split the horizon into heaven and earth. As if the night had been slashed open with a saber. Maxwell could see faces. Bodies. Damage.
“Sergeant Major?” he called.
No answer.
“Captain Barnes?”
No answer.
But plenty of his soldiers remained alive. More and more of them emerged, ghostly, from the gray depths between the trees. More had survived than seemed reasonable after those infernal hours. But it was hard to spot one who wasn’t smeared with blood.
Black lumps littered the ground. Lot more of them than of us, Maxwell thought. But it was slight consolation. Behind scorched trees, a comms vehicle smoldered.
In the eternal voice of the eternal sergeant, an NCO asked the world, “Anybody got any fucking coffee? I don’t care how cold it is…”
What was he supposed to do now? Use semaphore? Messengers? In one of the not-quite lulls between wave attacks, he’d managed to raise brigade and report the EMP mines. At least, he thought they’d copied him. Higher had to know about that par tic u lar threat. Before everybody in the corps started running into them.
Call the mental roll: Two companies dead, as far as their electronics went — would they have replacement comms gear somewhere up the chain? Actual casualty figures unknown. A battalion headquarters in shreds. And an enemy who meant business after all.
What was a commander supposed to do under the circumstances?
Maxwell had no trouble answering his own question:
Sarah Colmer-Harris wasn’t sure she should answer the phone. The crank calls had reached a level of vitriol that shocked her, despite all that she’d heard in her courtroom years. But there was also a chance it would be her daughter calling again. She dreaded that call, too. She didn’t have anything left to give to anyone else just now.
Ready to curse the caller, she picked up the phone. “Hello?”
“Sarah?”
“Oh, God. Gary? Is it you?”
“For better, or worse. Worse, if you were close enough to smell me.”
“It’s so good to hear your voice. I can’t tell you how good.” She wanted not to cry. But her strength fled. “Is everything okay? Are you all right?”
“I’m tired. Otherwise unscathed. I wake you, darling?”
“No. I hadn’t gone to bed yet.” She glanced across the room to the half-packed, ill-packed suitcase. “It’s just so wonderful to hear your voice.”
“I love you, Sarah.”
“And I love
“Who is he? I’ll kill him.”
“Only you.” She wiped the wet from her nose with the back of her hand, then rubbed at her tears. “I wish you were here.”
“Wouldn’t mind being there myself. Better than you being here, under the circumstances. Just had one of the memorable meals of my life.”
“
“Yes, Sarah. I’m all right. Are
“Fine. Better now. Since you called.” How much did he know? she wondered.
“Listen, Sarah… I can’t tie up this line. I’m breaking my own rule. But… here it is… the reason I called…”
She cringed. Beginning to shrivel inside. He
“What? Tell me.”
“Sarah… I just wanted you to know that I love you. I needed to tell you that I love you unconditionally, without reservation, and with all my heart. And I have unlimited faith in you. In all things.”
“You’re making me cry.”
“You’ve been crying for the last five minutes. You’ve probably got snot all over the phone.”
“Mr. Romantic.” But he was, he
“I love you, Sarah. That’s all. How are the girls?”
She hesitated. Then she forced herself to speak. Before he began to suspect something.
“Gary… I’ve got something to tell you. But promise me you won’t get upset. You’ve got to promise me.”
“That’s hard, Sarah. What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing so terrible. I just don’t want you hearing rumors and—”
“What’s
“It’s Emily. She’s… been in an accident. Nothing terrible, nothing too serious. Miranda’s with her.”
“She’s going to be all right, though?”
“Yes,” she lied. “She should be fine.”
Dear God, she prayed to the being she didn’t believe in, Dear God, just let me get through this. Don’t let him know. Please. He doesn’t need this now. I can bear it for the two of us. Until he comes home.
“Well, if anything—”
“She’s going to be fine.”
“Sarah… I’ve got to go.”
“I know. I love you.”
“And I love you. Give my love to Emily. Tell her she’s got terrible timing. And give Miranda a hug for me. A big one.”
“I promise. Gary… Come home safe.”
“
“ ‘It won’t be long now.’ Gary, sweetheart… If your men only knew what a little boy you are…”
“I’m relying on you not to tell.”
“I won’t. Girl Scout’s honor. I love you.
“I love you, Sarah.”
Then he was gone. And Sarah turned back to the labor of packing for the flight to her daughter’s funeral.
EIGHTEEN
The emir-general approached with open arms, as if to embrace Montfort. But just when al-Mahdi’s heels stopped clacking on the tile floor, he shifted to the posture for a handshake. The Arab’s grip was firm, distinctly unlike the pudgy Saudi paws Montfort recalled from an earlier war. Al-Mahdi’s robes accented, rather than concealed, his slump-shouldered build. He had the eyes of a successful pawnbroker.
“I hope your immediate journey was not too difficult?” the Arab said. He released his grip on Montfort and swept his right hand toward a wall. “This house is very dear to me. It belonged to my grandfather, you know. The Royal Jordanian general. I loved to visit in my youth. The water here is very sweet, the people respectful. But please! Sit down, General Montfort.”
Al-Mahdi gestured toward a low table laden with plates of fruit and ceramic carafes. Tea steamed, delivered just as Montfort’s he li — cop ter throbbed in for a landing. Montfort faced a choice of a cushioned divan, less plush
