“I’m trying to help, too. Emily really is the total package. If you pass on her, I’m going to go out with her myself, just so I can get a fancy title.”
He glared at her.
“You know what I mean. She’s a catch!”
They stood there, side by side, for another few minutes. The scenery of the afternoon couldn’t have been nicer, at least for their part of Wyoming. The water surface danced with tiny waves. Wind blew through the pine boughs. It smelled like a Christmas tree lot. However, all at once, Uncle Ted patted his pants pockets as if he’d forgotten something.
“Dang it. I left my spare magazine in the truck. Will you hang out here for a sec? I also remembered a story about your mother you’re going to appreciate. Just wait, okay?”
She waved him off. They’d shared a million stories of Mom over the years, so she doubted it was anything new. However, if Mom was gone forever, she was willing to tolerate any repeat stories so they would burn into her memory. “I’ll be here.”
Uncle Ted walked away but stood by the corner of the cabin for a few extra seconds; she heard his footsteps in the crunchy pine needles when he finally strode away. A stunning blue jay squawked at her from up in a nearby pine, diverting her attention back to the big show Mother Nature had put on for them.
Minutes later, her uncle still hadn’t come back. It didn’t bother her at first, but after another brief wait, she started to think he’d forgotten about her. That wouldn’t be a surprise, given all the things going on, and with how tired he was, but loneliness made her want to rejoin the group.
She started around toward the front of the cabin, ready to give him grief for not coming back right away. When she arrived in the front yard, she stopped in her tracks. Her stomach rolled sideways, not wanting to be a party to the sight.
“What the…”
The truck was gone.
Glendo, WY
Ted’s conscience nagged him about how things had gone down. He’d shared a tender moment with Kyla while overlooking the beautiful lake, but he’d left her without saying good-bye. Now he and Emily were in the truck racing to get away from the person he loved the most in the world.
“Meechum knows what to do?” he asked.
“Yes,” Emily said sympathetically. “I made it clear her mission in all this was to make sure Kyla stays safe. I have to tell you, she made a compelling case why you should have been the one to stay behind and she should be the one to go with me to NORAD.”
Ted thought back to how he and Kyla had been standing behind the cabin, alone. If Meechum wanted to do it, she could have gone with Emily and snuck off. “Did you think about going with her, instead of me?” It had never crossed his mind to stay behind; he wondered what calculus whipped through her head to arrive at the conclusion she did.
“Well, when you talked to me back at the prairie dog town, I wasn’t sure leaving Kyla behind was the right thing to do. As we got near the cabin, though, and saw how remote it was, I began to wish I was the one who could stay…” Emily swished her hair as she gazed out her window.
“But,” he prodded.
“But apparently, my eyes are required to access the sensitive parts of the defense mainframe. It was either go with someone to the enemy base or send you with one of my eyes. I rather like being able to see with both of them.” She laughed with a nervous energy.
The truck sped through the tiny town of Glendo. In about thirty seconds, he had them back on the empty highway, heading south. It gave him time to digest her statement about picking who she would travel with.
“So, you selected me because of my fighting skills?” They’d been running and fighting for days, so that had to be the reason.
“Not exactly. I think Meechum could take you in a hand-to-hand cage match.”
He chuckled. “You might be right about that.” After a pause, he continued. “So…the reason you chose me was…” He was fishing for her to admit she liked him. Their various kisses notwithstanding, it still felt wrong to pursue his commander-in-chief.
“You have more experience in areas I think I’ll need during this mission. Your piloting skills could be critical when we need to cross a lot of ground. I’ve seen you with a rifle, so I know you’re solid there. Plus, you have a proven track record of keeping me alive. That counts for a lot.” She looked right at him, smiling.
Those were all fine reasons, but not the ones he’d hoped for. “You said I had a blind spot when it comes to you,” he began, watching the road, “and I guess I do. All the joking back when we were all together in the truck makes me uncomfortable, but I don’t really feel that way. Not when I’m alone with you.”
“Ted MacInnis. Is this your convoluted way of saying we’re going steady?”
He shrugged. “If you really want to. I could take it or leave it.”
She sat frozen in her seat for so long he needed to peek over to her. When their eyes met, they both broke into laughter. Being alone with her removed all his inhibitions, as well as the “normal” social order of boss and subordinate. They were simply two people heading out into the apocalypse to do a job. He had to look to the road for a second, but when he returned to her face, he knew he couldn’t keep her hanging. “Yeah, I guess I could take it.”
Having a complicated girlfriend wasn’t exactly protocol for an Air Force lifer such
