Dave continued, touching on the unit’s involvement, FTEs, unit tactics, infantry and survival training, and some of the advanced one-on-one modules as imparted by his upper echelon. “Janey excelled at practically everything we threw at her. She showed up a very bright, very knowledgeable, very capable young lady who knew plenty from the start before ever engaging with the likes of us. But what she gained knowledge of in that condensed amount of time cultivated her into one abundantly formidable somebody.” He leaned back in his chair, crossed his legs, and allowed his posture to sag. “That’s pretty much it in a nutshell. Finer details do exist, of course, but I’m optimistic that what’s been disclosed thus far serves as adequate.”
With widened eyes, Michelle brought her coffee mug to her lips and took a sip before setting it down. She didn’t say anything at first, benumbed by the synopsis of events, all of which had occurred unbeknownst to her. She tapped her fingertips in succession on her mug and sent Alan an accusatory stare. “I don’t think I’ve ever been so blindsided by anything in all my life.”
“That makes two of us,” Alan said, not missing a beat, looking lost in the moment.
Michelle expelled a faint sigh. “God! This is so frustrating. This is why the two of you were always gone? You weren’t just driving around, looking for a waterfall or scenic overlook, camping or backpacking, hiking or something? You were taking our daughter to a tactical shooting range and having her trained to kill? By these men? By soldiers? Damn you, Alan. This is so much like you. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Michelle, how many times do I have to say this? I don’t know,” countered Alan. “I don’t know why because I can’t remember. And I would think that you’d know that by now! I swear—amnesia is like the worst possible kind of plausible deniability.”
“I know you can’t remember. And I know I shouldn’t hold that against you. But you were there. You made those decisions, you went to those places and did those things—and Lauren was your co-conspirator. You two had secrets that you kept from me. I knew you spent a lot of time together away from me, but I never once thought it to be anything like this. God! If I would’ve known this a long time ago, it would’ve been so much easier to figure her out. I could’ve understood who she was becoming.”
“If it makes you feel any better, hold me accountable, because Lord knows legitimate refutation won’t diminish my culpability.”
Michelle relayed an irascible stare. “You’re right, it won’t. I do hold you accountable. And…I’m irritated—highly. Finding out about this—all this, now? After so long? After witnessing Lauren’s behavior transform like it has? And having zero context or explanation as to why?” She sighed again, her skin turning pale this time. “I’m not angry with you. I’m just irritated. And…really, really dumbstruck.” She regarded Dave. “So…why her? Why my daughter? There had to’ve been a thousand others out there waiting in line for an opportunity like the one you were offering. Why Lauren?”
Dave gnashed his teeth a bit. “No invitations were ever mailed out for any one of our field training exercises. And I don’t recall ever holding one single open enrollment. So, insofar as opportunities being offered, there weren’t any. As I said, your husband came to us. It took time for Alan and Janey to acquire the skills they learned, but after doing so, they both reaped a great degree of hard-earned respect from a gang of characters stereotypically disinclined to sow it. Without that regard, my unit would never have allowed them to train outside the system with us.” A pause. “During my career, I’ve had the pleasure of serving alongside the cream of the crop, the best of the best. And I can forthrightly say that I have never, not once, met anyone so tenaciously dedicated to what she believes in as your daughter.
“She’s one of the fastest learners I’ve ever encountered; prone to mistakes, of course, but all young people fight those demons. I’ve watched her absorb, understand, and execute tactics more efficiently than most phase-two special forces trainees in their second weeks of qualification. Janey is exceptional in every sense of the word. She’s as genuine as they come and has a temperament that tends to grow on a man. I didn’t have much faith in her when we first locked eyes, but she flipped me, something very few people in the world have been able to accomplish. She gave me basis to have faith in a faithless generation, and, to this minute, holds a chunk of my heart in the palm of her hand, and that’s not entirely her fault.” Dave leaned over the table and interlaced his fingers. “Now, I hate to even pose this question, but I know something’s afoot here. Where is she? And what sort of trouble is she in?”
Michelle and Alan both took turns explaining what they knew and, as well, what they didn’t. Afterward, Dave leaned back again and finished his coffee while his expression congealed and his eyes folded into slits.
A rap of knuckles on the door broke the stint of unnerving silence.
“Come in, please. It’s open,” Alan called.
The door flew ajar, and Jean stomped inside, sweat beading on her face and forehead. “Mornin’, sorry to barge
