The carts pulled on for the rest of the day while they crawled up and down the sloping road along the river. Tom was entranced by the grass blades rippled like ocean waves in the wind. Short sunflowers dotted the landscape and even small shrubs started growing. Blackberry bushes with prickly vines and pointed leaves sprouted up everywhere around them.The sun sank over the mountains, casting its dazzling sunset yet again, but this time the clouds looked heavy and dark. They broke for another meal. Tom joined his usual circle. He set a burner simmering a pot of tomato pasta."How's she doing?" Tom asked as he sat down next to Jimmy.Alex lay in his lap covered in blankets. Dark circles were heavy under her eyes. She was barely conscious as Jimmy tried to coax a scoop of mashed potatoes down her throat from an open MRE pouch. She swallowed them so painfully slowly it made it hard for Tom to watch.Jimmy shook his head. "Not well, she's barely been awake for the last two days.""How
Tom and Jimmy stood staring at the metal bridge."What do you think?" Jimmy asked."I think that someone did this on purpose," Tom said.The metal bridge ahead of them was the color of rust beneath the poking vines covering it. Patches of road had fallen through, but the center metal frame arching over the structure was still intact.Jimmy turned. "Smart kids, come here."Ellie and Weylin appeared."Will the carts make it?" Jimmy asked."We can go check." Ellie grabbed Weylin's arm and tugged him along after her.Jimmy nodded to two guards. They followed after them as Ellie and Weylin walked down the bridge.Tom watched them disappeared behind the vines before he turned to Jimmy again. "What are we going to do if we can't bring the carts?"Jimmy swung his gaze back to the caravan. "I guess carry what we can and come back for it later. It's only a little more than a day away.""Should we just bring food? Will we have enough fresh water?" Tom asked, not expecting an answer."
Tom knocked on the door to the new medical wing before entering. Brooke shot him a smile as she organized medicines in a cabinet. He strode up behind her, wrapped his arms around her, and kissed her neck."I missed you," he whispered in her ear."You were only gone for three days." She turned toward him and looked up at him with her golden hazel eyes."It was a really long three days.""Did you get the carts?"He nodded. "They are getting unpacked as we speak. How is she?""Ellie has her hooked up to some brain monitor stuff. She says that without Jack's input, it's hard to tell what is really going on. So pretty much, we still don't know anything.""How's the baby?"Brooke looked surprised and then looked at Alex. "Oh, fine. Still too early to tell the sex, but it seems healthy enough.""You're keeping something from me."Brooke looked away and smiled. "Maybe."He pulled her closer and kissed her ear. "What is it?""It's too soon to be sure.""You can still tell me."Bro
Jack blinked his eyes slowly. His eyelids felt heavy. When he finally wiped enough haze from them to see, the pseudo-sunlight streaming through the window blinded him. He wiped at his eyes again and cast around the room. Fresh flowers sat on a table between two chairs. A silent monitor displayed his vitals. A tube ran into the crook of his arm. A chart across from him displayed information like nurses' and doctors' names, check-in times, course of action, and other hospital information.He searched his mind for memories but found them blurry and vague. His left arm felt stiff. When he looked down at it he saw a bullet wound healed over. A memory triggered, one of him jumping out for Henry while shots flew passed. He must have been hit. He squeezed his eyes shut to see if he remembered more. Another look down at his arm made him flinch. They must have healed him really fast because it looked very good. He wondered how that could be in only a couple of days.The door swung open. A woma
Three weeks after waking from the coma, Jack sat in an office turned classroom as his trainer, what was his name? Roger, Reeger, Renger, spoke about the origination of the original Congress in Greek times and how it had been adopted by different civilizations throughout history.He could feel his lids getting heavy as the lecture continued. His fingers crawled to his arm and pinched hard. The small amount of pain gave him a little jolt of awareness, but not enough to sustain him.Henry walked through the door. The lecture came to a grinding halt. Jack smiled, secretly thanking the man for his timing, but still holding on to that underlying distrust."Out," Henry said and the teacher disappeared out the door in the blink of an eye. Henry spread his hands out on Jack's desk and leaned forward on them. "My man, the news is looking good! It's only been two weeks since your official return, but you are already top in the polls for thirty percent of neighborhoods. It's just a matter of ti
Jack straightened his bow tie in the mirror then smoothed back his newly cut and dyed hair. He still hated it, but it had become part of his new persona. He'd discussed changing it with Zeven but lost the battle. He turned around to the stylist behind him that finished primping him for his debut. After one more smoothed wrinkle, he strode out the door toward the double stairways down into the foyer. His fake name boomed through the room. All eyes turned his way. After a deep breath, he descended into the crowd with a gallant smile on his face. Henry's smiling green eyes met him at the bottom."Great job, you didn't even trip this time," Henry whispered at his side. "It's much harder than it looks when you get to thinking about it."Jack nodded. "I'm more worried about what to say.""Don't look worried about it. Just say positive things. Use the phrases that we coached you on. Once we get to the auction you can relax, but remember, all eyes will be on you tonight."Alexandra appeare
"No James, here, let me show you how it's done." Henry lined up his golf ball on the tee and pulled back the club. It hit the ball with a thwack. The ball flew up and over the green rolling turf. It landed after a couple descending bounces."It's a little bit different watching you do it than actually swinging the club," Jack said."That may be true, but a lot of deals are done on the golf course. You need to be able to keep up with these guys. So, put your back into it and hit that ball."Jack set the next ball down on the tee."There now relax, bend down, then pull back and just think like you're tossing the ball out into the great unknown.""That just sounds so easy," Jack mumbled."Don't get terse. Just hit the thing."Jack swung back the club, lined up the shot, and then whacked it hard. Turf and the tee flew. The ball actually flew this time, but only about a meter and to the left.Henry tilted his head to the side. "Well, at least it's an improvement. I think you just ne
Jack fought off the biggest feeling of deja vu he had ever had. He stood with grips, Politions, and consultants milling around him underneath the stage of the International Congress Combouya. This was his big debate, the final one before the election. He nervously twisted his ring about his finger as he fought a bout of nausea.Alexandra put a hand on his arm. "You don't look well."Henry squeezed his other shoulder with a hand. "Just remember your talking points and smile. It's almost your turn."They led him to the line of candidates taking the spiral staircase upward. They released him and at the same time both said, "Good luck.""We're counting on you to win this," Henry added.Jack smiled back at them through gritted teeth. He followed the candidate ahead of him one step at a time until it opened up on the stage. The circular stage was surrounded at its edge with podiums. He smiled and waved from his podium while the others sat their spouses in the first row of seating before