help.”
“What are you thinking?”
“You’re leaving. Sam and Azadeh are already gone.” He was repeating himself now. “If we stayed here, we’d just be hanging around and hoping they like us enough to feed us. Everyone is doing something. We think that we can do something useful, too.”
The wind blew again, gusting a strand of blonde hair in front of Sara’s eyes. She swiped at it quickly, brushing the tears away at the same time.
Ammon gritted his teeth. “We were talking to one of the sergeants at the security desk. You might have noticed him. Tall, black guy. Young. Anyway, he found out who we are, so he came to talk to us. Seems they’re looking for—”
The two jet engines on the military aircraft started turning. A low grumble erupted from their cores as the fire within them started, the sound growing instantly louder and more powerful. They were standing fifty or sixty feet in front of the transport aircraft and they had to almost scream to hear each other now. A sergeant in camouflage fatigues ran toward them. “They’re waiting for you, Mrs. Brighton,” he said in Sara’s ear.
She nodded to him, then lifted a single finger. He acknowledged her request for more time and stepped back, giving the family a final minute to say good-bye.
“What are you thinking?” Sara demanded again.
They huddled close together, Luke and Ammon continuing to shoot anxious looks between themselves. What were they going to tell her? How was she going to take it? They didn’t know. “The military is looking for volunteers. Of course, they always are. But it’s different now. Kind of like after 9/11, but way more. They need people to go around and help some of the most devastated regions,” Ammon said. “They’re sending men to Washington—”
“Back to D.C.?”
“Apparently.”
“Is it even safe to go back there?”
“I guess so, Mom.
“Mrs. Brighton,” the sergeant cried, taking a step toward them. She tried to brush him off again but he was pulling on her arm now. The aircraft was starting to slide forward, closing the space between them. Ammon took a step toward his mother and she pulled out of the sergeant’s grasp. “Don’t worry about us, OK, Mom?” he said. “Luke and I will stay together. We’re going to be all right. But we want to do something—we need to do something to help. We know where to find you. We’ll let you know that we’re OK.”
The sergeant was becoming agitated now. “Mrs. Brighton, we really have to go!”
“Go, Mom. Be careful. Don’t worry about us. This is what we’re supposed to do—this is our time to help now, our calling,” Ammon smiled at her proudly. “We’ll be all right. And we’ll be back.”
The sergeant tugged on Sara’s arm again, almost dragging her away. She went with him for a step or two, then pulled away and ran back. Grabbing her sons, she drew them close and held them tight. All of them were crying now, but they were no longer tears of fear. The Spirit settled on them. “I love you both so much,” she said. “I love you more than anything. I’m so proud of you. So proud. There’s never been a mother more grateful for her sons.”
She pulled away and looked at them, her eyes opening wide now in surprise. “My dream! It just came to me! I remember it all so clearly now. The messenger who came to me, I remember every word he said.”
“What is it, Mom? What did he tell you?”
She brought her hand up to her mouth and leaned toward them, her face peaceful and full of light. She closed her eyes and smiled. “He said he wanted to remind me that the power that binds families is real. It’s real here on earth and it’s real in heaven, too.”
TWO
Raven Rock (Site R), Underground Military Complex, Southern Pennsylvania
The tunnel was narrow, with a slippery cement floor and gray cinder-block walls. It sloped gently downward, leading toward the access door. There were at least six other entries into Raven Rock, most of
“What are you thinking?”
“You’re leaving. Sam and Azadeh are already gone.” He was repeating himself now. “If we stayed here, we’d just be hanging around and hoping they like us enough to feed us. Everyone is doing something. We think that we can do something useful, too.”
The wind blew again, gusting a strand of blonde hair in front of Sara’s eyes. She swiped at it quickly, brushing the tears away at the same time.
Ammon gritted his teeth. “We were talking to one of the sergeants at the security desk. You might have noticed him. Tall, black guy. Young. Anyway, he found out who we are, so he came to talk to us. Seems they’re looking for—”
The two jet engines on the military aircraft started turning. A low grumble erupted from their cores as the fire within them started, the sound growing instantly louder and more powerful. They were standing fifty or sixty feet in front of the transport aircraft and they had to almost scream to hear each other now. A sergeant in camouflage fatigues ran toward them. “They’re waiting for you, Mrs. Brighton,” he said in Sara’s ear.
She nodded to him, then lifted a single finger. He acknowledged her request for more time and stepped back, giving the family a final minute to say good-bye.
“What are you thinking?” Sara demanded again.
They huddled close together, Luke and Ammon continuing to shoot anxious looks between themselves. What were they going to tell her? How was she going to take it? They didn’t know. “The military is looking for volunteers. Of course, they always are. But it’s different now. Kind of like after 9/11, but way more. They need people to go around and help some of the most devastated regions,” Ammon said. “They’re sending men to Washington—”
“Back to D.C.?”
“Apparently.”
“Is it even safe to go back there?”
“I guess so, Mom.
“Mrs. Brighton,” the sergeant cried, taking a step toward them. She tried to brush him off again but he was pulling on her arm now. The aircraft was starting to slide forward, closing the space between them. Ammon took a step toward his mother and she pulled out of the sergeant’s grasp. “Don’t worry about us, OK, Mom?” he said. “Luke and I will stay together. We’re going to be all right. But we want to do something—we need to do something to help. We know where to find you. We’ll let you know that we’re OK.”
The sergeant was becoming agitated now. “Mrs. Brighton, we really have to go!”
“Go, Mom. Be careful. Don’t worry about us. This is what we’re supposed to do—this is our time to help now, our calling,” Ammon smiled at her proudly. “We’ll be all right. And we’ll be back.”
The sergeant tugged on Sara’s arm again, almost dragging her away. She went with him for a step or two, then pulled away and ran back. Grabbing her sons, she drew them close and held them tight. All of them were crying now, but they were no longer tears of fear. The Spirit settled on them. “I love you both so much,” she said. “I love you more than anything. I’m so proud of you. So proud. There’s never been a mother more grateful for her sons.”
She pulled away and looked at them, her eyes opening wide now in surprise. “My dream! It just came to me! I remember it all so clearly now. The messenger who came to me, I remember every word he said.”
“What is it, Mom? What did he tell you?”
She brought her hand up to her mouth and leaned toward them, her face peaceful and full of light. She closed her eyes and smiled. “He said he wanted to remind me that the power that binds families is real. It’s real here on earth and it’s real in heaven, too.”
TWO
Raven Rock (Site R), Underground Military Complex, Southern Pennsylvania
The tunnel was narrow, with a slippery cement floor and gray cinder-block walls. It sloped gently downward, leading toward the access door. There were at least six other entries into Raven Rock, most of
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