Monument 14: Savage Drift (Monument 14 Series) by Emmy Laybourne Page B
Authors: Emmy Laybourne
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thin, they sort of bloused out. The belt was needed to keep the material close to the body, as well as hold the cartridges. Otherwise you’d be wearing a gauzy cloud.
There was lots of activity on the tarmac, even though it was the middle of the night now.
“Excuse me sir,” Astrid ventured. “We were wondering … about the suits…”
“Protocol, sweetie. Everyone here is required to keep one on at all times. Waste of money, if you ask me.”
Night crews were servicing helicopters around us.
I saw everyone had safety suits like ours. Most of them wore their safety suits tied off at the waist, instead of fully on, like us.
“This way,” Roufa said, ushering us toward a metal hangar. Just as we walked away, a jeep with a flatbed pulled up to the back of McKinley’s chopper. Two men went to the chopper and opened it, starting to inventory the boxes inside.
“Guess that timed out pretty well, considering,” Roufa quipped.
“Can you tell us where we’re going?” Niko asked. “Where you’re taking us?”
“I’m taking the four of you to Lackland Air Force Base. Believe it or not, I rearranged my schedule to fly at this godforsaken hour. Running a bunch of medical supplies and more of these fancy ki-mo-nos you’re wearing down to Lackland.”
Soldiers and workers passed us as we walked. One or two shot glances our way, but most were busy.
How many Air Force and Army personnel had stuck their necks out for us so far? Roufa made four. No, five if you counted Pete.
I hoped they were good at covering their tracks.
“Lackland in San Antonio?” Jake asked.
“The very same,” Roufa answered.
“San Antone is maybe three hours away from my mom’s place in La Porte!” Jake said.
“Well, that’s good, son. My advice is to get there, find yourself a good doctor, and hole up with your girl for a while,” Roufa said. “I guess we’re all pretty inspired by your story. McKinley told me what y’all did for his kids. I even saw your newspaper story. It’ll be nice to get you settled somewhere nice and cozy.”
“We’re headed to Pennsylvania,” Astrid said pointedly.
She gave me a smile.
I could’ve kissed her.
Jake rolled his eyes, pissed.
Roufa held up a hand. “Don’t tell me your plans; I’d rather not know ’em.”
We skirted a giant, truly gigantic hangar and went over to a row of parked vehicles.
Roufa got into a jeep and gave an underhanded wave, motioning for us all to get in.
“Hey!” came a voice. “Wait!”
It was Captain McKinley. He jogged over to the jeep.
“Roufa-man!” McKinley said. He was grinning. The two men hugged.
“I can’t thank you enough for this,” McKinley said.
“It’s nothin’ you wouldn’t do for me,” Roufa answered seriously. He clapped McKinley on the shoulder and gave him a shake. They were really good friends, it was easy to see.
“They’re asking questions inside. I gotta get back,” he told us. “Ed will get you safe to Texas. From there you’re on your own.”
Everyone chimed in thanking Captain McKinley and saying good-bye, but he still hadn’t answered my question.
He started to walk away, waving to us.
“Captain McKinley,” I said, raising my voice. “Before you go, did you really see Astrid slated for removal? Were they going to take her away?”
Captain McKinley walked back to us, the smile slowly fading from his face.
“I did, Dean. They were going to take her tonight. If you’d stayed, she’d be drugged and on her way to USAMRIID right now.”
“Oh,” Astrid said and gulped. “Oh.”
“Yeah. And … I couldn’t let that happen to Mommy Junior,” he said.
Captain McKinley’s voice was full of emotion.
He patted the jeep.
“Good-bye, you kids. Good luck!”
* * *
Between Alex’s nest egg, the cash Mrs. Dominguez had given us, Jake’s poker winnings, and Henry’s five dollars—we had a grand total of $418.
“How much do you think?” Niko asked us, counting off bills.
“Two
There was lots of activity on the tarmac, even though it was the middle of the night now.
“Excuse me sir,” Astrid ventured. “We were wondering … about the suits…”
“Protocol, sweetie. Everyone here is required to keep one on at all times. Waste of money, if you ask me.”
Night crews were servicing helicopters around us.
I saw everyone had safety suits like ours. Most of them wore their safety suits tied off at the waist, instead of fully on, like us.
“This way,” Roufa said, ushering us toward a metal hangar. Just as we walked away, a jeep with a flatbed pulled up to the back of McKinley’s chopper. Two men went to the chopper and opened it, starting to inventory the boxes inside.
“Guess that timed out pretty well, considering,” Roufa quipped.
“Can you tell us where we’re going?” Niko asked. “Where you’re taking us?”
“I’m taking the four of you to Lackland Air Force Base. Believe it or not, I rearranged my schedule to fly at this godforsaken hour. Running a bunch of medical supplies and more of these fancy ki-mo-nos you’re wearing down to Lackland.”
Soldiers and workers passed us as we walked. One or two shot glances our way, but most were busy.
How many Air Force and Army personnel had stuck their necks out for us so far? Roufa made four. No, five if you counted Pete.
I hoped they were good at covering their tracks.
“Lackland in San Antonio?” Jake asked.
“The very same,” Roufa answered.
“San Antone is maybe three hours away from my mom’s place in La Porte!” Jake said.
“Well, that’s good, son. My advice is to get there, find yourself a good doctor, and hole up with your girl for a while,” Roufa said. “I guess we’re all pretty inspired by your story. McKinley told me what y’all did for his kids. I even saw your newspaper story. It’ll be nice to get you settled somewhere nice and cozy.”
“We’re headed to Pennsylvania,” Astrid said pointedly.
She gave me a smile.
I could’ve kissed her.
Jake rolled his eyes, pissed.
Roufa held up a hand. “Don’t tell me your plans; I’d rather not know ’em.”
We skirted a giant, truly gigantic hangar and went over to a row of parked vehicles.
Roufa got into a jeep and gave an underhanded wave, motioning for us all to get in.
“Hey!” came a voice. “Wait!”
It was Captain McKinley. He jogged over to the jeep.
“Roufa-man!” McKinley said. He was grinning. The two men hugged.
“I can’t thank you enough for this,” McKinley said.
“It’s nothin’ you wouldn’t do for me,” Roufa answered seriously. He clapped McKinley on the shoulder and gave him a shake. They were really good friends, it was easy to see.
“They’re asking questions inside. I gotta get back,” he told us. “Ed will get you safe to Texas. From there you’re on your own.”
Everyone chimed in thanking Captain McKinley and saying good-bye, but he still hadn’t answered my question.
He started to walk away, waving to us.
“Captain McKinley,” I said, raising my voice. “Before you go, did you really see Astrid slated for removal? Were they going to take her away?”
Captain McKinley walked back to us, the smile slowly fading from his face.
“I did, Dean. They were going to take her tonight. If you’d stayed, she’d be drugged and on her way to USAMRIID right now.”
“Oh,” Astrid said and gulped. “Oh.”
“Yeah. And … I couldn’t let that happen to Mommy Junior,” he said.
Captain McKinley’s voice was full of emotion.
He patted the jeep.
“Good-bye, you kids. Good luck!”
* * *
Between Alex’s nest egg, the cash Mrs. Dominguez had given us, Jake’s poker winnings, and Henry’s five dollars—we had a grand total of $418.
“How much do you think?” Niko asked us, counting off bills.
“Two
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