The Other Side by Joshua McCune Page A

insurgency hideouts.
    Only two remain.
    â€œYou’d be surprised how much can change in a few weeks,” Preston says from the doorway. He sets a tray with four coffee cups on a nearby table. He joins me at the mapand offers me one. “Sorry, Cosgrove, no special sauce.”
    Shoulders slumped, dark blotches beneath his eyes, black hair rumpled, Preston appears even more defeated than he sounds. On the flight in, I’d prepared quite the diatribe about the emergency cell phone, but decide on a hug. He almost drops the cup. I let go and smile at his bemused expression.
    Colin gestures at a screen on which soldiers and tanks are traveling across barren countryside. “The Russians have mobilized?” he asks as I sip my coffee. Definitely needs vodka.
    â€œThe Germans and the French, too.” Keith removes his rifle and places it on the gun rack. “They’ve given us a deadline of three weeks to abandon our bases in Europe. Full U.N. backing.”
    â€œThree weeks? That’s not enough time,” Colin says.
    â€œIt’s that or war. Things are already getting pretty hostile. Another embassy got torched last night. It’s not a good time to be an American.” Keith sighs. “Makes you miss the good ol’ days when everyone was united against the dragons.”
    â€œAt least we weren’t killing each other.” Colin grabs a cup and leans against the console. “It was a mistake to release the battle-room footage.”
    â€œOh, you mean footage that showed humans using dragons to kill humans?” Preston says, livening. “The world has a right to know.”
    Colin waves a hand at the screen. “Haven’t enough people died already, Jedi?”
    â€œI guess we should just let the government do whatever they want, right, Sarge?”
    I slump into the chair beside the portable heater as their discussion intensifies. They both seem so damn certain. A year ago, I had the world figured out, too. The government was good. Dragons were evil. I miss those days.
    â€œWhat do you think?” Preston asks me at some point.
    â€œLeave her out of this,” Colin says.
    I pinch the bridge of my nose. “I don’t care. I want to rescue Allie. Does anybody know where Oren’s headquarters are?”
    Keith massages my shoulders. “I’m sorry, Mel.”
    â€œYou have to know something.”
    â€œWe’re working on it, but nothing useful right now. Our capabilities have been severely hamstrung.” Keith takes the seat beside me, runs a hand over his naked scalp. “A couple weeks ago, the Dios ambushed us when we were transferring hideouts. We’ve disbanded for the most part.” He indicates the touchboards. “We’re running skeleton surveillance, and that’s about—”
    â€œI don’t understand what this has to do with Allie,” I say.
    â€œWe thought they were after Baby. James thought it could be Allie,” Preston says.
    Keith frowns at him, then gives a brief shake of his head before he can say anything else.
    â€œThat ship’s sailed, Keith. I know,” I say.
    Preston furrows his brow. “You know?”
    â€œYeah, Evelyn was in Dillingham to rub it in.” I try to get the timeline straight in my head. A month ago, James contacted me to say good-bye. Right before he defected? A couple weeks later, the Diocletians waylaid Keith and the Grunts. Shortly after, the Greens began their mental assault in search of Allie. “Was James with you when they attacked you?”
    Neither of them can meet my gaze.
    â€œHe was on the other side? Why? He knew Allie and Baby were on the island.”
    Keith stares into his coffee. “No, he didn’t. We never told him where you were.”
    My breath knots in my chest.
    â€œAfter Georgetown, we were worried he’d go rogue,” Preston says, “so we kept him out of the loop. He was so angry. At the military. At the