Shock Warning

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

The kids were already in bed. Hope felt bad about waking them up, but she had no choice.

Mrs. Atchison helped her get their things together. “It’s all right, honey,” she said to Jade as Hope tended to Rory and Emma. “You’re all going to New York City. Won’t that be fun?”

Jade didn’t care much one way or the other about New York City, but she doubted that either Rory or Emma would be looking forward to the trip, not after what happened to them there the last time.

“Thank you, Mrs. Atchison. Will I get to see my dad?”

Mrs. Atchison had obviously been fully briefed, because she drew Jade close and whispered in her ear: “Take care of them now. You all have to be strong for one another.”

Jade nodded. Tragedy was something she and the Gardner kids had in common. The loss of a parent. Of course, she hadn’t had to endure what Emma had; she wondered if she would have been able to hold up as well, or emerge so relatively normal.

The admiral appeared in the doorway. “It’s time.”

A driver took them to the airfield, where a transport plane was fueled and ready; both the admiral and his wife came along.

“Cool!” shouted Rory as he saw the interior of the plane.

“Just like being a real soldier or sailor, Rory,” said the admiral. “Do you think you’d like to the try that someday?”

“Would I ever!” exclaimed Rory.

“Then, when you’re old enough, you be sure to write to me and I’ll see what I can do.”

“Wow! Thank you, Admiral Atchison.”

As Mrs. Atchison helped get the kids strapped in, the admiral took Hope aside. “Listen,” he began, “I’m not privy to any of the details, but I do know that this operation involves you. Don’t worry, it’s not going to be dangerous. But your husband needs someone he can trust to act as a go-between in a very sensitive situation, and he asked for you.”

“He’s not my husband,” said Hope softly.

“My error.”

Hope blushed a little. “I think he was going to propose to me in San Francisco. That’s why we were heading up there, when… The last time we were in New York… well, you probably know.”

“I heard. You and your kids have been through a lot.”

“Is Danny going to meet us there?”

“I’m sorry, ma’am, I can’t tell you that. I don’t know — but even if I did, I couldn’t.”

“I understand. Thank you for everything, Admiral.”

“Anything we can do…”

They left. The crew shut the doors. The plane rumbled down the taxiway and soared into the sky.