Precipice (Tribe 2) (5 page)

Chapter 7

I’d debated all weekend whether or not I should tell my parents about Dr. Kline.  On the one hand, nothing had changed, except that I’d met the man asking questions.  On the other hand, Dr. Kline had mentioned Mrs. Baxter’s “miraculous recovery”, which meant I’d garnered more attention from him than I’d first feared.

But Mrs. Baxter was nowhere near recovered.  The fact that she was out of ICU and had limited visitation allowed spoke volumes.  And then there was the worry that I’d felt coming from Alex, through the hospital room door.  No, Mrs. Baxter was barely beginning her recovery.  Dr. Kline must have just been fishing for information with any friend or family member who came by.

In the end, I decided not to tell them.  Yet
.  If Alex came around, everything would be fine.  Dr. Kline would go back to Connecticut soon, and things would go back to normal.

At least, that was what I hoped.

I sat on my bed Monday morning, staring at the history book in my lap, but I couldn’t focus on the words.  I couldn’t think of anything but Alex.  I’d tried to call him for three days, but every time, the call went to voice mail after two rings—he was screening his calls.

And rejecting mine.

I kept telling myself to give him time—that River was right, and Alex would come around. 
Who am I kidding?  Alex hates me.  He’s disgusted by me.
  I remembered his horrified expression as Mom told him the truth.  As the morning wore on, it things felt more and more hopeless. 

Alex
is gone.

It wasn’t until a teardrop fell on the page that I realized I was crying.  Again.

Hard footsteps pounded up the stairs, and my bedroom door flew open.

“Ember, quick, you have to go!”  River’s eyes were wide and the panic rolled off him in waves.

“What?”  I felt my own heart speed up to match his. 

“Didn’t you hear them?  They just pulled up.  Hurry, before it’s too late!”

“What?  Who?”  I had no idea what was going on—I’d been too wrapped up in my own misery. 

He grabbed me by the hand and pulled me toward the door.  I managed to snatch my purse from the bed before he dragged me into the hall.
  I was still wearing my slippers.

“A military jeep just pulled up in front of the house,” he hissed. 

“Oh my God.”  The air left my lungs, and I couldn’t pull in a new breath.  “Alex…he turned us in?”

River bit his lip.  “Maybe not.  Maybe…”

“He turned
me
in, River!” I whispered.  “He doesn’t understand.  He’s not going to ‘come around’—he hates me so much, he doesn’t care what happens to me!”

“I just…I can’t believe he’d do that.”

“He’s afraid for his mother.  I went to the hospital Thursday night.  He’s afraid of me, and wants to keep me away.”

“Oh, Em, I told you to give him time,” he sighed.  “But it’s too late for that.  You need to go—sneak out the back door.”

I heard the heavy tread of multiple pairs of boots walking up onto the porch. 

“And leave you and Mom?  No way!  If he turned me in, he probably turned us all in.  I’m not leaving you.”

“Go, Em!”  He pushed me toward the stairs.  “Just go!  Mom is already answering the door.  There’s no point in
all
of us getting rounded up.”

“No, this is my fault!” 

I heard Mom’s voice at the door, followed by a deeper voice. 

“Please, go,” River hissed.  “Call Dad and Meadow, and warn them not to come home.”

“Wait—aren’t you coming?”

“Ember!”  Their mother called up the stairs.  “Come on down.”

I had been too distracted by River and the sound of my own thudding heartbeat to hear the exchange down by the door. River and I exchanged fearful looks, then we both descended.  Reaching the bottom of the stairs, I felt Mom’s fear, worry, and resignation ebb toward us.  She led us to the front door, where a uniformed man of about sixty stood, flanked by two soldiers.

I didn’t miss the black armbands the men wore, emblazoned with large white letters—MP—which indicated they were military police.

We walked out onto the porch.  I resisted the urge to take my mom’s hand and cling to it, like a little girl.

“Ember, this is Sergeant Major Weston,” Mom said.  “He…he wants to speak with you.”

I bit my lip and said nothing.  I wasn’t revealing anything.  Mom and Dad had prepared us for this possibility long ago.

“Are you the same Ember Perry that was at Sacred Heart Hospital on Wednesday night, and again on Thursday night, visiting a…” he consulted a file in his hand “…Gina Baxter?”

“Y-yes,” I replied.

“What is this about?” my mother asked.  I felt the dread radiating from her.

He fixed my mother with a kind expression, but I knew Mom and River could sense the same thing I could—it was a mask.  Beneath his patient exterior, he was annoyed with her interference.  I could feel his restrained aggression. 

It scared me.

“Mrs. Perry, we just need to ask your daughter a few questions about what she saw in the hospital.”

“That doesn’t explain what this is about.”

“We just feel that Miss Perry may have information that could be helpful to the United States Army, and she would be doing a great service to her country if she could help us.”  He followed up the lie with a practiced smile.

I glanced at Mom.  Her face was impassive, but beneath the surface, she was wracked with indecision—was it worse to resist, or to cooperate?  “Fine.  Come on in, and I’ll make us all some tea—”

“That won’t be necessary, Mrs. Perry.  We need to conduct the interview on military grounds.  We’ll need to take her to Fairchild Air Force Base.”

“Absolutely not.  If you want to speak with her, you can do it here.”

“I don’t think you understand,” the broad-shouldered man took a step forward.  He wasn’t much taller than my mother, but he was stocky and imposing.  The men behind him tensed, on high alert.  “This is a matter of national security.  The questions I need to ask must be discussed in a secure location.  I’m willing to do it on the Air Force base, as it’s the closest military installation.  Or we could do it at the nearest Army base, which is Fort Lewis, near Seattle.  Or, if you want to make things difficult, I could take her back with me to Fort Detrick, in Maryland.  It’s your choice.”  The smile remained on his face, but it was more menacing than kind, and the smile did not reach his eyes.

“Is my daughter suspected of some crime?  Do we need a lawyer?”  My mother crossed her arms, unwilling to be intimidated…but I felt the fear she was fighting back.

Beside me, River was a bundle of nerves.

“I don’t know, Mrs. Perry…do you think you need one?”  He let the question hang in the air for a moment.  “Look, I have no desire to cause any problems here.  I don’t know why you would want to.  All I want to do is ask your daughter a few questions, and be on my way.  Personally, I don’t believe she has much to contribute, but I do what I’m told.  So the sooner you cooperate, the sooner I can be on a plane back to Maryland.”

Mom exchanged glances with River and me.  Whatever he was hiding, Sergeant Major Weston wasn’t lying when he said he didn’t think I had much to contribute.  Which meant that whatever Alex had said, the military—or at least Weston—didn’t believe it completely. 

But they believed enough to think it warranted a cross-country flight, on last-minute notice. 

What could Alex have said?  Is this what was being discussed for so long with Dr. Kline last night?  Did Alex spill the beans as revenge?  Or because he was so disgusted with me?

Suddenly I didn’t feel like fighting anymore.  If Alex didn’t want me, I didn’t care what happened.  At least if they took me, the rest of the family might have a chance to get away.

“Let’s just get it over with, Mom,” I sighed, trying to feign the attitude of a normal annoyed teenager, rather than the terrified supernatural freak that I really was.

“Alright.”  She turned to River.  “You stay here.  We’ll be back in a little while—”

“No, Mrs. Perry.  I’m afraid there’s no room in our vehicle for you.”

“You are not taking my daughter without a guardian present.”

“You’re welcome to follow behind in your own car.”

“I’ll be fine, Mom.  I’ll see you at the base.”  I hugged her, and whispered in her ear so quietly that no one but a Healer could have heard.  “Don’t come.  Stick to the plan.”

“I’m not leaving you.  River will follow the plan,” she whispered back.

I pulled back, shooting her a glare
.  No, Mom!  Stay here!
  I hoped she understood my thoughts by sensing my emotions.

“You’ll have to stop at the main gate,” Weston said to Mom.  “We’ll leave instructions for you with the MPs there.  Bring picture identification, and proceed to the building as instructed by the MPs at the gate.”  He turned and descended the steps, striding toward the jeep.  I glanced at the MPs and followed
Weston, and felt the two men fall into place behind me. 

As one of the MPs moved ahead to open the jeep door for Weston and I, I could hear River’s whispered argument with Mom.  He didn’t agree with the plan—he wanted to go, too.  I knew he’d lose that argument.  I knew what the plan was.  We’d gone over it a million times.

By the time I had reached the Air Force base in Airway Heights, Washington, the rest of my family would be on their way to the rendezvous point.  They would meet at the main rendezvous point, then decide on a new rendezvous point—one I wouldn’t think of.  Then they’d split up, and reconvene at the new meeting spot, from which they’d plan their escape route from the area.

As the jeep pulled away, I watched Mom’s and River’s anguished expressions.

I might never see them again.

Chapter 8

The drive from my mountain home to Fairchild Air Force base in Airway Heights took nearly an hour.  I was famished by the time we arrived—it was almost lunchtime, and I’d had only an apple for breakfast. 
Not that it mattered.  I doubted I could keep anything down.

Is Dad on his way to the rendezvous point, yet?  Did River get ahold of Meadow in time?
 
When Meadow isn’t in class, she can be hard to reach.  What if she goes back home?  What if they send reinforcements to round up the rest of the family?
 

I tried to calm my thoughts—the last thing I wanted is to put that kind of energy out into the universe. 
Everything will be fine.  We’ll be fine.  They’ll ask questions, I’ll answer them like Mom and Dad taught us, and we’ll be fine.  I was careful.  I only gave Mrs. Baxter minimal healing.
 

Or did I?

I shoved the thoughts out of my mind. 
Alex.  I’ll think about Alex.

But that only brought heart-wrenching pain. 
How could he do this to us?  I saved his life.  I saved his mother’s life!  I put my own family at risk, and this is how he repays me?
 

As the jeep turned left into the base’s entrance, I blinked back the tears that threatened. 
Even out your breathing.  Slow your heart rate.  You’re just a girl being brought in to help.  You’re a witness.  You’re a little nervous because you don’t know what’s going on, but that’s all.  Do not flip out!

I knew my family’s survival rested in my hands. 

No pressure.

I stared at the back of the heads of the MPs, and wondered how far I’d get if I ran.  Would they chase me down?  Or just shoot me in the back?
  Well, they let me sit in the back with the Sergeant Major, instead of making me sit in the front seat, with an MP sitting behind me.  That’s a good sign…right?
  I wasn’t sure how things worked in the military.

At the gate, my identification was checked, and Weston left instructions for Mom, as promised. 

At least he’s not a total liar.

We pulled away from the gate, driving through the base until we came to a two-story building, and parked.  I was escorted into the building, again flanked by the two MPs, while Sergeant Major Weston led the way.

He stopped at a counter.  A slim woman, her dark hair pinned back in a severe bun, sat answering phones.  She was dressed in the typical camouflage uniform, as were most of the Air Force personnel I saw.  She put a call on hold as we walked up.

“Is the room I requested ready?”

“Yes, sir,” she answered.  “Second floor, room 215.  I can—”

“I’ll find it, myself,” he said brusquely.  “And when Mrs. Perry arrives, keep her down here.  If she gives you any trouble, call an MP.” 

I gasped.  “But you said—”

“I said she could follow us to the base,” he said in a clipped tone, “nothing more.  Now, are you going to give me trouble, or are you going to come with me?  It would be a shame if we had to bring your mother into this.”

I opened my mouth, but said nothing.  Mom was safer if I did it alone.  Hopefully she wouldn’t even show up.  I needed her, but I wanted her safe.

“Good choice.”  He turned on his heels and headed for the elevator.

We took the elevator, in awkward silence, up to the second floor, where they brought me to a small, windowless room.  One wall was taken up with what was obviously a one-way mirror.  A grey metal table and four matching, banged-up chairs took up most of the room.  It was like an episode of
Law & Order
…military style.

“Have a seat, Miss Perry.”

The two MPs moved to flank the closed door.  I sat down, and Colonel Weston sat across from me.

“You said you’re from Fort Detrick?” I asked.

“I am.”

“What is your job there?”

He laughed.  “My ‘job’ is Command Sergeant Major of the USAMRMC.”

“W-what’s that?” I hoped he hadn’t noticed the crack in my voice.  I already knew what the acronym stood for.

“The United States Army Medical Research and Materiel Command,” he replied.

I was face-to-face with the second-in-command of the Army medical research headquarters.

I tried to swallow, but my tongue was dried leather in my mouth.  “Oh…so…doctor stuff?”  I flashed a faltering smile. 

“You could say that.”

And then it began.