Perifidy

Chapter Twenty-One Scorched Earth Phase Two Part One and New Waters

1000 Hours

February 17th, 2018

Herefordshire, England

Hereford Base, Woman's Dormitory

          Robert stared into the mirror with a look of fury, eyeing the cream-colored tie knotted around his neck. He hadn't had to regularly wear a tie in years; not ever since he'd secured an editor and a deal with a publisher. All the meetings to he'd wear mostly casual clothes, a sweater at most if someone other than the usual people were supposed to be there. He pulled on it a little more, the tie only seeming to close tighter the more he pulled. Of course, on the morning of his mother's service he had to mess something up. His name wouldn't be Robert Summers otherwise. He heard the door open, Anna stepping through, her face holding a kind apprehension but quickly melting to a smile when she saw Robert's situation.

"You never could never get those right. Let me help," she said, her fingers unfurling the tie with a couple of tugs here and there. Robert looked bewildered as his wife stood in front of him, measuring the tie's length and the appropriate place to tie the knot.

"How are you feeling?" she almost whispered. She didn't look into his piercing green eyes. She knew there'd be enough pain in them to make her cry. Robert didn't answer at first, clearing his throat.

"Not great, babe. Not great. Standing here, all I can do is relive that night, how scared I felt. How I died inside when I knew we couldn't save Ma. I don't know how I'm supposed to think of anything else," he said, his voice pained. Anna let silence hang in the air as she finished his tie. She finally looked into his eyes. They were already watering. "I'm gonna cry so hard," he said, his voice strained. She felt a wave of grief wash over her and held back her tears.

"Just hold my hand, sweetie. I'm here for you," she said, holding him as close to her as she could. It was all she could do.

***

         Kade, Ela, Maverick, Nokk and Lion had gathered into the base's chapel. A casket lay open under a beautifully painted idol of Jesus Christ. In it were three items. A grammar book his mother had gifted him when he was young, a tribal charm Benji had given him before he deployed to Rainbow Base and finally the first bullet that CJ had ever shot; Kade had won it in a round of cards. All the operators were dressed in their Sunday best, including Lion who was also holding a bible.

"I appreciate you doing this, Olivier. Why the Chaplin had to be stricken today of all days is one of God's many mysteries," Kade said. Lion adjusted his tie, sweat collecting on his brow.

"No problem, happy to do it," he said shortly, making Maverick chuckle.

"Really? Could've fooled me, you look like you're about to keel over," he said, Lion licked his lips, fixing Maverick with a silent glare. Kade put his hand on the Frenchman's shoulder.

"Don't work yourself up. Just having someone here who believes the way she did to put her to rest is all that matters." With that, Kade walked a few steps away to stare down into the mostly empty casket. The atmosphere was suffocating and all his mind could conjure was the years of memories with his mother; both the ones he cherished and those better left to rot. He remembered long nights in the living room. The wood furnace crackling, moonlight shining softly through the window pane onto the worn wood flooring as his mother's soft voice told him story after story. He also remembered the sound of his father's fist striking her flesh again and again. The dead silence from his mother, the strained grunts and wheezes from his father the only thing filling that crushing void of quiet; it made his skin crawl every time as tears of guilt and shamed burned his face. He suddenly felt a hand on his back. There was Ela, a mournful, worried expression on her face.