Here I Come | ✔

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Five - The Pentagon

Saturday, 21st November 2020

KRYSTALLIA

"Passengers, cabin crew, please take your seats for landing," the pilot announced through the speaker and we all sat down, buckling our seatbelts. Zach sat beside me and held my hand, bringing it up to his lips and gently kissing it, "I love you."

I smiled, "I love you."

We waited for the plane to come to a complete stop before getting up. With my hand in Zach's, we walked down the stairs and onto the grey apron.

"Thank you, Seth," I said to the pilot and he slightly bowed, "You're welcome, miss."

Zach smiled at me as I smiled back and we piled into a rented SUV.

"Straight to the Pentagon?" I confirmed and they nodded. Zach pressed on the pedal and off we went to the one place I never thought I'd step into.

***

"We're here," Zach said as he parked on the side of the road. I looked behind to see Sam slightly hyperventilating, "M-Maybe I should stay in the car..."

He gets jittery around actual people that can get us arrested, like the Secretary of Defense for example.

"If you want," I said and unbuckled my seatbelt, hopping off the passenger seat.

All of us got out and Sam started freaking out again, "W-Wait, are you all l-leaving me?"

"Either you come with us, or you don't. Pick one, Sam," KT said and he quickly got out of the car, "Okay, okay."

Zach locked the car and with James leading the way, we walked towards the door.

"So, uh, where's your friend?" I asked, looking around to see no one that looked like they could be a lieutenant general.

"I just contacted him, he's coming out," James said as he slid the burner phone in his pocket.

All of us were starting to get worried when a soldier stepped out of the doors and towards us. He put out his hand and shook James', "Good to see you again, man."

"Yeah," James said and gestured to KT and I, "My children."

The man looked at us and warmly smiled, "Your father has spoken highly of you two."

We nervously laughed as I said, "Did he, now?"

He must've noticed our reaction because he waved his hands, "It's okay, I won't spill."

We let out a breath of relief and I slightly bowed, "Thank you for helping us."

"It's alright, you're practically family. I'm Denny Stewart, an old friend of your father."

I shook his hand, "Krystallia."

As he shook KT's hand, I mouthed to James, "Does he know?"

He nodded and I silently shouted as I mouthed, "And he's fine with it?"

He shrugged. I rubbed my temple before Denny gestured to the building, "I'll bring you 'round back, it's a shortcut to the Secretary's office."

We followed him through a backdoor and into an elevator.

"So who's who?" Denny asked, making small talk to ease the obvious tension and I started introducing everyone, "Well, this is my boyfriend Zach. That's Joseph, my dad's second. Mark's our second. And Sam, the tag-along."

"Wha-"

"Nice to meet you all," he smiled politely, oblivious to Sam who wants to retaliate to what I called him.

"I have a question," KT said and Denny nodded, "Go for it."

"Did you know he disappeared for years?" he gestured to James and Denny had the guts to laugh, "Oh, yeah. I helped him too."

.

.

.

"You know that's the one thing you shouldn't say in front of the Estrada siblings," Sam noted and Denny looked in between KT's and my grim faces.

"You have to understand from a father's point of view," he tried to explain but I wasn't really having it.

I did look from a father's point of view. He did what he thought was right at the time, but it's still wrong on so many levels. And fuck off with the 'we're in an elevator' pun.

"That doesn't justify what he did," KT said and Denny shook his head, "Of course it doesn't, but sacrifices are made for the greater good. I learned that the hard way."

"What's harder than abandoning your kids?" KT asked, curiously.

"Watching them die."

God damn, that went a few too many levels deep. And don't you dare comment on the unintentional pun.

"What happened?" Sam poked his head out from beside KT's arm.

"Twenty years ago, I was going on tour in Iraq. At the time, my wife was pregnant with our first child. She asked me to stay but I couldn't. The army was short on people and I had to go. I put my country before my family because, without it, my family had nowhere to stay. So I left a few days before she went into labor. A week later, someone sent me a video."

"It was of someone shooting my wife and newborn daughter."

Oh, god.

Denny slightly frowned, "They both died when I was on tour. The second I received the video, I begged the general at the time to let me go and see them. He allowed and I flew back here in record time but it was too late. They were gone."

"I never even had a chance to hold my baby in my arms."

I placed a hand on his shoulder, "I'm sorry."

He shook his head and smiled, "It's okay. I know that they're in heaven looking down at me and what I've accomplished."

He looked at me, "Somehow, I knew Izzy would get along with you just fine."

"Izzy?"

"Isabelle, my daughter. She would've been 20 this year."

I slightly smiled, "I'm sure we would've gotten along. She'd be proud by how her dad overcame everything and became such a high-ranking general in the army."

He smiled and the elevator doors slide open. Denny looked at all of us before walking out with us following behind. We walked for a while until we stood in front of a door.

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
SEAN C. MARSHALL

"I'll leave you to it. Good luck," Denny said and we nodded. He walked back into the elevator and we looked at each other before staring at the door.

"Satan have mercy, we don't die the next minute," Sam chanted as James knocked on the door.

We're so fucked.

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