MacArthur's Freehold

Chapter 46

Chapter 46 -- HWNVZDGRIADWQJCM

Carter was dreaming. Dreaming that he was being handcuffed and led into a building. Down tiled corridors to an elevator. Up several floors. Out into another corridor. Through wide wooden doors. He was entering a courtroom. He was herded up the center aisle, his eyes fixed on the black-robed figure sitting at the bench. He wondered why it was called the bench. He sensed he was dreaming but couldn't wake up. The judge rapped the gavel. Suddenly the courtroom exploded into a cacophony of noise and flashes of light, the sound of gunfire and explosions. Masked men in black were moving around him...

He jerked awake. He was lying on his side, looking at Jessica who was already awake, leaning on he elbow, looking at him.

"You all right?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm OK. Bad dream."

"You seemed restless, that's unusual."

"I guess I am. Aren't you?"

"Of course. How could I not be? Waiting for something to happen, something you know is going to be bad. Sometimes I think I want it to start, to take my mind off all the possibilities I think about."

"I guess we should be up" he said. "See what the day has for us."

Donald was away at a Council meeting and wouldn't be back for another day. Carter and Jessica went over to her grandfather's where Donald lived with him. He had already had breakfast with Dalton and Mary, and when they arrived Mary started to get up.

"No, Mary." Jessica said.  "We'll fix a little something. Sit here and visit some more. She leaned over to kiss her grandfather's cheek, and he put his arm around her, held her for a few moments.

"Good morning, Darrell" he said. "You and Jessica relax for a while. There's not much to do until Don gets back, and then there will be plenty."

It was the calm before the storm, Carter knew. His morning dream had disquieted him, and he wondered if Jessica was as conflicted as he, or perhaps more. What they were setting out to do, no matter how justified, would involve death and destruction, possibly a lot of it.

Jessica had toasted some breakfast pastries and he poured them each a cup of coffee.

"You didn't drink your coffee black before you met Darrell" Gordon observed. "Did Darrell get you started?"

"Yes." she said, smiling. "We've found a lot of things to share."

"I'm glad you two are happy." he said. "I know Don is too. I look forward to a time when we can take the time to just live normal lives together."

"So do we." she said.

"As you know" Gordon said "it's likely that Mary and Dalton may be leaving as early as the next week or two. And I as well. Don fully expects the start to be in the next month or so. So we won't see you much, if it all, for a while. But we're completely safe, out of it, as much as I hate to be. But I have no doubt of you success. So we will be together again."

Jessica, sitting at the corner of the table near her grandfather, put her hand on his and held it there for a few seconds.

"I know, Grandfather. I don't know what will happen before we are together again, but I know we will be."

After a while a call came from Tommy. Jessica spoke for just a few minutes and disconnected.

"You want to go over to Saint Joe?" she asked Carter. "We probably have some shopping to do before Dad gets back, in case we have some immediate tasks."