The Line of Departure: A Postapocalyptic Novel (The New World Series Book 4) (34 page)

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McCall, Idaho, Republic of Cascadia

“O
h my God, that is one of the craziest—no, it’s the craziest—story I’ve ever heard,” Sebastian exclaimed.

“Don’t be so rude,” Hunter reprimanded him.

“I wasn’t being rude.”

“It is a crazy story, Hunter. I’d feel the same way if someone told me my life too,” Gordon said.

“It’s not a story, Granddad,” Hunter said, trying to explain his outburst.

“Good to see you both have the hot Van Zandt blood,” Gordon joked.

“Mom never let us forget,” Hunter replied.

“Oh, your mother, she’s a firebrand. Did she ever tell you what she did to the man who tried to assassinate me during the ’22 election?”

Hunter and Sebastian looked at each other then back to Gordon.

“Ah, no, what happened?”

“That’s for another time, but I’ll let you know, and soon.”

“Please tell us, c’mon,” Sebastian begged.

“I want to know why you faked your own death,” Hunter said.

“I will, I will, be patient.”

“I really need to be writing all of this down. I’m hearing stuff that no one knows about,” Sebastian said excitedly.

“I better do it, little brother; I seem to remember you flunked English.”

“But I aced sign language,” Sebastian remarked, holding up his middle finger.

“While you boys scrounge around for something to write on, I need to get up and stretch these old bones.”

Gordon slowly walked around the house, but like so often, the back deck called him. There he had many memories of his friends, Hunter, Haley, and most importantly, Samantha, the love of his life. He walked out and sat in the same spot they’d sit. For a man who was so practical and pragmatic, he was equally sentimental. What the boys didn’t know was the house hadn’t changed a bit; it was exactly like it was when he bought it almost sixty years ago.

After the great civil war, they left McCall and moved to Olympia, the new capital of the republic. There they stayed for many years, but he never thought of it as home. When time came for him to “retire” from politics, he came back to McCall and the old cabin. Its walls held a collection of memories, many of them happy ones from before the war and even before the lights went out. Many objects throughout were a trigger to that happier time. When he looked at the carpet, he didn’t see worn-out and stained fabric, he saw the place where Hunter crawled when he was a baby or where Haley would play with her dolls. When he looked at the dusty and faded drapes, he saw the kids’ favorite hiding spots. Whenever he’d see the cracked mirror that hung above the vanity in the master bath, Samantha’s youthful and beautiful reflection would be cast. This place held memories that could not be replaced. He longed for his life before; so many times he would press his eyes closed tight, pray, and imagine that when he opened them, he’d be there, but as a young man again and free of all the physical and emotional scars. In his vision, he would hear laughter and turn to find Samantha playing with Hunter and Haley. They’d see him and smile and beckon for him to come and join in on the fun. No matter how real every dream and vision he had, he’d wake to the truth, to the now, a place where he was alone.

A loud banging on the door startled Hunter and Sebastian. They looked at each other then looked outside to see if it was Gordon, but he was still sitting.

“Didn’t you lock the gate?” Hunter asked.

“Of course I did.”

Hunter walked to the front door, turned the handle, and almost jumped when he saw who it was. “Mom!”

“Can you believe that he hasn’t changed the lock on the gate?” she said, holding up a key.

“What are you doing here? How did you know?”

Haley walked right in and looked down the hall then into the kitchen; she looked at them and asked, “Where is he?”

Sebastian pointed to the back.

Haley put her hand on her chest as if catching her breath when she caught a glimpse of him.

“Why didn’t you tell us? Why did you lie to us?” Hunter asked, a tinge of irritation in his voice.

She turned to him, and with a motherly tone of admonishment she answered him. “Sometimes parents lie to protect their children.”

Sebastian looked on as he watched what had been a familiar battle his whole life, the two alpha personalities, his mother and brother.

“I just don’t understand the whole cover-up! This is huge!” Hunter barked.

Haley walked up to him and placed her hand on his face; she gently patted his cheek and said, “Sweetheart, we did it all for you and your brother. I know you’re having a hard time with this but trust me when I tell you that your grandfather had no choice but to surrender to the political forces that spawned within the republic. Building a nation is different than governing one. I”—she looked outside, then faced Hunter again—“we will tell you everything. We will tell you and your brother how it all came to be. Just know that he did it for family. Everything that man has ever done has been for family.”

Hunter saw the raw emotion in his mother, which softened his attitude. He trusted her and would wait for the answers to be revealed.

She hugged her two sons before rushing to the sliding door. She paused for a moment to calm her nerves then walked onto the sun-bleached deck.

Her shadow cast long across Gordon as he sat with his eyes closed. She looked down on the man who had done so much for her.

He breathed deeply through his nose and captured a scent of a woman. With his eyes still closed, he smiled and said, “It must have worked this time.” Thinking it was Samantha, he put out his hand and asked, “Is that you, my love?”

Haley smiled as a tear quickly ran down her face. She took his shaking and wrinkled hand. “It’s me, Daddy.”

Gordon opened his eyes, smiled broadly, and said, “Haley, my little baby girl, you came home.”

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