“What’s your name, sweetheart?”
“Melissa.”
“Nice to meet you,” he said, offering his hand.
“We only brought her because—”
“Do you mind?” Forrest said. “I’m talking to the kid here.”
Veronica pulled her shoulders back, looking at Michael as he came around the back of the car.
“How did you ever get hooked up with these two?” Forrest asked the girl.
“Michael’s my uncle,” she said, grinning.
“Have they told you about my master plan to take over the universe?”
“Yeah,” she answered, laughing softly.
“And you’re sure you want to join us?”
“Yes,” she said, “but I have a question.”
“Only one?”
“Will I be able to call my parents every day until…”
“Until what?”
Veronica spoke up, “Until the—”
“I’m not talking to you…” he said in a singsong voice.
Melissa giggled.
“Until what, honey?”
“Until the asteroid comes,” she said, her eyes smiling.
“I’m making sure you understand the gravity of the situation,” he told her. “I’m not trying to be a jerk.”
She nodded. “I understand.”
“Okay. And you know there’s no guarantee we’re going to survive?”
“I know that,” she said. “But somebody needs to try.”
“I agree,” he said, deciding he liked her. “And yes, you can call your parents as much as you like until the meteor comes.”
“I thought it was an asteroid.”
Forrest chuckled. “I stand corrected.”
He at last turned his attention to the adults, noting the station wagon was full of boxes. “Bring enough shit?”
“Most of it’s books,” Michael explained. “You know, for helping to pass the time.”
“All right,” Forrest said. “Let’s get the boxes loaded into the Humvee. Your bags you can tie to the roof rack.”
“You mean we can’t take my car?” Veronica said.
“Nope. Can’t leave anything parked above the site to give the impression anyone lives in the house. It needs to look deserted.”
“I told you,” Michael said.
Veronica gave him a look. “Fine,” she said, tossing her hair over her shoulder and turning to open the back door. “This is the first car I ever bought new.”
Forrest exchanged grins with Michael, asking, “Were you planning on driving it around down in the silo?”
“Shut up, Jack!” she said, wrestling a box from the seat.
“I brought all sorts of books,” Michael said.
“Fine. Come on, kid. Let’s go get something to drink while these college pukes do the lifting.”
“Okay,” Melissa, following him off toward the station.
Veronica stood with the box in her arms watching them. “Did you see that? He didn’t complain one bit over her.”
“Did you really expect him to?” Michael asked, pulling another box of books from the rear compartment. “She’s a pretty girl.”
“She’s fifteen, Michael.”
“Oh, for God sakes, Veronica, that’s not what I meant. Melissa affects everybody that way.”
“She likes him too, I can tell.”
“What, are you jealous?” he asked, chuckling.
“Shut up,” she said. “I was just commenting.”
Inside, Forrest picked up an empty cardboard box the clerks had left on the floor and gave it to Melissa. “Load that up with whatever you want. I have to use the restroom.”
“You mean just for me?” she asked, confused.
“Does you mean something different out there in Colorado?”
“No,” she said bashfully.
“I haven’t bought anything for a kid in a long time,” he said, his smile waning. “I’ve got some catching up to do.”
“What do you like?” she asked, glancing around. There were bare spots on many of the shelves but the candy was still plentiful.
“Camels,” he said. “Filterless.”
She laughed. “I’m not old enough to buy cigarettes.”
“Looks like I lose,” he said, heading for the restroom.
Veronica and Michael were standing beside the Humvee waiting when Forrest and Melissa finally came out. All the boxes were loaded and their bags lashed to the roof rack.
Melissa was carrying her box full of snacks.
“Who’s all that for?” Veronica asked.
“It’s for the kid,” Forrest said. “So don’t let me catch your fingers in the box.”
Melissa laughed. “You can have some, Ronny.”
“You’re too easy,” he said, walking around to the driver’s side. “Load ’em up.”
“Didn’t take her long to get you wrapped around her finger,” Veronica said, loud enough for only Forrest to hear.
“You’re just jealous,” he muttered, brushing by her.
“Jack?”
He turned. “Yes?”
“Fuck you.”
He laughed and jumped in to see that Michael was afraid to get in on the other side with Laddie staring him in the face. “Get in back, buddy.” The dog responded immediately, taking up station in the backseat between the two women.
Michael got in and shut the door.
Laddie suddenly started barking at Michael, causing the man to flinch and cower against the door. The dog settled a few moments later and seemed to relax.
“What did I do?” he asked, unsure whether it was safe to move.
Forrest glanced back at the dog to satisfy himself there was no danger and then grinned at Michael and shrugged. “I guess the dog’s a judge of character.”
Veronica laughed, petting Laddie.
“No, seriously. Should I be afraid?”
Melissa said, “He was just letting you know he didn’t like you taking his seat.”
Forrest gave her a wink.
“Is he pissed?” Michael asked. “Because I can sit in the back.”
“He’s said his piece,” Forrest said. “Okay, everyone remember to keep your hands and feet inside the ride at all times until the ride comes to a complete and final stop. Remember that Captain Jack Forrest is not responsible for any lost or stolen articles while en route to the secret Army base. And as always,” he added with a quick glance into the back, “enjoy your day at Cedar Point.” Then he tromped the accelerator and wheeled hard around, roaring out of the lot and onto the highway.
Thirteen
Major Benjamin Moriarty, U.S. Air Force, still had no idea why he had been ordered to deliver two truckloads of MREs to a decommissioned Titan missile installation, but he sure as hell intended to find out. If NASA failed to stop that goddamned asteroid from hitting the planet, MREs were going to be worth a thousand times their weight in gold. And no way was he giving away so much of his garrison’s food without a damned good reason—regardless of what some chair shiner back at the Pentagon had to say about it.
“What the fuck is this now?” he cursed from the passenger seat of the Hummer.
“I’m not sure, Major,” said Lieutenant Ford, slowing the vehicle. “They look like dog faces.”
“See?” Moriarty said. “This is what I’m talking about. They’re not even Air Force personnel.”
“Looks like they’re Green Berets,” Ford said, pulling into the gravel lot just inside the old hurricane fence still enclosing the site.
“I don’t give a damn what they are,” Moriarty said, throwing open the door and stepping out into the gravel. “They’re not getting our rations without an explanation.”
Forrest stood waiting with Ulrich and Danzig near the house, all three of them with M-4 carbines hanging from their shoulders.
“Aw, piss,” muttered Danzig, spitting a wad of tobacco juice into the gravel. “They sent a goddamn major.”