LZR-1143: Redemption Read Online Free PDF Page B

up to move closer to the window, but as we got out of our seats, another explosion rocked the skyline and we sat down as the floor shook and dishes rattled in their racks.
    The 14th Street bridge, one of the main arteries in and out of the city from Northern Virginia, and clearly visible from our vantage point, had just split in two amidst a massive fireball, seeming to detonate from underneath the expanse. Massive pieces of cement and asphalt were falling into the calm water of the Potomac, and oily black smoke was curling in thin streams from several points on the portions of the bridge that remained intact on either side.
    “Definitely gas lines,” I said, slightly anxious now about the pathway of the line that was disintegrating in pieces as it crossed the river.
    We shot out of our chairs toward the hallway as the red emergency lights began to rotate amidst a sudden backdrop of wailing klaxons.
    Men and women in uniform were walking quickly—and in some cases running—as we ducked into the hallway. I spared a quick glance for Kate as I made my way forward, toward the ops center on this floor. But before we could reach it, Captain Williams appeared out of a door on our left and we skidded to a halt.
    “Captain! What’s happening? It’s not a breach, is it?” My voice was calm, but my heart was racing. It was as if my body was anticipating a fight already, and I had to suppress a slight urge to start looking for the first intruder.
    He looked at us, almost as if he were surprised to see us standing there, before shaking his head slightly and responding with a shake of his head.
    “No, no. Nothing like that. The explosions outside triggered a seismic alarm, and a doorway in the sub-basement registered a breach. But the tunnel attached to that doorway is secure—in fact the entire subway line from here through Braddock Road station past National is secure. We cleared it and locked it down soon after the outbreak to make access to National easier if and when we tried to retake it. No breaches. Just a standard scramble.”
    I heard Kate sigh, and I registered the feeling, even though my body was still screaming for a fight. I swallowed and closed my eyes, willing my blood pressure to decrease as Kate spoke.
    “Have you seen Ky, Captain? We haven’t seen her since this morning, and since we’re due to leave tomorrow, we were hoping…”
    He shook his head again and backed away, disinterested.
    “No, I’m sorry. If you’ll excuse me, the general will want a report, and I’m running late. Have a good night.”
    I raised my hand to stop him, but Kate’s fingers were on my shoulder.
    “No, don’t worry about it. He wouldn’t know. He doesn’t care. Let’s take a walk. Maybe she’s on the roof. She goes there sometimes with the dog to stare at the crowd.”
    I nodded once, noticing the softness in her voice. She was thinking of her daughter again. I could hear it. Every day that we spent confined in this building, stationary and helpless, was another day she wasn’t moving. As a parent—as a mother—she felt like a failure.
    Every day, she felt more and more removed. I could only imagine. Laying in bed at night, staring at a ceiling, feeling warm, rested and safe while on the other side of the continent, your child was out there.
    Dead or alive, she was out there.
    And you didn’t know.
    It was impossible for me to imagine. I knew enough to know that. But as she led me to the closest stairwell, I knew that I had to try to understand enough to make sure I went to hell and back to get her to her little girl.
    We reached the gravel-covered expanse of tar and metal, just as the sun was sliding over the horizon. Squinting, we both moved methodically around the oddly shaped building, calling out to her and Romeo, but receiving no response. Below us, more than a million dead bodies groaned and reached up to the roof, as if willing our bodies to fall to the earth.
    As we returned to the stairwell we had come