Chapter 205

“It’s lies. It’s all lies. Some of them are just prettier than others, that’s all. People see what they think is there.”
—Terry Pratchett, Monstrous Regiment

15 AUGUST 2022

Is it over? I don’t know. I’m home, but somehow, I don’t think it’s over. I stay up on the third floor, looking out the window, watching to see if my team is out there ready to capture me and return me to the boss and the cabin. As much information as he had on me, you know he has to know where I live. I should go somewhere else so I don’t endanger my family.

Yesterday at six-thirty in the morning, Cindy ran into the bedroom, stripped, and crawled over Nanette to lie on top of me. I guess they have to be in the dorm between midnight and six so she was standing at the door ready to bolt as soon as they unlocked. She just lay on top of me, sniffling and kissing my chest. For a while. Of course, eventually, she wiggled around enough to get me hard and inside her but her orgasm was surprisingly muted. She just wanted to know I was back and was still her lover.

I think we all want assurances. I tried to make time to at least hold each of my wives and tell them how much I loved and missed them. It tore my heart apart to be so isolated from them. From them and from music. I still haven’t opened my guitar case to attempt to play. I have to do it today. A month without practicing wouldn’t be too bad if my hands didn’t feel so stiff from all the rough use they’ve had. Blisters healed and turned into callouses. Most were in places I didn’t have callouses before and the tips of my fingers softened and peeled.

And today I have to face the OCS and Dr. D. I still don’t know what to think of all this. Why didn’t they try to find me? Why were they willing to believe I’d run away? I’m still pretty pissed off about the whole thing.

“Do you really expect us to believe you were kidnapped from the induction center by a gang dressed as National Service members and were swept away to a cabin in the mountains with no way to contact anyone? That you chose to escape on the exact day your wife happened to choose to rescue you? That you didn’t just get cold feet and run away from the service we’d agreed to?” Jo demanded. It seemed like she was the most critical in the room. Will Forsythe had sat back and just observed as I told my story. Rachel, Em, Joan, Donna, and Nanette all sat with me. Simon was scribbling notes on a pad and Dr. D had her arms folded and was glaring at me. Ron Starling had been introduced as head of security at OCS and had been squinting at me the entire time. I took a deep breath and released it.

“No. I don’t expect you to believe me, Jo. I don’t expect any of you to believe any of this. You know why? I don’t expect you to believe me because I spent the past month cursing you all as liars every morning when I woke up. I cursed you for breaking the promises you made to us to keep us together in basic training where we’d work on our music. I cursed you because I was afraid I’d led my pod into a false sense of security about their future. I cursed you because I didn’t believe a company of fucking terrorists could walk into an induction center and kidnap me, so they had to be real National Service members and I had to have been lied to by the people in this room. I don’t expect you to believe me, Jo, because I didn’t believe you. And you know what? I still don’t.”

“Why do you still not believe us, Jacob?” Dr. D asked softly. “We want you back in the program where you belong.”

“I think I was taken to a legitimate training camp with others in NSO training. I don’t know about the boss, but I think every one of my teammates—with the possible exception of Dana, but I’m not sure about that—believed they were being trained for an elite search and rescue team. I think the boss was on the take, but I’ll bet he’s on National Service payroll somewhere. My papers have a WABATU cover page, but inside that, it specifically spells out my service objective as SSR—Survival, Search, and Rescue. Those papers could only have been put there by someone inside the office. My bus card was specifically for the bus that I boarded and rode to Tennessee. I don’t believe you because someone in this office made sure I was routed away from WABATU and out into the wilderness.”

“May I see your papers, please?” Ron asked. I shoved the bag I’d been carrying everything in over to him. He examined the bag without opening it. “Why are you carrying it in this bag?” he asked.

“What? It’s just what they threw all my stuff in when I changed clothes. It’s been sitting in my unopened duffle until this morning. Why?”

“This is a double-layered military grade Faraday bag. They put your ID in here as well?”

“Everything. My cell phone. ID. Documentation. I took my wallet out of it this morning.”

“That explains not having been able to track him through his ID or phone,” Ron said. “It might sound like we abandoned you, but we were searching. How did Nanette find you?”

“There’s a Lo-Jack tracking device in my guitar. I don’t think they ever opened the case. No one knew about it until Nan visited my parents last week. It’s for insurance.” I watched as Ron pulled my papers out of the bag. Will reached over to stop him.

“Leave the ID in the bag,” he said. “We might want to keep it shielded for a while.” Ron nodded.

“The papers are genuine,” Ron said. “All but the cover page that just says ‘Welcome to WABATU.’ These orders are completely legitimate.”

“Then Jacob is right. Someone inside manipulated the orders. Not only manipulated them, but assembled a team and created an NSO that would capitalize on Jacob’s athletic ability and physical condition. And if that is true, we have eleven other corps members out there somewhere still undergoing their training with their ID and electronics locked in a bag like this one,” Will said.

“And potentially a trainer who has taken them off the grid and may or may not actually be a service employee. This smacks of military involvement,” Ron said.

“Why would the military be interested in discrediting me?” I asked.

“One of the principles of service reform is removing it from military management and placing it in the hands of civilians. Even though we’ve got the OCS now and it looks like we’re in charge, we still have to report in to General Gerhardt. He has been less than welcoming of the changes we’re making and of reform in any manner. The message you’ve been spreading is targeted at elections and the big threat is to congressmen and senators. But if reform is put through, the military’s involvement in the National Service will come to an end,” Will said.

“I’m sorry, Jacob,” Dr. D said. “I’ve heard you play. I’ve seen you with Cindy. I should have believed in you more. I should have demanded an open investigation.”

I just nodded. Damned right she should have!

“What’s our status?” Will asked. “When are the campaign performances supposed to start?”

“Two weeks,” Jo said. “We have three venues locally and then a week off before they start the tour.”

“Twenty-eight stops in ten weeks.” Simon added. I groaned. Well, the difference was that this time we were on National Service Assignment and not contract. We were going to be on assignment someplace regardless.

“Not knowing Jacob’s status, we extended training for his wives,” Dr. D said. “Technically their training ended on Friday but we didn’t know Jacob would show up that day. Our intent was to work on molding Desiree, Cindy, and Remas into the deputation team so we could proceed without Jacob if he didn’t show up. Rebeca was to begin work with Joan on the multiple websites she’s developing to promote the tour and the pro-reform position. Brittany and Sophie are adjusting to life at the school but it was our intent to include them on the tour, whether they were dancing or not.”

“How many people know Jacob is missing?” Will asked. I could see wheels turning in his head.

“A few teachers but most don’t know the circumstances,” Dr. D said.

“Just our team here, as far as I know,” Jo said.

“Here’s what I’d like to see happen. Keep Jacob’s ID under wraps so he can’t be traced by it. At the moment no one knows where he is. Jacob? Are you okay with staying anonymous for a couple more weeks?”

“I’m nobody,” I quipped. “Sure.”

“During that time, set up a practice schedule at the school and move Cindy, Desiree, and Remas to the school instead of WABATU. Continue to make it look like the three are preparing to go out without Jacob. But as soon as Jacob feels ready, reintegrate him into the team. If you can make the local performances in two weeks, great. If it takes you another week, that will also be fine. We keep your ID shielded until you are ready to step on stage,” Will said.

“We need some security for both Jacob and the rest of his family,” Ron said.

“And I need to run,” I added. “I’ve gotten used to an extreme amount of physical exertion every day. I need at least ten miles first thing in the morning or I won’t be worth anything for the rest of the day.” Ron nodded.

“We’ll get you a running partner.”

“We can designate practice rooms at the school for the use of the team,” Dr. D said. “Remas can act as coordinator. I’ll get teachers in line.”

“Speaking of teaching,” Jo said, “We’ve committed to making sure Cindy completes high school while she is in service. Her program needs to be structured and a tutor made available while she’s touring.”