Private Lance Martell

[blacked-out]

[blacked-out]

10/3/50

Dear Ruth, Abel, Wes, and Evie,

Hey, it’s been a while, hasn’t it? Border defense by [blacked out] has been busy lately since this whole Apex Genetics scare came out, but you have nothing to worry about. We haven’t seen real action in months. All is quiet on the galactic front, so to speak.

For the most part, I spend my time patrolling and thinking of you. I got the care package you sent and enjoyed every last cookie and letter. You really make my co-workers jealous. I didn’t share with them at all.

I don’t have much time between the new rotations, but I thought you would all appreciate a physical letter from me after such a long silence. Hopefully, [blacked out], and we can keep in touch more often. Pray I get promoted! Officers [blacked out], which could help me spend more time with you.

I’m working hard to get home soon. I miss you more than I can say. Keep yourselves out of trouble and do well in school and work until I get back. Remember, my main goals are to come back home, and to keep you all safe.

Lots of love,

Dad

As Abel finished reading the letter aloud, Evie felt her eyes sting. She still clasped the torn-open envelope between her fingers. She gazed at Dad’s words and wished she had remembered the letter two days ago.

Although, now that they’d read it, she knew it wouldn’t have helped them during their stay in the abandoned store.

“I don’t get it,” Wes said after a moment. “It doesn’t mention anything about the email you showed us.”

“He doesn’t want us to think anything changed, I guess,” Abel said. “I mean, obviously he didn’t. This says he’s still on border defense, but I got the email over a year ago saying he’d already switched assignments. Something happened that he—or someone—doesn’t want us to know about.”

“Then why did he tell you?” Evie asked.

“I don’t know,” Abel said. “Maybe he just had to tell someone. Anyone.”

“Argh,” Wes said, flopping back and pulling a pillow over his head. “So that means if we somehow got in contact with the border defense, Dad wouldn’t even be there. How would we even start looking for him? If something happened, or he’s on some secret assignment, there’s no way a bunch of kids could ever get contact him on our own.”

An icy feeling grew in Evie’s stomach. “Is Dad still even in the army?” she asked.

“Maybe. I think so,” Abel said. “And don’t look so worried. This letter proves he’s still okay, wherever he is. Even if all the details aren’t necessarily true, we know he’s somewhere he can write to us.”

“But it’s so short,” Evie said.

“He said he doesn’t have a lot of time,” Abel said. “That part must be true, at least.”

“We’ll never find him,” Wes’s muffled voice came from beneath the pillow.

“You don’t know that,” Abel said.

Wes sat up. “Did you not hear me? We’re just three very lost, very hunted kids. You’re barely out of high school, and none of us even have a driver’s license. We have no home, we have no transportation or weapons, and we barely have enough money to keep us in this dump of a hotel. We don’t have a chance of finding Dad. We don’t even have a chance of getting out of here.”

Abel whapped Wes’s arm. “Shut up. The last thing we need is to panic.”

“But it’s true!” Wes shouted. “This letter and your email just proved it. How could we find Dad? How would we even get to him? What are the chances that he’ll ever actually reply?”

Ding!

The kids all looked at the laptop. A new message sat in the inbox.

From Dad.

Abel made a sound like a startled cat and slammed the button so hard it almost flew off. The message opened, but buffered for a few agonizing moments as the hotel wifi struggled to keep up. Just as Evie thought her head was going to explode, it finished loading. The screen filled with a single line of large letters, fraught with mistakes and obviously typed in a rush.

STAY WERE YOU ARE!!! I AM SENDNG SOMENE.

A pause.

“Whoa,” Wes whispered.

Evie squealed despite herself. “He’s coming? Is Dad coming? Is he coming here?”

“Shh! Let me think. Let me… think…” Abel rubbed his temples. “I don’t get it… Has he been reachable all this time…?”

“Reply,” Wes said. “Ask him who he’s sending. And when.”

“Ask him where he is!” Evie said.

“And when he’s coming.”

“When will he get here?”

“I don’t believe it.”

“Dad’s coming!”

Abel waved his hands. “Shut up! Geeze. Keep it down, or someone’s going to come in here.”

“At least ask him who he’s sending, please,” Wes said again, shaking Abel’s arm. “We have to know.”

“And tell him we miss him,” Evie added. “Ask if Mom is with him.”

Abel poised his fingers over the keys, but just as he was about to start, there was a knock on the door. The siblings froze.

“Could that be Dad already?” Evie whispered.

“Stay,” Abel commanded.

He eased himself off the bed and tiptoed up to the door. He put his ear to it and listened.

“Hello?” Abel asked.

“You kids in there?” a young man asked. “It’s me, the desk clerk from downstairs.”

Abel relaxed, but didn’t open the door. “What is it?”

“There’s a couple men downstairs, and I think they’re looking for you,” the clerk continued. “I didn’t tell them if you were here or not because I thought I’d check with you first. Are you expecting them?”

Abel glanced at the bed. Evie and Wes shrugged.

“What do they look like?” Abel asked.

“Uhh… both pretty shady-looking, to be honest,” the clerk continued. “Dark coats, one of them has the collar turned up like those creepy dudes in the movies. They didn’t seem to know your names. They just asked if there had been a group of three kids in here lately. Didn’t say why.”

The blood drained from Abel’s face. On the bed, Evie clung to Wes, and he clung back.

“C-can you… uh… can you keep them occupied?” Abel stammered. “We have to go.”

A brief silence.

“Yeah, I can,” the clerk said. “Take the back stairs through the kitchen. Tell the chef that Elias sent you, and he’ll give you more food to take with you without asking any questions.”

“Thank you,” Abel said.

“I can hold them for a few minutes at most,” Elias said. “Be quick.”

His footsteps thumped away. Abel spun.

“Get your stuff,” he said. “We’re leaving. Now.”

“What about Dad?” Evie whimpered.

Abel lunged for the bed and put his fingers to the keys again. He typed a swift line and sent it without proofreading.

Leaving hotel. We hav no choice my cell is on

“Let’s go,” Abel said.

Evie scrambled to grab her backpack, shoving the envelope and Dad’s letter back inside. Abel scoured the bed for any bits of trash or other evidence they had been there and stuffed it into his own bag. He crammed his laptop and the cord back in while Evie zipped up her bag and slipped her arms through the straps. Wes was the closest by, so she snagged his hand and clenched his fingers hard enough to make him wince.

Abel cracked open the door.

“All clear. Come on.”

They ran.