Page 2 of Prisoner of War
Minnie stared at her and waited her out.
Calli let her hands drop again. “What is it I’m not getting?”
“I’ll put up with alltheirpolitical bullshit,” Minnie told her. “I won’t take it from you.”
Calli took a deep breath and let it out as a tired sigh. “Ah, dammit.” She slid down the outside ofthe closet wall until her knees were up against her chest, as Minnie’s were. Calli’s knees were higher from the floor than Minnie’s, despite the bucket.
Calli pressed her lips together, studying Minnie. “I have no idea what you’re going through,” she said frankly. “I’ve never lost anyone close. Although I can imagine, I think.”
“Pretend you’ve lost Nick,” Minnie shot back.
Calli flinched. “Idon’t have to pretend. I live with the possibility every day.”
Minnie felt a touch of surprise. “He’s still going out on the boats to pick up refugees? Shouldn’t he be here, running things?”
Calli threaded her fingers together. “He knows his own boat better than anyone else and he knows the waters around Vistaria.” Her tone was calm. Monotone.
“You’ve said that way too often, lately.”
Calli’sgaze dropped. “Nick knows what he’s doing.”
Minnie strove for a gentle tone. “I sure hope so, honey.”
“You changed the subject on me. Don’t think I didn’t notice.”
“Because you don’t get it and I don’t want to hurt your feelings.”
Calli nodded. “All right, then. Explain it to me.”
“Okay. Nick’s dead. Think about that.”
Calli bit her lip. “Okay.”
“Now...you find out he’s alive. Near deathbut still alive.”
“Minnie, we’ve—”
“You want to understand, then just go with me,” Minnie snapped. “He’s alive, but it’s a close thing.”
She swallowed. “Okay.” Her voice was soft.
“You can’t get to him. You can’t reach him or communicate with him and what’s more, you’re not entirely sure where he is. Just that he’s alive and out of your reach.”
Calli nodded.
Minnie leaned forward. “You cometo me and ask me for help and I don’t believe you.”
Calli held up her hand. “That’s the issue right there. Nick isn’t being deliberately cruel.”
“Bullshit. He has the resources. He could slip a small team over there to sniff around. He’s already done it twice himself.”
Calli’s eyes opened wide. “What?”
Minnie mentally winced.Oh shit.Talk about foot-in-mouth disease.
Calli wiped at her lipsdelicately, almost as though she was playing for time. “Nick has been on...missions? Into Vistaria? Into enemy territory?”
Minnie licked her lips. “I’m sorry, honey. I don’t think they wanted to worry you with it.”
