Page 88 of Fade (Fighting Fate)

Climbing from the couch, I stepped over the strewn pillows, wondering who the heck it was. As I passed Kathryn in the doorway, she lightly touched my arm, then I heard her call Amber’s name. The seriousness in her tone seemed odd to me for some reason.

Walking through the family room, I rounded the corner toward the front door, then abruptly froze. Standing in the foyer, dressed in full uniform, were two officers from the Marine Corps.

Both men straightened their stance the instant they saw me. As my mind began to process the meaning of their presence, my breath left me. Oh, God . . .

“Mrs. Stephenson?”

My gaze jumped to meet the owner of the voice. I saw his mouth move, heard the low timbre of his voice, but that’s all it was. Noise. My head scrambled to make sense of it all. To find some plausible conclusion other than the one my mind was trying to jump to.

Something pressed against my back, warm and reassuring, but I couldn’t comprehend any more than that. The sound of my breath grew louder inside my head, suffocating me.

Instinctively, I placed a hand on my stomach, strangely feeling a need to protect the little life inside me. My other hand moved to cover my mouth, my fingers trembling against my suddenly dry lips. Slowly, I shook my head, a fear greater than any I’d ever experienced before piercing my very soul.

No, no, no. This could not be happening…

Desperation clawed at me, trying to find something, anything I could hold on to, to stop me from drowning in this moment, but the fear was quickly destroying me, ready to bring me to my knees.

Then I heard it. “ . . . Missing in action . . . ”

My desperation clung to it, and I begged him with my eyes. “Daniel’s missing?” I tried to continue, to form the words that would lead me to the answers my soul needed, but I couldn’t. I just couldn’t.

“Yes, ma’am. The Commandant of the Marine Corps extends his deepest regret at not being able to offer you any more information, but wishes you to know you will be further advised as more information becomes available.”

A hand squeezed my arm. I swallowed hard, trying to push down the lump in my throat. “But he’s alive, right?” I needed to hear him say the words.

Something that resembled pain flashed in his eyes. “I’m sorry, ma’am. We don’t have any more information for you at this time, but the Commandant of the Marine Corps understands the importance of keeping loved ones informed on the health and safety of your marine. As soon as any information on his whereabouts becomes available, you will be advised directly.”

He couldn’t even tell me if he was alive?

“I don’t understand. What happened? How did he go missing?” There had to be some kind of sense in the situation, didn’t there? I needed there to be logic. I needed him to give me something to hold on to.

The officer shifted uncomfortably on his feet, but his body remained rigid, his chin held high. “We don’t have much information at this time, ma’am. All we know is his team was involved in a rescue mission out of Raqqa when they were scattered by an IED.”

IED? My brain scrambled, searching for meaning before locating the answer somewhere in its depth. IED: Improvised Explosive Device.

Something surged through me at an unbearable speed. I thought it might have been dread. Or helplessness. It was like this moment had untethered me. My anchor had been ripped from my body, and I was now falling, with no way of knowing how to stop it.

What was I supposed to do now? How was I supposed to deal with this? How did these people expect me to just continue on with life, not knowing if my husband was even alive?

Pain twisted in my gut. I gasped.

Oh, God. Don’t let him be dead. Please, don’t let him be dead.

Chapter 46

Daniel

Deployed time: 10 weeks + 3 days

MIA: 3 days

Amy,

I wish I could talk to you. I wish I could let you know I was all right. But I can’t. All I have are my thoughts, and all I can do is think about what I would like to say to you. I hate that you’ve probably already been told I’ve been captured and I hate that I’ve done that to you. Please, just know I will do everything I can to get home to you. And our baby. You both mean more to me than you can possibly imagine.

All my love, Daniel.

Pain.

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