VANGUARD(17)

They sat down at the dining room table, and Sophie opened the folder she’d brought with her. “This is my will,” she said baldly, causing Carter to flinch. “You’re the executor, as you know. All of this is just in case something goes wrong, which isn’t going to happen.” Next, she took out two envelopes, sealed. “This is for Michael, in case he gets out but I don’t. The second is a letter for the class, for the same reason. My lawyer has a letter for my mom and dad. But these two, I’m leaving with you.”

She reached into her pocket. “Spare keys to my apartment, in case you need a place to bring your girlfriends while Janet is delivering your son.” Carter laughed in spite of himself. Finally, Sophie handed him a small blue gift bag. “For your son. I’m pretty sure I’ll be gone for the birth, so that’s a gift for the little guy. Tell him Auntie Sophie will be home soon.” Carter took the bag and bundled the documentation together.

“Just bring him home, Sophie. Bring him home. The whole class will be waiting for you.” He got up and crushed her against his chest. “I love you so much.”

“I love you, too. I’ll be home soon, and I won’t be alone. I swear it.”





-





“Deep breath in, please. Hold. Now out. Again. Again.” Anjali moved the stethoscope over Sophie’s back, listening carefully. Sophie was the last person on the team to have her field physical done. Anjali did the examination herself in the Situation Room one evening after shooing everyone else home at a reasonable hour for a change.

“Arm, please.” She strapped on the blood pressure cuff and pumped it up. Sophie practiced her breathing techniques. Anjali took the pressure again. Then a third time.

“What?”

“It’s pretty much normal,” Anjali replied. “I thought I’d made a mistake. I figured you’d be through the roof.”

“Meditation,” Sophie said knowingly.

“Freak.”

Anjali went through the rest of the exam thoroughly and professionally. Nobody cared better for the employees of Refugee Crisis International than she did.

“You’re fine, good to go,” she said at last. “Your blood work checked out too.”

Sophie let out a long breath of relief. Part of her had thought Anjali and Will might try to stop her from going at the last minute, to keep her from doing something insane in Orlisia.

“Give me a copy of your immunization record for your file. I don’t want some border official keeping you out after all this just because you don’t have proof of vaccination.”

Sophie yanked her shirt on and retrieved the required paper from her briefcase. “Are you ready to go, Anjali?” Her friend nodded but looked troubled. “Will’s uncomfortable that we’re all going, isn’t he?”

“Of course he is. The three of us should never go on a mission this risky together. Bad succession planning.” Anjali paused. “But I need to be there.”

Sophie put her arm around Anjali, resting her head on her friend’s slim shoulder. “I wouldn’t want anyone else but you and Will by my side,” she said. “We’re unstoppable.”





-





Sophie’s language teacher, Alex, dropped by to say farewell before the team headed out. “Don’t forget what I taught you,” he said. “Tell me again, one more time, what I taught you last week.”

Grinning, she ripped out a volley of curses in Russian that would make a dock worker blush. Alex laughed delightedly.

“No Soviet soldier stands a chance with you. Remember, never show fear. Stand tall and strong.” He embraced her, kissing both of her cheeks. “I love my country, but I believe that whatever is happening in that camp is wrong. I pray you are in time to stop this madness. God be with you.”





-





The last goodbye was the hardest.

She visited Signe and Maxwell the day before the coalition left for Orlisia, sharing with them what she knew about the schedule ahead, and setting up a communication protocol.

“The code word is Vanguard,” she said. “I can’t say over an open cell or satellite phone connection that we’ve found an American citizen in the camp. The Soviets would be all over us in seconds, and we might never get him out. I’ll contact you as soon as I can. If you get a message from me that has the word Vanguard in it, it means I’ve got him. Understand?” They nodded, and she saw hope blazing in Signe’s eyes.