Midnight by Anna Dove (books for new readers .TXT) 📕

we are not yet defeated. We are not yet dead. We have not yet surrendered, and we must rally to save our nation. Let this be our finest hour. Let us dare to do our duties. I am willing to put my head in the lion’s mouth, and risk my life, because I know that under the leadership of myself and those whom I elect to serve closely with me, we are all capable of what we now must do, which is to become what we were before, and what we will be going forward, a model of liberty, equality, freedom, and justice, a global leader and a land where peace and prosperity reign!” He raised his hand in the air, with two fingers in a brazen Churchillian V.

The journalists’ cameras, which had been clicking throughout the speech, now exploded in clicks, audible for only half a second before wild cheers and clapping thundered throughout the room. Haley smiled as the Senator stood proudly, his hand in the air with the century-old symbol of defiance. She glanced at her friends, and then her gaze fell to the end of the row.

Adela Gilman’s aide sat quietly, his eyes fixed on the Senator. His black hair was swept back from his face and slicked towards the nape of his neck. He sat very still, an obvious contrast to the cheering and clapping around him. Presently, he got up, stuck his hands in his pockets, and left.

A cold chill crept up the back of Haley’s neck. There was something so ominous about that man. They were still not safe--even protected by the fact that the Senator was publicly running against Adela Gilman, there was no guarantee that she would regard the Senator or his team as protected from violence. Her heartbeat quickened.

The Senator had stepped down and was beginning to mingle with the journalists, who flocked him like hungry birds. Feeling uneasy, Haley decided to take a walk outside for some fresh air. She notified Elizabeth and Carlos and then made her way to the back of the room and through the foyer that opened to the outside.

Haley shut the door behind her quietly, and walked past the fountain and into the garden. Reaching the grass, she kicked off her shoes to the side of the path and continued away from the ballroom, running. Her throat felt dry and parched. Her head spun and she flew past great overgrown shrubbery, and she found herself in a little meadow surrounded by maple trees, the leaves of which glimmered ever so faintly in the light of the moon.

         “Haley?”

She started and spun around. There, emerging from the end of the path, was James Landon.

“James. I just wanted to get a breath of fresh air.” She stood still and he came to her side, both facing the maples.

“Me too. I’m sorry for startling you. Are you alright?” He said, glancing at her before looking away again. How austere he was, she thought.

‘I’m alright,” she responded. “I guess I was a little overwhelmed in there. I was just thinking...what they are capable of...and if they find out that we know...I wasn’t scared, you know, when the attack happened. I behaved very rationally and acted in such a collected manner, after it all happened. I did exactly what needed to be done, and I was very brave. I know I’m brave. I know I react well when a crisis arises. But what I cannot handle is the waiting...the waiting, and the knowing that if they are capable of orchestrating a nuclear attack on a country, how much pain they could inflict on individuals...that’s what scares me. And then I think--what about my family? What if they know it’s me, and they use my family? What if they hurt my family, James?” Her breaths caught in her throat and she raised her hands to her face.

Landon faced her, and reaching out, rested his hand gently on her shoulder. Instinctively she felt the weight and for a moment, was strangely comforted.

“Haley,” he said, and his tone was so kind. “It will do no good to worry. All that one man, or one woman, can do, is to do their very best to live with honor and integrity, and to serve other people. We are not in control of what happens to the others in our lives. All we can do is to hold fast to hope, to pray, and to fight for justice and for peace. We cannot bear the burdens of other lives. We can serve others, but if we cling too fast to controlling the fates of our families and friends, we will drive ourselves crazy. You do realize that, yes?”

Haley clasped her hands and looked up at the stars, taking in the expanse of the dome above her. “I realize it, but every bone in my body wants otherwise.”

“Well, quite frankly, that is because you love them,” continued Landon quietly. “When you love someone, you would do anything to save them.”

Her gaze rested on his face, searching his expression. Still he was reserved, austere, but there was a depth that she had not before noticed. His brown eyes met hers.

“Yes, you’re right,” she agreed softly, and suddenly she dropped her gaze. He took his hand from her shoulder.

“Do you think we will win, James?”

“The election?”

“No, not necessarily--I mean, do you think we will win?”

“Honestly, I...I don’t know, Haley.”

A moment of silence rested. A cool September breeze blew, rustling the tops of the trees.

“Let’s talk about something else, okay?” he said all of a sudden, and chuckled. “Tell me, when the power comes back on in a few years, what is the first thing that you will do?” he smiled at her.

“I will watch my favorite movie. It’s a silly one, but I used to watch it with my best girlfriends. We would have popcorn and