Girl of Vengeance (49 page)

That meant Julia returned to Boston and her offices on Broadway in South Boston. She was there, preparing to convene a staff meeting, when her phone rang.

She stared dumbly at it for several seconds. The phone call was from United Methodist Family Services—the organization where she and Crank had applied to adopt. Fourteen months had passed since their home study with no word.

She scrambled. “Hello?”

“Julia? It’s Renee Hunt.”

“Yes?” Apprehension shot through Julia. She stood up, scanning the open work area and its fifteen employees. Crank was nowhere in sight. “What is it?”

She waved at her administrative assistant, then mouthed,
Find Crank!

“Is Crank available?”

“Hold on, I’m not sure—wait, there he is. Hold on.” She waved at him. Crank’s eyes widened at her urgency, and he half jogged across the floor.

“What is it?” he whispered.

She put the phone on speaker, and said, “Renee, Crank is here. Now—what is it?”

On the other end of the line, Renee Hunt took a deep breath. Julia reached out and grabbed Crank’s hand and squeezed, probably too hard. Then she heard the words.

“Are you guys busy tomorrow? I have good news. We have a baby for you.”

Tears began to pour down Julia’s face. Happy, joyous tears. “No. We’ll cancel our plans, whatever they are.”

She threw her arms around her husband.

Rachel. Bethesda, Maryland.

Mommy told me Daddy lives inside the rock at the big green park. I met him a bunch, at least three times. But he’s dead inside the rock and can’t play. I get sad for Daddy locked in the rock. Did you know that dead means you can’t come out and play anymore? But Mommy says Daddy is with God and happy.

Maybe God plays with him. I’d be sad if I couldn’t come out and play.

Mommy said we only go see Daddy on Memory Day. That’s when everybody members their daddies and mommies if they don’t have one. We have a picture of Daddy at home. Sometimes the picture makes Mommy sad, except when it makes her smile. I’m glad Daddy’s happy with God. I wish I could meet him some day, and he could take me to the playground.

But now Mommy says I get to have another daddy for my birthday. When she kisses him she smiles. His beard is ticklish. That’s why it makes me giggle.

When I giggle and my second daddy laughs, it makes Mommy smile. I like when she smiles. She says having a second daddy is like having two scoops of ice cream.

My birthday is tomorrow, and I get my second daddy.

I love him.

So does Mommy.

END

Author's Note

When writing a work of political fiction, sometimes the parallels to real life are inescapable.

Ronald Reagan, Eugene Jackson, Henry Kissenger and Margaret Thatcher and Queen Elizabeth II are all known historical personages. However, their roles in this story are completely fictional.

The Wakhan Corridor largely missed the violence of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, just as it has missed most of the violence of the current war in Afghanistan. However, the fighting has lasted 35 years, more than a generation--first with the Soviets, then the Taliban, and finally the United States. Much of the violence I described was typical, including massacres of civilians. There was no use of chemical weapons as described in this book.

Events in the Falkland Islands and the bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon took place pretty much as I described them here. But virtually all of the details are left out.

Prince George-Phillip obviously does not exist. Some other members of the Royal family mentioned in this story, such as Princess Alexandra, do. However, everything described about the royal family is fiction.

I know little about the operations of the State Department's Diplomatic Security Service. Where I couldn't find the information on Google I just made it up.

This book took a lot of help along the way to complete. I'll probably forget some people but I especially want to thank Lori Sabin for your editing, and Sally Bouley for your extensive assistance reading through the book.

Thanks to my beta readers: Emma Corcoran, Kathy Baker, Dimitra Fleissner, Laura Wilson, Bryan James, Michelle Kannan, Sarah Griffen, Amy Burt, Jennifer Mirabelli, Stacey Grice, Kirsten Papi, Beth Suit, Rita Jenkins Post and Kelly Moorhouse. You guys looked at a lot of first draft material and have my everlasting gratitude.

As always, to Andrea Randall: thank you for everything along the way. You listen to my fears and frustrations and deal with my crazy insecurities even as we wind our personal and professional lives together. I thank God every day for having you in my life.

Girl of Rage

v09102014

Edited by Lori Sabin

Cover and interior design by Charles Sheehan-Miles, based on original line art by illustrator Kynata.

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Any resemblance to real people, living or dead, is unintentional, with the exception of certain named historical characters.

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