Reagan
Charlotte awakens her at five-thirty the next morning, and she slips from the bed quietly and carries her daughter down to the music room to be fed. John just turned in from watch duty, so she doesn’t want to disturb what little sleep he’s been getting lately. When she arrives in the pale-yellow music room, Reagan is surprised to find Simon there reading a book.
“What’s going on? Early morning class to cram for?” she jokes and takes a seat on the chaise near the window. She still has two full bottles of breastmilk in the refrigerator, but Reagan tries to save those for when her sisters are forced to care for Charlotte when she’s gone like she’ll be gone later for the clinic day in town.
“Yes, something like that,” he answers with a smile and pushes his glasses higher on his nose. “Just going over some of the patient files from town and cross-referencing with some research. I want to be ready when we leave.”
“So dedicated,” she says with a smile.
“I see that Mrs. Anderson hasn’t had her baby yet,” he says, to which she nods. “And Mr. Jefferson is still battling pneumonia?”
“Sounds about right. What are you studying?” she asks, noticing his notepad and pen beside him on the table.
“I’ve just been curious about some of the things I found in the red files. Plus, some of the information we’ve gathered about the new President doesn’t add up.”
Reagan sits slightly more forward in her chair. Then she covers her daughter again with the burp cloth to conceal her naked breast from Simon. She doesn’t want him to go into an apoplectic fit of embarrassment or something. He’s a tad on the uptight side. Of course, he did deliver Charlotte, so he’s seen all the good Lord has bestowed upon her. Literally.
“I found this book in your grandfather’s collection,” he indicates, tipping the book more toward her. “It’s a current events political book. Well, it was current events from four years ago. It’s about the President, the one who was actually elected as President of the United States before the fall of the country.”
“Why would you care about that?”
“It’s mostly written from a Christian Conservative perspective debunking the rumors that the President had had affairs and was pro-abortion when he was young and that his wife was involved in some insider trading deal. You know, politics as usual kind of stuff. But the author also goes on to defend the Vice President since he was supposedly a part of the insider trading scandal. The author very professionally and clearly delivers the evidence to defeat the charges.”
“Sounds fascinating. Simon, I wonder why you’re still single,” Reagan says with unconcealed sarcasm.
He smirks. “Hopefully not for long,” he murmurs under his breath, making Reagan grin. “Anyway, none of that is what I was digging for anyway. I was more concerned with learning about the Vice President, this man who is now calling himself the President, the man from the bunker who also wants to kill all of us. Allegedly.”
This actually piques her interest, “And? Find anything out that could help us?”
“The man we know as the Vice-President, now the President, is written about very extensively in here, too. He was actually a good man from all accounts from this author,” Simon informs her and taps his forefinger on the face of the book. “He was a Christian man, a strong leader in his community. He’s from Pennsylvania originally. He came from simple roots. His father was a steelworker, his mother a school teacher. He graduated top of his class and attended Harvard Law School on scholarship, was the editor for the Law Review there, married his wife when he was in his final year of law school, had the one child. His wife died out there in the bunker along with the President and a lot of other people. It doesn’t say anything about him having socialist viewpoints. It doesn’t say anywhere that he was a megalomaniac on a power trip. It doesn’t say he was abusive with his employees or that he wanted a government-first political system. And most importantly, it doesn’t state that he ever attended military academy. I remember our car dealer in the milk house said that the senator and the new President attended military academy in New York or somewhere.”
“Yeah, he did. I think he’s stated that more than once,” Reagan concurs.
“Right, but that’s a very prestigious thing, being referred into a military academy,” Simon tells her. “It says in this book that he attended the same public high school where his mother taught. It says nothing about military academy. He went from high school to Harvard.”
Something inside of Reagan shifts. She’s not sure if it’s a gotcha’ moment affect or if a puzzle piece is slowly sliding into place, but something hits her like a punch to the stomach. She can’t do anything other than shake her head with the same bewilderment that matches Simon’s.
“Well, I was looking earlier at the stack of red files,” he explains patiently. “Some of the comments written in them stood out to me.”
“Like what?”
“The new cabinet members, to be specific,” he says. “I hadn’t noticed until now, but some of the titles are made up, new ones that didn’t exist before.”
“Which ones?” she asks.
“For instance, Secretary of Community Relations. Secretary of Interstate Communications, Chief of Supply Management, Head of Learning Center,” he states and points it out in the file, which he has marked with an orange sticky note. “There’s no such thing. He or whoever Parker’s working with or for has made up new cabinet positions to fit the new world.”
“What makes you think he’s working for someone? He’s working for my father. Maybe he’s just getting their new community set up the way he and my father had already planned out.”
“But Robert- sorry- your father said he didn’t remember these files. He said that they weren’t going to start a new regime, not like the new President has done. He said they just wanted to live by the Constitution, not start a whole new country. Derek asked him about this. Why would Parker go ahead and make files on people who he clearly believes would be good in an upper-level government position like cabinet members? Made up positions or not.”
“Yes, but they do have a new community up there at Fort Knox. Whether we want to acknowledge it as its own, new country or not, that’s basically what it is. They’ve left the new President to form their own country.”
“But the general has said many times that he doesn’t want to be the President. I just don’t get the same impression from Parker.”
“Explain,” she demands softly.
“The last time Cory went up there, he basically said Parker was a jerk, he’s controlling, he acts like he’s running the show, a lot of the people don’t like him. Others fear him.”
She urges him to continue.
“If he’s planning on being the new President, then he needs to get your father out of the way- which may happen anyway because of his health. Oh, sorry! Crap, Reagan, I didn’t mean that. It was crude of me.”
“No, it’s fine,” she says with an expression of forgiveness. “I know he’s sick.”
“Yes, but that was insensitive of me. Forgive me,” he says quietly.
“Already forgiven, Simon,” she says. “Now, tell me more on this theory you’ve got.”
“What if Parker is planning on taking over Fort Knox when, I mean if, your father passes away?” he throws out.
Reagan thinks about this for a few moments before answering. “Yeah, maybe. But my father has other men in place for such a position, too. Men and a few women he also trusts. Not just Parker.”
“If he is starting secret files, files your father doesn’t even know about, then he’s planning something or already has something planned. People don’t just randomly start appointing citizens to made-up posts in a made-up government if they weren’t actually going to act on it.”
“And Parker’s proven himself untrustworthy at the most, and strange at the very least,” she comments.
“True,” he agrees.
“But it doesn’t mean he’s involved with the highwaymen, or was,” she argues. “And we still don’t know who the hell this Angelica woman is, either.”
“Not sure,” he says. “I just had this eerie feeling the whole time I was at Fort Knox that I was being observed from afar. Probably stupid but there it is, nonetheless.”
“That’s creepy,” Reagan admits.
He nods and continues, “Yes, it was. I might’ve just been jumpy because I was almost caught stealing those red files. That was amateur hour right there.”
Reagan chuckles softly so as not to awaken anyone still asleep. “I still can’t believe you dropped a file and he found it. You are one lucky bastard, Simon.”
His smile conveys his own realized sense of mortality. “No doubt.”
“I still wish you would’ve figured out who Angelica is while you were up there. We really need to know because she’s our leak, our connection to the President and where he is right now.”
“I know,” he says and hangs his head a bit. “It’s frustrating. I tried to check with as many of the people there that we know for sure are trustworthy, but I just didn’t come up with anything. It’s weird. That and the feeling of being watched. I just can’t put my finger on it. Ever feel like you’re on the cusp of figuring something out, but it’s just out of reach?”
“Yes, it’s called parenthood,” she quips, getting a smile. Then she adds, “But I know what you mean. I feel like that a lot when I’m working on something in medicine like researching a disease or a cure for illnesses like Small Pox or Scarlet Fever, all without the benefit of modern medicine, science, and the breakthroughs we used to have.”
He nods with understanding. “I know what you mean. That is frustrating. It’s a lot more advanced up there at the fort, though. They’re making even more advancements every day. Dr. Avery and her team are doing a lot of great things.”
“Hm, Dr. Avery, huh?” Reagan teases. Then has to come right out and say what she’s thinking because Simon gives her a blank stare. “The same Dr. Avery who has a crush on you?”
“Oh, that,” he answers uncomfortably. “Right.”
“Right? You know?”
He nods and squirms in his seat. “Yes, I…I figured it out.”
“And?”
“And nothing,” he says with finality. “She’s just a very smart, talented doctor, who I respect and am happy to have the opportunity to work alongside. That’s all.”
“I don’t think she feels that way about you.”
“No, I don’t think so, either, but I don’t have those kinds of feelings for her.”
“Oh, well,” Reagan says and moves on. “And did you ask her about Angelica?”
“Yes, ma’am,” he answers. “She didn’t know anything.”
“She’s a blonde,” Reagan says, considering if Dr. Eliza Avery could be Angelica.
“No, it’s not her,” he responds to her quizzical expression. “I’m sure of it. She’s not going to go against what they’ve set up there already. Before she made her way to the bunker with her group of fellow survivors, her life out west was hard. In a way, she survived the same way my sister did. She’s grateful for the fort and for your father. She talks very highly of him and often.”
“Hm, that’s good, I suppose,” she agrees. “I still just want to know who the car dealer and the senator were working with and who this woman is. It’s irritating me not knowing. What if she’s the mastermind behind all of this and not the highwaymen or their leaders?”
“True again,” he says with a nod. “I was speaking with Paige last night. She said that not a whole lot of progress was made with the car dealer since I left?”
She shakes her head and says, “No, I’m sorry to say that she’s right. We’re kind of hoping that maybe he’ll recognize Parker as a co-conspirator if Sam is able to draw him.”
“Her light was on most of the night, so I bet she stayed up working on it,” Simon informs her.
“Oh, really?” Reagan drawls out with open suspicion. “Sounds like you were keeping tabs on her.”
“Maybe,” he admits sheepishly, a slow pink staining his cheeks. “I just noticed her light on.”
“You should’ve been in bed getting some rest not stalking Miss Sam.”
He just shrugs. “Not stalking, just keeping an eye on her. I feel…I feel like when she’s not with her uncle she’s my responsibility. I know. That’s weird. Definitely isn’t warranted, but there it is.”
Reagan nods knowingly. “I get it. This love shit is hard, huh? I don’t care how old you are, it’s tough.”
Simon laughs aloud and nods. “Yes, ma’am, it is.”
“Having any luck on that front?”
His laugh fades as does his smile. “No, I’m afraid not. I told her how I feel like you told me to, but we were interrupted at the reception.”
“But you told her you love her, Simon?” Reagan asks to which he nods. “That’s good. At least you got that part out.”
“There’s still so much more I need to tell Sam,” he says. “Stuff that I need her to understand.”
“You’d better make your move then,” she warns as she pulls her shirt back up and shifts Charlotte to her shoulder. “Sam’s a beautiful girl. There are plenty of men in line to take your place. Especially Henry.”
This causes him to scowl. “I know. And I can’t blame them, either. I don’t have any hold on her, and everyone knows it.”
“Then stake your claim, Simon. Don’t wait for the perfect opportunity or that exact, romantic moment. Just finish talking to her and see if she reciprocates your feelings.”
He takes a big breath and holds it before expelling it again. “I’m pretty sure she hates me, Reagan.”
She chuckles. “After what you’ve put her through, I would, too, bud.”
He nods with an understanding frown.
“I know,” Reagan says, sympathizing with him. “Like I said before, this shit’s hard.”
“Perhaps I should be looking for relationship books in your grandfather’s study instead of history,” he quips.
Reagan snorts. “Fat lot of good that would do. The experts,” she says using air quotes, “who wrote those books were probably single. Anyway, I think I’m gonna’ get a quick run in before everyone’s up. Kelly’s still on duty. I’ll force him to go with me. He’s getting fat anyway.” This is a joke, of course. Kelly is just as fit as he ever was, maybe even moreso right now.
He smiles and nods. “Want me to take her for you?”
“That’d be great,” she admits and hands Charlotte over to him.
“Look at you, Miss Charlie,” he says to her baby. “Getting so big, aren’t you?”
Reagan rolls her eyes. Her daughter is bound to be a spoiled brat. An overprotected, rotten spoiled brat, too. She touches the top of Simon’s head, getting a smile in return, and goes to the mudroom to collect her running shoes. It doesn’t take long to find her brother-in-law. He’s sneaking a smoke down by the barn with two of Dave’s men.
“Let’s see how strong those lungs are this morning, Hulk,” she teases, backhands the center of his chest, and inclines her head over her shoulder toward the running path.
He mumbles something about ‘a pain in my ass’ under his breath, to which Reagan laughs gaily. She loves annoying Kelly.
She manages to run the whole path this time and only has to stop when they make it back to the descending trail down to the cow barn.
“Doing ok, Little Doc?” Kelly asks and pulls up to a stop.
“Yeah, out of shape is all,” she replies with a laugh.
“Nah, you’re doin’ great,” he praises and walks beside her.
Reagan pauses before commenting, “I’m glad everyone’s back on the farm again.”
“Yeah, for now,” Kelly says.
“What do you mean? Is someone going out again?”
He gives a one-shoulder shrug and says, “John and I are thinking about doing some recon missions to see if we missed something out there.”
“Like what?”
“We have to have missed something. It doesn’t add up. We got the highwaymen, decimated them basically. But here we are. Feels like we’re back to square one. The car dealer ain’t talkin’ and won’t cooperate. We know there is more to this than we’ve figured out. We’ve got squat. We need to wrap this shit up and be done with it.”
She sighs heavily and nods. “I agree. I’m sick of this looming over our heads. I want these people gone for good. The President, his people, this asshole in our milk house, all of them.”
“Me, too, Little Doc,” he says.
They walk the rest of the way in silence, mostly because both of them are thinking the same thoughts. No words are necessary between them, none at all. They are worried about the family.