Chapter Sixteen

Ashlee

 

It shouldn't have surprised her to find Michael Callahan waiting in the small anteroom to greet them. And he gave her a wink as he shook her hand.

“I had a feeling we'd be meeting again in the near future,” he said. “Come, sit, let me ply you both with beverages while we wait for the big man to be finished.”

She had the feeling Matt was angry, but didn't quite know why. Perhaps it was Callahan, the way he acted, carried himself, his reputation, that Matt didn't like. Despite his preppy shell, Matt was a lot more of a revolutionary at heart than he seemed at first sight, and he had a special kind of hatred for people like Callahan—the rich, the successful, the manipulative, the politicians. Ashlee thought that it was because he knew, given different circumstances, that he could be one of them.

She did wonder why they had been brought here. Perhaps it was to warn them off. After all, Callahan knew what they were up to. Maybe they were going to be officially warned to stay out of things. Not that that was going to happen. Her plans were already forming; she'd been waiting for a chance to speak to Matt alone, to work things out with him before speaking to anyone else. On the other hand, perhaps they were to be roped into defending California—who knew? They made polite conversation as they waited, and the minutes seemed to leak by slowly.

“I'd like to introduce you all to the new secretary of defense for the great state, dammit, great Republic of California,” said a booming voice as the door opened. “You know, it's really tough to get a hold of that new naming thing,” the voice said, more quietly.

Ashlee looked up and saw that the man she assumed was Governor Merriweather seemed to be talking about Hanson, who was standing beside him looking somewhat bemused.

“Is that true?” she asked, looking at Hanson.

He nodded. “Believe it or not, it is. And I believe the governor wants to talk to the two of you as well, so behave yourselves.”

She saw his grin, and how Merriweather clapped him on the back, and knew that they'd come to an agreement, that Hanson approved of the man. And she trusted Hanson's judgment.

“I'm in a bit of a difficult bind,” Merriweather said, flashing a grin at Ashlee. “See, I don't happen to think that politicians have any right to be a part of a revolutionary movement like yours. I was democratically elected to do my job, and my job is to protect this state, republic, whatever the damn hell it is right now. And that's what I'm going to do. So as far as I'm concerned, neither you, Ms. Townsend, nor Mr. Matthew over there, nor your entire group, exist. I'm going to pretend I never saw you here.”

Ashlee frowned. It was not quite what she'd been expecting. Not as extreme. She figured either they'd be welcomed with open arms, thrown out on their asses, or imprisoned maybe. Not this wavering compromise, whatever it was. And she was disappointed, to be honest. Given that Hanson obviously trusted Merriweather, she'd have expected more from the man. Better from him. Hell, they could do what they had to do without the help of Merriweather, but she'd hoped at least for a safe haven.

“That being said,” Merriweather continued, “I have a lot of respect for both Mr. Callahan, here, and Captain Hanson. Or are we going with General Hanson?” he asked, turned to Hanson. “That could be arranged.”

“I think Captain will do just fine,” said Hanson, smiling.

“And neither of these men is an elected official. And what they choose to do with the funds, resources, and men put under their care is their business. They have budgets and spreadsheets and God knows what else. I trust them to do their jobs to the best of their abilities, and to act in the best interests of California, whatever those may be. Am I being clear here?”

She shot a look at Matt, who had a smile curling his lips, and then she nodded. She understood completely. A clever man then. One who knew how far his office could stretch, and one who was obviously moral. Because once all this was over, he'd once again be the governor of California. And when that happened, he couldn't also be a man who had essentially funded terrorism and revolution, could he? Not personally, anyway. And more than that, others might see him as a symbol of the old government. So all in all, it was better all around if he kept out of things. And yet he was still placing every resource at their disposal. Ashlee suddenly understood why Hanson had formed a bond so quickly with the man.

“That sounds very sensible,” she said, standing up.

Merriweather's eyes twinkled. “Perhaps you might tell my wife that if you ever meet her. She seems to think I wasn't born with the sense of a raccoon.”

“I'll certainly do that,” said Ashlee.

And just like that, she liked him and trusted him. He might not be involved directly with what she and the others were about to do, but it was clear that there was a safety net there. Unlike in Washington, where she’d been hunted and felt afraid, California was going to be a haven of sorts. The realization released tension inside her, and suddenly she felt exhausted.

 

***

 

As soon as they returned to the house, Matt and Hanson disappeared. Ashlee stuck her head around the kitchen door to see Kishanna sitting at the table in front of her computer.

“Seen Min-Seo?” she asked.

Kishanna looked up. “She was watching a movie with the kids for a while, but I sent them out to get some groceries, so I'm not sure what she's up to now. Try upstairs maybe?”

So Ashlee began climbing the stairs. It had occurred to her that in all the excitement, she hadn't really spoken properly to Min-Seo. The poor woman had been dragged along on this trip simply because she was there. Okay, she was a hell of a lot safer now than she'd been before, but still, she'd never uttered a word about her own wants or needs. It was time to fix that. And as tired as Ashlee was, she knew she needed to speak to the woman before she could sleep.

She found her lying on her bed, a book in her hands.

“Hey, mind if I come in for a sec?” she asked.

“Not at all,” said Min-Seo with a smile.

Ashlee went in, pulling a chair from the small desk and bringing it to sit next to the bed.

“So,” she said, not sure how to begin.

“So what now?” Min-Seo asked, smiling again. “I understand, Ashlee. This is a bit of an awkward situation, isn't it? You find the ex-First Lady and pull her fully across the country, and now you're not exactly sure what to do with her?”

Ashlee flinched, then shook her head. “No, Min-Seo, it's not like that at all. You're not our captive, our hostage. You do realize that, don't you?”

Min-Seo just smiled.

“You're not,” Ashlee said more forcefully.

“Then why did you bring me here?”

“Because, well, because we didn't really know what else to do with you, and we couldn't just leave you to rot in Washington. Forgive me, but it doesn't seem as though you have a lot of money anymore; I assume you were cut off or something? Actually, screw this. Let's start from the beginning here. Why don't you tell me exactly what it is that happened to you, and how you ended up in that prison?”

For a moment Min-Seo's face went almost blank. And Ashlee saw something familiar. When she was younger she'd volunteered at a women's shelter, and she'd seen that look before. It was the look of someone who'd been betrayed, someone who couldn't or didn't want to trust anymore.

She reached out and took Min-Seo's hand.

“You can tell me anything,” she said. “I won't hurt you. And I will believe you.”

Slowly the words began to come. And little by little, Min-Seo told her story. She started at the very beginning, talking about Korea, about wanting to leave, about finally getting her chance with Silva. And then she talked about the business, then the relationship, then the beatings, until finally she culminated in her escape from the White House, aided by Michael Callahan.

“Callahan helped you?” asked Ashlee, interrupting.

Min-Seo nodded. “He is not a bad man. Not as bad as he'd like others to think,” she said.

Ashlee put that to the side for a moment; she was still unsure about Callahan, though Kishanna obviously trusted him. “And what then?” she asked. “How did you end up in prison?”

Min-Seo told her about living on the streets until eventually she was found out.

Then there was silence for a long time as both women thought. Ashlee squeezed Min-Seo's hand.

“You're a strong woman, a brave one,” she said.

“Not really,” said Min-Seo. “I've been a very stupid woman for a very long time. I'm hoping to change that.”

“I told you the truth,” Ashlee said. “You're in no way a captive. I brought you here because it was safer. Because it was important to me to save you, to help you.”

“Why?”

“Because you helped me,” said Ashlee. “Back in prison, that first night, when you sang to me. I think it was the only thing that kept me sane.”

“I don't think so,” said Min-Seo. “You called me strong and brave, but you are the one that's strong and brave.”

Ashlee smiled. “Not all the time,” she said. “That night I almost lost it. I was so terrified. You let me keep my senses, my sanity; you stopped my emotions from taking me over. And I won't forget it. That's why you're here. You can believe me or not. But my question now is: what do you want now?”

The other woman was quiet, thinking. Ashlee could feel the tiredness in her bones.

“I believe you,” Min-Seo said finally. “That is difficult. I don't believe people anymore. I don't believe in people. But perhaps you will change that.”

“And what would you like to do? We can arrange for a ticket back to Korea, if that's what you want.”

“Perhaps,” said Min-Seo. “Perhaps one day. But . . .”

“But what? Just ask, and I'll do anything I can to make it happen.”

“I think, well, it sounds ridiculous, but I think that I would like to help you,” said Min-Seo quietly, not looking Ashlee in the eye.

“Help us?” asked Ashlee, confused.

Min-Seo nodded, looking up now. “I know there is probably not much that I can do. But I would like to be involved. I feel somehow that I had a part in what led up to this. A responsibility. I knew some of what my husband was doing, and I tried to get the information out—I honestly did. But perhaps I did not try hard enough. I would like to make amends. To myself, to the country. I would like to help.”

Ashlee nodded slowly. She could understand that. Helping would make Min-Seo feel less to blame, less responsible. In truth, she wasn't really responsible for any of this. But something to do would take her mind off things, and perhaps there was a way she could be useful.

“I cannot really fight, nor am I strong,” said Min-Seo. “I speak several languages, if that can ever be of help. I am relatively intelligent. And, of course, I am quite happy to take responsibility of the Hanson children when everyone is working, if the parents don't mind.”

Ashlee laughed. “I don't think Kishanna and Hanson would mind at all,” she said. “And it'd be good for the kids to have some company. But I think we can find something more important than that for you to do. If you truly want to help, leave things with me, and I'll see what I can come up with.”

“I would like that,” Min-Seo said with a smile.

Ashlee squeezed her hand one more time, then let it go. “Thank you,” she said. “Thank you for singing for me. Thank you for wanting to help. Thank you for talking to me and trusting me. I'm not going to let you down. What you told me is in confidence, and is strictly between you and me. I won't tell the others.”

“I appreciate that,” said Min-Seo. “Now maybe you should go and take a nap. You look very tired; a rest would do you good. I was thinking that maybe when Ti and Tasha return, I could cook. We could all use a meal that isn't gas station food or hamburgers.”

“Good plan,” said Ashlee.

She grinned and left Min-Seo to her reading. And as she went to bed, she wondered what a meal cooked by a First Lady would be like. Could Min-Seo even cook? She assumed the woman was used to maids and chefs and housekeepers. But then, Min-Seo looked like she was full of surprises, and a decent meal would be the least of them.