Chương 157

Louis woke to the sound of the door opening. He sat up, careful not to disturb Maeve. A Dominion Guard entered. He walked over to Louis and bowed.

"Sir, we have a visitor request." Louis shook the sleep from his head.

"From who?"

"Dr. Al Madani and his wife. They are waiting outside the embassy gates." Louis blinked.

"They're here?"

"Yes, sir. Ambassador Clement asked me to inform you. He was prepared to deny them entry because the embassy is under heightened security, but your father instructed us to follow your judgment on personal visitors." Donya was already awake and staring at him, her face pale.

"My parents are here?"

"Yes," Louis said.

"They're here."

"Let them in," Donya said, her voice cracking.

"Please, Louis." Louis turned to the guard.

"Let them in. We will meet them here."

"Yes, sir." The guard left. Donya stood, her hands clasped together.

"I'm scared."

"It's okay," Angelique said, getting up and putting an arm around her.

"They're your parents. They love you."

"I know. But…" Donya looked at Louis.

"They don't know what happened. What we became."

"We'll be here with you," Louis said. Maeve sat up, her hair messy.

"Who are these people?"

"Donya's parents," Louis said. Gladice stretched.

"The famous doctor from Chicago."

"And your mother?" Cherish asked Donya.

"My mother… she's… traditional," Donya said.

"She's a good woman. But…"

"But what?" Gladice asked.

"I don't know if she will understand. About me. About Louis. About us."

"She will," Louis said.

"Because she loves you." Donya nodded, but her hands were still shaking. A few minutes later, Clement entered with an older couple. The man was in his late fifties, with a neatly trimmed black beard and tired eyes. He wore a well-tailored suit. The woman beside him was in a modest black dress and a cream-colored hijab. Her face was pale, her hands clasped tightly in front of her. They stopped in the doorway.

"Donya," Dr. Al Madani whispered. Donya ran to him and hugged him tightly.

"Baba!" He held her, closing his eyes.

"My daughter. My daughter." Mrs. Al Madani came forward and hugged Donya too.

"Oh, Donya. We were so worried."

"I'm okay, Mama. I'm okay." Mrs. Al Madani pulled back, her hands on Donya's shoulders, and looked her over.

"Are you hurt?"

"No. I'm fine." Mrs. Al Madani's gaze shifted to Louis, then to the others in the room. Dr. Al Madani gently freed himself from Donya and walked toward Louis. He extended his hand.

"Mr. Collins."

"Dr. Al Madani." Louis shook his hand.

"Thank you for your help."

"I did what I could," Dr. Al Madani said, his eyes on Louis's face.

"Thank you for bringing her back to me."

"I love her," Louis said, looking at Donya.

"I would die for her." Dr. Al Madani stared at him for a long moment. Then he nodded.

"I know." Mrs. Al Madani came to Louis and took both of his hands in hers.

"Thank you," she said, her voice soft but firm.

"For keeping our daughter safe."

"She kept me safe too," Louis said. She let go and turned to the others. Her eyes passed over Angelique, Gladice, Savannah, and Willa. She hesitated at Cherish, then stopped at Maeve.

"Who are all these girls?" she asked, her eyes on Louis.

"They are my friends," Louis said.

"My family. We survived together." Dr. Al Madani watched them, then focused on Maeve's bruised face.

"She has been through a lot," Dr. Al Madani said.

"They all have." Mrs. Al Madani looked at Donya.

"We need to talk, Donya."

"Okay, Mama." Dr. Al Madani took Louis aside.

"May I have a word with you, Mr. Collins?"

"Of course," Louis said, following him to the corner of the room.

"You have to understand," Dr. Al Madani began, keeping his voice low.

"My wife and I, we raised Donya in the faith. We sent her to a good school. We wanted her to have a good life. We never imagined… this." Louis looked at Donya, who was talking quietly with her mother near the wall.

"Of course, sir."

"I appreciate you saving her. I truly do." Dr. Al Madani paused.

"But you are the son of the Supreme President. You live a life very different from ours. And Donya… she is not prepared for that. For the… complexity."

"I saved her from a church in Atlanta that was going to burn her alive. And she saved me from another church after I was bitten by a snake. We saved each other," Louis said, his voice quiet but firm.

"I would have died without her. And I love her." Dr. Al Madani looked away for a moment, then back at Louis.

"My daughter… she is my only child. Her soul is very important to me."

"I understand, sir."

"Do you?" Dr. Al Madani's gaze was intense.

"You say you love her. But you are with other women. I see it. All of you. This is not how I raised my daughter."

"I love all of them." Dr. Al Madani sighed.

"This is… difficult for me to accept. For my wife too."

"I understand that too." Louis kept his voice calm.

"But we are a family now. We made it through hell together. I'm not going to abandon any of them."

"And my daughter? What is her place in this family?"

"She is where she wants to be. With us. With me." Louis looked toward Donya and her mother.

"Ask her." Dr. Al Madani followed his gaze.

"I will." Louis returned to the cots. Donya and her mother were still talking quietly. Louis sat on the cot next to Angelique. She leaned against him.

"That was… intense," she whispered.

"It was."

"He seems like a decent man."

"He is."

"But he doesn't understand."

"No." Angelique sighed.

"He will have to." Donya and her mother came over. Mrs. Al Madani's eyes were red, but her expression was calm.

"Mr. Collins," she said.

"May I speak to you?"

"Of course," he said. She took a deep breath.

"Donya has told me everything. Everything you have been through together. And she told me about… your family." She looked at the other women.

"It is… difficult for me to understand. But my daughter is alive. And she says she is happy. And she says she loves you. And you love her." Louis nodded.

"I do."

"Then… I will try to understand." Mrs. Al Madani looked at Donya.

"My daughter has a good heart. She will not choose wrongly." Donya smiled at her mother.

"Thank you, Mama." Mrs. Al Madani turned to Louis.

"But you must promise me something, Mr. Collins."

"Anything."

"You will keep her safe. You will protect her. You will not let anything happen to her."

"I swear it," Louis said. Mrs. Al Madani nodded, then turned to her husband. Dr. Al Madani put his arms around her.

"Donya," Dr. Al Madani said.

"You have a choice to make. You can come home with us. You can go back to your life. Your school. Your friends. Your family. Or you can go with him. With them." Donya looked at her parents, then at Louis, then at the others. She took a deep breath.

"I am going with him," she said.

"With them." Dr. Al Madani closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, he nodded.

"Then… we will have to accept that." Mrs. Al Madani began to cry. Donya went to her and hugged her.

"I will call you every day," Donya said.

"I promise. And I will visit. You can come to the Dominion to see me too." Mrs. Al Madani held her tight.

"Okay. Okay." Dr. Al Madani came over and put a hand on Donya's back.

"Your mother and I… we love you, Donya. No matter what. We just… we need some time." You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

"I understand, Baba."

"Then… go with them," Dr. Al Madani said.

"Be safe. And be happy."

"We will," Donya said. Dr. Al Madani turned to Louis.

"Mr. Collins. One last thing."

"Yes?"

"Take care of her," he said.

"She is our world."

"I will," Louis said.

"I'm afraid the visit will have to be brief," Clement said.

"The embassy is preparing for the Supreme President's arrival." Dr. Al Madani nodded and put an arm around his wife.

"We should go." Mrs. Al Madani hugged Donya one last time.

"Goodbye, my daughter."

"Goodbye, Mama." Dr. Al Madani shook Louis's hand again.

"Mr. Collins."

"Doctor." The Al Madanis left with Clement. The door closed behind them. Donya stood by the door, her shoulders shaking. Louis went to her and hugged her.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"It's okay," Donya said, her voice muffled against his shoulder.

"I knew it would be hard. I just… I didn't think it would be this hard."

"It will get easier," Angelique said, coming over.

"They will come around."

"I hope so," Donya said. Louis held her tighter.

"They will. We'll visit them after things settle down."

"I would like that." Donya wiped her eyes. Clement came back a few minutes later.

"Mr. Collins, the Supreme President and his party are en route from the airport," he said.

"They will be here in twenty minutes." Louis nodded.

"Thank you, Ambassador." Clement glanced at the group.

"This has been... unprecedented."

"Yes," Louis said. The ambassador gave a tired smile and left them alone again. Cherish asked.

"We are really meeting your father?"

"Yes." She looked at the door.

"I'm nervous."

"It's okay to be nervous," Angelique said.

"But you don't have to be. He's not scary."

"He's the Supreme President of the Dominion," Willa said.

"That's kind of scary."

"Not to me," Gladice said.

"He's a funny man." Savannah raised an eyebrow.

"Funny?"

"He tells dirty jokes," Gladice said.

"At least in private."

"I don't think the Supreme President tells dirty jokes to you," Willa said.

"You haven't seen him drunk," Gladice smirked.

"It's quite a show."

"I bet," Willa said.

"What do we say to him?" Cherish asked.

"Just say hi, Cherry," Angelique said.

"Be yourself. He will like you."

"I don't know if he will," Cherish said.

"He will," Louis said.

"He likes honest people."

"Then he should love you, Savvy," Gladice said.

"Funny," Savannah said. Louis checked the clock again. Only a few minutes had passed. He grew more restless whenever someone looked toward the door, and eventually he could no longer sit still. He went to the bathroom and washed his face. In the mirror, he looked tired but alert. The new clothes fit, and the M1911 remained holstered beneath his jacket. He adjusted the holster and returned to the room. Someone had come and left new shoes for them while he was gone. He laced up a pair of sneakers.

Soon, footsteps stopped outside the room. The door opened, and Constantine entered first. The portrait in the corridor had made him look distant. Now he was only a few steps away. Louis straightened before Constantine spoke. Judith followed him, pale and silent, looking directly at Louis. Philip entered after her with Maria at his side. Their escorts remained outside while Clement moved aside and let the family pass. Constantine looked at Louis.

"Hi, Dad."

"Hi, son." Constantine's voice was steady.

"You look like hell." Louis tried to laugh, but his voice caught.

"I feel like it too." Judith reached him first. She held his face in both hands and turned it toward the light, checking him closely. Then she pulled him into her arms and held him so tightly that Louis could not speak. Louis closed his eyes and let himself be held. Her perfume was the same one he remembered, and so was the way she held him. He began to relax. She released him but kept her hands on his arms. Constantine stood beside them, his eyes slightly red.

He touched Louis's shoulder, then pulled him into a brief, firm embrace. When Constantine let go, Louis felt steadier. Angelique remained where she was until Philip said her name.

"Angelique." She turned toward him and began to cry. She hurried into her father's arms with a quiet sob. Maria put one hand on Angelique's hair and the other at the back of her neck.

"Welcome home, my girl." Maria's voice was steady. Angelique did not answer aloud. She nodded against her father's chest. Philip rested a hand on her back and looked at Louis over her head. Louis nodded once. Maria turned next to Gladice. Gladice raised her chin and stood straight despite her fatigue.

"Miss Simington," Maria said.

"Your majesty." Maria smiled faintly.

"You did very well." Gladice gave a small shrug.

"It was a long trip."

"I can imagine." Maria gave her a small nod. Willa wiped one eye with the heel of her hand. Cherish was crying quietly, while Maeve watched the reunions without moving. Constantine turned toward the table.

"We have little time before the press begins to assemble," he said.

"Clement."

"Yes, sir."

"The documents?" Ambassador Clement opened his briefcase, took out six document folders, and placed them in a row on the table.

"Prepared under emergency presidential authority." Constantine looked at the six women.

"Gladice Simington. Willa Locke. Donya Al Madani. Savannah Ellington. Cherish Nowak. Maeve Fyres." Cherish clasped her hands. Maeve glanced at Louis, then back at Constantine. Constantine continued.

"You came into this embassy without papers, without status, and with several governments having reasons to claim you. That ends now." Maeve watched him closely. Constantine stepped to the table.

"You kept my son alive. You brought him home. For that, you have my gratitude," Constantine said.

"And you have earned a place under our protection. Step forward." Gladice stepped forward first, with Willa beside her. Donya, Savannah, and Cherish followed. Maeve took the last place and stood rigidly. Clement handed each woman a citizenship document and a purple passport bearing the Dominion seal. Cherish stared at hers. Maeve did not touch hers until Louis nodded. Constantine raised his right hand.

"Repeat after me only if you accept this freely." They nodded.

"I accept the protection, law, and civic bond of the Dominion of the Pacific." Gladice repeated the words first. The others followed, Donya's voice trembling and Maeve pausing between phrases. Constantine continued.

"I swear service to its peace, loyalty to its people, and obedience to its lawful leadership." They repeated it. Maeve stumbled over "lawful leadership," then finished the sentence.

"By the authority of the Supreme President of the Dominion of the Pacific, I welcome you as new citizens." Constantine spoke.

"No one here is stateless anymore." Cherish began crying again, and Donya put one arm around her. Maeve looked from the passport in her hands to Louis, then to Constantine.

"Is this real?" she asked. Constantine looked directly at her.

"It is real, Miss Fyres." Maeve swallowed. Her mouth tightened, and she looked away before she began to cry. She pressed the passport against her chest. Judith watched her, then looked at Louis.

"You brought back quite a group." Louis smiled.

"They brought me back."

"Good," Judith said.

"That is how it should be." Constantine turned to Clement.

"Now, the statement."

"Yes, sir. The press room is ready." Louis looked at him.

"Are we going out there?"

"No," Constantine said.

"I am." Constantine left with Clement and the security detail. An aide switched the wall screen to a live feed from the embassy press room. Reporters and camera crews crowded behind a barrier. They were already shouting questions when Constantine entered. Several Alliance officials stood near the side of the room and watched him. Dominion Guards controlled the entrance and the space around the podium. Louis watched Constantine approach the microphones.

Constantine took his place at the podium beneath the Dominion flag. The reporters shouted over one another.

"Supreme President!"

"How did your son escape?"

"Where has he been?"

"Who are the women with him?"

"Did the Dominion illegally shelter suspects?" Constantine said nothing until the questions stopped.

"My son, Louis Collins, has returned," he said.

"He is safe. He is not injured. And he is not available for comment."

"He reached Dominion diplomatic protection in Chicago this morning with Angelique Bourbon and several companions. They are receiving medical care. Their families have been notified. Those who brought him home are under my protection."

"All legal and security questions will be handled through diplomatic channels. We thank the Great Lakes Alliance for maintaining order around our embassy. We will return to the Dominion today." A reporter shouted, "Supreme President, did your son commit any crime in Alliance territory?" Constantine faced the cameras.

"No questions." He left. A moment later, he walked back into the conference room and loosened his collar. He looked tired, but his shoulders were straight.

"That will be the public statement for now," he said.

"Now we go home." Judith went to Louis and smoothed his collar.

"Let's go. The cars are ready." They walked out into the corridor. Dominion Guards lined the hallway. At the main entrance, more Guards waited. Clement bowed as they passed.

"Sir, Ma'am, a safe journey home."

"Thank you, Ambassador," Judith said. They moved through a service corridor into the lower garage. Black armored sedans, two security vans, and an embassy medical vehicle filled the space beneath the overhead lights. Motorcycles idled near the gate. Maeve stopped at the edge of the garage. Louis looked back.

"You alright?" She watched guards move between the vehicles while embassy staff spoke into radios.

"This is for you," she said.

"For us," Louis answered. She shook her head.

"I don't understand." He took her hand.

"You will." Judith took Cherish's hand.

"Ride with me." Cherish blinked.

"Me?"

"Yes." Cherish looked at Louis. He nodded, and she followed Judith to the first sedan. Philip stayed beside Angelique while Maria walked on her other side. Donya, Willa, and Savannah took the next car. Gladice climbed in after them. Robin was already waiting in the front passenger seat of their sedan, speaking quietly into his earpiece. Constantine took the rear seat. Maeve paused at the open door, then climbed in when Louis followed her and sat beside her.

"Hi, Robin," Louis said. Robin turned.

"Louis. Good to have you back."

"Thanks." The convoy left the embassy and moved through Chicago under escort. Police cleared the streets ahead of them and stopped traffic at each intersection. Pedestrians watched from corners and behind glass. Media vans tried to follow until police vehicles blocked them. Louis caught brief glimpses of the lake between the buildings. He watched through the tinted glass. Constantine sat across from him. Maeve sat beside Louis, still holding her passport with both hands.

"You don't have to hold it that tightly," Constantine said. Maeve looked down and relaxed her grip.

"I don't want to lose it."

"I'll let them make a new one if you do." Constantine smiled.

"Though it would be a hassle." She looked at him.

"Are you joking?"

"A little." Maeve gave a brief laugh. Constantine's smile widened, and he turned to Louis.

"You've found some interesting people."

"They found me," Louis said.

"I know." Robin turned from the front seat.

"So, how was West Virginia, Louis?"

"Charming. I recommend it if you enjoy communists, highway mafias, and cannibals."

"I'll pass."

"Probably wise." Constantine looked at Maeve again.

"How did you learn to fly that helicopter?"

"On the job," Maeve said.

"Most of our mechanics are cross-trained. You need to be useful in the People's Army."

"Impressive."

"I'm glad you think so."

"Your name is Fyres," Constantine said.

"Irish?"

"I don't know. Probably."

"Are your parents still in West Virginia?"

"My parents died. A long time ago."

"I'm sorry."

"It's fine."

"Do you have any other family there?"

"No." Constantine nodded and looked out the window.

"You will be taken care of, Miss Fyres."

"I am trying to believe that," Maeve said. Constantine looked back at her.

"It's a big change. I get it." Maeve looked down at her passport.

"Yeah." Louis put a hand on her shoulder. She looked at him, then leaned her head against his shoulder. He wrapped an arm around her.

"Dad," Louis said.

"Maeve wants us not to attack Beckley." Constantine looked at Louis.

"Is that so?"

"Yes. Most of them are just trying to survive."

"I understand that, son. But they still held you captive. And they still beat one of our new citizens for helping you."

"I know." Louis sighed.

"But I promised her."

"I see." Constantine looked at Maeve.

"Is that your request, Miss Fyres?"

"Yes," Maeve said.

"I don't want them to die." Constantine thought for a moment.

"Okay." Maeve's eyes widened.

"Really?"

"Yes. I won't order an attack on Beckley." Constantine looked at Louis.

"But I want a list. All the names you can remember. The leaders, the guards, the interrogators. Everyone. For our records."

"For starters," Robin added.

"Okay," Louis said.

"There was an officer called Ben Gaddis. He was in charge of our capture. And there was a political instructor called Yates. He humiliated us in front of everyone. We also killed the chairman of the Emergency Commission. That's all for now."

"Good." Constantine looked at Robin.

"Put that in the file." Robin typed on a small device.

"Done." Maeve looked down.

"I know Ben. He's not a bad man. He's just… following orders."

"He followed the wrong ones," Constantine said.

"And he will have to answer for that. Eventually."

"He gave me food once," Maeve said.

"When I was put in solitary confinement several years ago. He told me not to tell anyone."

"Then we'll consider that in his file," Constantine said.

"But he's still on the list." Maeve nodded.

"Okay."

"Dad," Louis said.

"I also promised Cherish I would look for her parents."

"The snake-handling church rebels?"

"Yes. They are probably still alive somewhere in Kentucky."

"I'll have my people look into it," Constantine said.

"But I can't promise anything. Kentucky is a mess with a civil war going on."

"I know. But please try."

"I will." Constantine looked at Robin.

"Add that to the file too. Priority." Robin typed again.

"Done." The convoy passed through a guarded gate and crossed the tarmac under escort. The Dominion's presidential jet stood ahead. Its stairs were already lowered, and Dominion Guards waited at the foot of them. Louis got out of the car with Maeve. Constantine came to stand beside him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Home, son."

"Yeah." Beside them, Cherish stepped out of Judith's car and stopped.

"What's this?" she asked.

"This," Judith said, "is our ride." Cherish stared.

"We're flying?"

"Yes."

"I never flew a jet before." Judith smiled.

"Then you're in for a good experience." Gladice came around from the second car and looked up.

"Damn. I miss it." They went up the stairs together. Maeve looked from Louis to Constantine.

"It looks better than the chopper we stole," she said. Constantine laughed aloud.

"I hope so." The cabin was warm and quiet. Cabin staff stood near the entrance and greeted them. Cherish ran her fingers over the side of one seat. Maeve paused at the entrance until Savannah nudged her forward. The door closed behind them. The engines started. Louis collapsed into a leather seat. Maeve sat on the couch beside him. Willa took the seat opposite, with Savannah next to her. Cherish and Donya took the seats in the next row, while Angelique joined her parents near the front.

Gladice dropped into the single seat at the back of the cabin and stretched.

"Now that's more like it," she said.

"Indeed." Willa sipped a bottle of sparkling water.

"First class all the way."

"I could get used to this," Savannah said. A flight attendant offered each of them a warm towel. Cherish held hers and looked at it. Louis motioned to her, and she copied him, wiping her hands and face.

"You did good," he told her. She smiled.

"Thank you, Louis." A few minutes later, the jet taxied, then accelerated down the runway.