At The HeadquartersThe Commandant was partially relieved after speaking with the Head of State some minutes ago. Nevertheless, his heart sank when he saw his call again. He wished that he could wake up from the bad dream and discover that all the problems had vanished. All the same, he picked up the call, cheered up, and greeted, “Hello, Your Excellency.”He held his breath and waited for the worst but was mistaken.“Don't worry yourself, Commandant. The boys are safe.”He wished he could say 'It is not true' or ask 'How do you know' but his next request indicated that there was a fire on the mountain.“Share the social media post about the students with me.”Without hesitation, he answered, “I will do that right away, Your Excellency.”The Head of State cut the call at once and began to wait. The Commandant quickly shared the post and gave himself a treat by having a sumptuous breakfast.Before he got the post, he sent for his Second in Command and he arrived at once. He looked at

Now that they were alone, Gerald could ask questions, “What happened, Brother-in-law? The news of your death is all over the place.”Tim gave him an encouraging smile and advised him, “Take a rest. There's so much to talk about.” “I got it …”He stopped abruptly when the door opened and Dr. Morgan walked in. Without sparing Tim a glance, he walked to Gerald's bed and pulled down the bottom lid of his eye to ascertain how healthy the underneath was. He nodded his head in satisfaction and said, “You are all right and fit to go home, young man.”Gerald smiled broadly and appreciated him, “Thank you, doctor. What about my brother?” He asked curiously.“He is fit to go home, too.”“It is all right. I will wait until he wakes up.”“It is okay. Just let me know when he wakes up.”“Okay doctor,” he answered and the doctor disconnected the drip.Nevertheless, Tim felt that Gerald should be starving and looked at the time.“It's just thirty minutes to 4 PM. George can close and come and pick m

At The Auxiliary Armory PLCAfter Capt. Bruce and his colleagues laughed happily, they got into their cars and left but he stayed back to wait for the bus drivers to return and pick up the remaining staff members who were waiting in their offices. Presently, apart from Capt. Bruce and the security men, Laura was the only staff left on the premises and she was still throwing tantrums. They would not have wanted to send her away if she was not disturbing them but her cursing gave them an edge.“You can return to your office and wait like the others if you don't want to go home yet,” Cpl. Simpson informed her and the other security officers waited for her reaction. She looked at the unfriendly looking Corporal who would not have dared talk to her in the past and shifted away silently.Meanwhile, Capt. Bruce decided to remove the offending cars from the gate to the appropriate park and she was attracted by the sound. She walked up to him, and pleaded, “Capt. Bruce, kindly help me with th

“The meal is fine,” Samuel answered and Tim asked again, “Will the authority permit you to return with your food?” “Not at all,” Gerald answered with emphasis.“It is against the rules. They will permit if someone like Big sister's boss talks to them on our behalf,” Samuel added.“It is all right. Eat your food,” he instructed and they continued. When they were satisfied, they stopped and expressed their delight, “Thank you, Brother-in-law, for the meal.”“You are welcome. Before you go to sleep, you will have some fruit. Did you get me?”“We got you, Brother-in-law,” they answered in unison, and Samuel gave him an askance look. Tim was aware that they had so much to ask him about their sister and he would not leave them guessing.“Why are you looking at me like that, Samuel?” he looked into his eyes and asked.Samuel was bashful because he was caught in the act. All the same, he asked, “Did you beat Big sister?”Tim was calm and his mind ran through the ugly incident of that day w

“What does he want me to do? Does he think it is easy to pass the military Aptitude Test? Can any of them have passed the test?” She grumbled and took a step. Suddenly, she saw Pa Suresh's wife and two children coming towards her. The younger child was a boy of nineteen years and Gerald's friend. She smiled happily at them when they got closer. Just like their father, they did not recognize her.“Good morning, Mrs. Suresh. Hi, Ann and Fabian,” she greeted them warmly. When she saw the perplexity on their faces, she asked, “Have you forgotten me? I'm Laura. Pa Dickson's daughter.”Indeed, she had changed from a village farmer to a city girl. Her tan complexion due to constant exposure to the sun, was shining. Her simple dress looked beautiful compared to what she used to put on.“Oh, Laura! How are you?” Mrs. Suresh asked. Before she could answer, Fabian asked her, “Good morning, Laura. How are Gerald and Samuel?”Instantly, the smile on her face vanished and she asked, “Are they not