Rebuke
04:21 pm LT
Saturday, 21st of October, 2018

Audrey sat in the room, crying. She felt sick, but the reason wasn't anything physical. It was warm here, bright, she could get everything she wanted, she was safe, she could have slept without having to worry, for the first time in weeks.
But Jack wasn't here.

Nobody knew where he was or how he was. He had disappeared, leaving no trace at all.

Her father had been here, giving her a hard rebuke for what she had done to him. He saw it as a personal offense against him that she had ran away and had left her life.
He had told here that there was more to her marriage than simply her live or love. They were in a political environment and were watched by thousands of eyes. She knew that, but she didn't care. She hadn't cared when she had made the decision to run away, and she didn't care now.
Once, long ago, she had tried to talk her brother out of doing "stupid things", as she and her dad had called them, as he had been fighting for green organizations and against arms deals. But now she could understand him more than ever. It was her life that she was living, and she wanted to make her decisions. It wasn't fair to have to bend, only because of the political career of James Heller.

Now she sat here, in a locked room inside the pentagon, and she had everything she seemed to need. In contrast to the last weeks she was safe, warm, had a nearly unrestricted supply with money, but of what use was it, if the door was locked and outside were two rings of secret service guards, trained to keep her here and under supervision?

She had never seen her father so angry at her.

He had been shouting, he didn't even want to listen to what she'd have to say. In the end, he had told her to go back to Miles. He had threatened her to take her name out of her will.

She had only laughed as he had said that. Wasn't it even funny to threaten somebody who had run away and left everything back voluntarily by taking something away from this person? There was nothing he could take away from her. She had left it all back already.

As she went through the room she found so many familiar things- some of her expensive wardrobe, her jewelry, her phone and computer – both useless by now, even some family photos.

She had looked at them with disgust. Her father, she and Miles. Miles' father, with her and James Heller. The longer she thought back the more she realized on how many charity events, election campaign events, golf courses alongside with investors, dinners and what else she had been in the course of the past years.

She felt like the showpiece- daughter.

Pictures of all campaigns of the past years decorated the walls inside this room. Although she hated to see Miles she went along the walls and back in time, looking at the pictures. With any passing photo it got clearer to her that she was right. Her father had only treated her as "beloved daughter" as long as she hadn't interfered with his election plans. Right now she was caught between a mixture of useless, a treat and burden.

As she went back she already expected to find the pictures out of the year when Jack had belonged to Heller's staff. He had been on some of the official photos, as one of the many members in the background.

But today, Audrey found all the photos out of that time removed. James Heller had meticulously planned what to show her and what not.

Audrey sighed deeply.

She wrapped the blanket tighter around her shoulders.

Realization was downer.
But on the other hand, it was a confirmation for something that had been on her mind for a real long time. It was something that she had never dared to think about. But it had been always there- for all the time. A loving home felt different.

She sat down on the couch and looked outside the window. It's outside was mirrored so nobody could see inside. The windows on the other side – the next ring – were mirrored, too. The only thing she could see was a bit of the cloudy Washington sky.

A knock on the door made her startle. A voice asked to come in.

"Yes?", she shouted through the room.

The electronic lock beeped and a green light signaled the door was being opened.

Audrey straightened up and got rid of the blanket. She was prepared for the worst to come…

She was relieved when she saw that it wasn't Miles, but Colonel Tusker who entered the room.

She sighed and stood up. "You shocked me, Colonel." As she went a few steps towards him, there was even a smile on her face- out of pure relief.

He was glad to see her in such a good shape. "I apologize, Audrey.", he answered and came closer, too. They met at the desk in the middle of the room. Audrey stood at the other side and the colonel sat down at one corner of the table. He awkwardly starred onto the floor in between them. "I'm sorry that I… took so long to come here."

"You don't need to apologize, Colonel.", Audrey answered. She liked to see him. He was the first person at all who wasn't sent here by her father. That far, she knew him and she could judge from his voice. He was high-ranking enough to get through all security measures of the secretary without being controlled.

"Please, Audrey, call me Harry. There's no need for formalism." He offered her his hand.

Hesitatingly Audrey shook his hand. "Thanks… Harry." It was strange to call him Harry for the first time. She had to admit, that throughout the weeks when she had worked under his command, she hadn't even known his first name.

"Do you have everything you need, Audrey?", he asked.

He was really concerned. He hadn't seen her ever since his man had put her into a helicopter – piloted not even by one of his men but by a pilot out of Heller's staff. The last things that he had seen of here were these pictures of the UAV camera.

"I'm fine, really.", she replied.

But the Colonel could see that she was only superficially okay.
"It's been two days since you were brought here, Audrey…. I should have come earlier, I'm really sorry."

"There's nothing you could have done for me, Harry.", she sighed. "Do you have any news about Jack?"

He shook his head, silently. "I'm afraid no, Audrey. We're still searching."

She nodded her head, understandingly. "I know you can't… talk about the details. But do you at least have a lead?"

Harry sighed. "Yes…", he said, thinking, "…but it's a little one. We're still working on it but it will take some time."

"So you and your department are the ones to lead the search for Jack?", she asked.

"Yes." He looked up and into her eyes. "We're doing the best we can."

She knew that he really meant what he was saying. For the first time in days Audrey felt not alone. A pleasant warmth around her heart made her feel safe and protected. "Thank you.", she tonelessly said. Maybe this was the only human being inside this house who was a friend.

"Don't worry too much, Audrey.", he said and stretched out his hand. Softly he grabbed her lower arm and held it. "Listen: if they wanted him dead, they would have killed him. But they didn't. There's something they want and as far as I know Jack, he's a tough guy and he'll handle this. And nothing can happen to you here. I saw it on the video feed- they are not after you. You're safe here, Audrey."

She looked away, and she fought against the tears. Did he really think that she was afraid? He couldn't know the truth.

"Colonel… uhm, sorry- Harry," she began, "I know that they were not after me. Dad's keeping me here because he needs me to keep up his image of the perfect man for the job… it's all political.", she sighed.

That was new for him. "Audrey… I didn't…."

"I know. It doesn't make the impression, does it?", she said and looked into his eyes. "Worried father wants to shelter his daughter from further terrorist attacks. That's the story he uses to keep me locked up here."

Harry thought for a moment. He thought about all the security details from here down to the back exit. Would it be possible to bring her away? He had his two security cards with him. They'd give him access to all perimeters. To get her past the secret service…. He'd need to issue a fake order, but that was well within the things he could do.

Audrey could read his thoughts. "Don't plan for that, Harry.", she sighed. "I'm better off in here. What shall I do outside, in this world right now… in war…" Jack was the only chance I had, she bitterly thought.

Harry felt so sorry for her. But right now he had the bad feeling that all that they were talking about would make it only worse for Audrey. He let go of her arm and stood up. "We'll find a solution, Audrey.", he said, "I'll think about it. And if you need anything…."

"Thank you." She looked into his eyes and she was truly thankful to have a friend inside here. "Come back some time soon, will you?"

"I will. Bye."

Audrey looked after him as he left. She had recognized some of the service ribbons on his uniform. Both gulf wars, Afghanistan, Yugoslavia. This man had seen some ugly parts of this world. He reminded her of Jack.
She went back to the couch and laid down again, thinking about him. Even if he wasn't dead, there were so many worse things that they could have done to him by now. She knew them all by heart.