Chapter 31
Iris sat in the Rose Garden facing the Cabinet Room and sighed. Ever since she had her surgery Iris had been on edge and today wasn't any better.
Today was September 1st and soon Winston, Shelly, and her would be traveling back to NYC to see Doctor Spengler once again. Iris was due for a recheck exam with Echo but Iris wondered if this was finally going to be the end of her body producing cancer. First it had been uterine cancer and now it was vaginal cancer.
Echo had gotten everything out. The biopsy's reports had shown that, but Iris was still worried. The first doctors had gotten all the cancer out when Iris had had her hysterectomy many years ago. The biopsy's report had shown that also, but how could it have come back? Iris didn't know the answer. Even Echo didn't have any idea.
"Cancer does what it wants," Echo told her after Iris had undergone a pelvic exam, pap test, and an MRI of her pelvic region.
"Once you have cancer the cells can live in other organs," Echo said as she sat by Iris' bedside holding her hand, "They can stay dormant and never surface or surface again right away."
"That's why the doctors take such wide margins in surgery," Echo said, "That way we hope we get the whole cancer out and leave no traces behind."
"We also do chemotherapy afterwards to help us try and get rid of any of the cancer cells that we couldn't see with our naked eye."
Iris smiled at Echo and squeezed her hand.
"I know Echo," Iris said, "Let's just do this."
But Iris had not told Echo the true feelings of her heart. Winston knew, but Iris couldn't find the words to tell her doctor, to tell her best friend's daughter, what she felt.
Echo, Eden's daughter. Her second child after the death of Tirza Parnell, looked uncannily like Eden. If Iris saw Echo from the back she would have sworn Eden was alive and walking away from her. Iris' day-dream would be shattered when Eden would turn around. Her side profile was Eden until the light brown glasses appeared on Eden's face. Then it was Echo's face and Iris' heart sank in her chest. Eden was far too young to have died.
Iris let a tear fall from her eye and she quickly wiped it away.
Iris looked around. The White House's Rose Garden was beautiful and on any other day she would have enjoyed its beauty.
Prior to 1902; when the Oval Office, Cabinet Room, and Rose Garden were constructed; the place where Iris sat housed extensive stables, horses, and coaches.
During the Roosevelt renovation, First Lady Edith Roosevelt insisted on a proper colonial garden to replace the conservatory rose house that had stood there.
In 1961, during the Kennedy administration, the garden was redesigned by Rachel Lambert Mellon. Known as "Bunny" and married to banking heir Paul Mellon, Mrs. Mellon created a space with a more defined central lawn, bordered by flower beds planted in a French style, but largely using American botanical specimens.
The Rose Garden still followed the layout established by "Bunny" with a rectangular grass panel surrounded by flower beds. Each flower bed was planted with a series of 'Katherine' crabapples and Littleleaf lindens bordered by a low diamond shaped hedge of thyme. The outer edge of the flower bed, facing the central lawn, was edged with boxwood. In the four corners of the garden were Saucer Magnolia Trees with large early blooming flowers, but today as Iris looked to her right there were no flowers on the trees, only leaves.
The only flowers in the garden were in the flower beds. A mixture of various roses including a large number of 'Queen Elizabeth', 'Pascale', 'Pat Nixon', 'King's Ransom', and adding a cool note of white color 'Nevada Roses'.
Among the roses were summer blooming annuals that would soon be changed out for fall chrysanthemums and flowing Kale.
Yes, Iris would have enjoyed the garden but not today. The dreaded feelings of earlier came back and Iris looked around for Shelly.
Shelly was on the other side of the lawn with Captain Bunker. They were walking up the steps in front of the building heading towards the Oval Office.
Shelly. Iris smiled. What she wouldn't do for that teenager daughter that Winston had discovered in an orphanage in Africa. Iris had wanted children and when she had become involved with her boyfriend, Adam at the time, she found it hard to raise the subject of her never being able to carry a child up to talk to him about it.
Adam had figured it out the first night that the couple had been intimate with each other.
Iris closed her eyes remembering back to that night.
Adam straddled over Iris and kissed her gently on her lips before he sat back up. Carefully he got off of Iris and sat down on the bed next to her. Adam pulled her to his chest. Iris was shivering and he held her closer as he reached down for the comforter at the foot of the bed. That was when he saw the six inch scar right below her belly button and just above her pelvic region.
Adam had been too involved in making sure that Iris was enjoying herself to have noticed any of her scars. He wondered what had happened in Vietnam that she had needed abdominal surgery.
Adam knew that Iris had been shot in her left leg when she was stationed in Chu Chi and had defied direct orders to 'stay to ground'. That was one of the reasons that his Uncle Moody had wanted her on his team. Adam recalled the letter his uncle had written to him one day.
Dear nephew Adam,
I just wanted to drop you a quick line before I go back out into the field. I have found our medic to complete our team. Captain Churchill has joined my small team, that including me makes six of us. I picked Captain Churchill because she, yes you heard that right, she defied orders to 'stay to ground' and saved three of her fellow soldiers, one with a bullet wound to his chest.
Captain Churchill is coming back from recovering from a bullet wound to her left leg because of what she did. I know that my men are looking forward to seeing her and not because she's a girl. Although between you and me, Adam, she is good looking. I think you would like her too.
Love your Uncle George Moody
Iris shivered more and Adam was shaken from his thoughts as he placed the comforter around his lover. Adam didn't understand why Iris started crying just then. Maybe she was upset that she had made love to someone she wasn't married to. He knew that Iris was a very religious person and it had taken her a long time to even think about sleeping with him. He had wanted their first time to be special for her. He didn't want her crying.
"Iris what's wrong?"
"I…," she started to say but broke off crying.
Adam saw Iris composing herself before she tried again.
"I have to tell…," but Iris never finished as she placed her head into her hands and wept again.
Adam kissed the top of Iris' head. He still didn't understand what was wrong.
"Iris," Adam said gently, "are you upset that we slept together?"
"No," she choked out.
"Then please tell me what is wrong."
"It's just that…," she stammered, "I know that you want…," she tried again.
"Iris, it's okay," Adam said gently rocking her back and forth.
That's when it hit him. He wanted children. Lots of them. He had spoken to Iris softly as they had made love. How he wanted her like this every night for the rest of their lives. How he wanted Iris pregnant, her belly swollen with his children. How many boys he wanted, how many girls.
And then just as quickly as the thought appeared in his head another one took its place. This one a letter from Uncle Moody again.
Dear nephew Adam,
I bring you bad news. I am loosing my dear friend and colleague Captain Churchill! She is done with her tour of duty and will be returning stateside soon, but I feel that she isn't well.
Out in the field I saw that she was having pain in her pelvic region. She told me it was just that time of month but I noticed it lasted longer than seven days.
Captain Churchill never said a word to me but I feel she is having female issues. I can only hope it isn't serious but something in the back of my brain says otherwise.
Love your Uncle George Moody
As Adam held Iris he knew what she was trying to say to him. Iris couldn't have children. The scar, his uncle's letter, her crying. Adam quickly put it all together and thought about how best to approach the subject.
"Iris," Adam said as he stopped rocking her, "I'm so sorry about what you went through."
"But I'm not normal. I can't ever fit in with other women," Iris cried looking up into Adam's face, "I can't give you what you want."
"Oh my dear Iris, we can always adopt," Adam said smiling down at her. "And as far as you not fitting in, you don't have to. We aren't all the same. Yes, we all follow the same path in life but there aren't any rules about doing it the same way."
"I've always known Iris that culture makes you believe something that isn't really even there. There seems to be a phantom ideal image that lurks in the minds of everyone and makes them believe they just don't fit in."
"Iris," Adam said, "That's not true. Don't buy into that kind of thinking. Not for a moment! If you do then you will loose who you really are."
"And who do you think I am?" Iris asked.
Adam kissed Iris gently on her lips before he answered her back.
"Someone who often burns dinner to a crisp. Someone who hates women in pants. Someone who can sew a button on an actor's costume in less than thirty seconds flat."
"And," Adam finished, "Someone whom I love with all my heart."
Iris smiled at the thought of her lover Adam and then frowned. Just like Eden, Adam was far to young to have died that night.
"Iris," Adam said after they were done and she was cuddled up against him, "I have something for you."
"What?" she asked as Adam stroked her hair.
"I'll show it to you but only after you tell me something."
"What's that Adam?"
"What is your favorite time of year if you had your choice to be married in?"
Iris pulled back from Adam and looked up at him quizzically.
"Why?" she asked.
"Oh," Adam said softly as he stroked her right cheek, "I'm just curious."
"That would have to be Christmas time," Iris said loving the way he was stroking her face, "if you must know."
"Good!" Adam said as he took his hand away from her face and reached over to the chair where his pants were.
Pulling them over to the bed Iris was afraid that he was going to put them on and leave.
"Where are you going?"
"Nowhere my love," Adam said watching Iris sit up in bed, "Your surprise is in my backpack in the living room. I just need to go get it."
Iris watched as Adam put on his pants and then pulled a pajama top from the top drawer of the end table.
"Just so you know I'm not going anywhere," Adam told her when she questioned him why he was wearing PJ's.
Adam left the bedroom only to come back a moment later carrying his black backpack. He saw that Iris had put on a nightgown while he had been gone. Kneeling down by her bed he opened his backpack and produced a small red box. After opening the box he reached for Iris' left hand before he showed her the contents.
Inside the box were two rings. The engagement ring had a round diamond set above it with four pink roses, two on either side of the diamond. Vines were intertwined among the roses. The wedding band was of the same design minus the diamond. Four pink roses, intertwined with vines, ran around the length of the band.
"Iris, I love you so much. I say 'I love you so much' because I never know if one day one of us will be gone and I want your last feeling to be me loving you."
"Iris Eve Churchill will you honor me in becoming my wife this year at Christmas time?"
Iris didn't get a chance to answer Adam back as they both heard a man's voice yelling 'You little slut!' and Eden's voice ringing out 'Ben no!'
Adam kissed Iris on her right cheek pressing the box into her hands.
"Stay put!" Adam said as he quickly got up from the floor and raced for the bedroom door.
"The hell I will," Iris replied setting the box down on her bed as Adam exited the room.
A tear fell from Iris' eye and she was surprised to feel someone's hand on her face wiping it away with their finger.
"You never did obey orders did you?" a voice said that Iris knew.
Iris opened her eyes and looked to her left. There sitting on the white bench beside her was a tall, muscularly built man dressed in a white suit complete with white vest and tie.
Scared Iris tried to retreat but the man reached out and took her hand in his preventing her from running away. Carefully he reached over with his left hand and touched her face. Ever so gently the man ran a finger from the bottom of her right ear to the corner of her mouth. Iris saw a tear fall from his eye.
"I'm so sorry my love," he told her as he cupped her chin in his hand, "if you would have only listened you would never have gotten hurt. I didn't want for this to happen to you."
"But if I had listened," Iris said as she reached up to place her hand on top of the man's hand cupped to her chin, "I would have lost Eden too Adam."
Adam smiled at Iris, "I know," he replied.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Winston sat in a chair facing the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office with General Christopher Kenelm by his right side.
The desk was a gift from Queen Victoria to President Rutherford Hayes in 1880. The desk was made from the timbers of HMS Resolute, an abandoned British ship discovered by an American vessel and returned to the Queen of England as a token of friendship and goodwill.
The desk had been modified on the request of Franklin Roosevelt that the keyhole in front be fitted with a modesty panel carved with the presidential seal. President Roosevelt preferred that people not see his leg braces and would often place waste baskets in front of his desks, however President Roosevelt didn't live to see it installed. When President Truman came into office he liked the eagle motif and had the panel installed in 1945. This was prior to President Truman's decision to turn the head of the eagle, in the presidential's seal, to face the olive branch of peace.
As Winston looked down at the panel face of the desk he could clearly see that the eagle's head faced the arrows of war.
Every president since Hayes, except Johnson, Nixon, and Ford had used the Resolute Desk.
Winston was pulled back into the conversation that General Kenelm and the President were having upon hearing his name mentioned.
"And so I sent Colonel Zeddemore to New York City," General Kenelm was saying to the President.
"And what did you discover Colonel?" the President asked him.
Winston sat forward in his chair and addressed the President.
"Well Sir not too much," Winston said as he spread his hands out in front of him. "We believe we are looking for a demon that goes by the name Azazel."
"Azazel?" the President questioned, "Who's that?"
"Azazel is a mysterious demon in Jewish sacred literature," Winston replied lowering his hands into his lap.
"The readings that Doctor Peter Venkman got from Vatican City told us that a Class 7 Metaspectres took the Sistine Chapel, Sir."
"Metaspectres?" the President asked.
"Sorry Sir," Winston told the President, "A Metaspectres is Professor Spengler's and Doctor Stantz's terminology for a very powerful, malevolent, entity."
"These entities exhibit control over subordinate forms and are very dangerous, Sir," Winston finished.
"Are you telling me Colonel that this Azazel can control human beings?" the President questioned.
"Yes Sir," Winston said, "That's why primitive cultures often referred to them as demons."
"I see. What can the United States do to prepare for this General?" the President asked.
"Nothing Sir," General Kenelm answered. "From what I have learned the most realistic plan is to take measures to prevent this 'demon' from entering our world in the first place."
"Have you ever fought something of this magnitude before Colonel?" the President asked Winston.
"Yes Sir," Winston replied, "Twice."
"Neutralizing them was problematic at best. We were forced to close the gate that The Traveler and Deutschendorf had come through with an explosion."
"Are you talking about Gozer and Vigo?" the President questioned.
"Yes Sir," Winston replied, "How did you know?"
"My Chief of Staff, Leonard Clotch, told me all about it," the President replied.
"Gozer was reputed to be the most powerful being that your team went up against. In fact Gozer's mere entry onto Earth caused increased paranormal activity and the disruption of natural forces according to Professor Spengler's notes," the President said raising a stack of papers up off of the Resolute Desk that he was sitting behind.
"And," the President continued as he thumbed through the papers until he found the one he wanted and started reading from it, "Vigo was a powerful magician as well as a tyrant, autocrat, and a genocidal madman."
"His subjects didn't like him according to Doctor Stantz's notes," the President continued, "There was a revolt wherein Vigo's subjects tried several methods to kill him before he finally died."
"It seems your team finally defeated him, but only after Vigo took control of Doctor Stantz."
"That's correct Sir," Winston said, "Vigo was completely drained of all of his powers when we attacked him with his own psychomagnetheric slime and forced him back into his realm."
"So are you telling me, Gentleman, that this Azazel is on the same playing field as Gozer and Vigo?" the President asked as he set the stack of papers back down onto the Resolute Desk.
"Yes Sir," Winston and General Kenelm answered together.
"And," the President went on, "we have no way to prepare for this as a country?"
"No Sir," Winston replied, "we don't even know where Azazel will strike next, or if he will strike again."
"I see," the President said leaning back in his chair, "I will have to advise my National Security Officer."
"Gentlemen," the President said sitting back up in his chair and pushing it back he stood up.
Extending his right hand out to General Kenelm first, the President shook the General's hand and said, "Thanks for the information General."
The President then turned towards Winston and extended his hand to him, "Colonel," he said.
Winston shook the President's hand.
"Pleasure to meet you Sir," Winston said.
Winston and General Kenelm got up and followed the President to the door that lead out of the Oval Office and into the corridor.
"My secret service agents will show you the way out," the President said.
General Kenelm exited the Oval Office first and as Winston went to follow he felt a hand on his arm holding him back. Turning his head Winston saw the President smiling at him.
"Are you and your wife going to be seeing Doctor Echo Spengler soon?" the President asked.
"Yes Sir," Winston replied, "we are planning on leaving for NYC as soon as we are done here. We will see Echo tomorrow."
"Good," the President said reaching into the jacket of his suit and producing a blue envelope.
Handing it to Winston the President said, "Would you please give this to Doctor Spengler for me? I enjoyed visiting with her and her boyfriend very much on July 4th and the special musical piece they played for me called "Reflections on America". Do you know where I can find that piece?"
"I believe that Doctor Spengler arranged that piece from two songs. "My country, 'Tis of Thee" and "America the Beautiful". I don't believe it's available other than asking her for it personally, Sir."
"And also in case you hadn't heard yet her boyfriend is now her fiancé. The couple got engaged that same night," Winston finished taking the envelope from the President.
"There was a rumor about that in the papers," the President said, "but the couple hadn't denied or confirmed it yet."
"That's true Sir," Winston said placing the blue envelope into the pocket of his ABU, "they are waiting until tomorrow night at the Metropolitan Opera to announce it to the press."
"I see," the President said as he led the way out of the Oval Office.
Shaking Winston's hand once again the President bid him goodbye and turning walked away down the corridor towards the National Security Adviser's office.
Winston turned to follow General Kenelm and the two secret service agents that were waiting for them. As he took a step forward he heard his name being called.
"Colonel Zeddemore please wait!"
Winston stopped and turned around. A secret service agent was trotting down the corridor towards them.
"Agent Channing," the man said coming to a stop before the four men holding out his badge to the other secret service agents there.
"I need a private word with you Colonel Zeddemore for a moment please," he said dropping his badge back into his pants pocket.
"Sure," Winston replied as he turned towards his commander.
"General, I won't be long," Winston told the man.
"I'll meet you in the lobby," General Kenelm said before turning to walk away with the two secret service agents.
"This way Colonel," agent Channing said as he opened a door to his left.
Winston went through the door and sat down at the long rectangular table that Agent Channing had gestured to.
"Where are we?" Winston asked looking around the windowless room where the table that he was sitting at had room for sixteen people.
"Franklin Roosevelt called this the Fish Room," Agent Channing replied sitting down to face Winston.
"In 1969 President Nixon named the room after President Roosevelt. This room is now called the Roosevelt Room. It serves as a daily meeting room for White House Staff and a staging area for delegations preparing to meet the President."
Winston nodded his head in understanding. Looking around he saw that over the mantel of the fireplace hung a portrait of Theodore Roosevelt as a Rough Rider. Underneath this, sitting on the mantel itself, was Roosevelt's 1906 Nobel Peace Prize. A portrait of Franklin Roosevelt hung on another wall as Winston turned his head to his left.
"So Agent Channing," Winston said as he brought his head back forward, eager to be with Iris and Shelly, "What can I do for you?"
"Actually," Agent Channing said, "in a way you have already done something for me."
"What's that?" Winston asked.
"You have taken great care of my dear friend Miss Iris Churchill for me."
"You're a friend of Iris?"
"Family friend yes," Agent Channing stated, "and I have a favor to ask of you."
"What is it?"
"I need to talk to your wife in private for a moment," Agent Channing said as he lowered his head to the ground.
"What about?" Winston asked.
"It's personal," came the reply.
Winston looked at the man in front of him. Agent Channing had his head bowed to the floor and was clearly upset about something. Why did this man need his permission to talk to his wife? Why didn't he just call Iris up on the phone? Or better yet march out to the Rose Garden and speak to her personally.
"I will understand if you say no," Agent Channing said raising his head up ever so slightly.
Winston looked into the man's eyes. What he saw was sadness. There was a terrible loss in there. Something had happened to this man. Was a family member of Iris' sick? The couple had been gone for a while and maybe Iris' family had been unable to contact her.
The more Winston looked the more he thought he understood. This man had served in a war time situation. Vietnam maybe? The things that he had seen and had wanted to be kept buried lay just behind that sadness in Agent Channing's eyes. Winston knew the feeling. And he also knew that Iris and him kept certain memories of the war, their war, hidden from each other because of the terrors that they would bring.
"Did you serve in the Vietnam War?" Winston asked breaking the silence that had fallen in the room.
"Yes."
Winston nodded his head once again. Now he understood. This man was probably one of Iris' team members from the war. Even though Iris' team members were complete strangers when they first met they would become a "family" within a short period of time. Winston's own team members were "family" to him. If Agent Channing wanted to talk to Iris in person Winston wasn't going to stand in his way.
"You have my permission to talk to my wife," Winston said.
Winston watched as Agent Channing's expression changed to one of pure joy.
"Oh Thank You so much," the man told Winston as he practically jumped out of his seat.
"You're welcome soldier," Winston replied as he watched the man cross the room to the door.
"You do know your way out?" Agent Channing asked as he stopped at the door.
"Yes," Winston replied as he saw the agent place his hand upon the door handle.
Before Agent Channing opened the door he turned back to Winston.
"Colonel?" he asked.
"Yes?"
"If I needed your wife's help with something would you be okay with that?" the agent asked.
"I can't speak for Iris," Winston replied from his chair, "but if she says yes to you then I will not stop you."
"Thank you Colonel Zeddemore," Agent Channing replied as he opened the door.
Winston watched the man walk through the door before he poked his head back inside once again.
"Oh and one more thing," the secret service agent said.
"What's that?"
"They are coming Winston," he said before shutting the door tight.
Winston frowned. He didn't understand. Who was coming? Then it hit him. Ray, Egon, and Echo had told him and Peter about this. Ray's sister Jean had said these very same words to him in China. Egon's wife had visited him in a dream in Wyoming and even Echo had had a dream about her mother. Three times the phrase had been said. "They are coming", but who were they and why did Agent Channing repeat it to him just now.
Channing. Now that Winston thought about it the name sounded familiar. He swore he had heard that same name at least once before, but where? Channing had called Iris by her maiden name Churchill not her married name Zeddemore. That meant that the man knew Iris before she married Winston. Winston thought he knew everyone on Iris' team from Vietnam.
There was Private Toby Montgomery. He was married, living in Georgia and had two children if Winston remembered correctly. Corporal Curt Lloyd, deceased. Sergeant Sonny Wayland lived here in Washington D.C. and had never married. Lieutenant Don Goodwin, married, and living overseas somewhere. England perhaps? Winston couldn't remember. And then there was Iris. Her commanding officer had been Captain George Moody.
Winston sprang from his seat and ran for the door. Opening it up he bolted to his left heading for the Rose Garden. He had just figured out who the secret service agent was.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"I've missed you Iris," Adam said as he held her hands in his.
Iris let a tear fall from her eye as she sat next to her lost lover. She didn't understand why Adam was here and why she was able to touch him. Iris watched as Adam released her hand to wipe the tear away that had fallen down her cheek. Iris didn't care how Adam was able to touch her. After all he was supposed to be dead.
Her life had ended that day when he had died. She had stood next to his grave as they lowered the casket containing his body into the ground, never to be seen again, and yet here he was sitting next to her.
Iris fell forward to have Adam embrace her, holding her tight against his chest as she wept openly. That same chest that she had last seen covered in blood.
When Iris had killed Ben, she never thought that it would have ended with her sitting in a jail cell after she had gotten out of the hospital, but it had. In the end after a court hearing she had been freed. Grace, Helen, and Eden had been there, when she had come home, with open arms and warm embraces, just as Adam was embracing her now.
"I've missed you so much Adam," Iris sobbed into his chest.
"I know," Adam replied as he softly stroked her hair the way he used to do so long ago, "but you have Winston now to take care of you."
"Winston?" Iris questioned pulling back from Adam's chest.
"Yes Winston," Adam replied wiping her tears with his thumbs, "your husband."
"How do you know I got married?" Iris questioned, "Let alone my husband's name?"
"Iris," Adam said, "just because my body isn't here on earth doesn't mean that I can't see and know what is going on in your life."
"Everything happens for a reason. Someday you will know the reason, but right now you can't. Those are the rules."
"But I couldn't save you," Iris replied, "I should have been able to stop Ben when he came after me with the knife. I had been trained for moments like that."
"You chose to stand between Ben and me, why?"
"Because of my integrity Iris," Adam replied. "I may not have been the fastest or strongest man in my unit. Strength and speed can be developed through training. I chose to stand between the enemy and you because I love you and hold you sacred."
"The strongest drug that exists for a human is another human being. I was taught by my father that integrity was choosing my thoughts and actions based on values rather than personal gain. What was I going to gain if you had died that night instead of me? I would have lost the person that I loved."
"But I lost the person I loved," Iris cried.
"I know," Adam replied softly, "but if you love a flower you don't pick it, because if you do it will die. In that moment it ceases to be the flower that you loved. Love is not about possession. Love is about appreciation."
"Iris, I love you. I loved you enough to let you go that night. You have been through hell and back, just like me. Seeing the depths of hell throughout our lives and not becoming just as evil as the things that we have seen and gone through in Vietnam have made us better people."
"We are better than the rest of the world because we have loved and lost loved ones."
"Look Iris," Adam said pulling her back to his chest, "I didn't know how to save the world back then, but I do now. I didn't have the answers back then, but I do now. I held no secret knowledge of how to fix the mistakes of the generations that lived back then, but I do now. I know now that without compassion and respect for all of Earth's inhabitants none of you will survive. Trust me."
"What can I do?" Iris asked loving the way that Adam held her.
How she missed being held that way.
"You can help me. I need your help with something that I'm in charge of," Adam said.
"Anything," Iris replied back.
"Iris!"
Iris pulled away from Adam to see Winston on the other side of the Rose Garden. He was coming towards the stairs. Iris knew that she would have to explain why she was in another man's arms and got up off the bench that she had been sitting on.
As Iris got up from the bench the ground started to shake beneath her and she found she couldn't maintain her balance. Adam caught her before she fell to the ground. As she held onto Adam's arm she looked to where she had last seen Winston. The ground shaking had caused him to fall down before he could reach the steps that led to the lawn of the Rose Garden.
Iris had been stationed in California with Winston when they had had a 4.4 magnitude seismic event. The earthquake caused little damage to their military housing, but Iris had never forgotten the feeling of total helplessness. That same feeling was beneath her feet right now and she was scared.
"Winston!" she cried out before the ground opened up and swallowed her and Adam.