Hello there!
This is a story that's been lurking in my mind for a while so I decided to write it down. It's an alternate universe in the Command & Conquerer Red Alert 2 series since I've done some tweaks to it. For instance Eva Lee is British in this one, while in the game I believe she is American. The ending diverges from how it ended in the game, as you'll notice if you read it.
Anyway, if you read it, hope you'll enjoy it!
"We have secured the area around the Kremlin and are ready for the final phase of the plan." The voice from one of the units on the ground in Moscow reported, the officers voice clear as it was heard throughout the Allied field command center in Poland.
A low murmur along with a few exclamations of triumph was heard amongst the staff working there as others' eyes went to the middle-aged man in the center of the room. A large holographic table was placed in front of him, displaying a view of the situation in Moscow in real time with both friendly- and enemy units on display. The information came directly from their spy satellites in orbit.
By the table stood Supreme Commander James Porter, clad in his U.S army field uniform, four stars marked on his uniform to show his rank as a general in the army.
Watching the situation on the large holographic image in front of him, he nodded to himself as he could visibly confirm what had just been reported, there were indeed no more enemies around the Kremlin. The HQ of the USSR that had plunged the world into world war three was within their grasps. A war that had started over a year ago and had cost millions of lives whom they were finally going to secure justice for.
Reaching for a button on screen, he quickly connected to the team that he knew was waiting for his go-ahead.
"Agent Tanya. The area around the Kremlin is secured. Enact the last phase of the plan. Good hunting." James ordered the commando soldier, waiting nearby with her specially selected team of special forces soldiers that she knew and trusted, all who had been handpicked by herself.
The plan was simple; once they got the go ahead from him, they would transport to Moscow with the chronosphere and infiltrate and secure the Kremlin to find their high value target. The target in question being the most important piece in their plan as they had been ordered to bring in premier Romanov, the leader of the USSR, alive. He was going to be tried by a court back in the states for all the world to see.
"I'm on it, general. You'll get to meet Romanov face-to-face in a bit. Tanya out."
There was no doubt in James' mind that she could do it. Tanya had faced practically impossible odds before and always managed to prevail, both thanks to her skills and her very experienced team that she could rely on when needed. She had never let him down in the past and she was, hands down, the best and finest commando soldier he had ever worked with.
"Alright people, listen up. The last phase of the plan is in operation, that means we have to be ready to deal with any counterattack by the remaining soviet forces still fighting in the area nearby. Don't count them out just yet. We are still outnumbered and they might have a few tricks up their sleeves so I want everyone on high alert and make sure to let me know the moment the situation changes anywhere, no matter how small. We can't afford any casualties now. You have your orders." His eyes swept the room, taking in all the people that were working tirelessly to bring the war to a close.
They all knew they were in the final stretch now. Everyone was working hard, the air heavy with a sense of urgency as the fate of the war was going to be decided within the hour. There were a lot of things going on and a lot to keep track of but the one thing everyone was watching was the status of the special forces unit, a single dot on the display right in front of him.
This whole operation was a big gamble, as the allies were, numerically, outnumbered three to one against the USSR. Luckily it wasn't a war of numbers because then it would have ended long ago. But they couldn't afford to take needless losses. Every single one of their soldiers counted in this war.
He kept one eye on the dot that was representing Agent Tanya as he heard that they breached the Kremlin. He knew when she said she would get the job done, then that's exactly what would happen. She had never let him down before.
Infiltrating the Kremlin went surprisingly smooth, all things considered. Sure, Tanya was used to infiltrating enemy bases by now, but this was the Kremlin. The last stronghold of the USSR. The last line of defence for premier Romanov.
It should have been harder than this. But here they were. She and her squad of special forces had easily made it inside. The only real obstacle had been a few squads of infantry and some light armour, nothing that she and her men couldn't handle. Once those armoured troops were gone, they were free to run rampant throughout the building.
Most of the defenders had surrendered and put down their arms the moment they realised their forces had breached the building. Many had realized just how hopeless their situation was and instead of dying for a lost cause, they willingly put down their weapons.
But she and her squad had also come upon a few fanatics who were so deeply entrenched in their mindset that when their brethren tried to surrender, they immediately shot them dead before they turned to attack them. The Reds had done this before. Tanya had seen it a few times in the past and heard accounts of it multiple times. While she had no love for soviet soldiers, the best red was a dead one after all, even she could feel a sliver of pity for getting shot by your own brother-in-arm. From the prisoners of war that the allies had captured, the stories the soldiers had told them about the situation in the Red army and how they had been conscripted and "trained" were horrific, if they were to be believed.
Tanya had reached the room she had been looking for, after quickly disposing of the few soldiers that tried to stand in their way. Checking the magazines on the pistols in case of a firefight, she signalled with her hands for her soldiers to line up and prepare to breach.
Starting to count down from three, she leaned forward to listen by the door.
3...
Hearing some minor shuffling around and voices inside, the exact number was hard to know but it seemed at least two or three.
2...
Getting into position, she checked beside her as her soldiers were ready, their weapons aimed high as they prepared to breach the premier's office where Romanov would likely be.
1...
Taking a deep breath, Tanya focused as she then kicked open the doors, flinging them open as she with her guns aimed forward took in the sight of the office alongside her soldiers.
One soviet soldier to the side fumbled with his weapon at the unexpected intrusion, and when he realized he was staring down the barrel of an enemy's weapon he immediately dropped it, the sound of the gun hitting the floor with a clank as one member of her squad secured him.
Meanwhile Tanya's eyes were drawn to another soldier who was hurriedly trying to do something, the man raising his hands in surrender as she shouted "Where's Romanov!?". The soldier quickly glanced behind him as he stepped away so Tanya's eyes could rest upon Romanov... if you would believe the clothes.
There were two distinct options in front of her;
1. The Premier had undergone a major surgery to remove about twenty kilos of fat in the last few weeks and changed his entire facial structure and hair.
Or (which was much more likely), she was dealing with alternative 2: The skinny man clad in the very loose premier's clothes and clearly too large hat was just a simple fraud.
The skinny man's eyes were in part scared but also seemingly excited as saw her. Tanya narrowed her eyes as she looked the skinny man over, before she stepped forward and flipped his hat off, making it even more clear just how bad the choice of actor for the Premier had been. They didn't even look remotely close in any way.
Seeing the skinny man's excited eyes as she had stepped closer to him, her annoyance with him had her strike him down with the butt of her pistol, the man falling to the floor as she looked around the room. She noted the premier's desk as she leapt over it and found someone cowering underneath it, trying to (badly) conceal themselves with a flag of the USSR.
Lifting the flag away, Tanya's eyes feasted upon their target; she was met with the scared eyes of the cowering Romanov, the man clad in a simple white tank top and a pair of underwear. She noted the images of Marilyn Monroe on them which was an interesting choice for the leader of the USSR.
She couldn't help but grin as she looked at the scared man.
"Trying to hide from us, Romanov? Tsk tsk, what a sad end for you." Putting away her guns, she grabbed the scared man and hoisted him up so he was standing, her soldiers eyes taking in the sight as several of them couldn't help but smile or chuckle at the sight of the Premier.
"General, we have apprehended Romanov, I repeat we have Romanov alive." Tanya reported, her voice one of smug satisfaction as she watched the scared man, shivering and cowering in fear as he watched his old office fill with even more allied soldiers.
"Excellent work, Agent Tanya." The sound of James' satisfied voice came through her earpiece. "We'll begin preparations to bring Romanov in immediately, prepare for the secondary objective and head to the extraction point when ready."
"Understood, general. You owe me a beer when I get back." Tanya replied, adding the last part without thinking about it, her mind catching herself only after she had processed hearing the words out loud. Did she say that?
Shaking her head she focused and ordered her men to bring in the army photographer they had brought with them.
"It's time to take the picture of a lifetime, smile Romanov!"
"We've got the bastard!" One of the staff excitedly exclaimed as they watched their monitor, hearing the report that Romanov had been captured. Several cheers were heard all around in the command center as the people inside were exalted that the mission had been a success.
Hearing the cheering in the background, James was currently doing nothing but staring at the dots on the holographic battlefield as his mind was working through next steps, making sure nothing had been missed or any new information had come through that would affect the rest of he mission.
As his mind processed all of this, different scenarios running through different outcomes and working out how to be prepared, his mind did note Tanya's comment. Not that he would mind buying her a beer, heck he would buy her a truckload of it if she wanted. Considering all she had done for them she deserved much more. He was just surprised that she had made the comment during an official communication where she, usually, tried to keep her own style of professional commentary. But perhaps, he thought to himself, this time was special. They had just after all (hopefully anyway) ended the war.
Deciding to focus on the larger issues at hand, he contacted Lieutenant Eva, the woman in question quickly showing up on one of the screen's inside the command center as he approached the monitor to speak with her while the cheering in the background continued.
"Lieutenant, can you make the preparations to have the chronosphere be ready to transport Romanov back to the US later tonight?" James asked his most trusted officer, knowing she always kept up with the radio traffic, he didn't bother telling her about things she would already know.
From early on as they had worked together, he had quickly realized that there was little information the excellent intelligence officer didn't know or couldn't find out. Her mind was a fortress, being able to multitask several things at the same time and keep him apprised on important information and changes. He had no idea how he would have been able to do all of this without her.
"Certainly sir, I've also set up a call to the President for you. He's on line one." Hearing the sound of her quick and nimble fingers pressing her keyboard would never get old, James couldn't help that a small smile formed as she had once again been one step ahead of him, knowing exactly what he had needed and planned ahead of it.
"Thank you Lieutenant."
"And might I say, well done on the capture of Romanov. I'd say it was about bloody time we were able to stop that madman... Oh, pardon the words, sir."
He saw her smile of relief over the news of Romanov's capture mix with some small frustration slip into her comment, something she must have held onto for a while. Seeing that she was one of the, or probably the most, professional and balanced officer he had ever met. Rarely letting anything get to her as she kept her calm under pressure.
Her comment didn't bother him in any way. Besides, he always enjoyed seeing her let out her emotions as she was usually such a private person. She intrigued him, and when she let herself show, he always appreciated it.
"It's fine lieutenant, no need to apologize. Romanov hasn't made it easy for us. We share the same frustration. But it's done now."
"Quite right sir, but I'd better let you talk to the President now, he's waiting." Eva smiled at him as she looked a bit embarrassed before she cut off the communication.
Staring at the dark screen for a few seconds, not sure what he had expected to happen, James then turned and went to the largest screen in the command center to let the folks back home know the good news.
"Bring up line one on the monitor." James said to one of the technicians who started to tap a few buttons as the atmosphere settled in the command center as James was about to speak with the President.
Soon the large screen changed its image from its current feed to the face of President Michael Dugan as he appeared on screen, greeting James from behind his desk in the oval office. James saluted him as he appeared on the screen.
"Greetings general, at ease." The President's friendly voice came through the screen, greeting them. The man was wearing his usual smiling and welcoming expression. Something that surely must have helped him get elected in the first place, at least that's what James assumed. He himself had never been much for politics to be honest.
"Mr. President, I can report that we have captured Romanov and Agent Tanya is currently preparing to transport him back to Poland with the Chronosphere, he'll be here shortly."
Hearing the sound of cheering in the background on the President's end, James could see the smile on the President's face widen ever more as he heard the news. The man pumping his fist beneath the table, or so James assumed from the movement he could see through the monitor.
"Excellent work general. We owe you a great debt for finally capturing that slimeball. Now we can finally bring him to justice."
"I appreciate the kind words sir, but I think credit is due with Agent Tanya and the men and women on the ground. They did the hard parts."
"Of course, they've all done a tremendous job. We are all proud of them. Still, I want to give you my personal thanks as well. We couldn't have done this without your leadership." James heard the President say, his words heartfelt and sincere.
"I'm grateful, Mr. President. I'm just doing my duty, as we all are."
"Of course, general. I trust I can let you take care of Romanovs's transport to the states?" The President asked him.
"Yes sir. Lieutenant Eva is currently arranging the transport back to the states, I expect it to happen later tonight, local time." James confirmed, the President's eyes glancing at something off screen.
"Very good general. I want to make sure that Romanov stands trial, here in America. We must show that our way of life has the strength to stand against all our enemies. We'll make it known that Romanov will be put on trial in Washington D.C, when the time comes. But I want him transported back here tonight, that is of utmost importance. Will you oversee that operation for me personally?"
"Yes Mr. President. I'll do as ordered, you can expect him back later tonight."
"Excellent. I'm counting on you, general. The country is going to throw a party when they find out about this. Imagine how happy they'll be to hear that the third world war has finally ended. Have you prepared a press conference?"
"Actually sir, I was going to ask if you would do it instead?" James answered, shifting ever so slightly as his hands clasped together behind his back.
"You don't want to be the one to let the world know the good news?" The President looked both shocked and a bit confused as he watched him through the monitor.
"I simply think it would be best for everyone to hear the words from you directly, the people know and trust you as our President and the leader of the free world. So I think it would be best if you told them the good news." James explained calmly, hoping that the man would leap at the chance to be the bearer of good news. He is a politician after all.
President Dugan seemed to think the matter over for a moment before he nodded in agreement.
"Very well, I'll arrange the press conference within the hour and let the world know the good news." The President explained before he leaned away to ask one of his aides to start preparing the conference and his speech.
As he returned his attention to James, he continued "But just because I do this, don't think you can get away from receiving your fair share of the glory for your amazing work general. The world will know all you have done to save it, one way or another." The President gave him a knowing smile, having figured James's true motivation easily enough.
"I... understand sir. Thank you." James saluted, not sure if he had just gotten himself into a bigger mess by accepting the President's 'offer'. He'd deal with that when it came to it. For now he had more work to do.
"I'm counting on you, general. Make it happen. Dugan out." And with those words, the President signed off as he cut the connection. Leaving James alone with the remaining work to be done.
Splashing some water on his face as he sighed, James looked at the man who stared back through the mirror. His green tired eyes made him look older than he was at 35 years. His short and trimmed black hair in perfect order as it was supposed to be, a long but faint scar still visible on the left side of his face from his early days in the army.
The constant stress and high pressure of the last week or so had been demanding for him, even more than usual. Both planning the operation that they had just successfully executed, but also keeping up with the war on other fronts as the Red Army had to be tricked into being blindsided by their secret operation.
It had taken its toll on him, he was very well aware of that. But he was hoping for a calmer period now, especially given the news that the Soviet commander left in charge of the Red Army had ordered his troops to stand down and surrender. James was hopeful that there wouldn't have to be any more battles as the allied forces moved in and secured the former USSR peacefully and respectfully. He had made it clear that any soldier abusing the civilians would face harsh criminal charges. They weren't there to retaliate, despite some calls to do so back home. Or at least that's what he had heard from the scuttlebutt on the base.
His conversation with the Soviet commander, by video, had been civil and respectful of the others' corresponding rank and responsibilities. Despite having met each other on the battlefield before, there was no ill will between them. Just a mutual respect for the other's experience.
Who knew, in another world he may have lost to him. Though James was very thankful he hadn't as he couldn't imagine what would have happened to the world in that scenario.
Making sure he was prepared and in order, he left his private bathroom as he went outside and over to where the Chronosphere would deliver Romanov.
Standing off to the side of the designated chronosphere transportation field, James waited for Tanya to arrive back with Romanov.
As the familiar sound of material appearing out of thin air was heard, James saw the formation of the blue energy field. As usual it was in the shape of a dome, though he didn't actually know why. He had to remember to ask someone about that sometimes.
As he saw the shapes of the Nighthawk transport helicopter along with a few IFV and grizzly tanks appear, the force field itself quickly dissipated. Leaving the vehicles standing there, the doors of the transport opened up as the soldiers filed out, along with a subdued Romanov, dressed up in some more proper clothes for the ride home.
The soldiers saluted him as he approached the group, watching Romanov as the man was escorted forward towards him. His eyes met Romanov's, who instantly recognized him.
"You... are you here to kill me?"
James' eyes narrowed as he looked upon the former leader of the USSR. He knew there was a part of himself that was itching to close his hands around the man's neck and strangle him to death. But James resisted the urge since he knew a far worse fate for the man then to simply suffer for a few minutes followed by death.
Instead, Romanov would be locked up for the rest of his life in a deep dark hole somewhere, never to see the light of day again. Now that would be a fitting punishment for the man whose actions had led to so many deaths.
"No, I'm here to bring you to justice, Romanov. For all the pain and suffering you have caused the people around the world." James answered coldly, the fear and worry on Romanov's face clear as day.
Romanov didn't respond as he simply lowered his eyes once more and looked at the ground.
James signalled for the soldiers to lead the prisoner away, leaving himself standing with a familiar figure, the agent he had sent on this mission in the first place. Tanya was clad in her usual brown tank top and her tight military pants. Her short brown hair moving gently with the wind and her pair of pistols holstered on her hips.
"General." James saw the woman had a small smirk on her lips as she greeted him.
"Agent Tanya, excellent work, as always. You've really outdone yourself on this one. I'm glad you were able to make it back safely." James was more than happy to compliment her on her success, not merely on this last mission but the overall success of the entire campaign. She was, and had been, a vital member of their force all this time as she had led the charge on several dangerous missions and come out alive and on the winning side every time.
While he had heard some senior officers complain about her abrasiveness and lack of respect for the chain of command, he had always found her to be refreshing to speak with. Since he knew that she would tell him straight to his face if she thought he was wrong.
He had also noticed how she usually managed to find ways to brighten his mood in the most unexpected manner, though he's pretty sure that's not always what she intended. Not that he'd ever tell her that.
"Well, what can I say? It's what I do. Besides, I can't afford to fail when you give me an assignment - I have a reputation to maintain." Tanya answered with a playful shrug, her face still holding onto the smirk. Her confidence and the fact that she wasn't afraid to show it off another thing he liked about her. He would never do it himself, being who he was and his background, but maybe that's why he liked Tanya. She used it not as a way to push others down, just as a way to show others that she could do it.
James chuckled softly, "And that's why I know you can pull off any assignment I give you." James said as he turned back towards Romanov, watching as he was escorted towards the brig where he would be kept until the chronosphere was recharged and ready to transport him to the US.
He had a feeling that the former Premier was no threat to anyone but himself at the moment, and with the number of guards they had on him, he wasn't going anywhere or able to do anything.
The rest of the squad that had been sent to capture Romanov had already started to get back to their barracks, the mission having gone exceptionally smooth for what it had been.
"I trust the fireworks was a sight to behold?" James asked, as Tanya raised an eyebrow at his comment.
"Sight to behold? It's too bad you weren't there, general, it was bloody perfect! I'm glad I was able to see it in person, and Romanov's reaction made it even better. To see his former HQ blown to smithereens must have hurt a lot."
"I've no doubt." James said as he chuckled at Tanya's excitement, he could practically see the fire in her eyes as she spoke of the event that would surely be shown on every TV back home, probably across the world, soon enough.
"Are we arranging the transport back to the states?" Tanya asked him after she had collected herself a little bit as the two of them still stood out by the field.
"Yes, Lieutenant Eva is setting it up as we speak. The President wants me to personally make sure that Romanov makes it back safely. We can't allow anything to go wrong, not at this time."
"Well, you're not really going to need my help with that. Unless of course you'd like me to tag along anyway…?" She asked as she looked at him with a grin, the invitation so clear not even he could miss it this time.
Well, about that Tanya… James couldn't help but think to himself as he grinned.
"No, you're not tagging along... for that reason anyway." Tanya's face was one of confusion as to what he meant so he continued "I'm giving you a 4-day pass so you can unwind and enjoy the victory. You can travel back with us, if you'd like to go to Washington that is." James explained.
She had been working non-stop for a long time, so he thought this would be a good opportunity for her to relax and get a break from all things now that things were hopefully more calm.
Tanya blinked at him, not expecting that.
"General, is that an invitation?"
James couldn't help but chuckle again as he shook his head with amusement, her words about what he had expected from her. "About the invitation… I'm going to have to disappoint you since I'm still going to be on the clock. So you'll have to find your own fun to do back home. But I'm pretty sure you can find something to do with your time anyway."
Tanya looked almost disappointed by his answer, but he assumed it was because he didn't play along with her banter this time.
"Well that's too bad. Though I suppose I'll have to take what I can get. I can't recall the last time I got any RnR." Tanya thought out loud before continuing. "Thank you, but you still have to buy me that beer you owe me." Tanya said, as she gave him a pointed look.
He nodded his head in confirmation, her face turning back into the smug face she often wore.
"Good. I can't wait. We're going to have some things to discuss." Tanya explained as her eyes wandered off towards the brig. James wasn't really sure what she meant by that, but he wasn't about to turn her down or ask about it now. If she wanted to talk about something later, then that's when they would do it.
About two hours later
Sitting by the computer in his office, the only sound that could be heard was the "clicking" sound as he kept typing to finish up his report of the events of the last battle. He had to take whatever chance he could get to finish up his paperwork since he needed to send it over to the Pentagon and the President ASAP. The media interest for any information regarding the battle had naturally skyrocketed since the President's press conference where he'd announced the capture of Romanov and the end of the war. Though he wasn't exactly sure how much they actually could release due to the classified nature of the report's contents. But that was someone else's problem to deal with, he just wrote it and handed it in.
His concentration was interrupted as he heard a very distinctive knocking on his door, letting him know exactly who it was without her having to say anything. He had never asked if she did it on purpose but it was useful to know who it was even before the door opened.
"Come in Lieutenant" James said as he kept his eyes on his terminal as he finished up the section he was currently working on, meanwhile he heard the sound of Lieutenant Eva's footsteps approaching his desk.
Finishing the section after a few seconds, James looked up from the screen and towards his visitor as he saw Lieutenant Eva stand in front of his desk with a stack of folders under her arm. She was watching him with a strange look in her eyes, one he couldn't quite place.
"Lieutenant Eva. How may I help you?" He asked as he watched her, her expression shifting back to her usual professional and neutral face.
"I have a few reports that require your attention, sir."
She handed over the first one, James accepting the file as he opened it up and started to glance over it.
"Please, sit down." James motioned for her to sit down on the chair in front of his desk.
Eva took the offered chair as she placed her folders down, smoothing out her skirt before she removed another report from the pile.
"I've compiled a brief summary of the status of the allied forces in the file you're holding…" As James's eyes went over the report he saw yet another example of her excellent work, compiling and summarizing the complex situation their forces were in at the moment.
"And this…" She handed him the other report she had taken off the pile "is a list of reports from the front lines about the current status of the post-war situation, sir. We're continuing to receive reports of Soviet forces standing down and handing in their weapons. Most are simply grateful the war has finally ended."
Looking over the report everything seemed to be going smoothly, the order to stand down from the Soviet commander having had an effect which James was thankful for. Dragging out the war even further would have only led to more death and destruction.
"Any incidents between our forces and the Soviet's? "
"I have compiled a list with the latest numbers, the MPs have reported a number of incidents with our personnel mistreating or abusing soviet prisoners. Most incidents have involved intoxicated personnel and only led to injuries but I've seen two cases of confirmed deaths. In all cases but one the suspects have been apprehended and detained, the last one the MPs are currently investigating."
About what James had expected, to think that no incidents would occur between soldiers who had recently been killing each other would be naive. He had only hoped his clear rules of engagement would be a deterrence for most who weren't drunk or just simply stupid.
Glancing up from the report at Eva, he told her "Let them know I want a report as soon as possible when a suspect is in custody. We don't condone abuse and murder of prisoners of war, not before and certainly not now."
"Yes sir." Eva nodded, her expression remaining neutral but he was sure he noticed a hint of approval in her eyes at his words. Though he might be just seeing things, the war had taken its toll on everyone, even him. A good rest and vacation was what was needed. And it was needed soon.
"On a more humorous note, If I might…?" Eva indicated for his computer as he nodded and moved over to give her some space. She walked around the desk and leaned down a bit as she started typing so fast he barely could see what she was doing. To be fair she had to type a lot so naturally she was an expert at it but it was simply impressive to observe.
While he had given her more than enough space to use the computer, the fact of their close proximity didn't go unnoticed for him as he made sure to keep his focus on the computer and not the objectively attractive woman right next to him.
Swallowing nervously as he tried to keep his rigorous focus, he could have sworn he saw her glance at him as he saw a smirk on her face. But then suddenly she stopped typing as she said "Look at this" as she straightened out and showed him a video of allied and soviet soldiers, shoulder to shoulder, drinking and apparently celebrating the destruction of the Kremlin.
Looking at the video in surprise, the soldiers suddenly started singing together as they grabbed each other's shoulders and more soldiers around them joined in. It was… amazing to watch.
"It's thankfully not all doom and gloom and I hope this…" she pointed at the video "is what we can use to go forward from here."
"Very true, I hope the same. Thanks for showing me." James said as he turned his head and smiled at her, Eva returning it as she answered "My pleasure sir. It's easy to miss the little details with all the big things going on right now."
Returning to her chair, James moved himself back as Eva then wrote something on her pad before she looked up at him and continued with business.
"On a related note the UN and the Red Cross have made inquiries and want to send observers and medical personnel to the now occupied zones. What would you like me to answer?"
"Give them access and instruct our personnel to assist them as long as it doesn't interfere with their current assignments." James said as he put away the folder he had been given before and took the next one from the Lieutenant.
"I'm not sure the Pentagon would..." Eva began to remind him, simply reminding him that the people at the Pentagon could have some… other opinions on letting in civilians to those zones at this time.
"If the people at the Pentagon have a problem with my order then they can turn to the President and see what he thinks about it, I'm sure he'll agree with my decision." James told her, noting that he usually didn't have problems with the people at the Pentagon since, in the end, they all wanted the same thing. Yet sometimes he felt they could be a bit narrow minded as they looked at certain rules and regulations and enforced them to the degree that others were actually hurt by them.
Because technically speaking one could argue that the now occupied areas were still undergoing a phase where they were still securing the area as their personnel made sure The Red Army had indeed surrendered everywhere and that the areas were "safe" with no widespread disorder. So they wouldn't be incorrect to tell him to wait a while longer but James felt the benefits of starting the process early to get relief flowing would be beneficial. If not to help each and every person they could reach with it, then at the very least it would improve their chances of restoring law and order more easily as food and supplies could be distributed where needed.
"As you say, general. We'll give them full access and permission to enter the zones."
Eva made another quick note before she looked up at him again.
"We have also been informed by the Pentagon that your orders regarding the transportation of Romanov back to the states have been approved, a team will arrive in about an hour to prepare the prisoner for the transport and the chronosphere should be ready to go at 2300 local time."
"Understood Lieutenant. Thank you. Anything else?"
"Yes sir, a few more actually. I have a list of Allied nation leaders that have asked to get in contact with you, I believe they want to thank you personally for arresting Romanov." Eva leaned over his desk and pointed out the list of names in the report he had received. Going over them he recognized each and every one of them, numbering over 20.
"Jesus, not to be rude but don't they have better things to do then to speak with me?" James couldn't help but exclaim as he rubbed his chin with a free hand, looking over the list.
Eva smiled at him as she pointed out something important "They have been contributing soldiers and equipment to the war effort. It would be a bit rude not to speak with them personally if that's what they wish."
Leaning back in his seat again, he looked up from the report and watched Eva as he sighed. "You're right, Lieutenant. It would be rude to ignore them. Could I ask you to set them up so we can get it done before going back to the states?"
"I'll get right on it sir." Eva noted it down as she then added "I'll make sure to tell them you're on a tight schedule and that you only have a few minutes for each leader. I'm sure they'll understand."
"Thank you, much appreciated."
Going over the last of the files she had brought, Eva had just risen from her chair and was about to leave when he stopped her.
"Oh, and Lieutenant..." Eva turned around and looked at him as he continued "I've arranged a 4-day pass for you so you can return home to Britain if you'd like. There's a cargo plane going there in... " James checked his watch and was about to continue when Eva's voice interjected "3 hours and 37 minutes".
Looking up in surprise, he saw that she was standing there, smiling brightly at him with her hands behind her back. He couldn't help but chuckle and shrugged his shoulders as she once again showed her incredible memory and mind, seemingly having had that tiny piece of information stored in the back of her head, just like that.
"Dare I ask?" Was all James could say as he handed her the approved pass.
"My mind is my palace, sir." Eva explained happily as she took it before thanking him.
"Clearly. Your mind is a national treasure. We are lucky to have you with us. I'm lucky to have you helping me Lieutenant. I very much doubt I could have done it otherwise." James explained, hoping to be able to express his genuine thank you for all she had done for him. Though there really was no way to thank her properly considering all she had done.
"I... Thank you sir. That means a lot." Eva said, her voice lowering to almost a whisper as she smiled brightly and blushed at the unexpected kind words.
"It's the truth, plain and simple." James rose from his seat as he went over and stopped next to her. "Which is why I expect you to get back home and spend some time with your family. You've more than earned it."
"And I'm really grateful for the pass sir, but if it's alright with you I'd like to come with you to the US. I've already planned a call with my family later tonight before Romanov is due to be transported."
Her words took James by surprise, he would have expected her to want to return home given the chance but clearly she seemed to have other plans.
"Of course you can, if that's your wish. I'm just a bit surprised and curious as to why you would, if you don't mind me asking?"
When he saw that her usual smile turned to a grin he knew she had something planned, though he wasn't necessarily sure it would be a good thing for him.
"You'll understand soon enough, sir."
A few hours later, about 22.45 local time.
With his travel bag with him, James left his room in the base as he was ready to return home to the states. Having spent well over two hours with various leaders from the allied members, to thank each of them for their support and to be congratulated on the success of the mission, he was a bit tired after a very long day. Having had barely enough time to get a short nap after all the calls and making sure everything was taken care of, his second-in-command was now up to speed and ready to handle things on the ground for now.
He hadn't been given a pass to have time off himself. So unlike Eva and Tanya, he was going to be working in D.C once he arrived. Which meant that he wasn't more than a call away anyway in case something happened.
The only real loose end they currently had was Yuri. The psychic advisor had mysteriously disappeared and was nowhere to be found. Military intelligence was looking for him and his forces, just as James had left orders for his own forces to continue the search. As long as Yuri was out there, the peace wouldn't last. So they couldn't relax too much just yet.
Stepping outside, he was met with the usual flurry of activities in the base, considering this was their field HQ in the region, it was a large base with members from many allied nations. He could hear soldiers speaking in many different languages to each other. While the official language was English, there was no ban on using other languages in non-official communication.
The Chronosphere had already been prepared for their departure. As James got closer to the NightHawk transport helicopters he saw that several soldiers that were going with them had already gathered there. As he approached they saluted him, James doing the same in return.
"General. We're ready to transport you to the states whenever you're ready. We just need to confirm a few details before we do." One of the junior transportation officers came over, a young man in his mid twenties. He was dressed in the usual field attire, his uniform spotless. Almost as if it had never been used which was quite the feat considering everything.
"What are the details we need to go over?" He asked, the young officer quickly opening a digital notebook, scrolling through a few pages, seemingly looking for the information he was after.
"Ah, there it is. The President wants to meet you and the prisoner when we arrive, so we'll transport you directly to Andrew Air Force Base, where you'll be able to meet with him. The President also wanted us to let you know that there will be press attending the handover to the U.S Marshals."
Of course there would be. James wasn't really surprised, how many times would they be able to bring back such a high value target, alive? Of course the President wanted to make a spectacle of it. James just didn't have to agree with the choice, preferring to hand him over quietly and efficiently without all the extra fuss. Unfortunately he wasn't in charge of that little detail.
"Is that all?"
"One more thing, you'll be asked to say a few words at the handover, sir." The young man scratched off the information as he put his notebook away and got back to his usual relaxed position.
"I'm no good with speeches." James replied quickly. He really didn't care to make any speeches to the public.
"It's an order from the President, sir. Don't worry, I'm sure the people would love to hear whatever you'd say."
Sighing internally, of course the President would order him to make a speech. So much for avoiding the spotlight, James thought to himself as he could just imagine how happy the President had been to give that particular order.
Though in the end, perhaps it wouldn't hurt to say a few words. The people deserved that at least, just as the soldiers who had fought and died in this war deserved it. If nothing else he could give them some respect by honoring their sacrifices in his speech.
"Very well, let's get going." James said as the officer saluted him once more, the other soldiers and personnel had gathered in the NightHawk transport helicopter while they spoke. Shortly after him, Lieutenant Eva showed up with her travel bag as she was going to join him. As James saw how she was about to hoist her bag up to make room for anyone else coming, James rose from his seat and asked if she wanted help with it.
"Oh, that's very kind of you but it's not necessary. I'm a big girl after all, I can handle it." Eva said, smiling at him as she winked before she lifted the bag up and put away her laptop so it was secured during the transportation with the chronosphere. No loose objects were allowed during transport, period.
James nodded and sat himself down again with Eva sitting in front of him, both strapping themselves in as they saw Tanya appear, her own travel bag over her shoulder as she greeted the two of them.
"General, Lieutenant." Her eyes then glued themselves on him as she continued "And if you offer to take my bag I will smack you... sir." Tanya's words, especially the nice save with the late added "sir" elicited a laughter from Eva as James merely chuckled. Meanwhile Tanya grinned as she put away her bag before she sat down next to Eva, whispering something to her which made her gasp and sent a look of shock his way.
James watched in confusion as to what they were discussing when Eva whispered something back and Tanya nodded as she strapped herself in.
Deciding to not breach the subject of whatever they had said to each other, he instead focused on taking a few minutes to start writing down some help for his speech. In the background he could hear the two women having a carefree conversation for a few minutes before they were interrupted by the young officer from earlier. Clearing his throat to get James' attention, he looked up at the young officer as the man spoke to him.
"I've received word that we can depart whenever you're ready, general. Everyone is on board and the prisoner is secured."
"Good. Let's get going then."
The young man nodded as he saluted before he left the helicopter and shut the outer door. They could see him jogging away from their position before they soon felt and saw the familiar sensation of being transported with the chronosphere.
James closed his eyes during the process and as they were all hit by a flash of light, they were then instantaneously transported to Maryland and Andrew Air Force Base in the US.
When he opened his eyes again, he looked at the face of Lieutenant Eva, the woman in question was watching the outside and as he turned his head towards the window he saw that the trip had indeed been a success. He recognized the airport and a bit further off, at a safe distance, he even saw a whole flock of reporters and cameras, some taking photos others filming them as military personnel were watching them closely. Apparently they had made an exception to the rule of not filming at a military base, James dryly noted.
It had taken them less than 15 minutes or so to "travel" from Poland to Maryland and another few minutes to board and be transported. Einstein really was a genius. I wonder what he's working on next, James thought to himself as he rose from his seat.
"Alright everyone. We've arrived at our destination, let's get this show on the road." James said as he saw the transportation officer outside signal for them to exit as they opened the helicopter doors for them.
He had received instructions on where to go for the ceremony that would take place. Though that only really affected himself since no one else had to be present at it. Lucky them.
Reaching up, he took the Lieutenant's bag down and handed it to her along with her computer before she could say anything. He saw Eva's eyes softening as their hands accidentally touched in the handover.
Following this, he then instinctively reached for Tanya's bag as well before he stopped himself. He turned and looked at the woman in question who merely raised an eyebrow as she smirked at him, daring him to do it. Deciding to take his chances he handed her bag over as she laughed.
"You're a brave man general. The first person who has ever dared to do that for me." She noted as she slung the bag over her shoulder before she added, a bit softer this time, "Thank you."
The group all headed down the stairs of the helicopter as he saw two buses soon came driving towards them, here to transport them to the main building. But before that he saw a jeep stop nearby and a young soldier stepped out of it, saluted him, before he nervously spoke.
"General. Sir! I'm ready to transport you to the main building, the President is waiting." The man explained, his eyes not meeting James', instead they were bounding back and forth between his left and his right, where he assumed the two women that had travelled with him were currently flanking him.
"Thank you, are the marshals ready for the handover?"
The young man nodded his head quickly, swallowing as his eyes suddenly snapped away from James's right and landed to his left instead, where he assumed Eva was. Tanya must have scared the poor kid.
James turned towards Tanya and Eva, both of their eyes were on him.
"Well, If you want to be there for the ceremony then you're free to join me I guess, otherwise..." James was barely able to start before Tanya interrupted him.
"Oh I wouldn't miss this for anything." Tanya stepped up, shoulder to shoulder as she leaned slightly closer to him and lowered her voice ever so slightly as she continued "Besides, I heard someone has a speech to deliver and I can't miss that." Feeling the slight warmth from Tanya's breath on his face as the woman leaned closer, sending a tingling feeling down his body as he then watched her walk past the young soldier to the jeep without looking back.
Seeing Eva step up next to him, keeping a more moderate distance than Tanya, the woman smiled brightly at him, her words encouraging "You'll do great, sir. I know you can do it! I look forward to hearing the speech."
Then Eva started to walk over to the Jeep as well, stashing away her bag before she jumped into the backseat like Tanya had, the young soldier's eyes not having left her as she did. But as the door closed he turned back and looked at James who could do nothing but sigh as he scratched the back of his head.
"Sir?"
"Don't ask private. Just... don't."
Nodding with a confused look on his face, the young man followed him as he loaded his own bag onboard the jeep before he settled himself in the front row passenger seat for the ride back to the main building.
This would be the first of many ceremonies he would have to go through. James just didn't know that yet.
The ceremony itself wasn't all that complicated, merely a symbolic handover as James, as head of the Allied forces, handed over custody to the U.S Marshals. They were in turn represented by the acting Director of the agency. All of this was done in front of the press as they were filming and taking plenty of pictures, commemorating the event.
After the handover was done, he was expected to say a few words and so he stepped up to the podium, filled a whole bunch of microphones. Clutching his notes as support, he nervously looked around at the large number of people as they recorded everything. Taking a deep breath as he tried to calm himself down, he tried not to panic. Just say what you've written down, nothing more than that. Clearing his throat he began:
"My name is James Porter, Supreme Commander of the Allied forces. Today we have brought in Romanov to stand trial for the atrocities he and the Red Army have committed during the third world war that has ravaged not only our own country but also many others across the globe." Pausing slightly to take another deep breath to keep himself calm, he then exhaled before he continued.
"This victory belongs to all the soldiers who helped capture him. Many brave men and women from not only the United States, but from all our allied nations across the world contributed to this. These men and women have through their service bravely given their lives to help secure the former Premier of the USSR so that he can now face justice for all that he has caused this last year." He was trying his best to not stare down at his notes all the time, knowing how bad that would look. But it was harder than he thought as every time he looked up he was met with a sea of people and just wanted to run away from them all. So he kept going to get it done quickly.
"This was a victory for our allied coalition, carried by the heroes who served, both those who survived and those who fell. These heroes' sacrifice in the war has enabled me to be here today to hand over the fugitive Romanov to face justice and show the world that freedom has yet again prevailed over tyranny."
Swallowing as he finished, his sweaty hands put away his notes as the sound of cheering could be heard as the photographers came closer. Some sat down and took shots on one knee in front of him as others were directly in front of him, capturing what must be every detail of his own by now sweaty face at an unsettling close distance. Surely that wouldn't be a good picture, James thought to himself.
Grabbing some paper tissues he had in his pocket, he wiped his hands and face to feel a little less ridiculous. This whole thing made him uncomfortable as he swallowed and tried to not let his nervousness show too much. Though he was probably failing hard at that.
Before long he saw President Dougan moving forward towards him, smiling brightly in his easy and comfortable way. Before he could salute, Dougan reached out his hand towards James which forced him to grasp it as they shook hands. The President followed it up by nodding his head to the side to signal for them to turn towards the cameras once more.
James had no choice but to follow along as he once again turned towards the cameras which continued filming the two of them and the photographers were still taking their pictures. All the while the President smiled easily in a way only a man who was very much used to the spotlight could do. James in the meanwhile didn't know whether to smile or not, as he knew he'd never looked good in any pictures in his entire life.
"This is a day that will go down in history, general. Smile to the world." He heard the President's lowered voice that was just loud enough to be heard over the cheering and murmur around them. James turned his head slightly towards the President as he could have sworn Dougan gave him a slight grin before he turned back towards the cameras.
Sighing to himself, James had no choice as he tried to force a small smile, his body stiff as a brick as the seconds passed while they were shaking hands before the President finally let go to his relief.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the President of the United States." James quickly said to the microphones before he headed down the stage, the cheering followed him as the President stepped up to the microphone to begin his own speech followed by answering questions from the press.
As James had stepped down from the stage, President Dougan began to deliver his own words on the event that had now transpired. Capturing everyone's interest to James' relief. James was just happy he hadn't been asked to answer questions of his own. He shuddered how that would have gone.
Leaving the stage behind him, he saw Tanya and Eva had both stayed around throughout the speech, the former giving him a knowing smirk as the latter gave him a proud smile as he came closer to them, Eva speaking up as he approached.
"You did a wonderful job, general. Those were some very well spoken words. One would almost say you were a natural up there." Eva complimented him, though he was sure there was a bit of teasing there as well.
"Agreed, very good general. I'm impressed. I think you've found a new calling in case you get bored of commanding. A speaker for hire or maybe... our next president?" Tanya's playful comment brought a laugh out of Eva and him as James finally felt like he could relax again, his nervousness slowly letting go of him as his tense muscles started to relax. They gathered their stuff and then started to walk away, leaving the ceremony as it was no longer any of their business.
"Never again." James boldly declared as he felt his racing heartbeat starting to finally slow down. Unknown to him the two women looked at each other as they both smiled knowingly, letting the general have his moment of peace as they reached the main entrance to the building where James suddenly stopped in place. The sudden stop almost made Tanya and Eva walk into him as they looked at him in surprise.
"What is it, general?" Tanya asked as Eva asked if he was alright.
James didn't answer as his eyes landed on three familiar faces he hadn't seen for over a year now, not in person anyway.
His two daughters, Wilma and Lina, clad in their usual winter clothing along with the addition of what must be new scarfs around their necks. And then there was their grandmother, his mother, Evelyn. She was standing there as well as they were all seemingly waiting. His daughters' eyes landed on him as he came into view, their eyes widening as they both shouted in joy and ran towards him.
"Mom...? You guys are here!" James exclaimed as his eyes wandered back to his mother who had a warm smile as she started to slowly follow the girls who were sprinting towards him at high speed.
As Lina and Wilma crashed into him, the girls hugged him and gave him kisses on his cheeks and face as their hands embraced him and held him tightly, refusing to let him go. James settled himself down on one knee as he hugged them back tightly, his arms filled with his beloved daughters once more, his heart aching with happiness as he had missed them both dearly and seeing them safe was all that mattered in this moment.
"You did it, dad!" Lina shouted as she couldn't be still, squirming in his arms as she wiggled her way tighter into his embrace.
"Welcome back home, dad! You're famous now!" Wilma exclaimed excitedly.
"Oh I've missed you both so much!" James exclaimed, his voice filled with emotions as he could feel tears in his eyes as he kept them both close to him. He let the feelings of joy and love pass through his body, mixing with his relief and happiness which made the moment complete as he kissed them both on their heads.
James heard the sound of steps closing in as he saw the familiar face of his mother, dressed warmly as well, when she came into view. His mother was an elderly woman, past the age of 60. And while she had dealt with medical issues throughout most of her life, at that moment he could have sworn she looked both younger and happier then he had ever seen her before.
She smiled at him as she spoke up "Welcome back. We've all missed you dearly. As you can clearly see for yourself." She said humorously as she indicated his daughters who were still in his embrace, clinging onto him for dear life.
"I'm glad to be back mom, I hope you're doing well enough." Seeing as she had her medical issues to deal with, she was never really "fine" as one would normally say. Instead she liked to call it "well enough".
"I am, and it helps to know you're back, alive and well." She smiled brightly at him as he nodded and had to settle his own curiosity of their appearance here.
"Don't get me wrong, it's great to see all of you. But… why are you here? How did you know I would be here?"
His mother gave him a knowing look "We didn't. But then out of the blue we got a call from the President himself who told us to come here. He even sent a helicopter to pick us up. That didn't really give us much of a choice, did it?" Evelyn laughed a bit as she sat herself down as well before she reached out and gave him a warm hug as well, embracing both him and his daughters who still hadn't let go.
"Dad! We flew in a helicopter, it was so awesome! Have you done that? Can we do it again?!" Wilma, his youngest daughter at the age of 6, was clearly impressed by her first airborne transport.
"Yeah, we could talk through headsets as we travelled, and the pilot was really nice as they pointed out things we were flying over as we did. It was super fun!" Lina, his eldest daughter at 8 also seemed impressed by it, though a bit more collected then her younger sister.
As their group embrace continued, James could hear Lina and Wilma's excited voices constantly as they spoke over each other. They kept bombarding him with questions and rarely gave him a chance to even respond, but he didn't mind. He just smiled and held them close to him, enjoying holding his daughters in his arms for the first time in so long. He didn't know how long he kept them there but it must have been for a while at least.
"It's alright, you don't need to stay all the way over there for our sake, dears." As James felt his mother let go of them, she rose to her feet again as he saw his mother's eyes land on Eva and Tanya who had kept their distance from the reunion. As his mother spoke to them the two of them approached.
"I'm Evelyn Porter, James' mother. I take it you two know my son...?" She paused briefly as she looked at the two women who had now joined them.
"I'm Tanya Adams, I've worked with him for a while now. It's a pleasure Mrs. Porter." As Tanya greeted his mother, her tone of voice was surprisingly calm and collected, not her usual sarcastic remarks or filled with on the nose commentary that he'd come to expect from her. As the two women greeted each other, his mother taking Tanya's extended hand, James didn't miss how Tanya's eyes softened ever so slightly. The genuine smile that appeared on the agent's face as she greeted the elderly woman was both heartwarming and quite beautiful, honestly.
"Good to meet you Tanya, thank you for helping my son. He's usually a very dutiful son but on occasion even he can get himself in trouble."
Tanya smiled as she heard this, casting a quick glance as she smirked at him before turning back to look at his mother.
"I'm sure he can, Mrs. Porter. But he's actually been very helpful and saved my life on many occasions so I'm grateful to him." As he felt his daughters let go of him, he couldn't help but stand up as he looked at Tanya. He was a bit surprised to hear her words. Sure he had helped her out, even saved her life once but on multiple occasions? No, that was a bit too much so he had to make sure there weren't any misunderstandings coming out of this conversation.
"I've helped Tanya out on occasion, but she's the one who's been doing most of the work. And I haven't saved her life multiple times, so please don't listen to that mother."
As both Tanya and his mother turned towards him, the former with a look of shock and the latter with a humorous smile on her lips. His mother seemed to be holding back a laugh as he saw Eva in the background doing the same.
"Are you calling me a liar, in front of your mother?" Tanya asked as she looked at him, emphasizing the last part as the look she sent him was one of pain and suffering if he didn't take that comment back. He swallowed nervously as he wasn't entirely sure whether she was joking or not this time. And with a deadly commando like her it was usually not a good thing to be on her bad side.
"No… I mean…" Unsure how to exactly explain what he had meant, he was saved by his mother who looked impressed by Tanya as she replied.
"What I think my son meant was that he's assisted you in making it possible to save yourself. You seem very capable of doing that." Evelyn said diplomatically as she smiled at Tanya who looked back at her and nodded, seemingly satisfied with that interpretation.
Thank you mom, James thought to himself as his mother turned towards Eva instead. And as she did, James saw Tanya send him a grin and a wink that revealed it had, naturally, all been played up by her.
Damn that woman…
His mother extended her hand to Eva as well, as she greeted her with a pleasant and welcoming smile.
"Hello Mrs. Porter, I'm Eva Lee. And just as Tanya said, I've worked together with your son for a while now. He's spoken warmly of you." As his mother greeted Eva, her smile grew even more warm.
"Very nice to meet you Eva, thank you as well for helping my son. We all very much appreciate it."
"There's no need to thank me, Mrs. Porter. I'm glad to have helped out, we all have much to thank him for." As Eva replied, he heard the slight difference in the tone as she emphasized that word. Eva's way of sending a jab at him, clearly. What's with them and doing that now?
"I agree Eva, it's a shame he's so bad at accepting our gratitude. Always has been."
"Indeed, modesty is a good virtue, but not too much…" As Eva and his mother seemed to hit it off, starting to discuss the various qualities a man should have, he saw Tanya walk up next to him as she grinned.
"Well those two seemed to have hit it off" Tanya said as she looked over at the two women before turning back to look at him again as he could see how she was fighting back an urge to laugh "Guess you didn't plan for that, did you?"
Once again James was saved from answering as his two daughters, standing next to him, looked at Tanya as they seemed to be studying her until Wilma asked "Are you a soldier miss?"
Tanya turned from looking at him to go down on one knee as she looked at Wilma and Lina. "I am, my name is Tanya Adams. Good to meet you both, you have a great father."
They didn't answer immediately, both having turned a bit shy as Tanya looked directly at them, so James had to encourage them.
"Come on girls, she's a nice person and a good friend. Please introduce yourself."
"Hi miss Adams, it's nice to meet you. I'm Lina and this is Wilma." His eldest, Lina, said as Wilma waved and smiled, still a bit shyly.
"Please, call me Tanya. Everyone does." Tanya said as she looked at his daughters before she added "I like your scarfs, they both look warm and comfortable."
"They are! But I like my color better." Wilma said as she stepped forward cautiously and showed her blue scarf, as Lina with her red one was quickly preparing to answer. But before she could, Tanya continued by heading off the sibling fight that would surely follow by asking a question.
"Do you know what has both the red and the blue color?" As the girls seemed to stop focusing on each other and instead thought about her question, Tanya turned her arm a bit so the flag on her army jacket could be seen.
"Our flag actually has both of them, so I think they're both great, wouldn't you say?"
And just like that Tanya had charmed her way into talking with his daughters as James himself stood there and felt a bit like a third wheel to it all. Though he had to admit it was nice to see everyone getting along well, however surprising it was.
While he was very grateful for the chance to meet his family again, the President had once again surprised him with his actions. He really should be starting to see these surprises coming his way.
In time his mother and Eva joined Tanya and his daughters as they greeted Eva as well. The intelligence officer's easy and kind personality won her over immediately with the two of them.
After talking for a while, James checked with his mother and found out that they had been quartered in the same hotel James and the rest had been assigned to. He was quite thankful at being allowed to stay in a regular hotel room rather than an army room or barracks this time.
"You seem a bit tired James, you've had a long day I assume?" His mother held his arm lightly as she saw him trying to cover a yawn that he had been trying to hold in.
"Yeah, I'm a bit tired to be honest." James admitted as he felt Wilma tug at his hand, wanting him to hold her so he bent down and did just that as he grabbed her in his arm. Then holding onto Lina with his other free hand.
"Then let's get back to the hotel so you can get some rest. We can talk more after that. Since you're staying at the same place, why don't you two come along?"
Eva and Tanya looked at each other for a moment before they nodded and agreed, thanking Evelyn for the offer as they heard a door in the far end of the room open, near where the press conference had been.
Through the door came four secret service personnel followed by President Dougan and then even more agents. He saw the President look towards them as he smiled and started walking towards them.
"You are all still here, good. I was afraid you'd have already left." The President said as he stopped by them and watched the group, James had trouble saluting since he had one daughter in his arm and the other one grasping his hand. Luckily the President just waved at them to skip that as he continued talking.
"A pleasure to see you again Mrs. Porter, Lina, Wilma."
"Likewise Mr President, thank you again for giving us the opportunity to see my son." Evelyn answered kindly, her voice filled with gratitude.
"Think nothing of it Mrs. Porter. We all owe the general a debt we'll never be able to repay…" The President looked at him as he said this, before he gave them one of his easy smiles that could win over anyone. He turned to an aide next to him who handed him six envelopes.
"... But we are certainly going to try. I wanted to hand these over personally." The President then gave out invitations to a Victory Gala that was being organized tomorrow evening at the White House to each of them.
His mother and his daughters looked shocked as they received their invitations, barely understanding what had just happened while Tanya merely smirked as she cast a glance towards him; he could have sworn the look in her eyes was one of a predator finding her prey.
Meanwhile Eva didn't seem surprised the least as she barely looked at her invitation, merely cast a glance towards him as she winked knowingly at him.
So this is why she came along, because she knew about the invitation before the rest of us. James couldn't help but think to himself, but then that thought was quickly followed by: how did she even know that to begin with…?
"You're all invited to the White House tomorrow for a small Victory Gala. You'll be picked up at the appointed time, just make sure you're at the hotel roof and we'll arrange for the rest. And the dress code is black tie, not that it would be a problem for any of you." President Dougan explained as his aide leaned forward and started to whisper something.
"Are we going to fly a helicopter again dad?" Wilma seemed more excited at that prospect rather than the ball itself while Lina had opened her envelope and was looking at the beautiful and expensive looking paper that had been used to print their invitation.
"While I would love to stay and talk some more I really must be going. I've got more work that needs to be done now so please, go to your hotel and relax and we'll meet again tomorrow. I promise I'll give you all a guided tour of the White House personally."
Before he started going he remembered something and turned back, to look at James.
"Oh and general; consider yourself on leave for now. Take the time to rest up. You're going to need the energy for tomorrow."
With barely time to say anything, much less thank him, the President then turned and left as he was escorted away by his security personnel. Meanwhile they all stood there quietly for a moment.
"Well, I guess we better get going then. Now that we have clothes to arrange for tomorrow." Tanya was the first to say something as she grabbed her stuff and packed away her invitation, the rest of them quickly followed as they left the building together, soon finding themselves in the cars that had been arranged to take them to their hotel.
On the way back to the hotel, as he sat between his daughters in the backseat of the car, he grabbed the invitation as he looked at it. The golden paper was thick, heavy and very elegant in its design. About what one would expect of an invitation of this magnitude.
Turning to watch the outside, he could see traces of the war that had plagued the country were still present around them, but for every day there would be fewer and fewer of them. And while it would take a while to fix everything that had been broken, they could never get back all those who had died during the war.
While he had some doubts it would actually happen, he still hoped no one else would have to die in any more wars in the future, that this one had been the last.
One could surely hope for that, here on this first day of peace in a world reborn again.
Thank you sp much for reading, hope you enjoyed it!
I've got a few thoughts on how to continue the story a bit more, if there is an interest for it. Please let me know if there is.
Have a great day!