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Back The Occurrence Save as PDF
Chapters (117)
  1. Cover
  2. Title
  3. Copyright
  4. Contents
  5. PART ONE: Up From Buried Light
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. PART TWO: Re-Entry
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. PART THREE: Convergence
  29. 22
  30. 23
  31. 24
  32. 25
  33. 26
  34. 27
  35. 28
  36. 29
  37. 30
  38. 31
  39. 32
  40. 33
  41. 34
  42. 35
  43. 36
  44. 37
  45. 38
  46. 39
  47. 40
  48. 41
  49. PART FOUR: Surrender
  50. 42
  51. 43
  52. 44
  53. 45
  54. 46
  55. 47
  56. 48
  57. 49
  58. 50
  59. 51
  60. 52
  61. 53
  62. 54
  63. 55
  64. 56
  65. 57
  66. PART FIVE: The Tablets
  67. 58
  68. 59
  69. 60
  70. 61
  71. 62
  72. 63
  73. 64
  74. 65
  75. PART SIX: The Trial
  76. 66
  77. 67
  78. 68
  79. PART SEVEN: The Cave of Memory
  80. 69
  81. 70
  82. 71
  83. 72
  84. 73
  85. 74
  86. 75
  87. 76
  88. 77
  89. 78
  90. 79
  91. 80
  92. 81
  93. 82
  94. 83
  95. PART EIGHT: Guardians
  96. 84
  97. 85
  98. 86
  99. 87
  100. 88
  101. 89
  102. 90
  103. 91
  104. 92
  105. 93
  106. 94
  107. PART NINE: Into Buried Light
  108. 95
  109. 96
  110. 97
  111. 98
  112. 99
  113. 100
  114. 101
  115. 102
  116. 103
  117. Acknowledgments

He’d feared telling anyone anything after he’d claimed to feel the spirits of the dead, so had chosen the path of silence—the agreed-on path in the collateral damage of war. Whatever trauma Halloway had demonstrated, which led him here, disappeared in the clarity of his eyes, and the force of his voice as he related to Julian, who understood why Halloway had chosen this path. Julian had done the same in the aftermath of the occurrence in the desert—he, too, had chosen evasion.

Halloway grabbed Julian’s hand. “We’re not crazy, man. We’re not crazy.”

That he wanted to believe a man in a locked-down ward, more than he’d allowed himself to believe Dominique, was crazy. But Halloway was one of his men, one of his tribe of warriors. That bond was deep.

And as the two men held each other’s gaze, Julian saw the clarity in Halloway’s eyes replaced by the collateral haze of war that seemed to never leave a soldier’s psyche. And Julian knew—some were capable of handling the mysteries of life better than others. This brave young soldier was safer inside these walls, at least for now.

24

24

Friday, September 18

The Welcome Home party Julian’s father threw at a posh George­town restaurant was filled with friends and political movers and shakers. But unease plagued Senator Ledge’s mind as he watched Julian’s fourth martini slosh through his son’s fingers. The senator was all too used to this scene, since he’d spent a lifetime watching his wife steady her drinks.

Despite his unease, the senator saw good things on the political front for his son, and knew now was the time to strike. But he was rattled because of what happened to Julian in the warehouse. He knew it went deeper than Julian had let on, and was playing havoc with Julian’s mind.

Ledge had private information that a fellow senator was about to be brought up on charges for illegal actions, and wanted to use the opportunity to open a space for Julian to make a run for that seat. The fact he was a war hero, and his father House Whip made it a sure thing his name would be top of the list.

Ledge and Brent Samuels, a high-powered political consultant, watched Julian charm the wife of one of Ledge’s largest contributors.

Martha Ledge wobbled to her husband when she saw him with Samuels. She had a drink in her hand. She always did.

“I don’t know, Paul. It may be too soon. You don’t want to push him into this,” Samuels said.

“Don’t hold tonight against him. He’s celebrating.”

“You sure that’s all it is?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Martha slurred. “Our son is not one of the weak ones.”