heard sudden movement, as if someone had sat up quickly. They stood up, whoever...

heard sudden movement, as if someone had sat up quickly. They stood up, whoever they were, and he heard soft footsteps. "Eamon? Eamon, is that really you?" Holy shit. He bolted to his feet. "Madam President?" A chuckle. "I told you to call me Barb, Eamon." With two steps he crossed the breadth of the cell and held onto the bars, straining to see around and to his left, to the other cell holding Avery. "You're alive? But … General Norton told me your ship exploded. He accused me of doing it!" She chuckled again, then sighed. "Well, in his defense, I did suspect you. Told him to keep an eye on you. Told him you might try something like this." "You did?" "Looks like we were both played. Played like a freshman congressman. Here we are, at the top of our games, seasoned politicians, feared or loved by everyone, and we were outdone … by a soldier." He shook his head. "He can't be acting alone. Speaker LaPierre must be behind it. Why else go after both of us at once?" She didn't say anything for a moment, and he heard movement as if she'd sunk down to her knees or sat down on the floor. Moments later, a hand reached out, just visible past the last bar of his cell. The gold band of her turquoise ring flashed in the dim light. It was Avery all right. He knelt down and reached out to it. Holding it. She gripped back tightly. "Eamon, I'm so sorry. I should have trusted you. This was all my fault. All I wanted was to save Earth, and now I may have doomed it." Her voice sounded small. To his ears, she seemed broken. Her tone sounded like one defeated. Utterly

www.QuoteSweet.com