The Lightbringers, page 27
He knew that it was true. There was a rock-solid center in him now that grounded him. He could find it whenever he needed it.
Slowly, she nodded. She swallowed. “I want you to teach Sierra. I want her to know the truth, to grow up knowing everything. I want her to be strong like you are now.”
Joy surged in Gaylen. He would get to see his daughter again. “Of course. Of course I will.”
Serena stood up and opened a door to another room. “Sierra. Come on, honey.”
Gaylen thought his heart would stop as he saw his beloved child take a hesitant step into the room. Her face lit up as she saw him. “Daddy!” she shrieked.
Gaylen dropped to one knee and put his arms out, and Sierra rushed into them. They hugged hard.
“I’m here, baby,” he told her. “I’m here. I love you. I’m not going away again, OK? Never, never, never again.”
Serena stood nearby, watching them both with her hand over her mouth again. Gaylen wiped away his tears and looked up at her. His chest hurt. “Promise me you won’t ever take her away again. Please promise me.”
Serena’s eyes were wet as she said, “I won’t. I’m sorry, to both of you. I’m so sorry.”
Gaylen stood and the family embraced.
The three of them went back out into the lobby a few minutes later, their tears dry for now. Gaylen held his daughter as if he would never let her go again. John came to them, and Gaylen put out his hand, and the two men shook hands. His tone heartfelt, Gaylen said, “Thank you. With all my heart. I can never repay you for protecting my family.”
John simply nodded. “I know you would have done the same for my children.” Unexpectedly, there were tears in his eyes.
“Will you join the Lightbringers? For real this time?”
John nodded slowly. “I’m pretty sure I already have.” The two men shared an understanding look.
Gaylen laughed in relief when he saw Tommy approaching them. He was ashamed to realize that he hadn’t thought about the other man since the broadcast had begun.
“Hey, man,” Tommy said, offering his hand. “Nice job, man. Seriously, nice job.”
They shook hands.
“How’d you get out?” Gaylen asked.
“Oh, I just fought my way out. Heroically. Against all odds,” Tommy said. “And by that, I mean I hid in a closet until everyone else had left.” He shrugged and Gaylen laughed.
Kevin stepped up, holding out his handscreen. “Gaylen, Don wants to talk to you.”
Gaylen took the handscreen and stepped into another room where it was quiet, still carrying his daughter. “Yes?” he said.
“Gaylen. This is Don. The head of the Lightbringers nationally.” The other man’s voice was resonant, his tone somber. “What you did tonight was… powerful, and the implications are going to be unfolding for years to come.” He paused. “Tell me something, Gaylen. And this is important. When you killed Martha, what was your inner state?”
Gaylen closed his eyes to concentrate, to remember. “I was not in the darkness, I know that for sure. I had let go of my anger and resentment and hatred. I just felt that it had to be done, that it was our one best chance to make sure everyone learned the truth. I did it for the truth. Nothing else.”
Don was silent for a moment. “What do you feel about it now?”
Gaylen contemplated the question. He felt his way through the layers of emotion until he reached a solid place—somewhere cold and hard and heavy. He remembered it from when he had told Drew about the worst thing he had ever done. “Guilt. I took a life, and I can never undo that. Even though I thought I had a good reason… I still killed someone. And I hope I never have to do it again.” He meant it.
The other man sighed. “I know that Drew has fallen. I’ll have more to say about that in a moment, but right now, I’d like to know whether you would consider taking on the leadership role for the D.C. cell. I have a feeling that a lot of people are going to be looking for you, wanting to learn the truth.”
“Replace Drew? Me? I don’t really feel qualified for it… sir.”
“I understand. Kevin told me that this is your third day with the Lightbringers.”
It hardly seemed possible, but it was true. He laughed, a short bark. “Yes, sir.”
“Given the heavy casualties your cell has sustained, you’re the most qualified person available right now. And you’re the face that everyone will recognize. Those are two very good reasons to choose you.” Don paused again. “It won’t be an easy job, Gaylen. You’ve seen enough to know that. And we don’t know yet how the rioting, the return of the denizens to society, and Gau Bidarte’s new leadership are going to work themselves out. It’s an uncertain world. All we know is that there will be major challenges that we will need to be present for, bringing the light however we can. From what I’ve seen, you can do that.”
Gaylen sighed. He held his daughter close. At the moment, all he wanted was to cuddle up and read her a bedtime story and forget everything that had happened since he had last seen her. “All right. I’ll do it.” Even as he said the words, he felt the weight of responsibility settle over him.
“Good. I knew you would.” There was a smile in the other man’s voice for the first time. Then he fell silent for a moment, then went on with a serious tone again. “About Drew… and Chloe. We need to hold a memorial service to tell their stories. And I believe we should build a monument to them, and to all the fallen. Will you organize it?”
“I will,” Gaylen said. “Also… Drew’s tradition—the Lightbringers books of names. We need to publish those books. She meant for them to be published after she helped bring the light. And I think she did.”
“Let’s do it. Make sure everyone has a chance to write something on Drew’s and Chloe’s pages first.” Don paused. “That’s all I have for you now. We’ll be in touch regularly from here on out. Take care, Gaylen.”
“You, too,” Gaylen said.
He ended the call and set the phone down.
He still held his little girl in his arms, and for a while, she was all that existed to him. She laid her head against his chest and nibbled on her thumb, and he swayed with her like he used to when she was just a baby and he was trying to soothe her to sleep. Tears came to his eyes. He would trade absolutely anything for just a dozen more moments like this one.
“I love you, Sierra,” he said. “And I will always, always take care of you.”
“I love you, too, Daddy.”
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Acknowledgments
Thank you first and foremost to my wonderful spouse, Benjamin, who wanted me to pursue my dreams and was willing to pay most of the bills while I did. All wanna-be writers should be so lucky.
Thank you to my friend and publisher, Jason Aydelotte, who gave me a compelling reason to finish this book (a publishing contract!). And thank you to Grey Gecko Press for having the only contract I’ve ever heard of that is fair to the writer.
Thank you to my awesome critique groups, without whom this book would never have been finished: Team Armageddon (Dominick D’Aunno, Shannon Winton, Erik Hailey, George W. Padgett, and Leo King) and Team Go-Go Gargoyles Galore (also Shannon Winton, plus Chris Lewis, Alyssa Woods, Wayne Basta, and Ian Everett). Thank you also to my beta readers Lindsay Nye, Eric Etheridge, and Michael Teegarden.
Thank you to Laura Stewart, Ryan “Iggy” Harrison, and Eric Etheridge, who gave me free IT consultations so that the technical bits of my book wouldn’t make readers want to throw it against the wall.
Thank you to Eric Nelson, Anna Phillips, Chuck Coshow, and my mom, who reviewed and commented on my first draft’s plot summary, and again to my mom, who provided feedback on the latest draft of the full book.
Thank you to my editor, M. K. Sidler, who took on the onerous task of editing a fellow editor and handled it beautifully, and who helped me become a better writer.
Thank you (a second time) to George Wright Padgett, author of Spindown, who graciously allowed me to co-opt his fabulously evil word reduction to describe what happens to the victims of New America.
Thank you to the Houston Sci-Fi/Fantasy Writers’ Group, which inspired me every month to go home and write. Thank you to the organizer, Keri Bas, who keeps it going and keeps it useful.
And if I left you off by mistake, I’m sorry—I didn’t mean to!
About the Author
H.C.H. Ritz has a degree in theatre from the University of Houston and directs community theatre in her spare time. Originally from rural Mississippi, she has lived in Houston, Texas long enough to have turned into a city person. She is married to a wonderful human being and has a young son and a tortoiseshell kitty named Roxy Underfoot.
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Text ©2012 by H. C. H. Ritz
Illustrations/cover art ©2012 by Grey Gecko Press
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All rights reserved. Other than for review purposes, no part or portion of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to real persons (living or dead), events, or entities is coincidental.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Ritz, H. C. H.
The lightbringers / H. C. H. Ritz
Library of Congress Control Number: 2012950917
ISBN 978-1-9388213-2-5
ePub Edition
Table of Contents
What Has Gone Before
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Support Indie Authors and Small Press
Acknowledgments
About the Author
More from H.C.H. Ritz
Recommended Reading
Grey Gecko Press
H. C. H. Ritz, The Lightbringers
