Rites of Passage (39 page)

“I guess there's nothing left to do but go in there and tell the truth.”

“I'll be right here when you get out.” Kelly doesn't hug me but he's there, a solid presence at my side.

“I know you will.” I glance down at my blues, smoothing the tunic even though there are no wrinkles.

“You look fine,” Drill says. He tugs on a stray piece of hair and I can't help but smile. Then I turn and walk up the stairs to see what my future holds.

It takes a minute for my eyes to adjust inside.

Raised voices from behind heavy wooden doors make me want to reach out for Rev. I take a step back, feeling the edge of a chair dig into my legs, my heart beating too fast to be able to survive long.

Evers's voice is louder than the others. “It's what they wanted—what
you
wanted.”

The noise makes its way out from somewhere deep inside.

The other voices are not as loud but are equally strong. “We should be pressing charges against you. Using the DMA to do something like this—”

“Say whatever you want. You knew it would end up like this. You knew this would happen. And that's why no one said anything when you found out we were still active.”

“This is the end of the road for you, Cadet Evers. You're out of the DMA. Out of the collegiate military academies.”

“You can't do that!”

“I can, and I will. You're dangerous, Cadet Evers.”

The door jerks open so hard it slams against the wall inside the conference room. Rev steps in front of me.

Evers struggles to pull his DMA ring off. “Take this damn piece of trash. It's worth about as much as this fucking school.” Winding up like a star pitcher, he rips the ring into the room where it clatters against the far wall. Then he turns.

“You,” Evers hisses when he sees me. “I should have dropped you off the waterfall when I had the chance.”

Blood thunders in my ears. I want to rip his eyes out, to kill him, to hurt him like he hurt me. “You're pathetic,” I spit out, thankful for the adrenaline that keeps my voice from shaking.

“You're going to
ruin
this school. You already fucking have.”

“Did you get what you wanted when you tried to kill me? Did you prove your point?” The words are out before I can stop them.

“Hell, yes. I'm better than you. Always will be. You needed to be put in your place.”

“As opposed to the place you're in?” I look at him. Finally, really look. He's got stubble on his face and a split lip that should have had stitches. Both his eyes are swollen and bruised from the beating Jonathan gave him in the woods. “The place where they're kicking your sorry ass out the door, and I'm here for round two?”

He lunges for me, but Rev is there, his hands on Evers's chest. “Now, now, Mr. Evers. I doubt you want another incident on your record.” Then he lowers his voice. “Get the hell out, now. Before I finish what her brother started. You're a disgrace to the DMA.”

“No,” I say, my voice shaking. I nudge my way between Rev and Evers, knowing this is the last time I'll have to stand this close to him. “Don't go yet.” I pull my arm back and strike fast, my knuckles connecting with his cheekbone.

He stumbles back, shaking his head. Putting his hand against his cheek, he glares at me.

“What? Not used to a girl who puts up a fight?” I couldn't have surprised him more. “Now you can go, asshole.”

Evers throws his arms up the air. When he's out the front door, leaving behind a trail of profanity, I can finally breathe again. “God, that hurt.”

“You okay?” Rev turns to face me.

“Not yet.” My hand throbs and I cradle my fist in the crook of my arm. “Let's finish this.”

A gentle cough makes me jump. “Recruit McKenna, they're ready for you.” The commandant's secretary holds the door to a large conference room open for me. There are uniforms all over the place; at least fifteen people of varying rank sit around the conference table. “Reverend, this is a closed meeting. You may wait outside.”

“The
reverend
will be coming with me.” I push past her and wait to be sure Rev follows without even giving her a second glance.

FORTY-THREE

EVERYONE STANDS WHEN I ENTER AND THE MAN AT THE HEAD
of the table, someone I've never seen before, motions to a seat. When I sit down, Rev stands close behind me.

“Miss McKenna, thank you for coming to meet with us. My name is Colonel Keene. I'm the acting head for the DMA board of directors. As you can imagine, our board has been thrown into upheaval since the training
incident
and the evidence the cadet colonel released to us.”

It certainly has—the most major change being Matthews's father, who is sitting at the end of the table. He wasn't on the board of directors last week. He must have pulled rank to be part of this today. My nerves go into overdrive.

Colonel Keene continues. “I'm sorry about the . . . unfortunate timing. Cadet—former Cadet—Evers's meeting wasn't supposed to take that long. The last thing we wanted was an altercation.”

If I'm going to get through this, I have to push Evers as far to the back of my mind as I can. Rev puts his hand on the back of my chair.

“I would like to apologize to you on behalf of the Denmark Military Academy board of directors and family,” Colonel Keene says across the table. “There were always going to be those cadets who did not want things to change, but we knew nothing of the Pandora Society.”

“Thank you, sir. But your apology would mean a lot more if I believed it.”

Rev lets out a loud breath behind me and I'm sure we're both thinking the same thing. Keene's name wasn't on the list, but including Matthews, there are four others at the table who are DMA grads and Pandora Society members.

“We are taking immediate action to ensure this does not happen again. All members of the Pandora Society on campus will be drummed out this evening. They will not be allowed to continue their education here. Furthermore, we will be doing some restructuring to ensure that the Corps is as strong and safe as it can be. Commandant Lee is released from his position and a new commandant will take his place.”

I glance around the room at this and none of the Society members looks particularly happy. I fight to keep my military frown in place.

“Also,” he says, leaning forward, “and I tell you this in the strictest confidence.” He pauses, waiting for assurances from me.

“I won't reveal anything that happens in this meeting, sir. What you do from here on out for the DMA is up to you.”

“Thank you for your discretion in this matter. Next year, a new group of females will enter the Corps and we'd like
you
to be in command of their training. Since you will be a junior next year, we'd like to offer you a drill sergeant position.”

“I'll stay.” I hadn't given a lot of thought to what I was going to do next year, but like I told Drill, if I don't stay, all this is for nothing. If I'm not here next year, there will be another group of females who have to blaze the way. I can't let them be alone in this. “But there are conditions.”

Colonel Keene is about to speak but someone at the end of the table interrupts him. “You're not in a position to be blackmailing the DMA, young lady.”

I turn to look at the man who spoke. Matthews's father, the supreme leader of the Pandora Society. “Actually, after the ‘training incident,' I am, General Matthews.”

Rev hands me a piece of folded paper like we'd actually scripted this before. I unfold it and glance down. It's blank.

“If you don't want the names of the Pandora Society, and I mean
all
members—not just the ones at the DMA—released to the media, allowing for a full-scale investigation into the cover-ups that have happened here this year, I'm pretty sure I'm allowed a condition or three.” I swallow, hoping he doesn't call my bluff. Blackmailing a leader of the United States Army isn't exactly easy.

Thankfully, he sits back down, scowling, arms crossed over his chest.

Colonel Keene clears his throat—he may not be in the Society, but he knows there's more at stake here than what's obvious. “What do you want, Miss McKenna?”

“My brother gets reinstated as cadet colonel. His drumming out is removed from his record and he gets the highest recommendation to West Point for going beyond the call of duty and saving a recruit's life.”

Colonel Keene nods. “It will happen today.”

Rev puts his hand on my shoulder and squeezes. I can't keep the smile off my face.

“Any more
conditions
?” General Matthews asks.

“Just two.” I swallow around the lump in my throat but have no doubts as to my next request. “My roommate, Rebekah Cross, was a target of the Society as well. No matter what
stories
came out about her, they were a result of the interference of the Pandora Society. She gets reinstated as well.”

“I'll see to it.” Colonel Keene writes something down on his notepad. “The last item?”

“The Worms haven't been recognized yet. I'm sure it was just a paperwork snafu,” I say, staring at General Matthews. “But we will be recognized. Tomorrow.”

“I think those are very reasonable demands, Miss McKenna.” Colonel Keene seems relieved.

“Now, if we could get on with the agenda?” General Matthews slides a paper across the table to me. “This is the list of Pandora Society members at the DMA that your brother so graciously provided, plus Recruit Wilson, who I understand is an initiate into the Society. If you will, please verify that the names on this list are correct.”

I hold the paper gingerly and when I get to the last name, I look over them all again. “There are only eleven names here.”

“Yes,” General Matthews says. “Is there a problem?”

Matthews's name is missing. It's not on the list. If he's not on the list it means he'll be here next year. Yes, there's a problem.

I feel Rev tense behind me.
Easy, Sam.

Scanning the table, my eyes stop on General Matthews. He sits there, the image of calm, but there's a dangerous glint to his eye and I have to look away. “Miss McKenna, is there something wrong? Have we missed someone?” General Matthews's voice is as oily as his son's.

I shake my head, pushing the paper away from me as fast as I can. I grip my hands together in my lap to keep myself from jumping across the table at the general. My foot bounces up and down. I need to get out of here.

The Society is letting me down and the Board thinks I won. But it doesn't matter what I do. The Society will always be in control. General Matthews's presence here—his ability to keep his son at the DMA despite everything he's done and all the proof we've turned over—is evidence of that.

“Just one more thing,” Colonel Keene says, and I want to scream. I can't stay under the heavy gaze of General Matthews when he knows I know what he's doing. “We'd like you to meet the new commandant. You and he will be working very closely together, assimilating the new class of females to the Academy.”

“Yes, sir,” I say, glancing around the table, wondering who will be the next commandant.
If he says General Matthews, I will throw up all over their polished conference table.

“He'd like to meet you in his office.”

I nod and stand, grateful for any excuse to get out from under the general's gaze. “Thank you, sir.”

“You did great in there,” Rev says when we're back in the hallway. “General Matthews is a powerful man and you stood up to him. Eleven gone is better than none.”

I want to believe what he says. “Matthews'll be alone next year. I'm not scared of him anymore,” I say, hoping the words will be true soon. When I turn toward the commandant's office, Rev doesn't move. “You're coming in with me to meet the commandant, right?”

He smiles, but stays where he is. “I think you can do this on your own.”

“No, please don't go. Please stay with me. I don't think . . .” I look down, smoothing down the front of my tunic and playing with the stitching at the ends of the sleeves.

“You are one of the strongest recruits I've seen come through Denmark Military Academy. You can do this, Sam.”

I watch him leave and then steel myself before knocking on the door. The first is too timid and I rap my knuckles on the wood again, more confidently this time, determined to show the new commandant how strong I am.

“Enter.”

Standing behind the desk is the new commandant of Denmark Military Academy.

My father.

Slowly I close the door behind me, and when we are alone, I screw all military bearing. I run and throw my arms around him. He grabs me with the one arm he has left, grunting as the weight of my body slams into him.

“Sam. Sammy. God, will you ever forgive me?”

I pull away because it's the last thing I ever expected to hear from him.

His uniform is too big for him now. He's lost weight in his face and his muscles are soft from lack of use. The sleeve for his left arm, useless now, is pinned up neatly at the shoulder.

“Daddy . . . ,” I whisper.

“I've made a hell of a lot of mistakes in my life, Sam.” His face looks like it's crumbling. “After—” He gestures to his missing arm. “After this, I realized what was important. I spent three weeks fighting like hell to get back to safety and back to you guys. Maybe if I'd gotten here sooner, we wouldn't be meeting like this.” He brushes a tear from his face; it's the first time I've ever seen him appear vulnerable and I know I'm not going to be able to keep it together much longer. “But look at you. So strong. So brave. Your mother is so very proud of you. I'm proud, too, Sammy.”