Middle Ground (5 page)

“Where are you going?”

“Out.”

Chapter Four

Will drove for an hour until he finally calmed down, but wasn’t ready to go home yet. Instead, he found an all-night diner and sat at the counter, watching a twenty-four-hour news channel on an old TV hanging on the wall.

He was past being angry with his father and had moved on to heaping the blame on himself. He’d spent years trying to live up to his father’s expectations, living to hear his father’s praise. Which had been doled out so sparingly that Will wondered why he’d even tried.

If he were honest with himself, he realized he’d always known how his father really felt. He’d just choose to ignore it. Megan was right. Hell, James’s snide comments proved he knew it too. Why was he the last to see it?

The waitress took his order, looking him over with a hungry look in her eyes. Will kept his answers short but polite. He knew women found him attractive, and sometimes he wished he could be more like James. But he wanted more than that, or did he? The foundation of his life quaked beneath him. Was everything he wanted a sham? Either way, he had little chance of finding a meaningful relationship in godforsaken Iraq. If he let himself stop trying to please his father, that left the door open for him to leave the Marines. What the hell would he do if he left? Did he even want to? Anxiety knotted in his stomach.

“The world’s in a hell of a mess, huh?”

Will pulled himself from his musings and blinked. “What?”

The man sitting on the stool next to him pointed to a scene of destruction on the television. “Did you hear about the freak storm in central Missouri? A thunderstorm came out of nowhere and formed a tornado that destroyed half a town.”

“No kidding.” Will glanced up at the television. “When did that happen?”

 “Tonight. Around ten.” The man paused and looked into Will’s eyes. “The world can’t keep going on like this. Someone’s going to have to save it.”

Will snorted and resisted the urge to sniff the guy for alcohol. “You think some
one
is going to save the world from freak storms?”

The man smiled. “Stranger things will happen.”

That was an odd way of putting it. The guy had to be some kind of religious nut, but he had good taste. He wore expensive clothes and his dark brown hair was neatly trimmed. At least he wasn’t some homeless, crazy person seeking refuge from the cold. Something about his grin looked familiar.

The waitress returned with Will’s plate and refilled his coffee, taking the cup and letting her fingers linger on his hand.

The man leaned his elbow on the counter. “I’ll take a coffee too.”  

She glanced at him with irritation, making it obvious that she wasn’t done flirting. But her eyes widened and she stared at him for several seconds, her mouth gapping before she quickly walked away.

What the hell had happened to her?

The man laughed. “She’s got a thing for you.”

Will shook his head. “Yeah, not interested.” He wished this guy would leave him the hell alone.

“You
will
find her, but you have to be patient.”

Will froze, his coffee cup in midair. “Find who?”

“The woman you’re looking for.”

Setting his cup down, Will spoke slowly, forcing himself to take slow, deep breaths. “Who says I’m looking for someone?”

“Deny it if you like, but it’s true all the same.”

Will tried to shrug off his discomfort. This guy didn’t know anything. He had to be drunk. Releasing a derisive laugh, Will shook his head. “Let me guess, you’re a psychic?”

Amusement lit up the man’s eyes. “Not even close, but I know things. I know something else too.”

This guy was entertaining and a distraction from Will’s problems, even if he was crazy. “Oh, yeah? What’s that?”

“The final chapter began tonight. You felt it. We all did.”

Will stiffened. “What are you talking about?”

“Maybe it was an electrical jolt. Or a cold chill. Or a rush of heat. But later, if you ask, we will all admit we felt something.”

He hated to give this man any validation, but he couldn’t ignore that he’d felt the strange chill earlier. Around ten. His hand shook, coffee sloshing out of the cup in his hand.

The man shifted in his seat. “It’s still early, yet. I suspect it will be years before we see this come to fruition.”

“See what?” Will forced out.

The man laughed. “The end of the world as we know it.”

Will snorted in disgust. This guy didn’t know shit and he was an idiot to let him get under his skin. “How many wacko preachers have predicted the end of the world? But the world just keeps spinning around the sun.” Will swung his index finger in a circle.

The waitress returned with the man’s coffee, then quickly left. As though she were afraid of him.

What the hell was up with that?

Leaning back on his stool, the man studied Will. “You’ve turned out to be a damn fine man.”

This was getting creepy. “Do I know you?” Maybe he was the father of one of his friends? He looked too young, but you could never tell. That would explain why he looked familiar.

“No, but I’ve been around, and I see things. You’re a damn fine soldier too, Will. The Marine Corps is where you belong. For now.”

Will involuntarily slid backward on his seat. “I didn’t tell you my name.”

 “Hear me out.” The man leaned forward, clasping his hands. “Your life is set on a very specific path, you just don’t know the significance yet. You’re destined for greatness, Will Davenport.”

“Not if you ask my father.”

“Your
father
is an imbecile.”

Will might be angry with his dad, but he wouldn’t tolerate someone disrespecting him.

The man held up his hands in surrender. “Forgive me, but your father has never seen what’s right in front of his face. I tend to overlook it due to the extenuating circumstances.”

“Extenuating circumstances?”

“Now isn’t the time to get into that.” He paused. “Just know you’re on the right course. Your destiny will find
you
.”  The man stood and placed a twenty-dollar bill on the counter.

Will’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. “What? That’s it? Aren’t you supposed to try to convert me?”

“Nope, I’ll save that for later. Take care of yourself, Will. Until we meet again.”  Without a backward glance, he left the diner.

Until we meet again.

There was no doubt in Will’s mind that he’d see him again.

The shocking realization was that he didn’t question it.

***

Reader’s Choice (The Chosen Short #3) coming August 1, 2012

This is a prequel short story to
CHOSEN
(The Chosen #1)

About the Author

Denise Grover Swank lives in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. She has six children, three dogs, and an overactive imagination. She can be found dancing in her kitchen with her children, reading or writing her next book. You will rarely find her cleaning.

You can find out more about Denise and her other books at
www.denisegroverswank.com
or email her at [email protected]