The End of the Beginning
Chapter 9: The Long Night

That night, William couldn’t sleep. For the first time in a long time, though, it was not because of his nightmares. He sat by his fireplace and watched the crackling flames until the night became early morning. The orange light of the flames shimmered off the golden pin Roger had given him. The edges of the pin were jagged due to the leaves of two olive branches that surrounded a circular world map with engraved lines of latitude and longitude. A mysterious bird with its wings outstretched high overlaid this globe, clutching a cross in its talons.

Someone had just offered him a chance to replace purpose again but the thought of leaving his cabin made him uncomfortable. Leaving would be like venturing out into an alien world. He was terrified, both of the outside world and also of what might become of him if he continued to stay here alone. That word, fear, lingered in William’s mind… I remember what he said to me, just minutes before it happened. I had been crying for hours in the hot sun amongst thousands of stranded survivors. At that moment, he was all I had left.

“People will always come and go from this world, Will,” he said, kneeling down to look me in the eyes. “We have to accept that. When we lose them, things will be painful and tough, especially when we believe it was too soon. But we must go on. Our minds and hearts will never lose them but we can’t forget what is most precious right now. No matter how bad something may be, as long as you’re alive to keep going, you’ll win. It’s a gift to be alive and healthy, so never waste it. Ever. Wasting it all is worse than being gone itself.” Poppy was right. What had I been doing? I had been wasting away because I was afraid to live, to risk failing…

Six years of escaping from it was a long time. For as long as he could remember, fear had defined his life and guided him to his present state of isolation. He puffed his E-cigarette again and again until it ran out of nicotine.

“Live your life,” he said to himself. “That’s what you would want from me.”

As William rubbed his thumb over the little pin, he realized he wanted something more. He wanted a chance to take a leap of faith and this was his best shot.

A clock on the wood wall showed it was just after 4:00 a.m. His one suitcase was soon filled, his fireplace extinguished, and he buried his hunting rifle, an act of defiance to himself. The sun was just coming up over the freshly fallen snow. With a few tries, he started his pickup truck and looked at his cabin one last time. Inside the locked home was his E-cigarette. He would never see that again either.

The cold Canadian air was brisk and clear. Roger and Andrew waited outside their aircraft for William to arrive. Rainbow Lake Airport was usually empty, with only a few bush pilots and shuttles coming and going each day.

“You think he’ll show up?” Andrew asked, a sour look on his face.

“I think he will,” Roger replied.

“Really?” asked Andrew, eyebrows raised. “The guy’s a mess. You read his last psych profile before he left the Air Force, right?” “Yes, but one piece of paper doesn’t mean he is lost; it just means he needs a little… encouragement. A new path. He will come. Besides, I gave him the pin. The colonel said that would get his interest.” “It’s almost eight,” Andrew said disapprovingly.

“Give him a few more minutes, Andrew. Maybe he got stuck in the snow or something,” said Roger, annoyed.

“Yeah, I’m sure that’s it,” Andrew said with a derisive snort. “You know, why don’t we just - ”

Roger cut him off. “Look!” he said, pointing to the terminal area.

“Well, I’ll be damned,” said Andrew, crossing his arms.

William waved from afar as he made his way towards the plane.

Roger shouted, “I’m glad you decided to join us.”

“Figured it’d be more interesting than sitting on my porch, so I came.” William said with a hint of eager enthusiasm.

Roger smiled and shook William’s hand. He noticed the pin he had given him perched on his jacket.

“Good man,” he said, clapping William on the back. “We’ll be leaving in ten minutes. Take a seat and relax, it’s a long ride south.” “South?” William asked. “Where are we going?”

“To Florida!” Roger said, his voice laced with anticipation.

“Florida. What’s in Florida?”

“All will be explained on board, captain, don’t worry. Now take your seat, we’ve gotta go.”

William made for the plane with Andrew, but Roger began walking away from the aircraft.

“Where you going?” William asked curiously.

Roger held up a satellite phone. “Quick phone call,” he said before turning away from William once again.