"Robert Tine - The Astronaut's Wife" - читать интересную книгу автора (Tine Robert)

Reese looked worried as the words spilled out of the radio, but the young woman did not
appear to be listening to the grim report. Rather, she was engrossed in the world beyond the
window of the car.
It was a fine Florida summer evening. People were sitting on their lawns, laboring over
barbecues, lazing in swimming pools. Kids rode bikes. Life was continuing even as hers might
be coming to an end.


3
The fluorescent lights of the bare corridors of NASA headquarters washed any remaining color
out of JillianтАЩs face. The only sound was the clip of their footsteps on the white linoleum and the
annoying hum from the lights. Jillian was numb and silent. Sherman Reese was silent as well,
reserved and speechless the way people are when they are in the presence of tragedy that does
not really concern them, not directly anywayтАФit was the sort of situation that leads people to
say, тАЬI donтАЩt know what to say.тАЭ
As they walked the labyrinthine hallways they passed some staff members. Jillian did not
know them, but they seemed know who she wasтАФthey glanced at her ashen face quickly then
looked away just as quickly, as if they were catching a glimpse of a condemned prisoner on her
way to the gallows. One or two flashed sympathetic smilesтАФnot at Jillian, but at Reese, none of
them envying the grim task of escorting a woman who might or might not have become a widow
in just the last few hours or so.
It was with some relief that Sherman Reese delivered his charge to her destination. It was
another bare, windowless, fluorescent-lit room, a wide conference table and a set of chairs the
only furniture. On the wall was a monitor showing the activity in Mission Control. There was no
sound coming from
it.
Seated at the table was a lone woman. She was older than Jillian by a number of yearsтАФ
somewhere in her middle fortiesтАФand her pale face was lined with grief. Jillian knew her wellтАФ
it was Natalie StreckтАФbut had she not known her from happier times she probably would not
have recognized her now. Her shoulders were slumped, her eyes dark, red-rimmed, and hollow.
She looked as if she had aged a decade in a matter of minutes.
Jillian rushed to her and threw her arms around her. тАЬOh, Jillian, "Natalie cried into JillianтАЩs
shoulder. тАЬOh God Both women gave into their tears and Sherman Reese stood off to one side,
. . .тАЬ


his hands thrust into his pockets frying to look as if he wasnтАЩt there.
Natalie pulled out of the embrace and looked into JillianтАЩs face. тАЬTheyтАЩre so far away, Jillian,тАЭ
she said softly, fighting to keep down her tears. тАЬAlex and Spencer, Jillian, they are so far away.
And thereтАЩs nothing we can do for them.тАЭ
Jillian stroked her hair and rocked her in her arms as she might a little child. тАЬShhh, Natalie,
shhhhhh...... .тАЬ


тАЬOh. Jillian. HeтАЩs dead,тАЭ Natalie wailed. тАЬI know heтАЩs dead. I know heтАЩs dead. I can feel it.тАЭ
Jillian felt herself go cold, as if she had stepped into a freezer. If Alex Streck was dead, then
Spencer was dead as well.
тАЬWhat have they told you?тАЭ Jillian asked.
Natalie shot a cold glance at Sherman Reese. тАЬNothing. They wonтАЩt tell me anything.тАЭ
Both women turned on Reese. тАЬWhy?тАЭ Jillian demanded. тАЬWhy havenтАЩt we been told