Max- Greater than Navy Cadets

  LIEUTENANT KHAKI, whose name was actually Lieutenant Morgan, sat at her desk, reading Lieutenant Colonel Palmer’s report. Every once in a while she looked up at us sharply, as if she were having trouble believing it. Finally she put it down and laced her fingers together.

  “So you’re saying these children can easily run four miles carrying heavy packs?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” said the lieutenant colonel, looking straight ahead. The flock and I were lined up against one wall.

  “They outperformed the rest of the cadets in every way?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “The eight-year-old beat your best cadet in hand-to-hand combat?”

  “So did the six-year-old girl, ma’am. Actually, she beat the instructor also.”

  I tried not to grin. The self-defense instructor had given all of us a pass, but the hand-to-hand combat instructor had been more stubborn. For a while.

  “So, like, we want to thank you for this great experience…” I began, shifting from foot to foot. “But now that we’ve gone through all your BS, can we go rescue my mom?”

  The lieutenant looked at me. “Yes,” she said finally, and my heart leaped. “Tomorrow.”

- MAX: A Maximum Ride Novel, chapter 38