by G H Edwards
Some instructions were passed back and forth as the previously loud TV crew became dead silent. Out of the darkness the female voice started a countdown from five, and Claire’s heart began to pound.
As if an invisible switch had been flipped, the news anchor came alive and started. “Hello, I’m Jill Jones here with a Channel 6 exclusive. I’m joined by Claire Gale, a brave young woman who risked it all and drove to Miami in a last-ditch effort to save her dying husband. Claire, it’s great to meet you.”
“Thank you,” Claire said sounding, vulnerable. Her auburn hair shone in the bright lights.
“Now your husband had gerivirus. Is that correct?”
“Yes.”
“It’s commonly believed that only the elderly can contract gerivirus, but that isn’t right, is it?”
“No, it’s not true. Gerivirus doesn’t only affect the elderly. Sometimes it can be caught by younger people, like my husband Michael,” Claire said meekly.
“Oh, that’s terrible. That must have been a very hard thing to hear.”
“Yes, it was.”
“So he was going through treatment, but you were hoping to find a cure of some sort?” Jill said, pushing Claire to speak.
“Yes, we looked everywhere for a cure, but of course there wasn’t one.”
“So that’s why you made your trip to Miami?”
“Well, it was our last hope really,” Claire said. “My husband had this idea that Miami had a cure, so we had to try everything we could to make him better.”
“Oh, bless your heart,” Jill said, taking Claire’s hand. “That must have been a terrifying journey.”
“It was. My husband was very weak but brave and convinced me that we could make it. We drove an old truck there. The roads were torn up and flooded and a lot of the bridges were out, but we fought through and made it to Miami, barely. It was a horrible journey.”
“I heard that you actually at stopped a few places along the way. Tell me about that.”
“Yeah,” Claire said. “We had to sleep in the truck a few nights. It was miserable. It was so hot and the bugs ate us alive.”
“Did you meet anyone along the way?” Jill asked, obviously trying to get Claire to bring out more tragic details.
“Yes, we did. We were sleeping in the truck and a group of Billies came and attacked us. They took us into their house. My husband and I barely escaped.”
“That’s incredible. You both are amazingly brave. What were the Billies like?”
“Well, just like the news says. Just crazy and criminal,” Claire said, looking down at her hands.
“What did they look like? How did they live?”
“They were scarred and obviously inbreeds. They lived like animals in old shacks.”
“That sounds terrible” the newscaster said, eating up the details. “You both were lucky to make it out of there.”
“Yes, we were.”
“So after you escaped the crazed Billies, what happened next?”
“We wanted to turn back to the safety of Houston, but we decided we were too far away to turn back, so we continued to Miami.”
“And you guys actually made it there?” Jill said, sounding surprised for the viewers.
“Yes, we did.”
“Wow, what was it like?”
“Miami was horrible. Even worse than I heard on TV.”
“How was it worse?”
“There were riots and violence all over the place. Most of the roads were clogged with abandoned busses. It was hell on earth.”
“Wow, that’s amazing. It must have been terrifying, especially with your husband being so sick.”
“Yes, it was terrifying,” Claire said.
“And unfortunately your husband didn’t make it long in Miami. When did he pass?”
“He passed away shortly after we arrived in Miami. We didn’t know what to expect, and the trip there took so much out of him.” Tears were forming in Claire’s eyes, “No one would help us. I barely made it out alive.”
Jill passed Claire some conveniently placed tissues and continued. “So you never found a cure?”
“No, we didn’t. I think we both knew going to Miami was a suicide trip for him. But he was insistent,” Claire said, regaining her composure.
“That is so tragic. What was it like being in Miami all alone?”
“It was the scariest thing I’ve ever experienced. It was just like I’ve always heard. There was no cure for any diseases there. But I knew Michael wouldn’t want me to give up, so I pressed on and made it back home.”
“You drove all the way back by yourself?”
“Yes, I taught myself to drive and made it back,” Claire said.
“It sure sounds like you’ve been through a lot.”
“Well, it was a very bad decision, looking back. I know Houston has the best healthcare, and it’s the safest place to be, so I don’t know why we ever thought of leaving.”
“Simply an amazing story and an amazing woman. Claire Gale, thank you so much for talking to us today.”
“Thank you, Jill. I’m so happy to be back home.”
“Such a sweet woman. Bill, it’s back to you at the studio,” Jill said with a large smile and froze.
One of the cameramen told her they were clear, and the bright lights were switched off.
Jill took Claire’s hands again. “Claire, that was a great interview. The camera loves you. I think a star was just born.” The producer nodded behind her.
CHAPTER 42
“Terry, have you heard about this Claire girl from TV, the one who went to Miami?” Sharon Allen asked her husband across the large living room.
At that moment, Allen was already thinking of Claire and had been ever since Bob’s phone call. In fact, he had entered the room waiting for his wife to mention her. “Yeah, I heard.”
“She’s so brave. I just can’t believe it. Very stupid but brave,” she called from the large striped couch.
Allen was sitting on another couch nearby, scanning the digital news from his custom tablet. “Yeah?” he said, with the intent of having her say more.
“I just don’t know how she made it all the way back by herself. Oh, my gosh.”
“Do you really think she loved him?” Allen baited.
“Of course she did. I mean, look at her” Sharon gushed as she paused the TV, freezing Claire with her large brown eyes wide open, looking scared but also brave.
“Yeah she does seem very nice,” Allen said, trying to sound uninterested.
He rarely engaged with his wife in private but tonight he made a point to sit with her. Sharon, while very beautiful, wasn’t very intelligent in the traditional sense. She lacked the ability to understand anything about business or even basic finances. While Allen’s life was exceptionally complex and much of his time was spend thinking of his next move, Sharon spent her time with her fellow socialites, gossiping and discussing fashion, celebrities and the lastest dramatic TV moment. Although she lacked business sense, she was exceptional at the social side of life. She knew secrets about everyone; she knew who was sleeping with who, who wanted to sleep with who, and even who was secretly gay. If Sharon Allen didn’t know you, then you didn’t need to be known. She also seemed to have a sixth sense about what was going to happen in her world. She could and had predicted everything from marriage breakups to mental breakdowns. She was a social wizard and therefore was very useful to Allen. Often, he used Sharon to find dirt on someone he needed to better control. The fact that she was beautiful didn’t hurt either. They were rarely intimate in private, but in public they were the picture of closeness. Allen had initially thought Sharon was simply a trophy wife, but after six years of marriage he decided she was skilled in a different way, a useful way. Though early in their marriage he had seriously thought of breaking it off, he decided they could work together as long as they kept each other’s interests in mind. Allen didn’t hate her; he just saw her like he saw everyone else, an employee. She was th
ere for a purpose and she followed through on that purpose well. She had a job to do, and so did he; if they kept it up, neither would get fired.
“Well, I don’t know. She just seems kind of fake to me or something,” Allen said, trying to sound sincere.
“Terry! She’s an absolute sweetheart! Oh, my gosh. She’s a doll.”
“Well, maybe you’re right, dear.” Allen had his answer. His plan had been to let Claire tell her probably fake story and let the city eat it up. It would ramp up the fear of both the Billies and Miami in one swoop. But instead of falling for the story, the city was falling for this Claire woman. His plan seemed to have backfired, which was rare for him. As Sharon pressed “play” and Claire’s first interview wound down, Allen closed his web browser and double clicked his folder named after Houston’s newest star. A dozen or more folders appeared. He looked through them until he found the one he needed. He chuckled to himself when he read the name “Houston Anti-Terrorism Office” above the file. It was almost embarrassing how seriously they took their invented job. A large photo opened on his screen and he squinted to read the damage page on the screen: “From the company that brought you the cure to gerivirus comes the next generation of weight-loss pills.” In the same file he clicked on another photo, this one from a camera near the edge of town. It showed an old blue truck leaving the city in the cover of darkness. The last picture he opened was from the day prior; it showed the young woman driving a silver taxi back into the city. He stared at the photos as the interview ended.
“Thank you, Jill. I’m so happy to be back home,” Claire told her interviewer.
What’s this girl’s angle? Allen wondered.
“I have a feeling this girl is going to be the next big thing,” Sharon declared.
Allen was beginning to regret letting the interview happen.
CHAPTER 43
By the second airing of her interview, Claire was becoming an in-demand celebrity. Her cell phone was alive with calls from TV channels trying to book time with her. Soon magazines, newspapers, and even literary agents were swarming around her block. She attempted to go to the grocery store but found her block’s lobby packed full of cameramen and reporters. Everything happened so fast; it overwhelmed Claire, but she remained patient. The night after the interview, she got a text message from a woman at a company called APG Consultants. Through research, Claire learned that APG was the largest and most powerful public relations firm in the city. Claire called the woman on the text, who introduced herself as Heather Russell and was soon speed talking through her pitch.
“The second I turned on the TV and saw you, I knew you were going to be a star. You’ve got it Claire. I can tell these things,” Heather said rapidly. “But your spark can easily be exploited and turned against you if you’re not careful. I mean, the last girl I saw rise this fast ended up on one of those horrible celebrity reality-TV shows. I can help you stay in a good light, and you’ll get the money you deserve. It’ll be my job to make sure Claire Gale becomes a household name for years.” There was a slight pause. “Free of charge,” Heather added.
Claire was overwhelmed by her rapid talking but managed to ask, “Why would you do that for free?”
“Because Claire you’ve got it. And I don’t want to see these leaches destroy you. I’ll be right by your side.”
Claire thanked her and told her she would think about it. After the call, she did a quick search of Heather Russell on Houstonnet and discovered she was not only a real public relations representative but also one of the top PR reps in Houston. With little thought, Claire decided Heather was exactly who she expected.
CHAPTER 44
Mr. Allen’s usual massive load of business took the back burner to the huge amount of press surrounding Claire. It seemed every hour his media man Bob was calling him about another interview he’d seen. Allen would then head to his sleek desk and open the email Bob had sent. Inside the email was an unedited copy of Claire’s latest interview. He found himself feeling nervous but also strangely excited to watch. At the end, he would approve the video with a quick response, usually simply stating, ‘Approved.” Then he’d rewatch the video at least twice more.
He’d always been great at reading people and seeing their true intentions, which had served him well in his businesses. But with Claire he couldn’t read much, despite the growing amount of study material. She seemed to be telling the truth, which was exactly what bothered him. He knew that when she said she had gone to Miami and that it was horrible, at least something in there was a lie. Five years before, Miami had been a city where he had enjoyed vacationing. He remembered the festive nature of the city, and despite Houston and Miami technically having been enemies, he was impressed with how the city was run. But the “frenemy” relationship officially ended with what he referred to as “the final falling out.” Had Miami fallen apart in the few years since he had last visited, just like the news reports he’d created said? It seemed unlikely that he would have somehow guessed correctly what was happening and created fake news stories about it.
So then maybe Claire didn’t make it all the way to Miami, he thought. Maybe she just wanted her fifteen minutes and told everyone what she’d been told all her life. But then how did she get the taxi she drove back? He had a sinking feeling he had made a mistake by giving her a platform to tell the city her probably fake story. But at the same time, he felt energized by what was happening and he didn’t know why. On an average day, he had millions of questions to answer across a vast range of businesses, and he handled those with ease. But with Claire he had a real question he couldn’t figure out, and the whole thing was unfolding all over TV. He knew he was enabling her every time he approved the interviews, and he knew she might know things that could unravel his whole world, but it excited him. He sometimes worried he was like a serial killer who does stupid things because he wants to get caught. But he knew he’d never get caught; he’d always been one step ahead of everyone, including his father, from whom he had inherited the city.
He had taken over Allen Corp. four years before, when his father, Arthur Allen, had passed away from a series of heart attacks. It seemed the entire city had turned out for the funeral, and every news channel had round-the-clock coverage and memorials about Arthur Allen, who had run Allen Corp. and had been the face of the blocks for forty-four years, having inherited it from his father.
In the media, Arthur was portrayed as a kindly grandfather figure, but in reality he was aggressive and had worked hard to finish buying up or forcing out all competition. He started and won various economic wars between the cities, which he called “invisible hand-to-hand combat.” He worked incredibly long hours and spent little time with his son until Terry was old enough to talk business with. Before Terry had even graduated from high school, Arthur was grooming him to take the reins. The senior Allen even sent his son to the few friendly remaining cities to make better connections and gather intel on how the other cities were doing things. Arthur taught his son how to outmaneuver and out bully anyone. Terry took to it with a fervor that made his father proud. But eventually the son outmaneuvered the father.
When Arthur was seventy-two, he stunned Houston and his family when he divorced his longtime wife and quickly remarried a twentysomething named Stacey. It was all the city talked about, but the media covered the remarriage positively, to the bafflement of the city’s population. From the start of the scandal, Terry, then thirty-one, appeared on news channels more often, questioning his father’s new marriage and discussing inheritance laws. Arthur was furious, and despite what he actually wanted, he threatened to give Allen Corp. to Stacey.
The rift between father and son was dramatic and played out on TV for the city to see. Terry Allen became a crusader to have the city’s inheritance laws changed to specify that only biological children could become the heir to any inheritance. He even had a bill drafted and was trying to gather support. The population of the city watched on and took sides. The debate continued, but
with Arthur behind the senses pulling the strings, Terry couldn’t garner enough support to push a new law through. They seemed at a stalemate until Terry found an angle that would get him the support he needed, and it wouldn’t cost him a thing. He convinced the anti-abortion leagues to back his proposal by including unborn children to the list of heirs. It gave unborn children de facto personhood and gave Terry the backing he needed to get the bill officially passed into law. The bill was called the “Terry Allen Justice for the Unborn Act” and secured his inheritance. That was the first time Terry had proposed laws and pushed them through to passage, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last.
The very public battle had taken a major toll on Arthur. A few months later, he was on his deathbed and summoned Terry to his bedside. The two hadn’t spoken since the falling out, so Terry was surprised by the called. Terry arrived just in time for his father to deliver his dying message. Through a whisper, Arthur said, “When you outmaneuvered me with that abortion crap, I knew you were ready to take over the family business.” Terry inherited the vast empire, which was far greater than anyone actually knew. Many people asked him why he didn’t run for office himself. He always responded that he was too focused on making the blocks a good product. In reality he knew he held much greater power than anyone elected, including people in the Central.
CHAPTER 45
For the first time in Claire’s life, she had money. Her new PR rep, Heather, had been busy booking interviews and talk shows, and each one of them paid her well. It was much more money than she ever thought she could get for talking about herself for thirty minutes. Heather was doing a fantastic job with screening and steering the questions away from her trip and away from the death of her husband and focusing them more on Claire and her life, before and after the famous trip.
Her family thought she had lost her mind; her own mother was certain that Claire was heading for a breakdown. When she came back to Houston, she told her mother and Michael’s family about Michael’s death but tried to keep things vague. She didn’t want to seem rude, but she also didn’t want to talk about the trip or what was happening now. She also actively avoided all of her friends. She knew they would ask too many questions. Many of them made their way on to TV by claiming to be in touch with Claire and showing old photos of them together. Claire felt bad for avoiding them, but it would be too much for her to handle. Even her old work at the hospital called and asked if she would be returning. Claire politely said she would not, she had much bigger concerns now.