by G H Edwards
“I know there’s a cure because I went to Miami and got the cure myself,” Claire said at a near yell over the crowd as she reached into her purse and pulled out a small clear vial of fluid. She held it up to a wave of clicking shutters. “The Allen family sentenced millions of people to an early death because it cost him too much money to keep them alive. He’s the man responsible for my husband’s death.”
Sharon was looking around nervously, unsure how to handle the situation. Claire waited for the crowd to quiet down. “Terry’s death was tragic but wasn’t planned. I never intended for this to happen,” Claire lied. “Even so, his death will result in saving the lives of millions of people. But it was too late for Michael. The Allens convinced everyone in Houston, including me, that we were free. He convinced us that we were free because we had guns and sports and cheap apartments, but it was just an illusion. His invisible hand held every one of us down. But no longer.” Claire stared straight into a camera directly in front of her. She took a deep breath and bowed her head. She turned to walk away as the reporters exploded with questions and camera clicks. Claire stopped and turned back to the cameras.
A nearly evil smile appeared across her face “Oh, there’s one more thing I forgot,” she said slowly. The room dropped to a complete silence. Claire took a long pause until the tension in the room was nearly unbearable. “You see, I lied to you earlier. I wasn’t the surrogate for the Allens. I was having a romantic relationship with Terry, and I became pregnant with his child.” The crowd erupted again, but Claire quieted them down again. “Two mornings ago, at his request, I had a DNA test done, and it confirmed that he’s the father.” Sharon looked at Claire with a barely contained mixture of anger and confusion. Claire continued. “And I’m sure you all remember, around five years ago Terry Allen’s father, Arthur Allen, was about to remarry a much younger woman, and Terry was worried about his inheritance. So he pulled his strings and rammed through a law that said all inheritances will go to blood relatives only. The funny thing about the bill is that he insisted that an unborn child be included.” The crowd once again erupted as they put together the puzzle Claire was laying out.
She paused and waved her hands for everyone to quiet down. When the noise level dropped, she said, “So as of now, the owner of the entire mega city Houston is the child inside me. Things are going to change. Not just here but in all the other mega cities across this country. Because until the truth comes out, none of us are really free.”
The crowd of reporters screamed questions at Claire as she walked calmly out of the room. Quickly the podium and microphones were knocked over as the reporters rushed at Sharon, who stood in stunned silence. As Claire stepped through the door, a smirk went across her lips as she thought of Michael.
CHAPTER 65
There was a high-pitched whine as the first of four large engines started on the Denver Standing Army C-17. The five-man team was finishing their briefing as they grabbed their night-vision goggles, smoke bombs, MP5 assault rifles and other gear. On the large screen in front of the team was the image of a seventy-ish white man with gray hair. His name was Harold Larimer, and he was the mayor of Mega City Denver. In his role as mayor, he also acted as the commander of all of Denver’s Standing Army forces. The troops listened as they prepared their gear.
“Men, I know you’ve prepared for many situations but this one will be different,” Larimer briefed his calm warriors. “Our sister city of Houston has just been taken over. Reports say that the city’s leader was murdered, and every business has been put under the new regime’s control. This regime is threatening to use a chemical agent against the residents of Houston. The lives of more than forty-seven million people are at risk. So, as you can tell, this is a very dangerous situation. But unfortunately, that might not be the worst of it.”
Larimer paused to heighten the drama. The soldiers stopped their prep to look at the elderly statesman. “We have confirmed reports that this new regime is also planning to attack Denver within the next few days. Our models estimate that millions will be killed within our own city limits.” The team stood in silent attention, absorbing the news. “So you can see why this is such a high priority. The image on your screen is the leader of the resistance. She might not look like much, but don’t be fooled—she’s the most dangerous person in the country. And that liquid she is holding is the chemical weapon they’re threatening to use.” An image of Claire taken from her earlier press conference was displayed on the large screen. The shot was of her holding up a clear vial of liquid. “And for any of you who think she isn’t dangerous, take a look at the former leader of Houston.” The image of Terry Allen’s melted body filled the screen. Several of the soldiers grimaced at the picture.
“We’ve chosen you because you’re the best of the best. You all know your mission; you all know what’s at stake. You five are our only chance of survival. Do not fail.” Larimer paused and stared at them for a few seconds before the screen went black. The soldiers’ gear preparations went into high speed as each of them was now thoroughly motivated.