by Cage, Zion
The End: Rogue
An Emp Post Apocalyptic Survival Thriller
Zion Cage
Copyright © 2020 Zion Cage
All rights reserved
This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people or real people are used for fiction purposes only. Other names, characters, places, and events are the ultimate product of the author imagination, and any resemblances to actual events or places or persons, living or dead is entirely coincidental.
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.
Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Now Available!!
Also By Zion Cage
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Epilogue
About The Author
Coming Soon
Books In This Series
Now Available!!
The End: Into The Past
In events prior to the EMP, Vivien will do anything to please the one she loves. That is until he decides to put her away. Her eyes open and, for once, she realizes the truth. She will have to make a hard decision.
Get Your Free Gift Now!!
Also By Zion Cage
The End: Genesis
The End: Fight For survival
The End: Captives
The End: Warzone
“There is no Den in the wide world to hide a Rogue”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Prologue
10th January 2020,
7:46 am.
Four Seasons Resort. Orlando, Florida.
USA.
Adrik kissed Vivien’s neck as she lay with her back to him on the bed. Suzanne rolled her eyes, knowing he wouldn’t notice.
Adrik sighed.
“You used to like it when I did that,” he whispered into her ear.
“Things are just not the same anymore, Adrik. The last time we were like this was nineteen years ago. Forgive me if I don’t remember the things I used to like,” she said as she sat up on the bed.
“I’d like some coffee. Would you want some too?” she asked as she moved to leave the bed. Adrik held her arm.
“I never stopped loving you throughout those nineteen years, Viv. How do you want me to prove it to you?” he asked, staring at her intently.
Vivien returned his deep gaze. She wondered if he meant his words.
“Adrik, I want to go home and build a life for myself. I’ve been here for nineteen years, and I’ve served faithfully throughout that time. I’m forty-one, Adrik. And my life is nothing to write home about,” she said.
She hardly believed she had said those words. They had been buried in her heart for too long, looking for the right moment to come out. She wondered how Adrik would react. She had seen him discipline other agents. Fear began to fill her.
Adrik smiled at her instead.
“I know, Viv. I know how you feel. We’re almost done. This is the climax . I also can’t wait for all of this to be over. I want to settle down with you and have children and watch them play in the park,” he said, and Vivien felt her heart melt. She had been waiting to hear those words for so long.
“But this is the last phase. This year is when your brilliant idea will finally become a reality,” He said as he turned to the bedside table and searched his bag. He pulled out a file and handed it over to her.
Vivien didn’t want to make him angry. She had been fortunate that he hadn’t gotten angry the first time. She didn’t want to push her luck. She took the file from him and looked through it; all the while, keeping her face emotionless.
“Billy, as you know, is the Democrats candidate for the election. Thanks to my team, he has an impressive track record from kindergarten till now,” Adrik began. Vivien chuckled.
“The man didn’t even know America existed when he was in Kindergarten,” she said, and Adrik chuckled too. Vivien knew the man- Billy Monroe, better known as Alexei Igor. She had been the one to move him up the ranks in the US government. She had ended her duty as a worm in the government a year ago. Now, she served as a moderator for the agents in the US. When Alexei got the position, she would become the next Chief-of-staff
“Anyway, his opponent, Donald Boris, has more following and seems more likely to win. This is not good for us. We don’t want this to stretch longer than it has already. We need to do something,” Adrik said, finally. He had become serious.
Vivien pulled her attention back to the file in her hand. All of Donald’s records were in it from childhood to date. It seemed completely perfect.
“But we already have our agent as the Senate President. He could just alter the votes when he counts,” she said.
“It won’t be that easy. You know how tight security measures are during counting. Besides, even if we can manage that, we need Billy to win on merit, on the surface, at least. He’ll be doing some controversial things when he wins. We don’t want people suspecting him from the start,” Adrik said.
Vivien understood what Adrik expected. A couple of ideas began to run through her mind. Digging up Donald’s dark past was the first step. If he truly had a clean slate then, she’d just look for any of his proclivities and set him up with it. If he proved too stubborn, then she knew a couple of people in power who she could discuss this with to oppose him. She also had some good friends in the media who were at the top of the industry. They could help her influence the public opinion.
As the ideas kept coming, she began to feel dirty again. She had been getting the feeling a lot lately.
Was she really the one coming up with these plans? Had she really become that depraved?
“Your silence tells me you’ve got some ideas already. But let’s put that aside in the meantime. I didn’t come to talk work. I just want to be with you this weekend,” he said as he took the file from her and kissed her.
Vivien didn’t refuse him. However, she wished the weekend would end soon.
Chapter One
"We must take him out as a warning to others…"
15th November 2021
11:49 am
Old Port, Portland, Maine.
USA.
The EMP had gone off.
Suzanne sat on the ground, panting. Sweat covered her, and blood trickled from her abdomen where there was a large cut. Her left hand, with which she held a knife, quavered. She restrained herself from crying. She had to be strong. She brought her right hand again into the cut and probed her insides. It had to be in there somewhere. She had watched as it was implanted in other agents. She was sure it was on the left side. And she hoped it was; she didn’t want to have to cut open her right side too.
“Come out, please,” she cried as she pulled her hand out. The pain was unbearable and the act was disgusting. She hoped she wasn’t going to end up killing herself in the process.
She tried one more time. After probing for a couple of seconds, her fingers came across something metallic. Taking deep breaths, she curled her fore-finger around it to ensure it wasn’t a vital organ. When she was sure of what it was, she gently pulled it out.
She held up her bloodied hand and looked at the object. It was small and cylindrical. At its center, a small red dot flickered. She smiled at it. A tracker charged by the body’s chemical energy: the Ray of Hope’s technology was groundbreaking. It had lasted for over twenty years! She was impressed.
Suddenly, she frowned and threw the tracker away.
A surge of pain came over her abdomen. Sweat had touched her wound. She swallowed hard and allowed her head to rest on her bag. Breathing heavily, she closed her eyes. She needed to rest. She was proud of herself. She was now one step ahead of the Ray of Hope. They thought she was dead.
How had she even allowed herself to come that far?
Thoughts of what she had done washed over her. Usually, she’d fight them. This time, she allowed the memories to come. They would give her reasons to fight. If she were lucky, she’d be able to end the evil she had started. If she were lucky, still, she’ll die before she did that. Both ways, she just wanted out of the whole thing.
One particular memory stood out to her. It was from those days when she was known as Vivien Dmitri. It was the first time she knew that the journey she was on would never end…
10th November 2000
3:36 pm
Moskovsky, Moscow.
Russia.
Vivien watched her opponent carefully. She and Khristina were at the top of their class. That was why they were paired together. Vivien knew Adrik was watching her from the gallery above, so were the other members of the governing body. The two ladies were being considered as potential members of the council. So far, only men were on the council. Khristina wore what looked like a metal glove. Vivien decided she didn’t want to receive any of her punches.
Khristina made the first move, running at Vivien. Vivien dodged Khristina’s fist. She dodged the kick, and then she dodged the elbow. Before Khristina got far, Vivien grabbed Khristina’s head and pulled it down to make contact with her knees. The blow stunned Khristina, though not as much as the kick that followed. Khristina fell to the ground, but she quickly rebounded. She wiped the blood from her lips, where she had bitten herself.
Vivien smiled at her, acknowledging the hate she saw in Khristina’s eyes. Their rivalry went beyond their desire for the position. Vivien knew Khristina hated her because, though she was dark-skinned and less beautiful, she had managed to get Adrik’s affections and hold it for so long. Vivien didn’t hate the girl, but she just returned the feelings. If Khristina wanted rivalry, she would get it.
Vivien waited for Khristina to move again. Khristina returned with a punch. Vivien dodged it; however, the punch was just a decoy move. Khristina gave her an uppercut that sent her reeling to the floor. She tried to get her bearings, but Khristina began to kick her. Vivien raked her to the floor and stood up again. Once Khristina jumped up too, Vivien jabbed her in the neck and sent her back to the floor.
Vivien took a moment to breathe. Her body hurt, but she wasn’t tired yet. She watched as Khristina got up slowly. Once Khristina was up, she tried to steady herself. Once again, Vivien waited for her. This time, though, Khristina flexed her fingers so that the retractable claws she wore came out.
Vivien wasn’t surprised. The fight was supposed to be ‘full damage’. She had been waiting for Khristina to make that move first.
One more chance, Khristy. Let’s not go there, shall we?
She raised her hands to show that she wasn’t armed. Khristina smiled wickedly and lunged at her. Vivien kept dodging the incoming scratches and hitting when she could. Khristina wanted to rip out her guts. Soon, Khristina’s claws made contact with Vivien’s arm. The pain seared, but Vivien couldn’t stop since Khristina didn’t stop. She was used to pain. That was all the motivation she needed.
As Khristina swung her claws the next time, Vivien dodged and moved behind her. Pulling a syringe out of her belt, she sunk it into Khristina’s neck and pushed the plunger. Khristina paused in her steps for a second. In the next second, she fell to the ground, unconscious. Vivien flipped her blonde hair backward and grinned in victory. The next second, her left hand went to where Khristina’s claws had wounded her. Blood poured out, and the pain was searing.
“That wasn’t part of the rules, young lady,” Nikolas, one of the members of the governing council, said from above. “You aren’t supposed to kill her, only to knock her out.”
“She isn’t dead. I loaded the syringe with a mild tranquilizer and hit her in a muscle. I’d been practicing that move for weeks now. She’ll wake up with just a slight headache,” Vivien said as she looked up.
“Still, that was dangerous. You could have killed her,” Viktor, another man, said.
“I practiced, sir. Besides, the rules said I could do anything to knock her out completely, bearing in mind that I’d forfeit my life if I took hers. I believe I’ve kept to those rules,” she said, bowing her head.
The men watched her. She knew the men had wanted Khristina to win. They all liked Khristina. She looked at Adrik, her only supporter. His face was void of any emotion, but she had learned to read it still. He was pleased with her. Finally, the council members began to whisper to each other. Vivien sat on the ground and patted Khristina on the head as she awaited their verdict. She waited for two minutes and looked up, wondering what was taking so long. She had thought the decision would be a simple one: she had won, and so, she’d be on the council.
Finally, three more minutes later, the men finished, and Nikolas stepped forward.
“We have decided that both of you will join the council. Congratulations, Vivien. Your progress has been remarkable,” he said.
Vivien was going to protest. If the men were going to allow both of them to enter the council, why had they allowed them to fight? She restrained herself. Living with Adrik had taught her to control her emotions. She allowed a bright smile to illuminate her face; then, she bowed her head.
“Oh my! I’m most honored. Thank you so much. I promise not to disappoint you,” she said.
“We hope you won’t,” Nikolas said as he turned and walked away. The other men followed him, leaving Adrik alone on the gallery. She fixed her eyes on his face as medics came to take Khristina away. The moment all the members of the council were gone, a small smile appeared on his face. Hers brightened all the more.
He whispered to her:
My office. Four PM.
Then he turned away and left. She nodded.
When she got to his office by 4 pm, she knocked on the door.
“Come in,” he said.
When she entered, she found him staring at a large world map on his wall. His back was turned to her. She stood and waited for him to acknowledge her presence. She knew Adrik didn’t like to be taken for granted, so she treated him as a superior while they were at work. Things got very different when they were alone together, though.
He turned to her and smiled as he watched her; then he walked up to her. Kissing her lightly on her lips, he said:
“You disappointed me today, you know?”
Vivien kissed him back too before saying;
“You mean to say I made you proud, don’t you?”
“No. I meant what I said. I expected you to finish Khristina in the first sixty seconds. I can’t believe you let that fight last for ten minutes. I got bored, watching the whole drama,” Adrik said as he went to his seat. He motioned for her to sit down too.
“It’s Khristina we’re talking about here and not some expert martial artist. That girl is a monster. Look at what she used to punch my jaw. My jaw still hurts.”
“And you? What in this universe gave you that idea? I’ve seen people use different weapons, but I’ve never seen anyone go as far as using a syringe.”
“And yet, it’s the most potent weapon. I’d been thinking about all the possible ways this fight would turn out. I came to one conclusion. Khristina wouldn’t pass out unless she was knocked out by a truck.”
“And neither would you, right?”
“Exactly. I needed something to put her out immediately, but I didn’t want to use it until she pulled out those tiger claws against me,” Vivien said as she held where Khristina had wounded her. It had been bandaged. Adrik smiled at her again.
“I’m proud of you,” he said finally. She returned the smile with a pout.
“I knew you were. By the way, I’m surprised you kis
sed me here. Did they take out the cameras?” she said, turning to look at the CCTV mounted at a corner of the wall.
“No. I just wanted them to see it.”
Vivien was going to ask who he was referring to, but he tilted his head, motioning for her not to ask. She got his message and understood what he had said. She smiled.
“We have a mission for you, Viv. It’s a serious one,” he said as he picked a file from his table and handed it over to her. She gladly received it. She had carried out some missions for the organization before: stirring up agitation among farmers in the west, giving out stolen resources to Orphanage homes in rural areas. She wondered what the next mission would be.
She opened the file and read through the contents of the paper in it. There was a picture pinned to the piece of paper. The photograph was of a middle-aged man. He wasn’t too handsome, though he was blonde and had blue eyes. When she raised her eyes to Adrik, worry filled them.
“It says I’m to assassinate him,” she said.
“Yes. You look appalled,” he said, watching her face intently.
“Well, I don’t understand how this will help us achieve our goals,” she said.
Adrik sighed.
“I’ve taught you this over again: you don’t need to ask questions. Just do as you’re told.”
Vivien bowed her head in consent.
“I will tell you this, though: George Pevensie is a British oil baron. He deals in the export of Russia’s crude oil to his country. Unfortunately, he is too selfish to give back to the people he takes from. His activities mess up the environment, but he does nothing to fix things. He is corrupt and gets most of his access by bribing corrupt people in authority. We do not like him, and he refuses to leave, so we must take him out as a warning to others like him. We trust you to do this. You’re a member of the council now. You’ll be in the know of more missions like this. You should get used to it.”