by Cage, Zion
Vivien nodded slowly. The lines had started blurring again.
What’s wrong? What’s right?
“Vivien, my darling, you are just doing what needs to be done to create the Russia of our dreams. How do you think great civilizations are born? Though we regret to do it, blood must be shed. It’s inevitable. If you’re going to allow guilt to weigh you down, you’ll never be able to do anything great here. Look how far you’ve come. Do you want to give it all up?”
Vivien allowed his words to overrule her conscience. She was only doing what needed to be done. Russian had to be great again. She gave him a small smile.
“Yes, Adrik,” she said.
“Good.”
Her eyes returned to the map on the wall. There were red pins on three locations: America, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Notes and pictures of people were attached beside the pins. She became curious.
“Hey, what’s that about?” she asked.
“Don’t worry about it, Viv. You’ll soon be brought into the knowledge of our greater plans. For now, let’s focus on what we have before us, shall we?’ he asked, stretching over the table to take her palms in his.
15th November 2021
12:36 pm
Old Port, Portland, Maine.
USA.
Waking up from sleep, Suzanne allowed her mind to focus. The wound on her stomach still lay open.
Come on, Suzu, you know better than sleeping with an open wound. You could get an infection.
She sat up against the wall and pulled her bag over. After searching the bag, she pulled out a bottle of antiseptic, a bottle of spirit, a pack of cotton wool, a bandage, a sewing thread, and a needle. She set to work, cleaning herself up and covering her wound.
Spain and UK were next, and they didn’t know it yet. Her mind wandered to the children and youths that were being trained in special programs back in Russia. Those children were the next generation to cause a massacre on the world. The plan wasn’t going to end with her and the people she had worked with. No one was getting out. They were all in it till death.
Her attention was called back to the present as she heard voices from outside. Two people were shouting the name of a third person. She was willing to bet that the third person was either a young lady or a child and that the person was missing. She shook her head.
She had to stop this.
She pulled out her tab and turned it on. It was in incognito mode so that the organization couldn’t track her. She had uploaded a virus to the organization's main computer some days ago. She hadn’t installed it then since the time wasn’t right. Now, it was time to activate it from her device.
She scrolled down to the worm icon and clicked it; then, she put in her password. The virus would give her access to all the information on the computer; however, for it to get installed without interruption, she had to shut down the system for a day.
She chuckled. It would just be a tiny glitch in their operations. She hoped they wouldn’t mind. A prompt showed up in Russian.
Do you want to run the program now? Please note that the host computer will be blank while the program runs.
She clicked 'yes'.
Lights out.
Chapter Two
“Remember, you’re not there for a paycheck…”
16th November 2021
8:15 am
Old Port, Portland, Maine.
USA.
Suzanne broke the padlock to an automobile repair shop and dragged a motorcycle inside. She looked around her and got to work, picking all the tools she needed. When she had rounded them up, she bent over the motorcycle and began to dismantle it. Her abdomen hurt as she bent, but she endured it. Adrik had always told her that pain was a distraction. She had to put it aside.
She looked at the connections in the motorcycle. She had read extensively about EMPs a week ago. She was sure that most parts of the bike were intact. The problem was most likely to be the rectifier. She looked up again and saw a couple of dismantled cars. Some ideas came to her mind. She had prepared adequately for this moment. A week ago, she had learned just what to do to revive a vehicle after an EMP. She could find fuel from other disabled vehicles that had been abandoned. She went over to one of the dismantled cars and began to disconnect some things. She needed her bike functional before it was evening.
As she worked, her mind went over the past once again. She had to keep remembering. She needed to focus on all the reasons why she had to do what she was doing.
14th January 2002
6:20 am
Capitol Hill, Washington DC.
USA.
Vivien left her apartment and took a cab to the Liaison Office, where she worked as a junior secretary. She had just arrived in New York the previous weekend. Suzanne Fraser was what she would be known as. She kept rehearsing the name in her head. She didn’t want to mess up on the mission. It was going to be her first day at work. She wondered how long it would take before she returned to Russia. Nothing in America was how she remembered it. That was probably because she had been much younger when her family had moved to Russia. Even while they had stayed in America, they hadn’t had the opportunity to live in such a beautiful place.
Once she got out of the cab, she stood and stared at the building. Taking a deep breath, she walked up the stairs and went in. She spotted the receptionist's desk and went in that direction. Adrik had told her to ask for Bidden Harris when she got there.
“Hello, ma’am. I am Suzanne Fraser. I need to see Mr. Harris, please,” Vivien said to the receptionist. She was nervous. The name on the counter was Barbara Austin.
“Oh. Do you have an appointment with him?” Barbara asked.
“Well, yes. I’m supposed to be the new junior secretary under him,” Suzanne said with a smile.
Barbara frowned.
“Junior secretary? I’m not aware of such an opening. I’m sorry, where did you get that information?” she asked.
Vivien swallowed. She had been expecting everyone to know that she would be coming in. She began to stammer, not knowing what to tell the lady.
Just then, a hand rested on her shoulder, and she turned to see a dark-haired middle-aged man smiling at her. He looked handsome in his three-piece suit and with his slicked-back hair.
“You must be Ms. Suzanne Fraser, the new junior secretary,” he said to her with a broad smile. She nodded slowly.
The receptionist looked from the man to Suzanne, not sure of what was going on. Vivien was equally surprised.
“You know her, sir?” Barbara asked, and he turned to the receptionist.
“Yes, I do. She’ll be working for me. Don’t worry, Barbara. I’ll take it from here,” he said, and the receptionist nodded before looking back at her computer.
“This way, Suzanne. We’re pleased to have you here,” he said as he motioned for Suzanne to follow him. Vivien followed him reluctantly. She had a couple of ideas as to why he knew her; however, she couldn’t figure out how he had known the moment she arrived.
“Ty iz Adrika, da?” he whispered to her as they walked through the corridor. Her suspicions were confirmed. He was probably the one she was to look for. He was asking if she was from Adrik.
“Da. Ty dolzhen byt’ Harris,” she replied in a low tone too.
Yes. You must be Harris.
The man nodded and smiled. When they got into the elevator, they were alone. He looked up so that her eyes went up too. She saw the camera, and she nodded. They remained quiet until they got out of the elevator and went to his office. When the door was closed behind her, he smiled at her again.
“Welcome, sister. I am Harris Bidden, special adviser to the president on legislative affairs,” he said in English as he took his seat and motioned for her to sit down too.
Vivien nodded in respect, wondering how he’d managed such a feat.
“Adrik told me of your great idea, and, I must say, it’s an honor to work with such a brilliant mind."
“Thank you, Mr. Harris.
The honor is all mine,” Vivien said.
“Great. Then you understand how important your mission is. You can’t afford to mess it up. You can’t afford to be caught. You can’t afford to be lazy or even get into any scandal. You know what happens if you disappoint the Ray. Adrik spoke so highly of you. It would be a shame if you disgraced him,” Harris said, handing a file over to her.
“In two more years, I’ll have to leave this office; however, I’ll be able to get you a higher position before then. You’ll have to find your way from then on. It’s in your best interest to begin to come up with a strategy. You were sent here because they believed your mind was up to the task.”
Vivien nodded. She had only just met Harris. She couldn’t tell him how afraid she felt or how lonely America made her feel. She couldn’t tell him that she was confused and didn’t know what to do. She simply smiled confidently and nodded her head.
“Yes, sir. I promise not to disappoint you,” she said.
”Take that file to Mrs. Gazelle. Her office is noted on the folder. Introduce yourself to her. You’ll be working under her,” he said, and Vivien got up.
Just as she was about to leave, she asked:
“How did you know the moment I arrived? It was as though everything had been perfectly timed.”
Harris laughed lightly.
“You tracker is still in your abdomen, isn’t it?” he asked. She raised her head in surprise.
“Oh,” she said as she turned and left the office.
18th January 2002
11:50 am
Vivien carried a file heap from her table and took them to the elevator. She had to deliver each file to the appropriate office.
Mrs. Gazelle was nothing like a gazelle. If anything, she was a lioness: roaring orders at Vivien and overworking her. Vivien was sure the lady had something against black people.
Worse still, hardly had any of Vivien's training prepared her for being a secretary. She hated typing. The only thing she hated more than that was carrying heaps of files around. In a couple of minutes, she completed her deliveries and headed back to her desk. Her break period was around the corner, so she began to get her papers in order. There was a doughnut shop close-by. She loved doughnuts.
Once noon struck, her phone began to ring. She wondered who was calling as she picked up the call.
“Suzu, my beloved. How are you?”
She recognized Adrik's voice, and she became excited. She took her bag and rushed out of her cubicle.
“Adrik! I’m fine. I’ve missed you,” she said as she stopped by Mrs. Gazelle’s table and signaled that she was going on break.
“Me too. Hearing your voice just made me happy. How was your first week in America?” he asked.
“Hectic. My direct boss has been killing me with work, and I don’t know anyone here. Making friends is just awkward as I don’t want to get too close to people. It could mess things up,” she said.
Adrik laughed, but she heard the sternness in his voice when he spoke.
“Remember, you’re not there for a paycheck, Sue. The priority is not your job. That’s just a means to an end. What plans have you come up with? Have you noticed any loopholes you can use?”
Vivien froze. She had been unable to think all week long because she had been so stressed out.
“Oh my! Was I supposed to come up with that already? I’m so sorry; I haven’t had time to think since I got here. It’s been really hectic all week long. I promise to do it over the weekend; at least, after I’ve gone cloth-shopping,” she said, trying to lighten the mood.
“What!” Adrik roared. “You’ve been there a whole week, and you’ve come up with nothing? You’re disappointing me, Viv.”
He hadn’t called her Suzanne this time. That told her how angry he was.
“I’m sorry, Adrik. It’s been hectic for me. I’m still trying to get used to this place. Please understand,” Vivien said. She was no longer enjoying the conversation.
“I’ll call you again soon. Have something good to tell me, please,” he said.
“Wait, Adrik. Please talk to me. I miss you,” she cried, but the phone went dead anyway. Tears ran down her eyes. She wasn’t too far from the office, and people were looking at her. She didn’t want them to ask questions, so she dried her tears with her palm and walked on.
The questions remained, though.
Why had Adrik treated her that way? Was it her or the mission that he loved more?
Once she got to the doughnut shop, she pulled out her phone and went to the call log. She knew the protocol. She had to delete the call record.
16th November 2021
2:53 pm
Old Port, Portland, Maine.
USA.
Suzanne had returned to the half-completed building and was thinking up her next move. She had moved from Washington, DC to Maine in the company of two others to reap children. It was the last mission. Or so the other agents thought. She knew it didn’t stop there. That was why she had gone off on her own, leaving the other agents clueless as to her whereabouts shortly after they arrived at Maine. Adrik hadn’t wanted her to join in with the reaping. He’d ordered her to go to New York. She had agreed but had snuck away. Luckily for her, she had long since prepared for this moment.
She looked at her device. The installation was at seventy-three percent. She groaned. It was taking so much time; she feared the organization would stop the process before it was complete. Her fear was assuaged by the fact that the virus had survived on the computer for months without their knowledge. Once it was done, she’d be able to read from the headquarters super computer incognito. Its features were limited so that she couldn’t change things with her device. However, she could get any information she needed from the computer and intercept its messages. She had outsmarted the organization. They didn’t know they were being watched.
However, no matter her expertise, she knew that taking the Ray of Hope down wasn’t a job for one person. She needed help. Her mind raced as she searched for people who would be of help to her. There was so much that needed to be done, but she couldn’t do it all alone. All the people she knew were either unwilling or unable to work with her. She didn’t want to get anyone killed.
She opened a pack of biscuits she had taken from a store.
Suddenly, she heard the sound of footsteps coming from another section of the building.
“Hello, is anyone here?”
The voice was that of a man. He was still far from the section she was in.
Shit! Soldiers.
She got up. She knew they were forcefully moving everyone to New York. That’s what they had been instructed to do. She didn’t know what to tell them if they saw her in her current state; neither did she have the strength to get into a fight.
Another thing that worried her was the identity of the soldiers. If they were Russians in disguise, she’d be in a lot of trouble. All her plans would be ruined, and she would be discovered. She couldn’t allow herself to be seen. She threw the biscuits into her bag and got up, hanging her bag on her shoulder in the process.
She looked around her for a place to hide. She was surrounded by cement on all sides. The windows were barred though there was no glass on them. The men were getting closer. Running stealthily out of that section, she paused and peered from behind a wall. Two soldiers had just left a section and were coming towards her. She looked behind her. If she went that way, she’d be trapped. Going forward would expose her. The cut on her stomach still burned a little. She didn’t want to have to fight anyone yet. She took a step backward, and her feet hit a plastic bottle. The sound reverberated all around.
Suzanne was horrified. They’d find her now.
“Hello! Who is there? You know you’re not supposed to be here. Please come out. We need to get you to New York,” another voice said.
She placed her hand on the wall as her mind raced for the next line of action. That was when she noticed that some of the red bricks were missing from the wal
l.
She looked up and saw that the ceiling boards were in place. An idea came to her mind. Her hand went to the knife at her belt.
The two soldiers walked into the furthest section of the building. They looked around, but there was no one there.
“I could have sworn I heard sounds from here,” one of them said.
“Me too. And there’s the bike that’s parked outside the building,” the other said.
“That could mean anything. All vehicles are currently down. Maybe the owner abandoned it there and left. People said they saw a lady here. That’s why we’re here,” the first one said.
“Well, there’s no one,” the second one said after looking around. “Let’s check another building.”
The first one agreed, and they left.
They didn’t notice the torn out ceiling board. Suzanne was hiding on the wooden trusses that made up the roof.
16th November 2021
4:02 pm
Ray of Hope HQ, Staten Island, Richmond County, New York.
USA.
Adrik sat in his office at the underground headquarters of The Ray of Hope. Across the table, Harris sat with two other members of the governing body.
“So what have you guys found out so far?” Adrik asked, running out of patience.
“This is very hard for me to say, sir, because there is no reasonable explanation for how it would have happened: I think that our main computer was attacked by the Wormhole. It has all the attributes we’re currently experiencing. I’m sure that the program is still at the installation stage. That’s why we can’t access the computer’s features,” Harris said.
Adrik sighed, running his palms over his face.
“What can we do about it? There should be an antivirus for it, right?” he asked.
Harris wasn’t too eager to reply.
“Well, we would have been able to rectify it if this happened two days ago. The issue now is that the antivirus is with our software engineers in Russia and, apart from our computer, there’s currently no other means of international communication.”