The Dystopian Gene

by S. E. Meyer

  They entered Wesley's apartment and Anna scanned the living room.

  Wow. It's so clean.

  “Nice place,” Anna said.

  “Thanks,” Wesley replied, opening a bottle of wine. “It might sound weird, but you know what goes great with white wine?”

  Anna shrugged.

  Wesley reached into the refrigerator and removed a platter of shrimp cocktail. “Shrimp.”

  Anna smiled. “I love shrimp! Who are you Wesley Shriner?”

  Anna devoured the plump, meaty crustaceans in between long drinks of wine.

  “I didn't realize how hungry I was,” she said. “It's been a rough few days.”

  Wesley leaned in to wipe Anna's lower lip with a napkin. “You have a little cocktail sauce.”

  Instead of wiping it off with the napkin, Wesley put his lips on hers, sucking Anna’s lip into his mouth.

  Anna took in a breath through her nose, pulse throbbing throughout her extremities as Wesley slid his lips across her cheek before finding the lobe of her ear. She moved her hand through his thick hair while Wesley kissed her neck, coaxing goosebumps to rise along the back of her neck and thighs.

  Through quickened breaths, Anna whispered a moan.

  Wesley slipped his hand between her tingling thighs, knocking over Anna's glass of wine with his elbow.

  Wesley jumped as the flute's contents flowed across his chest before dripping onto Anna's lap. “Oh, sorry. Sorry,” he apologized, pulling napkins from the table and placing them onto her thighs.

  “It's okay. You only got me a little wet.” Anna blushed, placing a hand over her mouth. “I mean, most of it got on you, and my glass was almost empty.”

  Here we go again. This guy makes me say dumb shit.

  Anna laughed through flushed cheeks.

  Wesley smiled, righting Anna's glass and re-filling it. “I have a pair of sweats you can change into.”

  Anna grinned. “Now I see the master plan to get me out of my pants.”

  Wesley's eyes widened. “What? No. I figured I'd charm them off you.” He laughed.

  A wave of emotion overwhelmed Anna's senses. She leaned in and kissed Wesley with full lips before pulling his shirt up over his head. With her hand cupping his chiseled chest, Anna touched her lips to his firm abdomen.

  Wesley knelt at her feet. “Let’s get you out of those wet pants.” He unbuttoned her jeans and slid them below her hips while brushing his chin across her lower belly.

  Anna licked her lips with an eager tongue while tugging on two handfuls of Wesley’s hair.

  Wesley lowered her pants to the floor while kissing her trembling thighs. He slipped Anna’s pant legs over her feet, one at a time and then stood while wrapping one arm around her back. As he placed his other arm behind her knees, he lifted Anna, cradling her in his arms.

  Anna gazed into Wesley's eyes as he carried her to his bedroom. She let out a wine induced giggle. “Who are you Wesley Shriner?“

  CHAPTER 56

  Anna opened her eyes, waking to the smell of coffee. She pulled the blankets over her head and snuggled deeper into the bed as Wesley entered the room, naked.

  A smile pulled at her lips as Anna slipped her hand from the blankets. She reached out, grasping the flesh she hunted and pulled Wesley back into bed.

  “Coffee's done,” he whispered.

  “I'm not,” Anna said.

  They made morning love until sunlight found the bedroom windows.

  Out of breath, Anna rolled onto her back. “Now that's a great way to start the day.”

  They rose, dressed, and entered the kitchen. “You seem like a cream no sugar kind of girl,“ Wesley said.

  Anna nodded. “You sure know what I like.“

  Wesley made fresh omelets while Anna enjoyed the cup of coffee.

  “Thank you Wesley,” she said, stuffing a mouthful of egg into her mouth.

  “For what, the omelets? You're welcome.”

  “No, for such a wonderful night.”

  Wesley nodded. “I should be the one thanking you. You are an amazing woman, Anna. Thank you for being here. Thank you for everything. I'm glad you came.”

  “Me too.” Anna grinned. “Twice.”

  Wesley returned the smile. “I'm not only talking about sharing your body. Thank you for sharing your mind. I don't believe I've ever connected with anyone on such a deep level. We talked for hours last night, in between, um, sessions, and it went by in minutes.”

  “It was wonderful, and I had a great time, but I should get going. I want to see my family.”

  Wesley nodded. “Understandable.”

  “What are your plans?” Anna asked.

  “I'm leaving.”

  Anna wrinkled her brow. “Leaving? Going where?”

  “My grandparents owned a cabin in the woods a few miles south of the city. Now that this is all over, I'd like to find it. Get out of the craziness of the city and stay there for a while.” He cocked his head, gazing into Anna's eyes. “I was hoping you would come with me. We could find some peace together. Freedom.”

  “I can't. I need to find my dad and sister.”

  Wesley rose and kissed Anna's forehead. “Well, when can I see you again?”

  Anna pressed her lips together. “Um, well. I'm not sure, Wesley. That's not a good idea.”

  “What do you mean? Are you joking?” Wesley laughed. “Ah, you got me there.”

  “No, I'm serious.”

  “After the night we just had? You honestly aren't interested in repeating it?”

  “Well, yes, that would be great, but more than one night leads to attachments. I can't do that.”

  “Can't, or won't?”

  Anna shook her head. “I just can't, okay?”

  “No, it's not okay. What did I do? Did I do something wrong?”

  “You did everything right. Look, It's not you. You're perfect.”

  “Then, I don't understand, Anna. Now I'm getting the 'it's not you, it's me' line? Was it the sex?”

  “Definitely not the sex. I’ve never had sex like that. It was amazing.”

  “Then what is the problem?”

  “I hate to be cliche, but really, it's not you, it's me.”

  Wesley took a sip of coffee. “That's your problem, Anna. You won't allow yourself to let love back into your life. I can see it. You have a huge heart. You have the capacity to love the world, if you would only let yourself.”

  Anna clenched her jaw. “You're mad, so now you're going to psychoanalyze my problems?”

  Wesley set his cup on the table. “I'm not mad!” He let out a breath before starting over with a lowered voice. “I'm not mad, I'm hurt, and frustrated.” He threw his arms up while dropping his eyebrows. “I mean come on, after one night, we're finishing each other's sentences. I know what I feel when I'm with you and I know you feel it too. I can see it in your eyes. I understand you're scared, no, terrified to do this, but how will you ever know if you won't just give it a chance.”

  “You don't understand shit,” Anna snapped through flushed cheeks. “You don't get to tell me what's good for me, or what I need. You don’t understand what I've been through.”

  “What I know is you're afraid someone will break your heart again.”

  “Again? It hasn't healed, Wesley.” Anna swung her head. “Look, I have to go. I'm sorry I hurt you.” She stood and turned towards the door.

  “Anna, I'm begging you, give us a chance. Fate has found us.”

  Anna spun on her heel. “What, after one night you're saying we'll live happily ever after? You're going to love me for the rest of my life? Is that it?”

  Wesley took a step towards her, hands outstretched. “No, but if you give me the chance, I'll love you for the rest of mine.”

  A tear found Anna's cheek. She wiped it away with a flick of her wrist. “We had a great night, Wesley. Don't ruin it by trying to turn it into something it's not.” Anna turned for the door.

  “Wait,” Wesley said. He walked to the kitc
hen, returning with a pad of paper in hand.

  “What are you doing?” Anna asked.

  Wesley scribbled onto the paper and then tore it off before handing it to Anna. “Here. In case you change your mind and want to find me.”

  “Goodbye, Wesley,” she said before walking through the door.

  As she approached the end of the hallway, Anna crumpled the piece of paper and stuffed it into her jacket pocket.

  She ambled into the crisp morning sunshine, attempting to push away her guilt.

  Anna let out a sigh.

  What ever happened to no strings attached?

  Anna's phone rang. She fished it from her pocket and sucked in a breath, reading the name on her screen. 'Cornelius Cromwell.'

  “What the hell do you want?” she said, answering the call.

  “Miss Wool,” Cornelius croaked. “Right now I'm pointing a gun at Sara's head.”

  “You're lying.”

  “Am I? Here, say hello.”

  “Anna?” Sara whimpered.

  Anna swallowed hard. “Sara, are you okay? Did he hurt you?”

  “No, but sis?” Sara replied.

  “Yes, I'm here, Sara.”

  Sara sniffled. “I'm scared.”

  The phone trembled in Anna's hand as Cornelius's voice trickled into her ear. “Your move Miss Wool.”

  Anna got into her car.

  Son of a bitch, son of a bitch, she thought slapping the steering wheel with the flat of her free hand.

  Anna took in a long breath. “What do you want?”

  “I'll make a deal with you, Miss Wool, but you must make a decision. Is blood shed on the battlefield thicker than water of the womb? I'll let your family go, but here's what you need to do.”

  ◆◆◆

  Anna entered the hideout's dining room. “Atticus,” she called jogging into the kitchen.

  “Atticus.”

  “In here,” Atticus's voice came from the stairwell.

  “Anna, I have bad news. I've been through the tunnels, I searched everywhere. I can't find them. Everyone's gone, including your family.”

  Anna nodded. “Cromwell has them.”

  Atticus's jaw slacked. “My God, Anna.” He slammed his fist on the kitchen counter. “We need the people to raid that place. I hope they kill him. Damarion is the next highest ranking elected official in the chain of command. If Cornelius dies, Damarion takes over as Governor.” Atticus nodded. “Yes, Cornelius Cromwell must die.”

  Anna bit into her cheek. “I have a plan. Jax researched options on how to access the Governor's mansion when we were looking into hacking the Shepherd. There's an emergency escape route underground. They built it in case the Governor needed to be evacuated from the mansion.”

  “What's your plan?”

  “We go in, gain access, get to Cornelius and I put the bullet with his name on it where it belongs.”

  “As much as I want the man dead, I don't think that will work. His security is as tight as it has ever been. He has armed military covering the property. There's no way we would make it through,” Atticus said.

  “Cornelius is scared right now. He's worried about what the people will do to him so he has everyone guarding the gate. That means the Mansion itself is empty. We just have to get inside, I can do the rest.”

  “Anna, it's too dangerous. We can't risk getting caught. If something happens to you, we lose everything.”

  Anna grabbed Atticus by the collar. “Damn it, Atticus. If I don't do something now, he'll kill my family.” She loosened her grip and let out a breath. “I'm doing this with, or without you. But I could use your help.”

  Atticus shook his head. “Far be it from me to talk Montana Wool out of doing anything she has set her mind to, but for the record, I don't like this, Anna. I think it would be best to wait and see what the people do.”

  “We don't have time.”

  “And I can't let you do this alone.”

  Anna took out her tablet. “Then it's settled.” “We do this now. As soon as Damarion is Governor, everyone will be safe, and this all goes away.”

  ◆◆◆

  Arriving at the secret entrance to the mansion, Anna double checked Jax's map on her tablet. “This is it.”

  “How do we get inside?” Atticus whispered.

  “It's biometric, like the hideout. Jax added my thumbprint to the database.”

  Anna pressed her thumb into the door's jamb and the latch clicked. “All right, here we go. Get your weapon ready.”

  She pulled her gun and led Atticus inside.

  There was no guard on their end of the tunnel. They crept through the darkness, coming to another doorway. Anna pressed her thumb again, and the door opened.

  “This seems too easy,” Atticus whispered. “No guards at the doors? What's going on here, Anna? It doesn't make any sense.”

  “I told you, they are all at the gate.”

  They came to a set of stairs and heard voices. Anna looked at Atticus, placing a finger to her lips. She mounted the stairs without making a sound and found a guard with his back turned. To keep quiet, she brought the butt of her gun down hard onto the back his skull. Anna caught the man as he fell backwards, arresting his fall and lowering him to the floor.

  “Okay, we need to make a run up to the ballroom. If he's not there, he'll be in his study. Ready?”

  Atticus nodded.

  The pair bolted up the stairs and out into the ballroom. There were a handful of employees at workstations, but Cornelius was absent. Anna ran to the study and kicked the door open.

  Atticus ran in behind her, finding a wide-eyed Cornelius sitting at his desk. Anna leaped to the other side of the room, grabbing Cornelius around the throat with her arm and pushing the barrel of her gun into his temple.

  “I wouldn't do that, if I were you Miss Wool,” Cornelius said, nodding towards a man standing in front of the study's bathroom. He opened the door, and a guard walked out while holding a gun to Sara's head.

  “Shit,” Anna whispered.

  Atticus pointed his weapon at the man holding the gun.

  “Do it!” Anna yelled, her grip tightening around Cornelius's throat.

  Atticus stepped closer.

  “Shoot him now!” Anna said.

  The gun trembled in Atticus's hands. “What if I shoot Sara?”

  Four armed men entered the study through the doorway behind them.

  “It looks like you didn't bring enough guns to this party,” Cornelius said. “Now, both of you drop your weapons.”

  “Shit, shit,” Anna whispered through a clenched jaw.

  “Drop them, or I will kill her, and then I'll kill your father too.”

  Anna eased her grip on Cornelius. She and Atticus both bent down and set their guns on the floor.

  Cornelius stood while rubbing his throat. He nodded to the guards. “Let the girl go. Escort her, the father and the aunt to the gate. They are free to leave.”

  Cornelius turned to Anna. “I'm a man of my word. You bring me the wolf and I let your family go.”

  Atticus's eyes widened. “Anna, what did you do?”

  Anna bit into her lower lip. “Shit! Fuck!” she said, pounding her fist on Cornelius’s desk. “It wasn't supposed to go down like this.” She looked into Atticus's disappointed eyes. “I thought I could get close enough to kill him and this would all be over.”

  Atticus dropped his shoulders while shaking his head in silence.

  Cornelius smiled. “Did you really think I wouldn't be ready for you? That I wouldn't have planned this out, thinking of every scenario?” He took a step closer to Anna and stared into her eyes. “I knew you would come. I know you, Miss Wool. I know that your obsession for revenge has clouded your judgment.”

  Cornelius gave a nod to his guard. “Take him to the holding cell with the others and get the nurse.”

  The guard shuffled Atticus out of the study as a woman entered. The other guard continued to train his weapon on Anna. “Sit, Miss Wool.”
/>
  Anna did as instructed while she scanned the room, looking for an opportunity.

  Reading her body language, Cornelius shook his head. “Don't get any ideas. Your family hasn't left the grounds yet.”

  The woman rolled up Anna's sleeve and tied off her arm before sticking a needle into a vein at her elbow. She drew several vials of blood. “Here, hold this,” The nurse instructed, handing Anna a small gauze pad while pulling the needle out.

  Cornelius lit a cigarette. He took a long drag and exhaled.

  “This isn't over Cromwell. The people are on your doorstep, it's only a matter of time before they break through your gate and drag you away.”

  Cornelius smiled. “Anna, have you looked outside?” He gestured toward the window.

  Anna stood, stepping close enough to peer through the glass. The crowd at the gate had thinned and a pile of discarded signs lay on the snow to one side.

  “As you can see, Miss Wool. The people have forgotten your little stunt. They have to go to work, they need to pay their bills. The citizens of Easton haven’t the time to loiter on my lawn.”

  Anna squinted while turning her head. “Only because you're manipulating them with the Shepherd.”

  “I only capitalized on an opportunity. It was the people that spent their own good money to have a camera and a microphone placed in every home, vehicle, pocket and purse.”

  “But you murdered billions.”

  “I'm sorry to disappoint you, I know you would have me dead, but you're not seeing the situation clearly. I did the world a favor.”

  Anna wrinkled her brow. “A favor?”

  Cornelius took another drag of his cigarette. “Yes, a favor. The world's population was growing at an alarming rate, almost doubling since the turn of the century. With the continued advances in medicine, our population would have reached twelve billion. This planet cannot sustain such a number. I saved hundreds of millions of people from starving to death.”

  “So that's your justification? Kill them now because they would starve anyway?”

  “Look at the bigger picture here. The world was way overdue for a catastrophic pandemic that could have wiped us out. Investing in that little lab in Wuhan was one of my greatest accomplishments.”