Flass left not long after the soldiers dragged Jacob off with them. The detective stopped in the doorway and looked back at Robert.
“And to think this could’ve gone so much smoother.”
***
September 17, 2050 - Leawood, Kansas
Zaneta and Julissa walked through the courtyard of Keaton Academy. It was a series of small hills covered in soft grass. Early morning fog moved through the tall trees that spotted the landscape. All four sides of the greenery were enclosed by buildings and walls created by man. Here in the center, was an oasis.
There, amongst the fog, they saw a bench. On that bench sat a child in a school uniform. It consisted of a black suit, a gray button-up shirt, and a red tie. The UNR emblem was stitched under the right breast pocket. He looks so much like Daddy, Zaneta realized. It’d been two years since she’d seen him.
Julissa made sure to analyze their surroundings. Far away, but still visible, were soldiers next to each tree. They were silhouettes in the fog. The only figure close enough to fully make out in the shroud was a woman in a cardigan and dress. The cardigan also had the UNR emblem.
As soon as the boy saw them approaching, he got off the bench and ran to his sister first.
“Zaneta!” he yelled.
The siblings hugged, and Julissa marveled at the sight. Watching her children together, the thought crept into her: do you want to do this? For all that had been lost, there was still a chance for peace. A quiet life back in Elsa.
When Damien’s eyes turned her way, she remembered she could not accept the charade of peace. Those were the eyes of his father, William Marconi. This is our path. Julissa stepped closer and Zaneta made room for her.
Damien did not rush to hug his mother. In fact, he looked cautious.
“Mommy, are you here to take me home?”
Julissa searched deep within herself and found the strength to say it.
“No, I’m not here for that, Damien,” she said as she knelt to his eye level, “I came today because you may not see us for a little while.”
Damien looked petrified. “How long?”
“I don’t know, but I don’t want you to be scared. You have no reason to be scared ever.”
Her son hugged her now, clutching firmly. Julissa held him, kissing his forehead and cheek again and again. My baby boy, oh, my baby boy.
“Where are you going?” he asked as he snuggled into her.
“I honestly don’t know yet, baby. But I know this: we will come back for you when we’re done.”
“How do I know that, Mommy?”
Julissa reached into her purse and pulled out something tiny. She held it in the palm of her hand, and Damien stared in confusion.
“Whose ring is that?”
“This something your father gave me a long time ago before even your sister was born. I want you to hold onto it for me.”
She held it up to him, but still, he was hesitant. What convinced him was that smile, so warm and inviting. His little hand picked it up from hers and looked at it more closely.
“You got to see him?”
Julissa nodded weakly, keeping that smile. “Yeah, and someday you will too.”
“What’s he like?”
Julissa held his face in her hands, resting her forehead on his.
“He’s the strongest person I know. You remind me of him. You both read so much and want to know more about the world. You’re going to love him.”
“I promise I’ll give it back to you, Mom. I promise.”
The three of them spent the whole day playing board games and tag amongst the trees. She laughed and laughed, and during every second of it, soldiers watched.
Chapter 11 – Ellipsism
September 18, 2050 – Elsa, Texas
Clint continued stacking chairs as Julissa packed up the last of the food from the long table. There was very little mess to clean up since everyone had thrown their plates into the trash along with their plastic cups. Before long, Clint’s living room was looking more like its old self.
“Got any of those tamales you made leftover?” he asked as he finally plopped onto the sofa.
“’Fraid not,” Julissa said, “but we got plenty of beans.”
“Guess I’ll toss those in the fridge for breakfast tomorrow,” he replied.
“I can handle it,” she offered.
Julissa began to take all the food to the kitchen, and Clint walked over to the counter where he rested his elbows.
“People love you at these meetings, Julie. Between your guidance and your cooking, they’d miss you.”
“What makes you think I’m leaving?”
“I’ve known you long enough to know when you’re up to something. Ever since you told me all that’s happened, it’s obvious you don’t plan on sitting here idle.”
Julissa shoved the last of the leftovers into the refrigerator.
“You’re right. Venloran is gonna suffer for what he’s done. I’m gonna dismantle his empire brick by brick.”
“And Zaneta?”
Julissa didn’t answer on that one, and Clint rubbed his jaw with his hand.
“You’re gonna go to war and take your daughter with you? What about Damien, Julie?”
“I can’t stop Zaneta from getting involved in this fight even if I wanted to. Both my children need to see people are willing to take a stand against a man who backstabs the people who prop him up. No more.”
Clint mulled this over. “Okay, then I’m in too.”
“What?”
“You heard me, Julie.”
“Clint, no. You got your business to run and your meetings. People look up to you here.”
“Yeah, and by the time The Expansion is over, there will be another million men and women who need help.”
“Don’t do this because of me. I can watch my back out there.”
The man looked down at the counter before he spoke again. Clearly whatever he was about to say was something hard for him to get out.
“Julie, I’ve never been honest with you about why Lyla left me and this town behind.”
Julissa fell quiet at this.
“She left because I couldn’t let go of what happened to this country. She cheered when our boy came home from Iran, but I couldn’t. I think I drove her mad talking about it all those years. I drove everyone away, really. By the time I learned to live with it, everyone had moved on.”
“Clint, I’m so sorry.”
“There’s no reason to be sorry. Every day I watch the news and get pissed because I don’t want to believe this is what this country has become. I refuse to. By showing there are people in this country who refuse to obey, I think we can change things.”
Julissa saw the fire in him he’d been holding at bay. Possibly for years, it’d been there. Even in the face of the now revealed truth, he’d abstained from it till now.
“So, who’s gonna run your shop?” Julissa said. “This isn’t your usual vacation.”
“Luke’s been begging for a promotion. I’ll see if he’s interested.”
***
September 19, 2050 – Calvert County, Maryland
Ruby admired the old relic of an office despite the layer of dust. A large window even offered a view of the main work floor below. A plethora of people was down there too, all of them excited and chatting away.
Halsey sat at the desk opposite the window, unusually quiet. Ruby sauntered on over and seated herself on his lap.
“Joe, you okay?” she asked sweetly. She showered him with a few kisses, but none shook him out of it.
“A little distracted, I guess.”
“Clearly,” she said irritably. Despite that, she still had an arm wrapped around him. “By what?”
“I visited Neeson’s son yesterday, Ruby.”
“Joe, you know they keep track of who comes to visit prisoners,” she said, doing her best not to upset him. “How do you know you weren’t followed?”
“I said distracted, not stupid,
” Halsey said harshly.
“I’m just saying, okay? How’d he even get in there?”
“Insubordination. He’s never done anything like it. I don’t get it.”
“Maybe he picked up some bad habits from somewhere,” she said. She meant it with an air of lightheartedness, but she could see a bit of pained recognition in Halsey’s face.
“How long is his sentence?” she asked. The last thing she wanted was him blaming himself.
“Eight months.”
“He got off easy then, babe. He could even get out early with good behavior.”
“Are you fucking kidding me? He’s a kid, Ruby. He shouldn’t be there at all!”
“And now he’ll have to tough it out! I was locked up for four years! Four years!”
Ruby relieved herself from Halsey’s lap. Halsey stayed where he was.
“Six months, six years, he doesn’t belong there,” he repeated.
Ruby didn’t bother to respond this time. She stomped off back to the window. More people were arriving.
The door opened and in came Gael. He straightaway saw the situation and felt awkward for intruding. That single footstep he took into the room caused a loud creak from the wooden floor.
“What’s up, Gael?” Halsey asked.
“Everyone’s all set, Joe. We even got some recruits.”
“All right. I’ll be right down.”
“Okay, and all this shit,” he said as he gestured toward them both, “fix it. Kiss and make up for Christ’s sake.”
Ruby rolled her eyes while Halsey looked away in embarrassment. She went to the door, but Halsey blocked her way.
“I was an asshole, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make light of what you went through.”
Ruby kissed him, and this time Halsey went all in.
“I know you didn’t. If our plan goes through, he won’t have to wait too much longer, anyway. I’m behind you all the way.”
Halsey didn’t want to make anyone wait any longer, but he went in for another kiss.
***
When Jacob and Ruby entered the large storage room, packed well beyond capacity, he didn’t expect to feel a tinge of shock. He was in for quite the surprise.
In the center of the room were two simple fold-out tables surrounded by his lieutenants. At the end, across from him was Zaneta and her friend, but they weren’t alone. The recruits were her mother and the friend she’d brought as backup from Pleasure Pier.
“Mrs. Marconi,” he said, not sure where to go with it.
“Captain Halsey. I did bring my knife, but you can be at ease. All I ask now is that you impress me.”
Halsey nodded, but he wasn’t exactly relieved. There was a smile on her face, but her eyes told a different story.
“Any questions before we start?” he asked aloud.
Jesse raised a hand.
“Yes, Lieutenant Novak.”
“I don’t mean to hold things up, but why do we have new meat at a meeting for lieutenants? Not exactly protocol.”
Zaneta threw a dirty look his way, but Jesse was focused on the captain. Julissa and Clint didn’t flinch.
“Oh, fuck off with that,” said an older woman who also stood at the table. Her hair was black, but the signs of gray were already there.
“That simple, huh?” Jesse replied.
“This here is the woman who clocked the Chancellor himself. So, yes, the protocol can fuck off.”
“Thank you, Vivi,” Zaneta said.
“Don’t sweat it, honey.”
Halsey thought back to that day. Now Jacob is in a cage, and here she stands. Emotions aside, he saw the value in her.
“Thank you for the input, Lieutenant Thurman. Circumstances permit these two at today’s meeting. I don’t want to hear any more about it. Now, let’s get started.”
Halsey pointed his finger down at the table. Everyone began to study the map laid out on the tables. It was huge, showing the entirety of the United States and even much of the upper half of Mexico. Julissa spotted some coordinates highlighted all over their country with only one marked over in Mexico. There was a photo to go alongside this area.
“As you can see, I’ve selected five UNR work camps. Our mission is to attack the facilities and get as many people out as we can. It’s our biggest move yet, so I’m counting on all my lieutenants to coordinate with their teams down to the last man. Lieutenant Thurman has connections with demo experts that will supply each of you with enough firepower to blow down a wall of the compound. These ops will be simultaneous to catch the UNR off-guard, so this must be planned thoroughly. Communication is key here.”
Gael now pointed to the photo of the man in Mexico.
“This is Sostenes Herrera, an officer of the Holy Guardians in southern Mexico. Sources tell us he’ll be transported from a POW camp to UNR HQ very soon. Our contacts requested we assist local forces and get him out. This is a side operation and will only be conducted if between us we can spare enough soldiers. So, do we have any takers?”
“I don’t know,” Jesse said flatly.
“I’d have to talk with my people,” Vivi replied. The responses of the others were the same.
“I think you’re going about this the wrong way.”
All chattering ceased. Halsey recognized the voice.
“How so?” he responded.
“I see the valor in your plan: shake up the UNR, win the hearts of a few families, and maybe even get more recruits. You’re also glossing over a lot.”
“We know how well they’re defended,” Ruby cut in.
“I sure hope you do because the Des Moines Corrective Center alone will cost you a lot of people. Moreover, you’ll make a lot of people happy, but how many of those people you free are going to fight for you? There are defectors in Venloran’s camps, even ex-military, but the majority aren’t fighters. They’re gangsters, homeless, and crackheads. Just because you free them doesn’t mean they’ll flock to you.”
“And what would your plan be?”
Julissa pointed at the picture of Sostenes Herrera.
“The Holy Guardians are one of the biggest anti-UNR fighting forces in the world. There are even rumors that Guatemala has been secretly supplying them since the start of The Expansion. How many Crimson Angels are under your commander?”
“Roughly ten thousand.”
He saw a flicker of awe in Julissa’s eyes. It was strangely unsettling.
“You can do a lot with ten thousand. While we’re going on suicide missions, a whole country is about to fall to UNR hands. We need to start our fight down south. That way we pull recruits from two countries instead of just one. Even better is that the border is a mess right now, meaning we can cross with ease. If the Chancellor finishes the war without a hitch, we will lose this chance forever.”
Now the lieutenants were talking again. Halsey put both hands on the table.
“Not a bad argument, but my plan is what we’re going with.”
“That’s not how this works, Captain, you know that,” Vivi said. “We put it to a vote just like always.”
“Right,” Halsey said. “All for the first plan?”
Around the room, only a select few raised their hands. Jesse, Ruby and Gael we’re with Halsey, but it wasn’t much more than that. Seeing the captain pause, Gael took it upon himself to continue:
“And those for the second?”
This got the hands of every other lieutenant to go up. The verdict was overwhelmingly clear. Gael got ready to speak, but Halsey beat him to it.
“The motion carries. We will redirect our efforts. We’ll talk more about this new plan in ten minutes. Everyone go ahead and take a break.”
Everyone began to file out of the room. Halsey felt Ruby kiss his cheek, but it did nothing for him. Gael tapped him on the shoulder, and he disregarded that as well. There was an unsaid understanding among them all, even Zaneta and Clint. After everyone had left, only Halsey and Julissa remained at opposite ends of the tables. Only w
hen the door finally shut did either talk.
“It’s good to see you here,” Halsey said as he finally walked right up to her. At this point, he was done being courteous.
“You sit here giving orders while the child of the man responsible for helping you is in prison. You just gonna forget about that?”
“Dr. Neeson hasn’t said a word to me since that day in the office, so I didn’t know, but it figures something like that would be the big motivator for this shoddy plan of yours,” Julissa remarked casually.
“This plan has been in the works long before you came into the picture, so don’t give me that shit!”
“What is it you’re making up for, Captain? ’44?”
Halsey felt a cold blade jab into his stomach.
“Yeah, I read up on you what I could. Everybody here’s got demons in them, but to let them shape a mission is unacceptable.”
Julissa took in his frozen expression.
“Let’s cut that recess down to five. We’ve got a lot to discuss.”
Julissa went out to the main floor while Halsey once more saw that brown coat stained with blood.
Chapter 12 – Visiting Hours
September 20, 2050 – Elsa, Texas
Julissa once more was at the clearing, but this time as a teacher. Zaneta was helping Eli steady the aim of his gun. He was aiming at the very tree Julissa had practiced on the past several weeks.
“Zaneta, don’t baby him,” Julissa commanded.
Her daughter backed away. Thankfully, she saw Eli was getting the hang of it. Even Julissa was impressed at how much his stance had improved. She was sure this time he would strike the eighty-five-meter mark.
Eli got ready to squeeze the trigger. Julissa stood right next to him now.
“Breathe. This will be easy for you,” she coaxed.
She watched his fingers carefully. Just before he pulled the trigger, Julissa fired three rounds onto the same target. As she had expected, the boy panicked and his shots became wild. All her bullets hit their mark, but he didn’t even hit the tree.
“Mom! What the hell?!” Zaneta yelled.
“What? You think out there in the field is gonna be like this? Again!”
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