From outside the gate, the loud wailing of several sirens could be heard approaching. “Here come the Bulls,” one of the LSA troopers announced.
This occurrence meant that all in attendance would be taken into custody by the Bull Rangers, the highest law enforcement body in the Federation. Every Snake ranger and the LSA trooper involved knew without a doubt that they would be severely reprimanded for their failure to prevent the altercation which had cost the governor his life. A plea of temporary insanity would most likely exonerate Alexander of any wrongdoing, and if that failed, his wealth would convince any judge, jury, or prosecutor of his innocence. Richard, who still sobbed and choked on the ground, would no doubt spend the rest of his days in prison as his alcoholic inebriation, itself a serious felony, was the root cause of the tragic event. Two Snake rangers restrained Alexander, whose grief had now rendered virtually catatonic, and awaited the arrival of the Bull rangers with deep foreboding.
#
Stephen’s death made top headlines alongside the other tragic events of the tumultuous Founding Day celebration. Alexander had been cleared of all criminal charges, as had the Von Rabens, who easily proved Ernesto Lavenza had acted without their approval. Richard had stayed in the hospital for three days while his destroyed eye was replaced with a black prosthetic implant, which he would keep until his newly-cloned organic eye had finished growing. Upon being discharged from the hospital, he was immediately remanded to the Bulls, who placed him under arrest for the crimes of alcoholic consumption, illegal inebriation, and intoxication manslaughter.
He quickly posted bail, and upon his release he had gone immediately to the West Chieftown speakeasy. Upon arriving, the guard at the door had escorted him to the White Spider’s office, where he had slumped down on the floor before the man. The White Spider stared silently at Richard for a few moments before speaking.
“Why are you here?” he asked in clipped tones.
“I wanted to discuss some business with you,” Richard answered curtly.
The White Spider’s demeanor remained icy, “Your recklessness makes it very hard to conduct business of any kind, and because of that I find your presence noisome.”
Richard sighed, “I can pay.”
“With what? Your father’s disowned you and left you nothing. Beyond that, you will most likely be sent to prison for your crimes. You do yourself and your family proud, Mr. Fulsom.”
“Oh, that’s terribly hilarious! Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to make my proposal now,” Richard retorted.
Deep, ominous was Richard’s only reply, so he presumed to continue, “In pater’s original will, I was in line after my brother to inherit controlling interest of Liberty Enterprises upon his passing. In his new will, Celeste will get everything when pater dies. If he and Celeste were to meet with a stroke of bad luck, I’d be the new CEO. Also, the new governor of Snake, Mrs. Stanz-Fielding, is in Liberty’s pocket, so whoever controls Liberty controls Snake, and possibly the Federation,” Richard imparted.
“I know exactly where you’re going with this, so why don’t you simply say it, already,” the White Spider insisted.
A cruel smile split Richard’s face, “With utter pleasure. Restore my father’s original will, execute him and my sister, and help clear my criminal record. Do all these things and I promise to take very good care of you once I get what’s rightfully mine.”
EIGHTEEN
Despite the dire warnings from the Spiders, Frederic immediately put his formidable resources into a clandestine search for Del, a search only he and a handful of VSA corporate spies had any knowledge of. After eight weeks of undercover work, the spies had produced promising leads. They learned from several reliable sources that Del had been sighted in West Chieftown several hours after the kidnapping had taken place. During this time, the victims of the recent tragedies had slowly returned to their daily routines. Angelina was no exception and had resumed her volunteer duties at the East Chieftown hospital.
The twenty-eighth of June found her finishing her duties just a few minutes after midnight, which was several hours later than usual. After she contacted her father, a boy named Peter Holt, the young son of a Rabbit doctor, escorted her to the hospital’s front entrance. Angelina could not help but revel in the boy’s attentions. Peter was an attractive fifteen-year-old with shaggy brown hair, keen brown eyes, a youthfully rugged face, and a tall, athletic build. Since Peter’s family had moved to East Chieftown, he had also been volunteering at the hospital and had taken quite an interest in Angelina, the two becoming very close in the short time they had known each other. As they walked hand-in-hand, her heart raced wildly and she could feel her cheeks burning with a blush.
“You sure you don’t want me to walk you home?” Peter asked for what had to be the twentieth time.
“I told you before, I’ll be just fine,” she assured him with a laugh.
They had just reached the hospital’s front entrance, where he stopped and struck a fighting pose. “I’m pretty good at bashin’ LSA trooper skulls in!”
Angelina arched an eyebrow, “The odds of me running across any LSA troopers, or any other bad guys, during a three block walk are pretty slim. That’s why my dad didn’t send any rangers to guard me.”
“I s’pose you’re right,” Peter conceded with a sheepish grin as he dropped the pose.
“Well, I should get going, then,” Angelina said, a hint of disappointment tinging her voice.
“Hey Angelina, there’s somethin’ I’ve been meanin’ to give you for a long time now,” Peter suddenly blurted.
Angelina’s curiosity was piqued, “And what’s that?”
Before she even realized what was happening, Peter swept Angelina into his arms and kissed her directly on the lips.
My first kiss, she excitedly noted before concentrating on the pleasurable new sensations the kiss was causing her to feel.
A minute later they separated, and Peter was blushing ferociously and having difficulty meeting Angelina’s gaze. Angelina cleared her throat with a small grin, the blush on her cheeks burning brighter than ever.
“That’s something I’ve wanted for a long time, too,” she admitted.
“Wouldja like to come to dinner at my house next week?” Peter asked.
“I’d love to,” she answered, “but now I really have to go.”
Before Angelina hurried out the door, she planted another quick kiss on the stunned boy’s lips. Peter watched as the girl of his dreams scampered out of the hospital and disappeared into the shadows of the night. When he was certain she was truly gone, he let out an excited whoop and pumped a fist into the air.
#
Angelina was so caught up with the night’s exciting events that she did not realize she had taken a wrong turn until she was halfway down the alley. She suddenly became very aware of her surroundings when she spotted some graffiti bearing a local street gang’s name on one of the dingy red brick walls. She was staring at the ominous words with growing fear when a metallic crash rang out behind her. She startled, whipped about, and spied an elderly man placing a bag of refuse into a trashcan.
“Evenin’,” the man greeted with a friendly smile.
“Good evening,” Angelina returned.
Relief flooded through Angelina, and she let out a small chuckle. She was less than a block from home by way of this alley, and she felt safer knowing the elderly man was within earshot. As she turned to continue her journey, the chuckle died instantly, and she felt her knees go weak with the most potent feeling of terror she had ever experienced. Four large male figures had appeared from nowhere and stood blocking her path. The pale moonlight illuminated their dark gray clothing and sinister looking masks, hallmarks of a Spider genin uniform. Hoping the elderly man was aware of her plight, she again whipped about just in time to see a genin lower the man’s lifeless body to the ground, a dagger protruding from his chest. The genin who had murdered the unfortunate man looked to her, and it took all her will to keep
from collapsing in a faint. When the genin drew both his kamas from behind his back and began advancing on her, she immediately realized her wrong turn was going to cost her dearly.
The other genins started forward, as well, and they all moved with such graceful speed and remarkable silence that they seemed supernatural. Her first instinct was to run from these frightful assailants, but they had already surrounded her in a loose circle. She tried her Cell, found it to be dead, and considered calling aloud for help but realized the genins would kill anyone who attempted to aid her. She decided, then and there, that she would fight for her life, quickly drawing the small stiletto dagger her Uncle Max had insisted she started carrying in a wrist sheath concealed beneath her left shirtsleeve. When the first of the Spiders had reached her, she slashed fiercely at the man’s outstretched arm, but the blade could not penetrate the sleeve clothing it.
Angelina struck repeatedly at her assailants, but they dodged her attacks with complete ease. Her efforts were quickly halted when a Spider struck with one of his kamas, slicing deeply into her forearm and opening a gushing wound. She let out a pained cry and dropped her knife as she tried desperately to stop her profuse bleeding.
She was suddenly grabbed by her shoulders and slammed hard against a nearby brick wall. Her vision was filled with stars when her head cracked against the unforgiving brick, but she quickly came to her senses when four pairs of hands pinned her arms and legs against the wall. From the shadows of the building opposite her position, another genin strolled to where her knife lay on the ground and collected the weapon. He continued forward until he stood staring down at the captive girl.
“You Von Rabens really should’ve listened to our demands. Your arrogance has caused you to ignore us, so now we’re forced to deliver a message that you’ll be unable to disregard as easily,” the Spider informed her in a bone-chilling voice.
Angelina remained defiant, “My father’ll have your heads for this!”
The Spider in front of her snorted quietly. “That may be true, but first I’ll have your eyes.”
Angelina finally decided to scream, not for help but in angry defiance. A hand was clamped over her mouth, but still she screamed, wordlessly damning her attackers for their cowardly act as she struggled valiantly against them. The last thing Angelina saw before her eyes were skewered by her own knife was a small white spider on the forehead of the genin holding the blade.
#
Bert stood beside the hospital bed, tears streaming down his grief-stricken face. Angelina lay in a nanite-induced slumber, her bed surrounded by a jumble of monitoring equipment. Thick, blood-stained bandages covered the empty sockets that once held her eyes and encased her right forearm. She had been minutes from death when the parameds had rescued her, and even now, despite the blood transfusions, suturing, and powerful nanite-assisted medications, she clung tenuously to life.
“I’m so very sorry, my baby girl,” Bert whispered to his daughter before leaning down and placing a gentle kiss on her forehead.
There was a soft knock on the door, and it opened to admit Frederic and Max. Bert went to them, and the men embraced for some time.
“What’re we gonna do, Father?” Bert sobbed as his father held him.
Frederic was devastated by the grief and helplessness in his son’s voice. He felt as if his world was collapsing around him under the weight of the mounting tragedies in his life. He had thought his wife’s murder and Del’s abduction were the lowest points in his life thus far, and now his lovely granddaughter had been mutilated by the hands of his enemies. No one was aware that the investigation he instigated was the cause of this most recent and heinous attack, and he intended to keep it that way. His shame and anguish at being the root cause of the assault on his granddaughter was titanic, but his terror at the idea of being ostracized forced him to keep his terrible secret.
“They’re implanting her prosthetic eyes tomorrow. Her cloned ones will be ready in about a year,” Bert told his father.
“Let’s leave before we wake her,” Max suggested.
“Good idea, but I want you to come with us for just a few seconds, Bert,” Frederic gently insisted.
Bert complied, and Ronald, Daryl, and Michael met them in the hall. From there they went to the ward’s waiting area. Anna and Caitlyn were there, and their husbands went to them, everyone taking their seats. Ronald sat beside Bert and draped a loving arm over the man as he slumped down in his seat. Once all were settled, their attentions were fixed on Frederic as he began addressing the room.
“I was asked by Bertram a few minutes ago what I planned to do in response to these atrocities committed against us,” he said.
Everyone waited anxiously for Frederic to reveal the marvelous plans they all hoped he had devised.
“It goes without saying that the Fulsoms are responsible for all the misfortune our family has suffered in recent weeks, and I have the fullest intention of punishing them for their transgressions. Unfortunately, because of his political standing, Bertram can’t take the clandestine, and sometimes illegal, steps necessary to serve the type of justice the Fulsoms so completely deserve. If I have his permission, I will be more than happy to do the serving and will accept full blame should any repercussions result,” Frederic said.
All eyes went to Bertram, who sat slumped down in his chair, his face hidden behind his hands. “Do what you must, Father,” he quietly relented.
“I will, son,” Fredric assured him, “but I have to assure the safety of all those who would be innocent of any actions against our enemies. That’s why it’s with a heavy heart I’ve decided to ask my closest confidants to send their wives and children away while I attempt to resolve this issue.”
Caitlyn shot to her feet, “Absolutely not!”
“It’s just to make sure you’re safe,” Max soothed, his voice mild.
“You can send Anna to take care of the children if you want, but I’m not going anywhere! These bastards hurt us grievously, and I wanna make ‘em pay!” Caitlyn raged.
“Love,” Max said, “that’d be illegal.”
“Oh Blessed Creator, Max, it would not!” she spat before her fiery gaze whipped to Michael, “You always said my skills would be better used in real combat, Michael, and now’s the chance to prove yourself right! Hire me on in the VSF, and when we’re punishing the Fulsoms, it’ll be completely legal,” Caitlyn proposed.
“Love–” Max started.
“DON’T . . . YOU . . . DARE!” Caitlyn barked, instantly silencing her husband.
Frederic, who had been standing throughout both his speech and this exchange, slumped into a nearby chair and drug a heavy hand down his face, “She’s hired. We’re gonna need her for what comes next. I know that as of late I’ve failed you all as a father and leader. A competent man would never have let any of this happen to their loved ones. I swear to you right now that I’ll make up for my failures.”
#
One week later, Michael received a text message from his father-in-law requesting his presence at Von Raben Manor. He arrived to find the man alone in the parlor, standing before the fireplace and gazing up at a portrait hanging above the mantle, a portrait of Nicolene that had been made in happier days. The frame was draped in black silk and a silver plaque bearing the inscription Beate Memorae was attached to its bottom. Michael waited a minute before announcing himself with a quiet cough.
Frederic startled at the sound and turned abruptly, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. “I didn’t hear you come in.”
Michael went to Frederic and embraced him without a word. “How ya doin’, pops?” he asked a minute later.
“Every day is agony,” Frederic sighed, “She was my heart and soul, and without her I feel so empty.”
“It’s okay to grieve. Don’t forget that we’re here for you, if you need us.”
“Thank you. That means so very much to me.”
“You’re welcome. Now, why’d you want to see me?”
F
rederic gave a small smile, “Straight to the point, as always. In that case, feel up to a little trip?”
#
The Lux-car carrying Michael and Frederic pulled up outside of the Veriform Holdings headquarter building, a lofty glass and steel skyscraper forming the centerpiece of the towering urban maze that was downtown East Chieftown. The men left the vehicle and entered the building’s sleek, elegant lobby, which was decorated with black marble contrasting with stark white walls, chrome fixtures, and white leather furniture. A a pair of VSF troopers met them at the entrance and escorted them to the executive elevator. Once inside, Frederic pressed his thumb to a nondescript spot on the control panel’s bottom edge, and seconds later the elevator started a slow descent.
They stood silently as a cheery male voice rang out from a hidden intercom:
Veriform Holdings has a long tradition of exemplary service to the citizens of the Federation. Founded by Wilhelmina Von Raben in early 2458 as a studio devoted to programming nanites for a multitude of tasks, the corporation is one of the oldest businesses in the Federation. Over the years, their operations have greatly expanded and now bring a multitude of products and services to the public. The corporation is one of the largest employers in both Raven and the Federation at large and is a major component of their respective economies. Currently headed by Chairman and CEO Frederic Von Raben, Veriform Holdings vows, as always, to diligently serve their customers and provide them with the utmost quality.
The elevator slowed to a halt fifteen stories beneath the ground floor. “I suppose it’s time I showed you the Box,” Frederic said.
Michael was left confounded by the statement. “The Box?”
Frederic once again pressed his thumb to the control panel. The elevator doors slid open, revealing a short, nondescript hallway with a massive metal door at its far end.
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