Collective Retribution

by Edwards, D. S.

  Rollie liked Mandi. She was probably his only friend in the palace. Everyone else snickered and talked about him behind his back. He loved Mandi almost like a sister, but he loved his life as the chief food taster more. If she was spying for the rebels, she was threatening his wonderful way of life.

  “I can’t let you take this away from me,” he said aloud.

  He knew what he had to do. He would speak to the president for the first time in several months. He would tell him what he’d seen. He smiled and lay down on his soft silk bedding for his afternoon nap.

  46

  12:11 P.M., MONDAY, OCTOBER 26

  MANDI OPENED THE DOOR TO THE WAR ROOM AND CAREFULLY looked inside. The place was completely unorganized. Maps were scattered across the table. Some had spilled onto the floor. There was a large map of Colorado on the wall, with several push pins stuck in various locations. She searched the room for the radio and found it in the top drawer of the president’s desk. He was apparently so confident of his ability to control his slaves that he didn’t even bother to hide it.

  Mandi tuned the radio to the proper frequency, just as Larry had taught her. “Hello?” she said. “Can anybody hear me?”

  She jumped and nearly dropped the radio when it crackled and Larry Collins’ voice came through the speaker. “Hello, Mandi. Is everything okay?”

  Mandi filled Larry in on what had happened and explained what she was seeing with the maps. When she was finished, Larry had her tune the radio to an alternate frequency and put it back where she’d found it. If they could feed the president false information over the radio, it might give them even more of an advantage when the final push started.

  Mandi quietly slipped out of the private residence and carried the dirty linen back to the laundry shed. Larry had said the final assault on the palace would begin at dawn. There was so little time to prepare. She wasn’t sure if she could trust everyone with the information. Some slaves, she knew, would welcome the attack. Others would see knowledge of the attack as a way to gain favor with the president. These people would not think twice about turning her in.

  She knew she could trust Chef Gordon and Becky, but beyond them she didn’t know. She would sit down with Gordon and Becky at once. They would make their plans.

  Mandi’s heart pounded in her chest as excitement and anticipation surged through her. In a few hours, she thought, this will end. If she was caught, her life would be taken. If the rebels succeeded, they would all be free. Either way, tomorrow the nightmare would be over.

  47

  SAN MIGUEL RIVER CANYON,

  15 MILES SOUTHEAST OF NORWOOD COLORADO

  6 P.M., OCTOBER 26

  NIRSCH PEERED THROUGH CAMOUFLAGE NETTING AND HELD his breath as the U.C. chopper, three miles out, passed. The whir of the blades echoed off the canyon walls, sending vibrations through his chest. The chopper banked hard at the end of the canyon, dropped to a lower altitude, made another pass overhead, and turned back toward Telluride. Nirsch desperately hoped they hadn’t been spotted.

  Nirsch and his army were twenty miles from the president’s final stronghold. They’d moved under the cover of darkness the last two nights, while hiding under camo during daylight hours. It wasn’t easy to hide 75,000-plus troops, but so far it appeared they’d gone undetected. As soon as darkness fell, they would make their final, short march, reaching the palace defenses by dawn.

  There’d been no resistance from the Collective since they entered Colorado and reached the edge of Canyons of the Ancients National Monument in the state’s southwest corner. The rebels had sent a few misleading radio transmissions, hoping to divide and misdirect the president’s troops. As far as Nirsch could tell, it had worked. It seemed as though they had forced the president’s generals to concentrate their troops to the south of Telluride, near Pagosa Springs, where the ground was fairly open. Nirsch and his troops were now free to move through the cover of the San Miguel River Canyon, ever closer to Telluride.

  From aircraft recon reports, Nirsch had learned that the majority of the Collective defenses were situated three-quarters of the way up the San Juan Mountains. If they could get through the first line of battlements, they would be able to move fairly high up the mountains, until they reached the second line of defense.

  General Scheper wasn’t an idiot. While he’d moved the majority of his ground forces to the south, he hadn’t weakened his heavy artillery presence. Several tanks and other heavy firepower were evenly distributed on all four sides of Telluride. Nirsch would have to take a toll on them, and do it quickly, before the U.C. had time to send reinforcements. If the rebels broke through one side, it would be all they needed. The U.C. would be so busy defending the other three sides that Nirsch’s troops could overtake them.

  Everything depended on the effectiveness and speed of the air assault. All of Nirsch’s aircraft were on the ground and hidden in Rush Valley, Utah. They would fly overhead and attack in unison with the heavy artillery. If they punched a big enough hole, the ground forces would rush through. A smaller group would concentrate its air attack on the southern front, keeping those troops busy and unable to return in time to save the palace.

  Nirsch and his commanders had spent over a month planning and anticipating every possible scenario. Yet no matter how much planning they’d done, everything could change in an instant. If they didn’t take the palace now, it might be a year or more before they were ready to launch another attack, if they were able to regroup and function at all. There weren’t many more warm bodies available for rebuilding if they suffered a defeat. Nirsch knew this would be their best chance.

  They moved out just as the first stars appeared in the night sky. There was no moon, and they moved without lights. They would make it close to the first line of defense an hour or two before dawn. There they would stop and silently wait until they heard their aircraft approaching.

  As they marched, Nirsch’s mind drifted to his home in Oregon and the family he’d left behind. He had a hard time picturing a clear image of the ranch. As each day of war passed, his memories of the life he’d known before were buried under layer after layer of violence and death. He closed his eyes and tried to shake the cobwebs away. Slowly the images of his family’s faces settled behind his eyelids.

  He missed them all so much. There was a hole in his heart that could only be filled with the nearness of his loved ones. Adam had turned ten since Nirsch left. He felt guilty about not being there for his birthday or to take him bow hunting for elk. He knew Adam was so looking forward to carrying his new bow in the woods and spending time chasing elk with his dad.

  Jillian was, by Nirsch’s calculations, about four months pregnant by now. He imagined how she must look with her belly starting to poke out and the glow she must be giving off. He knew she would make a great mother.

  Then there was Michelle. She’d been Nirsch’s best friend, helper, and lover for twenty years. Their anniversary was two weeks away, and he wanted to be home for it so badly he could taste it.

  The images of his family blurred, washing away somewhere deep in his subconscious. Like dirty bathwater down a drain, they swirled out of sight.

  For the first time since the war began, Nirsch had the strong feeling that he might never see his family again. He wanted to push the feeling away, to replace it with loving memories, pictures in his mind of Michelle, Jillian, and Adam.

  The images wouldn’t come. His memories were locked away, just out of reach.

  48

  PRESIDENTIAL PALACE

  3 A.M., TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27

  MANDI TOSSED AND TURNED ON HER MAT IN THE COLD NIGHT air. Snow had begun to fall at dusk and was quickly piling up. She had talked to Gordon and Becky and revealed her connection to the rebels. They’d managed to alert about three-quarters of the slaves. The other quarter could not be trusted.

  The plan was for them to meet in the kitchen just before the scheduled attack and fight from within. She wasn’t sure what they could do against th
e troops that were now stationed throughout the palace, but they would do what they could. Large numbers of U.C. troops had begun showing up the previous day. They’d turned the mansion into a fortress. Large guns had been mounted on the roof and balconies. Bars had been installed on all of the ground-level windows. The ornate, exterior oak doors had been replaced with solid steel.

  Sleep finally came for Mandi, just three short hours before she would meet her friends in the kitchen.

  It was a restless sleep.

  At 6 A.M., Mandi rolled out of bed and dressed. She made a small breakfast out of the cold chicken and biscuits Gordon had given her. After bundling up, she walked into the cold predawn. The palace was already a flurry of activity. All of the lamps had been lit, and soldiers could be seen passing in front of the windows and walking on the balconies, as well as on the roof.

  Mandi entered the kitchen, expecting to find her coconspirators waiting for her. The kitchen was empty with the exception of two U.C. soldiers she’d never seen before. One walked up to her, grabbed her arm, and roughly jerked her in the direction of the main part of the palace.

  “The president is waiting for you.”

  Mandi’s mind raced. Why did the president want to see her? Where were her friends? Had one of them talked and told of their plan to fight? Did the president just want to spend a little quiet time with her to help calm his nerves? He’d never summoned her so early in the morning before.

  The soldier holding her arm knocked on the door with his free hand. Billy the houseboy opened it and motioned for them to enter. The president sat on his leather couch, wearing the ridiculous outfit he’d on a few days earlier, complete with the leather riding crop. The only item missing from his previous wardrobe was the sunglasses.

  “Mandi, so good of you to join me this morning,” President Hartley said. “Please come, sit, so we can talk.”

  He patted the cushion next to him. The soldier holding her roughly dragged her in front of the couch and threw her down at the president’s feet. She started to stand. The president’s boot came up, kicking her in the mouth and knocking out one of her front teeth.

  “On second thought, I like you at my feet. You no longer deserve to sit on my furniture.”

  The door at the other side of the room opened. Rollie Patterson, accompanied by General Scheper, walked in. Mandi swallowed hard. This was it. She would now be killed, or worse, given to the soldiers for sport. Rollie had a quivering grin on his lips. He avoided making eye contact with her. Mandi knew he must have seen her sneaking into the private chambers and had turned her in.

  Hartley smiled at Mandi, then looked in Rollie’s direction. “You know Fatty Patterson. Say hello, Fatty, you pudgy little maggot.”

  Rollie said hello to Mandi, still avoiding eye contact. She looked up at the president, surprise in her eyes. She had definitely underestimated his knowledge of his slaves. The president laughed.

  “Yes, I know about the name you all have given to Rollie,” he said. “There are not too many things that take place within these walls that I am not aware of. For instance, was the cold chicken fulfilling and satisfying enough for you?”

  Mandi withdrew her eyes and swore under her breath. The far door opened again. Another soldier entered, dragging the lifeless body of Gordon Zenneli behind him. Gordon’s face was completely unrecognizable. All of the meat had been filleted from his cheekbones. His eyes had been removed.

  A choking sob escaped Mandi’s lips. She closed her eyes.

  The president grabbed her by the hair and jerked her head in the direction of the corpse.

  “Take a good look. This is what happens when you defy me!”

  His right armed flashed. The riding crop snapped against Mandi’s cheek, splitting her face open all the way to the cheekbone. With his other hand, he tenderly touched her bruised and torn cheek.

  “Such a waste. You were so pretty. Just look what you made me do!”

  He dragged her to her feet by her hair and pulled her in front of a large mirror. He pushed her face against the mirror and punched her in the kidneys.

  “I gave you everything!”

  Mandi collapsed to the floor, leaving a red streak of blood on the mirror. She was unable to pull in a full breath and gasped for several seconds. Oxygen finally began to return to her lungs.

  The president continued his rant.

  “I did not get to where I am by being a fool or by not paying attention. Let me tell you a story, and if I get any of it wrong, please feel free to correct me. There once was a wise…no, wait, that’s not quite right. Let me start again. There once was a great man. He lived in a fine palace and ruled over a vast kingdom. He treated everyone who worked for him with love. He rescued them from a cruel, greedy, uncaring world, and welcomed them into his home, offering them peace, security, and an easy life. All he asked in return was for them to love him back and appreciate his sacrifice for the good of all mankind. He set forth just a few easy to follow rules. For the most part, everyone followed those rules. One day the most favored woman among them was deceived by a serpent, a traitorous snake. She and her friends were asked to betray the love of her protector. Without any sign of remorse or regret, they threw away everything that was good and holy.”

  Hartley paced back in forth, rubbing his temples.

  “This caused their benefactor great sorrow and pain. Everything he had worked and sacrificed for was now being threatened by the selfishness of one person. He couldn’t let this happen. With the help of his wisest general, he devised a plan to use this evil for the good of all. He let the one who betrayed him think that she had succeeded. He gave her hope that she would be able to remove this great man from power. He allowed her to see a carefully thought-out set of plans. What she didn’t know was that these plans were not real. She played her role perfectly. She gave the information to his enemies, and they attacked based on the information she had given them.”

  The president walked over and gently lifted Mandi off the floor. He held her face in his hands and tenderly kissed her on the lips. He placed his hands around her waist, and buried his face in her flowing brown hair. He sniffed deeply, filling his nostrils with her scent. He scooped her up and slowly carried her across the room, laying her gently down on the soft leather couch. Then he knelt beside her.

  “The attack was over before it had begun,” he said in a comforting voice. “The enemies of the great man were crushed under his mighty right hand. The one who had betrayed him was punished. He truly did love her, so her life was spared. Her punishment was to watch her friends die at the hands of the greatest man to walk the earth. When it was all over, she couldn’t live with the guilt and shame of her betrayal, so she threw herself from the palace walls. The kingdom rejoiced at the victory of their king, and they lived happily ever after.”

  Hartley brushed Mandi’s hair from her face. She winced as her hair pulled free from the sticky blood on her cheek. He stood and turned to walk away. He had taken a few steps when he apparently changed his mind. He returned to the side of the couch, slapped her hard across the face, and left the room without another word, his soldiers and General Scheper following close behind.

  She was now alone with Rollie Patterson. Rollie was terrified and had a deer-in- the-headlights look. Mandi slowly walked towards him. He backed away, his hands raised in surrender.

  “N-n-now Mandi, I’m sorry. I didn’t have a choice. I have a duty to watch out for him.”

  Mandi picked up a heavy lamp as she passed the marble sofa table. She stood in front of Rollie and stared into his eyes. He started to beg for her forgiveness. She swung the lamp as hard as she could, connecting with the side of his head and crushing his skull. He fell to the floor.

  She looked down at him. The last remaining piece of her heart that could feel died at that moment. She had nothing but blackness left in her. A single tear rolled down her cheek as she ran across the room and onto the balcony. She kept running, throwing herself off and into the arms of death.
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  49

  PRESIDENTIAL PALACE

  6:30 A.M., TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27

  BECKY CROUCHED IN THE SHADOWS BENEATH A PINE TREE, where she had a full view of the front of the president’s second-floor balcony. She’d been in the kitchen with most of the slave resistance, waiting for Mandi to join them. General Scheper had burst in with several soldiers. Everyone tried to flee in different directions when the soldiers began grabbing them. Becky managed to escape with five of the girls and several of the eunuchs. They’d run past the garbage dump and hidden in the trees. The soldiers didn’t pursue them, so Becky had sneaked back to the palace to see what had become of her friends.

  She’d come out of the trees across the courtyard, fifty feet from the kitchen entrance to the palace, just as Mandi got to the palace and entered the kitchen. Becky yelled out to her, trying to warn her of the danger that awaited her, but Mandi didn’t hear. Becky had watched through the open door as Mandi was dragged off to the interior of the palace.

  Now, as Becky leaned against the pine, a warm tear rolled down her cheek. She wiped it away with her sleeve. Mandi was her friend. Becky loved her like a sister, and there was nothing she could do to help her. Mandi was once again, no doubt, a victim of Hartley’s evil.

  Becky’s real sister had been killed by Hartley’s soldiers when they’d captured her family. Her father and mother were forced to watch as Becky’s sister was raped and beaten to death. After they brought Becky to the palace, she formed an instant bond with Mandi.

  Becky watched the balcony, wondering what she should do. If she got the rest of her friends together and tried to fight now, they’d be killed. The only thing she could do was watch and hope that somehow Mandi would make it out alive.