The Seat of Power
Part three of The Securus Trilogy
By Anthony Maldonado
Copyright © 2016 Anthony Maldonado
All rights reserved.
DEDICATION
For my wife, Bernice.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
About The Author
Chapter 1
Talia stands next to me. Her eyes dart around while she tries to come up with a reason for someone else to lead this expedition. Talia has been trying to change my mind all week, but this is one of the rare times she will not get her way. Her hesitation is understandable. After all, the last time I left the subterranean confines of Securus to venture onto the surface, things did not turn out well. Nyree did not survive the trip. The rest of us nearly lost our lives chasing Aamon through the forest. His attempt to contact someone from Leadership in Munitus or Caelum failed, but dealing with his treachery took a significant toll on us.
Despite Talia’s concern, my determination to lead this expedition remains unwavering. After seeing what lies behind the Controller’s callous eyes, I realize the true danger we face. If he ever discovers our attempts to subvert his control, Braeden Karun will not hesitate to exterminate us, just as he did to Cale. Shooting him in front of me simply to make a point did not even cause the Controller to flinch. He has made it abundantly clear to me that pushing a single button from the safety of the Seat of Power within Caelum’s Leadership Palace is all it would take. He would probably enjoy watching every single man, woman, and child in Securus die from the deadly biological weapon his people exploited to enslave us.
We may not yet be able to liberate ourselves from the servitude Caelum holds us under, but that does not mean we should not take the crucial steps needed to prepare for the day we are free. Not many things are capable of giving more hope to our people than finding a location for our future above ground settlement. Fostering our people’s strength and hope is crucial if we are to overcome the burden placed on us by Caelum.
Still, seeing Talia like this pains me. I reach out, pulling her into my arms and kissing her forehead. “Don’t worry. This time we’re actually prepared for what’s up there.”
“I know,” she replies. “But that doesn’t mean I have to like it.” Talia’s eyes move up from the floor, locking onto mine. Her furrowed eyebrows combine with the wrinkle in her nose to show her disapproval with my decision. Like always, her stubborn look weakens my knees.
Taig appears with three Guards following closely behind him. My team is ready to go.
I give Talia one more kiss. “I gotta go. We’ll be back soon, I promise.”
Before the pain in her eyes melts away my resistance, I turn away, climbing the ladder leading to the exit hatch above us. My team follows me onto the surface. Unprotected by the controlled climate within Securus, the chill of the early morning breeze elicits a shiver. I ignore the cold and struggle to focus my eyes against the sun’s glare.
Even when my sight adjusts, I ignore the scenery except to search for any potential threats. In the past, I was too often prone to bouts of wonder while on the surface. At first, the sense of freedom lent by escaping the stone and steel walls that have surrounded me my entire life was intoxicating. Replacing Securus’ stale, stagnant air with a fragrant breeze invigorated me. Now, the expansive sky, brilliant flower blooms, and sprawling green forest no longer distract my thoughts. I learned first-hand how dangerous and misleading this beautiful place can be.
Because of the troubles we encountered before, I have carefully chosen my team for this expedition. Every one of them has been on the surface before, ensuring they will not be distracted by their awe of the wonders of nature. More importantly, they all have been briefed on the animals we previously encountered as well as techniques for navigating the veiled terrain. These preparations should prevent us from falling into the same traps as before.
Before heading out, I grab the strap on my shoulder, pulling forward the weapon it carries. My hand cradles the black frame of the assault rifle. The weapon’s dark exterior is broken up only by lighted power gauge on the side. Even though this gun is significantly bigger than the pistols our Guards carry, the strap prevents it from being too cumbersome to carry through the forest.
This is not the first time I have held or even used a weapon like this. But that first rifle had to be left with the dead Soldier Guard, Kerad. If it had gone missing, Caelum would never have believed his death was the result of an accidental collapse in The Caves. This gun is the only weapon we were able to sneak out of the storage room before the investigators from Caelum cleared their supplies out. It took some time for our researchers to disable the weapon’s lock. Now that they have, it is ready to be fired. Knowing this weapon’s power makes me feel better as we set out to face the dangers lurking beyond Securus’ borders.
I watch the tree line while Taig and the Guards secure their equipment for our trek. Everything appears so serene now, just like it did before the mountain lions attacked us. When the others are prepared, they take defensive positions around me and wait for my signal.
Taig slowly moves beside me with his eyes scanning the trees. “It feels weird coming back out here.”
Taig has worked hard to recover from his bout with Pellagra. The physical effects of his near death experience from the poison induced vitamin deficiency that nearly killed him have been erased. Taig’s efforts show with a rebuilt athletic frame as well as in the strength within his determined light-brown eyes. Despite his recovery, I sense his hesitation. No doubt his ill-fated scouting trip has left a mark upon him just as my recent experiences have on me.
“Yeah, it does feel weird, but at least this time we’re prepared and actually know where we’re going,” I reply. “Besides, if that site’s really ideal for a settlement, we can finally give our people something tangible to look forward to.”
Even though we survived the scrutiny of Caelum’s review, the people of Securus are getting restless. They need something more than seemingly hollow promises of a brighter future. On top of that, we need to be sure the land is capable of supporting us away from the safety of Securus. What good would escaping Caelum be if we have nowhere to go? Talia worked hard to make our Leadership council understand how finding a site for a future settlement would satisfy those needs. While I agree finding a place to build on will help morale, plans for an unknown time in the future can only pacify them, and me, for so long. None of us will ever be satisfied until we shed Caelum’s shackles.
The nervousness swirling in the pit of my stomach builds as my legs carry me forward. Instead of heading straight into the forest, we go toward the Solar Panel fields. This is not the same path Taig took before, but since we now have control over what Caelum sees on our security cameras, we do not need to take the long way to avoid their suspici
on.
As I pass the bunker protruding from the earth, my eyes glance at the massive outer doors adorned with the altered biohazard markers meant to warn of The Agent. This intimidating steel barrier once served as the original entrance to Securus. Now it houses the equipment we use to maintain the fields. Since the terrain prevents us from using the Grinders beyond the outer fence, we continue past the bunker. With each step, my pace involuntarily increases. Despite all of the time passed since I was on the Death Detail, memories of Aamon’s attempts on my life continue to haunt me.
Taig and I lead the Guards around the hill, into the Solar Panel fields. The ground ahead is relatively bare and a little rough from the recent clearing done with the Grinders. Our course takes us directly through the shade of the towering Solar Panels. The energy generated by these panels is the reason why Caelum enslaved us. Instead of working to produce their own energy, they force us to supply the power needed to run the city they have built on the surface.
Before getting to the secondary fields with the Solar Tower centered amongst giant reflective mirrors, we turn to a new gate built into the outer fence. For safety, this opening was intentionally made to be narrow, and like the rest of the fence, is electrified. I stop before opening the gate to listen intently. The only audible sounds come from the forest. Still, I pull out my communicator.
“Talia, is the fence off?” I ask while shaking off the tingling sensation running through my hand caused by the reminder of the past shock.
“You’re clear to proceed. Kagen, be careful,” Talia answers.
I hold up the rifle while snaking through the narrow opening, being careful not to catch my pack on the rough edges. The moment I reach the other side, my weapon scans the tree line. Behind me, the others come through the fence one at a time. When their steps halt, I turn back only long enough to make sure they are ready to continue. The three Guards behind Taig all look similar, and not just because of their identical uniforms. They all possess stalky builds and stand noticeably shorter than Taig. Like many of our workers, the men could easily pass as brothers even though none of them are related. Our Healers have postulated the increasing frequency of this stature must be an effect of the physicality of their work coupled with limited nutrition available in Securus. Our people’s bodies are slowly adapting to life underground.
“Stay close,” I tell the others while entering the forest. “If anyone sees or hears anything, alert the rest of us immediately.”
Once he gets his bearing, Taig takes over the lead position. His memory of the scouting expedition never fully returned, but he does recall the beginning of their trip before the delirium caused by Pellagra set in. It took him and Oren two days to reach our target site during their scouting expedition. Our trip should not take nearly as long since we will not be investigating everything along the way and plan on taking a more direct path. If Taig’s estimates are right, we should be able to reach the site by nightfall to set up camp. Then again, I know better than to take anything for granted out here.
Not long into our trek, numerous thick trees surround us, blocking out any direct sunlight. The dim light and difficulty tracking the sun’s location makes judging our position challenging. Other than seemingly endless ups and downs of the terrain, all we see are more and more trees. Not wanting to lose my direction, I take out a compass that Hadwin made for me. Even though Taig has been marking our trail as we go, we need to take every precaution necessary to not get lost again.
“What was that?” asks one of the Guards as he spins to face something to our right. We all instantly turn to see what caught Baran’s attention.
“Where?” I whisper, searching for a target to lock onto with my rifle.
Baran points with his pistol. “Up there in the trees.”
My finger hooks onto the trigger of my rifle, ready to shoot whatever appears. We wait to see what monster will jump out at us. The first thing to move is Taig. He holsters his gun while taking in a deep breath.
“It’s just a bird,” Taig says.
When realizing Taig is right, Baran turns away, attempting to conceal the redness filling his cheeks. He may be embarrassed, but their overly cautious behavior means they took my warnings seriously. With the stories we told them, these Guards must expect vicious animals to be around every corner. Just as the thought of the surface predators goes through my mind, a loud crunch comes from behind us. We all spin around, only to find its source was a fallen branch. This is gonna be a long trip, I think to myself.
The group gets back into our planned defensive positions as we again head deeper into the forest. We remain focused on our surroundings, speaking only when necessary, and always keeping a steady pace. A few hours pass with nothing except the various calls of birds breaking up the monotony of our trek. I was hoping to find some dropped equipment or any other signs of Taig and Oren’s disoriented return to Securus. So far, nothing has surfaced.
After a while, I am forced to slow Taig down. His pace has been constantly increasing, keeping the Guards on the verge of losing their breath. His rapid pace would help us reach our goal, but right now speed is not my only concern. We cannot have fatigue compromising the attention of our team.
“Let’s take a brief rest,” I tell him as we enter an area where the clusters of trees around us thin.
We find a good spot to rest. Our team gathers close with each of us facing a different direction, ensuring nothing will catch us by surprise. Since things have been quiet for a while now, the men seem to relax some. After a few minutes, one of the Guards, Lorcin, gets up.
“I gotta relieve myself. I’ll be right back,” he says.
“Don’t go too far,” I warn.
The rest of us get up and stretch, preparing to restart our march upon Lorcin’s return. Next to me, Taig rechecks his notes, making sure we are on course. While we wait, a rustle comes from the forest behind us. Even though it came from the direction Lorcin went, the sound makes my flesh crawl. Wanting to leave him some privacy, I stay put and listen to the forest. The only noise comes from some birds flapping their wings as they flee the trees. When they are gone, we are left in an eerie silence.
Something is not right.
I grab my rifle and turn to find Lorcin sprinting back to our group.
Behind him, a massive wolf gives chase. Its terrifying fangs stand out against pitch black fur. I aim my weapon but do not have a clear shot. My vision blurs from panic. I hear Taig shout, attempting in vain to scare off the predator. My mid flashes back to the last time we encountered wolves on the surface. Instead of Lorcin, I see Nyree racing to escape the charging wolf.
Lorcin trips on a protruding rock, sending him tumbling to the ground. The wolf closes in too quickly for him to get up. He kicks out at the beast, fighting to keep it back. The agile predator leaps to the side to avoid the blow and then bites down on Lorcin’s extended leg. The scream that follows jolts me back to reality. Lorcin is not Nyree, and this is no small pistol in my hand. I squeeze the trigger. The jolt from the rifle combines with my awkward stance to throw me off balance. The blast hits the ground just short of the wolf. The animal remains unscathed, but the shot does send the wolf retreating behind a thicker cluster of trees.
Not yet ready to give up its prey, the predator circles around us, keeping its golden eyes fixed on Lorcin. Off to the side, two more wolves appear. Their grey and white fur stands out against the brown trees and forest floor. The trio of predators circles us, waiting for an opening to attack.
Taig pulls Lorcin back to our group while the rest of us keep our weapons ready. The black wolf is the biggest of the three. Since the other two seem to be following its lead, I track it with my rifle. Taking a deep breath, I squeeze the trigger. A flash erupts from my weapon. The blast strikes a smaller tree, ripping its trunk in half. The wolves momentarily scatter before returning to stalk us from behind the trees. Their measured movements almost seem as though these beasts are intentionally staying out of range of our weapons.
We all get back up and scan our surroundings. The Persuader has cleared an area of vegetation, but did not kill any of the wolves. They were too fast. More importantly, there are no signs of movement around us, though I do hear rapid footsteps retreating through the forest. Even if the blast did not kill the wolves, we are alive, so that counts as a success. Even so, knowing the wolves are near means we need to be on constant alert. We stay in place long enough to be sure they have really left. Soon the birds sing from the treetops again, returning the forest to its prior state. When we are sure the immediate danger has passed, we relax only slightly.
“I need to check on Lorcin” I tell Taig, motioning for him to take my rifle.
Taig keeps the weapon ready. I run over to Lorcin, who is lying on the ground, clutching his lower leg. His shredded uniform reveals blood flowing from a wound beneath his hands. He releases his grip on the injury for me to examine the damage. A deep gash runs horizontally through his posterior calf, going through most of the muscle. The only good sign is the flow of the blood does not have the strong pulsatile pattern of an arterial injury. If we pack the wound and put a good pressure dressing on it, he should be okay, though he will not be able to continue on our planned trek.
The Seat of Power (The Securus Trilogy Book 3) Page 1