The Seat of Power (The Securus Trilogy Book 3)

by Anthony Maldonado

  “Like that’s anything new,” snorts Zann, one of the midlevel Leadership members. The tone of his voice combined with the arrogant look on his pointy face turns my annoyance into anger.

  “That’s funny, coming from the ones responsible for killing nearly fifty people, not to mention the hundreds more fighting to recover from you ignoring our warnings,” I fire back at them.

  “They were an acceptable sacrifice to help us attain our freedom,” Eyra says. “That is, unless your actions make attaining freedom impossible.”

  Zann stands shoulder to shoulder with Eyra, looking way too eager for a confrontation. That could be a bad thing since we are so isolated right now. Eyra alone would pose no threat to me, but Zann outweighs me by at least twenty pounds. With the Guard still in the stairwell, I would have a difficult time fighting them both off.

  “What do you want?” I ask, becoming impatient.

  “I simply wanted to see for myself if the rumor was true,” Eyra says, tilting her head to look at the door behind me.

  “Such blatant disregard for our laws should be more than enough to get a vote to remove you from filling in as temporary head of Leadership while Talia is unavailable,” Zann eagerly adds.

  “I should’ve known,” I say, watching Eyra closely. “All you really want is more power, even if that means making things worse for the rest of us in Securus.”

  “No, all I want is someone in charge who has the courage and objectivity to make the difficult decisions necessary to ensure our survival,” Eyra says with a pointed emphasis on her words.

  “We cannot allow your feelings to risk all of our lives. We all want Talia back as much as you do, but not if doing so means endangering the entire colony,” Zann adds.

  My head nearly boils off of my shoulders. It takes every ounce of restraint I have left to stop myself from killing them right here and now. How dare they even think of sacrificing Talia to Caelum? Abandoning her will not save Securus. Talia is the only one capable of saving us from the fear that keeps driving the rest of Leadership to follow people like Cale and Eyra. Another thought bursts through my mind. What if this is Braeden’s plan? He may have decided Talia and I have become too much of a hassle and wants to put Eyra in power. Then again, it is doubtful he would ever believe any of us were capable of resisting his control.

  “If you value your lives, I suggest you leave immediately,” I say, taking the knife from my belt. “I will not tolerate anyone calling for Talia’s death. If you even insinuate something like that again to me, it’ll be the last thing you ever say.”

  The both spread apart slightly, getting a better position against me. Their movements are firm, but uncertainty fills Zann’s eyes. He does not know what to do, and that may be all the advantage I need. After glancing over at Zann, Eyra takes a step backward.

  “You only prove my point,” she says. “I hope it never comes to sacrificing Talia, but you cannot be objective enough to completely analyze our options. The council will hear of this. You should expect to be summoned for a meeting on the subject soon.”

  I do not respond and simply hold my position, waiting to see what they do next. If they make any move toward me, Eyra will be the first to die. Instead of testing my resolve, they both slowly back away. Eyra turns and leaves the room, while Zann carefully backpedals, not letting me out of his sight until reaching the safety of the stairs.

  Once they are gone, I return to the storage room where Wakil waits. From the look on his face, he heard everything we said. That does not really matter since I did not plan on deceiving him. The only thing this development does is expedite my need for action. Instead of having a couple of days to plan, my preparations will have to be finished today. I cannot afford to wait long enough for Leadership to interfere.

  “Looks like things are changing for the worse,” he says, giving me a concerned stare.

  “We have no time for games, so I’ll be completely honest,” I tell him. “Braeden sent the Soldier Guards back while I was on a mission to Munitus. They abducted Talia. He doesn’t know for sure if I was there, but Munitus’ head of Leadership told Braeden he suspects an intruder was present.”

  “Then he knows for sure,” Wakil says, rubbing his eyes as if that could change the reality on front of him. “The Controller is no fool. He has a plan. You can’t stop what’s coming now.”

  “You’re right, and we both know what that means for Securus,” I tell him. “There’s only one way out of this. I need to get to Caelum.”

  “That’s impossible,” Wakil scoffs. “And even if you got there, what could you do?’

  “I intend to switch places with Talia to pay for my actions. Me unexpectedly showing up in Caelum should get his attention and hopefully make him consider the offer. If he doesn’t agree, I have a plan to make Caelum feel our pain.” I lean forward to look him in the eye. “We both know what I think of what you did, but the one thing I have to believe is you really did have the best interest of Securus in your heart. If Securus has any chance at survival, I’ll need your help.”

  Before speaking, he holds his bearded chin in his hand, deep in thought. He knows the danger we face and takes a moment to come to terms with our fate. “Something must be done or Caelum will kill us all, that much is certain.”

  “So does that mean you’ll help?” I ask tentatively.

  “We both know what Braeden will think of your offer. What is your backup plan?” Wakil intentionally does not answer my question.

  “I plan to see all Caelum has to offer and leave them a token of our appreciation,” I answer cryptically. Wakil does not need to know the specific details, though he is clever enough to infer what I intend to do. When his knowing eyes meet mine again, I firmly repeat my question. “Will you help?”

  “Yes, I will. What do you need?” he asks.

  “Is there anyone in Caelum we could trust to help me when I get there?”

  “I have some old friends there. There’s one man in particular who would be eager to help,” Wakil replies. “Does this mean I will be released from the Detention Center if things work out?”

  “You have my word,” I tell him.

  We discuss how to contact his friend and go over everything Wakil knows of Caelum. His help will be beneficial, but does not guarantee anything. When we are done, Wakil returns to the Detention Center to await our fate in solitude. A sense of peace follows him as he leaves. I suspect the change is because no matter what, his time in the Detention Center will be coming to an end. Either I am successful and he will be freed, or we all die.

  Even with Wakil’s assistance and the help of his contact in Caelum, these could very well be my last few days. I do not have the same sense of acceptance and determination as when I was facing the Death Detail not so long ago. This time the stakes are so much higher than my own life. I wish I could say my fear comes from the uncertainty hanging over Securus, but it does not. Risking my life for Leadership and our people has been getting harder and harder because of the negativity rotting so many of them from within. The real motive driving me is my need to see Talia freed. No matter what, she does not deserve to suffer.

  With Wakil gone, I need to get to work. The first thing to be decided upon is who will be going with me. My friends have already been through so much, and this will be even worse. Then again, if things go bad, they will not be any safer in Securus.

  While walking up the stairs, I take out my Coden to send a message to Rylan. I only have one way of getting inside Caelum, and he may be able to help me with that. My distracted attention makes me oblivious to my surroundings. When exiting the stair well, I bump into a woman, knocking her over. She looks up, and then hurriedly scrambles to her feet. Before I have a chance to apologize, she runs in the other direction. Apparently there must be rumors about me going around the workers.

  Further down the corridor, one of the Guards notices the commotion and turns to come this way. His presence is odd to me because Guards are not normally stationed in this ar
ea. He probably was sent by Eyra to keep an eye on me. The man walks right up to me and extends his hand. Confused, I reach out to shake his hand while watching for any clue to his intentions.

  “Kagen, I want you to know most of the Guards see past the political posturing of Leadership,” he says in a low voice while pulling me closer. “Radek always spoke so highly of you and what you’re doing for Securus. You should know you have the loyalty of the Guards, no matter what.”

  He continues past me and disappears into the stairs. Most people in Securus have not had a positive response to me lately, so this encounter makes me even more confused than before. He was not scared like the woman I knocked down or suspicious like the idiots who taunt me in the dinner halls. The concerning part was his mention of political posturing. That tells me Eyra has been working to influence Leadership and the Guards against me. I push the distracting thoughts from my mind. It does not matter what Eyra does. By the time she gets enough support, I will be gone.

  Further down the corridor, I swipe my identification badge to enter the Electronics Department. The setup inside has been altered since the last time I was here. At the far end where there used to be a bare wall are stacks of equipment, ready to be shipped. I walk over and inspect the supplies intended for Caelum. There really is a lot of stuff here. While I stare at the equipment, the door to the nearby office opens. Hadwin steps out, motioning for me to come inside. The lack of his normal greeting warns me of his serious mood. He looks to have been expecting me and has something on his mind.

  Chapter 21

  I follow Hadwin into his office, curious to see what weighs upon him. For a while he simply stares at me, as if he expects something.

  “So?” he finally asks.

  “So what?” I ask, confused by his behavior.

  “When are we going to save Talia?” he asks.

  My eyes narrow. “Apparently you can read my mind. But this is not a simple rescue mission. I’m gonna attack them no matter what happens with Talia. You don’t have to go, but I would be grateful if you did.”

  “I didn’t read your mind. Sayda knew from the moment we saw that video you were going to go get her. She’s been impatiently waiting for you to ask for help,” he explains. “And don’t even think of not asking her to go, or we’ll both suffer the consequences.”

  “Thank you,” I tell him with a pat on the shoulder. “I was wondering, when does that shipment go out?”

  “Tomorrow morning, why?” he asks.

  “Because of where it’s going,” I tell him.

  Hadwin does not look optimistic about the thought of following the equipment to Caelum. Still, he knows as well as I do this will be our best chance to get in undetected. If we can pull that off, we may have a fighting chance.

  “We’re going to sneak in and break Talia out of their Detention Center. After that, I have an idea that’ll give us enough leverage to force the Controller to negotiate with me. I need to finish setting things up. Can you tell Sayda we leave with the shipment tomorrow for me?” I ask on my way out of his office.

  “Done,” he says before cracking a smile. “And don’t forget to pack your hemorrhoid cream. I don’t want to hear you complaining the entire time.”

  A small grin penetrates my rigid exterior. Hadwin always had a way of making me feel better. I go back up to the upper levels to work out the details in the privacy of Talia’s office. The question I wrestle with now is just how many people to risk bringing. More people would be useful, but with higher numbers comes a greater chance of being noticed before I am ready.

  *

  Later that night, a knock on the door disturbs my work. Instead of one of my friends, Eyra and her lackey, Zann, are waiting on the other side of the door. Both of them wear annoyingly smug grins.

  “What do you two want? I’m busy,” I say with an aggravated grumble.

  “We’ve called an emergency Leadership meeting,” Eyra says, nearly singing the words out of joy. “Everyone is gathering now. You need to come with us.”

  The reason she has personally come to get me is obvious. Eyra wants the others to see her walk me in like I were a child she was reprimanding. I will not allow her the pleasure of doing so, and really, I do not have the time or patience to indulge her game. Eyra stands with her hands on her hips, waiting for me to come out. Instead, I close the door in her face.

  Her bewildered look entertains me even though this situation has become quite troublesome. I did not expect her to garner enough support to arrange the meeting so soon. In the end I do not care. Whatever they decide in their useless meeting will not stop me from doing what needs to be done. Even if Eyra manages to get temporary control of Leadership, she has no idea of what my plan is. By the time she figures anything out, it will already be too late. More importantly, Seonah will make sure even if Eyra tries, no communications ever reach Caelum.

  Back in Talia’s office, I use the new function on my Coden to send out instructions for Hadwin, Sayda, and Arluin. Such communication was never allowed outside of Leadership in the past, but now we are no longer bound by Caelum’s rules.

  Before I put my Coden down for the night, I receive two messages. Both Rylan and Wakil’s contact in Caelum are ready and willing to proceed. With everything arranged, I retreat to my bed, ready for the nearly impossible task of clearing my mind enough to fall asleep. My hand finds its way to the other side of the bed, feeling the cold void left by Talia’s absence. Every time I think about her, a searing blade of anger and guilt plunges through my chest. Just the thought of what they could be doing to her right now tortures me.

  The only thing that helps at all is my determination to make sure they will not have her much longer. Tomorrow, the final game between me and the Controller begins. When this game is over, Caelum’s enduring power will be broken. The only question is whether Securus will escape their oppression through freedom or death. The way I feel right now, either way works for me.

  *

  Before my alert sounds, a rapid pounding at the door wakes me. I jump to my feet and pause a moment before going to see who disturbs me so early. On the other side of the door waits Arluin, gasping for air and clearly agitated.

  “What’s going on?” I ask, concerned by the timing of his arrival.

  “We have to go now,” he blurts out. “Eyra has taken over Leadership. She’s calling for you to be put in the Detention Center.”

  Arluin comes inside to explain while I hurriedly get dressed. I never thought she would go this far. Eyra is forceful and obviously seeks to gain power, but inviting me to the Detention Center goes beyond that. This type of action reeks of something an Agent of Guidance would do.

  “How did you find out?” I ask.

  “Sayda came down to tell me,” he answers. “She said to get you and meet up in electronics.”

  The second I am dressed, we exit my quarters. We first stop inside the announcement office. Before we leave, I need to disable the communicator to Caelum. This is the only link Seonah does not have control of. They will be able to repair the connection eventually, but it will take a few days to manufacture the needed parts. With that sabotaged, I turn on the security feeds. Before running through Securus, I want to know what we are getting into. The screens expose a group of Guards gathering in the main Leadership corridor, waiting for me to come out.

  “How are we supposed to get past them?” Arluin asks.

  I do not have an answer. There is no other exit from here. We could attempt to fight our way out, but even if we somehow made managed to do so, the struggle would take a significant toll on our bodies, crippling any chance of success in Caelum. As we stare at the screen, another man comes to join the group of Guards. Apparently, they are not going to wait for us after all. The new arrival holds up something to the identification reader next to the door. The entry to my private hallway opens. The Guards pour inside, coming for us. I guess these ones do not share the same loyalty as the one I spoke to last night.

  We have no
where to hide. From here, we hear them yelling for me as they enter my quarters, and their confusion when only finding an empty room. Footsteps pace down the hallway as the Guards continue their search. Only Talia, Cyrina, and I have access to this room, so they cannot get to us in here. We stay quiet, hoping they will move on. After a few more minutes, the group of men retreats into the main corridor. They run to the stairwell, going to search elsewhere. The most likely place for them to go is to my old quarters. This could give us a fleeting chance to escape.

  We open the door and run down the hallway, only to find two Guards have stayed inside this hallway. They have their weapons ready, blocking our path. How could I have been so careless? All I had to do was count the number of Guards. The two men cautiously approach us.

  “Why are they lowering their guns?” Arluin whispers to me.

  Maybe I was wrong about their loyalty. When seeing the face of the Guard on the right, a wave of relief flows through me.

  “Kagen, we don’t have much time,” the Guard says. He is the same man who offered me his support yesterday. “They ordered us to put you in the Detention Center.”

  “What do you intend to do?” I ask, still wary of the situation.

  “Whatever you ask of us,” he says resolutely. “We can go through with those orders, or we can forcefully restore order with you and Talia in charge again. We don’t know how Eyra gained control, but we’ll fight for you.”

  “I appreciate that,” I tell them. “But there may be another way.”

  They both look at me, clearly confused. “What else could we do?”

  “Pretend you never saw us,” I tell him. “If I get to the Electronics Department, they’ll never find me.”

  “You can’t hide forever,” the Guard says. “Securus isn’t that big.”

  “Exactly,” I tell him. “I won’t be in Securus for long. I have a plan to free us from Caelum, but I have to get out of Securus first.”