The Seat of Power (The Securus Trilogy Book 3)

by Anthony Maldonado

  “Kagen, you disappointed me for a moment there,” he says while cleaning the blood splatter from his hands. “I thought when you found the knife I left you, killing the Patron would be the first thing you did.”

  I should have known finding a knife perfectly sized for the hidden compartment within my belt was too fortuitous. My mind flashes back to the puzzling look on his face when he left Talia and me with the Patron. Now it makes sense. He knew the Patron intended to use me against him, so he was returning the favor. The Controller provided me with a weapon and the detonator in order to push me into action. Only, the person I truly wanted to kill is the one sitting across from us right now, not the ones lying on the floor. Apparently, this was all part of the game he continues to play with me.

  “Now you understand, don’t you?” he asks. “This was all by design. We suspected that thing was some sort of remote, so we deactivated it immediately. I knew you would never trust the remote if you found it yourself. So we spoke loud enough for Talia to learn its importance, and then left the device where she could get her hands on it.”

  “So now you take his place as the Patron of Leadership, right?” Talia says. “Then what becomes of us?”

  “It seems you’ve outlived you usefulness,” he says.

  “Not to me, they haven’t,” Malin says. His feet are unsteady, but he manages to stand upright. “I would love to take them both to The Pit.”

  “If the new council sees fit, that can be arranged,” Braeden tells Malin before turning back to us. “I must admit to some curiosity with you two. No occupant has ever come close to what you’ve done. Of course, as I warned you, your attempts proved futile. The enduring power of Caelum cannot be escaped.”

  “I’m tired of your lectures,” I snap at him. “Get to the point already.”

  “What’s your hurry? I would think you’d want to savor the last moments you have with Talia,” Braeden replies sharply. “And make no mistake, these are your last moments together. When the council learns you killed the Patron, there’s only one possible fate for you, Kagen. Malin will have his wish granted as soon as we’re through.”

  Malin shows a broad smile when hearing Braeden’s words. He finally has permission to kill me in a place where there will be no distractions. With our history, he will not let my death be quick or merciful.

  “If you tell me what this remote was intended for, I will give you a few minutes alone with Talia before Malin takes you away,” Braeden tells me. “I assume you’ve placed some sort of explosives in our city, correct? Where are they?”

  “Reactivate the detonator, and I’ll show you exactly what we’ve brought,” I reply.

  “Your refusal to cooperate is of little consequence. Whatever you’ve brought with you, we will find and discard it.” He shrugs.

  Talia rests her forehead on mine, knowing we have no way out of this. My mind has been furiously searching for another plan, but our situation has become beyond redemption.

  “I’ll tell you what, Kagen. Before you die, I’ll give you a choice,” Braeden says, flashing a rare smile.

  The contortion of his face looks unnatural and even seems to cause him pain. The break from his callous façade is the most ominous thing I have ever seen. I do not want to know what choice could be devious enough to elicit a smile from this hollow man.

  “Don’t play his games,” Talia whispers, turning my head to look in her eyes.

  “Anything for you my angel,” I say, giving her one last kiss.

  “How touching,” Braeden says while moving over to the control panel. “But this game may interest you, since Talia’s life is at stake.”

  His words command my attention. I tear myself from Talia to see what he is doing. “Does that mean you would consider sparing her?”

  “Her life is in your hands,” he replies. “You see, there needs to be a clear punishment for what you’ve done. To be honest, your death alone will not suffice. So, I’ll allow you to choose what the remaining disciplinary action will be. You must choose between Talia and Securus. I will permit only one of the two to live. You get to decide which one dies. And don’t even bother refusing to participate. If you do, my leniency will end and they both die.”

  Talia’s eye open wide. Without her saying a word, I know what she wants me to say. She has always done everything for our people and is more than willing to sacrifice herself to save them. I have to turn away from her expectant stare because what she wants is the one thing I am not willing to do for her. Talia means everything to me. Even if I live for only a few more minutes, I cannot see her die.

  I need to save Talia, but among the thousands of lives in Securus to be sacrificed is my own mother. No matter what I choose, I will lose this game. That is exactly what Braeden wants. He wants to destroy every bit of me before allowing me to draw my last breath.

  In the midst of my torment, a faint glimmer of hope comes from the corners of my memory. If Braeden plans on doing what I think he is, there could be another way.

  “If I choose for Talia to be spared, what would you do with the people of Securus?” I ask, hoping he intends to follow the Methods of Guidance Protocols.

  “Kagen, you can’t do that. My life isn’t worth thousands of people,” Talia protests.

  Her outburst amuses Braeden. Making our last moments together as miserable as possible gives him pleasure.

  “Like I told you once before, all I have to do is press a button and Securus will be no more,” Braeden says, letting his hand hover over the control panel.

  That is exactly what I wanted him to say. That button sends a signal through a satellite to activate the poison boxes he thinks are spread throughout our facility. The only problem is I am not absolutely sure we removed all of them. Pressing that button will kill Caelum, but could also destroy Securus as well. That is the exact reason I insisted on a limited range for our remote in the first place. I think of all the people’s lives in my hands. I try to remember the good people, but their faces are blurred in my mind, becoming replaced by Eyra, Aamon, Cale and all the others whose actions have been eating away at Securus from the inside. They remind me that without Talia, Securus is already lost. Even with the very real risk of releasing The Agent into Securus, there is only one choice I can make.

  I stand up and walk over to look into Braeden’s soulless eyes. “I choose Talia.”

  “No,” Talia gasps when hearing my words.

  “I thought you would say that. Of course, there’s one stipulation to add. You must press the button yourself. If you want Talia to live, you must kill everyone in Securus yourself,” Braeden says.

  I should have known. Not only does he want to destroy me, he intends to ruin my memory in Talia by making her see the blood on my hands. Reminding us what is at stake, he turns on a security feed from inside Securus. On the screen we see people going about their daily duties, unaware of the fate hanging over them. One way or another, Braeden will break us both. From the look in Talia’s eyes, his plan is working. The caring eyes that have guided and lent me strength now plead with me to stop. Her tears beg of me to change my mind.

  “Okay, I’ll do it,” I tell him, stepping toward the panel.

  Seeing the way Talia looks at me now breaks my heart. Through all of this, I have been bloodied, beaten, and abused by so many people. Nothing they have done compares to this. The pain from seeing disappointment in Talia’s eyes is more than I can bear. My knees buckle and my body threatens to shut down.

  Pushing this button could kill everyone, but it will also sever Caelum’s enduring power from us and the other two colonies. This is our only real chance at anything more than being pawns in the Controller’s game. I only hope whether this works or not, Talia can find it in her heart to forgive me.

  Braeden activates a switch causing a hidden panel to emerge. He enters in his code and waits to see if I am really going to follow through. The screen before me is a simple one, with a single question scrolled out across it.

  Would
you like to activate elimination protocol as described in the Methods of Guidance for colony: Securus?

  “Just touch the screen there,” Braeden urges me on, pointing to the electronic button marked yes.

  My hand trembles as it reaches for the button. Talia screams out for me to stop. She falls to the floor in tears when my finger touches the screen.

  “I didn’t think you actually had it in you,” Braeden says as I slump over.

  “Talia, please forgive me,” I say, unable to look her in the eye.

  “I—I can’t,” her broken reply seeps through her sobs.

  My heart feels like it explodes from hearing the anguish in her voice. Even the ground beneath me shakes from my pain. It is not until Braeden steadies himself on the table and looks to Malin that I realize the ground actually did shake. My eyes find their way to the security feed from Securus. My last hope at redemption is crushed by the sight of a room with multiple people falling to the floor, grabbing at their throats. We did not get all the boxes.

  “What was that?” Braeden asks Malin.

  “That was Methods of Guidance Protocol number seven,” I tell him. At least we will take Caelum along with us to our deaths. If it were not for what Talia must think of me now, I would revel in the bewilderment covering Braeden’s face.

  “What did you do?” he demands.

  “Exactly what you did to me. I’ve destroyed everything you love,” I tell him, returning his wicked grin even though there is nothing but pain left in me.

  For once, the Controller is at a loss for words. He cannot believe what happened and neither can I. After Braeden first came to Securus, I knew there was only one way to end his tyranny. At least I managed to survive long enough to see it through. Even if Braden kills me right now, Caelum is no more, and he knows I am responsible. More than that, so does Talia. Securus may have died along with Caelum, but if Sayda and Arluin are still alive, they may be able to salvage some good from our sacrifice. With Caelum’s enduring power erased, they can free the other two colonies.

  Talia looks up long enough to check the security feeds from Securus. When seeing the dying people her head falls back down. I watch as Braeden stands in place, his eyes darting all around. With the beating I have taken, it would be impossible to overpower him. So I stay still, hoping for a chance to get his gun while he remains distracted. Malin is clearly skeptical of my words and goes to open the door until Braeden stops him.

  “If he’s telling the truth, this is the safest place to be. This room is fortified. They cannot blow it up and it has its own air filtration system,” Braeden warns.

  “Then how are we supposed to find out if he’s lying? There aren’t any security cameras in Caelum for us to see,” Malin replies, throwing his hands in the air out of exacerbation.

  “That’s not entirely true,” Braeden says, turning back to the control panel.

  He enters another code onto the previously hidden panel and the display splits into multiple views. On it we see the lobbies of the glass towers, the two parks, the sports arena, and the lobby to the Leadership Palace. In each area, natives thrash about on the floor.

  “You fool!” Braeden shouts at me.

  “What? You were gonna kill us all anyway. Good thing you and the Patron were so busy scheming against each other you didn’t recognize the real threat. I never once believed either of you would let any of us live. The standing or incumbent Patron of Leadership could never show that kind of weakness to the rest of you vultures,” I say.

  “I’ll show you weakness,” Braeden replies, holding up Malin’s gun.

  Before he pulls the trigger, the outer door opens. He watches in disbelief as a group of people dressed in the bland uniforms of Caelum’s laborers enters the room wearing respirators. They are all heavily armed, with Sayda leading the way. Malin does not have a chance to move before she shoots him twice in the chest. As he falls to the floor, Arluin runs to Talia with a spare respirator and weapon for her. With Talia safe, I drop to my knees. My mission is complete. Nothing else matters.

  Braeden returns fire on the group of laborers. His movements appear wild, but the shots are well placed. Each one takes down another worker. He wraps his arm around my neck, pulling me to my feet to use as a human shield.

  The others hold their fire and scurry to find cover. They know time is on their side. In a matter of seconds, The Agent will fill this room and Braeden will be dead. For me that is a problem since I will die along with him. Because of the damage Malin inflicted on me, I do not have the strength to escape his grasp. Don’t give up now. There’s one place where you don’t need much force to cripple him, the voice in the back of my mind reminds me.

  I step to the side and swing my elbow down to hit him between the legs. The vicious elbow weakens his grip enough for me to pull free. As soon as I do, Sayda and Talia both open fire. Their aim is true. Braeden falls back to the floor, gravely injured but not dead yet. He lifts Malin’s gun, aiming at Talia. With the accuracy he already showed, I cannot let him fire.

  I jump on him, trying to knock the gun out of his hand just as he pulls the trigger. The blast sears its way right through me, eventually hitting the far wall. He shoves me to the side and refocuses his aim. I grab my knife from his holster and use the last of my strength to jump back on Braeden, using my body’s weight to help sink the blade into his heart.

  “Two tyrants with the same knife. It’s kind of poetic, don’t you think?” I ask him as the life drains from his hollow eyes. Even now he does not show any fear. The emptiness that has consumed his life follows him to death.

  I no longer have the strength to balance myself. I slide down to the floor. My head tilts down far enough to see the gaping hole Malin’s gun left in me. That’s weird, it doesn’t really hurt, I think to myself. Instead of pain, a chill creeps into my core. I fight against the darkness enveloping me, though my struggle feels futile.

  Chapter 30 - Talia

  “No!” I hear myself shout while running to Kagen.

  How could I have ever doubted him? It was not until the others stormed in that I understood his plan. He never intended to kill our people at all. He was liberating them from Caelum once and for all. Now I may never get a chance to apologize for my mistake, to tell him I understand.

  My legs become glued to the floor when I see his wound. Braeden’s shot went through his lower abdomen, leaving an injury so severe I cannot bear to look at it. The gruesome sight does not last long because tears now blur my vision.

  “Oh, Kagen,” I manage to say while cradling his head in my arms.

  “I’m sorry, Talia,” Kagen says with a weak voice. “I didn’t…mean for this. I love you. Now…you’re free. There’s hope. I…believe in you.”

  Sayda kneels beside me holding a respirator for Kagen. If there is any chance to save him, we must keep The Agent away. Before she puts the mask on, I temporarily remove mine to give him a kiss.

  “We’re gonna get you out of here, Kagen,” I tell him, even though the strength in his eyes already begins to fade. “Where’s Hadwin?” I ask Sayda, wanting him near to help keep Kagen’s spirits up.

  “He–he didn’t make it,” she manages to answer before losing control of her voice.

  “I’m so sorry, Sayda,” I tell her, knowing how close they were. Hadwin was a unique man. I did not understand him at first, but after a while, he grew on me. Losing him hurts. Hopefully our losses will end there, I think to myself while looking back to Kagen.

  Arluin comes over with a medical kit. He packs Kagen’s wound and then covers it with a firm bandage. He tells his brother what he does, but Kagen has fallen unconscious. The laborers come to help us get out of here, but my body refuses to move. It feels like if I let Kagen out of my arms, I will lose him forever.

  “Can we get him to the infirmary?” I ask one of the laborers.

  “The entire place has been exposed to The Agent. We have to leave now,” he replies while forcing me to let go of Kagen.

  “
Kagen had me get this for you,” Arluin says, handing me a vial with a clear liquid inside.

  “What’s this?” I ask, confused by what could be so important at a time like this.

  “It’s the cure for the poison in our food,” Arluin says without any enthusiasm.

  I wipe my tears and take the vial. This is what we needed, but what good will a cure be if everyone is dead? The thought draws my eyes back to the security footage of Securus. The feed has changed from the corridor we saw before to one in the Solar Panel fields. I hear myself gasp from the sight of people streaming out of Securus. One by one they come out of the exit hatch, gathering in the fields. Thankfully, Securus is far enough away that the relatively smaller amount of The Agent released here will take some time to reach them.

  “Kagen,” I shout, even though he does not respond. “You did it. Our people are alive, and your brother got the cure we needed. We’re free.”

  Because of Kagen, we have finally reached what seemed to be an unobtainable goal. Despite our victory, I feel no joy in this moment. My heart has been imprisoned by Kagen’s injury. He has to make it. He must live.

  My sorrow is interrupted by a young boy. He pulls a woman, who appears to be his mother, behind him as he runs up to me.

  “You must be Talia,” he says through gasping breaths. Even through his mask, I see his watering eyes are filled with both pain and hope. “Kagen told me all about you. He said you were gonna free everyone once we saved you.”

  “He told you that?” I ask.

  “Yes, he said you were the soul of the people, and that you would lead us to a new life away from Caelum,” he says.

  “Please excuse Manav,” his mother interrupts. “We’ve never dared to believe in freedom until now. We’re all trying to process what happened and what’s to become of us.”