Awakening

by J. E. Swift

  Monroe leaned out the door. He knew his wife was nearby. “April, can you bring us two scotches please?”

  Monroe sat back down in the seat he was in, letting the gravity of everything that was occurring hit him. His beautiful wife of twenty years, April, walked in bearing two crystal glasses. She handed on to each of them. Monroe gave her a small kiss. She was his sanity. “Thank you.”

  “Anytime. Everything okay?” She gave him a look that she knew something major was occurring.

  “Business as usual, I’m afraid. April, I don’t believe you have had the pleasure of meeting Declan McPherson yet.”

  “Not yet.” She had met Declan’s father on several occasions, but never his son. She reached out her hand to shake his. “A pleasure, Declan. Monroe has told me a lot about you over these past few years.”

  “Good things, I hope.”

  “Always. Anyway, I will let both of you get back to business. Just holler if you need anything.”

  “Thank you, sweetheart.”

  Declan quickly downed his scotch and set it on the table next to him. “Thank you. Your wife seems lovely.”

  “She is. Best thing that ever happened to me. If it wasn’t for her, this job would have eaten me alive years ago. Remember that, Declan. A good woman will keep you going, even when you don’t think you can go anymore. It’s not always about the job.” He wasn’t sure that Declan fully comprehended that.

  Declan paused, a far off look in his eyes, as if he was contemplating something serious. He finally just gave a curt nod in response.

  Monroe picked up the document that sat next to him. Although it could only have been fifty pages or so, the weight that it bore on Monroe was heavy. “Let’s go over some of the finer points of this document.”

  Tomorrow was going to be a very long day.

  Chapter 33

  “The Trust got approval for the permit in Wyoming to build.”

  “The new firewalls installed in the Georgia network will be up and running by nine am Eastern Standard Time.”

  “Gavin Beiber would like to meet with you in person. He is asking that you fly to Germany this round. Shall I confirm and set up a time?”

  “I’ve been thinking it over and I believe that Teresa Notting would be a better choice to head the mentoring center than Ilene Cavanaugh. We should move Teresa to the top of the candidates.”

  “Dad, get some sleep.”

  Jonathan rubbed his temples wearily. People had been going non-stop for three weeks straight in his head. He was lucky if he was managing three hours of sleep a night; he was finally beginning to believe his son when he insisted that Jonathan couldn’t keep up this pace anymore.

  He closed off his mind; enjoying the instant silence that action afforded him. He now listened only to the steady ticking of the grandfather clock in the corner of his home office. Jonathan sadly noted that the clock confirmed that it was one thirty in the morning; he had hoped to be in bed by midnight.

  Jonathan looked at the laptop in front of him, catching up on the few items that he had not already talked about this evening. The policing unit that the Trust was establishing was almost completed. The final candidates list was posted in front of him. Jonathan already knew that he wanted to entrust Kent DiMartino to the job; others had concerns about the appointment, citing his recent stay with the Cine Tofa. Jonathan actually thought that it was an asset. His internal experience with them gave him a special insight to how they worked. His time with the Inquisitors, while rough, did not impact him the way it did some of the others that had been subjected to them. He is sure that this list is what Gavin wanted to discuss with him. He found it frustrating that the Head of Household refused to communicate telepathically.

  Three new mentoring centers were already starting construction, a move that pleased him greatly. He was not sure how the general Actual population would take to the change. The mentor/student relationship had been in place for decades, with an emphasis on one on one teaching. Soon there would be more new Actuals than seasoned ones, and the dynamic would fall apart. Setting up mentoring schools would allow one Actual to teach twenty or thirty at a time, acting as a Mentor to all. He did not think it ideal by any means, but certainly necessary. Hopefully, with Declan’s new teaching methods incorporated, the Trust would be better off.

  Reports from across the globe sat in front of him, regarding different changes that were to occur. To say he was surprised when the Heads of Household came to a unanimous agreement that there would need to be unprecedented change for the Trust to survive was an understatement. Sometimes it had seemed as of late that Jonah Pasquino and himself were on one side as the Americans, and the European faction were on another altogether.

  But now, they were all adopting identical models. Jonathan couldn’t help but wonder what the future of the Trust would be.

  He wrote some additional notes on his computer before closing his laptop shut. If he went to bed now, he may actually be able to get four hours of sleep tonight. He stood up, and began to walk out the door to head upstairs, when he heard the buzzing of his cell phone.

  He stopped, and looked up mournfully at the staircase leading to his bedroom before reaching in his pocket for the phone. Whatever it was must be important; people knew when he was blocking himself that they should not disturb him. He peered at the screen to see who was calling.

  “Hello, Kent.”

  “We have him, Jonathan.”

  Any signs of exhaustion quickly dissipated. There was no need for DiMartino to elaborate further on who ‘him’ referred to. “When?”

  “We caught him about an hour ago. It wasn’t easy.”

  “How many?”

  Kent paused on the phone. “We lost three. Lionel is as strong as Declan reported, stronger than we ever gave him credit for. I was afraid for a moment there that he was going to get away.”

  “Is he contained?”

  “Yes. We have five Inquisitors watching him now, two at a time on him. We are able to stop him from teleporting, but there are certain blocks of his that we cannot breach that are preventing us from digging deeper and taking total control.”

  That did not surprise Jonathan. He always had a feeling that Lionel was more advanced than he made it appear to the outside observer. “Where is he?”

  “He is currently on his way to the Utah facility.”

  “When will he arrive there?”

  “We should be there in less than an hour.”

  “I will meet you there.”

  “Alright.” Kent did not even question how that would be possible. “Jonathan?”

  “Yes?”

  “He is fucking pissed.”

  “I bet.” Jonathan heard the phone line go dead. His mind raced with the news that Lionel was in the Trust’s hands again. They made it a priority to capture him, bring him to justice for his treason. It could not have been better timing. Tomorrow the news would be out that the treaty was no longer in effect, and now they could add the news that Lionel was captured.

  The Tribunal would be pleased with this. They had originally wanted to use Declan and Caitlyn Young as bait, insisting that it would be the only way that they could distract him long enough to capture him, a request that Jonathan flat out refused. It was a dangerous task; he was being selfish and did not want his son subjected to anything else involving that man. He was also quite certain that there was no way that his son, who he was sure was in love with his student, would allow Caitlyn to go without him.

  As it was, Jonathan has been more than angry when he received word of Lionel’s betrayal. Jonathan had been no stranger to disloyalty, but this particular one stung deeply. Over the years, Jonathan not only considered Lionel his closest confidant; but he was considered his best friend and more importantly, part of the family. Lionel had been there for him when his wife passed away, consoling him, making him believe that it would be alright. He was at almost every family gathering, every Thanksgiving, every Christmas, and every birthday. Jonathan was
thrilled when the Council and Tribunal granted his wish to make Lionel Declan’s mentor; he could not have imagined a better person to teach him.

  But as hurt as he was at Lionel; he knew that Declan felt the betrayal much deeper than he ever could. Declan did not have faith in many people either; it was a trait that Jonathan had installed in him he was afraid. He knew Declan considered Lionel even more than a mentor at times, he considered him a second father, seeking advice. Jonathan saw Declan clearly struggling with coming to terms with what Lionel did.

  It was why Jonathan had never even told him that the Tribunal made the decision to go after him. It was top secret, only a handful of people were in on the mission. If Declan had been told, well, he would have insisted on being involved and would have not taken no for an answer. So instead, he focused his son on the dissolution of the Treaty of 1989. It was a task that Declan was definitely more than capable of doing, more so, he was most likely the best Actual for the job. It has the added bonus of keeping him so busy that he could not even think about going after Lionel.

  Jonathan went to the bathroom, splashing some water on his face to keep himself awake. He reached out for Caitlyn Young, not surprised when her block was up in her sleep. He called out to his administrative assistant and obtained the student’s cell phone number.

  The phone rang three times before a groggy Caitlyn answered. “Hello?”

  “Caitlyn, it’s Jonathan McPherson. I’m sorry for calling so late at night. I need to ask a favor. Can you meet me at my house in five minutes?”

  Caitlyn arrived two minutes later in his living room. Her hair was pulled back and it was apparent that she had quickly dressed. “Hello, Councilman McPherson.”

  Jonathan smiled at her as she discreetly tried to suppress a yawn. “Please, just call me Jonathan.”

  “Thank you. What can I do for you, Jonathan?”

  “Well, I am in need of your special talents. What I am about to tell you is highly confidential. Is that clear?”

  She stood a little straighter. “Absolutely. May I ask what is going on?”

  The Councilman leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. “We captured Lionel a little less than an hour ago and I need to get to our Utah facility as quickly as possible to assess the situation.”

  “Of course, I will bring you there. Will Declan be meeting us?”

  “No.” Jonathan paused. “Caitlyn, he is not to know until I can verify that Lionel truly is contained for myself. Declan…” he struggled to find the right words.

  Caitlyn looked at him with understanding in her eyes. “Declan would go after him immediately if he knew. And if Lionel still has his abilities, then Declan could get hurt. But aren’t you putting yourself in just as much danger?”

  “Better me than him. Besides, I know Lionel better than even Declan does.”

  He could tell that she was conflicted about keeping this a secret from his son. He admired that about her; it was a shame that Declan did not pursue her romantically. She would have been an ideal companion for him, just as Declan’s mother was for him. “Okay. I’ve never been to the Utah facility, so you are going to need to describe it to me to make sure we land where you would like us to.”

  “Certainly.” Jonathan began going into detail, with Caitlyn asking questions here and there to get a better sense of where she was transporting. He was impressed with her questions, they were very specific and he could tell that she had been studying the different facility layouts within the Trust that were available at her security clearance.

  After a few minutes of questioning, she stopped. “I think I got it. Now, I am going to hold on to your arm. Try and clear your mind as much as possible, because it makes it easier for me to transport. We will be there in no time.”

  Jonathan did as he was told and he felt Caitlyn’s hand grab onto his bicep. His muscles tensed, unsure what to expect during transportation. His body then shifted; it was as if he were free. Before he could consciously think another thought, his body grounded. He was standing outside of the Utah facility. The Descendant glanced briefly over at the girl.

  “Pretty cool, huh?” His mode of transportation joked.

  Jonathan couldn’t keep the awe out of his voice and for the first time, he was jealous of his son and of her. “Once word gets out about your ability, you are going to have every Councilman and Descendant asking for your assistance.”

  She smiled but shook her head. “No thanks. I would rather not be a glorified taxi cab driver.”

  A voice interrupted before he could respond. “So this is how you got here! I was wondering how the hell you were getting from Salem to Utah in less than an hour.”

  Jonathan and Caitlyn turned to see a large figure stride over to them purposefully, a lit cigarette hanging from his lips. Jonathan turned to the well-built man. “Kent. Good to see you again. Caitlyn, may I introduce Kent DiMartino. Kent, this is Caitlyn Young.”

  Kent took a deep drag of his cigarette before throwing it to the ground. “Caitlyn, that is one mighty nice talent you got there.”

  “Thank you.”

  “So I take it you are ready to see the bastard, Jonathan?” Kent looked at him expectantly.

  Jonathan clenched his jaw. “I would say that I am more than ready at this point.”

  Kent turned and began to walk towards the building. “Very good. Follow me then.” He reached for the door and paused, looking straight at Declan’s student. “Come inside, but come no further than the inside of the door. I would prefer if he did not know you were here.”

  Caitlyn looked at him surprised. “Why?”

  “Jonathan and the Tribunal filled me in on the report of what happened several weeks ago when they sent me on this mission. I would imagine that he is fairly pissed at you and Declan at the moment.”

  They walked inside and she did as she was asked, standing just to the side, not moving any further. Then Jonathan and Kent walked through a second pair of double doors that led to the containment facility. While he was only vaguely familiar with the layout, Kent walked around it with complete expertise having been here many times. The facility was dark and uninviting intentionally, and Jonathan was glad that he did not have a lot of occasion to come here.

  DiMartino led them through several security checkpoints before finally arriving at a set of doors that had three men in front of it. “Harrison, will you please open the door. Lionel Whitman has a visitor.”

  Harrison bowed his head at Jonathan in respect before doing as he was asked. Jonathan walked through the door, the others remaining behind. He listened as the door slammed loudly behind him. Jonathans heavy footsteps echoed down the long room, his eyes holding fast on the light at the end, where a man sat bound to a chair, with an Inquisitor standing on each side of him, a hand clasped on a shoulder.

  As he neared, he noticed that his former best friend’s head hung lowly, his hair drenched in sweat. Jonathan stopped directly in front of him, the room encased in silence. He stared at the pathetic figure in front of him before turning his attention to the Inquisitors.

  “Has he moved or said anything since being captured?”

  Jonathan did not recognize the balding man who spoke. “No sir. Not since we arrived here at least. He was shouting and cursing on the ride here, but the moment we walked through the building, he clammed right up.”

  “Thank you.” Jonathan needed to make sure that he was really controlled. Lionel was brilliant; it would not surprise him if Lionel let himself get captured again. He talked directly to the traitor. “Speak.”

  Lionel’s head stayed down.

  He looked at the Inquisitor again. “Has he reacted to physical stimuli?”

  “We were specifically ordered not to harm him physically, Councilman.”

  “I see. Well, maybe we should test him. Waterboarding, perhaps? Unless of course, he would like to talk.” Jonathan made sure that his voice clearly indicated that he was not joking and he was positive that Lionel was very much aware of that. “Sp
eak.”

  The man slowly lifted his head, a sinister grin playing on his lips. “Hello, Jonathan.”

  Jonathan raised an eyebrow. “Is that all you have to say? Hello? Surely, Lionel, you should have more to say to me than that.”

  “Oh trust me. I have plenty that I want to say to you.”

  The Councilman smirked. It was amazing how quickly he went from loving this man like a brother to loathing him. “Well, you will have plenty of time to say it. It is not like you are going anywhere.”

  Lionel laughed. “You think you are going to hold me long?”

  Jonathan leaned down to his ear, his voice dripping with hate. “Oh, I know we are. We are going to hold you in Trust custody until you are nothing left but a bag of bones.”

  His former friend looked around casually as if he did not hear what Jonathan had just told him. “It’s only a matter of time till I escape. You have two Inquisitors on me and they can only prevent me from teleporting and communicating telepathically. At some point, they are going to wear down and then I can leave.”

  He waived the man off. He knew himself and DiMartino would make certain that particular scenario never occurred. “So Lionel, tell me… how is Nathaniel these days?”

  “Nathaniel is fine, although he is not going to be pleased by this latest turn of events.”

  “Nathaniel is not going to be happy about a lot of things, and I think you being captured is the least of them.”

  Lionel eyed him cryptically. “What does that mean?”

  Jonathan shook his head. “Nothing at all.”

  Lionel jostled in his restraints. Jonathan smiled, pleased to have gotten a reaction out of him. “Jonathan, what the fuck does that mean?”