by Anne, Melody
“That is the smartest thing you’ve ever said, Falcon,” Jayden said, a semblance of a smile on his lips.
“I get it right once in a while,” Falcon replied.
“This is going to be a joy,” Phoenix said as she looked from one light force to the other.
“Don’t betray us,” Jayden warned Falcon.
“I have my soul back. I wouldn’t think of it,” Falcon assured them. “I’ll give you both time to talk.”
In a flash he disappeared.
“Do you trust him?” Phoenix asked.
“I don’t trust anyone except you,” he told her.
“That will change, my love,” she assured him.
He just smiled. Their journey wasn’t over yet. He was much better off being on guard, though.
Chapter Forty-Two
Johnathan
“Johnathan,” Jessica simpered, prodding at his arm to gain his attention. He slowly opened his eyes to quickly send a glare her way, swatting at the invading hands. “Pay attention to me you lazy bum!”
“What is so important that you need to risk my wrath again?” Johnathan snapped. He’d finally been getting a bit of rest.
“You know my plan is a good one. I should have included you in it, but you have to admit it’s solid and will have a good outcome,” Jessica said, sitting up and staring at him intently to try to gauge a reaction.
“And what makes you think you’re even capable of the task,” Johnathan asked, still not convinced. Did he want all of the underworld to roam free — to be out in the open where his sister was?
“I’m certainly not capable of the task. But you? The other followers? More than capable. The council has been in power long enough that they’ve become compliant in their position. They won’t be expecting or prepared for an attack, and we have enough force to easily overpower the lot of them.”
“I suppose you’re right,” Johnathan finally conceded. Jessica was the last person he would share his doubts with.
“Of course I’m right,” Jessica responded with a giggle. “We will take over the council, and then we will rule the universe. Everyone will bow down to our power.”
“Our power?” he said with a raise of his brows.
“Your power I meant,” she said with a giggle. He knew exactly what she meant.
“I wouldn’t mind that,” Johnathan said slowly. He did like the idea of being in power, but at what risk?
“Of course it’s nice. Only a few days left until revolution,” Jessica said. “We’ve got this.”
She attempted to snuggle up to him, and he pushed her away. Though he knew to keep her close right now, he didn’t want her that close. Not a chance.
He needed to figure out what his next step was going to be, because if he was thinking of fighting the council, he truly would be fighting his sister. Was he willing to go that far?
Chapter Forty-Three
Sadie
Sadie stared ahead in awe, shocked by how far they had come. She’d gone from a little girl who had always relied on help, and had clutched to her friends as an anchor, to this woman who literally traveled across a nation, working hard to find the strength to create change for their disastrous new world.
After several weeks of travel — thank goodness several vehicles were available to them — a couple more bases had been taken down and were now controlled by trusted people in the rebel group. They had finally made it to their final destination: Washington, D.C.
Drake had been adamant this was where the president would have remained. If they got their hands on this base, they would be able to shut down their leader and hopefully throw the enemy into a big enough loop to change the tides of the war.
“It’s the moment of truth,” Sadie murmured to Brian, staring ahead at the city that had once been the country’s capital.
She’d always wanted to visit it. See the big cities like New York, Boston, Seattle, and Washington, D.C., but she’d never imagined the visit would be like this. The city was more rundown than she’d imagined, although she wasn’t really surprised. It was as empty as any other place they’d visited throughout their journey.
“We take the White House, and we take this nation,” Brian confirmed, staring into the distance at the speck of white that was the large house all the presidents had resided in. They had come so far.
“I’m scared. So much can go wrong,” Sadie confided. She glanced at Brian, searching for reassurance. She needed to know everything would work out.
“It’s daunting, but the tides are in our favor. They aren’t prepared for an attack, not here. They don’t have scouts searching the streets. If we take them down, we gain control,” Brian promised, letting Sadie know his words weren’t empty. “Trust me, this is for the best. Imagine the future not just for us, but for everyone at the base camp and around the nation.”
“I trust you with my life,” she told him.
“Then let’s do this.”
The group cheered and moved forward. Whether it was toward salvation or their deaths, they would soon know.
None of them made a sound as they slipped through the shadows of the city until they were in front of the intimidating White House.
“This isn’t what I expected,” Brian whispered.
Sadie nodded, too scared of being heard to actually speak.
They crouched in the bushes and listened for hours. Waiting. They wouldn’t go in until it was dark, until they knew it was safe. Very soon their time would come.
Unlike most of the houses during the war, the White House was immaculate. The grass looked as though someone had taken the time to mow in the past few days. Every hedge within the property was perfectly trimmed, not a branch out of place. No vines crawled up the walls, and the paint on the building remained chip-free, and dust-free. It seemed that no expense or manpower were spared for the upkeep of the building.
It made Sadie’s blood boil. Entire families were being slaughtered by the thousands, innocent people were chased from their homes and sleeping in cold wet dirt, the entire nation was neglected, and this arrogant man lived in the lap of luxury, never needing or wanting for anything.
Brian turned to the group, signaling they were about to move. “Are you ready for this, Love? We will definitely need your power.”
“I’m more than ready to take down the dirtbag who lives here. How dare he sit on his throne while we all suffer? How dare he cause such mayhem in this nation? How dare he destroy my home?”
“We will make this right,” Brian responded.
He was just as angry, but he couldn’t afford to lose his cool. He needed to keep a level head and remain aware of his surroundings, to be a leader and keep those who relied on him safe.
Brian rubbed Sadie’s shoulder for a second before stepping forward, praying this wouldn’t be their last moment together.
“There’s an open window in the back,” Samantha whispered, stepping forward with her information. “I scouted the entire perimeter to see where we could enter. The doors are all guarded heavily.”
“Lead the way,” Brian responded. Samantha nodded and immediately headed toward the window she’d found. They stayed within the bushes and trees, avoiding the open expanse of the lawn until they absolutely had to cross it.
It was a short walk to the location. The window was wide open. It was high enough that some would need a boost, but low enough that if a person could do a pull-up, they could drag themselves into the room.
The arrogance of this new president would be his downfall.
Brian stepped forward to the window, followed by the group. Sadie glanced around, making sure no one was present, terrified with the possibility of discovery. They were so close now that to fail would be a tragedy. In the open they were sitting ducks. They needed shelter.
Once inside, she would regain her confidence. Drake had given them a map of the layout of the palatial house, so at least they weren’t going to be lost. Brian had memorized the map.
Without wasting a second, Brian jumped up, grasped the ledge and pulled himself in. He glanced inside the room, making sure it was clear before allowing any others inside. The room was a lavish office.
A cozy chair sat in the corner next to a large wooden desk. A map of the world hung framed against one wall, while a few documents were framed on another, and in the corner stood a bookshelf filled to the brim, mostly encyclopedias from what Brian could glimpse in his quick perusal of the room.
Having wasted too much time searching of the room, he hurried to the door and pressed his ear against the cold wood. Listening for a moment, he was satisfied that no one was nearby and hurried to the window.
Brian reached down and helped pull everyone in. He worked steadily, until each individual was safely encased in the office.
Sadie grasped Brian’s hand, and they moved to the door as one. He hadn’t wanted her up front with him. It would be safer for her in the back, buried in the crowd. But Sadie, of course, wasn’t a fan of that idea.
She argued that her power would be needed, and she had to be in a position to use it. She’d won the argument.
“Are you ready for this?” Sadie asked quietly.
“As I’ll ever be,” Brian answered, staring at the doorway as though it would bite him. Who knew what was on the other side?
“It’s too late to turn back now,” Sadie murmured.
“We have much to gain. I don’t want to turn back. Our future together is my one and only goal,” Brian promised. He looked forward, having gained a new resolve. “Get ready,” Brian whispered a bit loudly, hoping everyone could hear him, yet still trying to avoid any detection by outside parties that might be out and about in the building.
“I’ve been ready for this moment since the war started,” Samantha replied with a grin. She couldn’t wait to make the man who had created this wasteland pay. He wouldn’t get away with hurting all of these people. He would suffer the consequences of his crimes.
Opening the door, they crept through the hallways, slipping inside doors and clearing the space.
“This man truly thinks he’s untouchable,” Samantha whispered, rage clear in her tone.
“I don’t understand the lack of guards,” Sadie replied.
“My informant said he does some . . . let’s just say, less than ethical things inside this place, and he doesn’t want witnesses to it, so all the guards are on the outside. He is that cocky to think he’s already beaten us down and we won’t fight back,” Samantha told the group.
“What could he possibly do that he wouldn’t want those most loyal to him to see?” Sadie asked.
“I’m not going to be the one to shatter your innocence,” Samantha said with a shake of her head.
Sadie was confused, but she’d learned in her years of fighting not to question something when a person told her she was better off not knowing.
The team split to search the huge house faster, and then it was just Sadie, Brian, and Samantha who approached the room where they heard screaming.
They looked at each other and had no doubt this was where they were supposed to be.
“Should we radio the rest of the team?” Sadie asked.
“Oh no. He’s mine,” Samantha said, darkness creeping into her eyes that frightened Sadie the smallest bit.
“Okay. We’re your backup,” Brian immediately said.
He understood, although Sadie didn’t fully get it.
They slowly opened the door and Sadie had a hard time not gasping at what she saw before her.
Women!
There were many women, some young girls, tied up in the room.
One looked over, her eyes widening as the group crept inside, the president’s back to them. Sadie put her finger to her lips to make sure the girls didn’t give them away.
Dozens of women were tied up in different ways, being tortured, abused, and looking malnourished. The president was whipping one of the women while she was suspended from the ceiling. It must have been her cries that alerted them to where they were located.
“What a pleasure to meet you, Mr. President,” Sadie said with venom. His body went still before he spun around. His look of surprise morphed into one of shock and fear, as he noticed the weapons in their hands.
He scanned the room, they were sure, to find an exit strategy. There wasn’t one for this piece of scum.
“Help us, please,” one woman cried out.
“Shut up!” the man thundered, taking his eyes off them momentarily to glare at the woman who dared speak up.
“You are the one who should be very quiet right now,” Samantha told him.
As they stood there, more from their group found them, and the president shifted on his feet as his enemies grew in numbers.
“You aren’t exactly who I thought you’d be,” Sadie sneered. “As a former VP, and now our supposed president I always thought you’d be far more awe-inspiring. That couldn’t be further from the truth.”
He was obviously pissed at her words, especially coming from a woman, so Sadie smirked at him to add more insult.
He was a below average human, if anything. While people in the streets were starving, he looked like he’d been getting enough for five to eat. Apparently fitness wasn’t part of his daily routine, something survivors had learned to incorporate into their daily life if only to live to see another day.
His eyes were squinty. He reminded her of a bottom-feeder rat. He definitely stirred up the same feelings of disgust rodents inspired. He was wearing boxers, his belly hanging out, thinking he was a king. They were there to take his crown.
“How did you get past security?” he finally gasped, obviously stalling for time. His eyes went to his phone as if deciding whether to make a jump for it or not.
“Your phone lines have been cut,” Brian said with a grin, as soon as he noticed where the president’s gaze had wandered. Brian stepped forward. “The guards at this base have been captured and secured. There’s no help for you, and no hope for continuation of this regime. We are taking back our country.”
“You won’t accomplish it! My men will come for me, and they’ll destroy you in the process,” he blustered, taking another step back.
“Soon enough there won’t be any men from your troops to help you. The tides have turned,” Brian promised. He took a few quick steps forward and grabbed the president’s hands, quickly forcing them behind his back and into a tight knot, ignoring his complaints.
“I want that man dead,” Samantha demanded, glaring angrily, ready to lunge at any moment. “You promised me he’s mine.”
“I will certainly look the other way if you want to get a few shots in to his face. But remember, Samantha, we need to be better than our enemies. We can’t go around killing everyone we don’t like; that’s how this war started in the first place. We need a legal system, with trials, and a ladder of punishments for offenses,” Brian answered, quoting an elder who was adamant that you spare lives if you were at all able to. He really didn’t want to follow the advice, but he knew it was sound.
Another group rushed into the room. “We found his office. The computer was on and working. We were able to open the files and now know where all base operations are located. There was also a list of his allies. We have them,” the man spoke excitedly.
The president looked as if he were about to puke.
“This is exactly what we need. We can gather the groups together to overtake each one.”
“We need to contact our base. Have a group secure this location, make it our command center. It’s time we appoint a new president. It’s time we take back our country,” Sadie said with a smile.
Their entire group had merged into the room, freeing the women, covering them, and leading them to the kitchen for some needed food.
“I wasn’t sure we could pull this off, but I’m hopeful that one day we won’t be afraid to go out in the streets,” Samantha said. She wasn’t st
raying far from the president. She knew better than to trust him.
“It’s going to happen, Samantha. It’s going to happen very soon,” Brian assured her.
All of the pieces were falling into place.
“Get this piece of scum out of my sight. I want him secured like the other prisoners, but I want him in solitary. He’s not going to rile up the troops,” Brian said.
“I’ll take him,” Samantha told him.
Brian looked at her with doubt.
“I won’t kill him, though nothing would give me more pleasure,” she assured the group.
The president was sputtering as Samantha grabbed him roughly by the arm. He didn’t like being manhandled by a woman. It was her pleasure to give him exactly what he hated.
“It’s too bad Alcatraz is gone because it would be exactly the place for this man. Only the worst of the worst, right?” Sadie said to Samantha.
That cheered her friend up. “Of course.”
“Then we will build a new Alcatraz just for him.” A cheer erupted.
Samantha began leading this man who’d created a war to seize power from the room when there was a sudden explosive sound.
The president dropped to his knees as a scarlet river began running down his oily skin. His eyes rolled back, and he collapsed to the floor.
Brian grabbed his weapon as he searched the room, but nobody moved.
“What in the hell just happened?” he thundered.
Several shoulders shrugged.
“Who did this?” he yelled again.
Only silence greeted his anger.
“Get him the hell out of here,” Brian demanded.
None of them were fessing up to the kill shot, but the president was dead. And there would be no one to mourn his loss.
Chapter Forty-Four
Elise
Setting down the radio receiver, Drake turned to Elise, a look of shock in his eyes.
“It’s truly almost over,” he said in a hushed whisper.
“What do you mean?” she asked. “You’re so white. Please talk to me.”