by R. J. Blain
“They were probably too busy choking on their own vitriol, as most of that lot probably thought I’d offed myself rather than decide to work as a librarian.”
“Probably. So, one possibility is that Kennedys wants to eliminate certain groups due to prejudices, something we’d already identified as a strong possibility. Your idea leads us to the next possibility, where he wants to either use the talents to strengthen the army or stage a military coup. I’m of the opinion it’s the former, but the latter is a frightening option. Another possibility is to get rid of these people for population control purposes. A large war between overpopulated countries would accomplish that.”
“A genocide, like during World War II. The Holocaust.”
“Except instead of up to eighty-five million people perishing, the number is well over a billion, which would match the percentage of citizens who would be drafted.”
“Excuse me, how many people?”
“I did the math. At current estimate, almost eighty-three million people would be eligible for the draft. That’s a little over a quarter of our population. If the law were to become global, following the example set by the United States, almost two billion people would be drafted—or killed. And once drafted, it’s not like those left behind would really know what’s going on. They could be sent to war, they could become the subjects of experiments. We just don’t know.”
“That’s edging into conspiracy theorist territory, Bradley.”
“We’re going to need to head into conspiracy theorist territory because the idea a politician would essentially enslave a quarter of our people is just that awful. The blatant disregard for human life defies the norm. They’re our people, Janette. Without my mother’s paperwork and an engagement, you might be one of those people.”
“Technically, I am, just for having willingly joined the contracting system. But I signed up for that knowing what I was getting into, and I was willing to do whatever necessary to give my parents a future.”
“In a normal and sane world, they wouldn’t have needed you to do that. They would have worked to give you a future. Children aren’t supposed to sacrifice themselves for the sake of their parents. It’s supposed to be the other way around—if it has to happen at all. It shouldn’t happen at all. If China follows our lead, that’s over three hundred million people drafted. What would a power like China do? The whole idea of just forcing a draft on someone because of their talent rating is dangerous. It could be a power grab. It could be a way to control the population. It could be harmless.”
“How could it be harmless?”
“The papers do say they’re eligible to be drafted, not that they’re guaranteed to be drafted. But when the draft is activated, it’s used. The United States doesn’t have a good reputation when it comes to family and the military. Even the informal version of the Sullivan Rule never really got much traction. All that one did was permit siblings to request to serve in different units.” Bradley scowled. “I’ve been reading up on historic and current military practices. Did you know the pregnancy clause isn’t actually a far jump from our current system? Right now, pregnant women in our military have an option to be honorably discharged or go on leave for the pregnancy, and only if she is expected to see combat. Interior support staff not expected to see combat are not given an option for honorable discharge or leave. She is given leave at the time of delivery. All this does is change it so they don’t get the option for honorable discharge or leave. It’s a small step. In reality, any women found to be pregnant while serving are moved to an interior role until after the child’s birth, after which she is transferred back to the front lines while the child is either given to the father, put up for adoption, or given to another family member. She is not permitted to keep a child while serving. That’s likely the foundation for the bill. It’s already being done. This is just more blatant about it.”
“Holy shit. You have got to be fucking kidding me. They’re taking children away from their mothers in our military?”
“I wish I were kidding. I’m not. Worse, the vote for changing it to apply for combat personnel only was supported by both sides of the aisle. Either the politicians didn’t realize what was happening to the children...” Bradley sighed.
“Or they didn’t care.” I also sighed, shaking my head at the utter ruthlessness of the government and how little our fellow Americans were valued. “All this is doing is reinforcing why I hate politics.”
“All the speculation has done is give me more motives for the killings. They could be people of strong moral standing who understood what is going on in our military and want to prevent the system from becoming worse. They could want to showcase the legislation so people are aware of what’s happening behind the curtains. They could want the legislation to pass so they can cultivate a United States filled with the kind of Americans they approve of.”
“That’s disgusting. That’s reprehensible and disgusting.”
“This whole situation is reprehensible and disgusting,” he replied, and he growled some curses before tapping at his laptop. “In good news, such as it is, there are women pushing back about the military behavior regarding newborns of enlisted women. There are four mothers who are suing the government for the kidnapping and sale of their children.”
“Excuse me, but did you say sale?”
“The government accepted adoption fees for the infants, and a rather clever lawyer managed to twist it so the government is being charged with child trafficking. Here’s something interesting.” Bradley turned the screen and pointed at the date.
The court had opened on the case three months prior to the first killing. “Oh, that is interesting. Where is that case now? It’s been years.”
“I just found this case this morning, so I haven’t read the entire transcription. I was planning on reading through the court transcriptions rather than read an overview. I want a better feel for how the case actually played out. I don’t trust the media.”
Neither did I. “The government sold the babies of women in the military? Seriously?”
“Under the guise of giving them up for adoption, yes.” Bradley sighed. “I had no idea things had gotten this bad, Janette. I won’t even try to lie. I’d think about killing politicians, too, if they had anything to do with legalizing child trafficking.”
“Did the victims have anything to do with such rules in the military? Who decides how the military functions for things like this? Is it all internal to the military?”
“The Department of Defense is responsible for the rules, and they hold ultimate responsibility for the child trafficking accusations. In turn, the Secretary of Defense is responsible for the political elements of the Department. So, we would have to check for the relationship of the Secretary of Defense and the victims.”
Scratching my head, I turned my attention to the internet, pulling down who held the position of Secretary of Defense during the murders and prior, discovering President Castillo had opted against changing the Secretary of Defense following his election, nominating the same man, one Ashford Olette, to handle the role, making him an oddity in the position, having served a president on both sides of the aisle.
All things considered, I found the situation to be exceptionally fishy. “Hey, Bradley?”
“I’m now growing to be afraid whenever you ask me a question like that.”
“Why didn’t President Castillo change the Secretary of Defense when he was elected?”
“He thought the guy was doing a good job and saw no need to break what wasn’t broken.”
“Doesn’t that imply this is a joint effort? If the Secretary of Defense helps manage the Department of Defense, there’s no way Olette didn’t know they were selling the babies of military women. This only started going to trial halfway through Castillo’s presidency. Doesn’t that mean this started during the prior president’s term?”
“And Castillo is considered to be a fairly progressive conservative, while President Thorn was
a more conservative progressive.” Bradley checked something on his computer. “This makes me think both of them were closer in general thought than I’d believed. Conservatives voted for Castillo because he’s conservative, the same reason Thorn’s following voted for him. I don’t think either of them won because of actual issues.”
“When I voted, I voted for whoever sounds like the lesser asshole,” I confessed.
“That is a sane and sensible thing, but we need to remember that people, in large groups, are neither sane nor sensible.”
“So, what you’re saying, is that it’s possible this monstrosity is being actively supported by both primary parties?” I hoped the answer was no but feared reality would be a far crueler thing.
The bill would need support from both sides to pass, and that we worried it would, told me a frightening story of political corruption doomed to cost a ridiculous number of lives. It didn’t matter if it was under the banner of genetic purity or population control.
Murder was murder was murder, and no one, politician or otherwise, should have been willing to support murder. History told me a different story, about the millions executed for the crime of being the wrong nationality or believing the wrong thing.
The United States of America should have been above that, but the truth stared me in the face.
My home was a far cry from being a strong moral compass for others to follow.
For the first time in my life, I wanted to exsanguinate every single asshole responsible for the theft and sale of babies stolen from serving women.
“When I wanted to be part of this cell, nobody had warned me just how hard doing the right thing could possibly be, Bradley.”
“I understand. I feel the same way. It seemed like a great idea at the time, trying to find the truth and bring justice, but now I wonder who we’re finding justice for. Who is the real criminal here? Do we do more harm finding the killers of these politicians?”
“No, we need to find and stop these assassins because our democratic process should not be founded on murder. Assassinations destroy democracy.”
“So does slavery.”
I grimaced. “It bothers me to think that when the United States was formed, it was founded on the backs of slaves, and even now, our country is trying to return to such a shameful heritage. Worse, I don’t even know what we can do about it at this stage. It’s like we need a third party, one that is genuinely moderate and possessing of something resembling morality, of which neither current primary party has even a scrap of. I mean, look at the contracting system. It’s not a far step from slavery.”
“That had crossed my mind,” he admitted. “Is it slavery if all parties are willing?”
I leaned back and considered the question. “Where’s the line? I guess it depends on if we view me as being a slave.”
“No.” Bradley let out his breath in a huff. “If you wanted out of the contract, I’d let you out. I want to be selfish and say I wouldn’t, but in reality, if you wanted to be released from your contract, I’d release you. Of course, I’d be pushing harder for a more immediate signing of marriage documentation if that were the case. That said, right now, the safest position for both of us is to make use of the loopholes inherently in the system.”
“Sometimes, I wonder how I ended up in a contract with you.”
“Oh, that’s simple. I’m useless with women, I had a crush, and you love your parents. I took advantage of how much you love your parents so I could overcome my general uselessness with women. I miscalculated, as I had no idea what I was getting into with you. I’m thinking my mother should have just offered a lot of cash for you to take me off her hands. But then I think about the repercussions of the current bills, and I think I had the right idea. With how they’ve been moving, what would have happened if you hadn’t been in my employ?”
“Especially with the effort they’ve gone to make it look like I did it. Or someone like me.” In some ways, the accident had become a blessing in disguise. “It really does look like they’d planned the killings to pin it on me, doesn’t it?”
“Or on me, since you’re in my employ. Either is viable.”
I blinked before staring at him, my mouth dropping open. “You? Plan a murder?”
“That’s what my mother said when I pitched the idea. Nobody believes I’m capable of murder. I’d make a very bad scapegoat, if everyone I know is to be believed. Honestly, that’s what I said about you. Sure, you’ll kill if you’re defending someone else. But you? Plan a murder? You’re more likely to plan how to get access to the ER so you can save lives. That, by the way, doesn’t need much planning. As soon as your lungs heal, you can just tell me you want to go volunteer, and we’ll loiter in the ER until they need you. That does lead me to believe the culprits don’t actually know anything about you beyond superficial assumptions. Of course, it could be a red herring, but we just don’t know.”
“That is a lot of work and effort on a red herring. Honestly, I almost admire them for their skills. That mender is incredible. They’re not touching the victim, they’re working under severely limited time, and they’re doing it while also working with someone capable of masking the true cause of death at the same time.”
“You’re not the first to mention that. Tawnlen has a pretty severe level of admiration for the mender, too. I think it’s because of his background. He knows a lot about how bodies work from his time in the morgue, and that level of work is top notch. Why is a mender of that level of skill assassinating politicians?”
“I’d say they might be at high risk of being drafted. And if the draft is meant to kill off a bunch of people, what would they make menders do?”
“You mean beyond help the government kill people more efficiently?” Bradley asked.
I wondered what life would have been like if I’d been born with a different and weaker talent. “Yes, beyond help them kill people more efficiently. I don’t even want to think about the trauma a mender would go through if they were drafted just to become killers. Where exsanguinators are expected to kill, menders are trained to heal from the moment their magic is identified.”
The bitterness I’d carried with me over the years sharpened my tone, and I winced at having allowed it to emerge.
“You never liked your reputation.” Bradley tapped at his laptop and turned the system so I could see the screen. “Your reputation is not what you think it is, you know. You’re admired and liked by a lot of people, based solely on your actions. Somebody leaked about your hospital work after the shooting. Those you saved had a lot to say about those who hate exsanguinators. Sure, not every exsanguinator is you or even like you, but you are far more than your magic.”
According to the article he’d selected to showcase my new and improved reputation, I deserved a Person of the Year award. I frowned, narrowed my eyes, and scrolled up to discover I’d been put in the running for said award by a magazine. “I don’t want that prize, Bradley. That looks like a surefire way to get a lot of attention.” On second look, I had no idea where they’d gotten the picture of me, but it was recent enough I had my oversized, gloriously tacky glasses. They’d even caught me wearing one of my favorite shirts. Judging from the mess of hair piled on my head, I’d been working at the time the picture had been taken. For someone who hadn’t prepared for a picture, I liked the shot. “Where can I get a copy of that picture? I like it.”
“You can thank Meridian for that picture. She took it at your work because she liked how intense you looked, and it turns out among all of the intense concentration pictures, there was this one, where you were obviously entranced by something among the stacks.”
My expression had been rather peaceful, with the ghost of a smile at whatever had caught my attention. I shrugged, able to make one good guess. “It was probably Ajani being her usual, charming self.”
My fluffy goddess bolted out of my bedroom, jumped on the couch, and took over my lap. While she successfully evicted my laptop, Bradley rescued it from
death and destruction. As I understood my role in her life, I snagged the brush and went to work taming my cat.
“I see she has learned if you say her name, you are there to serve at her leisure.”
“I understand my place in our relationship. It is as her servant. I’m just glad she doesn’t bite me anymore on her way to get brushed. She used to. And she doesn’t attack me if I stop brushing anymore, either. She’s a good kitty.”
“She’s a wild demoness out for your blood, but she’s cute, so I can’t complain. I’ve discovered if I brush with one hand I can pet with the other and get away with it.”
I chuckled at the evidence Bradley had amused himself trying to befriend my cat. “We are in agreement. The cat rules, and anyone who tries to take my cat should be punished.”
“I’m trying to upgrade your cat to our cat status. Please offer assistance on how to make this transition.” Bradley wisely waited for me to give her a few strokes of the brush before swooping in and scratching my fluffy goddess under her chin, earning a contented purr. “I taught her a bad habit.”
“What now?” I asked, unable to keep the exasperation out of my tone.
“The jangle of keys will bring her running because I had a l-a-s-e-r p-o-i-n-t-e-r and she learned the sound. It was on a keyring. If anyone picks it up, she will not quit until she’s had at least five minutes with it. I have been attacked several times now for not playing with her.” Bradley pointed at his leg, which was covered by his slacks. “Cruelly mauled in punishment for my crimes. I almost bled to death, Janette. You have to take care of me now.”
“Does Ren know you were mauled?”
“I got him good. I played the victim of a vicious attack on the floor, and I even did a death scene. It took him a solid minute to realize I’d just angered your fluffy goddess for not playing with her. The murder weapon was on the carpet. I’m quite proud of having gotten him. He might need therapy now. It’s bad enough everyone is worried about protecting you, but for me to dare be scratched? Then he witnessed how I’d gotten scratched, and for some reason, he felt I deserved it.”