01

by Unknown

  ***

  We were just finishing dinner when a small group of armed guards arrived. Fortunately, someone from a tavern down the street had alerted us to their presence, and we were ready for them.

  When I suggested hiding in plain view, Eberhardt immediately moved to the bar. Tony smiled and handed him a beer and a rugged coat to cover his chauffeur’s uniform. A waitress hurried over and cleared away the dinner dishes but left a few drinks scattered around.

  Cole reached for my hand and tugged, helping me out of the booth. I, in turn, did the same for Aimee. Then I put her hand in his.

  “Keep her safe!” I said.

  Cole nodded and led her to a table where a poker game was in full swing. In an instant, Cole and Aimee had become one with the group.

  The waitress returned with a dirty coat and bowler’s hat for Guy. Jenna intercepted and winked at me. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep him safe.”

  Guy looked at me in surprise, but I shrugged and hurried away. Jenna was right, Guy and I were more likely to be recognized if we were together.

  As for me. Well, they were looking for me and Guy, or me and Aimee, not me and…I looked around for just the right person.

  Sadie and I were on the small dance floor with a dozen other people when guards entered the room. They walked around holding out photos from the recent Everyday Elite episode of the benefit. When they drew near, Sadie pushed me up against the wall, pressed her lips against mine and ran her fingers through my hair. Even though I closed my eyes, I heard the guards’ comments when they paused to watch.

  After they left, we regrouped. Tony approached the back booth and listened to our discussion. We couldn’t go home, and a hotel was out of the question.

  “You could stay in the back room,” Tony said. “The cots aren’t exactly comfortable, but you’ll be safe.”

  We followed him. I’d never been in back before. It was a room usually reserved for high stakes gambling sessions, but sometimes Tony let customers crash when they were too drunk to walk home. A poker table surrounded by eight chairs sat in the center of the room.

  Two thin metal framed cots with stained mattresses lined one wall. The scent of bleach couldn’t quite mask an underlying sour odor.

  Tony pointed to a tall metal cabinet in the far corner. “Clean sheets, blankets, pillows.

  Use whatever you need.”

  Guy reached out to clasp Tony’s hand. “Thank you.”

  -Guy-

  Rebellion

  Someone shook my shoulder. A candle flame flickered in the darkness.

  “Thanks, Tony,” Keira said.

  I shook off the last remnants of sleep and untangled my limbs from Keira’s.

  “Where are the lights?” I asked in confusion.

  “Lights aren’t reliable in this part of the city,” Keira reminded me. I let her pull me to my feet, then wrapped my arms around her and squeezed. What will the world be like after today?

  “Just let me wake Aimee,” she said.

  “It’s alright. I’m already awake. I’ll meet you out there in a minute.”

  It was 7:00 A.M. Even though the bar wasn’t open this early, Tony was busy preparing oatmeal for five. He placed the food on one of the larger tables. Eberhardt was already seated. I wondered how much sleep he’d been able to get in the corner booth.

  I reached into my pocket, retrieved my wallet and pulled out 150 gats. I handed the money to Tony, only he wouldn’t accept it.

  I didn’t wish to insult him. “For breakfast and for the room last night,” I said, “and for keeping us safe. You can share it with everyone else who helped if you’d like.”

  He smiled then and took the money. “That I can do.”

  In the middle of breakfast, Raquelle showed up with a friend, a short-haired blond woman. She also brought along her mobile data processor and a bag of techno supplies. She introduced the young woman as Jo. I smiled and shook her hand. “Ricardo” never ceased to amaze me.

  About an hour later, Alexis Palamara and her crew arrived. She sat down and said, “This had better be good, Guy Bensen! We were editing a story about the only animal reserve left in Afrik when you called yesterday.”

  “A worthy cause, I’m sure. Don’t worry, this story will be just as captivating. The revolution starts today.” I winked. “I didn’t think you’d want to miss the ride.”

  She grinned. “It’s about time.”

  “You remember Raquelle?”

  Alexis nodded, and they shook hands.

  “I want us live, on all frequencies, both what’s happening outside and inside the Justice Center. Can you two manage that?”

  “Is there a public transceiver around here?” Raquelle asked.

  Keira pointed to a nook in the back wall.

  “If Alexis will let me near her equipment, I can rig something up.”

  “Do whatever she says,” Alexis said to her crew.

  “I’ll need more space,” Raquelle said.

  We all looked at Tony.

  He nodded. “Of course. For what it’s worth, you can use the back room.”

  I looked at Raquelle. “Did you bring them?”

  “I did.” She reached over and dropped some tiny transmitters into my hand.

  “Only five?”

  “It’s all I’ve got.”

  I gave one back to her and handed one to Alexis, one to Eberhardt and placed one in my own ear. I pocketed the final transmitter.

  ***

  When the ministers and lawmen arrived at work that morning, they were greeted by hundreds of protestors, which grew to over a thousand as the morning wore on. Shortly before 10:00, one man exited the building and bravely approached a vid’recorder on the front steps of the Justice Center.

  “My name is Hisoka Watanabe, and I am a lawman.”

  A few people hurled insults, but Hisoka waited patiently for their full attention.

  “The ministry called an emergency session this morning. The vote was whether or not to gas you into submission. Some recommended gunning you down instead. You should know that the military has refused to comply with the ministry’s orders. I am not alone when I say that I most certainly do not agree with recent executive decisions. Atrocities are happening right here.” He turned to look at the building behind him. When he again faced the vid’recorder, we could see tears running down his face. Aimee held out her hand toward the screen. “I wish I’d never been any part of it.”

  He shook his head and sadly walked into the crowd. Someone handed him a sign. It read, “Down with the Gov!” A few other lawmen exited the building. They also took up signs and began chanting for change.

  ***

  I held up my hand and listened to the transmitter in my ear. The small group in Tony’s back room quieted. Eberhardt’s voice came through loud and clear. I looked around at the others. “They’re going in.”

  Raquelle switched views on her data processor. We watched the vidscreen. Eberhardt, wired with a small vidcam, followed a group of soldiers up the front steps of the Justice Center. As soon as they entered the building, she switched to Eberhardt’s view.

  Ricky had pirated every frequency in Terene, and she’d sent Jo along with Alexis’s crew, armed with a small but powerful projector unit.

  Raquelle reached for her personal transceiver. “Jo, you in position? They’ve just gone in. Start it up as soon as you can.”

  Alexis’s voice was in my ear. “My people are still setting up speakers, but we’ve got visual. It’s being projected onto the outer wall of the Justice Center.”

  I put my hand on Raquelle’s shoulder. “Good work. They’re receiving.” The buzz in my ear quieted as the protestors stopped chanting and turned to watch.

  Eberhardt spoke next. “We’re just outside the main conference chambers.”

  An ashen faced young woman was on screen, her hand poised above the call button on her desk.

  “Go ahead,” Eberhardt said. “Announce us. That’s what you’re supposed to do, isn’t
it?”

  She nodded, and then pushed the button. “Sirs? Some people from the military are here to see you.” Her voice shook. “Shall I send them in?”

  We watched Raquelle’s vidscreen as Eberhardt’s hand reached for the gold plated door handles. The doors swung open. Prime Minister Armstrong stood and held up a small silver device with a red button.

  “What is that?” Keira leaned forward to get a better look. “Is that a trigger of some sort?”

  “Don’t come any closer,” he said. “Not if you hope to save lives.”

  A gunshot sounded. The Prime Minister dropped to the floor, reached for his left leg and let loose a bloodcurdling yell. The silver device bounced harmlessly on the ground and rolled away.

  “What have you done?”

  Eberhardt spun toward Minister Brackaby. Glaring at the soldiers and ignoring the guns pointed in his direction, Brackaby hurried over to Armstrong’s side. They looked at each other. Suddenly, Brackaby lunged forward, seized the trigger and pressed down.

  In Tony’s back room, you could have heard a mosquito sneeze. But nothing happened.

  Absolutely nothing. We looked at each other in confusion.

  A soldier grabbed Brackaby, forcefully pushed him into a chair and handcuffed him to it. The other ministers were also restrained.

  “What did you do?” Eberhardt said.

  Brackaby’s startled visage filled the screen. He said nothing.

  “I’m doing a final sweep,” Eberhardt announced.

  I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned. “Harlow! It’s good to see you.”

  “We’ve got a few vehicles out front, all at your service.”

  “Great.” I reached over and handed Harlow the fifth transmitter. Then I looked at Keira. “It’s time.”

  -Keira-

  One Down

  People recognized us, made way for us and cheered us onward. Eberhardt waited at the front door of the Justice Center.

  “All’s secure,” he announced as we hurried down the stairs to the lower level. “But I can’t figure out what they did.”

  “Maybe they blew up my apartment.” Eberhardt and Guy both turned to look at me.

  “Well, it wouldn’t be the first time,” I mumbled.

  We headed directly for the sealed chamber. Guy reached into his pocket and pulled out the codes we would need to release the prisoners, but then he stumbled and fell into me. It wasn’t until we were sprawled on the ground that my brain processed what I’d heard.

  No, no, no. Not now. Not like this! I rolled Guy away from me and felt a slick stickiness.

  My fingers stumbled over each other as I tried to undo the buttons of his shirt. It was taking too long! I grabbed the fabric and pulled, ripping it open. Hardly any blood, such a small hole. A hissing sound. Someone crouched down. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw white gauze pulled from a medkit. Someone pressed it against the wound. Guy’s eyes were closed, but he was still breathing.

  I looked up. Eberhardt’s mouth was moving, but all I could hear was the blood pounding through my veins. I returned my attention to Guy.

  “Not like this,” I whimpered.

  “Keira!” Eberhardt had a firm grip on my upper left arm. “Are you with me?”

  I tore my eyes away from Guy and looked at Eberhardt again. “Ow! Let go of me!”

  Voices around me were beginning to make sense. Eberhardt kept hold. “That hurts. Let go!”

  “Are you with me?”

  I looked down and with my other hand, I retrieved the fallen codes. I shoved them at Eberhardt. “Get them out. Finish this.”

  He took the codes and nodded.

  I knelt next to Guy and ran my hand down the side of his face. My fingers lingered near his nose, and I felt shallow breaths against my skin. Reaching out, I gently placed my hand on top of that of the young soldier who was holding the gauze in place. He slid his hand out from under mine and left to help the others.

  Once we were alone, I whispered, “Stay with me.”

  -Scott-

  A Coup?

  My stomach complained. I looked at the paperwork piled on my desk. Another 15

  minutes, and the rest would just have to wait. My stomach grumbled again, louder. Just then, my presence was requested in the Golden room.

  “Oui, M. President?”

  He turned away from the window. “I’d like your opinion on recent events, M. Maddock.”

  “Of course. To which events are you referring?”

  “Have you heard anything about a coup d’etat?”

  “The one in Terene?”

  He nodded.

  “Yes. They’ve been planning it for months.”

  He turned on a large vidscreen. Scrolling across the bottom was a caption that read, “Inside the Justice Center.”

  The President turned to me. “Can you tell me who is now in charge?”

  Keira and Guy strode into view. “The Resistance,” I whispered. “They really did it.” In the upper left corner was a smaller image. A crowd chanted and held signs. I spoke louder.

  “The Resistance is in charge, and from what I can see, they have the support of the people.”

  “That is good, n’est pas?”

  “Oui, it’s the change we’ve been working toward. Perhaps we’ll be able to start up more amicable relations with Terene now?”

  “Perhaps, M. Maddock. The dust needs to settle, and then we shall see.”

  I pulled out my transceiver and tried both Keira’s and Guy’s numbers. Neither responded. I didn’t really expect them to, not when they were in the middle of a coup. I called Dani next.

  “Allo?”

  “It’s me.” I froze, my eyes still on the vidscreen. I recognized that man. “Saunders,” I whispered.

  “What?” Dani’s voice registered concern.

  But he’s not… Before I had the chance to finish my thought, his weapon was up. In an instant, Guy crumpled to the floor. Keira caught him as he fell against her, and they both went down. Two soldiers rushed forward and tackled Saunders. He was disarmed and knocked unconscious in a matter of seconds. Eberhardt was there too, barking out orders. And then, the screen went dark. “I’m coming home.”

  -Aimee-

  Harlow

  Inky blackness obliterated everything except the image of Guy falling to the ground.

  Warm fingers clasped mine and pulled me toward the main room. Here sunlight filtered in through dirty windows. I turned to see a pair of warm brown eyes looking at me in the dim light. Someone bumped into me, and I fell against him. I quickly straightened.

  “Sorry, David. What just happened? Guy. He wasn’t…”

  Someone at the bar called out, “Tony, where are the candles?”

  David Harlow pressed his fingers to his right ear. “Yeah, we saw. I’m dispatching a crew now.”

  He returned his attention to me. “Guy’s been shot. I’m sending a med team to help. Do you want to go with?”

  “Yes.” Tears threatened to overflow. I blinked until they were gone and took a deep breath. I needed to be strong for Keira.

  -Brody-

  The Only One

  Where am I? I tried to shake off the murky haze clouding my thoughts, and panic returned. Aimee, Keira, run! They know who you are.

  I opened my eyes and tried to sit up, but someone restrained me. No, not someone. Something. I tugged first with one arm and then with the other. Nylon straps held me down.

  Voices…I turned my head toward them. A man and woman in white lab coats stood nearby.

  Doctors? Arguing. I looked around the room. I was in a roomful of hospital beds. Then I wasn’t the only patient. No, I remembered now, there were many others.

  A door across the way slid open, and I pulled forward, straining to see. A large man entered, gun ready. What’s he doing here? I thought he was with us. I fell back against the mattress, unable to make sense of it all. Then Eberhardt towered over me.

  “Not you too.” My voice sounded thin and weak
.

  “Not me too,” he assured. He released first my wrists and then my ankles. “Can you stand?”

  “I don’t know.” I sat up but quickly dropped my head into my hands as the room began to spin.

  “Stay here. You’re safe now, but we have something urgent to attend to.”

  Another patient was carried in and placed on an empty bed. Soldiers surrounded the doctors. Was this a rescue mission? I shook my head and tried to clear the clouds of confusion. What about the others? Why wasn’t anyone helping the others? I looked closer. Then I saw. Their chests were gaping holes of crimson. A sense of vertigo assaulted my senses. I turned and braced myself, leaning my head over the side of the bed.

  After a few deep breaths, I looked again, trying to see past them, but dozens of corpses lying with their chests blown open is difficult to ignore. Shelves of clear cases lined the walls. Within, hearts without bodies beat life into attached organs.

  From the far recesses of my mind, I recalled piercing screams. Me or them? I rubbed my wrists, and for the first time, I noticed a clear plastic tube attached to a drip bag that ran into my left arm. I removed the medical tape and IV as gently as possible. There was one other tube. I removed that one as well and adjusted my pajama bottoms. Again, I scanned the room and felt my chest, thankful to be in one piece. The hairs on my arms stood on end as I remembered a past conversation with Keira: “They’d kill you, wouldn’t they?”

  “No, it would be much worse.”

  “What’s worse than death?”

  I looked at the newest patient and began to listen to the conversations that flowed around me:

  “I don’t know. He’s lost a lot of blood.”

  “It didn’t look like that much.”

  “The exit wound is always larger.”

  I shook my head.

  “The detonator?”

  “Must have been.”

  “Yep, the bodies are still warm.”

  “And I thought the war was bad.”

  “You were in the war?”

  “Yeah, weren’t you?”