Victim's, Inc.

by A. R. Licht

  “We still have funeral services and headstones placed, nice memorials done. The families are real, to an extent. But consider this, when you are with someone long enough, don’t they begin to feel like family?”

  Kate felt flustered, Vance had given a perfectly sound argument and her mind was reeling from the spin he’d placed on something so wrong. She decided to think on it before determining how she felt about the level of sleaze this operation incurred.

  Kate said, “You mentioned there was so much more, please, enlighten me.”

  “Of course. We are actually a division of the government that is also under control of the United Nations. We are here to show what a real crisis might look like and how people should react. It is an extension of the influence of movies and television programs. All designed to train the public what to do, how not to react, and the consequences of their actions. We do this through a series of drills which are actually public knowledge, clearly stated on social media sites. It is up to the public to pay attention to this themselves. We want people to be aware of their surroundings, and to be able to react properly if a given situation were to happen for real. But it goes beyond that as well.”

  “Mind control? Seriously?” Kate said. “I’m not impressed. Its' like that 'big brother is watching you' crap and I don’t fully buy into it.”

  Vance looked amused, “Here we are, in an underground bunker in the side of a mountain with security up the asshole, electrified fences, and we just pulled off the crisis of the century then disappeared and you think that I’m not being impressive.”

  “I’ll admit that what you have accomplished is impressive, considering its' scale. But, what you’ve done is incredibly selfish.”

  “Selfish! Look at what we did, Kate. We not only provided a basis for better security in a hospital situation, but we generated revenue for an entire town through real estate, lookie-loos who will blow through town and make all kinds of purchases, we created jobs and overtime hours for emergency responders. We stimulated an economy that otherwise had nothing. Then, we provided all of that training for free. We are hardly selfish.

  "We give up our lives, devoting ourselves solely to this cause. We can’t have an online presence, or pursue careers in the media or anywhere really that would show our faces. We can’t live normal lives.”

  “And you make so much money along the way. Is it worth it?” Kate said.

  “Is what worth it? Everything we do is worth it. We are molding and shaping the opinions of an entire planet. Changing the message we have all been so ingrained with to hate and fight and become an island unto ourselves into one of peace and harmony, and acknowledgement that we are all the same. We are all human, Kate. All of us have the same DNA running through our blood, with minor variations that make us unique. We should all be given the same opportunities.”

  “It sounds like brainwashing to me. Subliminal messaging, crowd control. And for what? What is your agenda, Vance? How high does this thing go?”

  Vance leaned back, his eyes lidded, “There you are again, typical reporter trying to get to the bottom of things. Ask me a personal question, Kate. Ask me something that you as a person want to know, and not something you think will make a great story if you ever get out of here, because, let me assure you, you won't.”

  Kate was silent a moment, then said, “Are you going to kill me?”

  Chapter 33

  Unknown Location, North Carolina - Dates Unknown

  “If we wanted to murder you, don’t you think we would have already?” Vance asked, standing from the metal chair, stretching his limbs one by one. “It feels so good to be able to move freely about. Too bad you can’t. How’s your leg?”

  “So, what do you want from me?” Kate said, trying not to think about the way her leg felt like a vibration expanding and contracting, radiating out ward from the place the stitches held closed.

  “Juicy. Now we are getting to the real questions. Bravo.”

  Vance paced behind his chair, the length of the room. Kate counted five paces one way, four the other because he stopped short.

  “What we want from you are two things. The first, I want to know where we went wrong. What made you aware of us?”

  “Your crisis actors suck.”

  “Actually, they’re very good.”

  “Some are, but some slip up. Like Terry Berkus.”

  Vance paused, “He didn’t slip up. Your camera man caught something he shouldn’t have. But, notice it was never broadcasted for the nation to see?”

  “What are you trying to say?” Kate perked up.

  “We get to direct what is shown. What is broadcasted has to meet certain rules, and if they don’t, well then they are subject to fines, lawsuits, jail time. Most people comply.”

  “So, that would never have been aired.”

  “Never. And your buddy, Sienna? She knew this.”

  “Sienna?”

  “She is one of ours.”

  “Now you are telling me something about a friend who isn’t here to defend themselves, so I’ll have to wonder if it is true or not,” Kate said, defiance narrowing her eyes.

  “I can bring her in if you want, but you’ll have to wait a while. She’s currently covering the hurricane where you are presumed dead.”

  That was the story she hadn’t wanted to be told. Didn’t want her family to be hurt by it, Abby’s baby not to have an aunt. Phil’s life ruined. Yet, there'd been that moment on the mountainside where Phil had been willing to give up everything so they could be in peace, together.

  “You didn’t know that did you? That you two are on the news right now as possible casualties of Hurricane Denise.”

  “I’d like to see Sienna. I want to ask her myself,” Kate said.

  “That can be arranged. What else alerted you to our operation?” Vance said, sitting again now that the stiffness had left his legs.

  “The websites.”

  "What about them?"

  "The dates you created them."

  “Oh, that. That was unfortunate. It doesn’t usually happen.”

  “You had to delay the event, didn’t you?”

  “Smart reporter. It was delayed by three days. Then it was supposed to happen each sequential day thereafter but something always came up. The websites turned out to be a problem that we quickly solved.”

  She remembered the donation site promising to fix the creation date because it seemed off.

  “The way everyone pushed for gun laws,” Kate said. “They did it so soon, immediately after the fact. No normal parent or loved one would jump to that conclusion when all they are thinking about is the loss they have just learned of.”

  “Good one. We might have to push that back a little. Anything else?”

  “The lack of blood.”

  “Well, if we splashed blood everywhere, that wouldn’t be great television now would it? They would have to warn against watching it and people would find it too disturbing. And if it looked fake, people would notice. Right? But, I’ll think of something next time.”

  “Next time?”

  “There will always be a next time. Which brings me to what we really want from you. You have a choice to make.”

  “I’m listening.”

  Vance rose, went to the door and knocked on it. Something was handed to him and he brought it back, setting it on the table. Of course Kate was itching to know what was in the file that sat before her, but he kept his hand on it, savoring her desire, her curiosity.

  “We could have killed you, but we don’t do that. We used things to try to scare you off or push you a certain direction, but we don’t kill people.”

  Kate cleared her throat, “You guys made us lose control on a mountain highway. We almost went over the edge. The only thing that saved us was that the truck only slid so far.”

  “We would have pulled you from the river.”

  “But we would have been dead.”

  “That’s neither here nor there. Nick wasn’t supposed
to do that, what happened was an accident. I’ll have him make a formal apology to you later. The point is, we want you on our side. But, if you don’t want to be on our side, then we will hold you in a cell. Indefinitely.”

  “You can’t do that!”

  “We can. We do. It happens every day. We can’t have people exposing us when we have so much to accomplish. Exposing our group would undermine everything. The studies we’ve conducted, everything.

  "So, if you don’t get on board with us, you will stay in a cell, alone, for the rest of your life. You can change your mind at any point, but until then, there is no entertainment, no medical care, no way to contact the outside world. You will never see your precious Phil again. Your subsistence to live off of will be the blandest of nutrients and water. Think about that for a moment. Because we have no remorse, and it will be a harsh reality if that is what you choose.”

  “What if I join?” Kate said, her mouth dry.

  “If you join, if you sign on, and that is what is in this file here, a contract for you to sign, then you will be working for us in some capacity.”

  “Like Sienna does?” Kate said, hopeful.

  “No. That part of your life is over. No matter what you choose today, for all intents and purposes we will eventually pronounce you dead and your family will cope with their loss. You will work with us behind the scenes. You will get to be with Phil. I actually have the perfect first job for the two of you if you join in time. But, like I said, that is up to you.”

  “What sort of freedoms will I get?”

  “In the beginning you won’t have any. After a while you will earn more. But, Kate, we will be keeping a very close eye on the two of you. If you mess up, its back to the cell for good. Got it?”

  She nodded. She got it. It is a manipulation, do as we say or you get punished. You get one shot, stay in line, or that’s it.

  “Do you need time to think about this?” Vance asked.

  Kate said, “Yes. It's overwhelming.”

  “In that case, you can spend tonight in new accommodations. I will let you see what your cell will be like.”

  He made a motion with his hand and a wheel chair was brought in. She was transferred to it, and Vance leaned down, inches from her face, “Good luck.”

  He hesitated, their eyes interlocked. She got the message. We can’t kill you, but we can make your life hell. Don’t forget it.

  She was whisked off down a hallway. They rode an elevator down, and then a large steel door opened and she was pushed through it.

  The drab grays were monochromatic everywhere she looked. Depressed just by being there, she already felt an oppressive weight settle on her chest. Who would choose this?

  The cells were like a typical jail cell you would see in a movie. All of the cells were surrounded on four sides by metal bars, except for the ones on the outskirts of the room. No privacy at all.

  They placed her into one of the cells and rolled the door closed, the sound extremely loud in the tight space. A toilet, a bed, a sink. That is all they provided her with. The bed had a thin foam mattress with a pillow and a blanket.

  No books, no movies, no internet, no window, no light beyond the artificial fluorescent above. No stimulation of any kind. Neither color, nor softness, nor a way to see herself.

  She stood in the center of the cell, the barrier an optical illusion because the bars of the cells around her were in view as well.

  They must have placed Phil somewhere else... if Phil was alright.

  Hot tears squeezed out of her eyes and she sat on the edge of the bed feeling completely defeated.

  Food came not long after, a broth with a side of bread. No salt had been added to the broth, which was made from chicken stock, and the bread tasted like cardboard. She left both to rot on the floor. The water was no better than tap, the chemicals strong as she attempted to swallow some of the lukewarm liquid.

  She returned to her post on the bed, leaning her back against the hard cold bars, keeping the hurt leg unbent. Her fingers often found the welt from hitting the passenger window of the truck, noticed the swelling there slowly going down. It still hurt, but only if she bumped it.

  Someone stirred behind her and she realized that she was not alone. A man had the cell next to hers and he was only now waking up.

  “Hello?” She said.

  “Hello, yourself.”

  “I’m Kate,” she said, twisting to see him better.

  He was not ashamed of urinating in front of her, and when he’d finished he flushed, belched and stretched. Finally, he said in irritation, “I know who you are.”

  “You saw me on TV?”

  He scoffed, flipped her off, downed the food she could not bear to eat and sat on his bed. “I can’t believe you lead with that.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “What do you mean,” he mocked her. “You put me here, and you ask what I mean.”

  “I didn’t put you here, I wouldn’t wish this place on anyone.”

  “So did they send you down to talk me into joining again?”

  Kate watched him a beat before she said, “I didn’t know this place existed. How long have you been here?”

  “How would I know? A few weeks, a month, a year? Its all the same.”

  “Why are you here?”

  “Shit, lady. Are you for real?”

  “Yes, I’m for real. I don’t know who you are!”

  He seemed taken aback by her response. “You don’t know me?”

  “No!”

  “I’m the one that sent you the video.”

  “Wait, the one with the empty ambulances?” she said.

  “That’d be the one. You didn’t know that was me?”

  “No, I was trying to meet up with you. I didn’t know who sent it or why.”

  “I thought you got me caught. You told on me.”

  “I was trying to learn more so I could break the story, which is what put me here. Why didn’t you come in the diner to talk to me?”

  “What diner?”

  Kate shivered, “The diner you asked me to meet you at.”

  “I sent you the video and then they put me here. I didn’t ask you to meet anywhere.”

  “Then who asked me?”

  “Beats me. How did they know about me?”

  Kate hugged herself, they really did close up all lose ends, didn’t they? She thought of Brian and hoped they would never find out how much he knew. Out loud she said, “I don’t know how they knew about you. Why did you send me that video?”

  “Because I figured you weren’t one of them.”

  “I’m not.”

  “Me either.”

  “How old are you?” Kate asked.

  “I’m twenty-four. How old are you?”

  “Twenty-two.”

  “We’re still young and now we’ll be stuck here for the rest of our lives. At least I have a pretty neighbor.”

  “You aren’t going to sign their contract?”

  “What for? I don’t want to lower my standards and work for them! That’d be selling out.”

  “So you’d be okay with living down here the rest of your days?” Kate said.

  “I’m not okay with any of this, but if it means I don’t have to work for them, then yes. I’ll stay right here.”

  “Why were you out there in that field?”

  “How’d you know I was in the corn field?” He said, surprised.

  “The angle you filmed it from.”

  “Oh. I guess that makes sense. I was just messing around, thought I’d get my own footage and then I started seeing things that didn’t seem right. I even had a drone I was going to put in the air but someone saw me so I ran.”

  “You got yourself caught then,” Kate said, feeling glad that she hadn’t been responsible for his being locked up here.

  “No, I got away.”

  She tried to sleep, but sleep refused to come. Hours and hours and hours. Lifetimes came and went. Then the door to her cell slid o
pen and a wheel chair was waiting for her.

  They pushed her back to the elevator, back to the room with Vance. She was ready. She didn’t want to go back. But, she had more questions, and a few demands.

  “Good morning. You look like shit,” Vance said by way of greeting.

  “I didn’t sleep.”