Shifting Power

by Dacia M Arnold

  “I hated you,” she said.

  “With good reason.”

  After a second she asked, “How are your boys?”

  “Well, thank you. Successful in their own right. I’m very proud of them and appreciative to be here to watch them prosper.” Max’s voice was low, solemn. He spoke to the gravestones before him. “I wasn’t meant to outlive these respectable men.”

  He was right. Scott should have been standing next to her instead of under the grass where they looked. But Valerie was forgiving of even her father’s twisted reasoning.

  “Thank you,” she said finally.

  “Thank you? For what, exactly, my Queen?”

  “For respecting my grief. For obeying orders to stay away. I’ve always understood why you did what you did, even that day at your house. I try to understand why he did what he did.” She nodded her head at her father’s stone. “I shouldn’t be here without them. I hate everything I’ve become.”

  “But you still act for the good of the people. You are just and generous. The people love you. You are the true leader of America. That’s what they say. And I hear from every level of society. From GP produce deliverers, to the hoity-toity Living Area Seven residents. The people mourn with you. When you’re sad, their hearts break. When you’re happy, like when little Hyka and Mac Daddy McGuire got married, they fall in love with you all over again.”

  Max turned to face her. His gray hair was more prominent than she had remembered. His eyes showed his age, but a slight smile returned to his cheeks. “They are lucky to have you, Valerie Marie Russell, daughter of Sergeant Major Michael Robert Burton. He was a good man.”

  “He was a good man, in his own way,” Valerie agreed with a tear.

  “No doubt this young man who snagged you for his wife was a good man, too.” Max motioned to Scott’s grave where fresh sod covered the ground.

  “He was a fantastic man.” Her chin quivered.

  “Come here, little miss,” Max said and held a hand to her.

  The bitterness she held for Max fell away. The pettiness of her resentment melted into the ground under her feet, falling with her tears.

  “I’m sorry I ever hurt you, ma’am,” he whispered. “Be careful whose company you keep.”

  Valerie pulled away from him. Max motioned his eyes to Teresa, who tapped her phone outside the gate.

  “She has a bad reputation. Sleeps her way here and there to get to higher places. While I might have a similar taste, that’s not one even I would touch. Just be careful, okay?”

  She pulled her brows together, and nodded. Giving Max another hug, she turned to leave having grounded her energy, the initial purpose of the walk. She slipped her shoes back on then made her way for the gate, studying Teresa as she did. Hyka didn’t like her because she was a slut. Lalit didn’t because Hyka had told her, too. Duke wouldn’t be interested in her regardless, which brought Valerie a little comfort. August hardly blinked at Teresa, but Kevin fell for her in an instant. Maybe she was Valerie’s most powerful weapon against her brother.

  “I can ask him to leave,” Teresa said, putting the phone in her purse.

  “I wished you had cleared the area before we came out, but no harm done.” Valerie walked with Teresa back to the airport hotel the same way they came.

  “Are we away from cameras here? Microphones and such?” Teresa asked quietly.

  “That’s a very specific question. Why?”

  “Because I want to tell you something without anyone hearing or reading my lips.”

  So the truth had finally slipped from Kevin’s mouth.

  “Use something to cover your mouth,” Valerie instructed. “There are no microphones, but there are cameras everywhere.”

  “I think he did it.”

  “You think who did what?”

  “I think Kevin was involved in the bombing.”

  Valerie let out a frustrated sigh. Of course Kevin was involved. This was not news to her. “Why would you think that? Did he tell you? Those are some serious allegations, Teresa. He’s my brother.” Maybe Valerie was a good actress after all.

  “He asked me again about helping him with something. I was joking and asked him if it was for the Reactance, and he showed me a copper pin he wore on his shirt underneath his jacket.”

  “What does that mean, Teresa? Did he say he was following the Reactance or not?”

  Growing obviously frustrated, Teresa let out a long breath. “In the city, the people who are with the Reactance wear copper jewelry—necklaces, bracelets, earrings, pins. He was wearing a copper pin, which is like the universal sign of the Reactance.”

  “I wear a copper necklace, Teresa. I’m definitely not part of the Reactance.”

  “Maybe you are and just don’t know it.”

  “Maybe I’m not with the people responsible for killing my father.”

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean. . .” Teresa lowered the paper from her face, eyes welling with tears. “I just meant, instead of him denying he was with the Reactance, he showed me his pin like that would answer my question.”

  “I see what you’re saying, Teresa. I didn’t know the copper jewelry was a thing. I’ll look into it. Are you still seeing him?”

  “I was thinking I can help you keep tabs on him until I can figure out for sure. Even when Hyka comes back?”

  “Hmm. . . I’ll have to run it by August.” She did not have to, and she likely would not. “Until we have anything solid on Kevin, something pinning him directly to the Reactance, my hands are tied. You’d be doing a huge service to the region, and to me, if you stayed close to him.”

  Teresa smiled and nodded. She was a woman. She was not the innocent girl she pretended to be. Valerie needed to be completely in control before she laid her cards on the table for Teresa and Kevin.

  As they walked back to the hotel, Valerie touched the copper necklace she wore. A universal sign of the Reactance. August’s gift. Her scientists’ and engineers’ design. She outwardly wore a symbol of hate and destruction. Were they all conspiring against her? To make her look like the tyrant the people already thought she was?

  “Have a good morning, Teresa. And thank you so much for your honesty. I’ll see you this afternoon after I’ve talked with August,” Valerie said. When the woman was out of sight, she removed the necklace and put it in her pocket.

  Valerie walked to the living room and picked up the phone.

  Hyka answered. “You okay?”

  “Yeah. I just needed to talk to you. Do you have a minute?”

  “Yeah, we finally got a message to some Franklin dude DiaZem. He’s a weird, ex-military guy. We’re meeting with him soon. Jack seems convinced he’ll join the cause, but I have a few minutes before we head out. What’s up?”

  “I learned something today. Did you know the members of Reactance wear copper as like a passive way to show their loyalty?”

  “Nope. So we know who to target now. That makes things a whole lot easier.”

  “But my tech team created technology made of copper which the new DiaZem and I wear. The locket August gave me is copper. August giving it to me was televised. I’ve flaunted this thing in public. Is Courtney in on this too? August? Kevin? Is the entire research team all part of the Reactance? I feel like a pawn in someone else’s game, Hyka. I can’t trust anyone,” Valerie cried.

  Hyka was silent for a moment. “You want my honest answer?”

  “It’s likely why I called.”

  “Copper is the most conductive metal. I think your necklace and the Reactance symbols are a coincidence and you’re getting worked up over it. Listen to me. I would never lie to you.”

  The seriousness in Hyka’s tone was comforting to Valerie.

  “So people don’t think I’m part of the Reactance with the necklace he gave me?”

  “Seriously, how many people even know it’s made out of copper? You’re royalty. People probably assume it’s gold or something.”

  “How long until you’re home
?”

  “Oh!” Hyka shouted, sounding uncharacteristically excited. “Did you know, without you releasing our energy, I can get a tan out here?”

  “Hyka, your skin is naturally tan.”

  “Yeah, and in the Facility, it’s pasty.”

  “I’m glad you’re enjoying your time. How about the Conductor Elitists? Have you had any trouble?”

  “No. We’re celebrities here. They know if anyone picks a fight with us, you’ll rain down fire and brimstone like you did to Jarrett. But we’re bringing a small group of GP back with us. As many as can fit on the jet.”

  “Are the people really that hostile? I can send a 747, Hyka. How many do you think need to relocate?”

  “We could fill a plane. Things are really unstable for these people. Kids even.”

  “How long do they need to get ready? We still have plenty of open living areas in the Facility; we have clothes and furniture. They wouldn’t need much.”

  “I can get people together by tomorrow night. Send something big, like the capacity for 450. I might not fill it, better than running out of room. There’ll be a mix but mostly be General Population.”

  “I’ll take them. All of them if I need to. This is amazing, Hyka. Thank you.”

  “You’re such a bleeding heart for people in need. I’m just trying to be a good ambassador. Someone this kid can be proud of.”

  “Well, you’re my hero, if that means anything to you.”

  “It does. Take it easy. We’ll update you tonight.”

  As soon as the line disconnected, someone pounded at the door.

  “Val, it’s Teresa.”

  Did she or didn’t she have a key? Valerie opened the door to find her in tears. Her makeup ran down her face and she shook with sobs.

  “Come in. Christ, what happened to you?”

  “He did it. He told me. I recorded it on my phone. Here. . . ” Teresa pushed a few buttons and held the screen up to Valerie.

  “I have the entire city in on this, Tee.” It was Kevin’s voice. “There’s no way you would get caught. You know Sasha Bowman, the girl who wrote all the Reactance articles? I had her prison transport intercepted. She’s free as a bird now.”

  “You’re in charge of the Reactance?” Teresa asked.

  “I orchestrate everything. Nothing happens in this city without my say so.”

  The recording stopped.

  “What did he say after that?” Valerie pressed her hysterical assistant.

  “I told him I had to pee and I ran out,” she sobbed. “Is he going to kill me, Valerie?”

  “No. Go clean up in the bathroom.” Valerie tapped into Duke’s headset wherever he was in the Facility. “Hey, have a minute?”

  “What?”

  “I know you don’t like me, but I need your help. I think I’ve nailed Kevin. Don’t tell August, please, or else we won’t be able to get it out of him. Can you schedule me a lunch with Kevin in an hour?”

  There was silence.

  “12:45 with an armed detail at the ready. No August, but you’re taking the fall for that part. Not me.”

  Valerie sent Teresa home for the day and changed into a modest dress for her lunch with Kevin with enough time to not keep him waiting. She reached for the locket, only then realizing she had no pockets to put it in. After fastening the chain around her neck, Valerie carefully tucked the locket underneath the neckline of her dress. Going without the locket’s grounding strength could mean Valerie might lose her nerve. Being clear-headed was far more important than appearances. She took a breath and made her way to confront her brother.

  “This is bullshit, Valerie,” Kevin said over his Reuben when she had told him about the rescue mission in Florida. “We can hardly control the people already here, and you want to shuttle people from the east and welcome them with open arms?”

  “I don’t care if you understand it or not, I need you on this mission, Kevin. Who else am I going to send to Florida to save all these people?”

  “Screw Florida. You’ve been trying to get rid of me since Dad died. This is about Teresa. It has nothing to do with anything else. You think you’re the only one who gets to be happy, and I find the first woman who gets me since all this started and you can’t have it.”

  Valerie rubbed her eyes. She knew he would fight her over leaving, which would make him unable to fulfill whatever plot he was cooking up. “Then take her with you. I’m sure she’d be happy to go. I need you to do this. It's literally an overnight trip. I wouldn’t want you to feel like you were neglecting your duties as a city official.”

  They were both silent for a few minutes as they continued their meal. Valerie absently rolled the locket in her hand.

  “Is that the necklace August gave you?”

  Valerie tucked the necklace back into her shirt with a nod.

  “Can I see it?”

  “It’s just a couple of pictures.”

  “Oh, cool. Let me see.”

  “It’s just a locket, Kevin.”

  “Open it.” Kevin stopped masking his curiosity. He was challenging her.

  “No.”

  “If August gave you the necklace, why would he not want you to wear it, Valerie?”

  “What the hell are you getting at?”

  “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe it contains a ghost of DiaZems past?”

  He knew. From Teresa or Duke, but somehow Kevin knew why she wore the necklace.

  “Enough.” She threw her napkin on the table. “I’m done playing around with you. You want to see if it’s copper? Like the Reactance? I know you blew up the capitol building. I know you killed Dad.”

  Kevin stood. Valerie rose to meet his gaze despite the extra effort it took to get out of her chair. Armed guards stepped from their conspicuous hiding places to show force. One of them must have tipped August off to her whereabouts and the meeting happening between her and her brother. She could feel her partner’s agitation growing stronger, closer.

  “I would choose your next move carefully,” Valerie warned. “The only reason you’re not locked up is because I can’t prove you did it. You’re petty and jealous and, damn it, you’re stubborn, but killing your own father. My father.”

  “You put us out like trash! You gave the dead animals on the street more thought than either of us,” Kevin screamed, pointing a finger across the table.

  The security stepped closer, but Valerie stayed their positions with a slight sign to wait. If only she could keep August at bay a few more minutes. She locked the electrical devices to the meeting room doors with a small push of energy. The barrier would only stop him for a moment, though.

  “But good people appreciate a second chance,” she spoke quickly. “A respect for the grieving process. Some of us with the ability to feel empathy find the process necessary to rebuild relationships. They don’t stew over them plotting revenge for getting the short end of the gene pool.” She spat the words.

  “I gave him exactly what he deserved.”

  “You’re the one who deserved to die in that building, Kevin.”

  Kevin lunged over the table and gripped the locket. He twisted the chain until it dug into her skin and choked her. She couldn’t stop herself from falling back into her chair and then onto the ground as Kevin landed on top of her pregnant belly.

  The security team watched in motionless horror. If they fired on Kevin, they could possibly hit her or her unborn child. But Valerie didn’t fight him, either. Maybe everyone would be better off if she were gone. Her husband and father were dead. Her brother was a monster. Hyka and Jack were far more capable of protecting Caleb than she was. The world needed less DiaZem. Not more.

  Though his hands fell away from her neck, Kevin’s weight rested directly on top of her, and she felt his energy leave him. August gripped Kevin’s lifeless body by the collar of his shirt and threw him to the side with ease. He placed both his hands over her abdomen, concentrating his energy. First to the baby, then to her.

  “Lock him somew
here,” August ordered the security detail. He collected Valerie in his arms and, with a mere conscious thought, returned Kevin’s life spark to his body.

  “I could have handled him,” she whispered to herself.

  August stopped and set Valerie on her feet. Without a word, he kept walking.

  “You don’t have to keep rescuing me.”

  “But I keep making the mistake of thinking you need me to.” His voice was low and measured.

  She felt the rage below her surface, threatening to boil over.

  “I’ll lead the expedition. Your brother will remain in custody. Duke and Teresa will watch over you and Caleb until I return.”

  “So this is how it’ll be? You’ll take charge, and I’ll sit back and wait like the good little girl I am supposed to be?”

  “Damn it, Valerie, you’re pregnant. You can’t throw yourself to the damn wolves every chance you get. You take far too much for granted.”

  “You mean I take you for granted.”

  “When I get back, I will bury that locket in the deepest darkest pit I can find. Encase it in cement and dump it into the Pacific Ocean myself.”

  “This is childish.”

  “Childish? Like when you accused Jacqui and me of some secret relationship? Or when Jasmine looked at me at the capitol building? Childish?”

  “Please don’t come back to the apartment tonight. Not unless you can find a more respectful way to speak to me.”

  “Yes, your Majesty,” he said, storming off and leaving Valerie to walk by herself.

  The apartment seemed cold and far too big without August’s energy with her. She sat in the silent living room after putting Caleb to bed. The TV remained blank. There were ten minutes until Jack and Hyka called to give their nightly update. Duke broke her solitude as he let himself in, rolling a small bag behind him.

  “Moving in?” Valerie asked.

  “Only in your wildest dreams,” he said, his tone thick with sarcasm.

  “Why did you help me today?”

  “Who said I didn’t ask August first?”

  “Because it took him far too long to intervene had he been aware.”

  “Maybe I wanted to teach you a lesson. Though I don’t know why I try. You’re far too self-centered to give in to anyone else’s ideas of how things should be.”