The Controller (The Securus Trilogy Book 2)

by Anthony Maldonado

  Talia winces ever so slightly with his suggestion. Unfortunately, Braeden notices it. He does not smile, though he does manage a brief twitch giving away his interest.

  “He was following my instruction in The Caves. If anyone deserves to be punished, it should be me,” Talia says.

  Braeden stands, and moves to the doorway. “Fair enough, we’ll discuss that later. Show me to my temporary quarters. I would like to clean up a bit before we meet with the rest of your Leadership.”

  I doubt he ever intended to punish me or even Talia for the transgression. Instead, he was merely probing to see if she had an attachment to me. With no family left to aid in manipulating her, Braeden was looking for another way. Just as Wakil warned, he has found it. That part concerns me.

  We all exit the office and head out of our private hallway, going to their arranged room one flight up. We pass the exit chamber on the way to a room quite familiar to me. It is the same one we used as temporary quarters during the Solar Panel detail. This time, the beds lining the wall have been removed and two larger ones placed on each side. Like before, some additional seating is arranged in the center of the room.

  Braeden and Ulan enter their temporary quarters and choose their accommodations. Ulan sets down the pack he has been carrying. Talia has intentionally not asked about it or its contents. They do not need to carry much since we will provide food and clothing as needed, so I am more than a little curious of what could be so important he needed to carry himself. Even so, I follow Talia’s lead and remain silent.

  “That’ll be all for now,” Ulan says, dismissing us with a wave of his hand. “We’ll return to your office when we’re ready to proceed.”

  We exit the room and return to our own quarters. On the way back Talia tells me she does not want to speak freely in her office anymore in case Ulan placed any listening devices in there. Obviously I am not the only one wondering about the contents of Ulan’s pack. Once we are inside, she closes the door and turns to me.

  “I am not going to let him punish you for anything.”

  “I don’t think he ever intended to.” I reach out and hug her. I want to tell her what Wakil revealed about her father and how they manipulated him, but that conversation is too emotional for a time like this. “He was probing for your weakness. For something he could use against you.”

  “What makes you think…” her words trail off as she replays the conversation in her mind. A spark of recognition shows as she realizes I am right. “I played right into his hands. That will not happen again.” The stillness that overtakes her expression is unsettling. She now wears the same stoic exterior her father always did.

  “No matter what he says or does, you can’t let him manipulate you. Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine. And no matter what, I’ll never blame you if you have to make a difficult decision.” I brush back her hair and kiss her on the forehead.

  “I understand.” Talia turns her eyes away, not able to look at me while even considering the thought of letting me fall into harm’s way.

  When we feel ready, we head back to Talia’s office to wait for Braeden and Ulan. To our surprise, they are already there. Braeden sits in Talia’s chair, leaning back as he watches the screens in front of him displaying live feeds from the security cameras. I bite my tongue to stop myself from making him to move. He knows the chair is not meant for him, which is probably the only reason he took it. Ulan sits in the same chair as before, having to contort his body to view the screens. Now that we have met them, I wish Braeden would have sent Ulan alone. His tactful approach is much more pleasant.

  “Did you two get sidetracked?” Braeden asks when we enter the office.

  “I didn’t expect you to return so quickly. I took the opportunity to attend to some arrangements for the meeting.” Talia answers evasively, not wanting to let him know what we were really doing.

  “Shall we get started?” Ulan asks, urging us to show them the way.

  “Just one moment,” Talia says, reaching the communicator on her desk. “Cyrina?”

  “I’m here, Ms. Vaden,” Cyrina’s voice answers back.

  “We’re ready for the meeting. Gather everyone on the list I provided.” Talia turns the communicator off. “Follow me. The meeting room is right this way.”

  The four of us head over to the Leadership meeting room. I have been in this room far too often as of late. The setup is the same as before with a front podium and seats arranged facing it. The only difference this time is a special chair set up next to the podium for Braeden. Talia has planned this meeting out as much as she could, even down to the seating assignments. There are no visible markers, but every member of Leadership knows exactly where they are supposed to be. I take my place in the back row, giving me a better vantage point to see the rest of the group. Not long after we sit, the others trickle in and soon fill the room.

  Before taking his seat up front, Wakil greets the men from Caelum. Braeden seems to recognize him. That bothers me. Though Wakil previously mentioned he met with people from Caelum in the past, he never said it was Braeden. He often intentionally remains vague in his conversations, preferring an oblique path to making his point, but something this pertinent should not have omitted. I quickly erase the suspicious scowl from my face, not wanting to give away any of my reactions to the men from Caelum. This is something Wakil will have to explain soon.

  While I continue to watch Wakil, someone sits down next to me. Because of our suspicions, Cale has been assigned to sit back here in between Nyree and I. Nyree hovers next to Cale with her arms folded and foot tapping on the floor. She has told me a thousand times how much she dislikes these meetings. I can only imagine how she feels with people from Caelum present.

  “How were the introductions?” Cale asks me while keeping his eyes focused on our visitors. There is no nervousness in his voice. The only change from his normal affect I detect is the intense curiosity with which he watches Braeden. At least his over-confidence can be useful for once. It should keep him calm while they’re here, I think to myself.

  “You are not allowed to ask any questions,” I snap at him. “I know you had a hand in what happened with Ardal.”

  “Baseless accusations mean nothing,” Cale responds with a wicked grin.

  Battling the voice in my head screaming to shut him up, I turn in my chair far enough toward Cale that the men from Caelum cannot see my face. “And so will your life if you say another word to me.”

  Cale takes the hint and stops pushing for now. With the room full, Talia formally calls the meeting to attention, even though everyone was already focused on her and the visitors. “As you all know, we have visitors from Caelum. This is Braden Karun, Controller of settlement resources. And this is Ulan, his assistant.” Before Talia continues, Braeden stands and walks to the podium.

  “I’ll only be here for a short while.” Braeden pauses, looking over the room. “But there are a few things I want to make clear. The first is the primary intent of my visit. I’m here to ascertain the long term viability of this colony as well as its value to Caelum. If I’m satisfied, we’ll continue as before. If not, Securus will be liquidated.

  “The second is the loss of our assets in the tunnel. We were unable to determine whether or not any of your people were involved, so that is now irrelevant. The only important aspect remaining in question is the privacy Caelum has diligently worked to maintain. If our privacy has been compromised, then I’m sure you’ll find the consequence rather arduous.” He almost sounded like he enjoyed saying the last part, but still, he maintains his emotionless demeanor.

  “I’ll be touring the facility with a guide of my choosing. Ulan will stay here and relay my instructions to Ms. Vaden. Oh, and one last thing. All promotions to Caelum will be suspended indefinitely. I’ll decide at a later date whether or not to reinstate them. For now, expect this change to be permanent.” Braeden walks away from the podium.

  As his words sink in, Cale moves to get up from his seat. With
no incentive left to be silent, who knows what is running through his mind. The one thing I do know is if he says something to Braeden, we will all suffer. Before I have a chance to react, Cale is slammed back into his seat by Nyree. Her hand clamps down on his shoulder, making him wince from the force she applies to a pressure point. I have seen this level of determination covering Nyree’s face only once before, when she attacked the Guards to buy us time to get into The Caves.

  With Cale held in place by Nyree, I lean over to whisper to him, “Don’t even think about it. If you betray us, I promise you will not live to see the end of this meeting.”

  Cale turns and leans back with surprise. I doubt my words alarmed him, but the sincerity behind them did. He sits in his chair resigned, at least for now, to keeping silent.

  Talia steps back to the podium to address us again. “Braeden will not be taking questions at this time. I ask you all to remain seated until he has chosen his guide.”

  Talia does a remarkable job of masking her concern. We had planned for me to take Braeden wherever he wished to go. His decision to choose his own guide adds extra uncertainty to an already tense situation.

  Ulan and Braeden walk out amongst the group of people before them with Talia trailing immediately behind. I try to mentally will them to choose me. For a second, I think it might be working because they are coming directly toward me. My hopes are swiftly dashed.

  They are not headed for me at all. Instead, both of them are looking directly at Cale. I desperately search for a plausible reason he cannot guide them, but nothing comes to mind. In the end, what I say does not matter since Braeden will choose whomever he pleases. Judging by the way he has conducted himself so far, if we are uncomfortable with his choice, he would likely regard it as an added bonus.

  Braeden stops directly in front of Cale. He points at him along with Nyree and I. “The three of you, stand up.”

  From my brief sideways glance at Cale, his eagerness to be chosen is unmistakable. Nyree looks away from the men. She lets out an irritated sigh, clearly conveying the fact she does not want to be involved. I focus on suppressing the urge to speak out, knowing it will not help. For her part, Talia must have come to the same conclusion because she silently watches the proceedings with a stoic face. I hope she has something planned if he picks Cale, I think to myself.

  “What do you think, Ulan? I’m inclined to select one of these,” Braeden says, pointing toward us. He examines the group as if we were simple tools to be used for a mundane task. Every chance he gets, Braeden continues to make it abundantly clear we are not really classified as people at all in his eyes.

  Ulan simply shrugs in response, refraining from interfering with Braeden’s little game. I know he does not care who takes him to where he demands to go. The anxiety he provokes is the real purpose of this selection. After a prolonged moment of uneasy tension, he takes another step directly toward Cale. My heart races as the reality of this choice confronts me. Cale now knows he will not be taken to Caelum, so he has not reason left to follow our plan.

  “What’s your name?” Braeden asks him.

  “Cale Lorit, sir,” he answers, standing up straighter and flashing a subtle grin.

  Braeden looks back to Talia, who does an astonishing job of concealing her thoughts. She does not appear to be concerned by any of this at all.

  “Sit down, you’re in my way,” he tells Cale as he moves to Nyree. “You will be my guide for today.”

  Cale looks confused and sad at the same time. Despite the gravity of these events, I have to stop myself from smirking. He reminds me of a man who was rejected by the love of his life. Cale was so close to being able to speak with Braeden alone, only to be dismissed in such an ungracious manner. Braeden’s selection has shocked him, but Cale quickly gathers himself. His grin has been replaced by narrowed eyes and a puffed out chest. I can imagine only one thing his sudden resolve means. Cale stands back up. Before he speaks, I grab his arm, yanking him away from Braeden.

  “You have been dismissed. Leave now, or I shall remove you,” I tell him with contempt.

  Removing him without drawing attention would have been preferred, but there was no time to consider any other options. Hearing my words, Braeden turns back around. I hold Cale in place, watching for the Controller’s reaction. He has none, making it impossible to tell what he thinks of this. Is he amused? Annoyed? Either way, his attention does not last long. Braeden turns back to Nyree, motioning for her to go with him.

  As they walk to the exit, Cale looks to seize his last chance to speak. Seeing what is about to happen, Talia steps between Cale and Braeden. Her icy stare and the small pistol she pushes into his stomach stops Cale long enough for Braeden to leave. I did not even know she had a weapon. Like always, Talia came prepared.

  Once Braeden disappears and Ulan is outside the door, Talia calls for one of the Guards stationed outside of the room to escort Cale out. With him removed, my anxiety decreases, but only slightly. I will never be fully at ease while Braeden roams the halls of Securus. Having Nyree as his guide does help though. All we have left to deal with is Ulan, which is a much more agreeable task. Talia offers to show Ulan around. He agrees with his usual enthusiasm.

  Suddenly I find myself in a situation I would not have thought possible, alone with nothing to do on the most important day of the review. After considering my options, I decide on going to Talia’s office to watch the security feeds. If Braeden will not let me show him around, I can at least keep an eye on him while he parades through Securus.

  Talia and Ulan disappear around the corner, headed toward the main control room as I go back to her office. Once inside, I immediately activate the security screens, searching for Nyree and Braeden. They are nowhere to be seen. My eyes continually scan the different screens but never catch a glimpse of Braeden.

  Sitting for thirty minutes with no sightings, I begin to wonder if he knew someone would be watching and is intentionally avoiding the cameras. After another half hour of watching, I am sure of it. These cameras do not cover everything, but unintentionally avoiding them for a full hour while walking through Securus is impossible.

  I should have known he would do something like this. He was in this office watching the screens earlier, and knows exactly what they cover. If he is being careful of where he goes, then his intentions are not to conduct an investigation. More than ever, I believe his only purpose is to get a better feel for how to manipulate us. Now he has left me here alone, powerless to do anything but wait to see what he decides to do next.

  Chapter 20

  Instead of sitting here feeling useless, I return to the Research Department. At least in there I will have more constructive things to do than staring mindlessly at a security screen. The calm atmosphere in the Research Department feels awkward compared to the swirling emotions and bitter uncertainty I feel inside. Before I get to Sayda’s work station, my name is called from near the entrance. What’s he doing up here? I ask myself while turning to see Arluin sprinting toward me with Seonah not far behind him. It cannot be good news if they are both up here when classes are supposed to be in session.

  “We need to talk, now,” Arluin says firmly. He leans over, catching his breath from the run.

  “Okay, follow me.” I turn to continue walking. It would take too long to go back to my quarters, so the closest area to safely talk is Sayda’s work station. To my surprise, Hadwin is there with her.

  “What are you doing up here?” I ask him as we enter the room. No other researchers are around, so Arluin closes the door to give us some privacy.

  “Seonah and that guy had some good ideas. We’re making too much progress on the signal tracker to stop now,” he says giving Arluin a brotherly punch in the arm. “The real question is what are you doing here? I thought you had something more important happening today?”

  Both Arluin and Seonah look at me expectantly. Even though Seonah has been helpful lately, I am unwilling to reveal too much.

  “I
was just cornered by these two, so we are all about to find out why I’m here. What’s up guys?” I ask.

  “That special assignment you gave me, we found the source of the other transmission going to Caelum,” Arluin says, glaring at me as a reminder that he wants to know what Hadwin was talking about. This must be important, I think to myself. Arluin usually pushes much harder for more information.

  “The signal was hard to track, since it was bouncing around so much. But it’s definitely coming from the Detention Center,” Seonah says.

  There is no good reason for a transmission to be coming from that location. Very few people are left in the Detention Center now and all of those who are there have motive to sabotage us, especially Aamon. I have to sit down, suddenly feeling the weight of their discovery. I look back to them for anything to make this less worrisome. “Do you know what information was sent? Was it a message?”

  “It was some direct communication. The encryption’s pretty sophisticated, so we haven’t been able to decipher the content yet. But that isn’t the worst part. We detected a transmitted response from someone in Caelum,” Seonah tells us.

  Her words linger in my mind causing a fog to slow my thoughts. I never really expected them to find anything, now this discovery changes everything. As the repercussions sink in, I realize something to lend hope that all is not yet lost. Braeden might not know about this yet, otherwise he would not be here. This trip would be a waste of time for him if he already knows the truth. Unless he’s merely checking to see if the place remains in good enough shape to salvage after they kill us all, the voice in the back of my mind whispers.

  Staring at the ground, my vision blurs, as if my eyes refuse to see the truth of our situation. I rub my eyes, forcing them to refocus.

  I stand up and turn to the others. “There’s only one person in there with the computer skills for this. The more urgent question is who’s helping him. He couldn’t gain access to the system without help.”