by K A Duggsy
She throws back her head and laughs “Are you shocked Kye? That is hilarious. Do I not seem like the motherly type?”
I’m pretty sure my jaw is wide open. “When, how?”
“How? Do you not know how it works? I always had you pegged as experienced but we can go through a demonstration if you really need to know.”
“I haven’t got time for this Charlotte.” I’ve just realised this conversation is pointless, she drew me in and I forgot to get back out. It’s as though she’s trying to delay me somehow.
“Oh, you have somewhere to be?” She smiles.
“Yep, anywhere that you aren’t.”
“Ouch.” She holds her heart.
“You don’t have one, remember? It’s just a block of ice.”
“Maybe it’s thawing now I’m so close.”
Don’t bite to it Kye, just don’t I tell myself. Walk away.
“You ever wonder what drove me, Kye. Ever think why I’m so hell-bent on taking them down and being in power myself? You wonder why I’m so single-minded, why I enjoy watching those in power being beaten? Why I hate the weak?”
“You really want to tell me something so go ahead. Unburden yourself then I’m going. I’m not going to stand here and play guessing games. Your life really doesn’t interest or concern me that much, so spill or walk away.”
“Just know that I need this. It’s what I’ve worked towards all these years and I won’t let you or your prissy girlfriend muscle me out. You think you’re so clever, everyone’s a fucking genius, Laudnam included. But this is mine. I’m in now, I’m back where it all started and I’m going to end it.”
“Yeah okay, you do that. I haven’t a fucking clue what you’re on about but you do what you need to. I just want Faith back. You wanna rule – be my guest. I couldn’t care less.”
“You will.”
Chapter 21
Faith
This is it. We travelled to the streets in an over-rider. A raised platform and podium has been set up ready for him to address the crowd. All I have to do is stroke his ego and stand by his side looking pretty and smiling sweetly at the crowd. He dangled my sisters in front of me, let me hug them and check them over briefly before he snatched them away again. If there was ever any chance of me softening towards him that did it. The hate has filled my heart again and if I still had my knife it would’ve been plunged in his. The blood wouldn’t have bothered me because his heart is black. He pretended it was because we had to leave of course, that I couldn’t spend longer with them but it was just control. I had to pretend at being grateful, I had to thank him and hug him and explain my tears as tears of joy. Inside, though, I was screaming, kicking, punching and causing a riot.
They looked okay but appearances are deceptive. Take me for example, I’m smiling, holding Fraser’s hand and looking to all the world like a woman content in life. I want to crush him, to snap every bone in his fingers. I want to give into the thoughts consuming my mind but I won’t. Keeping up appearances is easy because I know when the time comes he’s gonna suffer so frigging bad and then he’ll realise the smiles I’ve been giving him weren’t real because I’ll be wearing the biggest smile ever when I watch him pay for his crimes. I might even dance. I squeeze his hand a little as though in comfort, letting him know he’ll be fine but really I’m testing. He flexes his hand and I know I applied too much pressure. I need to get myself under control.
The barricade is still up and AIG is stood in front of the gathering crowd while he takes the time to compose himself. They can’t get any closer until the barricade is removed but he has about five minutes before this goes out.
My sisters are supposedly staying at his home – Johnson Franks home. And he’s promised they’ll still be there and waiting for me once this is over. I want to believe him but I know that’s something the old Faith would do. I try to pick out Kye or any of the team in the crowd but I can’t and I feel alone again.
“Looking for an escape route?” Fraser asks.
“Don’t be silly.” I slap his arm playfully. “I’m a bit nervous, I didn’t realise there’d be so many people.”
“Deep breaths. They’re just people, same as us. We’ll knock them dead.”
I almost let my giggle escape. Someone will be knocked dead but it won’t be the people if I have my way.
“What if they don’t like us? What if they jeer and shout us off stage?” I’m trying to get in his head, trying to make him a nervous wreck.
He turns to face me and crooks his finger under my chin. I try not to tremble but he’s looking into my eyes so deeply I can’t tell if I am or not.
“How could they not embrace you Faith? You’re special. If they can’t see that they’re blind.”
I hang my head as if I’m embarrassed but I just want to get his finger off my chin. He rubs my shoulders. “I didn’t expect this of you, Faith. I thought I’d be the one panicking.”
“Sorry,” I mumble.
He nods to the guards enforcing the barricade and they start moving it. He claps his hands. “Orario dello spettacolo.” When I frown at him he explains, “Showtime.”
Fraser
An ocean of calm has washed over me. Twenty minutes, that’s all, twenty minutes and I’ll have made the announcement. I will rightfully be President and on my way home to celebrate. Twenty minutes to get through with no interference from Charlotte and I’m home clear.
I step up to the mic, trying not to lean too heavily on my cane. I look out at the faces in the crowd. Faith stands slightly behind me but as soon as I get to my speech, she will be at the forefront where she belongs.
I’m not met with the cheering I expected just a sea of expectant faces. If this hadn’t been such a quick throw together I imagine my people would have been more enthusiastic about my presence. I beam at the crowd and wait for complete silence before addressing them.
“Thank you for all taking the time to be here at such short notice. I apologise for intruding on your time but events have taken place recently and need to be addressed. What you witnessed last night or heard about was a culmination of actions implemented by Johnson Franks. I’m sure you’re wondering where he is, why he is not stood here and speaking to you. It pains me greatly to say but your President was not the man you thought he was.
Johnson was involved in some questionable experimentation, he was shown to be a compulsive liar and when this came to light he was apprehended. Unfortunately, as a result, he had a heart attack and passed away a few days ago. We have waited to make the announcement as he had no next of kin and a replacement was needed to be found.”
I pause to gauge their reactions and Faith steps up beside me. She walks to the mic and unsure of what she’s about to say I plaster a smile on my face.
“Hello, you may be wondering who I am, so let me introduce myself. My name is Faith Ecnavda, as Mr. Laudnam was saying Johnson had no next of kin... or so they believed. I am in fact his daughter and I’m here to tell you the whole truth.”
She looks at me and I’m stunned into silence, I move to reach for the mic but my arms are pulled around my back and I’m dragged down the steps at the back of the podium and held to the side. I look around wildly wondering why the AIG have allowed this to happen and I see that they each have a man on them. It’s so subtle so the crowd wouldn’t notice but I can tell by the stance of each and every one of them.
“Advance Industries have lied to you for many years and it’s time you knew what kind of city you’ve been living in. What kind of leadership you have been under. A little under a year ago I was the property of Advance Industries. I was created as part of an experiment along with many other girls. I’m not trying to shock you, I just want you to be in possession of all the facts. Facts that both Johnson Franks and Fraser Laudnam concealed. Facts that are shocking and terrifying but facts nonetheless.
This city has been manipulated, cajoled and built on a web of scaremongering. People have been used to further the twisted ends of what those in power b
elieved to be righteous. They were wrong.”
She turns to me and I stop my struggling, it’s no use anyway. Her eyes flare as do her nostrils, she looks like she could kill me with her penetrating gaze alone and I gulp. She looks furious and I’m thrown. I thought she was with me, why is she demolishing all the progress we made? Why has she turned against me?
The crowd start going wild and chaos quickly descends. The men at my sides detaining me start shuffling backwards dragging me along with them. One of them pulls out a phaser and points it in the direction of the angry mob surging towards us and then everything goes black.
Faith
“Stop. Please, let me finish,” I ask the crowd. I haven’t even begun really and they’re livid already. Charlotte’s men knocked Fraser out so they have their hands free to discharge their weapons if needed. I thought I’d stutter and blabber my way through the speech but so far so good. I still feel sick when I think about what Kye divulged last night. I can’t believe Johnsons blood runs through me and I won’t accept it but the look on Fraser’s face was enough satisfaction to keep me talking.
The crowd stop moving, eager for knowledge so I take a deep breath, rest my hands either side of the podium and start again.
“Advance Industries used me and my sisters from the time of our birth. We were experimented on repeatedly, our lives weren’t worth living. The Advance tubes that were pitched to you as the next big thing were responsible for my memory loss. I was forced to test the invention and on doing so my memories were wiped. Advance Industries convinced me that I lived in the Zones, that I had a job and a family – all lies. Together with the good men I met, we infiltrated their labs and rescued many of the homeless who were held in cages in disgusting conditions. We are the ones that killed Johnson Franks. Yes Killed. He didn’t have a heart attack or an unfortunate accident, he was disposed of in a way befitting a man of his calibre.
Fraser was ready to feed you more distruths. I will not. I spent my life at their mercy. I had no idea Johnson was my birth father and I wish I did not know that fact. I’m addressing you today because you need to make the right choice. You put Johnson in power and let him and the wealthy treat you like dirt.
Last night was not an act of terrorists but simply those from off-grid finally fighting for their freedom, their right to be counted. In the quest for perfection, Advance Industries and it’s leaders overlooked something very simple – humanity. They believed they were creating a better city, a better way of life but what they should have been concentrating on is the people they looked down their noses at, the people that never had a voice and why? All because they were poor? I can’t promise to lead this city and do a better job than they did but I want you to know – I’ve lived off-grid, I’ve lived in the Zones and I’ve lived in the labs. I’m under no illusions that I am better than any of you – I’m not. In fact, I would gladly hand this title over...”
“That’s good to hear.”
I turn to my left and see Charlotte making her way up the steps of the podium a gun trained on me. A gun not a fucking phaser. Oh shit!
Kye
Watching her standing strong and proud, speaking to the people without hesitation and looking fucking hot to boot I almost forget why I’m here. It’s almost as though I haven’t seen her for months instead of mere days. She’s glowing and my relief is huge that she’s in one piece. I’ve been in communication with her every day and most nights but seeing her in the flesh looking healthy, wearing a killer pair of fuck me shoes and watching her command everyone’s attention makes my heart throb. I feel my Comm vibrate and know it’s time to move into position. The AIG are scarce after our fight the other night, I see Charlotte’s men dotted around too and hope that they have the AIG in their sights and not us. I have two guns pocketed, they were lifted from the guards we apprehended. I take a step forward and hold the gun at a guards waist. He flicks his eyes down to it and I shake my head, he looks to his left and then his right and sees that his guard friends are also on the wrong end of a gun.
“Just stay still and keep quiet. I won’t hurt you unless you give me a reason to,” I say it quietly, feeling like I just pulled off ventriloquism and he nods slightly.
I’ve missed what she just said but the crowds energy is palpable, she’s got them all fired up. How I’m turned on right now I don’t know, but the mixture of my girl looking hot as fuck, the thrill of the mission and the crowd baying for blood has my veins thrumming in anticipation. Concentrate Kye, for fuck sake. She has them eating out the palm of her hand. I can see heads nodding along, lapping up every word she says. I scan the crowd again to pick out the guys, they each have a mark and we’re pretty spread out. Charlotte’s men seem to be interspersed with mine and my neck prickles. I look up to see Charlotte stood next to Faith, the way Faith’s colour drains and her eyes look down I know Charlotte’s got something trained on her, on her stomach no less. She nudges Faith over so they’re stood side by side and the weapon she’s holding is hidden by the podium.
Faith finds me in the crowd, her panic is overwhelming her and she’s looking to me to fix it. Fuck!
The air is electrified as I stand like a fucking mug and watch my girl get paler as the seconds keep ticking past.
“I know so far you’ve had a lot to take in but please bare with me. My name is known to some of you but for the rest of you, I am Charlotte Bennett.”
I hear gasps in the crowd from people who have heard her name whispered in fear or awe. They probably thought she was some Goddamn fictional legend.
“Miss Ecnavda enlightened you with a shocking tale, but her story is just one of thousands. She may think she was of some importance to them but she was just one in a long line. Advance Industries has a thing for pretty, timid girls. I was probably one of their first.”
“This city needs to be led by a true leader. By someone who isn’t afraid to make the tough decisions. Someone that can’t be bought off and by someone willing to have the city’s best interests at heart, not their own. In all my years of banishment, I have built a strong following of honourable, strong and dedicated men. We have lived like you, cast aside by the rich, we’ve scrabbled for food, we’ve gone without water and we’ve had to fight for everything we have. We are the same and under my leadership, the rich will become us. They will live in filth, they will wonder where their next meal will come from and they will cry at night from the cold.
We will become them. They have reigned supreme for far too long and I am here to put that right.” She raises her left arm in the air and throws a satisfied look at Faith. The crowd goes wild. Of course, they do, this has turned into a free for all, Charlotte just turned this into a competition, a popularity contest and by telling the poor they’ll be rich and the Zone dwellers will become dirt poor, she’s secured their allegiance.
Trask appears next to me and I frown, I never ordered him to leave his post, what the fuck does he think he’s doing. He’s lucky I let him in on this in the first place.
He doesn’t look at me, his eyes remain fixed on the podium but I can see him working his jaw.
“Get her down from there Kye. I don’t care how but get her the fuck away from Charlotte.”
Faith
Oh My God this is so messed up. My hands are sweating profusely. I want the ground to swallow me up. I don’t want to be up here while the crowd go wild. The applause is almost deafening but all I can focus on is the gun pointed at my stomach. Strange things are playing in my head – the guy from Kye’s time being shot, the blood, red. The blood on my thighs and on the sheets in the lilac room. My baby, she’s pointing the gun at my baby. I know that’s ridiculous but she knows I’m pregnant. Aim it at my head or my foot not my fucking stomach. I can’t take that again. I’m sure I’d die if she shot me this close but my brain thinks it’s funny letting me imagine I’d live while I lose another child.
I’m a crazy combination of seething mad and piss my pants scared. I look out at the crowd and my eyes lock on Kye’
s. I feel mine start to fill with water, if she hurts us he’ll lose it, he’ll break. He’s standing strong but the slight droop of his shoulders and the hardness of his jaw tells me he’s only just holding it together. His eyes are filled with pure anguish, I wish I could just get to him and take away even an ounce of his pain. I watch Trask stride to his side and I stare at them both, silently asking what should I do. I can’t make a rash decision this time. I can’t run, I’m frozen in fear, fear for myself, fear for Kye, but more for our baby who doesn’t deserve this.
I rip my gaze away from them and watch Charlotte delight in the attention she’s receiving. I walk into the gun until it’s firmly pressing my abdomen. That got her attention. I put my mouth to her ear so she’ll hear me amidst the whooping and hollering.
“Charlotte, you’ve won. The presidency is yours. Please... Just let me go.”
“How would that look to my adoring public? Nothing is mine with you alive, you know how it works, they may want me but the title automatically goes to you.”
“I don’t want it. I give it up.”
“SILENCE,” she commands the crowd.
“Miss Ecnavda has something she wants to say and you all need to bear witness to this.” She looks my way “Come around the front of the podium and kneel.” She moves so the gun is now pressed in my back and I shuffle forward with shaking legs. I kneel facing the crowd and hear a collective gasp as Charlotte holds the gun to the back of my head. I close my eyes knowing if I see Kye I won’t hold it together. It’s funny what races through your mind in the moment that you know you’re going to die. A kaleidoscope of images race past and I can’t lock on to one of them to make this any easier, to make this okay and accept what’s about to happen. A tear escapes and trickles down my cheek. I know it’s stupid but I wrap my arms protectively around my stomach. My one and only act as a mother without a child. My heart races, my eyes are squeezed shut so tightly that lights flash behind my lids. I inhale a huge gulp of air which gets lost as it turns into a strangled sob.