Apparent Power: DiaZem Trilogy Book One

by Dacia M Arnold

  Her arms were extended. He was powerful enough to break her grip from the rail, but he did not. “But you must think about more than just yourself now, mustn’t you?” he said, winking at her and placing his hand on her abdomen. He guided her away from the rail.

  Valerie pushed him away. She hated how Lucas’ touch made her heart and stomach flutter. She hated how natural it felt to hold his hand and walk. Her body called out to him, and she fought with every fiber of her being to resist. She looked for anything to distract herself while they waited for the train. She counted the endless housing units, memorized the bizarre murals which seemed to be on every wall.

  She could hear the train approaching in the distance. She could push him or jump in front of the train herself. The inner struggle was driving her mad. He was an insufferable narcissist, and she played the role of the battered girl. The longer she was with him, the more profound her suffering became. She felt like her spirit was fading into nothing, like the endless pit of apartments she had just stared down, but even it had a bottom. A cold, hard, definitive ending. She could not protect Caleb if she were gone.

  The train arrived with five passengers. One, in particular, Lucas was excited to see. She wore a skimpy maid’s costume, impractical for anything but what it was intended for.

  “Teresa, right?” Lucas said, with the look of primal hunger he had flashed at Hyka earlier. “I am attending to business, but feel free to wait for me. Make yourself at home.”

  He laughed to himself until he met Hyka’s glare. “Oh, you’re welcome to join us. Or I’m sure Rob could use some entertainment. Eh?”

  Rob still seemed put off by dying in the hotel. Hyka spit on Lucas’ shoes.

  “Dammit, you are disgusting,” Lucas yelled and pulled a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe his leather shoes. “Get the hell on the train.”

  The doors closed behind them, and though the voice warned them to hold on, the velocity threw Valerie’s weight into Lucas. He wrapped an arm around her waist and held the metal railing offered for support. She stopped fighting. Valerie remained in his embrace as her resolve grew weaker. She racked her brain for distractions. She focused on the puzzle of figuring out how to demagnetize Lucas Jarrett from her. Every second she was near him was torture.

  Rob tapped Lucas on the shoulder. Nodding, he allowed Valerie to sit on one end of the train car with Hyka. Lucas and Rob moved a distance away to talk in whispers.

  “August is flipping out. He’s demanding to leave,” Hyka said to her under the sound of the train.

  “He must think I did kill all those people. I don’t expect you to understand why I care, but please don’t judge me. I love my husband more than anything, but these feelings I have for August are as intense as they are for this asshole. I can’t help it. But I need August here. I need him to help me. I’m sure if he sees Lucas and me together, he’s going to hate me more. But I can’t fight Lucas on my own.”

  “You’re not on your own. But all these favors I’m doing for you are going to start adding up, Your Majesty.”

  Valerie was not in the mood for Hyka’s jokes, but she had a point. The more she involved Hyka and anyone else, she was putting their lives at risk.

  The train stopped after a few minutes, the doors opened, and the overhead voice announced they were at the Main Control Center. Like most of Denver International Airport, the platforms were decorated with strange and abstract sculptures. The four of them stepped off the train and walked through a structure of thick copper wire. The massive statue was of two giant men engaged in a sword fight. Each leg was a pillar supporting their bodies. Thick copper wire wrapped around itself to form the figures. The art scaled three floors above her head, reminding her of Lucas’ self-indulgence. She walked behind him now, as he puffed up his chest in his tailored jacket and exaggerated the angle of his jaw. He waited by a heavy door for Rob to use his badge and hold the door for him. Lucas walked through. Valerie did not follow. She wanted to stay behind and get as much distance as she could. Rob motioned for her to go in, but she did not budge. The connection between them grew weaker, and she felt the weight of him leave her. Then, just as gradual as the feeling had faded, it came back to her.

  “I can feel when you’re not here, you know. Let’s go,” he said, like an annoyed parent to a stubborn child. Valerie followed with Hyka in step behind her.

  “I just want to tell you how bad I want to punch him in the face right now,” Hyka whispered to Valerie.

  “I know. I do too.” She smiled.

  Valerie walked past a set of windows. Behind the glass were people in white coats studying screens, looking into microscopes, and documenting on clipboards. Lucas stopped at the door labeled “Conference Room” across from the lab.

  “Rob, could you please show Ms. Burton’s assistant how to set up a conference with the Council? No fighting.” Lucas pointed his finger at the two assistants and continued down the hall. Valerie stayed.

  “Is this your lab?” she asked, hoping to stroke his ego enough to gain access.

  Lucas turned around and walked back to her. “It is. I have brought together some of the world’s finest doctors, scientists, and engineers to develop innovations to move the New World forward in my lab. Much easier now the language barrier no longer exists.”

  “No language barrier? So, everyone speaks English now?”

  “Contrarily, we speak in the language we understand and hear in the language we understand. Do you remember the Bible story about the tower of Babel? My guess is the fall of the tower represents the moment the gene went dormant. With the awakening came a slew of mutual understandings. All of which are represented here in my lab. There are a handful of normal people, too. My most distinguished colleague turned out to not have the gene. He was the one who developed the technology to protect our nonconductor allies within the facility from your little attack that wiped them out of the city. He earned his right to live, and so owes his life to me.”

  “I didn’t. . .”

  “I’m sorry?” Lucas interrupted her with a daring look. When she did not make a further attempt to correct him, Lucas waved at the older gentleman Valerie had seen in the control room. He did not smile or wave back but tilted his head to Valerie. She nodded in return.

  “May I?” Valerie asked, placing her badge on the black reader. The light turned green, and the door’s latch disengaged. She did have unrestricted access after all.

  “Yes, fine, but I have work to do. I’ll be back for you in five minutes.” Lucas held the door open for her.

  Valerie stepped into the lab. Every person looked at her in silence. They were not angry with her like the rest. There was a palpable sadness in their energy.

  “Mrs. Russell, I am Doctor Leonard Warner of the CDC. I’d be happy to answer any questions you may have,” the gentleman offered, extending his hand.

  Valerie took his hand to shake it, but he lifted hers to his mouth. Bowing, he placed a kiss on her knuckle. She thanked him and pulled her hand away.

  “I guess I just want to see what you are working on.”

  “I am sure, with time, you will find the right questions to ask. This is nothing more than your run of the mill research lab. We are studying DNA with the gene in its active state to understand its capabilities better. I have two male DiaZem samples; would you mind if we drew a small amount of blood from you?” the doctor asked with a sincere smile.

  “What would you do with it?”

  Dr. Leonard leaned in close to Valerie’s ear. “We would look for your weaknesses as well as your strengths. To protect you, we must also know what could harm you.”

  As he stepped away, Valerie knew there was something else at work here. She nodded in agreement. Dr. Leonard motioned her to a chair and was handed the tools needed to extract her blood.

  “You’re smart, like your mother, Janice. I have not seen her since she was about half your age,” the doctor said as he made quick work of filling the vial with blood.

  “Lo
ok at you, so compliant now,” Lucas spoke, making her jump.

  She had been distracted by the mention of her mother and did not see or feel him walk into the lab.

  “Leo’s studies are essential to the evolution of the New World. You’d be happy to know you are contributing to the right cause, my dear. Now, shall we?” Lucas ripped the bandage off her arm as quick as the doctor had placed it. Her wound had already healed.

  “Five thousand mega-cities all over the world were built to house the quarter of the population that carry the gene. DiaZem are like the royalty of the conductors. The entire English royal family are DiaZem. Not realizing it, of course, they were able to maintain the bloodline through generations. The Queen of England has reigned for so long for a reason. Now, she will continue to rule with her youth restored. Her descendants host other mega-cities otherwise vacant of DiaZem. The United States has four mega-cities: Fort Knox, Dallas, Denver, and San Francisco. You were the last DiaZem needed for our country to come online with Phase Two. Dr. Wilkes will meet up with his partner in San Francisco, and you and I will marry and rule here.” He escorted her down the hall while he spoke. He did not look at her, but for the first time, he seemed to treat her as an equal.

  “You said they do something to those who don’t follow through with Phase Two? Do they kill DiaZem?” she asked.

  “Already trying to plot my death? Please stop fighting. You can’t. I don’t care if you don’t want to be with me. I can force you to be with me, and there is little you can do to fight it.” Lucas stopped in the hallway and slammed her up against the wall, pinning her there with his body. “So, you’ll forget about Dr. Wilkes. He doesn’t want you. He has his partner. And once he gets to his city, he’ll forget all about you. He will see you in the Council and have no emotions toward you. You are mine, Valerie, forever.”

  She tried to turn away, but Lucas forced his mouth on hers, hard and painful. He slid his hand behind her and pulled her into him. Caught in between wanting him and wanting to die, she screamed when he released her mouth. This time his fist connected with her cheek. He held her upright, and she braced for another strike. None came. The taste of tears and blood fill her mouth again.

  He placed his hand on the tender spot of his blow. “I can’t have my missus sporting a shiner on her pretty face. What would the Council think? We don’t want them knowing you don’t want to join us. And yes, they kill DiaZem, the ones who do not cooperate with the New World. I know you would have let people, like your husband, live willy-nilly around the earth. Threatening our genetic superiority. How does someone like you end up with a regular anyway?” Lucas moved his hand between her legs.

  She did not want him to stop, but she felt sick and humiliated.

  “Did you not feel it deep inside? You are so much more than a man’s bed warmer. You are a leader of nations. The mother of future leaders. His blood diluted your heritage. Caleb’s lucky he takes after you.”

  At the mention of her son, all her emotions turned to anger. Her inner yearning extinguished. She looked at him in the eye and grabbed his wrist, pulling his hand away from her. Then she pushed him hard to free her body of him and the wall.

  “There’s my girl,” he said, smiling in approval.

  The door behind him buzzed open. A blue-clad guard stopped in his path, nervous to see Lucas waiting outside. He moved aside and held the door open for the two of them to enter. Lucas motioned in a gentleman-like fashion for her to proceed ahead of him. She rolled her eyes and walked inside.

  Valerie remembered the control room from her surveillance search for August. She scanned the cameras for Caleb. He was still fast asleep, and Kevin sat in the chair with his eyes closed. She let out a sigh of relief. On another screen, Jack and her father boarded a train. No one in the control room seemed to worry about the men wandering around the facility in the wee hours of the morning. She focused her attention on August. Glancing at Lucas, who was having a conversation with one of the guards, she retraced the camera feed, through the tunnels of the living area and up to his suite. Like before, her presence was felt. She tapped into the controls of the TV monitor in his room and wrote him a message.

  I need you to know I didn’t kill those people. Lucas is blaming me for the attack to turn the people against me. What the Council plans to do is wrong, and I cannot let them move forward. I can’t fight Lucas on my own. Please don’t leave me here with him. I don’t stand a chance without you. If you won’t stay, take us with you. Please.

  August sat up on the edge of his bed, hung his head in his hands and rubbed his temples.

  “It’s not that easy. Every second I am here I want to kill him for even being near you. If his attraction is anything like mine, he’ll kill me if I try to take you. Even if we find a way to beat him, the Council will be after us. There is no winning in this,” he answered out loud.

  She heard him and hid a falling tear from the others in the room.

  I’m willing to take the chance.

  August looked up at the camera and nodded. With his confirmation, she brought her focus back to the control room and wiped the tear away. Her heart fluttered with excitement and anxiety. Lucas stopped talking and looked at her. She wanted to smile at him but did not want to evoke any more attention. If he liked her angry, she would give him angry.

  “Everyone, can I have your attention,” Lucas demanded of the room. “This angelic being before you is my betrothed. You all know Ms. Burton from monitoring her for the past week or so. But here she is in the flesh. She is part of me and will be treated as such.” Lucas winked from across the room and walked over to her.

  The room remained silent, but those in attendance made notice of her before returning to their tasks.

  “They should have the conference room ready to go. Once the Council caught wind of your arrival, they insisted August and I move forward with Phase Two. And since you have already done part of the work for me, our region will be easy.”

  On the screen, Eric Earl entered August’s room, and the two men exited the suite. Lucas motioned her to the door. Without expression, she preceded him through the threshold and back down the hall. She could see Hyka moving in her direction with the slightest limp and Rob behind her trying to keep up.

  “What is it?” Valerie said, once in earshot of her friend.

  “Nothing. If I had stayed in that room any longer, I would have killed his assistant. But that’s apparently against the rules,” Hyka said, turning to face Rob, who ran into her.

  “Stop acting like children,” Lucas accused. “Is the conference online?”

  “Yes, sir. New Zealand is having difficulty finding their male DiaZem, but otherwise, they are awaiting you and August.” Rob straightened himself and took a step behind Lucas.

  Hyka reached the conference room first and held the door for Valerie. She cut Lucas off to follow her in. Rob caught the door from slamming on his boss. The room was like a home theater, but instead of comfortable armchairs, a desk with two office chairs sat in front of the large projection screen. Names etched into placards labeled their seats. Lucas pulled out Valerie’s chair before taking his own on her right.

  The screen reflected hundreds of other DiaZem couples. Valerie could not count them all. Another large screen was reserved for the DiaZem team addressing the group. The label on the giant screen announced Beijing.

  “Thank you for joining us at such an early hour, Ms. Burton.” The Asian woman greeted Valerie by her maiden name, as it appeared printed in front of her. “The Council has taken into consideration your lack of training to date and are in agreement to overlook the course of events leading to your arrival at the facility.

  “A partial initiation of Phase Two could have proven to be detrimental to your region. If a rebellion occurs before your circuit is complete, the inferior population could overthrow your facility. Your conductors would be scattered to the winds. To avoid this, you must take the oath of coronation, proceed to marry your DiaZem partner, and initiate the c
leansing of your nation sooner rather than later.

  “Dr. Wilkes will leave for his station, and both cities will initiate a complete Phase Two. This will reach the remaining half of the United States and should suffice since the eastern coast is already online with our plan, and their Phase Two accomplished.”

  “Can I be let in on the secret now?” August said, waving at the mounted screens.

  Valerie was startled to see his face so large in front of her. She blushed and looked away. Lucas glared at her, sensing her excitement at the sight of him. His hands gripped the armrests. She was thankful for once to be on camera. He would not hit her on camera.

  “What is Phase Two? I swear I’ll comply, I want to know what I’m walking into.”

  This time Jacqueline Thomas, alone in her screen with San Francisco displayed under her name, spoke up. “To maintain the purity of our DNA and keep the gene from returning to a dormant state, the Council has agreed that the elimination of the inferior is the best way to maintain compliance, unity, and control of our governed regions. DiaZem who refuse this plan of action are, of course, removed from power and eliminated as well. I am sure you can see the danger in allowing them to live.”

  August looked away from the screen to his assistant who would not make eye contact with him. Duke whispered to August, “I think they are waiting for your answer.”

  “Yes. I’m on board. Jackie, you and I are going to rule with iron fists and cold hearts. What do you say?”

  The Council took August’s joke at face value. Jacqueline’s expression lightened and she even almost smiled. The rest of the Council nodded in acceptance, except for Lucas, who interrupted the first light moment of the meeting.