A Democracy Fallen

by Matthew Savage

  “We need to try and stop them,” Steven said and Sarah could tell he was thinking hard about what they could do. “There is no way we could get back to the safe house in time. If there are other agents in the area which there certainly must be then they could be on their way now.”

  “Then we need to do something drastic,” Sarah said.

  “Don’t tell me you are planning what I think you are planning,” Steven said in a tone where he knew what he was about to get into.

  “We take them out,” Sarah started. “Then we send a distress call and point them in a different direction.”

  “That is way too-” Steven was cut off by a light shining on him.

  “What is going on here?” The agent who spoke over the radio said to them.

  The other agent who was young with a deep voice ordered, “You two come over here.” “What are you doing hanging out here?” The first agent asked as Sarah and Steven stepped towards them.

  “I am sorry officer we were calling for a ride,” Sarah said hoping she sounded convincing.

  “How did you two get here?” The second agent asked. He shined a light in their faces. “Do you two have any ID.”

  “Of course.”

  Steven reached to his back. Before the agent could react Steven pulled a knife slicing the agent’s throat. The second agent was caught off guard and reached for his gun but Sarah was too fast and grabbed it. She threw an elbow into the USSB agent knocking the wind out of him. She grabbed his gun and fired into his chest several times. Steven grabbed the one agent’s radio and they both ran to the parked USSB squad car.

  “This is agent 41 we were just attacked! Agent 36 is down we were ambushed by three males heading north on Clark,” Steven said into the radio. He looked at Sarah. “Hopefully that sends the agents in the opposite direction.”

  Sarah nodded unable to find words. Her heart was racing and she kept seeing the agent die from her gunshots in her mind. Steven parked the car a block away from the safe house. They walked so fast to the safe house that they were practically running. They were one house away when they slowed down and crept towards the house. They entered and Wilson walked up to them looked at their hands for food. He went to speak but Steven cut him off.

  “Our cover has been blown. We need to get moving.” Steven’s voice shook from panic.

  “Whose blood is that? Are you hurt?” Wilson said alarm clear in his voice.

  “It is a USSB agents. We need to go now. They know we are here!” Steven yelled.

  Orson ran into the room. “You killed two USSB agents?” He said as he looked from one to the other. “They found the bodies they are searching the area. I heard it over the police intercom.”

  “Alright everyone grab your things we are leaving.” Captain Underwood said loudly to the group.

  Everyone started packing up their things. In a few short moments, the team was in the kitchen waiting for orders.

  “Where are we going?” Steven asked.

  “We are going to head for the train station and make our way back to base,” Wilson said. He looked out the back window and a van had pulled up behind the house. “We got a car outside!”

  Everyone crouched and Steven, Nolan, and Wilson pulled out their guns. Wilson was looking out the window when he signaled for them to lower their weapons.

  “It’s Detective Foster,” Wilson said to everyone. Sarah looked out the window and Detective Foster was running towards the house. He came through the back door and Wilson grabbed him and held his gun to the back of the Detective’s head. “Did you give us up?” he asked.

  “Of course not. You were seen by a neighbor. I am here to get you out of here and to a new safe house.”

  “What safe house,” Mary asked.

  “My house. We will be safe there for at least a day. Then we can find a way to get you out of the city.” Detective Foster told them and he was breathing heavy. Sarah clearly thought that he was worried that Captain Underwood was going to shoot him.

  “Fine let’s move,” Wilson said and the team gathered their things and made their way to Detective Foster’s van.

  “We must move fast the Security Bureau should be on their way any minute now. Luckily whoever took out those agents bought you all enough time.”

  Wilson looked back at Sarah and Steven with an accusing look on his face. He shook his head at them. Sarah and Steven exchanged guilty looks. Detective Foster led the way to the van and everyone piled in. Detective Foster drove off he was careful not to speed. Sarah was looking out the window. She counted six USSB cars pass them heading towards their old safe house. Sarah wondered if staying at Detective Foster’s house would be any safer than the other house. Sarah looked at the rest of the team and she could see the concern on their faces.

  “We just need to dodge a couple of checkpoints and we will be in the clear.” Detective Foster said to the group,

  “What are they checking for?” Nolan asked.

  “They are checking for fugitives, Insurgents, any excuse to bring people in,” The Detective started. “They have tightened their grip on this city. Curfews raids on people’s homes. I honestly don’t know what our purpose as police is anymore. Everything we do gets taken over by the USSB.”

  “What are they doing with all these prisoners?” Sarah asked.

  “Labor camps probably,” Mary said.

  “Or being tortured for information about Insurgents,” Wilson added.

  “None of those things would surprise me at this point.” Detective Foster said pausing for a moment. “Truth is they aren’t making it known what they are doing. We have no way of finding out.”

  The car was silent and Sarah assumed everyone was doing what she was doing. Which was thinking of the terrible things that were happening to innocent people that were being caught by the USSB. It made her sick what was happening. She knew that if it was happening in Chicago than it surely was happening other places. Sarah looked at Steven and he had a look of disgust on his face. She knew he was thinking the same thing. Sarah wiped her eyes she pictured her father being tortured for information about the D.I. Steven reached over and held her hand.

  After ten minutes of driving, they arrived at Detective Foster’s house. He pulled the van into the detached garage. Everyone exited the van and Detective Foster turned to them before leaving to go outside. “Listen, my wife is pregnant and doesn’t really know how many of you there are but this was her idea.”

  “Let’s hope she doesn’t regret it,” Nolan said.

  Detective Foster led them into his house. There was a small staircase that lead them to the basement. They all entered quietly and Detective Foster told them to get settled. Someone could be heard above them, the door to the basement opened, Sarah felt panic run through her before Detective Foster spoke.

  “It’s ok everyone, it’s my wife.” He said.

  The door to the basement opened and a visibly pregnant woman waddled down the stairs. Sarah noticed she was young and very pretty. She had dark curly hair. She was wearing what looked like pajamas, the shirt of the pajamas was bulging with her belly. She waddled her way past everyone and gave Detective Foster a tight hug. She looked at him put her hand on his face and he kissed her. “Laurence, she said in a soft voice. “I was so worried.”

  “I promised I would be back alive didn’t I?” He said and kissed her forehead.

  “Doesn’t stop me from worrying.”

  "This is my wife Cerina," Detective Foster said.

  She turned to the group and she put on a sweet smile. “I am so happy you all made it. I heard on my husband’s police scanner that they were setting up more roadblocks. Several helicopters were deployed to look for the people responsible.”

  “I figured security would be heightened.” Detective Foster said.

  “They have been searching the houses in that area. I don’t think it is safe to be in this city any longer.” Cerina said to her husband.

  Detective Foster looked at the group. Captain Unde
rwood spoke for him.

  “Tomorrow we leave for headquarters then.” He looked at Cerina and Detective Foster. “You both are going to come with us.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Extra Passengers

  Nolan was not able to sleep. The thought of the United States Security Bureau kicking down doors and forcefully searching homes unsettled him. He tossed and turned for several hours before he snuck upstairs. He figured he would feel better if he kept watch. Nolan walked up the stair of the basement. He wasn’t sure if he was supposed to leave the basement so he wanted to make sure he wasn’t heard. He opened up the basement door and looked around the house. It was very nice and Nolan could tell they had started preparing for a baby, there were bags filled with baby things and several large boxes that he figured was a crib that was going to be set up. He felt a tinge of guilt knowing that they would have to leave everything here. Nolan made his way towards the front room and to his surprise, Captain Underwood was sitting on the ground, he was looking out the window and turned as he heard the creak in the floor under Nolan’s foot.

  “Wilson, I didn’t know you were up, sir,” Nolan said in a whispered voice.

  “I couldn’t sleep,” Wilson answered and making a motion for Nolan to come sit with him. “Sit down the company will do me some good.” Nolan sat down on the other side of Wilson and they both looked out the window in silence before Wilson spoke. “It is times like these I regret taking Mary with me.”

  This caught Nolan by surprised. “Why sir? She seems more than capable of handling herself.”

  “That isn’t it. It is because she is my wife and if she got captured or killed it would be my fault.”

  “I understand that sir, but you also didn’t order her to come.”

  “I didn’t order her to stay though. It falls on me as the commander of this and as her husband. I have a certain responsibility.”

  “This is something we all believe in Will. If she didn’t want to be here she wouldn’t. I feel more guilty for bringing Laurence and his wife into this.”

  “It seems like both of us have our demons.” There was silence between them before Wilson spoke again. “You didn’t recruit him though. He was in this before you ever were.”

  The floor creaked again and Cerina came into the room. “I thought I heard voices down here. What are you boys doing up? Also, why are you two on the ground?”

  “I am sorry Mrs. Foster we didn’t mean to wake you up,” Nolan apologized.

  “Please… it is this little one,” she said rubbing her belly. “He is the one who felt the need to kick my bladder all night.” She smiled at them before continuing. “I will have you both know that my husband and I knew what we were getting into.”

  “I didn’t mean anything by it,” Nolan said trying to cover his tracks.

  “I know you didn’t but we had talked about what it would mean if we got into this fight and we decided something.”

  “What was that?” Nolan asked.

  “We didn’t want our child to grow up in a country like this. We both felt a responsibility to our child that they should have the best life they could. What kind of role models would we be if did nothing to change what is happening?”

  Nolan and Wilson were silent taking in what she had told them.

  “I understand your feeling of putting us in danger, but you didn’t make us. It was our choice, as it was the choice of your wife Wilson. You both are taking this too personal.”

  “You’re right,” Wilson started his voice sounding hoarse. “It seems though like things are getting worse and we are really looking like full war is going to happen. I was in the last war. It gets ugly and not just the people fighting get hurt.”

  Cerina rubbed her belly again. “I know that is why we all must do something to protect the ones we love before things get too bad.”

  Wilson nodded his head and looked out the window. Cerina sat down on the couch and exhaled rubbing her belly. Nolan wondered if she was trying to calm the child in her. He noticed how tired she looked. Nolan wondered how fast she could move and if she could even run if it came down to it. He wasn’t sure how far along she was but just looking at her belly he figured she was ready to pop. Nolan continued to look out the window with Wilson. The street was empty, once or twice a car had driven past. Nolan could feel his eyes getting tired before they finally closed.

  Nolan woke up on the ground with his head on a pillow. His back was stiff and he sat up and stretched. He looked over expecting to see Wilson but he wasn’t there. Cerina came into the front room.

  “You looked peaceful so we decided not to try and move you.” She said and handed him a cup of coffee.

  He thanked her. “I appreciate the pillow.” He said and took a sip of the coffee and stretched.

  Wilson came up the stairs. He looked tired and Nolan assumed he hadn’t gotten any sleep. He came and made sure Nolan was awake. Footsteps came down from up the stairs. Detective Foster came into the room holding a couple bags and he was in a t-shirt and jeans. This was different to the usual way Laurence dressed around them. Every time Nolan had seen him he was in his uniform which consists of his dress shirt and pants for work.

  “I got as much packed as could,” Laurence said and he took a look around making sure he had gotten the essentials.

  “Good. I figured we could split up and make our way to the airport.” Wilson explained to Laurence and Cerina.

  “It’s as good a plan as any,” Laurence responded holding his wife’s hand. Just then his phone rang, he looked at it and walked out of the room. Nolan tried to listen to what he was saying on the phone but he couldn’t hear. The rest of the team made their way up the stairs. Wilson explained what the plan was to them. As he was explaining Laurence came back into the room.

  “I just got some information. One of the other guys in the department found out about a guy on the North side who worked for The Fortress. He was reassigned here. Not sure if he is willing to help though.”

  “We can make him talk,” Nolan said a fire lighting inside him. This was the closest thing to a lead since he had joined the Insurgence.

  “How are we supposed to get this guy to talk?” Wilson asked.

  “We find him and capture him.”

  “Nolan we are about to leave. I wanna find Dad as much as you do but we can’t be in this city any longer.” Sarah said and Nolan knew she was trying to talk some sense into him.

  “This is the closest thing to a lead that we have gotten. We can’t just let it go?” Nolan said and looked around the room hoping someone would be on his side. The room was silent and Nolan felt that he was going to miss this opportunity.

  “He is right,” Laurence said breaking the silence. “This is our chance. We need to find a way to get this guy back to headquarters.”

  “We have no time to plan an extraction,” Wilson started. “This is complicated, they would be doing this with a prisoner. How are we supposed to be able to get this person to come with us.”

  “We also have a pregnant woman with us,” Orson added.

  “That shouldn’t matter,” Cerina said putting her hands on her hips.

  “But it does,” Wilson said.

  “We can’t risk you and the baby,” Mary said. “We won’t do that.”

  “We have too,” Nolan said almost pleading with them. “Laurence agreed this is our only chance. We have to take it. If we don’t then there might not be another chance to find out where this prison is or how to get in there. If we do find out something later then my dad will probably be dead.”

  “Some of you could take my wife to the airport,” Laurence said. “If we aren’t back in a certain amount of time you go back and we find our way back.”

  “Who is this we?” Cerina asked in a tone that meant he might be in trouble. “Do you think you are going?”

  “Neil would do the same for me. I can’t let him get tortured in a cell.”

  Cerina glared at Laurence for a minute. Nolan was grateful fo
r Laurence agreeing with him. He was surprised at Sarah’s reaction. He would have thought she would jump at the idea of someone being able to help get their dad back.

  “We don’t even know what kind of information this person has,” Mary said to the room. “For all, we know this guy was small time at the prison. The information he would have wouldn’t even do us much good for getting into the prison.”

  “That is a good point,” Sarah said rubbing her temples. “This is a huge risk.”

  “I am going to go. If you guys don’t want to come that is fine,” Nolan declared.

  “Have you forgotten the chain of command?” Wilson asked and went face to face with Nolan. “We don’t go off on our own.” Wilson looked at Nolan waiting for a sign that Nolan understood what was being told to him. Nolan nodded his head. “So I am going to go with you,” Wilson said and looked around the room.

  Mary went next to Wilson and grabbed his hand. “If you go then I go.”

  “I was the first to volunteer in the first place so I am in,” Laurence said.

  “That will be fine the rest of you are going to wait at the airport. We will be there at sixteen-hundred hours. If we aren’t there by then you take off. Do you understand?”

  “Yes sir,” Steven and Orson said. Sarah nodded her to agree.

  “Alright, Laurence you drive,” Wilson said and headed out the door.

  Laurence hugged his wife and gave her a kiss. He rubbed her belly and she whispered to him.

  “Promise you’ll come back alive?” Cerina said holding Laurence close.

  “I promise,” Laurence said and kissed her forehead.

  Everyone left the house and got into their separate cars. Laurence watched his wife’s car in the rear-view mirror as both cars drove in a different direction. Nolan checked his pistol and making sure all of his clips were full. Nolan looked over and Mary was doing the same.

  “According to my informant, this guy is off today so he should be home. Granted with what happened last night there is a good chance that he was called in.” Laurence said as he weaved in-between cars.