Stratagem

by Christina Hagmann

  After a while, the van stopped, and Smith crawled into the back. “Meda, do you want to say goodbye to your father and sisters? Now is your chance.” I shook my head. It was all pointless. There was no one to trust. I was alone. Everything I had known about my family, about everything, was wrong. My entire life I had been lied to. Even my dad lied to me about my mother. I wanted to cry, but I didn’t even have that. I couldn’t summon any feelings at all.

  Smith stared at me a moment like he was going to say something, but then he left me alone, and we continued our journey to who knows where. When we arrived at the location they were transporting me to, Smith crawled into the back of the van again. This time, he said nothing, but he helped me out of the vehicle. Before we exited, he covered my head, though I did glimpse an apologetic look before everything went dark.

  We walked for a while, him leading me. I could tell when we entered the building, but I didn’t know what kind of building it was. Then we stopped. He took the hood off my head. We were in a small room that was all metallic surfaces except for the bed. There were no windows and only one door with no handle on the inside.

  Smith removed the cuffs from my wrists and let my hands fall to my sides. “If you need anything, let us know,” he said. “I’m sorry it turned out this way, Meda.”

  I turned my back on him, and when he left the room, I heard the door lock behind me. I had officially come full circle. The Opposition needed me, so I would be a prisoner like at the Agency, except this time I had no hope.

  I knew that outside this room, somewhere in this building, was Brody. And Aaron. And I had failed them both. They trusted me enough to listen to me, and here we were, back at the beginning, only this time I had also wronged Brody. I didn’t want to see either of them. Ever again.

  I curled up on the bed and thought about what they were going to ask me to do and how, no matter what I did, it would never make things right. They would want me to kill my mother or Isi if I had the chance, and even though I knew they probably wouldn’t hesitate, I couldn’t do it. I was no murderer, and killing someone could never make things right. I had already tried doing the wrong thing for the right reasons before. That didn’t work out so well for me.

  Maybe I wouldn’t cooperate. Maybe I was done following orders. To be honest, I was done with it all. They could torture me and threaten my family, but the only thing I had left was my own willpower, and I refused to give that up.

  chapter 24

  Days went by slowly in my new prison. I refused to eat. I slept most of the time or stared at the wall. When I wasn’t sleeping, I alternated between feeling angry and hating everyone and feeling sad and sorry for myself. I didn’t want to see or talk to anyone. Smith came in a couple of times, and every time he tried to talk to me, I turned my back on him and faced the wall. He would leave after that. I was glad they didn’t send Brody in to try to talk to me, or maybe they did but he refused. I couldn’t be sure. Smith never mentioned him or anyone else. They were prepared to give me some time, but I knew eventually they would force me to do what they needed me to do.

  Then, one day, the door opened as I sat on my cot with my back against the wall and my knees tucked into my chest. I looked up, expecting Smith, but this time, it was Aaron.

  He slowly opened the door and slid in, carrying food and a blank expression. He put the tray on the floor and shoved it towards my bed. “They said you aren’t eating anything.” I watched him. He didn’t show any emotion. I folded my arms tighter around my legs. My clothes were a bit loose. I had lost a few pounds since my arrival, but I didn’t respond to him.

  “So, this is it.” Aaron waved his arms around the tiny room. “This is what you’re going to do now?” He shook his head in disappointment. “You’re just going to sit in here and waste away to nothing. Like nothing we did ever mattered?” I bit my lip. I knew what he was trying to do. “Like nothing Dan did ever mattered.” He took a few steps toward me. “I always knew you were a coward.” His voice was so angry. I looked down and hoped he wouldn’t bring up his family too. I hardened myself.

  “What about Brody?” he asked, his voice suddenly soft. I still didn’t look at him. “Meda, Brody did everything he could to help you. He put all his trust in you, and you failed him. He doesn’t deserve this.” He turned, looking back at the door, and spoke in barely a whisper. “He never deserved any of this.” Aaron was talking about more than what I had done to Brody. He knew, like I did, that Brody was special. He was kind. He was meant to be a leader. He was meant for great things. Not this.

  I couldn’t take Aaron standing there, trying to make me feel bad. “So what did they send you here to do? Beat me up again?” My cheeks burned red after I said it.

  Aaron turned and stared at me, a look of guilt on his face. “I…” he started, as though he was going to try to explain himself, but he stuttered for a moment. “Look. This isn’t about me and you. It’s about Brody and what you owe him.”

  I stood up, my anger growing. I didn’t want to hear about stupid Brody. I didn’t want to look at Aaron’s stupid face. I pointed my finger at him. “You know what, Aaron? Brody manipulated me. Just like everyone else in my life. Don’t try to make him sound noble. Because he’s not.”

  My hand dropped when Aaron stepped forward so we were nearly nose-to-nose. There would be no one to stop Aaron if he decided to beat the shit out of me. His words were sharp. “Why are you doing this? Why are you lying to yourself?” He laughed bitterly. “You think it will be easier to stomach your betrayal by convincing yourself that everyone has betrayed you. Well, that’s a goddamn lie, and you know it. Brody was the only one to ever be completely on your side. To believe in you. I still have no idea why, but he did. So now you’re going to turn your back on him? Maybe you are like your mother.” Aaron spit on the floor in front of me. “You disgust me.” He turned and walked out of the room. The door locked behind him.

  I stared at the door for minutes or maybe even an hour. Then I curled back up in my bed. Maybe I was like my mother. I didn’t know the next man who came in. He injected me with something and explained that it was some kind of nutrient, but it made me feel woozy. Someone else came in with a stack of books. Someone came in with a newspaper that had a terrible headline on it, probably supposed to elicit some kind of urge to protect my country. I managed to ignore it all.

  Then, one day, three men came in. They lifted me from my bed, and I let myself be carried. I was probably hovering at 100 pounds. My hair was limp and greasy. My skin pasty and unhealthy. They carried me down the hallway and passed people who averted their eyes from me.

  They brought me to a room and placed me in a chair seated across a sleek black desk from Smith. He even had a nameplate that said Smith. I wondered if maybe that was his real name, and then I wondered what his first name was. Probably something super boring like Jim or Steve. I almost laughed at how my mind went to such trivial things after all that had happened.

  In contrast to my shabby appearance and questionable aroma, Smith was impeccably dressed, and he looked like he had gotten a fresh haircut. He didn’t seem to have a care in the world. I had no respect for the man. He cleared his throat and folded his hands on the desk.

  “Meda, I know this has all been tough on you. I can’t imagine how you’re feeling right now. And on top of all that, seeing your mother that way?” He paused to see if I would react. “We had our suspicions. Heck, I think your father had his suspicions, but he didn’t want to taint the way you remembered your mother. But now that bit of ugliness is over, you need to start prepping for your job. We don’t have much time. I’m positive your mother and Isi are doing the same thing at this very moment.”

  I tried to ignore him. I tried to look at the wall and the generic abstract art that covered it. I tried to look at the floor and its drab gray carpeting, but I knew he was sitting there with his clean hands, waiting for me to agree to do the dirty work for him. When I finally looked at him, I saw him pop a piece of gum in his mouth. I s
napped.

  I exploded off my chair, leaning forward and knocking his laptop off his desk. When it clattered to the floor, I roared. I stepped quickly to it and stomped down on it. I crushed it beneath my feet. Then, it was like I had forgotten Smith was even there. I tried to get out of the room, but the door was locked. I pulled my arm back and punched the wall as hard as I could, and it felt so good, so I punched it over and over and again, bloodying my knuckles. I was emotionally exhausted, but the rush was exhilarating. I wanted to break and destroy everything. My hands and arms were on fire.

  Then, I heard a voice call from behind me. “Meda,” Smith said. I turned in his direction. There was an end table near the door with a decorative vase on it. I picked the vase up and cocked my arm back to hurl it at him. He didn’t put his arms up to protect himself. He crossed his arms and glowered at me. “I know you probably hate us right now, but this is important.”

  I moved towards him, lowering the vase. “Why is it so important?” I heaved my words at him. “I feel like everyone is telling me what I have to do, but no one is telling me why I have to do it.” My voice cracked with my last words.

  Smith sighed and stood, his arms still crossed. “We don’t have to tell you anything. I want you to remember that. But I think it would pay for you to know why because you are an honest and good person.”

  My face flushed, and for a moment I wanted to hurl the vase at his face. He knew I wasn’t honest and good. I knew I wasn’t honest and good, and Brody certainly knew I wasn’t honest and good. I didn’t know why Smith was pushing my buttons. Why did he continue to mess with me?

  “What could possibly be that important? You need me to sign some papers? Protect the President? Well, to me, one President is as good as any. The President doesn’t really have any power anyway. It’s all about resources, and what I’ve learned is that if you have a mimic on your side, you are unstoppable.” I let out a humorless laugh. “So why the hell am I so powerless? Huh?” I moved closer to him. “Why am I so powerless?”

  Smith relaxed his arms and held his hands together. He spoke calmly. “Meda, there is something we didn’t tell you.” He waited to see if I was interested.

  “Well, that’s shocking.” I was still standing by the door, like I wanted to bolt. I felt crazy, like I was going off the deep end, but I didn’t care. I took a step back, the vase still dangling from my hand.

  “It isn’t about signing papers. It’s more than that. The President and VP are not popular at this moment because of their response to the war. Their term is up, and they need a big event to respond to help them get re-elected. The Vice President has ties to the Agency, who also makes a habit of conferring with terrorist organizations, but only a certain group knows that; Aaron’s family was one of them. Aaron’s dad was the Vice President’s aide and collected information on him. He suspected him before the first time he was elected and had been watching him.”

  Smith walked in front of his desk and leaned against it, half-standing and half-sitting. “Anyway, that was how he was turned onto the Agency. He began an investigation to see how the Vice President was getting the support of certain political leaders that wouldn’t normally support him. It was through the VP’s lobbying and the Agency’s help. If someone doesn’t want to support you, you make them. The end plan, a nuclear meltdown at one of our own power plants. The Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant in Plymouth, Massachusetts. They pushed through Pilgrim’s extended operating license and made some cuts in some of the regulatory and safety protocols, preparing a setup for failure. From what we hear, they already had a few of their own workers in place, men who don’t know that when they follow the directions they’re given, they will trigger a nuclear meltdown at the plant.”

  I was surprised at how horrible people could be for the sake of power, but that didn’t make me feel anything. It reminded me how terrible the world was. “So what does this have to do with me?”

  Smith continued. “Meda, you have already signed papers and pushed for these steps, lessening regulations at nuclear power plants and overworking and underpaying employees. You have done press releases, made statements, and signed off on various papers.”

  I pointed my finger at him. “No, you will not pin this on me. You will not make me feel the guilt for what the Agency made me do.”

  Smith pushed off the desk and stood up. “No. I’m not trying to make you feel guilt. I want you to know the truth. This will happen.”

  “Why would they risk the health and welfare of our own people just to get re-elected? It’s bullshit. It doesn’t make any sense.” I was starting to lose my grip on the vase.

  Smith took a step closer to me. “It’s power. That is what it’s all about. Power and money.”

  I shook my head. “No. There has to be an easier way.”

  Smith put his hand in his pocket. “Of course there is, but easy doesn’t guarantee re-election. And right now, the VP is attracting suspicion from the one person who works closely with him, the President. If the Agency puts someone in place of the President, they can make decisions, and then they can easily assassinate him, leaving the VP in power, which would not deter them from any of their plans. Plus, this shows the Agency’s benefactors how powerful the Agency has really become. It’s a gamble, but if they pull this off, they run the United States.”

  I didn’t know if I could believe him. I knew I couldn’t trust anyone. “Why didn’t you tell me about any of this before?”

  “You didn’t need to know,” he simply added. I could tell what he meant was he didn’t trust me, and with good reason. I had proven that. “But, there is a chance you will run into the other mimic.” Isi was not my biggest problem. “There is also a chance you will run into your mother.”

  “No shit,” I responded and dropped the vase with a satisfying crash. I stared down at the broken pieces. I knew I had no choice. They would make me do it, or at least try. I could go along with it and decide not to do it. There might be an opportunity for me to escape.

  chapter 25

  After our little talk, Smith led me back down the hallway. I hadn’t agreed, but it was now clear I was going to go along with things, which meant I was required to do my homework. The Agency had taught me well, and though the Opposition didn’t fully understand what it took for a mimic to take the place of a person, I did. That meant I had to study the First Lady of the United States.

  As we made our way down the hallway, I was lost in my own head. I was thinking of all the things I would have to learn, all the ways it could go wrong, and that my mother and Isi might actually kill me. I wasn’t paying attention to who was walking by, but when I looked up, Brody was moving down the hallway towards me. I looked away quickly, not wanting to make eye contact, and I could feel my heart thumping in my chest. I couldn’t help it, but I glanced at him. This time, he was staring at me. We were walking towards each other. His face remained expressionless.

  I wanted to say something to him, and as I approached him, I realized Isi and my mother weren’t the reason I agreed to help. Yes, I was prepared to face them again, but I wanted to tell Brody he was the reason I was agreeing to help. He was the sole reason. Because I knew it was what he would have done. But I was afraid he was going to spit in my face. Truthfully, I knew Brody wouldn’t do that to me, or I hoped, but at this point, so much had happened that I didn’t know how he felt. He was Clark Kent, but I was sure Clark Kent could only be pushed so far.

  When we were about a foot away, he stopped. I wasn’t sure why, so I stopped, and the men walking with me stopped too. It seemed like the right thing to do. I waited for him to say something, but he stared at me, studying my face like he had never seen it before.

  Finally, his words came out, softly. “You know how you said that I always knew to do the right thing?” I waited, knowing deep down what was coming next. “I was wrong about you, Meda. I was wrong to put all my trust in you.” Smith shot him a dirty look, but Brody turned and walked away. I stood for a moment, speechless. I thi
nk somewhere, in the small, unused corners of my brain, I thought that Brody would forgive me. It was stupid to think that though. He had done so much for me while I had done nothing in return.

  Smith spoke into my ear. “Don’t worry about him. He’ll come around when he sees you are going through with it. He’s still pretty upset about Dan.” My mouth set in a hard line at the mention of Dan. Smith was the kind of guy who would say anything you wanted to hear to get what he wanted, and he needed me to do the mission. He needed me to be focused.

  They brought me to a room that looked like a library with wood paneling and shelves filled with books. It also had video equipment, a soundboard, computers, and pretty much any kind of technology you might need for anything.

  “We’re going to start you out with some tapes of the First Lady.” Smith directed me to a sofa with a flat screen set up in front of it. He loaded something on the laptop that was hooked up to the television, and I began to watch what would turn out to be hours of footage. I settled in and made myself comfortable, getting lost in the character I would soon be playing.

  After a few hours, I finally took a break. I liked the change of scenery with this room. I had imagined a room like this in my home one day. My dad would love it. Well, not my real dad but…yes. My real dad. I didn’t know my mimic dad, so he meant nothing to me.

  Anyway, Smith thought it would be a good idea for me to eat on the patio and get some sun. When I agreed, I didn’t know there’d be other people there. I walked out, holding my tray and tilting my head up as the sun warmed my cheeks. When I looked down, scanning the area for a place to sit, I saw Aaron and Brody sitting two tables away.