by S. E. Meyer
Lonewolf took a long drink of water from the glass resting on the table before continuing.
“Soon, other things had to give, and for the first time a generation was poorer than the one before it. With the economic crash and job losses in 2020 it got so bad that more people had to give up things to cover basic housing, food and medical costs. They had to work longer hours, more than one job. Sometimes more than two jobs to make ends meet. Then, when that wasn't enough, we all had to work at a younger age and multiple families had to live together to get by. More incomes, and more hours of work per household. And you would think, at that point, the story would end. That there would be nothing left for the corporations, and the elitists that run them, to take. Except, Cornelius found a way. Cromwell figured out a way to hold everyone's health at ransom. Because, if one owns all the hospitals and clinics, there's no money in healthy people, is there? There's no money in dead people either. Cromwell has figured out a way to keep everyone right where he wants them, somewhere in-between. Poisoning the very food we buy to make us sick, and then profiting from the treatments to keep us healthy.”
“And making hoards of money doing it,” Jax added. He had glanced at the screen and then pulled up more documents. “His food companies and the clinics have been raking in record profits for decades according to these balance sheets.”
“Ah yes,” Lonewolf shook his head. “The sheep are paying the for the poisoned grass that feeds them on their way to get treatments to stay healthy, all while emptying their pockets to the same people that poisoned them in the first place! Now that is something Cornelius would never want to get out. That is something he would kill for to keep quiet.” Lonewolf slid a chair in front of Anna and sat down, facing her. He took both of her hands in his and stared into her eyes. “Now you have the answer you have been looking for Anna. The question that has been troubling you for years. You finally know why your mother was murdered!”
Anna squeezed Lonewolf's hands.
“Look, Anna. This is what we needed. We needed the actual proof. I need you to help me take Cornelius down. We can work together. We can stop this.”
Anna pressed her lips together. “Why me?”
“Because you are different Anna. You can feel it. You have felt it inside you, your entire life. The world around you makes little sense. Your inability to understand people, and their motivations, runs deep into your bones. What makes you different, is what makes you stronger, Anna, and it gives you the unique innate ability to help me in ways that everyone else can't.” Lonewolf explained. “I also need someone on the inside of the police force.”
“I am more than happy to help in any way I can, but...” Anna trailed off, shaking her head. “There's not much I can do. I got fired remember?”
Lonewolf smiled. “Don't worry about that. You are about to get your old job back. Maybe even a promotion,” he explained.
“How the hell do you figure that?”
“Because you are the one who will bring in the Lonewolf.”
CHAPTER 15
Anna entered the dining room to the smell of fresh toast, the hair clinging to her neck, still damp from her morning shower. It had been two days since Lonewolf offered her to bring him in, but something didn't feel right. Anna couldn't understand why someone would want to go through the wall. Why someone would give up. Anna wanted no part of it. Besides, Lonewolf had grown on her. She liked the man with the green eyes. The man that abducted her body had now captured her heart.
“Anna,” Lonewolf said from behind her, bringing her from her thoughts.
Anna whirled around to see Lonewolf enter the dining room from the kitchen. He was dressed in khaki shorts and a button-up shirt with a baseball cap on his head. It looked to Anna like he was ready for a leisurely stroll through the park.
“Will you take a walk with me? I want to show you something,” Lonewolf asked.
“What, outside? Are you crazy?”
“No, downstairs.”
Lonewolf led Anna down a hallway and through a large steel door that opened up into a stairwell. They descended three full flights before going through another doorway.
Anna's eyes widened as they entered a large corridor. There were grow lights hanging from the twelve foot high ceilings, illuminating rows of plants in all directions. The foliage flooded the corridor and filled Anna's senses with the smell of damp earth. “You have an illegal growing operation here?”
“Yes, I do,” Lonewolf replied with a smile. “Tomatoes, bell peppers, lettuce, kale and other produce. We even grow our own wheat and grind it into flour,” he explained.
“I'm guessing these aren't Manplanto seeds.”
Lonewolf broadened his smile. “Um, no. These are all heirloom varieties grown for flavor and nutrient content. Not genetically changed for chemical resistance and shelf life.”
Anna's gaze wandered around the large room. “What is this place?” she asked.
“It's the old subway system. It hasn't been used in decades. We have it blocked off with concrete and it's well guarded. Like I told you before that's why Jax and I aren't sick. Same reason you haven't needed any treatments. Let food be thy medicine Anna, and medicine be thy food. You have to admit. You must be feeling better lately.”
“Yes. I feel amazing. And this place is incredible! It reminds me of my mother's flower garden where she would grow beautiful morning glory vines, honeysuckle, and Gerber daisies.” Anna replied.
“It's a lot of work. Tending the gardens, hand pollinating, harvesting and preserving the food. But it keeps us healthy, along with the remaining members of the resistance.” Lonewolf turned to face Anna. “I wanted to show this to you so you would realize that I will be fine on the other side of the wall. I understand you have concerns, but if a person goes through the gates healthy, they can survive.”
Anna shrugged. “Yes, I understand all of that, but what about the monsters that are out there? What about the people that have turned?”
Lonewolf pressed his lips together for a moment. “There are no monsters on the other side. The people that are sent through the gates that die of Fleishman's can go a little crazy towards the end. It's not a pretty sight, but most of what you hear is more manufactured fear. Fear of the wall, and the fear of what's beyond it.”
“For what purpose?”
“Control. Look at it this way. If one person wandered out in the middle of a field to try to round up a bunch of sheep what do you think would happen?”
Lonewolf didn't wait for a reply and after a short breath he continued. “The sheep would run about in all directions, wouldn't they? One person could never do it alone. Now, if you bring a sheepdog with you, well, that changes everything. Decedent of the wolf, the sheepdog represents fear. By using fear, one person can round up an entire flock in only a few minutes and can get the flock going in any direction they want. Fear, Anna. Fear of the wolf's teeth upon the heel. That's why they built the walls and indoctrinated our children. They did it to bring about an entire generation dominated by fear.”
“It's just so hard to believe. It goes against everything they ever taught me about the wall.”
“Exactly. That wasn't by accident. My point here, is you don't have to worry about me leaving.”
Anna shook her head. “That's if you would make it through the gates at all. Do you think Cromwell will let you waltz through the wall?” she asked, waving her arms. “He'll have you in his Chamber within an hour of me bringing you in!”
“I have a plan. I’ve taken care of everything. In less than two weeks, both Cornelius and Richard will attend the Bilderberg meetings.”
“What is that?” Anna interrupted.
“It's an annual meeting of the most powerful and wealthy people in the world. It started in 1954 and has carried on every year since. It's a secret meeting, strictly invitation only, where the social elite decide the world's fate for one more year. I believe Cornelius will unveil Richard as his heir this year. Exciting times for him, I'm sure.�
�� Lonewolf sneered. “Anyway, you don't have to worry about Cornelius. I have been in contact with Damarion and he is committed to our cause. He will sign the order to send me through the gates while Cornelius and Richard are away. When the timing is right, you will bring me in, and they will immediately take me to the wall ceremony. I will be on through the gates before Cromwell ever hears of my arrest.”
“And you still won't even tell me who you really are?”
“No, I can't. But I need your help. I need you on the inside. You can stay here, in this place, and continue your mother's work.”
Anna raised an eyebrow.
“Why do you want to go through the wall, anyway? What's out there?” Anna asked.
“I have done everything I can do from inside these walls. I can only finish the rest of my plan from outside. That's all I can tell you for now. I need you to do this,” Lonewolf continued to plead. “Do it for all the people that are sick and all those that have died. Please. Most importantly, do it for your mother, Anna. Don't let her murder be in vain. Don't let Cornelius win, damn it! We must take him down.”
Anna bent over to smell a fresh tomato. She breathed in the delicious smell of natural ripening as she soaked in Loanewolf's words. The locket around her neck slipped from her shirt and tangled in the tomato vine. Anna pulled it free, but not before the vine tugged the hinge and popped it open. Anna stared at the picture of her mother for several seconds. She stood up, nodding her head. “Yes,” she said, snapping the locket closed and tucking it back between her breasts. She held her hand over her shirt to warm the cool metal against her heart. “Yes!” She said again, louder this time. “I will do it. I will take you in.” Anna smiled and took in a long breath.
Lonewolf returned Anna's smile. “Perfect. It's all settled then. In less than two weeks you will have your job back and I will be off through the gates.”
Anna stared into Lonewolf's scarred face. She clenched her jaw along with her fists. “I'm tired of being a victim. I'm tired of crying. And I'm God-damned sick and tired of the Cromwells getting what they want! It's time to stand up. It's time to fight, and I won't stop until Cornelius pays for what he's done!” Anna shouted through flushed cheeks. Her voice echoed down the subway tunnel as the color of her eyes changed from morning-glory blue to dappled iron-slate-gray.
CHAPTER 16
“Open the door!” Damarion spat towards the two guards standing in front of a row of iron bars.
“I'm sorry, I can't do that. You know the rules Mr. Brockman. You get ten minutes once a month, and you're one day early.”
“Open it,” Damarion demanded through flushed cheeks.
“Cornelius monitors the lock. He will have my ass if I open it early,” the guard on Damarion's left explained.
“I'll deal with Cromwell. Just open it.”
The guard turned and slid his card through a slot in the wall. There was a clang as the bars rolled away and Damarion entered a small holding cell through the open doorway in front of him. As soon as he crossed the threshold, the bars slid back in place, locking him inside.
“Isabelle?” Damarion called out.
“Father? Is that you?” Isabelle cried as she flew from the small bathroom on one side of the cell and into her father's arms.
Damarion pulled her close and kissed her forehead. “How are they treating you?”
“You ask me that every time. Nothing has changed.”
Isabelle pulled away and Damarion studied her face. It pained him to see how the years of imprisonment had aged her. How it had drained the life from her eyes. “Come and sit down. I have good news,” Damarion said as he led Isabelle by the hand to a sofa along the nearest wall. The table was strewn with books and there was one lamp in the corner. They both sat down and Damarion squeezed Isabelle's hand. “I will finally get you out of here,” Damarion said.
Isabelle turned away. “You have been saying that for a very long time. And every time it's the same story. 'Just a little longer.' 'I'll get you out soon.' I'm tired of hearing it. I think I would rather accept this will be my life forever. No contact with the outside world. The only people I ever see are the guards that bring in my food, the nurse that gives me my treatments, and the maid that cleans my clothes and bedding. I am sentenced to this square box, never to go outside again. Never to feel the sun on my cheeks, the wind in my hair, or the rain on my face. What's worse is that I have done nothing wrong. I have broken no laws. The only reason I am here is because of you!” Isabelle pulled her long blond hair away from her face and made eye contact with her father. “Cornelius told me, all you have to do is give him the Lonewolf and I can go free. I don't understand why he has been so hard to find for someone with your resources, but the best thing you can do for me is stop giving me hope daddy. It's more painful than these cell walls.”
Damarion grimaced. “I know this has not been easy, but like I said, I have good news. I have a plan and it's all coming together. I'm going to get you out of here.” Damarion bit his lower lip. “Unfortunately, I will have to betray the trust of many people to do so.” He took in a long breath.
“Time is up!” yelled the guard from the other side of the doorway.
Damarion leaned in and kissed Isabelle on the cheek. “I love you,” he whispered into her ear. “You will be free in less than two weeks. I promise you.”
◆◆◆
Charlie wrapped his fingers on the desk in front of him while staring at the computer screen. He yawned, taking a rare break from tapping his fingers to stretch his arms. He rubbed the stubble on his chin, gaze still fixed on the screen. The three simple words burned his eyes. 'Searching DNA database...'
Charlie had not taken a break since he entered the DNA sample into the system. He had nodded off a few times, but would wake up to the same words displayed across the screen. “I think I'll go get a coffee,” he said aloud and was about to stand up when the computer screen changed. 'Match Found.' was now displayed in large green letters. Charlie sat straight up in his chair. The adrenaline now coursing through him made the need for coffee irrelevant. His fingers clacked the keyboard in a flurry. The screen changed to a new display. 'Open Law Enforcement Database File?' Charlie confirmed the question, and a picture appeared on his screen. A picture with a name printed below in bright white block letters. Charlie's eyes widened as he read the name. 'Atticus Johnson'
Charlie let out a long breath. “Oh, my God. I have to find Anna.”
PART 2
A WOLF IN SHEEP"S CLOTHING
CHAPTER 17
Anna's Past
As she exited through the back door of the recruiting center, Anna Morton viewed her surroundings and allowed the scenery to take over her senses. With the smell of flowers and grass clippings filling her nose, she followed the line of recruits making their way towards the bus waiting for them. The sights and sounds resonating with exuberance, Anna squinted through the brilliant sunshine. A sun brighter than she could remember, a sky more blue than she had ever seen. Even the pair of cardinals singing from the lilacs hugging the walk produced a symphony of notes striking enough to wet her eyes. Tears of joy and celebration, commemorating the page turned to a new chapter in her life. It was a future that shone with the brilliance of the sun; unbridled as the boundless blue backdrop above her head in which it swam. It was a day to remember.
A new path. A brighter future. Escape the boring day-to-day life and her annoying little sister. She had been looking forward to basic military training for months. The minute she turned sixteen and became an adult she signed the paperwork. It was the most pleasant of memories that turned to an indelible nightmare. A day to remember became a day better described as one which Anna could never forget.
A tall man with more stripes on his shoulders than Anna could count met the troupe in front of the bus.
“Form a line,” he said.
Both the drill sergeant's voice and appearance demanded full attention, from his large-brimmed hat to his G.I. boots, and all the wrinkle fr
ee fatigues in between.
Anna scurried alongside the rest of the recruits, finding herself at one end.
The sergeant introduced himself while pacing down the line of recruits. “My name is Technical Sergeant Duff.”
Anna‘s ears rang with the intensity of his voice.
“You will address me as Technical Sergeant Duff, and only as Technical Sergeant Duff. You will only speak when spoken to. Is that clear?”
“Yes, Technical Sergeant Duff,” the recruits responded in unison, except for one latent 'yes sir' from the guy standing next to Anna. She recalled his name was Lucas.
