Rise of the Syndicate

by Drew Avera

  I nodded and mouthed a polite thank you as she glanced in my direction. Atria sat on the council for five years, but in that time, she proved to be a compassionate person. Of all the gesturing going on this morning, hers seemed the most genuine. Though she spoke of the pain of loss as if no one on the Council had to lose everything to become a member. It was a cheap empathy grab in my book. Atria moved off the stage to the sound of applause, a sound I knew would be modified to sound like more people attended this memorial for those viewing at home.

  Etan nudged me with his elbow and leaned in to whisper, "It's time for you to close the ceremony with the eulogy. Are you ready?"

  I wanted to pull away and show my disgust for the man seated next to me, but I knew better than to act out, especially in a public forum. The civilian presence was few, but this memorial was broadcasted citywide. Anything I did would turn into a media frenzy. It was like they were addicted to the drama, whether it existed or not.

  "I'm ready," I replied after clearing my throat.

  He patted my forearm, rose, and addressed the crowd. "While Councilwoman Lagimil spoke, I was informed of critical damage to the library and the need for the building to be replaced in its entirety." Gasps emanated from the crowd. Etan raised his hand to silence them. "The good news is the plans to open an Archean Historical Museum will include an updated design to replace the library. One of the displays at the Historical Museum will be a holo-display in memory of Pontiff Cherum, dedicated to his memory by both Councilman Rine and myself." The gathered crowd applauded and despite the fact Etan put my name out for something I did not agree to, it painted me in a favorable light to the crowd. It was something I would not have asked for, but I appreciated nonetheless.

  Etan glanced back at me momentarily and we nodded at one another. He turned back to the crowd and cleared his throat. "Before we conclude Pontiff Cherum's memorial, we have one last speaker. Councilman Tetrim Rine has spent more than twenty years in service to Archea. Recruited into service by the late Councilwoman Akar, Tetrim was instrumental in the selection of Pontiff Cherum. Yes, they were childhood friends, but that puts too little emphasis on the relationship they shared. They were compatriots. Tetrim and Cherum worked together to make Archea the best it could be, and Councilman Rine will continue that legacy for as long as his service to Archea shall last. Please welcome Councilman Tetrim Rine to the stage."

  I sat in awkward silence as the roar of the crowd unsettled me. Etan stood before me, not saying anything, but offering his hand as if to help me stand. I glanced up at him and his fiendish grin bore into me, telling me without words how much he felt he owned me now. By praising me before the World Council, I was indebted to him not to turn and call him out for blackmailing me. Not that I could do so without revealing my own crimes in the process.

  I grabbed hold of his hand and allowed him to assist me, gripping his hand with a tight squeeze, a psychological reminder that I had my own strength. I hoped he understood the message.

  The roar dulled as I approached the podium and placed my paper on it. I wrote the eulogy during a time of duress. My stress was high, but somehow, I felt at ease knowing those aware of my involvement in Marada's death were buried in rubble. The past was dead, save for the man behind me who casually inserted himself during a moment of weakness. All obstacles will be removed eventually, I reminded myself.

  "Cherum was the kind of man you could depend on for a laugh. He never seemed to take life too seriously when we were kids. Of course, that changed over the course of his life. We get older and wiser. We learn things that tend to make us grow up a little, snuffing out that inner childlike demeanor. But Cherum still found ways to bring joy to people." I realized I was already off-script as I paused to collect my thoughts. It was too late to start over, so I rolled with it and hoped no one would notice.

  "Not many people know this about Cherum, but he was the youngest brother in his family. Before his recruitment, he intended to take on his father's work at the brewery. We weren't old enough to drink when Cherum brought a pack of beers to my home, giddy by the fact he created his own type of beverage and packaged it himself. Looking back, I don't recall if it was because I had never consumed alcohol up to that point, or if he was just bad at it, but those drinks were terrible."

  The crowd laughed at the joke and it brought a genuine smile to my face as I remembered back to those simpler times. "He was proud of what he had done. If you walked into his office today, you would see his display shelf with four dusty bottles of ‘Cherum's Best'. He wasn't a great marketer, because if that was his best, then I would have hated to try his worst. But he carried those bottles with him without explanation as to their meaning.

  "I believe the reason those bottles sat on his shelf for more than twenty-years was to serve as a reminder that you don't get it all right all the time. There are failures in life and you have to wear them with as much pride as you do your successes. That is what a lifetime of friendship with Cherum taught me, and I hope it is a lesson to all of you as well. Don't let your failures define you, but don't try and erase them as if they never happened. Life is full of dichotomy. The good and the bad create the whole of who you are.

  "I hope I remember that."

  I heard the crowd react, but something in me snapped and a wave of emotion washed over me like a tidal wave. I gripped the podium, muted the microphone, and let the tears fall like rain. The release of pent-up rage and sadness collided inside of me and I was overcome with emotion.

  Etan rested a hand on my shoulder and whispered, "That was a beautiful eulogy. I hadn't expected something so heartfelt from you." His words were a backhanded compliment, but I could hardly contain my composure, much less defend myself from an offhanded statement I may have taken out of context.

  We stood on the stage for several moments, the sound of the crowd far from dying down. After several deep breaths, I composed myself and lifted a hand to wave at the audience in appreciation as Etan approached the microphone. He turned it on and spoke.

  "Thank you for your thoughts and prayers during this time. Please remember Pontiff Cherum and his legacy. He will be—"

  Etan stopped talking and I turned to see what had happened. To my horror, the emergency escape door next to the podium was up and Halem Scrimpshire climbed out of it, weapon drawn.

  "What's the meaning of this?" Etan said with feigned shock as he glared at me as if I could control a maniac with a gun.

  I stood stock still as the collective gasp of the crowd seemed to suck the air out of the room.

  "Tetrim knows. Perhaps he would like to address the crowd and confess," Halem seethed.

  "Confess to what? I'm mourning the loss of my friend and brother here," I said, glancing out to the crowd and relieved to see Guardsmen approach with their own weapons up and ready.

  "Do you really want to play it this way, Tetrim?" Halem asked as he took a step forward, the barrel level with my chest.

  I watched as the Guardsmen closed in, the red dots of the sights dancing around Halem's body. He was outnumbered and outgunned, but that didn't put me in any less danger. "I have nothing to say, but perhaps you would like to surrender now before another Scrimpshire passes." I knew my words taunted him to squeeze the trigger, but I could hardly help myself.

  "I still don't understand what's going on,' Etan whined, backing up as he spoke.

  Halem lifted the barrel to aim at my face and I watched as the barrel listed slightly as if he barely had the strength to hold it up. "Tell them, or I will."

  I cleared my throat, giving the Guardsmen more time to close in, each step one closer to Halem being put down like a rabid dog. "Tell them what exactly?"

  Halem sighed with disgust on his face. "You sonofa—" he spat, and then he pulled the trigger.

  36

  Halem

  My plan of contemptuous revenge climaxed with a dull, audible click.

  My heart nearly stopped as the gun misfired, and I stood there like a sitting duck. I looked at t
he worthless weapon in my hand and knew I had wasted my only chance at killing Tetrim without going through hell to do it. A single breath later and the Guardsmen opened fire.

  I ducked and rolled on the floor of the stage as their assault weapons blasted apart the podium I attempted to hide behind. These bullets were not the ones used to protect the dome. These were unrelentingly deadly.

  Screams emanated from both the crowd and the stage as the shots continued to ring out. I was shocked the Guard would fire with innocent people on the stage. Etan knelt next to me, putting his hands over his ears as he cowered behind the podium. Splinters peeled away the top of it and sent them raining down on top of us. I ignored him and kept my eyes on Tetrim, the sneaky bastard backing away slowly with his hands held up.

  Not so fast, I thought as I reached for the handgun at my waist.

  "Stop!" I shouted over the sound of gunfire. For a moment, the shooting subsided and there was nothing but the sound of people crying in fear and the ringing in my ears. I turned on the laser sight and bounced the dot around on Tetrim's chest. "If anyone shoots I'll put a bullet in his chest. I swear I'll do it."

  Like the coward he was, Tetrim motioned for the Guardsmen to stand down. "Please lower your weapons. This man is mad with heartache and I don't know what he's capable of," Tetrim whined.

  I slowly rose from behind the podium and yanked Etan up with me, placing the councilman between me and the Guardsmen for another level of protection. All it took was one pull of the trigger and there would be two more bodies to add to the growing World Council body count.

  "We have unfinished business," I said through my teeth. I took a step towards Tetrim, pulling Etan along with my arm wrapped around his neck.

  Tetrim cleared his throat, keeping his hands up like a barrier between us. Whatever he said would only be lip service with no truth behind it whatsoever. "You're hurting right now, Halem. I understand it, but you're making up stories to justify your hatred towards me. This isn't the right place or time for a personal vendetta."

  "Shut up," I snapped. "I know you conspired to kill Marada. You manipulated the hit call by disguising yourself to be Cherum. You emulated his demeanor, but you didn't fool me. I saw the video and the Agency has the evidence." I didn't mean to spill everything out at once, but once I started, I couldn't hold back the truth.

  "You're mistaken, Halem. I would never do such a thing," he said, looking out to the crowd nervously.

  I shot a round in the air. The bullet pulverized a hole in the ceiling, causing plaster to fall from it. A loud gasp from the crowd reminded me there were others watching, becoming victims of the terror I intended for Tetrim Rine. "You're a liar and I have proof."

  Tetrim's face shifted and his jaw fell slack. "What proof?" His voice went low as he asked the question.

  I pulled Etan closer, feeling my upper hand slip as I had nothing but Castor's comm with the video clearly depicting Cherum's resemblance, but what I assumed was Tetrim's personality hiding behind it. The truth I believed was far from proof.

  "I just want you to admit what you've done. Marada deserves justice," I said, avoiding his question in an attempt to hide my own lies.

  Tetrim scoffed, displaying his own magnificent bravado as he knew he had me in checkmate unless I had the proof I said I did.

  I was an idiot and this plan had fallen apart.

  "You have nothing," Tetrim said. "But now you'll spend the rest of your life in prison for an attempt of murder. Take him in," Tetrim ordered the Guardsmen.

  My body tensed, and I felt the urge to put the barrel to Etan's head, to preserve a moment before I became another victim of Tetrim's reign. The idea quickly shifted to putting the gun to my own head and ending it before they had the opportunity to disarm me.

  "Wait," Etan said, pulling me from the scenarios rushing through my head. "I have Halem's proof."

  The room fell silent, save for the sound of my heart pounding in my ears. Etan reached into his pocket and retrieved a recording device no larger than the face of my watch and pressed the play button.

  "The man would forget to zip his pants if not for an automatic zipper sewn into his clothing."

  "Yes. Yet, he was able to fool all of us into thinking he would never mastermind a conspiracy to murder a councilmember. It kind of makes me wonder how calculating and cunning others in our midst can be when they have something to hide. You know what I mean?"

  "I know exactly what you mean."

  "Betrayal has a way of haunting all involved, Tetrim. Sometimes, unshared knowledge, or unspoken truths, however you choose to label them, are a form of betrayal. Hiding in the shadows is something far worse when the truth is discovered. The disruptions and conflict on the cusp of realization can cripple an organization like ours. Balance is important. Maintaining that balance is more important as we walk a tightrope towards the future. Sometimes, reigning in those perceived threats means a one-sided negotiation with a loyal friend. The insistence to cease and desist before more gruesome steps are forced to be taken."

  "What kind of negotiations are you talking about, Etan?"

  "Forty percent."

  "That's nearly half of the profit margins. Are you daft?"

  "Forty percent is nothing so long as you keep breathing. I will only make this offer once and you know I hate back and forth negotiations."

  "How did you find out?"

  "Is it a deal?"

  "Yes."

  "Good. I would hate to lose a savvy partner such as yourself." "Answer my question now. How did you know?"

  "I didn't until you told me."

  "You sonofa—"

  Etan clicked off the device and I made eye contact with Tetrim. His lip quivered in silent rage and the hush of the room created a tension so thick it felt like I would suffocate before I could draw my next breath.

  "That's not an admission of guilt. That's blackmail," Tetrim spewed, but the looks from the gathered Council was one of disgust.

  "No one is here to save you, Tetrim," I said, stepping towards him.

  He turned his back to me. "You have no honor, Halem. Let the world watch as you shoot one of its leaders in the back. Let that be a symbol of your cause. Murder, just like your old friend who killed your wife."

  I knew what he was doing, and I held my position. I would not cave for this man, but he would die today. "Face your judgment," I said, close enough that I could have whispered it and he heard it.

  "No one can judge me," Tetrim said, canting his head enough to glare at me out of the corner of his eye. "Least of all, you." He swung on me, striking my jaw with a closed backhand, knocking me around to the point I almost fell to my knees. As I turned back to defend myself, I watched him jump off the low stage and run towards the far doors. The Guardsmen, now under Etan's authority to stand down, did nothing to stop him.

  I pursued, following him up the graded path, uphill. It wasn't steep, but my body, already ravaged by a long thirty hours, wanted to give out on me. I sucked in air, willing myself forward one step at a time.

  Up ahead, a door opened, and a man dressed like Castor stepped through. I recognized the face as the one speaking to Castor in the hologram in the tunnels. It was an agent named Pollux, and based on what I had seen, he was most likely sided with Tetrim.

  I watched as Tetrim fell to his knees, clutching Pollux's jacket as he panted. "This man is going to kill me. Do something!"

  Pollux glared at me, his eyes void of emotion as he reached for his weapon. I slowed to a stop, knowing the end was near and my time had run out. Logic told me to fire, but fear drew me the point of inaction. I felt as if tight ropes were drawn around my body and it was all I could do to stand there, mouth agape.

  "You know what he did," I said finally. Just like everyone else in the room, his guilt was evident by his actions, more than his words, but more had been revealed in the last few minutes than would ever have been in a court of law.

  Pollux nodded, unblinking as he held his weapon at his side.
<
br />   "He manipulated the system and conspired to murder an innocent woman for political gain. Is that what your Agency supports?" I asked.

  "Kill him," Tetrim seethed, his fists still clinching the bottom of the agent's jacket. Despite how many people were in the room, it felt like it was only the three of us standing there.

  A sigh escaped Pollux's lips as he lifted the gun. Tetrim glanced back at me, victory already set in his eyes. "My legacy is the future of Mars. I will not be stopped."

  I watched in disbelief as Pollux pressed the barrel of his gun against the back of Tetrim's head. The councilman's eyes grew wide as realization washed over his face.

  "I think the Agency agrees that the future of Mars is brighter without you in it," I said. I gazed up at Pollux and saw only death in the man's vacant eyes. It was the same look I saw in Castor's on the night Marada was killed. It made me wonder who the man behind those eyes used to be.

  Pollux blinked once and pulled the trigger.

  Epilogue

  Halem

  On shaky legs, I made my way to the roof of the World Council building. I was still recovering from my injuries. The best part was the drugs that kept my mind off the pain. I could hardly believe it was only two days ago that my mission for revenge was carried out without my pulling the trigger. It was as if fate directed my steps that day.

  Surprisingly, the agent I thought I killed was only unconscious. So, no charges were filed against me.

  I shoved the door open and found Etan standing on the roof, overlooking the edge. "If you're going to jump, you might want to wait for the crowd to die down a little," I said, uncaring of the coldness of my joke.

  He turned to greet me and extended his hand. I took it as he said, "I have no intentions of jumping from this building any more than you do."

  "Don't tempt me," I replied.