by Gareth Otton
Jacob clapped his friend on the shoulder.
“Don’t sound so surprised. I told you it would be all right. Now, how about I go put all this to bed? Is the Prime Minister in there?”
“Yes, him and that reporter woman. I finally got them to stop demanding things about half an hour ago and they’re just waiting for you to… as he put it… get on with this madness.”
“Don’t worry, brother. I’ll deal with this.”
Once again he clapped Brad on the shoulder before stepping through the door behind him and into the chamber beyond.
It was an impressive chamber for so few occupants. The large round room had two concentric rings of desks with a semi-circle of desks in the centre. Surrounding the entire room was a balcony filled with seats, and it was here that Jacob entered. He was unnoticed at first, allowing him the opportunity to spy on the three people in the room.
The Prime Minister sat in one of the chairs behind the semicircular desk, leaning back almost lazily with his chin resting on his hand and his arm on the arm of the chair. He was lost in thought, but looked too relaxed for Jacob’s preference.
Beside him sat his aide, who waited patiently, looking at her boss but not speaking. She was a strange woman. From what Tad told him, she had no personality to speak of and was never seen anywhere other than by the Prime Minister’s side. However, for such obvious devotion to her job and despite how she stared at him, Jacob saw no romance in that expression. This was not a woman in love with her boss, this was a serious woman obsessed with the job. Although he was yet to talk to her, Jacob knew he needed to be wary around her. He suspected that being so unassuming meant many people underestimated her. However, as someone used to being overlooked, he had learnt long ago that it was the quiet ones you have to watch out for.
The third occupant of the room was anything but quiet. Lizzie Bradley stormed around the perimeter of the room like she was trying to win a race. In the short time Jacob watched, she had already done three laps, and it was almost like she was burning off nervous energy. Finally, here was a reaction Jacob had been expecting. He knew the young reporter could not sit still, and here at least was one person who looked unsettled.
Deciding he’d seen enough, he reached for the door in his mind and, as Tad liked to call it, changed the channel.
He disappeared from the balcony and appeared in the centre of the circle of desks, standing before the Prime Minister.
Once again he had to rely on Lizzie for the reaction he expected. She stopped so suddenly she almost tripped and yelped in surprise. From the Prime Minister and his aide, however, Jacob received only mild indifference. The Prime Minister’s head lifted from his hand and the aide looked at Jacob, but other than that neither looked surprised.
“I think it’s time we had a talk,” Jacob said to the Prime Minister and the man relaxed his poker face.
“Finally. I thought we’d be waiting all week at this rate. Everything going how you expected? One step closer to ruling the world?” Norman Geller asked with a mocking smile.
“Yes actually,” Jacob answered, determined not to be intimidated nor infuriated by this man’s attitude. “Today has gone well. However, that is often the case when you have right on your side.”
The Prime Minister burst out laughing and looked to Amelia like she might join in on the joke. However, the small woman with mousy brown hair didn’t so much as crack a smile. Again Jacob took note that this was a woman to watch closely.
“I like that. You would have had a good career in politics if you had turned your attention that way. To deliver such a line with a straight face… My God, I wish I had that skill.”
“You can mock me all you like, you won’t get a rise out of me.” Despite his words, Jacob was annoyed by the comment, hating being compared to anything close to a politician. “I think it’s time we talked about what you can do for me.”
The Prime Minister sat forward and smacked his hands together, rubbing them excitedly as he said, “Finally, down to business.” Turning to Lizzie, who was doing her best to watch silently from the edge of the room, he called, “Miss Bradley, do you have your camera handy? It seems like it’s time to get this show going.”
“That won’t be necessary,” Jacob corrected, waving the reporter back. “She’s here to publish the outcome of this meeting, not the meeting itself.”
“Really? I would have thought something this momentous could do with some journalistic coverage to capture it in history. However, you’re in charge so by all means, let’s play it your way. Why don’t you start by telling me what you want?”
Jacob and Joseph had spent weeks preparing for this, studying countless hours of footage of the Prime Minister and getting to know who he was. He was an intelligent man who’d made waves by accurately reading people and telling them what they wanted to hear. Jacob also knew from Tad that an offshoot of this talent meant Prime Minister had a near supernatural ability to get under people’s skin. Despite Jacob’s preparations, he was doing so now by pushing ahead as though he was in charge here, not Jacob.
“Very well. Let’s start with the obvious. I need you to agree to remove all British assets from Cardiff and surrender any British interest in the city.”
The Prime Minister burst out laughing with such vigour that he was actually slapping his knees and holding his sides.
“Oh, is that all?” he asked, wiping his eyes as tears rolled down his cheeks. “I’m so sorry. I thought you had some serious demands. I didn’t realise this was a joke. Who put you up to this?”
“I assure you I’m very serious, and you would do well not to mock me,” Jacob said, losing his temper. “The UK no longer has any right to claim any part of the Borderlands for themselves, but in an effort for compromise, I am only asking for Cardiff. The day the Merging happened, the Borderlands became the rightful home of the people of Dream. It’s only right that you pull back and—”
Again the Prime Minister burst out laughing and once again it was apparently so funny that he almost fell out of his seat.
“I know, I’m sorry. I’m supposed to be taking this seriously, but surely even you, as crazy as you are, can understand how ridiculous that is. Of course, that won’t happen. That’s not how this works. You don’t get to walk into Cardiff, take us hostage, and then demand we give you the land that has belonged to the British Isles for hundreds of years. Not only is it ridiculous to even think I would agree to something like that, but I don’t even have the power to agree to your demands. This land belongs to Her Majesty, and I just lead its people with her consent. You really haven’t done your homework if you think this is how to make this work.”
Jacob smiled for the first time in a genuine way. Finally, something predictable from the strange Prime Minister. He had been expecting this very argument.
“I know exactly how this is supposed to work. I’m under no illusions as to the level of power and ability you have. I also know that in the history of mankind there is one rule that abides above all else when it comes to nations and conquerors. Might makes right. The strong conquer and to the victor go the spoils. That is all that I’m doing. You were here to witness that, and to negotiate the terms the UK government will deal with us going forward. I don’t expect those terms to be binding, but they will be a start for future negotiations.”
“Negotiations? You think you get to do what you’ve done today and there will be negotiations? You’ve committed and act of terrorism, and there isn’t a successful nation on the planet who make deals with terrorists. There will be no negotiation other than for your surrender when you finally see sense after the British Army is turned against you.”
Jacob shook his head as he walked to the nearest seat and pulled it over so he could sit on the other side of the desk facing the prime Minster.
“I heard you were smarter than this, but I shouldn’t have expected different. You neither grasp what I’m trying to do, nor understand your situation. With only a handful of dreamwalker’s I’
ve successfully crippled an entire city. Do I think I can stand against the entire UK army? Of course not. I’m not stupid. However, it would be a costly war, so you have to decide if that cost is a price worth paying.
“I’m looking for something very simple, and that is a place where dreamwalkers can be safe. The only way to ensure that is to have a place dreamwalkers run themselves without interference from self-serving outside forces who have a vested interest in keeping us down. As the centre of Dream related activity across the world, Cardiff is the obvious choice. So you need to decide if you want to lead your country into a costly war with people who control the near limitless possibility of Dream, or for once do the right thing and serve your people. Step aside, negotiate peace on behalf of your country, and do something right for a change rather than playing into the stereotype of the filthy politician that you are.”
The Prime Minister’s smile had faded, and he was staring at Jacob like he had two heads.
“You have a very naïve way of looking at the world. No one person is all evil or good. Everyone has their own motivations and just as you think you’re doing the right thing today, I think I’m doing the right thing by standing against you. The difference between you and me is that while you think I’m evil, I haven’t actually done anything to prove you right. Whereas I think you’re wrong and you have proved me right today by taking countless innocent people hostage and terrorising the city.”
“No proof? You propose a new law that reduces a group of humans to nearly nothing, and you dare to claim I’m a terrorist. What free person would ever willingly stand by and do nothing when such a blatant attack on their rights is promoted by your government?”
The Prime Minister sighed and looked at his aid, shaking his head like he was talking to a child. Once again Jacob had to bite his lip to keep from shouting at this infuriating man.
“You’re still showing how naïve you are. Not every politician is behind that bill, it is the reason why it isn’t law yet. In fact, I have been fighting that bill since the moment it was created. Yes, there are people who are interested in that bill, but it is a result of fear of something like your very actions today that pushed them to do so. Today you have done more to make this bill happen that anybody else since this process began. You have proved people’s fears right and shown the world we need to be afraid of you.”
“No, I have shown the world that we are strong and we shouldn’t be ignored,” Jacob argued as his anger started to slip. “You don’t get to run over us and treat us like less than human, and after today no one will even think of doing that.”
“You’re wrong. It isn’t just the UK government who can’t stand by and let you do this, the whole world is watching and you have made them afraid. They won’t let this happen without a response. I don’t know how much you pay attention to politics on the world stage, but I can’t imagine it’s much considering how naïve you are about this. There is a great level of tension in the world right now, all because of the events that happened a year ago. As you have rightly pointed out we sit in the centre of a monumental resource for world change. However, where you see us as holding that change back, I see us as taking necessary precautions so the rest of the world doesn’t fear what we become with our new strength. We sit on the verge of a third world war as the superpowers of this world fight over this resource. In one day you have undone a year of work that both I and your friend, Tad Holcroft, have been labouring over. A single naïve action by someone who doesn’t know what they’re talking about has potentially kicked off the biggest war this world has ever seen.”
Jacob didn’t believe a word of it, and he’d had enough. Shaking his head, he climbed to his feet.
“This is getting us nowhere. I hoped to come here and talk some reason into you. However, you are every bit as stubborn as Tad and you clearly can’t see the truth right in front of your face. The fact of the matter of is that you have proven by your actions that you are a danger to dreamwalkers the world over, and that if we’re ever going to be free from the threat of your people, we need to stand tall and take what we need for ourselves. So I don’t want to hear any more excuses, any more theories, nor any more jokes. All I’m interested in is negotiating of terms of your surrender.”
As he spoke, Jacob was aware of the sound of doors opening and as he finished the sentence, he turned to find Brad rushing towards him, his face neutral but his eyes shone with what looked like panic.
“What is it?” Jacob asked.
Brad leaned in close and whispered, “No one has heard from Simon’s team in half an hour and when I sent someone to check on them they found a war zone in the car park, lots of dead bodies, but no sign of Simon and his people.”
Jacob looked up sharply, understanding what this meant. Simon wouldn’t just disappear without telling anybody, and that he was gone and left only a war zone behind made it likely that he had failed his mission. That meant the Dream Team was still in action, and while Jacob had other plans to deal with them, it was a spanner in the works. However, as well as the day had gone until this point, he could live with one setback for now.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t the only bad news that Brad had to deliver.
“There’s something else,” Brad whispered, sounding disturbed. “I sent some people to bring Tad food and drink and…”
Jacob stomach twisted as he suspected what was coming, but Brad was reluctant to speak and his words trailed off.
“Come on, spit it out.”
Brad swallowed hard and whispered, “Tad’s gone.”
It all hit Jacob at once. His frustration at the Prime Minister, the stress of the day, and now this bad news. Jacob swore loudly and kicked the chair he had been sitting on, using a touch of Dream to send it flying high enough to clear the balcony. Lizzie screamed and Brad flinched, but Amelia only looked up in mild surprise. The Prime Minister stared at him and grinned in a way that said he knew something Jacob didn’t.
“Oh, I have been that mad before. It’s Tad, isn’t it,? He is the only person I know who can make someone that angry.”
“Shut up,” Jacob hissed, then wished he hadn’t as the Prime Minister grinned in response.
Jacob glared at the man before turning his attention to other problems. He was going to have to put this meeting on hold because while the Dream Team was problem enough, Tad Holcroft loose was something else completely. He was going to have to deal with this himself and figure out a way to stop Tad from screwing up everything he had fought so hard for.
Swearing under his breath and doing his best to ignore the Prime Minister’s mocking grin, Jacob stormed from room to deal with this nightmare.
33
Wednesday, 30th November 2016
16:12
Jen stepped out of Dream onto the wooden decking near the waterfront, crouching behind a wall so she wouldn’t be seen. Just beside the wall, extremely wide steps made from the same material of the decking rose past the ornate, red-brick Pierhead building on the left and a metal sculpture on the right, before the steps grew even larger and the material changed to stone. Those stone steps created a plinth for the Assembly building. The Senedd looked like it was entirely made of glass and steel, with a huge timber roof that overhung the building like the flat peak of a baseball cap.
The news said that dreamwalkers had been clearing out large areas throughout the city, moving the police away and clearing public places. They couldn’t stop everything of course, but most of Cardiff was at a standstill. It was almost eerie how quiet the place was.
There was a pop as Hawk appeared beside her. He glanced about as if checking the area was clear, then turned back to her, tail wagging. Something about his expression told her he was enjoying being able to dreamwalk once again, and she understood why. Just a few days without that ability reminded her just how freeing it was.
However, Jen felt great from more than her newfound freedom.
It had been a long time since she’d shared her body with a ghost, and
she’d forgotten the sensation that accompanied it. The strength, the sense of invulnerability, and the sheer amount of energy. It was like she hadn’t been herself in over a year, and the whole world seemed brighter. Senses were sharper, her eyesight clearer, her hearing more accurate, and the cool air brushing across her skin was like the caress of a gentle hand. The world was more vivid, and Jen had never felt better.
With that new strength, she had snapped the metal band around her wrist and remove the dreaded collar from her dog.
Of course, the merging had not been entirely beneficial. The experience was every bit as trying as she remembered, and it had been an ordeal to experience Amber’s life. However, it was harder to re-visit her own memories, remembering the things that had almost shattered her in the past. There were so many events she could now see were stupid, childish mistakes. It was horrifying to see it from a more mature perspective, and just as horrifying to know that Amber was standing beside her watching it all.
However, the process had been helped by one simple fact; Amber was not Maggie.
There was no wrestling for control of her mind, searching her memories without permission, or trying to dominate her will. Amber had no ulterior motives other than wanting to stay on this planet a little longer. Of course some of her memories had been eye opening and Jen would have to talk to her about them, but it could wait.
As soon as she was free from the dreamcatcher, she dreamwalked to Tad’s house to see if he was there. Finding it empty, she and Amber stayed to plan their next move. Jen was past the point of caring of whether she was caught in that place. She would never go back to that foster home again, no matter what happened, not after they put that band on her wrist.
They concluded that if no one else would do anything about what was happening in Cardiff, then it was up to them. Jen knew the dangers of that way of thinking, she couldn’t move her legs because of that attitude. She was under no illusions that she could go up against all of Jacob’s people and retake Cardiff. However, despite how they treated her since her expulsion, the kids trapped in that building were her friends and she couldn’t leave them to be held hostage.
