City 55
Page 26
“Excuse me, Dan,” whispered Pam as she pushed past, over to Charlie.
Dan obliged.
Pam stepped up next to Charlie, her feet touching his and her body leaning against his chest. She was looking up into his happy eyes. “Charlie, you think we saved the world?”
“I don’t know,” said Charlie becoming serious. He looked down at her.
“You walked into an impenetrable fortress and defied all reasonable logic. You brought us in. And then,” Pam continued putting special emphasis on the word then. “And then, you brought us all out safely so that we could live this one night together. What if it’s our last?” asked Pam.
Charlie looked at her. “Then I could die happy,” said Charlie. He leaned in close, grabbed her gently around her waist, and kissed her with a passion he had never felt before. Pam’s glass dropped to the floor as she limply held Charlie’s arm. As Charlie released Pam’s lips, he whispered, “We should make sure this night is a night to live for, forever.”
“See ya,” said Dan as he ran off upstairs.
Charlie and Pam retreated to the hotel. It was a couple blocks from the bar, but it took thirty minutes for them to traverse the streets. Charlie couldn’t walk more than ten feet without grabbing Pam, kissing her neck, and basking in everything he had wanted for as long as he cared to remember. Onlookers were privy to young love on the brink of a new world. Little did they know they were witnessing the hope that comes when two people finally find each other. That life has now offered them everything they have been fighting for. When the two lovers finally made it to the hotel room, true happiness was able to take place. Charlie was never the ladies’ man, but Pam brought forth in him decades of passion bottled up for this one moment. In the wee hours of the morning, Charlie and Pam finally closed their eyes, resting upon one another, hopeful and eager to see the world the next morning.
CHAPTER 13
84%
Charlie woke to Pam shifting from within his arms. Why can’t we lay here forever? Pam slid out of bed. Charlie peered out from his blanket, rolling over against the soft pillow. These hotels always had the greatest pillows. The sun was gleaming through the partially open window. He finally managed to focus his eyes and watched as Pam’s silhouette walked toward the bathroom. Pam gazed back and smiled. She leaned over to wash her face, and then put on a pair of pajama pants and a tank top. Charlie’s favorite item in her wardrobe.
“Come back,” Charlie said.
“Why? You miss me?” Pam replied as she lay back in bed beside Charlie.
Charlie didn’t say a word; her body against his caused him to lose focus. He just held her, welcoming the feeling. She gradually eased into him. He felt her slowly drift off in his arms, as he caressed the small of her back.
Charlie woke with a start.
“What is it?” Pam asked.
“I don’t know. Something,” Charlie responded.
“A nightmare?”
“Maybe.”
“Go back to sleep,” Pam said.
Charlie slowly relaxed. He had been at war for so long; it seemed strange that now everything was okay. He didn’t have something to do. It was all over. He, Pam, and Dan finished their ride. All he had now was the future, a welcoming future for the first time in a long time.
Pam’s weight was off him in an instant. Charlie heard a thump against the floor next to the bed. He opened his eyes with a start and looked to see where Pam had gone. She wasn’t next to him anymore. Men in masks, clad in black, grabbed him, throwing him face first to the floor. His arms and legs were bound, his bare body motionless, fearing what was to come next. He could hear muffled voices as these unknown soldiers carried out their orders. This was a science to them and within seconds, he was immobilized, lying next to the bed. Where was Pam? He wanted to yell.
He looked about. He saw her legs on the other side of the bed, protruding from behind the sheets hanging over the side. She wasn’t moving. He didn’t know if she was alive or dead. He tried to scream her name, but they had gagged him. All that sounded were his muffled cries. He wanted to touch her, to know she was okay. The men picked Charlie up from the ground and placed him on his knees. He could see Pam lying there now. There was blood across her forehead. He wanted her to open her eyes, to let him know that she was still alive. He wanted to see her breath. Nothing. They picked her limp body up while Charlie watched for a sign. Two men grabbed her by the arms and dragged her from the room.
Open your eyes. Please. Let me know you’re still with me.
The men grabbed him by the hair at the base of his skull. He saw them grab a bag. Darkness. He was lost now, lost to the world, and lost to Pam. The hood enveloped him. It was suffocating. It was now his prison. Charlie didn’t matter anymore.
****
Dr. Buscher tamped the espresso grounds. She perused the daily report as the liquid slowly poured from the two spouts. Eighteen seconds. Pretty close. She read that the espresso should be extracted from anywhere between twenty and twenty-five seconds. Dr. Buscher picked up her drink and walked back to her office while scanning the percentages. The current polls showed an eighty-four percent approval rating with the way in which her government was operating. She’d have to write a note. Don’t stop until we reach the ninetieth percentile. It was good but not good enough.
Dr. Buscher sat down in her office and peered out to where The Proxy was housed. The Proxy was infallible and nothing was going to prevent her from pushing this world to greatness. She scanned over the reports from the major hubs. City 21 and City 55, her problem children, were becoming her shining stars. Guardian Elements with record breaking arrests, overall crime at an all-time low, and production efficiency rivaling the leading producers along the African coast. She leaned back in her chair, content with the knowledge that her world was safe.
****
Timber leaned back in her chair as well, seated in her new apartment. She had ordered everything relocated twelve hours prior. She uprooted the entire operation, setting it up again in a matter of hours. She eliminated contacts and reflowed information. Timber cut ties with groups all over the city. By that morning, the last morning for Charlie and Pam, Timber had vanished. No one knew where she was.
“Ma’am, it’s done,” said one of Timber’s remaining crew. “We only got two of them. The other has yet to be found.” He handed her the note, detailing the morning raid.
Timber nodded and dismissed him. Her one priority was her. Even so, she had always liked Charlie. “Do we have any idea where Dan is?” Timber asked.
“He hasn’t left Istanbul,” said one of the technicians. “We would have been alerted. We have cameras around the city that will alert us if they pick him up.”
Timber picked up the phone. It was a burner that she would dispose of later in the day. “Blue,” said Timber.
“A call from the lady herself. Don’t I feel special? Who do I owe for this pleasure?” Blue responded.
“Dan Reynolds.”
“I was wondering if my hard work would pay off.”
“I want him here alive.”
“I should have him by the end of the week”
“We think he’s still in—”
“Timber. What do you pay me for? Don’t worry about Dan. I know everything there is to know about Dan Reynolds.” The line went dead.
Timber placed the phone down and turned to her operators around the apartment.
“Are all systems online boys?” asked Timber.
“Yes ma’am.”
“Has the virus taken route?”
“Affirmative ma’am.”
“What’s the count then?” asked Timber.
“We are in control of City 21, along with The Proxy. All hub cities are currently reporting to you in accordance with your instructions. The first commands given have been executed. The morning news report also carried the messages you had us program into the code,” continued her new chief.
“What about the Corporation? Where do we stand wit
h them?” asked Timber.
“They are operating as normal. We have Dr. Helena Buscher’s computer displayed here,” the chief said as he pointed to a display next to him. “She is currently sending an email regarding the current poll percentages for the government. There is no hint of the breach. All feeds in and out of The Proxy from our systems are camouflaged as the collective subconscious. We are in complete control.”
****
Dan watched as Charlie and Pam were drug from the front lobby of the hotel in City 21. Pam looked limp. Charlie appeared to be moving. Both were bound with black hoods over their heads. Dan stared on, frozen, fifty feet from the van. He could see four Guardian Element members. He couldn’t tell if there were any more in the hotel or around the other side of the vehicle. He wanted to help. It was Charlie. Dan watched, watched as they were placed in the two separate vans. Dan watched as the doors closed behind them.
Two Guardian Element members looked up, locking eyes with him. Dan continued walking straight forward, toward the vehicles. He never broke cadence or looked away. As he neared the vehicles, the two men peered at him. He touched the bill of his hat in salutation.
“Good morning. Thanks for keeping our streets safe,” Dan said as he passed them. Dan continued to walk on, his heart pounding.
The men from the Guardian Element nodded and got into their vehicles. Dan watched as the vehicles raced past him, his two friends inside, lost forever.
THE END
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1 THE INADEQUATE REST STOP
CHAPTER 2 THE DIGITAL SUN
CHAPTER 3 GOD’S FLESH
CHAPTER 4 DREAM PAIRS
CHAPTER 5 WHERE’S THE BEER BLACKER THAN INK?
CHAPTER 6 ATTENTIONAL BLINK
CHAPTER 7 LITTLE DEVILS BREWING MANDABATMAZ
CHAPTER 8 THE FOUR HORESEMEN OF TIMBER’S APOCALYPSE
CHAPTER 9 DROWNING IN A GLASS BOX
CHAPTER 10 AN UNBIASED ACCOUNT
CHAPTER 11 PINK LACE AND HANGOVERS
CHAPTER 12 PEE CARPET
CHAPTER 13 84%