As Blade peered at his reflection in the tea, he frowned at the image that looked back at him. He thought about the lessons he had been taught at school about protecting the Journeymen from self-destruction. He thought about how he, as a Keeper, was meant to maintain a high standard of goodness and virtue in a world that rewarded ambition and evil. He probed the philosophies that had been drilled into him from when he was a boy. Why should it be his burden to look after a race that was hell-bent on destroying itself? What could he do as one member of a race that was given power which could not be used to destroy anything? For the duration of the war, the Keepers had benefitted from carrying out acts of sabotage that hindered Zack Temba and his cronies at Biolance. But all that only resulted in a stalemate. The Keepers had based their side of the war on defensive tactics. From the beginning, it had been a losing game. The younger Keepers were even beginning to question what their powers were for? Why bother with holding up pointless rules and morals that always put them in a disadvantage? And for what? To protect a group of people that was proving to be utterly ungrateful for all the Keepers had done for them?
Maximilian Moreau was the first Journeyman to come to his doorstep with complaints but the spies from Savvy regularly brought back reports of discontent from their covert missions in Metz. No doubt, he would not be the last. But for now, for today, Blade felt secure and resolved to enjoy it while it lasted.
He got up from his cup of tea -that had grown cold as he stared into it- and went off for a soak in his bathtub. As he stepped into the milky-white hot water, a warm feeling crept through his body and he happily sunk into the bathtub. His back had only just pressed against the tub when he felt the tingling of an urgent telepathic message entering his brain.
The signal was from none other than Zack Temba -one time friend, all time nemesis. It was a moving picture, a time stamped image of Blade kneeling in front of Maximilian Moreau’s grave. The image shifted as Blade lay himself down next to the grave, sobbing uncontrollably, ‘Forgive me, I didn’t mean to kill you.’
Short, rapid breaths began to escape through Blade’s lips as he processed the image. There was evidence that he had killed Maximilian Moreau and visited his grave shortly after the fact. Blade felt the heat drain out of his body as it dawned on him that his arch-enemy finally had him in his evil clutches. How had he let this happen?
Blade ran through all the scenarios of how the Journeyman’s fateful last night had unfolded. Surely, nothing could have been done differently. He had only tried to restrain a hysterical, broken man. He had done what needed to be done in that moment. Blade ran through his litany of excuses, until he realized that no amount of excusing himself would get him out of the hole he had dug for himself. The only way for his secret to remain hidden was for Blade to cooperate with Zack Temba. And what did Zack Temba want in return for keeping the secret? There was only one way to find out.
Ten minutes later, Blade walked somberly out of Château de Confiance.
***
Zack Temba stood in his office, looking through the glass walls at the city of Metz. He watched the traffic as the educated snaked their way through the streets in their cars, headed for the next appointment. The sun had dipped into the earth as Zack Temba waited for the one appointment that was not on his schedule. He couldn’t remember a day when he was more pleased with himself. In one fell swoop, he had found a way to rid himself of the Keepers -all because of one helpless Journeyman and his daughter. Oh, the irony, he thought to himself.
Finally, he heard the ding of the elevator echoing through the quiet suite. It was time. He turned towards the approaching footsteps and waited, his hands behind his back. The doorknob clicked and Lieutenant Blade walked in. The two men stood facing each other. Minutes passed as they studied each other, appreciating the power that emanated from the other.
“And to think I’m about to strip you of it all,” Zack Temba said under his breath.
“Get to the point, Zack. I’m in no mood for your beating about the bush.”
“I know you killed Maximilian Moreau.”
“I know you know that. That’s why I’m here. What do you want?”
“Just thought I’d rub it in. You have a Journeyman’s blood on your hands. And I know about it.”
Blade went over to a white chair and sat down.
“I’ll just wait here until you’re done with your victory dance.”
Zack Temba arched an eyebrow, “Oh, so that’s that then? You’re willing to do whatever is necessary to keep your standing ---?”
“I’ve said no such thing.”
“Oh, I love this game.”
“Zack…”
“Alright, alright. How’s Dana, by the way?”
Blade could feel the tears stinging his eyes, “It’s Captain Reeves to you.”
“Right. Well, send her my love will you?”
Zack sat down opposite Blade, clasping his hands together between his knees.
“How did you end up this way, Zack? You used to have so much hope in humanity. We grew up together for goodness’ sake and yet here we are on opposite sides of the spectrum.”
“What spectrum is that? Good versus evil?”
“Yes, that’s the one.”
“Well, that’s simple. There was a vacuum. Someone had to fill it.”
“You mean someone had to step in as the fallen angel after the last villain was defeated. Why should there be a villain at all?”
Zack Temba leaned forward in his chair, pretending to think hard.
“To keep things interesting,” he shrugged. “To keep things honest.”
“Honest?” Blade scoffed.
“You know why Keepers live separate from Journeymen? Why they’re not advised to be close to the very creatures they protect?” Zack Temba asked.
“Of course I do. Because the Journeymen follow a different set of rules. Where we believe in community, they believe in ambition. They value ego over temperance, power over peace. You can’t blame them for that. It’s their nature.”
“And we as Keepers have been appointed since the beginning of time to protect them from their nature, from destroying themselves. Living with them would pollute us. I’m an example of that,” Zack Temba added.
“Right,” Blade nodded.
“And yet here you are, having gone against your Purpose. You’ve adopted their nature.”
“No-no, I haven’t. It was a mistake ---.”
“A mistake?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, is that how it happened?”
“Yes! He kept asking me what I was doing about his situation. He wanted help for his family, accused me of ‘sleeping on the job’. It was a silly argument, really. He got angry. I tried to calm him down. And he pushed me away so hard that he tripped over something, fell forward and hit his head. I tried to help him up but, as soon as he was on his feet again, he lunged at me. Then I punched him -just to stun him and make him stop. He fell down again. Cracked his skull this time. He was dead within seconds. There’s nothing I could do,” Blade was sobbing hysterically.
“Except cover it up and let someone else take the fall for what you did.”
“I had no choice!”
Zack shook his head slowly, sitting back in his chair triumphantly.
“And that, my dear Blade, is a lie. You see. You have spent your days convincing yourself you and evil are at opposite ends of the spectrum. I, on the other hand, I’ve embraced my true self. The good and the bad -just as Journeymen do. We all live for power and domination, Blade. In our own ways. Big or small. You’d rather betray one of your own than lose your power. What does that say about you and your nature?”
Blade had no words. He simply sat in his chair, taking in the magnitude of his sins. Zack Temba tapped him on the knee casually.
“I’m all talked out. You know what happens now. You’ve already let poor Sergeant Howard pay for your crime. I know you wouldn’t mind going a step further. Help an old friend in the process
. From now on you report to me. Your allegiance is to Captain Dana Reeves and to me, as well. Keep it together. Stay on her good side. Hand over any valuable information you have about her and her team of lap dogs at the end of every week. I’ll assign you a handler.”
Blade still said nothing. He knew he had reached a point of no return. It was either he sold his soul to Temba now or found his way back to Espérer to admit to all and sundry what he had done. Do the right thing at the price of his identity, his abilities and being forced into exile. Or be a slave to Zack Temba and his cronies for the rest of his days.
“Do you understand?” Zack Temba probed.
In a split second, Blade made his decision.
“Yes.”
Epilogue
Espoirs Brisés Prison
Cell No. 2129
12 October 2050
To my Dana,
I write as a man who once stood at Hope’s door, calling for entrance. I am an innocent who still believes in Hope, in a world where there is little or none at all. Perhaps it is all a pipe dream.
I ask you, Dana, to reconsider your position. You asked me to promise you my honesty. I did. And I kept my promise. You have placed your bet on the wrong man. I beg you to look into my case one more time.
Or at least delay the trial. Once enough time has gone by you will see that things will keep getting worse. There’ll be worse storms and hotter days. People will have to stay at home because of the foul weather and the abilities of the Keepers will grow dimmer and dimmer as long as the wrong person is held responsible for this crime. You have to keep looking for whoever did this because if you don’t find the real culprit, we will all pay for the oversight. We will be left powerless to protect the Journeymen from Zack Temba.
And be careful of those around you because, if they fail to pin this on me, they might choose another scapegoat: someone who may have been at the wrong place at the wrong time. Or someone who they’d like to get rid of. Find out who ‘they’ are before they destroy you.
Take care of yourself. I love you always.
- John
In the comfort of cold Château de Confiance, Lieutenant Nick Blade thought how touching the letter was when he struck a match and held the paper against the flame. All correspondence by Sergeant John Howard was being forwarded to him as per the orders he had issued. It was only a matter of time before John wrote to Dana.
At the edge of town at Espoirs Brisés Prison, Dana stood facing the cell of her lover and friend. As John looked up, he caught the sadness in her eyes and returned it genuinely. She doubted that he had done the crime and she doubted that he hadn’t. He knew how that felt. Because he doubted that she could be trusted just as much as he doubted she couldn’t. They had become lovers and enemies all at once.
Conclusion
Thank you for taking the time to read my book! This book is only the first in a series where Captain Dana Reeves takes on her enemies in a bid to save the Journeymen and lead the Keepers to victory. The series is a delicious mix of romance, sci-fi and fantasy. You’ll be happy you picked up the first book and eager to read the next.
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“2040. That is a year that will live in infamy in our history. That year, Dr. Zack Temba and Biolance unleashed a scourge, a lethal virus, on all of us that eliminated millions of the Journeymen around the world, reducing the rest of us to mere subjects under his reign. Most of those killed were key figures of society and scientists whom he knew would stand in the way of his plans. Let me remind you, my fellow Keepers, that our raison d’être is the survival of the Journeymen - the human race that is helpless against science. That is why we exist.”
He halted in his tracks as he listened for her movements. He saw a telling branch waving rather vigorously and walked towards it. Confident, he continued speaking, “Amidst the conflict, rose a woman of courage and destiny, willing to risk her life to save humanity. Captain Dana Reeves. She has led rebellion after rebellion in a bid to restore unity and peace in our age. That, children, is the example you have before you. She is a lesson to you all. The symbol that you must carry with you as you train to liberate us all. She, children, is the reason why you must make the best use of the knowledge you gain now in 2049 so that good may conquer evil once and for all in the future. A being such as her and the hope she carries with her is why humanity must endure the tyrannical rule of Dr. Zack Temba.”
He paused for dramatic effect, then bowed theatrically. Not only had he come to the end of his speech- an address he would be making soon at a school assembly- but he had also located his target.
The target hid behind the moss-covered tree, arms pressed against her sides. Her back moved against the bark as she heard someone approaching. The rustling of leaves ushered the footsteps toward her. Slow. Cautious. She held her breath, sliding down to sit on a buttress root protruding from the earth. It occurred to her to invoke her powers, but she dismissed the thought.
“There you are!”
A deep male voice had come up behind her, making her leap onto her feet. He caught her in his arms, intent on making sure she wouldn’t escape. She wrestled with him for a few moments, realizing all along that she wouldn’t be able to free herself from his grip.
“Alright, John. You have me. Let me go now.” Dana tried to sound stern. But she was too happy to pull it off.
“I’d never dream of it,” he said, “I was sure you would cheat. You almost used your powers, didn’t you?”
“It never even crossed my mind.”
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Freeze: A Dystopian Urban Fantasy Military Romance (The Great Keeper Series Book 1) Page 5
