“Is the Eastern European Alliance part of that plan?” O’Shannon’s sharp voice finally erupted from her, but a rueful smile played on her lips. “When will the EEA fall under your wing, Katherine?”
Katherine maintained her composure, waiting patiently for Prime Minister O’Shannon to continue.
Tara pulled up a map on her holotab and pointed to the other nations. “How lovely it is that their neighbors are welcoming the Coalition, while ours still have nuclear missiles aimed at us. I find it hard to believe the EEA will ever accept Coalition oversight. When will you follow through on your promise to disarm them?”
Katherine shook her head sadly. “You’ve read the report, Tara. There are no more weapons of mass destruction in the EEA. They were removed from old Russia before their alliance formed.”
Tara let out a laugh, tearing her hands through her hair in obvious frustration. “And how did your people complete their investigation? The EEA has banned you from their region. Isn’t it true that they shoot you on sight if you cross into their airspace? They certainly shoot my people if we so much as stumble too close to their wall.”
“Prime Minister, you know I can’t disclose the methods Coalition soldiers use to gain intelligence,” Katherine said lightly. “But I can assure you, the EEA has no weapons of mass destruction. They are a small, impoverished state, and their citizens pay daily for their policy of isolationism. They will come to us when they’re ready.”
“Is that part of your strategy? Just wait until they’re desperate enough to invite you in?” Tara scowled. “They just steal from us. We’ve lost shipments of supplies, food, and medicine along our borders—supplies you promised to deliver to us safely. Just last night, a transport was hit near the wall, and an entire busload of students was caught in the crossfire. We found their bodies this morning.” Her voice rose. “Eastern Europe didn’t welcome you in when the world economy collapsed—and nothing’s changed. We need proof they’ve been disarmed. Immediately. Or… we may have to reconsider some of the laws we’ve passed in the Coalition’s favor.”
The other leaders were silent, eyes trained on Katherine. Adrenaline spiked in her veins, lending her fresh energy and focus. This was the moment she’d been waiting for.
Katherine shook her head. “I’m very sorry for your loss. The Coalition cares about your people, Tara,” she said gently. “I care about your people. The Coalition won’t stand for unrecovered states threatening citizens we serve. And we’d never leave nuclear weapons in their hands.”
“Well, the EEA is threatening my people!” O’Shannon raised her voice. “Those students were innocent. We still don’t know how the EEA soldiers made it past your patrols.”
“The EEA signed a peace treaty promising not to attack your citizens,” Katherine said firmly. “If they’re not adhering to it, the other members of the Coalition will want to know. I’ll bring your concerns up in my next meeting with them. If you feel you need more Coalition patrols on your borders… they’re yours. All you ever need to do is ask.” Katherine furrowed her brow and tapped the map on her desk. “We just ordered another squadron to Africa to help with the food shortage there. I’m sure we can reroute some of those troops to your area. I’ll make that call today.”
“Outrageous.” The hot-headed President of Africa, Leslie Steenkamp, nearly jumped out of his chair, speaking up for the first time.
So predictable.
“We will not give our troops to Europe,” Steenkamp said, stabbing a finger down at his desk. “I sent you half a dozen messages about this last week! One squadron won’t even begin to cover our need. We don’t have the manpower to deal with this food shortage as it is. We’ll face riots—violence. Surely Western Europe can keep its citizens away from a wall.”
“I understand,” Katherine said, nodding slowly. “We can’t risk riots in Africa. We’ll pull from the reserves, then. We should have enough troops on standby to help Africa and Western Europe.”
“No, no, no. Not acceptable,” Prime Minister Zhou said quickly. “The reserves must be available in the case of another pandemic. There’s already a quarantine—”
“What about us?” President Alnaqbi interrupted, looking as angry as Leslie. “We requested additional troops for our upcoming elections, and the Coalition has not responded. The Emirates have a right to additional support, as per our agreements with the Coalition. Where will our troops be coming from if you are already tapping the reserves? I think—”
“Why is this even a discussion?” President Gonzalez snapped in her thick Spanish accent. She leaned back in her chair, disdain on her face. “Lost students? Oh, no! I have entire cities that have to ration clean water and a new virus mutating every week to infect us. The solution is simple, Tara. If your citizens go near that fucking wall, arrest them. Or let. Them. Die.” She waved a hand. “Evolution.”
Tara’s face had gone red. “President Harris,” she said, pleading with the only world leader who hadn’t spoken against her yet. “If your people needed more protection, surely—”
“Prime Minister Zhou is right,” Joss said carefully, worry in his eyes for the first time. “The reserves exist in case of another major crisis.”
Tara narrowed her eyes. “There will be a major crisis if the EEA discovers Western Europe doesn’t have enough troops to defend ourselves.”
“The EEA is not a threat.” President Gonzalez laughed. “The dog barks but has no teeth.”
“I have to agree,” Joss said. “I’m sorry, Tara. But I can’t support sending reserve troops to your wall, either.”
Tara persevered, and the leaders erupted, self-righteous and entitled, voices rising. They banded together, nailing Tara to the cross for having had the audacity to steal resources they each wanted for themselves.
You could always count on people to become irrational when they imagined losing something they thought belonged to them.
The illusion of scarcity was a powerful weapon when deployed correctly. Of course the Coalition had more than enough troops in reserve for all of them. Katherine would never deploy them all at once.
She sat back in her chair, displaying outward patience, waiting until tempers heated to the point where the arguments made against O’Shannon began to sound like open threats.
Finally, she raised a hand for silence. “The Coalition will do whatever we have to do to ensure each of you has the troops you need. I personally guarantee it.”
The leaders reluctantly stopped arguing, and Katherine softened her voice, adding just enough warmth. “Prime Minister O’Shannon is simply concerned for her people, just as all of you are. I can’t in good conscience turn down a request for help from any of you. If Tara needs the Coalition’s help, she has it. All of you will have the extra troops you requested, and I will find a way to do this without tapping the reserves.” Katherine focused on O’Shannon, who looked even worse than before, which was saying something. “I’ll get you more troops. In fact, I’ll pull soldiers from Infinitek’s own facilities if I have to. You’ll have more men to patrol your wall by tomorrow night.”
“Thank you,” Tara said. She looked back at her holotab and didn’t say another word for the rest of the call.
When Katherine had addressed everyone else’s concerns and the call ended, she slipped her medication from the pocket sewn in her dress and placed it on her tongue. As the bitter pill dissolved, she closed her eyes for a long moment, listening to the sound of her heart thudding in her ears. When her pulse slowed from the effect of her medication, she opened her eyes.
“Aurora,” Katherine said quietly, “Call Captain Wells on the holo array.”
Carson appeared after a moment, sitting behind his desk in the security building that stood at the far edge of the Raines’ property.
“You have orders for me, ma’am?”
“Yes,” she replied. “I promised O’Shannon she’d have more troops by tomorrow. Send border patrol reinforcements to Western Eu
rope, and then fulfill every request we’ve put off for the past month from the other nations.”
His gray eyes watched her with intensity. “Anything else?”
“Deploy your men. Let’s finish this.”
He gave her a curt nod. “It will be done within the hour.”
When Captain Wells ended the call, Katherine took a deep breath and finally dropped her mask, staring at her reflection in the holoscreen across the room.
Fresh energy moved through her, making her feel alive, as she always did when she’d waged a battle and won.
Her mouth lifted at the edges, and her brown eyes glittered in the low light of her office, bright with victory. It was done. O’Shannon’s replacement would be much more amenable to Coalition oversight. He understood what was needed to create a better world.
On every call for the past few weeks, Katherine had been careful to show nothing but patience and support for the Prime Minister. She’d also held back troops as a precaution, ensuring each nation felt the pinch of too-few men. Every leader had publicly attacked O’Shannon today. Which meant that when they inevitably questioned the official story and suspected foul play, they’d suspect one another, not Katherine or the Coalition.
The less the world leaders trusted each other, the more they would rely on the Coalition for guidance and mediation. Which was in everyone’s best interest.
“Aurora?”
“Yes, Katherine?”
“In two hours, inform Izzy that Prime Minister Tara O’Shannon has been killed in a terrorist attack.”
“Certainly. Can I be of any further assistance?”
“Add one item to her task list. She is to order gifts, to be delivered to the O’Shannon home in London tomorrow morning, with our deepest condolences. And do remind her to get something extra special for Tara’s little girls… and include a personal message. I want that family to know we’re here for them if they need anything.”
“No. More,” Eli panted, pressing a hand into his side. “I’m thirsty.”
“We’re almost home.” Selene stopped running and glanced behind her for the thousandth time. The sun was nearly down, and the sun-bleached highway was still empty in both directions. No one had followed them. No cops.
“Waaah-ter.” Eli flung his arms in the air dramatically, then collapsed in the grass.
“Fine. One drink.”
“Well I’m hungry, too.” Eli eagerly took the thermos, gulping down water.
Selene’s legs shook as she handed him some fruit. Her stomach growled, and she grabbed a peach for herself and dropped to the ground beside Eli. The fruit’s sweet flavor flooded her mouth, washing away the sour taste that had formed there. A breeze picked up, a gift against her damp skin.
Eli devoured his peach even faster than she did and tossed his pit into the woods. “Anders could’ve told on us for our gun.”
“Yeah.” And it’s only a matter of time until he does.
“I was riiiight.” Eli sang. “He likes you. That’s why he didn’t tell.” Eli’s grin was way too self-satisfied for an eight-year-old.
“Sorry, buddy. You’re wrong. You can’t like someone you don’t know.” Selene stood and stomped on her peach pit, driving it into the ground. Anders was a threat to her family, and she needed to get home and tell Nan everything.
Everything, except for the part about how his chest had felt beneath her hand… how that strange electricity had run between them as she looked into his eyes. Nan didn’t need to know about that.
“Well, I think Anders is awesome. He was like Thor!” Eli piped up, his eyes bright. “In the epic battle for bits, Thor rushes in, wielding his mighty hammer to smite Loki’s scanpad. Then—”
“Uh-uh!” Selene shook her head and sighed, her throat tightening at the thought of the bitstorage card in her bag. What would Nan do when she found out all those bits were useless? Counterfeit. I’m such an idiot.
“Hurry up,” she said to Eli as she started walking again. “I can see the drive from here. Let’s go.”
Eli groaned, but he hopped to his feet and followed.
He lasted five seconds before starting with the kissing noises. “Guess who I am. I’m—”
“Annoying?”
“I’m Anders,” Eli said, in a mock deep voice. “And you can get to know me.”
“Be quiet.”
Eli laughed and skipped ahead of her, making more kissing noises as he went.
She smiled despite herself and chased after him, all the way to the drive, dropping her bag in the process. She pushed him to the grass, tickling him.
Eli giggled. “Okay. Okay, I’ll shut up!”
“Not good enough. You have to promise not to say anything about Anders to Nan. I will tell her what she needs to know.”
“I-I won’t. I promise,” he wheezed.
Selene let up. “Not a word?”
“Okay.” He grinned and escaped, jumping to his feet. “I did not just see that.”
“Ha.” Selene picked up her bag. “I’m giving you a head start. Better run.”
Eli scampered down the dirt drive, and Selene’s gaze landed on the dusty earth below. Her good mood vanished.
Tire tracks. Goosebumps raced along her arms, and she knelt to touch the light marks. Definitely tire tracks. Leading all the way to the gate.
But Nan’s car was dead… and no cop cars had passed them on their way home.
Eli circled back to Selene’s spot, confused.
“Come here.” She dragged him off the path and into the trees. Dried pine needles crunched beneath their feet, and the scent of earth and decay wafted over them.
Eli tried to shrug her off, and she dropped her bag on the ground and crouched down to meet his wide eyes. “Stay here. And no matter what, don’t move.”
“Why?” He looked back to the drive, afraid. “I don’t want to stay here.”
“I need to check the house. Just stay here, okay?”
He shook his head and crossed his arms. “I don’t want to.”
“This is important. Stay. Here.”
“But—”
“Stay here! Promise you won’t move, no matter what. I’ll be right back.” She kissed him on the cheek, and he nodded sullenly and wrapped an arm around Selene’s pack, as if to protect it.
She crept out of the woods, removed her gun from its holster, and switched off the safety. Her arms shook as she held it up, walking slowly along the edge of the drive, listening for sounds ahead. The weight in her chest grew with every step, and she couldn’t make herself release her grip on the gun to wipe the sweat from her eyes. Was the gate cracked open?
No. You’re just being paranoid.
But her thumping heart disagreed. There were tire tracks under her feet, and Nan’s car wasn’t running.
As she neared the gate, she heard them. Voices.
Her mind skipped back like a cast on rewind. That blond woman had asked about the homestead. What had she said?
“Lots of hard work when you don’t have enough hands to help you run it.”
Selene had agreed. She’d told them they were short-handed and vulnerable.
During the first food shortage in years.
Selene’s heart beat harder as she jogged the last few yards to the sagging wooden fence. Pressing up against it, she peered through the cracked slats.
No one in the front yard. She could smell the damp soil, the foul scent of chicken shit, and the sweeter scents of the garden plants wafting over from the back. There, just beyond Nan’s car. Selene’s entire body went cold as she made out the back of a familiar SUV.
The travelers from this morning. Criminals. Armed and dangerous.
Nan was inside all alone. Had they hurt her?
Selene pushed open the gate, and it swung inward with a loud creak. She waited a few seconds, not breathing, to see if anyone had heard. When no one came, she darted into the yard and ran to the bushes in front of the
house.
As she reached them, a loud squawk sounded, and she whirled, her gun aimed at the source of the sound. She’d disturbed one of the chickens. It huddled close to the porch—not in the coop where it should be at this hour. Had the intruders heard?
“Load it up.” A man’s voice carried through the yard from around the back. Selene’s heart seemed determined to leap out of her chest, and she struggled to breathe. I have to find Nan.
“… Faster.” Another man’s voice, deeper.
Selene ran at a crouch alongside the bushes to the side of the house. She peeked through the leaves as the bearded man came into view. He was carrying a crate.
Heat flooded Selene, and lights danced around the edges of her vision. They were stealing her food. Food she’d grown and canned. Did they have guns like the cast had said? She’d kill them.
She started to round the bushes.
“Stop. If I have to use this, I will.” A woman’s voice drifted through the open front window.
“Go ahead.” Nan’s voice.
Selene sank down in front of the house, panting, staring at the gun in her hands. Nan. Nan was in the house with someone, and Selene had to save her first.
The front stairs would creak—no way around it. She climbed them fast, and the old boards groaned under her weight, the sound echoing through the yard.
Selene ducked beneath the window, flattening herself against the peeling paint. She could barely hear over the roar of her own pulse.
“Don’t move,” the woman warned from inside the house. The blond woman? No. It was a young voice.
Through the open window, Selene heard wooden floorboards creak. The intruder was crossing the living room. Selene stiffened, not daring to breathe as she felt the presence of a person standing at the window right above her.
Defective (Fractured Era Book 1) Page 14
