The Free City

by Marius Pitigoi

  “I suggest you do not mention this aspect,” said another member of Garry’s team. “Everybody knows how things work. Many would argue that it’s their right to get what they are receiving. Just focus that these are isolated cases. And discredit the protesters. We have evidence of the same people who attend every demonstration that takes place.”

  “Oh yes, that’s right. Show the images,” said an assistant.

  “Let’s take this man, for example. Or this one. Or this woman. They all are participating in this protest…and this one…and this one…”

  On the table in front of them were displayed 3-D images. The profiles of the aforementioned people were displayed toward the top of the image. Toward the bottom were three separate scenes filmed at the protests. Although the number of people was different from case to case, the stories were similar. A group of people gathered in front of the area’s station, all carrying placards and yelling their slogans. Garry King pointed to some people in the crowd, seemingly at random, but they were always the same three people shown in the image. They were now outlined in red for better identification.

  “Some will argue that nothing is wrong with this—that those people have an ideal and they’re fighting until it’s accomplished. But things are a bit more complicated. The first protest deals with the increase of the alcohol ratio, the second about free Internet access, and the third about the construction of minarets or temples in the city. As you can see, the purpose for each protest is quite varied. However, these people are always present. I am certain they are not fighting for an ideal, as alcohol and faith do not go so well together. They attend because they have nothing else to do. They are bored.”

  “Could that be the reason, Mr. Garry King? Are people organizing protests out of boredom?”

  “Not all of them, of course. But the majority, I believe so. And it’s not just me saying it. Studies have been made. Some find life in New Hope dull. They need something to do with their time.”

  “Are there no government programs in place that serve that exact purpose?”

  “Oh, yes. Many of them. The problem is that people won’t follow them. They prefer acting according to their own ideas.”

  “You’ve offered a few reasons that might cause these people to protest. Are there others?”

  “Yes, of course there are. Some are of the most varied reasons.”

  “Like their jobs for instance?”

  “Yes. There’ve been protests about the allocation of the paid jobs. Some asked for stable working places. Obviously, that is not possible.”

  “Why not?”

  “Well, we couldn’t possibly offer as many jobs as there are stupid people.”

  “Cut!”

  Garry cleared his voice and continued. “Because the number of jobs is limited. If we offered some residents a permanent working place, we’d create a disadvantage for others. We’d provoke an imbalance. Those without jobs might attack those who are working. Keep in mind that the algorithm used for distributing the paid jobs was made public and approved by the public from the beginning. Let’s take a break. I am tired.”

  Two assistants approached Garry King. One brought him a cocktail and a device that displayed his private messages, and the other one touched him up with makeup so he looked as well as possible for the cameras.

  Sally Donte, who had kept at a distance of two to three meters during this time, now approached him. She smiled brightly, hoping to impress her newest victim. She was there for a purpose and that purpose was not the interview.

  “You are doing a great job, governor. I am certain this show will be one of the most watched this week. You already have me convinced.”

  “Is that so?”

  “A hundred percent. I am a big fan of yours anyway.”

  “You’re very kind. As I was telling you when we first started, I am your fan as well.”

  “I am glad to hear that. You have no idea what that means to me.”

  “Well, you are a very popular anchorwoman. And you didn’t end up where you are now just by looking gorgeous.”

  “You’re making me blush.”

  “I wonder. Do you not hear this often?”

  “I often receive compliments on how I look, but I’ve never had them from a man as powerful as you.”

  The governor made a motion with his hand and his two assistants left. There was no need for them to hear the rest. As expected, Garry and Sally scheduled a date—a private one, this time.

  Garry realized, by the way Sally was looking at him, that he was on the verge of making a new conquest, which boosted his confidence. That he was married didn’t matter. He hoped, however, the story wouldn’t reach the press. But, even if it did, he’d find a way to turn things in his favor.

  “You know, I’ve never been to New Hope,” said Sally

  “Which is a good thing. A woman as beautiful as you would soon become a target.”

  “But I heard there’s a safe area. What was it called? The Island of the Rich, I think?”

  “Oh, yes. Things are totally different in that area. I even know someone who owns a restaurant there. And believe me when I tell you it’s better than any restaurant you’ve ever been to.”

  “If they put cannabis in your food, then it most certainly would be.”

  “That is also an option. But it’s up to the customers. It’s not automatic.”

  “Then what makes the restaurant so special?”

  “The space, the cook, everything. The incomes are considerably higher there, which is why they have some of the best cooks.”

  “Is that so? You certainly aroused my curiosity.”

  “I invite you to the most famous restaurant on the Island of the Rich. You can see for yourself. And more than that, with me you’ll be perfectly safe. I promise you won’t regret it.”

  Now that everything was set, the interview could go on:

  “Did these protests ever get violent? Did the sheriffs ever have to intervene?”

  “They are mostly peaceful gatherings. People know that the anti-violence systems go off automatically. But of course… there have been exceptions. There have been people who’d do anything for attention, who love playing the victim. However, things never actually got to a point where we needed to use guns against them. Very few events took place among the participants.”

  “From what I understand, the protests are under control…”

  “Absolutely. I assure you there is no danger threatening the city. Our main concern is preventing these gatherings from becoming groups of organized crime. We have managed to identify and disperse groups before they better organized or grew large. We use all legal means available to us to keep New Hope a safe city. I mean… as safe as possible under these circumstances.”

  “Nevertheless, the death rate is quite high. A lot higher than it is even in less developed countries.”

  “You see, not all these markers mean the same thing in the same places. It’s true the death rate is higher, but that is mainly because of the suicides that occur there. Some people even visit the city for precisely for this purpose. Also, the confrontations cause a higher number of deaths. If we take these two things out of the equation…”

  An assistant approached Garry King and whispered in his ear, “We have a message for you. It looks urgent.”

  “Not now.”

  “It’s from Krugar.”

  He glared at the assistant who gave him the message. Yes, he had seen this assistant before, but how could he be so naïve as to speak that name there—even whispered and by covering his mouth. He should have known better. The high resolution technology in that room could easily detect what they said. The incident put off his appetite for flirting.

  “I am very sorry, miss Sally. Urgent matters require my attention. We will resume this conversation next time. Do not forget about the promise you’ve made me!”

  “I assure you I won’t. Please send me an S-mail with the details.”

  “I will.”


  Chapter 24

  “They are all professionals. They haven’t made any mistakes yet. As soon as they sense something isn’t right, they quickly cover their tracks. It’s very difficult for us to catch them with anything. And they won’t stop at anything. Every time we would try something, they left dead bodies behind. You need to be very careful. Because you will be playing the main characters.”

  Rose Brooks removed a few pictures from a file. Dylan recognized Sarah Sanchez.

  “She is Krugar’s girlfriend. Here they call her Sarah Sanchez, but her real name is Alyona Egorova. She moved to Chicago when she was a teenager and was involved in robberies, fraud, prostitution, the whole package. When she arrived here, she knew her job very well. She began her ascent with the help of a man named Carl Peterson. He was sort of a personal bodyguard. She soon learned that here in New Hope, criminal opportunities are endless, so she put together a small gang to work for her and keep her safe. In the beginning, she slept with some of the men she recruited in order to convince them to do all that she planned. She soon realized that was unnecessary. She kidnapped women and offered them to the men who worked for her. She created a whole network of slaves—both men and women.

  “The rumors spread rapidly. Crazy legends have been created about her liking to sodomize men and organizing life-and-death fights. I’ve already told you about Krugar. He heard about these stories about Sarah. He found her and brought her to his team. Carl Peterson was later found beheaded, in a park. It’s been three years since they met. Together, they are a couple who perform atrocities and violence that are hard to imagine. But the fact that they have a relationship is what we want to focus on.”

  “Why?” asked Dylan.

  “We want to kidnap Sarah Sanchez. To be more exact, you will do it.”

  “Us?”

  “Yes, you. If we kidnapped her, Krugar would figure it out. He would just leave her to us. He is heartless, even with his girlfriend. We need to organize everything so that nothing is given away. It will look like Dylan wants to take revenge on Krugar. Dylan’s backstory is exactly what we need.

  “If Krugar takes the bait, he will turn to the sheriffs for help in finding Sarah. He will talk directly with them. We will know who is involved and who isn’t and we can then lay a trap for them. For now, it’s not necessary that you know anything else.

  “Just know that you have the NSO’s whole support. If everything goes well, after it’s over, you can leave New Hope. All your past mistakes will be erased in the eyes of the law. You will be able to start over. You will be considered completely rehabilitated. And Nathan, we’ll even give you a total tax waiver. This is what we are offering you both in exchange for your collaboration.”

  Dylan wanted to accept immediately but Nathan had a question.

  “Sounds interesting, but isn’t this a bit unethical?”

  “Unfortunately, we have no other options.”

  The feasibility of rehabilitation made all possibility of dangers go unnoticed. They worked for the NSO team now. The first step was to get in touch with the person who could take them to The Island of the Rich. This person worked for Krugar in the same capacity as Robert Gomez. They would buy their way for three people. Only them two would go.

  Rose Brooks would arrange that Sarah Sanchez leaves the villa and heads toward a predetermined location. They then would intercept her while she was on the road. They will injection her with a very strong drug, which will cause her a state of semi-consciousness, and looking very drunk. Dylan and Nathan will have to pretend being drunk or stoned too. While helping each other walk, they will cross back, arriving at the established meeting point.

  Here other agents will be waiting for them. They will take them into custody and transport them to a safe house. The three of them will then make a recording, demanding money, and insisting that he bring it in person.

  The operation would begin by evening the very next day. Rose Brooks had left Dylan and Nathan to rest. They needed a lot of energy for the next day. They weren’t allowed to leave the room. Staying in the room next to them was a team who could help them if they needed anything. They only had to knock on the wall.

  Some of the tension that had recently accumulated lately vanished into the night. Dylan slept on a bed that was brought in special while Nathan slept in the bed of the room. He got out of bed at almost 11:00 a.m. because he was hungry. Even though he still didn’t feel completely safe, hope gave him wings. While they were having breakfast, Rose Brooks showed up.

  “As I told you yesterday, my colleagues consider it too risky for you to go to The Island of the Rich with neutral bracelets. It’s very likely that they’ve implemented into the safety system an automatic verification of those who come in, so that they have a history of visitors. So we’re giving you other bracelets—functional ones.

  “For now you will have different identities. You will have to go to the market in area 9F8 and look for someone named Austin Barnes. You will have to negotiate with him an entrance permit for the island. You will go under different identities. You will be two gay friends looking for new sensations. You will have to dress and behave as if you were indeed gay.”

  Nathan did not like it: “Dude, you couldn’t find anything else other than being a couple of faggots?”

  “You know what? My boss is gay. I don’t think he would be too happy knowing you called him a faggot. And yes, you have to be gay. The most important thing is not to raise any suspicions. The fact that you want to have fun should account for your willingness to spend huge amounts of money—because it won’t be easy convincing Austin Barnes to let you through. The gestures don’t have to be exaggerated. You will resort to gestures and maybe even touching.”

  “Fine. Look somewhere else,” said Nathan. “I’m not doing this.”

  “You don’t get it. This wasn’t a proposition. This is what you have to do! And do it convincingly.”

  “Well, then Dylan has to be the girl.”

  “Yeah, dude, anything else?” asked Dylan.

  “You can decide that yourself.”

  “Here’s the thing. I’m nobody’s girl.”

  “Me neither,” said Nathan.

  “We don’t have time to waste on fighting,” said Rose. “It’s been decided anyway. Dylan is the girl.”

  “Why me?”

  “Because you have the most to gain out of this. Because you have dragged Nathan Green in this mess, and you owe him.”

  A moment of silence.

  “He doesn’t owe me anything,” said Nathan. “It wasn’t his idea. It wasn’t mine either, it was Jeremy Phillips who had the final say to go over there. Anyway I went there willingly.”

  “Calm down already,” yelled Rose. “I dared to make a joke. It’s not mandatory for someone to be the girl. You can both be versatile, can’t you? But, we are pressed for time. You’ll have to settle your affairs some other time. For now, Dylan, put on these clothes and, Nathan, you put on these.”

  She threw a package to each of them. Dylan opened his and found black pants and a red shirt with gray stripes. At first, he didn’t see anything weird, but then saw the rainbow-colored sneakers. And that wasn’t all.

  “Thongs?” Dylan looked at Rose “Seriously? I haven’t worn anything like this in my entire life.”

  “Well you’ll wear them now. It’s really time to get dressed.”

  Not to mention that the pants were not pants but were, in fact, tight leggings and the shirt barely fit him. Around his neck, he wore a lucky charm pendant. He found that by playing with it, he started to calm down. It gave him something to do and could also provide a needed distraction.

  Nathan Green had it way easier. He had to wear jeans and a thin leather jacket over a T-shirt covered with large holes—and bikini-style underwear.

  Nathan threw out a joke. “I sure hope these haven’t been worn.”

  “We can’t give you any kind of equipment to keep on you,” said Rose. “Besides the electroshock guns and money, you wo
n’t have anything else. Here’s ten thousand dollars.”

  Nathan Green let out whistling sound. He never saw so much money in his life.

  “That much?”

  “Normally, a trip like this shouldn’t cost more than three thousand dollars, but under the circumstances, that may not be enough. Nathan, you will hold seven thousand dollars and give Dylan three thousand. In case something unpredictable occurs, it’s always better to split your portion in half. You can put part of the seven thousand in your jacket pocket and the other half in your jeans, in the unlikely event that you are mugged.”

  “Not that I want to play clever,” said Dylan, “but these leggings don’t have any pockets.”

  “I know,” said Rose. “You will keep your money in your underwear.”

  “Ha ha… that’s is a good one.” Nathan was laughing. “Not only does he have to wear a thong, but he has to keep money in it, too. Careful, coz you can’t keep them at the back.”

  “Now wait a minute, isn’t this a bit strange? If we already have that much money, why can’t we go straight to The Island of the Rich?”

  “Having a lot of money to spend is your weak point. You need to avoid it as best as you can. It needs to appear as if something unforeseen happened. There’s someone at the island who you have to see at all costs. Someone who may have gone there last minute without telling you, and you found out only now. You want to surprise them. Make something like that up. In order to distract Austin Barnes, one of you has to pretend not to want to go, while the other one wants to. Kind of like good cop-bad cop. Dylan, you’ll be the one who wants to go to the island.”

  “Me?”

  “Yes, you will have less money and consequently less power of negotiation. Remember, the negotiation needs to be done in such a way that it doesn’t seem that you are desperate to win. Don’t rush with the money. We are counting on the fact that Austin Barnes needs money. I repeat, it’s very important that you don’t raise any suspicion. If you fail in this negotiation, we will have to come up with another plan. For now, this is what we’re working with. Good luck.”