Still Death: A Destiny in the Shadows Prequel Short Story

by Maggie Lynn Heron-Heidel

  Still Death

  A Destiny In the Shadows Prequel

  Short Story

  Maggie Lynn Heron-Heidel

  Copyright © 2017 Maggie Lynn Heron-Heidel

  All rights reserved.

  Published by Heron Publishing

  USA

  No parts of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.

  This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. Under no circumstances may any part of this book be photocopied for resale.

  This is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and situations within its pages and places or persons, living or dead, is unintentional and coincidental.

  Still Death

  "This is insane!"

  This whole situation was absolutely ludicrous. How did I wind up in a room filled with utter lunatics who had so previously seemed like my friends? I had even come to think of most of them as rational, balanced men, even if they were politicians. They had all fooled me. How wrong I had been.

  They were all staring at me with concern now, obviously having thought I'd have gone for their plan easily. Not so. No one was going to enact such a risky plan in my city... especially not with the results these people were looking for.

  "Bill," Greyson said, now looking alarmed. "Surely you see that the benefits outweigh the risks."

  "Setting up a dictatorship?!" I bellowed back. "In our city?! You've got to be kidding! Why would you even suggest a thing?!"

  Obviously they weren't kidding. All faces around the long boardroom table were now carefully blank, waiting to see what I'd do. But I wasn't having it. "The idea of manipulating the public into going along with this is not only debauched, it is suicide. If we were to be caught, we'd all be shot!"

  "No one is going to be caught," Colonel Xorratti drawled, leisurely stretching in his chair. I wanted to strangle this self-righteous ass. He always had been a nasty little bastard, but apparently even I had underestimated his arrogance. I should have foreseen this.

  Wanting to create a police state just to clinch down on the public and make them bow to the elite’s wishes? It sounded like something directly from a science fiction novel. But here it was, presented to me in the form of faking a national emergency to convince the public it was necessary. Stranger than fiction, these men wanted to make it a reality.

  Staring down the table, each and every one of them seemed complacently happy with the idea of staging a crisis, one that I could only guess would cost a large amount of human life. They didn’t care. They wanted it to happen. They wanted the control. Death was an acceptable loss to these vultures.

  But not to me.

  "Damn right, we won’t get caught! We're not doing this," I hissed back. "We have a duty to the public-"

  "We'd be fulfilling our duty," Greyson said smoothly, knitting his hands together. "The enhanced security this would provide the citizens would be-"

  "The death of democracy," I snapped, slamming my hand on the table. "And obviously that doesn't disturb any of you at all. And considering how I've helped you to become Prime Minister, you shame me. But while I've helped you get here, I don't have to stand for this. Consider this my notice."

  Alarm was settling into dismay and enmity now. Clearly the ten other elite assholes at the table had been informed by Greyson that I would go along with this. With this move I had signed my own termination into necessity for these parasites, but I wouldn't back down. Too much was at stake.

  "A five star general can't just quit," Greyson sputtered, now looking around as all eyes fell on him. Maybe they thought he'd take care of my mutiny sheerly by outranking me. That wasn't going to fly. He had always resorted to backhanded tactics. I had always been the one to drive our arrangements home. He didn't have the balls to face an enemy square on. But I did.

  I leaned over his chair menacingly, eyes boring into his pale beady eyes. "Watch me."

  And with that, I strode out of the room, my boots hitting the ridiculously shiny clean floor as I headed out.

  This was bad. I may have held it together in there, but I was about ready to fall apart now. All of the traitorous rats behind me had the pull to have me taken out by the morning. They wouldn't hesitate to take me out the way.

  Even Greyson Rogee, my best friend of twenty years, seemed to have taken a leave of his senses and his morals. Then again, being the high 'king' over a city like Nacin was a tempting lure. The power he could amass, and had been steadily doing so, was everything a powermonger could ever want.... That is, if he didn't want a global stronghold. If he was mad enough to think of taking over this city, he was mad enough to want that as well.

  Damn. How had I missed this? I had trusted him; them all. Many of these people had helped me ascend to the position I now held. But now with my refusal, I knew they would try to tear me down just as quickly.

  Through all the years of service I had given them, was it all coming down to this? I had given up most of my life to serve the bureaucracy of the nation, doing what was right while sacrificing my own happiness. I never saw my wife and my kids barely knew me. And now it boiled down to this.

  But even as I understood their desire for power, a part of me still didn't get it. What precisely was it they expected out of this? They were all already controlling just about everything that occurred in the city limits. What more could they expect to gain? Money? Full control?

  Anger settled in my gut. I'd have to move swiftly if I wanted to expose them. Fortunately, I had a few tricks up my own sleeve to play. I was popular enough. The media ate out of my hand and if I went to them, they'd take my word.

  I pulled out my phone and started dialing. If I wanted to live through tonight, I'd have to launch an assault that would take them down first. I'd be damned if they were going to pull this off.

  "Rich," I murmured, waving with deceptive joviality at the secretary sitting at the waiting room entrance as I headed out to parking lot. She didn’t need to know the trouble I was now in. I blinked as rain coming off the awning splattered on my head. "Get me the security feed from board room seven immediately. Take the audio with it, and send it to my house immediately."

  "Mmm. This sounds like Rogee didn't make you happy," he purred back lazily as the rain drenched my clothes. "Tell me it's juicy. When he called a secret meeting, I knew it had to be good."

  "Juicy enough that you won't believe it until it is playing in front of you. I don't care if it takes all night, just get me a hard copy of the surveillance feed! And keep it quiet. No can know."

  Silence fell. He knew better than to argue. It had taken twenty years of trust building to recognize when we were at Defcon One and lives were at stake. But he didn't need to know that mine was the one in question. "Sure. I'll bring it to the front entrance in a half hour."

  I grunted into the line and hung up, cursing the morons behind me for their insatiable appetites. Now to start planning. I'd need to call a number of people, set up an infallible source of evidence in case they'd try to kill me... This was going to get complicated. And probably fatal.

  Death. Good thing I wasn't afraid of that. If anything, this motion was worthy of meeting the great beyo
nd. Did they not remember the Soviet Union? Hitler was certainly coming to mind. Dictatorships never ended well, except for the sovereign asshole in charge’s treasury.

  Power. I certainly had enough of it. I didn't crave having more. I may have been getting paid big time, but I still had to answer to the families of the soldiers who died whenever things went south. I signed the orders dictating who went into the line of fire first. I went to their funerals. Maybe that was where the distinction lay. The elites got the paychecks but not the responsibility or the guilt.

  I cursed myself, kneading my forehead to get rid of the impending migraine. I should have seen this coming. Greyson had gone from wanting to be a senator to wanting to be the vice chairman. Then he had wanted to be the top shyster... And I, like an idiot, had helped him get there.

  But then a small calling voice got my attention. And then a splash.

  “Dad!" Cain was wailing.

  Damn. I had forgotten he would be waiting for me today. I had probably walked right past him in the lobby. I had been so focused that he had slipped my mind.

  As I turned, I saw that I had been correct. He had his little red backpack from school, waving his arms around like a bird, trying to flag me down. I'd have to get him home and out of dodge before the shit storm came down on me.

  I forced myself to smile. He didn't need to know what was happening. A ten year old wouldn't understand. "Hey, bud. Sorry about that-"

  "I hate rain!" he squawked, putting his math book over his head. "Why can't they get rid of it?!"

  "Because the city bubble climate control system is designed to be as natural as possible," I said smoothly, enjoying his cross expression.

  I envied it. I missed the serenity of being ignorant to everything and focusing on the ridiculously short period that childhood is. He had already gotten so big and so had his brother John. It was like yesterday that they had been born. Now Cain was already in school and John refused to let me help him with anything. Life was fleeting and I had spent half of mine on a job that was now likely going to get me shot.

  Cain crossed his arms, eyeing me irritably. "Did you forget me?"

  Anger was always short term with him. I smiled thinking about it. He'd forgive me. He always did. "Hard day."

  I was instantly greeted with a wide smile. Bingo. "That's okay. When I grow up, I'm going to be just like you, Dad. I'm going to order people around and tell them what to do!"

  Oh, the innocence. His naivety over my job was refreshing. Then again, the public was under the same ridiculous notion, too. I went along with it anyway, mussing his hair up. "Sure, kid. Let's head home. Your mom will be waiting."

  She always was. Matrice seemed to always hate my job while enjoying the luxuries it provided. I wasn't home enough, I wasn't involved enough with my family, etcetera, etcetera, blah, blah, blah. I wondered what she would say now when I told her that I had quit. I doubted it would be received with relief.

  Cain snatched my hand happily and trotted alongside me going on about his day, stomping in the puddles that sloshed around our feet. My mind was too busy to register his chatter. I still had to get to calling everyone and getting the word out that Nacin was in for a hostile takeover. It would be a long night and hopefully an even longer dawn, providing I lived through it. But I had to get him home first. Home was safest for now.

  Cain jumped in as I held the door for him. I slammed the door shut but jumped when I saw that the driver’s side door had someone leaning against it.

  Rich waved a thumb drive around between his fingers. Seeing his expression, I knew that he had heard the audio. "Please tell me this was an elaborate hoax."

  "One hell of an April Fool’s, me being the fool," I snapped. I grimaced as he paled, almost seeming to have been hoping it was. "Get out of dodge. Take your retirement and go."

  "And leave you to walk into no man's land against the elites?" he replied, peeking in at Cain who had been trying to peer through the tinted glass. "We're both in front of the firing squad. No use in running. The question is what do we do? Can we do anything?"

  "We can spread the word and talk to the press-"

  "And what will that do?" he croaked. He jammed his cap on and pulled up his hood. "They'll expect that."

  "Well, we can't just sit and do nothing," I murmured, trying not to scream. I could see Cain playing with is action figures in the back, pretending not to be listening. For a moment it distracted me, seeing his little blonde head bobbing so happily while he played. I hardly ever got to see that side of him. Usually he was trying tirelessly to impress me to get my attention. But I had ignored that until now, keeping myself overly busy with my job.

  Strangely enough, the distraction seemed to spur my brain into action. It then occurred to me exactly what I needed to do. Salvation wouldn't come from within. It would come from outside.

  "Rich, call the train station. Get me a private car for my family-"

  "You're going to flee?" he said, eyes widening.

  "Hell, no. I'm going to the World Court with the evidence. If Rogee wants to play hard ball, we're going to play rugby, not croquet," I replied, opening the door. "I would suggest you get Sheila and meet us there. Call me with the time and I'll get us there. For now, I'll get Cain home."

  He shook his head and shuffled his feet. "Talk to you later, I guess."

  Looking into his eyes, I could see a deep sorrow. He was sure we were going to fail. He probably thought I was going to die. And if anything, I already knew he wouldn't be coming with us to go to Mercaine and the courts. Rodger was a smart man, but I had always known he wasn’t one to die for what he believed in. I knew he wouldn't tell Rogee where I had gone, but I knew his support was limited. I was going to have to do this alone.

  I nodded grimly and got in the car, slamming the door. He backed out of sight and I started the engine. I gunned it and headed for the open highway. A few startled faces flashed by as I passed the base gatehouse. I wasn't one to speed unless it was an emergency, so I was sure that my exit hadn't gone unnoticed. I didn't care. It would help stir up talk that there was indeed trouble.

  A few cars beeped as I darted over into the elite lane. The speedometer edged over eighty as I headed back towards the heart of the city. This seemed to be the signal for Cain to start talking. He didn't seem to notice my agitation or how fast we were going.

  "I met a girl over the weekend," he crowed, looking to get my attention.

  It sure did, even over the chaos in my brain. "You're a little young for skirt chasing, don't ya think? And when did you have time to meet-?"

  "While you were with Mr. Greyson, I went into the garden at the conference you brought me to. She was so nice-"

  He prattled on for a bit as I plotted. We needed to get home, get our things together, and go. It wouldn't go smoothly, but it would be doable.

  "And she's pretty-"

  "I'll bet," I grunted noncommittally.

  "I want to go to MoiRai to find her!"

  Now that was an idea. MoiRai, the little nation out in the middle of nowhere. That was a good place to bring the family. It was out of the way, Rogee wouldn't guess we would go there, and Matrice could keep the kids out of sight while I dealt with this mess.

  It was perfect. I had even spoken with their leader over the weekend at the summit. Their leader Master Rascorr seemed to like me well enough and I had said I might come and see his nation in passing. I could make this unexpected trip seem like nothing out of the ordinary, even if he was a little confused by our unexpected arrival.

  "You know what, Cain? I think that's a wonderful idea," I said, trying to sound cheerful. "Let's go home and tell Mom. We can even go tonight."

  "Really?! Oh, wow! She'll be so surprised! Thanks, Dad! You're the best!"

  If only he knew how hearing that pained me. Everything I did was always received with adulation from him, even if I had forgotten him for the umpteenth time. His brother John was at least a little more savvy in that department. He was barely even five and I
was already despised. And I fully deserved it.

  "Sure," I murmured, picking up my communicator. I dialed Matrice and tapped my hand impatiently on the wheel. I had to ring her twice before she picked up.

  "Oh, hi, Bill. I was just on my way home-"

  "Where are you?" I interrupted. "I'll come get you."

  "No need. I'm almost there," she said, sounding suspiciously happy. That immediately got my attention. I never got a greeting like this anymore. "I have John with me-"

  "Just hurry home. We're headed on an emergency trip. I'll have the bags ready for when you get there."

  "We're going to MoiRai to find my-"

  "Quiet, Cain!" I snapped over his sing song voice, glaring at him from the rear view mirror. He paled as I looked back to the road. "I know it's short notice, honey, but we have to go. I'll tell you more when-"

  "I can't travel, Bill," she whispered into the phone, giving me pause. "I was going to give you the news when you got home, but I was at the doctor’s today. You're not going to believe it but-"

  "I don't want another brother!" John's voice screeched from the other end. "I have one already and I hate him!"

  "John," she admonished quietly. “That’s a horrible thing to say about your brother.”

  Then she came back to me. "So much for a surprise."

  But I was already stunned. Another baby? Now? That news should have had me sailing on cloud nine right about now but all I could do was panic. It added another layer of difficulty to an already dangerous situation.

  "That's wonderful," I forced myself to say, smiling for Cain's benefit as he gasped in shock. "But the trip can't wait. Even on doctor’s orders, we still need to go."

  Her response wasn’t immediately forthcoming. "This sounds serious..."

  How did I go about not upsetting her? Telling her that we were running for our lives now was not an option. It would put too much stress on her and the baby.

  "It is. We can talk more when you get here. We won't go far. Just to MoiRai. We can get there by shuttle within a few hours. Talk to you soon. I love you."