“Okay, be seeing you guys.”
“Godspeed, amigo!”
They hugged again and Clark climbed back to the vehicle.
“So, it seems you’re growing in the ranks of the revolutionaries!” Lily said. “This is kind of cool. You’re the bad ass warrior now!”
“Not yet, but I’m working on it.” He responded humbly.
The men cleared the path for the ambulance.
“Where we go now?” Lily asked.
“Just follow my lead, chica.”
They found the restaurant and pulled over by its glass door. Two sentries walked to both sides of the vehicle, also pointing weapons.
“I want to see some hands!”
“We need to talk to Tess.” Clark said.
“For the moment, you need what we tell you to need.”
“There’s a sick woman in the back” Lily spoke. “She needs help.”
“This is your problem.”
“Fine” Mate said. “Just tell Hector, Vince, Maria and the rest of the bunch that you denied help to Mate Clarkson and Apocalily.”
“Jesus, man! What’s with you and going straight to the point? Get this thing to the parking lot while I open the backdoor.”
“Hey, nice seeing you again!” Vince said.
“Glad you made it!” Hector spoke, with a bandage covering part of his shoulder.
“They dragged me out of there before I even knew what was happening.” Mate recalled. “Last thing I remember was a big ball of fire where the warehouse should be. A little after that, they knocked me out.”
Clark exchanged compliments and high fives with the ones he got to know so well, and was even graced with a tender hug from Maria. He recognized some, but most men and women in that huge lobby were strangers to him. Tess, their gentle host, wasn’t in there.
At least forty people were gathering in the room. Nevertheless, Tess’ place was big enough to hold way more than that.
“Why are there so many people in here?” Mate asked.
“It’s a kind of emergency meeting.” Vince responded.
“We’ve met with Pedro on the way here.” Clark said. “He told me you’ve been attacked.”
“Yes. Some heavily armed soldiers came to the Industrial Zone, beat up a lot of residents and even kidnapped some others, men, women and children.”
“That’s why we set up that road block you met.” Hector spoke. “Pedro and Raul volunteered for it.”
“There’s no way to know where they took the ones they abducted.” Maria whispered.
“We rescued a woman, but she needs medical attention.” Lily said.
“I can help you with that.” Aaron offered while he finished patching up a shred wound on Maria’s leg. “How bad is this woman hurt?”
“Well, she’s more like poisoned. It’s something called luxomol, luxavil…”
“Luviximil” Aaron corrected her. “I know the drug. It’s a heavy stuff. I can deal with it, but I need to take her to a hospital.”
“Yes, we have one.” A young man named Ahmed spoke. “It’s not exactly the cleanest place on Earth, but we can arrange everything you need. I take you there.”
“She’s in an ambulance back in the parking lot.” Lily informed. “Door is open, key is in the ignition.”
“Let’s go.” Aaron said and he left with Ahmed.
“And you are Lily Master, I presume.” Hector came to her. “It’s surely an honor and a privilege to make your acquaintance!”
“Thanks.” She shook hands with him. “The honor is all mine. Clark told me about you and your group. What you did took a lot of courage.”
“And a little temporary insanity” Vince completed, also shaking hands with her.
Clark introduced her to the ones he knew.
“Oh my God!” Natasha screamed hysterically, moving fists up and down. “You’re Apocalily, right? God, you’re alive! We’re saved!!!”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Tess said, getting into the room. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves in here.” By using a remote control, he turned on a big TV attached to the wall and increased volume. “We’d better listen to this.”
Shane was on the screen, beautiful and glamorous as ever.
“…I know that most of you know me, but some of you don’t. Then, let me introduce myself…”
“This is probably being broadcasted from coast to coast,” Prashant said “which in this case means from one edge of the town to the other edge of the town.”
“She doesn’t speak to both Uptown and Downtown very often.” Tess informed. “Normally, she only speaks to the worthy ones. This can’t be good.”
Shane on TV:
“…there’s a reason why I’m coming to your homes today. Sorry to interrupt your regular programs, but what I have to say is of the utmost importance. I know many of you have been hearing rumors carelessly spread. I’m here to tell you exactly what happened in the same clear and straightforward way I always conduct myself, hoping to address all your concerns and put your minds at ease.”
Population could see her on giant screens located at strategic points along Uptown. In Downtown, people saw her in bars, restaurants, hospitals, or at home. She could also be heard by means of a powerful loudspeaker attached to a tall pole in the center of the city.
Shane continued on TV:
“Some time ago, a group of lowlifes, renegade terrorists invaded our power plant, coming from the back roads around Gingerbread Dam, in a treacherous attack. Their plan was to deprive you of running water and electricity to make us weak and exposed to a wider attack. That’s why the North District was temporarily out of power. But you have nothing to worry about. The invader’s coward attempt to ruin our lifestyle has been foiled by the courageous efforts of our troops, restoring electricity and water to sustain our families.”
“But I’m afraid we’re not out of the woods just yet. Most of the thugs were captured, but some of them are still at large. Actions and measures are in place to find and arrest those evil characters, but we need your help.”
At that moment, a picture of Lily, not a very flattering one, appeared on the screen, a serious face staring at the viewers.
“I told you this wasn’t good.” Tess spoke.
“Yes.” Lily agreed. “I look fat in this picture.”
“You look pissed in this picture, sis.” Vince realized.
“Maybe they did some reverse Photoshop.” Clark said.
Shane on TV (voice over):
“…Believe me, this woman is not what you think she is. As I’m sure most of you know, her name is Lily Master, but what you don’t know is that she’s actually a con-artist who took advantage of a tragic event in an elementary school to build herself the image of a saint, taking credit for the brave work of several police officers, the real heroes. There’s no such thing as Apocalily, it’s just a media invention blown out of proportions.”
“And there’s a reason why I’m mentioning her. She was part of the group that invaded and terrorized the power plant. And she’s one of those who escaped. Oh yes, this horrible woman is among you now. Recently, Lily used a very important educational event announced all over town to spread a lie through our community, saying it was all a plot to assassinate children to discredit her.”
Clark glanced at Lily “She’s smart.”
Lily nodded.
Shane continued on TV:
“It’s such an absurd, huh? But some people believed. Well, let’s show this vicious, intemperate girl we’re not fools. Lily Master is nothing more than a scoundrel and a looter, who just wants to infiltrate your homes and steal everything you hold dear.”
“Yep, she means business.” Clark commented.
“It’s okay.” The Australian woman replied. “I’ve been called worse things.”
Shane was done talking about Lily, which became obvious when a picture of Hector, also not a pretty one, appeared on the screen.
Shane on TV (voice over):
“Acc
ording to our intelligence, the leader of the terrorists is this man. His name is Hector Dryland, convicted of murder and sentenced to life prior to the plague. He was in prison, but we believe he found a way to escape incarceration when the pandemic broke loose. His record also includes robbery, rape, theft, among other offences. He’s a brutal, ruthless and dangerous criminal who’s now at large in our city…”
“I guess you’re famous too.” Mate spoke to Hector.
“You also look fat in this picture, bro.” Vince observed.
“And pissed.”
“Well, at least I don’t need any Photoshop for that.” Hector responded.
Shane’s face was back on TV:
“We have the situation under control, but we need your help. Those terrible people might be walking among you, decent people, right now. So, be on the lookout all the time. If you see any of them, please report to the authorities immediately…”
Tess muted the TV with the remote control.
“Sorry, folks” He said. “This is all I can take. And I believe I speak for all of you.”
“I’m disappointed.” Vince sighed. “How come they didn’t show my face on TV? I can also look like a murderer, burglar and rapist with the help of some software.”
“She surely fed the people with a truckload of nonsense.” Maria spoke. “Now, everybody in town thinks we’re Jack the Ripper.”
“Yes, she’s really good in manipulating the fear of others.” Tess agreed. “And the only way to counteract such damage is by also going live on TV. To us this is virtually impossible. Now the population is afraid of us.”
“What about folks in Downtown?” Hector asked.
“Oh, don’t worry about them. My waiters and I did a thorough job telling people here Shane is not to be trusted.” He cleared his throat “Now, enough about her for the moment. I’d like to welcome the newcomers to my humble establishment, best cuisine in town, also safe harbor for street fighters and road warriors. My name is Tess, at your disposal.”
Lily and Clark nodded.
“Thank you for taking us in.” The Australian girl said.
“Don’t mention, dear. It’s always a pleasure to defy this system somehow. Speaking which, you all meet Shane.” Tess stretched an arm to the TV, for the blonde woman was still talking. “She’s our local queen bee, so to speak.”
“So, you met her before, I mean personally.” Lily said.
“Oh yes, my darling” Tess replied. “I was once very welcome in her little wonderland. And she was so sweet to me, you should’ve seen it. That was before she found out about my sexual orientation, of course. Then she took on a real nasty edge and kicked me out of Heavensville, that’s how she calls Uptown. But it’s not so bad. I’m living out my dreams of owning a restaurant, also headquarters for all sorts of nefarious activities, which I hope annoy Shane very much, if she knew it of course. Actually, she scares the hell out of me.”
On TV, Shane’s image was finally gone, to be replaced by some commercials with Becky on them.
“What about you?” Hector turned to Lily. “What’s your story? You’ve been captured, right?”
“Oh yes. Shane put me in shackles. I escaped, but not before having a little chat with her.”
“And what did she say, something we can use?”
“She said a lot of things. Then, I give you the headlines. If I understood her correctly, she was tossed into a lab right after she was born, and some scientists modified, enhanced, pasteurized her, turning her brain into some kind of radio station which, among other things, allows her to control minds.”
Everybody gazed at her.
“Any questions?” Lily asked.
“That’s a lot of headlines.” Maria commented.
“Man, if we shave her bald, we may find out she’s Lex Luthor.” Vince observed.
“She’s not kidding.” Tess intervened. “I got to know Shane a little and there was indeed something about her I couldn’t put my finger on. I felt different every time she looked at me, when she touched me, some weird feelings. And in regards to control minds, yes, I’m sure she does it somehow. I heard her saying words to people, strange words.”
“Words?” Lily opened her eyes widely “As in rhymes, a poem, something of the kind?”
“More or less, it was something like the sunshine springs, happiness it brings. Those eyes you should follow, to keep away sorrow. Seek the giant bird you must, on her you shall blindly trust. For the good science you will urge, from all impurities to purge.
“It looks like you memorized the whole thing.” Clark said getting worried.
“Well, I heard it enough times.” Tess justified himself, feeling tension rising in the air. “Shane never knew I was listening, of course. But every time she looked a person in the eyes and said those words, the person went all gaga over her.”
Hector approached Tess with an unfriendly look on his face.
“So you heard the words several times.” He said. “How do we know Shane’s not controlling you?”
“If I was to betray you, honey, I would have done it already. Besides, if my mind was controlled by her, you’d know it. For starters, I’d be acting heterosexual.”
“She got a point there.” Vince admitted. “Maybe, it takes more than just hearing the words to go gaga. Maybe, the person needs to be at the same place as Shane, look her in the eyes and hear the rhymes all at once for the thing to work.”
“What about you?” Hector turned to Lily. “It seems to me Shane had all the opportunities to dominate your mind. Why didn’t she?”
“She got other things in mind. She had a living dead set aside just to bite me and make me like him. Then, Shane would bring three children to be killed by the zombie me in front of cameras.”
“Why’d she do such thing?” Maria asked shocked.
“So the myth of Apocalily would be destroyed together with the kids.”
“Shane doesn’t like competition very much.” Clark said. “And she has a very particular way to eliminate it.”
“How did you escape?” Natasha asked.
“It wasn’t easy.” Lily answered. “Anyway, once back on the streets, I told a school principal what happened and asked her to spread the truth. But it seems Shane took care of that.”
“Yes,” Vince grunted “by going on TV with some story about an educational event to sell the idea you are the one trying to discredit her.”
“Anything else?” Hector queried.
“Shane also said she got a high ESP. It’s a short for extrasensory perception.”
“And this is Australian for...?”
“She might be able to read minds.”
“Oh Lord!” Maria spoke even more anguished.
“It would ruin her self-esteem if she could read my mind right now.” Tess commented.
“So, these are the powers I heard about at the power plant.” Maria divagated. “Michelle would’ve never committed suicide unless her mind was being controlled somehow.”
“Who’s Michelle?” Lily queried.
“Long story” Hector whispered.
“And this is all.” Vince hesitated “Right, Lily?”
“Not quite. Shane also mentioned she and some other guys were responsible for the zombie pandemic that destroyed the world.”
“Do you believe her?”
“It’s far-fetched, but it can explain how this virus spread so suddenly and so fast.”
“I had a feeling this whole thing was much bigger than just one area.” Prashant said. “It’s too sophisticated.”
“Great!” Vince muttered annoyed “Just great! And I thought we had a problem! Next time I bump into a town offering sanctuary to protect me against deranged folks trying to eat me, I’ll stick to the deranged folks trying to eat me!”
“But how can Shane dominate minds just with words?” Maria asked.
Everybody turned to the Australian girl again.
“My guess is there got to be some kind of radio waves that come out
of her head which, activated by the specific sound of those words she says, somehow affect the control system of people's brains, allowing her to manipulate their will.”
They all kept on looking at Lily, only this time also with their mouths open.
“You got some technical degree after all!” Clark said.
“Nope, but I watched a movie with all this. It seems to fit this situation.”
“Hey look!” Maria pointed a finger at the TV. “Are they rerunning her speech?”
Shane was back on the screen.
“No dear” Tess said. “This is brand new stuff. And I got a bad feeling about it.” With a shaky hand, he grabbed the remote and got the sound back on.
Shane on TV:
“Good afternoon, my dear puppies in the Industrial Zone. This message is for your eyes and ears only.”
Her voice also resounded from the huge loudspeaker in the city center.
Shane continued on TV:
“I know some of you are harboring the criminals who rebelled and escaped from the power plant. Then, I’ll be brief.”
The TV started to show a big hangar shaped liked the half of a rugby ball. Several people were being forced inside of it by soldiers. Then, images from within the construction were displayed. Many anguished and frightened faces spread around the hangar like cattle.
Shane continued on TV (voice-over):
“This is a live broadcast. It’s all happening right now. I guess most of you recognize those souls getting into the shed. They are your friends, husbands, wives, sons and daughters. I know the power plant fugitives are listening to this. You shall go to Heavensville, surrender your weapons and peacefully turn yourselves in to my police force, or my soldiers will flood the hangar with cyanide. I believe you all know what that would do to the ones inside. You have until nineteen hundred hours to comply.”
The Sunshine Dame of Doom Page 17
