by Q J Martin
“Like to?” Elizabeth exclaimed, barely able to tear her eyes away from the sight before her to express her gratitude to Logan. “I’d love to.” She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed tight. She turned back and began walking towards the doors, step by step, drawn to the library like metal to a magnet. “I can’t believe I’ve lived here for over a year now and this is the first time I’ve ever seen this place.”
“Luckily for me, I’d say.” Logan slid his hand into his pocket as he matched pace with Elizabeth. He wrapped his fingers between hers with his free hand. “Of course, we are in Rochester, so probably a third of the books here are medical books, but there are still some good gems if you look close enough.”
“I would love it even if they were all medical books,” she said in awe.
They passed into the building, and Elizabeth looked up at all the rows of books with wonder in her eyes. She slid her fingers out of Logan’s and ran to the nearest shelf to see what she could dig up.
Logan just stood by the entrance where Elizabeth had left him, taking in every moment, every step, storing them all in his heart, cherishing every little bit of it. He jostled his fingers around in his pocket, the weight of its contents pulling down on his heart and soul, if not his actual clothing.
Today is going to be the day, he told himself. Today’s the day I’ll finally do it.
Elizabeth walked around the corner. Logan made sure she was out of view, then he pulled the ring out of his pocket. It was a classical-style solitaire diamond engagement ring. He analyzed it under the fluorescent lights, looking at it from every angle. He was hoping that it was just as beautiful and radiant as it was when he purchased it. He knew it had to be if it was going to be sitting on the finger of someone as beautiful and radiant as Liz.
He dropped the ring back in his pocket, then patted his leg to make sure it was where it was supposed to be. Then he ran off to join her.
Chapter III
“First of all, I want to say what a privilege it is to be here standing before you all, in the exact same location where I stood over 35 years ago, when I had the honor of announcing to the world that the ban on genetic modifications was lifted and the cure for cancer was being made available to all!”
Sonequa Johnson raised her hands to the sky, and all those in attendance cheered and shouted. It hadn’t even been a minute since the last round of cheers echoed between the skyscrapers around them. It had taken time to quiet down the adoring crowds, and it would again.
The Senator didn’t seem to mind in the slightest, though. From what Logan could tell, she was soaking it all up. He looked around at those in attendance. A couple were older and infirm, and had brought portable chairs with them to enjoy the release. The rest were standing shoulder to shoulder. Some of them were holding up signs.
“You saved my grandpa!” read one sign.
“Thank You Sonequa,” said another.
For the four days that Logan had been working for the Senator, he had never seen her so content. Of course, there were those that denounced the entire affair, as well. Logan made sure when he was planning the event that they weren’t even within sight of any portion of the stage. If any of them even got close to the barricades set up around the perimeter of the venue, the police would escort them to the designated protester sections on the other side of the streets.
So when the Human Restoratives shouted their obscenities, stating that “God made us perfect!”, and the MUNAs chanted “Unnatural!” over and over again, their protests were nothing but a faint whisper, the sound of a pin dropping in a hurricane of applause and cheers.
Logan and Randell stood off on the side of the stage, where they could look into the faces of every individual in the crowd, but they didn’t become a distraction to the event. Keanu Kai had sat himself right next to the Senator along the row of chairs across the back of the stage. If anyone attempted to run up there or disrupt the activities on the stage in any fashion, he would be on them in an instant.
The rest of his security staff was spread out strategically around the venue. Every single one of them was cleared by Logan personally after an extensive background check. Then there were Randell’s friends. Logan had seen them in passing on plenty of assignments, of course. He wasn’t overly familiar with each of them individually, but he trusted Randell’s judgement implicitly.
“Stay sharp,” he spoke into his earpiece as he scanned the crowd. “Keep your eyes on sector six. From this vantage point, I have a blind spot the size of Manhattan.”
“Roger that,” came a voice in reply.
Randell tried and failed to stifle a laugh. He sprayed spit over his hand and had to wipe a drop of snot from his upper lip.
“Roger Larkin,” Logan said, rolling his eyes. “From now on, feel free to say ‘copy’ when responding on the radio. Randell is too immature to handle you saying ‘roger’.”
“Rog—copy that,” Roger answered back.
Logan and Randell watched the crowd closely. They were attempting to prepare for something they could never predict, to expect the unexpected. Logan had dealt with the Brotherhood before. The great majority of them were mindless followers, but they weren’t without a few members of intelligence, members who could plan and carry out a successful assassination with a little bit of luck.
Logan couldn’t leave room for luck. Any attempt on the Senator’s life would be over in an instant, and its success or failure would depend exclusively on the vigilance of every member of the security team, himself included.
“Report,” he said into his earpiece. “What do we got going on out there?”
“Sectors one through five are secure,” a voice that he identified as Melany Rivers said.
“We have some unexpected Girl Scouts in sector seven, but other than that, six through ten are secure,” Roger Larkin chimed in.
Randell raised his hand to his ear and said, “Bring me some thin mints, would ya?”
There was a bit of half-hearted laughter shared across the line, but Logan wasn’t amused.
“Randell, do you mind not cluttering the valuable radio waves with your nonsense?” Logan whispered to him pointedly. “This is too serious of a job to mess around like that.”
“What?” Randell asked, genuinely confused. “I was serious. I want some thin mints.”
Logan returned his attention to the crowd. He didn’t want to waste another second on anything other than his job.
“When I first began petitioning for the legalization of the cure for cancer, I knew that it was only a stepping stone to greater and greater things for humanity. And I thank God that my expectations were not unwarranted. Today, we are so proud to release the pinnacle of genetic modifications, the end of death, the beginning of a new Golden Age for mankind. Officially, it is known as InstaRegen, but many of you have taken to simply calling it ‘the Cure’. Finally,” she said. grabbing a vial that had been hidden behind the lectern and holding it high in the air for all to see, “we have a cure for the human condition!”
Deafening cheers erupted through the air. They were louder than any that the audience had offered before. So many were genuinely ecstatic, clapping, whistling, and waving banners.
Logan was amazed at the unilateral reaction from the crowds. Everyone was equally excited, equally moved, equally in love with the Senator.
Everyone but one person.
One man stood out from the crowd. He was tall and lanky. His head was covered in greasy strings of blonde hair. And he was slowly gravitating towards the front of the crowd, getting closer and closer to the stage without anyone seeming to notice his presence or question it.
“Randell!” Logan hissed, rapping his friend on the shoulder. “Do you see that guy?”
“Unidentified civilian approaching the stage from sector three,” Randall spoke into his earpiece. “Units 4-7, converge.”
Logan didn’t wait for Randell to finish his sentence. He ran straight out into the crowd, skirting around families and past grandparents and betwee
n couples. There was a tall man in front of him obscuring his view. He shoved his way past him and found himself standing face to face with his target.
“Wait a second,” he said, freezing in place. “I know you.”
The man didn’t wait for Logan to finish putting the pieces together. He reared his arm back and swung it in a wide arc that terminated in Logan’s left eye socket.
Logan stumbled backwards, clutching his throbbing eye. A few onlookers gasped. Most of them took a couple steps back from the commotion. By the time Logan was able to open his eye again without it watering, he saw the man barreling towards him, completely unimpeded by the crowds. He tackled Logan to the ground, then stood above him, landing one punch after another. One in the face. Another. One in the ribs. One in the arm.
Logan couldn’t believed he was being pummeled by some Brotherhood lackey. He caught the man’s right cross inches from his jaw and squeezed. The man screamed, but Logan kept squeezing, harder and harder. The seconds felt like an eternity as they passed by. Finally, he heard the cracking sound of every bone in the man’s hand. He released it and the man stumbled backwards, falling on his back.
Logan lurched forward and landed on his knees. Blood poured out of his nose. Two security guards ran past him towards the assailant. Randell was at his side before he knew it, helping him to his feet.
“That’s a Brotherhood sympathizer,” he croaked. “Ray Pierce.”
“How the hell did he slip past the security scans?” Randell asked. “He should have been flagged by the facial recognition software the moment he stepped within two-thousand feet of here.”
There was another scream. The security guard that was standing in front of Ray crumpled to the ground. Logan could see Ray holding a bloody black blade in his left hand. He swung it around and it slid through the other guard’s throat. Gasps and screams went up through the crowd.
He stumbled forward, taking one unsteady step after another until he was in a full-out run. He aimed the knife straight at Logan. Logan readied himself to meet him, but Randell stepped in front of him. He let the knife slip between his arm and his side, then twisted it out of his grip. The blade, which Logan could now see was made of carbon fiber, clattered to the ground.
Randell elbowed Ray in the face. He fell on his back. Randell grabbed him by the shirt and flipped him around with one quick twist of his wrist. He shoved his knee into the man’s back and yanked his hands behind him, against his protests. He slapped handcuffs on him and lifted him back to his feet.
Ray began to shout at the top of his lungs between outcries of pain. “This is wrong!”
What’s the point of all this? Logan wondered. What is he hoping to achieve? Was he really expecting to be able to make it to the stage?
“Did you really think we wouldn’t recognize you?” Randell gave voice to Logan’s own thoughts.
Ray shouted a wordless howl in response, then said, “Long live the Brotherhood! We are the worthy!”
Logan looked at the crowds. There wasn’t a single man, woman, or child there whose attention had not been ripped away from the stage and placed squarely on the scene before them. Medics were rushing in to try to help the two security guards. Ray Pierce was still shouting all manner of curses and condemnations at the crowd.
The news cameras had been turned around. They were pointing directly at Ray as the security guards took him from Randell’s grasp. Even the Senator had stopped her speech to watch the man be taken away.
“Wait,” Logan muttered to himself. “Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.” He ran his hand through his hair and groaned. “He did know we would recognize him!” Logan looked around at the crowds and shouted. “Everybody down!” He unholstered his gun and fired three shots straight up in the air.
Chapter IV
The crowds screamed at the sound of Logan’s revolver discharging in the air. Some fell straight to the ground, attempting to shield themselves. Others placed themselves as shields to protect their loved ones, wives, children, or elderly parents. No one understood what was going on.
That was exactly what Logan needed. He needed for everyone to be caught off guard. That’s why he always kept a couple blanks in his revolver before public events. One quick flick with his thumb before firing, and the gun automatically stopped on the blanks. Then all he had to do was shoot.
If the Brotherhood had a plan, it was going to be practiced and rehearsed to the letter. Anyone working off a script would have a hard time improvising if unexpected situations were to arise. If Logan was right, then someone, somewhere, would look wholly out of place. Someone would be standing out as a sore thumb.
It seemed that no one was left unshaken by the gunshots. Not the staff. Not the reporters. Not the cameramen. Not the politicians and the businessmen. Not even the Senator. Everyone was crouching down, trying to figure out what was going on, what they needed to do to be safe.
Everyone save one person.
One person, out of all the hysterical guests, the shocked attendants and the baffled newsmen, stood boldly and blatantly behind the Senator. Sonequa Johnson’s smaller frame paled in comparison with the hulking man that she didn’t even know was threatening her life.
Behind her stood Keanu Kai. He wasn’t there to protect her, but to harm her. Not to shield her, but to attack her. A long syringe was in his white-knuckled grip as he rose his arm above the back of the Senator’s neck.
“No!” Logan shouted, bringing down his revolver and pointing it directly at the stage. A tear rolled down his injured eye as he aimed down the sights, but he could see well enough.
Keanu swung his arm down, bringing the needle of the syringe closer and closer to the its target. Logan took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as wrapped his finger around the trigger and fired a single bullet.
The noise of the gunshot was lost amid the screams and clamor of those in attendance, the cries of the security officer who had been stabbed in the stomach, and the obscenities that Ray Pierce was lobbing at everyone who passed him.
For a split-second, time seemed to stand still for Logan. He swore that he could see everything at once. Even the bullet was there, slowly spinning in little circles as it made its way toward its target.
Logan prayed that he hadn’t guessed wrong. If he had, his career would be over. Then he saw the anger in Keanu’s eyes. The syringe was less than an inch from piercing flesh. He hadn’t guessed wrong.
The bullet bore into Keanu’s skin in the soft spot between his bicep and his forearm. Blood sprayed from the wound as he lost his grip on the syringe and it fell to the ground. The bullet exited through his elbow. The syringe clattered off the stage.
Keanu clutched his shattered elbow and screamed. Everyone was looking at him now, at the menacing way he was standing over the Senator. Someone shouted out that he had been holding a needle. Someone else asked what he was going to inject the Senator with.
Security guards were on him in an instant, the disillusionment of the situation on their faces obvious, even from as far away as Logan was. They forced his hands behind his back and placed handcuffs on him. The remnants of his elbow were pointing in a completely unnatural direction, and a trail of blood followed him across the stage. Keanu gritted his teeth, letting a wordless rage cross his face.
“What the hell just happened?” Randell asked.
Logan wasn’t expecting to hear his voice. He jumped, then put his head in his hand, allowing himself a moment to let the intensity of the entire situation settle within him before responding.
“Ray Pierce was a diversion,” Logan said, dumbfounded. “This whole time, the one that was really attempting to kill the Senator was Keanu, her own head of security.”
“I only did what the dreams told me to do!” Keanu shouted as they yanked him down the steps and walked him past the onlookers and the cameramen. “Someone kill her! Kill her now! Stop the infection before it’s too late! I beg you! Please! Don’t take it!”
They walked him past the barricade a
nd led him up to one of the three ambulances that had just pulled up. They shoved him into the back and slammed the door shut.
“But why did he even hire us in the first place?” Randell asked. “I mean what’s the logic?”
“Everyone was watching us. No one would have paid the slightest attention to him standing behind the Senator. She just would have dropped to the ground dead, and everyone would have been left asking what on earth had happened.”
“I’m still left asking that,” Randell sighed. “So we were all part of his plan.”
“He didn’t care how well the security detail on this event was. He didn’t care whether we had metal detectors in place, or facial recognition software. He let a Brotherhood member slip right past it all, someone he knew I would recognize. He told him to make a big scene and get everyone’s attention. Next thing you know, all the cameras would return to the Senator, and her dead corpse would be broadcasted on live holo-feed for the whole country to see.
Randell put his hand on his hip and shook his head. He rubbed his temples, then finally said, “That crazy, traitorous son of a monkey.”
Section III
“Ok, so let me get this straight,” Randell sighed. “We came all this way over here and you don’t even have the first clue what you’re looking for.”
“I mean, I wouldn’t exactly say that. I kind of have an idea of what I’m looking for, but there are just so many options.”
Randell leaned over the display case as Logan scrutinized each and every piece of jewelry before him. “Well, you want to go for something classic, right? She likes old-fashioned stuff. What’s more classic than diamonds?” He pointed to one of the necklaces right in front of him. “Or pearls, come to think about it. Those are pretty classic, too.” He scooted down the display case until he was standing over the pearl necklaces. “Oh, and those simple gold chains with the dangly bit, those are always in style.”
“Why don’t you just point out the ones you don’t like?” Logan moaned. “At least then I might be able to eliminate one of them.”
