by Doug Felton
The defeated soldiers left standing were being herded into a group against the wall. Several others lay motionless on the ground. Alexander was on one knee with a hand on the pavement attempting to stand, his face cut and bleeding, his nose beginning to swell. The two New World soldiers who had been next to him slumped over in a pool of blood. One of Zeke’s men stood over him.
“This is on you,” Zeke said to him. “Imagine how much more efficiently we will fight now that we have your weapons. Thank you.”
They herded the New World soldiers down the tunnel toward Camp David. A few of Zeke’s people stayed behind to deal with the wounded. Alexander walked alongside Raisa and Penly. He didn’t say a word. Raisa could only imagine how angry he was that she hadn’t taken his warning about Zeke seriously.
Occasionally, Penly would tense up, grit her teeth and let out something between a growl and a cry of pain.
“What’s wrong with her?” Alexander asked.
“Zeke can make immortals superhuman with some sort of experimental drug,” Raisa explained in a subdued voice. “He gave it to Penly. I guess this is what it does to a person.”
“Only for a while,” Zeke called out over his shoulder. “Soon, the symptoms will fade. That’s when the fun starts.”
“Great,” Penly said through her teeth. “Can’t wait.”
The battle at Camp David was as one-sided as the fight in the tunnel. Emerging from the darkness into the bright light, Zeke’s army found New World soldiers at the ready, but they were no match for Zeke’s armed rebel force. For safe measure, he kept Raisa and the others below ground until the fighting was over. They could hear the voices shouting and guns firing for what must have been twenty minutes. The drug Penly received continued to change her, making her stronger and more aggressive. She got her own set of guards.
Zeke disappeared above ground with his people, as a small contingent of soldiers stayed behind to guard the prisoners who sat with their backs against the walls of the tunnel. Alexander still hadn’t said anything.
“I’m sorry. I should have listened to you,” Raisa said in a soft whisper. “Zeke’s crazy or something. He has this idea about the Ten Thousand becoming a new race of people and taking over the continent.”
“He might be crazy,” Alexander said. “But he’s also a genius. And yes, you should have listened to me and confided in me.” They sat shoulder to shoulder, but he didn’t turn to face her as he spoke.
Raisa knew he was right, but it galled her that he’d called her out for it instead of offering forgiveness or even acknowledging her apology. She stuffed her anger down and decided at the moment she needed Alexander to be a competent advisor more than a caring husband.
“I’m not mad at you,” he said, this time looking at her. “I’m worried about you. You’re my world, and I would do anything to protect you, but you can’t shut me out.”
“I know, but I’m afraid of needing you too much.”
“What? How can you need me too much? We’re a team.”
Raisa didn’t want to have to say it out loud: “You won’t always be here for me. I’ll live for who knows how long, maybe centuries, without you.” Raisa thought of Queen Victoria, who reigned for forty years after Prince Albert’s death. It was an unpleasant prospect, but, like Victoria, she needed to stand on her own.
“Is that what’s bothering you? I thought you were mad because I had the Ten Thousand detained without you.”
“I am, but partly because it reminds me that I won’t always have you as my other half, even if it is the half that drives me crazy sometimes.” Raisa waited for Alexander to say something reasonable to make her feel better. Instead, he put his arm around her and drew her close as she leaned her head on his shoulder. Raisa sat like that for a long moment, allowing the chaos of the day to fade out of focus, enjoying the touch of her husband. They hadn’t said everything that needed to be said, but they had reconnected, and for now, that was enough.
Raisa allowed herself two minutes of shutting out the world before saying, “So what’s our next move?”
Alexander let her go as she sat up. “There’s no way he could have known about your plan to come to Camp David before you told him last night,” Alexander said. “I kept the details to a tight circle, and no one from Barrymore’s office knew about it. That means he’s improvising. Whatever his original plan was, coming here must have presented a better opportunity. If that’s true, it means he has to think on the go, which may give us an advantage. But, as I said, he’s a genius.” He eyed the soldiers guarding them, and when none were looking their way, Alexander reached into his right nostril and pulled out his tiny comm device. “Good thing I’m pretty smart too.”
His cunning amazed Raisa. She’d assumed his nose was swollen from the fight. “That was quick thinking.”
“They searched my ears, my pockets, my shoes, but not my nose. Please tell me there’s someone on the other end of this thing.”
“I’m sure they’ve detained my staff and confiscated their comms by now, so that’s a dead end. But we have one other option.” Raisa explained how she had given Penly’s comm to Lieutenant Joshua Lee before leaving.
“Good,” he whispered, “we can use that, but not now.” He slipped the device into his pocket.
Raisa felt a surge of hope as they worked together again. With Alexander by her side, she focused on the questions they needed to answer. Why had Zeke manipulated her to get the Ten Thousand to Raven Rock? How had he convinced three hundred of them to serve as his personal army? What did he hope to accomplish, what was his end game? Every one of these plagued her thinking, but there was one more question, and Raisa asked this one out loud. “What do you think he will do with us?”
Alexander looked at his hands before answering. “I don’t know, and there’s no point in me guessing. We need to focus on getting out of here. As long as we’re here, he’s got the advantage. There are only a few people who knew you were coming to Camp David, and by now, I’m sure Zeke’s briefed Barrymore, and he’ll be able to control the narrative from inside the government. I’m worried about Alora and Song; if he finds out they knew about our plan, they might be in danger.”
One woman guarding them came close with an assault rifle held loosely in one hand. “You never believed in us, did you?” she asked Raisa.
“Of course I do,” Raisa said. “But Zeke doesn’t, he’s using you. And trust me, I know what it’s like to be used by someone who has an agenda.”
“You’re talking about Creighton Ashwill,” the woman said. “But that worked out pretty well for you, didn’t it? You got to be queen. But what about us? Were you going to offer the kind of power Zeke’s given us? Were you going to give us a shot at greatness, or were you going to leave us to fend for ourselves?”
The woman stood in front of Raisa as she spoke. Penly, who sat next to her and appeared to be asleep, suddenly grabbed the guard’s arm and pulled while sweeping her leg at her feet. The woman went down on her side, her gun clattering on the concrete floor as she fell. Both women were on their feet faster than Raisa could process what was happening. They grappled with one another, each trying to gain leverage. Lifting Penly into the air, the guard threw her against the wall. She hit hard and collapsed to the ground. Penly groaned, but got to her feet and charged the guard, driving her to the floor. Taking advantage of her position, she straddled her and began punching her in the face. The blows were rapid and vicious. Instead of protecting her face, the guard swung her fist and slammed the side of Penly’s head, knocking her off balance. It was then that three other guards arrived and pulled Penly off.
Getting up, the woman touched a hand to her jaw and craned her neck as if she were working out a kink. A fresh cut on her face began to close. “I’d say the meds are working pretty good on you,” she said with a smile. “But here’s some advice; you’d better get on the right side of the fight. Zeke will not let you make life hard for him.”
“How’d he get you on the right side of the fight,”
Raisa asked. “How did Zeke convince you?”
“I was already there, I just didn’t know it. No offense, Your Highness, but I never bought into the whole Queen Raisa thing. I wasn’t convinced you were for real.”
“So, Zeke wants to replace me? Is that it?” Raisa asked.
“Zeke wants the Ten Thousand to take their rightful place in society, and that’s something I can buy into.”
“So you felt disenfranchised before you ever met Zeke,” Alexander said.
The woman looked at Alexander with suspicion and said, “We’re done here.”
Chapter Nineteen
An hour after the shooting had stopped, Zeke returned to the tunnel. He gave instructions to one of his men who began herding the captured soldiers out. “I have other plans for you three,” he said. He looked at Raisa and Alexander. “You’re too important to put with everyone else,” and then to Penly, “and you are too powerful. So we’ve made other accommodations.”
The tunnel surfaced in a nondescript section on the grounds of Camp David, near Laurel Lodge, the main building used for meetings and meals. Despite her two years in the Palace, Raisa had never been to Camp David, but having studied its history, she’d heard plenty of stories. The New World government continued to support the presidential retreat, although they had not used it during the previous two U.S. administrations. A major scandal at the presidential getaway had tarnished its image years earlier. In a town where image was everything, Camp David was no longer a place the president wanted his or her picture taken.
Despite its past PR troubles, the retreat was beautifully maintained. The two-hundred-acre site was the right blend of natural woodlands and manicured precision. Not far from Laurel Lodge was a small cabin with the name “Linden” affixed above the front door. It looked like something Raisa would expect to see at Settler’s Cabin Park in Pittsburgh, not at a prestigious retreat. It couldn’t have had more than a few small rooms.
“Welcome home,” Zeke said. “Here are the rules; you stay inside the cabin. As you can see by its small size, we can easily guard it. A few windows and two doors don’t give you many options. If you try to leave, we will kill you.” Zeke paused, letting the drama of the statement have its effect. “Okay then,” he said with exaggerated enthusiasm, “are you ready to see your new home?”
One of Zeke’s men that Raisa recognized as Hudson Phoenix ushered her and Alexander into the cabin. It felt tiny after enjoying the Palace's grandeur, but it made up for its diminutive size with its rich decor. Definitely not the cabins Raisa stayed in when she went camping with her family. It was more like a nice cottage.
“Home sweet home,” Zeke said, “It looks cozy.”
“What will happen now?” Raisa asked.
“Now, we change the world.” He pulled two chairs away from the table and motioned to Hudson, who forced Raisa and Alexander to sit in them. Using heavy-duty zip ties, he secured their hands behind them.
Zeke stood in front of them and said, “Sorry,” before hitting Raisa in the face.
Alexander tried to launch himself at Zeke from the chair, but they secured his arms to it behind his back. “Stop, please! I’ll do whatever —” Zeke backhanded him across his cheek before he could finish.
Stepping back, Zeke looked at them, evaluating his handiwork. He hit Alexander one more time. “That should do. We don’t want to overdo it.”
Hudson gagged them both of them and then produced a small camera from a pack he wore as Zeke stepped behind Alexander and Raisa.
“Ready.” A red light blinked on, and Zeke said, “My fellow New Worldians— is that what we call ourselves? Or is it New Worlders? At any rate, whoever we are, we are without a queen at the moment or crown prince for that matter.”
He looked down at them and then back to the camera. “Oh, don’t worry, they’re mostly okay, for now. But they won’t be if you don’t do what I say: Get rid of the immortals. I don’t care how you do it, just do it.” He paused and then said with exaggerated alarm, “Deport them, I mean,” as if everyone would have assumed a gruesome alternative. “If you don’t, I will honor our queen’s love of history by allowing her to meet the same fate as the Russian Czar Nicholas Romanov. Some of you will need to look that up.”
Zeke leaned over Raisa. “So, Your Majesty, if you're not around to give orders, who's in charge?”
Raisa’s blood ran cold as she anticipated his next words.
“Oh, that would be Nigel Barrymore, wouldn’t it?” Looking back at the camera, he said, “If you haven’t heard yet, it seems President Tate is down for the count. So, Council President Barrymore, it’s up to you to pull the trigger. Whom will you choose, the immortals, or your beloved queen? I hope you choose wisely.”
The red light blinked off, and Zeke patted them both on the shoulders. “I think that was a convincing performance by all.”
Hudson cut the ties off their hands and removed the gags.
“They won’t see you in the video, will they?” Raisa asked.
“Of course not, I’ll send it back to Scott, my tech guy, and when it’s released, the world will only see our friend Tom Cruise, just like always. It wouldn’t make any sense for me to demand the Ten Thousand be deported, would it?”
“If it doesn’t make any sense for you to have the Ten Thousand deported, why have Tom Cruise demand it?”
Zeke spoke as if he were explaining something simple to a child. “The long con is always misdirection, Your Highness. And you’ve played along nicely.”
“Why are you doing this?” Raisa demanded as Hudson cut their hands free.
“That’s a much longer answer that’ll have to wait till later.” With that, Zeke and Hudson left.
Once they were alone, Alexander examined the cut on Raisa’s face.
“You forget, I heal faster than you do,” she said. “You should look at your own wounds.”
“I’m fine,” Alexander said as he checked the doors and looked out each of the windows. “I count six guards, all armed.”
“And all of them superhuman,” Raisa added.
He went through cabinets and drawers. “They’ve stripped the place of anything useful.”
Raisa sat on the sofa as he continued searching the cabin. With Zeke gone, her adrenaline faded, leaving exhaustion in its wake. She closed her eyes.
The sound of the door opening roused Raisa from her sleep. The light outside was different, and she wondered how long she’d been sleeping. One of Zeke’s men delivered a bag of food and left without a word. The bag contained fruit, cheese, and bread. Having had nothing since the morning, Raisa and Alexander ate hungrily.
“When should we contact your man in the bunker?” Alexander asked.
Raisa had given Josh specific intervals at which she would try to contact him. She checked the time. “We can try in two hours.”
Alexander sat down next to her and leaned his head back with a heavy sigh. “Two hours then,” he said.
Putting his hand in hers, he stroked her smooth skin with his thumb. That simple act sent a shot of warmth and pleasure through Raisa’s body. Now’s not a good time, her mind told her. Now’s a great time, her body argued. She wondered if Alexander was absentmindedly touching her, or did he have an agenda? After all, he knew what his touch did to her. She looked at him for a clue, but his eyes were closed.
We can’t do this, she told herself, we’re being held captive in a cabin. People don’t make love when they’re being held captive . . . do they? Raisa had convinced herself they needed the time to rest when Alexander moved his hand to her thigh. She shot another look at him. His eyes were still closed. Is he toying with me? Raisa lifted his hand off of her thigh and brought it to her lips, where she gently kissed his palm. A low soft groan escaped his mouth, and she knew he wasn’t toying with her. She could never separate their physical and emotional intimacy. The two were intertwined, each fueling the other. Having reconnected emotionally, Raisa longed to give herself to Alexander. Hearing her husband’s
pleasure was all the invitation she needed. Raisa moved quickly to position herself on his lap, straddling him. She put her hands on either side of his face and pressed her lips hard against his. He gripped her hips, pulling her toward him, telling her everything she needed to know about how they’d spend the next two hours.
Raisa woke with her head on Alexander’s bare chest, his hand on her bare back. She checked the time. “Oh, shoot.” It was ten minutes past the next contact time. She leaned over Alexander and picked up the small comms device from the bedside table and put it in her ear.
“Is it time?” he said, waking up.
She held up a finger to keep him from talking. “Coal Miner, this is Angel Hair checking on the weather.” Alexander raised his eyebrows and smirked.
“I don’t make up code names for a living,” she whispered, “it was the best I could do.”
“Angel Hair, this is Coal Miner. We’ve got a partly-cloudy sky with a strong chance of rain.”
Raisa let out a sigh.
“I’m glad to hear from you,” Josh said. “I was getting worried, and then I saw the news feed, and well, I didn’t know what to think.”
“Tell me what the news is saying.”
“They showed a video from Tom Cruise with you and Prince Alexander. It looked like they restrained you and that you’d been in a fight, maybe. He demanded that Barrymore ship us all out, or he would kill you. He didn’t say that exactly, but that was the idea.”
“Yeah. I was here, and that was the gist of it.”
“And then they showed Zeke’s interview,” Josh said.
“Zeke’s interview, what do you mean?”
“They contacted him after the video was released and asked for an interview. It’s the lady who’s interviewed him before. She asked him about the video, and he went off on Tom Cruise, saying that if he hurts the queen, he’ll use every resource he had to find out who he was and hunt him down. Stuff like that. He also told Barrymore that he’d better not deport us.”
Raisa asked Josh to stand by and filled Alexander in as they got dressed.
