by S. E. Meyer
“Because if you die in the Chamber, your consciousness becomes trapped there, forever. An eternity of hell,” he explained.
“Pulse is dropping,” the nurse said.
Anna bent over Damarion's face. Removing his helmet she brushed the hair from his sweat-soaked forehead. “Damarion,” she called. “It's time to wake up.”
“We're losing him!”
“You have to wake up,” Anna coaxed, running the outline of his strong jaw with trembling fingers. “You have to come back to us. There was a promise you made to my mother, remember? A promise you would always look out for me. Now I'm looking out for you.”
“He's crashing,” the man on Anna's left said, pulling her away from Damarion. “Let us work.” He turned toward the nurse. “Charge the paddles.”
Anna's torso heaved, tears welling in her eyes. “Damarion!” she yelled from the foot of the bed.
“Clear!”
Damarion's body heaved.
Anna stared at the straight green line running across the heart monitor.
“Charge again!”
Anna swallowed hard, heart hammering against her fractured rib while Damarion's heart sat still as a stone.
“Clear!”
Damarion's body heaved a second time.
Anna watched the monitor with clenched fists. “Damarion!”
There was a faint beep and the monitor's straight line jumped.
“He's back,” the nurse announced.
Anna rushed to his side. Tears dripping from her cheeks as she rubbed Damarion's face. He blinked and then opened his eyes.
“Welcome back,” Anna whispered. She patted his chest. “You had us worried there for a minute.”
“Am I out? Is it finally over?” Damarion asked in a hoarse whisper.
“Yes,” Anna assured him.
“Are you sure?” he asked. Damarion's gaze darted around the room before turning back to Anna.
“Yes, positive,” Anna replied, pulling out her tablet. “Damarion, I hate to do this to you, but there's something we need right away. Then we'll get you to a hospital where you can rest and recover.” She placed the table in front of Damarion. “I completed the paperwork for Richard's arrest warrant. We already have a supreme court justice approval. All we need is for you to log in and electronically sign it. Can you do that?”
Damarion nodded. “I think so,” he replied. Tapping the tablet with a shaking finger. “There,” he said, turning his head to one side and closing his eyes.
Anna filled her lungs while checking the tablet. She smiled. “Thank you, sir. Now get some rest. You're going to need it.” She took a step away from the gurney. “All right. Let's get him out of here.”
Anna followed Damarion and the medical team upstairs and out to the main entryway where Wesley and Charlie were waiting with Cornelius and Richard, surrounded by guards.
“I‘ll have all of you through the gates for this,” Cornelius threatened.
Anna stepped in front of Cornelius. “The only one going through the gates is Richard,” she said, holding the tablet in front of his nose. “You see? It's official. Both signatures, giving us the authority to take Richard into custody.”
“On what charge?” Richard asked.
“First degree intentional homicide,” Anna replied.
Cornelius shook his fist. “No, you can't get away with this. Besides, you have no proof.”
“Proof?” Laughing, she fished the phone from her pocket and tapped the screen. “I have a full confession,” she gloated. “While Richard was choking me, I had the wits to hit the record button on my phone.” Anna pressed play.
'It was you. You poisoned them all with a handshake.'
'Yes. I killed them all. Marry me! Or Sara dies like the rest of them!'
“Voice recognition will confirm it's Richard,” Anna noted.
“That alone is not enough to send him through the gates,” Cornelius argued.
“Charlie, an evidence bag, please?” Anna asked, turning to her partner.
Charlie plucked a bag from his pocket and handed it to Anna.
“Restrain him,” Anna ordered. She moved close to Richard's side. Lifting his right hand, Anna inspected the large ring on his middle finger. She slid the ring from Richard's finger and dropped it into the bag. “There,” she said handing the bag back to Charlie. “You want proof?” she asked Cornelius. “I'm sure the lab will find a match to the poison that killed the victims, to the poison inside Richard's ring. A clever delivery system, but you weren't smart enough to get rid of the evidence.”
Anna smiled. “Read him his rights.”
The team prepared to leave the mansion, escorting Richard through the front door followed by Wesley. Just before Anna stepped across the threshold, she turned to face Cornelius. “Oh, one more thing.” Anna grinned. “I caught your broadcast yesterday. After that fiasco, good luck with the upcoming election.”
CHAPTER XIV
Checking in with the guards in front of Damarion's hospital room doorway, Anna showed her ID as one of the men scanned her face.
“All right, you can go on in,” the guard holding the tablet said.
Damarion was resting with his eyes closed as Anna sat in the chair next to the bed. Damarion stirred, smiling when he noticed her.
“Good morning. How are you feeling?” Anna asked.
“Better,” Damarion replied. “Although I keep having this thought, like a dream. I'm still in the Chamber and all of this is just another computer scenario to give me hope before crushing me again. Can't seem to shake it.”
Anna reached over and squeezed Damarion's hand. “It will take time.”
“How are you doing?” Damarion asked. “I feel terrible about what happened to you. It's my fault you took a bullet.”
“I understand you had no choice. You had to get Isabelle out and we're all the better for it.”
“I still can't forgive myself. I promised your mother I would look out for you and I almost got you killed.” Damarion let out a sigh.
“Really. I‘m fine,” Anna replied with a reassuring smile. “But speaking of my mother, what do you know of Project Shield?”
Damarion‘s eyes widened. “Project Shield,” he echoed while nodding. “It was your mother's idea. She got the rest of us on board. She found a doctor at Gentech that we could trust and would help us accomplish our plan to save the human race.”
Anna raised an eyebrow. “I was told is it was in hopes of a Fleishman’s cure through genetic manipulation using CRISPR, but it failed.”
“What? No. The Fleishman's trial was a success. We proved Fleishman's could be cured using the CRISPR method, but they scrapped it. The pharmaceutical companies wanted nothing to do with it, being there was more profit in the treatment then there ever would be in the cure, but that was separate from Project Shield.”
“Then what was Project Shield all about?”
“Forty years ago, not long after the walls went up, the Government initiated a program, adding a virus to everyone's treatments.”
Anna nodded. “Yes. There was information about it on mom's smart drive. Isabelle explained it to me. They have been targeting babies and changing their genes. ”
“Yes. They've been using a next generation process similar to CRSPR, only the new process could change the DNA of millions of cells at a time, instead of only a few. The new process made it ideal for targeting all pregnant women, even up to three weeks gestation. The Government knew they could avoid future rebellion and resistance without costly civil wars and loss of life. Most importantly, without a disruption in money flowing through the economy. All they had to do was change one generation's genes to be more docile and suggestive, every generation thereafter would carry the same genetic mutation. Next, they would only have to wait for the older generations to die off to achieve full control of one-hundred percent of the population. Project Shield was initiated to combat that.”
“Combat it. How?”
“Do you know how
CRISPR works, Anna?”
Anna shook her head. “Not how it's done, no.”
“CRISPR stands for Clustered Regularly Inter-spaced Short Palindromic Repeats. I'll save you the long description. Scientists essentially copied the technology from single cell bacteria. Bacteria are able to change their own DNA to make themselves immune to certain outside elements. That's why bacteria are able to become resistant to penicillin, for example. Scientists figured out how bacteria accomplish this and recreated the process to use it to manipulate DNA in other organisms.”
Anna nodded.
“So to answer your question, we fought fire with fire. We used the CRISPR method to change your DNA, shielding it from further manipulation. With Gentech's help, we discovered a way to lock the original genes shortly after conception through an embryonic injection so treatments would have no effect on you in the womb. You see, Anna, we did it to protect and preserve original, unadulterated copies of the human genome. Twelve copies, to be exact. Now you know why I had no choice in getting Isabelle out of there.”
“Isabelle and I are the only ones left,” Anna replied.
“What?” Damarion asked lifting his eyebrows.
“Richard killed everyone else.”
Damarion shook his head. “I don't understand how he found them.”
“I think Gina Thorp may have helped him, although I'm not sure she realized what she was doing. In the end, Richard killed her too.”
Damarion's jaw slacked. “This is awful news,” he whispered.
“Also, I found Isabelle's mother, Victoria. She's alive.”
“I know.”
“You told Isabelle she was dead.”
“I was trying to protect them both. Cornelius put Victoria in the Chamber for so long she lost her mind. She's not well.”
Anna nodded. “So, that's what happened to her.”
“Yes. It's horrible.” Damarion shook his head. “She was such a wonderful woman.”
“So my mom started Project Shield to preserve original DNA. How will that save the Human Race?”
“Our original human DNA is all we have Anna. It makes us who we are. All of our creativity, our drive, and ambition. Humanity's strength and will. They've stolen that and turned us into enslaved, mind controlled doormats. Our plan has always been revolution. Once this Government is toppled, over time, we can slowly reverse the process and return to the Human Race what they took; our humanity.”
Anna let out a breath.
“There's something else. Something I've been trying to convince Atticus to tell you.”
Anna shook her head. “I already know about that. His lawyer told me. Atticus is my biological father.”
Damarion's eyes widened. “I was not aware of that.”
“Really? You didn't know? I thought that's what the two of you were talking about the morning Atticus went through the gates.”
“No, Anna.” Damarion let out a long breath. “With everything that's happened I think it's time you know the reason we all swore an oath to protect you. You specifically, Anna. I said the Fleishman's trial was a success, but only for one of the twelve. And although we proved it could be done, we never told a soul that we accomplished it. If word got out that we had a cure, well, it would have put us all in grave danger, especially you.”
Anna raised her eyebrows. “What are you saying, Damarion?”
Damarion reached out and took Anna's hand. “Ever wonder why your mother encouraged you to learn martial arts? Or why the world doesn't make sense to you and there's a gnawing in your gut you are different from everyone else? I'm saying, not only are you a genetically perfect Human, you're the only one in the world that's immune to Fleishman's. You're our biggest secret, our ace up the sleeve, a culmination of more than twenty years of effort. What I'm trying to tell you, Anna, is the cure for Fleishman's runs through your veins. We can make a vaccine with your blood.” Damarion looked deep into Anna's eyes. “You're going to cure millions.” Damarion let out another deep breath. “Anna, you're going to save the world.”
Anna shook her head. “How do you know?”
“Atticus worked with a man by the name of Frank Anderson. He was a member of our group.”
Anna nodded. “I met him. His son was part of the trial.”
“Yes. Frank developed a cure using your blood, secretly taken during one of your treatment sessions. How do you think Atticus, Jax and the rest of The Resistance were able to survive this entire time without treatments?”
“I don't know. Atticus said if a person was healthy enough, they could survive Fleishman's.”
“True, but not without a cure.”
Anna's jaw slacked. “So that means everyone who's ever been sent through the gates wanders around sick until Fleishman's eventually kills them?”
Damarion nodded.
Anna's eyes widened. “Atticus gave me hope. Hope that there are survivors.”
“There's always hope, Anna. Atticus has laid many plans and worked on them, along with your mother, for years.”
Anna hung her head, swallowing hard as Wesley stepped into the room.
“Good morning boss,” Wesley said, his voice floating into Anna's ears.
Anna turned, offering Wesley a weak smile.
“And a good morning to you too Special Agent Wool,” Wesley charmed.
“Thank you Captain,” Anna replied, staring at her shoes. “But you can call me Anna.”
“It's always great to see you, Anna.” Wesley's clean-shaven cheeks pulled into a grin, accentuating his dimples. He lowered his eyebrows. “Are you okay? You don't seem yourself.”
Anna looked at Wesley. “I'm not sure. I just received some news that I'm unable to process right now.”
“I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do?”
“Thanks for the offer, Wesley, but no, I don't think so.”
“Okay.” Wesley nodded. “Well, I'm glad I ran into you. Richard's wall ceremony isn't in the calendar, I'm guessing that's so we can keep it quiet.”
Seeing Wesley, and hearing his voice, was a pleasant distraction from the information she just learned. She tried to compartmentalize, eager to push the feelings aside until she was better prepared to deal with them.
“Yes. It's scheduled for this morning. I'm heading to the gates from here,”Anna replied.
“Perfect. I'll go with you. As long as you don't mind.”
“Mind? No. I would love that.”
Anna cocked her head to one side, twisting a brown curl behind her ear.
“I mean. That would be acceptable,” Anna blushed.
Acceptable? Anna thought. What is wrong with me?
“Good,” Wesley laughed. He turned and handed Damarion a tablet. “Here are the latest updates and what you missed while you were away. I'm looking forward to seeing you back at the office, sir.”
“Thank you Wesley. As am I.”
Anna moved close to Damarion. “I'm sorry you have to lose a son today. That must be hard to bear.”
Damarion nodded. “It is. Cornelius poisoned his mind from a young age. My only mistake was allowing them to become close.” Pressing his lips together he looked up at Anna with wet eyes. “I've experienced my share of loss in my life. My sister died when I was a young boy. My father left because of it. The guilt I've had to bear over the loss of my own wife, while I was having an affair. And now my own son. As a parent, you never think your child will grow up to become a monster.” Damarion wiped his eyes with his sleeve. “In many ways, I still see a frightened little boy. Out of all the loss I've felt, the pain of watching your adult child deal with the consequences of their actions has been one of the worst.”
Anna leaned in, hugging Damarion. “What can I do?”
Damarion emptied his lungs. “I hate what he did, but tell him I love him.”
Pulling away from Damarion Anna nodded. “I will,” she said, turning towards Wesley.
“Are you ready?”
◆◆◆
Anger brewed within Anna'
s heart and mind as her and Wesley watched the guards escort Richard towards the podium. She touched her fevered cheeks with the back of her trembling hand at the sight of the man standing before her. With head hanging low Richard drug his shackled feet, stopping in front of the judge.
Wesley took Anna's hand in his, squeezing gently. She felt her pulse throb in her fingers. “Are you okay?” he whispered.
“Yes,” Anna replied. “Richard is finally getting what he deserves.” Anna turned. Gazing into Wesley's eyes she squeezed his hand. “Thanks for being here.”
“I wouldn't miss it.”
“...and may God have mercy on your soul!” the judge finished. The guards escorted Richard towards the gates as they opened, revealing the Humvee waiting on the other side. As they walked passed, Richard made eye contact with Anna.
Anna reaffirmed her grip on Wesley's hand. “Your father sends his love.”
Richard scoffed. “What does that man know of love. My grandfather will come for me. This isn't over.”
“Your finally getting what's been coming to you for a long time. You're finished, but you're right about one thing, Cornelius won't be far behind you. Cromwell's don't get what they want anymore. I'm making sure of that.”
Dropping his shoulders, Richard returned his chin to his chest as the guards placed him in the Humvee. The gates closed with the familiar clang and Anna let out a breath.
“There. It's done,” she said.
“Anna, you‘re shaking. Are you sure you're okay?”
Anna nodded. “Yes. Well, maybe not, but I will be. This is far from over. Richard was a pawn. I won't rest until the one who is responsible finds a similar fate.” Anna clenched her fists. “I want the Governor,” she whispered through gritted teeth.
“That won’t be easy. He‘s a powerful man, but I will do everything I can to help,” Wesley offered. “So what do you want to do now?”
Anna shook her head. “I don't know about you, but after the morning I just had, I could use a drink.”
“Aren't you on duty?”
“I have sick time accrued and well earned. I need to take the rest of the day off.”
“Richard going through the gates really has you shaken.”
