“You can't pick your enemies, and often, you can't pick your friends either.”- Letters from the Empire of Trebizond (1442)
June 24, 2019,
14:50 local time,
Undergound bunker,
Unknown location
“OK,” said Nuria on the
phone. “Stay safe, bye.”
Nuria hung up her phone
and took a seat on her couch. Her TV was right in front of her as well as her
gaming consoles, but Nuria was in no mood to access them.
Instead, all the woman
with bunny ears and the mouse tail could do was sit there and weep.
Weep because her fiance
wasn't there and she so desperately wanted to see him.
Weep because her
wedding was coming up and the thought of it scared her.
Weep because even
though her fiance gave her everything she ever wanted it still didn't feel like
enough.
Weep because even
though her life was better than it ever had been she still didn't feel any
better about it.
Weep because she had no
idea of what kind of life she was getting into.
Weep because everything
tells her that she should be happy but yet she could never feel it.
She buried her head in
her knees and wept, sobbing loudly and uncontrollably for several minutes. She
came from a “farm” in Whisper Hollow which is where her soon-to-be husband
picked her up, and she often reminded herself of that experience because of all
the hardships she went through there.
Treated and herded like
cattle. Whipped, beaten, overworked. Raped more times than she could count.
Forced to go to classrooms and injected with who knows what just to make her a
more submissive, servile wife to her soon-to-be husband. Punished by any means
possible whenever she displayed even a hint of defiance. Going weeks, even
months, without adequate food, just to remind her who really had control over
her.
Trapped in a prison she
thought she'd never get out of.
Yet she did...but did
anything really change? Yes, her fiance treats her very well, almost too well.
Whatever she wished he would get her, without question, and whenever she needed
comfort or support, he gave it to her, unequivocally.
She lucked out, because
she heard many stories of her other farm-mates being in abusive relationships,
and she reminded herself about that every day.
...but...
Nuria could never
escape the reality that she never did pick her husband. She never had a chance
to meet another man, see if he would also love her like her current fiance
does. She never had a chance to live a life on her own, without someone
“attached” to her, so that she could have her own experiences and follow her
own dreams and passions.
No, she was always
“with” someone, whether it be guards at the farm or her fiance. She was never
truly “by herself”.
Which raised the
question- can you still be in prison even when you're trapped in paradise?
June 24, 2019,
07:19 local time,
Marian City Police
Department,
City of Marian,
Marian Capitol Region, Republic of Marian
“Roy,” said Deputy
Captain Ezekiel “Zeke” Coleman as he and fellow Deputy Norah Anam entered
Captain Roy Finnegan's office.
Coleman then proceeded
to throw a copy of the Marian Gazette down on Roy's desk, upon which Roy
grimaced when he read the headline and a little bit of the article.
“Oh, by Jove,” said Roy
with a sigh. “This loony again?”
“Again?” said Norah,
confused.
“Roy and I used to work
with him in Los Angeles,” said Coleman. “Always a bit of a headcase.”
“Endgame worked with
the police?” said Norah, shocked. “I thought I'd never hear the day...”
“Yeah, well he wasn't
too comfortable with it,” said Roy. “That's why he left. The life of a vagabond
merc is just too ingrained in him.”
“The devil you know...”
said Norah with a restrained smile.
“This,” said Coleman,
“this is next level though. He's never been the type to antagonize society...he
fights for the people.”
Norah then read the Gazette
article, reading it out loud with a whisper.
“Wyatt 'Endgame' Wilson
sent us the following statement, which we have not corroborated,” she started.
“Daniel Duke may have cast me as the enemy but, make no mistake, he is the real
enemy. He is friends with the McCrains, who have been, for years, fooling you
all as 'champions of the people'. Have you ever wondered how they can afford to
provide you with cheap drugs and other great medical advances? It's because
they operate a worldwide army that kidnaps 'undesirables' and ships them to
research facilities, one of which is right here in The Republic of Marian, near
Pickle Lake. The way they treat these people is worse than Alejando Virella
ever did, and he wasn't half as organized as McCrain are.
“So, you people in the
Narrows, seduced by his plan to 're-locate' you to a better place...don't kid
yourselves, you're all going to one of the McCrains' facilities, never
to be seen again, because no one wants you around...no one but me, and your real
champion, Ansley Grove. Vote for Ansley and leave your faux 'hero' behind.”
Norah had a pensive
look on her face, analyzing what she just read.
“I'd say his statement
is bunk if we didn't meet that bunny girl the other day,” she said confidently.
“She kind of corroborates what Endgame is saying.”
“She never said she was
with McCrain, though,” said Coleman.
“The force that guarded
her facility is the Cassiopeia Force,” said Norah. “Cassiopeia, according to
our lovely assistant Tulip, is tied to McCrain. Tulip would know because she
fled Ireland as a little girl- and saw Cassiopeia round up her village to be
sent...somewhere, maybe The Republic of Marian.”
“Endgame was pretty
specific,” noted Coleman. “He mentioned Pickle Lake, so he must know where the
facility is.”
“McCrain's facility in Pickle
Lake is a matter of public record,” said Roy. “Of course, the facility is
heavily guarded and monitored, and what goes on inside the facility is top
secret...probably only the corporate big wigs know what goes on in there, no
one else.”
“...and since
everything is shrouded in secrecy,” said Coleman.
“They have plausible
deniability because no one can go inside and verify any accusations,” said
Norah.
“Which leaves us in a
bind,” said Roy. “We can't go in there without a warrant, and we'd need
Commissioner Gordon's help to secure one because it's outside of our
jurisdiction. Heck, McCrain is registered as a company in Muskoka so
we'd need to work with Muskokan police on that one...and we ain't getting
through to Muskoka without Gordon...and you saw how much of a tightwad Jimbo
was the other day.”
“We do have an out,
though,” said Coleman.
“Endgame assaulted
Alfred Edwards,” said Norah, “who was just as concerned about the bunny girls
as we were...since he still has ties to the McCrains it'd be a way to bring
them in.”
“Tread carefully,” said
Roy. “I'm sure Jimbo is watching all of our investigations...if he even gets a sniff
that we're not treating our investigations the way we 'should be'- meaning,
treating Alfred's case as a simple case of assault- Gordon will have all of our
necks. There's some good people down there, they don't deserve to lose their
jobs over politics.”
“Roy,” said Coleman,
putting his hands on Roy's desk, leaning forward and looking him in the eye.
“I'm sure there's not a cop down there that won't sacrifice their careers to
ensure the integrity of the organization. Believe me, I've been a watchman
before...they're all going to be on your side.”
“I don't doubt that,”
said Roy with a smile, “but there's something else you need to understand. You,
Norah and I...and a few others like Yves and Park...we'd all get jobs somewhere
else pretty easily because people with our skillsets and experience don't come
around easily. Guys like Officer Cortez, fresh out of the Academy? He might be
able to get a job as a security guard, but that's a step down for him, as would
other police departments in this country, and he'd need additional training to
join other police agencies here and around the world. As romantic as the
'brothers in arms' may be, we have to be pragmatic and not sacrifice when we
don't have to.
“Besides...inside the
police station we have access to databases and case files that outside of the
department we wouldn't have access to. We need to keep our jobs as long as we
have to as well.”
Coleman let out a sigh,
wanting to respond but not knowing what to say.
“Zeke,” said Roy, “I
know you're mad you let Councillor Troy go. I'm mad too...I'm mad about that
every day...but we can't make our decisions simply based on emotions. If we're
not going to repeat that same mistake, we've got to be smart about things. The
reality is our investigations are easier at the station...sacrificing our jobs
to fulfill some romantic notion about sticking up for your principles...it
sounds nice but it'll only make things worse.”
Roy let out a sigh of
his own before smiling.
“Zeke, just trust me we
can make this work,” said Roy. “I trust your skills as an investigator...you
know how to do it. Now, you and Norah...go follow up with Alfred. Confirm with
him that Endgame attacked him...and take it from there.”
June 24, 2019,
20:09 local time,
Marian City Hall,
City of Marian,
Marian Capitol Region, Republic of Marian
Pancratius Danielis
Ducatus, better known as Daniel Duke, walked gingerly on his crutches towards
the podium. The gathered audience for the first debate of the Marianite
Presidential Election roared with applause to encourage Duke, with Duke moved
by the show of support. Meanwhile, his opponents Varity Stevens and Ansley
Grove could only look on in disgust, with Varity shaking her head because she
believed he was overacting.
“Thank you, Marian,”
said Duke, taking in the cheers which showed no sign of abating. “Thank you, thank
you for your show of support. I cannot put into words what it all means to
me and how inspiring it is for me...with your support, I feel I can
conquer anything.”
More thunderous
applause ensued for several minutes before moderator Valerie Vale of the Marian
Gazette managed to calm things down to the point where they could get the
debate started.
“Thank you, thank you,”
said Duke, wiping tears from his eyes. “I may not be able to put into words the
gratitude that I have for your support, but I can put into words the terror
that I was subjected to only weeks ago. I have a broken fibula, a broken tibia
(in two places), a fractured talus, a torn Achilles tendon, torn anterior
cruciate and posterior cruciate ligament, a completely severed meniscus
and a patella bone broken in several different places...and that's just my
right leg. I have a much longer list of injuries that Endgame viciously
inflicted on me, but I believe you already understand the severity of his
actions.
“What I don't believe
many understand- but I will now reveal- is that Endgame was sent by my rivals
in a bid to destroy me, because they know they can't beat me in a fair fight.”
Vale threw up her hands
in protest as Ansley and Varity looked on with visible shock.
“You don't believe me?”
said Duke. “Endgame came out just the other day and told The Republic of Marian
that I must be stopped, and that the only person capable of leading the country
is Ansley Grove. That is all the proof that I need that he is in their
corner...they may not want him there but they don't get to choose their
supporters,,,they are tied to him whether they like it or not.”
“Ain't that rubbish,”
said Ansley. “I would never condone violence, and I would never accept
the endorsement of someone who condones it. So I categorically, unequivocally,
indisputably, emphatically, unquestionably...whatever adjective you want
to use...I do not accept Endgame's endorsement nor will I seek to associate
with him or his motives.”
“Me neither,” said
Varity. “I don't know what else I can say that Ansley did not say...but, I'll
put it on record- I do not accept Endgame's support and I will keep him at
arm's length from my campaign.”
Duke could only laugh.
“You know,” he said,
“I'm sure I remember you characterizing this as a 'war', Ansley. You said I'm
too much in bed with Big Business and all those rich folks that I would
'destroy' The Republic of Marian if I were to gain power. I remember you
telling me that the Marianite Parliament shouldn't swear me in if I were to get
elected...that Elections The Republic of Marian should throw out the results
should it show that I win...you know, I shouldn't have to say it, but that's
banana republic stuff. Asking democratic institutions to not do their jobs is
the very definition of anti-democracy, and I will not stand for it.”
“Yeah,” said Varity,
“but you're also on record as saying the vote is rigged and you won't accept a
result that says you lost. So who's the real champion of democracy?”
“When did I say that?”
said Duke, genuinely confused. “I would never say such a thing.”
“Except you did,” said
Vale. “On October 9, 2018, the day you announced your candidacy.”
“I must have been
misquoted,” said Duke.
“Nope,” said Vale,
interjecting immediately. “No misquote.”
Duke smiled, pausing to
think of just how he could respond to Vale.
“Well,” he said, “given
what my opponents have said about using the courts and electoral bodies to deny
a potential victory by me, I think we may have to question the vote once it's
cast, because I'm not sure I can trust Ansley Grove or Varity Stevens to not
seek altering the count. I sure hope we don't get to that stage, but I think we
may need to accept that reality.”
There were more murmurs
in the crowd, murmurs that got louder and louder as time progressed. Some
wondered how Duke could so brazenly undermine the confidence in the Marianite
electoral process, believing he should seek to reinforce. Others thought that
maybe Duke did have a point wondering if his enemies will actually
respect the results and do whatever they could to “undo” the results if it
didn't go their way.
The rest of the debate
didn't quite have a moment like the bombshell opening, but Duke got what he
needed. He was successful as painting his enemies as “win-at-all-costs”,
anti-democratic zealots who wouldn't respect The Republic of Marian's
institutions if they don't bend to their will. Though Ansley's and Varity's
policies skewed far more socialist than Duke's capitalist leanings (which
should have been more attractive to a largely poor Marianite electorate), with
a The Republic of Marian that had just gotten out of decades of instability and
civil war, painting himself as the one who would maintain stability gave Duke
the edge he needed over his opponents.
Polls coming out of the
debate saw Duke ahead with 54% support, followed by Ansley at 24% and Varity at
21%. More work lay ahead for Duke, but he couldn't have asked for a better
start.
June 25, 2019,
18:53 local time,
Stately McCrain
Manor,
City of Marian,
Marian Capitol Region, Republic of Marian
Oh, please...not
them.
Alfred Edwards grimaced
as he drove closer to the Manor. He could see the throng of reporters that were
just waiting outside of the gate, waiting like a pack of wolves salivating at
getting juicy quotes from his charge, Bruce McCrain.
Bruce, too, dreaded
this development, mostly because he didn't know what to say. Whatever McCrain
was doing in Pickle Lake had everything to do with his estranged father,
Thomas, and nothing to do with him, but because of his last name rumours flew
everywhere that he had some involvement. He already fended them off numerous
times at school, which was exhausting, so he hated the thought of having to do
it again.
Fortunately for him,
Alfred stepped out of the car and addressed the press corps himself. He then
gave a brief statement- which sounded prepared but it really came off the top
of Alfred's head- where he stated Bruce was not an employee of McCrain and thus
had no ties to McCrain Enterprises, so questioning Bruce about McCrain would be
useless anyway. Alfred then finished by stating firmly that Bruce was just
returning from school and wants to rest, so he will not be taking any questions
and will not be taking any requests for questioning in the future. Alfred then
bid the press adieu and again reiterated his request that they respect Bruce's
privacy, doing so under the threat of litigation if need be.
Alfred then stepped
back into the car and opened the gate, honking to drive the reporters out of
his way. Fortunately, he was able to close the gate before any of them seeped
through, allowing him to drive peacefully up the driveway and into the garage.
Once inside, Alfred
took a look at his phone and sighed again.
“What is it, Alfred?”
asked Bruce, worried.
“It's the MCPD again,”
he said. “They want to follow up on the intruder we had here a few weeks ago.”
“So call them back,”
said Bruce, not understanding the issue.
“It's a bit more
complicated than that,” said Alfred.
“What's the issue?”
said Bruce, still puzzled.
“The intruder was
likely Endgame,” said Alfred, “and he kidnapped Amethyst...he's likely got her
somewhere along with her sister.”
“...and that kidnapping
is tied to whatever McCrain is doing,” said Bruce, piecing things together.
“Right,” said Alfred,
“and McCrain is so integrated into the fabric of Marian that I'm sure the MCPD
have been told not to investigate them.”
“I see,” said Bruce.
A thought then came to
Bruce.
“I'll help them,” he
said. “Together with Tulip and Esme and Kyle and Ecco- we can form a team and
we can investigate on our own...as concerned citizens.”
“Bruce,” said Alfred,
“you need to be careful...if they can stop the MCPD, they can stop you...in
fact, you being a private citizen makes you more vulnerable.”
“Except that I still
have connections inside McCrain,” said Bruce. “People who can help me out. I
can easily cover my tracks.”
“Still doesn't mean you
shouldn't be careful,” said Alfred, ominously.
June 27, 2019,
13:32 local time,
The Joker's Club,
The Narrows,
City of Marian,
Marian Capitol Region, Republic of Marian
“Looks good,” said
Liberty as she walked towards Kyle Edwards.
“Eh,” said Kyle, “it's
not coming together as I'd like. As soon as I figure out one solution another
three problems pop up. Keeping costs down is tougher than I thought.”
“I'm not sure you can
make an upscale club yet keep cover charges and drink prices low,” said
Liberty. “I mean, you get what you pay for, right?”
“I suppose,” said Kyle,
who was undaunted, “but I want a place the people of The Narrows can go to
regularly. A place that becomes the highlight of the neighbourhood, something
that makes outsiders come in and take notice. A place that is simply ours.”
Liberty smiled as she
patted Kyle on the back. The shapely blonde with pigtails liked Kyle's
determination, but part of her wondered if he could achieve his lofty goals.
She did, however, have
a thought that would pertinent to Kyle's goals.
“Aren't you worried
about Daniel Duke?” she said with a wry smile.
“Dukey?” said Kyle with
a chuckle. “By Jove, no. He supports guys like me...guys with money.”
“Except that it's no
secret that one of his goals is to move The Narrows,” said Liberty, “and
probably not to a very nice place.”
“Oh please,”
said Kyle. “Do you really believe the nonsense Endgame is spouting?
We're not going to be uprooted and thrown on some facility....that's comic book
stuff!”
Kyle gave his head a
shake and chuckled, still in disbelief.
“I hope you're right,”
said Liberty, patting Kyle on the back again. “Because I would hate for all
your hard work to go for naught.”
June 27, 2019,
14:02 local time,
Marian City Police
Department,
City of Marian,
Marian Capitol Region, Republic of Marian
“There's a who
here to see me?” said Norah picking up the phone at her desk with a perplexed
look on her face. “Uh, OK...I'll be right there.”
“Who's here?” said Coleman,
worried and intrigued.
“A person that we can't
mention by name,” said Norah, matter-of-factly.
“Oh,” said Coleman,
understanding immediately. “Hopefully he's got something of use for us.”
“Can't wait to go find
out,” said Norah as she left her desk to go to reception.
Once she took in her
guests- Bruce McCrain and Esme Errons- she rushed them into an interview room
and immediately tried to get down to business.
“All right,” said
Norah. “I'm sorry for the lack of pleasantries and all the rushing and stuff,
but technically we're not supposed to look into McCrain at all...so I brought
you here where no one can hear us talk.”
“This place isn't
bugged?” said Bruce, disbelieving.
“You have to turn them
on,” said Norah. “I made sure they were off.”
“If you say so,” said
Esme, who folded her arms and leaned back in her chair. This showed off her new
tattoos- two red doves carrying olive branches facing away from each other on
either side of her bellybutton.
“Disbelieve me all you
want, Robin,” said Norah, who noticed the tattoos.
“Robin?” said Esme,
confused.
“Yeah,” said Norah.
“Your birds...they're red. Robins are red.”
“They're supposed to be
doves,” said Esme pointedly.
“Doves are white,
though,” said Norah.
“I know,” said Esme,
“but I thought they look better red. Besides, it contrasts better with my blue
hair.”
“Fair enough,” said
Norah, who thought better of arguing the point.
“Anyway,” Norah said,
trying to steer the conversation back on track. “What brings you kids here to
the station? Shouldn't you be in school?”
“Alfred let us take the
day off,” said Bruce. “Said that we have more important business to get to.”
“We're offering you our
help in the McCrain investigation,” said Esme, believing Bruce was belabouring
the point.
“Yes,” said Bruce. “I
was going to get to that.”
Norah gave Bruce a look
before stopping to ponder what she just heard. Inside, she was elated- Bruce
and Esme doing the dirty work solved a lot of problems for her, but she was
worried that, since they were merely Criminology students, they might not have
the training for the task at hand.
“I know you doubt us,”
said Bruce.
“Thank you, Captain
Obvious!” said Norah as Esme let out a chuckle.
“Seriously, Ms. Anam,”
said Bruce calmly but assuredly, “I understand where you're coming from...we're
not trained detectives...you are...but I have access and connections at McCrain
that you could only dream of. I figure that may mitigate some of the risks.”
Norah paused to ponder
what Bruce just told her. He's certainly not at a loss for gusto, that's for
sure...
“You like biting off
more than you can chew, do you Bruce?” said Norah matter-of-factly.
“People have said that
about me,” said Bruce.
“There's no challenge
too big for the mighty Bruce McCrain, is there?” said Norah, nodding
appreciatively.
“After recovering from
what my father did to me,” said Bruce, doing his best to stay composed, “I feel
like there is nothing I can overcome.”
Norah gave Bruce the
thumbs up and flashed a wide smile.
“Well,” she said
enthusiastically. “That's all I need to hear. Keep me posted on what you
find...oh, and Robin, hope you don't mind the nickname. It suits you.”
“Fair enough,” said
Esme, “but I prefer 'El-Petirrojo'...my name is Spanish so it keeps with
consistency.”
“Right,” said Norah.
“Use the Spanish form for 'robin'...cool.”
Norah then bid the two
of them adieu and went back to her desk, a spring in her step.
“What's gotten into
you?” said Coleman, who couldn't help but notice her bright mood.
“They're going to help
us out,” said Norah with a smile, “and do the dirty work for us.”
“That's great,” said Coleman,
“but you're not the least bit worried they have no actual training for this
kind of stuff?”
Norah looked at Coleman
and chuckled.
“Yeah, it's a concern,”
she said, her smile not abating, “but they're our best hope, and the kid's got
guts...I like our chances.”
“Fair enough,” said Coleman
with a smile.
Meanwhile, outside
Bruce and Esme discussed the meeting.
“So, Esme,” said Bruce
with a smile. “Or 'Robin' I should say.”
“El-Petirrojo,” said
Esme with a wry smile of her own. “I could get used to it.”
“I guess,” said Bruce.
“C'mon, Bruce,” said
Esme. “We're going to be doing a job that will force us to work under the
radar...nicknames would be good for us.”
“OK,” said Bruce,
nonchalantly. “Well...what nickname should I have?”
“Oh c'mon, Bruce,” said
Esme, playfully slapping his chest. “I can't give it to you...that's
something you have to figure out for yourself.”
“Norah gave you your
nickname,” said Bruce matter-of-factly.
“Well I 'edited' it,”
said Esme, “and I willingly put the bird tattoos on myself.”
Bruce offered no
response, as he was still perplexed.
“Come here, Brucey,”
said Esme, putting her arm around Bruce. “I think maybe we need a coffee...give
you time to think about it, at least.”
Bruce responded by
smiling and putting his arm around Esme, deciding to take her up on her offer
to walk to the nearby coffee shop.
June 28, 2019,
22:25 local time,
Daniel Duke's
apartment,
El Requeson, Parry
Sound Region, Republic of Marian
Daniel Duke stared at
the ceiling as he laid down in his bed. It was all he could do given the
conditions of his legs and his back, which were still in excruciating pain. His
doctors were confident of a full recovery even though it was a long road ahead for
him, but patience was in short order for Duke.
I don't want to be
better in a year, thought Duke
to himself. I want to be better now.
He began to cry
thinking about his predicament, and how much harder it made his campaign. Never
mind that he drew lots of sympathy because of his condition- Duke would trade
all that just to walk like normal again. He wished every moment that Endgame
never came by to beat him up, and he angrily pounded at his mattress to
literally pound that point home.
It was here that his
wife, Coral- who was also his campaign manager- came into the bedroom. She took
one look at Duke and smiled when Duke smiled back, but Duke's sullen demeanour
hit her hard.
He needs a
pick-me-up, said the shapely
blonde. She immediately took off her clothes and Duke's, doing so gingerly so
as not to cause Duke any more pain. She then told Duke that she'd do all the
work of pleasuring him, which relaxed Duke completely.
Coral eventually
mounted Duke and began riding his penis like a cowgirl straddling her saddle.
Duke then closed his eyes, feeling every bit of her pushes and thrusts, at just
the speed Duke liked. He then put his hands on her supple breasts and played with
them, eventually putting them into his mouth so he could play with them some
more.
After several moments,
Coral bent down and pressed her body against Duke's so that he could hold her
tightly as she continued thrusting and pushing on Duke's very aroused penis.
This is just perfect, Duke thought as the sex went on, enjoying not
just the feeling of Coral's vagina nicely wrapped around his penis, but also
the smoothness of her skin, the cushioning feeling of her breasts squeezed
against his chest, the soft breeze of her breath against his skin and the
wonderful aroma that was her hair.
He loved Coral, and he
let her know it several times while they were having sex. She always knew how
to make him feel better, and he wondered just how he happened to get so lucky
to find a woman like her.
Wrapped up in his
euphoria, it came time to climax, which both did at the same time.
Both were thoroughly
pleased with the sex, but, as soon as she dismounted, a thought caused Coral to
get off the bed and start crying.
“Honey,” said Duke,
managing to grab a hold of Coral's hand. “Honey...what's wrong?”
Coral squeezed Duke's
hand tightly, but she could only look at him before she turned away and
continued crying, picking up her clothes in the process and putting them away
in favour of her nightgown.
When Coral returned,
she did so getting onto the bed and sitting up on it, looking at Duke and still
crying.
Duke had a feeling what
may have caused her to feel the way that she did.
“You're thinking about
it again, aren't you?” said Duke, as Coral nodded in the affirmative.
Duke then grabbed
Coral's hand and continued.
“Aww, babe,” said Duke.
“I wish I could change what happened to you in the past...but, always
remember...I will do everything I can to make sure your future is as
happy as it can be...because you mean the world to me...you always have
and you always will. I will love you forever and for always...never forget
that.”
Coral then got up from
the bed and left the room, but not before addressing Duke one last time.
“Will you do everything
to make me happy?” she said, still crying. “Can you do everything to
make me happy? Don't get me wrong- I love my life with you and I'm eternally
grateful that I get to spend it with you...but...it's still a life that I only
lead to support you...it is never going to be a life of my own. I know I
have to make peace with that and I struggle...and struggle...to do
that...because I'm not sure I could ever live without you...this
paradise...it's just so perfect I don't think I could do any better...
“...but, still...is it
a paradise when you're still stuck in prison?”
She left before Duke
could come up with a response. He pondered what she said and pondered some more
as he lay on his bed, especially as the minutes and hours ticked on by without
a return from her. Duke eventually fell asleep as his body got too comfortable
on the bed, so he didn't realize that Coral eventually returned by his side.
He had heard her speech
before and wondered just how he could make it up to her. He never forced
her to be his campaign manager, and he often wondered if Coral ever sat down by
herself and wondered what kind of life she actually wanted. This just made him
want to be President even more- because then he could do whatever he needed to
give the life Coral always wanted.
If he could figure that
out, that is.
June 29, 2019,
00:22 local time,
Taiga highway,
Unknown location
“Sweetie pie,” said Endgame
on his satellite phone after pulling over on the side of the road. He sighed as
he listened to the conversation, mouthing words of frustration as it continued.
“Seriously,” he said,
reaching his boiling point. “I found your daughters...I mean, seriously,
what more do you want? Oh...you want me to come home...well, you know I can't
right now, I got a lot of things I need to do...no, really I do, it's
not 'some excuse' this time...heck, by Jove it never was.
Look...seriously...you gotta trust me on this...yes, yes, you do! I'm
doing everything...everything...for us...always have, and always
will. Hopefully, Danny doesn't win the election and then we can have the life
we've always wanted, but for now, I need you to sit tight and trust
me...I'm going to make this work.”
The caller then hung up
on Endgame, to which he gestured dismissively and put his phone away.
Unexpectedly, Endgame
then received another call.
“Yes, hello?” said Endgame.
“Don't be worried? Don't be worried?! Are you nuts? You must have
stole my phone number from somewhere because I would never give
it out...not even my partners have my number.”
Endgame then hung his
head in shame when he heard the reply.
“Right,” he said, still
smarting. “I left my number with the Marian Gazette to leave them my
message...by Jove, how stupid was I? I should have used a burner.”
Endgame listened with
skepticism as the conversation continued.
“You're going to give
me a new phone?” he said, “and why should I trust you?”
His interest was piqued
when he heard the reply.
“Oh,” he said with a
smile. “You want to defeat Daniel Duke too...and you have incriminating
information on him...oh...I like this...but...how do I know this isn't a trap?”
Endgame listened with
intent as the caller explained the situation.
“Fine,” he said. “I'll
meet you there tomorrow. You better have the goods.”
Endgame then hung up
the phone. His head told him that this meeting was a bad idea, but his heart
told him that what the caller promised was too good to pass up. He figured he
had to take a chance...The Republic of Marian's future depended on it.
“The reality of war
is that it can be so brutal that one can never know what truly was the 'right
side' to be on.”- Pyrrhus, “Confessions” (277 BC)
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