+1+
I could see La Guardia from her office. The commercial part of airport had been out of commission for years, and was now chartering private flights. Her office was the most depressing office I’d ever seen and I’d seen alot of shit offices since the revolution. Everything here said temporary.
The assistant warden popped in and introduced herself to me. She
was an implant form Idaho. A retired U.S army lieutenant with experience in war
crimes, justice and social service. She was an efficient woman, all about
protocol but really really friendly. Which made it even more obvious that the military put
Seraphina here strictly so she could intimidate the inmates. The office aides all jumped out of her way
when we walked in. She slammed the door to her office when the assistant warden
left and calmly sat down.
“Leon. . . all that information Giuliani had on us. You still have it ? The memory key ?”
“I destroyed it. No one is ever going to see it.” It was a
lie. I had that memory key hidden in my apartment.
“Good. So, the U.S Naval officials who are coming to Ft. Chelsea Piers today. . . tthey are going to be arrested”
“What do you mean ?”, I remembered the story I’d seen on the
news about them coming on base today.
“One of them is going to run into trouble. Something is going to happen. Something that would declare one of those men an enemy of the crown. Something that proves he was the one who tried to assassinate the king.”
“What ? You want to frame someone for what we did ? Why ?”
“Baron Fountain is with the Naval officers visiting. Commander Fountain is in New Aeterna.”
There it was.
Baron Fountain had been the XO at her prison camp in Guantanamo. I’d
snuck around and figured out the top secret camp she was in was supposed to use the captured
Angels to develop technology to defeat Helios. Instead it had been a torture
camp for Sera, Titus and ‘Memnon. The camp was taken down and all traces of it were sealed. Like it hadn't happened.
“Sera, what’s Dr. Turner always telling you ? You need to let this go.”
“What do you know about that ?”
“Um, nothing.”
She stepped around her dusty desk and casually opened a drawer.
“When Paris negotiated for control of New Aeterna, I had
to sign a non-disclosure in order to
pardon my previous crimes. We all did.
I’d be forgiven if I kept quiet about Fountain and my treatment at the
camp. Breaking that disclosure is treason. Meanwhile Fountain got a promotion."
I’d always looked at Sera’s past through my fingers. It was to ugly up close. She’d been captured by the U.S the night Helios rose to power. We hadn’t known that at first though.
Paris always believed she was alive. He’d gone so fucking insane hallucinating about her when he was locked up . Dumb luck and a hacker looking to get on Paris’ good side had found pictures of “An Angel Boy” with a widow’s peak on some darknet file sharing website. They’d traced it back to an web café outside of the Gitmo Naval base, picked up chatter that confirmed our suspicion that Sera was there.
It felt like it had all been too late. I hadn’t recognized
the woman we saved. Her last weeks had
been her best since the U.S was transferring her and wanted her in good shape. It
wasn’t much. She’d still been 27 pounds underweight with a fever, syphilis and
the clap. Sera and I never talked about
it. It wasn’t our style.
Sera pulled a small case out of her desk drawer.
“Fountain must know it’s a risk coming here considering how he treated you”, I said
“Rumor has it he’s been trying to get out of coming here for
weeks. You saw how he ducked out of Vassey's ceremony."
“What do you want me to do ?” I asked.
She sat back down and looked me square in the face. I saw the wedding pictures of
her and Paris was on her desk. She opened the case to show me a pair of spent
white gold shells on the table.They were from the night of the assassination, she must have
grabbed them from the roof. Smart solider
“Sera”, I whispered, “I can’t plant these on him. Come on. Someone from DOJ is already watching us.”
“Well, then what better way to convince them we have nothing to hide than to go about our business as usual. Paris will feel safer thinking the assassin was captured. He doesn’t sleep and has panic attacks as it is and that DOJ agent will stop poking around if she thinks Fountain did it. It solves a lot of problems all at once.”
“Wait-what about Paris ? He’s having panic attacks ?”
“Just . . .do it Leon. He's staying at The Prospect hotel, he'll be out all morning. Put them in his room.”
“No one is going to believe that old guy can land a kill shot.”
“Which explains why Paris is still alive. Don’t worry about details Leon, just do it.”
She closed the tiny case and slid it over to me. I slid the
shells in my pocket. She turned to the window that overlooked the courtyard
where prisoners—many our former SGI comrades--where out for an hour of
recreation. Former MS soldiers were among them and some humans who were
convicted of crimes against humanity
These men had been kings in Helios time and would be bodies in hers.
+++
Commander Fountain wasn’t at all what I expected.
He was Nordic looking and looked good for a guy in his 50s. He had a full head of blonde hair and blue eyes that’d put an Angel's to shame. He’d stayed in the back and quiet during most of the meeting. His eyes shifting to the New Aeterna flag and back. A million thoughts probably going through his head.
Through Donovan’s intel we learned that Fountain had denied
Seraphina’s accusations of abuse. Fountain said that he had no idea what his men on the ground
were doing to her and that his time with “the boy” and the photos was because
he wanted to have the kid's wings surgically removed so he could adopt and save the boy.
Back then it had been a high ranking military officials word versus a woman scorned
Now it was his word against a queen.
I'd gone to his hotel after leaving Sera and planted the casings in his room, then placed some gunpowder residue in his luggage for good measure. I went back to my office and got in a quick nap before getting pulled into the meeting with the U.S Naval guys. My other boss General Jaden Kellers was there, he like to invite me to meetings cause I was apart of the resistance and I was more amiable than Ares. . which isn't saying much
During the hellos and handshakes portion of the meeting I tried not to punch Fountain in this face. His hand had been hot and sweaty. I sat on the edge of my seat to keep myself awake as the PowerPoint presentation started on how the NADF could build a world class Navy. The fuck would anyone want to live on a boat for ?
Kelly Vassey was supposed to tip off the police unit. I told her it was an unofficial order and she nodded in obedience. She looked a little off her game and she should. Sera had given Vassey a second chance to prove herself and I knew (and Vassey knew) Sera would take it away in a second if it meant saving the life we built.
The door burst open and woke me the fuck up. Some people from Helion Regime days threw their hands up on instinct, the Americans looked outraged.The NADF police officers made their way to Fountain and hauled him up.
“Let me go”, Fountain says, “What is this ? You can’t arrest me I have diplomatic immunity.”
“Military officials don’t qualify for diplomatic immunity in New Aeterna”, I reminded him.
“I’m an invited guest.” He said but that didn’t stop the officers from restraining him.
Fountain’s colleagues were snapping at him in their harsh American military tone. Americans liked order, they liked rank and file.One of the NADF polic officers unclippd his handcuffs and bought them around Fountains wrist. There was a a lot of talking at once, but one sentence rang clear.
“Commander Baron Fountain you are under arrest for the attempted assassination of Paris Prince, you will be detained as a terrorist in New Aeterna. You will forfeit your passport and are being transferred to Riker's Island until arraignment.”
“I don’t—what’s happening. . . I’m being set up.”
One of Fountain’s American comrades took off Fountain’s jacket and placed it over his head. Guess the Americans didn’t want the media getting a picture of one of their officials in chains. Kind of a dick move.
“Well, I guess this meeting is over”, I said making my way
out. Ares eyed me as I slipped out.
Everyone else seemed very confused and stared at one another. I picked up the pace in the hall, outside Vassey fell into step with me. She looked shaken.
I dialed the first
contact on my phone while Vassey got in rhythm with me.
“It's done”, I said I said into the phone.
Sera said nothing but I could hear her smile through the phone.
I hung up and turned to Vassey who was blowing out steady breaths.
“You okay, Vassey ?”
“I just don’t know what I’ve gotten myself into, Sir. We just framed an innocent man.”
I stopped and turned to her. Pivoted really.
“Don’t go there Vassey. Don’t question shit. Sera and I know what’s best. This doesn’t end well for you if you go rogue. Baron Fountain is not an innocent man.”
“I just wonder if we are doing the right thing, Sir. There is no way this is going to hold up in court. It's not right.”
“You’re young, sweetheart.”
She stopped short and squinted at me
“How. . . how old are you ?”
“Old enough to know that there is no such thing as the right thing, you gotta make your own code and live by it. Then you’ll never doubt a decision in your life.”
“My own code ?”, she said
“You ? You don’t get your own code, sweetheart. You get ours.”
“What’s next, Sir”
“Get the boy.”
+2+
His name was just Arrow. . . he’d hadn’t been offered or given a last name. Surnames weren’t really a requirement in New Aeterna anymore. Especially if you were a Supernatural. Arrow had a bad start in life, but I’d known boys with worse. I’m not sure he was capable of love but he took well to nurture and care. Life would get tough for him, this I knew. He just had to look so damn much like Titus.
I met Arrow and Vassey at the service entrance of the Riker's Island military
prison complex. He had on his Briar Boy's
School uniform. Yellow polo , pressed navy pants. It was old fashioned. They
were supposed to look cute. . . non threatened. Good little Angel boy orphans.
Seraphina opened the service entrance door and we followed her into the bowels of the prison. I kept a hand on Arrow’s back while Vassey very quietly followed behind. The prison smelled dank and dirty. The island had been abandoned during the Hellion regime and lots of garbage had floated its way to the shores. The buildings were in poor shape and living conditions were shit.
Arrow, true to his name, kept on the straight and narrow. I told Vassey to not tell him anything when she took him out of school. The school knew he was a special ward and gladly signed him out. Kid probably thought he was getting locked up again. He held his hand in that way you did if they were cuffed. Only in New Aeterna.
We came to a door at the end of the hall. Vassey unlocked the door and gave the keys to Sera.
“Keep the halls clear for 10 minutes”, Sera said to Vassey.
Seraphina pushed her way into the room, I followed like the good solider I was.
The door lead to the outside. . . kind of. It was a tiny
courtyard. A 100 square foot blacktop
surrounded on all sides by the 50 feet high concrete walls. Electric wiring at
the top.
On the black top I saw a man in gray military prison sweats doing push
ups. It took me a minute to
recognize him from that morning. Man looked like shit
“Captain Argos”, Commander Fountain said his voice trembling.
He must have thought I was here to save him.Then his eyes went to the boy and then back to Sera.
Sera reached into her pocket and took out a pair of thin leather gloves. She carefully put them on and dipped a hand in my jacket and took out my standard issue pistol. I should have stopped her but I didn’t. She checked the pistol for rounds and pointed it at Fountain.
“You bitch”, he said, “You can’t kill me. I’m an American officer in a foreign prison, my superiors won't let it go if I die in your custody. You wont’ get away with it
and this entire country will be put under a microscope.”
She said nothing, because I knew Seraphina had already gotten away with making
people disappear. Prisoners escaped or went missing everyday. Most of the time
people turned a blind eye. Since Sera’s second favorite weapon was silence she gestured
for him to get on his knees. He did.
“Captain Argos”, Fountain said. Begged really, “Do something. Those casing were planted. This is a set up...”
His voice dropped, I think he just now realized I was the one who planted the shells. He was right, the U.S wouldn’t like one of their own disappearing on foreign soil. . . but with Fountain’s illicit record it shouldn’t be hard to put under the rug.
Sera cocked the gun and shoved it into Arrow’s small hands. The boy looked up at her for the first time and then to the gun and then at Fountain.
“Kill him.”, she ordered the boy.
She moved his hands around the gun in a way I’d seen her do with cadets and new resistance members. The boy looked back up at Fountain. He no doubt recognized the man. Arrow worried his lip and a tear came out of his eyes.
Shit. That won’t do kid.
“Kill him”, Seraphina ordered again
“Don’t”, Fountain said looking the kid right in the eyes, “Don’t do this. I’m not a bad man. I was good to you.”
Fountain smiled at the boy, trying to get him to remember the good times. Fountain had given him candy and treats. At some point the boy probably thought of what happened after the sweets, or the strange things he’d seen him do to his mother. The boy probably also knew about guns and what guns did to people’s faces.
Arrow dropped the gun, and ran for the door. Fountain breathed a sigh of relief and Seraphina grabbed the boy and dragged him back by his collar. She jammed the gun back in his hands and pointed it at Fountain.
“Kill him”, she said again. Fighting to keep him still
The boy started to scream, his fingers got caught up in the trigger and Sera’s grip. He didn’t want to kill, she couldn’t make him.
“Sera, let him go," I told her.
She ignored me.
Something in Arrow's eyes changed. He suddenly decided to be a good boy. He stood up, took the gun and held it like she showed him. Kid had a good grip, he was a natural.
“Kill him", she ordered again.
Instead of pulling the trigger the boy jammed an elbow in Sera’s stomach and be he shot her three times. She stilled, grabbed her middle and fell to her knees. The kid dropped the gun to the floor. He stood his ground breathing hard as she pushed herself back up to her feet.
“You stupid little bastard”, she seethed.
Seraphina stood up and pulled off her bullet hole ridden jacket, revealing three holes in her dark red button up. There were ugly red marks where the bullets hadn’t penetrated her skin. The bullets were made of steel. They couldn’t hurt her.
Sera snapped. Before I could stop her she grabbed the boy by his long hair and slapped him across the face so hard he fell down and pissed himself.
“Get up you little bastard.”, she pulled him up by his long hair and threw him against the wall, “You think you can kill me ? You think I'm the monster you need to kill.”
Yes. I thought. Yes I did.
“Sera. Stop.” I shouted.
“Leave the kid alone, you’re hurting him”, Fountain pleaded.
She picked up the gun and shot Fountain in his dick, when he
screamed she waited and shot him once in the chest, then face, over and over
again until the gun was empty. Blind rage, blind motherfucking rage.
“No one asked you”, she said to his body.
. Seraphina dropped the gun. Arrow had watched every gory second. Kid never stood a chance. He hunkered down in the corner, his loose hair covering his face. Sera looked at her watch then began to unbutton her shirt.
“Damn it, Sera”, I pushed back Arrow's hair and examined the red mark on the kids cheek, “Control your fucking temper. He didn’t ask for this shit. Did you like it when Helios or Fountain was knocking you around ? He’s a fucking innocent kid. You need to get yourself under control, you fucking lost it. That was fucking overkill and you know it.”
She ignored me. Resistance life had taught all to be resolute in our choices, even bad ones.
“Just shut up and give me your shirt, Leon."
I stepped away from the boy and wrestled off my shirt.
“Sera you can’t just kill a U.S Commander and get away with it.”
“I didn’t” she said pulling on my oversized dress shirt, “The boy did. He was here for something involving paperwork. He saw Fountain, he took your gun and did it. I saw it. . . you saw it.”
“Sera.”
“He’s either going down for killing Fountain or trying to kill me.”, She tucked the shirt in until it looked halfway decent.
“Sera the kid probably has fucking homework due tomorrow. If he goes down for Fountain they'll throw him in a mental hospital for life or prison when he's old enough. Angel kids have it rough enough as it is. He’s suffered enough.”
Seraphina took off her gloves and put them in her pockets and shrugged.
“Well, his fingerprint are the only ones on the gun ““Yeah and mine.”, I said, “Maybe I did it. It was my gun.”
“Leon.”
“You better fix this Seraphina or I’m walking out of here and taking responsibility for Fountain.”
“Leon you can’t . You have a family.”
“I’m not letting anyone else hurt that kid. Not even you.”
“Since when do you care so much ?”
“Since I got a few kids of my own. I know you’d do anything to protect my girls and I’m returning the favor. That kid didn’t ask for this. He hasn’t done anything to anyone. Come on Sera, he’s your blood, Sera. I know he feels more like a former cellmate to you, but he's your kid. He is only man who would have never turned on you if you’d given him a chance.”
“I gave him a chance when I gave him up”, she said quietly.
“Then why did you pull him back in today ?” I fought to keep my tone even.
She considers this as she fiddles with the last button, my shirt is too big for her but with the jacket she should be good. I realize maybe she thought he’d sleep better if he knew that monster was dead.
We both looked over at Fountain’s oozing fresh corpse.
“Find Vassey and that guardsmen. . . whatever his name his.
We need two gallons of bleach, tar, and a biohazard grade barrel. Get the boy out
of here and reload your gun.” Sera says.
I nodded now back to taking orders instead of giving them.
“Wait”, Sera grabbed the boy by his arm. He flinched out of reflex, “You keep quiet you understand.”
She tried to focus her eyes on him and she struggled to get her next words out.
“I. . . did this for you, you understand ? I thought.. . . I mean. He deserved it and I—“
“We gotta go”, I said. Whatever she had to say to him, it was to little to late.
+3+
I took the kid to my place in Midtown and cleaned him up. Vassey had tracked down some clothes for him to wear. When we got to my place I had to
navigate him around the UFC regulation punching bag hanging by the door. The apartment was a tiny studio, not much to see. I sat him on the couch and made up some
grilled cheese for lunch, it was the best I could do with shopping at the convenience store and using my one-eye stove.
To bad my old Italian widowed neighbor, Mrs. Salvatore wasn’t home, she was
always making something real nice in the big communal kitchen in the hallway. She always left a portion for me on my doorstep. I found a wrapped plastic spork and realized it was my only cooking utensil. I grabbed an old butter packet and put it in the pan followed by the bread and cheese. I took a beer out the fridge, the kid had picked up a slushie at the convenience store.
“Look kid, I know you’re probably confused a lot. Sera has done wrong by you. No doubt kid, but
killing her isn’t going to fix anything. You can’t ever think about doing that
again. I saw this thing about kids with tough lives having.
. .psychopathy. You know ? You don’t want to be like that. You be better than her. She's like a sister to me but . . . she's a bitch, kid. And I'm gonna make sure she never hurts you again.
You had it rough kid, but Sera had a tough childhood too. She had a tough life. You know she didn’t talk until she was older too. She’s better for it and you can be to. “
I opened a cabinet above my fridge and pulled out my lock box with all my aliases in it. I pull out a folded up photo from SGIs last mission in Somalia back in 2013. Sera and I were
sitting on a low wall, Titus was on the other side of her smirking at something
had Helios said off camera. The previous night the three of them had a drinking contest and
nobody won that. The similarity between Arrow and Titus was startling.
“He, uh”, I said laying down the photo, “Titus used to tease her cause she hated flying. Fucking Ironic right ?”
Kid didn’t talk, but I told him a little about the old
country. . . and a little more about Titus. I told him if he was good maybe I'd tell him more. We could hang out more, but he had to be good and he couldn't tell anyone what he saw. Then I dropped him back at his dorm at the Boy's School and hoped for the best.
+++
I grabbed a shuttle back to Ft. Chelsea Piers, scanned myself into the base and dragged myself to my office in the command center. My office was on the fifth floor nestled in the back. I had a great fucking view of the alley. My name plate said I was a Field Captain for NADF special forces, which meant barring any home base missions I had shit to do here.
That LeCroix woman kept trying to call me, so I had to unplug my office phone and turn off the video messenger on my computer.
“Fuck it”, I was bored.
I snuck out of the office and did a quick walk around the base. New cadets were being processed today so I’d have to get down to the auditorium to take a look at them. I’d get 6 weeks to put some of the recruits through PT, it’d be easy to get Sera assigned too, get a little break from this shit show.
I found Ares in the armory, he was checking a new shipment of AM-88s. A new high class of military weapon. I’d had the pleasure of testing them, they were “smart-guns” and made AK-47s look like BB guns. Lighter, faster, cleaner but you still need to know how to aim.
They were made by BrimWeapons. What most people didn’t know
was that was a shell company for Lucien Ammunition and Sports. Which was a
company owned wholly by Harry Lucien AKA Hmjeu Who left his company to his protegee Paris Prince.
When people saw the world-class NADF military with the AM-88, every military would want them. Even dangerous inhumane ones. And they would get it for top price. The money would get laundered and go right into the New Aeterna coffers . . . no one was the wiser.
Hey, that New Aeterna Public Library had to get paid for
somehow. Prosperity Forever, my ass.
Ares was doing inventory in the armory, giving orders to the cadets who were assigned there. We’d all been under Helios thumb for so long . . . power still seemed odd to us.
“You cut out early last night. That Vassey girl was hot”, Ares said, “I met the Venezuelan ambassadors daughters. Those chicks loved to hear a good war story. They like to hear about Helios in the good ol’ days.”
“ Watch your shit with that.”, I warned him, “SGI needs to stay in the past. Don’t ever bring it up, to anyone.”
Ares shrugged and took me back to his small office, he reached under a counter and pulled out some Jim Bean. We took a shot and then another for good measure.
“Why’d you leave the ceremony early ?”, he asked
“Personal.”
“Oh, you still putting it in Helio’s wife’s pussy.”
I took another shot.
“My pussy now”, I mumbled.
“That ground is to fertile for me. I heard she has tits like fucking watermelons. I tell you women will fuck you up every time.”
“You have no idea”
Ares studied me, the guy knew me to well.
“What’d the bitch do now ?” Ares asked
“Whoa, man”
“I meant Sera.” Ares said taking another swig. Ares still didn’t trust Demons, even after all we’d been through.
“She killed Fountain. The Gitmo guy.” I admitted
Ares took another slow sip.
“You help ?”, he asked
“I had to.”
“Nah, you didn’t. We’re free now Leon. Don’t get caught up in her shit anymore.”
“Fountain was a monster. he deserved it. He tortured Sera, Titus and ‘Memnon. What he did to her kid- ”
“Since when do we give a fuck what other men do behind closed doors ? You only cared because it was her kid.”
I took another shot and tucked in for the rest of my shift.
“He deserved it”, I said more to myself, “He deserved it.”
+4+
Solstice LeCroix
The Queen’s Luncheon was a silly little initiative where once a month women from the community could have lunch and voice opinions on issues effecting women in the new nation.
A little something to right the former regimes… lower opinion of women. I made sure to RSVP early and invited Venice to come along with me. It was held in a a first floor room of The Capitol building. Everything was plush and cream colored with dark red accents.
The room seated 30 comfortably around a long table. The room was a mix of foreign nationals, Americans, New Aeterna wives and Angel women . The Angels seemed to relegate their own section of the table, while the human women mingled among one another. The Angel women were uncommonly gorgeous. They all had young children with them, but the kids were easily quieted.
It was such a silly name for an event because the queen had never attended. Instead the crown sent an adviser there to take notes and present them up the chain. I readily assumed there was no chain.
“I mean”, said one boisterous New Aeterna councilwoman said , “Married women were not even allowed to work in those days.. My ex-husband worked in Helion Castle and my daughter still got taken out of school when a boy needed the space. Now she has no education, how is she supposed to flourish. A lost generation."
"How do you propose we fix this ?”, another woman says, “I mean most of the legislators on the national level are men, and so are most of the borough councilmembers. The problem is we’ve all been trampled on to much to want more than safety. No one cares about educating our girls and getting them working.”
“I think we need more fearless female American politicians to become citizens.”, One Angel across the way said
Everyone eyed her clearly not used to. . . cross conversation.
Some of the women were actually clutching their pearls. Many of them refused to look at her while she talked
“I mean”, The Angel continued, “We can do primary education if we restructure properly, but we need our US friends to open college doors for our girls and give them different requirements. Also American politics is so messy and expansive,I bet if we got some young enterprising female politicians and activist to move to New Aetenra we could turn things around. There doesn’t have to be a lost generation. Don’t you think Senator Scott ?”
Venice snapped to attention and beamed at being included. The Angel had leaned forward to read Venice’s name tag. Venice readily agreed with the woman. Venice was a California blonde but she seemed to care . . . I’d give her that.
The conversation between Venice and the Angel ended when the Angel turned her attention to a very fussy toddler.
“She’s cute”, Venice said
“This is Athena and that’s Helena napping.” She leaned into the stroller and kissed the baby, "And this is Hera"
She patted her belly and some of the other women side-eyed her. The woman was glowing though. . . I just felt sorry for her.
Iced white tea and seltzer water was brought out, followed by
baskets of whole grain bread. I readied myself for another round of bland food.
As if on cue the side door opened and the queen quietly ducked in. The conversation was deadly silent. In the swing of the door . She was in a pair of shiering gold pants and long sleeved white blouse. Her hair was in wind blown curls, but something about her hair isn’t quite right.
“Ladies”, she said quietly, “I apologize for my tardiness.”
She takes a seat at the head of the table, like she was expected. I'm only a few seats away from her, she is so close I can see scars on her hands. Maybe it's my imagination but she smells like gunpowder and blood. A waiter brings out lunch; stewed pear salad and wild rice soup.
“What have I missed ?” she asked tucking her napkin in her
lap. Everyone is still staring opened mouth that she'd actually shown up.
“We were jut taking about educating our daughters”, the boisterous woman said, “About our lost generation of girls.”
“Well”, The queen said, “Helios thought of women as nothing more than wives, mother and whores. I can promise you my husband isn’t that foolish.”
Some of the women cough at the use of whore. But the term
fits. At that she chops the stewed pear on her plate right down
the middle. Then she brings her eyes up to me and dares me to look away first.
The rest of the evening takes a decidedly light tone. It’s obvious the queen knows nothing about the political infrastructure of her own country, and the other women are to afraid to offend her when she makes a mistakes or says something wrong. She’s surprisingly quiet. She’s pretty and prim but by no means proper.
Towards the end of lunch they bring out apple sorbet. The New Aeterna women and Angels pull out pictures of their children. Camera phones had been outlawed under the former regime and people here still clung to physical photos. It was sad. All they’d done for 10 years is have children.
The queen carefully makes her way down to my side of the table and she settles into an empty seat next to me. I could see Venice’s spoon quaking in her hands.
“Department of Justice, right ?”, Seraphina (as everyone had
called her) asks cooly.
“Solstice LeCroix.”
She give me a quick once over. A not so subtle
trace from my face down to my hands in my lap. She leans over and whispers into my ear.
“Are here to cause trouble, Solstice ?"
She smells clean, like she'd just showered but the blood and gunpowder is still there. She's so close I now realize her hair isn't real.
“Ma'am, I’m just here for justice. What would happen if your husband was attacked again. I mean America is on edge, they are so afraid of another Helios that gun control is fucking joke now.” Under the table Venice kicks me. I personally think the queen admired my language.
Seraphina takes the spoon out of my untouched sorbet and examines it.
“I hear you’ve been asking questions. Talking to old resistance members. Why ?”
I wanted to smile. I hadn’t questioned d anyone since I
arrived. She must have spoken to Isobel Charter. Which means I spooked Ms. Charter.
“I’m just investigating the assassination.”
“Didn’t you hear, Solstice ? This morning they arrested an American commander as a suspect. The news hasn't broken yet. . . but he escaped my custody a few hours ago."
“See. . . I don’t think the commander did it.”
Actually I didn’t know what to think. It wasn’t until I saw the new story twice that I realized that had been the commander who went AWOL at the Vassey dinner. He had been acting odd that night. It was possible that he had done the assassination. Big American patriots hated New Aeterna. But the guy was retirement age, he wasn’t a sharp shooter.
“Listen, Ms. LeCroix You have an open invitation to Riker’s Island. if you have any further questions about my country. . . stop by and ask. You’ll see we have nothing to hide.”
She put the spoonful of sorbet in her mouth and took her time pulling it out. Surprisingly there wasn’t a single spot of lipstick on the silver surface.
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that, ma’am”
She carefully lifted the side of her mouth, not a smile more of a warning.
“God, If I have to eat one more snowfire apple flavored thing I’m going to kill myself.”
She put the spoon back in the sorbet then stood up and started to make her good-byes. Venice shifted in the chair next to me.
“Solstice. .. is everything okay ? If something is going on I should know ? That the American people should—“
“ It’s fine Venice. When you make it to D.C you’ll see no one trust anyone.”
“I .. .i don’t think I want to make it to D.C. I like it here. There’s so much energy here. I think. . . I think I might want to stay . . . and the queen.”
“What about her ?”
“She’s so beautiful”
I looked at the spoon in my half melted sorbet.
“Yes, and that’s exactly the problem.”
I left my sorbet melting and went outside, I woke up my phone and dialed as as fast as I could
“Hello”, the voice on the other side answered.
“Hi, it’s me. I'm in New Aeterna. I think someone is on to us. I don’t know The
fucking queen practically threatened me. What are things like on your end ?"
“We should meet.” The voice on the other end said, "I'm Uptown . . . can you make time ?"
“I’ll make time.”
+++
American General, Person Of Interest In Prince Assassination - NewAet.Com
Alleged Assassin Escapes Riker’s Island - NewAeternaDaily.com
Wanted : Baron Fountain, 56. 6’1 : Wanted For Alleged Assassination of Paris Prince NADF PERP WATCH !
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Author's Note
Anti-Heros Be Anti Heroes.