The Crimson Fall (The Sons of Liberty Book 1) (9 page)

“Good,” Sigmund said with a disturbingly pleased grin. “Very good. But what about those not infected? Where are we with food and water?”

Hugh Kelly, an overweight food tycoon, jiggled as he spoke.

“Of the nine largest food distributors, I hold at least some sort of sway over six. Three of which are in the United States. Speaking of which, water rights in western America continue to be tricky. But with Lukas in charge—”

“And what makes you think he is in charge?” Sigmund asked quickly.

The Irishman looked nervously between Lukas and Sigmund and then briefly to the bloodied carpet, obviously fighting to select his words wisely.

“In charge of the United States,” Hugh said. “I meant nothing more.”

“Well, in case any others among you may believe Lukas Chambers is currently in charge of the United States, let us remember that we are all and one in league together. Even I stand before you as nothing more than your guide through these uncharted waters. His status might be great according to the world, but he is not above us. We are the reason he is what he is today. And once we are finished, we will all rule this world as equals. So, Mr. Kelly, please continue.”

“Ah yes,” he said as the sweat began to line his tight shirt. “Give me a week’s time, maybe two, and most of grocery shelves in the world can be as barren as virgin’s womb. But like I said, water has proven much harder to purchase. I hope we can naturally have the world continue to sign over their water rights, just as they have with the ownership of their food. Give us five years and perhaps it will be so.”

“The body can survive weeks without food,” Sigmund said. “Water, on the other hand, is a natural three-day pacifier. Make it happen faster. Especially in America. They are as defiant as any and we will need everything we have to shut them up.”

As the night drew on, the conversations continued very much the same. Oil pipelines and wells were set to be shut down or diverted, the mining and distribution of rare and precious metals used in the printing and manufacturing of vehicles, firearms, batteries and everyday electronics were prepared to be terminated on a moment’s notice, and the global economy was poised to be crushed within twenty-four hours of panic with the help Jacob’s financial empire. As the list went on and on Lukas remained silent. He had feared he would be saved for last and as it turned out, he was right.

“Thank you, Sūn. I believe the Soviets would be proud if they knew what their weapons of war had been modified to do.”

“I am happy to serve,” Sūn said.

“That leaves us with one more to report. Lukas, your speech today was . . . inspiring. Do you believe it will be accepted? Do you really think the world is ready for it?”

Lukas’ speech before the world leaders at the United Nations earlier that day had announced the newly penned Geneva Peace Treaty, an international law aimed to make the world safer by controlling the manufacturing and distribution of all firearms. Under the treaty, the world’s superpowers would finance a global program where a person may voluntarily hand over any number of preexisting weapons for new, state-of-the-art firearms, printed at one of the many three-dimensional manufacturing factories around the world. To help kick start the program and avoid a public outcry of insider trading, Lukas had signed over the ownership of H.C. Industries to the United States federal government and made the technology open source, free for any other defense contractor that wished to produce the guns. The new firearms, dubbed the Chambers System, would utilize a complex biometric safety system that incorporated a multitude of automated scanners to verify the rightful owner of the weapon before any round left the chamber. Each weapon was to have multiple quantum tracking devices printed into the very frame so that they would never be lost or stolen. It was a system that the world was beginning to believe was the answer to the epidemic of terrorism.

It was exactly the lie the Patriarchs wanted the world to believe.

In reality, the new,
perfect
weapon was designed so that any resistance could be shut down swiftly when the Purge began. Lukas himself had devised the system at H.C. Industries with a team of his brightest engineers. The implementation of the technology was to be one of three stages to complete before they were ready for the Purge. The first stage was to create a multitude of methods to control the people of the world. The second was to disarm them all so to prevent any opposition. The third and final stage was to begin a season of global chaos so terrifying that the world would cry out for a savior. Then, in mankind’s darkest hour, the Patriarchs were to publically unite together and purge the world of its hatred by dissolving all nations and unifying man under one banner.

“I believe the world has already accepted the treaty as the only answer,” Lukas said with as much confidence as he could muster. “I believe they look upon the treaty with hope. They see it as the fix that will allow them to sleep easy at night and walk safely during the day. And I, too, believe it is exactly that. For is that not what we are trying to do? Are we not here to fix this broken world?”

Sigmund only smiled and continued with his questions.

“Suppose there are those who may come to know of our intentions, despite what you have assured us. How would they react if they knew you were disarming them?”

“We have removed anyone who knew the true purpose of the Chambers System. Anyone who suggests otherwise will be labeled as a lunatic.”

“Such as Adam Reinhart?” Sigmund asked.

“Yes,” Lukas replied. “Such as Adam Reinhart. America is already beginning to tire of his constant negativity for something the media believes would honor his brother’s memory. When the Senate passes it, and they will, Adam Reinhart’s voice will fade into the night.”

“Though I agree that the senator’s death may have been to our benefit,” Sigmund said, “what I am more concerned about is how he came to know about our inner dealings. And by the Oath, speak the truth, Lukas. Not just what he knew, but how he came to know it.”

Without a hesitation, Lukas told them everything. He told them he had been searching for a senator who could help them persuade the Senate to propose an arms treaty. Lukas thought Joe, as a prominent member of the Senate Arms committee and a man he had come to trust, would be the perfect candidate. But Joe, without knowing many of the details, had casually dismissed the idea of an international arms treaty during his final visit to the White House a month or so before his death. He had supposedly left the meeting with no hard feelings toward the president or the idea. He simply said he did not think it would be in his best political interest to align himself with an arms bill one way or another. Weeks went by without a word from the senator and Lukas ceased to think much about Joe anymore. Not long afterward, while at Camp David, Lukas spoke with Maria in the privacy of their bedroom about the treaty and the progress on the drone armies. They also spoke briefly of the medications and the food supplies, during which time, John Fresnel abruptly burst into the president’s room to tell them to stop their conversation and that whatever they had been discussing had in all likelihood been compromised.

John explained to Lukas and Maria that an automated satellite system check that independently monitored governmental hardware usage over DC had picked up an anomaly. As soon as Lukas had arrived at Camp David, a satellite with thirty high-powered vibration detectors used to intercept conversations by focusing on the roofs and windshields of cars had one of its sensors pointed at the rooftop of the lodge. While the windows on the sprawling cabin utilized rippled glass to prevent laser microphones from listening in, this particular satellite had been designed to detect much more subtle tremors. In fact, it was so sensitive that it held the ability to focus in on desired sound waves and frequencies based on previously provided audio.

As president and first lady of the United States, Lukas and Maria had provided all the audio the satellite would ever need to hone in on their conversation.

When John Fresnel was alerted to the breach in security, he had quickly discovered that the signal to adjust the axis of the satellite had originated from the Capitol building. More specifically, it had come from the office of Senator Joe Reinhart. Although it was unclear just how the senator figured out how to hack a satellite as secure as that particular one, nothing they found had suggested he worked with anyone else. They quickly began to track Joe via street cams and FODs as he began to flee the city. Running out of time and options, Lukas and John quickly devised a plan to stop him. Lukas ordered two of his sleeper agents to take the senator out under the guise of a terrorist attack. To ensure the agents would never speak of their orders to anyone, John silenced them as well.

Afterward, John had uncovered encrypted files from among the senator’s personal effects that helped them piece together the story of how Joe had first become suspicious three years prior when he secretly began investigating H.C. Industries. Joe had noticed some discrepancies with the names and deaths of the architects of a new firearm prototype. It appeared that the deeper he dug, the more he came to suspect not everything was as it seemed with the new firearms. When Joe finally connected the deaths of the engineers to the technology itself, he came to the conclusion that Lukas didn’t want people to know what it was really designed for. But after deciding the deaths of the men were not by accident, Joe had been too concerned for his safety to go to the press.

In the beginning, fear of being labeled as a conspiracy theorist prevented Joe from speaking about it with other politicians. However, when Lukas announced his bid for the presidency, Joe had decided it was time to act. He announced his own bid to run in the primaries with the sole purpose of trying to keep Lukas from reaching the White House. After he lost to Lukas, he took it upon himself to instead ally with the president in an attempt to uncover more about the plot. When the Lukas himself invited Joe to champion the treaty, Joe had decided the time to act had come.

When Lukas finished, he looked at his watch and realized that nearly a half hour had gone by. He hadn’t meant to take so much time, but when the truth began to flow and his neck was on the line, he intended to hold nothing back from his friends.

“So the president of the United States,” Sigmund began, “and his wife were nearly undone by a man with a computer and some know-how.”

“I wonder how many ‘nearly undones’ we have all had? Anyone?” Lukas said, almost challenging someone to speak up. “What if Mr. Espinosa’s confession had been to anyone other than whoever it was he had spoken with? For that matter, what if the Irishman over here did not love to stuff his mouth as much as he obviously does? What if he had chosen a different career path other than the food industry that led us elsewhere in our search for your much-needed hunger control?”

“Lukas, please,” Jacob interrupted, trying to stop Lukas from speaking another word.

“No! Tell me, Sigmund, what if Sūn’s mother had more of a taste for the Arabs to the east than she did for the communist shit to the north? Where then would we stand with our drone army? And let us not forget about me, the president of the United States! What if fate had not guided my journey as a child? What if I hadn’t killed those men in Iraq? What if I had not murdered my father? Where would you be without that?” Lukas rose from his chair and shouted his final few questions angrily, leaving the room silent in his wake. Sigmund, however, only stared back with an infuriating grin.

“So be it,” Sigmund said, eventually breaking the silence that had fallen on the room. “Let us forgive and forget any grievances we may have against one another. Your passion reassures me that you are as dedicated now as you have ever been. However, should your passion become anything more, know that your true fate will outlast that of our Italian friend’s. Are we clear, my old friend?”

“By the blood,” Lukas said firmly. “We are clear.”

“Good. Well then. It has been quite the lively evening, I would say. Brothers, sisters, the time of for our parting has arrived. Continue forward and dream of the Purge. Let us depart by remembering the path we have traveled, the goal before us, and the price we must pay for victory.” His eyes flickered to the red spot on the rug. “I bid you all a fare-thee-well. Goodnight and may you live forever.”

The Gathering came to a close and the Patriarchs left, not bothering to stick around and chat. Lukas soon found himself outside again, basking alone in the cold as he leaned on the railing and looked out at black valley below. The sun was long gone and thousands of stars now dotted the night sky. Those few that had been visible at first now glowed brighter than the others. He knew his place could very well be to bow down to those brighter than him. Or, if he was careful, Lukas knew he could be among the brightest stars staring down on the dark new world.

C
hapter
F
ive

Behind the Veil of Lies

Adam used the commercial break as a much-needed breather before the interview began. He grabbed a mug of water and drank slowly, hoping the fluttering in his stomach would calm down almost as much as he wished he had not agreed to the interview in the first place. He lowered the cup and stared around the high-tech news set that was alive and full of commotion while the opportunity for madness presented itself. Everywhere he looked news anchors and journalist bustled about, taking advantage of the momentary pause to scurry off to wherever they needed go. The lights overhead beamed down uncomfortably on the congressman and inwardly he wished they would tone them down a bit before the cameras broadcasted his flushed face to the nation. But he knew those dashing around him were also relishing his nervousness and that they would do nothing but help compound it even more.

“Thirty seconds!”             

The producer’s shout from behind the hovering cameras sent everyone moving at twice the pace. Sitting across from Adam in a red chair that mirrored his own was the man who had verbally assaulted the congressman’s media campaign over the past three months. He was slightly older than Adam, although the man did not look it one bit. Though the latest computer imaging software would instantaneously touch up any imperfections on both Adam and the news anchor when the cameras started to roll, a small army of artists still pampered the famous man as the red clock ticked down. Even so, Adam didn’t think the man needed makeup or the software to look his part. He was the Voice of New York and he had a face made for television.

“What do you think would be more embarrassing, Congressman?” the news anchor asked as he straightened his collar. “Leaving the set of the nation’s one publically funded and free news station right now, before we start, and having me explain your reasons to the millions watching the number one nightly news program? Or the fact that I’m about to make you look like a fool before their very eyes?”

Adam took one more drink of water as the man’s insult washed over him before setting his mug aside. “Show some respect. I’m a congressman.”

“I give respect where it is earned, Congressman,” the man said with a wicked smile that flaunted a row of perfectly white teeth.

“I’m here to speak my mind,” Adam said. “Not to look like an idiot.”

The other man laughed as the producer began counting down from ten.

“The fact that you believe the two won’t be walking hand in hand tonight tells me just how much of a fool you really are. Time’s up, Congressman. Brace yourself.”

Music cued the end of the break and the producer silently counted back from five before the red light beneath the drone camera lit up. The producer signaled silently with his hand as the music died out and the man across from Adam began to speak.

“Good evening, America, and welcome back to ANB’s nightly Freedom Report. I’m Dan Martin, the Voice of New York, and I’m coming to you live from Times Square with this very special Tuesday night broadcast. The world has indeed been alive lately as whispers of change travel upon the wind. Not the change that nearly bankrupted us all two decades ago, but a change designed to protect both you and me from the worst humanity has to offer one another. It is one of the greatest problems we have yet to solve in our society and something that has tragically become too much of a predictable routine. We have fought wars to eliminate terrorism abroad, but we’ve failed to protect ourselves here at home from our own evils. As you all know, President Chambers recently spoke at the United Nations where he officially announced the Geneva Peace Treaty. It is a proposed law that hopes to end the gun violence worldwide without infringing upon the Second Amendment rights of honest Americans. President Chambers said he hopes that the United States can be an example to the rest world by being the first to accept this treaty as law when it is voted on by the Senate next month. In the wake of last year’s Dulles Airport Massacre that claimed the lives of three hundred and thirty-four innocent Americans, including the late senator, Joe Reinhart, the public has been extremely enthusiastic about the government’s willingness to finally do something. Recent polls show that seventy-three percent of Americans see this as an answer that both Democrats and Republicans can and should agree on. It has been seen as something both parties can finally use to cast aside their differing opinions, cross the aisle, and shake hands in an effort to stop the unnecessary violence not only here in our country, but also all around the world. If America is to be the beacon of hope to the world that we want her to be, then we must be the first to accept this new hope ourselves. That being said, democracy, as great as it is, is not without its faults.

“There are those in Washington who oppose something good for little to no purpose. The NRA and a handful of smaller state-run organizations have been somewhat vocal about their disapproval of the treaty, though even they agree the new firearm design is completely safe for mass distribution. As it is with most small minded people, I believe their opposition is simply based on their inability to accept change even when it is necessary. They ask, ‘why fix it if it isn’t broken?’ When I hear that question, I respond by showing them the images of the dead. I am a Republican, I am a supporter of gun rights, but above all else, I am a man who respects life and because of that I disassociated myself with the NRA years ago. But as much as we can expect disapproval from those Tea Party-type organizations, it is the unexpected resistance from the man we thought would be most enthusiastic about the law that bewilders us all. Joining me tonight is that man who is leading a small political opposition. Ironically, he is none other than the brother of the late senator, Joe Reinhart. Congressman Adam Reinhart, welcome to the show.”

“Thank you, Dan,” Adam said. “It’s my pleasure to be here.”

“I say welcome with such a hesitation because frankly, and think I speak on behalf of a lot of concerned Americans, we just can’t understand why you would want to tarnish the memory of your own brother.”

“Dan, I’m not here to tarnish his image,” Adam said with as much cordiality as possible. “Joe was a great man who loved this country and I’ve never suggested otherwise. I am only doing what I feel I am supposed to do, and I think Joe would agree with me.”

“With all due respect, congressman, Joe Reinhart would be sitting here today giving us his own opinion had this treaty already been law.”

Adam paused and silently hoped the reimaging software would soften his now crimson face. He had struggled for three months to retain the little support he had gained in his opposition against what had become an extremely popular law. At first he was passed off as nothing more than a confused man in mourning for his deceased brother. However, as he continued his fight against the coming law, the media began to have their way with him.

As the weeks passed, the nation became upset with what they viewed as his annoying and constant bickering, and Adam’s list of allies began to dwindle. Running out of time and opportunities, one of his supporters suggested he search for new avenues to voice his opinion. With both the conservative and liberal press avoiding him, Jane Williams, a congresswoman from Oklahoma, set up a small press tour with the few publically-funded bloggers and political journalists that remained. That tour, which had proven to be anything but beneficial, ended with Dan Martin and the American News Broadcast. Joe and the president had been political allies for quite some time and they had gained the unwavering support of the ANB. Jane had hoped that if Adam were to speak directly with those who respected his brother and the president, then maybe he would gain a new audience that would actually listen. Among the president’s most faithful of devotees, Dan Martin stood above and beyond them all. Dan was the president’s own personal cheerleader, often reminding the country that Lukas was the best thing that had happened to the country since Ronald Reagan.

“Joe was my brother,” Adam countered. “And I think I knew him better than most. I have spent every day since his death wondering what he would stand for now. He was a man who defended our liberties everywhere he could, and as much as my efforts have been for him, he is not the only reason I am here today. I believe there is a problem, but I do not believe this treaty is the way to solve it. Companies and politicians have tried to create these so-called ‘smart guns’ before and it never worked out the way we hoped. Unlike what you’ve claimed recently, my opposition to the treaty is not because I have some vendetta against President Chambers. I wish him all the best.” In truth, Adam wanted nothing more than to uncover the truth and see Lukas hang for it. But just like the president, Adam understood that to finish what he started, some lies were necessary. “I have a job to do and the voters elected me to do that job because they trusted my opinions. I think the treaty is too much, too soon. It’s not the answer we need. Not yet at least.”

“Congressman, you’re a Libertarian, correct?”

“I don’t see why that’s relevant, but I prefer the term Constitutionalist, being that the Constitution was drafted with liberty in mind.”

“Don’t twist the name, Congressman,” Dan Martin said with a patronizing laugh that irked Adam. “You can call it whatever you want, but you’re one of the few Libertarians who has built a successful political career in an ocean of red and blue. Now Libertarians believe, as you just said, in liberty. The Declaration of Independence specifically guarantees life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all.”

“You don’t need to recite it for me, Dan. I’m well aware of what it says.”

“Well that’s just it, Congressman. You might know what the words are but I don’t think you understand what they actually mean. For example, when the Columbine school shooting occurred in Colorado over thirty years ago, it was a shock to the entire nation. Now, barely a school semester goes by without news of another shooting. Sadly, the images of mothers crying outside schools are becoming too easy to forget. At the same time, these types of attacks are starting to occur all around the world. But let’s just focus on America since your problem is with us accepting the treaty. Give me one concrete reason, other than your claim that it is ‘too much too soon,’ as to why this is dangerous for us. Because frankly, that’s pretty much been your argument so far.”

It had been Adam’s argument from the beginning, but he thought if he were to reveal much more than that, he would be endangering himself and possibly others. He had yet to figure out how else he could defend his case and he was beginning to think he never would before it was too late.

“Look, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; I have a job to do, and I am doing it how I see fit. I have always been a strong supporter of the Second Amendment and individual rights. Twenty years ago we first started playing with the idea of three-dimensional printing of complex systems. By the end of the twenty-teens, we had businesses printing out the very electronics we use today in mass quantities. Now, we manufacture everything inside a printing complex. Anything from entire cars to the communication devices you and I have in our eyes and ears are printed in factories. But none of those deal with Americans’ rights now, do they?”

“Most guns are printed today, Congressman.”

“Yes, but my point is that no one came knocking on your door to ask you to turn in your old car, cellphone, computer, or television. Why should you be forced to give up your first hunting rifle or shotgun because we refuse to recognize this as a moral problem?”

“Oh, come on,” Dan replied. “They’re not confiscating anything. It’s just like the fuel efficiency regs ten years ago. No one went door to door to collect your old Mustangs and Corvettes. They simply regulated what was manufactured from that day forward. Sure, you can’t find a new car without solar panels on the roof, but you can’t find anyone willing to complain about three hundred miles per gallon either, can you? The exchange program is completely voluntary and everyone will be able to keep whatever guns they have for as long as they want.”

“Just like we all could keep our existing insurance twenty years ago?” Adam asked. “That was a lie, Iran was a lie, and the debacle in twenty-three was a lie. It’s just politics. It’s nothing more than empty promises, backdoor dealings, and it’s never voluntary in the end.”

“This isn’t the Affordable Healthcare Act, some Holy War, or a federal ban on backyard gardens,” Dan said heatedly. “This is people’s lives we are talking about, and it is hope for our future.”

“You’re missing my point,” Adam said. “We’ve tried to solve this issue with legislation in the past and it didn’t work. You even said it’s only become worse. It is a problem of morals and principles and it always will be. We can only solve the problem by addressing it as such.”

“We are a nation of laws, Mr. Reinhart. Those laws determine what we as a society say is morally acceptable. And right now, this law is designed to tell the nation that they can no longer murder their countrymen in cold blood.”

“So we’ve heard,” Adam said. “But let’s talk about the program itself. Do you think it’s fine to give up your perfectly good firearm, have tax payers fund its destruction, and then be handed a brand new gun that we know little about? Sure, we know about the contraptions they came up with in the past that never worked right, but now we know nothing about the functionality of these new weapons other than what the government is telling us. I mean, who’s to say they can’t track us and our guns without a court-ordered warrant?”