Kings and Crowns: A Dystopian Thriller (Age of End Book 2) (8 page)

The crowd stood up and clapped as Vince and Saul followed Greene offstage.

“You did a wonderful job up there,” Ella said.

Greene patted them on the back. “They certainly did. The audience loves you.”

“Why did you cut it short?”

“I received some news while we were up on stage. It is important that you know. Come with me. We’ll go somewhere more private.”

As they left the auditorium, the rumble of the crowd grew distant. Greene popped his head into an empty room and then waved for the others to come in. The room was nearly identical to the briefing room they were in before.

Alan sat down at the table and stretched out his legs. “What’s so important?”

Greene paced around at the head of the table. “You may all want to sit for this.” They all took a seat, leaning forward to hear the news. “We have the results from your scans. They came in while we were up on stage. All of you are completely healthy…except for Saul.”

Saul looked up. “Why? What’s wrong with me?”

“It is my understanding that you had an encounter with Barnabus Carbul. He shot you.”

“Yeah, that’s right.” He rubbed the scar with his fingers. “But it’s all healed up now. I’m fine.”

“The wound has healed, but the bullet is still in there. Have you been feeling any pain?”

“I have, but I thought it was just part of the healing process.”

Greene shook his head. “It isn’t. That bullet is slowly killing you. If we don’t get it out soon, you will die.” They all went silent when they heard that last word. “I know that sounds scary, but you’re in good hands. Our medical sector is the best in the City. I will personally make sure you get the best treatment. I have already scheduled an appointment with our most successful surgeon. He will see you in an hour” He walked to the door. “I have to tend to some business, but I will return when he’s ready for you. Believe me when I say that I will do everything in my power to keep you alive. If you need anything at all while I’m gone, Charlotte can help you.” He backed out of the door and left.

Saul slouched in his chair, staring down at the ground. The others gathered around him. “I can’t die,” he said. “What was the point in surviving the gunshot if I’m just going to die anyway?”

“You don’t have to worry,” Charlotte said. “There’s no way he’s going to let you die, especially after that conference. The people love you. You’re supposed to be our success story. If you die, that all falls apart. Greene would never let that happen. I’m positive he’s making your treatment his top priority.”

“Then where did he go?” he asked. “Why did he leave instead of staying here with us?”

“You’re his number one priority, but not his only priority. He still has to run the Spire and watch over the City. He’s a very busy man.”

“You can just drain something, right?” Alan asked. “It’ll heal right up.”

Vince shook his head. “Draining is what got him into this situation. The bullet is stuck in there. Draining isn’t going to help.”

“Stay optimistic,” Ella said. “It sounds like they’re well equipped to treat you.”

“That’s right,” Charlotte said. “We have the best of the best in the Spire. It’s one of the perks of working here. You work for Greene now. For all intents and purposes, you are all Spire employees. That means you get all of the benefits, including our state of the art healthcare.”

“Does he pay us?” Alan asked.

“There’s no need for money in the Spire. To compensate for the work we do, he provides food, housing, and entertainment. Ask for anything within the lines of reason and it’s yours, as long as you keep up your work performance. If you’re valuable to him, he’ll take care of you. Right now Vince and Saul are extremely valuable.”

“What happens if you underperform?”

“He fires you. He stops providing food and shelter, and he sends you back to the streets to take care of yourself. He takes his work very seriously, and if you aren’t contributing, he’s not afraid to get rid of you.”

“That’s harsh,” Alan said. “But I guess that’s how you get things done.”

“Over the years, many people have come and gone. Those who stay longer earn Greene’s trust. Many of us have been around for over a hundred years. Barnabus was over two hundred.”

“Really?” Rupert said. “Greene doesn’t seem too upset that we killed him.”

“Barnabus was a loose cannon and Greene knew it. It was only a matter of time before something like that happened. Now that it has, he’s moved on. Vince and Saul are the next big thing. You’re far more valuable than Barnabus was. Of course, you wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t for Barnabus. He was unconventional, but extremely loyal, a trait that Greene admires.”

“How long have you worked here?” Alan asked.

“About fifty years in the Spire. Ten years as Vince and Saul’s monitor agent.”

“What were you doing for the other forty years?” Ella asked.

“I did a lot of small jobs. I was a soldier at one point. After that, I worked in the cosmetic sector, but that wasn’t satisfying for me. I felt the urge to do more. So I worked my way up.”

“And now you’re a monitor agent,” Rupert said.

“Yes. Being a monitor agent for such high profile subjects is a long-term job. It is extremely strenuous, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, but once it’s all over, I’m done for good. Greene will continue to provide food and shelter for the rest of my life, and he’ll slap a big paycheck in my hands. That’s how all of the high profile monitor agent positions work. I have no family, and I can handle the stress, so this job is perfect for me.”

“That’s interesting and all,” Saul said, “but I was just told I’m going to die. Can we focus on that?”

“That’s what I’m saying,” Charlotte said. “You’re not going to die. Greene would never allow it.”

SIXTEEN

GREENE LED THEM into the surgeon’s office. A well-dressed man sat at his desk, flipping through documents. He wore a fitted black suit with the City logo patched on the shoulder.

“Welcome,” he said, rising to his feet. He walked over and shook Greene’s hand. “I take it these are our guests.”

“That’s right. These are the ones from outside.”

“It must be fascinating out there.”

“I wouldn’t say fascinating,” Rupert said. “It’s…different.”

“Fair enough. I’m Dr. Brant. It’s a pleasure to meet all of you.”

“He’s the best we have in the Spire,” Greene said. “Well-known for his many achievements.”

“Thank you for the kind words,” Dr. Brant said. He turned to Saul. “So this is my patient?”

Greene nodded. “Yes, it is. Please tell me you have good news.”

“Let’s all sit down and we can discuss the situation we have here.” They all took a seat except for Greene, who stood near the back with his arms crossed. “I have been looking at your file for some time now. It is a very interesting case. I’ve never seen anything quite like it. I suppose it’s because of your draining powers. You see, when the bullet entered your body, it punctured your lung. Without your powers, you would have died within a day. However, you manage to heal yourself and survive. Unfortunately, the rapid healing process managed to push the bullet in even further. It is now completely encased by your lung. You may have bought yourself some time, but it is slowly killing you.”

“One of the Crown doctors looked at my wound,” Saul said. “He said I’d be fine.”

“I’m afraid the Crowns medical resources are nowhere near as sophisticated as ours. Our body scanners are top of the line.”

“Is there a way to treat it?” Greene asked. “Can you remove the bullet?”

“Not without killing him. I’m afraid it’s just too dangerous to operate. And draining will only worsen the situation.” He paused. “I know it’s hard to hear, but your days are limited. That bullet will slowly dig deeper into your lung and eventually it will kill you.”

Saul’s eyes filled with tears. “There has to be something you can do.”

“The best I can do is inject you with one of the formulas we’re testing. Theoretically, it should strengthen the tissue in your lung and slow the process. It’s only a temporary solution, but it should buy you a month or two.”

“You’re absolutely sure you can’t operate on him?” Greene asked.

“If I do, he will most likely die on the table.”

“Very well.” He looked to Saul. “I suggest you take that injection. It will give you time. Perhaps enough to bring Simon down.”

The tears poured down Saul’s face. He wiped the snot with the back of his hand. “That bastard is going down.”

As the others gathered around to comfort him, Rupert approached Greene. “I have a quick question for you. Where is Fred, my falcon? They said they were fixing her up. Is she better yet?”

“They’re still tending to her. Be patient. She’ll be better in no time.”

“I would like to check in on her. Can I see her?”

“I’m afraid we have a strict no-visitor policy in our medical sector. You will not be able to see her until she has fully healed.”

“How long will that be? The nurse told me it would only be a day or two.”

“It may be longer. We had to reconstruct part of her skeleton. The recovery time is quite long. But don’t worry. She is in good hands.”

Dr. Brant reached into a drawer and pulled out a syringe. “I have the injection right here. We can do it right now if you want. It’s quick and painless.”

Saul nodded. “Do it.”

Dr. Brant stuck the needle in his arm and pushed the fluid in. “This will buy you some time. Use it wisely.”

“We will make the most of his time,” Greene said. He looked at Saul. “We’ll take you around. You’ll meet as many people as possible. Make the biggest impact that we can with the time you have left. You will make a difference. When your unfortunate end comes, people will know your name. You will be remembered as the hero of the City. The one who saved us all. The one who brought down Simon Hedcrown.”

With those words, Saul looked back at Greene.
And I’m going to take you down too, son of a bitch
. He smiled. “Let’s do it.”

SEVENTEEN

THEY RETURNED TO the briefing room. The group, along with other Spire employees, filled the seats at the table. Greene stood at the front.

“One of our undercover agents has reported plans for a second attack.” He pointed to the screen displaying a bird’s eye view of the Spire and its defensive walls. “This is where Simon attacked last time.” He pointed to the gap in the first wall. “It will likely be the target of his next attack. He is going to exploit that weakness while he still can. We’re working on getting it repaired, but it will take some time. In the meantime, we need to protect that opening. We must guard it and make sure no one gets through. I have some men down there right now, but it’s not enough. We need more. They certainly outnumber us, but we have the firepower to hold them off. Our new cannons worked perfectly last time. It scared them away. Next time, they’ll know what they’re up against. They’ll be prepared for our cannons, so we need to increase our firepower. Move more of our cannons to that area. We have extra cannons on the third wall. I would like to move those up. That will scare them away.”

One of the workers raised her hand. “That will leave the third wall vulnerable.”

“That is true, but the chances of them making it that far are slim. Even if they do make it through that gap, the second wall is fully intact.”

“Who else can we send down there?” she asked. Her hand was still raised. “Having more cannons means we need more people to operate them.”

“As you all know, we have a shortage of troops at the moment. I sent a squad out to the streets to deal with an incident at one of our supply shops, but after Simon’s last attack, I have called them back. They will arrive sometime tomorrow, but until then, we need volunteers. Anyone who wants to protect the Spire, now is a good time for patriotism. Volunteers will fight to protect what we’ve worked so hard to achieve.” He looked to Vince and Saul. “That’s where you two come in. A lot of these volunteers will be ordinary people, not soldiers. You need to inspire them. Remind them what they’re fighting for.”

“You want us to go down there with them?” Alan asked.

“Just these two. You three can do what you want. Go down with them or stay up here. It’s up to you. But Vince and Saul need to be down there. Their presence will boost confidence and raise morale.”

“What about me, sir?” Charlotte asked.

“You will go down as well. In the absence of a military commander, you will be in charge of our men. Put that military training of yours to use. You will also stay with Vince and Saul.”

She nodded.

“The rest of you, go around and recruit any volunteers that are willing to fight for the Spire. If all goes according to plan, there will be no real danger. We just need numbers to keep them at bay. Once the wall is repaired, we will return to our normal procedures. Are there any questions?” There was no response. “Good. Then let’s get to work.”

Everyone dispersed from the table. Vince and the others gathered near the far side of the room.

“We’re coming down with you,” Alan said. “Wherever you go, we go.”

“No,” Vince said. “The three of you will stay up here.”

“What? Why?”

“He’s right,” Rupert said. “This is the perfect time for us to look around and get familiar with the Spire without Charlotte watching our backs.”

Ella looked up at the cameras. “She won’t be watching, but someone will be.”

“That is true,” Vince said. “You will have to be very careful, but I believe it’s possible to get around unseen. There must be blind spots. Walk around, act normal, and before you do anything suspicious, check for cameras. I want you to explore the area and find anything that may help us in the future. Our focus right now is Simon, but that doesn’t mean we can’t prepare for Greene. We should do our research, so when the time comes, we’ll be ready.”

“I agree,” Rupert said.

“Saul and I will follow Greene’s orders. We’ll keep him happy. You explore as much as you can.”

Charlotte, who had been speaking with Greene, finished up and walked over to the group. “When you’re ready I can take you to the elevators. Will it be all of you?”