Previously on Ordinary People. Will and Dawn meet The United. A brotherhood of evolved humans who are dedicated to taking down The Government. Who are these mysterious men and women? What is their role? Alec meets his demise. What is the fate of Casey?
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE "SEA OF SORROW"
The sniper sat on the ground, leaning against a melted taxicab. The yellow paint from years past was scorched from the hide, leaving rusty black soot from the ashes of spectators and pedestrians. He opened a black brief case, containing the instrument of death, took out the carious parts to the rifle and expertly put it together. With a final click, he aligned the scope, looked through the cross hairs for his target.
The two fugitives sat amongst the ruins. Talking. They were just out of sight. Patiently he waited for them to make a move. He took out his two-way radio and pressed the side button. "I have visual contact."
"Very good," Kelsey said from the other line. "Wayne wants this done quick and fast. Take them out."
"Yes, Sir."
He waited.
And waited.
Finally the young man stood up. The sniper tilted his head, closed his right eye and steadied his finger on the trigger. He only needed two shots to finish the job. Two shots to end the life of two wanted criminals. A gun shot.
Alec's head whipped back. Blood spurting out of his temple like a water fountain. Casey screamed in horror. Dotted red splats spilled over her body. Her face became stained with the velvet liquid. Without a sound he fell to the floor.
She turned her head to see a sniper hiding behind a melted taxicab.
He aimed and fired.
Instinctively, her body became water. The bullet harmlessly splashed through her. It flew through her head and into the stone wall behind her. Quickly, Casey fell down, her stomach touching the ground, her fingers tense, her eyes sharp. The glistening of the rifle barrel flashed momentarily before the sniper hid behind his cover once again.
She remained still. Holding her breath. Adrenaline pumping through every vain in her body. Red from Alec's blood curled underneath her liquefied palm, diluting the substance in an amazing swirl of darkness.
But she was not paying attention to it. Her mind was stuck on the enemy. A sniper who hid. A sniper who tried to kill her. The pupils in her eye disappeared beneath a milky film as she melted into a large puddle, slithering across the ground towards her prey.
The sniper lifted the rifle onto his shoulder. He clicked the button on his two-way radio. "Agent Walters, Alec Lions is dead."
"What about the girl?"
He peered over the granite block he hid behind to where Alec's body lay. She was gone.
"What about the girl?" she asked more forcefully.
He turned around to answer but he was silence by a powerful strike to the face. Casey lifted her fist, glazed in frozen temperatures, and struck him again. Ferociously she yelled in anger, beating him repeatedly until his mouth loosely hung open, blood dripping from his face, the red substance on her knuckles.
"Agent O' Brian, what is the status of Casey Walker?"
Casey picked up the communicating device and put it up to her mouth. "I'm still here," she growled.
Silence.
Her voice was just above a whisper. Raspy and fierce. Her body trembled as the adrenaline rush wore off. "I am going to find you and I am going to kill you for what you did. You can send your people to get me but I am going to kill you. Do you understand? I am going to kill you!"
She crushed the device in her hands.
Will opened his eyes. He was in a small room. The walls were held together with large bolts. Each one protruded from the frame, rounded at the top and sharp around the edges. The bed was soft. A little coarse. Rusty metal poles on either side acted as bedposts, and crudely welded metal provided the frame. Two long rectangular lights hung on the ceiling. It filled the tiny area with a slightly brighter luminance than he preferred. A vent was in the corner, allowing cool recycled air to enter in and cool the temperature.
He stood up, wincing a bit from a headache. He rubbed his shoulder. It still stung from the laser beam. Will stretched his arms as he moved towards the door that hung ajar.
"They're planning to meet about it tonight. I'm going to be there so I'll get more details-"
Will opened the door.
Lacie turned around, a cell phone up to her ear with one hand and a lock of hair in the other. She twirled it around her finger. A nervous smile formed on her face. "Oh, hey, you're awake."
He nodded. "Where am I?"
"You're in one of the guest rooms." She paused. "Well, technically it isn't a guest room because we don't have guests very often."
"Who are you?"
She put up her index finger to let him know that she would be with him momentarily. "I'll have to call you back." She hung up and smiled again. "Jeanette told me to tell her when you woke up, so I'm going to get her. Stay here. I'll be right back."
Will watched the young woman leave. He idled in the doorway before he limped back into the room and back onto the bed. In the silence that followed, he took the chance to prepare himself for whatever lied ahead. He was in a strange room with a very friendly guard. The last thing he remembered was being on the edge of a cliff surrounded by army soldiers.
He took a deep breath.
And wondered what had happened in the last few hours.
Casey slowly moved across the battlefield. New York's ruins lay desolate. Death and destruction was written in the broken walls, the cracked foundation, the burnt ground. She walked towards Alec's body. Each step harder to take than the first. After all the adrenaline had left her there was nothing left to feel except confusion. Frustration. Anger. She walked in silence. She didn't know what to say. She couldn't say anything.
His body lied on the floor, arms sticking limply, hanging over his body, legs crossed, head on the side looking out at the ruins of New York City. The bullet hole in his head still bled and the puddle became bigger and bigger with every second.
She touched his arm. Felt his fingers. His skin felt cold. And numb. He was a pale white like the early moon before it descended into the darkness of night. There was no more hope in his eyes. There was no more comfort in his touch. There was no more love. She gently closed the lids.
Her hand shook.
Her lip quivered.
She didn't know what to feel.
She didn't how to feel.
But there was a chance to save him.
The Mother.
If anybody could bring him back, it would be her.
A knock came at the door.
Jeanette took a step inside. "Hi, you must be Will."
He looked up. A woman stood partially in the open doorway. He cleared his throat. "How do you know my name?"
"Dawn told me."
"Dawn? She's here?"
"Yes."
"Is she okay?"
"She's fine. How are you doing?"
He hesitated. He processed whether or not he should trust her.
She gently closed the door and stood politely near it. Her hands were behind her back. Her posture was straight. She seemed very trustworthy.
"I'm doing all right," he finally responded. "I have a headache, but other than that, I think I'll be fine."
"That's good." She took a step forward. Her postured loosened. A soft demeanor. She looked at his face and knew that he was only confused. She wanted to ease his confusion. "I'm sure you have a lot of questions. I want to answer them."
He nodded his head. Questions already flowing out of his mind. He didn't know which one to choose first, so he started with the basics. "Who are you?"
"My name is Jeanette."
"There was a woman guarding the door-"
"That was Lacie."
He nodded his head. "Where… where am I?"
"You are in the secret headquarters of The United. A brotherhood of evolved humans that share the same goal: The downfall of The Government and The System it established."
"A brotherhood?"
"The facility that you escaped from is Military Base 21. A base of operations where we, evolved humans, are processed. From there we go to prison or we choose to work for the government. Either way, we lose."
"I want to see Dawn."
Jeanette smiled. "Of course. Come with me."
She opened the door and gestured for him to go first. After standing up, he made his way to the doorway. Before he left the room, he stopped. His eyes fell upon the woman's face. Could he trust her? Only time would tell. She smiled a soft, reassuring smile and they left the room.
The corridor was darkly lit. Unknown individuals walked down the path towards them or around them going towards a destination that Will knew nothing of. They did not stop to talk to them. Others gave him eye contact. But they were busy people. There was much to be done in The United.
Their feet echoed off of the steel walls. The only noise in the silence. Every few yards a similar rectangular light like the ones in his room hung on the ceiling. A small patch of odd lighting, a small patch of visible darkness, and another area of lighting. The pattern continued all the way down the hall.
Jeanette looked at Will. She examined his face almost curiously.
He became uncomfortable. "Why are you looking at me?"
"You don't trust me."
He did not know what to say. She was right.
"You're skeptical about The United as well."
He nodded his head.
"Let me tell you that you are no different than anybody else here. Everybody had their doubts about an organization that could take down The Government. There were three of us then: Me, Philip, and Manuel. Philip is our leader. He's the symbol of what The United stands for. He was taken under false pretenses. He knows first hand what it feels like. He's courageous, strong. A good leader. Manuel is the Field Leader. He leads the missions. A quick thinker."
"What about you?"
"I'm Second In Command to Philip."
Will nodded his head. "Impressive," he stated.
She smiled. "We were the first to escape. The first taste of freedom told us to go our separate ways and get our lives back. But something happened that changed us all." She looked down the hall, remembering the pivotal moment. "Another transport took more of us to the facility. There were so many faces of innocent people being taken to prison out of fear. We realized that we could get our freedom, but there would always be others that would not experience such joy."
Will looked at her. She knew what she wanted. She was resolved in her resolution. Respect began to grow within him for her, even though he hardly knew her.
"So we rescued them. Every single one we could find. It started out small, but soon it grew. And the dream became bigger. Suddenly taking down The Government wasn't so far-fetched. It was becoming a reality." She looked back at him. She looked into his eyes. "You can trust us, Will. You can trust me."
He stared back into her eyes. She was honest. He understood that she could be trusted. Will couldn't help but nod his head. "Okay."
She sat on the floor, cradling Alec's body, while she angrily knocked on the door. She slammed her fist into the wood. Over and over again. Calling out to whomever was inside. She looked down at him. He was heavy. And the blood had dried on his face. Red still stained her skin and shirt. She held onto him like he was life. There was still a chance to see him again.
"Open the door!"
The large wooden door opened. The guardian, known as Target, stopped short of his next step. Two bloody individuals were at the doorway.
"H-help me," she said grabbing his hand. "I need to see The Mother."
Silently he reached down, picking him up.
"Be careful with him. Be careful."
The guardian nodded his head. "Follow me."
Casey took small steps. Her eyes would not leave him. His lifeless frame rocked with every step. Like a doll. He dangled horribly over his shoulder. "Everything's going to be okay," she whispered. "Everything is going to be okay, Alec, just hold on." She spoke to his pale face. She remembered how it felt to reassure Justin before his death. "This time it's going to be different."
"Mother," Target said.
She looked up from her throne.
"She has returned."
Casey pushed past him. She outstretched her arms so that he could give him to her. Gently, he lowered Alec's body into her arms. She turned towards The Mother and kneeled in her presence. She looked at the young man's face before drawing her attention to the woman before her. "Mother… please… help me."
"What happened?"
She shook uncontrollably. "He's been shot in the head, I–I thought you could heal him… you–you are The Maiden of Life. The Healer. I ask that you heal him now."
"I cannot heal him."
She closed her eyes, fighting back her tears. She held his body close, gently rocking. "Please. Please heal him."
"I'm sorry. I cannot-"
"Damn it, heal him!" she commanded.
Her voice echoed throughout the hall. Her hands continued to tremble under his weight. A glossy mist fell over her eyes as a teardrop gathered in the corner of her eyes, slowly rolling down her cheek. Target stood respectfully. He looked at The Mother wondering what she would do.
She sighed and shook her head. "I'm sorry. He's already dead."
"No," Casey whispered.
"I cannot bring him back to life." A memory flashed. The Mother took a deep breath. "I cannot bring him back to life."
Alec was dead. Hope was dead.
Casey became still. Her mind raced. Every single memory of him replayed in her head. The first time she met him. Their night out in Town's Square. His face. His touch. Their love. Every emotion she ever felt for him rushed through her body. Quickly there and quickly leaving. Questions intertwined with the events that unfolded. Why? Casey couldn't wrap her mind around the fact that he was really gone. Nothing could bring him back. An empty pit settled in her stomach. She looked down at his face. The blood caked over his eyes. She shook and allowed the tears to fall freely onto his clothes.
"Casey?"
She looked up.
Danny stood a few feet away in the doorway to The Mother's room. He ran to her.
Suddenly, he stopped. Alec's body.
"Oh my God," he whispered.
Casey couldn't reply. She didn't know why he was there, and she didn't care. He saw the pain in her eyes. She saw the surprise in his. She looked at the boy and shook her head.
Hope was dead.
"Oh my God," he said again holding his stomach. He gagged, turning his eyes away from the gory scene. The contents of his stomach fell onto the floor.
The Mother sadly stood up.
"Where are you going?!" her voice echoed in the silence.
She stood still for a moment.
Casey softly put Alec's body on the marble floor. "Heal him!"
"I told you already-"
"No! Heal him!" More tears.
The Mother pressed her lips together. Casey was in denial. She could not accept the reality of truth or how much it really hurt.
Danny looked at Casey. Then to The Mother. "Please. Can't you do anything?"
She kneeled down and looked into his eyes. She spoke softly. Kindly. She knew the pain that they felt. They wanted a guarantee that something good could happen. But nothing good happened. What was done was done. "I can heal those who are hurt. But I cannot raise people back from the dead. Believe me. I've tried."
Casey quietly wept. She lowered her head into her arms. She leaned on Alec's chest. Her shoulders shook.
"Why did this happen?" Danny asked into the air. "I don't want this to happen anymore."
The Mother took him into her arms and hugged him. "I'm sorry you have to deal with these things at such a young age. You shouldn't have to know about these things."
He wiped his eyes. "Can I stay with you? I don't want to go back into the real world."
She nodded her head. "Of course. My home is a haven for evolved humans."
He hugged back. And he wouldn't let go.
She looked at Casey's shuddering body. "I'm sorry."
Casey's soft cries ceased. She looked up. Eyes red. Face wet with tears. She felt hopeless. She felt sad. But more than anything, she felt angry. "Danny."
"Yeah?"
"Bury his body." Without a further word, she stood up.
"Where are you going?" The Mother asked.
"Out."
"You can stay here-"
"No."
"What do you plan to do?"
She clenched her fist. There was only one thing left to do. "Get revenge."
"The door to the left."
He grabbed the handle and pushed it open. The room was a little bit bigger than the room he was in. There was an old couch and an even older wooden coffee table in the middle. Two men sat in chairs on the left side of the coffee table and Dawn and the woman named Lacie sat on the couch.
Dawn looked at the two in the doorway. A smile immediately enveloped her face. "Will!" she waved her hand at him. "Hi!"
He walked to her and gave her a hug. "You're all right."
"Of course I am," she scoffed. She winked at The Readers at their computers. "But you already knew that, didn't you?"
Jeanette walked into the room. "Will, you've already met Lacie."
She waved at him.
"But this is who you haven't met. This is Philip and Manuel."
"I call him 'Mitch'," Dawn said happily.
Will nodded his head to them. "So," he said, drawing his attention back to Jeanette, "are you recruiting me into The United?"
She grinned. "Wasn't it obvious? You and Dawn have very unique abilities. They're going to be useful against The Governent."
"Oh," he laughed. "I thought you were recruiting me because of my rugged good looks."
"That too."
"I already joined," Dawn interrupted the flirtatious two.
He shook his head, a smile still on his face. "All right. I accept your offer."
Philip stood up. "Good. Follow me. It's time to be debriefed."
Continued…
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