Chapter 343
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Tuesday May 6th marked Eve's 18th birthday. With only 75 days until impact there was little reason to celebrate. Noone here even seemed to know, not that Eve could blame them. On this day, and others, Eve did her job as secretary. Taking notes in meetings, and sending memos to whomever the president asked. Around 6pm this day Eve was eating a sandwich at her desk, thinking her work was done for the day. But then the president asked to see her in private. Mason gave Eve his private cellphone number. She was asked to contact him immediately if she recieved any messages from ms Wynter. No matter where he was Eve should call him immediately should this woman call. Although no further details were given Eve realized it was serious, and agreed to call if she made contact.
Eve thought about what president Mason was asking of her. If Gardner was behind the coup, Mason might try to foster dis-unity amongst Gardner's allies. It wasn't a secret that Gardner had at least two mistresses, Wynter, and captain Christina Cox. Maybe ms Wynter didn't like sharing him, would she betray him? Perhaps. It was possible that Mason wanted Eve's help because she had a history with this woman. Not much of a relationship, but Mason would take what he could get. And despite her hatred of George Mason, he did seem like the lesser of two evils. For better or worse Eve had once again been drafted into some sort of cloak and dagger plot.
Although she waited, being only half-asleep again, the call from ms Wynter never came. The next day Eve and Zoey were talking. Zoey opened up about the men and woman she had to marry. One woman, Faith in Massachussetts, had been kidnapped by a biker gang at the age of 14. Faith adapted to this life, even becoming the leader of one gang, mediating truces between the Hells Angels and the Dragons. Faith became a dictator, forced order upon her people, ignoring her own laws when it suited her purpose. But at least there wolves and eagles, christians and muslims, got along okay and worked together. Eve felt some sympathy for Faith, more than the other two warlords. Another one was a preacher in Florida, ran his government as a christian theocracy. Everyone gave every possession they had to the "co-op." Those of different religions, or weren't considered sufficiently "christian" were exiled or executed. Televsion, radio, pets, even the color red, were banned. The worst of these warlords was in Missouri, Nolan. Nolan once called himself "Mayor" but now claimed to be a god, forced people to worship him. He forced people to take his mark, executed those who didn't. After they all took the mark, he told them they were now damned, only he could protect them from Christ. His "High priest" Dale had been the leader of a motorcycle gang. After 2/4 Dale and Nolan came to an understanding. Dale provided muscle to squash dissent, keep order. During the war they slaughtered a rival town and stole their crops. Today, this town's chief export was tobacco, often forcing young children to work in these fields. Hearing what this monster did to children as young as 8, Eve admired Zoey for her efforts to get the children away from him and safely into the Arks. Zoey was something of an enigma. She'd been baptized by the preacher, and taken Nolan's mark of the beast. Eve say 666 burned into Zoey's hand. Zoey had covertly brought pills into the preacher's community to help young women end un-wanted pregnancies. She also covertly brought Bibles to christians hiding in Nolan's place. Eve asked Zoey wht her real religion was. It seemed she was a member of Finis Generatium. She hoped that when her time came, her death would be atonemnet for past sins, her own and the world's.