Price of a Bounty (Reliance on Citizens Makes Us Great!) (7 page)

We
kept walking, lost in our own thoughts. I kicked some trash out of
the way. It was another brochure touting the wrongdoings of the Gov.

“Why
do you call him Guy?” I finally asked.

“It’s
not just a code name. It’s the name he prefers, at least among those
of us in the Resistance. He chose it for himself. You should ask
him why.”

“But
I’m not part of the Resistance.”

“You
will be,” Eberhardt concluded with certainty.

We
walked the rest of the way in silence. As we neared my neighborhood,
cars became virtually nonexistent. People lined the sidewalks, sat
in the sun and enjoyed the bright sunny weather. Others walked along
the street, heading this way or that. After a cold winter, the
warmth was appreciated by all.

Richard
and Eberhardt had both given me a lot to think about.
Can a few
people really change society?

-Keira-

Lunch
with April

The
next day, April and I met for lunch at a small café. We
ordered bread and hummus to share. Meat that wasn’t reserved for the
military was either ultra expensive or unsafe.

“So,
what have you been up to? The usual?” April combed her
fingers through her long blond hair and pushed it out of her face.
She had grown up to look so much like our mother.

“I’ve
met someone.” Had Scott ever told her about Rick?

“Really?”
Her deep brown eyes brightened. “Do tell. Is he good
looking?” She toyed with a pair of wedding bands that hung on
a chain around her neck. They had belonged to our parents.

“Is
that all it’s ever about with you?”

“No,
sometimes it’s about money. Is he rich?”

“He’s
a friend of Scott’s.”

“Military,”
she assumed.

“No,
from before.”

“And
they still keep in contact?”

“Apparently.”

“What’s
his name?”

“Rick,
well, Richard Burke, the third.”

“He
sounds rich. How did you meet? Did Scott introduce you?”

“Not
exactly. So…Scott never mentioned him?”

“No,
I don’t think so. Why?”

“No
reason. We met at work.”

“Oh
no!” April rolled her eyes. “I hope he was an employer
and not a mark. Either way, they say work relationships never last,”
she teased.

I
smiled. “I’ve heard that before too. Plus, he’s so
different.”

“What
do you mean?”

“He’s
an idealist, like Mom and Dad, and…well, I’m not. I should just
forget about it.”

“Not
so fast! They also say girls marry their father. No wonder you’re
attracted to him. Is he cute?” she asked again.

“Stop!”
I playfully cuffed her alongside the face.

“Ow,
hey, he is, isn’t he?”

Just
then, the Beckett’s nanny arrived with two young girls in tow.

“Do
you mind watching Edrea and Vanessa for a little while?” she
asked April. “I need to run a personal errand.”

April
nodded. “Sure. We’ll be in the park. Let’s go, girls!”
She motioned with her head for me to follow.

We
settled down on the warm spring grass and watched the girls at play.
They looked happy and innocent.

“Were
we like that when we were young?” I asked.

“I
don’t know about you, but I am still young.” April smiled and
tossed her hair back.

“You
know what I mean.” I nudged her with my elbow.

“Yes,
I do.” She turned sober. “They’re how I wish we could
have been. We weren’t given the opportunities they have.”

I
looked at her. Her life hadn’t been easy either, though Scott and I
had both supported her as much as possible.

“Do
you think that’s right? Do you think some children deserve that life
and others don’t?”

She
shrugged. “It’s just how things are.”

“But,
is it the way society has to be?”

“What’s
gotten into you, and what have you done with my sister?” April
teased.

Rick’s
mood had rubbed off on me. I continued seriously, “It’s not
what Mom and Dad believed. Maybe Terene really was different once,
more…I don’t know, fair.”

“I
don’t know that fair was ever an option, but if this guy is good
looking and wealthy and into you, you could have the better life
you’re dreaming of, couldn’t you?”

I
wondered about that. Could Rick be into me? Oh, I knew I could make
him like me – I’d seen the look in his eyes when he saw me in
the bath. I was good at making men like me, but then it wouldn’t be
real.

On
my way home, I stopped at my bank. When I tried to withdraw the
money Mrs. Ramsey had promised to wire, the teller gave me a strange
look and said, “I’m sorry, Miss. That account has been
closed.”

“What?”
I asked in surprise.

“That
account was closed,” she repeated, “just this morning.”

“By
who?”

“I’m
not at liberty to share that information.”

“It’s
my account,” I responded in a steely voice, “and you’re
telling me I don’t have the right to know who closed it?”

I
saw her gaze shift, and I glanced over my shoulder. She’d caught the
eye of the security guard on duty.

I
bit my tongue, then turned and walked calmly toward the exit.
Suddenly, a guard reached for me. I dodged and ran out the door and
into bright sunlight. A few blocks away, I hailed a cab. It didn’t
look like it would make it more than a few blocks, and the interior
smelled funny. Nevertheless, I paid the driver and directed him to
the Beckett estate. Upon arrival, I hurried around to the service
entrance in back.

“Lewis.”
I nodded a greeting toward the chef. “Do you know where I can
find April?”

“Hi,
Keira. She’s straightening the parlor for afternoon tea.”

“Thank
you.” I hurried down the hall.

April
had been living on site for over a year now, so I knew my way around.
In the corridor, I passed the butler who also greeted me. I entered
the parlor, walked over to the off-white fainting couch, pretended to
faint and looked up at April.

“I
need your help, sis.”

“So
dramatic!” She giggled. “I’ll try my best. What do you
need?”

“Information.
Do you know of any upcoming social events in the next week or two?
It’s important.”

“Why?
You want to party?” She grinned, every bit the youngest.

“I’m
serious about this.”

April
sat down next to me. “I can see that,” she said quietly.
“What’s up?”

“She
double crossed me and closed my bank account. Nobody does that to me
and gets away with it!”

“Who?
Wow, wait a minute.” Her grin faded completely. “You’re
really angry.”

“How
can you tell?” I asked sarcastically.

“Other
than the steam coming out of your ears? Look, go home and relax.”

I
looked at her like she’d gone insane.

“Really,
I’ve got your back. Who did this to you?”

“Elaine
Ramsey,” I whispered. Her eyes grew wide, and I nodded to let
her know how serious I was. “I need to know if she’s throwing
a party anytime soon.”

“Cheer
up! A lady of her standing throws parties all the time.”
April threw her arm around my shoulders. “They always talk
about events like that during tea. That and who’s engaged and whose
wedding was horrendous and…” She stopped and gave me a look.
“I’ll eavesdrop this afternoon, and I’ll stop by your
apartment tonight.”

“Thanks.”
I gave April a big hug. I didn’t want to drag her into my affairs,
but in this situation, it was the quickest way to get the information
I needed.

***

Later
that evening, April stopped by as promised. “I can’t believe
you pulled a job for Elaine Ramsey! Do you realize how influential
she is? That’s pretty risky, even for you.”

“Well,
she’d as much as told me she wasn’t going to pay me, but I had no
idea she’d close my account. Who steals from the Working Class
anyway?”

“She
does, obviously. But you’ll get it back. She’s throwing a dinner
party next Thursday at her Galt residence. You are just going to
steal, right? I mean, you’re not going to…” She slid a
finger across her throat. “Not Elaine Ramsey.”

I
hugged her close. “Don’t worry, April. I’ll do what I do
best. I’m a master of disguise. I’ll sneak in and out. She won’t
even know I was there until it’s too late. Then, I may have to
disappear for a while, until she moves on and tries to take advantage
of someone else.”

I
hated lying to April.

-Scott-

Meeting
the President

I’d
been in Parisio for a couple of days, preparing for my meeting. It
was good to be back. I reached up to straighten my tie. Then I
opened my briefcase, pulled out some documents and began paging
through them, focusing on what I planned to say.

My
associate chose a seat against the wall and waited patiently for the
others to arrive. She didn’t look it, but I knew that Madame Bellami
was just as nervous as me. She had chosen to wear more colorful, yet
dressy attire appropriate to her station. We both had high hopes
that the Mediterran Gov would back our proposal.

“Monsieur
President, messieurs, dames.” I pushed back my chair and stood
as the President and his advisors entered the meeting room. “I
am truly honored that you’ve agreed to meet with me today.”

“Shall
we begin?” The President gestured to the chairs, and we all
sat. “Let’s get right down to business, shall we?”

“Yes,
sir. Have you had a chance to read our proposal?”

“We
have.”

Some
of his advisors nodded in agreement.

“You’re
a member of the Terenian military, are you not, M. Maddock?”

“I
am, but you must understand that I am not here in that capacity, nor
do I represent the Gov of Terene.”

“You
are a brave man, M. Maddock, to bring this proposal to our attention.
Just by coming here today, you are placing yourself in danger. You
understand that if we agree to this, you will likely be considered a
traitor to your realm. Are you willing to sacrifice so much?”

“As
long as there’s a chance it will save others, yes.”

“Are
the rumors true?”

I
hesitated.

“M.
Maddock, are the rumors about genetic engineering true?”

I
looked down as I thought about how best to answer his question.
Rumors had been circulating for decades. Were they true? I just
didn’t know, but every so often a soldier would go missing.
We’d been told they’d gone AWOL, that they had deserted,
but I just didn’t believe that. I’d known some of them
personally. And all the tests they continued to give us, especially
those of us in Special Ops…I raised my head and looked him in the
eye. “I have no proof, but it’s likely.”

He
nodded. “It is my understanding that you would only bring
certain people into Mediterra, people who would be trained and then
returned to help your cause.”

“That’s
correct, as well as certain individuals who may require sanctuary.
Obviously, there is no way to anticipate who would fall into that
category. We plan to provide all funding.”

“We
must agree upon a cap. I will not allow undue strain upon the
communities of Mediterra.”

“Of
course, if you’ll turn to page 38, you’ll see that we plan to be
extremely selective. Our goal is to keep Terenian citizens safe
within our own realm. However, we also recognize that it will not
always be possible.”

The
President and his advisors took a moment to review page 38. Then he
looked at me and asked, “Who is the other contact?”

“My
partner, Guy Bensen. He has a better handle on the financial
aspects, and I’m in charge of transport. We are equally invested in
this opportunity. Our contact information is on page 5.”

The
President turned to page 5, reviewed the information, and then pushed
the proposal away. He closed his eyes and thought for a few minutes.

Then
he spoke, and everyone listened. “M. Maddock, I am impressed
by your courage and by your selflessness. I did not expect that from
a Terenian. You must know that the citizens of Mediterra generally
make a practice of keeping to themselves. We do not want the
problems created by others to become our own.”

I
nodded. We were not unaware that we had already achieved a victory
just by being granted a meeting with the President.

“Because
your organization is working to better your society, and based upon
your character.” He looked at each of his advisors in turn.
All but one nodded. “We accept your proposal.”

I
let out a breath of air and smiled. “Thank you, M. President.”

“There
is one more matter to discuss before I make this official. This side
venture. Explain it to me.”

“I’m
sure you realize, M. President, that illegal activities such as this
occur on a daily basis in realms throughout the world. It’s a
lucrative way to fund our rescue operations. We want to make it
legal on your end. We’re offering the Mediterran Gov 15% from the
sale of such items.”

He
paged through the proposal to that particular section. “And
you are only agreeing to bring such items into the realm, not to
export them without governmental authorization?”

“It’s
stated as such on page 56.”

He
turned to that page and suddenly looked up. “Who is Danielle
Bellami?”

I
smiled at her as she stood and moved forward. “M. President,
I’d like to introduce you to Danielle Bellami, a highly respected
Mediterran citizen and owner of Art Fantastique.”

“Building
bridges right from the beginning. I think your organization just may
bring about the change you’re hoping for.” The President
picked up a pen and signed the proposal in its entirety. “I
wish you luck, M. Maddock, you and Guy Bensen. And you as well,
Mme.
Bellami.”