The Crimson Fall (The Sons of Liberty Book 1) (26 page)

              ~Lukas

January ‘19

I once met a girl I claimed to be the sassiest girl alive. Little did I know that as she grew into a woman, she would captivate me unlike anyone I have ever met.

Jacob’s twenty-six-year-old daughter, a fierce and brilliant economist named Maria, has joined the Patriarchs. Never before have I met such a gorgeous, smart, and intriguing woman. The very sway of her hips as she walks is a hypnotizing ballet. A moment in her presence and I cannot help but think that I would sacrifice my soul to be with that woman. It is no secret to me, or to her I presume, that other men among the Patriarchs have taken an interest in her. But any of them would simply use her as a trophy. Jacob knows those men well enough to know he would never want an egotistical asshole like one of them to ruin his daughter’s happiness. He told me he merely wants Maria to find a man she could be happy with in the new world we are creating. In fact, he said he wants her to find a man like me. He told me if it were not for my age and the fact that I am a married man, he knows I would have been the perfect suitor.

I assured him that if that was truly the case—and being that age is seemingly no longer a setback for us—that he should not worry much. I reminded him that I would one day soon own Holt Industries, inherit a limitless fortune, and all before moving on to even grander prospects that culminate with our victory. I told him that he should not let a trivial thing like an unwanted marriage get in the way of her happiness.

He smiled and said he could not have agreed more.

              ~Lukas

August ‘21

Midnight Slumber

Come night, come oneness,

Come thing of mystery.

Now flight, now darkness,

Come now oh eternity.

Bring awe, bring wonder,

And bring a midnight with thee.

Now death, now slumber,

Bring it now, but not for me.

Please know, Father, that I only did what I must. Your death will not be in vain.

              ~Lukas

June ‘23

I had once believed love was an overrated emotion that mysteriously captivated most of the world. I thought those who said they knew love were as weak as those who said they knew God. As for myself, I saw love merely as a tool to bend others to my will. I used the image of love to convince my wife to marry me, to persuade her father to trust me, and eventually to honor the memory of my own father as I was voted unanimously to fill his role as president of what has become Holt-Chambers Industries. I saw no use for love other than a means to further my dreams and the agenda of the Patriarchs. That is, until I came to know her.

She is a woman who has taught me that love is far more than a tool for manipulation. It is a powerful link that bonds the most privileged of people together. It is something that when experienced you cannot help but pity those who do not know its greatness. For the first time in my life, I want less of me and more of someone else. The greatest thing about it all is that she shares this love with me.

I have begun a relationship with Maria Brekor. I fear our love may one day make enemies from within the Patriarchs, but that is a fear I gladly welcome. Our loyal army of agents now numbers in the tens of thousands—a number that continues to grow every year. The Brazilian has created a process by which to monitor them all and remotely disable any who attempt to reveal a word of the little knowledge they may know. They are a network of unseen cells planted around the globe so that they may rise up to assist us with the coming Purge. Though I am afraid the hour of our revolution remains distant and unknown, we continue to ready ourselves for that moment every day.

Maria and I know we must remain a secret to the world until the day of our deliverance, but we will cherish every surreptitious and stolen moment we have together until that day. For the time being, I continue to put up with Sue, as I must. However, as Sue grows old and ignorant of the world around her, I rest in the knowledge that she never has and never will suspect a thing. I believe she is too comfortable in her riches and her routines to want to question me. One day soon, when the time has come, I will rid myself of her as the world will rid itself of the imperfections that plague its soul.

              ~Lukas

February ‘25

Many years ago I set out on this journey, knowing it was I who chose my path and that the end would only be a beginning. We have shaped the world into a place unrecognizable to the generations of men that have passed before us. In my youth, I was a lost and scared boy, wishing for fate alone to care and provide for me. Then, the event changed everything. It shaped me into a warrior devoted to my own personal war. After that, the Patriarchs gave me a family—bonded together by a blood rite—to fight alongside. Alone, I know my battle would have ended long ago. But together, we have almost reached the top of the chain of power, and we now stand on the cusp of victory.

It was once a dream—a glimmer of hope—that I, Lukas Chambers, could become a man of fate and leave behind that child of sorrow once and for all. Now, to achieve that dream and create a world unlike anything man has known before, I see that there is but one more link I must rise above and crush underfoot.

The United States of America.

As different as she may be than when I first began, she will always hate and resist that final push needed to unite all men. She will rise up and fight for the red, white, and blue and destroy any who try to extinguish her fire. But love, as I now know, is something far greater than the hate the people of this nation can hold to so dearly. To craft that lasting love within them, they need more than a hero, a hopeful desire, or an icon.

They need an idol.

As a Marine, I became that hero. As a puppet master, I forged a desire. As the embodiment of success, I became an icon. However, as their leader I can and will become an idol for all. I will be a symbol so great that they will follow me to whatever shores I may lead them, no matter how foreign they may seem. Therefore I have announced my candidacy for governor of the State of Virginia. It is one of the last essential stepping stones to victory. However, I do not mean to run so I may simply rule a state. In the end, I mean to become something far greater.

I mean to rule them all.

              ~Lukas

C
hapter
F
ourteen

Flight

“I understand you’re concerned, but that’s not why I’m upset!”

Gene’s words echoed loudly throughout the large Montana home, causing Adam to shift uncomfortably on the plush couch. Sarah and Rick sat next to him quietly, eyes downcast and refraining from glancing up at the angry man. David Malcovich, Max Jennings, Doctor Jack Bear and Captain Eric Corsa occupied the nearby kitchen, sitting on the wooden stools or leaning up against the granite countertops behind them. Elizabeth leaned forward in her chair idly and stared down into her hot cup of tea, visibly unhappy with the new tone the colonel had taken.

“Now Mr. Smith—” Elizabeth started without looking up from her mug.

“That’s Colonel Smith, ma’am, and with all due respect, you and Adam might think you’re the only ones with opinions that matter, but we’re all Americans, and we all know what is at stake here.”

“We never implied your opinion didn’t matter, Mr. Smith.”

“Is that so? Well due to the fact that Eric and I are the only ones currently serving in the armed forces, I hope reminding you of my title might just persuade you all to be quiet for one damn minute and listen to what I have to say. If the two military men among us say the time has come for our action before this . . . this Purge silences our voice, then you’d think you all would heed my advice. But no! Instead, you sit there and say it’s out of the question.”

The conversation had taken a turn for the worse, and Adam knew it was only a matter of time before someone said something out of line. Though he hoped they could avoid that from happening, he knew he would not be able to remain cordial with the colonel much longer. They had made their decision, and Adam was not about to back down.

“Gene, we can’t—” Adam began.

“We can’t what? Talk about this like adults without pushing me aside? You want my opinion, but you don’t like what we have to say. Why the hell am I here then, anyway? Look, I know what needs to be done; we all do. You’ve had over a month to contemplate what to do next, and yet here we sit. We have no plan, no direction, nothing! Not a damn thing to stop that bastard from crapin’ on our freedoms and wipin’ his ass with the stars and stripes! The enemy is moving, and all we have is nothing but an apprehensive politician who we’ve all come to appoint as the captain of this sinking ship. I’m starting to think that you’re all too afraid to do anything but tuck tail and hide while you ponder just how in the hell we’re going to save a nation as it ripens for the enemy’s plucking.”

Adam took a deep breath and suppressed the small hint of fury that welled up inside of him. He hated being labeled a coward. He had been through too much over the past few months to accept the constant questioning of his resolve that Gene had begun to whisper. However, this was the first time he had outright questioned Adam’s determination in front of the others, and Adam did not plan to take it lightly. He grabbed his cane to stand, but Sarah, surprisingly, rose to her feet instead.

“How dare you say that about my husband,” she said.

“Sarah, I—” Gene started.

“Shut up!”

Gene paused in astonishment at Sarah’s outburst. The whole room looked at her, shocked at her unusual explosion of anger. She had always been the calm and collective presence in their conversations. Hardly ever did she offer many words to their discussions, and never had it been in anything but a kind, gentle voice, encouraging them all as they weighed their options.

“First of all, if you insist on going by titles then you can and will call me Mrs. Reinhart, not Sarah. I had thought us to be friends, but if you’re going to let anger that is befitting of a two-year old get the best of you and insult my husband, well then maybe I was wrong. Secondly, we all know what is at stake here. Don’t act like we’re ignorant. Yes, you had it bad getting out of Chicago, but we all had it bad, Mr. Smith. Don’t think you’re the only one trying to do what is best, and never, ever say my husband is afraid to act. He is everything but that. That is an insult with no merit and you should be ashamed of yourself for even thinking it.”

She paused for a moment, as though deciding whether she had said enough, and then sat back down next to Adam. Though her words had been for Gene alone, they had also given Adam a sense of inner strength and hope. His wife believed in him, and to some level that was more than enough to keep him going. The past month had given him plenty of time to take a step back and see that a slow and steady transformation of his life had begun. Most change—good or bad—is a long and tedious process, just like the president had written in the journal, and Adam knew his own transformation was far from over. If what had happened so far could take a soft voice like Sarah’s and turn it into a voice of courage, then he hoped he also would emerge stronger than before.

“Well now, Sarah,” Elizabeth said. “Look at you. I must say that nothing quite works up my thirst like seeing a grumpy old man trying to sit down with dignity after he’s been put in his place by a pretty little woman.” Elizabeth smiled and took a long sip from her cup before continuing. “Now, Gene, we understand you’re frustrated, and some of that frustration is well justified.”

“You’re damn right it is,” Gene said quickly, though in a much gentler tone than before.

“Now don’t be a hypocrite, Colonel Smith, and go interrupting me after you just got done throwing a fit about how much we have been butting in when you speak. I think we can all agree to respect what someone is saying in the future unless that particular
someone
decides to throw out personal attacks again. Now, can we all settle on that or should we continue this little shouting match of ours?” Thankfully, everyone agreed with the nod of their heads.

Elizabeth leaned forward and looked at Adam. “Good, and as much as I don’t like his attitude, I do think Gene is right in the sense that the time has come for us to make a move, Mr. Reinhart. I once thought there was no chance for anything but war, but if we can figure out a way to expose him, we might just have a shot at a peaceful resolution. However, even I don’t know if that is an unrealistic hope or not. So the question is, what now? Expose the man, as you wish . . . or do we attempt to assassinate the president, as Gene desires?”

“Assassination is completely out of the question,” Adam replied as soon as the words had left Elizabeth’s mouth.

“You see, this is what I’m talking about.” Gene threw his hands in the air. “It’s a narrow-mindedness and weak. Someone mentions an idea that’s not yours and you immediately shut it down.”

“It’s not an idea,” Adam said. “It’s the future of this country. And I’m no coward, whether you believe that or not.
If
I thought for a minute that killing Lukas Chambers was even possible, and
if
I thought it would shut the Patriarchs down—and those are two very big ifs—then I would gladly be on board with that idea. God knows I want to see that man dead as much as you. But do you really think it would do any good?”

“Why not?” Gene asked. “Give me one good reason why it wouldn’t.”

“Because a martyr only strengthens the cause for which he dies,” David chimed in.

“Exactly,” Adam said. “If we kill him, then that still leaves us with a hidden faction full of powerful individuals, and we only know a handful of their names. They’re not going to stop simply because they lost one member. On top of that, they supposedly have tens of thousands of sleeper agents just waiting for their war, and that was seven years ago. How many soldiers lie in waiting across the globe now? A hundred thousand, maybe more? But that doesn’t matter now, does it, Gene? Because from what we know, they’ve been snatching up everything they can to ensure their complete control of the people when the fires of war are lit. From our weapons to our news to the very food we eat, they have their fingers dipped in it all. We might have stirred up some ruckus with the treaty, and Lukas might have even lost a portion of his following after Chicago, but despite his failures, he is still is a popular man and we all know it. If we were to kill him now, all we would have accomplished would be uniting the American people to come together and idolize their fallen hero. The rest of the Patriarchs would use his fame and the turmoil we would create to begin their Purge.”

“He’s right,” Captain Corsa said as he looked up at the colonel. “I’m sorry, Gene, but I really think he’s right.”

If Sarah’s outburst had been a shock earlier, then Eric’s words could only be described as a complete and utter astonishment. Gene and the young pilot supposedly had quite the history together—though no one knew what exactly had brought them together—and it was no secret that Eric had obeyed Gene’s every command since the moment he had arrived. The pilot had remained quiet, saying little to Adam or any of the others as the days passed by. He mostly watched the perimeter, maintained the few weapons they had, and kept to himself. Any words he had spoken were usually reserved for the colonel and no one else. So for the captain to not only join the conversation, but to speak in opposition to the man he served most faithfully, demonstrated just how much Eric must have agreed with Adam’s point of view.

“Adam is right,” Eric said. “If we tried to kill the president, and that’s not even considering whether or not we could actually do it, they’d hunt us to the ends of the earth. Their search for us would make the manhunt for Osama Bin Laden look like a preschooler’s Easter egg hunt. We need to get the word out to the people in a way that they can trust. If we do that, then we can march on DC with an army of angry American citizens at our backs.”

“I’m sorry you see it that way, Captain,” Gene said after a long pause. “I thought a man whom I had sacrificed so much for would maybe . . . oh, I don’t know. I thought maybe you’d fight for me like I once fought for you.”

“Gene, don’t—” Eric started.

“No, it’s fine,” Gene said. “Really, it’s fine. That was then and this is now. Same fight, different day, I guess.” Gene shook his head, crossed his arms in front of him, and looked around the room. “So this is it, then? This is what I have dreaded for so long. This is when America begins to die. You never think it will happen on your watch, but I guess there was no avoiding it. But I’ll tell you what, I have devoted too much of my life to preserving this nation to simply sit here on my hands and do nothing when the blood of the soldiers before us demands our action. A madman is eating away at the very soul of our country, and we’re too afraid to do anything about it. It’s a tragedy, if you ask me, and it truly breaks my heart.”

“No one is suggesting we let him get away with it,” David said. “However, I agree that we have to do something, and it needs to be soon.” David turned and looked at Adam. “If killing the man is not the answer and you think we need to show the people what we know, then what next? I mean, I could go to the Senate and try to rally them behind us, but I don’t think that would be easy. The entire country thinks I’m either dead or being held by terrorists. If I suddenly showed back up and started blurting out conspiracy theories, they’d label me as a victim of Stockholm syndrome who’s been brainwashed. That doesn’t even take into consideration Lukas and the Patriarchs. They’d find a way to silence me before I could say much of anything, and my guess is that they’d send a lot more than four guys in a back alley next time. So what I’m wondering is what do you propose we do, Adam?”

What can we do?
Adam thought. It was the very question he had lost sleep over for the past month. No matter which way he looked at it, he only saw himself as a young shepherd standing in the shadow of a thirty-foot-tall Goliath. Even if he managed to cast the deadly stone, he knew it wouldn’t stop the army of giants behind Lukas from charging forward and destroying everything and everyone that was dear to him.

“We wait until we’ve found a way to make the journal known to the people,” Adam said.

“Oh, come on,” Gene said. “You’ve read the thing. He clearly says that they started monitoring the media over fifteen years ago. Who’s to say they don’t own every damn news station out there today? We both know they will silence your words as soon as you start to whisper them.”

“Look, what I’m saying is that it’s our only realistic option. We could leak it on the Internet, give it to some foreign leaders—I don’t know how, but there has to be a way. They can’t own everything. We find that weak link in the president’s precious chain of power, and we use it to show the world what we know. Then, and only then, do we come out of hiding and demand justice.”

“So after a month to think it over, the only plan you see fit is to try and do the one thing you don’t know how to do?” Gene laughed before continuing. “Well, I say what you don’t know, you simply don’t know. Hell, I bet the only network not owned by him is the damn ANB, and they love the man so much they’d probably shoot your ass faster than the networks the Patriarchs do own! Look, I propose we all move forward quickly with a preemptive strike against Lukas and the others we know about before it’s too late. We know Jacob Brekor and his daughter are with them, and I’m already doing what I can to locate this Sūn Vetrov, Sigmund Dietrich, and whoever the Brazilian is. Once my men have found them, it will take one phone call to General Hewitt down at Fort Bragg and we’re in business. He can use the Special Forces there to take them out quietly and at the same time we can mobilize his Rangers to protect DC.”