Kings and Crowns: A Dystopian Thriller (Age of End Book 2) (10 page)

“So that’s why there’s no one around,” Ella said. “We’ve been trying to find someone to give us a tour, but the place is a ghost town. We’ve been here a whole day and have barely seen anything.”

“I suppose I could show you around.”

“Really? If you don’t mind, that would be lovely.”

“Sure, why not? Nothing’s going to happen while I’m gone. I’ll give you a quick tour of this level. It should only be ten or fifteen minutes.” She walked past them towards the main hallway. “Follow me.”

She turned the corner as Rupert backed into the shadows. The three of them passed by and headed down the hall. Rupert slipped around the corner. He stared at the cameras as he dashed across the room, towards the door on the opposite side. He pushed the door open to a long empty hallway.

He made his way through, pushing open each door and sticking his head in. The rooms were color coded. Red. Green. White. Pink. And they were all empty. The last room on the right held a monitor showing footage from the waiting room, as well as other parts of the medical sector. When he reached the end, the corridor split in two. He looked left, then right. Both paths were identical. He turned right and continued walking. Orange. Silver. Purple. Blue. The nurse had said the
blue room
. He stopped and pushed the blue door open.

The room was similar to the one he woke up in when he first arrived in the Spire. There was a bed next to the large window overlooking the vast view of the City. Near the bed were various machines stacked on top of each other. The day he arrived, they were beeping like crazy, but today they were silent.

There was no Fred.

He opened all of the drawers and cabinets. Flipped through papers and files for any sign of her. Maybe they left her file out. Maybe they transferred her to another room. Maybe the nurse was mistaken, and Fred was in a different room completely. He looked up, saw a camera staring right at him, and looked back down to ruffle through more papers.

When he found nothing, he sat down on the bed, not sure what to do next. He glanced at the camera again. He was running out of time. Someone had surely noticed he was in a restricted area by now. If he was going to do something, he had to do it fast. He got up and left the blue room, continuing down the hall and examining each color as he passed. Maybe there was more than one blue room. Black. Gold. Yellow. Gray. Brown. He reached a dead end. He turned around and ran back to where the hallway split. Maroon. Peach. Beige. Cyan. Maybe cyan was blue? He opened the cyan door and found it in the same condition as the blue room. Empty and useless.

He turned around and bumped into Greene, standing firmly at the entrance of the room. His feet were shoulder width apart, and his hands were interlocked behind his back. “You have gotten a bit lost, haven’t you?”

Rupert remained calm. “Yes, it appears so. It’s so easy to get lost around here. I’m afraid I have no idea where I am. I was trying to get back to my room. I’m quite tired and wanted to rest.”

A huge smile was plastered across Greene’s face. “No worries. I can personally escort you right back to your room.”

Rupert followed him down the hall. “Thank you. That would be very helpful. I know you’re a busy man. It’s so nice of you to help me in person.”

“It’s my pleasure. I try to connect with people whenever I can. Unfortunately, I spend way too much time up on the top floor. There are too many things that require my attention, but every once in a while I get to help someone out like this.”

Rupert peeked into the room with the monitor as they passed by. The screen followed them as they walked, with the words,
Restricted Personnel
, blinking in red letters.

Greene still held his friendly smile as he spoke. “It’s always nice to help the people. They need my leadership. They need better technology. That’s why I do tests.”

Rupert nodded. “The tests have brought you far. You have technology that baffles me. Things that I never would have imagined. It is very impressive. The Spire alone is an engineering marvel.”

They passed through the waiting room and into the main corridor.

“It took a long time to build what we have, but I am damn proud of what we’ve accomplished. And I don’t plan on stopping. We’re going full speed ahead. Building. Discovering. Achieving.”

“What kind of things are you researching right now?”

“There are many things. We just finished our latest model of the cannon, which proved to be a huge success during Simon’s attack. Our transportation sector is looking at flight right now. They are trying to find ways to mimic a bird’s wings. They’ve come very close to independent flight, but there is still some work to be done. Once they hit their breakthrough, it will be huge for the Spire.” They turned a corner. “And then, of course, there’s our vitality tests, which your friends are a part of. We’ve been working on this one for a long time. Vince and Saul received an early formula that has gone through many iterations since then. I’m trying to achieve a vitality formula that doesn’t require draining on a regular basis. Draining is unsustainable and impractical, something your friends have probably learned.” They stopped in front of the door to his room. “Here we are. If you ever get lost again, feel free to wave down one of these cameras. Someone will see.”

“Thank you. I hope to learn my way around soon enough.”

Greene nodded and continued down the hall. Rupert entered the room and sat down on his bed, thinking about what had happened. Fred was not in the medical sector. Greene clearly did not want him to know that. So where was she? Why did they lie to him? What were they hiding?

NINETEEN

VINCE AND SAUL stood atop the front wall, peering down at the damage Simon had done. Most of the debris near the gap was cleared out. Workers were dragging away remaining bits of rubble to make room for the new construction. Scaffolding already surrounded the opening as they moved materials from the bottom of the wall to the top.

Charlotte stood beside them, watching as well. “It’s amazing how fast they work, huh?”

Vince nodded. “At this rate, they’ll be done by tomorrow. Maybe sooner. Just look at them go. Simon needs to act fast if he wants to exploit this weak spot.”

“I wouldn’t call it a weak spot,” Saul said. “There are so many people here, and so many cannons, it’s probably the strongest part of the wall right now.”

“That’s the point,” Charlotte said. “Turn your weakness into your strength. A rule to live by. That’s something Greene understands very well and uses often.”

“What are Greene’s weaknesses?” Saul asked. “He seems like a man with no kinks in his armor.”

“Exactly,” Charlotte said.

“He must have something. Everyone has something.”

“If he does, he hides it well.” She stared off at the buildings in the distance. “Simon and Greene are both powerful men, but Simon has many flaws. Greene elevates himself and feeds off the people’s energy. Simon takes that energy and turns it into fear. Say what you will about Greene, but he is a respectable man. Simon’s a savage.”

“How has Simon stayed in power for so long?” Vince asked. “Greene must have the resources to stop him.”

“Simon’s forces grow every day. People are afraid of him. He’s a loose cannon, and they’re scared to fight against him, so they join him instead. The Crowns are growing fast, and Greene is just barely keeping up. That’s why we need the two of you to help rally the people and crush the fear that he spreads.”

“Were the Crowns always like that? Were they always so violent?”

“That’s how it was with Simon’s father. Harry was the only respectable Hedcrown. He built the Crowns on good intentions and genuine principles. When Robert took over, the Crowns took a turn for the worst. They grew more violent and radical. They started hurting innocent people in order to gain the advantage. And when Simon took over, things only got worse. The Crowns broke down into organized chaos. Wherever they go, they leave a path of destruction. They’re guided by Harry’s principles, but they’ve twisted them into a false sense of justice. The worst part is, they make some good points. Some of the things Simon talks about makes sense, but when you dig deeper, all you find is destruction fueled by anger and fear.”

“But you’ve seen what Greene puts people through,” Vince said. “What he’s put us through. How can you support that?”

She turned around to gaze at the Spire. “I may not agree with him all the time, but given the choice between Greene and Simon, I would choose Greene. Every time.”

“Why do you have to choose?” Saul asked. “I’ve already made my choice. It’s neither of them.”

“I know you don’t take kindly to Greene, but the truth is, without him the City would break down. He keeps everything in order. We need someone like that to survive as a society.”

“Then find someone else. Find someone that you’re proud to support. You shouldn’t have to settle for Greene because he’s the one in charge right now. You can change that and make the City a better place for everyone.”

“How do we find someone like that?”

“I don’t know, but there must be someone that can do the job better than Greene.”

Charlotte looked down to the ground, shaking her head. “I don’t think we could survive without him.”

“That’s what he wants you to think, but the reality is, he’s just as expendable as anyone else. You think the City will go bonkers without him. There’s only one way to find out. Once we’re done dealing with Simon, Greene’s next.”

Vince looked over. “Saul, don’t.”

“What? She already knows that’s why we’re here. You’re insulting her intelligence by suggesting otherwise.”

“It’s true,” Charlotte said. “I know you’re here to kill Greene, but I’m the only one that knows. It’s important that we keep it that way. We can’t have the heroes of the Spire openly speaking treason.”

“Don’t worry,” Vince said. “We plan on fully cooperating. Right, Saul?”

“Right. As much as I hate Greene, you’re right. Simon is much worse. If we have to work with Greene to take down that monster, then so be it.”

“I’m glad,” Charlotte said. She looked around at the people, who were starting to gather around them. “I’ve scheduled a meetup session while we wait. You’re going to meet the people. Don’t be shy. They’re all very excited to see you. Are you ready?”

They nodded.

At the wave of her hand, the crowd gathered in and swarmed around them. They all held pens and various items to sign. Vince and Saul were overwhelmed. So much of their lives were spent in solitude, and now mobs of people wanted to see them and talk to them. They signed what they could, but when a loud horn echoed from behind, the people scattered.

Charlotte waved them by as they passed. “Come on, let’s go! You know what the horn means. Get back to your posts!”

Vince looked to Charlotte, puzzled. “What’s going on?”

“We have sensors along the perimeter of Spire territory. That was the first warning horn. It sounds when someone crosses one of them. This could be Simon. The second horn indicates friend or foe. It’s a long tone if they’re friendly, and a short burst if they aren’t.”

They waited for the next horn. Vince gazed at the empty streets in front of them. There was nothing. No movement at all. Completely vacant. “How long does the second horn usually take?”

Charlotte looked around at the others. “Usually not this long. Something’s wrong.”

At that moment, five short bursts rang over the speakers, this time, lower in tone.

“Crap!” Charlotte said.

The people beside them dashed off to the right.

“What’s going on now?” Saul asked. “What do five bursts mean?”

“It means we’re in the wrong spot. This is Post One along the wall. They’re coming from Post Five. That’s on the opposite end. We have to get over there fast.” She saw more men and women running off. “No!” she yelled. “Not everyone goes. Some of you stay here and watch the gap. We can’t let anyone sneak by.” She turned to Vince and Saul. “You two come with me. We’re going to Post Five.” She sprinted along the wall, and Vince and Saul followed.

“How long is this wall?” Vince yelled.

“It’s long. That’s why we’re in such a rush. The horns give us a few minutes of warning, but we don’t have much time.”

“What if they attack the gap, too?”

“There was no Post One horn, so we should be okay. If they do attack Post One, the horn will give us some time to shift some troops back. Right now, Simon’s main force is at the other end of this wall.”

“Damn, that son of a bitch is crafty,” Saul said as they sprinted down the narrow path.

Charlotte looked to one of the troops running beside her. “Do we have the cannons set up over there?”

“No ma’am. They are at Post Four.”

“Damn! Roll them down to Post Five and prepare to fire. We have no time to waste.”

“Yes ma’am!” he yelled, and dashed ahead.

“This is going to get interesting,” she said.

“How long do the cannons take to set up?” Vince asked.

“A long time. They’re new and very powerful, but they’re loading process is slow. Greene is putting more into production, but until then, there is a bit of a shortage. We have to pick and choose where to deploy them. Obviously, Post One is a priority, so most of our cannons are there, but we have a few extras at Post Four. Lucky for us, they’re not at Post Two. There’s no way we would’ve moved them in time.”

“Do we have anything other than cannons?” Saul asked.

“Of course. We have guns, but they’re not as threatening. We developed the cannons to match the impact of Simon’s bombs.”

“But we can defend without them,” Vince said.

“Yes, but it will be harder. I can’t imagine this attack will be bigger than the last, but you never know. He might have some tricks up his sleeves. He is, as you put it, a crafty son of a bitch.”

They passed a sign displaying a large number two. Vince saw it as they dashed past. “One down, three to go.”

Charlotte looked back at him. “Hope you don’t tire easily.”

“Don’t worry about us,” Saul said. “We’ve got this vitality stuff, remember? Just make sure to keep up.” He dashed up next to her and took the lead.