Kings and Crowns: A Dystopian Thriller (Age of End Book 2) (9 page)

“No,” Rupert said. “The three of us would like to get some rest. This whole process is very draining.”

Charlotte nodded. “I understand. I’m quite tired myself, but I’ll pull through.” She turned to Vince and Saul. “Will you two be okay?”

“Yes,” Vince said. “We don’t need much sleep.”

“Ah, that’s right. I forgot that’s one of the benefits of your formula.” She turned back to the others. “If you change your mind, you can take the elevators at the end of the hall and meet us on level one. I can show you back to your rooms if you’d like.”

Ella held up her hand. “That’s not necessary. We remember the way.”

“Very well. Vince, Saul, follow me.” They left the briefing room and headed down the long corridor.

When they entered the elevator, Vince saw a panel of buttons. “Is the Spire really that tall?”

“That’s right. A hundred and fifty stories. Impressive, huh?” She reached forward to press level one.

“Very impressive. It doesn’t feel that tall from the inside.”

She cracked a smile. “Just wait until you see it from the bottom.”

“So what exactly does Greene want us to do down there?” Saul asked. “I know he wants us to inspire the people, but how do we do that?”

“Just be available to them. If they want to talk, talk with them. If they ask questions, answer them. It’s as simple as that. They all know who you are. Just being around them will boost morale.”

“Sounds easy enough,” Vince said.

Saul looked at him. “It sounds too easy. Shouldn’t we be doing something more important than just sitting around and waiting for Simon to attack us?”

“What do you suggest?” she asked.

“We should take the offensive. Attack him first.”

“He has too many people. Far more than we have. It’s easier to defend than it is to attack.”

“Then how about a quieter approach? Have someone sneak in and kill him in his sleep.”

“Greene is already doing that. We have several men undercover as we speak. But Simon is very careful about who he keeps nearby. Only his most trusted followers get to work closely with him.”

“There has to be something we can do. You were in the surgeon’s office. I’m dying. I don’t have time to wait around for an attack.”

“The fact is, Greene has thought this out very thoroughly. He has other plans for the future, but right now, we know there’s an attack coming and where it will be. Those people out on the walls need your support, so that is your priority right now, not Simon. Once the wall is repaired, then we can start thinking up ways to take down Simon.”

“She’s right,” Vince said. “This is our job right now. If Greene wants us to support the people, then that’s what we’ll do.”

Saul grimaced. “Okay, but after this I’m going to speak with Greene and we’re going to come up with a real plan.

“Very well,” Charlotte said. “I’m sure he’ll appreciate your input.”

The elevator beeped and the doors opened up to a lobby area. “How are you doing?” said the secretary as they passed the front desk.

“We’re wonderful,” Charlotte said. “Thank you. How are you?”

“Same as usual. Are you going out to join them on the wall?”

“Yes, we are. Mr. Greene’s orders. We have to prepare for Simon’s next attack.”

“It’s scary, isn’t it?”

“It is, but we’ll be okay. We have Vince and Saul here to help us.”

The secretary jumped from her seat. “Oh my god. It’s Vince and Saul. I can’t believe it. This is so exciting.” She ran over and gave them a hug. “It’s great that you support what we do. There are so many people who despise our work.”

“Your work here is important,” Saul said. “You improve people’s lives. You
save
people’s lives. You saved
our
lives.”

“Yes, I heard about that. You’ve lived over two hundred years? That’s crazy.”

“Yes,” Saul said. “Two hundred years. It’s been quite a journey.”

“And you’ve come all this way just to meet Mr. Greene. That’s amazing.”

“He is a great man. It was certainly worth the journey. The city is an amazing place.”

“I’ve lived here my whole life. I can’t imagine what it’s like outside. I hear awful things.”

Saul gave a strange look. “Awful? It’s not awful. Just different.”

“Sorry Judith,” Charlotte said. “We’re in a hurry. No time to chat.”

“No worries. It was a pleasure meeting you two.”

She waved, and they waved back.

“You see?” Charlotte said. “These people are curious about the outside world. They’re excited to meet you and hear your stories. Just a simple conversation can lift their spirits.”

They stepped outside, into the sunlight. Saul took a deep breath in. “Finally, some fresh air.” In front of them stood the third wall. They walked across the grassy field towards the gate on the far side of the wall.

Before they reached it, Charlotte stopped. “Wait,” she said. She turned around and pointed up. “Now isn’t that a beauty?”

They turned around and looked up at the Spire, towering over them. It stuck up from the ground and pierced the sky. The sun glared off of the windows, creating a halo effect. “How high up were we?” Vince asked.

“We were near the top. Level one hundred and forty-nine, right under Greene. Like I said, the vitality sector is very important to him. He occupies the top floor, and can visit the vitality labs whenever he wants.”

“I have to admit,” Saul said, “it is beautiful.”

Vince gazed up with him. “It sure is.”

“It takes my breath away every time,” Charlotte said. She looked up one more time and then continued walking. “As much as I would like to stay here, people are waiting for us on the first wall.”

EIGHTEEN

ELLA, ALAN, AND Rupert returned to their bedroom after parting with Vince and Saul. They sat on their beds and rested their feet. Ella stood up. “Are you ready? Let’s do some exploring.”

“Where should we start?” Alan asked.

“Let’s go back to the medical sector,” Rupert said. “I want to find Fred.”

“They said they’re working on her, right?”

“They did. I just want to check in on her. Greene said they have a strict no-visitor policy, but it doesn’t hurt to try.”

“I agree,” Ella said. “We should find Fred to make sure she’s okay. She’s with strangers, and she’s far from home. She might be scared.”

Alan nodded. “Sounds like a plan.” He walked out the door and glanced down the hall in both directions. “Do either of you remember the way?”

“Not exactly,” Ella said, “but it’s on this floor. I know that.”

“That doesn’t help much. These floors are humungous. I don’t know how anyone finds anything around here.”

Rupert pointed down the hall. “There’s a map on the wall over there.”

They walked over and examined the map. It had a large display of lines twisting and turning and crossing each other. They tilted their head to get a different perspective.

“There’s no structure to it at all,” Alan said. “It’s just chaos. There are so many hallways with no pattern. How are we going to find the medical sector with this?”

Rupert picked a direction and started walking. “I guess we’ll just have to wander around. We’re bound to find it eventually.”

“There has to be a better way,” Alan said as he trotted to catch up with him. “It could take ages.”

“Asking someone is not going to help. They’re not going to tell us how to get into a restricted area.”

“Hey,” Ella called from behind them. “I think it’s this way. I remember this hallway.”

“They all look the same,” Alan said. “It’s impossible to tell where we’ve been and where we haven’t.”

She pointed. “That’s the monitor room Charlotte showed us. It’s this way. I’m positive.”

Alan shrugged. “As long as one of us knows where we’re going.”

“I really think I do.” She looked at another map on the wall. “Yes, we go down this hallway and take a left. Then all we have to do is go straight until we hit the medical sector.”

“If you say so.”

“Ella has always had a good sense of direction,” Rupert said. “If anyone can navigate this maze, it’s her.”

“I don’t doubt her. I’m just getting frustrated. These last few days have been long.”

“They certainly have,” Rupert said. “Hopefully, we can fit in some time to rest.”

Ella looked back. “I get a feeling we won’t have much time to rest.”

“Vince and Saul certainly won’t,” Alan said. “Those two are superstars around here. Greene has a lot of plans for them.”

“I feel bad for Saul,” Ella said. “Of all the people that deserve to die, he’s not one of them.”

“Simon and Greene,” Rupert said, “they’re both very different people, but I would fit both of them into that category. People that deserve to die.”

“Saul is a good guy. It’s no wonder Vince gets along with him.”

“They’ve been best friends since they were kids. Nothing can break that bond. Not even two hundred years of separation. I can tell Vince really cares about him.”

“Everyone they’ve known has passed away. They’ve only got each other. I can’t even imagine what that’s like.”

“They have us too,” Alan said.

“But eventually, we’ll just be memories to them. Friends from the past as they move on to something else.”

“You make it sound like living forever is a bad thing.”

“Do you think it’s a good thing?” Rupert asked. “Could you really stand living forever with things constantly changing around you? The people, the places, everything you know just fading away. It would be a lonely life.”

“But they don’t
have
to live forever.”

“If you were given that power, even if you wanted to stop, could you? All of us are afraid of death, but we don’t have a choice.”

“They have more of that formula around here somewhere. You could probably get your hands on some.”

“I wouldn’t want it. That power would haunt me for the rest of my days.”

Alan thought about it. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. I wouldn’t want it either.”

“They didn’t know what they were getting into when they first met Barnabus,” Ella said. “If they did, they never would have followed him back into the woods.”

“It must have been tempting,” Alan said. “The promise of immortality. Especially at such a young age. I wouldn’t take it now, but thirty years ago, I wouldn’t even think twice.” As they walked through the corridor, they saw a sign hanging from the ceiling.
Medical Sector
. “Ella was right. I had faith in her the whole time.”

“Sure you did,” Ella said snidely.

They walked past the sign and entered the waiting room. There were no patients waiting. No people at all. They wandered through the rows of chairs, towards the door on the other side.

As they got closer, the door swung open, and a nurse walked into the room. “Hello there. Ella. Rupert. Alan.” She nodded her head with each name. “How may I help you?”

“We wanted to check in on Fred,” Rupert said. “How is she doing?”

“I’m afraid we can’t let you see her while she is still in recovery, but I assure you she is just fine. She is safe and sound in our blue room.”

“When will I be able to see her?”

“It’s hard to say. The recovery time varies depending on the circumstances. You will certainly see her within a month.”

“A month?” Alan asked. “Really? That long?”

“Again, it varies, but we have had subjects go up to a month in recovery.”

Rupert nodded. “Is there a way I can check her status? I would like to stay informed.”

“Come back here whenever you want. I’ll be more than happy to give you an update.”

“Very good. Thank you for your help.”

“My pleasure.” She stepped back and closed the door behind her.

“What do you think?” Alan asked. He held a skeptical look on his face.

Rupert looked up at the cameras. They were posted in each corner of the room. “I think we need to sneak in.”

“My thoughts exactly,” Ella said as she studied the cameras as well. “Do you see any blind spots?”

“I don’t. Not anywhere useful.”

Alan pushed on the door. “It’s open. What if we just go in?” When he pushed it again, the nurse pulled it open.

“I’m sorry, but this area is restricted. Employees and patients only. If you need any assistance, I can help you, or you can call any of our nurses on the computer over there. If they’re on shift, they will be right out to assist you. Currently, I am the only nurse working in this sector right now, but I would be happy to help.”

“We’re okay for now,” Rupert said. “We’ll let you know if we need anything. Thank you.” The nurse shut the door again. Rupert walked toward the exit of the room and signaled for them to follow. “If she’s the only one on shift right now, you two can distract her, and I can sneak in.”

Alan chuckled. “I like your thinking.”

“Someone else will notice, right?” Ella asked. “There must be other people watching through the cameras?”

“It doesn’t hurt to try,” Rupert said. “Worst case, they tell us to leave. I’ll say I got lost. I should have at least a few minutes to look around before anyone comes to kick me out.”

“That sounds like a solid plan to me,” Alan said.

Ella nodded. “Right. Alan and I will distract her. You go find Fred. The nurse said the blue room. Hopefully, Fred’s okay. She’s been by herself for a long time.”

“She’s a strong bird,” Rupert said, “but I am getting a little worried.”

Alan patted his back. “Don’t worry. You’ll find her. I’m sure she’s fine. You wait here for your cue.” They broke up, and Ella and Alan turned the corner. Alan knocked on the door and waited.

After a minute, the nurse returned, with a wide smile stretched across her face. “Hello.” She glanced around the empty waiting room. “What happened to Rupert?”

“He was feeling a bit tired,” Ella said. “He went back to the room to lie down.”

“That’s a good idea. You all must be very tired.”

“We sure are,” Alan said, “but it’s tough to get any rest around here with all of the stuff that’s been going on.”

“Yes, it is for us too. All of the other nurses are down on the wall. They need to be ready for Simon’s attack. They left me in charge up here. Though there isn’t much to be in charge of. I’ve just been sitting around.”