THE SECRET WEAPON

written by

Bridget Denise Bundy

I dedicate this story to all of my cousins that have passed on.

LIST OF CHARACTERS

Coraset Prescott, Protagonist

Lewis Price, Barat Police Detective

Devon Cobb, Mojave Prison Warden

Muscle Man, Mojave Prison Inmate

Goggle Man, Mojave Prison Inmate

Rudy Remald, Mojave Prison Inmate

Getty Solomon, Coraset’s Friend

Brecco Jefferson, Coraset’s Stepfather

Xavier Cassis, Barat Region Senator

Lea Cassis, Xavier’s Wife

Brochudo, Xavier’s Driver

Malie Levendro, Coraset’s Handler

Parion Middleton, Beauty Consultant

Katarin Augustine, Coraset’s Roommate

Aisling, Dominic’s Lover

Chancellor Dominic Erato, Leader of the Erato Federation

Chancellor Dominic Erato’s Staff

Sekai, Dominic’s Head Advisor

Jorda, Dominic’s Staff

Hanako, Dominic’s Staff

Lacey, Dominic’s Staff

Reyna, Dominic’s Staff

MAP OF ERATO

OLD LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

BACKGROUND

The summer of 2026 and the world was a different place. The human population was less than a hundred fifty thousand. Cities, nations, civilizations were snuffed out by a single flu virus known as N12. The first publicly reported case was in Egypt on December 21, 2012.

The N12 Virus was never successfully contained, and it went deeper into the African continent, east into Israel and Saudi Arabia, and north to Turkey and the Ukraine. It wasn’t long before the viral outbreak touched every part of the world. No one was immune. Once infected, a person was highly contagious for 48 hours. The host would be dead two to six days later or rendered sterile as a lasting permanent effect, but usually the final result for most was death. There was no cure.

Erato Biotrade, a leading manufacturer in medicines and biological technology, was tasked to quickly develop a vaccine. Little did the world know Erato Biotrade already had a vaccine because they were the ones who developed the N12 Virus. They withheld the vaccine from the public on purpose, but they gave inoculations to all of its executives and employees, which numbered just over 23,000 people. The vaccine had a side effect Erato Biotrade wasn’t counting on, sterility. It was an unforeseen development they used to their full advantage.

Within 5 years, countries began to crumble right out of existence, including the United States. Laws no longer mattered. Police, fire, and ambulatory services stopped operating. Basic utilities ceased to work. Looting, murder, and utter chaos were the order for days, even months. A once technological advanced world returned to the dark ages faster than a blink of an eye.

In 2018 Erato Biotrade began to move forward with its secret agenda they’d been planning since the year 2000. The plan began with demolishing Los Angeles city center. A new nation was developed and built over the wiped out landscape.

A gleaming royal palace with a marble twenty foot wall was built around it for the appointed Chancellor and her family. Just outside the palace walls were the Erato Government Center, comprised of numerous buildings that looked exactly like the old US Department of the Treasury building in Washington DC. Another wall was raised to separate the Erato Government Center from the outer areas. Those areas were divided into regions, also separated by walls, and ninety-six skyscrapers resembling the World Trade Center Towers were to be built and scheduled to be completely finished by the year 2030. Each region were planned to have twelve towers. Each one would contain the means for its inhabitants to live, work, and shop in a single location. Lastly, a fifty ft. tall wall was built around the entire infrastructure for protection. The new nation was properly called Erato, and all the regions were given names, as well. This innovative self-sustaining mecca shined like hope against the western sky.

Word spread about this new nation, her abundance of food, comfortable living, and safety. The refugees that could migrate arrived in hopes of being allowed into her safe borders.

Erato Biotrade took care of its employees first. They were given the best of accommodations, and most of them lived in the Barat Region closer to the Pacific Ocean. Eventually, Erato offered an opportunity to the refugees to live within its walls after nearly fifty of the ninety-six buildings were completed, but they had rules the refugees must follow. There were no exceptions.

Integration was an organized and well executed process. First, anyone that was not inoculated against the N12 virus was administered the vaccine before stepping one foot within Erato’s walls. If someone was already showing signs from being infected, it was too late for them and they were not welcomed into Erato. The sick was either turned away or killed depending on their reaction. Second, people were tested to determine their mental capacities and skillset, and then placed in suitable jobs that fit their capabilities. If education was needed, it was provided without cost. Everyone had a job, must be on time to that job when scheduled to work, or there would be consequences. No one wanted to suffer the consequences of being exile to the Mojave Prison, which was located in Death Valley. People were assigned to live in specific regions depending on their jobs. The thousands of refugees that arrived in Erato were pretty much told what to do, where to live, how to dress, and where to work. There were no other choices.

Erato Biotrade eventually melded into the new totalitarian government, no longer using its full business name. They called the new nation the Erato Federation or just the Federation. The CEO of Erato Biotrade, Katherine Erato, was named Chancellor.

New laws were established. There was no freedom of speech, no right to vote, and no right to bear arms. Eight Senators were hand selected by Chancellor Erato to represent the eight regions.

Sweeping changes continued as the Federation became stronger. Every citizen was given an identification card with a Federation ID number. The ID numbers were also used as individual bank account numbers and contact information for communication purposes.

Erato Digital Points replaced all monies, and it could only be kept in Federation bank accounts and only accessed by using Erato Point Cards. Points were used to buy anything that was available for sale. Only the government paid points, and the amount of points depended upon the jobs of the individuals and how much they worked.

Any debt owed to banks, credit card companies, and/or loan companies were discarded and all financial institutions were a matter of the distant past. With the Federation fully in charge, their way of life was the only way. If it didn’t benefit the new Federation, it was summarily erased from existence.

Erato was a fully functioning country at the beginning of January 2025, and it was the only one in the entire world. Ceremonial celebrations of firecrackers, parades, and high society balls marked the beginning of a new time and a new world.

With so many monumental changes during a span of thirteen years, the human race was still at the brink of destruction. With no one having the ability to have children, there was no hope for the future, and without ever being told, most citizens of Erato felt this in the core of their souls. But still the citizens were grateful to have survived, deeply wishing within themselves individually for a new life and new dreams. The present was all the citizens of Erato had. That’s all they could ever hope for.

PROLOGUE

Coraset Prescott rested on the soft carpeted ledge of the picturesque window sill in her apartment on the 40th floor. She had a perfect, unshielded view of the western sky as the sun shined with brilliant hues of oranges and reds. It was a breathtaking sight she appreciated every evening.

This was her set time for reflection. Coraset lived alone. She was never married and never had children. Memories were all she had of her mother and two sisters, all of them passed away during the pandemic. The only family she had was her stepfather name Brecco, an eccentric scientist for the Federation.

Before the outbreak, Coraset worked for Erato Biotrade as Director of the International Humanitarian Aid Division. She was committed and loved her job. She was truly into making a difference in the lives of the unfortunate and destitute. When Haiti and Chile suffered an earthquake in 2010, Coraset worked tirelessly to ensure medical supplies and drinkable water reached the devastated nations. When Pakistan had major flooding, she sent pallets of bottled water, food provisions and medical supplies. Getting the supplies to the citizens during that time was nearly impossible because Pakistan really didn’t want Western society interfering, but Coraset never gave up and was successful in getting the aid into the country. When tornadoes tore through Missouri and Alabama in 2011, Coraset made sure Erato Biotrade was right there to assist afterwards. When the tsunami hit Japan, supplies were in the country within twenty four hours. She helped put Erato Biotrade on the forefront of humanitarian efforts in the world, and they were called many times to help smaller communities, as well.

Coraset was among the privilege in 2012 to be vaccinated before the outbreak, but she didn’t realize it at first. When she noticed the main survivors were Erato Biotrade employees, she knew they were responsible for the destruction of humanity, and she was devastatingly disappointed. The very company that saved lives around the world was the ones that destroyed it.

Bethesda, Maryland was where Coraset lived and worked before the outbreak. She had a corner office. She travelled the world almost every week. Now, she lived in the Barat Region and worked in a greenhouse as a horticulturist. She grew and harvested orchids. It was a job she chose when Erato Biotrade employees and executives were offered their choice of positions. It was out of the limelight, not in the least lucrative, and she could disappear into an uneventful life. A severe lifestyle change she never regretted choosing.

Coraset looked down at the empty streets. The lamps were lit. Bugs were dancing around the light source. She grasped the glass of Chambourcin Reserve with her fingertips and brought the glass to her lips. She hesitated, taking in the silence of her apartment, and swallowed the last bit of her drink. Coraset stood, took her glass and bottle to her immaculately clean open kitchen. She rinsed the glass thoroughly and wiped it clean with a towel that was folded neatly on the sink’s edge. She set the towel neatly on the counter and set the glass upside down to let it dry. Coraset corked the bottle and placed it inside the cool empty refrigerator. She stopped to gaze at the white and steel interior. It looked like a reflection of what was inside of her. An empty shell, nothing to give, and nothing to warm the soul. She slammed the door closed.

As she crossed the open room out of the kitchen area into the living room, the small computer on the coffee table came alive with a single beep. A red cursor on the top left hand of the screen blinked rhythmically. Coraset didn’t want to turn around. It was a personal message that was meant for her. Usually when an announcement was meant for everyone, her computer would simply start playing on its own and loop until she turned it off. She’d catch the news before she went to work or after she came home.

Coraset pulled the hair band from her right wrist, and choked her long black hair into a ponytail in one swift motion. She sat down facing the terminal and pressed the space button. The Erato symbol was centered showcasing an eagle with wings spread full length in front of olive branches designed in the shape of parenthesis. A message replaced the symbol.

FROM: 19

TO: 7772

NEED TO SPEAK WITH YOU PRIVATELY.

BARAT REGION, TOWER SIX, ROOM 104.

30 MINUTES.

Immediately, Coraset leaned back with a sigh and wondered why he wanted to meet so late. She didn’t feel like leaving her apartment that time of evening, but she knew the person behind the number. She’d go out of her way to help him anytime he needed.

Coraset dragged over towards her shoes that were placed neatly beside the door leading to the hallway. She put on a black jacket over her black sleeveless turtleneck, walked out of the apartment, and locked the door. Wishing she was going to bed instead of going out, she shuffled down the hallway.

The elevator door slid open revealing mirrored walls and a woman reading a glass tablet. Her attention didn’t leave the words that appeared on the screen. The pale woman was taller than Coraset with long blonde hair that stiffly lay in place framing her long thin face. The two women had seen each other before in passing, but they had a quiet agreement of not speaking to one another that suited them both.

Once the elevator arrived smoothly at the first floor, Coraset stepped out, leaving the blonde to ride down to the grocery store in the basement level. She walked with purpose towards the glass doors and out onto the city sidewalks.

She walked up the sidewalk passed two buildings before arriving at Tower Six. The only difference from her building was the name, which hers was called Tower Nine. Coraset entered an empty lobby, clean of any personality or décor. It had plain marble tiled floors, glass on three sides facing the street and two corridors in the back leading to rooms and elevators. In between the corridors plastered in the center of the lobby wall was the word ‘SIX’ in tall, block lettering.

Coraset went to the left side hallway and stopped at the fourth door on the left. She knocked a couple of times before she heard an indication to enter. Coraset walked in hoping the meeting wouldn’t take long, but to her surprise, the person she thought she was meeting was not there. Instead a woman, a man, and a uniformed police officer were waiting for her.

Lea Cassis, the Barat Region Senator’s wife, and Barat Police Detective Lewis Price faced Coraset. The uniformed police officer blocked the door so Coraset couldn’t leave. She knew Lea, but she had no idea who the detective was. Coraset was calm as she waited to hear what this meeting was about.

“I told him you would come.” Lea remarked as she shifted her weight to one leg. She wore a long sleeve black sweater dress that stopped just below her knees and black high heel boots completed her outfit.

Five other uniformed police officers rapidly walked in from other rooms in the apartment and surrounded Coraset.

“What is this about?” She asked as she eyed every officer carefully. Her mind began to race. She wondered where Senator Cassis was. What was his wife trying to do?

Detective Price stepped forward and stated, “I’m Detective Lewis Price of the Barat Region. I need to speak to you about the murder of Police Lieutenant William Donner.”

Coraset glared at Lea who was smirking evilly. With a subdued anger, Coraset stated, “I don’t know anything about a murder.”

“She is such a liar,” Lea whispered towards Detective Price. “She knows him.”

“I’m going to need for you to put your hands over your head,” Detective Price ordered as he pulled out his weapon.

The six police officers followed Detective Price’s lead and pulled out their weapons, as well. Coraset slowly moved her hands to her head. One of the police officers frisked her and when he was done, he forced Coraset’s hands behind her back, and her wrists were placed in handcuffs.

“You really thought I wouldn’t find out.” Lea spoke as she slowly approached Coraset. She was talking about something other than what Coraset was being arrested for, but she didn’t let on to what she meant.

Coraset stared at her, confused by her last statement.

Lea laughed and asked smartly, “Do you realize that killing a police officer of any rank from any region has the punishment of death?”

Coraset stated angrily, “I didn’t murder anyone.”

Detective Price commanded, “Take her away.”

They walked Coraset out of the apartment. When the police tried to put her in the back of the police van, she fought against them. She didn’t want to face a trial and the death penalty. She didn’t do what Lea claimed she did. She didn’t know any police lieutenant, and she never killed one. Coraset managed to head butt one of the officers and kick the leg of another before she was controlled by a tranquilizer to the back of the neck. She became weak and collapsed within seconds.

It was over a day later when Coraset woke up finding herself in a ten by ten cell. She had dry mouth, a splitting headache, and the room was spinning. She closed her eyes and took in several deep breaths. Once she opened them again, Coraset noticed on her right side was a cold cement wall and on the left were a silver toilet and a sink. A thin slit window went down the center of the wall facing the head of the bed, and her feet were facing the only wall with an entrance into her cell. Coraset closed her eyes again. At least, the Federation didn’t kill her. In the new government, trial and punishment was all executed the same day, and since she was still breathing with a massive headache, her fate had to be prison instead of death. Now, Coraset had one question. How long was she to stay in prison?

PART 1

CHAPTER ONE

A year and a half passed and Coraset was still a resident of the Mojave Prison. She never had any visitors, but that never truly mattered to her. She still had her stepfather, but she didn’t want him travelling from the Barat Region to Death Valley by himself. It was at least a four hour drive, and anything could happen. There were people who still lived outside of Erato, and they would try to take his car or mug him if he stopped to get gas. It was a worry she didn’t want to bear.

Coraset sat on the bed with her hands together in her lap, and she waited patiently for her breakfast and to take a shower. She stared at the bare wall in front of her. She never wanted to make her cell feel like home. She hated being there. The small space remained just as empty as the day she arrived.

Finally her tray of food was shoved in through the slot in the door. The eggs and soggy toast was never edible, but she always took a couple of bites to satisfy her angry appetite.

An hour later the food was taken away, and Coraset was finally taken to the showers. She placed her towel and comb on the tiled wall in front of her. She took off the orange jumpsuit she was required to wear that indicated she was a dangerous inmate and her underclothes, but she kept on her flip flops. She stepped under the stream of cold water from the rusty hooked shower head. With her eyes closed, Coraset tilted her head back letting the water beat on her face, neck, and chest. The steady rhythm on her body felt absolutely heavenly.

Coraset was the only inmate in the showers, and she was being watched by male armed guards. She was used to it. She simply acted as though they weren’t there. Most of them looked forward to watching her while she was showered.

The first time in the prison shower, one of the guards tried to take advantage of her. Coraset got the best of him. She gave him the impression that she wanted him, and when his guard was down, she got his gun and killed him. Coraset was placed in extreme solitary confinement with no lights and no windows. Her shower privileges, outside privileges, and her library privileges were taken away. She remained in there for three weeks.

When Coraset returned back to her regular cell, another guard decided to try his luck. She let him have his way. She was all over him as much as he was all over her, and she got a hold of his night stick. She brutalized him, and he eventually died of his injuries. She was put into extreme solitary confinement for a month. The warden ordered the guards not to touch her or approach her alone. She was considered very dangerous, and she was to be treated as such.

The three guards that watched her that day in the shower had their rifles armed and ready. They noticed her smooth chocolate colored skin, her malnourished thin frame, and subtle but perk breasts. Her wet black hair was pasted to her back, arms, and shoulders in twisted strands. Before she could apply soap, the shower abruptly stopped. The guards lifted their weapons higher, surprised themselves that the water had stopped so sudden. Coraset looked at each one of them, turning only to look at the guard against the wall behind her. She didn’t say a word. She didn’t ask any question.

With angered impatience, Coraset snatched the half towel from its resting place on the waist high tiled wall. She wiped herself completely down and dressed back into her clothes. She grabbed the wide toothed comb that was on the tiled wall and raked her hair into a ponytail. She wrapped the wet strands around and tucked it to create a bun. When she was done and had all of her things, two guards approached her, and one stood behind her. They led Coraset to the only door into the shower room and waited for the loud obnoxious buzzer that indicated the door was unlocked.

Once they were in the hallway, two more guards showed up, and one of them placed her wrists in cuffs. Coraset stared at the floor, never making eye contact. She never wanted them to see her emotions or read her expressions, and she didn’t want to look in their faces.

Coraset was taken to her cell, and she was released of her restraints. She noticed their normal practice of escorting a prisoner had changed a bit. Usually she had to be completely in the cell with the doors closed, and then she had to stick her arms through the rectangular slot to have the cuffs removed from the outside. Coraset wondered why the change in procedure, and soon her silent question was answered.

The guard commanded in a dry tone, “Get your things. You’re leaving.”

Coraset was looking into the clear blue eyes of the guard that gave her the order. She didn’t know what to think. She opened her mouth to speak, but thought again remembering where she was. She turned and stared at the room. She didn’t have any personals, just underclothing. The room was bare of pictures just like the first day she arrived. No drawings, no letters, and nothing to remind her of a family she once loved. The bed was made, folded in precise military style. A slit of light shined across the small space illuminating dust particles as they swirled in midair. Her clean underclothes, which consisted of five pairs of underwear, bras, and socks, were folded on top of a foot locker. She placed her clothing in a blue bag that was wedged underneath her undergarments. Coraset took one last look at the room.

She turned around waiting for the guard’s instructions, noticing he was the only one left at her cell. He walked out the door, and Coraset followed. She was thinking maybe she was being taken to the general population, but that couldn’t be right. The Warden made it perfectly clear that wasn’t going to ever happen.

Coraset and the guard arrived at a door with the name ‘Warden Devon Cobb’ in big block letters. Inside was a small office that was as bland as the walls of Coraset’s cell. A brunette with a solemn look sat behind a desk typing at a computer. She didn’t look up as they crossed the room to another wooden door.

The guard knocked and waited patiently for permission to enter. Warden Cobb finally sounded from inside, and they entered into a room that was decorated with expensive upholstered furniture, clay sculptures, books, and oil paintings. He stood at a wide window that was as long as the wall it was in, and he was viewing the barren landscape of Death Valley that stretched for miles.

Coraset was on edge as she waited for him to speak. She looked back slightly at the guard, sensing he was staring at her.

Warden Cobb cleared his throat and said without turning, “I remember the day you arrived. You were unconscious and restrained from your head to your ankles. You also came with a set of rules. I thought that was quite strange. No prisoner in here comes with a set of rules.” The aged man turned to glance at Coraset before sitting. His glossy brown eyes met hers. He didn’t smile or show any other kind of emotion.

He opened a file and lifted a white sheet of paper, covering his face up to his eyes. He read the words aloud, “You have been accused and convicted of the murder of a Barat Police Lieutenant, and you murdered two Mojave Prison guards. I’ve had inmates executed for stealing bread from the chow line, and here you are still alive after killing three people. Exactly who are you?”

She didn’t answer his question.

Warden Cobb exhaled loudly as he tossed the paper in the garbage bin under his desk. He announced coldly, “You have been officially released from the Mojave Prison on this day, June 12, 2027, approved and signed by levels beyond…me.”

Coraset wondered if she heard him correctly. Released? Was it true? A small smirk appeared at the corners of her mouth.

Warden Cobb started typing on his computer. He was purging all of Coraset’s prison records. He stood once finished and said with conserved anger, “You better hope this is your last visit. Because if you do return, I will personally see to it that your first day back is your last day breathing. No one on this earth, including your high Federation connections, will be able to save you.”

Coraset didn’t react to his threat. She gave him a dry, uninterested look.

He turned back to the window and said, “You are allowed to make one phone call before the bus leaves. It only stops in Baker.”

Coraset heard the door open, and she turned and walked out. The guard escorted Coraset to an office labeled ‘out-processing’ all the way at the end of the hallway. A man behind a desk slid a box to her. Inside were her cell phone, point card, ID card, and the clothes she was arrested in. The cell phone was dead, and she figured the 400,000 points on the point card were gone. She didn’t bother to ask.

A brown bus drove up outside. It was spitting out black smoke and making a horrid racket. Coraset didn’t like the fact she had to ride in that thing, but if she was going to get away from the Mojave Prison, it would have to do.

The guard pointed out, “There is a terminal if you want to make a phone call.”

Coraset looked across the room and saw a computer screen with a phone attached to it. She thought about making a phone call to her stepfather, but she quickly decided against it. She knew of someone that drove through Baker every morning, and she’d catch a ride with him.

Coraset took the box under her arm and started for the door. The annoying buzz sounded overhead indicating the door was unlocked, and she swung it open. She rounded the front of the bus and boarded the musty, run down vehicle. The door slid closed, and the bus chugged down the football length dirt driveway to the first gate. It slid open slowly like it was fighting itself. The armed guards from the towers watched as the bus went through both entrances. Their attention never left the gates until they were completely closed and secured.

The bus made an abrupt right turn, which alarmed Coraset. She knew he was supposed to be turning left towards Baker. She stood and hit the metal wall that separated her from the driver, and she yelled for him to turn around. He never responded, and the bus kept barreling down the road, creating a cloud of dirt and dust behind it. Coraset sat back down dreading where she might end up.

CHAPTER TWO

The desert sun baked the inside of the bus. Coraset unbuttoned the two top buttons on her polyester orange jumpsuit. She fanned her face with the box top she was given back at the prison, but she still sweated profusely. Twenty minutes into the trip, she put down all the windows. The wind carried the outside heat and dust into the bus making the ride even worse.

The ride seemed to go on for an ungodly amount of time, and she was growing impatient fast. Just as Coraset was about to hit the metal divider to get the driver’s attention, the bus passed by a man walking in the same direction the bus was going. The walker was completely covered. He wore a leather cap that covered the entire back part of his head. His coat collar was up, and his hands were covered with dusty brown leather gloves. Coraset wondered why someone would be wearing winter clothes in the middle of the desert. She had a bad feeling. She hadn’t seen an abandoned vehicle or any other signs that humans lived out in the desert since they left the prison. Coraset moved to the other side of the bus to stay out of sight of the walker.

The bus pulled off the road, and the walker kept coming. He didn’t look up into the passenger area of the bus, but he stopped when he got to the driver. They began talking to one another. Their conversation was mumbled, almost like they were whispering.

Then Coraset heard someone else approaching from the side of the bus she was on. He was looking up through blue goggles into the bus. She slid to the floor as silently as she could.

Without warning two gunshots went off. The bus jerked forward and it picked up speed. Coraset kept her head down. The bus started fishtailing, and then it flipped thunderously onto the driver’s side. The bus slid through the hard dirt and rock until it slowly came to a stop.

After taking a moment to just breathe and to make sure she was still alive, Coraset got back on her feet. She was standing on the broken windows and walls on the driver’s side. She went over to the back emergency exit and kicked at the red handle until the door fell off the hinges. Coraset stepped out and backed away from the bus, amazed that she made it through the accident. She turned and saw the trail of wreckage, and the walker, who was spread eagle beside the road a few yards back.

Coraset looked on either side of the bus, but she didn’t see the goggle guy. She wondered where he went. Coraset circled the bus carefully, looking backwards every so often.

When she got back to the front of the bus, she knelled down to see if the bus driver was okay. He was still buckled in his seat, and he had a bullet wound to the neck. Coraset tapped on the window hoping he’d respond. He didn’t. She looked around before climbing on top of the bus, and she worked the door open. Once she was inside, she positioned herself to check the driver’s pulse. He didn’t have a heartbeat, and he wasn’t breathing. Coraset took his guns and his handcuffs before climbing back out. She stood on the side of the bus and spotted a shack in the distance. She hopped down and went to the back of the bus to get her things. She lowered her body and stepped carefully inside. Coraset shook her belongings free of the dirt and glass and replaced everything back in the blue bag. She left the dirty box behind. She heard the goggle man moving around outside, and she reconsidered putting away both guns. She wasn’t going to face him without protection. Coraset took one gun out of the bag, and when she stepped out, the other fell out to the dirt. Goggle man looked down at the gun and then at her with a smile.

His tanned face was dirty. His brown hair was askew and dusty, and his clothes were ragged and too big. Coraset stared at him, trying to remain calm. She tightened her grip around the gun she had hid behind her right thigh.

Goggle man shifted his spectacles above his brows, revealing paler skinned circles around hazel eyes. He looked young, maybe in his early twenties with sunken cheek bones and a pointed dimpled jaw. He had on blue baggy pants issued by the Mojave Prison, indicating he only committed a small misdemeanor, and a filthy white t-shirt that swallowed him. Goggle man scratched below his bottom lip as he summed up the woman in front of him. He immediately noticed that Coraset was wearing an orange jumpsuit.

“You’re Coraset, right?”

She didn’t answer him. The fact that he knew her name didn’t sit right with her at all.

Their eyes met for only a second, and he set his attention to the gun on the ground. He shifted around, looking back at his friend who still lay unmoved on the ground. Then he walked a few paces from side to side trying to see around the sides of the bus.

Coraset waited him out patiently, never taking her eyesight off of him.

Feeling uneasy, goggle man laughed searching for something to say. He kicked at the rocks and pulled his hands through his head again before finally asking, “What’s going on, girly?”

“Nothing,” Coraset answered in a cool manner.

He hesitantly took a step towards her and demanded, “Give me that gun.”

“No,” she said as she kicked it to the side.

Goggle man didn’t have a clue as to what to do. He was warned about Coraset. She killed two guards at the prison, and she wouldn’t hesitate to defend herself, even to her own death.

He started walking towards her. He was studying her emotionless face, hoping to bring weakness or fear to the surface. He picked up the pace, and by the time he reached her, Coraset had the gun pointed directly to his face. The man threw his hands up and backed away.

“I’m just messing with you.” He stated with a fake laugh.

Coraset grew tired of his games and ordered, “Get on your belly right next to the bus.”

“I don’t think so,” goggle man remarked.

Coraset pulled the hammer back and aimed at his right shin. She shot him, and he fell to the ground screaming and writhing from pain. She tossed her bag to the ground and pulled out the handcuffs in one swift motion. Before the man realized it, Coraset had his wrist cuffed and was dragging him to the bus. She clamped the other cuff around a metal bar that was attached to the emergency exit. The man yanked so hard to the point where he hurt the muscles in his arm.

She grabbed the other gun on the ground, and she started for the man up the road. When she got to him, she moved around the body until she saw his face. He was shot in the temple. His eyes and mouth were wide open. Satisfied that he wasn’t going to be a problem, she went back to the bus where goggle man was screaming and fighting to get out of the cuffs.

Coraset picked up her bag completely ignoring him and began her track for the distant shack. Goggle man began screaming someone’s name, but she didn’t stop or pay any more attention to him.

With a clear mind, Coraset thought about the situation she was in and what just happened. Two guys with no sign of transportation were in the desert, and one of them shot the bus driver. How did they get out there? Better yet, how did goggle man know her name? The situation wasn’t coming together in her mind, and nothing about it was right. But she knew she wasn’t safe. Goggle man was calling for someone right before she walked away, and his friend was dead up the road from the bus wreck. That meant there was someone else out there.

The dirt road ended right in front of a wooden shack in a circular turnaround. Coraset looked back up the road. The third guy could be hiding in the wooden hut. Coraset wasn’t taking any chances. She shifted her shoulder so the bag would slide to the ground. She went around to the back to eyeball the size of the hut. It was perfectly square and flimsy. She was surprised that it was still standing. Coraset pulled open the back door, lowered her body and entered. There was an unlit lamp in the center, and streams of light penetrated the cracks between the panels. It had a wood panel floor, and there were stacks of boxes on each side. In the far right corner a man was on his belly. He had no shoes and no socks and was shirtless. His ankles and wrists were bounded together with zip ties.

Coraset slowly approached the man, pointed the gun at his head and pushed at his leg with her foot. When his head came up, she noticed his dirty face was moist from tears, and his big blue eyes indicated desperation. He had a buzz cut. His skin was pale white like he hadn’t seen sun in years. He was a young man, lean in muscle tone, like a teenager’s body. Even though, he appeared to be in pain from being tied up, Coraset decided to be careful nonetheless.

She set one of the guns on top of a nearby box, and she worked to untie the rag from around his mouth. He coughed and started breathing heavy. Coraset wanted to release him completely, but it all depended on what he had to say.

“Where are they?” The boy asked as he rolled to his side.

“One is dead, and the other is chained to a bus.” Coraset answered.

“Can you release me?” The boy was trying to sit up.

“Are you with them?”

“Uh, no, I’m tied up.” He answered smartly.

Coraset didn’t let his smart remark bother her, and she shot off another question. “How many guys are here with you?”

“Only three,” Rudy answered. “Please, get me out of these things.”

Now, she understood why goggle man was looking around back at the bus. He was searching for the third guy. Coraset didn’t like this at all. One more guy and she had no idea where he was or what he looked like. He couldn’t be that far. There was nothing but desert for miles. There wasn’t water readily available and no food, unless he had those essentials with him.

“Is there cutters in here somewhere?”

“In that bag behind you,” the boy answered.

Coraset went over and pulled the black duffle bag open. She rummaged through it and found wire cutters. She went back to the boy, rolled him back on his stomach, and freed him. He rubbed at his wrists alternatively and then at his ankles. Coraset stepped back as he got to his feet.

“Thank you,” the boy said.

His kindness surprised Coraset. She hadn’t heard a ‘thank you’ in years.

“You’re welcome,” she responded guardedly.

The boy grabbed the bag Coraset got the cutters out of, and he put on his socks and shoes. He snapped out a shirt and put it on quickly.

“I’m so glad you came along. My name is Rudy.” He extended his hand.

“Coraset,” she answered, not reciprocating the gesture.

“Oh, so you’re Coraset,” he remarked as he zipped his bag closed.

“You know my name, too?” Coraset asked as she stood right in front of him. She had both guns in her hands again, but her stance wasn’t guarded.

“Those guys talked about you.”

“What did they say?”

Rudy hesitated before answering, “They were going to kill you.”

Coraset clearly understood what was going on. It was Warden Cobb. It had to be. He was seeking revenge for the murder of his two guards, and he was pissed about her being released. It was more than obvious he hired three guys from the prison to kill her.

“Do you know them?”

“Uh, heck no,” Rudy remarked with a shake of his head.

“Is there another place out in the desert someone can lay low?”

“No, this shack here is it. There isn’t anything else for miles.”

“That means the last guy is close by.”

Rudy shifted his hands to his side in clear worry and asked, “What should we do?”

“You’re not going to do anything. They’re after me. Are they all armed?”

“One of them had a gun,” he answered.

Coraset headed out of the shack.

“Where are we going?”

“Back to the bus,” she answered.

Coraset liked the fact she could see for miles. The landscape was flat and rocky, and then it erupted into dark hills in the far north and east. She knew she had a better advantage of dealing with the unknown man if she saw him coming. If she stayed in the wooden hut, he could get close. He might even jump her when she came out.

When Coraset returned to the bus, the sun was baking the outer shell. The heat streams waved up into the atmosphere making the area around the bus much hotter. Goggle man was sitting up. He used his belt to try and cutoff the flow of blood to his bleeding wound. The dirt floated in the pool under his calf. Rudy saw how serious his wound was and crossed his arm in disgust. He gawked at the crashed bus, then out at the dead guy beside the road. He wondered if Coraset was responsible for all that damage.

Coraset asked goggle man, “Where is your friend?”

The man was sweating and had his goggles pulled over his eyes again. He looked away from Coraset.

“I asked you a question,” she said as she lowered towards him.

“I don’t know, but he’s going to kill you when he gets back.”

She threatened, “I’m going to put a bullet through your other leg if you don’t tell me where he is.”

He yelled with irritation, “I don’t know where he’s at. He’s out here somewhere watching, I guess!”

“Who hired you to kill me?”

“I can-”

Before goggle man could finish his sentence, the last guy ran from behind the other side of the bus and tackled Rudy. He was a huge, muscle bound guy, dressed with dark tattoos on his neck and biceps, and he wore a t-shirt, leather vest, and denim jeans. Rudy didn’t have a chance. He punched Rudy in the face knocking him unconscious. Muscle man was about to lay another shot to Rudy, but he stopped when he heard Coraset pull back the hammers of both guns. She was a good distance away from them, and she moved to get a good front aim at his head.

With muscle man’s attention fully on her, he stood slowly. He took mental note of her small frame. She was shorter. It was hard for him to believe that a woman like her was capable of killing two prison guards. Those men trained for prison riots, worked out, and they weren’t easy to square up against. How did she get the best of them? Muscle man eyed her from head to toe. Obviously, they underestimated this woman, but he was determined not to make that same mistake.

He asked with a panting deep voice, “You know how to use that gun?”

Coraset took one step backwards improving the accuracy of her aim to his forehead as an answer. She wasn’t going to give him the benefit of a conversation. That’s all she needed was for him to get the upper hand because she was complacent.

“You need to relax, girl. We don’t need guns, right?” He began moving his hands behind his jeans.

Coraset wasn’t about to wait and see what he was about to do. She fired twice with both weapons, and he dropped heavy to the ground next to Rudy. Muscle man’s face was a bloody mess as he lay dead.

Goggle man stared at the once giant of a man. He yelled and yanked his chained arm, angry that his friend was shot dead in front of him.

Coraset went over to Rudy to rouse him. Once he woke, she helped him back to his feet. Rudy was surprised to see the giant. He looked at Coraset amazed. She didn’t wait for his questions. She started back for the shelter, and Rudy followed behind her, every so often looking back at the damage.

He was grateful to have her there, felt relieved that those men would never bother him again, and he stumbled to his knees trying to stay his emotions. Coraset went back to his side, crouched beside him, and patiently waited for him to pull himself together.

She immediately understood Rudy was a child. He was definitely older than eighteen years old, but his mind wasn’t ready for him to be an adult. Coraset could tell he was unscathed and good at heart, and it was unfortunate that he was out there. Then the worse part, he was alone with those festers of society, and there was no telling how long he was out there with them or what they did to him. Coraset wasn’t going to ask Rudy. She wasn’t going to make him relive anything negative that could have or might have happened. The only thing she hoped in his case was that those men didn’t break his spirit. Coraset patiently and quietly waited with him as he poured his relief through salty tears.

Once Rudy was ready to continue on, they walked side by side back to the shack. Coraset picked up her blue bag out of the circle and followed him inside. She sat down in a cleared corner and leaned her head back to close her eyes to rest and think. Coraset figured if Warden Cobb was sending another bus, it’d be at least another hour before it got there, and there was no telling what she had to deal with then.

Rudy sat across from her, bringing his knees up to his chest. He was nowhere near tired, and he watched her with questions brewing in his mind. He let her be but hoped to speak to her soon.

CHAPTER THREE

Coraset felt something strange in her hands, and she opened her eyes to find a ready to eat meal. She lifted it to read the black print.

“Dinner,” Rudy said as he scooped out the last of his tuna from a small silver tin.

The room was lit by two lamps. Coraset went to sit close to him and asked, “Where did you find this?”

“The boxes,” Rudy said as he pointed his finger around the room. He set the tuna aside and began eating the crackers.

Coraset opened the package, and she pulled out beef with black beans. She didn’t realize how hungry she was until she started eating.

“Where did the boxes come from?” She asked.

“I don’t know. Maybe, the prison had people out here at one time.” He said as he reached for a small container of water that was behind him. He gave it to Coraset.

“Thanks,” Coraset said.

“Sure,” Rudy remarked. “Coraset, can I ask you a question?”

“I supposed so,” she answered.

“How did you kill all those guys and crash the bus?”

“I only killed the big dude. The bus driver and the guy up the road killed each other. The bus flipped when the driver was trying to get away from him.”

“You handcuffed Dewey to the bus?”

“Yes,” Coraset continued eating as she answered. “That’s the guy’s name? Dewey?”

“Yeah, did you shoot him, too?”

“Yes,” Coraset started drinking her water.

“They are idiots.” Rudy noted.

Coraset didn’t comment. She was starving and thirsty. Rudy watched her a bit, trying to figure her out. Why was she wearing the orange jumpsuit? She must have killed someone, and how was it she was still alive? The Federation was intolerant of murderers. He noticed her green eyes and long ponytail. He figured she was older than him but that didn’t take away from her beauty.

She happened to catch him staring, and Rudy reacted by standing and going to a box to get wet wipes. He sat back down, started pulling two out at a time and wiping down his hands and arms.

“How did you get out here, Rudy?” Coraset asked.

“I was released from prison with those guys early this morning. I thought we were headed to Baker, but the bus dropped us out here instead.”

“When did you find out they were going to kill me?”

“They talked about it after we got here.”

“Did they say anything about the warden?”

Rudy answered, “I heard them say that the warden wanted you dead, but they didn’t say why. They also said that the warden promised he’d get them out of here and set them up in Selatan once they took care of you.”

Coraset was satisfied that she knew the truth behind the inmates and the warden and decided to put those men out of her mind. They were no longer a problem anyway. She finished her food and cleaned herself up with the wet wipes Rudy brought out.

“You know, we’re stuck here. The warden isn’t going to send anyone to pick us up. I tried to tell those guys the same thing, but they wouldn’t listen to me.”

“I wasn’t depending on the warden anyway. I am getting out of here regardless.”

“How? There’s no bus coming, no taxi-”

“Walking, Rudy, that’s the only way.”

“Do you know how long the walk will take?”

“Probably 12 hours, and I figured if I leave at nightfall tomorrow, I’ll make it there before the sun rises.”

“I want to go with you, Coraset.”

“I figured you would.”

“Where are we headed?”

“We have to get to the prison first.”

Rudy jumped in front of her with renewed hope and asked, “Okay, so after we get to the prison, then what?”

“I’ll get us a ride and we’ll head to Baker.” Coraset answered.

“Where are we headed after we get to Baker?”

“I’m going to the Barat Region,” she answered before scrubbing her face.

“That’s where I need to go, too. Why don’t we just drive all the way there?”

“Because I plan on stealing a car, and we don’t want to be caught with it,” Coraset answered as she cleaned up the mess she made. She tossed everything in an open box of garbage. “I have another way back to Barat. It’s safer. We just need to make it to Baker before the late morning.”

“But how are you going to steal a ride? Everyone working at the prison parks their cars inside the prison, or they take a shuttle bus out there.”

Coraset smiled, but she never answered his question.

“I don’t know about this, Coraset.”

“Don’t worry, Rudy. It’ll work out.”

A silence fell between them. Coraset went outside to stare up at the star filled night sky. She hadn’t seen such a sight in over a year, and she suddenly realized how much she missed the stars and the moon. Something so far away, never to be touched, only to be seen, and she adored it nonetheless. The celestial bodies were the only sure thing to remain familiar despite everything else that changed in her life.

Rudy joined her. He shoved his hands in his pockets taking in the view, as well.

CHAPTER FOUR

The morning arrived and Coraset stood outside the hut holding a packet of lukewarm water. She felt well rested, and she was in somewhat of a good mood despite where she was. She looked out onto the desert. The earth was already radiating heat.

Rudy came out stretching and yawning. He scratched at the sand stuck to his back and stomach.

“Good morning, Coraset.”

“Morning, Rudy,” she answered.

“What are you doing?”

“Taking in the moment,” she said as she glanced quickly at him.

“Are we still leaving tonight?”

“That’s the plan. We have to go through the boxes to see what we can take, but we have to carry light.”

“I can tell you what’s in most of them. There are bandages, gauze, aspirin, and some kind of ointments. One has nothing but ready to eat meals. There are snack packs in there, water, and some other stuff.”

Coraset turned and went back inside. She asked Rudy who was following close behind her, “I’ll have to use the other bag. Who did it belong to?”

“I believe it belonged to the big dude you shot yesterday.”

“Well, he won’t need it now.” Coraset commented as she went over to the far corner to drag out the bag. She placed it in the center of the floor and unzipped it. Inside were muscle man orange prison jumpsuit, his clean underwear, and a shaving kit. Coraset tossed all of those things except the shaving kit back into the corner and started searching through the boxes, only taking things they needed for the trip. They quietly packed for a while until Rudy couldn’t take the silence anymore. His increasing curiosity about Coraset was eating at him.

He asked as he sat in front of his bag crossed legs, “Coraset, do you have family?”

“No,” she answered without interest. “Actually, I do. I have a stepfather.”

“Where is he?”

“He’s in Barat.” Coraset answered quickly.

Rudy noticed her answers were short, and he got the feeling she didn’t want to talk about her family. He let it go and returned to straightening the items in his bag.

Coraset finished packing, satisfied with what she had. She saw that Rudy craved conversation. It was understandable. He was like a kid, eager to be heard, eager to listen to something interesting. Even with the both of them there, he was lonely.

She sat down across from him and asked, “What about you? Do you have family?”

Rudy’s face lightened up, and he answered, “I have my sister, thank God. Her name is Alice. She lives in Barat, too.”

“How old is she?” Coraset asked.

“She’s thirty something. That’s what she tells me. I don’t get the something part.”

Coraset laughed understanding what his sister meant and explained, “It simply means she’s over thirty but below forty. How old are you?”

“I’m twenty years old,” Rudy stated.

“Only twenty,” Coraset said as she smiled, thinking back to when she was that age. “I was in college studying international law when I was twenty.”

“What did you do after you graduated?”

“I started working for Erato Biotrade in charge of its worldwide humanitarian efforts.” Coraset felt a little pride, but it quickly fizzled to a dull feeling in the pit of her stomach.

“Sounds really important,” he stated.

“It was.”

“Is that what you used to do before you went to prison?”

Coraset wasn’t expecting so many questions, but she didn’t mind. It was refreshing to speak to another person after being in solitary confinement for a year and a half. She answered, “No, I was a horticulturist.”

Rudy gave her a strange look. “So, you went from having an important position at Erato Biotrade to being a gardener in the Federation to a dangerous inmate in the Mojave Prison?”

She laughed and answered, “Well, I was accused of murdering a police officer. That’s how I ended up in the Mojave Prison.”

“Did you really kill a police officer?”

“No.”

“So, why didn’t you stay a humanitarian?” Rudy shifted intently listening.

“There is no such position in the Federation, and if it did exist, I wouldn’t take it. Before the outbreak, Erato Biotrade was the leading company in the world when it came to altruism. Then it was like they stopped caring. They did nothing to stop the N12 Virus. I believe they had the vaccine all along. I used to have so much pride working for that company. Now, I really don’t want anything to do with them. That’s why I’m a gardener.” Coraset spoke with a bitter attitude, and she gave a quick angry smile.

Rudy was speechless.

“So…what did you used to do for the Federation before you were in prison?” She asked trying to beat back the heaviness in the room.

“I was an engine and airframe mechanic.” Rudy spread his arms with a huge smile and added, “I really want to be a helicopter pilot!”

“Why didn’t you test for it?”

He dropped his arms and answered, “I did, but I didn’t score high enough.”

Coraset looked at him curiously and asked, “Rudy, how did you end up in prison anyway?”

He cleared his throat and said, “I stole a point card.”

She laughed and shook her head. “Why would you do that?”

Rudy embarrassedly answered, “I don’t want to say.”

Coraset knew as young as he was, he must have had a hard time in prison. He was among the leeches of society, and the worse of the worse.

Rudy leaned back on his arms before asking, “Have you ever been married?”

“No,” Coraset answered.

“Have you ever wanted kids?”

She seriously considered his answer and answered, “I did when I was in high school. I wanted to get married and have two kids, a boy and a girl. I wanted a nuclear family.”

“What is a nuclear family? It sounds dangerous.” Rudy asked in a serious tone.

“It’s not. It’s like I said, two kids and a husband.”

Rudy understood and remarked, “I don’t think I’ll ever get married, and kids are definitely not an option anymore.”

“It’s unfortunate for all of us,” Coraset added.

She stood and picked up the bag to test the weight. She placed the strap on her shoulder, and then on the other shoulder. She walked around trying to make sure it wasn’t going to be a bother when she set on her way that evening.

Rudy watched her considering everything she told him. He put all of the facts in his head, added a few notions based on what she said and what he’d seen her do, and drew his own conclusions. Overall, he thought Coraset was a strange woman. He’d never met anyone like her before.

He commented, “I don’t understand you, Coraset.”

“I’m not a complicated person, Rudy.”

“Yeah, you are. Before the outbreak, you were a humanitarian at Erato Biotrade. Now, you’re a horticulturist for the Federation, and you know how to handle a gun. You probably know how to fight, too. How did you learn all that stuff?”

“I’ll have to tell you later how and why I learned all of those things, but right now, you need to check the weight of the bag. We’re going to be walking all night, and you need to make sure it’ll be comfortable.”

Rudy threw the bag over his opposite shoulder and stood. He bounced where he stood and he walked around Coraset a couple of times. She watched him, smiling. He took it off and sat back down on the floor.

“I guess it’s good to go?” Coraset asked as she set her bag aside.

“Yeah, it’s perfect. Coraset, I have another question.”

“I bet you do,” she commented as she joined him on the floor.

“You mentioned you had a stepdad. What does he do for the Federation?”

“He’s a chemist.”

“Alice teaches mathematics. I don’t think she likes it anymore.”

“Why not,” she asked.

“She says school isn’t the same like it was before the outbreak. It is regulated, very controlled, and there are no kids. She doesn’t like teaching adults. She says it’s more difficult.”

“I can understand what she means. Some adults can’t be molded. We get stuck in our ways, and it’s hard to change. It’s almost impossible sometimes.”

“I always tell her it’ll get better. One day, the world will have babies again, and she’ll be able to teach them like she used to.”

“And what does she say?”

“She tells me I’m being foolish and to grow up.”

Coraset nodded, thinking the same thing.

They remained inside the hut and tried to get some sleep. Sometimes they started talking, but most of the time, it was quiet between them. Coraset couldn’t wait to start her trek that evening. She was eager to get back to civilization. Rudy missed his sister, and that’s what he looked forward to the most. Being with his only family and starting over.

The day continued on slowly. Way too slow for Rudy’s pace, but soon the sun was far in the west. Coraset stood. It was about that time, but there was one thing she wanted to do first.

CHAPTER FIVE

The horrid, larger than life vultures jumped away from muscle man dead body when Coraset and Rudy approached. Dewey was sleeping inside the bus. Coraset kicked his hand, startling him awake. Rudy backed away, avoiding the stench of the dead body. Dewey crawled out looking like a fright with severely chapped lips and messier hair than the day before. Coraset eyed his bloody pants.

“What you want, girly?” Dewey asked in a dry, rough voice.

“We’re taking you to the shack.” Coraset revealed as she tossed the handcuff key to him.

“Are you going to show me a good time?” His hands were shaking as he reached for the key.

Coraset showed him the gun as an answer to his question. He unlocked his wrist, but he didn’t try to get up.

“I can’t walk.”

Coraset pointed to Rudy and said, “He’ll help you.”

Rudy didn’t expect her to say that, but he came over to help him to his feet anyway. Dewey smelled horribly bad along with the dead body, and Rudy held his breath as they stumbled towards the road. Coraset followed them. Dewey hung his head, weak and tired, but he kept on going starving for the shelter at the end of the road.

When they were inside, Rudy helped him down to the floor. Coraset gave Rudy zip ties to secure Dewey’s ankles and wrists in front of his body. He hesitated to do it, but Rudy did as he was told, remembering that this man and his friends did the same to him. Coraset held the gun square on him, waiting for Dewey to make the wrong move. He stared back at Coraset, parched, tired, and unwilling to fight back.

“Why are you helping me?”

“I’m not,” Coraset remarked as she reached for the satchel near the door. She shoved the gun in the bag and settled it on her shoulder.

Rudy threw the strap of his bag across his chest, and he waited for Coraset at the door.

“Where are you going?” Dewey looked to Coraset, to Rudy, and then back at her.

She walked out without answering his question.

Rudy said, “There is plenty to eat and drink in here. You should be good until the next bus arrives.”

“When will that be?” He asked in a panicked voice.

“I don’t know,” Rudy remarked.

“Don’t leave me here by myself! Untie me! HEEEY!” Dewey yelled and wiggled around to try and get up.

Rudy didn’t want to hear the screaming. He rushed out the door to catch up with Coraset. She was already a good distance up the road, and he had to run to catch up with her. They walked at a fast pace following the cleared road. The sun was beginning to set to their right side, creating hues of blues, from the lightest of sapphire to the darkest of navy.

As the night approached, Rudy became much more aware and fearful. Coraset didn’t speak of the sounds they heard, the eerie shuffling in the blackness, the howls of coyotes, and other unseen life of the desert. She never slowed her stride, and Rudy was becoming tired the more they walked. He wanted to take a breather, but at the same time, he didn’t want to stand still and be a victim of the hidden dangers of the desert. Coraset slowed down a little, knowing he needed somewhat of a break.

Rudy didn’t like the silence. The distant landscape was scary. He stated hoping to get his mind off of the sights and sounds, “You wanted to know how I ended up in prison?”

“You stole a point card,” Coraset reminded him.

“I was bored. I was trying to go against the grain, push against the rules, you know.”

“So, how did you do it?”

“I was going home from work. I saw a woman walking in front of me, and I decided to snatch her purse.”

“Rudy, that’s horrible,” Coraset remarked.

“It felt so good at the time to push back against Erato’s norm. By the time I got home, the police was waiting for me. I was arrested and was on trial the exact same day. They sentenced me to jail for a year. Can you believe that?”

“You’re lucky. They could have put you in jail for five years,” Coraset commented.

“Yeah, I know. When they told me I was going to the Mojave Prison, I nearly craped my pants.”

“I hope you really didn’t,” she said as she cringed at the thought.

“No, I didn’t, but I was scared out of my mind. Pushing against the rules seemed like a good idea when I first did it.”

“Now and days you could end up dead,” Coraset said.

Rudy agreed silently. His thoughts immediately went back to Dewey. He wondered why Coraset helped him. Why she didn’t leave him in the desert? He did try to kill her, and Rudy had no doubts Dewey would have tried to kill him, too.

He asked, “Coraset, why did you help Dewey before we left?”

“Old habits,” she admitted.

“But he tried to kill you.”

“I know, but I wasn’t going to leave him in the heat. At least, in the shed he’s a little cooler, and he has food.”

“You’re like an oxymoron, Coraset.”

“I don’t like insults, Rudy.” She warned.

“It’s not a real insult.”

“You call me an ox and a moron.”

“That does sound bad, huh?” Unable to contain his laughter, Rudy explained, “I’m just saying, you helped the guy that tried to kill you, and you shot him, too.”

Coraset thought about his statement and nodded in agreement. “Sometimes you have to be the better person, Rudy.”

That one statement said it all, and Rudy took in the advice with a new found respect for Coraset. She was hard when she had to be, but she was compassionate, too. He resolved there wasn’t anything difficult about her.

They continued walking the sandy road. Their backdrop was the unknown desert, and they felt exhilarated. Their destination was closer with each step, with each moment, and they walked all night.

CHAPTER SIX

The Mojave Prison set against the background of a yellow colored landscape to the east. The sun was barely up behind the huge structure. Coraset and Rudy were tired from the long night trek, but Coraset knew they weren’t even close to where they wanted to be. Her determination was still set to leave the desolate landscape, and Rudy was just as determined to keep up with her.

They jogged out of eyesight of the guard towers; a good distance from the main road that went passed the prison. Coraset wanted to get a least a mile away from the prison before going back to the road. She knew there was a caravan of vehicles transporting the prison guards within the hour, but usually a few people drove by themselves early in the morning. She wanted to catch one of them, but she had to move fast.

Finally, they found a spot to wait and to catch their breaths. Coraset kept her attention up the road. Rudy rest his hands on his knees, and he dipped his head feeling utterly tired. After a few minutes, the distant headlights of the caravan could be seen from the south. The road was paved, but still some dust could be seen.

Rudy took off his bag and sat down on it. That’s all he wanted was a bath and a bed. Every part of his muscles hurt. Sometimes it was even hard to focus. Rudy knew it wasn’t time to rest.

He asked Coraset to keep himself awake, “You remember what you told me yesterday?”

“We talked about a lot of things.” Coraset squatted down when she saw the caravan was getting closer.

“You were going to tell me how you learned everything.”

“Oh,” Coraset got down on one knee for comfort and continued. “Well, I used to travel around the world making sure the aid got to the right people. Sometimes entire shipments would be stolen or simply taken right out of our hands at the airport. It could be a seriously dangerous job, Rudy. Have you ever heard of Darfur?”

“No,” Rudy listened with heightened interest.

“Darfur used to be in the continent of Africa. They went through a brutal civil war, and we wanted to get the aid to the refugees. We got into the country. After my employees left the airport in Al Fashir, their caravan was stopped. Our stuff was seized immediately. One of my constituents tried to stop them, but-” Coraset shook her head.

The caravan suddenly reached them, and they ducked down.

Once the vehicles passed, Coraset continued, “They shot one of my staff members, they took a woman, and they took the cargo. I was still in Al Fashir when I heard about the kidnapping and high jacking. We never found Nancy, and we couldn’t find the truck, either. I decided at that point it was time to learn self-defense, and I trained on different weapons, as well. I took it very seriously. With all the good I tried to do in the world there were equally bad things that wanted to stop me. I just made sure I was prepared for the battle, that’s all.”

Rudy took in her story and stated, “I’m impressed with you.”

Distant headlights and a dust cloud snatched Coraset’s attention away before she could reply. She stepped towards the road, but stopped short a few of yards away. She tossed her bag on the ground, unzipped it, and started undressing leaving her white undershirt and underwear on. Rudy was shocked to see her half naked. He didn’t know what to say.

She tossed her orange jumpsuit into the bag, and released her long hair. Coraset bent down to get her gun, and Rudy stood upright, speechless as he stared at her dark, thin frame. The undershirt and underwear did a flimsy job at hiding her private parts, and he swallowed hard, unable to turn away. Coraset didn’t have time to be shy or to set him straight. She started for the road.

“What are you going to do?” Rudy managed to ask.

“Stay out here, out of sight, Rudy. Don’t move until I tell you. You understand?”

He looked at her weird, not really sure what was going on.

“Tell me you understand, Rudy.”

“I understand.”

Coraset continued towards the road. The car was moving in quickly. She looked to Rudy and pointed to the ground.

“Stay out of sight!” She yelled back at him.

Rudy did as he was told. She made sure that he was down before turning her back to the approaching car. She hid the gun with her body as she waited.

A black four door sedan came to a screeching halt. A man in a prison guard uniform stepped out. He didn’t understand why a half-naked woman would be in the middle of the road. He called to her, but Coraset didn’t answer. The man turned around where he stood, not really sure what to do. He stepped away from his car.

“Hey,” he called with uncertainty. “Are you okay?”

Coraset waited patiently for him to get closer. The man would stop and call to her every other step. When he finally reached her, Coraset turned towards him in a quick motion and pointed the gun at him.

The man was startled and threw his hands up. Her aim was dead on his chest.

“Rudy,” she called.

He was already halfway on his feet. He grabbed both of their bags, and he started running towards Coraset.

“Get in the car,” she ordered.

Coraset rushed to the driver’s side of the vehicle, opened the door, and immediately got in. The man kept his hands up.

She turned the car around and floored it towards Baker or rather what was left of it. She kept looking in the rearview mirror, the fear of someone tailing them overbearing her mind, but there was no sign. The drive would be an hour and a half long, and she wasn’t going to slow down for a second.

Shifting in his seat, Rudy tried to stand slightly, reaching under himself to find a cellphone. Spotting it out of the corner of her eye, Coraset reached over, snatched it from his outstretched hand and turned it on. As the dial tone resounded throughout the speeding vehicle, she smirked. Dialing in an all too familiar number, she shouldered the electronic device and waited, eyes still focused on the road stretching out like an endless ribbon before her. A busy signal sounded off, and with a groan of frustration, she dropped the phone in her hand to shut it off.

“Who were you trying to call?”

“Our ride to Erato. He should be going through Baker in a couple of hours.”

“Text him,” Rudy suggested.

“Good idea.” Coraset remarked as she immediately opened the phone again. She handed it back to Rudy and told him to recall the last number dialed. “Type in Baker at 9:30 a.m., 7772.”

Rudy did as she said and asked, “Do you think this person will answer the text?”

“Oh yeah,” Coraset said with confidence.

He held on to the phone with both hands, and a few minutes later, a text appeared on the illuminated screen. Rudy read the message back to Coraset.

‘85234, old Baker at 10:00 a.m.’

She smiled and nodded with confidence. They were set.

Rudy looked at the phone, thinking about his sister. He wanted to reach out to Alice, but he wasn’t sure if he should. Rudy was concerned about the man they stole the car from. Would the police track the phone to find them? A fear overtook Rudy, and he quickly turned it off. He decided he’ll contact his sister once he got home.

CHAPTER SEVEN

After what seemed like an endless drive, they stopped just before old Baker. They slowly and as casually as possible, walked towards the highway. Rudy lingered behind. His eyes gaped tiredly at the surrounding dilapidated stucco homes. He wanted so much to be back in Barat. He didn’t like the desert anymore. He was tired of it. Nothing seemed to exist. He wanted his life back. He wanted to see his sister again.

Rudy rushed to catch up with Coraset and asked her, “Who are we meeting?”

“His name is Getty.”

“Are you sure he’ll meet us here? This town looks like there hasn’t been anyone here since the outbreak.”

“There’s a gas station near the highway where we’re going to meet him.”

“Do you think the police will be looking for us?”

“I hope not, Rudy.”

They arrived at the gas station, only to find an attendant sitting in a small booth. He was leaning back in his chair against the wall with his mouth wide open and sleeping. Coraset and Rudy kept out of view by sitting under an awning at a nearby hoary general store.

It was another thirty minutes before Getty drove into the gas station in his truck. Erato Federation in big bold cursive lettering was sprawled on each side of the long white trailer. Getty exited the cabin, and Coraset swiftly walked over to him with Rudy in tow.

Getty was really plump with an unshaven, ratty, grey beard littered with the crumbs of past meals. Large blue green eyes twinkled with a sort of joy that Rudy had pictured on a certain jolly elf in red from his childhood.

“Cora,” the big man cheered, arms spread wide as he swept her up in a hug, causing Rudy to snicker in amusement.

“Coraset…” she grounded out in half-hearted annoyance. The man was far too cheery for her to ever stay mad at for long, and besides that, she was too tired to even put forth the effort.

Getty released a long, hearty laugh, dropping Coraset onto her feet and reached out his hand to Rudy. “My name is Getty Solomon, and you are?”

“Rudy Remald,” he said as he gripped Getty’s thick, calloused hands.

“Good to meet you, Rudy.” Getty turned quickly to Coraset, pointed to Rudy with his free hand and asked, “New boyfriend?”

“No,” Coraset and Rudy said at the same time.

“It’ll take time, son. You’ll be with her soon enough.” He said as he threw an arm around Coraset.

Rudy looked at Coraset, and she shook her head as she grabbed the bridge of her nose.

“Getty, can we get going, please?” She asked impatiently.

Motioning for the two to follow, he hastily walked towards the cab of the truck. The two entered Getty’s vehicle first and moved over so he could take his seat at the steering wheel. He shifted and turned to find his comfort, and then he buckled in.

“Alright, I hope you’re ready for a haul?”

“You are headed to Barat, right, Getty?” Rudy asked inquisitively as he crawled in the back area of the cab.

“Yes, sirree! I drive a load to Las Vegas at night, and in the morning, I take another load back to Barat.”

Getty shifted his way out of the gas station and unto the empty highway. The truck’s slow roll began its steady ascension to 70 miles per hour. Coraset watched as the landscape sped by in a mixture of yellows and reds. The farther they got away from the Mojave Prison and old Baker, the better Coraset felt. Rudy’s exhaustion caught up with him, and he was asleep before they got ten miles down the road.

Getty lit a cigar he had started the day before and settled in for the next destination of Victorville, another truck stop for the Erato Federation tractor trailers.

He asked, “How did you end up in Baker?”

“In a very roundabout way,” Coraset answered as she avoided eye contact.

“There are only three ways you can end up in Baker. You work at the Mojave Prison, you work as an Erato Federation diesel gas station attendant, or you’re a truck driver.”

“I think you know the answer,” Coraset remarked.

“Did you break out of prison?”

“No, but I did steal something I wasn’t supposed to.”

“I’ll turn on the computer for alerts.” Getty said as his fat fingers reached for a grey box on the dashboard. With one push of the button, a list of announcements was scrolling upward on the screen. “We’ll be able to find out something from the computer if they’re looking for you two.”

“Hopefully, they won’t be,” Coraset answered.

“If they’re not, I’ll take you directly through the gate at Barat.”

“Thank you, Getty.”

“So, Coraset, when was the last time you spoke to your father?” He asked as he gripped the huge steering wheel near his legs.

“It’s been a while, over a year and a half.”

“When was the last time you saw him?”

Coraset answered somberly, “The same amount of time.”

“How did you end up in prison anyway?”

“I was blamed for a murder I didn’t commit.” She answered.

“Well, that’s strange. You were convicted of murder and not put to death? I’m not trying to be funny or anything, but that’s unusual. The Erato Federation doesn’t let those kinds of things go unpunished.”

“I know they don’t. I really can’t explain how I didn’t get the death penalty, and I really can’t explain why I was released.”

Getty thought about what she said as he peered out to the winding and hilly highway. He remarked, “Maybe, someone was looking out for you, or maybe, they believed you didn’t kill anyone.”

“I guess,” Coraset closed her eyes and scooted down in the seat hoping Getty would understand she didn’t want talk anymore.

They drove through Barstow, a town once home to many US Army soldiers and other retired military personnel after over an hour of driving. The town that set on a hill was now empty. The desert was taking back its property. Every home and business had years of dust and dirt accumulated in it. Coraset could feel the emptiness, even though their drive through was quick.

When they reached Victorville, Getty stopped to get fuel. He pulled into a fuel station only meant for tractor trailers. Coraset and Rudy remained in the truck as Getty stretched his legs and refilled his thirsty ride. The place had only an Erato Constabulary Officer and another gas station attendant. Getty didn’t stay long, as his schedule was strict and must be adhered to.

When they drove through the pass between San Antonio Mount and the mountains that lead up to the Valley of Enchantment and Big Bear, the earth began to change. Trees and desert underbrush mixed together, but soon nature’s lush personality took over the landscape. The air wasn’t so dry and hot. The foliage was a welcome site.

Clearly seen from the freeway, signs of a once vibrant community peeked through overgrown trees. Silence was the owner for most of the homes now. The truck kept moving, not slowing down enough for Coraset to catch any glimpse of anything specific.

Getty’s eyes pooled, feeling utterly overwhelmed at the silent accomplishment of man across the terrestrial. No matter how many times he drove this route, his heart never stopped aching for mankind. So much life, absolutely flushed away by something that could only be seen by a microscope.

Getty asked, “Do you think there are people still out there, Coraset?”

“I’m sure there is.”

Getty wiped his face with his shirt sleeve and said, “I’m sorry, Coraset. I’m worse than an old lady, sitting over here blubbering. I just wish times were back the way it was. I missed those stupid mundane things that used to get me upset.”

“Like what, Getty?” Coraset asked curiously.

“I used to sit in traffic on this highway, and I used to wish everyone was gone so I could get to where I was going faster. I’d get so aggravated. Man, I never imagined my wish coming true like this. We were the only ones on this entire freeway, not a single car or truck on our way here. I should have wished to win the lottery instead.”

“Strange how there was better odds on nearly everyone dying,” Coraset remarked with a little chuckle.

Getty looked over at Coraset. He didn’t want to laugh, but he couldn’t help it. He couldn’t deny she was on the mark with that statement.

Soon, they saw Erato, old L.A., rising in the distance. The grey skyscrapers rose above the cement wall. Some buildings were completed with flags of the Federation on top. Others were halfway finished, the steel frames spiking into the air with no windows. The royal palace loomed in the center with a doomed white marble top.

“Wake up, Rudy,” Coraset said as she touched his hand.

She wasn’t sure they were going to make it through the checkpoint. The computer didn’t list any problems. She didn’t want to take a chance and get her old friend in trouble at the gate.

“Getty,” Coraset remarked as he kept a steady velocity on the highway around the walled city. “You can drop us outside the gate. If you’re caught with us, you’ll be in trouble, too.”

“They’re not looking for you, Coraset. We would have heard by now. I’ll get you in the gate. Get in the back with Rudy.”

“Are you sure about this?” Coraset’s nerves were on end.

“I’m not leaving you out here. Do as I tell you and get in the back.”

Coraset touched his hand gently and did as she was told. Getty shifted off the freeway and headed directly for the Barat Region outer gate.

The gate guards approached the truck. Getty pulled out his ID card for scanning. Coraset thought about pulling out her gun, but she didn’t want to have Getty or Rudy hurt or killed. A woman guard scanned the barcode with a thin laser wand. The register on her hip beeped a confirmation sound indicating that Getty was good to go. The woman guard then scanned the barcodes on the cab and trailer. Everything registered as good, and the steel doors slid open with a screech.

The new society was revealed once again to Coraset and Rudy. People moved about, dressed in bland clothing, hair shaved, cut, or stuffed into a bun. Hardly anyone smiled, there wasn’t any reason to. Coraset moved to the front seat and stared out the window. She looked up at the half built structures that hovered over the streets.

Getty stopped at a red light and announced, “This is where you get off. They won’t let you into receiving at the warehouse.”

She turned to Getty and said, “Thank you for the ride.”

“Tell your dad I said hello. It was nice meeting you, Rudy.”

Coraset smiled and said, “I will, Getty.”

“Thank you, sir,” Rudy respectfully stated.

They got out of the truck right before the traffic light turned green, and they stood on the sidewalk as Getty slowly drove down the empty city street. Rudy bent over, his shoulders shuddering from his restrained crying. Finally, they were home. They were in Barat.

PART 2

CHAPTER EIGHT

Coraset waited for Rudy to steady himself. He wiped his dirty face with the back of his hands and straightened to his full height. He slid his fingers through his brown hair, suddenly realizing it was dusty and messy.

“I need a bath,” he stated as he brushed at his clothes.

“Where do you live?” Coraset asked as she searched her surroundings from where she stood. She was trying to see if anyone was paying attention to them more so than normal.

“Building twelve,” Rudy answered.

“Alright, Rudy, go home.”

“What if the police come looking for me? They’d find me.”

“Honestly, I think we’re in the clear. We could have easily been caught in Baker. There was no bulletin on the Federation computer in Getty’s truck. I didn’t see anyone following us. Getty’s truck wasn’t searched when we got to the gate or at the gas station in Victorville.”

Rudy wasn’t so confident about her conclusions, and he began to get real nervous about standing on the sidewalk without reasoning. He didn’t want to draw anyone’s attention.

“Go home, Rudy. If you think there’s a problem, call me.”

“If there’s no problem, then what?”

“You go back to what you used to do before you were arrested. You get up every morning, and you go to work.”

“What if they won’t allow me to work at the hangar anymore?”

Coraset answered impatiently, “I don’t know, Rudy. You’re asking me questions I don’t have answers for.”

He put his hands on his waist and looked away. He nervously pulled at his bottom lip with his teeth. Rudy cleared his throat and said, “My number is 83176.”

“7772,” Coraset reminded him. “You’ll be fine. Go on.”

Rudy nodded. He was unwilling to leave Coraset, but he knew he had to.

“Go see your sister tonight, have dinner with her, and if you get into trouble, call me. It doesn’t matter the time of day. I’ll get back to you.”

Rudy glanced at Coraset and then started down the road. He walked slowly. Each step to him was leading to an uncertain future. Coraset decided not to watch him. She needed to move on with her life. Rudy turned around one last time only to see that she was gone. He sighed hoping one day to see her again.

The buildings rose high above the city streets. Banners hung over every entrance with the wording ‘Celebrate Barat! Chancellor Dominic Erato.’ Small national flags hung from short poles jutting out from wrought iron light fixtures that were evenly spaced on each side of the road. Trash cans and triangular sidewalk announcement boards had images of a man Coraset never seen before. She didn’t understand what in the world there was to celebrate. She put it out of her mind and decided to get off the streets. It never looked good to Federation Constabularies for people to be just standing around outside. She’d be apprehended and questioned. Coraset decided to go home and quickly.

When she returned back to her apartment door, she stopped. There was a new numbered key board at chest level on the left side of the door. Coraset wondered if the apartment was given to someone else. She knocked on the door. When no one answered, she pressed 7772 in the keypad. She figured it made sense because that’s the only number she could think of, and the Federation assigned it to her. The number buttons turned bright blue, and the small screen above the keypad flashed: fingerprint required. Coraset pressed her forefinger to the screen. The keypad turned green, and the door popped open.

She wondered what else had changed since she left. She was expecting to see her apartment empty, but instead, she found everything as she left it. The computer was still on the coffee table. The black leather furniture was in the same spot. The window curtains were still open showing a panoramic view of the afternoon day. There was a light film of dust, which normally bothered Coraset.

She went directly to her bedroom, and placed her bag near the foot of the bed. Coraset pulled out her cell phone and placed it on a black solar plate near the window. She waited to see if it would respond. With one single beep, the Federation crest appeared in the center.

Satisfied that it would charge, Coraset went over to her dresser and pulled out her lacy white underwear and matching bra from the top chest of drawers and found a long tank top that stopped around her calves. Coraset went to the shower, and she immersed herself in the sprays of the hot water from the tiled walls.

Coraset noted for the first time in a year and a half she could take a shower without being watched. The water wasn’t cold. She could use her favorite peach smelling soap instead of the hard unscented prison brand. She scrubbed her body, wanting to get every part of her past down the drain. By the time she was finished, Coraset was exhausted beyond words. She quickly changed out the sheets and comforter on her bed and with a sigh of relief, she crawled under the clean linens, and she let the sleep takeover.

CHAPTER NINE

The next morning arrived with the rain hitting Coraset’s bedroom window. She sat up in bed, still exhausted, but she was glad to see and hear the rain. The desert didn’t give such a gift, and she took a moment to take it in. The rain drenched the window, distorting the view. Coraset smiled and settled back down into bed. For the first time in a long she was relaxed and not worried about a thing.

Her room was like an abyss, devoid of any semblance of human attachment. There were no pictures depicting the family she once knew, not of her biological father Michael Prescott or her mother Rhea Jefferson. Not even her two sisters Salina and Penny Prescott.

When Coraset first left home, she ventured off to college, excited for a brand new start. She hardly came home during school breaks. Living with her parents were always difficult, the arguing, the fighting, and she didn’t want to go back to that turmoil. Coraset worked all she could when she wasn’t in school, and she barely called home. When her dad left her mom, she kept going with her life, never stopping to take sides or to hear her parents’ explanations. Coraset already knew the reasoning for the dissolving of the marriage. Rhea was overbearing, strict, and a workaholic. Michael loved spontaneity, travelling, and enjoying life to the fullest. He believed in working hard, but he believed in playing hard, too. Michael Prescott worked in advertising, and Rhea was a chemist. It was better they ended their marriage. When her mother found Brecco, she found her equal. He was older, more settled, a chemist, and Rhea was more compatible with Brecco. Coraset’s sisters were not happy with their mother getting married, but Coraset understood. She gladly accepted Brecco into the family as long as her mother was happy.

Coraset got out of bed once the rain stopped. She slid the tank top off and put on jogging pants and a tight fitting t-shirt. Coraset brushed her hair back, allowing it to hang down her back. Coraset went into the living room to check the points on her card. She pressed the on button for the computer. Once it was finished loading, Coraset scanned her point card. To her surprise, all 400,000 points were there. She walked out of the apartment, feeling rejuvenated but a little reserved.

The streets were still empty. The smells from the damp sidewalks and asphalt consumed Coraset’s nostrils. The once windswept flags hung from the heavy soak of the rain. Coraset looked up at the building in front of her. It was completed. The last time she left her apartment, it was an empty shell reaching up into the sky. Nothing about it was different. The same steel building like the one she lived in. No individuality, just a show of the power Erato had over everyone.

Coraset exhaled and went back inside of her building. She took the elevator down to the first basement level where the entire floor was a store. Anything a person could ever want was found in that store.

Coraset picked up a basket and looped the handles on her forearm. She went to the produce section and stared at the perfectly displayed fruits. Something as simple as picking out fruit became difficult. She was hungry, but she had no idea what she wanted to eat. Coraset huffed in aggravation, and decided to grab a pound bag of grapes, four apples, and four oranges. She knew the fruit alone wouldn’t hold her over. So, she went to the meat department. Coraset wasn’t much of a cook, considering everything else she was capable of, and it kind of bothered her that she couldn’t put together a simple meal for herself. She put the meat and fruit back. She exited out of the grocery store with an intention of going up to the penthouse restaurant to eat dinner.

She walked out of the store, hit the up button to the elevator and waited. Coraset noticed a brunette was sitting on a marble bench on the far end of the foyer. Coraset thought it was strange that someone would be just sitting outside of a grocery store in the basement level of the building. No one ever did that.

She took note of the woman. Her brunette hair was in a French roll. She wore black perfectly creased pants, a tight fitting double breasted jacket with an ivory blouse, and pointed toe high heel shoes. Coraset didn’t have a good feeling about her. She touched the elevator down button but moved on to the stairs to go up. She wasn’t about to climb 40 or more flight of steps, but Coraset didn’t want the woman to have advantage of her by using the elevator. She dashed up the steps.

Coraset stopped when she heard the door from the first level basement come open. She peered over the edge of the stairs to see if she could get a glimpse of who was coming. She heard murmuring, the door slammed shut, and then she heard the familiar sound of guns being cocked. Coraset started running up the steps, and the footsteps below her was quickening, as well. When she got to the 10th floor entry door, she listened and waited breathless. The pursuers were still coming up the steps, but they’d stop on every level opening doors, checking for Coraset. She continued going to the 15th floor and stepped into the hallway. She couldn’t hide nowhere on the floor. Every single door was locked, and there was no breaking in because all of the doors were steel. Coraset straightened and listened for the footsteps in the stairwell.

After she heard two sets of footsteps go pass, Coraset moved to the other side of the door so she wouldn’t be seen just in case someone peeped in. She peered up and down the hallway to see if anyone was coming out of an apartment. Slowly, the knob turned. Coraset held her breath.

The barrel of a gun began to appear. Coraset waited until she saw a hand. She positioned herself carefully, and she kicked the gun out of the assailant’s hand. He grunted and swung the door open meaning to hit Coraset with it. She jumped out of the way and with one swift motion, she kicked him square in the neck. He fell to the floor with a deep yell, and Coraset kicked him in the stomach and grabbed the gun. The man curled up in utter pain grabbing his sides and stomach, and she jumped passed him and started running down the steps. The other aggressors heard her, and they started running back down. Coraset got to the 11th floor landing and pulled out the magazine to make sure it was fully loaded and checked to see if there was one in the chamber. Seeing that the gun was set to be fired, Coraset knew they meant to kill her. Being taken as hostage was not a part of their plan. She took in a deep breath, and she continued down the stairs keeping close to the wall. She got to the lobby level, and a man busted through the door. She shot him in the chest. Coraset knew if she tried to make a break for the lobby entrance, she probably wouldn’t make it. She continued down two more flights to the first garage level.

Coraset entered cautiously, ducking as she walked behind Erato Federation vehicles. Every parking spot had a SUV, and she stealthily walked through them listening and watching. She heard the stairwell door slam open against the wall and orders being barked. Coraset made her way carefully to the exit and out onto the street.

She saw a man standing at her building entrance, but he didn’t see her. The trees and street décor blocked his view, and she managed to get across the street. She went three blocks and decided to hide in building three garage. Before she could get to the garage gates, someone pulled up right in front of her at the entryway. Coraset pointed the gun, and the window rolled down revealing a familiar but friendly face.

His name was Brochudo, a husky black man with dark eyes and a round bearded face. He was bald headed and smiling.

“Get in,” he stated as the glass slid back into place.

Coraset looked around one last time, and she opened the back door and got in. The man backed out onto the street, and he headed for the Barat Region outer exit. Their identification was scanned, and they were allowed to leave. Coraset looked out the back window at the closing gate.

“No one is crazy enough to follow this car,” Brochudo’s deep voice sounded from the front seat.

“Where is he?” Coraset asked as she slouched down in her seat.

“Bel Air,” Brochudo answered as he reached in the compartment next to his seat. He pulled out one CD, looked at the cover, and then put it back in. Then he pulled out another. He peered at the blonde posing beautifully on the cover, and he took the CD out of its cover. He pushed the disc into the player, and a song with an upbeat tune started playing. Brochudo started singing. His deep voice was a horrid contrast to the songbird singing from the speakers.

Coraset sat back and watched the scenery pass. She was glad to be in safety. She tried to find a reason why anyone would want her dead. She couldn’t picture the warden having enough power or reach to send someone after her, especially an entire team of killers. Maybe it could have been Lea Cassis who sent them in order to stay off revenge, but Coraset never thought about going after Lea, not even once.

Brochudo drove through hills filled with forests and empty mansions. Some gates were pried open, rusting off their hinges, or completely disconnected from the walls that surrounded once exclusive properties. Coraset kept her gun in hand, still unwilling to think the run for her life was over, but she saw no sign of the people that were chasing her. She wondered how many others were after her. Who did they work for? Why were they trying to kill her? She needed answers.

Finally, Brochudo turned into a driveway. It wound for half mile to a wrought iron gate. The car came to a screeching halt, and the gate remained closed. Coraset had that uneasy feeling again, but she hated to think that Brochudo was leading her into a trap. He’d always been a nice guy, never said a bad thing about anyone.

Coraset asked guardedly, “Brochudo, whose house is this?”

“Mr. Cassis,” he answered as he tapped on the steering wheel casually.

“What are we waiting for?” She gripped the gun tightly and started looking around.

The gate suddenly started opening slowly.

Brochudo stated, “For the gate to open. Jory isn’t paying attention or was in the toilet.”

Coraset sat back, still on edge. When the gate was fully open, Brochudo drove the broken brick driveway to the front door of a home completely covered with overgrown, untamed ivy. The house looked like it was built into the greenery itself.

Brochudo opened the car door for Coraset and remarked, “He’ll be in the first room to your right.”

She shifted the gun into her other hand and looked at Brochudo with doubt.

He understood her uncertainty and said, “It’ll be alright, Coraset. You can still trust Mr. Cassis.”

Without saying anything else, she went inside. She held the gun tight, aimed in the direction she was moving. The house was dark except for one room that was lit by a chandelier. Senator Xavier Cassis stood with his hands in his pants pockets, with a slight smile on his face. Coraset was glad to see him, but she was still tense. The room appeared empty, but there were dark corners and cascading shadows hiding the appearance of the walls. Coraset approached Xavier, and she stopped in front of him.

CHAPTER TEN

Senator Xavier Cassis was a middle aged man with brunette hair, brown eyes, and lightly tanned skin. He was clean shaven, young looking for his age, tall, and slender. Xavier was driven and very intelligent. He was appointed a Senator for the Barat Region by Chancellor Katherine Erato when the Federation was first formed. Deep down, he did not like nor approve of the new society, but Xavier worked diligently to ensure his front of supporting the totalitarian system was never in doubt. He wanted change. Xavier knew if he voiced what he really felt, he would be ousted from his high profile government position, imprisoned for treason.

“You and I need to talk, Xavier.” Coraset stated calmly.

“I will answer any and all question you may have, but first there are other matters we need to discuss.”

“There is nothing else to consider other than why your wife set me up.”

Xavier pointed out, “There is more important-”

“Why was I framed, Xavier?” Coraset cut him off angrily. She didn’t want to hear anything else but the answer to her question.

He hesitated but eventually answered, “Lea thought I hired you to kill Lieutenant Donner.”

“Did you tell her that?”

“No, of course not,” he answered with a convincing stare. “She was seeing him. I found out. I did hire someone to take care of him. She thought it was you. So, she went to the police and told them.”

“I lost a year and a half of my life over a lie, Xavier.” Coraset stated with restrained anger.

“And I did everything in my power to ensure that’s all you lost. The judge was going to sentence you to death, but I convinced her that you did not kill the lieutenant.”

“But she sent me to jail, anyway.”

“She had no choice. Lea is my wife, and I am a Senator. With those facts alone, the judge could not disregard her accusation.”

“Ridiculous! Why didn’t you tell the judge who actually did it?”

“Because I had to protect the operative, Coraset,” Xavier explained.

“And what about me,” Coraset asked as she pointed a finger at herself.

“I took care of you. I made sure you were looked after while you were in there.”

“I was nearly raped twice, Xavier!” Coraset stepped away from him in disgust. “That’s a hell of a way to look after me!”

“I’m very sorry you had to go through that, but I worked hard to keep you alive. The warden wanted you dead. Lea wanted you dead, but I wouldn’t allow it. I saved you.”

She chuckled and remarked, “No, you didn’t.”

Xavier exhaled in aggravation. He wanted so much to move on from the subject. He remarked, “I know you’re mad, but there are more pressing matters. I need your help.”

“You got some nerve, Xavier.” Her voice shook from her anger, “I’m not going to help you.”

“Will you let me say my peace before you make your final decision?”

“No,” Coraset started for the exit.

“Then listen to me instead,” A feminine voice stated from a darkened corner.

Coraset turned back towards the unfamiliar voice. She glanced at Xavier with uncertainty as she gripped the gun tighter. A woman stepped from the shadows. She was statuesque and blonde. Coraset thought she looked familiar. She couldn’t place where she saw the woman before.

“Who are you?” Coraset asked as she kept her distance.

“Malie Levendro,” she answered.

Coraset finally recognized her. She was the woman from the elevator the day she was arrested. She’d seen her many times going home or going to work. They never spoke. Malie didn’t look so harsh this time. She presented herself with an easy smile and a welcoming demeanor.

“Coraset, Malie is my assistant.”

She stared at Xavier uncertain about the woman’s presence and intentions.

“Why don’t we all have a seat in the conference room?” Malie slim hands waved towards a door near the large fireplace.

“No,” Coraset plainly stated.

Malie’s voice was determined as she spoke, “Coraset-”

“I’m. Not. Interested.”

“Would you be interested if I said you helped spread the virus?”

“Malie,” Xavier exclaimed as he cut his eyes at her disapprovingly.

Coraset looked at her like she was losing her mind and asked, “What did you just say?”

“I didn’t stutter.” Malie answered smartly.

Coraset started for Malie, and Xavier blocked her by grabbing both of her arms. She pushed away and pointed the gun at Xavier’s head. At that moment Coraset heard numerous clicking of rifles coming from unseen places in the room. Laser lights appeared one at a time and were being aimed at her. Ten men in black combat uniforms were moving towards her at a fast pace. Her heart raced as she watched the men surround them all.

Several dark pupils focused directly on Coraset, and with a single motion, she spread her arms out letting the pistol hang on her fingers. One man approached her quickly and snatched the gun away.

“That’s all I want you to do is hear us out, Coraset, please.” Malie stated in a calm manner.

“Well, I guess I don’t have a choice now,” Coraset remarked.

Malie led Coraset and Xavier towards the door near the fireplace. Two members of the team followed behind them. They went down a short corridor, and Malie opened another door to a rectangular room. In the center was an empty oval wooden table and on the wall was a large flat screen television. Coraset sat down in the nearest chair, and the two men stood behind her on either side. They held their weapons diagonally across their bodies, with their feet shoulder width apart. Xavier sat on the long side of the table close to Coraset, and Malie remained standing. Malie pressed an invisible button on the bottom of the television.

Chancellor Katherine Erato appeared on the screen. She was a woman with white hair curled sensibly at ear length. She wore pink lipstick and soft blue eye shadow. Chancellor Erato didn’t smile. Her close up shot showed her as being proud with a faraway look.

Malie remarked, “You know who this is.” Malie picked up a remote from a small square table in the corner and pressed a button.

Another picture appeared, and it was a man in his fifties. He had dark hair. Signs of grey were beginning to show on the sides. The man was smiling, looking handsome and confident. Coraset saw the family resemblance between him and the Chancellor.

Malie looked at the picture and stated, “This is Dominic Erato. He is the youngest son of the deceased Chancellor.”

“Deceased Chancellor,” Coraset inquired making sure she heard correctly.

“Yes,” Xavier answered. “She died last week while she was in surgery.”

Malie continued, “When she appointed herself as Chancellor over Erato in 2025, she named Dominic Erato as her successor once she was dead or incapable of ruling. Unfortunately, Dominic will continue the political and social policies of our current state. We were hoping she would have chosen Sergei Erato. He is the oldest son, and he shares the same views as me, Xavier, and many others in Erato.”

Coraset asked impatiently, “What does this have to do with me spreading the virus?”

“We will get to that.” Malie remarked.

“No,” Coraset pointed to Malie and continued, “I want to hear why you think I’m responsible for spreading the virus. I could care less about who’s the Chancellor.”

“Tell her,” Xavier ordered.

Malie sighed and tentatively asked, “Do you remember when you were in charge of international aid at Erato?”

“Of course, I remember. That’s a ridiculous question.”

Malie continued, “The water supplies you used to help disaster victims were a means for Erato to spread the virus.”

Coraset didn’t believe it and snapped back, “You’re lying.”

“It is the truth,” Malie emphasized. “The N12 Virus was in the bottled water.”

She tried to read Malie’s expression, to see if her eyes would fall left or right. She did keep eye contact with Coraset, but still Coraset wasn’t convinced of Malie’s accusation.

She continued, “Every single bottle that you and your staff handed out was infected.”

“Where is your proof?” Coraset asked angrily.

Malie looked away as an answer. Coraset looked to Xavier, but he simply stared at his hands

“That’s all I’m asking is for you to show me the proof.”

“We cannot provide proof.” Xavier responded.

Coraset shook her head, laughing angrily.

Malie spoke up, “The water was tested.”

“Then I want to see the results.”

Malie looked at Xavier and said quickly, “Coraset, that information is unavailable.”

Xavier pleaded, “We will provide it to you, but-”

“That’s enough, Xavier,” Coraset was on overload. Her brain was racing, and she couldn’t think straight. “I don’t want to hear anymore. You two are nothing but liars and manipulators, and I’m not falling for it. I want to go home.”

Malie looked at Xavier with an expectation for him to stop her.

He stuttered, “Just…just-”

Malie offered, “Why don’t we take a breather? We can talk about this later. Coraset, you’re more than welcome to stay here.”

She remarked, “I’m not going to stay here.”

“If you go back home, you’ll be dead. Did you forget about the assault team that’s trying to kill you?”

Coraset realized Malie was right. But then she asked herself how did Malie know? Was she responsible for sending the team?

“They are waiting for you as we speak.”

Coraset glared at Malie and asked, “You sent them after me?”

“We wouldn’t be having this discussion if I sent them.” Malie pointed out. “I have a private loft upstairs you are more than welcome to use.”

“Fine,” Coraset agreed.

“But I require you to hear us out afterwards.” Malie added.

Coraset didn’t answer.

“I’ll take you to your room.” Malie walked to the door and opened it. “That’ll be all, gentlemen. I believe Coraset will be fine.”

The armed men echoed, “Yes, ma’am!” at the same time and marched out.

Malie led Coraset down the hallway and back into the large room with the fireplace. They entered the dusty foyer and went up the stairs to the second floor. Coraset followed her down the hallway to the left. Malie brought out a set of keys, and unlocked a door at the end of the corridor.

A totally different space opened up to Coraset. The room was larger than her spacious apartment in Barat. The first area was the living room with baby blue furniture, a coffee table with flowers as a centerpiece and decorative lamps on each small table beside the sofa. Sheer peach curtains hung in the windows to the right. A full size kitchen with granite tops was on the left side with an island separating the living room. A large bed set in the back of the room, and it was made. The place had a softer look, softer colors, and it was plainly pretty. It was a deep contrast from Coraset’s straight lined, darkly colored, impersonal apartment. She moved around the space taking in every colorful characteristic.

With nothing else to be said, Malie left her alone.

Coraset touched the soft baby blue sofa and sat down to feel its comfort. She stared up at the peach colored cathedral ceilings. The house didn’t appear to have that much room from the outside, but then again, she remembered the vegetation covered most of it.

The sofa seemed to take over Coraset, and she accepted its coziness and stretched out on it. She closed her eyes and took deep breaths.

Despite how tense she felt and how much her mind was racing, Coraset was drifting away. Sleep was grabbing hold of her, and she couldn’t shake it. All of the running up and down steps, the fighting and shooting; it all wore her down. She let it all go, and the sleep took over completely.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Coraset was awakened by a soft knock from the door. She opened her eyes and sat up not remembering where she was. The last moments she recalled was when she was being chased. She was running down the stairs in her building trying to get away, to find safety. Coraset felt around the sofa for the gun, but then she remembered she gave it up to the assault team. The sound of knocking caught her attention, and she slowly went over to the door.

Malie smiled upon seeing Coraset and said, “I figured you might be hungry.” She stepped into the room, and two other gentlemen appeared behind her carrying covered trays.

The men walked in hurried steps towards the table on the left side, and they began dressing the table. Prime Rib, caramel asparagus, and red skin potatoes were the main dish. The appetizer was a salad wedge with bacon pieces, pecans, half sliced cherry tomatoes, raspberry vinaigrette, crumples of blue cheese and blue cheese dressing. Crystalized glasses held freshly made sweet tea with tiny leaves of mint on the rim. Once they were finished, they moved out of the room quickly.

She could not remember a time when she had a real meal and asked, “Where did you get the steak?”

Malie smiled as an answer and sat down. Coraset joined her at the table.

“Since the Senator is in a videoconference, I thought we could have dinner together. Talk about a few things.” Malie cut pieces of lettuce from her salad wedge.

“Who are you anyway?” Coraset wasn’t sure about eating, and she didn’t trust Malie.

After chewing her food and wiping her mouth, Malie answered, “I work for the Senator. I handle most of his affairs.”

“Luck you.”

Coraset watched Malie as she delicately cut her steak. She was starving, and she decided to start eating herself.

Malie said with confidence, “I took care of the assault team that was after you.”

“Really,” Coraset said in disbelief. “And how did you do that?”

“I pulled the video feed from your building. I identified all of the assailants and added information into their files about their plans to assassinate the Chancellor’s oldest son.”

“Did you find out who they were working for?”

“A member of Senator Stewart Cobb’s staff,” Malie answered.

Coraset thought for a moment. Cobb, she repeated in her mind. She asked, “Is he related to Warden Devon Cobb.”

“His son,” Malie revealed.

“The warden has been after me for a while. After I was released from prison, he had me taken to the middle of the desert. There were inmates out there waiting for me.”

“The Senator wondered what happened to you after your release. He sent Brochudo out to Baker, but when he didn’t return with you, he thought the worse. How did you get out of there?”

“Luck,” Coraset answered. She didn’t want to rehash the events that occurred in the desert.

Malie didn’t pursue the answer further and said, “Well, you don’t have to worry about it anymore. The warden, his son, and that entire team are being charged for conspiring to commit murder on a Federation government official, and the Chancellor’s brother on top of that. They probably won’t see the next sunrise.”

“You’re playing on very dangerous ground, Malie. Entering false information into the Federation database can land you behind bars, maybe even dead. The Constabularies can track all entries.”

“They can’t track mine,” Malie remarked. “The computer operating systems are flawed, and I take full advantage of it.”

“If the right people find out what you’re doing, they will come after you.”

“I’ve been hacking computer systems for a long time, Coraset. I know what I’m doing.”

They continued their meals in silence. When they finished, Malie and Coraset left the confines of the loft and went downstairs to the back of the house where a garden was expertly tucked away.

One of the gentlemen that brought the food earlier also brought a tray with a pitcher of sweet tea and clean crystals with ice. He skillfully poured the drink into each glass before excusing himself.

Both women sat in wicker chairs facing the garden. The sun wasn’t quite set yet, but there were torches lit all around providing enough light to enjoy the scenery. The women sat quietly, looking at the gardens of roses, begonias, azalea bushes, and other flowering plants.

Malie remarked after she sipped her tea, “I saw your stepfather the other day. Have you spoken to him yet?”

“No, how is he?”

“He’s a little withdrawn, which isn’t like him at all.” Malie answered.

“Did he say if there was anything wrong?”

“Of course, not. He’s not going to tell anyone his problems. You know that.”

Coraset affirmed, “He is very private.”

“I just hope he’s okay.”

“Maybe, I’ll try to speak to him tomorrow.”

Malie exhaled and spoke with hesitation, “Coraset, we have to talk. I know you don’t want to get involved in the Federation, especially after the news you got this afternoon, but we need your help. What I’m about to ask you to do is truly off the wall, but it is necessary.”

“Malie-”

She cut Coraset off, “We have an opportunity to change the government.”

“What do you mean by changing the government?”

“Dominic Erato is the new Chancellor. Like I said before, he believes in the same policies as his mother. Our society can’t continue down the same path.”

“Just say what you mean,” Coraset demanded impatiently.

“We need to get rid of him.”

Coraset stared at her in disbelief.

“We want you to get close to him and kill him,” Malie revealed.

Coraset laughed and said, “You two are crazy. I’m not doing it.”

“It can work, Coraset.”

“Then you do it!”

“I won’t be able to get close enough.”

“And how do you expect me to get close to him?”

“There is a Chancellor Ball tomorrow in his honor. During this ball, he will be choosing women for his harem, and he’s going to pick a wife, as well.”

Coraset shook her head and said, “No.”

“You are a beautiful woman. He’ll choose you for sure, and when you’re in-”

“Are you serious?” Coraset stared at Malie like she was crazy. “You can’t be serious.”

“Once you’re in, that’s all you have to do is complete your mission.”

“Okay, lets back up for a minute. You are not considering a few things. I have a criminal record and a prison record. I won’t be allowed anywhere near the Chancellor Ball.”

“Your criminal and prison records have been scrubbed. They no longer exist.”

“Fine, well then I’m not invited to the ball.”

“You already have an invitation.”

“You are serious.” Coraset stated in a stunned manner.

“We have to get Sergei into office.”

“We,” Coraset laughed at her statement.

“You won’t be in this alone.”

“Malie, you have to get real. You’re asking me to kill the Chancellor of Erato. If I’m caught, which I’m sure I will be, I’ll be put to death without so much as a trial. He will have Elite Guards protecting him at all times. I don’t stand any kind of chance to get to him, much less being alone with him.”

“If you’re a part of the harem, you will be. That’s when you can make your move.”

“I don’t callously kill people, Malie.”

“But you have killed before.” She added with a point of her forefinger.

“I was defending myself each time. Plus, I am a horticulturist! I’m not some secret agent.”

“I know. It’s a brilliant cover, don’t you think?” Malie laughed at the sheer thought of it.

Coraset leaned back in her seat and looked away. She didn’t think it was funny at all.

Malie remarked as she tried to ease Coraset’s mind, “We have the prefect plan. You just need to execute it, and more than likely, no one will ever know you were involved.”

Coraset listened, even though, just being there and hearing Malie’s plan was scaring her to death.

“Dominic Erato is diabetic. He needs insulin shots. That’s all you have to do is switch one of the dosages.”

“With what,” Coraset asked.

“Brecco will give you potassium hydrochloride.”

“You got my stepfather involved in this!” She was incredulous and angry. “Why would you do that?”

“He believes in the cause, Coraset.”

She sighed impatiently and said, “Lets get one thing straight. This isn’t a cause. What you and Xavier are trying to do is assassinate a Chancellor for your own political gains.”

“His demise will be for the greater good of Erato.” Malie thought for a minute and then offered, “What if I give you a way out of this society?”

“There is no way out,” Coraset stated. “This whole idea is absurd.”

Malie asked completely ignoring her statement, “Have you ever heard of Barbados?”

“It’s an island in the Caribbean.”

“The Senator has a home out there. You can live the rest of your life on that island. You’ll have a staff, and they will be at your every beck and call.”

“It sounds too good to be true.”

Malie remarked with confidence, “It’s very real.”

“Okay, if it’s so real, why aren’t you living there? Why isn’t Xavier living on the island?”

“The Senator and I are committed to changing things here. We can’t do that from Barbados. You complete this assignment successfully, without anyone being compromised, including yourself, and I will have you flown to Barbados to live for the rest of your life. All existing records of you will be expunged. You will be able to live in privacy, without the worry of the Federation, and if you ever wanted to come back, I can make that happen, as well.”

Coraset was now seriously considering her the task. “So, let me get this straight. You want me to go to the Chancellor Ball, and try to get into Dominic’s harem. If that happens, you want me to switch his insulin dosage with something my stepfather is supposed to give me. Once Dominic takes it, he should die, right?”

“Yes,” Malie answered with a nod.

She thought about it for a moment. She tried to find the good in the plan and concluded there was nothing good about it. Then Coraset considered her escape if she in fact agreed to infiltrate the harem. How would she leave?

She asked Malie, “How do I get out of there after he dies?”

“I doubt if the Erato family will allow Dominic’s harem to remain. Once he’s gone, they should let you go.”

“But you’re not sure if that will happen,” Coraset asked.

“No, I’m not completely sure,” Malie admitted.

“What exactly are you expecting Sergei Erato to do if he becomes Chancellor? Is he even involved in this plan?”

“Sergei is not involved. He has no idea what we’re doing. But once he’s in power, he’ll change the current government. We’ll become a democratic nation like the United States.”

“Malie, you make this plan sound so easy to pull off, but it won’t be. You’re trying to change an entire government, and there are people who prefer for it to stay like it is.”

“The Senator will be able-”

“You will meet resistance. It won’t go down the way you think.”

“That’s all I need to know is whether you are willing to do the job.”

The stakes were too high. If Coraset got caught, she’d be put to death. The Elite Guard will kill her immediately. Was it worth the risk? The only thing she could gain from accomplishing the mission was getting out of Erato and living outside the dominant society, living beyond the rules and the political iron hand.

But on the other hand, Coraset couldn’t think of one bad thing in her life because of the totalitarian state. She was working. She didn’t have any demands made on her. She wasn’t being bothered by anyone. She had a roof over her head, clothes to wear, and food to eat.

Even though, Barbados sounded wonderful, she decided not to get involved. Whatever political environment Xavier and Malie was trying to attain wasn’t worth her life. She was the only one going into the fire. Coraset didn’t see any positives coming from trying to kill the Chancellor of Erato.

“Malie, I know you and Xavier are dedicated to helping society. I get it, but I’m not going to do this. You have to find someone else.”

They stared at one another, but Malie was the first to turn away. Her expression showed her clear unhappiness with Coraset’s decision.

“Brecco said you wouldn’t do it.”

Coraset didn’t answer.

“You’re not leaving me any choice, and I hate going this far with you. I was hoping to avoid it.” Malie stood and signaled for one of the soldiers from her protection team.

He stepped out into the path in their view from behind a tall wall of vines and flowers. The soldier had on the same black camouflage uniform, and he held a pistol in his hand.

Coraset didn’t move from where she sat. She asked, “What is this? Are you going to kill me now?”

“No, but I will have your stepfather pulled from the labs he works in, and I will see to it that he goes to prison for stealing highly classified documents.”

“You’ll have to do more than just make up lies in the computer to hang him with those charges.”

“I can tip off Federation Constabularies that he has lab reports belonging to Erato in his apartment. Taking his work home is forbidden, Coraset, and he could get in a lot of trouble. They might even sentence him to death.”

“You would do that to him because I refuse to help? He believes in this so called cause you and Xavier have created.”

“We’re willing to make whatever sacrifices there is to exact that cause including sacrificing Brecco.”

“Sacrifices,” Coraset scoffed. “You and Xavier aren’t making any. It’s me and my stepfather you’re asking to step into the fire.”

Malie asked ignoring her last statement, “What is your answer, Coraset?”

She approached Malie in a calm manner and said, “I’ll do as you want.”

“I thought you might,” Malie remarked with satisfaction.

Coraset walked passed Malie into the house, leaving her and the soldier outside in the garden. She rushed into the hallway leading into the foyer and out the front door. Brochudo’s car was still parked in front of the house, and she tried to get into the car only to discover it was locked. Brochudo appeared in the front door of the house.

“You need a ride?” He asked as he smacked on an apple.

“Please,” Coraset responded.

Brochudo reached in his pants pocket, pulled out the remote to unlock the car doors, and he strolled over. He asked where she wanted to go, and Coraset requested for him to take her back to the Barat Region. She needed to see her stepdad.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Coraset stood at the window staring down at the city. Brecco Jefferson relaxed on the sofa with his pipe. His thick white hair was combed back, showing an aged pale face with blue eyes, a wrinkled medium size nose, and thin lips. He was a tall man. His legs looked like bent sticks, with one resting on the other. He rotated his ankle as he looked straight ahead. He considered what Coraset told him about Malie’s plans, not really having a reaction to the news.

He pulled the pipe from his dry lips and noted, “I have warned Xavier of his visions. He is convinced that if the head is removed, the body will die. He fails to realize there are others who believe in the totalitarian government, and that body will continue to fight for the current state. He won’t be able to set forth what he wants so easily.”

Coraset turned slightly, catching a quick glimpse of Brecco, and returned to her view. No one was on the street below. The identical building across the street was dotted with lighted apartments. Some was as dark as night, like no one ever lived in them.

“Malie told me you believed in their cause.”

“I do believe in it, but that doesn’t mean I’m blind to the reality of trying to attain the goals of democracy. America had to fight for freedom in its beginning. The act of freeing slaves almost ended the United States during the Civil War. They forget that change is made through blood.”

“Maybe, they don’t remember or don’t know.” Coraset remarked.

“They remember, Coraset. They haven’t forgotten about American history in the least.”

“Malie threatened to kill you if I didn’t agree to help them.” Coraset joined him on the sofa. She crossed her legs and leaned against the back of the couch.

“She did, huh?” Brecco chuckled inwardly. “Her threats are empty.”

“I’m not taking that chance with her.”

“This is absolutely crazy. If Dominic Erato figures out what you’re trying to do, he’ll kill you.”

“I’m very aware of the danger.”

Brecco continued to drive the point home, “They will not arrest you. They will not take you to trial. Your sentence will be played out immediately.”

“I know,” Coraset commented.

“Go into hiding,” Brecco stated in a low voice.

“I can’t. Malie will take you away from me, and I’ve lost too much as it is.”

“I’ll deal with the consequences.” Brecco remarked.

“No, you’re not going to deal with anything. I’m going to do this and hope I get out of it alive.”

Brecco asked sadly, “If you succeed in the mission, will you come back to Barat?”

“If my life is in danger, no,” she answered.

Brecco nodded, accepting Coraset’s decision. He stood from his seat and went to his desk. He opened the top drawer and brought out a flat blue canister. Brecco returned back to the sofa and placed it in her hands.

“Is this it?” Coraset held it gently.

“Yes,” Brecco answered. “It looks just like the insulin vial Dominic takes for his diabetes.”

She opened the canister. Inside were three needles and three vials. She closed it back up and set it on the sofa.

“Coraset, I wish you would reconsider.”

“You’re my only family. I can’t let anything happen to you.” Coraset patted his hand gently.

“There’s something else on your mind,” Brecco noticed.

“Malie says that you’re not yourself. What’s going on?”

“I’m fine,” Brecco managed a quick smile, but it faded quickly. “I work. I come home. I live like always.”

“Please, don’t keep secrets from me. If you’re not feeling well, I need to know.”

“No secrets, Coraset,” Brecco remarked as he threw his hands up in mock surrender.

“Are you going to be alright?” Coraset asked. It almost sounded like it was a final question.

“I’ll be right here. I’ll be alright.” Brecco tried to hide his tears. He was afraid for Coraset.

She leaned over and kissed him gently on the cheek, took the canister from the sofa, and rushed out the door without saying good-bye. She entered the elevator. Once she was enclosed inside, she leaned against the back mirrored wall and closed her eyes.

When she got back to the car, she told Brochudo she was ready to leave. She sat in the passenger seat this time. Her thoughts consumed her as he drove them out of Barat to Bel Air once more.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Xavier knocked and waited patiently for Coraset to open the door. He knew she wouldn’t be very happy to see him after her discussion with Malie. Coraset swung the door open after he knocked again. She appeared refreshed and well rested.

With a guarded smile, Xavier greeted her, “Good morning, Coraset. May I come in?”

“Of course, you can. This is your home.” She moved out of the way.

He stepped into the room. His focus was mainly on Coraset. He wanted to come to an amiable understanding with her. He worried about her being angry with him and holding a grudge. She was all so important to him and his cause, and he didn’t want to move forward on a bad note.

Xavier adjusted his tie and said, “I hope your stay has been comfortable.”

“You like to threaten your guests and their family members?” Coraset asked as she went around him and sat down on the sofa.

He shifted his shoulders, feeling the discomfort of the conversation and said, “Malie is very zealous in her belief of the cause. She means no real harm.”

“Yes, she does, Xavier, and you’re a terrible liar. If you were against the assassination plot, she’d find a way to get rid of you.”

“You may be right about that.”

“You know I’m right.”

“Anyway, beside all that, I just want to make sure you’re entirely aboard with this plan.” He slowly sat beside her and continued, “I know I’ve made your life much more difficult than it should, but I promise after you do this job, I will set things right.”

“I don’t believe you.” Coraset spoke frankly. “Your actions and lack of has proven that you are selfish and a coward. I can’t depend on you, and I won’t.”

Xavier exhaled with defeat.

Coraset shifted away from him and revealed, “I will try to do what you want, but only to keep Brecco safe. I’m not doing this for you or your cause.”

He smiled with relief.

“Have you ever thought about the possibility that killing Dominic Erato won’t change the government?”

“This is simply the first step. Once he’s out of the way, we can move forward more easily with the necessary steps to form a democracy.”

“I don’t think it will be as easy as you think, Xavier. You will not be able to change the government simply by changing the person in charge of it. The Erato Government was set up by more than just her Chancellor. There are others that believe in it and work hard to keep it going.”

“I know you’ve been educated in international studies-”

“It’s common sense, Xavier.” Coraset threw up her hands and remarked, “You know what, it doesn’t even matter. I don’t know why I even try.”

“Everything will go as planned. You watch what I tell you.” Xavier asked in an upbeat tone of voice, “Did your Brecco give you the vial?”

“Yes, he did.”

“That’s all you have to do is replace one vial.”

“I know what I need to do, Xavier.” Coraset remarked impatiently.

“After the job is done, you will need to get out of the palace. I’m not sure how the Elite Guards will react to his death. So, you might want to plan an exit just in case it gets hectic in there.”

Coraset shook her head and said, “You act like I’m some kind of expert in this. Plan an escape, are you serious?”

“It’s in your best interest-”

“It’s in my best interest if I’m not in there at all!” Coraset screamed angrily. “Get the hell out, Xavier. Just go away and worry about yourself like you always do.”

Xavier tried to say more, but Coraset walked away. She went to her bed and sat down, not even bothering to look in his direction. He got the message and walked out. Xavier was on edge, not really sure if he made the right decision to send Coraset into the fire. She was tough, very capable of taking care of herself, but she was no operative. She wasn’t highly trained to infiltrate a dangerous environment and find her way out of it safely, but Xavier didn’t have much of a choice. She was a black woman, beautiful, single, and she didn’t have children. She fit the perfect bill that Dominic Erato was looking to be in his harem. The plot was simple in planning, but in action, he was depending upon an amateur.

Malie met him in the hallway on her way to Coraset’s room, and she had a woman with her. Malie asked him, “Is she up, Xavier?”

“She’s up and not in the best of moods,” he confirmed.

“Would you be under the same circumstances?”

“Just get her ready for tonight. She has to be chosen, or this plan is dead in the water.”

Malie and the woman continued to Coraset’s door. After a knock, they entered into the loft not even waiting for an answer. Coraset rolled her eyes upon seeing Malie and the woman. She figured it was someone new to piss her off even more.

“Coraset, this is Parion Middleton,” Malie introduced. “She is here to prepare you for this evening’s ball.”

Parion was in her late fifties. She had jet black shoulder length hair, and her face was heavily made up. Her blue eyes were marked with thick eyeliner, and her lipstick was bright red. She was shorter than Malie but taller than Coraset.

She sauntered over to the bed, and she stared at Coraset taking in her facial features and size. The woman commanded, “Stand.”

Coraset cut her eyes at Malie who was still standing behind the sofa.

Parion remarked smartly, “Lets not begin this day on the basis of rudeness.”

Malie smiled at Coraset, and without saying a word, Coraset did as she was told.

“Thank you,” Parion remarked as she stepped closer. She touched her chin, moved her head side to side. She moved Coraset’s arm making her twist from one side to the other.

“You’re right, Malie. She’s quite beautiful, almost frighteningly too thin, but Chancellor Erato will not choose her. She’s too old. He wants women under thirty.”

“But she does look like she’s in her twenties. Don’t you agree?” Malie asked as she approached the women.

“Yes, I do agree. She does look younger.”

“I can make the necessary changes in the database to reflect she’s under the age requirement. I just need for you to make sure she doesn’t get passed up at the ball.”

Coraset crossed her arm and sat back down in disgust.

“I’ll bring in my team. We don’t have much time.”

“What team?” Coraset asked as she stood back up.

Malie quickly added, “It’s a beauty team, not an assault team.”

As soon as Parion opened the door, ten people burst in. They were all carrying thick briefcases, linens, a hairdryer chair, or other contraptions Coraset never seen before.

A rectangular table with a white cushion top was unfolded, and two other large briefcases were opened up. Coraset went over to peak at what was inside, and she was instantly pulled away to sit in a chair. Her hair was pulled from its rubber band restraint, and fingers dashed through her hair and scalp.

For the next three hours, Coraset was the center of attention for ten different people. One person did her hair. Another picked at her face destroying every pimple he could find. After that was done, a woman did her makeup. Two people waxed her legs. The other five people took out and hung numerous formal dresses on portable racks.

Parion was watchful and very direct in what she wanted Coraset to look like. Twice the hairdresser had to redo the hair because it didn’t fit Coraset’s features. She tried on countless dresses until Parion settled on a gorgeous black mermaid style dress that was lined with diamonds across the sweetheart bodice.

By the time Coraset was completely dressed and ready to go it was late in the afternoon, and she was irritated and exhausted from all the poking, pulling, and prodding.

Parion circled her with pride, like she created Coraset herself. She straightened the diamond necklace, and lightly tucked a loose piece of hair behind her ear. She checked the make-up to make sure it was flawless. No streak lines, no lipstick on the teeth, and no running mascara. As a finishing touch, Parion handed Coraset a silver clutch and nodded with satisfaction. Malie was amazed. She saw a completely different woman.

A full length body mirror was rolled in front of Coraset so she could see herself. She was absolutely stunned. She’d never seen herself so dressed up before. She was afraid to move, afraid to breathe.

“What do you think?” Parion asked Coraset with pride.

She couldn’t form a single word, but her silence spoke volumes.

“Mm-hmm,” Parion remarked with a nod. “I know.”

Coraset turned to see the back. She smoothed her hands against the sides, and she looked at Parion. Despite the reason for dressing up, she loved the way she looked.

“Thank you,” Coraset remarked, truly meaning it.

“You’re welcome, my dear. Well,” Parion clapped her hands together, and her team began cleaning up and preparing to leave. “I wish you luck, Coraset.”

She only smiled.

The beauty team started filing out one by one, taking everything they came in with, and Parion was the last to leave. Malie looked at Coraset impressed with her finished look.

“I have to go get ready myself. I’ll be back to get you within the hour.”

Coraset sat down on the sofa being careful not to slouch or step on the back hem of the dress. She was uncomfortable, but she didn’t want to mess up herself. Sometimes Coraset stood and paced just to practice walking. Other times she simply stood.

Eventually, Malie showed up. She had on a one shoulder red silk dress that stopped at her knees. Her blonde hair was swept around to her bare shoulder in cascading waves.

“Are you ready, Coraset?”

“I supposed so.”

Coraset walked carefully, making sure she kicked out the front part of her dress. They met Brochudo in the foyer who whistled his approval. He opened the front door for the ladies, and he continued his gentleman gestures by opening the back doors to the car.

They rode in silence as Brochudo sped through old L.A. to the outer gate of the Utura Region. As soon as they entered, the royal palace with its majestic glimmering domes, towers, and beautiful Greek Doric temples began to appear in the distance. The closer they got, the more nervous she became.

Usually, Coraset was a cool person. Nothing bothered her too much, but the enormity of the situation was getting to her. She felt her face warming up, and she began sweating on her back and shoulders. She shifted in her seat, pulled and adjusted her dress trying to find some kind of comfort.

“What’s wrong with you?” Malie asked as she looked at her strangely.

“Nothing,” Coraset quickly answered.

They reached the northern gate to enter the Erato Government Center, and Coraset took in a deep breath. The royal palace loomed higher in front of them set within its own set of walls. Brochudo got into a long line of limousines and cars as they waited to be checked at the palace gate.

Coraset readied herself. She wondered if she would be able to pull it off. She wasn’t so sure.

PART 3

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

“Scan your forefinger,” a brunette commanded from behind a table.

Coraset placed her finger on a square fingerprint machine. It beeped an agreeable jingle.

“State your name,” the brunette remarked after she read the name on the screen.

“Coraset Prescott,” she answered as she looked around at the entrance hall.

Bureaucrats were dressed in their finest attire from majestic headdresses of feathers and sequenced appliques, flowing gowns and suits, to equally expensive heels and leather shoes. People stood in lines awaiting their turns for their identifications to be confirmed so they may enter the great hall of the first Doric temple.

A black woman name Sekai came from behind the brunette signifying for Coraset to follow her. Coraset took one last glance back at Malie, who had a subtle smirk on her face, before rounding the table to follow the woman.

Sekai led Coraset into the elaborate decorated great hall that expanded as far back as half a football field. Marble columns stood on both sides of the room, equal in diameter and length apart. Erato red banners with gold tassels trim hung high near the ceilings and draped in the middle with streamers flowing gently. Erato’s national flag hung in the distant wall stretching from ceiling to floor behind the Chancellor’s chair. Tables were dressed in the best of ivory linen tablecloths and elegant flower bouquets. The floral centerpieces spread over their bases creating a stunning show of natural color in the midst of fine china and silverware. The center floor was cleared, shining from being waxed, with expertly detailed images of cherubs, falling petals, and linear curves and decorative flares.

Coraset barely had a chance to take in the opulence before she was taken to a side room, where other women waited. She surmised they were all in the bid to be in the harem, as well. There were nearly a hundred women in different sizes, heights, and ethnicity. Most were in groups whispering and giggling. There were others that stood alone, lost in their thoughts. Perhaps they were afraid, nervous, or guarded about their decision.

Without a doubt in Coraset’s mind, she did not want to be there. She’d never been the type of person to be second hand choice to any man. She had to be first and foremost, or there was no relationship. Just standing in the room made Coraset angry inside. She couldn’t understand why any woman would fight for a man or wait on one that wouldn’t do the same for her? Why be with a man where on any given day you’re not even considered because other women demand his attention. She settled near the window in the short span of the rectangular room. No one noticed her.

Sekai left the room, and before long the door came open with another young woman stepping inside. She had a baby face with soft blue eyes, tiny lips, and a small nose. Her hair was alive with uncontrollable blonde curls that had a tiger lily hidden within it. The blue dress she wore was ill fitted, and she fussed to keep the spaghetti straps on her shoulders. When she turned to walk, the young woman slid on her heels and hit the floor. Laughter erupted in the room, and the young woman had to pick herself up off the floor with heated red cheeks. Coraset wanted to help her, but she didn’t want to draw attention to herself. The girl stumbled to the nearest corner, and she cried into her handkerchief she’d pulled out of her small purse. Coraset stole a glance at her from the corner of her eye, feeling pity for her. Why was that young woman even there? Who was she anyway?

Sekai came back inside and announced above the women’s combined voices, “Ladies, thank you for coming to the Chancellor Ball. So there are no misunderstandings, you are here to be in the Chancellor’s harem. If you do not wish to be here, now is the time to leave.”

Coraset quickly looked over to the sobbing girl. She was sniffing and wiping at her face, but she didn’t leave.

“Alright everyone, I want ten girls to line up side by side, and I want everyone to line up behind them. Try to get the lines as even as possible. Move ladies, there is no need for discussion. There is a lot to be done. We don’t have a lot of time for chitchat.” Sekai spoke with authority as she moved the full length of the room.

Four more women entered dressed in grey suits just like Sekai, and they stood facing the girls. The short bleach blonde was named Jorda. The second was a Japanese woman called Hanako. Lacey was the third woman who had short blonde hair, and the fourth woman name Reyna was a native Puerto Rican.

All five women brought out square devices. Each one took two lines each, and they went to the front of the closest line holding the box and begun giving each girl instructions on what to do.

Coraset was near the end of the line not too far behind the sobbing woman, whose name was Katarin. She was still crying. Coraset couldn’t stand it. She tapped on a woman in front of her named Aisling, but the woman acted like she didn’t feel anything. Coraset was trying to keep her patience and not be rude. She tapped Aisling again, but this time a little harder. Aisling twisted around with a pissed off glare. She didn’t give Coraset a chance to say anything, and she faced forward quickly once more.

With a deep frustration, Coraset stepped out of the line and went for Katarin almost knocking Aisling over. Aisling quickly swung at Coraset, but Coraset blocked her arm. The quickness of Coraset’s reaction shocked both women. The attention of everyone close by was drawn. She gripped Aisling’s arm tightly, making the red head pull and wince in pain.

Coraset threatened, “Move up before I put you on the floor.”

Aisling huffed, snatched away, and stepped forward. She covered her right arm that was sore and red. Coraset noticed Katarin’s dress was ripped showing her knobby knees and skinny legs.

She turned Katarin to face her and took out a handkerchief from her clutch. She dabbed at her eyes, wiping away the smudged mascara. Coraset peeped from behind the woman to see where Sekai was and asked softly, “What’s your name?”

“Katarin Augustine,” she answered shyly.

“Katarin, do you want to be here?” Coraset asked quickly as she brought out a make-up pad. She turned it over to the clean side and cleaned more under her eyes.

“I do,” Katarin answered.

“Okay, then you need to pull yourself together. You don’t want the kind of attention that crying brings.” Coraset stepped back to take a quick glance at Katarin’s luminescent face.

“I’m really trying,” she blubbered.

“Take in a deep breath,” Coraset softly coaxed and reflected her action. “Now, exhale slowly.”

Katarin nodded and did as she was told. She reminded Coraset of a little kid, almost like Rudy, helpless and needing guidance. She smiled at her brightly, making Katarin smile in return.

“There, you look perfect. You’re beautiful. There’s nothing to worry about.”

Katarin glanced down at her torn dress and nearly melted. Coraset saw the hole, and she shifted Katarin to the side. She tore the rest of the bottom off cleanly with a distinct ripping sound that captured nearly everyone’s attention again and threw the loose fabric behind her. Coraset turned the girl around to get a complete view of the dress. It was a bag on Katarin, but it was better than the hole in the side.

“Beautiful, brave, and you’ll be fine.”

She exhaled and repeated, “Beautiful and brave.”

Finally, Sekai made it to Katarin, and she spoke to her in a soft voice. Katarin nodded in response, and she placed her hand on the black box. Coraset heard a soft frequency of beeps. Sekai nodded and went to the girl next to her in the next row.

That’s when Coraset noticed more than half of the women were gone. There were at the most a hundred women lined up in the beginning, but now, the numbers were considerably less. She wondered where they went. No one moved from their original spots. So, it looked like women were just standing randomly in no specific order around the room.

Sekai finally reached Coraset, and she held the box in front of her. She spoke softly making eye contact, “You are to place your finger on the scanner. It will bring up your medical history. If you’ve ever had a venereal disease or been diagnosed with any kind of medical problems in the past you will be asked to leave and join the others in the great hall.”

“And if I pass?” Coraset asked.

“You will get to personally meet the Chancellor. It does not guarantee you’ll be in his harem.”

Coraset placed her finger on the scanner, and the familiar sound of beeps began. Sekai walked away when the scanner beeped green.

On her way back to the front of the room, Sekai spoke in a raised tone, “Everyone, please, line up against the wall. The Chancellor will be here shortly to make his final selections. Ladies, I recommend all of you show utmost respect to Chancellor Erato. This may be your first and last chance to make an impression on him.”

All of the women rushed for a spot. They all started adjusting their dresses and hair. A few took out mirrors from their purses to check hair and make-up. Perfume was being sprayed. Coraset and Katarin were the only ones who didn’t make a move at primping at all, and they were the last of the women standing at the far end of the room.

Coraset was absolutely bored with the charade and wondered why she was chosen by Xavier and Malie in the first place. She figured she would fail before she could even get close enough to plant the lethal dosage.

Katarin leaned towards Coraset and asked, “What’s your name?”

“Coraset,” she answered with a soft smile.

“It’s nice to meet you. Thank you for helping me.”

She nodded and just as she was about speak, a mahogany door swung open from the far side of the room. Two Elite Guards entered wearing perfectly fitting wool uniforms with gold embroidered stripes on the shoulders and the end of their sleeves. Their utility belts were pulled tight with pistols holstered on each hip, batons, and handcuffs. They wore berets on their head with their crest set under the high peak of the hat. The Elite Guards were fit and tall, proud and alert. They took post at the door, and Chancellor Erato walked in. He wore a crisp black suit, and he sported a gold lined red ribbon across his chest. His black hair was combed back, glowing with health. The grey hair that Coraset remembered from the picture was gone. He looked younger. His smiled glowed when he saw all the women waiting for him against the wall.

The five women that tested the women stood in a straight line in the center of the room facing in the direction of the Chancellor. Sekai stood in front with her hands clasped together in front. Chancellor Erato approached her first, and she lowered her head slightly in respect. He took her hand gently and held it in his as he spoke softly. Coraset was too far away to hear their conversation.

Sekai led the Chancellor to the first woman on the other side of the room. Coraset was actually glad that he started on the other end. She wondered what he was going to say. Was he going to question her? If she had to lie, could she think of one on the spot? Coraset wanted to leave, but she had to remember she wasn’t doing it for Malie or Xavier or even for herself. It was for Brecco. She didn’t want him to get hurt.

As Chancellor Erato moved on, some of the women remained and others had to leave. Some ran out of the room crying, and others stormed out of the room furiously. Coraset wondered why he let some of the women go. Was she going to be one of them?

Aisling was approached by Chancellor Erato, who was on the other side of Katarin. She posed with confidence, making sure she was flashing a leg to him. He noticed immediately, taking in every bit of her, and he stepped forward. He whispered something in her ear, and she giggled. Coraset rolled her eyes. It was obvious she wasn’t going anywhere.

Chancellor Erato finally moved on to Katarin, and she curtsied as far down as she could. She looked awkward in her torn dress and lanky body. He watched her with amusement as she came back up slowly. Katarin pulled her strap back onto her shoulder, still looking down.

Sekai whispered to him, and he looked at the woman amazed. He stared at the girl, and he smirked. He nodded in approval, and he moved to Coraset. She lowered her head in respect, and she could feel his heat emulating towards her. His cologne smelled spicy with musky undertones.

Coraset spoke softly, “Chancellor, my condolences to you and your family. Your mother was a great leader to Erato.”

None of the women said a word about his mother or her death, and he liked the fact that Coraset gave her sympathies. He was impressed and curious. She knew exactly what to say to grab his attention.

“What is your name?” He asked as he stepped closer.

“Coraset Prescott,” she answered as she peered heavily into his eyes.

There was a silence between them. Coraset didn’t know what to think, but Chancellor Erato was getting turned on. He wanted to kiss her, just to taste her lips one time, but he refrained. He gently touched her cheek with the back of his closed fingers. The Chancellor nodded at Sekai, approving of Coraset.

She pulled a small square glass pad out of her jacket pocket and checked off Coraset’s name. Chancellor Erato went back to Aisling. He offered his arm to her, and her bright smile broke through her red lipstick as she took it excitedly. Chancellor Erato escorted her to another set of doors where the Elite Guards were ready to lead them into the great hall. Trumpets began to sound on cue, and a large set of doors swung open to an awaiting crowd that was applauding the Chancellor Erato.

Sekai went back to her constituents in the middle of the room, and they began directing the women that were left in the room towards another door away from the great hall. Coraset and Katarin were among them, and they were taken down a corridor with tall thin windows, heavy red velvet curtains and golden trimmed tables in between them.

Fifteen ladies were led outside behind the Doric temple, through a maze garden of red potentilla shrubs, white rock roses, and tall smoke bushes. Coraset loved the floral smell of the garden, and she stopped taking in the beautiful scenery, nearly forgetting where she was. The women continued moving, and Coraset had to kick off her heels to rush and catch up. They entered a side door into the palace.

After going through numerous doors, hallways, and stairs, they were finally led into a white spacious room with perfectly lined up white armless chairs. All of the women were directed to sit down. Coraset made sure she sat in the back row. The goal was to stay out of sight and out of the mind of the four women that led them to the room. All of the women were quiet as they filed in and found a seat.

Sekai closed the door once her last constituent walked in. The four other women in suits stood behind her against the wall, facing the sitting women. The room remained quiet as everyone waited for Sekai to speak.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Sekai stood straight like a stone statue in front of the ladies. She had an expression of seriousness as she spoke, “My name is Sekai. On my far left are Jorda, Hanako, Lacey and Reyna. We are the Chancellor’s staff. In order to be in the harem, you must pass your pap smear, pelvic exam, and a physical. I understand that some of you have already been to your own physicians. Chancellor Erato only trusts his own doctor, and he will be seeing all of you today.”

The women eyed each other silently.

“If you are positive for any kind of illnesses, you will be sent home. There is no exception to this rule. The moment you step into the harem, you belong to Chancellor Erato. No man including your father, brother, and/or uncles are allowed to see you, talk to you, or touch you. There is no exception to this rule, either.”

The moans erupted from the group of women along with a barrage of complaints.

A sandy blonde raised her hand and stated, “I have a question.”

Sekai continued, “There will be times when Chancellor Erato will request one or more of you in his bedroom at one time. You must comply. If you refuse, you will be executed.”

“Executed,” a brunette bellowed from beside Coraset.

“Yes,” Sekai answered as she glared at the brunette. “Like I said before you will be his property, and he will not allow you to just live in his harem or go home after you’ve refused him. Mind you, he won’t force you, but he will expect you to do his bidding.”

The brunette spoke up angrily, “It is forced no matter how you put it. If I refuse to sleep with him and another girl, then I die? What real choice is that?”

Sekai answered calmly, “It’s a harem. What do you expect?”

The woman shifted in her seat uncomfortably.

With no real expectation for the brunette to answer, Sekai moved on with her speech, “The harem will have a common living area. There’s a pool, sauna, sitting area, places to eat and drink, among other things. There are bedrooms, but there are two beds in each one. No one will have a room to themselves. Choose your roommate carefully because you may be stuck with them for a while. You can’t leave once you’ve been in the harem. If you change your mind and want to go back to your region, you can’t. The only way out is death.”

Sekai let the reality set in on the room before saying, “Question.”

The sandy blonde raised her hand again. Sekai looked at her and the woman asked, “When are we going back to the ball? I want to dance with the Chancellor.”

“The Chancellor already has a date. You saw who he left with.” Sekai answered dryly. “Any other questions, ladies?”

The sandy blonde woman looked down in disappointment.

“Is it too late to back out?” The same angry brunette asked.

“No, as a matter of fact, I was going to say this was your last chance. Reyna will escort everyone back to the ball who does not want to be a part of the harem.” Sekai stated.

Reyna opened the door and waited to see who was going to leave. The brunette stood first, and she made her way into the hallway. Four other women followed suit. Coraset wanted to leave, as well. She wanted to run out of there as fast as she could, but she remained.

Sekai announced, “This is your last chance, ladies.”

She waited to see if anyone else was going to walkout. The women all looked at one another. No one else moved. Sekai stepped outside and spoke to Reyna in a whisper and came back inside closing the door.

She pulled out the glass tablet and spoke two names. She instructed them to stand and follow Jorda and Hanako. They were the first to be examined. The selected women were directed out of the white room, and Sekai left the room, as well.

The remaining women began to relax a little. Coraset slipped on her shoes and adjusted her dress. Katarin was sitting in front of her, but she soon jumped up and sat in the open seat the angry brunette once occupied.

“So, what do you think?” Katarin asked nervously.

“About what,” Coraset asked as she looked at her curiously.

“This whole thing. I’m kind of excited actually. Can you imagine being with the Chancellor of Erato? He said something to that Sekai lady while he was standing in front of me. Did you hear what he said?”

Coraset stopped her and said, “Slow down, Katarin. You need to take a breath.”

She quickly exhaled and admitted, “I’m just really nervous. How come you’re so calm?”

“I can’t think of a single reason to be excited.” Coraset remarked with a dry attitude.

“Are you kidding me, Coraset? What if he decides he wants to marry one of us? Better yet, what if he decides he wants to marry me? I would say yes in a heartbeat.”

“You’re not breathing again.”

Katarin kept right on going, “I would say yes, and I would be considered more important than the Senators. I will be Mrs. Erato.”

“How will you feel as a wife when he decides to bed one or more of his concubines?” Coraset asked pointedly.

Katarin pulled at her neck as the question sunk in.

“What if he gets tired of you? You’ll be pushed aside for one of the other girls he’s not so bored with, and they’ll be his wife instead. You’ll be resolved to being another concubine in his harem.” Coraset was trying to bring her back to reality. Being a concubine wasn’t a goal in life. At least, that’s what she was trying to get Katarin to realize. “How old are you?”

“I’m…uh…twenty four years old.” She answered.

“Do you really think you’re emotionally prepared for this?” Coraset asked.

“I didn’t know there were emotions to prepare.”

Coraset didn’t even want to comment on her answer. “What was your job before you came here?”

“I was a dressmaker in the Timur Region.”

“Is there something else you wanted to do?”

“I don’t know. I never thought about it. It doesn’t matter now anyway. This is all I have. I’m tired of having nothing, Coraset.”

She wanted to speak against Chancellor Erato and tell Katarin he wasn’t the beginning or the end of her life. But she was in a room with nearly ten women who wanted to be his wife or be his concubine. They’d probably tell on Coraset to show their loyalty, and she didn’t want to chance that. She smiled and patted Katarin on the hand.

Every thirty minutes or so, two more females were called out of the room for their exam. Coraset was called before Katarin, and she was not too happy having to go through medical prodding and testing.

In the first room she was taken to, her blood pressure and temperature were taken. Blood was drawn and she had to take a pee test. Coraset was given a medical gown with the back out, and her dress was confiscated for good. She had to take down her hair. The same nurse that took her vitals checked her body. Her ears were checked, eyesight, and the inside of her mouth were examined. She was given a breast exam and her arm pits were checked for lumps, as well. The skin between her toes and fingers, the folds of her legs and arms were checked for signs of drug use. Eventually, the doctor came in and did a pap smear and a pelvic exam. He didn’t speak a word as he worked.

Without warning, she felt a small prick in between her legs. She was startled and sat up looking at the doctor who was now standing and removing his latex gloves.

“What did you just do?” Coraset asked him as she began scooting back from the edge of the examination table.

The grey haired doctor tossed the gloves in a red bio bin and rushed out of the room.

“What the hell!” Coraset screamed at the nurse who was cleaning up and separating the test tubes.

“Get dressed. Hanako will be waiting for you outside.” The nurse left the room with a tray full of tissue samples before Coraset could get herself together.

A red tunic and a short red skirt were on the table on the other side of the room. Coraset quickly dressed and swung the door open. She nearly ran into Hanako, who stood tall in the entryway.

The native Japanese woman did not move from where she stood. Her dark eyes showed a deep solemnity, and Coraset backed off not really certain what was about to happen.

Hanako remarked, “Follow me, Coraset.”

“He stuck me with a needle, and I want to know what was in it.” Coraset demanded as she stood fast.

“Did you see him stick you with a needle?” Hanako challenged her.

“I know what it feels like.”

She asked again with a heightened tone, “Did you see him stick you with a needle?”

Coraset considered the answer and the consequences of it. She was now considered a concubine, and she knew her actions and words were closely monitored.

“Maybe, I was mistaken.” Coraset remarked with a subdued anger.

Hanako took Coraset to another room, but this time it was carpeted with a deep burgundy rug. Near the back of the office was a large oak desk. The corner posts and trims of the desk had carvings of elaborate cherub designs. A flat screen glass monitor on a wide wooden pedestal was at an angle on the left side of the desk with a wireless glass keyboard in front of it. The desk had nothing else on it. On the right, two portraits hung on an ivory textured wall. One was of Chancellor Katherine Erato sitting in a regal red chair in front of the Colors of the Erato Federation, and the second was a picture of the newest leader, Chancellor Dominic Erato. He had a wide smile. The portrait was doctored to take away his wrinkles, and his full head of head didn’t have a speck of grey. On the opposite wall were shelves full of books, bookends, and statues of all kinds. An Akhenaten sculpture caught Coraset’s attention, and she went over to the bookshelf to get a closer look at the delicate stone piece. She remembered studying about the Egyptian King, how he changed religion, and she also studied more about his wife and son. She wondered if the stone was real.

She’d heard of Erato officials travelling around the world, taking items after the population had decreased significantly. She’d heard rumors that the Mona Lisa painting was taken and was presently in the palace somewhere. The Hope Diamond that was once in the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC was rumored to be in the personal vault of the deceased Chancellor Katherine Erato.

“You recognize history when you see it.” Sekai stated as she entered the office.

“Maybe,” Coraset answered with an untrusting look.

“At one time that piece was considered priceless. Now and days, nobody wants a tablet of a long deceased civilization.” Sekai went to stand next to Coraset and asked as she peered at the stone tablet, “You know what it is, don’t you?”

Coraset answered guardedly, “I’ve seen pictures. I’m not quite sure.”

Sekai looked at Coraset knowing full well she knew. She moved away with a wave of her hand directing Coraset to the nearest chair, “Please, have a seat.”

Coraset slid into the high back wooden chair, and Sekai took her place behind her desk. The view behind her was of a raised pond with a rock formation waterfall. Ducks waddled around the foliage and sometimes dipped into the water. Coraset hadn’t noticed it before, but she thought it was beautiful, a wonderful change to the steel and cement structures of Erato.

“I’ve been reading through your history, Coraset. It seems as though it doesn’t quite add up.” Sekai began typing on the computer, and Coraset could see her picture pop up on the screen.

Coraset kept her cool as she continued to listen.

“You graduated from the University of Maryland in 2009. If my calculations are correct, you’d have to be around 21 or 22 years old to graduate from college. Then you were employed with Erato Biotrade soon afterwards, and you were the Director of the International Humanitarian Aid Division. That means you were probably close to 23 years old at that point. That would make you close to 40 years old today.”

Coraset swallowed hard. She was pissed. Malie was supposed to handle her background, and now Sekai was picking it apart. Coraset’s heart was pounding hard in her chest. There was no fixing this. No lies to explain it all away. Coraset looked away unable to make eye contact.

Sekai continued, “Chancellor Erato hired me as his assistant because I am very thorough in my work. Nothing gets passed me. Now, it says here on your file that you’re 25 years old. In 2009, you would have been 8 years old when you graduated from college. These are the kinds of lies that will place you square in front of the firing squad.”

Coraset rubbed at her forehead, unable to come up with anything. Her entire face felt flushed as she angrily thought about Malie and her carelessness. She wondered if there was a way out if she had to run. Was there any chance she could make it to an exit out of the palace?

“How old are you, Coraset?” Sekai plainly asked.

She took her chances on the truth and answered, “I’m thirty-nine years old.”

Sekai nodded and commented, “Why are you here? You are aware of the Chancellor’s qualifications for the harem.”

“I’m here because I want to be with him.”

She stared at Coraset considering her answer but not believing it. Sekai exhaled and remarked calmly, “In order for you to stay, I will have to take out the college and the job you held at Erato Biotrade.”

Coraset held her breath. She couldn’t believe what she heard. She looked back at the door and turned back around and asked, “You’re helping me?”

“He choose you, and I don’t want the Chancellor to think he made a decision based on erroneous information. He won’t be very pleased if he finds out he was fooled or lied to. If he ever questions you, I would recommend you simply telling him that you are a horticulturist, and you were Federation trained. Before then, you were just a kid. Your parents are dead because of the virus. You start telling anything more complicated than that, it’ll be more difficult to keep up with, and you don’t want the Chancellor to be suspicious of you.”

“Why are you helping me? You could get into trouble, too?”

“I’m helping you because I’m interested in the real reason why you’re here. I don’t believe it when you say you want to be with him. I have a feeling you have alternative motives, and I want to see what they are.”

This was not what Coraset wanted. Was this woman going to be watching her? Coraset knew she had to watch her back.

“I have no alternative motives. I am here to be with Chancellor Erato.”

Sekai didn’t comment, but she began changing Coraset’s history in the computer completely to reflect what she told her to say. She brought up another screen and read the results of her pap smear and physical.

“Since you’ve passed all of your testing, Hanako will take you to wait with the other women.”

Coraset stood. She walked to the door, but then she stopped before turning the knob. She asked, “The doctor that gave me the examination gave me a shot. What was in it?”

“A vaccination,” Sekai answered flatly.

Coraset didn’t push the issue. She opened the door and saw Hanako waiting in the hallway. She was taken down the hallway to another room. This time, the room was filled with tables of food and sofas. Sheer curtains hung from archways that led outside. The sun was beginning to set, and a warm breeze was drifting through the room.

The women who passed their medical were in there. Some were standing at the tables and fixing their plates. Others were already seated, and they were drinking and eating, as well. At the most were ten women, and they all wore the same outfit as Coraset, a red tunic with a gold rope decorative trim attached and a red skirt. Everyone’s hair was down, and everyone was relaxed and in a better mood.

Coraset glanced around for Katarin. She wondered if she was checked out yet, or if she was turned away because she failed the medical. Deep down inside, Coraset wanted her to be turned away, but she didn’t want Katarin to go back home disappointed. She sat down on an empty settee and waited to see what would happen with the young woman.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

A total of eleven women passed their medical exams and were led to the harem, their new home. They were taken through winding corridors and up five marble steep steps to a final marble landing. In front of them was an arch opening showcasing the growing skyline of the Selatan Region set against a blazing sky about to turn to darkness.

Sekai swung the double doors inward on the right side, and all of the women flowed into a large space. The walls were a peach granite marble with gold trim across the top. The floor had paintings of cherubs and clouds. Four pillars were anchored in the main room, two on each side, and burgundy sheer curtains hung from the ceiling around the pillars. On the left was another extension, and it had tables and chairs where the women could dine comfortably. An entryway was on the far side of that room that led to the kitchen where their food would be prepared for them.

In the main room, there were more couches and large plush pillows big enough to sit on. Near the back was a long banquet table with fruits, vegetables, cheese, and crackers. There was a silver fountain with a red liquid spilling from the spouts. Back behind the table were two openings, one on each end of the wall that lead to the sleeping quarters. To the right was a huge arch opening that led to the harem’s private gardens and pool. Torches brightened the area around the pool where lounge chairs and tables were set up for the girls.

Coraset had to admit the place was spacious and beautiful, but it wasn’t near big enough for the different personalities of eleven women. She didn’t really care for nonsense. She didn’t like drama that could easily be spurred by a bunch of women living together.

The women began to separate and filter throughout the room. Some didn’t say a word. They walked around, touched the sofas, considered the food that was on the table. There were a couple of women who immediately striped off their tunics and skirts and headed for the pool only in their underwear. They were giggling and screaming as they jumped into the water.

Before any of them realized it, including Coraset, the double doors to the harem were closed and locked. When she tried the latch, it wouldn’t turn. Coraset didn’t like that at all. Now, she felt like she was trapped. She’d gone from a prison in the desert to a prison in the palace of Erato, and honestly, she didn’t know if she’d be able to get away from this one so easily.

Katarin pulled on Coraset’s hand and said excitedly, “We need to choose our room! You’re going to be my roommate, right?”

“I guess so.” Coraset answered as she was led across the room to the opening on the left.

From what Coraset could tell, all of the rooms looked the same. There were two beds and two large chests of drawers. There were no windows, and there was a single lamp that hung from the center of the ceiling. Katarin huffed in disappointment at the setup in the bedrooms, and she stood in the last room with her hands on her hip.

“Well, I thought it would look better than this. It’s so plain and boring.” Katarin sat down on one of the beds and bounced on it gently. “You’d think he would give us a better place.”

“You’re living in a palace, Katarin. Nothing is as good as that.” Coraset remarked as she started going through the drawers. She placed her purse with the compact holding the secret vial in the top drawer.

“In his bed would be pretty good.” Katarin remarked with a chuckle.

Coraset was surprised to hear her say that, and peered over her shoulder to take a quick glance.

“I know that red head is with him right now, but I plan on being his wife, Coraset.”

“You do, huh?”

“Before I came here, I was reading about Kama Sutra. That is some wickedly good reading.” Katarin laughed as she sat back further on the bed. “I’m going to do all those positions with him. I forget the names of some of them. There were so many.”

Coraset couldn’t help but to laugh. She sat down across from Katarin once she discovered there was nothing in the chest of drawers.

“I’m a virgin. Do you think he’ll notice?”

“Are you serious, Katarin? Why would you ask me that?”

“Is it an inappropriate question?” Katarin stared at her with confusion.

Coraset began to wonder if she was different. She seemed so innocent like a child at times. She cleared her throat and asked, “No, it’s not, but I won’t be able to tell you if he’ll know.”

“What is the first time like?” Katarin’s attention was glued to Coraset, awaiting an answer.

Coraset didn’t want to continue on the subject. She scratched at her head and pulled her hair back wishing she had a band to pull it in a pony-tail. She knew Katarin wasn’t giving up, and she finally answered, “It depends on the person you sleep with. If he loves you and understands how your body works, then it’ll be beautiful. If you’re with a man who doesn’t care a thing about you, then it’ll be the worse experience you’ll ever remember.”

The seriousness of Coraset’s tone of voice woke Katarin from her fantasy. She remarked naively, “I hope he loves me.”

“He doesn’t even know you.”

“He’ll get to know me, Coraset. He’ll know me, and he’ll love me more than any of the girls here.” Katarin pointed at her and continued, “You watch what I tell you. I was meant to be his wife.”

Coraset wasn’t going to question her certainty. It was obvious where Katarin’s mind was, and she wasn’t about to try and change it. Without saying another word, Coraset stretched out on the bed. As her body relaxed, she began to give up the rest of the day.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

An eruption of glass and shouting brought Coraset from a deep sleep. She sat up in bed confused as to where she was. She remembered she left her purse in the top drawer of the dresser at the foot of her bed. She got up quickly to make sure it was there along with its contents. It hadn’t been touched, and Coraset breathed a sigh of relief. More screaming came from up the hallway, reminding her why she was awakened in the first place. She left the room at a slow pace, not really interested in seeing what was going on.

Just as she came into the main room, she saw Katarin and Aisling toe to toe. Everyone was watching them, as the two argued. The banquet table that had fruits and vegetables the night before was a mess now with bagels, croissants, and other breakfast items strewn all over the floor. Coraset really didn’t feel like breaking up the fight, but it was obvious no one else was going to do it. She stepped to Katarin and pulled her away.

Coraset remarked calmly, “Katarin, calm down.”

“She thinks she’s so special!” Katarin yelled angrily as she yanked out of Coraset’s grip.

Aisling threatened, “You better get used to being nothing to him, retard.” The women brushed at the wet milk stain on her shirt. “All of you better get used to it. The Chancellor and I had a wonderful night. I’m going to be the Chancellor’s wife. And when we get married, all of you will be gone!” She stormed angrily into the other entryway that led to the other bedrooms.

A low rumble of whispers came from the women as they began to disperse. Two women that came from the kitchen approached the mess on and around the table with buckets, mops, and towels.

Coraset turned to Katarin and asked, “What happened?”

Katarin crossed her arms and answered, “She said that Chancellor Erato already asked her hand in marriage. She was bragging about it. She’s a liar, Coraset. He hasn’t even met me yet.”

Coraset was about to give Katarin advice, but she decided against it. Instead she said, “You have to calm down. You’ll get your time with him, and he’ll be impressed with you.”

“You’re right.” Katarin loosened her stance and smiled confidently. “He will.”

“Anyway, she wouldn’t be here if he asked her to marry him.” Coraset noted before she went to the other side of the table to fix herself something to eat.

Katarin considered what she said carefully, and she felt even better. She watched as Coraset prepared her plate, and she watched with a silly grin on her face.

“What is so funny, Katarin?”

“The other girls think that I’m strange, but I think you’re the one who’s strange, Coraset.”

She lifted her eyebrows and turned to go sit. Katarin followed behind her.

“Maybe, we’re both strange.” She added as she bit into a piece of toast.

While Coraset was eating, an army of women with brand new clothing came into the harem. Each one found the concubine they were looking for. The woman that approached Coraset handed her a huge pile of folded clothes, and the woman walked away before Coraset could thank her. She set her plate aside to look at each piece, and she was amazed. The colors, the lightweight beauty of each cloth, and the soft feel of the fabric between her fingers. Coraset loved it. She left the plate on the settee and went to her room to put them away.

She then went to the showers that were at the end of the corridor to get cleaned up. The bathroom had gorgeous pastel yellow and soft white porcelain tiles. Body washes with all kinds of scents and perfumes set in a glass cabinet for the women to use. Coraset chose a light scented vanilla body wash. Afterwards, she put on a sleeveless white wrap around dress that stopped above her knees and white leather sandals on her feet. Coraset decided to keep her hair down.

All of the women had showered and changed into the new clothes they were given. They loved all the colorful garments and showed off their new outfits to one another with oohs and aahs. It was a complete difference from the bland clothing everyone else wore around Erato.

Coraset disappeared into the gardens beyond the pool. It was quiet and seemed far away from the chatter of the excited concubines. She slowly walked through the colors of nature, taking in the blooming spirea as they took up an entire section, and the flowering carpet scarlet grew around them in splendid red. The nerium oleanders were on the other side mixed in with velvet cloak smokebushes. Even the bees danced around the blooms barely noticing Coraset. She continued through the stone path and saw a granite bench. In the center was a white dendrobium orchid sitting in a handcrafted red pot. It seemed like it was out of place, even in its natural beauty, among other flowering plants, it pulled her attention. It looked like the many orchids she used to grow back in the greenhouses in the Barat Region. She went to the bench and sat down beside it. It was tall and gorgeous.

“I was told you grew orchids.” A male voice spoke. Chancellor Erato strolled from behind a tall rose bush. He stopped and pulled at a delicate petal. “My mother loved them.”

Coraset curtsied respectfully without speaking.

“Your name is Coraset Prescott?”

“It is.” She answered with a guarded smile. “How did you know I would come out here?”

“I didn’t. I just happened to see you from my bedroom. I have a view of the garden and the harem, of course.” Chancellor Erato pointed towards his window on the other side of the garden.

Coraset looked in the direction he pointed at. His window was in another building, but it had a perfect view of everything.

“You like orchids?” He asked.

“Yes, I do. They’re my favorite flower.”

Chancellor Erato stared at Coraset from head to toe. She didn’t think very much of him, but she knew he was finding his amusement simply by staring at her.

He cleared his throat and said, “I have a session with the Senators this morning. I will send for you afterwards. We’ll have lunch in my personal quarters.”

Coraset smiled and remarked, “I will be ready whenever you are.”

“I love that dress.” He put his hands in his pockets as he moved around her.

“I won’t change.” She turned so her back wouldn’t be to him.

Chancellor Erato smiled and walked away.

Coraset waited until he was out of sight, and she stepped into the grounds where the oleander was planted. She looked around making sure no one was watching her. Quickly, she removed her underwear, and she laid the biggest part of the fabric over her hand and fingertips. She broke off a piece of the flower and wrapped it in her underwear. Coraset placed it in the orchid pot. She held the orchid as close to her chest as possible as she went back towards the harem. She rushed passed the pool area hoping no one saw what she had, and she went inside to prepare for her date with Chancellor Erato.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Sekai entered the harem. Everyone that was inside the great room turned their attention to her. Katarin stood and rushed over to Sekai before the other women could reach her. Coraset remained in her seat, knowing full well why Sekai was there.

Katarin asked in an excited tone, “Where is the Chancellor?”

Sekai saw Coraset sitting, with her back to them. She excused herself through the small crowd of ladies and went directly over to her. She rounded the sofa and said, “The Chancellor wishes to see you.”

Coraset looked at Katarin who was now standing behind Sekai. She looked disappointed. Katarin pulled at Sekai’s shirt sleeve and asked, “When will I get to see him?”

Sekai turned impatiently and said, “When he asks for you.”

Katarin ran around Sekai and slid beside Coraset. She grabbed her arm and pleaded, “Tell him about me, okay, Coraset. Tell him everything about me, okay. So, he’ll want to see me next.”

Coraset didn’t know anything about her really. Only that she was obsessed with seeing the Chancellor, and she was childish and impatient.

“Okay,” she agreed as she patted her hand and rose from the seat.

“Tell him what I’m wearing, and tell him how much I love him.”

She smiled assuredly at Katarin and slipped her arm out of her grasp.

“We’ll walk through the gardens.” Sekai revealed.

Aisling bumped into Coraset when she walked out the entryway. Coraset turned quickly back to her. Sekai wasn’t expecting Coraset to react at all, and she watched to see what was going to happen.

Aisling faced Coraset angrily when she approached. Coraset was close, almost nose to nose, when she threatened calmly, “The last thing you want to do is mess with me. You don’t know me, and you don’t know what I’m capable of. Bump me again, and I will show what you don’t know. If you think I won’t follow through with my threats, try me again.”

Aisling cut her eyes from side to side to see who was watching. She was shaken, embarrassed to have the wrong kind of attention. Most of the women were watching. Some of them holding their mouths, others smirking wishing for the two to fight, and there was one that simply shook her head, thinking it was total nonsense.

Sekai approached the two women carefully, and she stood between them, facing Coraset. She said in an easy tone, “The Chancellor is waiting, Coraset.”

“This is your last warning.” Coraset warned and stepped back to allow some breathing room between them.

Sekai motioned her hand towards the stony path that led out to the garden, and Coraset walked away first slowly. Sekai gave one last look to Aisling, and she saw her fear in her eyes. She smirked at Aisling before leaving her standing alone. The two walked slowly out of sight of the pool and harem area.

“You have a short temper.” Sekai noted.

“Only with immature people,” Coraset commented as she brushed her hair back.

The women walked side by side through the garden. Coraset had a feeling Sekai had something to say, but she didn’t push her to ask. She simply prepared herself mentally for what was to come. There was no question the Chancellor was going to make her sleep with him, and Coraset knew she couldn’t deny him. When they got to the stained glass arched doors, Coraset stopped to really think about what she was about to do.

“Are you ready?” Sekai asked as she reached for the gold latch.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.”

Sekai opened the glass door and remarked, “Go up the flight of stairs, and you’ll be in his bedroom. I’ll meet you down here when you’re done.”

Coraset walked into the foyer and slowly up the steps. She breathed in deep trying to calm her nerves and prepare her mind for his presence. She had to show that she wanted his company, that she respected him and wanted only to make him happy. It was hard to get to that point, but when she finally got to the top of the steps and saw him standing in his crisp blue suit, looking debonair, she was ready.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

“Come, Coraset, have a seat.” Chancellor Erato stepped aside revealing a small round table with a large salad bowl, small bread squares, and champagne.

She sauntered over to him, making sure her hips swayed. The Chancellor met her halfway, and he took her hand gently into his. He pressed the back of her hand to his lips gently. Chancellor Erato kept eye contact with her as he led her to the table and pulled out a chair. Coraset moved slowly and deliberately into her seat.

Chancellor Erato pulled his chair closer to her and sat down. He eyed her neck and soft shoulders. The dress she had on was sleeveless and strapless and just the top of her breasts were showing.

“Shall we have a toast?” He offered.

Coraset raised her glass and asked, “What shall we toast, Chancellor?”

“To new and exciting beginnings,” he proclaimed.

“I say we should toast to you.” Coraset remarked.

Chancellor Erato liked that idea better, and they clanked glasses together. Both of them took a sip, and Coraset could feel the liquid tingle through her senses.

“So, how has your stay been so far?” He asked after he swallowed half of his drink.

“Very relaxing,” She answered as she rested her hands in her lap. She made sure her attention was completely on him.

“I’ve read about you. You were trained by the Federation to be a gardener. You tested high, and you chose to work in the dirt.”

“I guess you can look at it like that, but it’s not a bad job.”

“What’s so good about it?”

“It’s easy, no stress, no worries, and no one hanging over my shoulder. The plants don’t talk back. They do not cause problems. They simply grow.”

“You weren’t being utilized to your full potential, Coraset. This is what this society is about. Making sure everyone works and does their part to their fullest capabilities for the greater good.”

Coraset watched him as he downed the rest of his drink.

“Well, you’re here now with me, and I will make sure you’re used to the fullest.” Chancellor Erato laughed thinking he was pretty clever. She didn’t like his humor, but she pretend like she did.

“So, what does your name mean? I’ve never heard of it before.”

“It has no meaning. It’s just a name.” Coraset answered.

A waiter dressed in a black suit walked into the room. He placed a healthy portion of salad on the Chancellor’s plate, and he fixed Coraset’s plate, as well. She declined the bread with a lift of her hand over the plate. The waiter walked back out. She thought that was a complete waste to have a waiter come in just to prepare their plates, but she didn’t voice her opinion in the matter.

Coraset waited until he started eating before cutting into her salad. She wasn’t hungry, but she didn’t want to be rude. She ate small pieces. They continued their lunch hardly speaking. Chancellor Erato wiped his mouth when he finished, and he tossed the napkin on the table.

He lifted Coraset’s hand, and he breathed, “I got a feeling you’re going to be a sweet dessert.”

Chancellor Erato led Coraset across the room to his bed. She wasn’t too excited about sleeping with him, but if she denied the Chancellor, she knew it wouldn’t end well for her. He pulled her close when they were beside the bed, and he kissed and sucked on her neck. Coraset tried to act like she wanted him, but inside she cringed. She was not turned on by him, and the fact the he was touching her with the same lips that he kissed Aisling with made her skin crawl. His hand worked feverishly up and down her back.

He pulled her dress down to her waist, and he pulled at one of her breasts roughly. Coraset was feeling the tingle deep within, the natural want, but in the midst was an utter disgust for him. The Chancellor stripped down quickly as he continued kissing her from the neck to her breasts. When he was completely naked, he grabbed Coraset by the waist and pulled down the rest of her clothing including her underwear. He moved her to the bed.

Chancellor Erato breathed heavily into her ear as he settled on top of her. He was restless, barely able to contain his need. He’d already begun to push, and she lay there like a dead weight. She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around him. At least, trying to pretend it felt good. It wasn’t long before he sped up. He moaned a name, the wrong name. He said Aisling as clear as day. She asked herself if he was blind or stupid or both. She didn’t have red hair, and she sure wasn’t white. Coraset rolled her eyes wishing he’d hurry up and finish.

Chancellor Erato’s body eventually tightened as he peaked, and he yelled and pushed deeper into Coraset. She faked a cry like it felt amazing, but nearly started laughing. He didn’t even notice. He gently kissed her on the mouth, and she gave a dry smile. He moved off of her to catch his breath. Coraset got off the bed quickly.

He lifted his head and asked breathlessly, “Where are you going?”

“I need a drink.” Coraset responded as she slipped on her underwear and dress.

She made sure her back was to him as she reached to get the vial hiding in the top hem of her dress. Coraset shook the ingredients into his empty glass and put the vial back in its hiding place. She poured drinks into both flutes and turned to him with her hips posed sexily to one side.

The Chancellor got off the bed and walked over to her. He wasn’t shy about his naked body. Coraset noticed he wasn’t muscular, but he wasn’t lean, either. He had a flat stomach and was showing signs of age with speckles of grey hair above his member.

She handed him the other champagne glass and asked quickly, “Shall we toast?”

“And what shall we toast to this time?” He asked as he stared at her chest.

“To you, of course,” Coraset said with a smile.

They emptied their glass in one swallow. Chancellor Erato was about to kiss her, but Coraset grabbed his penis. He shuddered as she moved her hand back and forth. His eyes rolled to the back of his head, and a smile appeared on his face. He dropped the champagne glass, and it shattered on the floor causing both of them to jump away.

Chancellor Erato laughed. His devilish smile brightened his entire face. He complimented, “You were so good.” He glanced down at his huge gold watch and cursed under his breath. “It’s too bad I have to go back to work. I was going to let you have me one more time.”

“Ah, that is too bad,” she commented with an underlying happiness.

“You can go now,” he remarked dryly as he started for the bathroom.

She couldn’t believe he just turned himself off like that. Then again, the way he had sex, she could believe it. Coraset watched him saunter across the room. Deep down inside, she was glad that he disconnected with her so quickly. She went back down the steps and back into the garden where Sekai was waiting for her.

They eyed one another. Coraset wondered what Sekai was thinking as she smirked at her. She thought Sekai’s expression was a little off, but she didn’t ask why she was smiling. They walked back towards the harem together in silence.

Once they entered the pool area, Sekai asked, “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Coraset answered as she tried to read her. She gave it up, not really knowing Sekai in the first place, and she went inside.

Aisling and the other girls eyed Coraset, but she kept right on going to her room. Katarin was sitting on Coraset’s bed when she walked in.

“How did it go?” Katarin’s eyes were wide.

Coraset didn’t answer. She took off her clothes, removed the vial, put on a robe, and she went to the showers. Katarin tried to follow her, but Coraset made her stay in the room. Katarin didn’t understand why Coraset was so put offish, but she did as she was told anyway.

She went into the shower room and removed the drain sieve. She dropped the small vial into the pipes and put the sieve back in place. She took a long shower and washed her hair. She put her hair in a bun and dressed in a long blue tunic dress. Coraset went back to her room hoping not to find Katarin there, but she was back on Coraset’s bed again waiting for her.

“Get off my bed,” Coraset ordered.

“What’s wrong?” Katarin feelings were hurt as she moved off the bed.

She exhaled, feeling bad about being snappy towards Katarin. “There’s nothing wrong. I’m just tired.”

“Can you tell me how your date went? Did you tell him about me?”

Coraset smiled and lied, “Yes, I did.”

“What did he say?”

“He said that he already knew about you, Katarin. I couldn’t tell him anything.” She moved to sit down on her bed.

“You think he’ll choose me next?”

“I’m not sure. I should have asked him for you. I’m sorry.”

“That’s okay, Coraset.” She went to the door and peered down the hallway. “I wonder what he’s waiting for.”

“He told me he had to go to work.”

Katarin nodded and sat down on the bed with her hands on her lap. She was clearly disappointed.

Coraset asked her hoping to change the subject, “Katarin, where are you originally from?”

“You mean before the outbreak?”

“Yes,” Coraset said as she sat down across from her.

“I lived in San Diego.”

“Anyone in your family survived the outbreak with you?”

“It’s only been me.”

“You’ve been by yourself this entire time?”

“Yep, I think I was ten years old when my mom died. I guess my dad is dead, but he left us before the outbreak. So, I’m not really sure what happened to him.”

“How did you survive? There was so much looting and people getting hurt and killed over food and water. How did you make it being so young?”

“I stayed away from people. I hid a lot.”

“So, how did you get to Erato?”

“I found a flyer in San Diego.” Katarin answered. “I followed the old highways to L.A. to get here. I was so scared, Coraset, but that piece of paper promised hope and a safe place to live. I had to come. I’d been out there by myself for so long. I was tired of being afraid, of being alone.”

“I remember seeing those flyers, too. The Federation made Erato sound like it was the promise land.”

“It-”

Before Katarin could finish what she was about to say, someone started screaming from the great room. Katarin instantly took off running to see what was going on. Coraset had a feeling the fuss was about the Chancellor. She walked out slowly. She entered the great room and saw girls huddled around Sekai and the other women that brought them all there originally.

By the time Coraset reached the small group, Sekai and her constituents left the room. They locked the doors to the garden and pool area, and the other set of doors to the hallway. Some women were whispering and others cried. She looked for Katarin hoping she heard what was going on.

Coraset found her sitting on the sofa, staring straight ahead. She joined her and touched her hands. Katarin didn’t respond. Tears rolled down her eyes. Coraset stood and got the attention of another woman.

“What’s going on?” She asked her.

“Chancellor Erato is dead.” The woman answered.

Coraset nodded, secretly smiling within. She turned back to Katarin, who had her face buried in her hands. Coraset remained with her. She wished things could have been different for Katarin. It was more than apparent how important it was for her to be in the harem. She felt like she had nothing else. Coraset didn’t know what to say to comfort her. She simply sat beside Katarin as she wept.

“What’s going to happen to us now?” A voice sounded from the crowd of women.

Aisling announced as she crossed her arms, “Well, he already said that he was going to marry me. So, I’ll definitely get to stay in the palace.”

“He never said that,” another woman objected.

“You weren’t there. So, how would you know?”

“Did he put a ring on your finger? I don’t see a ring.” Another lady joined in the crowd that was growing against Aisling.

“I don’t need a ring to prove anything. He took me to the ball. I stayed the whole night with him while all of you were in here. All of you just better get your stuff packed because you’re out of here.”

Everybody started arguing and fussing, and Coraset grew tired of the cattiness. She helped Katarin to her feet, and she walked her back to their bedroom. She didn’t want to see or hear any more noise. In her opinion, their argument was ridiculous. The man was dead, and they were his harem. Therefore, there were two possible outcomes. Either they were going to be all sent home or the Elite Guard was going to kill them.

Coraset put Katarin to bed. She was really worried about her. She wasn’t reacting in a normal way. She never truly got to know Chancellor Erato, and she was absolutely devastated like she’d known him for a lifetime.

The question Coraset asked herself was killing him worth it? Was the human race really that bad off with him in charge? The simple truth was that it didn’t matter now. He was dead, and there was no turning back. Now, Coraset simply needed to wait and see what happened next.

CHAPTER TWENTY

The next morning, the doors to the harem were unlocked. Most of the women were already in the great room. Sekai sent Jorda and Lacey to get the other ladies out of bed.

Once everyone was gathered, Sekai stood in front of the ladies and announced, “Chancellor Erato is indeed dead. The cause is unknown at this time. A new Chancellor has already been named, and it’s his brother, Frederick Erato. The inauguration will take place this afternoon.”

The choice of Chancellor surprised Coraset. Xavier and Malie thought that Sergei would be chosen. What happened to their plan?

“Since Chancellor Dominic Erato is gone, you’re not allowed to stay in the palace.”

“Now wait a minute!” Aisling objected.

Sekai kept right on talking like she didn’t say a word, “You must go back to your life as it was before you came here.”

Aisling stepped forward quickly and said, “You can’t do that.”

Sekai looked at Aisling and asked her calmly. “Are you disputing the orders of the new Chancellor? That’s who I’m speaking for.”

“No, I’m just-”

“You are disputing the orders. Let me wake you up to a couple of facts, Aisling. Number one, Chancellor Frederick Erato has a wife, and number two, he doesn’t want you.”

Aisling stepped back with defeated pride. Her confidence turned to worry quickly. She crossed her arms and looked away.

Three women entered the room carrying folded clothes. They placed them on the nearest couch, and they walked right back out.

“These are your new clothes. The garments that were given to you must be left behind, including what you’re wearing. You have five minutes to change.” Sekai stood by the settee as the women grabbed the one size fit all grey t-shirts and grey sweat pants.

The women stripped down and dressed quickly. Clothes were left all over the floor. Several guards walked in and gathered behind the nervous women.

“Sequester Katarin, Pili, Coraset, and Aisling. Escort the others to the palace gates.” Sekai ordered the Elite Guards.

The four women were marched out of the great room, and when they reached the end of the hallway, the guards separated them. Coraset heard Katarin’s calls. She wanted to help her and but two Elite Guards held on to Coraset tightly. She knew it wouldn’t do any good to try and fight them. The Elite Guards were trained killers, and they wouldn’t hesitate to put her down if she tried to resist them or getaway. She heard one last cry from Katarin before a door slammed closed.

Coraset was taken to Sekai’s office, which surprised her. The Elite Guards stood on either side of the door. She fearfully sat down in the nearest seat and waited.

Sekai arrived shortly afterwards.

“Why am I here?” Coraset asked.

Sekai leaned on the front side of her desk with her hands together. She asked, “What happened when you were with the Chancellor?”

Coraset stated nervously, “We ate.”

“You did more than that,” Sekai commented.

“That’s all we had time for.”

“Do you think I’m stupid, Coraset?”

“No, not at all,” she answered quickly.

“You and I both know what happened in that room.”

“Were you watching us, Sekai?” Coraset tried to appear calm, but she was a ball of nerves inside.

“The Chancellor is always being watched.”

Coraset didn’t need further explanation. She had to ask. “Why didn’t you stop me?”

“There are many others, including myself, who wanted him out of office. There was a plan already in the works, but you took the task right out of our hands. What was in the vial, Coraset?”

“Poison,” she answered smartly.

Sekai asked impatiently, “Who do you work for?”

She stared at her, a clear indication she wasn’t telling.

“It’s the same person that altered your history, and I could easily track that person down.”

“Well, have at it. I’m not talking.”

Sekai nodded with a smile. She went to sit behind her desk and said, “I knew you had another motive for being here. I just didn’t think that was it. Whoever your handler is, he or she will be proud of you.”

“Whatever,” Coraset stated with disgust.

“You will be allowed to leave the palace, but you are no longer allowed to leave Erato for any reason. If you try, you will be arrested and brought back to the palace.”

“I have no real reason to leave in the first place. Why are you telling me this?”

“You might be pregnant.”

“I can’t get pregnant. Nobody can.”

Sekai leaned back in her chair and asked in a smart manner, “Do you remember the question you asked me the last time you were in here?”

Coraset couldn’t recall any question at first, but then she remembered the shot. She asked the doctor about it, but he left without answering her question.

Sekai revealed, “The shot you were given promotes fertility.”

Her heart began to flutter. She had sex with the Chancellor without protection. He ejaculated inside of her. Coraset swallowed hard. She asked, “Are you serious?”

“Yes.”

Coraset was speechless. She didn’t know what to say. She could feel the heat rising in her face. The truth of the matter is that she didn’t want to have Dominic Erato’s child. She didn’t want any children at all.

Then another thought popped in her head. She asked, “What about the other girls? They got the shot, too?”

“You, Aisling, Katarin, and Pili were administered the shots.”

“Do they know?”

“Aisling knows. The Chancellor told her the night he slept with her.” Sekai answered dryly.

Coraset figured that’s the reason why Aisling thought she was going to stay in the palace, even though the Chancellor was dead.

Sekai commented, “She might be pregnant, as well. She is being held to the same set of rules.”

“What about Katarin and the other girl? If they can get pregnant, and they-”

“They will not be released.”

“What are you going to do with Katarin?”

“She is no longer your concern.”

“You better not hurt her, Sekai!”

“Or you’ll do what, Coraset? Your threats mean nothing to me, and I’m not Aisling. I would recommend you keeping the possibility that you’re pregnant to yourself. Rumors like that spread fast, and you could be putting yourself in danger.”

“Is that a threat?” She asked angrily.

“Oh yes, it is very much a threat.” Sekai stood and nodded to the Elite Guards at the door. They walked up behind Coraset and made her stand.

“You will be escorted to the gates of the palace. You’ll have to find your way home from there. Remember, Coraset, you are being monitored.” Sekai watched as she was marched out of her office.

The Elite Guards escorted Coraset to the western gates of the palace. She didn’t want to leave without Katarin, but she saw no other choice. She couldn’t stay at the gates forever.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Coraset started her trek through the Erato Government Center. There were long flights of steps leading to marble and stone buildings. All of the lawns and parks that adorned the area were perfectly manicured and decorated with floral bushes and statues of Erato leaders. Coraset barely noticed as she rushed to the western gate of the Erato Government Center. She simply wanted to get home.

A familiar black car pulled up beside her and she stopped. She got into the back seat knowing full well Xavier and Malie would be in the car.

“You completed the mission quicker than I thought you would.” He commented with a reserved demeanor.

“Why wasn’t Sergei chosen?” She asked not really having anything to say about his last statement.

“He declined.” Xavier answered with clear annoyance.

Coraset laughed and shook her head. “All that planning and the man you wanted in office declined. Does Frederick Erato want a democratic government?”

“No,” Xavier answered. “The current form of government will remain.”

Coraset just wanted to slap the both of them. The exercise was futile. She crossed her arms in pure disgust. “I warned you both. I told you that change wouldn’t come so easy. Oh no, you wouldn’t listen to me.”

Xavier rubbed at his forehead in aggravation.

“How did you switch the vial?” Malie asked as she leaned forward.

“I didn’t. I poisoned his drink with oleander.”

Malie looked at Xavier confused and asked, “Oleander?”

“It’s a flower. It’s very poisonous.” He answered with a short attitude. “What did you do with the vial Brecco gave you?”

“I dumped some of it, and I mixed the rest with the oleander.”

“Why didn’t you follow the plan?” Malie asked out of curiosity.

“Because there was no way I could switch his insulin, and I wasn’t about to start searching for it, either. What are you going to do now?”

“We will continue to move forward with our plans to change Erato.”

“Don’t expect me to help. I don’t believe in what you’re doing, and I don’t care. Brochudo, make sure you drop me off at my apartment.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he answered cheerfully.

He drove slowly through the Erato Government Center to the western gate. They were allowed through into the Barat Region after everyone’s card was scanned.

When the car stopped in front of her building, Coraset didn’t get out right away. She stared at the both of them. Her face was hot as she considered what she’d gone through the past year and a half. It all started with Xavier and his wife lying only to protect themselves, and now, Coraset could be pregnant as an ultimate end result.

Coraset said to them in a subdued angry tone, “Your lies have ruined my life.”

Xavier and Malie couldn’t make eye contact.

“Hand me your tablet.” Coraset demanded of Malie.

She looked at Xavier and then at Coraset unsure if she should do as she requested.

“Hand me your tablet!” Coraset demanded again.

“Give it to her,” Xavier said as he dropped Malie’s purse in her lap.

She unzipped it, reached in, and handed Coraset her glass tablet. She pulled up the citizen database and typed in an ID number. Rudy’s face appeared, and Coraset turned the table around to show his face.

She remarked, “This is Rudy Remald. He wants to be a helicopter pilot. Xavier, I want you to make sure that happens for him.” Coraset turned the table back around, and she typed in Katarin’s full name. Her picture came up, and she gave the tablet to Xavier. She continued, “Katarin Augustine is in the palace. They are holding her there against her will, and her life might be in danger. I want you to get her released as soon as possible, and I want you to give her whatever job she wants.”

“We’re not doing that,” Malie stated with an attitude.

“If you don’t, I will tell the Erato Constabularies and the Elite Guards about your secret house in Bel Air, and the island getaway in Barbados. I will also tell them about your involvement in the plot to assassinate Dominic Erato, and I will also tell them about your agenda to overthrow the government.”

“You’ll be putting your neck on the line, too. You were the one who carried out the plan.” Xavier reminded her.

“True, but your punishment will be no different from mine. I’m not scared of dying. What about you?”

Malie pointed out irately, “Making demands and threatening a Federation-”

Xavier stopped Malie by raising his finger and stated, “I will see to it they both get what they want.”

“You better work fast. I will be checking on them in a couple of days.”

He nodded understanding.

Coraset continued, “And Malie, if you threaten my stepfather again, I will come after you.”

Without a single hesitation, Coraset got out of the car, slammed the door closed, and never looked back.

PART 4

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Before going back up to her apartment, Coraset stopped into the store in the basement levels of her apartment. She bought a bottle of Chambourcin Reserve and slowly rode the elevator back to her apartment floor. She recalled fighting and running for her life the last time she was in the building.

Even though she was back in familiarity, it was hard to feel like her troubles were over. She had no idea what happened to Katarin, and then there could be a possibility that she was pregnant. Both things were out of her control for the moment, and she didn’t like feeling helpless.

Coraset went to the kitchen and placed the bottle on the counter. At least, she could celebrate being home. She popped the cork, rinsed out a dusty glass, and poured the wine until it was close to the rim. She went over to the refrigerator and pulled the door open. Inside was the old Chambourcin Reserve she had drunk the day she was arrested. She laughed. It sure seemed like her life came full circle as she looked at that old bottle of alcohol.

Feeling somewhat relaxed, Coraset sat down in the panoramic window and leaned against the edge of the window. She sipped on her drink looking out onto the distant afternoon sun.

A soft knock came from the door. She crossed the room, uncertain of whom her visitor might be. She opened the door to find Brecco standing in the hallway. He was holding an old brown hat, smiling at the only family he had in the world. He was glad to see her. He was relieved to see her.

They gave each other an embrace. Tears escaped Brecco’s eyes. Coraset pulled him into her apartment and offered him a drink. He accepted, and she poured him a glass before joining him on the sofa. Brecco felt joyous looking at his stepdaughter. He wasn’t expecting her to get out of the palace alive. He had come to terms that their prior meeting in his apartment was the last time he would see her, and now, he could barely contain his joy.

Coraset explained what happened at the palace. She didn’t tell him she slept with Chancellor Dominic Erato. She felt ashamed and wasn’t ready to reveal that specific detail.

Brecco asked, “Do you think that woman will pin the death to you?”

“She didn’t give an indication she would. What do you think I should do?”

“Get back to your life. That’s how you feel normal again.”

She asked him another question, “Do you think Xavier will help those kids I told you about?”

“Oh yes. You haven’t given him much of a choice.”

“Everything that I’ve gone through is just so crazy, Brecco. It all started with Lea Cassis, and I’ve never done a wrong thing to her or Xavier. I don’t get it.”

“Sometimes life is unexplainably crazy, and that’s all you can do is the best you can. You’re a strong woman, Coraset, and you’ll be fine despite the Senator, Malie Levendro, and all the other folks you’ve dealt with.”

“I hope so, Brecco.”

“I know so.” He spoke with a sweet confidence, and Coraset couldn’t help but to smile.

PUBLISHED NOVELS

Urban

Kalyn

Fragile But Strong

Bruce Family Series

Burdens of the Bruces: Book One of the Bruce Family Series

Betrayal of the Bruces: Book Two of the Bruce Family Series

Battle of the Bruces: Book Three of the Bruce Family Series

The Ex Killer Series

The Ex Killer [The Ex Killer Series]

The Hidden Murderess [The Ex Killer Series]

The Deepest of All Sacrifices*

The Killer Consequences [The Ex Killer Series]

*The Deepest of All Sacrifices is a sister novel to The Ex Killer Series of books. It is recommended to read before starting The Killer Consequences.

Women Sleuths

Gabrielle’s Promise

Fantasy/Science Fiction

The Sins of Wishes

The Secret Weapon

Copyright

This book is a work of fiction created by the author. Any person, place, thing, business, and/or incidents are the invention of the author. Any resemblance to a person alive or deceased, place, thing, business, and/or incidents are purely coincidental.

All Rights Reserved.

Copyright © 2013 Bridget Denise Bundy

Cover Photography © Svetlana Fedoseeva – Fotolia.Com

ISBN-13: 978-1482090680

ISBN-10: 1482090686

No parts of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form without written permission from the author.

First edition, January 2013

Printed in the United States of America

Content

THE SECRET WEAPON
written by
Bridget Denise Bundy

LIST OF CHARACTERS

MAP OF ERATO OLD LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

BACKGROUND

PROLOGUE

PART 1

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

PART 2

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

PART 3

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER TWENTY

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

PART 4

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

PUBLISHED NOVELS

Copyright