Defenders: The Crimes of the Capitol

Chapter 7

AN: HAPPY EASTER!

President Stone’s POV

The doors quietly close after Karter Mayberry’s loud exit. The room settles into a silence, only disturbed by the hum of the holograms. Opening one of the desk drawers and pulling out a communicator, I type the numbers for Dr Gaurdy’s communicator and send a voice memo.

“Prepare the injection for Karter Mayberry as we have planned.” I get a quick approval back. Then I turn back at the holographic screen and press a button to show room 103. Karter and the guards are not yet there, but the doctors have just entered, preparing the room. A bed is wheeled in, one with straps on the frame to hold in the patient. The door of my office opens and I glance up. It’s one of my advisors; Madame Aquila Apple, in charge of the majority of the workers in the facility. Mr. Mayberry may think he’s in charge of the building, but really it’s her. She struts in, her white heels clicking on the hard wood floor, matching her crisp white dress uniform, her diamond shaped glasses resting low on her nose.

“Mr. President, I must speak with you immediately regarding what you have just decided.” She says. It seems like every time I make a decision, she immediately knows. I can’t help but see her as a bit of a threat at times.

“Yes, Aquila, what must we discuss about it?” I ask her. She purses her lips at the toppled over chair, then she snaps her manicured hands. Immediately an avox I had forgotten was standing in the corner comes over and fixes the chair, placing a soft cushion on it. She sits and the avox goes back to the corner, without a sound. She hardly gives the avox a look as she sits down.

“Your Decision to inject Mr. Mayberry,” She begins, “I feel it would be unwise to proceed with this because we need him conscious and coherent with his decisions. You know how disastrous this injection is and what he might do when angered.”

“Yes, I’m well aware of the affects of the injection.” I lean back in my chair, “All of this is so that we can finally get the true loyalty we need from Karter, so he can…persuade our Rebel guests to be more compatible.”

“Rage is not the answer. Corrupting this young man is not the answer.” She’s starting to sound like one of the Rebels. “What we need to do is try negotiating with the prisoners and getting them to side with us. We cannot fight rage with rage; two negatives don’t make a positive.”

I stare at her, she poses a threat, she thinks she can overrule me, she thinks that what the Capitol decides to do is not the best answer. She does not fear me. I open the top drawer of my desk and pull out a gun. Cocking it, I aim it at her head. She only has time for her eyes to widen and begin to stand, before I pull the trigger. The scream that was forming on her lips never comes, only a thud as she hits the floor. I press a button on my desk as I put the gun away. Half a dozen avox come in along with three peacekeepers, they take the body out and clean up the mess. The last I see of Aquila is a blood covered white dress, and her disturbed blonde wig.

Turning the hologram back on, I see that Karter is now strapped to the hospital bed, thrashing as the injection takes hold. I can’t help but smile a bit at his pain. He has no chance of ever being a threat to me.