VOID - Cacciatore

Chapter Six - A Messege Loud and Clear

The large, brightly lit room with clean white walls and soft carpet underfoot, flags from countries whom people have come from lined the outer walls. All doors and windows firmly sealed, although not covered. The smell of sweat, room freshener and scented candles fused into a weird mix that was surprisingly not unpleasant too much.

Where did you expect a secret meeting of people to be held where no government eye or nosy passerby could raise suspicion? A base underground? The middle of a desert? Sewers? That's exactly where they want us to be.

Who? The government. They know we exist. All of them do. Ignorant fools do nothing but let off pompous arguments to other twits who don't know the price of milk when they fail to realize how important she is.

Threat? To society? To national security and international relations? Don't make me laugh. They want us to fear... to feel true terror and perceive her as the enemy whom should be slain in an instant.

We are here to prevent that. The shouting? Oh, just a friendly chat or chinwag or whatever you wish it to be called.

My name is Charles. Posh? Yes... you could say I'm rather wealthy and influential. How else would we get a building as fine as this in Paris of all places?

Paris? Why not London? Berlin?

They're too close in agreement with America about this delicate topic. France has remained relatively neutral thanks to me.

 People from all backgrounds all over the world are here. Former bankers from Argentina, men and women from China (which makes up the vast majority of the people here) looking to flee from their home country, the former rich from Japan, Germans who are bored and ready to fight, Cubans with a grudge against capitalism or fleeing from communism. They're here. Hundreds of them. Most hanging back to allow the best speakers do all the talking.

I, a born Frenchmen of the French aristocracy, am at the very heart. The judge and decision maker. All the power in my hands.

But truthfully I am leing in saying I am the heart and soul of this mission.

The heart is Void. The goal is Void. Her safety and well-being is in my best interests as well as her victory. What is in my best interests is in those of the people who now look to me for guidance.

Where is she now? Currently hiding amoungst the people and travelling from Eastern Europe and heading West. Straight towards us. Does she know about us? Are we her goal? No, she couldn't. I know for sure.... you can thank a certain Welshman wanted in nearly every country for that.

Glen... poor old Glen. Born in Britain, raised in Britain, living abroad for a few years now as a promising scientist. He had played his part, now we are here to take over. We can provide as much protection as we can, but nothing is guaranteed. Trust me, we are searching far and wide for him without raising too much suspicion from the government. Thanks to me the French government is avoiding her at all costs. They have no idea about what I do behind their backs. Fools. They can't see what a benefit this remarkable woman is to us, she could rescue us! Bring us world peace! See an end to innocent suffering because of violent spats over fucking oil! This woman has become my life! I've been told countless time that I'm obsessed... and I would agree with them. But I can't turn back now... it's too late. I've wound myself up in this tight story with endless branches. I need to find her. Preferably find Glen too, but Void was... wait... oh god no!

There she was, a tiny speck taken from a camera above. She was on teh news, The French presenter claiming she's a terrorist. She's in France, sure. But surrounded by troops from the British and French army.

He thought he had insiders keeping an eye on her! Why hadn't they said anything?

"Charles!" The distinctive Chinese accent rang out through the crowd which were only beginning to notice what was going on. Each and every man, woman and child whose eyes flickered towards the screen stood there, as though frozen in time, their eyes wide in shock and fear like a dear caught in the headlights. Mothers hugged their children closer to them, men clenched their fists and children stopped running freely.