Not Who You Think (Lams)

Chapter 5 (James)

The room was filled with deathly silence. Even Thomas has been surprised by the bomb and he had sworn the night before that the South tells him all of their plans. He had brought back coffee for them and they had been watching TV with their roommates (John Adams and Aaron Burr) when the new broadcast of the bomb interrupted them. John Adams fell into a pit of sobs when he heard about the death toll and James had to admit that the rising number distressed him as well. He didn't know why it did, why would he care if more of his adversaries are dead? He looks away from the screen when it pans over the carnage done to the area and the blood soaked body parts that decorated the ruins. It only made him want to puke. England was a small, insignificant country which acted as the unwanted border between the North and the South. They swore no alliance to either side and often checked the mail in an effort to keep the peace. James would bet that it hadn't been the first time they had been sent a bomb but he had never heard it documented since he wasn't high enough in the Southern ranks.

That was one of the main things he was getting used to in the North. It was far less structured. For instance, James could leave the school building without undergoing numerous security checks. He was quite glad as the checks would only increase his likely hood of getting caught. Another thing he had picked up on was that the drinking age here was 18, this was 7 years younger than most places in the south insisted on. There was a chaotic mix of religions and cultures here which James had never heard of before his training for this mission. The south had only one religion which was a mix of any of the writings they could find from before the world merged. Thomas was more religions than he was and Thomas claims to know more about it since he's read all the writings. James trusts what Thomas says though he defiantly doesn't agree with half of the teachings he knows about. He had seen some of the writings by Erasmus in Burr's room so he assumes that parts of the religion are still studied.

Thomas squeezed James' shoulder and drew him back to attention. "Does that look familiar to you Maddie?" Thomas whispers in a borderline concerned tone.

James looked up at the screen to see more damage on screen. The camera was now focused on a dismembered hand clutching onto a bomb fragment. Both the hand and the fragment were showing a specific symbol. It was the shape of a contorted ram's skull with a face emerging from the shadow connected to the horns. James knew the symbol, he knew he defiantly did but he couldn't piece where it was from. "Kinda..." James whispers back to Thomas before he gave a few weak coughs.

"Think back to 7th grade." Thomas mutters before looking back to the screen.

James also looks back to the screen when he realised. "Oh..." He almost instantly shot up. "I need some fresh air." He explained to Burr who was looking at him curiously as he jumped to his feet.

Thomas made a noise of complaint since James was no longer beside him but James had grabbed his coat and was out the door before he could've hard the rest of Thomas' wines. Their apartment was on the top floor. However, the floor below it, the fourth floor, had the best cell phone reception. The elevator was being repaired so James clutched his inhaler and walked down the stairs slowly. He stood in the corridor by the stairs and thankfully he was left alone since no one walked past him.

He grabbed his phone hurriedly typed a message in the hopes it made sense.

James: I just saw your art, rather an interesting gallery though don't you think?

James bit his lip and waited five minutes. He glanced around every through to check no one was close to him. Five minutes slipped into ten and ten into fifteen.

James: Come on answer

James: I know you've read this.

James: Did you not know they put it in a gallery? I can bet it'll be historic.