Never Look Back: A New Dawn

A Place of Our Own - 8

        I slid the manila envelope over his hardwood desk, my hands shaky as he pulled it from beneath them. He opened the envelope and revealed its contents. A single piece of paper is what his eyes glued to, scanning over every word meticulously.

        “What is this?” he questioned.

        “It’s the report you requested. Another rebel was caught breaking into the zones, we managed to catch three of them,” I replied.

        “Liam, these are a couple of attention seekers, not a threat to us!” Seth exclaimed while crumpling the paper into a small ball. “What were they doing?” 

        “Just forming demonstrations, going off on rants about throwing over the new leadership structure. They didn’t hurt anyone, they only trespassed, which was never a serious offense in the past… Should we give them a fine or have them tried? Maybe a six month sentencing?” I asked. He scoffed while kicking his feet up over the desk and holding a hand to his convulsing belly.

        “Oh, you always know how to make me laugh… Just because they don’t pose as a threat, doesn’t mean we need to put up with their antics. Who are they and how old are they?” he asked.

        “Two are new recruits and the third is some seventeen year old girl who’s from Zone 8. They’re all very young, so what do you suggest we do with them?” I asked nervously. He flailed his arms open and raised his brows as if I was supposed to know the answer to my own question.

        “Kill them,” he said evenly. I swallowed hard while taking the empty manila envelope on the desk from him and tucking it under my arm.

        “What? Why? How?”

        “It’s simple… Watch.” Seth got up from his seat and opened the door of his office, then called his assistant from the hallway. “Rob, come in for a minute.” The man was young like the rebels and seemed confused. Seth reached behind his back and pulled out a 9mm, then let off a single, deafening shot that shattered Rob’s skull and sprayed me with a burning, thick liquid. I jolted from my seat with a gasp and kept my eyes shut, afraid to look at the scene before me.

        “Is he-”

        “Dead? I’d say so… See? Piece of cake. Something like this will work just fine. Send someone to clean this up, and take care of those punks, will you?”

        I was shaking with fear, but with the steadiest voice I could muster, I complied. “Will do. I’ll send the order out.” He smirked devilishly and gave me a nod.

        “Are you okay? You seem off today,” he suggested.

        “I’m fine. I’m just coming down with a cold, I think.”

        “Oh, okay. You know, I’m glad you’ve stuck around, Liam. Loyalty’s going to get you far. It’s a good thing you’re on the winning team. These rebels don’t stand a chance. It’ll be sad when they see the difference in numbers between us. Well, I suppose we won’t have to worry about them for long. Today, they’re plotting on how to take down the zones, but tomorrow they’ll be scavenging for scraps to keep them from starving… You’re dismissed.”

        I exited as he commanded, not a single breath escaping me. Every bone in my body felt paralyzed, but the fear forced me to turn away and walk out the door of his office. By the time the door shut, my limbs involuntarily trembled, my knees went weak, and a sudden nauseating sensation rattled my stomach. I ran to the nearest bathroom and clung to the toilet seat, throwing up the disgust growing from within.