Witches and Devils

Cooperative

As we continue our talk with Venable, Michael smiles, "what better time to meet those housed here in your outpost?"

Venable nods and smiles rather awkwardly, "of course, give me a few minutes."

"Of course," Michael nods, as Venable leaves the room. Soon after she does the school bell goes off.

I smile up to Michael, "I never thought I'd miss that bell."

Michael shakes his head, "I never did. But it is nice to be back." He puts his hand out to me and I place my hand in his, before he pulls me close, "it brings back so many good memories."

"Do you think they'll gather in the library?"

"If I had to guess," Michael nods as he looks around, "let's go, I think we've given her enough time." Michael and I walk down the hall, the click of my heels echoing in the corridor. When we enter the library, there are eight people dressed in purple and fifteen dressed in grey. Once we walk through the doorway, Michael lifts his hand to me, telling me to stay put, before he places his hands behind his back and walks around the room. Michael walks over to Venable, who is standing in front of the fireplace. She looks over to him with a smile, but realizes that he wants her to move. She looks down and steps out of the way, as Michael takes her place. "My name is Langdon and my lovely companion is Rose. We represent The Cooperative." Michael looks around the room, "I won't sugarcoat the situation. Humanity is on the brink of failure. Our arrival here was crucial to the survival of civilized life on Earth. The three other compounds in Syracuse, New York, Beckle, West Virginia, and San Angelo, Texas have been overrun and destroyed. We've had no contact from the six international outposts, but we are assuming that they, too, have been eliminated."

"What happened to the people inside?" A young man dressed in purple questions.

"Massacred," Michael looks down to him. "The same fate will befall almost all of you."

"Almost all?" A woman in grey, with her hair in a tall bun on top of her head asks.

The group look between Michael and I, Michael sighs, "in the knowledge that this very moment might occur, we built a fail safe... The Sanctuary."

"The Sanctuary?" A woman in a large purple dress leans forward a bit.

"The Sanctuary is unique. It has certain security measures that will prevent overrun."

"Excuse me, sir," Mead steps forward. Unfortunately, she doesn't remember Michael or me. I can only imagine how hard it is for Michael to see her and know she doesn't know him. I offered to put Michael under a memory spell before we got to this outpost, but he insisted that he needed to remember all of the lessons that she had taught him. "What measures? Why weren't we given them?"

"That's classified," Michael simply lifts a hand, he doesn't even look in her direction. "All that matters is that The Sanctuary will... survive, so the people populating it will survive, so humanity will survive."

"Who are the people who are populating it?" another man in purple shakes his head.

"Also classified," Michael shakes his head.

I take a deep breath, "this will all go fast if you just listen." I look around the room, crossing my arms.

"We have been sent to determine if any of you are worthy and fit to join us." The people in the room begin to speak quietly among each other, "the Cooperative has developed a particular and rigorous questioning technique we like to call..."

"Cooperating..."

"We will then use the information gained to determine if you belong."

"What is this, The Hunger Games?" The woman in purple shakes her head. "This is bullshit. I paid my way in here, and that is the only cooperating I plan on doing."

I walk around and stop in front of her, "what's your name darling?"

The woman glares at me, "Coco."

I lean down so I'm eye level with her, "I'm guessing you're used to getting everything you want. Mommy and Daddy just gave it to you." Coco just looks at me in shock, as if no one has ever talked to her like this before.

"Rose," Michael calls out to me. I glance over to him and he gestures for me to move away, "you don't have to sit for questioning."

"What happens if we choose not to?" The second man in purple looks toward the ground.

"Then you stay here and die." I smirk as I lean against the wall.

"I volunteer to go first." A man in purple with short white hair, raises his hand.

"And so you shall." Michael looks over to him. "The process should only take us a couple of days, so you won't be kept in suspense forever. For those of you who don't make the cut, all is not lost. If the worst should happen and feral cannibals come knocking," Michael takes a vial out of his pocket, "down one of these. One minute later, you fall asleep and never wake up." Michael looks around the room. "Rose and I look forward to meeting each and everyone of you." Michael walks back across the room to me, offering his arm. I lace my arm through his as we turn and leave. Leaving them to discuss what they wish do to, if anything at all.