Silhouettes of America - Book 1 of The ARMOR Series [Completed]

36 Speak the Truth | George

Current Time: Wednesday, 08:00 EST
Current Location: Grant Park Convention Center, Chicago, USA - 41.8722*N, 87.6188*W

Young and old people alike, black or white, rich or poor gathered in the Grant Park Convention Center, Chicago. It was a very important day to America. A day in a President's life, where he would deliver a speech with utmost significance to his countrymen.

The day before, news of the first lady having a rare illness broke out. George announced in the media that Corinne will not be able to attend his speech because he won't allow her and he prioritizes her health more than anything else. A lie, of course. But he had to do it.

"The media is ready, Mr. President. The stage is all set," Adam informed him. George flashed him a light smile as he fixed his tie. "I'm ready." He stood up and sauntered to the podium to face the surprising number of people who gathered to witness the special event.

What is the future of USA? That question slipped his mind. He scanned his eyes around and saw a teenager nursing her baby. That baby is lucky to witness a presidential speech. I pray for his interest in politics when he grew up. He looked to the side and saw an old woman sitting on a wheelchair, staring at him, waiting for him to start. I pray for her never-ending belief in America's leaders and pure devotion, he thought. He looked to the far end of the Park, trying to get a glimpse of a single person.

Avery Collins.

He believed she must be here to listen to his address. But he can't find her at the moment so he reluctantly began. He cleared his throat and grabbed the mic. "Ladies and gentlemen of the United States, young and old, black or white, rich or poor, good morning."

Claps and cheers of people echoed in the park. George's anxiety vanished, and he casually smiled at the people. "This world, it's the worst place to live in. For evil resides in the hearts of men, and living is much worse than dying," he said. "I got this quote from a close friend long time ago, when faith is falling down on me. To be frank, we were on the same page. We had the same feeling towards this world. Today, I wanted to dedicate this speech to him."

The cheers grew louder this time. The people exchanged glances with each other, curious of that friend George was talking about.

"These past few days was a disaster. Terrorism shook our once peaceful land. It gave sorrow to a number of people and resentment to the hearts of some. But little by little, we got back on our foot and conquered our fear of the unknown."

My plan originally, was to rebuild America amidst the chaos. The more chaos, the more I'll rebuild. The more I rebuild, the more people will love me. When ARMOR bombed San Francisco, I must admit I felt ironically happy. At times of a disaster, people will seek for someone who truly cares for them. One who will offer them help. And I did. I made ways to reach out. I was so glad that finally, the American people needed me. Wanted me. Called my name.

"People who lost their homes from the bombing in San Francisco were given support from the Government. We have established a free housing in Cleveland and let them begin a new life."

I want to be re-elected after my term. I want to dominate. I have greed of power and now that I have it, I won't let it go. I'll rule America for years more and my legacy will live on forever. I wanna be remembered for so long.

"We're gonna start fresh after the tragedy. We won't gnaw on the past for too long. Let us be resilient and only look over the future."

My father is Russian and my mother's an American. They loved each other despite their differences in race and culture. However, hatred reigned the hearts of people and my mom and dad didn't get the happy ending they deserved in this world. But I want to put an end to that. I will promote freedom and mixture of many races. A white will love a black. An American will marry an Asian. The rich will hang out with the poor. Russia will hold USA in a tight hug. I wanna be more human.

George looked at the skies and he felt calmed. The guilt and pain he bore with him for years has lessened. He's slowly forgiving himself, for running as a US President and hiding his real identity. For deceiving the American citizens. All along, they thought he was pure American. But he cheated for the sake of avenging his family. However, there's no need to do that now. He had been treated ill by this world, but it doesn't mean he will do the same thing to his people. He will change his course and serve justice to this merciless world.

He inhaled hope and once again looked at the people with sincerity. "Now, let's head to the last part. I'm gonna let you know the progress in search for the enemy."

ARMOR remains a mystery to me until now. But with the help of the military and Jacob's daughter, I believe we can defeat them. We need to establish a scheme.

"This isn't one to be disclosed in public but I tell you, we're close to getting ARMOR on the bait. We've got a lead. We'll obliterate them at the soonest time. No American citizen would ever cry again for their loss. The peace in our land will once be restored and this will live on forever."

A thunderous applause and enthusiastic cheers filled the Park. The baby cried in his mom's chest as the teen clapped for him. The old woman's eyes glimmered with admiration as she smiled. The soldiers saluted at him. The political leaders sitting in the VIP section commended him.

The world will be restored one day. Change is coming.

George felt edgy as soon as he sat down. He had a weird feeling, like someone is watching him. He turned to look at his side and found an empty seat.

She had been here.

Avery Collins asked him to keep their convergence a secret and to keep Corinne away from the media's prying eyes. They agreed to work their way to ARMOR discreetly.

"Striking the enemy by surprise, no?" he murmured to himself and smirked.

**