Anarchy in New Enlgand (22 page)

As quickly as he could, which was painfully slow and cumbersome to White, the man removed his jacket, getting caught up when it came time to slip off the second sleeve. The pants came off as he rolled onto his back, unable to keep balance, never fully standing through the whole exchange. The addict was left crouched in the alley, pantless with just a t-shirt and underwear on in the cool fall night, holding the cash in his hands, admiring it like Gollum coveting his precious ring. The last White saw of him, the man seemed to momentarily become alert, and quickly stuffed the cash into his shoe while looking around suspiciously, lest another, stronger addict take his prize.

White walked a few blocks to a different pod terminal, and entered a location on the edge of New England, close to New York City. Once there, he walked across the "border" unnoticed, and picked up yet another pod in another crowded terminal outside of the arbitrary border set by NESA. He entered a busy location on the southern west coast, and sat back, letting out a deep sigh of relief, and closing his eyes.

Less than an hour later he walked out of the pod on the west coast, and into a crowded terminal where families and businessmen stood cohorting after dinner. As Agent White slipped through the crowd, he heard bits of conversations like:

"Can you believe what’s happening in New England?"

"Silly that the place where modern freedom started could be fooled so easily!"

"It’s not all of them, you’ve got to remember the outlets reporting it have interests too."

"Those blackouts are definitely what suppressed the dissenters, we would be hearing more from them but…."

"Western Authority still has customers there, they ought to go in, guns blazing-"

"The last thing we need now is an all-out war! And there’s no proof that the drug cartels
didn’t
start this whole mess. Anyway why should I pay to save some idiots that got themselves into this whole mess in the first place?"

"I agree, the people of New England did this to themselves, let them deal with it!"

White pushed his way through the crowd and onto the street. Some shops would still be open so he could get better clothes. Then he’d find a place to stay. He took a deep breath of warm, sweet air.
Maybe I’ll never go back
he thought.

Drake’s heart was beating fast. He called in his Operations Officer.

"Give me an update on the standoffs."

"Sir all but one has been resolved. We have detained most of the Atlas Protection units opposing us, and the others have retreated and dispersed."

"Good. Let’s try to get that last one under control. Inform me of any changes. Are the bodies cleaned up downstairs?"

"No sir, our team is still collecting evidence. I’ll make sure we have them covered before you leave." He exited Drake’s office.

Drake let out a long sigh of relief. It was working. At this point, there was no one left to stop him. Tomorrow he would do what he had to in order to finish off Atlas Protection. He would have control of what came into, and left, New England. Within a week everyone would be using NESA currency, and there would be no going back for them. Then would come the long term plan for educating the youth.

He swiveled around in his chair and stood up, looking out the window. He could see some lights in the distance on a hill. He saw an NESA skyship in the distance, floating silently over the earth. The moon was high, bright and large, almost full with the dark unlit sliver still visible in contrast to the night sky.

For a moment, Drake wondered what it was all about. Not the takeover, not power, just life. These thoughts always accompanied the sneaking memories of the girl he spent nights like these with, staring into the autumn sky, counting stars, lying on the cool damp grass, her head on his chest. He quickly pushed these thoughts from his mind. He was in the midst of the accomplishment of his lifetime, how silly to dwell on pointless episodes from the past.

Both telescreens were still on in the background. The unmuted telescreen on Economy Live caught his attention as the first news of Agent White’s attack on Atlas Protection headquarters came across the screen to replace the report about the thwarted attack on NESA headquarters. He didn’t turn to watch, but stared at the moon, and listened to the report delivered by a dark-skinned woman with curly hair.

"Yet another drug cartel attack has taken place, this one the boldest yet, at the same time three men violently breached NESA headquarters before being killed by the building’s security. Atlas Protection Headquarters was stormed just minutes ago, by eight heavily armed men. So far we have reports of three fatalities among AP employees, as well as two employees in critical condition.

"Others are being taken to area hospitals with non-life threatening injuries including burns, smoke inhalation, and bullet wounds. As for the attackers, five are dead, one is in custody, and another has been transported to a hospital in critical condition after falling from the roof, in an attempt to repel down the side of the building. One attacker is unaccounted for.

"More details will...follow... I’m sorry I’m getting an urgent update of some breaking news. We are going to transfer you to the CEO of Independent Arbitration, addressing the public live from their headquarters."

Eleven

Drake’s heart dropped and he thought he might throw up. He knew Independent Arbitration was involved in investigating the case of Barry Arbitration and Atlas Protection, inextricably linked to his takeover of New England. For them to deliver a live update at this time…
this could not be good,
Drake thought.

He whipped around to face the screen and cranked up the volume as the camera shifted to the CEO of Independent Arbitration. Drake stood, left hand supporting him on his desk, his right hand hanging limp by his side. His mouth slightly open, eyes wide, Drake watched as Independent Arbitration delivered their message.

"Good evening, my name is Odin Lancaster, CEO of Independent Arbitration. While it is not typical for our agency to release information in haste, especially while arbitration continues, the chaotic events in New England today offer extenuating circumstances. First and foremost, no concrete evidence of any actual cartel attacks having occurred in New England over the past 24 hours has been found, forwarded, or reviewed by my company. Instead, a different motive was discovered for why NESA took such criminal actions today. It starts with the case brought against Atlas Protection by Barry Arbitration.

"Independent Arbitration has found that Atlas Protection did not manufacture any evidence in the disputed case, and Barry Arbitration in fact manufactured the evidence against Atlas Protection. During the course of our investigation, Independent Arbitration found that Mr. Barry had accepted bribes, two confirmed, another still under investigation, corroborating the Business Ethics Review report released this morning."

Everyone in New England was watching or listening, and many outside as well – especially investors in New England companies. Agents in standoffs stalled their skirmishes in order to listen. If you were to float miles above New England you would have felt the region pause, breath drawn, waiting to learn their fate.

Drake stood petrified, eyes fixed on the screen, heart pounding out of his chest, mouth dry. Officer Themis watched from his hospital bed, surrounded by his family, staring intently, proud he had assisted in this release. Atlas paused for a moment from dealing with the fresh attack, and listened to the streaming broadcast from a mini-tab that someone had brought to his attention. At home, Molly stared intently at the news feed, hands clutched together like she was praying.

"Related information has also been uncovered concerning Mr. Barry’s death. Two Agents were seen entering and leaving Mr. Barry’s home the night of his death. An investigation has been launched into his death, to determine if it was actually a homicide. But one of the Agents who was caught on camera leaving Mr. Barry’s residence was identified when he was killed invading the home of Officer James Themis last night. This Agent has contracted with New England Security Agency in the past, and there is a 67% probability according to available data, that the deceased agent has been employed by NESA within the last month.

"Everything I have told you now we know with certainty. The case is still under review, and due to the volume of employees that have been assigned to it, we expect to resolve the case quickly. While suspicion alone is not enough to convict a man in arbitration, it is enough for the public to act accordingly to protect themselves and their assets.

"It is the official position of Independent Arbitration that there is strong evidence to suggest NESA has acted, at the direction of its CEO Cole Drake, in a manner that has violated contracts with its customers, and customers of various security agencies, as well as the natural rights of men and women, without representation.

"Therefore, all warrants of NESA are hereby canceled, and any further aggressive action taken by an NESA employee will be considered an ordinary crime, without the backing of a warrant. NESA employees are urged to surrender immediately in any standoffs to avoid arbitration being brought against them. All NESA Agents must also release anyone in their captivity as a result of any warrant from the previous 36 hours, or face arbitration for false imprisonment.

"Independent Arbitration has partnered with Outside Review Arbitration to investigate and corroborate our reports, and verify their accuracy. Thank you for your time, I will now yield to the official spokesman for ORA."

"Greetings to the people of New England. Due to the explosive situation in New England over the past day, ORA has done everything in its power to expedite the process of assisting Independent Arbitration in their investigation into Barry Arbitration, New England Security Agency, the attempted murder of Molly Metis, and the home invasion, arson, and attempted murder of Officer James Themis and company. ORA vouches for the accuracy of Independent Arbitration’s findings, and has issued a joint warrant, along with IA for the arrest of NESA CEO Mr. Cole Drake."

Darkness started to close in on Drake’s eyes and he thought he might pass out. He stumbled back once, but caught himself, and slouched to the side into his chair. The chair swiveled slightly, so Drake was facing the side wall where his grandfather’s portrait hung, stern and confident. He stared blankly at the wall in disbelief, not noticing his grandfather’s gaze from the portrait, as the sound continued from the telescreen. "We urge all NESA customers to log onto OutsideReview-dot-Arbitration to connect with our representatives, and file a claim for reimbursement from NESA, and be provided with interim security."

From the window, Drake saw the men emerge from the Corner Cop Security SUV’s that had been parked inconspicuously in the street, and walk toward his building’s front entrance. He heard newly arriving vehicles screech to a halt in front of the building, and saw the reporters rush onto the sidewalk, waiting to catch a glimpse of Drake’s arrest.

Drake briefly considered shooting himself, before ruling it out completely: he knew he wouldn’t be able to do it. So he just sat in the chair, stared at the wall, and shook his head slowly from side to side, hardly a centimeter, with his head sulking down onto his chest so that his double chin looked puffier than ever, giving him a stunning resemblance to a defeated and morose blood hound.

Agents knocked on the door, then cautiously opened it, before spotting Drake, and realizing he was not a threat. Two men stood over Drake’s chair and explained what was happening, though it all sounded like distant echoes to him. In a daze he got to his feet, while one of the CCS Officers lightly gripped his elbow, and the two walked him across the office, into the lobby where more Agents in business suits waited, two of whom were interviewing Drake’s secretary, teary-eyed and on the edge of hysterics, acting more shocked than he probably really was at the situation.

Other employees stood around waiting for someone to tell them what to do, like they were watching their dad get arrested. A few employees actually seemed genuinely bewildered about why Drake was being arrested, but most seemed to be terrified that they would have arbitration brought against them. Some gave petrified gasps, or still clamped their hand over their mouth in disbelief.

Drake was led out to an SUV and placed in the back seat. An arbiter representing Drake met him outside, and got into the SUV with him, to advise him on the arbitration; but he knew as well as Drake that it would just be minimizing the sentence. And even then, chances were Drake would die in confinement.

CCS conducted interviews with NESA employees, and as midnight came and went security agencies resumed their normal routines, without direction or obstruction from NESA. All transportation was returned to normal, though people grumbled about how high food prices would be for the next week or so until things caught up. Early in the morning, arbiters would return to their jobs and begin the many hours of work that would have to be done, all from the past day, to sort everything out.

Arbitration was not pursued against most NESA Agents and employees; a few with more information, like the Agent who led the raid on Coastal Internet, and Drake’s secretary, Benjamin, were forced to pay restitution to victims. As for those people and companies involved in helping NESA, the market cleared them out like dead brush in a wildfire.

Mr. Patrick of Minutemen Arms tried to stay afloat, though after a few days of being hounded by the media and his customers, the board finally removed him as CEO. Stocks had plummeted over 50% and MA lost almost a quarter of its customers within a week, since rumors started swirling of Patrick’s involvement in the takeover, due to his early support of Drake. Criminal investigations would dog Patrick for the better part of a year, until he was finally arrested, attempting to flee New England, and charged with criminal coercion in practicing his capacity as Minister of Transportation. He was confined for five years and fined heavily, but his vast fortune could take the hit. Most of his sentence was served on his own property, playing tennis, swimming in his pool, and throwing parties. He would emerge a shamed alcoholic, shunned by most, except his elitist friends who cared more about money than integrity.

Coastal Internet was downgraded by BER for its CEO’s submission to Drake’s Agents, but the criminal investigation could find no concrete evidence against the CEO. He resigned in an attempt to keep the company profitable, but it was to no avail. Coastal Internet went under, and its assets were auctioned off. Some 30 former employees, who had been detained by NESA Agents at Coastal Internet, bought back most of the company, and started their own Internet provider called Open Internet. They decentralized the offices, and added blockers to assure that their customers could not simply have the plug pulled on their services again. The company thrived.

As part of the arbitration arrangement, Drake was forced to sell his 55% stake in News of New England, which was bought up by two smaller but growing news organizations, one of which helped call out the inconsistencies in NESA’s story the day of the takeover, establishing their reputation. The rest of NNE was bought by Business Ethics Review which expanded their business model, and News of New England ceased to exist as a media company.

Those Ministers who had signed onto Drake’s plan, but not actively engaged in the takeover, escaped arbitration, but could not thwart the public backlash. They all lost their prominent jobs in shame, two fleeing to different parts of the world, their wallets a little lighter due to some civil settlements. One killed himself when his wife left him and took their kids, his house, and most of his bank accounts. Another moved into an adap after becoming destitute, apparently not realizing that the money in her bank would not last forever. She became well known as the seedy part of town’s resident drunk.

The CEO of Collective Arbitration was arrested on a Caribbean island two months after the attempted takeover, and extradited to New England to face arbitration. He stood accused by his Board of soliciting a bribe, and accused by customers of various agencies of breaches of contract for undermining contracts and issuing false warrants without evidence. He settled mostly by paying fines, spent 6 months confined to adap house arrest, and then returned to Cuba, living out his life substantially more frugally than he was used to. Collective Arbitration went out of business before the CEO was even released from his adap confinement.

Collective Arbitration’s assets and accounts were bought at a steep discount by Molly Metis. She had received awards, and became relatively famous for her heroism and courage in journalism, in the face of dire consequences, and threats to her life. She started Metis Arbitration, and due to her reputation, had no trouble finding financial backers and clients. The agency thrived, and would eventually become one of the largest and most respected arbitration agencies in New England.

Atlas Protection was an early customer of Metis Arbitration. Atlas had gained back all of its customers that had been lost due to the defamation from Barry Arbitration and NESA, plus another half million. AP had also found a skilled director for their new street divisions: Officer Themis – rather Director Themis. He left Corner Cop Security, disappointed that they caved so easily to the demands of NESA during the crisis.

Drake was confined to an adap after all his assets were sold off to pay restitution to some of his victims, including the families of the slain Atlas Protection employees. Sentenced to 60 years in confinement, Drake died of a heart attack in his adap six years later. That last year, Mr. Patrick never went to visit him, despite Mr. Drake’s requests.

One year after Drake’s attack on New England; Molly Metis, Kitt Atlas, and James Themis met for dinner in a basement bistro, which was not unusual as they had become quite close friends in the process of keeping New England free from the shackles of Drake’s would-be government. They joked that meetings like these were executive dinners, for business only, while in reality work could not be further from their minds when the three friends met for leisure.

"Do you know what today is?" Atlas asked his companions as he poured himself another glass of sparkling wine, the previous jovial laughter dying down.

"Did I forget your birthday?" Molly asked finishing her glass, and reaching once more for the bottle, then filling up Themis’s glass to a thank-you nod from him.

"No, no," Atlas laughed. "Today is the one year anniversary since we saved New England from tyranny!"

The three burst out laughing, taking it as a joke… even though they more or less
had
singlehandedly saved New England. The laughter could have been partly the sparkling wine’s influence as well.