Claimed (19 page)

“Oh really?
Well, then I should make it back before they miss me anymore.”

He held her tightly, refusing to let her go. “Come to think of it, this is a good hiding place,” he drooled as he leaned forward.

“Edmund, I… really,” she stammered confusedly. She didn’t know how to turn him down without offending him. Kissing Edmund seemed more like a betrayal to Jared rather than her fiancé.

“Isn’t that just simply adorable, Henry?” Gail remarked, interrupting them.
“So many years together and still hiding away to steal a smooch.”

“How are you, Gail?” Ellie blushed as she reached out to lay a polite kiss on the older woman’s cheek.

“Delighted, now I’ve seen you,” she beamed. “But why have I barely seen you at all tonight? I saw you speaking with the Johnsons but by the time I could make it round the room, you had disappeared.”

“I’m sorry,” Ellie replied. “I’
ve just been a little tired.”

“And the Sector Dinner isn’t helping
, is it?” she said sympathetically.

“No, of course not,” Ellie denied politely.
“I’m always thrilled to catch-up with the other Sector Executives. We don’t often get such a wonderful opportunity as this to do that.” She lifted her head to acknowledge the man beside Gail. “So how are things in Sector 5, Henry?”

“Wonderful,” said Henry Linden, his circle of baldness on his head shimmered in the light of the chandelier above them.
It was, though, his remaining silvery hair which amused and attracted her attention, and how it remarkably matched with his thick equally silvery moustache. “In fact, it has never been better… in comparison to what I have heard about Sector 8.”

Edmund made a noise in throat, shifting uncomfortably at his feet. “That was just a minor ruckus caused by some insignificant trouble-makers, Henry. I can assure you we have them completely under control.”

Henry Linden gave him a disapproving smirk. “Those little stirs would never have been given the opportunity to breathe in Sector 5. Governor Renshaw keeps a tight lid on everything that moves. He would have stamped it out long before in the early stages of their conspiracy. As for the rebels involved…,” he shook his head. “They would severely have had been reprimanded.” He glanced back at Ellie. “I heard of your little attempt at supporting the impoverished in Central. You do understand that those little baskets of food you take to feed them, encourages them to rise against the government and the corporations. You are not doing the society any good except stirring dissension among them; making them think that they’re lacking something.”

“But they are lacking,” Ellie argued
, her impatience for the man’s arrogance almost turning into rage. “Have you even been to these communities? There are starving children, sick elderlies, not forgetting the housing conditions are just as pathetic.”

“Ms
Callum, Sector 8 is much smaller in population in comparison to Sector 5. The problems are almost negligible. Every society has to be balanced with some downtrodden. A society without social issues is a Utopia. It is non-existent; a classic case of fiction. You can’t have a society eradicated of all its problems. There needs to be a balance.”

Ellie huffed in disbelief with
what he was saying. “So you think these people should be left at their miseries? With no help or assistance at all from us, the fortunate few who have every power and all the resources to elevate them to at least a dignified and respectable living status?”

“They are exactly where they belong. We’ve never had an issue with it and neither did they for hundreds of years. We’ve been completely at peace with each other and fully accepting of how we interact. Why would anyone want
to try and fix something that’s functioning perfectly well and in complete working order?”

“Do you not at all hear the cries of children dying from the lack of food, starving because their parents are bringing pennies into the house despite their slaving in our factories, in our houses, in our farms from dusk to dawn? Do you not see the plight of the uneducated young who are desperate to learn just as much as
our
children? Why must we discriminate between classes? For god sakes, we’ve entered the thirty-first century, but we’re stuck in the rutting mindset of our heathen pioneers of the first!”

“You forget, Ms
Callum that it is because of the errors of our ancestors that we have taken drastic calls to manage our society as how you describe it, displeasingly. Our two child policy management, lowering the economic dollar, the ban on firearms- these are what have saved the world today. It’s what has allowed the world to resurrect from the verges of extinction. And these fundamental laws of governance are what allow you to stand in this lavish hall and deliver your much fevered speech on the plight of the impoverished with such pomposity. Take your parents’ advice and stay away from the poor before you ruin the orderliness with your ignorance.”

Ellie wasn’t ready to be beaten down by the obnoxious elite from Sector 5. She clenched her fists for another rebuttal but the little stirrings in the corner of the hall stole the man’s attention.

“What is going on?” he remarked a little shakily.

Edmund turned towards the racket pouring through the kitchen doors. “I’ll find out.”

“I’m coming with you,” Ellie grunted angrily. She wanted to get away from the despicable older man. But to her annoyance he followed them towards the kitchen.

The kitchen was in chaos with utensils and food scattered about it. The female staff cowered in the corner; some crying while the others counseled them. The chef was barking instructions at the men to cl
ean up the mess evidencing that some sort of bedlam had occurred in the otherwise structured kitchen. Officers raced in and out of it, eager to regain some order.

“What happened?!”
Ellie grabbed a maid.

“Oh, it was terrible, Miss,” the woman trembled. “They roared in
, brandishing knives, axes and swords and stole all of it.”

“Stole what?! What did they steal?!”

“Food. They raided our cupboards, fridges, pots and took away everything we had prepared for the Sector Dinner. There is nothing left to feed the guests. Absolutely nothing.”

Ellie stared at the maid with disbelief. She had never heard of such a thing in her life.

“Who stole the food?” Edmund growled.

“The Woodsmen,” she spurted out with a shudder. “They called themselves the Woodsmen.”

Ellie unclasped her pearl necklace and tossed it carelessly onto her dresser. She unpinned her chignon from her nape and let it untwine down her back. She tiredly ambled over to the balcony to get a breath of fresh night air like she always did before she would retire to bed.

Unlike other nights though, her mind was more at unease than normal. Who could those masked, hooded men
have been? Woodsmen? She had never heard of them before but neither had anyone else. And why had they stolen food when they could have robbed them of much more. The guests, themselves were adorned with expensive jewelry and accessories that could have gained them much more from illegal trading. Were the lower stratum of society in such dire need of food that they now had no choice but resort to stealing it?

The door flung open as Edmund marched in towards her.

“Did you find out who they were?” she asked with anticipation.

He shook his head. “Not much other than what you know already. They transported the food via your father’s study and out through the window. Somehow they had known that those areas of the house would be the least patrolled to
night with the majority of the sentinels on guard at the hall and the front entrance. They used one of the guest limousines to get them out of the grounds.”

“Where do you think they have taken them?”

“I don’t know. It’s as baffling to me as well. We’ve sent out patrols into Central to see if we can learn anything else. It was only a dinner for forty people so I doubt they would be feeding the entire poor of Sector 8.”

“They were making a statement,”
Ellie thought to herself. They’ve got to be. She was surprised with herself that she didn’t bother to share that opinion with Edmund. Was she secretly perhaps hoping he had not come to the same conclusion? But why in the world would she want to take sides with a group of lawless men hidden behind masks and hoods? “At least, now Henry Linden understands what going to bed on a hungry stomach feels like,” she snorted aloud.

Edmund rubbed his forehead with irritation. “Oh come on, Ellie. The man had a point. You know how we all feel about you visiting Central to feed those people. You know how we feel about you visiting Central at all!”

“
Those people
? What do you mean by
those people
?!” she snapped. “Those people are
our
people, Edmund. The people you are destined to govern one day. Don’t you think it is our duty to ensure that they are being presided over with justice?”

“Oh, don’t be too sentimental, Ellie,” he tugged at his bow tie. “You are well aware that we are doing what we can to give them adequate service.”

“Apparently not enough. It is no wonder that groups like the Central Monologues and the Woodsmen are beginning to emerge.”

“And they
will
be stifled,” he growled.

“Why? Why should they? These people are crying for help, for justice.”

“They are nothing but the very metaphor of spoilt children. Sector 8 is well-known for being the most generous of all the sectors in New America.”

“
And when has generosity begun equating to fairness? Even a sadist serial murderer is generous to his victim by allowing her to choose her death. But that does not mean he is being just in taking away an innocent life.”

He took an angry stride towards her and grabbed her by the shoulders roughly.
“Stop! Stop it now! Do you even realize by uttering such opinions you are bordering treason?!”

She shook his hands away. “Don’t
you dare lay one hand on me!” she warned, pointing an angry finger at him. “And treason? It is not I who is committing treason. It is you and Dad and everyone of you out there who do not bother to bring justice to the people of Central!”

“We are being fair, Ellie!”

“No, you’re not. Fairness is not an attitude you carry proudly. It is a skill that’s meant to be executed and exercised in order for it to manifest. Unfortunately, neither of you so-called political professionals have any idea of what that means.”

“Fairness
also does not mean dishing out an equal share to every man, woman and child. It means ensuring people are given their rights and freedom in accordance to their needs. The people in Central don’t get the share we get in the economy but they do get what they need in order to be happy. If you give a child the same quantity of food that an adult consumes, you’re going to kill it. We have got to be reasonable, Ellie.”

Ellie let the tear she had been holding back, fall from her eyes. As it dripped down to her lips, she could taste its saltiness along with the resentment she was beginning to feel for the man standing
across her. How could she have deluded herself into marrying him?

She closed her eyes at the burning thought of sharing her life with him. “A thousand years ago,
ancient North Korea was one of those few nations infamous for denying basic human rights to its people. Radio and television sets were preset to receive only government frequencies. The people and the media were disciplined for speaking against the government. Freedom of expression was curtailed. The people suffered from the onslaught of the regime’s man-made famine. But instead of accepting humanitarian aid, the regime blocked all support and diverted its resources to the military. When then, did the entire world turn into one big North Korea? When had New America adopted hereditary succession of governance? Aren’t our two child policies no different from
their
forced abortions? Why can’t a woman have more than two children from the same man? And since when have death penalties without judicial due process become acceptable? A rose by any other name would smell as sweet. Criminal injustice cloaked by any other term would as much stink.”

Edmund unbuttoned
his shirt buttons that were suddenly strangling his neck. “Your argument is baseless and makes no sense. We are not anywhere close to the ancient single-party totalitarian dictatorship of North Korea. Our people are happy and satisfied except of course for the few who love to stir trouble for the heck of it. It’s not like we can avoid them totally. These small rebellions are bound to occur occasionally. I don’t understand why you’re making a big deal out of this. We’ve always feared that your contact with the lower classes in Central would turn you against us. And it seems they’ve already worked their way into you.”

“I am
not
an uneducated gullible fool only because I carry an opinion not in par with you!” she screamed.

“Ellie, I have more serious matters to attend to right now. I’m going to let you cool off and pretend this conversation never happened.
And try to do your best to limit your contact with those people in Central, if you must visit them? I can consider it as your hobby, only if you will. But if you speak to me about them just as you had done now, I would have to take measures to curtail your visits to Central.”

And with those words, he turned and left her nailed to her spot in utter speechlessness.

*****

Jared watched her in silence, his eagle
vision zoomed onto her face, his tapetum lucidum glowing and pervading through the darkness.

He
didn’t know how long he had stood on the edges of the woods, watching her and her loose strands fluttering about her face in the night breeze. Her eyes were drooped and in deep thought. He wished she would raise them so he could get a better view of them.

Each night he had stood at the circumference of the woods so he could get a glimpse of her. And each night she had not disappointed him, coming out onto the balcony to stare into the night, her face awash with her worries.

What are you thinking?
he would imagine asking her as he would run his fingers over the contours of her face. He would stroke her lips lightly with his finger tips and then taste them even more lightly with his own. He longed to explore her mouth like he had done at the house in the forest. To hear her moan, to feel her fall into his arms as he would carry her to their bed to make love to her.

He had stood there
in a hypnotic state, staring at her. Until Edmund walked out into the balcony. She had turned towards him, breaking his trance.

He stepped back into the thickness of the forest and made his way towards
the old abandoned station.

The boys would have been back by now, celebrating their success on their first mission. Their hooded costumes
which James had arranged for them had perfectly disguised their identities. He had even ensured that Jared’s was customized to suit his abilities.

He whistled at Wolf and the husky delightfully sprinted beside him.
The raid of the Sector Dinner was simply an egotistical maneuver to announce to the nation that they were the emerging resistance. It was the fastest way he could devise to spread the message to the Capitol and through the country. Perhaps, in the wake of the rumor, other resisting groups would be encouraged to formulate in other sectors to finally unite with their own, giving them more collective strength.

As he
walked through the tunnels of the old railway station, nearing Platform 2, he could hear their laughter reverberate against the ancient brick walls. He smiled, the success of their mission seeming all too surreal.

“Here he is!” one noticed him emerge out of the dark tunnel and into the light of the platform.

The men cheered as they raced over to lift him up onto their shoulders, drinking to their success. He laughed while one of them poured him a drink.

“To the man who made it possible!” shouted Frank Townsend, triggering a round of cheers from each of the men.

Finally, rested and calmed down, he asked, “Were you able to deliver the food to the playground in Central?”

“Yep,” Eric nodded, giggling at the memory of it. “We parked the limousine in the dead center of it, switched on its lights to full beam,
opened its doors and its trunk for the world to see…”

“And jammed its horn so it wouldn’t stop blaring,” Frank chuckled.

“We escaped into the distance, staying only to watch the Philips, the Joneses and everyone else creep curiously up to it, wondering what the fuss was all about,” said another.

“You should have seen them stare at the food,” Fra
nk reported excitedly. “Wasn’t it a good whole minute before they began diving into it?”

“They would have been wiped clean before the sentinels would discover the limousine and the empty dishes,” Eric grinned. “All in all, a worthwhile mission.
To see those happy faces, the children playing in the vehicle.”

“Yep,” Frank nodded. “What was one of them recipes called?
The one with the prawns?”

“Shrimp
verde,” one man quipped, mimicking the chef’s pronunciation to perfection, drawing in more laughter from the others.

“Whatever it was called, it tasted as good in my mouth,” Frank grinned.

Jared leant back into his chair, listening to them quietly. His eyes rested on James seated at the other end of the long table and smiled. The older man nodded, sipping at his drink quietly. Like him, he must have succumbed deep into his thoughts, knowing that it was too late to turn back now.

*****

He sped out of the woods and up to the house. “Come on, Wolf!” he panted. “We need to catch Tara before she leaves the house.”

He bounced in through the back
door, bumping into Fern and Mae as he passed through the kitchen.

“Where’s your mother, Fern?” he shouted.

“In the living room; about to leave for the Callums,” Fern stared after him.

Jared didn’t stay to ask why they were raiding through the refrigerator.
He caught her as she was leaving the foyer.

“Tara!” he shouted. “I told you to wait for me!”

She frowned at him. “Yes, but you were late. And I don’t like being late on account of someone else.”

“Tara, you need to stop Ellie from visiting Central today.”

She frowned.

“There’s going to
be a protest march through the center,” he explained before she could ask. “The Central Monologues are launching another protest to raise the minimum wage level and improve working conditions in factories.”

Tara paled. “What’s that got to do with us?” she asked despite herself.

“You know exactly what’s that got to do with you,” he grumbled. “Governor Callum has declared that any further protests, especially from the Central Monologues are going to be stamped with brutal force if needed. They are already keeping an eye out for the Woodsmen. And we intend to be there protecting the Central Monologues, should they decide to go that way. Tara, I can’t afford to have you and Ellie caught in the middle of it.”

“I’ll see what I can do. But you do know how stubborn Ellie can get. And it’s not like
I can tell her how I found out about the protest.”

He combed his hair in frustration. “Just stay away from the main center. Use another route to get to the village and you’ll be fine. But if anything does happen, you call me, ok
ay?”