Sullivan Saga 1: Sullivan's War (28 page)

Sullivan looked again at the faces of the men. “I see that this displeases some of you. Perhaps you think I’m a hypocrite. After all, aren’t I the man who went after political targets? Aren’t I the one who killed members of the government in cold blood?” Sullivan lowered his eyes and his voice. “I am. I recently told a close friend of mine—my best friend, actually—that justification is a dangerous thing. For too long, I’ve justified my actions. First as a member of Edaline’s military, then as an assassin. A year and a half ago, I was not the man you see standing before you now. I was an angry man; I was a violent man. I believed that I was doing what was required to bring freedom to Edaline. And maybe I was. But love and friendship have changed me. I now know that mercy and compassion are greater weapons than anything Edaline’s military will be able to throw at us. And it will be mercy and compassion that will win over the hearts and minds of those Edalinians who may not yet be in support of our cause.

“Do not give them—do not give the government—any reason to malign us. Let them all know that we are on the side of right. We are on the side of Edaline.”

Sullivan looked around the room once more. One of the men started clapping, then another. Within seconds, the cargo bay of the ship was echoing with enthusiastic applause. Sullivan put up his hand, and the applause died down.

“Please. I don’t deserve that. If you want to honor anyone, honor those who have come before us, those who have already given their lives for the cause. Before long, some of you will be joining them. But your deaths, should they come, will not be in vain. So honor yourselves, too. You are about to change the course of Edaline’s history.”

II:
REBELLION

6

GENERAL THOMAS GEARY slammed his fists down on the table, causing the three-dimensional image of Agrona in front of him to flicker and vibrate. “This is unacceptable!”

Colonel James Miller cleared his throat. “Our men ended the protest as quickly as they could, sir. But we can’t simply go in and kill these people, not so publicly. We have to handle these matters… delicately.”

Geary shook his head. “I suppose you’ll tell me that we have their identities, that we’ll deal with the leaders of this protest quietly, take them out covertly.”

“Exactly, sir. It’s what’s worked so far.”

“Colonel, it obviously
hasn’t
worked if these protests keep getting larger!”

“By handling the main dissenters quietly, we keep from creating a public spectacle, from creating martyrs.”

“I’ve read the propaganda,” said Geary, lowering his voice. “We aren’t fooling anyone. They know that we’re behind the disappearances of the rebellion’s leaders.”

Colonel Miller lowered his voice to match Geary’s pitch. “You said yourself, not a week ago, that it was better to handle the Faris rebellion remotely, away from Edaline, for the very same reason. When these people see what we’re doing with their own eyes, it’s an entirely different thing than hearing rumors and suppositions.”

Geary studied the map in front of him. “I did say that, didn’t I? Well, I’m not so stubborn to admit when I’m wrong, Colonel. What
these people
need is blood and carnage. What
these people
need is to see that their rightful leaders are not afraid of them, that we are not going to bow down to pressure from an unsatisfied few!”

“They are unsatisfied, sir, but they are not few. Our estimates indicate that a full thirty percent of the population sympathizes with the goals of the rebellion.”

“But that leaves seventy percent on our side.”

Miller raised an eyebrow. “For now, sir. How many will abandon us if we begin openly murdering civilians in the streets? During the first rebellion, nearly half of Edaline’s citizenry rose up against their government, against their military. If these protests turn violent, I think we can expect that again. At the very least.”

Geary took a deep breath. “Colonel, we’ll continue doing it your way for now. But the second a protester throws a rock or a bottle at one of our men, I’ll order that this rebellion be put down before it begins.”

Colonel Miller nodded his head. “I understand, sir.”

Geary stood up from the table. “Excuse me, Colonel. I have other business to attend to.”

Colonel Miller stood and saluted as Geary departed the command center at the heart of Fort Hendricks.

Geary stepped out into the hot, humid air and made his way across the base, past the barracks and to the base’s prison near the northern wall of the complex. He was ushered through the facility’s main gate and, after a whispered order to the guard, into one of the cell blocks. He was taken into an elevator that traveled down three stories and let out into a corridor that smelled of cleaning fluid. He was met here by another guard who led him to one of the steel doors that lined the hallway. The guard took out a set of keys, unlocked the door and pushed it open. He scanned the interior of the cell before letting Geary in.

“Thank you, soldier,” said Geary, stepping inside.

The cell resembled a hospital room more than a prison. Blindingly white walls surrounded a white tile floor. A white porcelain toilet sat next to a white sink in one corner, while a bed with white sheets occupied another. Above, brilliant fluorescent lighting cast a sickly pallor to the only thing in the room that wasn’t white: the hands and face of a man. He was shackled to the far wall, his chains long enough to reach the toilet, sink and bed, but not the doorway of the cell where Geary stood. His white prison uniform, a black number emblazed across its chest, showed hints that it hadn’t been washed in some time.

Geary smiled. “Mr. Townsend. Are you comfortable?”

Townsend said nothing.

“I understand you’ve refused to talk to our interrogators.”

Townsend still said nothing.

“Oh, that’s all right,” said Geary, glancing around the room. “It’s your right to remain silent, of course.” He smiled. “Wait… that assumes you are officially here. That assumes you are formally being brought up on charges. But you aren’t. You’re here for one reason and one reason only: you have information that we want. So far, you haven’t given us that information. But that is about to change.”

Geary turned to the guard. “You received my order?”

“Yes, sir.” The soldier walked briskly down the hall. From the cell, Geary heard another door open. It closed a moment later, and the footsteps resumed. The guard returned with a metal box.

“Good,” Geary said, taking the box. “Tighten the slack.”

The guard tapped on a control panel on the outside of the door, and Townsend’s shackles began retracting into the wall. Geary watched until Townsend’s arms were pulled up and flat against the wall, with only a few centimeters of slack left. “That’ll do.”

“Yes, sir,” said the guard, removing his hand from the panel.

Geary stepped into the cell and set the box on the sink basin. “Let me see,” he said, unlatching the lid and lifting it open. “Needle-nose pliers. Pins. A scalpel. A small bottle marked ‘corrosive.’ Wonder what that could be. What else? Ah, electrodes.” Finally, he removed a segmented, tube-shaped object. He turned a small crank on one end and the segments began to splay outward as an interior mechanism pushed against them. “Interesting,” said Geary, toying with the device. “Ah,” he said, as though making a realization. “I believe this is called a ‘pear.’”

Geary took up the items and placed them on the bed, one at a time. “Soldier, strip him.”

The guard came in and removed Townsend’s clothes, tearing the shirt to get it off around his shackled wrists.

“As I said, Mr. Townsend, you have information that I want. Mainly, I want names. Names of your collaborators, names of those who are high up in the rebellion.”

He picked up the scalpel, took off the protective cap and studied the edge of the blade. “However, I am willing to make a bargain.”

“What’s that?” asked Townsend, speaking for the first time. His voice was hoarse and weak.

“I am willing to settle for a single name.”

Townsend shook his head. “I’m not giving up my friends.”

Geary smiled broadly. “That’s the beautiful part, Mr. Townsend. This particular name isn’t the name of any of your friends.”

“Who, then?”

“Dean.”

“Dean?”

“Yes. Susan Dean, actually.”

“The prime minister?”

Geary nodded. “The prime minister.”

“I have nothing to say about her.”

“I think you do. I think you’re going to implicate her as a co-conspirator in the rebellion.”

“But she’s not.”

Geary sighed. “That doesn’t matter, Mr. Townsend. But if you say that she is, if you sign a document to that effect, I will not ask for any other information about your friends.”

Townsend furrowed his brow. “You want Dean out of the way so you can take control. You’re going to attempt a coup.”

“You’re an intelligent man, Mr. Townsend. And an intelligent man would take this deal.”

Geary reached into his pocket, removed a folded piece of paper and opened it to its full size. “Here’s the document, stating simply that you and your friends have been in contact with Prime Minister Dean and that she is secretly passing information to the rebellion.”

“And that’s it? You’ll let me go?”

Geary shook his head. “I can’t do
that
, Mr. Townsend. But I give you my word that we will not interrogate you further.”

Townsend licked his lips. “I have no love for the prime minister, but this….” He licked his lips again. Geary watched as the man considered all the ramifications. He could see in Townsend’s eyes that he was coming to a decision.

“All right. You give me your word you won’t interrogate me anymore? You won’t try to get more names out of me?”

Geary smiled broadly. “Absolutely, Mr. Townsend. Loosen his right arm,” Geary said, turning to the guard. The soldier returned to the door and tapped on the control panel. The chain holding Townsend’s arm slackened. “Sign here,” said Geary, taking out a pen and handing it to the prisoner.

Townsend scribbled his signature, and Geary took the pen back. “Good. Very good,” he said, looking over the document.

“It’s a shame we won’t get to use the pear after all,” he said to the guard. A pained expression crossed his features. “But who am I to deny you your fun? Do with him as you please.”

“You bastard!” spat Townsend. “You gave me your word.”

“And I’m keeping it,” said Geary, slipping the signed document back into his pocket. He turned to the guard. “You heard my promise, soldier. You’re not to ask him any further questions. Just see that he suffers for his betrayal.”

Geary strode past the guard without looking back at Townsend. As he reached the end of the corridor and pressed the elevator call button, the screaming began.

7

SUSAN DEAN STUDIED the report on her computer screen. Her poll numbers were dropping, but, despite the recent series of protests, she had managed to keep the peace. She had assured the people of Edaline that as long as she was prime minister, no violent action would be taken against the protesters.

That statement had been a gamble. Under Edaline’s constitution, the military acted independently of the government. If Geary decided to suppress the protests by force, she would be out of a job or worse. But she hoped that by simply making that statement, the military would hold back when dealing with the protesters. She hoped that Geary, for all his faults, would see the importance of showing a united front.

The small speaker on her desk buzzed to life. “General Geary is here to see you, ma’am.”

Speak of the Devil
, she thought, narrowing her eyes. “Let him in.”

She stood as the door opened and Geary, followed by two armed guards, entered her office. “What’s this, Geary?”

“Prime Minister Dean, I’m placing you under arrest.” Geary nodded to the guards, who strode forward and took her by the arms.

“You have no right!” Dean seethed, fixing Geary with her gaze.

“I’m afraid I do, ma’am.” Geary removed Townsend’s signed statement and held it in front of her face as one of the guards handcuffed her.

Dean quickly looked it over. “It’s a lie, General. Surely you can see that.”

“Perhaps. An inquest will determine that. But it leaves me no choice but to place you under arrest.”

“Have you informed the deputy prime minister?”

“I’ll see that the government is placed in good hands.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means that I’ll see to it, ma’am. Right now, your main concern should be finding a way to prove your innocence.”

He nodded to the guards again. They roughly removed Dean from the office. Geary looked around room. Turning back to the desk, he briefly scanned the files that Dean had open on her computer. A noise at the door interrupted him. Dean’s assistant stood in the doorway, clutching her purse.

“General Geary, I… I’ll be going home now.”

“No,” said Geary. “I want you to call a press conference.”

GENERAL THOMAS GEARY, commander of the Edaline military, cleared his throat and stepped up to the podium. He adopted a grave expression and looked around at the gathered reporters. “This morning, I entered the office of Prime Minister Dean and placed her under arrest. The reason for this has not yet been made public, but the arrest is warranted. Once we have all the details, we will share them with you. Let me only say that the arrest involves a potential betrayal to those who would see our planet forced into another deadly and costly civil war.

“Under normal circumstances, the deputy prime minister would be placed into power as acting prime minister. But Minister Conrad is a close political ally of Prime Minister Dean. Until we are able to clear him of any wrongdoing, I’m afraid that he cannot be trusted. In fact, until we find out how deep the betrayal runs, I’m afraid we can’t trust any of the ministers.”

Geary paused and cleared his throat again. “As of right now, I am assuming control of this government. As I speak, roadblocks are being placed on all the major highways leading to and from Agrona. We must protect the capital at all costs, and I will not allow any more potential terrorists to enter the city.