-1-

“Well, shit when the fuck did he even learn to drive ?,” Aunt Minnie says when we tell her that Haley stole Luce’s car to likely kill the attorney general.

“I  taught him,” Luce grumbles. He’d been slowly pacing around the living room all morning. 

“Well…you know we can’t try and stop him,” Aunt Minnie says. “It’s too risky and he’s probably already been caught by Justice by now. Rayne always told him to be careful about Maxwell….I’m sorry Luce.”

“Why are you apologizing to me ?,” Luce snaps folding his arms. “I’m just telling you what happened.”

Aunt Minnie crosses her arms too and then turns her attention to Rias, who was sitting on a stool near the kitchen counter in a tawny pants and a maroon jacket.

“You need change, Ri. I swear your mother was born with no fashion sense. I told her to order a navy suit. Maybe we can find a red tie upstairs…After all it’s Federation Day!” Aunt Minnie trills the last part in a fake cheery voice, gesturing dramatically to herself.

She was completely decked out in Federation Day colors; a dark blue and white stripped wrap dress, red jacket and white scarf. She hated the colors and told me on more than one occasional that Federation Day was bullshit but being pro-Federation was a necessity for keeping the Mojave Blade Company, the Shy Cartel's public facing cover, on the right side of the politicians.

Aunt Minnie heads upstairs and Rias follows silently after her. I follow behind them. Once we all get to the top of the steps I think I hear Luce hit a wall downstairs.

“I think Haley is in a really bad place,” I tell Aunt Minnie as she goes through Rias’ closet. “It’s Federation Day…you have to let Luce try  and go after him.”

Haley was sweet but also so haunted sometimes, especially around Federation Day.

“Rayne always told Haley not to take the hit. He told him to wait until the time was right. The Shy Cartel can’t start being associated with a sloppy assassination. We can’t make  enemies. Haley knew that.” Aunt Minnie says.

Aunt Minnie holds out a dark blue suit,  bowtie and burgundy waistcoat out to Rias.

“I think we should go and get him,” Rias says taking the outfit. “The Attorney General’s float is always one of the last. He probably hasn’t started the parade route. We can stop the assassination before it happens. Save both Haley and the Attorney General”

“We don’t do rescue missions,” Aunt Minnie reminds him putting a hand on his shoulder. “We don’t save people unless we’re paid to. Finding him and stopping him will only cause a scene. Haley isn’t a kid, he knows what he’s doing is a suicide mission.”

“Don’t I get to decide what we do  now? Isn’t my word final ?,” Rias says turning to Aunt Minnie.

She goes silent and arches one perfect eyebrows.

He would have never spoken to her like that when Rayne was alive. As Rayne got sicker he'd gotten harsher with Rias, punishing and lecturing him for every small indiscretion or social faux pas. Rias must think about this too because he opens his mouth to backpedal, but Aunt Minnie speaks first.

“You don’t know the details,” Aunt Minnie sighs.  “We need to keep cartel business and personal vendettas separate. Now, go change we’re running late.”

Once Aunt Minnie and Rias leave to start their day I suddenly don’t feel like eating breakfast anymore. I make more coffee and go up to Luce’s bedroom. He’s sitting on his bed, his back against the headboard, staring at the large wall projection on mute.

He was watching the Federation Day parade.

Waiting for the assassination.

I climb into the bed and sit next to him and at first he looks annoyed but he doesn’t say anything. I offer him one of the coffee mugs and he takes it. I never know how to interpret my oldest brother, it seemed like silence was always the best bet.

I wasn’t sure what we were looking for. If the parade goes normal than it means  Haley  either got caught or he hadn’t done it. If the parade didn’t go as normal than that meant…well it meant what it meant.

It’s weird watching a parade like this; somber and quiet. The Federation Day Parade was always about fun spectacles and illusions.

We sit for the entire two hours of the parade, stony faced and silent until the Attorney General’s float comes by. He is on a float made made to look like the United Auxiliary Forces's Arc of Stars. He's with ohis husband, Major Prescott, who literally every girl in my class had a crush on--especially when he was in his United Auxiliary Forces uniform. The couple are smiling and slightly dancing to the music coming off the float.

They Attorney General and Prescott each have a child in their hands. Their youngest is a toddler and the Attorney General raises the little boy’s arms so he’s waving at the crowd.  He laughs and maybe it’s all staged but the Attorney General looks at his son like he’s the most precious thing in the world.

“Do you think Haley would--” I choke, looking at the toddler and his older sister in Major Prescott’s arms.

“Yeah,” Luce says without missing a beat

I stare at the screen, bracing myself for the sound of a gunshot or for  someone to fall or a squad of Justice Officers to come barreling into the street. Haley didn’t have a long distance rifle, he was going to make sure the Attorney General saw who did this. But the float passes and within the next 20 minutes the parade ends like normal.

I turn to Luce and he wipes at his eyes before hurling his mug at the wall.  It shatters, dripping dark coffee down the wall. He stares at the mess before standing up and opening his personal armory drawer.

He runs his hands over his weapons and finally picks up three handguns;two go into the holster on his shoulder, the third goes into his ankle. Then he picks up his long distance sniper kit.

“Where the hell are you going ?,” I ask, doubtful he’ll answer.

“He didn’t succeed. That means Justice caught him.” Luce says, putting the strap of the sniper kit over his back. “I can’t let them take him to prison again.”

“But Aunt Minnow said the cartel shouldn't kill anyone working for the Federation--”

“I’m not aiming for anyone working for the Federation.”

“Then who-” I say but  then I know. “Haley ? You can’t kill Haley--”

“Shut up, Twyla,” Luce snaps. “You don’t know how shit works, okay ? I barely know how shit works, but the world is really fucked up and people treat other people like shit sometimes. He doesn’t want to ever be locked up again. I promised him I’d do this if he ever got caught by that man again…I’m keeping that promise.”

Luce calls the car  service and walks out without another word and I’m alone. Shaken.

This was the curse of knowing things.

I wander around the empty loft, I want to go downstairs to Aunt Ivy’s apartment and find Mother but she’d just agree with Aunt Minnie. They were always on the same wave length

I jump when the LED lights  in the house flash bright orange with a message. I quickly dismiss them, too lost in my own thoughts to hear whatever message was being left,  but the lights flash again. I turn to dismiss them and they come back on again so I finally connect.

“Message From The Justice Commission,” a pre-recorded voice announces through the speakers.

My heads snaps up and I gesture for it to continue.

“Good Morning Resident. Happy Federation Day. A green Vulcan SX with the license plate S-Y-B-0-R-G has been illegally parked on Seville Avenue. This street is closed for special event parking. The vehicle will be impounded in 30 minutes.”

The message repeats and I’m about to call to Luce to tell him where Haley left his car is when I realize how off it sounds.

Seville Avenue was in the Financial District of the Sprawl on a street with nothing but hotels. It was nowhere near Fort Perch where the parade route started and there were no train stations nearby. It made no sense for Haley to steal Luce’s car just to leave it in the  Sprawl and then take a 40 minute trip to Ft. Perch.

Unless

I sit up with realization, looking around for someone to tell.

Haley hadn’t been  going to the parade at all, we'd just assumed that's where he'd go.

I pull up the copy of Rias’ schedule that they only let me access because it only showed  his legitimate MBC meeting.  I click over to today and there it was.

The MBC Federation Day Family Brunch was being held at the Polaris Hotel on Seville Avenue.

The keynote speaker was Major Lansing Prescott.

 Haley was technically an MBC employee, anyone who was paid by the cartel was, he’d have no trouble getting access to the brunch. He could get in the meet and greet line and easily take the hit.

I try and call Luce but he’s gone silent, like he always does when he’s about to make a hit and doesn’t want to be traced.

I quickly bring up the program for the brunch, Major Prescott was the keynote but he wouldn’t be speaking until noon, I had an hour to do something.

I bolt up, adrenaline making me feel wide awake as  I throw on the first nice dress I get my hands on with a pair of rhinestone sandals and head for the train.

Halfway to the station I consider  turning around to get Mother but she’d only stop me.

Downtown, the Annual Federation Day Street Fair was in full swing up and down Seville Avenue, the roads are closed and  packed with people celebrating, shopping and laughing. I didn’t understand what was going on in Haley’s head, even if he successfully had made the hit he’d never be able to navigate the Vulcan away from the hotel with all the road closures.

I weave through the crowds of street fair revelers and to the Polaris Hotel, the outside of the hotel is a work of art itself, a hexagram made up of glass and thick black bars; it had been  built to mimic the style of  Parisian museum that was destroyed in the first Serial Wars.

Even though the MBC Federation Day Family  Brunch was supposed to be a clean  event and separate from the cartel business Aunt Minnie always bought out the entire hotel to maintain privacy. A few of Rayne’s former guards were trying to look casual sitting in the lobby but they were clearly checking out who was coming into the hotel.

I wave at them and slip into the breakfast ballroom, it’s still the cocktail hour and trays of sparkling bellinis and bright mimosas go by. I hardly recognize some of the factory workers mingling in the ballroom, they were all dressed up and with their families.

I look around the room but I don’t see the Attorney General or Haley.  I immediately spot  Rias and Aunt Minnie talking to a couple and I catch Rias’s eye. He stares at me for a second and then goes back to the conversation as if it wasn’t odd I was here.

Haley didn’t take the hit at the parade. He’s doing it here. He is here somewhere. I message him.

Rias reads the message subtly, never breaking from whatever story he is telling the couple. He turns away to cough and I see him quickly write and send a message. My Syndicate pings when it comes in.

Haven’t seen him, check the coat check room, It’s near the suite we booked as a green room."

I nod and as I sprint out the door I collide with Luce’s chest.

“You’re here,” I say as we walk out into the deserted hallway.

“I heard your message,” Luce says. “I’m here. You need to go home now.” 

“Let me help.” 

I never said things like that, but I was already here and I’d been the one to figure out what was happening.

And Luce seemed off his game.

“No--,”

“I’ll just help look, then I’ll go. Rias said to check the coat closet.”

Luce sighs but he doesn’t argue.

We go into the coat closet and after Luce scares away the attendant we discover it’s empty. We check between every coat and small space to see if he is hiding inside but there is no sign of Haley.

Frustrated Luce pulls up a blueprint of the hotel to look for any small hiding space we were missing. Luce kept all kinds of blueprints in his head, it was one of the reasons he always got away on his hits. 

“The Sanctuary,” Luce sighs pointing to a small section on the blueprint. ”This place still has a sanctuary.”

“Really ?,” I say surprised.

 For all the good the Federation supposedly did they’d stamped out a lot of religious thought in favor of scientific curiosity. Especially in public spaces.

We find the sanctuary hidden behind a side door marked with a saltire cross on the second story landing. The sanctuary is tiny, it looks like a small chapel inside with faux stained glass windows, 4 short pews and a small altar with candles.

Haley is alone, kneeling in front of the altar, he’s barefoot and his hair is pulled into a ponytail at the top of his head with a piece of silk black  ribbon. He shudders slightly when he hears the door open but he doesn’t turn to see who is standing behind him.

“Get the fuck up, Lex. This is over. Let’s go,” Luce growls.

“Luce,” I say.

I knew nothing about the New Revolution Church but I was pretty sure cursing in sanctuaries was frowned upon.

It’s silent for a beat.

“No,” Haley says softly, still not turning to look at us.

“You can’t do it like this,” Luce spits. “You won’t get away. Justice and secret service will come after you and they’ll lock you up again. This time for good.”

“I don’t care,” Haley says. He moves his head slightly forward and the ponytail sways.

“Rayne ordered you not to touch the Attorney General until the cartel was ready,” Luce tells him. “That order still stands.”

“I don’t take orders from dead men,” Haley responds quietly.

From downstairs we can hear the applause as the program begins, Rias would speak for a few moments on his father’s passing and then he would welcome Major Prescott as the keynote.

Haley stands slowly with his back still to us, he’s still for a moment, carefully unbuttoning his blue dress shirt and leaving it on the altar. The black half shirt he wears underneath was held together with thin silver chains that rested against his ribs. The ink in his skin somehow looks darker than the first time I glimpsed it a few years ago.

He loosens and steps out of his pants, revealing a gun holster slung low on his hip. I see more tattoos I’d never seen before. The word BITCH is inked artfully up the back of his right thigh, CUMSLUT on the left.

He turns to face us, with his hair back I can see a trail of roman numerals on his neck that have a fresh slash cut through them. The black shorts he was wearing underneath his pants sit low on his waist and I see the chevron, bar and stars of a Sergeant insignia  on his hip bone.

Haley walks right past us like we're statues and out of the sanctuary doors. I’m too shocked by his near nudity and all the words and symbols that were forced on his body to do anything.

I’m not sure why Luce  lets him pass us.

After a beat  Luce turns, slams open the doors of the sanctuary and goes after him. I follow.

Haley is halfway to the ballroom door when Luce grabs his arm and holds him back. Haley struggles for a moment but then he stops, turning to stare Luce down. Luce is gripping Haley’s forearm like he’s stopping him from drowning. It’s the most I’ve ever seen them touch.

We can hear the raucous applause and possibly even catcalls for what must be Major Prescott’s entrance coming from the ballroom.

“Him or me,” Luce says, his voice cracking.

Haley takes a careful step towards Luce and looks from where Luce’s hand wrapped around his forearm and  up to Luce’s eyes.

"Let g-"

“If you,” Luce swallows. “If you go in there and kill him… you lose me,”

Haley’s eyes narrow and he tries to pull his arm away from Luce, but Luce tightens the grip.

“I get what he did to you was fucked up. I do.  And he’ll pay, just like we always talked about. One day I swear to you…But if you go in there now and kill him like this  Justice will make sure you fry and MBC will be shut down forever...And if you miss him…if you miss they’ll still lock you up for the rest of your life. Either way I’ll never see you again…either way I lose you and I don’t want that yet...I'm sorry, I'm  not letting you go in there.”

I’m standing behind Luce so I can’t see his face but I wonder if he was crying.

Haley takes a few steps towards Luce, stands on his toes and presses his lips gently to Luce’s.

"I'm sorry, Luce," Haley says before kissing him again, this time touching his hand to the back of Luce's neck and turning his cybernetics off.

Luce's body goes rigid as his cybernetic system shuts down his body. His limbs go loose and Haley catches the back of his head and lowers Luce's unconscious body gently to the ground before giving me a nervous look and disappearing into the ballroom.

I quickly kneel next to Luce and activate his quick restart, he sits up moments later and he curses when he realizes Haley is gone.

My ear buzzes as Luce snaps to attention and starts hacking remotely into my Syndicate. He had a program in his cybernetics that could hack and take over Syndicates and his eyes move at breakneck speed as he erases any geo-locations or communication data in my Syndicate history that would connect me to Haley.

He does the same to himself, erasing Haley from his digital imprint, deleting every photo and communication, and then he goes into the ballroom

I follow after. I’m surprised Luce doesn’t tell me to go home. It maybe wasn’t smart for either of us to be in here but I think we both wanted to see how this ended.

-2-

Inside, the ballroom is silent, the first thing I notice are the event photographers in the back are cowering behind a table while also still trying to get shots in.  Major Prescott is trying to remain calm behind the podium, his gaze is shifted to the table to his immediate right where his family is seated. 

Haley is standing in front of that table, his gun not pointed at the Attorney General or at Major Prescott.

It’s pointed at their two-year-old son, who is sitting in the Attorney General’s lap and doesn’t seem as afraid as he should be. The little boy’s eyes are roaming Haley’s body and I think it’s a good thing he probably can’t read what's tattooed there.

The Attorney General has one arm protectively around his son, and the other arm he has held up towards his protective service, stopping them from intervening and shooting Haley.

“Do you have something you wish to say to me ?,” The Attorney General says in a calm, flat voice.

Haley just stands still, the barrel aimed right between the toddler’s eyes.

“Max--,” Major Prescott snaps at his husband from the podium.

“It’s all right.” The Attorney General says calmly.

The Attorney General adjusts the toddler on his lap, bringing him closer, the boy wraps his arms around his father’s  broad chest and The Attorney General strokes his son’s back to comfort him as he starts whimpering.

I start to wonder if they have family  drills for this sort of thing. I knew from the moment I could walk my parents and Luce always made sure Rias and I knew where to hide and who to go to if shit went down.

“Now, Haley--,” the Attorney General starts.

That seems to make Haley snap. He turns sharply, changing targets. He aims the barrel of the gun to the Attorney General’s 5-year-old daughter who was crying, sitting in a chair by herself across the table from her father.

And pulls the trigger.

The moment the trigger is pulled Haley is tackled by the protective service. His bullet misses the little girl and the gun flies out of his hand in the scuffle. The gun slides across the ballroom to my feet. I pick it up on instinct. My Dad had always told me to never leave a weapon unattended or it could be used on me.

No one stops me from picking up the gun because I probably look like a factory worker's  daughter in her best dress just trying to help, Not a girl with assassins for parents whose cartel associations ran deep. Not a girl who’d been taught how to take a good shot if she had to.

I look up to see two more protective service members rushing in to take the crying kids away, leaving the Attorney General open.  I could take the shot right now for Haley. I could put together what the words on his body meant. I could make this all worth it. It wasn’t like this man didn’t deserve it.

My Syndicate pings loudly with message after message coming in from Luce, Rias and Aunt Minnie telling me not to do it. To drop the gun. To play dumb. To give the gun to Justice and act like a scared lost little girl.

Instead I aim for the Attorney General’s chest and shoot.

I misjudge the distance. The bullet falls short and my stomach drops as the bullet hits the floor, inches from his feet.

“NO!,” Aunt Minnie screams as I’m jerked backwards and my hands are secured with cuffs.

Fully armed Justice Officers are suddenly pouring into the room, ordering everyone on the floor as I’m  dragged out. I can hear Aunt Minnie fighting with someone to get to me.

I feel like a puppet, being quickly hustled out of the ballroom by a dozen armed Justice Officers and into  an elaborate hotel suite that is buzzing with activity as people in suits and uniforms run around chaotically yelling codes into their Syndicates. I’m thrown on to a couch next to Haley, who is staring at the floor with his ankles crossed in front of him.

“Excuse me,” I say to the young Justice  officers who seemed to be assigned to watch us. “I’m 16, I need my guardian—”

“Shut up, we know you’re emancipated,” one of the Justice Officers barks over to me.

I try not to let it show that no one had ever spoken to me so bluntly before.

Technically, I was emancipated.  When Dad died, Aunt Minnie thought it would be a good idea since Justice had been cracking down on the cartel and I could pretend to be estranged from Mother and the Cartel if I needed to be.

Of course all that went out the window the minute I fucked up and pointed a gun at the attorney general 

An en suite hotel room door  flies opens and the Attorney General storms into the  room and he looks ravenous. The bustling activity in the room ceases instantaneously and every single official stands at attention as a quick chorus of  ‘sirs’ and polite nods ripple through the crowd. The Attorney General ignores them all and walks right towards the couch I shared with Haley.

The Attorney General is even taller than he looks in images, his dark eyes fleetingly brush over me as he  stalks slowly  towards Haley and takes one knee in front of him. Because I’m seated right next to Haley he’s  also inches from me and I can’t stop staring at him.  It was surreal to see him this close.

“You fucking bastard,” The Attorney General seethes quietly, his finger tip tipping Haley’s chin up to meet his gaze. “Are  you so upset because I didn’t  love you ?  Is that worth going to prison for the rest of your life ? You want to fuck with me because of some decade old delusion you have ? Fine, take your best shot. But you  had  no right to come after my family--”

Haley responds by spitting in his face.

The Attorney General  slaps him across the face leaving the  angry imprint of his hand and all his rings on Haley’s cheek. I let out a short scream, but I’m not sure any of them hear it. His staff still move cautiously around the room like they didn’t just witness him assault a citizen.

The two men stare at each other, Haley’s gaze is murderous but the Attorney General’s is surprisingly flat.

Haley suddenly lunges forward, I think he’s going to headbutt the Attorney General but instead their lips touch.  It’s a rough, aggressive, violent gesture. I  hear their teeth clank and the sharp inhalation of breath as the kiss becomes more frenzied. The Attorney General lets out deep grunt as they break apart.

He closes his eyes for a moment like he has a headache before opening them again and looking from Haley to me.

"I know that you're whore for a living." The Attorney General whispers. "If all you wanted was to be my bitch again then you'll get what you wanted. I'm going to make sure you're leashed and lying with the  dogs for the rest of your worthless life."

The Attorney General stands, running the back of his hand over his mouth.

“YOU SICK SON OF A BITCH !,” a voice shouts.

I look up to see Major Prescott coming through the same en suite door that Attorney General had and he looks pissed. He always looked so calm and stern on the streams, it was weird hearing him curse.

Major Prescott was bolting towards Haley like he was going to tackle him, The Attorney General slips his arm around the Major’s waist holding him back.

“It’s all right, Lance--” The Attorney General says softly.

“NO IT’S NOT ! YOU’RE GOING TO BURN IN HELL FOR THIS YOU WORTHLESS  PIECE OF SHIT!,” Major Prescott screams at Haley. “WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH HIM ? WHAT THE FUCK IS HIS--”

“He’s the one I told you about.” The Attorney General says. “The inmate at the RLA prison camp where I was assigned. He used to whore himself out to the officers. He always had a thing for me because I was his first--”

“This isn’t just a thing,” Major Prescott spits. “Look at those tattoos--”

“He’s severely mentally unstable--”

“No. Don’t you dare say that, Max,” Major Prescott cuts him off. “ We’re not telling that to the press. He knew what he was doing. He pointed a loaded gun at our children. He’s going to be executed for that and I’m pushing the damn button--”

“We aren't killing him. Execution does not poll well, Love. ” The Attorney General says softly.

“I don’t care. No one points a gun at our children and lives…We can spare his little girlfriend, maybe rehab her--”

“She’s not my girlfriend,” Haley says and they both go silent.

It’s the first thing he’s said. I don’t understand why he picks now to speak up but then I do.

“I don’t even know her,” Haley adds looking at me for the first time. He looks at me like he’s never seen me and for a moment I think he hasn’t.

He is trying to protect me, distancing us to get me out of this.

Every word Haley says seems to only make Major Prescott angrier.

“You don’t fucking speak to me you lying piece of shit--”

“Lance,” The Attorney General says sharply. “Let me take care of this. Stay with the kids and start working on how we’re briefing the press. Order us some  strong drinks and I’ll be back shortly.”

“Max--”

“I’ve got this,” The Attorney General smiles. “You’re no use to me like this.”

Major Prescott nods, they exchange a quick kiss before The Major leaves; giving Haley a look that could kill.

Once the en suite door is closed The Attorney General’s energy focuses on me. It’s suffocating.

“Give me and Ms. Banner the room,” he says loudly and I’m shocked he knows my name.

The staff move quickly,  Haley is jostled to another en suite door and I wonder if I’ll ever see him again.

The Attorney General drags a  chair over to sit in front of me. My eyes wander. I don’t know where to look. It feels rude to not look at him, but I also don’t want to seem too complicit. I knew he wasn’t the man he seemed.

“Ms. Banner do you know what my job is ?,” he asks.

I nod.

“You’re the attorney general. You have the executive responsibility for enforcing Federation Laws,” I say because I did know.

“Very good,” he says. “I’m also the executive leadership for The Justice Department, including our Organized Crime Unit. I believe you’ve spoken to an OCU officer before.”  

 
I pause, wondering how he knew about that.

I’d been cornered 6 years ago, a few days after  Dad died. A female agent had walked with me after school and told me she was sorry for my loss. She said it was the cartel’s fault my father died. She wanted me to turn on Mother, Rayne, Luce and Rias and the rest of the cartel in exchange for a good foster home and a big payout I could have when I turned 18.

I’d played dumb like I didn’t know anything about a cartel and they never bothered me again.

“If you help Justice dismantle the Shy Cartel for good I’m willing to drop all your charges. I’ll make sure to get you into witness protection,” The Attorney General says to me now. “You’re in a lot of trouble, young lady.  You tried to shoot me…that’s a life sentence right there. If you make this deal with me, I’ll make sure you see no jail time. Full pardon. This is an opportunity for you.”

“What about Haley ?,” I ask.

“He’s a non-negotiable. I don’t know what he told you  but I hardly think any of his delusions are reason enough for him to try and kill a child. My child. He’s going to spend the rest of his life alone in a prison cell.”

I wanted this all to be a bad nightmare. I want to go back to when my biggest problem was a calculus equation and picking out my outfit for school.

 Luce was going to lose Haley. And if I took this deal he’d lose me too.

But did I even matter ? Would Luce or anyone in my family really care if I disappeared into witness protection ?

I could  take the Attorney General’s deal, feed some false information to Justice and then I could make a run for the Castle  and live with Grandma Santoro. The Federation would lose jurisdiction in the water and Colette and Rias could come visit me, maybe even Mother, Luce and Aunt Minnie.

“You seem like a nice, smart girl,” The Attorney General cuts into my thoughts. “So was Haley once… and you see what being locked up did to him. If you don’t make this deal with me I can guarantee you will never be free again. You’ll never see your family again.”

I had to keep my mind clear, I couldn’t let his threats cloud my judgement. He didn’t know how smart I was. Not yet.

“You don’t really care about the cartel,” I tell him.

For a moment he is surprised by my answer but he readjusts his face.

“The safety of our federation is the most important--”

“Earlier. You told Major Prescott that executions don’t poll well. But why do you care about polls ? You’re in an appointed office,”

He closes his eyes and smirks at me.

“You’re running for an office,” I say and I think my eyes widen. “President ?,”

He nods his head.

“Yes, very good. And if I could end cartel violence as AG it would help me build a campaign,” he admits. “But ending the cartels is also just good for the Federation.”

He was probably right but I knew I couldn’t align with him. I start crying and I feel stupid but I know what I have to do.

“I don’t know anything about cartels.” I tell him. “I’m sorry.”

He tilts his head, narrowing his eyes at me.

“I'll pretend I didn't hear that. Let me remind you that if we take you into custody you’ll likely be put in a solitary confinement cell 23 hours a day until you get a trial…if you get a trial. It could be years. There will be a convoy here in 30 minutes to take you to the detention center. I trust that’s enough time for you to change your mind.”

 -3-

****

Thirty minutes later Haley is standing beside me— his tattoos covered by ill fitting long pants and a shirt--as our hands are secured with cuffs and we’re made to put on bullet proof vests by Justice. Bags are put over our heads as we’re guided out of the hotel room and to the waiting Justice convoy that was taking us into detention.

Even though I can’t see I recall Luce’s blueprint  of the Polaris Hotel and I know we’re being taken out through a  delivery door in the back. I can sense we have an audience, reporters maybe, watching us being marched to the waiting prison vehicles. In the distance I can hear the street fair still going on and I’m surprised it hadn’t been shut down by the assassination attempt.

Then I hear the zing of a long distance sniper rifle.

The sound is loud and near, coming from a rooftop maybe.

I close my eyes because I recognize the rifle, I know it’s Luce delivering Haley’s coup de gras.

There is a commotion among the officers walking us out and I listen for the sound of Haley’s body hitting the ground but it never comes.

Instead I hear the spray of machine gun rounds and the deep purr of a motorcycle engine.