Bridgeiro, page 25
part #4 of The Xidoran Prophecy Series
The board of generals met two days later and took a vote. The officers decided those that were opposed would go to Anthony and ask for an audience with the council. They’d voice their concerns right away, as early as the next morning. General Van der Heijden stood and left the room, showing his disgust with the lack of honor he had witnessed. He wasn’t going to wait until tomorrow. He was headed straight for Anthony’s office so that the prime minister was aware of the ambush about to take place.
General Van der Heijden walked into Anthony’s outer office and waved the secretary back to her chair. He walked through the prime minister’s doorway and firmly closed the door. He looked at Anthony and said, “When were you going to inform me that your apprentice has been chosen? A reporter told General Higgenbottom that you made the announcement to the media. Now half of the generals are furious. They believe you tricked them into an agreement that was supposed to take place in the distant future. The generals who side with General Higgenbottom plan to confront you and demand that you rescind the agreement. If you refuse, they will go directly to the Sojourners’ Council.”
Anthony leaned forward in his chair and said, “My friend, I regret that you heard the announcement through a leak in the media. But I will caution the generals that signed on to the training agreement if they try to rescind this deal the officers will all be punished by the council. The members believe this is the best way forward for Bridgeiro and they will hold all of you accountable if this falls through. Your careers may abruptly end. I would hate for that outcome to happen.
“We’ve been friends for a very long time. I think you should know that I’ll be introducing him to the Sojourners soon.”
The general stood up to leave. He saluted Anthony. Anthony stood and watched him head for the door. The prime minister said, “General.” General Van der Heijden stopped as he put his hand on the doorknob and turned to Anthony. “ I think you should know, he’s no ordinary man. He was born to be extraordinary.”
Chapter 47
General Van der Heijden cursed his colleagues in his thoughts: Those egotistical… Someone walking in the door caught his eye. He stealthily moved toward the slender figure to get a closer look. He was curious: Is that who I think it is? She was in disguise but she couldn’t disguise her beauty. Even though no one else recognized what he saw, he knew he was correct in his assessment. No other woman moved in the distinctly confident way she did. His thoughts changed once again: What’s she up to?
The general struck up a conversation with a council member that was in close proximity in the crowded hall. He observed the lady as she walked by their position. She didn’t look around. She was focused. As the woman walked into the prime minister’s office, he thought: Caught you. I ought to take you into custody, young lady.
General Van der Heijden excused himself and walked briskly to the prime minister’s office. Xander, who had been nearby, saw she had a tail. He followed, realizing the general was trouble.
The general burst through the prime minister’s office door to the waiting room. The lady was at Anthony’s secretary’s desk. He barked, “Get away from her! Secure the prime minister! Call in the code. This lady is dangerous. She’s in disguise!” The general lunged for Anjoleah, who fought back. It all happened so fast. Xander burst through the door and put a chair from the waiting room up against the door handle to keep anyone else from entering. The general and Anjoleah fought in a sparring match. Anthony’s secretary pushed a panic button, not knowing what to do. Anthony burst through the door.
The general hollered for him to get back, “An intruder is amongst us. Prime Minister, take precautions.” Right as he said that, Anjoleah punched the general in the face.
Anthony held up a hand and yelled, “Stop this instant! Hold it right there!” He punched in his personal code to keep Captain Caruzio from sending an entire company of authority agents into the debacle.
Anthony pointed to Anjoleah. “You stir up more trouble than anyone I know.”
He looked at his secretary. “Move the chair and get the general some ice.”
Anthony turned to Xander. “Get her into my office and lock yourselves in my panic room.”
“General, I assure you this is a misunderstanding. Please follow my lead when the agents come. I’ll explain when they leave.”
As Anthony was finishing his thoughts, his secretary moved the chair just in time for the agents to burst through the door. They began checking out the situation.
They began with Anthony. The prime minister assured them he was fine. “An accident occurred and you were called by mistake.”
The general looked bewildered as he turned away to the window to keep from giving away his anger about the ruse. An authority agent looked at the general, “Are you okay, General?”
General Van der Heijden was looking out the window and said, “Of course I’m okay. As you can see, everything’s fine. Finish up here. The prime minister and I have business to conduct.”
The authorities continued to look around before they decided it was just a mistake. The prime minister clearly wasn’t in danger. They conferred with each other and left.
Anthony’s secretary asked General Van der Heijden if he would like ice. He thanked her and waved her question off. He stared bullets at Anthony. “Do you mind explaining why Anjoleah and Xander are in your office?”
Anthony waved the general to follow him into his office. “Sit down.” He called for his secretary, “Call for Dimitrios.”
Anjoleah and Xander came out of the panic room. Anthony looked at the general. “Neither of you are going to like what I have to say.” He pointed to Anjoleah and Xander. “Or what they have to say, but it’s all going to come out soon anyway.” He sat down at his desk and leaned back in his chair, waiting for Dimitrios.
The general and Anjoleah growled at each other and mumbled. Neither took a seat while they waited. Both paced the room, staying well away from each other.
Finally Dimitrios arrived. When he saw Anjoleah, he pointed. “What’s she doing here?” Anthony’s secretary softly closed the door.
Dimitrios turned to Anjoleah and began demanding answers, “Someone tell me what is going on here. Right now!”
The general said, “The prime minister’s got some explaining to do. He was just about to let the naughty kitty out of the bag. Weren’t you, sir?”
Anjoleah hissed at the general. Anthony looked around the room then at them, trying to decide how he was going to explain this one. He sighed, “Anjoleah’s undercover.”
The room exploded into chaos with everyone yelling at each other. Dimitrios was red faced and yelled, “I knew it! It was that look in the beginning. It bothered me the entire time.”
He pointed in her face. “You wicked, wicked kitty! What have you been up to all these years? What huge ball of yarn have you unraveled this time? But both of you?” He moved closer to Anjoleah. “I knew you were capable of lying but you…”
He turned to the prime minister. “Anthony, why’d you do it?”
Anthony had his elbows on the desk and his fingers laced. His lips were resting on his thumbs as he explained, “I had to. The coin showed up from the prophecy. It’s the second sign. No one else in the government could know about it, no one. I didn’t have a choice. Everyone that has learned about the coin has died a gruesome death. I didn’t want the same for you, my friend. With Anjoleah’s background, she was the only one capable of taking the mission.”
The prime minister pushed back from his desk and took a deep breath. “I’m literally exhausted, people. For over a hundred years, I’ve tried everything to keep the Xidoreans at bay but they keep coming like ghosts in a twisted nightmare. We can’t stop them or track them. They are increasing in numbers every day. They show up anywhere they please. It’s upon us. Make no mistake; I can feel it out there. There’s a disturbance on this planet that’s brewing.” He pointed to the window. “A woman spotted them in the Hub the other day and nearly started a panic! We’re in over our heads and without answers there’s nothing I can do to prevent a catastrophe from occurring on this planet.
“Not only that but the universe is falling apart. The election is nearing; those that have been undecided are now taking sides. There aren’t many uncommitted votes left out there. Things could drastically change depending on the outcome of the upcoming universal election. For the first time in my reign, I’m worried.” He rubbed his forehead. “You have no idea.”
Dimitrios was furious. “So, let me get this straight. You are going to abandon ship and leave Charles to fight the battle. Is that what I’m hearing our fearless leader saying? You are going to throw him to the angry mob and walk away with a job left unfinished?”
Anthony shook his head. “No! No, I’m not walking away from this mess. I’m seeking the truth and trying to get answers the only way I know how. It’s a dangerous business for all of us. Now you’ve been implicated and dragged into this mess right along with me. Someone’s out there and they’re watching. People keep turning up dead. Leads all of a sudden get corrupted and all avenues have been dead ends. You’ve got to believe me. The warning signs of the prophecy have begun. No one knows for sure when it will happen.”
Anthony closed his eyes. “We’ve been through this before, my friends. I can’t stay forever. In the near future, Charles will take over. He has too. I’m doing everything I can to make this transition as clear as possible, to make sure he understands what is coming. It’s all I’ve been working on with him. What the council needs is a fresh perspective on the future of Bridgeiro. He’ll be ready and fully briefed when the time comes. I’ve had a full body scan to insure he has my complete repertoire of thoughts as an advisor.”
Anthony said to Anjoleah, “Go ahead and share with us all that you came here to tell me.”
Anjoleah began, “I heard from a reliable source that something catastrophic is going to happen at the elections. The plan, whatever it is, has already been put into motion. This elaborate scheme is something so diabolical that it is designed to change the entire future of the universe. Right now the universe is in an orderly state with a balance of power between the realms but if they succeed then there will be absolute chaos on a magnitude we’re not prepared to meet. A raging war will ignite between the realms for control of the entire universe. Bridgeiro may not have any choice but to be drawn into the upcoming mess by shedding light on it in order to make sure the election happens the way it was intended so their plan of devastation is thwarted.”
Anthony was furious. He banged his fist on his desk. “What is it? If I don’t know what it is how can we stop it from happening?”
Anjoleah slowly shook her head. “I don’t know.”
Anthony reprimanded, “That’s not good enough, Anjoleah! I need something substantial to go on. Give me something! I can’t take something that inconclusive and report to the council!” He threw his hands up in the air.
Sarcastically he said, “Great! We’ll all just be chasing dancing lights in the dark.”
Anthony read the look of not being amused on her face at that last remark. He mumbled, “Sorry for the cat reference, but we have nothing to go on. You’re going to have to get back out into the field and untangle this mess. You need to bring me something that we can present to the council and act on, in order to take precautionary measures.” Anthony sighed, knowing he once again made a cat and mouse reference. He put his head down and covered it with his laced hands.
When he looked up at those present, they were all staring at him. He shrugged. “You people wanted to know and now you know. I’ll be the first to admit that we obviously can’t do it alone. We’ve given it our best and yet we came up empty handed. Are you in?” The two men agreed to help.
Anthony said, “Anjoleah, go ahead and brief them. We’re all in on this together now.”
Chapter 48
Maureen was feeling well enough to leave the medical facility. She checked out and carefully made her way across the compound to the science lab. Upon entering the building, Maureen accessed the device that controlled the lighting for the hallways throughout the building. Once the entryway and halls were lit, she entered a personal passcode then searched the system for Freidolf’s location, just to make certain he was there. She put on her sunglasses and then walked to the location where it showed he was stationed.
When she found the scientist, he was discussing futuristic weaponry with his assistant, Raul. The two men looked up from the specification drawings that were scattered across the workspace. She could tell by Freidolf’s expression that she had caught him off guard.
The scientist stumbled on his words, “Maureen. Maureen, I had no idea they released you. I was coming to see you, but here you are. Have a seat.” He dismissed Raul as he wheeled himself over to where she was standing.
Maureen declined as she fidgeted with her sunglasses. She didn’t remove the glasses because the bright lights bothered her eyes. “No thank you. I think I’ll stand. I’ve been out of the operational side of things for too long. Let’s take a look at what you have, shall we?” As the scientist slowly wheeled to the table, she became impatient and said, “I need you to hurry!”
Freidolf nodded. “Whatever you desire.”
The two met at the table and looked over the plans together. After a moment, Freidolf tentatively touched her hand and said, “Are you feeling all right? You look pale.” He observed that she was sweating and her hands were shaking.
“I’m fine.” Maureen waved off the comment then rubbed her forehead and continued on with the discussion they had started. After approving the plans, she spoke softly, “I want to see them.”
Freidolf’s eyes became large and he whispered, “How did you know?”
“I can sense their presence. I know they are close. They have been calling for me.”
“I’m not certain that is a good idea just yet. Shouldn’t we wait for Non? He was very clear about his directives the last time we were all together.”
Maureen became very serious. “I’m in charge.”
“No one is disputing that. However, if something were to go wrong,” he read her thoughts and understood the message that was conveyed through her look. “Right this way, down the hall.”
“The plans we discussed, is the program moving forward according to your schedule?” Freidolf acknowledged that things were going as planned.
Raul had seen the pair leave the room where they had been discussing the drawings. He could tell something wasn’t right about Mrs. Grey. He’d heard her outburst earlier. The younger scientist was curious so he stopped working on his project of discovering what the odious substance’s chemical components were made up of and followed them from a safe distance. Freidolf accessed a secret panel. They disappeared on the other side of the door into the containment center. Since the assistant wasn’t allowed access to the center, he went back to his workstation.
Freidolf showed Maureen the demons that he had captured in the syphon-blaster. The demons in the room became angry that they were trapped. They snarled and hissed at the newcomers.
The scientist began discussing a change in the plan that he’d been working on. “As you are aware, the demons require a sacrifice.” She nodded.
He proceeded cautiously, “I want to create minliteons by exposing undeveloped scientific minds to the demons. The plan is for the specimens’ brains to become controlled by the demons. When the minliteons live through their own experiences of torture, they will become more productive. Surviving through their torment, agony and anger will make them capable of understanding and producing weapons of diabolic destruction. I have found through personal discovery that scientists should go through horrific experiences to expand their minds. When this project is underway, the rest of the demons will be transplanted into my super creations.”
Maureen secretly rejoiced that the demons would not be destroyed but instead would be given life through a blending process. “That’s brilliant. How do we go about choosing the candidates? Are you certain we can control them?”
“I’ll keep the experimentation in a controlled environment. I will make certain of the obedience factor before the finalization process occurs.”
“Make certain of it, we must have control to maintain order. They can’t be allowed to run loose causing havoc.”
“Agreed.”
Freidolf thought: “I have more work to do, developing a theory in which to make certain order and discipline can be maintained.”
Maureen gave him an idea, when she mentioned, “I’d focus on the leader.”
Freidolf took her suggestion into consideration in his thoughts. The sparks in his imagination began to fire up. He had an idea based on the research that he’d already gathered. The scientist was certain it would appeal to the demonic leader. He thought: Just another piece of the diabolical evolution of the multitudes of minliteons to come.
Chapter 49
Weeks passed and events continued at a normal pace. Anthony scheduled a conference with the press to introduce Charles to the Sojourner populace as his apprentice and candidate for his replacement. The press already knew the announcement was coming. The proclamation had been all the talk for days. Announcers were trying to guess who the apprentice was going to be. Not knowing the name of Anthony’s replacement drove them absolutely mad because they had no idea who the candidates were. Nothing at all had leaked out from the government about his identity.
Once Charles’ face and name was revealed, the news sent shockwaves through the Hub. All the public screens in the metropolis were covering the interview. Charles’ face was plastered everywhere as enormous crowds gathered to watch the interview. Everyone began forming an opinion about the next prime minister.
