The Ten Thousand by Doug Felton

Author:Doug Felton [Felton, Doug]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-04-30T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nineteen

An hour after the shooting had stopped, Zeke returned to the tunnel. He gave instructions to one of his men who began herding the captured soldiers out. “I have other plans for you three,” he said. He looked at Raisa and Alexander. “You’re too important to put with everyone else,” and then to Penly, “and you are too powerful. So we’ve made other accommodations.”

The tunnel surfaced in a nondescript section on the grounds of Camp David, near Laurel Lodge, the main building used for meetings and meals. Despite her two years in the Palace, Raisa had never been to Camp David, but having studied its history, she’d heard plenty of stories. The New World government continued to support the presidential retreat, although they had not used it during the previous two U.S. administrations. A major scandal at the presidential getaway had tarnished its image years earlier. In a town where image was everything, Camp David was no longer a place the president wanted his or her picture taken.

Despite its past PR troubles, the retreat was beautifully maintained. The two-hundred-acre site was the right blend of natural woodlands and manicured precision. Not far from Laurel Lodge was a small cabin with the name “Linden” affixed above the front door. It looked like something Raisa would expect to see at Settler’s Cabin Park in Pittsburgh, not at a prestigious retreat. It couldn’t have had more than a few small rooms.

“Welcome home,” Zeke said. “Here are the rules; you stay inside the cabin. As you can see by its small size, we can easily guard it. A few windows and two doors don’t give you many options. If you try to leave, we will kill you.” Zeke paused, letting the drama of the statement have its effect. “Okay then,” he said with exaggerated enthusiasm, “are you ready to see your new home?”

One of Zeke’s men that Raisa recognized as Hudson Phoenix ushered her and Alexander into the cabin. It felt tiny after enjoying the Palace's grandeur, but it made up for its diminutive size with its rich decor. Definitely not the cabins Raisa stayed in when she went camping with her family. It was more like a nice cottage.

“Home sweet home,” Zeke said, “It looks cozy.”

“What will happen now?” Raisa asked.

“Now, we change the world.” He pulled two chairs away from the table and motioned to Hudson, who forced Raisa and Alexander to sit in them. Using heavy-duty zip ties, he secured their hands behind them.

Zeke stood in front of them and said, “Sorry,” before hitting Raisa in the face.

Alexander tried to launch himself at Zeke from the chair, but they secured his arms to it behind his back. “Stop, please! I’ll do whatever —” Zeke backhanded him across his cheek before he could finish.

Stepping back, Zeke looked at them, evaluating his handiwork. He hit Alexander one more time. “That should do. We don’t want to overdo it.”

Hudson gagged them both of them and then produced a small camera from a pack he wore as Zeke stepped behind Alexander and Raisa.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.