Chapter Twenty-Four: The Standoff by Tina Semanas The drive from the airport to the Lake Eve shore was breathtaking. A canopy of crystal blue was the backdrop as three soft white clouds floated across a lazy sun-soaked sky. Dr. Gladstone rested her head on the smooth black leather of the Rover as it silently traveled along the gentle curves of the scenic bends and turns of the lakeside drive. Looking out the back window she drank in this rare moment of quiet savoring the satisfaction that came with the anticipation of another conquest won. Athan was the perfect bait to lure into Dr. Gladstone's clutches the prize she coveted most, Beck Paris. Nothing is more satisfying for a powerful woman than destroying another woman who poses a direct threat to her power. Oh how delicious the moment will be when she gets to put that dainty spineless Dowager in her place! When will women realize beauty is only skin deep? But ruthless cunning and cold calculation is the true strength of a fierce woman! And then there is Drew. Dr. Gladstone smiled knowing he will be used as the sacrificial lamb to finally make Ara heel. It was time to tame this 12 year old’s defiant heart. And she knew just the way to make it happen: Have Ara kill her own brother! That would do the trick to make her heart be rooted in hate. “Driver, how much longer until we arrive?” Dr. Gladstone asked. A stoic eunuch replied, “We are only 5 minutes out. I have just gotten word that the Tergament guards we sent ahead have the situation completely under control. Athan Stone, Drew Dias, and Ara Dias are being held in custody. However, they have informed me that there also is another person who is at the site demanding to speak with you.” “Did they give a name?” “No,” the driver said, “Just that she will shoot Ara Dias if you do not come.” “What?” Dr. Gladstone sat up leaning her head up toward the front seat closer to the driver, “Put me on speaker, let me talk directly to the guard.” Dr. Gladstone said, “Who is this presumptuous jackass making demands from me? And why don’t you get this situation under control? I need to know the complete situation before I arrive!” A calm voice answered, “Dr. Gladstone, there is nothing to worry about. We do have the situation under control. Right now we are negotiating with a single, rather unhinged, middle-aged lady who is armed and demanding to speak with you directly. However, we have the upstairs room completely surrounded and one of our sniper drones is locked in position to take the woman out. We are just waiting for your word to kill her.” “Wait a second,” Dr. Gladstone said, “Who is this woman?” The voice replied, “We are not yet able to establish her identity, and she refuses to say another thing until you arrive. Do you want me to have our flying drone take her out?” Dr. Gladstone fell back in her seat and took a brief few seconds to think as she studied the widening view of a sleepy Lake Eve that was emerging in the distance. She leaned forward to speak again, “No, don’t take her out. I would like to see who this is with my own eyes. Make sure the area is secure and there are no other rogue units hiding around the perimeter of the lighthouse. We will be there in a few minutes.” Dr. Gladstone turned to the side of her seat punching the buttons on the drink dispenser. A shot of clear white vodka poured into a small glass. Thinking to herself, “I wonder who this is?” Dr. Gladstone swigged the hot liquid down and then opened the back window of the Rover. A fresh breeze of Lake Eve air poured into back seat awakening her mind, “I love a good mental duel, especially when it involves death! This day is getting better and better.” --------------------------------------------------------------------- “Hi, this is Don calling ahead, we are two miles away from The Rock House. Get a room with I.V.’s set up, we have an unconscious patient that is in critical condition. Is Jonathan there?” A familiar voice on the other end answered, “Don, this is Phen. Jonathan left last night with Thomas and Samuel delivering the first load of blockers. I still haven’t heard from them. Tell me, how did everything go for you? Were you able to help Beck? And is Athan, Ara and Drew with you?” “Phen, it didn’t go well,” Don replied, “We were able to help Beck, but our party was ambushed by an unknown group that was heavily armed. I am afraid I have no more information on where they went or who this group was. They let us leave with Beck because of her hopeless condition. I am sorry.” Phen sat stunned, “Don, you have no idea who this group was nor where they were headed?” “No, none, sorry Phen. Right now we have to get Beck stabilized and then we can try to figure that out. But if you can let the guards at the front know they need to get ready to help us transport her in.” Phen was quiet for a second, and then said, “O.k. Will do.” -------------------------------------------------------------- Large beads of sweat were rolling down the forehead of Dueanna Black. Looking at one of the guards, she walked closer to Ara pointing the barrel of her gun at her head, “Where is your stupid leader? If she doesn’t hurry she loses one of her prized possessions.” The guard holding her hand on the earpiece in her ear nodded to a voice on the other end and then said to Duenna Black, “She will be here any second now. Please back up from Ms. Dias and relax. You will have a chance to speak with Dr. Gladstone, she has granted your request. I warn you, you are really in no position to negotiate with The Sisters. If you put down your gun right now I may be able to secure for you a long happy life in a cleansing camp… Xenon drips are not a bad option. It sure beats a slow painful death. Those drops will relieve you of all your thoughts and give to you a painless 30 more years of life. All you have to do is drop the weapon.” Duenna Black replied, “Shut up! I will not negotiate with you. I will pull this trigger if you push me any farther. Ara’s life is an even trade for a moment with Gladstone! That is worth more to me than 30 years of a mindless existence. The Sisters and their stupid society is bankrupt. And I don’t want any part of it!” The guard’s earpiece clicked on again. Looking out the window she saw a line of three huge armor plated black Rovers pull into the parking lot outside the lighthouse. And stepping out of the middle Rover was Dr. Gladstone herself. Impeccably dressed in a black pant suit with a gray scarf around her neck. The guard turned back to Duenna Black with a mocking expression, “Well, she is here! Are you sure you are ready for this?” ------------------------------------------------------- Don, Nias and Beck pulled up to a wooded pathway leading to The Rock House. Meeting them there at the bottom was Phen and a four large men. “Don,” asked a tall bearded man, “are you sure you were not followed?” “I’m positive. We traveled back roads all the way here and not one sign of NWP patrols, or flying drones at all. I don’t think we were wanted?” Don said. “Come here,” Pointing to an unconscious Beck in the backseat of the Rover, “Pick her up slowly, her pelvis and right leg is crushed. Nika should have a room ready. Bring her to the bed and I will be there shortly.” The four men took her gently from the vehicle to a flat-board carrying her up the path and through the sandstone archway of The Rock House. Phen whispered to Don, “Tell me, do you think Ara, Drew and Athan will be O.k?” Don hesitated and said, “Phen, I don’t know? I really don’t know?” Looking at Nias, Don said, “Did you recognize who those men were that jumped us at the barn?” “No, they were not from The Doyenne Council. They said something about a Madylyn and that is about all? I will bet they are trained soldiers for hire that are available on the black market.” Phen reached out his hand to Nias, “I am Phen Dias, who are you?” “My name is Nias. Did you say Dias? I have been assigned to watch over Ara Dias, the newest Sister on the Council. Are you related to her? And if so, I am sorry she was taken when we were ambushed. If you have some way to get to outside communication lines, I should be able to covertly hack into the State’s surveillance program, and I would then be able to track her down.” “Yes, Nias, Ara is my daughter. Welcome. And Don, do you think he would be able to use our computers?” Don nodded and then led them both up the path. Once Don arrived in the Beck’s room he saw that Nika was already checking on her vitals. “She seems to be stable.” NIka said, “Let me take a quick blood sample and then I will see what she needs as far as pain meds go.” “Thanks Nika.” Don replied. Phen mumbling to Nias said, “Watch out for her, she likes blood.” ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dr. Gladstone waved her escort guards away saying, “I can handle this situation myself.” Walking toward the small entryway of the lighthouse, Dr. Gladstone ducked her head and began heading up the old wooden winding steps of the 200 year old structure. The musty smell of the old stairway reminded her of the old decaying world that The Sisters left to die. Her years of work on the Doyenne Council changed society for the better. Gone were the moldy old models that held progress back like traditional marriage, the nuclear family, birth gender identification and all the repressive patriarchal structures in business and education. She was proud of the new world she help construct. She knew that true freedom always came at the price of freedom. And the only way to bring communal peace was to institute communal violence. Feminism was just a convenient cover to secure maximum power. Her power. Taking the last step to the top floor of the lighthouse, Dr. Gladstone once again was excited - like countless hundreds of other times - to flex her mental muscle and show her power. Stepping throught the threshold of the top floor, she was pleasantly suprised because it was Duenna Black! “I can’t believe it! You are the one who has taken my prisoners captive? I am impressed. Duenna Black!” Dr. Gladstone said smiling wide at the Duenna. “So my dear, what do you want? If you want to kill Ara, go right ahead? No one is stopping you?” Duenna Black grew furious, “I hate you!” Drawing closer to Ara, she tensed up on the gun ready to squeeze. Eyes were swollen with anger and tears. Dr. Gladstone noticed a red rage was rising in the countenance of her face. “Well, that’s it Duenna? Is that all you have to say?” Dr. Gladstone laughed as she crossed her arms, “Go ahead, kill her, I don’t need Ara. I just like making feminist ideologues like you furious. It was so enjoyable to tell you that you were not being considered for the council! I wish you could have saw your pitiful, repulsive face! Wow, you can’t hide your feelings at all. Even now, I know you would never pull the trigger on Ara. You and your feminist bravado...you can't even hurt a fly.” Duenna Black slumped down dropping the weapon under a torrent of sobs. Dr. Gladstone continued, “See, an empty shell full of empty rhetoric. That is the way most of you Duennas are, spineless jellyfish. You like to teach ideas, promote the idea of the heroic female to your young gullible charges, but you don’t have the courage to live as you teach. Living life through books and classes...the way of the silly social justice warrior... so weak and oh so empty. Tell me Duenna, what are you going to do now that you have been exposed for the fraud that you are? Huh, tell me?” Duenna Black dropped to her knees, with her head down not able to face the mocking eyes of Dr. Gladstone. “Speechless, huh? What a waste of human life...maybe it would be best to end it.” Dr. Gladstone bent over to grab the weapon on the ground. Picking it up pointing it toward Duenna Black’s bowed head, she took a moment and looked at Ara, “This my dear is how you lead as a Sister…” Just then Duenna Black uncoiled from her kneeling position, she jumped at a stunned Dr. Gladstone knocking her down the four flights of the spiral stairway of the lighthouse. The sound of cracking bones and skulls echoed up the tight walls of the enclosed staircase and the two bodies of the women crashed down to the bottom. Two of the Tergament guards ran to see the damage, and there at the base of the staircase lie two twisted and broken bodies. A pool of red was forming under the head of a cold Dr. Gladstone. Lying a few steps above was Duenna Black, also lying still and cold, with a twisted smile of satisfaction remained stiff on her face. ------------------------------------------------------------------ “Where am I?” Beck Paris blinked her two heavy eyes open looking around a small stone room. “Hello, is there anyone here?” A short intense Asian woman came bounding in Beck’s room. Looking utterly surprised she motioned for Beck to lie slowly back down. Checking the monitors by her bedside the lady said, “How long have you been awake?” “I don’t know. I just now opened my eyes...where am I?” Beck said softly. “My name is Nika, one of our resident medics. Let me get Don for you and he will explain everything.” A short kind looking man came into Beck’s room and pulled out a chair setting it next to her bed to talk. “You are being taking care of by friend’s of your husband Athan. You have been in critical condition for the last few days. You should not be awake right now. How do you feel?” Beck said, “I feel fine. I need to see Athan. Can you get him for me?” “Wait a second…” Don softly padded her arm, “we are still waiting to hear from him. But don’t worry, you are safe, you need to rest. Please rest.” “O.k. but when you hear from him, will you let me know?” Beck said. “Yes, of course.” ------------------------------------------------------------ “Is this Octavia Hulambu? Dr. Gladstone is dead. We need you to implement replacement protocol immediately.” The driver of Dr. Gladstone’s Rover said over the live speakerphone. A sullen looking Octavia Hulambu on the other end replied, “I understand.” Pushing the off button, Octavia looked around to see if she was being watched, and when she knew she was alone she lifted her arms in victory and cried aloud, “We have overcome!”
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