Story 1 – The Good Politician
It is my dream to give people the
same opportunities I had so that they can be as successful as I am. My family is
comprised of carpenters, electricians, plumbers, and the like who work hard and
earn an honest wage. They raised my siblings and me to be pillars of the
community who helped each other as if the entire neighborhood were our extended
family. Together, we shaped our community into one of the best in the city, no,
the state, no, the country, perhaps even the world, however, our honest and hardworking
family and friends cannot keep the city the way it is for long. We are only one
community after all.
The Progressive movement in the
country seeks to change our traditional way of life by replacing it with rules
and regulations set by the government. In addition, local businesses and private
schools would have to deal with the higher taxes, which are said to be used for
the funding of the enforcing of these rules, the enhancement of public schools,
and the repair of roads. This is nonsense. My community among many others in the
country has been able to take care of itself without any kind of government
intervention. If this wasn’t enough, they’re also teaching the next generation
that there’s no reason to work so-called lower end jobs like the ones that my
family works. Instead, they’re teaching the youth that it’s better for them to
go into college to work in dull office buildings, go into the medical field, journalism,
and high paying jobs. Now, I have no problem with some of these jobs, but no
one should be shamed out of working the job they want to just because you don’t
earn as much as others or because you need to work hard. Every honest job out
there is worthy of honor and no one who works a simple nine-to-five job is
wasting their life nor just a replaceable cog in the machine.
For these reasons, I ran for mayor
in my city then governor of my state. After which, I ran for president of the
country, and despite all my best efforts and support, I lost. I thought I had a
majority of the support from the people and won the major states, but something
happened that changed some of the major states from my side to another. Witnesses
and video evidence show me that voting machines and mailed in votes were
tampered with. I’ve tried to get the law and the higher courts involved but I’ve
been turned down every time since they think that the voting system is incorruptible.
They’re sellouts. I’ve known that the people against me had their claws in the
country, but I didn’t know that it was this bad.
What can I do now? The traditional
way of fixing this is completely cut off from me and no one, not even my most
trusted allies and lawyers, can help me. Weaker men would’ve stopped here and would
just accept their place in the world given to them by those in power. I am not
one of these men. I eat at a secluded diner while brainstorming what I should do.
I’m here since it’s the only place near my last meeting near the capital that will allow me to sit in peace without having to worry about people mocking me or trying to attack me for my views. The only reason I can’t go home to the safety of my community is because I’d get accosted at the airport and the drive home is at least fifteen or so hours and I don’t know what other places would let me in since the states between here and home have a majority of people that voted against me. My home isn’t even that safe either since the surrounding communities protest against them for our views and are constantly trying to shut us down through lies.
“I heard that you were looking for
help, Bernard,” a man says as he approaches me.
This man appears to be a typical businessman
with his dressy appearance and fedora almost like a man from the mafia.
“Yeah, and no one seems to want to
help or they can’t. If you’re here to say that we start a revolution or mock
me, then please leave. You don’t want to start a fight with me,” I say.
“I don’t want to fight with you and
my solution for you isn’t a revolution. My friends and I are supporters of
yours to help you get those major votes you needed, but our mutual enemies prevented
your due victory.”
“So, what can you and your friends
give me that I can’t get on my own?”
“We can give you the power and
influence you need to gain your rightful seat as president of this country.”
“Really? What kind of friends do you
have on your side?”
The man snaps his fingers and
people from the diner start to stand up and come to my table. Several of these
people are prominent doctors, politicians, businessmen, and celebrities.
He then says, “I apologize for the
theatrics. We don’t usually do this, but we do to convince people of our influence.
Would these friends of mine be of any help?”
“Yes, they do. Who are you people?”
“We are simply known as the Wolves.
We are comprised of the best and brightest in the world that guide it to
greatness with invisible hands. Our mortal enemy since time long forgotten are
the Ravens. These Ravens are against us and rigged the election against you to
gain greater power in the country. These are also the same people that spread
lies about us, our families, and friends.”
“That’s a lot of revelations to
take in at once. What I don’t understand is why they would be against you.”
“They seek to give people more
freedoms than they should have. What I mean by this is that they allow people
to think for themselves without any guidance, without anyone telling them that
they’re doing the wrong thing. This is why you see children rising up against
their parents and getting them fired from their jobs by exposing something they
did from their past. This is why you see them hypocritically doing evil in
service of good and having a thousand and one explanations for why they’re justified
in doing in while other corrupt historical figures were wrong in committing the
same acts. They’re spoiled children who need to be taught that they can’t
decide what’s right and wrong because their university professors and favorite
political leaders approve of their ideologies.”
“I agree, but how are we going to
teach them a lesson?”
“We have our connections and
strings to pull that we’ll use against them. Join us and you’ll have the world
to use against our common enemy.”
“I see. Well, call me Fenrir
because I’m in,” I say as I hold out my hand.
“Welcome to the Wolves, Bernard. My
name is Russ. Sorry for not saying it earlier, but you know how it is when you
run an organization like ours. You are not going to regret this decision. Together,
we’ll get you your rightful seat as president so we can save this country and world
along with it.”
Over the next couple of weeks, Russ
and his friends teach me how to shoot and fight with various kinds of knives
and how to make almost anything like a chair or table as a makeshift weapon.
This combat training already tells me things may get ugly, but at this time, I
don’t mind if they do. I’ve pushed aside notions of a violent revolution in the
past. I’m pushing them anymore. In fact, I’m embracing it. These Ravens think
they can take advantage of our children and corrupt our great country, my home,
from within and mold it into what they consider to be better. They don’t even appreciate
the riches and opportunities that our country provides nor do they care to listen
to a view that doesn’t agree with theirs. While training, the media seemingly
forgets about me since I’ve disappeared from public politics. My family, on the
other hand, secretly communicates with me through secure lines, and they
thankfully understand and keep it a secret amongst themselves and don’t spread the news of my training to the rest of the community.
After my training is done, I finally
get the opportunity to work in the field. Our informants have given us the
location of one of the conspirators that denied my case to the higher courts
before it was properly inspected. Russ, a few other wolves, and I take a walk
in the capital on our way to the target. We talk to each other as if we’re going
to a simple after work dinner, but in reality, we’re on the hunt for justice. Our
talk of dinner isn’t completely untrue as the restaurant we’re going to is a
common place where the Ravens go to meet. The police are on standby for us as
backup with a few of them keeping their distance so it doesn’t look like they’re
with us. As soon as we enter the restaurant, I get all the attention.
Everyone looks at me funny and whispers
to one another while presumably talking about me. My fellow wolves look around
the restaurant. They whisper to one another before stepping outside.
A server comes to the table and
asks, “Do what do I owe the pleasure of serving someone like you, Bernard? Why
did you come out of hiding?”
“Nothing more than a special occasion
with friends-”
“You know you’re a real scumbag,
right?”
“Heh, excuse me?”
“Your policies as governor have made
poor neighborhoods poorer and if you became president, your selfishness would’ve
made even more people suffer. That whole story of you coming from a small community
that lifted each other up is nothing but lies. You came from a rich gated
neighborhood where you wanted for nothing and never worked a day in your life.”
Don’t lose your cool. I turn my
eyes to Russ for a second who looks at me and quickly shakes his head. Taking a
quick breath in and out, I let my anger at the server’s lies leave me for the
moment.
“I guess it is a good thing that I
didn’t become president. Now, can we order?”
“Do you really think I’ll take the
order of someone like you?”
“It’s your job, isn’t it?”
“Tch.”
“Anyways, I’ll have the Raven on
the Roof with a side of an Eagle in the Sky.” The server and some of the others
in the restaurant drop what they’re doing. “What? Shocked that I know the code
to your secret funhouse?”
A waiter at the cashier desk presses
a button underneath the desk that closes the shutters on the restaurant to lock
us in before they point their guns at us. One of them shoots two of them in the
back to their surprise before I shoot one of the legs of our server then kick
his away his dropped gun. In another context, the informant would’ve been
called a traitor, but this is his redemption and initiation into our ranks.
Looking down at the server who
looked at me, I say, “Now, I thought the code would open a door, not close
them. How about you show us around if you want to live?”
“I’d rather die-”
Russ shoots him then says, “Your wish
is granted.”
“Do you think that he wouldn’t
change his mind after some coaxing?”
“Not likely. I’m sure their secret
hideout won’t be too hard to find.” Russ then turns to our new recruit. “Right?”
“Right,” the recruit says as he
leads us to the secret restaurant that’s below this one.
The restaurant below here is
fancier with fewer people here. Among the people here are those who were
against my presidency and denied me justice.
“Hello, boys and girls,” Russ says
as he walks ahead of us to the group of Ravens whose meeting we’ve interrupted,
“It’s always good to see caged birds.”
Before those in the meeting can get
up, Russ shoots four of them in the head while leaving the judge alive.
“Wow. Your skills with a gun never
cease to impress me,” I say.
“Watching one too many Westerns
will do that to you even if you weren’t born in the country they were created,”
Russ says before we surround the wounded judge and point our guns at him. “I
think you owe my friend an apology for doing him dirty and denying him his
rightful place as president of this country.”
“It’s about time that people like
you were out of power. It’s time for the people to be put first,” the judge responds.
“But the people didn’t choose one of
yours to be in power.”
“The people that voted for him were
scum, not people.”
“It’s funny that I could say the
thing about you people, but I won’t. Not because it isn’t accurate but because
we’d share something in common then.”
“Then let me remind you that we both
comprise good by doing something the other would consider evil. I hope that
eats you away till the day you die.”
“No, we differ in most if not all
our ways. For example, I’ll allow you to redeem yourself by
publicly confessing your crimes and helping us for the rest of your life.”
“I refuse. I’d rather-”
Russ shoots the judge in the head.
“I didn’t give you another option.
Search this place for whatever useful information and trinkets you can find.”
“I know this sounds crazy but I was
hoping this would end peacefully,” I say while looking through the underground
restaurant.
“That is a crazy thought. There will
only be a peaceful solution when the Ravens change their way of thinking. This
has only happened once in recent history as far as I know with someone known as
the White Raven. The Wolves and Ravens cooperated with one another for a time
in this country and other places in the world because of him and his strong faith,
but after he died, no one was able to take his place. I’ll admit that he’s an
inspiration for me. It’s a shame that the Ravens are a shadow of their former
selves.”
I see. So, there were good people
among them. We find the locations of other safehouses in the USB drives hidden
in the underground restaurant, but apparently the most important safehouse, according
to Russ, is written on a note hidden inside the shirt of the dead judge. It’s
at an orphanage, of all places, that we immediately head out to since it’s not
too far and the supplies at this restaurant allow us to stock up on ammo. Our
police backup follows us to the orphanage but stays closer this time since the neighborhood
that it’s in is rife with crime. It’s no wonder that it is since Russ told me
that the mayor of this city is a Raven.
Before we enter the orphanage, all
the power in the city goes out. Our phones cannot make calls or use the
internet. Cars get into accidents and people around us begin to panic.
“Get the police to control the
situation!” Russ says to the wolves with us. “Bernard, you’re with me.”
“You got it,” I say as we move
through the chaos to get to the orphanage.
The inside of the orphanage is dark
and strangely empty. We carefully walk through the empty halls with our guns
drawn and fingers on the trigger. Looking outside, I can see that power is
slowly being restored to the city, however, our phones still don’t work. This
place seems to be completely empty until we find a lone old maid in a cafeteria
tapping on her phone.
Russ draws his gun, points it at
her, and says, “I’ve finally found you, Mama Bird.”
“And you’ve finally revealed yourself,
Alpha Wolf, Grandmaster of the Wolves. Should I call you by your first name,
Russ? If that is your real name,” she responds.
“I’m impressed that you know that
much about me.”
“To be frank, I don’t know much
either than a name, a face, and some rumors. You’ve kept yourself well hidden.”
“I would say the same for you if we
didn’t manage to find you first.”
“Who is she?” I ask.
“The infamous and elusive Mama Bird.
She raises the orphans and children she teaches to be her Ravens to infiltrate society
at all levels so that the Ravens’ ideology can spread. We’ve been looking for
her for years to put her down for corrupting every youth that she comes across.”
“Can you really call me corrupt? I
teach the young the truth of the world even if I exaggerate and play down some
things, which I’m sure you do as well. Take this blackout for example.”
“You did this?” I ask.
“No, but one of my children surely
did, and Russ’ dogs would’ve probably known about a hacker or a few turning off
the city’s power system. It was the only way to get into the Wolves’ databases since
it was too high for them to conventionally break through. I’m sure the
information they got will be valuable but I’m also sure that this blackout will
be useful for you to shoot an old woman in an orphanage without having to give
an explanation or false story to the public.”
“This doesn’t have to end this way,
right Russ? Do we have any evidence that we can use to arrest her?”
“The only evidence we have is just
that she’s a believer in her ideology and the evidence that links her to the
Ravens doesn’t matter since the public doesn’t know about them. This is the
only way for justice to happen. She’s the reason why you didn’t win the presidency,
why the country is rotting from the inside, and why you and your family are in
constant danger from our fellow citizens.”
“Make your decision, Russ,” the
woman says, “I’ll win no matter what because of my children. You’ll come to
learn that the most powerful position in the world is the one that influences
the youth the most. You wolves may have the highest typical positions of power such
as governors, celebrities, doctors, and the like but we have the next
generation. We have the future. You have nothing in comparison.”
I consider this difficult decision
until I say to Russ, “You do it.”
“With pleasure,” he says before
shooting the woman dead. “It’s the right decision to make. With her dead, fewer
children will be indoctrinated to the Raven’s beliefs.”
“She said that she would win no
matter what because of her children. That makes me wonder where the children are that live here.”
I start to listen to the noises in
the darkness and recognize them as many slow footsteps. The footsteps stop
until a gunshot almost takes off my head. Russ and I start shooting in the
darkness and see a group of orphans with guns coming for us. The rest of the wolves
quickly arrive and do not hesitate to shoot the orphans who are shooting at us
and the other staff in the orphanage. As for me, I could shoot only one bullet
since I killed a child. Once the fighting ends, I turn my back to the carnage
behind me. I feel like I’m going to throw up.
“This is what the Ravens force us
to do. I’m sorry to say, but this probably won’t be the last time you’ll have
to do this,” Russ says.
I want to say that I quit. I want
to say that I don’t want to do this anymore and that I would rather go back to
my life of being a governor while being hated by a large portion of the
population, but instead, all I manage to say is, “I hope we don’t have to or at
least I don’t have to.”
“You’ll be serving us and the
country well as governor until we can get you your place as president of the
country. For now, you should be satisfied will some justice.”
I wish I was satisfied at all with
what I did today. Sure, some of the people who wronged me are dead, but I don’t
feel satisfied by their deaths. Because of what happened here, we expose the
public to Mama Bird’s indoctrination and show them that she trained children to
kill. With the help of a few of the staff members that we kept alive, her associates
and those she taught become suspects for allying themselves to her, and the Raven’s
influence on the country seems to weaken, but by how much and for how long? It’s
like politics. There seems to be progress but then the world appears to be the
same with little to no difference. No one backs down from their ideology and instead
doubles down on it.
I still work as the governor of my
state and protector of my community. I remind the wolves that hold positions of
power like me that we serve the greater community and world through our actions
with Russ backing me up on this. The first will be last and the last will be
first after all. On some tragic nights, the wolves and I must take justice into
our own hands when the Ravens prevent us from using the law against them.
Though I pray for things to get better, I’ll do what I must to protect my
family and country both as a governor and as a Wolf.
