Good Criminals and Good Fridays: Chapter 3 – Death by Democracy

Chapter 3 – Death by Democracy

America died when it abandoned God. Over the years as the worship and respect of God declined, so did America. Laws became stricter, taxes were heightened, rights were taken away, wages were meager, morality became subjective, and anyone could do anything they wanted without punishment as long as the state and the majority of the population didn’t argue with it. I, along with other traditionalist movements, inspire people to rise up and learn the actual truth about the world. The media may lie about us and paint us as nothing more than extremists and criminals, but we know what we really are. We are the true Americans, the ones who want to see this country change for the better.

Though not everyone agrees to be Catholic like us, they still help out by refusing to take part in Old America’s system and rebelling against it. Thanks to Lincoln’s speech and a little push by our contacts in the Center City, the people within that part of the city are rioting and protesting against their leaders. They were told that the North and South Cities would finally fall due to the combined efforts of the police and the enforcers, but they didn’t know that we were prepared for them and that many actual respectable officers were on our side. They couldn’t take away our power, food, water, guns, or fighting spirit and now it’s time for us to take the fight to them. Thanks to everything that my parents and their friends started and my generation’s carrying of their torch, things will begin to change and the last remnants of Old America will fade away.

Currently, Lincoln, our supporters, and I are going through the sewers in different parts so we can enter the Center City to support our various contacts and help them push forward and overtake the city hall tower where all the leaders of the city reside. There are secret parts of these sewers with metal gates that are usually guarded that allow people to secretly travel into other parts of the city, however, since all available officers are needed above, there’s no one left to guard it. Old America has had a patriotism problem for years, especially after villainizing and cutting off funding for cops and this is the result of it. A scarcely staffed police force with a majority of them on our side. We get to the metal gate and use a melt-cutting tool that is essentially a small laser to get through the metal gates without issue. Looking at one of the cameras near the gates, Lincoln smiles and waves at it as he walks by.

“There’s probably no one watching it,” I say.

“I’d like to think someone is,” Lincoln says.

“If anything, the remaining officers and enforcers are guarding city hall with their best men equipped with cybernetics and best guns.”

“All that protection for ten city blocks in both directions.”

“No one is coming to save them so they have to make a final stand until they can get more help from Old America.”

“As if they’d send more after yesterday’s defeat. They’ll fall like the other pockets of Old America have fallen. No one is going to save them. Not even God.”

If they’d change their ways, then maybe God would at least save their souls. I doubt that would happen since they’re secularists who probably don’t believe in God, so I cross myself.

“What a pity,” I say.

Now comes a difficult part. These sewers are connected to the undercity slums where the poor of the Center City reside. Chances are there are enforcers down here and the people may fight against us. Once we enter a series of hallways, we make it to the undercity. I’ve never seen it in person, only in pictures. It’s a shame to see people living like this. Illegals allowed in from the south live better than this on the surface while these people are forgotten about because they’re cheaper to employ, are a show of the government’s so-called kindness, and will do what they’re told if they don’t want to be sent back to a slightly worse country.

The buildings here are small and very few of them are bigger than two stories tall. It’s dimly lit down here and the buildings seem to be made out of old metal and bricks that were once trash or have been trashed by whatever crime is done down here. People start noticing us and hiding or standing still to see what we’re going to do.

I say to them, “If anyone wants to fight, now’s the time! For too long you’ve lived in the garbage because your leaders thought you were nothing more than slaves, but you’re not. You’re all human beings like us that deserve more than this. I promise each and every one of you a place in a home on the surface if you fight with us. Who’s with us?”

The people start talking among themselves and very few step forward at first until more join in.

“Don’t listen to them! They don’t stand a chance against America!” a random guy in a crowd says, “Their war won’t end here. America will keep sending enforcers and troops at this city like how they’re doing that with every other one in the country.”

“And?” Lincoln says. “So what if they keep sending their dogs our way? Would you rather waste your life slaving away for people who don’t care for you or fight and die to accomplish something worthwhile? I know some of you don’t believe in God or living for a purpose other greater than yourselves, so sit down in the dirt where you belong. As for the rest of us, we’re going to make history and a world worth living in.”

“You’re insane!”

A woman shoves an assassin out of a second-story window just as they take their shot at us and thankfully miss. This assassin breaks their neck because of the fall and dies. Even though they’re dead, the crowd near the building starts beating on them to make sure.

“I don’t know about you, sorry bums, but I’m going to fight with them, and I don’t care about dying. It’s better than being here,” the woman who saved us says.

 “And hey, maybe they’ll put our names in the history books!” a random guy in the crowd says.

“We’ll be famous!”

“We’ll have real homes!”

“We won’t have to live in the trash!”

“We’ll have freedom!”

“Yeah, freedom!”

“Freedom! Freedom! Freedom!” the crowd starts chanting before joining us in droves.

“Onward for freedom!” I say as I lead them to the surface.

We’re now on Lombard and Broad, a few blocks from the walls. Our other men are approaching from twenty-second and Chestnut, Spring Garden, and Market and third. Ahead of us, the feds have set up metal barriers and barricades that don’t do much to protect them from the civilians that pelt them from all sides with trash and bottles. One of my family members hands me a microphone.

“This is your last chance to give up. I suggest you take it or face the wrath of God and the people you’ve wronged for too long,” I say into the microphone.

Some of the feds leave while others stand their ground and start firing their guns at us and the people throwing stuff at them.

“Get behind cover!” I say before we return fire.

We’re pinned down and losing people for a good five minutes until our backup comes ramming through the gates behind us. They come out shooting from the trucks and hand out guns to the civilians who are aiding us. Because of this, we are able to push the feds back a few blocks to Pine and Broad where they have turrets set up. Since they’ve pulled out their big guns, we do the same by blowing them up with our rocket launchers. Locust and Broad is where they have a group of enforcers set up that we overwhelm and push back with sheer numbers. These numbers and our momentum allows us to keep pushing until we reach the final obstacle on Chestnut and Broad where a squad of cybernetically enhanced enforcers is set up behind barriers. They are aided by snipers in the nearby buildings and remote controlled turrets.

“Spread out!” Lincoln says.

Rockets are fired at the buildings where the snipers are and at the enforcers. A hacker of ours manages to wrangle control of the turrets and uses them to our advantage. In addition to our forces from all sides coming together, we push the enforcers back to city hall and shoot down everyone who continues to fight against us. A strange moment of silence falls upon us as we realize that nothing stands between us, city hall, and making history. This silence quiets everyone down except for those consumed by the excitement of this event who cheer as if victory is already ours.

Our forces plant explosives on the metal doors and blow them as we assault city hall from all entrances. There are more enforcers and feds in here. Some put up a fight while most put their guns down or turn on their own. More and more surrender and turn as we ascend twenty floors of the building. Thanks to the help of an enforcer with a high level of credentials we can get to the twenty-first and last floor of city hall where the Center City’s leaders reside. They all have cybernetics and are armed. With our numbers, it is soon obvious to them that what they have won’t save them, so they put their guns down and hands up.

“Can we talk to your leaders? I’m sure we can work out a deal,” one of them says. Lincoln and I look at one another and smile. “Okay, we’ll go to jail and give you whatever you want!”

“We want you to shut up,” I say.

“You have nothing we want,” Lincoln adds, “We just want what we deserve. We want what you took from us. We want justice. Isn’t that right?”

The people behind us cheer and start chanting, “Justice! Justice! Justice!”

“Whoever wants to take the honor of dethroning these tyrants can take the first shots while there’s still enough of them left to shoot,” I say.

People start stepping up and shooting the Center City’s leaders to bits. Lincoln and I stand by and watch as the Center City’s leaders are shot like criminals lined up for execution. Even though the hail of bullets doesn’t kill them, they are hardly in a condition that would be considered alive. Once more people step up and take their shots and it’s obvious that our enemy is dead, I have an idea to put a bow on this gift we’ve been given. Inspired by what they do to the people who rebel against them, I take their bodies, put ropes around their necks, and hang them out the window for everyone to see. Believe it or not, this isn’t as bad as what they do since the people they punish like this are kept outside with a noose around their neck as they stand on a narrow ledge for the entire day until nighttime and have to repeat it the next day until their sentence is served. This sight is broadcasted on the digital advertising boards thanks to the help of our friends from yesterday. They then give me access to the speaker systems across Center City.

“Behold your gods! Your leaders! Your oppressors. Today they have paid the price of their crimes. Despite everything they have thrown at us, we have overcome them and taken back our city, our home. Rejoice for today is the day Old America has died! Celebrate America’s rebirth under its new leaders who will treat its citizens like family rather than slaves! Today we have made history! Today we have taken back our freedom! Today victory is ours!”

Everyone behind me in the building and outside of it cheers. It sounds as if the entire city is cheering and celebrating together with one voice. I hope my family in Heaven is smiling down on me. I hope they’re proud of what I’ve done because I’ve finally accomplished what they raised me to do.