Angels Mark (The Serena Wilcox Dystopian Trilogy Book 1)

Angels Mark Chapter 24

24

President Ann Kinji waved her hand in front of the flat screen in front of her. Six hundred and seventy-nine Town Hall messages appeared. She prided herself on reading a sampling of these daily messages from American citizens every morning, after her fitness routine, and before breakfast, she skimmed through as many letters as she could in twenty minutes. She pointed at the screen to open the first message.

<<Dear Madam President,

Thank you for reversing the direction of the previous administration regarding government control of food, private farms, supplements, etc. I have a child who has food sensitivities and I need control over where our food comes from. As much as I’d like to grow all our own food, that’s not realistic for me. The freedom to select natural foods that have not been restricted by government regulation is why I voted for you. I do have one issue though. You have taxed small farms and that higher cost is passed on to families like mine, but I’ll take that. I do appreciate the lifting of regulations.>>

Ann smiled. The issue of food regulation had been the bane of her existence for several months of heated debate with Congress, farming representatives, and the Food and Health Administration, among others. It was good to see that her work was appreciated. So far so good, today’s messages were positive. She opened another one.

<<Dear President Kinki,

I spell your name Kinki because you is Kinki.>>

Ann laughed. There were always a few trolls in the mix, and this one seemed harmless. She swiped her finger in the air to delete the message and move on to the next one.

<<President Kinji, you condemn past presidents because they rewrote the Constitution, and you are doing the same thing! Also, the idea of a Super Congress was brought up by debt ceiling negotiators back in 2011, and that is a change to the Constitution. I think you are a hypocrite. You did not have my vote, and WILL NOT have my vote!>>

Ann had heard similar rhetoric before, backlash over her recent remarks about the changes to the Constitution after the Big War. For every three Americans who wanted a reunited America, there was at least one American who wanted the union to stay divided. History had, on some level, repeated itself: even though the union was split in two between East and West, it was the North and the South that had a division. In general, the North wanted to reunite, while a growing number in the South wanted “less government”, believing it was better to stay separate.

She shook off her fears about a civil war, should she be successful in reuniting America. She moved on:

<<President Kinji, When my dog Macie was lost, I got her back because of the pet locator chip. I think all people should have these chips. You said you’d never even look at a bill to put identity chips on everyone at the DMV, so everyone has to get a chip when getting a driver’s license. Why not? It’s a good idea. If everyone got the chip I could find my ex-boyfriend. He unfriended me and I can’t find him. If you cared about the American people you would care about this. Sincerely, Belinda>>

Ann chuckled, and then felt a twinge of guilt. This letter had a genuine voice to it. She selected “reply” and ignored the Identity Chip argument, which wasn’t Belinda’s real issue.

<<Dear Belinda,

I’m sorry for the loss of your boyfriend. I know there is someone new in your future. Take good care of yourself, stay busy, volunteer to help others. You’ll meet the right man when you are not looking.

Sincerely, President Kinji>>

Ann glanced at the clock. She had enough time to read a few more messages. She skimmed through a collection of similar letters: cranks, critics, fans, and the occasional off-topic, but sometimes extremely articulate, political rant. She kept going until she heard an alert: a new message had been sent from a code red mailbox – President’s eyes only.

Ann blinked her eyes, daring the screen to show her the message. There it was, a code red. She opened the message.

<<President Kinji, this is Penny. You might remember me? I was the driver for you and President Williams, one of the team of drivers, the one who was going to law school. I have something to tell you that I can’t say in front of any of your secret service. Can you set me up with someone you trust outside of Chicago, someone who is totally unknown, with no agents. Then meet that person in some way without agents or anyone to listen. I don’t know if you can do that, but I can’t talk to you. They will know and they will kill me. I will send my friend to meet with whoever you want. I can’t be seen with you, or anyone connected to you. Please, Madam President, there’s not much time. They are watching me.>>

<<Penny, thank you for your bravery. Whatever you have to say, say it now, this is a secure line.>>

<<Not as secure as you think. They are tracking keywords. If I type anything with those keywords, they will see my message to you. Please, set me up with someone to talk to, in person. I have only a few minutes before they know I am gone. Please give me a name.>>

<<Serena Wilcox. You remember her? You’ll have to travel. She’s gone to Germany, of all places.>>

<<I will send my friend to her. And then Serena can meet with you.>>

There was a shrill beep: line closed.

Ann shook her head. What could this possibly be about? She sat and stewed about it for a few minutes, and then went to one committee meeting after another. At the end of a very long day, she picked up the phone to call Serena and give her a head’s up.

Serena answered on the first ring.

“Serena? I know you’re having a grand time abroad, and I hate to interrupt, but a friend of mine will be meeting with you soon to give you a message for me.”

“Your friend has already found me, he’s standing right here.” Serena’s voice sounded stilted. “But he’s no friend, not unless you want me dead.” And with that, the call was disconnected.

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Did you enjoy Angels Mark, The Serena Wilcox Dystopian Trilogy Book 1? Continue the adventure with Covert Coffee and the trilogy conclusion Bluebird Flown (Books #2 and #3)! http://www.NatalieBuskeThomas.com *IN PROGRESS: The Serena Wilcox Time Travel Trilogy, Book 1 Project Scarecrow