In the beginning, General Kerry One Nation leads his army into town after town. The One Nation Army conquers and destroys.
It begins with a beating. Blows on blows that become a blur when boredom becomes fury. This is how he enters the towns and cities that they conquer. He does not hide. He lets the people know he is here. He says - You did this to me. You made me. You asked for me. He makes it seem like their idea when he says this.
You asked for me, and I came.
Thank you, many say. Thank you for helping us. There is cheering. He can't tell if it is out of adulation or fear, but it doesn't matter. It is one and the same in his eyes.
Fear is adoration after all. The dominant species inspires fear.
There are so few to greet him these days. Towns are deserted when they arrive. Everybody running away. Cowards. So few left to come out and play. No fun at all. He just wants to be adored and appreciated.
Every city and small town the same at first. Now there is no cheering like he thinks there should be, just worn out people, not even looking scared, just tired. It becomes a bore, and he does not like to be bored. He fears that he is becoming redundant. People who have witnessed unimaginable horrors since the EMP, some of their own creation, are becoming complacent and not easily shocked.
His army does not help. Their atrocities early on are alarming to him. Not because of the violence but because of the waste. They are enjoying themselves too much and leaving nothing in their wake. His army has become like those damn idiots out west. He told them to set their fires. They liked to see things burn, and he understood that, but fire takes it all, even parts he wants to keep.
Scorched earth was never his policy. When this is all over, there needs to be something left to build a foundation, something left to rebuild his country, and so he changes some scare tactics.
A good example is the bridge incident in Washington. You absolutely do not throw all the babies off a bridge. Show some constraint. Only, crazy people do things without thinking about consequences. Sure, it is terrifying and creative, but it is a waste of resources, and people are a resource. Though he admires the mindless, randomness of the act, maybe, only every third baby or so off the bridge, or only the orphans so the mothers don't jump too. We need them to repopulate when this is all over. No more killing of women younger than 25. And no more raping and pillaging, that is so tasteless and barbaric.
He makes a mental note to let his lieutenants know his new order for violence. He calls it "Selection" in honor of a reign of terror he admires from Nazi Germany. The fittest and most worthy shall survive, even science confirms this idea of natural selection.
His grandfather was a Nazi. He wanted to warn the Fuhrer, but he was afraid to speak up because there were consequences in those days for speaking up. And it was unpopular to go against the will of the people, even if it was logical from a military stand point to not spread your army too thin.
Kerry One Nation learned this lesson from his Opa. The One knew the true "final solution" would come after his army won. Sure, they could get rid of some undesirables through selection, but there was not time now for death camps and complete purification. That will come later when the battles are over.
Yesterday, he sent word ahead to his patriots already in Mount Airy. He reminds them of the selection process. He tells them to go ahead, make our point - we are in charge. Be done with the preliminaries when I get there. He does not give orders for the daughter he once protected. She might be a distraction now. If she survives, so be it, let fate decide.
I have a more important agenda. The prince. His mother wants her son back. She is willing to look the other way if she gets him back. Or so say his allies. His allies in the dissolution of America insist on this negotiation for peace. They don't want to fight the world, not yet. Kerry One Nation does not normally negotiate, but it is sometimes necessary to be deceitful as you lure your prey. And though they are not technically prey, he needs the enemies of America, at least until he is the leader of this country and then the world.
The general is going to ransom a prince to gain his own throne. He chuckles at his word play.
___________
The mother across the pond lost her patience. It was weeks after the disaster in the Americas, and she wanted her baby back. Her King was not used to negotiating with terrorists. In fact, England had a strict "no negotiation" policy when it came to terrorists, said the King and his advisors.
The King would not listen to his bride. He had told the boy not to go. And besides, he was a respected leader now and no longer "the Reluctant King" as the press dubbed him when he first came to power. He was a leader now and too busy trying to keep the war from his shores to bother with negotiations or rescue. It was not that he didn't love his son, and it was certainly important that the heir to the throne be on English shores, but the King was busy and overwhelmed.
That was all right because the American born mother was as tough as nails and used to getting her way. She was resourceful. Torin's mother had other more reliable, more forceful methods she could use.
"Go get my son," she told him. "I am tired of waiting."
The agent nodded once.
And just to make sure he understood her completely, the mother added, "I will not lose another son."
Normally a man of little emotion, he gritted his teeth. He knew she did not blame him, but he blamed himself. The agent, who rarely spoke with anything other than his hands when he was on the job, nodded again and turned to walk out. He exited with his best, most reliable right hand man.
The right hand man, who was more concerned with the protocols for royalty and bows, backed out the door.
"God speed," said her Royal Highness.
God did not intervene because it was months before the agent found the prince. He did find him, but not before The One Nation Army found him too.
_____________
As the cavalcade of mismatched cars, military equipment, tanks and jeeps approach the city limits, the prince and his guardians sleep at the high school unaware that their fate is approaching. Even, Hellman and Clay, left to keep guard, fall asleep from exhaustion and the satisfaction of their small victory. As General Kerry One Nation and his entourage of bloodthirsty soldiers approach, the Resistance sleeps. They are too worn down to leave just yet, and so they dream of their next victory.
There are two people watching as the One Nation Army enters the city. They are on a two story building waiting for the procession to enter downtown.
"What's the plan, Uncle Joe?"
"Get my girl back."
"Which one?" asks Carli.
Joe pulls his rifle up to look through his scope where he can see his former teacher in his sights, someone he admired and trusted a long, long time ago. He remembers the sensation of listening to the professor speak. He remembers how it felt to believe, really believe, in the words of a visionary, a messiah, a prophet. He remembers how it felt to be moved to action. How it felt to be inspired.
He adjusts his sight for the distance.
Carli asks again, "Who are you getting back? Which girl?"
"Both."
____________
As he enters Mount Airy, the hometown of his queen, the general smiles at her. She smiles back.
General Nation does not know how long it will take for his ultimate goal of world domination. This is hard, harder than people know. Bad guys make it look easy. There is no part that is easy. Killing people is hard work. It takes a lot of time and energy. He is looking forward to the time when he can rule this country with the nod of his head or the snap of his finger. And rule this woman, his new bride.
She is his most challenging endeavor ever. Beautiful and intelligent and devious, so devious. He does love a challenge. He takes her hand into his own and kisses the back of her hand. She does not know that he knows. This game is so much fun. So intoxicating. He knows her secret, all her secrets.
Besting her. He wants it more than he wants to rule the world.
I deserve her because I am worthy. I deserve to rule the world because I am worthy. My people are worthy. We deserve to inherit the earth, and we will.
____________
Carli is talking to her uncle, but it is characteristically a one-sided conversation. Carli's uncle was never a man for conversation, unless he was giving you advice on how to survive a tsunami or a nuclear explosion.
Carli is nervous. Her uncle is looking through the sight on his gun, and he obviously is focused and intent on killing a madman. Carli does not know if this is the best plan. There are too many of them, and they will keep coming. There is no escape. They will get her and all the women. Her uncle has taught her well. Carli wants to survive. She keeps talking to herself with no answer in return.
A shot is fired. And then another. And then Carli is running, running, running to get away. She must warn the others.
The One Nation army is here, and they take what they want.
__________
Eliot has been awake awhile. She is thinking about all that has happened. It doesn't feel right, she thinks, but I am happy. She stays there even as she hears a gunshot. A gunshot far enough away that she does not think there is danger. After all, everyday here lately, a gunshot as the morning wake-up call is as regular an event as an alarm clock going off.
No one else is awake. Eliot looks over at Torin. Her sleeping prince has one arm over his face, and the other arm is his pillow. He is peaceful and beautiful, she thinks. He is my everything. He is our everything. If we can get him to safety and back home, he will save us. We must do this - keep him safe.
I must do this. Keep him safe.
Eliot hears another distant shot. She does not want to wake everyone because she is enjoying the quiet of the morning and looking at her prince. She looks around at the rest of her new family. When we get Carli back and Jack, we will be complete. Then we can start over.
Eliot feels contentment. She feels hope. She sighs deeply, and Torin opens his eyes. He smiles at her, both dimples, his blue eyes heavy with sleep.
"Good morning, my lady."
"Good morning, my prince."
Eliot hears another shot, then another. Torin turns with a jerk of his head towards the noise. The others are stirring awake.
"What is that?" asks Cindy.
"We need to get out of here," says Clay as he moves through the camp nudging the others awake.
"Save the prince," says Cindy as she grabs the hand of Torin.
Everyone is awake, and the camp is packed up quickly and efficiently. Weapons, provisions, and people are loaded into a red jeep and a police car and an old dump truck. There is a sense of calm urgency. They know they must go. They all understand that they have an important mission. They must bring the terror to an end. They know what they must do - they must save the prince because:
If not for the prince, all will be lost.
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AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thank you readers! I hope you enjoyed Book One.
Want to find out what happens next? Will Prince Torin and Eliot end up together? What about Steven and Tommy? Will the Resistance continue to win battles? Will good win over evil? All this and more in the second Prince Torin novel:
Eliot Strange and the Prince of the Resistance
Currently editing and soon to be released. Thanks again, and keep reading and voting!