"Is Erik Koehlwin home? I would like to have a word with him," said the man with silver hair.
Erik appeared behind Cathy and saw the visitors at the doorstep. He frowned deeply. "Why the hell are you here?" He was ready to pull out his gun.
That's when the silver haired man raised his hands. "I just wanna talk," he said. "And trust me. You don't wanna skip this conversation."
Erik's frown never went away. "Do you have any guns?" he said.
The man nodded and pulled out a pistol from under his blazer. The girl handed over her SMG as well.
Erik still aimed his gun at them as he let them in. That's when Lisa walked into the living room with baby Oriana in her arms. She raised an eyebrow at the visitors. "Who are these people?"
Erik held back a scoff. "This man," he pointed at the guy in the blazer, "is the one who sent operatives after you and Cathy in Sector 22."
It barely took three seconds for Lisa's face to twist with revulsion. "Then why the hell are we entertaining them in our house?!" she snapped. "If I was the one holding the gun I would've killed them both ten times over."
Erik rolled his eyes. "Trust me, Lisa. I have no doubt you would. But I still wanna hear what he has to say." He turned back to the guest. "So, you were saying something."
The man in the blazer had kept his expression neutral this whole time. And that didn't change even when he lifted his blazer and pulled out his provisional badge. He threw it on the floor in front of Erik and Lisa. "Until eight o'clock this morning, I was still calling myself an agent," he said. "But I can't anymore."
Erik frowned again. "What the hell are you talking about?"
Luce kept on going as if Erik hadn't spoken at all. "Around quarter past eight I received this voicemail from Command." He pulled out his cellphone and played a recording. "Luce, it's all over. Dale knows about me trying to hide the news of Sector 25 massacre. It's all over. I can see her coming down the hallway to my office with a team of steel heads. She is going to arrest me now. I know, this is it."
Erik cocked his head after the voicemail ended. "So? What do you want from me?"
"I want your help," Luce said, "for a coup against the government."
#
Lisa laughed. "Such a sweet sounding plan, Agent," she said as she cradled Oriana on her lap. "Your boss is arrested, your division will be dissolved and you want us--the so-called 'terrorist group' to help you out? Why do you think we'll believe any of this crap?"
"Lisa is right," Cathy said. "Just cuz you walked in here like a gentleman doesn't mean that we are going to believe every word you say. For all we know this might be a trap to lure the entire Last Hand."
Lisa and Cathy were on the couch. Luce and Tracy were in the two wooden chairs Cathy set by the door for them. Erik leaned against the fireplace quietly, just listening.
"If we just wanted to get to you guys we could've attacked this little town of yours in the middle of the night," Tracy said.
"But you can't," Lisa said. "You know what happened in Sector 22 when we stole the truck. And you probably also know what happened at the Sector 25 prison. You know that you can't take the Last Hand lightly anymore. So you resort to this dumb coup story of yours."
"You are not wrong," Luce said. "We don't take the Last Hand lightly anymore. But this isn't just about you or me. The Vigilant Squad division and the Clandestine division were formed under the rules of the Emergency Law Office. Now that Command is arrested under charges of heavy sedition, the ELO will probably dissolve us. That means the Clandestine division will become the sole division of law enforcement. With an organization that strong they may try to usurp the authority from ELO itself or who knows...maybe even the Seat of Authority."
A foreboding silence descended over the room. Oriana mumbled softly and clung to her mother.
"With your current resources you have a strong chance to go up against the government and actually win," Tracy said. "But if the Clandestines get so much power and jurisdiction, whatever your goals may be, would become an even more impossible task to achieve."
"Whether or not we succeed is our problem," Cathy said. "I still don't understand what makes you think the Last Hand might wanna team up with the operatives? Like, what even makes you any better than the Clandestines?"
"And we are the last people you'd wanna come asking for help," Lisa said as she gently rocked Oriana in her lap. "Because if the Last Hand succeeds its goal, we'll just take down the entire Seat of Authority on our own and dissolve all your offices anyway. We don't have a personal vendetta against the First Leader. We hate what he has done to Ardvenia. We want to make this country the way it was and that includes getting rid of your shitty law offices."
Luce stared at the two women. Then he looked at Erik who still stood quiet as an idol by the fireplace, his eyes aimed at the ground.
"Maybe that's what I want too," Luce said.
Lisa and Cathy frowned. Erik finally raised his head. Now the man really had his attention.
Luce rose from his chair and limped over to the center of the room and took off his blazer, revealing his plain white shirt and his empty shoulder holster. "The first time I wielded my gun was for the Ardvenian military. That was when the war began ten years ago before they took me out and recruited me into the Vigilant Squad. For me, I was still working for this country. So I closed my eyes and kept wielding my gun. I did what the government told. I wasn't paid for asking questions. I was paid to keep the order intact. Or so I thought." Next he took off his empty holster and dropped it on the coffee table. The leather thudded lightly against the glass top. "Only in this past month have I realized that I was never wielding my gun for this country. Never firing it to maintain the order. I was just the government's mercenary. None of my actions were helping the common people of Ardvenia in any way." He put on his blazer again and smoothed the lapels out. "And now that the very government that I worked so hard for is gonna declare me and my friend a national traitor, I think I deserve a payback. I really don't care if you get rid of my division after you win." He turned to Erik. "For once, I just wanna wield my gun for myself. For what I believe is worth pulling the trigger for."
Erik stared at the man, a small smirk forming on his lips. "Who made you an Agent? You should've been a diplomat. I almost feel like signing a treaty with you."
"Don't tell me you actually believe him, Erik?" Lisa said, incredulous.
"I liked his speech, gotta hand it to him." He shrugged. "So I'm gonna give you the benefit of the doubt."
Cathy groaned. "You gotta be kidding me."
Erik went on. "Pretty words aren't enough to earn our trust though," he said. "If you can prove your loyalty to the group. Do something substantial for the Last Hand, we'll help you with your coup d'etat."
#
"Have you lost your mind?!" Cathy cried out. "You really think the rest of the group will put up with a bunch of operatives?!"
"Forget what I did in Sector 25. The Last Hand is infamous for killing operatives since the riots of Sector 21!" Lisa said, still holding the baby in her arms.
The two of them followed him down the corridor, to the kitchen and into the pantry. Luce and the girl had already left the manor with a promise to return with an army of operatives to add to the numbers of the Last Hand. Erik, much to Cathy and Lisa distaste, had agreed to the deal.
"I can't believe he managed to convince you, of all people to shake hands with the operatives!" Lisa rolled her eyes. Oriana was playing with the locks of her mother's hair.
Erik was still smirking, non-chalant to their outburst as he opened the trapdoor in the pantry and descended underground. The two of them followed him down.
"Say something, Erik!" Cathy snapped. "Cuz I'm convinced Lisa hit your head too hard during your fight."
"You two may be nearsighted about the benefits of this deal. But this is the best thing that has happened to the group in a while," he said as they passed through the antechamber and into the stone walled room.
"And how is it the best thing?" Cathy raised an eyebrow. "Care to enlighten us, oh-so-great revolutionary?"
"You'll find out soon," he said, searching through the wooden crates by the wall.
"You are gonna make me punch you again, Erik." Lisa glared at him.
"Honestly, just do it. I won't even stop you this time." Cathy said, exasperated.
"There we go," Erik said as he dug out a bullhorn from one of the crates. He started on his way back upstairs.
"What are you gonna do with that now?" Cathy asked.
Erik gave them one last smirk before climbing up. "Make an announcement."
#
People gathered around in the town square as Erik's voice boomed on the bullhorn. "You may all be wondering why I've summoned you all here like this. Tomorrow, our friend from the unsectorized states will be sending a message. A signal for us to take action. Our action to take Ardvenia back from these assholes!"
The crowd erupted in cheers. Erik waited for them to simmer down. And then he began again.
"But there is a possibility of friction," he said. "As you all know, the Last Hand has lost several members since the riots. Even an important part of the leadership has left." He paused to glance at the sign of Mathesdale that Gemma had erected in the square. "So it goes without saying that we aren't as strong of a group as we were. And we certainly lack the numbers to wage a proper war against the Seat of Authority."
The crowd seemed to go utterly silent as if they actually expected some bad news. Erik finally said it.
"Thus, we have decided to ally with the operatives."
A wave of murmurs went across the crowd of revolutionaries and citizens alike. Before they could start flinging stones at him, he spoke again.
"I know what most of you may be thinking. And I won't ask you to trust this new ally. I ask you to trust ME. The cause of our revolution matters to me. But what matters even more are the rest of you. You have trusted me as your leader and I've never let go of your hand. Trust me one last time. Trust my decision one last time. Believe in me one last time. You know, I never let my people down."
"I believe in you Erik!" A lone voice cried out from the crowd.
"I believe in you too!" Another one.
"You got us out of the prison, we are with you!"
Soon the crowd was erupting with cheers and applause again. Cathy stood at the very back and frowned. She hoped he knew what he was doing. Since it seemed that these people would follow him into literal hell if he asked them.
#
"I can't believe they actually took your word," Tracy said as they were driving back to Sector 22.
Luce was in the passenger's seat. "Why wouldn't they? I spoke the truth."
Tracy raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
Luce nodded and leaned his head against the window. He gazed at the scorched patches of land as they passed them by. He'd left his gun and holster with Erik Koehlwin at his manor. He felt immensely light without the firearm on his being. He wasn't sure if it was actually because of the absence of the gun or the act of rebellion he had set out to do. "It was all true," he said quietly.
"But...are you sure you are doing the right thing?" the girl asked. "If we just arrest Erik Koehlwin and hand him over to the Clandestines, you can plead to the Council of Firsts to drop the charges of sedition against you and Command."
Luce frowned. "And what after that? Go back to being their mercenary?" He turned to her. "Back when you had breakfast with me in Kingsville, I told you that I don't know what good or bad is. Well, I still can't tell the difference. But I've realized one thing–everyone's gotta learn to draw the line somewhere. The line beyond which you stop taking the bullshit of this world. And I've finally drawn my line, Tracy."
The girl rolled her lips and nervously stared at the road ahead. "I just hope you convince the other operatives the way you convinced Erik."
"I will." Luce nodded. "I'll have to."
(to be continued...)