Fighting For Your Rights

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

Robyn searched through the many papers, folders and maps of information of the revolutionaries sitting in front of her. Trying to memorize every piece of information possible before most of them would be destroyed. She paused when she came across a letter from the former President of the North American Continent. “Mother?” Robyn spoke then quickly slid papers into folders and flipping them over to keep them covered.

Amaris stepped into the room letting Robyn finish hiding the documents in the folders. “Papers I can’t see?”

“Unfortunately yes, it is a lot of information that we don’t want many to know. Not because we don’t trust people, but…”

“Plausible deniability.”

“Yes. Where did you here that?”

“Everyone thinks that even though I am a woman I didn’t know anything or I didn’t learn anything from my mother. I have ears and when she would teach you, I would sometimes listen just for something to do.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to assume…”

“Forget it. It is something everyone does towards women, well most women.”

Robyn looked down at the folders, ashamed of her intelligence, “I don’t mean to show off my intelligence.”

“Honey, don’t apologize for knowledge. You just make sure you use it to help others and not just yourself.”

Nodding, Robyn looked up at her mother, “Not to rekindle hostility, but why are you being nice to me all of a sudden?”

“It was never you that I was mad at, Robyn. I know you didn’t do anything and that you just learned about the truth as well.”

As she tapped the papers into the folder, Robyn asked, “So, is there something I can help you with?”

“I want to get out of here for a day and take you, Kay and Chance along. I also want to bring Owen along, not only as a chaperone, but I want to get to know him.”

“What about Dad?”

“I need to get out and away from him, in order to clear my mind. Focus on something else.”

“So, when do you want to do this?”

“Tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?”

“If I don’t get out of here soon, I may do something that both of us will regret. Besides it may be your last chance to relax before you become fully involved in this revolution.”

“All right, I will talk to Owen, we will leave at…”

“Eight a.m.”

“Eight?”

“I have never been out of the capital and I would like to see as much of this state as possible.”

“Okay, Owen and I will meet you, Kay and Chance at the entrance you came in at 8:00.”

Amaris walked over and kissed her daughter on the forehead, “Thank you, it means a lot to me.”

“Good night, Mother.”

“Good night.”

Robyn watched and as soon as her mother was walking out of the room, she walked to the slot in the wall. Glancing at the door and seeing her mother’s back, she slid the folder into the slot and said, “Seal to my voice or to the verification of Al Pekelo.”

Amaris smiled as she looked back just in time to see her daughter’s actions then turned back before she would see her and stepped around the corner of the doorway. Robyn stepped out of the room and as soon as the door closed she looked as her mother rounded a corner then punched in the code on the blank keys. When Robyn’s footsteps were heard walking the other way, Amaris peaked her head around the corner and walked back to the door. She pushed the button to have the door opened, and a voice was heard, “Please enter the verification code.”

Looking around to make sure that no one heard the voice, she pulled the flat spray can out of her pants pocket. As soon as she sprayed the invisible substance on the panel, she darted back down the hallway.

XXXX

“Madam Pekelo?”

Al looked up from CURT and at the man who was talking to her, “Can I help you?”

“I have been trying to locate Director Dored, but I can’t find her.”

“She left with her family, minus father, to see the state.”

“Her mother, ma’am?”

“Yes, why did you want to see the director?”

“Well, she told me to report anything out of the ordinary on the security cameras.”

“Yes.”

“Well, one of our newer trainees was on duty last night and didn’t see it. When I get in in the morning, I check all the film of the new trainees…”

“How about you just show me the recording?”

“It may be best we view it in private.”

Al looked at him concerned and quickly signed off of CURT. Standing, the man led her out of the arena and she struggled to keep up with him. “I may be healthy for my age, but could you please let me keep up with you.”

Slowing down, he said, “I’m sorry, ma’am. I’m just concerned for the director because the recording involves her mother.”

Worried, Al quickly caught up with him and past him toward the surveillance room. She opened the door to the room and stepped inside past the wall of recordings and toward the private office. Stepping inside, she turned and waited for the man to walk into the room and towards the wall as she closed the door. He pulled the card out of his sleeve and slid it into the reservoir. “At 1700 hours, Director Dored entered secure room three,” the soldier said as the scene appeared on the wall. He pressed the screen to skip ahead to the reserved spot, “At 2223 hours, Director Dored is still in the room, do you want me to show you the footage.”

“No, Officer Mord, I will take your word for it.”

“At 2223 hours,” he said as Amaris appeared on the screen walking through the door, “the Director’s mother, Amaris Star, entered the room…”

“No offense, Officer, but I think I can watch the scene.”

The officer nodded as they watched Amaris walk away from the door and around the corner.

As soon as Robyn sealed the door and walked away, Amaris appeared on the wall again and walked up to the door. Al watched as she tried to open the door then pulled something out of her pocket, and waved her hand in front of the door. “CURT voice recognition,” Al said. “Pause screen. Zoom in on right hand.”

“What is she is holding?” Mord inquired.

Al stepped closer to the wall, “Zoom in closer.” As soon as CURT followed the command, she continued, “Remove object from the right hand and place in a separate box. She looked at the incomplete object, “Fill in the gaps.” The object filled in, “It’s a spray can. Forward recording.” After Amaris stepped away from the door on the screen, Al stated, “Pause image. Freeze voice recognition.”

She turned to Mord as he stated, “If it is a spray can, why isn’t there anything on the door?”

“It is something that can’t be seen by the eye without aid. I want you to go through the recording and see if CURT can figure out from her movements what she wrote, and I will get some people to check out the door and see if we can figure it out that way.”

“What about the director?” Mord inquired as she went to open the door.

“I will find her and get her away from her mother.” She pushed the door open and started to walk out of the room and froze when she saw the snow screens for the cameras outside. “How long have those cameras been out?”

The guard turned to the cameras she was looking at, “They must’ve just gone out because I only turned away for a moment, I swear. I would never…”

Al raised her hand to stop him from saying anymore. She thought of Amaris’s marking of the door and quickly walked to the red box inside the private office door. She punched her fist through the glass pressing the button behind it. Blue lights began to flash as she stepped towards the microphone at the surveillance desk. “This is not a drill. Follow the invasion evacuation procedures. I repeat this is not a drill, follow the invasion evacuation procedure.” Mord stepped out of the office as she began to work on CURT in front of her, “Officer Mord, I want you to go find Uriah Star and get him safely out of here. We can’t loose him, he is too valuable.” Mord nodded and quickly ran out of the room. “CURT, voice recognition. Destroy all confidential documents.”

“Confirm choices of documents,” CURT stated.

Al entered a code into CURT, “Destroy all documents in all positions in the mine.”

“Confirmation confirmed, documents being destroyed,” CURT stated. Al pulled a card out of her pocket and slid it into a reservoir.

“Transfer tracking system of Director Dored’s vehicle to card.”

“Transfer in progress… Transfer complete.”

“Activate three strike clearance.”

“What is the three strike clearance?” Uriah inquired as he stepped into the surveillance room.

“I sent someone to find you.”

“Well, I was on my way to find you. When the alarm went off, I rushed over here to find out what was going on. So, what was that clearance?”

“The three strike clearance, gives a person three chances to enter the correct code and if it isn’t, CURT automatically destroys all internal files and if it is entered wrong a fourth time, a self destruct of the mine is set.”

“Quite a security. Where is my family, I should get them out of here?”

“They didn’t tell you?”

“Tell me what?”

“Your wife asked the members of your family to go and explore the state. They left at eight. We need to get you out of here.”

“What about you? You are just as important.”

“I have things to handle,” she stated turning back to CURT. “Besides I have to find your family.”

“I will go with you.”

“No, it isn’t safe.”

“They are my family and I am going with or without you.”

XXXX

Robyn looked down into the Grand Canyon, “I’m surprised they haven’t tried to use this for something or destroyed it.”

“I’m sure that the king has an appreciation for natural beauty as much as the next man.”

Looking at her mother, Robyn inquired, “Are you defending him?”

Amaris’s eyes darted back and forth, “Why don’t we go down there?”

She stared at her mother intently, Robyn spoke, “Maybe we should…”

Robyn pulled Amaris behind the vehicle, “What is going on?” Amaris demanded.

“A royal helo has landed not too far. Owen?”

“I saw ‘em,” he stated as he opened a compartment on the side of their vehicle. He pulled out a pistol and handed it to Robyn along with a box of ammo cards. “Can you shoot?” he asked Amaris.

She nodded slowly and he quickly handed her a pistol and a box of cards.

Amaris looked at Robyn’s concerned face as her daughter asked Owen, “You are going to know some of them, aren’t you?”

Owen took a deep breath, “Most likely.”

“Are you going to be okay?”

Looking at his wife, he answered, “Let’s just try and wound them.”

Robyn nodded and looked at her mother then at her siblings, “Kay, Chance, get in the vehicle and stay down…”

“Maybe we shouldn’t fight,” Amaris stated as Robyn pressed a button to open a hatch.

She snapped her head towards her mother as Kay and Chance climbed into the vehicle, “Do you realize that Owen and I are wanted criminals? The king wants us dead, I’d rather die fighting then surrendering. If you are afraid then maybe you should get inside with Kay and Chance.”

“I’m not afraid, but maybe it won’t be what you think.”

Robyn looked at the guards that began to file out of the ship, “They killed Grandma because she was the director of the revolution, what do you think they will do to me?”

Amaris watched as they got into position behind the vehicle, “I think the king will show mercy on you, after all it wasn’t your choice the life you were given.”

Looking deep into her mother’s eyes, Robyn spoke, “You gave them our position.”

“What?” Owen asked as he watched the troops began to break formation.

“You are working for the king. That’s why you got us out of the mine. You gave the position of the mine and got us out before it was invaded.”

“The mine is gone?” Owen inquired trying to figure out what was going on as he watched the troops.

“It should be by now,” Amaris stated as her face turned cold.

“Did the king want us alive? Is that why you got us away from there”

“No, but the king promised that he would show mercy on you and Owen.”

“You left Dad behind to die?”

“Listen, Robyn, he used me and your grandma used me. She is responsible for my father’s death.”

“How do you figure that?”

“I was told by the king’s man, Garcia, that he was killed because they knew who she was.”

“And you believed them?”

“Yes.”

“How long have you known the truth about Grandma?”

“A couple months now.”

“But you cried when she died.”

Amaris looked away trying not to show that she did love her mother somewhere in her heart. “It was all a show.”

Before Robyn could say anymore, the sand around them began to blow. She looked up and saw an airship starting to land between them and the troops. Seeing her father through the window of the cockpit, she pushed the button to the vehicle hatch. “We are leaving,” she yelled to Kay and Chance as she slid the gun into her belt. Robyn quickly took her mother’s gun before she could do anything else and stuck it into her belt as well.

“The king promised that our family would be safe.”

Ignoring her mother, Robyn took Kay and Chance by the hand and watched the airship land while laying cover fire.

Owen led them to the airship as Amaris inquired chasing after them, “Where are you taking my children?”

The side door opened and Robyn gently pushed her siblings into the ship, “I am taking them with me.”

“They are my children.”

Robyn drew her gun and aimed it straight at her mother, “Back away. You know I can do it and I will. I will not allow my brother and sister to be raised by a liar and a killer.”

“I didn’t kill anyone.”

“The blood of all the people killed at the mine is now on your hands. These are Dad’s children as well and you took them from him with the intent of his death.” Robyn stepped into the helicopter keeping her gun aimed at her mother’s head the whole time. “No go and join your new family,” she stated then slammed the button to close the door.