Inception, page 7
part #1 of The Defiants Series
“All because I didn’t answer the census questions, didn’t follow the grocery list, and you and I aren’t married.” Charlie shook his head, stood up, and paced across the kitchen. “And this is just the beginning. What’s next?”
“I don’t know.”
“If we give in now, we’re sure to find out.”
Annie went to the refrigerator and pulled out a package of hamburger meat. Cooking dinner was the only way she could get her mind off things. She understood Charlie’s point of view, but she also knew there had to be compromises to make progress. It was an unsettling feeling, and though she was cooking dinner, her stomach was nauseated, and she wasn’t sure if she’d be able to eat anything.
“I don’t want to talk about this right now.” She emptied the meat into a skillet, noticing that Charlie had already gone into the living room with Ryan. Blinking back tears, she gathered the other ingredients needed to finish the meal, trying to pretend things were normal and the world around them wasn’t crumbling from an abuse of power.
Charlie tossed and turned, feeling Annie next to him. He thought about staying awake all night to monitor who was coming in and out of his house. He made a mental note to price surveillance systems and see how difficult they would be to set up. The likelihood of that being against the rules was high, but he was already being followed. What was another blemish on his record? It was as if he had murdered someone and the police were conducting a stakeout on him.
He padded down the hallway and stopped at the threshold of Ryan’s room. The night-light illuminated Ryan’s face, and he was sound asleep. He was able to eat only the meat and vegetables that Annie had prepared, and due to their grocery regulations, he’d soon not have many options. There was no way the government could keep someone with dietary restrictions from purchasing food, all because of the belief that allergies aren’t real. Even if Charlie quoted science, he would be punished for trying to protect his child.
Sitting on the edge of Ryan’s bed, Charlie ran his fingers through the boy’s hair. He stirred a little but went back to sleep, murmuring something. If Charlie had known what the world would be like today, he’d never have wanted to bring a child into it.
He walked into the living room, sat on the couch, and looked around. There were no obvious cameras or wires, but if they were being watched, whoever had set up the surveillance would’ve been more conscientious about hiding the equipment. Or would they? As harsh as the administration was, Charlie could see them rubbing their surveillance in everyone’s faces. “Look here! We’re watching your every move, you heathen! Don’t even kiss the godless Jezebel you’re shacking up with!”
He looked out the front window into the yard, and his heart skipped a beat when he saw the man in the suit standing on the sidewalk, right next to the Defiant sign cemented into the ground. He couldn’t tell if it was the same man who had been following him earlier, but did that really matter? The man didn’t even blink as he stared into the window at Charlie.
After stepping back from the window, Charlie checked on Ryan and Annie. They were both sound asleep in bed, and he envied them the rest they were getting. The chances of him getting any sleep in the near future seemed slim to none. If that meant protecting the ones he loved, though, he would do it.
And he needed to educate himself on martial law, the Constitution, and the rights of the American people. He needed ammunition, and in a world where rights were slowly being taken away, educating himself was the best line of defense—and one the Millstone administration could never confiscate.
Chapter Eight
Since their time together was limited, Charlie was thankful when Ryan woke up for the morning. It was Saturday, and Charlie had until noon with him. He heard Mia’s voice echo in his head—noon and not a minute later. He hadn’t slept at all and barely had enough energy to entertain the seven-year-old boy.
Sitting next to Charlie on the couch, Ryan rubbed his eyes and yawned. “What time is it?”
“It’s early. Are you hungry?”
Ryan nodded. “I am!”
“What do you want?” Charlie couldn’t remember what food he had in the house after the grocery-list drama. He hoped he had whatever Ryan was about to ask for.
“Eggs with cheese!”
Charlie went into the kitchen and looked through the refrigerator. He had one more slice of lactose-free cheese, and he let out a deep sigh. Would it be the last time Ryan ever got to put cheese on his eggs? It was about the only way Charlie could get the kid to eat them, and he clutched the slice like it was gold. “Okay, bud. You want me to scramble them?”
Ryan nodded from the couch, his eyes on the television. “Can I have a glass of milk?”
It was the same story with the milk. Charlie pulled the carton of almond milk out of the door and sloshed it around. It held enough for about two more cups. Ryan loved milk, and drinking it was a good way to make sure he was getting his calcium. The word “ration” came to Charlie’s mind, but there wasn’t enough milk to even try that, especially since it would go out of date soon.
He poured the cup of milk, scooted it across the table, and began cooking the eggs. He started a pot of coffee brewing, thankful that coffee hadn’t been cut from the list. Maybe that would be the next punishment if he continued to defy the rules. And having no coffee would be worse than spending a night in jail.
“Y’all are up early.” Annie walked into the kitchen, her robe tied around her waist, her hair disheveled as she pulled a couple of mugs from the cabinet. “Eggs and cheese, huh?”
“The last slice of cheese for Ryan. And he’s almost out of almond milk too.”
Annie wrapped her arm around his midsection and leaned in. “Damn, I was hoping the grocery regulation would end by the time he ran out of some of his special food.”
Lowering his voice, Charlie glanced into the living room. Ryan was engrossed in the cartoon. “I may have to steal some.”
“Seriously? What happened to being low-key? He can live without almond milk and cheese for a while, can’t he?”
Charlie shrugged and slid the eggs onto a plate. “I suppose. I just…” He set the kitchen table. “I just want him to have what he enjoys. He doesn’t deserve any of this. Kids are gonna suffer the worst. How do we explain something like this to a kid his age?”
“We don’t right now. Just have him come eat breakfast, and let’s pretend that everything is fine.” She poured herself a cup of coffee and blew on it. “You didn’t sleep last night, did you?”
“Nope. There was a guy in a suit standing in our yard at one point. Scared the shit out of me.”
“I guess that’s something else we’ll have to get used to.”
“I don’t want to get used to it. I couldn’t sleep because I wanted to make sure no one came into our home. I’m thinking about getting a surveillance system so we can monitor the place all the time. When we’re at work, when we’re sleeping…”
“I guess that’s a good idea, as long as it’s not against the rules. We haven’t even touched the packet to see what we can and can’t do.”
Charlie glanced at the packet, still neatly stacked on the edge of the table near Ryan. Seeing it made him sick to his stomach, and suddenly, the eggs didn’t seem too appetizing.
“Ryan, come eat. Your eggs are ready.”
Charlie sat at the table and sipped his coffee. Maybe he would glance over the rules and laws when Ryan went back to Mia’s house. Even if he didn’t agree with them, it would still be beneficial to know what was expected, especially if they wanted to appear compliant without actually following what the Millstone administration wanted.
After Ryan left with Mia, Charlie logged on to his computer and opened up Google. Pondering the appropriate search term to use in researching their situation, he tapped his finger on the keyboard. He began to type “martial law” but stopped himself. It occurred to him that computers and internet usage might be regulated and watched.
He checked his computer’s firewall. Everything appeared to be like it was before, but he wasn’t good at computers and really wasn’t sure he was looking in the right spot. Letting out a sigh, he glanced out the front window, his anger boiling at the Defiant sign that had been cemented into his lawn.
“Screw it!” He was already labeled a Defiant. He already was being watched. If they were watching his Google search, maybe that was a good thing. Maybe they would see that there were still some American citizens who weren’t afraid to arm themselves—not only with weapons but also with education to know their rights.
He pressed Enter, and Google brought up thousands of hits pertaining to martial law. The next thing he needed to consider was what was a credible source and what was false. The top two results were straight from the Millstone administration, discussing the consequences of illegal searches on the internet. They must have set up certain keyword searches so that the top results would always default to websites that warned of punishment for illegal searches. It was scare tactics at its finest, and Charlie wasn’t going to let that deter him from his research.
About halfway down the page, he clicked on a link that appeared to have information he needed about martial law and the Constitution. The web page loaded, and after a few seconds, a red screen popped up with yellow flashing letters reading WEBSITE BLOCKED.
Charlie leaned back in his chair and stared at the bright letters. “What the…”
He hit the back button and returned to the search results, attempting to access the next link down the page. Again, the page took a few seconds to load, and the same red screen came up with the large words WEBSITE BLOCKED flashing in yellow letters. He tried five more links and got the same result.
Charlie closed his laptop, stood up, and grabbed his truck keys. He sent a text to Annie, letting her know he was headed to the library. If they were already working on regulating the internet, he would have to do his research the old-fashioned way and look through books.
The drive to the library was quick, and he noticed a black sedan following him. The driver didn’t even try to be inconspicuous. Charlie intended to ignore the person but made eye contact with him as he got out of his truck in the parking lot. The man appeared to be the same guy who had been in his yard the night before. They all dressed the same—dark suit, matching tie, and dark aviator sunglasses. Maybe it was someone different. Charlie wasn’t going to waste his time trying to figure that out when he had more important things on his mind.
When Charlie went inside, he was greeted by an older woman at the front counter. No one else was there, and the smell of books hit him, making him nostalgic for his childhood and much simpler times. He recalled sitting on the rug, any book he wanted right in front of him. The thought brought a smile to his lips, and the woman arched her eyebrow.
“Can I help you with something?”
“I’m looking for books or resources on the Constitution and martial law.”
The woman shook her head. “I’m sorry. Books about those topics are not available.”
“You’re kidding me, right?”
Her brow creased, and she folded her arms over her chest. “I’m afraid not.”
“What books are available?” Charlie stepped closer to the counter.
“Religion. Fiction, as long as government isn’t a topic.”
Charlie pushed off the counter and took a few steps backward. “When did this happen?”
The woman’s eyes moved away from Charlie, glancing at something behind him. He turned on his heel, and the man from the dark sedan was standing in the threshold of the library.
“Did that guy do it?” Charlie motioned his head toward the man. “Did they come take the books?”
“I’m afraid I can’t help you.” The woman kept her eyes on the stranger in the doorway. “You need to leave.”
Charlie ignored her and walked toward the first row of books, remembering the nonfiction section from years ago. He quickened his pace, hoping to reach the books before someone pulled him away. When he reached the nonfiction section, his heart sank. The shelves were empty, and the only evidence that books were ever there was the dust outlines where they had once sat. He glanced to his left, and it was the same situation—no books, only vacant shelves.
Sharp pain ripped through his bicep as the man grasped him, digging into Charlie’s skin. He tried to jerk away but was unsuccessful.
“What do you think you’re doing, Mr. Cooper?”
“You’ve blocked websites and now books? How are we supposed to look things up?”
“You were told to leave. And we have on record your search history from your computer. Martial law? Do you really thing you’re going to stage an uprising and overtake the government? From some research?” The man actually showed some emotion, smirking as his fingers dug deeper into Charlie’s muscle.
Charlie gritted his teeth. “Regulating groceries. Regulating the internet. Regulating books. You can’t do this to us.”
“Mr. Cooper, when are you going to learn that nothing is as it was? You can look into martial law and the Constitution, but none of it stands anymore. I’m not sure how many times we have to tell you that this is the way it is now. The sooner you accept it, the easier things will be. We won’t have to watch your house as much. Just follow the rules.” The man let him go and stepped back. “You haven’t even read the rule packet we left for you.”
“Oh, so that kind of reading, you’ll allow.” Charlie clenched his jaw as he tried to keep from hitting the man.
“Of course. It’s the type of reading that may actually save your life.”
“Is that a threat?” Charlie took one step closer.
“You know what it is. If you take one more step toward me, we’ll lock you up and throw away the key. Go home. Read the rules packet. The sooner, the better, before you do something you’ll never be able to come back from.”
Charlie felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, reminding him that Annie and Ryan needed him. If he got arrested, who would make sure they were safe? Though it killed him to do it, he nodded, allowing the man to escort him out of the library and back to his pickup.
“You’re turning out to be a challenge, Mr. Cooper. Prove me wrong. Become a model citizen.”
Charlie didn’t reply, biting his tongue while he still had the chance to drive away and go home to his family. Backing away from the man and the library was one of the hardest things he’d ever had to do. And while he might have just lost a battle, the war wasn’t over yet, and he was going to make damn sure to fight until the bitter end.
Chapter Nine
The last thing Annie wanted to do was go to work. With strange men following her all the time and Charlie not willing to abide by the rules, even if pretending to follow the rules allowed them to buy some time to come up with a plan to get Millstone out of office, she didn’t want to leave his side. She felt safe around him, and she also wanted to make sure she kept him in line. It was originally his idea to play along so they wouldn’t get separated, but his actions didn’t match up with what he was telling her to do.
Walking into the diner, she noted that it wasn’t busy. The other waitress scheduled that morning was sitting at the end of the bar, skimming a menu. After hanging her jacket on the coatrack, Annie joined her, sliding onto the open stool closest to her coworker.
“Good morning, Jo.” Annie glanced up at the muted TV. It was on a news station, which she had no interest in watching.
“Morning. I’ve had one customer, and I’ve been here over an hour.”
“Looking to order some food while you wait?” Annie pointed at the menu.
The older woman shook her head. “Looking over the menu changes.”
“Menu changes? When did that happen?” Everything had appeared the same yesterday before she left.
“I couldn’t tell you when, but you might want to look things over.” Jo slid another menu her way and didn’t even look up.
Annie skimmed the menu she had once known by heart, butterflies in her stomach when she saw how limited the choices were. Before the changes, customers had options of breakfast, sandwiches, Mexican entrees, and comfort food. Now, the only things available were salads and health foods.
“Why the drastic change?” Annie asked, knowing Jo didn’t have the answers. It had to be something related to the regulation of groceries. Either the new administration had implemented the changes, or due to the lack of ingredients, the owner had to make changes to keep the place running.
Shrugging, Jo closed the menu. “At least it won’t take us long to learn it.” She forced a smile.
“Now I understand why you’ve only had one customer all day,” Annie replied, her heart skipping a beat when the bells above the door jingled and a man in a dark suit entered, his eyes directly on Annie as he chose a corner booth in the back of the restaurant.
“The one I had was dressed just like that. I’ll let you take this one.” Jo patted her on the shoulder.
Annie wanted to decline, but it was too late. Jo had stepped outside for a cigarette break, leaving her alone with the man. Two cooks were behind the swinging door, out of sight of whatever might happen with the strange person.
Annie grabbed a notepad and stepped toward the booth, failing to compose herself as she poised her ink pen between her thumb and middle finger, ready to write down his order.
Clearing her throat, she asked, “How can I help you today?”
“I’ll take a coffee, black, and a slice of toast with butter on the side.” The man’s voice was firm, monotone, his face blank with no emotion. His stare made the hair on the back of Annie’s neck stand up, but she smiled, anyway, trying to remain as normal as possible, though her instincts were screaming to stay away.
“I’ll get that right out for you, sir.”
“Before you go put that order in, there’s something else you need to know,” the stranger replied, his blue eyes sharp like he was staring daggers through her.
