Chapter 1
“…the fact of the matter is, these protesters are few and far between. The majority of this country approves of my administration and the things we are doing to ensure that the events of twenty years ago never happen again. Do these self-proclaimed ‘revolutionaries’ really want to see another nation-wide massacre like May 15th? From the way they’re attacking my policies, it seems to me like they would be happy to see our children, our sick, our elderly, and our ordinary citizens murdered by the thousands again, even as we try to rebuild this country’s population.
“As I said, the nay-sayers are a drop in the bucket compared to the people who believe in my policies, but as we all know, it’s easy for the conversation to get out of control. These people have the potential to wreak havoc on our nation if they manage to grow their numbers, and that’s why we are taking measures to manage the threat. It’s important to deal with them before they cause any real damage.”
“You got that right, Minister,” Andrew West muttered at the television before taking a swig of his beer. He pushed back to recline in his chair and engaged the footrest, tossing an arm behind his head. “Those people don’t know what they’re talking about. They’re just going to ruin it for the rest of us.”
“West!”
The angry shout and a pounding at the door startled Andrew, as he was not expecting any trouble that night. Katie was out with a client and would not return for several hours yet. Andrew returned his chair to its upright position and stood, grabbing his beer and chugging the remaining liquid on his way to the front door. On the porch stood a man, red-faced and eyes full of rage, one fist clenched into a fist while his other hand wrapped tightly around a young woman’s bicep.
“What’s the trouble, then?” Andrew asked, barely managing to keep his voice calm as the man (Mason Nichols, Andrew remembered) threw the girl at him. Andrew made no effort to catch Katie or to help her up from the floor.
“You said one-fifty for the night, and your girl would do anything,” Nichols hissed. “’Nothing is off-limits,’ you said, as long as she can still work as usual tomorrow.”
“That is how we do business, yes,” Andrew agreed, folding his arms across his chest and sending a glare down to his sister, who stumbled slightly as she began to stand. “As long as your use of her will not prevent her from serving another client tomorrow, you have free reign. Again, what is the trouble?”
“She told me no! There wasn’t anything I wanted that would have damaged her permanently—it would have just caused a bit of pain—and she refused! She’s not worth my time and money. I can find plenty of girls willing to do a lot more for a lot less. I want my money back.”
“And so you shall have it,” Andrew responded, reaching into his pocket to pull out his wallet. “I’m terribly sorry for the trouble, sir. I’ve certainly taught her better than this, and rest assured, her insolence will be dealt with.” He handed Nichols the bank note. “I hope, given some time to reinforce her lessons, I can persuade you to come back and give her another try? Perhaps at a steep discount?”
“We’ll see,” Nichols muttered, turning around and walking away.
Andrew smirked, knowing the man would return. Katie had a reputation for being one of the most desirable girls in the area, due to her age, experience, and most of all, her handler’s loose restrictions.
Once the client had turned the corner at the end of the street, Andrew turned to Katie as he allowed the building anger to make itself known. He grabbed her wrist tightly and jerked her forward.
“For God’s sake, Katie, that’s a hundred you lost me tonight, maybe more! What the hell is wrong with you?”
“He wanted to burn me!” Katie lifted her head to look at her older brother’s red-tinged face and then quickly darted her eyes away again. “He wanted to burn me…down there.”
“I don’t care what he wanted to do, you stupid girl!” Andrew backhanded her across the face, and she tumbled down the stairs. “You know the rules, you know how this works: I tell them they can do what they want, as long as you can still work. You let them, and if they damage you too much, I can get more money out of them! Did you really think I would care if he burned you a little, if it turned out I could get a week’s-worth of compensation from him to cover the loss?”
He leapt down the stairs, pulled Katie up, and raised his hand to slap her again but was interrupted by the sound of a smooth voice behind him.
"How much do you want for the girl?"
Andrew let go of his sister, who stumbled backwards again, and prepared himself to make the sales pitch as he turned around. He was a little startled when he saw a tall, well-dressed woman glaring down at him.
A business woman, Andrew thought. Or maybe a lawyer? She’s got to have money.
"Three hundred for the night," he said out loud. It was more than he would charge the usual sorts who would come for Katie, but this woman was of a much higher caliber than the others. "Nothing she won’t do, except I’d rather you don’t put her out of commission."
"Three hundred per night, you say?" the stranger asked. "That would come out to nine thousand per month... What would you like for me to take her off your hands permanently?"
"Permanently? I don’t know if I could let her go, ma’am, she brings in a good bit..."
"Perhaps this could persuade you," the woman said, handing over an identification card.
Andrew’s eyes widened when he saw the seal of the Ministry on the card, and he hurried to read the rest of it. Charlotte Berenger, it read. Medical Consultant, Level 4 clearance. Andrew glanced between the photo on the ID and the woman’s face, and a slow smile formed on his face as he realized they matched.
Level four! He thought. She’s in the Minister’s circle of trust! If I make a good impression, she’s sure to tell the Minister about me!
"Of course, ma’am," Andrew agreed enthusiastically. "Would thirty thousand be a fair deal for you?"
"Twenty," Charlotte responded, glancing at Katie, who held her hand against a bleeding cut on her head. "It seems you’ve done quite a number on her this evening; she’s not in the best condition, is she?" Andrew’s shoulders slumped a little as he mentally kicked himself. "I will, of course, be sure to let Minister Pearse know how accommodating you have been, Mr....?"
"West, ma’am, Andrew West." Andrew stood taller at the praise, pushing his shoulders back and his chest out. "You should have no trouble with her, ma’am, none at all. I’ve trained her well, if I do say so myself. She’s one of the best girls in the county. She knows her place, and she’s as dumb as anything, so she won’t talk back."
"Yes, yes," Charlotte said rather impatiently as she wrote out a check and handed it to Andrew. "Does she have any belongings?"
"Gather your things," Andrew ordered Katie, who stumbled into the house. "Quickly!" In less than a minute, she returned with a small bag and nothing else. "Go, then. If I hear anything about you causing trouble, you--"
"I believe I can handle disciplining the girl, Mr. West," Charlotte interrupted, reaching out a hand to pull Katie towards her. "You needn’t concern yourself with her. I must go now. You can expect to hear from Minister Pearse soon. Good evening."
Andrew stared as Charlotte walked away with Katie following behind her. The money she brought in, while not quite as much as he’d led Charlotte to believe, was substantial, and it would be missed. The lump sum he received for her, on the other hand, would last a while, and soon he would have a position in the Ministry. He was sure of it.