A Ripple in the Water

Prologue

"Are you sure this will work," Karen Climm, my partner from work asks me, doubt seeping into her voice.

"No," I say honestly, "But it is the only option we have left." She shakes her head, she realizes I'm right. "Call Collins, we have to get this mission on it's feet. Soon." She walks out of the room to call him. Rummaging through my drawers searching for a pen I stumble across the picture of my niece Nia. It was taken a few months ago and she looks so happy. For a moment and not for the first time, I wonder if I might just abandon this whole thing let someone else lead. Let someone else take down the government. But I know that if I don't do this no one will. And the best way to help her is by taking down the government, especially Kolak.

"Sir?" Karen has come back.

"Yes, Climm," I say not liking the obvious bad news her facial expression tells me she is about to deliver.

"They have taken Collins," she says in a rush.

"Damn it! He was your best shot at getting into their database. What the hell are we supposed to do now," I explode. Karen jumps back startled at my sudden unexpected break in composure.

"I don't... I don't know," she says timidly. Of course she doesn't it's not her job to know, it is my job. And right now that job seems impossible.

If we don't have Collins we can't shut down their technology which means we have no hope of winning. No hope of saving anyone. No hope at all. My mind brings me back to the picture of Nia. Without Collins I can't save her. Without Collins she's destined to end up like my brother and his wife- her parents. Maybe not now, but I can't keep her secret hidden forever. She definitely has longer than my brother did. She doesn't know she is special. They don't know right now either. But they will find out. Their technology will guarantee that they will find out. And now that Collins is gone I have no hope to save her.

At least you can hide her. You can keep her safe. You are here for her. As long as you are here you can keep her alive. I think to myself.

BOOM! Suddenly I feel myself thrown back against the back wall, as the wall to my right explodes letting soldiers stream in. Soldiers with guns. Soldiers with the capital insignia. Damn it. They have found out. They have come to take me too.

"Albrekt Gustin and Karen Climms you are both, under the order of High Lord Kolak, sentenced to execution for conspiracy, insubordination, attempts to compromise government property, and assassination," says the oldest Official, Quinnly the one I know. The one I hate and the one who hates me.

Quickly as a last hope I pull the gun in my coat out, but they are too fast for me and one of them, the youngest one, smacks it out of my hand and throws me to the ground face first. Quinnly walks over to me. The Official who through me to the ground has his foot on my head forcing it to the ground so all I can see is Quinnly's boot.

"You are getting too old for this old man," he says mockingly before he kicks me in the face.

I failed. And she's going to die because of it.

That's all I have time to think before everything goes black.