Kingdom Gone

GENESIS

Llamas.

Versatile animals. Great for rocky terrain, don't take up much space, and can carry over a hundred pounds in their saddlebags. Fantastic animals.

Why I drive a Jeep and not a llama is not because they smell bad, or because you have to feed them, or even because the jeep is faster. I drive a jeep because a llama can't carry twelve 50 caliber Plasma Rifles at once. Which is what I'm doing.

It's just past noon, the artificial sun high in the artificial sky. Upper middle class citizens wander about the marble city of Agua Dulce, the capital of the First Kingdom. The Kingdom of Administration, as it's also known as, is built amid the tributaries of Lake Lake, the stupidest name for a body of water ever devised.

I lean against the rear door of my Jeep, parked on the edge of Plaza Mayor. I've accumulated a large pile of broken sunflower seeds on the marble sidewalk beside me, the half full bag clutched in my hand. My phone rests on the Jeep's roof, me glancing at it every few seconds willing the text to appear.

My biggest client yet had contacted me about smuggling a dozen high caliber weapons out of the First Kingdom and to a safe house in a location yet to be told to me. Hence the anticipation for the text.

From my years of smuggling, I've learned that the best place to hide anything is in plain sight. Most smugglers would pick up the stash and get the hell outta town, taking the first HoloTram to the next kingdom. Idiots. The only bigger giveaway would be firing a flare into the sky and screaming "Shoot me I'm armed!"

Guns are forbidden in the 9 kingdoms, save for funded military forces and militias, a law put into place after the civil war a few decades ago. In fact, it was signed in that large columned building across the plaza. Oh, the irony.

After the war a lot of universal laws were ratified by each kingdom, in an effort to sustain "relative peace" among the 9 kingdoms. Of course, the crackdown on crime only caused underground organizations to grow in power and black markets became popular not only to criminals and drug dealers, but to lower class citizens as well. Jobs for people who knew their way between the kingdoms became enticing, and without a doubt, very lucrative.

I've built a bit of a reputation since I began smuggling three years ago, my client base has been growing. One thing I offer is absolute discretion, something rare in this type of business. Most people know me as just "Jason", very few know my full-

"Jason Landing?" A voice says, ripping me from my thoughts.

I choke on a sunflower seed, my own name catching me off guard. I turn around and see a girl, maybe 17 or 18, standing beside my jeep, small backpack around her thin shoulders. Jean shorts display her long, tan legs, light blue v-neck purposefully revealing a bit too much. Her blue eyes are clearly her best feature, like two polished diamonds floating in pools of milk. Her hair is dirty blonde, wavy borderline curly.

After a few hits on the chest, the seed flies out and lands among his fallen brothers. Out of breath, I lean against the back of my Jeep as nonchalantly as possible.

"Who's asking?" I say, coming out as more of a cough.

With a smirk, the girl scans me up and down, walking in a slow circle around me. She nods, as if she found what she was looking for from my leather jacket and worn jeans. The girl suddenly leans towards me, both hands on the Jeep on either side of me, her chest firmly against mine. I feel my cheeks burning.

"You are Jason Landing." She whispers.

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are."

"No I'm not. But I'll need your name for when I file a sexual assault charge against you."

She stands back up slowly, chuckling under her breath. "I'd prefer to keep my identity a secret. You offer absolute discretion, don't you?"

I stand. "You sure know a lot about this Jason Landing person."

"Wave enough money around in this city and you can find out anything." She said, gazing across the plaza.

"Well," I say, holding up a pink leather wallet. "let's learn a little about you then, shall we?"

Her eyes widen, hands touching the open zipper of her backpack. "How did you-"

"A few small bills and a coupon to Marty's Books-a-million. So you're a broke reader then?" I ask, the girl glowering at me, arms folded.

I laugh, pulling out a laminated card. "Ah, here we go. Mhm." I extend my hand playfully. "Nice to meet you Circe Evans. Wait, Evans? As in-"

She grins. "Yup."

I gasp, bringing the I.D to my face. The Evans family seal shines in reflective bluish-green ink in the bottom right corner. I stare at the girl. "You're the Governor's daughter?"

She nods.

Slowly, I place the I.D back and hand the wallet to her, scanning the plaza. "No one's ever seen the Governor's daughter. Heard he doesn't let her leave the estate."

Circe zips her backpack closed. "Dad tries his best."

"Uh huh." I say, eyeing down a nearby pedestrian. "So, you snuck out?"

"Yup."

"And they're probably looking for you?"

"Probably."

"Thought so." I sigh. "Which means I gotta go." I spin around and reach for the driver side door of my Jeep.

"Hey, wait!" Circe says, following.

"Shoo!" I flap my hands at her, a foot in the door.

She grabs the door before I can close it. "Jason-"

"Not my name."

"Listen!" She groans, pulling at the door. I grab the handle, struggling to close it. After a few seconds of the stupidest game of tug-of-war ever, Circe rips the door from my grasp, opening it all the way.

"I have a job offer for you. I. . . need you to smuggle me to another kingdom."

I pause, key in the ignition. Her face is serious, still as stone. I scratch my head. She could be telling the truth, repressed young girl escapes from powerful, overbearing and overprotective father, seeks out the one guy who has a decent chance of getting her out, somewhat safely. Probable monetary reward. Possible sex reward.

Or I'm getting screwed, Governor Evans using his own daughter to lure me into a trap, which is all kinds a' low. But I've never directly crossed the Governor. He rules over the entire First Kingdom, a man that powerful I go out of my way to avoid. Sure I've smuggled very illegal stuff through his borders, but-

"Hello?" Circe snaps in my face.

I blink back to reality. "Huh? Oh, right." I slide out of the car, pushing Circe against the car door. Left arm blocking her, I lean into her ear.

"I'm not saying I don't trust you, but I really don't trust you." Our chests touch again, her heart beating quickly against mine.

"I-I'm telling the truth." She stammers, feet scraping against the marble floor. Her confidence from before is now gone.

"A person's word isn't worth much anymore." I sigh.

"Then what can I do?"

"Prove that you're not trying to play me.''

She pauses, then whispers. "Fine."

That's when she tazed me.