“You may question my ethics, but you can’t question my logic. Or my influence. Or my power. And that is what I offer you now… power. Like no other man on Earth can offer you. Today you cash checks that you have earned playing a game. It’s an entertaining game, business. But it’s not the real game. Statesmen would say that the real game is politics, and they are right. For that is where the real power is. Businesses can be crushed by politicians overnight.”
Natesh was getting light-headed from the wine. He said, “And dictators can be overthrown overnight.”
Jinshan looked down at the crowd below. He said, “True. But to win in that game — the game of nations — you must be willing to exercise every option. And that is where I have an advantage in placing logic over ethics. You said you didn’t believe in God. Well, neither do I. If there is no God, who will stop wars from destroying the world? Who will stop economies from crashing due to Wall Street gamblers’ mistakes? Who will save the people of this world from themselves? It has always been the same answer to these questions. The great emperors throughout history have been the men with the vision, the capability, and the authority to shape the world. You have great ambition. You have great strength. You have great intellect. I have chosen you to be a part of this great shaping of the world.”
Natesh said, “I am flattered to hear you say that. But, sir, you only just met me. How do you can you possibly know whether I am suitable for—”
“I know.”
Natesh paused. He took another drink of his wine. “How do you know I won’t disappoint?”
“You won’t.”
Natesh shook his head. “I have reservations.”
Jinshan said, “I have no doubt that you are apprehensive about some of the things I have mentioned. The road ahead will require hard work and sacrifice. Things that I believe are part of your nature. But before I continue providing you with details, please give me an answer to this question: Do you choose power or wealth?”
Brooke looked up at Tess from the stage at the bottom of the classroom.
Brooke said, “Natesh is running here?”
Tess said, “Yeah.”
“Alone?”
Tess said, “Yeah, he should be in the building now. I can’t see him anymore.”
Brooke walked quickly over to the classroom door that lead to the outer hallway and building entrance. She didn’t know what she would say to him but she knew she had to confront him. What Major Combs had just revealed didn’t paint him in a good light. And it raised serious questions about things that Natesh had said. She liked him, sure. He seemed honest. But if he had lied about how he met Lena, and how long he had known her, what else could he be lying about? Why would he lie about those things? And why was he alone now? Why would he leave Norman and Lena in the Comms building by themselves?
Brooke pulled on the classroom doorknob to open it, but it didn’t budge. She frowned. Her fingers tightened around the knob. She twisted and pulled again. It was locked. The only exit to the room was locked from the outside. She gave it another tug. She looked down and didn’t see a lock handle. Just a keyhole. That’s odd. Shouldn’t the lock keyhole be on the opposite side? She looked back through the small glass square at the top of the door.
Natesh stared back at her.
She stared at him, confused, yelling for him to open the door. Other people heard her yelling in the room and came over. Then Brooke heard a scream from up on the top level of the tiered classroom. Her eyes shot up to see a cluster of people leaning towards the window.
Brooke yelled, “What is it?”
She could barely hear Tess over the panic. Tess was frantic. “They’re coming. There’s so many.”
Brooke looked back through the small glass window. Natesh stood looking at her. A serious look in his eyes that she hadn’t seen before.
The last thing she saw before he walked away was his lips as he mouthed, “I’m sorry.”
EPISODE 4
CHAPTER 11
The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.
Tom Connolly opened the cell door and looked inside.
Bill lay in shambles on the floor. He looked up at Tom and said, “Just you this time?”
“Yeah. Just me.”
Bill said, “What do you want?”
Tom almost gagged as he got a whiff of the air. It stank in this cell. It smelled like human waste and rotting food. He said, “I decided that I would check on you. See if you needed anything.”
Bill squinted. His voice was ragged. “You helped put me here and now you’re worried about my well-being? Lena said you were gonna come back and question me. Maybe that’s why you’re here. More likely.”
Tom looked away. He swayed in the doorway, thinking about leaving. Maybe this was a bad idea. What was he doing here, anyway? Was he lonely, the only American on this side of the island? There would be others here soon, but they would be locked up like Bill here.
Bill said, “So why’d you do it? What do you think they’re going to do? Make you a prince? Where are you going to go?”
Tom said, “What did you say?” He flexed his fists.
Bill spat on the floor of the cell. He said, “I assume they made you promises.”
Tom said, “Yeah, they did. Pretty big ones.”
“And you’re okay with that? With selling your soul like that?”
“I’ll live.”
“Will you? Where are you going to go? It looks to me like you came in here because you didn’t know where else to go. You’re already having regrets.”
“I’m not having—”
Bill’s voice was raspy. “So what are you gonna do? They gonna send you back to America? You gonna be a king there?”
Tom didn’t know why he kept listening, but he had a bit of a buzz going and didn’t yet care to move. “That’s the plan.”
“Well… your servants will despise you. They’ll know. Somehow they’ll know what you did. And if they don’t kill you, what will you do when the guilt hits you like a ton of bricks?”
Tom stared at him, stone-faced. Bill was lying on the floor, filthy and tired. And yet he looked stronger than Tom felt.
“Go to hell,” Tom said.
“Oh, I’m going to heaven, my friend. I’ve got a seat waiting for me there. I’ve lived a good, honorable life. I’ve got a wife and family that love me and memories of…” Bill’s voice cracked. He said, “I’m satisfied with what I’ve done with my life. Will you be able to say the same, when your judgment comes?”
Tom glared at him. He took another swig from his flask. “It stinks like shit in here.”
He turned and walked out of the cell, slamming the door behind him. He walked down the empty hallway. Almost all of the Chinese soldiers were busy hustling over to the other side of the island. There was no one around.
He approached one of the steel doors that led out to the docks and the beach. He opened the door and stepped outside. He needed a smoke. Rain and wind struck him, but he continued on.
Tom shielded his eyes from the pelts of rain and walked around the side of the large concrete building he had just come out of. He removed a cigarette from his pack and tried to light it. The wind and rain made that nearly impossible. After a few minutes of cursing, he got one good drag before the cigarette was too wet to smoke. Tom flicked it into the air and the gusts sent it cartwheeling down away on the sand. He took out his flask and took a swig, walking down to the beach. Tom’s clothes were already drenched. He looked at the waves and decided he would go pick out a seat next to the motorboats. A drink in the rain on a beach in a hurricane. A sure cure for whatever ails you.