Bitter Truths
by Steven Ormosi
“Took you long enough,” Jonah yelled down to him.
“So where are they?” Ben shouted back indignantly.
“There was only one, I saw him running around so I cranked the siren. He started coming up the ladder. I shot him.” Jonah pointed at the ground where the creature was laying.
Ben went up and fired a shot into its head. “Well that’s lucky. C’mon down and help me search the wall for the leak.”
Ben had brought the emergency radio in and gave the folks inside the all clear before they commenced the search.
“This is weird shit, Ben. I don’t see any others and I didn’t notice any cracks on my walk through yesterday. Where the hell did it come from?”
“Beats me, man,” said Ben as he stepped behind Jonah, brought up his gun handle and smashed it down on the back of Jonah’s head.
Jonah fell in a heap to the ground and immediately grabbed at his head, unaware of what had happened. He turned over just in time to see the second blow with the butt of the gun crash into his face, and then everything went dark.
Jonah awoke with a monstrous headache, he was tied to a chair. There was a table in front of him. Ben and another man who Jonah didn’t recognize were standing across the table from him. Ben spoke.
“Hey buddy, I’m real sorry about bashing you in the head like that. I didn’t really have time to convince you to come along. I know you’re a little groggy right now and probably don’t really know what’s going on. Being as you’d put it all together in a few minutes anyway, I’ll just help you out. You rang the siren earlier because you saw a null skull. You then killed that nullie. I came in and knocked you out and dragged you away. I had a few friends help me cover up said situation. And no, you don’t get to know who they are. Anyway, the whole point of this little smash and grab was to make it look like you were killed in the line of duty. Now everyone wanted to just kill you for real, but we’re pals and I convinced them that you were more important alive. I’m gonna let this stuff sink in for a bit. We’re gonna have someone come by and take a look at your melon. Then I’ll let you know the rest of the plan.”
Jonah’s head lolled on his neck as he struggled to spit on Ben but only ended up getting it on the front of his own shirt.
Some time later, a man came into the room. He was alone. He shone a light in Jonah’s eyes. He checked the bump on Jonah’s head. Jonah flinched away when he touched it. Then the man walked out. Ben strolled in a couple of minutes later.
“Looks like you’re going to be just fine, Jonah. A clean bill of health.”
“Fuck you, Ben. Tell me what’s going on.”
“What’s going on is that Kelly, is a megalomaniacal monster who is going to destroy this city if Jenkins is elected. She’s got her hand in so many pies around here that she makes the Free Masons look like amateurs. I know you don’t know too much about what she really does, but she’s dangerous to this place and to our survival. Max Donovan has to win that election.”
“And what do I have to do with that?”
“You, my friend, are in the perfect position to help us out. Look, nobody wants a war, but that’s exactly what this city is headed for if we don’t get ourselves straight. We can’t tolerate Kelly running this town, she’s a mobster, a terrorist. We’re going to try to do this without causing the people of the city to break apart, but if Max Donovan doesn’t win, everyone is going to find out exactly the same information that I’m about to share with you.”
Jonah swung his head up to look into Ben’s eyes. “So you’re saying that you are going to show me something, or tell me something that will make me turn on one of my closest friends. That is, after you’ve already knocked me out, dragged me to some dungeon and tied me to a chair. Sorry if I’m a little skeptical.”
Ben took a folder from a bag he had on the floor, opened it and took out several photos, “These are pictures of Kelly’s father. His name was Patrick Finnegan. He ran almost all organized crime in the city before the collapse. We have evidence that Kelly is following in her old man’s footsteps. She has a crew of lieutenants who work under her.” He took out more photos and spread them out in front of Jonah. “You probably recognize them. These men have been discretely terrorizing key figures in the city telling them that if Ed Jenkins doesn’t win this election, certain bad things are going to happen to them and the people they care about. These men are known criminals, killers.”
Jonah laughed, “You can’t be serious. Yeah, I recognize them. I play cards with them every week, they’re a little bit rough, but they’re not killers.”
“Don’t be naïve, Jonah.” Ben pulled out several more pictures from the folder, Polaroids this time. “These people were all killed by Kelly’s crew. These have been taken within the last two weeks.” He pointed at one. “This one shows her top lieutenant, Perry in the act of executing a man who went against her requests.”
Jonah stared at the likeness of the man he knew as a bad bluffer holding a gun to the head of another man who was on his knees, crying. “This can’t be real.”
“Well it’s not like there’s Photoshop anymore, buddy. We’re lighting our houses with candles, remember? Trust me, that’s the real McCoy.”
“Kelly wouldn’t…”
“She would and has. Listen, I wish that I had some way to make this easier for you, but the truth is that she’s a killer who’s trying to become a fascist dictator through Ed Jenkins. We can’t let that happen. Look at this.” He pointed to another picture. “She gave the order that started this fire. Twenty people were killed in this building. She’s a monster, Jonah. Worse than those things outside the wall. At least they’re not aware of what they’re doing.”
“Ben, I don’t know. I don’t know how to get my head around this.”
“I know it’s tough. I’ll give you some time alone, but we can’t afford much. You need to work this out, soon, if Jenkins wins this election, it could be the end of mankind as we know it.“
Ben picked up the photos and his bag and left the room.
Jonah called out for Ben.
“Yeah, Jonah,” Ben said as he entered the doorway.
“What are you proposing?”
Ben said, “I have to know you’re with us, Jonah. That you won’t betray us. You have the chance to be the most important person in the history of the human race right now. Your choice could ultimately decide whether we survive as a species or are torn apart from within. You’ve got to pledge your allegiance.”
Jonah sighed, “I don’t think I really have a choice, but you’re right, Ben, those photos you showed me. Things like that can’t happen for no reason. Things like that are unforgivable. I pledge my allegiance to your cause.”
“Ok,” Ben said, “Here’s the plan. We’re going to bring you back and say that Max sent out a search party to find you. We’re going to tell everyone that we saved your life. You are then going to implicate Ed Jenkins for the breach of the wall. You’re going to have to ride out a week in quarantine. We’ll make sure you get your own cage. But before that happens, we’ll have a reporter come and take a statement from you. You’re going to tell how Ed Jenkins’ campaign manager, Kelly let those creatures through. She was seen by several people near the wall when the siren was going off. It won’t be hard to pin her for the breach with your testimony. That should be plenty to convince people that Jenkins doesn’t have the people at heart.”
“Well, let’s get this over with.”
As they pulled him up and untied him, Jonah’s head swirled with the consequences of what he was about to do. Ben was right, this was a huge decision, one that shouldn’t be taken lightly. The right words, the right tone. Everything needed to be perfect. Hell this might be the last important thing he’d ever do. He didn’t want to screw it all up now.
They led him through a series of houses near the wall, he assumed so that no one saw him as he approached the quarantine cages. They led him inside. He sat down.
A reporter came into the room and sat down in front of him. The metal mesh between them reminded Jonah of Confession, back in the days when absolved sin meant anything.
One day I’ll break, thought Jonah, but not today.
“So where are they?” Ben shouted back indignantly.
“There was only one, I saw him running around so I cranked the siren. He started coming up the ladder. I shot him.” Jonah pointed at the ground where the creature was laying.
Ben went up and fired a shot into its head. “Well that’s lucky. C’mon down and help me search the wall for the leak.”
Ben had brought the emergency radio in and gave the folks inside the all clear before they commenced the search.
“This is weird shit, Ben. I don’t see any others and I didn’t notice any cracks on my walk through yesterday. Where the hell did it come from?”
“Beats me, man,” said Ben as he stepped behind Jonah, brought up his gun handle and smashed it down on the back of Jonah’s head.
Jonah fell in a heap to the ground and immediately grabbed at his head, unaware of what had happened. He turned over just in time to see the second blow with the butt of the gun crash into his face, and then everything went dark.
Jonah awoke with a monstrous headache, he was tied to a chair. There was a table in front of him. Ben and another man who Jonah didn’t recognize were standing across the table from him. Ben spoke.
“Hey buddy, I’m real sorry about bashing you in the head like that. I didn’t really have time to convince you to come along. I know you’re a little groggy right now and probably don’t really know what’s going on. Being as you’d put it all together in a few minutes anyway, I’ll just help you out. You rang the siren earlier because you saw a null skull. You then killed that nullie. I came in and knocked you out and dragged you away. I had a few friends help me cover up said situation. And no, you don’t get to know who they are. Anyway, the whole point of this little smash and grab was to make it look like you were killed in the line of duty. Now everyone wanted to just kill you for real, but we’re pals and I convinced them that you were more important alive. I’m gonna let this stuff sink in for a bit. We’re gonna have someone come by and take a look at your melon. Then I’ll let you know the rest of the plan.”
Jonah’s head lolled on his neck as he struggled to spit on Ben but only ended up getting it on the front of his own shirt.
Some time later, a man came into the room. He was alone. He shone a light in Jonah’s eyes. He checked the bump on Jonah’s head. Jonah flinched away when he touched it. Then the man walked out. Ben strolled in a couple of minutes later.
“Looks like you’re going to be just fine, Jonah. A clean bill of health.”
“Fuck you, Ben. Tell me what’s going on.”
“What’s going on is that Kelly, is a megalomaniacal monster who is going to destroy this city if Jenkins is elected. She’s got her hand in so many pies around here that she makes the Free Masons look like amateurs. I know you don’t know too much about what she really does, but she’s dangerous to this place and to our survival. Max Donovan has to win that election.”
“And what do I have to do with that?”
“You, my friend, are in the perfect position to help us out. Look, nobody wants a war, but that’s exactly what this city is headed for if we don’t get ourselves straight. We can’t tolerate Kelly running this town, she’s a mobster, a terrorist. We’re going to try to do this without causing the people of the city to break apart, but if Max Donovan doesn’t win, everyone is going to find out exactly the same information that I’m about to share with you.”
Jonah swung his head up to look into Ben’s eyes. “So you’re saying that you are going to show me something, or tell me something that will make me turn on one of my closest friends. That is, after you’ve already knocked me out, dragged me to some dungeon and tied me to a chair. Sorry if I’m a little skeptical.”
Ben took a folder from a bag he had on the floor, opened it and took out several photos, “These are pictures of Kelly’s father. His name was Patrick Finnegan. He ran almost all organized crime in the city before the collapse. We have evidence that Kelly is following in her old man’s footsteps. She has a crew of lieutenants who work under her.” He took out more photos and spread them out in front of Jonah. “You probably recognize them. These men have been discretely terrorizing key figures in the city telling them that if Ed Jenkins doesn’t win this election, certain bad things are going to happen to them and the people they care about. These men are known criminals, killers.”
Jonah laughed, “You can’t be serious. Yeah, I recognize them. I play cards with them every week, they’re a little bit rough, but they’re not killers.”
“Don’t be naïve, Jonah.” Ben pulled out several more pictures from the folder, Polaroids this time. “These people were all killed by Kelly’s crew. These have been taken within the last two weeks.” He pointed at one. “This one shows her top lieutenant, Perry in the act of executing a man who went against her requests.”
Jonah stared at the likeness of the man he knew as a bad bluffer holding a gun to the head of another man who was on his knees, crying. “This can’t be real.”
“Well it’s not like there’s Photoshop anymore, buddy. We’re lighting our houses with candles, remember? Trust me, that’s the real McCoy.”
“Kelly wouldn’t…”
“She would and has. Listen, I wish that I had some way to make this easier for you, but the truth is that she’s a killer who’s trying to become a fascist dictator through Ed Jenkins. We can’t let that happen. Look at this.” He pointed to another picture. “She gave the order that started this fire. Twenty people were killed in this building. She’s a monster, Jonah. Worse than those things outside the wall. At least they’re not aware of what they’re doing.”
“Ben, I don’t know. I don’t know how to get my head around this.”
“I know it’s tough. I’ll give you some time alone, but we can’t afford much. You need to work this out, soon, if Jenkins wins this election, it could be the end of mankind as we know it.“
Ben picked up the photos and his bag and left the room.
Jonah called out for Ben.
“Yeah, Jonah,” Ben said as he entered the doorway.
“What are you proposing?”
Ben said, “I have to know you’re with us, Jonah. That you won’t betray us. You have the chance to be the most important person in the history of the human race right now. Your choice could ultimately decide whether we survive as a species or are torn apart from within. You’ve got to pledge your allegiance.”
Jonah sighed, “I don’t think I really have a choice, but you’re right, Ben, those photos you showed me. Things like that can’t happen for no reason. Things like that are unforgivable. I pledge my allegiance to your cause.”
“Ok,” Ben said, “Here’s the plan. We’re going to bring you back and say that Max sent out a search party to find you. We’re going to tell everyone that we saved your life. You are then going to implicate Ed Jenkins for the breach of the wall. You’re going to have to ride out a week in quarantine. We’ll make sure you get your own cage. But before that happens, we’ll have a reporter come and take a statement from you. You’re going to tell how Ed Jenkins’ campaign manager, Kelly let those creatures through. She was seen by several people near the wall when the siren was going off. It won’t be hard to pin her for the breach with your testimony. That should be plenty to convince people that Jenkins doesn’t have the people at heart.”
“Well, let’s get this over with.”
As they pulled him up and untied him, Jonah’s head swirled with the consequences of what he was about to do. Ben was right, this was a huge decision, one that shouldn’t be taken lightly. The right words, the right tone. Everything needed to be perfect. Hell this might be the last important thing he’d ever do. He didn’t want to screw it all up now.
They led him through a series of houses near the wall, he assumed so that no one saw him as he approached the quarantine cages. They led him inside. He sat down.
A reporter came into the room and sat down in front of him. The metal mesh between them reminded Jonah of Confession, back in the days when absolved sin meant anything.
One day I’ll break, thought Jonah, but not today.
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