CHAPTER 30
Locke climbed out the window and shut it when he got to the ground. The weather was even colder and windier now. Looking both ways before crossing, he began his walk. Snowdrifts were piled on the sides of the street, the tops blowing away like sea spray, fine enough to see right through it.
A walk taking a half hour before lasted over forty minutes upon return. The wind sapped his strength. It was a double dose. The wind blew stronger, making his walk longer. Which, in turn, made him colder, which made him more tired. By the time he reached the rear door of the hotel he needed every muscle to pull it open.
The air rushing through the alley created a vacuum effect, sealing the entrance shut. Putting both hands on the door handle and pressing one leg against the wall, he managed to pry it open wide enough to get a foot in. Inch by inch, a crack widened to where his whole body fit through.
He fell onto the floor as the door banged shut behind him.
Picking himself up, he brushed his shoulders and stomped his feet to shake off the snow. He felt the warmth of the hotel seep into him.
Between wipes, a sound down the hall caused his calves to tighten.
Footsteps.
He saw nowhere to hide. He could turn around, out into the cold. Yet, there wouldn’t be enough time to run through the alley and into the street without being seen.
Wait a minute. He was a Govicide Agent. He didn’t have to explain himself. Instead of running or trying to hide, Locke waited for the footsteps.
The first subject to appear around the corner was the night clerk, appearing as if he was ready to yell. But seeing it was a Govicide Agent, the clerk saved his breath. But, the subject behind him did not.
Hiss.
“Govicide Agent Locke, what are you doing?” The Agent’s glare pierced Locke’s eyes then crawled up and down Locke’s frozen body.
Locke’s confidence disappeared as quickly as the cold air. He hesitated. Seconds passed. The silence was awkward, but he knew his facial expression made the situation worse.
“Govicide Agent Locke, I asked you a question.” Louder this time.
Locke’s eyes shifted from his partner to the clerk. The clerk, biracial but darker than Jade, was an old subject like Hiss. He was much skinnier with more wrinkles. His wire rim glasses sat down far on his nose. He peered over them in a condescending manner. No subject gazed upon a Govicide Agent like that. But it gave Locke an idea that might give him time to collect his thoughts.
“What are you looking at?” Locke shouted at the clerk, taking a menacing step toward him.
The clerk backed up, “I, I--”
The old male, glanced at Hiss, then did double time out of there. Hiss seemed amused by the clerk’s rapid departure, nodding and smiling. But his demeanor changed as he snapped his attention back to Locke.
“Where were you?”
What do I say?What do I say?What do I say?Locke’s mind scrambled for a shred of an excuse.
“I went out for a walk.”
“A walk? In this weather?”
“Yeah. Needed to clear my head.” Locke peeled off his gloves, not looking at Hiss. What was he doing up this late anyway?
“How long were you out there?”
“Not long. How did you know I was here?”Locke glanced up for a second then tore his hat from his head. On the outside he tried to seem nonchalant. Fortunately, the three layers of clothing disguised his shaking body.
Hiss ignored Locke’s question. “Where were you?”
Confronted with the question, it seemed less likely he could lie to Hiss. Locke stalled for time.
“What are you doing awake at this hour, Govicide Agent Hiss?” Locke ignored Hiss’ question in return.
“I asked you first. Where were you?”
“I took a walk . . . ” Locke let the words hang there for a second to watch Hiss’ reaction. Here went nothing. “ . . . to the library.”
“To the library?” Locke’s partner folded his arms and leaned against the wall.
“Yeah. I couldn’t sleep. Too many thoughts going on up here.”Locke pointed to his head.
“The library should be closed at this hour.”
“I broke in.”
The ease with which the answer came out of his mouth surprised Locke. Not that break-ins were a huge issue. The only reason the OWG even investigated break-ins was the fear of Goods getting in other subjects’ hands. And this kept subjects from going through the proper OWG channels to acquire Goods and Services.
“Broke in?” Hiss stepped back, his brow furrowing.
“Yeah. You can go check. I smashed one of the side windows to get in.”
“And what were you looking for?”
Locke’s mind zoomed through excuses until he found a plausible reason. “Seeing that vehicle and all those parts bothered me. I wanted to check the library to see what it was.”
No way would Hiss would determine what books Locke searched in the library. Even if Hiss went over there immediately, there would be no trace of what books Locke searched. All Hiss would be able to prove was that Locke indeed had been there, not what he read.
“Why not take the limousine?”
Good question. “The limousine? Well . . . I thought the driver was probably sleeping by now.Didn’t want to bother him.” Locke climbed up the two steps to where Hiss stood.
“So, you froze out there?”
“I needed to know. Just trying to do the best work I can for the OWG.”
“What did you discover?”
“Nothing. Not one reference or picture. Nothing about that vehicle anywhere.”
It was an astute answer. Even if Hiss felt like going over there to check Locke’s story and found something about the vehicle, Locke could always claim he happened to miss it.
“Huh.” Hiss took out his handkerchief to wipe his face. Even in this cold climate, his pores worked overtime.
“And what were you doing here? Shouldn’t an old subject like you be in bed or something?” He tried to make a joke of it.
“I was in bed when the clerk called me. The alarm for this door went off when someone opened it. I tried calling you, but now we know why you did not come down to the lobby. You were the one who set off the alarm.”
The two walked down the hall, reaching the stairs. Locke climbed ahead and Hiss lagged behind.
Locke reached the first landing. “I wasn’t aware the door had an alarm. I should have gone out the front door.”
“Yes, you should have. I was conversing with the clerk about the perfection of the One World Government. Then, the alarm went off again and there you were.”
Hiss said good night, closing his door behind him.
When the latch clicked, Locke collapsed against the wall. Another catastrophe avoided. But another lie told. Not just one. Multiples.
No envelope awaited him on the floor when Locke secured himself in his own room. He fell onto his bed, stomach first.
Locke was lucky, and he knew it. He hadn’t wanted to get caught sneaking out of the hotel and sneaking back in. But, he managed to fabricate a plausible reason, and in the nick of time. He played it just right. Just on the fine edge of believability.
Twice in the last few days he avoided getting caught doing something he shouldn’t. Why was he taking these chances?
Because he was doing it for himself.
This was the most anti-OWG thought he’d ever had.
And, he realized he wasn’t willing to do the same for Govicide.
He couldn’t avoid it any longer.
Though he was willing to do a lot to protect the OWG, the System, and Govicide, he was willing to do almost anything to figure out Hamilton and all his mysteries. The Symbol. The Pyramids. The letters.
Would he have journeyed a half-hour in the snow and wind to a library for Govicide to figure out the purpose of the vehicle? No. And neither would Hiss.
But, he almost froze to death trying to figure out if there had been somebody famous in OWG history that shared his last name.
And what about the Symbol? All he’d done so far to figure out what it meant. It was relevant to their investigation. But Locke wasn’t doing it for the OWG, even though it was Govicide’s work.
He was doing it for himself. He covered his open mouth, in awe of the conclusion.
But, this was a problem. A subject’s own motivation could cause trouble. Subjects served the OWG and nothing else. In return, the OWG gave the Masses everything they needed to survive. It was an equal and fair relationship.
But, if the relationship was truly fair and equal, why did he feel satisfaction about straying outside the boundaries?
Locke rolled over and lay on his back. He couldn’t deny the truth any longer: What he was doing was wrong.
It bothered him, but not to the point of changing his direction. He’d gone past the point of caring. But he still cared about not getting caught.
But, he couldn’t continue in the OWG this way. Sooner or later, he’d make a mistake. Either that, or Jade’s pregnancy would start to show. Then they’d both be captured.
But, could he change? Could he forget all he knew? Could he pretend the Symbol meant nothing? Could he imagine he never got the letters at his hotel rooms?
Hamilton. Cash warehouses. Vehicles in the middle of nowhere. Sites with fences surrounding them in remote places. Roads where nobody drove. Buildings where no one lived. Vast areas of undisturbed land, yet the OWG insisted the World was overpopulated.
It was not like Locke didn’t believe everything was perfect. In fact, that was one of the OWG’s goals: To perfect subjects. As long as subjects were imperfect, the World would be imperfect. Yes, the OWG was perfect. But, it was perfect because it cared for its imperfect subjects. The OWG wanted everyone to have everything. So, it could never be wrong.
Did he just quote Hamilton?
People have no rights if the One World Government is never wrong.
Locke rolled over to stare out the window.
If the OWG gave everything to the Masses, how could the Masses lack something? Food, electricity, water, housing, healthcare, entertainment. All thanks to the OWG. Then, how could it keep the Masses from having . . . something?
But Hamilton sounded like this “rights” thing was important. He could’ve yelled anything while in the Homicide hallway, but he chose to yell those words. And Locke knew Hamilton never said anything without deliberate intention.
Locke studied the cracks in the brick wall next door while feeling cracks forming in his belief system.
If “rights” were known, would everything make sense? Or, if “rights” were known, would everything make even less sense?
What if the OWG didn’t want subjects to know what rights were?
Locke’s head hurt, a sign of un-mandated thoughts. The OWG Doctors told everyone that subjects experienced fewer headaches if they excised un-mandated beliefs. In addition, his left arm fell asleep from lying on top of it, so he rolled again onto his back. He shook the arm a few times to get the circulation going again. The pins and needles dissipated.
He wanted answers.
But, how far would he go?
The only clear answer?
He was willing to do more for himself than he was willing to do for the OWG.