Chapter 42 - The Theater of Ruin
The courtroom was blindingly bright under the glare of portable broadcast lights. Cameras on motorized gimbals hovered over the well of the court. On the dais stood two heavy podiums draped in dark bunting, flanked by the state and federal flags.
Harrison Vance stood at the center, looking like an ancient monarch preparing to claim an ill-gotten crown. Vanessa took her place in the front row of the gallery, her fingers resting lightly against the tablet that held Maya's life in the balance.
A technician raised three fingers, then two, then pointed directly at me. The red tally light atop the central camera blazed to life.
"Citizens of the United States," the announcer's synthesized voice boomed across the satellite channels, overriding civilian broadcasts from coast to coast. "Following the catastrophic attack on our state infrastructure, the senior judiciary has assembled under the Emergency Succession Act to reconstitute legal authority. Administering the oath is Senior Judge Eleanor Vance."
The camera zoomed in on my face. Across the nation, millions of frightened families were staring at their screens, looking for reassurance, looking for truth.
Harrison stepped forward, placing his withered hand on a leather-bound volume. His cold eyes bored into mine, warning me, daring me to flinch.
"Repeat after me," I spoke into the microphone, my voice echoing off the limestone walls with terrifying clarity. "I, Harrison Vance, do solemnly swear..."
"I, Harrison Vance, do solemnly swear..." his rasping voice echoed.
"...that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic..."
As Harrison repeated the words, I saw Vanessa glance down at her wrist monitor. A faint, puzzled frown crossed her perfect face. On the edge of the courtroom gallery, Marcus’s shadow slipped through a service entrance, followed by four men wearing gas masks and carrying heavy hydraulic cutting equipment.
Julian had caught the analog signal. The maintenance conduit had led them directly into the sub-basement cooling shafts.
May you like
I slowed my cadence, drawing out each syllable, prolonging the transmission. "...that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion..."
Harrison's frown deepened. He sensed the delay. He leaned forward, his whisper carrying underneath the broadcast audio: "Finish it, Eleanor. Now."
