The murder card

Dear diary, we needed to make a move and we had to do it fast. Still we have the same amount information but the number of deaths kept on growing. Why are all these people dying? Is there really a connection between them? It would sure seem so, but for now, no one can be sure, we are all just guessing. Rei and Quin are convinced the deaths are in fact connected, but Ian is somehow doubtful. I don’t know what to think. What would a twenty-three-year-old Asian man and a fifty year old white woman have genetically in common? And with hundreds of other people as well. It is almost impossible to find a common point between these crowds of very diverse people, which is giving doubt that it actually is one. Quin tried every possible link she could think of but nothing, she found out nothing. So the solution is simple, we desperately need more information and soon. The best way is, to break into EasyWay headquarters where they keep every single information about them. Luckily that is close, in Rome. Few quick minutes with a train and we are there. But it won’t be easy, if it were, they would have done it sooner. So for now, we only have theories and speculations. Rei thinks it’s a mere computer algorithm that chooses the deaths, which could be, but he isn’t able to find one that works. Every time he though he found the answer and the next person to die, he is proven wrong and all of our raised hopes, fall down hard. He tries finding a connection between both chips, but that too is still wrapped in mystery. He gets madder every time he fails, so we just leave him be. In the meantime, the rest of us are left to figure out a plan on how to break in their headquarters. As expected it is secured very well. So only one option remains. To get caught breaking in. Without a doubt, a scenario that will happen, so from that, we must take advantage. Plan is brought to Rei, so we get his opinion. He thinks it just might work, so together, we perfect it, hoping nothing would go wrong. Rei will give us some tiny cameras he has developed over the year. They won’t raise suspicion as they look exactly like a fly. When we are in, we release them, making it possible for us to see what exactly are they doing there. With this, we would be able to get so much more information. That part seemed easy enough, but the problems occur when an escape is being planned. Those who will go, how will they get out? If they will at all. It soon became apparent; this has a huge potential to be a suicide mission. For now, we know nothing of their security system, nothing of their security staff. Only when we get the cameras in, Rei will be able to get a clearer picture of everything and only then can we learn their weaknesses, but for now, we are left in the dark. He would need to work extremely fast, to save those who go, but it is clear now, those who go, might not come back. So the next question was, who goes in? Ian is the first to volunteer, but he quickly gets shot down. “Ian, you can’t just die in the beginning of this. You made all of this possible, you have to see it till the end.” Quin tells him and we all agree. So I volunteer. But as I am the one who is in touch with the outside world and knows more about EasyWay than anyone here, it gets decided I stay as well. I could still got to work, maybe get information there as well. Soon many people start to volunteer, but only a handful will go, only the absolute necessary. In the end, hard decision had to be made, on who goes and who stays. It wasn’t easy on Ian or Quin, but it needed to be done. To save the many, few must be sacrificed, goes the old saying that has proven to be very true. It was decided that three would go. An elderly woman named Amy, who has been with us since the beginning, a former policewoman. Man named Stan will also go. A middle aged tall and very muscular man. Lastly, Stan’s son, Josh will go. We didn’t wait long and soon for the plan to take action, so the following morning, they went their way.

We watch their process through the cameras, hoping for the best. They walk in and immediately they are asked what their purpose for being there is by a young receptionist. Stan pulls out a gun and points at her head. He plays his role of a crazy maniac, trying to take the system down, very well. Receptions, scares immediately, begs for him, not to shoot her. “Take us to your boss!” He yells at her. With shaky voice she answers, “she isn’t here today.” Stan yells at her, “liar!” She twitches and we see a tear dripping from her young face. She stands still, doing nothing. Stan shoots, barely missing her head on purpose. “Do as I say!” He yells again at her. With fear, she walks towards the elevator. “Faster!” Stan screams at her. She hastens her step while barely holding in her tears. I feel bad for her, but Stan did what needed to be done. Everyone steps into the elevator, while the receptions pushes the button for the eleventh floor. During the ride, Stan steps behind her, point the gun in her back. Elevator doors open, for now, there are no security guards. The girl walks forward, still with a gun to her back. They walk down a red hallway and enter the only room on that floor. Ian whispers, “release one now.” Josh, Stan’s son releases the camera and casually, a fly goes by, not raising any suspicion. They reach the door and she slowly opens them, with fear. We see five people in the bright and big room with red carpet. It is decorated in Arabic patterns with a huge window, giving a view over the entire city. Three man and two women immediately stop talking and stare at our people and the scared receptionist. They are all gathered around an old wooden desk, which is illegal now. As soon as our group is noticed, they go silence. Josh closes the door, Stan pushes the girl to the ground, revealing his gun. One of the men from the meeting charges towards Stan, trying to be a hero. Quickly, he gets shot and his body slams onto the carpeted floor. We see his blood, spilling on the carpet. There is a woman in red, tightly holding a tablet. Rei orders Stan to get that tablet but the woman refuses to let it go. “Threaten her.” Rei whispers. “Lady, I will shoot everyone here including you if you don’t give it to me.” Stan says with determination in his strong and booming voice. Meanwhile Josh releases another tiny camera. “Go ahead.” The woman in red stubbornly says, trying to mask the fear in her voice. “What now, does he really have to shoot all those people?” I ask. “No. No more deaths.” Ian bluntly answers. Before anyone knew what to do next, the door behind them comes crashing down and behind them stood armed security guards. “Drop your weapons!” One of them yells. “Surrender.” Rei calmly tells them. Our plan was working perfectly so far. Now they will be taken to a place not seen by many, but it will be seen by us. Which will provide great advantage. They were being dragged somewhere and soon we learn they were brought to the thirteenth floor. Far different from the one they were previously on. Elevator doors open, revealing a hall with silver steel walls, floors and celling. I see at least five rooms are on each side. They enter none of them but instead are being led to the one in the very end of that hallway, the only one with double doors. In there awaits them a grey haired man. Quickly, Josh is able to release another camera. When everyone is in the steal, windowless room, the grey haired man speaks with deep, commanding voice. “So, did you actually believe you would get away with this little stupid, ill though stunt of yours?” He asks our people, but they remain silent. “Let’s just cut to the chase. Who are you working for and why are you here?” He asks with anger and frustration in his voice. “No one say anything.” Rei says to them, so they remain in silence, looking around, the dark, not so well lit room full of machines and unknown equipment. Rei fears he might find their ear plugs and if he does, it surely wouldn’t take him long to make the connection back to us. “I have to disconnect you now. We can’t be traced.” He tells them and immediately cuts of their communication. We can only watch now, hope for the best and hope Rei will be able to get them out of this jam. Just as he suspected, they find the ear pieces, almost as soon as the connection was cut. One of the guards takes the piece out of Joshes ear and just as he does that, Rei pulls another one of his tricks. The ear piece self-destructs in a tiny little explosion. The rest of them do the same, without hurting anyone. “Question them! And don’t be afraid to use a little violence!” The gray-haired man tells his guards. On them command, they roughly grab them and take them to separate rooms, to be interrogated. Since everyone had a camera in their lens, we were able to see the whole process. Typical questioning, without success for our opponent. Who are you working for, what do you want, who are they,… Just the usual questions, nothing out of the ordinary. As the guards were getting no results, they became angrier. More so by each minute. Rage especially took place when they were unable to get information out of their chips, which brings lots of suspicion on their part. They start using force on our people, but they remain strong and we feel relieved and prideful. Soon, all at the same time, guards leave the room, leaving them alone. “Can you get them out?” Ian asks a question he knew the answer for. “Not yet.” Rei sadly answers. So we wait. It didn’t take long for those guards to come back and take them. Up to the seventeenth floor, we soon learn. The floor is but a mere room. Just one enormous room for that is. It is decorated as an office, a vintage looking office, back from the 20th century. Again we see the forbidden wooden products, like desk, chairs or picture frames, hanging on the beige colored walls. I see Mary in the room and she does not look happy. She speaks to them. “I guess you three are from that ridiculous activist group, desperately trying to take us down.” She says to them in a strict tone. I feel as she is mocking them. Amy releases another camera, while remaining silent. So do Josh and Stan. “I will admit, I admire this try of yours, but as expected, it wasn’t good enough.” She starts questioning them, about our community and gets mad when she doesn’t receive any answers. So she gives an order. “Kill the young one.” Before we knew it, Josh`s body hits the floor. We see parts of his, we never wanted to see. His mangled skull and bloody brains are enough to make some of us sick. “Now, will you to speak or must I kill another?” She says to them. “I’d rather die to help you!” Stan says with a cruel tone, bursting with rage and sadness from the death of his son. “We shall see about that.” She says. “Take them, lock them up. Either they tell, or they starve.” She orders the guards. “Can you do anything?” Ian nervously asks Rei. “I’m doing everything I can.” Rudely and nervously Rei replies. He was on edge, like the rest of us. But no one bothered him, everyone knows it is best to leave him work in peace, only so he can accomplish best results. Silence took over the room, we watched the screen, but nothing was happening. Poor Amy and Stan, locked up, counting on our help. I could not bear to just sit and wait, I needed to get out of that room, stretch my legs. Ian does the same. “You think he can get them out. Or get some results?” I ask him. It takes a while for him to answer, unsure of what his answer might be. “I sure hope so. Otherwise all this would be in vain. But I am sure we will find something useful.” He tells me with a soothing voice. Soon we hear Rei yell, “Addilyn, Ian get in here!” We jump up and rush to see what is happening. What I was about to see, I did not expect, not even in my strangest and horrifying dreams. One of Rei`s camera found its way into a room that appeared as a small movie theater. It has comfortable and cozy chairs, dozens of them, all pointed at the big screen. Not all of them were taken, just some. People there were comfortably watching and enjoying the same images that shook me to the very core. On screen, there was a person being brutally murdered, suffering in her last moments of her life. First I thought it was just another horror flick, but somehow, it was different. Soon, I learned that what I was watching was not fake, but it was in fact, very real. Those people were watching the latest victim of Murder cards being tortured to death. The victim was a blond girl, presumably young, I couldn’t tell her exact age due to all the blood and scaring on her face, full of desperation. But what was clear was the fact that she was in agony, begging for mercy. That seemed to amuse the audience. They laughed at her cries for help, cheered when she got stabbed, over and over again and each time, she lost hope, until there was none left. Some were calmly snacking during all of this. “What is this?!” I say in complete shock. “It would appear that our elite and our leaders enjoy watching victims of the Murder cards.” Rei stiffly replied. “How can we be sure this is real, not just another movie?” Ian asks with an explanation quickly following. “Good point Ian.” Rei says. “I though or hoped so at first too. So I needed to make sure. As you already know, we hold the database of every person on Earth. I checked recent purchases of Murder cards, thanks to the program Addilyn provided. I am still able to see everything your store logs on their computer Addilyn. So I did that, and then I checked who dies today because of these Murder cards. A girl’s name came up. It was this young woman you see on the screen.” He shows us her picture and it truly was her, the one being killed and watched. I felt sick to my stomach. Sickened at those heartless people and most of all I was sickened at myself. I felt ashamed that I was once providing entertainment for them, taking innocent lives, for no reason whatsoever. How could I have done such a thing? I thought to myself. At that moment I felt I could no longer live, I surely didn’t deserve so. Hearing Ian’s voice in the back sobered me up. I cannot change what I did in the past, I can only affect what will I do. I if I help bring down EasyWay, in a way I can redeem myself. I sure can try doing my best. “We have to do something! We have to find where she is and save her!” I find myself yelling, wrapped in my own guilt. “We can’t do anything for this girl now.” Ian says, something I knew but didn’t want to admit. “We have to be careful with this in the future. We can’t let them know they are being watched.” Quin adds. “So we just let these people die and not do anything?” I say. Everyone looked at each other, without saying one word. It was clear what was on everyone’s mind. `We have to let this happen. If we interfere with these murders and make it clear to them they are being watched they will hide. And we won’t be able to do much else.” Ian says, with a heavy heart. “So we need to move fast, very fast.” Rei adds. They were both right. I leave the room, because I couldn’t take all the gore anymore. I needed to calm down, gather myself. Only so I will be of help. I could not comprehend how I use to be okay with these Murder cards, just like everyone else. I accepted them as something normal, a part of everyday life. How could I have been so blind and how could I have been so damn stupid to support this? And even think this is okay? I will never be able to forgive myself for this. I don’t deserve forgiveness. Flashback of my murderess actions came rushing into my mind, crushing me completely. All the blood, the agony, how was it possible I wasn’t bothered by that? My memories are slowly eating me away, taking every last brightness I have left in me. Memories of the dead will never leave my dreams. Is this why we die? To entertain the rich and the privileged? I can’t be, this shallow reason cannot be the only one. It can’t be. Ian sits next to me on the floor, awaking me from my horrific thoughts. “Is this why we die Ian? For them? So they can have some sick form of fun?” I ask him, in hopes of getting answers of comfort. “I don’t know anything for sure. I didn’t imagine they would do such a thing. If there is more than this, we can expect to be even more horrible. But with that in mind, I do have a feeling there is something more to this, not just so called snuff films.” He says to me, crushed just as much as me. “At least we are getting closer right?” He says, finding the good in all this bad. He lets me in a warm hug which makes me feel just a little bit better. Soon the day turned into night and we still couldn’t lend a helping help to Amy or Stan. Everyone was just waiting around for Rei to figure something out. I couldn’t stay awake any longer and my body eventually gave up and dosed me off to light sleep. When I woke up, hours later, I learned that Amy has passed. She was not left alone in her cell but was interrogated. Her heart could not take the pressure and eventually it gave up. She received no medical attention and died in minutes. Stan is the only one left standing. I wish I could have stuck around to see the process but I needed to go to work. I needed to do everything I would usually do, I can’t appear suspicious. So I leave, dreading that I might be found. Quickly and without a hitch I fall back into my usual routine and on the outside I appear same as ever. But on the inside, I feel… I don’t know how to describe how I felt. Sickened, sad, scared, nervous, angry, all at the same. I watch everyday people and I feel sorry for them. None of them know what is really happening right before their eyes. None know the truth. I too do not know the whole truth yet, but when I do, I will the world. Deep in my thoughts, my shift of robotic behavior comes to an end sooner than I expected. Just as I though nothing would be different, I get called into manager’s office. There, Mary awaited me. Immediately when I walk in, the manager leaves the room and we are left alone. “How are you doing miss Allard?” She politely asks me. “I am doing well.” I simply answer, lying to her face. “Made any new friends lately?” She asks, immediately letting me know what this is about. “No. I’m no good at making friends.” I answer. “How is your friend Ian, the one who likes to hide?” She asks. This was not good. I was not sure if she merely suspected my involvement or did she know for sure? I had to be careful with my words, not to say anything wrong. “I wouldn’t know. After all he is just but a stranger to me.” I answer. “Interesting. So you don’t keep in touch?” She says. “Why would we? He wouldn’t tell me any more than I told you and I just don’t want to spend time with someone like him.” I answer. “Fine. You may go.” She calmly says. I thought about asking her what this was all about, but I didn’t want to spend any more time with her than I absolutely had to. So I politely said goodbye and turned to the door. Just as I was about to open them, she speaks. “Addilyn, you are being closely watched. I know you are up to something and what that is, I will figure out. And I am sure it has something to do with your friend Ian.” She knows, but can’t prove anything. I turn around to politely speak with her. “As I said, I do not keep in touch with him. I don’t know why I would. And you are now just wasting my time.” I keep a straight and calm face. It wasn’t hard lying to her, especially because I know, it was the right thing to do. Before she could say anything else or I said something wrong, I hurry out of that office, with my hard wildly racing. I have planned to go to Ian’s hideout but if she is truly watching me and I believe she is, I couldn’t go. I went straight to my apartment, like I would usually do. All the way home, paranoia was following me, making me feel watched at every corner. I just hope Ian won’t worry too much. I wish I could let him know what’s going on but I couldn’t. I needed to lay low, keep calm, wait for this to pass. But when will it pass, if ever?