Page 10 of Booked for Theft (Vigilante Magical Librarians #3)

TEN

“You’ll probably survive until Monday night.”

A little after six in the morning, we arrived at my parents’ farmhouse, and I went inside, found my cat, and buried my face in her fur. The few times I’d cried while holding her, she’d opted against flaying my flesh from my bones. Once again, she proved merciful despite me sniffling and otherwise making a mess of her thick coat.

“Don’t mind her,” Bradley said. “It’s the first time since going to Washington that she’s had a chance to cry. There was no way she was going to break down when the President of the United States might catch her doing it. And after her baby was bugged in the hospital parking lot, she wasn’t about to cry in the SUV either. As I know my parents are having your place swept daily, it’s a safe haven.”

My mother came over and rubbed my back. “It’s all right. Go get into your pajamas and take a nap, both of you. Everyone is coming over at nine, so you can get a little rest.”

I got up, peered through teary eyes enough to head towards my childhood bedroom, and said, “I’m fine. It’s an allergic reaction from being separated from my furry goddess for so long.”

“If you say so. Bacon with extra bacon for breakfast?”

“I’ll take some eggs if you have any.”

“Considering we have a dozen chickens, six ducks, and ten geese, all of which are laying eggs, I think it’s safe to say we have eggs. I’ll get you up half an hour before everyone else is supposed to get here, and I’ll contact Paul and make sure he has a team go over the SUV from fender to fender.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

Once in the safety of my childhood bedroom, which had a new bed so I could share with Bradley, a cat tree for Ajani, and a fancy litter box that did the scooping work for us, I set my kitty on the bed, gave her three strokes, and debated between letting loose and crying like I meant it or doing my best to bottle up my emotions.

My fiancé handed over a box of tissues. “If you don’t cry, I will start cracking terrible jokes until you cry, probably from anguish that I have subjected you to such horrible things. I will christen my new phone with awful puns, the kind that hurt your feelings because it’s a blatant abuse of words.”

As I had no doubt he would do as threatened, I laughed through my tears, took the box, and retrieved one, going to work blowing my nose. “Can I get away with using your back as my tissues once we’re in bed?”

Bradley set his bag down, rummaged through it, and dug out his pajamas, changing into them as he refused to be caught naked in his future mother-in-law’s home. “Sure. I can handle washing my pajamas tomorrow. Would it be easier if we were in bed with the lights off so you can talk about it without feeling like I’m watching you cry?”

“Yes.”

Bradley smiled, gave me a gentle kiss, and went about his evening routine, sliding into bed and inviting me in through patting the mattress. “Are you having trouble processing everything?”

“I’ve learned a few things.” What I had learned would bother me for a long time to come. Following his lead, I got changed, climbed under the covers, and waited to see what Ajani would do.

She decided to make herself at home above my head and purred.

Bradley turned off the light before joining me and presenting his back so I could engage in cuddling at will. I snuggled close, wrapped an arm around him, and sighed.

“I wish that we, as a society, didn’t treat tears as a crime. Unless we’re at a funeral, crying is weak—and even at a funeral, most consider it as a sign of weakness. Too many feel having emotions is some lack of greater virtue. It’s really not. Maybe if we weren’t so callous, things would be different right now.”

I gave myself some time to think that through. “I guess when we’re not supposed to show empathy or compassion, we grow to lack empathy and compassion.”

“That is often how it works, yes. And when people believe cruelty is strength, well, you end up with a cruel society. Honestly, I’m impressed Senator Thaddens survived as long as he did in politics. I guess he had sufficient ruthlessness to avoid being eliminated by the government.”

“And without his help, we won’t be able to see the progression of the bills—and how he was instructed to handle his participation might not happen at all.”

“Or someone else will get his marching orders. It could go either way. We’re going to have to get our hands on other copies of the bills—ideally, we’ll get a hold of numerous copies, tricking people into believing we aren’t involved with the thefts.”

I sighed. “This is going to be hard. How are we going to steal a bunch of files from politicians?”

“Carefully, and we’re going to copycat the assassins.”

My eyes widened. “What do you mean?”

“We’re going to steal their illusionary tricks so we can pull off the thefts. When we’re stealing things, we’re going to have illusionists set up decoys of us doing things we normally do. My father has a few illusionists working at his company, and he wants to see if such tactics can be used as part of enhancing security details. We will be disguised to look like somebody else or obscured completely, and our decoys will pretend to be us. Dad wants to see how far we can take it. He even has security specialists willing to act like they’re us. And knowing you, you’ll want to handle the thefts personally.”

Rather than protest as a knee-jerk reaction, I huffed over the idea and took a few minutes to think it through. “If we use mundane disguises on top of illusions, it might work. I definitely don’t want to put everyone in the cell at risk, and if we are caught, it could very well lead to our execution.”

“That was my thought, too. I want to limit the potential number of bodies, and that’s something we’ll have to discuss with the cell. As we get closer to voting day, it’s going to become harder to leave the country, too.”

“You want to get out anyone we can.” I wanted to keep as many people safe as possible, but I had no idea how to even begin the process. “I don’t understand how.”

“Tourism. My parents and your parents can get overseas relatively easily. They’re all retired, and your parents have money from your contract and my investments. And once I get you home, I will enjoy making you pay your fair share.”

“You’ll probably survive until Monday night.”

“It’ll be questionable.”

“Candles, dinner, and a struggle sound like an excellent way to spend a Monday night. It’s something nice to look forward to. But back on subject. You’re probably right, and we can get our parents out—if they cooperate. They won’t, though. My parents won’t leave their animals behind, they won’t leave us behind, and they certainly aren’t going to leave the rest of the cell behind. As far as my parents are concerned, they’ve adopted everyone in the cell, and that includes my boss and Leonard. And I’m sure they’d try to adopt your parents, but as they need them separate so I can marry you, they’re off the hook.”

“And as my parents feel the same way, it’s an issue. Dad certainly won’t abandon his company. I’m just glad Dad convinced Ren to stay put and do some research and training.”

“You were, outside of the drive to Washington, keeping company with the Secret Service. Ren would have gotten into a scuffle with the Secret Service, the posturing would have driven us both mad, and we didn’t need that drama.”

“That helped my cause, yes. I’m sure he’s indulging in anxiety by now, though he’s not as bad as you used to be.”

“So much anxiety,” I muttered. “At least you now come with benefits.”

“I do enjoy the benefits. Had I been wiser, I would have just proposed a promotion to wife while you were in the hospital.”

“Please assume I just gave you a pinch. Had you done that, I wouldn’t have Ajani right now, and that would be worse than a mere crime, sir.” I moved my feet, and my fluffy goddess pounced and snuggled me into submission. “She says she requires her servant to stay still for the rest of the night.”

“Did she attack your feet?”

“She sure did. It’s my fault. There might be monsters under the covers. She must defend us from any interlopers. We are her domain, thank you.”

“I am considering attempting the introduction of a young female kitten into our home to keep Ajani company when we can’t be with her. There’s a shelter not far from our place that has a new litter of kittens and a need for a foster for one or two of them. I may have made an arrangement to pick out our foster fail Monday morning. Oh, that reminds me. You can’t take Ajani to work on Monday. I have booked her to meet our new foster fail.”

“Did you tell the shelter you were intending on a foster fail?”

“I absolutely did. I explained we were going to adopt the first kitten that our former street cat accepted into our space with no care for breed, only that we wanted a second female. Apparently, this thrilled them, as it’s one kitten out the door. Since I’m currently working from home, I can attend to the little one’s special needs, which involves ready access to milk. The mother passed away, but the kittens were saved.”

“Can you bring the cat whisperer over to teach Ajani that we have to succeed at foster failing with the first kitten?”

“That was my plan. I am hoping that if I provide you with a small, defenseless animal in need of rescue, it will help you recover from your inability to save Senator Thaddens’s life.”

The ploy stood a good chance of working. “I could save any crying for tears of joy over how cute the kitten is.”

He chuckled. “That is also an option. But you’re going to wait until you think I’m asleep before bawling.”

“Come on, Bradley. You can’t keep busting me like this without involving handcuffs,” I complained.

“That backfired. Alas, not even three hours is sufficient time to do all the things I have planned for you, but I am confident you will make it to Monday unscathed. If you’re going to try to avoid sleeping through overthinking everything that has happened this week, try to make a plan on how we can infiltrate the homes of politicians with the intent to steal everything they own. Knowing what we need to steal is a much different issue than successfully stealing it.”

“Then there is the matter of the videos,” I whispered.

“That is a secret that is going to go with us to our graves. It’s not that I don’t trust the cell, but what they don’t know they can’t betray. And I can promise one thing: nobody is going to like what we’re trying to do.”

“Maybe you should run for president,” I muttered.

“I thought about it, but then my mother beat me to the chase and processed your official candidacy. I am registered to be a running mate, however.”

“You have got to be joking.”

“I’m not. I slid in right under deadline and did not inform anyone I did it. My mother filed you under all your names, including Asurella, which puts you closer to the top of the list. I filed under a legalized secondary name, and in my registration, I made a note that it was a childhood dream wish fulfillment so I wouldn’t undergo any suspicion. However, if anyone uses my legal name, it’s valid because the registration covers all legalized names belonging to the same individual.”

I sighed. “Why didn’t you tell me this earlier?”

“Mostly, I wanted you to ferret it out on your own, but then I realized that if you do start gaining traction, you need a running mate that is registered in the system, and the media could easily slip that I’m a hopeless romantic and joined the party my mother started. However, we’d worked independently.”

“You will pay for this,” I warned my fiancé.

“Are you angry that I fibbed a little?”

“No.”

“What has upset you?”

“You can’t be the vice president and the First Lady at the same time,” I informed him.

“I would be a First Gentleman, not a First Lady.”

“There is nothing in the rules that says anything about women becoming the President of the United States, Mr. Hampton. All the documentation explicitly mentions the First Lady is the spouse of the President of the United States. I will pay for this by being addressed as Mr. President, but I will suffer through somehow.”

Bradley snickered. “Whomever is in charge of the documentation is going to absolutely panic when they have to change everything to be friendly for the first woman holding office and her handsome gentleman spouse who also might happen to be the vice president.”

“If, Bradley. This is not a when situation.”

“With your luck, it’s definitely a when situation.”

“Bradley Hampton, you take that back right this instant.”

He laughed at me. “All right, all right. If.”

“I’m going to send you off on the worst diplomatic missions on the planet,” I warned him. “And when you complain, I will laugh at you.”

“Your cruelty clearly knows no bounds.”

I snorted, well aware I’d have a meltdown of epic proportions if I actually had to do anything that might remotely count as cruel. “I don’t suppose I can have a sensible government for Christmas, can I?”

“The only way you’re getting a sensible government for Christmas is if you somehow manage to sweep the election and we somehow revamp the entirety of the system. Unfortunately, the answer is probably no, but at least we can try to take the first steps towards that goal. Maybe one day.”

Maybe. “I guess I can’t get away with asking you to abandon the sinking ship if this goes to hell on us, can I?”

“If we’re going down, we’re going down together, but I appreciate the sentiment. I prefer to view our country as worth living for. Living is a whole lot harder than dying.”

It certainly was. “Then let’s cut a deal. If you do your best to make it out of this alive, I’ll do my best to make it out alive.”

“As long as we’re happily married while making it out alive, you have a deal.”

My mother lured me out of bed with bacon, but she made the mistake of letting me get a hold of the plate while still in the living room. As such, I chomped on my prize while everyone had breakfast around me, taking up every bit of available space. To my amusement, even Ajani got to join us, and she devoured her wet food in the hallway, safely out from underfoot. I had no idea how much bacon I’d gobbled down, but I refused to feel an iota of shame for my conquest. I targeted Beatrice with a stare, waiting for her to notice me.

“I don’t know what I did to deserve that look,” she admitted.

“You are the unfortunate victim I’ve selected to be my bridesmaid of honor. If you hurry up and marry Mickey, you can be a matron of honor instead.” I devoured another slice of bacon and licked my fingers. “As I’m not cruel, I’m going to let the bridesmaids choose their dresses, and if you want to resemble peacocks or rainbows, that is entirely your problem. If we cared more about appearances, we’d match in style, but I honestly couldn’t care less. Operation: Marriage secures me the male of my choosing.” I snagged more bacon and pointed it at Bradley. “Specifically, him.”

“I feel your plans for Operation: Marriage should move forward without much complication if your only standard is emerging married,” my best bitch replied with laughter in her voice. “You don’t want to pick your own dress, do you?”

“I really do not. My current plan is to ask some poor sales clerk to make me pretty. The only compromise I’m willing to make is buying a pair of wedding appropriate glasses.”

“You don’t have to change your glasses,” Bradley informed me.

“If you do not want us to be the laughingstock of society, we will put me in a different pair of glasses. Also, we need to take me in for an eye exam. I’m overdue. I will absolutely be getting my bling frames again, but I will also get a classy pair of glasses for classy events, our wedding included.” I vanquished the rest of my bacon, debating if I needed more food. As my stomach wasn’t complaining, I got up, excused myself, and took my dish to the kitchen and washed it before returning. “Where are the Hamptons?”

“They’re outside with Ren, glaring at your SUV. They’re cranky the Secret Service installed trackers. In good news, you did get all the trackers off. Now that the vehicle is clean, they’re going to be installing a few more cameras hidden in the undercarriage. They’re going to run wires into the cabin to hook into your rechargeable battery. Bradley, your vehicles will need the same treatment.”

“I’m going to be retiring the old car. Janette drove it without issue, and the engine is about dead. I’m going to let it go, and we’re going to shop for a new one we both like—preferably one that has better longevity. It’s not a priority at the moment.”

Everyone stared at my fiancé, and after a few minutes, Mickey said, “Are you okay?”

“You can drive the new one once we bring it home.”

“You can’t marry him, Mickey. You’re marrying me, and he’s marrying Janette,” Beatrice announced, and she snickered at her fiancé. “I don’t blame you for feeling that way, though. If we weren’t librarians, we’d probably be just as bad as them.”

I grinned. “You mean as bad as him. I’m a librarian, too! Worse, I’m a gold digger, and I took him out for a ridiculous amount of money for some old books this week.”

“I deliberately lured you to that specific bookstore so you could fall in love with those old books I had decided I would be buying you before we even got there,” he stated with a raised brow.

I huffed, refusing to meet his gaze. “That does not change my status as a gold digger.”

“She’s quite the successful gold digger,” my mother chimed in. “First, she suckered your family out of money for us. Second, she suckered you out of your time to grow our money. Third, she decided to keep you, and once she did so, she refused to accept no for an answer. I have more evidence if you’d like it, Mr. Hampton.”

“I surrender.” Bradley snickered. “Are my parents really glaring at Janette’s SUV?”

“They really are. Your mother wants pancakes, and she’s not having more pancakes because she already had too many. As such, your father is containing her outside until everyone else is done eating. Your father wants to grill you about what you noticed about the Secret Service. I think he wants to try to steal some of their operation methods for his business. Your mother wants to know your general plans, as you began making plans without her.”

Bradley pointed at me. “She might escape if I do not make plans.”

I rolled my eyes. “Please don’t listen to him, Mom.”

“I wasn’t planning on it. I can recognize when children are being silly. I’m going to blame fatigue. Your father had to dump Bradley out of bed this morning to get him up, and you needed a plate of bacon.”

“It’s been a long week.”

“Now that I can believe, and you have to attend a funeral tomorrow from what I understand of the situation. You do not have appropriate attire.”

“I have appropriate attire. Bradley and I went and acquired me three funeral appropriate outfits after we got back from California, one of which is a dress. I’ll be wearing the dress.” I hadn’t enjoyed the outing to buy such apparel, but Bradley had wanted a new suit suitable for such events, and he’d insisted on dragging me along for the ride. “I will not shame myself tomorrow. The dress isn’t even a month old.”

My mother eyed me. “Is it true there’s a dress, Bradley?”

“There is a dress. It’s a floor length, classic and modest in solid black. We won’t discuss the designer, as she’s still in denial that I took her to a boutique of that nature. I enjoyed the process. She did not.”

“That’s acceptable.” My mother shook her head, muttered something, and headed off in the direction of the kitchen.

“I think she wants to go dress shopping, Bradley. We’re already going dress shopping today. As it is, I’m going to have to use that credit card you insist I can use at will to pay for these damned dresses.”

My fiancé snickered. “The credit card will survive the acquisition of attire for the engagement party and the wedding, I’m sure. Now that your mother is out of the way, we should scheme.”

“No,” my father said, glaring at Bradley. “There will be no scheming in my house today.”

“We’re going to be planning elaborate thefts with the use of magic.”

My father spent his time thinking about it, and after a moment, he nodded, got up, and headed for the kitchen. “Keep your trouble to levels you can manage without my help. I’m too damned old for this.”

“I wish I could use that line with any expectation of it working,” I admitted. “I don’t want to be involved with this.”

“Alas, we’re the last bastion of sanity in a world gone mad, which means we have no choice but to deal with it.” Bradley reached over, grabbed my purse from its spot near the couch, and handed it to me. “You should start this show with what you were researching in the restricted access portion of the Library of Congress.”

“I don’t suppose anyone knows the precise date, on the Gregorian calendar, the powers that be decided corresponded with 0 MR?” I asked, digging out my journal and my book pen. “We learned a very important fact in Washington on Friday: the United States has somehow managed to remove all links to the precise year 0 MR is compared to the old calendar. I’m sure it’s registered somewhere , but we don’t have access to that information.”

“I did some preliminary research on the internet, and I quickly discovered that even VPNs will block Americans from accessing any servers that might have that information,” Bradley added. “And yes, I covered my tracks using a burner laptop and phone. The laptop and phone have had all their components destroyed so that they can’t be traced back to me if they are discovered, and they were registered under false names.”

“When did you do that?”

“I stepped out on Friday and bought the phone prepaid using a prepaid card, same with the laptop. I bought enough data and used a VPN to cover my traces long enough to do the search. It took me about forty minutes total, and I used the excuse I was looking for a present for you. Disposing of the laptop and phone was a little trickier, but I managed.”

“How did you destroy the electronics?” I narrowed my eyes, well aware it took a lot of work to make a machine unrecoverable.

“Carefully. It involved a garbage truck with a crusher and some good fortune. I tossed it in while it was starting to crush things, and that was after accidentally spilling some soda on it. Even if someone manages to find the laptop, there’s nothing on it to link it to me.”

The untracked prepaid cards, which were irritating to acquire on a good day, involved cash and a store clerk willing to break the rules a little. Some hand sanitizer and a cloth could get rid of the fingerprints, especially if he took care to stash everything in a bag after cleaning them. As far as risks went, I could see the ploy working.

Someone might, after work, find the laptop and figure out where it had come from. “The serial number?”

“I removed the sticker from the back of the machine. It was cheap enough it wasn’t etched on. A trip to the bathroom and a key fixed the problem of the phone. That number was lightly etched on, and the case was not strong enough to defeat steel.”

I nodded my approval. “All right. We have confirmation that the government is making certain we can’t line up 0 MR with historic Gregorian accurately. Why would they do this?”

“It makes the Gregorian calendar seem more remote and irrelevant,” Meridian replied, and she shook her head. “I’ve always wondered why it was obscured, but now that we’re talking about it in this context, it makes a great deal more sense. If we can’t associate the dates, if we can’t line up the events with our reality, it’s a lot harder to make the past feel real —and it makes it much easier for governments and those in power to keep their power.”

That I could believe. “So, history has been rewritten, and we have no foundation for when things happened in the past. I do have a Gregorian timeline on how our government deteriorated to the point we’re at, but I haven’t been able to link events listed then with events we’re taught in school.”

“We do have a few clues,” Mickey said, and he reached over to point at my reference to 0 MR on the first page. “Several generations have passed since the changeover; there are no living people to ask about the change and its implementation; the eldest of that generation died likely before our grandparents had been born. That’s a starting point. We also have a starting point in terms of our technology. We can associate the Gregorian calendar with the development of technology we have today. If we can find an MR reference to a brand, model, or make that we still have today, we might be able to get a match within a few years—and within a few years might be enough. More importantly, the government has made it so we don’t really think about what year it is much. Logically, we all know it’s 527 MR. We also know that 0 MR was set significantly before modern times to lessen the chances of us being able to link the year in AD to the link in MR—and unless you happen to be a librarian, most aren’t even aware AD actually existed in practical use. It’s something they heard about once in school as a footnote of history. The government went as far as eliminating as much history as possible from education; if it didn’t fit into the MR system, it wasn’t discussed.”

“We know some AD dates, like the foundation of the United States,” I replied.

“But we don’t know, precisely, how long ago that was anymore. We only know that it is at least three hundred years old due to some AD records. History wasn’t completely erased. How much older than three hundred years? That we don’t know.”

“Beatrice, your thoughts?”

“Don’t look at me. I run when my branch needs a volunteer to look up anything from AD.”

“Mr. Tawnlen?”

“Mickey’s technology angle might point us in the right direction. There are a few brands of phone and computer that existed in both calendar systems. If we can get an MR date and the AD date, we might be able to align the calendars. However, we’d have to figure out what the lines were called in each of the systems because the government made them change the names, likely for this purpose.”

I stared at my boss. “They seriously forced tech companies to change their names of their products?”

“Even the names of general technology were changed, not that the government was able to erase it all. Motherboards were kept because the populace refused to call them chipboards. Brand names and models were changed, however. The government offered significant fiscal benefits to those who cooperated and hefty penalties for those who did not. Those were recorded only in the MR dating records to obscure when the transition happened. I’ve done a few research projects for politicians on that subject.”

Interesting. “And you can provide a list of those politicians?”

“All politicians who poked their nose into that subject matter are deceased.”

Well, shit. “I want a sane government for Christmas, Bradley.”

“We already had that discussion. You can’t have a sane government for Christmas. You can have an expansive research project requiring the theft of sensitive material for Christmas, however. You can also have a nice collection of accomplices, most of whom happen to be librarians. We’re going to be sampling criminal activities to make this work. I’m hoping we can limit our activities to theft, but extortion might be on the agenda.”

As my mother was in the kitchen and couldn’t chide me over the question, I asked, “How about we burn the entire government to the ground?”

“We are not currently indulging in arson, no matter how tempting that might be. It’s bad enough we’re going to be participating in theft.” Bradley sighed. “Why am I the only one who is actually concerned that we’re doing this?”

“Stealing shit sounds like fun,” Beatrice replied. “It also beats doing nothing. I’d rather go out at least trying than just take this garbage lying down. And if nobody else is going to step up, why not a bunch of angry librarians?”

I shrugged. “What she said.”

Mickey and Meridian nodded.

Even my boss shrugged before saying, “I’d rather die trying than just die, and that’s the probable endgame at this point. If we’re not useful to the government, then we need to stop sucking government resources. At this stage, librarians are only useful to the master plan because of illusory tactics. The government can pretend they’re working for the sake of the people if they promote and use libraries—but only when we provide the information the government wants the people to see. Obscuring the dates from the old calendar and the current one is only part of their efforts to control the populace through ignorance. Their plan to weaponize exsanguinators fell because Janette happened to be at the right place at the right time and changed public perceptions through heroism. And once the people heard how Janette served in the ER? It was an overnight shift, especially since other exsanguinators are showing up at hospitals around the country to take advantage of the opportunities they hadn’t enjoyed before.”

Sometimes, change came swiftly.

The rest of the time, someone had to fight for progress with tooth and nail.

“So, that leaves me with a question,” I announced, hoping my next words didn’t condemn us to a significantly shortened lifespan. “What are we stealing, how are we stealing it, and when are we stealing it?”

“You just asked three questions,” my fiancé replied. “They’re good questions, but you definitely asked three questions. You forgot to ask who we are stealing it from and why.”

I sighed. “Okay, fine. I have six questions. What are we going to do with the stuff we’ve stolen?”

Everyone exchanged looks, and for some reason, everyone focused on Mr. Tawnlen.

“I mean, I know Dr. Castor wants us to acquire information from certain politicians, but it’s not really stealing if they’re trying to give it to us,” I added.

“We need to find out what the secret bills on the docket are, and we need to do so in such a way not one politician is blamed, which means we need multiple copies of the bills. We know the documents are trapped, and we also know the documents aren’t the same depending on who received them,” my boss stated with a rather troubled expression. “What we don’t know is which documents are going to be the ones that break the United States, and we need to find out—and spread news about the secret bills—before we hit the point of no return. We know that point is coming. We just don’t know when . But my guess would be election day in November. That does not give us long to act.”

With a little over seven months to work with until the election, we would have to get a move on if we wanted any hope of manipulating the vote in the favor of all Americans. While I wanted to make Senator Thaddens’s hopes for the future a reality, I doubted a campaign founded strictly on positivity and the praise of corrupted politicians would change anything.

Somehow, someone would have to plant the seeds of peaceful rebellion.

Knowledge might help, but I feared what the past would tell us if we found some way to dredge out the true facts about what had happened to the United States.

“Is the media going to bite?”

“The media has as much to lose as we do. We will make use of mail drops, couriers, and so on to anonymously submit the paperwork to every news outlet we can. The government can’t silence them all,” my boss replied. Then, heaving a sigh, he shrugged. “As long as a few post the pieces, there’s a good chance it’ll spread across the country. It might be too late to make a difference, but we’ll do what we can. I’m already looking into options for getting everyone to Europe if we can’t make this work. I’m thinking we’ll be taking a transatlantic cruise. There are two that will be leaving out a week before the election, and we should all book a ticket to be on board. The cruise will, for a fee, allow most animals, including horses and goats. It’s rather expensive. Mr. Hampton did the preliminary work for it, and he fully intends to fill most of a ship with his staff. Overseas employees will handle monitoring his operations here. There are three other cruise ships with departure dates a week prior he will book for most of his employees. We will also be booking a return voyage for a month later, but depending on how things go, we may not be on board.”

Escaping by cruise and paying out for the return fare would make it look as though the Hamptons were working on our wedding plans. “We can use the trip to celebrate a year of post op for my foot.” I thrust out my healed foot for everyone to see. “You’re sentimental. Play your part.”

My fiancé laughed at me. “I think it’s a good idea. We can do it as our bachelor and bachelorette parties. That’s to be expected. And no matter what happens during the election, it’s a good idea. Everyone will know we booked the event today , which will make it clear we don’t have political aspirations. Dropping off the radar and letting the politicians think we aren’t a threat is wise. Clearly, if we’re planning a trip for when the election is happening, we’re not playing their game.”

Except we were, we were just playing their game using different rules while willing to cheat on behalf of the people the government betrayed. “All right. After we handle our clothing shopping, we’ll book this cruise. I’m not sure how we’re all going to get time off for this, though.”

“That part is easy.” Bradley refused to meet my gaze, which told me all I needed to know: he was about to make an expensive decision. “I’ll pay for everyone’s unpaid leave, that way the library can just bring in temps for while everyone is out. We’re giving sufficient warning.”

Beatrice nodded. “He’s right. With this much lead time, it won’t be a problem, especially since New York is considering opening a new branch. I’ll propose that your branch be the tester branch for the new librarians. If everyone at your branch takes leave at once, it’s perfect; we get to train the new employees, and we won’t have a situation of too many people working the floor. It was going to be a problem, and this solves that problem, especially if the Hampton family is paying everyone attending.”

There was only one person who could stop the plan, and that was my boss. I turned my stare onto Mr. Tawnlen.

“I’m not going to say what you like, Janette. Just surrender. It’s easier that way at this stage.”

“All right. Do I want to know how much this cruise venture will cost?”

“More than I care to think about, less than you likely think.” Bradley dug out his new phone and tapped at the screen. “If I do some good work for the next six months on the stock market, I’ll recover within a year on the spending for my share. Dad will have no problem paying for his share. Honestly, I’ve already started working on this, aware we might need to flee the United States. Dad is willing and able to move his operations overseas, and he’s already begun the expansion process. We’ll be able to get all our families out of the country if we play our cards right. And we’re playing this game to win and survive. If we lose and stay, it’s probable none of us will survive all that long afterwards. We’re already in the line of fire.”

It pained me to realize he was right.

Living to fight another day mattered.

“So, we stage our escape for in late October, making it look like we will return to the country sometime in late December or early January. And if the election goes poorly, we just stay in Europe? How are we going to pull that off?”

“More money,” my fiancé admitted. “More money and refugee status usage in Europe. Leave the issue of immigration to me and my father. I’m sure we can handle those issues with little fuss, especially if the United States continues to deteriorate during the election cycle. Just trust me on this one. If we need to get out, we’ll be able to get out. Life might not be ideal for a while, but we’ll be alive and safe.”

In a world gone mad, alive and safe was the most I could hope for. “Then it’s a plan. We’ll use our marriage as an excuse to do a group trip to Europe, and if things don’t go quite the way we want, we will have some hope for the future at least.”

“And if things don’t work out as we want, we’ll continue to fight for our country. It’ll just be from overseas for a while, until we can figure out how best to save our home from its government.” Bradley offered a smile, and he waved his new phone at me. “In a world where I willingly get a new phone and retire my old car in the same week, anything is possible.”