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Chapter 6
The video reaches the inboxes of every major network in the morning.
“Most of you know Timo Thor as the world’s most successful construction magnate,” says a dark figure, his face obscured in shadow. His voice comes out electronically scrambled, and a video from Built By Thor’s many worksites and factories plays in the background. “His concrete production dominates the industry. What you don’t know is that his company has been paying off government officials for decades to let him bypass environmental restrictions that have poisoned whole towns’ water supplies. He’s undercut competitors by colluding with CEOs of major corporations or intimidating them. Timo Thor has destroyed people’s lives and businesses for his own profit.”
The picture then changes to an aerial view of a palatial manor with horses galloping through the verdant grounds.
“This was the vacation home of Lincoln Waterston — that’s right, his vacation home. He liked to call himself a Kentuckian, but he only spent about two weeks a year in the state. The rest he spent in Washington, DC, lobbying Congress on behalf of his very wealthy clients. If your representative opposed a popular bill despite saying he or she would vote for it, Waterston probably had a hand to play. Remember when the Warner Act was passed, but only with some very notable amendments? That was Waterston.”
The scene changes to the mansion, now at night, fire and smoke belching from its blasted out windows.
“Today they’re both dead — executed for their crimes by Anarchy, Inc. If you thought we were only going to kill arms dealers on the other side of the planet, this is your wake-up call. We have already chosen our next target. We will destroy the structures of order that are strangling this world. Stay tuned.”
The ranch is so remote that the media didn’t find out until Anarchy, Inc. released the video. Now news helicopters hover over what’s left of the Waterston ranch. Smoke still rises from the rubble. Small fires continue to burn.
“Do we know anything about their families?” asks Matthew Ryan, who’s returned to the show as part of a three-person guest panel.
“Not that I know of,” I say, doing my best not to smile. “There were a lot of bodies recovered; authorities are still sorting out who’s who.”
If this video can be believed, two of the Masters are dead. The world knows they were evil men. I wish I could have been involved in exposing them, but someone did what I can only dream of — how could I not be thrilled?
If only Ingram were here to see it.
“They could be holding the families hostage,” suggests Ann Parada, one of the evening pundits from LPN’s twenty-four-hour news network. “Freeing some of their compatriots from prison could be one of their goals.”
“I think that’s exactly what they’re doing,” I say. There was a time when I never could imagine making such a baseless claim without any evidence. Now it’s second nature. “They call themselves Anarchy, Inc. Why wouldn’t they want their fellow terrorists running free?”
“We shouldn’t just jump to conclusions,” counters Michelle Cross-Yarrow. “Don’t be surprised if this is a move to manipulate the stock market. Many organizations can profit off market instability.”
I wish I could tell her how insane she sounds. There are easier ways to make money on Wall Street that don’t carry life sentences. She is right that the news has hurt stock prices — the morning saw a record drop and it still hasn’t recovered. Timo Thor and Lincoln Waterston were important men; a lot of other important men are likely scared.
“Either way, people are demanding action,” I say. “What are the FBI and CIA doing to investigate? What leads do they have, and what aren’t they telling us? For more reaction, let’s go to the audience,” I say, prompting my producer to call on a spectator.
“Hi,” says a potbellied old man wearing a camouflage pants and a yellow tank top. “How do we know for sure those guys are even dead? Maybe they were in trouble with the IRS. Maybe they faked their deaths like Victor Sovereign.”
Oh, for fuck’s sake. I can’t take much more of this, so I let the wackos talk and try to tune out the rest. I should be enjoying myself — how often will I get to savor the satisfaction of a Master getting what he deserves? My lips keep rising in a grin. Thankfully the panelists keep the focus away from me. I’m not acting the most professionally, but that’s my new persona anyway. So what if some viewers think I’m secretly drunk? I wish I was. In my mind, Ingram and I raise a champagne glass, toasting to Timo and Lincoln’s demise.
With both of them gone, as well as Sidney Traves, that leaves seventeen Masters to go.
Although…
What if Anton did this? What if he’s starting to purge the Masters of members who aren’t loyal? Is there any chance Timo and Lincoln were trying to somehow overthrow Anton? Is that what Colette meant when she told me things are going to change? I hear her words in my head constantly, wondering what that meant. Did today’s attack have anything to do with what she said? I wish she could have told me more.
Maybe we’ll find out after the next attack. I get the sense from their video we won’t have to wait very long.
—
After the show, the guards lead me out like usual, but when we reach the limo, Anton’s inside waiting.
“What was that, Kate?” he asks as I sit down across from him. “Did you enjoy today’s broadcast?”
“No, sir.”
His hand whips out, smacking my cheek. It stings.
“Don’t fucking lie,” he snaps. “You were smiling throughout the show. Everyone saw it. Has your life become too tolerable? Do I need to introduce some new source of misery?”
“What are you going to do?” I ask. I shouldn’t talk back to him; I know better than that. Yet, the hatred in my chest is swelling up as my face tingles. “Torture me? My life is already torture. You want to beat me, like your father?”
