Vending Machine Lunch by Roadbloc Read Free Book Online Page B

crossed the busy street, ignoring pleas
for money from a beggar.
    "Ten," replied
Jordan, putting away his pager, "All the speakers will be requested
to go to Landis House. They will be held there until this is all
over. I trust you've told your personal aid just to go home."
    "Naturally,"
replied Jessica, hoping that Jack was getting him and his family
out of the area, "God, I never thought I'd be trying to cover up
something like this."
    "Sides
reshuffle when a new opponent is introduced," smiled Jordan,
opening Highfield's door, "After you."
    "Always a
gentleman," Jessica smiled and entered the building.
    Jessica was
about to ask some weedy looking loser at the reception where J was,
but Jordan just pushed right through the spinning barrier. Jessica
followed, looking pitifully at the receptionist who looked
authoritative-less and confused.
    Jordan burst
into the first office. Inside a group of three Enforcers were stood
around a few cluttered desks and appeared to be arguing.
    "Right, we have
ten until the Ares Defences supposedly go up in smoke, so what have
you guys got?" barked Jordan, the Enforcers looking stunned and
confused.
    "If you are on
about this apparent story that some of my on duty Enforcers told
about the neo-terrorist codenamed J, the very guy that you guys
wanted to claim was fictional, but somehow now in my custody,
walking into your little circle jerks and threatening to blow up
the Ares Defences unless he comes the new leader; very little,"
said a bold and bald guy with big lips, wearing his Enforcer
uniform with pride, "In fact, we are very sceptical about the
entire thing, as we have found no detonation device on his
person."
    "He said it,"
said Jessica, staring the bald Enforcer in the eye, "He said his...
thing."
    "His thing?"
asked the bald Enforcer, "And I'm sorry, but you are?"
    "This is Miss
Jessica, a fellow Speaker, who very rarely agrees with what I've
got to say in our little- 'circle jerks'," sneered Jordan.
    "And his thing
is?"
    A shift looking
Enforcer with a moustache and wearing square spectacles spoke up,
"Ahem, if I may chief Enforcer Jared?"
    "Go ahead
Enforcer Jonathan."
    "J's 'thing' is
to say the words, 'I don't think you want to be doing that,'" said
Jonathan, "According to rumour and well known sources, when he says
that the following threat off his is always a reality. I've
interrogated criminals in these cells that have previously fallen
foul of them words. Naturally, I've always questioned his
existence... until now."
    Chief Enforcer
Jared scratched his chin, "And he said that?" he asked, looking up
at Jessica.
    "Words to them
effect, yes," she replied.
    "Words to them
effect? Care to tell us all what in the land that means?"
    "He changed the
phrase to suit the present tense," said Jessica, feeling slightly
foolish and looking down, "That's all."
    "Times a
ticking gentlemen, we need to do something," said Jordan, clearly
frustrated, a beady eye on the clock on the wall.
    "Okay," said
Jared, breathing deep, "Since giving him power is clearly out of
the question, we need to prepare for emergency evacuation of the
areas at risk to floodi-"
    "I can't let
you do that," growled Jordan, "This needs to stay away from the
press. No-one can know."
    "Hey. Just you
listen to me," Jared growled back, "I'm chief Enforcer of this
land. Now, you guys can influence, very slightly, what goes on
politically, but my boys and my resources are under my control.
Believe it or not, despite the red tape and all the sucking up we
have to do to you guys, we are still here to protect the public. He
refused us access to Deimos from the start, and I doubt we'll be
getting access to Phobos or the new facilities whatever they're
called any time soon. But this I do have access to, and my job is
to do my damn best to protect the public. So we will be evacuating
the areas at risk."
    Jordan smacked
his hands on the desk in front of him and leant on it, "If you do
that, you will make this land more politically