Free Ark-13: An Odyssey by B.B. Gallagher Page A

boat captain could.
    Coop’s eyes met two council members, Andrew Langford and Sophia Chen, laughing and having a good time over their drinks. Andrew lifted his head from the conversation and called to Coop.
    “Hey Coop! Have you seen Jake? He was supposed to meet us here… He’s a no show!” Andrew laughed aloud, obviously already on his third drink of the night.
    “I don’t know where he is! Probably working out or something,” Coop suggested, trying to avoid them. With a nod of the head, Andrew’s attention fell back to Sophia.
    As Coop walked toward an empty table, he nodded to Zoe who sat in a nearby booth, awaiting his signal. Zoe tapped her ear and spoke into her comm.
    “Jake, he’s in position.”
    ⊶ < > ⊷
    Jake walked a brisk pace up the Loop, having just received Zoe’s word through his earpiece. He noticed Peter Gambit, a tall, bulky framed man, speaking to two men who stood guard at the door to the Archives. After an exchange of parting words, Peter left the enforcers to their post and walked by Jake.
    “Councilman…” he nodded.
    “How are ya, Peter? How have patrols been going so far? Everything in order?” Jake kept up his appearance.
    “All quiet on the Western front…”
    Jake spun as he passed, flashing a parting smile and continued walking the other way.
    “Jake…he’s in position,” Zoe’s impatient voice carried an expectation in it. Jake turned the corner and the air conditioning vent came into view outside of the restroom.
    His eyes narrowed on it.
    “Is Jim there yet?”
    ⊶ < > ⊷
    Zoe foraged the club until Jim Booker entered alongside Junior Posey. Together they ascended the stairs and approached the bar. Zoe exchanged glances with Coop at the adjacent table and then spotted Lucy across the bar, talking with a friend and Elijah in the corner, awaiting Coop’s move.
    “Junior, got him here, they just arrived. Everyone is in position.”
    “Alright send the signal,” Jake instructed over her comm.
    And with that Zoe connected eyes with Coop and gave a concerted nod of the head to convey the signal. With that Coop slapped his hands on the table and stood up, shifting in his weight like a drunkard. He stumbled up to Jim and Junior and haphazardly slapped Jim on the shoulder.
    “Hey! Booker!... What’s this I hear about more enforcers?!” Coop’s voice slurred with a disgruntled ire. The volume of his voice was high enough to attract the eyes of nearby colonists.
    “Just for everyone’s safety, Coop...” Jim assured him, as politely as he could, although his eyes offered a condescending judgment. The song overhead came to an end, leaving a silent background to the building argument.
    “What? Don’t ya think we’ve been through enough! What gives you the right to police me?!” Coop prodded. Jim’s eyes darted side to side, realizing a crowd had gathered.
    “The Council voted on it. And yes because of recent events it seems to be a good idea!” Jim fired back in the defense.
    “She didn’t do anything wrong! Meredith was just minding her own business and GENESIS decided to take her! Can’t you see that GENESIS is not who they said they were!” Coop yelled loud enough to plant the seed in each onlooker.
    “GENESIS is the only reason we are alive!” Jim yelled at the top of his lungs.
    “Well I think ya work for em’. I think your spying on us!” Gasps sounded about as Coop stepped forward and punched Jim Booker with a right hook across the jaw. Jim’s anger ignited into fury as he charged at Coop. They crashed back and toppled over a nearby table. The commotion caught the attention of every colonist in the club and so quickly a perimeter was formed around the two wrestling men.
    ⊶ < > ⊷
    Jake leaned up against the wall, pretending to consult a book projected from his holographic. After a few moments, he noticed the enforcers standing guard at the Archives getting a message in their ear. After equipping their electrostaffs, they booked it up the