Eli Briggs
Eli woke up early, nursing a hangover that threatened to turn his stomach. He collapsed on the couch heavily and let his head loll against the backrest. He rubbed his face with his hands, leaving them there for a moment to block out the light. Last night was unexpected. Tarry showing up at his front door unannounced with a bottle of wine had left Eli stunned, to say the least. Mostly because Eli didn’t think he had that level of impulsiveness in him. He would be impressed if it weren't so out of character.
Once the initial shock had worn off Eli had invited him in, of course. Or rather, yanked him in to avoid potential gawkers. Staring at the ceiling, he thought back to the conversation that had taken place in his doorway last night.
“Good lord man, do your handlers know you’re here?” Eli looked through the keyhole scanning for potential watchers.
“Nope, I gave them the slip today,” Tarry confessed with a grin.
Eli was dumbfounded. He pinched his forehead while sighing. “Why do I bother trying to protect your image?” But as he said it he immediately noticed the way Tarry’s smile fell a fraction of an inch.
“Okay, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing! Can’t I just pop in and say hello to an old friend?” Tarry asked innocently.
“No,” Eli said, deadpanned, “Where were you really supposed to be today?”
Tarry put a hand on his chest looking scandalized by the question. Eli gave him a withering stare until Tarry gave up his game with a sigh. “I was supposed to be in Aspir for a meeting. I didn’t want to go so I sent the organizer a message and decided to come here instead.”
“I’m flattered, really. But consider me suspicious of your motives,” Eli insisted.
The bravado fell away and Tarry looked torn.
“What?” Eli asked, his suspicions beginning to drop.
“Francine is leaving me.”
Eli felt a rush of guilt and softened. “Shit. I’m sorry,” he moved out of the way to let him in, “Okay, now that you’re here, why don’t you have a seat and we can talk about it.”
As the wine loosened his lips Tarry talked about everything that was seemingly bothering him. Spouses who couldn’t handle his schedule. Grandmasters who were seemingly playing their own games. The inquest findings were set to drop within the next month. Eli didn’t press for details, it was already a dangerous game that Tarry was potentially playing in being here, but he did take mental notes.
From the political and academic side, they didn’t want to mar the new school year at the Academy with the findings, good or bad. Eli could respect that. Selfishly, he didn’t want Olly’s first experiences at the Academy to be sullied by the findings. Tarry hadn’t provided any insights into the content and Eli didn’t ask, but he did say that he was worried about the potential fallout. Eli could put two and two together to know that someone was going to take the fall.
After Olly came home they abandoned that conversation. And after the slightly unexpected conversation about the Guild Wars, Olly went to bed and then they found themselves too drunk to talk about anything serious so they instead talked about their past. Of all the unusual things that had happened that night, that was the most unexpected part. They had never really been the type of reminisce together; neither were particularly nostalgic. In Tarry’s case, it was likely because any connection to someone like Eli would be detrimental to his career. And yet Tarry couldn’t seem to let go.
It was curious to Eli how the man who was now losing spouse number three had insisted on keeping him in his life. If anything, Eli had willingly placed the distance between them, allowing Tarry the space to let his political ambitions grow. He was fine to let go, if anything it made his life less complicated by holding Tarry at an arm’s distance. If something went wrong he wouldn’t feel personally guilty.
But last night Eli was reminded that underneath the polished political persona was a person who was quick witted and fun. The Tarry he used to know was the one who showed up on his doorstep that night. Those days seemed so long ago and yet, for an evening, it was like nothing had changed. Last night he saw the version of Tarry that had a sly streak to him and who could be conniving. The one who Eli had orchestrated his election wins by gaining voters on his behalf in the lower boroughs. It was true he had a lot to gain in helping him, but he did believe in Tarry. He wouldn’t have backed someone who hadn’t supported improvements to life in the sixteenth.
His hangover was showing no sign of abating so he got to his feet and slunk to the kitchen for a glass of water. He turned on the television as a distraction from the pounding in his head. As he slowly sipped the water he was only half-aware of the content on the news. However, he did a double take as he saw footage of what appeared to be a recent disaster scene.
“The Mayor is still unaccounted for after the collapse. We are live on the scene -” the anchor stated sombrely.
He dropped his glass and paid no attention when it shattered on the floor. He rushed back into the living room, the pain in his head forgotten, as he stared at the screen.
The news was displaying a recent collapse in Occaigh. Just last night an intercity tunnel had collapsed and a few people had been reported missing, including the Mayor.
“Shit, shit, shit!” he hissed, “Fuck!”
He rushed upstairs and threw open the guest room door. He shook the snoring figure on the bed. “Wake up!” he barked, jostling Tarry out of his slumber.
“Wha-?” Tarry was slow to rouse, looking around blearily.
“We’ve got big problems!” Eli insisted emphatically.
That seemed to awaken him a little more forcefully. “What kind of problems?” Tarry demanded.
“Tunnel problems. Meet me downstairs, you need to see it for yourself.”
It wasn’t long before they stood shoulder to shoulder in front of the television, watching the news. Tarry held a hand to his mouth in shock.
“This can’t be happening,” he said in a hushed voice, “Not in my city.”
“I don’t intend to tell you what to do but you likely need to get out of here immediately so I don’t suggest delaying in calling Francine. If no one has been able to get ahold of you I’d suspect she's the one who reported you missing. She could probably get in touch with your people to get you out of here,” Eli suggested.
“Perhaps. But I suspect there’s many people trying to get ahold of me right now so it could have been anyone,” Tarry responded with a groan.
“Make that call then. There’s little explanation that will look good but perhaps the relief of you being safe will at least distract from the reason you were unreachable all morning.”
Tarry let out a shuddering breath and Eli caught him before his legs gave out. He grasped his arm and lowered Tarry into a chair. “I… I would’ve taken that tunnel last night. I can’t be entirely sure but if I had gone to Aspir for my meeting as planned the timing would have been close.” He seemed to buckle under the weight of that realization and Eli too felt winded by that piece of information.
“Listen, I can’t promise much, but I can promise that I will immediately put out feelers and see what kind of insights I can find,” Eli promised.
Tarry remained silent and still for a moment. “I’ll go make that call,” was all he managed to say, and he excused himself from the room.
Eli chewed his nail pensively as he waited, still watching the television flash to images of the scene of the collapse.
It only took a few minutes and after it was done Tarry was ready to leave almost immediately. Eli didn't ask what he plans to get back to the first were but he hoped he would be discreet.
Tarry had one hand on the knob at the ready. “Hey Tarry?” Eli asked.
“Yeah?”
“Be careful out there and… I’m sorry for the upcoming days you’re going to have,” Eli said. Even if he had nothing to do with Tarry’s predicament, he meant it.
Tarry nodded remorsefully. “Thanks.” He pulled his hat down and collar high and turned to leave without another word.
It had been an unexpected sort of evening in more ways than one, Eli thought morosely to himself, staring at the door for longer than he'd care to admit.
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
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Tarry Bennett
Tarry hustled as fast as he could, keeping his gaze low. He just needed to make it to the fourth borough unnoticed. He had instructed his contact to meet him outside one of the main tunnels. At the very least if he was seen his movements would be less suspicious in that area of the city. Any borough lower than that would just open unwanted attention.
He’d have to deny his whereabouts from last night but he knew Eli would understand. There was just no reasonable excuse as to why he would’ve been unresponsive and holding out in the sixteenth when his city needed him. He cursed himself. How could he have been so careless? He showed up, unannounced and undisguised on Eli’s doorstep. He could understand Eli’s confusion. It had been reckless and stupid. And yet, despite the hurt he had felt by his wife telling him she couldn’t do it anymore, he couldn’t think of anywhere else he wanted to be. He couldn’t think of anyone else that wouldn’t judge him or look down on him except for Eli.
He was just about to cross the tunnel between the fifth to the fourth borough when Alzira intercepted him. He looked at her quizzically as she power walked towards him. This wasn’t where he had told her to meet him.
“Found you,” she said hurriedly and grasped his arm, “Walk with me.”
“Where are we going?” he asked as she pulled him away from the tunnel.
“The press are camping out on the other side of that tunnel. If you walk out of there looking as dishevelled as you currently do you’re going to be ambushed by camera flashes and people shoving microphones in your face. I’ve got Controllers set up around the major access points so it’s at least diverting attention to those areas and I've got a car waiting for us nearby instead. It’ll be far less conspicuous than walking.”
He nodded and wordlessly allowed her to lead him.
“Why didn’t you coordinate with your staff to have someone pick you up at sixteenth?” she continued, “Journeying back on foot was colossally stupid. But instead, you called me, insisting it was the only way. Are you avoiding your staff too along with Francine?”
He went silent.
“I thought so,” she said simply. She wasn’t rubbing it in at least.
They reached the car. It was still early in the morning and the news was only just breaking but bystanders were gathering. He tried to avoid eye contact and hoped it would be enough. It wasn’t until they ducked into the car that he felt the tension leave his body only to be replaced with a pitiful helplessness.
Alzira appeared agitated. “This is unlike you. What’s going on with you? Why did you call me instead of your wife? She’s beside herself by the way.”
“I just don’t feel like I have many allies right now,” he confessed.
“You don’t,” she admitted, but looked slightly relieved, “Though I am glad to hear you say it. It means I haven’t lost you yet.”
This moved him slightly out of the funk that had settled around him. He looked at her quizzically.
“Now that I feel like we’re on the same page, I need to share my suspicions. You could be in danger and leaving for the sixteenth without telling anyone just may have saved your life. I’m only telling you this because I trust you, but you need to play your part very, very carefully from this point forward. Consider me your only ally in the Grandmasters.”
He gripped his arms as he took it all in. It hardly surprised him that his life could be threatened; his life had already been consumed by this position. There was nothing left for it to take if not for his last breaths.
Since the initial shock of seeing the news, he had avoided thinking about the implications of this collapse. Selfishly and secretly, Tarry almost wanted to be caught by the press leaving the sixteenth. He wanted to be given a reason to stop caring. He left Eli’s house in a rush, not really caring about who found him first. He wasn’t sure if he was strong enough to deal with the implications.
And yet, he couldn’t just leave. The guilt of walking away would kill him. His city was bleeding and it needed him.
“Alright, seems like I’ve got my work cut out for me.” He could feel himself snapping out of it as clarity returned to his mind. “What do you suggest I do?”
“Firstly, get your story straight. If you appear weak it could be used against you. I suggest you work with the fact you and your wife are separating. Say you’ve been living apart for awhile and you were staying at your new apartment in the fourth borough. And then actually follow through and get an apartment in the fourth borough, one that only you can access.”
“I never told you my wife was leaving me,” he rolled his eyes, “But if you already knew, why bother asking me why I called you instead of her?”
“You didn’t have to, it was obvious. Also I wanted to see how you responded,” she said somewhat smugly.
“Fine, but that doesn’t help my story.”
“No, but I do think there’s another piece you could leverage. You’ve never blown off a meeting before so they are suspicious. However, you could show your hand and say that intelligence suggested you were in danger if you left the city. Nobody in your camp had told the press anything about your whereabouts or your calendar, but they also didn’t know where you were so you have already caught them off guard once. It would be the ultimate power move to tell them and let them spin the PR,” she instructed as they drove into the third borough.
Tarry could see a crowd was forming outside one of the other tunnel stations.
“Do you think there’s anyone in my camp working against me?” he questioned.
“I wouldn’t trust anyone. And openly insisting you’re worried about your safety would potentially help reveal any moles.”
He took it all in, heart sinking. “Why are you helping me?”
“More importantly, why should I trust you?” he thought to himself.
“Because… While some would welcome it, removing you from power would be the worst turn of events for this city and the world. Flexibilis needs you Tarry and I’m scared of what’s to come.”
He considered this. One thing he had been right about was that the first collapse was just the beginning. And while this was the second public collapse, there had already been a secret collapse in between that still hadn't been picked up by the press.
"Have you found anything out regarding the other collapse?"
She looked pained. They had just reached the back entrance to his office, out of site of the crowd gathering at the front. "Yes, and we need to talk later about it, but you need to go sort this mess out now. I'll join the other Grandmasters; my absence will definitely be noticed but I'll continue to search for information from within."
That was in no way a reassuring answer, but he exited the car and thanked her sincerely for all her help.
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Eli Briggs
Eli watched the Mayor’s press release with Olly that evening. The news that the Mayor was safe was met with relief from some of the populace and derision from the rest. Tarry’s speech was appropriately sombre and spoke to the deceased; five people were confirmed dead and another three were injured. He did not speak to his whereabouts and instead merely commented that he was away on other business by way of explaining his absence.
He spoke of justice and ensuring tunnel safety, but Eli knew it was too late. This was the second collapse and it had taken place within a major city; it would not be brushed off so easily. The news was already showing protests and demonstrations outside tunnels and traffic had been reported as being significantly reduced. It was a mess and it was only going to get worse.
He side eyed Olly, wondering if he was ready. When the first tunnel collapsed he knew that he had to set the path in motion to get him out of here, but even he hadn’t expected a second collapse to happen so close to home. It shook him to his core.
Tarry showing up on his doorstep right before such a public tragedy also was extraordinarily poor timing. However, the collapse of a tunnel that the Mayor was supposed to be using the very night was downright suspicious. Eli did intend to tap into his network but selfishly it wasn't just for Tarry’s safety anymore.
A sudden crash jolted them both to their feet. Olly motioned to investigate the source of the noise but Eli held a hand to his chest and raised a finger to his lips. He slowly moved towards the front door while retrieving a blade that he kept in his inner jacket pocket.
The source of the noise was quickly discovered. A brick was sitting in the front hallway, shattered glass glittering around it. A piece of paper was tied around it. With a steady hand, Eli avoided the glass and carefully untied the note.
“What does it say?” Olly had appeared behind him and Eli hated how small his voice sounded.
‘Mayor’s Pet’ was scrawled hastily across the paper. Eli crushed it in his hand.
This is why he wasn’t friends with Tarry. This is why he couldn’t be friends with Tarry. Because anytime shit went down it wasn’t people like the Mayor who would have to suffer the consequences. Tarry was certainly fine with coming down here when he needed something, but he had likely given no thought to Eli or Olly’s safety.
Avoiding the rage that was growing within him, Eli did his best to board the window, pledging to get it fixed in the morning.
He opted to sleep on the couch that night, keeping his blade close by. Despite it being a henceforth quiet night sleep never came. The sanctuary of the house felt tainted.
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Tarry Bennett
It was quite late when Tarry made it back to his penthouse that night. He wasn’t certain as to what he would find but it certainly wasn’t Francine throwing herself at him. She sobbed into his chest, immediately filling him with guilt for not coming home sooner. In truth, he hadn’t rushed home because he assumed she might not be there. And the idea of coming back to an empty house after such a horrible day made his heart feel like it was breaking all over again.
However, feeling her in his arms brought him the only spark of joy he had felt all day. And when he felt her lips pressed to his, any thoughts of letting her walk away instantly evaporated.
As they lay in bed that night, cradled in each other’s arms, he promised her that he would be taking the utmost precautions. He promised to not let his work come between them. He would have promised anything if it made her stay.
To her credit, she also apologized for putting him in a position between choosing between his job and her. She knew that his job was important and that the city had never been more in need of a stable leader. She told him that when his counsel had reached out to tell her that he hadn’t responded to any of their urgent calls she wished and hoped for any chance that he was alive. When it was confirmed that he had come back she had burst into tears and that's when she knew that she couldn’t lose him again. It warmed him to hear it and he held her tighter.
She had asked him where he had been last night. There was no suspicion, just curiosity. He was happy to tell her, knowing that she also trusted Eli. She seemed pleased to hear that he had sought comfort in a friend and was relieved by the news. She promised to thank Eli for being there for him and he agreed to do the same.
His conversation with Alzira resonated through his mind. He had so few people he could trust and Eli was one of only a handful. He wondered with Olly going away if there was a way to bring Eli up out of the sixteenth, perhaps as a staffer. He knew it would be risky but these were tough times, and he would need as many allies as possible. He made a mental note to ask him after Olly officially started, hoping some of the dust would settle by then.