Chapter 1

  A weak winter sunshine shone through the skylight windows and into the Inner Roses hall. The subtle light drew the attention to a sea of illuminated screens, each little light paired to a seat which were spread around the circular hall.

  The lights came alive, as people slowly began entering the hall. They all wore smart black uniforms, full dresses for the ladies, and suits with red ties for the men. Neatly stitched on each of their dress, was a unique symbol, which reflected that person’s specialisation within the organisation.

  These individuals were known as the ‘Inner Rose’ members, who were primarily representatives of the organisation. Their role was to discuss and vote on agendas and contribute within their given speciality.

  Once most of the outer seats were filled, a second group casually strode in. They were young, fit and confident individuals. They wore more practical black clothing, cargo trousers, tight breathable sweaters and black comfortable trainers. Many were equipped with firearms and ballistic vests.

  They all shared a common feature; on their left eye was a small, transparent blue screen. These small screens were called a ‘Monitor’, which served to augment its user’s vision with a contextual overlay of what one was looking at. These young members were known as ‘Agents’. They took their seats on wooden chairs, at the centre of the hall.

  Once everyone was present and seated, the passageway door slid closed and a light next to it turned red, indicating that the Inner Roses meeting was officially beginning. Simultaneously, two red doors at the back of the hall slid open, and two young women entered through them and down the stairs.

  The young lady on the left, Nadia, was of Indian descent. She had a gorgeously photogenic face, with short black hair and brown eyes. She wore a particularly unique black dress, its stitching showed a large white eye, with sparkling white stars as a backdrop.

  The young lady on the right, Aisling, was also remarkably good looking. She was pale with short blonde hair, green eyes and a brilliant smile. Her dress had the stitching of a sun and moon with sparkling white stars as a backdrop.

  Both of them were very young, eighteen, to be precise. They walked down the stairs with large tablets in their hands. As they approached their seats on the raised bench, a formal, synthetic female voice spoke through the speakers in the hall.

  “All rise for Nadia and Aisling.”

  Everyone in the hall stood up, as Nadia took her seat on the left and Aisling on the right.

  Aisling smiled as she briefly looked across the hall, “Thank you, you may all be seated.”

  The hall went quiet as they resumed their seats, and everyone waited for the meeting to begin.

  Nadia looked up at the skylight and smiled, “It’s good to see the sunlight, as weak as it is. Let’s hope it lasts all day.”

  The synthetic female voice spoke once more, “Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. We shall now commence today's meeting. Today's agenda is currently displayed on the screens. We shall begin on the first point of United Nations exchange services.”

  The voice started to speak again but stopped. An Inner Rose member had stood up in the front row. He was tall with short ginger hair, pale skin and thin rimmed glasses. His uniforms stitching, was a mind with stars as a backdrop, indicating the field of psychology.

  The synthetic voice addressed the man, “Mr. Jones, is something wrong?”

  The man’s face was deeply concerned, as he looked down at his hands, he took a moment to muster the courage to say what he needed to.

  His voice was quiet, “I’m calling the vote.”

  The voice immediately responded, “To which vote are you referring to?”

  He answered slowly and deliberately, “Angels…”

  The hall remained quiet, as Inner Rose members and agents looked amongst each other in mild confusion.

  There was movement amongst the agents, near the centre of the hall. A surprisingly tall and muscular man, with short black hair and a clean-shaven face, stood up. All eyes turned to him, as everyone waited for an explanation.

  The tall agent spoke frustratingly, “I’ve tried this before Oliver, and it won’t pass without a good reason.”

  Oliver spoke with deep concern, “Michael… it’s different this time.” His face was racked with sadness, “We’re losing him… we’ve run out of time.”

  The synthetic voice responded in a reassuring tone, “He is safe, there is no cause for concern.”

  Oliver shook his head, “AI… I’m a psychologist. It’s my job to listen to, talk to and help my patients. It’s my job to know them intimately… to know him.”

  Oliver addressed the synthetic voice, named AI, similar to how one might say 'aye' or ‘eye’. That was the manner in which all members and agents addressed AI.

  Oliver looked back down at his hands, “He’s code-red for suicide, AI… The situation is truly that bad. He’s nearly completely lost himself now. He’s withered away into near nothingness, and if this vote doesn’t pass this time, we will never get the chance to vote on it again.”

  He slowly repeated, “I am calling the vote.”

  The room filled with the sound of concerned whispers. Those next to Oliver tried to comfort him by putting their hand on his shoulder… but he shrugged off their attempts.

  Another long moment passed, before AI responded, “Very well, Oliver.”

  The four large screens above went black for a second. The image changed to a black background, with the title “Angels” at the top centre. Underneath the title were four white boxes in a row… the fourth box already had a red cross in it.

  Oliver looked up and noticed the fourth box’s red cross.

  He raised his voice, “AI, it’s time… We need to save his life…”

  AI calmly responded, “I can have him watched over by agents, in order to keep him from hurting himself. I believe he simply needs more time.”

  Oliver suddenly shouted, “You would imprison him… AFTER ALL HE’S DONE FOR US?!”

  There was the sound of shock across the hall, as everyone quickly turned to Oliver in surprise.

  The young lady sitting on the left of the raised bench, Nadia, spoke, “Mr. Jones, please calm down…”

  Oliver shook his head as he forced himself to look at the floor.

  After a moment, AI responded, “I see your point now, I never saw it that way. Please forgive me, Oliver.”

  AI announced to the hall, “This vote has been called and its reasoning is sound. There will be four individuals partaking in the vote, Michael Campbell, ex-agent James Hull, Oliver Jones and myself.”

  “For the first vote, Michael Campbell, what say you?”

  Michael instantly responded, “Aye.”

  A large tick mark appeared in the first box.

  AI continued, “For the second vote, I have established video communication with ex-agent James Hull.”

  On the top left of the screens, a video feed showed James looking at his phone. He had short brown hair, blue eyes and a full beard.

  James scratched his beard, “Greetings AI, what can I help you with?”

  AI summarised, “We are calling the Angel vote once more, James.”

  He looked away from his phone as he shook his head in frustration. After a moment, he looked back at his phone, “Again Michael? I’ve already told you it won’t pass unless there is significant reason, mate. This is the third time you’ve called it now, come off it!” He rolled his eyes in frustration.

  Oliver quickly spoke, “It was me who called the vote, James…”

  James’s tone immediately shifted into concern, “Oh… Oliver, why? What happened?”

  Oliver spoke remorsefully, “He’s at his end James… I can’t save him from his own suffering anymore.”

  James looked away for a long moment as he stared into the distance. His face looked sad, as he reflected on tragic memories. He was deeply processing what that truly meant.

  He slowly looked back at his phone, “It’s that bad?... Very well, then it’s about damn time the truth came out… I say aye.”

  A tick appeared in the second box.

  The inevitability of the vote was clear. Oliver was the last to vote, however, since he was the one who called the vote, AI didn’t need to ask him, as it would have been redundant. A tick appeared in the third box. There were three ticks to one cross, and the vote was a majority pass.

  AI announced, “It is decided by majority vote, the ‘Angels’ vote has passed.”

  The screens transformed into one large green box with a large green tick in the centre.

  *

  Nadia frowned, “Gentlemen, the whole world is watching this. It disturbs me greatly, that Aisling and I have no clue what you’re talking about. As a public facing organisation, this is deeply concerning.”

  Aisling folded her arms in frustration, “What does ‘Angels’ refer to, please?”

  Oliver ignored both their remarks and looked away in relief, as he took deep breaths to calm himself. He knew how desperately crucial the vote was, and what they all stood to lose if it never passed.

  He spoke quietly, “Thank God, I can’t express how desperate this was… I can’t lose him.”

  AI spoke slightly louder, “I made a promise to him, and now I have broken it.”

  Michael nodded, “By voting no, you kept your promise with honour, AI.”

  She spoke softly, “Only time will tell if he sees it that way, Michael.”

  After a moment, she spoke quickly, “We will need to hide this session from him, he cannot find out that everyone is being made aware of his existence.”

  Michael nodded, “Yes… Can I trust you to keep him distracted today, AI? Can you find excuses and reasons for him to not turn on the TV?”

  Oliver shook his head in disagreement, “This is the only thing he cares for anymore… All he does during the day, is watch this live broadcast! What else is he supposed to do?”

  Michael and Oliver looked at the ground, as they thought intensely of a solution.

  AI spoke, “His pain today is significantly worse than normal, Oliver.”

  Oliver looked up, slightly confused, “Yes?”

  There was a long pause before she stated, “Morphine.”

  Oliver felt a wave of sadness, “If I give him a large enough dosage… it would knock him out… and we can be sure that he won’t stir for many hours.”

  He felt disgusted at himself for a moment for considering this… but the situation was desperate. He reminded himself that he had to remember the bigger picture, that the meeting was hopefully going to be the cure and not just another band aid.

  He quickly muttered to himself, “I’ll need to go to the apartment myself, to administer the drug. It shouldn’t matter if I excuse myself now anyway… I know it’s not me who will tell this story.”

  He looked over at Michael for a moment and nodded to him. He briskly walked down the stairs of his pew and out the main entrance. Michael wasted no time, as he immediately walked to the centre of the hall, to ensure that all could see him clearly. It was hard to miss a man of his size, but he needed to ensure he was the focus of everyone's attention.

  Aisling asked concerningly, “Morphine? Excuse me, but isn’t that an extremely powerful painkiller? This person that you speak of… can’t you just give them sleeping tablets?”

  Michael turned to look at Aisling for a long moment. His face was visibly sad… for he clearly knew something tragic, that she did not. She quickly realised that fact and looked away. Whatever it was that she didn’t know about the morphine… it was clearly not time to know it yet.

  Michael looked up at the screens and announced, “AI, this will take all the session… please clear the agenda.”

  On the large screens, the list of agenda points was completely wiped. All that remained was the title ‘Angels’.

  Aisling stood up in irritation, “Hold on, the entire day's business? Some of those are directly affecting relief supplies for the storm that’s happening right now in the Philippines!”

  AI responded, “I will coordinate with the local government representatives, and have the logistics managed in the background. Aisling, the topic we speak of is of far greater importance.”

  Aisling was getting even more irate, “There are over one hundred and forty million people living there… and we’re not even going to discuss their threat? We have a representative waiting for our conference call right now!”

  AI instantly responded, “I will send them any relief supplies that they require.”

  Aisling took in a deep breath and was about to say more when AI cut her off.

  “It is under control, please focus on this now.”

  Aisling was shocked as she stood there, stunned. She turned to Nadia with a bewildered face. Nadia was also incredibly surprised; her eyes were open wide…

  Aisling finally spoke, as she stared down at her table, “What is going on here? I have a horrible feeling now, about all of this. I have never had AI dismiss me before…”

  Michael smiled at her, “Aisling… please sit.”

  As she slowly took her seat, there were murmurs across the hall, but they quickly died down. Michael had the stage, and everyone patiently waited for him. He stood still, as he arranged his thoughts and prepared himself.

  He eventually began speaking loudly, to ensure that all could hear him, “This organisation… The Roses… is an impossible miracle. What I see when I look around, is truly hard to believe. An organisation, stretching across the globe, giving hope, and building a brighter future. I consistently see new people joining us, every single day. We are on the television, on online video platforms and even on the papers. We have become a proud and honourable collective. There can be no doubt, that the dream of Aisling and Nadia has been truly realised… We’re succeeding in making true, positive change.”

  He paused for a long moment, as he looked across the hall thoughtfully. His pause was long enough, that people began looking around with concern, as if something had happened or perhaps something was wrong.

  He spoke slowly, but deliberately, “What if I told you… that it’s all been built on a sacrifice so great… that it will completely change your perspective, of everything we’ve accomplished?”

  He stared into the distance, deep in thought, “What if I told you, that we all owe a debt… A debt so large, we can never hope to pay it?”

  He looked down at the ground sadly, “What if all our proud accomplishments, are carried on the shoulders of a hidden giant?”

  Nadia was deeply concerned, “Michael, what don’t we know here? I’ve almost never seen you frown once… this is the first time I think I have ever seen you so sad.”

  Aisling nodded, “You’ve only ever been our smiling hero…”

  He shook his head for a long moment, “I’ll admit that… I’ve been putting on an act, the last few months. I’ve been wearing a mask, to hide the truth I swore not to tell, a promise of absolute importance. I’ve shed countless tears over this promise. The truth has changed me, it’s reshaped my perspective, of my own abilities and my character. It has me questioning the impact we’ve managed here together. I have entered this building for months, pretending to be ignorant. I swam in seas of hopeful smiles and trekked through mountains of optimism and confidence.”

  He stared into eternity, “This organisation is incredible… but you don’t know the price that was paid for its success.”

  He looked around the hall, “It’s been my life’s purpose for the last eleven months, to try to make sense of this truth. In what little time off I’ve had, I’ve been feverishly researching and connecting the dots, trying to form a picture of what really happened. I wanted to discover the honest story behind this deceptively beautiful painting, that we call ‘The Roses’. It has consumed me entirely and become my sole mission.”

  There were many concerned faces across the hall, as everyone listened to his every word with complete attention. Nobody dared to move, as they waited for Michael to continue.

  He read the room and realised that he was rambling for too long, “Forgive me, I’m sure you must all have a million questions and concerns right now. I’ll give everyone answers today, for it's time for the truth to be revealed.”

  ***

  The Dream Of Hope

  Aisling and Nadia sat next to one other, in Aisling's parents living room. It was a quiet Saturday afternoon, and the two sixteen-year-olds had just finished eating their lunch. With nothing better to do, they turned on the TV to see if there was anything interesting to watch.

  A newsreel had just begun, and the news presenter was speaking.

  “Two years on from 'The Clamp’, as the youth now refer to it, the agency of statistics has revealed concerning numbers. According to their report, the suicide rate among those under thirty has increased by 43%, compared to the five years prior. GBB has reached out for comment from the Prime Minister, and we will report back as soon we receive a response.”

  Aisling made a disappointed ‘tch’ sound, as she grabbed the remote and changed the channel. The TV changed to a talk show, featuring a young woman and a middle-aged man sitting next to each other on a sofa. The man appeared very sympathetic, as he gently patted the young lady's back.

  He gently asked, “Tell me love… How do you feel about your life right now?”

  She stared at her lap hopelessly, “I feel… Like I’m a burden to my family. I feel like nobody wants me… and I wish I could disappear.”

  He gently hushed her, “No no, come on now, that’s not true. You’re incredible, and we all want you to be happy.”

  She shook her head, “No… You don’t really care about our happiness…”

  Aisling immediately grabbed the remote and changed the channel, as she felt a horrible sense of worthlessness. Her mind raced with thoughts about how the young lady felt… What disturbed her the most, was that she felt that same way deep down as well.

  The TV then showed a recording of a young man being tackled and arrested by the police. He was flailing around, desperately trying to break free, as the officers held onto his shirt to keep him in place, as they quickly brought him down.

  The young man shouted at them, “Let go of me, you fucking pigs! What did I do wrong, eh?! You just targeted me cause I’m young you fuck-”

  The police officer punched him in the stomach, “Be quiet! You were inciting anger and trying to provoke violence!”

  The young man coughed and caught his breath, “Why don't you just kill me now, huh? Do it like you did during the Clamp, and fucking end me! We all know you don't think of me as a person, so just fucking do it then!”

  In the background, a crowd of young teenagers watched in horror, as one of them, a young girl, shouted out, "Please, leave him alone! He did nothing wrong; he has rights!"

  The policeman turned and pointed at her aggressively, "Your generation lost your rights, when you lost your respect and sense of place!"

  Aisling quickly turned off the TV, as she felt panic, and hopelessness overwhelm her. Nadia hugged her in an attempt to calm her down, but she was also shocked by what they had just seen on the TV.

  In frustration, Aisling threw the controller at the wall, and it broke into pieces. Nadia squeezed her tighter, desperately trying to soothe her.

  Nadia softly tried to calm her, "Shh, Ash, be calm… please."

  Aisling began shaking as she shook her head, "That's our generation, Nadia! What's happening in this country? This is horrible!"

  Nadia nodded, "I know, but if we just keep our heads down, it will all blow over…"

  Aisling turned to her in horror, "Keep our heads down? How are we going to manage, when we reach our thirties and think we're worthless?!"

  Nadia looked away, "I know, Ash, but what can we do? We don't want another Clamp…"

  Aisling slowly breathed as she tried to calm down. She shook her head as her hopelessness slowly transformed into anger.

  “We can't be afraid, Nadia. I think we need to do something… We need to give hope.”

  Nadia shook her head, “But how, Ash? They have us down, and they've shown what happens if we try to stand up…”

  Aisling stared at the ground for a moment, “We can't just give our generation hope… They need to find it within themselves.”

  Nadia nodded, “That's the problem, though. Our generation is angry and scared to take action, and the older people are too angry and selfish to try to help us… Nobody can fix this, Ash.”

  Aisling smiled weakly, “Nadia, help me here! There has to be a way! I know the problem; I just need a solution!”

  Nadia closed her eyes, as she fell deep into thought for several minutes. When she opened them once more, she smiled at Aisling.

  “What if... Neither of them fixes it?”

  Aisling tilted her head sideways, “What? Are you saying nobody does anything?”

  Nadia shook her head, “No… What if it wasn’t a person who decided how to help?”

  Aisling whispered, “... Machines?”

  Nadia smiled and nodded, “My cousin works in AI, he literally edits them and makes new ones… What if I asked him to make us one, and the AI decides fairly for both sides?”

  Aisling stood up as a wave of hope took over her whole body. She smiled gloriously as her eyes sparkled.

  “Let’s go give our generation hope.”

  ***

  Michael continued addressing the hall, “We start at the very beginning, in the formative days, when Nadia and Aisling had only a primitive version of AI in a tablet that they carried around with them. They desperately ran around, trying to demonstrate and convince others of their dream.”

  He turned to look at the two on the raised bench, “Aisling, Nadia… Would you please be so kind, as to explain what your dream was back then?”

  The two looked at him surprised, as they never expected to be asked something like that. After a moment, they both smiled gorgeously… Their smiles were what defined the Roses leadership until that point. Their smiles represented the hope and conviction of their mission. They both stood up in response.

  Nadia started, “Our dream, was to give hope to the current generations of adults, to give them purpose through service, and to use technology to change the course of humanity for the better.”

  Aisling finished, “Our dream was to create an honest, honour-bound, non-profit humanitarian organisation, and to ensure that merit is given to those who care and excel.”

  They both smiled and took their seats. Smiles had replaced the frowns across the hall… The two young leaders had that effect. Their hope and optimism were contagious, as even Michael found himself smiling. It was simply impossible to resist their smiles.

  Michael resumed, “It’s hard to believe, but in the beginning… they were simply two seventeen-year-old girls with a tablet. How humble their start was, compared to the massive organisation that we are today.”

  He frowned, “On their first day, they unfortunately found little success. On the second day however, they met a young man who joined them for the day, as he tried to accomplish whatever their little tablet suggested.”

  Nadia exclaimed, “I remember him! Remember Aisling? We met him on the train, and he didn’t believe us when we said we wanted to change the world?”

  Aisling tapped her head, trying to remember, “Yeah, what was his name? Andrew, wasn’t it?”

  Michael responded softly and reverently, “Yes… Andrew was his name, Andrew Smith. Tell me you two, what else do you remember about Andrew?”

  Nadia sounded frustrated, “Well, I remember that he initially talked like the world couldn’t be changed.”

  Aisling nodded, “We told him about AI, the tablet and how we planned on it helping us… but he was impossibly sceptical.”

  Nadia smiled, “He still got off the train with us though… He said he would walk with us, since apparently, he had nothing better to do.”

  Aisling beamed her incredible smile, “Even though he didn’t believe in our dream, he still helped us with our first tasks. I think I even managed to convince him throughout the day, because he started to ask more and more questions.”

  Michael softly spoke, “He believed in you two… Far more than you had realised.”

  Aisling and Nadia went quiet for a moment, as they realised that Michaels words were deeply significant and intentional.

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  Aisling finished her recollection, “We never saw him after that day, Michael… which is a shame, as I imagine he might have grown to be our first agent, rather than you.”

  Michael looked away quickly, as if he had been slapped. His face was wracked with sadness as he breathed deeply.

  Aisling at once realised, that something she had said had hurt him, “I’m sorry, Michael...”

  She wondered what she’d said wrong, as she looked at Nadia, but Nadia shook her head in confusion as well. The two said nothing more, as they waited for Michael to regain his posture.

  He spoke loudly and with deep emphasis, “Andrew… Andrew is the one we all owe everything to.”

  *

  Murmurs arose across the hall, which lasted far longer than before. Aisling and Nadia looked at each other once more, as their confusion was replaced with concern.

  Michael raised his hand, and members of the Inner Rose noticed it, as the murmurings calmed, and the hall went quiet. Michael lowered his hand and stared at the floor for a long spell. Nobody said anything, for they were getting closer to learning the important truth now. Patience was given to Michael.

  He began talking again, “There was a particular thing that happened that day, seemingly as small as a passing memory, yet it proved to be the most significant event.”

  He looked at the two young ladies sitting on the bench, “Towards the end of the day, AI recognised that there was a local drug dealer nearby. The three of them tailed the individual and took photographs, gathering enough evidence to call the police to arrest the person. The individual caught wind and ran. Andrew chased after him, managing to tackle him to the ground and giving time for the police to formally arrest the dealer.”

  Aisling and Nadia recalled that event. It was exciting to be sure, for Andrew had reacted surprisingly quickly. The chase was over almost before it began, from their perspectives. However, the two did not yet see the significance.

  Michael continued, “When the police had the dealer secured in the police car and cuffed, they wrote notes and asked questions from Andrew. Andrew gave his full name, as he shared the videos and images he had gathered as proof.”

  Michael slowly emphasised, “He told the police his full name.”

  Aisling and Nadia looked at Michael with a deep focus. What was so significant about that? It was only natural that he did that, as the police needed this information to form a case.

  He again spoke very slowly and very deliberately, “Andrew didn’t tell them anything about Aisling, Nadia or AI, however.”

  Once more, the room felt the emphasis and they absorbed it.

  He looked at Aisling and Nadia with a concentrated look, “What you don’t know about this story, is who this dealer was.”

  He looked angrily at the floor, “The person in question... was Gerald Bruige.”

  He paused to see if anyone would recognise the name.

  The local police representative had his hand raised, “Wait! That Gerald, the one who died in prison nearly a year ago. Wasn’t he the son of Ronald Bruige, the old leader of the Bruiges syndicate?”

  “Yes” Michael responded simply.

  He continued to look at the floor, “Gerald was not a simple dealer; he was one of the highest members of the syndicate. He was also… the heir to the head of the organisation.”

  He slowly looked around the hall as he spoke, “His prosecution was instantaneous, as the evidence that Andrew had given them was conclusive. They issued Gerald six years of jail that very night, with no chance of appeal. The father, Ronald Bruige, tried throwing around threats and bribes, but none of it worked.”

  He once more left a long silent pause, to give time for people to internalise these basic facts.

  He resumed, “Ronald Bruige was furious… He got Andrew's name from his son, on Geralds one permitted phone call. Gerald overheard Andrew's name, when he was detained in the car.”

  Both Nadia and Aisling suddenly realised where it was all headed, as they covered their mouths with their hands in worry.

  Michael looked around the hall, making eye contact with all who were not looking down in worry. He eventually looked back to Nadia and Aisling.

  “The Bruiges had him that same night.”

  *

  “Oh God…” Aisling quietly muttered.

  She was slightly shaking, as fear took a hold of her. That was not a possibility she could have ever imagined. Nadia rolled her chair over to Aisling, embracing her in a hug, as she too was quite shaken up.

  Michael gave them a few moments before he continued, “The Bruiges had him kidnapped. They took him to one of their safe houses and hid him in the basement. That night, he simply sat in that chair, bound by ropes, with a bag over his head. It was only the next morning when Ronald arrived.”

  “Ronald was furious, as his son had been taken from him, and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it. Ronald cared for his son Gerald deeply. One might even say, he cared only for his son.”

  “Revenge was on his mind, and he went into that basement to exact precisely that. Something precious was stolen from him, and he wanted retribution. However, he needed information first.”

  Aisling looked at Michael curiously, “What information?”

  Michael pointed straight at the two of them, “He wanted to know about you two.”

  Aisling and Nadia both jolted up in their seats, as their eyes widened in fear. Aisling shook her head and Nadia looked down at the table hopelessly.

  Michael looked at the large TV below the raised bench, “AI, can you please show the recording of when Ronald first spoke with Andrew in the basement.”

  AI quickly responded, “Standby, I am accessing records… ready.”

  He nodded, “Play the clip please, starting from the moment when Ronald entered the basement.”

  The large screens in the hall began playing the video.

  *

  Andrew sat on a chair in the basement, motionless. His arms and legs were bound together by rope, and a brown paper bag covered his head.

  Ronald walked down the stairs quickly. He was in his late fifties, bald with a trimmed beard and a weathered face.

  He spoke to the goon standing next to Andrew, “Is this him? Show me his ID.”

  The goon shrugged, “He doesn’t have none.”

  Ronald hesitated, “No ID?... Fine, my men swear that they saw him at the station with the two girls… What a shame they didn’t catch them as well...”

  “Right!” Ronald shouted, as he loudly clapped his hands.

  He slowly walked around Andrew, “Andrew Smith, the hero himself… Andrew, I’m a reasonable person, so let's cut to the chase, shall we?”

  He stopped in front of Andrew and pulled the paper bag off his head. Andrew closed his eyes at once, as they struggled to adjust to the bright light above him.

  Andrew had scruffy short brown hair, cold green eyes and a fine, stubble beard. He had a slight gash on the left of his forehead, which was the result of how they kidnapped him from the train station. A little blood had begun to drip down his face, but it had dried up. Andrew said nothing as he stared defiantly at Ronald.

  Ronald stared into Andrews eyes, “I know your kind… you’re just a tool. I have many such tools in my numbers, men and women who do as they are told. You’re as much a tool, as the man standing next to you, so I want to make a deal with you. You tell me who the girls are that you work for, and who they work for… and in return, I’ll let you go.”

  Andrew slowly looked up at him, his face maintained a defiant look. A moment passed, as he thought intensely, his eyes darted left and right as his mind quickly raced to assess the proposition.

  Andrew finally slowly said, “I don’t know.”

  He looked down at Ronalds shoes, clearly indicating that he would say no more.

  Ronald’s fist swung so fast into the left side of Andrew's face; that the camera almost didn’t see it. Andrew yelped in pain.

  Ronald screamed in his face, “Don’t you fucking lie to me! You wouldn’t have done the job, if you didn’t know who they were! WHO ARE THEY?”

  Andrew slowly turned to face him, as blood dripped down from the reopened gash, “I don’t know.”

  He defiantly stared at Ronald with a face of commitment and certainty.

  The video ended, and the large screens went black again.

  *

  Michael was staring sadly at the floor; his face told the tale of suffering and pain. He knew just how awful the situation was going to become, for he had spent many days watching the torture recordings. Even though he had memorised every single strike, and every scream of pain… his heart broke rewatching the clip, for it was knowing what lay before Andrew, which truly hurt him.

  Aisling and Nadia were visibly disturbed. Their breathing was heavy as they buried their faces in their hands. Nadia slightly rocked back and forth, “Not Andrew… please not Andrew.”

  Aisling muttered, “He should have told him about us… This wasn’t his fight.”

  Michael recovered, as he noticed that many of the Inner Roses were shaken. He needed to find the right words, to express the next vitally important part.

  “The day after his arrest, Ronald’s son, Gerald, was sent to jail. At the time that this video was being recorded, Gerald was already being attacked in prison. There were countless people that the Bruiges had wronged in that prison… Gerald was an easy target for revenge, and by the end of the first day of his prison sentence, Gerald had been beaten and stabbed to death.”

  He stopped speaking when he heard gasps around him, and he patiently stood there, waiting for the noise to die down.

  “After the video you just watched now, Ronald went from angry… to insane. He had utterly lost… everything he cared for. This was the real reason why the torture went on as long as it did, for Ronald had nothing left to lose… His entire life had become dedicated to destroying the people responsible.”

  After a moment of thought, he stated, “Ronald needed the details of the Roses leadership.”

  He shook his head in sorrow, “... He never got those details.”

  Aisling looked up, still partially stunned, “He didn’t tell him?” She rocked back and forth a few times, “... How long?”

  Michael folded his arms, as he struggled immensely to answer the question.

  “Three and a half weeks.”

  *

  The hall was suddenly consumed by a wave of horror and shock. There were cries of terror and an audible sound of individuals suddenly standing up from their seats. There were shouts of ‘No!’ and ‘My God…’ that echoed around the room.

  Michael regained his posture once more as he stood there for several minutes, and the seemingly never-ending cries carried on. He looked around and witnessed many people attempting to comfort one another, and several covered their faces with their hands in distress. The Roses agents that were sitting in the middle of the hall were shocked, they shook their heads as they glanced amongst each other.

  It was a difficult thing to learn, no matter who you were. Aisling and Nadia took the longest to regain their composure. Aisling in particular, was entirely distraught; she stared down at her desk as her eyes flooded with tears.

  Aisling looked at Michael, and after a moment, the frog in her voice cleared, “Surely this didn’t need to happen, right? I’m sure that if he had told them about us, we would have managed… right?”

  AI responded, “No Aisling, I fear that you would not have managed at all.”

  AI decided that it deserved an explanation, as it searched its database to find the relevant video.

  AI quickly spoke, “I will show you a video, which will help you fully realise and understand what Ronald had intended to do with you two. The video I am about to show you is from four months ago, when Andrew first met Ronald in prison.”

  Aisling instantly reacted, “Andrew met Ronald? Why on earth would he meet the person who tortured him?!”

  Michael calmly responded, “There’s good reason, but that will have to wait till later, Aisling, please trust me... All in good time.”

  The large screens began playing the clip.

  *

  Andrew sat still in his wheelchair, he wore a white hoodie with the hood up, which completely covered his head and face. His posture was weak, slightly slouched and his breathing was laboured. He stared through the transparent safety glass window of the isolation prisons visiting room, waiting for Ronalds’s arrival.

  A moment passed, before the door opposite the glass opened, and through the door entered Ronald, wearing his grey prison overalls. His hands were cuffed behind his back, with two prison wardens right behind him, they had a baton in one hand and their other hand tightly held Ronalds shoulders. They had complete control over him.

  Andrew slightly jumped in fear when he looked up and saw the Wolf. ‘The Wolf’ was the nickname that Andrew had chosen, to refer to Ronald. It was the clear representation, of the vicious and deliberate behaviour Ronald had demonstrated in the past.

  He experienced a full range of fear seeing him, no matter the fact that he was clearly defanged. The Wolf was slowly pushed onto the seat that faced the three-inch-thick safety glass, after which the two wardens took a step back.

  The left warden spoke to Ronald, “If you so much as stand up, we will beat you Ronald… don’t test us on this.''

  The Wolf slightly nodded to confirm.

  Andrew quickly looked over his face, noticing sleep deprivation marks under his eyes, his once trimmed beard, now scruffy. His face seemed devoid of seemingly… anything.

  The second warden looked at Andrew, “Son, hit that button to your left if you need us, alright?” Andrew nodded weakly to show his understanding.

  The two wardens walked out the door, shutting it behind them. A loud locking sound made clear that the Wolf was securely locked in his cage.

  The Wolf slowly looked up, to see who had come to visit him. Suddenly his face changed to disgust.

  He shouted, “Not you again!”

  Andrew jolted back into his wheelchair in shock.

  The Wolf screamed, “Well, if it isn’t Mr. I DON’T FUCKING KNOW!”

  The Wolf kicked the bottom of the barrier to express his anger and frustration.

  He began ranting, “Ladies and gentlemen, behold the man I tortured for weeks! The man I gave my all to hurt and make suffer… AND ALL HE FUCKING GAVE ME WAS ‘I DON’T KNOW!’” The Wolf howled.

  He kept shouting that sentence repeatedly, “I don’t know! I don’t know! I don’t know!” He repeated it until it sounded dull, even to him.

  He stopped to catch his breath for a moment, as he leaned forward and looked straight into Andrew's eyes. This was something he did many times during Andrew’s torture. It was his way of measuring the mental state of his victim and maintaining control.

  Andrew couldn’t look away, for the Wolf's eyes were cold and horrible, as they instantly elicited fear in him. His body began to hurt simply in response to the thought of what usually happened, after he saw that face.

  Andrew began to cry, as his fear betrayed him. He faced his defeated enemy… and faltered.

  The Wolf gently asked, “… Why didn’t you just tell me, boy?”

  His face had changed to a surprisingly genuine… concern.

  He calmy explained, “I honestly would have let you go; you know that right? My fight wasn’t with you, my target was those fucking do-goody whores you served so pathetically.” He spat the words out.

  Andrew slowly wiped his tears away, as he slightly rocked back and forth for a few moments, before he faced the Wolf once more.

  Andrew quietly asked, “What would you have done to them?” His voice was slightly slurred, due to his missing teeth.

  The Wolf slowly responded, “What would I have done, if you had told me who they were?” The corner of his mouth raised into a perverse, malevolent smile…

  His eyes widened, as rage took over his face. It was like staring into a real wolf’s desperate face, as it prepared to pounce on you, and your back was to the corner.

  The Wolfs voice was vile with rage, “I would have done everything I could of to find them, boy. I would have spent all my money and used every connection I had. I would have pulled every string I possibly could pull, to find those worthless twats!”

  His face went malevolent, “Then I would have kidnapped them, like I did you…” The Wolf stopped and looked down at the floor for a moment.

  “Then I would have raped them…”

  “And after they were broken from the rape, I would have then tortured them… I would have tortured them so badly; it would have made my time with you look like a picnic!”

  “They would have begged me for death, and I would just keep cutting them to pieces, as they screamed uselessly. I would have had them stare at a photograph of my son…” He got a frog in his throat the second he mentioned his son.

  “As I ripped their eyes out one after the other!” He screamed at the window and banged his head against the glass.

  Andrew panicked, as his intense stress made him squirm in the wheelchair. He looked around desperately for someone who could save him from the monster… but there was nobody but himself on the other side of the glass though. He was trapped in there… with the monster.

  “Then I would go find that stupid robot-AI-THING and I’d douse it in petrol and set it on fire! I would have rounded up and killed every single person who worked for it in that building.”

  The Wolf screamed, “I WOULD HAVE WIPED THE ROSES OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH!”

  He looked down at the floor, to show that he was finished. His breathing was heavy, as he tried to regain control. All his fury emptied, and what was left, was that dead and empty face, that Andrew saw when he had first entered the room.

  After he calmed down, he looked into Andrew's eyes, “But that doesn’t matter now… you won, boy… and I lost everything I ever cared for… But hey, at least you saved your friends.”

  “Against all odds, and no matter what I did to you… you beat me. The only thing I walked away with… was ‘I don’t know’.”

  Tears dripped down the Wolf's face, as he looked away with a devastatingly pained face.

  The video ended and the large screens went black again.

  *

  AI spoke, “Aisling, as you can now see, if Andrew had revealed any information, the two of you would be dead, and I would have been destroyed.”

  Nadia shouted, “You can’t know that! There’s always the chance we could have hidden away… We’re just two people, after all!”

  AI explained, “I currently have access to petaflops of computer calculation speed, and I have run hundreds of simulations, with different permutations, in order to determine our survival rate. The results are clear. If he had revealed any information, Ronald would have mobilised over two-hundred members of his syndicate to find you, of which there was a zero percent survival rate.”

  Nadia went quiet and her face became deeply worried.

  Michael announced out loud, “It’s time for a break. This has been a lot to take in already, and we need time to process it all. We will now break for roughly an hour.”

  The large screens changed to a single word: ‘Recess’.

  *

  The hour break passed, perhaps too quickly for most people's liking. Slowly, they all walked back into the hall through the main entrance. Aisling and Nadia entered through their own separate doors at the back of the hall; those being their entrance and exits. It was an intentional security design by AI, to ensure the safety of the Rose leadership at all costs. People looked at the leadership doors with new eyes, for they all truly realised how dangerous it was for them.

  As everyone quietly took their seats, the silence was eerie, but understandable. Michael and Oliver were the last to enter together, as Oliver had returned from his unfavourable task.

  Michael’s arms were folded, and his face was serious, “So, it’s done? Did you meet any difficulties?”

  Oliver stared a million miles away, “It’s done Michael. He didn’t ask why, nor did he object at all… He just sat there, rocking back and forth in pain. It only took a moment before the pain went away… and he just collapsed on the sofa. I gave him enough, to last at least five more hours.”

  Michael’s face dropped. This was the sad result; of the greatest sacrifice Michael had ever known… A man so debilitated by pain, he’d seemingly lost touch with reality. Michael bolstered himself, as he remembered that the shadow of ignorance was over. He’d told them the ‘what’, now it was time that he made it clear on the significance of the ‘why’.

  Michael gestured for Oliver to take his seat, “Be seated Oliver, my friend… and try to ignore the current gloomy atmosphere… for it’s likely to get far worse in a moment.”

  Oliver nodded. He was aware of all that had been said, as AI had relayed the audio of the meeting through his earpiece, as he administered the drug to Andrew. Oliver knew that there was still much left to say, as he took his seat and waited.

  Michael walked back to the centre of the hall. He didn’t need to ask for silence, for it was already depressingly present.

  He spoke loudly, “Inner Roses, I must apologise now. For as much as this is going to be deeply difficult to listen to… I must give you more details of Andrews torture.” There was an audible sound of people breathing out in discomfort.

  “Andrew’s three weeks of hellish torture was the most important event in this organisation's history. I must ensure that his sacrifice is fully realised, known and honoured. By the time we leave this hall today, you will truly know the importance of Andrew's silence.”

  He looked at the screen below the raised bench, “AI, please form a list, sequentially, of every torturous act recorded on that phone in the basement, and everything Andrew has since made known to us, over that three-and-a-half-week period.”

  The screen filled with a bullet list. There were eight horrendous acts listed. It took a moment for people to process its length, for it was impossible to believe. Their eyes glanced over every bullet point, their minds fruitlessly attempting to visualise them… but it was hopeless.

  That list disappeared, only to be replaced with a second list, itemising a further six more monstrous acts. It was then, that a huge reaction swept across the hall. Absolute shock… absolute disbelief.

  Suddenly, a single sound dominated everyone's attention. It was Aisling… she had fallen apart at that moment. Her sobbing echoed through the speakers of the hall, a hall that, until that point, had been the place of heroic celebration. A home of triumph and sanctuary. Her iconic smile was the symbol of hope that the world had come to depend on… yet now it was replaced by tragic heartbreak.

  Nadia looked badly shaken, as she put her arm around Aisling, embracing her in a hug. She gently rocked her, “Shh, it’s all passed now.” She whispered.

  Michael looked down at the floor in shame, for he had never thought that he would be the one, who would make the brightest star fade so dimly. Aisling was the hope of the Roses, the light in the darkness. She was the one who told the world ‘We can do it’.”

  One could feel the overall mood drop off a cliff. People depended on Aisling for her optimism and her smile. There was a vacuum now, and the discomfort was palpable. Michael loudly cleared his throat, regaining everybody's attention.

  “Forgive me Aisling.” He said regretfully.

  Aisling shook her head, continuing to cry. There was nothing he could say, he had to continue, as they only had this session to explain everything.

  He gave himself another moment, his arms crossed as he thought carefully on how to articulate the next point. He shook his head, for he realised how difficult a job it was going to be. The next point was subtle, yet he needed to make it obvious.

  “It’s important that I explain Andrew's motivation. You see, Andrew is more than anyone might assume. He is the pinnacle of determination. He has true greatness inside of himself. He’s the very image of strength of will.”

  “He knew from that point in the video I showed you earlier, in the basement, of what was on the line. There and then, he realised what was at stake. He was not ignorant of the consequences of failing to withhold the information.”

  Nadia spoke softly, “How do you know that, though?”

  Michael gently answered, “Because he told me… He told us four.”

  A moment passed and Michael swallowed hard. This was the hardest part for him, personally.

  “After we had found and recovered him, Andrew was transported to a nearby private hospital for operation. He nearly died three times while being operated on, as they used the defibrillator three times to resuscitate him. Andrew was dancing on a needle tip. It’s a miracle that the surgeons even managed to save him, considering the unimaginable blood loss.”

  “The surgery took four hours. He was bleeding out, dehydrated and starved. There was so little left of Andrew… it made the surgery even more difficult… They went through a shocking amount of blood bags to save him.”

  “After the operation, we waited for him to wake. James Hull, Oliver, AI and myself. We simply waited there, hoping we could get answers. An hour passed after the surgery, before Andrew stirred.”

  Michael already hated talking about this part, as it was the most important moment of his life… He decided it was better shown, than described.

  “AI, please play the video of that night.” He politely requested.

  The large screens instantly started playing the video. AI had seemed to have that one ready.

  *

  The recording showed the hospital wardroom. Andrew lay in the bed, with three people standing around him. Oliver was leaning on the bed frame, looking down at Andrew.

  The image of Andrew… was nightmarish. Blood was still clearly visible, on both his arms and his face. There were multiple tubes plugged into his arms, hydrating him and giving him still more blood. His face was so battered and bruised, it sadly looked like a lumpy mess.

  The noise of his heartbeat was concerning. It was a worryingly slow beep on the EKG. It was stable though… He was definitely still alive, whatever part of him still remained at least.

  Michael was leaning back on the wall next to the door, his eyes closed. He had his earpiece microphone/speaker in his ear, it looked similar to what a secret service agent would use. That was what they used to talk to AI back then, before the fancy blue monitors, they had now.

  Agent James Hull stood at the bottom of the bed; his arms were crossed as he simply stared at Andrew in the bed. He shook his head in absolute disgust, at the violence done to Andrew.

  There was a large tablet placed on the bedside table, facing Andrew. That was AI’s presence in the room, for anything AI needed to say, would be said through that tablet.

  James quietly spoke, “We still don’t know who this is though. Police and swat are still sweeping the house and the basement, trying to get us answers. God only knows why they did this to this poor person.” James shook his head quicker, for he was clearly still in shock.

  AI spoke from the tablet, “I have my suspicions of who this is. They may be a person I have been actively searching for weeks for. His hair colour matches and the height matches, but until he speaks, I have no definitive identification to prove it.”

  A moment passed. The EKG suddenly beeped twice as fast as before; Andrew had finally regained consciousness. He concentrated on trying to breathe in deeply, but the pain stopped him midway, instead resulting in a whimper. He tried a few more times… but his body simply couldn’t do it.

  Everyone suddenly looked at him, as they glanced at the EKG and back again. Trying to confirm that his state wasn’t getting worse, Michael quickly moved over to the emergency button, and prepared to hit it, if the situation went poorly.

  Oliver slightly crouched himself down, so that he was face to face with the man in the bed. Andrew's eyes slowly opened, which was hard to see, since his face was so battered. As he became more aware, he slowly and painfully moved his head to face Oliver.

  Andrew spent a moment looking over Oliver, before he looked away, glancing at Michael and then James. He kept looking around in what seemed like confusion, trying to make sense of his surroundings. From his perspective, one moment he was looking into the eyes of a monster… then he was suddenly in the hospital bed. It truly was a sudden change.

  Oliver carefully chose his words, “Hi, my name is Oliver, I'm a psychologist and I'm here to help you get through this horrible situation. You’ve been through… a lot. We want to help you as much as possible, but we need to ask you some questions, please…”

  Andrew wriggled his body a bit, as he tried to move more decidedly, but pain instantly stopped him. The beeps sped up, but still not too fast a pace, to push the emergency button.

  Andrew slowly asked, “Is this… real?”

  His voice sounded dumb as his missing teeth betrayed his normal talking style. Andrew glanced around the room again, intensely.

  He spoke softly, “If this is real… are they safe?”

  Oliver softly queried, “Who are you talking about? Is who is safe?” He tried not to speak in a tone that might generate panic.

  Andrew hesitated, “The… Angels…”

  AI was listening from the tablet, and it quickly did a search for the term “Angels” in its records. A single result turned up, it was a video recording from Aisling and Nadia’s tablet, weeks ago. It was at the train station, at the end of the day when they were saying goodbye to Andrew.

  He stood at the platform, as the train was rolling into place, and people were approaching the edge of the platform to get on.

  He looked at the two girls with an excited smile, “It was a pleasure saving the world with you two angels… I hope I get to do it again someday.”

  AI then knew with complete confidence, that this was Andrew Smith.

  AI announced, “Andrew Smith… he is the one that I have been searching for.”

  All three of them quickly looked at the tablet. They finally knew who they were talking to… that definitely made things easier.

  Oliver spoke gently, “Andrew… It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  Andrew ignored him entirely as he looked intensely at the tablet.

  He mumbled, “... Tablet? Is that you?”

  He raised his voice, “Are they safe?!”

  AI responded, “Yes, the Angels are safe.”

  The EKG slowed momentarily, but then began beeping at a faster rate, as Andrew’s breath quickened. He had clearly realised something urgent.

  His voice sounded panicked, “Don’t tell them.”

  AI queried, “What must I not tell them?”

  Tears began streaming down his face, “Don’t tell them… about me.”

  “Why?” AI immediately asked.

  He slowly tried to convey his muddled thoughts, “They are the hope and the dream… I don’t know if any of this is real, but if it is… don’t tell them about me.”

  “I do not understand your logic.” AI admitted.

  He breathed out tiredly, as he struggled to get the words out, “If the Angels find out… they will become hopeless. The hope in their eyes and the light in their smile… will fade. They will blame themselves… as they fall into anger and despair. They need… to remain ignorant.”

  He shouted, “Keep them smiling! ... Or else, everything I did was for nothing!”

  He stopped talking for a moment as he struggled to breath. After a moment, he finally managed to catch his breath.

  “Promise me.” He quietly asked… “Promise me, you won’t let them know about me… not yet.”

  A silent moment passed. Michael stepped away from the button and looked at Andrew, as he made up his mind.

  He sounded certain, “I promise.”

  Oliver and James swung their heads around to look at Michael. They scrutinised him for a moment… as they realised that he clearly meant it.

  Oliver looked to the floor, as his mind raced. After a few seconds, he realised… gut feeling, Andrew was right.

  Oliver said firmly, “I promise.”

  As James stared at Andrew, he simply couldn’t stop shaking his head. Emotions of sympathy clouded his mind… The injustice of what had happened to Andrew, still flooded his thoughts.

  He finally spoke, “I promise… but it will be a hard promise to keep.”

  All heads turned to the tablet. The question became… would a computer AI, make a promise?

  They weren’t aware of just how hard AI was thinking at that moment. Hundreds of servers across the globe heated, as AI used its cloud brain to make a decision. At the end of its three seconds of intense thought, the camera on the tablet looked at Andrews messed up face… and it saw the tears streaming down his cheeks…

  It was not something it could decide on its own, by its very nature. Yet a decision had to be made. AI therefore decided, that if three humans had all agreed, then the truth was obvious.

  AI said loudly, “I promise.”

  Everyone breathed out, Andrew included, as relief was found by consensus.

  Michael quickly asked AI, “Where are the two now?”

  AI quickly responded, “They are on route to this room, they just came through the hospitals main entrance.”

  He rushed to the door, swung it open and quickly exited the room. The camera changed to the hospital passageway. It showed Michael closing the door at the end of the corridor, and quickly walking down it. He made the turn, nearly colliding with Aisling and Nadia as he did so.

  Nadia took a step back, “Oh! Michael, easy there!”

  Aisling joked, “You almost ran us over!”

  He looked them in the eyes, as he tried to be convincing, for things had to seem totally non urgent. He allowed Aisling’s smile and laughter, to lighten his mood.

  He joked as he gave them a confident wink, “Come on ladies, you know me! When I need to get somewhere, people ought to get out of my way!”

  Aisling and Nadia both blushed. It was hard for any lady to ignore Michael, when he turned on his charm.

  Aisling spoke, “We came as quickly as we could. Apparently, they rescued a person from the raid. We thought we should come and cheer them up.” Her honesty reflected in her dazzling smile.

  Nadia spoke calmly, “It’s only fair, since the Roses instigated the raid, that we the leadership should meet the victim.”

  He chuckled, “Yeah… Well, it’ll be hard to do that, considering they’re completely unconscious.”

  Aisling became frustrated, “What? AI said the person was awake, that’s why we came!”

  He casually lied, “Nope, that’s definitely not the case. It seemed like they were awake, but they were actually just sleep-talking or something. They’re in a bit of a rough state, so they’re definitely not waking up anytime soon. Sorry you wasted your time, ladies.”

  Aisling was disappointed, “Aww!”

  It was a great excuse for the two to stop looking at paperwork and get some fresh air.

  Nadia frowned, “Ok, well, when they wake up, please tell them to call us, AI will arrange that, no doubt. We look forward to meeting them and helping them as much as possible.”

  Michael reassured them, “Of course! AI will handle that, don’t worry.”

  The two turned around and walked back down the hall. Michael stood there, as he watched them walk away, fully appreciating what Andrew had truly meant.

  “Angels… should always be smiling.” He quietly said to himself, before he turned around and walked back to the room.

  The camera changed back to the patient wardroom. Andrew was still catching his breath, as with every breath, there was a tiny whimper of pain. Even though he was under the effects of powerful painkillers, his body was still subconsciously reacting to the pain that he was numbed to.

  The door opened; Michael was back. He instantly shut the door behind him and looked at Oliver and James.

  He spoke quickly, “They’re gone, and they don’t know a thing.”

  Oliver asked urgently, “You’re certain they’re not suspicious?”

  He frowned, “Yes, I’m completely certain, don’t worry about it.”

  Andrew heard Michael, and the EKG audibly slowed down, and his breathing slowed a little too. Andrew's panic was gone, now that his important request was fulfilled.

  Oliver spoke quietly, “Andrew… can you please tell us what happened? We don’t know what happened to you…”

  Andrew looked up at the ceiling, for his mind was still compromised. He debated with himself for a moment… whether he should even tell anyone what happened.

  He spoke quietly, “You won’t believe me.”

  Oliver smiled weakly, “Don’t worry about if we believe you, just tell us. The truth always makes itself known.”

  He gave himself a few minutes to think. His mind reeled as he tried to recall the darkness, the weeks in hell. When you spend that long suffering… time distorts. It’s difficult to know what happened first or what happened last.

  He stared at the ceiling and began recalling the events, “They grabbed me at the train station car park and choked me from behind… I couldn’t yell or make a noise. They injected something into me with a needle… and I woke up with a bag on my head.”

  He stopped, for he had the image in his mind of what he saw then, the brown all around him, with a lighter brown above him, where the ceiling light was. He remembered hearing his own breathing, and the bag felt hot and stuffy. His hands were tied tightly, as were his legs. Incredibly tight rope was choking the blood in his ankles.

  He returned from his thoughts, as he glanced at Oliver and realised that he needed to continue… they needed so much more information.

  He spoke slowly, with terror in his voice, “Then the Wolf came down the stairs. He wanted me to tell him about the Angels… He said, if I told him, he would let me go.”

  He looked back at the ceiling, “I knew he meant it… I could tell he was honest about releasing me, but…”

  He breathed a little and continued, “When I looked into the Wolf's eyes, I saw the two most beautiful, gorgeous, irreplaceable beaming lights… being snuffed. I saw dreams being shattered… and hopelessness flooding the world.”

  Another tear slowly leaked from his eye. The beeping EKG slightly rose for a moment, but then calmed down.

  He spoke slowly, “I knew… I knew that there was more at risk… than just me. I knew… that if I told the Wolf, everything would come crumbling down into ruin. I was the gate… that held back oblivion for the Angels.”

  He closed his eyes, and finally said, “And I would not fail them.”

  The three were motionless, as they listened to Andrew. The last sentence echoed in Michael’s head.

  “And I would not fail them.”

  That repeated again and again in his mind, as Michael felt something that he had never felt before… inferiority. At that moment, he felt the presence of an unimaginably strong will. Andrews powerful presence snuffed any of the confidence he was feeling at that moment. All that was left… was the feeling of doubt in Michael’s mind.

  “So… then what?” Oliver asked, not wanting to know, but the truth needed to be said.

  Andrew started, “They punched me senseless… I said to them, ‘I don't know’.”

  “They flooded my face with jugs of water, upside down. I couldn’t breathe and drowned a few times… I said I don’t know.” The EKG slightly sped up.

  “They beat me more, smacked the back of my head with something sharp, I was bleeding a lot… I said I don’t know.”

  He stared a million miles away, “The hours passed, days went by, they stabbed me with forks… I said I don’t know.”

  “They…”

  Andrew cried for several moments, as everyone felt a dark presence in the room. Things were about to get so much worse.

  He finally resumed, “They broke my fingers, one after the other…”

  “They ripped out my teeth…”

  “They didn’t let me sleep, they didn’t let me… relieve myself…” His tears continued to pour down his inflated, bruised face.

  “They mocked me, they beat me more… I said I don’t know.”

  He stopped again… For what felt like an eternity to everyone else in the room, he lay there, looking at the ceiling, as tears dripped down his cheeks.

  He spoke softly, “Then, it was dark… the light was off. I felt the presence of the Wolf, he was looking at me in the darkness… waiting. I didn’t know what was happening, but then…”

  He paused, then whispered, “The pain went away… After an eternity of agony, I felt no pain at all… I felt warm and calm.”

  He paused again, as his eyes darted across the ceiling.

  His voice became gentle and reverent, “Suddenly, I was in a peaceful place. I was resting on soft grass, looking up at the night sky. The stars were shining so brilliantly.”

  He stopped to breathe before continuing, “My head was resting on one of the Angels' laps, as they sat there, smiling at me. The other was softly stroking my hair. I felt normal, I felt whole…” He stared at the ceiling peacefully.

  “But then… one of the Angels stopped stroking my hair and asked me, who are the girls?”

  He began crying intensely again, “It was not real…” He said with raw anger in his voice.

  “They drugged me… and they tried to use my moment of peace, to get me to talk.” He sobbed.

  Michael gasped loudly in disbelief. Oliver looked out the window and cried. James buried his face in his hands, as he shook his head in horror.

  Andrew quietly whispered, “It wasn’t long, the time I had… but I enjoyed every second with the Angels. It was my only break, my only rest… but it didn’t last long.”

  He slowly and painfully shook his head, “The pain slowly returned… as I watched my Angels turn to dust, their smiles crumbling away… The stars then disappeared, and the grass burned… And I was back in hell again. The Wolf was staring at me, face to face, I saw the fury in his eyes...”

  He loudly cried, “I said I don’t know!”

  He stopped to catch his breath. The EKG beeped quickly, dangerously close to the maximum rate. They all stood still; their eyes wide open in horror. Nobody looked at anyone else.

  Andrew resumed the horror story, “Then they connected plugs to my arms… and electricity flooded me… It was somehow worse than what I had already felt. I screamed in pain, but they had a car horn blowing whenever they zapped me… I didn’t even hear myself scream.”

  Tears flooded his face, “I don’t know!”

  “They took a sledgehammer and they… my leg…”

  He screamed, “I DON’T KNOW!”

  “He took a rolling pin, and he smashed my ears… I DON’T KNOW.”

  “The years passed, the pain never ended, I DON’T KNOW.”

  He stopped again. His breathing was very rapid, as the EKG beeped frantically. Several minutes passed, and the beeping slowed a little. Everyone was shaking with fear, as terror resonated within their bodies. That was a nightmare, infinitely worse than anyone could ever dream.

  Finally, he quietly spoke, “Then, I don’t know when it was, the Wolf was staring at me again. I could barely see him, something was blocking my view, and my eyes were bruised and sore…”

  A hint of fear laced his voice, “His rage and fury had peaked. He grabbed a knife, and he screamed at me! He yelled that I stole his everything. He swore at me, and he blamed me for all his losses. He swung the knife, not really aiming at anything… he sliced my face twice, and he cut my arms and my chest…”

  Andrew slightly calmed, “The bleeding… I was going to die… Finally, an end… It was over.”

  He stopped as he breathed a little.

  His eyes darted as he tried to recall, “I heard loud noises upstairs. Yelling… banging… my hearing… it was hard to know what I heard. Then I lost consciousness…”

  His eyes opened widely as he quickly glanced around, and a realisation flooded him. The EKG skyrocketed; the beeping was intense. Michael rushed to hit the emergency button to call the nurses, as Andrew was having a panic attack!

  Andrew raised his voice, “I feel warm, safe… and there is no pain again. Who are you? How do I know this is real?”

  His body shook violently in panic, “I could still be there right now, this could all be another lie… MORE DRUGS!”

  His voice roared across the room, “YOU’RE DRUGGING ME AGAIN WOLF… I DON’T KNOW!”

  A nurse swung open the door and looked at Andrew shaking violently in the bed. The nurse yelled out the door, “Psychosis! The patient is experiencing acute trauma, we need to sedate him!”

  A second nurse rushed in, “Stand aside!” She shoved Oliver and Michael to the corners of the room.

  She quickly opened the top drawer of a nearby shelf and grabbed a tranquiliser. She popped the lid off, and stabbed Andrew in the top right of his arm, squeezing the syringe.

  “I DON’T KNOW I DON’T KNOW I DON’T KNOW!” Andrew kept screaming…

  Then, his voice started lowering, and his words began to slur. The violent shaking stopped, as he shut down… and his eyes finally closed. The beeping rapidly slowed down. It rested a little in the midrange, and then settled at a slow and rhythmic pace.

  The first nurse yelled at Oliver, “What in God’s name did you people do to him?! Jesus Christ, he almost suffered a heart attack!”

  Oliver was in a complete state of shock, he could barely process what the nurse had just said, let alone what just happened. The nurse stared daggers at him for a few moments, “Whatever led to this, don’t ever do it again! I have a duty to protect my patients!”

  Oliver managed to quietly respond, “I’m so sorry, forgive us… things were far worse than we realised.”

  The nurse stared at him a moment longer, she was furious, “He’ll be unconscious for several hours, don’t you dare try to wake him. I’ll need you to leave shortly, the shaking has opened some of the stitches and we’ll need to restitch them.” She looked at the blood slowly dripping from Andrew’s chest and arms.

  The two nurses left the room, shutting the door behind them. The three stood frozen in place, motionless and dead quiet.

  The video ended, and the large screens in the hall went black again.

  *

  There was a deeply disturbing silence in the hall. That was understandable, for it was precisely the same reaction that the four in the room had. It was the only way one could react, for that was an immeasurable amount of suffering, that people were just witness to.

  Michael stood in the centre of the hall, deeply distressed. That was the key moment in his life, the very event that changed who he was… and it led to his personal investigation of Andrew Smith. After that night, his every spare moment was haunted by the question: ‘Why didn’t he just tell them?’

  Moments passed, without anyone saying anything. Aisling and Nadia were crying, as they stared down at their table. It was as if they had just seen a tragically sad ghost. Every now and again they would sniff away their tears, but the tears always seemed to return.

  An important question was then answered. Why did Michael claim that Andrew did what he did, for the reasons that he did? There was no doubt about the answer to that question. The video clearly proved Andrew's motivation and reason.

  Michael waited; his hand covered his eyes. He needed to continue, but he was struggling to get a grip of himself.

  He started, but his voice failed him, “I…”

  He gave himself another moment, “He…”, but he simply couldn’t manage.

  Aisling looked at him and read his body language. It was clear that he was emotionally compromised. He shook his head slowly, for at that moment his heart was a vinyl, stuck looping back and forth, between the same tragic emotion.

  It was a difficult dilemma, for everyone understood why he was like that, but they didn’t know what to do to remedy the situation. All they could do was wait.

  Oliver stood up, quickly jogged down the stairs and walked up to him. He gently hugged him, and Michael relaxed his posture.

  Oliver spoke gently, “Michael, I know this was extremely hard for you to experience again. This was what broke you, for the first time in your life. It’s ok to feel these intense emotions.”

  Michael shook his head hopelessly. This was not the plan, he thought to himself, he was not supposed to break down. Everyone was watching this, the Inner Roses… the whole world. He just simply couldn’t grab back control.

  He finally managed to spit out the words, “Why didn’t he just tell them?”

  “Shh, shh” Oliver kept making the sound, trying to calm the heartbroken giant.

  Oliver quietly tried to reassure him, “It’s over now, it’s done.”

  He spoke hopefully, “We have a chance now Michael… We’re finally out of the dark and in the light.”

  Michael shouted, “Andrew’s still there, Oliver! He’s still in the darkness, alone… and in pain. After all he’s done, if I can’t get people to realise the price he’s paid, my greatest hero will be lost forever!”

  Oliver hugged him even tighter. He knew that Michael was finished, for there was no way he would be able to speak more about this. It was hard enough for him to speak of what he did.

  Oliver spoke gently, “They know and realise this now; I can see it in their eyes when I look around. You succeeded, mate, they truly do see the truth.”

  Nadia quietly spoke, “It’s burned on to my heart… I’ll never let myself forget this truth.”

  Aisling also gently added, “I will never forget his sacrifice… ever.”