Updated – June 26, 1998
Fate or Free Will
Chapter 1 - Part B
October 28, 1997 - San Francisco – Lu’s Café
Lu was soundly struck by James’ news of the temple’s destruction. James Salan merely stopped conversing and looked down again. Lu just stared at him. It was all he could do. Then he spoke, “I do not understand lad. How is that possible? Please go on, how has this happen?”
James looked up at him, his eyes showed Lu how alone James was inside. “The Technocracy,” he said with a large measure of disgust and pain, “They struck the Temple three days ago. They came at about eight in the morning. They used the ATF as a cover, but the weapons and equipment they used sure as hell weren’t government issue. They struck at us quickly and violently. Many of the masters were struck down in the first five minutes that followed that. Soo told me to get as many of the young out as I could. Well, we did and then I tried to get back in to help Soo and the rest. When I did get back, many of the brothers were being ushered into large black vans, the rest were lying around the ruins of the temple, dead. I really have no idea who is free, captured or dead.”
With this, Lu sat back stunned and disturbed. “I find it hard to imagine why they would strike at the Akashic now,” he said, “They have been letting the Traditions survive in this region for years now. No one’s been agitating matters and things have been quiet and peaceful throughout the city. Why now?”
James looked fitfully at Lu saying, “If they wanted a target, it was an easy one to choose. A mysterious and secluded temple is something that can be explained away as a cult. I imagine it wouldn’t be the first time the Technocracy has done this. Still you’re right, why now? More importantly though, how the hell did they find us. We were a good distance from the city and we were quiet. I wonder what would suddenly make us noticeable, hmm?”
Lu furled his brow and said, “I am afraid to ask what you mean.”
Salan looked blankly at him and coldly said, “Betrayal. We were betrayed.”
Salan and Lu continued to look at each other in silence. Finally it ended and the two tried to break down the events to figure out what was happening. No new ideas came out of it. By eleven o’clock the two had exhausted their collective abilities. The collection of old men in the café had thinned out like the morning fog. Salan and Lu sat and sipped their cooling tea and continued to ponder the matter at hand.
It seemed that no clear answer was at hand, or was coming. Since the turmoil of the early nineties, the Technocracy had chosen to rethink its strategy for controlling the California region. Instead of wasting resources in general suppression, they focused on the dangerous and disruptive groups. The diversity and dissension found in places like Berkeley and San Francisco made this very necessary. It was better to let them go on, cowered, and be vigilant for the real dangers to the paradigm. So most groups found a niche and tried to blend into the background. The Technocracy had the advantage and could wait until they finally cemented their hold and could act with complete impunity. Salan wondered if this was just a limited attack, or part of a new directive from the Technocracy’s leadership.
Salan had decided he had pondered this puzzle enough for tonight. It was eleven and he didn’t want to trap his friend in his gloom any longer, he was going to be living with this for the rest of his life. He was getting up and saying his good-byes to Lu when the door to the street opened behind him. His instincts kicked in and he swung around, his left hand reflexively going into his coat for a glock. His mind reeled as he made the maneuver. He imagined it to be a technocratic sweep team sent out to find him or any other survivors. Unfortunately, their was no warm handle waiting to greet his hand. He hadn’t carried a gun since before he had joined the Akashic. Even before, he always avoided having one on him around Elizabeth. He was infuriated beyond belief that he had let his guard go down this and had left himself this open.
As he came about to face the door, he was met not by armed gunmen, but something far more surprising. A young lady stood in the doorway, somewhat startled by Salan’s maneuver. One word shot through his thoughts, Becky?
*****
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