Mastermind

It is the year 3042 and the plan to rid the world of evil is fully implemented. Only three evil people are left in the world; David Legrosso, the handsome young Italian Cyber terrorist; Jonathon Gonzalez, the older Spanish Politician ; and my Nemesis: Samantha Cordelia Grant, World Renowned Writer and underground assassin.1

You may ask, who am I That I know the great evils? I am The Last Detective. Yesterday, I received a letter, warning me of a most diabolical crime. The Empress Amelie, Ruler of Earth, is in danger. That is all I was told.2

I wish we still used e-mail. Cyber screen messages are faster, but impossible to track unless-3

I arrived at the New Miami communication center at 5:00 in the afternoon EST. Flashing my badge I walked straight into the head's office. I put my hands on his desk.4

"I'm calling in a favor, Bob." 5

Bob Montgomery blinked. "I'll call you back, I've got an angry woman on my hands...no, I'm not...Honey-"6

I yanked the phone out of his hand. "He needs to go." I hung up the phone. "Bob, I need a favor."7

He leaned back. "So you said. You never call in favors unless you have a case. You haven't had a case in a while. Oh! I'll bet you're excited. That means your testy-"8

"Bob!" I sat on a stool. "I need your records. I got a message I need to trace."9

Bob scratched his head. "I don't know, those records are confidential. But then, you always did like hidden things. I remember-"10

"Yes, Bob, I Like hidden things, It's why I became a detective. Those records?" I held my hand up, cutting off his remark. "Please, don't make me pull rank, Bob."11

Bob sighed. "Alright. Give me a moment." He stood up and went through a back door. A second later I heard a scream.12

"Bob!" I jumped up, knocking over my stool. Running into the other room, I saw Bob was gone, a drawer was open, and there was a flower on the floor.13

I cursed and ran out towards the parking garage through the still closing door. "Bob!" I shouted, spotting a black car speeding away. "Crap!"14

I ran back into the room and headed for the drawer, a bad feeling in my gut. I rifled through the cyber letters - April 17th was missing, I was the 18th.15

Feeling angry, and not a bit discouraged, I walked back into the office. Picking up the phone, I dialed the Senate.16

"Vice Chancellor speaking. What do you want?" I frowned. "I need to make an appointment with the Chancellor." 17

The person at the other end of the phone sighed. "He's not accepting appointments. We have a matter of Global security on our hands."18

"I know, that's why I need an appointment. I'm-" 19

"Not important," He cut me off, "Thanks for calling." 20

I slammed the phone down and left the building. Pulling out my sunglasses, I heard the chime stating I had a new message.21

Come to the Senate. 22

From: Chancellor Paul Padin23

-End of messages-24

I closed my Cyber screen. "Well, there's nothing like Paris in the springtime."25

************26

"I trust your travel was comfortable?"27

"Yes, Chancellor, as good as any flight." I wondered if I should mention my conversation with the Vice Chancellor. Before I could, we arrived outside the doors of the Throne Room.28

"Here you go, The Empress has requested you meet privately." The Chancellor and I shook hands. I took a deep breath and pushed open the doors. I walked down the walkway (which was really long) and bowed to the Empress.29

" It's been a long time," the Empress said, smiling.30

"Not long enough, I'm afraid."31

She frowned. "Not long enough?" 32

I sighed, "Well, I only ever see you when you're in danger, so even twice a year is too often."33

"As always, your logic is infallible." I waved my hand in front of my face. 34

"Please, Empress, You're going to make me blush." She opened her mouth. "Amelie, I have a case to solve. What information can you give me?"35

She sighed. "Right down to business, I suppose." She stood up and hooked my arm. "Let's walk, I think my butt's going flat with all this sitting." We left the hallway and walked towards the garden. "Alright, we know that someone has planned to kill me. Someone close to me has been hired and they've deleted all my files." She stopped walking and put her hand on my shoulder. "Hey, this is a really big case, I understand if you don't want it."36

I took her hand of my shoulder. "Amelie, I want it. I've got to go research in the library." I bowed and headed over to the library, hoping to see exactly which records were deleted. When I got there they told me it was classified and inaccessible to the public. I kindly informed them I wasn't the public and showed them my badge. Still, they turned me away.37

Angry, I went to find the Chancellor. When I walked into the Senate building a man ran into me knocking me down. "Okay, Ow." I stood up and watched the man run into the library; the guards had let him in.38

"Vice Chancellor Gonzales." I turned to see the chancellor standing behind me, frowning. "He's rather rude, I must say."39

"Gonzalez?" I asked, turning to look back at the library. "Was he…that Gonzalez?"40

"No, He swore he wasn't." My mouth dropped open, were they that stupid?
"YOU TOOK HIS WORD?" I took a step toward the Chancellor who took five back. "YOU TOOK THE WORD OF AN EVIL MAN?! ARE YOU CRAZY?!" I turned and ran towards the library, to see the Empress standing back facing the door, with no guards. "EMPRESS, THE VICE CHANCE-Amelie?"41

The Empress fell forward into my arms. Her back was burnt, with a plasma bullet hole through her shoulder. I pulled out my phone and called the doctor. "Jean-Claude! I need your help!"42

"Unless the Empress has been shot-" 43

"She has. We're at the library." I hung up the phone and sat the
Empress down against the wall. The door slammed open and I fell to my knees, causing the door opener to trip. He cried out and a cyber screen fell out of his hand. Quickly I pushed the door to the side, grabbed the cyber screen, and landed knees down on his back. It was David Legrosso.44

"I'm here!" I looked up; it was Jean-Claude, "Move over!" I grabbed Legrosso's jacket and pulled him up. The Doctor came through and put the Empress on a floating gurney. 45

When he turned to leave I grabbed his arm, keeping a hand on Legrosso. "Take good care of Amelie." He nodded and left.46

I pulled Legrosso into the library as I read his cyber screen.47

To: David Legrosso48

The Empress is headed to the Library.49

From: Mastermind.50

-End of Messages-51

I frowned. "Mastermind?" I looked at Legrosso, who was sullenly letting himself be pulled along. "Who's Mastermind?"52

Legrosso looked at me. "I'm not supposed to tell." 53

"Why not?" 54

"She'd kill me, painfully."55

"Ok." I walked through the doorway and gasped, letting go of Legrosso. He ran past the cause of my gasp and hid behind Gonzalez and a woman dressed completely in black, with a plasma gun in her hand. Samantha Cordelia Grant. But that's not what caught my attention.56

Bob was lying on the floor, eyes blankly staring at the ceiling. His throat was slit and he had a flower pinned to his forehead. I dropped to my knees, Bob was dead.57

"He was dispensable, you know this. Worthless men deserve to die." Samantha circled the body, kneeling down beside me. "How's Amelie, our Bestie? She still bites her nails?"58

I lunged at Samantha, only to be restrained by Gonzalez, "Don't talk about her! You lost our friendship when you killed Father." Samantha laughed.59

"That's right, Father. Another fine example of a worthless man."
I growled. "You bitch! You're not so tough, tell your lackey to let me go and we'll see whose worthless."60

Samantha laughed. "He'll let you go, but I'm not going to fight you, I don't need to prove mine is bigger."61

Gonzalez let me go, but before I could move they were all gone.62

***************63

"You don't look so good," said the Empress, "aren't I supposed to be the one not feeling well?"64

I shook my head. "I just stopped by to see how you were doing. This calls for a little change in plans."65

Empress sighed, "If I wasn't hooked on a breathing machine, I'd be out there helping you, but unfortunately I'm on life support."66

"That's okay, Amelie, I'll survive." I stood up, "See you later, I've got one more thing to do, before I hit the sack. Goodnight, Amelie."67

"Good Night, M."68

I turned to walk through the door and tripped on a plug. "Whoops, they should watch where they put those cables."69

To: Jonathon Gonzalez, Samantha Cordelia Grant, David Legrosso70

It's Done, your payment will arrive shortly.71

Samantha - Father, Mother, Now Amelie, Whose next on the list? 72

From:Mastermind, T.L.D.73

-Message Sent-74

"Good night."75