New Management Pt 2

The Briefing Room was packed. Uniformed officers, detectives, and city officials were crammed into the rows of plastic chairs.

But the front of the room didn't look like a police briefing. It looked like a corporate boardroom.

Standing at the podium was a woman who looked like she had been carved out of marble. She wore a pristine white suit that stood out sharply against the grime of the precinct. Her hair was pulled back in a severe, tight bun, and her eyes were cold, calculating, and grey.

Next to her stood a man in a charcoal suit, tailored, expensive, and sharp. He was leaning casually against the wall, checking a gold watch, looking bored by the surrounding law enforcement.

"Who are they?" Rikki whispered to Luke as they stood in the back.

"That," Luke whispered back, "is the cleanup crew."

The Captain tapped the microphone. "Listen up. As you know, the Mayor has declared a State of Emergency regarding the proliferation of Supplier Tech. The ACPD is stretched too thin. Effective immediately, the City Council has contracted Sanctum Corp to assist with containment and incarceration."

The woman in white stepped forward. The room went silent. She had a presence that sucked the air out of the space.

"I am Warden Evelyn Vane," she said. Her voice was calm, precise, and utterly devoid of warmth. "My company specializes in high-risk super human containment. The police arrest criminals. Sanctum cures them."

She clicked a remote. A projection screen behind her lit up, showing a schematic of a massive, fortress-like structure being built in the harbor.

"This is The Citadel," Vane explained. "A maximum-security facility designed to hold the criminals plaguing your city. But we do not believe in simply warehousing prisoners. We believe in efficiency. We believe in order."

"Order?" Rikki whispered, a chill running down her spine. "She sounds like she’s talking about pest control."

Vane continued. "To assist with the current crisis, my legal counsel, Mr. Thorne, will be overseeing the transfer of all high-risk offenders from city jails to Sanctum custody."

The man in the charcoal suit, Julian Thorne, stepped forward. He flashed a charming, predatory smile at the room.

"We’re here to make your lives easier, officers," Julian said smoothly. "You catch them. We take them off the board. Permanently."

"Permanently?" Rikki spoke up.

The room turned to look at her. Luke nudged her warningly, but Rikki ignored him. She stepped forward.

"I'm Parole Officer Drakeson," she said, locking eyes with Julian. "My job is rehabilitation. Reintegrating people into society. If you take them 'off the board,' what happens to due process? What happens to their parole hearings?"

Julian’s smile widened. He looked at Rikki, really looked at her, taking in the messy hair, the defiance in her posture, and the worn-out jacket.

"Ms. Drakeson," Julian said, testing the name like wine. "I’ve heard of you. You’re the one with the high success rate. And the bleeding heart."

"Answer the question," Rikki challenged.

Warden Vane answered instead. "Rehabilitation is a lovely concept, Ms. Drakeson. But in its current form it is inefficient. We offer a form of rehabilitation where once a prisoner is transferred to The Citadel, they cease to be a burden on the state. They become... productive."

"That sounds illegal," Rikki snapped.

"It’s entirely legal," Julian interjected. "Sanctum has been granted special jurisdiction under the Emergency Act. All ongoing superhuman or enhanced arrests go through Sanctom."

Rikki stared up at him, she hated that arrogant smile on his face. He had the eyes of a shark.

“On that note,” Vane interrupted, her grey eyes boring into Rikki. "Obstruction of Sanctum operations could be seen as a crime against the city and you could be charged as such."

Vane turned back to the Captain. "We begin transfers at noon."

The meeting broke up. Officers grumbled, shuffling out, but Rikki stood frozen, staring at the schematic of the Citadel on the screen.

Julian Thorne paused as he walked past her. He leaned in close.

"Don't worry Rikki," he murmured, using her first name with a familiarity that made her skin crawl. "I'll take good care of your strays."

He winked and followed Vane out of the room. Luke grabbed Rikki’s arm as she started to lunge. "Rikki. Don't."

"They're going to hurt them, Luke," Rikki hissed, watching Julian’s retreating back. "I can feel it. This can't be legal.”

“I'm afraid it is. People are scarred, the streets are dangerous, the Mayor is in a panic. He's made a choice out of desperation. And now its the law.” Luke said grimly. Rikki looked at the door where Julian had vanished. The Supplier might be gone, but the war for Acropolis City had just begun. And this time, the enemy had the law on their side.