Chapter 1

When Madison comes in touch with an old friend, he goes missing. What happenes next will shock you

“He’s missing! Yeah, like missing. You're probably a little lost so let's catch you up. I’m Madison Chet, I’m also 18 years old. I’m the leader of base 342. I know what you thinking, i know i'm “too young” but really I’m not. How we do things here are kids are stationed at 14, so not so young huh? There are about 5,000 bases around the world. One base looks like a huge trailer from a trailer park. It can fit about 200 to 250 people in it so not to big and not too small. What we do at these bases are we protect each other. Base 342 looks after the 5,000 acres designated to us. My mother, Samantha, is the leader of everything and everyone, or so we thought. She designates the acres, gives people their bases, and rules over all. She also looks after all the kids under 14. Usually if you get the job with the kids, you're in the lowest employment center of all and people always dread getting that job except my mother of course. But the thing that makes us unique the most is we have a birthmark, but here’s the catch we all have the same one. Coming out of the bottom of your palm is a sword like shape. It looks exactly like one but without the handle so just the blade. If you are a leader of any base yours gets turned black. Usually it's just an outline of it but not for me. Okay now you're a little in the loop. (back a few weeks ago) “but mom, i don't want to give the promotion ceremony this year. All the 14 are scared and don't want to listen to anything. The only thing they care about is what job they will get.” “I dont care”, mom said, “ you're going to do it no matter what. Every leader has to at one point or another and everyone generously gave up their spot for you! How nice?” I grumble. “Fine i'll get it over with but i have to go now because it's my turn for patrol as well. Bye mom.” “Bye sweetie”, she said. As i'm walking back i try to think who's on patrol now and who i can put on. By the time i get to my base i have it all figured out. As soon as i walk in the doors to my bunker, i pull the attention bell. Whenever this gets pulled everyone inside and out must come in the bases auditorium. There are about 5 attention bells in the base and only i have the authority to pull them. If someone else pulls them when there isn't a huge problem they get put to the room of silence. That is where all the people go if they break a rule. How long you stay there depends on what you’ve done. It’s literally one big room with different sections and security. If anyone makes a sound they get buzzed for another day in. Anywho I just pulled the lever and I’m making my way to the auditorium. “Alrighty you know what time it is, i say, the 50 who are outside come in from around the base not the acres. And we’re putting 50 more out to replace them. If your name is called, please go out to the hallway by the main doors. Emma, Liam, Olivia, Noah, Ava, Logan, Sophia, Lucas, Isabel, Mason, Mia,Ethan, Amelia, Olivar, Charlotte, E-jay, Harper, Aiden, Aria, James, Sophie, Ella, Elle, Maggie,Poppy, Charlotte, Evie, Ruby,Jake, Avie, Abigail, Emilia, Eleanor, Rosie, Elizabeth, Harry, Jack, Gabe, Jacob, Martin, Franklin, Nick, Isiah, Victor, Robert, Thomas, William, Mason, and myself will all be outside on duty. I will have my assistant, Xander, looking after the rest inside.” Xander is a tall handsome man. Is very muscular and powerful. I do believe he's 19 but we were in the same age group group when we started kindergarten. He always wanted to see the outside. Your first 14 years they don,t let you outside ever. so when he was a 14 he asked to be assigned his base immediately. He got assigned to my base when they had a different leader. When I became of age I got assigned to be leader of his base and we were thrilled. Until the old leader of everyone banned him for treason. He didn't do anything actually but the leader decided he did something terrible so he was to be killed. The day of his death I barged into the leader's office and demanded he be released without harm back to his base. My mother decided we the people had had enough of him and after that my mother killed him. But first She asked all of the bases and they agreed he was a b***h and deserved to be killed. So that's how my mother came to be leader of everyone as well. But before this happened it was still the day of Xander's death, I had to make a deal with the leader and as soon as we got him back I wouldn't let him out of my sight. We ended up sharing a bunker for about a month, not beds bunkers. And I decided to make him my assistant so he's always with me. Anyway back to reality. I start, “Alright everyone stalk up, and move out!” We all get outside. I say, “Okay you know your places get to them.” Around 2 hours later Next thing you know someone pulls the attention bell and we all head inside except 5. 5 have to be outside no matter what. We all head inside. Xander is on stage with a male who looks to be around 16. Must be a new recruit. He’s on the stage to the auditorium looking panicked and frazzled. Xander is trying to calm him down but nothings working. I walk up there and talk to Xander. “What’s going on?” i ask. “I don’t know I’m trying to get him to tell me but I can’t get through to h..” he gets cut off by the new recruit. He introduces himself first. “Hi my names Chase I am new and was sitting in my bunker and saw something”. I try to interfere but he keeps talking. “It looked like a huge flash and I know I’m relatively new and haven’t been outside my first 14 years but it’s not like one of our normal missals.” This time I get in, “it’s alright, I’m positive it’s just a missal of ours that backfired. If anything and anyone were here we would know. We have 5,000 bases that have tons to cover. Not one part of the world is uncovered. Even the oceans but they have 7,000 bases because there’s lot more ocean than land. No need to fret, we would know about anything. Sorry about this inconvenience. Get back to stations, NOW!’ I turn to face Chase, “young man I may not be that much older than you, but you will obey me and my rules. I will give this to you, but next time you pull a stunt I will put you in the silence room, or worse. Do you understand me?”. “Yes ma’am.” “Instead of going back to your bunker you can have cleaning duty for the rest of the week, now GO” i say. Xander looks at me “don't you think you were just a little harsh?” He asked “No” I say “I don’t think I was. He needs to learn and obey my rules. If he has a problem with it he can bring it up to my mom.” “But one last thing boss,” Xander says, “I saw the flash thing too. It didn’t look like anything like we’ve ever tested or anything that went wrong. I think chase might have been right though.” I look him straight in the eye, “We would know if anything was a threat to us. The entire world is covered and I will personally check all 5,000 acres myself to prove you and him wrong. Plus I was outside and would have seen it and I didn’t. And when I get back out there I’m going to ask everybody to see if they saw it. Which they probably didn’t because it’s just a missle that backfired. I’m sure if anything were wrong they would tell us through my speaker and your speaker, but did they? No they didn’t. Now if you’d like, you can join him with cleaning duty if you want to question me?.” “No thank you”, he replies. “That’s what I though. I’m going back to my station now. When I come back in to check on everyone you best be doing stock and ordering new Ammo from the weapons warehouse. Got it?” “Yes ma’am” he says. As he walks back to his office his head hangs low with embarrassment. As i walk back to my station, i check in the cafeteria to see if dinner is almost prepared, which it is. Everything is right, and that's what i like. Lela is out setting up tables for dinner. ‘Hey lela, i say, what's for dinner tonight?” She responds with, “Hey madison! I believe its unlimited grilled cheese.” “Oh, so today's the day of junk for these 2 weeks?” Iask. “Yes that’s correct”, she replies. “Great! Thanks, See you in about an hour, can't wait to have some! Bye.” I leave and walk outside and say, “hey i'm going inside to work on the passing of 14 ceremony , is that okay?” Everyone replies simultaneously, “‘yes ma’am. Thank you.” Okay, i say to myself, i'm going to surprise xander to see if he's doing what i told him to. I get to his office only to see the door wide open, which isn't good. The first place i look is Chase’s bunker, which no shock to me, he’s there. I barge in the bunker and almost scare the s**t out of them. “What the hell are you doing in here?” I ask Xander. Chase starts to answer but I cut him off and continue to talk to Xander, “ it hasn't even been 10 minutes and you still didn't do what I asked? What's wrong with you? You're really going to disobey me now? After all I did save you from being killed personally by the last leader. I really would not push my buttons now.” “I’m sorry boss but I can't right now, I really think he's onto something. That missal didn't look like one of ours. I know I know we have everything covered, but what if we don't. We rarely send people to the woods so I'm sure every base has places they barely look what if something's there?” Xander said. “ you could be right but you're not. Even if you are what would be there? What would be in the missal, chickens?” I ask sarcastically. “Now don't be a jackass madison. I don't know what would be in there but it's definitely not ours. “I start to talk but Chase cuts me off. “Ma’am, I apologize for him being in here, as you can tell I'm changing my clothes to go do the cleaning.” I was so angry at Xander I never realized Chase had no shirt on and just boxers. Chase had the perfect chiseled body though. He has a perfect 6 pack and very muscular legs. “ Uh , no I'm the sorry one, I shouldn't have barged right in. But as for you Xander you're coming with me, NOW. On our way to my office, I don't talk to Xander. I'm busy trying to figure out what I'm going to say. He tries to talk with me but I shush him. “I’m so mad i don’t even know what to say to you’ i say almost exhausted, i have tried and tried with you. Nothing seems to work anymore. We used to be best friends, i saved your life, what's going on? Is me being your “”boss”” to hard for you that you feel like you need to disobey me? “You know i love you and will do anything for you, but i think Chase is right.”, he says. “Xander, I really don’t think he is. But you know what has to happen now right?” “ yes madison, i believe i do”, he said with a heavy heart, “your going to have to report me to your mother about this because its my 3rd slip up being high up in our government. After You report to your mom, she will decide if i'm killed or not.” i say, “I really think she will be nice about you because of our friendship with each other. Now go get ready for dinner, it’s going to be called any minute now.