Safe Island

Table of Contents

Safe Island

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Chapter 45

Chapter 46

Chapter 47

Chapter 48

Chapter 49

About The Author

Works from Colbyjack.net

Prologue

Unofficial video record of Henry Koenig’s office on the day of the City Charter signing. Record number: HKCCS01.01.0000.T16

And it’s done, Henry Koenig said as he finished signing his name on the last page of the City Charter. We are –

This is bad, Marc said, running into the room with a tablet in his hand.

Koenig glared at his assistant. He’d just ruined his shining moment in front of the cameras. Now they’d have to redo it...again. How many technical problems would they have before everything went off without a hitch? Already they’d had thunder booming so loudly that you couldn’t hear what he’d said, hail which made it sound like he was signing the charter while under fire, and not one, not two, but five catastrophic video failures which made them redo the live event.

Now here was Marc messing up his beautiful performance once again. It was enough to make a mayor hire a hit crew to take out everyone who was annoying him.

Marc was just lucky the real charter had already been signed and filed or his head would have been on a stake.

Marc looked oblivious to his boss’s anger. He ran past the video crews straight to Koenig’s desk. This is really, really bad.

What is it Marc? Koenig asked, barely able to disguise his rage and frustration. Had the cameras not been there, he wouldn’t have bothered.

Boss, you’ve got to see this. This is –

Bad. I know. You’ve already said that, Koenig responded even as he wondered why he’d given this bozo a job in the first place. Oh, right. He was the son of one of Koenig’s biggest supporters. He’d probably hate it if Koenig killed off his son. Darn, it had been such a good idea, too.

Koenig grabbed the tablet from Marc’s hands and read the highlighted words on the screen. Koenig felt all the blood in his face drain away and he had to grit his teeth to stop from ordering someone’s death right in front of the press.

He rose to his feet. Gentlemen. An urgent matter has come to my attention. Why don’t we try rescheduling this for later in the afternoon? By then the weather should have cleared up and I think we will be able to get this done without further issues.

The news crews nodded their heads and filed out like good little news zombies. The second the door shut behind them, Koenig turned on Marc. How could this happen? When was it put in? Koenig roared, not worried that his voice would carry to another room for his office was soundproof.

Marc took a few steps back. I...I...I don’t know, sir.

Koenig stalked around his desk even as Marc took a few more tottering steps backward. How can you not know? When was this addendum inserted into the document? Koenig’s hands were in fists. He was just barely able to stop himself from pummeling Marc. Marc was lucky Koenig needed his father or else he’d be going to the hospital in a few minutes.

It doesn’t say, Marc said quietly. His eyes were wide and scared, reminding Koenig of a trapped animal.

Explain yourself, Koenig demanded.

The lawyers don’t know when that was added because there are no records of it ever having been added, he said.

But it is in the charter I signed, isn’t it? Koenig said, already knowing the answer.

Yes, Marc squeaked.

How did this happen? Koenig roared. Why wasn’t this in the list of changes both attorneys gave me?

This addendum wasn’t in any of the copies either sets of attorneys had. Nobody knows where it came from, Marc squeaked.

But it is in the final City Charter I signed this morning. Koenig began to pace in front of his desk.

Everyone’s trying to figure this out, but as of yet, there are no answers, Marc said, looking a little less scared now that Koenig looked like he wasn’t going to beat Marc into a bloody pulp.

It’s binding, though, and that’s all that matters, Koenig muttered, picking up the tablet. He began reading the addendum and with every line he absorbed, the more he realized this wasn’t just some tiny bit of legal code which had been added last minute. No, this had been carefully worded and crafted. This had taken a lot of time and energy to make just right.

Someone was bribed, Koenig said. I want those responsible crucified.

Yes, sir, Marc said, scampering to the door.

And have the lawyers start trying to make this null and void. I want it stricken from the Charter by the end of the year, Koenig called after him. They’re not going to get away with this. I’ll find and have them all killed if I have to, but this will not be allowed to stand. This addendum will go up in flames even if I have to set it on fire myself. Koenig vowed. It will not survive.

Chapter 1

Many, many, many years later....

Mayor Nera Koenig paced around her penthouse office. She’d been mayor for a week and was beginning to chafe with boredom.

Wasn’t being mayor supposed to be fun and exciting? Every day full of some new crisis or disaster which kept your mind sharp and your blood pounding? Weren’t there supposed to be death threats and citywide panics?

Where were the fires and police shootouts and brothel raids she had been assured were so common she’d have to deal with them on almost a daily basis?

Why hadn’t she been required to stand in front of the podium before reporters, telling them in her gravest voice how sorry she was that all those innocents had died in that horrible disaster and that she’d find out who the culprits were?

Or, even better, why wasn’t she presenting some schmuck hero with an award, telling them how grateful the City was to have citizens who were so dedicated and selfless?

Where were the banquets and the bright lights?

If all of these things were supposed to be common and happen every day, where was it all? Where was the excitement and the drama? So far, the most exciting thing she’d done was learn how her intercom worked.

Everything else had been sign this, read that, do this little commercial blurb for the voters. Boring crap Nera had thought she’d never have to do now that she was mayor. She’d done enough of it while campaigning against her cousins.

If excitement and fame wasn’t going to come her way willingly, she needed to do something about that. Nera felt an itch under her skin to do something big. Something huge. Something none of her Koenig predecessors had been able to do. Something which would put her down in the history annals as the greatest Koenig mayor the City had ever had.

She wanted to tackle the Rogue Islands.

All her ancestors, back to good old great great great....however many greats he was... grandfather Henry Koenig had dealt with the problem of the Rogue Islands. How old Henry had been stupid enough to let them slip through his grasp was never talked about. Personally, Nera believed he’d dropped the ball and just assumed nobody would try to do what they did.

And we all know what happens to people who assume things.

Nera walked over to her desk and pushed the intercom button. Tiger, get in here, she ordered as she started thinking that her desk was just too much...wood. She didn’t really like it anymore. She’d have to get a new one.

Along with new curtains...

...And new chairs...

...And a new phone...

...And wallpaper...

...And –

Nera’s assistant, Tiger, walked into her office. Yes? the woman asked. Tiger had been with the family forever and knew all about Nera and her moods. Since her mother had been Nera’s mother’s assistant, they’d practically grown up together, though reminding Nera of that fact was not to be done. Nera liked to think of herself as an eternally young goddess and as such, nobody had grown up with her.

I want the Rogue Islands, Nera demanded.

You can’t have them, Tiger responded.

To an outsider, it would appear Tiger was talking back to her boss, a crime punishable by being fired, or perhaps being killed painfully if you had the wrong kind of boss.

However, these two women had thrown off the mantel of employee-employer the second they started working together years ago.

Why? Nera whined, flopping down in her chair.

Because none of your predecessors have found a way to get them back. We’ve got five hundred lawyers looking into the situation daily and nothing’s happened since the signing of the Charter except giving them an additional five hundred foot buffer zone and a mandatory ferry once a week. You’ve got to give it up. Whoever wrote those clauses knew what they were doing. Why don’t you tackle something else? Like the overcrowding of –

Nera cut Tiger off. "I don’t want to tackle anything else. I want this to be my pièce de résistance! I want to be known as the goddess who brought the Rogue Islands back into the fold!"

You mean mayor, don’t you? Tiger asked dryly.

Of course, Nera responded. They both knew she was lying but this tiny fact didn’t stop her from acknowledging her supposed mistake. I want to go down in history! Just like...

Henry? Tiger asked when Nera looked confused.

Exactly. I want to be known as good Queen Nera, the savior of the Rogue Islands. I want my name and picture on buildings. I want statues created in my honor. I want to be immortalized just like...what’s his name, Nera said. Her gaze drifted off into the corner of the room and Tiger knew she was picturing how she’d accept all the honors which would miraculously fall upon her when she did this impossible task.

Tiger gave her a few seconds to enjoy her dream world before snapping her finger, getting Nera’s attention. That sounds all well and good, but you won’t get those accolades from the Rogue Islands. Give it up. Ain’t gonna happen.

Oh, it’ll happen even if I have to kill every living soul on those islands. Nobody’s going to stand in the way of my legacy. Nobody!

Chapter 2

The Free Islands by Homer Frisk.

The Free Islands are approximately in the middle of Lake Seneca, if one measures the middle as the midway point between the northernmost point and the southernmost point and the middle between the easternmost and westernmost points. If one doesn’t measure the middle as such, then I can only say that the Free Islands are somewhere in Lake Seneca, which is in the Finger Lakes District.

These islands are not part of the City’s holdings and do not touch any City holdings. For more information on how these islands became their own sovereign nation with their own form of government, please see the rest of this book for said information.

The only way to get to these islands is via the court-required ferry, which runs once a week. For ferry schedule, please see the ferry’s website, or the ferry itself.

The Free Islands are a chain of islands with five main islands and many other smaller islands, which hold no known inhabitants. Of the main islands, the largest, known as Free Island, contains most of the people who claim to be part of this rebellious island chain. The front part of the island, accessed mainly by foot traffic and where the ferry drops unsuspecting visitors, is chiefly a tourist trap with bakeries, fudge shops, other stores selling cheap and artisan goods, and a hotel. The rest of the island is off limits to visitors and I have no idea what is there other than the homes for those who run the various shops and hotel.

Of the other four islands, not much is known about them, and not from a lack of trying. I have attempted on no fewer than twenty occasions to find out what and who is on these islands and I have been turned away at every turn. In fact, I asked so many questions that I am now banned from the Free Islands.

It should be noted that these strange people value their privacy above all else and do not enjoy being questioned about things not part of the tourist areas.

As to the geography of these islands, they have rolling hills and both evergreen and deciduous trees, in addition to other local flora and fauna. While pretty to look at in the different seasons, especially with the changing of the leaves in the fall, it is unremarkable topographically speaking.

Surrounding these islands is a very tall wall of unknown height for it appears to keep growing. This wall is to keep islanders from going to the mainland on anything other than the approved ferry. It is also to keep mainlanders, who may want to know more about the island and its secrets, from coming in when they aren’t welcome.

This wall goes from the sky into the water and creates a projection on both sides. From City held territory, it is as if the Free Islands don’t exist for the projection shows only open water. This has caused more than one angler to crash into the wall because they literally weren’t watching where they were going.

On the island side, the wall also projects water and a glorified view of the mainland,