Alive and Fighting: Lost and Found by Cole Connelly Page A

the ready. The name carved into the imposing door read 'Cooper – Chief Arbiter.'
                  "He in?" Lynn asked one of the guards, who nodded and then struck the door twice with his free hand.
                  "I am a tad busy at the moment. Who needs what?" A southern drawl called from behind the metal.
                  "Lynn." The same guard stated emotionlessly.
                  "…Send him in." Cooper allowed, with the heavy metallic 'thunk' of a lock being undone.
                  Lynn walked past the husks of men flanking the door and pushed into Cooper's office. Though still made from the rusted metal and hanging light bulbs pervasive throughout the compound, Cooper's office managed to be more inviting. Many more lights dangled along the ceiling, and on the back wall was a window, one of only five in the entire facility. Granted, the window had two inch diameter bars criss-crossing it, but one could still see the sun and clouds outside.
                  "This had better be about that Daniels boy. He has already killed eight of our most highly trained executioners." Cooper said, not looking up from the myriad of papers that were strewn across his desk.
                  "No sir. We, I believe I found a lead on 'Leviathan.' I'd li-" Lynn began, only to be cut off by a now wide eyed Cooper.
                  "Language, boy." Cooper interrupted, locking eyes with Lynn.
                  "Of course sir…I would" Lynn resumed, to which Cooper smiled once before returning to his papers. "I would like to request a small team to pursue the lead, and a larger force in case it turns out to be what we've…what we have been looking for."
                  "You believe this lead to be genuine?" Cooper asked, gathering his papers into a neat stack.
                  "Yes sir. There is a chance that we would need one of the Apes to help track down Leviathan's exact whereabouts, but other than that, we could have it sir." Lynn elaborated, watching his words carefully.
                  "Should the need arise, Rilla is one of the Apes' best Runners and still well within my pockets. He would be glad to assist in the hunt. If the lead turns up a dead end, there need to be no loose ends. Do you hear me? Anyone in this city who has even ever heard the word 'Leviathan' needs to disappear. Keep me apprised." Cooper instructed, turning his graying head back down to the documents that so enticed him.
                  Lynn nodded once, but it went unnoticed. Cooper was once again completely absorbed in his own work. Making good time back to the courtyard, Lynn clapped sharply once, drawing the attention of everyone around him. He raised one hand high into the air with his pinky, ring, and middle finger raised. Three Klansmen rose and quickly joined him as he crossed the yard towards a large metal sliding door, just like the one that separated the courtyard from the interview chamber. A young Grey, who could not have been more than twenty, stood beside the chain pulley that would open the door. He kept his hood and mask off, hanging behind his head just as most new recruits did, unaccustomed to the slight vision impairment.
                  "Hold up, you need written permission to access the armory." The young Grey stated, putting his hand up and stepping in front of the pulley.
                  "Move aside Trent." Lynn said, pushing Trent by the face against the wall and opening the door himself.
                  "Agh…Listen sir, you need a signed permission slip from the Chief Arbiter to take things out of the armory." Trent continued, from his seated position against the metal wall.
                  "Listen here Trent, I respect that you want to do your job and do it right, but you see these red strips?" Lynn knelt down and gestured to the strips of red