Changing Tides Read Online Free Page B

who the person shown in the broadcast had been.
    Adding to the mounting tension were the lists. Names of people, their birthdates and their death dates, as well as photos of the graves. The lists were released randomly with no common point of origin. So far, no one had been able to determine how it was being done, who was doing it or why.
    Glancing at the time, Brett grabbed the files he’d been working on and made his way to the conference room. It was the same one he’d met his father in weeks earlier. This time, it was filled with top security personnel, including Brigadier General Reynolds—and he hoped Orion. Brett hadn’t yet been able to speak with the general about Orion, but he’d made a point to be outside every night when Orion was running. He’d joined him the last three times.
    Orion no longer protested the kiss Brett gave him each night, but he flatly refused to go up to Brett’s quarters with him. Nor did he invite Brett up to his. They were finding ways to communicate with each other. It was a slow, frustrating process for both of them. Brett was fairly certain he was the first person to try to get to know the man in years, possibly his whole life.
    Brett entered the conference room, automatically searching for the man he’d become enamored with. Hiding his disappointment when didn’t see Orion, he took a seat at the far end of the table. Hope sparked inside him when he realized Brigadier General Reynolds wasn’t present either. He sent up a silent prayer that Orion would be accompanying the general to the meeting.
    Several long minutes passed before security called to say the general was on his way up. Fear of failing shot through Brett and was quickly chased away by adrenaline. The sudden realization that he was the youngest and lowest ranking person in the room did little to reassure him. It wasn’t often he’d attended security meetings with the base commander present, but Major Fitzwilliams had reiterated these were unusual circumstances.
    “Room atten-hut!” The order was snapped out as soon as the door opened, letting the general in.
    Heart pounding in his chest, Brett stood still and waited to see Orion. The door closed behind the senior officer. Disappointment pushed away any remaining fear or adrenaline.
    “At ease. Be seated,” Brigadier General Reynolds said. Silently, chairs moved and people sat down. Papers shifted as everyone situated themselves. “So, where are we on these terrorists responsible for the video and lists?”
    “Lieutenant DeMarco has that report,” Major Fitzwilliams answered.
    “Go ahead, Lieutenant,” Brigadier General Reynolds said, flatly.
    “Yes, Sir,” Brett replied taking a deep breath. “We know that a group calling itself Citizens for a Free Aelland is now claiming responsibility for the original and ongoing breaches. However, aside from the name, there’s little known about the group. They are also calling President General Landry a tyrant and dictator, demanding her resignation and execution and asking the people to rise up and demand the democratic government we once had. They have yet to release any sort of manifesto, so the true purpose of their agenda is unknown. At this time, we have to assume they are trying to overthrow the government.”
    “Anything else?”
    “Unfortunately, no, Sir. We have reexamined previous suspicious persons, as well as looked over any new information, and we can find no one associated with this group. There is no history of them, no prior mention of them anywhere by anyone.”
    “I see.”
    “There were several statements made shortly after the terrorists made their initial announcements. However, except in one case, all of those appeared randomly and without any way to back them up or connect them to the group or any one person. They were conflicted and offered no real information. We don’t know which, if any were made by actual members of this group.”
    “And the condition of the person we did know