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Gov gasped as the building shook, screams ringing through the air as people scrambled to find safe places to hide. He quickly dropped to the floor before rolling under the desk he was sitting at, trying to make himself as small as possible.
The window shattered across from where he had been sitting. The roar from outside grew louder as one less barrier stood between the meeting room and the crowd that lingered around the building.
Honestly, Gov couldn’t blame the perpetrators. He could feel the anger and frustration boiling under his skin. The voice of the people often manifested itself within Gov. Unfortunately for him, he was not often permitted to vocalize these opinions. There were a few presidents who utilized him as an advisor to gauge how decisions may be taken by the people. More of the time, he was expected to attend meetings and regulate the states.
And look, he didn’t hate the states, not by a long shot. They were familiar to him. He knew the ins and outs of dealing with more chaotic states like Florida well now. But being forced to handle their every problem day in and day out? It wears on you. 50 different conflicting personalities to keep track of could make anyone feel jaded.
Regardless, it was one of his few days off from dealing with the states. That did not mean he had the day off entirely. His schedule was filled with meetings in Washington, D.C., for the next few days. It was both a blessing and a curse.
And right now? It definitely felt like a curse.
The mob that raged outside had started as a peaceful protest. Very rarely did protests escalate to this degree. The last time he could remember something like this happening was in 2021. He shuddered as he thought of that day; hopefully, this attack wouldn’t be to the same degree.
He heard shouts of fear sound out from the meeting room across the hall, which was quickly followed by the sound of more glass shattering. Angry yells sounded out through the halls.
Gov squeezed his eyes shut. He wished this nightmare were over and that in just a few moments, he’d wake up in his bed, safe and sound, far from this cursed room. He’d even take waking up at his desk in the statehouse with Sharpie all over his face, a prank from Florida that seemed to keep happening, over this.
Suddenly, the sound of boots hitting the wooden floors of the government building came from the other room. The gentle roar of the crowd grew louder into something that Gov couldn’t ignore.
“Where are they?” A voice growled out.
Gov bit his lip, forcing himself not to utter a sound. He didn’t know what they would do to him if they found him, but he doubted it would be good.
It was moments like these that he really wished he had the teleportation abilities that the rest of the states had. He would give anything to blip into the table room right now, instead of facing this situation.
He heard boots pass by his hiding spot, pacing back and forth. “We don’t have time for this. Let the cowards hide; we need to move on.”
Gov told himself that once these people left this room, he’d make a run for it. This hiding spot wasn’t good at all, and it really was only a matter of time before he was spotted. He spared a thought for the other people he had been in a meeting with, various advisors and some spokesman for the president. His own safety was his foremost priority. There wasn’t anything he could do for the others while he, too, was in this situation. He elected to ignore the others for the time being.
As it turned out, he should’ve been paying better attention to his surroundings.
“I think there’s someone under here,” The same voice from before rang out, uncomfortably close to Gov’s hiding spot.
“We can see you. Come out from under that desk,” another voice said.
Shit, Gov thought, he’d have to make a run for it.
He rolled out from under the desk, holding his arms up, as he came face-to-face with the invaders. Two men, dressed in all camo with bandanas tied around their faces, stared back at him.
“What do you want?” Gov asked them. Perhaps diplomacy would get him somewhere with these people. He didn’t exactly know their goals, but he understood that they were angry.
“We want things to change,” One of the men said, glaring at Gov, “We’re hoping to speak to someone who can make that happen.”
Gov shook his head forlornly, “I wish that I could. I wish changes could be made as well, but others in the government don’t agree with me. My suggestions aren’t often listened to.”
The slightly taller man stepped forward with a snarl, “Well, if we aren’t able to get changes from you, maybe we can use you as a bargaining piece.”
With that, Gov turned and ran.
Clearly, there was no getting through to these men. And quite honestly, Gov didn’t really feel like getting held for ransom was on his to-do list for the day.
The men shouted out in anger behind him before pursuing him, if the sounds were any indication. Gov ran down the hall before turning the corner, only to come face-to-face with another man, dressed similarly to the ones who had threatened him.
“What is this?” The man asked, grabbing Gov’s arms in an attempt to hold him in place.
In desperation, Gov twisted out of his grip before continuing to run.
“Get him!” One of the men from the meeting room shouted.
Gov saw an opening, a door to escape amongst the chaos. He ran towards the door. Unfortunately, luck never seemed to be on his side.
He was tackled down by a man that he didn’t see.
“Get off of me! I can’t help you! Just let me go!” Gov screeched, trying to fight off the man wearing a black leather jacket.
“You’re a government employee,” the man said, ripping off Gov’s badge, holding it up for the others to see, “and a highly ranked one at that. That’s good enough for us.”
“Say good night,” the man he ran into said with a smirk.
The man reached into his pocket, pulling out a towel, soaked with a sweet-smelling liquid. He put it over Gov’s mouth and nose as he fought fruitlessly to get the men off of him. The leather jacket man tied his hands behind his back with zip-ties, halting his attempts to escape.
A wave of tiredness fell over him. He couldn’t fight it any longer.
His eyes slipped closed as a pool of dread welled in his gut. He had a feeling that he wasn’t going to like what would happen when he woke up next.