Night Watch

It was near curfew as Ethan stepped out of the cab, a rush of cool night air greeted him, carrying with it the distant echoes of the city's dwindling nightlife. He paid the driver and watched as the cab's taillights disappeared around a corner, leaving him standing alone on the quiet street. Before him, the city unfurled in all its glory. The towering walls that encircled it, now little more than a dark shape against the moonlit sky, stood as a testament to the unshakable will of humankind. One by one, the city lights dimmed, leaving only the moon to light his way.

He turned to face the Watchtower. It was the tallest building in the city, an austere monolith of imposing height that touched the very heavens. Its outer walls were black with a mirror-like polish and bore no windows. Before curfew, the tower stood in stark contrast to the rest of the city. Now, under the night sky, its sheer, unadorned face seemed no different from any other building. 

Ethan swiped his badge and entered when the doors slid open, then tucked his lanyard back into his jacket. He had been working as a night-watchman for the last two months, monitoring the streets and homes of the city for any illicit activities. Any aberrant behaviors were to be reported to Enforcement immediately. It was important to make sure everyone followed the rules. Fortunately, most everyone fell into a routine with minor deviation. The job was much less exciting than he’d thought it would be, but tonight was different — tonight was his first lottery. He couldn't help but feel a sense of anxious anticipation. 

He took the elevator to the thirty-fourth floor where the office he shared with another watchman was located. A dimly lit room, slightly too large for only two people, greeted him. Monitors lined one of the walls, displaying various sections of the town. In front of them was a small workstation with two chairs. There, he found Jacob, his far more experienced partner, who was leaning casually against a file cabinet, his eyes focused on the monitors. He was watching an old man perform his nightly prayers and marked something in his notebook. The night-watchmen were tasked with observing suspicious persons and recording their actions. The computer had already done most of the work for them by flagging a list of individuals. In just one week, they had already made it through over half of their monthly quota. 

Ethan draped his jacket over the back of the chair on the left and seated himself. “It’s game night. So, make sure to stay focused,” Jacob didn’t look away from his work as he said this. An uncharacteristically grim look was on his face. The lottery was the most important night of the year. One lucky winner was chosen to leave the city. They would climb the stairs up, over the walls and ascend to the kingdom of the gods, reuniting with those who left before them and awaiting the loved ones they left behind. “We can’t afford any screw-ups. Don’t need another Williamsport on our hands.” 

There was a knock on the door to their office, but it was already open before they had time to answer. Jessica stepped in and shut it quietly. She was from the Information Management Department downstairs. She came to deliver a small stack of papers to Jacob, but her brief presence had the power to distract even the most dedicated of watchmen. With a radiant smile and an easygoing demeanor, she was hard for most to ignore. She playfully drew Jacob’s attention away from the monitors. 

“I’ve got somethin’ for ya, tiger.” Her voice carried a hint of teasing. Jessica leaned over Jacob’s arm to set the papers down, brushing one of her breasts against his wrist. She traced her fingers along his arm as she straightened her stance. 

Jacob grinned in response, momentarily forgetting about the night's responsibilities. He slid his notebook into the drawer on his side of the desk. "That looks like it’ll be hard. Maybe you could show me what to do with it," he quipped. 

“I thought we were staying focused here.” Ethan chided as he set his station up. He grabbed the stack of papers, placing them next to his keyboard. It contained information on the winner along with a list of potential lottery officials. An official was randomly selected from a pool to prevent any attempt at rigging. “You know, game time and all.” He tried to maintain his neutral face but couldn’t help the smirk that crossed his lips when he saw the stunned looks on his co-workers' faces. 

Jessica blinked and looked back at Jacob. “Did the rookie just make a joke?” 

“I believe he did,” Jacob’s grin was absolutely feral now, showing all his teeth. “Never thought he’d have it in him till he removed that stick from his ass.” A notification flashed across the screen directly in front of him. It was amazing how quickly Jacob could switch back to work-mode. “Frederick Allen...” he turned to find Ethan already flipping through the papers. “He on the list?” Ethan nodded and Jacob clapped him on the shoulder. “Good, now just make sure he gets to the right place. I’m takin’ my break before things get too...” he trailed off and snaked an arm around Jessica’s waist, “hot.” 

Jessica made a small noise of surprise and slapped Jacob’s chest, but the gleam in her eye gave away her excitement. “Just make sure to keep your radio switched on,” Ethan said as he read through Frederick Allen’s file. 

“Can do.” Jacob saluted as he left with Jessica. 

Another notification popped up on the screen Jacob had been using. Ethan slid his chair in front of it. Frederick had badged into one of the shuttle-vehicles for transporting lottery winners. He sent the address — 1716 Brockton Avenue — to the vehicle and pulled up a map of the city, showing him Frederick’s current location along with the approved path to the lottery winner’s residence. He watched as the vehicle passed through the first several check points. According to the computer, it would be another eighteen minutes before Frederick reached his destination.

With nothing to do but wait, Ethan stepped out to the hall to grab a cup of coffee from the break area. Last month everyone pitched in to buy one of those fancy latte machines. Now, late night coffee was Ethan’s favorite part of the job. It was peaceful. No one else ever came this late. He enjoyed the quiet, simply waiting on the machine to work its magic. Briefly, he wondered what kind of trouble Jacob and Jessica were getting up to before he returned to his duties. 

“Shit!” Ethan dropped his coffee as soon as he opened the door, spilling it on both his shirt and the floor. “Shit!” He scrambled to his workstation for the radio he’d left behind. “Shit!” He cursed again as he knocked the radio to the floor. A flashing, red notification had appeared while he was away. Frederick’s vehicle was off its designated course. “Jacob, get your ass back here! We have an emergency!” 

Frederick was nearly eight blocks off his path. He’d taken a left instead of a right after the last checkpoint. “Jacob, do you copy?” There was no response. Sweat began to coat Ethan’s brow as he realized just how out of his depth he was. No, he couldn’t get too worked up. He needed to keep a cool head if he was going to figure out how to fix this. First, he needed to get into contact with the lottery official. He froze as he reached for the radio. He had never memorized the channel the lottery vehicles used for communication. Frantically, Ethan flipped through the papers Jessica had left earlier. It wasn’t there. 

He held his head in his hands, trying to bring up any memory that might help him. Then, he remembered Jacob’s notebook. He wrote everything in it, never relying solely on his memory. Ethan tore open Jacob’s drawer and grabbed the notebook, praying he would find what he needed as he flipped through it. Relief flooded him when he found a page listing all radio channels relevant to their work. 

He fumbled the radio, nearly dropping it again, as he switched channels. He took a slow, deep breath to calm himself before he spoke in an even voice. “Mr. Allen, this is Ethan Trevor with the Night-Watch. You appear to have made a wrong turn. Is your GPS functioning correctly? Do you need my assistance in reaching your destination?” He began to worry after several seconds of silence passed. “Mr. Allen, this is Night-Watch. Do you copy?” On his screen, Ethan saw the vehicle had already stopped at 7116 Brockton Avenue. 

He looked at the papers Jessica left. It said 1716 Brockton Avenue. “Shit!” He cursed himself for making such a rookie mistake. He switched channels again, and yelled into the radio, “Jacob, get the fuck in here, now!” 

“What’s going on?” Jacob burst through the door startling Ethan, causing him to drop the radio onto the desk. His jacket and tie were both missing, and his shirt was sloppily buttoned and untucked. His hair was a mess, and Jessica’s make-up stained his face. 

“Where the hell were you? I called five minutes ago!” Ethan turned to the screen nervously. The vehicle was already moving again. It was so close to the stairs. Too close. “Shit!” He slammed his hand against the desk. 

Jacob slid into his chair, gently pushing Ethan aside. “Shit...” He took control of the station. “How the hell’d you let him get all the way across town?” 

“I went to get some coffee—” 

Jacob spun and stood up, standing uncomfortably close to Ethan, “You left the room?!” 

“I made a mistake, okay!” Ethan snapped. “If you were here, this wouldn’t have ever happened, but were too busy fucking Jessica!” 

Jacob gave him a smoldering glare. Ethan thought he might hit him, but he didn’t. “Don’t try and turn this on me.” Jacob’s face was inches from his now, “You’re the one who gave him the wrong goddamn address!” 

Another notification came up on the screen. They both turned to look. Frederick had dropped his passenger off at the stairs. “Shit!” Ethan slammed the desk again. “We have to call the Warden.” 

“No!” Jacob lunged to grab the radio in his right hand. He pointed at Ethan with the same shaking hand. “They won’t care whose fault this is. We could all be killed or worse...” 

They both turned as the door opened. “What’s going on in here? I could hear you from the stairs!” Jessica closed the door softly. 

Jacob rushed to her, attempting to keep her calm, but his panicked actions only served to unsettle her. “We’ve just had a minor set-back.” He spoke the words in a rush. He sounded nothing like the calm and care-free man from earlier. He tried to usher her out of the room, “We have everything under control.” 

Ethan shuffled his feet nervously, avoiding Jessica’s gaze. “I gave him the wrong address.” 

Jessica’s eyes grew wide. She fumbled with her words before spitting out, “That’s more than just a set-back!” She turned to Jacob, reaching for the radio. “We have to tell the Warden about this.” 

“No!” Jacob clutched the radio to his chest. “The Warden can’t do anything about it now anyway.” 

Jessica gave him a puzzled look, and Ethan cut in, “He’s already been dropped off at the stairs. It’s too late to stop it.” 

Jacob was pacing across the room now. His frustration and panic were visible. “The only thing we can do is try and distance ourselves from this. Make it look like it wasn’t our fault.” He picked up the stack of papers she had brought earlier. He held them out to her, giving them a light shake. “Can you change this so that it says 7116 instead of 1716?” 

“Jacob, you can’t ask me to do that,” she took a shaky step back. “I could be exiled if they found out.” 

“You’ll be exiled if you don’t!” Jacob’s shout was louder and crueler than he intended. “We’ll all be exiled if you don’t...” his voice was quieter now, almost a whisper. 

“Jacob,” Ethan said gently. “Let’s just leave her out of it.” He tried to give Jessica a reassuring smile, “This was our mistake. As far as they’re concerned, she hasn’t done anything wrong.” 

“Don’t you remember what happened in Williamsport?” Jacob sighed. “Everyone close to that mess was killed or exiled.” His eyes softened as he looked at Jessica, “And you’re not just close. I put you right in the middle of it.” Tears threatened to spill from her eyes now, “I’m sorry, Jessica.” 

Jessica brought her hands up to her face, wiping the unshed tears away. “Okay,” her voice was shaky but determined, “I’ll have to do this in my office. I’ll come back when it’s done.” Before she could leave, Jacob grabbed her, kissing her fiercely. Then, he whispered soothing words in her ear. 

The door clicked shut behind her. Jacob turned to face the monitors, “We have to find out who he picked up and—” The door burst back open. It was the Warden. He stood well over six and a half feet tall, a true giant of a man, with a broad frame that seemed to fill the room. His presence was commanding and intimidating, instantly demanding respect from everyone in his vicinity. 

Despite his imposing stature, his most striking feature was his large, round belly, which he carried proudly, with an air of authority. It seemed to have a gravitational pull of its own, drawing the attention of anyone who looked his way. It spoke of years of fine dining and the privilege of his position. 

His hair, once jet black, had gradually turned to shades of gray at the temples. It was cropped short and neatly combed, contrasting with his otherwise imposing appearance. The graying suggested wisdom and experience, underlining his authority. 

The Warden's attire was befitting of his position. He wore a crisply pressed, dark-colored uniform adorned with various insignias and badges, each signifying his rank and accomplishments. His appearance reflected the strict and rigid order that governed the city. 

As he entered the room, his eyes scanned the scene with a sharp, unwavering gaze, and he moved with a deliberate and measured gait. The Warden was a man not to be trifled with, and his every action exuded an air of absolute authority and control.

There were more people now. Boots stomped the ground in the hallway. Enforcement was here. The Warden waved his hand, signaling for them to enter. Seven men filed into the room, one of them had Jessica in his grip.

The Warden spoke in a voice as cold and smooth as ice. "Plotting to rig the lottery?" The look on his face told Ethan everything. They had known from the very beginning.

"No," Jessica cut in. "No one rigged the lottery! It was a mistake!"

The Warden rounded on her, slamming the back of his hand into her face. "You're lucky there's no time left, or we'd make an example of you three." The Warden turned to face his men, “Quickly now,” he motioned for the man holding Jessica to step forward. “We must complete the ritual before it's too late!” The man holding Jessica forced her to her knees. 

Jacob stepped up to help her, but the Warden’s men rushed forward, grabbing him and Ethan. They were forced to the floor alongside Jessica. She cried out when the man grabbed her hair roughly. He pulled a long knife from his belt and jerked her head back, sliding the blade across her throat. 

Jacob collapsed to the floor, crying out, “I’m sorry, Jessica. I’m so sorry.” He cried with his forehead pressed to the floor as the men around them began to paint strange symbols with her blood. Soon the floor was entirely covered with them. Jacob didn’t even resist when the man with the knife grabbed his hair, pulling him up to stand on his knees. With a thud, he joined Jessica on the ground. 

Ethan’s chest tightened, and he could barely breathe. He closed his eyes waiting for his turn. It never came. He could no longer stand the fear and opened his eyes. The Warden and his men all stood frozen, watching the monitors before them. Ethan turned to see what drew their attention. 

On one of the central monitors, he could see there was a small light in the sky. Something was in front of the light, but he couldn't make it out. Ethan squinted, attempting to see the screen better. The ground began shaking, and the lights flickered. The light in the sky was now a streak across it. Ethan watched as the sky tore open like paper, and countless grotesque, demonic, angelic, beautiful creatures descended to the earth below. They were awesome and terrifying to behold. The gods had come to pass judgement. He could only pray — no, not pray. He would never pray again. He hoped it was not the end of the world.