The Custodian

By Miras Beale

Four years from now, socially polarized America finds itself at the precipice of another civil war. Trust in the traditional two-party political system is gone for good, while governing bodies lose authority across vast regions of the country. As a consequence, two parallel economic systems emerge, but they are based on irreconcilable tax regula

• Language: English
• Publisher: Provalis Publishing
• Release date: Jan 5, 2024
• ISBN: 9798989756414

Book preview

The Custodian

Miras Beale

Copyright © 2024 Miras Beale

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from the publisher.

Provalis Publishing—Tarrytown, New York

Paperback ISBN: 979-8-9897564-0-7

eBook ISBN: 979-8-9897564-1-4

Library of Congress Control Number: 2024900001

Title: The Custodian

Author: Miras Beale

Digital distribution | 2024

Paperback | 2024

This is a work of fiction. The characters, names, incidents, places, and dialogue are products of the author’s imagination, and are not to be construed as real.

Dedication

To My Fellow Americans.

Contents

The Custodian

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty-One

Chapter Thirty-Two

Chapter Thirty-Three

Chapter Thirty-Four

Chapter Thirty-Five

Chapter Thirty-Six

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Chapter One

Snowball

Joshua sped away from Snowball shortly after midnight. With no moonlight or stars to light his way, his only companion on Route Twelve was the heavy fog that consumed the Arkansas forest like a thick blanket of mist. He had to drive with his headlights off to remain unseen and this made navigating the winding road an especially trying task. To make matters worse, the late April drizzle had turned into a powerful downpour, forcing him to rely on his wiper blades for visibility as he drove at thirty miles per hour. Bill had promised that his pickup spot would be unmistakable, but Joshua still felt a chill in his spine every time he pushed up his eyeglasses and refocused his attention on the road ahead while desperately trying not to blink in spite of the fatigue in his eyes.

Just thirty minutes ago, Bill had given Joshua the details of what to expect at his upcoming gate. At every gate he had been provided with a car containing enough gasoline for a thirty-mile journey and instructions that could only be used for an hour. This was his sixth gate since he had first been met by a Patriot contact in Nashville. In contrast, when Antifa had extracted him from D.C., they gave him Naomi as his personal guide who accompanied him to each post during his extraction. Patriots instead left him alone after giving him provisional instructions which shifted from one gate to the next. Every time, there was a car waiting for him and details specific to that particular hour.

Joshua had seen the status of his online accounts for the last time on Sunday, April 4th 2027 around 10:45 pm— five days prior. The isolation felt like it lasted forever. He thought about how his wife Amy was coping after she dropped him to meet Naomi in the rush. He was also imagining if their daughter Sara was standing by the stairs waiting to wave at him as he approaches the hallway. Joshua’s wife and their three-year-old daughter were the only things that mattered to him. It was not long ago when Amy found her high-paying job with the government, working as a senior analyst for the Mind Force which she got on account of her aunt’s veteran status from 2020. Her aunt’s on the spot judicial brilliance during this tumultuous time brought her enough credit in D.C. when she managed to hold off numerous attempts by a disgruntled president to thwart the elections results. Favors in D.C. go long way, particularly when they are extended at critical times.

The Mind Force Agency was the most advanced governmental office which developed artificial intelligence computing farms to monitor shifts in public opinion on an hourly basis, with the goal of controlling public sentiment like a missile to its target. Amy was seen as their brightest star, even though her aunt had gone down the same path seven years before her.

And yet, he was here, a fugitive from something, he did not know what. Running away from D.C. aided by most unlikely of all helpers – dreaded Patriots, being smuggled to them by no one other than Antifa operatives. How did he get to this point? How did it all get to this point? Joshua did not have much time to reminisce - he was approaching thirty minutes mark of his last leg and was now double focused on the road and signs along its darkened side. But, he was still piecing his life together, trying to make some sense, any sense of it at all. But as much as he was scared by total unknown of what lies ahead, he found some much needed temporary solace having his mind wandering back to the days of his upbringing in Westchester county of New York.

Joshua’s parents had been affluent prior to their demise: his dad, fifteen years senior to his mom, had left a substantial inheritance for Joshua and his two half-sisters when he passed away. Shortly before the first molecular genetics based therapy was approved by the FDA in 2024, Joshua’s dad placed enormous amounts of money on several leading biotech firms which were pioneering the therapy. At that time, Joshua was finishing up his Masters at Georgetown University. Same year his mother suddenly died. Joshua’s father was a financial analyst for a hedge fund and his mother ran a philanthropic organization that supported underprivileged children in Westchester. Joshua had asked his dad to accept the right-to-try treatments offered by biotech companies in 2024, but he refused. After his mother suddenly passed away, shortly after his dad died of cancer, Joshua sold the family house in Irvington and moved to Washington D.C. so he could live with Amy. Soon after she became pregnant, the couple married and had a daughter named Sara.

Joshua drove slowly through the Arkansas woodlands, reminiscing about when he and Amy first met seven years ago at a demonstration in Brooklyn during the summer of social upheaval, which was also a peak time of the dreaded corona virus pandemic. Joshua and Amy had both just left high schools without proper graduation ceremonies due to the lockdowns. They joined countrywide antiracism protests resulting from the death of a Black person who perished under the boot of Minneapolis police officers. It felt like the whole nation was unifying against racism, and Joshua and Amy vowed to continue their fight for the rest of their days.

As he cruised through the night with his headlights off, Joshua couldn’t believe how much his life has changed since then. But he still could not answer why was he whisked away by his own wife at such a late hour, just to find himself endlessly running away from someone, while seemingly seeking help from people he would consider at least very opposed to his way of life and thinking. Nothing made sense on surface, yet he was so eager to find out if it maybe does.

A feeling of apprehension crept up on him, bringing his focus back to the present. What could be such an obvious road sign in this terrible dark night that would be unmistakable sign Bill mentioned? Just then, a sudden burst of light shone in front of him, illuminating the road ahead. It seemed like something out of a horror movie. The beam of light passed through his window briefly before disappearing into the night. Joshua noticed something moving between the trees nearby and quickly pulled over to check it out. As he stepped out of the car, the figure came closer but kept its distance. The shadowy figure raised its arm above its head, gesturing for Joshua to follow it deeper into the darkness of the night.

Joshua looked ahead of him and saw a tall man with an untrimmed beard and wild hair tied in a stars and stripes headscarf, topped off by a large camo cap. The stranger was carrying a container full of gasoline, which he emptied over the car’s front seats before setting it alight. Moments later, Joshua found himself running to keep up with the silent strides of the mysterious man. Before he could catch his breath or ask for directions, they were met by another almost identical figure who said: That’s him Mitch. Mitch had a distinct southern drawl and so at least Joshua finally had some progress in figuring out whom is he dealing with.

After another quarter of an hour, Joshua and Mitch reached a large open field. When Joshua checked his watch he saw it was close to midnight. Mitch stopped suddenly and sent a signal to a hut on the other side of the barren stretch. He motioned for Joshua to quicken their pace, so they raced across the last sixty yards. Knowing that modern-day spy drones could cover hundreds of miles from great heights without being detected, this wasn’t surprising to Joshua. The two slid behind the door and stepped into an empty room with just an unmade bed in one corner. A man followed Mitch outside for a brief chat, then returned inside alone.

Do you need food or water? he asked, while adding more twigs to the campfire.

Joshua’s gaze traveled the room, perplexed as to why such an uninformed question was being asked. Then, the man pulled out a bag and revealed a secret hiding area in the floor made of wooden planks that blended seamlessly into the surrounding floorboards. Inside were metallic canisters containing water as well as various canned and dry goods all wrapped in brown baking sheets. The man grabbed one of the sheets and handed Joshua some turkey jerky and a can of water. They both sat on the bed, silently munching away like old buddies at a sleepover trying to find a reason not to sleep.

Scared? said the person in a low tone.

A bit, replied Joshua.

They say you have important significance for our cause, continued the man, curiously eyeing Joshua’s shoes which had become covered in mud and scratches from trudging outside city limits.

Amy didn’t usually pay much for his shoes, but this particular pair for sure couldn’t handle five days on the road. Joshua then realized that his cold and damp feet were radiating pain as he was sitting down. Suddenly, something about the man’s accent sounded strangely familiar; important was pronounced with a Brooklyn twang.

Joshua took a few gulps of the offered water and asked, If you don’t mind me asking, where are you from?

The man gazed at him directly and replied in a wearied voice, This forest is my home. This is where my family resides.

Joshua was abashed by his inquiry and stammered a regret for raising painful memories. Suddenly the man stood up and went to the small window on one side of the hut.

The rainfall has stopped, he said. I think they will come get you by first light. That will be your last step.

Despite his matted hair and beard, Joshua could tell that the man had piercing blue eyes, an aquiline nose, and an extremely pale complexion. In a mundane manner, as if he had uttered it hundreds of times before, the man declared, Williamsburg. I was born in Williamsburg. We all left when Brooklyn started its racial cleansing during the Great Struggle.

After taking a deep sigh, he continued, My brothers and I are the only ones to make it this far. His gaze focused on a forest outside of the window. We had to stop using communication devices and lost contact with our parents and sisters. As far as I know, they were all taken away to southern Jersey with other Jewish families.

Joshua wondered aloud if his brothers were around here.

I hear about them and they hear about me, he replied. He then suggested Joshua try getting some sleep; something he himself hadn’t done in months, by the looks of him. Joshua removed his shoes and slid onto the bed, pulling the heavy blanket over.

What’s your name? he asked before closing his eyes for much needed rest.

Ethan, Ethan replied from underneath his bushy beard.

I’m Joshua, was all he could manage before drifting off.

Amy was on Joshua’s mind throughout the summer of 2020, when they had both been mourning the racial injustice. He wondered how their relationship could endure with him attending NYU near their hometown and Amy being accepted to Boston College. He still recalls the puzzled look on her face as she raised her phone up and waved it towards him as if she was re-establishing some significant, often overseen fact —the answer to his question was so obvious. In this era where social media interaction and digital connection ruled supreme, there was no need for Amy to spell out what would be their way of still being together: of course, we’ll stay together, and despite the distance, we can still see each other. She didn’t feel the need to explain further.

Joshua felt many times like an outsider in Amy’s universe, with celebrities, writers, professors, friends and foes alike receiving all her attention. Despite wanting to spend more time with her, he found himself retreating further away as she became more entrenched in her social media realm. She was often weeping from the overload of stimulation. Even still, Joshua was jealous of something particular about Amy and that was exactly what fascinated him and drew him much closer to her.

Attractive and full of cheer, with green eyes and a luxurious head of chestnut hair, Amy captivated him. He could not bear to part from her - even if it meant giving her all the space she wanted to pursue her passions. Her heritage was steeped in American blood - her step-father chaired many charitable foundations funded by wealthy Democratic patrons, while her mother frequently featured on a popular cable news network as an authority on domestic politics. Amy’s famous aunt was highly influential figure in setting the strategy for Democrats and their extended government operations arm – the Deep State. Joshua held immense admiration for Amy and the powerful family she originated from; it was clear that she would do great things with such ties. When Amy left for college, her heart swelled with joy due to the successful election of the newly-elected government she’d worked so hard to back.

Each day, Amy sent Joshua links to articles about how to make the world a more equitable place. He was struck by her passion and began to share material he knew she’d find interesting. Their bond slowly strengthened as Amy saw not just enthusiasm in his responses, but also a reliable ally for her cause. All Joshua wanted was to be with her, hoping that one day his love would win her affections.

As Amy began her college years, she observed a stark transformation in the country’s political landscape. Instead of discussing things like reparations, equality and fairness, Democrats had shifted their focus to gaining and maintaining power, as well as engaging in military conflict abroad. Simultaneously, a new kind of America emerged - one that denied the existence of systematic racism and injustice. Although these concepts clashed with what Amy passionately believed in, she couldn’t pinpoint an exact cause for this evolution.

In the other America, people were convinced that Democrat presidential candidate was at best a corrupt moron, exactly the kind of candidate who would be favored in the elections by the Deep State. They thought these powerful forces had banded together to orchestrate a coup with corona virus lockdowns, racial justice riots, fake news, and online censorship via big tech interference. Each detail made sense to them, but they lacked sufficient proof or witnesses for their claims. No one from the establishment who would give credence to their cause, including entire state and national judicial system, stepped up to back them, and so their mistrust only deepened as strike actions began happening more frequently after dismal economic performance of the new administration started dramatically eroding the prospects of the American middle class. Every utterance from past president, who still was passionately trying to prove that the elections had been stolen from him, seemed to come true, showing stark differences in the vision for America between elites in the large cities and middle class suburbs. Amy could not figure out why are the masses of often neglected souls in large urban centers so dejected from any real involvement in politics. But she did understand that the elites were using such passivity brilliantly to create an impression of mass support. It was a slippery road, as it will be proven in the coming months, pretty much as Amy predicted it would, as the mood turned more hostile once the progressive wing of the Democrat Party suspected that they’d been deceived into believing a false narrative by none other than the dreaded Republican establishment, disguised as an opposition to their social justice programs. Despite there being no legally sanctioned proof of electoral manipulation, masses started smelling afoul coalition, which had only one thing in common - being backed by same powerful rich families, coming quickly to distrust any policy that either party establishment brought forward, since only a handful of pre-election pledges had been kept.

Joshua seized the chance to encourage Amy and told her that, although it may take some time, her ambitions would be realized. Her vexation only intensified over time, leading her to drift away from her social media circles. Joshua found time to be by her side in the following years until eventually he won her over. By the end of her university degree in humanities and arts, Joshua had finally succeeded in gaining Amy’s trust.

But at that point, the country was facing a turbulent future, many masks were being torn down, yet no one could foresee how quickly events would unfold. Joshua made up his mind to pursue his master’s degree in D.C. and promised Amy that he would never leave her again; he would always shield her from danger. She was overjoyed to have him at her side as she grappled with the political changes going on. Therefore, it wasn’t long before they tied the knot, and Amy welcomed their baby daughter into the world.

Thoughts of Amy warmed his heart, and Joshua felt himself drift off into a peaceful slumber. Just before he drifted away, he saw Ethan standing at the window, like a guardian angel watching over him. His sleep was as deep and undisturbed as that of an infant.

Chapter Two

Patriots

C ome on man, wake up! Ethan shook Joshua’s shoulder. They’ll be here any minute and if they had been late for another quarter of an hour, I would have had to kill you and start a fire in the hut.

But before he could finish his sentence, Mitch walked in carrying something with him.

Here ya go. Ethan, make sure he’s ready. He threw a spiteful glance towards Joshua as if expecting him to be awake and organized. Two military officers followed suit, one of them having an object similar to a pryer—a communication tool that was quite old-fashioned; Blackberry phones were modified to make this contraption. Patriots used these devices for secure contact between their posts since all 5G networks were forbidden by their regime. The military forces destroyed any infrastructure connected to powerful public forces that could help keep the Deep State in control.

The officer’s sigh of relief indicated that they had found the right person. The second officer stepped in front of Joshua and said, Sir, we will take you now to your final destination. We must blindfold you and destroy any traceable items.

When Joshua looked up he saw that both officers were clean shaven, somewhere between thirty and thirty-five years old, and wearing the Patriot insignia on their uniforms. Patriots had significantly increased their military presence with support from both former Pentagon officers and regular troops since the Great Struggle had shifted to a limited military conflict in the spring of 2025.

Joshua got up, straightened his clothes, and replied, Then I am ready to go. I have no electronic device other than my dad’s old hand-wound wristwatch.

No sir, you must take off all your clothes – we need to destroy them. You will have to wear these, said the officer as he handed over a small package wrapped in an anti-radio wave composite cellophane wrapper.

Joshua had no qualms about taking off his clothing in front of a bunch of guys while at the gym or at the park with friends. But these men were strangers, and they all seemed to have an agenda to stick to. He slowly undressed himself, removing his shirt, pants, underwear, boots, and socks - each article of clothing being a gift from Amy he had received over time. Mitch let out a small chuckle knowing that soon enough they’d be burned away.

When the officer holding the pryer stepped outside the hut, he held it high above his head and pointed towards the edge of the forest. Within a minute, a hovering drone flew over the treetops and landed about fifteen feet from them. Three men stepped out from a sliding side door and the drone silently took off into the unknown. Joshua had just put on some warm overalls when he saw himself inside the drone. His eyes were covered by an eye-mask; a piece of tech that allowed him to filter his view into several layers with various pieces of information about each layer. He was surprised to learn that it could also completely darken his vision - something he’d seen in a video about the military preparedness of the New Union forces only a month before! They obviously weren’t alone in having this device; someone must have provided it for the Patriots as well.

Joshua knew the answer to his question right away: the Chinese. All the propaganda in East Asia was aiming to convince everyone that the New Union forces were better equipped than the Patriots, and that all the latter had left was to surrender. Yet, same international traders were supplying the Patriot military with same kind of equipment.

Chapter Three

Flyover

Joshua estimated the drone had been in the air for roughly two and a half hours. There was hardly any conversation in the cabin, and Joshua assumed the pilots were communicating in sign language. He thought he could sense another presence, but there was no noise or smell to confirm it. When they finally landed, a rush of fresh air blew into the cabin as the door opened. The unmistakable scent of spring evergreens indicated that he was on a mountain. The sound of running water confirmed his suspicions. It must be paradise, he thought to himself—some kind of far-off paradise. In no time at all, he’d been taken to a building and up a single flight of stairs to a room where he took a seat. Someone opened the windows, as far as he could tell, and the smell of flowers filled his nostrils. But Joshua knew these weren’t real flowers: within moments, he’d fallen asleep.

Joshua woke up his head spinning. He glanced around the room he was in and noticed a huge bed with fluffy pillows. Comfortably clad in cotton pajamas, he wondered why he had slept so soundly. Sunlight streamed through large windows despite the shades being drawn over them. An opulent office desk sat at one end of the room, complete with a massive computer monitor and flower vases everywhere. But as Joshua tried to get out of bed, he felt another person beside him who had just woken up. Before he could react, two children came bursting into the room then hopped onto the bed.

Daddyy!! the children shouted with joy