Short Story: Tyrants

Tyrants

A short story

The well-dressed man entered her office. He was over six feet tall and very broad, his size alone could intimidate weaker people. His past would have strong people quaking in their boots to be in the same room.

He came alone, without his guards. His smile was one of confidence, telegraphing his feeling that nobody could stop him. Because no one had stopped him, they had hardly even slowed him down while he was taking over the world.

The Massacre at Munich, Butcher of Boston, Wrecking of Russia... the list goes on and on. Now the world bowed to him. All except this small region. This small region of the world, a paradise amidst the carnage, belonged to her.

The not-yet fifty man ruled the world with an iron fist. He murdered dissenters with the ease of swatting a fly. Now he was here, to take over the last bit of Earth he didn't control. She was older than him but hardly looked her age.

“Madam Chairman.” He addressed her as they did in her cabinet meetings. “You know why I'm here, why delay the inevitable?”

She smiled.

“The answer has not changed. My nation is sovereign and independent.” She gave the normal and expected answer.

“Yes, yes, yes... you have put up quite the show for your people. Now the game is over. My forces surround your tiny nation, my troops outnumber your whole population. Why insist on total ruin? Intact, your province will be the economic engine of the whole planet.” He told her, “That would be quite a legacy for you.”

Legacy. Of course he had no intention of leaving her in charge, or alive for that matter. It wasn't his style.

“Would you like some tea?” She asked calmly.

“I didn't come here for tea, lady. I came to give you one last chance to keep your people from wholesale slaughter. War is hell. Why subject them to it?” he told her, “It's completely avoidable. You love your people, you can save them without this selfish demand to live.”

She folded her hands together on the top of her desk and smiled again. “I'm sorry, Guardian, if I have given you the impression that I am afraid to die. I am not. I am not afraid of you and your threats or your armies.”

He looked lost. He was flabbergasted that she would be so defiant.

“Your armies have no chance of victory. You have no power here.” She told him. His brow furrowed and he looked at his hands for confirmation.

She smiled, this time she did not look like a pretty woman or the schoolmarm she appeared to be in the media. This time she looked as if she had fangs.

“Yes, your powers are nullified here.” She told him. “Mine are impenetrable.”

The man who ruled the rest of the world pushed himself up from the leather couch as if he would run to the exit or attack her. She simply waved a hand in the air and he fell down on the couch breaking some of the wood inside.

“Did you really need the whole world?” She asked standing up for the first time. Walking around the desk she eyed him like a hawk. “You allowed your arrogance and narcissism to control you and this is where you ended up. You are like the fly who took the dare to land on the spider web.”

“Please. I can call off the armies. We can rule the world together.” He tried to plead.

She laughed. “Why do I need you to rule the world? Once you are dead, the world will rejoice. If you haven't noticed, I am beloved by my people. Now the whole world will obey me the same way, because I will be the ruler you could never be.”

“Please don't!” He begged as her hands began glowing a bright blue.

“Mama spider takes care of her young.” Madam Chairman said before a bright blue flash erupted from her hands and made the tyrant of the world vanish.

She exited the office and then the building, finding the personal guards of the tyrant.

“He's dead.” She told them, “Tell your people they are free. Tell them I can help repair and heal the world now that the tyrant is gone.”

The heavily armed and armored guards looked at each other. Even in their nine-foot powered armor suits they looked a bit scared.

“Yes, madam.” One of them answer and then both blasted into the sky and flew away.

After patiently waiting for the fool to consolidate his rule, he had finally given her the chance she needed. She had known he would come eventually. His powers had made him famous, then a hero then a villain and finally a tyrant.

“I won't make those kinds of mistakes.” She told herself. Then she decided to pretty herself up before addressing the media about her victory over the tyrant. There were billions of people who were going to want to hear her speak. She didn't plan to let them down.

-------------------

Please consider buying my novels.

New Arrivals ebook is 99 cents

The Fourth novel is $2.99