In the morning, Ben took the time to go to Jeremiah Correctional Facility. A Supermax prison designed to house individuals with powers of some kind. Built only two years after The Cascade, just outside of Washington DC, the place was made to be a fortress. Made to withstand a month-long naval bombardment. During its development, many claimed the facility violated multiple human rights laws because of how inhumane the complex was designed. None of the inmates were allowed to interact with one another, essentially forcing them into solitary confinement. Nor would the inmates have the privilege of having visitors.
Yet, with all that in mind. The United States government didn’t face any consequences. They would have critics, but no one was successful in putting the government on trial. It was also because the facility was the only one of its kind on the planet that would house superpowered individuals. The inhumane act of isolation towards its prisoners was an unfortunate safeguard and necessity, as some individuals who were caught could influence the minds of others. While they may have had the inhibitor collars on at all times, they were still dangerous people, and no one knew how to effectively imprison them. No one did; it was why the world sent its powered individuals there and turned a blind eye. To have them caged so the powers at be can keep their influence without creating another crisis on hand.
Ben was aware of the facility’s faults and its harsh necessity. So whenever he brings someone there, he promised to always turn up to see how they and everyone else were doing. He never went there because he felt pity for the people he brought in; he went there because he wanted to see if there was any way to improve their conditions. While some may be psychopaths, rapists, and murderers. There were plenty who got in there for nonviolent crimes. Most of whom turned themselves in without the intervention of the DOE.
However, even with the minority who were violent criminals. Ben truly believed that they still deserved some sort of dignity and respect. Because even if they were mutated, they were still human. Being also incapable of being harmed, he could also give what the inmates needed the most. Some kind of socialisation. There were talks for professionals and potential policies that could have inmates freely talk to one another, but for now, that void needed to be filled by him. Ben understood what isolation could do to a person. He hated the idea that they would suffer when people in suits argued if they deserved a basic human right.
Standing outside the interrogation room, looking through a two-way mirror, watching Valentine talking to the robbers, trying to get them to reveal anything about the theft of the ProTech building. However, she was unable to get anything out of them. The only thing they shared was their names and the group they were a part of, called The Locust. However, that was it. From his observations, Ben believed that the robbers they caught knew that they were a distraction but nothing else. Even showing that they didn’t have any knowledge of the internal workings of their organisation, even though for a heist they pulled off, they wouldn’t be some cannon fodder thrown to the wolves. There was more going on, but he couldn’t tell what it was.
Frustrated, Valentine walked out of the room. Upon noticing Ben, this time wearing a white-collared shirt and black business pants. She smiled. ‘Good to see you outside of that costume.’ Valentine lightly joked before leaning against a wall with a tired sigh.
‘And it is good to see you too,’ Ben chuckled. ‘So, anything out of them? Something that we can use to figure out why they stole the documents from ProTech?’
‘Loco, if I did, I would be the first person to call you. But sadly, I got nothing out of them besides the name of their organisation and who they are. We did a background check on them, but couldn’t find anything useful. They are a diverse group; two are Canadians, and one is from Cuba, the rest are Americans.’
‘What unites them? Anything they all have in common? Surely there is something on them out there.’
Valentine shrugged. ‘Nothing yet again. The only thing I can gather is that they were all part of the same conspiracy theory group chat. It isn’t remarkable, some of the forums spoke about the flat earth, Princess Diana being assassinated, how the story of Ragnar?k was not meant to depict the Viking pantheon being wiped out by plague but Thor killing a giant snake or something, you know, the usual rubbish.’
A conspiracy group chat? Ben thought to himself, finding it odd that all of them had that sort of connection. ‘Maybe that is something we can press on them. Ask them about conspiracy theories; find common ground to explore why they participated in the heist. Perhaps they didn’t want the money but wanted the attention? Get someone to listen to them.’
‘You want me to talk about wacky shit to weirdos?’
‘Yes,’ Ben quickly replied. ‘One of them said to me that the world is ignorant. I want to know why that is the case. Perhaps by understanding their deeper beliefs, we can get to the bottom of their motivations and their actual goals.’
Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work!
‘And get them to whine and complain about how the world is unfair and how the “deep state” is real or that I am only hired because of DEI,’ Valentine sarcastically replied before relenting. ‘Okay, I will take a new approach. But for now, I will get my well-deserved break.’
‘As you should, but for now I should do my part.’
‘Which is what?’
Ben didn’t answer the question; instead, he chose to leave the room and head down to the medical ward. At least, the facility’s idea of a medical ward. Going through multiple security checks to meet the person who was badly injured during the heist.
As he entered the room, the large man strapped down by iron chains on a king-sized bed, which looked like a single bed in comparison, flinched as he looked upon Ben, which in turn made the inhibitor collar around his neck tighter and more uncomfortable. Knowing well that the man wearing formal clothing was the one who had shattered his hand.
‘So, hi,’ Ben awkwardly said before grabbing a chair and sitting next to him. ‘I just want to see how you are doing. I’m Ben, by the way.’
‘And I’m Joe.’ The man glared at Ben in confusion, finding it baffling that someone who got him arrested would take their time out of their day to see how he was doing. After a long pause, the man finally spoke up to end the strange silence. ‘I’m fine… thanks.’
‘What about your hand?’ Ben pointed to the man’s large fist resting on his chest. ‘How long until that gets back to normal?’
‘My hand?’ Joe glanced at it before responding. ‘I think they said three months. You did break it pretty badly… I’m sorry, why am I talking to you? Is this some sort of interrogation technique?’
‘No, I actually felt bad for breaking your hand and want to say sorry.’
‘Sorry? I robbed a bank, and you just stood there as I punched you. What… why would you even be sorry? I should be the one apologising to you!’ The man stuttered, taken aback by the whole situation, for how bizarre it was. ‘Are you fucking with me!? Is this some form of torture? I told your interrogator everything I know!’
Seeing that things were going south, Ben raised his hands to defuse the situation. ‘No, it isn’t. Look, this may look awkward…’
‘It is awkward.’ Joe interrupted.
‘Okay, it is. But I am sincere and just want to apologise. I am not going to ask why you robbed the bank or probe you for any information. All I want to do is check up on the people I locked up and see how they are doing. See if I can improve your quality of living.’
‘Really, do you think you can improve this?’ The man gestured to the room around him.
‘Someone has to. This prison is made for people like us. To keep us here until we realise what we did wrong. It isn’t perfect, don’t get me wrong. But that doesn’t mean it has to be hell.’ Ben stands up. ‘I should leave, it was nice meeting you, Joe.’
Joe studied Ben, trying to figure out what he was and why he would come here. At first, believing that Ben was nothing more than a sneaky tactician trying to get him to warm up to confess anything. Even though he couldn’t. However, he knew something that could be shared with Ben, something that was the drive to do what he did at the bank.
‘Wait,’ Joe called out, stopping Ben on his tracks. ‘There are monsters out there, Ben. Real ones. There are also people who are keeping us down and in the dark for knowing about them. If you care, you should be fighting them and not us.’
Ben listened, dissecting every word he had said. Seeing that he and his team were fighting an enemy, but weren’t sure who or what it was. Ben didn’t believe what the man was saying, only that it might reveal what was true. Fortunately for his time in the army, he grew accustomed to conspiracy talk. Indulging in one's delusions was often a bad idea, but when the world was mad, sometimes you needed to do the stupid thing to get to the truth. But Ben knew he had to say something that, while ethical and aligning with protocol, would not satisfy them.
‘Then help us understand. My friend is leading the investigation, answer her questions, and I will see personally what the problem is. Just keep in mind, it will take time, and there will be a process.’
‘That is better than doing nothing.’
His response caught Ben off guard, thinking that Joe would be hesitant or at least opposed to giving away information to someone who works for the UN. Whatever they believed, it wasn’t any kind of conspiracy theory that Ben was familiar with. As most of them were opposed to any governments as they often were the target of such groups. To openly agree so easily and without protest made Benjamin unsure what to think.
However, it made him confident. While he didn’t go to visit him to build a rapport, that was still a big win and might help him understand what their real target was. It would take time to get the full picture, but it was still a victory. Now he just needed to figure out what was going on. There were more of people like Joe out there, he just needed to stop them before they get people hurt. Or hurt themselves.
