Thrive - Remastered

Chapters 14 and 15

Chapter 14

The city library was one of the many activities that was provided for the citizens. Reading and learning were promoted by the city officials much like physical fitness. The library was a huge building packed with approved reading material for any citizen meeting their monthly goals at work.

Jordan walked along the sidewalk to the building. It was afternoon on a weekend and that meant more citizens of the city walked to and from their weekend activities. The city’s many parks and library were a favorite place for people to gather.

Jordan walked with her hands inside of her thin black jacket. Lost in her own thoughts, she smiled absently at people she knew.

What are you expecting to find in the library? What are in those books that Robert read? How did he know to look into the city’s past in the first place? What tipped him off?

As more and more questions piled up with no answers in sight Jordan shook her head. She could sense a migraine coming on at any moment and decided to stop and wait till she got to the library for answers.

Jordan rounded the last corner of the city block and stopped in her tracks. The library doors were only a few yards away but it wasn’t the high arching entrance or elaborate steps leading up to the building that caught her eye, it was the vehicle parked out front.

Only city officials or the city’s security team were allowed to use vehicles and then only on city business. Jordan closed her mouth and licked her lips. Worry invaded her consciousness as the possibility of Buie being questioned crossed her mind.

Jordan calmed herself and walked the remaining half block to the entrance. Citizens wearing their off-duty work clothes left and entered the large glass doors of the library every few seconds.

Jordan steeled herself falling into the flow of human traffic that would take her into the library. She was prepared to see Buie being handcuffed and dragged away by green uniformed city guards, just like Robert had been.

Bright lights made her squint for the briefest moment as her hands made contact with the cold steel bar on the library door. Stepping into the large hall, Jordan forced one foot in front of the other.

Jordan didn’t even want to go in anymore but she knew this feeling was silly. If Buie was being taken away for questioning, then it was happening whether Jordan saw it or not.

Somehow she knew it would be worse not knowing. Slowly her black exercise sneakers ate the white tiled floor as she moved forward.

       Along with exercising, Jordan loved to read. This passion had led her to the city library many times. However, the historical department and its books hadn’t been interesting to Jordan until now.

       Previous trips were made to the library’s fiction section. Jordan read nearly every piece of literature she could get her hands on. Each book was sanctioned and approved by the city so that meant nothing vulgar, violent or sexual. Still Jordan found joy in reading about fictional people and animals while growing up. The city was sure that each book was stacked with underlying themes of loyalty and respect to officials, something Jordan had recognized growing up.

       It was a fact that she accepted many years ago: every book and story would be pro government. Jordan learned to ignore the city’s propaganda and instead enjoy the adventure the characters in the book were experiencing.

       She passed by clear glass walls leading into the children’s area. A few small children read side by side with their parents. Tiny hands turned pages and stared wide-eyed at the colors on every page.