Prologue

"This...is the man that gave the senator 48 stab wounds, hacked and slashed his body to pieces....and packed it in a travelling bag only to throw into the fields of unknown?" I asked the investigator.

"Yes, Attorney."

I reread the files given to me. Name, Kiefer Strelitz. Age, twenty years old. Gender, male. Background, the youngest son to Strelitz Publishing Corporation. Red tagged for propaganda against the government. I put down the folder and looked upon the face of the criminal. He has been in prison for four years. Downtrodden, beaten up, and malnourished—this is the face of the government rebel and murderer?

"What did the witnesses say?" I tapped my fingers on the table, trying to throw my sympathy away towards this kid.

The investigator answered. "They all had the same statement: A tall, lanky man about six feet in height went with the senator in the same room. Later, they heard a gunshot, and one of the senator's secretaries came in. He said the boy was trembling in fear, holding a knife."

His answer made me raise my eyebrows. "Huh? I thought the senator died from stab wounds and being cut to pieces?"

"He did. Because the senator was still alive from the gunshot. Then, this young man attacked the senator and stabbed him to death..."

"What did the secretary do? Why didn't he help?"

Clearing his throat, the investigator placed his hand on my shoulder, leaned close and whispered to my ear. "Well, he was afraid of a rebel. Of course, why would he try to stop a rebel?"

I felt him squeeze on my shoulder. He looked at the young man in question who couldn't afford to look at his intense condemning eyes. "Okay, then. Thanks for answering. I hope you'll leave your lines open for further questions?"

With a devilish smirk, the investigator replied. "Of course, attorney. Oooh, would you look at the time." He whistled as he took a glance at his cheap metal watch. "I'll have to leave you two first." He gave Kiefer one last look of warning before leaving me and

Kiefer alone in the interrogation room.

A moment of silence. I was staring at a terrified man who hadn't fully realized his adulthood yet. "Kiefer?"

Kiefer, seemingly afraid to even look at me, was trembling. His adam's apple moved as he gulped hard.

"Kiefer...." With a warm smile, I reached out my hand for him as a gentle approach to his elusive nature. "My name is Helen Neumann. I am your attorney. I'm here to defend you."

Look at this guy. He can't even speak or respond to my greetings. He's thinking if he should look at me, hold my hand, or answer me.

"Kiefer—"

BAM!!!

"I DID NOT KILL HIM—I SWEAR TO GOD! I DID NOT KILL HIM!" Kiefer grabbed me by my shoulders and shouted the same words as if he's chanting.

As if lightning, the investigator bust open the door and ran swiftly to intervene. He tased Kiefer who was defenseless from the device.

"Hey! You don't have to do that!" He just tased my client!

"Shut it woman!" The investigator roared. "You, shameless brat!" He dragged Kiefer away by his collar as Kiefer held onto his hand.

"Where are you taking him?"

"To the correction hub." He stopped by the door and glanced at me. "If you want to survive this country, don't get in too deep, young lady," the investigator warned.

Anxious and fearful, I shut my mouth and watched Kiefer be dragged away helplessly.

"I did not kill him—I did not kill him...." He cries while being taken away.

The room fell silent as soon as Kiefer left the room....