Drones buzzed overhead as Miller entered the restaurant. The front looked normal enough, but the back half was a mess of rubble and blood. Policemen collected evidence and took statements as paramedics carried out bodies covered in white sheets. Miller flashed his badge at the soldier who greeted him and walked over to a pair of policeman chatting in the corner.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, if it isn\u2019t my favorite buddy cop duo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMiller.\u201d Ezra, the taller of the two, offered his hand. The short, perpetually scowling Ali merely nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow many this time?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re still scraping bits and pieces off the ceiling, but at least twenty. Mostly civilians, plus a couple IDF soldiers on patrol.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAny ideas on a motive, besides the usual troublemaking?\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cThe owner is related to one of the big shots in the Transitional Government,\u201d said Ali. \u201cBut he wasn\u2019t in the restaurant today.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWouldn\u2019t be the first time they\u2019ve acted on shoddy intel.\u201d<\/p>\n
Miller pursed his lips as he glanced around the remains of the building. This was, what, the third bombing this week? Fourth? At least it wasn\u2019t as bad as the mosque. Shame, though\u2014he had always meant to eat here.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnother vatman?\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you even have to ask?\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cNo need to get snippy, Ali. Let me know when your tech boys have figured out what the bomb was made of. I want to know how they got past the sensors this time.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the witnesses said he saw the host slip out the door right after the bomber came in,\u201d said Ezra. \u201cWe\u2019re thinking he was bribed to disable the sensors.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFind him, fast. Shouldn\u2019t be hard for Tehran\u2019s finest, right?\u201d<\/p>\n
Neither of the men looked amused by Miller\u2019s joke. He made a mental note not to try another one just as his ear buzzed. <\/p>\n
\u201cMiller? It\u2019s Browning.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s up, Chris?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe police have a guy they\u2019re pretty sure has a connection to the Guard. They\u2019re holding him for us.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIs \u2018pretty sure\u2019 more or less sure than when they were \u2018really sure\u2019 about that student being a Guard agent?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCome on, just get down here. I just had to listen to another lecture from Langley, and that was before they heard about the latest bomb.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAlright, I\u2019m on my way.\u201d To the policemen he said, \u201cDuty calls, gentlemen. I take it you know the drill by now?\u201d<\/p>\n
They nodded and went back to picking through the rubble. Miller walked back out into the beautiful spring evening, taking care not to step in any blood on the way.
\n<\/p>\n
Light, muffled sounds. Blobs moving on the other side. He was used to all this. But the sounds were louder now, the blobs closer. Suddenly, the liquid that suspended him began to drain away. He felt his feet touch something cold, heard a crack and a hiss. The other side was coming to him. He was scared. <\/p>\n
A door swung away and a blob took shape. It looked like him. The man offered him his hand. He hesitantly took it. <\/p>\n
\u201cHello, Navid. My name is Yousef.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI am\u2026 Navid?\u201d<\/p>\n
The man smiled. \u201cYes. Yes you are.\u201d<\/p>\n
The interrogation room was cramped and grimy. A paunchy middle aged man, head drooped, was tied to a wooden chair in the center. Behind him were two policemen, their faces blank. Browning stood by the door. Leaning against the wall was Simon, the Mossad man. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do we got, Browning?\u201d asked Miller. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis is Saeed. Runs a bakery near the school that was bombed last week.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah? His bread any good?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBeats me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Miller lifted the man\u2019s head up. His face was battered and bruised, his nose broken. The fear in his deep brown eyes made Miller think of the deer he used to hunt back home.<\/p>\n
\u201cChrist, Simon, what did you do to him?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were just getting to know each other.\u201d Simon grinned.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you actually think this guy\u2019s with the Guard, or are you just looking for an excuse to beat up some Iranians?\u201d<\/p>\n
Simon\u2019s smile vanished. \u201cDon\u2019t tell me how to do my job, Miller.\u201d<\/p>\n
Miller saw the policemen exchange a glance.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlright, Simon, I\u2019ll show you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Miller lifted the prisoner\u2019s head up again. Taking a cloth from his pocket, he wiped the blood from the man\u2019s nose. In Farsi he said, \u201cHey, Saeed. My name\u2019s Miller. We\u2019re going to have a little chat.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t do anything.\u201d Saeed\u2019s voice was ragged.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d like to believe that, but you\u2019ve got to convince me. You have any friends in the Guard?\u201d Miller crouched down to Saeed\u2019s level. <\/p>\n
\u201cNo. I don\u2019t want trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCome on, you\u2019re an older guy. No buddies from before the war you\u2019ve been staying in touch with?\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cMy \u2018buddies\u2019 were killed in the invasion.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou sound a little bitter, Saeed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo! No, I don\u2019t want any problems.\u201d<\/p>\n
Miller glanced back at Simon. \u201cYou have any motives for this guy, or are you just wasting my time?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMoney. Our baker is in debt, and his creditors are\u2026 impatient.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat true, Saeed? You having money troubles?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople are afraid to go outside and shop. I had to take a loan to keep my bakery open.\u201d The man had calmed down a little when Miller started talking to him, but now he sounded nervous again.<\/p>\n
\u201cMust be tough to pay back a loan when the economy\u2019s in shambles. But I hear the Guard pays well for help\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI would never work with them! Please, I swear.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSaeed, what\u2019s the name of the man you owe money to?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cKarim. He\u2019s a thug, but I was desperate.\u201d<\/p>\n
Miller stood and addressed the policemen. \u201cWhat was the name of the guy who tipped you off?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cKarim, sir,\u201d said the Iranian one.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo our suspect owes money to a man named Karim, and you roughed him up because a man named Karim told you he might be a terrorist. Great fucking detective work, guys. Really impressive stuff.\u201d Miller clapped as the policemen dropped their gaze. \u201cHey, Simon, I thought you were supposed to be teaching these guys not to be such dumbasses.\u201d<\/p>\n
Simon glared at Miller, then the police. <\/p>\n
\u201cCome on, Chris, let\u2019s get out of here.\u201d Miller left the room.<\/p>\n
Navid liked Yousef. Yousef was a nice man who was teaching Navid a lot. He told Navid that they were both people called Iranians, and that they could not go outside because people called Americans and Israelis were trying to kill Iranians. But Yousef taught Navid how to behave for when they were allowed to go outside. He showed Navid pictures and videos of what outside looked like. Outside looked nice. Yousef also showed Navid pictures of Americans and Israelis. They looked mean. Navid didn\u2019t like those pictures. <\/p>\n
Navid did like his brothers. They all looked just like Navid, though their names were different. Yousef was teaching them, too. He said that one day, hopefully soon, they would all get to go outside. Navid liked to talk with his brothers about what outside might be like, though Yousef didn\u2019t like it when they talked without him. He said that would put silly ideas in their heads. Navid didn\u2019t understand, but he obeyed. He trusted Yousef.<\/p>\n
Navid didn\u2019t like Hamid. Hamid was rude to Navid and his brothers. He was even rude to Yousef. Yousef would tell Hamid to be patient, and he would go away for a few days. But then he would come back and be rude again. He had just come for another visit, which had put Navid in a bad mood. But Yousef had just announced that he had exciting news, which made Navid happy. He couldn\u2019t wait to hear it.<\/p>\n
Miller looked up from a dossier on the restaurant host Ali and Ezra had tracked down. \u201cTake that next right,\u201d he said to Browning.<\/p>\n
\u201cRight? Isn\u2019t it faster to go by the university?\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cNot if you want this hunk of junk to stay in one piece. Students are protesting again.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAgain? Jesus.\u201d<\/p>\n
Miller laughed. \u201cWhat do you think of your first couple weeks in Iran, kid?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s a mess. Half the country wants democracy, the other half wants the Ayatollah back, the Mossad doesn\u2019t want either, and none of them trust us. How the hell are we supposed to do anything?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t worry, we don\u2019t have to rebuild the place. We just need to stop the Guard from blowing people up long enough for the Israelis to slap together a government that can keep order while still kissing their ass, and then we can go home until somebody fucks things up again. So, a few months.\u201d\t<\/p>\n
\u201cDamn, Miller.\u201d<\/p>\n
Miller laughed. \u201cIt\u2019s not that bad. We\u2019re here to save lives\u2014that\u2019s a good thing no matter whose side you\u2019re on. Hell of a lot better than what I had to do in Damascus. Take that left.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou served in Damascus?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t want to talk about it.\u201d<\/p>\n
They drove in silence the rest of the way to the police station. Miller watched a drone fly by before they entered the building.<\/p>\n
Ezra was waiting for them at his desk. It hadn\u2019t been long since Miller last saw him, but he looked more stressed. <\/p>\n
\u201cMiller, Browning.\u201d He didn\u2019t offer a hand. <\/p>\n
\u201cEzra. Where\u2019s your buddy?\u201d asked Miller.<\/p>\n
\u201cStakeout. Our restaurant host was\u2026 talkative.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t sound convinced.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt didn\u2019t take much to get him going. The Guard must be getting desperate if they\u2019re hiring unreliable help. Either that or he\u2019s lying. My bet\u2019s on the latter.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s hope you\u2019re wrong. What did he say?\u201d<\/p>\n
Ezra swiveled his monitor around, showing them a picture of a house. \u201cSays the Guard have been operating out of here.\u201d The address indicated it wasn\u2019t far from the station. <\/p>\n
\u201cLooks big enough to hold a cloning lab,\u201d said Browning. \u201cBut how could they suck up that much power without drawing suspicion?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are ways to mask consumption,\u201d said Miller. \u201cStill, they\u2019d have to have some serious balls to run one of their labs just outside the Green Zone.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHiding in plain sight, I guess. I don\u2019t buy it, though,\u201d said Ezra.<\/p>\n
\u201cI take it this is what Ali is checking out?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, he\u2019s keeping an eye on it. Hasn\u2019t reported anything unusual yet, though.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGuess we should pay a visit. Thanks, Ezra.\u201d<\/p>\n
Miller and Browning stood to go. Ezra was already on the phone, learning about the latest problem.<\/p>\n
Navid was very happy. He had been wondering why he had not seen some of his brothers recently, and now he knew it was because they had gone outside! He asked Yousef when they would come back, and was sad to hear that they were too busy outside to come and visit. But he cheered up when he was told that soon he would get to go outside, too. He had already been allowed to leave their home\u2014Yousef had brought him into what he knew was called a van. He was in the back of the van, so he couldn\u2019t see outside, but he enjoyed being bumped up and down and side to side as they moved. But the van hadn\u2019t moved for quite some time, and Navid was getting lonely\u2014none of his brothers were with him. Yousef had promised that he would be back soon, and that once Navid went outside he would be reunited with his brothers. So Navid waited patiently, smiling as he imagined the wonderful things his brothers would tell him.<\/p>\n
Miller and Browning slipped into the backseat of Ali\u2019s car. Ali was looking out the window with a pair of smart specs and, to Miller\u2019s annoyance, Simon was with him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was wondering when you two would show up,\u201d said Simon. He removed his specs and handed them to Miller. \u201cHave a look.\u201d<\/p>\n
Miller slipped the glasses on. The house at the end of the street zoomed into view.<\/p>\n
\u201cLooks normal enough. What do you think, Ali? You\u2019ve been here a while.\u201d Miller gave the specs to Browning.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we\u2019re wasting our time. It\u2019s been a bit busy, but nothing suspicious.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI disagree,\u201d said Simon. \u201cI had a chat with a few of the neighbors. \u2018A bit busy\u2019 would be a severe understatement.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAlright, well, keep watching it and we\u2019ll see what happens,\u201d said Miller. \u201cSound good to you, Ali?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJust perfect.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can\u2019t afford to sit around and wait. By the time our suspicions are confirmed there will be another bombing,\u201d said Simon.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo what, you want to send a team in?\u201d asked Miller.<\/p>\n
\u201cForget it,\u201d said Ali. \u201cWe\u2019re not going to send police in there. Do you have any idea how many booby traps the Guard will have set up?\u201d<\/p>\n
Simon swore. \u201cFine, then I\u2019ll call in a strike. But don\u2019t blame me if it gets messy.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou want to use a drone? In the middle of a suburb?\u201d Ali removed his specs and stared at Simon. \u201cAre you crazy? Come on, Miller, back me up here.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou sure about this, Simon?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cVery.\u201d<\/p>\n
Miller and Browning exchanged a look.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour call, boss. I\u2019m just the new guy.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFuck you, Chris.\u201d Miller sighed. He thought of the restaurant and the mosque, and the men back home demanding results. \u201cAlright. Hit it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Simon got on the phone and said a few words in Hebrew. Then they waited.<\/p>\n
It didn\u2019t take long. There was a buzz, a boom, a flash. When the dust cleared, they saw the house had turned to rubble. Miller heard a few screams, but he had learned to tune those out long ago.<\/p>\n
The men got out and walked down the road, passing fleeing civilians as they went. They found bodies in the wreckage, a man and a girl that had been crushed by the collapsing second story. Blood and body parts suggested others in the house had been caught in the explosion.<\/p>\n
\u201cShit,\u201d said Ali. \u201cI told you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe if your men weren\u2019t jumping at shadows we wouldn\u2019t have to resort to this,\u201d said Simon. <\/p>\n
The men glared at each other. Miller worried it would come to blows, but Browning relieved the tension by calling them over.<\/p>\n
\u201cBasement\u2019s over here.\u201d He pulled out a penlight and shone it down the stone steps.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s have a look.\u201d Miller led them downstairs and flashed his own light around. The shock of the strike had made a mess, but his eye still caught things that were out of place. Somebody had left in a hurry.<\/p>\n
Simon plucked a fluid sack from the ground and waved it in Ali\u2019s face. \u201cYou told me, huh? Look familiar?\u201d It was the liquid used to sustain vatmen while they were gestating.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou think that\u2019s proof? Where\u2019s the rest of the lab?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, shit,\u201d said Miller. \u201cIt\u2019s mobile.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d Simon wheeled around to face Miller.<\/p>\n
\u201cTheir labs are mobile. They make a vatman, break the lab down and scatter the pieces, then reassemble in a different location. Hell, they could even be making them in stages.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat would explain how they\u2019re masking their power use,\u201d said Browning. \u201cIf they only spike the power for a day or two, it wouldn\u2019t be enough to arouse suspicion.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHell, they could even be running on generators. And they could be sneaking into houses when the owners are gone, bribing or threatening people for an overnight stay, calling in favours\u2026 Jesus.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you\u2019re right, this means a complete change in tactics. We\u2019ll need to start searching cars, too.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re already stretched thin,\u201d said Simon.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, we don\u2019t exactly have a choice.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ali had wandered off to take a call, and now rejoined the group. \u201cThat was Ezra. You\u2019re going to want to hear this.\u201d<\/p>\n
Navid was so excited, not even the presence of Hamid could dampen his spirits. He was going to go outside! The van was moving again, and Yousef was giving him instructions as Hamid fitted a vest on him. It was a little bulky, but Navid didn\u2019t mind.<\/p>\n
Yousef was telling him that he would see some Americans and Israelis when he went outside, but he needed to be nice to them. He asked Yousef if they would try to kill him, and Navid said they wanted to, but couldn\u2019t. He asked why, but Yousef told him to stop asking questions. He was a little rude to Navid, which was unlike him, but Navid thought he was just sad to see him leave.<\/p>\n
Hamid put something in Navid\u2019s hair and eyes that changed their color. As he did this, Yousef told Navid what he had to do outside. They were going to let Navid out near a restaurant, and Navid was to go in and order some food. Yousef told him to enjoy his food until a man\u2014Yousef showed him a picture\u2014arrived. This man was a friend of Yousef\u2019s, and Navid was to go over and introduce himself. He was then supposed to press a button on his vest, which would let Yousef know the man was there. Then Yousef would come and tell him what to do next.<\/p>\n
Yousef kept repeating his instructions, but for the first time in his life Navid ignored him. He was too busy wondering what he would be able to eat at the restaurant.<\/p>\n
Miller sipped his drink as he watched people enter the restaurant. Simon sat across from him, toying with his food.<\/p>\n
The presumed target of the last restaurant bombing was visiting his other two establishments, to ease the concerns of jittery workers. Miller couldn\u2019t decide if the man was very brave or very foolish, but either way he was a target. As they looked for vatmen here, Browning and Ali were across town doing the same.<\/p>\n
Miller had seen army and labor vatmen, and he\u2019d seen what was left of the corpses of the vatmen the Guard were using, but he had never had to pick out a live bomber. He looked for single diners, or pairs of men that were suspiciously similar\u2014but the Guard were good at disguising their operatives, and that sent his heart racing whenever someone so much as dropped a fork. <\/p>\n
He had his eyes on one man sitting in the corner, and a pair not far from him. Simon, looking in the other direction, had his own targets. Their table in the center of the room gave them a view of the entire restaurant, but it also meant they would be caught in a blast no matter where it came from.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s our man,\u201d said Simon. The owner had arrived. Miller wrapped his hand around his gun.<\/p>\n
Navid was having the time of his life. Outside was loud and confusing, but by sitting in the corner of the restaurant and watching the world go by he was starting to get a grip on it. He gave a friendly smile to anyone who looked at him and, to his great satisfaction, most people smiled back. Even the Americans and Israelis were being friendly. That confused him, but maybe they had been told to pretend to be nice just like he had been.<\/p>\n
Navid especially liked his food. It was far better than what Yousef had fed him, although he wouldn\u2019t tell him that. He didn\u2019t want to hurt Yousef\u2019s feelings. He didn\u2019t even know what he was eating was called\u2014overwhelmed by the menu, he asked the waiter to bring him the tastiest food the restaurant had. That had amused the waiter. Navid raved about how much he loved his meal whenever the waiter came to check on him, and that made the waiter very happy. He would have to ask the waiter what the name of it was. <\/p>\n
The man in the picture entered the restaurant. Navid tensed\u2014this was his chance to prove to Yousef that he could be trusted. This was his chance to prove that he belonged outside. <\/p>\n
He let the man and his companions get settled as he thought about how best to approach him. When he decided, he stood up and walked to the man\u2019s table. He was so excited that he walked very quickly.<\/p>\n
Another man, an American, got up and blocked Navid\u2019s path. He spoke to Navid in a deep voice.<\/p>\n
\u201cHey. What\u2019s your name?\u201d<\/p>\n
This American was not pretending to be nice like the others. He sounded stern yet nervous, like he didn\u2019t trust Navid. Navid didn\u2019t like this man, but he remembered Yousef\u2019s instructions and responded politely.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m Navid.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHello, Navid. My name\u2019s Miller.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a pleasure to meet you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat are you doing here today, Navid?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m just enjoying a meal.\u201d That was what Yousef told Navid to say if anyone questioned him.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh yeah? You seem to be in a hurry to go somewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI saw a friend. If you would please excuse me, I would like to talk to him.\u201d Navid tried to step around the American, but the man did not relent.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s your friend\u2019s name, Navid?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry, I must go speak with him.\u201d Yousef had not told Navid the name of his friend. The American was making Navid very nervous.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s the rush? I\u2019d like to ask you a few things.\u201d The American put his hand on Navid\u2019s shoulder. He was smiling now, trying to look friendly, but he didn\u2019t fool Navid.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2026\u201d Yousef had not told Navid what to do if this happened. He was getting very worried.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow did you get here, Navid?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA\u2026 a friend drove me.\u201d Navid decided to be honest with the American. All Yousef wanted Navid to do was say hello to a friend. There was nothing wrong with that. If the American realized that, he would have no reason to distrust him.<\/p>\n
\u201cA friend, huh? Did your friend ask you to do anything while you were here?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe told me to say hello to his friend.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah? Anything else?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe told me to press a button.\u201d Navid opened his jacket to show the American his vest. He saw a man behind the American point something at him, and then he saw nothing at all.<\/p>\n
\u201cJesus Christ, Simon!\u201d Miller wiped blood and brain from his shirt. \u201cI was trying to bring him in alive!\u201d<\/p>\n
There was panic in the restaurant. People ran or hit the ground while soldiers rushed in to control the situation.<\/p>\n
Simon kicked the vatman to make sure he was dead. \u201cHe was going for the trigger.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBullshit. He was answering my questions. I had him under control.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t know that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe hell I don\u2019t. Weren\u2019t you listening to us?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI wasn\u2019t about to risk the lives of everyone in here so you could have a chat with a terrorist vatman.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cDo you have any idea how valuable a live one would be to us?\u201d<\/p>\n
Before Simon could respond the restaurant\u2019s owner, pale-faced and trembling, asked them for an explanation of what just happened. Miller left Simon to answer. He stepped outside and watched as a drone soared overhead.<\/p>\n
Mark Hill is a columnist and freelance editor for Cracked. He’s also contributed to many other publications, and you can read more from him at www.mehill.org.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Drones buzzed overhead as Miller entered the restaurant. The front looked normal enough, but the back half was a mess of rubble and blood. Policemen collected evidence and took statements as paramedics carried out bodies covered in white sheets. Miller flashed his badge at the soldier who greeted him and walked over to a pair …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5672,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,1262],"tags":[1263],"class_list":["post-10110","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fiction","category-tcl-15-spring-2015","tag-the-colored-lens-15-spring-2015","entry entry-center"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/thecoloredlens.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10110","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/thecoloredlens.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/thecoloredlens.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thecoloredlens.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/5672"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thecoloredlens.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10110"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/thecoloredlens.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10110\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":139572,"href":"http:\/\/thecoloredlens.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10110\/revisions\/139572"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/thecoloredlens.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10110"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thecoloredlens.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10110"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thecoloredlens.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10110"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}