by I. T. Lucas
“Where did you meet with Emmett? Was it in his office or in his home?”
“His home. From what I gathered, he rarely uses his office.”
“But you went through the office to get to his place, correct?”
“Yeah. He has a door that leads out to his private enclosure.”
“How big is his office?” Peter asked.
It was an odd question, but Ana saw no harm in answering it. “Not very big, about twelve by eighteen feet, and not fancy at all, which I found surprising. Even the professors at the university have nicer offices than that, and they don’t make a fraction of what he’s making.”
“Does he have a conference table in there?” Eleanor asked.
“There’s no room for one. He has a desk, a file cabinet, a couple of guest chairs, and a couch.”
“What if he needs to have a big meeting with his staff?” Peter asked. “Is his place big enough for that?”
“The house is tiny and very modestly furnished. I think that it used to be the groundskeeper’s place. It has its own garden, which is nice, and Emmett has complete privacy there because it’s fenced on all sides and steeped in greenery. I guess it’s designed like that so no one bothers him uninvited.”
“The privacy makes sense,” Leon said. “But the modesty doesn’t. Emmett makes a lot of money from the retreat and the community. He can afford luxury.”
Ana shrugged. “He lives like he preaches, modestly.”
“So where does he hold his meetings?” Eleanor pressed. “He must have an inner circle of sycophants that he meets with on a regular basis. Every cult leader has them.”
Turning to Leon, Ana frowned. “They shouldn’t say things like that over the phone. What if the calls are being recorded?” Panic swelling in her chest, she put a hand over her heart. “In fact, they shouldn’t have called from the office at all!”
“Don’t worry,” Peter said. “The call is being rerouted, and our genius tech guy makes sure that all they are going to hear is static. I also checked the place for bugs and cameras, and there are none.”
“That can’t be true. I know for a fact that Riley was listening to my conversation with my father’s assistant, which I assume was someone from your organization.”
“Then they probably didn’t interfere with the call on purpose. She also could have been eavesdropping by the door.”
Ana let out a breath. “That could be. When I hung up, she offered to arrange transportation to Los Angeles, so I assumed she was listening in on the line, but I remember now that I asked the guy what my father was doing in L.A. If she was standing right next to the door, she might have heard me. How come you didn’t bring your own phones with you, though? I mean other than the ones you gave away at the orientation.”
“We thought that our things would get searched,” Leon said.
She hadn’t considered that. “Were they?”
“It doesn’t seem so,” Peter answered. “Let’s get back to the issue of Emmett’s supposedly modest accommodations. Do you have any idea where he holds meetings?”
“I don’t. I guess he could use one of the classrooms in the lodge, or the ones in the compound.”
“That wouldn’t be private enough,” Eleanor said. “He needs a place where no one can eavesdrop. Do you know who the members of his inner circle are?”
“Safe Haven is not a cult, and Emmett doesn’t have a circle of sycophants. I assume that you are referring to those working in the administration, or the people who were there from the start, like Riley and Gustav.”
“Where can we find them?” Eleanor asked. “Maybe one of them can tell us where the meetings take place.”
“Why is it so important to you?”
Eleanor chuckled. “If we know where they are meeting, we can eavesdrop and find out all of their dastardly plans and deeds.”
Ana rolled her eyes. “There are none, and if there were, they wouldn’t tell you where the meetings were being held. But go ahead and ask. Riley is the office manager, so you can find her there, and Gustav is in charge of the laundry.”
“Is the laundry open at night?” Peter asked.
“It’s never closed, but Gustav is there only during the day. You can try him tomorrow morning. Just don’t tell him that I sent you.”
“Of course not.” Eleanor huffed out a breath. “I’ll tell him that I lost a shirt, and I think it was taken to the laundry by mistake when they changed the linens.”
“That’s a good excuse. If you pretend to flirt with him, Gustav will tell you anything you want to know. The guy lives to bed as many women as he can. Do you know where the kitchen is?”
“Yes,” Peter answered.
“Go down that same hallway until you reach the end. That’s where the laundry is located.”
9
Leon
“Why are you so suspicious of Emmett?” Anastasia crossed her arms over her chest. “Why is it so hard to believe that he is a good guy who is trying to make a difference in the world?”
Leon debated whether to tell her what Eleanor had learned from the staff member. The problem with that was that he couldn’t tell her how Eleanor had gotten the guy to reveal his suspicions. The retreat’s employees were compelled to sing the place’s praises, and Anastasia had probably never heard anyone saying a word against Emmett. Besides, even if she believed that someone had something negative to say, she would just assume that he was a disgruntled staff member.
“Have you noticed anything peculiar about Emmett’s bed partners?”
She snorted. “Duh, they walk on a cloud and can’t wait to get invited again. Having incredible charisma and being good in bed is not a crime, and it doesn’t make him evil.”
“Of course not. Was there anything else that you noticed?”
She shook her head.
Perhaps the guy had indeed lied? It could be that he was jealous of Emmett and the way all the female community members worshiped him and couldn’t wait to share his bed. Some of the male members might not get as much attention.
“Someone has mentioned that after spending a night with Emmett, the women are so exhausted that they need a day off to recuperate. Was that an exaggeration?”
She frowned. “I always assumed that the day off was a perk, his way of making them feel special for having been chosen.”
So at least that part hadn’t been a lie.
“What about the way they looked after?”
Anastasia’s brows dipped low. “It’s not like I kept tabs on Emmett’s lovers or visited them after they had been with him. But I remember an incident when I first arrived at the retreat. The counselor, who later became my best friend, looked haggard. I even thought that she might be sick. She’s too thin, overworked, and she always looks a little drawn, but I’ve never seen her looking as drained as she did that day.”
“Had she spent the night before with Emmett?”
“I can’t be sure, but she hasn’t been with him during the entire time I was there, and I know that she was upset about it. She mentioned it the other day, saying that it has been three months since the last time she got invited, which corresponded to when I first met her. Poor Margaret was worried that she was getting too old and that he no longer found her attractive. Naturally, that’s nonsense. She’s only thirty-eight, and Emmett is at least twenty years older than her. Not that he looks it. The guy takes very good care of himself.”
“Did she say anything about his sexual prowess?”
“Only that he was incredible, and that it was a huge honor to experience the essence of free love with him. That’s what they all say.”
“No details?” Leon arched a brow. “Usually, women are not bashful about sharing their sexual experiences with their girlfriends.”
“And how would you know that?”
He liked how jealous Anastasia sounded, but he didn’t want her to be upset. “As I told you before, I have a big family with many cousins, male and female.”
Deflating, she l
eaned her head on his shoulder. “Margaret is not like that. Not with me, anyway. She thinks of me as a daughter, which is ridiculous since she is only thirteen years older than me.”
“What about the other men she’s been with? Does she talk about them?”
Anastasia shook her head. “Margaret always works so hard that she doesn’t have the time or energy to socialize, let alone connect with anyone. Sometimes I think that she overworks herself just so she won't be called selfish for not sharing her body with anyone, other than Emmett, that is.”
Talk about social pressure. “What about you? Did you get in trouble for not connecting with anyone?”
She smiled. “I connected with you.”
“I mean before me.”
“I got reprimanded, but since I was still new, I was allowed some leeway.”
He kissed the top of her head. “I know it will sound incredibly selfish, but I’m glad that you didn’t hook up with anyone in the community.”
“It is selfish. That’s why Emmett preaches against the follies of possessiveness. But I feel the same way.” She looked up at him. “I don’t want to think about you with other women. It makes me angry, and that’s bad. I wish I didn’t feel like that. I want to be generous, to be happy for you that you’ve got to experience a lot of pleasure in your life, but I can’t. I want you to be mine.”
Wrapping his arms around her, Leon lifted her onto his lap. “It’s not bad. It’s natural. People are meant to be monogamous and to form family units. A community is a wonderful thing, and I’m very lucky to be part of one, but it shouldn’t come at the expense of bonding with a life partner or having children.”
She nodded. “That’s the biggest doubt I have about Safe Haven, but at the same time, it’s also one of its best selling points. For those who are unlucky, and who for one reason or another cannot find a life partner to bond with, the community is a wonderful solution. And since no one within it is partnered with anyone else, no one feels like they are being left out either.”
10
Lokan
Lokan was about to pull out his phone and summon an Uber when it rang with the tune he’d assigned to Losham.
He’d been expecting the call.
Last time he’d checked, there had been several missed calls from his adopted brother, but he hadn’t intended to return them until after the meeting he was running late for.
“Hello, Losham.” He walked up to the curb and held out his arm to hail a cab.
“You are a hard man to get ahold of.” Losham’s slightly nasal tone grated on his nerves.
“How can I help you, Losham?” Lokan got in the cab. “The Plum on 16th Street,” he gave the driver the address.
“I managed to convince our father that you are capable enough to establish the new center without my help.”
“How gracious of you.” Lokan imbued his tone with the right amount of sarcasm.
His brother didn’t want to go to China. Losham had concocted the entire thing to get Lokan out of the way so he could take over the cushy Washington post.
“Yes, indeed. Regrettably, it’s only temporary. Lord Navuh agreed with me that my help is not necessary to establish a business enterprise that would serve as a cover for our presence in Beijing. You are perfectly capable of doing that on your own, as well as procuring suitable lodging for our center. Once you have everything up and running, I will join you.” Losham sighed dramatically. “I hope that by then you will have proved that you don’t need my help. Let’s face it, brother. The two of us working together is not healthy for either of us.”
Lokan couldn’t agree more, but probably not for the same reasons as Losham’s. “We can learn to cooperate and divide the responsibilities between us.” He was playing devil’s advocate to flush out Losham’s motives. “It’s a big task, and I’m not at all confident that I can pull it off by myself.”
“That’s probably true, but you are not seeing the big picture. Our father is excited about establishing the new base, and he’s acting out of character. How long do you think it would take him to start suspecting that we were plotting against him? Normally, he doesn’t like his sons working together unless they are on the island and under his direct control.”
That was true, but Lokan was surprised that Losham was actually voicing the concern. Did it mean that his brother wasn’t under Navuh’s compulsion? Or maybe it just meant that he didn’t consider the comment disloyal?
“I won’t argue with you on that. Perhaps you could just help with devising strategy. You don’t need to be there in person in order to do that.”
Not having Losham there would solve Lokan’s biggest problem, which was having Carol with him. If he couldn’t take her, he wasn’t going. But since he couldn’t refuse the post, his only other option would be to jump ship and cross over to the clan.
“My thoughts exactly,” Losham said. “On my side, I will make every effort to include our father in the strategic planning. I will make sure that he is present in all of our important meetings. He needs to feel in control.”
Lokan chuckled. “You are a smart man, Losham.”
“Have you ever doubted that?”
“No, I haven’t. But you prove it time and again.”
“I also convinced him that sending a large number of warriors with you would be a mistake. You don’t want to attract too much attention to yourself, especially not right from the start when you are still being watched closely. After you have the business up and running, and you are no longer the new guy on the block, we can start trickling them in. Whatever business you come up with should provide fake jobs to explain their presence.”
“That’s a good strategy. Any ideas on what kind of business that might be?”
“Fashion, of course. You are a stylish man, and the warriors could be your male models. They are a handsome bunch. It’s also not a complicated business.”
“True, but it doesn’t give me access to the leadership. I was thinking more along the lines of weaponry.”
“That would invite too much scrutiny. Think outside the box, Lokan. A luxury label catering to both genders will give you ample opportunities to host events and invite everyone who is anyone to attend.”
Lokan chuckled. “I doubt that the chairman and his circle of advisors would attend fashion shows.”
“But their wives might. And if you give it the proper spin, the husbands might as well.”
“It will require a lot of capital to get started, and I will have to hire humans that actually know a thing or two about fashion and bring them with me to China.”
The gears in Lokan’s head were already spinning, envisioning Carol as his fashion marketing expert. That would be a perfect cover for her presence there.
“Naturally, Lord Navuh is not going to skimp on funds for this project, and you will get the starter capital you need. But he will expect you to make the endeavor profitable.” Losham chuckled. “Our father is not only a shrewd leader. He is also a savvy businessman.”
“How soon do we need to get a move on this?”
“As soon as possible. Father is sending Kolhud to me at the start of next week. Once he learns the ropes, which I hope he will do quickly, I will come to Washington, and you will introduce me to your contacts. It shouldn’t take me more than a week to learn all I need to know to take over from you. I can also help you come up with a strategy for your new business endeavor.”
As the cab stopped in front of the restaurant, Lokan pulled out a couple of twenties and handed them to the driver. “I bet you can’t wait to get out of Los Angeles.”
Losham released a long breath. “Kolhud is much better suited for running the drug and prostitution rings.”
Perhaps it was time he made an effort to get on Losham’s good side.
“That job was beneath you. I know that you were responsible for several blunders, but I still don’t understand why our father relegated you to that task. He needed your devious brain by his side more than he needed to p
unish you.”
“Yes, well. It wasn’t all about punishment. The Brotherhood is strapped for cash, and those two disgraceful business lines are highly profitable. Lord Navuh needed his best man to get them up and running and churning out profits as fast as possible. Kolhud couldn’t have done it. But now that everything is running like a well-oiled machine, all he has to do is keep it going and not mess up what I’ve established.”
Leave it to Losham to turn even that into an achievement. Still, Lokan was grateful that he hadn’t been tasked with that.
“Well played, Losham. Did you come up with the China scheme just so you could take over my post?”
“Of course not. Establishing a base there is crucial for the Brotherhood’s future. I just didn’t want to be in charge of it.”
“Why not? It’s a lucrative position. You said so yourself.”
“It is.” He sighed. “But it is a new territory for us, and not just geographically. Mistakes are inevitable, and I can’t afford to make any. I’ve already exceeded my quota, which is another reason I needed to leave Los Angeles. The clan’s presence here complicates things.”
“Right. What does Father plan to do about that?”
“Nothing for now. He has realized that the best way to destroy the clan, or rather its influence on the Western world, is to ruin them financially. But to do so, the Brotherhood needs to amass more funds and raise a new breed of brainy computer warriors who can compete with the clan’s innovation machine.”
“And now he also wants to beat the clan in the race for influence in the East.”
“Correct.”
“It seems like we have a long and difficult road ahead of us.”
“We do,” Losham said. “But I welcome the challenge. Neither of us is a young immortal, brother, and without challenges, our lives would become boring.”
11
Eleanor
Eleanor was discovering that the hardest part of investigative work was having to wait patiently for the right opportunity.
