Sebastian took a long breath. “Now I’m going to show you photos of all the men that hold leading command locations in each country and share information on each one of them.” He continued flipping through images on the screen, giving his friends clear views of the people they would have to eliminate.
“The reason I want you to see their faces is that I don’t want innocent people to die. They have employees at those locations that are completely unaware of their filthy undertakings. They are just employees used to mask a corrupt business. I don’t want those people killed.” Sebastian emphasized the last words. “Before we leave this room, each one of you will receive a folder that contains all the pertinent information that you’ll need. The folder will contain details on each one of the men that will be targeted along with their photos.”
Next, a huge world map covered the screen. Red dots appeared over the cities that were to be part of this invasion. The immortals scanned the map, making mental notes of the locations. The cities seem to be spread across six continents, and included Berlin, Paris, New York, Cairo, Ankara, Athens, Brussels, Toronto, Tokyo, Sydney, Milan, Rio and St. Petersburg.
“Wow! They are spread across the globe,” Pier noted.
“Yes, they are,” Sebastian agreed. “That’s why I need your help.” He rose to his feet and pressed a button on his desk. The shades came up, and bright daylight flooded the room. He leaned over the desk, picked up an arm full of folders, and brought them back dropping them onto the large table in the middle of the sitting area. “My private investigators prepared and provided these folders,” he said pointing at the small pile on the table. “I need for you to discuss and chose what city you wish to handle. Then take the folder for that country. Please make sure you go over them tonight. You will find accurate details of the daily schedule for every command leader, their right hand men, and the people that carry out their dirty work. There are also details of the offices they occupy in those buildings. My investigators did an incredible job in providing all this information.”
“Yes, it sounds like they did a remarkable job,” Troy said, as they all inched closer to the table.
An animated discussion began, and soon enough, they had all agreed as to what country and what city they were going to handle. They picked up the folders and walked back to their seats. The folder for St. Petersburg was left on the table for Sebastian. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as his gaze swept over his friend’s faces. He let out a long breath, and crossed the room once again to reach his desk. His calm exterior didn’t fool his friends, they sensed the anxiety, and the eagerness to see this endeavor come to an end.
“Jorrit is a piece of work,” Troy said.
“It’s the whole bunch under Nikola’s radar that’s dirty and corrupted to their core,” Sebastian stated.
His finger pressed down on a small unit attached to the desk, causing the screen to disappear into the ceiling. Resolve spread across every muscle in his body. With his eyes slanting downward, he approached the table, picked up the last envelope, and sank into the sofa. He opened the flap and thumbed through the detail sheets for a long time.
It was his voice that made everyone’s gaze dart toward him and stare in astonishment.
“I’m not sure that killing everyone under Nikola is the right thing to do,” he said as if he was talking to himself. “But it’s the only way I know to rid the world from goons that participate in kidnapping, beating, and murdering innocent victims for their own gain. Every moment that we sit back and wait, they will use it to reorganize and come back every bit as vicious as they were the first time around. I’m not worried about any one of us in this room. I’m worried about the humans we all love: Arielle, Gabrielle, Paul, and Nathan’s wife Jasmine. I can’t sit here and wait for them to take another shot at the company or at one of them.”
“Who is going to stay back to protect them?” asked Girard.
“Oh, I’ve asked Eva. She’s more than capable of keeping them safe from Annabel or anyone else that might come along.” He paused for a short moment; he glanced at his watch and shook his head. He then fixed each one of his friends with a firm stare full of determination. “This should not take long,” he added.
“When are we leaving?” Gerard asked tapping a pen against the armrest.
Sebastian rose from his seat and moved to the window. He took in the amazing view of London. He then turned to face his friends. “Due to the variance in the time zones, I suggest that we should plan to attack at four PM London time. Some of us will have to leave early tomorrow morning for the countries that are way ahead of our local time. If you chose countries with later time zones, then you can leave a bit later in the day. We will use our immortal ability to arrive to our locations. This is too important to rely on human transportation. I also suggest that we arrive there around three PM London time to familiarize ourselves with the buildings and the surroundings. I want you to make sure you locate your targets and leave the innocent people untouched. We’ll synchronize our watches, and when we are in place, we will text each other, and I will give the signal to move in and strike simultaneously precisely at four o’clock. Do you agree with the plan?” Sebastian checked around the room and saw everyone nodding in agreement, a smug grin on their faces. His lips kicked up at the corners and he leaned against the window. “We’ll take no prisoners!” he said.
“We’ll treat this as a cleanup job that will rid the world from the lowest filth on this earth,” Troy added.
“Sebastian, if you think that we might need a few more to take part in this, I have friends that will be willing to come in a moment’s notice,” Antonius said.
Sebastian pinched the tip of his nose. He took a few steps away from the window. With his hands in his pockets, he glanced around the room. “Does any one of you need any help?” Everybody remained quiet. They were given all the facts about the assignment, the attack was seamlessly planned, and they were good to go with no additional help.
“I think we are okay, Antonius, but thanks for the offer,” Sebastian said appreciatively.
They discussed the strategies with excitement and eagerness for adventure. It was now early afternoon and they all seemed to have all their questions answered.
“Well, I guess we’re all set. Let’s meet in this room tomorrow morning for any last questions or details. Is there anything you want to ask before we conclude this meeting?” Sebastian asked.
Silence met his question once again. “All right then. Jon, Pier, and Jacques, you are staying with Arielle and me unless you have other plans.” The guys shook their heads.
“No, no plans. We all want to see Arielle.” Jon’s statement was met by soft laughter. The immortals loved the girls.
Troy turned to face Antonius, Girard, and Giani. “I know a girl who is waiting anxiously to see you again,” he said and chuckled. All three nodded, a delighted expression spreading across their faces. They loved Gabrielle; they were happy with their best friend’s choice.
Sebastian turned to face Nathan. “Nathan, tell Jasmine hello, and that I’m sorry I have to take you away from her once again.”
“I’m sure she’ll understand,” Nathan said with a kind smile. It was obvious that he was delighted with his wife’s wonderful personality. They were newlyweds and madly in love.
Sebastian thanked Ian, Christian, and Isabella once again. He then hugged Loren and pressed a soft kiss on her cheek. “Give Mum my love, and tell her that Arielle and I will come to visit after this is over.” Loren smiled returning her brother’s kiss.
Sebastian strode to the door. “I’ll see you all tomorrow at six in the morning for any last minute questions before we leave for our locations,” he said. “And if any questions come up tonight, I’ll be home.”
Now it was a simple matter of waiting till morning
Sebastian arrived at St. Petersburg a little before three PM. A smile that did not touch his eyes lingered on his lips. By now, all of his friends were on their way or h
ad already arrived at their respective locations. A fresh breeze brushed across his face and he glanced at his watch one more time. His expression changed to that of sullenness at the thought of eliminating someone’s life, but this had to be done. By three-fifteen he had received text messages that they all had arrived at their specific locations. They were going to probe inside to locate their targets. The,n they would be waiting for his text message to move in. Sebastian smiled with clear satisfaction. So far so good.
Rainer and Nikola’s office buildings were about two kilometers apart. He chose to stop at Rainer’s office first. He slipped his phone in his jean pocket and approached the building.
The lobby was busy with employees and visitors moving in and out. Guards were stationed on either side of the receptionist area as well as by the entrance to the elevators. Sebastian used his immortal speed and in nanoseconds he had crossed the lobby and reached the inside staircase undetected. He scaled the stairs in large strides and went through each floor, making mental notes of every person and their exact locations. He arrived at the top floor and paused behind the closed door for a short moment. All he could hear was absolute silence. He grabbed the door handle and, leaning against the door with his right shoulder, he turned and pushed quietly. The door was locked. His lips kicked up with amusement. Like this is going to prevent me for going in.
He chuckled inwardly and the lock gave to his immortal strength. He stepped inside and found himself standing in the middle of a vast, extravagantly decorated waiting room. An enormous ornate desk occupied the middle of the sitting area. He took a quick look around but there was no one in sight. Sebastian knew that this floor was exclusively allocated to Rainer and his two scummy right hand men. He decided to peer inside each room along the long corridor, but every office was empty. After glancing quickly into an empty conference room, he reached the last door that had Rainer’s name plastered on it. The door stood halfway open and he stopped to listen. A woman’s soft voice reached him, and he inched up close to pick inside. He saw Rainer’s secretary on the phone. Her picture was included in the video provided by his private investigators. She was stunningly beautiful. Sebastian knew from the detailed documentation in his hands that she was an innocent girl. She was bent over Rainer’s desk searching for something, the phone glued to her ear. He drew back and leaned against the wall.
“I don’t see the folder on your desk.”
Sebastian heard the deep male voice at the other end. “Check inside the left top drawer.”
He caught the swishing of a drawer being drawn out. “What am I searching for?” she asked, thumbing through the folders.
“It should be titled ‘Sebastian Gaulle’,” the man replied.
Sebastian frowned at the sound of his name. He peeked through the door and saw Georgiana still bent over the desk scanning through folders. He pulled back once again and waited. There was a bit more ruffling of paper, and finally the drawer shut.
“I have it,” she said, satisfaction and something more coating her voice.
“Perfect. Please bring it to Nikola’s office as soon as you can.”
“All right, I’ll leave right now.”
“Thank you, Georgiana.”
From the sound of their voices, Sebastian could sense a special relationship between the two. His acute awareness also told him that the man on the other end was Rainer. Georgiana sounded breathless, emotion coating every word she spoke. There was something special that this woman felt for Rainer.
He glanced at his watch. It was now 3:35PM. He made a decision to follow Georgiana and take care of the top men first and then come back to clear this location. Georgiana’s high heels clicked on the floor as she made her way to the door. Sebastian slipped into one of the empty rooms. Georgiana walked down the corridor clenching a wide folder under her arm. He let her footsteps fade down the hallway and waited. First there was the sound of the computer keyboard being shut down and then the ping of the elevator arriving. The swish of the door opening and closing and the absolute silence that followed, told Sebastian that the coast was clear. He moved down the hallway in his immortal speed and he was outside the building before the elevator with Georgiana in it reached the lobby.
He waited away from the main door and watched her walk in a fast pace to the parking lot and climb into a small sports car.
She drove beneath a clear sky toward the main road along the river Neva. Sebastian moved in his immortal speed and arrived at Nikola’s building where he watched Georgiana pulling into the parking lot. She stepped out of her car and made her way through the glass revolving door. She stopped for a short moment and talked with the guard at the entrance. He checked the card she handed him and soon he stepped aside and let her in.
Sebastian used that time to move in and reach the emergency staircase at the other side of the lobby. He grabbed the handle and with no difficulty, he opened the locked door. He scaled the steps in a fast pace and he was on the top floor in no time at all. He waited behind the door and listened. The sound of the elevator arriving made him anxious. He glanced at his watch and it was now exactly 3:58PM. He fished his mobile out of his jean pocket and texted two words to his friends, “Move in.” He then shut the phone and slipped it back into his pocket.
He pushed the door slowly and peeked carefully. A young woman in her early twenties was sitting behind a vast desk that occupied the center of the room. She was on the phone and writing something on a piece of paper. She glanced up as the elevator binged and smiled wide at Georgiana as she entered the room. The young woman held her finger up for a short second as she concluded her phone call.
“Hi, Georgiana,” she called out joyfully and put the phone down.
“Hi, Belinda,” Georgiana replied, a wide smile spread across her beautiful face.
“How are you? It has been a while,” Belinda said.
“I know! I’m sorry for not keeping in touch. My life has been a bit crazy lately,” she said apologetically.
“Oh, anything you want to talk about?”
Georgiana pressed her lips together and sighed. “Yes, but not now. I have some papers from Rainer. He wants them right away. I assume they are quite important,” she added, pointing to the folder in her hand.
“He said you were coming.” She pulled her center drawer open, and taking a small card, she handed it to Georgiana. “This is for access to Nikola’s office.”
“Thank you,” Georgian said, reaching for the card.
“Don’t forget to use your handprint on the first door,” Belinda added.
Georgiana nodded with a smile and disappeared around the corner as the phone rang once again and Belinda picked it up. “He’s busy right now but I can take a message,” Sebastian heard her say. He pushed the door open and stepped inside. He moved quietly in his immortal speed and disappeared behind the corner undetected by Belinda. It was a winding hallway that was brightly illuminated, but there were a couple dark corners perfect for his use. Georgiana was already at the end of the hallway and had stopped in front of a large door. She pressed her hand against a screen panel on the wall that seemed to analyze her fingerprint and the door opened with a swish. She crossed the threshold and the door swooshed shut behind her, but not before Sebastian made it through as well. She kept down another short corridor, turned a corner, and stopped in front of another door. A large sign displayed the name Nikola Vasilovitch. She slipped an electronic key into the slot at the right of the door panel and the light turned green. She entered the room, but the door remained open.
Sebastian inched up and heard Nikola’s deep voice.
“What the devil is wrong with you?”
“What are you talking about?” someone replied.
“Rainer, you’re either dumb or you are playing dumb. Can’t you see that there is something very wrong with this whole Gaulle thing? How can people vanish into the thin air? How can they disappear from the face of the earth with no trace at all? Did you find what happened to the men in Brussels? And w
hat about the men in Brighton? Don’t you find that a bit peculiar?”
“Yes, I do find that quite peculiar, but I have no explanation. Maybe the men decided to leave.”
“Leave?” His voice roared and bounced angrily from the walls. “What the hell are you talking about? Those worthless pieces of shit were getting paid well and I was providing a better life for them. Why would they want to leave?” There was a short silence, and his voice rumbled once again. “Rainer, you know there is no way out. Once you sign up in this organization there…is…no…way…out.” His last words came out staccato. “Find them and do away with them, or I’ll do away with you.” Something in his voice drove a shiver down Georgiana’s spine.
Rainer’s next statement rolled out of his lips before he could stop it. “Nikola, I’m tired. I don’t want to do this anymore. If the morgue is the only way out, then let it be.” He stood there facing Nikola, brushing off any concern, acid mood settling over him.
A loud intake of breath made Rainer turn and face Georgiana. She was staring at Rainer, her anxiety palpable. Rainer’s eyes softened and a smile painted his lips.
“I brought the file,” she stammered.
Rainer moved closer and took the folder, brushing her hand with his fingers. “Thank you, Georgiana,” he said quietly.
Time was up. Sebastian moved quickly and stood at the door opening right behind Georgiana. He took a quick survey of the people in the room. There were four men and they were all on his list. Nikola was standing behind his desk, glancing down at a piece of paper, a cigar in his right hand. Rainer stood with his back to Nikola, his eyes locked with Georgiana’s. Sebastian could actually feel the passion between them. Larue and Hahn were seated at the sofa across from Nikola’s desk thumbing through several documents on their lap. They didn’t seem to acknowledge Georgiana or take part in the heated conversation between Rainer and Nikola.
Arielle Immortal Struggle (The Immortal Rapture Series Book 7) Page 20
