by I. T. Lucas
The more Kian had thought about it, the more he’d become convinced that they needed a new location that would be kept secret from civilians. Not the existence of the facility, necessarily, but its location. When needed, civilians could be brought in using windowless buses or something of that nature.
Dividing the page with a squiggly line down its middle, Kian dedicated the first half to what he wanted from the new location, and the other to the obstacles in the way of achieving his desired results. The list would provide a foundation for the meeting during which he hoped to hammer out an action plan with the help of his crew.
He hadn’t included the Guardians, just the council members, not because he valued their input less, but because the meeting would have spiraled into too many directions. Even Bridget and Edna were somewhat superfluous to this particular discussion, but omitting them would’ve looked bad.
The clan was a family, not a corporation, so no one would’ve sued him for discrimination, but the last thing he needed was to be called a chauvinist. Which was bound to happen even though Amanda and Syssi would attend the meeting. Amanda was on the council, and he wanted Syssi to be there even though she wasn’t officially a member. Kian wondered if there was a way to change it.
Replacing a council member was a no go, but maybe he could convince his mother to add another seat for Syssi.
After all, he valued her opinion the most.
As the double doors to his office opened soundlessly, Kian didn’t need to look up to recognize the scent of Brandon’s expensive cologne. But even without it, Brandon’s unique smorgasbord of scents identified him just as well as his face. Arrogance, aggression, and impatience.
“Good morning, Brandon,” he greeted his media expert. “I’m surprised that you’re the first to arrive, usually you’re the last.”
Brandon pulled out a chair next to Kian and dropped his laptop case on the table. “Shorter commute. Instead of my posh Brentwood townhouse, I have the displeasure of inhabiting the tiny apartment I was assigned here.”
“You’ll survive. I still remember when you lived with the rest of us in a cold and drafty old castle with no toilets or running water.”
Brandon shook his head. “Those days are long gone. Part of my job is to entertain my contacts, and I haven’t been able to do it since I was forced to move in here. You need to let me go back to my place.”
“First, we have to eradicate the Doomer nest of vipers. After that’s done, I’ll reconsider.”
Brandon tapped his fingers on the table. “Fair enough. Any progress with that?”
“Turner says he is close. One of his informants heard something about a big shipment of weapons delivered locally. He is following up on that. His hunch is that the trail will lead him to the Doomers, and I’m inclined to agree. With the number of warriors they brought, they needed a lot of stuff to supply them with. It’s not like they could’ve traveled halfway around the world with their gear in their suitcases.”
“That’s good to hear. Because of Carol, of course,” Brandon added quickly.
Kian nodded. Brandon was selfish, but not heartless.
“Hello, gentleman." Edna walked in and took a seat, pulling a yellow legal pad out of her briefcase.
Apparently, she preferred handwritten notes as well. Another old timer.
Bridget walked in with William, who was holding his tablet to his chest as if it was precious. Onegus was next, with Amanda and Syssi trailing behind him.
“Good. Everyone is here so let’s begin.” If he’d let them, they’d spend the next hour on hellos and how’r’yas.
“Don’t you need Shai to get here?” Amanda asked.
“No, I’m in command.” He lifted the clicker Shai had given him to start the recording. “Shai is busy pretending to be me.” His assistant was answering emails Kian had decided to delegate to him.
“Item one on the agenda. Location. I’ve been racking my brain trying to come up with a place that could be easily hidden but still within a reasonable driving distance to downtown. Any ideas on that front?”
Brandon raised his hand. “I have a solution you are going to love.”
That should be good. Brandon was knowledgeable about lots of things, though Kian hadn’t been aware that real estate was one of them. “Let’s hear it.”
“The mountain area above Malibu. Very sparsely populated, but close to everything. And what’s even better, it’s a location that is used often for movies. We can disguise the entire building project as a grandiose movie set.” Brandon cast Kian a hopeful glance.
An interesting idea. “Sounds good so far.”
Encouraged, Brandon pulled his laptop out of the case and flipped it open. “I prepared a rough action plan.” He looked around to see that he had everyone’s attention. “We buy a large parcel of land. I pull permits for building a movie set. Obviously, some bribing and thralling will be needed to hasten the approval process.” He cast Kian a questioning glance.
Kian nodded. “In this case, it’s justified and I’ll allow it.”
Brandon puffed out a breath. “Good. We build a tall chain-link fence around the project and cover it with pictures of greenery so it blends into the surrounding mountains. When we are done, we’ll have Yamanu shroud the area in an illusion so it will look as if we are taking everything down, when in fact we would not.”
Amanda frowned. “But shrouding doesn’t work against other immortals. The whole point of this is to be able to keep the location secret from our people as well as the Doomers.”
“I know. But all we need to do is hide it the same way humans hide things from other humans. We will need to build low and plant big mature trees all around and in between the buildings to hide them under the canopies. I know more is needed, but this is as far as my expertise goes. William can probably take it from here.”
“I can, and I will.” William tapped his tablet, probably to produce a list of his own. “Brandon’s idea is a perfect foundation for what I have in mind. I worked on the how, but couldn’t come up with the where.” William saluted Brandon with two fingers. “Good job, buddy.”
“Thank you.”
“I’ll expand on Brandon’s suggestions. To hide the complex from immortals, we will need to employ tricks and technologies that can hide things from humans without the help of thralling. As Brandon said, we need to use the same methods humans employ to hide things from other humans. The roofs will have to be covered with mirrors that will reflect the greenery around the complex. The angles will have to be carefully designed for the desired effect. That would take care of the visuals. To avoid detection by electronic means, I can use a modified version of the device I built for Annani’s sanctuary to deflect and distort the signal in a way that will seem natural.”
It all sounded great in theory, but there was still one problem that needed to be solved. “What about the access to the compound? The entire thing will be useless if the road leading up to it is visible. Even if marked as private property, sooner or later someone will disregard the signage and hike up there.”
That got everyone stumped, and for a few moments no one spoke.
“Hazardous waste,” Bridget offered. “The sign could say access forbidden due to hazardous waste.”
Brundar snorted. “In Malibu mountains? No one dumps anything there.”
Bridget shook her head. “Not now, but what about fifty, sixty years ago? We can fabricate a report of whatever hazardous material we can think of that is buried there, thrall someone to put it in the system, and that’s it. No one would ever look at it again. You know how bureaucracies work.”
“What about bringing people in and out? And who will get to live there and who will not?” Syssi asked.
“Count me out.” Brandon crossed his arms over his chest, his fitted jacket not lending itself to the pose. “As I told Kian before, I need to entertain my human business associates, I can’t live in a reclusive compound.”
“You can always keep your townhouse i
n Brentwood for this purpose. I’m sure you’re not entertaining every day. But it’s up to you.” Kian wasn’t going to force the issue, not now, anyway. “We will have to have some kind of shuttle service. But we can figure out the details later.”
“I have an idea,” Edna said. “I’m not sure if it’s doable, and even if it is it will probably cost a lot, but it could make everyone’s lives easier in the long term.”
Kian snorted. “This project is going to cost us a fortune either way. Let’s hear what you have in mind.”
“What if we build the compound on top of a hill that is inaccessible on foot? Then we build a mansion nearby, with a gated entry, of course, that will have a big underground garage that can house all of our cars. A tunnel will lead under the compound. An electrical motorcar will take passengers from the parking garage through the tunnel and up into the compound. We can make it go much slower for civilians, so they will think it is taking them further away than it actually does.”
Not a bad idea at all. But he was going to take it one step further. “The mansion would be as far as civilians will go. We will build our training facility there, as well as some conference rooms and offices, so there will be no need for anyone that doesn’t live in the compound to come up there. No one will even know that there is another location. They will assume that this is it. If that house is compromised, we abandon it and build another, but we will no longer need to evacuate our homes.”
Brandon uncrossed his arms and leaned his elbows on the table. “So why go to all that trouble in the first place? We can stay in the city and separate the facilities.”
Brandon had a point. But Kian was no longer comfortable with the weak defenses a downtown building could offer. It had been sufficient when the Doomers had no clue where on earth Annani’s clan was hiding, but now that they’d discovered that Los Angeles was a central hub, they would keep coming. Especially after the elimination of the current force they had there.
Syssi raised a hand. “I think I have a solution that is easier to implement. Even though the building we have lived in is compromised, we are still using the offices and training facilities in the basement because it has multiple entry points and can be accessed from several buildings. We can keep it as it is, and the civilians can be brought in from any of the other buildings that have access to it. If one entry point is compromised, we block it and use another. I’m just thinking about the catacombs. Do you really want to start moving around the dead and the undead?”
“Syssi is right,” Bridget said. “It will save us a bundle. Besides, I love my medical facilities here.”
Everyone turned their focus to Kian, waiting for him to decide.
“We do both. We keep these facilities and we build the new ones. I know the cost is going to be staggering, but my family’s safety is worth it. Having several locations, while keeping everything on a strict need to know basis, will provide additional layers of security that will allow me to sleep better at night.”
Chapter 10: Robert
Peering over Carol’s note, Robert scrubbed his hand over his face. Was he reading too much into what she was trying to say? Was she really interested in him?
He was aware that she might be saying these things about him because she was grateful, or because she wanted him to help her even more than he already had.
Did she hope he would help her escape?
Stuffing the note in his pocket, Robert walked outside to the courtyard and started pacing around. The fountain he had had installed was making noises that he’d found pleasing before, but now they were a distraction he could do without. Anyway, pacing like a caged animal would look suspicious to his fellow soldiers.
A run, however, was business as usual for him. Not in combat boots, but he doubted anyone would pay attention to his footwear.
Breaking into a jog, he headed down the trail circling the grounds. Not surprisingly, he wasn’t the only one there. A group of five warriors was jogging the trail ahead of him. But this was as good as it got. Other than his room, or a bathroom, there was no private spot he could use to think.
“Hey, Robert, what’s up, my man?” Another runner caught up to him.
“I’m good. Just stretching my legs.” He offered what he hoped was an impassive expression.
“I’ll leave you to it.” The guy sprinted ahead, showing off.
Good riddance.
Back to Carol.
Beautiful, soft, sweet Carol.
He had to help her. Except, doing so would mean the end of his career as a Doomer. And that was if he got lucky and they both survived. Even if he succeeded, he still needed to figure out where to hide and what to do for money.
Manual labor was all he could hope for.
It would be all worth it if Carol remained with him, maybe even became his mate. But that was too much to hope for. The moment he sprung her free, she’d run as fast as she could back to her family, and he would be left with less than nothing.
What if she promised to stay with him?
Could he trust her word?
He knew nothing about her. Carol might be the most honest and trustworthy person on earth, or the most deceitful one. And yet, if she promised and lied, he would smell the lie. Or at least he hoped he would. He’d met immortals who figured out how to mask their scents.
Would he keep her against her will?
No. If she didn’t want to be with him then he didn’t want her. Robert didn’t need a female for sex—he’d had plenty, both paid for and free.
What he craved above all was to be loved and to love in return.
Robert stopped in his tracks. He’d never realized that he had such yearning lurking inside him. Maybe because it was so impossible that he’d never given it any thought?
He’d be a fool not to seize the opportunity and make this immortal female his.
He was a decent guy, and females found him attractive… that is until he opened his mouth.
Robert groaned. Any female who’d spent more than a few minutes with him had lost interest in anything other than his wallet. He was shy, awkward, clumsy, stomped around like a grizzly bear, and didn’t have anything interesting to say.
Carol would lose interest as well.
And yet, the yearning couldn’t be denied. Dear Mortdh, how he wished she would give him a chance.
Not only because she was so pretty and so cute, but because she needed him. He could be her knight in shining armor, and if nothing else maybe gratitude would compel her to stay with him. How the hell was he going to pull this off?
A mastermind of covert operations he was not.
Conveniently, Sebastian was leaving tomorrow for Phoenix Arizona, and as was his habit, he would be taking Tom with him and leaving Robert in charge. He was supposed to fly back the same afternoon, but if he succeeded in negotiating a good deal on the radio station, he and Tom were going to stay one more day to iron out the details.
That left the rest of the warriors to contend with.
It wasn’t as if he could just take Carol and walk out without anyone trying to stop him, or calling Sebastian to let him know. He would need to do it at night, when most of them were patrolling the clubs.
But by then Sebastian might be back.
That meant that after Sebastian was done with Carol today, Robert would have to sneak her out and hide her in his car overnight. Which would be torture for her because she wouldn’t have enough time to heal.
Tomorrow, after Sebastian and Tom left, he would come up with an excuse for going into town—some supply issue that couldn’t wait for delivery—and drive off to never come back.
Perhaps he could give Carol an extra dose of painkillers for tonight. He wondered if it was safe to give her four pills. Or even five. He’d have to. If he had something stronger to knock her out with, it would have been even better…
Robert slapped his palm over his forehead. He was such an idiot. Of course he had something to knock her out with: his fangs and his venom! Nothing man-mad
e was more powerful than that.
He’d better get going. There was a lot that needed to be done in preparation. Sebastian almost never left the base for more than a few hours at a time, and this absence was a rare opportunity. Mortdh knew when would be the next time.
Carol couldn’t wait much longer.
Breaking into a sprint, Robert ran back full speed ahead, hoping the stench of his sweat would mask the stench of his fear; better yet, he should avoid Sebastian altogether.
It wasn’t his lucky day.
Finding Sebastian waiting for him at his ‘office’ i.e. the pantry, Robert almost shat his pants.
Sebastian offered him a smile. “Good to see that you keep yourself in shape. A man can lose muscle tone sitting all day at his desk.”
“Yes, sir.” Damn. He was so stressed the 'sir' popped out involuntarily.
Sebastian sighed. “Robert, I know you’re stressed about tomorrow, but Tom and I will be gone only one day, two at the most. You can handle being in charge. The men are used to answering to you, they will not give you any trouble.”
Thank you, holy Mortdh. Robert wanted to sag in relief. Instead, he straightened to his full height and saluted. “I will do my best, Sebastian.”
With a proud smile, Robert’s commander clapped him on his shoulder. “You’re a good man, Robert. You’ll do fine. Bravery is not the lack of fear, but the ability to do your duty in spite of it.”
“Yes, s…Sebastian.”
A moment later, when he finally closed the door to the pantry behind his commander, Robert collapsed into his chair and sucked in a shaky breath.
Courage, man, you have a lot to do.
Chapter 11: Andrew
As Andrew strode down the hallway to Kian’s office, excitement tinged with a dose of envy swirled in his gut. Excitement about the upcoming battle; envy for the warriors who would get to charge the Doomers’ stronghold. Hopefully, Kian would allow him to join in some noncombat capacity. He could be the driver, or the water boy, or something like that.
