Eternity's War (Books 1-3) (Eternity's War Boxsets)

by Ruben Stelliswolfe

  Archie's jaw dropped. “Wait, what? Why would I tell them that?”

  “Because I'm trying to clean up the minister of defence's mess. And yours,” he said, glaring at Tahlia for a brief moment. “I don't want the people of Athenia to think that their city isn't safe during the day. Tell them that Shangwu was shut down because the girl attempted an assassination.”

  Nikolai turned and left the room in silence. While he was confident that everything would run smoothly for the impending inauguration, he needed to clear his thoughts. Skye's earlier coup was indeed unexpected, and Nikolai needed to ensure that he had thought of every conceivable eventuality.

  Twenty-five

  Tango parked the van in the garage adjoining their warehouse. The group solemnly clambered out of the vehicle and walked through the side door. The morning had been both exhausting and dangerous. Tango pressed a small red button on the wall and the garage door lowered itself, shrouding the van and its bullet holes from public view.

  “Are you alright?” Ren asked, only briefly looking up from her computer. She didn't lack compassion, but locating the president had long become an obsession of hers. Now that the group was safe, she had returned to her original objective.

  “We're fine,” Skye replied, his arm around Juliet's shoulder. They stumbled into the room and sat at the kitchen table where Romeo was already idly sitting. “Have you found anything useful?” Skye asked, blindly hoping that not all was lost in the dying hours before the inauguration. He felt a little aggravated that Ren wasn't more caring after they were almost killed.

  “Nope,” Ren called back without any enthusiasm.

  “Less than nineteen hours,” Tango stated, staring at his comm. The room fell quiet. No one needed reminding of the time. “On to other matters, Echo and I ran into another Tianzu earlier.”

  Skye's head shot up. “Another?” he asked, suddenly forgetting his own troubles.

  Tango nodded. “The man in blue. The one that was in the city yesterday. He was in Nikolai's apartment in West Tower.”

  Skye gasped. “What happened? Did he attack you?”

  “We attacked him,” Echo corrected. “But he was a far more skilled fighter.”

  “And strangely enough, he let us go,” Tango chimed in.

  Skye exchanged a perplexed glance with Ren, although her face indicated that she already knew. “Odd. What was he doing in there?” he asked Tango.

  “I assume he was looking for information.”

  Skye's eyes became distant. “Information? What kind of information would he possibly be looking for?”

  “Your guess is as good as mine. He was looking through documents when we arrived.”

  Ren scoffed as she walked across to join the conversation. “He wouldn't have found much. Nikolai hates hard copies as much as I do.”

  “Maybe he's desperate,” Skye suggested. “I imagine Nikolai would be keeping a watchful eye on the other three. If they truly are spies inside Black Dawn, it wouldn't be often that they could relay any information to an outsider.”

  “You might be right,” Ren agreed. “And I don't think this is a coincidence. The inauguration's tomorrow, and this man hasn't been in Athenia for three months. What if he's looking for the president too?”

  Skye stroked his chin, pondering the possibility. “It could make sense. The Tianzu wouldn't want Nikolai to come into power. But surely this man isn't trying to put a stop to the inauguration, is he?”

  The group looked at one another, considering the notion. It gave them a slither of hope that if they failed this mission, there may be a fail-safe option; while it was odd to consider, the Tianzu might just succeed in their place.

  “So then why don't we let him kill Archie instead?” Romeo cautiously suggested out of character, but clearly wanting to avoid any further conflict.

  “It might not be true,” Skye dismissed the idea. “We can't take any chances. And the Tianzu would never harm a civilian, even if they were working for Nikolai.”

  “This man was strong, Skye. And quick,” Tango said.

  “It's definitely going to take all of us combined to take on the Tianzu,” Echo admitted. “This individual was unlike anyone I've ever met.”

  “Agreed,” Ren said. “But don't forget that the president is our number one priority. Until we kill him, we won't bother looking for the Tianzu.”

  “How many are there?” Romeo asked. “How many have you seen?”

  “Tianzu? We know of eight, including this man in blue,” Skye answered him. “You know Daye, Kai, and Hana. There's also the young boy who killed Foxtrot, and the man who accompanied him.” Tango's shoulders tensed at the mention of the excruciating memory. “There are also two more that Nikolai and I met in Daixuan.”

  “Daye was in the tower too, and he referred to this man as 'Raien',” Tango said, “so I assume that's his name.”

  “Raien,” Ren repeated. “That sounds like a Shizuno name.”

  “Interesting,” Skye said. “Maybe there are two Tianzu branches after all.” It was a theory he'd had for some time, but never had enough evidence to verify it.

  Juliet stood up. “Skye, I spoke with Daye earlier. He came to me when I was on the roof. He told me that Romeo and I should leave this lifestyle behind.”

  Ren raised an eyebrow, surprised to hear the story. “You shouldn't listen to anything he says. He claims to be peaceful, but he's just as dangerous as the rest.”

  “He didn't sound dangerous,” she said, defiant, yet confused.

  “Juliet,” Ren's tone was low. She stood up and placed her hands on the table, leaning over the girl. “Stay away from him. He works for the Tianzu.”

  Skye placed his hand on Juliet's shoulder. “Ren's right. It's best to not trust any of them. Even Nikolai can have his peaceful moments, but he still wants you dead. You're safer with us.”

  Juliet shrank back into her seat. The Kaipuran man's words had resonated with her. She tried to convince herself that he was indeed a threat, but the entire situation was far too overwhelming to be able to think clearly.

  “So what's the plan, boss?” Tango asked, looking to Ren for orders.

  “You can rest for now. I'll keep searching through Nikolai's files. His clouds are encrypted, but I'll see if I can find anything credible.” She walked back to her desk. “Hopefully he won't have any more surprises waiting for me,” she muttered, annoyed at herself for falling for the fabricated itinerary the day before. “Now, what do you two know about Nikolai's villa?”

  Skye frowned. “Villa?”

  Tango nodded. “We overheard Daye say it to Raien. He said that Nikolai has a villa.”

  Skye smirked. “That makes sense; how typical of Nikolai to live somewhere with a view.”

  “It's definitely useful information,” Tango said. “It means he must be somewhere by the ocean.”

  “And he'll want to stay close to the city, so my guess is the villa will be somewhere in Dongtan Qu.”

  “I'll see what I can find,” Ren said. “But I don't want to make a move until we have more information. You can't go to Dongtan and merely hope for the best. He could easily reimpose the lockdown. For now, no one leaves until we have a definitive location.”

  “Agreed,” Skye said.

  Sierra walked through the door. “I couldn't find Tahlia.”

  Skye stared at her, his fists clenched. He had questioned her loyalties on numerous occasions since she'd joined their group, but was now convinced she wasn't part of their team. “Forget Tahlia. You left Juliet to die on the roof.”

  Everyone in the room looked in Sierra's direction. She glared back at them all.

  “I already told you,” she said, “Tahlia is my priority.”

  “You said I'd be safe with you,” Juliet whispered.

  “Don't blame me,” Sierra countered, “he's the one who put you in harm's way.” She pointed a finger at Skye.

  “And I regret that,” Skye said. “It wasn't a good idea, but I was trying to find a way
to stop Nikolai and Archie.”

  Sierra walked across to the table. “Exactly. You were trying to find a way to kill your president, and I was trying to find a way to kill Tahlia. Stop blaming me for your team's failures.” She turned and strode through the back door, most likely to train.

  Skye's gaze fell to the floor. “Maybe she's right,” he mumbled. “I'm sorry, Juliet. I'm sorry that I risked your life today.” He rose and headed for his quarters, as did Tango and Echo, leaving Juliet alone with Romeo at the table.

  “Are you alright?” the boy asked.

  Juliet shrugged. “I don't know.” She stared into the distance. Daye's earlier words began to creep back into her mind. He had warned her that people can sometimes become empty shells, and it was obvious to her that Sierra was one of them.

  Worse still, Skye had endangered her life for the sake of what he thought was right and just. Juliet felt trapped. Whether or not she stayed with White Shadow, she risked the prospect of death.

  “I don't know,” she whispered again.

  Twenty-six

  Adam and Karen marched through the long corridor of Government House. The entire building was immaculately designed, with polished marble floors and bright walls. The pair walked confidently, both feeling exhausted and apprehensive. It was now early afternoon, and they had only just arrived at the nation's political centre after being stranded in the heavy traffic. With the security threat now over, the chaos in the city had subsided.

  They walked closely behind Guards Five and Six, as their authorisation had been revoked the day before, and they were unable to enter the premises unaided.

  “I hope the deputy president is still available,” Karen said under her breath, aggravated by the delay. She was keen to have Nikolai removed from his post and then subsequently have herself and Adam reinstated. They were already well behind with their preparations for the transition of government, and were now lagging behind even further.

  “She will be. She'll need to hear what we have to say. It's a matter of national security.”

  The halls of Government House were heavily guarded, making it by far the most secure location in the island nation. At any one time, there were usually over fifty of the Presidential Guard stationed there. Although, unbeknownst to most, Archibald was not even presently stationed there—only President Zhao remained for his final remaining hours in power.

  The group arrived at the office of Ms Arabella Tennant, the second most powerful figure in Athenia. After Archibald won the recent election, he opted to keep her on as deputy president, making it her third term at the helm. The unique political system of the city-state was not based on rival parties, but rather on which individual would be best suited to lead the government. It kept in line with the Athenian ideologies of unity and harmonious synergy.

  Adam knocked politely on the door and entered the room. A wise woman in her sixties, Ms Tenant sat poised and proper at her desk. “Your Excellency,” he greeted.

  She smiled warmly back at the duo as they closed the door behind them. “Hello, Adam, Karen. How have you been?” She was well revered among both the government and the public, renowned for her civility. She respected all those around her, who in turn offered their loyalty and allegiance. It came as no surprise to the others that she had spent such a long time serving her country. In fact, she had spent longer than anyone else inside Government House, having worked for Athenia since the young nation's inception.

  “Not well,” Karen answered honestly. “We have a crisis on our hands. Adam and I have both been dismissed from our posts and replaced by a man we've never met before.”

  Arabella frowned. “So I've heard. And who sanctioned this? Was it Archibald?”

  Adam nodded. “It was. But we believe that he's under duress from this individual.”

  Veronika Gunawan knocked on the door and entered. “I saw that you both signed in as guests,” she said to Adam and Karen. “I've been waiting to speak with you.”

  “I spoke with Veronika after our phone call this morning,” Arabella explained. “I requested that she join us to discuss the matter. She told me there was a new chief counsel, and that he has been acting quite deranged.”

  “Absolutely,” Adam agreed, thankful that others had seen it too. “Deranged is an understatement. He's a threat to both Athenia and the Union, and he needs to be stopped immediately.”

  “And you think this individual has some influence over Archibald?” Arabella asked.

  All three of them nodded gravely.

  “Odd,” Arabella said. “I've worked with Archibald for many years and he's always come across as quite headstrong. It's hard to imagine he'd be taking orders from someone else.”

  “I agree,” Adam said. “I've known him for years, but in the last twelve or so months he's come across as a little more stressed than usual. I just assumed that he was nervous about the election. But the past twenty-four hours he's been behaving quite strangely.”

  “I felt the same,” Karen admitted. “I assumed the inauguration was causing him stress, but then he went ahead and ordered that we relocate to the villa.”

  Arabella let out a short laugh. “Yes, I heard about that too. That makes no sense at all. I can appreciate that living by the sea would have its benefits, but he'll hardly have time for any of that. Besides, nowhere is as secure as Government House.”

  “I can't explain what's happening,” Adam continued. “But this man, Nicholas Sweeney, is behind all of it.”

  Arabella's vibrating wrist comm interrupted the conversation. “Excuse me a moment,” she said as she answered the call.

  Adam turned his attention back to Veronika. “Where's the president now? Is he safe?”

  She nodded cautiously. “I believe so, but I haven't seen him since yesterday.”

  Karen and Adam exchanged worried glances, both of them hoping their leader was safe. “We need to have Sweeney removed immediately,” she said. “The longer we wait, the longer the president's life is in danger.”

  Arabella's face became stern as she ended the call. “That was Li Xu,” she explained, her tone serious. “The media is now claiming that a young woman attempted to assassinate the president, but apparently it's all a fabrication.”

  Karen's jaw dropped upon hearing the sudden news. “That makes no sense. Who would make such a claim?” She barely finished speaking before realising she had answered her own question. Only one individual on the island would have given such an order.

  “She also said that Nicholas Sweeney threatened her,” Arabella added. “It sounds as though you may be right—this man poses a risk to both Archibald and the nation.” She stood up and walked straight for her door. “We'll need to convene with President Zhao and the other ministers immediately. I'll need your testimonies.”

  Adam smiled, relief filling his face. His job offered him a great sense of patriotism, and it deeply agitated him that he was so callously dismissed the day before. “Of course. We'll do whatever it takes. We need to eliminate this threat immediately.”

  “Excellent,” Arabella said, pleased to hear his determination. “I'll contact Guard One and order him to have his soldiers on standby. Once we receive confirmation from the cabinet, we'll make the arrest.”

  Adam swallowed hard, an uneasy feeling entering his stomach as he tried to comprehend how such an altercation would play out. Nikolai was an intensely malevolent individual who would probably become violent if provoked. Nevertheless, he thought, the Presidential Guard was one of the most elite and capable legions on the island, and would be more than adept to handle the situation. Soon enough the events would be behind them, paving the way for a momentous inauguration, and a new chapter in Athenia's history.

  Twenty-seven

  Nikolai paraded down the villa hallway in an ostentatious manner. He brazenly placed one foot in front of the other, gliding through the corridor to his suite, only to be stopped by eight members of the Presidential Guard.

  Nikolai raised his eyebrows with
disappointed uncertainty. “And to what do I owe this pleasure?”

  “Name?” the front guard asked.

  “My name is irrelevant. You're blocking the entrance to my suite.”

  Their response was a monotone one. “You need clearance to access this room.”

  Nikolai scoffed at the foolish remark. “I'm your chief counsel. I was here not a moment ago.” He pondered for a second, suddenly realising that the faces of the eight men and women were different to the ones who were stationed when he left the room earlier. “A changing of the 'Guard', literally,” he observed with a grin. “Nevertheless, I am your superior. Please do move.”

  He took another step forward, stopping when he saw eight guns raised at him. “Where's your identification tag, sir?”

  Nikolai glanced down to see that he had removed his staff pass. “Ah, of course. My clearance is in the room behind you. Bear with me a moment, if you would.”

  He vanished into the air, reappearing seconds later, holding the required card. He brandished it crudely in the faces of the Guard. They gaped at him, wide-eyed at the incomprehensible ability he had just displayed. They looked at one another and said nothing, complying with their requirement to not display emotion.

  Obediently, they parted, allowing the great man to pass without further hindrance. He opened the door and closed it behind him without saying another word to them.

  “What was the point of that?” The president-to-be asked, having heard the entire conversation from inside the suite.

  “You tell me,” Nikolai responded. “Those soldiers of yours are becoming quite a nuisance. While one can appreciate their purpose, they need to learn their place, and quick.” He clenched his jaw when saw that Night had returned and was lying on his precious chaise for the fourth time in two days. He could smell the odd man's odour from where he stood.

  “The Guard change their stations every few hours, Nikolai,” Archie said. “You'll need to get used to that.” Once again, his patience was wearing thin with his captor's lack of knowledge of the government's procedures. “And I meant, what was the point of you antagonising them like that? You clearly knew you could just transport yourself into this room without using the door.”