Nineteen
Ren stood on the balcony of the warehouse, staring into the distance. It was another beautiful summer morning for Athenia, but was overshadowed by the bleak events that had recently passed.
Her eyes were glazed over, her mind wondering how things could possibly have gone so wrong. Archibald was the new leader of the nation, two of her colleagues were dead, and the rest had betrayed her, leaving her alone to fix the overwhelming mess. It was agonising to think that her once-righteous organisation, who fought for what was just, was now nothing more than a tainted memory.
She turned and walked down the spiral staircase, her feet dragging on the metal. Nikolai had informed her that Archie was safe and well in Government House, an impenetrable fortress. She'd initially had her doubts, but hacking her way into the government's system had proven the information to be accurate.
Ren walked across to her desk and slumped into the chair. She was trapped, unable to think of her next move. White Shadow's combined efforts weren't enough to end the president's life, so she knew she'd be unable to complete this mission alone. She put her headset back into her ear and traced her fingers along her wrist comm.
Seconds later, her friend answered the call. “Ren,” Skye said, the surprise in his voice evident.
Ren paused, uncertain how to begin the conversation. “How are you?” she asked flatly, unable to mask her frustration that he abandoned their group.
“We're fine. How are you?”
She stared up at her monitors. One of them showed an interview with one of the president's staff members, while another was an online video posted by a local Athenian, expressing concern for his nation after witnessing an attack outside the convention centre. “Terrible. Tango's and Echo's bodies have been claimed by the Alexan embassy. Obviously I can't claim them without the authorities asking questions, so they'll probably just cremate them like they did with Foxtrot.”
Skye fell silent. He regretted leaving the remains of his friends behind, but he knew there was no other option at the time. “Have you found any new information about the president?” he asked, changing the subject.
“No. He's in Government House, and there's no way for me to get in there alone. I spent most of yesterday studying the layout.”
“I could imagine. Why don't you join us here instead?”
“I'm not leaving. I want Archie dead, Skye. If you and Sierra were here, we could storm Government House together.”
Skye sighed. “Ren, none of us are able to get inside that building. It's not worth attempting.”
“The media's also reporting an attack outside the convention centre,” Ren added.
“That makes sense. There were too many people and journalists around to cover it up.”
“Which means it probably won't be long until we're all enemies of the state. Or the Union.”
“Nikolai won't allow it. You and I are safe.”
“Are we?” Ren mocked. “Don't forget what happened to you in Shangwu. Nikolai might not have as much power as he claims.”
Skye said nothing. He listened to her words, but was unsure what he could say in this moment. The two both had their priorities, neither of them willing to compromise on their decision.
Ren turned around and observed the quiet and vacant warehouse. Now that she was alone, her base began to feel like a prison. The depressing steel walls seemed to be closing in on her more and more with every passing hour. “I can't believe you left.”
“I had to. We need to find the Tianzu before they kill us all. I know you want to find Archie, but maybe it's time to accept that it might never happen. Nikolai planned everything from the beginning. It's over, Ren.” The words were hard to admit aloud.
“Are you having fun yet?” she asked bitterly. “Isn't that why you left; because you love the thrill of pursuing Nikolai?”
Again, Skye said nothing. He made no attempt to deny the accusation. While there was truth to her words, it was not the time to have the discussion. “Ren, I have to go. We're trying to locate the Tianzu right now.”
Ren closed the video feed on her monitor and shook her head. “Goodbye, Skye.” She pulled the headset out of her ear and tossed it behind her. She focussed her attention back to the screen in front of her and tried to push the feeling of betrayal from her mind.
She typed several commands into her computer as she attempted to hack her way back into the president's itinerary. She only hoped the old man was foolish enough to make a public appearance, as it might just give her the opportunity she needed to put an end to his life. But, knowing Nikolai, Archie wouldn't be scheduling any such events in the foreseeable future. Or ever, for that matter.
Ren buried her head in her hands. What am I doing?
The situation was impossible, it seemed.
She slammed her fist down on her desk, further damaging the already splintered wood.
“You can give up if you want, Skye,” she said to herself, “but I'm not stopping until Archie's lying in his office, dead.”
Ren pounded her fingers into the screen and resumed her desperate search for a solution.
“You were there, Skye. You saw what happened that day.” Her eyes began to water. “You saw what humans are capable of.”
She stared at the commands on her screen. It was the first of several firewalls the government used, and always the easiest to break through.
“How could you possibly forget that day and tell me to accept that Archie will go on living?”
She entered the next screen. Ren had to type quickly—she only had mere seconds before the system would lock her out, as it almost always did.
A tear fell down her cheek. “There were children there, Skye.”
Her fingers moved across the keys with blinding speed. The system was sophisticated; it denied access to any automated hacking. The only method that would work would be to manually log in; Ren's specialty.
The monitor turned black for a brief moment before returning to the original command screen. She had been locked out.
Ren growled and grabbed whatever loose item she could find on her desk. She threw it against the wall, sending shards of plastic across the room. She had only successfully found her way inside the system a handful of times. No amount of practise seemed to matter when it came to hacking a system that was constantly evolving.
She stood up and paced the warehouse restlessly, which was now smaller than ever. Ren's eyes burned with fatigue.
“What am I supposed to do?” her voice croaked.
She stopped walking and lowered herself to the floor, staring up at the skylights above. She lay still for several minutes, giving her mind and body the brief rest it needed while she regained control of her breathing.
“I'm not giving up, Skye. I'll found a way to end Archie's life ...” She sat up and glared at her blank surroundings. “... even if it kills me.”
Twenty
“A traditional Shizuno breakfast would make a wonderful start to the day, don't you think?” Nikolai asked, looking in the direction of Juliet and Romeo. They sat on the ground, nursing their morning coffee. “My treat, of course,” he added with a grin.
Tahlia appeared, startling the room. “Nikolai, they're here,” she said.
Juliet looked up, suddenly feeling hopeful. “Skye's here?”
“No; the Tianzu. Two of them. They've just arrived.”
Nikolai smiled and rose from the floor. “At long last! And whom do you speak of? Is it Kai and Hana? Daye?”
Tahlia shook her head. “The man and boy. The ones who came to Athenia and killed their friend.” She pointed to Juliet and Romeo.
Juliet frowned. “His name is Foxtrot.”
Nikolai's smile widened. “Even better. Killing them will surely gain me some favour with Skye and Ren.” He walked across to the window and looked into the distance. “Where are they? How far?”
Tahlia pointed north, away from the window. “A few kilometres away.”
Nikolai clasped his
hands together. It was the moment he'd been waiting for. “The time has come then. Let us finally begin the process of eliminating the Tianzu once and for all.” He turned and placed his hands on Tahlia's shoulders. “Kill them for me, would you?”
Tahlia stared back at him, an eyebrow raised. “You want me to go? Alone?”
“Of course. You're my primary assassin, and I'm certain that you're more than capable of taking them out.”
Tahlia looked down at Juliet and Romeo, but neither of them said a word. “But ... why can't you come with me?”
“Oh, it's not my place, I'm afraid,” Nikolai admitted. “And, as I said, I'll happily put my faith in your ability to succeed.”
Tahlia gritted her teeth, annoyed by her leader's laziness. “But Marion's out there too. I can sense her. And the others from White Shadow. What if—”
“I sense them too. But they're south of here. I don't imagine they'll pose much of a threat to you at this stage.”
The woman in black put her hands on her hips, unimpressed by her orders. “Fine,” she spat, and vanished from the room.
“Wait!” Nikolai gasped. “I was going to remind her to not kill anyone in public view.” He turned and sat back at the table with Juliet and Romeo. “Oh well. Now, shall we order that breakfast?”
Juliet looked at him, astonished. “How can you possibly want to order breakfast? You just told her to go and kill the Tianzu while you stay here and eat. What kind of leader are you?”
Nikolai threw his head back and laughed. “You are a welcome change for Black Dawn, Jacinta. You're not so subservient as to bore me to death like Sabina and Aurelius were, but nor are you overly defiant as those three Tianzu were. And you, Romeo, have hardly uttered a word all morning. Tell me what's on your mind.”
The young man snapped out of his trance and looked up. “I'm fine.”
“Still perplexed from our discussion yesterday, are we?” Well, fear not, my boy. I can sense that you are ambitious, and ambition can change one's life overnight.”
“No, I'm fine.”
“What will you do if Tahlia's killed?” Juliet asked sarcastically.
Nikolai shrugged. “I'd rather her not die, but I also don't hold her life in any regard whatsoever. She's indeed strong, but also equally reckless.”
Juliet glared back at him with burning eyes. “If you don't hold her life in any regard, does that mean you feel the same about us?”
Nikolai smiled. “Easy now, young one. Don't assume that I'm hoping she'll be killed by the Tianzu. She's a far greater tracker than I, and I need her abilities if I'm to eliminate them. Alternatively, if I train the two of you properly, you may just be able to take her place.”
Juliet scoffed at the odd remark. “Forget it. I'm not fighting for you. I'm only here because you'll kill me if I leave.”
“Fair enough,” he laughed. “Perhaps over time you'll join me on the quest for glory. But returning to your original question, yes, sending Tahlia into battle on her own poses several risks. However, I need to use to my advantage the fact that there are only two Tianzu in the city. If there was an army of them, I'd dare not issue such an order. Divide and conquer, as they say.”
Juliet lost interest and turned away from the conversation, not convinced by his selfish military tactics.
Nikolai glanced down at his comm. “It's early in Athenia. I wonder if that old fool is awake and running my country properly.” He tapped the screen and placed a call to his puppet leader.
Juliet looked across to Romeo. “We need to leave,” she said, her voice low.
He didn't look up. Instead, he kept his gaze down on the table, saying nothing.
“Archibald, are you awake?” Nikolai's voice boomed.
“Of course I am. What can I do for you?”
“I'm calling to see if you've imposed my 9:00 PM curfew as of yet.”
An audible groan was heard on the other end of the conversation. “I can't speak right now. I'm in a meeting with the minister of defence.”
“Ah, Ms Li. The woman who ordered the military to kill Skye. Send her my regards,” he joked.
“I have to go.”
“Is Night with you?”
“Yes, he's here. I need to end the call now.”
“Patience, Your Excellency. You work for me now. You'll end the call when I'm ready. Excuse yourself from Xu and find a private spot to talk.”
Archibald grunted. Nikolai heard him offer a muffled apology to Li Xu and explained that he'd return in a moment. “What do you want, Sweeney?”
“That's Dr Sweeney!” Nikolai thundered, correcting the old man. “Don't start speaking down to me now that I'm in another country. You're a coward and a disgusting excuse for a human being, and you'll do exactly as I say if you wish to leave behind a lasting legacy of any merit. Furthermore, don't forget that Night is under strict orders to take control of your body the moment you betray me. If I were you, I would show some respect to the man who funded your political campaign.”
Archie paused as he regained his composure. Running a country was a challenging prospect, and Nikolai's constant pestering only further hindered his reign. “My apologies. What did you wish to discuss, Nikolai?”
“My curfew. Have you imposed it yet?”
“No. Not yet.”
Nikolai sighed with dissatisfaction. “And just why on earth not? I told you, this is your first priority and act as president.”
“Nikolai, it's not that simple. I can't impose a new law in two days.”
He let out a sarcastic laugh. “Lies, Archibald. Lies, I say! You are the autocrat of the nation. You may introduce any law you see fit, so put yourself to work. The sooner the curfew is in place, the sooner I can start cleansing my city of the evening scum.”
Archibald winced with frustration. “Fine, I'll have the law introduced as soon as I can. But for now I have to resume my meeting with the minister. I think she's already suspicious of Night and myself.”
“Obviously,” Nikolai admitted. “Goodbye for now,” he said, ending the call. He looked down and saw the horrified look on Juliet's face. “Don't look at me like that. My words are harsh, yes, but believe me when I say that my treatment of Archibald Denning is just.”
Juliet's jaw dropped. “Your treatment of him is just? I've never heard anyone spoken to like that in my life.”
Nikolai sat back down and smiled. “And rightfully so. But clearly you've never met this man. Did Ren not inform you of what he did to Athenia last year?”
“She did, but that's irrelevant.”
Nikolai threw his hands up dramatically. “Irrelevant? My child, words could not describe the atrocities that Archibald has committed, and no number of good deeds could possibly redeem him for his past actions.”
Juliet ignored him and looked away, not interested in continuing the debate.
Nikolai leaned across the table. “You shouldn't judge me, Jacinta. It was only a matter of days ago that you were helping Ren find this man.”
Juliet rolled her eyes. “Well, maybe he doesn't deserve to die. Maybe he has redeemed himself, and you should give him a second chance.”
Nikolai's face contorted. “A second chance for Denning?” He threw his head back and began to laugh hysterically. “I thank you for the suggestion, but I think I'll pass. It sounds as though you've been spending too much time with that fool Daye.”
Juliet's eyes widened. She stared down at the table and remained silent, not wanting to implicate Daye any further. During the last week, Daye was the only one she felt truly safe around.
Nikolai picked the menu up from the table and resumed examining it. “Now, I believe it is time for that breakfast.”
Twenty-one
Skye led the way, walking north through the streets of Nishihama. Without his mask, he was much more inconspicuous, and appeared to be an everyday civilian. Charlie and Delta followed closely behind, all three of them on high alert.
“I'm starting to understand why you had so much troubl
e finding any of them,” Skye said from the front. “We've been walking for over an hour and found nothing.”
“It's been a frustrating three months,” Charlie admitted. “To know that the boy is out there somewhere is hard to deal with.”
They walked on, enduring the endless summer heat. Skye could only wonder how Charlie and Delta were able to keep themselves sane during their stay in Shizudera. The thought of searching for a ghost of an enemy was not an inviting one.
“We've searched the entire city several times over,” Delta said. “I've sensed them a few times before, but not often. Once near Denba, once near Ryubari, and once just north of the castle. We think they must be on the move.”
Skye stared up at the bright sun. “We need a proper plan. It's broad daylight. Even if we find them, I don't know what we can do to kill them discreetly.”
Charlie nodded. “If we're seen, the military might be called in to intervene.”
Skye shuddered at the memory of the soldiers shooting at him in the city. In the event the military became involved, their chances of survival would greatly diminish.
“I can sense Nikolai,” Delta suddenly said.
Skye stopped walking and spun around. “Where? Where is he?”
She closed her eyes. “We're walking straight toward him. I don't think he's moving. He's not alone either.” She took in a deep breath and stretched her mind further outwards. “Juliet's with him, and someone I've never sensed before.”
“It must be Romeo. Is Tahlia with him?”
“No, I can't sense her at all.”
“Let's keep moving,” Charlie urged. “Keep us posted if you detect anyone else.”
Thirty minutes later, the trio walked out of a long shopping arcade and arrived at the Denba Canal, crossing the large pedestrian bridge. It was filled with tourists taking photos of the countless colourful signboards around them.
Delta stopped walking and stared up at a towering luxury hotel to her left. “Nikolai's up there.”
Skye laughed, amazed that they were able to find Black Dawn so quickly. “I spent so long looking for him back in Athenia. And now here he is, mere metres away from me.”
Eternity's War (Books 1-3) (Eternity's War Boxsets) Page 54
