“That’s an understatement, as things turned out.”
“Maybe. But they aren’t wrong. We should have paid the money and gotten it done the first time correctly.”
An elderly woman in her seventies asked, “What else?” She was smartly attired and quite attractive for her age. It was rumored that she never sought out “age appropriate” relationships; instead, she had a stable of young men, hard-bodied and willing to please, with whom she dallied away her free time. And, as wealthy as she was, she had a lot of free time.
“The hiring of St. James was risky. While it’s true that his company would have been my first choice too, Adam and his cabal of genius nerds weren’t a good fit. They would have inquired too deeply and likely discover too much while fashioning the solution to our tech needs.”
“They would never know what any of it meant, it’s encrypted, and any breach of the contract term not to copy, read or transcribe in any way its contents would make them liable for massive damages.”
“Then the new contract is with the St. James Mindwerks of New York City?”
“Of course. Signed by Kalindra Wilson herself. Approved by Adam St. James.”
“The copy I have is with St. James Mindwerks (Panama), Ltd. Did this run through our lawyers or accountants?”
“Yes. Quickly though. Wilson said the offer was on the table for twenty-four hours, then rescinded. Seems St. James is still pissy about our last negotiation.”
“News flash, gentlemen and ladies, the company is a month old, well capitalized, but not in relation to the value of the data lost and is bulletproof. If St. James reneges on his contractual commitment, he’ll deny he has the data, and we can sue him for whatever is left over in the kitty. My guess is it will be drained of most of the capital to pay his anonymous computer nerds. No doubt St. James already has everything in the air-gapped system, and now will be looking for our thief. But he’s going to figure out sooner or later who we all are and what we are doing. He will start with our accountant and lawyers, then start following the ‘money spent’ path, leading to countries with bank secrecy laws. His Mainframe will do that. Sorry gents, but you fucked up and made unpardonable mistakes. Enjoy your sherry; it’s your last.”
Within minutes the men in the room were dead, but not the women.
“Ladies, the cleaners are on their way. I want you to dismiss the remaining six; they had no part in this debacle. Quite the opposite. They are to be sent out on assignments while we find a new suitable set of replacements.”
A woman in her sixties said, “Phillipe was not wrong. Even if St. James finds the data, he won’t be able to decrypt it or make any connections. We alone have the keys. And they are all paper.”
“St. James can decrypt anything he wants. Let’s hope he doesn’t want to in this case. I want all teams after him recalled immediately. I want them back on their leashes immediately. Any rogues taking action alone will be eliminated if my orders are disobeyed. Make sure the Germans know what’s at stake. I trust them; any rumors are to be quashed immediately.”
“Let St. James do his work, then we will end him, his cabal and his company. And I wish to meet him. I understand he’s a unique creature among unique creatures.”
“He’s in the wind.”
“Family?”
“Likewise.”
“We shall have to find someone or something he values enough to come out of hiding. Have we searched his usual holes?”
“All.”
“That nuthouse he was at?”
“Gone. Our men failed to catch the woman.”
“Who is she?”
“Patsy Murray. From Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.”
“She meaningful?”
“We think so. She moved in with him.”
“And?”
“She’s a highly regarded genealogist from a top firm. She could be trouble.”
“Let’s find her then.”
“In the wind. Probably left with St. James when we failed to kidnap her.”
“What happened?”
“Not sure. The team sent has ghosted. It seems they understand the penalty for failure at a high level.”
“Who’s left?”
“Kalindra Wilson and her boyfriend. Might be her husband; not clear.”
“And?”
“Going to be very messy and difficult. They’re inside the Mindwerks Warehouse, but where exactly, we don’t know. And there are more tunnels and escape routes, all state of the art than we can count.”
“Any ideas?”
“The best way is through Kalindra, but not to attack her. Not directly, anyway.”
“Is it possible?”
“I think so, but it might take some time. Are you going to meet with him?”
“Of course. I wish to see him again and see how much he’s changed.”
“You know him?”
“Of course, but it’s been ages. We used to be lovers. He was quite yummy then. I bet he’s matured like a fine wine with age.”
***
“You wanted to see me,” said Adam. “I’m here. What’s on your mind?”
“Everything,” said Eene. “I have already told my sisters, and Cia agrees, that whatever we need to do to restore your faith in us is what we are willing to do. Anything. We were silent when we shouldn’t have been, broke our promise to you and substituted our judgment for yours. A month ago, that was fine. Then we all agreed to a new experiment, which I am happy with as is Cia, but we fucked up. We’re sorry. We are willing to keep up this arrangement. We like it. It’s simpler and more fulfilling than our lives before. We love you and like being around you full time, even if there is no funny business involved. Our work is much better; we’d like to stay. The others can leave if they want, and we’ll leave too if you ask us to. We hope you won’t.”
“You two can stay. Sex has zero to do with this, let’s be clear. If we go there, I’ll be happy, but isn’t part of the deal. If you stay, the rules we had still govern. Like it or not, we will do things my way. I will consult with you, but I’m not stupid. I don’t have your skills; in the end, whether you understand or agree with me or not, there is only one CEO. That’s me. Do we agree?”
Both ladies agreed readily.
“Then there were four,” said Adam. “What do you want?”
Alana, Beata, and JoJo said, “We want to stay, but not like them. We prefer the old way. Independent contractors; free agents.”
To everyone’s surprise, Adam agreed. “But for now, you leave. If I need you in the future, I’ll contact you. The yacht is prepped and ready to go.”
“Why can’t we stay? We can still help. You need our skills.”
“Yes, but I don’t need you. But, if I do, I’ll call. All prior arrangements are off. You’re on your own now.”
“It’s not fair,” said Alana, JoJo nodding her head. “How will we live?”
“You’re loaded. But I’ll top it up with a farewell card and twenty-five million dollars. The ladies who stay get fifty million for loyalty and understanding what went wrong. You three have the biggest egos and want things your way. Outside of this Island, sure. On this Island, no. You’re all three amazing and incredible in everything you do. But this Island, this project is not a democracy; it is not a partnership of equals. There is no place for you here.”
“That’s very harsh and not fair,” said Beata. “After all we’ve been through together, I’d think you’d be more reasonable.”
“You mean you do what you want because you want to do it. You have money, and you have anonymity. What else can I do for you? Except do as you wish. I won’t, and that’s final.”
“When do we have to decide?”
“Now would be good. Longer only means you’ll look for loopholes and ways to circumvent the rules. That means I can’t trust you. Not really.”
He turned to Eene and Cia. “And this means no contact with them while you are here and fo
r as long as we work together. You can stay or leave. Up to you. Are we clear?”
They nodded yes. They had always been together, the four. This would not be easy. “We get special privileges with you. We’ve never been away from JoJo and Beata.”
“Whatever you want. Just name it.”
“We’ll talk later about that.”
The three ladies asked, “What if we leave and want to come back?”
“Feel free to call. Always happy to hear your voices, though association with me is currently not recommended.”
“What if …?”
“No more. You’re gone. It’s clear this is not the life that will make you happy.”
“Nor will it for Eene and Cia. They’ll leave too, eventually.”
“And when that day comes, we will all be sad. Me, the saddest. I’ve already lost Hecate. I have little more of value left to lose. Our parting will be very difficult and painful. But this is what I expect, and I will bear the pain.”
“As you wish. When you call, we may not be available.”
“I have fifteen hundred engineers in New York City. Not as good as you, but I’ll try to get by. Threats like that are not going to get through to me. And, to be honest, they’re beneath you.”
“Sorry. Not the response I was expecting. I thought the experiment was just that. An experiment.”
“It was. But while it was an experiment, you still saw fit to break the agreement. You can’t decide to agree to something with me, then change it because you want to. What if I agreed never to reveal your identities, then did?”
“Not the same.”
“Agreed for you. But not for me.”
Adam turned to Patsy, who had said nothing. She didn’t like this conversation nor the departure of Hecate.
“And you.”
“I’ll stay. I’m too scared to leave; I don’t mind the rules as long as you understand that when this is over, I may go too. I don’t think I like your world very much. But you need me, and I need you for now. And being in this place for however much time it takes to be free from the possibility of dying is no burden. As I said, I like your rules. I feel safe and free. Odd I know, but this is the happiest I’ve been in all my life. I’ll miss the ladies; I already miss Hecate.”
“Me too. But we can’t always choose what comes out of these situations. And my family will be arriving soon. There will be kids and dogs and grownups, not all of whom like me very much. Misti is invited; not sure she’ll come. If she’s smart, she will. But that will be very unpleasant for me.”
***
The six acolytes of the Society were quickly dismissed and told to prepare for a trip abroad. None would ascend soon or ever to the ranks of the Soliti, but they were already mostly aware that they didn’t have the gravitas for the rank. None but one was a genealogist, though without family connections, and the rest were specialists in different disciplines: finance, computer technology, especially hacking, historians, symbologists and ancient languages. What they didn’t know, they could find, recruit or steal. They were well paid, had been taught the discipline of soundless obedience, and were otherwise predisposed to take and follow orders. These were men, not women, and they served at their Master’s pleasure.
When told to leave, they just stopped what they were doing and left. In the main conference room sprawled eight dead men and standing were three women. Though historically a boys’ club, that had changed when the One murdered her way to the top of the leadership hierarchy after a brief stint on the Eleven. Once she detected the weakness in the old men in charge, she acted swiftly to not only wrest control of the organization for herself but to eliminate the old guard as quickly as possible. But eliminating well respected front-line genealogists and replacing them with neophytes would never do. So, one by one, the old were replaced with well-credentialed but more pliable professionals. They, in turn, were replaced one by one with distinguished looking men who knew zero about genealogy and related topics. However, behind these actors were women who knew their stuff. At the top of the class, the three most talented, ruthless and experienced in their field took their place among the newly retired and completely useless front men. Within five years the Soliti were comprised of a group of men and women who carried out the wishes and designs of the One and the Council of Three.
The One was a woman of distinction and a traveler across time. In this life, and this Universe, she was fated to meet her old lover, Adam St. James again. In times past and lives uncounted she had been many things; in Adam’s original lifetime, but not hers, she was a great leader of a rebellion that almost succeeded. She had given herself to Adam only to be cut down in her prime for betraying him. She was no fool; she had played the odds and lost. But she was reborn, and reborn again. Now she had found a niche, a safe niche with few to oppose her, and she came to discover that her nemesis in this life was the one man she had once loved. It would be interesting to challenge him again, but should she?
She would much rather make him her pet and use him at night for lighter duty, but he would not be tamed. And he remained a computer genius stuck in this time of emerging geniuses. She withdrew all who were looking for him, all who would do him harm. She would draw him out at a time and place of her choosing. And he would come.
Though treacherous, vicious and cruel, she still had a soft spot for Adam. One of her children was his; a fact he did not know. She was with child when struck down; she would bear him a daughter while awaiting a new essence to inhabit in a new Universe. She had three daughters; they made up the Council of Three.
Two were no less lethal and without conscience than their mother, just junior to her in cunning, skill and wit. They were all in physical form but couldn’t fight like her, and mom thought it best not to teach them the ancient arts.
Earth weapons such as guns, poisons, knives and the like did not affect them. But a Sari blade, if one could be found, would end their lives quickly. Luckily in their many lifetimes together, except one, they hadn’t encountered the mythical blade.
None were known to exist on Earth, but there might be one yet to be found.
The situation was interesting. The One knew Adam, all about Adam, except where he was. And Adam knew what was necessary to bring her down again; he just didn’t know who she was or that she even still existed.
Chapter 19
The One and her daughters had lived all over the world in various in iterations of form and race for thousands of lifetimes. The children were of different ages and parentage; the youngest was named Darii. The three daughters could not have been any more different; the first two daughters were the product of what could only be described as rape by two rulers who captured her in two separate lifetimes and made her a slave.
Darii, by contrast, was a product of love, though her father wasn’t aware of her existence or that she had even been born. Mom and Dad had split well before the One was even aware that she was pregnant in a previous lifetime. She loved her mate in her own way; nonetheless, it ended badly. Adam had never stopped thinking of her, though he still stung from her betrayal. Adam understood why she had done what she did; he just couldn’t reconcile that she had done it to him.
For her part, the One had never said anything about Adam other than describing loving memories and had always told Darii the truth that her father never knew of her existence. From Darii’s standpoint, she had had multiple lifetimes to wonder and fantasize about how she would feel one day if permitted to meet her father.
He would hold her, kiss her and beg her to forgive him for never discovering the truth that she had been hidden away from him. He would find a way to be with her; she and her mother would reunite and always be happy together over billions of lifetimes. Is that what the One wanted too? Darii didn’t know. Her family was different, and in it, she was the outcast.
Her two sisters were outright psychopaths, though her mother was not. Her mom had mellowed over the many lifetimes and had, for the most part, giv
en up male company. She still pined, if that was the word, for the counterpart she betrayed so many eons ago. She was resolute that she wouldn’t have changed anything from that sad event; she had every right to want to live. She had placed a bet and lost.
She gathered her daughters at their large estate, the Ridings, just outside of London. Hanta, the eldest whose first life dated from Roman times, and whose exact parentage was unclear, was likely the result of a liaison with a future emperor; the One had been a favorite of Caligula who kept her in shackles and called for her day or night; she was often an unwilling invitee to his social gatherings. There she was overseen by Caligula; she was often forced to participate in Caligula’s most perverse excesses.
Hanta began her unthinkable sexual abuse at a tender age at the hands of Caligula and his consorts personally, while her mother was forced to watch. Hanta soon learned that cruelty was not the exclusive province of men. Men were predictable in their wickedness; women could be inventive, driven by jealousy or outright perversion. Times were not happy, and this pattern was experienced by Hanta many times as she followed her mother throughout history. She was never far away from her mother during Adam’s original lifetime and was one of the few who was devoted to Patrick Murphy O’Brien; she left to follow other diehards after her mother’s defeat and PMO’s death.
Hanta’s pathology was deeply psychotic but practiced and extremely cunning. The Ridings was divided into five parts; four buildings together anchored by the old Manor House and occupied solely by the One.
A fifth building was a cottage in a stand of firs toward the back of the property, well hidden from view. Each building had been excavated beneath the floor to create a basement and a deeper sub-basement. In the second tier of each were all the devices and instruments of torture the family had collected over the centuries. In Hanta’s basement were showers, vats and an incinerator for use after playtime was over. Neither Darii nor the One had such devices and used the space instead for old furniture and storage of sealed boxes of records.
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