by C. C. Monö
Axel shuffled his feet in silence for a while. His demeanour began to change. For a moment, all he did was stare at the ground, poking at a dark spot with his shoe. Then he began to mumble something.
Damn it. The observer hesitated, then took a small step towards the men. Any closer and they would notice him.
“…and for the past three months, my dad has been pressuring me to apply,” he heard Axel whisper. “It’s driving me crazy. We can’t have a single conversation without him bringing it up. His argument is always the same; I can’t make any difference in the world without power, and the only way to get any real power is by becoming an E.K.A. leader.”
“Maybe he’s right, Axel?”
“Or maybe he’s a bloody moron.”
CHAPTER 3
PRESENT MOMENT
Axel felt empty inside, as if someone had sucked his brain out of his head. It was an awful feeling. At one point, he almost expected to hear an echo between his ears every time he took a breath.
I need to think, not panic, he reminded himself, although there were parts of him that found this strategy difficult to accept. If there was ever a moment to panic, it was now.
“You look pale, Mr Hallman,” Nicole said, sounding more amused than concerned.
Why me, Axel pondered with despair. There must be thousands of people who are better qualified than I am; people who want to become leaders.
“Are you sure about this?” he asked with a whisper.
“Most definitely, sir.” Nicole said, laughing, before tilting her head. “Do you want a glass of water?”
“Yes, please.” Axel watched with unease while Nicole picked the right cupboard without hesitation, taking a glass from the lower shelf. She knows everything about me, he thought with dread. They must have studied me for months, even broken into my home, so how in the world did they miss my true feelings about leadership? “I don’t understand,” he croaked. “I thought I just did the first four steps of the application process.”
“No, sir,” Nicole replied and walked over to the sink. “You did them all.”
“I thought I’d failed.”
“Well, you didn’t,” Nicole affirmed with a merry voice, handing him a glass of cold water. “You’re one of the twelve, and we’re all waiting for you at the Academy.”
Axel emptied his glass in one go. The cold liquid washed though his system, and his mind began to clear. There was but one person in the world who could help him right now. “I need to call someone,” he said, bolting out of the chair, still holding his glass.
With surprising speed and strength, Nicole’s hand shot out and grabbed him by the wrist. Her smile had vanished.
“Mr Hallman, your parents and sister are being informed as we speak. You can call them later.”
“I’m not calling my parents.”
“Should I remind you, sir, that you’ve signed form AG14, stating that, if accepted, you’ll refrain from contacting or communicating with any form of media until after graduation?”
Axel shook his head to the point where he began to resemble an aspen leaf in a storm. “No, no, no. I’m not calling the media! I’m calling Mikael!”
Nicole released her grip. “Ah, your friend,” she said, taking his empty glass from his hand. “Well, you can rest assured that anyone who needs to know about this change of yours will be informed, and this includes your friend. He’s busy filling out the relevant forms at the moment, so you can call him from the airport.”
“He’s filling out forms?”
“Yes, regarding confidentiality. He’s your closest friend, is he not?”
“Yes, but…”
“And you don’t have any other friends, do you?”
“What do you mean? Of course I have other friends!”
“Hmm, let me rephrase, sir. Other than Mr Mikael Andersson, do you have any close friends?”
“Not as close as Mikael, but I do have other friends,” Axel said, feeling a strange need to defend himself.
“Then you have nothing to fear, Mr Hallman. With the exception of your immediate family and Mr Andersson, no one will know the truth until you graduate. In a few hours, we’ll spread the news that you have taken on a job abroad as a volunteer for a small NGO. You can trust us, Mr Hallman. We’ve done this for years and have never failed.” Nicole took a sip of her tea, watching him over the rim of her cup. “Providing you follow our rules, you and your family will be protected.”
Axel stood by the kitchen door, his arms hanging loosely by his side. The tiny boost of energy he’d felt a minute ago escaped him, leaving nothing but a sense of resignation. And so it begins, he thought. My life is over.
From a pocket inside her suit jacket, Nicole pulled out a few papers. “Speaking of rules, I need a signature here.” She held out the bottom page along with a pen.
“What is it?”
“Oh, this is just a formality. We need a signed consent stating that, from now on, you’ll tell no one, not even your friends and family, about what you see or do at the Eagle King’s Academy.” Nicole pointed at a dotted line. “You just sign there.”
“Shouldn’t I read it first?”
Nicole laughed. “You should, sir, but I’m afraid we don’t have the time. We’ve wasted it on small talk.”
“But I think I should read the document first.”
“Why? You read all the security documents when you applied, didn’t you?”
“Yes.”
Okay, so that wasn’t true. Axel had just read a couple of documents in the beginning of the application process. There had been so many, and since he couldn’t imagine the Academy accepting him, it had seemed like such a waste of time to read them all.
“Then you must know we demand a signed contract,” Nicole continued, her face now grave. “Really sir, we don’t have time for this.”
Frustrated, Axel grabbed the document. What choice do I have, he thought, signing the damn thing. He handed it all back to her, and she accepted it with a nod.
“Thank you, Mr Hallman. Now I should inform you that if you break this contract, whether by intention or not, you will be kicked out of the Academy and taken to court.”
“What?”
“There we will do our very best to ensure that you are jailed as well as economically ruined for the rest of your life.”
Axel began to sweat. Was she serious? Could they even do that?
“The Academy does not take lightly on breached agreements,” Nicole continued, putting her cup in the sink. “Perhaps next time, you’ll be a little more persistent when someone hands you a contract.”
Axel felt his cheeks begin to blush. He should have known better. His father always said that a smart man “checks his receipts and never signs a document he hasn’t read”.
“You said there was no time,” he protested.
“Never let anyone pressure you into making bad decisions, Mr Hallman. As a global leader, you decide if there’s time or not. There can be no excuses. You are the one who’ll face the consequences of your actions.” She paused, giving him a tiny smile before leaning forward and placing a hand on his shoulder. “I want you to remember something, Mr Hallman,” she whispered. “At the Academy you’re always evaluated. Even when you least expect it.”
CHAPTER 4
Nicole wore an expression of sly amusement. “Any questions?”
“Yes,” Axel said, “I have about a million of them.” But where would he begin?
“Anything about confidentiality?”
Axel thought for a moment. “What about my family?”
“They’re being informed at this very moment. All you need to focus on right now is packing your bag. I’ve a packing list. You’ll be wise to follow it.”
Nicole retrieved a small envelope from her pocket and handed it to him. It was a black envelope with the well-known Academy logo on the front; a golden eagle with its wings spread and a crown on its head. It contained a handwritten gold card.
Dear Mr Axel Hallman
,
Congratulations! We are delighted to have you join us as a student at the Eagle King’s Academy. You are advised to bring the following:
- Personal items such as photos or jewellery
- Passport
We look forward to meeting you soon.
Yours sincerely,
Mr Henry Milton, Concierge Manager
Axel read the note twice.
“Is this a joke?”
“No, sir. Why would you think that?”
“Well… It says I should bring ‘personal items’.”
“That’s an option, sir. The passport, however, is a requirement.”
Axel glanced around the room. He couldn’t think of anything to bring except the book he was reading and his favourite sneakers, if you could call them “personal”. He read the note again.
“No toothbrush?”
“No need, sir.”
“What about trousers? Shoes? Sweatshirts?”
“No.”
He grinned. “Underwear?”
Nicole smiled and turned for the door.
“No, sir.”
“Then where in the world are we going?”
“You’ll know soon enough.”
Axel shook his head. “It better be a warm place if we’re going to be walking around butt naked,” he mumbled.
Nicole laughed but chose not to answer.
“Wait, are we coming back here?” Axel asked, hurrying after her.
“No.”
“So who’s going to water my plants and feed my fish?”
“No need to worry about it, sir. We have it all organised. We’ll take care of your apartment, including your plants, fish and any expenses until you decide what you want to do with it all. There’s no rush. Your only focus should be on graduating from the Academy. As I’m sure you already know, failure is not an option.”
* * *
Large snowflakes fell from the dark sky, heading aimlessly for the car park below. At the edge of the parking lot, hidden among shadows and shrubs, stood a weathered-face man in his late-thirties. His piercing blue eyes scanned the surroundings like an eagle searching for prey. The tiny scar above his right eye itched under the black knitted hat. He ignored it, just as he ignored the fact that his shoulder-length hair, light brown with streaks of grey in it, clung wet to his neck.
The man rubbed his frozen hands together while keeping a trained eye on the black Volvo parked outside the entrance of the building. He tried to relax, embracing the cold as if it was a friend rather than an enemy. Many years ago, during his training, he had a sergeant who would argue that the idea of being cold was a very human concept. “Animals just accept the world as it is,” he had said, “cold or hot, comfortable or not, they accept it. A true soldier must learn this skill; to embrace the environment he works in. You don’t want two enemies, do you?”
For almost an hour the observer stood motionless, letting the heavy snowflakes settle on his head and shoulders. When Nicole finally exited the building, Axel was at her side, a backpack over his shoulder. She whispered something to him and he nodded. The observer knew what she was saying, “Don’t mention the Academy or anything connected to it while we travel.”
The driver of the black vehicle opened the rear door and Nicole slid in. Axel placed his backpack in the trunk and joined her.
A smile found its way to the observer’s lips. He waited until the car began to move, then pulled out his phone and dialled a secret number.
It rang twice, then:
“Yes.”
Thor stepped out onto the parking lot.
“We’ve got him, sir,” he said in his calm, husky voice, forming a tiny cloud with his warm breath. “Everything went as planned. Phase one is now complete.”
CHAPTER 5
They rode in silence. Nicole kept herself busy with her smartphone, leaving Axel to himself. He gazed out the window, feeling oddly calm as he watched the snow-covered city pass by. He suspected it was the warmth of the car and the humming of the engine that lulled him into this false sense of serenity.
His right pocket began to vibrate. He pulled out his buzzing phone, only to see it was his father, the last person on earth he wanted to talk to right now. No doubt excited at the prospect of having an E.K.A. leader for a son, he was probably calling to offer some last-minute advice. “Don’t embarrass me, son”, or “make sure you graduate!”
Damn you, Axel thought, and turned back to the window. This is your fault. He let the call go to voicemail, knowing it would annoy his father. That gave him a bit of pleasure.
It didn’t take long before the phone began to buzz again, but this time it was Mikael.
“…rue?” came his friend’s excited voice.
“Excuse me?”
“I said, is it true? Have you been accepted?”
“So it seems.”
“I can’t believe it! You’re one of the twelve!” Mikael let out a roaring laugh, which Axel imagined left his little moustache bouncing up and down like a cowboy on a bucking horse. “Shit!” he cried. “You’re going to be famous!”
“I guess.” Axel cringed.
“This guy knocked on my door about an hour ago,” Mikael continued, “all polite and formal. He said the Academy had accepted you. You! I couldn’t believe it. I thought he was lying until he pulled out a big pile of security documents that I had to sign.” He laughed again. “Man, this is surreal! Do you know where you’re going?”
“No, not yet.”
It was one of the Academy’s many well-known eccentricities: to move their operation from one location to another every third year. That way they could keep their students anonymous and protected during their studies.
Mikael paused, as if just now realising his friend’s predicament. “I know this isn’t what you wanted, Axel, but it is an amazing opportunity. You understand that, don’t you? There are people who would kill to be in your shoes. You’re incredibly lucky.”
Axel didn’t feel lucky. Not at all! “Listen, Micke,” he said, feeling a great urge to end the call, “I need to go.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I’ll call you when I get a chance.”
There was a momentary but uncomfortable silence.
“Man, this is so unfair.” Micke sighed with genuine envy. “And worst of all, you don’t even realise it.”
The car came to a stop outside the Royal Dramatic Theatre in central Stockholm. Axel looked out the window and then turned to Nicole. He hadn’t expected this.
“Have you set up the Academy here?” he asked, perplexed.
“Of course not, Mr Hallman.” She laughed. “I just want to show you something.” She grabbed her coat and glanced at her gold Rolex. “Wait here,” Nicole snapped at the driver, “we’ll be back in thirty minutes.”
Without expecting a reply, she opened her door and, in one fluid motion, slid out. A cold, whirling wind blew into the car, bringing with it an army of wet snowflakes. Axel winced and was quick to pull on his jacket. With hunched-up shoulders, and a far less graceful exit, he followed Nicole out into the early morning darkness.
“I did a little research before picking you up,” she explained with a cheerful manner while they trudged up the snowy staircase towards the main entrance. “This is an art nouveau building, designed by Fredrik Liljekvist, and opened to the public in 1908. I love the exterior design, the statues, the gold…”
Nicole continued to give him facts about the building as they ascended, but Axel wasn’t listening. While the snow spun around them, Axel’s mind wandered to more pressing matters.
He knew he had many good qualities. He was well-educated, well-travelled, and a good conversationalist when he wanted to be. As the child of a diplomat, he knew how to behave among people of all ages, cultures, and classes, and his mother had always said he had integrity.
Of course, none of this was enough to get him into the Academy; not by a long shot. To become an E.K.A. student, you had to be special, and the only thin
g special that Axel had done was Talk Thirteen. But somehow that didn’t seem enough.
Nicole dusted the snow off her coat. They had come to a stop in front of a large wooden door with glass windows. She leaned forward and rubbed some of the frost off the glass. “All right, Mr Hallman,” she said and gave him a little wink, “let’s see if anyone’s home.”
CHAPTER 6
Nicole peeked in and knocked. It took a few seconds before a man, bent by age and hard labour, came shuffling out of the dark with a flashlight in his hand. He pressed his wrinkled face against the glass door and gave Nicole a suspicious look. Then, with a visible sigh, he opened the door and waved them into a large, marble-cladded room with gold embellishments.
The old man scuffled past his visitors, muttering as he went. After a few steps he beckoned them to follow with a sloppy hand gesture. Nicole pursed her lips but didn’t say anything. They began a sluggish procession up some broad stairs and through dark corridors until they reached an old, wooden door.
“Here,” the old man said, puffing and panting as he raised a finger and waved it at Nicole. With narrow eyes and a stern expression, he spat out a few sentences in Swedish. When he was done, he turned and slouched off into the darkness.
Nicole frowned and turned to Axel. “Would you mind translating that for me?”
Despite the situation, Axel smiled.
“He said we have thirty minutes at our disposal. After that he’ll throw us out.”
“A feisty old fellow, is he?”
“You could say that. He also told us not to do anything…dirty in there.”
“Dirty?”
“Yes, you know, ‘dirty’.”
“Oh…” For a couple of seconds Nicole seemed stunned. Then she filled the hallway with warm laughter. “What a charming, well-mannered, and perverted old gentleman,” she said. “I’m sure he’s a favourite among the ladies.” She shook her head and opened the door with a grin. “I guess we better hurry then, Mr Hallman. We have twenty-nine minutes left, which is short, even if we skip the sexual bits.” She laughed. “After you.”