by Ali Vali
“I waited outside the Palmer place today to see what their next move would be, but Merlin came out alone. It was odd so I followed her.”
“Taking your time won’t save you.”
“She spotted me and disarmed me. When I came to, my camera was gone and my phone was in pieces.”
“You fucking little idiot.” The whisper from earlier wasn’t Tanice. “Did you call me from wherever you were this morning?” He had to be sure.
“No.”
He had control of the company so he didn’t really need Vivien or Kai, or anyone else that once stood in his way, but loose ends had a way of wrapping around your neck if left alone and forgotten. His orders had been to get the job done as quietly as possible so as to not raise any alarms in the business and military worlds, and this development had the potential to derail that. “Get out of my sight.”
He sat at his desk and tried to calm his anger before he called in. “We may have a problem,” he said, once verification had been made.
“Problems so soon after reporting such good news? It makes me wonder if you were the right choice. Your sister might’ve been further along by now.”
“You can solve my problem with a kill shot,” he said, snapping a pen in half. His hand was covered in ink but it didn’t matter. “After that you can replace me, but you’ve been successful because of me.”
“Leaders have no need to gloat or self-promote. Finish what needs to be done, or you’ll lose more than my faith in you. When will you be operational?”
“In four days you’ll have what you need.”
“Then eliminate your problems and wait for my order to launch.”
“Yes, sir,” he said, but the line was dead. “I won’t go so quietly, old man.”
Chapter Twenty-nine
Kai anchored well away from Triton and set the security measures on board before diving into the inky water. She and Talia had fished in case someone was watching while Isla joined Edil’s people to prepare. Their radar showed plenty of coast guard and military ships still in the area, but that didn’t bother her.
Once the sun completely set she flicked off all their lights and swam to meet their team. The water against her skin felt good, as did her leg when she pressed the others for speed. Before too long the massive legs of Triton came into view, a large metal ornament lit up like a strange Christmas decoration completely out of place.
“We’re a go on your mark, Highness,” Edil said as she stopped beside her.
Kai opened a line with her mothers, knowing their top military personnel were listening in. “Are all the units in position?”
“The team leaders are waiting on your signal,” Hadley said.
“May the goddess watch over you and bring victory to Atlantis,” Galen said, followed by a cheer from those listening in as well as those in the water with her.
“Go ahead and put out the lights, Edil,” she said, referring to Triton. “If you encounter any hostiles, try to take them alive, but eliminate them if you have no choice.”
The coast-guard cutters patrolled close to their position, but everything went still when Edil started the device she’d brought along. It killed all power, no matter if it was electrical or gas, within a five-mile radius. On a night with low cloud cover and a half-moon, it was all the cover they needed. The only things still operational aside from their own equipment were the boxes and comm unit attached and close to Triton.
Kai was out of the water after Isla and Talia but didn’t wait for them to make the long climb to the rig’s command center. Once they were on deck she waited to see if they had company, but the rig seemed deserted. “Edil, take two with you and get the radio and satellite working.”
“I don’t mind placing the webbing if you’d like to handle the radio,” Edil said.
“Get going before those boats put divers in the water.” She wasn’t in the mood to be coddled, and Edil must’ve understood that when she quickly started moving.
The webbing Edil referred to was easy to place since it was shot out of a specialized triton, making quick work of covering the deck when the rest of the unit spread out. They didn’t use this method often since they rarely needed to eliminate human technology, but in some instances it was necessary to keep their locations secret. The result only added to the mystique of the world’s devil’s triangles like the famous Bermuda Triangle.
“We’re ready in the water, Highness,” someone reported from below.
“Edil, you ready?” she asked.
“The frequency is ready, Highness. We were able to access the ships’ radios as well, so that should cut our time down.”
“Everyone ready?” she asked, needing to know if all the other units were in position to deploy. It was the only way to cover the entire planet at once.
“Kai, count us down,” Galen said.
“Ready.” She moved to the edge to look overboard. “Three, two, one—engage.”
The dark lit up with an intense blue light that resembled electricity, with the webbing allowing it to finger out for miles. Eventually the lines would meet, and any technology underwater on the same frequency as the foreign boxes would be destroyed. The phenomena of it would baffle anyone on the water, but it was the fastest way to eliminate the problem.
Kai had also tweaked the program so there would be an added bonus, but now she concentrated on the growing pool of green in the water. “We’re good here,” she reported as the sound of a bubble popping came from the distance. The comm unit was gone, the pieces sinking fast.
“Good job, Highness,” one of the commanders said. “We have affirmatives from every location that the water’s clear of spyware.”
“Send out patrols to the home offices of every location that had the boxes attached to their equipment,” she said, ignoring for now the loud voices coming from the military ships. “The power surge was programed to back feed to any equipment gathering the information the boxes contained.”
“Detain anyone responsible for what you find,” Galen said, and Kai understood her meaning perfectly. It’d be a tough decision, but they had to eliminate anyone who had conspired against the throne.
“Yes, Highness, we’ll make it so,” she said before switching her comm unit off. “Let’s hit the water,” she said when someone assured her the webbing had completely burned away. “It’s time to head back in to see what has landed in our net.”
*
Sunrise was a few hours off when Kai arrived back at the Palmer house, and she sat on her bike and enjoyed the silence around her. It seemed this city slept only for these few hours before another day truly began. She opened her eyes when the front door did.
“Are you avoiding me?” Vivien asked.
“More like I’m thinking about you,” she said, dropping her helmet on the seat and moving to touch Vivien. “I was looking forward to this.” She put her hand behind Vivien’s neck and kissed her. The sight of her had warmed her shell and awakened her soul.
The sensation scared her. This wasn’t supposed to happen but the reality was clear. She’d fallen in love with Vivien, and Oba’s warnings echoed loudly in her head. What had been her cocky response to Oba’s worried question? That nothing would keep her from her duty? But that was before this woman. She couldn’t have ever imagined the pull of Vivien’s allure, but this morning it was even more than that. Something important had changed, and she couldn’t figure it out.
“We need to get upstairs,” Vivien said, her foot anchored behind Kai’s leg. “Now.”
She hoped none of the Palmers were early risers as she picked Vivien up and carried her to the bed they shared. When she laid Vivien down, Vivien spread her legs and reached down and spread herself open as if presenting her with a gift. Vivien was wet and ready and moaned loud enough to wake the entire house when she put her mouth on her. It was as if in that one act the force of Vivien’s shell reached into her chest and closed its fist around her heart.
“Mine.” The word exploded in her mind
and she didn’t fight it.
Vivien intertwined her fingers with hers as she thrust her hips against her mouth. The way Vivien tasted was different, sweeter, and it made her suck harder. She kept pace until Vivien went rigid before jerking a few more times, as if reaching her peak but refusing to climb down.
“I’m not sure why you came back so soon, but thank you,” Vivien said as she wiped her mouth with the nightgown she’d just removed. “That sure as hell beats the hot dreams I was having about you.”
Kai stripped before she lay down. “I came back because something weird happened,” she said, having to report what had occurred from a human point of view. Hiding something witnessed by so many would raise too many red flags.
“Honey,” Vivien said, rolling over to lie pressed along the length of her, “start that sentence next time with, I missed you.” She laughed, so Kai smiled at the teasing reprimand. “Makes me think I’m an afterthought.”
“I believe I mentioned that earlier downstairs,” she said, not moving as Vivien ran her hand up the inside of her thigh. “It’s just that what I saw was really strange. Your father needs to hear this.”
“Does he need to hear it right this second?” Vivien moved her hand again, pressing her fingers against her now-hard clit. “If you want my opinion, there are so many other things we could be talking about.”
“I’m beginning to see what you mean,” she said as the muscles of her abdomen flexed almost involuntarily when Vivien pressed harder.
When Vivien moved to kneel between her legs, she stopped thinking and centered her attention on Vivien’s touch. It was so sensual and intimate that Kai closed her eyes and waited for Vivien to move at her own pace, since it seemed to be important to her.
“Open your eyes,” she heard Vivien say, but when she did Vivien appeared startled. It was then that she realized Vivien had made the request in her thoughts. “What the hell?”
“What?” she asked as calmly as she could. Explaining the complete secrets of the shell would end with her having to tell her every secret that wasn’t exactly hers to share. But by goddess she wanted to. This would be so much easier if Vivien knew.
“Sorry,” Vivien said, but her concentration was broken and her hands stilled. “Please tell me I’m not going crazy,” Vivien said in her mind.
“Are you okay?” She moved to hold Vivien since an answer was impossible. “Do you feel sick again?”
“No. I shouldn’t have stopped,” Vivien said, appearing upset with herself. “That’s selfish, considering how you make me feel.”
“You were throwing up yesterday so forget about it. A little waiting is good for the soul,” she said and smiled. “Come on and I’ll tell you a story,” she said, lying back.
Vivien sat up when she first described the blue light. Her story was that she witnessed it all from the deck of her boat, but she did mention she’d lost power. “Whatever happened, it lit up Triton and the water around it like it was connected to an electrical socket.”
“Was it the coast guard?”
“From the screaming I heard, I doubt it. I’ve never seen anything like it, so I’m not ashamed to say it was interesting.”
Vivien shook her head and groaned. “You’re going to hate me, but we’ve got to get up. We really need to tell my father. If anything happened to that rig he’s going to have a stroke.”
“I’m willing to take a rain check, so let’s go shower.”
After they got dressed Vivien sent her down to her father’s study while she went to wake everyone up. Winston appeared to be in pain when she repeated her story.
They were all in the office not long after that, having stopped in front of Steve’s office since his door was charred and hanging from only one hinge.
“Frankie, get security up here,” Winston said. “Tell them to bring the tapes since yesterday afternoon. I don’t want to be blamed for torching this guy’s office. If I’m chancing anything, I’d rather torch him.”
They waited for the security people to show up, but Kai was itching to go in. The only explanation for the damage was in the office somewhere, and she had to find it before Steve had a chance to destroy the trail. Her trap had been sprung, and that he couldn’t hide.
“The only thing on the tapes is a sudden flash, Mr. Palmer,” the older of the security guards said. “It was a quick blue flash that didn’t really look like a fire. There’s hardly anyone up here at that hour, so we weren’t looking.”
“If it was a fire, should we go in to make sure everything is completely out?” she asked.
Winston followed her in after asking Vivien and the others to wait outside. She scanned every surface, finally seeing the top drawer of his desk. The damage seemed to radiate out from there. She took a pen from the desk and tried to pry it open. Inside, the phone appeared normal but still held some of the power source they’d released last night. It would be hot for another week, like any other device similar to it around the world. Having that kind of time would give Kai’s people the chance to find them.
“His phone did all this?” Winston asked, peering over her shoulder.
“If this is what happens when you’re late on your bill, I’ll have to make sure my account is current,” she said, relieved when Winston joined her in laughing. “Let’s get out of here and wait for the fire department to make sure there’s no danger.”
She followed the Palmers towards Winston’s office, excusing herself at the last minute to head to the restroom. “Isla, contact Edil and see who’s watching Hawksworth. When they get a chance, pick him up and lock him down. If Edil put someone on his assistant, pick her up too.”
“That’s not going to raise any alarms?”
“He had a comm unit that blew up his office last night with the back feed. That raises more alarms for us than anyone who’ll miss this jackass.” She spoke softly, then stopped when the door opened. She hung up when she heard someone retching in the next stall. “Viv, is that you?”
“I’m not sure what’s—” Vivien heaved again, but Kai was behind her holding her up. “This has to be grossing you out by now,” Vivien said as she accepted the wad of tissue she pressed into her hand.
“Don’t worry about me, and you’re going home with Frankie. Make sure someone calls for a doctor’s appointment.” She helped Vivien to her feet and carefully wiped her face, kissing her forehead when she was done. “I’m going to stay and help your dad out, but call me when you get a time, and I’ll go to the doctor with you.”
“Thank you.” Vivien leaned against her as if exhausted. “I want to stay, but I feel like a truck hit me.”
“Go rest, and I’ll be back with your dad in a while.”
It didn’t take the fire department long after their arrival to completely shut down the building, and it didn’t surprise her since this had to be foreign to them. None of Atlantis’s power sources resembled the electric currents and combustion engines the topside world ran on, so the immense current they’d sent through the webbing had to be scary if you’d never seen it.
“We need to find that bastard,” Winston said as they headed home. “The company didn’t need this on top of the feds closing down the Gulf. Now the office is off limits too.”
“Might give you some leverage with the stockholders, sir.”
“Maybe, but I want you to stick around no matter what. You’re good for Vivien, and even if she thinks I’m a bastard, I like seeing her happy.” He gripped the wheel and didn’t look at her.
“No worries, sir, and I wouldn’t worry about losing anything except maybe the Hawksworth family from your life.” Everything appeared normal when they pulled through the gates, but she was vigilant until Steve and whoever was working for him were in restraints. “And Vivien is safe with me.”
“I have no choice but to believe you.”
Chapter Thirty
“What the hell is happening?” Steve screamed at the security guard blocking his way into the building. “Under whose order can you ke
ep me out?”
“We have an unknown contaminant in an office on the top floor, so until I know what it is, no one goes in,” an older man in a fireman’s uniform said.
“Which office?” he asked, a ball of cold settling in his stomach.
“The middle one on the right side of the building.”
He turned and pointed to Tanice back in the car. “Give me your phone,” he demanded once they were inside.
His “father” picked up on the third ring. “What do you know?” Jonathon sighed but didn’t say anything. “I said, what do you know?”
“From what we can tell, last night every communication device we placed was destroyed. Whoever detonated the surge figured out a way to back feed it into every comm unit we have. Our command center and the ships’ controls are completely fried. We’re stuck here with no link back to the palace.”
Steve stripped his tie off and pulled over the first chance he got so he could punch the steering wheel a few times. “I haven’t spent the last five years in that stinking place to lose out now. How did you allow something like this to happen?”
“Your Highness,” Jonathon said in a tone that was close to pleading, “we’ve lost contact with those loyal to our cause, but it was before last night’s incident. Their orders were to report in no matter the reason, so we have to assume they’re dead.”
“What other orders did you give them?” The reality that he was stranded here was starting to become a nightmare, but his title brought back his anger. It was time to shed the persona of Steve Hawksworth and start acting like the man his father had raised.
Prince Pontos Oberon, son of Sol and Rhea Oberon, would never allow the stain of defeat at the hands of an inferior race of women to be written into the history books. Even if they were related by blood, he’d erase their existence from this planet.
“Asher,” he said, using Jonathon’s real name, “think about what mistakes you’ve made that let these idiots be discovered. If they’re dead it was on orders from either Galen or Hadley.”