“We're under arrest regardless,” he interrupted. “Ren just told me that a warrant has been issued for you too. I'm hiding my face from the cameras. You should put on your mask.”
“What!” she shrieked. “I ... I didn't bring it,” she stammered.
“Well that's your own fault,” he growled. “If you get arrested, I can't help you.”
Juliet's jaw dropped upon hearing the callous remark. He was usually much more patient and calculating, but in this moment he was restless and agitated. The mission was taking a severe toll on him. “Are you feeling okay?” she cautiously asked.
“I'm fine!” he roared. “Stop talking and find Black Dawn!”
The van continued its course in silence. Juliet shrunk into her seat uncomfortably, trying to shake off her frustration at being spoken down to. She closed her eyes and tried to calm her mind. Finding her targets was never easy when she had to do so from a distance, let alone when she was in a moving vehicle. It was an ability she had practised intensely over the past three months, but her level of improvement had so far only been minimal.
As she began to cast her mind outwards, she could sense Skye's emotions. A large part of him was afraid, but it baffled her that there was an unmistakable sense of excitement.
Six
“Wake up,” Nikolai's loud voice bellowed. He had stormed into the Tianzu trio's mediocre bedroom in the villa. The small room was more like a prison cell than the luxurious suites that each of the others in Black Dawn had to themselves.
“Good morning,” Daye said with a happy smile. He was already sitting up on his bed when his new leader burst through the door. During their stay, they had taken shifts sleeping, in the not unlikely event that Nikolai decided to betray them and attack.
“And same to you,” Nikolai replied, feigning trust in the polite man. “Inform your friends to wake up and join me in my suite.” He closed the door behind him and walked off.
Daye sat and stared blankly, grateful that they only had to stay another night in Athenia. Had they not been of a higher consciousness, their short time in Black Dawn would be almost unbearable. However, they suppressed their impatience, waiting until their leaders gave the order to return to Shizudera and Xiaguo respectively. Either that, or the order to attack would be given, which Daye would certainly never comply with. His meetings with Raien the day before had indicated that a decision on the trio's future would be made by tomorrow.
Nikolai strode through the halls of the villa, awakening his team for the penultimate day ahead. His confidence was evident in his gait as he glided from room to room.
“Sir,” a woman's voice called out, interrupting his happy stride. Nikolai spun around to see a woman in a suit chasing after him. She had light brown skin, and her hair was tied back neatly in a ponytail.
Nikolai groaned loudly, with no regard to her presence. Ever since relieving Adam and Karen of their duties, numerous different personnel had confronted him with questions he rarely had the answer to.
“What is it?” he called back rudely.
“We need to make arrangements for President Denning's inaugural trip to Daixuan. Mr Price was supposed to meet with us yesterday afternoon to discuss it.”
“A fine city,” he remarked, quite fond of Skye's hometown. Daixuan served as capital to both Xiaguo and the Union, and was arguably as economically powerful as Reddingham, the capital of the Alexan Federation—the city which Nikolai grew up in. “But not right now.” He turned and began to walk away.
“Sir!” the voice called again. “Ms Tennant is requesting to speak with President Denning this afternoon. There's also the pressing matter of the president meeting with the treasurer. He was supposed to attend yesterday.”
“Why!” Nikolai shouted. “Why is it that you people continue to pester me with these incessant questions? They're none of my concern.”
The woman's face became stern. She approached him hastily. “Well I assume that since you've relieved Mr Price and Ms Bowden of their duties, you've assimilated both of their roles.” She stopped in front of Nikolai and stared up at him unabated.
“You have assumed incorrectly. Who are you anyhow?”
“Veronika Gunawan, senior counsel, and I'm beginning to have my doubts regarding your competency in this role, Dr Sweeney.” She maintained her professional demeanour while she spoke down to Nikolai. “We're trying to run a country here, not dance through the halls and circumvent the authority of your predecessor.”
Nikolai stared at her, aghast. It was rare for someone to speak to him in a manner which questioned his authority. “Very well,” he conceded, “allow me a quick recess and I shall meet with you to address any concerns you might have.”
“Not just myself,” she corrected, “the minister of defence informed me that she needs to meet urgently with the president as well.”
Nikolai smiled and quickly left the conversation, not wishing to discuss the confusing political hierarchy any further. He continued down the hall and turned the corner. Ms Gunawan watched his every move, not convinced in the slightest that his intentions were pure. She turned and began to walk to the central control room to inform Guard One of her suspicions.
Seven
Ren's fingers pounded across her keyboard screen. Her gaze was fixed on the large monitor on the wall in front of her. Her eyes scanned through recent financial records of Nikolai's. She knew that he had multiple accounts registered to his corporation, all with varying degrees of difficulty to hack into. Ren had already attempted some of the others, but so far with no luck. She thought that maybe starting with the easiest files would be a wise place to begin.
It only took her a few moments to notice an expensive anomaly in the company's statement: a penthouse in West Tower, located in Xifeng Qu. Ren continued digging as deep as she could. It was quite possible that Nikolai bought the penthouse to act as an official location for the company, as opposed to an actual residence, as most people nowadays were reluctant to reside in the business district due to crime and unrest. But on the other hand, Nikolai would have nothing to fear by living in Shangwu Qu.
She continued reading the invoice, and seconds later was scanning over the floor plan for the penthouse. It was extravagant and spacious, and typical of Nikolai to acquire such an apartment.
It was an interesting find, and one that she would've had no knowledge of had she not decided to resume searching for the elusive Nikolai. She reminded herself though that since she discovered the information with relative ease, the sudden lead would most likely amount to nothing. But, in these desperate final hours, every avenue had to be explored.
“Tango, Echo, come here,” Ren called. The duo had been outside training in the morning heat. At the mention of their names, they quickly strode back into the warehouse and stood by Ren's side at her computer. “Have you spoken with Charlie and Delta?” she asked.
“Yes, last night,” Tango said. “I told them to exercise caution in case the Tianzu launch an attack.”
“Good. Look at this,” she said, changing the subject, pointing to multiple parts of the screen. “It looks as though Nikolai recently bought a penthouse in West Tower.”
“Sounds promising,” he uttered, his voice lacking enthusiasm. He knew that if Ren found the information so quickly it could be another trap.
“It's probably nothing, but you two should investigate it.”
Tango raised an eyebrow. “And what if the Tianzu come here in our absence? What then?”
“Sierra's here—she'll protect Romeo and myself.”
“Doubtful,” Echo murmured.
“Where are you going?” Romeo asked anxiously, rushing over to the group.
Ren turned to face the young man. “They're going to West Tower to check Nikolai's penthouse.”
Romeo started shaking his head back and forth. “Please don't leave us here alone,” he begged. “What if something happens while you're gone?”
Sierra flew into the room. “Where are you going?”
>
Ren's face fell. “They're going to West Tower,” she repeated, annoyed. “You're staying here with us.”
“What if Tahlia's there?”
“She won't be. This information was easy for me to find. But at this stage I'm desperate. We need to try something.”
“I don't know if I like this idea, Ren,” Tango said. “We were attacked at East Tower last night. What if Nikolai's planning the same for West Tower?”
Ren snorted. “Symmetrical attacks at both East and West Tower? I think not. Nikolai's meticulous, but he won't be planning anything like that. Besides, it's morning—no one's going to attack you.”
Tango thought about it for a moment, but decided to give his leader the benefit of the doubt. “Fine. We won't be too long then. We'll take the other van,” he said, then walked off with Echo by his side.
“Be careful though,” Ren reminded, not wanting any harm to come to her friends, although also wanting to put a stop to Archie at any cost. “Keep your guard up, just in case. I'll let Skye know what I've found. Call me if there's anything there.”
Ren turned her attention back to one of her monitors. Skye and Juliet's van appeared on the screen from several different angles. “Oh no,” she muttered.
“What's wrong?” Sierra asked.
“The surveillance system. It looks like it's now automatically locked on to the van. He'll never be able to evade the police.” The public security in Athenia was far more advanced than most other countries, allowing the cameras to follow and track their targets autonomously.
“I can't believe you're letting Tango and Echo go!” Romeo complained, changing the subject. “I thought you said you were going to protect me.”
Ren ignored him and kept watching the monitor. “For a minute there I thought he might have outrun the cameras.”
Romeo moved and stood next to the desk, staring down at Ren. “Did you hear what I said? I thought you were going to protect me.”
Ren flared her nostrils as she tried to keep her temper in check. “We are protecting you. You're safe with us.”
“No offence, but I don't think the two of you could stop Black Dawn or the Tianzu,” he moaned.
Ren grabbed his shirt and pulled him off balance, bringing his face to hers. “Be quiet! I don't have time to babysit you. You're a grown adult, so act like one. And we didn't have to save you yesterday, so show me some respect.” She released the terrified youth and turned her attention back to the task at hand.
“Why don't we train?” Sierra suggested, appearing in front of Romeo.
He straightened his shirt out and then looked Sierra up and down, horrified by the idea. “Please tell me you're joking.”
She glared up at him, her eyes serious.
“Just go with her,” Ren said. “If it means shutting up and leaving me in peace, then you should go and train with her.”
Sierra was content with the command. She turned and walked off to the rear door of the warehouse.
Romeo cautiously followed, terrified by the thought of being shot by Sierra. “Please be careful.”
Grateful for silence, Ren focussed her mind on the computer screens. One showed a van flying down the road at high speed, while another showed several electronic documents with Nikolai's company logo. She had her doubts over the information's credibility, and especially didn't want to send Tango and Echo to fight alone, but she had nothing to lose ever since the attack the night before. The mission was rapidly deteriorating—at this stage, any strategy seemed appealing.
Eight
Skye turned the van onto Jalan Raya, the largest road in Athenia. Dozens of cars drove in front of and alongside him, all commuting to work for the morning.
“Anything yet?” he asked impatiently. The desperation of their situation had greatly impacted his mood, along with his fatigued mind.
“No, nothing,” Juliet responded, not wanting to anger him any further.
Skye opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by Ren's voice. He released the wheel with his right hand and tapped his comm, returning to the call. “What is it, Ren? You've found something?”
“They've found you,” she said, not wasting any time. “The cameras have locked on to the van. You're now the police's highest priority, Skye.”
Skye slammed his fist on the steering wheel over and over in a fit of rage, startling Juliet. He knew the authorities would be difficult to evade, but he had underestimated the government's security system. He didn't think they'd be able to lock on to him so quickly. His chances of successfully avoiding arrest, or worse, had now plummeted.
“Any good news?” he asked sarcastically.
“Maybe,” she responded, not wanting to overestimate the validity of the poor information she was presenting. “I've found my way into some of Nikolai's company's records, and it looks as though he recently purchased a penthouse in West Tower.”
“That's good,” Skye said, hopeful. “Maybe Black Dawn will be stationed there.”
“Doubtful,” Ren dismissed. “The information was too obvious. I found it within a matter of minutes, but I've sent Tango and Echo to investigate nonetheless. Have you found anything?”
“I don't think so,” he responded, his mood audibly different after hearing Ren's lack of confidence. “Juliet, have you found anything?” The young woman shook her head in the seat next to him. “No. We've got nothing, Ren.”
Ren gasped, sending a wave of terror through Skye's body.
“What is it? What's happening?” For a brief second, he wondered if the Tianzu had arrived at the warehouse.
“The police are right behind you, Skye. You need to move! Quickly!”
Skye tightened his grip on the steering wheel. He said nothing as he looked in the mirror and saw a flashing blue light.
“What is it, Skye?” Juliet asked, her headset not connected to the call. “What did Ren say?”
Before he could answer, the bright blue light enveloped the entire van. Juliet turned and looked into the mirror on the side of her door, watching the large police vehicle right behind them. It was even larger than their van, and very heavily armoured. Athenia placed a high emphasis on security and peace, and this was reflected in the tank-like transport the police drove. The authorities had a zero-tolerance policy on crimes against the state or the Union.
“No,” Juliet whispered.
“Ren, can you disable the cameras?” Skye hastily asked.
“No, they've completely locked on to you. I can't override them.”
“We'll have to outrun them then.” The van sharply accelerated as Skye pressed his foot deeper into the floor. He began to weave in and out of the morning traffic at a dangerous speed.
“You're not going to outrun that cruiser,” Ren snapped.
The police saw the evasive manoeuvre and blasted a loud siren at them. They increased their speed and caught up with ease.
“We can't get arrested, Ren! Can't you do anything to stop them?” He could barely hear his own voice over the deafening siren.
“I'm trying, but I don't know what I can do,” she admitted.
The cruiser was now right behind the van, its siren continuing to blare. Other vehicles saw the pursuit and pulled to the side of the road, not wanting to be caught in the path of the chase.
Skye and Juliet flew forward as they felt the entire van shudder. For a second he lost control of the speeding vehicle, but he quickly gripped the wheel and straightened it up. He realised that the cruiser had lunged forward and rammed into their rear. “Ren, they're attacking us!”
Ren said nothing. She ran her fingers across her screen, madly typing in commands and trying to access the police security server. She knew there was little she could do on her end, with the exception of possibly recalling any other cruisers from engaging in pursuit.
Juliet gasped loudly. She watched her mirror in horror as a man appeared out of the cruiser's roof hatch. He was dressed completely in black, not a single part of his body exposed.
“Skye ...” Juliet began, her heart pounding uncontrollably, “they're not police—they're military!”
“What!” Skye screamed. He looked in his own mirror and saw the soldier in black, who wore the same mask as Skye. “Ren, they've sent the military after us!”
Ren saw it too and placed her hand over her mouth. While the mandate of the Athenian police was merely to apprehend Skye and Juliet, the Union military was far more formidable, and wouldn't hesitate to nullify the threat the duo posed to their five countries.
The soldier removed a large rifle from the cabin and aimed it at the van.
“They're going to fire!” Juliet shrieked. As soon as she finished her sentence, a thunderous explosion rocked the car. The rear window erupted inwards, spraying hundreds of shards of glass into the van.
“Are you okay?” Ren's terrified voice asked through the headset.
Skye ignored her. He knew he had to take immediate evasive action. He carefully turned right, ploughing over the dividing island and cutting in front of incoming traffic. The cruiser braked and turned right too, but lost speed, not being as agile as the small van.
Juliet screamed again as she saw the incoming cars approaching from her left.
“It's okay,” Skye said, trying to ease her panic. His reflexes were fast; he knew they'd be safe from a collision. He slammed his foot down on the pedal again and threw the van forward, crossing into another street. He looked in his mirror and watched the cruiser pursue relentlessly, although it took great care not to crash into any other vehicles and injure innocent civilians.
“Skye!” Juliet shrieked again.
He turned his attention straight ahead and saw another cruiser flying toward them from the opposite direction. “No,” he muttered loudly. “Ren, there are two now!”
“Three,” she corrected. “You need to get out of there!”
Skye turned left down another road. These streets were not as heavily congested as Jalan Raya, allowing him more mobility to evade his pursuers. His face fell when he saw that the third cruiser was straight in front of him on this street. Escaping was near impossible with the state-of-the-art cameras following his every move.
Eternity's War (Books 1-3) (Eternity's War Boxsets) Page 23