by I. T. Lucas
Yamanu nodded. “They have the numbers, and they don’t need others for technology either because they copy and steal what they cannot or do not want to develop themselves.”
21
Yamanu
Mey sighed. “These problems are too big for us to solve. Let’s concentrate on what we need to do about us.”
Before they got sidetracked by other things, that was what Yamanu had originally wanted to talk to Mey about. But now that he was facing her, he wasn’t sure how much he was ready to reveal.
It had been difficult enough to tell Kian about the reason for his celibacy, and Kian’s response hadn’t been what he’d hoped for.
Instead of patting him on his shoulder and saying that he had done enough, Kian had tried to come up with alternate solutions. Apparently, he was of the same opinion as Yamanu that his services were too crucial for the clan’s survival to give up.
“That’s what I’m trying to figure out. I plan on stopping by the clinic to ask the doctor’s advice.”
Mey’s eyes brightened. “That’s an excellent idea. I’ve been wracking my brain, trying to come up with a solution that would allow you to keep your vow while also inducing my transition. Perhaps it can be done with artificial insemination and an injection of venom.”
“Yeah, that’s what I’m going to ask him. It’s far from ideal, but I don’t see another choice.” Except for allowing Mey to choose another male, but that wasn’t really an option.
She frowned. “Your eyes are glowing. Does the idea of my artificial induction aggravate you?”
He took her hand and brought it to his lips for a kiss. “If that were as easy as taking a pill, it wouldn’t have bothered me. But the thought of another male’s essence in you is disturbing. Still, I can probably handle that. What got me angry was the idea of letting another male induce you the natural way. I don’t think I can do that, but I can’t be selfish and stand in the way of your transition either.” He shook his head. “They would have to put me in stasis for the duration of the induction. Otherwise, I might kill the male trying to help you.”
Mey shook her head. “And what would happen once you awakened? You would hate me, and whoever was chosen to induce me. That’s not going to work.”
“I wish I could say that you are wrong. But you are not.”
“What about taking a break from your vow? Kian gave us two weeks, and you can’t do anything until after the raid, which leaves eleven days to induce me. I think the clan can survive that long without your protection.”
“That’s true, but there are other problems with that. First of all, I don’t know if I’d be able to go back to being celibate. If there is no other choice, that’s what I’ll have to do, but it’s a scary prospect. It also means that until the two weeks are over, I can’t go looking for your sister. With my powers intact, I can waltz into that facility and waltz out with your sister. Without them, that’s less likely.”
Mey let out an exasperated sigh. “I don’t know why you think that your powers are dependent on your vow, and I’m not going to ask. If you wanted to tell me, you would have done so by now.”
It was good that she hadn’t asked because he was not ready to tell her. In case he decided to break his vow, there was no need to make her feel doubly guilty for depriving the clan of its protector.
When he didn’t respond, Mey continued. “But you don’t have to be a super immortal to thrall the guards to let you in. I would think that any Guardian could pull it off.”
Apparently, Mey had been truthful about her job in the intelligence department having been clerical because she wasn’t thinking like someone who’d been trained to be a spy.
“It is true that I can thrall the guards, but I can’t thrall the surveillance cameras, and those sitting in the control room are going to sound the alarm. But using my full powers, I can have the entire facility thralled, including those in the control room and their supervisors.”
“Oh, right, I didn’t think it through. Because your people’s powers are mental, they are ineffective against electronic eyes and ears.”
“I didn’t say that. We have one clan member who can fritz out electronics, but she’s not a Guardian, and she can’t go on a mission like this. Besides, I don’t think she can cause a large scale shutdown. As far as I know, she can do one device at a time.”
“It’s still a very useful trick.”
“It is. And perhaps when Kian and Turner put their heads together, they will come up with a plan that can work without my special talents.”
“Who is Turner?”
“A new member of the clan who is a brilliant strategist.”
Mey's brows lifted. “He was a Dormant?”
Yamanu nodded.
“Oh, I thought that all the Dormants you’ve found were female.”
“There were several males as well.”
“Did they also have paranormal abilities?”
“Just the same as it was with the females, some did and some didn’t.”
“How do you induce the males?”
Yamanu smiled. “It’s much easier for them than for the females. They have to fight one of us and get bitten.”
“I wouldn’t call it easier. You said that you are stronger and faster than human males.”
“I didn’t say that they had to win. Only to offer enough of a fight to spur our aggression. Without that, there is no venom.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Can I fight you? I can probably hold my ground for long enough to get you aggressive.”
“I don’t think it will work. I doubt that you would be able to make me aggressive enough to bite you. Hell, I’m not sure it’s even possible for a male immortal to bite a female in aggression.”
“I assume that it has never been tested?”
He nodded.
“So why not give it a try? It’s not like we have that many options.”
22
Lokan
“I’m so glad you could come.” Losham got up and offered Lokan his hand.
Surprisingly, he seemed genuine.
Their previous meeting in San Francisco had been the first one ever they'd had outside the island. It had been strained, with Lokan trying to figure out where Losham’s loyalties lay, and Losham suspecting Lokan of spying for their father.
Or rather Lokan’s father.
Losham probably had been fathered by one of the harem’s servants.
Knowing that they weren’t related made dealing with Losham easier. Lokan no longer felt the need to form a connection with the guy, which on some subconscious level he’d sought to do before. Perhaps that was why he’d reached out to Losham in the first place, and why Losham’s suspicions had been somewhat hurtful.
Now he could regard him as a stranger. And, if need be, kill the bastard for allowing his deviant son to torture Carol.
With a well-practiced smile sliding into place, he shook Losham’s hand. “I’m glad that you agreed to see me. I’m sure you are very busy with the relocation.”
Losham shrugged and sat back down, motioning for Lokan to take the seat across from him.
“The field commanders are taking care of the men, and all I had to do was get comfortable in my new house.”
The restaurant he’d chosen was in one of the most prestigious hotels in Los Angeles, the Beverly Hills hotel, and the corner they were sitting in provided the privacy they needed for their conversation.
“Did you?” Lokan reached for the bottle of superb Japanese whiskey that Losham had ordered and poured it into the two glasses.
“It’s big, and it’s fancy, but I prefer my modest abode in San Francisco and the view I have there.” He spread his arms. “The entire bay, including the Golden Gate Bridge. You can’t beat that.”
“Indeed.” Lokan nodded. “So, your men are all settled already?”
“Not yet. Several stayed behind to take care of covering our tracks, but they should be arriving either tonight or early tomorrow morning.” He na
rrowed his eyes at Lokan. “Why the sudden interest in my men?”
Lokan shrugged. “After mine absconded with my jet, I decided to use human servants and security services instead of getting more men from the island. Frankly, it’s liberating. I don’t feel responsible for anyone, I don’t need to take care of them, and I don’t have to wonder whether they are loyal to me or not.” He grinned. “Not to mention privacy. No one is spying on my activities and reporting to our father.”
As the waiter interrupted Losham’s response to take their order, Lokan debated how to steer the conversation to Sharim without it being too obvious. It had to come up incidentally.
“What are you hiding, my brother?” Losham asked after the waiter had left. “Why the need for privacy?”
Lokan laughed and waved a dismissive hand. “Nothing nefarious, I can assure you. But from time to time, I like to take a day off and enjoy myself. I don’t need anyone reporting to our father that I’m slacking on the job.”
“Yes, I can understand that. I’m fortunate to have a very loyal assistant who I know will not reveal anything harmful about me.” He leaned forward. “Frankly, my workdays are pretty easy. I have competent commanders in place, and they need minimal direction from me.”
“You are fortunate in that regard.” Lokan sighed. “I don’t know where I went wrong with mine. It seems that I haven’t mastered the art of training and keeping good staff. I could learn a few tricks from you.” Buttering up his opponent was a proven tactic to soften him up and have him lower his defensive shields.
Smiling, Losham pretended to shrug the compliment off. “I’ve been lucky as far as loyalty goes, but I’ve lost men to incompetence.”
Perhaps that was a good opening.
“I guess it’s unavoidable, and accidents happen too, caused by the most insignificant of mistakes. Some with tragic consequences.”
Losham took the bait. “The monastery was no accident,” he hissed. “The clan took my son and his men, and then staged it to look like an accidental explosion.”
“Do you have proof?”
“I don’t need proof.” Losham put his hand over his chest. “I know it in here. They are going to pay for it. Not today and not tomorrow, but I’m not one to forgive and forget. I am a patient man, though, and I’m not in a rush. First, I need to get back in our father’s good graces. I can’t plan strategic attacks against the clan when I’m tasked with selling drugs and procuring whores.”
“You really cared about Sharim.” Lokan refilled the two glasses and lifted one to his lips, all along intently watching Losham’s expression.
“Of course, I did. He was my son.”
The wave of sorrow coming from Losham confirmed his words.
“I don’t want to be disrespectful of the fallen, but I heard rumors that Sharim had certain proclivities.” He pinned Losham with a hard stare.
“So what if he did? None of his playmates suffered long-term damage. And besides, they were only lowly humans. Since when did you turn into a humanitarian?”
Lokan stifled a smile. He’d just gotten the perfect opening he’d been waiting for.
“I don’t care about humans. I was just curious. Imagine what he could have done to an immortal female, though. An indestructible plaything would have provided him with endless hours of entertainment.”
Losham cringed. “That would have been a different story, and I might have felt inclined to intervene. But since there are no immortal females for the taking, that would have been extremely unlikely. The clan guards its own fiercely, and there are no others.”
Losham seemed sincere, but Lokan wasn’t ready to give up the line of inquiry just yet. Knowing that Losham was not a culprit in his son’s activities was a relief, but Lokan had to be certain before he let it go.
“Are you sure? Because his base was right here under the clan’s noses. What if he found one of their females, and that’s why they retaliated so forcefully?”
Spreading his arms, Losham sighed. “Who knows? No one survived the attack, so all we can do is guess. I still think it’s highly unlikely, and the clan didn’t need any special provocation to attack. We are enemies. When they found out about our base, which I suspect they did through the weapons suppliers, they attacked.”
Lokan nodded. “I hope that you are more careful than that. Now that you are on their turf, you need to watch out.”
“I’m well aware of that. That’s why my men arrived in their own vehicles and with all their weapons. I don’t need anything delivered, and I’m not even going to contact our so-called friends in Los Angeles. I also implemented a new security protocol.” He smiled. “It’s designed to ensure my warriors’ loyalty and to forewarn them in case of the unlikely attack. People are just as loyal as they have to be and no more.”
Lokan lifted his glass. “Words of wisdom, my brother.”
Kian had told him about the last raid on Losham’s drug operation in the Bay Area, which the clan had staged to look like the men had picked up and left, absconding with the drugs and the money. If Losham believed it, he had no reason to trust his men. The question was, what had he done to ensure their loyalty? Tracking devices were the most logical, but immortals’ bodies rejected foreign objects. Perhaps he'd had them implanted deeper? Securing them to the spinal cord? There had been talk of doing that, but as far as Lokan knew, it hadn’t been done yet. Implanting thousands of soldiers was a major undertaking, especially when the procedure was involved and couldn’t be done in an assembly line fashion.
They clinked glasses and emptied the shots down their throats.
Lokan wondered what those security measures were, but asking about them days before the clan’s attack would be a dead giveaway. Kian hadn’t told him when he was planning to do that, but he wouldn’t wait long.
The question was whether he should warn him. Chances were that Kian had done his homework with proper reconnaissance, but perhaps a word of caution was in order.
Except, he felt bad for Losham. The guy hadn’t been aware of his son’s torture of Carol, so Lokan had no vendetta against him, and it felt wrong to betray him.
Straddling two worlds wasn’t easy.
“That’s good stuff,” Lokan said as he put his empty glass down. “I guess you are not overly concerned with budget cuts.”
“I’m saving the Brotherhood a lot of money. I think I earned the right to some splurging here and there.”
“No doubt. I’ve been thinking, though, that maybe we are going about it all wrong. Plenty of human females would come to the island voluntarily for the right monetary incentive. Wouldn’t it be even cheaper to get them this way?”
Leaning back, Losham crossed his arms over his chest. “A year ago, I might have agreed with you, but things are different now. The kind of women they want on the island is not the kind who will come voluntarily. We need smart girls who are educated, articulate, and good-looking, to lure in the caliber of men that we need for the new breeding program.”
Lokan kept pressing the issue. “I’m sure some of them would be willing to come for the money too. A college degree is not a guarantee of financial security, and most young women these days have no qualms about sex with strangers.”
Losham smiled. “Aren’t we lucky? It’s so ridiculously easy to get a female in bed that it takes all the fun out of the chase. Men are predators, especially immortals, and we need the chase, the challenge, to get excited.”
“I didn’t see you complain when you used the brothel’s selection.”
“That’s different.” Losham waved a dismissive hand. “Paying for your meal is not as exciting as hunting for it, but it’s better than just having it fall onto your plate.”
23
Yamanu
After scoping the building in Koreatown, the Guardians met up in the parking lot of a discount department store where they had parked their cars.
As Onegus clicked the doors open, Yamanu got inside and let out a sigh. “This is going to require precision. T
hey’ve smartened up. The density is going to make the operation difficult.”
Onegus turned the engine on and eased out of the parking spot. “We are going at night. You can just make everyone in the area sleep like the dead. You don’t have to be picky about it.”
“I can’t do that. What about mothers with infants? I don’t want them to sleep through the baby crying. And what about those working night shifts? Someone might be driving in or out and fall asleep at the wheel.”
Onegus rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. “What are you going to do?”
“Scare them. Dread always works. And I can try to focus my shroud centered on the building. Except, that’s not a precise science, and if I want to keep the commotion contained, I will have to cover some of the adjoining buildings as well. I’ll have to spread dread, so no one dares leave their apartment and get close. How long do you think it will take to capture all the Doomers? Should be no more than fifteen to twenty minutes.”
Onegus shook his head. “We don’t have a precise number, but from what we’ve gathered so far, there are more than sixty of them.”
“Shouldn’t be a problem.”
“I hope you are right. If any of them manage to escape, it’s going to be difficult to chase them down.”
Shrugging, Yamanu pulled out his phone. “Excuse me for a moment. I want to check up on Mey. I feel bad about leaving her alone in the house.”
He fired a quick text. I’m on my way home. Do you want me to pick up something to eat?
Her return text came a couple of minutes later. Don’t bring anything. Carol and Callie are here with Wonder, and they brought dinner with them.
That was a relief. He was glad she wasn’t alone. In that case, I might stop at the doctor’s to ask him about the things we discussed earlier.