“The only thing I’ve seen you disembowel with those mangy little claws, is a fat sausage on your plate. And by the way, Mayor Holmston wasn’t impressed when you refused to use your knife the other night.”
“Who needs him? He only invited us out of pity. It’s been years since you saved the king’s life, and nobody remembers the story right anyway.”
“I’m a veteran,” sulked Garrett. “It was not a pity invite.”
“If that helps you sleep better,” retorted the little dragon. Leaping to the floor, he was headed back to his desk when the main door banged inward again. The muscled frame of the newcomer blocked all light from the outside as the giant ducked his head and entered the office.
“Vic,” acknowledged Garrett, standing from his desk. “We were just discussing who was going to deliver the rent to your boss. Weren’t we, Merle?”
“Damn straight,” agreed Merle, hurrying to his desk and avoiding eye contact with the large brute filling the entranceway. “It must be your turn Garrett, because I clearly remember doing it last month.”
“Don’t you Vic me,” said the newcomer in a slurred voice. “Mr. Kline say I weren’t to take no crap from you. You never pay him no rent last munt. You tink me stupid?”
Garrett cleared his throat, trying to look earnest, before shaking his head. Merle grinned at Garrett’s discomfort, but sputtered a “No sir!” when Vic glanced his way.
“And anudder ting,” yelled Vic, warming to his topic, “I’m no sposed to take no I owes ya paper no more eider!”
“Vic buddy, calm down,” said Garrett. “It’s just a misunderstanding. Mr. Kline is first and foremost on my list of associates to reimburse.”
“Huh?” snapped Vic. “You makin’ fun of me?” A frown creased the big man’s forehead and his beady eyes assessed Garrett. Slapping one meaty fist into the palm of the other, he took a half step toward Garrett’s desk. “De last guy who make fun of Vic not laughing now. He was squealing when he run away. If I catch him next time he gets two beatings.”
“Why not make it three?” whispered Merle from behind his newspaper. “I always believe in donating to those less fortunate than me.”
“Lock your lip, lizard boy,” warned Vic. “Somebody owe Mr. Kline tree munt’s rent.” He held up two fingers for emphasis and Garrett nodded quickly when he thought Merle might snicker out loud.
From the opposite side of the office, another door slammed open and a fourth figure entered the room. The new arrival was completely made of metal and wore a fine pink apron around his iron midriff. With one hand, he waved a feather duster at Garrett, and in the other, he held a cat up by the scruff of its neck. “One… of… you… two… nitwits… left… the… seat… up… again!” complained the metal man. His arm shot forward, clicking as it unraveled and carrying the frantic cat within a foot of Garrett’s nose. “And… who… in… Hell… let… this… cat… in… here?” The automaton shook the feline for emphasis, eliciting a loud hiss from the mangy beast.
“Neat,” breathed Vic with childlike enthusiasm, “a golem!”
“Oh dear God, you didn’t?” groaned Merle, pulling the newspaper over his head. “P.C, I’m sure he didn’t mean it!”
“Golem?... Did… this… cretin… just… refer… to… me… as… a… golem?” snapped the robot. P.C’s mouth twitched erratically, and the actuators in his neck clicked as he snapped his head from side to side – as if loosening the nonexistent muscles for battle. “I’ll… have… you… know… that… I… am… a… highly… developed… wonder… of… ingenuity. …A… technological… marvel! …Golems… are… clumsy… stupid… beings… who… must… follow… a… pre-programmed… mandate… to… operate. …I… am… self… sufficient… and… capable… of… leading… a… healthy… and… meaningful… existence… without… the… interference… of… a… governing… body.”
“P.C.” interrupted Garrett.
“Yes?”
“Execute code block 10165.”
“Yes… Sir,… shutting… up… Sir.” The robot’s mouth closed with a hollow thud. After a second of silence, a pensive look crossed his iron features. “Hey,… you’ve… been… messing… with… my… commands… again!”
Ignoring the automaton, Garrett reached into the envelope and pulled out a second sheet of colored paper. “Merle, remove that cat from him and get it over to Mrs. Wichuster right away. I have the feeling we’ll need those pennies now more than ever. I’m going to visit Mr. Kline with Vic here. Hopefully we can work out this misunderstanding without the need for violence.” Garrett shot Kline’s hired muscle a meaningful look, but it was lost on Vic as the man continued to stare in awe at P.C. Crossing to Merle’s desk, Garrett passed the paper to the dragon with a knowing nod. “Don’t let Molly see this,” he said.
“And what exactly is this?” inquired Merle, scrunching his face, his lips mouthing the words Golem Wars as he read the bold letters across the top of the poster.
“Rent,” acknowledged Garrett. “Meet me outside Club Coliseum tonight and have P.C. ready to go. That means lose the apron.”
“A… club?” squealed P.C. “You… guys… never… take… me… out… anymore. …Boy… I… hope… I… don’t… overheat… or… blow… a… valve… in… all… of… the… excitement.”
“Don’t we all…” agreed Merle crossing his claws for luck.
2
Outsmarting the Outfit
The massive redwood table was centrally located in the lounge. It was a monstrous piece, weighing some eighteen hundred pounds. The redwood surface of the desk was brilliantly polished to fit the expensive décor of the room. It was intended to fit together as two separate sections and offered seating for thirty men; only two of the chairs were occupied this morning though, as Don Fergani received his quarterly review. Behind the seated men, the window coverings were drawn, blocking the light from the double patio doors. Anchored above the table, a six foot diameter globe hung from the ceiling, its glowing surface depicting a series of charts and numbers.
Don Kaxaun used a long thin pointer to highlight one of the statistics on the glowing chart. At forty-three, he was a man in his prime. He was tall and muscular with angular features and ice blue eyes. His hair was light brown with only a hint of grey above his ears. Don Kaxaun was head of the entire Vellian Crime Syndicate, a man with immense power – and he knew it. As head of the secret family, only the king could rival Kaxaun’s influence. Tapping lightly against the side of the glass ball, Kaxaun flashed a rare smile. “You have once again proven your ingenuity with your new manure removal tax. If I didn’t see the numbers for myself, I wouldn’t have believed it possible.”
Don Fergani nodded his head. “Those blokes in Addlebury ‘ave the place named right for sure. Got their brains addled and their noses buried so far up the Mayor’s arse, I could tell ‘em we have to pave the main bi-way for Saint Tomas’ second coming and ‘half of ‘em would offer to lay stone for free.” Don Fergani was in his late thirties. He had a round face and a heavily creased brow. His thinning black hair was greased back over his forehead, and an ugly white scar bisected his right eyebrow. “Bloody lords and their money.” he laughed.
A knock at the door interrupted them, and the chairman’s cold eyes sparkled with controlled anger. A hidden button under the table activated two panels above the globe, revealing a compartment for the large viewing device. He waited for the globe to disappear into the ceiling before rotating a small dial beside the button. Immediately the lanterns in the room sprang to life, illuminating the darker recesses.
“Pass code,” he called and waited for the response from the other side of the door. Beside him, Fergani looked nervous and annoyed. No one had ever dared disturb them during a review.
“Rivermen,” came the reply from the other side of the door.
“Enter.”
A slim man in a black suit slipped inside the carpeted entryway. Standing at attention, he looked nervous as he spoke. “I am sorry to
interrupt you, Chancellor,” he began. Kaxaun waved him on with a flick of his hand and the servant continued. “Sir Gael has arrived from the North with important news that he says cannot wait. I tried to explain that you are not to be disturbed, but he will have none of it.”
Kaxaun remained silent, his features unmoving as he attempted to work out the details. “Send him in.”
Turning, so his back was against the open door, the servant extended an arm into the room. A shuffling was heard from the adjacent area and a soldier strode into the lounge. The newcomer was dressed in riding leathers and a thick white cloak bearing King Uldemar’s sigil. The man was drenched through and his boots were caked in greasy mud. He dropped to one knee, his right hand making a fist and touching his left breast. The servant bit his lip as he closed the door behind him.
Kaxaun glared at the knight, his fingers drumming the redwood tabletop in irritation. “Sir Gael,” he acknowledged and the man stood. “I suppose you strode through my entire residence with your muddy boots on?”
“I apologise,” said Gael, his deep voice uncertain. “I have ridden far and my message is of importance.”
“So important that you could not spare the ten seconds to remove your footwear before marring my rugs?”
“No, I suppose not,” Gael’s voice hardened and he stood as straight as a board. “Again, I apologise.”
“Don Fergani, your jacket,” said Kaxaun, his eyes never leaving the knight.
“Sir?” said Fergani flustered.
“Give the man your jacket.”
“I am fine,” said Gael, standing immobile.
“It’s not for your comfort, Knight,” said Kaxaun. “It’s for my floor.” Kaxaun transferred his gaze to Don Fergani and waited while the man removed his jacket and threw it across the room at the knight. Fergani looked like he might make the mistake of saying something, but to Kaxaun’s surprise, he managed to reign in his anger and only exhaled before seating himself again. Sir Gael spread the jacket on the floor and stepped onto it. He did not look at Don Fergani when the man grunted.
“I will send your estate the bill for my rugs,” said Kaxaun. “Now what news do you interrupt us with?”
“Yes sir,” snapped Gael, his arm rising in another salute. “I have come from the Ponce border at Temang.”
“Don Ramoli sent you?” asked Kaxaun, uneasily.
“Yes.”
“And how many days ride from Temang is it?
“Almost a month. I wore out several horses to get to you.”
Don Kaxaun looked pensive as he considered the man’s words, his fingers drumming the tabletop. “I am confused,” he said at last. “Did not Don Ramoli receive his viewing globe?”
“He did.”
“He’s probably too lazy to read the manual,” interjected Don Fergani.
“Be quiet,” said Kaxaun, his voice as firm as iron. “Is there a problem with the equipment?”
“No,” said Gael.
Kaxaun nodded. He knew the message Gael carried was important, and that the knight was waiting for permission to deliver it in the presence of Don Fergani. ‘Who is it this time,’ he wondered. It wouldn’t be the first time a coup was attempted against him. Whoever was behind this mischief obviously did not have the majority of dons with him. ‘I’d be dead already,’ he reasoned. “You may deliver your message,” he said aloud.
“Forgive me, Don Kaxaun, but Don Ramoli does not presume to know your every intention. He has sent me all this way knowing that you may very well have planned to stir things up with Ponce. He does think it odd that you did not send your orders through him.”
“What are you talking about?” snapped Kaxaun in annoyance. “Stir things up with Ponce? What orders are you referring to?”
“As you know, things have been tense between Vellia and Ponce for several months now. The king has reinforced Temang with several units, and negotiations have been ongoing to release Vellian dignitaries being held in the Ponce prison of Chateau Gibet.”
“I am aware of this,” acknowledged Kaxaun, “but what does this have to do with the family?”
“Two units under our influence have been sent in on a direct assault on the prison. The first order saw the Hard Hawk’s balloon division assault the upper chateau. The King’s pride and joy was shot down over the cliffs of Gibet and the whole division was decimated. Days later, Commander Edward Rowgar and his Special Forces unit were ordered into the prison on reconnaissance. None of them returned.”
“We have many men under our influence,” growled Kaxaun, his face growing a dangerous shade of red. “Where did these orders come from?” Behind the Chancellor, Don Fergani sat quiet, his fear evident.
“From you.”
“I gave no such order,” thundered Kaxaun. “Those men were under the direct command of the king’s forces. They take orders from the king’s generals not the Syndicate.”
“Yes, but General Omik is on our payroll, and the order was issued to him and down to Rowgar and Hawks. If there is one thing men like Captain Hawks and Commander Rowgar know, it’s how to follow orders.”
“Again, I have given no such orders. Omik has gone rogue,” continued Kaxaun, “or he’s being influenced by someone who will benefit from a war between Ponce and Vellia.”
“Omik has been trustworthy in the past,” interrupted Sir Gael, “but Don Ramoli theorised much the same. He had Omik brought in for questioning and that’s when the general showed us the communication he’d received ordering the two units to assault the prison. I was present when he brought up the encrypted communiqué on Don Ramoli’s globe. It was sent from Syndicate headquarters and bore your own initials.”
“How?” asked Kaxaun, sounding more stunned than angry. “These bloody globe transmissions are supposed to be encrypted! No one should be able to use our feed unless they have my authority.” He rubbed at his temples. “Don Fergani,” he said coldly, “you assured me these devices were encrypted. Wasn’t it also you who suggested we utilise this new technology?”
Don Fergani blanched under the direct assault. His fat face quivered and a bead of sweat ran down beside his nose. “I swear, Don Kaxaun, these devices are secure. We pay the Dragon Council a monthly fee to use their secure network. We have insurance, my Lord. Surely, if there was a breach in their system, the Dragon Council will take matters into their own hands.”
“No,” stormed Kaxaun, trying to regain control of his emotions, “the Dragon Council must not find out about this. No one must. We all know what will happen if the King finds our influence to be so significant. My God, the destruction of Vellia’s flagship now lies at our feet. War is imminent and somebody wants us to take the fall for it.”
“What can we do?” asked Don Fergani. “Do we stop using the system?”
“No,” returned Kaxaun. “We will continue to communicate through the devices, making it look like we remain reliant on these bloody globes. Anything of importance however, will be sent overland by courier. Am I understood?” Both Don Fergani and Sir Gael nodded.
“Don Fergani, you will see what you can do with the Dragon Council’s help to trace the origins of the commands issued to General Omik. The dragons are to know nothing of the transmissions, only that you desire to find out where the communications originated from.”
“Understood,” agreed Fergani, looking relieved he had been given a role in finding a solution. “What about this Omik?” Nervously, he ran a hand through his greasy hair. “The king is going to want answers on who ordered his units to attack the citadel.”
“Hawks and his crew went down with their ship, and Rowgar and his men did not survive their excursion into Gibet,” interjected Sir Gael. “For now, General Omik himself has ordered a full investigation into why these men took matters into their own hands and assaulted the target without authorization.”
Kaxaun nodded thoughtfully. “Sir Gael,” he said at last. “Thank you for the delivery of this intelligence. Don Ramoli was correct in sending you. I know you
must be weary. You have my leave to clean yourself and take rest.”
“Thank you,” returned Gael, saluting and turning for the door.
“Oh,” added Kaxaun as an afterthought, “do not concern yourself with the rug. I shall have it taken care of.” He turned to the don beside him, ignoring Sir Gael. “You are dismissed for now, Don Fergani. We will convene in three hours. I need time to consider our options.”
* * * *
Pacorro ran through Dungren Abbey. Even though it was night and the church was pitch black, the assassin moved confidently along the nave toward the high alter. Pacorro knew the abbot had run this way, and he also knew where the man was headed.
Pacorro had spent the evening hunkered in the cold room behind a barrel of apples and a hanging side of beef. Twice, monks had entered to retrieve food items, but he had not been forced to kill either of them. Patiently he had waited for the abbot to come for his nightly snack. The cold room had been chosen for its location, not because it was an assured place to make contact. If he had simply wanted to kill the abbot, the man would have died a week ago. To Pacorro stalking and killing his prey was an art. Anyone could draw a knife across a man’s throat.
It had been close to midnight when the abbot made his appearance. His Holiness’ mind was not on the pantry though, as he rummaged along the shelf for a jar of preserved jellies. Pacorro had been forced to thump the apple barrel twice before the man turned. The shock of the encounter registered on the old man’s face and he nearly dropped his candle. “Assassins!” he screamed hoarsely and drew in a second breath to shout again. One of Pacorro’s throwing knives thudded into a support beam beside the man’s face, and the abbot was quick to launch his candle at the killer and flee.
Pacorro had smiled to himself as the old man made a break for the western passage. Climbing from cover he had jogged along at an easy pace behind his target.
Welcome to Deep Cove (The Vellian Books Book 3) Page 2