Enlil flicked his reptilian eyes over
to Alex. “Do your job. I want those concentration camps
full.”
Alex mimicked his brother’s motions.
“It will be done, great God.”
Enlil slowly smiled. “I never tire of
hearing that.”
§
October 21, 2012 - 11:12 AM
Dion Corporation
Alcyone Island
Simone stared down at the papers
announcing that her divorce was final. She realized after some
silent introspection that she didn’t feel anything except a sense
of relief. Victor hadn’t been seen or heard from in months, and
that suited her just as well, too. One marriage down, she thought
with wry amusement, and the husband had escaped
unharmed.
Simone slipped the papers back into
their folder and filed them away in her desk drawer. Maybe she’d
have more luck with her second husband. Not that she was looking,
but if she were to pursue a relationship again, that man would have
to run a close line to what she had previously had, what she knew
was possible. She wanted a connection; a bone deep, soul-filling
connection.
What she wanted in a relationship,
though, was a trivial matter compared to the intensity and
importance of the game she was playing now. Rubbing her hands over
her eyes, Simone decided that, before she submerged herself back
into how they were to attack the concentration camps when the time
came, she was going to take a break. Standing up from behind her
desk, she stretched her arms and paused. A memory came running into
her mind, from a lifetime not so long ago. As if she were reliving
the past, she saw the door open, and Kyle walk in. She felt herself
smiling, warming to his very presence, as a heady rush of
anticipation filled her; she recognized the look in his
eyes.
The memory faded as smoothly as it had
arrived, and Simone sighed softly. She could still feel it; his
arms around her, the needy, loving weight of his kisses. When those
memories assaulted her so vividly, she wasn’t certain whether or
not remembering past lives was such a good thing.
Giving a little shake of her head to
clear it, Simone walked out of her office, heading down the busy
carpeted hallways of the Dion Corporation building, to a set of
double doors. She pushed through them and out into a small garden,
a soothing place for employees to take a break. It was not uncommon
to find a member of middle management or anywhere in between out
there, meditating or cat napping. At the moment, though, Simone was
alone.
She moved leisurely out into the
sunlight, tipping her face up into its warmth and closing her eyes,
drawing in a calming breath. She needed to silence the furiously
continuing thoughts; the plans, the moves they were making, and the
knowledge of how much failure at each junction would cost
them.
She sensed another presence more than
actually heard it. Opening her eyes, she glanced over her shoulder
and saw Caleb walking towards her. He was another issue entirely.
If things had been different, she could have seen herself— No, she
thought. There was no reason to even touch upon that
subject.
Simone’s brows slowly
furrowed as Caleb approached. Strangely, he looked more than
familiar to her. She took in the sharp angles of his face, the
slightly curling sweep of his light brown hair, and the intense set
of his clear blue eyes. He had clear blue eyes. Just like—
Oh, God. Just like Kyle
.
Simone swallowed hard.
“
I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to
disturb you,” Caleb said with a warm smile.
Simone pushed the thought away, blaming
it on silent yearning and her recent memory. “You don’t have to
apologize, Caleb, and you’re not disturbing me. Is something
wrong?”
“
Your brother, Vasco, sent
me to come find you.”
Simone opened her mouth to answer him,
but was forced into silence by another sudden rush of memory. It
phased out her vision from the present to the past. She saw
them—Lil and Kyle—after a job. Kyle had gotten shot, but not
fatally. Liliana had been attracted to him, but didn’t plan on
acting on it.
“
Have dinner with
me.”
“
I don’t think that’s such
a good idea.”
“
Why not?”
Lil was just coming off of
Jack’s murder, her divorce, and her husband’s lack of real reaction
at her affair. She wasn’t ready to jump back into anything. “It’s
just not.”
Kyle hadn’t given up. Liliana had given
in two weeks later. She wasn’t without him after that.
“
Simone? Are you all right?”
Caleb took a few steps towards her, his brow creasing.
No, Simone thought, she
wasn’t. She was going to end up losing her mind if this continued.
She wondered, fleetingly, if Vasco suffered from the same torture
of remembering past loves. She covered her face with her hands.
“I’m sorry. Long day. Is he in the con—” Her hands fell away as she
looked up at Caleb, and she was struck mute again. The concern
marking his features wasn’t familiar to Simone, but it was to
Liliana.
He couldn’t possibly? Could
he?
She had to know. She had to know right
then, or she wasn’t going to be able to function, let alone play
the game.
“
I have to do something.” It
wasn’t much of an explanation as Simone closed the distance between
them determinedly. Her hands lifted, framing Caleb’s face between
the gentle strokes of her fingertips.
Every muscle in Caleb’s form coiled
into a tight knot. He wanted to reach out, but he was afraid that
in doing so, he would break whatever spell had come over Simone and
she would stop; before she kissed him. That was surely her intent,
he thought, and he was proven correct when he felt her lips brush
in the most featherweight touch against his own. She felt like
silk. It was addicting. Instinctively, he licked his lower lip and
barely restrained himself from crushing her in his arms when she
covered his mouth with hers a second after, taking advantage of his
slightly parted lips to slip her own tongue inside, catching the
tip of his.
He was suddenly so
ridiculously familiar to Simone, she knew it with complete
certainty; Kyle. That became the only thought that dominated her
mind; that and the taste of him. She wanted more proof. As if Caleb
was reading her mind, she felt his arms finally lift, and slide
around her, lightly at first, and then tighter the harder she
kissed him. Caleb licked intimately at the inside of her mouth,
until she moaned with quiet longing. It was the sound she made,
echoing in her own ears that pulled Simone back into sanity.
He
didn’t remember. To
Caleb, Madame President had just started making out with him for no
reason.
Simone pulled back as unexpectedly as
she had leaned in, putting two big steps between them. Her breath
was coming fast. Her face was flushed. She looked into those blue
eyes again and almost broke down. Shutting her own eyes, Simone
turned her head away, searching for that family-bred control. “I’m
sorry, Caleb. You… reminded me of someone just now. It won’t happen
again.”
Caleb watched her intently.
“Understood. But for the record, you can kiss me anytime you want.
And I promise not to get fresh.” He winked.
Simone lifted the family held dark gray
eyes to him, and couldn’t stop the almost sad upward curling of her
mouth. “Thank you, Caleb.” She wasn’t just thanking him for his
light humor at the situation, but he wouldn’t understand what that
moment had meant to her. Composure regained, the veil slide neatly
over her eyes. “Is my brother in the conference room?”
“
Yes, ma’am.”
Simone nodded and walked hurriedly past
him and back inside the building. Caleb remained rooted in place.
He didn’t turn around to watch her walk away. He bowed his head and
drew in a few silent, calming breaths. “You’re welcome...” he
whispered when he heard the doors slide shut. “Liliana.”
§
October 21, 2012 - 11:34 AM
Alcyone Island
Dion Corporation Board Room
“
What’s happened now?”
Simone asked as she walked into the board room. Vasco and Lucien
were sitting at the table, looking up at one of the projector
screens that was airing a newscast from the states.
Lucien waved her over. “Looks like
DeMarco’s estimate was off by a few weeks. They just declared
Martial Law.”
Simone blinked in surprise. Pulling out
a chair, she joined them.
The President of the United States was
addressing the nation, and Vasco used the remote to turn up the
volume as he began to speak.
“
My fellow Americans, I come
to you with a heavy heart. As your leader, you have tasked me with
making the hard, impossible choices. Today, I must make one of
those choices. As you all are well aware, our country is in dire
financial straits. My attempts to jump start the economy have
failed. Despite the increase in troops to Afghanistan, several
immediate pending threats challenge the security and very freedom
of our nation. You have demanded a solution, and I have found one.
The only one.”
“
I don’t get how people can
look at him and not realize how full of shit he is,” Lucien
muttered. “The only threat to their security is you, asshole!” he
yelled at the screen.
“
The financial bailouts of
2008 took on the debt of major U.S. corporations. It is a debt now
owned by the Federal Reserve, and in order to keep our nation
afloat we must call in that money owed. Today, all financial
agreements must be paid in full. Those who cannot pay will be given
limited options.”
The triplets watched as a sudden panic
seemed to escalate from the press in the room. The president had to
pause until the noisy hum died down. “Additionally, so that we may
preserve the safety of our nation and its people, Congress will
vote today for America to merge with Canada and Mexico, forming a
North American Union. This has been on the table for discussion for
years, and I’m very pleased it will finally come to a resolution.
The European Union has been a wonderful model of success, and we
have no reason to believe it will be any different here. This move
will push us one step closer to a world government of democracy,
peace, and safety for all mankind.” The noise level in the room
went up again, and the president raised his hand to quiet them. He
spoke above them. “Martial law will be in effect while debts are
collected. The Federal Emergency Management Agency will be
coordinating this juncture. Military police forces will take over
the duties of local police. They will also be available to answer
questions concerning our new policy in detail, so please don’t
hesitate to speak to them. I know, the sight of the military in
your hometown can be frightening, but do not be afraid. This is
not, I repeat, this is not an act of aggression against American
citizens. They are there for your protection so that this new
transition can be made as smoothly as possible.”
Simone slowly shook her head. “Did you
ever think you’d see the day it came to this?”
“
I always thought we’d be
the ones giving that speech.” Lucien’s lips twisted
wryly.
“
They won’t be prisoners for
long.” Vasco pressed a button, turning off the newscast. “I wonder
if there’s ever been a U.S. president that was not under the
Brotherhood’s control.”
“
Kennedy.” Lucien got up to
help himself to a cup of coffee. “I—Julian—killed him,
though.”
Caleb burst into the room. “Your team
in Guatemala has just been arrested.”
Vasco released a quiet sigh. Lucien
frowned.
“
Jesus. Was anyone hurt?”
Simone asked.
“
The small military squad
you sent to watch over them was killed. The scientists are all
right, though.”
“
What charge are they
holding them under?” Lucien asked.
“
We don’t know yet. How do
you want to handle it?”
Vasco clucked his tongue. “Send an SVT
agent to keep their eye on the situation, and the
scientists.”
“
You don’t want to get them
out?” Simone glanced over at her brother.
Vasco shook his head. “No. As much as
being in jail probably sucks, we don’t need to stir that hornets’
nest, yet.”
“
What do you want to tell
Derek’s team?” Simone asked.
“
Have Robert tell them
they’ve gone offline for a while, for their safety. I don’t want
their worry to distract them from their current task. They’ve got
to get those weapons finished,” Vasco said.
“
Sounds just like Stefano
when says shit like that, doesn’t he?” Lucien chuckled.
“
Yes, he does.” Simone
half-smiled, then looked over at Caleb. She could still taste him.
Pushing that knowledge aside, she asked, “Would you update Robert,
please?”
Caleb looked at Simone. Vasco better
lift that gag order soon, because it was becoming real torture to
not be able to act the way he wanted to around her. “Yes,
ma’am.”
“
Thanks.” Simone stood
up.
“
We’re you going?” Lucien
asked.
“
Down to the shooting range.
Want to come?”