House of Gold by C T Rwizi

Author:C T Rwizi [C T Rwizi]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: 47North
Published: 2023-04-01T06:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 12:

NANDIPA

When an abandoned and normally uninteresting electrical substation in the sketchiest neighborhood of the Jondolos suddenly becomes host to the firepower of a military base, a lot of people are going to notice.

It’s barely morning, but crowds have gathered from everywhere to investigate; by the press of static all around me, I could almost believe half the island’s population is here.

A large police helo makes a low pass in the cloudy skies above us, red and blue lights strobing on either side of its fuselage. More lights flash at us ahead, coming from the parked police vehicles and holographic DO NOT CROSS lines that have been placed to keep the crowds at least a block away from the substation.

When we get to the perimeter line, following Marcel, Adaolisa and I are allowed through without question on account of our statuses as his secretaries. In her white satin dress, zebra-striped head wrap, and platinum jewelry, Adaolisa cuts a refined contrast to my close-fitting black denims, boots, and leather jacket. Fitting styles for both our personalities but also chosen for effect; when we stand next to Marcel, she makes him look elegant, wiser, and mature, and I make him look strong willed and assertive, not a man to be trifled with.

An illusion, perhaps, but one Adaolisa is more than happy to live with.

Another perimeter has been set closer to the substation’s fence, this one manned by helmeted soldiers all holding rifles in ready positions. Little silver pins shaped like spinning wheels are attached to the collars of their midnight-blue armored uniforms, marking them as soldiers of the Kolovrat. As we draw nearer, one of the soldiers raises a gloved palm in indication that we should stop.

“Director Muzinga, only you have clearance to enter the facility. Your assistants must wait here.”

Behind the soldier, Criminal Investigation Department agents in their green jackets are crawling all over the crime scene. Seeing them, Marcel becomes instantly indignant. “This was a cyberattack on ZimbaTech soil. Internal Security has as much jurisdiction here as the CID.”

“Our orders came directly from the Board, sir,” the soldier says, not budging. “If you have a complaint, take it up with them.”

Damn it. I know Adaolisa desperately wants to get inside, but short of fighting our way in, there’s no way we’ll be getting past these soldiers. All I have is a small personal defense weapon clipped to my hip. And these guys aren’t exactly average grunts.

Mostly descended from Slavic military contractors who were operating in the cluster when the Artemis lockdown went into effect, the Kolovrat are elite mercenaries known for their incorruptibility and political disinterest; exactly the kind of reputation that makes them desirable to the boards of corporate city-states as bodyguards or personal militaries. They are loyal and answer only to the people who pay them.

The ambient static coming off them is fainter than usual, and still as a windless night. I’m pretty sure they received some kind of rigorous psychological training. If ZimbaTech’s Board has sent them here, they must be really spooked.

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