Chapter 7 Kian
KIAN
After ending the call, Kian realized that he'd forgotten Onegus had been on the line and he'd practically hung up on him.
The conversation with Volkov and the soldier calling himself Number One had been brief but impactful, and Kian was still digesting what had been said, evaluating all the potentials that had been presented, and trying to decide what he could actually do and what he absolutely couldn't.
Talk about overload.
He needed to sort it into manageable chunks of what required immediate action, what was important and doable but not urgent, and what could be left to be solved at some future time.
Regrettably, the breeding enclosure fell into the third category.
Two thousand women and children. The number was staggering.
In his mind, the enclosure was small and contained a few dozen women at most. He'd never imagined that there were so many, but he should have.
The ratio between male and female births was consistent, and over the generations, many girls had been born and later conscripted into the breeding program.
They hadn't been allowed to transition, so their life spans were short, but still.
He should have taken a moment to calculate and estimate the real number.
Perhaps he had avoided doing so subconsciously because he hadn't wanted to think about another cruel injustice he could do nothing about.
Generations of captive Dormants had been used as breeding stock to produce soldiers for an army that had been threatening not only his clan but all of humanity.
The strategic implications of ending the program were just as compelling as Volkov had articulated, but not feasible without declaring war on the island.
Regrettably, that was not happening anytime soon.
The clan was working on developing the tools needed for that eventual battle, but none were operational.
They hadn't recruited enough humans yet to train with exoskeletons to be considered a formidable force, the military assault drones he had ordered were not ready yet because there was a worldwide shortage of them, and the combat robots that William was promising to deliver still existed only on the drawing board.
He needed at least two more years before he was ready to take on the island.
Probably more.
The smart approach was to watch what was going on over there by using Losham and, while the clan was building its assets, hope that the guy would be too busy keeping the island from devolving into chaos to come up with new world-domination schemes.
The problem was that patience had never been Kian's strong suit, and the suffering of the women on the island was an issue difficult to compartmentalize. And it wasn't just the Dormants but also the trafficked human women who served the army of immortals.
He picked up the phone and called Onegus. "Sorry for hanging up on you. I forgot you were on the line."
The chief chuckled. "That was my fault. I didn't say a single word after introducing you because you were doing fine without me. I assume you want me to call Turner?"
"I'll call him myself. He's probably on his way home, fighting the Friday afternoon traffic. After I speak with him, I'll call Toven and ask him to join us as well, even though I don't know how he can help. He's not a strategist."
"But he's old and smart," Onegus said. "Do you want me to get Lokan, William, and Roni to join?"
"For now, just Lokan. He might have information about the Dormants' enclosure that can help us."
"You are not seriously considering saving the Dormants, are you?"
"I wish I were." Kian swiveled his chair toward the windows. "I just want to gather information, just in case we come up with something brilliant. Tell him four-thirty. That should give Turner enough time to get here."
"Will do, boss. Or should I start calling you K from now on?"
Kian ignored the chief's teasing. "I'll ask Shai to get us some sandwiches and pastries from the café so we will have something to tide us over until dinner."
"Good deal."
Kian ended the call and selected Turner's contact from his favorites.
What did it say about him that the strategist shared a list with his wife, mother, and sisters?
"Kian," Turner answered before the phone rang even once. "What's happening?"
The guy knew that he wouldn't be calling him on a Friday afternoon just to chit-chat. He only called when the sky was falling, and he needed Turner to help him prop it up.
"I need your strategic mind. Can you stop by my office on your way home?"
"Of course, but traffic is as bad as always on a Friday afternoon. Right now, my estimated time of arrival is four twenty-two, but that might change if the congestion worsens."
"That's perfect. I was planning for four-thirty."
"Can you brief me on the way so I can start strategizing?" Turner asked.
"It has to do with the Doomers' island, and it's either a great opportunity or an elaborate trap. We've just gotten a call from one of the Russian scientists working on the enhancement program on the island. They want to escape and need our help. I'll tell you the rest when you get here."
"How did they manage to call you? No one other than Losham and the other brothers have access to outside lines."
"They stole Losham's phone while he slept."
There was a short pause. "Now I'm intrigued. I'll be there in about an hour."
"Thank you." Kian ended the call and dialed Toven next.
The phone rang a few times before the god answered. "Hello, Kian. Any new developments with the island?"
"You could say so, but it has nothing to do with Khiann or the chests. We've just gotten a call on Lokan's phone from Doctor Dimitri Volkov, who was using Losham's. He, Petrov, a woman working in their lab, and the eight enhanced soldiers want to escape the island and are asking for our help."
Toven chuckled. "Not much surprises me anymore, but this is definitely unexpected."
"It is. I need to brainstorm this. Can you come to my office at four-thirty? Turner, Onegus, and Lokan will be joining us."
"Naturally. Thank you for inviting me. I'm looking forward to a stimulating brainstorming session."
The god sounded excited, which was uncharacteristic. As the oldest being on the planet, Toven rarely got excited over anything.
After ending the call, Kian pressed the intercom. "Shai?"
"Yes, boss?"
"I'm having an emergency meeting with Turner, Toven, Onegus, and Lokan in my office at half past four. Can you please get an assortment of sandwiches and pastries from the café? I don't want people to get impatient and leave because they are hungry."
"I'm on it, boss. I just want to remind you that you are hosting a family dinner at seven tonight. If you think the meeting will run longer than that, you should let Syssi know."
"I think we will wrap it up by then."
"Do you need me to stay for the meeting?" Shai asked.
"Only if you want to."
"I would love to, but Geraldine invited our branch of the family over for dinner, and I need to help her set things up. That also means that you can't hold Toven and Onegus for too long either. They are invited."
"Of course they are." Kian smiled. "I'll do my best to be done by six." He ended the call.
It was sometimes easy to forget that Toven was Shai's father-in-law, and that Shai was Onegus's stepfather-in-law because Geraldine's daughter was mated to the chief.
The web of familial connections in the clan certainly made life interesting.
Kian turned to the window and looked out at the village below.
It was a beautiful afternoon, the kind that reminded people why they tolerated the traffic, the insane regulations, the taxes, and the earthquakes.
California wasn't everyone's cup of tea, and Kian wasn't a fan of the harsh summer sun or the heat that came with it, but he loved living hidden in a large metropolitan area that provided plenty of entertainment and dining opportunities, even though he rarely had the time to enjoy either.
Somewhere on the other side of the world, on an island in the Indian Ocean, twelve hundred women were living behind a wall and raising children whose childhood ended at thirteen.
The boys were taken away and turned into ruthless warriors, and the girls were turned into reluctant breeders like their mothers.
Those soldiers were his enemies, but they didn't choose to be. If he got them out before the brainwashing changed them into monsters, he would gain allies instead of more adversaries.
Then again, Navuh was no longer calling the shots on the island, and Losham was essentially the clan's puppet. Perhaps the clan could effect change from afar without ever having to resort to bloodshed?
If only things could be that simple.
Losham's position was tenuous, and Kian had a feeling that he wouldn't last long before his so-called brothers would do away with him.