Chapter 28 Kian
KIAN
On Saturdays, Kian usually worked from home, but Kalugal's plane had touched down on the clan's airstrip late Friday afternoon, and there was no time to waste. They needed to figure out how to extract Tula from Navuh's island fortress without starting a war.
Turner arrived at his office first, carrying a leather portfolio stuffed with documents and his ever-present coffee thermos.
"Morning," Turner said, setting his things on the conference table. "Do you want the good news or the bad news first?"
"There's good news?"
"Relatively speaking." Turner pulled out several aerial photographs of Navuh's island.
"The good news is that the extraction method that worked for Carol could work for Tula.
Navuh hasn't made significant modifications to his radar equipment.
In fact, things might be even easier this time because ships are arriving at the island almost daily, so we can get pretty close, and we also have Safe Harbor now, so we can take her there first and then fly her out. "
"And the bad news?"
"Everything else." Turner spread the photos across the table.
"Ground security has been upgraded since the flood.
More cameras have been installed, and there are more guards patrolling the harem perimeter.
The construction crews are a double-edged sword.
On the one hand, they are a source of chaos, but on the other hand, they mean more eyes on the island.
As for vanishing four people simultaneously, I don't think it's feasible. "
Kian studied the images, noting what Turner had highlighted. "We're not extracting four people."
Turner's expression was neutral. "Just Tula then?"
"Just Tula." Saying it aloud made it feel more real, more final. "One pregnant woman staging a suicide is tragic but believable. Anything more raises too many questions."
The door opened, and Onegus entered with his customary bright smile that made him seem as if he didn't have a care in the world when the opposite was true.
"Good morning, gentlemen." He took a seat across from Turner. "Is Carol joining us this morning?"
"She is," Kian said. "I called her last night and explained the situation."
The chief nodded. "Yamanu should be here at any moment."
The two arrived together, holding paper coffee cups from the café vending machines. Carol looked excited, and Yamanu was his stoic self.
When they took their seats, Turner pushed the photos toward Carol. "Walk us through the security setup around the harem."
Nodding, she took a sip from her coffee before launching into a surprisingly detailed account. She remembered guard rotations, camera placements, as well as the daily routines of the harem residents.
"The cliff is the only possible extraction point," Carol said. "It's the one area where the surveillance is limited because there is no need for it. No one can arrive by way of the cliff or depart from it. It's considered suicide even for immortals, which makes it perfect for us."
"We use the same method as before," Onegus said. "Okidu climbs the cliff, secures the rope, Yamanu follows and provides shrouding, and carries Tula down the rope."
"She rides on my back while I handle the descent," Yamanu expanded.
"We will have Guardians with scuba gear waiting at the bottom." He turned to Onegus. "How many do you think we need?"
"At least four, maybe more for unforeseen circumstances. They'll take Tula to the submarine."
"About that submarine." Turner pulled out another document. "I've been making calls. A decommissioned Navy submarine is available in the Maldives. The owner is willing to rent it to us for the operation."
"Rent?" Kian raised an eyebrow. "With a crew, I hope?"
They had divers, but none of the Guardians had been trained in submarine operation.
"The rental agreement includes a crew who don't ask questions. They've worked with private interests before."
"You mean mercenaries," Onegus translated.
Turner nodded. "The sub is old, a Russian research vessel that was decommissioned in 2001 and sold, but it's been well maintained. It's too big for what we need, but I couldn't find anything smaller. It has a decent range, and more importantly, it's available and is close by."
"That's an upgrade from the drug dealer's speedboat we used for Carol's extraction." Yamanu leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. "At least this time I won't have to worry about the engine dying mid-ocean."
"Or the stench," Carol said. "Remember how bad that was? Like sitting in a Porta-Potty."
"Can we focus?" Kian shot them both a look. "Turner, how soon can the sub reach Safe Harbor?"
Turner consulted his notes. "It can be there by Tuesday if they leave immediately. Wednesday at the latest."
"That gives us time to finalize logistics." Kian looked around the table. "Let's run through the sequence."
For the next hour, they worked through the plan in painstaking detail.
The submarine would approach under the cover of darkness, staying outside Navuh's detection range.
A smaller craft—probably a Zodiac—would ferry the Guardian team closer to the island.
Okidu would make the climb first and attach the rope.
Hopefully, this time he wouldn't fall.
"Tula's partner will be devastated," Carol said. "He'll blame himself."
"I know," Kian said. "Regrettably, that can't be avoided."
"We can't extract all four." Turner's voice was firm. "I've run every scenario I can think of. There's no plausible explanation for four people vanishing simultaneously that doesn't trigger an investigation. And any investigation eventually leads back to inside help—which means Areana."
"So, we're abandoning them," Carol said.
"We're making a difficult choice," Kian corrected. "We save who we can save without compromising everyone else. Tamira and Elias stay for now. Maybe in a few years, after scrutiny dies down, we can extract Tamira using a similar method."
Onegus nodded. "It's the right tactical decision. Doesn't make it feel any less shitty."
"No, it doesn't," Kian agreed. "But it's the decision we're making."
Turner cleared his throat. "We should discuss contingencies in case something goes wrong during the extraction."
"Like what?" Carol asked.
"Like Tula panics and can't go through with it. Like the weather turns bad. Like a guard spots something suspicious, like Okidu falling again, or worse, someone else." Turner pulled out a fresh sheet of paper. "We need backup plans for every scenario."
They spent another hour working through contingencies.
If Tula couldn't go through with it, they'd abort and try again another night.
If weather was a problem, they'd wait for a clear window.
If immortal guards were spotted, they would need to abort because Yamanu couldn't shroud against immortals.
If anything else went wrong, they might need more Guardians on hand.
"You should take Drova instead of me," Yamanu suggested. "She can't shroud, but she can compel everyone to stand down, including the immortal guards. She can also carry Tula down." He snorted. "She could probably also scale the cliff with her bare fingers and attach the rope."
It was possible that she could, but compulsion wasn't the skill needed for this operation. Shrouding was.
"Navuh could potentially override Drova's compulsion and get the information out of the guards.
This entire plan hinges on Navuh never suspecting clan involvement.
One hint that we were there, and he'll tear his island apart looking for accomplices.
Areana would be his first suspect. Also, our goal is to extract Tula without starting a war with Navuh. "
The words tasted bitter on his tongue, especially since they were building a base in Safe Harbor so they could one day flip that script and take on Navuh without having to nuke his island and kill everyone there. But they were not ready to do that yet, and Tula needed extraction now.
"I'm surprised that Tula is willing to leave Areana," Carol said. "Or that Areana is willing to let her go. They are very close to each other."
"According to my mother, Areana loves Tula like a daughter and is willing to accept whatever consequences come. She's made her choice."
"That's incredibly brave." Carol's eyes misted with unshed tears.
"It's also incredibly dangerous," Yamanu added. "Navuh isn't known for mercy, even to those he loves."
"Which is why we have to make sure that this extraction is flawless," Kian said. "No mistakes, no traces, nothing that leads back to Areana, or the clan. We get Tula out, make it look like a suicide, and disappear without a trace."
Turner made a note. "I'll need Areana's help with timing. We need to choose a night when Navuh is occupied elsewhere on the island."
"I'll relay that to my mother," Kian said. "She can pass it on to Areana during their next call."
"Speaking of which." Onegus checked his watch. "When is Areana expected to call?"
"Today, potentially. Mother said Areana might risk an off-schedule call, but it's more likely that she will call on Wednesday, which is their regular day."
"Either way, we need to be ready to move quickly once we have confirmation," Turner said. "The submarine will be in position by Tuesday. Our Guardian team needs to be on Safe Harbor by Monday, which means that they need to leave today or tomorrow at the latest."
Kian nodded. "Onegus, can you have a team assembled?"
"Already working on it." The chief pulled out his phone, scrolling through a list.
"I want redundancy," Kian said. "Eight Guardians minimum. If something happens to one team, we need backup."
"I'll have eight ready," Onegus confirmed. "Are you willing to part with one of the brothers or both?"
"I can part with both. I don't have any meetings scheduled outside the village next week."
"Good." Onegus kept typing on his screen.
Turner gathered his documents. "I need to finalize the submarine rental and coordinate logistics. I'll also arrange for a merchant ship as a contingency if the submarine deal falls through. Since we have a base nearby, underwater scooters might be enough to get Tula to the ship."
Everyone nodded, except for Kian.
"If we can get the submarine, I prefer it. Later, if Navuh decides to investigate and check if there were any suspicious ships in the area when Tula supposedly jumped to her death, I don't want him to find anything. That's only possible with a sub."