The Enemies

The Chocolate

One chapter added. I currently going through the book chapter per chapter and polishing it per the editor's comments. There was one issue in Rhea's plot. So yep. One chapter for her :)

Rhea

'The cardinals are aware of that?'

I scrunch up the paper and throw it into the snow. Rockwell reluctantly looks around and bends to pick it up.

'I am level nine, and this thing that you threw away is level ten. Who do you think I am? You wanted information, I gave you the information. Even the proof.'

'Do your job! Take measures!'

Sunbright is virtually uninhabited, who does he expect to see? I wipe my running nose with the back of the tactical glove. My bare fingers red.

'He works for both sides, yes. We use him.'

'How?'

'We use the data he provides.'

'How would you know it is sound?'

'We can't know that. But we can check.'

'Check? Are you insane, Rockwell? We kill people because of him.'

'You kill people for much less. Now you want to switch to Karmians?'

'Flack, from you?'

My boot drives straight into the snow, and Rockwell stands back. Guss. That pathetic creep. That small, disgusting shit-eating ameba. Untouchable. Out of my reach. Protected by the very group I belong to.

'Tell you what, I heard something about Pallton. They plan to leak some data on the advance on Moneree. Maybe I will be able to get you there or at least learn more,' he gives up. 'We need Paxton. Take Evans, go alone, do whatever the hell you want. Just visit Paxton. We both know you are good at fishing out secrets.'

Gentlemanlike, Rockwell opens the door of the blue sky jet with a Drellian sign on it. The paint is slightly beat but otherwise seems alright. Then insolently, he slams the bag at me.

'The clothes and the cap to blend into the crowd, the chocolate to get over your anger issues. The rest you already have.'

'Karmians just as sick as Drellians. But you, Mr. Level Nine, is already aware of that.'

I don't give him a chance to reply as I climb into the Drellian sky jet. The fit of rage is asking to happen.

'No, this is level ten.'

He still expects me to laugh at his completely imbecilic joke, but instead, I degrade him with a look of pure dismay. The buttons and switches of the jet light up as I start the engine. The system is rather new, and I am taken aback by the swiftness with which it reacts to my commands. I will need to fly around for a couple of minutes just to get a grip on how the thing operates.

'Oh, come on! Evans's jokes are even worse, but you still smile.'

'I have to. I know him for fifteen years. People call it social pressure.'

I leave Rockwell watching me maneuver around the place in the new generation sky jet. Steering the jet is a rare thing these days, a human is merely an orchestrator. And this thing allows even all-visual flying. I land several miles from Sunbright to get changed. With Paxton whereabouts known only for today and tomorrow, I am not wasting today.

The Karmian air forces allow me to pass the aerial dimension freely, but once I get further into occupied territories, I start to sweat. Two massive air jets approach, requesting control, and I have no other option but to obey. I stare straight ahead, afraid they may recognize me. The gentle buzzing of the engine is all I concentrate on. But when we approach the abandoned territories, I take a peep.