The War of Pawns (The Human Chronicles -- Book Three) (39 page)

Angar grinned back. “It’s
General
Angar now.”

Chapter Fifty-Three

Adam and Riyad returned to the battlecruiser and immediately set off for Silea. The cruiser was much swifter than Angar’s ship, so would arrive there two days before the Nimorian, which would give Adam time to transport his team of SEALs to the surface and prepare them for the operation. The cruiser would hide in the gaseous upper atmosphere of the Silean system’s largest planet, in a delicate balancing act between its own gravity well and that of the huge planet.

Adam had briefed the SEALs on what they would expect to find on Silea. This world was completely different from Calamore; this one was inhabited by a whole menagerie of alien creatures. Beside Kaylor and Jym, the SEALs had never seen another alien, and Adam knew they were in for the shock of their lives.

As with the last time Adam was on the free-wheeling planet, he set the landing craft down in one of the minor spaceports. The landing craft was not as noticeable as the
Cassie 1
had been, so no one paid it much attention. But once on the surface, they ran into the same problem Riyad had when he arrived in the Juirean shuttle – they had no money.

Adam left that problem up to Riyad, who scurried off with a smile on his face. He returned two hours later, with the smile still on his face, but now with a stack of credits in his hand.

“It’s like taking candy from…from an alien!” he said with a smile.

Tom Johnson, one of the SEALs in the team, cast him a quizzical look. “Don’t ask,” was all Riyad said.

With the credits, Adam rented two transports, placing Riyad at the controls of one, and Adam in the other. Adam took four of the SEALs with him, and sent the other two with Riyad. All the SEALs, including Adam, were decked out in full combat gear, with two of them now carrying .300 mag sniper rifles.

When Riyad’s datapad lit up, he learned that the meeting was scheduled to take place at the north end of Grunnel Park, a large greenbelt area adjacent to the main open-air market in Dargor, the capital city of Silea. The time was set for Day16, which placed it well after sunset. That would help with their plans. The SEALs were all fitted with nightvision goggles.

Riyad placed his transport on a side street along the main road to the meeting place. Kroekus would have no reason to suspect anything out of the ordinary, but he would still be cautious. Riyad would slip in behind the crime lord, and relay the course he was taking to Adam, just in case there were any last minute changes. Adam’s SEALs would already be in position overlooking the rendezvous point.

There was a parking area just off the grass where the meeting would take place, so Adam sent three of his men across the street to the nearest building next to the parking lot. He stood in the darkness next to the car, and watched as the men easily scaled the exterior of the four-story building and took up positions on the roof. Through his comm unit, he could hear his men laughing among themselves at the thrill of the .70 gravity. He almost felt guilty when he told them to cut the chatter. He could still remember his first experience, and how strong and powerful he’d felt.

Adam and Chip Upton moved into the park and stationed themselves in the cover of some low-lying bushes. This end of the park was deserted, and they could see further on to where most of the booths in the market had already closed up for the night. Kroekus would have chosen this location for its privacy.

A transport approached and pulled into the parking lot. It was Angar, and he had come alone, as he’d been instructed to do. He stood outside the transport, and removed the jacket that covered his green tunic. It was warm at this time of night, and the fur covering most of his body made the jacket unnecessary. The pirate stood in the darkness, looking around nervously. Riyad had not told him there would be others at the meeting, only that the money would be arriving sometime soon.

Adam’s communicator squawked. It was Johnson, who was with Riyad. “Moving into position now, east side of the parking lot.”

“Roger that,” Adam said.

Then Riyad was speaking in his ear. “Three vehicles, Kroekus in the middle. I counted four guards in each car, front and rear, plus how many are in with Kroekus.”

“Alpha Team, multiple target scenario,” Adam said. “When they arrive, rotate clockwise from subject and identify with numbers. Each man designate their targets.”

A series of ‘rogers’ came over the comm. All they had to do now was to wait for Kroekus to show up.

Two minutes later, a parade of white light flooded the parking lot, as the three cars in Kroekus’s caravan entered. The middle car pulled up next to Angar’s transport, while the other two flanked it, with their lights pointing inward, illuminating the other two cars.

Adam flipped up his nightvision goggles, and sighted along the barrel of his M4. He could clearly see the fat crime boss as he struggled to climb out of the backseat of his transport. Immediately, eight Sileans encircled Kroekus and Angar, armed with flash rifles and scanning the surrounding area for any movement. Two more guards stood to either side of Kroekus, their eyes fixed on Angar.

“Johnson, one and two,” came a voice through Adam’s comm. “Kendall, three and four…” and so forth the count went around, until the six SEALs had each identified which targets they would take.

“Riyad, you set?”

“Roger. At the tree to Angar’s six.”

“We go on my command,” Adam said. Through his scope, he watched as Kroekus waddled up to Angar, who seemed to shift nervously as the much taller and bulkier creature approached. Adam was too far away to hear the initial conversation, but he knew it couldn’t continue very long. Riyad had communicated to Angar that the money would be coming along just as the meeting started, and Angar’s nervous glances toward the road appeared to be making Kroekus nervous as well.

“Ready,” Adam said. “Go, go, go.”

In the still quiet of the night, Adam could hear the muted puffs of the weapons as bullets were sent toward their targets. The 5.56 millimeter rounds, which were not known for their long range stopping power on Earth, nevertheless exploded into the soft bodies of the Silean guards, literally ripping them apart where contact was made. Even though a few of the SEALs had multiple targets to take out, it was almost as if every guard was hit simultaneously. They all dropped into piles of shattered and bloody alien flesh.

Adam was immediately on the go, sprinting over the grass with superhuman speed. In a second, he was standing next to Angar, his own weapon leveled at the wide-eyed crime lord. With slower alien reactions, Kroekus simply blinked several times, as he glanced around to see all his guards lying dead around him. Then his gaze focused on Adam, and his eyes grew even wider.

“You! Do you know what serious trouble you are in?” Even though his words were defiant, his voice trembled as he spoke.

“It is you, Kroekus, who are in trouble.” Riyad appeared out of the darkness.

Kroekus at first displayed additional shock at seeing the former pirate leader, but then it shifted quickly to one of resignation. He looked at Riyad, then over at Adam, whom he eyed up and down, taking in the black and gunmetal gray gear he now displayed. Then two of the others SEALs moved in to cover him, their faces marked with black and green grease.
    
The other SEALs remained on station.

Adam and Riyad let Kroekus take in the scene at his own pace. It was important that he realize the hopelessness of his situation.

Angar stood next to Riyad, a look of pure anger on his face. “What are you doing, Riyad?” he shouted, not bothering with his customary “General’ before addressing him. “You never said anything about
this
.”

“Just a way of getting his attention,” Riyad said without taking his eyes off Kroekus. Riyad allowed himself a wide, toothy grin.

“I’m back,” he said.

“I can see that, and you’re with Adam Cain. This cannot be good.”

“That all depends on you, Kroekus. I’m a fair man. We are about to open negotiations, and depending on how they go, you could come out of this okay.”

“Explain yourself. I did not know you were back with the Pirates.”

“He’s not!” Angar said loudly.

“No, I’m here representing a much more powerful force. But first, I would like to conclude a transaction we started well over a year ago, one that was rudely interrupted. It has to do with the credits I have on deposit with you.”

Adam could see Kroekus display a look of frustration on his alien face. The shock of the situation had passed, and from his life-long position of absolute power, Kroekus could not conceive of the danger he was in. After all, how could anyone honestly threaten Kroekus, especially here on Silea?

“If you have gone through all this trouble for your five million credits, then take them. I will waive my holding fee.”

Riyad continued to smile as he shook his head. “I appreciate that, Kroekus, but I believe I have another offer for you. Seeing that you have had the use of
my
credits all this time, I believe you owe
me
interest for their use.”

Even now, the Silean felt he could bargain. “I find this highly unusual, but I can see where a fair amount of interest would be acceptable. What did you have in mind?”

“Oh I think a fair return for the use of my credits would be in the range of…one-hundred million credits.”

Both Kroekus and Angar let out audible gasps. “That’s not reasonable!” the crime boss shouted into the night, his words disturbing the silence of the park. “I will not pay you that much. I will not!”

Riyad nodded. “Okay, I said this was a negotiation. So let’s negotiate. I know that even one-hundred million is not beyond your ability to pay. In fact, it is still a small part of your assets. So I will make you a deal.”

Riyad stopped speaking and continued to stare at Kroekus with the full-tooth grin.

After a few moments, Kroekus finally spoke. “So, what is this deal?”

“It’s very simple. One-hundred million credits…or I kill you right here,” Riyad lifted the MK-17 and placed its barrel against the forehead of the stunned alien.

“You…you can’t be serious? What good would it do to kill me? You would not get your credits.”

Riyad lowered the weapon. “You are correct. But killing you is something I have always desired. It would bring me much pleasure to do so.”

Kroekus began to stammer, and spittle drained from his open mouth.

“But let me further sweeten the deal,” Riyad said quickly. “You were brought here so that Angar could purchase three Exitor’s from you. That transaction can still go forward. With the one-hundred million credits you now owe me, I will pay you fifty million for the ships.”

“But they are worth 25 each!”

“So I get them at a discount. Isn’t that fair, considering how I was treated at our last negotiation?”

“So I only have to pay you fifty-million…for my life?”