Silent Flyght – Chapter 5

So much for making an appointment and getting seen on time.

I drum my fingers on the plush arm of this chair and let my foot bounce in the air in front of me. I hate waiting. I especially hate waiting when I have an appointment, and I show up on time. There are a million other things I need to be doing, and sitting around the lounge of First Ossun Bank is not one of them.

My neck and back ache from a horrible night’s sleep again. If I’m not tossing and turning, I’m having nightmares. Sleep is exhausting instead of restful, and my careful veneer of complacency and competence is cracking every day.

Sigh. I just need to suck it up and get through all this.

Checking the time, I see there are new messages in my inbox. Carlos, my ship’s tech expert, is in Mayashu with Lia working on getting the AI installed on the ship. I call up his vidmessage since I have nothing else to do, and my meeting is already ten minutes behind schedule.

“Hey, Captain. Just wanted to check in and let you know how things are going here.” A big smile splits his face. “I’m super pleased and impressed by Liam Castillo. He’s down to earth and easy-going, but he knows his stuff. He’s happy with all the equipment we’ve bought, and so far, the installation has gone smoothly. Since we fixed everything, there have been no additional problems.”

His stare into the camera is fierce, speaking without words. He’s saying there were no problems with the Amagi to begin with, not until Tomu started fucking with everything.

“So we expect to be up and running in another day. Skylar should be here in a few hours to complete any testing that needs to be done. I hope everything is going fine there. I saw the videos you sent of the contract signing, and it looks like it was a great time for everyone. I’m really happy for you, Captain.” He nods once. I need to meet his parents someday and tell them how much I admire the way they raised their son. “Talk to you soon!”

There’s a new vidmessage from Renata Dellis. Instead of deleting it, I let it play.

“Ms. Kawabata, I hope this message finds you well wherever you may be.” She raises one eyebrow at the camera. “Laguna, Palo Alto, Ossun — I just can’t keep track of you these days. You’ve ignored my other messages, so I thought a vidmessage would get through to you. Please reconsider my proposal for us to work together.” She sighs. “I regret that our first meeting was too… confrontational. I swear that I’m an approachable person who has nothing but your best interests and future at heart.”

Yeah, right.

“Please, I would love to hear from you if you even watch this message.”

I send the vidmessage to my archives and roll my head back onto the chair. The dread I used to feel about Renata Dellis has been replaced with curiosity. Why does she care so much? And is it a good idea to ignore her for as long as I have?

“Ms. Kawabata?” A young man in a suit approaches me, and I snap my head up from the chair, trying to look awake and amenable. He buttons his suit jacket as he dips his head to me. “Sorry for the delay. Please, let’s speak in my office.”

Who’s this now? I grab my bag and follow him through the bank offices to a corner suite.

“Excuse me. I was supposed to meet with Tatiana Álvares?” I hover in the doorway, unsure if I’m in the right place.

The man reaches out his hand to indicate the chair on the other side of his desk. “Please have a seat. Ms. Álvares is no longer with First Ossun Bank, and I’m handling the Kawabata estate now.”

I hesitate for a moment, skeptical of this development. Still, I approach the chair and try to perch myself on the edge of the seat cushion. Best not to get too comfortable. A projected name placard on his desk reads Michael Lopez. Okay, Mr. Lopez, let’s hear it.

“Well, then, you can probably guess why I’m here today, Mr. Lopez.” I stress his name, a sign that I had to learn the name myself from his desk instead of him telling me. A faux pas on his part.

“I’m so sorry, Ms. Kawabata.” He stands up and rounds the desk, pulling a business card from his jacket pocket. He hands it to me with two hands, a mark of respect, and my hackles lower a fraction. “Please take my business card. You can call me, day or night, should you need any information about your former estate.”

I take the card and slip it into my bag. “That’s just the thing. I don’t want it to be my former estate. I had a deal with Ms. Álvares that I would have a year to repay the five million credit debt on the mortgage. That I had exclusive rights to do that before you went to anyone else.”

His eyebrows climb into his hairline. “That’s hard to believe, Ms. Kawabata. Exclusive rights? No one at this bank would ever propose such a thing. We’re a bank, not a charity. Did Ms. Álvares give you this promise in writing?”

I swallow as the true depth of this betrayal reveals itself. Tomu is not the only person who has lied to me lately.

“I think you know she didn’t.” I stare him down from across the vast expanse of his desk. He doesn’t flinch.

“I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news then. Let me put it to you in black and white terms, okay?” He sits forward and calls up spreadsheets only he can see. “You defaulted on the mortgage, and the bank repossessed your house and land.”

Heat builds along the back of my neck. Thanks, asshole. I know all of this already.

“We auctioned off all the furniture and possessions in the house, which didn’t net us very much. Then Ms. Álvares tried to manage the farm while we conducted an inspection and assessment of the land and warehouses. Unfortunately, she did a poor job of managing the business, which is why she is no longer with the bank.”

I clench all the muscles in my legs to stop myself from jumping up and calling this man every obscenity I can think of.

“She lost an additional one-point-five million credits, which has been added to the grand total for the starting bid at auction…” He stops to fold his hands on his desk. “Unless you have six-point-five million credits right now.”

I swallow again, but my throat is bone dry.

“I think you know that I don’t have that kind of cash right now. If I did, I wouldn’t be here today talking to you.” Because I would be having drinks with my network and celebrating the return to my land.

His small smile makes me want to punch his face in. “We figured as much. By our estimates, you would need more than a year to gather the amount needed to buy out the debt.”

“Are you accessing my accounts to determine if I’m solvent enough to buy back the land?”

“When you open an account with us, you give us permission to access your records at any time.”

Looks like I’m opening new accounts somewhere else, very, very soon.

I wouldn’t be surprised if this man turned into a snake right before my eyes. He seems happy with the fact that I can’t get my farm back. To him, profit is paramount, and he knows if he brings my farm to auction, India Dellis will be there to buy it for more than I can. I can’t think of anyone else with more assets than her who will be there to compete with me, short of some military baroness. And let’s face it, that could totally happen. Someone could come out of nowhere at any moment and have more money than me, and I would be screwed.

“This is not the only place I have accounts.” This is true, though most of my money is with First Ossun Bank. “And more money is incoming from my new network. If you allow me to purchase the estate for the initial five million credits, I can take this off of your hands in as little as four weeks.”

He sighs. “Ms. Kawabata, the debt is six-point-five million credits.”

My lungs sting with the anger I’m holding back. “You could loan me the additional one-point-five million at a modest interest and make more than you would from the auction.” A loan of that size would put me in hock up to my eyeballs, but I would make it work. I would turn the farm on high output with everything I learned at school, and I’d pay off the principal as fast as possible.

Mr. Lopez tilts his head to the side and considers me for a moment. He’s doing math in his head. I can smell the brain cells burning from here.

“That’s a very generous offer, Ms. Kawabata. But the bank is better off going to auction. We’ve had some interest in the estate in the last week, and we can get a good sum for the property. You are, of course, welcome to come and bid. We’re required by law to entertain all bids from women.”

He stands, buttons his jacket, and waits for me to take the hint. My time here is up. Any chance I had of getting the farm back before others had a crack at it is over.

I would cry if I weren’t so angry. I’ve been blocked at every turn, and this is the most heartbreaking development yet.

“I expect to be notified of the auction date at least three days ahead of time to allow for transit back to Ossun. You should allow me that much.”

His face twitches as he calms a smirk. “We will notify you.”

Standing up, I raise my chin, turn, and walk out.

The universe will try to take everything from me, but I will not go down without a fight.

—-

With the failure at the bank under my belt, I hesitate at the bottom of the hill to Gabriel Almas’s cliff-side home. A cold wind rushes up the street, rustling my coat around my knees and sending leaves tumbling along the pavement. At five minutes to noon, I still have time to turn around and return to the hotel. I should go back. I shouldn’t let some man order me to him.

I don’t even know why I’m here.

This was a mistake.

“Vivian!”

I close my eyes and curse before turning to face the guys walking up the street behind me.

Jinzo leads the way up the hill with Ken at his side and Gus behind him. Jinzo and Ken are dressed for the Ossun winter weather. Gus has his hands jammed in his pockets, keeping them warm since he’s only wearing a sweater. He grew up here, and he’s probably acclimated to the cold.

“You guys really don’t need to be here.”

Jinzo lifts his chin out of his giant scarf. “We thought you might like some backup.”

I try not to show my disappointment at being caught sneaking off to this meeting, but it shows in a smirk.

“Actually, I had thought that if I was going into a dangerous situation, I would need someone to pay my ransom.”

“If you’re going into a dangerous situation, then we should be with you,” Ken insists.

Jinzo puffs a frosty breath out of his nose. “Remember how we talked about being a great network leader? Great network leaders don’t sneak around and take meetings without their network to back them up.”

“I… I just don’t think it’s a good idea.” I regret saying it out loud. I’ve felt stupid all day for even considering coming, and now I know for sure I’m dumb when each of the guys nod.

Ken raises his eyebrows. “If you don’t think it’s a good idea for us to be here, then I doubt it’s a good idea for you to be here. What do you think he wants?”

I shrug. I have no connection to this man except that both he and Tomu are Reformers. That can’t be it, though, because I doubt Tomu committed enough time and energy to these people beyond his hatred for me.

“Then let’s go,” Jinzo says, leading the way.

I sigh as I follow him up the road to the gate. I don’t even have to announce myself; the gate swings right open. Barely hiding my annoyance at the extravagant gardens, planted with evergreens and winter vegetation, and the well-stocked koi pond, I climb the steps to the front door with the guys. This place screams money and lots of it. I’ve been bombarded by wealth lately, and it’s ticking me off.

The front door swings open, and the man who came to deliver the business card to me stands in the vestibule. Today, he’s dressed in black, and his stance is casual.

“Ms. Kawabata, Mr. Almas is pleased you could come.” He opens the door wide enough for us all to get into the front atrium. The space shoots up two stories with windows to let in the light. “Gentlemen, you will wait here while Ms. Kawabata has her meeting.”

The man tries to usher me forward, his hand grasping my shoulder like a claw.

“Hey.” I grimace and try to angle away from his grip. “That’s unnecessary. Let me go.”

His stare is penetrating, and I lean away from his deep blue eyes. I’ve only seen blue eyes four or five times in my life, and his makes my skin crawl.

“Do you have any idea how long it took Mr. Almas to find you?” This man’s voice is barely above a growl. “You will not back out of this meeting now.”

“Well, I wasn’t planning on backing out of the meeting until you put your hands on me.”

Jinzo and Ken bristle, but Gus is the first to move and stand in this man’s way.

“Please do not put your hands on Vivian without her permission,” he says, his voice gentle but firm.

“She is a female. Lesser than us.”

My body erupts with goosebumps. Oh, shit. Here we go.

“I’ll do whatever the fuck I want,” the man responds, grabbing my arm and pulling me around.

Pain lances through my upper arm, and I yelp like a wounded animal. This was a bad idea right from the start. I shouldn’t be here. These people want to eliminate me from the planet, not talk to me.

Jinzo is a blur. He jabs the guy in the throat, thwacks him in the temple, and then drives his knee into the man’s stomach. I tumble forward as he frees my arm, and Ken snatches me up. Gus has the door open, and we’re all outside, retreating down the steps before I can take a breath. Footsteps pound through the halls, and someone calls for us to wait.

“Wait! Ms. Kawabata!”

Gus has one of my arms and Ken has the other, and my feet barely touch the ground as we try to put distance between our attackers and us.

“Are you fucking insane?” I hear another man snap. I look over my shoulder to see who it is. “I’ve had to wait weeks for her to even be on-planet!”

Gabriel Almas clambers over the man writhing on the floor and stumbles down the stairs after us.

“Wait,” I squeak out, trying to get my feet on the ground.

“No waiting. We go,” Ken insists.

“Ken!” I raise my voice to get his attention. “I mean it! Wait!”

“Ms. Kawabata, please!” Almas calls out to me again, and my breathing runs away from me.

Despite the danger of the situation, my instincts tell me to calm down and assess the problem.

Gus is the first to slow down. He’s so much better at reading my state of emotion from the outside than Ken is. Ken is still linked to me empathically. He felt my initial panic and is driven to run from this place by my emotions. Jinzo is most concerned with my safety, and he’s covering our rear as we retreat.

“Gus,” I plead, and he stops. Ken comes to a halt a split second later, and my feet finally hit the ground. We made it as far as the bottom of the garden stairs, and the property gate is only a few meters away. Men in dark suits crowd the entrance on full alert.

Almas comes running up to us and collapses forward, huffing and puffing, his hands on his knees. His black and silver hair falls into his face as he tries to collect himself. I remember him from yesterday with his fist raised in the air, calling on the crowd to chant and protest. This is all an act.

All of it.

The meeting, his weakened state from running after me, his brand-new garden and fancy house — they’re all an illusion to get me to believe he’s a genuine, upstanding guy.

I won’t fall for it.

“I’m… sorry.” He holds out his hand as he gasps for air. “Lucas had no right to lay his hands on you. He’s fired. I’m so sorry.”

I straighten myself out. “I could have you arrested for assault, you know?” When he rights himself, I catch a fleeting smile before he slathers on a frightened expression. He’s playing me. “You and your testosterone-laden goons had better never approach me again. Back the fuck up right now.”

My heart stutters as he hesitates, wondering if he should or should not obey me. Then he takes one halfhearted step back. When I flare my nostrils, he takes two more, and his men follow him.

“Ms. Kawabata, please come inside where we can have a private chat.” He turns, expecting me to obey.

“No.”

He pauses, turns, and stares me down. I hold my head high.

No. Just no.

“I don’t know what I’m even here for, so no. I’m not going anywhere with you. State your case, right here.”

His expression loses any faked humor it once had. “Your brother said you were difficult, but I didn’t believe how much.”

There it is. My brother. I fucking knew it.

“Where is he, anyway?” he asks, narrowing his eyes. “He was one of my biggest supporters. I’d love to have him back in the ranks.”

I glance at Jinzo, and he’s annoyed. “Let’s go, Vivian.”

“Damn right, let’s go. I have no idea where my asshole brother is, and any friend of his can go fuck himself.”

The guys close in around me as we retreat down the driveway.

“You’re missing five million credits, and I know where they are,” Almas calls out.

Everyone draws a collective breath, and we stop our retreat. Jinzo leans forward onto his toes, ready to strike.

Almas’s previous smile suddenly makes sense. I fold my arms over my chest and try to rise to a greater height. The house, the gardens, the obvious wealth. Sure this guy makes plenty of his own money from his tech business, but I doubt it makes enough for this kind of extravagance. My guess is he’s been taking money from other men hip to his cause for years.

“You called me here to rub it in my face that you have my five million credits.”

His face falls. My five million credits may not have built the gardens or the house, but it’s probably funded a ship or a shuttle or the fucking fish in the pond.

I inhale a deep breath through my nose. There’s no way I’ll control my temper in this situation. After the morning I just had, I am in no mood for this shit.

I go straight for crass and don’t look back.

“For fuck’s sake.” I throw as much motherly exasperation into my voice as possible. “Did you let Tomu suck your dick for five million credits? He always overpaid for shitty service and cheap trash.”

Almas’s jaw clenches. Ken halts a snicker.

“Well?” I ask, drumming my fingers on my arm as I wait for a response.

“I do have your money, though technically it’s my money now. Already invested and socked away.” He shrugs. “Gifts, you know? From a wealthy patron. Even paid taxes on it.”

“How noble of you.”

His eyes relax to slits, and his lips twist in a smirk. “I figured you’d want it back, the money. Tomu told me you’d do anything to keep your farm. Anything.”

He’s right, of course. I would do almost anything for the farm. Not what this guy wants out of me, but I’m curious what that is.

“What’s your offer?” I ask him, and I turn to the guys standing by my side. “We’re curious, right? What could this dickhole think I’d go for?”

“It is a mysterious situation,” Ken says, leaning to the side to get a better look at Almas.

“Yeah, let’s hear it.” Jinzo folds his arms over his chest.

Gus shrugs. “I don’t care what he offers. He’s a nobody.”

I chose all the right guys, didn’t I?

Almas looks around, most likely disappointed that we’re not doing this in his posh office where he can look like a lord and savior.

“I’m willing to give you all the money Tomu gave me, all five million credits, if you add me to your network.”

A laugh bursts from my lips before I can stop it. “Add you? To my network?” I suck in a labored breath between giggles. “No.”

“You’re already part of someone’s network,” Ken says, waving to the house. “It’s the only reason you’ve kept this place.”

“She has agreed to be non-exclusive.” Almas’s eyes shine with glee. Whatever he has over this woman, it must be enough to make her comply with every one of his stupid ideas.

And with him trying to buy me out, I can guess that this is the thing he enjoys. He loves having power over women. He gets off on giving other men power over women. I wish I could see into his childhood and figure out why he’s this way, but I have too much other shit to do. I don’t have time for this.

“The answer is no. Keep the money. Consider it wages paid for being someone else’s bitch.”

He advances forward a half step, his face bright red. I lift my chin as Jinzo and Ken edge in front of me, and Gus pulls me back.

Almas snaps out of his rage in a flash. He points at me.

“You’ll regret this. I’ll make sure of it.”

A chill creeps up my spine, but I refuse to cave in this time.

I toss my hair over my shoulder and turn to leave. “Please. Bigger people than you are trying to ruin me every day. You’re nothing compared to them.”

I march the guys off the property and don’t look back.