INCEPTIO (Roma Nova) (22 page)

L

Around two thirty, guests began drifting off. Martina came in with a folded note which she handed to Apollodorus without a word. She gave me a meaningful look. We were on.

Apollodorus sat in my leather chair as if he were a king receiving tribute. Palicek was ushered in by Flavius. The screens had been hidden behind a retractable partition. I stood against the back wall by the door, hidden in a sea of black. I closed my eyes to gauge the atmosphere around Palicek. Greed – that was expected – blood, fear, craving for power.

‘Mr Palicek. Please, sit down.’ Apollodorus addressed him in English and smiled like a university professor receiving a dull student: patronising, but interested because he had to be.

‘Thank you, Mr Apollodorus.’

‘Now, how can I help you?’

Palicek had piggy flint eyes in a fleshy face set on top of a medium-height figure. He looked around, a hint of anxiety on his face. He was obviously uncomfortable under the targeted glare. Perhaps the outrageous fee for the lighting design was going to prove worth it.

He sat back and explained his proposition in lightly accented English. Bronck’s Quarter. New York, second generation immigrant, I reckoned, despite his record showing Minnesota.

‘We have a business model that we feel would work well with local partners. We’re looking to connect with interested and effective players. I made a few enquiries about you, Mr Apollodorus. I think we may share a number of common interests.’

He sounded like something out of corporate America. In a twisted way, I guessed he was. I stopped listening to the words and concentrated on the tone, his body language, his reactions. After fifteen minutes back and forward negotiating niceties, Palicek invited Apollodorus to his hotel in two days ‘to meet associates’. Palicek stood up, shook hands with Apollodorus and let himself be escorted back to his group. We saw from the screens they were already in coats, the girl sitting, Renschman and the other man standing in the deserted club floor. We watched Flavius and one of the security team see them off the premises.

Apollo disappeared into the bathroom behind my office. He came back in, drying his hands on a linen towel.

‘That is a most unpleasant man,’ he commented. ‘Not only unrefined, but with absolutely no sense of right and wrong.’

I gasped.

‘Don’t look as if you’ve swallowed your grandmother’s pin cushion. I may break the law, but I’m perfectly aware I’m doing it. He sees absolutely nothing wrong in what he is doing – therein lies the difference.’

Justus, Philippus, the doctor and I went with Apollodorus to meet Palicek and his associates. Apollodorus and Justus led the negotiations; our doctor tested the ‘merchandise’. Delivery of the first batch was scheduled in six days. I didn’t participate, but went along to ‘hold coats’. Disguised in a mousey-brown wig and bulked up with extra layers, I could observe through my tinted spectacles without being distracted. I stood behind Apollo most of the time, out of Renschman’s direct view. It was nerve-racking, but I wasn’t frightened. Renschman had swept his eyes over me, but passed on. As the only woman, the Americans assumed I was Apollo’s assistant and ignored me.

The day after meeting with Palicek, we moved into the club on a full-time basis. Philippus and I were covering the early evening shift two days later when we caught our next official snoopers.

‘There’s a fit woman,’ he said, his eyes tracking a tall figure with long red hair down her bare back. She moved like an athlete; her designer gown must have cost two thousand
solidi
upward. Her escort was tall, dark-haired and had a Mediterranean complexion. Typical Goldlights clientele.

‘You’re not supposed to stalk the customers.’

He grinned but kept his eyes on the screen. ‘Yeah, but she’s something else.’

He continued enjoying himself for a few minutes as she danced.

‘Oh,’ he said.

‘What? Did she fall over drunk or something?’

‘Something.’ He studied the screen intently. ‘Look at her dress, between her breasts.’

‘What exactly?’ I didn’t generally look at other women’s breasts.

He zoomed in and I saw a light mesh of hair-thin threads, barely visible.

‘What do we have here?’

‘Either the DJ
custodes
have stepped up a significant notch or they’re PGSF.’

‘What makes you so sure?’

‘That wire mesh. It’s a polymer fibre used by the Praetorians. It’s ball-achingly expensive, but the arrogant bastards get all the best kit. So they think they own the bloody planet. But they are good. These two definitely fall into that category.’

‘I’ll do this one,’ I said.

‘Sure?’

‘Yeah, it’s my club and I don’t want these people in it.’

I walked around the tables exactly as Apollodorus had done but as we approached the two spooks, I turned to Martina and said I would take it from here.

‘Good evening,’ I said, emphasising the affected nasal voice I used for Pulcheria. ‘I hope you’ve been enjoying the atmosphere.’

‘Very much,’ the man said and stood up. I figured he was around mid to late twenties. ‘I love the lights,’ he continued, tiny gold crescents in his eyes reflecting them. ‘I’ve never seen anything like it – I guess that’s why it’s called Goldlights.’ Then he smiled, charming and knowing it.

‘They’re local,’ I replied, ‘made in Aquae Caesaris. They spin the whole thing in one tube, inserting the gold strands; then weave them into loops. Each one is unique.’

‘Fascinating. They must have cost a fortune.’

Normal clients wouldn’t have mentioned the cost.

‘We like them. But I’m sure you didn’t come here just to admire the decor.’

‘We heard it was the cool place to be.’

‘Now you’ve seen it all, you and your colleague might want to make a move. Spooks that walk into our club wearing wires are not welcome. Please leave now, quietly.’

‘What the hell do you mean by that?’ He took a step toward me, his face angry. He closed the distance between us until his breath brushed my skin, a classic move supposed to intimidate me, but I held my ground. His face was hard now, tight lines around his mouth. My full-length black sequinned dress had side slits, and I had one of the carbon fibre knives from my thigh holster against his groin within seconds. He tensed.

‘Your choice, soldier boy.’

‘C’mon, Daniel, let’s go,’ came the redhead’s voice.

‘Yes, Daniel, run along like a good boy,’ I added.

‘I’ll have you for this, you little cow.’ His eyes blazed.

‘Unlikely, sunshine, you’re not my type. Now piss off.’

‘Trouble, Pulcheria?’

Philippus.

‘No, they’re just leaving.’

The one called Daniel gave me a furious look. I gave him a smug smile back. He took his companion’s arm and pulled her toward the door. Philippus signalled the security staff and they followed the two spooks to the street as we watched.

‘Tell me something, Philippus. Why are attractive men always so up themselves?’

LI

When Palicek had told him a week ago they were flying to Roma Nova, Renschman’s eyes had shot wide open. When he asked Palicek to confirm it, his boss’s face closed in and he frowned. He wasn’t used to being questioned by his subordinates and snapped back a curt ‘yes’.

But now Palicek was pleased with how the meeting with his new Roma Novan associates had gone and gave out bunches of dollar bills with a big smile. He even told Renschman to take off for a day, two if he wanted. Everything was in place. All he need do was be ready to go meet the courier at the landing field in five days, he said.

Renschman had been watching the girl’s home for over ten hours now. None of his listening devices could penetrate the electronic shield so he reverted to traditional skills. He could wait. He’d waited long enough.

The girl had to come out sometime, for lunch or shopping or chit-chat with another pampered bitch. Where the hell was she? He stretched his fused muscles and decided to risk another walk-by. When he’d strolled along early afternoon, the CCTV cameras hadn’t moved. Super having his after-lunch nap, lazy bastard, he guessed, or the cameras were static. Sloppy security for such a high-end house. He strode along, in the lee of another pedestrian, knowing he’d be out of camera range in seconds.

He was caught completely unawares when one of the cameras swivelled round and fixed on him. He reacted like an amateur and stared up at it. It zoomed in and tracked him all the way down the street. He didn’t breathe out until he turned the corner. Jesus! They must have personal recognition software. His heart was pumping fast. He’d underestimated them again. He dived down the side street and went to cross into another street parallel to the main road – and ran straight into a solid wall disguised as a man. Another hand took hold of his arm and eased him back against the stonework.

Renschman shrugged, smiled, shook his head at the question in Latin and said in English he was a tourist. The woman rolled her eyes at her companion.

‘What you do, walking past this house two times?’ she asked in broken English. ‘You are watching for something?’

‘I’m a tourist,’ he repeated. ‘I was admiring the carving above the archway. Is there a problem?’

Her look could have dissolved steel, but he smiled back like the innocent he wasn’t.

‘Do not come here again.’

As he crossed to the second block down, he risked a glance backward. They stood, arms crossed, still watching him.

LII

‘How gratifying. We’re getting some attention,’ Apollodorus said when I reported the latest visitors. ‘I expect they’ll be back. I do hope not a raid.’

Justus had placed a sound jammer in the middle of the table. It was no way as effective as the crystal pyramids the security forces had, but better than nothing.

‘Now, listen carefully,’ Apollodorus continued, ‘we’re entering a critical phase. Please consider that by now we may have an agent, a mole, an observer of some kind, or even several, amongst us.’ Hermina looked uncomfortable at his comment. ‘I know, my dear Hermina, that you and Justus will have done everything to check every employee, but we cannot be overconfident. It would be equally naïve to overlook the possibility that one or two may have been overwhelmed by the attraction of money.’ He paused. ‘A dangerous and unfortunate decision on their part.’

Faces were expressionless around the table. Nobody moved a millimetre as they processed these last words.

I coughed to break the silence. Apollodorus shot me a gleam of anger but said nothing. I thought he pushed it a little too far sometimes.

‘Moving on,’ I said. ‘Apollodorus and I have worked on an exit strategy in case everything is screwed. If we get raided, they’ll block the service entrance at the back. But there’s another exit, from the kitchens. The back panel of the far corner cupboard leads to a passageway which runs the whole length of the block and comes out in the garage of an apartment building on the Dec Max. Hopefully, outside any security cordon they throw around. You just need to release two catches at the top of the back panel in the cupboard and push.’

I ignored the stunned looks on their faces.

‘You’ll find an envelope for each of you in a small alcove to the right, about five metres from the entrance.’

Justus was first. ‘Is this a serious possibility?’

‘Very much so, my dear Justus,’ said Apollodorus. ‘Don’t be concerned. Pulcheria’s plan is carefully thought out.’

‘We’ve never been this threatened before.’ He shot an unfriendly look in my direction.

‘But we’ve never made such a lucrative deal before, Justus. Nor done anything quite so interesting.’

‘If you say so.’

‘The club and its trading offshoots are all in my name,’ I continued. ‘Nobody will be able to touch any of you or Apollodorus’s other interests. You just need to quit the premises when I say.’

‘Are you going to carry the whole can?’

‘Only if it gets really messy.’

I saw a glimmer of respect in his eyes.

Nobody else had anything to say so we broke up in a sombre mood.

I was relieved to be near the crisis point of the operation. I wanted to finish and go home. And, for all her cool toughness and strong ideas about duty and service to the state, Nonna would have been worrying, especially since I’d broken all contact via Lurio.

The following afternoon, Apollodorus and I were re-reviewing the phoenix plan for the Pulcheria Foundation. The others presumed we were talking contingency last night. But we knew the break-up was inevitable.

‘You know that, if Palicek doesn’t bite, we’ll have to start over, finding another target,’ I said.

‘I’m fully aware of that. I’d be delighted if we continued working together. I’ve never been so entertained or had such a charming colleague.’

I blushed. Despite his impressive good looks and cool strength, I didn’t find Apollodorus sexually attractive, but I liked him and respected him immensely. I glanced at the screens. I saw the cleaning staff, the bar manager restocking, Martina sitting at a table with the chef, poring over menus, a maintenance woman fixing something up on a door frame. All pretty humdrum. I was about to turn away to resume with Apollo, when my heart nearly stopped.

Conrad.

He materialised in the doorway and advanced onto the main floor.

What in Hades was he doing here? I was immobilised, only my eyes moving, tracking him as he weaved between the tables. He turned and glanced at the stage then headed for the bar. The bar manager pointed toward Martina and he made his way over to her. He looked tired and strained. His hair had grown, but not so long as it had been in New York. I hadn’t seen him in months. I wanted to go down there. To see him. To be with him.

Then I registered that he was in uniform and had that Daniel with him.

‘Ah. Reinforcements – a PGSF major. Interesting.’

‘No, he’s a captain.’

‘It seems he’s been promoted,’ Apollo said. He swung around, fixing me with the full force of his black eyes. ‘Perhaps you’d care to tell me exactly how you know him, my dear Pulcheria?’

I crossed over to the side table, poured myself a tumbler of water and took a large gulp. First Renschman turns up as Palicek’s sidekick, now Conrad was prowling around. If this operation ended well, it would be a miracle. I took some deep breaths, calmed myself and turned, ready to go back into battle.

‘Apollo, sorry for that. Let’s get back to business.’

He raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

‘Captain, no, Major Tellus is a senior, and very effective, operator. You may know of him, perhaps from one of your databases.’

‘Unfortunately not. The PGSF appears to have an unbreakable encryption system. Dolcius thinks it has components imported from America.’

Surely not Brown Industries? Ironic.

‘Very well. I told you at the beginning that I know some of the personalities in the security forces. He’s one of them.’

‘Is that all? You seem to have had a strong reaction to his appearance.’

He didn’t blink as he held my gaze. I refused to break first as his black eyes bored into mine. After several seconds when I forgot to breathe, he turned back to the screens.

‘Very well, I accept your story. But if it compromises the security and success of our endeavours, I will take appropriate action. Is that clear?’

‘Of course. I understand.’ Icy fear brushed my skin.

‘I’ll go and see what they want. Do me the courtesy of watching their reactions.’ He disappeared out of the door, pulling it shut with more force than was necessary. I was annoyed. Whatever my emotional quandary, I would still do my job properly.

The screens showed Conrad with his arms crossed, a smile painted on the surface of his face, his index finger playing up and down his shirt sleeve, watching an over-relaxed Apollo deliberately taking his time to listen and answer. Neither would face the other, but positioned themselves at right angles. A neuro-linguistic specialist could have made more technical sense of it, but I saw the signals clearly enough. I didn’t know who I wanted to shake more.

Apollodorus came back after fifteen minutes. I don’t think I could have stood it any longer.

‘What a dangerous young man that major is. You were quite right. We must be very careful with him. Somehow, I invited them to be my guests tomorrow evening.’

‘You did what?’ I gasped.

‘Yes, disconcerting, isn’t it? It’s rarely I get boxed into a corner like that.’

I couldn’t believe it. I never dreamed Conrad would be able to manipulate Apollodorus.

‘No. Listen. You can’t.’

‘I can’t pull out now. Have you so little confidence in my ability to handle him?’ He looked stung.

‘I’m sorry, Apollodorus. Of course not.’

I arranged for Flavius to watch with me that evening. Conrad and Daniel arrived at half ten wearing tuxedos and sat with Apollodorus at one of the wall tables. They drank, they danced, they needled. I listened via Apollo’s comms kit but, after a while, became irritated by the polite bickering. Flavius jotted down a few notes, but I was more than content to sit and listen to the lilt of Conrad’s voice.

‘What do you make of him?’ Flavius said.

‘Clever, professional and a damned nuisance.’

Flavius laughed.

A sudden change in tone alerted me. I heard Conrad say, a little too casually, ‘Are we not to have the pleasure of the company of your colleague, Pulcheria?’

‘I’m afraid not, Major. She’s not with us tonight.’

‘Pity. Daniel’s been telling me all about her.’

I bet he had. I wanted to wring Daniel’s neck at that moment.

‘Nevertheless, I’d like to meet her. Perhaps tomorrow?’

‘She’s not back then, but I shouldn’t think she’ll be doing anything special the day after.’

No, only almost getting myself killed.