Taking a stagecoach from Vasos’ place, Anson and Cyril wondered how they were going to enter the Kadon HQ without immediately being captured. Let alone, get them to agree to the operation. “Do we really want control?” asked Cyril.
“Why do you ask?” responded Anson, suspicious of the question.
“You seem more interested in the operation taking control than the money?” responded Cyril.
Anson sighed before answering. “I have a personal quarrel with the Chairman.”
“The reason I asked,” said Cyril. “Is because we could offer the Kadons control of the country if we take over. It could be too good to pass over.”
“We have half of the Kadon shares,” reminded Anson. “Don’t start thinking like we aren’t the ones in control when we meet with them.”
“We aren’t, though.” Cyril cautioned. “Are we just going to walk in there and demand to meet with the leaders and not get captured on sight? Aren’t we going to find Osman first?”
“I’m sure we’ll run into him eventually.”
Cyril couldn’t believe it as he let out his breath and looked out the window of the stagecoach before wiping his face. “How are you not concerned about this at all? We are just going to stroll into the headquarters after we just robbed them, and you expect everything to go well?”
Anson gave out a soft laugh. “Of course, I’m scared.” He responded. “But what am I going to do about it? I have the tools that I have, and I’ve made the best…somewhat practicable plan that I could conjure up. I’ve been awake for around twelve hours with probably another twelve to go. If I’m Lucky” Looking at Cyril, all Anson could see now was a scared little treasure on a ship with battle-hardened mercenaries. “I’ve been through worse.” Anson admitted. “I’m not afraid of people.”
Cyril seemed to not believe how calm Anson was being. Even after the multiple failed plans, rallying speech the mercenary headquarters, and the support Anson gave Cyril when talking to Vasos. “What are you afraid of, then?”
Anson broke eye contact before answering. He pretended to think about his answer, but all he could think about what past memories. “Fire and water.” Anson spat out. “I’m afraid of fire and water.”
Cyril nodded as he took another quick peek out the window before looking back as he realized what that meant. “Water? You were a sailor? How did you—”
Reaching into a pocket, Anson pulled out the medal that had stayed with him this entire journey, through multiple death-defying feats and outfit changes. He handed it to Cyril and simply repeated what he said earlier. “I have a personal quarrel with the Chairman.”
Cyril stopped talking after that. He took a moment to appreciate the famed Pegasus Medal that he held. Only a couple dozen living men had this, and most wouldn’t waste a moment bragging about their achievement. Anson, however, didn’t even look at it. A moment passed before Anson asked for the medal back. Cyril handed it to him, and it fell back into the former mercenary’s pocket faster than it would ever come out.
When the stagecoach arrived, Anson looked out the window of the stagecoach. It was now fifteen o’clock and the sun beat down on his body as he exited the stagecoach. He told the stagecoach—who was the same man who picked them up from Vasos’ in the first place—to do a holding pattern around the building. It wasn’t an especially hot day, but even if it was below freezing, he was sure he would still feel hot standing in front of the Kadon headquarters.
Though it wasn’t as big as the Sovans—as the Sovans were the larger Triad—it still was a headquarters of Triad. Unlike the mercenaries who aimed for quality in their domineering yet simple building, the Kadons didn’t bother with that last part and focused on the domineering part of building a headquarters. The exterior was alive with rich designs from the Libo Sultanate. If one didn’t know any better, they would think the kilometer long building they stood in front of was dropped from the sky, directly from At Tashi. Anson wondered how the Sultan would react to the news of what is happening today.
Anson smiled to himself as he enjoyed the thought of the ageing, fat, and tyrant Sultan nearly choking on his Lokums hearing group of four mercenaries somehow took over the country. But as Cyril also left the stagecoach and made his way next to Anson, he reminded himself that he did still need to take it over.
Without saying a word to each other, the two slowly made their way up to the front door. First, there were dozens of steps to ascend to the elevated Kadon HQ as Kadon Triad members talked and glanced at the two Sovans, probably wondering what they were doing here. However, near the top of the staircase, Anson felt the weight of a thousand eyes on him as more Kadons began to recognize the two from the wanted posters from around town.
Some recognized the two immediately, others were stuffing their faces with kebab and took a moment, but not before long, there were around thirty men, shadowing the two up the stairs. The stairs themselves were mostly clean except for a small but noticeable dry bloodstain tucked halfway up the climb that Anson only noticed because Cyril had been staring at it for a good couple of seconds. Eventually, they reached the top and came face to face with two bodyguards standing in front of what seemed to be a ten-meter double-decker door. “Your business?” one of them asked in Kadon.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
“I am here for Osman,” Anson replied in Kadon.
The two bodyguards looked at each other before giving out a single chuckle. “Which one?” they asked. “The ten behind you or the hundred inside who don’t know who you are?”
“There’s one that knows us two,” Anson responded. “If not him, we’ll meet with Kadon Triad Leader Yildiz.” The bodyguards laughed again and asked who was so special to be demanding an audience with the triad leader, and yet, needed to be questioned by bodyguards. “Mercenary Commander Anson Xenos Eilas.” He responded with an annoyed tone in his voice. Anson hoped this would surprise the two men, but unsurprisingly, the two men didn’t believe him.
“We can’t let you in. You didn’t even get the mercenary commander’s name right. Though. I’m sure the small audience you’ve collected of our fine member would love to point you to someone else who can help you.” The bodyguards suggested.
“Have you been living under a rock, today?” asked Anson. The two bodyguards immediately became insulted.
“Excuse me?” one of them asked.
“Because if you haven’t you would have noticed me and Cyril here are the two most wanted men in the country at the moment, and whatever reward there is, I would make sure to tell the triad leader that you caught me and should get a share of the reward. How about that?”
The two bodyguards then looked passed Anson and Cyril and finally put two and two together. Triad members don’t stare at two random men for no reason. Even if they were Sovans at the Kadon Triad Headquarters. Looking at Anson and Cyril again before looking at each other, the men said one last thing before letting them in. “You’re lucky, the Triad Leader is in the building at the moment.”
#
Entering the building, the two Sovans’ hands were tied together with some spare rope the bodyguard’s had. Escorted through the halls of the building, men continued to stare as they recognized the two. Anson couldn’t help but smile as he was made to march through the Kadon Triad Headquarters. Inside, Anson looked up at the domes and walls that filled the room. They were beautifully decorated, like a temple, and he tried to take it all in as it was Anson’s first time in the building. Surprisingly he hadn’t been here before, especially considering the many friends Ahmed had in his childhood that joined the triad, but now Anson was where his friend never was. In a building that tried to hide its gruesome crimes against humanities that were planned within the many offices gently whose doors were gently blended into the wall art.
Cyril seemed to be enjoying the art as well as looking all around him, but with much more concern as he walked. Eventually, they finished their short walk out of the main hallway down another smaller set of hallways before appearing in an empty corner room with another double-decker, but this time in gold, door at the edge of the building. “Do you have any weapons on you?” asked the bodyguards.
Anson told him the locations of everything on his body, including the medal. “Leave that with me, if you may. I’m sure the boss would be honored to meet me.” The bodyguards obliged as they took away Anson and Cyril’s knives and small swords off their body. Though, before they finished, the two made sure to appreciate the medal themselves before giving it back and congratulating Anson on what he had done. Anson stayed silent.
Walking up to the door after leaving their weapons behind, the bodyguards announced themselves and who they had delivered. But it wasn’t the Triad Leader who responded, it was Osman. “You’ve got to be kidding me!” he exclaimed in Kadon. Hearing the running from the door, Anson waited to see that smug face as Osman opened the door. “I can’t believe it.” He spoke. “Did you disarm them?” he asked the bodyguards.
They nodded, before handing them over to Osman. They then left, and Osman closed the door as the Sovans walked into the ginormous office of the Kadon Triad Leader. “Take a seat over there,” Osman said, pointing to a corner office. “You guys want a drink?”
Both of them refused, even though Anson suddenly felt a wave of thirst go through his body. He was sure Cyril felt the same. Afraid of any tricks, Anson and Cyril slowly made their way to the table before taking a gentle seat. Looking at Osman, Anson tried to figure out Osman’s angle, but before he could Cyril leaned over and whispered. “What is happening? Why is he so friendly? Does he not know?”
“I don’t know,” Anson quickly answered. “Just follow my lead.”
Osman then made his way over to the eight-person big conference table and took a seat across from the two Sovans while holding some wine and a box of lokums. With Osman facing the facing the wall, and Anson and Cyril facing the rest of the office. “Where’s the Triad Leader Yildiz?”
“Oh, he’ll be here,” assured Osman as he poured himself a glass of wine. “He’s taking a piss.” There was then an uncomfortable pause before Osman began talking again. “Anyway, you guys got the rest of the shares?”
The man had to be insane, Anson was sure of it. There was no way the man didn’t know about the robbery. It happened hours ago. He must be toying with his prey before turning them in and getting a handsome reward from the Chairman. “About that,” Anson responded. His mouth opened to continue again, but Anson’s mouth felt dry once again and it hurt to talk. “There’s good news and bad news.”
Osman nodded, but way too much. Like a newspaper reporting nodding with the interviewee that makes the interviewee feel dumb. “The good news is,” Anson continued. “Is that we have taken over the Mercenary Triad and the stagecoaches of the city.”
“Congratulations! And the bad news?”
“Well…the bad news is…the bad news is something you probably already know,” Anson said, having enough of the mockery. “You already know what I am about to say so why don’t—”
“Don’t I just say it,” Osman laughed, taking a sip of wine. “One of your men, Deo, I think his name was, robbed 20,000 shares from a local chapter. Yeah, I know. You guys were very stupid to come here.”
“And?” Anson asked while taking a look at Cyril. The young treasurer looked like he had shit his pants.
Nodding his head again, Osman took another sip of wine before answering. “And…you are most likely going to die,” he said while laughing. “In this office. When the Triad Leader comes back. So, prepare for that…mentally. Because there’s no way else you can.”